Bitter Hearts: A Dark Cinderella Retelling

Fourteen

Present Day

      The village was once again in mourning and General Pricha was confused about what to do. Liu had been poisoned just like Zenaida and the note found on him was similar to the note found on her, they even ended the same way. The killer had struck again.

Liu's death threw the General off balance, he had really believed that he was the killer, could it be, that he knew something they didn't? The killer did mention not wanting him to ruin their plan, didn't he? The General ran his hands through his dreadlocks wondering why he was plagueing himself with questions he would never get answers to, the one who would have answered them was gone and all that was left of him a carcass shell, empty!

"What am I to do?" he sighed.

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Princess Zenobia stared at the women before her with madden malicious eyes. She was enraged and bereaved at the same time, her sister, oh her very own twin sister was dead, poisoned by one of these beady eyed women not meeting her gaze. She knew Makani wasn't the killer, she was too feebleminded to be so she knew it was between Mia and Nairobi, Zenaida's neighbour.

"Begin the process!" she screamed at the wrinkled old man. She had demanded that the people suspected to have a hand in her sister's death be made to swear to the gods of their innocence. And so she had gotten her way. They were currently at the center of the village and the villagers had gathered round to witness the process.

"Yes my Princess," the man  replied. As soon as he said this a sudden hush came upon the villagers and they watched eagerly with wide eyes and closed mouths.

The chief priest sat on the ground shaking a beaded stick over a bronze decorated vessel in the shape of a snail shell, surmounted by a spotted animal, mumbling incantations. He gave the vessel to the women to drink mumbling more incantations, making them swear with their lives of their innocence. All eyes were on Mia, Makani and Nairobi, including the King, his son and his Generals that were sitting in a reserved area, as everyone watched to look if something out of the ordinary would happen. Nothing happened. They looked and looked but that which was their expectation wasn't forthcoming. They started dispersing when it became apparent that nothing was going to happen immediately.

Duevessa who had stood by a lone corner, grit her teeth. She had let this go on for too long, she thought to herself. She was going to end this and that girl was going to be sorry she attempted this madness.

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Mia had left the village center as soon as she could, she could feel the General's murderous stare on her the whole time and it felt uncomfortable.

She wanted to go to their cliff out by the river but she had a feeling that he would follow her out there and so she changed her mind and walked wherever the forest led her, her iro(wrap skirt) flowing in the wind.

She walked for a while till she heard a branch snap. Her heart stopped beating, an inexplicable fear consuming her, was somebody following her? She scanned the forest floor in front of her,eyes searching for something she could defend herself with. Once she did, she grabbed unto a large stone and sharply turned around ready to haul her makeshift weapon at her stalker but she froze as she locked eyes with him.

"Once again a pebble is not going to protect you from me," General Pricha said grimly.

"I-I...why were you following me?" She said finding her voice.

"You don't get to ask the questions here," he sneered, his voice turning harsh, causing Mia to gulp and keep silent.

"Is that why you didn't tell me your name, is it?"  he asked not looking at her.

"I-I...no, yes, I just didn't want you to know that the villagers were being cruel to me," Mia confessed tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Here I was thinking that we had some kind of fairytale romance, the type our grandmother's tell us about in legends,"

"But we don't, because you're a bloodthirsty murderer, you..." he continued.

"I'm not a murderer," Mia screamed interrupting him.

"I'm not," she whispered choking on her own tears.

"Mia do I look like a fool? You alone have the most reason to want them dead," he spat, hate in his eyes, calling her by her name for the first time.

"I don't understand what you mean by that but no, you're not a fool but I didn't do it, I didn't kill them I swear!" she begged reaching out to hold his arm.

"I know they maltreated you, I know they robbed you of having a Prince as a husband," he said quietly.

"I-I,"

"Save it, they hurt you and now you want them dead and so you're taking them down one by one," he whispered, walking around her.

"I did not kill them, I'm not a murderer, you have to believe me," Mia begged, clinging to his arms.

"Liar!" He screamed.

"We shall see about that in the village court," he said after he had composed himself, a glint of resolve clear in his caramel eyes.

He pushed off her hands that were holding him and walked back towards the village, leaving her sitting on the forest floor, a crying mess. If only he had waited a little longer and observed the forest more he would have known that he wasn't the only one who followed her into the forest.

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