A Fault In Our Time

Chapter 24

Hermit felt the pain as if it were him, he realized the mistake of his mother.
His mother had wished and hoped for the impossible, she fell for the King and wanted to be the only woman he kept which was impossible and it seems according to her diary, she was not supposed to bear a child for the king due some reasons Hermit is yet to discover.

That night, she had howled and howled her pain and after then, she became aggressive, chasing everyone out of her room and away from her, she was in pain for losing her child, a child she loved deeply yet couldn't keep.

After that day, every time the king brought Hermit to see her, she would lock her door and demand he takes Hermit away for reasons the king knows not.

Some years later, she had decided she couldn't bear the pain anymore, she had sent her trusted maid to buy a poison which the maid delivered to her the day the King visited with Hermit in his arms.

The King not announcing his arrival and Mariam not expecting him to visit at that moment, didn't lock her doors so the King walked in freely to see her sitting in her chair in front of the vanity table and he couldn't stop the smile that appeared on his face.

Mariam shocked, was speechless for a moment before speaking. "why are you here with him?" she pointed angrily at Hermit. She didn't want to see Hermit's before taking her decision. She feared he would change her mind by just staring at her with those innocent eyes of his and face that holds beauty just like hers. A beauty that screams abomination to the human race.

"I wanted him to see you. He hasn't been himself recently and I thought he will feel better when he sees you." The king answered in a calm voice not at all angry at her hostility.

"you fool. I haven't in anyway treated him like a mother, what makes you think he will feel better when he sees me?" she asked angrily even though deep down she was hurting that she couldn't help her son to feel better but she never had that kind of relationship with Hermit. She believed he hates her.

"I told you last time to never find me." She yelled when the king remained quiet.

"but I love you Mariam. You accuse me that you are not the only woman I keep but you are the last woman. After you, there has never been another woman. Every day is just about you." He was angry now. Angry that she wasn't acknowledging all his efforts. "please." The King never begs but for Mariam's love, he did.

She laughed manically before picking up the bottle that sat on the table waiting for her. She unscrewed the cap and immediately consumed it.

Somehow, the King felt whatever was in that bottle wasn't good. "what is that Mariam?" he asked her fearfully taking calculated steps towards her.

"you have made a mistake by straying from the path of your grandfather and father, thus you must face the consequences but fret not, until Hermit dies, you can still breath. You live as long as he lives." She said, her last few words becoming weak due to what she just consumed. "take him away from me and..." she stopped talking, clutching her stomach as the King ran to her to hold her but she stopped him with a glare. "do not touch me. You shall be forgotten but my son shall never be forgotten. He shall be your fear." Those where her words as she began to fall to the ground and the king catches her falling body before she hit the floor. Blood coming out of her lips and nose and the King felt a kind of fear he has never felt before.

He realized, she has poisoned herself. What for? He couldn't tell.

"I can't continue to live this life. I'm just so tired." She spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.
And no matter what the King said, she refused to say anything more till she breaths no more.