1. Theft

"A thief in my palace," the king growled, his eyes glaring at the young girl kneeling before him.

"This is an abomination," one of the court men spat.

"Such an act must face severe punishment," another said, irritated.

"How dare this little slave girl," the queen shot the girl a sharp glare. "You stole what belongs to the royal household, you stole what was mine," she then held her husband's hand. "My lord, do not let her go unpunished. She must have a taste of what it is like to steal from the royal household, to insult..." She darted her eyes to the girl and scoffed. "You," she pointed at the girl. "You insulted the house that fed you."

Zainab's hand turned into a fist, but her eyes lacked the confidence she usually had. They stared at the ground with a hint of fear and vulnerability. How? Who could have put her in this predicament? Who would want to frame her, and why?

"Speak, girl," the king growled again, this time causing the hairs on her skin to prickle.

She bit her tongue, unsure of what to say. How else was she to tell them that she had not done it? She had not stolen what was not hers, especially from the royal household. Only a foolish person would have done that. Yet, the jewelry was found among her belongings.

"Oh, look at her, Amadi," one of the court men whispered to another man, "She is as disrespectful as her actions."

Zainab shook her head, her fingers pressed into her palm, suppressing the urge to shed a tear. What would she do now? How could she escape this situation?

"May the gods forbid such act in my presence," the queen stood up, anger boiling inside her. "The jewelry you stole costs a fortune, one you cannot afford no matter how hard you try." Her eyes narrowed at Zainab. "Raise your head," she commanded.

Zainab slowly raised her head to see the furious king and queen glaring at her. Light from the long windows seeped in, bathing the throne room, but that light was nowhere near her heart, as fear had brought darkness that engulfed her.

"I...," she stuttered, biting her lip. No, the tears must not fall. "I did not do it," she pleaded, hoping anyone at all would believe her, but she knew that was futile in Koti Kingdom. The king, the royal family, the royal court were all as ruthless as they seemed. It had spread far and wide that one must not anger the royal household, for anyone who did faced their wrath will meet their demise.

"Nonsense," the king barked, his voice sending chills down Zainab's spine. "The jewelry was found in your luggage."

"I did not," Zainab's voice quivered, tears falling like raindrops. "It wasn't me, I swear by the gods."

"Tsk," one of the court elders spat. "Do not mention the gods in this. You have committed a sin, but to call upon the almighty?"

Zainab shook her head, darting her eyes from one person to another, hoping for sympathy, but she was met with hard, unyielding faces.

The queen shook her head. "To think a common slave girl entered my room to take what is mine, I feel insulted," she narrowed her eyes at Zainab. "Whatever punishment is given should be severe."

Zainab twisted her hand on her almost tattered and rumpled dress. It was useless to plead; no one would believe her, no matter what she said. Now she must face a crime she knew nothing about.

Earlier that day, while attending to one of the princesses, a call was made for all slaves and maids. The queen's jewelry had been stolen, and after a search, the stolen jewelry was found among Zainab's belongings. She didn't know how it got there or who was trying to frame her.

Zainab knelt, her voice still quivering as she spoke directly to the queen, "I did not steal it, my queen."

"Ah!" The queen waved her hand dismissively, "Enough of your pleas. There is enough evidence against you." Irritation laced her voice as she spoke.

Zainab raised her head slowly, staring at her. The queen's golden crown sat perfectly on her head, adorned with beads and jewelry around her neck, and wrists, an elegant display of wealth.

Her royal silk gown exuded elegance, hands resting on her waist in an authoritative pose, glaring at Zainab. This woman would surely not believe her.

Zainab's gaze then shifted to the king on his throne, regal in his attire, with markings of honor adorning his chest and a crown larger than the queen's atop his head. His eyes were as ruthless as his speech.

She sighed inwardly, her eyes scanning the throne room once more, the royal court elders were even stricter in their judgments, always aligning with the king and queen without proper analysis.

She was doomed for good.

"My king," the court elder named Amadi said excitedly, as if the thought of punishing the slave girl was like his favorite food being placed before him, "What must we do to her?"

This time it was the queen that answered, "Cut her head off and hang it on a pole for everyone to see. It should be a reminder to those who would want to steal from the royal household."

Zainab gasped, her mouth forming a wide 'O'. Obviously, the queen was joking, but she had been in the royal household for two moon cycles. It was enough to know that she would likely do what she says.

The king smiled warmly, pressing his hand on his wife's own, "You are even more ruthless, my wife, how fierce and lovely."

Zainab almost choked, feeling nauseated in her stomach. How could they...beheading someone? How could it be normal for them! No, she must do something.

"Please," she pleaded, laying flat on the ground now. She had no choice but to beg, beg for her life. "Punish me however you want, but please, don't kill me," the last of her words turned into a whisper, hoping her pleas wouldn't anger the queen even more.

But who would want to frame her, and for what? She had done everything to be a good slave maid. It was a privilege for a slave maid to be getting paid, so why would she want to steal the jewelry when she was being paid to work here? Something you would hardly see in any noble home where a slave worked.

"Ah," the queen rubbed her head, rolling her eyes. "Your words are making things worse. I told you not to plead," she muttered in disgust.

There was a long silence as each court member began to whisper to one another. All Zainab could hear was the beat of her heart sounding in her ear.

One of the court elders then whispered to the king... What could it be? Zainab wondered. What were they whispering about? Did it have to do with her punishment?

After the long silence, the king stood up, his hand resting behind him. "Theft is not a small offense that one must ignore."

"Hmm," the elders murmured, shaking their heads, staring at Zainab irritably.

"And I will not let this slide," he took a step down from the throne stairs. "This is my punishment," he declared, his eyes now narrowing on Zainab.

The silence lingered as Zainab stared at the king, tears welled in her eyes, but she didn't even have the muscle to sniff them in.

Suddenly, the door burst open, causing light to flood in and all eyes to travel towards it, except Zainab, who was still lost in what her future held.

Someone then walked into the throne room, causing the elders to murmur and gasp.

"The crown prince?" one of them blurted, eyes fixed on the one who had just entered.