Chapter 22 - anize My Thoughts!

  -Helia Pace; Royal Infirmary-

  "Easy, Yhness," Veles said softly, pg a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You've been through a lot. Just take it slow." I stirred awake, my senses slowly returning to me like a fog lifting from a distant shore. "Where...where am I?" I asked, I mao croak, my voice barely rising above a whisper. The dim light in the room made it hard to see, and the outlines of the furniture appeared as shadowy figures in my mind. "You're in the Royal Infirmary," My expined. "You've been unscious for several days. We were soooooooooo worried about you." Several days? The st thing I remember was having a versation with mother which was absolutely very...Ah, the pain! It hurts a lot! No! Luxana, bear the pain! If you 't even hahis much, how do you pn oing your so-called "REVENGE" anyway? Just think of it as a punishment I must bear for... not even attempting to reach out to that Japanese woman earlier? I thought, doing my best not to sch up my face due to the unbearable pain. “How are you feeling, Princess?” My’s gentle voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. “Like my head’s going to explode,” I admitted, rubbing my temples in a futile attempt to ease the pressure. “But I’ll manage.” “I’ll get the healer,” My said, rising from her seat. “Just stay here a.” “No! There’s no need. I don’t want to deal with anyht now. Just let me rest for a while. I’ll be fine,” I insisted, sinking deeper into the bedding, desperate for solitude. "Lumi, seriously, just give yourself a break! You gotta quit pushin' yourself to the limit before you implode." Veles interjected, his arms crossed and his gaze fixed on the door with a detached expression. "It ain't gonna do anybody any good if you keep pushin' too hard. So cut yourself some sd take a breather, got it? You're useless to everyone if you're burnt out anyway~" “Just…shut up…for a sed,” I mumbled, pressing my head into my hands, hoping to block out both the pain and the world around me. The pain in my head was relentless, but it was nothing pared to the turmoil in my heart. How could everything have gone s? And what did Mother's words mean? Hades...Helios...the killer of her family...I thought. I closed my eyes, trying to silehe chaos within. Eaame echoed in my thoughts like a haunting melody, pulling me deeper into a web of fusion and fear. I had to find crity. I had to uand what had happeo my family and why I felt so lost. Turning to my right, my eyes widened in surprise. "My? Why are you.......g?" I asked, threading through my voibsp;My quickly wiped away her tears, her face flushing with embarrassment. She tried to muster a smile but failed. "She's been doing that ever since we found out you were unscious," Veles excimed, his voice steady but his eyes betraying a flicker of worry. He stood with his arms crossed, his face remaining expressionless, as if trying to hide his owions. "My, please don't cry," I said softly, the guilt gnawing at my heart. I gently reached out to touch her hand. "I'm still here. I'm still fighting." My gave me a watery smile, her eyes red and puffy from tears. She csped my hand tightly, as if afraid to let go. "It's just...I was so scared, Princess. I thought we might lose you." "You won't lose me," I promised, though the words felt heavy with uainty. The pain in my head was overwhelming, and the weight of my responsibilities felt like a mountain on my shoulders. But I had to be strong. For them. For my family. Veles sighed deeply, running a hand through his disheveled hair. His eyes were filled with as he looked at me. "Look, we all know you're tough, Lumi. But tough doesn't mean invincible. You've got to take care of yourself too." I hough I wasn't sure how to follow his advice. Every time I tried to rest, my mind was invaded by relentless and defiant thoughts.-Afternoon, Helia Pace; Roxana's Room- As I sat in the guest er of my room, gazing out of the window at the sprawling gardens of Helia Pace, the sunlight filtering through the delicate ce curtains painted dappled patterns on the wooden floor. The room itself was a blend al opulend personal fort, with plush cushions and a tapestry depig a battles ad one wall. Leena, dressed in a crisp maid's uniform, entered with a warm smile. Her uniform was meticulously pressed, and she wore a small, silver brooch of the pasignia on her chest. Despite the King's illness, which had restricted entry a without a royal permit from the Queen, I had mao disguise Leena to avoid drawing attention, thanks to My's ing. "Thank you for showing up, Leena," I said, gesturing for her to take a seat on the velvet-upholstered chair across from me. "Of