Distant Worlds ~ A Black Clover Story (Fuegoleon Vermillion X OC)

Chapter 46 - Royal Announcement

"You don't need to keep checking my temperature. I'm fine, just like I was yesterday and the day before Fuegoleon." I say, prompting the lion to remove his hand from my forehead with a small apology. I can't blame him from being worried though. Apparently after my mana was drained, my fever didn't start to break until three hours later, coming down to rest at about 37.5 °C over the course of the next day and a half. During this time I only woke briefly once in a dazed panic. I had jumped out of my bed and ran to the twins, thinking that Helia had claimed them. Fuegoleon had just gotten out of the shower at this this time and found me crying, hugging the girls. It took him some time to reassure me that it was all a delusion. That I had beaten Helia, taken her place, and secured our daughters' futures.

He then convinced me to get back to bed and called on Owen to check on me. My panic was deemed a symptom due to dehydration and stress, not from the fever. I was made to chug a pitcher and a half of water before I conked out again. My low grade fever persisted for the next week as I was made stayed within the confines of the bedroom to recover. I didn't take anything for it nor were any recovery spells used to assist in healing me for fear that they would trigger another extreme immune response. For now the low grade fever was more of a nuisance as it was just a symptom of my immune system settling down from over reacting due to my power's imbalance. But the pace at which my body naturally was recovering was painstakingly slow and tedious. On the seventh day of recovery my fever had finally disappeared, just leaving me with a lack of magic and energy. However I suspected the lack of energy was due to the fact that I was now only getting small blocks of sleep to take care of the girls. Somehow during all of this, their demands for food got on different schedules, so things got a whole lot trickier real quick.

"Sorry, sorry. I just wanted to make sure you were all right. Today's going to be a long day and if you're still not feeling well I can always push it off." Concern fills Fuegoleon's voice as his lavender eyes peer down at me. I push off the balls of my feet to make the rocking chair I'm sitting in glide through its indented motions. I shake my head before looking down at Alexa whose only halfway done with her 4 am meal. Mira has chosen to stay asleep for the time being.

"I'm fine, just tired is all. But I think I'm going to be tired for quite some time so I don't think it's a valid reason to push off today. You said it yourself, they haven't formally been announced and it's been three week since they've been born. Besides, we've already called everyone in, and surely it won't be all eyes on us. The new Wizard King will be there so I'm sure everyone will be talking about them." I say tiredly.

"About that... The Magic King hasn't changed. It's still Lord Julius."

"Wait. Say that again? I'm so tired I must have misheard you say the Wizard King was still Julius." I laugh lightly, continuing to rock myself back and forth.

"No, you heard right. It's still Lord Julius –"

"But he's dead Fuegoleon. I saw him die and I failed to save him. He can't be the Wizard King." My voice shakes slightly as I recall the events of that horrible night. "He just.....can't be...."

"Well I can assure you, he's still alive. Though not as how you may remember him. He used a magic tool called Swallowtail that stored his magic in case of the unlikely event of his death. But it seems he only had enough magic stored to get him through 13 years. But rest assure, though he maybe in a teenager's body his mind is still as sharp as we know it." My breath catches upon the news. Julius was still alive and kicking. Those horrible last moments of his that haunt my dreams were not actually his last. I could try to forget the moment where I cried over him, trying to stop the bleeding from the fatal stab wound. I hadn't quite forgiven myself for that night. I felt like I could have prevented his death if I wasn't running that support spell or if I hadn't gone into labor right before the tragic event. I could finally move on! Tears of happiness start to roll down my cheeks as I cry for joy. "Hey, hey, hey, it's going to be alright! He's fine. Everyone is fine. Don't cry." Fuegoleon tells me as places his right fiery hand on my cheek and uses his thumb to wipe away my tears.