Double agent

Kin stared at Rashid, speechless. What was he talking about, and why did he want him to take his daughter and run? "Things aren't going well with Bintan," Kin thought, "but that's no reason to entrust his child with me."

"May I ask why, my Lord?"

Rashid drew closer to Kin and replied, "A storm is coming, one that I will not be able to protect Jamila against. I must stay and fight. If she stays here with me, she might suffer more than she has to."

"There's a safe place in the Temple of Fate, a place hidden deep within the Whispering Mountains. I want you to take Jamila there and stay until I send for you."

"Can't you just choose a side?" Kin asked. "I'm sure Hadia would accept you."

"But King Jai won't take it lying down. He would strike back, and Bintan might not survive such a thing. I guess my son was right. I should have chosen a side earlier. It was my fault for believing in a fairy tale," Rashid said.

"Fairy tale? What's he talking about?" Kin thought.

"Anyway, I want you to be prepared to take Jamila and flee Bintan at any time," Rashid said.

"Yes, my Lord," Kin replied.

"Take this," Rashid said, handing him a cube-shaped light crystal, like the one he had gotten from the Golden Comfort Inn weeks ago. "Those are the maps of various underground routes I use here in Bintan. I made one for you, so when the time comes, you will use it and escape with Jamila," Rashid explained.

Kin collected the crystal and examined it for a while before keeping it in his pocket. He would let Ashell check it when he was alone.

"You may leave," Rashid said. Kin immediately turned to leave. Before he got to the door, Rashid called him again.

"Ashin, don't forget to keep this a secret. No one must know what we discussed here. Understood?"

Kin nodded and left the room, leaving Rashid alone.

After Kin left, Rashid stared at the message again. "So, the Prince of Wize is here in Bintan. How is this even possible?" Rashid thought.

He took the piece of paper and tore it to shreds before putting it away. "It seems things are about to get even more dangerous," he thought.

As Kin left the room, he was contemplating what had just happened and what Rashid had asked him to do.

"Are you going to do it?" Ashell asked.

"Yes, there's no reason not to. Besides, if Bintan falls, it won't hurt to be as far away from it as possible," Kin replied.

"What are you going to do concerning your plans to regain the kingdom?"

"For now, there's no real plan on the ground. I just have to survive first. Then I can think about taking back my kingdom" Kin stated.

When Kin got back to his quarters, he opened the door and saw someone already in the room waiting for him.

Kin stared at the tall, dark-skinned man with a smile standing close to his bed. Majeed, Rashid's first son, was in his room, and Kin couldn't help but wonder why.

"My Lord," he greeted. "What brings you here?" he asked.

Majeed looked at Kin for a second before speaking. "Ashin, right?" Majeed asked.

"Yes, my Lord," Kin replied.

"It seems I never thanked you for saving my sister from those kidnappers three weeks ago," Majeed said.

"No appreciation is needed, my Lord. I just did what I had to do."

"Still, a job well done should always be appreciated," Majeed said. "Tell me, Ashin, where exactly are you from?"

"I was born at Spawn Village, outside Amresh, my Lord."

"Don't you have any family?"

"No, my Lord. My mom was a whore, and she died two years ago. My father's identity could be any man within a hundred-mile radius of the village. Who knows," Kin said.

"Wow, born of a whore but speaks like a noble. You must be one hell of a commoner."

"You pick up a lot of things when living with a noble family like yours, my Lord," Kin replied, trying to sound as authentic as possible. Of course, everything he was saying had been rehearsed during his stay in Bintan. Ashell had advised him to find a longer backstory apart from the wandering fool found in the desert by slavers. . If anyone linked him to the night of the fallen sun, there was a possibility they could discern his real identity, and that was something he needed to protect at all cost.

"Tell me Ashin. What do you want as a reward for protecting my sister?" Majeed asked

"I appreciate the compliment, my Lord," Kin said, keeping his voice even. "But all I want is to serve your family well."

Majeed's observed Kin for another unsettling moment before finally breaking eye contact.

 "Really? Are you sure there's no reward needed for your great service?"

Kin hesitated for a moment, then shook his head. "Nothing, my Lord. Your father has been gracious enough to give me everything I need."

Majeed leaned back, a hint of suspicion lingering in his eyes. "I see. How about a reward for telling me what you two discussed in his office today? Even Ramon wasn't in the room when you two were talking. Ramon never leaves my father's side, but for some reason, he lets down his guard around you, literally."

Kin replied immediately "I think you're mistaken, my Lord. Lord Rashid only asked me about Jamila's wellbeing and if she was still having problems sleeping. We didn't talk about anything of great importance."

Majeed didn't seem convinced. "Oh, really?" he said, his voice dripping with doubt.

"Yes, my Lord," Kin insisted.

Majeed walked closer to Kin. "There seems to be something about you, kid. It seems you're hiding something. You're too calm and collected to be just an ordinary kid. It's as if you've been in this game before."

Kin swallowed hard. "I have, my Lord, and I've learned to keep my lips sealed in some circumstances, unlike this one, my Lord."

"So, you're going to keep up the act, huh?" Majeed said, a smirk playing on his lips.

"You know, when they told me to dig into you, I was quite surprised at first," Majeed continued. "I tried to find out more about your origins, but it seems you were brought here by slavers, and they're not exactly known for keeping good records of their merchandise. But when I heard you took out two of Omi's trained child spies on your own and killed a man, I knew you weren't ordinary."

Kin's blood ran cold. Omi's spies? How did Majeed know about that? But before he could even formulate a response, Majeed placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Shhh..." Majeed said, his voice barely a whisper. "I believe you know how to keep your lips sealed. Now you know my secret too. It seems you've been playing a double agent between me and my father."

"What? I didn't do anything," Kin stammered, his voice laced with panic.

Majeed chuckled. "Of course you didn't. But do you have to? It's a matter of what is. You know I'm going to betray my father, and you also know one of my father's next moves."

"I'm dying to know what your own next move will be, Ashin," Majeed said, a glint of challenge in his eyes. With a devious smile, he left the room, leaving Kin alone with his thoughts.

Kin slumped onto his bed, feeling the heaviness of the situation press down on him. "This is even worse than I thought," he muttered to Ashell.

"Majeed will betray his father. It seems Lord Rashid was right about being alone," he said,

"So, what are you going to do?" Ashell asked.

Kin sighed heavily. "What else can I do but prepare to leave? This city is already doomed, and there's nothing to gain from staying here any longer."

He retrieved the cube-shaped crystal and sent it through their link to Ashell's domain for analysis. As the crystal vanished in a flash of light, Kin knew he was dashing towards a future filled with uncertainty and the constant threat of betrayal.