Servant of the King Chapter 23

Chapter 23

            The winter stretched far longer than Ree liked. Stones surrounding the large hearths in the kitchen and main rooms in the castle retained plenty of heat, but there were no hearths in the hallways and Ree quickly grew tired of her toes feeling like they were freezing. Her room had a fireplace, so she always had to dash through the hallways, her bear pelt wrapped tightly around her, her breath fogging out behind her.

            Snow and frigid temperatures made her feel cooped up. It was far less convenient to go see Titan now. And she still hadn't found out what Shule had been up to that night in the slave barracks.

            Meandering around the warmer parts of the room where her father held his feasts, Ree complained aloud, "There is nothing to do!"

            She looked up. She hadn't meant to say it so loudly.

            Nobody else was in the room. She wandered past the table, lazily grabbing a handful of nuts and dried fruits from a brightly painted clay bowl. "Nothing to do," she chanted between each bite of her snack.

            Maybe she should go pester her father in his throne room.

            No, that wouldn't work. The middle of the afternoon was when he allowed city supervisors to approach him and seek his wisdom or judgment.

            The throne room was out.

            Out. She had to get out.

            Not relishing the idea of the work it would take to get herself bundled up, Ree told herself to follow her urge through to execution. She could get a serving woman to lace her boots for her; that was the part that she hated the most.

            She popped the last few nuts into her mouth and, taking a deep breath, dashed into the hallway and tore down to her room. "Cold!" she called out, her voice echoing off that surrounded her. A small woman came into view just outside of Ree's doorway. Ree recognized the lady as one of the two room attendants. "You, come and help me."

            The tiny woman nodded her obedience and followed Ree. In her room, Ree ordered the servant, who it turned out was quite old as evidenced by quite a lot of gray in her otherwise dark hair, to help her gather winter clothing.

            Minutes later, Ree wore heavy clothes and sat on her bed, waiting for the slow old woman to finish tying her boots. "Finally!" Ree hurried to the door and left one final order. "Have a fire burning in my fireplace when I get back."

            She didn't wait to make sure the servant heard her. As she walked quickly down the hallway, then down the stairs to the kitchen, she wrapped a long strip of fur around her neck and part of her face. The heat of the kitchen felt too heavy as she passed through.

            "Where are we going, Mistress Ree?"

            Ree recognized the dry tone. Without pausing or turning, she answered, "To see my horse. He's lonely." She pulled open the door to the outside. "Lonely like a poor, friendless cook."

            Agmoda chuckled. "It's cold out there, Mistress."

            "Really? I thought it was summer." Now Ree turned around and cast a mock glare at the skinny cook.

            "It's gotten colder. Snow's light as a feather," Agmoda said.

            "I'll be fine." Ree dashed to the long, heavy table that extended nearly the length of the kitchen. She grabbed a carrot and skipped back to the door. "Titan says, 'Thank you.'"

            Agmoda's laughter followed her out into the winter day. At least the sun was shining and the wind that often came out of the mountain passes just to the west of the city wasn't blowing. The quick journey between the warm kitchen and the stables was still frigid, making Ree's nose cold and her breath form thick clouds. She had once ventured out on a windy day, perhaps three or four weeks previous. Walking in the winter wind had made her feel like a fish swimming up the nearly frozen waters of a river. Ree lengthened her stride and was reaching for the stable door when it slammed open, nearly hitting her outstretched hand. She jumped in surprise and dodged the large man that burst through the doorway.

            Shule didn't look at her; didn't acknowledge her. Ree was briefly tempted to call the warrior on his infraction, but knew it would do no good. He would bow just right, but his eyes would stay hard and he would keep that same smirk on his face. It wasn't worth it when he made it feel like he was mocking you.

            Ree stepped quickly behind the stable door, pulling it partway shut. Using the door as camouflage, she turned quickly to try to see where Shule was going. Instead of going through the kitchen door, or circling around to the left of the castle, where the warriors had their barracks, he had angled to the right.

            To the slave barracks.

