Chapter 91 - Water
"Father, can't we do something for her...I can't see her like this," Cian said as his voice sounded sad.
"We can't," King Armen replied, "It will only put her in danger, and she will end up suffering for a lifetime."
"Why? When will father tell me about this? We might find a way to help her."
"I will tell you when the time will come," King Armen assured.
Having a few spoons, Seren stopped eating.
It worried everyone to think about what had happened.
Dusk rubbed his head on Seren's hand as if he had understood what it was. He stepped back as he fled away. Dusk had observed Seren closely as per his King's order to keep an eye on her if she needed something, and Dusk had done his best. Just in a short period of time, he understood her and was by her side when she was scared and alone.
King Armen stepped towards her bed and asked, "Are you not feeling well? Is that food not good?" Dusk was not there so King Armen could take that liberty to get closer to his daughter or that Audacious bird would never let him be.
Seren didn't reply to King Armen as she continued sitting with her sight lowered down.
"Give her water," Cian instructed, who understood what must be the reason.
The nurse filled the glass of water for Seren and went to her. "Your highness."
Seren didn't react and didn't even accept the water. The nurse looked at King Armen and Cian to know what to do now. Not like she could force the Third Princess to drink water.
"Keep it there," Cian instructed, and the nurse kept it on the bedside table.
They waited for Seren to pick up the glass of water on her own but there was no positive outcome.
"Seems like that incident made her lose faith in everyone," King Armen said in a sad voice, "I am the one to blame for letting her face such heinous sight."
"Head Physician said she needs some time. She will be fine," Cian consoled his father though he himself felt sad that she didn't even respond to her own father and brother who loved and cared for her.
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Soon dusk reached the soldier's quarters, where Drayce alone was talking to the captain of knights.
"We all are ready to return. Only waiting for Your Majesty's order," the Captain of the Knights informed.
"Once Slayer is in condition to travel this long, we will leave," Drayce explained.
The Captain nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty."
"There would be someone who would be going with us, so prepare everything nicely not to have any trouble during the journey," Drayce added.
"May I ask who, your majesty?" the captain asked, though he somewhat guessed it.
"No!"
As usual, the knight got the same straight denial coated with a cold tone. He couldn't help but curse himself for even asking it.
"Understood, Your Majesty," the captain bowed.
Just then, dusk arrived there as he made a loud screeching sound. The tone of his screech was enough for his master to understand he had come for something important.
Drayce looked at him, who fled in a circle just above Drayce and the Captain. "What is it?" Drayce asked.
Dusk's eyes searched for something, and the moment he found it, he fled towards it. A slim wooden water carrier was hanging at the wooden pole supporting the shade in front of the Soldier's quarter. Dusk grabbed the tiny rope strap that hung on the nail on the wooden pole and brought it to Drayce as he landed on Captain's shoulder.
Drayce looked at his knight and ordered. "Fill the one I use and give it to him."
There was no way Drayce would give someone else's random thing to the royal lady who would be the Queen of Megaris soon.
The Captain left to get the water carrier that belonged to his King. It was kept with the essential things needed during the journey for his king. The knight found a wooden box with a slim elbow-length finely carved wooden water carrier that had fine crafting made of gold and silver on it with rare gems. Just by a single glance, one could guess it definitely belonged to someone royal and rich and not any ordinary soldier. They were specially crafted for the King of Megaris and even had the logo crafted on them, which symbolized the Megaris Kingdom.
The captain filled it with fresh water and handed it over to Dusk, which he grabbed in just a moment and fled away without even turning to look back at his master and looked like he was in a hurry to even care about anyone else.
The Captian felt puzzled to think exactly what was going on, that not just food but Dusk even had to fetch the water for that person.
"Never saw him this busy when he is not even serving His Majesty but someone else," the captain commented as he reached where his King was busy checking the swords kept on the one table that was newly sharpened.
Drayce ran his finger over the sharp age of one sword as he heard what the captain had just said. "He found someone precious than me," Drayce commented.
It shocked the Captian as it was impossible to happen that dusk would even put someone over his King. The entire world could turn upside down, but this was just impossible.
'Is it true that she is really a witch and not just his majesty, but she had enchanted an eagle also?' Just as he thought it, the next relieving thought came to his mind, 'Doesn't matter as our king is the devil himself.'
Drayce put the sword in his hand down on the table and looked at the Captain, who was busy in his thoughts, "Don't think too much. I share the same thoughts as Dusk."
"Huh?" The Captain didn't get what his king said, but who could dare to question the red-eyed devil.
"Being busy on the battlefield had made you lose your common sense," Drayce commented again.
"Understood, Your Majesty," he simply bowed, regardless of whether he understood anything.
Drayce had important work to do as a King of one Kingdom, so he returned to his chamber as his one knight followed him.
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Dusk reached Seren's chamber, where King Armen and Cian were clueless about what to do. They heard the eagle's screech and understood he must have brought something else now and waited to see what it was.
He had something elbow length that he held in his claw and dropped it in Seren's feet. He pushed it closer to her feet, asking her to get it. Seren picked it up, and Dusk pecked on the lid of the bottle. Seren held it and tried to move, but she was too weak even to rotate that lid.
Cian saw it and stepped ahead. Dusk was about to open his wings and screech at him, but Cian said coldly as his sapphire blue eyes stared into Dusk's golden ones.
"I am not harming her. She needs help," Dusk folded his wings back and let Cian walk closer to the bed on the side where Seren was sitting.
"Let brother help you, Seren," Cian said.
For the first time, it seemed like she finally recognized someone else other than Dusk and let go of that water carrier.
Cian removed its lid and passed it to her. She held it but not even once looked at her brother. She didn't drink water as if she was waiting for something. Cain understood and returned to his father.
Shifting the veil a bit up, she had a sip of water.
"That thing belongs to King Megaris Too," Cian informed and King Armen gave him a questioning look.
"It has a symbol of the Kingdom of Megaris. Also, It's well crafted and precious that no ordinary soldier can have it," Cian explained the reasoning.
"Is he communicating with Seren through this bird?" King Armen asked.
"Looks like it," said Cain.
King Armen was now somewhat sure Drayce had met Seren or how he would have asked to marry her. But how did he meet her and why was he suddenly so interested in her? And there was no way he would want to marry a girl who is known as a witch as no Kingdom would want one witch to be their Queen.
Also, there was no way Drayce would have seen her face. If he had seen it, then things wouldn't be this normal. Another chaos would have waited for King Armen. What was there that suddenly Drayce wanted to marry his daughter without even seeing how she looked and had nothing glorious about her other than being the most hated and unwanted person in the kingdom of Abetha.
What should he do now to turn down this young King's demand or he had to give into him.