Chapter 18.
Demian woke up and found Seraphina beside him and once again, it was hard to resist touching her wild curls then he recalled she had a fever the other day. His worried eyes searched for the wound on her right hand which was wrapped around in a cloth. How come she was here in this chamber? How did she come here?
He sat up and stretched his hand to her forehead, confirming if she still had the fever or not. Her skin was warm but there was no fever. He felt relieved and was about to hop out from the bed when Seraphina tightened her arms him.
"Will you just let me go, now? I have work to do."
In response, she mumbled a few words which he failed to understand and he knew she was still in her slumber. He tried to untangle her hands only to be tangled more as she pressed him against herself and Demian found himself heated with the close proximity. He huffed thinking, maybe he should get accustomed to it from now on since they were married.
A knock came and Demian knew it was Master Valentine.
"Come in," he said.
Master Valentine entered closing the door behind him and as soon as his eyes fell on them, he turned his eyes away, "I-I apologise for the interruption -"
"There is nothing going on to be interrupted. Just wake her up!" He hissed, his face red with anger and the closeness of her.
"But, Princess Seraphina still need her rest, Your Highness." Master Valentine's eyes remained on the floor.
"Then take me out of her grip."
Master Valentine's eyes widened and once again, fell on them as a redness appeared on his brownish skin. He held his gaze long at Demian pleading not to order him something like this but Demian felt more awkward than him.
"Do it!" he ordered.
The poor advisor looked at him helplessly and said, "I shall just call for her maid."
Demian had never seen the advisor exit with the speed of lightning in his life. He had always been calm and collected.
"Hey, you ogre. Wake up!" He nudged her head as she groaned and slowly cracked her eyes open. Seeing him just an inch away she screamed and fell from the bed on the floor.
Demian's hands reached his ears and he growled, "Stop screaming. I am not that scary..."
"I- what are you doing here?" She asked.
"I should be the one to ask you that. What are you doing here?" He motioned his finger across his room as Seraphina looked around and finally realised it wasn't her chamber. Her cheeks turned red.
"Well, I thought I should check if you were harmed any way so I came."
He nodded. "Then how come you were sleeping here when I woke up?"
She let out a nervous chuckle and said, "I felt hungry but I was too tired so, I must have fallen asleep."
As soon as her words left her mouth, her stomach rumbled and flush reached to her cheeks. Demian found it amusing and was about to comment on it when another knock came.
Seraphina's maid Celia entered following Master Valentine however, his eyes were still on the ground as if he didn't want to witness another awkward moment like earlier.
Seraphina stood up and Celia asked with a small smile, "Princess Seraphina, when did you leave?"
"Oh, Celia! I was hungry so, I thought I could just get something to eat."
Celia nodded the smile still attached to her lips as she said through gritted teeth, "You could have woken me up but, you managed to sne- leave the room... again."
"Certainly, Princess Seraphina is excellent at sneaking out..." Master Valentine caught the word Celia was about to say.
The way the old advisor pressed the words at Seraphina, she froze.
Demian could not help but to suppress his laughter as both her maid and the advisor had teamed up against her. Well, they weren't wrong, she certainly excelled in that area.
With a cold gaze directed at her Celia said,, "Let us get going, Princess Seraphina. His Highness needs to be prepared as well as you besides, I have to dress your wounds, don't I?"
"Err... Yes." Seraphina answered weakly and followed her maid as if she got scolded. It amused Demian how her maid had the right to show her dismay in front of the princess and Seraphina to give that place to Celia. He found it adorable as they both trusted each other and their bond was different that he ever had with anyone yet, they held different status. In his case, no one could say a thing even when he had done something wrong. Maybe that's why the princess could get along with the peasants.
As the princess and her maid left, Master Valentine said, "Your Highness, Prince Billard has asked you to join him for the breakfast."
Demian knew after the attempt of going out of the castle, his brother had deployed more guards to watch his movements and the guards of their security had been increased as well. It somehow irked him as he never liked to be watched all the time. He noticed how Master Valentine was always around him with any excuse. The advisor had been with the crown prince all the time but now he was hovering around him. He knew it must be his brother's orders as Demian hadn't been given the important task regarding the state affairs where the advisor was needed the most.
