CHAPTER FOUR
1260 Words
CHAPTER FOUR
It was time for Jaxpon to host a feast for his officials and those working alongside him. His father taught him to always do this every year.
In the fifteen years of his reign, he made this feast for his officials of the province of Tampa. When he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the honor of his excellent majesty, And when those days were expired, the king made a feast for all the servants that were present in the palace, both unto great and small, seven days, in the court of the garden of the king's palace.
After these things, then said the king's official that ministered unto him, Let there be fair young virgins sought by the king. And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of Tampa that they may gather all the fair young virgins who are ready to have a son for the king unto the palace, to the house of the women, unto the custody of the king, keeper of the women, and let their things for purification be given them to give the king a son who will succeed him after he is gone. And the thing pleased the king, and he did so.
When this decree was made publicly, Dalton's brother, who was one of the King's craftspeople, decided to go and pay his brother Dalton a visit to the hillside. He made sure that Haper, Dalton's wife, was already in Tampa market with Ava.
Dalton was aware of his visit, so he was waiting for him to arrive. Once Dalton saw him, he walked towards him. This was his first time seeing him after they came to the cave. Dalton was happy about seeing him and also worried about what would have made him come.
Dalton hugged him, “The exile is not looking bad on you.” Dalton laughed out loud as his brother said that. “ It is the work of Harper, my wife.”
“You have always been a stubborn kid. How are those boys?”
“They are fine, let me call them.”
“Don't worry, I will still see them. I want to discuss something important with you before Harper comes back.”
“OK”
“Let's go to a place far from your house.”
“OK”
“You also look good. How is the work in the palace?” Dalton asked as they were walking.
“Thank you. Everything is going well.”
“I don't know if Harper told you anything about the King's recent decree.”
“King's recent decree? No, she never mentioned anything like that to me.”
“ Maybe she has not heard about it, but it's a chance to take you away from here.
The king is looking for a lady that will give birth to his successor.”
“OK”
“This is a way to get you out of here if you can let Ava, your daughter, go for it. ”
“What?”
“Yes Dalton. Don't you want to leave here, and this is your only chance to leave, and it is best for you to grab it now.”
“You know both Ava and Harper can never agree about this. That wicked king who would allow his daughter to do that. Let him pay for these evil doings. ”
“Dalton, I knew that Harper would never tell you this, that's why I came all the way from the palace to tell you about it. Better make use of this opportunity now, because most people will not allow their daughters to go for the contest. Ava will not need to work hard for it then.”
“I will think about what you just told me.”
“OK, better do that soon before someone else takes up this offer.”
“I will. Let's go back so that you will eat food made by Harper before she leaves.”
“Don't worry about food, I would be OK if I just saw those boys. I know by now they knew have turned into men”. The two brothers started laughing.
“No, they are still small, and they look just like us when we were still small. Doing everything together and inseparable.”
“I remember back then when things were good. Don't worry, everything will return to normal when Ava goes to the king.”
Dalton arrives back at his house with his brother and calls the boys to see their uncle before he leaves.
Not too long after Dalton's brother left, Harper and Ava came back from the market. Dalton was sitting outside the cave all by himself thinking about what he had been discussing with his brother.
“ Should I take this opportunity? How would Harper feel about this? She will see that it is because Ava is not my daughter. But this is the only way for us to leave this place. I can't continue living here. I just have to take up this opportunity, but I will have to do this without Harper's knowledge because she cannot agree to this. How can I convince Ava to agree? ” Dalton talked to himself. He was lost in thought that when Harper and Ava got to where he was, he did not even notice. “ Hello!!!” Harper shouted, touching him.
“ Harper, you are back.”
“ Yes.”
“ Welcome, how were today's sales?”
“ Good. Ava, go inside and check on your brothers.”
As Ava left, Harper got closer to Dalton and bent over to discuss with him. “ What did your brother say when he came here?”
Dalton knew she would ask about it, so he had made things up to tell her.
“ His wife is still having it difficult to conceive. He came here to ask me if I know of the meat she can eat to conceive because someone told him that there is this meat that can only be found here which helps one to conceive.”
“ Really, do you know about meat?”
“ No. Since my years of hunting, I haven't heard of such a thing. I asked him to be careful, that maybe the king wanted to put him to test to know if he would come to visit me.”
“ I doubt that the king could do such a thing to him.”
“ Why can't he do such a thing? See what he did to us, and you are here doubting me.”
“ You committed a crime that deserves to be punished, and he did what he could do.”
“ Is he the only king Tampa ever had, so why would he behave as if he were? What I did was my first time. When his father was the king it was a common thing, so why wouldn't he take his father's footsteps? And he is just behaving as if, with him, Tampa wouldn't exist.”
“ Dalton, it is best for you to stop putting blame on the king for your sins, so you will know if the goddess will have mercy on us and touch his heart to call us back.”
“ OK, that's all I should be doing. I have heard of you. You can go and rest. ” Dalton stands up and leaves her.
Still thinking about whether to use this opportunity or not. How to make Ava agree to this?
- Writer
