When the guards came to take Danika in the late evening, panic filled her. She had dreaded this moment all day; she had been unable to do anything. They would torture her now. Hurt her for being Cone’s daughter.
“No! No! Please, just leave my princess alone!” Sally cried to the guards as they took Danika’s hand.
Danika’s only solace was that Remeta wasn’t around to witness this; she was at the backyard watching the maids play the moonlight game. At least Remeta wasn’t here. This would have traumatized her further.
As Sally cried and pleaded, they took Danika away from their room. But as they walked, they didn’t take the turn that led out of the royal quarters. Instead, the guards walked her down the long hallway that separated her bedroom from the king’s chambers. One of them opened the door and walked Danika into the king’s room.
“I brought her, Court Lady,” the guard addressed Madam Baski.She nodded and told the guards to leave. They all left.
Danika took a peek at the mistress, who stood beside Baski. The mistress glared at her.
Baski started towards Danika with tears in her eyes. “The medicine man just left now. He had applied the antidote for the poison; it was a deadly poison. The king is running a high fever, and even though I could get him to take the potions, he won’t let anyone touch him.” Baski continued. “He’s running a fever so high, his body needs to be bathed with cold water, especially his face. I’ve tried doing it, but it makes him restless. He has always hated people putting their hands on him; now he needs it, but he won’t let us touch him.”
Vetta folded her arms across her chest. “And what makes you think that he’ll let her put her filthy hands on him? I tried touching him and he recoiled from me,” the mistress added with a snort. “What makes you think he won’t go ballistic because she placed her filthy hands on him?”
“You’d be surprised by the things the king allow from her,” Baski muttered under her breath.
“What did you say?” Vetta demanded.
“Nothing.” Baski faced a confused Danika again. “Can you try to bathe his face and chest? I would have continued doing so, but the more agitated he gets, the more it diminishes the treatment, so he must stay still.”
“I-I can try,” Danika whispered softly, already nervous. She didn’t know what gave Baski the idea that the king would allow her touch.
“Yeah, right.” Vetta rolled her eyes. She glared at Danika, feeling satisfaction when she saw her red handprint on Danika’s face. Her only regret was that she didn’t strike her harder
. Vetta consoled herself with the fact that she could deal with Danika now that the king was sick. No one for her to consider. No one to stop her. She was the power and authority now. Of course, Baski was also in charge, but she wasn’t an obstacle.
Danika walked past them and sat down on the chair beside the king’s bed. Baski helped her with the bowl of icy water and a wet rag. Danika dipped the rag into the bowl and placed it on the king’s burning forehead. He stiffened, his jaw clenching. The same reaction they all got.
“Yeah, right,” Vetta snorted. “We shouldn’t waste our time with her, Baski. I don’t know what gave you the idea that he would welcome the touch of the daughter of the man that destroyed him!”
Baski and Chad both stiffened at the reminder. But they said nothing.
Danika withdrew the wet cloth and raised her other empty hand. She placed her palm on his forehead and rested it there. Gradually, the stiffness left his body, and he relaxed back into unconsciousness.
Baski and Chad released a breath they didn’t know they’d been holding. “Yes, I knew you could do it, Danika,” Baski said, her relief apparent.
Vetta was dumbfounded as she watched Danika give the king’s face a cold bath while resting her hand on him. How was this possible? For the first time in as long as she could remember, Vetta went numb inside as she wondered how in heaven this was possible.
“We’re going to leave him in your care now, Danika, and---” Baski began.
“We won’t do anything of the sort!” Vetta stated angrily.
Baski whirled around and faced her. “It has been a long day, and the king is unwell. We should give him time to recover, Mistress.”
“We should! But we aren’t leaving him in the care of this snake! Never! I refuse that! What if she poisons him!? Or harms him!?” she snarled, her eyes blazing.
“Danika is not that kind of person, Mistress,” Baski said calmly, surprising Danika.
Vetta’s cheek turned up angrily. “How would you know what kind of person she is!? Just because Remeta had some misguided notions of her doesn’t make her a saint, Baski! This woman hates the king as much as the king hates her! Why would we leave him in her care!? Never!”
Danika turned towards them and looked an uncertain Baski in the eyes. “I would never do anything that would hurt the king,” she vowed.
“How dare you speak when you aren’t spoken to!?” Vetta took two steps forward, ready to strike her hard on the face again. But Chad moved in front of Danika, blocking Vetta’s path.
“Get out of my way, right this minute!” Vetta commanded, her anger boiling.
“I can’t do that, Mistress.”
She stuck Chad hard on the cheek. “I said, get out!”
He didn’t blink an eye. “No. I can’t do that.”
She raised her hand again, but Baski intervened. “The king is sick! The king is unwell! This shouldn’t be what we’re doing right now!”
Vetta closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She forced herself to put her hand to her side. That was when she realised she had hit Chad. She’d hit him and she’d been ready to hit him again.
Chad watched her carefully, and Baski looked at her like she was a stranger. Vetta raised her chin, refusing to feel shame. He didn’t have to block her path, but he did! It was his fault.
“The king is unwell,” Baski continued. “We have to give him the time he needs to recover. He needs peace and quiet. We can settle our differences when he’s better again. We shouldn’t disrespect him by shouting and fighting in his chambers.” She stared pointedly at Vetta, who finally ducked her head in shame then.
Baski turned to Danika, whose attention was on the king, and she was still running the wet cloth down his cheek. Her touch was so gentle it was obvious she was deliberately doing her best not to hurt him. Baski watched the rise and fall of the king’s chest. He looked more relaxed than he had been all day.
“Danika,” Baski called.
Danika turned towards her. “Yes, Madam Baski.”
“I’m leaving the king in your care. Take good care of him. I’ll come in to check up on him as much as possible, but he needs rest now. We will all leave him to you.”
“Alright, Madam Baski. I’ll take care of him,” Danika whispered.
Chad was still watching Vetta when Baski told them it was time for all of them to leave. “When did you change so much?”he suddenly asked.
“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” Vetta whirled around and marched out of the king’s bedroom, still reeling in anger. Why did it have to be Danika seeing to the king when she was his mistress!? What kind of insult was this!? As she marched away, Vetta’s anger was boiling to the point she was shaking with it.
Chad turned to Baski. “Did she change? Or was she always like this?” he asked calmly, his face so unreadable he reminded Baski of the king.
Baski took a deep breath. “I don’t know, Chad. I don’t know anything anymore.”
Chad said nothing and walked out of the door, too.
Baski watched him. Both men were so similar, and she knew it was because of how long they’d been together. Chad had been with King Lucien since they both were twelve. She turned to have one last glance at the king and Danika, who was running the water down the king’s neck carefully and tenderly.
He’s in safe hands, she thought with conviction. Then she turned and walked out of the bedroom.