KISS BY THE FORBIDDEN VAMPIRE
The light of the moon rippled on the surface of the black water as Nera kneeled by the river bank and washed her clothes. The water was cool on her white skin, and she enjoyed the sensation and the low bubbling, sloshing noises as she dipped the clothes and took them back out.
When she was finished washing, she beat the garments with loud slapping against a large stone in the riverbank to get the heaviest of the water out of them. She would hang them to dry as much as possible in the night air and then tomorrow she would have to find somewhere that would see the sun but from where they were unlikely to be stolen from. She slapped the clothes down hard once more, but suddenly she was aware within the loud smacking noise there was another noise, something moving nearby. She turned to face the oncoming threat too late, and she was bundled to the ground by two heavy men who carried a net between them. There was nowhere for her to go, and she was quickly wrapped up in the net until she felt so constricted that she could not move.
“Got her,” one of the men laughed triumphantly.
“What are you doing?” Nera demanded angrily.
“Be quiet,” the man said, “You are going to start a new life in the court of His Majesty, Crown Prince Hassan.”
“What are you talking about?” she spat at him. The two men laughed and ignored her.
“Bring up the wagon,” the second one called out to someone unseen.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked as they lifted her and bundled her into the bed of a tired looking wooden wagon that was dragged to where she was by an older looking man with sad eyes, whom Nera took for a slave straight away, and in doing so felt she knew the fate these men had in mind for her. They didn’t answer her. She struggled against the ropes and threads of the netting but seemed only to become more entangled and enraged.
They traveled overland and soon met up with some more men with wagons. In each wagon, there was a woman, sometimes more than one, lying or sitting and sad. Some were in netting like her, and some showed the bruises of resistance on their arms or faces. None of the women would return her gaze, and none of the men would answer her questions; they would look at her appreciatively and say something like, “The Prince will be happy with this one!”
It was clear that all of the women were attractive and would be used for the personal pleasure of the Court. This was not a new occurrence, but it had been a while since she had heard about it, and never this far from the Capital.
Nera looked around as they moved into some sort of caravan and saw that they were taking the coast road. No doubt there would be a boat waiting for them at the harbor and then it would be a few days in the crossing of the sea. If she didn’t escape before they put her on the boat she wouldn’t be able to try again until they landed- and over there she would have no idea of the land or how to get back home.
At the ship, they were all loaded on as they had been on the wagon. Nera’s net was torn slightly as she was carried aboard but it was such a small rip, and in a place that made it almost impossible for her to get at that she didn’t get excited about it. They were all put in a large hold with burning lanterns hanging from wooden beams and from hooks hanging from the ceiling. It was so bright in there that it hurt her eyes in contrast to the darkness of the night outside. Some of the women were crying, but no one said anything to their captors.
A stocky man with a whip coiled at his hip came into the hold and looked over them all.
“Very good haul,” he said salaciously, “His Majesty will be pleased.” Then to the assembled women he said, “You should all be very proud of yourselves. You have been deemed to be the most beautiful women in your region. The great honor or becoming part of Crown Prince Hassan’s harem will now be yours!” He spoke as though he expected a ringing round of applause, and she laughed at the silence that greeted him instead. He looked over them all once more and then left.
One of the men who had captured Nera then came forward and said loudly,
“You now have a few days to reverse your sleeping patterns! You will not sleep tonight but will be permitted a few hours come sun up.”
“What is this?” Nera found her voice say before she had any control over it. The man looked at her and walked over. “Prince Hassan likes to sleep during the day, so from now on you too will like to sleep during the day.” He pointed a dirty stubby finger at her, and she was afraid of saying anything more to him.
“What will he do to us?” another woman called out, the fear evident in her trembling voice.
“Shut up!” the man barked at her, “You are not permitted to speak!”
Nera looked at the woman who had spoken and saw her convulse in tears. Some of the other women looked about to one another in confusion, but Nera knew what she had been so fearful about. She had heard the rumors of the Prince’s appetite for human blood; something that up to this very moment Nera had believed for even a moment. She had always thought this was some propagandist story to scare his rivals and enemies, but, now they were putting these women on a sleeping during the day routine she was not so sure. Could it be that the Vampire of folk tales and stories actually existed?
The crossing took several harsh days, and there were many times when the wind was up, and the boat would toss and tilt in the squall so much that Nera feared she would never see dry land again. When not killing themselves with work to keep the boat afloat the crew used all of their time into adapting us to the reversed routine that we would now be living. It wasn’t hard to stay awake with the level of fearful adrenaline that ran through all of the women’s veins, but there were severe punishments meted out for those who did not sleep when the sun could be seen through the boards above us. One woman was thrown overboard as a lesson to the rest of them, but Nera thought this act had the hallmarks of something planned and staged- that they had brought one extra woman on board just so as to make an example of her to scare the rest of them.
They were fed decently enough and were given plenty to drink and twice a day, or should that be night, they were all paraded around the deck to get both exercise for their stiffened limbs and muscles and for some fresh air. They were, after all, going to the Harem of the Crown Prince and had to be in the best condition possible for this position.
