Chapter 49

When Ploca recovered her senses, she was already in the bedroom. Darkness was sitting outside the window. “Oh my god. How did this happen? It’s night already.” She stamped her foot. “What happened to Hetiron?” She was eaten by anxiety and nervousness. She could not manage to think rationally.

“Listen well, Ploca. We can punish the man who was rude to us. But since he was like your stepfather, we will just let it go. However, there will be no second chance. So, Ploca, you better be careful, too.”When Ploca regained her senses, she was already in the bedroom. The view outside the window was dark. <> she thought to herself. She stamped her foot. <> Her anxiety and nerves ate at her. She could not manage to think rationally.

“Listen well, Ploca. We can punish the man who was rude to us. But since he was like your stepfather, we will just let it go. However, there will be no second chance. So, Ploca, you better be careful, too.”

The king had stated it clearly. If she was worried about Hetiron’s comfort, she had to be careful about what she said. Ploca didn’t have any power. She could not rebel. She could not run away. So, Ploca needed to wait. She could not help the things that had already happened. She was taken without being able to stop it. Before she knew it, her name was already registered on Lecco Arte. She had become a woman of Skara. Since she was already an adult, she immediately became the king’s concubine. The wedding ceremony that was held was very simple.

When the king said he would take a woman, no one would dare question it. The only problem was that the lady he had just made a concubine had originally been a wanderer. So, the atmosphere surrounding the entire royal family was not good.

But Ploca couldn’t afford to worry about that. She was utterly aware of how helpless she was at every moment.

It had been such a surreal day. The night before seemed insignificant when compared. <> Ploca wondered. The last thing she had seen was him bleeding heavily. Even that she barely saw because the large knight was blocking her view.

She shook with anxiety and clenched her teeth. She crouched down. It was noisy outside, with people talking about marriage and concubines, but she could not hear much else. <> Being separated from Hetiron made her nervous. Only their separation mattered.

<> Ploca asked herself.

“Ploca,” the king called to her.

<<— is that man really the king of this country?>> she wondered. The king tilted his head slightly and smiled contentedly.

“You are beautiful,” he said.

At that moment, Ploca was overcome with fear for the first time. What would happen to her, whether or not she would see Hetiron again, what was going on at the moment, and why she was there were all useless questions at the moment. All of her anxiety and nervousness disappeared behind the fear.

Ploca realized that the king had waited for this moment, even though he could have embraced her right away. He had tricked her. <> she thought.

Delfinus walked toward her, taking long strides, and touched her cheek.

“Are you scared? Do not worry, Ploca,” he said.

<> she thought. Her anxiety had already passed its limit. Ploca shivered when she looked at him.

“Don’t tremble,” he said.

He skillfully dragged her to the bed and laid her down.

<> she wondered.

Ploca wanted to say something but failed because he kissed her. She tried to resist, but her hands and feet trembled too hard to try. She didn’t have enough strength to stop him, anyway. Tears flowed down her face.

“Shh, it’s fine. Ploca,” he whispered softly. He spoke in a kind voice as if they had become a real couple.

“Ploca. Shh. It’s okay,” he said.

Delfinus laughed, but Ploca could not. Her tears would not come anymore. No, no.

The whole of Latrice regarded virginity as important. The royal family would as well. She had spent the night with Hetiron the previous day. She was not a virgin anymore.

If the king found out about it, she had no idea how he would react. He had been the prince from birth. He was the type of man that didn’t feel bad about tricking a commoner and dragging her away. He would be mad.

“…You are really beautiful,” he said.

The shame of being naked in front of another man stained Ploca’s face red. Only then had she fully realized the situation. He was really trying to lie with her.

But there was something more terrible than that. The fact that she was about to be forcibly raped, that she had become a concubine despite not being a virgin, and that she had shown her naked body to the king was not important to Ploca. The most important matter was something else. Something terrible and awful.

“Because, Ploca, your eyes were so shiny. I thought, how could I pretend not to know this child?” Hetiron had said.

<> Ploca thought to herself.

“Ploca. You can speak. It’s okay,” the king said.

Delfinus smiled softly. Ploca’s chin was shaking. She clenched her teeth so hard that it was beginning to hurt. She didn’t want to make any noise. She thought she would never speak.

The night before and that moment were very different. <> she thought.

“Ploca,” Delfinus said again.

<> Ploca pleaded silently.

But there was no one that could help her.

Ploca had been clenched her teeth throughout the night. She could taste blood, but she continued to bite her lips as if she would eat them. She wanted to cry, but she could not. She didn’t want to groan. She did not want to talk to the man who had taken her.

She knew he could kill Hetiron right away, but she trusted what the king had said. He would forget what had happened this time, but there would be no second chance. He said that she had to watch out. So, she only needed to watch her speech and behavior. If she didn’t fight against him, he would let Hetiron live, and she could live. So, she endured the night.

