Witch's Daughter And The Devil's Son

"Father, can't we do something for her…? I can't bear to see her like this." Cian looked calm on the surface, but his voice was hoarse with helplessness.

"We can't," King Armen replied. "It will only put her in danger, and she will end up suffering for a lifetime."

"Why? Why will it put her in danger? I do not understand. When will Father tell me about this? We might find a way to help her. If we—"

King Armen lifted his hand to cut him off. "I will tell you when the time comes." 

After having a few sips, Seren stopped eating the porridge. 

Everyone reacted with worry, coming up with various scenarios in their minds regarding what happened. 

Dusk rubbed his head against Seren's hand as if he had understood what it was. He stepped back, shook his wings and then immediately left through the window. Dusk had observed Seren closely as per his master's order, always keeping an eye on her if she needed something, and Dusk had done his best. Just in a short period of time, he mostly understood what her needs were and reacted accordingly, like staying by her side when she was feeling scared and alone.

With the audacious eagle gone, King Armen could finally approach his daughter without being blocked. "Seren, are you not feeling well? Is that food not good? Why did you stop eating?"

Seren didn't reply to any of King Armen's questions as she continued sitting with her head lowered. Dusk was no longer there so she retreated back into her own world.

"Give her water," Cian instructed the nurse, guessing what must be the reason. 

Advertisements

One of the nurses filled a small glass with water and went towards Seren. "Your Highness? Are you thirsty?"

Seren still didn't react. Not to mention accepting the water, she did not even acknowledge the existence of the nurse. The nurse looked at King Armen and Cian to know what to do now. Not like she could force the Third Princess to drink water. If the Third Princess resisted and she spilled water on the princess, the nurse might find herself suspended, or worse, demoted at work.

"Keep it within her reach and step back," Cian instructed, and the nurse obediently kept it on the bedside table. 

They waited for Seren to pick up the glass of water on her own but there was no positive outcome.

"She responds to an animal but not to humans. It seems like that incident made her lose faith in people," King Armen said in a sad voice. "I am the one to blame for letting her face such a heinous sight."

"Head Physician said she needs some time. She will recover. We just have to wait." Cian consoled his father although he himself felt disappointed as well that she could not even recognize her own family. Since Seren woke up, she never responded to her own father and brother who loved and cared for her.

---------

It took Dusk only a matter of minutes to reach the quarters assigned to the Megaris soldiers inside the military barracks, where he noticed Drayce talking to the captain of his knights outside. 

"We all are ready to return. Only waiting for Your Majesty's order," the captain of the knights informed.

"As soon as Slayer is in good condition to travel back, we will leave," Drayce explained.

The captain nodded. "I will pass on your words, Your Majesty."

"There will be someone else who will be going with us, so prepare everything nicely. Get the most comfortable carriage you can find and make sure we will not have any trouble during the journey," Drayce added.

"May I ask who will be joining us, Your Majesty?" the captain asked, though he somewhat guessed it.

"No!" 

As expected, the knight got the same straight cold denial whenever this issue was brought up. He couldn't help but curse himself for even asking.

"Understood, Your Majesty." The captain bowed.

From above, Dusk dove down towards the two men, making a loud screeching sound to call their attention. The tone of his screech was enough for his master to understand he had come for something important.

Drayce looked at the eagle which was flying in a circle just above their heads. "What is it?" he asked. 

Dusk seemed to be searching for something, and the moment he found it, he flapped his wings towards it. A slim wooden water carrier was hanging on one of the wooden poles supporting the porch of a nearby lodging. Dusk grabbed the tiny rope strap hanging on a nail on that wooden pole and brought the water carrier to Drayce before landing on the captain's shoulder.

Drayce looked at his knight and ordered, "Fill the one I use and give it to Dusk."

There was no way Drayce would give some random soldier's thing to the royal lady who would soon be the Queen of Megaris.

The captain left to get the water carrier that belonged to his king. It was kept along with the other essential things needed during the journey. The knight found it inside a wooden box on top of the pile. 

It was a slim elbow-length water carrier carved in fine wood, with gold and silver engravings and rare gems on its strap. With a single glance, one could guess it definitely belonged to someone of high status and not just any ordinary soldier. They were specially crafted for the King of Megaris, even bearing the crest of the Ivanov Family, which symbolized the royal family of Megaris Kingdom.

