When he said nothing else, she took it as her cue. Setting the bowl down, Baski
took hold of his left leg and lifted his clothing. Carefully, she removed his shoes and
socks and surveyed the scarred leg. Slowly, she placed it into the water and started
massaging it. Then the guards brought in her herbs, and she applied it to his leg. She
ground the seed, applying it on his heel up to his ankle.
She worked in silence and knew that it was a silence he appreciated. She clearly
remembered the day they damaged his leg. It had been one of those days he was
getting tortured; one of those days they forced him to walk on glass. The glass
penetrated deep in his foot and stuck in the bone.
Several days later, King Cone finally allowed Lucien medical attention. His leg
had been infected and was almost cut off, but the healer managed to cure him. They
removed the glass, but the bone never healed right.
So, whenever Lucien put pressure on that leg for too long by walking for hours or
standing for too long or carrying weight on that leg, the pain would resurface and the
slight limp would be profound.
What happened in court today? Was it something that happened in court?
Baski stared up at him. His eyes were closed, but Baski knew full well that he
wasn’t sleeping. He’d gone back to the horrors of the past instead of the brightness of
the future.
From the way his body was tensed, she knew his memories were overwhelming.
The pain of the past and his demons mercilessly clawed at him, devouring him.
Driving him insane.
She knew she had to distract him, so she frantically searched her mind for
something to say. Clearing her throat, Baski said, “Um, my king…Mistress Vetta was
invited to a ball in town. She’s excited-more excited than I’ve ever seen her before
because she’ll be attending her first ball as the king’s woman.”
Whether the information penetrated, he showed no reaction. Said nothing. Did
nothing.
She grasped for something else to say. Anything to pique his interest and drag him
out of the abyss that was the darkness of his mind.
Remembering King Lucien’s love for his people, she cleared her throat again. “Oh,
and in town yesterday, at St. Mark’s Street down to the little village of Yaleh, I heard
there was good news there: the crops started growing after five years of barren land!”
she said excitedly.
His hands only tightened on the arms of the enormous chair, sweat gathering on his
forehead. It wasn’t working.
“Remeta is in the palace, Your Highness,” Baski said to him, unable to hold the
information anymore. Bask hadn’t wanted to tell Lucien about it while he was battling
his demons, but she was desperate. Tears slid from her eyes. She couldn’t bring
herself to imagine which part of the past he was drawn into. He was trapped, just like
Remeta had been.
Baski patted his leg reassuringly as her eyes blurred when he gave no reaction to
the news. She slumped her shoulders in defeat, the feeling of helplessness rolling off
her in waves. She kept patting his leg, so he’d know that he wasn’t alone. Baski
hadn’t been able to help her daughter, so how could she help the king?
Poor Remeta, who was as battered as the powerful man seated before Baski,
trapped in his mind. She hadn’t been to help her daughter. Instead, Danika was able
to—-
Danika.
Baski stared up at Lucien’s face and cleared her throat again. “Danika visited my
home today, my king. Danika helped Remeta today and brought her to the palace.”
Silence.
Then his hands on the arm of the chair relaxed. Ever so slowly, his eyes opened.
“What did you just say?” he spoke in a low, hoarse voice.
Ever so slowly, he opened his eyes. “What did you just say?”
A feeling of excitement washed over Baski at his response. “She’s doing so much
better, my king! She ate, and she bathed and even let me put a healing balm on her!
Oh, Your Majesty, I’m so happy today. I never thought this day would ever come!”
He had leaned forward as she talked, interested. When she finished, his surprise
was apparent. “That is a miracle, Baski. What happened?”
“It was Danika, Your Majesty.”
He cocked his head to the side in thought. “Danika?”
Baski nodded her head, tears of excitement filling her eyes. “She visited with Sally
today.” She told him everything. How Danika got through to Remeta. She
purposefully left out the part about Remeta addressing Danika as royalty because she
knew it wouldn’t end well. She told him everything else, including the part about
Remeta insisting on being with Danika, which was why she was in the palace.
Silence followed Baski’s narration because the king was trying to process
everything. His face was his usual unreadable mask, so she didn’t know what was
going through his mind.
“Remeta sees her as the royalty she was and she feels so safe with her?” he asked
at last, perplexed.
She nodded her head. “Oh, my king, you should have seen her this morning. She
was willing to do anything for Danika because she felt safe again. She said she had a
friend who was royalty; that she’s safe.” Her voice cracked in the end, emotions
overwhelming her.
He met her words with silence. The king was trying to assimilate everything she
said.
Finally, he spoke again. “I would love to see her now. She’s fifteen, and for the
first time, she’s willing to get better…”he paused, “… and it’s because of Danika?”
She nodded her head vigorously. “Yes, my king.”
Silence. Baski could practically see the wheels of disbelief turning in his head. He
couldn’t feel anything she hadn’t felt. The difference was that she watched it happen.
And it was still happening.
He got up then. “I must see this, Baski. Take me to Remeta.”
“But…” She wanted to remind him of his leg, but she clamped her mouth shut.
He wouldn’t appreciate her talking to him about it. The king hated being reminded
of any smallest form of weakness people might think he had.
She bowed her head. “As you wish, my king.”