King of Slaves (Jenna's Story) (The Slave Series Book 5) (7 page)

CHAPTER 5

The Music Man

Jenna

The guest room Jenna found herself in was like an opulent hotel suite with a red and golden color scheme; a radical change from the primitive and dirty cell she had spent her last two days in.

The sight of her two suitcases and her handbag placed next to the bed made her almost cry in relief. Her fingers were shaking a bit when she unzipped one of her bags and let both her hands slide over the contents. Her
clean
clothes that would
fit
her.

Quickly she picked out an outfit and headed for the bathroom. Turning the lights on, she saw marble tiles from floor to ceiling and then she smiled. Right there was the one thing she longed for most in the world – a shower.

  Jenna turned on the water, stepped inside, and sighed with delight when the warm spray hit her face and ran down her body. It was healing to cleanse away the last days’ sweat and dirt, and although she was normally conscious about saving water, today was different. Today, she didn’t give a rat’s ass about the king’s water bill or the planet’s resources – if anyone deserved a long shower it was her, and she wasn’t going to feel bad about potentially using up all the hot water. The thought that the king would be left with only a cold shower made her grin for a second, but this was a palace and running out of warm water probably wasn’t an issue.

When she was done, she wrapped a soft towel around herself, brushed her teeth, applied moisturizer and combed her hair. Just as in hotel rooms the bathroom had a hairdryer that came in handy. Her blond hair was quickly styled, as it was cut short in a pixie crop style which Jenna found was the perfect compromise between practical and feminine. She tugged her long bangs behind her ears and applied a bit of mascara, rouge, and lip gloss before she decided she was ready to go back to her team.

When she opened the door she was expecting to find a guard outside, but to her surprise the hallway was empty.

“Hello?” she called and started walking to her right, hoping to find someone around the corner.
I came from the right, didn’t I? Or was it left?

After almost ten minutes walking around the long corridors passing many closed doors and then getting to larger, more open spaces with furniture and impressive chandeliers, Jenna concluded that she was undeniably lost. When she turned a corner and heard soft music playing ahead she sped up.
Music means people, and people means someone to give me directions.
What she found astonished her. A lean man sat hunched over a grand piano in a beautiful salon full of extravagant lounge furniture and mahogany bookshelves. In one corner there was a round table with a game of chess laid out, and large leather seats to sit in. The other corner offered a large table with green felt and what looked to be an almost-finished and at least two-thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Jenna’s eyes returned to the man, who was deeply entranced in his music. He made it look effortless with the way his fingers ran over the keys, and she was so stunned by the beauty of the melody that she couldn’t pull away from the loveliness of it.

Jenna closed her eyes and leaned against the doorframe, ashamed of intruding on a stranger, but grateful for this magical moment that lifted her spirit.

When the music stopped she opened her eyes again and saw the man look up to see her. While he had been playing he had looked focused and earnest, but now his face broke into a huge smile and he got up so suddenly that he almost knocked over the stool he had been sitting on.

He was talking fast, gesturing with his arms, and moving quickly toward her, almost like he had recognized a good old friend.

She couldn’t understand what he was saying, but she understood one thing clearly. This man wasn’t normal.

His jerky movements and childish delight was that of someone retarded or autistic. With the way he mastered the piano he clearly wasn’t retarded, so Jenna concluded that the man hurrying toward her was autistic – something she had experience with.

Growing up her neighbor, Spencer, had been autistic. They were friends from early childhood, and she was about five years old before she really understood that Spencer wasn’t like others. He was the kindest person she knew, but he got overwhelmed easily and needed special care. Other kids would tease him, and it always made Jenna furious. She protected Spencer, and he loved her for it and showered her with affection. She in return called Spencer her hugging machine and took time to hang out and do things he enjoyed.

This man in front of her had to be in his mid-thirties, just like Spencer now, and although his hair was much darker and his skin more olive-toned, he still reminded her so much of her childhood friend that she gave him a big smile and returned his warm hug.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t understand what you’re saying.” She smiled and allowed him to caress her hair. He was sweet and his eyes spoke of honesty and innocence.

Again he babbled in his language and pointed to his piano.

“If you are asking me if I liked your music, the answer is yes. Very much.”

He started nudging her towards the piano, but she had her own agenda and didn’t have time to waste.

“Maybe some other time. Right now, I need to find my team,” she said and wondered how she could make him understand.

“King… do you know where I can find the king?”

He didn’t seem to understand. If only she could say king in Spiri, maybe he would understand.

She gave it another try. “Kioni Kopilus.”

“Kioni.” He lit up and clapped his hands with glee. Clearly this guy liked the king.

“Yes, Kioni…” She pointed out the door and took his hand, tugging him along. “Take me to Kioni.”

The man tried to pull her the other way; he wanted her to come to his piano.

Maybe if I stay for just one number, he’ll help me find my way.

“Okay, one song then.” She followed him and saw how he had a bouncy, childlike walk and was laughing and making sounds of joy when they sat down together on the wide stool in front of the gorgeous piano.

Jenna had played the piano as a child, and even though it had been years and she probably couldn’t remember anything, his infectious joy made her place her hands and make an attempt to play a tune she vaguely remembered.

He sat quietly and listened and when she was done he hugged her and kissed her cheek with enthusiasm. Jenna laughed. Normal people couldn’t walk into your personal space like this; it would feel intrusive. But people like her childhood neighbor Spencer and this man were like children and completely non-threatening. At least
she
found it impossible not to smile.  

