“Call them! What do I care? They will not touch the Crown Prince of Qatu’anari!” Sath shouted back as he continued to throw punches and kick his father.
Kahzlir would have been impressed by his son’s melee prowess had it not been directed at him. Soon he began to tire and knew that he had to do something to put a stop to this. “GUARDS!” The doors flew open, and Sahi Kalah streamed into the room, shoulder to shoulder, and snatched Sath up off his feet to haul him away from the Rajah. “Take him…to the cells…” Kahzlir ordered, trying to catch his breath after a few of Sath’s strikes hit home on his windpipe. “I will…deal with him…”
Terror suddenly overtook Sath’s reason. He could feel the claws of the Sahi Kalah digging into his arms and legs as they carried him down what felt like an unending staircase. He could smell the dank air of the dungeon and hear the other prisoners moaning for someone to bring them food or water. He tried to separate out the distinct scents of the guards carrying him but found he could not recognize them through his own haze of dread. The Sahi Kalah ordered Sath into one of the holding cells, slamming the iron-barred door behind him with a loud clang. Sath ran for the door, but all he found were iron bars too thick for him to bend. He cried out in frustration and then sank down to the floor, sobbing.
It was a long night for Sath, spent curled up on the hard stone floor of the cell. There were no windows, and the only light came from the desk where one unfortunate Sahi Kalah sat all night, given the task to guard the prisoners in the cells. The soldier had looked at Sath curiously when he first came on duty, recognizing him immediately. He had crept over and talked to Sath for a long time, and even snuck the Prince some food and water once he was sure the other prisoners were asleep.
“Wake up, cub,” Kahzlir said, kicking the underside of Sath’s boot to rouse him.
“Papa?” Sath squinted up into the light glaring like a halo around his father’s head. Kahzlir was an imposing silhouette standing over him, and he pulled back into the corner of the cell. “I’m sorry, Papa, please don’t make me stay down here anymore.”
“Oh, you’re not going to stay here, cub,” Kahzlir hissed, his voice low and menacing. “Not in this cell and not in the Royal House. I have had a long night to think about this, and there is only one reasonable answer to all of your threats concerning the female called Kazhmere: You will be exiled. I cannot run the risk that you will make her identity known for the safety of all in the House of Clawsharp. You are on your own now, Sathlir. I will either find a suitable consort for your sister Maera or sort out an heir to the throne with another of my wives if your mother is unable to. . .”
“No, Papa, please!” Sath sprang to his feet and threw his arms around his father’s waist as he had done when he was but a tiny cub in the Royal Nursery. Kahzlir pulled his son’s arms free and threw him to the floor. “Papa?”
“You will address me as Rajah,” Kahzlir snarled. “You know the proper position, do you not, cub?” Sath looked up at his father, his wide teal eyes heavy with tears. “You dare to look at me without permission?” The Rajah grabbed the back of Sath’s neck and forced him down to the ground, his forehead pressed into the stone floor and hissed into his ear. “I cannot risk the safety of my house on your ability to keep secrets any longer. You will leave my house immediately.” Kahzlir stood, turned on his heel, and left the cell. Sath didn’t dare move from his position on the floor until he heard his father’s boots continuing up the stairs. The guard came over to him, periodically glancing over his shoulder in case the Rajah came back.
“Your Highness, are you all right?” the Sahi Kalah whispered.
“Yes—but I guess I’m just Sathlir now,” Sath mumbled, still unable to believe what had just happened. He got to his feet quickly and fled the cells, headed to his mother’s chambers before his father could have time to double her guard. When he arrived, she was not there, but her quad told him that the First Wife was back in the Royal Nursery. Sath ran through the familiar corridors without even having to look, and finally arrived at the Royal Nursery.
He heaved open the door, breathing heavily, and charged inside. “Mama?” he called out as he searched the rooms. Soon Savdhi appeared in the doorway to the room where Kazhi lived, her eyes wide.
“Sathlir, you must go, you can’t be here!” she hissed at him. “Your Papa can’t see you here. You have to let me talk to him, I can change his mind.” Kazhi and her friend Anni looked up from their game, but lost interest and resumed playing and purring softly to each other.
“So, you knew about this?” Sath asked in disbelief. “You know what he has done? You know…and yet you let this happen?” His eyes narrowed as he stared at her.
“Sathlir, you know as well as I do that your father is the final word on everything, he’s the Rajah.” Savdhi reached out to stroke the side of her son’s face as she had done when he was a cub. “He was so angry, but I convinced him last night not to have you put to death, my sweet cub. That
