Five: Darkness hides in light

On the terrace to Qaya's room, a figure slipped in and tip toed cautiously into the room.

"you're not asleep?" the figure whispered in a gruff voice that was blatantly feigned

Qaya was initially in surprise then horror.

"I was at least hoping to give you a painless death, sadly fate as decided to deny me that too"

before Qaya could yell for help, he lunged at her. Qaya was quick to dodge but he was able to hold her before she could flee and his grip was strong.

"tell me, what do you want?"

"I have come to kill you"

"sorry I can't take you seriously with that voice" Qaya giggled and simultaneously tried to wriggle her hand from his stronghold.

"tell me, if you've come to kill me. shouldn't you do so immediately?"

"you must not fear death"

"of course I fear it but more than that is my hatred for living a worthless life"

the man kept quiet and his grip became loose, Qaya removed her hand and frowned at how red her skin was.

"I came here in a temporary lapse of judgement"

"I see, you're not an assassin; you decided to do the deed yourself. that's either prudent or reckless"

"I've heard that you're a sadist who hates people but isn't too mean to do the same evil that was dealt to you to someone else?"

"who are you? and what are you talking about?"

"I am what my friends call a morality police and I came to dispense justice because you falsely accused a family for something they didn't do"

"oh!" Qaya exclaimed and sat on her bed "you speak of Oseanria?"

she mumbled inaudibly "Jaslin, it would have been better if I had framed them, then this assault would have been fair"

"do you intend to speak to me? because I cannot hear you" The man's weird gruff voice asked

"you come to my room in the dead of the night to kill me for something I didn't do. So morality police, what would your own punishment be?"

*five days ago*

"Qaya may I have a word with you?" this was Jaslin

"what's the matter?" Qaya asked softly and motioned for Jaslin to sit by her side

"I take that you don't plan on finding the real perpetrators, you just want to shift the blame from your mother"

"well, you said there's no time to uncover the real culprit after all and I cannot have my mother walking around as a traitor for long"

"my lady, if we go that route it will eventually backfire. you intend to upstage the Harbinger but this will make us no different from them"

her voice became more solemn "Qaya, to have popularity one can try and leverage on scandalous stories but to have credibility, trust and longevity one must use the truth"

Qaya sighed and looked defeated"I would be a monster worse than the king if I didn't heed you after such a compelling monologue"

Jaslin inspected her lady's face, she appeared deep in thought. Qaya looked up.

"since you insist, I give you three days to find the culprit because time is not on our side."

Jaslin first of all appeared frightened by this order but she understood where her lady was coming from, so she conceded.

"to make the search easier, limit your investigation to the King's supporters in the noblesse circle"

"why? the King's own supporters? planning treason?"

"planning treason is highly unlikely because the king was aware of the arms trafficking case but decided to pin it on someone else, so that could only mean he was protecting his own while removing the opposition"

"that makes sense"

"it will be easier to focus on the families with enough capital or the ones close enough with the king to be able to afford such a large scale enterprise and in secret too"

"I understand"

*back to the present*

"just who are you , morality police to come in here and try to kill me" Qaya was trying her best to envision more than the silhouette of the assailant but he had his face covered

she snickered and looked at him in disdain "quite the gall you have here, coming to my house and trying to murder me on some stupid pretext of morality. did you even investigate the truth or wait...are you the son of the family; come to take revenge?"

she caught him flinching and pushed him away he staggered but was quick to get back on his feet, now defensive and ashamed.

"what do you have to say for yourself hypocris?"

"hypocris?"

"I know not your name and I doubt you'd give it to me and it's better fitting than whatever appellation you may have"

she strolled to her vanity table and picked an issue of 'Hear'; the one that featured the exposé about the arms trafficking case and waved it at him.

"everything in this paper is true, and I tell you this truth was not easy to come by. but indeed the Oseanria family has been sponsoring a whole black market for guns and cross bows as early as five years ago. the reason why they were able to do this is because apart from siphoning funds meant for the people under the care of their estate, they have a secret sponsor, one I can't possibly uncover"

"nothing that is written here was fabricated and even if it was, it's not by my hands"

the man was utterly confused and ashamed, he wanted to go out so bad. he was right about this being a lapse in judgement

"but did that mean Ms. Charmale lied" he thought to himself feeling betrayed "it can't be"

Qaya was not done with her lecture "And even if I did lie, on what grounds and in what capacity do you have the right to decide my punishment"

he stuttered at first but later found words "in truth, this revelation makes me completely disgraced and ashamed. I wasn't in my right senses..."

"surely, you do not think that is all you'll do for recompense?"

he shook his head

"I should decide your punishment, since you are ever so excited to do so for others"

the man knelt down in surrender and dropped his weapon, he couldn't speak for the humiliation was much too great and his stupidity was now biting him in the back but this single gesture made Qaya understand.

