[Novnarwen]

After the Princess had left, Tarkan had smiled broadly to himself. Everything was indeed how it was supposed to be. Slightly curious about why the King wished to see him, he decided nevertheless to put the matters with the King on hold until he had settled his other business. My dear brother can wait with announcing me High Priest for another hour or so. When it comes to my little secret, I know that the King would be willing to have his tongue cut off for ever asking his servant to come get me. Yes, that is how much you will regret your stupidity, my brother Faroz... But don’t worry, your hour shall come soon enough… and I will claim what is rightfully mine…

He called for a man standing nearby, and ordered to take the wheelbarrow with his belongings to his newly built apartments. The man, who discovered that it was the priest who had called him, swallowed hurriedly before running to the wheelbarrow to carry out the priest’s orders. The priest himself followed with stern steps until the two of them parted in the hallway; the stranger went to the right, aiming for the finest apartments, which was particularly appointed to the High priest of the Temple of Rae, and Tarkan went to the left, aiming for Pelin’s apartments.

Arriving there, the door was open. The priest knocked lightly, for the sake of customs, but customs only, and waited. “Pelin?!” he called, with a mild voice. With the smile he bore on his face, one could almost get the impression that the Priest came with good intentions. It was of course not so; in fact, not so at all. The Priest was well aware of what he had done just earlier. He had intentionally acted unfairly with Pelin, getting him upset. Tarkan had said things that Pelin would never forgive, or rather, Pelin would probably forgive, but he would never forget. The priest smirked to himself. Exactly, Pelin would never forget! It seemed already that everything would work out in the best way he could ever imagine; Pelin seemed to be even too upset to open the door and to lock it. If this was indeed so, the priest would without a doubt succeed.

Entering, the Priest froze, thinking of the last conversation with Pelin. Inside of his head, he repeated what had been said.

He restrained himself from laughing at his own words and the pettiness pf Pelin, remembering that he was inside of Pelin’s apartments, and had not come to make Pelin feel worse, but to be ‘forgiven’. “Pelin!?” he called again, before advancing into the small living room. The curtains were drawn, and only the light from an oil lamp shone faintly, giving the nearly empty room a rather ghastly atmosphere. Letting his gaze wander, he discovered Pelin sitting motionless on a bright coloured cushion on the floor. “Pelin,” Tarkan said, running towards him. The young man didn’t move. His eyes were red and weary; he had cried. If it hadn’t been for the fact that Tarkan needed to ‘make up’ with Pelin to succeed in his somewhat vicious plan, he would have laughed out loud and pointed at this man, who seemed so petty and lost. Instead, knowing that this would be the final step of his brilliant plan, and that this by all means had to succeed, he sat down.

“My dear Pelin,” he started. “Look at me,” Tarkan said, breathing heavily. Pelin still didn’t move; he only kept staring into the air, showing no sign whatsoever that he was aware of Tarkan’s presence. The Priest made a grimace; it was only just hidden from Pelin’s sight. This was unbelievable. Pelin was ignoring him. Him!?! The High Priest?!? Sighing, appearing to the man next to him as if being out of words, but in truth being horrified by what he though was absolutely distasteful behaviour, Tarkan knew hat he could only make Pelin satisfied by saying something highly humiliating - like presenting an apology to the young man. Takan swallowed, knowing that for his sake, this so called apology would take yet some time. The Priest had never imagined that Pelin could be so out of place; he was acting as if being in the position of asking a Priest, in fact the coming High priest, to apologise!