Read Online To Stand Beside Her by B. Kristin McMichael - Free Book Online Page A

hair. She quietly walked over to the door to check if anyone was in the hallway. As expected , Theo was standing outside of her door.
    “I hope you weren’t planning on sneaking away today. Nalick was not happy yesterday to find you had wondered off without telling anyone,” Theo scolded Leila. “We need to go get Macarius to join us.”
    “Why?” Leila asked. “He doesn’t seem to like me too much. It would be much more enjoyable for just the two of us to leave.” Theo shook his head no. “Fine , ” s he pouted as the y walked down the flight of stairs to get Macarius.
    “Macarius doesn’t dislike you; it is just that he is a bit protective of Nalick,” Theo tried to explain.
    “Either way, he doesn’t like me,” Leila commented as they reached Macarius’ door. Theo knocked loudly.
    “What?” Macarius asked answering the door. He stood for a minute looking from Theo to Leila, and then he realized it was Leila.
    “ Our charge would like to go to the market, and you know Nalick would have our heads if we lo st her again,” Theo explained.
    “Does Nalick know where we are off too?” Macarius asked as they continued down the stairs getting dressed along the way .
    “No, but I am sure Mauve will tell him soon like she came and told me , ” Theo responded. As they walked through the palace, not a single person turned to look at them as they passed. Leila was happy. Her disguise would work well in town if the people of the palace didn’t even recognize her.
    Leila had not been in Lexia during the open market for a while. As they approached the city square, the crowd grew denser and the look on the two men’s faces turned to worry. If this was where Leila wanted to vanish , it would work the best. Theo and Macarius had no intension of disappointing Nalick, but Leila was an expert in disappearing. Leila had no plans of leaving Lexia quite yet, so she turned and placed a hand th r o ugh each m a n’s arm as not to lo se them and began to walk to the first shop.
    “I am not running off anywhere today,” Leila tried to reassure them, but neither of them seemed completely convinced. Leila walked closer to the first booth. Around her were people trying to sell every type of item imaginable from fresh vegetables to a cloth that could supposedly clean anything. The bright colors of the nearest fruit stand caught Leila’s attention, so she stopped and let go of the men’s arms. Macarius moved to the edge of the stand to keep watch while Theo followed closely behind Leila. She wandered through the rows of fruit. She was amazed to see fruit that was not in season at home.
    “Whatever you would like, I will pay for,” Theo offered as he saw Leila looking at the berries.
    “Have you ever had these before?” s he asked Theo.
    “No, miss,” Theo looked at the strange blue colored berries.
    “They grow them back where I am from,” Leila explained as the stand owner came up behind them.
    “My husband and I grow those,” the lady explained. T he woman curiously looked Leila over. “It began as a hobby, but now it is full time job. My husband helps with the harvest, but he has his own tent over there,” the lady pointed across the market.
    Leila continued walking from one booth to the next. At each stop she found something that reminded her of her home and the owner there to explain everything to her. One stand had a necklace made from the blue stones found in the mountains near Leila’s home and at another were the style of baskets that her mother had tried in vain to teach her how to weave. Leila was comforted to know that even though she was far from home, there were still reminders right here at the market. And she was surrounded by good, nice people, unlike the nobles who already dismissed her.
    “Want to show your alliance to a certain noble family?” the next tent owner asked.
    “Too late,” Leila commented under her breath. “I am not from around here,” she responded loud enough to be