My Fair Lady: Chapter 5

Kezia walked with Marla again as she lit the lamps.  “I really do appreciate you walking with me, Kezia.”   Marla said lowering her pole down from the now shining light.  Kezia only nodded her head.  “This is my last time though.  We are to be moved into the castle tonight and then go on to the mountains from there.”  Marla continued. 

“I wish you the best of luck.” Kezia said quietly.  They were silent as Marla continued to light the lamps. 

“Kezia.” 

Kezia about jumped.  Cole walked to her side.  “I’ll see you later, Marla.”  Kezia said.  Marla waved goodbye uncertainly then walked away. 

“What is it now, Cole?”  She hissed. 

“I told you I’d be around.” 

“Yes, but I thought you meant that you had work for me.”  Kezia said nervously. 

“You know that’s not what I meant.”  He said lowly, stepping closer to her.  “I want to start from where we left off.”  He brushed his fingers down the side of her face.  Kezia froze.   She stepped back.  “There’s nowhere to start.  I was a prisoner of war; you were a general that hauled me around with you.” 

“I took you with me because I knew you’d be safe with me.” “We are of two different classes.” 

"I can chose who I want.”
"Then choose someone who wants you back.”
"You are that person.” 
"No, I’m not, nor do I want to be.  You have to accept this.”
“I won’t because I know you are lying.  I want to keep you close to me.”

He held her by the waist; leaned down and kissed her.  She pushed herself away from him.  “You are the enemy who hurt me greatly, and I just can’t forget that.”  She walked towards the stable. 

“I’ll be around, Kezia.”

**************

Kezia hurried and hitched up the horses to the wagon.  “How could I forget that they were leaving so soon?”  She chided herself.  She loaded her tools, and what she needed into the wagon along with whatever else she wanted to bring.  She tied the couple remaining horses to the back then went off on the road into the woods.

There was a knock at his door. “Come in.”  He said setting down his papers.  A young girl entered. 

“You know Kezia Stirling, yes?”  She asked. 

Jack frowned.  “Yes, I know her.”  

“Well, when I was lighting the lights, she was with me.” The girl paused.  “While we were lighting the lights, this man came up to her.  He knew her by name.  I could tell something about him scared her.” 

“I see.”  Jack’s brow furrowed. 

“I think she might be in some kind of trouble.”  She said.  “I’ll see what I can do-” 

“It’s Marla Ross.”  The girl said.  She nodded her head in thanks then left. 

Jack rose the instant the girl closed the door, and left the room as well. He strode down the stairs, and went straight to the stable.  He collided into someone.  “Why don’t you watch where you’re stepping?”  He growled.  His eyes widened.  “Kezia?  What are you doing here?” 

“Well, I couldn’t very well stay in a ghost town without there being suspicion, now could I? Besides, I said I’d come sooner or later. Is the smithy still available?”  She asked.  Jack nodded.  “Your friend Marla was talking to me a couple minutes ago actually.”

 Kezia’s face blanched “Oh, really?  She’s a nice girl, isn’t she?  She’s the light keeper’s daughter.” 

“She mentioned that the night before you were talking to one of the generals of the enemy.”  He said. 

“You know girls.  They get excited sometimes, and exaggerate.”  Kezia said nervously. 

“What were you talking about, Kezia?” 

Kezia fiddled with her hands.  “Nothing, really.  Just wanted to know what I was doing. She said quietly. 

“Does he suspect anything?”  Jack asked.

 Kezia shook her head.  “No nothing like that.  He just discovered where I was a couple weeks ago.”

Jack cocked his head slightly in question.  “What else, Kezia? “Nothing else.  Does it matter?  You know the palace guards.  They always want to know what you’re up too. ” Jack folded his arms.  “You’re not telling me everything.”  “What makes you say that?  Were you there standing right next to me?”  Kezia asked sarcastically. 

“No, I wasn’t.  But that doesn’t mean I’m blind to truth.” Jack said staring down at her.  

“Are you insinuating that I’m a traitor?”  Kezia growled. 

“I am.”  Jack said. 

Kezia’s eyes widened.  “Well, I’m not.”  She huffed, angrily.  “It all looks that way, now doesn’t?” 

“If I was, I would have turned you in when I saw you in the woods, which I.”  She exhaled.  “This is all a bit awkward. Can you just tell me where the smithy is?”  She asked.

 Jack eyes narrowed.  “I will be watching you, and leaving the castle is out of the question.” 

Kezia glared at him.  “I’m not a traitor.”  She left the stable and headed for the smithy.  Jack stared after her, uncertain.

