BETWEEN 2 HEARTS
Between 2 Hearts - Episode 13
Tag: Royalty and Love.
Warning: Stay clear from this book
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
Twenty years had passed, and everything had changed. Naomi had finally graduated from a local university, alongside her lifelong friend Mia. The two had grown up together, becoming more like sisters than friends. Sometimes, people even mistook them for twins, despite their different skin colors.
During those years, Mr. Daniels' health had begun to decline, leaving him weak and unable to do much. Naomi had been by his side, caring for him and putting her own life on hold.
Her job search had been a long and arduous one. It seemed as though the universe had turned its back on her. Even when she finally secured a job, her boss had tried to take advantage of her, drawn in by her beauty and skin color. But Naomi, raised with strong values, had refused their demands.
Despite the setbacks, Naomi and Mia had persevered, encouraged by their parents not to give up. Mrs. Ruth, determined to help, had begged the king and queen to secure a job for the girls in the palace.
Queen Lala had been reluctant, but King Luke had agreed, offering them a role helping in the kitchen and with other small tasks around the palace. He had even offered to pay them for their work.
Naomi and Mia had been overjoyed, grateful for the opportunity to work in the palace and earn a steady income. As they went about their duties, they couldn't help but feel a sense of wishful wash over them. They had come full circle, back to the place where they had spent so many happy memories as children.
As Naomi and Mia worked in the palace, they stood out from the other maids. The king had given them special permission to wear their own clothes, rather than the standard maid uniforms.
They assisted the maids with various chores, helping with everything from cleaning to cooking. While some of the maids were kind and generous towards them, others were envious of the special treatment they received from the king.
Queen Lala, in particular, was unfriendly with Naomi. She would often assign Naomi to do tasks like washing and tidying up the rooms, and would prevent the other maids from helping her.
But Mia was always willing to lend a hand, and would often assist Naomi with her tasks. The queen, however, seemed to care little for Mia's efforts, and would often mock Naomi about her past, warning her that if she ever stole anything from the palace, she would end up in jail.
Naomi, determined to prove herself as a decent and honest person, was always careful to avoid even the appearance of impropriety. She would thoroughly search her bag every day before leaving the palace, to make sure she hadn't accidentally taken anything that didn't belong to her.
When she received her pay, Naomi would always make sure to buy her father's medication, as well as some food for the house. Every morning, she would prepare meals for her father, and ask her neighbors to keep an eye on him while she was at work.
Despite the challenges she faced, Naomi remained kind, hardworking, and dedicated to her family.
One day, while Naomi was washing the queen's clothes alone in the laundry room, Mia was helping out in the kitchen. Suddenly, a guard snuck up behind Naomi and tickled her waist. She flinched in fear and landed a hot slap across his face.
"What was the meaning of that?" Naomi asked rudely, her eyes blazing with anger.
The guard held his face, wincing in pain. "Why did you slap me?" he asked.
"How dare you touch me? Are you mad?"
"Yes, I am madly in love with you. All I want is a chance."The guard's face broke into a charming smile.
"You are very stupid! You think I am one of those girls you flirt around with? Listen, if you don't leave here right now, I will do something you won't like." She said angrily.
"Come on, Naomi, stop being difficult. You know I am one of the finest guys in this palace, and every lady is dying to be with me. Why are you so tight? I rejected all those ladies just to be with you."
"Leave this minute, now that I am still in a good mood."
But the guard refused to back down. He grabbed Naomi's waist, trying to flirt with her, but she struggled against him, pushing him off.
Just then, Mia appeared on the scene, her eyes flashing with anger. Without asking what had happened, she joined Naomi in raining blows on the guard. The man screamed on the floor as they beat and bit him.
Soon, some maids rushed in to separate the two women from the guard. The head guard appeared, his face stern.
"Follow me to the king's palace," he ordered, his voice firm.
Naomi and Mia followed him, their faces still flushed with anger.
Naomi and Mia were brought before the king and queen, including the guard, kneeling down as they awaited judgment. The king's eyes widened as he took in the sight of the guard, who was covered in bruises and bite marks.
"What the heck is going on?" King Luke demanded. "How dare you fight in my palace, which you know is against the rules?"
"Your Majesty, we are sorry, but he started it." Naomi said, her voice trembling.
"Will you shut up! I ask you to wash my clothes and you ended up being a fighter." Queen Lala snapped at her rudely.
"I am sorry, your Majesty," Naomi said, bowing her head.
King Luke turned to them. "What happened?"
"Your Majesty, I didn't do anything. They just came and attacked me."The guard defended himself.
" Will you shut up, You don't even know how to lie."Mia snapped at him.
"Your Majesty, we didn't mean to cause a fight. He came to where I was working and was trying to flirt with me," Naomi explained.
"What? You did that?" he asked the guard.
"No, no, your Majesty, she is lying."The guard denied it.
"You are the one who's lying. I saw everything that happened. I was there."Mia said.
King Luke banged his hand on the throne. "That's enough! This is the kind of behavior I don't conduct in my palace. Each one of you will be punished."
Naomi and Mia remained calm, awaiting their punishment.
King Luke decreed, "You two will kneel under the sun for two hours." Then, he turned to the guard. "And as for you, leaving your duty post to cause trouble, you will receive ten strokes of the cane."
"Please, your Majesty."The guard begged for mercy.
King Luke was unmoved. "Now, all of you, leave my sight." And they departed,
"The punishment you gave to those girls was too simple. What if the guard was right? You know I don't trust that black devil. She is too cunning."
"I did what was right. I judged accordingly to what I saw."King Luke stood firm.
Queen Lala sighed, her face dissatisfied.
Naomi and Mia knelt under the scorching sun in front of the palace, two guards standing by the door entrance.
"I'm sorry, you're here because of me."
Mia scoffed, a smile on her face."Oh please! What are sisters for? I know you'd do the same for me."
They shared a warm smile, their bond evident.
"So, did that guy really try to flirt with you?" Mia asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"I thought you said you saw everything and were there." She teases.
"That's because I wanted to spice things up so he'd face a bigger punishment."
"Yes, he tried to flirt with me."
"How dare he! He's so lucky I didn't get hold of something; I would've hit him on the head, and then he'd come back to his senses." Naomi giggled. "I'm serious."
"I know, I'm so happy to have you as a sister. I guess he won't dare come close to me again, not after that beating."
"You are right, he deserves it....we should pray mom shouldn't find out about this".
They shared a laugh, enjoying each other's company despite the uncomfortable circumstances.
Just then, Mrs. Ruth appeared behind them, a look of anger on her face. "Too late!" she exclaimed.
"Mom!" Naomi and Mia chimed in unison.
"What is this I'm hearing? That my two daughters have turned into fighters? Since when?"
"Um, Mom, it's not what you think. It was self-defense."Naomi tried to explain.
Mrs. Ruth's anger didn't abate. "A self-defense? You two are kneeling under a hot sun; do you know what this sun will do to your bodies?"
Mia tried to placate her mother with a smile. "Mom, calm down. You should know the good skin heaven blessed your two daughters with, so nothing can harm us."
"You two will meet me once your punishment is over."She sighed tiredly, shaking her head.
With that, she walked away, leaving Naomi and Mia to exchange a smile.
"Gosh, I can't take the hotness of the sun anymore; my skin is starting to burn," Mia complained.
"I thought you said heaven blessed you with good skin, so nothing can hurt you."Shr chuckled.
Mia grinned sheepishly. "Well, I take that back."
Naomi glanced at the time. "We still have forty minutes till our punishment is over." she said.
TBC
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