Chapter 29

When Baski and the slave, Sally, came back from herb-hunting, they’d taken Danika back to her room and applied the herbs. She was supposed to stay in her room, but there was too much noise on the other side of the palace. Baski had implored him to let Danika sleep in his chambers, and she’d promised to stay a room away so that she’d be available if they needed her in the middle of the night.

King Lucien didn’t call her, though. Instead, he got out of bed and took a cup of drinking water from his table. He climbed into Danika’s bed and raised her head up. He pushed the cup to her mouth, but she whimpered, clamping her mouth shut.

“Open up, Danika,” he ordered roughly.

Her eyes slowly opened, and she gazed at him through dazed eyes. “My king.”

He stiffened. He was her master, not her king. Since the first day he corrected her in the dungeon, she hadn’t called him the name again.

“My king,” she whispered again, her dazed eyes staring at his features.