Uncovered

Chapter Twenty One - Nyrie

Nyrie was woken up from her deep slumber by the sound of the door opening. She'd been drooling and quick as an asp wiped it away with the back of her hand. Disgusting.

Brax stood in the entryway looking dishevelled. His features were wary, tired and he just seemed exhausted. The earlier events catching up with him.

He closed his door and clicked the lock which she thought was strange and wondered why he thought that was necessary. She certainly wasn't planning on escaping anywhere. Not when she'd felt the comfiest she'd ever been being in his room and had one of the best naps. Perhaps why it was so easy to drift off before.

He looked at her, assessing. Seeing if she was alright. Whatever he saw when he looked at her must have been reassuring enough because he walked over, removed his strapped sword and cape, and lay down in the bed beside her and faced the ceiling.

A yawn escaped him and Nyrie almost laughed at how normal and unprofessional he had started to become in her presence.

"I've done a bad thing."

That was not what she had expected to hear. She thought he would fill her in on the interrogation with her attacker or say something taunting about her drooling on his pillow. The way he said it so calmly, like he wasn't bothered by it had her hairs raising.

"I'm not sure it was the right thing to do."

Now he was starting to scare her a little. But she couldn't form a sentence.

"It's only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose and I just need you to know something."

She wasn't sure she would hear what he had to say over the loud booming of her thundering heart.

"I've never told you about my life, and I think it's time you knew the truth."

Truth? She sat up then to get a good look at his face to try and read his features for any expressions of emotion but when he met her concerning stare all she saw were his tired eyes. It was frightening. Like he had given up and was done with putting on the brave face for her sake. She prayed that wasn't true or she would surely shatter into a million pieces.

"When I was a young boy," Brax began, talking to the ceiling again.

"I grew up on a farm on the outskirts of Pryden, in the rural area."

And she listened. Opened up her ears, and her heart, and took it all in.

"My parents, Freya and Gerald were poor people. I was their only child. We grew crops and herded sheep and cattle to butcher for the weekly Market. I worked hard for my father and grew up strong and healthy thanks to their fresh food. When I turned ten, my father said I was old enough to attend the Market alone. So, I went with our large bay horse, Tanner, as he pulled the big wooden cart with our produce. And I would sell off it in the middle of the square. I was very charming you see."

Nyrie couldn't stop the little smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. Picturing a young Brax with wild, red hair and his quirky smile. Yes, he would attract all that attention.

"I went alone for two months, and made my father more money going alone, than when he did. My mother was very proud. Until one day, I was stolen away. And never saw them again. I ended up a slave in Mavric Wyatt's Manor. Because I was a tall, strong boy for my age, immediately I was put into the combat training arena to learn to fight, and not in metal collars like the rest of them. Told if I ever tried to escape, my parents would be butchered. So, I focused all my energy, rage, and sadness into becoming the best fighter there could be. Ten long years went by and I became the biggest and strongest fighter Mavric had ever seen."