Danika entered the king’s chambers and bowed her head. “You summoned me, my king.”
King Lucien was dressed in his royal attire. He came out of the library with a book in his hand and walked straight to his desk. “It’s time I take you to the dungeon,” he stated matter-of-factly.
Danika’s heart fluttered in her chest. Had she done something wrong? The dungeon? She snapped her mouth shut and only nodded. “You wish is my command.”
He walked past her, leading the way. She followed him dutifully, and couldn’t stop wondering why they were going to the dungeon.
They walked out of the royal quarters towards the servant’s quarters where they entered the hidden wing that led to the underground palace. At the gate of the dungeon, the guards rushed towards it and opened the chains. The king walked in and turned towards Danika. She walked in behind him and saw two women she recognized from the market square. They had gotten beaten badly.
“It is only fitting that the woman who they almost killed is the one to pass judgment on them,” was all the king said.
“Your Highness?” Her voice mirrored her confusion.
“These women were the masterminds behind the attack in the market. They stole the necklace and put it in your bag for you to be beaten for it,” he declared, his cold eyes on the women.
Danika looked at both women, who looked sad and resigned at the same time. They had dried tears in their eyes, and from their expressions, they already sentenced themselves to death. They were just waiting for her to say the words.
They stared at her and then lowered their heads in shame.
Danika walked deeper into the cell, walking past the king. She stood directly in front of them. “Rise.”
At her soft but firm whispered, both women wearily rose to their feet. Coria looked at Zenia with the resignation and the knowledge that this would be the last time she’d be seeing the woman ever again. The daughter of Cone had not deserved what they did to her, and it was likely that she would sentence them to death.
Just as they expected, the former slave trainer took their children captive for their silence. They’d gotten the word there in the dungeon. Their fates had been decided a long time ago, so there was no need to kill their own children too, just because they wanted to live. And so they had kept their mouths shut and waited for the inevitable.
“I forgive you both,” Danika said the words so softly, it took the women a while to assimilate the words. When they did, their eyes widened and looked towards her in shock. Even the king’s eyes flashed with surprise, but only for a second. He did a better job at hiding it. Her eyes held theirs and she continued. “I forgive you both, but I hope you won’t treat another person the way you treated me. In the future, you must learn to give people a chance.”
Each softly spoken word touched the deepest part of the women, and Danika wasn’t done yet. “My only crime is being my father’s daughter, but I had no choice. I wasn’t given the choice as to who my father would be. I came of age and realized who my parents were. Please, do not hate and punish people for sins they did not commit, so you don’t shed the blood of an innocent because of it.”
“Yes, princess! So, so sorry!” Zenia was crying. Danika’s forgiveness was so unexpected it was like the strike of an arrow to her chest. She knelt and kept thanking her and asking for her forgiveness at the same time. The way she spoke made them forget the rags she was wearing and hear the authority of a princess.
When both women fell to the ground, crying and thanking her and saying sorry, Danika lowered herself to the ground and hugged them both. “It’s alright. I forgive you,” she whispered.
Danika and the king walked back into his chambers. The silence was uncomfortable. She picked at the hem of her dress nervously, while waiting for the king to dismiss her. He hadn’t said a word since the dungeon, and it had her worried. Was he angry that she released the women? He had given her rights to their judgment. She shifted uncomfortably from one foot to another.
“Danika.” He had his back to her when he called her name. That tone. The very tone of his voice sent shivers down her spine. It was the same voice he used whenever they were in bed together. The same tone when he called her name while taking his pleasure from her body.
“Y-yes, Your Highness.” She fidgeted with her dress; her voice a whisper.
“What am I going to do with you?” The question, so unexpected, it robbed her of speech. So, she snapped her mouth shut and prayed to the heavens for him not to be so angry at her. “You make forgiveness so simple. People ganged up on you and beat you so badly you nearly died, and there you are, forgiving them as if they committed a crime as simple as lying,” he said.
Danika wished she could see his face to discern if he was angry or not. She swallowed tightly. “I felt like letting it go, Your Highness.”
“Why?”
“The entire world is driven by a will, blind and ruthless. To transcend the limitations of that will, we have to learn to let go. That is the only way to move on.”
Silence met her words, as if he was contemplating them. She let him have all the time he needed. Finally, he turned towards her, and she looked at his face. There was no hate or anger. Just… warmth. “You can go now, Danika,” he stated.
She bowed her head to him and turned to leave, but his hand snapped out and caught hers. He jerked her towards him and kissed her.
A gasp of surprise slid past her lips as he kissed her hard, fast, and hungrily. His hand held the back of her head while he ravished her mouth. She closed her eyes and kissed him back. She was starved for him for the past two weeks; she grabbed onto crumbs, needing anything he could give her at all.
The kiss lasted forever before he pulled away. His eyes blazed fire as he stepped back. He didn’t look like a man who had practically devoured her just seconds ago.
Danika’s feet were unsteady as she bowed to him again and walked out of his bedroom.
The rest of the evening passed methodically, and Danika found herself smiling more times than she could count.
The smile lasted until Baski examined her in her bedroom at night.