Page 8 of Wildflower

"It's still better than being forced into sexual slavery and eventually killed one night when my slaver beat me to death in a drunken rage.I can handle bullies."Usually.Being jumped in the street and left for dead had certainly been a new low.

"Well, this past offense will be the last one you endure, and Kurosh will make certain of it," Prince Bakhtiar replied."Thank you for sharing so much with me.I—" A series of urgent knocks came at the door, and at a nod of approval, the guard there opened it.

A clerk stepped inside and bowed low."Your Highness, Her Majesty needs to speak with you immediately in her office."

"I'll be right there."When the clerk had gone, Prince Bakhtiar said, "I'm afraid I must depart, but thank you again for speaking with me.Reza will escort you to see Mistress Parastu.I hope you feel better soon.Good day, Master Aaralyn."

"Your Highness," Aaralyn replied, not certain at all what else to say.

The room seemed much smaller, and far less vibrant, as though he had taken all the life in it with him.

And who in the world was Mistress Parastu?

He didn't ask though, simply went quietly as he was once more gently picked up and carried through the halls, back to more familiar parts of the palace, into what looked like some sort of parlor-type room.A woman with gray hair and blue-green eyes turned from admiring a painting of a beautiful woman draped in purple, gaze sharp as she looked him over.

"Good day to you, Master Aaralyn," Reza said with a smile."Do not push yourself too hard.You still need plenty of rest."

"Y-yes, my lord.Thank you for your kindness."

Reza departed, the guards right behind him, leaving Aaralyn alone with the woman, presumably Mistress Parastu."Good afternoon, mistress."

"Yes, yes," she said."Let's get a look at that leg, hmm?Get the measurements I need, all the boring stuff sorted, and then we can work on design."

"Pardon?"

She huffed."Did they not bother to tell you that I am here to give you a new leg, Master Aaralyn?"

"What!"

She laughed."On orders of His Highness the Crown Prince, I am to get you fixed up proper and no expense spared.Shall we get to work?"

Aaralyn could only nod and mumble an assent, not certain what else to say.Prince Bakhtiar was paying for his new artificial leg?Why?None of this had anything to do with him.It wasn't the kind of problem a royal troubled themselves with.

He removed his pants leg on her request, then sat as she measured and took notes.Someone came with tea, and he gratefully sipped at it while she started asking all sorts of questions, showing him patterns and other sketches, wanting to know his preferences and so forth.

It was all rather bewildering.

When all of that was finally done, she brought out a temporary leg and got it attached for him."Your new leg should be ready in about five days, Master Aaralyn.This should tide you over well enough, though of course, it won't be perfect.If you have too much trouble with it, simply send for me, and I'll come adjust it."

"Thank you, Mistress."As though he would bother somebody over something so trifling.He could suffer a mild inconvenience for a few days when the end result was a leg he would never have been able to afford on his own.

He hoped Prince Bakhtiar was going to make Feyz pay for it.That would be justice of a sort.

After she'd left, the guard who had carried him before insisted on walking him to his room, which was strange, to say the least.Then again, the man had been literally carrying him, so was this so much stranger?

Yes, because he was nothing and nobody.

Finally alone in his room, after thanking the guard profusely, he settled in his chair for a little while, reluctant to go back to the bed he'd already spent so much time in.As always, he turned to sketching, adding Lord Reza to his collection, then drawing more sketches of His Highness and Lord Farrokh, then all three of them, then with the others in various combinations.What he wouldn't give to be able to have them sit long enough he could do a proper job, instead of always working from memory or brief glimpses.

Eventually, the light faded, and he took his medicine with the food that Mehr brought to him, chatting with her about all he was missing around the palace before drowsiness got the better of him, and he finally crawled into bed.

*~*~*

"Look at you, Havarin," Mehr said in delight as he reached their table in the corner.The others there whistled and teased as well.

One of them said, "Almost worth getting beat up to have His Highness buy you pretty things, eh?"

Mehr cast him an unimpressed look.

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