King Lucien stared at the scroll in front of him. He was seated behind his desk, nursing a tremendous headache.
The open window oversaw the night sky. It was almost the middle of the night. The meeting in court had taken much longer than he expected.
The scroll held two signatures on it.
Both King Noir and King Zeba signed the petition. King Pesih wanted to sleep on it. King Moreh and Philip had outrightly refused.
“Why would we want to eradicate the law of introduction? Why would we enforce a law for the unjust killing of slaves?” Moreh had been angry. “There is no unjust killing when it comes to slaves. They are dirt. Garbage. There is no unjust way of getting rid of garbage.”
King Lucien rubbed his aching head, his eyes darkening in anger and painful memories. Moreh had always been an animal.
He could never forget what that man did to him when he was still Cone’s slave.
Fortunately, Zeba and Noir had disagreed with him and signed the petition.
The door opened and Baski entered the room with a long wooden cup of hot liquid. “I brought Noda tea, Your Majesty.”
“It won’t help me sleep well, Baski. Not even if I was as exhausted as a maiden who just brought a lad into the world,” he said without raising his head.
It pained Baski deeply whenever laudanum didn’t work on the king. “It’ll help with the headache, my king. And it might work for sleep this time around.”
“I doubt that, Baski.”
She took a deep breath and carried the tea in his direction, anyway. She had made all kinds of laudanum and sleeping potions for him, but they didn’t work.
“We just have to keep trying, my king.” If any man deserved a good sleep in this world, it was him. Unfortunately, he hadn’t been able to sleep well in fifteen years.
Baski reached the table and offered him the drink. He stretched out his hand and took the liquid. He downed it in one gulp.
Baski cleared her throat. “Um, my king?”
“How is Danika holding up?” He dropped the empty wooden cup on the desk and stared at the folded scroll on the desk.
Baski noted distinctively that he referred to her as ‘Danika’ instead of his slave.
“About that, my king.” She cleared her throat. “Sally lives.”
Slowly, he raised his head and stared at Baski. “What?”
Baski’s eyes watered. She sniffled and nodded her head. “She’s alive. Barely, but she is. You were in court all day or I would have told you about her sooner.”
He got up and turned to her. “Where is she?”
Baski bit her lips and lowered her head. “Please, forgive me, Your Highness.”
He cocked his head to the side in thought. “What did you do, Baski?”
“I-I told Chad to take her to one of the underground rooms. That’s where she is.” She hesitated. “I also called the royal medicine man, and he has been here all afternoon, but he left a little while ago. I had him believe that his presence was an order from you.”
He said nothing. Instead, he started for the door. “Come and take me to that girl, Baski.”
“Oh, yes! Yes, Your Majesty!” She led the way as they walked out of the room.
The two bodyguards attempted to follow, but Lucien shook his head once, and they backed away immediately, their heads bowed.
Baski led him through the long hallway and into the door of the secret room that held the stairs leading underground. On the way, she hurriedly filled him in on all the activities from the afternoon and everything about the visit from the medicine man. It was a long walk, but eventually, she led him to the room and opened the door.
Sally lay on the bed, her cuts cleaned, her bruises treated. Her wounds dressed, and she slept. Beside her, Danika lay with her eyes closed, her breathing labored as she slept. One hand held Sally’s own.
Baski saw who the king’s eyes rested on and felt the need to say, “She is completely exhausted. She’s been here all this while. Refused to leave this entire time.”
His eyes took in the way Danika’s body curved protectively on her former personal maid; the way she loosely intertwined her hand with the girl’s own. Both girls looked so vulnerable lying that way.
“What did Argie say?” he asked.
“The medicine man emphasized that her condition was critical because of everything she went through. He said it was something of a miracle that she’s still hanging in there.”
“Yes. A miracle.” His mind has traveled back to Mombana. Back to that very day Declan died. He fisted his hands tight on his garment and closed his eyes to the memories. They didn’t go away. They lurked in his mind. His headache throbbed instead of easing.
The king’s eyes were on the girls for some time. His mind fought the war within himself.
Baski didn’t know what was on his mind, but her heart was in her throat. She waited for the king to ask questions about Sally and Danika swapping in court. Baski knew the laws of the land, and the law they broke today—if sanctioned—was punishable by death.
Would he call them on it? When?
He said nothing about it. About anything. He didn’t ask. He didn’t question.
Instead, he stood for many minutes, just watching the two women on the bed. Then he turned and walked away.
.
.
.