The Rebel (#Wattys2016)

12. Honest While High

Prince Skander made his way through the Selected. He hated having to calm them down while Adeen lied on a bed, delirious and possibly dying. But it had been his father's first command, and so he had slipped on his grim mask and walked to where June, Adeen's friend, stood. Out of all the Selected, she was by far the most sane one. Staring at Adeen, her silence separated her from the crying girls.

"How are you?" Prince Skander asked as he bowed and she curtsied.

"I'm fine, Your Majesty. How are you?"

"I am alright." June's gray eyes traveled from his face to Adeen. "She'll be alright. Doctor Ragenue is the best physician in the entire kingdom."

Lady June nodded, but her face was anything but calm. "She saved us."

She had already told Skander of Adeen's heroic fight. He nodded.

"She is good at saving people."

Those gray eyes turned to him again. "She fought three men. She won. And she didn't even have a knife."

"She is a warrior." Skander turned to Adeen. "Did the other girls bother her?"

"They did. But I don't think they will anymore. Why do you ask, Your Highness?"

Skander shook his head and shrugged. He smiled sadly at June.

"I just wanted to confirm my suspicions."

Skander bowed and June curtsied, and soon enough he was talking to the next Selected.

Lady Josie, a Four, was crying and shaking. Prince Skander had never been good at comforting people so he simply put a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she looked at him. Lady Josie tried to curtsy, but Skander stopped her, shaking his head.

"There's no need for that, Lady Josie. How are you?"

Josie sniffed. "Are we safe here, Your Majesty?"

Prince Skander summoned a fake smile to his face. "This is the safest place in Illea, Lady Josie. There's no need to worry, it'll be over soon. Let me know if you need anything."

Skander bowed and went to the next Selected. Time went on like this. Skander tried comforting the girls; they tried not to look too shaken. Faces blurred together, and soon he found himself wandering to Adeen.

She still lied on the bed, with her hands tied. Ragenue was administering the drugs and scanning her vital signs, but she didn't look like she was getting better. Skander wanted —needed- her to get better. He couldn't focus on anything but her weak body, her red eyes, and her feverish skin. Finally, he made it to the last girl, Lady Regina.

Lady Regina was the only other girl asides from Lady June that wasn't crying. She sat on her bed, her face grim. Prince Skander decided she was third on his potential-Queen list, just below Adeen and June. They were top because they knew what the real problem was, thanks to their low castes. Regina was a Three, but her calm made up for her lack of knowledge about the situation outside.

"Lady Regina, how are you?" Skander asked as he bowed. Regina curtsied low.

"I've been better, Your Majesty. How are you?"

"I've been better as well." Regina smiled tightly at him and her gray eyes turned to Adeen. "Is she going to be alright?" Her voice was a whisper, as if she didn't want people to know she cared.