The villagers murmured amongst themselves; the girl they were accusing looked really confident and spoke eloquently like a woman of class.
"If you’re not a seductress, then why are you wearing a light gown, leaving your hair to cover your face?" A rational woman from the crowd asked.
Oriana inhaled, "Great question. I just woke up and I see an angry mob pointing at me, ready to beat me up. It’s only human nature for me to run. Also, about my dress. I don’t know anyone who sleeps in the night with their jackets and complete layers of gown," she explained, moving her hair behind her, but she couldn’t tie it as there was no band. So her golden full hair flowed gently with the morning breeze.
With Oriana’s explanation, the villagers became confused, and there was division amongst them. The princess could hear them argue,
"Whose husband did she actually sleep with?"
"Are we accusing an innocent woman?"
"Who brought the report to the village head?"
Letting her guard down for a minute, Oriana dropped the wood by her side. It was obvious that someone had given the villagers a false alarm.
"She’s lying! That is how she deceived people. She also bewitched my husband with her sweet words and laughter," the girl who had been hiding in the crowd now stepped out.
"Ada?" Louis called the name of his work girl, whom he had argued with the other night.
Oriana nodded, "So that’s what this is all about. Is this the only thing you could come up with?" She asked the young girl, but the princess underestimated the girl’s ability to lie with ease for a minute.
Ada turned to face the crowd, with tears filled in her eyes she started. "These people arrived in the village yesterday, and I decided to help them cook. After work, I asked for my own pay but didn’t receive it, only to reach home and to see my husband in bed with her!" She pointed at Oriana, and the villagers gasped.
The short man nodded, "Yes, that’s true. This is my wife, I regret my actions, which is why I have come to get the seductress punished so she doesn’t ruin people’s homes,"
From everything happening, Oriana could already tell what was going on. The girl was trying to get revenge for what happened last night, and this half-sized peanut man was one of the men who received the girl’s services. Of course, they would do her bidding. She needed to be tactical with her reply, but before she could say anything, the girl continued.
"My fellow women, how would you feel...." Ada paused to allow the deceptive tears trace down her face. "I have suffered, did everything possible to keep my family stable and a girl like her..." The girl continued to cry.
Oriana raised her brows, looking shocked. "That witch!" She pointed at the girl. She couldn’t control her anger anymore; she stretched her hand forward to drag the girl’s hair. "I should have beaten you properly yesterday night."
But the crowd misunderstood Oriana’s words; they gasped.
"She’s finally saying the truth!"
Oriana shook her head, "Not what you think. She worked with us yesterday night and asked for more money, and I gave her mine so she could leave."
"You tried to close her mouth with money? You’re the witch!" One woman spat.
The princess raked her finger through her hair; she hated misunderstandings and this one was escalating. "No! Oh, heavens please save me. I tried to tell her to go away; are you all stupid? Can’t you see she’s lying,"
"Did she just call us stupid?" Another woman asked, a heavy-looking woman whose hand was Oriana’s entire body.
Oriana took a cautious step back; she knew when to shut up. "I would never call you stupid; what I meant to say is...okay..let’s do it this way. I’ll go back inside and settle this amicably with her," she was referring to Ada.
The girl shook her head, "No! All I want is for justice to be served for staining my home. Burn her," the girl instigated.
"You must be delusional," Oriana scowled, but the crowd was already riled up by the time the princess spoke to them.
"Let us burn her! So others can learn their lessons. I know how it feels to find another woman with your husband," another woman shouted.
Oriana nodded, "I also know how it feels. I’m not married, but I’ve had the experience in my own family. I would never do it,"
"Thief, thief, hold the thief," the people chasing after Oriana finally arrived.
Oriana recognized the man whose house she had taken the wood from. She took it and gave it back to the man, "Here, thank you, sir. I told you I would return it. You didn’t need to come all the way here, and with friends?"
"She’s a thief!" The man shouted, as if he wasn’t understanding Oriana’s words.
"And also a seductress!" Another woman added.
Oriana shook her head, "Hold on, wait. How did I become a thief? I just gave this man back his wood. Is that how you people accuse someone around here?" The princess was shocked.
"Let’s teach her a lesson?" The crowd shouted, and before Oriana could take a step back, she was dragged with force to the middle.
"Get the fire ready; we will burn her to set the likes of her straight,"
Oriana tried to wriggle her body, but she was held by the heavy-built woman, who pinned her to a place.
"I didn’t do anything; please let me go. You can’t take the judgement into your hands take me to the magistrate," Oriana shouted, but nobody was listening to her. Soon Ada instigated the crowd, and they started throwing things at the princess.
From rotten vegetables to tomatoes, even a person threw a stone, which Oriana tried to dodge but because she was held tightly, it hit the side of her face. She felt the warmness of her own blood drip down her face.
"Big sister!" Freya shouted, trying to go and hold Oriana.
"Freya don’t move, stay with your father. I’m fine," Oriana said to the girl with a smile. But she was far from being fine; her body was trembling, and she became even more scared when the fire was lighted. As it burned rapidly like the crowd, Oriana felt her heart beating faster.
"I didn’t do it; I’m not a thief or a seductress... please don’t do this," she tried to beg the crowd, but everyone cheered when the fire was made ready.
"Someone hear me out; I didn’t do it," Oriana was now crying; she was definitely scared of being burnt. As she was pushed towards the fire, she tried her best to move back from it.
"What happened, is your tongue now tied? You had a lot to say earlier." Ada folded her hands with a smug look on her face.
"You!" Oriana glared, but she knew that wouldn’t help her. "Tell them the truth; I didn’t do any of this. Why are you doing this to me?"
The hotness of the fire caused Oriana’s leg to weaken, she was yet to get close to it but she could already feel the warmness.
"Nana, please save me...anyone...please" Oriana cried desperately for help, but nobody heard her. She got closer to the fire and when it touch a piece of her dress, it consumed it immediately.
"Ah!" Oriana shouted, "No..no...I’m innocent," she cried for help when she saw her dress getting burnt, and the next was her skin. Before the fire could burn her skin, Oriana felt a strong firm grip on her waist which pulled her away from the fire.
"What is going on here?" Adric’s voice thundered.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
