NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 32: What is happening
After Serena's outburst, Mikael calmed her down and took her to their chamber, even asking Selmor to follow them. Once they settled in the attached personal office, Mikael said, "Look, Serena, I'm ready to do whatever it takes to save my child. Now, you need to tell me your decision because, at the end of the day, the queen's decision matters most. I know you won't make a wrong choice, so I will support you."
He held Serena's hand, offering her silent support. Serena remained quiet for a few minutes, staring at the floor in deep thought. What felt like hours passed before she finally looked up and met Selmor's gaze. In a whisper, she asked, "My daughter will be in safe hands?" Selmor maintained the eye contact and confidently replied, "She will live a long life, safe and sound."
Serena picked up the letter that was resting on the table. She opened the drawer, took out the seal and ink, and stamped the official seal of the Kingdom of Gaelen onto the letter. Holding the letter in her hands, she nodded and wiped a lone tear from her cheek.
"I trust you, Selmor. Take this and save my daughter," she said, handing the letter to him. Selmor accepted the letter and stood up. "I'll visit the Kingdom of Corbin now and retrieve those herbs," he replied with a determined expression. After seeking permission from the queen and king, he transformed from his human form into a translucent form and began his journey toward the Kingdom of Corbin.
...
2 days later In the meeting hall of the Kingdom of Gaelen's palace
It takes around four days to travel to the Kingdom of Corbin and back. However, since Selmor is a phantom, he can return in just two days. This is why King Mikael and Queen Serena were anxiously waiting in the throne room.
To distract themselves from their worries, they tried to focus on discussions about royal matters. Suddenly, they heard the door to the meeting hall open. Eagerly, they looked towards the entrance, waiting for Selmor.
As expected, a tired Selmor entered, holding a pouch in his hands. He announced, "Bring the sacred imber." Hearing this, Queen Serena rushed towards the royal kitchen, while King Mikael hurried to take Selmor to Anezka's chamber.
As Mikael and Selmor approached Anezka's chamber, they saw the wolf sleeping soundly at Anezka's feet. Selmor moved closer, hearing a voice coming from within the chamber. The wolf's ears perked up, and it raised its head toward the source of the voice.
Upon seeing Selmor, the wolf instinctively got up and sat in the corner of the chamber, as if it understood the gravity of the situation. Selmor sat beside Anezka and began to make a magical potion using crushed black tulip and sacred ender from the Kingdom of Corbin.
As he worked, Serena entered the chamber with a small bottle of sacred imber of the Kingdom of Gaelen and handed it to Selmor. He mixed all the ingredients together while whispering a spell. Once he finished creating the cure, the potion turned a reddish-black color with hints of green grains swirling within it.
He took the potion with a spoon and gently opened Anezka's mouth to feed her the liquid slowly. Once he finished administering the potion, he looked at Serena and Mikael, who were watching him with eager eyes.
"We should give her some time to rest—the potion will take a while to show its effects," Selmor said as he got up. Serena sighed and replied, "Alright, but you need to rest too. Stay here for a few days." Selmor nodded. "Yes, I will. Don't worry, Your Majesty; Anezka is safe now," he assured her. Mikael then took Serena's hand and added, "Yes, Serena, don't worry. Now we should leave our daughter to rest."
Hearing Mikael's words, Serena decided to leave the chamber. Before leaving, she made sure that Rhea would stay with Anezka and instructed Rhea to take care of her. If Anezka woke up, Rhea was to let Serena know. After confirming that Anezka wouldn't be alone, Serena, Mikael, and Selmor left to rest in their respective chambers. Following Queen Serena's instructions, Rhea was sitting beside Anezka, taking care of her.
After a few hours, it was already midnight. While taking care of Anezka, Rhea didn't realize when she fell asleep beside her. However, her sleep was broken by the sound of Anezka whimpering. When she sat up, she saw Anezka drenched in sweat, whimpering as if she were in pain.
Sensing Anezka's discomfort, even the wolf came over and began to rub its snout against Anezka's hands, trying to offer silent reassurance. Rhea hurriedly got up and went to inform the King and Queen.
As Rhea informed everyone about Anezka's condition, Serena commanded her to call Selmor. While Rhea went to make the call, Serena and Mikael headed to Anezka's chamber. When everyone arrived, they rushed toward Anezka and were shocked to see her in such a dire state, as if she were battling something invisible just to breathe.
Selmor sat beside her, took her right hand, and tried to check her pulse. He was taken aback when he noticed that Anezka, who used to have green veins, now had prominent dark black veins coursing through her wrist. The sight left everyone in the chamber gasping in disbelief. "What is happening to my daughter, Selmor?" Serena exclaimed, her voice filled with panic.
Selmor was so shocked to the core that he went still, confusedly whispering, "I don't know." In a daze, he felt Anezka moving her hands. Abruptly, he raised his head and saw Anezka opening her eyes. Once her eyes were open, everyone visibly shivered at the sight, for her eyes were no longer the normal onyx they used to be; they had turned a striking lavender color.
As he was still holding Anezka's hand, he realized just how warm it had become—so warm that he felt he might get burned. Abruptly, he released her hand and asked hesitantly, "Anezka, are you alright?" Anezka looked around, confused by her surroundings, and said, "Can I get some water?" Her throat felt scratchy, as if she had been thirsty for years.
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"More evil gets done in the name of righteousness than any other way."
- By Glen Cook