The Bald Princess

~5~

Meet me amid the blues of darkness. You'll find me standing right where you had left me, looking into your memories. Come back, you traveller, right from where you have started.

Atarah

True to Warrior Duncan's words, he dropped me off to the safe boundary. His last words were still ringing in my mind. Can he be the creature, I was been warned about? But he seemed so...... humane. But he had fought with a whole army alone and had won the battle alone. Fear, anxiety kept crawling my skin and yet he didn't scare me as much. Was it weird for me to feel calm when he walked beside me? Bailey had told me to stay away from him and yet I was here, walking beside him, like we were long lost friends.

"We are here, healer." Warrior Duncan said, halting my train of thoughts. I blinked as I looked at him, nodding my head. And here I was, back in the world where I wasn't needed.

"Thank you, Warrior Duncan. And forgive me for the inconvenience caused because of me." I said, straightening my skirt and he looked at me intently. Something about his eyes made me gulp. They intimidated me.

"It wasn't an inconvenience this time, healer, however I'm not sure if you repeat the same mistake twice. Then the inconvenience would be caused to you." I shivered as he threatened me without a malice in his voice. His voice was so soft, so low and yet so dangerous that it made my insides to quiver.

"It won't happen again, Warrior Duncan. I don't usually roam in forest in midnight and even if I do, I don't usually go this deep in the woods. And now that I know you camp there, I won't dare to cross the boundary again." I said with a slight snort and he rose his brows at me, making me curse myself mentally. He is not your best friend, Atarah. No need to joke around him. I rebuked myself.

"I doubt that this would be our last meet, healer. But I hope we don't meet here again. With you trespassing and me holding you captive for interrogation. Have a peaceful night, healer." Like I can sleep peacefully after you have just threatened me to put me behind the bars for trespassing the area, I didn't knew was private. But I tried to smile, nonetheless. But it came out as a mere grimace.

"You too, Warrior Duncan."

And with that I walked back to my house. Father was sleeping and it was almost dawn. Like I could sleep now. I instead walked to my bathroom and took a bath. I had to go to the infirmary early today. I can help more people today. Only if they come. A part of me mocked and I tried to ignore that voice. Not everyone thought the same. But it didn't change the fact that it didn't hurt any less. When people came for the treatment and feared they would die because I touch them or looked into their eyes, it didn't hurt any less.

But could I blame them? I was the cursed one. Born to destroy. It my baldness that left my father alone. It was the curse that took my mother from me at an early age. It was my curse that made me stand all alone in the crowd of hundreds. I won't be shocked if the Gods even send me to Hell for I would bring too much of a bad luck for everyone there. I remember when everyone rushed to their houses when I lost all my hair, fearing from me.

'She is a witch! The God has cursed her.' They yelled at the nine year old me with disgust and fear.

'God has punished her for her sins. Seems like she was a monster in the disguise of a human.' Another one yelled, throwing rocks at me. I bled that day but no-one came to my aid.

'Darling, hair is a woman's beauty, indeed. But your heart is the real jewel. And one day, someone will love you despite of your baldness because they will see the real beauty inside you.' The last words of my mother still gives me strength. Though I know, her words were nothing but a lie but they felt good to remember.

~~~~~~~~

"You're up early." Father said as soon as he walked in the kitchen and I smiled at him, nodding my head as I served him hot tea. He was dressed in a plain blue shirt, tucked in his dress pant and I rose my brows at him.

"Good morning, father. Are you going anywhere today?" I asked and he nodded his head, placing the book on the table as he held the hot, steaming cup in his shaky hands.

"The schools are facing shortage of teachers due to the strike. And you know, due to the famines, royalty has no funds to increase their wages. And why should children suffer in the fight they have no role in?" Father said and I nodded my hear in agreement. True, children must read, children must study. And I was proud of my father, who was going to teach those students without a single penny. He was a teacher, every student needed and a father, every daughter should have. Supportive. Loving. Caring. I remember the days he was young, he would take me out for picnics. I miss those days.

"That's great, father. You should teach them. Should I pack some food for your lunch? I have made you some boiled vegetables with rice. I'll even cut some fruits for you." I said as I scooped some vegetables into his plate and poured the rest of the food in his tiffin.

"What about you, my child? Don't tell me, you're going to work without eating food today also." I sighed at his firm voice and I looked at him with a soft smile. But the thing was he always looked through my smile. He always saw my pain and lies.

"Bailey said she was taking a few cooking lessons and she is getting me some bakeries to taste."

"You're lying to me, daughter. And what did I tell you about lying?" When I didn't say anything, he continued, his expressions still stern. "Lies strains a relationship, my daughter. And I don't want my daughter lying to me, yes."

"And sacrifice strengthens it. But I'm not lying, father. If you want, I'll get some cookies for you too." I lied again and he sighed, shaking his head.

"You're my daughter, child. I have raised you. I know when you're lying and when you're not. But I really hope, you eat your food while you're at the infirmary."

"I promise father." And I lied again.

