THE DESERT ROSE | ONGOING

Irritation

Inara felt her soul almost leave her body as the shadow leaped down in front of her. Her frightened scream was loud enough to scare away the wild creatures and the owls perched on the branches to a good distance. And when the shadow stood up to face her in the faint light of her lantern, her face flushed with wrath and humiliation.

"And that's why you need to give up the idea, Shahzadi." He said and she didn't miss the smirk on his bold lips. But his smirk soon faded noticing the moisture in her eyes.

Inara gulped down the painful knot in her throat. She had promised that she'd not show her tears to anyone. But that was a real wicked move she didn't expect from the commander she had adored since her early teenage years.

"You need more than that to scare me away, commander." The princess drawled, blinking away whatever weakness threatened to spill from her mesmerizing eyes.

She can't be serious! Ascian swore under his breath, never had he ever expected that he'd get entangled with the princess of the empire, not to mention the most beautiful and adored all around the sands. He could have been murdered already for treating her in that way, not that he feared death but he did hate getting involved in fruitless matters.

"What do you really want?" Ascian demanded, boring his amber eyes into her green ones.

Again with that. "I want to become your apprentice."

Ascian prowled around her now. "And do you think I have enough time to train you?"

Inara took a step forward. "I'll be ready whenever you say, whenever you get free time, even if it takes only a few days in a month."

"Why do you even want to learn it? What does a Shahzadi need to do with swords and arrows in that fancy palace of yours? I'm sure there are plenty of skilled guards watching your back every day and night and still, if you don't feel safe enough, just say it and I'll appoint my selected guards personally for you." He tried, tried his best not to scowl.

After everything I've done, I know that this all would seem ridiculous to him, but I'm helpless and that doesn't give him the right to insult and underestimate women like that.

"Every man in the palace, even a commoner gets to learn how to fight if he wants. Then why can't I, commander? Just because I'm a princess? A girl?" she snapped.

The commander's jaw clenched. "That's not what I meant." A flicker of guilt passed through him because, in reality, that's exactly what he meant. "You can't learn because that's against emperor's orders."

The princess let out low mocking laughter. "Emperor's orders. Oh yes! Emperor's orders. How can I forget about it? The orders that only give powers to the only one he wants, the only ones he sees fit. And we..." she pointed a finger at herself, "... should be the first ones to keep our mouth shut no matter what happens to us."

"Of course, the emperor must order not to teach us because we are nothing, absolutely nothing in men's eyes." Commander's words had somehow scratched the pent-up frustrations buried inside her heart and as much as she wants herself to stop, she couldn't hold back. Not now.

"Oh, I get it now. Perhaps I should have approached you with a more enticing offer. Perhaps I should have offered my body in exchange, then I'd not have gone through so much trouble. "

She moved closer to him, to show the pain, the humiliation, and the determination in her eyes. She knew that she'd hate herself for it and but she'd make him hate himself too. If there was any speck of virtue in the commander, her words would affect him.