The coal mining station, the source of coal production all over the country of Madom, located almost at the very edge section of Nome were usually filled with coal miners heading out in their evening shift at this hour. Men and women who aged above seventeen and below seventy were induced to work by the Law Lords of the kingdom without any compensating salary but bits of root crops just to alleviate their hunger.
The day after King Kalluper's death, the present administration took place and revised almost all the laws made by the ex-king with new inhumane laws resulting to forced labor in the place of Nome. The abused looks of the townsfolk, with garment wreck, pungent odor, swollen knuckles, coal dust out of their broken nails, and lines of their sunken faces struck the incoming lady who was panting hard.
"What are you doing here Calora? You're not supposed to be here!!!" her mother said in hiss, dragging her to a dim corner where no one can saw them.
"I just want to see you Nana" she replied softly, causing her mother's disapproving face to vanish.
"Calora dear, please head back to home".
"Here, I brought you food; you must be starving." she smiled, ignoring her request as she slid her hand into her handy bag, getting the cold camote out.
" Listen to me Calora", she said putting both of her hands into her daughter's shoulders. "Go back and sleep, I'll see you after my shift".
"Yay!! Let's eat this together, I'm also starving you know" once again she ignored her, unwrapping the food excitedly.
"CALORA!"
"I want to help you, can't you understand it? I'm already eighteen and I'm supposed to work here like those people of my age! she burst out, unable to control the emotion she had been taking through since the start of their conversation.
She tried to remember the first time her mother acted the way she was, when there were two Andabatas (soldiers in the kingdom who fought blindly and who fought wearing a helmet without eye openings.) who visited them in their house, delivering the news about the revision of the law, specifically the rule of law, amended by the king of Gratin. She tried questioning her many times, but she always had something in her mind and divert the topic to something non-threatening.
She dispersed her remaining bread from last night with shattered camote, carefully placing a banana leaf on it while her mother settled in a chain sawed tree, sitting expressionless. From this moment, they both remained silent, hearing none of their voices but the noise coming from the coal mining station. She broke the bread into two, giving the other half of it to her mother.
"Here, I made it for you", she said a little bit uneasy.
Her expression brightened at the treat. "Thank you". She replied.
Once again a deep-rooted silence occupied the entire surrounding as they began eating their food attentively. Suddenly she fell into a Gratinian accent, mimicking Princess Zathora, the spoiled unfriendly princess, who barely went out just to greet the king publicly every May first.
"I forgot! Happy 19th Birthday Calora!",she stood up and hugged her daughter tightly.
She wasted a couple of minutes before she realized what had happened.
"Oh my! Thank you Nana and I'm sorry, I'm sorry" she cried with joy and regret as she hugged her mother back. She was wrong for questioning her, she was wrong for doubting her, and she was wrong for talking back to her, when all her life she only wanted was her safety, no more, no less.
" Santana! "
"Present Commander!"
Voices coming from the mining station snapped them back to reality. "Oh Calora, It's okay, I'm okay, just go home hmm-kay? After my shift I'll be at home and we will celebrate your birthday, is it fine with you? ,she said wiping the tears sliding in the eyes of her daughter.
"Yes, Nana" she smiled.
"Sudarium!"
"Present Commander!"
"I should go back to work, Just be home and wait for me okay?"
She nodded. She turned her back at her, lighting up the lampad and waved her right hand as she gave her parting words.
"Goodbye, mom!"
*********************************************
Despite her effort to wrung her wrists free of the iron grip that held them, a woman around thirties was dragged by her captors inside the old castle, where its main door about twice the height of a normal citizen, was flamboyantly carved with an almost real Griffin (a creature with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion.) with wrath seen in its eyes, darting to anybody who would go inside the castle.
Had the situation been different, had she been merely an invited guest like she used to be, savoring exquisite foods and desserts, drinking the kingdom's sweet tawny effervescent wine served to her, making conversations with the other guest of the palace, she would have marveled at the royal red carpet, flaunting the elegance of her supposed to be evening dress she was now dragged over, so plushy that even her feet wearing sandals could feel the thick cottony threads gave way underfoot.
The gigantic walls were a mixture of gold-silver paint and delicately carved with dark blue fleurdelis lending daintiness to the center throne and its side throne, so different from the exterior part of the castle. She was led, kneeling down in a vast space front to where the king sat, with swords intersecting in front of her, now served as her mirror as she witnessed droplets of fluids flowing from her face.
Glances from the two ingenuity were thrown to her as if they had been struck speechless by her sudden appearance in front of them, but their face calmed hereafter. The woman was quite surprised by their similar reaction; she began to wonder if she misunderstood the reason on why she had been taken from work in her dress boutique, dragged into a waiting carriage and being threatened before it moved away and brought her to her present situation.
" Miss Della Crusca?".
The voice she barely heard was delaminating inside the throne's hall, so masculine and so infusive.
"Y-es your m-ajesty?" her voice trembled. Her eyes met his.
"So, you're the one they're talking about", he smiled. She was confused about what the king was pointing out.
"You're her cousin, right? maybe you know where she was hiding? Pricilla, your kind cousin" he added with sarcasm drawn in his voice.
It snapped her; just the name of her snapped her. She taught of her, a girl her senior about 2 years, whom she despised with, whom she didn't like ever since for causing much trouble to her, the woman she can't stand with and whom she wished dead by now.
"I don't know her y-our majesty" she lied. His face became serious, causing her skin to shiver.
"Let's get straight to the point lady, tell me where she is and we're done here", he said.
"B-ut your maje-".
"No more buts lady, you don't want to be feed by those hideous creatures outside the kingdom do you?", he smiled evilly.
"N-o, of course not y-our majesty", she replied in fear.
"Then tell me where your cousin is"
She thought of it for a second and then she replied her head's up.
"S-he's in Nome".
YOU ARE READING
The Last Heiress
Adventure"Where do you think you're going?" "I'm leaving obviously" she replied "What makes you think that you can?" he grinned "What are you talking about?" "You're not leaving princess" he smiled. "Nonsense! Back off I'm leaving," she said "hahahahaha" "W...
