Cevic

Chapter 13

 

 

 

 

Pain

 

“My darling lord, I’m just going to have a chat with Prince Eron over some cookies.” Queen Sakira kissed King Decus on the cheek, her lips tugged up into a smile. “I hope you don’t mind that I made Hida in charge of making sure your medicines are delivered on time. I can’t trust just anyone with your medicines, can I?”

 “Well, I hope you two have a good time together. I have to talk to a few Ministers about a matter,” smiled King Decus.

  Queen Sakira kissed him again, and I bowed to the waist.

When he left the room, I went forward to Queen Sakira. “I am honored to be asked to your presence, Your Highness. What favor is it that you want your humble servant to carry out?”

 The smile was wiped out clean from her lovely face. “I want you to stay out of my son’s way, Eron.”

 I had expected it. It was honest enjoyment that I spent time with Prince Trás but in the eyes of power holders who have spent years coveting their current positions I was up to no good.

 But I wasn’t going to just stop being his friend because high-ranked officials thought otherwise.

 “Why do you not answer me?” Her voice was honey laced with thick venom. “Do you not take my warning seriously? Would you rather that I spoke about it to my lord?”

 “I…” I was used to having my prince title trampled on, called a concubine’s offspring by people of even lower rank than me. I was used to humiliation, degradation and pain. But I knew King Decus. He was so honorable he treated me like his equal, and I would not have him argue with a woman he loved so much over his servant.

 “I ask for forgiveness if my silence had come across as silence, my lady. It was not intended.”

 “You have not answered me.” Her voice was hard.

 “I will stay away from Prince Trás, my lady.” I looked down on the floor.

A satisfied smile was in her voice. “Good.”

I had lost another friend.

 

I awoke to the sudden splash of skin-numbing water that was splashed onto my face. With a small gasp, my eyes flew open. It had not been a dream; Dr. Markus’s face loomed over me, at first blurry, and then it came to focus, enough that I could see the triumph written in the lines of his face and the plain white room I was in.

  “I must admit, I have gone through quite a lot of trouble getting you here, but it was all worth it. You are interesting to examine.” He put down a bucket.

  I was on a flat piece of metal table, my wrists, neck and ankles clasped down with ankle. I have been changed out of my hospital uniform to a pair of jeans, and my flimsy, thin hospital shirt have been half opened, revealing my chest and abdomen.  

  With the metal cuff pinning my neck down, I felt completely vulnerable, helpless- and as much as I did not want to admit- frightened, even more when I saw a large metal tray laid out beside me.

  There were three scalpels, and needles collected in a small jar.

 “Don’t worry,” laughed Dr. Markus. “I’m not going to use those…yet.”