Bonded

Chapter 20

Jza woke up far too late in the morning. In fact quick surveillance from behind the curtains showed daylight had almost faded into nothingness. It was not morning at all, as she had mistakenly assumed at first, but evening. Her maid had obviously been warned not to interrupt her sleep which she was grateful for since she had never felt so well rested in her life. 

The Princess forlornly noticed the flags raised high above the arena. It seemed like the ball guests would be entertained by blood sports this night. Tarquin would be foolish if he forced her to attend. As singular as it was she felt free even when trapped like a song bird. After facing death everything that could come her way in the future felt trivial. That fear of telling her captive no was lost forever. 

Jza quickly lit the lantern left behind from their sojourn to the rooftop. She wrinkled her nose as the smell of oil filled the room. 

The girl restlessly waited for the rest of the evening for Tarquin to come back. She had no yearning for his company but it seemed she still had so many questions swirling in her head. Her future actions depended on what bonding her to him implied. 

Jza mindlessly flipped her notebook over and over until she found a dried up rose resting gently in the bound pages. She closely inspected it trying to recall when she had left it there. She vaguely remembered some foolishness associated with Tarquin but she was quite sure she had never saved the rose. 

Her thoughts were marred by the outer door being slammed open. Startled by the interruption Jza stood and gripped her light source close to her.

To her alarm her maid ran in, red in the face, breathing in large gulps of air, shutting the bedroom door behind her. The woman shrieked in her own language, frantically gesturing with both hands. Even without the word comprehension it was obvious something was very wrong.

The maid kept looking behind her as if expecting something horrific to pounce upon her. Jza inferred somone was coming but before she could make out more there were more sounds outside. 

"Sssh," Jza hissed and pulled her maid into the closet, "Hide in there!"

She slammed the closet door shut leaving her weeping maid in the dark. At least her loyal servant could have some protection. Behind her the doors opened and guards stormed in as if ready to battle a rabid beast. 

"You need to come with us," One guard had his dagger pointed at her. 

"I shall comply peacefully. You needn't fret," Jza took great pains to look unaffected by the intrusion. She gathered her skirts and bearing only the oil lamp she followed the soldier who had addressed her. The other men joined the procession behind her.  

Once outside her room her confusion quadrupled as her slippers were drenched in blood. Two guards were slain outside her room. They were one of the few regular guards who could speak in her tongue. Her concern grew stronger but there was nothing to be done but march forward. 

The brown haired girl was led to the derelict study which she had breeched what seemed like a lifetime ago. She had certainly not left it in the state it was now. While she had broken into some locks using brute force she had not completely butchered Tarquin's desk. It was now barely standing on two feet. A cursory glance informed her the rest of the room was also in disarray.