The inn was full or that was what Qaya thought, so she sat at the verandah at the back about to wolf down her dinner when she caught a man sleeping with a 'peaky blinder' covering his face, she stared at him, inspecting him.

She was startled when the man suddenly spoke up whilst his face was still covered.

"Just who do we have here" he moved and removed his cap, getting up.

Qaya scowled, of course she just had to forget that she used to come to meet Awin. Then again even if she remembered, she wouldn't think he'd decide to make a journey the same day as her and seat in the same place.

"Quite the surprise seeing your highness here" she muttered and turned to eat her meal

"Awin is just fine, I am here incognito"

"Oh I see" she replied and kept to herself. Awin couldn't help but eye the food she was eating suspiciously

"Stale bread and dairy is not something I imagine a noble of your standing to enjoy, did you order it yourself"

Qaya groaned in her mind, why was this man making small talk? "Someone recommended it, this is my first time here after all"

He nodded and didn't probe further even if he wanted to, he wanted to ask who made such a recommendation but already caught the exasperation on Qaya's face.

"I do not usually come here you see"

Qaya unconsciously squinted, doubting what he said.

"I only come here when I am I in need of release from life's burdens" he walked over and sat beside her and held her bottle of rum inquiringly, asking for permission. She obliged and he took a swig.

"Why do I feel like you lie?" Qaya teased. She knew that the idiot was lying. This was where they would meet up to scheme and it was very frequent so how could he say he didn't usually visit, and was he always burdened every time they met?

"I do not lie, for what reason do I need to lie? I am just in the spirit to share my own burdens with someone else"

Qaya rolled her eyes, the king caught this and chuckled "there was once a time I came here often that it worried those close to me"

"Why?" She asked wondering if he would infer to Qaya Wright

"The burden of the crown is much and the throne seat is tiresome, for a young man that's been seating on it for ten years, I was but a young teenager when I ascendes the throne, I was not initially fit to shoulder the problems and concerns of a whole nation, so I would sneak away here and help the owner cater to his customers. That is how I spent my rebelling years"

"I see"

"You appear uninterested"

"I do not intend to be rude but your words do push me into slumber"

The king laughed and stood up, going back to his initial seat. Qaya's eyes followed him.

"You come here to seek release, so what burdens you now?"

He smiled and looked her in the eye "you"

"I must correct you, you mean the court case"

"I make no mistake, you make me pensive and restless, it annoys me"

"I am honoured to hear that, but I must say that I am also restless thinking of how you would rule this time. Surely you don't wish to let go of Melinda"

He scoffed "you also think she did it"

"Why shouldn't I? It seems the most logical and probable conclusion. I am just worried that once Sir Milton is acquitted then you'll have to pin the blame on an innocent person"

Awin shook his head and gave Qaya a look that resembled mockery "I do not intend to acquit him, so kill that pipe dream of us"

Stolen story; please report.

....

She didn't know what came over her but she found herself in the Galaruan Hotel, where Rachel resided.

Just as she stood in front of the suite that Rachel stayed, wondering why she was here, Rachel came out, stunned by her presence.

"Qaya? What are you doing here"

Qaya blinked as if waking herself from a daze "may I come in?"

Rachel shook her head, "the room is being cleaned why don't we take a walk in the garden"

The walked quietly to the garden, safe for the occasional greetings to people they met on the way to the garden.

When they finally got there, Qaya found herself admiring the garden "I think I have found my new favorite place"

Rachel looked amused and held her companion by the shoulder "when I met you just now, outside my room, you looked so pale"

"That's just how my skin is"

Rachel laughed at the comment "you looked like anger drained all the color from your body, you looked deathly pale, I was worried that's why I suggested you come here to put your mind at ease"

Qaya sighed and stopped twirling her hair "can I join your counsel for this case"

"What? No!"

"Why? Tell me what I'm lacking I'll see to it that I fix it"

For a moment Rachel was quiet and inspecting Qaya's face "what's the matter, it past midnight, did you suddenly get this idea and rushed over here?"

Qaya kept quiet, it was because of Awin, he had challenged her so, telling her that he would see to it that Sir Milton was not acquitted. He spoke down to her like he knew she couldn't achieve anything. She couldn't sleep in the same place where her worst enemy was, not after that 'threat'. Even if she decided to disregard it, worry wouldn't let her sleep.

Her legs brought her here without her mind's consent and she'd made this request on a whim.

She finally replied "I just want to take an active role in this case, it is the only way, my mind can be at ease. It's not that I don't trust your capabilities but I don't trust myself to rest easy just sitting in the sidelines"

Rachel nodded "I see but I also can't let you be in my counsel, you are no barrister"

"Can I not join as a student, I won't speak up, I'll prepare the paperwork and give places to poke at, I am more involved in this case than you think"

Rachel looked around almost frantically "go home, tomorrow morning, you'll follow me to the directorate of legal studies and I will register you as my student"

"Why must I go home?"

