Chapter 8: Zelda

Things had gotten out of hand, the crowd neared with a hateful purpose and all I could do was hope for a miracle. Would that even work in my case! It is always what I don't want that gladly enters my life leaving me only to pray for a miracle.

I started sweating as the slanders increased and the guards were barely doing anything about it,

"Put her to trials!"

"NO, she needs punishment for her sins! we will give her retribution ourselves!"

"Yes, Yes let her face the people's law!"

The crowd was going wild and I turned to check what Chief Jack was doing, but he had already fled the scene, leaving me at the inmate's mercy.

I started heading towards the stairs in a futile attempt of escape but swiftly Zelda jumped in front of me, "Hey! Newbie, in a hurry?"

I could be angry right now but there was an odd kind of fear that set inside me. I had previously heard how village trials take place on public opinion, and the extent of cruelty it sees, I could wish only for a quiet escape right now.

But this looked like an impossible situation!

Breathing heavily I looked around wiping my sweat. I get it now why my to be Father-in-law insisted on me mingling with the subjects, I never faced people and was isolated inside the castle since the age of 10, I need to be able to handle situations like this! but how?

After thinking for some time, my mind couldn't come up with anything. The guards just enjoyed the show but what was the prison supervisor doing? And there I got my answer, I can't face them all then I should plainly let the authority handle it.

But then again how!?

Zelda came forward disrupting my train of thoughts and pushed my shoulder, and before her mouth could open mine reacted. An irritated and uncontrolled clicking of my tongue flowed in the troublesome environment *tch*

She was pestered with her expressions turning into a mixture of astonishment and shock, "who do you think you are, to be clicking your tongue on my face!"

There it was - the start of a drama, exactly what I didn't want at this moment!

"I didn't mean to disrespect you," I said with a straight face, impulsively, something I picked up in the castle dungeon.

But Zelda, it was a done deal for her! Holding me by my collar she pulled me glaring into my hazel eyes pouring all her anger, "You apologise right now, a lowlife like you has no right to show such disrespect to me!"

Her voice sent the entire prison into a tranquil state just to return back with chants of her name,

"Teach her a lesson, Zelda!"

"Yes, show this killer her true place!"

And it just got worst with every passing minute, Zelda's ego was coaxed now that she was the centre of attention. There was no way she will let this matter slide without finding reasons to raise her nose high, and I was the scapegoat for it all!

If she was stubborn so was I, if she wanted trouble, then I did not!

With an apologetic look, I said, "I'm sorry!"

The crowd booed Zelda for how easy it was, provoking her further into her tantrum,

"Give us a fight!"

"Come on that's it? Make it a good fight Zelda"

As the uproar from the crowd increased, the guards also waited prying for the show to begin. 'What is wrong with this place!' if the supervisor didn't interfere now, there is no way I could take on this big crowd on my own!

I was stepping back instead of taking my rightful stand but that definitely proved not to be the right way, I was utterly clueless and trapped.

Zelda spitefully took a hold of my collar pulling me close to threaten, I was slightly taller than her so I had to look down a bit. But our differences in height didn't faze her, "Poor newbie, you made a mistake and mistakes must always be answered with punishments!"

Her punch came uncalled across my face, and my already lowered guards did their job perfectly of taking it.

I took a few step backwards recovering from the blow. She put a hand on her waist standing in a provoking pose, "You only apologise to me by licking my foot!" and her foot came up in the air, she immediately looked around for her lackey, but surprisingly Suzan wasn't there so another one of the girls was pushed below her to hold Zelda's foot in the air.

She signalled me to come ahead and lick it, and that is where something ticked inside me. I had faced something like this back at the castle, but I never bent! Never!

All she wanted was drama, I have seen a lot of people like her - target the rookies like me and Suzan, especially when we are in everyone's bad books or the victim of bully. She would then get me to serve her, so her status in this prison is maintained.

But the tide had changed, from them focusing on my crime, everyone focused on Zelda's drama! Was this on purpose or just some turn of events?

Whatever it was, this was the perfect chance for me to head back to my cell. I sprinted towards the stairs, but the crowd immediately moved in pushing me back towards Zelda, in the small clearing that our drama had created.

The guards seemed to be having fun, the only one insulted was me! My feeling of helplessness was taking a different path now with my blood infuriated, as it traveled through my body making my skin go red, a vein popped on my slender neck holding all the rage inside.

Zelda really wouldn't give up, she walked to me and held my face between her fingers squishing my cheeks, "Apologise properly and I'll let you be, or you are going back to your cell on two shoulders! Probably breathing your last"

She was really good at this, but she was a mere dog that only knew how to bark, she wouldn't bite! Honestly speaking she wouldn't be any match for me in a duel, A person so full of herself could never win against me. Now that my blood was boiling, obliging to her was the last thing I'd do.

Every single bit of my inaction offended her, the entire crowd was cheering and if she didn't get me to apologise, her reputation would be on the line.

"Enough!" She shouted and with her open hand, she hit me as hard as she could on my stomach sending me back as I staggered to find my footing, without delay she ran ahead and turned around with a kick aiming for my chest!

I blocked it this time, no more standing-by!

Although her attacks caused mild discomfort, they barely packed any strength in them.

She jumpstarted again performing the same trick, but this time her kick was aimed at my face, observing I instinctively blocked it with my hand bending my face away from it. She wasn't expecting that at all and lost her balance during her landing, unable to hold herself in a place she tripped and her other new lackey rushed to help her up.

"I'm gonna eat you alive!", she shouted now ready to explode.

Her voice was suppressed easily by another loud voice from the opposite direction, it resonated everywhere inside the prison.

"What is going on here?" A firm voice spoke in a commanding tone, and all the guards got alert pushing the inmates into their respective cells, finally doing their job.

The supervising officer emerged from between the crowd looking at me and Zelda, all the other inmates were either entering their prison or stuck on the stairs trying to make their way up as soon as possible. 'This is what you call terror, not only the guards but the inmates were scared of him as well!'

"Why are they still not inside! Guards each one of you will face punishment today for this!" The supervisor shouted.

A unison of "yes sir!" Was heard.

"After the prisoners of your respective floor are inside their cells, every guard on that floor will run around holding their guns up in the air. And you will do this till lunch hours! If you don't finish the punishment, you'll face me later!" Shouted the supervisor and left the scene.

He didn't have to check whether his orders were followed, because the weight of the environment was heavy enough for everyone to oblige.

Relieved of having escaped the entire ruckus, I walked to the stairs but Zelda stepped in front of me, "It's not over yet newbie! You apologi...."

Before her sentence was out in open, I held her collar lifting her off the ground to my eye level in an instance. "Cross my path again I dare you!" I said threatening her.

An individual was never a problem, the crowd was!

Zelda was clearly an Omega pretending to be a hotshot. But there is no way an Omega like her would ever defy me after what she just saw in my eyes! A threat from my Alpha wolf was enough to keep her petty ass grounded.