"He said two guards. We agreed to two GUARDS," Princess Talia seethed.
"He's within his rights," Lady Amari pointed out. "I've checked and rechecked the language of the treaty. There's two of them. We have no right to specify who the guards are."
"Well, who would be stupid enough to think he'd come himself? And who is that with him? He doesn't even look like a soldier-- he looks like a... like a manservant or a scribe! He's mad. To come himself, alone, across enemy lines. He's the great nemesis of our people, the murderer of our King, the Emperor's own brother. What's to stop anyone from cutting his throat right now?" Talia demanded.
"Well..." Lady Amari answered slowly, giving due consideration to the matter. "I suppose you might try. In fact, with enough of our men, you might succeed, but that would be a clear violation of the treaty-- killing the Emperor's brother, I mean. It isn't spelled out in those exact words... I think what I read was more along the lines of 'and there shall be no harm or consideration of harm done to any person representing the Emperor'-- and so on. And as you know, if you violate the treaty, they send no food or farm supplies, and our armies have little left to give should the empire's legions return. In fact, most of us may starve before the war begins anew, but... I suppose you could do it. You could try, at least, if you think you can reach his throat."
"It'd almost be worth it," the Princess hissed. "And don't think I didn't catch your dig at my stature. I'm not small, he's the size of an ogre!"
"Alright then, you're not small," Lady Amari agreed, but Talia could clearly see her smirk in the mirror and gave a cry of indignation.
"Only you would taunt a dying woman and one who's practically your Queen besides!" Talia scoffed.
"Oh now, as far as I'm concerned, you are the greatest queen Vezda has ever been honored to have. Just because there was never time for a ceremony, doesn't mean you aren't one, and there's not a citizen of this country who'd say different. I know what lies ahead of you, and if you really wanted his throat cut, I'd attempt it myself at your command. Is your hair to your liking, your highness?" She asked, as she stuck the last pin beneath the complicated arrangement.
"It's fine, fine," Talia waved dismissively without even glancing at her reflection.
"The gold band or the silver?" Lady Amari.
"Gold, I suppose, and bring the matching arm bands from the trunk. Oh! And my sword with the gold belt. I want him to know he's not dealing with one of those weak, hysterical, perpetually stumbling and fainting sorts of women from the Empire!" Talia huffed.
"I doubt Prince Mikhail would ever dare to make that error," Lady Amari soothed, though her crooked smile returned as she spoke.
"And she taunts me still!" Talia complained.
Lady Amari paused, holding the arms bands and sword with hands that shook ever so slightly.
"I... I smile so that I don't--"
"So that you don't cry, I know. I know it well. And I scold so that I seem brave and unbothered, and you know it without me saying it. So let's don't change anything because I need to be brave now," Talia finished and cleared her throat.
In silence, Lady Amari fixed the thin gold band around the top or her head and slid Talia's hands through her arm bands.
Princess Talia stood and took her sword, fixing the belt low across her hips and then, at last, glanced quickly at her reflection.
"Well?" she prodded.
"You look very much like her majesty, the late Queen," Lady Amari admitted.
"Good. Whatever he may have done to Ora, whatever she suffered, I know one thing that must be true. He never broke her spirit, and I'd bet she gave him hell every day of those seven months."
"I'd call that a safe bet," Lady Amari agreed. "Do you want your sandals or your shoes?"
"Neither. I can't remember the last time I walked barefoot through the fields here in Breck, and I want to feel my land beneath my feet again, before... well, before I lose the chance. I don't care if it offends him," Talia said, raising her chin.
Princess Talia strode out of the tent and with her head held high, went to meet the enemy.
A little way off, Prince Mikhail and his aide stood absolutely still and silent beside their horses. The members of the Princess's personal guard surrounded them on all sides, and all watched as she approached.
"You're early," she greeted the enemies.
"We can wait long enough for you to put on your shoes," Prince Mikhail replied.
"There's no need for that," Princess Talia snapped. "It is a short walk to the boats from here and I like to walk barefoot. Come along now."
She sailed past them without stopping, and headed into the soft, freshly turned earth of a newly plowed field. The two Unarians exchanged a glance and then turned to follow the Princess. It did not take them many steps to overtake her.
While the Princess's guard held back at a respectful distance, Prince Mikhail matched his pace to hers to walk directly beside her. She ignored him at first but couldn't help wrinkling her nose just a little in disgust.
"You don't have to follow me so closely, you know. It's not as though I'd try to escape. I'm no coward, Prince Mikhail."
He did not answer but did not fall back either.
"So be it," she answered herself. "Does it surprise you that a Princess should go barefoot?"
No answer came from the menacing giant beside her.
