The sun had gone down. Darkness gradually soared every part of Ukra when two horses galloped on a lonely road. The sound of their hooves on the ground was like an amateur drummer, roughhousing with a base-drum. They took a right turn at once before arriving to their destination; in front of a nasty chamber at the den of the Cres. The horses neighed as the two old men jumped down from them. One of them patted his horse before they entered into the chamber to see the great blind soothsayer, preparing a dish of turnips. Therefore a smoke saturated the sanctum.
"I can sense two men standing in my chamber. What can I do you for?" she asked, opening her boiling pot of turnips with enough vegetable.
One of the men cleared his throat and began. "I am Cyrus son of Loki. I'm here with Bruce son of Divit."
Hearing that, the woman stood still, having the vapour from the pot pass across her stunned face. She closed the pot and walked closer to them. "It is my pleasure to have the book wizard in my chamber." She said.
"Base on how my son was saved by the princess this evening, we believe she came to you to inquire about her future." Bruce chipped in.
"We know that you know who Kadura is." Cyrus interfered. "We're worried the way things are going. He is choosing another woman instead of the princess. You must have seen it through the princess when she came to you"
The woman shook her head. "Something bloomed wrong in the small dark space between the princess and the boy. I didn't know what it was, but I knew enough to know it is rare and delicate. And it feels so real that I might have been able to reach out and touch it if I had tried. Kadura is destined to be with the princess, but he's trying to change his own destiny and the poor princess will be the one to suffer for it."
"We can't fold our arms and watch him derail from his destiny." Cyrus took a step forward.
"And how do you intend to do that? To kill the innocent maid whom he loves so much? Or to break their love and unit him with the princess just like that? No! This issue is a delicate one because it involves love, emotions and feelings. Taking a metaphorical hammer to resolve a delicate issue tends to complicate matters more in most cases."
"Then what do we do?" Bruce asked.
"Absolutely nothing. As delicate as flower, as tender as rose petals, choosing to be tender and kind in a harsh environment is not weakness, it's courage. Let nature take its cause."
"If Julius doesn't step up and embrace his destiny, the princess will not be the only one to suffer it, the whole kingdom will collapse and I will never let that happen because of some maid and her love for him." Bruce concluded and walked out of the chamber angrily, leaving Cyrus and the woman who observed the silence that took over the chamber.
"Warn your friend. His motive to terminate a true love can also..."
"Some love appears real but not true." Cyrus interrupted the woman. "What Julius and Albat has appears to be real but not a true love. It would be a true love if he channels the love to Adriana. I'm sorry, woman, I'll rather support my friend to terminate it than to warn him." he lit the bone marrow and puffed out a large smoke of marijuana that superseded the smoke of the boiling pot of turnips. "We believe you never revealed Julius identity to the princess. Keep it and our coming secret until the day Kadura steps up. Thank you for your time." he also walked out of the chamber.
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Adriana spaced through the window of her chamber, trying to understand the scenario that played that very day. She was both mentally confused and emotionally woozy. Her mind and heart were beating a different drum that was wiggled by just a soul. She tried to connect the dots, but the more she tried the more her tears gland activated and the more depressed she would be. Just then, her door opened.
"Who is that?" she asked without averting her eyes from the window.
"It's me, Julius, my lady." a voice replied.
Hearing the name, Adriana walked out from the window, staring at the young boy who wore a black trouser and a brown shirt with a black fabric tied around his neck. Adriana never said a word as she gazed at him with an inquisitive heart.
"I came to thank you for saving my life today, my lady." Julius began. "It was a great courage and selfless act by you for an ordinary cup bearer like me. Thank you very much, my lady." he bowed his head.
"I never left the bixbite in your room and I believe you never stole it. How come it was found there?" Adriana asked him.
"I do not know, my princess. It was a set up."
"But why would someone wants you dead?" she took a step forward. "Or should I say why would my father want you dead because I still don't get it? I know my father. He doesn't waist time on things that are not valuable or precious. There must be something about you."
Julius remained quiet.
"Anyways, I did what I did not because I believe in you but because... I ... I ..." she began to wink her eyes to control her tears. "Why did you choose to hurt me, Julius? I do not mind giving up my throne for your sake. Why did you...." the tears finally dropped from one of her eyes.
The door opened again and Albat walked in. When she saw the mood, she said, "I'm sorry." trying to walk out.
"Come in, Albat." The princess ordered her as she dry her tears.
She slowly walked in, standing beside Julius while Adriana continued, "You told my father that you love Maximus son of Demetrius and he gave you the rose flower."
"It was a lie, my princess. Julius gave me the flower. We love each other. I'm sorry for keeping it from you, my princess." Albat said.
"You lied to me and the king?!" Adriana raised her voice painfully. "Julius look at me and say it's not true."
Julius remained quiet.
"Both of you should leave my chamber. Leave, now!!!" She shouted bitterly. When they left, she rushed the door, locked it and fell behind it crying bitterly. Her pains knew no bound. She was broken emotionally and mentally devastated. Oh, how could she deal with the situation around her; the coming of Kadura, her feelings for a cup bearer and the betrayal and lies by her maid? Oh, what a princess in a broken egg.
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On the other hand, the king and Nero deliberated as usual in a secret chamber of the king. Now, Nero was drinking with him on the same long table. Suddenly, king Corbatt stood up with his chalice of wine, pacing behind his chair thoughtfully.
"Did you think I was going to hang the boy to death?" he looked at Nero. "Of course not. I was only trying to be hundred percent sure of my observation and analysis. If he is Kadura who saved my daughter at the cliff of Ora with some magical power, he should have been able to save himself from the rope of death."
"But he didn't." Nero said.
"That's what bothers me."
"This means, he's not Kadura"
The king never replied again and began to pace behind his chair once again. Suddenly, he stopped and said, "Will you describe my daughter's action towards him as out of love or sympathy?"
"Women are soft hearted. It's definitely not love. She felt pity for him." Nero answered and stood up. "I guess everything is clear now. The search for Kadura continues. I'll take my leave now, my lord." he bowed, dropped his cup of win and walked out of the chamber while the king stared at him.
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The night became a sad one for Julius. Adriana's tears and emotion had rendered him speechless thereby needing to be alone. The castle wasn't conducive for him anymore neither his own house. So he walked to his friend's house that night and knocked at the door. Maximus opened it and was surprised to see him.
"Julius!" he exclaimed his name.
"Can I pass the night here, please?" he requested.
"Why not? Come in!" he led him inside.
Both laid on the same bed in the same position facing different walls. There was a burning candle on a table. Maximus was an orphan, fending for himself day by day. Though the two boys were on a bed to sleep but they never did, rather kept thinking different things in their minds.
"You know, Julius" Maximus began. "Even if I know Avera has taken the side of Kadura, I still love her. I can still imagine her eyes, ears and humble cares; a heart, the fountain of sweet tears; and love, thought and Joy. I crave to stroke that delicate skin of hers and run my fingers through her tresses as she moaned with hunger. I would grip a thick section of her hair in my hands, wrap it around my fingers, and take her from behind. And she would scream my name." he smiled.
Julius never said anything. When he tried to reason his own plight, tears began to fall from his eyes. Only then did he feel the heaviness of his destiny on his shoulder...