Finally land was reached. Those who were asleep were woken by the bustling cacophony of the dock they had arrived at. There was a market just inland, and they could hear the hawkers yelling and the general bustling sounds of barter and trade. They could see that the sun was shining outside, and its heat seemed to permeate the wood around them, and they all ached to stand up and be allowed to walk on dry land once more. It was a wish that was to go unfulfilled as it soon became apparent that they would not be leaving the ship until night fall.
“You should all be sleeping now!” the lead guard roared at us from the door above them. Nera went to the hull and looked out through the cracks at the town. It was not a big place, but it was very busy- the people must come from the surrounding areas to use the market here she thought. That could be to her advantage if she were to escape, there would be many people travelling the roads at the end of the market and it would give her more opportunity to escape. She could only hope she would be able to undo her binds in time. She set about this task and all afternoon she sweated in her labours as she ground the ropes against the edge of the wooden ribs of the hull. It was very slow progress, and she seemed to be doing more damage to the wood than to the rope but by evening fall she could feel a slight loosening at her wrists and she knew her work had not been in vain.
When it was full dark, the lead guard appeared with some minions who lighted the lamps about the hold. The sounds of horses and carts being readied filtered in from the land.
“I’ve been in this business for a long time,” the guard said, “And I know all the tricks so it would be in your best interest not to try to pull anything.” He looked about him menacingly. “Tie them all up with fresh rope!” he called out to his men, and he laughed heartily. Nera’s head sank with the wasted effort of her afternoon, and her spirits sank to their lowest ebb yet. She looked quickly around the room, and she saw that there was no way she was going to be able to escape with all the guards around and the layout of the boat was against her too. She sat resignedly as she was retied; she would have to escape at some other time.
They walked through the dark in a single file of five caged carts with five guards around each carriage and some men both fore and aft of the convoy. Nera looked up to the high mountains where they headed, the blue night and the light of the moon made everything seems so clear and sharp. They could see the Royal Palace for many hours before they finally came to a magnificent stone bridge that held high over a deep chasm. At the end of the bridge was the rough, thick wood of the drawbridge that was open to their arrival.
Despite her misgivings and abject fury at her abduction, even Nera could not help but be impressed with the high towers and walls of the palace. It was like nothing she had ever seen, or even dreamed of before. She could only imagine how amazing it must look in daylight. She looked down deep below and saw that without the drawbridge been down there was absolutely no means of either entry or escape. This was going to be even more difficult than she imagined.
A guard walking along beside her pointed to the highest tower from which light emitted even at this very late hour and said,
“That will be your new home.” He smiled with a sneering twist on his face as she looked up at it. She didn’t have long to look up, however, as the ear shattering creak of the drawbridge being pulled back up called all of their attention to them. Nera looked through the gap as it dwindled and wondered would she ever see the outside world again.
The cages came to a halt inside a great hall that was well lit and had comfortable looking cushions and sofas all the way around the four walls. The walls themselves were draped with woven images of war and the victories of the Sultan. It was an impressive room, and there was the pleasant smell of food coming from somewhere very nearby.
As the women were looking about the room they all failed to notice that the guards had not entered this room and were now gone, the doors closed behind them. A woman appeared from a side door and came up and looked over the cages. She was not old but not young either, and she had a regal air though it was clear she was not part of the Royal House. She clapped her hands loudly and five young women came scurrying in and opened the locks of the cages. None of the women in cages dared to move, but Nera was very interested in this new development. She fancied herself in a fight with a man and now that there were only women to contend with here she felt her confidence grow once more.
“Don’t be shy girls,” the woman said, “This is your new home, come out and enjoy the sofas and the hot food we have prepared for you.” She was smiling as she spoke, but it seemed pasted on and none of the women moved. “I know that you have not had a pleasant journey here,” she spoke up again, “But, that is over now, and you will be looked after here well from now on. We must have you in the best possible condition for meeting His Highness.” She clapped her hands again and more girls came out with small tables and set them with steaming dishes of various hot foods and drinks. The sight and smell of these things did at last being to draw the women out of the cages, but Nera was last leave, using her time in there to see as much of the room and the people who worked there as possible.
The next two days were spent, as the woman had said, in the comfort of this great room. The woman were taken in twos and bathed and clothed in fine silken garments. They ate well and were promised a good life here once they did anything asked of them by the Crown Prince. Nera went along with everything she was asked to do. She could see through small windows that guards littered the area outside and should she try to escape now that would be as far as she would get. The bathing pools were in a room that was closed in completely, and the only door led back into the great hall. She heard some of the women who had come here with her ask the servant girls if any of the rumours about the Crown Prince were true, but the girls would only laugh as though the women were being ridiculous and continued on with their work. They were still kept to the night time routine, however.
On the morning of the second day, the head woman came to them and said,
“You have all done well here, and I hope that you will be happy. Tonight you will be presented to His Highness so I suggest you all do your level best to sleep as well as you can today so as to be fresh and alert for this great honour.” The women looked to one another nervously, but a couple actually smiled; these were the younger ones who were naïve enough to be indoctrinated in this place already. Nera lay down on her comfortable pillow, she would be well rested, up there was the place where she was going to have to find a way to escape. She had to, or else she would be here forever.
