"My queen!!" The loud call made Isobel jump out of bed in haste. She looked at her in confusion, trying to make sure nothing dangerous was happening. She saw Andrea standing beside her, looking very excited.
"My queen we have good news, the people are responding very well, women are coming to register for the nation farm if this continues, our kingdom would really prosper". Andrea jumped in excitement as she spoke. Isobel smiled in relief.
" That's good news, where is mark?" Isobel looked around but mark wasn't there.
" My queen he went around the kingdom to get more news" Isobel smiled in relief.
Angelica eyes widened the moment aias told her of the new development. She slowly clenched her fist.
"My queen things is not going our way at all, infact a large number of women have already agreed to do this, if it continues then the kingdom would really flourish and we will loose". Angelica remained quiet for a while
"Have you heard from prince achilles" angelica asked calmly as aias shook his head " he hasn't responded yet". She paced around the prison walls silently. Her thoughts were deep. Aias waited patiently for her to say something but she remained quiet.
" Aias I want you to go and bring news for me, in the meantime I will write a letter to prince Achilles. We need him on our side now more than ever".
Isobel's face was filled with joy when mark came in. Based on his expression, he seemed to be bringing in good news. " Well done queen Tessa, everything is moving according to plan, I will personally supervise this woman's farm. In no time our kingdom won't lack food".
Isobel has never felt this proud of herself, even mark complimented her.
" I want to go out of the palace, I want to see the kingdom again". Isobel was prepared for their rejection but surprisingly mark agreed without giving it much thought. Andrea was silent about it.
As usual, outside the palace was loud and rough with everyone doing their business.
" Mark, unlike the palace, the market is way comfortable at least people aren't always careful around me". She looked at Mark expecting a contribution from him but he silently walked beside her.
"You are always so serious, will it hurt to laugh a little" Isobel said teasingly but it didn't seem so funny to mark as he was still speechless, like he was either annoyed about something or just bored.
She signed in deep, giving up on trying to boost his mood. Isobel ran deeper into the market, leaving mark behind.
Her attention was dragged to some group of children playing. the way they laughed without restraint gave Isobel some joy. She admired the fact that they lived without worrying about anything in life, all the worries are left for the parents.
Due to her thoughts, she didn't realize she has been standing in one position for quite a while, watching the children play with a smile.
"You mean queen Tessa". The voice came from behind, Isobel was sure she heard her name so she slowly moved back without looking towards their direction, not wanting them to notice she was trying to easedrop on their conversation.
She sat on a dusty chair not too far from them, at least close enough to hear them talk.
" The queen is making the women work, just few weeks of she getting the throne, she wants to make our wives work". One of the three men sitting on a bench said.
" But that's not such a bad thing, is it?
One smirked at his friend words. " Bad thing, do you know once our wives start working and supporting the family then we as a husband, we will loose value to them. They will stop respecting us".
The three was beginning to get convinced by his words.
They were placing the different comment on the topic until a loud noise distracted them. Isobel stood up, walked towards the direction where the noise was coming from.
" Stupid woman" a middle aged man said. Based on his facial looks, he looks young but his body has already deteriorated due to his seemly drunkard lifestyle.
He staggered, struggle to stand as he mercilessly beats a woman.
Isobel eyes widened as she saw how he hits her, her body was already filled with blood but that doesn't seem to make him stop.
" You foolish woman, how dare you stand up against me, do you see yourself as a queen or something". Isobel stood stiff watching the cruelty, she waited patiently for somebody to do something but they all watch just like she did. For a while, she wondered why this era was so lawless and cruel. Isobel picked a big stone beside her. The stone was already heavy just lifting, she hoped she would have enough strength to aim right to his head. Her anger was already fuming which increased as she saw him lift a big wood off the ground. He had the full intend of hitting the woman with it. Isobel threw the stone straight at his head. The sudden pain on his head made him staggered before falling on the ground. After a while, he stood up, blood dripped from his head.
"Who did that" he said fuming with anger. Isobel shivered, she looked around her but mark seemed no where. She was all alone in this. At that moment all she thought of was hiding herself within the crowd and slowly run away but she saw the woman lying helplessly on the ground, he would definitely pour his anger out on her. Isobel slowly came out from the crowd towards him. The urge to shout out she is the queen and use her power on him almost overwhelmed her but she knew that would be a big mistake.
" I threw the stone on you". Isobel knew she had just mustered almost all the courage she had in her to say this.
"Woman, how dare you you stop me, you slave" the rage at which he came at her made Isobel tremble in fear.
" Mark mark where are you" Isobel cried inside her.
Isobel noticed his legs where unstable in the ground as he seemed to have drank a lot.
The speed at which he ran to her, Isobel found herself patiently waiting for him to come to her, when he got close enough, Isobel stretched her legs to obstruct his movement, letting him fall hard in the ground. Isobel spared no time in taking the woman along with her has she ran away.
The woman could barely move since she was heavily wounded, Isobel manage to reduce her speed though he couldn't catch up with them since he lost conciousness the moment he fell.
" I can't run anymore my child, go leave me here, if he comes he would do you harm my child".
Isobel could sense the weakness in her voice, she looked at the woman with pity. " Why is doing that to you". She asked slowly.
"I don't blame him, it's my fault, I couldn't bare him a male child so he doesn't have any son to support him, that's why he is very angry at me, if only I could give him a son...." She cried.
Isobel looked helpless as she couldn't do anything to her, her husband mentality was a really poor one. She patted the woman's back slowly.
"Let me treat your wounds, your husband has no right to beat you up like this, do you want me to arrest him".
"No no no, please" she said as she kept on crying. Isobel looked more confused at the woman. She married a beast yet she still wouldn't want him punished. " But why, he is a devil for doing this to you". The woman broke down in more tears.
"He is the bread winner of my family, how would we survive, if he is gone. My children are young, how would I raise them all by myself". Isobel didn't know when tears dropped from her eyes.