Elida kept her word and when the bell rang for lunch on the next day, she dragged a reluctant Leila along to her meal with Mator Raad. The girl chattered excitedly, trying her best to convince the seemingly frightened assassin that Raad was completely harmless.
Her hesitation gave Leila enough time to memorize the way, possible escape routes and guards. Her mission was to retrieve Elida and kill Raad, so even after the girl was gone, she would have to return to the Mator at least once. But the assassin found that few measures had been taken for danger coming from the women's quarters. As if a few bulky guards could stop her.
Raad's private chambers were spacious, and the part the lunch was held in was separated from the rest by intricately carved movable walls. Guards were on duty in front of his doors and two were hidden rather clever inside his chambers. Only because she had been watching out for it, Leila had noticed the movement behind what seemed to be just two more faked windows covered with carved panels. Most likely there were no guards at all in the sleeping area. This might be easier than Leila had anticipated.
The Mator was a man in his thirties with dark, curly hair cropped short and a meticulously trimmed beard. He did not strike Leila as the careless type, and his subordinates were most likely right now trying to negotiate with Lord Graden. Too bad that the latter was not interested in a association of the two houses and all prevarications would prove in vain. Graden was annoyed, and Leila was living proof of his deadly intentions. She smiled at the target person and memorised everything that might be useful.
Raad was doing Elida the favour of playing the generous host, though Leila saw that he was just pretending. In general, Elida seed rather oblivious of subtle body language which made it easier for Leila to attract the Mator's interest while pretending to fidget uncomfortably.
It beat Leila how Elida managed to oversee all the hints that Raad was playing for time with the marriage. Half his reasons were made up and the other half mightily exaggerated. But the girl chattered along happily, padding Leila reassuring, telling about the times when she would spent all her time with Raad as it should be. And when Raad indulged her and kissed her cheek, Elida took it as sincere token of is love and approval.
Besides, Leila's professional enticing of Raad's interest showed results pretty soon. The Mator was exquisitely friendly towards her. Eilda took that as a victory for herself, making sure her best friend and husband to be connected well. It made Leila want to laugh.
"See, I told you it would not be bad," Elida said as they walked back to their room. "He is a really nice man."
Leila nodded and fidgeted. "He seems nice, alright. But still, I'd rather not go again."
"Killefitt," the young woman chided. "You will come every day now. You will see, there is nothing to be afraid off." She laid her arm around the assassin's shoulders and began to make shiny plans of the future. The main part of which seemed to be taken up by an enormous wedding.
"I will ask Raad for you as a gift, then you don't have to fear any man. And I could teach you how to live on your own and be a free woman. One day, you won't be a slave anymore."
"You could do that?" The astonishment in Leila's vice was only half faked. The idea to learn how to live from a naïve doll like Elida was unbelievable. "What would I do then?"
"You could have your own dancing school. A real school for dancing, not - what you were in. And girls would come from everywhere to learn how to dance from you. I watched you practice, you're good. Wouldn't that be a wonderful future?"
"It sounds not very likely," Leila objected. "But maybe, one day…"
She should regret saying that because there was only one topic in the following days: the wonderful future of the two of them, one as married woman and the other as mistress of a dancing school.
Of course, Elida brought the subject up with Raad, who took the chance to have Leila dance and be allowed to stare openly. His appreciation was genuine, though the assassin suspected that his mind was thinking about something other than a dancing school. Not that Leila cared. Today she would deliver Elida to Fett, then Raad was the only thing she had to worry about. The more interested he was, the easier for her.
What did worry her, though, was the narcotic in her fingernail. It was certainly more than ready by now, and seeping into her own system. When she was not careful, her right hand went to sleep. High time to act.
Since she could not risk anybody accompanying her to the doctors, Leila decided to use the oldest distraction known. Depositing the prepared basket in the gym at the other end of the quarter. All she had to do now, was bide her time and stay close to her first target. That was not difficult because the young woman had decided that they were best friends and needed to spend most of their time together.
Maybe everybody else in the harem was dead tired of her rants abut her upcoming marriage and hr life afterwards. Leila knew it was boring enough, but there was no better listener than a paid one, and what Graden paid, bought a lot of listening. Getting her little finger into position over a vital nerve in Elida's neck was no problem at all. She pretended to lean towards he 'friend' and inserted the fingernail with a sudden jerk.
