The king stiffened and raised his head to give Vetta his full attention for a minute.
“I was a slave for ten years. Does that mean I stopped being royalty in your eyes,
Vetta?”
Her eyes widened, and she gasped in horror. Shit, why didn’t she just control her
anger!? She knelt immediately and bowed her head. “I’m s-so sorry, Your Majesty.
That wasn’t what I meant to imply”
He lowered his head again to his scroll. “I am busy. You’re dismissed,” he stated
as he scribbled down on the new scroll.
Vetta felt so ashamed. Why couldn’t she just control her mouth for heaven’s sake!?
But then, she fumed silently; he wasn’t giving her any attention! What was so
important that he couldn’t leave it to attend to her? His mistress? “Yes, my king.” She
bowed her head, doing her best to curb her fury, and then walked out.
Outside the door, Vetta stood there, fuming badly. Anger was all she could breathe.
Danika is royalty, Danika is royalty, Danika is royalty! Why did those words have to
be the only words heard all day!?
She fisted her hands angrily. No, she couldn’t take this anymore. She wouldn’t.
And she knew what to do.
“Chad.” King Lucien called after Vetta left.
The door opened and Chad entered. He bowed his head. “You summoned me, my
king.”
He raised the finished scroll and folded it neatly, then reached for another scroll
and unrolled it. Chad waited patiently for him. “Tell Danika I summon her,” he
ordered at last.
.
Danika entered the chamber of the king with her heart in her throat. It had been
that way since Chad summoned her.
He was sitting behind his desk, his brows knitted, his jaw set in its usual hard angle
as he scrawled on the scroll.
She bowed her head. “You summoned me, Master.”
“Get over here.” He didn’t spare her a glance.
She strode across the enormous bedroom towards him and stopped a foot away
from him. Why her heart was beating furiously in her chest, she couldn’t understand.
“Sit down.”
She lowered herself to the floor next to him.
Finally, he raised his head and stared at her. Only for a moment. He reached into
the bag of scrolls and withdrew a blank scroll, and handed it to her.
Her worry dissolved, and peace settled in her heart. She already anticipated the
serenity and the peace of working with him. He handed her a manuscript, a writing
feather, and a small bottle of ink. She took it graciously and arranged them on the
floor.
“I overslept.” He glared at her accusingly. “Now I have a lot of work to do.”
Danika didn’t know what to say, so she kept her mouth shut. He faced his desk and
continued scribbling. She started reading, translating, and writing. They worked in
silence. She concentrated on the manuscript and translated every single sentence with
care.
Suddenly, the door opened. “My king, I—” Vetta’s voice cut off as soon as it
started as she saw the king and Danika working together.
“Get out.” He didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t spare her a glance.
“Y-yes, my king.” She fumed silently. She’d wanted to come and remind him
about the hunting tomorrow. Only to see this!
So, he writes with her? She didn’t even know something like that happened. Why
did that bitch have to know how to read and write!?
Danika never looked up at her; she was too absorbed in her work to notice, and it
only made the mistress angrier. No acknowledgment from the slave whatsoever! And
the king wasn’t doing anything about it!
Vetta turned and marched out angrily. It solidified her resolve to go through with
the plans she had for Danika. There was no way she was letting her conscience get in
the way!
If anybody deserved to experience what pain and horror felt like, it was the proud
daughter of King Cone!
Hours later, movement beside Lucien caught his attention. He swiveled his head to
see Danika’s head weaving around dizzily. She caught herself yet again and tried to
concentrate. He watched her. It didn’t take long again before her eyes slid close and
her head almost fell again. She caught herself. The next time, her head hung to one
side, and she fell asleep. He still watched her.
Was she a devil like her father? Could she be fooling him?
Why was the universe playing such a cruel joke on him? Why would the daughter
of the monster who ruined him be the person he found peace with-the person with
whom he found sleep? The king frowned as he tried to think of every logical
explanation to understand such a strange occurrence. He could come up with none.
His eyes found the open scroll, and the beautifully written words on them. Her
handwriting was pleasing to the eye.
He folded another completed scroll and put it aside. “Chad.”
The door opened, and another guard entered. “He has retired to his quarters, your
majesty.”
“Take her to the bed,” he ordered as he opened another blank scroll. After sleeping
all afternoon, he was ready to work most of the night.
“Yes, my king.” The guard walked closer and lifted Danika from the ground. She
sighed sleepily and settled against the guard. He started walking out of the room.
“I didn’t order you to take her out of this room, Zariel.”
The guard stopped suddenly and turned. “I’m so sorry, my king. I thought you
wanted me to take the slave to her room.”
“Lay her down on the bed, Zariel.” He spared the guard a glance. “My bed.”
“Oh. Of-of course, my king.” He hurriedly walked to the bed and gently deposited
Danika on it.
She laid there sleeping while the guard stepped back, bowed to the king, and took
his leave.