Hakira eyes focused on the two people who sat on the table with food in front of them chatting away. Quickly arranging the cups putting them in the shelves, she walked out of the bar stand as she made her way over to the table to join them.
Sitting on the table was no other than her friends, Elena her best and most lovely friend and Valdo, the brown haired handsome man with a chiseled face, brown medium eyes complementing his hair, a slightly big nose with a fine medium sized lips and some little rough amount of hair in his chin who sat beside her and the only young man who didn't have any interest in Hakira except for being friends.
Laughing at the weird faces Valdo was making, Elena looked like she was just about to topple from the chair she sat, her beauty coming out more as her laughter lightened her face up. Hakira joined them sitting beside her and across Valdo with a smile plastered on her lips. The frown that had spoilt the man's face at her arrival however was what reminded her that she was yet to get some real scolding from him. She almost rolled her eyes as his full focus was on her now.
"I heard what you did Hakira." His irritated voice spoke as a vein threatened to pop out of his head, his usual calm expression turning into anger and worry. "You did not heed my warnings again."
Knowing well not to argue with him, she sat up straight with her head bent down a little as what followed after was Valdo continuous scolding for a good five minutes but what was like five hours for her until she couldn't bear it anymore.
"Forgive me for I have heard your advice." She pleaded not able to take it anymore. "I apologize for worrying you."
Valdo after hearing her plea calmed down a little as his expression turned from anger to curiosity as he questioned. "What did you go to do outside the kingdom?."
If not for the fact that she was good at controlling her expression, he would have notice her panic at his question. He was very good at knowing when someone lied and though she was good at it, he had always caught her everytime.
"You went out of the kingdom again?" A voice interrupted them and Hakira couldn't be more happy at the person's right timing.
All their attention turned to the person who stood behind Hakira already knowing who the person was.
The person was dressed in an oversized faded clean stitched long sleeve, with brown pants and a faded pair of boots. A wool hat on doing a good job in containing the vast amount of hair on the person's head. The person had a fake beard on taking away the extreme beauty and making him look like a man. the only thing was that it was a woman instead. The person in front of them was no other than the second daughter to the king, the proud Princess Elsa of Divini Divine. Her choice of appearance being that if everyone else was to know that the princess was in this place, it will cause a huge ruckus.
"Lower your voice Elsa, do you not see that people are around you." Hakira cautioned her friend as she looked around to see if anyone had heard them while Elsa took the last sit at the table. Hakira couldn't imagine the look on anyone's face if they heard that.
"What are you even doing here Elsa? The festival is in three days from now, are you not supposed to be in the palace?" Elena asked keeping her voice low.
"I have nothing to do there, my presence is not needed and I have no interest in sitting with the women as they chatter and gossip of irrelevant nonsense while sharing tea and battering their fake lashes." Elsa responded causing laughter from the others.
"How are your preparations for the festival?" Elsa asked as they all started to talk.
Hakira smiled at the conversation going on while her heart was in turmoil for having to lie to her friends. She remembered how she had met them.
When she had first came to the kingdom three years ago, It was around the time of the festival and because of the reason for her coming to the kingdom, she didn't trust anyone and wanted to be on her own but then she had met Elena and Finn.
At first, she was reluctant but with situations bringing them together, they had eventually turned friends and after that they had even started living together. As time passed, she had become more relaxed and started flowing with the people eventually leading to her friendship with the rest. Her life had been going on fine until recently she came to the realization that the problem which made her run and come to this kingdom could catch up to her and that was her reason for leaving the kingdom various times to make sure it didn't happen. This time, she had managed to succeed and now she was sure that they won't be a way for it to be discovered easily.
However she could not tell her friends about her secrets so that they could be safe and no harm will come to them. No matter what, she could not let herself be the reason for hurting such good people.
The conversation in the table went on for a while and they had gotten lost in it like always. Valdo hadn't bring up the question again to Hakira's relief and just continued joking around. It was odd seeing a man talking among girls who he didn't court or befriended though he seemed to have a different liking towards one in the table. Valdo was a soldier in the kingdom and a good one at that so he usually had a lot of company with men but he still took his time to come see them when things were not so bizarre for the kingdom.
He had said another joke causing laughter from the girls once more and while in the middle of their laughter, Hakira sighted the door to her bosses office opening slowly and had alerted Elena while rushing back to her post leaving only Valdo and Elsa in the table. The door opened revealing a fat man of middle height as he walked with a smile in his face out of his office. He had brown big eyes followed with a big nose and mouth, his eyebrow being the only small thing in his face. His round face was displayed a good amount of fat on it and his cheeks were puffed out with a small mustache. Small wrinkles were on his face and he walked out with confidence in his stride. The man was no other than Mr Brad, the owner of this restaurant and her boss.
Mr Brad was a no nonsense man when it came to his business and was one who demanded near perfection in his work. He took everything a little too seriously and money was his drive in life. He literally loved it. Hakira didn't mind him after she was sure that she wasn't caught and looked at the two people who sat at the table while they discussed. She could notice nervousness coming from both of them. Valdo and Elsa did have a huge liking for one another but they never expressed their feelings and it was clear why. Elsa was the beloved princess of the kingdom and Valdo was just a soldier who didn't even have a rank of a normal captain and wasn't even recognized by many. It was quite the impossible love story and it was heartbreaking to see. Seeing how it was becoming more intense between the two, Hakira couldn't help but release a small laugh looking away to continue her work.
