Warrior's Mind (Book 2 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 32

There was movement beside her.

Gentle fingers touched her brow. "Please, take good care of her." Was it Raphael's voice? Leyla tried to see, but her eyelids were too heavy for her to open. Tired. She was so tired. Her bones ached and her muscles felt as if they were on fire. Giving into the lure of dreams, she let herself drift back to sleep.

The next time she woke, Leyla's eyes flew open to see a blur of bright colours. After a moment of focus she realised she was looking at a picture of mountains and waterfalls painted onto a ceiling. Where was she?

"You're awake." The gentle voice reached her a moment before a woman's face came into view. Long brown waves flowed around a bright smile and kind, honey-coloured eyes. She was wearing a delicate white dress and did not seem to carry any weapons. "Please don't be alarmed. You are in the Light Kingdom. You've been sleeping for close to a day. There was some bruising on your body which we healed using our medicines." Leyla blinked at the sudden listing of information, making the middle-aged woman laugh: "I'm sorry, that must have sounded strange, right? It's just that Raphael asked me to give you the facts before making small talk. He seemed to think you'd feel more at ease that way."

Raphael had left this woman in charge of her? Leyla pushed herself up to a sitting position, her eyes racing over the four poster bed, the clean cut furniture and the floor to ceiling windows. Simple, beautiful, lots of white, cream and green; it looked like Michael's apartments in the Dome, but the view out of the windows was completely unfamiliar.

"You are in the White Gardens," the woman offered, having followed Leyla's gaze.

The White Gardens. Leyla remembered Michael talking about this place; it was where the adults and children who were not High Thinkers lived, under the rule of the Consort. 

So she was in the White Gardens. In the Land of Light...in Gaia. 

They had made it back.

"Where is Raphael?" Leyla asked as her mind finally starting kicking into gear, "He was weak. His chest injury-"

"Is healed," the woman put a comforting hand on her shoulder, then removed it quickly after seeing Leyla flinch. Clearing her throat, she smiled warmly, "From the little my son told me, I know I owe you a debt of gratitude."

My son? Leyla got up hurriedly, feeling like a fool for not realising who she was speaking to. If the golden gaze hadn't given it away, the woman's elegance and the blue-stoned headdress she wore should have: she was the High-Thinker who led the White Gardens, the Leader's wife and Raphael's mother!

Bowing her head, Leyla brought her fingers to her forehead, "I am sorry, Consort, I meant no disrespect."

"Please, don't be so formal. I would like it if you would call me Diana," the Consort's eyes were smiling. "Not only are you my son's saviour, but you will soon be my daughter-in-law and the future ruler of our Gardens." Diana swept her hand over the sunny view outside the apartment windows showing Leyla the perfectly manicured lawns. Colourful flowers grew in circles around water fountains and benches while Light people of all ages walked down pebble marked paths, their white outfits fluttering around them in a gentle breeze.

Everything looked too peaceful to be real.

"I've have some clothes here for you," the Consort continued, pointing at the neatly folded material on a nearby chair. "If you're feeling up to it, why don't you get dressed and we can get some fresh air? It will make you feel better, I'm sure." When Diana saw that Leyla was about to protest, she added: "Raphael has gone to the main keep and will only be back after supper. We might as well get to know each other in the meantime, don't you think?"

Leyla felt guilty for allowing the Consort to believe the lie about the impending marriage. She was obviously a kind and gentle person who was making an effort to be considerate towards her soon-to-be-daughter-in-law.

Bloody Diya. Of all the times to disappear, why did Raphael have to choose this one? He should have been here to stop his mother from wasting needless energy on her. Plus, Leyla wanted to see him. She had to see that he was well with her own eyes to feel truly at ease. 

But the Prorex wasn't going to be back till evening. Leyla wondered if she should feign weakness and stay in the room. Or would that worry the Consort even more? By Tevvuk's Beard...

"I'll be waiting outside," Diana smiled, taking her silence as compliance.

Alright then, there was nothing for it. Nodding, Leyla watched the beautiful woman give her a last blinding smile before leaving the room.