The words were so somber, it was hard to believe they came from such a young and beautiful girl. Isha’s heart suddenly felt heavy, as if it had hardened into stone.
“People treat me as a princess, but I don’t have any real power.” She confessed the bitter truth so calmly. “My stepbrother is the one that will inherit the throne. They say I am the Flower of Estia, but…they are just waiting until they can pluck me, and sell me.”
Isha recognized that feeling of helplessness, and sensed exactly deeply ingrained in her it was. But she was quick to hide it behind a smile.
“But I want to do my duty, as princess,” she said. “I still love Estia, and we are not a country of slave traders. I will stop it.”
Estia was already known as a base for the slave trade. Of course, the royal family would not like such a thing to be known.
“I don’t have many people supporting me yet, that’s why these things are so complicated, but we were so lucky this time. Normally it’s all we can do just to rescue three or four,” she said, and this time her smile was from genuine happiness. It was like sunshine coming through the clouds. “I am glad we found you.”
Isha couldn’t speak. His lips were as firmly stuck together as if they had been glued. He gazed at her, transfixed.
“I have seen many Kurkans,” she said, leaning toward him. “But I have never seen one with such beautiful golden eyes as yours.”
Her proximity made his breath catch, and his eyes flickered.
“They are amazing,” she whispered, watching them, clearly a compliment to try to make him feel better.
It backfired on Isha. There was a strange tingling in his heart, and suddenly it was beating so fast. He had never felt like this in his life. He must have been more injured than he thought, he felt so strange.
“Does anything hurt?” The Princess asked carefully. She had noticed his sudden stiffness.
Isha finally opened his mouth.
“…No.”
It came out coldly, slicing sharply through the air like a knife, and the Princess smiled again, this time with embarrassment. He had answered rudely, even though she was trying to help him.
I’ve lost my mind.
That was Isha’s tentative diagnosis. He tried to calm down, scraping together his reason to try and think logically.
They had to get out of here. They couldn’t hope to stay hidden forever. They would be found quickly when a more organized search was launched.
Isha looked around, searching for any sign of movement nearby.
“We’d better go now,” he said.
The two moved quickly, but luck was not with them. It wasn’t long before the sound of barking echoed behind them. Hunting dogs had been set loose to track them down.
They had no choice but to run again, but they hadn’t gotten far before there was a stab of pain in his ankle. Isha fell heavily to the floor.
It was shocking, how easily she disregarded her own position as princess. Secretly, Isha found her earnestness adorable.
“I’m fine,” he said briefly, squelching his desire to twine his fingers in hers. He staggered back to his feet, his eyes hard with determination. “I can still run.”
He would never be a burden. He ran, swallowing the taste of blood as it filled his mouth.
Ahead of them, a fork in the path appeared, and he grabbed the fluttering edge of her clothing, making her stagger back at the sudden halt.
“You go first,” he said. “I’ll lure them after me.”
Her eyes widened.
“What?” She almost shouted it. “You don’t have to do that, I have soldiers waiting. If we just…”
“They’ll overtake us before we get to them.”
“But…”
“Don’t worry. I can kill a few hunting dogs.”
He was telling the truth, though it might cost him some flesh. Better to give up an arm than a leg, if he was going to escape.
“It’s enough that you’ve helped me so far,” he added firmly.