ã€ŠThe Devil&#x27;s Cursed Witchã€‹


 Chapter 1

    Stab!

    A knife pierced through his heart and he felt a sharp pain, as if it would tear apart his entire body. The world turned ck for a moment, and when he regained his sight, a beautiful woman came into view.

    A small delicate face, long wavy hair the color of mahogany, her eyes shedding tears as she held the handle of that knife piercing his chest.

    ¡°Forgive me,¡± she said in between sobs. ¡°This all happened because of me. Wait for me. No matter what happens, I wille to you. We will meet again¡­¡±

    Those words rang in his head as the man tossed and turned in his sleep. Despite knowing it was a dream, anxiety filled him as the woman started to disappear from his vision.

    ¡°We will meet again¡­wait for me¡­¡± the distant voice repeated until it faded. The silence that followed brought him another wave of pain.

    ¡°No. Don¡¯t go¡­who are you¡­?¡±

    The man woke up with a jolt. He sat up in bed with his hand pressing against the left side of his chest as his red eyes searched around his bed. His strong muscr body was covered with cold sweat, causing his dark night robe to cling onto his muscles. Even though he was no longer in the dream, it was as if he could still feel the knife piercing his heart.

    ¡®Why am I having this dream again?¡¯

    Just then, the door swung open and a young servant entered, gasping for air as if he had run towards his master as fast as he could. His silver hair looked unkempt and his pointed ears twitched nervously.

    ¡°S-Sire, I heard your voice. Is there something wrong?¡±

    The red-eyed man red at the servant who dared intrude into the King¡¯s chamber without permission. ¡°One day you will lose your ears, Erlos.¡± His voice was cold and full of warning.

    ¡°I..I was just worried, Sire,¡± he immediately went towards the table, ¡°I will get you water.¡±

    Unknown to them, strange white energy enveloped that cold man¡¯s body, and before he could react, he disappeared from his royal chamber.

    Silence filled the chamber, and only the sound of the young servant pouring water into ss could be heard.

    ¡®Why is he not saying anything or threatening to kill me?¡¯ With a doubtful face, the servant turned to look at the bed and found it empty.

    He frowned, ¡°Argghh! Not again. Where did he go this time?¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¨C

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, in a human kingdom far away¡­

    ¡°Burn that witch.¡±

    ¡°Today make sure that either that witch dies or leaves our kingdom.¡±

    ¡°She has caused enough harm to us for so many years. It¡¯s enough now.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just kill her today and get rid of her.¡±

    ¡°Even the king has sent a troop of soldiers so we can burn this entire mountain and not leave a single inch ofnd to let that witch hide.¡±

    In the dark night under the moonlight, people were walking with themps and torches in their hands inside the woods in the mountain.

    The entire mountain was surrounded by people from all sides. They poured the cans of oil everywhere and the high up areas where no one could reach or more like scared to reach, the arrows dipped in oil and burned with fire were shot in all the directions.

    ¡°Today is thest day for that witch. Just die here.¡±

    Soon after, the entire mountain caught fire and the mes were trying to reach higher and higher. Birds, mostly scavengers could be seen flying everywhere as their homes caught fire.

    ¡°I am sure that witch must be dead by now. She had no ce to go.¡±

    People started to celebrate their achievement, not knowing what was happening in the deepest part of the mountain.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Somewhere near the peak of the haunted mountain, a sharp light shed, like a zap of lightning amidst the ck smoke. The light took on a huge oval shape like a portal and a red-eyed man in a ck robe stepped out of it. He seemed to be shocked when he looked around.

    ¡°What is this ce? Who dares summon me here?¡± His voice was cold and his expression looked angry as his red eyes looked fierce due to the reflection of fire mes in them. ¡°Why is this ce burning?¡±

    The moment he took a step forward, he stumbled upon something.

    ¡°What¡¯s this creature?¡± he mumbled and kneeled down to look at it.

    He saw a frail injured body curled into a ball, surrounded by the burnt wood logs. He simply observed it for a moment carrying no sympathy in his eyes.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t concern me,¡± and closed his eyes to teleport, ¡°I need to return.¡±

    In a moment he opened his eyes, only to see himself in the same ce.

    ¡°Why am I still here?¡± Seems like this ce is not good. I need to try it from somewhere else.¡±

    He was about to step ahead, crossing that body but the bottom hem of his long robe was caught in something, making him stop. Clenching his fist angrily, he turned back only to see that the bruised body had caught the hem of his robe in its hand.

    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you dead?¡± Hemented indifferently and tried to pull back his robe to free it but he simply could not.

    ¡°You are about to die then die peacefully. Don¡¯t suffer in my hands. You don¡¯t know what I can make you suffer with.¡±

    Still, that body didn¡¯t let go of his robe. The strength in that weak body amused him. He was the most powerful one that everyone feared but this frail body, what kind of power it had to overpower him.

    He kneeled down and checked it closely. Its clothes were burned only leaving a minimum at the required ces that he could guess it was a female.

    Her face was covered with long dark hair. He moved his hand to check the face but the moment he touched it, he realized something.

    ¡®Human? How can a human have any powers?¡¯

 Chapter 2

    He didn¡¯t know why his cold heart suddenly ached for her, but he decided to take her with him.

    When he was ready to lift that frail body in his arms, only then did the small delicate hand gripping his robe let go. He lifted that body which weighed nothing, not bothered by the ash and dirt that clung to him when he did so.

    Once more, he closed his eyes and focused, hoping that this time he could leave this forest.

    When he opened his eyes, he found himself inside avishly decorated roomrge enough to be a mansion in itself. He sighed relief as he finally returned and then looked at that charred body.

    ¡°Were you the one who summoned me there?¡±

    There was no reply from that unconscious little human. He put it on his canopy bed and covered her with the nket as almost nothing of her clothes remained intact. He then pulled the rope string next to the bed which was the bell meant to call his servant.

    It did not even take a minute for the door to open and a young man with pointed ears and silver hair entered the bedchamber.

    ¡°Sire, you are back. Where did you¡ª¡±

    The words that the young servant was about to say were stuck in his throat when he saw something¡ªno, someone lying in the middle of the King¡¯s bed.

    ¡°Call a physician, Erlos,¡± the red-eyed man ordered.

    Before the servant could say anything, he heard his master add, ¡°A human one and make sure to get twody servants as well.¡±

    ¡°A human, sire?¡± Erlos¡¯ pointed ears twitched as he eyed the charcoal-like body in the middle of the King¡¯s bed once more.

    This young elf, Erlos, would normally snoop around to satisfy his curiosity, but seeing his master¡¯s serious face, he did not dare ask anything. He simply bowed and left, hurrying to execute the orders of the King.

    It only took minutes for Erlos to return with a young man in white robes clumsily following behind him with a leather satchel filled with bottles. The young man was cowering, his body trembling in fear, which was theplete opposite to the two female pce servants apanying him.

    ¡°Sire, the physician is here,¡± Erlos announced, gesturing towards the human.

    A pair of red eyes scanned that young physician and saw him freeze under his gaze.

    Realizing that the man¡¯s attention was on him, the physician almost broke his body bowing like a wooden toy. ¡°Y-Your Majesty, King Draven, you called for this lowly subject?¡±

    Draven nodded and motioned towards his bed as hemanded, ¡°Heal that human.¡±

    Only then did the physician have the chance to look around. He eyed therge canopy bed and realized someone was lying there over the thick white quilt. Even withouting closer, he could see that the person was suffering from heavy injuries. He gulped.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty, your servant has brought the wrong person. I am not an actual physician but a poison master,¡± he then looked at the servant with an using gaze, ¡°I-I told him but he still dragged me here forcefully.¡±

    Draven red at Erlos, who only blinked at him with an expression that oozed with innocence, ¡°He is the only human physician around, Sire.¡±

    Draven moved his gaze from his servant back towards that poison master. The human immediately closed his mouth. The look in that fiery pair of red eyes was enough to make that physician shiver in a cold sweat.

    To ease the situation, Erlos asked the physician with an awkward smile, ¡°But you know how to heal, right?¡±

    The poison master felt that if he shook his head, something terrible would happen so he could only nod with reluctance. ¡°Yes, but my speciality is poisons¡­¡±

    Erlos let out an awkwardugh and said, ¡°Then you are a physician.¡± He then whispered to that young human. ¡°If you want to keep your head on your shoulder, just heal her. That man there won¡¯t hesitate to choose violence.¡±

    The physician gulped as he nced at the red-eyed man who was still staring at him with a dispassionate gaze, as if thinking how violently he was going to punish him.

    ¡°I¡­I will start with the treatment.¡±

    In order to keep his body intact, the human ¡®physician¡¯ went towards the bed and the twody servants followed him.

    Draven looked at Erlos. ¡°Once they finish, let me know,¡± and stepped out of his bed-chamber.

    Once the King left, the long-eared servant went towards the bed. He was curious to know who was the person important enough that his king personally brought and even put on his own bed. He approached and was about to peek over the shoulder of ady servant when he felt someone pull him back.

    ¡°What are you doing, you shameless wolf?!¡± The otherdy servant pushed him away and closed the curtains covering the bed in his face but he managed to see enough before he was kicked out.

    ¡®F-Female? The King brought a female to his bedchamber?! The absolute celibate man this universe could ever have, brought a female to his own chamber?¡¯ Erlos¡¯ eyes lit up with the realization.¡¯

 Chapter 3

    ¡°How is the human girl? Will she survive?¡± Erlos asked the human physician who was busy mixing some herbs on the table.

    The poison master grumbled, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking you if I will survive if something bad happens to her?¡± He continued to pour the contents of the bottles in his satchel towards a mixing bowl. ¡°Her body is not terribly charred but she seemed to be suffocated due to inhaling smoke for a long time and probably caused damage to her lungs. I do not know how effective my medicine will be on her. She is already fortunate to remain alive at this point. She will live though it will take time for her to heal.¡±

    It took a long time for the two female servants to clean the human girl. Afterwards, the poison master started his treatment. The female servants kept going in and out of the room to bring the required things for the girl lying on the bed.

    They made her wear a fresh pair of clothes and also changed the mattress cover on the bed which was stained with ash, mud and blood.

    Once he was done, the poison master went towards the bored elf who was sitting on a chair with his back facing the bed. ¡°It¡¯s done. I already gave instructions to the maidservants on how to continue the treatment, as well as the list of ingredients for the herbal paste they need to use on her burns.¡±

    The elf servant looked at the pale human covered in sweat and handed him a heavy silk pouch.

    The man in white robes opened it and found it filled with silver coins. ¡°Thank you so much, kind sir!¡±

    Contrary to how he looked when he arrived, he left with arge grin on his face over his reward. ¡®From now on, I am a physician!¡¯

    ¡ª¡ª

    The news of the King bringing a female with him had spread across the pce like a wildfire.

    Meanwhile, Draven was staying in his study, passing time by perusing the stack of documents on the side of his desk. With his good hearing sense, he could clearly hear the gossip going around. He tried not to listen to anything but he was starting to feel annoyed.

    ¡°Erlos,¡± he called. His voice was so loud that even a dead-drunk man would wake up from his deep sleep.

    Soon after, the long-eared servant entered the study. ¡°Sire, what happened?¡±

    The way Draven called for him, he was sure something terrible must have happened.

    ¡°Empty the entire ce around my study. Not a single soul around.¡±

    His pointed ears twitched. He could guess why the red-eyed man was in a sour mood, as well as the reason for the order.

    ¡°But sire, you want me to tell everyone to leave the pce itself, then who will work?¡± the elf asked with wide eyes.

    ¡°Then tie something to shut those chattering mouths,¡± Draven ordered.

    ¡°Yes, sire.¡± The young servant left with an obedient expression. But the moment he stepped out of the study, Erlos smiled yfully. ¡°What do you think is easier? To shut hundreds of mouths or to ignore a single person?¡±

    Thud!

    Ahh!

    A heavy book hit the back of his head, causing him to almost smack face first on the floor. Erlos rubbed his head with a hand. ¡®Oops, I forgot he can hear me.¡¯

    Erlos scurried away before another item was thrown his way. The man he was serving was a devil afterall.

    Soon after, the entire ce surrounding the study was vacated. The servants had to leave their work midway and were instructed to continue it once their devil king left the study.

    Once everything around him turned silent, Draven leaned back into the chair and closed his eyes. He could control himself from hearing others but when his mind was restless and thinking about something, he had trouble stopping it and needed everyone around him to be quiet.

    He was thinking about that frail body that he brought back with him. There were several questions that bothered him, like why he suddenly teleported to that burning forest, how that unconscious body possessed a strength that shouldn¡¯t belong to a girl, much less a human girl, and why he could not use his powers to return to the pce until he picked her up.

    Realizing that thinking about them would not yield him answers, he closed his eyes. He was tired after using teleport magic as the distance was quite substantial. He didn¡¯t know where the exact ce was, but from how it exhausted his powers, it was somewhere beyond his kingdom or maybe the continent because when he teleported to that ce, there was nighttime while in his own kingdom, it was a day time. Not long after, he fell asleep in his chair.

 Chapter 4

    A few minutes after closing his eyes, a familiar crying voice once again rang in his ears.

    ¡°We will meet again¡­Wait for me¡­¡±

    Draven jerked from his seat. He felt as if that woman was whispering beside him, but the moment he opened his eyes, expecting to see her, the spot on his side was empty. Inside that quiet study room, there was no one but him.

    Collecting himself from the influence of that dream, he stood up and called for his servant. ¡°Erlos!¡±

    The door swung open, but only enough for a head with silver hair to peek in. Mischief could be seen in its owner¡¯s eyes. ¡°Yes, sire? You called?¡±

    Draven gave him a t stare, saying nothing. The young elf slowly blinked, and then entered the chamber with a wide grin on his face. ¡°Ahem. Your orders, sire?¡±

    Sometimes, Draven wondered what loose screws allowed him to ept such an unruly servant. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that Erlos was his most capable subordinate, he would have long thrown him out of the pce.

    ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± Draven asked in his usual cold tone which never seemed to carry any kind of emotion.

    He stopped smiling immediately, ¡°It¡¯s nothing sire. I hope you had a nice rest.¡±

    ¡°I could have rested properly if you had stopped your useless chattering with the other servants.¡±

    ¡®Serving a boring man like you is already tough. Is it wrong to find my own entertainment?¡¯ he thought and saw Draven ring at him with those fiery red eyes as if he could guess what was going on in his mind.

    ¡°Apologies, Sire,¡± he immediately bowed.

    Draven knew that the young elf could talk nonstop if given the chance, so he interrupted him. ¡°Inform Leeora to meet me in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± Erlos left.

    Not long after Erlos left to execute the order given to him, Draven also went out of his study, intending to return to his own bed-chamber. There were no servants within the hallways and there was no one standing guard outside his bedchamber to open the door for him.

    Draven¡¯s stride remained unaffected. With just a gaze, the door of his bedchamber opened on its own. However, he paused mid-step when he saw something that irritated him.

    ¡°Erlos!¡±

    Elros¡¯s sensitive ears caught the loud call even though he was already several hallways away. He was panting by the time he ran back towards the frowning king. ¡°W-What happened, sire?¡±

    ¡°What is that creature still doing in my bed?¡± Displeasure and annoyance were clear in Draven¡¯s red eyes.

    The elf didn¡¯t know whether he shouldugh or cry. ¡®Oh my king! How could you call a delicate human girl like that? No wonder despite your handsome face, you remain unpopr with the females of the kingdom.¡¯

    ¡°Get her out of here. Throw her out somewhere among the humans,¡± Draven instructed.

    ¡®Throw her out. So inhuman¡­¡¯ Erlos thought wryly. ¡®Ah, he is not human anyways¡­wait, neither am I. But I have a soft heart! Unlike my cruel master, I am as soft as cotton!¡¯

    However, the elf could only keep those thoughts in his head. ¡°I have received your orders, sire.¡±

    Soon after, a handful of pce servants arrived inside the King¡¯s bed-chamber. They carried that frail body covered in bandages outside while a couple remained to clean the bed.

    Draven, who was standing by the window, was eyeing everyone inside his chamber, causing the spooked servants to move faster than intended.

    When the human girl was being taken out, he caught a glimpse of the side profile of her face which was partially covered by her long mahogany hair. A strange sensation enveloped him. He narrowed his eyes at her, but by then, she was taken out of his chamber.

    ¡®What was that?¡¯ he asked himself.

    Even after all the servants left, Draven continued to stare at the door of his bed-chamber, but no matter how much he thought, he could not figure anything out.

    After everyone left, Erlos returned to check around the King¡¯s bedchamber, making sure that nothing was amiss. Though the young elf was a carefreed who took liberties of talking freely with Draven, he was quite meticulous when it came to work, the epitome of a responsible servant. He was so good with his work that he was the only personal servant trusted by the King¡ªhe alone was enough to look after every need of his master, sometimes as a butler, sometimes an aide, even though he should be only a manservant¡­

    There also stood the fact that only the naughty Erlos could tolerate bad-tempered Draven on a long term. It was well-known among the pce servants that the King didn¡¯t like people in general, and they tended to avoid him as much as they could.

    ¡°Sire, the bed is ready. Do you need something else?¡± Erlos asked.

    Draven walked towards the bed. ¡°Have you informed Leeora to see me in the morning?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sire. I had sent the message.¡±

    Hoot!

    At the loud sound, the elf¡¯s head turned towards the window. Arge snowy white owl sat at the window sill, shaking off its feathers as if to ward off the chill of the night.

    ¡°Ah, Midnight is here,¡± Erlos eximed and went towards the window to pet it. Draven ignored the two and simplyy in bed.

    While ncing at his master, Erlos whispered to the bird. ¡°Have you heard yet? He brought a woman to his bed!¡±

    The owl had a look of wisdom on itsrge eyes as it hooted in affirmation.

    ¡°One will get his tongue cut while the other will get his wings torn out.¡±

    Before the King could make good of his word, the owl wed at the elf, as if to say ¡®This is your fault¡¯, and then fled away as if its life was at stake. Erlos also stepped out of the bedchamber in a hurry, covering his mouth as he ran away.

 Chapter 5

    When morning came, an elegant gray-haired woman with pointed ears was received by Erlos and was escorted towards the King¡¯s study. Though she was dressed in a simple white cloak, the female elf had fine wrinkles on her face, telltale signs of her high status among her kind whose lifespan was the longest within the small kingdom of Agartha.

    Erlos knocked on the door of the study. ¡°Sire, the High Elder of the Wood Elves has arrived as summoned.¡±

    When the door was opened, the sight of a ruggedly handsome man with a dominating presence weed them. The ck-haired king was wearing his trademark long dark brown tailcoat with dragon scale patterns and gold ents, his form-fitting outfit hiding the lean muscles of his strong body underneathyers of cloth. Underneath his short but seemingly messy hair, it could be seen that his left ear was adorned with a small jeweled earring, and although his attire was befitting royalty, his bodycked any form of expensive essory aside from the earring.

    His ck-gloved hand was holding a quill, and he was writing something on a scroll when the elves entered his study.

    ¡°Leeora of the Wood Elf n greets King Draven, the ruler of Agartha,¡± the elegant elf said as a formal greeting. Draven frowned, but they had known each other for so long he knew it was pointless to ask her to stop being formal.

    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Draven instructed her.

    The elf elder sat on the chair opposite to her king and said with a light smile, ¡°To have mee so early in the day, seems like something is troubling you, sire.¡±

    Draven put away the quill in his hands and closed his eyes, as if just the thought of it was burdensome in itself.

    Seeing his reaction, Leeora could guess the reason. ¡°Did you have that dream again, Sire?¡±

    Draven nodded. ¡°This time, it was more vivid.¡±

    ¡°I wonder who that woman is for her to haunt you so,¡± she asked. ¡°Anything new you had seen this time?¡±

    ¡°Her face is crystal clear,¡± he replied with a sigh. ¡°Especially her eyes, they look familiar, as if I had seen them countless times before.¡±

    ¡°What do you wish me to do?¡± Leeora asked, opening her hands in a helpless manner. ¡°I have long asked the children of my n to help look out for anyone with the appearance you told me, but there is no newsing from those few travelling on the maind. Until you can see more details in your dream, I am at a loss too.¡±

    Draven knew that as well, that¡¯s why he couldn¡¯t help but be frustrated.

    The elf stared at him in pity. ¡°Well, may I make a bold guess? You mentioned that you have a scar on the left side of your chest, then it is highly likely that the dream you are seeing is not a vision to be interpreted but a memory you must have forgotten. And if you are having that dream frequently these days, it might be a sign or an omen. That means something from your past is on its way to you.¡±

    Draven agreed, ¡°I feel the same.¡±

    ¡°We cannot prepare for the unknown, but at least, the fact we know something ising already puts you at an advantage. Let¡¯s wait and see what is about toe,¡± she said. Draven could only nod. Afterwards, the ears of the elf elder twitched. ¡°I heard that Sire had brought a human female to the pcest night?¡±

    ¡°It turned out like that,¡± he answered, unwilling to exin much.

    ¡°That is so unlike you,¡± the elfmented as her grey eyes shone brightly. ¡°May I be allowed to visit her? I would like to see her.¡±

    ¡°Erlos will guide you,¡± Draven said, not even bothering to dismiss her as he resumed his work.

    Just then, both the devil and the elf perked up. Their sensitive ears caught themotion happening inside the pce.

    ¡°Your people sound frightened,¡± Leeoramented.

    Draven stood up and walked out of the study with the High Elder of the Wood Elves following behind him. Following the direction of the noise, Draven reached the other wing of the pce where the guest rooms were located.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty, no one can enter the room where the monster¡ªwhere that human stays,¡± cried one of the female servants with pointed ears.

    Draven man ignored the trembling elf servants and entered the room.

    Just as the door behind was closed¡­.

    Screeeaamm!

    A blood-curdling scream that sounded like scratching ss and dying animalbined weed him.

    A creature that looked like a human, its entire skin covered in a blue gold snake scales, the deep ck scary irises, long nails stood in front of him and continued screaming.

    Draven smirked and the next moment, he turned into arger, infinitely scarier form that towered over the smaller creature- red eyes like burning mes, sharp canines like a fierce predator, and hands turned into ws.

    Roarrrrrr!

    The next moment that scaly creature turned back into her human form of a young girl and hid under her bed at a lighting speed.

    Draven returned to his human form with a mocking chuckle.

    ¡°If we arepeting for who looks scarier, then I guess I win.¡± He kneeled next to the bed and eyed the girl who was trying to hide from him. ¡°Do you want to y again, little mouse?¡±

    He offered her his hand so she coulde out, but the girl bit it.

    He chuckled, ¡°Not a little mouse but a wild cat.¡±

    Draven pulled back his hurt hand, looked at bleeding teeth marks and then returned his gaze towards that frail-looking human girl who was trying her best to scoot away from him.

    ¡°Who taught you such a lowly spell to make yourself look so beautiful?¡± he asked, his tone sarcastic. ¡°You ended up causing my servants to be enchanted by your looks.¡±

    There was no reply from the human girl, as if she didn¡¯t hear him.

    The elegant Leeora happened to enter the guest room at that moment. In contrast to the shivering elves outside, the elf elder lookedposed, her eyes twinkling with curiosity. ¡°Is this the rumoured lovelydy that Sire brought into the pce?¡±

    ¡°Anything but lovely,¡± Dravenmented with a frown as he stood up.

    He removed the ripped gloves from his right hand and looked at those teeth marks on his hand which caused him to bleed. They didn¡¯t hurt as such wounds were like tiny scratches to him. The only thing that surprised him was his wounds that mostly healed on their own in just a moment, they were not healing this time.

    Leeora smiled at the bad-tempered king. ¡°Nothing unusual to hear those words from you, sire.¡±

    ¡°I will leave that creature in your care, Leeora. Bring it with you on your way out.¡±

    ¡°Should I have her stay with my n or should I send her to the human vige?¡±

    ¡°Do whatever you want with her.¡±

    ¡°Out in the vige?¡± Leeora rified.

    Understanding why she asked it, Draven answered, ¡°She doesn¡¯t concern me.¡±

    Draven headed back towards his study. Whatever happens to that human girl was of no concern to him. He had his own issues to deal with and he didn¡¯t want to be personally responsible for a stranger he picked up out of nowhere, much less a human one.

    Humans? He hated them.

 Chapter 6

    High Elder Leeora could only shake her head at the departure of the King. The olddy took efforts to kneel next to the bed and look at the human girl who was hiding under the wooden frame. The girl had a small slender body that made her look as if she had been leading an extremely poor life since young. After Draven had left the guest room, the human girl had a less hostile reaction, but from her stiff body, it looked like she remained wary of the new person studying at her.

    She was lying on her sides, curled into a ball under the bed with her arms wrapped around her knees, her delicate legs covered by a long white dress and her face buried in her arms. The rest of her small face was hidden by her long mahogany hair.

    ¡°Youngdy, would you like toe out? I am sure it¡¯s very ufortable under the bed,¡± Leeora said as she offered her hand to her. Her voice was soft and her tone gentle as she tried to coax the human girl. ¡°I know you must be scared to find yourself in an unfamiliar ce, but trust me, you are safe here.¡±

    Still, there was no reply from her. Leeora was a patient woman so she didn¡¯t mind theck of reaction. On the contrary, she was relieved that she didn¡¯t get bitten like Draven.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she pondered for a while. ¡°Would you like to see magic, youngdy?¡±

    The word ¡®magic¡¯ did wonder. The human girl lifted her head a little, just enough to take a peek at the elf from the safety of her arms.

    Leeora smiled lightly. ¡®She seems to have calmed down.¡¯

    The elf slightly pulled back the hand she put under the bed. Afterwards, she made a snatching gesture in the air and her hands emitted mild rays of light which turned into tiny images of silver butterflies which flew like real living creatures across the room.

    She heard a very soft gasp of aweing from the human girl under the bed.

    ¡°If youe out, you can see them better,¡± Leeroa said in a kind voice as she offered that girl her hand once more.

    The elf only had to wait for several seconds this time. A delicate hand covered in bandages was ced in Leeora¡¯s warm and wrinkly hand. Slowly, hesitantly, the human girl came out from under the bed and stood up with the help of Leeora.

    The moment the human girl straightened herself, the elf realized that the human was taller than what she imagined. It made Leeora torn between deciding if she was a tall young girl or a small young woman.

    In contrast to the elf¡¯s confused face, the human had a look of wonder as she raised her head to follow those silver butterflies lively flying around the room.

    Under the soft glow of the silver butterflies, Leeora could clearly see the fine facial features of the human girl holding hands with her. A fair delicate skin, an adorably tiny nose, lips like the petals of a rose andrge almond-shaped eyes that reminded the elf of the fresh colour of spring.

    ¡®What a beautiful child,¡¯ the old elf eximed in appreciation, ¡®but¡­what kind of beast dared hurt her so?¡¯

    The human girl¡¯s face had tiny bruises on it, and the bits of skin seen under her dress had many scars and scratches on them. She was incredibly skinny, as if she hadn¡¯t had a decent meal for years, making her look smaller and frailer than her actual age. The long white dress was loose on her thin body, and though the length of the dress fit her height, the cor and sleeves hung limply around her thin shoulders.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± Leeora asked but her question was left unanswered. The human girl merely stretched out her hands as if tracing the flight taken by the silver butterflies.

    However, the elf elder didn¡¯t give up. ¡°I am Leeora. May I know your name, youngdy?¡±

    In response to the elf¡¯s attempt of starting a conversation, she retreated from her, pulling back her hands towards her body and stopped ying with the butterflies. She stood still, looking warily at the elf.

    Leeora understood she didn¡¯t wish to tell her name and didn¡¯t insist on it.

    ¡°I am sure you are hungry. Would you like to eat something?¡± Leeora asked.

    The girl didn¡¯t react but Leeora still ordered, ¡°Someone, bring a nice hot meal for the youngdy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, High Elder,¡± one trembling voice responded from beyond the door.

    The pce servants were efficient. Food was already prepared by the kitchen to feed the human girl that the King brought back, and the only issue was that the moment the female servants entered the room earlier, they were attacked with hostility, causing them to flee in panic. The servants were calmer now in the presence of a high-ranking elf. It didn¡¯t even take a minute for the servant to bring the meal to the guest room.

    ¡°High Elder.¡± She bowed in front of the old elf.

    Seeing a new person enter the room, the human girl stepped back towards the bed, her expression torn between fear and suspicion.

    ¡°Put it there,¡± Leeora instructed, gesturing towards the table in the room.

    The servant left as soon as she put the wooden food tray on the table.

    Leeora then turned towards the girl on the bed. ¡°Do you smell that? I can smell it even from here. I can smell meat, and there¡¯s even freshly baked bread,¡± Leeoramented.

    The human girl gulped. She was starving and wished to eat after smelling the appetizing aroma of the food, but she remained in her position as she eyed the old elf and the door.

    Leeora understood the human girl¡¯s situation. That kind of vignce was a given, especially since she found herself in a strange environment and among unfamiliar people. The elf elder decided to let her eat in peace.

    ¡°I will leave you to have your food. Have a good meal, youngdy.¡±

    The moment Leeora stepped out and closed the door behind her, the human girl hurried towards the table in the centre of the room. She didn¡¯t even bother to sit on the chair. She grabbed the first te within her reach and sat on the floor, eating with her hands as if she had not tasted decent food for ages.

