GEMMA'S POV
I saw who it came from and what would happen next. A masked man had emerged from the shadows with an arrow in his hand, he aimed it at the Governor. I knew shouting wouldn't help, they would never get to the Governor in time.
The deadly poison arrow whizzed through the air, aimed straight at the governor's heart. Gasps erupted as chaos ensued. Disaster seemed inevitable. I honed my magic and focused it on the arrow. Telepathy was my weakest magical ability, but it was the only one that could work with the deritium chains that hung on my hands. With all the strength and might I could muster, I diverted the arrow from the Governor and it fell swiftly on the floor just a mere milliseconds of it hitting the Governor's chest.
The Governor was shocked as he watched the arrow clank on the floor, he looked up and saw him looking at me, our eyes met, lingering. I was panting softly, I saved him. I just saved the Governor's life!
Pandemonium erupted as the courtroom erupted into disarray. Guards shouted orders, loading guns and running in every direction. The assailant had fled, guards hot on their heels. Meanwhile, the governor's personal guards hurried to shield him and rushed him out of the chaotic scene.
In a loud exchange with his chief of operations, Gabriel, Governor Rhys's voice carried an air of authority and frustration, "Find the culprit, Gabriel! I want no stone left unturned when it comes to him. I want him back here and punished!"
"Yes Governor! I won't rest until we find him and have him publicly hanged for his crimes!"
"Someone from our ranks must have betrayed us for them to gain such access to the courtroom."
"This was meant to be a private affair, it wasn't publicised so I wonder who had given out our location?!"
Gabriel's face paled, and he bowed deeply, "I apologize profusely, Your Excellency. I vow to spare no effort in uncovering the traitor responsible for this breach and the perpetrator who raised an arrow at you."
The courtroom, lay in shambles, a testament to the shocking events that had transpired. As guards scoured the area and the governor's advisors began to piece together what had happened, my fate seemed to fade into the background, overshadowed by the attempt on the governor's life and the betrayal that had allowed it to occur.
..............
My heart raced as I was escorted back to the prison, my mind swirling with a mix of emotions. The air was heavy with tension, and the prison walls seemed to close in on me. As I walked, I caught the disdainful gaze of a officer who had been assigned to me. He sneered and grabbed my arm roughly, his grip tightening as he taunted me.
"Don't think saving the Governor's life will earn you any favors," he spat, his words dripping with malice. My eyes blazed with anger, and I met his gaze defiantly.
"I didn't save him to lessen my sentence," I shot back, my voice laced with venom. "I really couldn't bear to witness his death in such a disgraceful manner."
The officer's lip curled into a cruel smile. "Save your speeches, witch. It'll do you no good now."
"I'm going to make sure you rot in prison. Mark my words!"
I spat at him. "You're insufferable you know that?!" I hissed, my eyes narrowing. "I've faced worse from the likes of you."
His eyes narrowed in response. "We'll see about that." With that, he led me through the dimly lit corridors until we reached a large iron door.
"You'll be in solitary confinement till we finally pass your judgement. This is where you'll be."
Inside, a bleak and desolate cell awaited me – solitary confinement.
"I just saved the Governor! Why would you put me in solitary confinement?!"
"Are you mad?!"
The officer shrugged.
"I already told you saving the Governor will earn you no kindness from me. It even makes you a suspect!"
"Are you dumb?! How can I be a suspect when I was in chains and in prison the whole time?!"
The officer didn't seem to care that his words were not making much sense, he continued. "It makes you a suspect because this is the first attempt on the Governor's life. And you, a known witch with a long list of crimes happened to be in there and you had saved him."
"Who knew if that was your plan the whole time?! To gain the Governor's trust?"
The officer pushed me into the cell.
My heart sank as the door slammed shut behind me, the weight of my situation settling in. The small, windowless cell was suffocating, the walls seeming to close in on me. The only light filtered through a narrow slit high above, casting eerie shadows that danced across the cold, stone floor.
Despair gnawed at my soul as I sank onto the hard cot. Regret clawed at my heart, the memory of my impulsive decision to save the Governor haunting me. Maybe I shouldn't have saved him at all, but despite what people thought of me, I wasn't wicked at all. I was good, or at least I tried my hardest to be.
Loneliness and isolation consumed me as the hours stretched into an eternity. My thoughts became a jumbled mess of guilt, anger, and frustration.
"Why? What have I done so horribly wrong?" I whispered to myself, my voice barely audible. But the answer remained elusive.
........
ARABELLA'S POV
My heart raced as my car sped through the winding streets towards the Governor's building in the capital. My knuckles turned white as I clutched the seat, my mind consumed with worry for my son. "Faster, James!" I urged the driver, my voice trembling with anxiety.
"Ma'am, I'm driving as quickly as I can," James replied, his eyes focused on the road ahead. "We'll be there soon."
"Yes but please go faster! Every minute I spend in this car is a moment I spend in complete agony. I need to know if my son is alright!"
"I will go as fast as I can ma'am." James replied as he nodded.
Finally, the car screeched to a halt in front of the Governor's buiding. I practically leaped out of the vehicle, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I rushed inside, hurtling through the crowd of people and taking the elevator straight to Rhys's floor. As the elevator doors opened Rhys was the first person I saw. There he was, my beloved son, Governor Rhys, standing unscathed and talking to one of his aide. Relief washed over me, and I let out a shaky sigh.
"Rhys, my dear!" I exclaimed, rushing to embrace him. "Oh, thank the goddess you're safe!"
Rhys held his me tightly and I felt relief wash over me. "I'm fine, Mother," he reassured me. "They didn't succeed. It was a failed attempt."
I pulled back slightly, my eyes searching Rhys's face.
"How did that happen?! You're the Governor you are supposed to be the most protected citizen in the country, how could they even try this?!"
Rhys shrugged.
"Someone must have betrayed us, someone in our ranks. That's the only explanation I have for it. And I deeply suspect that it is someone very close to me."
"Promise me you'll find out who's behind this, Rhys. You can't let them get away with it."
"I will, Mother," Rhys affirmed, his tone determined. "I won't rest until I find the truth."
My gaze turned intense. "And you must have better security, Rhys. I don't like the fact that you were so close to dying. Do you know how worried your sister and I were for you?!"
"Why don't you ask the Devilblood warrior wolves to protect you?! You know they would do anything for their alpha."
The Devilblood warrior wolves were a special division in our pack. They were warriors led under their warrior leader Keegan and they were trained for emergency situations and pack related tasks and issues. I always told Rhys that he didn't have to restrict them to pack related issues only but Rhys didn't feel good about diverting their purpose to his protection so he always refused.
Rhys hesitated for a moment before gently shaking his head. "I appreciate your concern, Mother, but I won't involve our Devilblood warrior wolves. Their duty is to protect our pack and fulfill their own assignments. It wouldn't be right to use them as my personal bodyguards."
Tears welled up in my eyes as I pleaded. My son could be so stubborn, he was exactly like his father in that regard. "Please, Rhys, at least consider it. They are strong and loyal, and they would do anything to protect you."
Rhys sighed, I waited for his next statement, hoping that he would consider what I was telling him. "Alright, Mother, I promise I'll look into getting better security. But I won't abuse my power by making our wolves my guards."
I smiled through my tears, I touched my son's forehead lovingly. "Thank you, Rhys. Just promise me you'll stay safe."
"I will, Mother," Rhys vowed, holding me close once more. "I'll make sure of it."