"First, Kay will be set free," Leila began her demands as she continued to pace. "You will send no men to follow her. Kay will be allowed to return to our home alone. Second, I will not be your prize. I do not want to be treated as an object placed in the palace as an ornament. I will be free to come and go as I please." Leila paused to give Nalick time to object. He did not so she continued. "Third, you will take no other wives beside me. In my culture, we do not believe a man can marry more than one woman at a time. What you Lior nobles do is disrespectful. Fourth, there must be love. We do not marry unless we are in love where I come from. I will not marry a man I do not love, no matter what we agree now."

"Anything else you can think of at the moment?" he asked.

"You will free Kay right now." Leila checked his response to see if he would not follow through.

"Then it is settled." Nalick waved to Theo to come over to him. He took Theo's keys and unlocked the chains around her wrists and waist.

"I will take you to your room where you can have supper," Nalick turned from the balcony and led Leila to the staircase.

Stunned, Leila silently followed him. This time, instead of stopping on the fifth floor, they continued up one more flight of stairs. The doors to this floor were blocked by four men. They all stood and bowed as Nalick drew near. The doors opened to another hallway. Nalick led her to the left. At the end of the hallway, he opened the doors.

"This will be your quarters," he explained as Leila walked past him into the room. "My room will be at the other end of the hall," he added as Leila gazed around the room in awe.

Leila had thought the room downstairs was ornate, but that room was nothing compared to this one. The new room was at least ten times the size of the room down below and the ceiling was over two floors tall. The right side of the room was open to a balcony along the entire wall. In the middle of the room was a large bed with a sheer curtain attached to the ceiling, allowing the bed to be encased by a light blue haze. Near the bed was a fireplace with a chimney that reached up into the ceiling. Directly to her left was a table with eight chairs sitting on the back side of the fireplace. The left wall had two doors in it. Windows surrounded all the walls. Several chairs and couches were placed around the room. Everything was made of the finest wood and fabric. As Leila looked around the room, there was nothing familiar or even similar to the home she grew up in. Could this really feel like a home? she thought to herself.

"Can I say goodbye to Kay?" Leila asked.

"No. I will not take the chance of the two of you being together without you being locked up. For the time being, if you need anything, Theo lives in the first room on the right," Nalick said, pointing to the door right outside the one they just came through. "If that is all, I will be back in an hour to finalize our deal."

Nalick shut the door behind him. Leila walked back into the room. It was night outside again. She walked to the balcony and sat down near the railing, resting her head on the rail. Across the city indoor lights were on. From her viewpoint, not only was the sky cover with stars, but the ground was too. Leila gazed up into the sky and looked for the constellations she knew. Something about the twinkle of little lights in the sky made her feel better.

Am I making the right choice? she asked herself.

The stars had always been her guide in life. When Kay left, Leila would be all alone with only the stars as her friends. Leila glanced down at the north gate and could see it opening. Though she could not see well enough to tell who the people were, she was sure Kay was leaving. Leila sighed. If this doesn't work, you can always leave, she reassured herself. Tears began to trickle down her face. She sat on the balcony until there was a knock at her door again.

"Nalick asked us to ask you to please join him in his office," Theo said smiling at the fact Nalick did not order Leila but rather asked.

Following Theo down the hallway, Leila entered the office alone. Nalick was at a large desk that was covered with various papers. He smiled kindly as she entered. His smile made him even more handsome than he already was. Leila still was confused on how she felt about the man in front of her. He let Kay go, but was still the man holding her captive. Leila cautiously walked over to his desk and sat down across from him, not smiling back.

He handed her a piece of paper.

"Please read this over," Nalick asked. "I think I remembered everything I agreed to before. If you would like to add anything, just go ahead." He handed her a pen. "You can always add more later, of course. All I ask in return is that you marry me. If at any time I break my end of the deal, you are free to walk out of here without any explanation and disappear to where ever you go to when you leave kings. I promise I will not follow or hunt you down. Your friend has been freed and on her way home." He smiled at her again, "do we have a deal?"

