Chapter 3 Shall i slit her throat

"Hello.. hello..?" Ashina bit her lips in disappointment when she discovered no one had picked the call. "Pick up! Please! uncle please pick up!" Her hands trembled as she struggled to hold the telephone in her hands.

She was cleaning the passage when she saw a telephone, she tossed the mop aside and reached for the telephone. She dialed her uncle's number repeatedly but no one answered.

She jerked and froze at the spot when she heard footsteps accompanied with a loud laugh. She recognized the voice. it belonged to the Alpha Prince.

"Who were you trying to call?" He asked, moving closer to her."Your mother?" He nodded. "Hmmm, interesting, please go on and call him, call the murderer! I want to speak with him!"

The telephone fell down from Ashina's trembling hands. Her whole body was squeaking.

"Pick up the telephone, call him, invite him to come over for dinner at your friends place." Gonzalo ordered.

"My father is dead." Ashina said, her lips shaking. "I was trying to call my uncle."

Gonzalo smiled. "It's good for you that your father is dead, I would have.." Gonzalo paused when he saw his mother walk towards them."Oh mother," He said. "She was trying to call for help."

Danciana walked to Ashina, glaring at her with resentment. "I see you are not tired of suffering and torture.."

"No please.." Ashina fell to her knees begging in tears. "Please, I am sorry.. it'll never happen again."

"Who were you trying to call, the police?" Danciana demanded.

"No, my uncle." Ashina answered sharply.

"She said her leprosy infected father is dead." Gonzalo stated.

"Lucky him." Danciana responded.

"She might be lying.." Gonzalo said. "It runs in the veins, it is a generationally curse."

"Guards!" Danciana called out.

Ashina fell on the floor, crying and trembling, she already knew what awaited her, next. Torture.

"Give her two hours of the tub torture," Danciana instructed the guards. "After that have her rest for thirty minutes, with stale bread,no water."

"Yes your majesty." The guards prostrated, dragging Ashina away.

"Please have mercy on me your majesty!" Ashina cried aloud as the guards pulled her away.

"Did your maggot poverty stricken father have mercy on me when he killed my father?! Did you have mercy on me when you walked back into this town to kill me?!" Gonzalo yelled.

"I have no idea what you are talking about!" Ashina's voice was distant. "My late father was an honorable man, he was celebrated where I come from and still celebrated as a legend!"

Gonzalo pulled out his sword in rage. "Legendary murderer!"

Danciana stood in his way, shaking her head disapprovingly."Don't."

"Let me split her throat, mother." Gonzalo charged. "No amount of torture will tame her!"

"Relax." Danciana said. "I will tame her. Now prepare, your wedding is in couple of days."

***

"What do you think of the Alpha Prince?" Lupe asked her maid,Jane. "Handsome right?" She smiled dreamily. Lupe was back to herfather's house, sitted in her bathtub.

Jane gently massaged her feets.

"Jane?" Lupe called out.

"My princess.." Jane answered, applying essential oil on her feet.

"I said, what do you think about the Alpha Prince, my soon to be husband?" Lupe repeated the question.

"Do you want my honest opinion?" Jane asked.

"Yes." Lupe replied excitedly.

"He is rude, proud, disrespectful, arrogant and ruthless.." Jane didn'tfinish her sentence when Lupe hit her across the face in anger.

"How dare you?!" She screamed. "Blasphemy!"

"I'm sorry my princess.." Jane knelt to apologize.

Lupe kicked Jane into the hot bath tube, then emptied a gallon of detergent into the bath tube. Jane cried out, wiping and closing hereyes. She struggled to breath, see and get out of the bathtub.

"You will stay there until you drown!" Lupe yelled. "wretched slave! You can never have someone as honorable as my prince!"

***

Chuchin traced the voice of someone sobbing, until she discoveredthe cage where Ashina was locked in. Poor Ashina laid in the cage,sobbing with her last strength. Chuchin's father worked as a prison guard. She had come to bring food for her father, she had Ashina in mind while she embarked to the palace.

The news about Ashina's imprisonment was everywhere in town.Chuchin looked around to make sure no one else was there.

"Hey.." Chuchin whispered, forcing food into the cage. fried chicken and baked potatoes, with water. "Ashina.." She called warily.

