Princess of the Sands

Opening

Hijiki POV

    "Are you ok Uncle Melik?" her voice came out shaken, even though she tried to appear strong. I was angry, and shocked, how could her "uncle" be the Kepten in the royal palace when her father was in the lowest ranks of merchants?

    She was tending to the Kepten assessing his bruised neck. All the while her legs were shaking, no doubt from her own injuries that needed to be dressed again. Rapha must have gotten the dress she is wearing for her because she was no longer in that god awful rags of a dress. Note to self, find out who put her in that dress.

    The dress she had on was changing from the light shade of blue to a dark crimson as she continued to stand there so focused on the Kepten. I couldn't hold back anymore, I grabbed her arm and forcefully dragged her to the bed where I threw her down face first.

    Before she could even react, I had straddled over her body and was ripping her dress open. She screamed for me to release her, but all I cared about was getting the bleeding to stop. I removed my own shirt and began to press onto her back.

    She hissed in pain, and then relaxed when she realized what I was doing. All the while the Kepten was watching in disbelief. "Sir, perhaps you should take her back to Rapha. He will be wondering where his apprentice has run off to for so long." he stressed the word apprentice, and that really got my attention.

    I whirled my head around so fast I thought I would break my own neck. "repeat that again." I demanded, and if looks could kill he would have been dead twice by now. Clearing his throat, he stated again the simple word "apprentice".

    "Leave" my voice boomed through my room, as my only wish was to get the Kepten out of my quarters. "And send for Rapha" I added reluctantly. He bowed leaving just my jewel and I alone. She squirmed beneath me as she heard the door close.

    "Let me go!" she yelled and tried to push herself off the bed. I refused to let her leave like this without help. She was going to need it to get anywhere with how bad the bleeding is again. Damn I hate myself for doing this to her.  I should have just let her go after a few whips.

    I couldn't stand her struggling beneath me any longer, my body was reacting, and I couldn't let this need for her grow at the moment. "If you would just stop moving this wouldn't take so long to stop the bleeding" I said through gritted teeth. She stilled quickly and huffed in what sounded like frustrated defeat.

    I couldn't help the small triumphant smile that formed on my lips, only to disappear as she glared up at me "Don't look so smug, this won't last much longer." She really didn't like me, can't say I blame her though.

    Silence was beginning to eat at me, I was so afraid she would notice how nervous I was so I decided to get some of the answers I wanted to hear from the Kepten. I guess it is nicer to hear it from her than someone else.

    "What is your name?" I started easy, hoping this would get her to relax a bit. Her glare turned sharper, and she seemed to be contemplating if she should respond. I was beginning to worry she wouldn't answer when she finally whispered out "Saphira".

    It was beautiful, and it fit her so well. "Why were you covered in filth at the selection? It is supposed to be an honor to be chosen for a royal harem, yet you chose to appear the way you did?" Silence again. Is she doing this on purpose to upset me or is she trying to chose her words carefully from nervousness too?

    "I was taught to my whole life. My father swore to my mother that he would protect me with his life as she died shortly after giving birth to me." She sounded pained, weather it was from the thought of her parents or of the gaping wounds on her back I couldn't tell. At least she was responding.

    "Why cover yourself when you are beautiful?" oh s**t I shouldn't have said that, I internally slapped myself. I don't think she was ready for it either, but it didn't take her long to come back at me "So you noticed too? I look a lot like my mother, and she was tortured her entire life for being too pretty. They never wanted me to go through that too. She wasn't safe until they ran away to be free, here."

    What did she mean run away, and from where? Why would someone be tortured for being a beautiful creature? Before I could press any further there was a knock at the door. I knew who it was because they didn't even wait for me to grant them permission to enter, Rapha.

    "I am here for my apprentice, sire." he said. I didn't get the story behind that yet! Might as well get it now "since when is a girl of the royal harem ever a medical apprentice to a royal healer?"

    He never is fazed by me, and always responds in a calm matter. "she is already knowledgeable before she arrived to me and is even better than me in medical herbs. With some training she could one day take over for me. In fact, I wish it to be that way."

    My blood boiled; I would never have taken her to Rapha if I knew he would try to take her from me. I stared down at Saphira, and she stared back up at me with a smirk on her face. She knew how to protect herself from me and I wasn't sure of I liked how smart she was or if I was proud of her for being so quick to think.

    Rapha had moved closer to the bed and saw the torn dress and my bloody shirt held against her back. "Melik told me that you looked pale, but I was hoping that it wasn't for this reason." Rapha pulled my hands away to examine her back. He clicked his tongue and reached for her forehead.

    "You cannot be moved Sapphira. We risk opening up your wounds more and you have already lost too much blood. You also have a fever and are at risk of an infection from over exerting yourself." He then directed all of his attention at me "If you weren't so stubborn about your stupid image to the people things like this would never happen." he was irate to say the least with his finger in my face.

    "You will have to stay here Saphira, but I will gladly take this fool with me." he must really like Saphira if he is being so openly hostile with me in front of someone else.  I just stare at him unblinking, there was no way I wasn't sleeping in my own room so I told him "no."

    He turned red with anger, but I wouldn't budge on this one. "If you are so worried hurry up and get what you need to help her and I will sleep on the sofa." both of them looked at  me like I had grown a third head, but Rapha nodded and hurried out of the room.

    "You won't have to sleep on the sofa, I'll be leaving once Rapha brings in the new dressings and salve." she said to me. "I don't want to be here any more than you want me here." oh Gods did she think I really hated her? Guess I'll have to change that.

    "Rapha told you not to move, so you won't be. If you don't want me on the sofa  I'll gladly join you in bed" I winked at her only to receive a grimace. Well maybe she hates me too, this could be a challenge. "Look I don't know what you were thinking saying yes to Rapha about being his apprentice but you can forget it. I've decided I want you and I plan on keeping you."

    Her eyes held so many emotions she was hard to read. She seemed to mull over my words then she smirked at me as she said "How about a bet then?"