The Elephant Gate

Prince Antanum was not happy as he wandered through the cavernous halls of the castle. It had been almost a year since the royals disappeared into exile. He had wasted vast resources of men and money to find their whereabouts. Without that marriage to the princess, it was nearly impossible to feel secure. Even as he strode down the hallway of the royal residence, he still felt like an interloper and not a monarch.

The first time he had seen Princess Surikiyia, he was a callow teen noble celebrating his 16th birthday. She was several years younger, but it was clear that she would be a great beauty someday. His father had pointed her out in the receiving line; it would be very profitable to link the two royal lines together. It was no secret that he coveted the rich resources found in the Pra'dee Kingdom, unlike their mountainous, rocky country.

When it came time for dancing, he offered her the first dance.

Although she accepted, it was clear she was uninterested, barely saying a word as they glided across the polished marble floors. When the orc.h.e.s.tra concluded, she swiftly slipped her hands out of his grasp, bobbed a quick curtsy, and disappeared into the crowd of whispering, giggling girls on the edge.

Back in the present, Antanum scowled. Right from the beginning, the little chit refused to fall into their scheme. The families rarely met, becoming more and more infrequent as his father consolidated his power and pressured the nearby countries into powerful concessions.

At age 19, he managed to get her alone during a boring state function at her estate. He pulled her into a secluded balcony overlooking the pool and gardens in the rear of the castle.

He admired her silhouette against the tall greenery; her green dress blended so well that the brightness of her face nearly out-shown the stars. In that moment, he knew that, beyond what his father ordered, he wanted this young woman for his own. A bright jewel to adorn his arm and bring envy to his enemies.

He unconsciously licked his lips in anticipation before he spoke.

"You know, Suri, I have always admired you. You have grown up very well. Have you taken on your royal duties yet?"

She had leaned against the bal.u.s.trade, silent for several minutes, before she turned back to face him. Her face had a serious demeanor as her eyes flashed with disdain.

"I may be young, but I am not naive. State your business with me."

He smiled at her boldness. "Very well. I would like to know what I should do in order to secure your affections that would allow us to become a couple in the near future." Frankness was easier than subterfuge sometimes.

He stepped closer, crowding her against the railing as if to intimidate her into agreement. But her reaction came as a surprise and was anything but ladylike.

She scoffed as her hands struck his c.h.e.s.t and pushed him back a short distance. "That will never happen, not now and not ever. And don't even think that we don't know what you and your father are trying to do. We aren't such a weak country that we can't protect our borders from schemers and sneaks!"

With a twist, she was out of his arm's reach and standing between him and the open double doors.

"Besides, I am already promised to someone else. Someone who has integrity and strength, with abilities you will never possess. And I will wait for him and none other!"

After a final sneer, she had flounced back into the ballroom, leaving him feeling…what? Anger? Regret? Maybe a little uncomfortable?

While lost in thoughts of the events from those past times, his feet took him to the very balcony where that last conversation was held.

Many of the trees were now gone, chopped down to reduce any hiding places around the environs of the building. The swimming pool was murky and unkempt.

He was now in her house, and she was probably in some wretched hut somewhere. But there was no sense of victory, only a slow boil of frustration and annoyance. Where could she be?

Antanum's eye caught on a flurry of activity a short distance away in the garden. A moment later, hurried footsteps drummed behind him.

"Your Highness." A guard snapped to a halt as the prince turned.

"What is it?"

"Please come inside to a secure area. A perimeter guard was just found with his neck broken near the garden gazebo. His weapons and radio are missing. So for your own protection, General Thanatorn requests that you stay inside while we investigate."

"Oh, alright." He nodded to the soldier and walked unhurriedly inside. Another flashback of those doors went through his mind before he cleared his thoughts and headed in.