Chapter 12

“How was it?” Angus murmured under his breath.

He was standing at the passage a corner way from the throne room. The passage was lined with passive guards trained to be present and not to listen and even if they did listen and gossip from time to time no one else was to hear of any leaked secrets. Still, Octavius pulled his brother into an alcove.

“Great,” he replied with a bit of sarcasm he hoped his brother did not hear. He burned with shame and disgust knowing that Ashterah had offered herself to him but he knew that his brother as well as everyone else would call him a fool for not accepting her offer. Every man considered a night with the war goddess an honor even though not many men came out of her temple at Mount Kpamos alive.

Angus raised his brow. “Just that?”

He sighed. He dipped his hand into a slit in his tunic and brought out the copper coin that held Ashterah’s emblem and showed it to Angus. Angus smiled wide and took the coin into his hand, turning it slightly so it caught a bit of the dull evening light.

Angus laughed. “You brother are loved by the gods,” he said cheerfully.

Octavius winced. If only his brother knew. He could still hear Ashterah’s voice in his head as she cursed him loudly, he still felt her push hard against his chest. If only his brother knew he had angered the war goddess and that he still didn’t know why she had decided to help him after all. He looked up and noticed Angus studying him carefully so he forced his smile on his lips. “Yes, it appears the gods love me after all."

Angus flipped the coin back to him.

“So what is so important that you had to call me up from my nap,” Octavius demanded as he slipped the coin back into his tunic.

‘Father demands your presence in the throne room that’s why we are meeting here.”

His heart skipped a beat. He looked past his brother towards the throne room wishing he could see just why his father wanted him. He looked to Angus who was watching his neck critically. Damn it! He had forgotten to hide the two marks of Ashterah’s teeth.

“What happened at Ashterah’s temple, brother?”

Octavius sighed. “She took me to her temple at Kpamos.”

Angus’s smile turned sly, he wagged his brows. “Brother, you were planning on keeping that piece of information from me weren’t you?”

Octavius stared in disbelieve at his brother. With a disgusted sigh, he pushed Angus and his sly smile away and headed for the throne room. Angus’s laughter followed him to the room.

“Brother, you will have to fill me in some other day”

Without waiting for a guard to help him Octavius pushed the door to the throne room open. He stopped short at the sight before his eyes. His father paced in front of the huge window without a guard by his side or anywhere else in the room. The huge room was empty and the scrape of King Phillip’s robe was echoed throughout the room. The room was dark as the sun went behind the evening clouds.

“Father,” Octavius said slowly.

King Philip stopped and turned around quickly. He spotted his son and immediately left the window, approaching his son with determined strides making Octavius take a few steps backward. He feared his father somehow knew about his refusal of Ashterah’s offer. He searched his father’s face and noted his sour worried mood.

“Father…”

“Son,” King Philip interrupted him. “I fear I may have made the wrong decision where you are considered.”

Octavius’s heartbeat slowed drastically. He watched as his father moved past him to shut the heavy doors and turn around to stare at him.

“What is it, father?” he asked nervously.

“Son, I have realized what great folly it is to ask that you marry the princess of Amire. Angus was right you can’t trust your enemy on the battlefield so why trust them at your back. I heard from Festus that you have commissioned Gustoff to make some weapons for the war.”

“I have father,” Octavius said under his breath. His heart fluttered in his chest with excitement. It worked! Fate had done it!

“That’s a good decision, son. That greedy toad should be done by now.” King Philip paced in front of his son.

“I have made a mistake, son, but the worse is that the princess of Amire has just arrived here in Camelorn.”

“What?!”

King Philip clasped his hands behind his back. “I can’t turn her and her entourage back now. We will have to wait till she gets here.”

Octavius mentally prepared himself for the unpleasantness that was sure to erupt. The princess was not going to take the news of rejection lightly but at this point, Octavius cared less, come what may Ashterah was on their side that alone was a sure victory.

A sudden noise from outside caught his attention. He listened carefully, it seemed to be coming from outside the gates. He exchanged a quick look with his father and the two walked hastily to the window and peered outside. Below the window just inside the gate was a crowd of up to 25 people 6 of whom were dressed in elaborate robes of golden threads, the robes were so long that they completely hid the feet of the people making their movements seem almost like they were floating, their elaborate headdresses were of purple and gold thread and with jewels sewn into edges. Behind them were 9 guards naked from the waist up, their light brown skin gleamed; effect of the bright sunlight on their sweat covered bodies, they wore gold leather skirt-like clothes- rivlok, the traditional dress for Amire guards, their heavy chests were covered with elaborate dragon tattoos – the Amires guardian, the skin from their ankles to the ends of their toes was painted black and on their hands, they carried spears covered in gold. 10 young girls with the lower parts of their faces covered in transparent gold scarves led the procession, they had wraps around their hips – wraps that stopped just above their ankles, and on their ankles were anklets that jingled as they walked. They wore loose cotton vests that stopped just above their belly buttons exposing stomachs that had tattoos of small rings of fire, the exposed parts of their eyes were lined kohl to their temples. In their hands, they held small golden boxes that had silver handles at both sides. Before the palace gates closed a few dirty, curious faces of commoners peeped through the small opening trying to get a glimpse of what was happening.