That evening they were all roused and fed a light warm meal and then bathed once more and dressed. Their faces were adorned and made up and their hair put into various styles of ringlets, curls, waves, plats and pony-tails. They were led as one unit across the heavily guarded courtyard and entered the main palace. Nera was surprised as to just how many soldiers there were in the compound and she wondered where they all slept. The women were ushered along corridors of cool marble floors and then came to a high stairs that spiralled up and up almost as far as they could see.
“Follow at my pace,” the lead woman said, “We don’t want anyone huffing and puffing when we get up there.” She led them in an agonisingly slow ascent of the stairs that took almost half an hour. At the top of the stairs, there was a small antechamber, and they were told to wait here while the woman went inside. Nera had looked behind them as they came up the stairs and saw that men had been stationed at the bottom of the stairs after them.
The woman came back and told them all to follow her. “Do not look to your right as you enter the Crown Prince’s entertainment room,” She warned them, and her voice was grave enough that she didn’t need to say anything more. The doors opened and music from with started as though this were some great military procession. The women walked in single file into the room, following the lead woman’s steps and gestures as best they could and none of them daring to look at where they all felt the eyes of the Crown Prince on them. None that was until the last woman came in. Nera couldn’t help but turn her eyes slightly to see this person whom they had all come to entertain. He was very white, but also very beautiful and she saw that he wore no shirt, and his body was well muscled and broad. He was hairless and scrupulously clean, and she had never seen a male specimen like him before. She looked away just in time as she felt his eyes fall on her. Her heart raced at the closeness of punishment and also in attraction to him. His face lingered in her minds eye for a moment, and she saw his red lips and blue-grey eyes, the small beard he wore solely on his chin and his shoulder length jet black and shining hair, curled and ruffled looking. She couldn’t help herself from imagining his holding her against his thick chest with his strong arms.
She looked around the rest of the room, and she could see that there were a lot of people there. A band was playing music, and she could see there were jugglers and other kinds of entertainers lying in wait for their turn to impress the Royal. Many women littered the seats and large rugs spread about. Nera noticed that these women looked upon the new ones with great curiosity and, it was odd but, she felt a lustful hunger. Some men sat about in small groups or with women and Nera thought that these must be the Prince’s friends.
The lead woman came to a halt and instructed with her hands for all the women under her charge to stop and face the Prince in a line. Nera was last to stop, and she turned and looked to the handsome Royal once more. He looked them all over but seemed to look at her longer than the others, or was this just in her imagination? He sat back in his chair and nodded to the lead woman. She bowed and then stood in front of the women.
“You have done well,” she said with a smile. “Do whatever any man here asks you,” she went on, “His Highness may be around to talk to you as he chooses.” With that, she turned once more and bowed to the throne and then left the room, by the way, they had come in.
The new woman stood in a huddle in the middle of the room not knowing what to do with themselves. Soon a few of the men came over and began to talk to them as they looked lasciviously over them. When one came over to talk to Nera, the band suddenly stopped, and all eyes turned to the Prince.
“Everyone except the new girls can leave!” he said. It sounded more like a suggestion than an order, but every single person in the room made their way to the door straight away after bowing to him. Nera couldn’t help but be impressed with the total control he had over all of these people.
When the room was finally devoid of everyone save the new women, the Prince stood up and walked towards them. They cowered into a huddle, and Nera felt them all jostle against her. She stood there implacably near the back waiting to see what would happen.
“You do not need to fear me,” he said in a softer than expected voice. “As you have seen this evening I treat my guests in this room well.” He looked at them one at a time; a full body look at this time. “When I look at you tell me your name,” he said. He looked from woman to woman, and they all answered falteringly. Finally, he came eye to eye with Nera.
“I am Susan,” she said. No one else had yet asked her name and if she was going to escape she did not want people looking for her under her real name. His eyes flickered as though in delight when she spoke, and he smiled at her, a wicked smile as though they shared some private joke.
He stepped back from the women and faced away from them looking around the room.
“You may have heard things about me,” he said in a louder voice, “Things that you may have even been afraid of,” he said this part with a slight chuckle, “But,” he held a finger in the air, “Everlasting life is nothing to be frightened of!” he said. He turned swiftly back to them, and they saw that his features had changed and hardened, and there were ridges on his face that were not there before. His teeth had become elongated and sharpened, and he smiled a malicious smile at them. The women screamed, even Nera, and he feinted towards them and sent them scurrying in all directions.
Nera watched in horror as the women around her tried the door and looked to climb out windows but to no avail. The door was locked, and she already knew that they were far too high up for a speedy escape through a window. The Prince skulked about laughing as he watched his terrified and flitted prey and then he moved with great speed after them.
