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Ruthlessly stopping her mind from its furious thinking, she shadow-stepped into a large manor house. The man Bylan had arranged for her to meet was one of the Arian king’s trusted advisors. He was also responsible for selecting women of beauty from across his entire kingdom to gift to the Nurian King.
She moved through his house until she found him. “I am Tehdra. Bylan sent me,” she said, speaking Darkanian.
The man swirled his hands reaching for the sword on his hip. His eyes shifted, searching, and Tehdra knew she had the right man when he spied her in the shadows cast by the crystals in the room. She stepped from the shadows, surveying his robes that were inlaid with actual gems. It seemed Darkans who fled their realm prospered. That was what her king worked so tirelessly for—prosperity for their people…but not by having to hide their very nature.
“You were expecting me, were you not, Sir Morell?” she asked gliding around the room, her hands drifting over the furniture, admiring the exquisite craftsmanship.
“Yes, I received the missive from Bylan, but I expected you to come through the entrance like an ordinary citizen, not with the shadows,” Sir Morell hissed, squinting at her. “No one here knows I am a Darkan, not even my tsari of fifty years.” His teeth snapped together, clicking hard enough that Tehdra wondered if he mayhap chipped a tooth.
“I am only here for the information you pledged. I will depart from your life as soon as you reveal to me what was promised by Bylan.”
Sir Morell lifted the chest on the mantel and took out a red parchment, inhaling deeply as he handed it to her. He hesitated releasing his end. “This is a special order from my house recommending a close friend of mine’s third daughter as a concubine for the Nurian king. My reputation is of such in Aria that it will not be questioned. I have recommended several houses before.”
“I thank you, Sir Morell, for your aid to your realm.” Tehdra raised a brow as he had yet to release the papers. She rocked back on her heels, giving him time to speak.
“This parchment will get you inside castle Shelah.” He cleared his throat, and his fingers tightened on the parchment. “Is our king planning to assassinate King Ajali?”
Tehdra admired Sir Morell’s courage. He must know that she was a warrior of the elite to be undertaking any mission that included infiltrating another royal’s main stronghold, yet he hesitated.
“Of course not. Our king seeks alliances for the prosperity and acceptance of the Darkage,” Tehdra assured him.
She did not respond to the skepticism in his eyes, simply waited for him to relinquish the parchment.
“And if I refuse because I do not believe such a thing?”
Tehdra allowed the promise of death to show in her eyes, and he slowly released the paper.
He took several quick steps back and smiled tightly. “Please do not shadow my life or house again.”
Tehdra inclined her head and darkness swallowed her.
It begins.
***
Tehdra was accepted without further complications as a concubine for King Ajali. She suffered through the procurers’ examination to verify that she was still a virgin, and underwent their ministrations to prepare her for delivery to Nuria with grim resilience. She was bathed in scented water and massaged with precious oils. To her mortification, they removed all the hair from between her legs. She ignored the women as they pinched her several times to get a blush to her pale skin. Her waist length hair had been brushed for what seemed like an eternity, and then she was dressed in garments so sheer that when she beheld herself in the mirror, they finally got her skin to blush.
She gritted her teeth until her jaws ached. It was humiliating that she should react in such a manner. She was of the warrior elite. Tehdra’s stomach dipped at the realization the material she wore was so sheer that her Cerja, the vivid tattoo of her demon beast painted across her shoulders and the top half of her back, would be seen. Thank kings she was not fully bonded with her beast. Otherwise, the tattoo would have covered her entire back, hips and ended at her feet, impossible for her to conceal in such ridiculous garments.
The silky skirt, that slinked low on her hips, bared her entire midriff. With each movement, the loose material whispered against her legs in a gentle caress and flowed down to pool at her feet. What covered her breasts, she could not comprehend. It hugged her body, and had a thin over-top that flowed and settled above her rib cage. Kohl rimmed her eyes, darkening them seductively, while a deep, blood red coated her lips.
Murmuring rippled from the castle ladies as she exited.
“She is a Witch.”
“She is so pale.”
“She is unnatural.”
The whispers were because of the vivid black of her hair which created an eerie contrast against the pallor of her pristine white skin. Tehdra was painfully aware she was different from the other similarly dressed and perfumed females with their dusky and rosy skin.
What would the king’s reaction be to her?
Grimacing, she allowed herself to be bundled into an elegant carriage along with several other females, who eagerly reclined in the plush conveyance, sipping fruited wine. A party of Arian warriors rode alongside the equipage to guard the Nurian King’s precious gifts.
Tehdra snorted. They tittered and chattered with excitement over being chosen from their villages and families to be a hari for King Ajali. The status and wealth they would gain from such a position as concubine to a powerful king was immense.
A subtle tremor flowed through her limbs. She would see King Ajali soon. Even without the urging of her beast, the woman in her admired the power and grace that had seemed infused in his body. Tehdra closed her eyes in defeat, tilting her head to rest against the cushion. She was known for her deadly taijiu skills, along with her cunning. She’d faced her beast’s malignity to learn its chakra without fear, and instead of planning her strategy for uncovering the traitor in Adara, she was practically salivating over King Ajali.
