CHAPTER 25

                                    

                                          

Rana
As soon as I walked inside the castle I felt something wrong, this feeling will get me when we were at war and the enemies would be near. I couldn't explain how or why I just felt it. I ran to Shay's wing, when I reached her door nothing seemed odd that's until the door opened and Inez, the Spanish princess, came out. When she saw me her blood flushed from her face, behind her I can see Shay struggling on the ground. 
"Guards!! She tried to assassinate the empress!" I yelled, the two guards grabbed her and dragged her out of the room as she yelled and struggled against their grip. I ran next to Shay's side, her eyes were starting to close slowly. 
"My lord! Stay awake the doctor will be here soon" her eyes closed and I was panicking, I laid my head on her chest to see if her heart was beating and it was then I brought my ear closer to her mouth to see if she was breathing and fortunately she was. 
"I'm here!" The doctor ran through the door, Shay was laying on her side and the knife was pierced on her top right shoulder. Two guards gently picked her up and laid on her stomach on the bed. 
The doctor slowly removed the knife and cleaned the wound with alcohol and a clean cloth. Then she cut her shirt open so she put bandages around her shoulder. 
"Whoever tried to kill her majesty was very unlucky, she hit the wrong spot. Her Majesty will need to rest her right arm since the knife only damaged the muscle but she can have a bad fever" the doctor explain as I walked her to the door. 
"Thank you doctor" princess Shirah was running towards the door and I bowed my head.
"Rana is she okay?!" She asked panicked, she didn't wait for me to answer she walked inside next to her daughters sleeping body. 
"What happened?!" Shay was laying on her stomach still, the princess run her hand over her daughter's bare back. 
"Inez stabbed her, I caught her leaving the room and her majesty was on the floor" I explained, her teary eyes looked at me with a horrified look. 
"Those bastards! They were planning to murder the empress!" She yelled, we were interrupted by Isabella and Leyla walking through the door. I avoided looking at both of them, they kept asking what happened and the princess explained what happened.
"I had a feeling that girl was bad news!" Isabella sat next to Shay who was still not moving. When she put her hand on her face she gasped. 
"Rana! she's burning!" Isabella yelled, Shay started to breath and sweat heavily. 

Isabella 
It's been a week since Shay has been sick, her fever still didn't go down and she can barely open her eyes. The doctor comes to see her everyday for her daily dose of medicine. While Rana, me or some maids will try to feed her some soup since she's too weak to chew anything. 
As for her empire, Rana has been taking control of everything until Shay gets back on her feet again. Who decided that Rana should be in control? Well Shay did, a while ago she wrote a letter saying that if anything happens to her Rana shall take control until the heir is of a right age. 
I dipped the cloth in ice water and put it on Shay's forehead. She was a little better, yes she still had a fever but not as bad as the first days. I put my hand on her chest and just sighed. I miss her eyes, her smile, the way she looked at me, the way she made me feel. 
"My lady it's time for her to take the medicine" the doctor said, I got up and she took a bottle out of her bag. She poured the liquid in a spoon and slowly guided it to Shay's lips careful not to spill anything. 
"She looks better my lady, I'm sure she'll be back to her strong self very soon" I smiled at the doctor, she bowed her head and left. 
The door swung open and a very pissed Rana walked in, just because she's in control doesn't mean I'll bow to her.
"What is it this time?" I said annoyed, she stalked towards me so I'm guessing I'm involved. I crossed my arms and just stared at her. 
"That letter you were going to send me is now in Shereen's hands, I don't know why your sending your maid to my castle but you better stop or you'll regret it" she whispered yelled, what does she mean by my maid? I didn't send anyone to Rana's castle, I didn't even write anything. 
"What the hell are you talking about, I didn't write anything. And what the hell do you mean my maid went to your castle?!" I questioned, she grabbed me by the elbow and brought me closer.
"Listen Isabella next time I find your Spanish maid at my house I'll cut her head off" she threatened, 
"You mean Carla?!" I have no idea what the hell she's talking about, I didn't write anything and I definitely didn't send Carla to her castle. 
"Carla is Spanish? Wait..." I whispered to myself but I'm sure she heard me because she stopped for a second to think about it. 
"We have a mole in the castle" she said, that filthy bitch was a spy this whole time. She works for Inez, and my daughter is with her. 
"Rana! I left Nenad with her!!" I run out the door to go to my room with Rana tailing behind me. To my shock, my door room was locked and there was smoke coming out from it. 
"Fire!" Rana yelled, my legs gave up on me and I felt someone grab me I looked up to look at Shereen, I grabbed on her arm and cried hysterically. My baby was inside that fire, the door was locked and there was no way of going inside. 
I saw Rana push on the door with her shoulder over and over until it finally opened,  the whole room was on fire and there was no way in but that didn't stop her. She ran inside the fire and the blinding smoke. Then everything went silent, or at least for me, I couldn't hear my surroundings. Everyone was running to get water, while some waited for Rana to come out.
  
Then we heard it, the sound of a faint cry in the far back coming out of the completely burnt room. A shadow came out from the smoke, the figure had sheets covering her arms like she was protecting something. 
"Rana!" Shereen yelled, she ran to her wife who was holding my crying daughter in her arms. I got up hurriedly and went to her taking my daughter from her arms and holding her closer to my chest. 
"My baby..." I cried as I kissed her small face, she was covering in ashes but she looked fine, she wasn't hurt. As for Rana she had burn marks on her arms and face, as well as ashes covering her hair and clothes. She was holding on into Shereen who was kissing on her head and face asking her if she was alright.
"Thank you Rana, I- I don't know what would've happened if y-" 
"It is my duty to protect her majesty's family" she cut me off, she got up and leaned on Shereen so they can leave. I looked at Nenad kissing her head one more time and left that hallway.

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Well that was something....
-S