It was hot. So unbearably hot. Serenah fought her way to consciousness and opened her eyes. She blinked, her gaze focusing on Lael. Her eyes were filled with worry.
Lael reached out and placed a cool cloth on Serenah's head. Serenah closed her eyes and sighed in relief. Some of the heat was dissipating with the coolness. Her injured body made itself known and she let out a pained grunt before rolling to her side.
"My Lady, you have a fever. You need to stay in bed."
She opened her eyes, wincing as she sat up and shook her head. "No, I'm going to school. I'm not staying here. I can't. I feel like I'm suffocating."
"But My Lady!"
Serenah stubbornly ignored her. She slid her legs to the side of the bed. She stood up, swayed from the dizziness, and grabbed her bedside table to steady herself.
"See! You need to get back in bed!" chided Lael.
"Either help me rebandage my wounds and get dressed or get out."
Lael frowned, pursed her lips, crossed her arms, and then threw her hands up in the air. She reached out and helped Serenah.
"I am protesting this, My Lady, but I will do as you command."
Serenah was grateful that Lael wasn't fighting her over her choice. She didn't have the energy to do so. Lael helped her to the closet, and they picked out a loose-fitting black silk shirt and pants. They also grabbed a thong so that it wouldn't aggravate the wounds on her butt.
"My Lady, when I do the bandages I'll wrap them in such a way that they support your breasts without hurting your back."
"Thank you, Lael."
Lael took her to the table and eased Serenah into the seat.
"I'll do your upper body first." Lael grabbed the salve and set it on the table. She took off Serenah's shirt and unwrapped the bandages.
Serenah heard Lael curse and glanced over her shoulder. "It's bad, isn't it?"
"Yes! That's why I said you should stay home!"
Serenah closed her eyes and reopened them. She looked down at the bloody bandages. For a moment, she wavered but then she thought of Romeo and firmed her resolve.
"I'm ready for you to clean and bandage me."
Lael muttered something under her breath about fools, but Serenah ignored it. She was too busy gritting her teeth as Lael cleaned her wounds, applied salve, and bandaged her. She had to stand for Lael to apply salve to her butt and legs. It took a few minutes to apply bandages to those areas, too. Finally, Serenah slid her clothes on.
"Please sit, and I'll braid your hair, My Lady."
Serenah sat and relaxed while Lael did her hair. She had just finished when a hard knock drew their attention to the door. The door swung open and one of her father's attendants marched in. The man gave her a mocking bow before announcing, "His Majesty has ordered you to meet him in the garage for the ride to school for the conference."
Lael opened her mouth to reprimand the rude man, but Serenah held up a hand to stop her.
"I understand. I am on my way now. You are dismissed."
Serenah wanted to laugh at the man's angry look at her dismissal of him. He was some lowly attendant who didn't know his place. She normally didn't pull rank, but when she did, she was just as ruthless as her father and sister when putting people in their place.
The man stomped from her room, and she let out a shaky breath once the door closed. She felt tears welling up. She didn't want to ride in the car with her father. Who knew what he would do to her on the ride to the school?
"I'd better go," she whispered. She grabbed her backpack and gently put it on her shoulder. Even that much hurt. She would have to bear with it.
"My Lady, take this."
Serenah glanced down at Lael's outstretched hand.
"What is,"
"It's pain medicine," Lael interrupted her. She placed the pills in Serenah's hand and a glass of water.
Serenah swallowed the pills with water and handed the glass back.
"Bye, Lael."
"Bye, My Lady. Please be safe."
Serenah simply nodded and headed for the garage. Her father stood next to his car, his driver already inside. She stopped before him, head bowed.
"Your Majesty."
She yelped when her father grabbed her jaw in a painful viselike grip. He jerked her head up, forcing her to stare into his cold eyes.
"During the conference you are to be seen, not heard. Forget my warning at your own risk. I will take care of everything at this meeting."
He squeezed her jaw again and she whimpered, "Yes, Your Majesty."
After one more hard squeeze, he released her and glared until she got into the car's backseat. She slid over to the passenger side and stayed scrunched against the door on the drive to the school.
The tension and air of suppressed anger and violence shimmered in the car. Serenah felt suffocated. She couldn't wait to escape the vehicle. Finally, they arrived and went inside.
They were escorted to the conference room where Principal Greenwood sat waiting. He waited until they sat before launching into a small welcome to her father and a recap of the fight at the dance.
Serenah sat, fists clenched, as she listened to the principal's version of the fight. Everything he was saying was wrong. She knew then that he hadn't listened to her side or Liz or Penelope either. It was all from her sister's minions.
"…Sera is an amazing student, and the teachers all speak highly of her. That's why I'm puzzled by this behavior from her."
"As am I," her father agreed, giving her a sideways glare that made her flinch and drop her head.
Principal Greenwood cleared his throat. "Because this is her first offense, she will not be suspended or face punishment. However, if this occurs again, she will face some form of discipline depending on the circumstances."
"I understand. I'm sure my daughter does as well," growled her father as he dropped his hand heavily on her shoulder.
Serenah winced and fought back tears when he dug his fingers painfully into her shoulder. She wished this conference was over.
"You do understand, right, Sera?"
She bit her tongue to keep from screaming from the pain of his fingers in her shoulder. She nodded her head vigorously.
"If she chooses to disregard your warning, not only will she face your discipline, but I will punish her as well. No child of mine will be a troublemaker at such a fine educational establishment."
Serenah was crying in her heart. She didn't want any more punishments from her father. She didn't think she'd survive them.
"I'm glad we could talk. Do you have any questions for me?"
"No, Mr. Greenwood, I don't. Please don't hesitate to call me if you have any trouble with my youngest."
"I will be glad to, Mr. Holland."
Principal Greenwood stood and shook hands with her father.
"Sera, you can go to first period."
"Yes, Mr. Greenwood." She came to her feet and hurried to the door.
She opened it and crashed into someone. Her head jerked up and she let out a startled "sorry," before scooting to the right and out of the room. She didn't look back to see who she bumped into. Instead, she ran to her locker and put her books away.
She went to first period, her mind on the unfairness of it all. It was going to be a long day.