"I think it does. I suppose you've never walked barefoot in your life. Do you know what they called my mother here in Breck? They called her the Barefoot Queen. She grew up in an impoverished family in the countryside, and almost never wore shoes as a child. So, when she came here to inspect the new fields in the spring, and saw the farmers working barefoot, she took off her shoes as well and walked among them. Day after day she did that. She would wash them at night, but the earth here was so rich and black that she couldn't get all the stain from her feet! And worse still, she would moan and complain about how sore and swollen they were, and she would beg my brother and sister to rub them for her! She was too embarrassed to ask the servants, you see, but my brother and sister would cry and protest and say they looked too dirty to touch, and that she was a gross and horrible old woman for even asking-- even when she offered them gold coins..." Talia began to laugh recalling her brother retelling the story, still disgusted even after years had passed.
Prince Mikhail continued to walk, staring straight ahead as though he heard nothing.
"Yes, well... do you know who ended up rubbing the dirty old feet of the Barefoot Queen? You won't be able to guess. The King himself! My brother and sister wouldn't do it even when she begged, but my father didn't even wait to be asked. He said he was fortunate to find such a wise and selfless Queen, and that the honor to serve her should be his anyhow. He was right of course, she was wise and selfless... and brave... and very beautiful, but I suppose all children would say the same of their mothers. Wouldn't you agree, Prince Mikhail?"
She did not expect him to reply and smiled to herself to think that perhaps she'd pricked him somewhere it might hurt. That is, if the rumors she'd always heard were true.
"You're not very good company, you know," Talia continued. "You never open your mouth and say anything at all, do you?"
"And you never close your mouth and somehow never manage to say anything either," he replied.
Princess Talia glanced up at the towering figure and unexpectedly meeting his eyes, looked quickly away.
"Well, that wasn't so hard, Prince Mikhail, was it? How about you tell me a story now? Maybe a story about your mother or your father... the late Emperor?"
When he didn't answer, Talia quickened her pace to walk ahead of him, but he matched her stride immediately. Her legs were far too short to gain any distance from him. Even if she ran her hardest, he could likely keep pace with only a light jog. However, his words suggested that he did not like listening to her talk. Perhaps she was successful in her attempt to needle him.
"Where do you suppose they'll bury me?" she asked after a long pause. "Do you think it'll be near my sister? I suppose with what I've seen of the Empire it won't be somewhere nice. Will they dump my body in the wilds for animals to eat? Maybe I should hope for the wilds. You might throw my corpse into the city dump, eh? I wouldn't put it past you," Talia chuckled. "What sort of poison will you give me? Is it painless or will I suffer for a long time? I hope I don't suffer. I saw people suffer a lot during the starving times. Children even."
She chanced another look up at him and though his expression had not changed, his lips had compressed into a thin white line. Was he bothered? Annoyed, perhaps? Good!
"Do they pay you for executions? Like a bonus or an extra wage when you do it? You can tell me, I won't tell anyone. I hope they do. I hope there's some reward in it for you. I hope it isn't something you do because you enjoy it," she continued. Prince Mikhail swallowed hard. His cheek twitched. He probably wanted to hit her. Once they crossed the border, and her guards weren't there to protect her, he probably WOULD hit her.
"Well, it's certainly an odd hobby if that's what it is. Do you suppose-- AH! DAMNIT!" Talia cursed, and stumbled forward, grabbing her knee.
With a speed that hinted at lightning-fast reflexes, Prince Mikhail swept her up before she could fall on her face. Holding her aloft he turned and began walking back toward the guard.
"The Princess has injured herself. She'll need a horse!" he called.
"Put me down! I'm not injured. I only stepped on a rock or a twig!" Talia demanded.
"Your foot is bleeding. Leave dirt in wounds and--,"
"Dirt in open wounds can be deadly? They can cause infection?" Talia almost laughed. "Oh, that would be a tragedy, wouldn't it? I'm sure that you'd be very disappointed. That I should die of infection instead of poison as you'd hoped!"
"Very well, Princess, if you'd like to limp on bare, bleeding feet all the way to the docks, then I'll do as you wish, but if you'd like to reach the boats before dark then I suggest you ride."
"What does it matter when we reach the boats? They won't leave without us," she scoffed.
"Because I remember very well," he said, dropping his voice to a gravelly whisper. "I remember that you're afraid of--"
"You shut your mouth!" she hissed, struggling to escape his arms. "You shut your mouth and set me down this instant!"
Prince Mikhail obeyed at once and she stumbled back, desperate to be away from him. He reached out to steady her, but she slapped his hand away.
"Don't!" she cried, her voice rising almost hysterically. "Don't you ever touch me again, dog! Murderer! I hate you! I hate you more than Emperor even!"
"Princess!" Lady Amari called, running forward.
"I hate him!" she muttered. "I really hate him."
"I know. I know you do. We've got Ferdie saddled and waiting. I'll ride beside you; we won't let him near."
Prince Mikhail stood very still, watching as the Princess was led away by her lady in waiting. He swallowed hard once again but said nothing in reply.
"Well... she's lovely, isn't she?" Ilya quipped from beside him. His aide had sidled up to him the moment the Princess had stormed away. "Brave little puppy to bark so loudly at such a large bear. Is she the same as you remember?"
"Yes," Mikhail agreed, his voice a low growl. "Very much the same."