Chapter 9 The Truth

Avila sat down as she stared at the priestess.

"Long time ago, when you were not born. My people and I are the Nguras. We're the prettiest ladies of our time. Our men were strong while our women were blessed with gifts. The gifts of visions and mind control. We lived peacefully until some of us became selfish, we began seeing ourselves as gods, we stopped giving rituals and thanks to our maker and the goddess was not happy with us. The staff which gave us strength disappeared and our men suddenly became weak. The women began to lose their visions and only a few could use our gifts. The next generation suffered the same fate as us. The staff found a new place where it was valued, the Magadha kingdom, it gave them strength and they became the greatest kingdom at the time."

Avila was listening attentively. The priestess continued, "King Williams the third decided to fight us and of course, we were attacked and taken into slavery. Our princess was your mother, Mena."

"My mother is a princess of the Ngurah?." Avila asked, she could not believe her ears.

"Yes. Mena is the most beautiful girl of our time. Everyone loved her, but she loved another, the eldest prince of the Magadha kingdom. They were two lovers who got many jealous, the prince was the kingdom's sweetheart. Everyone loved him and wished to marry him, he was strong and talented. But was betrayed by his brother, King Williams the fourth."

"My father?." Avila got more interested.

"Prince Aldo is the son of the queen while prince Cassian is the concubine's son and the king's first son. So as the son of the queen, he was expected to be the crowned prince but the staff didn't choose him, the staff chose prince Cassian instead."

......

The king reached Ivy's room and opened the door without knocking. The room was upside down, Ivy had smashed her mirror against the wall, torn her pillow, and was crying by the end of the room.

"Ivy?." The king called softly.

No response.

He heard her whimper and he turned to see her behind the entrance door.

He rushed to her and helped her up, "Why are you crying, my baby?."

"She took everything from me. She took my throne and now, my man."

"Just like her father," He muttered and helped her sit on the bed. He poured her water from the stainless jar and gave her the stainless cup.

She took a gulp and handed it back to him, "What do you mean just like her father?."

King Williams smiled.

"You know the story I told you when you were little?."

Ivy scoffed, "The man who stole his brother's woman and later paid the consequences?."

"Yes. It was my brother. He stole the woman I loved and I made him pay for it."

"That's not what I asked, father," Ivy said, suddenly uninterested.

The king scoffed, "I know my impatient daughter. Cassian had always overshadowed me, I was the queen's son but the people chose the mistress's son. I didn't care at one point until he showed interest in the woman I loved. But Mena preferred him to me."

.....

*Irani and Avila*

"So my father isn't supposed to sit on the throne?." Avila asked.

"He's not your father, Avila. Your real father is Cassian."

.....

*The king and Ivy.*

"You see, my brother is Avila's father."

Ivy was shocked.

"What?. Avila is not your daughter?."

.....

*Irani and Avila*

"What?. I am not the king's daughter?." She asked, not feeling surprised.

"Now I get why he hates me so much. What happened to my father then? where is my father?."

Irani licked her lips, "That's where I come in. Just like every other girl, I loved your father. I am your mother's best friend and I betrayed her and our people. I wanted your father so I and the king planned, the king planned to become king, he framed your father for murder and he was exiled while I did this so I could be with your exiled father in a faraway land. Unknown to us, your mother Mena was with child. When prince Aldo was made King Williams the fourth, he married your mother forcefully."

*The king and Ivy.*

"Yes." The king replied and that was when Ivy realized the cause of the maltreatment towards Avila.

"It all made sense now. That's why you never liked Avila. So what did you do to Avila's father?."

"I framed him of murder and he was exiled."

"So he's alive?." Ivy's eyes rose, she was enjoying the story.

"I killed him. When Mena saw he was dead, she committed suicide."

*Irani and Avila*

"You aided in the demise of my mother." Avila's tears flew down her cheeks. Her parents suffered this much because of these selfish people, she remembered the torture, she'd blamed herself for the king's torture towards her mother all this time not knowing she died because of her bad friend and the selfish king.

"Your mother killed herself after the king killed your father. It's not my fault."

"Shut up, if you hadn't helped exile my father, all these wouldn't have happened," Avila yelled. The priestess was shocked. It was the first time she saw Avila yell.

"My parents suffered because of you, admit that you killed them." Avila cried.

*The king and Ivy.*

"I don't know but I feel bad that my mother suffered," Ivy said pitifully.

"Your mother is not Mena."

The cup dropped from her hands.

"What?. Mena is not my mother?."

"When I saw that Mena was dead, another woman got pregnant for me but she died after giving birth to you."

"Then why did you lie?."

"You never asked. I'd ask everyone in the palace not to speak about it."

"But..who's my mother?."

"Your mother is a prostitute. Now, do you understand the reason I didn't tell anyone?."

She nodded.

"Now is the time you fight as I did. This time, there will not be exile, we will kill her right away. The first step is to get the priestess out of way, I already have a plan."

"Yes, father."

*Irani and Avila*

There was silence for a while.

"Your future is at risk and I am the one who can help you. You must unite our people, the king and her daughter are planning to kill you, by now they must have something on me. I need you to be strong, I need you to fight."

"Fight for what, the throne? The throne that killed my parents?."

"Fight for the people. You don't have to be weak. Be strong for your people, Avila."

"Leave me alone," Avila shouted. She angrily ran out of the room with tears.