BLOOD AND Lightening

Chapter 14

....

NIMAI

It's almost a full moon since I found out about my originality, certainly, all my life like I reckoned was a lie, the people didn't prevaricate when they called me a witch, my mother was a sorceress, who Odede happened to meet purely by coincidence, and helped to birth me, she further gave me away to the mother I knew of, never for once did I doubted that she was the womb that bore me, she treated me with love and care, till death or perhaps the bloody bloodsucker, heavens punish him, took her away from me.

Today the rumors have climbed to the highest level, The Emperor openly favors me over others, I am his confidential maiden, Odede is not Pleased with the situation, and I do not know how I feel about his constant dotting. Having somebody who has you in his heart is good but the hate that comes from that is enormous.

At the same time every twilight I go and receive training learning how to use the supposed power I chose not to have, I see myself doing things I thought were incapable of happening, every moment is scary. constant trance and visions I know nothing about nor can I explain them, The Emperor seems happy for me but I find nothing to be happy about, am on the verge of losing myself, and every day seems like a battle, if only I can escape from people, far away and have my sanity to myself.

Indeed the two highest royals are nice to me, but what do I stand to gain from that, the constant gawking from other maidens, the tiny murmuring, and hissing from them, Asteria and Belle have turned into fighters because of me, fighting any maiden that spill out my name, Choas is all I see, present, future, my life is full of chaos and unnecessary twist, if another ear hears of my powers, I will be killed before the Emperor would be able to save me.

“You are here, I know you probably know but the Emperor has picked a wife,” Belle said with enthusiasm, ‘a wife?’

“Oh, how did you know of that?” I asked confused,

“It's not a mystery, everybody knows, it's been going around the palace for a while but finally he chose a wife yesterday, and soon the future Queen will enter the palace, heavens be praised, the rumors about you will die down soon,” Belle said, I managed to c***k a weak smile to her,

‘Perhaps I have indeed adored the Emperor more than I intended for my heart didn't take the news well’.

“Greetings” I heard Belle say then I noticed the presence of Nicholas, his eyes were on me,

“Has his majesty sent for me?” I asked but he dismissed Belle ignoring my question

“You have heard the news, his Majesty is on his way to BATILOI to propose marriage to their princess,” Nicholas said standing beside me

“You are his most trusted man, why are you not with his majesty”

“I can't be stronger than General Adonis, his Majesty left with the prince and some of his men,” Nicholas said

“Why have you come for me, his majesty hasn't sent for me, why are you here?”

“I know your heart was smitten by him, it's inevitable,”

“You are mistaken, sir Nicholas, I did adore his majesty, but never had I thought I would become more than his subject, but I can't help but feel sad, his majesty had been unexpectedly good to me, and never for once did he mention going for a wife, perhaps we are not that close like I thought”

“I thought I would find you in tears since I presumed wrong, I would love to take my leave”

“Were you here to console me perhaps?” I asked him, his stoic expression wavered and he immediately avoided my gaze

“You are a fine gentleman, thank you, sir Nicholas”

“I am no knight, Nicholas is enough”

“I can't help but call you that, your parents might have wanted you to become one, the title fits perfectly with your name, try and become a knight”

“Your name sounds like that of a Queen,” he said and left leaving me speechless...

The beautiful garden of flowers makes a colorful atmosphere for the Princess, the home for butterflies, everything associated with Athena could be translated as a fairy tale, she stood in the middle of the garden surrounded by roses and lilies, her flowery white gown flowing freely behind her, and her silver hair styled into a bun, she was dolled up in jewels, Nimai was seen approaching her, she has been sent for, she had noticed that the princess didn't like her and she avoided her like venom and with the newfound power she possesses and hasn't learned how to control avoiding danger was the number one rule.

“What was your name again?” Athena asked pretending not to remember, Nimai rolled her eyes unable to hide her dissatisfaction with what was about to happen

“Am Nimai” she answered reluctantly

“I need you to run an errand for me, there will be a ceremony.....”

