Talia heard Prince Mikhail leaving the tent early that morning. The sun had not yet risen. She wondered if, behind the cloak, he'd ever closed his eyes that night. She hadn't.
While the men moved their packs to the horses and took down her tent, Talia found a place to sit and eat the jerky Ilya handed her. She hadn't eaten jerky since... well, she didn't want to think about that.
After spending the entire previous day urging their horses up the steep trail that led through the Pass and then down through a barren and rocky ravine on the other side, they'd again reached a forest, and found a small clearing in the woods to make camp.
Now that they were on the other side of the Drail Mountains, they were officially on Unarian soil, and though it may have only been in her mind, the air felt much colder against her skin. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself as she nibbled at the jerky strip.
It was strange that Prince Mikhail was nowhere to be seen. She'd been warned that his soldiers were dangerous, and Ilya had spoken as if they might beat or attack her at any time, but neither Ilya nor Mikhail were currently close by. Their horses were still tethered with the others, but it appeared they'd left her quite alone in the midst of the very same men they'd warned her of.
Perhaps they'd only been trying to scare her into acting polite and submissive. Perhaps they--
"Surprised she can sit this morning," scoffed one of the men as he walked past.
"Aye. When I saw the Prince coming out of the tent to cut a switch, I thought we'd hear some good screaming after," chuckled his companion.
"Well... perhaps her mouth was full!" The first man chortled and made a horribly lewd gesture towards her.
Talia swallowed a scream of rage and turned her face from his disgusting pantomime.
"Oh, her highness didn't like that, did she?" Another soldier laughed.
"Why is she dressed that way-- like a common whore? She looks like one of those brothel girls."
"I've never seen a brothel girl that skinny. There's not enough meat on those bones to tempt me, our Prince has always had odd tastes."
"Any bit of meat is welcome to a starving man!" called a fat soldier carrying a bucket of water for the horses.
A small crowd of leering men was beginning to form just a few paces from her. Talia shifted nervously, making sure her legs were covered, and glanced around again. She had seen Ilya when she'd come out of the tent. He couldn't be far. Maybe he'd gone somewhere private to relieve himself. If she walked away, would they follow her? If they followed her, should she run? If she ran, would they say she'd broken the treaty and tried to escape? Was this why Mikhail and Ilya had left her alone?
The group of men suddenly scattered, each hurrying back to whatever chore they'd been engaged in, as Prince Mikhail strode into the clearing with Ilya at his heels. His eyes found her at once and then went immediately to his soldiers, all of whom were busily engaged in breaking camp as though they never stopped.
"Have you eaten?" he growled at her as he approached.
She held up the half-gnawed jerky strip by way of response.
"We will try and reach the river crossing at Hirkovist by early evening. That means no stops during the day. Ilya will give you a bag with food that you can eat while we ride..." he stopped and glanced around again before asking in a slightly louder voice: "Is your body well enough to ride alone?"
"There is no reason why it wouldn't be!" she snapped, irritated by the renewed smirks and covert glances of the men around them.
"Ilya will lead your horse today. Go with him when you've finished your breakfast," Prince Mikhail ordered.
Without saying a word, Talia tossed the uneaten portion of jerky on the ground, stood, brushed her hands off, and turned her back on him to walk away. She was followed by a chorus of whistles and catcalls.
The forest grew thicker the farther down the mountain they travelled. The difference between the Unarian side and the Vezdan side of the mountain was astonishing. In Unaria, she saw squirrels scampering from tree to tree and birds singing choruses from the branches. She had even seen a small female deer stepping gracefully between the trunks in the far distance. On the Vezdan side, all animals had long since been hunted to near extinction. The woods there were silent and had been relentlessly thinned to procure lumber for the defenses around Gelt and the Drail towers.
Eighteen years of war had stripped her lands of their natural beauty and bounty, and it hardly seemed fair that the aggressors of that war should retain their lands in such pristine condition.
Ilya did not speak much with her as they rode. He seemed distant and preoccupied. From time to time, Prince Mikhail would turn and trade glances with him and then Ilya would frown, look quickly away and begin nervously chewing his lower lip.
Talia missed nothing. It was almost as if the two men were having an argument only they could hear, and Ilya was losing.
In the evening, they crossed a wide shallow river and made camp on the other side. While their supper cooked over the fire, Prince Mikhail and his aide disappeared once again. None of the other men remarked on it, though they also kept their distance from her, unlike the morning. When she laid down for the night, Prince Mikhail had still not returned.
Two days had passed. The plan that had started to form in her mind immediately after her surrender, took shape quickly over those days. It was clear to her that Prince Mikhail and his aide were plotting something. It did not bother her at all. She had fully expected that the Treaty would be broken. What did the Emperor gain from a dead body and a parade? He surely had something more up his sleeve, but it would not come to pass. She would see to it that very evening.
