Warrior's Heart (Book 1 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 53

The sun glinted off the many windows of the Green King's palace. The structure itself was composed of a mixture large stones and wood, a strangely alluring effect though not particularly easy to defend. Leyla saw three ways to get into the building without fuss then reminded herself that safety was likely not a big concern for the Green King who depended on his contract with the Warriors for his Kingdom's and his personal protection.

The Greenlanders had guards, a dozen of whom had spent the evening standing outside the tavern 'for the safety of the guests from the Land of Light'. But the Green guards would only be effective against those with no fighting ability whatsoever; in other words, defenceless citizens. The Green Army, on the other hand, had slightly better training, but their numbers were limited and most were stationed near the orchards and farmlands rather than the towns.

"Is General Alec always so moody?" Raphael's amused voice changed the direction of her thoughts, focusing them on the one person she did not want to think about.

"I don't know," she said, then pointedly avoiding glancing back at Alec, she nodded towards the mansion doors where a line of beautiful women were waiting to greet them. "How many courtesans does the Green King have?"

"From your tone, I'm guessing you don't have high regard for courtesans," Raphael laughed.

"Not at all." Leyla almost tripped over the material fluttering around her feet. That morning, Raphael had sent her a white dress to wear to see the Green King. High necked and sleeveless, the unadorned material which was clinched at the waist with a gold-brocade belt was comfortable enough. However the sheer, long-sleeved white coat that went over the bodice kept getting tangled around her white-slippered feet. "Actually, I pity them. If they love their master, they have to fight for his time. If they hate their master, they have to withstand his time. And all the while, they are either hated, ignored or looked down upon."

"Why do you do that?" Raphael asked, his golden eyes unusually serious. "Why do you spend time thinking how their lives must be and empathising with them? Why not just ignore them, or hate them or look down upon them like everyone else?"

It was an odd question, but then the Prorex was a strange man. "I don't know. It is just the way I am."

"Indeed." He watched her for another moment. "My men found the two kids and that woman, Old Sosostris that you mentioned. You don't need to worry, none of them will need for anything in this life time."

"Thank you," Leyla sent him a grateful look which he shook off with a nonchalant wave of his hand. "If you're grateful, then don't get yourself jailed while saving any more orphans." Without breaking stride, Raphael then turned a bright golden smile on their host. They reached the gates of the palace.

"Prorex, Lady Alessa, General Alec! Welcome to my humble home," the Green King flashed his reptilian smile as he walked between two lines of women.

"Thank you for the invitation," Alec's smooth voice brushed over her skin. Leyla stiffened against the tingling sensation in her stomach. After he left last night and her sanity returned, she had decided she had to stay far, far away from him. Since she didn't seem capable of controlling her body's reactions when he was near, Leyla would circumvent the problem by keeping her distance.

"You have a beautiful home," Raphael added, then turned to her. "My Consort has a fondness for sprawling views, is it true your garden overlooks Sunset Forest?"

How did he know she loved to look at wide landscapes? Leyla looked at Raphael in surprise, then remembered what he had said about Michael's notebooks. Her dear little brother was going to get an earful the next time they met.