CHAPTER 46
AFTER SPENDING all her essence, Zassia was still recovering, slowly. When she woke up, she found herself in a cave and Grath was standing guard. Even from the inside of the cave, Zassia could feel the coldness seeping through her bones.
"W-where are we?"
When Grath heard Zassia's voice, the relief he felt was palpable. "Lady Zassia... How are you feeling?"
Zassia pushed herself to get up and sit. "My strength is slowly coming back. Where are we, Grath? Where's Her Highness? What happened? Is she okay?"
Grath sighed and sat on the ground. "I don't know. After Her Highness ordered me to take you away and protect you, there was no news about her. Lord Hakken said he'll meet us somewhere close to the stream dividing the valleys with the queen, but it's been two days."
Hearing that the queen was still missing, Zassia tried to get up. "We have to go back, Grath. Her Highness needs us—" but Zassia was still too weak to stand.
Grath shook his head at Zassia and firmly spoke that could get Zassia to understand. "We're not leaving this cave. We will wait for Lord Hakken and the queen here. You're still weak and I'm still recovering my full strength. If we came back, we will just be a burden to them. I believe in Lord Hakken, he'll protect the queen."
Zassia could only fist her knuckles knowing Grath was correct. She was still weak. But she was worried! She couldn't forget the sight of her highness kneeling on the ground, weakened. It scared her.
"If... If Cira was here, what would she do?" Zassia asked in a whisper. "She'll know what to do for sure."
Grath sighed, hearing Zassia's doubt and insecurities. "Lady Zassia, we all have an important role to play as her highness' companion in this journey. Lady Cira is now doing her best somewhere else, so we should do our best here too. And you've already proven your strength to the queen. You protected her with everything you got. I'm sure the queen is happy to see you getting stronger."
A tear fell from Zassia's eyes. "I just want to be useful and serve Her Highness right. I'm her student and I want to be worthy of that title."
Grath smiled softly at Zassia. "I'm sure Her Highness thinks of you as a worthy student. Just rest here and recover your strength. Let's wait for Lord Hakken and Her Highness."
Zassia nodded and went back to resting. She was worried, but she needed to recover her strength to be more useful to her highness. She didn't want to lose the only being left in Azitera who believed in her. She already lost everyone she loved; her grandfather was in hiding — she only had her highness now.
Zassia closed her eyes to rest. Maybe because she was still too weak, she instantly fell asleep. When she woke up, it was already nighttime, and she could hear two voices.
Grath, and Lord Hakken.
Hearing the two, Zassia did her best to get up and followed the voices outside the cave.
"My lady will be fine." It was Lord Hakken's voice and he sounded so confident that Zassia believed that. "She's strong — she's the Mistress of flame. What we need to do now is to cross the shivering valley and reach the Hallowed valley as soon as we can. I'm sure my lady will do the same and we'll meet her there."
"But—"
"Grath," Hakken's voice was pleading. "We can't lose our heads now. My lady is not here, so we have to decide for ourselves. Our queen is not weak, Grath, always remember that. She's strong and smart. I'm worried too, but we can't waste our time scouring the whole valley of bones looking for her. We don't have time and manpower to pull it off safely. We have to move now, or I'm leaving you two behind."
"L-let's listen to Lord Hakken..." Zassia's weak voice came from the cave's entrance.
"Lady Zassia!" Grath immediately went to Zassia's side to assist her weak body. "You shouldn't push yourself—"
Zassia shook her head. "I'm fine, Grath. Thank you for worrying." Then she looked at Hakken. "Let's listen to Lord Hakken, Grath. He's right, Her Highness is safe. I don't know how, maybe because she blessed me directly, but I felt it when she fell on her knees and became weak in the valley of bones. And as of the moment, I don't feel that anymore, so it's safe to assume that Her Highness is safe."
Grath sighed and took a deep breath. "Okay, Lord Hakken. We'll do what you say, but before we leave, let's wait for your wounds to heal. No offense meant, but you look like one of the undead."
Zassia couldn't disagree with Grath. Hakken was covered in blood and there were bruises on his face and arms. Not only that, but his eyes were also bloodshot and all in all, he was a mess.
Zassia took out a medicine that Cira left in her care and gave it to Hakken. "Cira made it. It might help heal your internal wounds."
Hakken thanked Zassia and Grath before he entered the cave to rest. Sitting on the corner of the cave, leaning on the wall, he closed his eyes and his lady's face entered her mind. Her happy and laughing face— she was intoxicatingly beautiful. Ah, I want to see you, my lady. His whole body hurts, and he was aching all over because of the attacks he received from General Kar, but he still managed to smile knowing that his lady was safe. It's what matters to him the most. His life meant nothing without her after all.