In front of this procession were the members of King Philip’s court and on their faces were varying degrees of worry. They glanced up simultaneously and expressed their worry in their facial expressions to their kings.

Octavius leaned over the edge of the window and peered closer at the procession. There among all the people, under an elaborate canopy was a tall elegant figure dressed in gold and purple all over and her face was covered with a veil that had net mesh opening for the eyes. The princess of Amire.

The door to the throne room was thrown open and Angus and two guards walked in.

“The princess of Amire has arrived, my king,” one of the guards announced.

“Pity I can’t see her face. I heard from sources that her beauty has caused the downfall of many,” Angus interjected, his usual jovial attitude out of place with the serious atmosphere.”

King Philip ignored his recalcitrant son. He waved one of the guards closer, “Get the cooks to make preparations for our guests. They will not be staying for long since I will not make an alliance with them but get the servants and guards out there to welcome them.”

The guard bowed and went to do his king’s bidding.

Angus passed a secret look to Octavius, he smiled slightly at the victory he had helped his brother to win. King Philip gestured to his sons and started walking towards his seat while Octavius and Angus flanked him at both sides – Octavius sitting at his right and Angus at his left. As soon as they had taken their seats the doors opened to admit the king’s court. They walked straight to their seats which were arranged flanked at either side of the room, the robes covering their expensive tunics rustled as they hurried to their seats. No one said anything as they waited for their guests to make their entrance into the throne room.

As the procession walked into the throne room the 10 maids who walked at the front sang in high-pitched tunes a song in their traditional tongue, the procession came to a stop in front of King Philip’s seat and the people parted allowing their princess to pass through the middle. As the tall elegant lady walked the people who flanked her bowed, the guards dropped to one knee with their heads bowed.

Princess of Amire bowed very slightly to the king and his sons and in a much accented, muffled voice said,

“Your Highnesses, king of Camelorn and his court, my father is joyed have an alliance with you. He expresses his apologies for the raids against your kingdom, this alliance will put a stop to that. Here Your Highness,” she swept her hands towards her maids who came forward bearing their gifts, as they knelt before the king’s throne they opened their boxes exposing bars of gold, silver, and various spices. They simultaneously dropped the boxes at King Philip’s feet.

The 9 people cladded in robes came forward and bowed slightly and with arrogance.

“These are some of the chiefs of Amire, my father will be here with his entourage when we have agreed, for now, these 9 chiefs will stay. They will be witnesses to this agreement and…”

“I hate to interrupt you, princess,” King Philip interrupted rising from his seat. He glanced at his court who sat on the edges of their seats. “I think it necessary that you speak with my son,” he gestured to Octavius who rose from his seat “There are some things he will tell you.”

The princess, though covered from head to toe, turned towards Octavius. She bowed slightly and said,

“That’s fair. I will speak with you Prince Octavius, you may lead the way”

Octavius stepped down and reached for her arm and was intercepted by one of her guards who laid a strong hand on his, he shook his head firmly. The Princess laid her hand on his and spoke in her native language. The guard looked menacingly at Octavius before stepping back.

Octavius led the way out of the throne room to the passage, leading her to a balcony that overlooked the entire kingdom. He clasped his hand behind his back.

“Thank you for the gifts you brought, my father hasn’t expressed his gratitude but I must say that I do. Those must have been expensive.”

“We have a huge supply of gold and spices, it cost nothing at all Prince Octavius. Once a marriage is established between us your kingdom will have an unending supply of them”

Octavius sighed “I hate to break it to you like this but there is no easier way to say this, there will be no marriage between us.”

The princess went stiff for a moment and Octavius feared she was in a state of acute shock until she reached up and pulled the veil away from her face making his breath catch. She was exquisitely and erotically beautiful. Her light brown skin was smooth and soft, her full dark hair framed her oval face making the coffee brown of her eyes more dark giving them an alluring depth, her lashes framed her catlike eyes and from beneath them, she glanced at him. She pursed her full lips that were painted a deep dark red.

“I see,” she said softly. For a moment Octavius felt a pang of guilt at the weight she carried under those words. “Any particular reason, my lord? Is it me?”

He shook his head vigorously “No my princess, it has nothing to do with you. I have someone very dear to my heart…”

“She is a very lucky woman. You are a handsome man, my lord,” she looked beyond the balcony at the expanse of the sky and sighed deeply. “For the first time, I thought I would be free of my father’s clutches.”

He kept mute watching her. She had just shared something he was sure she hadn’t intended to and he wasn’t about to interrupt her.

She laughed “It is wise of you to have declined, my father was going to use me as a spy here anyway, a means to conquer your nation.”

His chest squeezed at the thought of the similarities in their situations. His father had wanted to use him as a pawn and so had hers.

She sniffed and smiled “I have heard so much about you prince of Camelorn.” She turned towards him and took his hand in hers, tears glistened in her beautiful eyes “I regret not having this marriage work but I wish you all the best.”

She dropped his hand and turned to go but he stopped her out of guilt and pity for her. “What is your name princess?”

“Salamina,”

“It’s a beautiful name my princess and so are you,”

Her lips twitched. “Thank you,” she replaced the veil over her face. “I wish you luck in this war for my father will make it hard for you.”