Ashina turned in pains to look at her. She could barely talk. "Hey.."She managed to say. "Chu.." She stopped, trying to remember hername.

"Chuchin..the scrabble book seller in the local market." Chuchin said. "I brought you food, hurry up and eat." Chuchin said.

Ashina found strength from nowhere and sat up, hurriedly devouring the food like a beast.

"I warned you..there is no one to prevent injustice in this town."

Ashina gave her the most alluring smile. "Yes you did, I should have listened. Thank you for the food, but how did you get here?"

"My father is the chief prison guard, I came to see him today."Chuchin said.

"Oh..I see, thank you." Ashina said gratefully, bursting into tears."That means the news about me is everywhere, why hasn't anyone called the police?"

"Prince Gonzalo controls them." Chuchin answered. "Don't you understand, he is evil.." She muttered an expletive.

Ashina heard the anger and pain in her voice. "What did he do toyou?" She asked.

"He banished my mother after she refused to keep quiet when his personal slave, Boris, raped me."

"What?!" Ashina exclaimed in shock. "How can he treat his subjectslike this? I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"I have to go now." Chuchin said. "Avoid arguing with him or the queen mother, whatever they say agree to it and apologize. It will lessen your punishment."

"How can I agree to false narratives and stories about me?" Ashina asked.

"You don't listen, do you?" Chuchin shook her head disappointedly."I have to go now, don't say a word about my visit to anyone."

"Please will you help me Chuchin?" Ashina pleaded.

"What do you want?" Chuchin looked around to make sure no one was in sight.

"Help me call my uncle and tell him I'm in trouble, explain the situation to him and let him know I'm in this town..tell him to hurry and.."

Chuchin didn't let her finish, she cut her off. "I can't."

"Why?"

"Because he will kill me if he finds out I helped you, my father doesn't even know I came here. I'm sorry but I can't help you."

"No one will find out, I promise you."

"I'm sorry."

Ashina swallowed hard at the refusal. "Can I make the call myself?"

"No. He will find out."

"How?"

"I will advise you not to even involve your family because he will enslaved them too when they come to rescue you. And then he will trace to find out how your uncle heard about it, then what next?"

Ashina scratched her hair. "Nothing of that sort will happen..I promise.."

"I'm sorry, this is your cross, carry it without involving your family if you love them." Chuchin hurriedly left the cage.

Ashina fell to the floor, crying uncontrollably.

***

Gonzalo was in his bedroom drafting out plans when his motherwalked in. He was going through papers and important document.He walked to his task board outlining his game plan.

"Zalo.." Danciana called out.

"Come in mother." Gonzalo concentrated on the board.

"What are you doing?" Danciana inquired.

"Drafting the perfect plan, we're attacking the rogues tonight."Gonzalo said firmly.

"Tonight, is it not rather sudden?" Danciana tried to suggest."Besides your wedding is close, you shouldn't be going to war, letthe soldiers go alone. I don't want you with a bruised face on your big day."

"No mother, I'm going with them." Gonzalo said with finality in his voice. "I want to wipe this particular pack of rogues myself. Their leaders has challenged me to a battle and I accepted."

Danciana placed a hand on his shoulder. "I trust you."

"Don't worry mother, your son will be fine and victorious." Gonzalo assured her.

"What do you think of Princess Lupe?" Danciana smiled.

Gonzalo shrugged. "She is a beautiful princess."

"And?" Danciana inched to hear more.

"That's all, she's beautiful." Gonzalo muttered. He was starting toget irritated by the discussion. He wondered the nicest way to get ridof her.

"You don't feel anything for her? That's strange."

"No it's not. What were you expecting?" Gonzalo dropped his pen,looking at his mother. "I feel nothing for her."

"Because you have not searched deep down in your heart.. searchyour heart and soul and you will find.."

"Blood.." Gonzalo sharply said. "It's only blood you will find in my heart."

"She is your mate! Very soon she will become your Luna."Danciana scolded.

"I know, have I said otherwise, the essence of this mating thing is for us to get married, yeah? Have I refused? I'll give you and your goddess what you want, so relax."

"Zalo.."

"Mother please not now, I have a war to plan." Gonzalo said dismissively, then turned to focus on his board.