Chapter 186:

“There’s no need. Send for the healer,” Vladya dismissed with a wave of his hand.

Yaz remained rooted in place, his eyes filled with stormy determination. “The poison will reach your heart before the healer arrives.”

“Just do as I said, Yaz.” Vladya leaned back, his eyelids fluttering closed. He was so tired.

“But—” Yaz’s protest hung heavy in the silence.

In the end, however, the scrape of wood on stone marked Yaz’s reluctant departure.

AEKIEIRA

Aekeira tended her garden, the watering can a gentle weight in her hand. Sunlight dappled her skin as she moved with practiced grace, allowing a delicate stream of water to nourish the plants below. She tended to the vibrant array of flowers and vegetables. The sound of water meeting the soil brought her a sense of comfort, immersing her in the moment.

Then, the sharp crack of a footstep approaching shattered her tranquility. Startled, Aekeira whirled around.

Lord Vladya’s head soldier stood rigid, his familiar face hard.

“Lord Vladya summons you,” he stated, his voice clipped.

Aekeira’s heart skipped a beat. “He does?” It had been two days since that disastrous night, and she hadn’t seen him since.

The soldier clenched his jaw, flicking his gaze away. “Yes,” he confirmed, the word edged with a strange finality. “Make haste.”

“Is everything alright?” she asked tentatively, sensing there was more to the soldier’s behavior.

“Everything is fine,” he retorted, the words as sharp as a blade. “Now, come.”

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“Just a moment to—”

“No, come at once,” the soldier snapped, a hint of urgency coloring his tone.

Dropping the watering can with a clatter, she removed her apron and hurried after him. Her pulse a frantic drumbeat against her ribs. What was going on?

They strode towards the grand entrance, and inside the vast residence. The soldier halted before an imposing set of doors.

“I will leave you here. He awaits within. Enter,” he commanded, his voice devoid of warmth. Then, with a brisk turn, he was gone.

Aekeira watched Yaz retreat, his stiff posture mirroring his master’s. Too serious, too rigid. Like master, like soldier.

Her knuckles turned white as she rapped hesitantly on the wood, the sound echoing in the strained silence. With a groan of ancient hinges, the door swung inward, revealing a sliver of shadowed space.

She ventured into the study, her steps hesitant as she crossed the threshold, the scent of old parchment filling her nostrils.

“Your Highness?” Aekeira’s voice shook despite her attempt at composure. “You called for me?”

GRAND LORD VLADYA

Vladya’s eyes opened, twin pools of darkness. Her scent hit him like a wave. It had always been alluring, but now, mixed with the fragrance of roses, Aekeira smelled unimaginably appealing.

“No,” he rasped through clenched teeth, the word a jagged shard of sound.

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