Banished

The king came to his senses and blinked twice. "What happened there, I really lost my self, did she play with my mind? I really should be wary of her." The king contemplated but nothing showed on his face. He watched as the girl walked towards him seductively. He contemplated what the girl really wanted. The jubilant crowd was now in an uproar, they pressed forward to get every glimpse they could. When Hai stepped a step closer they also took a step albeit shorter. Some people in the crowd took their note skins and frantically scribbled sketches to capture the moment as clear as possible.

Hai wriggled her way to the king. She stretched her hands displaying the pitch black cup held in her tiny palms. inside a viscous liquid swerved from side to side. It was crimson red with a mesmerizing aroma which enticed everyone as it wafted among the crowd. The king's eyes were captured in the swerving motion of the liquid. He had done this many times. He paid attention and counted the number of swerves which exceeded by one. The liquid being a magical potion that was used in matrimony was popular but rare. It was used to bide two souls as husband and wife. It was a sacred potion that had to be consumed by two partners but could not be forced. For it to work the two had to give their consent. It was the highest form of trust and love. The two joined together with this potion could not hide anything from their partner. Their feelings and emotions were joined together and hence tying down their fates.

The king had experienced this ceremony not once. He had preceded it as his councilors got wedded, two of his sons had also undergone the ceremony including he himself with his wife now known as the empress. Not once had he counted wrongly, he squinted his eyes as he frowned deeply contemplating the significance of this. Was it an omen? His eyes moved to the hands holding the cup and he thought he saw a tremor, he squinted more as he paid more attention to the girl approaching him. Since he was now alert he could now capture so many details, he slapped himself on the face for almost falling to this kind of a trap. the girl wanted to poison him.

He reached out to his waist where the scambard holding his sword was slung. He reached the hilt of his sword and with a smooth motion retrieved it. He immediately disappeared from his seat and before anyone could comprehend what was happening the broken sword's tip was pointed at the helpless girl. Hai opened her mouth wide in shock. her heart thundered in her tiny chest as she confusedly stared at the man pointing her neck. A little more push and the sword would penetrate her neck. She stared at the sword and her body shivered. A worm liquid trickled down from the tiny wound made by the sword. her knees buckled as her will and courage deserted her, her knees felt week and she could stand no more, she knew she was in hot soup. "How did he find out?"

The king contemplated the matter as he tried to guess the one who would benefit most from his death. He facepalmed himself as the answer was obvious for all to see, how had he been so blinded? He threw a fugitive look towards his advisors as he motioned for the girl to gulp down the liquid. Hai who was by now livid shivered in fright, her pale face was now visibly in panick. Her hands shivered and shook as she nervously looked at Roy's father apprehensively. She knew she had no retreat, she had been caught pants down trying to poison the king. If there was a hole in the ground she would have nose dived in it with no regret. Everything had happened she resigned herself to fate.

By now the crowd was so silent. Everybody demonstrated their artistic nervous antics, the brushes held frozen in the air, drawing skins dropping from their hands to the ground, a man tried to notify his friend of the development but his unlucky hand found the bossom of a young maiden, he was roused from his stupor by a thunderous kick that sent him frying, until his fall he still could not comprehend how his friend acquired such a soft chest, another young man lost in thoughts could only shift his weight from one leg to the other stroking his non existence beard while another one not knowing what to do quickly put his right hand into his trouser pocket and shifted his member a little to the left for more comfort.

It was in this circumstances that a heavy voice resounded in the arena. "Leave the girl alone! everybody looked in bewilderment as a scholarly dressed man walked towards the king carrying a parchment. He unfurled it infront of the king as everybody moved a step closer to get a glimpse of what it entailed. Roy's father was by now sweating buckets. Of all people he alone recognized the scholar and the paratachment. what he feared most was happening in his very own eyes.

Hai's downcast demeanor trembled, her dull face brightened a little. Her seemingly dead eyes grew bright. she faced the scholarly man as she sprinted towards him for a hug. The man nonchalantly embraced the girl as he stroker her back. She closed her eyes as she cried in his chest visibly relaxed. The king coughed twice bringing everybody's attention back to him, in his right hand he held the broken sword while in his left hand was the paratachment. A keen observer woul note that the hand was shaking an indicator the king was furious.

He gave a pensive look to the scholar and then shifted his gaze towards Roy's father. Everybody followed the king's gaze and could not help but frown wondering what this had to do with the advisor. The scholar broke the pensive mood " As you can see the Atto kingdom promised to fulfill any of our wishes unconditionally, I wish to redeem this wish by taking my daughter with me right now" as the scholar finished speaking his figure together with Hai started fading and soon disappeared from everybody's sight.

Everyone stared dumbstruck at the scene, no one could comprehend the head or the tail. a jovial occasion had almost turned tragic but the main concern was that the perpetrator had walked away Scot free. No one was as furious as the king himself. His eyes like saucers we're almost popping out of his sockets, wrinkles spread haphazardly on his rough face, his beard became dishevelled as spittle found an escape route in the corners of his mouth, the king was truly mad.

Too shameful, he barked, he commanded his subordinates to apprehend the man now the enemy of the kingdom, the shame of the Atto Kingdom. Roy's father breathed in apprehension, his heart thundered in his majestic chest, his mind whirred like a whirlwind, his eyes squinted in denial, by now he knew he was in hot soup. A trial in waiting of which the outcome was already obvious, all his ambitions crushed down in one single step, as he lifted his face to face the king, he knew he would never see the King again. The man he had devotedly worked for, the man he had single handedly supported, all this came crushing in one fellow swoop.

The king leaned on his chair contemplating the issue. Despite the overwhelming evidence something still seemed to be off. He could not comprehend how his most ardent supporter and advisor would seek his death and control in such a manner. It is due to this hesitation that he delivered the most shocking judgement, Roy's father had avoided death by a whisker, despite this he banned the man from staying or setting foot in the Atto Kingdom. Roy's father was banned, he and his family of three set of to set an abode at the outskirts, since then he gained the moniker Traitor.