Accused of What?

You must promise not to make a sound when I take my hands off your mouth" Elim ordered when they finally got to the small, abandoned hut in the forest not so far from the river but well-hidden. 

Asha nodded and he removed his hands slowly, watching her as she shook with fear while her eyes took in the unfamiliar but strangely familiar place where he had dropped her. 

"No one comes here anymore. How did you know about such a hidden place if you are not from Maribah? Who are you? Did someone send you to murder the king?"

"Who says I am not from here?" He screamed in her face, suddenly furious that he was back at the place where he had lost everything. He should have plunged that sword into the king's belly but his mother… his mother was there alive and well. And he just couldn't . 

"Can you please let me go, even though I've seen your face? I have no reason to expose you. And honestly, I couldn't bring myself to go to that royal house, that awful place, to report you. I'm not saying the king deserves to die, but he definitely needs to learn a lesson! Maribah has become unbearable since he took power, with the rich exploiting the poor," Asha pleaded passionately.

"I can see you despise them but not as much as I do. And the king must die before I take my leave. He's taken everything that should be mine"

Asha could see the murderous glint in his eyes as he spoke and she was afraid she was going to die by his hands and never get to see her family again. 

"I promise, I won't breathe a word to anyone. I swear on my father and my late mother. Please, don't harm me! I don't even know your name. How could I possibly report you if I don't even know who you are?"

"I see." He answered curtly, cleaning his sword and brandishing it in the air like he was about to strike someone. Asha, gripped by fear, attempted to flee as he swung the sword around, but he swiftly caught her in a single stride.

"You're the same girl I spotted in the palace last night. What were you doing there at such a late hour, a young girl like yourself? Tell me!" he demanded, holding her arm firmly as she struggled to break free.

"I'm not like the feeble men you're used to in Maribah. You won't slip away from me easily," he asserted, his gaze fixed on her worried face.

"I can't explain it, but suddenly, I'm intrigued by you. I want to know everything about you. Why were you so afraid of your prince?" he inquired, studying her intently.

"He hurt me! I despise him and his household, and I promise I won't breathe a word about you to anyone. Just promise me you'll leave and refrain from harming the king, even though he's despicable! I beg you! Let me go!" Asha pleaded, her words tugging at Elim's conscience as he found himself captivated by her presence. He didn't want to let her go. She had a fierce quality unlike any woman he had met before even though she seemed vulnerable. It made him so interested in knowing her better. 

What was he to do with her now? He had no intention of causing her harm, but he wasn't sure if he could trust her.

"You know deep down I won't betray you. Please, just let me go! My father would be worried sick if he doesn't see me!" she pleaded, her tears only serving to remind him of the girl who had begged for his help in his dream. And now, he was the one causing her pain. He released her abruptly, overwhelmed with shame. He wasn't the kind of man to harm a woman, nor was he the kind to develop feelings for one. He had failed his mission miserably; he should be disgusted with himself.

"Listen up! I've done unspeakable things, and I'll do more. Just so you know the kind of man you're dealing with. I'm letting you go because I have no intention of hurting you. But if any of your village guards come after me, I'll make sure they regret it, and you'll carry the guilt of their deaths. And then, I'll come for you when you least expect it," he warned, his threats causing Asha's heart to pound loudly. Yet, something inside her told her he wasn't capable of harming a woman. She longed to understand what had turned him into such a bitter person determined to see the king dead, but there was no time. People would soon flock to the river, and she needed to be far away from there when they did.

He released her, and without hesitation, she darted down the overgrown paths until she reached the river. Elim followed closely behind, ensuring her safety from any form of danger, be it the prince or anyone else. He had a gut feeling that their paths would cross again.

Just before she reached the river's edge, Asha glanced back to look at Elim. He stood with his arms folded, his handsome face showing no emotion. Despite everything, she felt a strange connection to him, though she couldn't explain it and didn't want to dwell on it. Hastening her pace, she ran as fast as she could, hoping she would never meet the strange man who had both frightened and intrigued her.

——

Asha opened the door to their home to find her father and sisters sitting in the warm room like they were mourning someone. A sinking feeling gripped her stomach, and she knew that instant that something was wrong. She lingered in the doorway, observing her family as each lifted their heads to meet her gaze.They had almost the same look they did when they had told her years ago that their mother was dead. 

Before she could ask about the cause of their distress and why they were all gathered in the room for receiving visitors at such a late hour, her father's question caught her off guard.

"Asha, did you sleep in your bed last night?"

Asha opened and closed her mouth, unable to form a response. There was no way she could admit to her father that she had been spying on the prince and witnessed something she wasn't supposed to see until marriage.

"She wasn't! There's no need asking questions we already know the answers to" Zeep said coldly. Her face didn't have the kind of anger she usually directed at Asha but it was kind filled with sadness and so was Nena's . 

"Zeep, please do not interrupt me. I would like to hear only Asha speak" her father urged, his tone gentle yet firm. "Did you sleep in your bed last night, Asha Dramidi?"

"Father, I..." Asha started, but she was quickly cut off.

"Your hesitation tells me enough. It's pretty clear you didn't. So, where were you?" he asked.

Asha felt a lump form in her throat, her heart racing as she struggled to find the right words to explain herself to her father.

"Father, I didn't sneak out for anything bad, I swear!" she insisted desperately.

"Asha, what have you done? Father, please, you can't let them take her away! She couldn't have done what they're accusing her of, even if she wasn't in bed," Nena pleaded, her voice trembling with panic.

"Accusing me of what? What's happening?" Asha asked, confusion clouding her thoughts. But as she looked at her father's defeated expression, she realized she was in serious trouble, a danger he couldn't protect her from. Nena began to cry uncontrollably, while Zeep shook her head in sorrow.

"Father, what have I been accused of? I swear, I only went to the palace to..." Asha began, her voice tinged with desperation.

"So, you were at the palace after all? I warned you about your recklessness, Asha. Didn't I?" her father interjected sternly. "There's no saving you now. You're at the mercy of the king!"

"But Father, she's our family, your own daughter. And you're the king's most trusted advisor. He wouldn't condemn her like this!" Nena pleaded, her voice shaking with emotion.

As Asha heard the urgency in Nena's tone, she hurried to kneel in front of her sister to find out what exactly was going on. But before she could, a loud knock echoed through the door.

"They're here! We need to hide her and pretend she's not here! We can't let them take her away!" Nena cried tearfully, while their father remained silent in his seat. Asha felt her anxiety mounting as questions swirled in her mind, unanswered. The pounding on the door only added to her fear, while Nena clung to her, sobbing uncontrollably. Even Mezin, who had been about to open the door, hesitated, gripped by emotion.

The door burst open due to their delay, and the king's guards stormed in, their faces contorted with rage and their lips twitching with anger. Without hesitation, they seized Asha, while her father remained seated, offering no resistance.

"Let me go! What have I done? Father, don't let them take me!" Asha screamed, her voice filled with panic.

"Just cooperate with them, my daughter. I'll find a way to help you out of this. I know you had no part in the attempt on the king's life!" her father reassured her, his voice strained with worry.

Asha was stunned by his words, her tears drying up as she recalled the encounter with Prince Mayo the previous night, where she had narrowly escaped. Did they find her spying? Was this his and Soma's plan to retaliate against her for spying on them?

"Nena, I was at the palace last night to find proof—" Asha began, but before she could finish, a guard slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Don't you dare touch her!" her father roared as they dragged Asha toward the gate.

"If you have an issue with it, take it up with the king," the guard sneered, and with that, they hauled Asha away, dragging her along the road toward the palace as if she were a mere slave while her family watched, unable to do anything.