Central Village

The great hall was filled with much uproar when Xhemin showed up with all tears. The handmaids had tried to do their best to calm her down, but the adoptive princess had insisted on seeing the Chieftain. Not able to stop her, she demanded the Chieftain's audience who was currently having a thorough conversation with few chosen leaders tackling some political matters. When they all heard her courageous request, all of them felt disrespected, betrayed and anger surged into the leaders who were there.

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"Insolence!" Elder Nan and other Baruks cursed Xhemin as she kneeled in front of her adoptive father's knees, the Chieftain "How dare you make such a request!"

"What an ungrateful person you are!" Another leader exclaimed, "The Chieftain had given you more than you deserve and right now you are blatantly demanding him of your freedom?"

Xhemin was begging the Chieftain to let her go home. When she heard the news of Huzey's death, she lost it all and dared to ask the Chieftain of her release. She knew she was to commit a huge sin, but she was blinded by grief that she could not think fully for herself, nor for the baby inside her. She was aware that such a request was considered one of the mortal sins and that the punishment was death, but she simply do not care anymore. All she could think of the moment was Huzey's sudden death and the need that was rushing inside her to go and see him at once to say her goodbyes. Just for the last time, she wanted to see Huzey and held him on her arms although she knew no matter what she does, the Diamond Prince will never comeback to life.

"My child if you dear friend is dead, then why risk your life for him?" The Chieftain who was caught up with the situation was very cautious in his words. He loved the healer and adored her but what she did today was blatant disrespect of his authority and the Manggan Tribe as a whole and if he will let this mistake pass, then the Mangga people might lost their trust on him as the enforcer of all the island's rules.

"I want to see him for the last time," Xhemin cried on her knees. The view of her kneeling below the chieftain's seat and surrounded by the leaders was like a trial where Xhemin's fate was to be decided on. "Please, I need to see my prince before they bury him,"

"Chieftain she had been crying for a long time already, this is not good for the baby. Please allow me to take her away and bring her to the princesses' chambers. She is not just well, forgive her this once," It was Maru who begged this time. She followed Xhemin all the way to the central village because she was worried for her safety.

"Do not pity her!" One of the leaders chided Maru, "She deserves no one's pity. We welcomed her with open arms and now she despised us by wanting to leave the island who had given her home for years!"

"Please she's pregnant," Maru begged all of them.

"Even if she is, how dare her come and put a shame on the Chieftain's seat?" Maru was again countered by another leader.

"Death is what she deserves!" It was Elder Nan who raised the suggestion, "Chieftain, all of the leaders ask for the healer's death as what our rules provides!"

The chieftain looked at Xhemin with much pity and he knew he cannot help her this time. He had given Xhemin a lot of things and even favored her, but it seemed that these things were never enough for her and now, time had come for him to decide on what fate will he gave her. The Manggan rules provides that if a roux blood enters the island without permission, it meant he or she had sacrificed her previous life and vowed to be bound to the island as a sacrifice. Asking for freedom right after was like breaking such vow.

"Please father, allow me to go home," Xhemin begged fervently. If death was to be her fate today, then she was willing to be with Huzey.

"Child you know that I could not do that. The rules had been set and I wished I could just bend them for you, but I cannot. Your rule as a healer binds you to all the people in this island and so your life was to be decided by them,"

"Death is what the people wants!" Elder Nan shouted and in just a matter of seconds, several leaders joined his call. "Death! Death! Death!"

The hall was filled with the leader's uproar and Xhemin knew by then it was her end. Suddenly she became afraid but soon, her grief and frustration about everything made her numb and so she kneeled continually at her knees and waited for her death at the central village's center hall.

The Chieftain looked at his adoptive daughter with pity, guilt and helplessness and right then a feeling from the past surrounded him. Few years ago, he had also lost a child due same situation and just like now, he was powerless to change the fate because of his duty as the Chieftain. He wished right then he was not a leader but only a father so that he can choose his family above anything else but unfortunately, he wasn't. He was a leader and so the people's will shall prevail over his.

***

"Chieftain declare the healer's death we asked of you!" Another voice from the crowd of leaders was heard but the Chieftain was very much unwilling to say the word. He knew somehow, he had to, but he was trying to delay a moment as if he can still do something for his adoptive child.

Although he knew, there was nothing more he could do to save her, and her fate will fall the same with how the first princess' fate had been—Terribly tragic.