Chapter 16.

By the time everything had been settled and the paperwork signed, Nalick had returned to find Leila already asleep for the night. Leila woke the next morning to Nalick sneaking out of the bed next to her. He did not want to face the wrath of Mauve, but little did he know that Leila already had told Mauve that she had asked him to stay with her at night time. As soon as Nalick noticed he woke her, he sat down next to her.

"Busy day starting already?" Leila asked while yawning. Nalick bent down and kissed her forehead.

"It has not slowed down since we returned, why should today be any different? A kings job is never done," Nalick replied. "I need to oversee advancement day for the military, and I need to pick two more personal guards for you when you leave the palace walls. Seems there is a high price on your head in many countries, and they now know where to find you."

Leila replied, "You know that is just being a bit excessive. I really can handle myself." Nalick knew she could. From all the reports he had read about her, she was probably better than most of the men in his army; since she was a woman, most men would not take her seriously before it was too late. Anatolio told Nalick how she handled the two young men the day before without even breaking a sweat.

"What will you be up to today?" Nalick asked.

Leila thought for a moment, "I don't know, since we finally got rid of Endika."

"Would you like to come with me?" he quickly asked.

Leila shrugged. "Sure," she replied. Beats sitting around here, she thought. Nalick was nervous but happy to be spending more time with her.

Nalick escorted Leila to the training courtyard. It was already filled with men of various ages. Leila watched as a line of men were getting numbers painted on their shoulders. Leila and Nalick stood together on a balcony that looped around three sides of the courtyard giving them a view of the whole courtyard.

"I will choose the top eight to spare with me tomorrow so that I can truly gauge how good they are," Nalick explained as Leila eyed him over. A normal king would never put himself in such danger of getting hurt. "Once I get everything going, I will come back up here with you to watch."

Leila waved across the way on the balcony to Anatolio who stood in the shadows. Catching her wave, Anatolio bowed his head to her. Leila sat on the edge of the balcony with her legs dangling over the side. She was happy to be outside and away from her room. The group of men broke up into smaller groupsas they started to put on protective clothing. She smiled down at Nalick as he made his way through the crowd back to the staircase. Leila remembered one of these events from a previous courier assignment.

Leila rested her chin on her arms that were sitting crossed on the railing. Quickly, she scanned each group and had determined the winners of each match up. To her left was a group of men with red numbers. One looked very familiar. When Leila gazed back across the way she could tell Anatolio was also carefully watching the same man fight. Once everyone had fought once, Leila turned to Nalick who was studying her as much as he was the soldiers below.

"Red fourteen, red twenty-six, and blue sixty-two are the best," Leila said. "Though I doubt blue sixty-two will make it to lunch today." Nalick scanned the crowds below and found the man she was talking about. He watched as he was easily beat time and time again. As Nalick looked for the other numbers, he recognized the faces. They were already officers in the army, but they had entered anyways because Nalick was looking for more personal guards. Everyone in high-ranking positions was looking for a way to gain closer access to him in hopes of becoming an aid to the king.

"Why blue sixty-two?" Nalick asked.

"He is thinking too much. When he finally figures out how to just react rather than think, he will be better than most of the people that are down below," Leila explained. Her analysis was exactly correct.

"So what about you," Nalick said; she turned to him, giving him a questioning look. "Where would you fit down there?" Nalick was curious about all the combat reports on the ghost courier. Leila smiled coyly.

Nalick gazed down at all the men still fighting. "Which could you beat?"

"The list would be much shorter if I could name the ones that I might not be able to beat," Leila responded while turning to gauge each man again. Nalick grinned. He figured that much but wanted to see how modest she would be. Leila caught his smile and asked, "So when you do this, you personally fight each of the top men? Have you ever been beaten?" She tried to turn the tables on him.

"Once or twice," he responded nonchalantly.

"Tomorrow should be interesting then," she replied. Watching the men below, her gaze stopped on number fourteen, the man who looked like Anatolio. His style was quite similar to Erich's and Leila doubted she would be able to beat him, but the rest were less impressive.

Somewhere in the crowd below a whistle was blown to indicate it was lunchtime. Reluctantly, the soldiers quit fighting. Leila joined Nalick back in their room.

"What about the guy that I saw that looks like Anatolio?" Leila asked.

"That is his oldest half-brother, Nikias. He actually commands quite a large portion of the army already. I have a feeling he is here because he wants to additionally have the post of watching over you. I am sure that is why Pallas, another half-brother is here also," Nalick explained.

