Free The Go-Between (The Nilaruna Cycles Book 1) by Andrea Ring Page A

beneath his head. “We paint her
as a hero, a survivor, someone who is a fighter. Her situation is tragic, not
grotesque. How can you not see that?”
    “It doesn’t matter what I see,”
Manoj says. “A good politician takes his personal feelings out of it. He serves
the will of the people. And I repeat, the people will not support this.”
    “Screw the people,” Faaris says.
“I’ve never understood the untouchable thinking anyway. Why is someone who does
the jobs that need to be done, or who is deformed, less of a person?”
    “Debating the merits of the
untouchable class is beside the point,” Manoj says. “Our culture is what it is
at the moment. If Kai wants to change it in the future, he is welcome to try.
But we must deal with reality.”
    “What do you think, Kai?” Faaris
asks.
    I close my eyes. “I think you’re
both right. If Nilaruna is the person I need, then the fact that she’s an
untouchable is crucial. She is strong. She is a fighter. She understands a
large portion of society that I cannot begin to comprehend.”
    “But?” Faaris says.
    “But acceptance of her won’t come
easily. And as for me…I admit this only to you, my two closest friends in the
world…I don’t know if I have it in me.”
    “No one would blame you, Kai, for
choosing someone else,” Manoj says softly. “No one except your father knows
your intentions here. You can choose any bride in the world — that is
what Shiva said.”
    “But he handed you this girl on a
golden plate,” Faaris reminds me. “You cannot ignore that.”
    “Maybe Shiva is testing you,”
Manoj says. “Even Shiva would not expect you to go through with this marriage.”
    “I have to leave Shiva’s motives
out of this,” I say. “I cannot fathom them, and neither can you. First, I want
to live, and I want to live to take my crown. But to do that, I have to take an
innocent life. Plenty of rulers would have no problem with that, but I do. I
will murder when it’s just, or on the battlefield, or to defend myself, but
this…I cannot just pick an innocent girl and lead her to her death. So my
options are limited.”
    “It’s not you who would be
murdering her,” Manoj says.
    “Not my hand, but I would be
using her as a human shield. No.”
    “Then you’re seriously
contemplating marrying this girl?” he asks.
    I sigh. “I don’t know yet. I have
to see her. I have to meet her. My heart will have to make the decision.”
    Faaris chuckles. “If your manhood
stands at attention, you’ll marry her.”
    I throw my pillow at him.

IX. SAPHALA
    “You will follow my orders, girl, whether you like it or not. I did
not take you in just so that I had another mouth to feed. You will earn your
keep!”
    “They will behead me if they
catch us,” I say. “I hardly think they’ll let you move into the palace if I’m
in pieces.”
    Uncle’s face turns purple. “You
will be on that boat at dark, if I have to carry you myself.” He smooths a hand
over his silver hair and grins. “We’re so close, dear Saphala. So very close.
This is your dream, remember.”
    How could I forget? I was shipped
here to my uncle’s in my sixteenth cycle because girls from Dabani do not
become princesses. I had to shrug off my common village mantle and take on the
trappings of noblewoman. Not too difficult, I admit, for me. I couldn’t wait to
leave the little hole I grew up in.
    But six cycles of planning and
training, and what does it come to? A girl from Dabani must be the prince’s
bride! Had I stayed and simply trusted in the gods, I might well be a princess already.
    But the prince has not yet chosen
a wife. There is still time.
    If I can get back to Dabani and
convince everyone I never left.
    “Father is not the actor you seem
to think him,” I say. “He cannot look anyone in the eye. He speaks only to
those of our caste.”
    “All the better,” my uncle says.
“He won’t have to lie. No one will be seeking him out to ask questions.”
    I