Chapter 7: Purely Evil II

       The guard dragged Lilian as instructed toward  the courtyard. Standing near the door was the Butler who stood there motionless with his eyes fixed directly ahead. 

    Lady Alfreda sat on the sofa that centered around an oak wooden table with a silver tea set in front of her. The guard gripped her elbow tightly as he pushed her down on bended knees to the floor. Tension rises as terror ran through her mind, swam with tears,  she cried for mercy.  

" I have realized my mistakes my Lady, I should have not kept the pregnancy, I should have never come back to Dutchmall..."

When no response came forth, she pled again this time by rolling herself on the floor

   "My lady please just let me see my son, he must have gotten hungry, let me breastfeed him, my breast is filled with milk.....he won't survive without me". 

Tired of her unladylike behavior, Lady Alfreda surprisedly picked her up from the floor. 

   " My lady, my lady please"

"That's enough now child, you see I care so much for my only son and his reputation and trust me I am glad you came to me with my grandchild who I will take good care of, I really want to thank you for making me a grandma "

   At first, Lilian was short of words, it was as if she was given a whole bag of gold when she asked for just a penny. She became amazed as Lady Alfreda asked her to  join her for tea.

        She turned to see if there was someone present to have made her change her attitude towards her. This morning in this same courtroom she was treated as an unwanted pest and thrown into a dungeon. 

Here she was again this evening with Lady Alfreda, a whole new and different person from the woman she met earlier today. She noted that the Butler standing firmly in front of the door had a bittered expression on his face , she noticed a sense of sympathy and the guard who brought her inside the courtroom still had a   blank look on his face as before. 

  Lady Alfreda noticed her curiosity so she beckoned her further. 

    " Don't be afraid, it's just tea and my dose of kindness..This morning I was astonished by the news you brought, come... " she beckons her forward with a voice that signifies distaste in her mouth as she walks over to her tea parlour to sip her tea and calm her nerves from erupting. 

         *****

    Back at the dungeon, Jaylyn paced back and forth, wondering what had happened to Lillian. It was obvious  Lady Alfreda will never allow an illegitimate son from an indecent woman. 

"Oh! Lillian, what does fate hold for you?. "

Lillian was brought back to the cell but this time calmer than usual, she wasn't dragged or pushed by the guard.  

"What happened?. "

Lilian walked in weakly and fell on her knee while her upper lip kept shaking frequently. 

" I did the right thing, I had to save my boy... I had no choice " she kept on muttering to herself. 

She clutched her hand tightly on her stomach and cried out in pain. 

Jaylyn watched her, confused on what to do. She kneed down beside her holding her shoulder preventing  her from falling totally to the ground. 

" Help me..... My babies, help them" Lillian moaned. 

Lillian's stomach was on fire, the pain spread down all over her stomach  making it difficult for her to breath. The fire burn ripped her apart from inside. The tea was not a negotiating party but a death sentence. Her time was near. 

    "Sit down let's have tea" 

Lady Alfreda invited her over to her tea parlour. 

Lillian took a seat next to her, overwhelmed, she tried hard to overlook what had happened earlier, if the prison girl was telling the truth. 

   " Thank you, my lady I am honored" 

"You should be... , "

Lady Alfreda began 

"So Lilian, that is a beautiful name and fits the one who bears the name."

Lady Alfreda raised immediately Lillian sat down. 

Her body expression changed abruptly. 

" As a whore, you seduced my young son into having a sexual liaison. 

Heat gathered around forehead as Lillian's cheek turned red with disappointment. 

" Lillian you see, your beauty has soiled my home"

As Lillian graped her seat tightly as she almost lost her balance with Lady Alfreda near her flaming with her true appearance 

   Fearfully she flinched, she took a step back, " My lady, I thought! "

Furious for been rudely interrupted 

Lady Alfreda poured her hot tea on Lillian's body. 

" Aaahh" she jumped out of her seat when the hot tea sank inside her skin. 

" You thought I was ready to allow such scandalous and illegitimate child into my family "

    Lady Alfreda palm left its mark against Lillian cheeks as still tears rolled down chin. 

This sent her reeling backward, she tried to run backward but was blocked by the old Butler and placed back on her knee. Lady Alfreda roughly lifted her chin. 

" Now you listen!, I will only give you two options" 

a soft whimper broke out from Lillian. 

She continued 

"Either you die for your son or you die together. " 

"No, you can't do that to mee...!, "

She let out her tears that came forth involuntary. 

Lady Alfreda releases her by pushing her back. Lillian stumbled to the floor as she tried to catch her breath.

   "Please my lady... You can't do this to me.... He wouldn't survive without me. "

she cried trying to grab her legs but was pulled away by the guard. 

      Lady Alfreda was already tired of her cries so she asked again. 

'Do you have an answer for me or I would gladly do the honor by having both of you die together. "

    Afraid for her child, she submitted to Lady Alfreda' s scheme 

  " No no....! My lady, I will die for him, I will die for him, " She cried

'' Just promise me…..  promise me…… that he won't suffer, he would have a better life than mine.. Please!," 

Satisfied by her response

"Of course, he would surely be take care of, and he wouldn't even suffer a thing"

     She turned to the Butler whom she give a keenly look

" Hope you know what to do?, '' With only a nod the Butler left and brought in a silver tray containing a glass of wine and a silver-gray potion. 

" Now that you have accepted you fate, drink this, you wouldn't feel a thing till you die"

    She handed her the glass of wine mixed with the poison. Unable to go through with it, Lillian refused to take it. 

Then Butler tried to force it down her throat but she kept fighting by kicking and struggling to free herself from her captive but when the guard held her legs tightly to the floor,all  hope was lost.... 

Lady Alfreda watched with pleasure as her prey was tortured  till the end.  

    "Call the town council, we have a witch in our midst " Lady Alfreda proclaimed.. 

    Now back to present, She cried as blood poured out from her mouth 

" She promised!, " Lillian  said with a faint voice. 

She grabbed Jaylyn and whispered something into her ear.... 

Jaylyn was dumbfounded by what she heard.

" Please, she has no idea.... Save them" 

Before Jaylyn could ask more questions, she slumped to the ground and died. 

  " No Lillian ! No....! " Jaylyn yelled for help but to no avail. 

     When morning came the guard dragged her body out to be burnt.  

" She was murdered , poisoned to death" 

she screamed at the guards sent to drag out her body. The first one showed no sign of remorse, he spat on Lillian corpse but the other said

 " She was a witch, she tried killing Lady Alfreda with her witchcraft, the Butler was there to witness the incident so he called the town council, her dead body is to be burnt so that she would come back to life again. "

  

      Jaylyn felt a huge lump in her stomach about to erupt as she sob in silence. 

Lillian was killed to be silent and accused with no means of revealing the truth about what had happened to her.

 That night She stared out at the wall and made a silent prayer for Lillian. Watching her die had awakened something inside her and the strong feeling to seek justice for her death. She felt helpless as they dragged her away 

   "Oh how crude is the world, " 

she lamented. 

She made a promise to do what Lillian had asked of her and seek justice by exposing her aunty for her evil crime.