Kitanna
Chapter 40: QUEEN DOWAGER’S GAMBIT

Chapter 40: QUEEN DOWAGER’S GAMBIT

[MUSIC RECOMMENDATION:THE GAMBLER~ KENNY ROGERS]

The next morning, Kitanna sat on her bed, waiting for Nix to come and report for duty. He had told her the day before not to go anywhere without him. Kitanna blushed when she realized she was actually obeying his instructions without being forced.

"Princess Kitanna, the one whose beauty blooms every morning. You seem to be in a happy mood," Clephas smiled as he watched the princess, who was moving her leg on the bed like she was waiting for someone.

"Oh Clephas, you should really be promoted. Well, I am in a very happy mood, or do you suggest I weep?" Kitanna asked, replacing her blush with a grin.

Clephas shook his head; the princess never allowed him to comment nicely in peace. "I’m glad you’re in a happy mood..." He decided to end the discussion.

"Clephas, are you trying to make brief conversation with me? You know it’s not po..." Kitanna was still trying to tease her friend when the door opened loudly, and the royal guards, who were fully armed, barged inside her room.

"Protect the princess, capture the traitor!" The leader of the guards ordered loudly.

Kitanna stood confused; she did not understand what was going on or who they were calling a traitor.

"What is the meaning of this? On whose order are you doing this!?" She questioned, trying to stop the guards from moving any further.

"Princess Kitanna, This is the king’s order, capture the traitor Clephas, who tried to assassinate the princess and stop anyone who comes in the way of this order. Force can be used if the traitor refuses to cooperate." The leader read from a parchment which had the royal seal.

"I am not a traitor; I will never harm the princess... Princess Kitanna, I don’t know what’s going on," Clephas tried to explain, but his explanations were short-lived as two guards forcefully dragged him.

"Stop! Don’t treat him like that! Clephas will never do that; I can vouch on his behalf." Kitanna tried to stop the guards, but she was held back by three other guards.

"Don’t lay your hands on me! You people should take him but don’t hurt him; I will go meet the King right now; there is a mix-up somewhere." Kitanna said, wriggling herself out of the hold while Clephas was dragged out of the room.

Kitanna paced back and forth; she had been distracted that she forgot the type of person Almaria was. She closed her eyes and tried to think of something, if the queen dowager made such a move, it means she has backup. Kitanna bit her lips, the moment when she needed Nix the most. After thinking for some time, she left the room.

At the other side of the palace, two palace maids who were piling dirty clothes to go and wash in the river stopped to gossip.

"Did you hear that they have caught the culprit?" One of the maids whispered.

"What culprit?" The second maid who was very much interested in the gossip asked.

"The person who tried to assassinate the princess," the maid answered.

Axilla, who was separating her laundry, stopped for a moment to look at the maids. The maids noticed her eyes on them and stopped talking.

Axilla packed the clothes she was supposed to wash and started walking to the princess’s chamber.

She entered the room, but the princess was not there. Axilla felt her left hand tingle; it was never a good sign.

.....

Kitanna stood in front of the king’s chamber requesting to enter but she was denied entry. She tried to force her way in, but it was not possible because the guards pulled her back.

"Khelan, let me in! We need to talk; Clephas is not the culprit," Kitanna raised her voice.

Khelan finally stepped out of his chamber, standing beside him was the queen dowager.

Kitanna ignored Almaria and moved to talk to her brother.

"Khelan, I can vouch for Clephas. He is not the culprit!"

Almaria cleared her throat, "Kitanna, how can you vouch for him when all evidence points at him? If you keep up with this, people will get the wrong idea that you staged your own death." She sneered.

Kitanna turned to look at Almaria; she gritted her teeth in anger. She forgot the act that she has been putting up about her memory loss.

"I will like to see the evidence and the person who brought it forward," she answered, speaking through her teeth.

Almaria noticed the fierceness with which the girl spoke; her eyes were raging in uncontrolled anger.

The queen dowager basked in the Kitanna’s bitterness.

"Kitanna, you need to mind the tone you use with mother; she is the queen dowager. We are going to the trial ground now where judgment will be passed. I know it is hard to believe it because he is your most trusted servant. But as the saying goes, our enemy is always the one closer to us." Khelan said, trying to calm Kitanna down.

Kitanna scoffed, "Of course, our enemy is always the one closer to us that hides just under our skin." She glared at Almaria intently.

Khelan and Almaria walked past Kitanna and made their way to the judgment ground.

Kitanna stood there alone, she remembered how she felt that night they made an assassination attempt on her life.

She started walking to the judgement ground when she saw Axilla running to where she was.

"Princess Kitanna, the White Lord asked me to give you this." Axilla panted heavily due to the run.

Kitanna quickly took the folded paper and read through the contents. "Everything will be fine. Wait for me," she read the words repeatedly. Then she turned to look at Axilla, who was still trying to catch her breath.

"Where did he give you this?" Kitanna asked.

"Immediately I heard the news, I went to your room but you were not there, so I went to look for the White Lord. He said our tribe was poisoned through our main water source. He gave me the paper to give to you." Axilla responded, her words coming out breathy.

Kitanna clenched her fist; Almaria went as low as to poison the people of Wahels. If she did that, does that mean she knows that Nix was no longer on her side? She thought to herself.

Kitanna looked at the words on the paper again, inhaled deeply, and started walking to the place with Axilla behind her.

When they got to the judgment ground, everyone was already settled.

Larel did not sit close to Khelan; instead, she came to sit close to Kitanna. She stretched her hand and held Kitanna’s own closely.

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