A Room Arrest...

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Queen Ariadne's POV.

"I think you should question the guards again" Mother suggested. I could feel the fear in her voice. Nobody knew what my punishment will be, they were all worried about me.

"Mother, I have done that already, am not going to repeat it today, they will appear in court tomorrow to tell the story in full" the Emperor said.

"Please son, lessen her punishment for my sake" she pleaded.

"Mother, you know how much I hate lies. Your daughter here is lying to me. She doesn't want to tell the truth".

"Am not lying mother, I swear" I cried out. The Emperor didn't believe me when I said I wasn't guilty. How will he trust his guards more than his wife? This wasn't fair to me at all!

"Guards" the king called out. They rushed to his call, at first we thought he was going to send for the guards who accused me but instead, he asked them to arrest me.

"Make sure she stays in her room, till she is ready to confess. Two square meals a day, no maid should attend to her" he ordered.

"On no account, should anyone goes to visit her, while she is been locked. Those who are wise should take note" the king added.

A room arrest? I didn't have any problem with the two square meals. I was used to it. Many times in Camelot, we the maids, slept with empty stomachs after, working hard all day. But keeping Anne and Mother away from me hurt. I was used to being around them and now, the king ordered that they should stay far away from me! This was going to be tough on all of us.

The guards came forward and took me to my room. There, they locked me up without thinking twice. I didn't blame them, it wasn't their fault. They merely follow the king's order.

I sat down on the floor in my room. At that moment, I thought of killing myself. Maybe, it will help calm the situation down. If the emperor heard of my death, am sure he will forget my crime and let my body go.

There was a knife on the tray closed to my bed. I took it to see if it was sharp. Yes, it was. I was about to cut myself before the door unlocked.

This was bad timing, who was it? Didn't the Emperor say that no one was allowed to see me till further notice?

The doorknob turned. The mother walked into the room with her eyes swollen. I wondered what happened that made her cry this much. Or has the emperor asked her to join in my punishment? The man was unpredictable, he could do and undo at any time.

"Ariadne" mother called my name. Where I sat, was a corner where one could barely see me, when entering the room. Quickly, l hid the knife beneath my dress.

"What happened to you, mother?" I asked anxiously.

"My poor child" she came to where I was and hugged me. I knew at once, that she missed me already.

"Don't worry about me mother, am fine" I answered.

I didn't want to stress her anymore. Seeing the state she was in, I felt guilty for making her this way.

"How do you get in here?"

"I told the Emperor that I won't eat unless he let me see you. He thought I was joking at first" mother said.

"You didn't eat the whole day?" I almost screamed.

"Am fine my child" she wore a fake smile.

"You are not! Mother, you should take care of yourself, now that am not there to do anything for you" I insisted.

"I won't rest until I find out what happened at the gate"

"Mother, I didn't go close to the gate that day. I was indoors all day"

"Tomorrow is the day of your trial day. Am sure, we will resolve this"

"I hope so mother, how is Anne doing?" I asked.

"There is no difference. She has been crying all day. I sent her home" I was relieved that she went home to the comfort of her husband. I didn't want Anne to go through this with me. She was a very good friend to me.

"I will go now, my five minutes are up. I don't want your husband to get more angry" mother stood up off the floor.

Husband? No man will do this to his wife. He didn't even believe in me rather he listened to the lies both his other wife and guards told him.

When my mother left, I dropped the knife back to where it was and wished that today won't have come in the first place. I woke very early in the morning and cooked for the emperor and in the afternoon, he sent for me to punish! Maybe that's his way of saying thank you, Ariadne.

Despite, the rumors I heard about him, I tried my best to keep them aside and work over our marriage. I even thought People were exaggerating about his character. Most times, the king insulted me in public, I thought he would change in the end because people Said change was constant. But No! Whatever the people said about him was right. He was worse in person, a man without a heart!

The king was supposed to investigate before prosecuting me. He didn't without being sure of my crime, I was already arrested. My hatred for him grew each day as I stayed here. Coming to Akkad was a mistake, I would have escaped my way here. If I did that… I wouldn't have been looked up in a room.