Lovers' Sin

SCENE V

Arthur:

I wake up tied in ropes.
They are all around me.
I can barely move, and less, escape.
I am locked in a dark room with a fellow prisoner.
I have an open wound, close to my parietal. It hurts and keeps bleeding.

"You are incarcerated. There is no need to move, friend. It's no use in here!" The young man says.

I am not even focusing on these ropes holding me to that place. My heart is just longing to see my dearest.

"Where's Candace? My sweetheart. Where is she, for I am lovesick?"

There appear Amul and Candace's other brothers. They stare at me struggling in the strong cords on the floor.

Amul:

"You should have taken your leave and never make your apparition after being turned down from your position in the Castle, Arthur.
Why did you allow thyself to bring such a deadly condemnation upon thy life, as to anger the King? You have gotten fooled by my sister's charm, which I am sure she used against thee to make you crawl and kiss her feet to save you from here."

Arthur:

"Do not use your venomous lips to speak against her, Amul! Her love is purer than gold and its weight in silver. You are just jealous to see that you'll never be king, for she belongs more to that throne than thee since you are the half blood of the King."

Amul:

"Speak not about defeat, for I will be defeated the day I'll stop breathing. She won't be queen, especially after making the mistake of running away with you. Bear that in thy mind."

Arthur:

"Thy false sympathy could shake an ocean, Amul. It would cause those blue seas to boil with languishing and pity. How canst thou be so envious towards thine own sister? She's thy blood!"

Tekle:

"Thou hast the most faultless logic. But I fear that you do not appreciate the life that God gave you, for you have endangered our sister by keeping her in that village. You have dragged sorrow over the castle since our father had not rested his head while knowing that she was with you. Besides, you are accusing our brother of such infamy, as to envy Candace. Where is the reasoning in that?"

Gigar:

"Putting a household in mourning is a sin to us. Thy soul will rot in here if the power to decide the punishment thee shall receive falls into mine hands, for I know that thou hast blackened the name of our sister. I wish you never made your return to the castle after I gave strict orders that you do not step across the gate. I shall have father punish those guards, for they have failed in to assure Candace's safety."

Arthur:

"My heart is stained with my love for Candace. It bleeds and hurts as much as a fish's throat caught in a hook. I couldn't fight the desire of responding to her demand. Taking her away was her wish. Believe me! I only did what was requested of me."

Gigar:

"This is blasphemy! If the King ever heard thy speech, he would have definitely ordered that you suffer the death penalty. Take no chances also, calling her by her name as you try to defend thyself."

Arthur:

"If that can assuage thy minds, I will call her through the proper title. I am an Israelite. I follow our customs and I live as a devoted Jew. I fear the true God and I know that it would've been wrongful of me to disgrace your majesty, by depriving her of her dignity which I had not taken until we got married."

Gigar:

"Thou will not remain unpunished for such a wicked act! You have betrayed thy King for violating our Law."

Arthur:

"As long as I get allowed to see her face again, I won't fear the penalty that I shall be given. Not even death makes me shiver since I know that your sister loves me. Negus Haile is thy King, not mine. He deserves my respect, but not my surrender to his daughter's love, which is too precious to reject."

Tekle lifts up his bow, directing his arrow to launch at me, with fury in his eyes. As he breathes out, the place falls silent just as a cave, where the dead sleeps. His snorts are as terrifying as an angry horse's. He is a good Archer. His arrow won't miss me if he lets it slip through his fingers to hit the middle of my chest. However, my heart stands firm towards the danger. I have an arrow aimed at me, and yet, I am not frightened. I am not weak, for the thoughts of my dearest fill up my mind and though leave no room for fear. I will love Candace even if I carry my love for her down to the grave with me. As for our love, it will not die. On the contrary, our love will paint my coffin in a colourful pyramid. It will transform that cave into paradise. Her tears will be the rain that the Earth needs to produce again. They will make the trees grow tall and the moon continue to smile at night. Yes! My name would be engraved on her heart, and I'm satisfied with that.

Amul:

"Put down thy bow, for he's not worthy of you staining thine hands with his deceitful blood. Father will take care of the matter and even better! I know he won't pity him. Not a bit!"

Tekle stops drawing weight on the bowstring and lowers the weapon down. He pushes the arrow back into the quiver. They all follow Amul, turning his back to leave. Since they still don't understand his indirect conspiracy against the King, which I know about but have no evidence for. Gigar and Tekle throw me a furious glare just before they walk out. I am not surprised to be presently confined because I married my dearest. But I do feel overwhelmed by fright, the one of not seeing her again. I miss her. May she find me, for the thirst of being with her is strangling me with force.