“I only work in the east palace, and I answerth to no one but the Emperor,” Nimai said cutting her off, Athena stood in disbelief for a while, she paced around for a while washing off the igniting anger burning up within her

“For a minute there I was overwhelmed by thy foolishness, interrupting the word of a royal can put you in so much problem,” Athena said

“Disobeying the word of the Emperor can have your head, and it is applicable to everyone royals included”

“What do you mean by that” Athena asked with a raised brow, her forehead forming a line

“I assume the Princess is too smart not to understand, I am not just a maid in the east palace but the personal maidservant to the Emperor himself, in his own words “Nimai from now on, you save no one else but me” so I would have loved to help her highness but I answer to only his majesty, answering to your call was purely out of respect,”

“Do you realize you are talking to the Princess of ARVERNINE?” Athena asked after collecting her composure

“Yes, your highness, the reason why I choose my words carefully,”

“Is that you being careful? His majesty has gone to get a wife” Athena said with a smile, her intentions to poke Nimai, for a reason she can't tell she hated the divided attention the Emperor gives to her all because of Nimai, several occasions she had visited her brother and he dismisses her just to have a conversation with his maid, she had seen them far too many times watching the sky and taking a night stroll, she was going in the shadows, Athena was never too close to Adonis coupled with the fact he has been at the border and only returned two nights ago, Nimai is a nobody, a common maidservant, an orphan stealing the heart of an Emperor if care is not taking her brother might marry this low class but surprisingly the Emperor suddenly wants to propose marriage to BATILOI.

“Seems you weren't special after all, I had thought brother was blind and beginning to lose his senses, but knowing Gildor, every decision he takes has a reason behind it, am still wondering why he refused to get rid of you and the reason he is being nice to you,” Athena said retreating her footstep, Nimia's neutral face has long gone red from anger, she could feel her whole body burning up within, the powers she possesses like a curse forcing itself to manifest

“I had thought so highly of you Princess Athena, I looked forward to the day I would set my eyes on the rare beauty of ARVERNINE, I heard so many things about you so naturally, my expectations were too high above the castle's roof, hoping to be able to breathe in the same air as you, but perhaps no matter how the tales portray you, you are after all a human, royals are people too, they are human who makes mistakes and spur their terrible words with so much confidence”

A strong slap from the princess shut her mouth, immediately the troop of maids standing around came forward and forced her onto her knees, “you have no idea how much I enjoy punishing the offenders, especially those who couldn't hold their tongues, you know what happens to low statuses who haven't been in contact with wealth and power?” Athena asked with a hard glare “they forget how to act, just a tiny attention from the Emperor made you assume you can talk to a royal like you owned the kingdom,” Nimai remained quiet not a single look of regret, she was tired, ‘how exhausting can it get?’ she thought wondering when her gloomy days will end, ‘Can somebody wake me up from this dream, this nightmare and tell me my whole life was just a bad dream,’

“You Don't look too good while angry, anger is not a pleasing emotion in your face, it's scary,” Nimai said calmly

“Lock her up!!” shouted Athena “make sure she is dealt with

“His majesty us back!!” came the troubled voice of a maid

“What, that soon? What happened? BATILOI is far outside the border” Athena asked confused, she turned looking at Nimai as if she held the answer to her question, immediately Asteria and Nicholas were seen emerging, Nicholas had on a deadly gaze while Asteria had teary eyes

“His Majesty seeks the presence of Nimai right now,” Nicholas announced

“But, bu by but” Athena struggled to get her words together “she insulted me”

“I dare not return to his Majesty without Nimai, your highness,” Nicholas said with finality, Asteria helped pull Nimai up and dusted her robe, princess Athena wore frustration like a garment, she had never been humiliated like this before, Nimai followed Nicholas and Asteria, before living she locked eyes with Athena and smiled, fear was far from her eyes, “I will always keep you in mind Nimai” the princess warned

“Thank you, your highness” came the voice of Nimai.