course, Yhness. It's my honor," Leena replied, settling into the chair. Her eyes were filled with genuine . "I'm gd to see you're doing well, Yhness." I smiled reassuringly. "How about I start by introdug you to my allies first?" “Oh! I’d be delighted,” Leena said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. I snapped my fingers. The room seemed to darken momentarily as My and Mylo glided in, shrouded in ahereal fog that swirled around their forms. My, a witch with casg brown hair and pierg green eyes, wore long, flowing robes that billowed as she moved. Her eyes, vibrant and alive, hi her deep well of magical knowledge and her e to the natural world. Each step she took echoed with the soft rustle of a fabrid her presence exuded a sere powerful aura. Mylo, in his werewolf form, was a t figure of raw power and intimidation. His fur, a deep, almost midnight blue, shimmered subtly in the dim light. His whitish hair framed his fierce yet intelligent face, with hazel eyes that seemed to pierce through the very soul. Standing on two legs, his muscur form was covered in dark, intricate patterns that seemed to shift and ge as he moved. His demeanor was calm and calg, always , always analyzing, with an aura of primal strength. Veles, in his human form, had blue hair and striking blue eyes that seemed to glow with an inner fire. Materializing out of my neckce, his appearance was both mesmerizing and awe-inspiring. His hair, like a cascade of the clearest sapphire, framed a face that was bal and fierce. Veles's eyes, refleg the depths of the o, burned with the iy of a thousand suns. His presenanded resped admiration, and the air around him crackled with energy. Leena blinked, her eyes wide as she tried to make sense of the surreal se unfolding before her. "Meet My and Drake!" I excimed, raising my hand to my right, “This is My, the witet with me at ‘The Moonlit Tearoom Café.’ And this is Drake, a werewolf who, along with My, has been helping me unicate with the wine dealer.” (P.S. fot to mention, when I informed them that I was going to introduce them to Leena, Mylo begged for his o be ged because everyoeases him for having a hat matches with My and others think they're siblings, though I really liked their names matg I was forced to ge it. (┬┬﹏┬┬) So I named him Drake but I really hope I still call him Mylo sometimes.) “And this is Veles, the Dragon on Fmes,” I added, gesturing to my left. “They’ve all been a tremendous help to me sihings took a turn for the worse.” Leena stood frozen, her eyes focused on Drake, who was still in his wolf form. Her hands trembled slightly. "Oh, umh...Drake, please go back to your usual form. You too, My," I said gently. My and Drake heir forms shifting back to their usual appearances. My's glow dimmed, and Drake's features softened, making them look more human. The fog dissipating around them. “Oh, um....................it’s...........good to meet all of you,” Leena stammered, her voice trembling slightly, a sheen of sweat glistening on her brow. “You too,” My said with a warm smile, trying to ease Leena’s evident fear. " we sit down now?" Veles asked, sounding slightly irritated, his tail flig impatiently. “Yeah, go ahead,” I replied, watg as My, Drake, and Veles settled into their chairs beside me. “Now, let’s get straight to the point!" "Leena, I’ve called you here because you know my mother better than ahere have been uling things happening to me retly, and since you’re one of the few I trust, I would appreciate your insights about her. But first, I’d like everyoo help me categorize, prioritize, and ceptualize my thoughts. Sihey've been in disarray ever since I woke up today." I added, my voice tinged with a mixture of apprehension and hope. Everyone looked a bit puzzled aant, their expressions mirr my own iurmoil as uainty hung in the air. “Ah, I’m sorry if this makes you unfortable,” I added, feeling a twinge of guilt. "No, no, it's not like that, Yhness," Leena quickly reassured me, raising both her hands and shaking them, her voice ear. “Princess, I’ll get a pen and paper. Please give me a sed,” My said, rushing to my ornate mahogany drawer to retrieve them. “Here,” she excimed, pg the paper and pen in front of me. “We’re all set to hear what you’ve got,” she added with a soft smile, her eyes encing. "Holy, it's good that you're finally opening up to us a bit," Drake chimed in, the ers of his mouth lifting slightly in a rare smile. “The’s begin!” I excimed, feeling a surge of determinatio's start from where it all began," I stated, taking a deep breath to steady myself. "It started on the day of fat— I mean, His Majesty's Birthday Bahat day, Cillian invaded and assassiwo people, who I suspect to be