Changing lives constantly: The main

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

In a separate location, the chief was getting ready to go to that hut and confront Edena on her daily visits outside the village. From the intelligence that he collected from one of his spies from the network, the villagers would head to that hut later in the day followed by high ranking officials and nobles so they could condemn that family once for and all. The history of that family runs deep to the first chief of this village. When this village was first created, there were hardly any families here except for the founders. They founded this village because they wanted protection from the outside world. Edena's family was one of the first families to build a hut; a place to live in.

Moreover, the chiefs always held this family in high regard as they had the most hunters and boys than any other family. All their women and girls were coveted as they always gave birth to boys instead of girls. Because of all this, the family had a lot of power and say in politics and the ruling of the village. However, as many more families migrated to the village, they protested against the power and prestige of the family and began plotting their downfall. The family kept on resisting and avoiding traps laid out for them until 10 years ago.

Over the years, other families also dominated the village and Edena's family lost power and control steadily. Furthermore, in the last decade, for some reason, instead of having many sons like they used to, the family had 3 daughters: Mira, Freya and Edena and only a measly 2 sons. The head of the family could have gotten a concubine to increase the number of sons that he had but he was much to devoted to his wife Carina. In the end, their family was framed for treason and all the families voted unanimously for the death of the whole family.

Since the chief had regarded all their achievements from before, he decided to spare all the women and kill all the men. Although this was 'sparing them', he was also leaving the family no way out to be able to rise again because to be able to gain power, you needed hunters. Girls cannot hunt therefore they cannot eat and the family will deteriorate. Soon after the death of her sons and husband, the mother died of an alleged heart attack leaving the 12-year-old Edena to look after the little children and fend for herself. This was a hard task which Edena struggled to manage.

Thinking about all of this, the chief sighed heavily, almost as if he had lived through Edena's hardships and sorrow. In his mind, an image of a cute but sophisticated and mature girl was drawn. He could not help but fantasize about what it would feel like if she was in his arms fully willing to be his wife in both body and soul. He knew that he had five wives already. But that was the custom of chiefs in the village. He could not change that and he was bound by his own title. He only saw the girl once but he fell in love with her instantaneously.

Ironically, they had never spoken before and every time he gathered up courage by pushing out his chest and walking around arrogantly but she never spared him a glance at those assemblies. She always kept her head down. Worrying about what to eat the next day. Worrying about whether she and her sisters would have a place to live. She worried so much that he became worried too. He helped her in secret and protected her from the elders. Every single proposal that they brought as evidence for her destruction was rejected by him. He was just hoping that she could notice him.

The chief started walking stealthily in the shadows completely hiding himself from the people in the day time. It was a rash decision to leave the chief house at that time of day but her safety really concerned him. As he got closer to the hut, he slowed down as he actually considered it from her point of view. Some stranger that she never met and probably loathes for putting her family in their current situation walked into their house just to see how she was doing? Unbelievable!

Shaking his head to get rid of negative thoughts, he walked on and slipped through a broken hedge with withering leaves before getting into the man part of the house. From there, he saw a scandalous scene: the love of his life, next to her sisters, holding a baby. 'Whose baby is that?' he thought 'Must be one of the villager's ones. But they are not close to anyone in the village so whose it is?' However, what he heard next confirmed an impossibility. Mira shouted: "I am sooo excited to have a baby nephew! Edena, this baby is just too gorgeous. You don't even look alike but l guess sometimes things just happen." HER BABY?!

Author note: You got a gist of the back story but thats not all that there is to it. I know the story is progressing quite slowly but it is a slice of life so...yeah. Enjoy!