Hope At Last

As Nse drew closer to them, Elim moved to withdraw his sword but then remembered they had taken it at the gate. He grunted angrily and reached for his knife, which he kept hidden and ready to use.

"Just follow my lead. We will leave here today, no matter what!" he declared firmly. Asha's eyes caught the glint of the knife, and she immediately intervened.

"No, it can't come to that. These people helped me when I had no one else. I won't repay them by fighting them. Please, keep your knife hidden. I will handle this."

Before Elim could respond, Asha was already striding towards Nse, who stood a few yards away.

"Is this how you've chosen to bid us farewell? Why? After all we've been through?" Nse's voice quivered with pain.

"I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye, but I had to make the tough decision when I found out you wouldn't let me go. I must leave Aku!

"But why? Everything you could ever need is right here. Peace, a home, a future, and a man who loves you!"

"I don't belong here, Nse. Why can't you understand that every moment I spend here means the end of my real family? Do I stay and pretend to be happy when my heart aches to see them? Do I stay with you while knowing that my absence only adds to their suffering?" Her voice trembled as Nse turned away.

"You have to let me go!"

"And you choose to go with him? I can accompany you! I can fight your battles, reunite you with your family, and bring you back to Aku!" he declared strongly, reaching for her hands.

"It's not your place. This is my fight and his because we share a common enemy!"

"Asha…" he spoke softly. "Since I first laid eyes on you, I've dreamed of spending my life with you. I know it seems sudden, but I would lay down my life for you. It pains me that you wish to leave!"

"Aku has shown me kindness, as have you. Even though I wish I could stay, I can't! You must let me go now. I must face my troubles and conquer my enemies alone!"

There was a prolonged silence, and for a moment, Asha feared he would oppose her departure. But he eventually nodded and sighed before speaking.

"Fine… do as you must, but you should know Elsa will be devastated by this, as will I."

"Tell her I will return once I've finally made it back home and freed my family from misery," Asha said, gently touching him.

Without hesitation, he pulled her close and kissed her passionately. Asha was taken aback, but she didn't immediately push him away. She allowed the kiss as a token of gratitude for his kindness. Meanwhile, Elim, standing nearby, seethed with anger as he watched Asha being embraced by another man. His heart pounded, and he tore his gaze away from Nse and Asha, who seemed lost in each other's embrace.

"We should leave now," he interjected from behind, unable to bear the sight of them holding hands like lovers.

"Do not forget about us," Nse responded, stepping aside to allow Asha and Elim to depart. Asha cast one last longing look at Aku village and Nse, her heart heavy with the realization that she might never see them again. It had been such a tranquil place. "I will miss it," she whispered to herself.

"We have a long journey ahead of us. You must focus on the path ahead and forget about them. Besides, your enemies may still be waiting. Follow my lead and try not to draw attention to yourself,"

Asha could hear the hint of jealousy and anger his voice but she refused to say anything about it. Her mind was still captivated by Nse's kiss. It wasn't as intense as Elim's own but it wasn't something she could easily forget. 

"I never expected any better from you!" Elim said then as if he knew she was thinking of Elim. 

"I owe you no explanations for my actions. You don't get to judge me! Think what you will of me."

"You've changed so much. But it's all right. I had no right to say what I did just now. We need to maintain silence during our journey and devise intelligent plans if we're to defeat the king," Elim added, suppressing his discomfort at witnessing Nse and Asha's intimate moment. His mind briefly wandered to what they might have done in his absence. No, he thought to himself , he was above such thoughts. He refocused on the mission instead.

They had barely ventured far when they heard the rustle of leaves emanating from somewhere within the forest

"Shh!" he instructed Asha, pausing as he motioned for them to hide behind a nearby rock.

"Odmudo and his men may still be in the area! We need to stay put until we can assess their numbers," he explained.

"What about the horse?".

"Don't worry. I know how to find it again. It will be safe where I tied it to the tree," he reassured her.

"Will they attack us if they discover it?"

"I'm prepared to defend us if need be. But for now, we must wait here until morning, when we can clearly see their numbers and faces," Elim replied.