The man started playing a fast jazzy tune, and while playing he mostly had his eyes closed. He was playing this from the top of his head; she was impressed.

After two more songs she tried again. “Kioni.” She stood up, pulling on his hand. “Take me to Kioni.”

If she could get her new friend to show her back to the king’s office, surely he could have someone take her back to her team.

“Kioni.” The music man smiled and followed her out the door.

“Is Kioni this way or that way?”

To her relief he started walking and she kept her hand in his. He talked and talked and pointed around and she kept smiling at him. Once in a while she thought she heard the name Kioni and hoped he understood that she wanted him to take her to the king.

By a large bronze sculpture of a lion, the music man took a staircase up, and it made her hold him back. Jenna was positive that the king’s office had been on this level.

“Kioni,” she repeated.

He nodded and pointed up. “Kioni.”

She followed him despite her warning signals, and along the way they passed a guard who didn’t blink an eye. Whoever her mysterious music man was, he belonged here at the palace.

The sound level of her new friend’s noises of joy rose as they got closer to a set of double doors with a guard standing outside. Again the guard didn’t say anything when the piano man didn’t bother knocking, but walked right in and pulled her along with him.

“Kiooooni,” he called our loudly and grinned.

Jenna swallowed hard and felt her hands get sweaty. This was not an office or an official room by any means; this was a private chamber much like a beautiful hotel suite with an open door leading into a bedroom, and she had a good idea whose bedroom it was.

The music man walked around calling for Kioni in the grand suite. He disappeared into the bathroom and came back with a confused expression on his face.

Jenna shook her head. “I don’t think he’s here.”

The man gave her an apologetic smile and she figured he had wanted to make her happy and was disappointed that he hadn’t succeeded in finding Kioni for her.

To his credit, he kept on searching and even opened a closet to peek inside before he went to look under the bed.

Jenna followed him and tried to explain that they should leave right away. She was certain the king wouldn’t appreciate her being here and yet her curiosity made her look around and take in the masculine room kept in blue and dark gray colors with a thick carpet and several oriental rugs laid out. The furniture was clearly made with finesse and delicate craftsmanship, and Jenna couldn’t help being drawn to the detailed woodwork of the massive canopy poster bed that held a prominent place in the room.

“I think we should leave,” Jenna said and moved closer to her friend, who was still on his knees looking under the bed.

She was close enough to let her hands run over the monogram engraved in the bed frame and admired the accuracy and beauty of the design.

“We really should go,” she repeated when her eyes caught something odd hanging over the bed. It looked like a piece of regular lined paper like you would tear off a paper notepad, and from where she was standing she could tell that it was written in English, but was unable to read the whole thing. Curious, she drew closer and leaned over the bed to get close enough to see what it said.

The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.

Jenna pulled back and repeated it to herself in a low mutter. “The price of apathy towards public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.”

The music man got up from the floor and dusted his pants off, which was unnecessary as the room was spotless, with fresh marks from the vacuum cleaner.

He didn’t seem stressed about trespassing, and picked up a picture frame from a desk of drawers and showed Jenna.

“Kioni,” he said smilingly and she walked closer to see the photo in his hands showing King Kopilus with an arm around the man who was now standing beside her. They were younger in the picture and both grinning widely. 

Jenna looked at a few other framed pictures and saw what she assumed were the king’s parents. These were not typical stiff royal pictures but informal family photos like you would find in any household. The music man was clearly explaining about the people in the photos and pointing to each one, and Jenna got the impression that they were all dear to him. She wondered what his relation to the king was, and once again she wished she had done better research. Was he a brother, a cousin, or something else completely?

“What is your name?” she asked and took his hand to get him to stop talking. She put her hand to her chest and said: “Jenna.” And then she pointed to him.

He looked down at her hand and up to her eyes with an expression of uncertainty. He didn’t understand what she wanted from him.

“Jenna,” she repeated and pointed to herself.

Suddenly his eyes widened and he put a hand to his own chest. “Kalen,” he said.

“Kalen,” she repeated and saw joy in his eyes.

“Jenne,” he said.

“Jenna,” she corrected him.

“Jenne.”

“No, Jennaaaa.”

“Jenna,” he said and patted her head clumsily.

“Yes, you got it.” She smiled, and when he leaned in to give her yet another of his warm hugs she allowed it and hugged him back. “I like you too, Kalen, but we really shouldn’t be in here. Come on!” This time she pulled him along and prayed that no one would find out that she had been trespassing in the king’s most private chamber. 

Kalen waved his hand at the guard posted outside, and the young man politely inclined his head but otherwise kept his stiff position.

The farther they got away from the bedroom the more easily Jenna could breathe again. She felt incredibly lucky that nothing bad had happened.

“Ahh, there you is, Ms. Jenna Davis,”a voice suddenly resounded. “Finally. We not found you anywhere.”

Jenna recognized Coun Meme and saw a slightly annoyed expression on his face as the little plump man came waddling toward them. “I have message for you, but you was not in room.”

“Thank you, Coun Meme, I was looking for someone to take me to my team and I’m afraid I got lost.”

“Ahh, yes… your team is what my message are about. You must not go for hotels. They is all go here instead.”

His strong accent was really hard to understand, especially because he had a loose interpretation of English grammar. Just to be sure she repeated what she thought he said. “My team is coming to the palace?”