His Hand In The Shadows

Chapter 23: Oreon Stone

Fury tugged at him. Zayd had been so occupied with Ayla's case that he had not thought once about the masked man that let him free during the rebellion in Grecel. Instead, Zayd sat on his bed reading the letter the guards had left him. The guards outside his room pounded on the door, begging him to get dressed.

A muffled conversation in the hallway was followed by the jiggling of his door knob. "Open up."

Zayd unlocked the door for Reyes. He locked it again, preventing the guards from coming in.

Reyes sat on the bed watching Zayd pace back and forth. "Lady Sonali has left already for—"

"I couldn't care less."

"Your mother awaits your presence there. Unless you wish to upset her further, I suggest you go. I would hate for her to show up here." Reyes ran a frustrated hand through his long, brown hair.

Zayd crumpled the letter. "What will I do with this?" he shouted. "'Denied.' 'Denied,' they say. What can I do with that?" He tossed the paper at Reyes. "I shall not please her further while she has Ayla locked up and I can do nothing about it!" He scattered the books across his desk, none having provided the answers to getting around Cormill influences. "What else can I do!" he shouted at Reyes, then dumped the books on to the floor.

"You may first calm yourself and not raise your voice at me."

He took the stone from his table, ready to smash it against the tile.

"Do not toss this one," Ayla had said.

Zayd looked at the stone, remembering her words. He leaned against the bookshelf. "She must be scared in there."

"Doubt it." Reyes read over the document denying the request to have a hearing for Ayla.

"She's alone in there and I put her there!" If Reyes could feel anything at all he would be able to understand at least that. Zayd took a breath. Yelling at him would solve nothing. "She is not tough as she would have you believe. Sir Cormill works overtime to ensure Ayla stays in there. I have tried everything, Reyes. I try even harder to believe in her endurance but all I hear of the Grecel Jail is deplorable. With the drought too, who knows how long before they feed her? Give her water, or clean clothes. With the riots, they may have her in cells with terrorists." His head fell back against the shelf and he peered up at the ceiling. "I fear for her. There's not time for parties."

"Are you well in there Sir Zayd? Sir Reyes?" a guard asked from the hallway.

"We are well," Reyes responded. He turned his attention to the stone Zayd still held in his hand. "What is that?"

Zayd pushed it into his pocket.

"You are not even dressed. If you think carefully at the situation, you will only enrage her further by not attending. That only makes the situation worse for you and Ayla."

Zayd looked to the floor with his hands in his pockets.

"Go to the ball. Have a happy birthday. Lady Sonali awaits you."

"By that notion, you must also attend since mother requested you be there too."

Reyes looked away. "I would rather not... but in return," Reyes picked up a law book from the floor, "I will assist you with the case. How's that?"

What did that mean? They stared at each other in silence until the guards started knocking at again. Zayd pushed himself off the shelf and opened the door.

"Sir Zayd," a guard shouted. "Will you come now, Sir?"

A servant looked over the checklist. "We must get your hair done, Sir. And your fitting."