Chapter 18
Shooting star
Jisoo woke up earlier than usual to cook breakfast for Taehyung.
She knows he will eat everything she cooks for him but this time, she wanted to prepare something really delicious.
It took her a while to finally finish cooking but the rice became overcooked.
She sighed as she held the tray of food in her hands while going back to their tent.
She was going to brag to him but it didn’t turn out as she had expected.
Still.. she tried her best.. Taehyung will like it, right?
She smiled as his image appeared in her head.
Then suddenly she stopped on her feet.
The tray she was holding in her hands fell down the ground.
And she ran as fast as she could to their tent.
The Northern warriors were there outside..
Something.. happened..
And she could feel it wasn’t any good..
Suga stopped her from going in.
“You can’t go inside Jisoo..” said Suga holding her back.
Jisoo pulled herself from him.
“What’s happening? What are all of you doing here at this hour? W-what-..?”
Suga let go of her as his eyes watered.
Jisoo’s throat moved fast.
She was right..
“Something happened..” she said in a low voice. “What.. is it?”
Suga took a deep breath.
“Your.. mother..” he could barely speak knowing the weight of the words he was about to say.
Jisoo’s brows closed in.
“What about my mother?”
Suga lowered his gaze.
Then Jisoo saw her father approaching them.
She held his arms.
“Father.. what happened to mother? Is there something wrong with her?” she asked begging him.
Jiwon turned his head to her.
Jisoo’s hands fell on her sides.
“Please.. do not look at me like this.. I-..”
“Your mother was-.. she was poisoned last night.. and has died..” said Jiwon tearing up.
He was out the whole night with the elders and warriors to come up with a plan in case of a sudden attack by the enemies.
He was looking for his wife inside their tent but couldn’t find her anywhere.
And later on that morning, one of the servants found Chichi lying on the floor of the kitchen. She was holding an empty cup.. probably, she finished it so that no one would mistakenly drink it.
Jisoo’s tears fell one after another.
“What do you mean? How could-..?”
“Poison hemlock..” said Jiwon. “The tea she had last night.. someone put that poison in it.. they disguised its content using other fragrant herbs but.. it was nothing like tea.. it was just poison..”
Jiwon’s voice was trembling as he thinks of Chichi’s last moments..
She must have felt lonely.. she must have wanted to call someone for help.. she must have tried to reach out to anyone.. but.. his poor wife died alone..
She wasn’t in anyone’s arms.. she was just by herself.. while the poison in her body killed every part of her..
Jiwon walked past Jisoo going towards the tent.
“But why are you-..” Jisoo tried to grab her father’s hands.
Jiwon turned to her again.
“Your husband.. was the last person who was with your mother in the kitchen..”
Jisoo closed her eyes tight as she was trying to comprehend everything that was happening.
She.. slept next to her husband all night.. not knowing anything that happened with her mother..
Taehyung would never do that.. he wouldn’t.. she knows it herself.. she was even joking around with him until before they fell asleep..
It is impossible.. it can’t be true..
“Father.. Taehyung isn’t-..” she tried to hold Jiwon’s arms but Suga held her tightly.
“Suga.. don’t let her leave her tent.. lock her up.. and tie her if it’s necessary..” said Jiwon entering the tent.
Jisoo suddenly felt weak. She couldn’t free herself from Suga’s grip.. she couldn’t utter anything else.. she wasn’t able to do anything..
She was brought to her old tent.
Suga locked the door from the inside as he stood before her.
“W-where is my mother?” asked Jisoo crying. “I.. can’t even see her, can I?”
Suga shook his head.
Tribe members who die by poison are to be burned right away.
It is said that they carry bad spirits within them and a proper funeral cannot be done either.
Jisoo was just shedding tears nonstop.
She couldn’t even bid her farewell..
How did this happen?
And this isn’t the only crisis she’s facing now..
Taehyung is in danger.. and she can’t do anything here.. she’s powerless..
Suga came closer to her.
“Stay here.. and take a rest Jisoo.. it will be better for you-..”
“Better for me?” asked Jisoo grinning as tears streamed down her face.
Better? What is better for her? When she can’t even see her deceased mother.. and now her husband is being accused of killing her..
“All the servants saw Taehyung coming out from the kitchen that night..” said Suga lowering his gaze. “Everyone.. is suspecting him.. and-..”
Suga took a deep breath.
Jisoo looked at him.
“They found the poison.. in his belongings..”
Jisoo covered her face with both hands.
She doesn’t know what to think of at this moment..
She can’t even grieve the death of her mother and she is already tortured by the painful ending Taehyung might face..
“W-what did my father say?” she asked in trembling voice. “He doesn’t believe them, right? He trusts Taehyung, doesn’t he?”
Suga gritted his teeth.
He can’t seem to speak.. knowing Jisoo will hate him if he tells her what her father decided to do together with the elders.
“They think.. the South planned to kill your mother.. to make us declare war against them..”
Jisoo was shaking her head continuously.
“And.. don’t tell me.. our response.. will be-..”
Jisoo cried out loud as she beat her chest from the pain she’s going through.
Suga turned his head away.
He knows how much Jisoo loves Taehyung.. and he is aware that she won’t survive a second death of her loved one..
“Taehyung will be hung tomorrow morning..” said Suga closing his eyes tight.
Jisoo knelt before him.
“Please let me see my father..” she said holding onto his feet. “I will talk to him.. I will convince him.. this isn’t right.. this isn’t-..”
Suga could only watch her. There was nothing he could do.
It had already been decided by the elders and her father.
Jisoo held his hands tight.
“Taehyung.. he would never kill my mother.. “ she was catching her breath as she cried. “He has no reason to do so..”
Suga pulled her up.
“Everything.. leads to him Jisoo.. I don’t want to believe it either.. but.. even the rebels told us that the South was planning something.. why would they make poison? Why would they-..?”
“Taehyung isn’t from the South..” said Jisoo as her voice became faint.
Suga’s brows closed in.
“What do you mean? He isn’t from the South?”
Jisoo took a deep breath.
“He isn’t from the South.. not from Amaya.. my husband.. isn’t from this world.. he doesn’t belong here..” she said wiping her tears.
Suga sighed.
“Jisoo.. you are saying these things because you-..”
Jisoo shook her head.
“I do not know how it happened.. I didn’t even believe it at first.. but.. Taehyung is not part of this world.. he is.. different from us..”
Suga became more confused.
What does she mean that Taehyung isn’t from this world?
“The Taehyung I met at the border of the two lands.. had a mark on his chest.. I belatedly found out the meaning behind it when we went to the South.. but.. my husband.. doesn’t have it..”
Jisoo heaved a sigh.
“The man I married.. isn’t the son of the Southern Tribe leader.. the man I saved from drowning.. my husband.. isn’t from here Suga..”
This is the very reason why she trusts Taehyung’s words.. because she knows it herself that he isn’t related to anything that is happening in the South..
Her husband is innocent.. and is a victim..
“Someone must want my husband dead..” she said looking into Suga’s eyes. “So please.. help me.. I must protect him.. I have to.. I couldn’t protect my mother.. so please.. help me protect my husband.. Suga..”
———————-
Junkyu was holding his legs as he sat on the ground.
He was also captured and was locked up in another cell.
He doesn’t know what happened all of a sudden.. nobody told him anything and
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