A Lifetime Ago

Chapter 8

“Who is she?” She stopped dead on her tracks and asked Ragnar.

“Calm down Avira… please.” He walked in to his room and shut the door behind them. He pushed her towards their bed and signalled her to sit.

The girl in front of her looked scared as if caught while stealing something, biting the nails on her trembling hand.

“I saw her on the roads of the village where I went for an inspection. She was beaten severely and needed help. I got her here to treat her wounds.” He narrated her the whole incident.

Avira didn’t turn her gaze away from the girl, “And you brought her straight to your chambers?” She asked, angrily.

Ragnar stood there without an answer to her question.

“What’s your name?” She asked the woman.

“She doesn’t know...” Ragnar spoke in place of her .

Avira snapped her head at Ragnar throwing a look of disbelief, “What do you mean by that?”

“She doesn’t know her identity nor the place she belongs to. He claims she doesn’t remember anything other than waking up on the banks of river Pethus.” He informed Avira. The woman in front of them kept staring at the two people curiously. She had no idea what was going around her.

“Ragnar can I have a word with you? Alone?” She added nervously.

“What is it?” Ragnar asked as they stepped out into an open balcony.

“Ragnar, have you lost your mind? How could you bring her to the palace? How can a person not know their own name and identity? I don’t believe her."She said shaking her head in disbelief. "You should take her to the court and they will decide what they should be doing with her.” She started rambling restlessly.

An outsider was considered a danger to the kingdom and they were kept jailed or under surveillance until they were proved otherwise. This woman looked very much like an outsider from her strange appearance.

“Look, don’t say a word to anyone. I’m not taking her to the ministers. She is just… a bit..” He trailed off from loss of words and glanced back at her. She was looking at them with wide eyes from the bed.

“Weird..” Avira pointed out, completing his sentence. She sniffed with disapproval “I’m not getting involved in any of this. How much ever effort you put to hide her in your chambers, the king will come to know about this very soon. He has many whispered inside the palace.” She warned him.

“Alright, I will take the full blame. You don’t have to worry and I will never bring you into this mess. I just wanted to let you know.. that’s it.” He said and she suddenly felt bad for speaking to him like that, even though she was not appeased. She huffed audibly, “What are you going to call her if she doesn’t have a name?” She asked walking back to his room.

“I don’t know.” He shrugged.

She shot him a glare and shook her head again. She thought for a suitable name for this girl. If she was going to stay here then she is going to need a name.

“She reminds me of the star, Timandra which appeared out of the blue on the night sky.” Avira recalled reading about it in her astronomy book.

“Timandra.” He tried to pronounce the name a few times and thought the name suited her well.

The woman blinked nervously and Avira stretched her hand to touch hers softly. “We will not hurt you.” She saw fear and confusion in her eyes and felt like she should comfort her. Behind her, Ragnar watched the woman’s every move like a hawk.

“Does she speak something?” She turned back and asked Ragnar.

She hadn't made a sound since their arrival into the room.

“She does,” He answered and she nodded while turning back to her once again.

“My name is Avira.” She spoke to the woman. “And yours is Timandra.”

“Timandra?” She asked eagerly.

“That’s right.” Avira responded.

“And where am I?” Surprisingly, she raised another question at them.

“You are in Vonentis and this is Ragnar, the future..”

“Avira, enough.” He stopped her bluntly for which he received a scowl from Avira. “You can call me Ragnar.” He informed Timandra who nodded uncertainly.

“Where is she going to stay?” Avira asked mockingly when she saw how intently he was looking into Timandra’s eye. There was a softness in his eyes.

“She will stay here, in my chambers.” He answered, still gazing at Timandra.

“And will she sleep on your bed?” She asked again with a naughty smirk on her lips.

Ragnar knew what she actually meant by that and shot her a warning glare which caused her smirk to disappear.

Avira shrugged and asked, “What? I just asked where she was going to sleep.” She said fervently.

“Avira, you can leave now.” He told, looking annoyed at his little cousin.

“You are supposed to be at your training this morning.” She reminded Ragnar and waved at Timandra, “See you later, Timandra.” and walked out of his apartments.

He sighed and shook his head while mentally scolding himself for bring Avira here at the first place. He slammed the door loudly and walked back to his bed, “You should rest here.”

