Laela and the Moonline by Lisa Perskie Rodriguez

Author:Lisa Perskie Rodriguez
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gatekeeper Press

CHAPTER 15

Promise

Ana looked at Laela’s face in the morning and came in with what she called the solution for every girl’s pain—an even more lovely dress than the ones in her closet already. Ana narrowed her eyes mischievously, “Noone will be the wiser about this dress. I’m dressing you for a celebration today, as Mateo told me he’s planning a special day with you. He’ll be taking you on his horse, and you will need to cover yourself with a robe and hood for this outing.”

Laela had never seen silk as fine, with tones of lavender and pale blue. It glimmered like the pond and swished like soft waters. It was light, and she appreciated how it let her move freely. There were only a few tucks at the waist and a draped scarf-like neckline. Oti would adore this dress!

She felt like the lady of the manor as Mateo greeted her in the dining room. He looked at her as if drinking her in and smiled with such delight that she was willing to commit to more ‘feminine’ efforts for him. Especially if a dress was comfortable like this one.

They spoke at leisure over cups of steaming tea, and Laela felt ready to share her emerging story with him. Meeting his family had brought so many missing pieces together. It had also added new ones that needed to be carefully examined to absorb fully.

All of a sudden, she felt achingly sad, thinking about the need to leave soon. She looked at the last remnants of the buttery biscuit on her plate. “I wish this could last. This meal. These talks. There’s so much more I want to know about you and your people. But I feel I should be leaving soon. My family is distraught, I’m sure.”

Mateo reached out for her hand, “I’ve planned a great day for us together, and we will talk more about this. I agree that I mustn’t keep you here much longer, maybe a few days more at most. But I simply can’t let this go as a chance encounter. A wonderful one. A friendship, a special kind of friendship has already been born.”

“But the distance, the two worlds we live in are so far apart.” Laela choked back tears. She couldn’t start now, and this might ruin a perfectly lovely day that she would cherish for years to come.

“I’ve thought of nothing but that distance. But as we say—where there’s a will, there’s a way. I’m not tied to this land, and I can visit you. It might stir concern and even opposition, but I plan to do it. Why not? I can justify it on so many accounts. My father and half-brother Marl know deep down that I don’t want power and won’t interfere with their affairs. I’m not after the palace wealth or the King’s power. I can convince them of a benefit to them—bringing more medicines and increasing trade with the people of Aerizon. Slaves can’t make the same quality of products because life gets sapped out of them.

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