One by one he took hold of them in his strong arms and bit deep into their throats with those two long teeth. Shrieks of fear and pain rang out and when he pulled away from them and let the lifeless bodies of them fall to the floor there would be flecks of blood from both his mouth and their wounds that splattered on the stone slabbed floor. Some of the women fainted and made his task all the easier.
Nera waited until he had his back to her and was plunging into another woman and then fled to a balcony that stood out from the tower and looked out over the tops of the nearby mountains. She knew that she was not going to be able to get out of the tower from there, but she saw it as the only chance for a place to hide. She came out into the warm night, and she hid from the sight of the room inside. She looked around, but there was nowhere to go. It was a flat outcropping and a sheer drop of a few hundred feet below. All she could do was stand there and hope that he would have forgotten about her by the time he was through with everyone else.
The last of the crying and screams died down, and no more feet slapped and skittered across the stone floor within the tower. She stood there and listened. All she could hear was the howling of the wind in the great chasm below her. She looked down, and it was so far that she couldn’t see the bottom. There was nothing in sight she could jump to, and only the curved flatness of the tower walls offered themselves to scale. She dared not even breathe.
A long time passed, and there was no more noise. How long could she stay out here? The idea came to her that he would not be able to come out here once the sun began to rise- if that old legend was true; for there was no doubt now that the vampire stories had been true.
“You should come in from there,” his voice said, “You’ll catch a cold with so few clothes on.” She froze in terror. She looked down once more, but there was no escape; even if it water all the way down there it was still far enough down to kill her if she tried to jump. She waited for a few moments and then walked calmly back inside. “Susan,” he said with a smile. He was back to his normal handsome face again, and to look at him you would have no idea of what he had just done to all of the prone bodies that lay about the room. Nera looked at them; she felt like weeping, but she didn’t want him to see this. “Don’t worry about them,” he said, “They will all wake up much happier than they were before.”
“So they will be like you now?” she asked. She had heard all of this stuff about vampires for years but when you don’t know if the things actually exist you also don’t know how much of the folklore is real either. He nodded.
“You should join us,” he smiled at her, she saw him look her body over appreciatively. “It is a good life.” She saw her way to stay human, to not have to fear the light of day, and though it repulsed her, she had no choice. She took a step closer to him.
“I can offer you more as a hot body than a cold one,” she said and reaching up she undid the clasp at the back of her neck and let the flowing gown she wore drop the floor at her feet. She stood there naked before him. She knew how good her body looked; she had always had men after her all her life, since puberty, and this was why she had thought herself to fight. She had large but firm breasts, and her abdomen was toned but not lined with muscle. Her pubic hair was in a tidy triangle, and her legs were tanned and smooth and shiny. He looked at her, and she saw his penis come to life in his loose pants and against her better morals she knew that she wanted it, to touch it, to feel it within her body.
“You make a compelling case,” he smiled taking another step closer to her. The look of lust in his eyes was like nothing she had ever seen; it was like all his sexual cravings and intentions were reflected in them, and she knew what he wanted her to do. She knelt down and put her palms to the cold floor and crawled over to him seductively like an animal. When she got to his feet, she ran a hand up his leg and brushed against his thick member. He looked down and smiled at her. She went higher and rubbed her hands over his rippled abdomen and onto his chest. She had never felt a body like this before; it was like he had been hewn from stone. She planted light kisses on his abdomen, and she felt his hand run through her hair. Despite herself she found that she was attracted to him, and it was like this was a voluntary action on her part and not something she was doing purely to save her life.
She pulled herself up to her feet and pushed her lips roughly to his. His kiss was soft and his lips full; there was no thought in her mind that this mouth had been recently filled with the blood of those women strewn about them. She felt his hands on her hips, and his grip was tender yet firm. He lightly ran up over the hips and held her waist. With a sudden and silent lift, she was in the air, and he carried her across the room to one of the large cushions that were spread around the great tower. He lifted her as though she weighed nothing, and his arms did not tremble even in the slightest. She had never known a man with such strength, and it stirred something deep and tribal within her that she was unaware had even been there. It was as she was suddenly intoxicated by him, and she pressed her lips all the more firmly against his.
The Prince dropped her on the cushion and smiled down at her. She wanted him, and she pulled at him to come down to her. He resisted for a moment but then dropped beside her and lay on top of her. She could feel him through his pants, and she tugged at the band of them until they were halfway down the back of his thighs. He lifted her and pulled down the front, and she could feel him kick the garment off. He looked deep into her eyes, and she could see something from far away in him like he was not there at that moment. She gasped as she felt him go inside of her for the first time and gripped her fingernails deep into his back. He didn’t flinch at all.
They made love for a time, Nera becoming as far away as he was in her passionate desire. She had never once in her life felt like she did with the Prince; she couldn’t believe that she didn’t even know his name, first name that is. She lay in his arms afterwards, and she felt safe now.
“Are there more like you?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I meet one of my kind, from time to time, and we know one another instantly, but there is no country or community where we reside that I know of.”
“What will these women feel when they wake up?” she asked looking around the floor.
“They will be confused and frightened at first, but I will calm them and show them all the new things that they can do now. After that, they will be happy here.”
