Whispers and Promises (restarted)

So her name came from the songbirds then. That she owned several meant her family must have had some means. It seemed many of his assumptions were incorrect. He wondered if he had perhaps given her some bad impression as well as his offer seemed genuinely surprising to her. Nevertheless he thought a moment before saying, "I will see what can be done."

He sat up and began to peel away his bandages. The royal physician would come by soon to change them for the night anyway and he desperately needed to bathe. The servants had drawn a bath already and though somewhat unsteady he made his way to the bath chamber and climbed into the hot waters. He hissed as his wounds stung but soon relaxed. "Kyra... will you join me? I don't ask for your touch tonight. Just your company. I'm still not strong enough to perform tonight."

"Of course, my prince." Kyra said with a smile as she soon stripped of her dress and sank into the water beside him. "In fact, if you would allow me, I will bathe you to save your energy."

She took up a sweet smelling bar of soap and a soft cloth, wetting both and cleaning his chest and body carefully. She didn't dare touch his wounds, fearful of causing him pain or complications, but she did a thorough job.

Rath relaxed under her touch and his eyes drifted closed before she finished. Once she had, he took her hand and kissed it. "When those dogs from house Jindoor first presented you to me, I was offended. They obviously knew nothing of Rhagal or its people. I accepted their offer though because I believed that you deserved better. And you've shown that you have a heart and a mind that was wasted in servitude."

Kyra stared at the prince for a long moment as he made that confession. She turned to the side of the bath and placed the rag she had used upon the smooth stone before she turned back towards him. Taking in a deep breath, she prepared to tell him some of her deepest thoughts.

"I had never had a man before in my life before they took me from my home." She said softly as he continued to hold her hand. "Everything they taught me, everything I learned, terrified me beyond my greatest imagination. I learned, however, that if I was going to survive, I needed to do as they said. I saw too many girls simply disappear that expressed their own will and thoughts."

"My father wanted me to be as educated as anyone else. He valued a sharp mind and wit. I had the best tutors and the best helpers." She let out a long breath and lowered her eyes towards the water. "If he saw me now, I'm sure he would be shamed."

Rath felt a stabbing pang in his chest at Kyra's story. When she finished he reach out and titled her head up by her chin to look him in the eye. "No. He wouldn't. The slavers did not break you. You were stronger than that..." He paused a moment as he considered his next words. "I realize that I may have given you cause to fear me once. I kept you a virtual prisoner to the palace. But you have suffered enough. If you bring your handmaiden and an honor guard with you, you may leave the palace and explore the city as you wish. And if it eases the pain that has been given you... I will not ask you to lay with me again... unless that is what you desire."

Kyra was stunned by his offer and she frowned slightly, wondering if he were feverish and experiencing delusions. She reached up and felt a cool forehead before she sank back into the bath and looked at him with confusion in her eyes.

"Rath, I am your concubine by right. You don't have to offer me such things." She said quickly, unsure of how to accept the freedom that he was offering her.

"I don't have to," Rath agreed. "But I want to. I've grown fond of you, but... Do you remember what I said when I first asked Master Ithros to tutor you in Rhagal's history and culture? None of this will mean anything if you do not choose it."

He reclined back and spread his arms across the edge of the bath. "I don't pretend. I do desire your touch, the sound of your voice in passion. But if I force you to lay with me, I am no better than those slobbering jackals who tried to break you."

Once more he looked to the depiction on the heavens in the ceiling above. "When Katum first united the desert tribes, he brought forth a code of honor and conduct from the visions in his rite of passage. It came to him fully formed. Among those codes he said that no one may take another as slave. He who is too lazy and incompetent to work has no place forcing others to do that which he would not. I want you... But I can't force you to choose me. What kind of man would I be then? My father's women came to him willingly. As did my grandfather's. I will not shame you, my house or myself by being so dishonorable as to force myself on you."