Yet when the evening came, Prince Mikhail disappeared. She waited, watching the shadows cast against the walls of the tent by the fire flickering outside and the men walking past as they settled in for the night, but as the fire died down, he still did not come. Perhaps he was avoiding her. She has seen very little of him after the first night. In fact, the only time he seemed to acknowledge her was when they were stopped, and the soldiers began taunting her. If that was what it took...
Talia sat up and unclasped her cloak, leaving it on the cot as she rose to her feet. The night air on her bare arms and legs raised gooseflesh. It really was colder in Unaria.
Slipping quietly out of the tent, she walked toward the fire, and the few soldiers still awake who lounged around it. They watched her approach warily and did not greet her as she bent to hold her hands out to the flames.
"I require water," she announced, summoning her most proud and regal manner.
"You ought to be in your tent, keeping the Prince's bed warm, Vezdan whore," snarled a young and particularly vicious-looking soldier beside her.
"And you ought to be kept in a cage with other filthy dogs who lick their master's boots and beg after their scraps," she scoffed. "Now run and fetch me a bucket of water, dog."
"You want to wash up first, is that it? Got a stink between your legs do you?" Another soldier chortled from the other side of the fire.
"Look at how she's dressed. Why even wear clothes at all, you can practically see everything anyhow."
"They don't wear undergarments in Vezda, did you know that? Bet you a silver she's got nothing on under that sheet."
"I'll take that bet," the first man sneered and took a few steps toward her.
Talia glanced around quickly. There was still no sign of Prince Mikhail.
"That'll be a good way to lose both your hands, Varten. She's been in the Prince's bed these two nights and who knows how many before," a grizzled-looking older soldier warned and shook his head.
"What does he care about her? She's walking around half-naked in the middle of the night, and-"
"I wouldn't eat off the Prince's plate just because he wasn't looking," the older man shrugged.
"I'm not going to eat his dinner... I'm just going to heat it up for him..." the young soldier reached out as if he would grab her, but Talia was quicker. She dodged his hand and leapt forward to slap his face.
"You dare!" she seethed. "You dare to try and put your filthy hands upon me!"
She would have hit him again, but another hand reached out and snatched her by the back of the neck.
Prince Mikhail drew her back and away from the soldier whose eyes had widened in fear. His hand did not loosen its hold on her.
"What is this? Were you about to lay hands on the prisoner, soldier?" Mikhail growled. "Speak! Explain yourself!'
"S-she got mouthy, called me a dog, sir. I-I wasn't going to touch her, I swear. I only meant to scare her. I took two steps toward her, and I d-didn't touch her at all," the young soldier who was confidently threatening her only seconds before, now appeared terrified. His voice shaking as he made excuses.
The other soldiers remained silent, staring at the ground or anywhere but the scene unfolding in front of them.
"Is that so?" Mikhail asked, his deep voice deceptively calm.
"Yes, yes sir. I would never think of-" The soldier began, a look of relief flooding his face.
"ILYA!" Mikhail called.
"Here, sir," Ilya stepped out of the shadows.
"Take this soldier and cut the bottom of his feet lengthwise... twice on each foot. Make them deep. Every time you take a step, you will be reminded to think very hard about where you're going, soldier."
The young man gasped and shook his head wildly.
"Yes, my Prince," Ilya agreed, roughly grabbing the soldier's arm, he snapped his fingers at the seated men and a few of them got up and came over at once to drag the young soldier away. "Come on now," Ilya comforted him as they went, "It could have been a lot worse, believe me."
Prince Mikhail still held her by the back of the neck. His hand was so large, that his cold fingers wrapped all the way around her throat. Talia did not move, conscious that he might squeeze at any time, and she would not be able to breathe.
"You..." he began.
"I came out looking for water... I was thirsty," she interrupted.
"You came out of the tent looking for water with no cloak to cover you in the middle of the cold night?" he growled.
"How would I know that anyone was still awake-- AHH!" she shrieked, as she felt his fingers tighten.
He gave her a shake that sent a jolt through her entire body, and then leaned down so that his lips were close to her ear. Though she could not see him, she could feel his hot breath on her neck.
"You wanted my attention. You have it now," he murmured in a low and threatening tone that everyone could hear.
"I...I..." she gasped.
"Enough. Return to the tent and wait for me. You will learn tonight, Princess, that I am not one who tolerates your silly games," he hissed.
With that, he turned her away from the fire and shoved her forward, releasing her to walk on her own back to the tent. She glanced quickly over her shoulder and saw that he followed a few steps behind her. She swallowed hard and widened her eyes, doing her best to look as terrified as the young soldier had.
Inwardly, she congratulated herself. Step one of her plan had been very easy to accomplish.