The Moon Dancer

Chapter 16

Ruhya sat in the dark. It had been a few hours since Judar left and she was still getting herself together. 

His words were not new, she had heard them before. She wasn't sure why, but they seemed to hurt more when she remembered them in Judar's voice.

She was such an idiot. Why did she ever think that Judar would actually accept her? It didn't matter that he rescued her, he didn't do it because he cared, he did it to retrieve his belonging. 

Fresh tears stung Ruhya's eyes, not from sadness but rather anger.

"Damn him! I was so close to getting my freedom! Damn you Ravoi for betraying me! Screw everyone!" Ruhya raged. She grabbed her pillow and forcefully threw it to the ground. Taking a deep breath she screamed in frustration. Her sudden movements aggravated her injuries and she quickly stopped her tantrum.

"Ow, that was a bad idea. My ribs hurt so much." Ruhya said to herself as she tenderly held her side and winced in pain.

There was a knock at the door which startled Ruhya. Quickly she smoothed down her ruffled hair and fixed the bedsheets. The door opened and Ruhya turned to them, though she could not see who it was.

"Hello, it's Ruhya, correct? Can I come in?" A feminine voice asked. 

"Yes, of course. Come in."

The sound of ruffling clothes and jingling jewelry filled Ruhya's ears as her visitor made their way over to the chair beside the bed. Sweet fragrance filled the air, the floral smells calmed Ruhya down and seemed to make her forget her anger.

"My name is Sindri, I am Kouta's mother."

Ruhya straightened her posture and nervously interlocked her fingers. If her visitor was Kouta's mom, then that meant she was royalty.

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry, what?" Ruhya asked, still processing that she was in the presence of a princess.

"Thank you for protecting my son. I don't know what I would have done if-" Sindri choked out, unable to finish her sentence. Ruhya could sense the emotions overwhelming Sindri as she imagined a future without her son. 

"There's no need to thank me." Ruhya said as she laid her hand on Sindri's leg in a comforting manner. Two warm hands covered Ruhya's and squeezed in gratitude.

"How are you feeling? You didn't look very good when Judar first brought you in."

"I admit I'm still in pain. The doctor gave me some soothing ointments and herbs, but it'll take some time for me to get better." Ruhya said. 

"Only ointments and herbs? Has no one performed recovery magic on you?" Sindri asked, her voice taking on a defensive tone. 

Ruhya shook her head. She hadn't thought of the possibility of magic being used on her. When she was younger, Ruhya often bruised and sprained herself while dancing. Hiring a Green Magician to heal her every time was impossible, it would have bankrupted the circus. 

"I'm going to fix this immediately." Sindri stated as she rung the bell to summon Doctor Hamori. The small bell's ring was high and clear, sounding like a whistling canary. 

A few moments later there was a soft knock at the door.

"You rang? Ah, Princess Sindri, forgive me. I didn't know you were here." Doctor Hamori said with surprise.

"Doctor Hamori, I find it very hard to believe that this woman risked her life for my son and yet she is not receiving the best treatments we can offer." Sindri said with an irritated tone.