58, A visit

Ayya woke up feeling more relaxed than she had done in a long time. She then realised that she wasn’t alone in her bed. Before she could jump out of it, screaming, her brain let her know it was Tenac that had his arms around her. She relaxed and let the memories of last night come back. Despite everything that had happened at the start of the evening, Ayya would say it was one of the best days of her life. She tilted her head up so she could look at Tenac. He was still sleeping, and he looked peaceful, like all his worries had been taken away. Ayya liked that look on him. She put her head down again and enjoyed just being there. Someone dropped something in the common room and the sound made Tenac’s grip around her tighten. She could sense he was awake.

“Good morning,” she said, looking up at him.

“Good morning,” he grinned and bent his neck and kissed her. Ayya could definitely get used to this. She enjoyed waking up with his kisses. “I should get up and get some clothes on before your friends barge in with breakfast,” Tenac said.

“That might be a good idea,” Ayya agreed. He kissed her once more and then got out of bed and walked into his own room. Ayya reluctantly got out of bed and got dressed. She presumed they would get the day off and so she put on a simple, everyday white dress. She was about to go out into the common room when there was a knock on her door. It was Hinat and Firlea that told her that breakfast had arrived and with it a letter addressed to her. Ayya took the letter and suggested they eat their breakfast in her room with Tenac. They had things to talk about. She wondered how she was supposed to tell her friends about her and Tenac. But decided to deal with the letter first. The letter was from the head of the council and was to inform Ayya there would be no meeting held during the day due to last evening’s events. Ayya and her party were more than welcome to stay and wait for the meetings to resume. As she finished reading the letter, her two friends and Tenac came in, bringing breakfast. Ayya helped them put everything on the small table in her room. When they sat down, Tenac caught her eye and she smiled at him. He smiled back and handed her the bread. Ayya also noticed her two friends exchanging looks. But they said nothing. As they were eating, Ayya told them the letter confirmed what the king had told them the previous night. They could expect to have at least the day off. Probably a couple of them.

“What are you planning on doing today?” Hinat asked.

“I have to write a report to those back home and a letter to Sinhera,” Ayya said.

“I should probably write a report to Kopa,” Tenac told them.

“Okay, you two, what is up?” Hinat said. 

“What?” Ayya asked.

“Oh, come on. I mean, you are close usually, but now. Tenac basically pulled his chair in so close to you that you couldn’t fit a piece of paper between you two,” Firlea said.

“And you keep smiling at each other, not like usual. More like you know something no one else knows,” Hinat added.

“And…,” Firlea started.

“Okay, okay. I get it. You two have a strange obsession with us,” Ayya sighed.

“But to answer your question, Ayya and I are seeing each other.” Tenac said and placed his hand over Ayya’s on the table. Hinat and Firlea looked at their two hands and then at Ayya, then at each other and back at Ayya.

“We knew it!” they exclaimed at the same time.

“Didn’t we tell you?” Firlea asked Ayya.

“You did,” Ayya admitted.

“Didn’t we say you should have done this sooner?” Hinat asked.

“You did,” Ayya nodded.

“Didn’t we say we would tease you relentlessly for all eternity if we were right?” Firlea asked.

“Oh, I definitely know that we did that,” Hinat said eagerly. Tenac just watched the friends with a big grin on his face.

“You did, and I will take it. But, and this is important ladies, no one at home can know about it until we get back,” Ayya told them. Looking extra intently at Firlea. They looked a little surprised at first.

“Yeah, that makes sense. Your father wouldn’t like to hear something like that from a letter, and even worse from someone else,” Hinat nodded.

“I’m sorry to have to ask you to keep this a secret,” Ayya told them.

“Ah, please. I love my husband, but I know him. If I tell him about this, all of Salmis will know it the next day,” Firlea said with a good amount of love. They all laughed at that. Breakfast was pleasant. It was the first time in a couple of days where they could eat without being nervous or stressed. It was a nice change. Ayya enjoyed the way Tenac seemed to find ways to touch her. He held her hand, placed his arm on the back of her chair, or tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. She found herself mirroring him so when he wasn’t searching for her, she was looking for him. After they had cleared off breakfast, Ayya and Tenac sat down at the table to write home. As Ayya started writing things down on paper, she realised how much had happened the last couple of days. She tried to keep her report detailed, but easy to read and she tried to tone down the dangers. After finishing a letter to Sinhera, Ayya realised most of the morning had gone. Tenac finished his report shortly after her.

“Want to trade?” she asked.

“Trade what?” he asked.

“Reports, to read,” she smiled.

“Deal,” he said, taking hers as he slid his over. Ayya read through it. It was an excellent report, thorough, but no nonsense. Nothing that Ayya thought would raise enough of a red flag to get them to cancel the mission. She smiled and handed it back to him.

