Chapter 44: Chapter 44

For days, Keres couldn’t comprehend what was happening in her life, she hardly slept and during the days, it felt as though a needle was being pierced into her heart. What is the whole world was happening to her? She was always anxious, afraid and wondered when the king was going to ask the guards to lock her up too as he did to Xanth.

Xanth, his thought crossed her mind for the umpteenth time today. It even scared her how she thought of him and how it itched to see him every blessed day. She didn't know whether it was because of the time they had spent together for the past few days but she had missed him. But wait, how did the king know they weren’t there?

He hardly ever looked for her and even the times she had gotten to his chamber, it was her that requested for it. And wait, if Xanth knew he would find out that he wasn’t there, she was sure he wouldn’t have taken the risk of losing his life. She immediately stood up and called for Katharina who appeared in a few seconds and bowed her head down.

“I’m here, Your Highness.”

“Where's Desdemona?” That’s when it occurred to her, she hadn't seen this woman since when she was back and it was odd for Desdemona not to come. Even if she wouldn’t be there for something good, she would be just to make sure she had spent that smirk she always had on her face.

Katharina ducked her head down, “I’m sorry, your highness. But Desdemona had been captured by the king for days now. She’s in hostage.” Keres’s heart lost a bit, this, this is what gave them away!

“How did he find out? I mean...” She let her words trailed off she began to pace through the room, “Why was she captured? Did he find out that she was a durush?” Maybe he wanted to use her too, right? And she was giving away everything as though it wasn’t a piece of a cake.

“I heard her husband had been in hostage for hundreds of years, and we both know that Belrynna isn’t easily accessible. She had finally found him and they were being careless that the guards began to suspect her even though she disguised herself as one of them. It was reported back to the king and he has them both in hostage....”

Slowly, Keres cut her off as she slumped on the nearby chair, “And he’s tapping out all our secrets from her. What a mistake I've done!” She said through gritted teeth. She should’ve thought that there should be a reason for Desdemona to help her and even request for coming to Belrynna. How careless she had been?!

She stood up, furious and her quest to see Xanth was becoming unbearable. “Do you know the prison Xanth had been taken to?” Katharina nodded and she walked past her, “Take me there.”

*

Keres wondered how Katharina had gotten used to the guards but she later understood that she had already gotten herself a boyfriend from them and that was why they were easily let in. She stood by the irons that separated them and wanted to burn everything with her fire until there was no barrier between them anymore.

“Hey.” She called out, softly and smiled at how shocked he seemed. He had never thought she would visit him and that thought was prominent on his face. Xanth trudged to the caged door and stared into her eyes, she chuckled. “Can you please stop acting as though you’ve seen a ghost? It’s me. We’re friends, aren’t we?”

He immediately nodded his head and placed his hands on top of hers that was holding the metal door, they both felt an electric shock that surged through them. She briskly stared at their hands before she looked up at him, he was now worried. “Why are you here, your highness? You could easily get killed by him if he knows you visit me.”

She rolled her eyes dramatically, “And why would that bother you? Did you risk your life to take me to Kestramore, remember? I should return the favour.” When he hardened his expression which she knew was her words that annoyed him, she laughed. “Come on, nothing will happen. I'm a dragon princess and killing me wouldn’t be as easy as you make it sound. Plus, the head of the guards here is Katharina’s boyfriend, he’ll make sure the kind doesn't know I visit you if that will make you feel better.”

He was just staring at how she was smiling and she seemed to be relaxed. He had missed being around her and not being able to see her was more torturous than being in this cell. “I've missed you, your highness.” She felt as he tightened his hold on her hands and the tears that didn’t warn her pooled her eyes.

She hissed softly and lifted her face to blow them back but still, the stubborn ones amongst them cascaded down her cheeks, “It’s hurting me to know you’re here because of me. Tell me, are you alright?”

“I'm not here because of you, your highness. I'm only here because I choose to see those smiles I've seen from you and believe me, it’s all worth it. But there’s a problem.” She became alarmed, even though his words had never melted her heart like they did today and she wanted to hug him until she slept for a few days non stop.

“What’s the problem?” Her heart pounded and even before he replied to her, she knew it had something to do with Desdemona.

“Your maid, she has told the king everything to save her life and that of her husband.”

“By everything, do you mean including Aranya and Lorcán?”

“Their secret with her is the worst, and she told him everything.” Keres could only breathe heavily as she rested her head on the cold metal, feeling as Xanth began to caress his thumb on her hand to make her feel better. Where would she start cleaning this mess?

•

She whined but lovingly stared at him with a pout plastered on her lips, “Lorcán, I've told you that I'm full, can you please let me be?” Aranya didn’t understand why he was being this careful and loving. Like, she knew she had the lover she had ever wanted in him, he had always been this loving and caring but this was extra.

He stared at her with curious eyes, “Are you sure that you’re full?” She whined and stomped her feet, “How many times do I have to tell you that I'm full? I need to take my shower.” He stared at her with love as she stood and walked toward him, kissing him lovingly on the lips, she smiled lovingly at him. “Thank you for being the man I've ever met in my life, Lorcán, I love you.

“I love you too, Aranya. And thank you so much.” She wondered what was it he had been thanking her about since the day she had lost her consciousness. But often, he would just kiss her forehead and say thank you as if she had done an enormous thing to him.