****************

Kezia pounded the hammer against the metal on the anvil.  She wiped the sweat from her brow then continued on.  She placed the metal into the fire to cool it off then continued to hammer it till it took on its purposed form.  “How dare he call me a traitor!  I have been working just as hard as everyone else.”  Kezia thought pounding harder with every second that passed.

“When are you going to quit for the night?” 

Kezia looked up to see Turner standing in the doorway. She tried to bank the fire that had grown inside her. “I didn’t notice that it had gotten so late.”  Kezia said looking out the window.  “I just am so behind in my work; I can’t seem to stop.” 

“There are other smithy’s that are coming.  They have been working on weapons as well. They should be arriving in a couple days since we should be declaring war in a week or so.”  He said. 

“It’s hard to imagine that it was two months ago when I stumbled upon this place.”  Kezia said shaking her head.  “It’s harder to believe that war will be starting soon.” 

“Will you be fighting?”  Turner asked

Kezia stood still.  “I guess I haven’t really thought about it.”  “So how bout?”  He asked. 

“I don’t know.  I probably don’t remember how.”  She said smiling. 

“Nonsense!”  Turner grabbed two swords that were leaning against the wall.  He took Kezia by the hand, and took her out to the courtyard.  He handed one to her.  “Show me what you got, girlie.”  He challenged. 

Kezia stared at her sword.  She raised it slowly and stood in her position.  Her eyes were overcome by determination yet fear and uncertainty were at the edges. 

Turner lunged at her.  She dodged, and kicked his rear causing him to fall to the ground.  Turner rolled over and froze.  Kezia’s sword tip was within inches of his throat.  Her jaw set, her eyes blacked. 

“Kezia.”  Turner said nervously.  Her features softened.  She stepped back.  “Sorry.”  She stammered.

“Sorry?  That was terrific.  I can see you were a good fighter in the war.  No hesitation.”  He said.

 Kezia took his sword.  “I best get back to work.”  “I’ll be no good if they think I’m a traitor.”  She thought.

****************

 “I don’t know if this is such a good idea, Jack.”  Turner warned. 

“Are you saying I can’t beat her?”  Jack asked. 

“It’s not that, it’s just she gets very serious about it.  She had me to sword point in seconds.  Her whole character changed.”  Turner said sitting down on one of the benches to the side of the gym.

“Really?”  Jack’s mind wandered. “Perhaps  out of hatred for us.”  He thought. “I need to see how she fights so I know if she needs any training.”  Jack said unsheathing his sword then putting it back into its sheath.

The gym door slowly opened.  Kezia cautiously walked in.  “What is going on? Jameson came running like a mad man into the smithy saying to come to the gym right away.” 

Jack threw her a sword.  “You’re here for a sword fight.”  He said pulling his sword out.  

Kezia frowned.  “You brought me from my work so that we could fight?”  She asked folding her arms. 

“We’ll be doing so in a couple weeks.  Need to see if you’re any good.”  Jack said smiling as cunningly as he could.

Kezia stared at him, suspicious.  “Alright, but let’s make this fast.  I’m still very behind in my work.”  She took the sword out of its sheath.  She and Jack walked to the center of the gym.   They stood there unmoving.  Kezia cocked her head. Jack charged her unexpectedly.  Kezia dodged him, and kick his legs out from beneath him, knocking his sword out of his hands.  Her sword raised in the air ready to slice him.  Jack held his hands in front of himself in surrender.  

 “Now if you’ll excuse me..”  Kezia started walking towards the door. 

Jack jumped up and side swiped Kezia’s legs, and held her sword point to the floor.  She looked up at him in bewilderment. 

“Turner, take her to the tower.”  He said firmly. 

“What is going on?”  Turner asked standing up. 

“She’s a traitor.” Jack said.  His eyes narrowed. 

“Now what makes you say that, Jack?  She’s been out there working.” 

“I can tell by the way she fights us.  She looks at us with hatred.  She probably has us set up.”  He said. 

“Jack...”  Turner started. 

“She was talking to one of the enemy’s general’s, Turner!”  Jack shouted in his face. 

Turner looked at Kezia.  “Is that true?” 

Kezia sighed.  “It is, but he had sought me out.”  She said quickly.  “I am no traitor.”  She said glaring at Jack.  “He was in charge of the group of prisoners I was in during the war.  He developed feelings for me over the time I was with him.”  Jack rolled his eyes. 

“He saw me when I went to the palace to drop off Carter’s bridal.”  Kezia explained. 

“Take her to the tower.”  Jack said. 

Turner grabbed her by the arm. “Come on.”  He said quietly. 

Kezia struggled to get free from his grip.  “I was there when you were pushed into that building.”  She shouted.  

Jack whirled around.  She was already out of the gym.