Manar walked into Midiro’s Bedroom smartly. She looked at him curiously.
“You summoned me Lord Midiro?”
He looked up from his seat in surprise. “Er-yes Manar, come in.”
She walked to the sofa he was sitting on. Midiro
seemed very nervous; he was not too certain of anything. He looked at
her.
“Manar, didn’t you say that Kiyor had also been kidnapped?”
“Yes Lord.”
“What family is he from again?”
“The Vilkons.”
Midiro hesitated. … “I would like to
meet with them,” he declared finally. He noticed Manar staring at
him strangely. “What is it?”
“To be frank, they are the Vilkons. No one
meets with them, they summon others or others need to have agreed the
meeting with the Vilkons first.” Midiro found this hard to
believe. “I must also stress that you are completely unprepared
for life in the Dark Kingdom, you will be a very easy target.”
Lord Kirilian fretted over what to do.
“Well I need to do something. … I will meet with
Kiyor’s parents tomorrow night. I am prepared to give them
advanced warning, but that will have to do. I can’t wait around
while my daughter is in danger!”
Manar eyed her master with a sneaky expression.
“I can sneak you in the back without getting into trouble
you know.” She had said this in such a casual manner, one that a
Dark Citizen never heard. This surprised Midiro.
“Oh that’s right,” he remembered with relief. “You used to be a Light Citizen.”
“I still go back there, as often as I can.” The bodyguard seemed slightly offended.
He nodded. “Well, in any case you have my permission to drop the guise.”
“And to relax?” she pleaded hopefully.
This surprised her master. “Yes…and to relax…”
Manar scampered to his bed and flopped on it.
“I really don’t like the Dark Kingdom!” she
complained. “It’s got less action than in the movies and
it’s so rigid!” She rolled over. “Of course,
you’ll want to know how to get around the Dark Kingdom. Well, you
have to wear black, if not, dark colours.”
“Which I don’t have,” Midiro pointed out.
“Then bring in a tailor. Rowan and Dorania use
Pilua (Pill-lou-wa), she’s great, she makes you clothes for the
next night.” Manar pointed to the phone. “She’s
number 5 on the phone list. You should also wear your sunglasses to
hide any fear that you might-and probably will-feel during your visit.
Dark Citizens never show emotion unless in a powerful position because
that’s where they feel safe. You can’t show any fear, any
hope, any gratitude; just saying thank you means you are grateful to
the Dark Citizens. The best way to think is if you believe everyone is
either ignoring you or fearing you. And be prepared for the unexpected
because in the Dark Kingdom, anything can happen, no matter what the
Dark Citizens think.”
Midiro was surprised, but it was not certain at
what. Was he surprised by the things he should remember? Or at the
speed, with which Manar had spoken? He allowed himself a moment for it
all to sink in. He looked at his family’s bodyguard again.
“So what are the names of Kiyor’s parents?’ he asked.
Manar seemed surprised. “I don’t know. I
can find that out though.” She sat up. “I hope you’ve
got nothing else to ask, I’ve got work to do.”
Midiro smiled sincerely. “You’ve been a great help Manar, you can go.”
She gave a wide smile. “Thanks.” She
hurried off, walking out of the room as the cold, dark bodyguard suited
to her reputation.