Sabina sat in a corner of the room, hugging her knees tightly as she pondered over Harold's words to her earlier that day.
"You are with a child."
A sigh escaped her lips and her eyes glistened with tears as flashes of memories from the moment she entered the palace started to invade her mind. Memories that she had especially tried hard to suppress.
The most distressing moment for her was the night she entered the palace to become the King's woman a few months before. She had refused to enter the King's chambers to consummate her relationship with him even though it was the tradition to do so. She had never imagined that King would barge into her quarters and force himself on her.
Sabina continued crying as the memories of that night consumed her. She glanced down at her belly and placed her hand on it. Even though the events leading to her conception wasn't a pleasant one, she couldn't let the child go.
She decided she was going to have the child and raise it.
"I would protect you.", she whispered to the baby amidst her sobs.
Suddenly, she felt a warm hand against hers and looked up to see Harold beside her. When she saw him, she quickly wiped away the tears in her eyes and shifted her gaze away from his.
"What have you decided?"
Sabina was silent for a few seconds before she finally opened her mouth to answer him.
"I want to raise this child.", she said lightly, still avoiding his gaze. She was too mortified to look at him. Despite everything that happened, she still wanted to raise the child of that monster.
"He would definitely hate me now.", she thought to herself.
Cupping her chin with his hands, he gazed into her eyes and said slowly, "If that is what you have decided, let's do it. Let's raise the child together."
Sabina was dumbfounded. Harold was willing to let her have the child and raise the child together even though the child belonged to the monstrous King who was his worst enemy.
She let out a little gasp and clutched Harold's hand.
"Thank you"
"And I'm sorry.", she whispered again before hurling herself in his arms and letting her tears fall freely. He clasped her tightly as she continued crying in his arms.
"Everything would be alright eventually.", he reassured her.
*****
Sad music played in the background as a large crowd of people stood in the backyard of the palace and watched on as the King performed the funeral rites for the deceased concubine.
After washing and dressing the body in the finest silk, he covered the body with a white quilt before closing the casket.
As the King lowered the casket in the grave, he held his breath, trying hard not to let the tears in his eyes fall. He could not lose control of himself now, not when all the nobles and royalties were watching. More than anything, he hated being perceived as weak.
"Goodbye Sabina.", he muttered.
After successfully burying the body in the grave, the King turned around to face the large crowd. At the sight of every noble in the Kingdom present, the King smirked in triumph. He had succeeded in doing what no King in history had done. To have such people of high status all present at the funeral of not a King but of a lowly concubine was something that had never occurred in history.
To him, that was the least he could after causing the death of his beloved - giving her a befitting funeral.
His smile quickly faded and his blood began to boil when he realized that one member of the royal family was not in attendance.
He immediately ordered everyone in attendance to head to the grand hall before he stormed out of the backyard.
*****
"How dare you defy my orders?", The King yelled as he made his entrance into the Queen's chambers.
He glared angrily at the Queen when he saw her dressed in a flashy robe with big ornaments on her hair.
Was she trying to insult him?
Shooting daggers back at the King, the Queen spat out, "I will not attend the funeral!"
The King was a bit taken aback by her insolence but his stance remained unchanged.
Did she not fear him again?
"I would never attend the funeral of my rival. Especially the concubine you were planning to make your queen after dethroning me.", the Queen continued without breaking eye contact with the King.
"You would pay for defying my orders!", the King threatened.
"I am not just the Queen of this Kingdom but also the mother of the Crown Prince who is your only child. So you cannot touch a hair on my head if I refuse to attend that funeral.", she gloated.
She was not going to make herself a laughing stock for the people by attending the funeral of such measly concubine.
The King's expression tightened as if all of his facial muscles were managing to contain his anger.
"You will pay for this!" He growled one last time before dashing out of her chambers to attend to the rest of the funeral processes.
As soon as the King got to the grand hall where the people were seated, a palace guard bolted in.
"Your Majesty, I have important news for you.", the guard said, panting heavily as she tried to catch his breath.
Glaring disdainfully at the intruder, the King asked, "What can be so urgent that you would interrupt this funeral ceremony?"
"Your Majesty, the village chief priestess is here."
Everyone's jaw dropped at the news. The village chief priestess was seen as a holy woman, therefore she never left the temple. She was always indoors and only left the temple whenever she had a message of doom to deliver to the King. Now that she had left the temple and was now at the front gate of the palace was an ominous sign.
"Did...did you just say the chief priestess?", the King asked the guard, his eyes glinted with fear but his stance was perfectly confident.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Why would the chief priestess be here?", the Queen Dowager who was also seated in the grand hall mumbled to herself.
Without wasting any more time, the King instructed that no one should leave the grand hall. Then he assured them that he would take care of everything before heading to the palace gate to meet the priestess.
*****
When the King got to the palace gate, he saw the wizened old priestess with deep wrinkles standing before him.
The old priestess quickly lowered her head when she sensed the King's presence. It was obvious that she was blind but her sixth sense was stronger than all the other senses combined together.
"Please tell me wise one. What did you foresee?", the King asked in a low voice.
Immediately, the old chief priestess fell into a trance. Her eyes began to glow and her body began to tremble violently. She looked up to the sky, seeing things that no one else could.
After moments of silence, she finally spoke in a shrill voice that was clearly not hers.
"A child of light has been conceived to bring hope to the people of Pirella. That female child would be born in the ninth month of this year and she would grow up to become a powerful warrior who when the time comes, will kill you. Your own blood will be your downfall."
As soon as those words escaped her mouth, the chief priestess fainted and slumped to the ground.
The King could hardly believe his ears. A woman. A measly woman would cause his downfall. He was not a weak king. He was a brave and chivalrous warrior who had fought countless battles before he killed his brother and attained the throne.
He was still trying the wrap the words that the chief priestess had just spoken around his head when he saw her pick herself up from the ground in a quick manner that belied her old appearance.
"Are all the words you have just spoken true?", the King asked the priestess.
"Yes, your majesty. It is true."
The King squeezed his eye shut as soon as the chief priestess' words sank in. Fear was not something anyone would usually find in him but this time, it was written all over his face. And he hated it.
His eyes flickered open when a thought crossed his mind and instead of cowering in fear, he started laughing hysterically.
The chief priestess immediately sensed what his laughter meant. He was going to do something to stop the prophecy from happening.
Just as she had predicted, the next words that came out of the King's mouth was, "I will have to stop that from happening."
"Your Majesty, you cannot change what has been - "
Before the chief priestess could finish her words, the King slit her throat with a sword that he grabbed from one of the palace guards standing at the front gate.
"I guess you didn't foresee your own death.", he scoffed as the chief priestess fell to the ground, her blood spilling all over.
"What have you done?", the Queen Dowager, who had been watching the scene unfold, cried out from behind.
The King turned around to see his mother trembling with fear.
Flashing his angry eyes at her, he asked, "How long have you been standing there?"
"I saw and heard everything.", she whimpered as her heart continued to hammer against her chest.
"Do you know why the chief priestess died? Because she saw what she shouldn't have seen and said what she shouldn't have.", the King threatened as he slowly moved towards the Queen Dowager with the bloody sword in his hand.
The Queen Dowager stood there, paralyzed with fear as she wondered what was going to happen to her. Knowing her son, it was a piece of cake for him to strike her down with the sword in his hand.
Was this the end for her?