Chapter 51

Earlier that night, a squadron led by Jeraddin, arrived outside Guanaca. It made halt at the base of the city's massive walls. As is usual for the desert, the nightly air was chilly and despite all of them having fur, the men wrapped their cloaks tighter around them. Then, they sat down and waited, speaking in hushed tones to themselves, while either consuming what meager rations they had brought with them, or polishing their swords.

Sounds of revelry came drifting out from within the city, reaching the ears of those outside. Faljan heard it and his large ears perked up, as he gazed wistfully up at the dark sky.

"Its been a long time since I heard the music of my homeland" the fennec said with a sigh. "What do you think, General? Its beautiful, isn't it?"

Jeraddin had to agree that it was.

"Your Highness did not have to come along for this" He said, turning to the younger male. "You
could have waited in the camp with the rest of the army."

"I am aware of that, General" Faljan replied, nodding in agreement. "But I wanted to be among the first to see that traitor Bashar's face when he realizes that he has lost everything." The Thought of this caused the young fennec's face to split into a wide, schadenfreudian grin. "Oh, I can hardly wait" he continued, rubbing his paws together with anticipation.

"I am afraid Your Highness will have to be patient for a bit longer" Jeraddin remarked. From his belt, the lynx produced a field-flask, filled with warm tea. He drank from it and, having wiped its muzzle with the fold of his cloak, offered it to Faljan, but the King politely refused:

"I appreciate it, General, but I am not cold."

Gradually, the music and the noise emerging from the other side of the walls started to abate and eventually it stopped completely.
Jeraddin and Faljan looked at each other with determination: The Time had come.

It did not take long for Jeraddin to locate the small door that his daughter had told him about. Pushing it open, he entered through it and motioned for the others to follow him.
The First sight that met the soldiers as they entered  the outskirts of Guanaca, consisted of several guards, lying on the ground, completely unconscious, with two empty jugs of wine next to  them.

"Are they dead?" Someone in the back whispered in a frightened tone.

"Who knows" a gruff voice replied. "More importantly - who cares?"

Jeraddin crouched down in front of one guard; he was breathing and there was a smell of alcohol mixed with something else on his lips that caused his nose to wrinkle. Satisfied, the lynx was about to stand up again, when he heard a series of light footsteps approaching. The Next moment, a voice reached his ears:

"Greetings to you General Jeraddin and to you as well, Your Majesty."

Jeraddin looked up and saw the voice's owner; a female antelope standing over him.

"Greetings" he said, getting to his feet and returning the newcomer's curtsy with a bow of his own.

"Are you Miriam, by any chance?"

"I am."

Jeraddin looked at Miriam. He had to admit that she was quite pretty, with her slender figure and big, soulful eyes. Not that any of that was important. No, what mattered was that Miriam happened to be one of the friends that his daughter had told them about: One of the slaves in Bashar's harem, that in exchange for their freedom, would help them restore Faljan to his rightful place on Guanaca's throne.

Or at least until he and Argath are married, Jeraddin thought.

When he was younger, the General had read of men and women who had made deals with demons. Deals which had always ended badly for them. Jeraddin gave Faljan a pitying look. Of course, there had been no demons around for centuries, but as far as Jeraddin was concerned, the Vinolian Queen was as close to being one as any person that he had ever met.

"Over the years, your daughter and I have told each other about our lives before we became part of Bashar's harem" Miriam continued. "There is no-one Risha holds in such high regard as you, General. It is an honor to meet you in person."

"I feel the same, young lady" Jeraddin replied warmly. "It is a privilege to meet someone whom my daughter puts such trust in as she does you."

With introductions out of the way, Jeraddin turned to his men and gave an order. Under the supervision of their commanding officer, the Vinolian soldiers carried the unconscious guards into the shed. Shortly thereafter, the soldiers came back outside; some of them were dressed in traditional Guanacan clothing, while others had put on the guards' uniforms. Jeraddin looked at his men and nodded, satisfied.

"Very good" he said. "Now, let's go."

And so, taking Miriam with them, the Vinolians headed out into the sandy streets of city. Streets, that save for the odd wanderer, who stopped and drunkenly saluted what he thought was the night watch out on patrol, were completely empty. With their bellies filled for the first time in a while, the Guanacans slept peacefully in their beds, feeling safe in the knowledge that the enemy had left and that things would go back to normal.

They are in for quite a shock when they wake up in the morning, Jeraddin mused, as he and the others headed towards the palace.

At the palace, the gates were open and so, the squadron waltzed right in, as if it had been invited. Which it had been, in a manner of speaking.
By the entrance, more guards lay on the ground, their breathing the only sign that they had not gone to join their ancestors. 

Jeraddin ordered the sleeping guards to be stripped of their weapons and with that task carried out, the squadron proceeded into the court yard.
This was where Bashar had held his victory celebration and while the guests had left, signs of the festivities still remained in the form of wine-stains on the tables, broken glass and a chair that had been tipped over.

