Episode 4- The Man With Ash Hair

The large doors of the dining room got open.

While the butler introduces the queen, she keeps walking, sitting down to have breakfast

at the largest and most empty table, she has ever seen.

"Lucy and Silvia, would you mind having breakfast with me?" Rachel asks.

 "Your majesty, how could your humble servants sit in the same table as our Lady?"

Silvia says worried while feeling the heavy gaze of the butler.

“Excuse me, but I think I wasn’t clear enough. It's an order, Lucy and Silvia come sit with

me for breakfast.” Says Rachel with a demanding voice.

The butler observes while thinking, how did the

king bring such a woman? Queen of where? Clearly she doesn’t even know how to

behave.

Dissatisfied Rachel sees the expression on the butler's face and tells him. "You can

leave."

Butler turns around and leaves "hmm." Opening the doors he exits. Angry, he

goes to the study where he starts cleaning. “She may be the queen that the king

chose for him, but not mine… Never! She is too ignorant, she doesn't even know manners.

Hopefully, the King will notice and throw her out. ” Laughing, he

turns around.

"I didn't know you had to be the one to approve my decisions," Daniel says.

"Your Majesty, It's not what it seems." The butler says while trembling.

Daniel looks at his guard "You already know what to do."

"Yes your Majesty," Alan says sarcastically.

"Stop trying to be funny or else I'll behead you myself." While his body lights

up.

"Okay, Okay, I got it." holding the butler "what are you doing there, let's get

going." With one hand he throws him on his shoulder.

"My king, please don't do this. I've been faithful to you all these years." He

says while being carried away.

“Now you remember that I am your king? How do I know that your words from today won’t

lead to your betrayal tomorrow? ” Daniel says with a strong voice.

“My king, your humble servant acknowledges his mistake and is willing to receive

punishment, but don’t push me aside. Please."

“Mm, I’m not in the mood of eliminating you today. Alan take him outside and whip

him 40 times, for him to remember what he did today and to serve as an example

for others.”

"Understood." Says Alan leaving. The butler cries.

Meanwhile, after finishing breakfast. Rachel asks the maids to give her a palace tour.

The maids agree to take her for a walk in the garden.

Looking at the garden, she looked around, fixing her eyes, "the Flowers ..."

Rachel said, walking faster.

Once she gets there, her fingers reach taking one,

breathing the scent she closes her

eyes. It’s clearly a tulip, but why does

it smell like a rose?

Having a little dizziness.

This feels like ...

"Deja vu," she said whispering.

"Excuse me, my lady, is there something wrong?" Lucy asks.

"No, don't worry, I was just thinking that these flowers are a bit strange."

"Strange? I don’t quite understand. ” Silvia said.

"No, it’s nothing forget about it." Rachel said.

The maids looked at each other.

"Why are there only red tulips?" Rachel asks.

“It is our king's favorite flower, but there’s also a rose amongst them, at the

center. Maybe my Lady didn’t notice because it's red too. ” Says Silvia while

pointing at the flower.

"A Rose ...?" Without thinking twice she approaches it and while trying to grab

it, whipping was heard causing Rachel to prickle her finger. "Oww," she

said while blood came out from the small wound nonstop.

With concern, Silvia asks. "My Lady, are you all right?"

"Yes, but what was that?" Raquel said.

Silvia remains silent, but Lucy answers the question.

"I didn’t he..." hearing the whipping sound again.

This time Rachel couldn’t stand still and she started following the noise.

"Your Majesty, please wait." The maids kept shouting, but she wasn’t

listening.

Arriving at the place where the sound was coming from, her eyes saw the butler and his

hands tied to a tree trunk. Her body froze, and then she heard the Zasss,

Schsss, Zasss. Looking at the pain in the butler's face reminded her of the

faces of the people from her kingdom as they were dying in agony. Walking, she

shouted. "Stop!!" Said Rachel "Who gave you the right to treat

someone like this?"

Alan was only listening, as he thought Interestingly

one sent me to punish him and the other one is scolding me. Trying to

control his laugh.

"Who dares contradict my orders?" Daniel said.

Angry she turns around. Seeing him, her complexion turns pale. "That tanned skin

and that ash hair is clearly not possible."

