Kingdom of Arzialla by Marilyn Arias (story reading txt) 📕

put, ‘kay?”
“Mhm,” she silently hummed, nodding her head.
I took my seat at the armchair while Troian took one of the dining table chairs and sat on it backwards. Acton quickly came with a plate of cookies and offered it to me.
“No, thank you. I’m just here for a quick visit,” I told him. He then offered to Troian and he took a couple. When it comes to cookies, Troian just can’t resist taking one or two.
“Well how can I help you, gentlemen?” he asked timidly. I fished out a small piece of paper from my pocket.
“Can you please send Trygg to Thomoire to deliver this message?” I said, holding it out for him to take. He took it and started to read it. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but Gavrils have found Arzialla and we need more soldiers.”
He looked up at me in fear. “Really?”
“Yes. They’re nowhere near you, however. We just need a little bit of help,” I told him.
He looked at the paper. “Yes, of course.”
He whistled at his owl and, from his cage, he flew onto his arm. Trygg automatically lifted his leg up and allowed his master to tie the message onto his ankle. Acton swung the window open and whispered “to the king of Thomoire” before he set it free.
“Thank you again, Acton,” I said standing up. “We must head back. You want to join us? We can’t guarantee you safety if the Gavrils find you here.”
“Thank you but I rather stay. If by any chance they do find me here, I’ll just hide in my underground passage,” he said.
“Ah, true,” I said. “That reminds me, may we be escorted back to the kingdom using your secret passageway? We need a shortcut and we can’t risk being seen anymore than what we already have.”
“Ah, yes. For you, I’d be happy to,” he said.
“Thank you, Acton,” I said, giving him a smile. I remembered the girl and I crouched down next to her. The warmth of the fireplace gave her color back, giving her a healthy, peachy glow. She peacefully fell asleep and that’s when I noticed she had long, full lashes.
While Acton went into some dresser drawers to look for the keys, I gently removed Acton’s quilt from her and returned it to him with another thank you. When I turned back to her, she was awake. She looked at me with sleepy eyes and her head tilted to the side.
“Sorry,” I said as I easily picked her up. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“Umm… it’s okay…” she said with the gentlest voice. She’s shyer than Acton. Then again there’s a difference between shy and antisocial.
Acton moved one of his dresser drawers out of the way and revealed doors on the floor from where the drawers were with chain wrapped around the handles, and a lock keeping it together. He unlocked the lock, threw the chain aside, and pulled the doors open, exposing a set of stairs disappearing into darkness.
“Where are we going?” the girl asked sacredly as Acton fetched the candle lamp that’s been keeping the entire room lit.
“It’s just a way back to my home. I promise, nothing is going to hurt you down there,” I told her. She probably doesn’t believe me though. I don't blame her...
“Zel, we have to go,” Troian told me.
“I’ll be there in a second,” I told him. He rolled his eyes but went along with Acton into the tunnel. I turned to the girl. “What is your name?”
She looked away and hesitated. “Anna.”
“That’s a pretty name,” I told her. She gave out a small, bashful smile. “But Anna, I don’t know how I’m going to do this, but I will get you home. I promise.”
She nodded even though her smile turned into a doubtful frown.
We started heading down the tunnel…

It took us less time to get back into Arzialla than it did in the snow. I made sure to tell Acton to turn off all the lights, to put the fire out despite the cold weather outside, and to not cook anything when he returns home since Gavrils can smell blood, raw flesh, or cooked meat miles away. I told him that I’ll come back for him to let him know when it’s safe to go back with his lifestyle.
“You’re a lucky man, Zelimir,” Acton told me.
I chuckled in confusion. “Why, Acton?”
“Anna is going to be a beautiful young lady,” he said, eyeing the girl that I held in my arms.
How did he know her name? Did he hear our brief conversation? Does he know she’s human?
I remained physically calm, despite that I’m in fear that I’ve screwed things up. “What are you saying?”
He blinked and glanced to the side, pursing his lips in thought. “How can I say this without ruining surprises? Hmm… Let’s just say that she’ll be saved and you’ll live.”
What?
“But you’ll be punished with something much worse than death…” He eyed Troian and stared at him for a moment before he came up to my ear and whispered, “You must not trust anybody with her.”
He moved away and I stared at him with my eyebrows pulled together. What are you talking about Acton?

