Chapter 19 - You're Pretty

  -M in Helia Pace, Outside Roxana's Room- Before I could process the whirlwind of emotions, a loud otioed outside her room. I rushed out, only to find maids scurrying in every dire; their faces paled with fear. Grabbing one by the arm, I demanded, "What’s going on?" "His Majesty! He has a severe seizure with a high fever!" The maid cried, her voice trembling as she tore away from my grip. My eyes widened in disbelief, my mind rag. The reality of the situation crashed over her like a wave. I gnced around the hallway, and in the hustle and bustle of the maids, I noticed the absence of the guards who had stood watch just moments ago. My heart raced at the thought of escape, the tantalizing freedom just a breath away. But no...I didn’t want to be the ter of attention anymore. A heavy sigh escaped my lips as I turo My and Mylo, their anxious faces peering from behind the bed, eyes wide with uainty. “The game will finally begin,” I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside. “Get back to Lobis Mansion immediately, and prepare the wine.” With that, I stepped into the corridor, the weight of my decisioling over me like a shroud as I made my way to my father's room.-M in Helia Pace; King's Room- Standing outside the King’s room, I saw father y on the bed, struggling with hyperventition. The Queen covered her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks. "FATHER!!!! Pleasee pleasee pleasee open your eyes, please," Isabel sobbed as she pleaded, holding her father's right hand. The doors of the room were left open, as maids and servants kept moving in and out of the room, assisting at their best efforts, while the High Priest, sitting on a chair beside father, fag the door, holding his brow furrowed in tration, held father's left hand, trying in vain to calm the seizures that wracked his body with his Holy Power. But there seems to be no improvement whatsoever. The Pope and..........The Holy Knight, Lord Heron..........were there too. The Pope, his robes swishing as he paced, shouted anxiously at the High Priest to do more. Lord Heron, his expression unreadable, observed the se with narrow eyes. As I stepped in and stood beside the Queen looking down at father....I could see him moving his lips....perhaps trying to say something? Hmm...I too looked at him with narrowed eyes, my mind rag. "LUXANA?" The Queen shrieked in a shrill voice as she grabbed my arms upon notig my presenbsp; "Please let go, Your Majesty." I requested with a serious expression. "How could I? It's because of you that His Majesty is suffering! If only-" "DO YOU REALLY THINK IT'S THE TIME FOR THIS?!" I yelled. And as always, everyone's attention was on me. "Mother, please e with me for a sed." I said, dragging her out of the room, holding her left arm with my right hand. Isabel too followed upon notig, her tears still falling, while the others remained inside. We stood outside the King's room beside the door in the hallway. Isabel and the Queen's faces were filled with uainty and unease. I still hadn't let go of her arm, but she didn't seem to care. "Moth- I mean Your Majesty, FATHER WOULD NEVER RAISE A HAND ON A WOMAN. Have you ever seen him sp anyone? No, have you ever even seen him raise his hand before? HAVE YOU? Nht? Do you really think that-" Ah....their expressions.......seem to tell me...that my words........were a key to something...... "Sister.....the servants of Father's quarters.......reported that........he never left the room today. But father had forbid them from delivering the o us about his siess........so we wouldn't worry..........." Isabel said with her eyes wide, perig into my eyes. "And so...the person" the Queen treamblingly with her face paled. "who we met earlier.......was...someone else.....in His Majesty's...." Their realization dawned on their faces, their eyes widening. "You...must be...kidding me..." I uttered stammering, my eyes widening. Of course I was ag just so they don't suspect me of knowing who that guy was. "Wait.....sister!" Isabel's face lit up. "Your powers! 