“What will they be able to do?” she asked. He pulled his pants back on and stood up,
“This,” he said. He lifted from the ground with an elegant grace and hovered there for a few moments before flying to the balcony. He went out over the edge where the huge drop was underneath him and smiled to her. She got up and conscious of her nakedness now, picked up her clothes and covered herself, went to the platform and looked down. She was amazed at this feat. She had never heard of this before, had not thought it possible, and yet here it was right before his very eyes.
He came back in and landed beside her.
“Are you sure you would not like to be able to do that?” he asked smiling. She turned from him, afraid once more of what he might to her.
“I’m not ready,” she said. She was trembling.
“Then I think it is time you left for tonight,” he said putting a hand on her shoulder, “It will not be a pretty sight when these women begin to wake, and you may be in danger.”
“From them?” she snorted, she had not come up against a woman yet who she was afraid of, and she had seen all of these here all the way from her home country and saw nothing to fear in the slightest from them.
“They will have strength that you can only dream of once they become like me,” he said. She recalled how he had lifted her like she was nothing.
“Where should I go?” she asked.
“Just back down the stairs, a guard will show you back to your quarters,” he said indicating the door she had come in originally. She walked towards it, confused and scared now. The effects of her lust had worn off, and she was very much aware of the blood and gore on the floors and walls everywhere. Was this what was in store for her tonight when she was sent back up here? “By the way,” he called after her. She turned to look at him. “What is your real name?”
“Nera,” she said, not bothering to keep up the pretence any longer. “What’s yours?” she asked. He smiled warmly at her like she was a bold child.
“Your Highness,” he said. He made a motion to the large doors, and she heard the bolts and lock from the other side crackle open.
That night Nera was the only woman of her shipmates who slept back in the quarters. The servant girls and the lead woman seemed surprised to see her come back. They showed her where she would be sleeping and left her alone. Morning broke not long after she lay down, and she knew she would have trouble sleeping today. Images of what she had seen and heard kept coming back to her; everything had seemed so violent and crazy, but then when she looked at the bigger picture she knew that those women were now able to fly, and no man would ever be able to hurt them again. She fell asleep after a long time to the sounds of the marching soldiers in the courtyard outside.
That evening she was lead up once more to the tower. She was the only woman this time, and there was no introduction, the door was opened, and she was told to go inside. Like the previous day, there were many people there tonight and musicians played loudly. A few people glanced in her direction, but no one lingered on her for long. The Crown Prince was not on his throne as the day before and on the first inspection about the room she could not see him. What she did she, however, was a much more overtly sexual tone than the night before. It was much more in keeping with her former ideas of a harem, except that all of the women were not kept for just the royal himself.
Men, she was unsure if they too were vampires or not, cavorted with women in dimed corners and on the large cushions. She suddenly felt very cheap at her own antics the previous evening, but she told herself quickly that she had no choice. As she looked around and moved further into the room she became aware of eyes on her, and she looked and saw a man staring over at her. He was sitting alone, and he smiled at her and beckoned for her to come over to him. She could see the lascivious desire in his eyes, but he was not the kind of man she would ever deign to offer herself to. She looked away and pretended she had not seen him.
“Girl!” she heard him call out, and she started to walk in the opposite direction. “Girl!” this time the voice was much louder and carried an angry tone. She could see that other people were looking at her, but she still pretended that she did know it was she who was being addressed. She made her was towards the balcony as it was the only place in the room that was not visible from everywhere else. “How dare you ignore me and walk away,” she heard his voice now, and it was clear that he was striding after her. Without looking back, she quickened her pace; she had no idea what she was going to do once she got the balcony- she just hoped that he would give up by then and leave her alone.
Just as she reached the platform that jutted out of the tower and looked over that immense chasm, she felt his hand on her upper arm, and she was spun around violently. The man’s vicious snarling face was in hers and she felt his hot spittle as he shouted at her, “You are aware that I was calling you over, and you insult me by not doing as I wish?”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t see you,” she stammered. She played the helpless woman in moment like this to keep a man’s guard down, but as she spoke she wondered what would happen if she were o shoe this man off the precipice to the ground below?
“Don’t lie to me, I will use you first and then see that you are punished sufficiently for your disobedience,” he said and he turned and started to pull her back to where he had been sitting. Her instinct kicked in, and she dropped to the ground and with a powerful swipe she took his legs from under him. He let go of her as he fell, and his body sounded a heavy thud on impact with the stone floor. She leapt back to a standing position. He sat up and held his back in pain. He looked at her with such malevolence that she was sure that he would try to kill her once he regained his feet.
At that moment, however, a thunderous and mirthful laugh came from within the tower. Both of them looked and saw that it was the Crown Prince coming out to them. The man scurried to his feet and then bowed fawningly, but Nera just stood there waiting to see what was going to happen.
“You have been insulted Saleem?” he asked the man with a smile.
“Yes, Your Highness,” he replied.
“And you want this girl to be punished?”
“Yes, Majesty.”
The Prince looked to Nera,
“You refused to do his bidding?” She nodded, “And you then put him on the floor?”
