“Never b-blame yourself for what happened. Never carry that guilt… inside you.
Stop h-hurting from it. Don’t let it change you, my princess. Don’t let it break you.
You have to promise me.” Her eyes searched Danika’s.
Danika only felt like crying more. “Oh, Sally.”
“Please-you have to p-promise me that you’ll let go. I don’t want you ever living
with such a burden. It will kill me. Please, promise me you’ll do everything possible
to let go, my princess, and I promise to do everything possible to fight hard and get
better.” Sally was breathing hard by the time she was done talking slowly.
Danika let her words wash over her. Taking in the expectant look on Sally’s face,
she closed her eyes. “I promise,” she whispered at last. Danika said those words,
promising to let go, promising to stop blaming herself, promising to deal with the pain
of what happened yesterday, promising not to let it change her-break her. As Danika
said those words, her heart lifted in her chest. Her shoulders felt light, like a burden
was lifted from them. Her heart felt better. She felt better.
Danika might never forget what happened to Sally in the courtroom, she might
never forget hearing it happen, she might never forget that Sally did it for her, but she
was determined to deal with the pain and the guilt. If Sally, with all the cuts and
bruises on her body, could still smile and plead with her to make such a promise, then
by all means, Danika would keep this promise.
“I promise, Sally,” she repeated, stronger this time.
Sally smiled again then. “I’m so glad, my princess.”
Just then, the door opened, and Baski entered again. Chad and two maids,
including Uyah, followed behind her.
Danika helped take Sally to the bathroom and helped her bathe. No matter how
much Sally protested, Danika wouldn’t have it. Afterward, she helped Sally dress,
too, before walking her gingerly back to the bed. The maids watched wide-eyed in
shock and disbelief. But Chad and Baski watched them expressionlessly.
Danika and Sally didn’t notice.
While Baski redressed Sally’s wounds, Danika brought out a book and started
reading to her just to take her mind off the pain. Even as tears slid from Sally’s eyes,
she did her best to focus on her princess as she read to her.
“All done,” Baski said, at last putting away the bloody used bandage. “You’ve
already drunk your potions and taken your pills while still drifting through
consciousness.”
“Thank you so much, Madam Baski,” Sally groaned, her face tight with pain.
“You gave us quite the big scare yesterday. Even big Chad here was scared out of
his mind. We’re just glad you’re fighting it out, Sally,” Baski said.
Sally’s eyes found the king’s personal guard, and he bowed his head in greeting.
Her cheeks heated up, and she returned the greeting with a bow of her own head.
Sally tried to temper the shame that rose inside her. This great man always looked at
her with respect before. She wondered if he’d keep seeing her as a respectable girl, or
if he’d start seeing her like trash because of what happened.
“You need to exercise those muscles,” Baski said. “You need to walk around for
some time every day. You’ll heal faster.”
“I do want to get some fresh air,” Sally admitted.
“I’ll take you. We’ll go together. But I’m so scared about what will happen,”
Danika trailed off in a whisper, saving the rest unsaid.
Baski knew what she was trying to say. She feared what would happen if people
found out that Sally was the one that was introduced instead of her.
Baski sent the other maid to get her a big bowl, and the maid left. “Uyah?” Baski
called.
“Yes, Madam Baski?” the girl said eagerly.
“You care for Sally, right?” Baski asked the girl quietly.
Uyah nodded, the blonde mass of hair bobbing around her face. “So much! Oh, I’m
so glad Sally’s alive! I cried myself to sleep last night thinking that she’d never make
it, and my conscience was killing me because I helped her dress in the same costume
the slave princess wore. I feel so much better now that she’s awake! I want nothing to
happen to Sally!” Tears pooled in Uyah’s eyes as she talked passionately; it was
obvious the girl was genuinely upset.
Throughout yesterday and this morning, Uyah had been keen to help, and they all
believed her when she said she didn’t want any harm to Sally.
“Thank you so much, Uyah, for helping me,” Sally whispered sincerely.
Uyah smiled. “You’re welcome, Sally.”
Baski swiveled her head back to Uyah. “I want you to go out and spread the rumor
of the introduction, Uyah. Danika was being introduced to the kings and Sally
couldn’t watch anymore, so she tried to interfere. Then the kings became furious with
her and took pleasures from her body and beat her up. They would have killed her for
interfering, but they decided to have mercy on her.” She paused and took a deep
breath. “The palace workers are curious about what happened yesterday. I want you to
go around and spread this rumor.”
Uyah nodded her head vigorously. “Consider it done, Madam Baski.”
“That’s the only way we can save Sally,” Baski added to Uyah.
“I’ll make sure everyone hears it, and it’ll be all over the palace. You can trust me,
Madam Baski. I can spread rumors,” Uyah vowed.
“You can go now, Uyah,” Baski said with a smile.
The girl bowed to them and left.
Tears of gratitude pricked Danika” eyes, and she blinked them back. “We can”
thank you enough, Madam Baski.”
“You can’t. So maybe you should quit trying,” Baski said with irritation as she got
up with her medicine bag. She explained she needed to get home because the nurse
she was paying to care for Remeta would soon drop her off at home, and Baski
needed to be with her daughter.
They thanked her again, and she left.
Chad hadn’t said anything at all, but he seemed satisfied with just watching Sally,
seeing for himself that she was alright. Finally, he bowed his head slightly before he
turned and left too. Sally’s eyes trailed after him, worried.
Alone again, Danika fed Sally. After helping Sally eat, Danika read to her as they
waited for Uyah to spread the rumor so they could go out.