Chapter 3. Barely Escape.

Ok, my queen, I have a plan, this food I am carrying here is the food of the guards at the second gate which I can only help you cross but as for the third gate I don’t have any approval from the king to go there as my duties ends at the second gates.

Ok, no problem, I said as I collected the tray of food and covered my head with an apron more like a Muslim, just in case someone will try to recognize me, we walked to the second gates chef Mr. Kh Jeon asked me to go and give the foods to the others guards after serving the ones before the gates and I was two steps away when I heard ‘stop there!’

Who is this again?

What is going on today?

Will I escape this guard and what lie will I tell? Now I thought God had delivered me but I was wrong, maybe he wants to punish me for trying to escape. Think straight! Think straight!! I was shouting endlessly in my head.

The guard walked closer and asked chef Kh Jeon, who is this accompanying you today because as long as I can remember, you have been cooking for the king’s guard for over twenty years now and this is the first time you are coming to serve the kings guard with a company. Can you explain yourself, he shouted with rage.

CHEF KH JEON

I don’t even know what to do now, what reason will I give to Master Tachu the kings spy?

How will I be able to overcome this, I have to think of something because it will be over for the queen if Master Tachu finds out that she was the one carrying the food tray, he will definitely report to the king about the escape plan of the queen and I will be dragged together with her, I am really not ready for all this temptations, God.

Ah…I have to be fast and sharp with my next responds or I will not only jeopardize the queen’s life or mine but also my family’s because I can still remember how King Selem wiped-out the whole generation of Kwiku Koe just because he found out their father is lying to him.

Jeon! Think of something fast, think! Think!! Think!!!

I was lost in my thoughts confused on what to do and what my next move should be when I decided to tell Master Tachu the truth at least I will be able to save myself and family and I hope it is not selfish of me but if it is I really do not care right now, moreover, the King already has a lot of concubines, so it would not be hard for him to replace the queen if he decided to execute her for trying to escape from the kingdom without his approval.

I turned and said, Master Tachu, he answered yes! Immediately one of the king’s bodyguards ran towards us and bowed to Master Tachu, greetings Master Tachu, speak up, he said. Master, the King asked me to call you immediately, that he has somewhere important to send you to.

Immediately I heard that I was relieved. Master Tachu turned toward me and said, I will leave you because the king wished for my presence now but know this, I do not know what your reasons are but I do not want to see anyone with you next time you come anything close to the second gate. The security measures we are trying to implement will be austere that we will treat anyone we see with you next time as a spy, understood?

Yes Master! Sorry sir, it will not repeat itself again, I said bowing to him as he walked away. Thank God I exclaimed!

Let us hurry up, I said to the queen as we walked pass the second gates and we hurriedly went behind the watchmen tower and I collected the tray from the queen, bowed in respect to her and bid my fare ware.

Your highest, this is the place where my duties and boundaries ends, so I will go and give the guards their meal and return back to the kings kitchen as usual, but I want you to promise me something, your highness if you won’t mind.

What is it that you want me to promise you Kh Jeon?

That you will remember this kindness I showed unto you this day and will return the favour to my children and family whenever you return to Khah’s Kingdom again because I have a feeling that you will surely return.

Here is the royal authority symbol, place your hands on this purple crystal as a token to swear to you that I will keep to my promises by making sure you are rewarded and your family preserved. I will make sure of it personally.

This purple crystal was given to me by my father King Whune, this purple crystal is a token of peace and it’s just two in the whole world, this one and the one hidden in the kings personal chambers, it was given to him by my father not knowing that the King Selem he loved so much will grow up to become a wicked and heartless man.

I placed my hands on the purple crystal and she sealed her promises by swearing with the great royal symbol. She said few words and it was evident that she meant every word she said.

Thank you my queen, I said and left.

I went to the guards, gave them their food and waited for few minutes just for them to eat up as I did not want to come back to the gate that same night, after they were done eating, I went and packed the entire dishes and went back to the king’s kitchen where I washed the dishes and kept them properly before retreating to my little room. I promised myself that I will never tell anyone of what happened that night between me and queen Clara, no matter what; I will always keep it to myself as a secret. But what if they king discover that Clara is missing and Master Tachu remembered the scene at the gate tonight. What will I say and how can I prove that it was not the queen that was standing with me?

So I went to the room of the newly employed chef Bluim, and I asked her whether she will help me and do something and she accepted, I explained everything to her and that I want her incase the guards start asking questions to say she was the one carrying the tray that night with me and after she agreed to do that for me. I also made her promise no one will hear about it and she should forever keep it to herself and I left for my room.