The question confused her. “He carried me in here.”
The medic indicated her foot. “What did he do to sprain your ankle? Did he beat you?”
Why on earth would the woman think that? “I slipped on the floor.”
Zarya could tell the medic didn’t believe her as she pulled out a scanner and ran it over her foot and calf. “If he hurts you again, call for Senna, or Dr. Yerzan. That’s me, and I’ll document his abuse. If you want, I can even tell him that we need to transfer you to the hospital for observation. That should get you out of his hands for at least a day. Maybe longer, if we’re lucky.”
The woman was serious…
Not sure if she should be appalled or amused by the medic’s erroneous assumptions, Zarya stared at her. “Governor Cruel did not hurt me. I fell in the kitchen.”
Senna set her scanner aside. “Look, I know you’re afraid of him. We all are, but—”
“I’m not afraid.”
Her green eyes glittered with disbelief. “I suppose you’re going to tell me that he didn’t hit you either?”
There was no amusement now. The woman’s stubborn insistence and inability to hear what Zarya was saying was beginning to really piss her off. “What are you talking about?”
“The contusion on your cheek. I see the outline of his entire hand where he slapped you. Not to mention the contusion on your elbow and the handprint bruise on your upper arm.”
“He didn’t do that. The cook did.”
“Yeah, right.”
Zarya was appalled by her accusations. Why would she assume Darling had beat her? “Would you listen to me? Governor Cruel has not hurt me.”
Senna rolled her eyes dismissively. “At least you don’t have to worry about him raping you. I guess that’s one blessing. Though I’ve heard he has other perversions for women.”
Oh this she had to hear. “Such as?”
“He likes to kill them, then dress in their clothes… especially their panties.”
Zarya would have burst into laughter had that not been so ludicrous.
Could they honestly think Darling did that? Really?
Maris was right. They were all blind. Brainless. And ridiculous.
Inconceivable…
Senna leaned forward as if she were imparting a grave secret to her. “It’s why his mother and sister refuse to visit him, you know. They are even more terrified of him than they were the Grand Counsel. As soon as the governor took power and murdered his uncle, all the women—his aunt, and her daughters, his mother and sister moved out… Literally, the very next day.” She glanced toward the door before she lowered her voice. “You know, the governor’s been confined to mental wards six times since his teens.”
They’d even twisted that. How disgusting.
“Yes. His uncle did it to torture him. It wasn’t because there was anything wrong with Darling.”
“Wow…” Senna sat back on her legs to gape at her. “What has he done to you? Some kind of mind control? I’ll have to add that to the list. We knew he made weapons… It only makes sense he could create something to also mess with the brain, too.”
Zarya’s jaw went slack.
But before she could say anything more to contradict the medic, Darling returned to the room.
Her hands shaking, the medic quickly wrapped Zarya’s ankle. “It’s not bad at all, Your Majesty. She barely twisted it.” Senna met Zarya’s gaze. “Keep it iced and don’t put any weight on it for about a week and it should be back to normal, very quickly. I sent a prescription for painkillers and a speed healer to the pharm tech. They will have it delivered as soon as possible.” She stood and bowed to Darling. “Is there anything else you need, Your Majesty?”
He barely glanced at her as he walked to his desk. “You’re dismissed.”
Senna hurried from the room as if she was terrified Darling might shoot her before she could clear the doors.
Never had Zarya seen the like. It absolutely blew her mind apart that anyone would say such horrible things about a man who’d lived his entire life fighting to give all of them a better life.
“They are terrified of you.”
Darling opened the bottle of whisky on his desk, then reached inside a drawer to pull out a small shot glass. “Good.” He poured the glass full.
How could he be so blasé? Did he not know about the rumors?
Or did he just not care?
“Not really.” He needed to understand how dangerous these things could be. “I mean, they are… Words fail me to describe their skewed beliefs. They really think you’re worse than your uncle.”
He knocked back the shot glass, then poured another. “I am worse than my uncle. Unlike him, I’m trained to kill with my bare hands.”
“So it doesn’t bother you to have people tremble in fear around you?”
He still refused to look at her. “Should it? As long as they’re scared, they won’t attack.”
Yeah, right. He had to know better. Was he being obstinate to annoy her? “I wouldn’t bet on it.”