Warrior's Mind (Book 2 of The Warrior Chronicles)

Chapter 36

The table in the great hall was mostly bare. Aside from a bowl of hot porridge that was in front of Raphael, there was only a cup of water which belonged to the Leader. Leyla ran her hands down her dress as she drew closer to the men. She was a seasoned Warrior, had faced a dozen armed No Landers on her own without blinking an eye and yet at this moment her palms felt clammy.

The lack of sleep was obviously getting to her.

Last night, after seeing that Raphael was well, the feeling of having completed her mission had allowed thoughts of the future to invade her mind. Leyla had lain awake, staring at the ceiling of the Book Keeper's guest bedroom, while thinking of her parents. 

She had always harboured a secret hope that her parents had no choice but to leave her and that her father was alive, somewhere out there, waiting for her to find him.  Now that both Michael and Raphael were safe and returning to the Warrior Kingdom was out of question, there was nothing much left for her to do, but to go looking for her father.  Yet when she thought about how she was meant to find him, the uncertain haze of the future stretched out in front of her. 

So Leyla did what she had been trained to do and focused only on the present: she was in the Land of Light and engaged to a man who did not want her. The immediate action to be taken was to end the engagement and gain her freedom. 

Raphael looked up as she approached the table, his expression guarded. Back in Asch he would have smiled at her... Annoyed at the strange sense of longing that thought induced, Leyla ignored him and focused on the bearded man at the head of the table; the man who could end this ridiculous farce.

"My dear!" The Leader set down his water glass, gesturing to the seat beside him. "I am so glad you have joined us! Since we last saw each other you've become my sons' saviour as well as his fiancée!"

"I'm afraid saviour is not accurate, Leader." Leyla bowed before taking the offered seat. "It was the Prorex who saved me first."

"Even better!" he laughed, a loud sound that sounded strangely hollow to Leyla's ears. "How many couples can boast of having done that for each other?"

She glanced in Raphael's direction, noting his keen interest in his almost empty bowl. So he had no intention of helping? Fine, she would do the work. After all, she owed him that and much more.

"Leader, about the engagement-"

"I wonder," the Leader interrupted, his gaze on her. "Have you ever looked for your father, my dear?"

"My father?" Leyla blinked.

"Yes dear, your father."

"Why do you-" the look in the Leader's eyes stopped her short. It couldn't be... "Do you know something about my father?"

The Leader's eyes smiled right into hers as he nodded: "I do."

"You do," she repeated dumbly. Her heart was pounding now and Leyla had to exert immense effort not to stand up and pace. Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Who is his he? No, where is he?"

The Leader brought his fingertips together as he leaned back in his chair. Before he could say a word, Raphael interrupted.

"Just a minute, father." He stood, coming around the table with something that looked like a braided silver bracelet in his hands.

"What are you doing?" Leyla hissed, unable to believe his ridiculous timing.

"I neglected to give you an engagement present before," Raphael continued, ignoring her furious stare. He took her cold hand, clicking the jewellery around her wrist before she could protest. Struck dumb by his audacity, she blinked at the bracelet, noticing that it was actually made up of several different metals braided in an intricate design.

"I'll take my leave now." Bowing to his father, then to her, Raphael gave her a look she could not decipher then left the room. Leyla stared after him in bemusement, before her brain finally remembered what she was about. Turing back to the Leader she spoke quickly, "You were saying..."

"My dear, I will tell you everything I know," the Leader said solemnly. Then he took his glass of water, "As soon as you are married to my son."

Leyla felt like a rock had just dropped into her stomach. "After...after we are married? Why?"

The Leader finished drinking and smiled apologetically. "To be honest, I know you are having some second thoughts about this union. But as this marriage is the best thing for both of you and for this Kingdom, I am giving you an incentive to help make up your mind."

"But it's not just me!" Leyla protested. "Raphael doesn't want this marriage either. Surely his happiness is important to you?"

The older man looked surprised. "What gave you that impression my dear? Raphael made it very clear to me upon his return from Asch that he wants to marry you. In fact, he asked me to set the date as soon as possible."

Leyla's lips parted in surprise. Raphael had said what? But why? 

"My dear, it is such a pleasure to speak to you, but I'm afraid I must take my leave." Taking the last sip of his water, the Leader put down his cup. "I have been fasting for three days and will go up to the mountains today to meditate. As you can imagine, there is much to prepare."

Leyla stood with him, trying to think of something to change his mind. "Will you not reconsider? I have been waiting my whole life to find my father, to know where I come from..."

"Oh my dear, please don't look so upset. After all you do not have to wait much longer," the Leader smiled patting her on the shoulder. "I have set the date of your wedding for my return in ten days time. Once you're married, you will know all."

"But-" recognising the unshakable expression on the older man's face, Leyla stopped speaking and bowed as he made his way out of the room.

Once she was alone, Leyla took a steadying breath while staring blankly at the abandoned cup of water on the table. What in Diya just happened? Was she meant to be happy for having found a clue to her father's whereabouts or furious because she was being pushed into a marriage? 

Raphael. Her fingers curled into her palms as she realised he had known his father's intention to marry them in ten days. And he had said he wanted to marry her? Since when? What in Tevukk's name was going on? Her gaze fell to the bracelet on her wrist with distaste. If the Prorex thought she could be pushed around like this, he had another thing coming.