"Have you found her?" The man asked as he gave out a piercing gaze to the man who was on one knee bowing to him. The harshness in his eyes giving the man a little shiver.
With a shaking voice, he answered. "Not yet sir."
The man's gaze became more furious even though his expression had not changed. The aura he gave off increasing as the air became denser and his long jacket was blown upward making the others around him move away from him. The man who was bowing before now shifting back as well with a little bit of fear reflecting of his face. He seemed ready to do anything to escape the wrath of the person who stood in front of him.
However the man did nothing and his frightening aura dispersed as his eyes closed and his expression for the first time changed to that of irritation as he tried to keep his mouth from blurting out the words of anger he wanted to lash out. It wasn't the time to get rowdy and cause commotion or to act out of anger. He needed to use his head or he might screw up this mission and not gain the favor from his master and king.
The man and his people stood under a huge mango tree in the front yard of a maize farm with no one around the place. A small boulder beside the tree and on it two women sat on it, one sat back with her hands on the small rock simply looking around with a bored expression while the other had her eyes closed and her hands folded not even giving attention to anything around her. At the other side where two men, one resting his back on the tree, with a little smirk on his face, hands folded and having a no care for the world expression while the other stood beside him, his hands behind him with a serious expression in his face as he stared at the drama in front of him. Lastly was the other two men, one who had almost been scared of his life a moment ago and finally the man who caused the ruckus earlier, their leader and by far the strongest person among them.
"I have only searched the eastern and northern sides of the kingdom and I can't seem to find her any where." The man explained hastily trying hard to escape the man's wrath. "I also have to avoid being caught by the soldiers and the others as well."
The mention of the others brought another irritated look on the leader's face as he refrained himself from almost cursing at the situation.
"It's been three weeks of none stop search and am being to loose my patience. This time all will head out to find her, and after that we will leave this place quickly and get our price." The man's face turning to greed as he spoke out his last words.
"Yes sir." Everyone responded at once and were gone in the next instant as if they vanished. Leaving only the leader behind as he spoke his last words before moving out.
"Where the hell are you damned mistress."
Later on the day just as the sun was about to set, Hakira and the other workers gisted as they did the last things to do before they closed for the day.
"What do you plan on wearing, Elena?" Barbara, one of the waiters and a close friend of Elena asked her as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"I have not decided on what to wear." Elena responded to her standing near Hakira.
"What about you Hakira?" Hakira turned her head to look at the person. It was Daniel, another waiter. This man had been pursuing her since she first came to work here. He was a good looking man but Hakira didn't give into his advances because he was a womanizer. It was a hassle working with him while he took every chance to get her to agree and be his lady.
"I have not decided either." Hakira answered him only out of courtesy. "Why don't you come over to our place tomorrow and we can decide together, Barbara?"
"Anything for you dear."
"Everyone!!" Mr Brad called out, his baritone voice entering their ears as he stood a few feets from his office.
"Three days from now will be the festival so I have made preparations for decorations and entertainment." Pausing, he cleared his throat then continued. "So tomorrow will be very busy so everyone should be early so everything would go smoothly, do you all understand?"
"Yes sir."
Hakira tried hard to wipe her hair completely dry as she sat on a stool in her room. Some minutes ago, they had all arrived home and Hakira immediately took her bath. She had put on a blue gown that stopped just after her knee. After making sure her hair was completely dry, she stood up and walked over to her bed sitting on it as she stared outside her window at the almost full moon which gave the sky a little light. Her thoughts were running over the place and the event of today replayed in her head.
She was really disturbed at the fact that her little happy life could come to an end at anytime but she knew well why she had to do what it is she had done. A heavy decision but one that was necessary to be done.
Her head turned as she looked at a part of the wall behind her. Standing up, she walked over to the walk while at first taking the stool dropping it near the wall and then climbing on it.
She looked up and stretched her legs as she raised her hands and then pushed the upper part of the wall putting in a little force. A small cracking in a rectangular shape appeared and then putting a little bit more force, she pulled at it and the place came forward as she removed the brick and inside the place layed a small box. She took the box out and came down from the stool. Looking at it, the small wooden box gave out an immense feeling which spread across the room. Hakira gulped as she readied herself for what she was about to do.
Opening the box slowly, the immense feeling multiples but it didn't affect her in any way. Opening it fully, inside layed a small pearl. The pearl was red in color just like blood and just from it a huge aura was pouring out that it shook Hakira's body slightly, her skin vibrating.
Her mouth became dry all of a sudden and she looked at it for a while before she got a hold of herself and then taking the pearl closed to her mouth, she opened her lips and then from the pearl small substance like drops of water came out and made their way into her mouth.
After taking a few into her mouth, she immediately dropped her hand away from her mouth closing the box and then putting everything back so they be how they were before and afterwards moved and layed on her bed as her eyes became red and tears slowly rushed down her eyes as she remembered the reason why she had done what she did. She bit her lips to the extent it almost bled trying to keep her sorrows in check. This was her turmoil and thinking of it always brought her pain as she remembered the words a certain person told her long ago and ones she was trying hard to fulfill and the thought of it brought more tears to her eyes as she folded herself in the small mattress as the words replayed again and again.
"Don't let him become that monster, save him Hakira, save him."