“He was hurting me,” she said defiantly. At this, the Crown Prince burst out laughing. Nera saw that the man looked at her nervously and then back to the Prince. He stood there looking at the two of them as his laughter subsided and then said to the man,
“Saleem, you may punish her as you see fit,” and then turning to her said, “You woman, can do what you want to resist this punishment.”
Saleem stood up and looked at her. He was clearly very embarrassed and angry that the choice he was given was to either drop the affair or engage in a possible fight with a woman. His cheeks were flush, and he didn’t do or say anything for a few moments. At last he said to her,
“Come inside with me and there will be no punishment,” he sighed; his tone and manner are indicating that he was doing her a great favour.
“I will not,” she said, She saw the Prince’s eyes light up at this, and an even broader smile festooned his face. Saleem looked to him and then wearily made a move towards her. Nera was too fast for him, and she dipped and landed a solid kick to his ribs that doubled him over. He was back up in a flash of anger, and he lunged at her with a feral roar, she could see his teeth bared, and his hands splayed to grab hold of her. She dropped to the ground and rolled at his feet sending him tripping over her towards the edge of the ledge. She had not intended, but she knew from his momentum that he was not going to be able to stop himself from going over the edge. She made a grab for his leg to stop this happening, but she missed him. His cries echoed out loudly as he fell the long and fatal way to whatever surface lay below in the darkness.
Nera looked up at the Prince with renewed fear in her eyes. He was looking at her too, but there didn’t seem to be any anger in his face.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for that to happen,” she said. For the first time, she noticed that a large crowd had gathered behind the Prince and all looked at her eagerly.
“I know,” he said. Than clapping his hand said, “Everyone save my special women may go now.” Like the previous evening, there was an immediate clearance of the room. The only difference this time was that almost all of the women remained. She went to leave herself but he shook his head no, and she stayed. Of those women, she could see from where she was she recognised several whom she thought only last night she had seen murdered. They looked paler but also much more confident and somehow more beautiful.
“I expect you had a lot to think about today?” the Prince said to her stepping over to the edge and looking down.
“About what?” she asked.
“About how long you can avoid the inevitable, or if even still want to avoid it.” The other women were all coming out onto the balcony now, and they made a large semi circle around her. She was completely hemmed in, and there was nowhere for her to go but over the edge like Saleem.
“What if I decided I don’t want it?” she asked, more stalling for time than actual interest.
“I wanted you to see this,” he said. He made a circular motion with his hand, and the women started to walk towards her. Nera bent into a fighting pose- she was not going to go down without a fight, but none of the women came near her. Instead, they began to lift from the floor and float out into the night just as the Prince had done the night before. Nera watched in amazement as they one by one flitted off in different directions until she could see none of them anymore, and she and the Prince were alone on the balcony.
“Where are they going?” she asked. He shrugged his shoulders,
“Wherever they want,” he said. “Some will seek out men; others food and some will just go where they have never been before or do things they never could before. They are free to do whatever pleases them.”
“And they come back?”
“They have to; they are bound to me.” She felt him take a step closer behind her and then she felt his hands on her shoulders. She shivered but it was not at his touch, but his hands made her realise how cold she was.
“Wouldn’t you like to be bound to me?” She turned and looked at him, their eyes locking and for a moment it felt like words had no sense to them. He took her hands, and she enjoyed the feel of his fingers on hers.
“Is that the only way to be bound to you?” she asked.
“So far,” he replied. She looked at his lips, and she wanted to kiss them. She felt that same swoon of the previous night, as though she were no longer in control of her body or her faculties. She leaned her head against his chest
“What do you do with all of these women?” she asked; she was surprised to find she was already jealous of them.
“Whatever I wish,” he said letting go of her hands and putting his arms around her, pulling her into him. “I’m not trying to take anything from you Nera; I’m offering to give to you.” His words sounded sonorous and true, but something nagged at her despite her clouded mind. There was something powerful she would lose if she gave in to him, but what that was eluded her. When she tried to think what it was, it melted into the creases of her mind, and all she could think about was having this ability to fly. Could it be that she was just dreaming all of this; that she would wake up soon beside the river where she washed her clothes.
“Why don’t you just force me like you did the others?” she asked.
“I don’t want to force you, I feel something deeper with you, something that somehow seems ancient, I can’t understand or explain it.” He was breathless as he spoke, and she wondered if he was under the same fog as she was. She kissed him. The kiss felt more than those of the previous night, all of the fear and self protective aura were no longer present, and it was like a first kiss, where fireworks went off and neither wanted this moment to end. She leaned into him to lead them back inside the tower and over to one of the cushions.
Their lovemaking this night was a much more tender and probing affair than the previous lust and survival driven tryst. Their naked bodies intertwined and they explored each other’s curves and dips tenderly and longingly. There was no manic thrusting or arching, and it was so incredible. She felt the stone body on her own strong one, and it was a much more satisfying night for all of this newness.
