Court of Snakes: This Desert Cage

Betrayal - The Palace | January of the Second Year

"Happy birthday!"

Master Esmond took his hands from Parisa's eyes, and what she saw made her giggle due to the oddness of the thing. On the white sheets of her bed lay a small, silver dagger, inlayed with aquamarine stones, and Parisa cocked her head to one side to get a better look at the gift. Birthdays held some strange wonderment for Parisa, as the presents she received tended to be from Master Esmond and were often just as quirky as he was. Esmond had chosen the presents that she had gotten from her father when she was young, and she had always known it. Her father never paid enough attention to ascertain what she would want for a gift, so he left the task to his closest advisor.

Parisa thought herself rather lucky to have someone like Esmond around for birthdays. Esmond spent a lot of time with Parisa's mother when they were young, and it was Esmond who had been chosen to be her godfather. Esmond knew Parisa from back to front like a book and, for most birthdays, his presents were eerily accurate, which showed nothing more than his astute observational skills. This year, however, the gift made almost no sense to Parisa, and she spent a moment attempting to solve the riddle, which she was sure it was.

She picked up the dagger cautiously, as to not cut herself on its sharp edge, and smiled. "So, what's this all about?" she prodded.

Master Esmond shrugged, "I know it's an odd present to receive on one's fourteenth birthday, but I wanted to get you something practical. This year is not the year for books, I'm afraid, and I feel you may need it one day."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a cruel world out there, Parisa, and I would want a young lady to be able to defend herself."

"Esmond, I've never taken a self-defense class in my life. Father won't allow it."

"He may if I prod."

Parisa looked the dagger over in her hands and mused, "It is an odd present, but it is pretty. Thank you."

"You are very welcome. May your birthday be as merry and bright as your spirit."

She laid the dagger down onto her dresser and gave her teacher a hug. Esmond's chest was warm, and she felt her head rise and fall with his breath. "At least," she said, "you remembered my birthday."

There was a quiet knock on the door and Master Esmond turned to open it. The swinging door revealed a page who trembled in his boots as though he was prepared to be shouted at.

"Good evening," Esmond addressed.

"Lady Parisa, Lord Talbot requests your presence," the page said.

"Thank you. We'll be right there."

The page clicked his heels together in a tight bow and scuttled off, bustling away to some other busy task.

"Maybe you spoke too soon." Master Esmond smiled and pushed Parisa toward the door. "Go on. I'll be waiting in my study when you're finished. I have another surprise for you."

Parisa followed the hallway down, her heeled boots clicking on the stone, and a knot formed in her gut. Her father had not celebrated her birthday with her for three years, so the fact that he had changed his mind now made her uneasy. A guard opened the heavy, glass door to the throne room where her father sat on his place of honor, gazing out the window. Solicitude clouded her father's expression, something that Parisa noticed often as of late, and he drummed his fingers on the rest of the chair. The guard presented a salute in front of him, bending into a deep bow, and reported, "My Lord, Lady Parisa."

Lord Talbot glanced in Parisa's general direction and straightened up. "Parisa," he breathed, as though a weight rested on his chest. "I need to have a talk with you."