Chapter 77 A Gift for the Nunnery
Amarien's POV
"Out you whores of East!"
I quickly wiggled out of my bed and marched out for the morning prayers. I tucked myself carefully into the crowd so no one would notice my bump.
It was a little bigger now that Orgah has taken me under her wings. Orhag has been nothing but amazing. She barely says anything to me when she leads me down the passageway. All she did was call me out of my chore and led me down to this place of good food and rest. When I'm done, I take my leave, ensuring no one sees me sneaking out.
My baby is growing, and so is my worry. Despite Orgah giving me enough reasons to trust her, I couldn't. She was helping me now, but what if she found out I had kept a secret baby from my infidelity?
But I had to do something, and I had to do it quick. I thought of escaping. Perhaps through one of the windows in the little room she kept for me, but I thought of how betrayed Orgah will feel when she learns I had broken down the window and escaped.
Concubines who are caught escaping the nunnery are killed mercilessly. But a worse fate awaits a nun who is complicit in their escape. Orgah will be publicly flogged and stripped of her title if the nuns are feeling merciful. If they weren't, she would be sacrificed on the altar of the gods, made to bleed to death publicly.
I couldn't implicate Orgah in my escape. There has to be another way. This morning, desperation began to seep into my bones. It's been six months now, and the baby is kicking harder than ever, troubling me.
It's a miracle that no one has found out or picked me out for a test yet.
"Line up all of you! Today is a special service." One of the nuns, with a twisted sneer on her mouth, said. We all walked out to the open air of the nunnery ground.
And after prayers and Nun Argo staring intently at me with a look of glee in her eyes, silence fell into the gathering.
I couldn't help but feel an ominous feeling in the air. The air was quiet, and every concubine looked solemn, while the nun had looks of glee on their faces; That look they give before they give a horrific punishment that could cost a life one or two.
"Today is a special day!" Nun Argo's voice blazed through the gathering. "Someone among us seemed to have appeared with a gift overnight."
I looked around the gathering, unsure of what she was talking about. Every concubine looked down, all except Velmira and her friends, who were staring at me.
"You know how much we treat our special gifts that arrive here." Nun Argo nodded with eerie satisfaction. "We are especially happy to treat the one who brings the gift right."
I'm beginning to think that Argos isn't talking about gifts. Silence settles in the gathering.
"Someone in your midst is pregnant!" Argos voice blazes through the crowd, making me tremble.
How did she know? How did she know?!
I tried my best to hide it!
I did.
Argos eyes met mine, and she smirked with eerily pleasures.
"Concubine Gina!" Her voice blazed like a thunderclap. "Come out here and present your gift to us."
Shakily, my gaze whipped around, and I saw a Concubine behind me weeping and trembling. That's Gina
"It's the emperor's child. I swear it is!" Gina said, trembling.
Argo clasped her hand, giving a pathetic laughter. "News came to us that the emperor hasn't touched any of his concubines in years." Argos eyes blaze at me.
It was because of me. Darian didn't touch any other concubine after I came into the palace because he was obsessed with me.
"So it makes me wonder if that baby has been living in your body for years now?" Argo scoffed, "Or perhaps it's not a baby. Perhaps it's a demon to be expelled!"
Suddenly, all the concubines around Gina grabbed her and pulled her out to the front of the gathering while Gina kicked and cried.
I shuddered at the hateful intensity with which they grabbed Gina and pulled her out, like she wasn't human but an animal led to the slaughter.
Gina kicked and cried, but they only revel in her anguish.
My hands were shaking, yet I stood frozen to the spot.
Oh, the gods, what will they do to her! What will they do to her?!
"Bring out the whips!" Argo commanded, and several Concubines readily rushed to bring out a bunch of long sticks, sharing them quickly with the crowd. When one of the concubines pushed a stick into my hand, I trembled so hard that it fell off. She kissed her teeth and handed it to the next concubine, who received hers eagerly.
"Today, Concubine Gina will pay for her sins," Nun Argo said, addressing the crowd, who gave a loud cheer.
I trembled. Is this how they will cheer when it's my turn?
"Let her be beaten to her death and left to burn in the flames of hell. The gods go worst to you if you hold back in beating her!" Argo cried out.
And with one accord, the crowd rushed to Gina and began whipping her till blood stained their sticks and tunics.
I watched in horror. I thought I was the only one standing back. I had no courage or strength to proceed forward, not to talk of beating what looks like a bloody corpse now soaked in her own blood.
"You don't need to join in beating her. You look like you can't take it." I heard a voice beside me.
It was a fellow concubine. I wasn't sure if I was familiar with her.
"I can't take it either." She said. "This place sickens me." Tears rolled down her face as she watched the other concubines enjoy the bloody death of Gina.
Seeing her cry took away the pains and fears I felt, momentarily I wanted to put my hands around her and comfort her. But I heard a voice blaze through the roar of the crowd.
"Amarien," Orgah called and gestured, " I come with her.
I was made to leave, but the concubine with me held me back.
"What's she doing to you? Is she punishing you? I've seen you walk away with her and disappear several times. I'm worried for you?"
My heart melted. No one has been worried for me like this before. No one even cared to notice that I had been disappearing with Orgah, but this one concubine did.
"I'll be fine." I forced a smile on my face, despite the tears in my eyes.
"My name is Jana." She said, "Please stay safe," she wiped the tears in her eyes and nodded back.
As I walked away with Orga, I realised that I might have just made my first friend in this hell called the nunnery.