Maliki looked in the mirror to find a boy with clean cut soft dirty blonde hair. Although the boy had youth as his advantage, his eyes looked aged, as if it held much more than he let on. He barely recognized himself as he noticed his features. He grumbled, complaining about the image that the mirror showed him as he buttoned his shirt.
He was getting ready to see Elizabeth and that reminder set an excitement sort of feeling through his veins. Finally something he could look forward to. He was excited yet scared of what he might find there. Elizabeth was very kind to him that at one point Maliki thought it was one of Annie’s pranks. His sister had gotten her amusement by Maliki’s embarrassments.
He soon grew to like Elizabeth as they talked through the night. When she invited him to stay over at her estate to know her more, he accepted happily. Annie was too lazy and self-absorbed to go through that deep into the plan and so he accepted Elizabeth’s invitation with a grateful heart.
A knock rapped on his door but he had no time to answer as the person walked in without permission. Izzy came in with a weird look on her face but as she noticed Maliki halfway through buttoning his shirt, she looked away surprised and embarrassed.
“Next time you should wait for permission before storming in,” Maliki laughed good naturedly.
“Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention,” Izzy mumbled an apology. Maliki knew something was bothering her but decided not to ask. It was her choice whether she wanted to involve him or not.
“Fine, let us get going or else we will be stuck in darkness and I feel very superstitious to travel at night,” Maliki said, messing with his hair as he looked in the mirror one last time. He frowned as he saw the difference in himself before dismissing it. Izzy gave him a raised eyebrow but bowed slightly as he brushed past her through the door.
The carriage came and Maliki and Izzy piled in, seating themselves in opposite direction. One of the guards tipped his hat as he was about to close the door when someone stopped him.
Izzy looked to see Timothy smiling at the guard as the guard backed away with a respectful bow of submission. Izzy frowned seeing Timothy. The last time they talked, they fought about her affection toward Alex.
“Hello, Prince Maliki,” Timothy bowed respectfully before turning towards Izzy. “Where are you going?” Timothy asked, partially irritated.
“I am to guard Maliki while he is visiting a duchess,” Izzy said, hiding nothing. Although a wave of regret and sorrow filled her mind, she let her voice empty of emotion.
“I was not informed,” Timothy said disturbed but something in his eyes changed. “Actually it might be beneficial. I have to help with the wedding preparation and security so I would be busy anyways,” he said but what he said didn’t quite meet his eyes. “When you come back the wedding will proceed in a matter of days so I bid you farewell and a safe trip.” He nodded towards them both and closed the carriage door.
Izzy was surprised by Timothy’s lack of concern but didn’t think too much of it. It was Timothy and when he dealt with business, he was always serious. Without any other thought, Izzy laid back in the seating and let her head rest against the back board.
“Do you feel alright? It seems like you look more tired with each passing day,” Maliki asked concerned. He looked at her with great care in his eyes and Izzy smiled gratefully.
“Yes, I do. Thank you. I’m just overwhelmed with everything,” Izzy said, giving him a forceful smile.
“You aren’t very good at lying,” Maliki chuckled, craning his neck out the window. “You know it will kill you if you keep it inside of you.”
“You expect me to confide in you,” Izzy realized. “Why?”
“I only want to get to know you more. You are quite different than most ladies I meet.” Maliki’s eyes twinkled as he looked at Izzy affectionately. He felt calm talking to her and saw her as someone similar to himself. Maybe that was why he felt so comfortable with her.
“Well, sorry to break it to you but I’m not a lady,” Izzy said wincing.
“You hold yourself with your head high and you are a respected person in the castle. I say you earned the title of a lady even if your birth does not prove it,” Maliki pointed. “Besides, how did a girl like you become a bodyguard?”
Izzy hesitated, half not knowing what to say and half uneasy about letting guard down. She was always taught to stay out of the way from spotlight and hidden back in the shadows. No one had really tried to verbally get to know her or approach her except a few close people.