♕♕♕
THE DUO, Cira and Xeke arrived at the town of Ashmire, but didn't dare enter seeing imperial armies all over the town's entrance. Even from afar, Xeke and Cira could tell that the town had changed. The atmosphere was different. It was tense. Everything that goes in and out was being cheeked thoroughly like the soldiers were wary of everything.
"What happened here...?" Cira was stunned to see the town from miles away. Even at that distance, she could feel that something was different.
"Let me check." Xeke volunteered and he just disappeared.
While waiting for Xeke's return, Cira hid herself. She was used to Xeke disappearing and appearing out of thin air that she was not startled when he just appeared in front of her.
"So?" Cira asked.
Xeke let out a loud breath. "We're everywhere."
Cira frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I mean our faces are plastered everywhere in Ashmire. We're wanted criminals, remember?"
Remembering that, Cira groaned in annoyance. "Great! Now, what?"
"I don't know since you haven't told me anything, especially where we're going." Xeke looked at Cira in the eyes. "Cira, how many times do I have to risk my neck for yours to earn your trust? I'm following you here like a blind man. Can't you at least give something so I can understand what's going on? Why we left the Mistress of Flame in Ager?"
Cira looked away. "I don't trust you one bit."
All Xeke could do was sighed. "Okay. I get it. You don't have to tell me anything—"
"We're going to the sacred forest." Cira cut off Xeke and let out a loud breath.
Xeke stilled and narrowed his eyes at Cira. "Sacred forest..." of course, Xeke understood what Cira meant. "The Elven kingdom?"
"Yes."
"Why? They vanished you, remember?"
"I don't care." Cira put her hands on her hips. "If I have to kill my way in, I will. I need to speak to their King."
"Speak about what?"
"It's confidential. So, are you coming with me? Or are you going to leave me here? Choose. I'm not going to force you."
Xeke sighed as if giving up. "As if I could abandon the woman that I will die for."
Cira looked away to hide the little redness on her cheeks. "Thank you."
Xeke couldn't help smiling seeing Cira being adorable for a second. "I have a plan. Do you trust me?"
Cira nodded her head. "Yes, but one wrong move and I'll kill you."
Xeke was so used to Cira's threats that he just smiled and bowed his head like he was doing a curtsy. "Happy to die by your hands, my lady."
Cira rolled her eyes. "So, what's the plan?"
Xeke immediately strengthened his body and shared his plan. "I'll scout, you follow. It's safer and we'll be faster."
"Like what we did in the barren lands when we were travelling with everyone?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Accepted. Let's go."
Xeke just sighed when Cira hurriedly walk past him. "Cira, I said I'll scout, you follow."
That made Cira stopped on her track. "Oh, yeah. Okay. Go."
Xeke smiled and shook his head.
"Take care, okay?" Said Cira and Xeke nearly tripped on his feet.
Damn it! Xeke cussed while looking beet red before he vanished.
♕♕♕
AS HAKKERAN TOLD SOLLEL, he died in the shivering valley to map it and Sollel didn't doubt it one bit. From morning to dawn, every time they traversed the shivering valley, Sollel didn't feel any difficulty. After her blood flame adjusted to the cold, the shivering valley that was known as the deadliest of all the valleys in Azitera became nothing to Sollel.
"It's steep. Be careful." Hakkeran warned Sollel as he offered his hand to Sollel.
Sollel accepted Hakkeran's hand and let him assist her and when they were off the steep slope, Hakkeran let go of her hand making Sollel smile seeing Hakkeran's jaw tightening as if he was trying to control something in him and he was having a hard time.
He looked really struggling, but Sollel was having fun watching.
He looked really struggling, but Sollel was having fun watching. Why is he so hell bent on lying to me? That's what Sollel didn't understand about Hakkeran. He was loyal to her, but he was lying to her. Was there something she was not supposed to know, was that it?
However, instead of ransacking her brain for answers that she could get from Hakkeran if given time, Sollel focused all her attention on absorbing the essence from the firestone on her hand chain.
Later on, as usual, and with ease, Hakkeran found a cave to stay out of the blizzard's way at night. As always, Hakkeran set up Sollel's 'bed' on the deepest part of the cave after making sure it was safe while he stays near the entrance as a guard.
Not wanting to be alone, Sollel left the deepest part of the cave and went to sit beside Hakkeran near the entrance.
