Chapter 3
The first morning of my trip, I wrote a letter to Brye. I told him I would come back, but what I didn't tell him was that it would probably be for only a visit, or perhaps it was all a lie and I would never return at all. But I couldn't leave our friendship at that lonely night when Brye practically shunned me and climbed back in his window.
I asked him what Father had done when he found out I was gone. I had absolutely no idea what he would do! He was such a quiet, gentle, but impatient man, so he always kept me guessing. I knew he wouldn't have roared, "WHAT!?!?" like most King-fathers would have done. He was too slow to harsh words. I also told Brye that I had to cover my face with a black veil the first time I went through town, imitating a person in mourning! I was hoping to make him laugh. Or at least, make him smile.
After a bumpy ride, I finally reached the beautiful, breathtaking forest that surrounded Medalia. It was just as the pictures had shown. The trees were taller than the tallest castle and seemed to reach the too-blue-to-be-true sky. The clouds seemed so happy; it was almost as if laughter filled the air.
"Haven't you heard?" A man's voice startled me. Cautiously I slid off Jedni and tied her to a tree. I wanted to listen to their conversation. They were two soldiers from Aduhlajh. They were dressed clearly as Aduhlajhen soldiers. I climbed into a bush. To my dismay, it was quite prickly. I had to bite my tongue to keep from crying out.
The soldiers were spitting into a nearby creek. A beautiful, crystal green creek. They were ruining it!
"Princess ran away. Seems as though they were too hard on her," one said between spits.
"Well, then maybe she won't mind as much when we attack! Heck, we might even persuade her to help!" The other joked, poking the first man in the ribs.
So they knew about me! I hoped that word wouldn't pass so quickly to Medalia. Quietly I got up out of my bush and pulled off all the leaves and burrs that had rudely implanted themselves into my shift. I silently mounted Jedni, not heeding the soldiers' joking threats as anything dangerous.
"That was nice eavesdropping, Jedni!" I told her after we were far away from the crude soldiers. "No LaShebah saying, 'Ladies aren't busybodies!'' I giggled at my own joke. The new life I had started was going to be just fine.
Layla Page 3
