Lovers' Sin

Unmasked

Candace:

I stand before the window in my room, thinking about Arthur. My hands feel icy as they miss intensely the warmth and sweetness of his. My hair remains as stiff as a frustrated cat's tail. My mind is getting distraught with all the worries it has to carry besides the dearest persons of my life: the man I love then the fruit of our union, our babe.

"Mistress!" Enter Ada, out of breath. As she speaks, a heavy noise of a drum slips through the room.

"Ada? What is that noise? And... Thou lookest worried."

She takes my hand with a slight hesitation and sonorous fear in her voice.

Ada:

"Thou hast to come with me. I beg your Majesty."

Candace:

She looks impatient as I take a minute to follow her and leave my room, which I can speak my chagrin to. The walls cannot speak, but their silence lets me have the feeling that it's not always wrong to run out of words, where we are so tired to search for them that we just decide to bury them inside. They don't judge me for my tears, nor do they despise me for not regretting to bear a child from a man with little resources whose skin is opposite of mine. I can paint the walls in any color I want, any time, any day. Thus, they must know what not having its own voice feels like. The only difference is that I was like them once, but then, I revolted.

"Are we in danger?"

Ada:

"Yes, Mistress. I'm here to save thee."

Candace:

"Save me from what, Ada?"

Ada:

"Your Majesty, I don't remember telling thee about mine older brother. But his name is David. He was the one who helped Arthur, thy husband to escape from the dungeon."

Candace:

My heart races as fast as a shooting star. I feel such a high relief that I hardly know how to react to the good news.

"Arthur! Where is he? I'm sorry if I keep shaking. I just can't believe that he's really alive. You mean he's waiting for me, Ada?"

Ada:

"Yes, mistress."

I take her hands and I walk her outside.

Candace:

"Wait! What if the guards catch us? Tekle came and commanded them to not let anybody in or out."

Ada:

"We will go from the secret passage that go through the dungeon to the garden. Worry not thy soul, mistress. They're waiting for thee."

Candace:

"They? Wasn't it supposed to be only thy brother?"

Ada:

"Nay. There are about a hundred men outside with him."