    Leeora saw the unbing sight from the little gap left between the door and the door frame and smiled with relief that this poor terrified girl at least agreed to eat.

 Chapter 7

    After leaving that strange human girl with Leeora, Draven returned to his study. Inside, he found his servant Erlos, seemingly waiting for his arrival with a silly grin on his face. However, the moment he saw his master¡¯s expression, that grin disappeared.

    Without a word, Draven sat on the chair behind his desk as he had to finish reading a couple more reports before he left to attend the council meeting.

    However, the silence was very, very ufortable.

    The elf fidgeted on the spot. ¡°Sire, do you have any instructions for me¡­?¡±

    The red-eyed man purposely ignored him, continuing to read through the scrolls on his desk. Only after he finished did Draven look at his servant with a displeased gaze, causing the elf to gulp.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say to throw that creature among her kind?¡±

    It was a simple question, but Draven¡¯s slow, dignified voice caused the usually carefree servant to be nervous.

    ¡°Y-Yes, Sire,¡± Erlos replied.

    He thought the King would scold him, but Draven only red at him, not saying another word.

    To Erlos, it was fine if his master scolded him but if he received only a wordless re, it was a warning sign for him that he had truly angered his king.

    Erlos put on an awkward smile to hide his anxiety, but the twitching of his long ears was a dead giveaway of his true emotions.

    ¡°Sire, before you punish me for disobedience, may I be allowed to exin my actions?¡±

    He blinked his eyes towards the King, trying to act cute to appeal to his master, but the red-eyed man had no change in his dark expression.

    The servant took his silence as permission to speak. ¡°Sire, trust me, I also want to throw that human girl out as much as you want. After All, the pce is not a ce for those weak and deceiving creatures but¡­¡± He paused mid-sentence, trying to bait a response from Draven but his master simply kept his cold re pinned at his body.

    He continued, ¡°B-But Sire, we cannot forget that she is a female, nothing but a frail and injured human girl. Throwing such a helpless little one to a bunch of strangers is not a good idea. You also know we can¡¯t trust those humans. Though we have allowed those human refugees to take shelter in our kingdom and they live in those viges at the edge of Agartha, we generally have nothing to do with them. Since it was your order, I still did think of bringing that human girl to one of those viges, but seeing her thin body covered in bandages, I thought perhaps we should wait and at least let her regain her consciousness first. We can¡¯t say what would have happened to her if we¡­¡±

    After this long speech, Erlos waited to get a reaction from his king, but all throughout, it appeared that not a single word managed to affect him.

    The elf servant sighed helplessly, ¡°The human will be thrown out this very instant. I will excuse myself, Sire¡ª¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± the cold voice of that red-eyed king interrupted him.

    ¡®Huh? Did I hear anything wrong?¡¯ His long ears started twitching again, but this time from excitement, not nervousness. ¡°I knew it, Sire! You may have a heart of stone, but you still have a teeny-tiny bit of conscience in you for that frail¡ªmmf! Hmf? Hmmphf!¡±

    It was as if his mouth was sealed on its own and he could not create anything else but strange, muffled noises. Of course, it was the doing of his master and it was not the first time he used his power to shut his servant¡¯s talkative mouth.

    Draven stood up from his chair and walked out of his study. Just as he stepped out of the door, his dignified voice reached his servant¡¯s ears.

    ¡°We are going somewhere.¡±

    Erlos, who could not say a word, followed behind him while silently crying in his heart. ¡®I must have been the worst viin in myst life to be reborn in this life as his servant and be forced to follow him everywhere.¡¯

    ¡®Stone heart? To me, it looks like he seems to not have any!¡¯

    The king without a heart and his poor servant stepped out of a long corridor and came out into the openwn on one side of the pce. Erlos was still breathlessly catching up with his fast-walking king. When he was only a couple of steps away, Erlos found that he could finally use his voice. His eyes glistened with happiness.

    ¡°Sire¡ª¡±

    But his words were cut off as the two suddenly disappeared from thewn. The elf servants who were working around witnessed the astonishing performance of magic but didn¡¯t feel surprised as it was not the first time their king had disappeared in front of them.

    Draven Aramis was the owner of various kinds of abilities and powers. The fact that everyone was scared of him, was not for nothing.

    It only took a few moments for Draven and Erlos to travel almost half across the continent, and they reached a particr burned forest.

    It was exactly the haunted mountain where Draven was summoned the night before, the very ce where he found the unconscious body of the human creature he saved.

    While Draven¡¯s eyes were busy looking around, assuring himself that it was the same ce, hispanion found himself falling on the ground, feeling dizzy as an aftereffect of the teleportation magic. The young elf didn¡¯t even get a chance to breathe before he appeared in an unknown ce.

    ¡°Oh my, my body¨Ceugh! S-Sire¡­ I know I have said this many times before, but it would help me if you can inform me before teleporting. I almost felt like dying,¡± he whined as he caught his breath.

    As a creature of nature, the body of elves were many times stronger than a human¡¯s, but still, they would need to at least cover themselves with their powers to protect their body from thews of space when teleporting. Otherwise, though they would not sustain injuries, it would feel like every muscle of their body was being drained of energy.

    However, true to his namesake, the king without a heart looked like he cared not a bit about his servant and walked ahead to inspect the area.

    ¡°What is this ce, Sire?¡± Erlos asked as soon as he regained the ability to stand, looking around the remnant stumps of trees and the rocky ground covered with ash. ¡°How cruel. Who would dare destroy trees this way? It looks like it was burned recently. But how wicked can one be to burn an entire mountain? What kind of lunacy or grudge is this¡ª¡±

    Though it was daytime, the mountain looked bleak as grey smoke continued to rise from the ground, with the wind blowing up the ash that had yet to fully settle on the ground. As an elf, Erlos shivered in heartache, unable to imagine the kind of fire that burned this mountain.

    Draven still didn¡¯tment and stopped at the ce he remembered to have found that human girl. Though he had been here merely for a brief moment that night, his sharp memory and eyes that could see in the dark made it easy for him to find this ce.

    He remembered how that creature looked at that time¡ªshe looked like a giant block of charcoal, and he didn¡¯t realize she was a living human being at first nce. Though he had seen worse sights, he could not stop feeling something about it. It was strange, but perhaps his kingdom had gone through boring peace for some time, that such a minor thing was now stirring strange feelings inside him.

    He had no idea that his frozen heart of his seemed to have a tiny crack on it.

    Draven shook his head to forget it and then looked around, peering into the distance like a hawk to see the nearest vige or town to know what happened in this ce. The reason he came here was to investigate what happened that night. The creature he saved was insignificant. He didn¡¯t care about that girl, but it did pique his curiosity that why he was summoned to this mountain.

    What was his rtion to this ce?

    Was it the ce or the creature he saved?

 Chapter 8

    Draven brought Erlos down the mountain and headed towards the vige he found closest to the destroyed mountain. In a blink of an eye, they disappeared from where they were standing, able to travel the entire span of a mountain in a matter of several breaths.

    After passing through a forest and a number of barren fields, the devil and the elf reached the vige that Draven saw a while ago. Even though they were standing quite a distance from the border of the vige, hidden away from human sight, they could hear the sound of music and merrymaking. It looked like there was some sort of festival and the humans were celebrating it. From behind the wooden fences, they found humansughing, dancing, eating and drinking alcohol.

    ¡°s, no wonder we found not a single person out working in the fields. Turns out all of them are here, busy making themselves blind drunk,¡± Erlosmented while he observed the chaotic celebration from a distance. ¡°What are these humans celebrating? From the looks of those passed out on the ground, it seemed like they have been drinking since the night before. Aren¡¯t those vigers humans that are so poor they need to toll andbour every day in order to feed themselves? Could they really afford this kind of consumption? Strange humans¡ª¡±

    Erlos swallowed the rest of his words the moment he saw his master raise his hand, gesturing him to stop speaking. He had served Draven long enough to understand that his master¡¯s sharp ears were at work.

    ¡°Finally, that thing has been killed! You don¡¯t know how many nightmares I had the past few weeks, worrying over the crops that mysteriously died in my field.¡±

    ¡°Now our kingdom is free from that witch, nothing bad will ever happen to us again.¡±

    ¡°Hey, why are you still mentioning such an ominous thing?¡±

    ¡°Right, right! Do not bring up that taboo anymore. It¡¯s bad luck. Come on, bring out more jars of liquor!¡±

    ¡°We must celebrate the fact that we have rid ourselves of a scourge that never lets us sleep in peace.¡±

    ¡°To a peaceful sleep tonight!¡±

    ¡°To a bountiful harvest in the future!¡±

    ¡°Cheers!¡±

    Draven¡¯s sharp ears heard their conversation clearly, yet he could not understand the entire thing. It sounded like this group of people sessfully hunted a witch, thus they were celebrating it. It didn¡¯t seem rted to what he came for here in the first ce.

    A witch? Unless a witch is willing to let herself be killed, with their powers, regardless of which type of witch they are, there¡¯s no way a bunch of weak humans could kill her.

    But could that witch who they killed be rted to the reason why he was summoned to that mountain, not that strange female creature in his pce?

    That didn¡¯t make sense. He felt like the key to his questionsy on that female creature. Could they be mistakenly referring to her as a witch?

    ¡°Go ask what happened to that mountain,¡± Draven instructed Erlos.

    ¡°Excuse me, sire. I think I misheard your order.¡±

    Draven¡¯s t gaze fell on his body, and Erlos shivered in realization.

    ¡°You want me to approach those¡­those foul-smelling, disgusting humans?¡± Erlos asked with wide eyes, disbelief written all over his face. He stiffly looked back at those drunk humans, who were eitherughing out loud like crazy men or dancing like mad monkeys. ¡°Sire, you want me to go there? There? To those mannerless creatures¡­.¡± he mumbled, feeling displeased about it.

    ¡°I can throw you there if your legs are tired to walk,¡± he heard Draven saying.

    Erlos trembled, knowing his master would do exactly what he said if he didn¡¯t move now.

    ¡°I don¡¯t wish to trouble you, sire.¡± The elf then made a dramatic bow. ¡°I shall excuse my humble self from your royal presence.¡±

    Erlos snapped his finger, and out of thin air, amon-looking brown cloak with a hood appeared and dropped onto his hand. He covered himself with it, making sure to keep his long ears hidden.

    As a direct subordinate of the King of Agartha, Erlos¡¯s attire was nothing short of luxurious. Although it wasn¡¯t regal like Draven¡¯s long tailcoat that had dragon scale patterns and gold ents, the outfit of the young elf was at par with the clothes human nobles wear, with a magical twist. In fact, the young elf¡¯s clothes were simr to a squire but the materials used were things only an elf could gather. He wore a doublet made out of leather from a creature with no ordinary background, while his long-sleeved white dress shirt was made out of silk given by faeries.

    Not to mention his trademark long ears, his silver hair, coupled with clothes that looked extraordinary despite their simple design, Erlos was sure he would be the centre of attention the moment he entered that vige filled with poor people.

    As Erlos wrapped himself in that brown cloak, he forced a smile on his lips with each step he took towards the vige.

    ¡®Human female if it is all because of you that I am here, once I return, I will make sure you will remember my great sacrifice, jumping in the middle of those disgusting humans, for your sake. I will seek a handsome reward for this, just you wait.¡¯

    The moment he stepped past the entrance of the vige, he felt himself assaulted by the strong smell of liquor and sweat and other nasty smells that made him almost want to bolt out of the ce. Erlos was a pureblooded elf, and elves are creatures of nature. Many creations and traditions of humankind were things they found innately disgusting.

    ¡®I should just ask the nearest person to me so I can leave at once!¡¯ he cried in his mind.

    However, he underestimated how inhumanly attractive his face is.

    Elves were an ancient race that represented everything beautiful in nature. Their appearance was peerless, their bodies generally tall and slender, and their eyes of various colours like gemstones, to the point they were imed to be the fairest creatures to walk thend every time they were mentioned in folklore.

    Even though the ordinary brown cloak covered his attire, it didn¡¯t hide Erlos¡¯s young face. The fact that he looked displeased didn¡¯t even decrease his attractiveness. Not to mention, those who were near him could see tendrils of silver hair falling out from outside the hood, spilling like threads of real silver glistening under the sunlight.

    Regardless if they were tipsy or drunk, the vigers all gawked, staring with gaping mouths the moment theyid their eyes on the divinely handsome Erlos.

    The elf servant felt creeped out.

 Chapter 9

    Erlos awkwardly cleared his throat and approached the drunk man nearest to him. ¡°Good day, mister.¡±

    ¡°S-S-Sir! No, young master! Young lord!¡± the drunk man stammered incoherently. ¡°What brings a nobleman to this poor vige? How can I help you?¡±

    Before Erlos could reply, another man who seemed to be more sobermented, ¡°Must be someone from the capital of the kingdom who came here after hearing the witch has died.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right! Uhh, erm, call for the Vige Chief! Tell him a visitor has arrived¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, thank you, gentlemen,¡± Erlos replied, not wanting to prolong his stay. ¡°I want to ask what happened to that mountain.¡± He pointed towards the form of the rugged peak visible from the vige.

    ¡°That mountain? Of course, we burned it! We burned it didn¡¯t we?¡± said another drunk and everyoneughed with him.

    ¡°I helped pour oil!¡±

    ¡°I helped by throwing a torch!¡±

    ¡°Yes, we are heroes! We killed that witch.¡±

    The young elf eximed, ¡°You burned a witch to death? Truly?¡±

    From what he understood, these humans were part of a mob who helped burn that mountain to kill someone who¡¯s allegedly a witch. But could burning a mountain truly kill a real witch? Absurd! Only weak humans would die from such a nonsense thing. Any creature capable of wielding magic would have found a way to escape, one way or another. If they imed they hunted a witch, chained her to a pyre and put her to fire, he would have at least somehow believed them.

    Erlos tilted his head in confusion. ¡®Speaking of which, isn¡¯t the human girl the King brought backst night injured with burn marks? Could it be that he found her half-dead body on that mountain? Oh, so we came here to investigate what happened to her! Sire, you should have told me that from the very beginning! And I was right, I came among these disgusting humans because of that human female.¡¯

    Unaware of the elf¡¯s thoughts, the vigers continued to ramble on, ¡°Isn¡¯t the liquor provided by the royal family the reward we got from helping? After the fire burned everything in that mountain, the army searched the mountain and confirmed that the witch is dead.¡±

    ¡°Pity they didn¡¯t find her bones.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Nothing remains of that taboo because we have burned her to ashes. Good riddance!¡±

    ¡®Are these humans talking about a real witch or that human girl Sire brought with him the previous night?¡¯ Erlos wondered.

    Although the young elf was living in Agartha, a kingdom isted from the human kingdoms of the continent, he had a basic understanding of humans. ¡®They do not know that witches are born, not made. Witches are a race, the same way humans and elves are races. Oftentimes, only one out of the hundred females they call ¡®witches¡¯ is a real witch.¡¯

    Erlos returned his attention to the vigers. ¡°Have you personally seen this witch? What does she look like?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± the man replied. ¡°I would be dead now if that was the case!¡±

    ¡°Indeed, young lord,¡± replied the first viger Erlos approached. ¡°They say her appearance is so shocking and terrifying, those who saw it died on their feet.¡±

    ¡°Hah, she must have looked like the worst nightmare imaginable personified!¡± one man replied, and then they continued to ramble on about things that Erlos found to be nonsense.

    The young elf moved away from them, deciding that perhaps it would be smarter to ask the women. ¡®Those females might answer me more seriously.¡¯

    ¡°Miss, do you know who is this witch? Does she have a name? Perhaps, are there stories about what she looks like?¡±

    Sadly, he was sorely mistaken thinking going to this side of the vige was better. The women were more drunk than the men.

    One womanughed the moment she saw Erlos. ¡°Oh, I drank too much, I died and have ascended to heaven! I think I see an angel standing in front of me!¡±

    Another woman joined her as well. ¡°I ascended together with you, hah!¡±

    ¡°Is this a dream? I mean, look at those eyes, that hair¡­He looks so different but so beautiful¡ª¡±

    ¡°He looks perfect, no, divine.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he is truly an angel?¡±

    ¡°But, why are his ears like that?¡± Someone pointed out. ¡°Oh, maybe it¡¯s because I drank so much my eyes are fuzzy¡­but don¡¯t they look long?¡±

    Erlos touched his ears in horror when he found those womening closer to him, intent on touching his pointed ears.

    ¡®Insolent females!¡¯ Erlos stepped back and found his way back to his master in a hurry. He didn¡¯t wish to stay among these horrifying human creatures for even a second longer.

    Erlos returned to Draven who didn¡¯t need to hear a retelling of the elf¡¯s experience as he heard everything clearly from his position.

    ¡°Sire, I don¡¯t think these humans are sane enough to answer us. From what I heard though, I think the human girl you brought with you, they think she is a witch.¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t react and turned to face a certain direction. Erlos was startled to find an old woman with a hunched back approaching them, walking with the support of a thick wooden stick as if she¡¯s struggling with every step she took.

    A weak, raspy voice spoke, ¡°They all are celebrating the death of an innocent girl.¡±

    Erlos looked at the strange white-haired woman whose face was covered with wrinkles, her film-covered eyes seemingly implying weak eyesight.

    Her statement made the elf curious. ¡°Lady, what do your words mean? Which innocent child are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Looks like gentlemen are foreigners from outside the kingdom.¡±

    Erlos nodded. ¡°Indeed, we are. We are merchants passing by.¡±

    The olddy slowly turned her body, as if to look at the vige with heavy disappointment. ¡°The royal family of this kingdom of Valor only gave birth to princes, never a princess for generations. But one fine day the oracle predicted that the King would be blessed with a daughter. The King and the entire royal family rejoiced, only to give up on her because the high priest of the ancient temple forewarned him that she was a bad omen, a disaster not only to this kingdom but to the entire continent.¡±

    ¡°Gave up on her?¡± Erlos asked. ¡°That princess?¡±

    The olderdy sighed with a light nod. ¡°The Princess, the witch they say.¡±

    Erlos frowned in deep thought, while Draven spoke in his indifferent voice as if he felt no sympathy for anyone. ¡°Are you sure there is no truth in their im?¡±

    The olddy chuckled lightly and peered with interest at the tall man in regal clothes. ¡°My lord, I believe what is supposed to happen, is meant to happen. So, one should not turn cruel thinking they can change it.¡±

    Erlos quietly listened to their conversation, his ears twitching especially upon hearing his master¡¯s mysterious remark. When neither of them said anything more, he probed, ¡°So is that princess really a witch?¡±

    Both didn¡¯t answer him.

    ¡°God bless her poor soul wherever she is,¡± was all the olddy said as she turned to leave, not asking about the real identities of the two beautiful men iming to be merchants from anothernd.

 Chapter 10

    Erlos thought that they would visit another vige or a nearby town to continue investigating about the origins of the human girl, but Draven was already heading back towards the burned mountain.

    ¡°Sire, are we returning so soon? Don¡¯t we need to get more information about that human girl? Shouldn¡¯t we confirm if she is really the princess¡ª¡±

    ¡°Does it matter?¡±

    Erlos paused. Now that he thought about it, regardless of the human girl¡¯s real identity, as far as everyone was concerned, she is dead. Digging up her part did sound like a useless waste of time.

    Soon, they returned to the soot-covered mountain, and Draven walked towards the part of the mountain where he remembered he found that female.

    Seeing his master deep in thought, Erlos found himself secretly amused. They were back to the same ce where they teleported in, but instead of returning to the pce, his king was wandering in the area, seemingly looking around for something.

    ¡®He said she doesn¡¯t concern us then why are we back here? These days, Sire says one thing but does the exact opposite.¡¯

    Unaware of his servant¡¯s thoughts, Draven walked around, trying to see if there was anything else he could find that¡¯s rted to that female creature he found..

    It wasn¡¯t that he blindly trusted the words of a stranger, but as someone who protects Agartha from humans, he would check the situation about the human kingdoms every once in a while. He forgot how many years ago it was that he heard rumors about that oracle¡¯s prophecy, though he didn¡¯t pay particr attention to it since it doesn¡¯t concern him nor Agartha.

    ¡®Looks like that creature is indeed the one from the rumors. It doesn¡¯t make sense though. If she was dered cursed even before she was born and her father believed that, he would have killed her in her mother¡¯s womb, or have killed her when she¡¯s still a newborn.

    ¡®Why wait now? Why did they leave her on this mountain and opt to kill her now when she¡¯s¡ª¡¯ He realized he didn¡¯t know how old this princess was.

    ¡®Another thing that doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    He brushed this thought aside and walked ahead.

    ¡®If she lived here, then there must be a shelter or lodging around.¡¯

    A distance away from the spot where he found her copsed body, his sharp eyes caught sight of severalrge boulders arranged characteristically, in a manner that normal humans would find natural. But his sharp eyes found a certain boulder covering what seemed to be a cave¡¯s entrance. He imagined that if there were tall trees in that area, it would have probably been difficult to discover such a hidden cave. However, now that everything was burned, the existence of the cave was revealed.

    Erlos caught up to his master and stood beside him, peering around to see what Draven discovered.

    ¡°Sire! That looks like a cave!¡± Erlos said. ¡°Ohh, now it makes sense. So those humans know the ¡®witch¡¯ lives in this mountain, but don¡¯t know exactly where, that¡¯s why they decided to simply burn the mountain itself. What a bunch of lunatics.¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t affirm the elf¡¯s guess and simply approached the cave, but he had also had simr thoughts.

    As Erlos curiously followed behind him, his eyes not on the discovered abode but on the tall man in front of him, making his own assumptions about his king. ¡®This is shocking. I know he is interested in that human girl, but I never knew it was this much. I don¡¯t know how he found her, but if he truly doesn¡¯t care about her, why would he bring her with him to Agartha? Why would he offer her the privilege of sleeping in his bed, a grace no one ever received till date.¡¯

    When Draven entered the mouth of the cave, he frowned. It was a small cave, its ceiling almost touching Draven¡¯s head on some parts, while he had to dodge some of the hanging rocks from the ceiling. The tunnel was dark, long and narrow, the width enough only for two adults to walk side by side.

    ¡®Footprints?¡¯

    Although it was dark, Draven¡¯s eyesight was not affected and he saw the fresh footprints on the ground, many of them seemingly from people wearing heavy boots. It appeared that he wasn¡¯t the only intruder who entered the cave.

    At the end of the cave tunnel, Draven found what appeared to be a cave dwelling with all necessary items a human would need to survive. There were clothes, wooden chests, items made of y and metal, small weapons like knives and hunting bows, among other things, as well as two beddings made of dried grass.

    From the state of the footprints, it seemed like the earlier intruders came here but didn¡¯t stay long, only enough to search around for several minutes before leaving, probably to check if there were living people inside. They must be the soldiers of the Kingdom of Valor confirming the death of the witch.

    Draven observed his surroundings with a frown as the dwelling was filled with smoke. If he were a human, he would have experienced trouble with breathing and probably passed out from inhaling too much smoke. ¡®This must be where she lived and it seemed she was not alone. Someone was living with her, taking care of her needs. But where is that person? From what I felt that night, no one else but that female creature is in this mountain.¡¯

    ¡°Search for anything of value,¡± Draven ordered Erlos and immediately turned around to leave the cave. ¡®She probably tried to hide herself inside the cave, but smoke from the burning forest must have filled the cave and she was forced to escape, otherwise, she would have died of suffocation.¡¯

    Blurred images of that night shed in front of his eyes. That young girl ran out of the cave, coughing out the smoke she inhaled, only to find that the forest was burning, everywhere covered in mes. She didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but she instinctively knew she had to find a way out of the fire, but she could not go on for long and tripped over a burning log, causing her body to sustain burns since she had already fainted from suffocation at that point.

    ¡®She is the key to this mystery. There is no other exnation other than her for how or why I was summoned here. How and why did she summon me? And why me? What is the purpose?¡¯

    Draven remembered the scene inside the guest room, where she transformed herself.

    ¡®That creature seems human but no human should be capable of that, unless they dabble in sorcery and ck magic, but her body has none of that. Even the cave has no trace of magic in it.

    ¡®Forcing me to save her can¡¯t be without any reason. I need to find out the answers to everything.¡¯

    Soon, Erlos came out of the cave carrying something small in his arms. ¡°Sire, this is the only thing I found. It might be rted to that human girl¡¯s identity.¡±

    He was holding a wooden box about the size of his palm seemingly dug out from the dirt, and inside there was a jade pendant with an intricate design, something so out of ce inside that shabby cave dwelling. It was a piece of jewellery that looked more like something a wealthy noble or royal would own.

    ¡°Hand it to Leeora,¡± Draven instructed.

    ¡°Yes, Sire.¡±

    With a pensive look, Draven decided that it seemed he couldn¡¯t get the answers to his questions at the moment. Since nothing more could be found here, he should just return to Agartha. After all, it happened that today was the day when the council meeting was being held. It would be rude to make the leaders of the races wait for long.

    Draven and Erlos returned to the Kingdom of Agartha.

 Chapter 11

    When Draven entered the council hall, he found that all the council members were present and simply waiting for his arrival. The various leaders and elders that represented the different territories of the kingdom were seated inside the solemn hall made out of carved stone, making idle chatter with each other or their subordinates.

    If an ordinary human were to see the sight, they would be stunned with eyes bulging in disbelief, as each and every person inside the council hall were creatures that they thought were figures of folktales and legends. There were beautiful elegant elves, tiny winged faeries, shapeshifters in their animal forms and females who looked like humans in ancient clothing on the surface but were in fact witches.

    As the Draven entered the council hall, the fourteen council members all rose from their seats to greet him.

    The eleven High Elders of each elf n, the Queen of the Fae, the Head of the Witches, the Chief of the Shapeshifters and the Devil.

    These fifteen existencesposed the highest governing body of Agartha.

    Draven sat on the throne at the forefront of the hall and only then did the others sat down in their respective chairs. Leeora, the Head Elder and representative of the Wood Elf n, were among them.

    ¡°How are the races and ns faring for the past month?¡± Draven asked straight to the point with a nonchnt face.

    Although Agartha was called a kingdom, it was in fact more a blessednd that Draven protected, a haven for the supernatural creatures that could not coexist with the humans of the continent. There was little sense of formality and he didn¡¯t generally care about how each race governed themselves. In fact, he mostly found the council meeting that happens once a month redundant since he felt that each n elder or leader of the race didn¡¯t really need him to fix their individual issues.

    ¡°Your Majesty is as impatient as usual,¡± one of the council members chuckled.

    It was a male elf with long bushy white hair, his pointed ears somewhat longer than average, wearing a long white robe that was open in front yet its hems touched the floor. He was Halifax, the High Elder of the Moon Elf n and acting figurehead of the elf race. He was the oldest living existence amongst his kind, even much older than Leeora, the High Elder of the Wood Elf n.

    In general, the inhabitants of Agartha belonged to five major races¡ªthe elves, the witches, the faeries, the shapeshifters and the humans¡ªeach of them having their own territories that were self-governing and self-sustaining.

    Out of five territories, the elf race was thergest one with eleven ns, each of them with a representative within the council. As elves were the most dominant race in terms of poption, their territory spanned almost half of the kingdom, including the royal pce where the King resides, while the other magical races upied the rest of the kingdom, dividing it equally among themselves.

    As for humans?

    Those pitiful humans who were refugees lucky enough to stumble upon the hidden Kingdom of Agartha were weed to stay, but they were confined to the viges at the border of the kingdom, generally not mingling with the other races. Though some of them were bad seeds, many of them were war orphans or victims of crimes, thus the magical races pitied them. It was out of pure kindness of the heart that they were allowed to stay.

    However, they were treated like stray cats and not actual people of the kingdom, thus, although they upy a territory, there were no human representatives in the council meeting. As the remaining minority, humans were as good as non-existent in the eyes of the other races.

    Halifax spoke up, ¡°Your Majesty, we have heard that you brought a female human to the pce.¡±

    Draven simply nodded as he knew what woulde next.

    Seeing the King not bothered by these questions, everyone exchanged gazes.

    Halifax continued, ¡°Your Majesty, you must have your own considerations, but for more than a century, we have been following this rule that no human is allowed in the territories of our races. Humans are only allowed to stay at the human viges at the borders of the kingdom. May we know the reason for Your Majesty to break this rule?¡±

    Draven remained silent, sitting calmly in his throne with his red eyes only observing the members of the council.

    ¡°Indeed, Your Majesty, we all wish to know the reason,¡± a gracefuldy representing the witches said as she stood up and lowered her head in front of the King.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± a few others said in unison as they also stood up.

    ¡°Do I need anyone¡¯s permission in this kingdom?¡±

    Everyone heard a cold, calm but authoritative voice ring inside the stone walls of the council hall.

    More than several centuries back, this powerful man had alone saved their races from the cruel hands of humans and built this kingdom to protect the supernatural beings seeking refuge. His powers were immeasurable and he feared no one.

    Yet despite this, he was more a guardian protecting Agartha from outside threats than an actual king sitting on the throne. Draven mostly never involved himself in territorial matters and each race lived without control from him, able to live with freedom under his protection.

    Someone with such power, high status and freehand attitude towards his people, did he need anyone¡¯s permission in the kingdom he himself created?

