"Don't they ever get tired? Even between doing chores and playing around, they never seem to stop going!" As she said this, Alannah noticed a escapee from the nap group, who was holding her arms up in a manner that suggested she wanted to be held, and without thinking she lifted the child onto her lap.
Anya smiled to herself as Alannah did this. "Have never been around children before? Where on earth have you been? Locked away in a convent?"
"Close enough."' Alannah said, "being an only child my father was … is very protective of me. It's not like I was locked in the tower, but I was certainly not allowed to go anywhere without men around."
"Men?" Anya gave a little shudder.
Alannah sighed unhappily. "My father will be here in a matter of a few weeks to take me back home to an arranged marriage to another villiage leader just to keep the peace between our nations. Anya this man is old enough to be my Grandfather. The man is an old pig, I've heard talk that he can't keep his hands off of women! I wasn't going to let him touch me, let alone own me. When and if I marry I want it to be for love, not power."
"Your father I have heard is a very powerful man, is that ture?"
"Unfortunatly so, my father certainly doesn't care about my feelings." Alannah said "He is my father, but he is a dangerous man. He would kill anyone who stands in his way of what he wants. My escaping him, reflects badly on his ability to control others, even those people in our little realm of control. He will stop at nothing to find me and bring me back in an unwanted marriage. But before doing so he would beat me for disobeying him." She said as tears once again that day, flowed from her eyes.
"Were it not for your solem face, and manner of clenching your fists, I would have said that you were exaggerating," Anya told her, taking her hand. "It is good that you are here where he can't reach you."
"But he can reach me, I have been running away from his men for three years. He is coming here." Alannah muttered bleakly. "It's not just the men this time like Nuremberg, but he is coming with them. Señora Beringer and Dominic have forbid me to run anymore. I still have resources but they are scarse and I was not allowed to work. There is no more running away for Alannah Ferguson, I'm afraid."
"Haven't you told them about your father?" Anya demanded.