"Hello Arya." Jasmine greeted her a senile grin in her lips. Along side her entered Jasmine's personal knight and another unknown man who was holding onto Ms Bell so she couldn't run away. A scared look was on Ms Bells face.
All the alarm bells began to ring inside Aryas' head. "Jasmine?" She asked in shock as she held her son tighter to her body. "What are you doing here?How did you find me?"
After being banished from the capital Arya never told anyone where she was going. In fact Ms Bell and her only decided to stay here when they had they arrived here.
"Oh please, it's not like you were in hiding." Jasmine said as she began to look around the small apartment. "I see you've made a life for yourself here. I never imagined you'd be able to adapt and live as a commoner."
"What do you want from me Jasmine? There's nothing I could possibly offer you, I'm a mere commoner now."
"Oh, but you do Arya," she said slowly as she focused her attention on the child in her arms. "You have a child."
Arya felt the saliva in her mouth go dry she, found it difficult to speak for a moment. "This isn't my child it's my neighbors I'm just looking after it while their gone." she lied weakly.
"Really?" Jasmine asked skeptically as she approached Arya. Arya wanted to runaway but with the 2 guards blocking the exit she knew she wouldn't make it. Not to mention Ms Bell who was being held captive.
Jasmine came up right next to Arya and looked at the baby, Arya tried to shield her son as much as possible but psince he was awake there wasn't much she could hide.
"Then how come his eyes are the same color as his majesty and his hair, your color?" Jasmine laughed. "You're such a horrible liar."
Arya was shocked, Jasmine seemed to have come here knowing full well exactly what she was looking for. The question is how had she known she was pregnant? Regardless of how, with the look in Jasmines eye there was no doubt in Aryas mind that Jasmine had come to harm her child.
"Jasmine, I won't ever bother you. You have my word I won't ever try to go back to the castle. I won't tell anyone about my child even my family has no idea. Honestly, I just want to live a peaceful life in this vilage." She desparately explained.
Arya knew that her having his Majesty's child was a threat to Jasmine. If Arya tried to prove she wasn't actually infertile to Cedric she would be brought back to the castle. Especially since Jasmine was said to be pregnant, if she ended up having a son as well.
Jasmine might think Arya wanted to fight for her son to be crown prince. Aryas' best bet was to beg for mercy and reassure Jasmine that those weren't her goals. Jasmine had more power than her after all. Though she wasn't the empress yet she was still the emperors' woman.
Jasmine let out a cruel chuckle after hearing Aryas' pleas. "Trust me, if that's what I was worried about I would have taken care of your child by now."
Arya was taken aback what exactly did Jasmine mean by ,"taking care of"?
"What I want is for you to hand over your child." Jasmine once again insisted.
"What do... What do you mean by that?" Arya asked.
"Rest assured if you really mean it, I will allow you and your servant to continue living in this village however on the condition you give me your child."
"You're going to kill my child aren't you?" Arya was sure Jasmine wanted her son so she could get rid of him that way he wouldn't have to compete with her own child.
"I'm not going to harm your son." Jasmine responded as she rolled her eyes.
Arya thought Jasmine shouldn't lie at the very least. "I know you're going to harm him in order to protect your own child...." Arya paused as she took a look at Jasmines' stomach. It was then that she noticed for the first time that Jasmines' stomach was flat and not swollen from pregnancy.
Arya was confused for a moment. The news had spread all across the empire that the Emperors woman was pregnant. Arya hadn't heard anything about Jasmine having given birth or anything so why was her stomach flat?
Jasmine noticed Arya's gaze on her stomach and then her already cynical smile widened. "You must be wondering where my child is, right?"
Arya didn't answer her, just looked at her wondering what tricks she was pulling.
"Jasmine then moved away from Arya and went to the window of the room. She stood facing it, and looked down at the village below. "You know I was scared when I found out you were pregnant shortly after being banished from the palace. If I hadn't found a way to get you kicked out quickly Cedric would have found out."
Arya wondered where Jasmine was going with this story of hers but she was already lost. Arya knew it was Jasmine who had found the letter she had tried secretly send to her mother explaining her issues with her cycle.
"To think after all the potions I gave you, you were still able to get pregnant. I must say I'm impressed. Your body is quite resilient." Jasmine continued.
Arya was mortified, her fingers began to tremble. "What are you talking about?"
"Whilst you were in the castle every morning I made your servants put a potion in your breakfast tea. A potion that would make you infertile." She said it as if she were talking about something casual, like the weather.
Arya felt like she'd been struck in the chest by something sharp after hearing Jasmines' confession."You were responsible for that?" she angrily asked. "How could you do such a thing? Why would you have to go so far?"
Arya couldn't understand it. Jasmine was already favored by Cedric and almost everyone in the castle. She could have easily found another way for Arya to get kicked out.
Jasmine ignored Aryas' comments. "When I heard you were pregnant I wasn't sure what I should do, I thought should I get rid of your child so there's no way for you to get in my way? Or maybe I could make use of this opportunity. After thinking I about it I decided togo with the latter. So I announced I was pregnant. I mean Cedric is away from the castle fighting so he wouldn't know. "
Jasmines story still wasn't making any sense to Arya. "Are you saying you were never pregnant?" Why would she announce she was pregnant when she wasn't? Why lie when she could just have her own child....unless.....
"You're the one who was infertile." Arya burst out in realization.
"My my, you're finally catching on," Jasmine commented.
Arya finally understood now why Jasmine went to such lengths to try to make her infertile. Jasmine wanted to divert any suspicion of being infertile from herself to Arya. If everyone focused on Arya's shortcomings Jasmine was less likely to be focused on.
Arya now understood that Jasmine wanted her to pretend to be her own child. However she had several questions Since everyone in the empire thought she was pregnant including Cedric. Did the servants inb the castle know or had she managed to keep her non pregnacy a secret for all these months?
Arya wanted to protect her son
With Jasmine having confirmed this Arya had one question. "Why are you telling me all this?" Arya asked.
"Who are you going to tell?" Jasmine reasoned. "Who would believe you? Cedric? your family that abandoned you? We both know they'd take my word over yours."
No dont take my child! He's all I have. Arya don't make this difficult for both of us. I'll end up doing things I don't want to do. You know there's no way for you to avoid this I have the upper hand after all
"Jasmine why do you have to do this? Will you truly be happy doing all this?"
. "You have no idea how hard it is for a woman who can't bear children in this world. I don't hate you Arya. I'm just doing what I have to to survive.