Rosa Berbrooke.

Prophesy The Eighth: They shall bed the Same.

"Depends on the room ma, we have rooms from fifty gold coins upward" the lady behind the counter replied Shiar.

"Your most expensive room?" Shiar asks with an air of arrogance.

"That will be five hundred gold coins ma'am," the lady behind the counter swallowed, it was not very often someone asked for their most expensive room after all the economy was even harsh on the so-called rich.

"I'll take it," Shiar said.

"Add it to my account Courtney," The man said.

"Sir, I am perfectly capable of paying for my own room," Shiar told the man even though she did not have a penny on her.

"Nonsense, consider it a kind gesture," the man gave her a charming smile. Shiar was sure he had done this a lot of times and she smiled inwardly, it had been a long time since she bedded anyone and she did want someone who was well versed in intimacy.

"If you insist," Shiar said smiling in a way that made the man almost swoon.

"Could you show me to my room?" Shiar returned her attention to the woman named Courtney.

"Of course ma'am,"

"Never mind, I'll show the young mistress to her room," the man interjected.

"You must frequent this place often," Shoar commented as he led her away from the counter.

"Of course, my friend owns this place and I visit this place whenever I have business in these parts," the man said looking sideways at her generous bosom.

"I see, I do not know your name kind sir?" Shiar was a good actress and she knew how to be sweet.

"My apologies, the name is Randell Harts," the man said as he stopped in front of a door.

"I am Rosa Berbrooke," Shiar said.

"That is a beautiful name for a beautiful woman, may I ask what you're doing in town?" Randall asked.

"Oh, I'm just passing by," Shiar gave the man a vague answer.

"This is your room," the man said producing a key he had taken from the woman downstairs.

"Thank you, do you care for wine?" Shiar asked suggestively.

"I wouldn't mind sharing a bottle with you, it's been a long day," Randell replied his eyes fixated on her bosom.

"Please come in, I would not want to keep you standing," Shiar said stepping aside to give the man access into the room.

"Of course, velvet wine?" The man asked moving to a mini wine cellar, the most expensive rooms came with a lot of services so the guest would not have to come to the dining hall whenever they had to eat or drink.

"Yes, please, do you mind if I take a shower before that? I feel sticky," Shiar said heading towards the direction of the bathroom.

The man did not respond, he just watched her leave. In a few minutes she was out and had only a towel wrapped around her body. She had not dried her hair and her brunette hair was clinging to her shoulders and bosom.

"You will catch a cold," the man remarked disappearing into the bathroom only to return with a smaller towel.

He stood behind her and gathered her hair in his hands before be began to dry it. As he dried her hair the towel that was wrapped loosely on her body fell.

"I'll pick that up," Randell said as he bent down to pick the towel that was on the floor.

Meanwhile in the palace word quickly spread that Shiar had left the palace and this news was met with mixed reactions. While some of them were relieved that she were not around, apprehension filled the older ones. They had the right to be apprehensive instead of relief considering that whenever Shiar came back from the palace she came back with more power and became even more wicked and her return was always marked by mass killings in the palace.

"Rilikia your mum, where did she go to?" Rilikia's friend, Trisha teased on seeing her friend.

"Stop it Trish, you know I hate it when you call her my mum," Rilikia said with a serious expression on her face but this made Trisha only laugh.

"Okay, sorry. I apologize your highness, but where do you think thine highness went to?" Trisha asked in mock seriousness.

"I don't know perhaps you can ask her raven," Rilikia answered with a shrug.

"That's strange don't you think?" Trisha asked. Even she who had not lived in the palace for long was aware that the raven followed the queen everywhere she went.

"Maybe the couple of the year had a fight?" Rilikia said and they laughed.

"Some are saying that she went to a shrine famed to give its visitors immeasurable power," Trisha whispered.

"Really? What will she need more power for? She's already the most powerful witch in the universe," Rilikia said.

"She wants more power but that is none of my concern, I'm just happy she's gone," Trisha said with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"You shouldn't be. When she's back she is going to brutally punish those who failed to abide by her rules," Rilikia told her friend, concern evident in her voice.

"Then I shall just brutally enjoy myself," Trisha laughed.

Rilikia wanted to be as carefree as her friend but unlike Trisha she had seen enough deaths to last her this lifetime.

"Trisha?" Rilikia saw a slave by the name Theo call her friend.

