MALAKAI (The 'Mala Series' book 1)

ct-8 Kai's Day One

          The dinner had gone smoothly after the embarrassing toast to Kai. He took his leave a while after, cleaned up for the third time that day, then crashed on the bed in only loose black pants.

He woke the next day to a knock on his door and found it was the younger of the two ladies who came with clothes yesterday. The maid took one look at him and turned a shade red. That's when Kai realized he was still shirtless.

"Guardian Kai." she said. She held another batch of clothes in her hand. He waved her in. She then dropped the clothes on his bed.

"Master Sebastian asks that you wear a fitting tunic for your day." the girl said "A guard will be waiting at your door to escort you to the princess's house. He also wished for me to inform you of the tailor's arrival tomorrow.

"What's your name?" Kai asked the girl.

"Estella, guardian." she said. Then she bowed and left.

Kai put on a nice fitting tunic with brown leather pants and sheathed his sword in his spine sheath. He knew people would find it unusual that he hung a sword over his back and not by his side, but then they'd find the sword was too big to be hung by his waist.

He in fact used a spine sheath because he was trained by the assassins - his brother to be exact - to carry it that way. He was now accustomed to it. He walked out of the house to find Keita standing by the door. Keita let out a tiny welp when he saw Kai.

"Keita." Kai said with a grin. "Nice to see you again."

"Guardian." Keita said then took a bow.

"You look even more terrified than when we first met Keita. Have I now grown fangs?" Kai asked in amusement

"Not So Guardian." Keita said "it's just that, now you look like a warrior." Kai laughed at Keita's remark. He didn't know when last he'd genuinely laughed.

Keita took him to the princess's house in the main castle. It was guarded by two men. Keita knocked on the door and a young pretty maid answered the door. She bowed slightly to Kai, then gave Keita a smile of affection. They had a relationship then, Kai thought. Keita bowed to Kai, then walked off less hurriedly than last time.

                                        ******

        Katherine was having her breakfast when Kai walked into her living room. Guardian Kai, she thought with humor and almost laughed out loud.

He wore a white tunic and brown leather pants with black boots. His fore locks were almost to his eyes and his neck length dread were dark as they should be.

She liked his locks, especially the fore ones that made him look cute. She noticed him at the dinner, he looked handsome but stiff, most probably because of the eyes that kept glancing his way. Katherine knew the reason for him getting so much attention.

It wasn't just his good looks. He was basically no one yesterday and now he was part of the Queens court. He had status now like Nesta.

"Lady princess." Kai said and bowed the slightest bit. She wondered what the court would think of Kai's inability to submit to superiors. Frankly she admired it.

"Guardian Kai." she said, loving the annoyed look that she was told crossed his face every time the title was used.

"Why would you give me such an insufferable title?" Kai said.

"Because I get to see that look on your face." she said with a mocking grin.

"And the maids? They were going to keep me company at your command." he said