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?”