His Hand In The Shadows

Chapter 42: For You

Ayla was released to her family a day after she awoke. Kai brought her home while she was still too weak to walk. She was surprised to learn that her sister had poured money into construction materials to restore the pottery stall so their mother could go back to work. She spent her days with Kai, rebuilding and crafting pottery, all the while knowing it was in vain.

Kyarra was requested at the castle to meet with the warrior captains and lieutenants to decide who would fill the seats of the vacant positions. Ayla travelled with her. Kyarra was now using crutches to get around, forcing them to take a carriage to Grecel.

Greel was in a state of rebuilding—nothing new to locals. What was new was the amount of damage. Noble houses were burned, buried, or in a state of pure rubble. The castle was wrecked. The main wall broken into and the towers were crumbling away. What was new was how little Grecel was damaged. Arcusian attacks had taken place in deliberate areas. Areas with high noble counts. Though Grecel was at the center of the chaos, it suffered minimal casualties.

Ayla waited outside the room while Kyarra was in her meeting. Ayla leaned over the balcony of the corridors of the castle's center estate. Carriages were lined below her along the path of the courtyard. The courtyard separated her from the eastern and western wing which had been completely closed off due to the damages of the ceilings and floors.

"Nahet."

Ayla sighed.

A rosy sash ran across his black jacket, lined with golden buttons down the front and sleeves. His brown cape fell from his shoulders. A white scarf popped through his jacket collar and matched the hue of the white tie that pulled a single braid atop his head and fell along his brown hair, past his waist. "Still tired after sleeping for a week?"

She admired the scenery. The pond, the fountains, the garden.

"Zayd told me... What will you do now?" Reyes asked. "Graduation fast approaches."

"I have no direction. My sister encourages me to graduate but after that, perhaps I will continue to work the farms or pottery in my mother's shop. She believes I can reach a security job without military experience but I do not believe so."

"You would dare mention your illegal actions before me." Reyes pulled a medal from his pocket when Ayla didn't smile. "With your repute, there could be some willing to break laws to hire you. Knowing you aided in the recovery mission of Norlyn's warriors and took on a captain and succeeded. There is much honor in that." He placed the medal in her hand. "You were still unconscious when the award ceremony was held."

The ribbon was purple with the seven stars of the Norlynian flag. The medal was pure gold with the head of a kestrel carved into it. "Even though the captain escaped? And the mission was a failure."

He rested his hand on her back. "You succeeded in your part. You should be proud in that. With your aptitude, why not become my personal guard?"

"I am not cut for assassination."

He pulled his hair back as the wind blew it across his face. "You think so? I foresee you will be good at it." He smiled at her but again, she didn't smile back. "It is a time gag. A joke. Since I cannot see the future with time... The royal guards has a new leader, there are changes being made. You should reconsider the guard. I would prefer you to anyone to be my exclusive guard. I require sharp guards near me."

The doors opened behind them and Kyarra came out. "I'm in pain. Let's go."

"I take my leave." Ayla didn't move. "I stood before you when Lady Phina was ready to attack you, for the same reason Zayd took her sword. To protect the Lady from you. I hate Phina, yet I understand what it is like to seek approval from your mother, so much so that you lose yourself in the process. You know the Lady more than I, yet you would kill her."