Suddenly, a door opened and some of the soldiers reached for their swords. They relaxed, however, when they saw that the people stepping into the court yard was only a group of young women of varying species. One of them, a white hare, who could not have passed twenty, came up to the group and after a quick glance at Jeraddin, beckoned Miriam to come closer.

"Is that...?" She whispered in the antelope's ears.

Miriam nodded and whispered something back.

"General Jeraddin at your service, ladies." Jeraddin introduced himself and bowed to the slave-girls.

"Allow me to extend my deepest thanks for your valuable help."
"Are we really going to be set free when this is over ?" Viola asked, in a tone that made it clear that such a thing seemed incredible to her, but that she nonetheless held out hope that it would come true.

"Of course" Jeraddin said. "You have my word of honor. Not as leader of the Vinolian army, but as the father of one of your own."

"You have mine as well" Faljan said, feeling that he needed to add something to this conversation. "I swear it on the crown that is rightfully mine."

With the women reassured, Jeraddin ordered the squadron to split into thee groups. One group were to remain here and protect the women, just in case. A second group, guided by Miriam, would secure the Vizier and the other members of Bashar's council. Finally, the third group, which included Jeraddin and Faljan would head to the Royal Quarters to take Bashar prisoner.

However, when the third group stepped into the King's bedchamber, no-one was there. Jeraddin and Faljan stared at the large, empty bed in front of them. The Fennec was the first to give voice to his thoughts:

"General" he said, turning to Jeraddin, his voice the vocal incarnation of  frustration and disappointment. "What is this? Where are they?"

The Lynx did not reply. Instead, he bent down over the side of the bed that had Bashar's scent on it and touched it. There was still some warmth there. Then he did the same on the side he deduced had been occupied by his daughter. That side was considerably colder.

Meaning that Risha must have left the room while Bashar was still asleep, Jeraddin thought, his eyebrows touching each other. To do what exactly and where did Bashar go? Judging from the amount of body-heat left in his mattress, he must have woken up recently, which means he can't have gone too far. Most likely, he's still on this floor. 

Turning to one of his men, Jeraddin was about to give the order to spread out and search the floor when his ears and those of everyone else in the vicinity, was pierced by a shriek, coming from somewhere nearby.

*****

Holding his paw to his face, trying to stem the blood that gushed from the gash that began at the corner of his eyes and continued his cheek, Bashar glared at Risha. In his mind, fear and hatred had ceased their battle and made peace, agreeing to share power.

"You are crazy" he whimpered, his face the color of ash. "Completely insane."

"Beg me for mercy" Risha said.

Bashar's eyes widened.

"What?"

"Beg me for mercy" the female lynx repeated, baring her teeth. "Debase yourself; kiss my feet and beg forgiveness for all the times you've touched me with your filthy paws. Do this and I will grant you a swift death. I will even let you keep your..."

She froze suddenly and the final word died on her lips. Puzzled, Bashar craned his head backwards and saw that the group led by the Vinolian General and his cousin, had appeared on the balcony. He and Risha had been so absorbed in their private world of hatred that they had failed to notice the sound of footsteps approaching, until the source of that sound stood in front of them.

"This was not part of our arrangement" Faljan said, his voice sharp with anger."That man belongs to Guanacan justice."
Meaning me, he thought.

"He belongs to me" Risha growled, brandishing her bloodied dagger. "I am going to kill this filth. It is my right."

She then turned to Jeraddin.

"Do not try to stop me, Dad."

"I won't."

Risha stared at her father, the ferocious expression on her face morphing into one of surprise.

"You won't?"

Jeraddin shook his head. Risha looked down at her former tormentor, then looked back at her father. 

He was standing with his legs spread wide and his arms crossed over his chest. On his face was a look of casual interest, as though he was in the audience of a play.

Is he really not going to stop me? Risha wondered. Wait, do I want him to stop me?

"He deserves this!" Risha called out. "He deserves to die!"

"No-one here is going to argue with you on that" Jeraddin replied in a calm voice. "Go ahead, kill him."

Risha wished that Jeraddin would stop looking at her.  She raised the dagger. It shook. Why is it shaking? Then, it slipped out of her grip and hit the ground with a clatter.

An anguished cry escaped Risha's lips and she sank to her knees. The Next moment, two strong arms wrapped themselves around her and she buried her face in her father's chest and wept.

"Why? She sobbed, looking up into Jeraddin's face, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why can't I do it? I want to...I..."

Hugging his first-born tightly, Jeraddi stroked the fur on her head, the way he used to do when she had been a child. 

"It's fine, Risha" he whispered. "Its over now. Come."

Jeraddin helped his daughter to her feet and began leading her away from the balcony.

"He's all yours, Your Majesty" he said, as the two of them walked past Faljan. As they exited the balcony, Risha could not help herself, but looked back one last time and saw her father's soldiers surrounding the man who had held her life in her paws for the past five years and drag him away.