A Disguised Singularity

Chapter 6 - Zuri

It took over a month, but the men in Zuri's family eventually grew accustomed to her unconventional life outside the home. As a way of helping her family before she left for the day, Zuri would wake early and assist her mother with breakfast until Seber or Tadeo arrived. Then the two of them would depart together for the palace. As a result of their morning and evening walks, as well as the other random interactions during the day, Zuri came to appreciate Renata's guards nearly as much as she did their fearless leader. It quickly became clear that Renata regarded the two men as more than just her bodyguards.

Seber and Renata were acquaintances for decades before he entered Renata's personal service. He had been a member of the guard for nearly twenty years when he was struck by the heartbreaking loss of his wife and daughter. Neither Renata nor Tadeo would reveal the details of their sudden demise, but their deaths left Seber with little desire to carry on. His performance as a guard dropped so low that Seber went from being the winner of the annual competition to the brink of dismissal within a couple months. Days before Seber would have been forced to face a disgraceful expulsion from the guard, Renata convinced him to work for her directly. In Renata's nurturing care, Seber gradually found his way back to the person he had been before his devastating loss. It was easy to see just how much mutual trust and respect the two had for one another. Renata's quick wit seemed to be one of the only things that could regularly crack Seber's stern expression. In contrast, his daily interactions with Renata's new assistant were far more limited. Seber was nice enough, but he rarely shared any personal details with their small group. Whenever the four of them needed to split up, Seber always stayed with Renata, forcing Tadeo to remain with Zuri. Of course, Zuri wouldn't dare complain since she greatly preferred the company of Renata's young attractive guard.

Tadeo was in his early twenties, with dark mischievous eyes, dimpled cheeks, and beautiful dark brown hair that he kept at least an inch longer than any other guard in the palace. Unlike Seber and the other guards, Tadeo wasn't particularly muscular; yet his lively, cheerful disposition and friendly personality more than made up for it. There was rarely a time that the young guard's face wasn't adorned with a big dimply smile, which stood in vivid contrast to the reserved, introverted nature of Renata's other protector.

Tadeo was the grandson of one of Renata's childhood friends. Although her friend passed on decades ago, Renata remained in touch with her friend's children and eventually their children as well. When they were alone, Renata admitted to Zuri that she picked Tadeo as her guard not because of his qualifications, but out of a sense of loyalty and duty to look after her friend's family. Plus, Renata, along with many others, was drawn to his lively personality. Tadeo's charismatic nature quickly endeared him to nearly everyone in the palace, ensuring he was never short of palace gossip—a quality Renata found quite entertaining. Seber might pretend to be irritated by Tadeo's constant chitchat, but not Renata. Sometimes, she would even let Tadeo go early to gather more information about whatever tantalizing gossip was currently making rounds in the palace.

Whenever Zuri had a question about Renata or something she was already expected to know, Tadeo was always there to discreetly provide an answer, and more often than not, his explanation would make her laugh. Even though he couldn't make her laugh quite as easily as Iker, Tadeo was quickly starting to fill the void left by her cheerful brother's absence; the main difference between the two being that Zuri had never once contemplated what it might be like to kiss Iker.

Zuri looked forward to the days Tadeo was assigned to escort her to and from the palace. In contrast to Seber, whose priority was efficiency and a swift journey home, Tadeo appeared to relish their time together as much as she did. They often enjoyed leisurely walks through the market on her evening journey home, and Tadeo always seemed happy to accompany her on any small errands she had to make along the way. Being the shy, innocent young girl that she was, Zuri often found herself listening to Tadeo rather than speaking, and she didn't mind that one bit. At times, she was so captivated by his handsome face that concentrating on what he was saying became a challenge. Fortunately, Tadeo was prone to monologuing anytime Renata and Seber weren't around, so he didn't seem to notice. Together, the four of them made up quite a diverse group of people in age and personality and yet Zuri had never felt so comfortable and accepted.