All Chapters of Cursed by the Gods: Cleopoda CBTG Book 1: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Once again the door was pushed open but this time instead of having men drag her out for purification rituals a bowl was pushed into the cell. Someone approached her weak bound body and loosened the chains on her hands so she could sit up straight. The bowl was moved closer to her face and the smell of watery corn soup wafted up to her nose. "Eat." Even before the word came out she grabbed the bowl and hungrily downed the warm soup, choking in her hurry to quell the gnawing hunger in her belly. The young priest who had brought the bowl pressed his lips into a thin line. "There's progress after all." Even before Cleopoda could lick the bowl clean he pulled it from her hand, ignoring her whimpered protest, and strode out of the cell. Birian, the priest made his way to the small room where head priest Federic sat on a mat inhaling from a bowl of burning aromatic plants. He clapped his hands lightly. "What do you want?" came the gr

"Zenas!" Cleopoda whispered harshly, her initial tiredness forgotten. She snatched her hand from Birian's as she stared at the famous actor from head to toe. "What are you doing here?" she asked. He looked from her to Birian with sleepy eyes. "Is she the one?" Birian nodded and took hold of her hand again to lead her inside. The room was barely lit with only a small lamp whose light was already burning out sitting on a small stool. There was a strong aroma of something in the room that made her feel dizzy immediately. She gagged and fell to the floor. "Is she alright?" Zenas asked Birian as he stepped forward to help her stand on her feet. "She is a bit weak from staying in the cramped cell she has been staying since she came." He looked around the room and noted the glow of burning herbs in bowls at different corners of the room. "The smell of those," he pointed at the bowls, "will not help her." Zenas faced him with burning hatred in his eye

That night Zenas made some space on the bed for Cleopoda to sleep. At first, she had been reluctant and had resisted violently until he assured her he would not harm, even then she had taken just a little space for herself and had slept as if expecting an attack. By the next morning, she was already awake and was cleaning up the room. "For royalty, you surprise me with your simpleness," Zenas commented. She smiled sadly. "Being royalty is not luxury...not for me. I am not worthy of bearing the title of royalty." Zenas pulled himself from the bed to assist her with cleaning the dishes from the last night. He watched her work, her movements were slow but the way she moved was a testament to the fact that she was already used to cleaning up after herself. "I hear you hated by the royal house, an abomination and a curse. Why is that?" Cleopoda shrugged. "Some said I am a product of a sin my father committed against the gods, some say my birth moth

After several hours passed with Cleopoda standing by the window in the hall looking out at the field that stretched from the temple beyond the horizon the door to the room was thrown open and a tall man with a red beard, deep eyes with a hint of distrust and scarred hands strode out. Behind him, the man and the maiden who had come to prepare Zenas followed closely. The red-bearded man snared at them and tossed a black leather purse that jingled at them. "That's all you get for my dissatisfaction. Clean that fool up and get him ready for when I return from my travels." "Yes sir." The red-bearded man grunted and passed by Cleopoda without even a sideways glance at her. As soon as he was out of sight the man with the maiden greedily slid the purse of coins into the pocket of his coat before turning to glower at the maiden. "You heard him, Junae, clean that worthless fool up before tomorrow we have more people coming in." The maiden hastily nodded

For two days Cleopoda sat by Zenas' head. Although his injuries were healed he slept deeply as a result of the herbs Birian had given to her to administer to him. The one Junae called Keiran came in almost every hour to check on Zenas' progress and every time he did he muttered about the losses he made with each passing hour. Cleopoda was angry at his lack of care but even as she thought about it she realized she too was guilty of something. Keiran, the priests, and whoever else used Zenas for their own pleasure in her own way she wished he would die so he would be freed of his miserable life but with that thought came the knowledge that if he died she would be returned to her own cell where she would be dragged day after day to for ritual purifications that caused her to bleed. Every time these thoughts crossed her mind guilt washed her. She looked from the book Birian had sneaked into the room for her to Zenas' face. He was relaxed, his bruises were gone. Birian was also becoming