It was the wee hour of the night, and Nina had woken up to pee. She had dragged her half awake self to the maids' toilet which was just down the hallway, wanting nothing but to return back to her peaceful sleep.
Halfway back to the maids' quarters, she heard a feminine scream, It pierced and echoed through the night. She stopped on her track.
What was that sound? She wondered.
She stood rooted on her spot for a while, waiting if she would hear the same sound again. But nothing came, so she shrugged it off. Maybe it was just her sleepy mind messing with her head.
Just as she took her second step, a louder scream erupted and reverberated through the night.
Nina froze, her eyes widened in fear and admonition.
That voice. She knows that voice. Very well.
Another loud painful scream and then it clicked .
Her princess. That is Princess Sabrina.
Without thinking, she took to her heels, sprinting her way to the princess's quarter which was just blocks away.
She was surprised to see a pacing lady Harriet by the door, fear written all over her face.
" Lady Harriet"
She turned, shocked " Nina! What are you doing here?"
" My princess, my princess. I heard her...."
Another scream came.
Nina's eyes widened and acted on impulse, she started running towards the door.
She wasn't thinking, she just wanted to make sure the princess was safe.
Lady Harriet caught her just as she was about to enter, grabbed and dragged her to her with every ounce of her strength.
" No, my lady is in there ", Nina yelled.
Lady Harriet shook her head fiercely, " You can't go in there. The king.... He's there. We can't go inside"
Nina's lip trembled out of fear, " Why? If the king is in there with her then he must be hurting her. We have to save her "
Lady Harriet whirled her around to face her.
"We can't. "
" Why can't we? " Nina snapped out of anger." Till he kill her ?"
" You don't know him. He...."
A loud scream of pleading came again.
Nina broke into tears, her patience waning.
" Please... he's hurting her ", she cried trying to pull away from her. But the woman's hold was so strong and firm for her age.
Tears pooled Lady Harriet's eyes, she grounded the sobbing Nina by the shoulder.
" He won't. He won't", she stated with conviction. She doubted her own words.
They could hear the painful whimpers of the princess.
" Please. She's innocent. My lady is a good person", Nina bawled, her body shaking with every sob she made.
Another scream rose above the night, Nina started struggling, she can't just stay and listen. The princess scream was so loud and filled with pain that it broke something in her.
" Let..t me..e go..o ", she sobbed.
She felt a drop of Lady Harriet's tears on her neck, but it wasn't what mattered now.
Another scream came , but this time it rose in octaves and then it suddenly cut off. Then everywhere went silent.
Nina's heart somersaulted, she could feel Lady Harriet went still in her arms.
" What..t happened-d?"
No response.
Without a second thought, she jerked her body out of the woman's hold and dashed to the door. Lady Harriet followed.
They had expected damages, but not as much as what they saw immediately they entered.
The princess was sprawled out naked on the floor, bleeding. Several cuts and red bruises on her delicate skin. She seems lifeless... almost.
" My-y lady-y", Nina screamed, fresh tears overflowed her eyes.
Not caring if the king would have her punished later, she rushed to the Princess' almost lifeless body, crying.
Lady Harriet stared in disbelief, how could the king go to this extent ? He had gone extreme. Really extreme.
" What h– have you done?", she stuttered, slapping her palm to her mouth. Her gaze on the bleeding Princess and a crying Nina.
She cast her gaze back to the king, and what she saw shocked her. A look of regret settled on his face but it vanished as soon as it came, which made her wonder what had happened.
"I-ls she dead?" She asked fearfully.
" No," Nina yelled. " There is a pulse. She is breathing. My lady is alive"
Lady Harriet rushed to the princess's side and checked her pulse. She is alive, but barely. Her breathing was coming out faint and shallow.
" Thanks heaven . Thanks heaven " she chanted, relieved.
She turned to the crying Nina, " Get Alaric Now. And three other maids. The king's order", she said without much thinking. Not caring if the king was standing.
" Y– yes. Y-yes ", Nina cried, srang on her feet abruptly and dashed out of the room in search of Alaric, the royal physician.
She turned to the standing king, his face blank. She was glad he had his undergarments back on.
" We need to move her to the bed ", she said, avoiding his gaze.
Time stretched, he made no move.
" Your highness", she snapped. It was out before she knew what she had done.
He strode to her and then lifted the princess up on his shoulder, her body pressed to his midriff, walked a few steps and gently placed her on the bed.
Her hair masked her face, even unconscious her face was twisted with pain. She was a complete mess.
Lady Harriet ignored him, moved to the princess side and started observing her body, then her womanhood
Her heart squeezed with pain and fear, she was bleeding badly.
She hopes for nothing but her to pull through.
" I will get some water to wash her body", she said, looking everywhere but his face. She was angry and disappointed.
" Stay with her ", she ordered sternly.
She started towards the door, her steps rushed, leaving the king with the princess.
Damon stared at the princess blankly, his gaze not averting for just a second.
It was faint, but he could see the tiny beating of her chest with every breath she struggled.
All he remembered was battling to catch some sleep after several hours of attending to court issues then he remembered having a nightmare. He always has a nightmare.
But this?
He didn't remember coming to her room or pinning her to the wall, damaging her body to this extent.
But her cries, her pleadings. It was vague, but he could recollect even with how mashed up his memories are.
He could also remember something like her saying encouraging words to him.
" You are fine. You are fine now . You are not there anymore"
Those were her exact words. She had tried to help him, but he was so much gone in his messed up head to not know any of what she was doing.
Lady Harriet rushed into the room with a bowl of water, it was then he took his gaze off her battered body.
Without wasting time, she started washing the princess's body, paying more attention to her under thighs.
He wants to ask, ask if she will be fine. But he can't bring himself to ask.
Nina rushed in, together with three maids and the royal physician, Alaric.
" Your majesty", they all bowed in greeting.
" Come on Alaric. She's barely alive" lady Harriet yelled.
" Yes lady Harriet", the middle aged man started arranging his equipments and wasted no time in examining and tending to the princess.
" Get me a new water, Nina"
" Yes Lady Harriet" she grabbed the bowl with the old water and dashed out of the room.
The other maids were assisting Alaric, trying to save the princess.
" She will be fine, right?" she asked the working man.
Alaric sighed, he opened his mouth to talk.
" Make sure she is fine, Alaric. Make sure of that or I will have your head", the king commanded. His voice is low but deadly.
Alaric gulped, " Yes my king. She will be fine"
Lady Harriet stared at the king, shocked and surprised at the same time.
" Use everything you can Alaric, just make sure she lives. Understood? " he grunted out a low but undeniable command.
"Understood, your majesty" Alaric bowed and resumed tending to the princess, instructing the maids to grind and prepare several herbs.
Lady Harriet moved away from the princess bedside and started towards the king.
" Your highness-"
" I'll be in my room" he cut her off .
Without a second glance, he strode out of the room and disappeared into the night.
She could notice a slight, almost not noticeable limp in his walking steps
Her eyes followed him till he was out of sight.
She wished he would talk to her, tell her what had happened. And let her be there for him and could for once know what was going through his head, even for a split second.
But he is king Damon, he would never let anyone in.
No one can ever break through those impenetrable high walls he has built around his mind. No one.
That is how damaged he is.