SOPHIA'S POV
A gentle hand tapped my back softly, and I heard a tiny voice echoing from the distance. And it's as if the tiny voice was pulling me from where I don't want to leave.
Here and now, I'm in the garden with Henry, where he was rubbing my hair gently, smoothly, and then kissing my cheeks as I smile. And then I laid my head on his lap telling him what he wants to hear, "All of me is yours."
Here and now, Where the sky invited a rainbow to sings love songs to our ears and were colorful leaves were swirling, dancing, and falling on the cheek he kisses, which was mine.
The tiny voice echoes again, but this time, it traveled here with great power and it was pulling me away from Henry's laps. And then I found myself lifting in the air, and I called Henry's name after I opened my eyes and I found that am not on his laps.
Henry shouted my name too. And he was running to hold me as an invisible hand is bearing me up, lifting me to where I don't want to go.
"Sophia," he cried after my clothes slice away from his fingers. "Please don't go."
His face looks paled. And in his face, I could read that he was wishing to hold me again. Even if it is going to be a small part of my own. But am here, floating up in the air. Although I tried all my best to pulled my muscle and my body down, it seems that the power that is lifting me is stronger than me.
And the tiny voice echoes again, "Your highness."
And I found myself sleeping on a bamboo bed.
"Your highness." Amara tapped my back gently.
Her face reminded me of everything that has happened. And I realize that I was dreaming.
"Your highness, have been waking you since. Get up. Your husband wants to have a conversation with you."
Rivers in the dictionary as I can't find out the right words to say. Call it fate. Call it hell. But here I managed to say, "Really?"
"Yes, your highness."
I was shocked, and before I could say another word, the prince walked in. And Amara bowed as she left the room.
I looked around in shock. I don't know when darkness covered the sky, because I have closed the window lest those dancers see that am crying silently, till I fell asleep.
"My queen." The prince walked near me and I shifted, placing my shaking feet on the floor. "Hope you slept well?"
"Who is your queen?" My voice quivered.
"Are you asking me?" He takes another step again, lifting his right hand towards my hair. "You look beautiful."
"Don't touch me." I shifted.
"Why?" He laughed. "I'm sorry my queen. I am rushing myself. But I can't just wait to touch not only your hair but the thing behind the black little hair, down below your skirt" He returns his hand to his side. "But I will wait till tomorrow night. I believe you can't wait too."
I stood up as he sat down beside me. "Don't say that again in your life. I'm not your queen. Or your wife. And I'm not going to do any rubbish wedding with you."
His face looks paled and devilish. "The mind of my queen hasn't settled yet. I shouldn't have irritated you that much. I promise you that I won't say about that words till tomorrow night. Feel free to feel at home, my queen." He laughed and walked out of the room.
I knelt, crying. I cried deeply and shed a myriad of tears but still, I can't stop imagining myself under the devilish prince on the bed. I can't stop myself from thinking about what would happen tomorrow night. And the more I think, the more I cried.
Amara hurried in. "Your highness, why are you crying."
"I'm done."
"Did he beat you?" She wore a countenance of the worried face. "Talk to me."
I cleaned my tears and sat down in silence.
And after a while, Amara said, "My princess, the king send me to you."
"Really?" Another tear fell.
"Yes." Her voice was soft now.
"Why?"
"He wants you to join them in celebrating Owen's success."
"Must I be there?" I asked.
"Yes," Amara said, "it was the King commandments."
"I don't want to go, Amara."
"You have to obey first. And you can come back to the room after five minutes."
I signed. "Lead the way."
She leads me out, and I saw them under trees, with burning fire. Some girls were entertaining them with dancing as men drum calabash. And it reminded me that I saw them in the afternoon before I closed the windows.
"Let's walk near."
"Where would I sit?"
"Besides your husband."
"Oh my God." I hate those words.
"What happened?"
"Can't I stand here?"
"It is not wise to disobey the King's commandments here. You have to do this."
I sighed. "Okay. Let's go."
All eyes were on me as we walked there, and Amara motion me to sit on a vacant chair beside the prince. I was scared, so scared but I need to do this because I have no choice.
The prince looked at me as I sat down, grinning like a devil, and say, "You are welcome my queen. Just feel at home."
I looked down, I can't endure the odor from his mouth. What the fuck is this?
"What is happening to you, my wife?"
"I'm feeling sleepy," I said to avoid being there.
"Oh wow! I thought you won't speak to me again. I'm happy now I don't irritate my wife, do you want to sleep?"
"Yeah."
He motions Amara near me and commanded her to escort me inside. "My wife, have a nice dream."
"Thank you," I said.
And then I hurried away beside Amara.
"You are walking fast, your highness."
