Chapter 119

I sat on the long seat at the edge of the bed, my back turned to Frost and Victor, who were back to sleep after they were given the sleeping herbs.

Lord Kiza walked out of the bathroom, drying his hands with a cloth.

He'd taken a look at Victor's leg and he applied some herbs he said might help. Because we didn't know what the poison was made out of, Kiza couldn't know how to treat it.

But one thing he's sure about is that the poison is taking its time. He assumed that it might take a long time for the poison to get to other pasts of Victor's body but each passing minute will be painful for him.

The tip of Victor's left toe's are getting blue and Lord Kiza said that his left leg was dying.

What a messed up thing to hear?

"I'll look more in to it, Your grace. But now, I must take my leave." Lord Kiza commented before he bowed his head down to his waist and left.

I stayed seated for a few minutes before I dared to look over my left shoulder.

They were in pain. It felt like everytime they woke up, some part of them had already died.

It's been five days since the attack on the main castle and for the last five days, I've watched then suffer.

Frost's condition wasn't good. Her body kept rejecting the herbs amd her health was diminishing by the second.

The red spots on her pale skin were angrier that ever. No matter what Mirra and Lord Kiza applied to them, they'd flare up even worse.

Lord Kiza told me the same thing Mirra had mentioned. With all the reactions she'd recently had, it's like her body was giving up on her.

And Victor... The poison was slowly killing him. Every time he wakes up, he'd stare at Frost for a few minutes and for the rest of the time Kiza pocks around him, he silently looks at the ceiling as if he was already dead.

Neither of them have eaten more than a few bites at a time. The mere sight and smell of food made their stomachs turn.

Victor would sake his head and lay back down but Frost always tries to eat for me. But each time I lifted a spoon full of food, she'd gag. Tears would cloud her eyes but she'd still take a bite.

It would take her forever to chew and swallow it. When I pushed for one more bite after the third, she'd break down. She'd shake her head, tears finally streaming down her cheeks and I couldn't find it in me to make her eat again.

I let out a sigh before straightening up when I heard the door open.

I looked up and saw Sir Hunder walking in with Mirra by his side.

"What is it?" I asked.

I was hoping to skip todays Court so I could look after Frost and Victor. The sleeping herbs have been a bit useless lately.

Kiza had give them the herb too often that that effect was starting to thin on them. They'll wake up after a few hours.

"I received words from the dock. The water Kingdom's Prince is to arrive soon." He replied.

"Water Kingdom?"

For a second there, my mind was mush but then I remembered the letter of invite we'd sent to them.

I let out another sigh before I dropped my head in to my hand.

"I can't leave the main castle now, Sir Hunder. I need to make sure my Wife and Brother are safe." I commented with a groan.

The chambers fell in silence for a few minutes before I heard Sir Hunder clear his throat. He awkwardly scratched the scar on his face before he sighed.

"I understand the hard place you're in right now, Barlion but the Kingdom needs you. This visit is very important for the survival of the Kingdom and we can't disrespect a future King by sending a knight to welcome him."

"I can't leave them." My voice left no space for an argument but, the head of Knight's didn't give up.

I watched as he lets go of Mirra's hand and she walked over to Frost's side of the bed while Sir Hunder walked over.to me amd sat down next to me.

He was now on uncle mode. I could tell from the way his shoulders sagged down. He always keeps a straight shoulder when he's in the presence of a king. But now, he's in the presence of the kid he held first after he came out of his mother.

"Barlion..." He called out. "I can't start to imagine what you're going through but I've watched Front go through the same thing. But you know what she did? She lost sleep over your Kingdom. She worked day and night, fought against people even Viper didn't want to deal with and wrote a letter to a King of another Kingdom just to make sure that you keep your crown on you head. She's sacrificed a lot for you and for this Kingdom. Are you going to insult her by throwing away the one ticket she'd given you to bring the people back?"

