Calim stared at the girl as she climbed into a golden carriage. "I see that we have an extra traveling partner today." His gaze burned the back of my head as I adjusted the saddle on my horse.
"Yes."
"Are you sure you want to do this? You're making yourself responsible for a person you don't know."
My hands stilled, and my gaze dropped to my feet. "I can't leave the girl to fend for herself in that condition. It is partly my fault she has no one to take care of her right now. I won't be able to sleep at night if I abandon her while I know this."
A warm hand settled on my shoulder. "This is not your fault. The duchess made a choice. And sadly, apart from her. Other people are suffering the consequences of those actions. But it's all on her." After a couple of seconds of silence, he continued, "I don't want you to get in trouble, that's all."
"Don't worry, I will be fine." I glanced at the carriage, pleading that my words held some truth in them.
⚜⚜⚜
My fingers fidgeted with the reins of my horse the whole way to my dukedom. My fingertips tingled, and my heart threatened to burst out of my chest. I can't wait to be back home, in my room, under the covers, in my bed.
The warm, soft blanket of peace and calm settled on my shoulders when I saw the large oak trees that flanked the main road to town.
"Duchess Adelysia revealed to be working with the rebels! Taken to the capital for judgment! Read the summary of the trial on today's issue of First Light Chronicles!" Standing on a wooden crate in the plaza, the newspaper vendor announced the headlines of the day. "Good Morning, Your Grace! Here's your copy." He handed a newspaper to Calim and me as we rode past him.
"Good Morning, Tommy." I greeted the young man.
Calim looked over the first page and chuckled. "This just happened yesterday! I can't believe this! How does your father get his information so quickly, Tommyboy?" He asked the man now at our backs.
"He says it's thanks to his natural charm," Tommy shouted back.
"Well, tell him that I'm coming by your house sometime. I need some lessons on that natural charm of his! See if it gives me more luck with the ladies."
My eyes almost rolled out of their sockets. "Lord have mercy."
On the street and walkways, people bowed their heads as a greeting as we rode through the main town.
"Good Morning, Your Grace!" Some greeted.
"Nice to see you again, Duke Nubilus." Others said.
Going further into the town center, we went up the tree-lined road that leads to my estate.
A neutral stone manor, with big windows and high ceilings, sat at the very top of the hill. Overlooking the place that I have called home for the last several years. Home, the thought brought warmth to my chest.
"Your Grace!" A stable boy shouted when he saw us approaching and ran into the manor. A few minutes later, servants spilled out the front door to the polished yard.
"Welcome home, Your grace." My graying old butler greeted me when I dismounted.
"Benjamin! Good to see you again, old man!" Calim exclaimed as he hopped off his horse.
Benjamin offered him a tight smile. It made the corners of his eyes wrinkle. "Likewise, Mr. Acuma." The hinges on the carriage door squeaked behind me. Benjamin's eyes traveled in the direction of the sound and the sight that came before his eyes made his eyebrows shoot up to his hairline, "Um, Iskander."
"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."
⚜⚜⚜
At dinnertime; The girl and I sat at the large, light oak table without speaking.
Her face was partially hidden behind her stringy hair and her hands shook with the tight grasp of her fingers on the fabric of her skirt. They gave her a change of clothes, good.
A sweet, earthy, pleasant aroma filled the room as the kitchen staff placed two bowls of steaming, red soup on the table. "Your first course, Your Grace." They announced and retired to the kitchens to wait until it was time to bring out the main course.
The girl's eyes locked on the soup, and her hand flew to grab a spoon. She practically plunged into the bowl and scooped up some of the broth, only to slow her pace as she got closer to her mouth. Another slow and shaky spoonful went to her lips while she watched me from the corner of her eyes.
"You don't have to put on an act, you know. Don't mind me." My hand gestured towards her bowl.
Her gaze rose to my face and after a brief second, she started to scarf down the hot soup.
"But, don't burn yourself either," I added softly.
The spoon was dipped slower into the broth this time and her lips moved with an unknown feeling.
The kitchen staff brought out the main course soon after. Beef with a side of potatoes and salad was set on the table. The scent of the herbs in the gravy poured over the meat; filled me with anticipation.
