Chapter 45: Chapter 45
With an excruciating pain that was threatening his entire life, Lorcán watched as she began to groan in pain, her body slowly changing. He was shaking his head, she couldn’t loose this child. Was this happening because he had kept it a secret from her? He was only waiting for the right time to tell her that when he felt her pulse that day, there was that of a baby in her. He was waiting for all of this mess to be over, for them to finally be safe. No hate to harbor, a revenge taken and only love in their hearts.
But everything was crumpling right in front of his eyes now. The child he had always wanted and nearly had was being washed away and he didn’t even have the energy to stop her. All he was doing was gurgle in pain as he showed her his disagreement. She stared at him in the eye and mouthed a simple sorry with tears rolling down her cheeks before with one growl of an excruciating pain, he watched, painstakingly as Aranya turned into the most beautiful yet dangerous panther he had ever seen. A red panther like the King said.
If he had seen her like this in a situation where he could adore her, he was certain this would be the most beautiful form of Aranya. How those eyes now blinked in pain as she stared at him. He knew she apologized and she was trying to make him understand that she did what she did because of him, to save his life, but to hell with it! He didn’t want to be alive, but he wanted his child to be.
Slowly, he began to loose his consciousness and he was aware of her eyes of him. His eyes involuntarily closed as the blood oozing out of his body got instantly stopped by one swift movement of the king’s hand toward him before he lost it. But one thing was certain, he hated her for loosing his child. He hated her for killing his child and would never forgive her for this. The hell she did it for him! He freaking warned her!
•
Her heart bled, but she had to stay strong. Her whole body shrunk in pain and agony, but as the only red panther alive, she stood as though she was fine, as though seeing him in that condition even though she was certain he had been saved and healed by the king was not excruciating enough. Something struck her heart, the last look he had flashed her wasn’t a look she was fool enough to forget. It was a look of hatred, of anger and someone that could never forgive you.
She did this for him, she silently whispered to her. But in her own part, the pain too was too much, she could feel her child bring ground, broken, flesh meshed and bones smashed. It was excruciating to the point that Aranya felt she could no longer withstand the pain and right there, she slumped on the floor, not minding whether her body changed to that of a wolf, a human or she stayed as the panther she was. All that mattered she lost her baby and Lorcán hated her now.
•
King Bhaltair stared at the body that slumped before his feet and with the coldness that was seeping through his body at a speed, he glanced between the two bodies and closed his eyes. He had to calm down, he wasn’t someone that could be easily flushed with emotions but right now, he felt as every nerve of his body was crinkled with pain, joy and an unmixed feeling he wasn’t sure of.
He was aware of the silence coming from his audience, aware of everyone being shocked as much as he was. But if he had known that Aranya was his daughter and she would be the red panther he had always being dreaming about, he wouldn’t have let anyone know that she was the one, he would have made a secret. Even though she was powerful enough to protect herself even when he wasn’t there to protect her, still someone could use that against her.
He turned to the guards, “Take everyone back to where he is and for him,” he pointed at Lorcán with a look of uncertainty. He didn’t know what he felt yet about him, but then it was the man his daughter loved so much enough to loose her own child because of him. “Take him to have some rest and quickly get the physician to check him. The poison on my sword has been healed by me, all that’s left is for him to regain his consciousness and strength.”
All that could be heard was “Yes, your highness!” And he watched as they all evacuated from the palace before he rushed toward her and before he carried her into his arms, his changed her form into that of a human because he knew seeing her as a panther would only make him feel more sentimental than he was.
Funny how in a matter of seconds his whole world had been turned upside down and he felt something he had never felt before in his life, which was love. Well, maybe he felt a flicker of that for her mother. Maybe he even still feel that for her in the nights he called no woman to his room and thought of her until he slept. Maybe it was love that made it impossible for him to forget the way she looked that night; innocent, pure and all shades of a spoilt brat that he got jealous of her. How carefree she wandered around the forest with happiness casted on her face.
He had watched her for a long time from afar, he wanted to leave, to forget about a fairy he had seen in form of a lady with a tail of a wolf as she swoosh it happily and giggled at all the crazy thoughts that crossed her mind. But she was irresistible. And when he approached her, she thought he was a guard sent by her brothers. She was free with him, asking him whether her family were waiting for her that for her first time in his life, Bhaltair felt extremely guilty for raiding a kingdom. He wanted to run back to the palace of Zinambra and wake every dead body he and his soldiers had killed.