    ¡°Apologies, Your Majesty if our words have offended you,¡± said Halifax as he bowed to the king and others did the same.

    An ufortable silence enveloped the hall, and it was the Queen of the Fae who broke it as she nervously fluttered her beautiful wings behind her. ¡°We are sorry. We just wish to know why His Majesty broke this rule and brought a human to the pce. Perhaps she¡¯s special?¡±

    ¡°I have my reasons,¡± the King replied coldly.

    Halifax sighed. ¡°We know, Your Majesty. It is just¡­ the fear and hatred of our people remains, and we will have to exin ourselves to them once they ask why a human is coexisting among elves. Have we not learned our lesson? We gave humans chances, again and again in the past, but weren¡¯t we betrayed? Our kins enved or killed? We have lost so much¡­remember that cruel ughter¡­?¡±

    The council members turned silent at the mention of what Halifax said. Erlos, who was standing near Draven, lowered his head.

    What happened in the past, the passing time did not wash away the pain and fury that the supernatural beings involved had felt back then.

    Others supported what Halifax said. All they wanted was an exnation, otherwise, many of the wounds and scars that these long-lived beings kept would probably be reopened. By that time, wouldn¡¯t the popce start to question King Draven¡¯s intentions? The peace that the people of Agartha were experiencing would fade into oblivion.

    ¡°Please send that human to the viges, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Letting her stay for a couple more days to recover is eptable, but any longer than that, the hostility of the elves against humans would re up.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty¡ª¡±

    Draven had it enough. ¡°Once I find the things I am searching for, I will think about it.¡±

    His response silenced everyone. It seemed like the King needed the human to look for something.

    ¡°And¡­ how long will that take, Your Majesty?¡± asked the Queen of the Fae.

    ¡°As long as I want,¡± Draven replied as he looked at the tiny fairy with an icy re.

    King Draven listened to no one, and it was already lucky for him to indulge them with a response. Since the King gave them an exnation, Halifax felt that it would be bad for everyone to continue probing. The High Elder of the Moon Elves decided to interrupt.

    ¡°We thank His Majesty for letting us know that you are keeping that human for a reason. We will patiently wait for His Majesty. We believe His Majesty won¡¯t overlook our worries.¡±

    Draven stayed quiet as he didn¡¯t find it necessary to answer or assure anyone. With that concern cleared up, the council reported about the various issues their ns and races were experiencing. Though Draven didn¡¯t interfere in territorial matters, he always kept himself aware of what was happening in his kingdom.

 Chapter 12

    On most days, the Devil of Agartha was an idle king, but that didn¡¯t mean he had no affairs to oversee. Whenever he was in his study, what awaited him was an endless pile of reports, not only from the leaders of the races under him but also from those beings secretly roaming the continent, who send news of the outside world to him from time to time.

    It waste when Draven returned to his chamber.

    On the way back, Erlos informed him, ¡°Sire, I have handed over that jade pendant to Elder Leeora. She said that she will bring the human girl to her n residence tomorrow, therefore I had that human girl continue staying in the guest room for the meantime.¡±

    ¡°Did I ask you?¡± came Draven¡¯s nd response as he continued walking along the hallway with long strides.

    Erlos wanted to roll his eyes, long used to his bad-tempered master. He was sure his master was interested in that human girl, otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t go as far as waste precious magic to leave Agartha and cross such a distance. Sadly, his master was someone who was no good with words and couldn¡¯t just thank him¡­.

    Erlos frowned as he tried to keep up with Draven¡¯s long strides. After teleporting twice today, his body was drained of energy and his muscles ached. Normally, he would only be catching his breath while running behind his master, but after their adventure earlier, the elf was so exhausted he wanted to immediately retire to his own quarters.

    Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t. As long as Draven was awake and moving about, it was Erlos¡¯ job to blindly follow him everywhere.

    ¡°Sire, walk slowly, walk slowly! Why are you always in a rush? If you want, you can transfer the both of us towards¡­ahem¡­ on another thought, I retract my statement. My body is already so exhausted another teleport will make me pass out¡ªoh wait, this direction is wrong. Are we not heading to your sleeping chamber, Sire?¡±

    Instead of replying to him, Draven took another turn, entering another hallway that led further to his own chamber. Erlos felt bewildered.

    ¡°S-sire, why are we going this way? Are you in the mood for a midnight stroll? The garden is on the other side.¡± Erlos could not help but whine, ¡°Sire, you should get anotherpanion for something like this and not trouble this poor, overworked servant of yours¡ª¡±

    ¡°You should keep your legs working. I don¡¯t want you to turn into a sloth,¡± Draven replied while continuing to walk withrge strides. The pitiful young elf tried to match his pace as best as he could.

    ¡®Sloth? Being your servant has made me the most active person ever on this entire continent.¡¯

    It took Erlos several seconds to realize that at the end of the familiar hallway was the guest room where that human girl was staying. The elf servant hid a grin, but his pointed ears twitched as his imagination soared.

    Draven slowed down the more he neared that particr chamber, his expression pensive, looking as if he was trying but failing to focus his senses.

    ¡®Why can¡¯t I sense her presence, as if she is not in the pce at all?¡¯

    This was one of the reasons why he decided to keep that strange female creature, instead of throwing her into the human viges.

    Since that female arrived at the pce, she was the only one whose presence Draven could not sense. From time to time, he would spread his power to sense each and every person¡¯s presence and their activities inside the pce. Without even seeing them, he knew exactly their situation¡ªall but this particr human girl who seemed not human at all.

    Physical strength beyond what any human was capable of.

    An ability to wield magic and use a shape-shifting spell.

    A strange state that allows her to escape his senses.

    ¡­and a power that could summon him.

    Draven stopped in front of the door of the guest room and looked at it, but no matter what, he still could not sense her presence. He asked the servants present outside, ¡°Is that creature inside?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    Erlos caught up to him at that point. ¡°Is the human girl asleep now?¡± He then turned towards Draven. ¡°Sire, should we wake her up?¡±

    The servant exined. ¡°I believe she is still awake. The High Elder left mere minutes ago, and the youngdy just had her meal and medicine.¡±

    Draven left without saying a word, leaving Erlos scratching his ears before following behind him once more.

    The devil king only had one question in his mind.

    ¡®What is stopping me from reaching her?¡¯

    Draven returned to his bed-chamber and he was greeted with a hoot by the wise bird waiting for his arrival. Draven went towards the window where Midnight, his snowy white owl was perched on the window sill, his big round eyes blinking at his master. Seeing his master pet the bird, Erlos went to prepare his bath.

    After hearing a satisfied hoot, Draven looked at the dark sky. ¡°I can¡¯t sense her presence at all. Isn¡¯t it strange?¡±

    The owl nodded, wisdom clear in its big eyes.

    Draven continued, ¡°You know what you have to do.¡±

    The owl nodded again lightly and spread his wings, as if excusing himself from the presence of the King. The owl flew away the moment Erlos returned from the side chamber. ¡°Sire, your bath is ready.¡±

    ¡°Go retire for the night.¡±

    Relieved that he could finally go rest in his own quarters, the elf servant bowed. ¡°May you have a pleasant sleep, Sire.¡±

    It didn¡¯t surprise Erlos as whenever something troubled his master, he always preferred to stay alone.

    Once Erlos left, Draven took his time taking off his clothes as he walked towards the side chamber. First his ck boots, then his gloves and his long form-fitting tailcoat. His strong fingers unbuttoned his brown waistcoat and beige dress shirt, and by the time he entered the side chamber, he was d in nothing but slim ck trousers.

    Messy ck hair barely covering his ears, a symmetrical, angr face with defined lips, his broad shoulders led to a wide chest with chiselled muscles, before narrowing to a toned abdomen. A runic tattoo of a ck dragon covered the left side of his chest, further enhancing his dangerous looks.

    Coupled with his cold and serious face, the handsome manly appearance of the Devil of Agartha was nothing short of wicked, the type of rugged beauty that could rouse desires and corrupt even the pure.

    However, the fear of his powers easily clouded the people¡¯s judgment of him and no one dared evaluate his looks. Not only that, the temptation of his body was a sight that no female had the privilege to see.

    After fully undressing, Draven stepped inside the pool of heated water waiting for him and sat with his eyes closed. Slowly, he let go of himself, allowing his body to sink deeper until his facepletely went under the surface of the water and he held his breath. But all of the sudden, his calm was shattered by an unexpected memory.

    ¡®That female creature¡ª?¡¯

    It was his encounter with that strange human girl in the morning. Back then, that tiny thing was covered in blue-gold scales like a reptile, her eyes werepletely pitch ck as if darkness itself had swallowed them whole, but she quickly turned back into her original human form and escaped under her bed.

    But there was a small detail he missed.

    ¡®Her eyes¡­Her eyes¡­They are¡­?¡¯

 Chapter 13

    In a shock, Draven opened his eyes underwater, but his eyes weren¡¯t focused, as if he was seeing something that wasn¡¯t there.

    A pair of emerald green eyes.

    Green could be considered a rare eye color, but that was not the case for someone like Draven who had spent countless years among humans and the supernatural, who had watched the rise and fall of kingdoms and empires in the continent for the past hundreds of years. There were various shades of green eyes¨Cgreen like olives, hazel green, jade, bluish green and some, even with a hint of amber¡­

    But none of them had shocking green eyes that resembled an emerald gemstone.

    Even with his sharp memory, he could only recall one person who had that particr eye color.

    ¡®The woman in my dream.¡¯

    Draven concluded the two females might be rted, but he was not sure yet.

    ¡®Valor is a kingdom boasting a history of about three or four hundred years, but I do not recall staying there for long, and I have never stepped on thatnd for several decades.

    ¡®Could this strange female be a descendant of that woman? Or¡­ are they the same person? But that person in my dreams is a mature woman, not a girl.

    ¡®Then rather than a memory I have forgotten, am I seeing a vision of the future?

    ¡®But if the dream I have is that of the future, then why do I feel a pain in my chest as if I already experienced being stabbed in the past? Why is there a wound?

    ¡®I stillck clues.¡¯

    Draven came out of the pool of water, and as his strong figure stood tall, his exposed wet skin glistened under the soft light from themps, beads of water tracing the lines of his sculpted muscles before falling on the marbled floor. He raised a hand and ran his fingers through those dripping wet hair strands that were covering his forehead.

    With a flick of his wrist, the ck silk bathrobe ced on a wooden stand a distance away flew towards his hand. He draped it over himself, loosely tying the band on the waist, finally covering his glorious body. But just as he took a thick soft cloth to dry his hair, a sound caught his attention.

    Hoot!

    Hearing the call of his owl, a frown appeared on his cold face. He threw the cloth in his hand on the floor and walked out of the side chamber.

    Midnight had entered his chamber, flying around beforending on the perch stand near the window.

    Seeing his master, the snowy white owl made another series of hoots, jumping from one leg to another, before pping his wings to stand on the window sill.

    Draven eyed the owl with seriousness. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    The owl moved his head lightly to nod, and the next moment, Draven disappeared from his chamber. The owl hooted impatiently as he flew away.

    Draven appeared in front of the guest room where that female creature was staying and saw two elf servants lying unconscious on the floor. He opened the door to verify what his owl informed, and as expected, it was empty.

    ¡®So that thing really ran away.¡¯

    The anger rose in his red eyes, looking like raging mes.

    ¡®Who permitted her?¡¯

    She was the one who summoned him to save her. She was the one who forced him to take her with him and she was the cause of all the questions haunting his mind.

    How dare she run away?!

    After realizing that her eyes were simr to the woman in his dreams, he realized meeting this girl was no coincidence. She was the key to his past and the dreams that troubled him for centuries.

    ¡®She can not escape till I get my answers.¡¯

    The angry devil disappeared from that part of the pce and appeared at the highest elevated spot in the entire capital of the kingdom, the central tower of the pce. It was a ce that would allow him to have a view of the pce grounds, and his eyesight that was as sharp as a hawk would not miss even a tiny movement. Since he could not use his power to track her, this was the only way he could think of.

    It had been several hours since the sun had set, and the pce didn¡¯t have officials or residents other than Draven. Not many servants were wandering around, and there were no guards patrolling the grounds as there was no need for them. After all, with the devil living in the pce, what sane being dared cause trouble?

    The spacious pce looked bleak and empty as there was not a soul in sight.

    But that emptiness proved useful in this situation. It did not take long before Draven spotted movement quite a distance from where he was standing. A delicate figure in a flowing white dress finding its way out of the pce.

    For a person suffering from severe burn injuries, she seemed to be moving around fast. And although she was unfamiliar with the ce, she was capable of picking decent hiding spots, which made sense from what he guessed of her lifestyle on that mountain.

    She perfectly avoided the attention of the handful of servants still awake at thiste hour.

    The sight of her should have brought down the fury of the King, but for some odd reason, Draven found his anger disappearing the more he watched her.

    Why so? Was he relieved to see her? Was having her in front of him that important?

    He didn¡¯t move from where he was standing and continued observing her. Her speed was reducing, and he guessed that she must be starting to feel the strain of her injuries. It was to be expected that the more she ran, the weaker she would get. He was sure she wouldn¡¯tst for long.

    The sound of pping wings approached him, and even without looking, he knew Midnight perched. on one of the stone railings beside him. The owl tilted his head when he heard the words his master was muttering under his breath.

    ¡°You must be human. Only humans can be so foolish and stubborn despite being pitifully weak.¡±

 Chapter 14

    Draven merely watched that figure in white cross distances in the dark like a little ghost. The pce grounds were quiterge, especially the nds that bordered the forest where the elves resided. If she kept on going with her current speed, it would probably take her more than half an hour to reach the outer wall of the pce.

    But how far could an injured human body run?

    The figure in white gradually slowed down until she finally stopped upon reaching the garden structures that led to one of the many pavilions in the pce. It looked like she sat down on the ground, leaning against a pir to hide, but from the fact that she was no longer moving, she probably decided to rest due to exhaustion. That meant his brief entertainment was over.

    ¡°Shall we go acquaint ourselves with her, Midnight?¡± he asked.

    Therge owl didn¡¯t even let out a single hoot before it threw itself down the air, flying away without even bothering to answer his master¡¯s question. Draven saw him swiftly approaching that female creature.

    ¡°A race with the Devil?¡±

    He let out an amused scoff and disappeared from the spot where he was standing, blinking into existence just a few feet away from that human girl.

    His pet? Midnight was yet to reach there.

    Hoot!

    Several secondster, Midnight let out an unsatisfied call as hended on one of the marble statues beside the human.

    Startled, the human girl scooted away from the source of the sound, hiding behind the pir out of instinct. After calming her breath, she took a peek at the white fluffy owl that was about the size of her arm. Though she appeared weak and tired, her body¡¯s posture seemed to indicate that as soon as she sensed danger, she would try to squeeze out what¡¯s left of her energy to run.

    Her emerald green eyes that were filled with caution seemed to glitter in the darkness.

    Unknown to her, there was a stronger, infinitely more dangerous presence standing mere paces behind her.

    Draven looked down at the strange creature who was crouching behind the pir. From what he could see, her long mahogany hair was a tangled mess behind her from running wildly, and the white dress she¡¯s wearing was dirty and torn at the edges.

    When he heard her let out a sigh of relief, he opened his mouth.

    ¡°Are you done running or do you want to continue?¡±

    The slow yet dignified voice caused her to flinch in panic like a startled cat. Her eyes shook upon spotting a familiar man with red eyesing towards her from behind.

    Her senses were screaming for her to run, but she could not make a single muscle move.

    She lowered her head, unable to endure his gaze, and saw that the man¡¯s feet were bare. She raised her head ever so slowly as she noticed the bare feet of the man stop in front of her. She took in the sight of a tall body d in a long silk robe and the expressionless face giving off a strange charisma despite the poor lighting in the garden.

    The moment she locked gazes with his red eyes, she seemed to have forgotten to breathe.

    Draven observed this thing he picked up from the mountain.

    It was a terrible sight. Her small face had bruises here and there, and what little skin she showed that was not wrapped in bandages was filled with scratches. She was covered in grass and dirt, her clothes unkept, making her look uncivilized. She looked like a beggar from the streets if not for that pair of emerald green eyes. They were enchanting and he could not move his eyes away from them.

    Her thin body trembled under his gaze, and he realized that she was scared. He was suddenly reminded of their earlier encounter. Didn¡¯t he terrify her to the point she had to hide under her bed? It would make sense that she felt this way towards him.

    Draven saw her weak body stealthily backing away, trying to move further away from him. It made him frown.

    ¡°Are you not going to speak?¡±

    When he saw her nervously lower her head, that frown turned to a scowl.

    It made him wonder if this female creature was mute. He had no memories of hearing her speak, but then again, he wasn¡¯t idle enough to personally check on her condition.

    As to not further scare her, Draven slowly lowered himself and dropped to one knee, trying to catch her gaze as he offered her an outstretched palm, silently asking her to hold his hand ande with him.

    He remained in that posture for a while, but instead of taking his hand, she gazed at it warily, as if his hand was her mortal enemy. Perhaps if she wasn¡¯t exhausted, she would have transformed herself once more into another form and try to w at him like she did earlier.

    ¡®This isn¡¯t working.¡¯

 Chapter 15

    Draven sighed and stood up. Her wary gaze continued to follow his body as he walked towards a certain statue. It was the statue where a snowy white owl perched on it.

    ¡°What do you think? Shall we let her be or shall we take her back?¡±

    The owl tilted his fluffy head, blinking his big eyes in the direction of the human girl as if sizing her up, and let out a hoot in response.

    Draven looked at the girl who was still on the ground. ¡°He decided for you. Don¡¯t me me.¡±

    Before she could understand the meaning of his words, the human girl felt an invisible yet heavy force restrict her limbs, binding her entire body like a rope. She started to struggle and kick her legs about, only to realize she could not feel the ground under her. She was floating helplessly in midair.

    ¡°Ahhh¡ªmmf!¡±

    Her startled scream was cut off midway. Obviously, he used his power to shut her mouth. Fear and anger could be seen in her eyes as she tried to break away from the binding made of his powers.

    ¡°Since you refuse to speak, I am giving you an excuse to not speak.¡± As if he did nothing wrong, Draven looked at his owl. ¡°Is this enough punishment?¡±

    The owl looked at the human girl floating in the air and made a hoot that sounded like an approval.

    Draven didn¡¯t even look at her again as he walked back towards the pce at a leisurely pace, with the strange sight of a human girl floating in the air behind him. She looked pitiful, squirming as she tried to protest to her captor, but not only was she not able to break whatever was restraining her, the man who caught her seemed to have forgotten her existence.

    After epting that resistance was futile, she sadly resigned to her fate.

    Not long after, she found herself carelessly dropped on top of her bed. They were back inside the pce, inside the guest room temporarily given to her.

    Only then did Draven release her from his powers.

    Without looking back at her ring form, he stepped out of the room and used his powers to wake up the two elf servants lying unconscious on the floor.

    The servants were scared witless to open their eyes and find the King ring down at them.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty?¡± Realizing what happened, they immediately jumped to their feet and bowed. ¡°Your Majesty, please forgive us! We were ipetent¡ª¡±

    ¡°If she runs away the second time, I will turn you both into blind bats,¡± Draven warned, ¡°and leave you hanging on a tree upside down for a week.¡±

    ¡°It will never happen again.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your generosity!¡±

    The ears of the elves drooped as they watched the King walk away, but they were relieved that at least they were not punished for their mistake. Still, they were scared of their bad-tempered king, and their backs were wet with sweat after that encounter.

    Draven returned to his bedchamber. If Erlos were present, he would have an incredulous expression, and he would pester his master for the reason why an uncharacteristic smile now graced his handsome face.

    His lips were curved into a wicked smile, as if he had thoroughly enjoyed ying some interesting game with a little mouse that wanted to run away from him.

    As he relished in his good mood, he flicked his wrist and a ck sleeping robe came flying towards his hand. Changing out of his silk bathrobe and into his night robe, he walked in the direction of his bed, ready to retire for the night.

    However, when he was about to tie the knot of his robe, he caught sight of his image in the mirror¡ªin particr, the sight of his chest. On the left side of the chest, a strange mark could be seen.

    A dragon tattoo.

    The head of that ck dragon was ced just above his heart, its long body coiled like a serpent, with the tip of its tail ending at the left side of his stomach. That ck dragon looked fierce, with its mouth open wide and its tongue out. Its eyes looked ferocious and there was a vertical mark inside the iris, which was in fact a scar over where his heart was located.

    His fingers traced over that scar. He could not remember how he got it, but if his dreams are to be trusted, it seemed like he had been once stabbed in his heart.

    ¡®No matter how much I try to recall, I do not know anything beyond the scene in my dreams. I do not even recall how I got this dragon mark on me.

    ¡®How much did I forget? Why did I forget in the first ce? Did someone¡­ tamper with my memories?¡¯

 Chapter 16

    Dear readers, Erlos is one of the most important and powerful characters in this novel. In today¡¯s chapters, you will get to know him and his abilities.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Bordering the outer walls of the pce of the King of Agartha was a lush and mystical forest belonging to the territory of the elves. A small but bustling city of elves could be found inside.

    It was the home of the Wood Elf n under the jurisdiction of High Elder Leeora.

    Wood Elves were known to spend their entire existence bent solely on the preservation of their forested realms. They were the nurturers, defenders of the forest, guardians of all things natural and pure, and generally lived in a state of harmony along with other forest creatures, whether they be ordinary animals or nts.

    As such, unlike humans who cut trees and turn them into wooden boards to build their houses, Wood Elves use their magic to grow living shelters within the bodies of their tree of choice, and they enchant the branches and vines of the trees to build bridges connecting each tree, coexisting with them without destroying anything.

    Rather than calling it a city, it was more like a magicalmunity where the majority of inhabitants are Wood Elves. As the city closest to the pce, a small number of elves from other ns and other races reside within the city as well.

    Tap, tap, tap!

    Knocks that sounded more like rhythmic music resounded within one of thergest tree shelters. A gentle voice of an old woman echoed from the other side of the wooden door.

    ¡°Erlos, the sun is out already. Are you going to continue sleeping?¡±

    A groan from within the shelter responded to that gentle voice.

    ¡°If you do not rise now, you won¡¯t be able to have a meal before heading off work.¡±

    The young elf whose sleep was disturbed tossed and turned in bed with an annoyed face. As the knocks continued, he turned on his side, his back facing the door, and covered his head with a pillow so he wouldn¡¯t hear the sound of the nagging olddy.

    The door opened on its own, and the elegant Leeora entered his house and headed to his room with a helpless smile. ¡°Are you still not up? You will bete if you do not move still.¡±

    ¡°Let me sleep, Elder,¡± a muffled voice said under the pillow, ¡°Yesterday, he drained my energy, and now my entire body aches so much. I think I will call in sick today, no, for the next couple days.¡±

    Leeora raised a brow. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be that bad. The King isn¡¯t as ruthless as you make him out to be.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a devil! Literally and figuratively a devil, I tell you!¡± He moved the pillow off his head and pouted in the olddy¡¯s direction. ¡°Heart of stone, no, he¡¯s heartless!¡±

    Used to his whines andints, the elf elder merely moved about the house that was as familiar to her as if it¡¯s her own. She cleaned and cut a couple of fruits and made hot tea for the pouting young elf.

    ¡°You are the only servant that Sire trusts to serve his side. If your body aches so badly, do you want me to brew an elixir for you?¡±

    With a begrudging expression, Erlos finally hopped off his bed and trudged his way towards the table where the meal was prepared. ¡°Why me? Why am I being punished like this?¡±

    ¡°You should be d instead of feeling annoyed.¡±

    Erlos noisily chewed on the fruit, as if trying to vent his feelings that way. ¡°I am not d at all. Excluding myself, there are exactly fifty-two servants working in the pce, forty of them elves. Everyone is older and more hardworking than me. Why is the King only bullying me? Can¡¯t I just be like other pce servants?

    ¡°Others clean and rest afterwards, but no, not me. I have to stay by the King¡¯s side all day long. The thing is, even his aides get more ck time than me. You know Xyno who keeps records of intelligence of the outside world? There¡¯s also Y who¡¯s in charge of housekeeping, and even Garros who oversee finances¡ª¡±

    Leeora smiled at the rambling young man. ¡°Other servants are envious of you and here you cry over it.¡±

    Erlos swallowed another piece of fruit before rolling his eyes. ¡°They are envious because they don¡¯t know what that heartless devil makes me go through each moment. Do you know what he did yesterday, Elder? He zapped me to another location without telling me beforehand! I didn¡¯t have time to protect my body with magic. Luckily, my tolerance is exceptionally high. If it were someone else, he would have died by now.¡±

    Leeora merely smiled as she listened patiently to his words.

    He continued, ¡°He¡¯s a big bully, I tell you! This isn¡¯t how a powerful man should treat someone weaker than him. Who even made him the king here? If..If I had his strength, I would open a portal and banish him to somewhere I won¡¯t ever see him again, hmpf!¡±

    ¡°Calm down. In future, you will understand why the Sire keeps you by his side always,¡± she said to assure him.

    His pointed ears twitched as he heard those familiar lines from Leeora. This was something she always told him, but never fully exined. ¡°There is no other reason other than he enjoys making me suffer. Hmm, could it be because I am more handsome than him? Is he envious?¡±

    This time, it was Leeora who wanted to roll her eyes. She merely shook her head. ¡°Sire cares for you but he just doesn¡¯t show it.¡±

    ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°s, you know you are the only descendant of the High Elves we have left after that massacre led by humans. If not for him, you would have died there too. He brought you with him when you were just a child and always kept you by his side. How can you not see how much he cares for you?¡±

    ¡°I might reluctantly agree that he saved me to keep thest surviving bloodline of the High Elves, but for that part that he cares for me? A myth.¡± Erlos was not ready to agree.

    ¡°Fine, fine. For now, change into your work clothes and head back to the pce. You have your own sleeping quarters in the pce, why did you evene back here to sleep? Go now. You need to be there before the King wakes up.¡±

    Erlos nodded unwillingly and finished his morning meal, groaning at the thought of returning to the pce with an aching body. A silly grin formed on his handsome face. ¡°Uhm, Elder? If you brew me an elixir, please give me two, no, three bottles.¡±

    Leeora eyed him suspiciously. ¡°That¡¯s a precious healing elixir, not ordinary juice. Do you know how expensive it is to make?¡±

    ¡°But my muscles are sore so¡­Thank you, Elder! I know you treat me the best!¡±

 Chapter 17

    Erlos prepared himself to return to the pce.

    Though he had his own chamber in the pce, once in a while, whenever he felt too tired and felt like he had enough of his heartless master, he would return to this house. This was his home, the ce where he¡¯s most rxed, surrounded by nature and his kin. Not to mention, this was High Elder Leeora¡¯s territory. She looked after him and treated him well like her own grandson.

    When he stepped out of his home, he saw Leeora tending to newly grown seedlings of what seemed to be precious herbs. They were neighbors, their tree abodes connected to each other with a hanging bridge.

    The olddy smiled. ¡°Leaving?¡±

    ¡°Do I have any other option?¡± he asked as he hopped down from his tree, disappearing from there and leaving nothing but a gust of strong wind.

    If humans were to see this spectacle, they would think he had powers of teleportation like his master, but only because his body was moving too fast for their mortal eyes to follow. It was as if he had turned into the wind itself.

    However, although he was moving at a high speed not visible to the eyes of humans, his fellow elves could see him sprinting like his life depended on it. He caused many hanging bridges to fiercely sway left and right, and the dry leaves on the ground to st towards the innocent bystanders who happened to be standing on the wrong spot.

    Having disturbed what should have been a peaceful morning, many elves clicked their tongues andmented upon seeing that young elf with silver hair.

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, and now he¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°Tsk. Seems like he is againte.¡±

    ¡°Look out! Spirit, you almost made me fall,¡± one elf shouted at Erlos as he hugged the vine ropes of the hanging bridge that he was crossing.

    ¡°That boy needs to be disciplined. Herbs I kept outside to dry almost scattered everywhere.¡±

    Only Erlos¡¯ughter and insincere apology could be heard as he continued his trail of destruction. It was nothing new for him, and even those elves didn¡¯t mean what they said as they were long used to his rascally behaviour.

    Contrary to the more pacifist nature of most elves, High Elves were highly aggressive. They were in fact simr to ancient battle mages. Considered the royalty of elves, High Elves were the strongest elves and the protectors of their kind, capable of using magic spells with multiple attributes.

    Despite his young age, Erlos was a High Elf who possessed various abilities like strength, speed, stamina, durability, agility, and reflexes that exceeded even the most outstanding talents of the other elf ns. Additionally, High Elves have a penchant for archery and Erlos in particr was especially gifted in that aspect, but he hardly got the chance to use any of his abilities as a servant in the pce. All he had going for him was his stamina.

    After all, serving his heartless master needed not only physical endurance but also long patience and strong willpower.

    Erlos reached the King¡¯s chamber in no time, and after noting he was notte, quickly fixed his silver mess of a hair. He licked his lips, a little sad that Leeora merely gave him a single elixir, but it was of course powerful enough to revitalize his body and fill him with energy. He gave out a sigh of relief before opening the door.

