THE PAIN AND THE JOYDanika did her best to better remember the events of the previous night as she walked to her room, but the conversation was blurry.
She was curious about what they said, and she didn’t know why. Maybe because she couldn’t believe that the ice king would ever talk with her—never mind answering her questions… repeatedly.
But what questions did she ask? She couldn’t remember.
When she got to her room, Sally was already rushing towards her. One look at Danika’s face had relief coursing down Sally’s body.
“Oh, thank the creator! I was so scared throughout the night. I thought maybe the king would kill you! I’m so relieved that you’re alright, my princess!”
“I’m glad I’m alright too, Sally.” She surprised Sally when she filled the distance between them and wrapped her arms around her.
Tears filled Sally’s eyes, and she hugged her princess so tightly. A lot of things had scared her yesterday. She could still remember the terror coursing through her body when she saw her princess unconscious.
“My princess, I’m so glad you’re alright,” she sniffled.
Danika knew she would have died yesterday. She was almost sure that she felt life leaving her body. Sally had saved her life.
“Thank you for saving my life, Sally. I know you’re the one that saved me.” Danika patted her back reassuringly.
Sally shook her head miserably. “I was almost too late! I thought no one would help. I was so scared that the wicked mistress would kill you!”
Danika pulled away from her. Using her index finger, she collected the tears that ran down Sally’s cheeks. “Tell me what happened… afterwards.”
Together, they walked to the bed and settled down on it. Sally told her everything that had happened. How she pleaded with Madam Baski and how Madam Baski helped her to plead with the king.
“You went to the king alone?” Danika asked, wide-eyed.
Sally nodded vigorously. “I was so desperate, my princess. I didn’t really stop to think it through.” She told her how they pleaded with the king. How scared she was when the king dismissed her. How Madam Baski knelt and begged with her too.
“Baski? She pleaded f-for me?” Danika was so surprised.
Sally nodded again. “Yes, my princess.” She told her that Madam Baski told the king about how Sally brought them food when they were enslaved and all the difficulties she had to go through.
“But how did she know that? You didn’t tell any of them about it.”
“No, I didn’t, my princess. I was surprised too, but I was most happy and grateful when the king finally agreed to help me help you.”
It was still shocking to Danika that the king came himself to stop the mistress from whipping her. The king hated her. It was something she never would have expected.
Then Sally bit her lip uncertainly. She stared up at her princess hesitantly.
“What happened?” she asked Sally.
“Um… that is, I… I was ready to tell the king how you also helped to bring them food and---”
“Oh, Sally, I hope you didn’t say that to him.” Danika palmed her head, suddenly developing a headache.
“No, no, no, no. I almost told him, but I didn’t. I know how much you don’t like to talk about yourself, my princess, but I was so desperate that I almost told him how you helped feed them too and provided so much sustenance.”
“The people of Salem hate me so much for being my father’s daughter. It wouldn’t have made any difference, Sally,” she stated matter-of-factly.
“But… my princess…”
“Don’t ever talk about it, Sally. Not to anyone.” Danika looked away sadly. “It doesn’t matter.”
Sally didn’t enjoy seeing the sadness in her eyes. Her princess already had a lot of things to be sad about without adding this one to it, too.
Her princess had clothing on, so she couldn’t see her back.
“Your back,” Sally whispered worriedly. “How is it?”
“It’s so much better than I expected it to be,” she said truthfully. “It hurts, but it’s so much better.”
Sally grinned in happiness and relief. “That’s because we used lots and lots of herbs and rare herbs. Madam Baski said that the king gave orders that the wounds be treated thoroughly so they wouldn’t scar.”
“Really?” Danika’s brows knitted in thought.
Why would the king give orders for her not to bear scars? Her father physically scarred him severely, so why would he want her not to bear scars?
Danika would never understand the king. He was so unpredictable, so confusing. Her mind prickled, and she tried her best to remember the conversations they’d had the night before.
She couldn’t. The knowledge lurked just inside her mind, just a little out of reach.
“Yes, my princess,” Sally continued. “I was surprised too, but that was the order he gave. Madam Baski and I had to go so deep into the woods in search of rare herbs. They have complicated names, but let me try to remember their names, my princess.” Sally’s eyes shot up; her brows knitted together in thought as she tried to remember.
A small smile tickled Danika’s cheeks at the Sally she was so used to when she was still a real princess in her own kingdom. The familiar sight of Sally trying to remember things and pronounce tough words was… relaxing.
“Erm… we got Oxalis and Tansies, even panacea vegetables! Oh, my princess, they were so hard to find!” she revealed incredulously.
Danika’s lips twitched again. “That’s why they’re called rare herbs, Sally.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
She nodded in understanding. “I’m so glad they worked. The wicked mistress whipped you so bad, that wicked witch!”
Danika was quick to cover her mouth with her palm. “Shh, keep it quiet, Sally. I don’t want you to get hurt or punished.”
Sally nodded her head in understanding. When Danika removed her hand, Sally looked around carefully and leaned closer. “There are rumors that the king punished the wicked mistress Vetta for whipping you,” Sally whispered.
That was… shocking. The most shocking thing Danika had heard. “What?”
Sally pulled back and continued in a whisper. “There’s a rumor that the king placed her under house arrest for three noondays.”
A thrill of pleasure shot through Danika’s body at the knowledge. She must be a bad person for being happy, but she couldn’t help it. Three days without seeing Mistress Vetta were days to look forward to. Even though her back hurt and she still had to work, she was still happy.
“I was so happy when I heard it, my princess! I’m really happy about it,” Sally enthused excitedly.
“I’m happy to hear it too, Sally,” Danika finally admitted.