Ireale's Crown

Chapter 21: Queen of Ireale

Chapter 21: Queen of Ireale

The first thing I felt was the feeling of a smooth bed spread and a soft pillow laid beneath my head. I savoured the feeling of their comfort before opening my eyes slowly. I blinked a few times, taking the fact that I was looking up at a ceiling.

I shut my eyes and started to think back to the events. I had fainted. The despicable creature by the name of Aero had shot me at my stomach, sending excruciating shots of pain throughout my body even though it had explicitly only caught my middle portion. I didn't remember anything else.

Cautiously, I lifted myself off the bed, expecting to feel pain, but other than a light headache, nothing was wrong. I felt for my tummy, but there were no bandages. That was when I realised I was wearing a thin, white gown. Swinging my right over the edge of the bed, I stood and surveyed the grandeur of the room more thoroughly.

The room was painted a nice peach, and the bed I slept in was huge enough for three people to accomodate. A plain-looking dresser stood on the other side of the room, only a little away from the big doors which opened from both sides. On the left, thick curtains made of golden silk covered the wall. Around, there was a glow of light.

I held onto the side of the bed as I staggered towards it, curious to know what was behind the drapes. It felt like a complete chore just to make the movement. How long had I been in bed? Days? Weeks? My legs felt like it had forgotten how to walk.

Finally at my destination, I pulled the curtains aside, and felt a gush of cold wind hit my face. I was surprised at first, but overcame it. Maybe it was because I am an Ice Magician that I didn't shiver at all at what I supposed was a chilling zephyr -- that was what it was now. It was indeed a balcony, with barriers of stone around the semi-circle. A stone pillar with its unique design cut in the middle. In front, there was a stone bench. 

When I looked over, the view made me gasp. It was beyond beautiful. Around, everything was clear blue. The sky. I walked a few steps forward, grinning. No more dark clouds in Ireale. It felt like everything had become peaceful again, like everything had returned to normal. That was when my face fell. Was everything fine now?

Just as I was about to look over the balcony to see if there were still any dragons fighting battles, I heard a shuffle coming from behind me. I turned around, and saw him standing there.

He looked freshened and clean, wearing the same kind of white shirt as the first time I saw him, but this time, he was wearing black pants. His hair moved along with the wind, and his eyes... they were the very same ice-blue. I bit my upper lip, keeping myself from smiling, because I suddenly remembered the main reason as to why I even bothered to find a way to come up here, his homeland, to find him. He walked forward, limping. This made my fake frown become real. His expression hardened, as though in pain.

"You're finally awake, huh. Sleeping for days as and when you like." He scoffed.

"You're... hurt," I commented. I couldn't help it; my heart was aching for him. "Why aren't you healed?" My legs wanted so much to run to him, but I stood where I was, wanting him to be the one to close the distance between us.

It looked more like a grimace when he attempted to smile, but when he finally stopped in front of me, that smile of his seemed to light up my world... seemed to light up the skies even further, even though it was only a small one. "I didn't want to be healed. The pain shall serve as a punishment for me." He paused. "For putting my own cousin into prison." He breathed in. "At least it's over." His smile widen, and although I knew I should be happy to see him smile that way to me for the first time, I knew he wasn't feeling all the cheer.

So, I said, "It's not your fault that you had to put him into prison. Don't blame yourself. His personality didn't turn out right, that's why he is in a barred room." I gave a reassuring smile. "You didn't kill him even though he killed your father. You're a good person."