My conversation with Juniper was both eye opening and both worrying. It was eye opening that I started to realize that in truth, I was different from most slaves but most of the slaves came from a royal lineage. None of them were Princesses when they were captured. None of them were through the same torture as I did. None of them were hated by virtually everyone in the kingdom. Why was I so different?It was hard to understand or conjure up a reason why it was like that for me. It became glaring obvious after a few days that Juniper was right. Comparing myself to other slaves, there was a little bit of favoritism on my side. Not even the members of the Berg Kingdom could learn medicine if they wanted. There was a test and if they passed, they got in and there was me who indicated interest and immediately was asked to start attending classes.But why? Why was I allowed to suffer and then all of a sudden, he was being nice to me? All of a sudden, he found out he could comfort me and ki
Jonathan trusted me. It was hard to believe that someone who killed my father, my enemy trusted me. Why would he trust me? What quality or what attributes I have consciously and unconsciously exhibited for him to think that he could trust me. I didn’t know why. It didn’t make any sense but he did anyway.The crazier part; I didn’t find it so weird or so dramatic that he trusted me. The fact settled won with me easily and with no resistance. It wasn’t hard to understand why.With Juniper’s conversation, I had slowly understood that I indeed felt something towards Jonathan and if he felt something towards me, he wasn’t very clear either but he did. I mean he did trust me and that for no reason. That wasn’t all, he had actually gotten me medicine books because I decided not to go to the medicine house again.Such blatant show of affection was something that I hadn’t experienced in a long time and yet for some reason, I liked it and even enjoyed it. It made my heart warm and made me smile
“One time, I needed something from the medicine house and you won’t believe how harshly these attendants treated me. I was so angry and I started avoiding anything that would make me go to the medicine house” Julianna continued explaining and I furrowed my brows.“Really? Are they always like that?” I asked and Serena scoffed. I turned to her in surprise, it was the first time I was seeing Serena wear such an irritated expression.“I am really done with those attendants, so rude and so annoying. Jt because they allowed them to learn medicine and they are good at it. They treat everyone else like shit. I was already thinking about how you are going to cope there or how they are going to cope with you, who knew that you wuodn;t even be able to last a day there” Serena said and I chuckled in spite of myself.“I’ve never seen Serena wear such a face so this is very surprising for me. I can’t believe my eyes literally” I said laughing and Serena snorted.“I mean, i think most people would
I stared at the door licking my lips in anticipation. I had over and over again rehearsed how I was going to ask Jonathan for permission to go to the back mountains. The day before, Serena had suggested that I find Aurora and ask her as she was in the best position to allow me into the back mountains and we had joked about if I had lasted a few more days at the medicine house, I would have been able to go to the back mountain just because I were there but unfortunately, that was no longer possible because I had left the medicine house in the worst, in the funniest way possible.I had taken a few days to practice how to ask for permission from him. It had to be as natural as possible. I couldn’t stutter, I couldn’t show how anxious I was either. I had to be as calm as possible because I wasn’t just asking for permissions,I had to find some other things as well. The two things I had to do were as important as each other. I sucked in my breath, trying breathing exercises before I pushed
I ran. As fast I could. My insides had turned to mushy and everything around me seemed to be a blur. I had confirmed it and I was so sure that Jonathan even saw it or not. He felt something for me and whatever that was, it was enough for me. It was good and I liked it. I couldn’t believe that the bet I took had worked, I had won.I didn’t try to think so hard why Jonathan had given me his permission, all that mattered was that he had given me and now I could get all the herbs and plants that I needed. I remembered the teasing moments we shared when I had walked in on him half naked.It was so sure and so true that we both knew that we felt something for each other but keeping quiet and pretending like everything was good was our best bet and I honestly didn’t mind. I was still trying to figure out everything and so we could take all the time we needed in the world.I pushed the door open and both Julianna and Serena turned to me with question marks all over their faces. I walked into
Early the next morning, both I and Julianna woke up early. Serena woke up with us but she was still too sleepy to accompany us. We laughed at her as she struggled with waking up. Julianna and I ended up leaving her in the room and we grabbed our sickles and baskets and headed out of the room. Serena liked or loved to sleep and unless it was a biological clock which was around 8am, she would never wake up and would even struggle to wake up at 8 am. That was the type of person she was.Julianna led the way as she walked out of the place, our baskets carried over our backs like medicine attendants as she walked towards the back mountain. Everywhere was still foggy and not clear yet Juliana walked with dexterity and I was quick and sharp to follow her with agility. It was something that had been honed from over time. Julianna and I exchanged one or two words as we walked towards the back mountain.It was an area I had never gone to at all so I tried to look curiously around if I could rec