~~~~~~~

"She won't get bald, right?" The mother of the fourteen year old asked when I tried to press her abdomen to check where she felt the pain. I froze at her question. My fingers stopping in the air. I looked at the woman, who was looking at me anxiously. I had my mask on. I had my gloves on. And yet they feared to get my curse. I tried not to let her words make me cry. Instead I smile.

"If you're not comfortable with me treating your daughter, Miss, I'll call my colleague to examine her. Please wait for a minute till I call her." I said, trying to keep my voice normal. I didn't want to show her how bad her words had affected me. But the way I saw remorse filling her eyes, I knew she saw my pain. She saw me hurt.

"I didn't mean to offend you, Miss Atarah but my daughter is too young. If she caught your curse, who would marry her?" She said in her small voice and I tried to smile. Tried. "And we don't have enough money to take her to the royal infirmary."

"Please don't be sorry, Ma'am. I'll call my colleague. Seems like she is done with her patient." I said, my voice heavy as I looked at Bailey.

"Bailey! Bailey! Please come here and examine her daughter. She has been feeling pain in her abdomen from past one week. Run a few tests if you feel necessary, yeah?" I said and she nodded her head slowly as she looked at me and then at the patient's mother suspiciously. She was young and yet she understood things way better than me.

"Why don't you examine her, Miss Atarah? Is there a problem if Miss Atarah examines your daughter, Ma'am?" Bailey asked sharply to the patient's mother and I closed my eyes as I gripped her palm, looking at her with my narrowed eyes.

"It's okay, Bailey. Just examine her. I'll go look at some other patients." I pleaded but she shook her head as she looked at the woman with slight anger.

"No, it's not okay, Miss Atarah." She said firmly. "And Miss, what do you fear? That your daughter will go bald if she touches her?" When the woman didn't say anything, she continued.

"I've been working with her for past seven months and I have not gone bald yet. Every day, atleast twenty patients visits, Miss Atarah and she treats all of them without charging anything and they didn't get harmed. Infact, she had cured people. She is saving lives when the royalty are not caring enough for the people. And no, I'll examine your daughter but I don't appreciate you insulting my teacher, the one who taught me so much. You're the one who visited here. She didn't force you to come here. And let me tell you this, Miss, no-one can cure your daughter better than her."

I took a deep breath in as Bailey's speech ended and the woman still looked hesitant. And I didn't really blame her. I blamed nobody but myself. My own existence. First of all, being born in this world wasn't any less than a punishment that the almighty God had to make me bald too. I blinked back my tears as I gripped Bailey's arm, silently pleading her to calm down. Because none of her words can really change people's mind and it only made me overthink about my hideous reflection more.

"Just treat her, Bailey. Please." I said please when she opened her mouth to protest but I knew she won't go against me. The only person after my father who really liked me for being me and didn't judge me for being bald.

I turned around when my eyes couldn't handle the pain anymore and wanted to shed the tears. And as soon as the tears rolled down my cheeks, my eyes met the dark orbs of the warrior, I was warned to stay away from. And like a lightning hit him, his eyes darkened as he saw my crying face. His fingers curled in a fist when I quickly wiped my tears and looked away from him. But the tears seemed to be opposing me as they too rolled out of my eyes rebelliously, without my permission.

"Warrior Duncan." I said in my shaky and soft voice. His eyes flickered between the scarf tied around my head to my eyes. Do not look at me like that, Warrior. Your gaze only makes me wish to cry more. There was something in his eyes, something so magnetic and yet so terrifying that it messed with my insides. I didn't knew if I was scared of him or attracted to him. He attracted me like no man or woman had ever done before. But something with him felt different.

"What brought you here today, Sir?" I asked when he didn't say anything for a long time and he blinked back.

"That does matter, healer. You were crying." He said and I looked at him with my wide eyes.

"It does matter, Sir Duncan, for nobody comes in this infirmary for no reason. Are you hurt again?" I asked but he didn't answer as he kept gazing at me with some strange emotions in his eyes.

"Like I said, healer, it doesn't matter why I came here when you are the one crying here. Tell me, healer, are you hurt? And who dared to make you cry?"