"Your Majesty, I beseech you, grant me passage to Sereath," Maya implored, her voice quaking with emotion. In that fleeting moment, however, her demeanor transformed with startling intensity. "Nay, you must allow me to proceed to Sereath," she asserted with unwavering determination.
A palpable finality resonated in her tone. Her eyes blazed with indignation, revealing a defiant spirit that none had dared to display before him. She understood the potential consequences of her words but was astute enough to discern the paternal affection he held for her. Unfazed, she wielded that love as leverage, confident that the debts he bore and the principles he upheld would prevent him from harming one who dared challenge his authority.
"Your Majesty, you alone are the architect of these rules. Each protest, provided it remains within the parameters you have delineated, warrants your response. I awaited your presence at the gate, yet you never graced me with your arrival."
"Child, you are well aware that your demands shall not be met. What is the purpose of this discourse? You know my answer."
"Are you not a king? Supreme and magnificent? Uphold the laws you have forged; otherwise, you risk becoming a hypocrite."
"Doctor!" John exclaimed, astonished by her audacity. He marveled at her courage—was it bravery or mere folly? He spoke sharply, hoping to restore her composure. Yet, as he gazed at her, she turned to him, challenging him with her unwavering gaze. That single look rendered him momentarily speechless. Had she always been so unyielding? Still, he pressed on.
"You are here to present your case, not to challenge His Majesty." Their eyes locked in a fierce standoff, as though a silent war raged between them.
"Permit her to express her thoughts; after all, you summoned her here, did you not?" the king interjected, his authority reverberating throughout the chamber.
At his words, Maya stepped back momentarily, her gaze fixed on John before turning to the king. She then stepped forward, her posture emanating strength. The sorrow that had once clouded her visage dissipated, replaced by a fierce ambition. It was as though she radiated purpose, ablaze with determination.
"I implore you, I must go to Sereath. I stand as the sole individual capable of extinguishing this epidemic. The treatment I have meticulously devised is nearing completion and shall soon be ready for implementation. I have rendered you this service; therefore, I entreat you to grant me what is rightfully mine. Allow me to journey to Sereath and confront the epidemic at its source."
The king's voice rumbled with warning. "Child, I have pronounced my refusal, yet you persist without trepidation. You, too, have forgotten the decorum befitting one before a king. Though I harbor a fondness for you, do not overstep your bounds. I possess the power to imprison you for life should I so desire."
"Yet here I stand, unscathed. Despite the countless times I have questioned you, I remain unconfined."
"That is solely due to..."
"Due to your affection for me. You cherish me as the daughter you lost," Maya shouted, her voice rising in indignation. "Your Majesty, I implore you to look closely and see. I am not your daughter."
"You insolent wretch..." The king seethed, fury evident in his expression, yet Maya pressed on. She was weary of being restrained by emotions from those she had never welcomed.
"You profess to love me, yet you have never truly perceived me for who I am. You have loved your deceased daughter through my guise. Do you and Duchess Elizabeth deem me a fool? Who is Maya? You never made an effort to discover the truth. Do not belittle me as a person. Cease imprisoning me in the vestiges of your lost love."
Silence enveloped the chamber. The king fell silent, his expression inscrutable. Maya stood resolute, her gaze locked with his, embodying unyielding determination. John, rendered speechless, remained an observer, witnessing the emotional tumult before him. Maya's strength was palpable, yet he could perceive the disappointment and sorrow she fought to conceal. She hastily wiped away the few tears that dared to emerge. John felt an unfamiliar longing stir within him
YOU ARE READING
MAYA, my love.
RomanceShe moved to withdraw from his hold but he pulled her back. "Please don't go. Not today. I can't bare that today." he pleaded, his eyes filled with desperation. She paused, and the weight of the day's emotions and decisions seemed to tilt the balanc...