            She put the carrot for Titan in a pouch sewn on the inside of her cloak and waited for Shule to turn around the corner of the castle. Then she dashed across the courtyard, reached the wall, and scuttled along it. At the corner Shule had just turned, she stopped and peeked carefully around it. The door to the slave barracks was closing. Crates and wooden barrels, along with tightly wound lengths of rope, bundles of cleaned hides and other sundry items that nobody had found storage places in the castle for yet spilled out the front of the shed that nestled against the far wall of the slave barracks. The barracks had been built right on to the immensely tall wall that surrounded the castle compound. It was a long, law building, very similar to the stables. The castle corner that Ree stood at was near one end of the long building. The storage shed was at the other end.

            There were about twenty feet of distance between her corner and the nearest wall of the slave barracks. She would have to cross it quickly, then hug the front wall of the low building the slaves slept in. She was going to have to make it all the way across the front of the barracks to the door without being seen. Ree asked her pounding heart to settle down but didn't wait to see if it would comply.

She darted across the space and put her back on the exterior wall of the slave barracks. The building stretched about half as long as the castle's length. Between the barracks and the castle was a sort of alley that would easily allow two carts to travel abreast through it. Why am I doing this again? And why am I hiding? She stood still for a moment, unable to answer both questions. Then she remembered the night of that awful nightmare. On her walk around the lower platform that circled the castle, she had heard raised voices in the slave barracks. One of those voices had been Shule's.  Right. Because Shule is up to something. He's not allowed in there.

For a moment she reflected on the plan she had made that night to try to expose Shule. She shrugged; she had forgotten. Her back pressing the cold exterior wall of the barracks, Ree carefully made her way toward the door that had closed behind the large warrior. No chance I can get in there without him seeing. She thought about what to do, the cold on her face and hands reminding her that if somebody saw her out here like this, they would think it very strange. She had to get out of sight, but also see what Shule was doing. There was a girl's voice that night. Ree imagined she knew what Shule was up to, but wanted to be sure. It sounded like he had been angry with the girl that other night.

The thing was that Shule just wasn't supposed to be in the slaves' barracks.

            Ree had long ago noticed that the slaves were all young, pretty women. She had also long ago heard how protective her father was of his 'special servants.' He had explained that the girls were privileged to serve their king in a "particularly special way." As if I was a kid. I know what he does with them.

            She eyeballed the barracks' door, then the shed just beyond the door on the far wall of the building.

            A plan came to her. Not waiting to second-guess, and really not wanting to be in the cold much longer, Ree walked quickly back the way she came, doing her best to look like she was on a normal outing. In the freezing cold.

            Getting to the barracks, she wasted no time. She ran down the aisle between the horse stalls. When she got to Titan's stall, she grabbed a faded woven blanket and a length of leather. "Titan, I need your help," she said. The horse bobbed its head at her quiet tone, its breath coming out in twin clouds of thick fog. She pulled the carrot back out of her pouch and broke it in half. "You get the other half when we're done."

            She threw the blanket over Titan's back, arranging it so that it draped over his withers and somewhat up his neck and also reached over his hindquarters. She wrapped the lead around his neck, tying it very loosely. "Come," she said. She quickly led Titan out the wide door meant for the horses, across the paddock area, and toward the slave barracks. Ree wrapped her arms briefly around the tall horse, savoring his warmth and wild, clean smell. "Try to be quiet, okay?"

            She led the horse down the alley between the slave barracks and the castle, passing close in front of the door and then in front of the shed. A few feet past the shed, she stopped and let the lead fall to the ground. It didn't even occur to her that Titan might wander off; he was a retired battle horse. He wouldn't stray.

            Ree stepped back to the shed, leaning in close to the outer wall of the slave barracks and trying to focus her hearing. She put her hands out, resting them on a bundle of hides and leaned closer.

            Nothing.

            Maybe if she got closer to the door.

            Glancing around, she took quiet steps, her ears questing for voices.

            There. Ree glanced at the wall; a small space between two large rocks had been formed. It looked natural and it was perfect.

            "… it is." This was Shule's voice.

            Silence followed, although Ree thought she might have heard movement or a very soft voice.

            "You think I'm stupid. You're wrong," Shule said. "If I were stupid, I wouldn't have known it was you. And you wouldn't still be alive."

            Ree glanced around. The cold was doing her a favor; nobody seemed to want to venture out. She was still alone.

            "So just tell me where it is and we will be done. I'll even let you go."

            Where what is?

            "I told you I don't know." This was a girl's voice. "Don't you think I would have told you by now if I knew?"

