EVEN WHEN UNCLOTHED LIKE A SLAVEEver so slowly, he opened his eyes. “What did you just say?”
A feeling of excitement washed over Baski at his response. “She’s doing so much better, my king! She ate, and she bathed and even let me put a healing balm on her! Oh, Your Majesty, I’m so happy today. I never thought this day would ever come!”
He had leaned forward as she talked, interested. When she finished, his surprise was apparent. “That is a miracle, Baski. What happened?”
“It was Danika, Your Majesty.”
He cocked his head to the side in thought. “Danika?”
Baski nodded her head, tears of excitement filling her eyes. “She visited with Sally today.” She told him everything. How Danika got through to Remeta. She purposefully left out the part about Remeta addressing Danika as royalty because she knew it wouldn’t end well. She told him everything else, including the part about Remeta insisting on being with Danika, which was why she was in the palace.
Silence followed Baski’s narration because the king was trying to process everything. His face was his usual unreadable mask, so she didn’t know what was going through his mind.
“Remeta sees her as the royalty she was and she feels so safe with her?” he asked at last, perplexed.
She nodded her head. “Oh, my king, you should have seen her this morning. She was willing to do anything for Danika because she felt safe again. She said she had a friend who was royalty; that she’s safe.” Her voice cracked in the end, emotions overwhelming her.
He met her words with silence. The king was trying to assimilate everything she said.
Finally, he spoke again. “I would love to see her now. She’s fifteen, and for the first time, she’s willing to get better…”he paused, “… and it’s because of Danika?”
She nodded her head vigorously. “Yes, my king.”
Silence. Baski could practically see the wheels of disbelief turning in his head. He couldn’t feel anything she hadn’t felt. The difference was that she watched it happen. And it was still happening.
He got up then. “I must see this, Baski. Take me to Remeta.”
“But…” She wanted to remind him of his leg, but she clamped her mouth shut.
He wouldn’t appreciate her talking to him about it. The king hated being reminded of any smallest form of weakness people might think he had.
She bowed her head. “As you wish, my king.”
Danika woke to a girl’s face hovering in front of her own. She blinked twice to clear the haze in her eyes and opened them again. It was Remeta’s face, and she was no longer smiling.
“Oh, heavens! Remeta woke her up! Remeta woke my queen up! Remeta was really careful, and she kept quiet, too, but she woke her!” Remeta cried out, obviously panicked. “My queen will throw Remeta to the guards now for being a bad person!”
Danika woke up and held her. “No, Remeta, you didn’t wake me. Please, don’t panic. I woke because I wanted to wake.”
“Really?” she asked in a small voice, fear all over her face.
Danika hugged her then. “Of course. Remeta didn’t wake Danika,” she reassured her and watched the girl breathe a sigh of relief. She looked around when she pulled back from Remeta. “Yes, did I sleep for long?” Danika wondered what had happened. The last thing she could remember was being in court. She’d pleasured the king with her hand and her mouth.
The reminder made her cheeks flush. Away from court, she couldn’t believe she’d done something like that. She’d undressed him a little, and she’d been able to give him satisfaction.
He kissed your forehead, a voice reminded her, and her hand rose and caressed that part of her head lingeringly. “Where is Sally?” she asked, forcing herself to remove the thoughts from her mind for now. In the night’s silence, in the privacy of her bed, she would think about it again.
“She went to the village. She told Remeta she’s going to the village,” Remeta replied.
“Okay. Have you seen the palace? Should I take you around?”
A small smile touched Remeta’s face, and she nodded the heavy blonde mass of hers affirmatively. “Yes, my queen. I’d love to go out. Remeta has been in doors for so long.” She paused and swallowed tightly. “Remeta has been scared.”
Danika bent down a little and forced Remeta’s head up to become eye level with her. “There’s nothing to be afraid of anymore, Remeta. Sally and I got you now.”
Remeta glowed under her words. “Thank you so much, my queen.”
Danika took the girl’s thin, frail hand into hers and squeezed slightly. “Let’s go get some air while we wait for Sally.”
They headed out. Danika wondered how the three of them could sleep in her small bed at night. She didn’t let it worry her, though. Whatever happened, happened. She couldn’t turn Remeta out, and Sally would gladly sleep on the floor just to make sure that Remeta was comfortable.