She could easily predict how it would end, as she was not a virgin.

“You…” Delfinus said.

It was the end of the darkest night. She felt a crumbled feeling that crushed and pressed.

“You are not a virgin. How dare you,” he said.

Ploca had known this was how it would end. As she had expected, he was very upset. She closed her eyes.

<> she wondered.

But she didn’t want to die. She had to survive to see Hetiron. She didn’t want to show Hetiron this terrible thing, but she missed him so much. She knew she had to escape from this terrible situation. She had to endure everything until the end came.

Already, the positive sentiment she had for Delfinus fell. But he was the one who held her neck. So, she needed to pretend to be respectful. Ploca was determined. <> she thought.

“How dare…” he said.

She wished she had lost her mind. She wished her whole vision had gone dark.

But Delfinus continued to touch her with a soft, hot touch. The sensations were terribly vivid. She endured again and again, but she moaned helplessly with unfamiliar pain. Her shoulders trembled.

“Ah…”

Delfinus suddenly grasped her shoulders with a hard grip. But Ploca knew the reason. She knew the meaning of the words that he had spoken bitterly. He had realized that she was not a virgin. He already had a queen and another concubine, so he was familiar with women’s bodies.

<> she thought.

“Your… Majesty…”

So late that night, Ploca opened her lips at last.

But Delfinus could not afford to care for that voice. “Are you trying to sit near the king with this dirty body? Do you know how much effort I have put into you so far? How dare you betray me?” he asked.

“Hetiron?

“Yes. He is like my father,” she had said.

“You dare try to fool me with that lie? You dare lie, to me, the king of this country!?”

Delfinus was convinced. She must have slept with that petty commoner. He could imagine how many nights they must have spent together. That man probably laid with her before she passed the coming-of-age ceremony. He must have pretended to be a step-father or that she had not passed the coming-of-age ceremony yet by faking the family register.

No, there would be no reason to do so.

However, he was sure that this woman and that man had deceived him.

“Please…” she said.

But he did not want to punish this lady who was crying piteously. He was very upset with the fact that she was not a virgin, and that he had such a woman as a concubine, but he could not punish her. Also, he did not want to. He had tried so hard so far, he didn’t want to destroy what he had won in a moment.

Delfinus was willing to let it go this time. “Only this once, Ploca.” He looked down at her with fierce eyes and, without saying anything, lowered his head. He kissed her forehead.

And then, he continued the night as if when he was angry. That night ended only when the dawn started to shine brightly through the window.

Ploca stayed at Lotte Bishel. A couple of famous scholars commanded by the king became her teachers. She started to learn some things about the basic culture and royal law.

The king came to her almost every day. Ploca saved her breath every night and never spoke to the king. There was no way she would look kindly on him. She felt so strange and pathetic that she had thought that he was a good person, a decent adult, and a comfortable friend.

However, because of her greater love for Hetiron, Ploca could not develop an intense hatred. She had received him several times with false respect.

“I will just survive and leave this palace,” Ploca told herself every night. Her mind never strayed; it remained concentrated on her will to live and her love for Hetiron.

Those days continued. It was a terrible life, but Ploca tried to keep a clear mind.

Ploca never left her room. The king had not actually forbidden her from doing so. She wanted to run out of the castle, but apart from that, she did not want to leave the room. It was obvious that she would be stared at by other people. She didn’t want to deal with that. She had already decided to endure until the end, but she was not familiar with being treated with contempt or scorn. She would never.

“Ploca.”

On another night, Delfinus smiled brightly and handed her a letter. Ploca felt something. With shaking hands, she took the white paper. The message was short for having been written on such a large piece of paper.

Ploca. I am doing well. His Majesty took care of me. Ploca, you should be happy and stay healthy. I hope you do.

Her shoulders started to tremble. Tears that started without any sign dotted the paper. It was familiar handwriting. She knew it well since she had stayed with him for more than eight years. Her vision was blurred from the tears, but there was no way she could not recognize it. There would be no way she suspected Hetiron. To her, he was all the light of the world, the happiness, and all love.

Only then Ploca was convinced. <> she thought.

Ploca lowered her face. It looked like she was bowing to the king, but she did it to hug Hetiron in her arms. The king was not aware of what she was doing.

Like that, Ploca pledged and pledged. <> she thought.

<> She could not know exactly what his thoughts were, but the only important thing to Ploca was this; <> The thought was a relief.

She could not have any positive feelings for the king, but at least she didn’t have to hate him anymore. She had not even thought that the letter could have been a lie. <> she thought.

So, Ploca felt relieved. She had endured everything.

