The stolen soul

Chapter Three

Damien quickly let go of her hand and she fell to the ground but got up again to bow. "Your majesty." There was a very unfriendly look crossing the king's face. He looked at Damien leaning back comfortably in his bath with eyes closed,then back at her. However, the one who spoke wasn't the king. "You! Again? What is this?" Kaliya didn't know what to say. "I was... We...he..." "I asked her to bath me. We'd be done if you didn't interrupt. Could you please leave? Kaliya, back to work."

Kaliya turned to him, eyes widened. "Huh?" "I said back to work, didn't you hear that?" "Yes, I did." She quickly went to him and took the sponge. Dila couldn't take it anymore. "I'll do it." She snatched the sponge from her and pushed her away, such that she fell down. The king just turned and left.

Dila applied the soap to the sponge but Damien held her hand before she touched him. "I asked her, not you. A princess shouldn't be doing the work of a maid, isn't that right?" Dila remembered she used to say that before. Not until now she realized she'd only pushed him away and was loosing him. She smiled calmly. "I'll do it for you your highness. I can do it." "She can do it better. Give it to her. Kaliya, take it from her."

Kaliya reached out to take it but Dila moved away. "I'll stay here and watch you wash the prince." She said before giving the sponge to her. Kaliya knelt down and started to wash his back. "Gently please. I'm delicate like a flower." Kaliya smiled at his attempt to make a joke. But Dila didn't like the sight of it. Kaliya gently washing Damien was something else in her eyes and she just held the urge to throw her very far from the palace. But in the end she just watched.

Kaliya finished and went to pick up clothes for Damien leaving them in the bathroom. Dila had to say something else she'd explode. "You didn't let anyone touch you. But you just let the random village girl wash you? You have a court maid don't you?" "She is my court maid." "What happened to lady Luarine?" "I don't have any reason to answer to you Dila. Leave, I want to dress."

Dila watched him walk away. She pressed back the tears in her throat and walked out. Damien sat down in front of the mirror waiting for Kaliya to dress his hair. She sprayed the oil on his hair and rubbed it gently. Damien watched her. She'd been working the whole day but was still doing everything perfectly. She did it like it was something she did everyday.

"I've always imagined my husband having such soft and long hair." She said smiling. "I'd take such care of it like it was mine. I'd play with it everyday. I'd wash and comb,apply such oils and rub it." "So you like my hair?" "I think it's more like what I'm thinking about. So yes. But unfortunately, I can't even get married."

She barely looked sad saying that last part. Damien suddenly held her hand and made her stand in front of him. "What d'you mean you can't get married?" Kaliya sighed. "Why do you seem concerned? I can't get married. Period! Is it something you must know?" "I want to know!" He was squeezing her hand again.

"You...it hurts." "Answer me!" "Not like this!" Damien finally left her hand. "Better." She mused rubbing her hand. "Tell me now." Kaliya looked at his anxious eyes and laughed. He looked like a child and not the arrogant tyrant people spoke off. It'd been a few hours with him. Yes he was aggressive and stubborn but he seemed caring too and in some kind of pain he didn't want anyone to know.

Anyway. "See!" She pointed to her eyes. "You see my eyes. They're green..." "No? They're gold and brown and... What in the world? How many colors does your eyes have?" "See? My family? We have a kind of fate. It's said we can never fall in love. We're always forced to get married and remain unhappy forever."

She went back to tying his robe. "And you? Would you let them force you to get married?" She shrugged. "It's my fate. I usually rebel. But I think I'm seeing the reality now. When I left home this morning..." She stopped. "Never mind." She packed up and turned to leave. "Do you want to go back home?" She stopped and looked at him. "I don't know. I can manage anywhere." He nodded. "So you can take care of me too then." "Of course your highness. But can I ask what is wrong with you?" He raised the corner of his mouth. "You really want to know? I'm going to die."

He sounded so casual, but panicked when she dropped the tray she was holding. Everything crashed to pieces. Damien stared,too shocked to move. Those were his most expensive oils and perfumes. What did she just do? Even Kaliya was shocked though she squatted to pick the broken pieces. "Don't! Stop! You'll hurt yourself." She looked at him.

"Which are you? You're harsh one minute, next minute you're 'stop, you'll hurt yourself '." "I should ask you to pay for it then." He smirked.