Chapter 200

Princess Emeriel

Three days later. After morning training, Emeriel freshened up quickly before going to the breakfast table. Her muscles still ached, but she welcomed the burn; it was the only thing that felt real these days.

The large wooden doors creaked as she entered the dining hall. Ackeira was the only one seated, sipping from her cup.

“You’re here, Em, take a seat,” Ackeira said warmly, gesturing to the chair beside her.

Emeriel’s jaw clenched, resisting the urge to lash out. It wasn’t Ackeira’s fault that the name she’d been called all her life now stirred memories of slavery and Urai.

“Where is the king and Daviel?” Emeriel asked in a clipped voice as she sat down.

“The king had an early court session, I think. And the prince?” Ackeira gave a half-hearted shrug. “He’s probably still in bed.”

They ate in silence. The food tasted like sawdust, but Emeriel forced herself to swallow. Everything tasted like ash these days.

As they were about to leave, the door opened. King Orestus strode in, his guards flanking him.

“Is everything alright, Your Majesty?” Ackeira inquired, her brow furrowed.

The king hesitated. His hand twitched as he looked at Emeriel before shifting his gaze to Ackeira. The tyrant king, who ruled with an iron fist, rarely looked this anxious. Something was wrong.

“Emeriel, Ackeira,” he cleared his throat, “I hope you weren’t… uh… upset about, you know, what happened in my study the other day?”

“About the letters?” Ackeira was bewildered.

“No, not the letters.” Orestus shifted awkwardly. “The part where I lost my… um… temper. I want to apologize for that. About… saying I would crucify you for the secrets you hide… I didn’t mean it.”

Emeriel’s patience snapped. “Okay, what the hell is going on?”

Years ago, she would never have dared to speak to the king in such a manner. But years ago, she had cared about things like decorum and respect. These days, she could barely care enough to drag herself out of bed.

“What is happening?” Ackeira asked.

“They are here.” The king looked downright terrified.

“Who is here?” Ackeira whispered.

Time stretched and distorted. Emeriel’s heartbeat pounded in her ears. Then, she stopped breathing entirely. Surely he…

“The Urekai. Three in number,” King Orestus said. “They are here to see you two.”

Aekeira gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. But the sound seemed far away, muffled. The world tilted on its axis.

Emeriel’s vision tunneled, her hearing replaced by a rising, high-pitched ringing that drowned out everything else. No. No. Not them. Not here. Not now.

The dining hall blurred. The table, the walls, even her sister… everything receded into the distance. Or was she the one falling back? Emeriel wasn’t sure anymore. When had she stood up?

“Em?”

Aekeira’s voice was faint. She saw her sister’s mouth move, forming her name, but it didn’t feel real. Aekeira was pale, whiter than a vampire. So, this wasn’t a dream; it was real. They are here.

Emeriel stumbled backward until she slammed into a wall, but she barely registered the pain. Her breaths came in shallow bursts. No, no, no…!

Thoughts slipped from her grasp. Her limbs felt sluggish, like she was wading through thick mud. She had to run away from here.

“Em!” Aekeira was suddenly in front of her, pulling her into a fierce hug.

Emeriel recoiled. Too close. Too crowded. She didn’t want to be touched. She couldn’t handle the closeness. But Aekeira didn’t let go. No matter how hard Emeriel pushed, her sister’s grip only tightened.

“What is happening to her?” King Orestus’s voice was distant. “Do I need to call for the medicine man?”

“You are okay, Em. You are fine,” Aekeira soothed. “I’m here. I’m not letting go.”

Small, pitiful whimpers escaped her. Those fragile noises were coming from her.

Emeriel bit down on her lips and shut everything out. The voices. The world. All that existed was her fight for breath, the burning in her lungs as her body shuddered in sync with Aekeira’s.

Time stretched on. Endless. Suffocating. But slowly, Emeriel felt the ground return beneath her feet. The ringing in her ears faded, the world slithering back in a slow return.

“I’m fine now,” she croaked. “You can let go, Keira.”

Her sister released her, tears tracing paths down her face. Her eyes searched Emeriel’s, probing for signs that all was truly alright.

Emeriel averted her face. Don’t look at me like that. Don’t look too closely. She hadn’t had an attack this intense in years. Way too long.

“Please… send them away.” The words were small, hoarse, barely her own.

“Em…”

“No.” Her voice gained strength. “They should go.”

“Let’s at least hear why they’ve come.”

If Emeriel shook her head any harder, her neck would break. “I don’t want to.”

“You don’t mean that—”

“I don’t want to see them. I don’t want to know why they are here. I want them gone.” Her voice rose, high-pitched, and panicked again.

Aekeira wiped her tears, nodding slowly, though her eyes remained filled with sadness. “It’s okay, Em. I understand. You don’t have to see them if you don’t want to.”

“You can go see them if you want,” Emeriel’s tone turned brittle. “But promise not to tell me a thing when you return. If you return. I don’t wish to hear it.”

“Why wouldn’t I return?”

“If you decide you wish to go back to Urai, I don’t need to know,” she said flatly. “I don’t want to know. You could go with them.”

Aekeira flinched, hurt flashing in her eyes. “You don’t mean that—”

“I do! Leave me alone!” she shouted.

Aekeira reared back like Emeriel had dealt her a physical blow. The pain in Aekeira’s eyes burned into Emeriel.

Stop. Stop hurting her. It’s not her fault. You never hurt Keira.

The guilt surged, drowning Emeriel. But she slammed it down, burying it deep, beneath a cold wall. Emeriel let the ice seep into her being. Cold was safer. Cold meant survival.

Squaring her shoulders, Emeriel turned and walked away.