Danika was baffled as she sat in the tub while the maids bathed her. The sweet scent of royal ointment filled the air. She was grateful that her baby also liked the scent. If not, she wouldn’t be able to spend more minutes inside. Memories of all the times she’s been bathed this way filled her head.
A huge weight settled in her chest. Royalty. When she was a princess. She missed her status so much that tears burned the back of her eyes.
“The other leg, my lady,” one of the maids requested softly.
She presented her with her left leg, watching carefully. The king was right, she thought with a small sad smile. Being royalty is something that can never be forgotten.
“You haven’t told me why I’m having a royal bath, Baski.” Danika turned to face the woman and stared intensely at the new dress the seamstress had brought in. Frown lines marred the older woman’s face.
“I already told you the king summons your presence in court,” Baski let out distractedly.
Just like the first time, Danika’s heart jumped in her chest. Court—the one place she never wanted to be again. Why would the king summon her there? Her options didn’t look favorable, so she shut the thoughts away.
“Will this dress even fit without strangling your belly tightly? I told Yana that the dress had to be loose around the belly. See the sides, it’s looking tight,” the older woman stated angrily.
“I’m sure it’s going to be perfect, Baski. It’s looking too loose,” Danika added.
“Well, it’s not as if we have a choice. There’s no way a new cloth will be sown now. It’s too late.” She folded the dress and headed for the bedroom. “The bath is done. Get her into the bedroom.”
“Yes, Madam Baski,” the maids replied. Danika found herself urged to her feet.
Hours later, Danika stood in front of the court. The ointment and herbs Baski gave her helped ease the ache in her body, but dread filled her belly. Her throat was so closed up she could only swallow tightly.
Memories of the second to the last time she was there threatened to overwhelm her.
Sally. Her poor Sally. These kings had unleased their animalistic lustful demands on her small body, they’d almost killed her Sally, thinking they had Cone’s daughter. By God’s bones, she missed Sally so much.
The door opened, and a guard matched out. Danika peered inside, but it only increased her dread. Four kings. Those four kings she knew very well were there.
How many other kings were there? What is happening today?
“You have to go inside, my lady,” a male voice said behind her.
She turned back to see the guard. “Do you have any idea what is happening today?”
The guard shook his head. “None, my lady. But you do have to be inside there before the king enters.”
“The king isn’t there?”
“He went out back with king Zeba a few moments ago. But he’ll be in any minute since the court lady already informed him that you’re done getting ready.”
Baski did? Of course, she did. The king would want feedback. “Thank you.”
The guard bowed. “You’re welcome, princess.”
Princess. She watched the guard enter through the door. It had been so long since she heard that word being addressed to her without malice or hatred lacing it—without being addressed with mockery.
She opened the door and entered the court.
The noise and banters from noblemen and women seized as she did. They all turned and stared at her. She couldn’t look up because she hated their eyes on her. Their calculating eyes. Hateful eyes. There were more than four kings in the court.
King Philip. King Noir. King Moreh. King George. King Zeba. King Pasih.
They sat watching observingly on their seats. They must be as surprised as Danika, standing in the middle of the court. Or was it her pregnancy they were observing?
The door behind her opened. The whole court stood up when King Lucien entered, except the other kings who attended.
Her King Lucien. Her eyes drank him in. But he wouldn’t look at her. Her dread maximized.
She didn’t want to be here. This royal court is a place she didn’t want to stand upon again because this place means one thing for her: Her humiliation.
King Lucien strode towards his throne and took his stand at the front of the courtroom. “I call upon Slave Danika.”
Danika’s heart skipped three beats. Doing her best to stay calm, she clouded her expression and walked out. She stood in the middle of the court. She hated the eyes of people on her. She would not raise her head to know how calculating, assessing and lustful their gazes are.
“We have gathered here today for an important event,” King Lucien announced.
“It has to be important for us to be summoned all the way from our various kingdoms for it,” King Moreh injected reasonably.
The other kings nodded.
Danika folded her hands nervously to her front, and tears brimmed her eyes. Not knowing why she was standing there threatened to overwhelm her with fear.
Then King Lucien walked away from his position. The guards lifted the giant spears that separated the throne and the people, giving him passage to walk through. He walked through the aisle and stood in front of her. His eyes finally looked at her.
She had so many urges at the same time. Run behind him and hide away from these barbarians. Hug him tight and let his arms hold her secure from these people. Ask him why she’s here. Ask how much he enjoyed their night before.
She did none of them. Just watched him.
Then he raised his hand to her neck and removed her collar. As he did so, he raised his voice. “With the power vested in me as the king of Salem and Mombana, as the master of this slave standing before us all, I remove your collar. And from today onward, you are no longer a slave! Not to me! Not to my people! As I hold this collar away, so as you have separated from it! You stand...A free woman!”
Silence. Deafening silence.
All their mouths were gaping open in shock. Their eyes were so wide that their eyebrows were touching their hairlines.
Danika stood without the collar, her head as blank as a newborn. Her head was finding it difficult to comprehend that after a year and two months in slavery, she was suddenly a free person...without the collar.
Then King Noir clapped once. Twice. Three times. The other kings joined one after another. In less than a minute, the whole court erupted with clapping.
But King Lucien wasn’t done.
A guard hurried forward with the royal Pillow in front of him. On the pillow nestled a shiny gold crown she had never seen before, but she was almost sure that it wasn’t a princess’s crown because it was way smaller and less shiny.
With both hands, King Lucien reached for the crown. He took it out with utmost respect, and as he did so, his voice raised again. “With the power vested in me as the king who conquered the past king of Mombana—as the present king of Mombana—I withdraw the royal feminine crown of Mombana and place it on your head.” He placed the gold crown on Danika’s head. “And as I do this, I crown you the Queen of Mombana.” His voice rose higher. “From today henceforth, you seize being a slave to anybody and you become a queen to everybody! Henceforth, you stop bowing to anybody, and everybody will bow to you! From henceforth, you stop being Slave Danika but Queen Danika!”
He paused, everywhere in majestic silence. He finished in repeat. “I crown you the new queen of Mombana!”
.