To Stand Beside Her

by B. Kristin McMichael

  “I’ll be a prince?” Phillip repeated in disbelief.

  “Yes,” Nalick replied. Nalick stood to leave. “I need to get everything in order for tomorrow.” He bent down and kissed Leila’s forehead. “There will be some men coming here with Theo and Macarius to open up the extra rooms.” Leila did not understand but nodded anyways. Nalick would be busy again as everything he did required paper work. Leila had no doubt where his heart was.

  “What is tomorrow?” Phillip asked before Nalick left the room.

  “I will present the three of you to the nobles and court of Lior as our children,” Nalick said and then left the room.

  A stunned Phillip sat beside Leila. Tim again began to run around the room with his paper bird, oblivious to what was to become of their lives. Ruth continued to stare from Phillip to Leila, waiting for an answer to her question. The knock at the door interrupted Phillip’s thoughts, and Leila stood to open it. She held the door open as Theo quickly grabbed it and was followed in by Macarius and several men.

  “Nalick asked us to open up the extra rooms,” Theo explained.

  “That’s nice,” Leila said as the men entered the room and each bowed to her. “What extra rooms?”

  “Some courier you are,” Macarius said, joining them. “This is the royal wing of the palace. Nalick was raised here as a child. After he became king he didn’t need all the extra space and had the rooms closed. Now that you need more room, we are here to open all the extra rooms, of which you didn’t notice,” he pointed out.

  “If you could just move the kids to the balcony, we can do this quicker and then Mauve can have all the rooms cleaned,” Theo explained.

  “Phillip, Tim,” Leila said to the two boys who were still running around as Tim’s bird chased Phillip. “Can you run onto the balcony?” Phillip changed his direction and ran to the balcony. Leila quickly scooped Ruth up and took her there.

  “Miss,” the maid Elena said quietly, approaching the balcony and blushing as soon as she saw Anatolio standing there also. Anatolio bowed his head to Leila and quickly retreated back into the shadows of the room. “Mauve has told me that she wants me to help you with the two younger children,” she explained. “I brought some toys.” Elena offered the basket of toys to Ruth and Tim who each quickly found a toy and began to play.

  “This is Tim, Ruth, and Phillip,” Leila introduced the children. “This is Elena,” Leila said. Phillip shook her hand, and Tim mimicked him.

  “Lena,” Ruth repeated Leila.

  With Elena watching the children, Leila snuck back into the room to see what the men were doing. Leila first noticed that Macarius was removing many of the tapestries that covered the walls. Behind each she could see a door frame that had been filled by a flimsy wall. She was surprised as the men removed two large tapestries and the walls behind them on the west wall farthest from the entrance, and behind it was another large room. She slowly walked past the men into the large empty room. Windows surrounded the room on three sides.

  “This will now be your bedroom,” Theo explained, coming up behind her. Quickly, several of the women along with Mauve entered the room and began to clean it. Leila backed out of the room as they worked. “We will move your bed in here after it is clean.”

  Leila returned to the main room to find that near the door to the bath room, four new doors were opened. She peeked her head in to find that they were all additional bath rooms, all about half the size of the larger one. She continued around the main room and was shocked as the men removed the largest tapestry and wall to the left of the doorway. Behind it was a staircase that led to a second floor that extended over the hallway and Theo’s home.

  “There are all the extra bed rooms,” Theo explained. Leila had not thought much about where she was living, but it seemed to make sense. If this was the royal wing where Nalick was raised, it must have been more of a home than just a large room like it was when she moved in.

  Leila walked through the door behind Nalick’s desk. In the new room, was a large kitchen with enough space for a table. Everything was covered in dust, and it had not been used in years. Through the kitchen was yet another room. She cautiously walked through the dusty room. Several paintings were sitting against the wall. She carefully looked through them. Each was a painting of the same woman.

