The Commoner Consort: The Country's Respected Empress

Maya coughs voluntarily and speaks "Mr. General. I heard that Emperor sent some personal edict to take me to Palace?".

Robin bows "Yes Madam! We have been waiting for Mam's recovery. This servant just needs Mam's approval to escort you if you are recovered. I even sent message to alert the The Doctors of Imperial Infirmary. They will help Mam to recover faster".

Maya is taken by a complete surprise and says "Before that I want you to do something for me".

Sarah frowns and looks at Maya confused.

'Is she going to tell about the woman?'.

Robin nods curtly "At your service Mam!".

Maya takes out the message from her robe which Celina wrote before for her. She requests "I want you to take this to Emperor".

Sarah gets even more confused.

'A letter? Why isn't she talking about the woman and the children? Wait! How did she write-'.

She realizes something and looks back at Celina who was smiling sheepishly.

Robin gets the rolled cloth which they usually use to write letters and bows "At once Mam!".

Before Robin turns to go out, Maya orders "I want the reply before going to the Palace. I will step in the carriage only after receiving The Emperor's acknowledgement for this message".

Robin nods "This servant understands Mam!". He walks out hurriedly as he got a mission from his Queen. He has to accomplish this so that she doesn't look down on him even more.

He really wanted to question her.

'Instead of sending this message, why shouldn't she just come to Royal Palace?! She could have talked to The Emperor herself!'.

But he just ignores as he is used to work without asking questions.

Maya lets a relaxed breath and frowns seriously.

'I wish The Emperor agrees to my requests..'.

Sarah asks "Please forgive me for questioning Mam. Does this servant deserve to know what was the letter about?".

Maya purses her lips and looks at Celina.

Sarah adds worriedly "I don't want Mam to face any problems if things goes wrong-".

Maya smiles "Be relaxed Sarah. I just wrote the truth".

Sarah blinks in confusion.

Maya frowns feeling stinging pain in her injured hand and sits holding her hand "Celina will tell you the content Sarah. Let me rest for a while".

'What happened now?! Oh I want my book now...'.

Maya lays on the bed sadly and her frown deepens as her hand starts to hurt more now.

She feels something poking her waist in her robes and finds it was the chain.

She sighs in frustration. She recalls the stranger and how he put the chain in her neck.

Maya tosses in bed filled with confusion 'Would that even considered as marriage?'.

She c.a.r.e.s.ses the pendent in her robe and wonders 'How is this thing still strong enough to withstand my grasp?!'.

She gets astonished at the mystery.

'Why? Is this because I am keeping this with me? Like how the dresses won't be torn by my grasp after I wear them!'.

Maya tries to sleep but her mind is still wandering around the thoughts of her book, curse, the women and the children, died Stephen, injured Christopher, The message sent to the Emperor and finally to the stranger and his horse Charles.

'I wish I could learn riding a horse from that stranger man...'.

Sarah drags Celina out and asks cornering her "What did you write Celina? Did you write what Mam has told you or you added your stupidity too in it?!".

Celina frowns "I wrote what Mam has told me. Now allow me to help Mam to sleep peacefully! I have to take care of her-".

Sarah grabs her hand harshly to stop her and asks "Tell me the content Celina!".

Celina gets scared as she was trying to tease Sarah but she didn't expect that she would behave harsh. She never behaved this way.

Celina nods "Breath Sarah! I was just playing!".

She starts saying the content and Sarah's tension dissipates gradually.

Meanwhile, Maya sits on the bed after Sarah left the room. She looks at the flower vase which Celina made it before. Her mind starts to recall about her saying that she can send her out without knowing anyone.

She controls herself as she would receive the mail from Emperor anytime. But she is feeling uncomfortable. She walks towards the window to relax herself seeing something..anything that could ease her mind and pain.

Maya looks at the servants doing their regular chores and soldiers guarding and standing everywhere in her eye site.

She recalls how alone she would be in her village. Even though she had many chances to talk to many people, she was restricted to do so. Her Father warned her about the curse.

'The curse! I don't know exactly how I was cursed. But when I was young, once I fell from a tree while playing and I was hurt in back of my shoulder. But the blood didn't stop bleeding even after the doctor treated me'.

'When my father got to know about this, she shut me inside a room taunting and blaming. He said ...If a person kills someone's mate..like their spouse, they would be cursed like this...I still wonder what have I done to be cursed! I was bad when I was young..but not evil enough to kill someone...Evil...'.

She gets restless at the word and recalls how she killed Stephen. She feels suffocating and looks around the room.

'I don't belong here'.

Feeling her mood getting worse Maya walks outside the room.

Seeing Celina standing outside, she asks "Can you send me outside?".

Celina opens her eyes wide and whispers "Shh! Mam! Sarah would have whipped me if she had heard you".

Maya speaks tiredly "I want to leave this place for sometime".

Celina looks around keenly and drags Maya through the garden.

Maya follows watching around and asks "When will The General return with a message?".

Celina says "Will take at least few hours Mam!".

Maya frowns "What if Sarah finds?".

Celina giggles "I will tell her that you ordered not to disturb you. She wouldn't dare to disobey!".

Maya smiles nodding.