Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Galene squinted her eyes and a bright light shone right into her eyes that she had to close them back.

Blinking her eyes and adjusting then to the light, she gently opened her eyes.

The window was widely opened, no wonder the light was much.

She stared at the room and noticed she was in Diana's room. What was she doing here? She asked herself as she sat up on the bed.

She remembered being in her husband's chambers and then the priest and physician- the memory rang in her head and she shut her eyes tight.

Her husband! They said her husband was poisoned by the arrow and he would not be able to wake on time" she muttered what the physician said and tears dropped from her eyes.

She looked around the room and thankfully, Diana was not around neither was Luciana nor Mariam around.

She guessed they must have gone out to do their different duties.

She needed to go check on her husband. Who knows how long she has been sleeping.

She rubbed her eyes and stood up from the bed, headed to the door, and in an attempt to open it, the door opened from outside to reveal Diana carrying a bowl of water with her.

"You are awake Milady?" Diana muttered and quickly dropped the bowl with her.

"Yes I am and I'm going to see how my husband is fairing so could you get out of the way now?" Galene said trying to push Diana aside but she stood firmly not bulging.

"I need to talk to you about something Galene," Diana said and Galene shook her head.

"Look Diana, I do not have time for all this, I need to be in my husband's chambers right now. We could talk when I get back okay" Galene shrieked and succeeded in pushing Diana off the door and walking out.

"She sauntered to master Damien's chamber but was stopped and denied entrance by the guards at the door.

"We are sorry but you can no longer gain access to this room, it now belongs to the new master," one of the guards said and Galene shifted back.

"What new master are you talking about? Please get off my way right now let me go and see my husband" Galene ordered glaring hard at the guards.

"We are sorry but your husband is no longer in that room. The new master took him to another place to receive better treatment" the guard said.

"And if I may ask, who is the new master you both are blabbing about? How can there be a new master when my husband is still alive?" Galene asked furry written all over her face.

"It is not in our place to announce that to you, we would warn you to return to your room as the new master would be furious If he sees you by his door," one of the guards said and It finally registered on Galene.

Just for how long has she been asleep that the clan already have a new Master" Galene muttered aloud and walked back to Diana's room.

Immediately she opened the door and stepped in sluggishly, Diana who already knew what might have transpired sighed.

"I told you Galene, I warned you not to go" Diana muttered.

"What they said, is it true Diana? That they already have a new master and my husband is no longer laid in his chambers?" Galene asked staring Deeply at Diana.

Diana kept mute not knowing how to tell Galene what happened in her absence without her collapsing again.

"Answer me Diana what is really happening in this castle" Galene screamed, her heart burning with rage.

"Calm down Galene please, for your child's health at least. The master wouldn't be happy if you lose your baby out of all these happening"

"Promise you won't cry over this or start stressing the baby?" Diana pleaded and Galene nodded, she was too curious to let any promise hinder her from knowing what went wrong.

"You know I won't take that, I am not joking here Galene, you are stressing out your child and you need to stop, say the promise with your mouth, I won't take a nod" Diana insisted.

"Fine, I promise I would not cry or do anything that would harm my baby, now would you tell me what I want to know?" Galene asked her eyes peering at Diana.

Diana sighed and nodded. "Sit" she pointed and Galene sat down, her hands supporting her chin.

"First of all, you have been asleep for three days and a lot has happened in that three days" Diana stated causing Galene's else to widen.

"You mean I slept for three days for three days?" Galene asked.

Yes, after you collapsed in master Damien's chambers, the physician examined you and it was found out that you were stressed out so he gave you an injection to sleep for long" Diana explained.

"Okay, go straight to the point, I would deal with this later" Galene muttered closing the topic.

Diana sighed staring at her friend. She could tell how bothered she was but if only she could calm down and know things would no longer be the same in the master's absence then it would be better for her health and that of her baby.

"Can you tell me already? Who is the new master Diana?" Galene screamed out aloud.

"Robin!!" Diana screamed back and everywhere fell in silence for a few minutes.

Galene's heart sank and she place her hands on her knees supporting herself from falling over.

Yes, Galene, the priest, and the council of elders made Robin the new master.

They said the clan won't be without a leader and as long as the master wakes, he needed a trusted person who would handle his affairs" Diana explained and Galene nodded in tears.

Robin was trusted by her husband so she trust he would handle the affairs of the clan till the master returned.

Galene heaved a sigh of relief and made to lie down but Diana's next word shook her entire system.

"Robin seemed to have changed Diana and worst is Mariam is with him as a bride to be" Diana stated.

Galene's eyes dilated, she couldn't believe her eyes, Robin had changed? But for what, why would he change?" Galene questioned Diana who looked so drained.

"What would make him change you asked? Wealth, power, he moved from a guard to a master and you thought he wouldn't be happy and live wildly?" Diana asked in return.

Tears trickled down Galene's eyes. My heart clenched in pain. She was going to confront Robin. She knew he Respected her and of course, Mariam was her friend and would not do anything bad to her" Galene thought.

"If you are thinking about confronting Robin then you have to stop, I do not think it would be a good idea," Diana said but Galene shook her head.

