Chapter 3: I. Troublemaking Inara

"Are you telling me to kill my child?"

Gasps of disbelief and even incredulity were dropped and floated across the room.

"Nonsense! It is you who must perish and have your soul drift off to the land of the shaytan!"

The summer wind howled and the heat it brought along pricked the skin of the people who had gathered to listen to the lady in front. The words she spouted earned more gasps and sighs that denoted worry yet excitement for what was to come afterward.

The lady had her eyes squinted at the small audience, her small fist in the air as though hitting someone only she was able to see. She then moved to the side and plastered a smile on her lips that she was confident to be an evil one.

Her lips parted to continue. "A lady must not be haste and shame herself. Have you forgotten who I am, Your Highness?" Her chest puffed up, her eyes turning sharp even more. "I am the King, and you shall be held accountable for wishing ill of Your Majesty!"

Despite her height which gave away her being a sixteen-year-old lady, she was trying her mightiest to mimic an old man's voice to satisfy her audience and keep up with the lines of the King in the story. Upon seeing the young lady's acting skills that they thought to be the best, even though they have none to compare it with yet, the other young ladies cheered and were deeply rooted in the story, thus their genuine reactions. 

The young lady standing in front turned to the other side again to take the pitiful Princess's role this time. 

"Your Majesty! How shall I be punished for loving the bairn in my womb?" she cried and sobbed, her hands on her chest as though in real pain. "I am a Princess of this kingdom, but I am also a mother! I am your daughter, Your Majesty! How can you let me suffer from losing my child? How would you take it if it were I who must be executed?"

It seemed like the tears that kept flowing out from the eyes of the young lady had pinched and broken the hearts of her spectators. They too had shed some tears but kept their eyes open to watch the actress before them.

"You are a fool for even thinking of I letting you go through the same!" the actress continued with the lines of the King. "Your bairn has only grown to a size of a mango. It will be easier to let go of that child now before it grows bigger and the bad omen continues to plague the country!"

The young lady moved again and shook her head with a strong conviction, but her pleading eyes gave away her shattered hope. "No! I will not allow any one of you to decide on what my child's destiny will be!"

"Princess Lianna!" her voice turned deep again, mimicking an old man's voice. "Your selfishness will be the death of us!"

"Inara!"

Her pointing finger in the air froze, her eyes widening at the sound of the voice behind her. The audience had the same reaction upon looking toward the lady at the doorway and recognizing her immediately.

Inara gulped and slowly turned around to see her aunt pursing her lips and raising her brow at her. Her hands were placed on her hips to let the young ladies know how displeased she was to be welcomed with their show.

Mirayah had just finished getting all the ingredients for a potion that she wanted the young ladies to learn today. She was about to go around the hut that they built as a training room for the children until they grow up to be fine young ladies who were at the peak of their youth.

Her steps though were halted when she heard the commotion taking place inside the hut. The forced voice of a lady to sound like an old man had her ears perked up in intrigue, only to witness her very own troublemaker niece having the show of her life before the other young ladies.

Inara let out an awkward smile and chuckled to fill in the silence that covered the whole room. Her fellow young ladies had already bowed their heads low enough to pay respect to their elder and teacher who also happened to be Inara's aunt. Looking at how the elder only had her eyes directed to Inara and did not bother moving her gaze around the other young ladies, Inara knew that she was left all alone to handle the wrath of her Aunt Mirayah.

She sent a scowl to her friends who had their gazes away from her as though they never pushed her to read the book for them this time. Before she could even bow her head to apologize, her aunt was already a few steps away from her and grabbed her left ear as she was dragged out of the small hut.

"Aw! Aunt! Aw!"

Mirayah only let her ear free from her hold when they were on the last step of the wooden ladder outside the hut. Pursing her lips, the lines on the edges of Mirayah's eyes became even more visible because of her anger toward her troublemaker of a niece.

Inara was rubbing her red ear to soothe it when she realized what she had to do. She immediately bowed her head before her aunt.

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"Aunt Mirayah, forgive me for my mistake today," she said. "I will not do it again!"

Her aunt raised her brow, not amused by her act. "Who am I?"

Inara blinked, confused about the question before she almost slapped her forehead in realization. "Lady Mirayah!"

She was repeatedly reminded by her aunt and grandmother that if they were at the training, she should address them properly. She must forget her ties to her aunt and grandmother for a little while to have impartiality amongst the young ladies being trained to be the next generation of Agods.

However, it seemed like Inara kept forgetting it and slipping up every time. Just like today.

"Lady Mirayah, I am aware of my committed sin today," Inara continued with her apology, addressing her aunt properly this time. "I shall not disturb the other young ladies and have their attention away from their tasks. I will not commit this mistake again. I promise!"

If it were not for the eyes that looked their way, Mirayah would have allowed her lips to crack a smile. Feeling the curious gazes of the Agods around them, she maintained her strict face, and though she felt her anger dissipating slowly, she continued carrying out the punishment she had to bestow on her niece.

"You seemed to have a lot of time in your hands judging by the fact that you finished a book unrelated to your training," Mirayah spoke slowly and dauntingly. 

Inara shut her eyes as she knew that there is a punishment awaiting her. Her braided hair cascaded down her back and slid to fall across her chest when she bowed further.

The wind was harsh to the skin today due to the enthusiastic beginning of the summer season. Inara could not help but feel grateful and irritated at the same time with the white long-sleeved dress they had to wear as a uniform. Grateful because it keeps their skin safe from the pricking of the summer heat but irritated because it only made the heat worse. She sneakily wiped the sweat that formed on her forehead.

"Lady Mirayah..." she started to speak but was interrupted when the elder finally told her of the punishment.

"Here, take this," Mirayah fished out the small piece of paper inside her sleeve and held it out to Inara. "I need these before the end of the training today."

Inara blinked and straightened her back slowly to receive the small piece of paper. She unfolded it and read the writings of her aunt. Her brows furrowed in confusion.

"But—" she stammered. "But haven't you got all the ingredients for the potion already?"

Mirayah nodded. "That's right," she said. "These are for another potion. You have to get all of them fresh and clean. Return here before the nightfall."

Inara furrowed her brows. Before the nightfall? Just how difficult would it be to get the ingredients? she thought.

"But... What about the training today, Aunt—I mean Lady Mirayah?" she asked. "Do I not need to attend today?"

"You would have to if it weren't for your great performance earlier," Mirayah said and bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from chuckling. "Anyway, go ahead and look for the ingredients."

Inara held back the grin threatening to spill from her lips. She nodded with feigned defeat and even let out a sigh to make her aunt believe that she was truly regretful for what she did earlier. When Mirayah waved her hand to dismiss her, she turned around and started her journey of finding the ingredients.

It was only when she was a few meters away from the hut that she let out a giggle built up in her throat.

"Ha," she exclaimed and grinned all by herself. "I don't have to read spells and attend the boring training today!"

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I apologize if there are grammatical errors for English is not my first language. 

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