    The moment he entered his master¡¯s chamber, he saw the tall man was already awake and talking to his pet owl.

    ¡°Make sure to not make any mistake or you won¡¯t be able to fly again.¡±

    ¡®Ahh, he decided to serve a threat first thing in the morning. As expected of my master.¡¯ Erlos blinked and threw a pitiful nce at the poor owl. Midnight caught his expression and blinked back at him, as if to say ¡®What can I do?¡¯ He then greeted his master, ¡°Good morning, Sire.¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t reply to him and simply stared at the owl who used that chance to flee.

    Erlos looked at the floor and found muddy footprints on the marbled floor as well as the carpet. He also saw the familiar sight of the King¡¯s sleeping robe and the clothes his master wore yesterday lying on the floor.

    ¡®Here starts my day! Cleaning after his mess,¡¯ he sighed inwardly. However, he couldn¡¯t stop his mouth fromining. ¡°I cleaned the floor before I left yesterday. Why are there dirty footprints on the floor?¡±

    ¡°I went out to y with a little mouse,¡± Draven replied.

    It didn¡¯t matter to Erlos what or who the little mouse was. All he had in his mind was the chores he had to do, starting with cleaning this mess.

    He picked up the clothes from the floor and arranged the boots on one side. ¡°Elder Leeora said she will be taking that human girl with her today.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± was all Draven replied.

    Erlos said no more and went to the attached side chamber to prepare the bath for his master. Remembering the conversation he had with Leeora, he could not help but scoff.

    ¡®Descendant of the strongest elf n, they say. And what is that precious descendant doing? Washing clothes, cleaning the floor, serving food and looking after a grown adult as if he is my own child.¡¯

 Chapter 18

    Leeora arrived at the pce to get the human girl with her. When she entered the guest room, she saw the frail girl sitting on the floor, with her back resting on the side of her bed, her arms hugging her folded knees.

    Seeing her appearance, Leeora didn¡¯t feel pity. No, what she felt was surprise.

    The human girl was coated with dirt, and the skirt of her white dress was torn at the edges, as if she rolled and crawled somewhere and didn¡¯t pay attention to her surroundings.

    Leeora went to her and kneeled in front of her. ¡°My child, what happened to you?¡±

    The silent girl raised her head at the sound of that gentle voice. Her beautiful eyes observed the familiar older woman in front of her. From the moment this older woman showed her magic and fed her, she was no longer wary of her. She reminded the girl of a particr person who was very dear to her, someone who she knew really well and wished to see at this strange unfamiliar ce.

    Not expecting to get any response from her, Leeora checked her bandages that were misced and observed her wounds. ¡°Once I take you to my ce, I will make sure all these wounds will heal as if they never existed. I am already preparing elixirs for you, though I am not sure how effective they are for the human body.¡±

    Looking at her dishevelled appearance, Leeora left out a helpless sigh. ¡°Did you go out to the garden, little one?¡±

    ¡°She indeed went out to y.¡±

    At the sound of this slow yet dignified voice, the human girl flinched and sank back, looking as if she would hide under the bed again.

    Leeora looked at Draven who appeared by the doorway. ¡°I am sure Sire had allowed her to y.¡±

    ¡°To her heart¡¯s content, until she¡¯s left with no energy to y,¡± Draven replied as he eyed that female creature who looked at him with both fear and anger in her emerald green eyes.

    Leeora knew the human girl was scared, thus she reassured her. ¡°Do not worry. I will be taking you with me to my home.¡±

    Those lovely green eyes brightened up at those words.

    Leeora offered her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡±

    The human girl stared at that wrinkled hand as she chewed her lips with reluctance. Seeing the patient smile on the female elf¡¯s face, her hesitation lessened. Slowly, she released her arms hugging her knees and put one hand on top of Leeora¡¯s palm.

    Seeing how easily the elf coaxed her, the pair of red eyes owned by the devil darkened. Last night, he did the exact same thing, but this creature not only disrespected him by not taking his hand, she also had the audacity to be openly suspicious of his goodwill. Didn¡¯t she know that if he truly wished to harm her, he didn¡¯t even need to touch her? All it would take was a mere thought from him.

    The girl stood up with Leeora and was ready to leave with her, which made him narrow his eyes at her.

    As if she could sense that dangerous gaze on her body, the human girl hid behind Leeora.

    ¡°Sire, we will be leaving then,¡± Leeora said helplessly. If Draven wasn¡¯t the King, she would have scolded him for scaring the poor girl. ¡°I have made arrangements for her where she will find herselffortable.¡±

    ¡°Are you implying that she is notfortable in my pce?¡± he asked with a sharp tone.

    Leeora simply smiled. ¡°I believe that Sire knows the answer to that question better than me.¡±

    Draven nced at that human hiding from his sight for thest time and turned around to leave, but he stopped after taking several strides. With his back facing them, he added some parting words.

    ¡°If she tries to run away again, it would be thest time she would see her legs.¡±

    The girl instinctively held onto Leeora¡¯s hand after she heard what the devil said. Her shaken gaze continued to follow him until he disappeared from her line of sight.

    Leeora patted her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He just loves to threaten people, but he has a good heart.¡±

    As soon as she stepped out of the pce, the human girl was greeted with the breathtaking sight of a magical creature with impressive antlers. It was a brown stag the size of a horse, its gait majestic as it waited for its owner to approach. Upon closer look, its ck eyes showed gentle wisdom and it let out a soft call seeing the elf and human approach.

    ¡°Lusca,¡± Leeora called out, e and meet a new friend.¡±

    After gesturing for the stag to lower its body, Leeora took the human girl and gently lifted her thin body to ride the Stag. To the girl¡¯s surprise, the brown fur of the stag was incredibly soft and shiny, and the movement of the stag under her was graceful and lithe. Even though there was no harness, she didn¡¯t feel difort at all.

    ¡°This is my animalpanion, Lusca.¡± The High Elder of the Wood Elves smiled, seeing the awe on the girl¡¯s face as she caressed the fur of the stag. ¡°Let us bring you to your new home, little one, where you can freely y with Lusca and meet more forest friends.¡±

    The human girl showed a small shy smile as she nodded.

    ====

    Do check the image of Stag in thement section that the human girl rode on.

 Chapter 19

    After Leeora left with the Human girl, Erlos went to Draven¡¯s study to inform him of their departure. ¡°Sire, Elder Leeora and the human girl have left.¡±

    Draven simply nodded, but a frown inevitably made its way onto his face. For some odd reason, he was displeased about something.

    Erlos, who could never fail to notice any change in his master, asked, ¡°Is there something that is troubling you, sire?¡±

    As if he found the perfect way to vent his frustration, Draven looked at Erlos. ¡°Go to my armory and clean all the weapons inside. Every de should shine enough to reflect your face like a mirror.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Erlos eximed in shock but realized he acted somewhat rude., ¡°I-I mean, sire, why so suddenly? There have been no armed conflicts for as long as I remember, and there is never a need for you to use them. Sword? Psh, you can wipe out enemies with a flick of a finger.¡±

    The pair of red eyes red at him. ¡°You dare question me?¡±

    The young elf immediately bowed as he dared not mess with the Devil King when his mood was more foul than normal. He was sure something must have happened to upset this heartless man.

    ¡°I do not dare, Sire. I will head out immediately as soon as I finish arranging these books.¡±

    Draven did notment and looked at the honeb-patterned shelf where each hexagon hole had a scroll kept inside it. One of the scrolls flew towards him and unrolled on its own,ying open on his desk.

    His pointed ears twitching in curiosity, Erlos went closer to the table to peek. ¡°The map of the continent, sire?¡±

    Draven did not answer him as he observed the entire map. His gaze was stuck at a particr kingdom in the west¡ªthe Kingdom of Valor.

    It¡¯s been a long time since he hadst stepped foot in a human kingdom after Agartha was founded. Multiple decades, close to a century, had passed since he visited the western part of the continent. Compared to the empire and the threergest kingdoms back then, the Kingdom of Valor was nothing, just an ordinary small kingdom with not much strength, and at that time, there were tens of ordinary kingdoms like it.

    Based on the map, he found the location of that particr mountain where he picked up that human girl. He tried to recall if he had been in that ce before or if he had any rtionship with this ordinary kingdom, but there was a discrepancy with his memories.

    Draven could not recall if he had anything to do with this kingdom, except for the fact this kingdom was part of the alliance headed by the empire against the supernatural beings, which was created to prohibit the practice of magic and sorcery.

    ¡°What happened, sire?¡± Erlos asked when he saw Draven deep in thought.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to upgrade this map of the continent,¡± Draven said.

    Erlos looked at the particr part of the continent and said, ¡°Sire, I have seen so many maps before but this part of thend across this mountain range, those maps show it as barrennd. Yours is the only map that shows there are the kingdoms beyond these mountains and that there remains an unexplored part of the continent. Why so?¡±

    ¡°Because they cannot see what I can see,¡± Draven answered and looked at the other part of the continent that Erlos pointed towards.

    ¡°Have you visited these kingdoms before¡ªthis Megaris¡­ and this Thevailes?¡±

    Draven nodded.

    ¡°Do they also hate supernatural beings?¡±

    ¡°Humans fear what they do not understand, and that fear gradually turns to hate,¡± Draven answered and started working on the map.

    ¡°Is that why you did not like that human girl and wished to throw her out? Because she fears you?¡± Erlosmented, only to get another killer gaze from his master.

    ¡°Do I need to throw you into the armory by using my means?¡±

    Draven moved his hand as if he nned to use his powers, but the next moment, Erlos disappeared from his sight. He ran away using his fastest speed, trying to gain distance from the study before his master literally threw him. He had been abused enough for years to know how his master kept true to his words even if they sounded like jokes.

    Draven resumed his work, and took a clean scroll, wanting to draw a new map which would beter filled in now that he decided to idly walk around the continent. He loved to teleport anywhere with his powers, observing how civilizations flourish, discovering ruins and finding hidden ces from all parts of the continent. His penchant for travel was how he found out this hidden ce that was a perfect hidden sanctuary for those who wish to be reclusive and built a kingdom of their own.

    The Kingdom of Agartha was in fact a deep and hidden valley surrounded on all sides by the mountain ranges so tall, that their peaks were covered in snow all year round. It was as if the valley was situated in the deepest part of the continent, and that was why he named it Agartha, the ce situated at the core of the world.

    Due to the terrain, it was a ce that was impossible to find by human means. Even for the young supernatural beings and those wanderers outside who were unfamiliar with thend, they would find it impossible to reach this kingdom. It could be said that those humans who identally stumbled into this kingdom were an extremely lucky bunch of people, surviving through the harsh journey of traversing those rough mountain terrain. Acknowledging how much hardship they had to go through to reach Agartha, the magical races showed pity for their plight and allowed them to stay in the outermost territory of the kingdom.

    After putting aside the iplete map, he found his mind wandering towards that female creature with emerald green eyes. Only then did he realize why he felt bothered by her leaving.

    That human left with Leeora as if she¡¯s escaping from a predator, not even hesitating to take up that offer when it was him who saved her and brought her back to his pce to be healed.

    Yet she refused to take his hand? She easily followed Leeora when she said they were leaving. Not like she knew Leeora for long. Was she looking down on him?

    ¡°How dare that thing disrespect me?¡±

    Gritting his teeth, he clenched the ink pen in his hand and ended up breaking its body, which resulted in creating an unwanted ink spot sshing on the map he put on the side.

 Chapter 20

    Dear readers, this novel will contain a magical world of supernaturals which would be different from the human world. Do check the reference Images of every newly introduce thing in thement section.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Leeora and the human girl reached the Forest of the Elves as soon as they travelled past the pce walls. On the way, the elf elder didn¡¯t try to talk to her and merely let her curiously look around her surroundings.

    The human girl did not even hide her emotions at the majestic sight she was seeing¡ªluscious trees with leaves a vibrant green and trunks strong and tall, colourful bunch of mushrooms and flowers randomly blooming about, and small animals like squirrels peering, birds singing and rabbits innocently hopping about.

    She observed each and every one of them carefully, amazed by the lively atmosphere of the forest. For as long as she could remember, she had lived within that dead mountain, where all she could see were dead trees with white barks and rotten logs. The only other inhabitants of such a barren ce were vultures, crows and insects.

    Soon, her mouth was left gaping open upon the sight of thergest trees she had ever seen. Their trunks were so wide, it might need at least twenty adults to wrap their arms around its body to hug the entire trunk. On each of those trees were what seemed to be houses, and interconnecting each house were hanging bridges created of vines and tree branches.

    As she continued to ride Lusca the Stag, she could see children with pointed ears running and ying with other animals in the forest. She heardughter and music and the most beautiful people with pointed ears bustling about, merrily talking to each other. Though they looked over when they noticed her passing, they were not ring at her or shooting looks of disgust towards her. They were curious, mostly wary since there was an outsider.

    Leeora smiled, seeing her reaction. ¡°Wee to Ronan, one of the cities of Agartha and the home of the Wood Elf n. It is a ce which you will also call your home starting from now.¡±

    The elves observed this outsider. If she were an adult woman, the Wood Elf n might have openly shown disgust and hostility towards her, but based on her appearance, the outsider might be only about fourteen or fifteen years in terms of human age. She was but an infant for elves whose lifespans were as long as a thousand years.

    Her injured appearance made her look pale and frail, and her thin body looked starved. Not to mention, she looked pitiful because of her bandages and clothes, and this caused many of the adult elves to feel sorry for her. The fact that Leeora, their n leader, was also escorting her also lessened their ill feelings towards this human guest.

    ¡°Is that her? The female Erlos is talking about?¡±

    ¡°The woman the King brought to his bed?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡±

    Thanks to Erlos¡¯ antics, gossip had spread among the pce servants that their king had brought a woman to his bed. Some of these servants also lived in Ronan, and they shared the gossip to their family and friends.

    This made many of these elves to be curious about this controversial human female, wondering what was so special about her. To their disappointment, all they saw was one wounded young girl who looked so nervous she was almost hugging the neck of the stag she was riding. These triggered maternal instincts in many of the hearts of the female elves.

    The physique of elves was taller than humans, and this young girl who was already small for her age seemed even smaller to their eyes.

    ¡®A female visited their king¡¯s bed? This little one? That Erlos deserves a beating!¡±

    Since Leeora was their n leader, no one openly asked her reasons for bringing a human to their city. Leeora didn¡¯t introduce her to anyone for now as she knew nothing about this girl. She didn¡¯t even know her name. The girl hadn¡¯t spoken yet, and it made the elf wonder if she was mute.

    Soon enough, they seemed to have reached the most central part of the city where thergest trees were found. It was also the part of Ronan that had the most elves and other races. After passing through what seemed like a za, Leeora pointed towards onerge tree with vines hanging. The trees here were sorge, that their trunks could support two shelters, one at the bottom and another nearer the crown of the tree.

    ¡°That will be your new home.¡± The elder pointed to thergest and most majestic tree shelter that was connected to her new house by a hanging bridge., ¡°That one is where I live. You cane to me anytime by crossing that bridge.¡±

    The human girl simply stared at it, but it was hard to understand her simply by looking at her expression. Leeora was contemting over how to make her talk, or even say her name. If she had problems speaking, it made her wonder if the human girl could write.

    ¡°Shall we go to your home?¡± Leeora asked, hoping to hear her answer, but the girl simply looked at her.

    ¡°Do you want to ask something?¡± Leeora asked as herst attempt to make her talk.

    The girl moved her gaze towards the house, then looked at the ground, and then again looked at Leeora. The elf elder knew what this human was asking but she was trying her luck on making her talk.

    ¡®It seems like she¡¯s truly mute.¡¯

    At first, Leeora wasn¡¯t sure. After all, it was possible she simply refused to talk because she was surrounded by strangers. However, after repeated attempts yesterday and today, the human girl was yet to even let out a word.

    ¡®A pity, but don¡¯t worry little one. People here will treat you like family.¡¯

    Fortunately, the human girl was not deaf and could clearly understand what she was talking about. However, Leeora was still hoping that the girl could talk. Perhaps she should give her a few more days to build trust with her. For the meantime, she would treat her as a mute.

    ¡®I wonder if I shall give her a temporary name since we don¡¯t know what she¡¯s called.¡¯

 Chapter 21

    Leeora felt it was her mistake to not ask Draven anything about the girl, thinking she could ask the girl herself about her identity and background. But then again, the King threw the responsibility of raising this poor child to her seemingly out of a whim. Perhaps she should ask Erlos about this human girl the next time he returns home.

    ¡°All right, Lusca, let her down now. Thank you for bringing her here. Go y with your friends, but be sure to return by dinner.¡±

    Afterward, Leeora took that chance to hold the girl¡¯s hand and bring her towards the tree where her new house was.

    ¡°As you might have noticed, the Forest of Elves is a magical ce where many races and creatures coexist harmoniously. For Ronan, a majority of the inhabitants are elves like myself, but do you know what creature has the secondrgest poption in this city? Hmm? Can you guess?¡±

    Leeoraughed when she saw the confusion on the girl¡¯s face.

    ¡°You must be wondering why I am bringing this up? Well, little one, it is rted to how you are going to enter your new house.

    ¡°Wood Elves in general protect the trees of the forest, but in fact, we have a give-and-take rtionship with the trees, especially the trees here in Ronan¡­because these trees are sentient beings. You noticed that the houses in Ronan all seem to be naturally formed shelters within the tree trunks, don¡¯t they? It is because we do not cut these wonderful trees. They are also part of your future forest friends¡ªthe tree spirits.¡±

    Leeora knocked on the tree trunk, and as if understanding her intentions, several vines and branches around them moved, causing the human girl to silently gasp. However, one would not feel fear but wonder and awe, watching the branches carry them towards the door of her new house. There was no need to walk.

    Seeing the questions on her face, Leeora exined with a smile, ¡°Tree spirits do not speak like we do, and they also do not hear sounds like us as well. They speak thenguage of the heart. You may talk to them, but all you really need is to knock and they will understand what¡¯s in your heart. They will respond if they like you.

    ¡°So for now, your first responsibility as the owner of this house is to build trust and affection with the tree spirit of your house, otherwise you must learn how to climb a tree.¡±

    The human girl blinked in confusion, but she seemed to understand at least a part of what Leeora said. She gave the elf a light nod and lightly caressed the vines touching her body, as if to shyly greet the tree spirit.

    ¡®What a relief,¡¯ the High Elder thought. It was good she¡¯s responding instead of just staring at her nkly.

    Leeora felt deep sympathy for this poor human girl. Although it was just a guess, it was highly likely that this girl was an orphan that the King saved. She might be terribly frightened and confused to find herself in an unfamiliar ce and surrounded by strangers.

    But no matter what background she had, it didn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s an innocent child who¡¯s full of curiosity.

    This human was fascinated with magic. During their first encounter, didn¡¯t this girl lower her guard after witnessing that simple magic light show in the form of butterflies? Rather than fear, she looked excited after learning about the existence of tree spirits, seemingly curious that the tree had sentience and could understand her. Only a human with such a pure heart would be able to appreciate the beauty of magic as it is.

    ¡®And if she is really a mute, then she will surely enjoy thepany of these tree spirits who canmunicate with her with no barriers.¡¯

    ¡°Come, let me introduce you to your new house.¡±

    The door of the home opened on its own with Leeora using her powers, and while holding hands, they entered what seemed like a simple wooden cabin that had two circr holes ying the part of windows. Sunlight entered through them, making it bright and warm inside. With the air especially clean and refreshing, it gave off a cozy andzy atmosphere.

    Basic furniture made out of wood could be found inside, together with what seemed to be freshly brought in baskets of fruit and bread. It seemed as if everything she needed was provided to her, and nothing wascking.

    ¡°What do you think? Do you like it?¡± Leeora asked. ¡°Other elves helped me prepare this, but we did not decorate it because we do not know what you like.¡±

    Though that human was not smiling, her beautiful eyes were sparkling in happiness. Using her free hand, she gently touched the doorway, letting her fingertips trace the wooden wall that was aplete opposite of the gray cave walls she¡¯s long used to. The elf let go of her hand and urged her to look around her new home.

    ¡°Your clothes are dirty. You should change into new clothes,¡± Leeora said and went towards a wooden chest where dresses were folded inside. It was a in dress with a skirt cut just above her knee that was in the shade of green and brown. The human girl remembered seeing female elves wearing the same kind of dress in the streets earlier.

    ¡°Water is kept in that barrel, and there is no need to worry since the fairies from the Water Tribe go around refilling them everyday. You can clean yourself but make sure to not rub your wounds,¡± Leeora instructed as she brought the clothes for her.

    ¡°You can take your time acquainting yourself with your house,¡± Leeora said. ¡°Once you are done, you cane to my home. I will prepare something for us to eat and also treat your wounds.¡±

    The human girl nodded and Leeora suddenly vanished into thin air. Stunned, she looked around but did not see the kind female elf. When she looked beyond the door, she found the silhouette of Leeora passing through the doorway of thergest house on the other side of the hanging bridge.

    ¡®Alone, finally.¡¯

    The human girl finally felt like she could breathe, and a bright smile could be found on her small face as she touched everything, from the table to the chairs to the bed.

    That terrifying red-eyed man would no longer bother her from now on, and she¡¯s in a ce where she no longer had a need to hide. Everything would have been perfect if only¡ª.

    She stood up in front of arge oval mirror and observed herself. It was a small thin face full of bruises and scars, and her entire body from neck down was covered in bandages. The white dress she was wearing was the most beautiful dress she had ever worn, but sadly, its state was in near rags after her adventure the previous night.

    She looked at her long messy hair that reminded of someone who liked to brush them every chance she could find.

    The voice of that woman seemed to ring in her ears. ¡°Little princess, your hair is so beautiful.¡±

    Tears welled up in her green eyes as the memories of her dearest person shed in her mind.

    ¡°You have such beautiful eyes, little princess.¡±

    ¡°Yourugh sounds like music, little princess.¡±

    ¡°Little princess, little princess¡­¡±

    ¡°¡ªI apologize. I wish I could stay¡­longer¡­princess¡­¡±

    She was no longer able to hold back those tears until they rolled down her dirty cheeks. A soft sound could be heard under her breath.

    ¡°Gaia¡­¡±

    Tap! Tap!

    A knock on the door brought her back to her senses, and she immediately wiped her tears.

 Chapter 22

    The human girl had just turned around when she saw the door open ever-so-slowly, and the head of a young kid about four or five years old popped inside her house. Short wavy brown hair slightly covered his pointed ears.

    He asked in a childish voice, ¡°Are you the one that our king brought to his bed?¡±

    The human girl blinked at him. She could not understand what this young elf meant and only stared at that mischievous child whose height barely reached her waist.

    ¡°Little rascal, is this the way you talk to our guest?¡± It was Leeora who responded to his question, teleporting back seeing the elf boy had sneaked into the tree house.

    The elf boy looked at Leeora with an awkward but innocent smile. ¡°Elder! Elder, so is she the one the King¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh, your manners! Do you want me to talk to your mother, you little rascal?¡±

    The little elf pouted. ¡°Stop calling me ¡®little¡¯, Elder. I am two decades old. I am even older than this human.¡± Seeing that Leeora was simply staring at him, he chuckled awkwardly. ¡°I-I just want to see the human. It¡¯s the first time I have ever seen one since we don¡¯t allow humans to enter the city. My mother used to tell me to stay away from humans as they are scary, but this human girl doesn¡¯t look scary at all.¡±

    Leeora chuckled, ¡°Humans don¡¯t look scary.¡±

    The boy looked at the human girl. ¡°Not scary, but she¡¯s ugly.¡±

    Leeora pulled his ear.

    ¡°Ahh! Elder!¡± the boy whined in pain.

    ¡°She is bruised and dirty. Can¡¯t you see it?¡± Leeora asked.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t change the fact she¡¯s still ugly¡ª!¡±

    Leeora twisted his ear with more force, ¡°You sure need to learn good manners.¡±

    ¡°A-Apologies, Elder. Her eyes are really pretty! At least her eyes are pretty!¡± the boy cried out and only then did Leeora let him go.

    ¡°Do not disturb our guest till she gets better. Do you understand?¡± Leeora warned.

    The boy nodded and left immediately.

    Leeora looked at the human girl. ¡°He is a naughty child, but he¡¯s a good child. You can just ignore him if he bothers you.¡± She then turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you in my house.¡± Leeora disappeared once more.

    The human girl cleaned herself and wore the clothes. That green and brown knee-length dress was a little loose for her thin body, but she liked it as the loose clothes wouldn¡¯t touch her burns. She put on leg warmers to cover the skin of her legs and then she saw a pair of short boots and put them on her feet.

    She found herself looking at her reflection in the mirror, covering her ears with her hair to check if she¡¯s passed as a young elf. However, to her dismay, she realized that perhaps the naughty boy¡¯s words were true.

    Compared to the elegant and sophisticated elves, she¡¯s far too ugly. She¡¯s smaller than them and her limbs were so thin, they¡¯re almost skin and bones. While elves boast smooth fair skin, hers was rough and filled with bruises and burn marks.

    The rumbling in her stomach brought her out of her insecure thoughts.

    After onest look inside her new home, she headed towards Leeora¡¯s house. Rather than fear, she felt amused the first time she stepped on the hanging bridge made of vines. It swayed with each dainty step of hers, but after getting the hang of it, she was able to cross it without any problems.

    By the time she stepped in front of her house, her nose caught the most mouth-watering scent she had ever remembered smelling. It seemed like Leeora was baking fresh bread and her already starving stomach grumbled once more. With a drooling mouth, she was about to push the door open when the door opened on its own.

    Leeora sensed her presence and turned to look at her. ¡°Wee to my home, dear.¡±

    The human girl went inside and observed the elf¡¯s home carefully. It was thrice the size of her ce, although it seemed more like an indoor garden rather than a house. Many nts with various colors and sizes were in y pots on the floor and hanging baskets on the walls. The space inside was divided into several portions, though she had no idea whaty beyond the folding screens.

    While she was busy observing the home, Leeora arranged food for them on the table. Served were tters of various fruits and freshly-baked loaves of bread.

    ¡°Why are you still standing, child? Sit.¡±

    They finally sat together around that table, but no one was moving. Leeora could see that this human girl was starving and said gently, ¡°You can start eating.¡±

    Afterward, Leeora treated her wounds with elixirs she made herself. As the High Elder of the Wood Elves, she was among the best in her race when it came to brewing potions and elixirs. Her elixirs not only heal outside wounds but also internal injuries, and the effects were more outstanding than themon brews.

    The bruises had all faded, and it seemed like it would only take several days for the burns to heal.

    Once they were finished, Leeora brought her back to her home.

    ¡°You can rest and no one will disturb you here. If you want to look around the city, you can find Lusca to apany you. Make sure you don¡¯t stray too far since I wish to eat together with you again for lunch. I will return after I finish work first.¡±

    The human girl nodded with an obedient expression, causing the elf elder to smile.

    Leeora went back to the pce as she needed to talk to Draven about this girl. She knew nothing about her, and from what she heard from Erlos, those two had gone to investigate the origins of this girl.

    Since the King had designated her as the human girl¡¯s guardian, then it was imperative that she understand the girl to properly provide for her needs.

 Chapter 23

    It had only been a few hours since she left, yet Leeora found herself once again inside the pce of the King of Agartha. None of the servants along the way was surprised; after all, being technically neighbours, the High Elder of the Wood Elf n did frequently visit the King. The pce was simr to the elves¡¯ backyard.

    Just as she was heading towards the King¡¯s study, Leeora came across Erlos who had returned from the armory after cleaning all the weapons inside. A human being would have spent an entire day doing the same task, but the young elf used his powers to their fullest to fulfil the chore at the fastest speed possible.

    The elf elder blinked upon seeing him stretching his back like an old man.

    ¡°Why do you look so exhausted, Erlos?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Oh, Elder. You are here again.¡± He smiled bitterly. ¡°What can be the reason other than that heartless man doing pointlessly heartless things?¡±

    Leeora was puzzled, but she sensed that the energy in the elf¡¯s body seemed to be nearly used up. ¡°He is trying to make you stronger and let you realize your powers?¡±

    ¡°Trying to kill me is the better choice of word, Elder,¡± he countered.

    She simply shook her head, deciding it¡¯s best to not probe. ¡°Anyway, I am about to visit him. Do you want toe together?¡± she asked.

    ¡°At least for the next hour, I don¡¯t wish to see him. Even if he calls for me, I swear I will not go¡ª¡±

    ¡°Erlos!¡±

    They heard the King¡¯s loud voice from the direction of the study which alerted Erlos. In a blink of an eye, he was running to attend to the King.

    Seeing his reaction, Leeora found herself amused and continued walking towards the study at a leisurely pace. When she reached the study, she saw Erlos standing in front of Draven with his head lowered.

    ¡°¡ªtook so long?¡± Draven asked.

    ¡°Apologies, Sire.¡±

    ¡°Then, why are you standing there? These books you left behind won¡¯t arrange themselves,¡± Draven said coldly.

    Only then did Erlos realize that before leaving for the armoury, he forgot to finish putting the books on the shelves, and piles of them were left unattended on the floor. ¡°I will finish it right away, Sire!¡±

    Leeora could not help but be amused once again. This guy talked big behind his king¡¯s back, but whenever he was in front of his master, one could see nothing but the most obedient servant in the pce.

