SECRET OF THE AMULET

CHAPTER 10

The blouse that was previously on her body has been reduced to a dirty piece of fabric that hung from one of her shoulders like an old towel. She's wearing a worn fleece over her top for warmth. Even though it is way too large and soiled with who knows what, it at least protected her out of the wind, if only for a little moment.

Her trousers were likewise in a state of disarray. The pants have a few little rips and some unexplained stains on the inside of them. She does, however, wear shoes on to keep her feet safe and protected. A hole in the right shoe's sole allowed water and dirt to seep in, and they're discoloured, but they're the perfect fit for her at the moment.

She wore a scarf around her neck and just below her eyes to keep the sun off her face. However, even though it was filthy and discoloured, it did not stink. Even though it was old and worn out, her head was hidden by a beanie in pretty good and clean condition.

“You appear to be in terrible shape!” One of the women commented about her outfit, and Eleanor could raise her eyebrows in response.

“And so are you,” she responded, and soon the corridor of the keep was filled with laughter from everyone except for Killian Cromwell, who frowned from a distance. When he tried to seduce her, she was able to ward off his advances, and as a result of her refusal to his seduction, he ordered her to work with the ladies before she would get what she wanted from him.

She thought to herself, "How pitiful."

All she knew was that she was supposed to dress in the clothing in the bottom drawer of the closet.

“The heat of the sun is about to kill us if we don't move quickly,” one woman said angrily.

Eleanor wiped the perspiration from her brow after going approximately a quarter of a mile. She became even more concerned when she noticed that the fields were strewn about, their regularity broken up by overgrown mounds of stones and boulders. Amidst the calm pastures, horses and lambs frolicked and foraged while an overgrown stone path made its way through the many fields.

The journey eventually brought them to a small farmhouse, dwarfed by the magnificent pagoda that stood at the back of the courtyard. When compared to the surrounding landscape, the farmhouse appeared to have been abandoned and neglected.

There was a vast stretch of grain silos behind the main buildings, as well as numerous beehives in the vicinity, and the smell of compost permeated the air despite the bin's concealed placement behind the grain storage facility. The scent of ripe fruits carried by air and the sounds of birds singing in the trees created a welcome environment on the farm grounds.

Eleanor despised the idea that she would have to labour in the field in the blistering heat of the sun, despite the welcome ambience of the farm. Her desire at the moment was to be in a place where she was not forced to work and could enjoy her life...perhaps with a man like Killian Cromwell. However, she believed she shouldn’t be an easy target to get him more interested in her.

If the man believed that he could seduce her into doing anything, she also believed that she would do it for her benefit. As a woman trained to live under pressure, she managed to adjust to her new environment.

During her stay, she became friends with the women of the keep. In the course of her time with Killian Cromwell, she learnt to cook and clean and get practical experience working in the field.

After becoming acquainted with Master Killian (as he wanted to be addressed), she was given her own chamber on the second floor of the keep. Eleanor was looking forward to unpacking her belongings for the second time. She loved the turquoise colour of the room, and she was looking forward to rearranging the furnishings.

Someone, however, continued to knock on her door even after she had finished unpacking her stuff. Last but not least, she didn't hesitate to open the door, presuming that it was the woman she managed to bribe to get her more information about their Master.

“Master Killian!” Eleanor exclaimed upon seeing the man outside the door. His hair was wet, and he looked so fresh that she had to control her desire to jump into him.

“I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he said, and then he was on his way back to his own chamber.

"Perhaps you'd be interested in assisting me with unpacking my bags," Eleanor said.

“Of course, that is something I am capable of,” he responded, but as soon as he entered, he didn’t miss the opportunity to kiss her again, and this time, the woman didn’t refuse his advances.