Medona

Chapter 20-Getting Into The Palace

Richard looked at me astonished waiting for me to explain how.
I walked towards the glass cupboard, opened it and took out the manipulizer out of it. I showed it to Richard with a smile letting him guess my idea.
*ugghh I know I went too dramatic and cringy*
"What's with the manipulizer?" He was totally unaware of what was going in my mind.
"Have you heard the story of Medona?" I asked. Richard and Charles shook there heads from side to side, in a synch.
"Are you thinking what I think you are thinking?" Divesh asked fortunately he had heard of the story.
"Yes I am" I smiled at him.
"You're going to manipulize the guard and get into the palace", he declared confidently and grinned enthusiastically like a child.
"No!" I exclaimed and then sighed how dumb they all were.
"No?" His voice lowered and the happiness on his face faded away.
"Gosh Tarika you're killing me out with suspense", Richard got frustrated.
"I am going to the palace tomorrow.....", I was still unwilling to do that, "as a prostitute" I uttered the word prostitute as low as I could. It embarrassed me alot.
An awkward silence filled the environment. "Can you tell me where this central ground is?" I asked Charles as an attempt to break the silence.

He walked towards his glass desk and after few touches on its digital screen a map of the city appeared in the glass. He swiped his sight thoroughly and then pointed on a ground, "I think this might be the central ground"
"Okay. I hope you're not wrong. Can you spot that in my map too?" I pulled my wrist towards him. He nodded and did as I asked him for.
"Are you sure?" Richard asked me, concern emerging from every word.
I was not sure to be honest but this was the only way, "hmm.... yes I think I can do this", and passed him a cracked smile.

Morning brought a wave of uneasy feelings down my gut. I was nervous but I couldn't step back just yet. It was going to be dangerous because once inside the palace I will be cut out communications with my co-travelors.
I took all the necessary stuff in an ancient times pouch bag including the manipulizer.
Divesh provided me a pair of gloves which were specially designed for chloroform spray on someone. I had to push a button against my thenar and the fluid will be finely sprayed from edge of the hypothenar. He inserted the manipulizer in its tube for me.

I wore a toga and put a little makeup on. I didn't even know how to do that. I also put some cosmetic products in my bag. Divesh and Charles kept mocking me.
It was still early morning when I walked outside towards my destiny.
"Don't get caught" Richard said to me. I looked back at him as I was about to leave the door. Divesh had his arm snaked around his neck and said, "you look sssooo.... good"
Divesh and Charles broke into fits of laughter. They had done this a dozens of time since I was preparing for the mission. Richard hit him in the stomach by his elbow, "shut up!"
"Aoochh... hahaha" even pain couldn't subside his laughter. I smiled at Richard and left.

Fortunately, the central ground was exactly the place Charles pointed on my map. I walked there slowly as I was not willing to do that at all. And if I get caught I'll be in a greater problem. Just as I reached there I saw other women already waiting for the royals to arrive. They were very much beautiful. Each one of them had leveled the edges of attractive features overall.
"Do you think you will be selected?" One of them asked another.
"Ofcourse! I will be selected for sure. I don't think anyone else is prettier than m...." She halted mid sentence when she looked at me. I saw her confidence lowering down in her eyes.
"Who's that?" She asked the other.
"Talk of the town. That's the woman Hirashman saved from the elephant. Better let her smash beneath it"
I ignored her curse for me as I got to know my saviors name.

I focused on others' chats, "what will you demand if they select you?"
"Hmm... I am thinking to ask for a horse. It's too hard for our family to walk trade miles"
"Sounds nice. I was wondering if they could provide me a better shelter"
The other woman chuckled on that statement more like mocking on her.
She rolled her eyes and changed the topic, "I heard Hirman is coming back after four days"
"Yeah I heard it too. I don't like him. Hirashman is way better than him"
"Sshhh ..  someone's gonna hear that"

I always cursed and hated the time I was born in but their conversations about their life were way too cruel. They were willingly selling their bodies for basic life necessities.

Soon drums rolled followed by a deafening voice of trumpet and the royal men arrived. The women lined up quickly in a row and I copied them.
Two royal men wearing the royal brown embroidered cloaks walked by the row of women and started selecting the ones they liked. Two servents followed them, one carrying a bundle of shawls and the other putting one on head of each woman selected by their master. They reached me. I wanted to be selected too but deep inside I hated where I was and wanted to runaway.

They stared at me for a while, glanced at each other and walked past me without selecting. I was disappointed. They continued forward and the ones who were selected were directed by another servant towards their rides. I sighed in disappointment and as I looked up I jumped when I saw a pair of light brown eyes glaring at me from a distance. I didn't notice him before.

I got scared and like a bird I quickly turned my back towards him hoping he will not see me too. My breathing accelerated, so was my heartbeat. I stood there frozen for a moment and then turned again thinking that he might have missed me. But I jumped again when I found him right infront of me staring at me, his face only three inches away from mine.
"Are you spying on me?" He asked in low volume so that no one else could hear.
"No!"
"Then what do you want from the palace?" Seemed like he was still wearing the earplug.
"I was just..."I thought about an excuse but I ran out of ideas, "yeah whatever, you guys didn't even choose me. Why bother telling you anyways" I rolled my eyes.
He stared at me harder, grabbed my wrist tight and pulled me with him.
"Heyy! What are you doing!? Leave me" I shouted but all in vain.
He pulled me towards his horse and left the grip on my wrist. I rubbed my wrist as it got red and sore because of his strong grip. Without further debate, he put me up on the horse like a baby. His strong grip on sides of my belly ached my flanks and I cried in pain, "Aaahh!! What are you doing? Put me down"
He tapped twice on my right knee and said, "take this leg to the other side"
"No! Put me down I said"
He lifted my leg and I almost fell down. I couldn't win this from him
"Okay okay" I stretched my leg on the opposite side in failure.
He mounted on the horse before me quickly and clicked his tongue twice which signaled the horse to trot fast. The inertia made me yank backward and I quickly leaned on Hirashman to save myself from falling off.

The guard sitting by the giant gate of the palace ran and opened it for him as we reached there.