She shook the thought off knowing whenever he was ready he will speak because she had even gotten tired of asking him what it was. She took her shower with a smile on her face and when she came out, she dolled her face and applied a bit of makeup. A sad smile stroke her face when she stared at herself through the mirror, it felt as though she was staring at Betla. Whenever she had makeup on her face, she looked exactly like Betla.

She came out of the room with an excited smile, this was the second time he would be seeing her with makeup since the time they nearly got married in Zinambra, or she nearly killed him in Zinambra. This was a different circumstance and they both were happy.

“Look, how does it look on me?” She asked with an enthusiastic voice as she twirled happily, “Beautiful, right?” She said with a hint of laughter and when she didn’t hear his voice or his hands on her, she stopped and stared into the living and there, what she saw nearly made her heart stopped and fury began to grow. She could feel the way fire was beginning to sizzle in her veins.

There were over ten guards that stood there holding Lorcán with a sword to his throat and from the anger that was visible in his eyes, she knew they threatened with her but the hell he should feel threatened! Didn’t he know that if not because he was there together with them in the room, with a single howl she will bring an end to their lives? But then they had to be patient and lay low, they had a bigger mission to execute.

“To the King’s palace.” They roared and she was about to argue when Lorcán shook his head at her and begrudgingly, she followed them. They were thrown over on the altar as the king sat on his throne, bitterly staring at them.

“Aranya; the werewolf princess.” He said through an enigmatic voice and when he turned to look at Lorcán, that was when Aranya realized Keres, Desdemona, her husband and Xanth were there as well. Just that each of them had a different position they were seated or thrown over. “And you, an elf prince.”

“Your highness.” They said in unison and bowed their heads, but whoever stared at Aranya once could see the fire in her, the power she possessed.

“You don’t have to feign respect for me, I know that you’re plotting to kill me and take over the throne. But before then, I'll have the man killed right now since he’s the less powerful between you two and then, we could see if it’s possible for the plan to be executed.”

In a swift, King Bhaltair was standing before Lorcán with a sword in his hand. The sword she had seen was the one she was certain that if he killed Lorcán with it, no one could save him, not even the blood of power. She began to shake her head, “No,” she could not even take the chances and from what she knew and heard of the king, she knew that he could easily kill him.

“No one dares think of raiding something that belongs to King Bhaltair. I'll kill him first and no matter how powerful you think you are, I'll kill you as well and everyone that has a hand on this!” He roared, the whole walls shook with his power and Aranya felt as her whole body trembled with fear. What could stop him? It was truly him, King Bhaltair, the merciless man the universe had ever seen.

“Please don't kill him, kill me instead.” She wanted to take a step forward, but she knew even a move of her finger could have the sharpened edge of his sword being swarmed by Lorcán’s blood.

He laughed, the timbre of his enigmatic laughter shaking the walls and making a chill run their spines. He loved seeing fear on the faces of powerful beings. He began to cut through Lorcán’s throat slowly and painfully, the moment Aranya saw the drip of his blood on the floor, she howled angrily but still held her back from throwing herself over the king.

“I’m your daughter! Don’t you dare kill him unless you want to make yet another unforgivable mistake you beast!!!” She thundered, and the silence that cut through the palace was so cold and eerie that one could feel chilly.

He stooped right in track and turned to look at her, his eyes bulged out as though they were a saucer. “What did you say?”

She stood and slowly, with tears that felt like fire running down her cheeks as she stared at how Lorcán was already gurgling in pain, she stood in front of King Bhaltair, “I’m your daughter. My name is Aranya and I'm the daughter of Betla, the princess of Zinambra. The one whom you raided her whole kingdom, killed her family and raped her. That beautiful wolf, I'm her daughter and yours as well.” Her eyes had turned red with anger and hatred and a thirst for his blood.

King Bhaltair took a step back but still held his composure. How could he forget about that beautiful wolf? He hadn’t and will never forget her. But he thought she was dead, how could he? No, he began to shake his head. “You can’t be my daughter! I can’t have a child! You can’t be my daughter!” He roared but she stood sturdy in his front and stared into his eyes.

“I could and I am! What do you want me to do to prove to you that I am? If our eyes aren’t enough...” Right there he searched her eyes and despite them being red with fury, they were exactly as his. “And if our feet aren’t proof enough, then tell me what it is that I need to do to prove to you that I'm your daughter. But first, let him go and order for a physician to take care of him.” She wasn’t even looking at Lorcán because if she did, she couldn’t control herself to stay calm while talking with the King.

He placed his hands on his chest and stared at her, as much as he wanted to argue with her, there was a hint of truth to her words. “Change. Show me that you could change into a panther. I've checked into my genes and if I could have a daughter, she would be a red panther. Change into a red panther right here and I'll set him free.”

She had never changed into a panther before, but since after Betla had died, whenever she wanted to change into a wolf, sometimes it was hard as if the two genes she had fought for the ones to show. It was as if Betla had locked that up before she died. She took a step back to have more space, it was going to be painful, she knew. But Lorcán’s life was more important to her than anything.

She was beginning to change her hands when Lorcán gurgled, “You can’t change into a panther, Aranya! You’re pregnant and if you do, you’ll lose our child!” He was already crying when he looked at her and more blood oozed out of his throat and when she turned to the King with her hands slowly coming over to her stomach, King Bhaltair smirked and aimed his sword, yet at Lorcán. This, was more painful than choosing between Lorcán and Betla, because they both were innocent here, none of them deserved to be and the hell, she loved them both!