Desert Heat

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: PROOF

"If you dare lie to me during this entire trail, I will have your head cut off and fed to the crocodiles," King Aziz threatened the servant. Lily stared, not believing what she was hearing; these words were coming from her loving husband.

"I will tell you nothing but the truth, my king." The servant girl responded, but not once did she look up at her king.

"Good. My wife claims that you were in the kitchen with her when she poured my lemonade; she also claims that the lemonade was pre-made. Is that true?" King Aziz asked. His heart was filled with hatred; the only woman that he had ever given his heart to was accused of poisoning him, and the mounting evidence against her was not helping matters. Deep down, King Aziz hoped that someone would prove him wrong, that indeed his wife was innocent and it was all a misunderstanding.

"It is true that when I walked into the kitchen, the queen was already pouring lemonade into the cup for the king." The servant confessed, and her admission calmed King Aziz's heart enough to make him believe that his wife was indeed innocent of this heinous crime. He held back his smile even though his heart was filled with joy.

"So what you are saying is that my wife was not the one who made the lemonade for me?" King Aziz asked the servant as he impatiently awaited the answer that would set his wife free of the accusation.

"No, my king." The servant responded, and the crowd began to murmur. King Aziz's pupils widened; he was confused as to what was going on.

"I do not understand what you are trying to say." King Aziz asked the servant, and for the first time, the young servant looked into the king's eyes.

"What I am saying, my king, is that when I walked into the kitchen, the queen was already pouring the lemonade for the king, but I know that earlier in the day she was the one who insisted that she make the lemonade and not me." There was an uproar in the throne room as everyone had something to say. Lily, on the other hand, stood frozen, her hands no longer balled into a fist, as she wondered what was going on.

King Aziz turned from the servant and stared into his wife's eyes as a single teardrop fell from her eyes.

"I did not do it," Lily mouthed, but not even that seemed to have softened his hardened heart. Lily turned her attention to the servant as she wondered why such a girl would lie about her.

For what seemed like forever, Lily searched her mind for the memory of that day, and she was sure that she did not make that lemonade for her husband.

"Thank you; you are dismissed," King Aziz told the servant girl. The servant girl nodded her head, turned away from the king, and walked past Lily. The entire time the servant walked past her, Lily caught a glimpse of her eyes; she could see no remorse from the servant girl. There was no remorse for the lie that she had told.

Now it all made sense to her what Tom had said: this kingdom was filled with greedy people who would do anything for money, even if it meant they could sell their conscience.

"Queen Lily, do you have anything to say?" Prince Amaan asked her. Lily raised her head, and she looked at her husband in the eyes.

"I want to speak to my husband," She demanded from Amaan, and his eyes widened as though he were shocked at what Lily had said.

"How dare you call the King your husband?" Prince Amaan raised his voice at Lily; she turned her attention to Amaan, and Lily wanted to do nothing but reach for him and slap him across the face.

"Before you speak to me like I am some sort of peasant, let me remind you that I am your queen, and before King Aziz is King, he is my husband," Lily boldly told Prince Amaan, and her words shocked the crowd. Never had the people had such a bold queen who freely spoke her mind.