The Gainans: Servant Princess

Chapter 4

In Gaina, however, the new king was not in a jolly mood at all. On the contrary, he paced the royal bedroom mumbling things only he could understand. This was the fifth night in a row that sleep eluded him, and he was at his wits end. It didn't make sense. He had won, hadn't he? Gaina was his, and Lano and Jumu were rotting away in Paupers Village. Yet, there was an unsettling feeling in his gut; one that was ever present, not allowing him even a moment of tranquility.

He strode to the door and swung it open.

"Healer!" he barked. "I want the royal healer!"

"Yes, Your Majesty," the warrior stationed at his door shuddered before dashing off to carry out the command.

Kaana slammed the door shut and went to the gigantic bed. He crawled to the centre of it and huddled into a ball, looking like a toddler in the middle of the massive room. He sat there for a while before a knock sounded on his door.

"Enter!" Kaana yelled.

Hola walked into the king's quarters with his bag of herbs swung over his shoulder, and found Kaana enclosed in his blanket looking petrified. The ruler's eyes darted all over the place as if something lurked in the shadows. It was a sight the healer was surprised to see.

"Is His Majesty disturbed by a matter?" he queried.

Kaana snapped back to reality and wiped all the fear from his face. He frowned at Hola as he shook his head adamantly.

"Of course not," he gruffly replied. "Why would I be? Gaina is mine and I'm ruling it the way it deserves. The people are much better off now than they were under that fool Lano."

Hola raised his eyebrows. That was a lie and everybody knew it. He had heard the complaints. Nobody was happy. The people longed for the days when Lano was king, Jumu was Chief Warrior, and the princess lived. He suspected that the people's longing for the princess was what bothered Kaana the most. After all, the truth was becoming clearer with each passing day; Nola's death had only served to make her a martyr. She was now a heroine. Kaana had every right to be afraid.

"Was the king unable to sleep again?" Hola asked.

"Of course! Why did you think I summoned you in the middle of the night?" Kaana snapped. "And make sure you mix the batch well this time. I want to be able to sleep through an earthquake, for that is how noisy the warriors are when they make their so-called stealthy patrols!"

Saying nothing, Hola went to the large desk at the corner and got to work. He poured a thin, brownish drink into a cup and mixed a few herbs into it. A pungent smell of leaves filled the room. He tasted the concoction and nodded in satisfaction though he winced at the bitterness. He may be a healer, but he would never get used to the taste of his herbs. He carried the drink to the king, who sat perched at the edge of the bed, waiting for his treatment.

"Here, Your Majesty," he said. "This will calm your nerves and help you sleep."

Kaana snatched the small cup from Hola's grip, spilling some of the mixture onto his blanket. He hardly noticed and drank the brew in one long gulp. He handed the cup back to Hola and laid back on the soft sheets. A sigh escaped his mouth and he closed his eyes.

"She's dead," he muttered as he drifted off to sleep. "The only hope Gaina had is gone forever. The kingdom is mine."