His words and question hit home. He was good, I have to give him that.

I glanced at back at Frost and knew that I couldn't throw away her sacrifice.

Letting out a sigh, I got up and walked over to the dining tale where I'd left my crown.

"Have my horse prepared and let Uncle Hero and Landon know that we'll be heading out to the docks." I ordered.

"What about Jeremy?" Sir Hunder asked.

His question reminded me that Frost and Victor are not the only ones' the universe is trying to take away from me.

I looked down at my crown clenched between my hands.

"Uncle Jeremy needs his rest. Let him be."

Sir Hunder nodded his head before he walked over to the door.

"Sir Hunder?"

"Yes, your grace?"

"Invite the young royals to come with. Their presence might help."

Sir Hunder nodded his head before he walked out of the chambers.

***

The whole way to the dock and back, I'd been miserable. But I didn't dare show it.

Prince Edon had arrived to the dock with three of his younger brothers and two of his sisters. He had about ten knights following after him and his family.

The Prince had arrived with another ship filled with offering to our Kingdom as my father had came to their aid thirty years ago.

An entire ship though, they must be really grateful.

All of the young royals had followed after me to show their support. Words of Frost's and Victor's condition had already made it through the main castle so they wanted to help keep a strong and united front.

The water's were pretty nice and so far, none of them have looked at my people the wrong way. Dressed in light blue silks, they'd looked a bit cold. I wondered of the water Kingdom doesn't have a cold season.

From the meeting point to the journey over to the main castle, things were going great.

Prince Edon and I kept our horses at the front, of course there were two knights Infront of us. One being Sir Hunder and the other being a knight of the water Kingdom.

The Prince and I kept a light conversation going but I'd caught his eyes glancing over to Victor about three times before we reached the main castle.

His interest in her didn't rub me the right way.

When we reached the main castle, Prince Edon and his siblings had been a bit taken aback.

"I'd expected we would be staying at one of the Inns." Prince Edon commented as we walked through the front door.

"As a welcome to your first visit, my wife wished for you to stay in the main castle with us." I replied with a polite smile.

"Speaking of, I haven't seen the famous Queen yet. Would we be meeting her today?" Prince Edon asked.

Famous Queen? It made me wonder of the water Kingdom too have spies watching for them like the half shifters do.

"My wife is not feeling well. She would have loved to welcome you herself."

My reply wasn't really an answer as to when they'd meet her. The Prince didn't comment on it further and wanting to return to Frost and Victor, I asked Misha to show them to their chambers.

I turned to walk towards the King's quarter and I caught Victoria's eyes following Prince Edon with curiosity.

I didn't care to call her out at the moment. All I wanted to do was get to my chambers.

When I made it to our chambers, I near damn fainted because Victor was not in bed.

Softly closing the door not to wake Frost up, I looked out the chambers frantically.

My eyes jumped to the cracked door of my study and I quickly walked in.

The amount of relief I felt when I found Victor sitting in front of the liquor shelf was unimaginably huge.

"Didn't I tell you to stay in bed?" I hissed as I walked in to the study.

Victor didn't react at my voice. He didn't move a single muscle when he heard me, I didn't even know if he heard me.

"Victor?" I called out as I stepped closed to him.

Victor's back was turned to me and I could see the large scars the tiger had given him about eight years ago.

I never knew they were this bad. The tiger had done his best before he'd died. He'd dug his claws so deep that the scars on Victor's backs are wide and thick, running across his back to make a map of the day he almost died.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped closer to him.

His left leg was propped up on the small table. The white bandage lord Kiza had wrapped around the wond was socked with his blood.

Anger rushed through me and I cleched my jaw to stop myself from yelling at him. He really shouldn't be moving.

I also caught sight of a liquor bottle, one that had been shipped in from the Sun Kingdom. It was made a long time ago when they were used to be called the silver spoon Kingdom.

Father kept that bottle shut so it would age nicely and he used to say that a single sip would send man in to oblivion.

