Xena’s body trembled with fear as she stood there, as Minster still held the document in his hand. The king’s eyes scrutinized the scroll as he turned his gaze toward the minister of accounting. She felt her whole world collapse, trapped in a nightmare.
“What are you doing here?” The king’s voice was icy, jolting her back to reality.
“I… I…” Xena stammered, feeling utterly helpless as Jaguar approached the minister and gently took the scroll from her shaking hands.
“Your Highness, the scroll…” Xena’s heart sank as she grasped the gravity of her situation. The consequences would be dire if the document contained what they suspected. She wished she could vanish, but the king’s words reverberated through the hall, freezing her in place.
“Jaguar, read the scroll’s contents. Evans, send guards to find the criminal hiding in town. And when you locate the assassin, eliminate him immediately. Someone dared to set him free from prison.” The king’s tone brooked no argument, sending shivers down Xena’s spine.
Evans’s heart pounded like a war drum in his chest. His eyes darted toward Xena, and a pang of betrayal gnawed at his heart. Concubine Xena must have informed Jericho.
“What is written inside?” King Malik demanded, catching the intensity in Jaguar’s gaze as she read the scroll.
“My king, I cannot decipher it fully. It’s concealed within hidden terms, but the seal beneath indicates the treasonous group we’ve been hunting,” Jaguar replied, her voice tense with concern.
“No, my king!” the Minister of Accounting protested, and Xena’s face turned ashen with dread.
“Give it to me,” the king ordered, snatching the scroll from Jaguar’s hands. His eyes darted back and forth, his mind racing to unravel the cryptic message.
“Hmmm, your leader warned you never to admit guilt. He vowed to find a way to save you, and he made it clear that his own safety should be your top priority,” the king’s voice resonated with a mix of anger and fear, sending shivers through the room, leaving everyone trembling.
“Jaguar, take him to the dungeon. He has a lot to tell me tomorrow morning,” the king commanded. As Xena stood there, she let out a deep sigh, hoping that the king hadn’t grown suspicious of her.
But as Jaguar led the minister of accounting away, the man’s desperate pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. The king’s anger seemed to reach its boiling point. He believed that Aurora had either died or was close to death since he couldn’t get the antidote, and he couldn’t find his way back to Morena’s chamber.
“Tell me, since when did you choose my brother over me?” The king’s question sent a surge of adrenaline through Xena’s veins, making her feel as if her tongue was too heavy to speak. She had thought the king was oblivious to her deeds.
“Does his affection please you more than mine?” King Malik’s shocking question left Xena’s legs weak beneath her. She understood the severe consequences any woman faced if caught betraying the king’s trust.
“Please, my king, I don’t understand what you’re trying to say,” Xena managed to feign ignorance, though the weight of the accusation felt like accepting her execution.
“Really? You’re still lying. When did you become like this?” Malik’s words pierced her heart. When Evans reported her, the king had sent Evans to meet with Jaguar to go to Jericho’s chamber but before they could reach his chamber, the king himself had left his chamber to confirm the truth. It wasn’t because he loved her, for he held no such feelings. But he was hurt because he believed she was the only woman, aside from Morena, who would never betray him. Now, confronted with the painful reality, his trust in her shattered.
“My king, please, I know nothing about your accusations. If any concubine or the Queen tried to poison your heart against me, it’s all lies. Please, my king, don’t believe them. You are the only one I have, and I would never try to hurt you. Who am I? Just a mere slave that you made your concubine. Why would I betray your kindness?” Xena pleaded, tears streaming down her cheeks, trying desperately to appear genuine in the king’s eyes.
“I see. You must think I’m a fool, Xena,” the king retorted, hurt evident in his voice. “It pains me that you mistake the kindness I showed you because of a promise I made to my mother, for foolishness.” Before Xena could utter any more lies, the king called for the guards stationed outside.
The door swung open, and two guards hurried in, bowing their heads in reverence to the king.
“Take her to the prison,” the king muttered, his anger still simmering.
“My king, please hear me out,” Xena continued to plead, but a look at the king’s face told her she was in grave trouble.
“Don’t you dare touch me with your filthy hands!” she yelled at the guards, as she attempted to move closer to the king. But his thunderous voice stopped her in her tracks.
“You must think highly of yourself, telling them they have filthy hands. Remove her clothes and leave only her underwear. Throw her into the prison where slave slavers are kept. Treat her like a slave, not as a royal. Treat her harshly if she dares to defy you,” the king ordered, then turned away from the throne room, refusing to spare Xena another glance.
The guards’ expressions turned fierce, their eyes like that of angry predators seeking someone to devour. It was as if Xena had personally offended them, and they were eager to unleash their cruelty upon her. She was left trembling, facing the harsh reality of her fate in their hands.
As soon as the king departed, one of the guards attempted to grab Xena’s hand, but she swiftly pulled away. In an instant, a thunderous slap landed on her cheek, sending shockwaves of pain through her.
“Do you still think highly of yourself, you mere slave?” the guard taunted, his voice dripping with disdain. The other guard wasted no time and forcibly tore her clothes away, leaving her standing in her underwear, overwhelmed with shame and anger. Xena knew better than to protest, realizing they were ready to humiliate her without mercy.
“I suppose this is the body you’ve been flaunting around the palace, as if you are more beautiful than the other concubines,” one of the guards sneered.
“Don’t you think it would be amusing to call the other concubines to come and gaze at the king’s favorite?” the other guard maliciously suggested, relishing the idea of humiliating Xena further. Trembling with fear and tears blurring her vision, Xena knew the grave consequences she would face if the other concubines discovered her situation.
Without hesitation, the other guard nodded in agreement, ready to inform the other concubines of the king’s favorite’s disgraceful state.