Maia bowed and took her friend out of the palace. "why did you stick out your neck for me like that huh?! I had it already!" the young woman scolded, "Scala you should never have stolen from the King, why don't you try and find work at the place I told you about, you have four children to look after, what would happen if you died today, huh!? I won't look after them for you! I have enough work enough on me at the palace. " Maia told Scala worriedly, "no one told you to work for the King!" Scala said to Maia and walked off in anger.
Maia took a deep breath watching her friend walk away, from that point on, she and her children were never seen again, "I never had a choice, Scala" Maia said, as Maia worked for the palace since she was a child, Maia was a child servant from the previous King's conquest.
That afternoon, Maia returned to the throne room as requested by the King, no one else was present, but the King on the throne, waiting for her.
When Maia walked into the throne room, there is so much tension in the air, that if you could get a knife, you could cut through it. "My lord…" Maia said softly as she bowed the knee looking down to the ground out of respect for the King. Her long black hair just falling to the sides of her shoulders as she bowed to him.
Leon's Point of View:
"It's been bothering me all day, I almost feel as though my servant does not respect me, to the point that she stood me up in front of everybody that I had to respect her wish and set the woman free, against Acalarahn Law which requires the death penalty for something stolen from me… to be honest, I could care less about the food that was stolen, but the fact is that woman before me broke the law, and my servant…. Stood up to me today….I have to know… why…" Leon thought to himself.
There is a moment of silence, as Leon stared at Maia from his throne. "Would he at least say something… the silence is killing me…" Maia thought to herself as she was bowed still on one knee before her King. Maia was about to say something, when the King finally spoke:
"Why did you stick out your neck like that, for that woman today? I could have killed you along with her, why did you take the risk?" Leon asked her out of curiosity.
"I… didn't even think at the time, your Majesty…. The woman today… had children…. I didn't want her to die for taking food… my heart went out to her today…." Maia responded simply. "she should have thought of that before stealing from me….Is she…. Related to you somehow? Is that why you risked your life?" Leon asked her as he dimmed his eyes at her, asking her in curious tone of voice. Maia knew the consequences of lying and she knew the King would find out if she didn't tell him the truth.
"Truth is, your highness…. she is my friend… and…and I didn't want to see her die and leave her children orphans…." Maia said trembling but she held her ground as she still remained bowed before him on the throne.
Leon took a deep breath, "in that case, how do I know you didn't help her steal from me?" Leon questioned in a suspicious tone of voice, testing her to see her reaction and her response.
Maia went quiet as she thought how she would answer such a question, as she swallowed a breath.
"Your Majesty, far be it from me to ever commit any crime against you, however I assure you I would never do such a thing when the King has been so kind to us servants… your highness…. I have been a servant of yours and the previous King, your father, since I was a child, your Majesty, I have no intention of stealing from the King in order to provide to someone else, I have sworn my loyalty to his highness since I was a child…." Maia responded formally.
"that's right, actually I do remember her serving us as a child with the head master, now that I think about it…" Leon thought to himself as he stared at Maia. "Rise to your feet" he commanded her. She nodded softly as she stood up before him.
Leon got up from the throne and walked towards her, as he did, he stood in front of her, crossing his arms before him in a stern yet formal manner as he stared at her, "you are very kind, a true servant's heart" he said to her taking a deep breath, as she looked up at him as she stood upright slightly in his presence respectfully, " …..for now I will pardon all suspicion of you helping her steal from me, only because I know for a fact that you have served me mostly your entire life as a servant… however…. I am commanding you to never stick out your neck like that ever again, because next time you do, I will not hesitate and draw my sword… even if you are my servant, do not get in the way of my judgement, Do I make myself clear, miss Maia?" King Leon leered at her sternly in this dire warning.
Maia swallowed a breath with a slight grasp when he said this, as he held her chin looking into her eyes, "Because… this will be my only warning I will give you, if you ever stand in the way again… I will not spare even you, miss Maia…" Leon said leering his eyes at her in a stern serious manner.
Maia looked up and looking into his serious expression as she swallowed a breath, as a sweat went down her eyebrow as she looked down and muttered, "under…Understood, my lord…." Maia said trembling with fear and with shaking in her voice. Leon removed his hand from her chin softly.
"Good…." Leon responded to her in a serious expression.
"You are excused, miss Maia…" the King said to her releasing her chin softly as she took a step back.
"Your Majesty…. Thank you…." Maia bowed. Leon turned around and looked at her for a moment, "I admire your courage, but you can't always be there for people for their consequences they make, and that is something you cannot control is what they do… you can't save everyone because of their actions all of the time…Besides I…. don't want you throwing water in my face again, my fearless servant….." Leon said tenderly to her with a concerned yet gentle look on his face. Maia blushed, "my lord….I beg a thousand pardons for that time I…." when Leon put his fingers on her lips, "Its alright…. I know why you did what you did…." He smiled, " thank you for your wise council, your Majesty…." Maia bowed and looked down.
"Good night miss Maia…." the King said and left her presence.
Maia took a deep breath as the King left her presence.
That night as Maia goes home, she walks in on Kusava waiting for her. "Took you long enough to get home" Kusava said, who was her boyfriend, who worked as an assassin.
"Kusava!" Maia said excitedly and ran to him and hugged him and kissed each other passionately. "I thought you wasn't going to come home" she said as she hugged him, "I am home now…." He kissed her on the cheek.
"I heard what happened with you and the King today…." Kusava said in a low husky tone of voice in a casual manner. "…. News travels fast" Maia responded as they ate dinner together.
"Scala should have known better, every time you try to help her, she never listens." Kusava said, as they ate together at the wooden dinning table. When he said this, Maia thought of what the King told her earlier that day, taking a bite of her crusty bread and soup.
"Your quiet…" Kusava told her. "It's nothing…" she responded taking a spoon full of food. "When you say it like that, its something. Come on, what is it?" Kusava asked her curiously.
Maia sighed as she glanced at him, then put her hands together and leaned her chin on her knuckles softly leaning on the table and said, "actually the King… said something similar today…. After that incident it was just, he and I in the throne room…" Maia said.
Kusava smirked and teased her, "So, the servant girl's crush spoke to her personally today" he chuckled at her. "Shut up, it was nothing like that!" Maia blushed as she punched his arm tenderly, "Awww…. Servant girl is all blushing haha…" he teased and snickered, chuckling at her, as she got up from the table abruptly turning her back on him, as he got up from the table and came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her tenderly, "Hey, Maia relax, you know I am only joking… I just missed you, that's all…" he said tenderly as he kissed her neck softly whilst hugging her from behind, "what did the King say anyway…" he asked her tenderly.