Page 50 of The Princess and Her Grand King

Emeriel shook her head. "You don’t need to thank me."

"How did you manage to disarm an assassin on your own?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.

Fairly easy."It wasn’t easy. But I’m glad I was able to help."

Unable to hold back any longer, she leaned down and touched King Daemonikai's shoulder. "Your Grace, can you hear me?"

No response. No movement.

"His body is burning up again. "I need to sponge him down again," she muttered, her gaze drawn to the dark veins standing out against his pale arm.

"Perhaps this time, he will stay with us, right?"

Lord Ottai looked so hopeful that Emeriel nodded. "Yes, I hope so too."

She sat beside King Daemonikai and picked up a washcloth, dipping it in cool water. Carefully, she ran the cloth down his scathed arm.

The room fell into a heavy silence, broken only by the soft sound of water dripping from the cloth.

Lord Ottai lingered for a while, keeping her company, before duty pulled him away, leaving Emeriel alone with the grand king.

She continued sponging his heated skin for hours, refraining from undressing him completely. Slowly, gradually, the fever began to subside, until it broke.

Exhausted, she finally allowed herself to rest. Laying her head beside his ribs, she closed her eyes, the rhythmic rise and fall of his shallow breaths lulling her into a much-needed sleep.

***

Emeriel stayed by the grand king’s side, barely leaving his chambers except for brief respites to refresh herself.

Everything she needed, from food to fresh linens, was brought directly to the royal residence.

There was no world beyond the king’s chambers, her life revolved only around the still figure in the bed.

Madam Livia visited occasionally to assist Emeriel in preparing the herbal remedies. Each visit she patiently guided Emeriel, teaching her how to concoct medicinal teas and brew potions to reduce the fever and stave off the symptoms of soul death.

Afterward Madam Livia blended fragrant oils while Emeriel ground roots into fine powders, using their rich, earthy aroma rising for incense.

Male Urekai servants handled the king’s bathing and changing of clothes, and the maids came to replace the bed linens and tidy the chamber. But for the most part, Emeriel was left alone with her unconscious king.

She would often choose books from the grand library, reading aloud to him tales of epic battles won and lost. Stories of distant lands and gods.

Along her wanderings, Emeriel had encountered rooms, sealed like tombs with heavy locks, that she eventually realized held the memories of his late bondmate and children. Out of respect, she never ventured near them, honoring their space.

On the fifth day, after sponging his fevered skin, and applying drops of medicine into his open, unblinking eyes, Emeriel knelt by the hearth.

Clutching the worn leather-bound book of religious texts and ancient prayers, she opened it to the page she had left off the day before, and resumed praying.

"Grant, O Great Ukrae, the restoration of health, and healing hands, both to body and soul," she read, tending to the flickering flames in the stone fireplace with her free hand. "Almighty and powerful Ukrae, who heals all and saves all, may thine blessings restore strength and life."

She lost herself in the sacred texts, time drifting away unnoticed as always.

It wasn’t until Madam Livia entered to administer his night medicines that she stirred, gently closing the prayer book and rising to join her.

"Have I thanked you for returning to Urai?" Madam Livia asked, as she prepared to depart, pausing at the threshold. "I know it couldn't have been easy, considering everything that's happened."

"You don’t need to thank me," Emeriel said.

The truth was, despite her desire to leave the past behind, Aekeira had been right. She needed to know her male was healthy and hearty, even if they were halfway across the world from each other.

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