Page 44 of The Promise Born
The moment he was done speaking, I searched to find my parent's faces. I expected them to be angry, ready to flip out because I had ruined another attempt at creating peace between our people. Instead, they sat there smiling. My mother looked at Asante with a proud look and I stopped to wonder if she wasn’t behind it.
Asante tightened his hold on my hand as the gasps and whispers sounded off, followed by the piercing scream from his mother.
“You can’t do this!” She stood from her seat. “Are you out of your mind? This is improper.”
“This is what I want, mother. I have let you change every part of my life in the chase of filling my brother’s shoes.” He lifted our joined hands. “This, my relationship with Kiala, is one thing I will not give up for you.”
My heart felt like it would burst through my chest as he made the declaration in front of what felt like the entire world.
“What will people think? You are the next king! This isn’t right.”
“Why are you so concerned with doing what is right when what has been right has left us divided and weak? Trolls are on our shores, emboldened by the fact that we have separated ourselves. So much so that they attacked me. If not for Kiala, I might not be here!”
While Asante argued his point, I looked at my parents. My father looked furious, but my mother had this strange look of acceptance. She said she would support me leaving home, did that support also extend to my relationship with Asante? It didn’t matter, because while she may have been leaning toward giving us her blessing, there were three other parents who still looked upset.
“Oh, how wonderful, you’re all here.” A familiarly annoying voice called out from the trees’ edge. We turned to see Domin standing there, partially cloaked in shadows. “This will make things so much easier.”
“What is this?” the fire king stepped forward. “Guards!”
“This is me running out of time.” Domin lifted his hand and suddenly, trolls materialized from the trees behind him. Their rough, hairy forms loomed around us. “You couldn’t die quickly like your brother!”
“My brother?” Asante pushed me behind him as he addressed his former right hand.
“It wasn’t easy, coordinating that death and then dealing with anyone who saw what really happened, but I did it. And you were supposed to be just as simple.” He clapped his hands. “How perfect was it that you fell for the ice princess? It took so long to find her, and right away, you loved her. All my plans came together so seamlessly. But you didn’t die.”
“You knew about me?” My chest tightened. “How? I was so careful. No one knew.”
“I have eyes everywhere. And when little old ladies owe massive debts, they will do anything to get it wiped clean.”
I thought about Mesi, and her knowing looks. All that time?
“We won’t waste time now. I am here because it’s my time to rule. Your families have destroyed what was once a great civilization. Now we hide from the world, cower away. And how were we to return? A competition? We should be ruling this world, not merely participating in meaningless contests! With all of you here now, that makes my job so much easier. Wipe out the royals and start anew!”
With a defiant yell, he raised his hands, and the trolls, a horrifying mass of claws and teeth, attacked!
Time seemed to warp, accelerating and decelerating simultaneously, a strange and disorienting sensation. The first thing that registered to me was Domin’s path for Queen Toci. Instinct kicked in and I ran to cut him off, putting myself in between him and Asante’s mother. An action that ended with Domin’s fist in my face. It hurt like hell, but the action gave the queen enough time to retreat.
“Kiala!” Asante called out my name. Before I knew it, he was behind Domin. He whipped Domin around by the shoulder and punched him square in the jaw. “Don’t you ever touch her again!” Asante continued to pummel Domin. When the man fell slump at his feet, he came to me.
“Are you okay?” He lifted me to my feet.
“I think so. Just a bump, really.” I assured him.
“Get out of here, go with the others.” He insisted. “I won’t allow you to be hurt again.”
“No. I’m not leaving you alone.” I pointed at the trolls who were still moving it. There had to be at least fifteen of them.
“He won’t be alone.” Uradis appeared flanked by a mix of ice and fire dragons. The woman was dressed for war.
“How?” I looked around at the collection of warriors by her side.
“I told you I didn’t trust that man. He isn’t the only one with eyes and ears around here.” She winked. “Get to safety, princess.”
I allowed the guard to usher me away from the field.
Asante was right.
He needed to focus, and I wasn’t a warrior. I complied until I turned back. Asante fought off a troll valiantly but didn’t see the one approaching from behind. I tried to break free of the guard who ushered me away, but I was too late. The troll slammed his club right into the back of Asante’s head.
