Sally had gone to the mines. Left alone, Danika needed some fresh air outdoors.
Danika stood and slipped her feet into her sandals, then looked around. Her room
looked beautiful because of the way Sally decorated it. She smiled, taking in the new
features. The fresh flowers. The lightbulbs. New carpets. Already, she was counting
the minutes before Sally came back again.
Danika walked out of the palace and visited the library alone, where she spent a
good amount of time.
It was afternoon by the time she returned to the palace and strode towards the
garden. She was staring at it with fascination when her back prickled.
Someone was watching her.
She looked behind her and stared up. There she stood at the window, staring at
Danika with eyes filled with such loathing: Vetta, the king’s mistress.
The woman was still confined to her room, and from the look on her face, Danika
could see that the woman was not happy about it.
In fact, the woman looked like she was halfway out of her mind in captivity.
Danika bowed her head slightly in greeting.
Vetta only glared harder at her. Her hate for Danika grew in her state of
confinement.
After remaining in her room for so many hours, she was agitated and felt caged.
She hated-hated-seeing the bitch responsible for her predicament.
How could something like this happen to her? Just because of a stupid slave!?
Vetta tried to calm herself. She was already well-rested, and her head was working
better. She would deal with Danika! Only this time around, she’d deal with her in a
much better way. She just had to come up with a better plan that would get rid of the
bitch. One way or another.
Danika saw the way Vetta was staring at her. She stared right back at the woman
without ducking her head like a coward-the wicked woman that almost killed her.
Danika didn’t come this far to be killed by anybody. She already got this far. And
one day, she would have her freedom again. One day, she would pick up the pieces of
her life.
She would never be a princess again, but she could be a scholar. She was far more
educated than even the most educated, privileged women in these kingdoms.
Finally, she ignored the look of loathing the woman was sending her way, and with
her head held high, she walked away from the garden.
8
Baski didn’t know how long she cried. Finally, she finished sobbing and dried her
eyes. It didn’t matter who she cried for; some things just couldn’t be helped or
changed.
She turned to walk out of the door when it opened again, and the king strode in. If
he was surprised that she was still there, he didn’t let it show.
He walked towards his wardrobe, withdrew his belt of gold, and fixed it around his
waist. He saw her teary face and his lips thinned.
She hesitated. “Can I ask if a-another kingdom sent their messenger already?”
“Four kingdoms sent their messengers. I got news that there’s a fifth kingdom, but
no messenger yet.”
“Oh.” She lowered her head. She felt sad. There was no getting out of it this time.
Even King Lucien couldn’t stop it.
He looked her in the eyes then. “I am working to abolish the tradition of
introducing the king’s slaves. I want to abolish a lot of traditions too, but it’s not easy
to do. Not at all. And it will take a lot of time, but I won’t give up.” He palmed his
head like he had a terrible headache. “Some traditions have to go.”
It dawned on Baski then that he wasn’t as unaffected as she thought. He was just
doing a better job at hiding it.
She nodded. “I know, my king. I know you never give up! And even if you fail in
your mission for a better life for all of us low-born, we all know it’s not from of a lack
of trying, my king,” she said passionately.
His Adam’s apple worked as he swallowed. “You give too much credit to a king
that no longer has a heart, Baski. A king that can’t feel.” He turned his back to her. “It
is only duty and my sense of responsibility for my people guiding me.”
Baski wanted to tell him that he still had a heart because of all the good he was
doing in all his battles for them. Just a sense of responsibility would never have won
all the battles King Lucien had fought for them-the battles he fought for them every
day.
Most of the scrolls he wrote day and night were petitions to all twelve kingdoms.
He was trying to right so many wrongs in this dark world.
It was difficult because the people who were supposed to come together and grant
those petitions were the people who were enjoying the ‘wrongs’ too much.
Baski studied his face, and her heart hurt for him. He was fighting for others, but
who would fight for him?
His demons remained unslain, and yet he tried to slay the demons of others. To
fight for helpless people like Remeta.
Tears pricked the older woman’s eyes. “We will follow you to hell and back. Just
like we did before, my king,” she stated firmly.
“You give so much credit to a king that can’t father an heir to his throne, Baski.”
His cold eyes met hers, but Baski could see the underlying pain behind them.
He still had a heart, even though it was rusty from disuse. What affected Baski was
the fear that the king would lose what was left of his heart after today.
Would it tear him up to watch the other kings introduce his slave?
Forced sex happened all the time in the world of slavery, and it was one of the
most expected things in their world. But even during their time in captivity, King
Lucien had always found it hard to watch it happen.
He fought tooth and nail to stop it from happening, even in chains. He hated
watching it happen. Watching an introduction. Loathed it immensely.
Maybe that was why King Cone made sure he always watched. Why he made sure
that King Lucien was always there, staring, hearing the screams but unable to do a
thing about it.
Would it have felt good if the wicked king were alive to hear his own daughter’s
screams of excruciating pain today?
He would probably roll in his grave hearing it.