  “That was his mother,” Theo explained. Leila looked at the beautiful dark haired woman and could see the resemblance to Nalick. Each painting seemed to capture the sadness in her eyes. “King Godfrith could not bear to take these pictures with him after she died.”

  “She looks so young,” Leila said, still staring at the pictures.

  “She was,” Theo replied. “She was fourteen when she married King Godfrith and sixteen when she had Nalick. She did not love the king, but King Godfrith hoped that someday she would. I don’t know if that ever happened. She really was a great mother to Nalick, and he was crushed when she died.”

  Leila wondered back into the main room as several of the men were moving her bed into the new room. “I would take you upstairs, but Nalick told me he wanted to show you something up there.” Leila nodded and looked curiously up the stairs. She would have to wait as Theo would never go against an order from Nalick.

  Nalick returned in time for dinner. All the rooms were opened and cleaned. After dinner, Nalick took the children and Leila upstairs. Leila noticed the hallway that extended to the right immediately at the top of the stairs but followed Nalick as he led down the main hallway. Leila was surprised by how much was hidden upstairs.

  “The first room to the left here is where Anatolio is going to stay,” Nalick explained. “It is easier to watch over Leila if he is living here now that we have more room. The first room to the right will be for Elena. She has volunteered to be the nanny for the younger children. That way if either of you get scared during the night, she will be right here and you won’t have to go all the way downstairs by yourself,” Nalick said to Tim and Ruth. “The second room to the right will be for Ruth.” Nalick opened the door to the room and Phillip set Ruth down. Carefully, she walked around the room, feeling the pillows and blankets on the bed. “See,” Nalick opened the door on the left side of the room. Ruth peeked her head in the next room. “Elena will be right there,” he pointed to the empty bed. Ruth nodded.

  Nalick led the way back into the hallway, and Ruth grabbed the doll off her bed and brought it with her. “The second room on the left will be for Phillip,” Nalick said as he opened the door to the room. This room also had an additional door, which Phillip opened to the next room.

  “That leads to Tim’s room,” Nalick said as Tim walked in and eyed the stack of toys in the corner of the room. Ruth sat down next to her brother and began to look through the toys also.

  “I’ll stay here with them until they get bored,” Phillip suggested as Leila and Nalick left the room back into the hallway.

  “And the other five rooms?” Leila asked.

  “Empty for now,” Nalick replied. Leila raised her eyebrows and Nalick chuckled. “When I was growing up, they were all empty except for my room. My father did not have any more children until after I became king.”

  “So where does this hallway go?” Leila asked as they neared the stairs.

  “I wanted to surprise you with it. Go ahead,” Nalick suggested.

  Leila walked down the hallway and opened the door. She followed the walkway as it turned left and went up a few more stairs. At the top of the staircase Leila finally realized that there was a garden on the roof of the palace.

  “I know you like to spend time downstairs in the palace garden, but you have not been back there except for this morning. I thought this would maybe make you feel safer and you still could sit in a garden,” Nalick explained. Leila turned around and smiled at Nalick. Quickly, she hurried over and hugged him.

  “Thank you,” she whispered in his ear, sending tingles down his spine.

  As evening approached, Nalick helped Leila get the children off to
bed. Ruth was unsure about sleeping in her own room, but once Elena showed her that she was in the room next door, Ruth settled down to sleep. Tim, on the other hand, refused to sleep alone. Phillip didn’t mind and easily shared his bed with his brother. Quietly, in all the commotion, Anatolio had moved his few belongings into the room next to Phillip without anyone except Leila noticing. Once the downstairs room was quiet again, Leila made herself a cup of tea and sat outside on the balcony. Her life had continued to change drastically in the past two months. She was beginning to forget how alone she felt as she was now surrounded by many people who loved her. Nalick joined her outside and looked at the stars.

  “You really should get to bed,” Nalick commented. “Tomorrow should be even more hectic than today as I am sure Mauve will not let a single one of us leave this room without meeting her expectations.” Nalick rested his arm around Leila. Leila figured the day would be hectic but did not want to reach the next day any sooner than needed.

