The Tale of the Hostage Prince by Anna Tan

Author:Anna Tan [Tan, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fantasy, Southeast Asia, Magic, amok, faith, keris
Publisher: Teaspoon Publishing
Published: 2022-04-14T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO disarm them. They keep coming over and over again, and I have no other choice. I end up killing them.

Ampun, Kudus.

I do not want to take their lives, but I must. Three fall dead, then four. There are six more, surrounding me, standing at a wary distance. I’ve long left the safety of the wall. I’m covered in blood and sweat, breathing hard.

“What is he?”

“A monster!”

“Unnatural!”

“Magician!”

They murmur amongst themselves, even as they circle like sharks.

“Well then,” I try to sound carefree, “Who’s next? Who volunteers to die next?”

“It’s the forbidden magic from Maha,” the leader says, face dark. “We were warned.”

I gulp. By who?

“Take him!” he says, and all six of them spring at me at once.

With a cry, I spring as well, slashing as hard as I can. If I can kill them faster than they can overpower me, I may still live through this fight.

O Kudus, Maha Esa, berkatilah hamba-Mu dengan kuasa ajaib-Mu.

O Kudus, Maha Esa, please.

O Kudus, save me.

I’m panting as the last man goes down under my blade. Weariness fills my bones. My hands are shaking, as are my knees. I crouch where I am, sweat and blood obscuring my vision.

“Well, well, well. What have we here?” Jeffett stands at a distance, looking at the dead bodies in disdain.

The soldiers I have been calling for have finally arrived, but they’ve drawn their parangs against me, terror in their eyes.

“You really are a traitor after all,” Jeffett says. “Arrest him.”

“What? These men attacked me! I was only defending myself. You should be asking how they infiltrated the castle and who they bribed to keep all the soldiers away.” I glare at the soldiers approaching me with manacles in their hands. “Stop! I am your Raja.”

They stop at my command, but look to Jeffett for instructions.

“The question all of us are asking is why the Raja of Bayangan was crying out aloud to a foreign god, and accessing forbidden magic to kill ten of our own citizens.”

The blood drains from my face. Had I said all that aloud?

“It’s not like that!” I stammer.

“Tell that to all these witnesses.”

I look around at the courtyard full of wary soldiers, indignant nobles, and frightened servants. “It’s not—I’m not—”

“Everyone heard you,” Jeffett says. “Several times. And they saw with their own eyes what you did. What no normal man is able to do.”

O Kudus. I close my eyes. Was this all a set-up?

“Now, you can surrender yourself for trial, or I can order them to kill you here and now.”

“Would it make a difference?” I ask bitterly. “You intend to kill me after the trial anyway.”

“I would like to seem fair about it, seeing you are my nephew,” he replies. “Also, I thought you’d like the opportunity to surrender so that no one else will die by your hand.”

I release my hold on the keris, letting it fall to the ground. The longer I delay my death, the more hope I have for a rescue.

“Lie flat. On your belly,” Jeffett barks.

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