Filed to story: The Alpha Kings Hated Slave
It was the first time she’d be in the mine in days, and she dreaded the slave driver, Karandy. She hadn’t given his request any thought yet. While she dreaded the thought of a man like him putting his hands on her, she dreaded the pain, punishment, and humiliation too. She didn’t know what to do.
“Where is she? Oh, where is my princess?” came a familiar voice from outside.
“Sally?” Danika stopped searching for her sandals and rushed to the door. She yanked the door open and gasped, because she wasn’t sure if she was dreaming or not. Sally stood on the other side of the hall, looking around. But when the door opened, Sally followed the sound and her eyes found Danika almost instantly.
“My princess! My princess!” She ran across the hall.
“Sally!” Danika forgot she was barefoot and took off in a run to meet her former personal maid halfway.
Sally stopped suddenly as she reached close to Danika, and her knees hit the ground in her usual greeting. “My princess! I’m so glad you’re alive and you’re well and you’re-“
But Danika cut her off when she pulled her to her feet and hugged her tight. “Oh, Sally! I was worried sick about you. I didn’t know what happened to you, and no one would tell me anything!”
Sally’s eyes filled with tears, and she wrapped her hands around Danika. “We’re fine. I’m fine and I’m doing good. Oh, I’m so happy you’re alright, my princess.”
Danika started urging her to her room. “I’m no longer a princess, Sally. You can’t call me that anymore, otherwise, you will get into trouble,” she said sadly.
Sally shook her head. “But it’s what I’ve called you for so long. It’s been so many years, my princess. Give me a few minutes to calculate the years on my hand.” She raised her bright eyes up, struck out her hand in the air and began folding her fingers one after another.
Danika laughed softly. For the first time since she became a slave, her eyes lit up, her heart lifted, and she laughed. “Oh, Sally. What am I going to do with you?” She ruffled Sally’s black hair. “We’ve been together for nine years.”
Sally flushed in both happiness and embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, my princess. You’ve always taught me, but it’s always hard to learn.”
“That can only mean that I’ll keep teaching you. Oh, Sally-suddenly, I feel so good because you’re here.” Danika hugged the girl again.
Sally felt mesmerized because it was the first time Princess Danika had ever hugged her, and she just did it twice. There was never such kind of intimacy between royalty and slaves-ever.
Tears filled Sally’s eyes. “I’ve wanted to come here and see you. I came every day, but the king refused each time. Said I should try to live a normal life.”
“He’s right. You should live a normal life.”
Sally shook her head. “It’s hard to live normally when I’m so worried sick. Is Princess Danika eating well? Is she getting enough sleep? Who’s helping her draw water from thewell? How’s she working inthe mines? Who’s helping her with laundry? Is she even alive?”
Tears filled Danika’s eyes at those words of concern. She stopped walking and stared at her former maid, hearing her sincerity.
Sally shook her head again. “I just couldn’t stay away, my princess. I know these people here abuse you because they don’t know you. They only know the former king.”
Danika finally noticed the clothes Sally had on. A palace slave’s uniform.
“Oh, Sally. What did you do?” she groaned miserably.
Sally stared down at herself and grinned. “The cloth fits me none. I’ll just tell Madam Baski to change me another.”
“You know that isn’t what I meant, Sally.” Danika palmed her head. “Oh, dear; don’t tell me you chose to be a palace slave.”
“I want to help you, my princess. I was a help, but I ain’t know nothing about making money and serving others. Only you. These people don’t know you, and because of that, they’ll treat you wrong. I want to be here with you.”
Danika wiped the tears from her eyes and took Sally’s hand into hers. “I must be a very selfish person, because I’m so happy you’re here with me.”
“I must be a very selfish person, too, my princess, because I’m happy I’m here too,” she responded with a smile. Then she noticed Danika’s feet. Sally’s face took on a look of sheer horrorwhen she saw her barefoot. “No! You’re going to catch a cold! Just wait here while I get your sandals!”
Before Danika could say anything, Sally rushed into the room and started looking around. Danika followed her slowly, watching her always enthusiastic personal maid. Sally’s sharp eyes picked up the shoes. She rushed towards the other side of the bed and got them, then walked into the hallway where Danika was standing. Sally dropped to her knees and picked up the first slipper. “Here”
Tears burned the back of Danika’s eyes, but she blinked them back. She allowed Sally to raise her legs and work the sandals on each of them.
“There, all set.” Sally patted her legs, got up, and grinned at her.
“Thank you,” Danika said hoarsely.
Sally was taken aback by the words of gratitude. They were so unfamiliar coming from her princess’s mouth because royalty just weren’t taught to say words like that. Of course, Sally never cared about them. She always did everything with a smile on her face and happiness in her heart. But hearing her princess compliment her made her flush.
“You’re welcome, my princess. Are you going to the mines?”
Danika nodded, still too emotional to speak.
Sally nodded too. “Me too. We’ll go together.” She took in her princess’s hair and frowned a bit. It was poorly done. She took hold of Danika’s hand and led her into the room and pleaded with Danika to sit down and let her comb her hair, but Danika was trying to explain to her that she shouldn’t do things like that anymore because she was no longer a princess. Sally turned a deaf ear to Danika’s protestations.
At last, Danika sat. Sally loosened the hair and ran a comb through it. She sang excitedly as she did so.
They started for the mines. While Danika walked in her usual steady, elegant steps, Sally skidded her way forward, grinning and smiling at everything and everyone.
She’s like a fount of sunshine in an evil world,Danika thought.
Although she didn’t show it, Danika was the happiest she’d been in a long time. As they walked, Danika discovered everyone loved Sally.
Everyone.
The people of Salem grinned at her and waved in greeting. Some of them would even greet Sally, and she’d eagerly reply to them.
They came across an old woman who was struggling to lift a heavy bag on her head.
“Let me help you, Mama!” Sally rushed towards the woman and helped her place the sack on her head.
“Thank you so much, my daughter,” the woman said with a grateful smile.
Sally waved her down. “Think nothing of it.”
As always, the woman stared behind Sally to see Danika, who was stepping closer to them, and she frowned, her eyes filled with hatred.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?