Chapter 28

In the dark forest

Dusk

The man but with red hair and green eyes looks on at the unconscious body of Rehabi. His eyes bears no guilt at the misfortune that has befallen the young woman. He looks on at the slave mistress that just hit Rehabi to unconsciousness. He blinks his eyes and then opens his mouth to speak.

"I have done what you asked of me to do, give me my wife and child so that we can resume our journey", he says.

No one answers him, Instead the task mistress bends down to have a proper look at Rehabi's face. She smoothens the hair out if Rehabi's face and says to no one in particular, " She is a very pretty one. It would be a shame to cover such a face with dirt and mud."

Rana walks over to where Rehabi's unconscious body is and holding a lantern to her face says, "Right."

The master- the one who stopped Rana from hitting the boy who talked too much- goes over als and then he commands a slave master to carry Rehabi.

The man but with red hair and green eyes walks over to the Master and says, "What about my wife and my child?"

The master doesn't answer him instead he gives commands to his people to hurry up so that Roban would not wait for too long. The man but with red hair and green eyes keeps on disturbing the master. The master turns to look at him and says, "You have to follow me if you wish to see her." The man but with red hair and green eyes agrees and he begins to follow the master and his companions. He is in deep thought, he had only placed a sweet kiss on his wife's forehead, taken a few steps forward when he was faced with the master and his companions, he had begged for help untill from them thinking that they were righteous enough to help him until they told him that they were slave masters. He became scared and begged them to spare his wife and his unborn child but they gave him two choices to choose from. It was either they took his family away from him or he found a replacement for them. He chose the latter option. He didn't feel guilty at all for what he did instead he blamed the young woman for being gullible, he felt she was a fool for agreeing to help him that easily. He hoped his wife and children were safe. He was moving away from the former place he dwelt in search for safer lands and greener pastures.

"We are here", said the master.

The man but with red hair and green eyes looked ahead of him, he saw they were in a camp, it wasn't really far from the place where the unfortunate woman was caught unawares.

"Rana", the master said, "inquire."

Rana nodded and moved over to one of the smaller tents, she opens it and steps inside. Standing with her legs spread apart and her right hand interwoven with her left, she asks, "How far with the mother and the child."

One if the old women stands up and looks at Rana saying, "The child good, the mother bad."

"How bad?"

"She's fighting for her life."

"While she still fights for her life, the child."

"A man child."

Rana looks at the woman who just brought forth a life into their world amd turns to leave the tent. She walks up to the master and whispers something in his ear. The master looks in the direction of the tent that Rana came out from and he changes his line if his vision to look at the man but with red hair and green eyes and he walks up to him and stops. The other man looks at the master with great anticipation and the master says,

"Today seems to be your lucky day. Your wife brought a new life into this wicked world."

The man but with red hair and green eyes becomes joyful, he smiles deeply and says to th master, "Can I see my wife and my child."

"No", the master stops him before he can move towards the tent from where Rana came out from.

" I do not understand, why is that so?"

" You were asked to bring two persons to replace your wife and your unborn child so that they would not be taken into slavery but alas my good man, You brought only one soul. Luckily for you, it is a woman."

" What are you trying to say?"

" What this means is that you are going to have to make a choice to choose between the newborn child or the mother of the child."

" And if I refuse?", The man interjects.

" Then I'll run you through with my sword.", Another taskmaster says. This statement makes the man but with red hair and green eyes turn to look at the one who spoke those words but the master laughs and he turns to look back at the master.

The master pats his back and tells him, "choose wisely, we don't have much time left or we will choose for you." The master pats him some more on his back before walking away.

*****

In the black kingdoms castle

The queen's chambers

Rehabi stands with the letter of invitation brought by the darelian. She has already read the contents of the letter and she has a pleasant expression on her face.

Sir Edward is also in her chambers with her. He walks a little to her and begins to speak.

"Our queen. Your orders have been followed and with the aid of Hannah's orb, we have been able to get the women who are very likely to be pregnant with the child of prophecy."

" Very good."

" The only thing left now is the letter brought here by the darelian which is left for you to decide if..."

" I will be gracing the occasion with my presence."

" But my queen, there are more pressing matters to be dealt with and..."

Queen Becca turns and answers sir Edward saying with finality, " And you will send for Evan as I have something of great importance to discuss with him."

Sir Edward bows and walks away with Becca looking at his retreating figure.