Chapter 6 (Blurred vision)

Chapter 6…

Right in front of him, my tongue dried up, not my usual deliberate silence, but rather his intimidating gaze made me short of words.

“That I am yet to figure out.”

“I am asking her,” he cut his men short, quickly I averted my gaze unable to keep looking at him.

“What brings you here?” he asked, his tone cold sending chills down my spine, almost like I had been drowned in cold water. 

“I….I lost my way,” my response was weak and short, it was obvious none of them believed my word.

“I am sorry I didn't mean to but I have a very poor sense of direction,” I finally organized myself enough to answer. I watched his brow rise in a confused manner as he started me up and down, his eyes resting on my arm where the fabric had gone thin and was beginning to tear.

“Laws are merciless, they are there for a reason and it doesn't care about excuses whether you have a poor sense of direction it doesn't care…” he paused finally looking away from me. I know very well what he means. There was no saving me now.

I wanted to plead more sincerely, but not only do I have a sense of anger for him and his people I also do not know how to plead not apologize for I wasn't trained that way. I was raised to be proud with my head held up high. A noble has to represent, a noble has to command attention but I am no longer that.

“You are not of Daus, you are a potential threat to the royal family, allowing you to reside in the slave quarters was His Majesty being generous, and seeing you sneaking around the queen's court, how are we supposed to allow you go free,” Anakim spoke, taking me aback.

Unable to form a word, I scoffed a bit amused at the direction.

“What are you saying?” I heard Edna whisper to him as the Prince stood in silence.

“There is no need to suspect me, Your Majesty,” I said, facing the prince. Perhaps I was so offended I forgot for a minute how intense his gaze is.

“I am not a spy, even if I were, Wolves are too weak compared to your kind so I wouldn't stand a chance,” I mean it's useless to send somebody like me as a spy. 

Slowly I lowered myself in shame going on my knees, the first and last time I pleaded on my knees were to Lucius. Memories flooded my head as I felt a rush to my heart, unable to hold it back I dropped the basket as I grabbed my heart struggling to breathe. Something was wrong with me. I looked up and I noticed my vision had blurred but I refused to give up.

“I apologize,” my words failed me as I fell flat to the floor.  Like a spinning wheel, the world around me began to rotate.

“Run! Go away!!!” The voice screamed in my head, the voice belonging to Asiling.  “Help” I tried to scream but to no avail. My eyes barely open. I caught the glimpse of what might be my predicament.

Surrounded around me, a plant so beautiful yet so deadly at least to me. The Lily of the Valley.  A delicate beauty hidden beneath lush green leaves. A tiny, bell-shaped flower exudes a sweet fragrance, enchanting those fortunate enough to discover it. Embraced by a sense of modesty, It thrives in shaded corners, a symbol of purity and grace in the quiet corners of nature's tapestry. But unfortunately for me, I can only admire this beauty from a distance because of the effect it has on me.

I felt hot tears slowly slip from the corner of my eyes, each breath became a laborious dance with the inevitable. Hard breaths echoed and hammering in my head, a harsh reminder of the fragility of existence. My vision, once vivid and sharp, now blurred like a watercolor painting left in the rain. Colors melded into indistinct hues, and the world transformed into a hazy dreamscape. A tall figure standing above me added to my dizziness.

The air felt heavy, each inhalation a struggle against the weight of impending departure. I could sense the ebb and flow of time, a rhythm that no longer synchronized with my weakening heartbeat. Memories, like specters, danced at the periphery of consciousness, fragments of a life lived, now fading into the mist of fading consciousness. The last time I was near a Lily of the Valley I was only but a child. That I survived was called a miracle from the moon goddess but perhaps death was inevitable for me after all.  

In the struggle for breath, the world seemed to expand and contract. Shadows whispered tales of moments cherished and dreams unfulfilled. Each heartbeat, once a vibrant drum in the symphony of life, now faltered, like a fading melody in the distance.

As I crossed the thin shroud between existence and the unknown, emotions surfaced like waves crashing against a distant shore. Regrets and joys intertwined, creating a bittersweet tapestry of a life reaching its final crescendo. The world became a surreal sight, a final tableau painted with the hues of mortality. The face of my father painted weeping appeared, leading to more twists in my heart.

