The Dragon and The Nomad

(6) Requiem

“Why little nomad” the sound of his voice prickles my skin and my hair stand on end. “It’s been a while since I last see ya” His rough hand ghosts across my arm and I just stiffen. My face going blank at the danger that’s coming.

It’s first a prick and my heart know that it’s my gift. Telling me that this man is dangerous, and I shouldn’t even come close to him, but I know I have no control over what would happen. This feels as if it’s needed to happen despite anything that I would do.

The knight stands over me with such incredible mass and height. He’s one of Maex’s guards and he has been the second in command. The one that hasn’t stopped smirking at me with a glint in his auburn eyes that unsettles me.

His metal armor gleams even under the low light of the brothel. My hands clutching on to the tray with Maex’s breakfast he ate a few minutes ago. My hand loses its color from how hard I’m trying to keep still.

“How come you’re like this?” He changes his gait. One hand on the handle of his broad sword as if a threat. He could’ve been handsome, he’s charming in a way, but I cannot forget the glint in his eyes, everything is but a shadow with it. “I just want a moment with our little nomad”

I see the knights behind him snicker. Holding cards as they’re sitting on the comfy chairs given to them by the Madam. Marina told me it’s the Madam trying to brownnose her way to Maex’s owner. An owner that I don’t know anything about.

I lower my gaze in a subservient way. “I’m sorry, but I have to go to the kitchen. They are waiting for me”

“Oh, little nomad, they won’t need you. This’ll just take a few minutes to talk to me. just talking” He takes shuffles towards me and I feel completely cornered. I feel the door just looming inches away from my back.

“I’m sorry but I truly need to give this back to the kitchen or—”

Bang

His fist hits just an inch away from my head. The door rattles and my heart leaping in my chest in fright. My eyes widen as he grins so sinisterly at me. “Oh no, I’m sorry little nomad. Didn’t mean to frighten you, really” He pulls back his fist and drags the knuckles to graze my shoulder. “But you really have to listen to me”

I’m drenched with sweat. My clothes clinging so close to me and I don’t know what to do. I want to run but I’m frozen in place.

“Excuse me sir”

A sliver of hope. The knight turns his head and I see the familiar eyes of my friend. Her brows knitted together and a frown marring her usually smiling face whenever she sees me. Her hands on her hips with a rag clutching on each fist.

“What are you doing still standing there Amara?” She steps towards me and ignoring the knight in front of me. “You’re needed in the kitchen”

“She doesn’t have to go immediately” the knight snaps at her.

Marina is unfazed. “Sir knight—”

“She’s staying for a few minutes. I need to talk to her about the slave”

“She has no business on being here, idle” She grabs my arm, and she doesn’t have to drag me for me to follow.

The knight’s hand shoots out to grab Marina’s arm. I see the leather gloves tightening almost painfully on her skin as I hear the friction. I wince for Marina, whose face doesn’t budge. “She. Is. Needed. Especially by the Madam. If you must have company, Renara! Why not entertain our knights here, didn’t you say your day has been slow?”

Renara and a few other girls turns their gaze at us. The beautiful Renara with her strawberry curls and almond blue eyes smirks. “Ah, patrons? Hello there”

The knight’s hand loosens when Renara snakes her hand on the knight’s arm. Her eyes twinkling. “Hello Sir Grones. I have been looking at you”

The knight in front of me, Grones, takes a step back. Grinning at Renara so wickedly that I want to pull her away from him and escape with us. But she barely looks at me and just gives her attention to Grones.

“Really?” Grones lets Marina go and faces Renara.

Marina uses this opening to pull me out of the way and into the hall. The girls already entertaining the knights on the chairs. Preoccupied with each other with their sounds

“Next time, run if you have to” Marina tells in the safety of the servant’s staircase. Her hand is still holding my arm and before we could step into the kitchen, I pull her aside. “What?”

