Chapter 88 - Miracle
Cian and Seren didn't talk much other than asking how they were doing but seeing each other made them happy, even though it was not often.
Among this huge royal family, there was at least one person who would come to see her and talk to her. He was the one who was never scared of her. In fact, for him, she was an innocent little sister. Though they didn't share the same mother, Cian never treated her like a step-sibling, and he was the same with his other siblings, too, a responsible older brother who loved his younger siblings.
"What should we do now, father?" Cian asked as frowned lines appeared on his forehead, "Why is Martha not here yet?"
"She will be here soon," King Armen assured as he didn't wish to talk about how they couldn't find Martha as if she had disappeared into thin air. More like King was worried if Martha was in danger or something bad had happened to her.
The people they were protecting Seren from and how King Armen had managed to do it all these years with the help of Martha, he was sure those people would one day follow Martha, and it might put her in danger.
Dusk, who observed everything by now, pecked twice on Seren's arm and looked at her. She looked at him, but she didn't know what he meant. He stepped back and was ready to open his wings as if telling her he would leave and return soon.
In a moment, everyone saw that majestic eagle who dared to sit in the Third Princess' bed, fled out of the window.
"We need to search who that bird belongs to or how he came to Abetha. I am sure he doesn't belong here," said Cian, and King Armen nodded.
Cian left as he needed to find out about that eagle while King Armen chose to be by his daughter's side, hoping to see Seren recognize his presence.
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After making sure, Seren was fine and Dusk was by her side, Drayce left with Arlan to check on Slayer, who was still unconscious. Moreover, King Armen, her own father, was there, so he had nothing to worry about her. After getting to know King Armen, Drayce could see King Armen sure cared for his daughter. But the question was, who was he to worry about this stranger girl who he had never meet before and was even ready to fight with her own family for her sake. Why did he worry for her so much?
When Drayce and Arlan reached Slayer's chamber, the old mysterious physician Erich Winfield was, as usual, present there attending his patient with his two subordinates. By now, he had heard everything about Drayce and the entire rescue mission for Prince Cian. He even got to know what happened in the palace with the third princess and how Drayce was the one to take her out of the tower.
The physician knew Seren's mother, so he was sure that she was not an ordinary person and the one who brought her out of the tower was the same, not an ordinary man.
"King of Megaris!" Erich Winfield said as he looked at the red-eyed man who had just entered Slayer's chamber.
Drayce just looked at him with his usual cold gaze that didn't let anyone guess what went in his mind. Drayce waited to know what this old man wanted to say. Not like he was interested in knowing anything other than Slayer's condition.
Erich Winfield stood up from his chair and came to stand in front of Drayce as he stared into his red intimidating eyes. "Son of Queen Esther!"
Now there was a change in Drayce's sight, and even Arlan was surprised.
Erich Winfield continued as he observed Drayce's face closely, "You look nothing like your mother."
Even after Knowing Drayce was a king, the attitude of this old Physician didn't change towards him. He treated Drayce like any other ordinary young man.
"You know my mother?" Drayce asked.
Drayce and Arlan had already got surprised when they saw Erich Winfield knew king Armen and looked like he held the secrets to his past life. He even dared to disrespect the king of Abetha in his own palace by calling him by his name and replying mockingly, but King Armen put up with him. It shows this old man was not what he looked like. He sure knew so many things that others were not aware of.
"I happened to cross paths with her just like how we did," Erich Winfield replied.
Drayce turned curious but didn't know what exactly to ask this old man. Moreover, he was sure it wouldn't be easy to get answers from him.
"Is there something that I should know?" Drayce asked.
Erich Winfield continued looking at the young king, who didn't ask him anything about his mother and smirked. 'Full of pride and stubborn to the core!' The old man concluded about Drayce.
Finally, the old man broke the silence, "Though the appearance is not like your mother, I wish you to have a heart like her, kind and devoted."
"Kind and devoted?" Drayce repeated it. "I would prefer to stay away from it."
The old physician only smiled lightly and said, "Won't you ask about your knight today?"
"How is he?" Drayce asked and stepped towards Slayer as his ears focussed on hearing the old man's conclusion about Slayer's condition.
"Still the same. We can only wait for him to wake up," Erich Winfield replied as he mumbled after a sigh, "A long wait or a miracle that will wake him up sooner."
Miracle!
This word clicked something in Drayce's mind as all he could think was why he didn't think about it before.
Drayce pulled out the violet silk pouch, which he still had after giving one pill from it to Seren. Pulling out one pill from it, Drayce stood up and went to Erich Winfield and held that pill in front of him.
"Give this to him," Drayce instructed.
Feeling puzzled, Erich Winfield looked at that pill, and the next moment his eyes brightened up as if he recognized it. "This….Where did you get it?"
"For now, giving it to him is important," Drayce countered, not willing to answer.
Erich Winfield accepted the pill and put it in the tinny white crucible filled with liquid medicine. The next moment that pill dissolved in the liquid without leaving any trace, and he asked his subordinate to feed it to Slayer.
Erich Winfield returned to Drayce as he looked like he had so many questions, "I need to know where did you get it?"
"It belonged to the third princess," Drayce answered the truth.
If this mysterious man knew King Armen and even his mother, the previous Queen of Megaris, Queen Esther, then he sure had knowledge about so many things. He didn't hesitate even once before giving that pill to Slayer, so it was clear, this old man knew about what it was. There was no need to hide something like this from him.
Hearing it, Erich Winfield looked even puzzled. "I would like to keep my patient in King Drayce's care for a while," he said, and Drayce nodded lightly to permit him. Drayce understood this man was going somewhere to get the answers to his questions that troubled him after seeing that pill.
Once Erich Winfield left, Arlan asked, "What's with him?"
"Seems like he is aware of so many things that even we don't know," Drayce replied.
"He even knows your mother," Arlan commented.
Drayce nodded lightly as he was as surprised as Arlan was.
Instructing his trusted knights to guard Slayer's chambers, Drayce left with Arlan.
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King Armen was still in Seren's chamber. Once Dusk left, she was again silent, and King Armen chose to accompany her silently.
After a while, a guard entered the chamber and informed, "Your Majesty, Physician Erich Winfield, seeks an audience with you."
King Armen nodded lightly and looked at the nurses, "Take care of her."
The two nurses bowed slightly, accepting the instruction from their king as he left to go out of the chamber.
King went to meet Erich Winfield in his study, where he was waiting for king Armen while standing by the window and looked like he had a lot to ask.
"Did you ask for me, Erich?" King asked.
"Valen!" Erich Winfield came to King Armen and asked hurriedly, "Is Celia here in the palace?"
His sudden question startled the king. "Celia?"
Erich Winfield nodded, "Celia Voss! Back then, when you were injured, and Sierra brought you to me, you saw her there. She helped me to treat you," Erich Winfield reminded him.
King Armen looked like he still didn't get it and asked, "Why are you asking about her suddenly?"
"Today, I saw something that reminded me of her. Tell me if she is here," Erich Winfield asked, as his eyes looked hopeful.