Past 10 chapters, already! This is going so fast, yet it's still far from over. Would like to see a few more reviews out there, from you guys. I think you could do a bit better. My Hobbit readers gave me three times as many as you guys.
Peter left the healing rooms with a new mission in mind. He just had to talk with Umed. The young slave had saved his life; Peter owed him a thanks, at least. Perhaps if he could find a Calormene man - a slave master, preferably - he would be able to demand a presence with the young lad.
The High King walked up the stairs, only to cone face to face with Susan.
"Peter!" Susan exclaimed at the clear surprise of coming across her brother in such a place.
"Uh, Susan." Great, now he'd have to come up with an excuse.
"What on earth were you doing in the healing quarters?"
Peter hesitated a moment, "Well, you see... uh... I was just... checking in." It was a horrible excuse, but it was the first thing that came to his mind.
"Checking in?" Susan cocked a suspicious eyebrow at him.
Peter simply pulled out a forced smile, "It's been a while since I was last about the Cair. I wanted to know their recent patients and predicaments."
"You? I find that hard to believe." Susan stated in an unamused tone.
Peter sighed. He really didn't have time for this, "Look, Su, I really have to go. I'll talk to you later."
"Where do you think you're going?" Susan crossed her arms as Peter began to leave.
"I have to talk to somebody. It's important." Without another word, Peter walked off, ignoring his sister's frustrated grumbles.
Once he got out of sight, Peter immediately set out on his mission; though once he began, he found it much harder than he had first anticipated.
Peter had been wandering around Cair Paravel for what seemed like an hour, and had not yet come across a single Calormene. It was another five minutes before Peter finally saw a Calormene, walking a few yards ahead.
"I say, sir!" Peter called for his attention. The Calormene's face showed a sharp scowl, before he noticed the crown on Peter's head. The look on the man's face turned from one of annoyance to one of fear.
"High King Peter, I... I didn't realize." The Calormene quickly dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
"It's no issue. Really. Get up off the floor." Peter had to hand it to the Calormen people; they really knew their manners when it came to royalty.
The Calormene stood, but still kept his head down, "What may I do for His Majesty, High King Peter?"
"I require a presence with one of your slaves, and, please, no questions asked."
"Yes, Sire, but what slave do you wish?"
"A young lad." Peter nodded, "His name is Umed. Bring him to my study. One of the guards may show you."
The Calormene took a small bow, "Right away, Your Majesty."
PSELPSELPSELPSELPSELPSELPSELPSELPSELPSEL
Peter didn't have to wait in his study long before he was alerted by a knock on the door, "You have guests, Your Majesty." Came the voice of Nephtali from outside the for.
"Show them in." Peter commanded.
The door opened and the Calormene entered with a shorter cloaked figure trailing behind him. The Calormene bowed and Umed followed suit, "Your Majesty." The man said.
"Thank you, my noble Calormene. I hope you won't mind if I ask you to wait outside for a short while."
The Calormene looked between the slave boy and the king, "Of... of course, Sire." The man quickly abandoned the room, leaving Peter and Umed alone.
"Would you like to sit?" Peter gestured to the one of his chairs. Umed said nothing, but sat down in one of the empty seats. Peter sat across from him and folded his hands in front of him, "You... saved my life."
Umed shook his head, "It was nothing."
"It wasn't nothing. I would be dead if it wasn't for you. I wanted to thank you."
"It would not be good for you too be associated with a slave. You shouldn't have called me here." Umed lowered his head even further than it was already.
"I don't care what others think. I'm the king." Peter sighed, "I can't help but feel drawn to you. You're different."
"I am a slave; nothing more. I am not important."
"That's not true." Peter shook his head, "All slaves are people, just like the rest of us."
"I wish that all people believed that."
Peter's heart split at the brokenness in the young raspy voice. This lad was so young, but he already believed that his life was over. Peter wanted so bad to help him, but there was no way.
"Your voice," Peter began, deciding it was time for a change in topic, "It wasn't always that way, was it?"
The boy shook his hooded head, "No, it was not. We are given only enough water to sustain us. All slaves have a little rasp to their voices."
"Perhaps, then, you would like a little drink?" Peter never gave Umed the chance to respond. He called in Nephtali, who carried in a silver tray with two gold rimmed goblets on it. Peter took his goblet off the one side and gestured for Umed to take the other.
"I don't think that's a good idea." Umed said.
"It's a gift. A way of saying thanks." Peter smiled and took a sip of his wine.
Umed shook his head, "No thanks are needed. The way I see it, we are already even. You saved me from the Calormene and I saved you from the poison."
"So you were simply, returning the favor?" Peter couldn't help but feel a little betrayed.
"Of course not. They told us to put the poison in your goblet; I couldn't let you die."
"You have a noble heart, Umed. You risked your life for me; that is not something I will take lightly." Peter couldn't see Umed's face under the hood, but he was sure that, if he could, he would see a look of distress plastered on his features.
"I will... accept your thanks."
Peter smiled and nodded, "Thank you, Umed, from the bottom of my heart." When Umed says nothing to respond, Peter continued, "I would very much like to see the face of the man who saved my life."
Umed hesitated. He didn't say anything. Both sat in silence for a few moments before Umed grabbed the rim on both sides of his hood. He pulled it back, but kept his eyes down.
Peter felt his heart stop for a moment. His mouth hung open in utter shock, "Ed?"