"Nikias is very good," Leila said. "Anatolio acts like he has no family. He always seems to be following me, day or night."

"He has just his mother who refuses to leave her job as a maid to one of the cities nobles. So I gave him an apartment in the palace when I asked Anatolio to come work for me. His father's family, including his half-brothers, does not acknowledge him at all as being part of their family. Basically he is an illegitimate child and will not inherit any title or money from his father. That will all go to his half-brothers," Nalick explained.

After they were finished eating, Nalick asked, "So I was wondering," he paused and stopped talking trying to formulate his thoughts. Leila watched him search for words. She knew what he wanted to ask but was finding it fun to watch him unable to talk.

"I didn't think you ever got tongue tied," Leila said to him leaning in to distract him with a kiss. Pulling away she caught a slight blush in Nalick's cheeks. "So you want to know if the rumors about me are true? No, I can't sail a ship on my own, nor can I fly like a bird. Also I can't disappear into thin air." Leila watched him smile as she named off myths she had heard about herself over the years. "Can I really fight?" Nalick nodded his head. As he had watched her over the days, he began to doubt how true it was. She had such a kind heart that he could not imagine her actually hurting another person.

"It's just that," he paused again.

"I don't need to actually harm someone to win. Erich did not take no for an answer. He wanted me to be able to protect myself, and in the last few years it has really come in handy. Trust me, I don't periodically get sewn up by Roger because I think it is fun to get stitches in me," she chuckled. A knock at the door interrupted them to go to the next round of trials for the guard posts.

Nalick walked with Leila to a different wing of the palace. Instead of the wide-open courtyard, they went to a room that had a stage down in the front of it. The seats that they passed were on an angle sloped down towards the stage so that everyone seated would have a good view of the event. On the stage to the right were empty seats at a table. Nalick led the way past all the seated men and took Leila to the front of the room.

"I would like to hear your opinion on each of the match ups after they are done," he said to her quietly before walking down to the front of the stage to confer with the judges.

Anatolio stood silently behind Leila. Leila motioned for him to come near. Anatolio approached Leila and kneeled beside her.

"Have you ever fought Nalick before?" Leila asked curiously.

"Once," Anatolio replied not elaborating as Leila wished because Nalick returned to the stage. The men in the room all quieted down.

"This afternoon we will have twenty-eight match-ups. We matched everyone based on their skill, rank, and position they are trying for. As many of you suspected, there will be an additional round tomorrow," Nalick began as a murmur spread through the crowd. "I will be choosing the top eight from today to continue tomorrow with the chance for posts as personal guards." Leila watched as the men who were not fighting seemed to be disappointed they did not do better earlier.

"Then let's begin with the first match," Nalick said as two people rose and walked onto the stage as Nalick returned to Leila's side. "Pull up a chair," Nalick said to Anatolio who shook his head no and returned to his spot behind Leila. Nalick turned to Leila. "Tomorrow's top eight is your choice."

"I have to choose from the men fighting?" she asked.

"Any of the people here," Nalick replied.

"You really are going to let me choose?" Leila asked again.

"Yes. They are going to be your guards, so it is your choice," he replied.

"Then do I also get to test their strength tomorrow?" She smiled sweetly trying to get her way.

"Prove to me tonight you should test them, then sure," Nalick smiled back at her.

Not a problem, Leila thought before settling in to watch the men fight.

"Who do you think was the best today?" Leila asked Anatolio after all the matches were finished as they waited for Nalick to finish with the judges.

"Nikias," Anatolio replied. "But I didn't expect it to be any other way."

"Do you know your brother well?" Leila asked.

"He is a good man and an excellent fighter. I heard a rumor once in practice he actually beat Nalick. I just wish I could have been there to see it." Anatolio realized Leila was watching him intently as he talked. "So you know who he is?"

"Yes, but I didn't need Nalick to tell me. You look very much like him," she replied.

"So I have been told by those that don't fear his family." Anatolio watched his older brother walk away. "He is the only decent one in the group."

"How many other half siblings do you have?" Leila wondered.

"Six, but I was raised by my mother as an only child," Anatolio explained.

Nalick returned to Leila and Anatolio. "So do you still want to show me that you should be the one testing them tomorrow?"

"Of course," Leila replied.

