Chapter 7:

“I didn’t want to leave you, but they said I had to,” Mayah explained. It was very important to her that Sukren understand that she hadn’t left him on purpose. “They said someone else would get you later, and if I stayed there with you, it would be harder for you to escape.”

“They were right,” Sukren told her.

He was smiling now, which made Mayah feel better. She didn’t like to see him cry. It made her feel funny, almost embarrassed. She decided to explain herself again. “But I still didn’t want to leave you. I asked them and asked them if I could take you too.”

He kissed her on the top of her head. “It’s okay,” he said. “Why don’t you get some rest now. It’s extremely late, it’s probably already the next day.”

Mayah was happy to obey. After a quick hug, she scampered back behind the screen room-divider and dove into the bed. Snuggled up under the covers once more, Mayah felt happy, happy for the first time since Sukren had brought her to this stupid place. She couldn’t wait to go back and tell Ajante all about how dumb the castle was, how it was just stairs, one stupid step after another in the stupid rain –

Mayah stopped. For some reason she thought about the princess, the one who had smiled at her and called her cute. Her hair had been up in braids, nice braids all pinned up. She had been really nice to Mayah. Come on, come with us, we’ll give you a fun night, you’ll be able to tell all your friends about it. The princess had been so pretty, Mayah hadn’t even felt all that frightened, well, maybe a little bit, but not very much.

Maybe I’ll try to make my hair pretty like hers. And not just down like I always do. And then maybe I’ll ask Sukren for a nice neck scarf, like Elanex has. If I really am a Rajas… doesn’t that mean I get to look like one?

Mayah yawned. Sukren would figure it out. He was very smart. She peeked out from under the covers. She could see his outline through the screen room-divider. A machine was going click-flash! in front of him. He was saying something to the Chenta lady. Oops, she meant Chenta magistrate. Mayah’d learned from the servie who’d helped her that only patrons were called Lord and Lady.

“So with this cameragram, my papers are good?”

“Yes.”

“And Mayah’s too? Nobody is going to check her papers against a genealogical record or registry book?”

“I’ll have the necessary records and books updated.”

“What about the commotion we caused getting in? Won’t someone look into that, track us down?”

“Lady Nari will find a scape-sheep.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean – I wouldn’t want anyone to get in trouble just because I couldn’t keep things quiet.”

Mayah could hear the magistrate’s robe rustling. “Lady Nari will take care of everything appropriately. You go and rest. I’ll have you and Princess Mayah woken up tonight after the printing press finishes producing your booklets.”

Princess Mayah. It sounded so weird. Mayah, the princess. Princess Mayah. Beia would laugh so hard if she heard. And she would definitely hear. Even if Mayah thought it might be fun to dress up like a Rajas, that didn’t mean she wanted to never see her friends again. She liked her friends. And they liked her. Mayah was very popular. All the boys liked her too, even Kan who was a whole year older than her.

She heard the room-divider rattle. It was Sukren. He smiled at her, that tired smile he gave her sometimes after working all day in the rice fields. “I thought you were asleep.”

“I am!”

He grinned. “You sound awake to me.”

“I was waiting for you,” she said, which wasn’t exactly true, but now that Sukren was here, Mayah was glad she was awake. She scooted over to the edge of the bed. “See, I made room for you.”

“It’s okay. The floor’s fine.”

Mayah frowned. She and Sukren slept side-by-side on the same double mat in the village, why would he sleep on the floor when the bed was just as big? “But I made a lot of room.”

“It’s going to be a little different here in the castle. Especially – you can’t touch me anymore, not in public. Okay? Remember that.”

Mayah didn’t say anything. Sukren looked very tired, almost sick. She should probably stop bothering him and let him sleep. She had to sleep too, anyway. They could always go back to the village tomorrow. She wasn’t going to think about it tonight. No, instead she was going to think about the princess, about how her braids had been so pretty, and how she had smiled at Mayah as if she really liked her.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Come on, come with us, we’ll give you a fun night, you’ll be able to tell all your friends about it.

***

Sukren was glad he was so exhausted. It made it easier to slip into sleep, to hide from the shame of breaking down in front of everyone. Both Elanex and the soldier had stared at him. Vek had attempted a clumsy explanation. “He’s wounded, he’s been up all night…”

“I’m sorry,” Sukren had finally managed.

Vek had clapped him on the back then ducked out after bowing to Mayah; the soldier had saluted Elanex and disappeared after Vek. Sukren had apologized again to the magistrate. She’d graciously waved it away. “You’ve had a long night.”

Then Mayah had started to chatter away, clinging to Sukren’s hand. I didn’t want to leave you, I asked them and asked them if I could take you too…

Thank the rock-god it had all worked out. Thank the rock-god Mayah had been safe all along. I don’t know what I would’ve done, I don’t know what I could’ve done, if Lady Ki’s patronees had gotten to her first. She means so much – to all of us – to the cause – to me.