"Yes," Leila replied, still not smiling back. Kay was safe, and that was all that mattered.

"Now, for your end of the deal," Nalick paused, not wanting to do what he had to do next. Two men moved into the room and began to set up equipment on Nalick's desk while Nalick stayed out of their way and leaned against a window.

"Each noble family has a specific emblem. All family members of each family have this mark on their back. To be part of my family, this sign," he pointed to the crest on the letter he had just handed Leila, "Will need to be etched into the skin on your back." Leila nodded her head even though he was not finished. "Also, to be a royal." Nalick pulled up his sleeve to show the intricate design that started at the palm of his right hand and continued up his forearm.

"This is the custom that must take place before I am presented to the priests," Leila guessed.

"Yes," Nalick said, waiting to see if Leila would refuse. "If you would like to wait a few days that would be okay," he offered not wanting to wait, but also trying to avoid getting on her bad side.

"No, we can do it now," Leila said handing back the paper. She already knew that he would request she get permanent lines on her shoulder and arm. It was a well-known Lior tradition. Leila turned to the working men.

"The procedure can be very painful. We have two ways to deal with the pain. The first is a cream that numbs the area that is going to be worked on. The other method is we can use some pills to make you fall asleep. That way you only wake up with a sore arm, but you don't have to feel the pain," the younger of the two men explained.

"Neither," Leila replied. Drugs commonly used to make people fall asleep did not work on her and she had had more than her share of pain over the years and was used to it.

"My Lord," the young man questioned Nalick.

"Do as she wishes," Nalick ordered though he too was worried.

"First, we need to match up your left arm with King Nalick's right arm," the old man said.

Nalick moved near Leila. Instinctively she jumped back a little as he neared. Only Nalick noticed. He sat down beside her and laid his right arm on the desk. The old man took Leila's arm and placed it on top of Nalick's. Leila tried to ignore the warmth of his arm beneath hers. The man quickly sketched the same pattern on Leila's arm matching it up exactly with Nalick's.

"Thank you," he said to Nalick who quickly stood up and returned to the window sill.

What am I getting myself into? she thought watching the man finish the pattern.

"Now, to the shoulder," the man pointed to her left shoulder.

Leila stood up and turned her chair around. She sat back down straddling the chair carefully and unbuttoned her dress slightly to let the back piece fall, exposing her shoulder. The skin on her shoulder was much more sensitive than on her arm, but Leila held her face completely still. The old man finished drawing and began setting out bottles of liquids in a variety of colors.

"Are you sure you don't want anything for the pain?" the old man asked kindly.

"No, thank you," Leila responded.

The old man and his apprentice began their work. The pain simultaneously shot through her arm and shoulder. Leila tried her best to not wince or to let the tears come out that she felt building behind her eyes. She refused to let on that she could be hurt. Instead, Leila stared straight ahead at Nalick. Nalick did not break his gaze with Leila. The two men continued to work for hours and Leila and Nalick continued to silently stare at each other. Gently, the old man wrapped her hand in a cold cloth and then placed another rag over her shoulder, which was burning more than her hand which signaled the end of the procedure.

"Anything else?" Leila asked. Nalick shook his head no.

Leila walked back into her room, pushed the curtain aside that surrounded the bed, and laid down.

Three hours, she thought. What did I just get myself committed to? Leila sat up and stretched her hand beneath the cloth. With every little movement, she could feel each spot she had been pricked. Leila looked around the room but decided to not move. She laid down on her stomach being sure not to move or touch her left arm or shoulder. It was not long before she fell asleep.

Chapter 5.

Leila could hear soft footsteps as someone entered the room. Although she did not open her eyes, she could see the faint light of day time. Leila wanted to just sleep and forget the past two days, but her hand was still throbbing from the night before. The person who entered did not make any noise beyond the quiet walking across the room to the bed.

If I just keep my eyes shut, maybe they will go away, Leila tried to not to move. The swish of the curtain told her the person was near. Leila felt the person sit down on the edge of the bed. Leila waited but the person did not leave. She slowly opened her eyes to unexpectedly find Nalick, not a servant of his, sitting on the end of the bed.

