Lady Laila

Chapter 2: MEETING

Laila emerges from King Stephan's chambers, releasing a shaky breath, happy that the other women are not there anymore. Handing the tray to her maid Sandra, she quickly walks to her chambers, eyes burning as she tries to suppress her tears.

"Lady Laila!" the woman hears, closing her eyes and stopping in her tracks. She is in no mood to talk to anyone.

Lady Mara smiles as she walks up to her but furrows her eyebrows when she does not turn to face her. "Shall I talk to your back?"

"If you can...I am really in a hurry," Laila says, her eyes still closed. She waits for a few seconds and begins walking away when Mara refuses to speak. Down the flight on stairs, and into the hallway, Laila hastily opens her chamber door and closes it. 

She leans her back against the door and allows her tears to fall uncontrollably. Step by step, she makes her way over to her dresser and sits on the chair looking at herself in the mirror. Tears continue falling as she touches the hickeys present on her chest and neck, the memories of the time she just spent with Stephan filling her head. 

If she had known it would happen like this, that he would behave that way, she would have rejected his advances. What kind of impact did this Saya leave on Stephan that he kept calling her name while he was inside, moving, and emptying himself inside her? Is she that beautiful? That attractive?

 Laila has always known that everything about her is mediocre, but the day Stephan met her, she could have sworn he thought differently, that she was someone that needed to be handled with care, but she was wrong. What hurts more is that he did not apologize for his actions. He kept saying her name, and even after he was done, he just told her to clean up and take the tray.

Laila shakes her head, wiping her tears. Stephan is a good man, he must have been stressed about him 'losing his charm' and just needed to relieve himself. Stephan would never want to intentionally hurt someone unless he or she deserved it. He saved her, from the hands of her 'family'. The people that would use her, abuse her, call her all sorts of names. He saved her from all of it and made her a Lady of the castle, his lady. He gave her a status that those people can only dream about. After providing her with such things, and treating her fairly among the other ladies, calling a woman's name while you're inside another should not even hurt her, after all, she would've been in a much more gut-wrenching situation had Stephan not found her.

This is her life now, and although the other ladies will continue to look down on her one way or another because of her background, they are all equal before Stephan, unless he thinks or says otherwise.

The King of Sheath makes his way to his study to meet with his advisors, he needs to get back on track. The celebration at Moore really did a number on him.

"Your Highness," his royal advisors greet as he enters his study taking his seat. "We'll start with the most pressing of needs," the king replies, adjusting himself on his chair.

A man who seems to be in his late forties clears his throat, getting everyone's attention. The man seems to be very fit, compared to those who might be his age, his frown, obvious, that it has become second-nature for him.

"We received word from the spy."

"And?"

"He has blended well with the resistance, he believes they have zero doubts about him. So far, they do not seem to be planning anything in particular, just getting ready till their leader says so."

"Good...he should try and get as much information as possible. They might not tell him everything since he is still new."

"Yes, My Lord."