The door to the hall opened, and Jeanne walked in, feeling disoriented. She couldn’t place her hand on the reason the king summoned her, the king is hard to see.
Although they both live inside the palace, even his concubine might not sight him for two months. His presence is so scarce.
For the past three months, she hadn’t sighted the king, standing closely to him made her wonder if the king had found out Xena lied to him.
Her heart thumped, thinking of the outcome if the king found out.
She ransacked her brains, trying to find a way out for Xena, if eventually the king find out.
She wouldn’t mind to get hurt, then letting Xena lose favor with the king.
“Good day… My lord” She greeted and bowed her head towards the king.
Just then her face traveled to where Xena stood, hoping she would notify her of the reason she was brought in, but she didn’t look her way, rather she held a frowned expression, facing the king directly.
Although Xena considered signaling her, but knowing Jeanne’s personality, she might not understand her signal, the king might catch her in the process.
She knitted a frowned brow, though she was feeling heavily, but she tried to calm herself down, hoping Jeanne would deny the man just like she did.
”You are welcome, Jeanne. The man on the ground said you know him” The king asked and pointed to him.
His eyes fixed on her, wanting to confirm whether she would lie or not, although he was certain that she won’t lie in his presence.
His deadly aura is enough to force words out of people’s mouths.
”My lord….” She stammered and looked at Xena’s face again, hoping she would say something to let her know her intent, but still Xena wasn’t looking her way.
”Yes or No” Malik said in a curt tone, letting her know that she is wasting his time.
”Yes, I know him my lord” She replied hurriedly, knowing the king hate to be delayed
A shock left Xena’s heart, hearing her friend’s response, she clenched her fist in anger, her eyes seeming with anger at that moment, and her hardened gaze moved and landed on Jeanne.
She finally accepted that there is no way out of here, she regretted of not forcing her way in last might, she thought she might have found a way of escape.
The king looked at her feeling disappointed, he knows that Xena was lying, but he had a trust of doubt.
Moreover, she’s the only person among his woman he thought would never lie to him since she practically has access to him which the other’s woman didn’t have, but right now, he felt disappointed at her,
”Okay Jeanne, but the man said you delivered him a document to translate on concubine Xena behalf”
“Nooooo” She said, and her ankle landed on the ground.
“No, your highness… Concubine Xena didn’t know anything about it. Two days ago, she came in with a document and she was feeling exhausted that day.
She informed me that she wants to rest after she told me the document she came in with belonged to the king, and she wanted to translate it.
She hadn’t started the translation when she fell into deep sleep, so I think of a way to help her with the work, so I took the document and have to the man to translate, but concubine Xena didn’t know anything about it, I planned it alone”
“My lord, can you hear her now? I didn’t know anything about it, she planned it herself” Xena cuts in even before Jeanne could finish with the word, her expression lightened up instantly, and she was excited knowing she had escaped the problem.
“Jeanne might not be dumb as I thought,”she mumbled under the breath, smiling inwardly.
“Silence, one more word from you Xena, and you would regret what I will do”he thundered, sending fears to everyone in the hall.
Malik looked at Jeanne’s face, and he could detect the girl is trying to receive the blame for her friends, perhaps there is nothing wrong in covering up for your friends, but he hated the fact that Xena felt no remorse for putting the girl in trouble right now.
He loves to protect a friend that can put himself into trouble for his sake, not to enjoy making the friend suffer for his errors.
Presently, he isn’t angry at Xena for lying to him, rather he felt saddened knowing Xena is changing from whom she knows her as before. A caring maid who laid down her life just to protect his mother.
Where is that caring maid? He wondered.
He hoped he hadn’t made a mistake by making her his concubine just to protect her and repay her good deeds to his mother.
Maybe I over pampered her.
After a sickening silence for some minutes, no one dared to breathe out, not even Xena. They were all afraid, until he broke the silence and ordered Jeanne to go back into her chamber.
“Guard” he called, and instantly a guard walked in, and his ankle landed on the ground.
“Take this man into prison, let him spend one week there and make sure he wasn’t given food for three days, let him reflect on his sins”He decrees.
The man tried to crawl towards his side, pleading for mercy, but the guard carried him out before he could reach where the king was seated.
Although he considered letting the man go freely, his kingly side won’t allow him. It’s an insult to his title that a citizen dared to lie to him because he’s following his concubine decree.
Remaining with him, his concubine, he stood up and moved closer to her, paddling round the hall thinking of the better way to punish her.
He had wanted to tongue lashed her before the man and Jeanne, but he didn’t. He didn’t want to disrespect her in front of the man, rather, she discharged him before blasting Xena.
” I’m disappointed in you Xena, you lied, yet you felt happy and proud that your friends took the blame on your behalf”
“My lord. I didn’t lie, it was Jeanne that did it, not me” She defended herself, still not feeling guilty for lying and this thing she is doing is making the king angrier.
“Your lies almost make me punish her an innocent girl” the king snapped at her;
“But my king Aurora was a murdered, she deserved to die, she deserved to walk through the town in nakedness. Although it is unclear to me why my king, these few days you are being lenient towards the girl, who knows whether she didn’t translate herself, the librarian might be the one that helped her out.
My lord, please don’t reverse the punishment you have decreed on her, let her face the wrath of our people for killing the late king”
“Enough” The king voice echoed making Xena trembled
He was damned angry that she is shifting her error on people.
“Evans”he called angrily and Evans came in instantly.
“Escort concubine Xena into the Royal prison, she will have to reflect on her sins for three days but make sure no one visit her and make sure the maids serve her whatever food she demands for”
“What” The shock on her face was massive, she had never thought the king would put her into prison.
“Yes, my king” Evans replied.
“My king, you can’t do this to me. I’m your favorite woman”
She was angry and astonished, thinking of what will become of her among the kings’ women.
She wasn’t bothered by going into the prison, rather bothered by the gossip and ridicule that would follow.
“My k…i…n…g”
“Shut up, and follow him, go and learn your errors and sin”
The king said, instantly her mouth couldn’t produce another word out, she clamped her mouth and followed Evans obediently.
She was boiling in rage as she walked after Evans, planning for her revenge. She wanted to make Aurora pay for this, she’s blaming her for this.
“How did that murderer understand French?” She wondered.