Page 181 of The Kingdom of Eternal Ice
With that I feel a sudden darkness engulfing me, again. I can only see shadows around me. The pain returns. My whole body seems to be aching. I try to lift my hand, but my bones don’t listen to me. “Careful,” a voice whispers and warm hands move towards my arm, keeping it in place. “It’s bound to the bed to heal.”
I don’t know what that person is talking about, but I’m too tired anyway.
“You are with us again,” the voice whispers.
“I thought we had lost him,” another voice. “Thank you for your help, Sine.”
“It was more your doing, Aylin.”
Warm hands are on my chest and arm, and instead of hurting me, they actually feel comforting. “The balm helps,” another voice says.
“This will be a long process, though,” one of the women says. “But, he has made the first step.” She brushes some hair out of my face. “We need you here, Gamma Royan. The Princess is waiting for you to return to your duties.”
My duties. Right… I still have my work here, my rank. I haven’t lost my rank despite being so stupid and falling for my mate.
“Caelan sent a messenger to us,” one of them says. “He is going to return with his father. They are hurrying here right now.”
“Good, that will help for sure!”
The voice from before is back. “Should I stay? I don’t want to be in the way.”
“No, stay here,” someone calms her. “Your reading helped him.”
Oh, she was the one who read to me. The murmur I heard before. I want to lift my finger in acknowledgement, but instead just groan in pain. Fuck, I can’t even move without my body burning in pain, and I still see everything blurred.
“Don’t,” the woman from before says, touching my forehead. A calming scent fills me. “She will continue reading for you. Don’t worry, Royan.”
Royan.
Is this me? It’s me.
*SHAYAN*
A few days have passed, and everything has gone back to usual; a new usual, though. The wolves have always been accommodating to me, but now they treat me with a newfound respect. I’m not sure if I’m deserving of it, but there is no denying that their approval means something to me.
Everyone has returned now, many issues have been dealt with, and meetings for the future organized. The werebears lost a lot of their population, even more so than the dragons, and are still being restructured by a new leader. The dragon shifters are beginning to rebuild their kingdom.
As for the werewolf kingdom, changes are slowly approaching.
“Look, who is sporting a new mark,” Flinn, the sassy triplet says, when we all meet for breakfast again; the first time after the battle. Finally, everyone is in the same room again.
“Of course,” Tynan growls. “He is all mine now.” Tynan looks all proud. Good for him, they don’t know how mushy and cute he is when we are alone. If he needs to show off his macho side, I’ll let him. I can always pay him back later in the bedroom.
“I thought it was about time,” I answer Flinn calmly. “It’s too worrying to be apart from your mate, not knowing what they are up to and what kind of dangerous stunts they are pulling.”
Tynan frowns. “Wait, are you talking about me?” He pouts. “But, we talked about this! It was to save you.”
Flinn snorts, while Alana just smacks Tynan’s back. “I’m truly happy for you, Ty, and for you too, General.”
I smile at her. “Thank you, Princess Alana.” Engaging in the last battle has helped her to move on from her pain a fraction. It must have been hard for her to fight at Artio’s side, the creature that killed her best friend, but she is a warrior and a princess, and as such understood that Artio was just a pawn.
She got her revenge. But it will take a while for her to heal completely.
“How is Royan doing?” Alana asks.
“We almost lost him, but he seems stable now. He hasn’t woken up yet, though,” the queen explains. “Aylin is constantly with him, and Simin, too. Her voice is calming to him.”
“She told me she wants to become a healer,” Azadeh explains. “She tried a couple of things ever since we arrived in the kingdom, but now I think she truly found her calling.”
