Whispers Of Desires: A Sense Of Truth {Book 2}

꧁༺ 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓧𝓧𝓘: 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓣𝓻𝓪𝓷𝓼𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓑𝓮𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓼 ༻꧂

The clatter of hooves against cobblestone echoed through the palace halls. Kazi looked through the window, as she looked at who was coming. A wide grin spread across her face. It was Ren!

Without a second thought, she threw open the window and leaned out, her short braids dancing in the wind. "Ren!" she called out, her voice strong and clear.

A moment later, Ren appeared on his horse. he dismounted his horse and led his horse towards the stables, a wide smile forming as he saw Kazi's face. "Kazi?" he called back, "Shouldn't you be practising your sword-fighting instead of dangling out of a window?"

Kazi playfully stuck her tongue out at him. "Come on up, Ren! I need to talk to you, urgently."

Ren chuckled and secured his horse, then made his way towards the palace entrance. Inside, Kazi was already halfway down the grand staircase when Ren entered the main hall. Her gown flowed behind her as she walked, towards him.

"Ren, thank goodness you are here!" she exclaimed, grabbing his arm.

Ren raised an eyebrow, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "You are wearing a gown? I am afraid you have gotten me worried, my friend. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, be quiet, you," Kazi grinned. "You know I cannot tell you anything here. We need to find a private place to talk." She practically dragged him towards the palace gardens, where her sister, Nia, sat.

"Your Majesty," Ren bowed respectfully, his hand on his chest.

Nia waved her hand dismissively. "Please, Ren. In this garden, it is Nia."

Ren nodded respectfully, then turned to Kazi. "Alright, Kazi. Tell me what is going on. And what nonsense did you send me about borrowing all my clothes...again?"

Nia let out a delicate cough, but she had a mischievous sparkle in her eye.

"Well," she began hesitantly, "it is about the attacks on the trade ships. Nia and I believe we have uncovered something crucial. The perpetrator seems to be hiding within the Athena palace itself."

Ren's jaw clenched. "Within the palace? That is outrageous!"

"Exactly," Kazi continued. "That is why I need to go undercover. But as a woman, it would be impossible to infiltrate the Althean court unnoticed."

She paused, taking a deep breath before blurting out, "So, I was hoping... maybe you could lend me some clothes."

Silence followed. Ren stared at her, his expression unreadable. Nia, on the other hand, couldn't contain a soft snicker.

Finally, Ren spoke, his voice low and intense. "Kazi," he began, "I would do anything for you. Train you for days on end, lead you into battle against overwhelming odds... anything. But this? This is far too dangerous."

Kazi stepped closer to him, "I know the risks, Ren. But someone must do this. Someone must find the traitor and expose them. And besides," she added, "who said anything about me getting hurt? I can handle myself."

Ren studied her face for a long moment. With a sigh, "Alright, Kazi," he finally agreed. "I will lend you the clothes. But you have to promise me something."

"Anything!"

Ren's gaze softened, a hint of something deeper flickering across his face. "If anything goes wrong, if you feel even a hint of danger, I need you to write to me. I will be there. No questions asked."

"I promise, Ren. Thank you." Kazi breathed out, relieved. She threw her arms around him in a tight hug, not caring that it was not exactly the most ladylike thing to do. "I will not let you down."

As Kazi pulled back, she gave him a wide smile. Ren smiled back, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. He couldn't help but worry about her. He wished he could go with her, but his presence would only put her in more danger.

Nia, her smirk widening, cleared her throat. "Ahem," she said, "Shall we get started on this transformation, then? We have a traitor to catch, and a very handsome new 'man' to create."

"Alright, Nia, let us get started," Kazi agreed, her voice full of excitement.

Nia clapped her hands together. "Excellent! First things first, we need to deal with your hair."

Kazi ran a hand through her short braids. "My hair? What about it?"

Nia chuckled. "Relax, Kazi. We are not going to shave it off, just... give it a bit of a makeover." She gestured towards a nearby table where there were lots of brushes and combs and what looked like a pot of some strange-smelling concoction.

With practiced ease, Nia began upbraiding Kazi's hair. "Luckily, you already have short hair," she explained. "We just need to style it a bit differently." Nia dipped a comb into the pot and worked the mysterious concoction through Kazi's hair, muttering something about "texture" and "volume."

Soon, Kazi's short afro was transformed into tight curls that framed her face in a way she had never seen before. It was different, unfamiliar, but undeniably... masculine.

"Next comes the more... delicate part," Nia said with a wink, as she grabbed a long length of cloth.

"What is that for? A headband?" Kazi asked, noticing the length of cloth Nia was holding.

"We need to cover up your," she gestured towards her chest, "you know. Make it look more..." She trailed off, searching for the right word before shrugging. "...manly." With expert hands, Nia wrapped the cloth around Kazi's chest, tying it off in the back. The fabric was soft and comfortable against her skin, but it did make her feel...different. More concealed.

"Now," Nia said, stepping back to admire her handiwork, "the final touch – Ren's clothing." She held up a pair of dark pants and a long-sleeved shirt. They were slightly oversized, but Nia assured her that they would fit fine once she put them on.

Kazi took a deep breath, feeling a mixture of anticipation and nervousness. She couldn't believe how much Nia and Ren had trusted her with all of this. She knew she had to do everything in her power to protect their secret and bring down the traitor.