"We need to be quick," I said, "I want to tell you something."
"Something?"
"Yes,"
"What?"
"Let's get to the room, I need your help."
After we hurried into the room, she looks worried, saying "Your highness, what is happening? Sit down first."
"For now, I can't sit down."
"Okay, your highness," she said, but what do you want to tell me?"
"Do you love me?"
"You mean?"
"You told me when I told you to eat my food that I was kind. Do you love me for that?"
"Sure, your highness," she said, "I love you so much."
"Will you help me because you loved me?"
"Your highness, you are scaring me. What do you want?"
"I want you to show me your love. Do you want more food? I will command maids to bring you many lions' bodies to eat. Will you help me?"
"Your Highness, if it is something I can do, I will help you."
"It is easy," I said, "you can do it. Just promise me that you will do it for me."
"I will do it," she said, "but what?"
"Help me please Amara." I hold her hands. "I want to run away. Help me please."
"You . . . "
"Don't shout. Just help me."
"Your highness, this is impossible."
"It is possible."
"This King must not know."
"He won't know, you will lie to him that I run away after attacking you."
"I'm scared."
"Just please help me. Only you can help me. Do you have a family? Do you know the feeling of missing your family? I have missed my family so much. I want to go back home. Please help me."
"Okay, okay, I will help you. But we have to act now because everyone was with the king."
"Which way?"
She looked at the window. And I hurried to open it.
"Don't rushed, your highness."
"Please let's be fast."
"Climb it slowly. Don't run after jumping down."
I jumped out and I stood still. And she jumped out too.
I looked at her. "Why did you jumped too?"
"Your highness, I love you. I will show you the way. You might fell into the trap for wild animals again."
"Oh! Thank you."
"Just follow me."
Through the darkness. Through the silent village. And through the sizzling night, the incessant noise of celebration was coming from the tree, and she took me to the gate and as she was about to open the gate, someone caught us.
"Where are you going in the middle of the night?" The guards walked near. "Amara." He looks at me as the fire flared up on the stick he holds. "Amara, where are you taking my highness to? You are running away?"
I want to run but the gate had been locked. And Amara burst out in tears, "I'm sorry. Please don't tell the King."
"I will tell," he said, "I will even tell the prince."
We didn't know what to do. Amara was just shivering as he alarmed all the other guards and then they bind Amara's hand, but can't dare to touch me because of the Prince.
We were brought to their King, and Amara was tied to the tree. I sobbed silently as she cried.
The King was so furious that he ordered the guards to kill her. Here, my eyes held Amara's eyes, and tears were dripping out.
"Please. Please." I run in front of her and face them. "It's my fault. Please don't kill her."
The prince hurried here with a long sword. Looking at his face. It flared out anger. He looked at Amara. "How dare you do such things? I shall eat your flesh."
"Please," I screamed as he took a step towards us. "Please my husband." Tears flow down. "It's my fault."
He smiled. Devilish smiling. "Come over here my queen, hold my hands."
"Oh my God." I took a look at Amara. If I don't hold his hands, he might kill her.
"Your highness, you don't need to defend me. He won't change his mind. I love you." Amara cried.
"Don't mind her, Just feel at home. My queen, hold my hand," he said, smiling as I touch his ugly hand. He smiled, my fingers shivered and. tears flow, but he still smiling and then turn it into a peal of louder laughter. A peal of devilish laughter.
Not long after, before I turned my head to looked back, the guards had taken out a knife and had slaughter Amara's head.
I see it, her tears are still dripping down into her blood, and her words come back to me as I sat down in pain, "Your highness, you don't need to defend me. He won't change his mind. I love you."
And from there, the prince pulled me up and scolded me to follow him. And then he smiles after I shake in fear. "My queen, feel at home."
I was taken back to another room without a window and the prince locked it and leave me alone. Maybe he left to eat Amara's flesh but didn't forget to close the door.
Here, in the silence, I bent down my head, feeling guilty of Amara's death. I cried till I lost my strength, my throat was dried, and am swallowing my saliva back.
Upon the bamboo bed, my mind begins to think of what to do as my eyes never stop crying. Suicide thoughts passed through my mind as I saw a knife on the table. I grabbed it, hold it towards my heart and Anabelle's words come back to me, "sit down here while I do everything for you. Please don't let anything happen to you. Please don't leave me alone."
My eyes keep on betraying my tears. I dropped the knife, and everything looked blurred.
The thoughts that I need to run away passed through my mind again but I remember Amara's words, "Your highness, it's impossible."
If I have known that they would kill her, I won't have allowed her to jumped out of the window, not to talk of letting her showing me the way.
And after a while, a thought keeps repeating itself in my mind, "It's either I kill myself or I kill the prince."