If only Shaban knew what Amal had planned for her, she would have stayed in her limit by now. Amal secretly hated Shaban and Sultana Sidik for some reason we find out later on.
Amal raised his hand, about to backhand her and do the same thing to her when he remembered that she was a woman.
"How dare you?" Amal seethed, looking at Cora but the question was directed at Shaban.
"Brother, you can't simply scold me because of this thing and besides I am shocked, this is the first time you have scolded me for touching your captive, that too this useless thing-" Shaban ranted.
Amal interrupted her,"shut up, shut up, before I do something nasty which you and I know very well that I will never regret."
Shaban flinched at the threat. Someone who could kill the love of his life without a second thought was simply capable of doing anything.
Amal took Cora in his arms, instantly marvelling at how lightweighted she felt. Cora was bleeding. Amal put her on the bed and gave her water. When she drank little, he glared at her, "finish it before I force you to."
Cora quietly finished the cup of water. She felt uncomfortable in the wet torn flimsy dress.
Amal ignored the fact that he was touching her without her permission. He wiped the blood and nursed the wound. He rubbed some nasty looking green paste on the cut. It smelled badly and also had an unbearable burning sensation which caused her to flinch, hiss and gnash her teeth while she held onto his shoulder in pain.
"It's natural that it burns." Amal said. Cora glared at him, was he teasing her? Instead of him to say at least a 'sorry'.
"It should heal in three days without a scar." He said while he took a garment he had gotten from a servant the previous night for her.
"Take this", he said. Cora sniffled and slowly took the clothe. "What is your name?" He asked. Cora had her head bowed in shame. She had been humiliated too much. Amal clenched his jaw and held her chin harshly.
"This is what I hate. When I ask you a question, look into my eyes and answer me!" Cora flinched, already close to tears.
"Cora-Jane." She replied curtly but with a faint wobbly tone. "Pardon me." This man was deaf seriously. Cora clenched her jaw and repeated her answer,"Cora-Jane"
"Cora." He tried mentioning the name. "Call me Jane." She corrected. "No, I love the 'Cora' more." He said. This time, she scoffed.
"You and love. I wonder if you will ever get married. God only knows why you are like this. You are a beast. Love doesn't suit your lips one bit. I doubt that you love your own birth mother." Her words were almost the same as Rukaya's but somehow, he felt something clenching in his chest when Cora said that.
He stood up and clapped once. A maid rushed inside. "Prepare a hot bath for me. I want it boiling hot." He ordered. "Yes Sultan." She bowed and rushed out.
Cora was confused at first. When the bath was ready and, Amal carried her, she finally got the message. "Please," she whimpered but Amal looked at the maid at the entrance.
"Excuse the Princess, she is about to take her bath. Tell the guards outside that nobody should disturb Her Highness." The maid responded with a bow and walked out.
"Sultan, please don't do this." Cora was already crying but Amal was hell-bent on punishing her. He simply dropped her into the tub of hot water.
"Ah!" Cora cried out in pain. She tried to get out but Amal forced her back inside. "The last person who uttered those words was burnt alive and till now I feel no remorse. You are lucky that you are a bait or else I would have fed you to my tiger, Rajah. You better watch your mouth around me, beautiful one." He warned her and took her out.
"Change and have rest, Princess. You will be needing rest." He taunted while he walked out, closing the hide behind him. Cora fell by the tub in tears. What had she done to this man to deserve such a treatment?
She was naked when a young beautiful maiden came in with a bowl of tumeric paste. From a good distance, the girl resembled the sultan but she pushed the thought away.
Maybe this one was also like Shaban. "Hello, I'm Humera but my friends like to call me Humera!" The girl giggled. Cora forced a smile at her so that she wouldn't look rude.
"Anyway, Sultan asked me to massage you with this tumeric paste so that you do not have any scalds. I'm really sorry for the pain that he and his sister had caused you." Humera spoke while she approached Cora with the bowl. Cora allowed Humera to do her work.
"I would like to be your friend." Humera said all of a sudden. Cora smiled and nodded so that Humera would get the message that she was also interested in being her friend.
Amal was pleased to know that Emperor Augustus had accepted to fight Amal. This might have been the best news he had ever heard.