Elmirians." "It's been like 3 months since His Majesty's ba!" Leena excimed, her eyes wide with incredulity. "And who’s Cillian?" Veles asked, his curiosity piqued. "Yeah, is he another of your allies whom we don't know?" Drake added, his toinged with impatienbsp;"He's the Prince of Valentine, a duchy in Elmir," My answered, her voice soft but firm. "He's...um...I think he's an ally?" She turo me, seeking firmation. "Oh, um...well...I'm not sure," I said relutly, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach. "We'll get onto that in a moment." "Oh? Don't tell me....is he your-" "SHUT UP, Veles," My interrupted, gring at him with sutensity that he visibly recoiled. "'t you see the Princess is unfortable?" she raged, her fists g. Drake let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay, enough already! Please tinue, Princess." "Ah, yes! So then, the very day, His Majesty called for me in Helia Pace, but I refused to take a step out of Amoria Pace. He definitely wao ask whether I was the one responsible for that i. ht, after a few days it was my birthday. That night, Cillian showed up again at the baly and got me to disclose the information about the Annex o the Helia Pace. Oh, just so you know, it's an abandoned ahat secretly houses a o where the nobility gather. His Majesty drinks there. He uses these gatherings te retionships and manipute visitors using illegal methods." "Oh my my~ this Cillian guy's got quite the nerve," Veles added, a smirk pying on his lips. "Shut up, idiot," Drake retorted, rolling his eyes. "Wait! Is there really a o run by the King?" Leena questioned curiously, her eyes sparkling with intrigue. "Yes," I added, letting out a sigh. "Though I'm not sure why Cillian wanted information about such a trivial thing." "Could it be...he's going to infiltrate it or something?" Drake suggested, his eyes narrowing. "There's a high possibility," Veles remarked, nodding thoughtfully, his tone serious. "Hmmm...maybe. Then the day, I...*sigh* killed my nanny." I added, my voice barely above a whisper. Everyone fell silent, shock etched on their faces. "WHAT?" Veles excimed, jumping up from his seat. "HOW?" "Long story short, she wasn’t a good person to begin with. She tortured and traumatized me, so I used whatever I could find arouo kill her. Once I did, Cillian appeared and helped me hide the evidehe doctor came in but failed to save her. Then I ended up meeting her husband that night, and he itted suicide in my garden in front of the butler because he hated her and couldn’t bear the pain of losing her. So, he took his own life. Of course, this is how it resented in court, but the truth is, his family ressuring him, and he couldn’t handle losing the one he loved, so he took the easy way out. I wasn’t caught." Everyone eechless. The room seemed to grow colder, and the silence was deafening. "Oh! Then Cillian, before leaving that night, said he would help me avenge my mother! I know that my mother and his mother had a close friendship, but could this have something to do with him?" "Hmm....let me see..." Leena said, her brow furrowing in tration. "Oh! I fot, he traded my mother’s keepsake in exge for the information about the o," I said, instinctively toug the neckce around my nebsp;"Huh? But the Queen had taken all Her Late Majesty's belongings. Where did he get that from? Are you sure it's not fake?" Leena questioned, her eyes narrowing. "Oh no, it isn't. It definitely isn't. Cillian is a demon trabsp;"WHAT?" Veles jumped up from his seat again, his face pale. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW?" "Na...no?" I stammered. Veles walked towards me, grabbing my shoulders with a tight grip. "DO YOU KNOW HOW HE MADE A DEMON TRACT?" "No........I don't..." "AH! You're so useless, Lumi!!!!!!!" he excimed, shaking me slightly. "HEY!" My and Drake shouted in unison, trying to pull Veles away from me. "Veles, please sit down. Things would work out better for everyone here if you could expin why knowing ho-" "Kay, kay! I get it," Veles said interrupting Leena, snatg his arms away from Drake and plopping bato his seat. "Are you okay, Princess?" My whispered, her hands gently resting on my arms from behind. "Yeah, I am," I remarked, seating babsp;"Look. From what I know, demon tractors are extremely rare. No, demons themselves are extremely rare to find on this p anymore. They’ve been yanked back to the demon realm. Sihe gate between the human and demon realms has been sealed sihe time dragons disappeared from the human realm, it’s impossible for a demon tractor to exist," Veles expined, his voice steadying. "Then, aren't you and him the same case? Your Dragon race disappeared but you remaio be tinued...