"Let me see your boss, please." She pleaded one more time.
Seeing the ration that the guards gave them, it was obviously not enough to feed all the people in the camp. So she went to the guards and pleaded them one more time. However, they kept discouraging her.
"How many times do I have to tell you that our boss is a very busy person and he doesn't have time for you."
"If you can't bring me to him then please, get out of my way."
The guards blocked her way.
Seeing how she struggle to pass through the guards, the women inside the camp gathered around her.
"Do you really want to this?" Diana smirked meaningfully when she felt the support of the people around her.
Not after a few minutes, the villagers heard loud noises and screams coming from the slave tents. Some of them came out to see what's happening but most of them stayed at home crumbling in fear.
With the help of her friends, Diana was able to escape from the guards. Then she made every effort to run away. The problem is, where will she go and how can she find the leader?
She was muffled for a few seconds but seeing some men chasing her, she run until she saw some smoke rising from the east so she decided to head that way. She's at a crossroad when she suddenly heard some voices nearing her. Omo! The guards must have alerted the others about her escape.
There! she spotted the camp where men could freely come and go just as they pleased. The boss is surely inside one of those tents.
She cautiously entered the camp and had been trying to avoid the men loitering around. And as she walks around, she heard a stern voice yelling inside a particular tent. His tone was strong but crude so she knew instantly that the man was the boss.
She once heard that kind of temper from Liam so she knew the difference. Though Liam is not that insolent, of course.
She was paving her way to the tent when someone got a hold of her.
"Let me go! I just need to talk to your boss for a few minutes!" she was wiggling trying to break away from his strong grip.
"Are you trying to bring death to us, miss?" The man yelled.
"I just need a little time… please."
"Husshhh! What a troublesome lady. Bring her back to the slave camp." The leader of the team commanded as soon as they reached her.
The men dragged her back to the camp and added some more men to guard the area making sure that no one will be able to escape.
"Try to escape one more time lady and I assure you, your blood will be on your head."
Diana stomped her feet while walking back to the tent. They blew her only chance to have a talk with the boss so how can she help the people trapped in that place like her?
"Miss, are you alright?" Mary came running to her and check her from head to toe. "Look at you getting hurt! How can we clean your wounds now?" She was really worried.
"I'm okay miss Mary. Besides, these are just simple scratches." She caressed her left foot. Indeed, she got scratches everywhere, even at her face, when she fought her way out a while ago. Her feet got some cuts as wells since the men dragged her back to the camp.
But she need to be strong. Even if she feels some physical pain, nothing is more painful seeing infants and little children suffering from hunger. Some children were fighting for a small bread and it pained her. It was impossible that the village lacks for food but it seems to her that they forgot their existence. They don't give much attention to people whom they consider as slaves. And she hates seeing the prejudice!
If only she'll be given the chance to speak her mind….
"What happened? What was the commotion all about?" Kira, the boss of the group asked the man who just came in.
"It was just a woman causing trouble at the slave's camp. She wanted to talk to you so she escaped but we were able to catch her."
"A mere slave escaped my trained men?" he couldn't believe his ears.
"Y-yes. But there's nothing to worry since I added some more men to guard the area."
Kira madly laugh thinking that a slave woman was able to escape the men posted in the slave camp. "Did you hear yourself, Bon?" he was mocking the man. How can a mere woman escape the armed men guarding the area unless she's an experienced fighter?
"I'll meet with her."
"Kira…."
"Bring her to me." He smirked evilly.
*********************
At the palace,
"My queen, please, eat something. If you continue doing this, you'll get sick in no time!" King Edward tried to persuade the queen whose been kneeling at the altar for a few days now.
"Your majesty, please go back to your chamber now and let me continue this. Who knows the heavens might see my sacrifices and hear my petitions?" The pale looking queen smiled at the worried king.
"Hillary, please tell me why you're doing this? Did Milcah said something that upset you? tell me."
She shook her head. "She said something that raised my hopes about my son." She tears up. "He is alive, Edward, our son is alive!" Though she was crying, the joy was not hidden from her eyes.
"Even if I have disappointed her, she told me the things I have been hoping to hear. However, there are some consequences to it so I am trying to entreat the heavens in hopes that the bad premonitions won't come to pass." She explained.
"Bad premonitions? What do you mean, my queen?"
"Edward, just let me do this for now. I'm doing this for you and for my son."
"But your putting yourself in danger. Look at you now, I'm afraid you won't last a day!" he yelps helplessly.
"I told you, I'm fine."
King Edward doesn't know what to say to convince the queen. According to the queen's maidservants, she's been on fast since the day she met the herald.
In his anger, the king stormed inside Milcah's room.
"Are you really trying to destroy my family?!" he growled angrily at the old woman who was reading
A book.
Milcah didn't say a word and she doesn't even have the plan to face the desperate old king.
"Milcah!" his voice roared.
"I didn't do anything." She lazily replied.
"Hillary, what lies did you tell her? Do you know how she took everything seriously? Do you want to go and see how miserable she is right now while kneeling day and night in front of the altar?"
"Well, I didn't tell her to do anything. That's her call."
"How dare you mess up with my family! How did you become so wicked over these past years?"
"I don't think you are in the position to accuse me right now, Edward." She looked at the king with contempt. "Don't you dare forget all your sins because no matter how many times you wash off your hands, you will never be forgiven!"
The king staggered a little when he saw the bitterness in her eyes. "But I have paid a great deal and still paying for it until now."
"In what way did you pay for all your sins? Edward, I'm telling you, you have never actually paid for anything yet. In fact, the compensations are about to happen yet." she sneered evilly.
"Milcah, are you trying to curse me right now?"
"You brought that upon yourself, my king. And about your wife, I only told her the things she wanted to know."
"Did you tell her because it was the truth? Or because it was what she wants to hear?"
"Tsk! So you two have decided to make me your enemy me, huh." She turned around and walk towards the bookshelves. She was seemingly searching for a specific book. "You both know I have never lied to anyone. I may keep my mouth shut but I never lie. Yet here you are, doubting me. Then I must expect that my life will end one of these days." She sneered knowingly.
"Listen my king, you will surely raise your sword against your son. If you fail to kill him with your own hands, he will cause the death of your other son. You're not even exempted from his wrath." She looked intently at the perturbed king. Yes, it will definitely happen. After all, this great herald has never failed, not even once from her prophesies!