Chapter 14

I didn’t know how long I lay in the bath, and I only forced myself from it when the water began to turn cold. I dressed in the weird, colourful clothes that Altea had left for me. At least they were loose and comfortable, and they felt soft against my skin.

I sat down on the bed, not knowing what to do. A banquet? Karim had mentioned there might be one, but he’d told me not to worry about it. I wanted to go and speak to them, but before I had a chance, the soft bell rang in the air, and a servant stepped through the main door.

“The King invites you to dinner, my lady”

He bowed and waited for me until I got the clue to follow him.

We passed through the gold-covered hallway again, and I wondered if I would ever get used to seeing such splendour. As we stepped through into the great hall, I had to force myself not to halt and stare. It was huge, with oil lamps casting a soft light over a long table decorated with flowers and golden cups. My companions were already there, and I instinctively moved to join, but the servant led me past them and halted before the royal couple. I bowed my head as Karim had told me to do, and when I lifted my gaze, a cold shiver ran down my spine.

The Queen sitting to the King’s side was none other than Altea. She nodded, and our eyes met. She looked just like she had when she helped me prepare for my bath, with soft, friendly eyes. I stared at her, but she didn’t make any sign that would indicate we had already met. What game was she playing?

“Welcome to Akka”, the King spoke, interrupting my thoughts. “You will be paid well for the services you’ve done for our friends”

He cracked a smile and took a lengthy sip from his cup. I could see that Altea gave him a look, but he ignored her and took another swig before burping and wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

“You’ve served them well. Dine with us as a show of our gratitude.”

He pointed at the chair next to him as a servant filled his cup. I froze. I really wanted to be with my companions, but even I understood that I could not refuse it. With a heavy heart, I took the seat next to him, and he instantly pulled a small golden case from his pocket and opened it. Inside, it was something resembling candies. He picked one and popped it into his mouth before offering me.

“Try these, they are as sweet as you are beautiful and cost more than you will ever earn”

He roared with laughter at his own joke and took another heavy gulp from his cup, ignoring the look Altea gave him. I took it, more to keep him quiet than anything else, and he clapped his hands and announced,

“Let's begin!”

It went on and on, and if I ever seriously considered killing someone in cold blood, Alaren, King of Akka, would be at the top of my list.

I was forced to listen to the endless boasting about his wealth and watch all his jewels without showing too much boredom after the first few. At least he gave me a golden necklace that, unfortunately, he decided to put around my neck himself, and he almost tipped over the table as he tried because he was so drunk. On the positive side, the necklace was probably worth a fortune, so if I ever lost my current job, I wouldn’t need to worry about my basic needs. But still.. It was almost not worth the pain.

Altea looked more and more annoyed by his behaviour, which wasn’t surprising and at one point, she had had enough. She abruptly pushed out her chair, turned to me, and announced,

“Akka is known for its temple of the goddess, not for its richness and the prowess of its king.”

She offered me her hand.

“Let me show you something that will be more to your taste than this.”

She gave her husband a mean look, and I accepted her hand without hesitation. Whoever she was, she was better than this pig. She led me through the halls, now illuminated by the same soft oil lamps I had seen in the great hall. We passed servants rushing back and forth on their errands until we crossed a large, open space full of exotic plants and entered the temple.

The bustle of the castle immediately gave way to silence. I still didn’t know what game Altea was playing, but being away from the King was enough to make me let out a sigh. A statue of the Goddess watched over us, her hand holding an outstretched sword and the other a shield, as if protecting the world. I smiled without thinking. It was so peaceful here, and I hoped we didn’t have to go back. Altea bowed her head to the Goddess sculpture, and I followed her example. She whispered the prayer I had heard so many times, and then turned to me.

“Forgive me, my lady, we didn’t have any choice.”

My body instinctively tensed, even though I didn’t understand what she meant.

“The imperial soldiers arrived yesterday, ordering us to capture your friends, my lady.”

I frowned. That was what Karim had feared, and Eden had tried to warn us about.

“You..”

I wanted to tell her what I thought about her, but she just bowed her head.

“Forgive us, we did what we could to protect you. You are safe now. They still don’t know who you are.”

She lifted her head and looked into my eyes.

“But I know what Karim intended to do. You are our last hope.”

She took my hands in hers.

“Save us from the shadow that has fallen on our land and save your friends”, she whispered.