"Then follow me." Nalick led Leila to the vacant courtyard. As it was now late afternoon, the sun was casting shadows over most of the yard. They would be all alone as everyone had returned to their homes. Underneath one of the balconies, Nalick opened a door to a storage room. He rummaged through a stack of clothing on one of and shelves and found some that would fit not only himself but also Leila.

"If you put this on, it should protect you from getting any cuts from the weapons. The blades are dulled but it still can hurt," Nalick explained as Leila fingered the fabric. Leila raised her eyebrows at the thought. "I'm afraid we don't have any shoes small enough for you though."

"I prefer to be barefoot," she replied.

"You can change in here," Nalick told her while picking up a box of weapons before leaving the small room.

Leila quickly changed. The clothing fit her, but it was not as light as she was used to. She walked back out to the courtyard to find Nalick had also changed and sitting on the ground stretching. She sat down beside him and began to quickly braid her hair to keep it out of the way. Nalick watched in awe as she began to stretch to the left and right. He had never met someone quite as flexible. She stood and easily put her elbows on the ground in front of her; she reversed the motion, stretching backwards until her hands were on the ground behind her. She easily kicked her legs up until she was standing on her hands. A little stiff, she thought shifting her weight from hand to hand. It had been many days since she had last trained. Normally by now she would have been on another assignment and trained for two straight days to be prepared. After she was done, Leila walked over to the box to see the kinds of weapons she had to choose from. Nalick joined her.

"Practice blades," he explained.

"What? Are your people not skilled enough to practice without actually hitting the other person?" Leila teased.

"Some are not, but in our case, I don't need to get in any more trouble with Mauve," Nalick said. Leila chuckled, picturing an angry Mauve yelling at Nalick for a tiny scratch.

"Fine," she replied while sulking. She looked though the weapons, but none would work for her. Most were too heavy or bulky. She had focused her training without weapons as a courier did not routinely carry one on assignments. Her strength came from her maneuverability and as such she would need to choose a weapon that would still allow her to do that. After looking through everything, she settled on a set of four daggers. Three of the daggers were normal size and the fourth was a little larger. Nalick watched her choice. Daggers were a choice for someone that was quick, not for someone who was powerful. Nalick chose a single double-sided blade that was almost the length of his arm. Leila quickly strapped one dagger to her ankle, thigh, and upper arm. Nalick looked as the arrangement and was confused.

Leila smiled at his confusion. "I don't really have a preference for left or right hand," she explained. Nalick nodded. She was trained better than he had expected. "Shall we begin?"

For over an hour Anatolio watched as Nalick and Leila fought, evenly dancing from side to side of the courtyard. In the beginning Leila tested Nalick to get his reactions. She even gave him openings to win, but he was smart enough not to take them. As the fight progressed, Anatolio could tell she was very well trained. Even though Nalick was stronger and better with his weapon, Leila's stamina and analytical skills compensated for the difference between them.

After a while, nonetheless, Leila could feel the muscle in her hip start to get sore. Leila had told Roger she was fine, but she had not put it to such a harsh physical test since she had been hurt. However, her hand was holding up better than she had expected. After analyzing each move, Leila found a pattern to Nalick and possibly a way to compensate. Since her hip was getting worse, she decided to try it. Moving into position, she began her attack. Before Leila could finish the move, she was flat on the ground and Nalick's sword was at her neck. She chuckled as he dropped his sword and lay down next to her. Winded, he heaved deep breaths while Leila lay quietly, analyzing what went wrong. Nalick was amazed Leila was not tired.

"You could have won if you didn't try to end it so soon. I'm beat," Nalick said. He was impressed. She was much better than anyone had ever said.

"I figured you would be too stubborn to give up even if you were tired," Leila replied.

"You finished this for me?" he asked. "You are really amazing."

"And weapons are not even my specialty," Leila said back. Nalick rolled over and stared at her.

"Once I catch my breath I would like to see how well you fight without them then," he said, taking in gulps of air.

"So did I earn the right to test the men tomorrow?" she asked.

"Yes, that is for sure," Nalick said smiling at her and slowing standing for a second round.

"Really?" Leila asked. He was still out of breath but would not quit. "I'll make this quick then." Leila stood in front of Nalick. "Ready?" Reluctantly he nodded his head, unsure if he should back out while he still could. Leila tested, and Nalick was an easy read without weapons to hide behind. Within two minutes she had Nalick pinned to the ground with her bare foot on his neck. Leila bent over to offer him a hand to stand up, and Nalick instead pulled her down on top of him.

