AYESHA : The Queen Of Fire

Chapter 4

I saw my mama crying beside my bed when I woke up.

“Ayesha!” She cried harder when she saw that I was already awake.

“S-Stop crying Mama,” I stuttered. I didn’t know how to make her stop. What actually was happening?

“Thank God! You’re awake! It’s been three days.” I was baffled. I was really out for three days?

I couldn't believe that I was unconscious for three consecutive days after what happened in town.

The last thing that I remembered was I threw a large ball of fire to the retreating enemy. That was it. Did I

pass out after?

“What happened Mama?” I was confused.

“You passed out after burning every enemy in town. That’s what your papa said. We’re both unconscious

because of what happened. Good thing that some of the townspeople helped your papa to help us.”

“I was really out for three days?”

“Yes. You are.” She caressed my cheeks and then held my hand. “You shouldn’t have done that Ayesha.

You’ve been exposed. The Higher Council already knows about you.”

My eyes widened while looking at my mama. “W-What are they going to do to me Mama?” I was scared.

Mama squeezed my hand and looked at me in the eyes.

“Just do what they want. Go with them willingly so that they will not do anything to you or even force you

to go with them. Do not use your fire. Understood?”

“Okay, Mama.” My voice was so weak. So that means that they would take me to the castle?

My papa suddenly burst inside my room. My brows furrowed. He looked like he saw a ghost.

“They’re here,” he said nervously.

“What do you mean, Simeon?” Mama asked, confused.

“The Higher Council and the Royal Guard are here.” My eyes widened from what Papa just said.

“M-Mama,” I was on the verge of crying.

“They have been waiting for your awakening, Ayesha. They’re here to take you to the palace. I’m sorry.

We can’t do anything to save you.” Mama started to cry harder this time.

The door suddenly burst open. There are six royal guards getting in. A man in his early 40’s was with

them wearing luxury clothes. His face was void of any emotion. He looked at me and I couldn’t help but

feel nervous from his stares. I shivered from fear when he suddenly smiled at me. It screamed danger for

me.

My father and mother suddenly went on their knees and bowed down in front of the man.

“Higher Council Gustav.” So he is one of the Higher Council? Now I know why. His aura brought fear.

Even my parents. Even me.

He didn’t even look at my parents who was kneeling in front of him.

“Rise,” he said without even leaving his eyes on me.

My parents stood up right away and went on my side.

“So you are Ayesha?” I swallowed the lump on my throat and just nodded at his question. “You’re aware

of what you did, right?” he asked and I nodded again.

He left his eyes on me and looked at the royal guard on his back gesturing for him to come near him.

He took the scroll that the guard was holding and opened it in front of us. The royal guard went back to

his post while Higher Council Gustav was looking at the scroll.

“Ayesha Solomon, please stand.” I stood up in front of him and clasped both of my hands together while

my heart was beating faster. "You broke the law and wreaked havoc in the Kingdom of Zoara. For which I

find you guilty. Such a serious criminal act can and must not be taken lightly. And so, I sentence you to

lifelong imprisonment, with an option to request parole, after 20 years.”

My eyes widened because of what he just said. My eyes started to watered as I looked at my Mama and

Papa. My Mama was already crying while Papa was hugging him.

“Come with us willingly or you’ll be dragged from here by force if you will not,” he added after closing the

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Mama gestured to me to go with them willingly with a sad smile. I wiped my tears and looked at Higher

Council Gustav. I would be okay. The gift that I have would surely help me when the time has come.

“I’ll go with you willingly,” I said in the low voice.

“Good choice,” he said and then turned his back to me and gestured to the royal guard to get me.

I just noticed that they were holding a handcuff and shackles to restrain me. They handcuffed my hands

in my back and put shackles on my feet enough for me to walk with them.

The handcuffs on my hands and on my feet feel so cold and rough on my skin. It was already rusty and I

bet it was already old.

I didn’t complain. I just let them do what they wanted. In our kingdom, they were the law. We couldn’t do

anything but to do what they wanted. We were just a peasant of the kingdom. A low individual and

unimportant individual of the kingdom and not much more difference from the slaves.

