Bedtime Stories 5

Posted on Fri Sep 25, 2015 @ 4:19pm by Lieutenant Cassandra Kennings

875 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: All this has happened before...
Location: Kansas, Earth
Timeline: Years in the Future

Cassandra opened her daughter's bedroom door and found the girl sitting up in bed, wide-eyed and alert. She smiled and shook her head. She stepped into the room and walked over to Darla's bed, sitting down and tapping Darla's nose. "Someone should be lying down and ready to go to sleep."

"But I want more story!" Darla whined. "Please?" she said in that wheedling tone that only a child can get away with using.

Cassandra sighed, shaking her head at the task she'd just started. "All right, but this isn't always a happy story," she warned.

"I'm old enough," Darla said, trying to sound more grown up and confident.

Cassandra smiled. "All right."

The Sultan got tired of jewels and trinkets fairly soon, and decided he'd have me move on to "bigger" projects...

Cassandra sighed and returned to her quarters. For what was essentially a prison, it was comfortable. She'd been given a large set of rooms off of the Sultan's private rooms, large enough for herself and Karadee. She'd been permitted to furnish them as she desired, and in return, the Sultan was providing them with food, comfort and a personal guard. She had assured him the guard was not necessary, but he insisted. When she'd asked him the reason he'd replied, "I have ten guards around the vault guarding my new treasures. The least I can do is have some standing ready to protect my greatest treasure of all."

Cassandra had acquiesced after that, recognizing the flattery she was being bestowed, but also the subtle reminder that she was still considered his possession and property, and that her position here was still at his whim. They'd been there for over a week by that point, and Cassandra had been doing her best to keep the Sultan's ear. She'd advised him on settling disputes, increasing the wealth and strength of his kingdom, but all the while trying to steer him towards doing what was best for his people, not himself. At times, he seemed very benevolent and open to her ideas. Other times, he would look at her, confused, and ask, "how does this benefit me?"

Karadee's fear over their situation had somewhat subsided, and while she still missed her family and her home, she was learning to be comfortable. She was suddenly surrounded by more opulence than she'd ever seen, and had enough to eat, a bed to sleep in and no real responsibilities, save for her lessons. Almost immediately, Cassandra had insisted that some of the more learned scholars in the Sultan's employ tutor her in mathematics, science and reading the local language. In addition to that, Cass had given her lessons in philosophy, economics, psychology and ethics. She'd begun to soak it up, her mind eager to avoid the boredom that came with being a bird in a cage. Still, there were times when her feelings overrode everything else.

"Am I going to go home?" she said one morning as they ate breakfast.

"Yes," Cassandra said. "I have not lost sight of that goal, I promise."

Karadee nodded. She was about to ask something else when the doors to their quarters opened, and the Sultan stepped in, flanked by his usual cadre of guards. Karadee immediately stood up and curtsied the way she'd been instructed. Cassandra stood as well, bowing slightly. "How can we be of service?"

"I have disturbing news," he said. "I have received word that my enemies are planning an attack."

Cassandra frowned. "I see. You wish my help to dissuade them?"

"I wish you to defeat them," he said, his voice hard. "Obliterate them from existence."

"I will not," Cassandra said.

"I am commanding you--" he began, hotly.

"I told you," she said, the volume of her voice rising, even thought she didn't seem to be shouting, "I will help your kingdom peacefully. I will not kill."

He walked up to her quickly squaring off in front of her. "Killing is all these people know," he snarled. "I will not watch my people die if I have you to stop it."

Cassandra looked down for a moment, as if in thought, trying to decide if the glimmer in his eyes was something other than bloodlust. "Would you consider letting me negotiate their surrender?"

"They would never agree to it," he spat. "it would be pointless to even try."

"To save the lives of your people is never pointless," Cassandra countered.

The Sultan folded his arms and kept silent for several long seconds, his face like stone. "Absolutely not. I forbid you to try. You wouldn't even survive the journey." He snapped his fingers, his guards stepping closer to Cass and Karadee.

"Surely, it can't be that bad," Cassandra said slowly.

"It is four days west past the fields, across barren lands and into a pit of thieves and killers," he said. "Such a fragile thing as yourself could not

"Four days west?" she said. "Thank you, that is what I needed to know." She reached out and grabbed Karadee by the arm, pulling her close and turning on the spot, spinning around and vanishing in a cloud of whirling sand that eventually fell to the floor and disappeared, leaving a stunned Sultan and guards behind.

 

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