Born In The Palace

Chapter 10: Wives

"I don't know who you two are, but take your indecent acts somewhere else," the man said, his voice not sounding anything like my father's. When he came closer to pick up a wooden crate beside Eros and I, I knew for certain that it wasn't him. "There's an inn across the street with rooms available."

I closed my eyes, willing my racing heart to calm itself. For a split second, I truly thought this man was my father. But I was mistaken. My fear of being caught by him must have played tricks with my mind.

With one last disapproving look in our direction, the man left with his crate. 

I tried to stand, but the shooting pain in my ankle quickly reminded me that I couldn't. I grimaced and leaned against the wall, standing on one leg, with the injured foot up. "How's your back? Still hurts?" I asked Eros.

He shook his head, standing up as well. "The pain passed, as it always does. Though I must say the last moments of it weren't as bad as usual, thanks to your method of distraction." He grinned. 

I had to look away from his inviting lips. They were the first I'd ever felt against my own, and I was afraid that I already grew to like them. Very much so. 

"Hop on." Eros lowered himself in front of me and offered me his back. "We still need to find you a healer."

With my arms around his broad shoulders and my legs securely held against his waist, he carried me out of the alley. As soon as we rounded the corner, he stopped walking and looked up at a sign above a building made of mud and straw. 

"Looks like the healer was closer than we expected," I said. 

We went inside the hut and looked around. It was spacious and very clean, with shelves full of medicine and different herbs in glass jars, two cots, and two chairs. A man was sitting behind a wide table, grinding some dried herbs into a thick paste. 

"Are you the healer?" Eros asked. 

The man nodded. "That would be me. What can I help you with?" He looked up and his eyes widened when he saw us, and so did mine. 

It was the same man who caught us kissing in the alley. The one I'd mistaken for my father. 

"She has a sprained ankle," Eros responded, completely unaffected by the situation. I, on the other hand, wanted to leave and find a different healer. "Could you help her?"

The healer put away the paste he was making and stood up. He motioned to one of the cots. "Put her down there. I'll need to inspect it."

Eros carefully placed me on a cot by the window and stepped away to let the healer look at my ankle. 

"Hmm. It's definitely swelling," he mused. Taking two pillows from the other cot, he placed them under my injured foot. "Keep it elevated. And you," he told Eros, bringing him a small pouch filled with ice, "hold it against the injury while I make the medication."

Once the healer made a green paste, he came back.

"How did you hurt it?" He started applying the medicine on my ankle. 

"I tripped on a tent," I said. 

He didn't seem to believe me. "Are you certain it didn't happen when you were in that alley with him?" He motioned to Eros. 

My cheeks reddened. "I'm certain. I hurt it before the...alley."

"All right," he said, unconvinced. Finished with applying the green paste, he tightly wrapped my ankle into an elastic bandage. "This should do it. Try not to move you foot around too much. The medicine I applied works fast, but you need to help it do its magic. If all goes well, you should be completely healed in a few hours."