*ARR PRISON*
"Who sent you to poison the king?" She asked from outside the prison as she approached the pale looking girl.
The lady shivered at the question of Taliyah, who was already fuming. "I..." She stuttered as she felt her tongue-tied.
"Who?" Taliyah, who had already broken the key of the prison door, asked.
She is used to breaking keys to sneak out from her chamber each time she is ordered not to come out of her chamber. "Who!?" Her fierce voice hit the lady's ear as she stared at her.
"My lady, if I tell you, I will get killed, and if I don't, I will get killed. What am I going to do?" The lady asked Taliyah with tears which rolled down from her emerald green eyes.
"What if I give you my words? Will you make the right choice?" She asked as she placed her hand on the lady's dirty hands.
The pale looking lady, who already knew what Taliyah was trying to do, asked. "How can a maid who knows nothing make a choice?" She asked.
"But she can make a choice to poison the king, right? How come she can't go away with it?" With a cunning smirk in the corner of Taliyah lips, she asked. Her eight years in the palace were not all about putting on gowns!
"If I do it my parents won't be dead, and if I don't, I won't only lose my throats, my innocent family will too. What choice will you make if it were you?" She asked Taliyah with her eyes staring at the ground as tears streamed down from them.
Truth be told, Taliyah will do the same if she is in her condition. Just the same way she decided to take Dryan's side to protect Mel, she will make the same choice if she was to do that again. "What if I promise you, no one will hear or know who the person is. Will you still not tell me?"
The lady immediately cleaned her eyes before raising her gaze to face Taliyah. "If you stick to your words, I will tell you all". She whimpered weakly as she tightly held Taliyah's arm.
"Yes. It's a promise. I just want to know who wants to take away my best friend from me". She said in tears.
To her, King Zayley is the only friend she has in the palace. "I give you my words". She reassured the lady, who was ready to tell her everything that happened.
"It is prince Dasya. He brought the poison from his trip to Madid. He has been threatening me, and my family. I have to become his sex slave to save myself, and my parent". She paused, and stared at Taliyah who was dumbfounded.
The Dasya she knew can be short-tempered, but will never hurt anyone who does not hurt him on any account.
"Yesterday, during the moonlight, he ordered me to poison the king, but I declined. His threats pushed me into doing it. I'm sorry". She sobbed as she narrated her ordeal.
"Is everything you said true?" She asked to confirm if those words of the lady weren't lies.
"If it is not true, who else will want to kill his Majesty?"
***
"Maid Ava, did the plan work out?" Queen Aro asked her favorite maid, who was braiding her hair.
For thirty years, this maid was the only person who stood by her side both thick, and thin. During bored, and painful moments. Sad, and happy days.
"My lady, it went as planned". The maid said.
"Ava", She called her name as she turned to face her.
"Yes, my lady". A faint smile made its way to Aro's lips as she watched her friend echo those words softly.
"If I become the regal, I will make you live anywhere in the world of your choice. I will make your only daughter marry to the wealthiest man in the kingdom". She muttered to her maid, who dared not sneeze.
They used to be best friends when they were maids, but not anymore. Walking two meters behind the queen, taking orders from her, bowing each time she is around her, can she still consider her to be a friend? "Your wish I shall abide by, my lady".
"Mother! Mother!" Taliyah, who walked in with her heart pounding so hard in her chest, called out.
"Taliyah what is it?" Without hesitating, Aro asked as she immediately walked up to her daughter, whose gown was wet with sweet beads formed around her forehead as tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.
"Mother, we must save father". Taliyah uttered as she sniffed back her tears.
Queen Aro, who pretended to be perplexed, asked her daughter. "What is wrong with you?"
"Mother, this isn't all about me, it's all about father". Trying her best to convince her mother, she walked a few meters closer.
"My lady, I will give you both some privacy". Maid Ava excused herself.
"What is wrong with my husband?" She asked with a dangerous smirk on the corner of her tempting lips. Even though she already knew what happened to him, she still wants to watch Taliyah cry as she narrates it to her. 'Won't it be fun?'
"Father was poisoned—"
She did not even allow Taliyah to finish up with her words when she interrupted her. "Who poisoned him?"
"Should I tell her? Should I backstab the lady?" she asked herself as she contemplated on telling her mother.
"It's okay if you would rather not tell me, I will use pressure to find out! I will torture the maid, and punish everyone she told, apart from the crown prince". Her mother's statement made her clenched her teeth as chills went down her spine which left her to tremble on her spot.
"I…"
"Don't stammer, tell me everything you know about the poison too". Aro, who does not care whether her curiosity is getting obvious, asked with her gaze on Taliyah.
Taliyah stared back at her mother for a while, and heaved. "The lady was sent by that devil! Dasya planned on killing his father, and ruining the kingdom just for his thirst for the throne".
"My dear daughter Taliyah, I want to avenge the pain of your father. Will you stand as a witness before the council of elders?" She asked with the hope of getting a positive response.
"I will! I will do anything just to make Dasya feel the same pain my father felt! But mother, let's save father before then". She requested.