Sand Serpents

Chapter 5

"Wake up!" 

Everything was a blur, every sound distorted and distant.

"Wake up, please!" 

He could hear someone speaking to him, but for a while, he couldn't even recognize who the voice belongs to. He was confused. He slowly began to turn as he saw someone at his bedside. "Prince.. Have you truly awaken?" Salah just stared, every inch of his body subdued with numbness. At first, his words felt stuck within his throat. He remained quiet, staring with a fearful expression. "Prince?" he began thrashing in his sheets, kicking his legs, wailing loudly with hoarse screams that could be heard from outside his room. "Where is he!" He began yelling in the presence of his many servants, "My father. My father! Where is he? Where is Ammar and Khalil?" The servant then took a breath and motioned for the others to leave, "To my knowledge, Khalil is at his bedside. As for our gracious king, all I can say is that he is sleeping in his quarters." Salah tensed as tears streamed down his cheeks. The servant gripped onto a bowl of water and a cloth, pressing the cloth into the liquid as she got on her knees, looking to his feet. "Do you not know what is to be done?" The servant lifted the bowl as she looked up to his eyes, "I am unworthy to touch, so much as to be in your presence, my prince" Salah graciously took her hand in his, lowering his head for the servant's hand to be placed there. "What are you doing?" She asked. Salah didn't respond, but instead got up without a word moments later. She slowly got up along with him and stared without questioning. He pondered momentarily only to collapse head first toward the ground once more. She immediately took action as she helped him stabilize. He put an arm around her shoulder, limping forward as they began making their way for the door. "I have stained your elegant skin with my touch.. And for that I plea." He slowly grazed her eyes, not with anger, but with disapproval. Though he understood why she did what she did, thus he spoke. "For you my servant, are worthy. And thus I shall call you by your name. Kind." She turned her head away as she held him up, not looking back. "Athya" she sullenly whispered beneath her breath, though he seemed to hear her. He only glared as he pushed his way past her hastily, but with a limp. She hurriedly ran after him as she tried to keep up the pace. 

To be continued...