Chapter 14 : The Red Eyes
The golden light of dawn spilled through the high arched windows of the King's Quarters.
A gentle warmth touched the marble floors and painted the heavy velvet curtains in hues of fire and rose.
But the room was silent.
Still.
The King lay motionless on the grand bed, eyes closed, his breath steady.
Yet he was not asleep.
Beneath the skin, his veins pulsed faintly with energy.
Aura drawn from the morning air swirled around him, invisible to the eye, but dense and heavy in sensation.
He gathered it slowly, circulating it through his body... testing his limits, shaping it, forcing it to move with him.
A quiet whisper in the air. A faint resistance in the chest.
He was close.
So close to feeling something awaken within this fragile body.
Across from the bed, in the corner beside a stack of ancient scrolls and sealed documents, the Second Queen still sat in the same chair.
Her posture was perfect. Not a hint of slouch or exhaustion.
And yet she had not slept.
All through the night, she had read, written, and signed without rest.
Now, in the golden glow of the morning, her features were sharper than ever.
Dark red eyes scanning parchment, lips pressed in thought. A soft breeze caught strands of her hair and carried them over her shoulder.
There was no weariness in her.
Only resolve.
Then...
Knock. Knock.
A gentle rap against the heavy doors.
She didn't flinch.
Her fingers stopped mid-signature, her voice cold and clear:
"Come in."
The door opened quietly.
A young knight stepped in, clad in silver-trimmed armor, with a cloak bearing the crest of Ashkar Kingdom.
Beside him came a pale-haired maid... discreet, quick-footed, her eyes respectfully lowered.
Both bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty," the knight spoke first. "Forgive the delay. I looked into the matter through the night. I am not certain yet, but…"
He hesitated.
"I believe the culprit may be from the First Queen's palace. Yesterday, only their knights were seen near the King's quarters. And… a few staff."
Silence.
Then Anevra's lips curled.
"Her," she breathed... low and sharp like a blade unsheathed.
Her fingers brushed the inkstone aside.
She stood.
Like a wave rising from still water, her presence changed.
No fatigue. No hesitation. Only fire in her eyes and poise in every step.
"It's been some time since we met. I suppose I should pay her a visit."
She turned to the knight and the maid, her tone no longer calm... but absolute.
"You two will guard this door," she said. "Do not let anyone inside."
Her gaze narrowed, voice cutting through the morning like steel..
"Do not disturb the King."
The maid bowed without a word. The knight stepped back and gave a nod.
The door closed with a gentle click.
____________
Asharic's Pov
My eyes opened slowly.
I watched her leave... the sharpness in her steps, the command in her voice, the heat still lingering in the air.
Even after working all night… she walks like that.
No wonder.
She's a Half-Dragon too.
They aren't like humans.
A body that recovers without sleep. Strength born into their bones. A presence that burns.
They could live in snow or desert and never feel a thing.
But humans…
Humans survive because of intelligence.
That's what makes them terrifying.
The corridor outside went silent.
She was gone.
And with her... the knight and maid stood guard at the door.
There was only one way out of this palace.
The front gate.
Other palaces had hidden exits built into the master quarters… escape tunnels, secret halls.
But the King's Palace?
None.
Because only the strong were meant to be King.
And Kings didn't run.
Now that tradition was my problem.
Even if I tried to leave, that knight wouldn't stop me... but he'd follow.
And I wasn't ready for eyes on me yet.
Too early.
I exhaled slowly.
Let's not rush.
I'm close to something.
I can feel it.
Just a little more... and I might actually sense my Aura.
Not just gather it, but feel it.
Shape it.
So I closed my eyes again…
And let the air grow still.
_____________
The morning deepened.
The palace air was still, but heavy with the silence that came after a night of sleepless watch.
Outside the King's Quarters, the knight stood tall by the door, his gloved hand resting gently over the pommel of his sword. His eyes didn't drift from the corridor ahead. Beside him, the maid stood with her head lowered, ready to fetch anything at the first sound from within.
Time passed.
And then...
Thuk.
Thuk.
Footsteps. Steady. Echoing across the polished stone floor.
The knight raised his gaze.
White fabric flashed through the open corridor... trousers and a fitted top, suited not for courtly leisure, but for battle. The white shimmered under the soft sun, trailing behind a figure who walked as though the marble belonged to her.
Aella DragonBlood.
The Second Princess of the Ashkar Kingdom.
She walked with her chin high, her golden hair tied behind her in a neat band, her eyes firm and forward... not like the girl who had come days ago, trembling and distant.
The scars on the wall still remembered that visit.
But the girl before them now… had changed.
She came to a stop before the door.
Her posture did not falter.
The knight stepped forward and lowered his head.
"Young Lady," he said carefully, "how may we help you?"
Aella looked at him.
For a long breath, she said nothing.
Then her lips parted... her voice clear.
"Step aside. I am going in."
The maid glanced toward the knight.
The knight hesitated.
They had their orders... not to let anyone inside.
But this wasn't anyone.
This was the daughter of the King.
And so, without a word, they stepped aside.
But before Aella could lift her hand...
The doors opened.
And standing before them...
Was the King.
Asharic stood tall, his hair slightly tousled, his robes still loose around his shoulders. The air around him held a subtle tension, as though power quietly churned beneath his skin. His eyes met theirs... calm, silent, unreadable.
Aella froze.
Her hand was still raised mid-step.
It was rare for her to see him like this... not on a bed, not collapsed, not fevered with death.
But standing.
Breathing.
Alive.
"…Father," she whispered under her breath.
And then, without waiting for any questions, she reached out.
She gently took his hand.
And she pulled him forward... not with force, but with care, like one leading a wounded soldier out of the battlefield.
"May I ask where you are taking His Majesty?" the knight spoke quickly, stepping forward with concern.
Aella stopped.
Her back was still turned to him.
Then she looked over her shoulder, her red eyes glinting like fire under sunlight.
"Do I have to tell you where I take my father?" she asked.
The knight lowered his head. "No, Young Lady."
Without another word, Aella guided the King past them.
The knight and the maid followed.
Step by step.
Until...
"Stop following us," she said, not turning around.
"I'm afraid we cannot do that, Young Lady," the knight replied.
She halted.
Slowly, she turned around.
Her gaze landed on him... sharp and burning.
"I wasn't asking," she said, her voice now cold. "I'm ordering you."
And for a moment, the knight saw not just the Second Princess...
But a reflection of her mother.
Those same red eyes.
The same fire.
He froze.
And then, silently, he bowed his head.
She turned and continued walking, her hand never letting go of the King's.
The corridor stretched ahead.
Only their footsteps remained.
______________
Asharic's POV
So… she's the daughter of this body.
Aella DragonBlood.
I remembered her from the novel.
I remembered what she had to endure.
But seeing her now…
There's something painful about watching her walk ahead of me. About the way she held my hand so naturally... as though she had always been the one supporting me, not the other way around.
She looks so much like Anevra.
Same fire. Same silence. Same burden.
But also something else…
Regret gnawed at my chest... regret I couldn't fully name.
Is it mine?
Or the memory of this body?
I don't know anymore.
But the moment her fingers tightened slightly around mine…
I knew.
I didn't want her to carry that weight.
Not alone.
If there was anything I could do now, in this life, in this cursed second chance...
I would.
I would give her a new future.
Even if I had to burn down the past.