"No Diana, I would go now and he would do nothing to me. Robin has been a royal servant to master Damien and he would never betray him" Galene said not wanting to believe what Diana said.

"Okay if you say so" Diana mumbled and Galene nodded walking out of the room.

She went back to her husband's chamber and begged the guards there to tell her where Robin was and after a while of pleading, they had to use it because she was once good to them when their formal master was still active to tell her.

"You can look for him at the council hall, I think he's having a meeting with the council elders," one of the guards said and Galene nodded.

"Thank you so much" Galene muttered and hastened her footsteps to the council hall.

She got there and was about to open the door when she heard their discussion and decided to pause and eavesdrop.

She could hear the voice of Robin saying things about changing the rules in the castle and casting out the servants of master Damien and getting his.

Galene shook her head in anger, pushed the door, and barged into the room.

"Robin what are you talking about, how dare you sit there and talk about changing the master's rules? Aren't you supposed to just take care of the castle till he gets back and not change everything when they are not yours?" Galene questioned furiously.

"Robin's eyes reddened, he stood up from the high chair master Damien used to sit on and walked towards Galene, fury burned in his eyes.

He got to her and smack her across the face. Galene's eyes widened in shock as she stared at her husband's personal guard.

"Robin" she muttered and he hit her again, this time harder than the first. Galene took her hands to her burning cheek staring at Robin.

"How dare you address me as Robin woman? Do you not have respect for your leader?" He shrieked coming more close to Galene as she take some steps back.

"You ask me why I'm changing the rules in my castle? How dare you barge in here to question my authority? Do you think your half-dead husband would return?" He yelled yanking her hair.

Galene yelped out in pain, she couldn't believe her husband's most trusted guard could turn around to betray him.

"Now for coming into the council hall which you were not supposed to as a mere woman, you shall be punished accordingly," Master Robin said and Galene's eyes dilated.

"I am no mere woman, I am the master's wife and have rights to enter the council room" Galene uttered in a high tone.

"Tsk, tsk! And who told you your so-called husband still has a say in this castle? This is now my castle and if you still want to remain here and not be thrown out, you would obey my rules" Robin yelled in a strong voice.

You no longer have a say in this castle and as long as your husband remained asleep, your position the master's wife remains dead.

You are not the master's wife because you are not my wife or else you want to be, I would gladly take you in" Master Robin smirked.

"Galene shook her head and glanced at the council elders who all sat looking at Robin talk trash, they could not say anything but pretend as if she was a nobody.

"You all elders are sitting there and watching my husband's guard who was assigned to take over the affairs of the castle as my husband's most trusted person, make rules and talk trash of my husband's name?" Galene yelled at the elders as tears gathered in her eyes.

"How dare you" Master Robin cried out and gave her two hot slaps again then ordered the guards to grab her.

"Take her to the fields and make sure she works with the farmworkers.

From now henceforth, she would do chores and run errands if she still wants to stay here, but if she refuses, then throw her out of this castle, take her away" master Robin ordered and the guards started dragging Galene out of the council hall.

"Wait please wait" Galene begged and Master Robin asked the guards to allow her to speak.

"If you would turn me to a slave in my own husband's castle then can you at least show me where you kept my husband.

The guards told me he was no longer in his chambers so I demand to know where he was kept" Galene muttered as tears streamed down her face.

"Hahaha, you cannot have access to him woman for you have no place in this castle again. But if you remain a good girl and do your work diligently then I might as well as grant you access to see him" Master Robin said with an emotionless face.

"You can't prevent me from seeing my husband Robin" Galene yelled.

"Disrespect me again by calling me by my name and see what I would do to you" Master Robin shouted shutting Galene's mouth.

"Take her away and make sure she serves her punishment, if she refused to do any work, whip her to submission" he ordered the guards who bowed in return and bundled Galene out of the hall.

Her shouts could do nothing to help her as they dragged her to the farmyard.

"You better start working now if you do not want us to destroy your skin with this Whip," one of the guards said throwing a rake to her.

Galene sniffed and picked up the rake in tears, she was taken to the horse stable and asked to clean up the horse dung.

"Do you mean all of them?" Galene asked staring at the hundreds of horses, each in their stall.

"No, one of them. Do you think you are here to play or do you think your master is still in charge of this castle?" One of them mocked.

"There won't be any food for you if you do not finish this," another said and they all walked away leaving her to herself.

Galene wiped her eyes as tears were beginning to blind them. She couldn't still understand how things suddenly changed.

She doesn't know where they kept her husband and Robin had taken overturning her to a slave.

She walked over to the first stall and began clearing the dung. The horse kept running around thereby preventing her from getting out all the dung.

She kept going from stall to stall and when she got halfway, she was already exhausted and hungry.

She remembered she hadn't eaten anything yet for three days since Diana told her she was asleep for three days.

Her stomach was rumbling but she already knew she won't be getting any food until she finished cleaning the stable.

"Please Damien return to me, to us. I cannot do this alone, it is stressful for our child please" Galene muttered in a sighed and Continued working.