Betrayal of Blood

Chapter 2 - Last Remaining Descendent

Sindri—

My mood had been salvaged and by the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. He had hair that was deep brown but turning white and it went far past his shoulders, down his back. His eyes were gentle and brown while his lips were plump and perfect. The skin on his arm that I had touched had been soft and delicate, as if no blade had ever touched it nor hardly even the sun. His smooth light beige skin was unblemished and gorgeous to admire, so much so that I had found myself staring at him nearly every second, even after I'd managed to usher him into my guest chamber in Eadburga's castle.

He stood rigidly by an open window, gazing out of it, and not facing me. He hadn't spoken a word to me since I'd brought him into the room, and it was beginning to make me question if somehow, I were conveying the wrong intention.

I sighed quietly to myself and then stood from the chair I'd been sitting in, to walk over to him. As I neared him, he turned his head and held my gaze immediately, making my heart unconsciously thud faster. His eyes held uncertainty and questions, and with each moment I wanted nothing more than to smooth those two emotions away from his face.

"Are you willing to tell me where you are from now?" I asked, wanting him to say it himself, even though I had already figured he was from Jiahao based upon his attire and his soft accent.

He said nothing and looked away from me, with a slight frown setting onto his lips. "I'm from Jiahao," he mumbled, and by the reluctance in his tone and posture, I guessed he hadn't wanted to divulge that nor his name.

There had to be reason for it though.

"Why did you come here?" I glanced down him and settled my gaze on his sword he had clutched in his hand still. The scabbard concealing his blade was a pale metal, as was the hilt of his sword and it had a green gem fixed to it.

By his dull, wrapped robe, someone would figure he was only a peasant, but a peasant wouldn't have such a sword nor have a posture like his or the guts to ignore a King. A noble, however, would have his straightened posture and comfort with ignoring me.

"If you're in danger, I can provide protection for you," I offered, and at my words, his eyes gazed to me and searched mine with earnest, as if he were trying to find deceit in my words. "I hide no ill intentions, I promise. I only want to help if I can."

His gaze left mine, pinning onto the outdoors again before he shook his head to himself and reached into his robe. He pulled out a small wooden rectangle that held a tassel on one end before he handed it to me. I reached out, taking it carefully from his hand, and then I held it up to view it better. The tassel was a golden orange and the wood looked like bamboo and etched into the wood were words, but none I could read.

"I'm sorry, I don't know your language," I said, handing it back to him, but he shook his head and pushed it back towards me.

I knitted my eyebrows together at his insistence before I gazed over the item again, as if I'd missed something of importance, however, everything just looked like line drawings. He sighed quietly then reached out, removing it from my hand. I watched as he lifted it into the sunlight then motioned me to come closer.

Standing directly beside him, I followed his slender finger as he traced the last four designs on the right of the pendant.

"Changxian," he stated, then met my gaze, to see if I understood, and when I nodded slowly, he looked back to the pendant.

He said no more, only brushing his thumb over the wood, and I was left trying to figure out what that had meant. I knew next to nothing about Jiahao since the Empire wasn't my concern nor anyone's in Gharash. They left Gharash alone and only traded occasionally with some kingdoms, so for the most part nobody bothered to learn about them. I only knew they had a single ruling Emperor and that was it.