Chapter 3

Sara couldn't believe her ears. My own father is using me as a tool to overthrow King Angi. I can't even come to his defense!

"Sara, please come here." Her father's command filled her with dread. Locking eyes with Philip, she hoped he could see the hopelessness in her eyes. Against her will, she rose from her seat and walked forward.

"Yes Father?" Her voice was soft spoken.

"Did you accompany your brother last night and see Miss Lilith DeSperte crawl out of the king's chamber?"

Sara bit her lower lip to keep from answering him. I won't betray my king! Looking around the room wildly, she tried to focus on anything other than saying the words her father wanted.

The pain at the base of her skull increased terribly as she fought the enchantment.

"Breath, tarta."

"Tibi?" In the midst of the horrible pain, his voice was welcome relief.

"I can feel your pain. You're fighting the compulsion to betray my father."

"I won't do it!" She tightly gripped thecarnac tarta in the pocket of her skirt, feeling it's smooth curves against the palm of her hand.

"Answer me, daughter! Did you witness said event!"

She jerked as if struck. She gazed helplessly at the other five members of the High Council. Feeling the trickle of blood from her nose, she pulled her hankie out and pressed it to her nose.

"Answer them, Little Sara. I know the truth. You would never willingly betray me." King Angi's reassuring words did little alleviate her guilt, but she gave in and answered in a steady voice.

"Yes, Father. I was with Sean." She relaxed as the pain eased a bit.

"And did you see Lilith?"

She did cry out as the pain returned viciously. She turned her gaze to Sean, seeing his malicious enjoyment of her pain.

"Yes."

Sean smiled with evil satisfaction.

Philip paced the hallway as the council convened behind closed doors to make their decision. When Sara exited the room, escorted by her brother, he stepped forward intercepting them.

"Sara, tarta. I need to speak with you."

"I don't think it would be a wise idea, Prince Philip. After my sister's testimony to your father's guilt, how can I be certain you won't threaten or harm her?"

Without a thought Philip balled up his fist and punched Sean hard in his face. Sean stumbled back, dragging Sara with him.

"This is exactly why I won't leave her with you. You don't deserve to be a Prince! Come on Sara!"

"No, she stays with me! I'm her chosen and family or not, the law will not allow you to interfere between chosens."

Sean growled before pushing Sara at him.

"Fine. Take her, but by the time all is done, you'll wish you never claimed her as yours." He stormed off — holding his broken nose.

Looking down at his trembling chosen, he pulled her into his embrace. She pushed away from him before dropping into that dreaded curtsy.

"Your Highness, please this isn't proper."

He scowled before jerking her into a hidden alcove.

"Merge with me!"

She paled at his command. She shook her head in denial.

"Enough of this! I don't have the time or luxury of waiting until you slumber to initiate a dream merge. You can shadow walk. Now merge with me!" He yanked her against him. He waited and nothing happened. "Well?"

A slight narrowing of her eyes was all the warning he received before the heat of the Shadow Embrace hit him.

"By the name of Mica, Philip! Do you realize how dangerous this is for me? If one of the palace protectors catch me, I'll be stripped of all of my powers for sure! I don't ever Shadow Embrace without protecting myself and hiding in this alcove with you is a sure way to be detected. So be quick and tell me what you want!"

"There's my chosen, giving me hell. I needed to feel the touch of my tarta. Until we bond or this hypnotic compulsion is lifted, I can't hear you without your Shadow Embrace. Do you realize how frustrating it is?"

"So you yanked me into this alcove because you couldn't wait until tonight?"

Philip chuckled when he felt her frustration.

"So what if I did?"

"You're coming ridiculously close to get your butt kicked by your "tarta". You're impossible!"

"Thank your father for me. This enchantment is wearing on me. I would give almost anything to have it lifted."

"Now, before you pull back into your body, I want permission to heal you."

Philip could feel the shock which flooded her.

"I wasn't aware you could feel my pain."

"We're chosens, Sara. In every sense of the word. What happens to you affects me too. You're mine, just as I'm yours. While we still have yet to consummate the physical union of it, our magick and spirits have already connected."

Instead of answering him as he expected, he felt a great loss of warmth as Sara released their Shadow Embrace.

"Damn, I hate when you leave like that, Sara."

