SAYA

CHAPTER 45

The maid looks up at King Stephan saying, "Yes, My Lord. I saw it with my two eyes."

The crowd gasps and murmurs become louder after this. "Silence!" four guards by the entrance yell. Stephan raises his hand, silencing everyone. He turns his attention to Saya,

"Princess, what do you have to say to this accusation?"

Xerxes turns to Stephan immediately glaring at him. How dare he ask that question, is he out of his mind?

Saya holds him down, "It's okay, people are watching," she whispers to him, "And I don't give a damn," he replies, angrily.

"My Lord!" Saya starts immediately, to prevent Xerxes from doing anything rash.

"I am honestly in  shock but deny all allegations Lady Oma has spoken of."

"Is there any way you can prove it?" Xerxes is about to stand up, but she squeezes his hand pulling him down immediately. Everyone can see that Xerxes wants to end Oma and that maid right then and now.

"My Lord, you see, Lady Oma had said she saw me taking the bottle out of my pocket. I do have pockets on my dress, however," Saya stands up, her arm leaving Xerxes'.

She touches her pockets showing the crowd, "These are mere designs, the pockets are sewn shut so there is no way, anything can enter the pocket, talk less of coming out."

Lady Oma's eyes widen, immediately. She clearly miscalculated and it's come to bite her in the face! She's fallen into the hole she dug for Saya.

"Lying is treason Lady Oma-"

"Forgive me My Lords! She threatened my family and I couldn't do anything about it!" the maid says in tears, cutting King Stephan off.

Saya's heart drops immediately as she sits down. The status of women needs to change for things to be better. Things must get better. Oma's heart is racing, she has committed an atrocious crime, and she did not even think this through perfectly! She clearly underestimated Saya and she will be punished greatly for it! This is not like when she shoved her or used her secret against her, she is certainly regretting her actions.

"Perhaps we mistook Lady Saya, who poured the poison as someone else-"

"SILENCE! Lady Oma, you and your accomplice almost killed King Xerxes, one little mishap in your plans and he would've been no more." 

"You also lied, pinning the blame on Princess Saya. For all this, your punishment shall be-"

"Death," Xerxes says, glaring at both of them.

"No," Saya says looking at him with pleading eyes. "Please you can banish her, strip her of her title, but don't kill them please," she begs but Xerxes doesn't look at her. She grabs him by his cheeks turning him to face her in desperation, "My Love please, they have committed such a heinous crime but all I am asking is one last chance, please, don't kill them."

By this time the maid and Oma are in tears, people are looking at this scene in astonishment. This will be the talk of the two kingdoms for sure.

"She planned to save you from the start, my love. Please, anything but death," Xerxes looks at her then sighs after a while, nodding at Stephan.

"Lady Oma, you are stripped of your title, you and the maid are banished from the castle and coming as close as ten blocks to it. Both of you shall be whipped thirty times each for your crimes."

"Thank you My Lord! Princess thank you!" the maid says in tears, anything is worse than death for her.

"Take them away," Stephan says, the guards dragging them out of the hall immediately,