            "Girl, I can be creative with what I do to help you remember. I would leave no mark." A pause. "Look around. Nobody else is here. So let's try to keep things nice and just tell me where the sword is."

            The sword? Why's he- Ree stood up straight. Cold chills washed over her, tingling on her skin. He can't possibly mean…

            "Why do you think I know? I told you I don't know why my mother was hiding-"

            "I know what you said, but it's impossible."

            Ree wished Shule hadn't cut off the girl. She had an idea of what the slave girl had been about to say, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it. She had to hear it.

            "Your father and mother surely told you. Nobody is so stupid that they wouldn't pass on such knowledge."

            "You keep saying that!" A sob broke the last word before the girl finished it. Ree heard a loud intake of air. "Why didn't you just ask them instead of killing them?"

            "Stop it. We will not go through this again. The sword. Where is it?"

            "I don't know!"

            Silence stretched.

            Ree wondered if Shule had given up, if he was on his way out of the barracks. She took a step away from the wall, but then heard the large man's angry voice again.

            "You do know. I will get it out of you. But first, I think I will let the king have his way with you a few times. That might soften you some."

            Ree wished the girl would just tell Shule. Or maybe I don't. If Shule is looking for the Sword, the actual Sword, he can't find it. And why would he be looking for it, and talking to this girl without my father knowing. Another thought occurred to her. Did her father know? Was Shule acting on the king's bidding? If Father had the Sword, and if what's in the box is what I think it is… He could make the people do anything. He could take the land of the Usurpers.

            "I know you think I know something, but I really don't. Why don't you just let me go?" Ree thought the girl sounded older than her, maybe by a few years.

            "You're no good to me out there," Shule said. "Let's see how you are after a few weeks in the king's company. Besides, where would you go? Your village is dead."

            Ree heard the smile in Shule's voice and shuddered, trying to rid herself of the unpleasant feeling his words had given her. This time the silence had a different tone. Ree quickly moved away from the wall, reaching for the shed.

            The door creaked open just as she reached the first bundle of hides.

            "Princess Ree?"

            Breathing as calmly as her pounding heart would allow, Ree turned. "Shule? What are you doing in there?"

            The warrior smiled, his stained teeth dull in his overlarge mouth. The man's nose had been broken so many times that it looked more like a smashed piece of fruit than a nose. And his eyes were far too small for such a large head. "I think a better question is what are you doing out here?"

            Ree adopted a posture she was familiar with. "Not that it's any of your business, but Titan needed a walk and I saw these hides here." She stroked the top fur; it felt like a wolf's pelt. "Some of them are quite nice."

            "If you need another blanket," Shule said, pushing the door closed, "you should just tell a servant."

            "Not me, silly," Ree said. "Titan. It's so cold after all." She turned all of her attention to the skins, carefully breathing through her open mouth so Shule wouldn't see her nervousness. As she poked and prodded through the bundle, she felt Shule's gaze on her. Why wouldn't he take the hint and leave?

            "I see," he said.

            Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shule spin on his heel and march away. Did he believe me? What would he do if he thought I had heard? Shule's cruelty was legendary, but Ree thought it absurd to imagine he might hurt the king's daughter. Then why was I so scared?

            When he was out of sight, she let out a nervous laugh. Then an urge came over her so quickly that she didn't know she'd acted on it until she was standing in the warm slave barracks, the door swing closed behind her.

            She turned to the left and stepped through a doorway. A young woman, long brown hair in messy clumps, eyes rimmed with red, sat on a slightly raised bed, staring at the wall. She jumped when Ree entered the room.

            "It's okay," Ree said, extending her hands. "I'm not here to hurt you."

            She was definitely a few years older than Ree, at least by two or three years. Her eyes began moving around the room, settling for only a moment at a time.

            "I just wanted to see you. I heard Shule. I don't want him to hurt you."

            The girl glanced at Ree, then at the door behind her.

            "Shule?" The question on the girl's face was clear.

            "Yes, his name is Shule," Ree said.

            An awkward silence filled the space between the two girls.

            "Are you going to let me go?"

            Ree thought quickly. "I wish I could. Maybe another day. But it's winter right now." She would get in so much trouble if anyone found her in here. She had to leave.

            "Is he going to kill me?"

            "I don't think so." Ree tried to catch the girl's darting gaze. "I heard him say something about a sword."

