Page 55 of The King of Koraha
“All right, then you can keep your sword.” She gestured to the cushions lined along the two side walls. “Please have a seat. I’ll let you know when she’s available.” She returned to her work.
Shyla and Rendor moved out of the way. They didn’t sit down. Not that they expected trouble here, but it never hurt to be ready. Instead, they watched the receptionist deal with the citizens who arrived. She was kind and firm and sympathetic when needed. Only one other person was told to have a seat. The man took one look at Rendor and chose a cushion on the opposite side of the room.
After three angles a tall, muscular man strode through the well-guarded doorway behind the receptionist. He moved like a sand devil—all smooth graceful strides and coiled power as if he could explode into action at any moment. A true predator.
He spotted them and there was a slight hitch in his step. His gaze focused on Rendor, sizing him up, noting the weapon at his hip. Shyla hated to admit it, but if Rendor was a big brute, this guy was a giant beast who was at least four centimeters taller.
“The princess is ready for her next appointment, Chanda,” the man said.
“Thank you, Commander,” the receptionist said.
Scorching sand rats. That answered the question of Xerxes’ location. Because there was no doubt he was the commander of the King’s elite troops. And it was pretty obvious that he was also on good terms with the princess. It took all of Shyla’s willpower not to glance at Rendor.
Xerxes frowned at Chanda, but instead of cowering, she gave him a flat that-won’t-work-on-me stare. Shyla’s opinion of the receptionist increased a few levels. After one more assessing glance at them, Xerxes left.
The ability to breathe returned. Shyla filled her lungs to steady her wild heart rate. Her body had reacted as if she’d just had a brush with a venomous sand snake. No surprise since the man was probably gathering his people to ambush them.
“I’ll be back,” Chanda said to them, retreating through the doorway.
Shyla turned to Rendor. “That’s not good.”
“It isn’t.” He had his arms crossed and his scowl firmly in place. “We need to be careful what we say to the princess. I think you should monitor her emotions right away.”
“I will. At least you won’t intimidate her.”
Rendor huffed. “Xerxes isn’t that impressive.”
Shyla wisely refrained from commenting. Chanda returned and escorted them to the Water Princess’s office. They passed a few water fountains and mosaics. As expected, guards flanked her door and were arrayed around the large comfortable space.
Chanda introduced them to the Water Princess of Nintri. The woman stood and approached them. She had pulled her dark ringlets up into a high ponytail, which allowed the black curls to cascade down her back. Her bearing was regal and she wore a long-sleeved silk gown that flowed to the floor in one long sweep. The burnt orange color of the material contrasted nicely with the princess’s deep brown skin.
A pendant hung from her neck and it drew Shyla’s full attention. A black triangular-shaped jewel the size of a thumbnail glinted from the center of the pendant. The gemstone pulsed with a strange energy, drawing Shyla into its depths. It tugged at her soul.
The princess noticed Shyla staring at her pendant. She tucked it underneath the collar of her gown. The motion snapped Shyla back to herself.
“Welcome to Nintri, Shyla and Rendor,” the princess said in a soothing, liquid voice. “Your visit is an unexpected blessing. I hope the King is well?”
Shyla met her gaze. A calm serenity filled her olive-colored eyes. The princess wasn’t surprised that they were in Nintri. Xerxes had informed her of their arrival and the reason the King had sent the two emissaries.
“Yes, he’s well.” Shyla said.
“What can I do for the King?” the princess asked even though she already knew the answer.
Shyla played along, telling her about the stolen taxes and how they suspected the mercenaries. The princess feigned surprise and she defended Xerxes.
“The monks collecting the taxes were probably tricked and too embarrassed to admit they’d been robbed, so they’re blaming an innocent man and his loyal soldiers,” the princess said.
The princess had all the right responses to the rest of Shyla’s questions because Xerxes had coached her on what to say. True information, if there was any, was not to be found. The princess’s thoughts were saturated with his words. The only emotion the princess felt was utter devotion to Xerxes. It reminded her of the Callow monk who had brought Shyla food and water. It was similar but different.
Changing tactics, Shyla asked, “When did the commander come to Nintri?”
“A couple circuits ago. He and his squads have been so helpful. We had some trouble and they took care of it.”
“What trouble?”
“Does it matter? It’s no longer a problem.” Gratitude filled the princess as her thoughts lingered on all the wonderful qualities of Xerxes.
Shyla would have to dig deeper into the woman’s soul to learn the truth about what was going on between her and Xerxes. Signaling Rendor with a subtle gesture, Shyla focused on the princess.