  “I’d rather just stay here for a bit,” Leila replied laying her head on his shoulder and moving closer to him. Nalick nestled his face in her hair before sighing and looking into the sky. As she watched him gaze at the sky, she knew something was on his mind but he was not comfortable talking about it. Leila rested her head back on his shoulder and did not ask.

  Chapter 23

  Leila woke the next morning before everyone else. It was strange to be alone with Nalick in a new room. Though Leila pondered staying in bed and watching Nalick sleep, she would end up waking him up if she did. Instead she quietly stood and walked into the main room. As she could hear the bustling of the women in Mauves room, it was just the calm before the storm. Leila quickly filled the bath water before anyone could ask to help her. She then sat and enjoyed the silence and was beginning to realize that she might not get much more silence with three children running around.

  “So you gave up your nice quiet apartment in the palace here to come babysit us?” Leila asked, exiting the bath to catch Anatolio watching over the now busy room.

  Anatolio smiled. “I like the commotion. I was an only child and always wished I had tons of siblings to play with. Besides, being here will make it much easier to follow you around. I won’t have to sleep out in the hallway anymore.”

  “Doesn’t that get boring?” she asked.

  “Never,” Anatolio said, before bowing and quickly leaving as Nalick approached.

  “So has the chaos begun?” Nalick asked as he sat down next to Leila at the table. Nalick’s hand automatically drifted to Leila, wanting to pull her closer to him. He settled with holding her hand.

  “I have not seen Mauve yet, but I am sure she is already driving everyone mad,” Leila commented while grabbing a muffin off the stack in front of her. As if on cue, Mauve entered the room.

  “Good morning Miss,” Mauve said to Leila. “Nalick, your clothes are arranged for you after you bathe.” Nalick nodded. “I have everything picked out for the children, but I figured it would be best to dress them after they eat.”

  “Do I get to eat first also?” Leila asked, biting into her muffin. Nalick chuckled as Mauve seemed to not understand that she was joking.

  “Are the children awake yet?” Mauve asked, trying to hurry everyone.

  “Yes,” Leila replied. Mauve nodded mentally checking off items on her list and then went upstairs to collect them. “Do you think if I hide under the covers she might just forget about me and leave me alone?” Leila asked Nalick.

  “You mean you don’t like being treated like a doll and dressed up?” he replied, using the terminology she had to describe it before to him. Leila finished her muffin and hurried back to her bedroom, hoping to be forgotten in all the confusion that was beginning.

  “I might as well try it and see if it works,” Leila suggested as Nalick joined her.

  “For some reason, I think she might know you are there,” he said as Leila pulled the covers over her head. Leila pulled the covers back down and looked at Nalick.

  “I wish I could freeze time and just keep things at a standstill. No having to get dressed up or meet people who basically hate me for no reason,” Leila complained.

  “Nobody hates you,” Nalick said sitting down next to her. “They all just need a little time to adjust to you.”

  “You make it sound like I am a bad tasting vegetable or something,” she laughed, pulling her feet from beneath the covers and throwing them across his lap. He picked up her feet and wiggled her toes.

  “No. I mean they just don’t remember how to deal with real people. They are all so caught up in this fake world of nobility that they forget they are just like everyone else. You just happen to remind them of this, and I don’t think this makes them too happy. In time they will adjust. I promise.” Nalick rubbed her feet.

  “Nalick,” Leila began while watching him. “You’re not telling me something.” Nalick did not look at her face. “I can tell.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We can talk about it later,” he said, still not looking at her. Nalick was keeping a secret from her. It was becoming harder to do so, but he didn’t feel ready to tell her.

  Leila sat up and turned his face towards her, “Promise?”

  “Promise,” Nalick replied, leaning forward to steal a kiss before they would inevitably be interrupted again.

