BLOOD AND Lightening

Chapter 2

Nimai couldn't pinpoint the sounds that penetrated her ears the moment she was back to consciousness. the sounds echoed and her view blurred.

She feebly tried to move, only to discover her hands were tied behind her.

she looked around with ulterior confusion scrutinizing every inch of the environment she is in.

It dawned on her that she was in an unfamiliar place not in her home, her eyes soon trained at the town leader who was sat at the far end of the hall, he looked irritated by her presence.

Her eyes began to travel the hall occupied with numerous people whispering in low tones as they avoided making eye contact with her.

"where are my parents?" she voiced out to no one in particular.

The room completely went silent at her questions, with everyone tossing her a questioning glare.

"Your parents? Your parents you said" the town leader mocked, he rose from his wooden seat, and looked around the room with a sly smile plastered on his face.

He folded his hands behind him, he majestically began to walk towards Nimai, not a single smile on sight in his face, he got to her and held her chin.

He grabbed her chin roughly " How did you do it?" he questioned in a thunderous tone, sending cold chills down Nimai's spines.

" Do what ?" she managed to ask back in total confusion, if there is anything Nimai needs now, it's answers, where are her parents and why is she being tied up in the chief's place and about to be interrogated.

"Bring out her parents!" the chief shouted right in front of Nimai's face.

Nimai's face paled up at the sight of all parents, the memory of the previous night came rushing to her, her father's maltreatment down to her mother going motionless, and then the mysterious bloodsucker. she kneels petrified, her eyes fixed on her mother who's body has gone stiff, her eyes now filled with tears, she voiced out.

"So it wasn't a dream? All that was real? Mo" she broke down in tears, she let go of herself, curled herself and cried bitterly...

Nimai woke up from the sound of guards, pacing food through an opening in the small dungeon she was locked at. She looked at the food and ignored it, she buried her face in her palms, cleaned the teardrop threatening to fall out, and repeated the process. She sat down recounting how her parents were killed and how she has been framed for their death. She has always wanted to visit the chief's home back in the day and witness a judgement but couldn't, but never in her wildest imagination, Did it occur to her that she might be in a situation where she would be judged. This morning, when she realized she wasn't dreaming, she couldn't answer a single question, she couldn't even describe what she saw. 'who would believe that anyway' she thought and sniffed. She is at the mercy of the villagers now, the people who are somewhat afraid of her, calling her names like a witch.

The village medicinals and herbalist couldn't point out what was the cause of her parents death.

"It is her, she wasn't even their real daughter"

"I have always known she was a witch"

"A girl who was always seen in the woods and hardly join her maiden mates, she was definitely hiding something"

Those were few of the words people were saying to her hearing. All the dirty words thrown at her didn't matter, but the one that stuck with her in this hard times were

"She wasn't their real daughter"

"I was around when she was brought to their home"

"She is not even from here"

Those words pierced deep into her soul making her doubt and question who is really is.

Of course, the words weren't foreign to her, her father, Hector, would always call her a bastard child, he called her names claiming she wasn't his child, but her mother would always assure her she was their child and only daughter.

She pushed the food plate farther from her and spread her body across the room in defeat. She has been labeled a witch and would either be stoned to death or burnt to her death. She wasn't going to fight back, she would accept her fate and beg for a less painful death.

*at dawn*

Nimai was being dragged to the town square for judgment, her lips so pale, her eyes bright red, perhaps from tears, her hair messy and haggard, still on the same cloth she had on a few nights ago, she was informed already that the new Emperor would judge her situation, it has always been a long tradition in ARVERNIEN that a new successor of the throne should solve a problem before the people to officiate his services to the people.

Nimai had no idea that the previous emperor was dead not to talk of a new one, she knelt in the middle of the town square, overlooking the direction of the young Emperor and his family, and awaited her judgment.

Few guards arrived with the stiff body of her parent and placed them on a large wooden table. Nimai's eyes flagged open shooting daggers at the town leader " not buried yet?" she said looking directly at the chief.

