Kathea

28. Results

The trial came to an end, and now every soldier was making their way back to the camp. Aryan was the first to arrive. One by one, the other Nagas followed as the hours passed by. Kathea watched as Aryan never tired from standing at the camp entrance, waiting for his sister. She too was eying the entrance, waiting for the moment that her honey brown-haired friend's head would appear among the swarms of the Nagas. 

"Hey Aryan", saluted Kathea as she walked up to him. "It's almost midnight and no one came back in the last hour. Do you think they're missing? Should we go look for them?"

"Soldiers are considered missing after three days of not showing up. A search party is then sent to look for their bodies"

"But that's just assuming that they're dead?", she questioned. Aryan did not reply. The fear and worry in his eyes was enough. Then a thought occurred to her, if Aryan was doubting that his sister is still alive, then that means that Iliana...No. She should have more faith in her...but...

"Can't we just go search for them now? Or in the morning?"

"Your majesty please, if you want to earn your people's respect you shouldn't go around breaking every tradition that we had for years. I am not moving from my post until Edana appears or three days later with the search party", he answered firmly.

He's right. She shouldn't let her heart lead her astray. This was war. The Nagas had been protecting this land for years and she should trust their judgment and not ask for a search party. But she was not a Naga, and those rules do not apply to her. She isn't going to ask anyone to break the rules. She'll go look for the girls alone right before dawn.

"Goodnight, Aryan", she said as she walked away without waiting for his reply. She didn't want him to grow suspicious. She went into her hut and waited.