    ¡°Leeora of the Wood Elf n greets King Draven, the ruler of Agartha,¡± the elegant female elf said as a formal greeting, even though she knew the King hated it.

    The expected scowl came on the King¡¯s face, but instead of her, it was directed at the empty space behind her. Draven¡¯s gaze moved past her to see if someone else was there with Leeora. His powers didn¡¯t allow him to sense that human¡¯s presence so he only had to rely on his eyes.

    Leeora didn¡¯t fail to notice it and answered his unspoken question as she walked further inside, ¡°Sire, the human girl is already in Ronan,fortable in her new residence. Be assured that we elves will treat her well, like she¡¯s one of our kind.¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t react to this and asked, ¡°Any particr reason to visit here?¡±

    Leeora could sense his foul mood and understood the reason for poor Erlos¡¯ suffering.

    ¡°Sire, I am here to talk about the human girl.¡±.

    Draven met her gaze with a bored one. ¡± I remember saying you can do whatever you want with that uncivilized thing.¡±

    Leeora wondered why the King seemed displeased. ¡°I apologize for bothering you for something seemingly trivial, but I believe Sire ced that human under the care of us elves for an important reason. That is why I wish to understand her situation to be able to execute your order well.¡±

    Leeora waited for his reply but he said nothing and continued his work. That meant silent approval for her to continue talking.

    While arranging the books on the shelves, one could see the ears of a certain young elf twitching as he listened to the contents of their conversation. ¡®Uncivilized? That uncivilized human is better than the civilized you.¡¯

    All of a sudden, one of the heavy books from the top shelf smacked him perfectly in the head. ¡°Ouch!¡± he whined in a low voice, and he immediately turned towards his master as if to me him. ¡®Did I just say that aloud? I am sure I didn¡¯t!¡¯

    Leeora continued speaking, unaware of what just happened, ¡°Sire, do spare me a bit of your time to talk about the human girl.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Draven asked, not even looking at her as if this talk held no importance to him.

    ¡°Anything that Sire can provide will be helpful for me to fulfil my role as her guardian.¡±

 Chapter 24

    ¡°Erlos,¡± Draven called for him.

    Erlos immediately dropped his work and came to them as he knew why Draven had called him. He knew why Draven had called for him.

    ¡°Elder Leeora, let me speak on Sire¡¯s behalf,¡± he said in a tone that made him sound like a gossipmonger. ¡°The King has brought her from a human kingdom called Valor. We found that the humans there burned an entire mountain to kill her. They think she is a witch. Oh, she is also the only princess of that kingdom but her family has abandoned her because some human priest dered she was a bad omen who would bring disaster to them. Poor girl.¡±

    Leeora listened intently. She didn¡¯t find it strange that humans tried to kill a fellow human thinking she is a witch. ¡°Do you know her name?¡±

    ¡°That we don¡¯t know,¡± Erlos replied and nced at the King. ¡°We should have asked around more but Sire wanted to go back to Agartha. I am not to me.¡±

    Hearing those words, a pair of red eyes moved up to look at that whining servant. ¡°Then I am giving you a chance toplete the investigation. Do note back until you learn everything you can about that creature.¡±

    ¡°M-Me, Sire? What¡ª¡±

    Erlos did not even get to finish what he was saying when he disappeared from the study. Draven used his power to send him somewhere far across the continent.

    ¡°Did you send him to that human kingdom, Sire?¡± Leeora asked, but she was not worried. She trusted the King¡¯s way of treating Erlos.

    ¡°He should be back in a day or two,¡± Draven replied and resumed his work.

    Leeora chuckled. ¡°Sire sure has a unique way of training him to make him realize his powers.¡±

    ¡°What do you think about that human creature?¡± Draven asked as he put down the scroll he was holding.

    Leeora thought for a while. ¡°I may need a couple more days to be sure, but the human girl seems unable to speak. She seems to be an intelligent child but she wasn¡¯t taught basic manners and reacts warily to sudden sounds and movement, as if she¡¯s experienced a troublesome childhood. Though she looks about fifteen, she acts like a little girl half her age. Well, looking at her thin physique, she did look like she was mostly starved and¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am not talking about that,¡± he said and looked pointedly at Leeora.

    Leeora sighed. ¡°She looks like an ordinary human girl, at least on the surface. It¡¯s hard to know anything about her unless I observe her more.¡±

    ¡°I cannot sense her existence with my powers,¡± he added.

    ¡°With your powers, Sire?¡± Leeora was aware of Draven¡¯s abilities and found it strange. ¡°Interesting. I am sure there is something terribly wrong with her body then.¡±

    Draven simply nodded and heard the elfdy continue, ¡°We are not sure if it¡¯s her own power or someone else¡¯s. Her constitution is human but perhaps she¡¯s not a pureblooded human. However, even if one of her parents or ancestors belongs to a supernatural race, it still does not exin how Sire cannot sense her existence. Mixed bloodlines generally give birth to descendants with weaker powers. Do you think she is a mutation with power as great as yours, Sire?¡±

    Draven frowned as if to think, but didn¡¯t say anything.

    Leeora continued to throw ideas on the table. ¡°There is also a possibility that she is in fact neither a half-blood nor human in the first ce, but something is hiding her original identity in the guise of a human body. A kind of seal strong enough to hide itself from your powers, Sire¡­ However, Sire, even among us supernaturals, no one can do it, not the Head Witch, not even the Monarch of the Witches herself. No one can do it except for you, Sire¡­ or those with powers like yours.¡±

    ¡°Those gods?¡± Draven chuckled sarcastically. ¡°Those creatures that the weak humans worship for nothing?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, Sire?¡±

    Draven shook his head, as if he¡¯s not interested to answer. ¡°She¡¯s human.¡±

    Leeora frowned. ¡°Hmm, then if that girl really is just a human being and not a sealed supernatural¡­Sire, I apologize but I amcking in knowledge. I must continue observing her.¡±

    He gave out a satisfactory sound, as if the things she said were what he wished to hear.

    After a while, Leeora had a thought. ¡°Sire, if you give me permission, I can reach out to the witches and have them cast a spell on the human girl to read her memories. Perhaps we can have a clue as to her life experience, though there is a high chance it might yield no result since if her body can¡¯t be sensed by your power, chances are a lesser being like a witch will also fail.¡±

    Leeora was sure Draven must have thought about all these possibilities and asked, ¡°What are your thoughts about this, Sire?¡±

    Draven picked up his quill as if to show it wasn¡¯t worth thinking about. ¡°Do whatever you want.¡±

    Leeora could not say anything and simply bowed before him. ¡°I will excuse myself and take a leave then, Sire.¡±

    The King did not give her a response. As she was about to leave, the elf turned around again as an afterthought. ¡°Sire, I am thinking of asking you to give her a new name even if Erlos finds out what she¡¯s originally called. ¡±

    Draven gave her a nd look as if to say, ¡®Why will I do that?¡¯

    ¡°A new name for her new life,¡± was all that Leeora said as she left. ¡°Please think of a good name for her, Sire.¡±

    Draven stopped working the moment she was out of his study. He leaned back in his chair as he mumbled, ¡°Name? Such a bother?¡±

 Chapter 25

    After her brief visit to the pce, Leeora returned to Ronan.

    Upon entering the city of elves, the High Elder first instructed one of her n members to deliver a message towards Honeyharbor, thend of witches on the other side of the forest.

    The territory of the witches bordered the Forest of Elves, starting from the edge of the forest towards the grassy fields where a handful of witch towns could be found. Unlike the elves that have one city per n, the witches only have a single city within their territory¡ªthe City of Honeyharbor.

    With that, all she would need was to wait for the response of the Head Witch. Leeora decided to head back home.

    ¡®I wonder how that human girl is faring.¡¯

    When she checked the tree house beside hers, Leeora could not help but shake her head. As expected, the girl chose to stay inside her house. She had told her she could go out and roam around the city, hoping that it would let her feel a sense of belonging especially if she made some friends among the young elves, but the girl seemed to prefer being alone.

    Leeora knocked on the door of the human girl¡¯s house.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Leeora. May Ie in?¡±

    After knocking once more, she decided to enter the house and found the human girl sitting by the window, looking outside quietly. She looked lonely, lost as if she had nothing left in life to do and was wasting her time away. It brought a sigh to the elf¡¯s lips.

    ¡°How have you been, child?¡± Leeora asked.

    Hearing her, the human girl simply turned to look at her, but that was all. Leeora smiled and went towards where she¡¯s sitting.

    She saw what this human girl was looking at. From her window, she could see the view of a beautiful and grand pce made entirely of white stone that seemed to glisten under the sun. It was the one and only magnificent structure in the middle of the mountains full of greenery, standing magnificently beside a river and a forest.

    The Royal Pce of Agartha, residence of the Devil King Draven Aramis.

    Aside from the pce, there were no other huge stone constructions in this kingdom as all races living under his protection preferred to live in either quaintmunities or in their natural habitats, like the forest or thekes.

    ¡°It is beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± Leeora said. ¡°That is the pce where you have stayed till now. Do you miss it?¡±

    The human girl did not react, but she thought that this kind elfdy must be having some sort of misunderstanding. That terrifying red-eyed man lived there. She was relieved that she no longer had to face him. Why would she miss that ce?

    ¡®But still, I never knew the world could be this beautiful.¡¯

    Everything she was seeing now were things she never imagined she would get to see. The luxurious pce, the lush garden, the lively forest, the city of elves¡ªthey were all sights so magnificent she could not even see them in her dreams.

    Gaia, the one who raised her, did not allow her to be seen by people and warned her to never ever step foot outside the mountain, otherwise, her life would be in danger. The things she knew of the outside world all came from the stories Gaia told her.

    She was raised in istion, and from her very first memory, it had always been the sight of the dark cave and gloomy forest. In a ce covered in a fog all year round, where the sun barely shines, the only colours she could see were the poisonous mushrooms that survive on the rocky ground of the mountain. The only animals she could interact with were crows and vultures and other animals that scavenged to live, feasting on the lives of the poor humans who lost their way inside the dead forest.

    She grew up in and of death¡­and now, she¡¯s seeing and of life.

    Inside her new home, this window had the best view of everything beautiful the outside world has to offer¡ªthe mountains, rivers, the forest, and not to forget that magnificent pce.

    She felt overwhelmed with happy emotions just staring at these beautiful sights.

    Leeora, of course, didn¡¯t know this. ¡°I left some of the loaves of bread I made on the table. Eat it when you¡¯re hungry. Later, I will take you outside to show your way around the city.¡± Leeora left after a while.

    The human girl remained looking at the pce. All of a sudden, she found something sh away from the direction of the pce. Something moving at the speed of lightning.

    ¡®A bird? No¡­it looks like some kind of energy?¡¯

    It startled her, but she thought it must be her imagination.

    ¡®I must be hungry.¡¯

    ¡ª¨C

    Do check the reference images in thement section.

 Chapter 26

    Meanwhile, Draven decided to go out on a journey and wander around the continent.

    Other than just updating his own map of the human kingdoms, he thought of visiting a particr ce that held a special meaning to his existence.

    In a blink of an eye, the tall figure of Draven Aramis disappeared from his study.

    His regal body reappeared on the banks of a river that cut through the center of a dense forest. It was an ancient forest generally untouched by humans as it was on the other side of a mountain range flocked by dangerous wild animals.

    ¡®Decades have passed since myst visit yet nothing has changed.¡¯

    Several centuries ago, Draven Aramis found himself waking up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by these exact same trees¡­without his memories.

    Draven looked at a particrly rocky ce at the mouth of the river. It was as if he could see the blurry images of that time when he found himself in this forest for the first time.

    Centuries back, on this same ce, he woke up with a deep gasp as if he had been suffocating for a long time. There was immense pain on the left side of his chest. He had no strength in his body and somehow dragged himself towards the river to drink water and quench his thirst.

    Drinking water was something his body¡¯s instinct drove him to do, but his mind had been a mess back then. Confusion was the dominant thing in his mind.

    ¡°Where am I?¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°What can¡¯t I recall anything?¡±

    Only the question ¡°Who am I?¡± had an answer.

    Draven Aramis.

    An empty name, and the most important clue he had of his identity.

    When he tried to sit up, he found his body trembling at the sharp pain he felt in his chest. His palm touching his chest was bright red.

    ¡°I¡¯m bleeding¡­?¡±

    He discovered that he was wearing chest armour and it had a gaping hole on the left side. He removed that hard outer cover and found the white shirt he was wearing inside drenched in blood, also bearing the same gaping hole as the armour. It looked like someone had stabbed him in the chest.

    ¡®But there is no wound.¡¯

    He removed the torn top and checked his chest. Although he felt pain, his chest looked fine. There was not a single wound on his skin, nothing except a tattoo of a ck dragon.

    ¡°What is this tattoo?¡±

    Having that ck dragon mark felt weird, as if his intuition was telling him he never had it before.

    However, no one else was there with him to answer his questions. He was alone, without a memory, and thus he wandered thend for years all by himself, with only the name Draven Aramis as his clue.

    Without any recollection of his identity, he walked out of this forest and entered a human kingdom, not knowing what to expect. It was not a good start. He had so many questions about his own life, yet he was met with encounters that made him protect the people who hade to rely on his strength. The fighting had gone on for a long time, and it made him unable to return to this ce to investigate during those warring times.

    But then there were those recurring dreams.

    He felt that those dreams were fragments of the memories he lost. He thought returning to this forest would make him trigger those dreams. However, even though he came to visit, the dreams didn¡¯t change and only showed her that woman again and again. Having the same dreams caused him to be stuck in his search for the truth and he thought there was no need to return to this ce.

    Now this mysterious emerald green-eyed girl appeared, he felt that he was given an invisible push to resume his attempts of recovering his memories.

    From the small kingdom that bordered the forest, towards the three Great Kingdoms, and then the Empire, he had walked the continent in search of his identity. Along the way, he came across many instances where the supernaturals were discriminated against and hunted as if they were criminals simply for existing.

    As someone who witnessed their persecution, the disgust he felt for humankind only grew. He didn¡¯t know why he felt pity for those supernaturals, but he decided to protect them. He never expected back then that his single kind intention would worsen the situation and put the entire continent in a state of war.

    ¡®Devil.¡¯

    It was then that he earned such a fearsome name for the countless ughter hemitted in order to protect those races who only want to live in harmony with nature. The empire fell and many kingdoms perished after losing to him and wereter on swallowed by other kingdoms. A new empire was born, and kingdoms rose and fell, yet human greed never disappeared.

    Slowly, the supernatural beings of the continent epted Draven as their protector and their leader. Many races and ns migrated to a hidden sanctuary away from the human world where they created their own peaceful world¡ªAgartha.

    Draven sighed as he remembered those times of chaos. It took bloody centuries for Agartha to enjoy the peace it was experiencing now.

    From there, he took one step forward, retracing the steps he took when he first woke up without a memory.

 Chapter 27

    Inside thergest house in the center of Honeyharbor, a gracefuldy who looked like a human woman in herte twenties received the scroll presented to him by the messenger from the Wood Elf n.

    ¡°This elf greets Cornelia Grimm, the Head Witch of the Honeyharbor coven. I present to you a letter of invitation from the High Elder of the Wood Elves.¡±

    The Head of the Witches read the message written on the scroll. ¡°Do let Elder Leeora know that I ept this invitation. I will head to Ronan tomorrow morning.¡±

    The next day, Leeora warmly weed the Head of the Witches at the entrance of the city. ¡°I must thank Lady Cornelia foring despite such quick notice.¡±

    ¡°I believe that the Elder didn¡¯t call me here for no reason.¡±

    Leeora smiled. ¡°Of course there is a reason, but this city is still d to have you here.¡±

    Cornelia Grimm simply smiled back. ¡°I am sure the reason is rted to that human girl.¡±

    Leeora nodded and exined everything to her.

    ¡°May I know what her name is?¡± the Head of the Witches asked.

    ¡°She is yet to be given a name by the King,¡± answered Leeora as she led her to human¡¯s girl¡¯s home.

    Cornelia Grimm simply nodded while Leeora tapped her staff on the ground. Sturdy vines appeared like living creatures, efficiently bringing them towards the central part of the city.

    As usual, Leeora announced her presence to the girl and entered her home despite receiving no reply. The human girl was used to it as well and wasn¡¯t particrly concerned since she also liked the kind elfdy.

    However, when she looked at who had entered her home, there was one more woman with Leeora.

    Leeora might have been a beautiful elf in her youth, but now she was an elegant gray-haired woman with wrinkled skin, looking more like a kind elderly. On the other hand, the woman beside her looked like her granddaughter at the peak of her beauty.

    Red hair like mes framed her oval face, giving her the impression like she¡¯s someone with a fiery temper. Compared to the tall elves, the woman was short, but she gave off an imposing aura that made the girl feel she¡¯s different from everyone else. However, she didn¡¯t find the woman scary at all, and in fact, she seemed like a warm person with a simr personality as Leeora.

    ¡°Dear, this is my friend, Cornelia. She is here to see you,¡± Leeora exined.

    The Head of the Witches observed this frail human girl who looked at her with the most beautiful green eyes she had ever seen. Her unique eyes pulled everyone¡¯s attention, making them forget that she had the pitiful appearance of a young girl who lived a hard life.

    The human girl did not react at the introduction. She simply looked at her while Leeora sat next to her and held her hand.

    ¡°Dear, my friend wishes to check your physical condition. We want you to feel better quickly and she will be able to help you if you allow her. Will you allow her to?¡±

    The human girl trusted Leeora and nodded to what she asked.

    Cornelia Grimm entered the house and put a spell on the door and the windows to prevent outsiders from entering and interrupting. ¡°Let me first do some preparations.¡±

    She flicked her hand and a strange circr pattern made of runes appeared on one of the empty spaces on the wooden floor. It gave off a soft white glow like that of a firefly at night, and it made the human girl stare at it with wonder.

    ¡°I specialize in scrying using fire, but since I wish to respect the tree spirit that lives here, today we will simply use the art of soul gazing,¡± Cornelia exined as she gestured for the human girl to sit on one of the smaller circles within the glowing pattern. ¡°Sit here, child.¡±

    Hesitantly, the human girl obeyed her. She put forward her hands and said, ¡°Put your hands in mine.¡±

    The human girl did so as she ced her delicate hands in hers and heard another instruction, ¡°Look into my eyes.¡±

    She looked at Leeora as if to get assurance from her to which Leeora said, ¡°Look into her eyes, dear.¡±

    The human girl stared at the golden eyes of the beautiful red-haired witch, as she heard the woman mumble a few words in an unknown ancientnguage.

    Scrying is an ancient art about revealing the unseen, and soul gazing is the most intimate and rarest form of scrying. Soul gazing involves looking deep within a person¡¯s eyes and observing the reflections of her past, present and future using the eyes like a mirror.

    Cornelia tried to reach the memories of this girl, but to her surprise, she could not even take a single peep. She didn¡¯t even try looking at the memory of a few days back, but just a memory of what the girl did this morning in order to test the waters. Yet it failed.

    The Head of the Witches tried again but the only thing she could see was her own reflection inside those beautiful green eyes and nothing else. Something was there that was stopping her powers to read her past. When she was sure she could not get past such a strong power, she gave up.

    ¡°Thank you for coordinating. You can close your eyes and let it rest.¡±

    Cornelia then looked at Leeora and shook her head, confirming that it didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Cornelia asked the human girl. ¡°Do you feel strange? Does your head hurt?¡±

    She opened her eyes and shook her head.

    Cornelia smiled lightly as if nothing had happened and said, ¡°You are weak because your body was not allowed a chance to be healthy in the first ce.¡±

    Cornelia put forward her palm, and with magic, a tiny porcin bottle appeared on her hand.

    ¡°The elixir of the elves is the best when ites to healing surface wounds and injuries, but the potions we witches make are the best when ites to returning vitality to your body. You are still young so drinking a drop a day will be enough for you to grow up as a healthy youngdy.¡±

    After a short chat, Leeora and Cornelia left the human¡¯s tree house and went towards Leeora¡¯s abode.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Leeora asked once Cornelia took her seat.

    ¡°Are you sure she is human?¡± Cornelia asked.

    ¡°Her constitution is human,¡± Leeora replied, not being so certain about anything. ¡°I have confirmed this with King Draven.¡±

    ¡°That I can see as well, but there is a power protecting her mind. Something so powerful that it doesn¡¯t allow my powers to go past it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that I had guessed as well. Even the King is puzzled by the mysteries of this child,¡± Leeora added.

    It made Cornelia remember something. ¡°Did His Majesty try?¡±

    ¡°All he said was that his powers cannot sense her presence.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. Based on what you shared in your letter, no wonder humans called her a witch.¡±

    Leeora shook her head. ¡°A pitiful child, she is. You know how humans like to me ¡®witches¡¯ for everything bad happening to them.¡±

    Cornelia left out a hopeless sigh. ¡°Who else knows that better than my n?¡±

    ===

    Dear readers, the Gift Function for the novel is open. You can now support the novel by gifting. XOXO

 Chapter 28

    Today¡¯s Chapters are Dedicated to the reader ¡°RMehrotra¡± for gifting a castle to the novel. Thank you so much, Rajni. XOXO

    ¡ª¨C

    After a short pause, Cornelia asked, ¡°What are His Majesty¡¯s ns for that child? As of now, only the leaders and their direct subordinates know of her existence, but once news of her staying here in Ronan reaches the ears of the ordinary folks, discontent is bound to happen. The resentment of those who lost their loved ones to humans will protest her stay here.¡±

    Leeora sighed. ¡°Even among my n, some of the older elves are already asking me for a meeting.¡±

    ¡°She is a curious child, but I do not understand why His Majesty refuses to send her to the human viges. In the past, we gave humans a chance to interact with us, thinking maybe this time they would be different, but we paid a heavy price for that wishful thinking. Even if she¡¯s a child¡­It¡¯s a rule we implemented to protect our peace and we followed for more than a century. His Majesty himself had approved it¡­¡±

    ¡°I am sure that Sire will make the right decision,¡± Leeora assured.

    ¡°Knowing His Majesty, since he had her be kept under your care, that means he ns to keep her here for good,¡± Cornelia concluded. ¡°If only we can prove that she is not human, then no one would protest against her living among us. The races would even protect her like family.¡±

    ¡°However, the King has always been willful. He does not interfere with our affairs, but if Sire makes a decision, no one dares stop him,¡± Leeora added, ¡°He always did what he liked.¡±

    ¡°That is true, Elder Leeora, but for the internal peace of the kingdom, he has to consider the opinions of his people. We have been living here in harmony without any disturbances from the outside world and we should ruin that because of one human.¡±

    ¡°Sire is the one who made that peace possible. I would like to trust him. Perhaps, he is already thinking of a solution in order to cate the iing dissatisfaction of the people.¡±

    The Head of the Witches sighed. ¡°I would like to believe so. I wish Her Eminence is here with us. Unlike King Draven, Her Eminence is easy to approach and talk with. If she were here, we would not be left guessing like this.¡±

    ¡°Has it been a century since the Monarchst visited us?¡± Leeora remembered the visage of the beautifuldy with honey blond hair. ¡°Both of them were always on the same page regarding how they see the world, and it is true that only Her Eminence can talk on equal terms with King Draven.¡±

    Cornelia agreed as she let out a sigh. ¡°I hope she returns soon.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to reach out to her, Lady Cornelia?¡±

    ¡°Impossible,¡± the Head of the Witches replied. ¡°Her Eminence has been roaming the continent without leaving a trail. She is known to follow her words and she would not break her oath ever. I would like to exin more, but this is a matter rted to us witches, thus I will refrain frommenting.¡±

    After chatting some more, Cornelia stood up. ¡°I will take my leave, Elder Leeora. Please send my regards to His Majesty.¡±

    Leeora agreed and heard the Head of the Witches continue, ¡°I will send vitality potions at a regr interval that you can give to that human girl. Her constitution is the poorest I have seen for centuries. She¡¯s even worse than the war orphans we helpedst time.¡±

    Leeora smiled, epting the goodwill of the witch. ¡°Thank you, Lady Cornelia. I will take note of this favour.¡±

    The Head of the Witches left. Leeora had initially nned to take the human girl out to roam the city, but she changed her mind and simply let her rest and get her wounds healed first. The young elves in Ronan were curious about her, and she was afraid that the timid human girl would be ufortable with the attention. It was not even a day since she arrived in the city. It would be appropriate not to rush her and let her get used to her surroundings first.

    The human spent her day inside her home, and it seemed she found her favourite spot¡ª sitting on the wide window sill of her home. She would only leave when Leeora brought food for her to eat and promptly return to gazing at the beautiful outside world.

 Chapter 29

    Around noon the next day, the door of Leeora¡¯s home shook. If the tree spirit could let out a sound, it would be groaning at this point, but it could only let out its dissatisfaction by causing the tree shelter to shake, drowning the annoying sound with the rustling of leaves.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    ¡°Which insolent kid is it this time?¡± Leeora said as she frowned.

    Leeora might be the High Elder of the Wood n, but she¡¯s someone who acts like a kind neighbourhood grandmother, sometimes even sharing sweets with the children, thus many of the younger elves treat her like they would their own family.

    It had its own pros and cons, and this was one of the cons.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, child. We just have a guest,¡± Leeoraforted the human girl. Wanting to have an excuse to have her leave her house, the elder invited her over to her own home to help the human girl change into new bandages.

    Leeora looked at the door and it opened on its own, only for her to witness someone falling forward lifelessly. She recognized the elf due to his silver hair.

    ¡°Erlos? Oh, what happened to you?¡± Leeora put the bandage in her hands down and went to the elf who had fallen on the floor as if having no strength to stand. The human girl stayed in her seat frozen, not knowing what to do.

    Leeora kneeled on the floor. Feeling worried, she lightly patted him on the cheek. The silver-haired elf groaned. ¡°Erlos¡­? Are you okay¡­?¡± She continued patting his face to get him to talk to her.

    He didn¡¯t open his eyes but said, ¡°Elder, you are hurting my cheeks.¡±

    The olderdy stopped patting his faceand instead pped his arm. ¡°You rascal! You scared me.¡±

    Erlos was one of the elves who hated humankind the most. When his master teleported him to the Kingdom of Valor, his utter disgust for them made him finish his task of investigating in only half a day. Starting from the capital of Valor, Erlos spent the entire night and morning running until he returned to the Kingdom of Agartha.

    His exhaustion was not only mental and physical; his magic powers were also drained.

    Erlos finally opened his eyes and smiled at Leeora. ¡°It¡¯s good that Elder is worried for me.¡±

    ¡°There is not a single moment when you don¡¯t worry me,¡± she said with a frown. ¡°Now get up.¡±

    ¡°May I please have an elixir?¡±

    Leeora stared at the grinning elf. ¡°How many times have I told you? Elixirs are precious medicines that are difficult to make, not juice you can just drink whenever you want.¡±

    ¡°Thanks to our cruel king, I have no energy left,¡± heined as he rolled on the floor, lying on his back with his arms and legs outstretched. One could see that his entire body was covered in dust, looking travel-worn. ¡°He just left me there without a way toe back. Such a heartless man!¡±

    The human girl understood who he was talking about. After spending two days in this kingdom, she knew who the King was¡ªthat scary red-eyed man.

    ¡®I am d I¡¯m far from him now. He is cruel and treats others badly, unlike this kind elfdy.¡¯

    ¡°If you have the energy to curse the King then you must have plenty left to get up and not block my door,¡± Leeora said as she stood up.

    Erlos crawled towards a chair and somehow managed to get up to sit on it. Just as he was about to whine once more, the young elf saw the green-eyed girl staring at him.

    For some reason, Erlos did not find this human girl disgusting. Rather, he thought she was a rather strange and interesting creature.

    He chuckled. ¡°What are you doing here, human? Don¡¯t look at me like that. I am normally handsome and neat, you know? This is all because of you that I am like this¡ªack, my back! Elder, let me borrow your bed!¡± Without waiting for Leeora¡¯s response, he headed straight to her bed andy there. ¡°Ah, so soft¡­¡±

    Leeora looked at the human girl with an apologetic smile. ¡°Ignore him.¡±

    The human didn¡¯t react as she stayed quiet, but she could not help but peek at the young elf once more.

    Leeora went to Erlos and offered him a bottle of elixir. ¡°Have this, andter, eat your food.¡±

    Seeing that precious elixir, Erlos let out a happyugh and immediately got it from Leeora. ¡°I knew it! I was not wrong to say you care for me the most, Elder.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you cunning kid. Use your sweet-talking mouth to drink the elixir andter have some of the bread I just baked,¡± Leeora said as she signalled him to look at the fresh food kept on the table. ¡°Later, you can tell me what happened to you.¡±

    ¡°That I can tell you now, Elder¡±

    Erlos was ready to talk but Leeora stopped him. ¡°I am busy with this child at the moment.¡± She didn¡¯t wish Erlos to say anything in front of the human girl and make her aware that they were investigating her. ¡°Also, you are stinking and making my home smell unpleasant. You should go home and clean yourself first.¡±

    Erlos sniffed himself after drinking the bottle of elixir. ¡°Eugh! I am stinking like those disgusting creatures.¡± Without another word, he immediately disappeared from Leeora¡¯s home.

