"I would like to receive help from Dusk.".
Drayce nodded. He had no problem agreeing to the prince's request.
Arlan spoke with a smile. "Rest assured, Prince Cian. That rare eagle would be more than happy to help you." He then looked at Drayce with a teasing smile that Drayce ignored.
Cian left after bidding farewell to the two who left to go to their chambers.
"Haven't you thought about how Hatha could catch Slayer so easily and hurt him like this in such a short period of time?" Arlan asked.
"Traitors," Drayce replied coldly.
"Sounds like they're already in your hands."
"Somewhere begging for their deaths which is running away from them," Drayce replied.
"Wooh, it gave me shivers, but they deserved it." Arlan asked after a while, "How did this all happen?"
"Godfrey Percy had already planned a trap, knowing we'll come. He was waiting for the moment when Slayer would separate from me, and he would keep me busy with his soldiers. When Slayer went to get you and Prince Cian as per my order, the fortress soldiers caught him by threatening to kill the Megaris knights they had already captured. If Slayer went with them without fighting back, they would spare the other knights. Slayer agreed to it, trusting himself to be capable of defending them all. However, those knights that marquis used to threaten Slayer turned out to be long-planned traitors who stabbed him first."
Arlan sighed. "Then they sure deserve the cruel death. No mercy for the traitors."
No matter if it's to a person, a nation, or the crown, betrayal was never acceptable. A crime worthy of the death to the traitor, and punishment to the rest of his kin as well.
------
Cian went to see his father in his study, where he found King Armen busy handling the matters that he would have to face on the next day's royal court session. After spending the entire day around his daughter, who didn't even spare him a glance, King Armen finally returned to his study as he had to prepare to protect his daughter.
"Father!" Cian greeted him.
King Armen gestured for him to have a seat. "How is Commander Sanders?"
"He seems to be recovering well," Cian replied. "Father seems tense."
King Armen sighed. "Tomorrow's royal court session."
"They won't let go of this chance of using Seren against you, Father," Cian spoke.
King Armen nodded. "That is why I need to be prepared. In the last court session, I managed to stop them, but this time they will come with more aces up their sleeves."
"We can use what I have collected against them during my stay in the north region," Cian suggested.
"If it's needed."
"Father can leave it to me."
King Armen nodded lightly and asked, "Did you go see your mother?"
"Not yet." Cian shook his head. He had been busy not only with his official duties but also with visiting Seren.
"She must be waiting to see you. She was very worried after we received news of your abduction," King Armen informed.
"I will, soon," Cian assured before talking about the main reason why he came. "I went to see King Drayce at noon today."
King Armen stopped what he was working on and looked at his son. "How did it go? Did he meet Seren or enter the tower before?"
"No, he didn't." Cian went to explain to his father what Drayce had told him.
King Armen understood, but still, something didn't feel right to him, as if the mysterious King of Megaris was hiding important details from them. "Something seems amiss."
Cian agreed. "But we can't force him to tell everything. For now, we should just get his help for Seren's sake."
King Armen agreed, and his son continued to talk., "I was wondering what demand King Drayce will have from Abetha in return for his help. Did he ask for something yet?"
Knowing his son's temper, King Armen didn't wish to bring anything up yet. "We are on talking terms but yet to reach an agreement. Once it's done, you will know."
"Is Father hiding something?" Cian asked, seemingly sensing his father's hesitation.
"I will prefer it if you look after Seren while she's healing. As her brother, my wish is for you to be by her side to comfort her," King Armen said, changing the topic.
Cian no longer probed. He could do nothing but listen to his father; after all, King Armen was the King of Abetha.
-------
When it was time for dinner, Dusk brought food for Seren in the same manner—a wooden box covered with blue silk cloth.
After having a magic elixir added to her medicine by Drayce, she was getting better faster than what the physician concluded, which was good news to the people concerned about her wellbeing. Getting sufficient rest and proper meals also added to improve her health.
Dusk entered Seren's chamber with a loud screech, and everything happened the same as it happened at noon. Seren ate it, and this time, Dusk didn't have to manually instruct her about everything.
Cian, who was present to monitor the situation, was happy to see her progress. He approached her again to give her water, and this time, she accepted it without any hesitation though she didn't look at him.
Cian was relieved by this development. He would give her more time, trusting how life would be better for his sister once she fully recovered.
He swore in his name that he would never let her return to that lonely tower.
--------
Once Seren fell asleep, Dusk came to Drayce's chamber next door. As the eagle sat on his window sill, Drayce caressed his head. "You seem to care for her a lot."
Dusk rubbed his head against Drayce's palm, saying yes.
"What do you think about bringing her to Megaris with us?" Drayce asked.
Dusk, who was enjoying the petting of his master, paused. Realizing what his master meant, his golden pupils expanded, showing he was happily shocked, and then pecked on Drayce's hand to show agreement to what he said.
Drayce smiled lightly as his red eyes glittered under the lights from the fire torches. "You seem to like her a lot."
Dusk pecked again, only to hear his master again. "You should control your liking once we go to Megaris. We love seeing these wings attached to your body, don't we?"
Dusk stepped back as he shrank his wings to his body, looking at his master as if saying, 'Not my wings!'
"I am sure you would like to enjoy the starry sky for a while."
Dusk understood what his master meant and fled away towards the night sky. The next moment, Drayce disappeared along with the loud flutter of the curtains and appeared inside the dimly lit chamber of the sleeping princess.
Drayce went straight towards Seren's bed and shifted the netted bed curtains aside. He hadn't seen her since the previous night, and now, it was time for him to visit her.
He sat on the edge of the bed, watching her peaceful sleeping face. She looked better now, which made him feel relieved. For some odd reason, the longer he stared at her, the stronger the urge to protect her.
He touched the mark on her forehead again, trying to remember why it felt so familiar. He moved his fingers away and the light emitting from it faded away.
"Once we go to Megaris, I will make sure to find answers for everything," he said, and his sight followed the veil on her face. "Once you are mine, you don't have to keep wearing it."
Drayce was hit by a sudden urge to take that veil off from her face, but he stopped, thinking he should not do it without her permission.
"Just wait for a while. You won't be just a princess of Abetha anymore, but someone to whom the entire continent will bow," Drayce said with a look of determination.