Chapter 14

When Kol returned from his duties; on the foot of his bed, he found his cape folded neatly with a piece of a delicate flowering vine laying on top. This flower was unfamiliar to him. As he inhaled it’s scent, it struck him that he knew this smell. But the where was lost.

Later that night he woke from sleep with a start, covered in sweat. His heart was racing. When he tried to light his bedside candle, he was shaking so hard the match fell from his hand. Suddenly, his throat and mouth filled with disgust. ‘No, not all over the bed. Or not the floor.’ He told himself. Kessa had suggested he keep a basket close by. ‘Where was it?’

In the dark, about to be sick. ‘Made it.’ To his delight, the floor was cold. It felt good on his distressed body. After he threw up, he was weak. His stomach cramped. There was nothing left in him but he couldn’t stop convulsing. What was around him other than the basket? It was hard to tell in the dark. After frantically feeling around him, nothing was what he found. He tried to smack the floor. Did he? He must have.

Warm hands slid around his body. He couldn’t move. His stomach hurt too much. “My king.” It was Kessa. Praise God it was Kessa. He was able to relax knowing it was her.

When he woke, he was in the bed. His body was sore and stiff. The basket had been switched out for a new one. What had he dreamt about? It couldn’t have been what he ate. Because he hadn’t eaten.

A couple days had passed. He was in the library. A very faint knock filled the room. ‘Knock again,’ he thought. Nothing. He lay down his book and went to the door. A porter was outside. “Did you knock?”

“No, sire. That was Lady Kessa.”

“Will you go get her?”

“Yes, sire.”

He was looking out the window when she was let in. “Please, come in.” The expression on his face was genuine. He was happy to see her. “Will you sit?” He pointed to the two chairs in front of the large desk. “I apologize for earlier. I wasn’t sure I heard your knock.”

“Sorry, my king. I honestly thought you were lost in your work.” She sat down, then he sat as well. Crossing his leg toward her.

“How may I help you?” She pressed her lips together before she spoke. He assumed thinking of the right words to say. He leaned toward her, “say what you need to say.”

“Are you alright?”

The question caught him off guard. He looked down at his hands. “I’m not sure.”

“I, in no way want to overstep my boundaries. I was hesitant about last night.”

‘Tell her the truth.’ He thought. “You and I have been through a lot.”

She smiled, “we have, my king.”

“You are good at your job, Kessa. I know you always have what is best for me in the forefront of your mind. Your presents is always welcomed at my side. Whatever that may be.” There was a moment of silence between them. “Why do you ask this?”

“Being sick, in any form, is a very delicate position to be in. People can use those situations, exploit them. We have never really talked about sickness.” He watched her rub her hands together. “Being in a state of sickness is a very vulnerable position.”

He got up. “I was dreaming. But I have no idea what I was dreaming about.”

“What did you eat before bed?”

He blushed, “nothing.”

She pulled a small box from the large piece of fabric she was wearing. When the material moved, he noticed she was wearing her uniform under it. She stood. “I have had this in the works for some time. With your permission, I would like to try this and see how it works. For situations you get in where you are unable to speak but have access to a hard surface.” She presented him with the box.

Inside was a beautiful medallion. It was just like the coat of arms that hung above the desk. He looked at the one on the wall, then back at the small one in his hand. “This is amazing craftsmanship.”

She was staring at the floor. “Pray we never need it for its intended purpose. Better to have it and not need it then to need it and not have it.”  

“Will you do me the honor?” He handed it back to her. She took it from him putting it around his neck. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath; enjoying the fact that she was so close to him. He realized the flowering vine on his cape smelt like Kessa.

Kol opened his eyes. The room was dark. He fingered the medallion that was laying on his chest.

Chapter 12

Part 2

His soldiers looked on in disbelief. Their young visitor sat back down in defeat eating hungrily. “He is to be fed when we eat.” Kol ordered.

For five days Kessa was gone. At dawn on the sixth day, she walked out of the forest guiding her horse. The young raider waited until she was half way between the forest and the camp before he started walking toward her. When he reached her, they spoke. She gave him something. He didn’t run toward the woods, he walked. And Kessa kept walking toward the camp.

Kol was enraged. He wanted to say harsh words to her but he waited.

She got him and General Marcus alone in Kol’s tent before she spoke. “My original purpose of going into the forest was to ask King Brum’s permission. He was shocked to hear that King Teo was ill. So we went to see for ourselves. There is nothing wrong with the king. He is as healthy as you and I. After I introduced myself to the good king, I told him of the rumor spreading among our people. He assured me there was nothing ill with him or his household.”

“Was that not risky?” General Marcus asked.

“No more risky than taking twenty-five armed men into the Forest of Shadows on a fool’s errand.”

“I’m sure King Teo wasn’t pleased to see raiders.”

“What raiders?” She winked at Kol. “General, are you ready to return home?”

“I was ready before we got here,” he left.

Kol rested his hands on Kessa shoulders, “I was ready to be upset with you.”

“I know, my king.”

“What did you tell Teo?”

“I told him that I was an Ambassador from Mecca there to extend my condolences and well wishes. He thought I had lost my mind. Then I told him about the rumor that spurred my visit.”

“What now?”

“We wait. We wait for rumors to start flying in court about your new female ambassador that charmed the hateful King Teo.” She smiled.

Kol got a wild look on his face, “charmed how?”

She winked at him again, “I did nothing you wouldn’t have done.”

His breathing became shallow. He whispered, “Kes, what did you do?”

“You have nothing to fear my king. How did your conversation with Saka go?”

“How do you know we had a conversation?”

“I gave him special instructions to engage you. Not you specifically.” She corrected herself. “But whomever would answer him.”

Kol was confused. “Why?”

“We are all comfortable in our positions. Max and I have spent hours watching situations to see if you stand out as a target. I wanted a different prospective. Someone who had no idea who you are.”

“And?”

“He had two main ideas; that you had spent a lot of time among the raiders or that you are a tracker.”

Kol nodded. “Why me?” They spoke at the same time, “because I answered him.”

Of course Kessa said ‘you’ instead of ‘I.’

He continued, “tracker sounds nice.”

“I asked him why you stood out, not just because you spoke his language. His only other observation was the way you handled yourself. If he would have done that to a member of his own family, he would have gotten a thrashing. You didn’t get angry, raise your voice, or threaten him with violence. He had the fleeting thought that you might be a priest.”

“What did you give him?”

“Grain. Maybe,” Kessa raised a finger, “if he becomes a farmer; he can inspire a new generation of raiders that don’t necessarily raid.”

Kol smiled, “he held you in high esteem by calling you ‘muktar’.”

“Trust God, he’s got this.” James 4:15