Incognito

5

It was not unusual that Ryley's house was dark and the windows shuttered. Even in the summer, his wife liked to keep in the hearth's heat, forcing their children outdoors. The particularly odd thing was that his knocking was not answered. Not a peep came from the house as Zacary slammed a fist on their wood. It worried him.

   "Hello? It is Zacary. Are you home?"

The house was silent as a graveyard except for scuffling.

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The past: Zacary Holden

Even though he is staring out the window, Zacary knows that someone is in the room with him. He heard the key turn. He was expecting Fredrick's arrival. An hour before he had hollered and replayed the duke's mundane request for his son to join him for supper.

Zacary heard the clink on the metal tray and all was silent.

"Will you eat?"

Zacary doesn't move.

"Just a roll. Not even the soup, potato or venison. Only the roll." Fredrick breaks the bread over the lad's shoulder so the aroma wafts to his nose.

Zacary blinks.

"The kitchen workers are making a bet on how much you will eat today. Most think you will have the corn or the potato. Cook said the roll."

Zacary crosses his ankles.

"It will put Cook in a good mood. Maybe she'll let us off early..."

Zacary snatches the roll and chomps a bite out of it. Barely stopping to chew before he swallows, he replaces it on the man's palm. With a sigh, Fredrick sinks onto the bed and studies his young master.

"Kallie's glad you were out yesterday. Did you finally give in to your brother?"

Zacary had taken a walk around the castle, but not at his brother's plea. Fredrick didn't know that Brooks hadn't knocked at his door in weeks. A month had gone by of the boy picking and choosing his meals and not leaving his room.

Fredrick stands. "I'll send someone up for the platter later." He picks up the book on the dresser. "I'll return this to the library too."

Fredrick carries the heavy, precious book Zacary had taken from the library earlier that day. The Holy Scriptures were damp with tears.

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With a gulp, the mia tries to wash the memories away that float into her mind.

"Rita, can you mash these vegetables for Prosper?" Without her gaze ever leaving Ryley she hands Rita her recently stolen foods. Rita nods and bites a corner of her mouth. "I believe I am about to have a talk with Brother Ryley."

Silently, Ryley slips Prosper into Rita's waiting arms. Sometimes the mia wonders why she does not just surrender Prosper to Ryley and Rita. They were such natural parents and they would care for her much more than the mia ever could. But they already had an abundance of children and though they were a pivotal family in Leeland, Prosper would not go unnoticed. Beckoning for the mia to follow, Ryley strolls toward the back of his house. His arms evenly settle at the small of his back and his dark brown robes drag on the floor. Although he is always caught in monk's garbs they in no way make him look feminine. If anything they accentuate his broad refined shoulders and long legs which makes the mia consider that in his past he may have been as a soldier. But alas, with Ryley it is hard to tell what secrets his past might hold. He is a peculiar man of many traits.