Tari was the Princess of Talisi, she was the embodiment of elegance and the peak of class yet she felt dwarfed within the confines of her tent. She felt worthless and the feeling heightened with the steady marching of time. She blamed it on the boredom, before the Gift Giving she'd always had something to do. She had moved around camp indulging various women who were in the same pot as her. She had assured them with her presence and her words had eased their anguish. Most of them wept at the thought of never seeing their families again but Tari's sacrifice, the daughter of a monarch offering herself as a gift with the common women of the Kingdom, was a factor that warded off tears. The women got inspiration from her and said inspiration charged her to do more for the benefit of Talisi.
Tari had also spoken on behalf of the women destined to be gifts to Binoria in front of her father. She'd ensured the women's every need was provided for during their stay upon the Ganidan plain and praise had followed her wherever she went for her efforts . Why did she offer herself as part of the gift to Binoria? She'd asked herself that question many times since traveling from Central Talisi to the Ganidan plain and even upon facing the Binorian Prince, Desan. The answer to the question evaded her, was it fear for her father's life? Ever since her grandfather had lost his life for failing to meet the quota required during the Gift giving, Tari had feared for her father every year since. When King Gans had disclosed to all his children that this year's Gift giving quota couldn't be met and that he had a solution to the problem Tari had pounced on the opportunity to be part of the solution. Still, she could not say that was the reason she'd offered her life to the cause.
Tari had never felt like she was worthy of the position life had given her. Her elder brother was destined to be the next King and her older sister was a genius at the political matters of the Kingdom. They both served a purpose and were more than adept at it, whilst her on the other hand did nothing other than sit around and look pretty. There was no chance she'd ever rule and matters of the Kingdom were too complex for her liking, a lot of games were played and she had no patience for games. When her father spoke of his plan to offer Binoria Talisi women to compensate for his inability to meet the quota Tari had seen her chance, her purpose, she was to be a sacrifice. And indeed she was until the Kolotian came along.
At first she'd thought he was demented as he shouted at her from inside a cage. She did not spare him much thought but when she'd seen Desan's blade posed before her father, with her heart beating and fear eradicating any semblance of composure, she'd given up. She had thought offering herself would prevent her very fears from coming into fruition, instead she'd booked herself a front row seat to witness her father's execution. At that moment whatever hope she'd had of mattering, of serving a purpose had come crushing down and in its place was despair. Then the Kolotian had come running and kicked Desan across the Ganidan plain.
"A day will come when the Ganidan plain will be filled with blood but it won't be that of the Talisi, Princess!" The Kolotian's words echoed in her mind as she recalled the sight of the bleeding Desan. She'd learnt more about the Kolotian from his friend Mairek since his capture, Ishar was his name. Tari had made a vow never to forget the Kolotian and indeed she hadn't, how could she when the whole camp talked of nothing else even as days went by?
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The Kolotian had paid the ultimate price in a manner that could not be replicated thus making her sacrifice unnecessary. It was a pity he was dead, she'd have loved to thank him herself for his sacrifice. Tari once again found herself purposeless, she could no longer go around assuring women and easing their anguish for they had none. The only restlessness at camp came from the thought of when they were to depart and the shenanigans of the Red priests. Though none of that bothered her, the longer they went without Binoria contacting them the more assured she was that they would soon depart the plain and head home.
Tari lay on a bed that occupied half of her large tent. The bed had been constructed by carpenters right there on the Ganidan plain and a carpet made of Yendw fur adorned the ground so her feet did not touch upon the Centala flowers. What others saw as luxury was something normal to her, she saw no ostentation in the various gowns upon her hangers or the mirror framed in gold running across one side of the tent. She still referred to herself as one with the Talisi women upon the Ganidan plain despite the fact that five of them shared a tent yet she had one to herself.
Tari had an unopened book beside her. Reading did ward off the boredom but she could only repeat a book so many times before it became a chore. She sighed and shifted to lay on her back while staring at the roof of her tent. Her emerald dress parted and flowed down her thighs as she raised and lowered her legs in playful boredom. Tari didn't see much difference between her life on the Ganidan plain and back at the palace, she still felt the lack of importance in all that she was and she wished something, anything could happen to distract her.
Suddenly, as if on cue a man started shouting outside her tent and his shouts were joined by numerous others. If it had been night time Tari would have thought the screams to be songs by the Red Priests at the bonfire where people gathered to pray and worship Meena every night but it was noon, something else was going on. She hoped out of the bed at the same time a large man encased fully in green armor parted the flap of her tent.
"Pardon the intrusion Princess but I've come to take you to safety." The Guard said in a rumbling voice.
"Safety? What.. What's going on?" Tari asked, unable to keep off the fear in her voice.
The Guard's helmet moved from side to side as if surveying the tent for spies. "The scouts have spotted..
There's.." He hesitated. "There's someone riding a Telinete Rhino and they are heading in this direction."
Tari struggled with the words coming from the Guard. A Telinete? Only Selarch Vigon had ever tamed the beast and ridden it. Has Vayin Vigon done the same just to make a show of his power? Fear gripped her, fear for herself and her father. Fear for the entire camp and Talisi as a whole. Suddenly boredom didn't seem like such a bad thing. "Take me to my father." She commanded.
"Pardon Princess but the King has headed out to meet-"
"Take me to my fucking father." The authority in her voice had the reluctant Guard ushering her to where her father was. Around her people flocked in the direction she was heading towards, word had spread and all wanted to see what Binoria had in store for them.