“I-I was born into the estate. My mother worked here when she had me and died shortly after. I have been under the king’s care since I was born,” Izzy said soberly. She couldn’t meet Maliki’s eyes but she could feel the heat of Maliki’s eyes on hers.
“I’m so sorry.” Izzy looked up and saw Maliki genuine concerned and apologetic.
“I never knew her so it doesn’t hurt as much. Everyone in the castle has helped me grow up and they are all my family.” Izzy found herself smile as she thought of Edith and Marge who were like her second mother and Timothy, Alex, and Zachariah who were her only friends her age. She felt herself being rude and she directed the conversation towards Maliki. “Where is your mother?”
“S-she died a long time ago,” Maliki said, smiling sadly. “She was trying to protect me and ended up getting killed but she saved my life for it.”
Izzy observed Maliki as she felt the hurt that he must have felt. She couldn’t imagine what went around in Maliki’s head but her heart reached out for him.
“I’m so sorry,” Izzy whispered. She put her hands on Maliki’s leg, surprised at herself of the gesture she had made. Maliki only looked at her hands and gave a slight smile.
“I’m sorry too,” Maliki said quietly. There was a moment of silence as they let the sound of horse hooves fill the still air around them. The silence felt like a tribute to their mothers as they quietly went into their own heart, trying desperately to remember their mothers and trying to fill the empty void of a mother’s love.
“What made you want to be a bodyguard?” Maliki said, changing the subject. Izzy blushed and smiled a little, reminding Maliki a little bit of his own mother who would smile like that when he was a toddler. Her smile seemed to brighten up the room.
“I was destined to be one. It was prophesized to King John in a dream,” Izzy said, saying this fact out loud for the first time.
She had always been told at such a young age about her destiny and her duty to serve as a bodyguard. While young girls were sent to wash clothes and do chores around the castle, Izzy was pushed on how to use a knife and how to kill. She never minded the difference between her and other girls and gratefully took this as her own opportunity to be someone different.
“A dream,” Maliki said, playing around with the words. “Dreams that are prophesized may not always be true but one can only hope.” To Izzy, he seemed to be talking about something entirely different than what Izzy meant.
“Well I did become a bodyguard,” Izzy said slowly, wanting to prove Maliki wrong.
“Yes, of course,” he nodded encouragingly. “But other times, we must remember how to differentiate dreams and reality.”
“I understand some truth behind your words but I am guessing that you are talking about something else that is on your mind,” Izzy said, willing him to explain exactly what he was thinking.
“My father once had a dream that his only son would make him claim his wife’s life,” Maliki said and paused without saying anything further. Izzy put the two pieces together and gasped.
“Maliki…” she trailed but she didn’t know what she could say to make things better. There was none and they both knew that. His own father killed his mother just like the dream intended when it said Maliki would be the reason why the king kills his wife. ‘She was trying to protect me and ended up getting killed but she saved my life for it.’ The words stung as she began to realize the true meaning.
“What is done is done. My mother saved my life and I intend to at least repay her by living it,” he smiled sadly. Izzy moved closer so that she could wrap her arms around him. She didn’t know what was wrong with her misbehavior today but she couldn’t help but want to make sure Maliki was okay.
To her, he was a lost puppy who had gone through so much. Something in her heart wanted to reach out to him, to support him and take care of him. It was a feeling she never felt before. The feeling of wanting to take care of someone. The feeling came with her job but the new foreign feeling she felt was something she had never experienced and she smiled as the warmth of his body traveled through her body.
Maliki was surprised at her hug at first but immediately felt comfortable at her friendly gesture. She didn’t give him her pity but expressed the sorrow she felt with him as he relived what had happened so many years ago. He let himself enjoy her warmth until she pulled back with a shy smile.
“Thank you,” Maliki whispered, mesmerized by her wide emerald eyes as they held such care for him. His own heart was glad that he had met Izzy and thanked the Heavens she was brought into his life and for the millionth time that day, he found himself smiling at her.