    The human girl could see him running at the speed of the wind. It should have been impossible because only supernatural beings should be capable of following Erlos¡¯ movement and human eyesight would never catch even his shadow.

    ¡®He is so fast,¡¯ she thought with awe.

 Chapter 30

    Creating a map was a task that couldn¡¯t be finished in a day or two.

    Especially for Draven, who was thinking of leisurely travelling around the continent, as soon as night came, he returned to his own pce after he wandered around the human kingdoms nearest to the ancient forest where he first woke up.

    The next day, he spent his morning working on the map with the information he collected the previous day.

    As he dipped his quill in ink, he could not help but think his day was unusually calm and boring. The reason was obvious¡ªhis only personal servant was not present. No one was talking nonsense andining about everything.

    Though other servants were serving their king in Erlos¡¯ absence, no one dared to make a sound, as if they wanted him to think they didn¡¯t exist. Erlos was the only one bold enough to behave the way he wanted in front of the King.

    Erlos¨C-in his absence, the pce seemed dead quiet.

    ¡®Has he not returned yet? If he uses his powers right, he should be back by now.¡¯

    Draven thought and closed his eyes to focus. For some people with a special aura on their body, Draven could sense their presence at will, as long as he met them once. It was especially easy for him to find unique existences like Erlos, the only remaining High Elf bloodline in this continent. In the first ce, Ronan was not far from the pce and it made it easy for him to find his servant.

    Guessing that the young elf was in his home in Ronan city, he felt relieved that Erlos didn¡¯t disappoint him. As expected, he managed to return in time by using his powers.

    As he confirmed Erlos¡¯ return, he found his thoughts wandering to a particr person in that city.

    ¡®Is that thing with Leeora?¡¯

    Leeora was someone he had known for centuries, thus, her presence was one of the most familiar to him. When he spread his awareness to cover her surroundings, he could not feel anyone near her. However, knowing Leeora, she would ce that girl on her side since the girl is an outsider.

    Frown lines appeared on his forehead as this human continued to remain a mystery for him.

    Draven opened his eyes and his anger diverted to the obvious target. ¡®That Erlos, how dare he note straight to the pce to report to me?¡¯

    The next moment, he disappeared from his study, leaving his work on the map half-done.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Meanwhile, in Ronan, Leeora finally convinced the human girl to roam the city with her, but this time Leeora didn¡¯t help her get down the tree.

    ¡°Remember what I told you about tree spirits?¡± the elf smiled with a gentle expression. ¡°You can trymunicating with this tree on your own. Touch its bark and talk to it with your heart. I will be waiting for you below.¡±

    Before she could react, she saw Leeora tapping the staff in her hands on the floor and a number of branches from the tree moved and carried her towards the ground near the base of the tree. The female elf looked up from below with a smile, as if she believed that the human girl would no doubt seed.

    The human girl gulped nervously.

    Slowly, she touched the bark of the tree and closed her eyes. The wood felt especially warm and ticklish to touch, and for some odd reason, she felt like she could hear the tree spirit calmly breathing.

    She didn¡¯t know what to say, so she decided to be direct. ¡®Can you help me go down, Tree Spirit?¡¯

    Swish!

    Her eyes snapped open at the sound. In response to her request, several soft vines wrapped around her body and carefully lifted her. When the human girl was on the ground with the help of the tree spirit, there was a proud smile on her lips, as if she had achieved something really great.

    ¡°You are a quick learner,¡± Leeora praised her. ¡°You did well, child.¡±

    All of a sudden, their attention was caught by the sound of a door opening. The human girl looked up and found the noiseing from the tree house next to Leeora¡¯s home.

    A beautiful silver-haired elf jumped from his tree towards Leeora¡¯s tree. Even with his fast speed and clean appearance, the human girl recognized him as the poor elf from earlier.

    ¡°Remember that young man from earlier? That is Erlos,¡± Leeora informed her as she didn¡¯t know that the human girl could see him clearly. ¡°Though he works in the pce, he often returns to his house. You will see him often as we are neighbours. That rascal is a bit of azy glutton, so it is normal for him to go to my home from time to time to freeload food.¡±

    The human girl blinked but didn¡¯t react to the elf¡¯s words. She seemed more interested in the tree spirit who helped her go down and patted the trunk of the tree as if she was saying something to it.

    ¡°Elder Leeora? Do you have time to spare?¡±

    Just then, a young female elf who looked to be around the same age as the human girl approached Leeora.

 Chapter 31

    ¡°Hmm? Are you not the second daughter of Camus the herbalist?¡±

    The young elf hastily bowed to her as she said, ¡°Yes, Elder. My father asked me to invite you to our home as my mother is not feeling well. Can youe and see her?¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Leeora asked.

    ¡°Father does not know the cause. At first, we thought she was just tired, but it¡¯s been three days since she started feeling weak. She¡¯s been sleeping all morning today,¡± the young female elf informed with worry. ¡°She also has no appetite.¡±

    ¡°Oh, dear.¡± Leeora thought for a while and looked at the human girl. It would be a pity to ask her to return to her home when Leeora had barely convinced her to go out. ¡°Will it be all right for you to wait, my dear? It won¡¯t take long and I will be back in a while. Till then, Lusca will apany you.¡± She tapped her staff on the ground a few times. Hearing the summon, the magnificent brown stag came running towards them with elegant strides.

    The human girl smiled as she rubbed the soft fur of the beautiful stag. Seeing her reaction, Leeora felt relieved to leave her on her own.

    Realizing that she was alone, only then did nervousness seep into her.

    The residence of the High Elder of the n was of course in the centermost part of the city, the most beautiful as well as the most lively part of Ronan near the central za, where most of the crowds gather during the day. That meant that many residents of the city would normally pass by where the human girl was standing.

    For someone who grew up with a single person as her solepanion in a haunted mountain, how would it feel to be the centre of attention?

    The human girl recalled the stories Gaia told her about the people of the outside world. She said she should be careful of people, that she shouldn¡¯t talk to strangers, that she should be suspicious if someone treated her kindly¡­

    That was why she preferred to stay inside thefort of her house. At least up in that tree, she could openly enjoy the beauty of her surroundings without having to interact with people. Though she did want to use this situation to observe the city up close, she found herself feeling tense that the elves were staring at her.

    The human being that the King personally brought from outside the kingdom.

    The elves of Ronan were all curious about her, especially since she became the topic of rumour due to Erlos. She was now the woman who the king brought to his bed. However, since she¡¯s the guest of the High Elder, many of them decided to stay away from her.

    While the adults could somehow control their curiosity and not trouble this guest, the ignorant young elves weren¡¯t as cautious

    ¡°Is that the ugly human you were talking about, Zeno?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she is the one,¡± Zeno, the kid that sneaked inside the human girl¡¯s home the previous day, replied.

    The human girl turned around and looked at the group of elf kids who appeared to be half her age. They were approaching her with wide eyes, as if she were a spectacle never seen before.

    ¡°So is this what humans look like? Her ears are so small!¡±

    ¡°Waah, she really is ugly,¡± another kidmented. ¡°She looks so thin!¡±

    ¡°Shh! If Elder hears you, you will get an earful.¡± Zeno stopped him.

    ¡°Can we go closer? She won¡¯t bite, right?¡± one other kid asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so or the Elder would not have left her by herself,¡± Zeno replied. ¡°You forget but Elder said Lusca likes good kids! If Lusca doesn¡¯t like you, he won¡¯t let you touch him. But see? She¡¯s petting him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you are right. That means she¡¯s a good human.¡±

    ¡°Are there good humans? My mother said all humans are bad.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a special human, dummy! Special! She¡¯s brought by the King, isn¡¯t she? Why would the King bring her if she¡¯s bad?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± one kid asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Zeno replied. ¡°Let¡¯s go ask!¡±

    The other young elves looked hesitant, but the boy called Zeno approached her without fear. He looked like a leader of those kids and was trying to show off that he was not scared of anything.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, human?¡± Zeno asked her boldly.

    The human girl simply stared at those kids in amusement. Their noise reminded her of a bunch of chirping birds she saw nesting on the branches of the tree outside her window. Their long ears made her curious, and she particrly liked those innocent eyes looking at her with friendly intentions. She found Zeno¡¯s brash attitude especially adorable and remembered how Leeora had pulled that kid¡¯s ears. It brought a light smile to her lips. It made her wonder if she was allowed to touch those ears.

    Seeing her not answering, the kids talked among themselves.

    ¡°She¡¯s not speaking. Is she a mute?¡±

    ¡°If she¡¯s mute, then doesn¡¯t that mean she¡¯s deaf as well? Can she not hear us?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡± Zeno scratched his head and looked at the human girl again. ¡°You remember me right? I am Zeno. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    At first, he thought that the human girl would ignore them, but to his surprise, she responded by shaking her head.

    ¡°She¡¯s shaking her head! Does that mean she doesn¡¯t understand us?¡±

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯s saying she doesn¡¯t hear us?¡±

    ¡°No, she must be saying she doesn¡¯t know her name!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t humans have names?¡± one kid asked.

    ¡°Are you stupid?¡± One kid hit him in the end. ¡°If they don¡¯t have names, then how do they call each other?¡±

    The group turned towards her, but this time, there was no reaction from her.

    ¡°She is mute, deaf and doesn¡¯t even have a name,¡± one kid concluded. ¡°Maybe the King brought her here because she¡¯s pitiful?¡±

    ¡°Hey, I am asking you your name. Why won¡¯t you answer me?¡± Zeno insisted. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a name?¡±

    ¡°Her name is Ember.¡±

    A slow yet dignified voiceing from behind them answered their question.

    Despite not recognizing the voice, the bodies of the kids stiffened and their instincts were telling them to stay put. They didn¡¯t dare turn to look at the source of the voice.

    On the contrary, the human girl didn¡¯t fail to recognise this voice. It was the voice of the most terrifying man she¡¯d ever met.

    It was as if the world became silent and only the sound of footsteps stepping on dried leaves could be heard.

    The atmosphere around them turned tense.

 Chapter 32

    Draven walked towards the young elves and the human girl.

    ¡°Red eyes?¡±

    ¡°Wait, aren¡¯t red only the devil¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°T-That¡¯s the King!¡±

    The terrified young elves, not knowing what to do in the situation, all fell to their knees. Though they were just a bunch of rowdy kids who knew nothing but y, they had heard from Elder Leeora and their parents countless tales about the King of Agartha.

    Seeing the kids fearing him just like the other ordinary subjects of the kingdom, Draven could not help but scowl. He found it burdensome whenever people act like that.

    Using his powers, he made them all stand upright, and the bewildered elves had no choice but to remain standing, simply choosing to politely bow to the King. They didn¡¯t dare look up and only stared at his ck boots.

    The human girl felt herself growing nervous at the sight of Draven approaching while those kids were standing with their heads lowered in front of him.

    His red eyes pinned at her, he spoke again with a dignified tone.

    ¡°Her name is Ember.¡±

    ¡®Who is he calling ¡®Ember¡¯?¡¯ she thought. ¡®Is he talking about me? Is he calling me Ember?¡¯

    Just then, a much-weed voice chimed in, ¡°Ember¡­Such a lovely name?¡±

    That was Leeora returning after visiting the patient. She returned in a hurry as she was worried about the human girl being left alone.

    ¡°The City of Ronan wees King Draven, the ruler of Agartha.¡± She bowed before the King. When she straightened herself, a small smile could be seen on her elegant face. ¡°Have youe to grant the child a name? That¡¯s a nice name for her, Sire.¡±

    The King didn¡¯t react as he didn¡¯t wish to get credit for giving a name to this human creature.

    Leeora looked at the kids. ¡°You may all stop bowing, children. To be honest, the King hates these formalities. You don¡¯t want a devil annoyed at you, do you?¡±

    The kids quickly straightened themselves and nodded like their lives depended on it. They then started murmuring among themselves.

    ¡°The King named her Ember.¡±

    ¡°So she¡¯s now called Ember?¡±

    Zeno, who was still curious, raised his head slowly and looked at the King. ¡°But why did you name her Ember, Your Majesty?¡±

    Leeora simply looked at the King as well, waiting for his response. Knowing the personality of the King, she thought that he would ignore him and not answer, but he actually replied.

    ¡°A piece of burning coal in the dying fire.¡±

    It was something that kids could not understand. They simply looked at the human girl and then looked at each other and whispered,

    ¡°Piece of burning coal?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, I think I heard my mother use the word ¡¯embers¡¯ when she was cooking¡­¡±

    ¡°Pfft. Coal. Is it because the human girl has burn wounds on her body?¡±

    ¡°Or is His Majesty calling her coal?¡±

    ¡°Well, she did look dirty like she rolled all over coal when she first entered the city¡ª¡±

    Thud! Thud!

    Leeora tapped her staff on the ground to get the attention of those kids who were being talkative for nothing. She was having a headache. Though she did say the King hated formalities, that didn¡¯t mean they could be rude in front of him.

    ¡°Do you all wish me to call your mothers to drag you brats back home?¡± she scowled as they trembled under her stern gaze.

    ¡°No, no, Elder!¡±

    ¡°We will be leaving now to y!¡±

    ¡°Bye, Your Majesty! Bye, Elder! Bye, Ember!¡±

    They waved and shouted before hurrying away, causing dry leaves to fly about.

    All the while, the King¡¯s pair of red eyes remained unwavering at the cowering girl who was feeling extremely nervous under his gaze. She didn¡¯t understand why he was staring at her like that. She hugged Lusca, using the stag as a shield between her body and his gaze.

    Leeora didn¡¯t fail to notice the situation between Draven and the human girl. She cleared her throat to catch the King¡¯s attention.

    ¡°Sire, may I know the reason for your sudden visit to Ronan?¡±

    Only then did he put away his gaze from the girl and looked at Leeora. ¡°My good-for-nothing servant came here instead of reporting to his master first.¡±

    Thud!

    ¡°Ahh¡­my back again¡­!¡±

    A certain silver-haired elf fell on the ground in front of them, seeminglying from Leeora¡¯s home, which was quite a considerable distance since her home was the tallest tree in the city.

    Everyone who witnessed the sorry sight was stunned, except Draven who looked at his personal servant emotionlessly as if nothing was his fault.

    ¡ª-

    Erlos was calmly enjoying the food while sitting inside Leeora¡¯s house as if it was his own home. Just as he took a big bite of his fifth loaf of bread, he choked.

    ¡°Cough! Why am I suddenly getting a bad feeling?¡±

    Still nibbling on the bread, he stood up and went towards one of the windows, only to see someone he never expected to step foot in the elf city walking towards a group of children. The noble appearance of the ck-haired man in a tailcoat looked so out of ce in the middle of the forest.

    It piqued Erlos¡¯ curiosity, and he eavesdropped on the conversation below.

    ¡®Ember? Sounds good,¡¯ Erlos thought as he continued to listen.

    Just as Erlos heard his master mentioning his ¡®good-for-nothing servant¡¯, he felt like lightning struck him, feeling like a punishment was certainly on its way.

    ¡®No matter what I do, it will never be enough for my heartless master. Since you say I am good for nothing, then I will exactly be one. Let¡¯s run away from here~¡¯

    His pointed ears twitching excitedly at the thought of escaping, Erlos looked at one of therger windows of the house. It was on the other side of the tree, beyond the line of sight of his master, and if he left through it he wouldnd on a different street. He first checked the surroundings, ready to run away using his powers to its fullest, but then even before he could take a step out, he was pulled back by an invisible force towards anotherrge window¡ª

    ¡°Aaah!¡±

    ¡ªand brutally down towards the ground.

 Chapter 33

    Erlos might look like a mess, but his fall was in fact cushioned by a pile of leaves, thus although it hurt, there were, in fact, no broken bones. Sensing that, the guilty servant groaned as he peeked at his master¡¯s expression, understanding that Draven had caught him running away. With an awkwardugh, he stood up to bow before the King.

    ¡°S-Sire, howe you are here? I was just about to return to the pce.¡±

    In response, he only got a re from those red eyes which then moved up to look at those tree houses above them.

    Leeora followed the King¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°I have arranged Ember¡¯s stay in the house next to mine.¡± She pointed towards the particr tree house with a hanging bridge connected to her own home.

    Draven took a nce at that house and then turned towards Leeora after giving a passing look at the human girl who was still hiding by Lusca¡¯s side.

    ¡°Are we free-loading the outsiders here?¡± Draven asked.

    Erlos knew that tone. The young elf, who was feeling bad about his pain, now looked at the human girl with a pitiful gaze. ¡®Seems like she is going to suffer under him as well. Poor human.¡¯

    ¡°Of course not, Sire,¡± Leeora said. ¡°She is injured at the moment. Once she is better, I will assign her some decent work to do.¡±

    ¡°As long as it is not in the pce, everything could be considered decent work,¡± Erlosmented, sarcastically pointing out that working in the pce for this heartless king was the worst ever.

    ¡°Not a bad idea. Once she is able, put her to work in the pce,¡± Draven instructed.

    Erlos felt like pping his own month for saying it. Unintentionally, he had pushed that pitiful human into the devil¡¯s den. Promise, he didn¡¯t mean to pull another fellow to suffer alongside him!

    ¡°P-Pce, Sire?¡± Leeora asked as she could not believe her ears that the King had asked this human to work in the pce. Moreover, she had decided to take things slow. She was worried that this girl who seemed to have no social manners nor a bit of education could adjust to the pce environment. She wished to keep her by her side for a while longer.

    ¡°Is there any issue?¡± he asked in a manner where the person in front of him had no other option but to obey him.

    Leeora forced out a smile. ¡°What can be the issue? In fact, Ember is fortunate to have the chance of working in the pce.¡±

    Erlos and Leeora exchanged silent gazes that showed pity for that human girl, but they could do nothing in front of the King¡¯s order.

    Meanwhile, the human girl whose name was now Ember felt her hands turn sweaty, ¡®Pce? Is he talking about taking me back to that ce where he lives?¡¯ Her beautiful emerald green eyes were covered with anxiety.

    It¡¯s been barely two days since she stayed in Ronan and she had just started being able to talk to a tree spirit. She liked this ce more although the pce was more beautiful, but he was talking about taking her back there already?

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to go there! I like Leeora and this ce better!¡¯

    Sadly, no one could hear her thoughts.

    Draven looked at Erlos. ¡°We are leaving.¡±

    The King informed him before teleporting. Seemed like he finally felt a hint of pity for his servant. Erlos got the chance to protect his body with his powers so he would remain fine even after teleporting.

    The next moment, the King and his servant disappeared into thin air, causing Ember to blink as she found it familiar.

    After thinking for a while, Ember recalled that she had seen some kind of energy traveling at the speed of lightning back when she was staring at the pce from her window. Now, she understood that what she had witnessed before was probably something caused by Draven.

    With the scary red-eyed man gone, only then did Ember feel like she could breathe normally. Leeora gently patted her head. ¡°Ember, are you feeling well? Seeing the King must have surprised you.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know how to react, so she merely stared at the kind elfdy.

    Leeora sighed. ¡°All right, did I not promise you I will introduce Ronan to you? Shall we start touring the city by heading to the za? Ronan is quite a small city, but you¡¯re still weak so ride Lusca for now so you will not tire yourself from walking¡ª¡±

    Leeroa and the human girl went on to tour the city, but the news of the King visiting Ronan had spread within the entire city like a wildfire. The King of Agartha was an elusive existence and he rarely openly visited any city. People were curious about his arrival, and many theories were thrown about.

    Some said it was to visit the High Elder, while others imed it was for his personal servant, Erlos. A handful of elves realized that it was just a day after that human girl arrived in the city. Everyone guessed that this human was someone important to the King and he was in the city just because of her.

    Unaware that she was gathering attention, Ember found herself immersed in the simple fairytale-like beauty of the forest city. Houses made of living trees, beautiful elves interacting like they belong to one big family, winged people the size of a doll that Leeora called Fae, intelligent animals that could shapeshift into a person, water that moved like they have their own will, fire that doesn¡¯t burn but gives off gentle warmth¡­these were all things Ember never even dreamed of encountering.

    Everything and everyone was in perfect harmony, and Ember felt at peace as she listened to Leeora proudly show off which among the stores sell the best mushroom soup, the sturdiest armour, and the most fashionable dresses. She also recognized everyone who greeted her, knowing whose daughter was having her birthdaying up, which elves were on guard duty for the day or which among the elves could y the loveliest flute music.

    It was already nighttime when they reached the border of the city which was a valley. A single ancient tree was proudly rooted near a cliff as if dering it would remain standing there throughout the ages. It was a magical tree with countless branches filled with glowing fruits that looked more likenterns than food.

    ¡°This is where the wood elf n¡¯s city ends,¡± Leeora said as she stopped at the cliff and looked forward. Ember stood next to Leeroa and looked around as she heard Leeora continue, ¡°See those lights? Those are the cities of the other elf ns.¡±

    Ember peered into the darkness, but she could only see dim lights illuminating parts of the forest, but they were too far for her to see the cities themselves. From her position though, it was easy to see the lightsing out of the King¡¯s pce. It reminded her of his words, instructing her to work in the pce.

    Leeora noticed Ember¡¯s gaze in the direction of the pce and the anxiety in her eyes.

    ¡°Ember?¡± Leeora called.

    She looked at the elf elder, only to hear her say, ¡°Do you like your new name?¡±

    There was nothing to like or not like about it. It was far better than being nameless. These people were not aware, but it wasn¡¯t that she refused to tell them her name. She had no name in the first ce. All she had heard throughout her life was one person calling her ¡®little princess¡¯ and nothing else.

    ¡°You are fortunate that His Majesty has named you. He had done it only once when he named Erlos and now you are the second one,¡± she heard Leeora continue. ¡°His Majesty is not fond of having people around him, and neither is he good at expressing his feelings, but he is not someone to be scared of. He is much warmer than one could imagine.¡± Leeora turned her gaze to look at the girl who was trying to figure out what Leeora meant. The elf smiled and said, ¡°I mean to say, there is no need for you to be scared of him.¡±

    Although Ember felt reluctant to agree, she nodded.

    ¡°He is the one who saved you and brought you to Agartha. Though I don¡¯t know how bad your life has been so far, I assure you that you will only get to experience better things from now on,¡±,¡± Leeora added. ¡°You should be thankful to him for giving you a chance to live a new life.¡±

    Ember found herself staring at the pce once more.

    ¡®He saved me?¡¯

    Her encounters with him had been pretty terrible¡ªhis scary appearance inside her room when she woke up, the way he tied her up with his powers when he caught her escaping, the way he punished the silver-haired elf by making him fall from the tree house. There was nothing among them that gave her a good impression.

    ¡®But he brought me out of that hellish ce¡­¡¯

    All this time, she had been wondering how she reached this magical ce. Thest thing she remembered was the fire in the mountain and how she was trying to escape it. Though she didn¡¯t want to return to that cave, there were things there that belonged to Gaia that she at least wanted to preserve as remembrance¡­

    There were many things she wanted to ask.

    It made her wonder if she asked him, would he answer her?

 Chapter 34

    While Ember was enjoying the sights of Ronan, Erlos dreaded his return to the pce.

    Draven sat in his chair, resuming his unfinished work on the map as if he never left in the first ce, while Erlos stood in front of his king with his head lowered. Though his clothes were still wrinkled, he had long dusted off the leaves covering his body.

    As he waited inside the quiet study, the young elf could not help but fidget, only to stay still as a statue seeing the King finally put away the quill in his hand. That meant it was now his turn to be grilled.

    Just as he was wondering whether his master would start by throwing sarcastic remarks or by punishing him by giving more work first, he heard something unexpected.

    ¡°A day.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, Sire?¡±

    ¡°You returned in just a day,¡± Draven said in anguid voice. ¡°You must have used your powers in the right way.¡±

    ¡°Yes? Oh. Yes, Sire,¡± Erlos replied, wondering if that meant his punishment would be lighter. ¡°I tried my best toe back as soon as I can.¡±

    Draven leaned back in his chair and rested his elbow on the hand rest of the chair with his ck-gloved hand folded under his chin. He stared at his servant who looked like was waiting to be punished, but now looked slightly relieved after hearing what he said. Draven¡¯s icy cold gaze softened.

    ¡°You did well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did¡ªHuh?¡± Erlos was stumped.

    Many decades had passed since he started staying by Draven¡¯s side as his personal servant. He had learned the King¡¯s habits and preferences, and he had served him the best way he could,pleting each task to perfection, but there was not a single moment where Draven praised him.

    In fact, he never said any good words to him, preferring to ignore him on most days.

    The only instances he could remember when Draven said a few nice words towards him was back when Erlos was a little kid living with Leeora in Ronan.

    Draven pretended to not see his silly-looking face and asked, ¡°What did you find out about that creature?¡±

    ¡®Creature?¡¯

    Erlos sighed inwardly as he got out of the temporary soft corner he developed for his king who just praised him.

    ¡°Sire, you just made me recall a really bad memory. Eugh. Do you know how hard it is to investigate her? None of those human beings are sane! All of them are crazy! When I tried to inquire about that human girl from the nearby viges, they simply repeated what we experienced from that first human vige¡ªthey were just busy boasting about how they killed her, about how they contributed to ridding the curse of that kingdom, about how she¡¯s a witch who caused the bad things that happened to them h h. They know nothing about what she looks like or even her name, much less know about her life story. ¡±

    Draven scoffed lightly as if he heard nothing different.

    ¡°Sire, you were aware that this would happen and those useless humans won¡¯t answer. That is why you didn¡¯t put any effort into inquiring that day, am I right?¡±

    Not answering, Draven simply admired the map he¡¯s drawing, not letting the parts still damp with ink to be smeared. ¡°If you have nothing else to say, go clean my bedchamber.¡±

    ¡®Ah! I¡¯m not even finished reporting! What was I even expecting from him?¡¯ He inwardly shook his head, but on the outside, he was polite as he said, ¡°I did learn something new.¡±

    ¡°Are you waiting for my invitation to say it?¡± Dravenmented.

    Not bothered with his master¡¯s attitude , Erlos continued,, ¡°No, no, Sire. Let me finish. See, I got hold of this one young human female¡­¡±

    ¡°You got hold of her or she got you?¡± Draven asked.

    It reminded Erlos how that human female approached him, looking like she was bewitched by his beauty.

    ¡®It¡¯s not my fault for being so handsome.¡¯ He cleared his throat and said, ¡°Sire, you look down on me! I¡¯ve learned from you and from Elder Leeora that humans are greedy! That human female saw me asking around and so I gave her an ingot of gold and she was happy to exin.¡±

    Draven muttered, ¡°She must have asked you forpensation first.¡±

    Erlos waved his hands around as if to say ¡®regardless of who thought the idea, it didn¡¯t matter¡¯. ¡°Anyway, she told me the same thing as what that old woman told us, confirming that the human girl must truly be that abandoned princess. But she also said that the ¡®witch¡¯ was raised by another ¡®witch¡¯, but this witch had died about a month back.

    ¡°I cannot confirm whether she¡¯s referring to a real witch or just another wrongfully used woman, just that there is one woman who raised this human girl on that dead mountain. Unfortunately, the humans had caught that woman and tried to kill her. That woman managed to escape but was severely hurt and they believe she died as well on that mountain.¡±

    Not knowing what his master was thinking, Erlos continued, ¡°When I asked how old that abandoned princess was or when exactly they had abandoned on that mountain, that human female said she was just a poor vige girl and she doesn¡¯t know how to count. She only knows that it happened years before she was born. That vige girl is about the same size as the human girl you found, Sire, and Elder Leeora said that humans with that appearance were around fifteen or sixteen so¡­ that means the human girl Sire had brought must be older than her.¡±

    Erlos waited for his reaction but there was none. ¡°I think, though she looks frail and weak, she is an already adult ording to a human¡¯s lifespan.¡±

    Still, there was no reaction from the King, as if the information he brought had no value to it.

    ¡°Sire?¡±

    ¡°Are you done?¡± was all he got as a reward for his efforts.

    Sighing inwardly, he spoke, ¡°I will go and clean your chamber.¡±

    Erlos left with droopy ears and Draven stopped working as soon as he was gone. He thought about his guess that there ought to be another person with that human girl. He thought that he had to search for that person, but it seemed like that woman must have really died, leaving that human girl to fend on her own on that dead mountain.

    He could easily guess how the story went.

    ¡®Since her guardian died, she was left alone, struggling to survive on that mountain with nothing to eat and that is why she looks so weak and malnourished. She must have tried to venture out to search for food, but she was seen by people. It caused a manhunt to happen, ending up with them burning the entire mountain.

    ¡®Humans! Those weak creatures can really be so cruel. I wonder what else she must have gone through all these years?¡¯

 Chapter 35

    In the middle of the night, Draven found himself rousing from sleep due to the heavy sound of pping wings. Landing on his window sill was his snowy white owl, Midnight, who let out a hoot upon seeing his master in bed.

    Draven turned his red eyes to look at his pet. Realizing his master was awake, it let out another hoot.

    The King understood his message.

    ¡°Again?¡± Draven frowned and got out of bed.

    He went towards the window and asked, ¡°Where?¡±

    The owl hooted in response, and his master looked out the window, as if able to see something from a distance. Draven was about to disappear from his chamber but he found himself pausing in his tracks. The pitiful face of his servant shed in his mind.

