Danika followed Baski to the backyard, where the woman ordered her to carry
some wood to the storage shed and arrange it properly.
She’d wanted to question Baski, but the older woman dismissed her by turning and
setting off to another thing altogether.
How could Baski bring her out from something as important as ‘introduction’, just
for her to carry logs from one place to another?
Something was definitely off.
Time dragged by. The more Danika carried the wood, the more her back prickled.
Her chest became heavy. She felt uncomfortable.
Something was off. Something was wrong. Whatever it was, it must be terrible to
affect her this way.
Danika forgot all about being a slave that never questioned orders and dropped the
next log she carried.
“B-Baski?” she called. It surprised her that her voice was trembling.
“What is the matter?” Baski dropped the broom and stared at her.
But Danika found Baski couldn’t look her in the eyes-or at her face. “What’s g-
going on, Baski? Why am I here instead of the royal court?” she asked hoarsely.
Baski’s eyes still couldn’t meet Danika’s when she said, “Do you have to question
orders? You do what you’re asked to and leave the rest until then.”
But her words didn’t come out as harsh as she wanted them to because her voice
trembled in the end.
Danika’s heart suddenly caught in her throat. Something has gone so wrong, her
mind whispered dreadfully.
Danika whimpered and shook her head repeatedly. She took two steps back,
turned, and started running toward the royal court.
“Danika! You can’t go in there!” Baski’s shout followed behind her.
What was happening!? Danika’s mind was in turmoil. This wasn’t just Baski
saving her; something was terribly wrong.
King Cone’s daughter couldn’t just disappear from the royal court and everything
continue being peaceful. What was going on!?
No one could be a fast runner in an extravagant corset gown, and so she could only
run at a minimal pace, which made it easy for Baski to catch up with her several feet
before the door.
Baski grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around. “What’s wrong with you!?”
she demanded, but there were tears in her eyes.
Danika’s heart flew out of her chest at the sight of those tears. “What’s going on?
What’s happening?”
“She wouldn’t want you here, Danika. Come on, let’s go. Now!” Baski dragged
her away from the throne room.
Danika dug her feet to the floor, not moving an inch. “She? Who’s she?”
Music started playing inside the courtroom. They heard laughter and shouts and
cheerful words. The celebration was going well.
“Who is she, Baski?” Danika asked again, her throat suddenly dry.
“If you go in there, you’ll ruin everything, and all her efforts will be in vain, do
you hear me!? You wouldn’t achieve anything going in there except getting you and
Sally into more trouble! They will execute her! All her efforts will be in vain!” Baski
whispered heatedly.
Danika froze. Her throat suddenly went so dry, like sandpaper, and she gulped. “S-
Sally?”
“Oh, Creator,” Baski moaned when she realised what she said. She’d been so
agitated she’d made a mistake.
But it was already done. She told her the truth.
Baski held her hand tight even as she raised her chin. “Sally is in there. She took
your place.”
All the blood drained from Danika’s face. She suddenly felt faint. She would have
fallen if Baski hadn’t caught her.
She went into a trance right in front of Baski’s eyes.
“No, no, no, no,” she could only whisper as tears filled her eyes. “No, it can’t be”
“Danik-”
“No. Oh, Creator, no.” She raised eyes filled with unshed tears to Baski’s face and
whispered pleadingly, “Please, tell me… it’s not true. No, no… oh, please.”
Then she heard scream so loud from a voice so familiar, something died inside
Danika at the very sound of it.
When Danika heard Sally’s screams, she reacted without thought. Her eyes wide,
she turned and started running the remaining distance to the door.
She wasn’t thinking; she could only cry and beg for a stop to this nightmare. “No!
Please, oh no!”
Baski caught her just at the door and grabbed her with all the strength she’d gained
with years of hard work, living as a slave.
“Stop! Think, Danika! Stop!” Baski forced her to a stop, whirling her around to
face her.
Danika started crying outright. “I can’t take this. I can’t take this, Baski. This can’t
be.”
Tears flowed from Baski’s eyes and she wrapped her arms around Danika, pulling
the younger woman to her arms. “She wanted to do this for you, Danika. You can’t
stop it now.”
Danika was much taller than Baski, but at that moment, it didn’t matter. She
wrapped her arms tightly around the plump woman, her head buried into her chest as
she sobbed.
Another scream rose above the music, and Danika started struggling against Baski,
but the older woman held her tight.
“Wh-what are they doing… to her? Sally wouldn’t scream that loud if… it d-d-
didn’t hurt,” she sobbed.
Another scream came. And again. And again.
The sound of laughter and clattering of conversations that came out from the royal
court was like a stab in Danika’s chest; the music was like a thorn running down her
body.
They laughed and danced in celebration, oblivious to Sally’s screams, like it didn’t
matter. Like it was a spice to their festival.
“Ahh, she feels good! Been wanting to do this for so long!” She heard King
Moreh’s breathy voice above the music. “Your turn, Pesih; you’re the fourth!”
Danika burrowed deeper into Baski and cried sorrowfully, “Oh, Creator, please
help. No, no-Sally, no.”
“Heavens… King Pesih is here?” Baski whispered under her breath.
Danika nodded, sniffling. “Yes. What do you… know… about h-him?”
Baski hesitated, new tears burning her eyes. “I heard he challenged King Cone in
court, and in revenge, your father abducted his niece.” She paused. “Word is that the
girl went through hell before her family found her again. Heard she was like my baby
Remeta for years. She’s dead now.”
Danika renewed her struggles. “Holy h-heavens! No, he’ll k-kill Sally. Baski, he’ll
kill her! I can’t let that happen! I’ll n-never be able to bear it!”