The bitterness of her lips was the first sensation of her day. Rhianna opened her eyes, facing the dark and musty bedroom. The humidity smudges on the wall gave her goosebumps and, for a few seconds, she wondered where she was.
Then, her memories came back as a lightening.
Saved by the young Randu, she was offered a shelter while he was searching for his sister. A girl who looked like her, but was actually an unclean, daughter of a rape by someone of her ethnicity. Randu heard her cries for help and saved her from a gang rape.
She sat on the single bed. The man was already standing. His eyes were covered with defiance while he stared at a crumpled piece of paper; his mind seemed to be boiling with a million thoughts.
"What are you going to do?" Rhianna asked him, standing up and fixing her dress with her hands.
Randu faced her. They have talked a bit the night before. Nothing too intimate, just exchanging some information as names and how they had got to that point.
"She is not in the harbor," he affirmed.
"You went looking for her in the dawn?"
"In every corner."
"What if a cashean kidnapped her while she was walking in the streets?"
She didn't want to be a pessimist, but the revolting touch of those men was still burning on her skin.
"Emerald would have defeated the five of them faster than I did," he explained. "She is so quick with her sword that even I get frightened whenever we train."
Rhianna gaped, surprised.
"A woman who knows how to fight?"
"You look shocked."
"And I am! A woman..." she mumbled. "I believed we could only breed and take care of our homes. I never thought about one of us fighting."
"My mother could fight," he explained. "Emerald inherited her gift."
It wasn't entirely true. Brione didn't have a third of her daughter's ability with the sword.
"A woman can be much more than what people say," he declared. "A woman can be whatever she wants to be."
Rhianna's eyes bulged, in admiration.
"You really believe this?"
"Of course." He smile. "Don't you?"
"I never had the chance to think differently."
She felt her heart racing in face of her chaste smile.
"What is the true difference between man and woman but not what we have between our legs?"
The question made her blush.
"People always told me women were fragile and unable of taking any bold acts."
"And you believe everything people say? You see, Rhianna, there are two kind of people in the world. And, please… Don't you ever believe there are any other kind, just two: winners and losers. Both of them listen to discouraging words all the time. Things like 'You are not made for this', 'Give up already!', 'You have no ability…' What will place you in one of these classes is how you react to these words."
He cleared his throat before proceeding.
"If you see yourself as a loser, that's what you will be. However, if, by hearing them, you feel your heart being defied, then, even if you can't succeed, you are already a winner.
Her astonished expression made him soften his words.
"Well, you are free now, right? They gave up on the proposal they made to you and you will only return to your uncle's house if you want to.
"But if I don't, where will I go?"
"You can stay with my sister and me," he offered. "As soon as I find that crazy girl, we will go to the isolate islands beyond Masha."
She had already heard about that place. It was terrifying by the things people said. Mountains covered by trees, which harbored dangerous creatures, caves and the total isolation. There were many stories about the place, but suddenly she lost the fear of them. Who would fear the future if could have the protection of that man?
"I'm sure Emerald sailed towards Masha," he interrupted her thoughts. "I have a plan," he faced her. "What would you think of becoming my lady?"
"I beg your pardon?"
"Be my lady," he repeated, joining his wrists, in a demonstration of slavery.
Such a practice still existed?
"In which world do you live?" he laughed.
She didn't refuse.
"That way you would enter Masha without a problem," she seemed to follow his line of thoughts. "But how would we get the money to the trip? More than that, enough money to stay there? If I have a slave, I ought to have the money to stay somewhere."
He nodded.
"I have saved some of the gold I've earned in my job. It would be enough to buy our tickets. But regarding the stay…" he took a deep sigh. "I will buy the tickets," he said, closing the subject.
"But, what about afterwards?"
"Don't worry about afterwards."
"How could I not worry?"
"I will buy the tickets to the first ship in the morning. A few minutes before, I will break into Nam's house and I will steal him."
He seemed to be a good man, so it was strange hearing him speak like that.
"I have no choice," he said, in an apology. "I have to go after my sister."
In that moment, Rhianna understood Randu would be able to do anything for the unclean with scarlet hair.
***
The tickets were acquired promptly. Even before the sun was up, he and Rhianna would be in the open sea, heading towards the redheaded's land. He had no idea what he would do after getting there, but so far, his only concern was to get to Masha.
How could Emerald be so… insane? She should have considered better her attitude. What about that note, then? A simple warning that she was going after the man who raped their mother, an apology and a short declaration of her feelings.
He sent away those thoughts, focusing in what would lie ahead. The sun would rise in a few hours and, in less than half an hour he and Rhianna should be on board of the sailboat. However, before that, he would have to steal from Nam. Not that he was feeling guilty by this, for he knew that that son of a bitch quite deserved to have his gold confiscated, but his ethical code was bothering him.
As he imagined, the unclean ones responsible for the safety of the place were sleeping. Nam kept them in watch, but never allowed them to rest during the day. No human being would be able to remain sleepless for days, so it was obvious he would pass through the men easily.
Indeed, tiptoeing, he managed to leave the guards behind and climb a window.
The small palace was dark and silent. It was as extremely luxurious as the castle he used to live when he was a child. Without paying attention to the place's beauty, he started to follow the corridors. His intention was to get to Nam's bedroom. He heard that the man kept his gold with him, unable to trust anyone with his possessions.
However, when he passed by a half-open door, he heard a low howling. He stopped, looking through the crack.
He felt his legs wavering in face of the sight of the ugly naked man, in front of a girl. Not any girl, but his own daughter, who was just fourteen.