The young Emperor rose from his seat and went over to inspect the bodies, he took a reasonable amount of time examining the bodies, Nimai's eyes were on him the whole time, for some reason, she knew she should trust his judgment, he walked over to her and bent his body to her level, the crowd grasp at his actions, he locked eyes with Nimai for sometimes before strengthening his back again.

He retreated his footsteps and walked over to his royal chair and sat down. The people were all eager for his judgment but when they heard nothing from him they began to murmur in lower tones, Nimai who had her hopes high felt her hope dashed and crushed, she held her head low and accepted for the last time, that she would die any moment from now, till her town leader spoke.

"Your Highness, we are awaiting your judgment," he said with calculating eyes surveying the crowd to see if they are in accordance with his utterances.

" oh yes my judgment," the young Emperor said and rose again from his seat, the faces made by his family members, gave out that, they weren't surprised by his actions.

"From the bodies, it is clear that it was a mysterious death," he said with his hands folded at his back and a pleasant smile plastered on his face, he inspected the reaction of the people and continued " But I can't tell, if this young maiden here, killed her parents," he said with a strengthened back, the murmuring which subsided a few moments ago, spread out again, it was clear people weren't enjoying his strategies.

" But your majesty, there are eyewitnesses," the town leader said with his brows raised, Nimai turned to the direction of the chief at hearing his words, "eyewitnesses?" she mouthed and watched as a couple emerged as the eyewitnesses, she struggled trying to remember the faces, they were unfamiliar, her house was far in the woods, how could there be eyewitnesses but then again, she woke up in the chief's home, it must have been them who brought her to the chief, she thought.

" my husband and I were returning from a trip and we happened to pass the woods, my husband suggested we rest for a moment because the woods was unexpectedly windy that night, and there weren't people in sight and I suggested we beg the owners of the house nearby to accommodate us for the night, but on getting near the house we heard a loud noise coming from the house, we hastened our footsteps because it sounded like the cry of a woman, but on getting to the front door, we saw this young maiden," she said pointing at Nimai, "collapsing on the body of her mother with her hands spread" the woman concluded with her head hanged low.

"Was all that your wife said true? The young Emperor said addressing the woman's husband

"Yes your majesty," he said avoiding eye contact

"Who then came to the conclusion that she killed them?" the emperor asked to no one in particular

"The town leader " the woman answered immediately

" your majesty, she had no injuries on sight, and there was no valid explanation for their death, it could only be done by a witch" Nimai's town leader defended

"And you assumed she was a witch because of your inabilities," the Emperor asked with raised brows. The town leader hide his face in humiliation and shut his mouth, the young Emperor walked over to the dead bodies and continued

"Any physician here?" he asked while inspecting the bodies, Nimai looked in bewilderment, and a glitter of hope returned to her eyes. Two royal physicians appeared right beside the Emperor, everywhere was drop dead silent, listening and observing the situation with keen interest.

"Can any of you tell me, what this is?" The emperor asked while touching the neck area of Nimia's parent.

"We haven't seen anything like this before," one of the physicians said

"At first glaze, it looked like a bite but what animal could make that print?" the second physician said narrowing his head. The Emperor stood watching the physicians with a smile

" that's where the victim comes in" the Emperor said looking in Nimai's direction, the murmuring erupted again, the Emperor calling Nimai a victim before the end of judgment didn't sit right with people including his own family who had their eyes popping from his statement. The Emperor ignored the noise and addressed his question directly to Nimai

"What did you see young maiden, that made you faint?" He asked, Nimai was taken aback for a while, a rare occurrence, for a person meant to receive judgment to be allowed to say something, she looked the Emperor in the eyes and he gave her a reassuring nod.

" I Don't know what he was, he had pale skin and long fingers, his eyes were bright red, he was a" Nimai swallowed her sliver as tears rolled down her cheeks, she was going down this fresh memory she was trying so hard to forget, she inhaled deeply and continued

"He was a bloodsucker," she said eventually.

The crowd went utterly silent, processing what they just heard.