Sukren’s eyes were closed. Yes, he thought gently, Mayah means everything to me, and I know it, and Lady Nari probably does too. I was supposed to be Mayah’s handler, her minder, but instead I grew attached to her, started to care about her. How could I not? She’s the sweetest little girl I know, so brave for her age, so curious about everything.

And now we’re in the castle and I’m going to lose her I know it I know it –

Sukren forced himself to stay calm. I’ll ask Lady Nari to send us back to the village. I’ll tell her Mayah isn’t ready yet to be tested against Rajas life. I’ll beg her. I’ll promise her anything.

Sleep, thankfully, came quickly, allowing him to escape his thoughts. Even so, it was fitful, and he woke up at once when he heard someone call his name. “Sukren?”

It was Elanex. She was knocking on the room-divider’s wooden panel. He could tell right away that he’d slept for a long time; his body felt a thousand times better. Except for his arm. That still felt like it was on fire.

“Can you wake the princess? I have new clothes and a stylist here for her cameragram.”

“Yes, of course,” Sukren replied. He swallowed a yawn and scrambled to his feet. No sunlight peeked out from around the edges of the blackout curtain on Elanex’s window. “Mayah? It’s time to wake up.”

“Mmm.”

“There’s new clothes and –”

Mayah was up and out of bed before Sukren could blink. “Can I see them? Where?”

Smiling a little, Sukren pointed around the room-divider, then sat back down onto the carpet to wait. He felt both thirsty and hungry, which he took as good signs. His arm was quite sore, but seemed well-wrapped, which surprised Sukren. He hadn’t expected the clinic to take seriously the injuries of a paperless unknown.

Speaking of papers… surely his would be ready by now? Elanex had said she would wake him when his booklet was printed. He toyed with the idea of knocking on the room-divider or going around it but decided to wait. Castle decorum demanded more respect for privacy.

His restraint was soon rewarded. “You can come out now, Sukren.”

Elanex handed him his booklet as soon as he stepped out. He clutched it with both hands. Rock-god, if Sukren never had to climb the serf staircase again it would be too soon. He opened the booklet, running his thumb over his cameragram on the first page. The other pages had all his other details, and they weren’t even false: his birthdate (3rd week of the rainsoon season, 25 years ago), the holy site at which he was born (RockSpire in Lost Technology Quintant), his childhood village (Cotton Post #4), his childhood village’s patron (Lord Lin), his current castle designation (Lost Technology Castle), his current zone designation (8), his patron (Lady Nari), his name (Sukren), his caste (doctor-priest), his ethnicity (Chenta), and his rank within Lady Nari’s patronage (squad member).

Pleased to finally have everything in order, Sukren glanced up to smile at Mayah. Oh, she looked different! Her village suit and headscarf were gone; she was wearing a white Rajas frock and a teal under-cloak. She was holding a booklet in her hand, too, its gold and green cover flashing in Elanex’s bottle-lamp. “I have one too!” she said. “Look at mine!”

Her cameragram wasn’t inserted yet, but her details were all there: birthdate (32nd week of the dry season, 10 years ago), birthplace (Lost Technology Castle), the box next to junior princess checked off, her current zone designation (8) and her name (Mayah). There were a few pages still blank, which would be filled in once she became a senior princess.

“The camera is printing her cameragram now,” he heard Elanex say. “Once it’s done, her booklet will be finished as well. Now, you’re both under my magistracy, so you’ll have to come back to me every half-season to get a new cameragram and to update any details. Most of the time, of course, I have a regent under me take care of updating papers, but I’ll handle both of yours personally. Speaking of which, Lady Nari told me to conduct Princess Mayah to her dorm and get her settled in. Sukren, you are to wait here until Vek comes to take you to Lady Nari.”

Mayah immediately latched onto Sukren’s arm. He winced. Then at the sight of her pout, he knelt, doing his best to gently untangle himself from her. In response, she grabbed his hands.

“It’s okay, Mayah,” Sukren said quietly. “I’m in Zone 8, just like you. I won’t be far.”

She shook her head. He could see the stubbornness on her face. She wasn’t going to let go.

“Don’t worry, Princess,” Elanex said. “I’m assigning him to live-in junior Rajas duty. He’ll live in a room on your level and be responsible for any emergencies that happen to you while you’re in your dorm. If you let me escort you there, I’ll find one of the doctor-priests currently on duty and tell him that Sukren’s joining his squad.”

Mayah looked at the magistrate. “Promise?” she said.

Elanex’s mouth twitched. She seemed amused. “I promise.”

“Okay,” Mayah whispered. She still didn’t let go of Sukren, but when Sukren stood and pulled away, she didn’t hang onto him either. Sukren gave her a smile. She gave him a halfhearted one back, then turned to follow Elanex.

Strange. From behind, Sukren couldn’t even tell it was Mayah. The stylist had done something with her hair, braided it or something. A frown tugged on his lips. She looked quite like a princess now. Exactly like one, in fact.