Doubt coursed through Xena’s mind as she watched the hulking man, hoping against hope for a shred of mercy. But alas, mercy was a stranger in his eyes, replaced instead by a seething anger that simmered beneath his burly exterior.
With a thunderous rise, he towered over her, his gaze landing on the unfortunate canvas of clothes stained with vomit. At that moment, his anger exploded into a deafening cacophony that reverberated through the entire room, sending shivers down the spine of all who bore witness.
The very walls seemed to tremble in response to his enraged bellow, rousing the other men within the prison from their slumber. As their master’s voice boomed, they snapped to attention, their eyes darting around the room. Their collective focus then shifted to the source of their leader’s fury, and they locked onto the telltale evidence of Xena’s transgression.
“Kapoor!” They roared in unison, their feet slamming onto the ground in a synchronized display of loyalty. Yet, in that same moment, they realized the unexpected intruder among them – Xena, the woman who had dared to defile their Kapoor.
Without needing words, an unspoken understanding passed among them. They closed in on Xena like a pack of relentless wolves, each step fueled by a burning desire to avenge their beloved Kapoor.
“Please, please don’t hurt me! I’m just a woman!” Xena pleaded, her voice quivering with genuine fear. But her desperate cries fell on deaf ears, her tormentors deafened by their thirst for revenge.
The advancing horde drew nearer, their intentions etched across their faces. Xena’s brief illusion of royalty was shattered, and she reverted to the trembling servant of her past. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she begged and sobbed, her cries echoing the haunting memories of her time as a lowly palace maid, fleeing from the cruelty of heartless overseers.
As she stood there, legs trembling in fear, a persistent thought began to creep into Xena’s mind, slowly but steadily. It lingered like a ghost in the shadows.
“Maybe I wasn’t meant to be royalty,” the thought whispered within her as she continued to evade the guards, their pursuit relentless. It gnawed at her, worming its way into her heart.
With an abrupt halt, Xena suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. The thought that had been lurking in the corners of her mind finally took center stage.
Her voice pierced the room as she declared with unwavering confidence, “I am the king’s favorite concubine, a member of royalty!” She refused to let fear grip her in the presence of these common guards. “They are just paupers,” she reminded herself inwardly.
However, the guards, to her surprise, halted as well and burst into hearty laughter, finding her proclamation utterly absurd.
“And so?” They chorused after their laughter subsided.
Xena was momentarily taken aback by their reaction, but she swiftly composed herself and retorted, “I’ll be returning to the main Palace tomorrow morning. Did you think I would let you live after hurting me here? Do you believe the king would stand idly by while his favorite concubine suffers?” She lifted her chin proudly, believing she had put them in their place.
Yet, in an instant, her mouth hung open in shock as one of the guards approached her, his hand landing on her cheek with a painful impact that sent reverberations throughout her body. For a brief moment, everything seemed muted, as if her ears had gone deaf.
Desperately, she strained to hear as the guard’s lips moved. Fear gripped her that she might have lost her hearing, but gradually, the words became discernible, albeit faint. She strained her ears, picking up fragments of what the guard was saying, piecing together his whispered threats.
“You think we’re fools?” the guard sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “Claiming to be the king’s favorite concubine? What would Malik’s beloved concubine be doing in a place like this? Even if you were, it’d only make you a prime target. We despise everything about him and anything that belongs to him, we would gladly destroy.”
As those chilling words slithered down Xena’s spine, a sudden realization hit her like a thunderbolt. She had unwittingly dug herself into a perilous pit. Before she could fathom the depth of her predicament, they pounced on her, their violent assault disfiguring her once beautiful face, and leaving her with scars that mirrored the turmoil in her heart.
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Morena had successfully gathered the special herbs that Aurora had requested, with Shastina’s help. Yet, as they began pounding the herbs in a mortar, there was an undeniable coldness in Shastina’s demeanor toward Aurora. It puzzled Morena, for she knew that beneath Shastina’s icy exterior lay a genuine concern for their friend.
“Pound the herbs into a fine paste,” Morena instructed Shastina. Shastina dutifully started the task, but her eyes kept drifting away from the herbs to Aurora, who lay lifeless on the bed. Shastina couldn’t help but worry, though her pride and arrogance prevented her from openly showing her concern.
As Morena’s heart raced with fear and panic, hoping the herbs would work their magic on Aurora, a subtle smile graced her lips when she noticed Shastina’s furtive glances toward their fallen friend.
“Don’t worry,” Morena reassured Shastina, her voice trembling with both anxiety and a touch of gratitude. “Aurora is a fighter.”
Shastina, who had been on the brink of making one of her usual sarcastic remarks, found herself momentarily silenced. Instead of sarcasm, she simply uttered, “Hope so,” her voice tinged with an unexpected vulnerability.
“She’d better get well if she expects any respect from me,” Shastina muttered under her breath. Morena couldn’t quite grasp the full meaning of Shastina’s statement regarding respect, but she sensed that beneath her tough exterior, Shastina cared deeply for Aurora.
A heavy silence hung in the air for a while, shrouding the room in tension. Then, suddenly, Shastina rose from her seat and handed over the herbs she had pounded to Morena.
“Thanks,” Morena said as she accepted the herbs. She mixed them with water in a cup and opened a container, adding its contents to the mixture. She was about to administer it to Aurora when she realized that Aurora’s mouth was tightly shut, posing a dilemma. Time was of the essence; any delay could prove fatal, for the critical window Morena had hoped for had passed.
“Press her nose for me, so I can force her mouth open,” Morena instructed Shastina. Without hesitation, Shastina leaned in and pressed Aurora’s nose, allowing Morena to gently pry open her mouth and pour the mixture inside.
As the concoction entered Aurora’s mouth, a miracle unfolded. Aurora’s hand and leg stretched out, her body jerking, and her eyes fluttered open. In that pivotal moment, Shastina called out her name.
“Aurora
However, before anyone could fully grasp the situation, a cruel twist of fate intervened. Aurora’s eyes drifted closed once more, her body turning as stiff as stone, and the haunting absence of breath sent shivers down Morena’s spine.
In a state of shock and disbelief, Morena’s trembling hand reached out to touch Aurora’s now lifeless form. Tears welled up in her eyes, cascading down her cheeks like a river in despair.
Shastina, who had been shaken by the sudden turn of events, moved closer to Aurora, her own hands trembling as she touched her.
“What’s happened to her?” Shastina inquired, her voice quivering with fear and uncertainty.
Morena’s response was a barely audible whisper, filled with heartache and regret. “She’s no longer breathing.”
Grief and guilt consumed Morena as she thought back to the cherished memories she had shared with Aurora.
“I wish I could have treated her better while she was still alive,” Shastina muttered, her words carrying the weight of remorse. Although her eyes remained dry, her heart wept in silence as she stared at the lifeless body of Aurora, her heart aching with the knowledge that they had failed to save their cherished friend.