THE QUEEN'S SERVANT

25

They were on the run for five days.

It was difficult for Raja since remaining hidden while riding a horse and a carriage wasn't the easiest thing to do. The trip through the kingdom's savannah was hard for the horse as well. Raja could rarely find water and food to feed it. He was also worried about the queen who was deteriorating with each passing day. She was very sick and he didn't know how to treat her.

Raja was still very angry with her. He couldn't understand why she didn't love him the way he did. He was ready to risk everything for her but all she wanted was to run back into the arms of Hassan. Raja thought she was selfish for not returning his feelings when he truly deserved it.

Yet, despite all that, he had to keep her and the baby safe. As she got sicker throughout the passing days, he decided that the best thing to do would be to go to a nearby village and ask for help. They were far away from the capital city and with luck, no one would figure out who they really were.

That's why, in the midst of the night, he drove his carriage into a small and quiet village he found outside of the savannah. He stopped near the first housing he saw, a little bit isolated from the village. The sound of his horse alerted the people inside; a couple of blacksmiths. The woman had an oil lamp in her hand and was hiding behind her husband.

"Who are you?" The man asked suspiciously.

"Just travelers," Raja answered, stepping away from his horse. "We need help. I have my wife with me but she's really ill and I don't know how to relieve her."

"Where are you heading?" The man asked, ignoring Raja's statement.

"To the Libyan borders."

"It's far."

"I know." The boy answered through gritted teeth. "Can you help my wife or not?"

The man was still looking at him suspiciously. Raja assumed it was because of his obvious mixed race. Even these villagers knew better than to trust any foreigner.

Suddenly, there was a sound coming from the carriage. Raja rushed to open the door. Rocky laid there with sweat on her forehead and arms securely wrapped around her stomach. She was clearly in pain. Raja helped her out.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I-I don't know. It h-hurts."

The blacksmith woman hiding behind her husband gasped when she saw Rocky. She quickly moved forward and touched her forehead and her stomach.

"She is very malnourished." She remarked. "C-come in."

Her husband gave a disapproving look but obviously couldn't say no to his wife. He let the strangers in and tied Raja's horse to a tree behind his hut. He gave it food and water before returning to his home. Raja was nervously walking around the tiny living room.

"You are the new king, aren't you?" The man stated, arms holding his waist.

"Of course not." Raja was quick to deny.

"Please. News travels fast. We might live in the wood but we know that the new king is mixed and we know that the queen is a foreigner as well. Just like you two. Now, what happened? Why are you so far away from the capital?"

Raja sighed in defeat.

"I guess news don't travel so fast after all. Otherwise, you would have known that the kingdom is currently under attack by Cayorians."

The man clicked his tongue in distaste.

"I knew this would happen. When King Hassan announced he was going to marry a foreigner, I knew that our kingdom was set for doom."