The King's Only True Love

Chapter 1: An Unjust Sentence

After 27 years

In Crystal town located in the South Kingdom called Elvanor, the young king Emerald sat down on a chair as he looked at the silent crowd and then at the town's account clerk on a torture stake who is about to be burnt alive. He had left his castle and the Capital called Hilton just to come to this town and witness the death of this account Clark who has been found guilty of stealing but has denied ever stealing.

"My king, I'm innocent, please believe me!!" The middle-aged man on the stake cried out.

Emerald just sat on his high chair and looked at his knights "What are you waiting for, burn him alive!" He commanded and the knights trembled in fear as one of them hurriedly lit fire to the stake.

" Haaa, haaa fire fire, I'm innocent" the middle-aged man screamed for the last time as he was burnt to death.

His wife held her hands together and bit her bottom lip, making blood gush out to prevent herself from screaming or crying as she watched her husband being burnt alive. The way he screamed as his whole body got burnt made her want to run into the fire to save him, but that will be her killing herself also.

Emerald looked at the man's wife, waiting for her to scream or cry out as her husband was being burnt, so he could command them to throw her into the fire too and die with her husband. He waited to see if she would react but she didn't so he sighed in boredom and got up from his chair. He wanted them to just cut off his head and bury him, but the fact that he kept on denying and pleading guilty and saying a thorough investigation should be done made him decide that burning him alive would be the best thing for this man who kept on lying.

There were crowds of people here who watched as the man got burnt alive. But the whole place was silent like a graveyard because if any sound was heard from them, they knew very well that they would be burnt alive along with the man.

The king's right-hand man Gideon, bowed his head down low as he waited for his next order.

Emerald glanced at him making sure that he was standing 5 feet away and his head was down low. This was the 50th right-hand man he has had since he took over the throne 3 years ago and Gideon has been the longest right-hand man he has had. While some have lasted for a day, a week or a month, Gideon has lasted for 3 months. This was the first time someone has ever impressed him with an obedient nature.

"Let's held back to the castle," He said

"Okay your majesty" Gideon responded

Emerald looked at the silent crowd who stood rooted in their positions like statues. They were meant to stay that way till he left. He glanced at the man's wife before walking away from there and headed to where his carriage was.

He got into his carriage and started his tribe back to Hilton. Truly speaking this town was so boring and underdeveloped, meaning the minister in charge of development wasn't doing his job and will surely be the next person to be executed by him after being tortured.

The moment his carriage and army left the place the people was finally able to breathe easy and the man's wife was finally able to cry out loud about the death of her husband. Her husband said he was innocent but still proper investigation was not being done. Why did their ancestors punish them with a wicked king? She cried out loud as the other townspeople looked at her with pity and sadness. They too were afraid to lose their own lives, some day it might just be their turn.

********

2 hours earlier

"Acacia dear, Acacia you have to get up it's morning already"

" I want to sleep some more" Acacia said as she groaned in tiredness

" Get up now," Marian said as she s*****d her hard on the butt and Acacia jumped up immediately.

"Ouh," Acacia said as she touched the please her mother s*****d "Can't I sleep some more and go to the farm later today.

" You are not going to the farm today, nobody is supposed to go to farm today" Marian said

Acacia shifted her scattered hair away from her face and looked at her mother " Why mother? There are crops I need to cultivate today and why is it that nobody will be going to farm today?"

" You will have to leave it till tomorrow. The king has ordered that nobody should go to farm today"

" And why is that?"

Marian breathed in and out first before speaking "The king will arrive in Crystal this morning for the execution of the town's accounting Clark"

Acacia's eyes were left wide open "Why is he coming all the way here himself?" She said nervously. Just hearing the king's name alone can make a person scared and afraid. She hasn't seen the king in her life before or even from afar but news of all his wicked and cruel act has reached the ears of everyone including those in the rural area of the country. Since king Emerald has been ruling he has done nothing but instill fear in the hearts of his people, so many innocent people have been executed for small mistakes that everyone fears that they will be the next.