    He was reminded of Erlos¡¯ pitiful expression back when he saw muddy footprints on the floor he had been keeping immactely clean day in and day out. If Draven were to venture out barefoot again like this¡­

    Draven sighed and the pair of boots kept on one side in his chamber moved on their own towards his feet. Only after putting them on did the man in his long dark robe disappear from his chamber. His pet, Midnight, flew away from the pce to follow in his master¡¯s wake.

    He soon reappeared in the middle of the Ronan, where he passed by the human girl¡¯s empty house. He already heard from Midnight that she was not there and didn¡¯t bother to check. Instead, he leaped towards the top of the nearby tree, the highest tree in the city, trying to catch sight of her small figure.

    However, it wasn¡¯t easy to locate her in a forest dense with thick trees, unlike back when she tried to escape through the open pce grounds.

    ¡®She cannot go very far with that body.¡¯

    Every once in a while, Draven changed trees, shing from one to another.

    Just then, Midnight, who was flying around the city to help let out a calling sound that only Draven understood.

    Draven disappeared from the middle of the city, only to reappear at its outskirts. He was on the cliff where the city of the Wood Elves ended. Under the ancient tree with fruits likenterns, he saw a frail body in a dress too long for her small body sitting at the edge of the cliff.

    It was the human girl he named Ember.

    She was hugging her knees, her face in a daze. Her emerald eyes seemed to be staring at the bright moon amidst the starry sky.

    Draven stayed at a distance and simply observed her, not willing to disturb her. She looked lonely and lost as if she had nothing left in this world. Those thin shoulders and that frail back of hers look somewhat lonely, and though there were no tears streaming down her face, it was as if she was crying inside.

    He simply stood at a distance, apanying her in silence.

    After a while, Midnight circled above the cliff and perched on the tree branch that was closest to where Draven was standing.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like she is running away this time,¡± Draven told the owl. The bird¡¯s fluffy head nodded.

    ¡°Not worth disturbing my sleep,¡± he said and turned to leave. The owl pped his wings tond in front of his master, leading his way back while jumping from one branch to another.

    Draven raised a brow. ¡°You want me to walk tonight?¡±

    The owl kept jumping in an almost rhythmic pattern and Draven spoke, ¡°Seems to me that you¡¯re saying you don¡¯t need your wings and prefer to use your feet.¡±

    The owl stopped yfully jumping here and there, and his fluffy body simply sat on one of the branches. With a deliberately slow hoot, Midnight blinked hisrge round eyes at his master, as if urging Draven to teleport and leave him alone.

    Draven smirked and was about to disappear when his sensitive ears heard an rming sound.

    Crack!

    ¡°Ahhhh!¡±

    He immediately turned around, only to see that the frail body sitting by the cliff was no longer there. The sounds of rocks and soil falling apart were telltale sounds of what happened.

    Before he could even react, a portal of white energy appeared behind him and sucked him inside it. The next thing he knew, he found himself in the air holding a frail female body in front of him.

    ¡ª¨C

    Unaware that she had caused a certain someone to lose sleep over her disappearance, Ember felt her mind turn calm by the wonderful sight in front of her.

    She heard things from Leeora, and she had epted that this was now her new life. An uncertain future much more colourful and beautiful than she could ever imagine seemed to be ahead of her, but despite that, she felt a sense of loneliness being in an unfamiliar ce without Gaia.

    ¡®It would have been nice if Gaia was able toe along with me¡­ we would have been happier in this ce than that cave¡­¡¯

    Ember stood up from where she was sitting and went closer to the edge of the cliff. She looked at those cities below the cliff, though she could only see the bundle of lights she assumed to bemps lighting up those dense trees. Each of them represented something new and wonderful to someone like her.

    ¡®I wonder if Elder Leeora will also take me to visit those cities,¡¯ she wondered. ¡®She says other cities look different from Ronan.¡¯

    She took a step further at the edge, but the next moment, the soil under her feet gave way. Out of instinct, she grabbed the nearest thing she could, but the stone slipped under her hand and when she tried to grab again, she only managed to hold loose soil.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    Rocks and soil fell down with her, but as someone who was raised in the wild, her survival instincts took over her body. She¡¯s falling but her body was brushing along the dried branches stuck in the walls of the cliff. She desperately tried to gain a foothold, no matter if it was a jutting piece of rock or a wayward root of a tree. Her attempts at survival left her with scratches on her delicate skin and bruised her already hurt body.

    ¡®I cannot die here¡ª¡¯

 Chapter 36

    ¡®I cannot die here¡ª¡¯

    But her eyes soon widened when she grabbed empty air.

    She was in the air, falling straight down from that cliff. It was so sudden that when her wits came back, it left her with a bitter smile. She knew that she would die as soon as she hit the ground.

    ¡®Unfair¡­¡¯

    She had juste out from that hellish mountain, and she had barely seen the outside world¡­ but she was going to die already?

    She closed her eyes, reluctant to ept her fate of dying, but her mind screamed, ¡®I don¡¯t want to die!¡¯

    Just as she had that thought, something warm wrapped around her body, and when she opened her eyes, she saw a pair of red eyes staring back at her.

    ¡®It¡¯s him?¡¯

    The moment she saw Draven, she momentarily forgot about dying, and was simply startled to see him falling down the cliff with her. The harsh wind was making her ears buzz as the high pressure of wind was making her unable to keep her eyes open for long.

    Out of instinct, she grabbed onto him, holding on for her dear life.

    Draven could have stopped both of them from falling down at any moment, but he did not, merely continuing to look at the small body in his arms.

    Those familiar-looking emerald green eyes, her mahogany hair that was moving along with the rushing wind¡­

    His red eyes wanted to imprint this image in his mind while holding her firmly close to his body, somewhat finding her body weight as light as a feather as it went down along with his.

    No, he didn¡¯t think about why he appeared along with her all of a sudden. The only thing that mattered to him at this moment were the emotions in those confused and scared eyes.

    Her eyes¡­those emerald green eyes were too beautiful to have any negative emotions in them.

    As Ember was facing the ground while Draven was facing the sky while falling in the air, it was Ember who could see they would soon hit the ground under the cliff. The fear in her eyes intensified.

    ¡®D-Does he want to die?¡¯

    Just as she had that thought, their bodies stopped mid-air even before they could touch the crown of the trees. This abrupt stop while falling down at a speed made her head dizzy and her vision unstable, making her close her eyes. Her brows wrinkled in a show of difort as her hands clutched his ck sleeping robe at his shoulders.

    Slowly, Draven turned their bodies in the air in a standing position and made their way down towards the forest floor. As they gently fell in between therge trees, his red eyes remained stuck on her face.

    Her face had herb paste applied on top of her burn marks, while the rest were bruised. One could not really see how she exactly looked, but he still found himself unable to move his gaze away from her face.

    In his eyes, she was but a tiny delicate creature that needed to be protected, even more fragile than your typical human. Though she exhibited strange abilities, her body was as frail as the rest of her kind.

    Just as their feet touched the ground, Ember opened her eyes and held on to him to keep herself steady, though he had already held her thin waist firmly.

    One second, five seconds¡­He still didn¡¯t let her go.

    Ember reluctantly met his gaze, wanting to say he should let go of her body, but he simply stared down at her, his arms keeping her unable to move away.

    ¡®Why is he still holding me?¡¯

    When she tried to push him away, to her surprise, he let her go as if he wasn¡¯t the one keeping her trapped in his arms. That hesitant push of hers got him back to his senses, finally sparking his curiosity about why he appeared in the air next to her. Was it to save her?

    Because she didn¡¯t expect he would simply let go of her, she missed her bnce and clumsily fell on her back.

    She was in terrible pain as the scratches on her bruised body were stinging, particrly the raw wounds on her hands, but it didn¡¯t matter to him as all he did was to stare at her.

    Those eyes were demanding an answer from her. How did she manage to get him to save her? Did she realize he was watching her? Did she use a spell?

    It¡¯s not like he would not have saved her when she fell from the cliff, but even before he could act, unknown energy pulled him towards her. He realized it was a familiar scenario¡ªback when he saved her from that burning mountain in Valor, he was also pulled by the same kind of unknown energy.

    ¡®She is indeed the one who summoned me¡­ but how?¡¯

    He took a step towards her, only to see her responding by crawling backwards to get away from him, which reminded him of the exact same behaviour she showed when he caught her escaping from the pce.

    Though Ember learned it was Draven who saved her, it was near-instinct for her to warily react to the people around her. All her life she had been taught to stay away from strangers as they are dangerous and this doctrine was engraved in her mind, bing a part of her personality.

    Not to mention, this man in front of her was someone she considered scary. Every encounter between them was unpleasant for her, thus her mind was conditioned to think it was best to stay as far away from him as possible.

    Seeing her scared, Draven decided to try again. He kneeled in front of her and offered her his hand, expecting her to not repeat thatst incident and ept his hand just like how she epted Leeora¡¯s.

    But once again, she moved back, her green eyes looking at him in fear and caution. His patience snapped.

    ¡®This rude thing!¡¯

    He pulled his hand back as he gave a grave look at this thing in front of him.

    ¡°First,¡± he said in an unnaturally calm voice, ¡°I hate humans.

    ¡°Second, I was forced to save you.

    ¡°Third, if you are nning to stay here and die, then I must say it¡¯s a good decision.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¨C

    2000 coins gift = 1 bonus chapter.

    Super Gift = 2 bonus chapters

 Chapter 37

    Draven stood up with a frown and when he stepped back, her tense body somewhat loosened, causing his annoyance to rise.

    ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you since you chose this kind of death.¡±

    He turned and walked away. Seeing that the red-eyed man was leaving, she tried to stand up on her own, but one of her legs was injured. She had sprained it badly when she slipped from the cliff. She fell back on the ground and let out a pained groan, not able to stand again.

    Draven stopped and simply watched her struggle to move, but she looked exhausted and in pain. However, he remembered how this rude thing disrespected him again and decided he had extended enough goodwill to her. It was her fault for rejecting him.

    He turned back, intending to leave, but for some odd reason, he could not take a step.

    It was as if he was frozen and he could not move his foot forward. With a frown, he decided to use his powers to teleport, but his powers refused to listen to his mental order.

    ¡®Why can¡¯t I take a step ahead or use my powers?¡¯ he thought, and then he realized something.

    Draven turned around to face the human girl, and this time, when he tried to take a step forward, he seeded.

    An unknown power was stopping him from leaving her, and it would only release him if he took her with him. It had happened once before on that haunted mountain, and now that this was the second time, it was not difficult for him to understand it.

    He knew he had no option so he returned to her side. After falling on a single knee, he stared at her face, keeping his eyes levelled with hers. ¡°I don¡¯t want the people in this forest to feel scared because of you so I have to take you with me.¡±

    He didn¡¯t know if she believed him, but it remained a fact that her emerald green eyes continued to stare at him with fear.

    Knowing that speaking more was of no use, Draven touched her limp leg that was stretched in front as she could not move it. Ember flinched. Before she could move back, he red into her scared-looking eyes.

    ¡°Stay still.¡±

    Hearing the cold andmanding voice of the scary red-eyed man, she dared not move. He held her leg at the ankle, his fingers pressing against the soft leather boots she had on. Then, he removed her boot and checked her ankle. The moment his warm fingers pressed where it hurt, she groaned in pain.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡± but it was cut short as she suppressed her voice, pressing her lips into a thin line trying to bear with the pain.

    ¡°For a mute, you can scream quite well,¡± hemented and intentionally pressed on her swollen ankle, only to hear an unfamiliar small voice for the first time.

    ¡°It hurts¡­¡±

    He smirked. ¡°A talking mute?¡±

    She pursed her lips, no longer saying another word, and lowered her gaze to not look at him anymore.

    He held her leg firm and twisted it a little to which she groaned again but heard him say, ¡°It will be fine soon.¡±

    She didn¡¯t reply. He didn¡¯t need any reply from her in the first ce. He simply continued ahead and carried her small body in his strong arms.

    This time, he didn¡¯t use his powers to tie her up in the air and simply picked her up as one would someone with an injury.

    Startled, Ember tried to get out of his hold but his stern voice made her freeze. ¡°If you move, I will throw you far into the deepest part of the dark forest from where only your soul can escape.¡±

    The human girl refrained from doing any moves, and the next moment, she was up in the air in the hold of his strong arms.

    It wasn¡¯t a flight. Draven had jumped up from the forest below the cliff andnded back at the top of the cliff by the ancient tree. It was nothing new for him, but to her, his inhuman action was scary enough to make her shut her eyes and clutch at his robe, almost causing her nails to scratch his skin on the chest, but he felt no pain.

    Draven didn¡¯t use teleport this time as he knew her human body would be negatively affected by thews of space. When he had teleported back with her when he saved her for the first time from that haunted mountain, he didn¡¯t bother to care about causing her internal injuries as he only wanted to return to his pce but now¡­.he cared.

    After returning to the borders of Ronan, he looked at that frail thing in his arm and said, ¡°We are not there yet.¡±

    Once more, he jumped high up in the sky, only to stop directly on the crown of the tree housing her small home. Upon feeling someonended on its branches, the tree spirit moved as if it was woken up from a deep sleep, but then realizing who it was, it calmed down.

    Draven jumped down the tree,nding in front of the door of her home which opened on its own to wee him.

    Draven carried Ember inside her house where only a single light source could be seen softly glowing in the wall near the door. It was called a sun orb, a magical gem-stone product traded by another n of elves and the most preferred heatless source of light used by the Wood Elves, who dwell inside the wooden bodies of living trees.

    Sun orbs let out the light after being touched, but despite no one touching them, the line of sun orbs dotting the walls in ce ofmps brightened up the empty tree house.

    Though he could see everything clearly in the dark, Draven did it for this human creature¡¯s sake.

    He looked around to find a ce to put her down and after walking by a partition, found a cushioned wooden bed big enough for only one person to sleep. He ced her on it gently. If she were not hurt, he would have just dumped her on that bed, but he recalled that her body was that of a frail human.

    Humans are inherently weak. He felt like if he did one wrong move, she would break like a piece of ss.

    Even though she was keeping quiet, he could feel her body flinching in pain with every step he took since he was carrying her in his arms. There was blood and dirt all over her body, new wounds on top of the old, and her hands especially were badly damaged and bleeding.

    The moment he ced her on the bed, she hastily jumped to the other side of that rectangr bed, shrinking herself to one corner as if to say she intended to stay as far away from him as much as possible.

    ¡®What an ungrateful little thing!¡¯

    He frowned inwardly as his red eyes red at her.

 Chapter 38

    Under the soft light from the sun orbs, he could see clearly where she was hurt. Her small face had new scratches deep enough to bleed, while the dirty skin on her hands was torn in various parts, probably from trying to grab at the sharp rocks and branches before he caught her body.

    Probably because her body rolled down the cliff, her long dress was torn at various ces, making the good part of her skin visible, something that a decentdy would not want others to see.

    The dress was torn at the seam line where the sleeve is connected to the armhole, slipping down to show her entire slender neck, bony corbone, her entire right shoulder and top part of the right side of her chest, barely covering the delicate mound underneath. It was a pitiful appearance, since she was so thin, she was almost skin and bones.

    Even the long skirt of her dress was ripped, causing a slit to appear on her dress that showed off a good part of her shapely leg, leaving none to the imagination, and when Draven eyed her thigh, he found there was even a bleeding cut on it, one so deep you could almost see her bones.

    If Ember was seen in this pitiful condition, with her weak body exposed like this in front of a cheap human male, she would have probably been in danger, but luckily, the one with her was the coldhearted Devil whose mind and heart would not waver over these fleshly things.

    Draven simply observed her as a poor little thing who needed to be treated.

    He sat at the other end of the bed opposite to the edge she had shrunk herself to, causing little space to be left on that small bed. With his tall muscr body, that bed made to suit her size seemed to be smaller than it actually was.

    Draven moved his hand to touch the wound on her thigh, but upon realizing where his hand was moving to, Ember immediately covered her thigh with the remaining fabric of her skirt. Though she grew up on a mountain, Gaia had taught her she had to protect her body. She was aware that being seen like this for a woman was not a good thing. She also realized then the state of her dress, and immediately pulled up the part of the sleeve that had slipped down her one shoulder.

    His hand stopped even before it could reach her thigh. He frowned seeing her reaction.

    ¡®Is she too dumb to understand my goodwill?¡¯

    ¡°Listen, human.¡± His cold voice was filled with annoyance. ¡°Even if you sit naked in front of me, without even a thread covering your body, I won¡¯t feel anything but repulsion for a disgusting human creature like you. To be able to seduce me, even the next hundred births won¡¯t be enough for you.¡±

    She still didn¡¯t let go of her dress and continued shrinking back in the corner of the bed with her head lowered, trying to hide from the intensifying gaze of those intimidating red eyes.

    ¡°Do you n to bleed to death and die here? If you are that desperate to die, I can take you back to your home on that mountain and put that entire mountain on fire once again.¡±

    His words were cruel andcked any kind ofpassion and sympathy. With each passing century, he had seen countless deaths, not only of his own people but also of his enemies, and it had reached the point that someone dying in front of him no longer bothered him much. He had turned immune to it long back. Despite his efforts to help her, this human didn¡¯t trust him and it annoyed him. He cherished life, but it was still one¡¯s own decision what to do with that life. He could offer help, but if the other person refused it then he had already done his part..

    Though he had saved this human, she was still nobody to him.

    ¡®If you choose to be in pain, then suffer with your choice.¡¯

    Despite her hesitation, she put her hands away as if to say she was allowing him to touch her.

    ¡®Only threats work on her,¡¯ he concluded.

    He held the fabric of her skirt to move it away to see her wound on the thigh, as it seemed to be thergest wound on her body. Such wounds were like scratches to him though it was severe enough for the human to suffer blood loss if left untreated.

    Not wanting to need to wake up Leeora in the middle of the night, he decided to treat her injuries on his own. After all, although his speciality was not healing, he had seen how it was done countless times during the wars against humankind. He had learned how to treat wounds and even helped treat his subordinates if he was not fighting on the frontlines.

    He first observed the wound, checking if there were dirt and small twigs in it, and raised his hand palm up. The next moment, the cloth hanging on one stand in the room flew towards him and dropped in his hand. It became damp in a matter of seconds and he pressed it on the deep cut, starting from the edges, cleaning it meticulously. He then gestured for another clean cloth, keeping it dry this time to use it to stop the bleeding. He was aware that any amount of bleeding would not do anything good for her.

    He moved his hand under her thigh to lift it up a little, but she flinched and her green eyes were filled with anxiety.

    Draven realized she didn¡¯t understand what he was doing. ¡°I told you I am not interested in your body, so stop letting your imagination go wild.¡±

    Draven held her thin thigh in hisrge palm, making it look more delicate when he held it. He wrapped that cloth around her thigh tightly to stop the bleeding, and once he was done, he let go of her thigh and looked at her.

    ¡°Where do you keep the medicine Leeora uses on your burns?¡± he asked.

    This time, the human obediently held a finger towards a particr table in the room. She already understood she didn¡¯t have to be scared of him at this moment as he was just helping her. Still, inside her mind, she still felt anxious about his presence, especially since they were alone inside her home. It was the instinct of a woman towards a strange man that was making her unable to rx her body.

    Draven stood up and went towards that table where he saw several small boxes that carried the various herbal pastes. He also saw a number of bottles neatly arranged on the side, and there was one distinctly shaped bottle that didn¡¯t belong to the Wood Elf n but from the witches.

    He held the potion bottle in his hand and realized it was filled to the brim. This human didn¡¯t seem to have drunk it yet.

    ¡®What a fool.¡¯ He could not help but frown at this human¡¯s negligence.

 Chapter 39

    Leeora must have given her this to help her recover fast, but this human simply ignored her goodwill and didn¡¯t drink it. This vitality potion is of the highest quality, probably something created by the Head of the Witches herself. This kind of potion would have helped the human strengthen the overall condition of her body, and an improved constitution would have boosted her body¡¯s recovery.

    Say, drinking Leeora¡¯s elixir would be thrice as effective if taken together with a witch¡¯s vitality potion. If she had consumed the entire bottle of vitality potion this morning, then as early as tomorrow, those burn scars and bruises on her face which made her look ugly would havepletely disappeared.

    ¡®Don¡¯t women care the most about their looks?¡¯

    When the red-eyed man turned his back on her to fiddle on the medicine bottles, Ember felt herself able to rx a little. Her entire body was aching, her upper leg was tormenting her and her hands were stinging in raw pain, yet she could not pay any mind to them since this tall man with a wide and strong back made her feel threatened. In her small house, hisrge manly body looked even bigger to her.

    When he turned and looked at her, she immediately lowered her gaze like a criminal caught red-handed.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t drink this?¡± he asked, holding an exquisite potion bottle,

    Ember took a peek at the item in his hand and shook her head.

    ¡°Nothing surprising as humans are nothing but brainless creatures,¡± hemented to which she didn¡¯t react.

    Draven looked at the medium-sized box on that table which opened on its own. An array of small metallic items, bandages, and thread were arranged inside it, along with other things.

    It was one of the things the human physician left in the pce back when he treated the girl the night she arrived, and Erlos handed it to Leeora since no one in the pce would need to use those kinds of surgical tools. Seemed like Leeora had brought it here thinking it should be kept with the girl rather than with her.

    Draven smirked as he picked up the tiny curved sewing needle and attached a long thread to it. ¡°Since you seem to not like my people¡¯s way of healing, then let¡¯s try out this crude way of yours.¡±

    He went towards her and returned to sitting on the spot at the other end of the bed. A small wooden stool shifted closer to the bed where he ced that medium-sized box on the top of it for ease of convenience.

    Ember felt anxious seeing what was in his hand. The curved needle seemed to dangerously glint under the light as he put the thread on it.

    When he held her injured thigh again, she noticed that the clean cloth was now stained red with her own blood. He untied the cloth he had wrapped around her wound and blood continued to trickle down her leg.

    Her skirt, her leg warmer, her bedsheets, all of them were now stained with blood¡­

    Draven held the torn part of her leg warmer in his hand and even before she could react, the piece of fabric covering her leg was torn to expose her naked leg under his eye.

    ¡®What is he doing?!¡¯

    She wanted to pull her leg back but he was quick and held it tight at her ankle. Her ankle was already swollen as she had sprained it and didn¡¯t dare move. It hurt but she stopped herself from making any whiny sounds or utter words ofint.

    Didn¡¯t he threaten her that he would throw her out of his kingdom?

    This man in front of her was not just cruel in his words but was also rough with his actions. It was as if he didn¡¯t know how to be gentle at all.

    ¡°Stay still if you don¡¯t want me to tie you up and then treat your wound,¡± he warned, referring to the punishment he gave her when she first escaped.

    She didn¡¯t dare move as she knew he could tie her for real, and that was not a pleasant feeling. She could not move one bit, she could not let out a sound, and it made her feel frustrated.

    Draven worked without a word, his movements quick and efficient. He cleaned the blood from her wounds by dabbing a clean cloth on it and picked up that curved needle with a thread attached to it.

    Ember felt her body go cold when she realized what he nned to do.

    ¡®What is he going to do? Sew my wound?¡¯

    A line of sweat appeared on her forehead as she wondered how she could stop him without making him angry. Ember had remembered being badly injured when she was young, and Gaia had also stitched her wound once or twice before¡­but not like this!

    When she saw him create a tiny tongue of me on the tip of his fingers and hold that needle over it to heat it¡ª

    She screamed inside as anxiety and fear took over her mind.

    ¡®Definitely not like this!¡¯

    Her wound was deep and it needed to be sewed. Without giving a thought, he simply held her thigh tightly in one hand and used his other hand to pierce the needle in her delicate torn flesh.

    Ember didn¡¯t make any sound but tears welled up in her eyes. She remembered that Gaia would make her chew on special leaves that would make her body feel numb or stitch her wound when she was unconscious. Now, she¡¯s wide awake, being stitched up without any consideration.

    It made her feel like crying out loud at this terrible, terrible man. If only he didn¡¯t threaten her with being thrown out of his kingdom, she would have pushed him away the first moment she felt that heated needle. Sadly, she could not even react in front of this Devil King. She didn¡¯t wish to show her weak side in front of this evil, cruel red-eyed man.

    On the other hand, Draven was satisfied that the human creature was as still as a statue, making his work easy for him. He could feel her emotions but didn¡¯t pay attention to them. A little pain wouldn¡¯t kill her anyway.

    Moreover, he wished for her to learn her lesson of not being reckless again. Every time she hurt herself, Leeora would probably kindly offer to treat her for free since she¡¯s that type of woman. It would be a waste to give rare elixirs and potions to a human who didn¡¯t know how to value her safety.

    Once he was done sewing her wound, he put that needle on the table and let her leg be free.

    Draven eyed the perfectly aligned stitches in satisfaction. However, instead of a grateful smile, what weed him was the sight of the human girl crying. He found fat tears rolling down from her eyes, staining her cheeks like she¡¯s been wronged and bullied.

    ¡®Is this thing crazy?¡¯ he wondered.

    She didn¡¯t cry when her body was burning in that mountain, she didn¡¯t cry when her body was cut here and there after rolling down the cliff¡­ but she was crying because she was treated? And they suspiciously didn¡¯t even look like happy tears.

    ¡®Does her mind work opposite or she doesn¡¯t know when to cry?¡¯

    Draven wrapped that wound with a clean cloth after applying the herb paste from one of the boxes. Once he was done with her thigh, everything that he had used floated in the air and moved to fall onto their original ces.

    His tall body then stood up. However, he saw the mess of blood and dirt on her body, the badly injured hands, the cuts on her limbs, on her face¡­She¡¯s literally still covered with injuries.

    He got one more clean cloth and threw it at her.

    ¡°The rest, you can do by yourself.¡±

    Draven walked out of her home as if he had wasted his precious time on something useless.

 Chapter 40

    Embery in bed, staring lifelessly at the empty ceiling.

    She was in too much pain to even let out a groan, let alone move a single finger or turn her head. She had also stopped crying some time ago since she no longer had tears to shed, no, she was too exhausted to cry. Her entire body was throbbing in pain, especially her hands, but it was nothingpared to the suffering of being stitched with a heated needle.

    Fearing he would do something worse as punishment, she simply surrendered to his will like a broken doll, not letting out a single groan or cry even after he finished stitching her thigh.

    Once that cruel red-eyed man left, only then did she feel she could breathe.

    Ember felt like she passed out for several minutes, and when she came back to her senses, her parched throat burned. She tried to look around the room, but the moment she lifted her head, she felt dizzy.

    ¡°W-Water¡­¡±

    Her mind tried to recall where the water jar was, but the world continued to sway around her and she almost fumbled out of the bed.

    nk! nk!

    To her surprise, she heard a strange sound approach her. Despite her dizziness, she managed to lift her head just in time to see a small wooden stool moving on its own, carrying a y jar filled to the brim with water, as if to say she should drink without needing to leave her bed.

    A cold realization swept her skin, causing goosebumps to appear, as she looked at the closed door of her home.

    ¡®Did he return?¡¯

    She was not the one to make that y container move so Draven could be the only culprit. At this point, she was so scared of that red-eyed man she felt like she would rather pass out again than see him.

    However, aside from her, her house was empty.

    That caused her heart to calm down, but it also caused her headache to return with a vengeance, along with dizziness and nausea. She felt like she should go to sleep, but the moment she closed her eyes, she realized she simply could not bear the thirst.

    With herst bit of strength, she drank water andy in bed quietly afterwards. She was still bleeding from her other unattended injuries and her bed reeked of blood, but not an ounce of energy could be squeezed out of her body.

    Weakness engulfed her and she drifted to sleep, not caring if she would be alive or dead the next day.

    ¡ª¨C

    Leeora was happily humming a tune when she came to see Ember the next morning. She woke up earlier than usual that day to bake extra apple pies for breakfast, remembering how the human girl seemed to like sweets based on the random food they ate yesterday while roaming Ronan.

    She knocked on the door, and as usual, there was no response from inside.

    ¡°Ember, it¡¯s me, Leeora. I aming in,¡± Leeora said and entered the house, only to be assaulted with a thick smell of blood. ¡°Dear spirits! Ember!¡±

    The unconscious girl was covered in blood. The new dress she was wearing was dirty and torn, and the bandages on the rest of her body had all fallen apart.

    The basket in Leeora¡¯s hand nearly fell on the floor as the elf hurried towards the human girl, but it was fortunately caught by one of the tree vines she moved with her power.

    ¡°What happened to this child?¡±

    Instead of her condition improving, it worsened.

    Leeora wondered if Ember was attacked within the city, but she immediately shook her head. Elves were generally pacifist creatures, and Wood Elves were one of the most peace-loving among the ns. Even if some of the normal elders and older elves hated humans because they lost their loved ones to them, at most, they would onlyin to Leeora or stay away from Ember. They would not dare attack the guest of the King.

    The High Elder went to inspect the unconscious girl and saw the injury on her hands and the fresh scratches on her face. She also saw her thigh which looked like it was covered with fresh bandages. ¡°Did she treat herself before she passed out? What exactly happened to her? How did she get hurt?¡±

    She looked around the house to search for a clue if someone had intruded, but there was none. Aside from her room which reeked heavily of blood, there was nothing else suspicious in the house.

