At that night, in the Great Palace where bloody scent was every where, a little girl who's about 8 years old, was standing in front of a middle-age man who's holding a short sword that was stained with red blood. The girl was dressed in valuable silk clothes. Her small hair bun was inserted by a golden hairpin. She was standing firmly, holding a dagger whose handle was inlaid with purple amethysts and pointing the sharp weapon at her own tender neck. Those big black eyes was full of determination, staring unyieldingly at her father in front.
After showing an astonishing expression, Lord Minister who's rebelling against the emperor, suddenly got furious and spoke out loudly toward his first daughter, "Amara, are you crazy? Put down the dagger immediately!"
The girl raised her mouth lightly showing an indifferent smile and said, "I'm not crazy. I know what I'm doing. I also know what you're doing. I don't care about your business nor what you want, but I cannot let you kill my best friend. If you murder Sivarintevy, I'll die here in front of you."
Lord Minister furrowed his eyebrows, staring at his daughter's brave behavior unbelievably. He said softly, trying to persuade her, "From this moment onward, Sivarintevy is no longer your best friend. Now, she's your enemy! I've killed her parents and relatives cruelly. She won't never come back to be your friend. She will hate me and you very much. She only wants to kill both of us for her revenge now. Amara, listen to father, put down the dagger, please! You musn't use your life to exchange for a life of someone who wants to kill you. It doesn't worth. Do you understand?"
The little girl, Amaratevy, shook her head heavily, and her tear started to fall down uncontrollably, but she didn't put down her weapon. She shouted back at her father, "I don't understand. We're doing fine, playing together happily. Why? Why do you have to rebel? Why do you assassinate the emperor and her family? Why do you make everyone hate and disdain me? Why do you make me suffer like this? Why? You tell me why!"
Her father walked toward her slowly and silently, wanting to catch her hand and drop the dagger onto the wooden floor, but the little girl was very alert. She noticed her dad's approach and hurriedly stepped backward, pressuring the dagger more deeply into her skin which made the red fluid flow from the white neck. She said firmly, "Stop! Don't come near me! You first promise me that you won't hurt Sivarintevy. If not, I'll die with her immediately."
"But Sivarintevy doesn't love you and won't befriend you as before. Amara, why do you..."
"I don't care!" The little girl shouted out, interrupting her father's question with the light of stubborness in her eyes.
Because of being unable to persuade his own daughter, Lord Minister closed his eyes, sighed and gradually gave in to her. He said, "Fine! Fine! I agree. As long as you're alive, I'll keep her life. However, you can no longer meet nor make a contact with her. I'll let her live in the old capital, Mahendraparvata and she can't come down from the mountain without my permission."
Amaratevy was shocked for a moment before hesitantly spoke, "But Sivarin, she..."
Her father suddenly got furious, "No BUT at all! This is my last concession. Everything I've done is just for your safety and well-being. If you cannot even understand this point and always try to confront me, let's treat it as if I don't have a daughter like you."
Clatter... (The sound of the fallen dagger hitting the wooden floor). She bit her lip, weeping pitifully. Her father was very irritated with her this time. She didn't want it to be like this, but she'd to do it for the life of her best friend. She slowly said, "You promised me. Don't forget that."
Her father turned his head away and ordered the soldiers outside to take her back to her room. After she left, he called for a close attendant and said, "Go to investigate whom Amara's met during these several days!"
When the attendant went away, the consultant who's standing nearby and saw the whole process of this event, talked to Lord Minister, "Are my Lord worried that anyone's instigated the little miss to fight against you?"
"Since young, although Amara is brave and stubborn, this little daughter of mine never boldly threatens me with her life. No matter how much she cares about Sivarintevy, she will never make a joke with life and death. After all, she's not alone. Everything she's done before is for her little brother, Komhengreach. Without her, that little boy will lose his strong backer. How come she suddenly dares to take her life as a bet today? There must be someone who's been controlling the scene from behind!"
The consultant considered it for a while and replied, "Little miss today is a bit strange, but I still don't understand why they used her. Is their goal to get the gratitude from her or to do a trade with her? What payment do they want from little miss? Or else, is it to help the little princess, Sivarintevy? Does she have any values that we don't know?"
The Lord Minister turned to look at the golden throne behind him with sharp eyes. He said, "This golden seat isn't easy to sit down nor easy to protect!"
"Do my Lord have regret?"
"Haha... Haha...! Reaching this point, you come to ask me if I feel regret? Is my answer still important? Meaningless! This throne, if I didn't sit on it today, someone would do instead. How can I let my fate be decided by anyone else? I'm never afraid of fighting whether using weapons or tricks, but I will never ever let anybody using my children as chess pieces in this game of throne!"
Walking along the corridor toward her room, Amaratevy was thinking about what had happened this morning. Thousands of soldiers were marching every where across the capital since yesterday midnight and she was locked down to stay safe in her old house thinking of the friend that she'd known since birth but couldn't help anything. In a dark room, she closed her eyes, trying to sleep but she couldn't do it. At that time, she didn't know what she should do and she thought that all would be gone if she slept for a few whole days. Then, suddenly her beloved little brother knocked on her door, opened it and walked to her bed with the bright light behind his small back.
He smiled sweetly at her and said, "Older sister, it's daytime now, why don't you open the door and windows? You're afraid of the darkness, aren't you? Why don't you even lit the candle and stay here alone? Or should I open the windows for you?"
Amaratevy caught her younger brother's small hands and shook her head. She said hoarsely, "No need. Why do you come here? Are you afraid of being alone? Come, let's sleep on sister's bed. After we wake up next day, all will be fine."
Actually, she was really afraid of the darkness, but she just wanted to torture herself because it's the only way she could lessen her guilty conscience toward her friend.
The little boy, who's 3 years younger than her, suddenly gave her a secret letter and said, "Older sister, I'm a boy so I am not afraid. I know what's happening outside. I also know that you want to go out but you don't go because of me. Sister, although I'm young and I don't know anything much, but I don't want you to feel sad, especially because of me. I'm unhappy to see you like this."
Amaratevy touched her brother's tiny head and cute face softly. The sibling were then crying and hugging each other. Later, she decided to read the letter and her expression was full of confusion. She felt happy to be able to save her best friend. She was also afraid of what would happen to her little brother if she didn't succeed. She was somehow disappointed and sad with the writer's method who cared more about Sivarintevy than her safety.
She burned the letter and had been considering that suggestion for a whole day and finally made a decision tonight.