“Are you leaving?” He heard her ask in the lowest voice possible. She was scared to stay alone in this unknown place. Ragnar was the only one she knew and trusted.

“Yes but do not worry. I will be back in the afternoon. Until then, do not leave this place and don’t let anyone in… of course except Avira.” He said as he knew that she would be back soon to interact with this new toy of hers.

Timandra nodded with uncertainty.

He left her lone and walked out, not before commanding his men to guard his room.

He reached the sprawled training grounds which was situated right behind the palace’s massive compound walls. A crowd was gathered and the warriors were already sweating heavily from the intense workout. He bowed in front Sir Ghory, The master of swords who trained everyone to fight right after a few years from their birth, including all the princes in the royal family.

“Prince Ragnar, you are behind your schedule, today.” He told him with his hands folded behind him and rock hard chest as stiff as a board.

“I beg your apology master. I was a bit occupied this morning.” He blurted.

“Khalo..” Ghory called out loudly and from the crowd walked out a man who was more like a giant, with dark meshed beard and an oiled body as big as a mountain. He stood in front of his master and bowed in respect. Ragnar knew what exactly his master was planning to do. A duo fight, for coming late to the training.

“Pull out your swords, gentlemen.” He ordered both the men.

Shortly the swords were pulled out of the sheath with a schwing sound and they pointed its razor sharp edge at each other.

“Ragnar, throw your weapon on the ground.” Sir Ghory spoke again. Ragnar stood there trying to process his words, ‘Did he mean to fight without a sword?’

He didn’t get much time to ponder since Khalo swung the sword in front of his face. Ragnar bent down and dodged it before trying to steady himself first. Khalo wasn’t ready to take this fight as a friendly sport. His facial expressions were hard and terrorising. He twisted his neck from side to side which made his joints pop out loudly.

Ragnar leaned back to avoid another unexpected blow from him as he aimed the sword straight at Ragnar’s pulse on his neck. With the force he jumped on Ragnar, he almost took a whole turn around himself before facing Ragnar again. The next time, he could aim his sword at Ragnar, he kicked Khalo’s wrist with so much might that his sword flew and fell on the ground with a loud thud.

Ragnar tactfully bent and turned around before twisting Khalo’s hands, pinning it behind his back firmly. He kicked his leg at the back of his knee, making him fall on to his feet. He kept his hold on Khalo tightly until he heard his master walk behind him, clapping his hands in appreciation.

“Well done, Prince Ragnar.” He patted him at his shoulder and motioned him to release Khalo, who stood up with a loud growl.

Timandra decided to get out of the bed and walked around the huge room, looking at everything with either confusion or admiration. She was sure she had never seen any of these things she saw in the room, previously in her life.

The chamber was not just a single room, instead it had its own open garden, a large pool in the middle of it and veranda with open roof from where one could see the vast lands joining the distant horizon. She dragged her feet in front of a large portrait of Ragnar, which hung proudly against the wall.

He looked dangerously handsome with his piercing obsidian eyes, perfectly symmetrical facial structure and his features moulded from granite yet she thought, the portrait did no justice to his true masculine beauty. She stood staring at the picture until she was startled by the sound of the door being opened. She turned around and saw Avira entering the chamber with Meeda trailing behind her.

“Leave it on the table” She pointed at the table around the corner of the room.

Meeda obeyed and got out of the room as silently as a ghost.

Avira pulled out a chair for herself and motioned Timandra to take one, “I thought you would be hungry. Come let’s eat.” She started stuffing her plate with roasted bacons, boiled rice, boiled eggs and some chopped vegetables.

Timandra hesitated a bit before Avira said, “Come on, help yourself.” She filled her plate and sat opposite to her.

Avira kept glancing at the girl in front of her. She looked beautiful even with those scars and chapped lips. She seemed extremely quiet but Avira was here to loosen her up a bit.

“Do you remember who did this to you?” She asked, eyeing at her injuries.

“Yes.. Three men found me in the forests and they sold me to a man, I don’t who he was. He punished me for making an escape from him.” She told her, her appetite was lost as she remembered the incident.

Avira felt sorry for her, “Don’t worry. I am sure Ragnar must have punished him beyond imagination.”

Avira and Ragnar looked very close to each other from the way she talked about him. She wondered what their relationship was. Were they brother and sister, or friends? She wasn’t bold enough to ask them but she liked being in their company.