A month later, Opal woke up. Malari was in the process of wiping her down, when she woke up. It startled Malari but she continued anyway. "You're awake." She smiled.
"How are you feeling? I'll be done soon." Opal didn't answer her, she just closed her eyes again. "Are you hungry? I can have the kitchen make something light for you to eat." Malari tried again but Opal remained silent.
"I remember that night-." Opal cut her off before she could go down memory lane. "Queen Malari. I am not your daughter, please don't follow your son-in-law in his madness." She spoke softly, her voice rough.
Malari didn't get upset or frustrated. She redressed Opal and moved down to her feet. Her warm hands touched the bottom of the Opal's right foot. She gently traced the mark, moved her hand back and covered Opal's feet with the thick blanket.
"I'll have the kitchen prepare-." Opal cut her off again. "Don't bother." Malari moved a strand of hair from Opal's face and tucked it behind her ear. "I'll personally prepare it." Opal didn't say anything more.
Malari left and Kasian forced his way in before Dasa could get in. He smiled brightly once he saw Opal still awake. He walked over, sat on the edge of the bed and grabbed her hand. "You're awake."
"Are you comfortable?" Kasian didn't expect an answer. "The children wish to see you." This got Opal's attention. "My children have already left this Kingdom." His grip on her hand tightened. "Our children are here."
"My children aren't here. You had children with your dead wife. My husband is dead. He died before my son was born." She refuted. Kasian's smile tightened like his grip.
"We'll take it day by day. I'll have Kai come in and eat lunch with us. That way it won't be lonely." Opal didn't answer. She had no power to resist. She could barely move her body let alone resist.
"Kai doesn't have a wife yet but I think it's time we put that on the agenda. Especially since he'll be named Crown Prince. Where do you think we should choose from? Heln seems like the best place to choose from-." Opal tuned out Kasian's one-sided conversation.
Opal went through the fragmented memories in her mind. The only solid memories in her mind were from the past ten years. While she was in her coma, she could hear everyone coming to talk to her, but she couldn't move or speak.
She couldn't see those first two years in her memories, but she knew the voices like they were etched into her soul. Beyond that the memories were like pieces of broken glass, floating in the air.
She thought back to a piece of memory from Rain's childhood. She could only see him in her arms, babbling happily and reaching his tiny arms up to her.
The scene switched to her handing the child off to Dasa and leaving. The times in between going to see him and leaving were black. Like her mind was actively stopping her from remembering.
She returned when Rain was eight, running around her as she held another child in her arms. It was Kain. "Master. What of his father?" She looked up at Dasa. "He's dead."
The scene switched again to see a woman stabbing her. She couldn't see the woman's face, but her body felt extremely painful, like ants were biting every spec of skin on her body.
Opal's eyes shot open, leaning over her was a young man. Kai stepped back once he saw that she was awake. "You were mumbling in your sleep, and I thought something was wrong, so I was listening in." He explained.
Opal moved her hand and sighed in relief softly. She could move her body now. "You were calling out two names repeatedly." He sat as he watched her. Opal didn't look in his direction and slowly sat up.
"Kain and Rain." Opal wasn't surprised. "Those are the nicknames you have for your sons?" Opal didn't reply because he was trying to fish information out of her that wasn't there.
"Mother also gave us nicknames." Opal looked at him. "Prince Kai. Instead of following your father's footsteps, why don't you be sensible and stop allowing everyone to project their feelings of missing a dead person onto me." Opal said.
"After a while you will be released. After they've realized this." Opal chuckled coldly. "I'm not your doll to control. You want to control something, dig up your dead mother's body and play house with her."
Kai didn't get upset but smiled. "I see. I'll let Father know your suggestion." He stood up and walked out of the room. Dasa walked in after he left. She grabbed Opal's hand. The two exchanged words without speaking.
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Lunch was the worst for Opal. It wasn't the noisiness she was wanted. Malari, Railin, Kasian and Kai all sat around her. They asked questions, talked to her and started telling stories even though Opal ignored them.
The only other person quiet at the table was Railin. He would quietly put a few pieces of meat in Opal's bowl when he realized that she couldn't reach it. Opal would eat without saying thank you or looking in his direction and Railin didn't expect it from her.
Kasian noticed this and tried to do the same, but Opal wouldn't eat anything he put in her bowl. "You can eat what your father puts in your bowl but not your husband? Aren't you being a bit standoffish?" Kasian asked her in a playful tone, but Opal ignored him.
"Opal. The healer is coming after lunch to treat you." Kasian suddenly dropped his playfulness and the room grew tense. "You'd better kill me first if you think I'd let a healer touch me." Kasian grabbed her throat.
It wasn't forceful or tight; he was making a statement to her. "This isn't up for discussion. I'll tie you up myself before you can even think about killing yourself." Opal didn't look in his direction.
"Then you better act quick." Opal bit down on her tongue hard. Kasian grabbed her jaw and roughly pried it open. "Don't even think about it." He glared at her. "Give me something to keep her mouth open." Kasian demanded.
Kai handed him his leather belt. It was long enough to tie around Opal's head and small enough to keep her teeth from touching. Kasian dragged Opal to the ground and pressed down on her as she tried to move away from him.
She was still weak and he was a peak high-level martial artist. It was a losing battle from the beginning. After Kasian secured the leather around her head, he tied her hands behind her back and placed her on the bed.
"I'm not waiting anymore. Call the healer here now." Kasian looked at his son. "Call your siblings, Bira and the others as well. Since your mother doesn't want to go the easy way, we'll wake her up the hard way."
"Kasian." Railin spoke up. "That's enough." He said as he stood. "Let her go." Kasian chuckled. "At first I thought she was the same Opal that was with me through the war but that was quickly debunked when I found out that she's really dead. Now I know for sure she's my wife and you want me to let her go?"
Kasian was annoyed. "Are you really sure? She looks nothing. Absolutely nothing like my daughter. I know that better than you do." Kasian's jaw clenched. "After the healer looks at her one more time. If it really isn't her. I'll let her go."