That bright morning everything seemed to be going normally, with people tending to their everyday business and issues but Qaya was aware that a bigger play was at work and she was the one controlling it no matter what anyone was saying. She had ignored two letter of summons from her husband, the king and that was because she knew what he was after, apart from his usual antics of annoying her and his pathetic attempts of winning her heart, he would definitely want to dissuade her from conducting the test.
"It really is sad because too late, the test had started a long time ago"
Qaya settled into her office chair and rubbed her temples; she didn't have a whole idea of how many Awin's people were in her court and who they were in person but she knew that with the nature of their work, they would strive to be in the majority of the final cut of workers. So no matter how hard she makes the test, they would strive to pass it.
"I just have to make this a decoy test, but the real hassle is formulating the test that will 'coincidentally' get all of Awin's people out" she thought to herself.
Morgan peeked from the door and called to Qaya who got up to meet her.
"What's the matter?" Qaya asked
"Your first batch of Thispel fruit have arrived, Sir Rivan sent them"
Qaya smiled, finally some advancement in this matter. "Did you bring one for me to taste"
Morgan nodded and handed over a small purple fruit the size of a cherry. Qaya plopped into her mouth and cautiously chewed it. The moment her teeth sunk into the fruit's flesh and the juice and pith touched her tongue, Qaya spat it out and made the most pain face.
"Water" she beckoned in a panicked and frowned so hard, it looked like she was trying to bleach her tongue, when she finally had water to drink, she relaxed and it seemed like her taste buds recovered.
"I apologize, your highness"
"No, it's okay. Why would you even apologize? I knew the fruit would taste peculiar I just wasn't prepared for this intensity"
"How was it?" a curious Morgan asked
"It certainly tasted foreign. It was sour, spicy and bitter at the same time. Too much for my brain to process but when I drank water…how can I explain this? Beside this fruit, tasteless water tastes heavenly"
Morgan giggled; she thought her mistress was being dramatic
"Would you eat the fruit… like this… raw?"
Qaya scratched her head "I wanted to eat it raw so that it could be more potent but now that I've actually tasted it, I think I'll just have it made in my food"
Morgan nodded "I'll make sure I make this at home, so that no one will suspect anything"
Qaya smiled gratefully at Morgan, these past few days, they'd grown close enough for Qaya to divulge information about her plans to Morgan though the, latter wasn't that surprised after all, she had read a part of her mother's diary and knew that Awin's grandfather, Angus IV was behind the creation of Zajey, so it didn't feel to out of character.
"Wait a minute" Qaya thought to herself "Morgan is the perfect person to ask for help"
Morgan cleared her throat and looked at her mistress "you were looking at me funny, so I wanted to ask if you needed something"
"Yes, Morgan, you are so sharp. It's about the upcoming test, you are closer to the servants than me, so you can definitely help me, I need a list of 23 people that are diligent and virtuous enough to not be Awin's people and two people who are the exact opposite of that, then find something in common between all of them, so I can weave the test around that"
Morgan looked scared after all; Qaya had just asked for a gigantic task, it won't be easy. Qaya hugged her reassuringly "I know you can do this, you're smart and also passionate about righting your family's wrongs and for the 23 people just focus on people that despite their working here for long and diligently are yet to be promoted, they are most likely that way because Awin knew he could use them to do his bidding and promoted his people in their place"
Morgan pouted "you seem to already have everything under control. Why don't you just do it?"
"That's because I'm busy with other things and besides I'll reward you and Ian with a vacation in Occident coast, the biggest and most luxurious resort just opened and my father is friends with the owner"
(BTW, if you're wondering, Ian is the name of Qaya's adopted son): Penelope
"Okay" Morgan surrendered "is there a deadline?"
Qaya smiled nervously "yes, two days from now"
[In Awin's palace]
Awin, looked up from the report Bernard had given him, to his aide and betrayer, Zachary. Ever since the wedding, Zachary seemed quieter than usual and he always kept to himself, he didn't even go and meet Qaya anymore.
"Serves you right for trying to take what belongs to me" Awin smirked in his mind.
"Bernard, Zachary, I would like to go somewhere"
The two men looked at the king; obviously what he meant was that he wanted them to escort him. As they followed him out of the palace, Zachary got lost in thought. He was pensive after all, he had been trying his absolute best to not leave Awin's palace for fear that he night run into Qaya. He rebuked himself because that was a very selfish desire; he didn't want to have to see her heartbroken and disappointed in him, he had failed to protect her, he worried if she blamed him and resented him because that was how he felt about himself. But above all, he wished that she was fine, though a part of him also didn't want to see her, because when he saw her, he didn't rust himself to see Qaya but Awin's wife. "If only things had been different, if only I had the power to…"
Awin perked up as he saw Qaya talking to a maid.
"And to think, she was angry that I married her, this woman is the embodiment of the word 'queen'. The poise, the elegance, the wisdom" Awin turned to the men with him and boasted
"My Queen" Awin called out to Qaya, who didn't seem the least happy or surprised. She walked over to them and gave a slight bow
"Good day, your highness" she replied drily, she caught Zachary purposefully avoiding eye contact but she briefly dismissed it
"You've been so busy with your duties to the people, when do you think you'll be able to fulfil your duties to me" Awin asked coyly, shocking everyone present
Qaya snapped in her mind "what on earth is wrong with this man? I would much rather prefer if this idiot just stuck to his villainous personality, eeww, so icky"
Alas, she could only say that in her mind "I'm confused, by fulfilling my duties to your people, I have fulfilled my duties to you"
"Are you really that innocent?" Awin dragged her by the waist and let his hand linger just at the end of her back, Qaya was fighting the urge to bite his ears off "I meant physical duties to only me, we need an heir after all"
"Did Zachary's eye just twitch?" Awin smirked to himself in his mind
"I apologize, I am waiting for the results of the trial of the threshold to be announced; I need to be…" Qaya struggled with those words, her skin suddenly felt like that of a fish out of water, she wanted to live the situation as soon as possible; her mind kept going back to that day.
"So you mean after that I can have you all to myself every night"
This was the last straw,
Qaya stared at her husband in disgust "excuse-"
"Excuse me" Zachary cut in and walked out, it really was the last straw.
Awin's victorious smile was now visible for all to see, but he wasn't going to let Zachary off the hook, so easily; he followed after him
"Zachary, what impudence! How dare you walk out on me?"
Bernard and Qaya followed behind. Zachary suddenly stopped and turned back, his gaze falling on Qaya for the first time but he quickly averted it.
"Are you mad? What came over you to make you be so disrespectful" Awin roared
This time Qaya stepped in "forgive him, maybe he was just embarrassed by your comments, you weren't exactly acting with poise with your vulgar, ruffian words"
Bernard was stunned.
Awin turned to Zachary, a malevolent smile in his eyes "is that true?"
Zachary kept silent for a while, he was about to make a reckless move, but he still going to go through with it, a part of him wanted to know if this would have any effect on Qaya, "I really am a selfish man" he thought to himself.
"Answer me, Zachary is that true?"
"Awin, I'm leaving for the occident Coast, I've been meaning to tell you that"
"Why?" everyone asked in unison. Even Awin was shocked by this revelation.
"I was reinstated as crown prince and duke."
To be continued