"Perhaps we should make a promise to learn as much about each other as we can." Kyra offered the prince as she came to his side and rested her head against his shoulder. "Because I've become fond of you too, Rath. I want you to smile more."

She couldn't help but laugh softly at that as she looked into his eyes. "I know deep in that soul there is a man that has a joyful side. You are too caring not to. I shall make it my mission to bring that man out so that I may get to know him."

Rath didn't react for a while, but soon put an arm around Kyra's shoulders and his lips curled again into a small smile. "It's a promise, then."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Yes?" Rath called out.

"It is Basir, your grace. May I come in?" The royal physician. They must have lost track of time together.

"One moment," Rath called back. He looked to Kyra with an expression that showed disappointment at the interruption before the two climbed out of the bath and toweled themselves off. Rath allowed Kyra to dress in a simple gown while he slipped on a baggy pair of breeches before letting the healer in.

Basir had fine lines around his eyes from years spent focusing on tiny details in his patients. A touch of gray at his temples also betrayed his age, but otherwise he wore his years gracefully. As Rath sat down on the bed, Basir nodded politely to Kyra and soon set about his work of applying a poultice to the wounds and reapplying the bandages. "Try to be careful, your grace. If you reopen the wounds it will make things more difficult... Though I must say you seem to be doing better since this afternoon."

Rath glanced at Kyra. "As my grandfather used to say, there's no medicine quite like the company of a beautiful woman."

Kyra pulled on a shapeless pale grey gown that she had chosen for herself. It was comfortable, not fussy at all, and it reminded her of home. The women of the court would wear such things in the hot summer when the latest fashions were the least of anyone's concerns.

Sitting at the changing table that she had claimed as her own, she smiled to herself as the healer scolded Rath about being careless. He was a headstrong man, one that would do as he wanted, she thought to herself as she brushed through her thick hair. She turned towards him at his last comment and quirked one eyebrow up, laughing softly.

"Well, my prince, I wondering where you might find a beautiful woman to keep you company." She said.

"That would be a challenge indeed," Rath replied to Kyra's jest. "I would need to find someone with dusky skin, eyes like polished stone, and a keen mind to match her open heart. There aren't many women like that in the world."

Basir said nothing but noted the change in the prince's demeanor with a raised eyebrow. Rath knew most of the court were used to him being stoic and quiet. He rarely told jokes except when wine had loosened his tongue. "A few more days and you should be fit to hold court again, your grace. I would advise against any riding for at least another fortnight however."

Rath nodded. "Thank you. You may go." After the physician left, he turned back to Kyra. "Will you join me tonight?"

Kyra actually blushed as Rath replied to her jest. She had a silly smile on her lips as she turned back to the polished mirror of the dressing table to occupy herself as the healer finished with Rath. It was good to hear him joke with her, teasing her like she knew he was capable of. When the healer left, she paused as he asked her if she would join him that night.

"Of course I will, Rath." She said softly as she turned back towards him, placing her comb down on the table top. "But only if you will read to me about the stars."

"Of course." They lay together and Rath opened the tome of the night sky once more. He told her the story of how the archer came to be placed in the night sky. A great hero who was slain by a rival but the gods lifted him to the sky so that he could watch over those born during Moonglory and guide them as he once had the people he gave his life protecting. As Rath told it, many of the signs in the heavens were created in ages long past to give the people on earth signs, warnings, portents... It was their calendar, oracle and the source of many of their traditions. Few other lands, at least to the prince's knowledge, were so meticulous in studying the movements of the heavens as were the Rhagali.

Kyra pulled her silk pillow under her cheek and listened to Rath talk about the stars. His voice was soothing and sure, lulling her to close her eyes and doze. As he talked about the heavens, she fell asleep, one arm beneath the pillow supporting her head and her other hand balled beneath her chin. It felt good to have Rath home and in their bed. She had missed his warmth even if she still had some troubles sleeping in the same bed as another.

When Kyra drifted off to sleep, Rath smiled and set the tome aside. He kissed her cheek and laid back, sleep soon taking him as well.