"I'll be with you soon," Trisha replied the stable boy much to Rilikia's confusion.

"He's one of the ways I intend to brutally enjoy thine highness' sabbatical," Trisha winked her friend who only raised an eyebrow.

Rilikia now understood what Trisha meant but she could not understand why it had to be Theo. Theo was not ugly but for a girl as beautiful as Trisha she deserved someone who had more than mere ordinary looks.

"Seriously?" Rilikia said to Theo's departing figure.

"I know what you're thinking but trust me he's really good and he's not the only one," Trisha said offhandedly.

"Trisha!"

"What?" Trisha laughed at her young friend, she did not blame Rilikia's naivety after all she had lived all her life in the palace where intimacy and such things were forbidden besides Rilikia was only twelve.

"I won't see you again so do not miss me okay?" Trisha said as she waved her friend goodbye.

In another part of the palace Tabi was struggling to keep the discipline among the slaves. She knew she was dead the moment Shiar announced that she would not be around for the next few days. Formerly whenever Shiar left the palace the head maid who had been Toshi had done a good job of keeping things under control so that the death count would not exceed fifty but how Toshi had managed such feat was not something she was sure she could do. Asides Toshi all the former head of slaves had met with death whenever Shiar came back from any of her trips.

At the moment, the slaves were given in to lust and idle talk( the two most hated things by Shiar) in the palace and Tabi was at loggerheads as to how to control the situation. Perhaps she should just allow them to do as they please and make peace with her maker as she will have to die soon.

....

"The annual Timber ball is coming up," Scholar Toks announced. Ha! just so you know Timber here has nothing to do with wood, it is the month that ushers in puta, a season you can liken to winter but unlike winter the trees here are not bare and there is usually abundance of food in this season.

"You like making needless announcement Scholar," Robi said with a yawn.

"Watch what you say or else I will..."

"Challenge me to a duel? I'm curious who shall win the sword or the pen?" Robi said his voice heavy with sarcasm.

"Damn you!" Scholar Toks cursed.

"About damns..."

"Enough!" Everybody became quiet at once because it was Professor Abu, the man famed for causing ruckus that was attempting to stop this one.

"This is a plot twist," Robi said breaking the silence in the room, just then the king walks in.

"His majesty the King," a messenger signalled as the King strolled into the council hall.

"What plot twist Robi?" The king asked after he had taken his sit at the head of the table.

"It's in a book Professor Abu is writing, must be about those damns," Knight Robi commented.

"I see, about the damns Scholar Toks how is that going?" Scholar Toks looked visibly annoyed that the damns had been mentioned. In their last meeting the King had assigned him the duty of designing a damn that would ensure enough irrigation to supply enough water to the farms so as to prevent famine especially should a war breakout.

"I have a plan your majesty and it is under..."

"I don't need a plan, I need evidence that it's going to work. I give you until tomorrow to come up with that plan else you will cease to exist in this council," The King scolded the pitiful looking scholar.

"I told you your majesty that you can not trust matters of such magnitude to amateurs," Professor Abu who had wanted the contract commented.

"I also do not trust people who have pre existing records of greed with enormous tasks so as not to lead them in to temptation," the King retorted and Prof Abu's face turned red.

"Now we shall move on to more pressing matters, I have decided to send an envoy to the queen of the east asking her if it is war she wants or not," The king announced to the council.

"My Lord you must not do so,"

"That will be a rash decision my Lord,"

"Let us discuss this further, your majesty,"

The King's decision was met with opposition all over the room.

"Silence!" The King bellowed and the room fell quiet.

"The decision has been made. I am merely informing you to fulfill formalities," The King said making eye contact with a few of them.

"Your majesty?" Professor Abu tried to get the attention of the King.

"Prof you may speak," the King granted the professor an opportunity to speak.

"Thank you your majesty, please can you allow us understand this decision you have decided to take?" Professor Abu asked.

"I refuse to allow anyone hold the sovereignty of my Kingdom in their hands. I refuse to cower in fear not only because that is what Shiar wants but because my ancestors who were great warriors would be turning in their graves. If it is war and wants then we shall fight and fight shall we fight not unto our deaths but unto victory, Anyone say aye?" The King says with authority.

"Aye," The council of seven hailed, they were happy their King was finally taking firm steps to oppose their adversary.