CONFESSION

The two guards, one fair and short, the other tall and broad-shouldered, entered the dark cell, their torches casting eerie shadows on the damp stone walls. They unclipped their helmets and shields from their backs, setting them down on the floor. The air was thick with the smell of sweat and fear.

The taller guard approached the prisoner who was chained to the chair.

Beckham struggled against the chains that held him to the chair. His hands were bound behind his back, and his feet were shackled to the floor. He looked up at the guards, his eyes filled with defiance. "I will not confess to anything," he said. "This is my father's kingdom, and I am the rightful heir."

The guards exchanged a look. "You're not the only one who claims to be the heir," said the taller guard. "You're the one who stands accused of murderer."

"That's a lie!"

"I'm sorry, I just can't take it anymore!" Beckham cried out, his voice breaking. He was on the verge of collapse, the pain and exhaustion taking their toll. The tall guard stood over him, his face like stone. "Give me a confession, or I will keep doing this until you break."

"I... I..." Beckham stammered, trying to form words. But he couldn't think straight. He was so tired, and the pain was overwhelming. What could he say to make them stop? "Please... please..." he managed to whisper.

But the guard was not listening.

His white cloth had become drenched, but nevertheless.

  The guards, exasperated by their failure to extract a confession from the prisoner, left the room, leaving him alone in the chair. He sat there, his head hanging down, his energy depleted. His thoughts were a jumble, his emotions in turmoil. He didn't know what to do, how to escape this nightmare. And so he sat there, lost in his thoughts, trying to make sense of it all.

The room was silent, save for the sound of his breathing, the only indication that he was still alive. But for how long? Would he ever see the light of day again?, the tall guard heading to the Emperor palace, "his highness, the result is still the same,  we tried everything possible but all are in vain", "OK thanks, go to your position then, am going to see him now and hired another person for it".

  Few moment later, the Eunuch open the two doors for his Emperor as in paced toward the cell, which is located behind the pagoda edifice, in which the cell house was being concreted like a modern two storey-building, the weather was in a hot sun temperate, as they paved through the direction of the road in about ten step vertically, the next ten step horizontally to the left which makes the Emperor and his Eunuch get to the door at the middle of the wall.

The guards opened the heavy doors, revealing a dark and dank cell. The prisoner sat slumped in the center of the room, his head bowed, and his eyes downcast. The Emperor approached him, his eunuch at his side. He glared up and said

  "Father! Are you going to disown me here? My skin are burning, the little radiation of the sun passing through this window is really heating me Father!, how can you leave me here for good 24 hours?", "you this brat are you asking all sort of nonsense questions?, you must be ridiculous, you this murderer" said the Emperor, "father!!" he yelled back.

  "now is better for you to speak the truth in bitterness than to disgrace this our nurturing kingdom, or have you forgotten this happens when you still 30 years of age in college raping a lady, wow, you can't spoil the future of this country Beckham, speak the truth now", his father fist against the iron door, "you this scumbag am going to hired another person, you will be surprise in about an hour from now", the Eunuch uses his hand to demarcate the way to his Emperor and left the dungeon.

**** 

Prince Henry met with the former guard and ask for outcome on the investigation, "his highness, he's still insisting he wasn't the one either",

"OK thank you" said Prince Henry,

thought enveloped into his mind, feeling his conscience, "I hope I haven't lose my power, am I not making my brother to suffer in vain, mmm, what am I going to do, should I meet with the king and tell him let forget about moving forward, am fed up as he head to his house.

"My dear, what is the status of the investigation? "His wife asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

  "I am afraid it is not going well, "he replied, her voice heavy with worry "hmmm", as someone knocks on the door

  "Knock!! Knock!!" Which interjected their conversion, "who's there", said Henry, 

"It's me, Beckham's wife", Samson held toward the iron door and unlocked the door.

  The woman's forceful entry caught Samson off guard, and he stumbled backwards, crashing to the ground. He was furious and his eyes blazed blue with anger. As she ran toward him, he glared in her direction. Suddenly, the woman collapsed, her head smacking against the ground. A trickle of blood oozed from a small cut on her forehead. Lovett, the butler, rushed to her side and knelt beside her, checking for injuries.

  "Madam, are you alright?"

  He asked, concern written on his face. 

"What wrong, these blood! I hope you're okay? Milady!, let me help you up" said Lovett, "don't worry I can stand alone", said Milady

  Samson father wondering how the woman got down instantly, he could see the blue colour of Samson eyes as he gently stood up without noticing anything in common about what had happen, after all, Milady ran to Lovett's husband and hold him by his neck and said 

"What have you done to my husband to suffer alone in the prison, why are you so heartless, why!! You have no power to know humans mind, are you god?" 