"I beg your pardon, Your Highness." Once more his tarta was gone and in her place was the proper witch. Anger flooded him as he covered her mouth with his, effectively capturing her sounds of protest. Taking advantage of her parted lips, he thrust his tongue inside aggressively, releasing some of his frustration in the honeyed depths of her mouth.

"King Angi please step forth." Gaerwn stood once more behind the high podium. The king rose and presented himself, his royal blood showing in his stance.

He's not the least bit intimidated by my father nor the High Council. I can see the same inherent poise in Philip. Sara watched as Philip joined his father giving his support, followed closely by his identical twin. The three men together were enough to cause many a maid to swoon with pleasure. Looking at his father, Sara knew she was seeing a preview of what her chosen would look like in the years ahead.

"Angi de'Arunaught, the High Council finds you guilty of the rape and death of Lilith DeSperte. Do you understand the council's decision?" Gaerwn's gaze was smug.

"Yes."

His father answered with his head held high. He was not the least bit humbled by the fact that the council had just stripped him of his crown and banished him from his own kingdom.

"We've decided your family and you shall be banished. Philip and Brent de Arunaught along with you are to never set foot on Sandova's land again. You will be escorted out of Sandova by armed guards. If you at any way resist or try to escape them, they have their orders to execute you where you stand. Is this clear?"

"Yes, Councilman. I understand." Angi's gaze never wavered.

"What! I was promised the crown. You bastard!" Brent surged forward in anger.

Gaerwn arched his eyebrow at the young man.

"Were you?"

"Yes. I betrayed my father for you." Brent struggled against the guards restraining hold.

Gaerwn came around the podium and stopped inches from the angry young man. Leaning in close enough so only Brent could hear him he spoke.

"You forfeited that with your unnatural rape of my daughter. Did you honestly think you could get away with abusing her?"

Brent swung around and locked eyes with the vindictive Kira. She smirked meanly before flouncing out of the room.

"Guards, escort them from the palace." Gaerwn turned back to the council.

"A moment of your time, Councilman."

"Yes, Philip?"

"What of my engagement to Sara? Is it still valid?"

"That depends."

"On what?"

"If you want to be engaged to a priestess of Eluran; or you will break your engagement at this moment and she'll walk out of this courtroom a free woman right now."

Sara cringed at her father's words. Sara wanted to howl in protest. She knew her chosen. He's going to let me go to keep me from a fate worse than death. His pride won't allow him to be bonded with a woman who would be a priestess;a whore to anyone willing to pay her price. But how can I live without him?

"Without my crown, I don't want her."

His lie ripped through her heart.

"All right then."

Sara wanted to cry as he was led away with his brother and father. She longed to race after him.

As soon as they exited the room, she went to follow when she was stopped by her father.

"Sara, a moment of your time."

"Yes Father?"

"Go pack."

"Pack?"

"Yes, I'm sending you away until the fanfare of this dies down. I expect you to be ready within the hour."

She nodded.

Sara jerked as the vehicle came to a stop. Looking out the window, she realized she wasn't at her family estate. Then the door was yanked open and rough hands yanked her out of the car.

"Come now, Girlie. Your future awaits you." A big boned woman chuckled and continued to drag her towards a plain looking building.

"Where are you taking me? I'm the daughter of Lord Gaerwn!"

"Your father has sent you here for training, Miss Glasten." An elegant woman stood in the open doorway.

"Training?" What kind of training is she talking about?

"Yes, you're to be trained to become a Priestess of Eluran." Sara's world tilted as the woman's words sunk in. Philip let me go to save me from this and in the end it didn't make one bit of difference. How will I survive this?

Philip shielded his eyes as they crossed the border from Sandova and entered the dessert of Areseric. They'd traveled by conveyance to the border, but for reasons unknown the conveyances just would not function in the dessert which was a huge part of Areseric.

"Look how barren this land is, Philip." As his father's voice trembled, Philip knew even as proud as his father was, the fear of the unknown was striking the older man.

"We'll seek King Mica's counsel, Father. I won't let this travesty stand."

"The bastards will pay for this!" Brett stalked in front of Philip and Angi. In anger he kicked at the loose ash and sand which Areseric's desert was composed of. Angi coughed as the ashy sand flew up in the air.