Three days later the boy Ty was back to meet the Mistress, who had the company of Roy along. Compared to their previous meet, Ella was shocked to find Ty in torn rags. She ordered for a glass of water for him while helping him in one of the chairs in the meeting hall.
After gulping down the whole glass, Ella chided at the boy, "You have a habit of giving me attacks whenever we meet."
"Who is this?" Roy asked, having never seen the boy around her.
"Ty." She answered without turning as she was busy inspecting the wounds inflicted on the poor boy. Thankfully it wasn't very severe except bruises on his arms, open wound on his knees which must have happened when falling from a height. But looking at his weakened state, she was quick to ask Roy, "Call the medics."
"No! I don't want to go anywhere." The scared boy yelled frantically. "I am fine! I will wash this off and I'll be fine. I am not going anywhere." Ella wanted to argue but pursed her lips and met Roy's eyes. He nodded at her approving and carrying the boy in one struck.
"You are heavy." He muttered and carried the boy out of the hall towards the way to the palace, with Ella following them closely. Any apology Ty had on his lips died the moment he felt a pain on his ribs due to the carriage, which he didn't complain, gritting his teeth enduring it until they had reached the safe quarters.
Roy nursed the boy who was looking ashamed with most of his clothes shredded out to tend the wounds. "You got in a fight? Didn't do good enough." He commented while applying ointment to another bruise beside the ribs.
"Doesn't look like he was fighting. Who did this to you?" Ty was shocked at the woman's perception; he had thought to save himself by taking help here and make a lousy excuse to get away from the city. He had to get back to his mother to take her to a safer place, because he knew he wouldn't be able to protect his sister if his mother was gone too.
"I-I got in-nto a fight." "You're lying." Roy interjected staring at the boy's face. He pinched at the wound he was tending to, causing a surprised yelp from Ty. Frightened he looked into the man's eyes which looked daunting now that he lied on his face then to the lady who wasn't showing the resistance in the scary man hurting him and again to the man, he requested, "Please let me go. I know nothing. I'll say nothing. My mother is in danger."
"What is this boy's story Ella?" He stood up turning to her who answered, "He came to me a few days back claiming to be my brother." The sentence made him raise his eyebrow. "He said he wanted to find his sister. Said that she was kidnapped from their home one night." Shifting her eyes which strictly bounded on Ty she asked, "I thought I had given you the means to find your sister." She indicated about the Deputy who was one of the close confidantes of the corporation and she doubted that man would betray her.
"I am very grateful for your help Ma'am, but I need to leave now. I shouldn't have come here; I shouldn't be here." Ty pleaded which only raised the suspicion of the other two hovering upon his tales. Ella walked to the bed which was in one of the guest rooms being the closest to the door from where they entered. Sitting erect the lady said, "I am going to ask you the last time Ty, before I will put you into the hands of the same men you were running from," the boy's eyes went wider listening that, "Tell me what happened. Everything."
Dejected the boy, Ty narrated, "I had filed the c-complaint as you said me to. I was waiting for any news about Cora, when last night some men attacked me when I was sleeping on the lodge steps. They beat me till I got unconscious. I woke up today morning and ran here to tell you..."
"Tell us what Ty?"
"They told me to go away to my beach house or they will burn it down with my mother in the sea."
"Did you see their faces? Are you sure they were men?" It was an evolved era. Anyone can be a friend and anyone can be a foe.
"They were men. Having muscles. They... They were the local gang people." Ella gave a questioning look which he confirmed, "I know how a local gang speaks. I heard them curse like that."
"Hired men to eradicate you small stone from the path." Roy recited pacing along to the window, peeping behind the curtains to search for any irregular instances. The window looked out on the stables, but his eyes were focused beyond the perimeters which had the city flowing. Ella agreed with Roy's statement, "There could be only one reason for the local gang to terrorize you."
Ty felt both of their gazes on him, squirming under them he asked pointing himself, "Me?" She shook her head, "Your sister. They don't want her to be found."
Satisfied he turned to them, "They don't want anyone to file a public complaint about your sister going missing. This happened only after you," Roy pointed to Ty, "filed the complaint. Who is this sister of yours?"
"Her name is Cora."
"Is she a star? A famous actress? Name is not enough to know her identity." He spluttered mockingly while Ty became red realizing, he should give them more details, of course. The boy hesitated at first but looking at those two, he deduced he had already lost a lot maybe he could take the last help. "She... is my half-sister."
"You both have different fathers." The boy didn't answer to Roy's guess, just looked away, which confirmed their deduction.
"Any reasons why she might be taken from your family? Did she do anything repulsive?" Ella inquired focusing the matter to its core. Ty shook his head in denial, "We live peacefully. Even when she is my half-sister, I love her like my own. She is not a repulsive one. She is the good one in the family."
"How many know about her being your half-sister?" She asked the dark-haired boy who looked confused at the direction her questions were going, "Only I and Mama." She nodded to his answer and asked about his sister's appearance.
"She is fair. Fairer than me. And... she looks a bit like Mama?" The boy's description was clearly futile in learning about his sister. "Ah! And I will present you all the girls of that description, right before you. Even when I haven't seen your Mama!" Roy commented to which Ella sharply glared. "What! He is being of no help. And he intends for us to help him." He claimed, then turned to the boy intimidating, "You must be having a photo of her if you're here to find her."
"I-I gave it to the Deputy." He uttered scared and shifted his eyes from the man to the woman who was bearable than the other one. He continued, "That was the last one. She is my elder sister. Nineteen years. Her birthday was two weeks ago." The way he said that told Ella that his sister was in captivity during her birthday. Her heart broke for the boy, she didn't know how to comfort him, because she can't even promise whether his sister was alive.
Ella took his hand in hers saying, "You rest now. I will send men to guard your mother." She could only do this much for him. Turning to leave, Ty's voice stopped her, "Will you find her?" almost pleading, not giving up even after all this. She didn't ask which one of the women he was wanting her to find; she didn't need to though.
"Only if you help us." He nodded right away, thanking her through his eyes and laying back on the bed, which Ella helped him adjust the pillows through. Roy left the room along with her without giving any unnecessary pleasantries, finding the problem to be stuffed upon them.
He followed her until her room upstairs, pausing his muscles only when he found her mother waiting to join her daughter's company. Cursing under his breath he retreated back without coming into the sight of the Mother Gun. He wasn't in mood to have a gun fight in the middle of the day which was coming close to an evening as he looked through the windows of his room. Sighing he undressed and got under the sheets, ready to keep out the exhaustion from his body.
It went like that for two more days. With Ella treating the boy to his needs at the same time refraining from asking any questions to him which could have helped solve this matter with the missing sister sooner and the eldest member of the family residing in the palace was not making it easier for him to be with her daughter alone. He wanted to do so many things with her that he began listing out in his mind. Waving off Simon who had brought him letters and mails to go through, Ella has also made him an acting participant to work on her behalf while she spent her time with the boy. Frustrated he tore the envelopes one by one, going through them and signing off the reports he checked.