I hadn’t expected to run into Masoma in the back mountains. I had imagined various times how it was going to be like if we ever ran into each other and especially at the king’s chambers but we never ran into each other and I was already slowly giving up the idea of even running into her. I had imagined and thought of the things I would say to her if she ever spoke to me but when I saw her, all those words had evaporated.I had planned to ignore her but I just couldn’t. A part of me still hated how foolishly I had accepted her friendship, I had liked her and yet it was all facade. It was all a lie.While Julianna had gone back to sleep, I had gotten to work, using a small part of the room that we had created the day before arranging the plants, herbs and barks in containers. Using the medicine books, I stored them in a way that would retain their use. I had to soak some in water immediately, had to store some in jars, had to spread some of them to air dry them and soon the smell in the
Tending to my herbs and plants became my all time favourite. Making pastes and concoctions to try out new things and sometimes forcing down my throat was both exciting and interesting but I got lucky every time and whether I had to spit it out or not, I never had the opportunity to be affected by the things I was making. Sometimes if the pastes and conctions didn’t look bitter or scary, Serena and Julianna didn’t mind helping me try them to see the different reactions it would give everyone.And after so many trails; I had successfully made a paste that stopped bleeding, I had sliced my arm with a knife to prove that point and the paste, thick and with a rather nude smell had stopped the bleeding and not only that, my skin had scalded over the wound in a few things so easier. The paste would be effective for soldiers in minor injuries, I couldn’t say if it would be effective if tried on deep wounds but I knew that it would at least do something but my discoveries and inventions were m
I had no idea how much longer I was out for but by the time I opened my eyes, I was laying on the grass and as I sat up, I immediately recognized the grass to be the grass at the far end of the royal garden, it was somewhere I used to come to to get away from the prying eyes of people and I would lay there drifting in and out of my thoughts and some other times, i would sleep out totally. My hands immediately went to my stomach to see where Juniper had stabbed me and there was nothing.I was clad in my royal outfit and unlike before, I knew the clear line between reality and my dreams so I knew I was dreaming. I quickly stood up to my feet and dusted my clothes while hurrying out of the garden. I knew I was dreaming but I also knew that it was another chance for me to see my family, to see my father. I always saw him in my dreams.I was unsure of the severity of the knife stab of Juniper’s but considering how much blood had been on my hands, I knew that the chance of me surviving was
I had no idea how much longer I was out for but by the time I opened my eyes, I was laying on the grass and as I sat up, I immediately recognized the grass to be the grass at the far end of the royal garden, it was somewhere I used to come to to get away from the prying eyes of people and I would lay there drifting in and out of my thoughts and some other times, i would sleep out totally. My hands immediately went to my stomach to see where Juniper had stabbed me and there was nothing.I was clad in my royal outfit and unlike before, I knew the clear line between reality and my dreams so I knew I was dreaming. I quickly stood up to my feet and dusted my clothes while hurrying out of the garden. I knew I was dreaming but I also knew that it was another chance for me to see my family, to see my father. I always saw him in my dreams.I was unsure of the severity of the knife stab of Juniper’s but considering how much blood had been on my hands, I knew that the chance of me surviving was
The moment Juniper spoke, I shuddered as the large door of the shed opened and then I heard footsteps. I started struggling even harder with my ropes. I didn’t know how Junier had managed to make Jonathan come and even worse on his own.“Welcome your highness” Juniper said with a grin as he came face to face with Jonathan.“I hope you listened to me and came alone” he added and I watched Jonathan almost step on a trap that Juniper had laid out.“Be careful!” I yelled and Jonathan’s legs remained hung in the air.“He has set traps all over, watch your feet” I breathed and Juniper turned to me with anger, “Who asked you to talk?” he glared at me kicking the nearest object beside him and sending it flying towards me. The empty bucket hit my stomach again and I groaned in pain.“How dare you?” Jonathan growled at him and Juniper burst into laughter.“Easy there your highness, don’t annoy me” he replied and then it was Jonathan’s turn to burst into laughter. He stared at Juniper for a whil