"I don't ever remember being taken down so quickly and certainly not by someone even half my weight," he said in awe, finally catching his breath.

"I told you it was my specialty," she said. Leila felt her heart begin to beat faster as she lay on top of Nalick. Beneath her she could feel that his heart was also beating fast, but she did not know if it was from the previous match or the same reason hers beat so fast. Nalick did not let go of her waist keeping her pinned to him.

"I would like to try again sometime when I am not as tired," Nalick said while gently tugging her braid. Leila bent down so that her face was only a breath away from his. She stared into his eyes, contemplating making the first move. Nalick's eyes were warm and inviting, so she gently pressed her lips to his. Nalick responded by also gently kissing her in return. His hands rested peacefully on her hips and he felt that he was finally winning her over completely.

"The result will be the same," she said with a grin. Nalick wanted to reply back, but it was probably true. Unwillingly she stood. Lying in the sand in the middle of the practice was not the place to continue playing.

Nalick waited for Leila to change. Anatolio was still keeping guard and had watched the whole match. Nalick walked over next to him and sat on the staircase beside the younger man.

"So what do you think?" Nalick asked Anatolio.

"She truly is amazing," Anatolio replied.

"Better than me?" Nalick asked.

Leila exited the storeroom to find the two men sitting on the staircase to the upper balcony. They both beamed as she approached. The men escorted Leila back to her room where she could barely contain the excitement from the afternoon. Her practice with Nalick was the first time since Erich died that she fought someone that she could not beat easily. After Leila's long bath, Nalick was sitting on the balcony where he normally found her. Leila sat down next to him.

"So was I everything your scouts told you I was?" Leila asked.

"Much, much more," Nalick replied while wrapping the blanket that was around him around her also. "You must have trained for years." Leila moved close to him so that his arm was draped gently around her shoulders. She would not object to continuing their play from earlier.

"I trained almost daily. The couriers at Rogers are not especially good at fighting, so we train more than normal. If they were, I guess they would not be couriers," she laughed. "Now do you believe me that I don't need more guards?"

"I always knew that, but I would feel better if you had more men watching out for you," Nalick said.

"Why are you so worried?" Leila asked. She searched his face, trying to predict his response.

"I got a letter from Roger yesterday. He said that Jahangir has a plan to take you, but Roger did not know the details. All he knows is Jahangir has men in the city, and they are all working to find a successful way to take you to Jahangir." Nalick truly feared losing the woman sitting next to him.

"I will be fine," she replied. Leila also feared being taken from Nalick by Jahangir. Though she was afraid to tell Nalick, she loved him and did not want her love life to repeat itself. Trying her best to hide her own fears, Leila stood. "I better get some rest for tomorrow," she said cheerily. Nalick could see the hesitation in her eyes at the mention of Jahangir, but as easily as she worried, she was fine again. Nalick could not be as easily calmed. He stood and followed her to bed.

Leila was still sore from their practice and could not fall instantly to sleep like Nalick. She quietly rolled over and watched him sleeping next to her. Gently she touched his face and he did not wake. His tan, olive toned skin was a stark contrast to the man she once loved. Everything about Nalick was different from Erich, and yet she was attracted to him. Leila softly traced Nalick features. He looked so peaceful while asleep. Cautiously she picked up his right arm and looked at the lines. Slowly she turned his palm over the looked at the words. From her studying, she could make out many of the letters.

Why me? she wondered. Of everyone in the world, Nalick chose me. As she studied his hand, she failed to notice he had woken. He in turn just watched as she was intently tracing the lines on his arm. Following the lines up his arm, she finally noticed him watching her.

"Sorry," she whispered. "I didn't mean to wake you." Nalick did not mind being woke up by such a beautiful smile.

Nalick reached over and pulled Leila half way on top of him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement. Quickly he turned to see Mauve sitting in the corner of the room. He could not tell if she were awake or asleep.

"She has been there every night," Leila explained. "Since I told her I wanted you to stay, she decided we needed to be watched so that we behave." Nalick smiled and pulled the covers over their heads so that they were out of Mauve's view. Quickly he kissed Leila as he could hear Mauve standing. Mauve was awake.

"Nalick," she said sternly. Nalick pulled the covers back down and looked innocently at Mauve before settling down to go back to sleep.