't they be used to heal people?" She pressed, her eyes pleading. it, Veles? I thought. "Hmm.....not like it 't but.......your not stupid enough to help these devils, are you? Isn't it better for us, just to let them die on their own?" "Of course." I said aloud. I stepped bato the room, striding towards Father. Upon seeing me e closer to Father, the Pope said, "Princess, I know it hurts to see His Majesty like this, but you-" Veles too said, "Hey! Lumi! What do you think you're doing?! Are you really just gonna-" *SHINE* Pg my hand on father's forehead, I let the power of the Dragon Fmes erupt from my fiips, as the glorious fmes entered father's body and a blinding light filled the room, it was a se to behold. The High Priest retreated his hand, giving me way to heal Father instead. The Queen and Isabel too entered upon seeing the light shining out of the room, and so did the servants and maids around there. Everyoood frozen in amusement. *3 mier* I let out a sigh as I moved away from father. My body strained and exhausted. The Queen and Isabel came and stood beside me. Just then.... As the light faded, the High Priest rose from his seat, his face alight with joy. "His Majesty! He just moved his finger!" And father had opened his eyes. "Your Majesty!" Everyone excimed in relief, except......Lord Heron, who stared at me with narrowed eyes. I turo the Pope, the High Priest, and Lord Heron, my voianding. "You may take your leave, Your Holihe Pope, High Priest, and you might as well, Lord Heron." I said, perig through Lord Heron's eyes, "You will be paid a hefty sum of money for your hard work." I asserted, looking down with my eyes shut. The Pope lighting up in joy, "AH! Thank you so much, Your Royal Highness, we will be-" "You may please take your leave now." I demanded raising my voice, cutting him off. I really don't have time to deal with such money suckers. "Of-of course," the Pope remarked, making a pissed face as he hurriedly passed by me, leaving the room along with the High Preist. But......Lord Heron paused beside me, whispering, "As expected," before leaving the room. *DOOR SHUTS* Isabel and the Quee weeping to the King, who had risen up but had said nothing. The Queen and Isabel tio wail about how worried and tehey were for him. Perhaps.....if I was also treated like a family........I think I would've also cried like them. But that doesn't matter anymore; there are more important things to be dohan just waste time thinking about things I 't get nor really desire anymore. "Your Majesty, the Queen and Isabel, I believe it would be prudent to allow His Majesty to rest. The pain he endured must have caused fatigue." I voiced. Isabel pursing her lips, letting out a sigh, "Mother, I think she's right." The Queeantly agreed. I smiled in relief at their agreement. It was clear that the King o rest and recover from his pain. "For o least." Isabel added, looking back at me with a sly smile. Hah.....nothing's ged, I guess. I thought, turning my head away. "Why aren't you ing?" asked the Queen upon reag the door. "I'll be there in just a minute." I said with a smile. The Queeing out a sigh, left the room behind Isabel. *DOOR SHUTS* Turning my head back to father, who sat upright and posed, finally said his first words after all that pain. "I'm not ied in what you have to say, so get out." He demanded, letting out a weary sigh and leaning back to the pillow behind him. "Instead of thanking me, who just saved you, you're kig me out? Hah! What a PATHETIC EXISTENCE YOU ARE!" I asserted with a superior voice, my voice dripping with disdain. Father's face torted with rage. "HOW-" "YOUR MAJESTY!" I cut him off, my face raised high, my eyes gring down at him with superiority. The King made a puzzled expression filled with rage. "Do you really think, I'm unaware of your use of bck magic?" I questioned, squinting my eyes. Father's face paled, and a shiver ran down his spine. I walked towards the window, which was covered with curtains, preventing any light from ing in. *Opens curtains**Light fills half of the room* "Your room is your heart, and this light is my power." I excimed, looking at the light ing in. Turning around "The seizures weren't caused by your brairical activity; it was because your heart is bing; it's detrioting because of how much you've used bck magibsp;Father's eyes widened in shock as I tinued. "You see," I said, sitting on the windowsill. "This room isn't pletely lit up, but only partially; that's just how your heart is," I said, raising my hand. "I've only suppressed the seizure to the extent of this light; just look at how big your room is; there's no guara won't ain." I expined, looking at Father. "The stability of your heart is........pretty much shattered." I stated, looking up at the ceiling with my finger on my , "I 't pletely cure you because my powers are for healing, not purifying." I said, shurgging my shoulders, my voiont. "So you'll die pretty soon, not to mention you won't get to see the New Year. Which means...you'll die within this year!" I procimed as I smiled brightly, watg as father's face torted with fear and shock. He stared at his hands, his jaw sbsp;"But rest assured!" I said, raising my index finger, grabbing his attention. "Your life is now in my hands." I veyed with a sly smile. "Which means..." I jumped off the windowsill, walking towards father and sitting on his bed, taking his hand in mine. "We'll finally get to py, Daddy and Daughter!" I decred with another smile with my eyes