And what she had uttered to him that night was what made it impossible for him to curb the desires he felt for her. She looked up at him, her tail still afloat on the wind, “I’ve never seen you before, are you a new recruit? Or it just occurred that we’ve never met?” He couldn’t speak. Her voice was like a lullaby to his ears and her eyes that danced with happiness was a stardust of what serenity would feel like.
“Well, if I have known you before, we would’ve been friends. You’re handsome and I like your composure.” His eyes dilated a bit, “Don’t worry, we could be friends in secret without my brothers knowing, besides they won’t even harm you if they did. You wouldn’t hurt me, rather you’d protect me at all cost, right?” He only nodded his head as he felt more swarmed with desire.
She chucked and punched his arm lightly, “Are you mute?” That single contact, if she hadn’t made it, he would’ve reconsidered having her dead and taking her too Belrynna with him. But it was as if a remembrance from him that he couldn’t resist her and he didn’t. Up until the moment he came back to Belrynna after thinking she was dead, his heart had never shrunk with pain and he had never felt the joy of victory until that day. And he was certain, Zinambra would be the only kingdom he regretted ever destroying in his life. If he had known of her before all was done, he would’ve asked for her hand in marriage for peace.
She wouldn’t have agreed at first, but she would and he would make sure she loved him as much as he could feel the love he had always been denying in his heart at the moment. As he stared at her daughter now, no, his daughter, no, their daughter; he felt a tightening in his chest. This was the reason that the first time he saw her he felt he had once seen her before. It felt like a deja vu but he had seen a lot of fairies before that was why he took his mind off the thought and the power he sensed from her was what took his mind off who she looked like.
He sat down beside her on the bed and reluctantly held her hand, “I haven’t succeeded in protecting her, rather, I destroyed her life and filled it with so much hatred and a quest for revenge, but I'll protect you and make sure you lead a happy life.” He gently placed his palm on her flat stomach and closed his eyes, reviving the life of an unborn child that’s nearly dead would cost him a lot of inner power and pain, but it was worth it. She was worth and he would love to keep his generation moving. So, despite all the pain he felt, he stood strong until he was sure the baby was back, alive, even though not so healthy.
•
She slowly began to open her eyes as her memories of what had happened began to rush back into her mind. A lacerating pain sliced her heart and she had to close her eyes to make it bearable, even though she knew bearing this pain would be the hardest thing she’d ever get to do in her life. She sat down on the bed and wondered where she was, which room it was...as she turned around to have a better look, she realized she was in King Bhaltair’s room and at the moment, he was rushing over to her with a smile.
Oh there! She quickly moved away when he sat down beside her holding a small magical bottle in his hand. “What...what am I doing here and where’s Lorcán?” She stammered, her heart hammering in her chest. She knew she could always protect herself from him but she was afraid of what might’ve happen to Lorcán while she was asleep.
“He’s fine, just that he’ll sleep for a few more days. And you’ve been asleep too for three days, here, take this.” She took the bottle and examined it with her eyes.
“What is it for? Are you going to kill me?” For once in her life she sounded like a compete moron. Wasn’t that even possible? And how foolish she was to believe anything good would come out of him. Just because he had brought her into his room and had obviously taken care of her for three days doesn't mean he wouldn’t harm her.
He chuckled. Wait, did he make that sound or someone did? When was the last time had he ever truly smiled not to talk of chuckling?! He silently thought to himself and smiled at her, “It’s for your baby, to make it healthy.”
Her hand instantly went down to her stomach to feel it before she looked up at him, “My baby? I've lost it. I felt it ground, it’s bones smashed and flesh meshed in my stomach.” It stung her heart to mention it out loud, no one could ever understand what she had felt after feeling all those things, how much agony she had consumed and had to still stay strong. Wasn’t she supposed to hate him more for it? Why was she talking to him normally.
Reluctantly, Bhaltair took her hand off her stomach and held it softly with his. “I've saved your child, Aranya, I couldn’t be horrible to let you loose what you obviously love so much. I can't give you more reasons to hate him. Breath deeply and feel it, it’s there, just that faintly alive. And that, my dear, it’s my blood to make it healthy and strong, it’d be alive.” She tried to cut him off, to speak, but her tears gave her away, “Just that it would be more of a panther than a wolf and elf because of my blood. Just like you are more of a wolf than a panther. Forgive me for that.” No! This was definitely a dream! A hilarious one at that. Could never ever happen!