“Nice to meet you, Anna,” he spoke to her. “I’m very sure we will meet again.”

“Why?” I asked him.
“No reason,” he replied. “It’s getting late. I fear for my life that the Gavrils will have my throat again. I must get going.”
And so he crawled back into the tunnel and shut the doors behind him.

I wrapped my cape around Anna’s head so her ears and face won’t be so noticeable to the townspeople and to my fellow soldiers. She pressed herself against me as I drove my horse across the village to get her to my headquarters. I guess I either have a way with children or she really despises the cold.
My mind kept thinking about Acton’s words. I’m very sure we will meet again… you’re a lucky man… she’ll be saved and you’ll live but you’ll be punished with something much worse than death… she’s going to be a beautiful young lady…

Just while my mind wandered, I continued leaving the war to Lieutenant O’Shea since it seems to be taken care of. I went straight to my destination, telling the townspeople to get into the palace for safety on my way there.
Troian still wouldn’t leave me be, however. He’s still expecting me to inform the king about Anna. He hasn’t asked me where I’m going yet but I can feel his glare staring at me the entire time. I ignored it however.
We finally arrived outside the Northern Military Dormitory when suddenly, Sergeant Byrne appeared. Damn…
“General Callaghan!” he said as he saluted me.
“Sergeant,” I said, after getting down my horse and taking Anna into my arms. I began to walk passed him.
“Where have you been?” he asked. “You were gone for ages. And who is this girl?”
“I’m sorry, something slowed me down,” I told him; ignoring the fact that he asked me about Anna.
“Well were you able to deliver the message?” he asked, following me like an annoying fly.
“Yes. It should’ve reached Thomoire by now. The soldiers should be here soon,” I told him.
“Good. So who’s this child?” he asked again.
“Byrne, I don’t have time. I need to get to my office,” I said, trying to change the subject.
“With a child, sir?” he asked.
“She needs medical treatment,” I told him. I just realized that I shouldn’t have said that. I may have saved a few lives doing basic treatment but I’m no doctor.
“Would you like for me to call a doctor for you, General?”
God, how this guy annoys me. Always up my butt. I tried to be patient though. “No, I can take care of her. Plus, the doctors should worry more about the citizens that need immediate care.”
“Are you sure? I can—”
“Don’t you have something better to do, Sergeant?” I interrupted him.
“Well, yes b-but—”
“Then you are dismissed.”
He blinked. “What?”
“Do I stutter, soldier? I said you are dismissed,” I told him.
“But, sir.”
“That’s an order, soldier,” I said with a harsh tone.
He paused before raising his hand up to his forehead.
“Sir, yes, sir,” he muttered with a suspicious look.
“Zel, you need to be with your men. They need you,” Troian started telling me.
“They’re perfectly fine with O’Shea.”
“Yes, but they don’t look up to him as they do to you,” he said. “Here. Let me take the girl. I’ll take care of her while you’re gone.”
“No.”
“But, sir.”
“I said ‘no’, Lieutenant,” I snapped at him. What was wrong with me? I know I want to save this human, even if it means dying by the king but… why am I like this? All this just for her?
“General,” he begins to get serious. In his eyes, I’m not his friend at the moment. “I won’t tell anybody. Just let me take care of her for you.”
By now we are a few feet away from the door to my headquarters. I turned around and looked at him. He had a cool expression on his face but his eyes were turning red with anger. For all I know, mine are probably bloody red too from all the frustration in keeping this child hidden and alive.
You can keep a poker face, but we elves have that great advantage of knowing if someone is telling the truth or lying just by looking at their mood in their eyes.
And right now, he’s lying.
I turned around and unlocked the door. “Troian, just… Just leave everything to me.”
We entered my office and I set Anna down on the luscious, black leather sofa. With big, surprised eyes, she spotted the vast book case that takes up the entire wall from one corner to the next. Her jaw dropped in awe and her eyes traveled from one corner of the shelves to another.
“General, I insist in ta—”Troian was interrupted by a sudden blow in the face.

I Wish...- Anna

THE MORE I’M IN THIS WORLD, the more I'm afraid. The blond man had me seated in front of him on a horse while we galloped across a burning village. The sight of people running and screaming while their houses were on fire was terrifying. Some faces were mostly black from the smoke and others were wet from tears as they held their lifeless beloved ones. It’s scary to think that those people they’re holding may be dead.
“What happened here?” I asked