One Night With The Devil

8. Yuna's dilemma

"Milady, where have you been?" Syera hurried towards Yuna the moment she saw her returning and looked at her in worry. "We thought..." She stopped suddenly when she realized that they were outside the inn and they were gaining attention from everyone slowly.

Yuna too noticed the looks of curiosity the people were giving her. "Let us go inside first. I will tell you everything."

"Yes, Milady. Let me call Sir Enver first. He and the other guards are still searching for you."

"Please do. I have some things to tell you."

Yuna felt a pang of guilt hitting her heart when she saw how concerned Syera was and how Enver and the other guards had gone searching for her. But she did not say a word and entered the inn, ignoring the people around her, while Syera approached the nearest guard.

On her way, the inn owner looked at her with his eyes narrowed. Not avoiding his gaze, Yuna stared back at him domineeringly, making the man to avert his gaze away from her immediately. Yuna scoffed on seeing his frightened behavior and entered her room as she waited for Syera and Enver to return.

Yuna looked out of the window as she stared at the bustling street. Although the inn was quite far away from the palace, the street was still filled with people and she lowered her head to look around to see if anyone was watching her discreetly. It would not be a surprise if there were people stalking her, considering that she had just returned from the palace. 'I hope His Majesty does not fall lower than he already did.'

Yuna's thoughts were filled with her family and their state in prison. Although they had not suffered any torture in prison yet, it could be said the same a few days later. People who wanted her family gone would press the King to punish them or at least torture them and she did not know what His Majesty's verdict would be in the end. Even if her family was innocent, she did not trust the devil to let them off just like that.

'I need to find evidence as quickly as possible. But what do I do?' Yuna clenched her fists, helplessness filling her slowly. 'How do I even start?'

Yuna remembered what her mother had told her before she left the prison. 'If His Majesty is the only person who can help us, why did he put forth such a disgusting condition before me?' She wondered, her forehead creasing with worry lines. 'Why does he want to spend a night with me? Does he like me?'

Yuna shook her head immediately to dispel the absurd thoughts. 'What am I even thinking? How can His Majesty fall for me? I have not stepped inside the kingdom capital for years. It is impossible that he likes me.'

She brushed off her thoughts and tried to find out what else could have possibly made the King state such a condition. But in vain. She came up with nothing.

King Ezekiel was not lecherous, Yuna was sure about it. Although the man's devilish behavior and schemes were discussed far and wide across the kingdom, they even praised him at times for never touching a woman. She had never heard of any scandals of him behaving lewdly with any woman. Confused and lost, she moved away from the window, while her gaze was still fixed on the people on the streets.

Yuna closed the window when she heard footsteps approaching her room and she sat on the chair majestically.

Syera knocked at the door before entering inside, while Enver followed her silently. Neither of them questioned her as to where she had gone, for they had an inkling in their minds. However, that did not stop them from worrying about her. She was new to the kingdom which was filled with evil and selfish people. It would do her no good if she got entangled in someone's devious schemes.

"I visited my parents in the prison today." Yuna started and looked at the only two people she trusted. "They are fine as of now and are waiting for me to help them get out."

"What did His Majesty say, Milady?" Syera looked at her in anticipation and Yuna bit her lip when the man's sinister face flashed in her mind.

"He is willing to help me for he too believes that my family is innocent and it was all a ploy."

"That is great then, Milady. With His Majesty's help, we can easily get His Grace, Madam and the Young Masters out of prison." Enver sighed in relief and smiled faintly.

'If only it was that easy.' Yuna thought and hid her helplessness from them.

"What do we do now, Milady? Will His Majesty find the truth and expose the enemies himself or will we have to do anything?" Syera asked, prepared to do anything for her mistress. The Lady just had to order her and she would do it without questioning.

"No, Syera. I am seeking His Majesty's help. I will find the truth myself while His Majesty will just guide me." Yuna hid the truth from them. She herself did not know what the devil's plan was and how he planned to find the truth and expose the culprit.

"Milady, we are with you. We will do all the work. Please just command us." Enver kneeled on one knee as he bowed in front of her.

But Yuna shook her head and rejected his help immediately. "Please forgive me, Sir Enver. I am all alone in this matter. I will find the truth myself with the help of His Majesty. I apologize."

"But.."

"It is my order," Yuna stated all of a sudden, her tone filled with power and authority and Enver and Syera stiffened immediately, their shoulders tense and back rigid. Since it was an order, they could do nothing against her wishes.

"You may leave now. I need to go to the palace two days later." Yuna waved her hand at the two people and waited until the door was closed before she leaned back on the chair, her shoulders drooping in defeat.

"Do I have no other choice? Do I have to fulfill His Majesty's condition to protect my family?" She stared blankly at the ceiling as she teared up. Her heart wrenching sobs filled the room and Yuna let out her misery as she prayed to the Lords to help her find a way to help her family.

In her anguish, she did not realize that the devil himself was present outside her window and had heard all that she had spoken and all that she had wished for before leaving the place with a victorious smile on his face.