Danika could only watch what was happening. She was too stunned. Too shocked.
After Vetta stormed off, Kamara turned her attention to her. She stretched out her hand. Danika placed her hand into hers, and Kamara helped her up from the ground.
“Thank you so much for your help, Princess Kamara. I appreciate it,” Danika said sincerely. She never expected it.
Kamara waved her off. “Oh, stop with the ‘Princess Kamara.’ Not from your mouth, too. I get sick and tired of hearing it sometimes.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say to that.
“You can call me Kamara, and I will call you Danika.”
“But that’s not proper. I’m n-no longer a princess. I’m now a slave.” Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
“The clothes don’t matter. What matters is the blood running through your veins,” Princess Kamara quoted. “My mother always says that to me.”
“Your mother must be a good woman,” Danika said hesitantly. This princess was not what she expected, but she felt relief filling her spine like a breath of fresh air. She’d spent weeks worrying about the new princess. How she’d behave towards her? If she’d make life more of a hell for her? Danika’s relief was so apparent that she had to blink back tears. Princess Kamara was not a bad person.
Even if she was, at least she wasn’t being bad now.
“Thank you so much for helping me with the mistress,” Danika repeated, dusting off her dress. “She has always hated me.”
“She’s bound to. You’re a king’s slave. You should see the way the mistresses in our kingdom treat the king’s slaves. It’s all because of jealousy and greed.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I don’t know why they bother to do that. A mistress can never be a queen,” Kamara stated.
And a slave could never be a queen either, Danika thought inwardly. Waves of sadness crushed through her.
Kamara began walking, and she fell into step with her. The maids and servants that bypassed them couldn’t help noticing that the two princesses were walking together. One might be dressed in an expensive gown and the other in a simple gown devoid of lace, yet both emitted the aura of royalty. The steady footsteps. The high rise of their shoulders. The lifted chins. The graceful way they buried their hands together at their midriff.
Instead of a princess and a slave, palace workers saw two princesses on an evening walk. They bowed to both as they passed.
“I’m sorry about what happened with your father. We heard all about it,” Princess Kamara said to Danika.
“I’m not. My father deserved what he got,” she told the princess truthfully.
Princess Kamara shrugged. “He might have, but you sure don’t. You know, I’ve always admired you. As Princess Danika, you were everything every princess wanted to be: regal, elegant, sophisticated, and fierce. You spoke and wrote so well. Not to mention, reading so fluently. You were such a good princess and leader,” Princess Kamara confessed, sparing Danika a sideways glance.
“I’m sure the princess rebels would have disagreed with you.” Danika smiled at the reminder of a beautiful life that was once hers.
“The rebels are stupid.”
“Thank you so much, Princ--- Kamara,” she corrected herself softly.
“You’re welcome. It must be hell being a slave. I can’t imagine it.” Kamara shuddered just at the thought of it.
“It takes some getting used to,” Danika admitted.
Footsteps sounded and Henna came running back to them, carrying a bowl of water in which Princess Kamara washed her hands in, then Henna carried it away.
“You shouldn’t let her beat you around, you know,” Kamara said, wiping her hands. “The mistress, I mean. You were always so fierce; you shouldn’t let that change because your status changed. People will walk all over you.”
“Oh, but it has to change, Kamara. The things we do to survive. It’s difficult surviving as a slave,” she confided softly, staring into space.
“Yeah, I can’t imagine. It must be tiring.”
Danika found her condition so many things before, but she had never found it tiring. But these days, she had become so tired of it. Would death really be such a bad idea? She asked herself for the first time in a long time.
“You’re right. Being a slave… It’s tiring.” A small, sad smile crossed her lips. “But I think it’s for the best—being in this position.”
“Why?” Kamara asked curiously.
She looked her in the eyes. “Because I have gotten to understand the heart of slaves.”
“Oh…” Kamara cocked her head to the side as she thought about it.
“But I’m worried. I don’t want you to get in trouble because you defended me,” Danika said in concern, looking away.
Kamara was worried about that too, but she’d cross that bridge later. The only person she had no authority over was the king, and he might even punish her for it. “It doesn’t matter, though. I got to release some of my anger on that mistress, and that’s all that matters to me. I’ve been so angry…” She paused. “It’s a long story.”
Danika saw the pain that flickered in her eyes before she said the last words. She was going to ask her what the matter was when Baski came out of the palace main building. “Danika? You’re needed in the backyard.”
“Alright, I’m coming,” she called back.
Baski bowed her head to the new princess before she walked back to the building.
Kamara turned to her. “Until we meet again.”
“Thank you so much for earlier.”
“You’ve thanked me for it before.” Kamara smiled a little before she straightened and began walking away.
Danika watched her with a hurting heart. Her thoughts went back to the king. Soon, Princess Kamara would marry the king. She would grace his bed and she would bear his children. She would be the future queen of Salem.
The knowledge hurt badly, more than the pain Danika was feeling from her fall. But amidst that pain, she was grateful that Kamara was a good princess. After everything the king had been through, he did not need a wicked woman—a woman like his mistress. And, if she would make the king happy, then it would be okay for Danika.
As she walked towards the palace building, Danika’s heart hurt and tears filled her eyes. She missed the king so much. Just the very sight of him. It didn’t matter if she had to gaze upon him when he was wearing his usual scowl on his face.
She wondered how he was doing now.
Was he working well? Was he resting well? Was he sleeping well?
Did he ever think of her? Even for a bit. Did he ever think of her?
.