I take a look at her arm and sure enough it’s red from what Grones did. I gingerly touch the bruising and see the reddish ends of the blueness of it. “We need to ice this”

“It’s fine. I’ve had worse” Marina swipes her arm away from me and twists to hold my hand and pulling me to the kitchen. “That is beside the point right now, because you need to avoid those knights when you can. I’ll give you his food if I have to”

“Marina, I’m okay”

“Okay?” Marina drops my hand and I balance the tray on both arms now instead of pitching it on my hips. She spins around just as the cook walks behind her with the Madam’s lunch. “When I saw you, you look like a rabbit inside a wolf’s jaws. That wolf is unrelenting, and he will chase you till you’re at its mercy.”

I place the tray in the sink. Soaking in the water just as a kitchen help brushes past me as if I don’t exist. I duck out of their way and into the corner where the hustle and bustle of the kitchen is lower.

“you need a break. I think a day off, to be honest” Marina fusses over the counter, in the middle of the mayhem of the always busy kitchen. Elbowing off those who brushes him off. “Ah! The Empire’s Glory  is tonight!”

“Empire’s glory?”

“A festival of the Queen Regent’s arrival to the empire” Marina explains. Busily fussing over the countless trays and I want to help, but I’m not a kitchen maid and would just drag everyone down by learning without being taught how to, so I stand almost unsure of myself in the corner. “That woman as soon as her direct children became enthroned, and her stepchildren were gone made sure to celebrate everything about her family”

I tip my head to the side “Do…you not like her?”

Her eyes widen and almost everyone flinches. “What? Of course, I like the queen!” she nervously laughs and forces a smile.

Some even laughs with her. “Yes, the regent queen and her family is the most gracious of them all”

I purse my lips. It seems that I have said something that I shouldn’t in public. In all honesty as nomads, we don’t know much about the politics here in the mainland or anything about the monarchy that rules it. we’re grateful for their protection, but the laws they’ve given us have been untouchable to the point that we’re safe even if we’re ignorant of what’s happening in the capital.

We were luckier than most. One of the past kings made a golden rule to leave the nomads alone and so far, no one has ever violated us. There are some kidnappings that are well known in our clans, but those who commit it don’t usually live long. It’s hard to take a nomad and not notice one. We look far too different from the general population.

Marina says something to the servants beside her before walking towards me and pulling me out of the room with her. We dally in the halls of the servants, where most of the kitchen help and cooks reside and just walk around arm in arm.

“The Queen” she whispers as she looks around to make sure that no one but us were in the hall. “god rest the saintess, but the queen regent is not to be trifled with. She has started her bloody m******e to anyone who speaks against her so I’m teaching you well to not speak ill of her, but to enjoy the good parts of her bloody reign.”

I furrow my brows. “Then this festival?”

“Is required by law to be celebrated. For sure, your doll won’t have any bookings for the whole day as his customers are of nobility”

“How did you know that?”

She grins at me. “You know I have my ways, but yes, the nobles are more inclined to celebrate it, or they’d be rumored to be against the queen regent. And no one wants her to think that. You can sneak out tonight and I shall help you.”

I lick my lips. “What is it like? The festivals here?”

“You’d love it. it’s all lights, food, and music. At the end of the night, there’d be fireworks and I recommend going to the northern bridge. It has the best spot in this swill of a town and less people.”

We stop at a dead end with the picture of the Madam peering cruelly down at us. There is a bench just below the huge painting and Marina pulls me beside her to sit on it. “if it is such a great place then why it isn’t well known?”

“It has been known to dump dead bodies” Marina nonchalantly mentions.

“What?”

“Don’t worry. It is just a rumor” The way she’s saying it doesn’t seem like it is, but as horrified as I was on learning this, I can’t help but break into a smile.

“You’re a horrible liar”

“only for you” She shakes our locked arms together playfully. “heed my words, keep away from the wolf at your door”

“Then how are we going to get out?”

“Go to your balcony and tied a long sheet at the base.” She whispers. “Wait till after an hour after dinner then I’ll wait you in the room below”

I smile. “You’re the best Marina. It amazes me how well you treat me”

She chuckles. “Only for you”