The unfortunate

1

Chapter one

“Amirah fetch some herbs from the garden,” My mother instructed me.

Nodding I rushed over to our backyard where our two acre garden was located. Being the only child of a single parent I had been raised with so much love and care. My mother and I shared a bond that made me worry less about us being poor.

“Amirah!” it was my mother’s voice that drew me away from my momentarily daze.

I took some herbs and headed back to our kitchen.

“Here mother,” I handed them over to her watching as she crushed them before skillfully mixing them in the stew.

“Where did you learn how to cook that well mother?” I asked in admiration.

“It runs in the blood. You are not bad at it either which is good because very soon you will leave me to go live with your husband,” I couldn’t ignore the sadness pitted in her voice.

“Mother am only seventeen seasons old,” I patted her shoulder trying to smile though my own sadness.

“I was married to your father when I was sixteen seasons old,”

“Tell me about my father,” it always brought happiness to both of us hearing her talk about my father. My father died just before I was born.

“Oh, he was a knight of the royal palace. The people loved him and he was really funny. He was the best thing I ever had. Everyday…” we spent the entire evening talking about my father and we were only disrupted by a knock on the door.

“Who would that be?” I asked noticing the sudden fear in my mother’s eyes.

“I need you to open the back door quietly and get out,” she ordered.

“But why?” I asked taken by surprise at her words.

“Do as I say Amirah,” her tone was low but very sharp.

“Yes, mother,” I quietly walked out through the back door.

Choosing not to hide I tiptoed to the sides just enough catch a glimpse of three royal knights. What would the royal knights be doing in this poor section of the city? To answer my questioned I heard their conversation.

“Where is your daughter?”

“She went to the river. It is a long way but when there is no well in this part of the city so we really have no choice but to walk that long way just to get water,” why would she lie? And what would the royal guards want with me? As long as my memory could recall we have always followed the rules of the kingdom to the latter.

“It is already past sundown and the darkness is falling over the city. So what would your daughter be doing out there at this time? You know that it is a crime for young unmarried women to be out alone at this hour,” the one who seemed to be the leader of the trio spoke, his voice emanating command and in a way it scared me to the pit of my stomach.

“I know it is a crime and for that I apologize. I promise I would never let her out of my sight past sundown ever again,”

“What should I tell His majesty?”

“Tell him I will bring her to the palace tomorrow at first light,,” she promised.

After they were gone I walked back inside, dread feeling up in every single part of my body. My mother was silently sitting on the mat, her eyes glassy probably due to the fact that she was about to cry. I rushed towards her, kneeling in front of her, my hands cupping her face.

“What is wrong mother?” I questioned when our eyes met.

“Tomorrow we are going to the palace,” she answered.

“But why mother? Did we break any rule of the kingdom?” I asked my thoughts deep in wonder.

“No. we are just needed at the palace at the first light of dawn, so stop asking me foolish questions Amirah,” she explained simply while getting up from her spot.

She walked to where the pot was done cooking. After serving the food. We both sat down on the mat to eat. None of us said nothing through the entire meal and when we were done, we quietly walked to our sleeping mat. Pulling the anima skin we used as cover over my lithe form, I let my mind slide over to earlier incident. What did I do wrong? Why would the soldiers from royal realm come to our humble house? The first faint lights of the morning sun began showing, I couldn’t say that I had really gotten a single wink of sleep. All night long I kept turning and tossing, with countless questions running through my head.

“Take a quick bath Amirah,” I hadn’t heard mother move from the sleeping mat until she was towering over me.

“Yes mother,” I rolled up the mat, placing it at the corner of the house.

After cleaning up, I joined mother who was nervously tapping her feet by the door. She didn’t spare me a single glance as we began walking through the meandering bushy paths of the road leading to the paths.

“Be carefully Amirah. If you soil your clothes then you’ll be subject to the king’s wrath. Do you understand,” mother warned sternly.

“Of course mother,” I replied.

I have never been up close to the royal gates before but seeing them now all covered in gold, I couldn’t stop the excitement coursing through my veins. The doors opened wider as we approached. My mother pulled my arm as she increased her pace but soon enough we were stopped by one of the royal guards.

“The king is expecting us,” My mother stated.

Another guard, whom I recognized as the head guard from yesterday, stepped forward, his hideous eyes assessing me.

“Back to your posts!” he ordered.

“And you can go home. I got it from here,” he ordered my mother.

My mother looked at the guard then turned to me, her eyes teary as she squeezed my hands. Taken aback I let my eyes flirt from the stone faced guard to my mother.

“What is going on mother?” I asked feeling dread rising in every part of my body.

“I love you Amirah but I had no choice,” she stated as she pulled away from me.

She began walking away and when I tried to run after her, the guard got hold of my wrists pulling me inside the gate. I kept screaming my mother’s name as he kept on pulling me with him. Finally he pushed me into what looked like a dimly lit cell. I rushed after him but he was quick to close it behind himself once he was out.

“Let me out of here please!” I screamed but he didn’t even turned back once.

Sinking into my knees I began sobbing uncontrollably. What did my mother mean when she said she had no choice? Why would she send her only child to prison? The more I thought of it the more the tears strewn my face.

“You making noise for us. Some of us really need all the strength and rest we could muster before tomorrow,” the snarky comment made me realize I wasn’t the only one in the cell.

Pulling myself up in embarrassment, I dusted my clothes. I was never one to let people hear me cry. It was a sign of weakness, well at least mother said that was what dad always recited every time before he went to battle. Squinting I managed to make out about six figures, all looking around my age except for two who looked a little older than me. I approached cautiously before crouching on my knees in one of the corners.

“How long have you been here?” I asked the boy sitting next to me.

He didn’t reply or even turn to look at me. All he did was just stare ahead as if there was something interesting dancing in the air that only he could see. Giving up, I wiped the few tears that were about to dry up on my cheeks with the back of my hand.

“You should have some manners girl,” he spat, his voice bridling through my every bone, making me gulp inwardly.

I recognized his voice. It was the same one that had spoken into me just a moment ago. Choosing not to intercept him any further, I pulled my knees, resting my chin on them. I was about to dose off when I felt someone shake my right shoulder. Opening my eyes, I stared into a girl’s face. Considering it was dark, I wasn’t sure if she was attempting to smile or doing something funny with her lips.

“Am Aryani. And since we will all be gone from this world soon, I don’t think it will be bad to know who am going to die with, right?" She chuckled lightly.

“Die?” I gasped in shock.

“Yes. You are the sacrifice, we all are,” she explained.