In the embrace of the inevitable, a peculiar serenity settled over me. The cacophony of life muted, and a profound acceptance washed over like a gentle tide. As the last breath lingered, I became a transient voyager, departing from the shores of the tangible into the vast expanse of the unknowable. Life, slipping away like grains of sand through the fingers of time, a testament to the transient beauty of existence….

Waking up felt like a sudden collision with direct sunlight, its searing heat piercing through my eyelids. For a disorienting moment, confusion draped my thoughts, questioning if I had transcended into an afterlife bathed in blinding radiance. Yet, a sharp pain in my chest jolted me from the dreamy uncertainty, grounding me in the visceral reality of waking consciousness.

 As I gasped for breath, the sunlight transformed from an ethereal glow to an intruder, casting its unforgiving light on the tangible ache within. In that abrupt awakening, the boundary between dreams and the tangible world blurred, leaving me to grapple with the remnants of both realms.

For some reason, I was left heartbroken, perhaps I really wished for death. Slowly I pushed my feet to the ground only then did I take notice of my surroundings. A tiny room much better than the one which I have been sleeping in for the past two full moons. 

Unable to stop myself I let out a cough, the door burst open as a girl about my age rushed in. 

“You are awake?” she asked with a bright smile as I nodded trying to figure out what she was. Her clothing is nothing I have seen before.

“You saved me?” I asked filled with gratitude.

“No, sit,” her smile was radiant as she led me to sit down. 

“Thank goodness you passed out in front of his highness or it would have been a different case then,” she said, handing me a cup filled with weird-looking substances.

“The prince saved me? How is that possible?” I asked her. 

“Does the prince possess powers from the moon goddess?” I asked genuinely curious. She chuckled while getting up from the bedside.

“While of course, the Hand with the Sword is indeed blessed with powers, you were served by my portion,” she said looking at me as she ushered me to drink up. Hesitant at first I slowly drank up, bitter at first but slowly I finished it.

“Thank you for saving me,” I thanked her genuinely. 

“His Highness is very nonchalant, In fact, he is not one to respond to any maiden, for years I was the only one closest to his majesty but like always he barely returns…” She paused, passing me a bowl of food.

“This is the first time a woman has been brought here for treatment under his words,” I was taken aback wondering where her words were heading. Pushing the bowl aside I stood up from the bed. 

“The prince, how can I thank the prince,” I watched as her face sank.

“The prince is not accessible, even I haven't set my eyes on him ever since he returned,” She said, her tone and her face spoke of a longing. Making me wonder what their relationship is like. Slowly I began to take more notice of everything. Her home was cozy and warm, filled with weird-looking plants and wood words curved in every inch of her home. There was something different about her aura that I can't place my hands on but it was obvious she wasn't a lycan.

“Today he is supposed to move into the East palace though, after today at least I am sure of his return finally,” her words struck me as my senses tingled remembering the plan I overheard hatched to plant a slave into his court.

“Wait!” I stopped her “Where is the Prince right now?” I asked her heads on.

“What?”

“Where is the prince? It's urgent, it's a very important fact I see him,” I said as she got up with a concerned look.

“I do not know, but you can ask Edna, he has been outside,” I immediately rushed outside to see Edna rubbing the back of his horse while humming to a song.

“Greetings sir,” I greeted as he smiled, surprised to see me.

“you are awake,” 

“Sir I need your help,” I began while he stared confused.

“I need to meet the prince right now, wherever he is, there is something he needs to know,” I could read the confusion in his eyes as he looked behind me to look at the young lady who helped get rid of my sickness. I still have no idea how but now I need to tell the prince of the incoming assassination attempt on his life.

“Okay,” thankfully he wasn't asking too many questions.

“I will come with her,” she said grabbing my hand, my body tensed up as I am not one to touch others but she smiled rubbing the back of my palm.

“But I only have one horse,” Edna said, chuckling like always.

“We can fit, we barely weigh after all,” she added while I do not know why she did it, she still joined…