Chapter 16

Later, when the King was in the courtyard, Ayla looked at him from her window. Like yesterday, he was wearing only trousers and sat alone, next to the oak for some time. No one approached him; no one disturbed him, no one looked at him. It was as if he was invisible—a lonely King.

He kept standing there, looking towards South, like he was waiting for something or someone. But no matter how much he waited, no one came.

Ayla refused to care about him, but she felt an ache in her heart.

Bastard!

When Ayla thought that she was looking at a statue, the King started his training movements.

She kept watching him, mesmerized by his routine.

As soon as he finished his training, the King turned, looked straight at her, and grinned.

'May the Darkness shallow you!' Ayla thought and showed him the finger.

He started laughing. She went and picked up the book from where she threw it earlier and returned to the window. The King was still outside, laughing. People looked at him like he had gone crazy, and he still kept laughing.

She lifted the book, made sure he saw it, and started ripping the pages apart. The King laughed even harder.

'Arrogant bastard! Just you wait!'

Once Ayla destroyed the book, she picked up each piece of paper and fed them to the fire.

It was during the evening of the fourth day when a maid entered her room.

"King Rhobart wants to speak to you. I am to bring you to him."

Ayla was so happy to be out of the room. Even if she had to see the King.

'Too bad he didn't freeze to death,' Ayla thought before leaving her room.

The maid took Ayla to the dining hall.

"Wait here. I will go and let the King know you arrived," the maid told her, pointing to a spot next to a butler.

King Rhobart, Milton, Tizgar, Droyn, and three men that Ayla hadn't seen before were seated at the table, eating and talking.

The men did not notice the two women, but something told Ayla that the King was aware of her presence.

The maid went to the King and whispered something to his ear. He nodded and said something back to the woman in a low tone.

The maid returned to Ayla, "The King will speak to you once the dinner is over. You are to wait here."

Ayla clenched her teeth. It wasn't enough that he had her locked up in her room for four days; now, he would make her wait until he finished his dinner?

She sighed. At least she was outside her room.

Never again, she promised herself. Never again will she let someone lock her up in a room.

While she waited, Ayla decided to listen to what they talked about. Servants and slaves did it all the time and knew all kinds of secrets.

And Ayla was starving to hear some news about anything.

She focused on their words, but unfortunately, the men talked in a low voices and she only heard parts of what they were saying.

"…. this past month… came from Myrthana… attacked and killed…," a bald man said. He was sitting with his face towards her.

Ayla stopped breathing for a second. They were talking about Myrthana, but she didn't hear everything. She wanted to hear more.

It was hard to hear their conversation, so Ayla moved two steps forward. Behind her, the butler coughed, but she ignored him.

"The attacks almost ….in Auxaria. … relocate villages that …closer to the Black ….," a man with short black curly said. He sat next to the bald man.

Ayla frowned, 'What attacks? Is my brother responsible?' She needed to hear them better. She took another step.

The buttle coughed again, and she missed something that the bald man said. Something about shamans. She frowned. What shamans?

Ayla took another step forward, and the butler coughed again. She wished he would stop doing that.

"…. about Kummeral?" King Rhobart asked.

Ayla took several more steps.

"Even in Kummeral, we … attacks. They came …. Drara and …. six villages, killing everyone ….process before … reached them," a man with long white hair, that had was sitting across from Milton.

When the butler coughed again, Ayla wanted to hush him. He was distracting her.

"Are you feeling alright, Abert?" the King asked.

Before Ayla had the chance to wonder who Abert was, the butler said, "I am fine. It's just that…."

"Don't worry about it," the King's reply came fast.

Did the King just call her 'it'? Bastard!

Milton finally saw her. His face became serious and made her a sign indicating she should return next to the butler.

The bald man looked at Ayla, "Girl! We need more wine."