"Did I wake you?" Nalick asked softly, the tone of his voice and the look in his eyes was not the man she stood before two days earlier. Leila did not answer, mesmerized by his deep brown eyes and kind smile. He was much more handsome when he wasn't angry at her.

"I brought you this," Nalick said as he held out a small jar as a peace offering. "It will help the swelling go down from last night."

Nalick cautiously moved closer. Leila did not move but curiously watched him as he shifted closer and tenderly unwrapped the cloth from around her hand. He opened the jar and gently rubbed the cream over the black lines that crisscrossed her hand and arm. Immediately, the burning feeling was gone. While he was busy concentrating on her hand, Leila took the moment to study him. The young king was physically much larger than any of the other older kings she had met over the years. The tales Leila had heard of him leading his army into war were most likely not just tales. Today, though, Nalick appeared more real, not like the authority figure she met on her first night in the palace. His hair that had been pulled back from his face before fell loosely almost to his shoulders. His concern for her was drawn all over his face. He turned her arm over softly and began massaging the cream on the inside lines also. He was gentle with his calloused, warrior hands.

"If you put this on a couple more times, the swelling and pain will be gone for good," Nalick explained finally looking up at her. Leila dropped her eyes to her hand also.

"Would you like me to also put it on your shoulder?" he asked.

"Yes," she responded moving her hair. Nalick began rubbing the cream over the mark on her back. Leila involuntarily shivered as tingles went down her toes. A man so fierce could be so gentle.

"Excuse me," a woman's voice said from behind the bed.

Startled, Leila quickly turned around to see an old woman dressed in a dark purple dress with a crisp, white shirt underneath. Curiously Leila looked around the room. She had not heard anyone enter from the heavy front doors that led into the room. Nalick offered Leila his hand to help her out of the bed. Once Leila stood, she realized the old lady was giving Nalick a stern gaze; Leila had to keep herself from laughing. A tiny woman would be giving a man almost three times her size a strict look was amusing.

"Leila, this is Mauve," Nalick introduced the lady. "She is responsible for taking care of you." Mauve still glared at Nalick but gave a quick curtsy to Leila.

"Nothing was happening," Nalick explained to Mauve. "I was just putting cream on her arm and back to ease the pain." Mauve still didn't look like she believed him. "Really I was not trying to do anything but help her."

"It is improper for you to see your future bride before we have had time to dress her for the day," Mauve moved over and began pushing Nalick out of the room. "Now that you have woken her, we will get her ready for the day." Nalick was pushed out the door.

"Sorry, dear," Mauve said to Leila. "I knew you had a rough night, and I was trying to let you get your rest. He snuck in when I had just left the room for a moment. He was raised to have manners and trust me dear he does, but sometimes I just need to remind him." Leila liked this woman.

"There is breakfast on the table," Mauve said pointing to the table filled with every breakfast food Leila had ever seen. "I didn't know what you ate for breakfast, so I had them make a little of everything."

After she ate, servants bathed Leila and returned her to Mauve for inspection. Leila had never been cleaner, so Mauve would have no complaints.

"Theo and Macarius should be here soon to escort you to the priests," Mauve said as Leila passed inspection. "I'm so glad you decided to stay dear. You look absolutely beautiful. It is nice to finally have a woman back in Nalick's life." Mauve and the servants left the room.

Leila walked out onto the balcony to wait. She could feel the hot breeze blow her way even though she was standing in the shadows. Why would anyone purposely build a city in the middle of a hot desert? she questioned. Leila grew up in a valley in between two of the largest mountains in the range. The days were typically warm, but there was always cool breeze. A hot breeze was not much of a breeze at all. Can I really get use to this? she wondered sitting down on the balcony rail. Leila gazed over the rail and could see the city below. People and carts moved around on the streets below. Free. She had lost her freedom to run regardless of the open windows and balcony.