            "I told him I don't know! You're working with him, trying to be nice to me! I still don't know!" The girl burst into tears.

            Ree dashed across the room, putting her hands on the girl's shaking shoulders. "No, I'm not. I'm really not. I'm sorry."

            "Please let me go." Her voice was so soft, so scared, that Ree almost stepped back to let the girl past.

            "You'll die." Is it really the Sword of Baalech he's looking for? Why does he think she knows where it is? Ree thought fast again. A stirring of determination touched her throat as she spoke. "But I'll help you get away after winter. They shouldn't do this to you." Ree swallowed. "Or to anyone."

            The girl looked up, her gaze finally resting on Ree's face. Tears had left shining trails on the girl's face. "You'll help me?"

            "I will."

            The girl lowered her face into her hands and scrubbed at her cheeks. She scooted back on her bed, then met Ree's eyes again. "Who are you?"

            Ree stepped toward the door. She had to leave, or she was going to be caught. And if someone found Titan outside by himself, it would look strange. She headed for the door, but stopped long enough to answer the girl. "I'm Ree."

            The slave girl nodded. "I'm Ronna."

Servant of the King Chapter 16

Wow. Two days: two chapters. 


You, dear readers, are either very lucky or you enjoy torture. 


Here you go. Total word count now is 32,000. 

Chapter 16

Ree padded down the granite stairs, her eyes fixed fast on the light streaming through the doorway at the bottom. As she descended the gloomy staircase, she extended both hands to the side so that her fingers were lightly brushing the walls. Her father had told her she should use the main staircase, but sometimes she liked to take this shortcut to the royal kitchen. With snow on the ground and the air outside cold enough to freeze a flying bird's feathers, she was looking forward to the ever-present heat of the kitchen. It was so cold that she could feel the chilly stone beneath her feet even with her leather shoes on.

As she approached the doorway, the voice of Agmoda, the head cook, echoed up to her ears.

"Hush now, Lina. That's quite enough out of you."

A voice that Ree guessed must belong to Lina, responded. "I'm sorry mistress. It's just my brother—he's out of his mind with worry."

"We all know that Mastopo is always out of his mind. If his son's gone missing, it's probably because of a girl," Agmoda chided, her usually high-pitched voice muffled.

Ree stopped, catching herself by leaning on the wall. Who's Lina? And Mastopo? Her brother?

"But little Fim is only in his tenth year," Lina said. She sounded as if she had been crying.

"I said that's enough." Agmoda's voice hinted at punishments if Lina's complaining continued.

I wonder what's going on, Ree thought.

"Yes, Mistress," Lina said as the sound of something heavy and dense hitting a wood table commenced.

Ree realized that if somebody left the kitchen to climb the servants' stairs, she would be discovered. She descended the final steps, coughing loudly as she hit the landing and passed through the doorway.

The warmth of the multiple hearths in the long kitchen enveloped her before she had taken two steps. An aroma of baking bread filled the room, the warm sensation contrasting with the cold stones under her feet.

"Mistress Ree," Agmoda said, not missing a beat as she violently kneaded a huge ball of bread dough. She lifted the dough high, then slammed it down to the table with a loud thump. "You know your father doesn't want you in here."

"I know Aggi- Agmoda," Ree said, trying to hold back her smile. It never failed. She had known Agmoda her entire life and had even played in the kitchen as a little girl. The cook had been trying to get Ree to stop calling her Aggie for what seemed like years.

"Then you'd best be moving along," Agmoda said, her voice stern but the laughter in her eyes belying the feigned anger.

Ree approached the heavy wood table Agmoda was working on. She leaned her elbows on the table and tried to keep her search casual. At least ten other women were working in the kitchen, all of them wearing the same kind of brown dress and rough apron. Which one is Lina?

The bread dough slammed onto the table again, making Ree's elbows twitch involuntarily. She glanced at Agmoda. The cook's thin frame seemed too small to be able to wrestle the huge ball of dough she was now breaking into smaller wads. Not for the first time, Ree wondered how Agmoda had stayed so thin while spending most of her life working in a kitchen. "Can't I have some fresh bread before I go? And an apple for Titan?"

Ree cast her eyes about the kitchen again.

