Chapter 32

"What did you just say to me?" Princess Tari asked. Her voice was soft to the ear and it carried with it the same calm that Ishar had once heard in King Gans's voice. But the hint of anger flaked upon the question the Princess posed could not be mistaken neither could the obvious sign of danger held in the hands of the guards either side of her. There was no denying the fact that one wrong word out of Ishar would have him meeting his death and with his luck he would most definitely float away into oblivion, never knowing what Tabrimas held.

Mairek didn't help Ishar's case either. When the Princess approached, Mairek prostrated himself further upon the ground with his face practically digging into the Centala spotted surface of the Ganidan plain. It would not come as a surprise to Ishar if Mairek would arise with the jade flowers of the Centala sticking out of his mouth like cud from sheep. Ishar should have been feeling frightened, the normal thing would be to feel fright at the looming danger and a sense of shame for what he'd said but he just couldn't bring himself to feel anything other than the giddiness that engulfed him at the time.

The joyful elation Ishar felt stemmed from the dream he had been having though for the life of him he could not recall what the dream was. He simply felt happy, an emotion so rare that the experience of it brought with it a fascination that had his tongue hanging loose and free to utter obscenities at passing ladies that were royalty. He'd heard Dhiliaf whisper to Mairek, he knew that the woman confronting him held within her hands the power to render him a part of history but that fact didn't seem to carry any weight to it.

The Princess approached the cage until Ishar's protruding face was a hand away from hers. "What did you just say to me?" Tari repeated her question. It sounded like she wasn't the type to do so and the fact that she had repeated herself meant that Ishar's self imposed conundrum might be escalating rather rapidly. Ishar looked at Tari, meeting her narrow green eyes. She was beautiful and he knew that a week ago he would never have been able to master the courage to speak to someone like her. Now within her presence, however, he wondered where the shyness he'd been prone to since birth had disappeared to. What has it been replaced with?

Motion from the corner of Ishar's eye forced him to look down and meet Dhiliaf's eyes. Though the big man had also prostrated himself upon the ground, his mouth moved silently with his head tilted towards Ishar, miming the same silent word over and over "Apologize." Ishar scrunched his eyebrows. Why should I apologize? He wondered. In his mind he hadn't exactly done something wrong. What good will it do the realm if people went around apologizing every time someone saw and commented on something as grand as a gorgeous woman's arse?

Tari opened her mouth to speak once more but Ishar beat her to it. "I said that your behind is large enough to feed a kingdom for over a decade." The Princess balled her hands into fists and the guards took a step closer towards the cage. "I mean, have you seen it?" Ishar continued. "It's marvelous! Ballads must have composed songs about it and artists struggled to capture your arse in all its fine glory!" Ishar chuckled.

"I'm destined to die today or probably in a few years time once my hands have matured enough for the Binorians to cut them off and discard the rest of me. But opening my eyes this morning and seeing you pass by was like a blind man receiving sight and beholding a sunset for the first time. There's a whole lot of gloom in this camp and seeing you for just a fraction of a moment came with its own silver lining, one I never knew could be found in such a place as this." Ishar concluded and he smiled at the Princess.

Tari looked confused, she looked like she was currently unsure as to whether Ishar had just insulted her or offered a compliment or done both. She shook her head from side to side and fixed a glare at Ishar supposedly choosing to maintain face by appearing somber. "Do you know who I am?" Princess Tari asked though the aggression that was once evident in her tone seemed to have largely subsided.

Ishar seemed to contemplate her question, he placed one cuffed hand on his chin, tilted his face to stare at the ground of his cage while stroking an imaginary beard. "Well, judging from the fact that you're accompanied by two guards though you're dressed the same as the multiple women within this camp, it is safe to say that you're a Princess and at the same time one who is to be offered to the Binorians as a gift. It appears you and I share the same fate only chances are you'll get to keep your hands while I won't."

"It appears we do." Tari said while glancing at Ishar's sepia colored and blue tipped fingers.

"A Princess as a gift." Ishar turned his eyes to meet Tari's and the Princess couldn't help but flinch and take a step back. Ishar's eyes that were violet had flickered amber for a moment and it had unnerved the Princess greatly. Tari looked around at the guards and the two prostrated soldiers beside the cart, it appeared she was the only one to witness it. "You were not chosen to be a gift to the Binoria, this is something you chose to be on your own." Ishar said and Tari nodded.

"Why?" Ishar asked.

"You have no right to question me, Kolotian, stick to your class and be grateful that I shall look past what you said to me and shall not spill your blood with your hands intact." Tari said and turned to leave, the guards sheathed their swords and turned as well.

"A day will come when the Ganidan plain will be filled with blood but it won't be that of the Talisi, Princess!" Ishar called out to Tari's retreating back. "When that time comes I shall braid Centala flowers into your hair and we shall sing and dance thanking the Gods for cursing us as the Binorians were once blessed."

 One of the guards turned towards Ishar, his hand on the hilt of his sword but Tari placed her hand on the guard's arm. "Leave him be, the poor lad is mad. Letting him live is suffering enough for him, we won't be the ones to put him out of his misery." She said. The Princess and her retinue went on their way and disappeared into the King's tent.

"You're bloody insane Ishar." Mairek said while standing up.

"You're really pushing your luck kid." Dhiliaf added while doing the same.

Ishar just smiled and stared directly at the risen sun. One of the guards from earlier on in the night approached the cage upon the cart while holding a large set of Keys. Ishar could tell the heavy armored man was one of the guards he'd fought the previous night from his booming voice. "We are preparing to depart, the Kolotian will lead the procession together with the King as we approach the center of the Ganidan plain where we shall meet the Binorians." The Guard said and opened the cage. Ishar got out and stretched his limbs, he still felt giddy despite the weight of the chains and the unmistakable doom awaiting him.

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