Heir to the throne

Chapter 21

Reiji

He looked back at the sulking woman with her arms crossed over her chest. Her footsteps were angry stomps, and she had not spoken a single word since they escaped. It was a long trek back to the temple, and Reiji knew that it was not going to be a pleasant one.

           He looked ahead with the thought of Zyaan rising in his head. The loss of his friend had wounded his heart, but his mind was confused. He had liked the little Olin. Reiji had decided to heed the advice of Kalaya and help kill Adhi, but he did not count on Zyaan overhearing their plans that night. He should have been more careful with such a dangerous undertaking. Nevertheless, Reiji decided a while back that it was not his fault that Zyaan had died. It was his fault that he had tried to help the Akai prince and had fallen from the mountain with him. In the end, he was an ungrateful person who proved where his loyalty lay, and it was not with Reiji.

He stopped and looked around. He was standing in a convenient clearing surrounded by densely stacked trees. The temple was not too far away, so he decided they could afford to rest.

He turned back and looked at the woman who had stopped with him.

"We will rest here for a while. You must be tired from all this walking," he said, trying to break the silence hanging over them.

"Let's keep going. I cannot wait to get away from you."

"So you can marry the man who tried to kill you?"

"How do you know Oman tried to kill us? Perhaps his soldiers are foolish and incapable of following simple commands."

Reiji chuckled, amused by her optimism. She was deeply smitten with the Terang prince. It was as clear to him as his miserable situation was. Her infatuation had made her blind to the true motives of Oman.

He dropped the bag on the ground. The forest was in disarray. Trees had fallen, and branches and leaves covered the ground. Apart from the gurgling of the water in the nearby stream, it was eerily silent. No birds chirped, and no monkey hooted at them in curiosity. It was as if nature was in shock.

"I'm so thirsty," she complained as she sat on a rock.

His gaze settled on her, a feeling of pity rising in his chest. She was not used to such horrid conditions. This woman was spoiled and sheltered all her life. He realized that she was tired and miserable. Strands of hair had come loose from her braid, sticking to her sweaty face and neck. Mud covered the hem of her skirt and the soles of her shoes.

He opened the bag and retrieved the empty canteen. "Stay here. I'll go fill the canteen," he said.

Kalaya flew to her feet and snatched the canteen from Reiji with a fiery glare blazing in her eyes.

"I do not need you to do it. I can get my water myself," Kalaya said.

"Kalaya, it is not safe."

"And will you protect me? Hah! You cannot protect anyone. It was your fault that Adhi escaped. I told you to help the Terang soldiers. You can overpower him easily. Then all the soldiers had to do was attack Adhi. But what did you do? You just stood there like a coward and watched my brother slaughter them. I do not need a man like you protecting me. Understand?"

Reiji pulled in a deep breath and exhaled to calm himself.

"Adhi did not escape. He and Zyaan fell from the mountain. There is no way they would survive."

"Of course. Nature did what you could not. And as if to compensate me for giving me you as a husband, she even got rid of your filthy Olin servant. May they both rot in hell."