CHAPTER 7

The knock on the door interrupted the sweet union between the sisters. There were huge fists pounding on the door. One of the men behind the door yelled;

" Hey open up!! We want to check inside"

Ayi and Quetsiya froze in their places. Both of them turned at once to Bertha who looked like she was gonna faint again.

" Hey hey, hold on to me. You gotta buy us time. We didn't kill our mother." Quetsiya stared into the old maid's soul. " But I suppose you already know that now, don't you?" The dead stare gave the maid goosebumps. " Y..esss..yess I..suppose so.." The men behind the door didn't seem to have a lot of patience. They were losing time. The caretaker exhaled deeply and sincerely requested Bertha " Good. Now I know the maid quarters always have a secret backdoor. So please, tell us the way out and buy us some time to be gone"

Bertha looked after the princesses for as long as she could remember. Even if they weren't her own children, she really cared about them unlike the rest of the servers. Bertha looked behind her back to the curtain hanging low. She looked at Ayesha and then pointed her finger to the curtain. Ayesha, in her reflex immediately bolted to the room with Quetsiya right behind her.

...

" Sir, I'm sorry I couldn't hear you! I was fast asleep"

The soldier was beyond annoyed. " Look lady, I ain't got the whole time in the world. QUICKLY OPEN UP RIGHT NOW!"

Meanwhile Ayesha and Quetsiya managed to find the exit but was struggling to get it open. It was a rather heavy wooden door and was not basically used much. Grunting, they both pulled at the handle with all their might. The handle came flying and the door was cracked. Annoyed, Ayesha kick punched the crack and managed to get half of the wooden door out. ' Finally'. Ayesha was the first one to go through the door, while Quetsiya took one last look at Bertha. 'Hope you'll remain safe, Bertha' the words echoed through her mind. Bertha knew the look and gestured her to leave. Quetsiya immediately climbed out back to her sister.

" Sir, please hold your horses. I am---" before she could complete, the guards started kicking down the door. Bertha immediately took off her gown and was now in her white long underclothes. The guards went in almost immediately, to find a semi naked old woman trying to put on her gown. The man who was yelling before stared at her accusingly while the rest of the soldiers searched the quarter. Bertha stared back at him. " What are you staring at?"

" Why didn't you answer the door early" the soldier enquired coldly.

" Well can't you see?! I told you I was sleeping. What did you expect me to be in!

"Bullshit"

"Sir, she was here!! The back door is broken and there are trails on the mud outside. " Soldiers reported back immediately to their leader.

The man speaking to Bertha ordered his men to follow the trails. He then walked back to the old woman and stood right before her.

" Don't think I'm gonna forget this. If I don't find her in time, you are gonna be my scapegoat. I'll tell Your Majesty about your involvement. He's going to skin you alive and I'll personally make sure it happens" saying this, the man walked away through main door leaving a rather stiffened Bertha to ponder on her actions.