"Of course," Agmoda said. "Doba! Bring a loaf and an apple!" Agmoda's voice cut through the hubbub of the kitchen like a sharp knife through chicken meat.

Lina had sounded like she was crying, Ree thought. She scoured the faces in the room. One particularly small woman, a girl really—she couldn't have been much older than Ree—turned and Ree got a look at her face. Red-rimmed eyes. That had to be Lina.

"Looking for something, Mistress?"

Ree turned at Agmoda's question, pushing a smile onto her face. "Just wondering where you're hiding tonight's dessert cakes."

"You will never know," Agmoda said, smiling with mischief.

This was the Agmoda that Ree loved. Behind her stern demeanor and the rigidly organized kitchen staff, Agmoda loved to play word games and talk about almost anything. It's terrible, but Aggie's my only real friend here. Ree's smile fell at the thought.

"What's wrong?" Agmoda asked.

"Nothing," Ree said.

"Is it another nightmare?"

Ree wished she hadn't shared the nightmare she'd had a few weeks ago. Agmoda seemed to put a lot of stock in such things and had spent what seemed like forever trying to interpret its 'symbols.' Ree just wanted to let the images fade.

She hadn't told Agmoda about Shule. She worried that Agmoda would worry and talk to her father about it.

"No. It's nothing." Ree glanced around, trying to catch sight of Lina again. Maybe I can find a way to talk to her sometime and find out what happened to the boy she was talking about. Lina had disappeared. She was probably carrying food to the dining table.

A large woman, her apron bursting around her midriff, approached with a loaf of bread in one hand and an apple in the other.

Agmoda gave Ree a look, then turned back to the dough balls she had made. She began to form them into flat discs. "Set them on the table, Doba."

"Yes, Mistress," the large woman said. She breathed loudly as she turned and made her way back to the other end of the kitchen.

"And you, Mistress Ree," Agmoda said, indicating the bread and apple, "are better off eating the apple too. Give your old horse a handful of oats and that'll be fine. You need more than bread for your breakfast."

"My old horse?" Ree asked, feigning offense. "Titan is not just an old horse. He's a nobly bred warhorse with more battles under his saddle than any man living today. He probably killed a thousand Usurpers himself."

"You mean he was a warhorse. Now he's a doddering nag."

            "A nag? Doddering? Are you sure you're talking about my horse?" Ree grinned as she snatched up her bread and apple.

            Agmoda offered a quick smile, her eyes twinkling. "Actually I was talking about you by the time you wed if you don't learn to brush that hair of yours!"

            Ree flounced away. "I don't want to get married anyway! I just want to work in a kitchen my whole life." She took a bite from the still-warm loaf as she turned and used her foot to push open the door that led outside. A blast of cold air seemed to freeze her front side even as her back was still enjoying the heat of the kitchen.

            She sucked in a breath and forced herself all the way through the doorway. She crossed the courtyard quickly, the frozen mud feeling rough and sharp beneath her feet. I should have brought my shawl. Knowing that the stable would be warm from all the horses and cows in there, she hurried faster, tucking her food close to her chest.

            She shouldered the stable door open and ducked into the low, stone building. No torches burned, but there were enough cracks around beams and tiles in the ceiling that she could see as well as she needed. The straw underfoot felt much more comfortable then the rough ground outside, and the smell of horse and cow filled her with a sense of comfort and warmth, despite still being able to see her breath.

            Ree strode forward, taking another bite of the bread—the crust of which was now cold. The short entryway ended at a long passage that stretched a long way to the left and right. The stable held over a hundred horses and half as many cows, and it was one of her favorite places to spend time. She could spend hours running her hands on horses' noses and brushing them down.

            The cows she could do without. She was glad she had never had to milk one; she had seen servants milking them and the things just seemed smelly and clumsy. Once she had seen a cow casually knock over a servant then put its hoof in a bucket of fresh milk. The servant had been lashed and sent back to milk the cow properly.

            Turning left, Ree walked down the passage made of stall doors that now stood closed. After a couple of minutes walking, she arrived at the section where retired warhorses lived. Approaching Titan's stall, she whistled softly and called him. "Titan. Dear Titan?"

            A whicker floated above the stalls.

            "I've got something for you."

            She stopped in front of one of the last stalls on the left. The head of a massive horse, its neck and chest a deep chestnut, quested out. Titan blew loudly through his nose.