"What?" Rachel asked in disbelief

"This is a hotel after all, I will take a room and sleep there, it will be much easier and faster to do this"

Rachel sighed; what could she do? Her mind was made up.

The next day

After the formalities of registration at the directorate of legal studies, Rachel and Qaya made their way to the Heris-Mariale mansion. It was Rachel who insisted; while Qaya wanted to stay back at the hotel to discuss the case, Rachel worried about her being away from her home for too long and suggested that they discussed in Qaya's residence.

By the time they arrived, Jaslin was waiting outside with Marie. One looked scared, the other seemed disappointed.

They came down from the carriage and greeted they other women.

"You snuck from the house" was the first thing that left Marie's lips, she seemed hurt and this confounded Qaya

"I apologize mother"

Marie's gaze moved from Qaya and Rachel "where are you coming from?"

"The Directorate of legal studies" Rachel answered "your daughter has offered to be my student and a member of my counsel in tomorrow's hearing"

"Yes mother, we plan on discussing the case here, so I'd hardly have time, so how about both of us have breakfast together" the only reason why Qaya suggested it was so that her mother would not catch on the fact that she was avoiding her.

"That aside, it really bothers me, I mean the level of interest you display on this case, because in truth, I am only sympathetic towards Sir Milton, my dear friend, I really do not like Qaya Wright"

"Why's that?" Jaslin asked confused and looking at Qaya

"She's just like her friend, Melinda_stabbing their benefactors in the back"

"You were close to her"

Marie nodded "I regret it, it's just that when I met her, she reminded me, so much of my Qaya who was at the time in a coma, I treated her like my daughter...only for her to frame me"

Jaslin turned to Qaya "are you alright?"

Qaya shook her head "for some reason, I suddenly have this splitting headache. Mother I might not be able to join you for breakfast after all, I think the excitement of becoming a barrister got the best of me, I will take a short nap"

"I might have to stop you" Jaslin announced "you have a guest"

This alarmed Qaya "at this time, its the fourth hour of the day***"

"It's Rivan Ceric"

"And who in heaven's name is that?" Qaya exclaimed now getting annoyed.

Jaslin inched closer to whisper into her ears "the fine lad that you've been eyeing"

Qaya turned away in disgust "I will see him in the East terrace send some refreshments for him and juice for me. I don't intend to wait long"

"Madame Rachel, forgive this stupid child but our meeting will have to wait till the afternoon"

Rachel waved dismissively "do not worry, take your time, I am sure your mother will take care of me in your absence"

Marie nodded in agreement and watched as Qaya begrudgingly went to meet her visitor.

When she got there, he was fidgeting with his pocket watch and brushing his hair with hands, he looked upset and frustrated.

"Surely my tardiness isn't the one causing you anger" she called out. He turned to look at her, his face in a smile

"Of course not, an old habit of mine. I find it hard to just sit still and have nothing to do. I am quite scared of boredom"

The refreshments arrived, Qaya sat down and took a sip of her juice "I was merely bluffing when I invited you to seek answers from me, I didn't really think you'll come"

"So you don't have any answers?"

" That's not what I said or rather, not what I meant. It's just that nothing goes for nothing"

"What do you want?" He asked putting away his pocket watch.

"Who are you to Melinda and what affections do you hold for her?"

His left eyebrow twitched "for what use is such information"

"I need to know, the higher your expectations of her, the higher my use of euphemism to narrate her deeds"

"I immensely respect her"

"You also admire her"

He kept mute but Qaya didn't care, she kept talking "it's much better if you admit to that if you only respect her, with the revelations that have unfolded this past day, you'd have lost any bit of respect for her. But something makes you too stupid to understand it... love"

"I'll have to correct you, this is not love but trust"

"Blind trust is born from love"

Rivan rolled his eyes "please just answer my questions?"

"Ask them"

He took a pause "I find it absurd that I am coming to you for information on Melinda when you people aren't close in the slightest"

"That's a lie, everyone keeps their friends close to them and their enemies in their heart. Ms. Charmale and I are rightly close"

"I met her fairly recently when she was working for Sir Milton and she had nothing but respect for this man, that's why I find it hard to believe she framed him. If she did, Why?"

Qaya smiled and looked at him in a forelorn way. After meeting Melinda a number of times, she now had a rough idea of why she did everything she did

" I can tell you the answer but I am far too kind to put you through such torture"

"It will be much better to admit that you had no idea"

"But that would be lying, because I do. I can only tell you two things" she stood up to leave.

"Melinda is the real culprit and it's not that she's a horrible monster, 'she's just blindly trusting'"