A few weeks later, Basir declared the prince fit enough to ride again. His wounds still complained now and again, but there was little risk of them festering and by now the prince was getting anxious to leave his quarters again. He brought three servants, Kyra and Amina, and a full honor guard when he announced at breakfast that he would be going out to the city that day to see the people. It caused quite a stir among the court, but no one questioned him. First the prince have behaved strangely after returning from his rite of passage. Now he was behaving strangely and spending more time in the library with his concubine. Even the king was unsure what to make of these changes in the prince.

The streets of Rhagal's capital of Rhagal'anat were busy and lively. People came through wearing all manner of colorful clothes designed to protect them from the harshness of the desert sun above. Many of the laborers wore a wrap around their heads that hung down across their necks and backs while others wore hats of fine cloth or reeds to shield their eyes.

When the crowds realized that the man among them was Prince Arakhmon Rath, it caused a stir. Most people kept a respectful distance, though some bowed in respect, a gesture the prince returned with a smile and a nod of his head. He smiled at Kyra as they turned down another street. The buildings were built from stone and mudbrick, scaffolding incorporated into their design so that repairs and expansions could be made quickly. "It's been some time since I last saw these streets," Rath remarked. "Knowing that these people are all safe from the Enshar now..."

"I think it does your people some good to see their prince healthy and happy." Kyra commented, glancing at him from under the brim of her wide hat.

She had dressed for the occasion after breakfast, taking careful pains to look both humble yet like she belonged at the prince's side. Her dress was a light cream color, modest and long to keep the heat of the sun from her skin. Her hair, which she was growing out longer, was pulled back from her face by two simple gold combs, wisps blowing in the gentle breeze that carried exotic smells past their group. She had new slippers on her feet and a wide straw hat that protected her from the worst.

"It's important that a king, future or present, always remembers that there are those among his people who suffer greatly, but remain loyal." She said as she carefully looped her arm through his, giving him a broad smile as they continued on their journey.

Rath smiled at Kyra and brushed a wisp of hair from her eyes as the continued. He had elected to wear a flowing white and gold shirt with baggy breeches and boots. A turban on his head with a polished ruby at the center conveyed his royal status.

A loud crashing noise came ahead and to their left followed by screams. Rath looked to the honor guard and gestured for them to follow. They ran to the source of the commotion and saw that a building had collapsed. People were standing about in shock and horror though a few were already lining up and clearing away the rubble, hoping to find survivors.

The prince turned to Kyra. "Take Amina and one of the guards. They'll tell you where to find the city watch. Tell them what happened and to send a rescue team now! Come back here with them." Without any further hesitation he cast aside his turban, took the remainder of the guards and ran to the building to help clear away the rubble.

He looked at some of the shocked onlookers and pointed to as many as he could, ordering them to help. They were quick to come forward and assist and soon several chains formed clearing rubble away. "Is anyone in there?! Can you hear me?!" Dirt and dust quickly stained Rath's clothing and his knuckles were soon scratched and bloody, but he kept clearing out debris.

The sight that greeted them as they came upon the commotion broke Kyra's heart. She listened to Rath's instructions and nodded, hurrying off with Amina and the guard to find the nearest post for help. She could move quickly, keeping up with the rest of the group as they came upon the men that met their call.

"There has a been a building collapse. The prince needs your help." Kyra pleaded, letting them know the situation.

"The prince?" the guard asked in shock. "Where?"

Back at the collapsed building, Rath heard the sounds of the emergency bells being rung. Help was on the way. He continued digging into the rubble, desperately looking for signs of life. Kyra soon returned with a team of guards who immediately set to work.

More citizens came, some bearing medicine, others water. A few laborers arrived with wheelbarrows. It took several hours but Rath managed to clear open an entrance to a room that was still mostly standing. Inside was a child, unconscious and with blood running down his face. The prince scrambled inside and checked to see if the boy was still breathing. Finding him still alive, Rath picked him up and carried him out. A gasp of shock went through the crowd as two healers ran over to help.

