Family Trickery - Volume 1 - The Hidden Oasis

CHAPTER 2 - The Guest

A young man was already waiting at Darmasthea's castle gates. He was sitting right next to them, reading a book while he waited for some action. He sat away from the wall to not seem rude to any guards. Wanting to go and find the royalty to know more about the kingdom, he knew this was going to be a very hard mission of his and there was a high chance he wasn't going to get what he wanted. It was worth a try at least.

Alynna noticed the boy given the dim light as soon as she arrived at the gates, a tired and worried look on her face. She came forward to talk to the guards about letting her into the castle. It was then that she noticed that the boy was Liam Barren.

"Hello Liam." She said her voice evidently full of tiredness. She had not known the boy well but she had seen him every now and then around the kingdom walls and towns.

"Hm?" He looked up from his book to the lovely lady on her horse. He couldn't help but put on a smile. It was the woman he had seen before during his travels around this country.

"Oh hello, Miss uhh- Ava? Wait no, that's not right, miss Annlya? No that can't be it, wait it's miss Alynna right? I am terribly sorry for forgetting your name ma'am, takes a lot for me to remember names, anyway- what brings you and your horse here?"

Alynna smiled for a minute or two before answering slowly. "I live here.. or rather say I'm going to be staying here for a while... and cut the Miss. It's just Alynna" She looked at him with such concern. Why in heaven's name was he wanted for murder? There must have been some confusion. She heard the guards rolling up the gates for entry to the castle.

"Oh, of course, should have gotten that, it does make sense. Well, it's very nice to see you again! And just Alynna, Pfff-"

"And what about you, dear boy?" She said curiously as Shadow budged its head in the boy's book.

He giggled at his own joke but he didn't notice her concerned look. He was too much in his own head at that moment.

As he heard the sound of the guards, he took a deep breath and he hoped his silver tongue would get him into the castle and away from them.

"I'm here for some personal research into this place, I don't know now if I would be able to get in but might as well try than not, you know?"

The boy felt something touch the book he was holding, he turned back to see her horse right in his face basically, he jokingly tattered at the horse "If you wanted to know what I was reading, you could have just asked!" He smiled and flipped the book around so both the horse and its rider could see it too. The book was evidently about the country's architecture and history.

Alynna smiled. There was definitely confusion and it would be such a shame to see someone so young be persecuted for such crimes. She had to help him. "Liam if I'm not asking too much of you, may I ask if you have a place for the night?" She asked, wondering if she should actually invite him into the castle. She tugged gently at Shadow's reigns to gain the boy's attention from the horse.

"Oh uhh about that, I don't exactly live here but I should have enough for a tavern for a few nights." The boy replied.

He started to go through his pockets, looking for any gold to show her that he wasn't poor but when he only pulled out a single piece of gold, his cheeky demeanor dropped into a horrified one. He thought he had enough from that last trip before this place. Going through his pockets again looking for more, he found nothing. It quickly dawned upon him that he didn't have a place to stay for the night.

"A tavern's no place for a boy," Alynna said gently. "Especially someone as talented as yourself. You are welcome to stay in the castle for a few nights. It's not like we don't have the rooms" She saw a servant come out to greet her. Alynna ushered the servant to take Shadow into the castle stables to feed and rest her well. When Alynna saw the boy hesitate, she added "We do have a fine library"