Page 2 of Between Two Barbarians

The smirk disappeared, and a scowl took its place, aimed at the floor since he still wouldn’t let me straighten. I should have sent the prince back to his bed after our night together. It wasn’t like I was interested in a repeat. I caved when I saw how stunned he looked. Sending him away felt cruel at the time. I regretted it now.

“Let him up, Hakim,” Queen Raiza insisted.

Finally, the pressure on my neck loosened, and my father allowed me to straighten again. Blowing a stray curl out of my face, I did my best to keep my face contrite, or at least neutral. Somehow, this was turning out to be a much bigger deal than I thought, and I didn't want to end up with my head on a spike just because the prince had been easy to seduce.

“Jamal? Do you have an explanation for this?” King Zohaib demanded, his stern face firmly in place. Despite a night of fun, I still felt a tingle being under the man’s scrutiny. It was a shame he was married. I wasn’t interested in taken men. If I’d known Prince Caesar was supposed to wed Princess Nadia, I would have steered clear.

Drawing in a breath, I summoned all my lessons on decorum, crossing my arm over my middle and bowing again to the king, this time without remaining bent over. “I apologize, my king. I had no idea the prince had an intended. He told me he was unattached.”

It was the most apologetic I could be. I wasn’t sorry for seducing him. It had been fun, and after Prince Zakai left, there was a serious lack of fun in the castle. Not many others were willing to get into mischief with me.

A heavy knock on the door had us all turning, and one of the rijali poked his head in, his expression apologetic and a little confused. “Prince Caesar requests an audience, Sulvani.”

With a deep frown, King Zohaib waved at the guard to let him in. When Prince Caesar entered, he looked determined, and I knew the moment his eyes landed on me that this wouldn’t go how I wanted.

“King Zohaib. Queen Raiza. I’ve come with a request. I do not wish to marry Princess Nadia. I wish to marry Jamal instead.”

Horrified, I gaped at him, putting my hands up when my father spun to face me accusingly. Thankfully, the advisor who’d accompanied the prince on his journey rushed to intervene, physically dragging the prince out of the room while whispering harshly in his ear.

All eyes swung my way as the door clicked closed again. I took a step back, hands still raised, my words rushed as I insisted, “I didn’t tell him to say that! I have no interest in marriage! It was just supposed to be a night of fun!”

“Well, it seems you made quite an impression,” Queen Raiza replied flatly. I couldn’t even enjoy the compliment. I’d never said anything to the prince to make him think I was interested in more. I was careful with my conquests to make myself clear. I wasn’t interested in marriage.

With a heavy sigh filled with exasperation, the king sat back in his chair. Queen Raiza set a comforting hand on his shoulder, squeezing gently. I watched the exchange with only a hint of envy. I wasn’t interested in settling down just yet, but seeing the two of them together did make me consider the possibilities. It’d take someone special to tie me down, though.

“What are we going to do about this?” King Zohaib asked the room at large. “I’m sorry, Jamal, but I cannot bring this marriage idea to Prince Caesar’s father. It would be considered a grave insult and–”

Shaking my head wildly, I agreed with him. “No, no, my king. I don’t want that at all.”

He seemed glad at least that I was on the same page and not about to kick up a fuss. But it begged the question what we were going to do about Caesar? This one-sided infatuation was problematic. It wasn’t like they could send him back home for suggesting such a thing. Could they?

“Perhaps it's best to remove Jamal from this situation,” Father finally spoke up, his expression cross, but the hand he settled on my shoulder more reassuring. He knew me. Knew I wouldn’t cause an international incident like this on purpose. “We can send him to our family home for a time, to put some distance between him and the prince.”

Queen Raiza frowned, fingers tapping lightly on the back of King Zohaib’s chair as she thought. “I’m not sure that will be enough. Caesar willingly faced Zohaib to make this request, knowing it would be considered an insult. Your family home is within city limits. He could come looking for Jamal if he knew he was nearby.”

I shuddered at the thought. Was I going to be forced into hiding until the prince finally went home?

“What about the barbarians?” Father asked suddenly. “We’ve been meaning to send someone along to see how things are going. They are good allies. I’m sure they’d be happy to have Jamal in their care for a time until the infatuation ends.”

My face twitched to hide the excitement I felt for the idea. Father intended for this to be a punishment, I could see it on his face. I didn’t want him to think I looked forward to it, or he’d change his mind.

“Oh… no… Are you sure?” I asked, attempting to look worried by the prospect.

King Zohaib nodded thoughtfully. “That is a good idea, Hakim. The clans should be settled by now. We can send Jamal to Orthorr and give Caesar time to come to terms with the situation. See to it that it is done.”

I bit back a grin, nodding solemnly in agreement. This was turning out better than I thought. Barbarian clans, here I come.

CHAPTER TWO

BRENEK

Torgrind grunted when we came together, the clash of our blades ringing loud through the quiet evening air. A wicked grin overtook my face. “What’s the matter, old man? Too much for you?”

He shoved me away, readying his stance again to face me with a scowl. He didn’t take the bait of my comment, but I could tell it irritated him. He liked to claim he was the balanced one, the one better suited for warrior of our clan. I took great joy in putting him in his place.

I readied myself for another round, careful of my footsteps in the uneven terrain. The sand had been a hindrance when we first arrived in Al Nuzem. Now, several months later, I knew better than to rush. If I tripped, Torgrind would never let me forget it.

We weren’t the only ones training, several others had taken to training after the sun had disappeared below the horizon, cooling the air and allowing for training without the discomfort of the sun’s heat above us. The sound of blades coming together was as familiar to me as the calls of the talvok that represented our clan.