"My lady," Theo approached from inside the room. "Nalick is meeting with the priests right now. He requested that we kindly ask you to join him," Theo said with a smile as he offered her his hand.

"Does he still think I am going to run?" Leila asked her two armed escorts as they led her out of the room.

"Are you?" asked Macarius. While Theo seemed to have a kind disposition towards Leila, Macarius seemed more cautious of accepting her.

"I don't know," Leila told the truth, but Macarius did not seem to appreciate it.

Leila walked the rest of the way in silence. Nalick beamed as she approached. She was more beautiful than he could imagine. Dressed in a long green dress that complimented her red hair, Leila looked the part of the queen. Mauve, as always, had done an excellent job.

"Didn't know I cleaned up so well?" she joked. He doesn't clean up too badly either, she thought.

A priest stood in the doorway and coughed to get her attention. Nalick gave her one last look before she faded from his view into the private chambers of the priests.

The meeting was brief as Leila was grilled by the priest elders. They asked questions about everything from her parents and background to her time and date of birth. Each priest had their own objective, but Leila could not figure out what they wanted to know.

After the priests left the room, Leila turned to Nalick. All the questioning of the priests made her think of her own questions for Nalick. "I still don't understand. You know very little about me and yet, want to marry me. Isn't every women of marry age waiting for you? You must have over a hundred noble women to choose from. Why do you want me?"

"I was five or six when you were born." Nalick stood up and walked over to one of the windows. "You were seen as a prize." Leila joined him by the window. Nalick chuckled to himself, "I guess you still are by most of those kings."

Nalick seemed to be caught in how to say the next part. "Lior has had its problems over the years. The nobles and their factions often feuded between each other. The poor fight with the nobles and the nobles fight amongst themselves. Twice while I have been king neighboring countries have taken advantage of the turmoil within Lior, to attack us. I was eighteen when I led my first army to defend our country. Before I even became king, the older priest you met just now told my father how he could stop all this internal fighting." Leila waited for the answer she guessed was coming.

"It was you." Nalick took Leila's hand and walked her back near the bench. "My father sent scouts each spring up to the North Country to find you. It was years before the scouts came back with news about you. But it was too late. Roger of Whitmore Valley already found you."

Leila sat back down on the bench with Nalick close beside her. Roger was the man that took her in and trained her to be a courier. He was the manager of the courier station at Whitmore Valley. It began to make sense to Leila now. She had always wondered why Roger allowed her to start training at the age of twelve when everyone had to wait until they were fourteen.

"I was king by the time the scouts actually found you again. By the time we finally figured out which courier was you, kidnapping you would not work. Why do you think the first thing Roger probably taught you was how to escape?" Leila could remember the harsh years of training to escape any situation.

"Since no one would be able to touch you while under his protection, we waited for you to start assignments. That would not work either. You were always accompanied by Erich who was just as good at protecting you as Roger was himself." Nalick wanted to reach over and touch her just to hold her hand, but she was far too scared of him still. "When Erich died, Roger could not protect you anymore. You began taking the hardest missions. So we made a deal with Roger. If he promised to send you on any assignment that would take you to Lexia, then we would make sure you could get out of any trouble you got into elsewhere." Nalick waited for her to respond.

"Roger agreed to a deal like that?" Leila asked in disbelief.

"He didn't have much of a choice. With every noble out there wanting to marry you, he found no other way to protect you. We were basically the only ally he had that did not want to force you into marriage at the time. The priests here felt the best approach was to wait for you to come to us.

"I was completely happy waiting for you. I have never wanted to get married. I watched my mother in an unhappy marriage. But everything changed. I was in Dria when I briefly saw you. You caught me off guard as you made no noise. I thought I was seeing a wood sprite."

Leila thought back to that day. She had stopped at a creek to fill her water flask when she noticed it led to a small pond. Leila spent over thirty minutes gazing over the edge of a rock at the large colorful fish swimming at the bottom of the pond when she noticed she was being watched herself. As soon as she realized who it was, she quickly disappeared into the forest.

