"How could it be?" the prince muttered in a trance.
Angel gazed at the man before her, a look of confusion clouding her features.
The prince came back to his senses and dropped down on his knees.
"Goddess, the chosen one, you have come!" The prince uttered with a voice full of reverence.
As soon as the rest of the group witnessed their leader bowing down before Angel, they, too, knelt and humbly bowed their heads.
Angel raised an eyebrow. She was bewildered.
"What's happening? What are they doing? Why are they kneeling in front of that bitch." Emily asked in a shrill voice.
Rosette, feeling just as perplexed, responded, "How should I know?"
Leoric, who had been restrained by two men, suddenly felt the pressure on his arms released as the men dropped to their knees, gazing at Angel with reverence.
"Bro, do you also think what I am thinking? These savages must have mistaken your wife for their goddess." Alec, standing near Leoric, spoke softly. He was scared of agitating the desert warriors.
Mario Diaz chuckled. "I didn't know your imagination is spot on, Alec."
Dr. Raven Reeves frowned. He was worried about Angel.
"Is it a good thing or a bad thing?" Captain Niel asked.
"It should be a good thing." Mario Diaz replied.
Leoric remained silent as the men around him exchanged their theories. His brow furrowed as he observed the desert warriors' leader laying down his weapon before Angel, moving his mouth as if uttering a solemn oath to her.
Emily squinted as she observed the unfolding events. She felt a twinge of envy towards Angel. How could a man who resembled an Arabian Sheik be kneeling before her?
"What have you done to bewitch these people, Angel? You vixen. You are already married, and yet you are still seducing other people." She exclaimed.
"Emily, what are you doing? Keep your mouth shut." Alec was horrified when Emily talked viciously to Angel. He noticed that the men who looked like desert warriors turned their heads toward Emily's direction.
Emily, on the other hand, remained completely unaware of her surroundings. As she advanced toward Angel, she lifted her hand with the intention of delivering a resounding slap.
"Emily!" Leoric and Alec shouted in horror.
Emily's hand, raised in the air, froze in place. The man had been on his knees in front of Angel one moment, and the next, he was standing tall, his sword pointed at Emily's neck.
"Leo... Leoric. Help!" Emily called weakly. Her legs were trembling.
"Bhoy ee mo zha. (Let her go)." Angel spoke in words that sounded foreign and ancient.
Leoric stared at Angel in disbelief. Although he was a linguist and could fluently speak five languages, the words she spoke sounded very foreign. It wasn't a language spoken on earth.
Alec's eyes popped out, and his jaw dropped.
Mario Diaz chuckled.
Gavin Reeves looked at Angel with a complicated gaze.
The prince pulled back his sword and stepped back.
"Indeed, you are the Goddess, the daughter of Mayari, the woman with the hair of fire, the Hamili (chosen one)." The prince went down on his knees once again, the tip of his sword pierced the soil while both hands rested on the hilt.
Angel surveyed the crowd, her eyes locking with Leoric, Gavin, Alec, and Mario. She couldn't help but shake her head in bewilderment, feeling just as puzzled as they looked.
"Magze tindug kham mhu. (Everone rise)." Angel figured out that the desert warriors would not rise if she did not tell them so.
The warriors stood up together, their eyes fixated on Angel. She felt uneasy. Although she was accustomed to being the center of attention, this was the first instance where she was revered and adored like a goddess.
She pondered for a moment, thinking that she could use the situation to their advantage.
"Untie those people. They are my protectors, and these women are my maidservants." Angel gave her orders to the leader of the desert warriors.
The prince ordered his men to untie the prisoners.
"What is your name?" Angel asked the prince.
"My name is Yael, Prince of the Sunawin Tribe."
"Prince Yael, what is your plan? Can you help us?"
"Raya, we are at your service," the prince answered without hesitating.
"What did you call me? My name is Angel and not Raya."
"A long time ago, when Astralis was not yet divided and was still ruled by the benevolent king, his queen was called a Raya. Raya is the most noble title higher than the queen." The desert prince explained.
"I see. What is your plan now, Prince Yael?"
"I will lead you and your protectors to our kingdom, Raya. We need to leave immediately. My spy told me that the Scorpion King is looking for you and is waiting in the Kingdom of Marawin, where you are currently headed."
Prince Yael gestured to the North East which was the original direction they wanted to follow.
"How long will it take to reach your kingdom?"
"We should reach before the sunset, Raya."
"Then, let us eat before we leave," Angel relayed the plan to Leoric and the captain. She also requested the chef to cook breakfast.
The chef had prepared tortillas the day before using the remaining wheat flour. All he needed to do was set up his portable stove, boil a dozen potatoes, and heat the canned meat and beans.
The people of Sunawin curiously watched as the chef cooked. His method of cooking was utterly different from theirs.
After mashing, mixing, and wrapping, the chef made enough burrito wraps and distributed them to everyone, including their captors, who rejected them. They took out their own food, which was dried meat and fruits.
The chef also passed a burrito to the prince and another warrior dressed in a distinctive attire. He suspected that the warrior might be the second-in-command, and he was respectful in his actions.
Prince Yael just looked at the food offered to him but did not take it. The chef took it back.
Angel stood from where she was seated under a palm tree. She took the two wraps from the chef and gave them to Prince Yael and his chief warrior.
Prince Yael was stunned. How could Raya offer him her food?