BLOOD AND Lightening

Chapter 13

“For a troubled heart is a restless being, but maybe the stars are finally aligning, and the unspoken truth now glaring deeply into my soul,” Nimai said still with a smile

“Your words are unusual and no matter how I try to take them in, it's not connecting at the end, if perhaps you are trying to pass a message then you doing it the wrong way, speak directly and save your energy” Odede replied with an angry tone.

Nimai inhaled deeply contemplating on how to begin, the moment of truth it is, only a few utterances from Odede will confirm that indeed her visions were correct

“Whatever you want to declare to me, let it be candid, I don't speak in riddles and I loathe time wasting, now speak”

“Artemis,” Nimai said looking deeply into Odede's eyes

“Artemis, who is Artemis?” Nimai asked finally

“I do not understand, why do you care about Artemis, she is the dead queen of ARVERNINE, she died during childbirth to Princess Athena” Odede answered with confusion evident in her voice

“Does the queen conceivably have red hair?” Nimai asked in disbelief, hoping that the answer would be negative

“No, her hair is as brown as Emperor Gildor’s hair, why do you care about her late majesty's hair, could it be you do not adhere to my warnings Nimai, I am yet to know what happened to you and how the Emperor had to fetch you back himself”

“Did you perhaps happen to help a pregnant woman bare a child decades ago, the pregnant woman’s name was Artemis, and she had red hair” Nimai said rushing her words, the look on Odede's face was hard to decipher, they both were quiet before Nimai began again.

“Your silence would only make my heart bleed more, I know you can remember, you never forget any of the tales you told me both ones that transpired way back in your childhood,”

“I have helped a lot of pregnant maidens in the past but only one of them sticks out to me most,” Odede said mellowing her eyes and joining Nimai in the bed, “child I swear by the heavens the first day I heard your name I prayed it wasn't you but perhaps fate knew how to reunite people more,” Odede said with a calm voice

“No, it's not true, tell me what you know madam” Nimai cried

“Your name is special, Nimai, which meant light, only heard of it once and never heard another bear the same name, I suspected it was you and further confirmed it was really you, you grew as beautiful or even more beautiful as I had foreseen, your mother died few hours after your birth, and I was left with you,” Odede said calmly, the sound of tiny whimpers envelope the room, Odede struggled to keep it together leaving Nimai in disbelief as she watched and listened carefully.

“I let you go for your own good”

“My good?” Nimai asked

“I need not go into details child but I swear it was out of goodwill”

“Now I know why you were good to me, the goodwill you speak of is what? I was born a witch and you wanted nothing to do with me” Nimai said can't and on purpose

“Do not!! Do not, how far do you know? You are not a witch” Odede said with shock wondering how Nimai got to find out all this.

“I was born for a stupid prophecy, right? Tell me everything I need to know, it's no use hiding anything from me”

Odede swallowed deeply before going ahead to tell...

The evening breeze was chilly, especially at the east palace, Nimai stood under the wild tree looking at the sky with a heavy heart, her purpose was for the Emperor to come to find her like he always does, for some reason he always appeared when she is out for fresh air, she stood with her arms folded behind.

“Is the Emperor also like me?” she asked out to no one wondering how he knew of her unseen powers, “he knows everything” she concluded

“Nimai” she heard her name, with a relieved heart she turned around only to come face to face with prince Adonis

“Greetings your highness” she greeted immediately realizing it was the wrong royal

“You are easy to read,” he said with an awkward smirk

“I do not understand your highness”

“Your tone and movement demonstrated your disappointment, who could that be that you stood yourself up late at night waiting for, his majesty?” prince Adonis asked

“You are mistaken, your highness, I only arrived for some fresh breeze and to stare at the beautiful sky”

Prince Adonis took a step forward, his swords and iron garment crashing together, making a loud noise as he walks, “Do not shamelessly lie to me, maiden, I also came for his majesty but he is with the princess, I heard of your illness, you are truly distinguished, there is not a day that has passed and I did not hear a thing about you”

Nimai stood without emotions listening to Adonis, for some reason she wasn't annoyed nor felt threatened,

“Bet his highness is unhappy of the tales like I am”

“No am not” he answered honestly, she narrowed her eyebrows at him wondering why but decided not to continue because it was obvious the prince was reluctant to leave her side.

