Epiphany

⇞ lavish prisoner ⇞

Instead, I wrote a reply in one sentence.

I am glad brother is fine, everything is good here.

As I dotted the end of the sentence, it was snatched from my hand and I gasped in shock.

"Is there a code hidden there somewhere?" Nazereth came in ever so silently that I didn't even notice.

My heart plummeted down my chest on seeing him.

His eyes looked tired, he had a beard on his face and marks of the battle here and there. He looked broken.

My first instinct should have been fear but I felt worried for him for some unsaid reason.

"What went wrong?" I said my voice laced with concern and without realising I touched his arm.

He went stiff and I jumped back immediately. But in that moment of attack, I saw his pain, his battles, his nights without food and water, his endless effort to avenge his family and yet his almost failed attempts to make people step out of fear.

With that the rush of pain hit me and I realized today was the day his pain was killing him, his loss was overwhelming that his anger.

"You have grown a little too comfortable haven't you Ermeline." His tone was unpleasant.

"I am sorry," I mumbled for touching his arm.

"So have you been sending spy messages to your father? Hence the attacks on me?" He asked not even accusing but sounding sure that I was the one behind this.

"I would never." I defended myself.

And he barked out a harsh laugh, "You would never? Tell a lie that could be believed Ermeline."

"I didn't even write a letter till today. Why don't you ask your spies after you get treated." I said feeling offended at his blame since I didn't even do that.

He stared at me with those coal-like eyes filled with confusion and anger. They looked terrifying not because they were dark as coal or because they always looked at me with hate but the pain in them never lessened instead it intensified. So it terrified me how far he will go to justify his pain.

"I don't need to be treated." He snapped and his tone made me flinch.

My eyes darted to his bleeding hand and then back to his eyes.

"Sure." I agreed surprised at my own courage.

Since I was already drinking slow poison I was not so much afraid of the death.

Suddenly fire flickered on the tip of his finger and he touched his bleeding wound with the fire, his jaw gritted together and sweat formed on his forehead but other than that he bore the pain well.

It felt like he melted and sealed back his skin. Horrified at his act I looked at him my mouth agape.

"There, it's done." He said with a hiss.

"No, no, no," I mumbled, worried to death at the amount of torment he must be feeling.

Tears started rolling down my eyes and he roughly gripped my hands, "Stop crying." He yelled.

And at that moment, I felt the full force of his affliction and I bit back a scream.

I snatched my hands away from his grip and stared back in his eyes. Instead this time I took his hand shocking him with my gesture.

Stay Calm, stay calm.

 I chanted in my head as I dragged him with me almost running to the infirmary tears flowing down as my soul felt his pain.

He didn't object as we walked towards the infirmary, instead, people parted way surprised at the King being dragged along with me. I made him sit and Myron walked towards us, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"What happened?" He asked and I pushed down the King to sit on the bed.

"I will treat him in his chambers, take him back. He never comes here." Myron panicked.

"No time please treat these wounds right now." I requested.

Maybe it was my tear-filled eyes or maybe it was a pain in my eyes but Myron didn't object and rushed to get the box of medicines.

I let go of King's arm and it felt like he fell out a trance. He looked around and his frown deepened turning into an angry scowl.

He got up and bellowed absolutely seething with rage, "What did you do Ermeline?"

I was lost for words too scared to see the rage in his eyes.

"Your Highness, please let me help," Myron said in a kind tone.

And surprising me he gritted his teeth together and obliged him with sitting still for the treatment.

My eyes watched every move Myron moved and I winced whenever he touched a wound too deep or cleaned blood and found pus growing through some old cuts made.

"Stop doing that." King snapped and I nodded.

Once everything was treated and bandaged he got up and started walking. I followed him silently. After we were out of the range of people he stopped and I almost collided with him.

"What is it that you want? What's your plan?" He asked looking agitated.

"Huh?" Was all the response that I could manage.

"You obviously want me dead but why are you pretending before that."

"Why would I want you dead?" I retorted without stopping to think.

"Isn't that what your father want?" His eyes narrowed on me not trusting a word I was saying.

"I am not my father."

"But the same blood runs through you, the blood of the greedy murderer."

I sighed frustrated at his words.

"Go and rest, you can continue torturing me later."

He looked angry at my words again and stepped closer making me step back in fear.

In three large steps, he made me back up against a wall.

He grabbed my hands roughly and placed it on his chest. I could feel his beating heart.

"It's closed now Ermeline, no amount of pretense will open that and spill the secrets that you desire. There is no news you can send to your father that would harm me because you shall never know enough. You are merely a lavish prisoner."

His words were least hurting now that I expected something like this.

But before I could utter a word, its almost I could feel the constriction and burden in his heart and I closed my eyes pain overwhelming my other senses.

I let out a loud scream surprising him and he dropped my hand.

It was unbearable pain. I yelled and sobbed and could see the King's lips moving but I couldn't hear a word.

Gradually the pain faded, and I looked at him with pity and sadness. He had all that in his heart, every memory etched like a scar on his heart, every death of loved ones that he faced.

Without even thinking or even trying to think, I took a step forward and was so close to him that I could see the fire lit in between that coal-like eyes. They widened a bit as I wrapped my arm around his waist and hugged him trying to take away any pain that he had in that heart that I wondered how it was beating.

Maybe he was too shocked at my gesture because he stood frozen on the ground.

➻➻➻

HA! The King is shocked! LOL

What are your honest thought about Nazereth at the moment?

Also, do you consider Zephora weak-hearted or a fool?

I am trying to see what you guys think of how the story is going.

ALSO..NEXT UPDATE: WEDNESDAY