Afterwards, they lay in silence for a long time. The mist began to life from her, and she suddenly remembered what it was that a life like his would deprive her of- sunlight! The simplicity of feeling the sun on her skin and face; the warmth of it. This was something no one would ever willingly give up. She knew that no matter what feelings, or whatever it was that grew so rapidly in her for this man, she was going to have to go back to her original plan of escape. There was n way she could become a creature of the night and give up ever seeing the world bathed in the sun again.
“When you go to bed today I want you to think deeply about what I am offering you,” he said to her. “It doesn’t have to be as you saw with the other women; there need not be any violence. I only do that to keep myself fresh in the event of war, so that my killing skills remain honed.” She kissed him on the neck,
“I will,” she said as her eyes scanned the higher reaches of the tower looking for some weakness she could exploit in her escape bid.
Instead of thinking about submitting to his will, as the Crown Prince had asked, she instead spent the time she was awake going over possible escape plans in her head. She decided that there was no way she was going to be able to escape from the tower. She would have to try from her living quarters during the day. The problem here was the whole rest of the palace ran on daylight hours like the rest of the world and the place was crawling with soldiers all the time. Add in the giant drawbridge that would need to be down to facilitate her escape and she had a real conundrum on her hands. She felt her eyelids droop, and she knew sleep was close at hand. In this twilight between sleep and waking an idea came to her, an idea that made all the sense in the world. It could work, she was sure of it. All she would have to do would be to remember it when she woke up again later on. Her tired brain promised her it would remember anything she wanted so long as she let it sleep for a while. Her eyelids came down, and that was it. She was asleep.
That evening she was shown up to the tower once more. As with previous times, she entered a busy room, and she wondered why it was that she was sent up much later than everyone else who was there. Upon entering the great room, her memory had indeed failed her, and her idea from earlier was as if it had never occurred to her. However, upon seeing the Crown Prince, she recalled every thought she’d had in those moments before sleep engulfed her. He saw her and nodded. She bowed and indicated with her eyes that she would like to speak to him. He dismissed those people who surrounded him and beckoned her over.
“How are you this evening Nera?” he asked pleasantly.
“Very good,” she replied.
“Have you come to me with a decision?”
“I have come to you with a request Your Highness.” He looked intrigued.
“Go on?” he said. She looked about to be sure that no one was listening and whispered.
“Can you take me flying? To see my home one more time as I am?” He looked dubious of her request.
“You wish to speak to someone there?” he asked suspiciously.
“No, only to see it one more time. I have no family there.” He still looked doubtful, “I want to experience the flight for myself,” she added. He thought about her request for a few moments and then said to her,
“I will decide later; for now have some food and drink and relax. I have some acrobats from the far east for our entertainment tonight.”
Nera did this, seated at his side. The acrobats were very entertaining, and she was stunned by some of the feats they pulled off. She watched the Prince drink and saw that the wine was affecting his as it would any normal man. She decided she could use this to her advantage and she topped up his goblet at every opportunity.
Some of his friends came and sat, and they told stories that he found very funny. After one of these he leaned over to Nera and said,
“I will grant you your wish tonight, but then you must keep your end of the bargain tonight. No tricks or any more stalling.”
“Thank you,” she said nodding in agreement to his terms. His eyes sparkled as he looked at her, and she saw that it made him happy to please her.
It was late when he cleared the room on this night, and that was exactly what she had wanted. The drink had dulled him and made time go by ever faster. It also gave him, as it did with all men, a heightened sense of what he could achieve. She knew how far away her home was, and no matter how fast he flew she felt there was no way he would be able to get back here by sunup.
The Prince took her hand and gave her a shawl to put on over her clothes.
“We don’t want you getting cold,” he smiled. They walked out to the balcony and looked out over the land. It was such a clear night, and everything was bathed in moonlight and looked magical. He had a look of pride on his face, as though he had made this landscape himself and was not just part of a dynasty that controlled it.
Nera was nervous about flying; though she knew it was her one chance of escape, she also had no idea what it would be like to be soaring unnaturally high above the ground. What if she fell? Would he try to save her, or would he be content to see her fall? She looked to him again, and the look in his eyes said that he would save her if she fell. A pang of regret poured through her. She had never met anyone who had made her feel the way she did in his presence, but she just couldn’t sacrifice her life to those feelings.
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“Yes,” she nodded nervously.
“Don’t be afraid,” he said, “I will make sure you are safe. Take my hand.” She did as she was bid. “This is the start of a new life for you and I. I have found in you something I never thought possible,” he said looking into her eyes and stroking her hand. She trembled with anticipation before him. He lifted her in his strong arms and then eased gently from the ledge.
She shut her eyes against her expectation that she would plummet to the world, but the easy feeling of the light wind on her skin had her open them again and she wondered at the feeling and the things she was seeing. He flew so fast and yet it was so smooth. He held her in front of his chest like she weighed nothing at all. Down below the mountains soon gave way to flat lands and then to the sea. She recalled some of the places from her forced march to this strange country and she pondered if those same men were in some other part of the Kingdom now rounding up women in same way to take to be part of the Royal house.