shut. Father's eyes widened even further, arembled with terror, uo speak. He couldn't utter a siter or even flinymore. "So, daddy," I leaned in, whispering in his ear. "Don't get in my way, and do just as I say. I'm the only one who cure you anyway." I rose from the bed with the fluidity of a serpent, my flowing blue dress rippling like a turbulent tide. My hair fanned out in ahereal dispy of trast betweey and impending darkness. With my eyes shut and a dangerously alluring smile upon my lips, I spoke in a voice dripping with both sweetness and venom, "Daddy, I promise! I'll be the only one who leads you to the path of eternal pain aru. So py along while I'm still being kind." "You know well, if my words were to be spilled even to the most trusted of your panions, you won't st a sed longer, user of Bck Magic." I added with a superiaze. "Domions.....will no longer be ruling ohrone." A chill crept along the King's spine, sending an uliion through his body. "Be a good daddy, and don't do anything without my permit. If you do, then you'll pay for every little sequence." With that, I turned ahe room, my heart filled with a twisted sense of satisfa. The game had begun, and I would be the oo decide the fate of the Dominion throne.-Helia Pace; Roxana's Room- As the heavy door of mother's room clicked shut behind me, I leaned back against it, a sinister grin creeping ay face. The dim light filtering through the curtains danced across the room, casting pyful shadows that mirrored my thoughts. "Hmm... to think..." I mused aloud, gliding across the plush carpet towards my bed, my firailing along the ornate furniture, feeling the ess of the polished wood beh my touch. Upon reag the bed, I raised the of the maed there with my index finger, my smile brightening as I met his gaze. "Lord Heron, would visit." Lord Heron sat rexed, arms crossed and one leg casually draped over the other, his tilting upwards in a dispy of fidence as my finger gently nudged him. "Seems like the Princess's debut isn't so far away after all," he remarked, a smirk pying on his lips, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Hehe, of course," I replied, twirling around in my flowing dress, the fabric swirling around me like a cascade of stars, radiating an air of glory and eleganbsp;"You're pretty," he decred, rising from the bed and taking my haly, his gloved fingers brushing against my skin. "But only oside," he added, his sly smile hinting at deeper meanings. "Hehe, I like you, Lord Heron," I asserted, pg my other hand on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of his presence as we began to danbsp;The musi the hidden gramophone filled the room, a soft waltz that echoed the rhythm of our hearts. I felt the world around us fade away as we moved together, gliding across the floor. My dress flowed like liquid silk, swirling around us, creating a mesmerizing tapestry of color and movement. "Wow... to think you were such a flirty person!" Veles interjected, his voice cutting through the moment. My thoughts screaming, Shut up. I'm only doing this for the sake of my life, get it? "HMPH!" he remarked. I let out a sigh, momentarily distracted from the danbsp;Just then, Heron made a daring move, pulling me closer. I stumbled back, his hand cradling my back, his face mere timeters from mihe Princess seems to have something else in mind when I'm right in front of her," he teased, his breath warm against my skin. My eyes widened in surprise. "Ah... I'm sorry," I stammered, and he swiftly helped me regain my bance, our bodies resuming the dance as if nothing had happened when I was just seds ago from falling onto the ground. "So, is the wine ready?" he asked, his tone casual but his eyes searg mine for answers. "Yeah, it's ready," I answered. The discovery of berry wine in my pace's basemeo finding a covert warehouse behind a fake wall, revealing an impressive colle owned by a true afiado. I instructed My and Mylo to remain undercover on the day I got an invitation to the Royal Family Dinner. Leading to unication with the wine mert through midnight letters. The mert revealed himself at the temple, promptio visit Leena's workpce. Fearing the wine would be stolen or reported after the ba in my honor, I vinced Leena to store it at the Lobis Mansion instead of the Pace, which took three days of persuasion. I pn to use the wio elevate Lord Heron's status and unch his fine wierprise, setting the stage for h Society allianbsp;"That's brilliant," Lord Heron replied, his eyes sparkling with admiration. The dance tinued, eaent more intimate tha, until I felt a sudden shift in the air. My heart raced as I realized the stakes of our partnership. This was more than just a da relude to a dangerous game, ohat could ge the fate of our worlds.To be tinued...