"I've told you already, Maya," his voice got to Randu's ears, terrifying him. "I don't want you to cry when you are to be daddy's woman…"
He didn't have to think too much to understand that that bastard wasn't only cruel to the ones who served him. He also subjected his own child to the filthiness of his lust.
He didn't think. He didn't measure his actions. He just opened the door and walked towards the man. There was no reaction, Nam barely saw him. Randu simply took the knife and beheaded him, moving as fast as his sister used to, into fight.
The girl didn't even mumbled in face of his attitude. Her look, a mix of surprise and relief went to the young black man who seemed revolted in front of her. However, when he faced her, his look softened immediately.
"Girl," he called her. "Where does your father keep the gold?"
The girl smiled. She wouldn't mind giving his entire father's gold to his savior. Even because, as a woman, she couldn't inherit anything of that man. She would be sent to her uncle to be raised and, then, she would be given in marriage, since her father weren't among the living anymore. Therefore, it would be better if that money would be well enjoyed by the man who freed her of that barbarian who had been abusing her since she was five.
"Keep that," he said, giving her a gold piece. "Don't let anyone see, this will be your protection," he explained to her. "If you ever need me, my name is Randu, son of Lugus of Cashel. When I settle down, I will find a way to let you know. You have helped me, I'm indebted to you."
She smiled.
"You owe me nothing," she answered. "You've saved my life."
They said no more. The man followed his path and the girl only alerted the men about her father's death when the sun was high up in the sky.
***
Kian observed the couple in front of him. Sitting in the coach, they were heading towards Bran's palace, where the wedding that would unite the two kingdoms would take place.
There have been no mishaps during the trip. The sea was calm and they faced no storms in their return. Somehow, thought the branian squire, it was as if Masha and Bran truly wanted that union to happen.
However, the mashian with red hair and emerald eyes wasn't what they were expecting. Kian shivered in face of the fear of being found out. He knew he had Cael's protection and that he was just a step from triggering a war for Masha's throne, but, even then, he feared for all of them.
Emerald, or how he now called her, Rhianna, faced him. Her smile was enigmatic and she seemed to be truly satisfied. He smiled back, even against his will. Cael and her spent all that time in the sea united in a thousand tricks; planning, making up stories and interacting in a strange friendship.
Jealousy was eating his insides, but he had to acknowledge that the mundane wasn't encouraging a romance. Neither Cael seemed to be interested in something more. They were just kids manipulating fate.
He smiled. His eyes went to the lad. It had been a long time since he had seen him so excited. Both the Prince and the unclean seemed to be optimistic regarding the future. He would destroy his father's plans and she would have the support of the future King of Masha to find out the man who had raped her mother.
May the Goddess protect that person, since, considering the times he had seen her with the sword, there was no warrior who could excel Emerald's ability.
Finally, his eyes left them and returned to the road. For the small window of the coach, he saw through the foliage the gigantic palace of Bran, where Cedric, the future King, was waiting for her.
However, when they stopped in front of the main road entrance, the groom was nowhere to be seen.
Kian was the first to get down, stretching his hand. As instructed, Emerald pretended to be fragile and held his fingers in fake shyness. Her green eyes then turned to the castle and she gaped in awe, astonishment and fascination.
She wanted to say a thousand things. To say that she had never imagined anything that huge. She wanted to laugh and point at each detail, as a fascinated visitor, but the presence of an older man, at the entrance, cut her train of thoughts.
Those eyes… That face… Why did it seemed so familiar?
"Rhianna," Cael stopped beside her, pulling her gently by the arm. "This is my father, Iran of Masha."
The man smiled. His satisfaction in seeing her was noticeable. He held her by the shoulders and squeezed them, in an eccentric greeting.
"Blessed be Masha who gave my eyes the light to see your beauty." The powerful voice sent shivers down her spine. "You have no idea how long I have waited for this, dear."
The kiss she received on her front frightened her for a few seconds. It was a curious sensation, something that distressed her at the same time it relieved her.
"Cedric?" Cael asked, seeming a bit discouraged.
"Rhianna will see him tomorrow at the wedding," Iran explained them.
He felt no disposition to explain that the future King didn't want to see her, for he had no interest in any woman but his so idolized Lyn.
"Don't you think Rhianna should see his face before they go to the priest?"
"A mashian will not refuse him for a small deformity," he softened his tone, turning his eyes to the woman, who smiled. "This hot blood that guide us don't let us accommodate in face of life, isn't it, my dearest?
"Certainly, father."
The intentional sentence fell over Iran as a bomb. Just as foreseen by Cael, he loved the denomination. He and Emerald had talked many times about the need for Iran to like her in order to their plan to work.
"Come on," he called her. "I will show you your bedroom, dear. Of course, you will use it only tonight. Tomorrow, you will be betrothed and you will be sharing your bed with my beloved Cedric."
The young woman smiled, accepting his kindness. Nevertheless, before finally moving away, she gave Cael a last glance, who seemed too happy to see his plans working.
Inside the place was even wealthier and fascinating. In the entrance hall, red and yellow roses contrasted with the white around, the favorite color of the god Bran. Iran made a few nonsensical comments about the gods, as they were walking down the corridor and she was getting familiar with her surroundings.
However, when they got to the stair, they stopped, suddenly.
At the top, a tall and strong man appeared. She shivered in front of him, not due to the dreadful mask that gave him a ghostly look, but due to the dark and intense stare that seemed to undress her and eat her insides.
In that moment, Emerald of Cashel understood she had no way out.