The door burst open in the dead of night. Boots thundered across the chamber floor as palace guards stormed inside Kharivanpa's room.
Khari woke with a gasp.
The sudden blaze of torchlight blinded her. She clutched the blanket to her chest as the guards surrounded her bed.
"What is going on?" she cried.
The captain stepped forward.
"Kharivanpa," he said coldly, "you are under arrest for the murder of the head priest Tarula."
Khari froze. "What?" Her voice cracked with disbelief. "That's absurd!"
The captain lifted a hand. Two guards seized her by the arms and dragged her from the bed. Her nightgown slipped down her shoulders as she struggled to keep it in place.
"I didn't kill anyone!" she cried.
But the guards did not listen. They dragged her from the chamber.
Foni and Heya stood in the courtyard as the guards hauled Khari away.
Heya ran forward.
"That's my daughter!" he shouted.
The captain drew his sword and pointed it directly at him.
"Don't move."
Heya stopped. "Why are you taking her?"
"Your daughter committed murder."
Heya shook his head wildly. "That's impossible!"
"She will stand trial before the king," the guard replied. "There is no escape for her."
Heya tried to speak again, but the guard cut him off.
"You and your wife are safe only because of Consort Sirene." His voice turned colder. "If either of you does anything foolish… the rest of your family will suffer the same fate as your daughter."
Heya fell silent.
The guards marched away with Khari.
Foni rushed to her husband.
"What did he say?"
"They accuse Khari of killing the priest." Heya replied, extremely downhearted.
Foni covered her mouth. "Oh gods…"
Heya's voice trembled. "Our daughter is not a murderer."
Foni looked at him strangely.
"Your daughter," she said.
Heya blinked. "What?"
"She isn't mine," Foni replied quietly. "Our daughter is Sirene."
Heya stared at her in disbelief. "Watch your tongue!" he snapped, "Kharivanpa is our child."
Foni crossed her arms, "What is the point of pretending anymore? Ever since we arrived here, she has caused trouble. Perhaps this is simply her fate."
Heya stepped back from her as if she were a stranger.
"Who are you?" he whispered. "The woman I married would never speak like this." His voice broke. "I want my wife back. I want my family back!"
Without another word, he walked away. Foni remained standing in the courtyard.
Her face showed no regret.
...
The Royal Court
Khari was thrown onto the marble floor. Chains bound her wrists. She forced herself to kneel and bowed her head before the throne.
King Bazi sat at the center of the court, surrounded by the royal family and the kingdom's most powerful nobles.
"Do you know why you are here?" he asked.
"They say I murdered the head priest," Khari replied. "But it is not true. I am not a killer."
The king studied her carefully.
"You were seen interacting with Tarula. Did he say something that angered you?"
Khari shook her head, "We crossed paths once, but we never spoke."
"So, you admit that you saw him."
"Yes, my king. But I did not kill him." She raised her voice. "My family can testify to my character."
The king turned to Sirene.
"Consort Sirene," he said. "Can you confirm your sister's innocence?"
Sirene's face tightened.
"Your Majesty," she said quietly, "no matter how long we live with someone… we never truly know them."
Queen Omuro let out a sharp breath. History was almost about to repeat itself; Sisters betraying each other for something so mundane.
Khari stared at her sister in disbelief.
The king nodded thoughtfully. "A wise answer."
He turned back to Khari.
"You have one chance to tell the truth."
Khari lifted her head.
"I am telling the truth." Her voice rang through the court. "I am being accused because I have no power here. The real killer is walking freely while I stand here as entertainment."
Gasps rippled through the room.
The king suddenly hurled something toward her. It landed on her knees.
A seashell.
Khari's heart sank. She understood the play that was unfolding before her naked eyes.
"You are the only woman in this palace who wears seashells in her hair," the king said, "That shell was found inside Tarula's hand."
His voice rose to a roar.
"WHY WAS IT THERE?"
Khari laughed bitterly. "This is a setup."
"ANSWER ME!"
"The dead cannot speak," Khari said quietly. "I don't know how my shell ended up there." She lifted her head proudly. "But whoever planted it… I applaud their dedication to the game."
"A game?" the king growled.
"I am innocent," Khari replied. "That is the truth."
The king angrily grabbed a scroll.
"Kharivanpa," he read loudly. "For the murder of Tarula and refusal to confess… I sentence you to death!"
A wave of shock swept the court.
Sirene looked away.
"You will receive fifteen lashes," the king continued, "Then you will be imprisoned until dawn. At sunrise, you will hang."
The guards seized Khari and dragged her away. But she did not resist. Instead, she laughed as tears streamed down her face.
***