            "You can smell this, can't you?" She tore a bite out of her bread and tucked it under one arm. Holding the apple tightly, she whacked it sharply on the edge of the stall door. Titan's head bobbed at the noise. His long-lashed eyes blinked and he tossed his head again. "It's okay, I just forgot my knife." Now, using both hands, she dug her fingers into the apple and broke it in half. "There."

            Ree offered one of the halves to Titan. The horse sniffed her hand, his soft lips brushing her fingers. The apple disappeared.

            "You're so greedy," Ree said, unlatching the stall door and slipping inside.

            She wrapped her arms around the huge horse's neck. "But you're great. You don't give me rules. And you don't tell me that I should be preparing to get married already."

            She handed over the rest of the apple. "Married," she muttered, chewing on bread and reaching for the stiff brush hanging above the stall.

            Munching on her breakfast, Ree held the bread with one hand and brushed with the other. Her mind went back to the conversation she had overheard. That sounds awful. Lina's little nephew going missing. She wondered if Lina would be willing to talk to her about it. But why should I bother her about it? It's none of my business.

            She snorted. Titan snorted back. "Exactly." She pressed herself up to the warm horse, his muscular chest and forelegs firm and steady against her. "When have I ever minded my own business?"

Look who got done early!

It's only 9:30PM and I'm posting my next installment of Servant of the King.

Just as a heads up, I'm coming up with this story as I go-- which is kind of a fun experiment. In truth, the nugget of the story about Lakhoni has been percolating for some time, but much of this has been pretty much spontaneous. I point this out because as experiments go, I recommend this one. I'm learning to fight the internal editor off, leaving ever more grievous wounds on him after each battle.

Right then, here's the chapter:

Chapter 7

            Death. The rich, sweet stench of rot assaulted her. She reeled back, spinning to get away from the gaping maw before her. She felt sure that a hand, gnarled and dripping and with claws of sharpened bone, would reach from that pit to grab her if she didn’t move fast enough. Before she could take a step, her pathway was barred by indistinct, looming figures. Their hazy shapes looked like wide, stunted trees, but with pale yellow eyes glowing from their shadowed faces.

            She spun again, heart hammering in her chest, desperate to find an escape. Long arms, deep with shadow and menace reached for her. The stink of the pit filling her head and body.

            All strength left her and Ree screamed in hopeless terror.

            She was sitting in her bed, sweat making her skin feel sticky and chilled. Cold light filtered through the nearly translucent animal skin covering her window. Heart beating wildly, she looked around quickly.

            A dream. It had been a dream. She was home, safe. In her father’s palace, in her room.

            Ree hugged herself tightly, then, still too cold, snugged her woven blanket around her. She felt like she could still smell the stench of that horrible pit, feel the hands of those figures just behind her shoulders.

            What had the dream meant? Omnio, her father’s spiritual advisor, claimed that all dreams had a meaning; that dreams were messages sent by the First Fathers and the Great Spirit. Omnio said that most people were just too blinded by their flesh to understand the messages.

            What would he say about this one? Ree shook her head, deciding to just try to put the images out of her head. She sidled to the edge of her raised sleeping pallet and lowered her feet into her soft skin slippers. She briefly considered going to her father’s throne room to try to puzzle out the lock on his stone box, but discarded that idea. There would be guards and she just needed to do something to get her mind off her dream, not get into serious trouble.

            Ree reached up and removed her cloak from the carved bone that had been stuck into the stone wall of her room. Tossing her blanket onto her bed, she donned the cloak and wandered around her room. She idly picked up trinkets as she passed them on the shelves her father had ordered built for her. A shiny bronze set of earrings that her father said were shaped like shells felt smooth and good in her hands. She wondered if she would ever see the ocean. It was only three days journey to the east, but her father had never allowed her to make the trip.

            He had to protect his precious flower.

            Ree put the earrings down, picking up a delicate, wood figurine of a beautiful woman. She had found this one on the colorful mat spread out by a young boy in the market square of Lemalihah. The boy had claimed that the carving was of one of the First Fathers—which would of course make the woman a First Mother—but Ree preferred to think it was a carving of her mother.

