The Princess and the Writer

CHAPTER TEN

"What do you mean you tried to kill her?!" Khin roared.

Sud took an involuntary step back. It was unlike Khin to lose his temper. Her never did. Everybody knew that Khin was cool, calm and unaffected by everything. Seeing him like this was very unnerving. Just to make sure he was out of reach should the glowering man strike, Sud took another step back.

"Nadira," Sud stammered. "She ordered us to kill her on sight."

"And I told you afterwards not to do that, do you recall?" Khin said.

Sud gulped. "Yes, but she is a sorceress-"

"Get. Out."

Fearing the man's wrath, Sud hurried out. Khin paced a while in fury before he stormed out of the room. He stomped across the compound, drawing attention to himself, though he did not care. He barged into the house in the middle without excusing himself.

"Nadira," he called.

Nadira, who was in the middle of her meal nearly choked on her food. Since when did Khin raise his voice at anyone? Teral was with her and looked grateful for the interruption, hardly noticing the unusual rise in his friend's voice.

"Khin," he said eagerly. "You came here right on time. Come, share this meal with us. Please."

Khin barely heard him. He fixed his gaze upon Nadira.

"You want the princess alive," he declared. "I will go get her personally. Send no troop - only me."

Nadira furrowed her brows as Teral arched his.

"Who said I want that woman alive?" She asked.

"You want the book of spells, don't you?" Khin asked. When Nadira nodded he went on. "If the writer brought the princess back to life, then that means that she has a soft spot for her."

Nadira shrugged. "So?"

Teral slapped his palm on his forehead in exasperation, but quickly pretended to be swatting away a fly when she looked at him.

Khin explained, "Capturing Nena will draw the writer out. Once the writer comes out of hiding, we will capture her and make her tell us where the book is."

"Ah, and then I will be at liberty to kill that annoying princess!" Nadira said.

Khin clenched his jaw and said nothing. He hated talk of the princess' death. She had just come back to life; he was not ready to have her die again - that is, if she truly was alive. He had to see for himself.

Teral arched his brow.

"Why go by yourself?" he asked. "Nena is strong, protected by the book's magic. You will need backup if you intend to restrain her."

Khin twisted his mouth. He could not believe that people actually stood by that preposterous lie. There was no magic, and there never had been. There had only been faith. Not that anyone would understand. Nobody ever took the time to really listen to what Nena read from the book - nobody but him.

"The princess will not harm me," Khin simply replied.

"How are you so sure?" Teral asked farther.

Khin did not answer that. He headed out.

"Nena will be standing before you by the week's end," he said over his shoulder and disappeared into the night.

Teral cocked his head. "That was strange."

"I'll tell you what's strange," Nadira blurted out. "You disappeared today again. Don't think I didn't notice, Teral."

Teral gloomily sat there as Nadira went on and on whining about how lonely she had been all day. His mind soon wandered off to Khin.