“Excellent report,” she told him.

“You too,” he said, returning hers. They sealed their letters and Tenac walked out to send a rider to the camp with them. Ayya walked out into the common room. She talked to a couple of riders to see how things were after yesterday. Everyone seemed more alert, but not paranoid or scared. She ended up standing in front of the windows, looking down at the courtyard. Tenac walked up behind her and placed his hand on her lower back, and she leaned into him a little.

“What do you want to do now?” he asked.

“Lunch should be here soon. After that, I don’t know. Relax and have fun?” she said.

“Sounds like a good plan,” he smiled. They ate lunch in the common room with everyone else. There was joking and laughing and for a moment they all forgot where they were. Afterwards, they sat down in front of the fire. Firlea was knitting, Hinat was reading and Tenac was tending to his sword. The image of Tenac reminded Ayya of how Kopa had used to do the same. She smiled and sat down next to him with her book.

“What?” he asked.

“Nothing, just a memory,” she told him.

“Good or bad?”

“Good,” she said. He seemed satisfied with that and continued what he was doing. Ayya read for a couple of hours. Then she felt restless. She got up and put her book away and she did a little sweep of the room, talking to people.

“Restless?” Tenac asked her from his seat by the fire.

“Yes,” she sighed.

“Want to do something?” he asked.

“Yes, I just don’t know what,” she sighed and walked up to the window. That’s when it came to her.

“Let’s go visit Anna,” she turned around and told Tenac.

“I don’t know Ayya. I’m not sure we should walk around the castle,” he said, looking uncomfortable.

“I know it will make you uneasy. But they live in a well-protected part of the castle and their apartment only has one entrance,” she told him and walked over to him.

“You really want to go?” he asked, looking at her.

“Yes,” she nodded with a big smile.

“Okay, but we are taking six riders with us,” he told her and got up.

“Can’t we go just you and I?” she asked.

“No, Ayya, we can’t. I’ll scale it down to four riders,” he said as they got their cloaks.

“Two?” Ayya asked as she was standing in the door between their rooms, holding her cloak.

“Fine,” he told her and took her cloak and put it on her shoulders and kissed her. “I’m only trying to keep you safe, you know,” he told her.

“I know, and I know I’m making things difficult for you. I’m sorry about that. But I don’t want to be surrounded by riders to see my friend,” she told him and smoothed out a crease in his cloak.

“I get it. But I almost lost you yesterday,” he told her.

“But you didn’t. Thanks to you and your training,” she smiled. “Now come along. I want you to meet Anna, you will like her,” Ayya said, taking his hand. With two riders in tow, Ayya stepped out of the tower apartment and guided Tenac down to the courtyard and into the part of the castle where her friend lived. She had been worried she wouldn’t find her way. But her legs moved on their own. As they turned into the last corridor, Ayya told Tenac which door it was. He told the two riders to stand guard at the entrance to the corridor.

“I’ll stand guard outside the door,” he told her.

“You’re not coming inside?” she asked.

“No, this is your time with your friend. If the place only has one entrance, you will be safe if I guard it,” he smiled at her.

“But I wanted you to meet her,” Ayya protested.

“I’ll say hello before you leave,” he promised. Ayya realised she wasn’t going to change his mind about this. So, she nodded and walked up to the door and knocked. She had butterflies in her stomach as she heard footsteps getting closer on the inside. The door was opened by Zerden’s father. He had got a little grey in his hair, but other than that, he looked just the same. Even if he was dressed in civilian clothes. Ayya smiled at him.

“Hello, I was hoping to see Anna, if that is alright,” she said. Zerden’s father looked stunned for a moment.

“My lady, of course, please come on in,” he said, stepping to the side after almost saluting her.

“Please, no titles. It’s Ayya, or Mary, if you prefer.” Ayya smiled as she walked in. She saw him looking at Tenac that had taken position next to the door. “He won’t come in. He feels more comfortable guarding the door,” Ayya told him. Zerden’s father nodded with an approving look. Always the soldier, Ayya thought.

“Ken, what is taking you so long? Who was at the door?” Ayya heard Anna calling from the kitchen. She saw Zerden’s father smile.

“Anna, I think you need to come and look for yourself,” he answered as he closed the door and gestured to Ayya to help her with her cloak. As Ayya was handing him her cloak, Anna came walking from the kitchen.

“Ken, why couldn’t you just bring them…,” she stopped in the middle of the sentence and stared at Ayya. Ayya smiled at her. “Mary!” Anna exclaimed and flung herself around Ayya’s neck. Ayya laughed and hugged her back.