            Whenever she asked her father about her mother, his answer came quickly, “She died in childbirth.” Ree would often ask about siblings and other family, but Lemal always insisted that her mother had no family. Ree wondered why she didn’t just believe her father, but he always seemed to be in such a hurry to push Ree off the subject that she felt like he was hiding something. But what could he possibly feel like he had to hide? Try as she might, Ree could never imagine what the secret could be. Her father was king; he could do whatever he wanted. Why would he care about hiding something from her?

             Carefully replacing the carving, Ree decided that a walk in the night air would help her calm down and slow her racing thoughts. She knew that her father loved her. If he didn’t want to tell her something, it wasn’t for her to question. Besides, she was probably imagining things. As Ree moved toward the door, one of her father’s favorite sayings came to her mind. “There goes your imagination. Better catch it before it gets you in trouble again!”

            Ree let her door close slowly and made her way down the hallway to the main corridor that wound in a slow circle around the inner, second-story walls of the palace. Down the stairs and out into the courtyard or to the terrace? Feeling too lazy to go down stairs and then have to climb them again, Ree opted for the terrace. Her slippers whispered on the heavy stones of the floor as she walked. She held her cloak more tightly around her body, keeping the chilly night air away.

            She soon came to the doorway to the terrace and slipped outside. A blue-white moon hung heavily in the sky almost directly overhead. It was surrounded by a thick carpet of stars that glinted and shimmered in the autumn air. Ree took a slow deep breath, soaking in the evening. An image of the stench-filled pit flashed through her mind, but she fought it off, opening her eyes wide to take in as many of the stars as she could.

            Ree stepped closer to the edge of the terrace, looking out over the city that spread out from the palace. She could see only two or three small fires, or maybe they were torches, in the stone homes that encircled the huge building that was her father’s palace. She walked back along the terrace to the other edge. This side of the terrace dropped straight down to one of the side courtyards of the palace. As she approached the edge, she heard an indistinct voice.

            Instinctively ducking, Ree almost dashed back inside, but curiosity got the better of her. She lowered herself to her hands and knees, crawling carefully to the edge of the terrace. Down in the courtyard, she saw the paddock and low stables where horses were kept, and behind them she saw a dim light filtering out through the gaps around a door to the slaves’ quarters. She stayed in that position, listening in the direction of that light. After a moment, she heard the voice again. She couldn’t tell what it was saying, but it was a man’s voice.

            The voice got louder for a second. It was Shule! Ree wondered why Shule, her father’s favorite warrior, would be in the slaves’ quarters this late at night.

            Then she heard the other voice—a girl’s. It was loud and frightened. Ree didn’t hear it but she knew that Shule must have slapped the slave girl to keep her quiet, because the girl’s voice suddenly cut off.

            Ree easily understood why Shule would want to keep the girl quiet; he should not have been in there. The slaves belonged to her father, King Lemal, and her father had made strict rules about other men spending time with the female slaves. If Lemal found out about Shule’s presence in there, especially this late at night, who knew what would happen?

            Ree decided to tell her father in the morning. She had never liked Shule and she would love seeing the angry man get in trouble.

            As she eased herself backwards, Ree wondered why Shule would be visiting a slave this late at night. Why would he take the risk? Ree knew perfectly well what men and women did together, but Shule had access to plenty of other slaves and servants.

            When she was close to the doorway back into the palace, Ree stood and hurried toward her room. Yes, Shule was breaking a rule and he deserved to get in trouble for it. Wait, she thought, almost stopping as the thought struck her. I can’t tell father, he would want to know what I was doing out on the terrace in the middle of the night. And even if Ree spoke only truth, there was little chance that her suspicious father would believe her. It didn’t help that Ree had already spent much of her life in front of her father as he rebuked her for her curiosity-driven antics.

            But what was Shule up to? That same curiosity grew in her with every step she took toward her room. By the time she had closed the door behind her and slid back under her blankets, Ree had made her decision.

            Shule was up to something and it was against the rules. She would find out what the man was doing and then decide whether to tell her father. If Shule was doing something really bad, her father would appreciate knowing and would thank her. Then maybe he would see that her curiosity wasn’t only a bad thing. And if Shule was just being a stupid man following his desires, maybe Ree would keep it quiet until she found a use for the knowledge.

Alright. So that's about 1500 words. This brings the current grand total to just shy of 10,900 words. 

Works for me! Let me know what you think and feel free to invite others to follow along.