Seeing her the man loses his words.

"How is that ..." Having a sudden headache, she held her head. "Oww."

"Are you okay?" Daniel asks holding her.

"You..." Fainting. Daniel took her carrying her in his arms.

"We are very sorry my lord, we just wanted to show our Lady the palace." The

maid said.

"This is the last time any of you either bring her or let her come to this

place." He said angrily.

"Thank you, my lord." The two maids said.

Rachel is left in her room. After a while, she came to her senses waking up and the

first thing she sees is her servant's concern.

"What happened to me?" Sitting on the bed.

"We are deeply sorry your majesty, please punish us as you think is necessary."

Silvia says.

"I don't understand what you’re talking about?" Raquel responds.

"We clearly knew our lady was still recovering, but we still let her walk for

a long time which caused your majesty to faint from fatigue," Lucy said.

Rachel remembers what happened.

“But I feel fine, and what happened to the man with the ...?

With fright, the maids interrupt her by lying.

"What man is my lady talking about?" Silvia says.

"I'm sorry to say this my lady, but there was no man with ash hair color."

Says Lucy.

“What is going? Why are both of you lying to me? And I never said what was his

hair color. ” Rachel responds.

"Your majesty, I think you have not yet fully recovered. I also heard when you said

the color of his hair, it would be best for your humble servants to leave so that

you can rest." Leaving.

"Stop..." Rachel screams, but the Maids have left the room in a hurry. Outside

the room a maid pinches the other one.

"Ouch..." Lucy says.

     "Do you want us to be beheaded or something?" Silvia says scolding Lucy.

"I'm sorry I was very nervous and the words just came out." Lucy says answering

with guilt.

"Well, I hope this won’t happen again or I'll request you to be changed to another

area of work." Silvia says with a threatening voice.

Dissatisfied Lucy responds “I understand that you’re angry, but you know better than anyone why I’m here. Just like you..."

"You said it, I know it better than anyone, but I'm also here for a purpose and I won’t

let you ruin it." Silvia said with an obstinate look.

Meanwhile, in Rachel's room.

    Am I going crazy? No, I know what I saw. But why did they lie to me? Should I not

trust them?

    The room lock starts to open.

"Dear, how are you?" Says Esther.

 From what I can see you look much better than when I saw you the first time.

Standing up immediately Rachel greets Esther.

 "Good afternoon, Mrs. Esther. About what happened that day I hope you can excuse my...”

"Come here" hugging her "I didn't come all the way here just to scold

you." Taking a seat "I have come to make sure you are calmer now, and

also to make sure you’re enjoying your stay in the palace." Says Esther.

"At this time, I don’t think I can achieve the calm your telling me."

"Not after losing my family ..." Rachel answers with an empty face.

"Your family?" Esther asks.

Rachel stays silent.

    "I understand if you don’t wanna talk about it." Says Esther.

    Doubting at first whether to trust her or not, In the end, Rachel remembered

the first day she came to the palace, and she ends up opening up to Esther

“I see” Tears falling from Esther’s eyes. “I imagine everything was very difficult

for you. I know that when things like this happen words just won’t help. The

only thing I can do today is to share this with you so come here my little girl,” Esther

puts Rachel on her lab while softly stroking her hair. “Take everything you’re holding

back out because if you leave it in there it will only eat you alive." Feeling

a lump in her throat Ester still remains strong.

Rachel didn’t want Esther seeing her cry again, but feeling Esther’s care the tears started

to roll until her eyes flooded causing her to cry. Esther remains silent, while

Rachel feels a heavyweight being remove from her. Esther continues to caress

her hair. That night was long remembering everything and nothing. That night

Rachel shed the tears she had endured for fear of being seen again as the first

day. Scared of being called weak from that day on she decided not to cry

anymore. She remembered how after the massacre she spent many hours without

even shedding a tear; she walked aimlessly without a sense of direction trying to escape

the faces of terror begging for forgiveness. All those faces that had been

impregnated in her memory. That day a part of her died, feeling the

helplessness of not being able to protect those she loved. After taking everything

out she had inside, she ended up falling asleep. When Rachel fell asleep,

Esther left her room, quietly closing the door and disappearing in the dark

night.

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