The Kings Daughter

Nineteen

Lyric

I don't wait for them to acknowledge me. I just start walking toward my bedroom. I know that if my father knows whats best, he will take Aghony to my room. I didn't like how pale he looked. I didn't like how he was having to be carried. He looked like he was in a ton of pain and none of the three of them were helping him with the pain. It pisses me off because I don't know how anyone could just ignore someone who is in pain. I don't get it.

At my bedroom, I open the door and point to the bed. I watch as my father, Vishous, and Quinn slowly carry him to my bed. I watch as they try to figure out how to lay him down. They are working on laying him down on his stomach. Which confuses me. Why does he need to be on his stomach? What is wrong with his back?

Almost at the same time I think that question, Quinn drops his feet and my father and Vishous turn him so he is facing the head of the bed. This is the first time I am seeing his wounds. HIs back is cut open in various long cuts. There is blood running down his back. His wounds look so red and inflamed. Almost like he was mauled by a tiger or something. What could have caused this kind of injury.

"What happened to him?" I ask.

No one says anything. I look at all their faces as they place him on the bed. I quickly move to his side. I need to know what happened to him, so that I can call Jane and tell her what happened.

"I need to know what happened to him?" I say again.

Still no one speaks to me. This pisses me off.

"Did you do this to him?" I ask them

Its Quinn who gives me my answer. A guilty look crosses his face. I instantly see red. How could they do this to him? How could they hurt someone in their family? Why would my father allow this?

"Why did you do this to him? Why? He didn't deserve this!" I all but yell at them.

My father is the only one who speaks up. "He offered. It was his punishment."

"So you mean to tell me that when a child or someone misbehaves they get their back sliced open over and over again. Tell me, is this how you would have raised me? Physical punishment?" I demand

"He didn't just misbehave. He disobeyed an order while in the field. This was his punishment to make things right with both Quinn and Vishous." My father tells me.

I growl. "He didn't follow an order. You mean to tell me that you guys do this to toddlers? I sure as hell hope not. I sure as hell pray that you don't do this to your young children." I sneer. "What order did he disobey?"

"He disobeyed me when I told him not to go near a suspected lair of our enemy. He not only went and got close, he was on top of the damn building. Leaving Quinn and I looking for him for an hour." Vishous tells me.

"A suspected Lair of your enemy? I don't understand."

"I have been gathering as much intel as I can on the possible lairs of our enemy. I haven't yet come close to finding out if the lairs are real or not. But he took it upon himself to get information that they are real." Vishous tells me.

I frown at him. "Did he get the proof?"

"Yes." My father says. "He got the proof."

"Then why would you let them do this to him. He got the information that Vishous could not. I don't understand. He did what he thought was right." I say. "Would you do this to me if I disobeyed an order from you?"

"What? No. Never." My father says quickly.

"Then why do it to him?" I ask.

When he doesn't answer me, I just glare at him. I look down to Aghony who is asleep, thankfully. Although he does look like he is in pain.

"Get out. All of you. Get out. You are animals. You can bet your ass, I will never let you near him again." I say.

I watch my father hang his head. I don't care. How could he allow them to hurt Aghony? He needed the information, yet when Aghony got him the information he was attacked. I don't get it. I don't think I can forgive them for this.

I head into the bathroom, as soon as I am alone, and fill a small bowl with warm water. I take a wash cloth and start cleaning his wounds. Careful not to wake him. I don't want to cause him anymore pain than he is already in. It kills me to see him like this. To know that my father allowed this. It kills me because I wasn't there to protect him. It kills me because I fear that this was the meeting that he was telling me about last night.

After I am done cleaning his back, I take a quick shower. I want to be there when he wakes up. I don't want him to wake alone. I want him to know that someone is here. I walk into the bedroom and get dressed.

"I didn't want you to see me like this." I hear his voice.

"Why?" I ask.

"Because this was my punishment." He says weakly.

"Nothing, and I mean nothing, should warrant this kind of punishment. I cant believe that my father let this happen." I say.

"He told me to offer it. So I did. Don't... go... against the king." He says before he falls back asleep.

Did I hear him right? Did he tell me that my father told him to offer this punishment? Why would my father do that? King or not, I would think my father would be nicer to his warriors. I figured my father couldn't step in, but now I know differently. I cant believe what I just heard. What if I do something like that, will he make me offer this same kind of punishment? I sure as hell hope not.