Jacqueline was tending to her garden behind the shack when she heard the bells from the city square. It was a sound she always dreaded. The bells only rang on occasions. It meant something was amiss...some kind of terrible trouble.
In a hurry, Jacqueline made her way out of the garden and towards the house when she suddenly remembered that Francois had gone to get supplies from the market.
Aghast! Jacqueline threw the lettuces, cabbages and carrots she had earlier gathered from the garden as she rushed through the almost collapsing picket fence surrounding her yard and ran towards the town erratically.
Jacqueline lived far from town with her 13 year old son, Francois on a piece of land left to them when Sommé, her husband died after the plague hit. She had been largely blamed for his death and she rarely ever went to town because of the snickers and chants that made her always cry at night.
Her lovely Sommé...the perfect man. Gentle as a bee seeking the nectar from a rose and fierce as a boulder betwixt the gushing brooks. Death came to easy to him despite all Jacqueline's prayers but fate made it impossible for her to follow Sommé...the love for Francois was stronger.
As Jacqueline moved towards the city walls, she noticed the guards were absent from their usual post. She quickly moved in through the gates and towards the market hoping to find her son.
Once at the market where Jacqueline expected smirks, she realized that she found none but instead most of the stall owners were headed towards the city square.
“Sound the alarm! Tell the king! We caught the scoundrel”, was all Jacqueline heard in the city square as the guards dragged a figure towards the palace castle. It was Francois.
“No wait, that's my child...please”, Jacqueline cried as she ran towards the guards attempting to snatch Francois from their clutches.
“Get back, Wench”, a guard snickered, tossing Jacqueline to the dirt. “He will meet his fate. The King shall decide on his punishment”.
Francois was half-dragged through the streets, with Jacqueline unrelentingly clawing at the guards until she was also dragged by the guards into the king’s court.
As she entered, Jacqueline amidst the fracas, could not help but notice the beauty of the court. It was her first time of being here. The walls were etched white with an intermittent golden paint running across the wall. Huge pillars held up a roof that seemed higher than the mountains yet a long chain protruded from the ceiling almost all the way down firmly holding unto a crescent chandelier that she suspected was lit up at night. A balcony on both sides held a handful of men and ladies of the court, the untouchables in the land. They whispered as she walked on the red velvet rug towards the throne.
The golden throne didn't fall short of the praise Sommé had given it. It was nothing like Jacqueline had ever seen before. A dragon at the top of the throne and lion’s claws adorned it’s feet. The shape of the crescent moon littered the throne interrupted by a red embroidered butt cushion. Behind the throne, hung a huge window curved by that of the lens of a giant. The view looked like it showed the entire city and also it’s outskirts. She wasn’t sure if the king could see her little patch of a house, from all the way here.
There was utter silence as Jacqueline stood at the courts along with Francois separated by the guards, who didn't allow her to even console her sobbing son.
All stood to take a bow as the king walked into the court room, his personal guards along with him. Jacqueline had never seen anyone so healthy.
After the head guard explained what had happened, Jacqueline stood in the courts, trying to dissuade the king from executing a child on the basis of accusations made by a drunk and a few women, who had always scorned her...who had always called her a witch.
“The penalty for stealing is death”, the king said softly. “There is no exception and therefore it is my judgement...”
“My king, please take me in his stead”, a desperate Jacqueline flung herself at the feet of the king, sobbing. “Please my king”. The silence in the court was interrupted by a simultaneous gasp from those in the court before the silence returned.
“Guards!”, the king thundered after a few minutes. “Set the boy free and see that he is fed. His price has been paid”.
