BIXBITE (II)
She snuck out in the middle of the night like a rat escaping from her crime scene. She covered her body from head to toe never to be recognized, hastily walking through the hidden street of the city kingdom. She made a right turn into a hut where candle light reflected on her face thereby revealing her physiology. When she uncovered her head, white long hair flopped around her shoulder. That was Avera, the only daughter of the Nero, captain of the knight of Ukra.
There was a table before her, after which Damon was found, standing shirtless. He had the chest of a warrior; muscular and hairy. He constantly gazed at the young girl without a word. However, Avera had started taking off her gown. First, the fabric with which she covered her head flopped on the floor thereby exposing her fairy milky gown. Through the flame of the candle, Damon could see her nipples punctured through the transparent gown and her fresh skin glowing through it too.
Avera slowly unknotted the gown and the gentle breeze of the night through an opening blew it backwards. She felt it, ravaging her flesh and escalating goosebumps on her skin. Slowly, she totally off the gown which also flopped on the floor. Damon could see her full nakedness; pointed breasts and premature hairy vulva. She began to walk closer to him. Her shadow through the flames of the candle could testify that she was a full definition of Eve in the garden of Eden. She stopped before him in a juxtaposed manner, staring into his eyes.
"I know no man, my lord." she said.
"And you'll be rewarded for keeping yourself for the only man who can exulte you." Damon began to cares her cheek and gently kissed her. Avera moved her hand on his chest, feeling the hair and muscle which reassured her that she was with an able man. Damon carried her, laid her on a local bed behind him, pulled his trouser and met her in the bed where the kiss and romance catapulted to the next level. Their erotic body movement could be seen through the shadow. Sooner did Avera grab the young man tightly and her moaning voice circulated the sanctum...
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Meanwhile, inside the royal castle, Nero and the king thoughtfully looked at each other. There was an expression of amazement on their faces.
"Are you certain on what you're saying, my lord?" Nero broke the silence.
"Yes, I'm beginning to believe the words of Ivo. I have my observation and suspicions on the boy. No doubt he was at the cliff of Ora." The king replied.
"We need more prove in order not to kill an innocent boy?"
"I won't take chances, Nero son of Cero. Julius son of Bruce will see the light no more after tomorrow." he concluded.
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The next morning, a warning bell paved around the castle and the kingdom at large. Therefore tension rose from East to West especially when the king's voice echoed in the castle shouting, "Guards! Guards!"
Many guards rushed into the palace. All saw the king boiling in anger as he paced across his throne. He was well dressed in his kingly attire. Golden fabric and a golden crown on his head. Just then, Adriana briskly arrived into the palace too.
"What is the cause of the alarm, father?" She asked, standing like everyone else.
"One of my bixbites is missing. A precious crystal stone of beryllium, aluminum silicate mineral. Its colors are derived from the traces of calcium, chromium, iron, and manganese. I use that in an exchange with other kingdoms for peace-making or any other valuables. How come is no more. We have a thief in the castle." He looked at Nero. "I order you to take your men and search every nook and cranny of the castle now!" he commanded.
Quickly, a few knights matched out of the palace. First, the princess' chamber was searched followed by Albat's before Julius'. The poor boy was lying on the bed when the knight barged in. He jumped out of his bed like a toad.
"What's going on?" he spread his hands.
Nobody replied him. They turned his table upside down likewise his bed just to see the bixbite at the corner of one leg of the bed.
"What's that? How did it get there?" Julius asked again.
"Cease him!" Nero commanded his men.
Julius was dragged to the palace and was made to kneel before the king, they had rumpled his cloth, perplexed from his forehead like one about to meet his untimely death.
"My lord, we found it in his chamber." Nero handed the bixbite to the king.
"My lord, I'm innocent!" Julius shouted. "I do not know how that got into my chamber. I swear!" he added as he was being held like a criminal by two knights. Just then, Albat arrived and was terrified by the situation. Even Adriana remained marvelled without knowing what to say. Nevertheless, all watched the king angrily walking towards the young boy.
"I offered you the chance to explore the castle by making you my cup-bearer. I also feed you with royal foods and all you could do is to reward me with theft. You should be executed by hanging before night fall. Lock him up in the dungeon!" he ordered.
They dragged Julius up. Adriana's heartbeat changed while Albat couldn't control her tears.
