Obed was too sleepy to get up from the bed, he don't wanna go outside this night but the bell kept on coming heavily to his ear, he wanted to ignore it still and sleep but it kept ringing in his ear so he rouse to his feet. He knew he couldn't ignore it. The news, whatever it was, wouldn't wait. Everyone would be gathering, drawn by the warning bell that echoed through the town.
He knew he had to be there. Ignoring the news could have disastrous consequences. It was always better to be informed, to be aware of any potential dangers, to protect himself and his loved ones.
"Hmmm," Obed groaned, struggling to find the energy to get out of bed. He managed to pull himself up, his body aching with exhaustion, he was really stressed, but he did it for love though, so he don't mind. He unlocked the door and stepped out onto the landing. Looking down, he saw the town square bustling with people. The princess stood at the center, her voice carrying across the crowd.
Obed started to make his way down the stairs, eager to join the throng. As he reached the bottom step, a voice called out from behind him.
"Hey, buddy!" It was the same young man he'd met on the first day he stepped his feet into the town. So he waited behind for the man to reach him. A kindness the guy appreciated.
"Hey!" Obed replied, turning to face him.
"Good to see you again, man!" the young man said, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. He was a talkative fellow, always ready with a friendly word.
"I'm Micah, by the way!" he said, extending his hand in greeting. Obed, without hesitation, shook it.
"Obed," he replied.
"Good to know you, Obed!" Micah continued, his voice full of energy. "You know, I was wondering why there was such a sudden warning in the middle of the night. Things like this rarely happen. And when they do, it's usually a very serious matter. Intruders from outside the walls, perhaps, or something even more dangerous. But it's never been this serious since King Genesis was on the throne."
"I was surprised too," Obed admitted. "I wondered what the big deal might be, but I guess we should hear what's going on first. I think it's the princess who's going to address the people." They stood together, their eyes fixed on the princess, waiting for her words.
Micah, a sharp and observant man, couldn't help but notice the prince's absence. Dara, the prince, was usually present at these gatherings, but these days he was nowhere to be seen.  
But even with that, a warning bell that's rang this late should be something too serious and the crowned prince and soon to be the king Shoup be present, but he's not which means something is amiss. Micah's suspicions about the princess grew stronger. He had never trusted her, sensing something was amiss.
The fact that she was addressing the people without the prince standing beside her was a red flag. It was a clear sign that something was wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about the princess just didn't feel right.
"I don't know if you're seeing what I'm seeing, but I do know you have eyes," Micah said, his voice urgent. "Look around! There's no Dara in sight. Something's fishy. I don't trust the princess. She's never seemed like a nice person."
Obed turned to look at him, his brow furrowed. Micah always seemed to know more than he let on, and his words were unsettling. They could put them both in serious trouble. Micah was speaking openly, in the middle of the crowd, and it was reckless.
"You're a traitor, you know that?" Obed said, his voice low and dangerous. "You never see anything good in the princess or the royal family." He turned back to the princess, his gaze fixed on her.
"Come on, you don't have to be told everything," Micah retorted. "Use your own sense. Sometimes you have to read minds."
"My people..." the princess began, her voice echoing across the square. "I have some very hard-hitting news, some shocking news that will surprise you all. You won't believe it!"
Micah, however, wasn't allowing Obed to hear her words. He continued to speak, his voice cutting through the princess's announcement.
"You see... I told..." Micah began, but Obed cut him off with a sharp, angry shout.
"It's best you keep quiet and let me hear the princess speak!" he yelled.
Micah raised his hand in a gesture of surrender. "Alright then!" he said, falling silent. He, along with everyone else, listened intently to the princess's words.
"I know this is going to be surprising," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "Some of you won't believe it, just like I wouldn't have believed it myself. But the evidence is overwhelming. My people, not long ago, my father died. And just this night, we heard..."
She paused, swallowing hard. The silence that followed was thick with anticipation. Everyone held their breath, waiting for her to reveal the secret that had caused her to ring the warning bell in the dead of night.
But before she could speak, tears began streaming down her face. She started to cry bitterly, her sobs echoing through the square. The crowd, caught in the wave of her emotion, felt a pang of sympathy. They wondered what could be so terrible that it had brought the princess to tears.
"I can't believe I heard our prince, my beloved brother Dara, discussing with one of the guards about how he killed my father!" she announced, and the crowd erupted in disbelief.
They never expected such a shocking statement from her. It was a surprising revelation, and many couldn't believe that their favorite prince, Dara, could commit such an act. Some in the crowd were skeptical, unwilling to accept her words due to the lack of evidence.
"I know, I know! Most of you will not believe it— I can hardly believe it myself! But here is the guard who was discussing this with my brother Dara. He was killed while trying to defend him from being apprehended," she explained. At that moment, they brought out a dead man in golden castle military attire, causing a murmur to ripple through the crowd.
"Where is he? He should come out and speak to us directly! Let us hear it from him! Are you trying to protect him?" a voice shouted from the crowd.
"I know I should bring him out, but I'm sorry—he escaped! We tried to apprehend him, and during the struggle, he was injured and managed to flee," she announced. The crowd grew increasingly agitated, and a wave of noise erupted as disagreements filled the air.
Though some remained skeptical, those who knew Princess Mara's history, those who had witnessed her ambition and hunger for power, knew she had been scheming to usurp Dara's position for a long time.
The truth was, the majority of the people had already believed her. They demanded Dara's immediate execution, just as they had done to others who had broken the kingdom's laws.
"There's no need to worry because he won't get away. He was stabbed and badly injured before he escaped. But with your help, with my help, with all of us working together, we can find him and bring him to justice for what he did to our beloved King! The King who could still be alive to rule over the kingdom, the King who loved him, who loved us, who loved this kingdom! He must be brought to justice, even if he is my beloved brother. No one is above the law!" she yelled.
Her words ignited a fire in the crowd. They were ready to take action, eager to scour the streets and bring Dara to justice.
The meeting ended abruptly, and the crowd dispersed, heading back to their homes. Soldiers were dispatched throughout the town, their primary focus being the riverbank where Dara had supposedly fallen.
"See? I told you something was fishy! You didn't believe me, but now you see for yourself," Micah said to Obed as they made their way out of the crowd.