Page 17 of Bound By Wishes

“I don’t have to,” he said matter-of-factly. “Only a very small caravan is permitted to enter the gates. Not even a princess's servants are allowed in the palace. You will have to rely on the servants in the palace, which is why I said it was important to act like you’re used to that kind of treatment.”

“Why?”

"Very few are permitted to enter my kingdom, and those who do are seldom allowed to stay for long,” he answered.

I glanced up at his face, studying the sharp angle of his jaw. “Why?” I continued to press. I didn’t want any surprises.

His dark gaze found mine. “The longer they stay, the more likely they are to notice the extreme time difference.”

I huffed in frustration. This world felt so foreign, and the rules seemed to twist in ways I couldn’t grasp. I had a thousand questions, but my recent bout of panic left my mind foggy and confused.

Ranen paraded me through the center of the caravan, still holding me tightly in his arms. He approached a massive tent that was twice as big as the one that he conjured in the oasis and walked inside. My gaze swept through the lavish tent, admiring the frills and finery within.

“Would you like for me to continue holding you, sayyida, or would you prefer I set you down?” Ranen’s tone turned teasing.

The fact that it took me more than a millisecond to respond to his question proved how disoriented I was. “Put me down,” I demanded.

Ranen walked over to a massive cot adorned with silk sheets and blankets that were woven from the finest fabrics. He sat me down gently but when my scorched skin brushed against the cot, a hiss of pain slipped past my lips.

Ranen’s gaze flew to my leg. “You’re hurt?” he asked, his brow furrowing with concern.

“It’s nothing.” I quickly brushed off his alarm, pullingthe tattered remains of my charred skirt over the wound. The act ignited more pain.

Ranen knelt before me, his expression grave. “Let me see it,” he said, gently reaching toward my leg.

“No.” I scooted further back on the cot. “It’s nothing.”

Ranen’s jaw ticked, but when his gaze met mine, his eyes softened. “Ya amar, there is no need for you to be in pain when I can easily heal whatever is wrong.” His gaze ventured back down to my leg. “Will you at least let me have a look?”

The tenderness in his voice cracked my resolve, and my leg felt like it was on fire. Reluctantly, I moved closer to the edge of the bed, carefully pulling the skirt away from the wound. I cringed when I glanced down at the reddened, angry, welted skin. It was worse than I had imagined. Clear serum, tinged with blood, oozed down my calf, gluing the skirt to my leg.

“May I touch you?” he asked as his hand hovered just above my leg.

A firm “no” threatened to spill from my lips, but the fact that he asked for permission held it back. I nodded once.

I forced myself to stay calm as he cradled my ankle in his large palm. The fabric of my skirt had fused to the burn, and each gentle tug sent sharp stings shooting up my leg. He worked slowly, peeling the cloth away from the raw, blistered flesh, revealing more of the angry red marks beneath.

"This would have never happened if you hadn't left me,” I said angrily, bitterness turning my words to venom.

Ranen’s focused gaze seemed to soften further when his eyes met mine. “You are telling me something I already know.”

I held my breath when he lifted my leg higher, waving his hand over my injury. Dark smoke poured from his palm, brushing across my skin, and instantly cooled the intense burning. I watched in amazement as his magic made my skin as good as new. Something deep within me wondered if he could mend the emotional wounds as easily as he had healed my physical injury. But pride and fear held me back, and I refused to ask him to try.

Once the crackle of his magic faded, he lowered my foot back to the floor and released me. “Will there be anything else, sayyida?”

I tucked my legs protectively beneath me. “No,” I said firmly, my tone colder than I intended.

Ranen stood and waved his hand through the air. In the corner of the tent, a stunning copper tub with intricately detailed claw feet appeared, filled with steaming water. “Wash the grime and soot off, and you will feel better.” He turned to leave but glanced back around. “I’ll send someone to help you get dressed in the morning.”

I slowly stood. “How much more time do we have before I’m called into the palace?”

“None. We will be summoned tomorrow,” Ranen said curtly before throwing the tent flaps open and vanishing into the encroaching twilight.

Great. It looked like my royal debut started at dawn.

Sleep eluded me the rest of the night, or perhaps I was the one eluding it. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the masked marauders. So instead, I stared at the tent ceiling, watching it sway under the night breeze. By the time sunlight slowly started to leak through the flaps of the tent, I was exhausted, and my eyes felt like someone had poured sand into them.

“Time to rise, princess. The king awaits!” An overly cheery woman rushed into the tent, her arms laden with garments and jewels.

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