Double-Edged Words

CHAPTER FOUR

"I'll explain later. Please take our guest to the spare room."

He gave a curt nod. "Brigitte, Annie, let's help the young lady get to our guest quarters."

"Yes, Mr. Benjamin," The two chambermaids chorused. Walking towards the girl, each maid took one of her arms for support and walked her through the threshold. Benjamin trailed behind them in silence.

"Good luck with explaining that to him." Calim sighed. "He's not going to like it." After some minutes that felt like hours, he said, "Well, I'm going to head home. If you need anything, remember I'm close by, and I mean anything, even―." He made a silly catching gesture. Followed by tying up and throwing to the side. "You know what I mean?"

"No," I half-smiled.

He narrowed his eyes and laughed. "Since we might not see each other in a while after spending months cooped together in a dirty tent. Can I get a hug?" He walked to me with outstretched arms.

"No, thank you." I teased and leaned away from him before giving in with a half-hug.

⚜⚜⚜

"What in the gods holy grace is going on?" asked Benjamin when we were alone in my office.

I fidgeted with the corners of the stacked papers placed on my dark oak desk. "The girl needs our help. I found her while on the mission. She was in the care of the duchess, but due to circumstances, she ended up all alone. She is too weak to go back to her territory on her own. So I thought that I could get her some medical help, and after she is better, she can go back home."

"So you brought a strange woman into your house. A woman who lived in the house of a traitor to the crown. Plan to nurse her back to health, and IF she gets better, send her on her way to what we guess is back home. Am I getting that right?" He folded his arms in front of his chest.

"Y-Yes."

His mouth opened and closed a couple of times as he tried to say whatever was on his mind. Ten clock ticks later, he said after a long-suffering sigh, "Iskander, you're a generous, caring man, and it's something that I admire. But sometimes, we have to be careful with the people around us. Because some of them like to take advantage of those good qualities." He took a deep breath. "I have mentioned this to you before."

"I know," I responded. Sounding much like a scolded schoolboy.

"What happened? Did she ask for your help?"

My brows furrowed.

He nodded, "I guessed as much." His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose and started pacing in front of the desk. "What if she is dangerous? What if she's mad and causes nothing but trouble?"

What if she is all of those things? I gulped.

"What will the people say? The nobles especially, enough bad rumors are going around about you. Can you imagine what they could say? The Supreme General snatched a servant woman out of her territory and dragged her to his estate. To do, lord knows what. The Supreme General is fraternizing with traitors―"

I interjected before he gave himself a heart attack. "Yes. But no matter what I do, they will always talk. I don't mind them." I crossed my arms in front of me and struggled to keep the corners of my mouth from moving.

"But I do. It hurts me when people talk about you that way. Staining the name of a good man." He huffed. "And I know to some degree you do too." His eyes showed overwhelming concern and my head hung in deep dejection.

He came close and placed a hand on my shoulder. "But, what's done is done." The palm of his hand and voice were soft against my sullen being. "We'll have to make the best of it. I'll let the kitchen staff know dinner will be for two from now on until further notice." He waited for my eyes to meet his and flashed a comforting smile "We'll make the best of it."