Chapter 19

I woke up feeling an overwhelming pain all over my body. I felt like I was beaten so badly.

A groan escaped my lips when I tried to get out of the bed.

"You're awake." I turned my head towards the door of my room and saw that Blaze just entered the room.

At first, I was a little lost at what happened but then flashes of memories flooded my mind and I remembered him giving orders for the guards to take Cool.

"What are you doing here?" I asked coldly.

"I came to check on you –"

"Stay. Away." I said firmly making sure he would understand it clearly.

"Princess—" he called out and took a step closer. I immediately set a blazing boundary between us.

"Get out!"

"Princess—"

"Get out! That is an order!" I shouted with authority. He stared at me for a while before he helplessly bowed down and took his leave.

I immediately massage my temples when I felt my head throbbing once again.

I relaxed myself and put out the fire barrier I set near the door.

Good thing that things around here are not too vulnerable to fire.

"Ignis?" I called out. She immediately entered the room and asked me if I needed anything.

I asked her to close the door first.

"Where's Cool?" I asked as soon as she had closed the door behind her.

"Princess—"

"Fhyra. It's Fhyra, remember?" I corrected, she gave me a weak smile before she nodded.

"Where is he?" I asked once again.

"I'm not sure about it. After you passed out, Count Blaze took you from him and ordered the guardias to take him. But I heard that they sent him back to the Glaciers." Ignis reported.

"He was in the Glaciers? He left?" I asked not believing what she said.

He told me, he won't leave.

"That's what I heard from the guardias. I'm really not sure about its credibility." She honestly confessed.

I nodded my head and thanked her before asking her to help me meet the Queen.

"Where's Cool?" I asked Queen Feu as soon as I entered her quarters.

I am still feeling very weak so I had Ignis support me while I stand in front of the Queen.

"How do you feel?" She asked instead.

My jaw tightened at the way she changes the subject.

"Where is he?" I asked once again but in a low voice.

"Do you want me to call a baylan to check on you?" she insisted.

I didn't give her an answer and just stared at her face for a long while. I long figured out why mom never told me stories about her.

She's a great queen. But not a good mother. And definitely not an ideal grandmother at that.

A long silence filled the place. Neither of us is willing to back down from the staring contest that I started.

"He left you." She said while staring at me straight in the eye.

"We ask him to stay and just undergo the proper investigation since he was suspected of kidnapping you. But he refused and told us that he would just go back to the Glaciers." An eyebrow of mine raised as I listened to her.

"How about the coming war? He's one of the guardians." I pointed out.

"He said he'll just come back then. Since he already fulfilled his promise to your parents that he would bring you here safely. He believed that his mission is over." 

I stood on my ground, asking Igris to let me go in the process. She bowed down her head towards the queen and then to me before she left through the red doors of the queen's quarters.

I watched her as she completely left the room, leaving me and the queen alone.

"When did he left?" I asked after a few moments.

"A few hours after you passed out last night." She answered.

"He didn't leave anything for me? Last words or something?"

"No, he just asked us to take good care of you."

I remained quiet after hearing that.

Did he really?

Am I supposed to believe that?

I was already full of doubts since when I tried calling him using my mind earlier, I didn't receive any response from him.

And the Queen here is not helping much either.

An idea struck me when I suddenly felt sick again.

I held my head and swayed my body a little. I acted like I would almost faint, I saw panic roused in her face.

She went down from her throne and walked towards me.

"Ignis!" She called out and not a second later Ignis came in rushing inside.

"Yes, my Queen?" she asked without raising her head.

"Call the Punong Baylan immediately!" she ordered and helped me stand from the ground.

A smile secretly crept into my lips when I heard her say that.

My plan was actually working.

She called out more guardias to help me go back to my room as we wait for Hailec to come.

We didn't have to wait for long since Hailec came almost instantly.

The queen ordered him to check on me. He was secretly giving me questioning looks which I answered with a meaningful stares.

I really didn't expect that he would be the only one I can trust here aside from Cool. Now that Cool is missing, Hailec's the only one who can help me.

"The princess' health isn't too good and a crowded place is not good for her. May asked everyone to leave the room first?" he announced after a while of 'checking'.

The queen hesitantly left with the murandas and guardias.

Hailec made sure to close the door before he asked questions.

"What's wrong? You look fine. You just need a little rest since you're drained. What happened? Where's Cool?"

"I'm fine. And about Cool---that's the reason why I needed you here. They took him and told me that he was sent back to the Glaciers can you go and check it out for me?"

"They took him? Why?"

"They accused him of kidnapping me."

"That's bullshit." I laughed at his reaction.

"That sounds a mundane talking." I teased but he just rolled his eyes on me.

"I'll look into it. But would you be fine here?" his face was laced with worry when he said his last sentence.

"I can manage. But please do look into it, I don't think Cool would leave me here alone like what they were saying." I said collectively.

"Yeah, I don't think so, too." He agreed.

"How was she?" I asked while he was checking my health for real this time.

"Still a brat." He answered with a snort.

"You know I wouldn't be surprised if you two ended up being together right?" I teased and laughed when I saw the horrified look on his face.

"That's never going to happen!" He said with a scowling face.

The queen went back inside after a few more minutes to ask about my health.

"It's not too great. The princess had used too much energy and her body needs time and rest for it to cope up." He said as he face the queen.

"I suggest not to cause her too many problems and not to rile her emotions up for a while." He suggestively told the queen.

I almost applaud him for being able to lie in front of the Queen.

The queen glanced at my direction worriedly.

"If that's all, may I go, My queen?" He said curtly while subtle looking at me as if he was bidding goodbye.

"Thank you Punong Baylan, for coming. The whole of Flamis appreciates your efforts of taking good care of our next queen." She said with gratitude.

"It's my duty, your highness. If you would excuse me, I still had some business to attend to."

"Of course. Of course. Thank you once again."

As soon as Hailec left the room, I immediately went back to lie on my bed. Not minding the other person's presence inside my room.

I heard her sighed when she saw me fixing my fleece blanket and manipulated it to fully cover my body.

"I'll be going then. Take some rest, hija." She said before I heard the door closed.

I waited for a little more before I pulled out of the bed.

I went to my room's lanai and stared at the beautiful scenery ahead of me.

'Where are you Cool?'