I wonder how many people like me who happened to be restrained by these handcuffs and shackles. I

bet it was a lot of them.

One of the royal guards pushed me lightly out of our house. I gasped when I saw some of the

townspeople outside our house looking at me with pity in their eyes. Some were murmuring about

something and then looked away when I saw them looking at me. I tried my best not to cry to not look

more pitiful to them. I looked down and tried not to look at them as the guard accompanied me to walk

towards a wagon that was waiting for me.

I inhale and exhale an amount of air to calm myself down.

Higher Council Gustav was already inside of a carriage. While some guards are on their horses. The

others guard me as they put me inside the wagon.

I took a last glance at our house and saw my Mama and Papa standing on the door, weeping for me as

the wagon started to move.

The heavy sound of the horses feet while running towards the north was the only thing that I could hear.

Little by the little, the town disappeared from my sight and all I could see was the greenfields as the

wagon moved towards a forest.

I was nervous the whole ride. I curled myself on one of the corners of the wagon. The guards who were

with me kept glancing at my side. And I could see a creepy smile on their lips while they were looking at

each other after looking at me. I started to feel uncomfortable by their stare.

I looked at myself and I didn’t notice that I was just wearing a thin white dress.

“How old are you?” one of the guards asked with a creepy smile.

“Answer you peasant. You’ve been asked,” the other guard said as he moved closer to me.

My eyes widened and I pressed myself more to the corner of the wagon. Fear crept in me when one of

the guards hand was about to touch my leg. But before he could touch my leg, his hand suddenly set into

fire.

“Ahhh!” the guard cried in pain. I didn’t even notice that it was my hand who set his hand into fire.

The handcuff that was on my hand melted as well as the shackles on my feet.

I stood up and jumped down the running wagon without a second thought.

I grimaced from the pain when my body landed on the dusty road. I felt a stinging pain on some part of

my body. There, I noticed that I got some scratches on my elbows and knees as I tried to stand up.

“The prisoner escaped!” the guard shouted, making me look at the wagon.

It already stopped as well as the carriage. The guards who are in their horses, run towards my direction.

They were coming for me!

My eyes widened and started to run away from them. I didn’t mind the pain that I was feeling. I just want

to get away from them. I keep on looking back while running as fast as I could.

I gasped and dropped on the ground when Higher Council Gustav suddenly appeared in front of me.

Without a trace of any emotion on his face, he stood in front of me.

How come? He was inside the carriage! He didn’t even step down from it.

I looked at him with confusion. It was impossible for him to appear in front of me. I didn’t even notice his

movement!

“You have the guts to run away, you prisoner.” My body shivered from fear when I heard his voice. His

voice screamed of danger telling me that I need to stay away.

He leaned down and whispered something in my ear. A language that I couldn’t even understand. And

before I could ask, someone suddenly hit the back of my head, making me pass out.

***

I woke up when I felt the cold water splash on my face. I gasped when another amount of water splashed

again to me.

I wiped the water from my face using my hands and looked at the person in front of me.

It was one of the royal guards. He was holding a pail of water with him. “You’re finally awake.” He walked

towards the corner and took something and then threw it to me. “Change into that,” he said before

leaving.

My eyes widened when I realized where I was. I was already in prison!

Did I sleep again that long? Goodness!

I looked at every corner where I was being held in. All I could see was a brick wall and a steel door that

was probably locked outside. There was no window for the light from the outside to come in. Only a small

torch coming from the outside of the door’s small hole that was enough to light up inside my prison.

I looked at myself. I was soaking wet and my feet are with shackles, again. But it was different compared

to the first one that I just melted. Should I try and melt it again?

I sighed and just picked up the clothes that the guard threw to me a while ago and changed into them. It

was a prison dress. A dirty white in color and slightly big to my size.

I took a peek outside from the small hole on the door. It was kind of weird. I didn’t see any other prison

the same as mine outside. There were two guards guarding outside my prison.

I sat down on one of the corners of my prison and looked around. I smiled bitterly.

So this is my home starting today, huh? I just hope that I will survive.