The Dragon and His Rider

Chapter 33

Jovena and Jifunza had made a plan in which Jifunza would go and retrieve Oscar then bring themselves to see Jovena. While this was happening, Jovena would be sneaking back to her room and then change back into her proper gown. This proceeded at a steady pace all the way through, but with one stopping point, which was Oscar.

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Jifunza knocks on Oscars door lightly, not wanting to startle him, but no one answers. She had already split up with Jovena and was now fearing the plan wouldn't work correctly. She knocks again, a little louder, but no one answers again. She tests the knob and finds that it's locked. Sighing, she walks around the perimeter of the tree looking for any open windows. Finding none, she goes over to under the balcony connected to the room on the third story and instantly sees a way up. Jifunza walks over to a regular tree reaching near the balcony and begins to climb. It is quite difficult in a dress, but she keeps going anyway.

When she reaches the top of the tree she sees she would have to jump to reach the balcony. She releases the branches from her grip and then balances on the closest branch. Looking down at the ground, she can see that if she falls, she could injure herself severely. Swallowing her fear, she bends her knees and jumps. Then misses. Almost. Jifunza clings to the edge of the balcony, then reaches one hand up and grasps the railing. She pulls herself up and climbs over the railing and then walks into Jovena's room.

A putrid scent makes her gag and she has to tear a piece off of one of the scented blankets on the bed to cover her mouth not to throw up. Jifunza walks down the stairs, the smell getting worse with every step. She checks the whole second floor but finds no Oscar. Continuing to the first floor, her eyes begin the water from the stench. When she finally reaches the first floor, she is shocked beyond belief. Oscar lies dead on the floor, a knife plunged into his chest, his hands wrapped around the hilt. Oscar had killed himself. Jifunza screams, the rushes out the front door. She runs, full-speed, to the castle. But, whenever she gets there, the elven warriors block her way.

"Please! You have to let me through!" Jifunza says, now crying fully. "I need to see the Queen!"

"What for?" The left warrior asks conspicuously.

"I'm her friend! I just need to talk with her! Please!" Jifunza sobs.

"Let her in, brother, can you not see that she is in trouble and entangled in sadness." The right warrior reasons with the left warrior.

"Fine." The left warrior growls. "She may enter, but only so I do not have to listen to you and those stupid words."

"Thank you!" Jifunza shouts, then runs through the front doors, scaring a maid. "Queen Jovena! Where is she?!"

"F-Follow me, m-miss." The maid stammers. The maid leads the sobbing girl up the stairs and to Jovena's Quarters. Right when the maid was about to knock, Jifunza bursts into the room, making Jovena jump sky-high. An elder maid is in the room as well, cradling Jonet in her arms.

"Jovena!" Jifunza sobs out. "O-Oscar.. he-he's d-dead!"

Jovena rushes over to her friend and tells the younger maid that led Jifunza her to send guards to Oscar's tree. THe elder maid stays in the room, still holding Jonet and pretending not to listen. Jovena closes the door, then helps Jifunza to the bed.

"This is Mrs. Ekk." Jovena tells Jifunza, gesturing to the old maid, trying to calm them both. "Her daughter is just a year older than you and is the one that is going to be staying with your family until you come back."

"Oscar..." Jifunza sobs, still not paying attention. "He k-killed himself..."

"What? No, he could not have done so!" Jovena exclaims.

"I-I saw..." Jifunza erupts into tears once more. Jovena sits next to her crying friend, thinking of what could have caused this.

"He... no, could it be... he did this because... maybe... he said he loved me. Then i married Abimelech." Jovena thinks out loud, putting things together. "I'm the reason this happened!"

Now both girls were crying, and Jonet began to cry as well. The elder maid did nothing but try and sooth the baby, though, letting the girls' tear ducts run dry. As they cried, though, King Abimelech himself entered the room, and drags Jovena away. He troughs the sobbing sixteen-year-old Queen into his quarters and then rapes her. In her crying state, and without Daiti, she can't do anything while she is being held down and made pregnant. So she just cries, knowing she can do nothing, and wishes to be with Oscar in the heavens.