Forbidden (mxm)

3. From Friends to Enemies (Danail)

   I take the small clay pot, containing precisely five sips of water. This is the biggest amount that is allowed to be taken at once. 

   I order, for the first time in ten years, "More!"

   Tar is taken aback, but doesn't blink an eye and brings another one.

   "Not enough!" I shake my head. "Bring me the jar."

   His eyes widen. It would be more normal if I asked him to give me a bag of gold, but my orders are never questioned. He leaves the vessel on the ground beside me and I wave him to leave.

   Prince Dai Stial is sleeping on my bedding. His sleep is restless. He is feverish. His cheeks are bright red. His lips are chapped. His chest is rising and falling rapidly, a sure sign of overheating and dehydration. I wet a soft cloth and hesitate just a second before pressing it to his forehead. He loudly whimpers, but doesn't open his eyes. I grip the hem of his tunic with two fingers, careful not to touch his skin, uncovering his chest and stomach. He's delicate, but his muscles are well defined under the velvety, pale skin. 

   I can't stop wondering how can someone live in the dessert and be so exquisite. He was probably raised under a golden dome, worshiped and protected. No one would even think to send him into battle. I chuckle. There would be no battle, if he was there. Everyone would be lying face down on the ground at his feet. 

   I used to envy him when I was little. 'He doesn't have to train and prove himself every day,' I used to think. 'He is probably spoiled and lazy. I'll beat him up when I meet him.' I have never believed in the superstitions that, if you touch him, you'd be doomed. And yet, I have never heard of someone ever trying, except my men today. 

   Obviously, I was not right about him being lame. He is fit. He has to be to survive in the desert. These people are a different kind. They are not like us, who were born in the green heaven of Eleysan. The harsh conditions do not affect them the same way, but still they have to be strong. Being dragged for hours in a suffocating bag in the sweltering heat, though, would take its tall even on the strongest.

   I wet the cloth again and carefully rub his body. His breathing slowly returns to normal. I want to make him drink some water, but I can't lift his head without touching him. I think a little and put my leather gloves on. I hope, the taboo is only if you touch him with your bare hands. Maybe, that was what saved my men. They were all waring gloves to protect their hands from the sharp edges of the cliffs. They had them still on when they seized him.

   Anger overwhelms me when I think that they have probably been harsh and rude, putting the sack on his head. I don't deny that it would have been a great advantage, if we had one of our enemy's daughters at the negotiation table. We need to make that bargain. The world needs peace after ten years of devastating war. No one remembers why it started anymore. This boy, though, can not be abused, even if he wasn't the chosen. He is too unique, beautiful, extraordinary. He should only be protected, although, perhaps it is us who would need protection when he wakes up.

   I put my palm under his head and gently lift it, bringing the pot close to his lips. He senses the life-saving coolness of the water and drinks it all. I take the other pot and wait for him till he swallows the last drop. A contented sigh tells me that he took the necessary.

   I study his face, before letting him relax back on the soft bedding. His features are so perfect that he looks unreal, out of this world, divine. The flawless skin is like marble. His thin, curved eyebrows look as if they were painted by a skillful artist. His lips remind me of the fragrant petals of the spring roses at home. 

   I smile. Eleysan is the Paradise. There are no flowers more lovely, no rivers wilder and no sky a purer blue than at home. I was born in Heaven, but will probably die in this dessert hell.

   "My Lord," I hear Tar's voice behind my back. "The Queen has gathered The Supreme Council. They are waiting for you."

   He hesitates a little and adds quietly, "Dey, I can stay and watch over him. I'm sorry! I'd understand your decision, if you punish me. I deserve it. It was reckless what I did. I brought doom upon us!"

   I stand up and put my hand on my friend's shoulder. One glimpse at his scarred, weathered face and I know that he's very upset. Nothing in his features shows it. We have been taught to be always expressionless. Showing emotions is considered a weakness for the warrior. No matter how great the pain or the grief, we won't tremble. All we're allowed to show is rage in battle. There's gloominess in his eyes, though, that only I can see. He uses my name, instead of the title, only when he's shaken and worried, in need of my support.

   "You're not to be blamed Tar," I smile. "You did what every warrior would have done to give his commander an advantage in this savage war. We'll survive this."

   "I hope so," he sighs, sitting cross legged near the bedding. "Go! I'll be right here and won't move a step away till you're back. I'll ask forgiveness if he wakes up."

   I nod and leave, heading to my mother's tent where the High Council is waiting for me to start the meeting.

   The sun is already deadly outside. There's not a single cloud in the sky, only fiery heat and the flock of vultures that always follows us wherever we go. There are no trees or bushes around, no animals, nothing but sand and rocks. I smirk. It's the best place for a poisonous snake to writhe among them, ready to strike. 

   It's funny how different I am from him, the boy I've feared, admired, fumed at, but always expected impatiently to meet. It was planned for our fifteenth birthday. The two mightiest kings would introduce their heirs to the thrones. We would have vowed to keep the peace and rule the two richest kingdoms on Earth in friendship and harmony. 

   It never happened. Our fathers, best friends and allies, became the worst enemies. Nobody knows what drew them apart and caused the war. I've heard of a prophecy that made the Dessert King mad and triggered the rift between them. There were rumors, saying that it had something to do with me. Nothing was confirmed. Father never uttered a single word about it.

   The last thing he told me, the day I left for the dessert was, 'Don't come back before you make sure his kingdom is wiped from the face of the Earth.' 

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A/N

Hello at the end of chapter 3!

Thank you for reading and supporting my new story! ❤❤❤

Do you think something more is hidden behind Dai Danail's care for the captured prince?

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Love: Anny