The king clearly said so. If she was worried about Hetiron’s comfort, be careful about what she would say. Ploca didn’t have power at all. She could not rebel. She could not run away. So, Ploca needed to wait. She could not help, things had already happened. She was taken helplessly. Before she knew, her name was already registered on Lecco Arte. She became a woman of Skara. Thus, she already was an adult, she became the concubine of the king in a moment. The wedding ceremony held very simply.

When the king said he would take a woman, who would dare question about it. The only problem was the lady who sat on that concubine position was from a gypsy. So, the whole atmosphere of the royal family was not good.

But Ploca couldn’t afford to worry about that. She was utterly aware of how helpless she was at every moment.

It was such an unrealistic day, the last night was pale into insignificance beside this day. “What would happen to Hetiron?” What she saw last was he bleed a lot. Even that she barely could see because that big knight was blocking.

She shook with anxiety and clenched her teeth. She couched down. Outside was noisy talking about marriage or concubine or blah blah, but she could not hear anything. “What is the matter with this situation right now?” She was so nervous that she was separated from Hetiron. Only that mattered.

“What will happen to me and Hetiron? Why I dragged to here from the morning and became a concubine—”

“Ploca.”

“— why is that man who opens the door now and coming, is the king of this country?” The king tilted his head slightly and smiled contentedly.

“You are beautiful.”

At the moment, Ploca became terribly scared for him the first time. What would happen to her, whether or not she could see Hetiron again, what was going on at the moment, and why she was here; it was all useless questions. All kinds of anxiety and nervy fell in front of fear.

Ploca realized. The king waited and waited for this moment, even though he could have embraced her right away. He made a tricky move. “Oh my god, how did I believe and rely on this man?”

Delfinus reached to her with big strides and touched her cheek.

“Are you scared? Do not worry, Ploca.”

“Scared of what?” she thought. Her anxiety already had passed a limit. Ploca shivered and looked at him.

“Don’t tremble,” he said.

And he skillfully dragged her to bed and laid her down.

“No. What is going on?”

Ploca wanted to say something but failed because he kissed her. She tried to resist, but her hands and feet tremble too hard to try. In the first place, she didn’t have enough power. Tears fell down naturally.

He whispered softly. “Shh, it’s fine. Ploca.” He spoke in a kind voice as if they became a real couple.

“Ploca. Shh. It’s okay.”

Delfinus laughed but Ploca could not. Tears could not come out anymore. No, no.

The whole of Latrice regarded virginity as important. The royal family would more. She spent the night with Hetiron on the previous day. She was not a virgin anymore.

If the king found out about it, she had no idea how he would change. He was the prince since he was born. He was the one who didn’t feel guilty at all although he used sneaky move to drag commoner from her little house. He would clearly mad.

“…You are really beautiful.”

The shame of being naked to another man stained Ploca’s face red. Only then, she realized reality fully. This man was really trying to have her.

But there was a fact that something more terrible than that. The fact that she was about forcibly raped, that she became a concubine although she was not a virgin, that she showed her naked body in front of the king was not important to Ploca. The most important matter was something else, a very terrible and awful.

“Because, Ploca, your eyes were so shiny. I thought, how I pretend not to know this child.”

“No. How could I betray you? All I know for my life was only you. I must not give my body to other men except you. No, no, really. I will never lift my face in front of him.”

“Ploca. You can speak. It’s okay.”

Delfinus smiled softly. Ploca’s chin was shaking. She clenched her teeth too hard, so the pain was getting worse. She didn’t want to make any noise. She thought she would never say.

The night of yesterday and today were very different. It was terrible and horrible. “I wish this is all a dream. Please…”

“Ploca.”

“No. I can’t give you my body. Please, no, Hetiron, please!”

But there was no one could help her.

Ploca had been clenched her teeth through all night. She could taste blood, but she continued to bite her lips as if she would eat. She wanted to cry but she could not cry. She didn’t want to groan. She did not want to talk to the man who got on her.

Although she knew he could kill Hetiron right away. But she trusted what the king had said, he would move on this time but there would be no second chance. He said that she had to watch out. So, she only needed to watch her speech and behavior. If she didn’t against him, he could let Hetiron alive, and she could alive. So, she endured the night, or it was the night that she had to endure without those reasons.

She could easily predict how it would end because she was not a virgin, but still.

“You…”

Delfinus said that at the end of the night that was too dark. It was a crumbled feeling that crushed and pressed.

“You are not a virgin. How dare you.”

Ploca intuited the end. As she expected, he was very upset. She would rather close her eyes on her distorted face.

“Oh, will I die now?” she thought.

But she didn’t want to die. She had to survive to see Hetiron. She didn’t want to show Hetiron this terrible thing, but she missed Hetiron so much. She thought she had to escape from this terrible situation. She thought she had to endure everything until the end came.