"No, I'm innocent of what you accuse me of! My lord, please, have mercy and listen to me. I beg of you, my lord!" Julius lamented as he was being dragged out of the palace. Instantly, Albat ran to Bruce's. She barged in and leaned against the door, breathing heavily.
"Albat, what's the matter?" Old Bruce approached enthusiastically.
"The king is about to kill Julius before night fall. They found the king's missing bixbite in his chamber. Please, Bruce, I can't bear to see something happen to Julius. Do something!" she explained with tears.
Meanwhile, at the palace, King Corbett seated on his throne like the lion himself while Adriana could be found seated beside him with a hand placed on her forehead, thinking critically. Just then, the door of the palace opened and she raised her head up to see Brunce walking in.
"My lord" Bruce began with a pitiful pleading old voice as he stood before the royalties with some knights standing at the two sides of the palace. "I raised my son to be a good boy. I can swear with my life that he never touched your bixbite. My son is not a thief. Please, spare his life for me."
"Bruce, son of Divit." The king began. "Do you remember your statement when I offered your son the job of being my cup-bearer? You said he has no good character. How come you raised him to be a good boy now? Justice must be done."
"Please, my...."
"Enough, Bruce, son of Divit." he looked at the knights. "Take him out of here." he ordered them. Two knights held the old man and led him out of the palace. Adriana exhaled, she stood up and briskly walked out, not only from the palace but the kingdom at large.
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Bruce galloped to the book cave where he met Cyrus and explained the situation to him. The old man remained quiet after filling his ears with the tragedy. He lit his bone marrow and began to smoke the marijuana that puffed in it. Bruce wondered if he actually eat food except the smoke that saturates his lungs. Nevertheless, Cyrus kept smoking silently beside the rocky table.
"You need to do something or say something." Bruce begged him.
"There are two things involve here; either the king has discovered Julius' identity and set him up in order to use that strategy to execute him or he's only testing if truly he's Kadura by expecting him to save himself with his power during the execution which he will then conclude that Julius is truly Kadura and still kill him. But he will be killing an innocent boy because Kadura's power can only be used to save the princess. He can't use it for any other thing except that." he sat down on a rock and puffed out a smoke from his mouth. "I'm sorry, my old friend, I'm helpless here." he lowered his voice.
"But you can use your own power to save Julius for me." Bruce suggested.
"That will make it worse. The king will think that it's Julius' power and still kill him! I do not know what to do. He is the king, he is superior and has every authority to do what he likes. Unfortunately, this his recent move is a smart and critical one." Cyrus concluded.
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All hope had gone. The sun had also set. At the kingdom square, the woods for the execution by hanging had been set and people had clustered around. Maximus could be seen with Albat who cried uncontrollably on his shoulder. Though he was broken emotionally too, but was helpless to help his friend. The king could be seen upstairs in a corridor, watching how Julius was being dragged to the wood shirtless and handcuffed. Tears could be seen, rolling down Julius' eyes. He was pulled up on the wood, hung the rope on his neck as all waited for the king's approval to cut the rope from the base.
Tension rose from every nook and cranny of the kingdom once again. Silence emerged like the presence of ghosts was observed in the premises. At a corner was Cyrus and Bruce painfully watching to know how Kadura would die by hanging. Of course he would because he was flesh and blood like everyone else.
Nevertheless, the king raised his hand and ordered for the rope to be cut by forcefully bringing down the hand. The rope was cut and the wood pulled Julius up. The innocent boy began to struggle for his life. Just then, Adriana arrived with the soothsayer. She rushed in the middle of the crowd, looking up at her father and shouted, "I took the bixbite! I used it monetarily to get an information from a soothsayer. She's here! She is my witness!" she pointed at the old blind soothsayer. "I never knew I left some in the chamber of your cup-bearer. "You need to suspend the execution now!" she added authoritatively.
The king gave a sign and Julius was rushed and brought down immediately. Luckily, he was still breathing slowly. As he laid on the wood, Albat began to run from her position, surging through the crowd to the love of her life. She sat down on the wood with him, placed his head on her thighs with the tears in her eyes.
"My love, please, open your eyes." she cried.
Julius slowly opened his eyes, "I was never gonna die without taking you along." he hilariously said, smiling broadly. Albat chuckled and kissed him passionately in the presence of all especially Adriana who was closer to them. The poor princess couldn't believe her eyes when she saw them, so she became heartbroken. She turned to the soothsayer who understood what was going on and blindly smiled at her. Instantly, Adriana remembered her words the previous night then tears dropped down from her eyes...