  Leila could hear Tim yelling as he ran down the stairs, and she watched through the doorway as the young boy made his way to the table. Tim was happily singing about food as he looked everything over and decided what he wanted to eat. Elena had brought Ruth to the table, and Phillip joined them. All three children sat together and ate.

  “So we really are going to keep them?” Leila asked Nalick. “Do you think we are ready to be parents?”

  “I don’t know if we will ever be ready, but I know as long as I have you by my side, I feel like I can do anything.” Nalick pulled Leila close to him to make his point. She nodded. Leila felt the same way. Nalick stood, but Leila quickly grabbed his hand.

  “Don’t leave yet,” she begged, pulling him back to the bed beside her. Nalick sat down and gently pushed her semi-wet hair from the side of her face. Nalick wanted to tell her his secret, but he could not stand the thought of making her sad. Leila could see the struggle behind his eyes, but did not question him further. She was happy to just have him sit near and hold onto her.

  “What did we get ourselves into?” Leila asked as Tim decided he would run a lap around the table after each bite of food.

  “You can’t change your fate,” Nalick said somberly while standing again.

  Leila watched him walk away and tried to analyze his last sentence. You can’t change your fate, she thought. What does he mean by that? Leila searched her mind, trying to remember anything Gabor had said to her about her fate but could not remember. She had done her best not to be told her own fate. Across the room, Leila could see Mauve trying to hurry the children so that they could get ready. Leila used the diversion of the children to escape upstairs. Silently she made her way along the stairs unnoticed by Mauve, and quickly she ran out into the rooftop garden.

  “Too bad there are no trees for you here,” Leila said to Anatolio approaching him from behind. She sat on one of the benches while Anatolio sat on the ground with his back to a large planter filled with tall grasses. The position was strategically chosen so he could sit and talk to her but be unseen to anyone who approached from below.

  “I guess it is just a little too much noise for the morning after all,” Anatolio added. “It might take some getting used to.”

  Leila shrugged. “I can’t say it is bad, since it made a great diversion to get away from them.”

  Palace life was not for Leila. She was not the kind of girl that enjoyed being fussed over and pampered. “But isn’t playing dress up so much fun?” he teased.

  “It is when you are six,” she replied. “I don’t know how any grown woman could enjoy being dressed so fancy with so many decorations and so little fabric.
I understand it is hot here, but give me a break.” Anatolio laughed again.

  Leila looked over the young man. He tossed his blond hair aside as he laughed. When they were alone everything was comfortable. There was an air about Anatolio that changed when others were around. Somehow she understood that this was the real man behind the boy.

  “Do you know what Nalick is not telling me?” she asked changing the subject.

  The twinkle in his eyes left, and he gave her a one word reply, “Yes.”

  “And I suppose you are not going to tell me?” she asked, raising her eyebrows. She already knew the answer but somehow hoped he would anyway.

  “I was told he would tell you when he was ready,” Anatolio replied, still looking her in the eyes. Leila could read his reaction, and he, as much as Nalick, did not want to tell her what Nalick was hiding.

  “I don’t get it,” she said, closing her eyes and leaning her head back. She was not going to get even a clue from him. “What could he be so scared to tell me? It’s not like I have not dealt with enough in my life to be able to handle something new. I am not made of glass.”

  “He knows that. I guess maybe, he is just as afraid to tell you because he doesn’t want you to get hurt or he doesn’t want to admit the truth to himself either,” Anatolio explained. “Sometimes life just doesn’t turn out the way you want it to.” Leila opened her eyes and looked at the young man in front of her. She could not tell if he was talking about Nalick or himself.

  “So when do we get to start training again?” he asked, changing the subject on her. She was analyzing him, and he didn’t want the conversation to continue. Anatolio wanted to keep his promise to Nalick.

  “As soon as you want,” Leila said with a smile. “In fact in a week or so I will be able to show you how to do things myself and not have to use Macarius or Theo.” Anatolio was happily waiting to be taught directly from her.