The Dark Enchantress

Chapter 9 - Echo

"I'm sorry, my princess, I failed you" were the first words Aemond could recall hearing when he started to come to again. At some point, he'd passed out, both from the pain wracking his body and the blood loss. As his senses started to return to him, more things became clear; the voice was one the Darioan prince recognized, Finnick, the warrior clad in silver and gold. But Aemond could also hear water rushing, echoing around him as if he was in a never-ending loop; waterfalls, the smell of fresh water, recently felled rain, and flowers soon invaded his nostrils; all of it brought a sense of peace to him.

As Aemond attempted to open his eyes, he was met with blurriness; the room he was in was light and airy despite being in a castle; the sheets he laid upon were soft but warm as if they'd be woven from him only. Across from him, he could make out large arches with something blowing; just past that were two blurred figures. One Aemond was sure was Finnick. The taller figure seemed familiar and matched that of the knight who'd delivered hope. The moment Aemond tried to move, though, he was met with a searing pain ripping through his shoulder, arm, and chest, so much so a sharp grunt ripped from his lips, alerting the two there he was awake.

"Calm, my prince," spoke a soft voice, no louder than a whisper. A pair of gentle hands reached his shoulders shortly after as if to will him to lay down again to rest. "Your injuries are yet to heal; you need to rest," whispered the voice. Aemond turned in the direction the feminine voice came from, blinking a few times to try and clear the blurriness, only to be met with the same distorted vision. Although now he could make out her long dark hair and pale tone.

"Who are you? Where am I?" brokenly mumbled the Daroian prince, his throat scratching and burnt as he tried to speak; the gentlewoman to his side soon turned away briefly before turning back, tenderly lifting his head to drink the water she offered. "Jessica, The Knight. Where are they?" he asked, a little more powerful than before, although his strength was still failing him, and his body was still ripe with pain. Despite being in an unknown place, he somehow felt at ease, almost as if he'd been there before. There was a sense of familiarity despite being sure he'd never met any of the blurry figures before journeying to the Storm Lands.

"Providing the girl listened, she and the witch hunter should be back in their own kingdom by now," spoke the calm voice of Finnick, a friendly grin painted on his lips when Aemond's vision finally cleared, although he could see the confusion written across Daroian prince's features. "You've been asleep for two moons. It was a bit touch and go for a while. You had Echo worried a few times." he added, observing as Aemond's pale eyes widened. Two months he'd been comatose for two months.

"Come now, Finnick, our guest has enough things to deal with without adding such a fright," came the soft voice from the opposite side of the bed; instantly, Aemond turned his attention to her, stunned by her beauty. Her midnight locks in natural waves cascaded down her shoulders, similar to how the water rushed over the cliff of the waterfalls surrounding them; her sapphire eyes sparkled with care with a glimmer of concern. Her pale features were soft and beautiful; there was an elegance to her that one would normally only think of when in the presence of royalty. "I'm glad you're awake. I was beginning to worry you were immune to my magic."

"Have we met before?" asked Aemond, the words leaving his lips before he'd been given the chance to catch them. A confused tone rang through his question, suggesting he didn't understand something. "You seem familiar, as does this place. I've been here before and seen and met you. But I can't remember," he added, allowing his silver-crowned head to fall back onto the feathered pillow as if he was trying to nurse the coming migraine before it settled in.

"I am Echo," calmly called the mystery woman, finally introducing herself while nervously moving some hair behind her ear. "To my knowledge, we have not crossed paths before. Perhaps I remind you of another, you know," she spoke, her sapphire eyes scanning the room nervously, suggesting she was uncomfortable with the topic. Yet, at the same time, a tiny smile threatened to pull at the corner of her lips, at least indicating she knew something she had yet to word. "Rest now, my prince. We'll discuss your request on the morrow when you've got your strength back." Echo gently voiced before offering a curtsy and leaving the room; Finnick, however, stayed as if he sensed there was more the Daroian prince wanted to say.