The Lost Princess of Winterspring

13: FREEDOM II

At the time, Voera was becoming more and more famous for selling rice and was even announced as a premium.

Talisay, on the other hand, was getting up to no sales for the first quarter of the year because of this. They tried to even imitate the Voera's rice seeds but to no avail. Not until the rice field was caught into a huge fire.

The night after the celebration of Malaya's 8th birthday, the village caught a huge fire and rummaged through the rice field of Voera clan. It was so bad that the village had to evacuate their whole family and had to spend the night in Arden—a town below the mountains because the fire already ran through their homes and was completely burned out.

Malaya heard her mother cry; as she stumbles upon reaching the only thing that they had saved before the fire caught their house—their clothes. It was the only thing that they can bring because the fire happened when they were sleeping so soundly. Luckily, they were awakened by the screaming of the help of their neighbors.

Her heartbeat ran like a wildfire as Malaya looked over the window in her room. The fire had gone to Talisay's house! A cloud of black smoke started to form inside as it continues to burn the right side of their house. And before she could even worry about the Talisay clan, she and her family had to move out. She quickly jumped out of her bed and ran to her parents' room as tears formed her drowsy eyes.

"MOM! DAD! OUR VILLAGE IS ON FIRE! GET UP!" She screamed her lungs out and pats heavily on her parent's bodies. "PLEASE!"

Her parents were still half asleep when they heard a loud bang outside their house. Malaya ran to the windows and checked what was that about. Talisay's house is now completely burned out. It was so quick! She just ran to her parent's room and woke them out and now their neighbor's house is gone!

"We have to get out of the house! Quick!" She demanded as she ran to their closet to get some clothes with her mother but the smell of smoke started to linger around. She checked outside the room and saw that her room is now on fire. Crying, and dreaded by the sudden realization of the death of her family right after celebrating her 8th birthday, she stopped moving. She remembered her family, how they were just so happy yesterday.

It's no use. We're going to die here.

She looked over to her mom—who is now shaking the body of his father who is still sleeping and she's trying her best to wake him up. But he won't wake up. Malaya realized that his father might've inhaled the smoke and killed him in his sleep.

"Mom, let's go!" She stood up and pulled her mother up to get out of their house. Her mom refused to go and pushes her but she also won't let her go. She won't let another family member get killed inside their home.

"Malaya, I'm not coming without your father!"

"Please, mom! We have to hurry!"

Malaya cried even more as the heat of the fire became more and more intense. Her mom widened her eyes in fear of the fire that is quickly engulfing their only way to the door. She pulled her mother and they ran out of their house. If they took any more minutes inside, it will definitely be the end for them. As they reached a safer place outside their home, her mother collapsed on the plain field with the other nimphians.

She cupped her face up to her head in grief. One, they lost their home so quickly, and two, she lost her husband. She cried out loud as if there's no tomorrow. And the only thing Malaya could do was to hug her mother and she noticed her. She was shocked and forgot about her daughter.

Malaya, who just turned 8 yesterday, saved their lives from getting burned. She hugged her daughter back and checked her if she has bruises.

"Are you alright? I'm so sorry you have to see your family in this situation." She said to her—worried that it might affect her emotionally. But Malaya just hugged her mom, trying to conceal the fear she acquired from what had just happened. She didn't want to worry her mom about her—it was just too much to even process their loss.

Families from Carcassone who lost their houses from the fire spent their night in their neighboring town—Arden. For the first few days of being inside the town, the survivors were given a home but they have to work for them to eat. This wasn't the life they wanted but they all have the reason to be thankful for Arden for accepting them in this kind of emergency.

Until one morning, someone knocked on the door of the room Malaya and her mother stays. Malaya opened the door and saw a soldier who was wearing a white uniform tucked in in his royal blue slacks. He has a white helmet on his head that after opening the door, he took it off as a sign of respect, and then he bows down.

After seeing a soldier at the door, her mother quickly puts down the plates on the sink and hurriedly went to Malaya. She pulled Malaya behind her back and became skeptical of the soldier. The soldier cleared his throat while pulling a scroll in his bag.

"You are hereby commanded to serve the herein Warrant of Arrest to seize and take into custody the accused person name below Mathilda Voera and Malaya Voera—"

"What?! We didn't do anything!"

"I've heard that countless times madam. You are hereby called by the Supreme Court of Clearcrest City for conducting a huge fire in the town of Carcassone on the night of February 15 of the present year. A carriage will be available at your door tomorrow morning to assist you in coming to Clearcrest City.

Flabbergasted by the sudden accusation and without having much of a choice, they agreed to come to the Supreme Court knowing that they didn't do anything and that they are being framed up. But Mathilda was anxious—whoever framed their family must've hated them so much to put them in such burden.