" so you are saying" the Emperor inquired almost in disbelief " that you saw a bloodsucker," he said with raised brows, the people again, began to talk. Nimai knew her answer was unbelievable and had no plans of telling what she saw, but who was she not to answer to the Emperor. The tale of the bloodsucker was a popular story told by adults to their children but mostly to scare them from staying out late, she was told the same tale as a child but came to know it was all lies as she became an adult herself, not until a few nights ago, she saw him herself, they locked eyes too. He wasn't exactly ugly like in the tales but it was indeed a bloodsucker.

" I can tell that this maiden is still shaken by the death of her parents," the Emperor said bringing her back to reality, the looks on people's faces weren't satisfactory at all, but no one dared speak up, the Emperor went ahead and told the people that Nimai is a victim until proven otherwise, the physician confirmed her parent's deaths have to do with the mark on their necks and Nimai's story of bloodsucker, could've been proven right because her father was dried of blood but it wasn't spoken of. The emperor managed to convince the people to some extent that she wasn't a witch and that she might have been seeing things because of shock.

Nimai was torn between sadness and relief, the Emperor asked that she should be untied and brought to the castle, she wasn't only saved from death but also given a new life as a maid in the castle. The Emperor took pity on her, she was filled with nothing but gratitude and admiration towards the young Emperor. She admired his sense of judgment and was thankful for her new life, but then again she was filled with grief and sorrow, she was an orphan whose parents died mysteriously, she cried remembering her mother died saving her from that monster, she cursed the monster inwardly, she didn't mind the death of her father but not her mother who did nothing but suffer all her life.....

Nimai was fed and dressed up at the town leaders house at the command of the Emperor. she sat at the dressing table provided for her in a small room, she looked at her face from the old wooden mirror provided, she combed her messy hair out and styled it into a cornrow, the maiden dress provided for her richer than anything she has owned, "Even a common maid dress so richly" she mouthed looking down at her dress. A knock came from the outside of the room and she knew, they have come for her, she emerged and came to see the chief's family waiting to send her off. Ever since she survived her judgment she had stayed with this household for three nights and they have been nice or perhaps avoiding the wrath of the royal family, the town leader on the other hand has always avoided eye contact with her, perhaps he is sorry to her or just avoiding her entirely, their daughter who is the same age as Nimai tried to strike a conversation with Nimia couple times but Nimia was never in the mood to push the conversation going so she stopped trying.

Nimai came out to see two royal guards waiting for her with an old royal carriage.

"she gets to take that ride?" the chief's wife blurted out excitedly.

"The new Emperor is really generous" their young daughter chipped in.

"And very unmarried" the wife added happily.

The chief ignored his wife and daughter and nodded to the guard, which can be transcribed as "take her now"

The journey to the castle was a long one, but eventually, they got to the castle. Nimia felt tired although she was only sitting, the horses did all the walking.

At the castle, Nimai could see lots of young girls in similar dresses, as her running around the place going about their business. She followed the guards, who were leading her inside, with her eyes training around the castle in bewilderment, she followed him as he professed he was going to hand her over to a higher court maiden, who would be in charge of her.

"Ajax?" A voice inquired behind them, Nimia swiveled to see a familiar face looking at them. The guard who happened to be Ajax bowed immediately.

"Greetings prince Adonis"

Nimai realizing who he was and why he looks familiar bowed immediately.

" Greetings your highness" she waited for a response but none was forthcoming, she raised her head to see the stoned face of the prince looking at her

" you are the maiden who was saved by the Emperor right?" he inquired with raised brows almost narrowing his eyes at her,

Nimai was confused at first but figured that he wasn't in favor of her release perhaps.

"Yes your highness, I am Nimai the maiden who was saved" she answered in a low tone with her head hanging low.

He nodded in a calculating manner before continuing on his way.

Nimai has heard the tales of prince ADONIS, the second prince, and the previous Emperor's most handsome son. He became a general at a young age and has been leading the people of ARVERNIEN to victory on numerous occasions. He is known as the most eligible bachelor and is even rumored to become the next Emperor after Emperor ADRASTOS, his father. but he had a senior brother, prince GILDOR who is now Emperor.