The fact that he was coming here to this undeveloped town, put great fear in the heart of the townspeople. Sometimes the citizens wonder what they have done wrong to the king because apart from the fact that he was brutal, cruel, and wicked to them. He has brought great development to Elvanor in the space of 3 years and has made the country more powerful.

"I don't know why the king would want to come all the way here for the execution of an ordinary account Clark," Marian said in worry.

Acacia could sense how worried her mother was and even she was very worried and scared. But she was a positive girl and decided to look on the bright side "our town is just one out of 3 underdeveloped towns. So what if his main reason for coming is to check if the minister of development has been doing the job he is supposed to do?"

" Either way we need to be careful," Marian said as she walked closer to her daughter " We are the last of our tribe and you are the only one I have. So please I want you to stay at home and lock the doors, don't leave the house"

" Are you going somewhere?

"I'm part of those who have been asked to witness the execution of the accountant Clark in the town square".

"Oh no mother, why agree to do such a thing. What if something happens to you?" Acacia was afraid for her mother's life.

"I will be fine, all I have to do is to just stand and witness it with others"

" Oh mother, I pray nothing happens to you," She said as she hugged her mother

" Nothing will happen just stay at home"

" I will stay at home and read some novel," she said with a smile

Mrs Marian s*****d her daughter on the head " Oh mother it hurts" Acacia said as she touched her head.

" You should stop reading romantic novels," she said to her daughter.

She smiled and hugged her mother " please be careful mother, don't make a sound" she said and her mother nodded.

After her mother left she took her bath and then stared at her reflection in the mirror and frowned at her scared she looked with her hair scattered all over the place. She sighed as she picked a comb and combed her long blond hair before packing it into one ponytail.

She stared at herself in the mirror, especially at her purple eyes. "Weird," she said as she went ahead to look for something to wear. She and her mother are the only surviving people of their tribe after the late king killed the other families for treason, her father died before she was even born so she grew up having just one parent.

Her mother said she looked exactly like her father with blond hair, very fair skin, and long natural lashes. The only resemblance she has with her mother is the purple eye.

After picking up a yellow gown and putting it on with an apron on her waist she left her tiny room and went to the kitchen to make some time to eat.

They were poor and relied on farming to survive. Her late father had left some lands for them behind, so she and her mother farmed on the land and sold the farm produce afterward. Their house was very small with 2 rooms and a small living room with a kitchen and then the bathing room.

After eating breakfast and doing her house chores, she laid on her tiny bed as she read a romance. After reading a chapter of the novel she felt bored and got up to look for something else to do in the house. She was not used to staying home all day, so staying home today was quite boring for her.

After checking around the house and seeing there was nothing to do. She decided to read some more books when she suddenly remembered that the flowers at the front of their house had already perished. She thought of removing them and replacing them with fresh flowers.

Her mother would soon be back since the execution must have been over by now. She would quickly go and get fresh flowers from their farm to plant here before her mother gets back.

She went back to her room, wore her long red jacket that had a head cover, put on her shoes, and carried her basket before leaving the house straight to the farm to pluck fresh flowers.

The farm wasn't close to the house so she had to walk a little distance. After plucking the fresh red, white and purple roses she placed them in her basket as she headed back home through the road part.

Acacia heard the sound of horses and carriage approaching. She looked ahead and saw so many knights in horses following a carriage from behind, some were holding their country flag, Acacia trembled in fear, her whole body was shaken at this moment, she looked around and saw that there was no tree she could hide behind, this was a farming area and people newly planted their crops so there was no way she could hide away without them seeing her.

Now she regrets leaving the house, but how was she supposed to know that the king will follow this route? Nobody was supposed to farm today, maybe he had passed here so he could make sure nobody went to the farm, but here she was. There is no way he would spare her life, she has herself to blame if she dies today, she would have listened to her mother.