They hit landfall in her home territory about an hour after they left, and she guided him to the small village she had called home for the last ten years. Though she had never liked the place and had planned to leave, she found that she was stung by fondness and nostalgia for this place on seeing it and being there once more. There was no one about, but she knew who lived in every dwelling and what they must have been up to her absence. She pointed out her own house and said to the Prince,
“Can we go inside?”
“Won’t there be someone there?” he asked.
“No, I lived alone.” He swooped down and landed at the doorway and set her on her feet on the ground.
“Thank you,” she said to him. She pushed open the door and looked inside. She knew there wouldn’t be anyone there, but there was always the chance that someone knew what had happened to her and had usurped her home and would be sleeping there right now. But instead all was quiet and as she had left it. He stepped in behind and she watched as he took the place in. She saw his eyes settle on her bed, and he smiled at her. She smiled back and kissed him and led him to it.
This was the first time she had ever made love in her own bed, and again it was so amazing with him and she lost herself so deeply in his presence that she almost gave up her plan and was willing to settle for his offer. But, she managed to hold her resolve, and it was with a heavy heart that his final thrusts against her spent him, and he flopped down panting on top of her.
The alcohol had tired him and with the exertion of the flight and then the lovemaking he soon drifted into a light slumber beside her. Nera lay there as quiet as she could be and let the minutes tick by. She closed her own eyes in the vain hope that she too would fall asleep, but she was so scared that the pounding of her heart would wake him that she couldn’t relax. She looked out at the sky, and she was sure that she could see the first hints of a change of light in the heavens. He stirred suddenly and looked about the room.
“Where am I?” he asked groggily.
“My home,” Nera said. He looked at her and saw who it was that he shared a bed with smiled at her and kissed her on the shoulders.
“We better get going,” he said as he rose,”How long did I sleep for?”
“Only a moment,” she lied. He nodded but didn’t seem to think anything of it. They dressed, and he took her back outside.
“You will be able to come back here any night you want to, now that you know the way,” he said with a smile.
“Thank you for bringing me here,” she said.
They retook to the skies and not a single person that she was aware of had known that she had been back home, and with the Crown Prince no less. They were only in the air a few minutes when she thought she saw the first looks of concern on his face as she looked at the horizon.
“Hold on, I’m going to go a little faster this time,” he said. If he was worried his voice didn’t betray it, but why else would he be speeding up if not to get home before the sun rose? She clasped her hands around his neck, and he set off much faster than before. The raging sea below then became a blur, and she had to close her watering eyes to the sharp wind that greeted them from time to time. When she could open them, she was sure that there was a change in the light in the sky. She looked at his face, and now she was sure she could see panic and fear in him. His body sweated and his breaths were more laboured.
“I shouldn’t have taken you out so late!” he scolded himself.
“What’s wrong?” she asked playing the innocent. He didn’t answer, and she thought it was because he didn’t have the breath to say anything more.
Nera looked ahead, and it soon became clear to her that they were flying easy. There was an unmistakable sheen of light that rounded the horizon and was the dawn trying to rise up over the land. She saw that he saw it too, and he steeled himself to a renewed effort to get home before that happened. He flew lower as the approached the higher lands so as to remain in their shadows but on this morning the dawn seemed to come at a rate she had never experienced before and the land lit up around them as the sun showed her the world.
He was in a full panic now, but they were in sight of the tower. The rays of the sun came over her, and she heard him cry out in pain as they struck him also. He used the high mountains and the building of the palace for cover but there was no avoiding the light at places and each time he would scream in pain as he crossed the shafts of light.
Nera looked, and the hole that was the balcony of the tower zoomed at them and they both went flipping to the ground as he landed with speed. She sat up dazed and saw that the women from the night before were all back sitting around the room. Each of them rose at the spectacle, and she saw some run to the howling Prince. She stood up and looked in his direction. This was not what she had hoped for; she wanted to be out over land when he faltered so that she could escape.
The women were huddled around him in concern, but Nera could not see him.
“You!” his voice suddenly roared out as he sprang from their envelopment. “You tried to kill me?” he said snarling at her and pointing an accusing finger. The skin on his body looked very badly burned, and his eyes were black with anger.
“Me?” she said, “What did I do?” she asked playing her role again.
“You know what you tried to do. I should have gone with my gut and said no when you first asked me this evening!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about Your Majesty,” she said backing away towards the balcony. The other women flocked around her in a wide circle now, some of them going behind her blocking her from the outside.
Nera knew that she was cornered now and that he probably only wanted to kill her outright now instead of making her like the rest of the women here. She took one last look at him, sad at what might have been had he not been the creature he was.
“I can’t give up my life for the one you want me to live” she called out to him as she turned and ran for the balcony. There were a few women there who were poised to stop here; she shoe the smallest one and crashed into her with all her might, force enough that it sent both of them tumbling to the light outside and falling rapidly to the earth below. Her only hope was that this crying and burning creature would be able to arrest both of their falls before the ground, and the body of Saleem rose up to finish them both. They spiralled and fell in the morning sunlight down and down and down.
THE END