"Did you realize that Roger was no longer giving you assignments in Lexia? Somehow that man knew I was planning to keep you here, and he did his best to prevent you from coming here." Nalick rose and walked back to the window. Nalick paused and then came back to her. Tentatively he took her hands in his waiting for her to protest. "You may think I know nothing about you, but that is not true. I know you much better than you think. I know there will never be a better woman for me than you. If you give me a chance, I can make you happy," he promised her.

Leila didn't know what to think. His hands were warm against hers and she could slightly feel the blood beating. As she stared into the eyes of the man before her, he was the first man in a long time that saw her not for the symbol she was, but as the person she was.

Can I trust him? she asked herself.

"But why me?" Leila whispered to him.

"Since I was a child I asked the same question. What was so special about this girl everyone was searching for? You're not afraid of me. I deal with people all day and have never met a woman who was as bold as you were. The strength and intelligence you have in just your little finger is more than any noble woman in the country has in their whole body. You make me a better person. I will try my best to match you and hope that I will never disappoint you, because I know how quickly you will be gone if I do," he chuckled.

Leila did not have time to respond as the three priests from earlier returned.

"We have decided," the elder priest said to Nalick. "If you would please join us, everyone has been waiting." Theo and Macarius stood on either side of a balcony holding open a curtain. Nalick walked through first with the priests. Through the small opening, Leila could see there was a crowd gathered below. Leila waited behind.

"What is happening now?" Leila whispered to Theo as Nalick stood beside the priests.

"It is customary to announce the engagement of the king to the people of the city," Theo explained. "When you step out, to your right will be about forty people seated on a lower balcony. They are the representatives from each of the noble families," he explained to her.

"Today is a glorious day," the elder priest began, "our King Nalick has finally chosen to marry. We have consulted the stars and met with the future bride. With great pleasure I get to introduce our future queen, Queen Eia." There was a hushed silence over the crowd as Theo pointed to Leila to enter. Nalick offered his hand to Leila stepping up onto the balcony. Below hundreds of faces stared up at her.

"I thought part of our deal was not being made into an object," Leila whispered to Nalick.

"Sorry. This is all part of tradition," he replied.

The silent mass waited as the elder priest continued. "The wedding will take place three months from the day after tomorrow." The crowd erupted into applause and cheers while the nobles sat silently.

"You can't please everyone," Nalick whispered in her ear waving to the peoples and then turning her back into the room. "I need to stay here for a little bit." He stopped in the doorway, "Theo and Macarius will escort you back to your room. Just don't get lost on the way," he winked.

Leila waited in the doorway to her room until she heard both Macarius and Theo leave. Quietly she walked and back down the staircase. The guards at the entrance to the floor were startled to see her. She smiled and let herself by them. Retracing her steps from the first day Leila was escorted through the palace, she looked for the garden. After several wrong turns, she found the garden door. No one was guarding the door as she quietly slipped in. She sat down on a small patch of grass. It had been two weeks since she came to Lexia with Kay. Though the city was familiar and felt like a second home to her, in her mind nothing could compare to the forests that lined the mountains of the North Country. Leila was getting sick of all the sand, but yet here in the garden she could faintly be reminded of home. She leaned against the tree and closed her eyes. The breeze was still warm, not cool like she had hoped, but the grass between her fingers would have to be the best comfort she would get out of this place. Leila heard the click of a door and immediately hid herself behind the largest tree in the garden.

"But Momma," a girl complained to an older woman, "if he has chosen a bride, why can't I get married to someone else?"

"King Nalick is king and can take as many wives as he wants. Trust me dear, father will get him to take you on as his head wife," the older woman commented as she continued to lead the younger girl through the garden.

"But doesn't the head wife belong to the first wife?" the girl stopped thinking of questions and began to twirl her hair.

"Emma, don't dawdle. This girl he has chosen is not of noble birth." The older lady grabbed her daughter's hand away from her hair and pulled her the rest of the way through the garden.

The nobles were not as welcoming as the people had been and now she knew why. They still had hopes to get their daughters on the throne.