The captain filled it with fresh water and handed it over to Dusk, who grabbed the water carrier in a rush and fled away from them without even turning to look back at his master. The eagle appeared to be in such a hurry, he did not even care about anyone else.

The captain felt puzzled, wondering what exactly was going on.  Not only food, but Dusk even had to fetch water for that person. 

"I have never seen him this frantic when he is not even serving His Majesty himself, but someone else," the captain commented as he reached his king who was busy checking the newly sharpened swords kept on a table.

Drayce was running his finger over the sharp edge of one sword when he heard the captain speak. 

"He found someone more precious than me," Drayce commented.

'Impossible!' The captain could not wrap his head around the fact that the smart and faithful Dusk would put someone over his master. The entire world could turn upside down, but this was just impossible. However, King Drayce was not one to speak nonsense.

'Can it be true that she is really a witch, and not just His Majesty, but she also enchanted his eagle?' Just as that disturbing thought entered his mind, he recalled something that calmed him down.  'Doesn't matter as our king is the devil himself.'

Drayce put the sword in his hand back on the table and looked at the captain, who had fallen silent. "Don't think too much. I share the same thoughts as Dusk."

"Huh?" The captain didn't get what his king meant, but who would dare question the red-eyed devil?

"Being busy on the battlefield has made you lose your common sense," Drayce commented again.

"I apologize, Your Majesty." He simply bowed, regardless of whether he knew what he was apologizing for. 

After checking on his men, Drayce turned to leave the barracks. Although he was away from his kingdom, he had plenty of important work to do as a king so he returned to his chamber escorted by his own knights. 

---------

Before Dusk could reach Seren's chamber, King Armen and Cian had already heard him screeching outside. It was loud, as if it was announcing to everyone inside that he had returned. As soon as the eagle entered through the window, they understood he had brought something with him again.

A wooden container about a foot long was held by his claws and was dropped beside Seren's feet. He then pushed it closer to her, asking her to get it. After several urges, Seren finally picked it up, but as expected, Dusk had to peck on the lid of the water carrier to make her open it. Seren tried to move the lid, but she was too weak to even hold the water carrier properly, much less rotate the lid.

Cian saw this situation and stepped forward to help. Dusk was about to open his wings and screech at him, but Cian's sapphire blue eyes stared into Dusk's golden ones. 

"I am not harming her. She needs help." 

With wary eyes, Dusk folded his wings back and let Cian walk closer to the bed.

As he approached her, Cian probed carefully. "Seren? It is me, your brother. I know you are thirsty. Let brother help you with that." He held out his hand palms up in front of her, waiting for her to give him the wooden water carrier.

For the first time, it seemed like she finally recognized someone else other than Dusk. She let go of that water carrier. 

Cian removed its lid and passed it back to her. She held it but not even once looked at her brother. She didn't drink water, as if she was waiting for something. Cian understood and returned to his father's side.

Shifting the veil on her face up a bit, only then did she have a sip of water. 

"That thing belongs to King Drayce too," Cian informed King Armen. His father gave him a questioning look.

"It has the symbol of the Ivanov Family. I don't think any sane person will dare fake the crest of a royal family, unless he has a death wish," Cian explained the reason.

King Armen frowned. "Is he communicating with Seren through this bird?" 

Advertisements

"Looks like it," said Cain.

King Armen was now somewhat sure Drayce had already met Seren before, or else why would he have asked to marry her with such persistence? But how did he meet her and why was he suddenly so interested in her? He could not understand the young king's actions. No king would want to marry a girl who is known as a witch as no kingdom would want a witch to be their queen. 

It could not be love at first sight. King Drayce did not seem to be a silly romantic, and neither was he a fool. Even if they had met before, there was no way Drayce would have seen her face. If he had seen it, then things wouldn't be this normal. Another chaos would have awaited King Armen. 

What reason could be there making Drayce want to marry his daughter without even seeing how she looked? There was nothing glorious about her other than being the most hated and unwanted person in the Kingdom of Abetha. Was he eyeing Abetha and was using Seren, the only available princess, as a bridge to enter the muddy political waters of the kingdom?

Regardless of his true intentions, King Armen found him suspicious. He would have to deliberate with his trusted men and find out what he truly wanted, counter it and turn him down.