Another thing he had noticed. Somehow, the curse didn't hurt as immensely as before. It was unbearable at times when he wanted to end his life but now, it was tolerable. He wondered why...
Demian stood up and said, "Master Valentine, there is something we need to discuss. Before going to His Highness's chamber, come to my study."
****
Seraphina squeaked whenever her maid tried to wash out the clotted blood. Celia was excellent at her work as she had managed to clean her wounds even though Seraphina was trying to run away.
"Gah!" Seraphina screamed, "would you please not rub on the wound? It is hurting lik-"
The maid let out a dry chuckle and said, "Princess, I would never wish to harm you." It sounded more like a threat to Seraphina as she rubbed some more and Seraphina tried to jolt away from it with futile attempts. She aided it with ointments and wrapped it with clean cloth. Not able to do anything, she sent glares at her and her maid sent her even more terrifying glares.
Celia didn't talk or didn't send her knife-like comments this time and Seraphina knew something was bothering Celia.
Celia stood up and brought a blue gown and started to prepare her as a thick silence appeared around them. Celia would never be this silent and Seraphina found it was hard to ask her. Maybe she was angry... Why would she be angry when she didn't want to regard her as her beloved Princess Naomi?
"What is it?" Not able to bear Celia's cold treatment Seraphina finally asked.
"Nothing," she mumbled.
"There is something. Tell me."
She didn't speak, instead she tied the laces of the dress behind her silently. Seraphina found it was getting on her nerves and was about to lash out when Celia herself lashed out.
"Was there any need to go out of the palace grounds with Prince and that too unguarded? I know you are strong enough to beat a few guards but, do you even understand the situation here? The Prince's life has the threat which brings threat to your life as well, do you have any idea what would've happened if you both would've died today or worse if His Highness would have died and you would have survived? Do you think Master Valentine would've been lenient enough to spare you? No! He would have had your head. How can you be so dumb!" She ranted it all in a single breath that Seraphina just stood there quietly for a moment. She didn't mention her princess, her nation, not even herself?
"I'm... sorry?" The apology came out as a question which did nothing to calm the fuming maid.
"Why did you do it anyway?" Celia demanded, "Were you so desperate to go out and why take prince with you? You know his life is in danger."
"Because... I see myself in Demian." Seraphina said quietly.
Celia stopped and Seraphina could not see her face, she added, "I may have a deal with the advisor but when I see Demian, I find it is just unfair. The threats, the attacks, the confinement, the curse... everything is happening with a child such as him is just so unfair."
Seraphina recalled her times when everyone around her, even her guildmates were scared of her powers. Their stares, the judgemental looks when she first moulded her flames, the horrifying faces of the villagers. It took longer to win her guildmates' trust but she had Merlene and her father while the Prince had no one.
He would just seal himself in his room and endure everything all by himself and it somehow irked the flames in her heart.
"I am angry at how Demian has to endure all of this alone. He doesn't let anyone see his weakness, he acts like he can do everything alone." Seraphina let out a dry laugh, "just like me. I tried to avoid every distasteful glare but with time I found no matter how much I tried to protect them, they would hate me."
Celia was quiet as Seraphina stated, "Everyone around me tried to seal me off to the wizard councils' dungeon because they were scared of my powers. Just like Demian's enemies trying to kill him because of his curse."
Seraphina clenched her fists and added, "I would not let anyone harm him. I will make him happy as long as I am here until he reaches his maturity."
"You are weird," Celia said as Seraphina turned.
"How so?"
"You're just as a clueless as Princess Naomi."
"Err... I don't really know about your princess, but I am not clueless." She hissed.
"You are." Celia said with a deadpan face.
Seraphina's jaw muscle clenched. No matter what Celia was still the person who could get under her skin apart from Demian.
"Well, sorry, for bothering you I tried to threaten you." Seraphina said as they headed toward the door for their breakfast.