Asha nodded, her heart pounding as she prayed that Odmudo and his men wouldn't stumble upon them or their horse. 

———

"The prince has requested your presence to tend to your sister's wounds. Quickly," a guard announced, pushing Nena out of the kitchen where she had been preparing food for herself.

Her sister! Was she alright? Concerned, she hurried to the prince's room to see for herself.

"Zeep, are you alright?" she exclaimed as she entered the room, her heart sinking at the sight of Zeep sitting in a corner, her knees covered in blisters and tears streaming down her face.

"How can I be alright when this is the life I lead!" Zeep cried out in anguish.

Nena wiped away her sister's tears before fetching a bowl of water and a piece of cloth to tend to her wounds.

"This is just a fraction of what I endure. Tell me, does he despise me because I rejected his advances before we were married? I only wanted to avoid being like Soma. Yet now, she reaps the rewards of being married to the prince while I suffer!" Zeep lamented.

"It won't always be like this. Things will change soon,"

"Is there something you know that you're not telling me?" Zeep asked due to her sister's confidence.

"No," she replied immediately, remembering the queen's demand for secrecy regarding her desire for vengeance against her husband, the king.

"I asked you to provide me with a means to end his life. Look at me now!"

"No, don't ever bring that up again. I had a terrible dream where the king executed you for poisoning the prince," Nena explained urgently as she applied healing cream to the wound.

"What? I was…"

They didn't hear anyone come into the room, but before Zeep could say another one, she looked up to see Soma was inside the room.

"Plotting once more, are we?" she accused. "I want you both to know that I'm keeping a close watch on you!"

"What satisfaction do you derive from seeing others suffer?" Zeep retorted.

"Not others! Just you, Zeep! You desired the prince, didn't you? Now that you have him, you should be content. But of course, you can't be, because you're nothing more than an object to him," Soma spat out with disdain.

"And what about you? How long until he treats you the same way? You're not special, Soma. Men like him don't value any woman. Soon, you'll be the one in tears," Zeep said bitterly.

Soma stood there, at a loss for words in response to Zeep's harsh remarks.

"I must go now. Take care, sister," Nena said before leaving the two women.

 She had shown strength in front of Zeep, but as she walked away from the room, tears welled up in her eyes. Would her family ever find the peace they once had? She had given her sister hope, but she wasn't even sure if the queen was ready to help them. Wiping her tears away, she entered the queen's room to check if she needed anything.

"You've been crying, haven't you?" the queen remarked as soon as Nena turned to face her.

"I couldn't do it in front of my sister. I had to pretend to be tough when it hurts me to see her suffer" Nena confessed in tears.

"Sit, Nena. I suffered just like your sister when I was forcibly married to the king. But she was braver than me because I endured every hardship silently, like a coward. I've been a coward for too long. It's time to take action against the king," the queen declared.

"How do we start? Is it even possible..."

"No doubts, my dear. It's time to cast aside any uncertainties. We must devote all our efforts to overthrowing the tyrant who oppresses the people of Maribah. Come closer!" The queen beckoned, and Nena hurried to sit beside her.

"I'm working on a plan to find a spy who can track down your sister and my son. We'll set up a secret way to communicate through this spy while I start to weaken the king with this," the queen said, pulling out a small bottle filled with liquid. "It won't kill him, but it'll give him constant tummy troubles and make him fart uncontrollably. He won't have a moment's peace to plot or even think about going after his enemies."

"But what about his sons? Your sons? Are you okay with dealing with them too?" Nena asked, surprising the queen. But she had already thought about it and knew they'd have to face consequences too.

"Our main focus has to be on the king and getting our spy out there fast. Don't breathe a word of this to anyone," the queen stressed.

"I've got an idea for setting up a way to talk with my sister. We need someone we trust, someone no one would suspect," Nena added.

"Who?" 

"Nemere! She's always wanted to make things right with my sister. She'll be up for it," Nena replied.

"Then you need to get her to my chamber tonight. But keep this between us," the queen directed.

Nena nodded, feeling more hopeful than ever that they could take down the king.