As she stained his cloth with blood, his wife can't put it up with it anymore and said, "did you even know his crime?, yes of course!, he didn't committed anything, how did you know he's the one", as she slap Milady Lovett by her face.

"What! How dare you hit her", 

Henry become angry and about to hit her but is generosity and humbleness make him reluctantly drop his hand but everyone looking at the scene in surprise and unexpectedly, only Milady still in freight of getting hit, Solomon's eyes widened in surprise seeing his Dad holding back. Samson immediately call out the guard in a childish tone, "Guard!! Guard!!", they ran in and grab Milady with care and slammed the door behind as she wept with bleeding blood. 

"Papa! Papa! You controlled your anger, how did you do that", said Solomon 

His mother said in anger 

"Why did you lack manner instead of you to say, take care sir"

  His dad walks angrily toward him and said, 

"Your mom didn't allow me to do that, she felt her pain", 

"But how dad?" said Samson, "I reads minds",

  "Wow!" Said his wife,

  "So papa! Let me see you laugh",

  Said Samson, he laughed then Samson proceeded

  "Can you read my mind, what am I thinking right now", 

"mmmm, I can't answer that, am still angry at what happen",

  "Papa! Papa! You afraid you can't read my minds", 

"What! What!" The mother and Solomon with the father are in awe to know how Samson could get what their father was thinking at,

  "How did you know this? Samson!", "I can read your minds", "wow you passionate" he uses his hand to rub Samson hair

******

The guards stood their ground, refusing to let the woman past. They knew she was the wife of the prisoner, but they were under strict orders to keep her out. She was growing increasingly frustrated and aggressive, but they remained firm. "Ma'am, I understand your frustration, but this is for your own safety," one of the guards said. "We cannot allow you to see your husband right now."

"You don't understand!" the woman shouted. "I must see him! He is innocent!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but it's not possible," the guard replied.

She stood up, her voice had become hoarse, she have no strength to communicate like before, as she walks so sluggishly toward the main palace exit gate, her glance she made toward the direction of the pagoda structure, she saw the emperor walking to his palace, as her adrenaline gland works in the moment and ran to him. 

"His majesty!!, his majesty!!", 

the king hold on a step and decided to wait, she got to his majesty and bowed rapidly to speak what on her mind by pleading to forgive her husband, 

"He's innocent!", She clung to the Emperor's leg, her hands trembling. 

"Please," she begged, "please, I beg of you. He is innocent. You cannot do this to him."

  The Emperor looked down at her, his expression unreadable. He called the guard to take her off.

*****

Beckham widened his eyes in fear to seeing him getting off his hat, he said, 

"I would like to introduce myself, am a watchman in charge now, so are you ready to confess or not",

  Beckham regained his strength and laugh "hahaha, am the future king, you can't kill me" said Beckham but I can surely send you to hell right now in the game", he replied.

The watchman called two guard to come in

"Guard!!", they ran in, "yes! Superior" they bowed, "hold him now, turning his back to me", they quickly chain him grabbing his hand forward and pining him toward the direction of the ring wall, the watch man lay all the cane on the table behind him, and he said one more time, "who killed Delilah", "am not the one" he insisted.

  He took one of the stick and start whipping him, he groan in pain and cried heavenly "please, am not the one", the watchman smashed harder again on his 30th used dismantled cane on the floor, "who killed her", watchman said, "am not the one", breathing heavenly, "prince I know you stubborn at your age, now these injury time".

He whipped again, smashing more harder, he said "am a watchman, I have no blood to drain", on his 50th cane, "I will confess, I will confess please ah...ah…..ah…..," Beckham cried, "I don't need you confession any longer", he kept whipping heavenly like never before now on his 160th cane, he stop and said "confess right now", as the guard nodded and pity the prince and were asked to unlock the handcuff chain, the prince fell down as his body were heavy to carry, "grab him and put him on his chair!" said watchman, "now confess your trespass"

  As Beckham started skip speaking slowly "am …..Am …the …one.. Who …raped her and…. And…and.. Killed her…." "You bloody civilian" said the watchman, he poured him some cold water on his face, "go tell the Emperor he confessed", watchman ordered.

"the guard is around" said the Eunuch "let him in", king replied, "His majesty" he breath heavenly while running to the receiver, "he has confessed he's the one who rape….." shut up, his highness interrupted him, "thanks, go back and bring him here" .....

The two guard held him toward the palace, he's out of energies, "so…..