I never asked for a second chance

11: Revenge is the main course II

***

Some days had  passed since The hearing and everyone was beginning to return to their normal lives, even the people that clamoured for Melinda's arrest now kept quiet.
Awin chuckled as his carriages drove into the Heris-Mariale compound. Qaya would be so shocked.

He'd given an impromptu news of his visit to the family yet, with the sight before him, it seemed they'd been awaiting his arrival or this was just how their house looked, befitting of a king. His stomach churned and he felt a slight bout of nervousness.

As he came down, no one from the family came to welcome him and he expressed his distaste at this quite audibly.
"I apologize, your majesty. The Lord of the house is not in the country at the moment and Lady Qaya was not made aware of your arrival. So I am here to stand in their place" this was Jaslin, her head was bowed as she waited the King's response "I hope you will deem your humble servant worthy of hosting you"

Awin inspected the small lady before him, trying hard to conceal his scowl.
"And  who exactly are you?"

"I am Jaslin Heris, the niece of the Lady of the house. My father is Gareth Heris"

"I am grateful, for I thought a lowly servant was sent to host me but I see that I was mistaken"

Jaslin straightened up and did not hide how offended she was by his comment

" are you not Qaya Heris's  lady in waiting, if I was to assume you were lower in standing, would I be at fault"

Jaslin smirked "but I am, your majesty. Aside from you, no one is above the Heris-Mariale family"

The king flinched. He knew what she meant and it annoyed him. She reminded him that the Heris-Mariale family was a respected family in the continent, they had power, the kind he should fear.

"Now that you mention it, I do not deem you fit for the business I have come for, I wish to speak to  a member of the Heris-Mariale family. Bring one to me or the whole family will have to express their power elsewhere"

Jaslin knew that he was trying to offend her but she didn't mind, she'd dealt him a blow that he was desperately trying to recover from, so she was content with just that.

"I will do as you asked" she bowed and left in a bright smile that made Awin uneasy.

"Your majesty, it's not advisable that you come to the house of someone who is planning to usurp your throne"

Awin turned to see Marie looking at him with contempt. She came down from the stairs, didn't even bother to bow and took her seat.

"I was informed that you were going to banish us, if a family member didn't come to greet you" she said in between snickers.

"It's been a while Ms. Heris-Mariale"

Marie rolled her eyes "why do you wish to see us?"

"No serious reason, just a king wanting to meet with one of his subjects"

Marie cringed. This was a very suffocating situation.
"What have you been up to these days?"

"Managing the estate and overseeing the business"

"It seems you no longer have any interest in overseeing the ministry of industry"

Marie shook her head "no your highness, I wish to protect my remaining dignity"

"You were such a competent official, and I really respected you. You just had to have conflicting beliefs"

"So that's why you had me framed by someone I took as my daughter?"

"I had no idea you were that close, you don't even mourn her unfair death. No one cares for that poor child. No one came to ask for her corpse to bury her, I was the one who handled her funeral rites" he remineced

"What?" This was a second voice, Qaya's.
She'd return home from her lesson with Rachel only for her to meet this man in her house and stating such an  off putting revelation.

"Young Ms. Heris-Mariale, you are home. To be honest, you are the one I yearned to see" he stood up and walked up to her.

"Now that I've seen you, I will take my leave" as he was about to leave, Qaya held him back.

"Tell me, what's your plan?"

"What?" He asked bewildered by her disposition

"At the bar, you said you had no intention of letting Sir Milton go out of prison, so I  can't help but worry that you'll do something..."

"Calm down" he gently loosened his hand from her grip "I believe your earlier statement was a joke or a badly put rhetorical question, as there's no way I'll willingly divulge them plan"

He turned to leave but stopped abruptly; letting out a exasperated sigh-she held onto him again "about Ms. Wright, you said you were the only one that performed her funeral rites... why's that?"

"Oh I am she has, but that's something I can only say in this house"

"Well...where did you see her? I mean which slave market did you..."

"Young Ms. Heris-Mariale, I'd like that you mind your language, Qaya was an orphan"

He then inched closer, pulling Qaya into a hug that frightened her "but it does worry me how you came about an information"

"You'd be surprised how much I know" she brazenly whispered back into his ear as they remained in the hug.

"I trust you to keep this secret for the deceased sake. Qaya...I mean Ms wright wanted more than anything to keep that a secret...but even that, even what she knows is false"

Qaya's breath hitched. Before she could inquire further Awin withdrew from the hug and walked away briskly leaving her behind with questions.

"...even what she knows is false"

"What did he mean by that? If I wasn't a orphan or an emancipated slave, who am I? And why don't I remember anything"

Author's note:
*The Purit is the highest title a religious man can attain and he is the general overseer of the religious activities of the Gainili; the major religion of Easteford.

Gainili is the only religion practiced in Easteford but about 40% of Eastefordians are not religious.

**50 Fordes is about 4 billion by this world's standards