"I am gracious, I'll have you know. so I'll instead take a favour but not now, in due time I will ask for my pound of flesh "

he looked up startled, she reassured him

"no worries, I have no idea who you are but on the day I need you I will display a scarlet performance so loud to see that you will hear of it, and come for recompense. for now, I will enjoy you wallowing in your guilt"

she turned knowing well he wouldn't dare leave while her eyes were still on him. and in a split second she felt a cold swish of the wind...he was gone.

the morning of the next day

Qaya and Jaslin made their way to Hillan house to enjoy delectable pastries and catch up on gossip.

Qaya especially enjoyed being here because she could arrange her thoughts and think of the next step of her plan, which was surprisingly hard to do in her own home because of the tension that now existed with the Heris-Mariale merger.

she also wanted to build connections, people were beginning to see what she wanted..to replace The Harbinger. she didn't necessarily want to converse with them but she had to build a better standing.

in the Grade-A room: the gossip center of the Hillian house, Qaya's mind wandered to Qaya...Qaya wright. She'd been preoccupied with restoring reputation and all but she still hadn't got to the bottom of the bizarre lives she lived and is living.

"things will fall into place eventually" she sighed

"people are always trying to be hopeful even when everything is hopeless, so pathetic" a voice from the other side of the room said, the utterer was audibly irritated

another responded "of course, everyone knows that Milton or whatever he calls himself killed the lady so why ask for an appeal?"

Now Qaya had her ears pecked up, people had gotten word of her appeal to reconsider Sir Milton's conviction? "I wonder who spread it" she asked herself but had a rough idea "heavens know what Awin is planning now"

"why do you seem so agitated? were you acquaintated with the lady, Wright?"

Qaya asked, the people turned to her stunned that she had joined in on the conversation, she wasn't one to talk if it didn't concern her.

"genuinely I do not care for the lady, I heard she was a middle class commoner with close relations to high nobles, people like that are never up to good"

Qaya gritted her teeth but she couldn't deny that, maybe that was what upset her.

"but I also do not care for Sir Milton, he's overbearing and likes to act like he's all perfect and blameless. so it's satisfying to see that he's nothing but the scum of the earth"

at that moment Melinda walked in, she was accompanied by a lady and a lad. Qaya inspected them. the woman seemed quite controversial in Qaya's mind as she seemed to be of higher standing than Melinda, her clothes, disposition, gait everything spoke volumes that she was not just a low born person or an ordinary noble but she stayed behind Melinda almost like a servant...that seemed degrading, rather, a lady in waiting.

Qaya's gaze moved to the man that accompanied them. She'd seen him before at the defamation hearing. he overall seemed uninterested, save for the occasional looks of admiration at Melinda, he held no other emotion in his face.

she inspected him, he was not very tall but then again she was tall for a lady, so that may be why she viewed him that way.

he looked unruly with his tousled hair, she didn't know if it was because of the light but she could also see occasional grey hairs, that intrigued her, she was convinced only elder people had that but this man was barely thirty, he could even be younger.

"earth to Qaya" Jaslin teased "I feared you might steal his chastity with your eyes"

Qaya shook her head, showing disapproval at her own actions "forgive this vile child, it's just that it's not very often that you meet a man so pleasing to the eyes"

"I understand my lady, but you were no different from men who hoggle at ladies"

"I should disagree, I held no lascivious thought, I only looked in awe"

"might I join in the conversation?" this was Melinda addressing the whole room.

Qaya smirked "how was she always readily available when I seek to embarrass her" she thought to herself in delight

"Ms. Charmale, you need not ask. your insight is much needed in the matter" Qaya answered giving a subtle nod of courtesy.

"thank you and it is Minister Charmale to you"

Qaya smiled "we were just talking about your predecessor, I am aware that he gave you power of attorney and it was you who revealed his misdeed...I don't want to plant seeds of doubt but the situation doesn't leave me without questions" she lied

everyone began murmuring "Sir Milton gave her the power of attorney? that changes everything"

Melinda twitched, she looked to her companions who seemed to be looking at her for an answer. Before she could rebut Qaya's statement, she cut in

"Ms. Charmale see that you do not misspeak, the truth will come out eventually"

"what makes you think I will misspeak. it is true that Sir Milton and I were on good terms, so good that he gave me power of attorney and deprived his own children but when I found out his misdeeds, I simply couldn't look away"

Qaya snickered "I see. surely his ministerial position must be the only thing you took, you are not living on the 'murderer's' luxuries?"

"what are you infering?" Melinda asked now defensive.

"it's just that you have made two false claims in the past, one about my pregnancy and another about my mother's involvement in treasonable arms trafficking, it's only reasonable to be doubtful of your claim taking that into consideration, especially seeing as you benefitted immensely from his conviction"

this time Melinda was mad with rage " just who are you? who do you think you are to be questioning me like this? what right have you?"

Qaya laughed heartily "sorry for not clarifying earlier on; I am the one who moved for the appeal "