"I'm very much grateful for your kindness, Your Grace. You don't know how much this means to me, thank you." Her voice was barely audible to my ears.
"You're welcome." I took a mouthful of beef and thought about what to say next. "My name is Iskander. May I know your name?"
"Lehylany, but you may call me Leyla." She responded, pushing around the leftovers on her plate. She's done eating already?
"Alright, Leyla, I would like to request that a doctor come by tomorrow to examine you. May I?" Please say yes.
Her hand stilled. After a couple of minutes of heavy silence, she nodded her head.
In the morning, the town doctor looked over my guest. "Well, apart from the clear malnutrition, nothing else is affecting her. With good nutrition and some supplements, she'll be able to recover. I'll let the town pharmacist know, and I'll send someone to bring them to the manor." Said the doctor sometime later at my office.
Thank god. "Thank you so much" My hand rose to shake his hand.
"No problem, I'll come back in a month to see her progress." He adjusted his bag and walked out the door.
Stacks of letters, queries, and petitions covered my desk. Glancing at the clock, I said to no one, "Well, let's get this done." I spent the rest of the morning getting things up to date.
At lunchtime, I met my guest in the dining room for our meal. "The supplements are here. The pharmacist said to take them two times per day."
She took the small bag full of bottles. "Thank you, Your Grace." In one swift gulp, she emptied the contents of one of the vials.
The scraping of cutlery on the porcelain plates was the only thing you could hear for the first half of our lunch. The girl kept her gaze on her plate. Too wary or too afraid to speak, most probably.
"Have you been living here for a while?" Even though her voice was timid. It was too loud for the quiet room and my overly alert mind.
I adjusted myself in my seat before I could fall off. "Here on the estate?" She nodded. "Yes, for six years already."
"Oh," she uttered and looked around. I raised an eyebrow, and she continued, "It's just that the manor doesn't have much furniture. I thought that you recently moved here." She pressed her lips together and dropped her gaze.
"Oh, um. Most things are not necessary. I didn't grow up with much. Besides, it's easier for the maids to clean."
She stayed quiet for a while. "There is only one chair for this huge table."
"Um." What is she talking about?
"The one that I'm sitting on doesn't match, and your does. Which means there's only one chair for this big table." She clarified.
She is very observant. "I live alone. I don't need much." I looked down at my plate and poked my food.
"Doesn't your family come to visit?" She fidgeted with the corner of her napkin, not meeting my eyes.
My thumb rubbed the thin scar on my lower lip. "No."
She looked at my face for a fraction of a second, then dropped her gaze back to her plate.
⚜⚜⚜
I tossed and turned again that night. My thoughts were too loud and persistent. Preventing me from getting my much-needed rest.
After a few hours, I got out of bed and walked out of my room. I loitered along the dark hallways. The sound of my barefoot footsteps bounced off the walls as I searched for the rest that eluded me.
There was a thin strip of light that escaped from the closed guest room door. She must still be awake. Probably can't sleep either, I sighed. Kneading my heavy shoulders, I continued my journey down the hallway.
With me being too busy with territory matters and Leyla spending most of her time in her room. I had to rely on Benjamin to watch over her well-being for the next two weeks. The only time in the day we saw each other was at dinner, and even then, we didn't speak much to each other. From time to time, I would catch her glancing at me out of the corner of her eye when she thought I wasn't looking. I wonder what's going through her head in those moments. When she gathered the courage to speak. It was to ask about mundane things, like the weather and what I had done that day. Nothing too important.
"That's strange," I mumbled as I glanced at the clock.
Today she was late for dinner. I kept looking out towards the hallway expecting to see her walk in at any moment.
I was eating my first course when Leyla walked into the dining room. She sat down on her chair and kept her gaze on the table.
"Something wrong, Leyla?" I asked as the servants set down her bowl of creamy mushroom soup.
She remained quiet. When the staff went back into the kitchen, she spoke, "I've been contemplating this for a while." She ran her bony index finger on the edge of the bowl. "I wondered about how much I should tell you since we barely know each other." She took the spoon in her hand and rubbed the handle with her thumb as if to polish it. "But to be quite honest, you're the only person that I'm acquainted with right now, and you seem like a kind person." She looked into my eyes. "I need to get this out of my chest. I'm going to tell you my story".