"Victor?" I called pit for before he finally replied me.

"I want you to put a stop to this." He whispered in a dying voice.

"What?"

"This. I mean, I like laying next to Frost and being able to wake up next to her but... But I can't do this anymore."

His words made me tense.

"Victor?"

He shook his head before he brought the cup of liquor he was holding to his lips and downed the entire thing in one breath.

He dropped the cup down on the table before he leaned back.

"I'm in so much pain, Barlion. Do you know how long it took me to drag my miserable ass from the bed to this seat? Probably more than an hour. The whole way here, I was thinking about ending it myself. But I'm too cowardly to do that. So, I'm asking you to end my misery for me."

I let out a sigh before I sat down next to him as the chair was long enough to have three people seated.

"Stop it." I warned. "You're not dying and I'm not killing you."

"But..."

"No." I interrupted him.

"Please, Barlion...."

"I said no, Victor. You're not allowed to die, you hear me. I will find you abetter healer who can cure you and until then, I'm going to make sure you stay alive even if I have to chain you to the bed."

Victor chuckled.

"I'd love to be chained next to Frost." He teased but there was no humor in his voice.

Letting put another sigh, I stared at the liquor shelf.

"I've been a horrible brother to you, haven't I?" Victor asked after a long minute of silence. "I shouldn't have acted the way I did. It was unfound of me to be envious of you. I just thought father loved you more and I hated you for that."

"I thought our mother loved you more and I hated you for that too, before I found out that she wasn't my mother." I replied.

Victor nodded his head and I risked a glace at him.

He had a distant look on his face, as if he was going down memory lane. I didn't like that. It felt like he was going to talk about old times. You only do that when one is about to truly die.

"Even though you hated me, you looked after me too..." He started but I shook my head.

"Don't!" My warning was not met, instead, he continued.

"I never thanked you for saving me that day from the tiger."

I closed my eyes. I guess, we're finally doing this, talking like real brothers.

"I shouldn't have taken any credit for that tiger's death. It made me feel embarrassed to get attacked like that but I thought if I told everyone that I was the one who'd shot the tiger between the eyes, it would make me more than I was, a scared little kid."

Silence fell between is again before he broke it.

"Why did you let me take credit for the tiger?" He asked.

My mind took me back to that awful day eight years ago. Father had finally taken me hunting then after we got in to the woods, he told me to go off on my own. I was twenty at the time so he thought I could handle myself.

I was looking for something to hunt but something kept telling me to turn back. Thinking there might be a easier kill back, I turned my horse around.

It didn't take me long to hear Victor's voice. He'd been screaming bloody murder.

I'd followed his voice and the sight nearly made my heart fail at such a young age.

The tiger was on top of Victor, digging his claws amd biting at his back. I got there when Victor finally got his hands of his crossbow but the shot he took flew out of sigh. I'd raised my arrow and saved the brother I always thought I hated without hesitation.

And even after thag day, I'd visited him at night to make sure that he was okay.

He survived that. He'll survive this.

I shrugged my shoulder.

"I never felt the need to take credit. Besides, of father found out that you didn't kill the tiger, he would jave dragged you back to the forest and keep you there until you kill one."

Victor nodded his head again.

"I don't want to die, Barlion." Victor spoke, startling me with his words so I glanced at him. "I really don't want to die."

He chocked on his breath before he rubbed his eyes to block the tears that were pooling in them.

My shoulders tensed again. This was the third time I'd ever seen him cry. Once when he was born and the second was during the tiger attack.

Victor doesn't cry. At least not in front of people.

His vulnerability made me realize how young he is, only eighteen.

Scooting closer to him, I draped my arms over his shoulder and pulled him in.

"You're not going to die." I whispered, feeling my own tears threatening to fall down.

I managed to keep them at bay until I felt Victor's shoulders shake and a single tear slid down my right cheek.