'Knock! Knock!'
Burying her face between her knees, Aylin was sitting silently, lost in her thoughts. She needed more time to erase the pain that was rioting within her. The thought of betrayal was still tormenting her. She felt wretchedness of mine she had never known before.
She lost count of the time and the monotonous sounds of hoofbeats and the jerking of palanquin were making her dizzy. The pain in her heart became a sick and fiery gnawing when a gentle knock at the closed door of the palanquin startled her.
She swallowed the despair in her throat as she asked in a trembling tone while wiping her teary eyes, "Yes?"
A formal tone of one of the guards answered from outside, "Princess, we have arrived. Should we open the door for you?"
"Oh! Yes…"
Instantly, with a low, wooden sound, the door of the palanquin opened.