To Stand Beside Her (35 page)

“Who is Marx?” Nalick asked Roger.
“Besides a courier from Canor.”

“You really want to know?” Roger asked. Nalick nodded. “Marx was the first person to ever propose to Leila.” Roger chuckled as he watched Nalick’s expression.

“So she was going to marry him?” Nalick asked with a tone of jealousy.

“No, no,” Roger replied; Nalick gave a sigh of relief. “She has had over a dozen marriage proposals over the years. His was simply the start of it. But if you ask me he was quite foolish. First, you don’t ask a fourteen-year-old girl to marry you, especially when you are eight years older than her, and second, you should ask a girl that is actually interested in boys. At fourteen, Leila was still running wild. She wanted to be riding in the wind more than chasing after boys.”

“She seems to know him quite well,” Nalick commented.

“She should.
He has been doing the same job as her for as many years.
After Erich died, I taught him a little bit of first aid since he was always the one bringing her home when she couldn’t make it on her own.
And times she came back on her own, he would stop by and check to make sure she made it,” Roger explained.

Leila listened to the men continue to talk about Marx.
Where would I be right now if I had said
‘
yes
,’
she wondered.
Would I have a family?
Would I still be working?
Then she paused as small tears formed in the corner of her eyes.
Would Erich still be alive now?
Leila did not like questions she could not answer.

Leila closed her eyes and listened to a bird singing in the trees. Roger drove the cart directly to Lou’s and tied the horses up. Leila watched as people bustled through the city. As people passed by, she recognized a number of faces from Lexia.
So the army came here to wait
, she thought. Leila turned to Nalick who was busy helping Roger. As Leila turned back to watch the people passing, someone hopped into the cart with her.

“You know they all stand out like a sore thumb,” Marx complained as he sat next to Leila.
“Feeling better
kitten
?”

“Yes.
I truly believe Roger can fix anything,” Leila commented.

“One, two, three,” Marx pointed to the men he was counting and was correct.
“I think you might need to teach lessons while you are locked up in the palace.”

“
Ugh, don’t remind me of my new sentence.
Have you ever tried to teach a soldier how to fit in?”
Leila asked.
“There is a reason why these men joined the army
,
and it wasn’t to fade into the background.”

Leila stopped joking and looked at Marx. Marx was his normal happy-go-lucky self. Even after she had told him she didn’t want to marry him, she noticed he wasn’t saddened or even mad. He just smiled and said, “One day you’ll regret it.” Leila wished every man she had turned down was so easy to deal with. Marx noticed her quietness. Leila grabbed his hand and stopped his counting.

“Thank you,”
Leila
said to him.
“I might not have made it out of there alive this time
.
”

Marx gently patted her head.
“You would have been fine.
I know it.
You are stronger than you think.
I wish I could stay and keep you company, but I am sure to get an earful when I get home late.
You’re not the best excuse to tell the wife.”
Leila laughed.
“Now please, give it a rest and stay in Lexia.
If I have to run out to rescue you again, I will have to sleep outside for weeks
,
not just
for a night
.”

“Don’t you already sleep outside?” Leila asked.
Marx’s wife was not a fan of their friendship.

“I mean it.
For once in your life, just relax and get better,” Marx begged.
“Let that man you love
,
over there
,
take care of you.”
Nalick was trying to discreetly hide his obvious interest in her and Marx.

“Will you stop by and visit if you are in Lexia?”
Leila
asked as
Marx
stepped
off the cart.

“Have you ever known me to pass up a chance to see you?”
Marx leaned over the cart and kissed her forehead.
“’Til then kitten
.
”
H
e disappeared into the crowd.
Leila smiled watching him walk away.
Nalick moved back to her side.

Leila turned to Nalick
to see
a mixture of anger and jealousy.
“There is nothing to worry about,” she tried to reassure him.
“He is married and devoted to his wife.”

“He may be, but he also is quite devoted to you,” Nalick replied as he searched the crowd but could no longer see Marx.

Leila reached over the cart and took Nalick’s hand to pull him closer.
“We are just friends.
That is all we have ever been or will be.”
Nalick stared at her.
S
he was telling him the truth
,
but he could not help but be jealous.
“I have known him since I was fourteen.
I told him
no
then and would again if he asked me to marry him.
I am marrying you.
I’m in love with you.
”
Leila kissed the back of his hand
,
which
she was holding.

Across the street Anatolio sat on the stairs to a shop. Anatolio was intently watching Leila with Marx first and then with Nalick; he had been so focused on her that he didn’t see Roger approaching. As soon as he noticed Roger, Anatolio stood up. He had never met Roger in person before, but from the man’s walk and stare, Anatolio knew who he was.