"You should rest," said Hakkeran.
"I'm not tired," answered Sollel as she leaned on the cave's wall. "Thanks to you, it has become easy to traverse."
Hearing the queen, Hakkeran felt like it was all worth it— dying here alone and frozen. "Though it's not going to be easy from tomorrow onwards. We're reaching the center of the shivering valley where monsters who enjoys the cold lives and they are very territorial. They don't like anyone, monster or man, to trespass in their land."
But Sollel was not fazed. "They're ice and I'm flame... I can handle them. I'll save you this time around."
Hakkeran couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his lips. To hear that from his queen, he felt like all his hard work and perseverance in his four lifetimes paid off.
"You should smile more, my lord." Sollel was peeking on Hakkeran's face from the side. "You look more dashing when you smile."
Hakkeran wiped the smile off his face before he turned to Sollel. "Travelling with you, Your Highness, I realized something."
Sollel's eyebrow raised. "Pray tell."
Hakkeran looked into Sollel's vibrant red eyes. "You are very coquettish."
Sollel laughed at the word Hakkeran used. "I'm not coquettish just to anyone, my lord. I have my standards."
"Is it safe to assume that I pass your standards?"
Sollel smiled mysteriously and didn't answer. But her smile was enough to suggest to Hakkeran that 'yes, he passed'.
"I thought you fancied the hunter who was with you." Hakkeran leaned his back on the cave's wall as well, mimicking Sollel.
"Who? Hakken?" A smile played on Sollel's lips. "Hmm... I do like him."
"So why the interest in me?"
Sollel gave Hakkeran a side glance like a queen teasing her favorite person. "My lord, may I remind you, I may not have my kingdom anymore, but I am a Queen. Why choose, when I can have both?"
Hakkeran's face became blank. "I don't like to share. If you're mine, you're mine."
"So possessive," Sollel muttered under her breath before peeking at Hakkeran's face while a playful smile was on her lips. "Why not give it a try? I think Hakken and you will get along just fine. Hakken is nice and good, while you're serious and kind of bad. Wouldn't that be a perfect fit?"
Hakkeran turned his gaze at Sollel who had an 'I'm having fun' smile on her lips to read her, but he couldn't. And maybe he was really messed up because he liked that he couldn't read her. Of course, my queen is amazing, and after she was betrayed, no one can best her now.
"You're my prisoner," Hakkeran leaned the back of his head on the wall with his eyes closed as if telling Sollel that it was time to stop talking and rest. "There's no me and you, Your Highness."
"I don't feel like I'm your prisoner, to be honest." The playful tone on Sollel's voice vanished and it made Hakkeran's eyes snapped open. His gaze never leaving the queen as she got up and stood in front of him while looking down at him. "Without pretense and all, I will tell you this, Warlord Hakkeran Adral. I hate liars." The lava-like liquid in Sollel's pupil swirled fiercely as if conveying the Mistress of Flame's dormant anger. "Now, if you still wanted to cross the shivering valley with me, be truthful. I'm not asking you to tell all your secrets, just stop this pretentious attitude of yours. Because this," Sollel raised her hand to show Hakkeran the moonrite ring on her finger, "may stop me from killing you, but it won't stop me from escaping you. I don't care if you already mapped out the whole valley, I would go back to Hakken and this ring you put on my finger can't stop me."
That said, Sollel returned to the deepest part of the cave and went to bed.
Sollel honestly didn't want to say those words to Hakkeran but hearing his love confession days ago and hearing him denies it now, it annoyed her because she felt like she was being played.
The only reason I'm tolerating you is because I think you're— Sollel's thoughts were interrupted when she heard Hakkeran's voice.
"Your Highness...?"
Sollel didn't answer. And Hakkeran took Sollel's silence as an invitation to sit near the foot of her bed.
"Are you mad?" Hakkeran asked while wanting to smack himself. He wanted to be as distant as possible so it'll be easier for him to let her go once they reached the hallowed valley, but here he was, couldn't stomach the thought that his queen might be mad at him.
This might ruin his plan, but at that moment, he didn't care. It was easier to not care when his queen was so far away from him, when all he did was planned and pull the strings, but now he understood why that part of him always wanted to be with her.
She was intoxicating when far away and addictive when she was near.
Now he understood why 'loving someone' was a descendant of Sappher's greatest weakness. Because he, who could fight the whole world without fear, feared that the woman he loves so dearly would discard him.
And it was not fair... Because she doesn't love me the same as I love her.
CECELIB | C.C.