The other slave was assisting Laila in removing the glass shard from her foot when a high-ranked servant entered the room. "You both need to be seen in the throne room," she said. "At once."

She vanished. Laila hurried in wrapping her foot with gauze that the other slave had retrieved. She slipped her cloth shoe back onto her foot, and followed as the other slave led her to the throne room. Gathered there were all of the other slaves and servants who served the King's family. Among them, Laila's mother. She quietly slid over to her mother and hugged her quickly before turning her attention to the king.