Elida cried out, but that did not matter much because a second later, as her body fell into Leila's arms, the assassin also let out a terrified shriek. "Daja Hanna! Daja Hanna, help, please!"
Pretending to struggle with Elida's falling body, Leila managed to bury one of the other nails in her own arm and help the tears into her eyes. By the time the two Dajas arrived, her face was wet.
"She collapsed, just like that, what am I to do?"
Kyra and Hanna had some problems dislodging Leila from her friend, so the assassin took to schleichen um the women, making worried sounds and sniffing. Every now and then she got in the way of the Dajas, only to be shooed away. Finally she crouched down as close to Elida as she could weeping silently.
The two Dajas fussed mightily over the Mator's favourite toy, feeling for a pulse, for the temperature, calling her name and patting her hands. But nothing happened.
"The medic," Leila exclaimed suddenly, jumping up. "They can help, they know everything." She shoved the Daja's away. "I will take Elida to the medics, they can help her."
The Dajas were about to intercept her, when Leila's small distraction went up in flames. Literally. The other girls screamed for help and water as the gym at the other side of the court went up in flames. It was clear that Hanna and Kyra were torn between their worries for Elida and the need to help with the fire.
"I can do this," Leila insisted, hoisting Elida's body a little higher. "And then I will tell you what the doctors said, I promise!" And before they had any time to answer she was on her way.
Carrying Elida's body through the women's quarters was not difficult. The assassin's body was trained to manage much more strenuous tasks. Still Leila was careful not to show the ease with which she carried her quarry.
As soon as the eunuchs on guards saw her approach the door with the unconscious form of the Mator's favourite girl, they knocked a code on the wood and the door swung open.
In the light grey robes of a medic he looked strange, and Leila wondered how he had manage to soften his features. Kindness suited him, she decided at last, even if he'd had to wear grey pyjamas to achieve it.
"What happened?" he wanted to know, and Leila launched a teary recount of the events that happened and her worries. Fett checked Elida's pulse and breathing before he opened the girls eyes.
"I'll take her."
Glancing at the guards who stood as far as their curiosity allowed, Leila lowered her voice. "Next time and place?"
He looked her up and down before answering. "I am a bounty hunter, I collect people for money. Taking care of Mator Raad or you is not part of my contract." With that he stepped through the guarded door, making sure Elida's head didn't bounce against the door post, and was gone.
Leila stared as the door that fell shut in front of her. Who did he think he was? How dared he leave her here? How dared he? She felt ready to rip the estate into pieces there and then. But her disguise did not allow it. She could have screamed. Dressed as a dancer, what options did she have?
Suddenly it came to her. What do girls do? She leaned against the wall and began to cry. It was a far cry from actually inflicting damage on something, or someone, but it lessened the stress. Leila curled up next to the door, determined to cry until she felt better.
Daja Hanna found her curled up like this, and Leila did not know how long she had been sitting there. Despite her best efforts, crying had not proven to relieve her stress as well as violence.
"Tut, tut, darling, what are you doing here?" The motherly scolding of Hanna almost made Leila smile, but she remembered her role.
"Daja Hanna! They took Elida. I don't know what she has. Suddenly she dropped unconscious and now, and now -" Leila sobbed. "The doctors have taken her. Can I not see her?" Pleading, she raised her eyes to meet Hanna's.
"Stand up," the Daja told her. "You can't sit here like a lost pikka cub." She reached out, and Leila took her hand. "The doctors will take good care of Elida, and soon she will be back."
"I cannot visit her?" Leila asked again, more timidly.
"Not as long as she is treated outside our quarters." Hanna laid a hand around the younger woman's shoulders. "And think of the poor Mator. He must be very sad now, don't you think."
Leila nodded.
"I am sure we will find something to cheer him up, don't you think?" The Daja looked Leila up and down. "Would you not like to help him, Lana dear."
Turning her face towards the older concubine, Leila faked more surprise. "But I'm all teary eyed and red in the face, Daja Hanna. I cannot show such an ugly face to Mator Raad, he'd only be more sad."
"How little you know about our abilities with beauty," the Daja laughed. "And no more protests. Mator Raad is still a man. He will appreciate the company of a pretty girl. Trust your Daja Hanna and soon everything might just be perfect for you, little pikka."
Leila pretended to hang her head in obedience, but inside she was jubilant. If everything went well, she might be out of here the very same night. And the Gods help Jango Fett if he was still around - if they could!