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Onbekend(92)

By:B. Kristin McMichael


“I’m s-s-sorry,” he sputtered out. The young guard was having trouble talking to such a beautiful woman. “If there’s any way I can help,” he quickly stammered.

“You can help me?” Leila acted as graciously as she could while hiding her smirk. “That would be great; I don’t know how I can thank you. Grandmother will be so happy.” Leila hugged the stunned guard.

“T-T-This . . . This . . . This way,” he stuttered. The guard began unlocking the gate, but before he could finish his statement, the young, blond haired tracker from earlier trapped Leila’s arms behind her. Leila had let down her guard, and the tracker had seized the moment. The young guard bowed his head in shock. “S-S-Sorry Anatolio,” he apologized to the young man that held Leila’s arms behind her.

“You’re better than I made you out to be,” Leila said to the young man.

Her capturer, Anatolio, began to walk her through the gates and made no reply. It had been years since someone had caught her off guard, and Leila was enjoying the entertainment. Leila had lost him so easily in the streets that she assumed he would not find her again so soon. He must have been waiting here for me, she thought.

Leila moved her arms a bit to see how tight the young man was holding onto her. Anatolio adjusted his grip and held on tighter as he began to push her through the doors to the palace compound. Leila wasn’t foolish enough to run from him since he would lead her right to Kay. Leila slowed their pace a little, giving her time to look around and assess the corridors they were passing through. She had been inside the palace over a dozen times and knew where almost everything was, but it was always good to double check for any new problems she might encounter. Anatolio led her through a new section of the palace.

“Nice,” she commented, viewing the possible exits and layout of the palace.

“Newly redone?” Leila asked, but got no response from her silent captor. “The quiet, serious type I see.” He still didn’t reply.

“So I know where you’re not leading me,” Leila said as she turned slightly to see his face in an effort to read his reaction. “We are not on our way to either the king or the jail.” The man’s expression didn’t change.

“Is this the tour you give all the ladies you kidnap?” Leila asked, still trying to get a reaction. Anatolio just continued to push her through door after door. Since we are not headed towards Kay, this would be the best time to leave him, she thought, but her curiosity of where he was leading her made her continue.

Pushed through a doorway, Leila heard the door lock click shut behind her and Anatolio released his grip. From all the twists and turns to get here, they were close to being right in the middle of the palace. Leila walked a few steps forward to evaluate the room she was in now, but to her surprise she was no longer in a room; rather she had been led to a garden.

This is definitely not the spot I want to try to escape from, she thought viewing the forty-foot walls.

In the corner of the garden, near the door they had entered, stood the young man, Anatolio. Leila cautiously walked near him and tried to catch his gaze, but he continued to look elsewhere. Approaching him, she studied him carefully. He was modestly dressed with no specific garb to indicate his position or job within the palace. He didn’t carry a weapon, so he was no threat in that way. He was taller than she, but from his face he was at least two to three years younger which meant much less experienced.

This should not be a challenge, she thought.

“Since you didn’t bring me to jail nor to your king, am I to assume you know who I am?” Leila asked Anatolio. He continued to look elsewhere. Leila moved closer right into his line of view so that he couldn’t avoid looking at her.

“Who gave you orders to bring me here?” Leila asked.

“I did, Miss,” a voice said from behind her.

Leila spun around to notice an old man. He was sitting so still in the garden that she wasn’t aware of him before he spoke. As soon as they had entered the garden, Anatolio had been staring straight at the man. The old man had a long, white beard and matching white hair that lay on his shoulders like a cascading waterfall. Dressed in a light blue robe, he should have stood out in the abundance of green in the garden, but he had blended in so perfectly that even the birds were startled when he talked. He was sitting between two flowering trees filled with small birds. He sat ever so still, that only his mouth moved as he continued to talk.

“Since I know who you are, I’ll ask you the same question. Do you know who I am?” His eyes twinkled as he asked. He moved his head slightly as Leila thought of her answer. “You may leave us, Anatolio.” Anatolio bowed, turned to the door, and gave two knocks. The old man slowly returned his gaze to Leila who had yet to answer.