The Silver Crown

18.

I sat in the kitchens with my guards, eating the delicious food that the cook, Brom, had prepared for me. I had never had such good food before and it was all mine. My guards even got their own food and so there was more than enough.

We sat at a counter on the edge of the kitchen, our plates and bowls on a flour-dusted wood table. It was mid-morning and around us kitchen hands and cooks rushed about doing everything from washing potatoes to chopping onions or kneading bread.

I feasted on tomato soup and a sandwich with melted cheese. It was nowhere near as elaborate as the meal the king and queen had been eating several mornings ago but it was still the best meal I had ever had.

I was shoveling the food into my mouth when I noticed a message boy lurking suspiciously in the corner. I could feel his eyes on my back but every time I turned to look, the boy would hastily look away. His uniform was obviously too large for him and his hat kept flopping over his face, but something looked familiar about him.

I stood and ambled over to the corner. Glancing at my guards I saw they were immersed in a very rousing conversation about something that had them completely distracted. My vacated seat went unnoticed.

When I reached the corner the message boy occupied, he removed his hat and looked at me with very familiar slanted brown eyes.

"Miri!" I whispered. My eyes widened.

"Yes, and I am here to get you out of this place!" Miri whispered, glancing nervously around the room.

"Thank the goddess, Miri. I have missed you so much." I threw my arms around her. She shot me a quizzical look, unbelieving that I had just initiated a hug.

"Good to see you too, but we don't have the time now." Miri whispered, pushing my arms away. "Here! Take my hat and my jacket. They won't recognize me." She removed the messenger jacket to reveal her tattered black shirt. "And later you are going to have to tell me why you aren't in the dungeons. I was so surprised when I saw you out and about with no chains or anything!" Miri said quickly as I donned the blue and tan jacket and floppy hat.

"Goddess, it is quite the story. You probably won't believe me," I said, tucking my black hair under the hat.

"Later!" Miri insisted. "We have to get out of here first."

I froze. An hour ago all I had wanted to do was escape from the castle, but then the king had put his hand on my shoulder, had spoken to me like a father. I had never had a father before. I had never had a family before. Could I just walk away from all of that? I was a new person now.

"Miri, I-I can't leave."

"What do you mean you can't leave?" Miri tugged on my arm and I followed slowly as she led us through the kitchens.

I kept my head down and the hat over my head to avoid being recognized. "I mean, that there are things I haven't told you. We can go somewhere to talk, but I have to come back. It is such an amazing story!"

Suddenly a shout came from behind me. "What the hell was that?" I demanded quietly.

"Umm, one the guards that was with you just noticed you were missing," Miri said.

I chanced a quick glance. Locan, Chale and Emmett were frantically searching the kitchen almost knocking people over in their panicked hunt.

"We need to hurry," Miri said.

"No," I whispered. "If we run, they will know that it is us. We need to act natural. Walk slowly and turn your head to me every once in a while like we are talking. I don't want them to see you." I was going to return to the castle, but I didn't need Miri getting caught. I'd get her out and then come back.