There was a tense silence before the boy groaned and slowly opened his eyes. Rath let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding and leaned forward with his hands on his knees as the feeling of exhaustion he had held at bay began to take hold.

There wasn't much that Kyra could do as she watched Rath work with the laborers to get to the boy that was trapped in the house. When the boy was rescued, she hurried to Rath's side to make sure that he was alright.

"My prince, you have done too much today. It's time that we got you home." She said softly, knowing that he was stubborn enough to want to stay.

Rath wanted to speak to object but was too busy trying to catch his breath. One of the servants handed him a water skin, which he drank the entire contents of. "Not yet." His voice was coarse from thirst. "Not until I know there are no more people in there."

"Your grace," one of the guards said as he approached, "that is unlikely. I know that building. It's been abandoned for years. The boy was probably squatting."

Rath looked up at him with a fire in his eyes and stood straight up. "You mean to tell me there are homeless people in this city? Why was I not told of this before?"

The guard seemed baffled. He looked to his fellows who appeared to be in equal shock. "Surely you have more important things to worry about, your grace."

Rath was about to snap at the guard when he remembered Kyra by his side. He looked to her with many emotions going through his mind. He was losing the strength to continue and knew she was right, but it didn't feel right leaving now. Her eyes implored him and he sighed in defeat. "I must do one thing before we go."

He turned to the crowd of onlookers. "My people!" he addressed them even as his chest noticeably rose and fell with his deep breaths. "You have all brought honor to Rhagal in this tragedy. I would stay longer if I could, but I am needed back at the palace. Know that I will do everything in my power to prevent this from happening again." He then turned to the leader of the guards. "I will send a messenger today. I want you to bring the boy and any other survivors you find to the palace tomorrow at midday. I want to speak with them."

The guard was surprised by this but bowed in acquiescence. A servant came over an draped a cape over the prince as the group was taken back to the palace. Rath looked to Kyra again. He said nothing but there was a deep well of emotion in his eyes.

There was nothing that Kyra could do to ease the suffering that she saw in Rath's eyes. He had seen what his people were going through and that was a hard medicine to swallow. Still, she kept his arm in her own, guiding him back towards the palace. Once there, she sent Amina for refreshments as she settled the prince in his room. Once they were alone, she addressed him as his equal.

"Rath, I know what you saw today was hard, but there are probably people all over your country just like that boy. There is little you can do for them. It would bankrupt you." She said softly, holding his hand as she struggled to find a way to calm him.

Rath clenched his jaw and punched the wall behind him with a howl of rage and grief. "Why was this kept from me?!" His hand left a small, bloody print of his knuckles on the wall and several tears slipped from his eyes down his cheeks.

"I killed the traitor. My men defeated the Enshar. But how do I fight this? How many do we leave behind?" Nothing in his tutoring and warfare prepared him for the idea of an enemy that he was powerless to fight, one that had no form or center to attack.

Kyra watched Rath's emotions playing over him in a nearly overwhelming wave. He had a kind soul, one that he was showing to her in a moment of vulnerability. She wanted to sweep him up in her arms and hold him until he calmed but she knew he needed to work this through himself.

"You start in small ways, my prince. Help their homes. Help fill their bellies. Doing that will create jobs and benefit your people. They want a leader that understands them and doesn't hide behind his wealth and position."

Rath tried to envision everything Kyra told him. There was truth in her words, but in the overwhelming grief it was difficult to keep a clear thought in his head. He collapsed back among the pillows in the corner and stared at the ceiling. He took deep breaths to ease the throbbing in his head.

"If I am to change things... You're right. If anything is to change I must start small. If nothing else, I can give that boy a better life. I will give him an education with the wizards of the city library... And I will oversee the rebuilding of the farms razed by the Enshar. It will be a start." His head ached from the emotional storm he had been through but it was getting easier to focus now.