“It must be exhausting I presume,” the prince asked

“Pardon me, your highness, I do not understand” she shamelessly lied

“It must be exhausting working in the palace, especially with the numerous tales roaming around about you,” he said

“No, it angers me but I do not have power over the way people choose to use their mouths, I am great as long as they don't bring me physical pain” they both heard footsteps approaching and turned around to see the Emperor and the princess as well as the guards and maiden servants trailing behind, Nimai lowered her head in respect and greetings to the royals regretting within her why she had been out.

“Brother” Adonis called out “I had visited your chambers but was informed of your visit to Athena” he added

“Yes I didn't allow him to leave, you had told me earlier of a supposedly emergency but perhaps it wasn't the kind I expected,” Princess Athena said looking at Nimai,

“You are a normal palace maiden, right? Not a noble lady in disguise right?” the princess asked directly to Nimai

“She is the Emperors most trusted maid servant” Prince Adonis answered

“Oh,” Athena exclaimed looking at the Emperor

“You have awakened from your illness?” The Emperor asked, finally Nimai raised her head to meet the blue eyes of the princess, even at Dusk, her beauty was shimmering and blinding, she was like the moon goddess, with rich silky sliver hair and delicate fair skin, the blue garment she wore complimenting her skin.

“It's all thanks to your Majesty, thank you for providing me with the best physician,” Nimai said bowing her head, her utterances gained a questioning glare from the younger royals, they both looked at the Emperor to perhaps explain especially princess Athena.

“Brother provided a physician for a common maidservant?” princess Athena asked looking at her brother before turning over at Nimai

“How long have you walked at the east palace and how close are you to my brother?”

“It's enough Athena, she is only but a maidservant, I take care of my subject no matter the class, it's time to go back to your wing, it's late, and you haven't rested from your journey” Emperor Gildor announced signaling on the guards to guide the Princess “Escort! her back! Nicholas” he commanded, the Princess took a final long stare at Nimai before retiring while Nimai lowered her head till the Princess was out of sight, she felt belittled and looked down upon in the presence of the royals, ‘Odede was right after all’ she thought.

“Can we continue tomorrow Adonis” came the voice of the Emperor with a smile “find me by dawn, I need my rest” he added, prince Adonis didn't utter a word, he only nodded with a smile and continued on his way with his sword making a loud noise as he walks, he took a short peek at Nimai without stopping and continued.

“My intentions were, to seek out his majesty but what guts have I? So I resolved to waiting under the wild tree hoping your majesty appears like you always did, I had hoped to speak my mind and that is what I will do ignoring the consequences, did your Majesty perhaps become close to me because he knew of all along that the rumors were true?” Nimai asked with confident

Emperor Gildor smiled concealing the mischievous smirk he had on, “what rumor Nimai?” he asked

The manner in which he called her name softened her heart, “I am a witch your majesty” she blunted before she could hold back her tongue, “you were close to me because of that because I am like you,” she said gaining a wide smile from Gildor

“I like the courage, but your words are untrue, fate brought us together,” he said surprising her, his eyes held an unfamiliar emotion to them as he reached for her hands “I saw a special maiden who remained me of myself and my heart went to her, not for that which you spoke of but only to act as a comfort to her then heavens showed me you had something special in you and I was fated to help you recover them it was no coincidence, it was fate that brought us together Nimai” Gildor spoke in a soft voice and she felt her walls began to shatter.

EMPEROR GILDOR

‘You are weak in the spirit Nimai, I have you in my palms, and you will never escape me’

“I just found out I am not who I thought I was”

She said with a shaky voice fleeing from my touch

“You are something more special, you possess great power, you and I together will be untouchable, and nothing will ever happen to you as long as I am Emperor”