“No need to stand,” Roger replied
,
s
itting
down next to Anatolio.
“I have heard much about you from my sources and a bit from Leila and Nalick.”
Anatolio
did not reply as he did not know what to say to
Roger
.
“How long have you been assigned to following Leila?”

“Just over two years,” Anatolio replied, continuing to watch Leila. Every movement she made was being locked into his memory. He was always amazed. Everything she did was calculated and direct. She was trained better than Anatolio had ever imagined a person could be.

“She’s the most beautiful woman I have ever met, inside and out,” Roger said staring over at her also. “Here.” Roger handed the young man a small package that fit in the palm of his hand.

Anatolio took the package and began to question Roger about it
,
but he was interrupted.
“There are directions inside and if you don’t understand them talk to Leila about it.
I will be in Lexia in two weeks time to check up on her.
Until then, please don’t let her walk around and keep all sharp objects
,
such as scissors
,
away from her.
As soon as she is sick of the stitches, she tends to remove them herself.”
Anatolio nodded.
“She can be a pain when it comes to recovering.
If you need to, chain her up,” he seriously suggested.
Anatolio did not know how to respond not
knowing
if the man was kidding or serious.
“When I return, you will get to see
firsthand
how I fix her up.
It is probably something you should learn because I won’t be able to help her when she is so far away.”
Leila re
lied heavily on Roger anytime she was hurt, and Anatolio was honored that Roger was willing to teach him to be the person she could rely upon.

Both men sat and watched as Leila talked to Nalick.

“How long?” Roger asked Anatolio.

“Ten years,” Anatolio replied
rolling the stones in his fingers
.
They were
very
small and looked like normal stones, but they had such an effect on Leila.

“And you are willing to wait?” Roger asked
staring at the young man next to him
.

“Wouldn’t you?” Anatolio replied and Roger laughed.
Roger agreed.
If he were young and unwed, he would be willing to wait ten years to have someone such as Leila
for his wife
.

“Who gets to tell her?” Roger asked
looking back over at Leila laughing with Nalick
.

“Nalick.
I am not to tell anyone and have not,” Anatolio replied
handing the stones back to Roger
.
“How do you go about telling someone as strong willed as her that fate has not dealt her the best of hand
s
?”
Roger shook his head in agreement.
In the past four years, Roger had only seen Leila let Marx into her heart as a friend, but Roger assumed much of that had to do with Marx being.

“Do you have arrangements made to get back home?” Roger asked
changing the subject
.

“Marx was quite helpful and everything is ready.
There is a ship willing to sail us back to Lior and all the way to Lexia if we want,” Anatolio explained.
“It seems there are quite a few ships with complete crews that are loyal to her.”
Leila
would never tell
Roger
how, but she had friends in many places that helped make her jobs easier.

“That’s one of ours,”
Anatolio said
standing
along
side Roger
as another man approached Leila and Nalick
.
Roger studied the man’s face.

“A relation?”
Roger
asked Anatolio.

“Kind of,” Anatolio replied as he and Roger walked over to join Leila, Nalick, and Nikias.

Leila smiled as they approached.
“Long time no see
.
” She had spotted him the moment they arrive in Cath
.
Leila
searched his eyes for a response
.
A
s normal with others around he made no reply
,
but he was relieved to see her.

“Arrangements are ready to take you back home,” Nikias said to Leila and Nalick.
“There is a ship waiting in the port for you.”

“Well you better get going,” Roger said approach
ing
the group and startl
ing
Nikias.
“It wo
uld be best to get you back
in Lior by sunset.”

“Our ships are waiting on the Lior side of the waters.
If anyone tries to make a move, you will be safe,” Nikias tried to reassure his king.

“I’ll take you to the port, and then help you get Leila on board,” Roger said hopp
ing
back up on the cart
and dr
iv
i
ng
them to the port
and waiting ship
.

“Roger,” the
captain
called in a booming voice as he extended his hand
to the crew as they arrive
.
“Marx said your courier
and a few men
needed a lift, but I didn’t expect to see you.”
The captain noticed Leila was not moving.
“Injured?” he asked
,
and Leila shrugged.

“A minor set
back,” she replied and the man laughed.

“Minor indeed,” he said notic
ing
her leg. “
L
oad her up then.”

“Just remember I am not a package,”
Leila
said to the large captain who grinned at her.

Once Roger was
fully convinced
Leila was safe
, he stopped one last time to talk to
her
.

“Promise me you will follow my orders for once,”
Roger
begged.
“Leave the stitches in and stay off your bad leg.
Two weeks is all I am asking.”
Leila nodded.
“I will be there in two weeks I promise.”

Roger bent and hugged Leila.
“Please rest and heal.”

“Okay
,
boss,” she said
,
hugg
ing
him back.