I couldn’t believe my eyes or my ears. Everything was starting to feel a little too fast, a little too real. Juniper’s words were as though he was driving knives into my body. No matter how hard I tried to keep my composure, I just couldn’t. I couldn’t believe that the one person I trusted with my life had set me up and made me a fool. At a point, I just stopped trying, the tears flowed down and I was so sure that I wasn’t going to be stopping anytime soon. Everything was starting to make sense in my head.Questions I should have asked before, I was just asking them. The doubts I should have chased before, I was just trying to chase them now but I was too late. Way too late.“So everything was all you” I whispered, biting on my bottom lip as he stared at him and Juniper nodded as he got up from his seat.“I thought I already made that clear already, everything was all me” he replied as he started moving around placing some things in the shed and I frowned.“You know I gave you a chanc
Nothing at all could describe the pain and ache in my heart as Juniper spoke. His words were like tiny sharp prickles drilling into my chest and no matter how hard I tried to pretend that I didn’t care that what he was saying didn’t matter, I couldn’t help it. I had confided in him and yet he was using it against me. The thought of everything that had happened rushed to my head and my head started to spin. A part of me was still finding everything that was happening a little too real, unbelievable.How did I not see through at all?“Why are you doing this to me?” I whispered, tears running down my cheeks. He was supposed to be my best friend and yet here he was torturing me.“You know while I baited my time here, nothing seemed to ever faze Jonathan. He was so well protected and there was no leakage, nothing at all. There was no way I could penetrate into his impregnable wall and even the news about the palace was scarce. He had no weak points, only strong points but I knew that the t
AMIRA’S POVI had no idea how long it tk me to open my eyes but the moment I decided to do so, it was a sharp pain and ache from the back of my head had registered in my mind first and it took me several minutes before slowly opened my eyes and tried i adjust my eyes to the environment and know where I was. It took me a few minutes, but I soon realized that I was in a shed. The shed looked old and rusty and it had a faint smell of old books in the library. It definitely wasn’t used so well. That was what I was sure of.I tried to stand up and it was then that I realized that my hands and legs were tightly bound and panic set in as I tried to loosen myself all to no avail. As I tried to free myself, I immediately remembered how I had found myself here in the first place. I remembered Juniper hitting me with a stick, the displeased look on his face as I fell to the floor. I hadn’t been hallucinating.I looked around as I shook my head while trying to loosen myself, “Juni wouldn’t do th
THIRD POVThe shouts of victory filled the whole kingdom and Jonathan had a smile on his face. Their recent wars had been filled with happy screams and shouts as they nabbed victory after victory. SOme of the kingdoms that waged war against them were slowly withdrawing from the crushing defeat some of the other kingdoms had suffered in their hands but he also knew that it didn’t matter, they had to keep up their defenses. They couldn’t afford to back down now, he also knew that the wars had done them a favour, while they didn’t confer to the other kingdoms standards, they could also finally leave the title of being a rogue kingdom behind. They had proved their worth and also proved that they weren’t people that could be messed with or played around with.He walked through the hallways, the guards bowing as he walked past them and then into his room. Kareem immediately reached for his armour and helped him remove it.“Congratulations your highness” both Kareem and Azarah choroushed as
“Amira, Amira, wake up, wake up” a strong jolting jolted me awake and I jumped on the bed with a fright. I turned to see Serena staring at me with wide eyes.“Are you okay?” She asked and the previous night memories came washing over me in an instant. The secrets I had found made a lump form in my throat. I had stayed in the medicine room, drinking in every detail and what I had found out had terrified me. It was a lie, it was a sham and I had walked into the room late to sleep.“Amira, Amira” Serena called again and I came back to myself while she stared at me with narrowed eyes.“Are you sure you're okay?” she asked and I quickly nodded my head.“Well, the king would soon leave for the war, I thought you might want to see him before he leaves” Serena said as she grabbed my hand, “Amira, talk to me, what’s wrong?” she asked and I turned to stare at Serena wondering whether to tell her what I had learned first but instead I got off the bed and rushed out of the door. I needed to tell J
I laid in my bed for half of the day, wondering and pondering on Juniper’s question. I knew that he was right and he had only been looking out for me and that was why he asked me that question but I didn’t like what he had asked at that point in time. I was merely trying to be happy and at that point, my emotions had plummeted.I knew that like Juniper, anyone who heard about me and Jonathan would have questions, valid questions. Like how did we all in love? Did we really love each other? Would I be able to forgive him? He was someone who had turned my entire life upside down, would I still be able to forgive him? How did I even dare to love such a man? He hadn’t told me to my face that he loved me but I knew and I was also yet to tell him that I loved him. I didn’t have to think so hard because I had gotten my answer a long time ago, fate and destiny had a way of playing games and the games they had played with me and Jonathan were unfair games, games that shouldn’t have been played