Already, the positive sentiment for Delfinus fell. But he was the one who held her neck. So, she needed to pretend respect. Ploca was really, obsessed with a sense of duty; “I must live.”

“How dare…”

She wished she had lost her mind. She wished her whole vision went to dark.

But Delfinus continued to touch her with a soft, hot touch. The senses were terribly vivid. She endured again and again but she moaned helplessly with unfamiliar pain. Her shoulders trembled.

“Ah…”

It was because Delfinus suddenly grasped her shoulders hardly. But Ploca knew the reason. She knew the meaning of the words that he said bitterly. He realized that she was not a virgin. He already had a queen and another concubine, so he knew about the body of the woman.

“No. I must not die. Hetiron, please, he had to live too. I should survive,” she thought.

“Your…Majesty…”

So late at night, Ploca opened her lips at last.

But Delfinus could not afford to care that voice. “Are you trying to sit next to the king with this dirty body? Do you know how much effort I put on you so far? How dare you betray me?”

“Hetiron?

“Yes. He is like my father.”

“You dare fool me with that dare lie. You dare gypsy, to me, the king of this country!”

Delfinus was convinced. She must have slept with that petty gypsy. He could imagine how many nights they might spend together. That man probably hugged this girl who even didn’t pass the coming-of-age ceremony. He must be pretended to be a step-father or pretended that she did not pass the coming-of-age ceremony yet with faking the family register.

No, there would no reason to do so.

But at least, he was sure that this woman and that man deceived him.

“Please…” she said.

But he did not want to punish this lady who crying piteously. He was very unpleasant with the fact that she was not a virgin, and had such a woman in a concubine, but he could not punish her. Also, he did not want to. He tried so hard so far, he didn’t want to destroy it in a moment.

Delfinus was willing to let it go this time. “Only this one. Ploca.” He looked down her with fierce eyes without saying anything and put his head down like a sigh. He kissed the forehead of the woman.

And then, he continued the night again as if when he was angry. that night ended only when the dawn started brightly.

Ploca became to stay at Lotte Bishel. A couple of famous scholars, commanded by the king, became her teacher. She started to learn some basic culture and royal law.

The king came to her almost every day. Ploca saved her breath every night and never spoke to the king first. There was no way she considered him nicely. She felt so funny and pathetic that she had thought that he was a good person, a decent adult, and a comfortable friend.

However, because of her greater heart for Hetiron, Ploca could not develop hatred well. She had received him several times with false respect; quite a few times, quite many as counting was meaningless.

“I will just survive and leave this palace,” Ploca resolved every night. The mind was never crooked, it grew up straight with the hope to live and love for Hetiron; only two things.

Those days were continued. It was a terrible life, but Ploca thought she had a clear mind, or she tried to keep a clear mind.

Ploca never went out of the room. It was not something the king had not restricted. In fact, she wanted to run out of the castle at once, but apart from it, she did not want to go out of the room. It was obvious that she would be pointed out by other people. she didn’t want to go through those hardships. She had already decided to endure the end of the end. But she was not familiar with being treated with contempt or welcome those scorn. She would never.

“Ploca.”

Another night, Delfinus smiled brightly and handed over her the letter. Ploca felt something. With shaking hands, she received the white paper. The writing was too short for a large piece of paper.

Ploca. I am doing well. His Majesty took a little care of me. Ploca, you should be happy and stay healthy. I hope you do.

Her shoulders started to tremble. Tears that started without sign wetted down the paper. It was familiar handwriting she could know since she stayed with him for more than eight years. Her vision was blurred but there was no way she could not recognize it. There would be no way she suspected Hetiron. To her, he was all the light of the world, the happiness, and all love.

Only then Ploca was convinced. “I am sane. My mind was fine. Because of Hetiron’s letter, I can have a firmer will. There is no way this me is not ‘Ploca’.”

Ploca lied her face down in the lowest position in the world. It looked like she was vowing to the king, but she did it to hug Hetiron in her arms. The king was not initially within her mind.

Like that Ploca pledged and pledged. “My body got so dirty that I couldn’t lift my face in front of Hetiron, but he may look back me one more time. Hetiron was such a man. So, let’s endure. Hetiron survived, so I should have, too.”

Then, she had this thinking too; “The king possibly does love me. He looked like just let the fact that I was not a virgin.” She could not know exactly how his thought, but the only important thing to Ploca was this; “Hetiron survived, and I endure the life in Lotte Bishel. If we can manage to live anything can happen. It was a relief.”

She could not have a positive feeling for the king, but at least she didn’t have to hate him anymore. She decided only to raise this much hatred and anger. She was not even thinking that the letter could be a lie. “Why this king will fool me? To me, who has nothing. He already lied enough, and he had everything that he wanted already.”

So, Ploca could be relived. She had endured everything.