    ¡®s, I wish I could ask the tree spirit what happened, but not only can the tree spirit not talk, the covenant we Wood Elves signed with their race protected the privacy of the owner of the house.¡¯

    Leeora sat on the edge of the bed and checked Ember¡¯s pulse. It was weaker than yesterday and she felt worried. Looked like she had lost lots of blood. Leeora looked around for something that she left inside Ember¡¯s house for her, but she could not find it.

    ¡®I don¡¯t see my bottles. Where are the elixirs I gave her? I remember putting all of them on this table. Ember shouldn¡¯t have drank them yet. Even if she did, the bottles should be here. But not a single bottle can be found¡­?¡¯

    She was not particrly worried about the elixirs she made but the vitality potion that Cornelia Grimm, the Head Witch, had sent were precious ones. They were so rare a single porcin bottle could only be produced in a decade, and they were more effective for human use aspared to the ones she made which were suited for elves.

    ¡®What if Ember had not drunk it, but rather, someone else had taken it? Is there a thief in this city?¡¯

    Leeora searched for each and every corner of the house, but she could find neither her handmade elixirs nor the witch¡¯s vitality potion.

    ¡®Who dared steal it?! To target this poor child!¡¯

 Chapter 41

    Leeora rarely lost herposure, but this time, she was truly angry.

    She returned home in a hurry to get one of the remaining elixirs she had in hand. Though they weren¡¯t as rare as the potion made by the Head of the Witches, they were still a product of her effort, a precious medicine made of carefully nurtured herbs she processed with her powers. She had given many of them to Erlos and Ember, and she also gave one to the wife of the herbalist yesterday, so she only had three remaining bottles in her chest.

    Leeora took one bottle with a sigh before heading back to the other house. In her unconscious condition, Leeora somehow fed Ember the elixir she made, hoping it would somehow ease the obvious pain this weak human was feeling. After that, the High Elder tended to her wounds.

    After treating her wounds, Ember¡¯s body was once again covered in bandages from below the head. Her neck, her arms, her hands, legs, ankle¡­

    It looked pitiful, yet somewhat funny.

    Leeora looked at the bandage on Ember¡¯s thigh. Though she didn¡¯t know if it was Ember herself who treated her own injury, Leeora thought it was safer to personally check if it was treated right. She unwrapped the bandage and washed off the herbal paste that had dried over the wound.

    ¡°Stitches?¡±

    A well-stitched wound came into sight, and it surprised her. The cut was longer than a handspan, and scarring had formed, yet the way it was stitched was extremely skilled, almost as skilled as hers.

    Leeora wondered how Ember could have learned to stitch so well given that stitching your own wound was not an easy thing to do. Not only that, it seemed she used a cautery technique in order to close the wound through burning parts of the skin, which was an effective but excruciatingly painful way to close a wound.

    She¡¯s having doubts, especially since from what she observed so far, Ember seemed to have little to no medicinal skills.

    ¡®Who was here?¡¯ Leeora thought. She applied fresh herbal paste on her wound and wrapped it with a new clean set of bandages again.

    ¡®So, this mysterious person probably unintentionally attacked Ember. He must¡¯ve treated her wound but stole the precious elixirs I made as well as the potion made by the Head of the Witches.¡¯

    Leeora frowned in anger as she started cleaning up the blood-soaked bedsheets.

    ¡®If that person wished to save her, why he or she didn¡¯t give her any elixir? Does that person mean to let this child suffer? So cruel!¡¯

    ¡ª¡ª

    That same morning, Erlos came searching for Leeora after he was ready to leave for the pce. Not finding her in her home, Erlos thought she must be in the human girl¡¯s house, and when he checked, he saw that the door of the house that was on the other side of the hanging bridge was open.

    ¡°Elder~¡±

    Using his fast speed, he appeared inside the house in a good mood, only to frown when he smelled the thick scent of blooding from inside.

    ¡°Elder? What the heck¡ªpfft!¡±

    Upon entering her room, Erlos almostughed seeing the human girl rolled in bandages like a dumpling. If not for her mahogany hair and small body, he would not have recognized that ¡®creature¡¯, as his master loves to quote. However, seeing the dark expression on Leeora¡¯s face, Erlos adjusted his own expression. Still, his ears were twitching as he pretended to be serious.

    Before he could open his mouth again, Erlos noticed the human girl sleeping in bed was wearing a torn dress that left a good part of her body exposed. Being a gentleman, Erlos turned around and used his powers to move the nket to cover that human girl¡¯s body up to her shoulders.

    He turned around and Leeora looked at him. He awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

    ¡°I was about to call you so the three of us can have a meal.¡± He looked at Ember. ¡°By the way, what happened to her?¡±

    ¡°She is hurt again but I am not sure how. Moreover, the medicineI have kept here are all stolen,¡± Leeora replied.

    ¡°Stolen? A thief came here?¡± Erlos eximed in shock and his handsome face twisted in anger. ¡°Stealing is not epted in our n! I don¡¯t know who this thief is, but he sure is brazen to target this human. Once I find this thief, I will make sure to hang him on the tree and punish him so no one ever will try to do it again.¡±

    Leeora nodded. ¡°If it¡¯s really a theft then we have to set an example.¡±

    ¡°Is she fine?¡± Erlos asked. ¡°Did the thief attack her?¡±

    ¡°That is my guess. For now, she is fine. But not only did the thief take my elixirs, he also took the vitality potion from the witches, and it¡¯s bad news for this child¡± Leeora replied with worry on her face. ¡°Her condition is terrible because she bled a lot. My elixirs can heal wounds, but they are not effective in replenishing lost blood and strength. It will take her a long time to recover since her constitution is very weak in the first ce. My elixirs won¡¯t be of much help for her to get better.¡±

    ¡°Is that bad?¡± Erlos asked, feeling a bit guilty forughing at the pitiful girl earlier.

    ¡°Beforeing here, she¡¯s suffered a hard life so her body is already weaker than a normal human. Then, she¡¯s hurt in a fire, andnow, her body is badly battered and she¡¯s lost blood. Human bodies are not as strong as ours to bear suffering like that, especially since she¡¯s still young,¡± the High Elder exined. ¡°We should inform Sire that something like this happened to her.¡±

    ¡°That heartless man would probably not care even if she dies, but as he is the one who brought her here, it does seem reasonable to inform him,¡± Erlos said with a sigh.

    ¡°Sire has left her in my care so I need to inform him personally.¡± Leeora stood up. ¡°You should have your meal and leave. I will arrive at the pce after I secure this house so that no one would enter when I am not around.¡±

    Erlos agreed and left after taking onest look at that pitiful human.

 Chapter 42

    Draven woke up in a good mood, though no one could see it from his expressionless face.

    He had a good sleep after having quite a thrilling and interesting adventure the previous night. Though the incident had raised many questions in his mind, he weed them. After so long, he had got something interesting in his boring life.

    That girl was a mystery and he wished to solve her. A new goal was in front of him.

    Getting out of the bed, he went to stand in front of the mirror. Looking at his chest, he shifted the neckline of his ck sleeping robe to one side and found nail marks on his skin. He remembered clearly how it happened, but the most surprising thing was that they were not healed yet.

    His body could heal normal wounds on its own in a matter of seconds, but these simple scratches by that little mouse didn¡¯t heal like normal. It was another puzzle he had to solve now.

    It had been a long time since he received a wound on his body, and he felt strangely good about it. These nail scratches on his skin looked interesting to him, and he found himself smirking as he touched them with his fingers.

    ¡®Finally, there is someone who can hurt me for real,¡¯ he mumbled.

    At that moment, Erlos entered the King¡¯s chamber to start his job as his personal servant, inevitably disturbing Draven¡¯s thoughts. He straightened his robe just as the elf lifted his head from bowing.

    If his servant had seen those marks on his chest, he was sure this nosy elf would fry his brain with countless unnecessary questions.

    However, his servant was distracted and didn¡¯t notice it at all.

    ¡°Sire, Elder Leeora is requesting an audience with you,¡± Erlos informed him.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    After informing the elder in charge of security and mobilizing the city guards to start investigation, Leeora returned to Ember before leaving for the pce.

    The human girl was still asleep, her breathing feeble and her lips pale, a telltale sign of how much blood she¡¯s lost.

    ¡®Giving her more of my elixirs at once won¡¯t be enough. I must request Lady Cornelia to send the vitality potions ahead of the promised date.¡¯

    Thinking what else she had to do, the High Elder of the Wood Elves used her powers and set a barrier around the house so no one would enter inside until she returned. She then tapped her staff on the floor of the house to talk to the tree spirit. In response, the tree shook its branches, as if to say it understood her instruction.

    Leeora told the tree spirit not to let anyone enter the house, and to call the attention of the patrolling city guards in case a situation was to arise.

    After that, she left to go to the pce.

    Meanwhile, Draven was outside in the garden of the pce, leisurely basking under the morning sun. He was standing in the center of a circle of flowering trees, his expression less icy than usual . Though Erlos was curious, he didn¡¯t know if it was safe for him to ask. He didn¡¯t want to be thrown to another faraway human kingdom without warning once more.

    The ruggedly handsome king had his arms crossed, seemingly lost in thought, when his servant reluctantly approached him.

    ¡®He is not scowling today. I wonder if something good happened? Oh, I hope he remains in a good mood for the rest of the day¡­¡¯

    ¡°Sire,¡± Erlos started, ¡°Elder Leeora is waiting for you in the study.¡±

    Upon hearing that, Draven seemed to stare at the sky for a few moments before disappearing from his spot.

    Erlos mumbled, ¡°One day, I will be faster than him.¡±

    Draven reappeared inside his study, and he walked towards his chair behind therge desk.

    ¡°Leeora of the Wood Elf n greets King Draven, the ruler of Agartha,¡± the elegant elf said as a formal greeting as usual.

    Draven epted her greetings with a light nod. Even without asking, he could guess that the reason for her arrival must be that human creature, but he still listened to her speak.

    ¡°Sire, I am here to discuss about Ember,¡± she started with a worried look.

    Draven said nothing, and Leeora was just about to start when the sound of the door opening interrupted her. Erlos hurried to the King¡¯s study using his fast speed since he was interested in listening to what these two would talk about, and seeing their expressions, it seemed he arrived on time.

    He used some excuse about taking care of the map Draven had freshly drawn, something about needing to make sure the ink was dried so he couldter keep it in its ce.

    Draven ignored his bumbling mess of a servant, simply staring at Leeora, permitting her to continue.

    ¡°Sire, seems like the previous night someone has attacked Ember and injured her,¡± she informed cautiously.

    Draven¡¯s expression remained the same despite knowing the truth. ¡°An attack?¡±

    ¡°We have justunched an investigation, but yes, it seems she¡¯s attacked.¡±

    Draven leaned back on his chair and folded a hand under his chin. ¡°Are you sure that the human was not trying to create trouble for herself?¡±

    Leeora was confused. ¡°Why would she do anything to harm herself, Sire? I believe there is a second person involved in the incident. My guess is that the person who hurt her showed some mercy on her since he mistakenly injured her, and sewed her wound shut for her.¡±

    ¡°What a generous attacker!¡± Dravenmented as he leisurely rubbed his chin.

    ¡°The attacker had also stolen the elixirs and potions from her house that I had given to her. Though he had shown mercy on Ember by treating her wound, the act of theft is not eptable in our n and¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªAnd we should punish the thief gravely to set an example!¡± Erlos cut in, his reddened face showing his anger. ¡°It¡¯s unforgivable! Not eptable at all! To hurt a child merely for some elixirs? Shame on him! I will punish the culprit personally when we find him. I will hang him upside down in the middle of the city and won¡¯t give him any food and water for days! It will be an example for everyone to not do it again. That person needs to get punished¡ª¡±

    Thud! nk!

    With this sound, a wooden boxnded on the King¡¯s desk, and upon closer look, Leeora recognized the box of Elixirs that was stolen. Her eyes widened as she stared at the King.

    ¡°This? How did Sire get this box of elixirs? Did Sire catch the thief or¡­?¡± Leeora trailed off as she realized she seemed to be mistaken.

    ¡°Need more exnation?¡± Draven asked her and then his piercing gaze moved towards Erlos.

    He said no words but his gaze was enough for Erlos to feel like the sky had fallen on his head and the floor under his feet had slipped away from him. He recognized that box belonged to Leeora as well and this must be the very box that went missing from the human girl¡¯s house.

    Remembering how he badmouthed the ¡®thief¡¯ earlier, the elf servant¡¯s mind panicked to save himself.

 Chapter 43

    ¡°S-Sire..I-It¡¯s good that it¡¯s not stolen, and in fact, they are safe with you.¡± Heughed while nervously rubbing his hands together. ¡°How fortunate these elixirs are to be taken by your honorable self!¡±

    Draven simply looked at him, not getting affected by his ttery.

    Erlos gulped and said, ¡°Sire, I can exin. The act of theft is not eptable. It¡¯s a despicable crime, right? Not only that, I was just enraged seeing how pitiful that human girl looked. I thought the attacker had assaulted her after seeing the condition of her torn dress that barely had anything left to cover her body¡ª¡±

    ¡°Erlos!¡±

    The displeased voice of their king had a tinge of anger, causing both elves to feel their bodies feel suffocation.

    Erlos immediately kneeled on the floor, thinking he had pissed the King for real by calling him a thief and saying how he would punish the culprit.

    ¡°I was wrong! Please punish me, Sire!¡± he said with his head lowered. ¡°I deserve to be punished but just lightly, lightly¡­Sire¡­¡±

    Leeora decided to plead for his case. ¡°I will apologize in his stead. Erlos is still too young, Sire. Please forgive him. Even I thought it was an attack on her and got it wrong. I am also the reason for this misunderstanding.¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t react to what Leeora said as his mind was somewhere else.

    ¡°From now on, Erlos is banned from that human¡¯s home,¡± the King ordered.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ was the reaction from the elves. They didn¡¯t get the reason for this sudden deration. Not like Erlos was the one to hurt the human, and neither was he a threat to her.

    Who could know Erlos better than Draven himself?

    Yet, Erlos knew this was his chance to avoid punishment and so he simply embraced it.

    ¡°As per your orders. Thank you for your generosity, Sire!¡±

    Draven stared down at the silver-haired elf kneeling in front of him. His red eyes showed a hint of anger hidden underneath his cold and emotionless gaze. Still, neither Leeora nor Erlos could guess the real reason why the King was angry.

    Leeora let out a sigh, relieved that the King didn¡¯t give a tough punishment to Erlos. Still, she remained worried as Draven¡¯s temperament was impossible to understand.

    ¡°Sire, he will follow your punishment. Erlos will never enter Ember¡¯s house from now on,¡± Leeora assured to calm the scary king in front of her.

    ¡°Yes, Sire, I will never even look at her house,¡± Erlos vowed despite not knowing why his master had given him such a punishment. Well, to him, it was not even a punishment. He had nothing to do with that human girl.

    Leeora decided it was time to divert the King¡¯s attention from Erlos. ¡°May I know why Sire brought these elixirs here. If I had given her this potion from the witch n, she would not have been in a worse situation.¡±

    ¡°That is what I wanted to stop you from doing,¡± Draven replied, tapping the box with a long finger.

    Leeora was startled. Did the King just admit that he took the box of elixirs to deliberately deprive the human girl of medicine? If she didn¡¯t hear it straight from his mouth, Leeora would have thought it was nonsense.

    Though Draven hated humankind, it was a shared belief among the residents of Agartha that human children are innocent of their people¡¯s sins. The King was not that cruel to take out his hatred on a weak and helpless human girl.

    ¡°Sire¡­may I inquire why that is so?¡± she asked hesitantly.

    His red eyes stared at her in silence.

    Leeora was an intelligent elf, thus she made a guess in her heart. ¡°Are you trying to check something, Sire?¡±

    ¡°I wonder if she will die¡± Draven replied calmly as if someone¡¯s life and death were not a concern to him.

    ¡°What if she dies?¡± Leeora asked.

    ¡°Then, that¡¯s her destiny,¡± he replied inly, ¡°I wonder if I had not stitched her wound, would she have died in the night?¡±

    Leeora looked at him in disbelief, but she controlled her thoughts as she still believed in her king though he sounded cruel and emotionless. ¡°May I know what Sire is trying to do?¡±

    ¡°Not worth wasting a precious potion on a useless human,¡± he replied, not leaving any more space for Leeora to ask further. The elf elder simply bowed her head, saying she understood his will. Their eyes then fell on the still-kneeling Erlos.

    As if he suddenly remembered something, Draven told Leeora, ¡°If that creature survives, get her a new set of clothes.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± Leeora replied despite the strange order, but then she realized something. She recalled Erlos¡¯ exact words before his master got mad and made a connection. ¡®Is the King put in a foul mood because Erlos saw Ember in torn clothes? That can¡¯t be it, right?¡¯ It was hard to guess what was in his mind.

    She heard the King continue speaking, ¡°Take these elixirs with you but remember what I said.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± she agreed and asked again, ¡°Till how long can I not give her this potion from the witch n?¡±

    ¡°When you feel she can survive without its help. If she is dying, don¡¯t waste it on her,¡± he instructed.

    Shouldn¡¯t he say the opposite, that if she is dying then they need to save her? What was the use of giving it to her when she could survive on her own?

    ¡®Is he really fine with her dying when we can help her?¡¯ Leeora was puzzled. ¡®If he doesn¡¯t care about her, then why did he get angry enough to punish Erlos? What exactly is he nning to do? I do not understand the King¡¯s thoughts.¡¯

    Deciding her doubts wouldn¡¯t be cleared at the moment, Leeora took the box of medicine with her. ¡°I will take my leave then.¡±

    Just as she excused herself, Erlos, who was still kneeling, jumped on his feet and stood up as well.

    ¡°I will see the Elder off,¡± Erlos informed his master. He was about to leave with Leeora when he heard that cold and firm voice behind him.

    ¡°No water and food for you for the day.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Erlos turned to look at his master whose red eyes stared at him with a t gaze.

    Leeora sighed helplessly and thought, ¡®Our king sure loves to hold grudges.¡¯

    Before Erlos could say another word, his body turned upside down in the air.

 Chapter 44

    ¡°S-Sire¡­?¡± With a pitifully sad cry, he disappeared from the study the next moment.

    Leeora turned to look at the expressionless king.. ¡°Sire, where did you send him?¡±

    ¡°You will find him on your way out,¡± Draven replied and resumed his work as if nothing had happened.

    Leeora bowed and left. On her way out, when she passed by the garden, she heard the sound of people talking and curiously approached the source of the noise out of curiosity. She saw a group of pce servants talking andughing among themselves.

    ¡°What did he do this time?¡±

    ¡°He always manages to anger His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I think His Majesty thinks of him as entertainment.¡±

    ¡°Poor Erlos. Always getting punished for something. This is quite creative though.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha, yes, this is an image you don¡¯t see daily.¡±

    ¡°I am d that I am not serving His Majesty. I would probably be too embarrassed to return to work if I get punished this often.¡±

    When Leeora tried to see what they were staring at, she saw Erlos hanging upside down on the huge tree in the centre of the garden. He was pouting like a naughty little kid, hanging with his hands crossed in front of his chest. He didn¡¯t try to free himself as he knew there was no use. Even if he overdrew his powers, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get away with this punishment.

    ¡°Poor child!¡± she mumbled but she also simply turned to leave. There was nothing she could do for him. From the very start, she never meddled in Draven¡¯s way of treating Erlos. Only she knew how much Draven cared for Erlos, and she¡¯s aware that there was always some meaning behind Draven¡¯s harsh actions towards the young elf.

    Erlos red at the passing servants who were making fun of him. ¡°What are you looking at? Don¡¯t you have anything to do? Is it funny for you all?¡±

    His fellow servants even mischievously grinned and he threatened his fist towards their direction.

    ¡°Try serving that coldhearted man for a day and see if I don¡¯tugh at you! I remember your faces and names! Next time I take time off work, I will personally rmend you to be my substitute!¡±

    The other servants immediately dispersed, as if running away from a gue.

    Still hanging upside down in the middle of the garden, Erlos red in the direction of the King¡¯s study. Hisints were the only sounds in the empty area.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I apologize? Why did he punish me like this? It was a mistake, a misunderstanding. Not like I used him of being a thief. And what was that about banning me from that human¡¯s house? Was he upset that I am being friendly witha human when he hates them?¡±

    Erlos recalled the exact reaction of the King at that moment and realized something.

    ¡°He asked Leeora to get new clothes for her¡­Oh my, was he upset because I saw the girl in a torn dress? Pfft. Is that even a good excuse to be angry? Not like he cared for that human. What does it have to do with him even if I see her naked¡ª-eeup! Mmfph? Mmgh!¡±

    He could notplete his sentence as his mouth was shut and wouldn¡¯t open. He knew precisely who did it.

    ¡®So he doesn¡¯t want to hear the truth now? Fine, I will stay here and just sleep for the rest of the day! Call your other servants if you need anything, I don¡¯t care!¡¯

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª

    After Leeora left, Draven simply stayed inside his study with his awareness spread out around the pce. His sensitive ears caught the words exchanged by his servants, especially in the garden area where he had left his bbermouth of a servant dangling as his punishment.

    He listened to Erlos¡¯ mumblings with a frown. Draven initially allowed him to vent his anger out as it was nothing new for him, but when Erlos said certain things, Draven¡¯s frown deepened. Unable to listen anymore, he shut his mouth by using his powers.

    He put away the scroll in his hand and leaned back in his chair.

    ¡®That thing. How careless. Couldn¡¯t she cover herself? Her bed has a nket. Was she expecting me to change her clothes as well? Humans are trulyzy creatures.¡¯

    ¡ª¡ª¨C

    Leeora returned to Ronan. The first thing she did the moment she returned was to check on Ember. The tree spirit guarded her house as per Leeora¡¯s instructions, not letting anyone enter the human girl¡¯s home in her absence.

    ¡®What a pitiful child,¡¯ the elf could not help but sigh. ¡®I wonder what happened between her and the Kingst night.¡¯

    Before entering Ember¡¯s house, Leeora tapped her staff to tell the tree spirit that it did well. As before, she knocked first before entering the house without waiting for its owner¡¯s permission.

    Just as she expected, the human girl was still lying unconscious on her bed. Ember seemed to have not woken up the entire time she was gone. Leeora sat at the edge of the bed and checked her pulse. It was still very weak, making Leeora sigh helplessly.

    ¡®I wish I could give you the vitality potion to drink so you would get better faster, but I cannot go against the King¡¯s order. Only your willpower can help you now, child. Stay strong and survive.¡¯

    Leeora pulled out one of her elixirs from the box. ¡®Though I cannot give you that potion, I hope this elixir will help you regain some strength. It might not help much as your constitution is weak, but something is better than nothing.¡¯

    The High Elder of the Wood Elves found herself wondering what else she could do for Ember. The human girl could not eat or drink water in her state, but without medicine, food could be the only way for Ember to strengthen her body. She might have to wait for the girl to wake up and feed her porridge.

    After checking that everything was fine around Ember, Leeora requested for the tree spirit to continue protecting the human girl living in the house. Only then did Leeora leave, intending to let the elves patrolling the city know that they could now stop looking for the ¡®thief¡¯ who stole her elixirs.

    ¡ª¨C

    The sun had long set and the sky was dark when Draven strolled towards the pce garden. His ck boots made no sounds as he walked towards therge tree in the centre where his servant was hanging upside down with a rope made of vines.

    The young elf had his eyes closed, but he wasn¡¯t asleep. Though Erlos appeared calm on the surface, it was simply due to Draven shutting his mouth with his powers and ignoring him for the whole day.

    ¡°Seems like you are having fun?¡±

    Erlos shivered upon hearing his master¡¯s voice, and it was as if he could still hear his words from earlier.

    ¡®No food and water for a day¡­No food and water for a day¡­¡¯

    ¡®This heartless man really left me to dry under the sun without letting me eat a single bite!¡¯

    The poor starving elf opened his eyes and looked at Draven with misty gaze, like an abandoned puppy. Though he didn¡¯t say anything, one could see him ming Draven for the suffering he went through for the entire day.

    Thinking how unfair his treatment was, Erlos frowned and closed his eyes. He promised himself that as soon as he¡¯s freed, he would run back to Ronan and eat to his tummy¡¯s delight. However, the King¡¯s next words broke his resolve.

    ¡°Since you seem to enjoy hanging like that then I won¡¯t take you down.¡±

    ¡®Wait, what does he mean?!¡¯

    Erlos opened his eyes, but at that point, Draven had already disappeared in thin air. rmed, the young elf wriggled mid-air, trying to let out muffled sounds to call his master back, but only a ¡®mmf!¡¯ sound could be heard from his sealed mouth.

    ¡®Sire! No, Sire! Come back! Where did you go? Don¡¯t leave me alone!¡¯ he sobbed internally. ¡®Does he n to keep me hanging here till tomorrow morning? Argh! Why did I close my eyes? Why didn¡¯t I give him a pleading look? I should have squeezed out a few tears ahhh! That cruel man, couldn¡¯t he wait for me to answer?¡¯

    Erlos could only cry for missing his chance of getting released from this punishment.

 Chapter 45

    While the entire city of Ronan was asleep, Draven quietly appeared in front of the door of Ember¡¯s house. Just as he took a step towards the door, he sensed movement in his surroundings. Upon noticing the presence of an intruder, several branches of the tree moved to block the front of the door.

    Draven was not bothered and simply raised his right hand palms up. A small me appeared on the tip of his fingers, as if to remind the tree spirit who seemed to have forgotten who is its real master.

    Sensing the intense heat of the fire, the tree spirit recognized the intruder, and the threat from the king of this kingdom worked on it.

    Although the tree spirit backed out, it still waved its tree branches around, as if to show distress. As Ember was the one living inside the house within this tree, the tree spirit had started to treat the quiet Ember like a friend. Though tree spirits could not see or talk, they were generally aware of the feelings of those who live within them. It intuitively knew Ember feared Draven.

    The door of the home opened and Draven entered inside, ignoring the tree spirit. Nothing changed inside, aside for the clean bedsheets and the new clothes the girl was wearing. Even the stool with the water jar was still on the spot where he left it.

    The previous night, he did not leave immediately and heard Ember ask for a drink. Since the water was out of her reach, he was the one to shift that water container closer to her bed.

    Draven approached the girl and watched her peaceful sleeping form for some time. Rather than sleeping, it seemed more correct to say she remained unconscious. He sat at the edge of the bed and held her bruised hand to check her pulse.

    ¡®Hmm, still the same.¡¯ He pulled his hand back. ¡®I wonder if you can make it.¡¯

    He unwrapped the bandage covering her right hand and checked her wound. Only he knew what he had seen. He then moved the nket covering her body aside and pulled the skirt of her sleeping gown up to check the wound he had sewed shut.

    He unwrapped that bandage around her thigh. A mysterious smirk appeared on his lips as he covered that wound again in bandages. Just as he was about to fix her skirt, his gazended on her bare leg.

    It reminded him of what Erlos said¡ªabout how he saw her with her dress torn. He remembered how the skirt was ripped, the slit so high the rest of the fabric barely covered her legs. A frown line appeared on his forehead. He pulled her skirt down immediately and covered her body with the nket.

    Draven stood up as he had finished what he was there for. After leaving the house, his red eyes turned towards the tree, silentlymunicating with it, to which the tree spirit responded by shaking a few of its branches.

    When Draven returned to the pce, he reappeared near a particrlyrge tree in the middle of the garden.

    Thud!

    ¡°Ahh! My back¡ª¡± Erlos whined in pain while rolling around the grassy ground.

    ¡°Want to resume hanging?¡±

    Erlos swallowed the curse about to escape his lips upon hearing that voice, and he found his master standing a few feet away from him. His eyes widened as he stretched his body, realizing he could move and speak again.

    ¡°S-Sire, did you just free me?¡± he asked in disbelief. This time, he made sure his expression would show how grateful he truly was. ¡°I knew it! You wouldn¡¯t have abandoned me!¡±

    ¡°A day has passed,¡± was all Draven said.

    ¡®Right, he did say ¡®for a day¡¯,¡¯ Erlos realized. He jumped back to his feet like an energetic squirrel and started moving around despite still feeling a little pain in his muscles. He was a High Elf with a sturdy body, and such light punishments wouldn¡¯t really hurt him.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Sire!¡± he cheered with a silly grin. ¡°I cannot believe you really¡ª-¡±

    ¡°What did you understand?¡± Draven interrupted him, not willing to hear nonsense from his servant.

    The young elf, who was now rubbing his hungry stomach, tilted his head. ¡°What did I understand?¡±

    Draven gave him a t stare as if to say, ¡®Surely, you didn¡¯t think I¡¯d hang you for a day for nothing.¡¯

    Erlos lowered his head in front of Draven as he spoke with all the sincerity he could muster, ¡°After this punishment, I understood that I must never draw any hasty conclusion without looking into the matter properly and getting valid proof. I promise to refrain myself from acting overly agitated and passing judgment without knowing the entire truth. I also promise that I will try to keep calm and not lose myposure regardless of whatever situation I face in the future.¡±

    When he raised his head up to look at the King, he heard Draven say, ¡°Be on time tomorrow morning,¡± before leaving.

    Relieved, Erlos looked at that retreating figure.

    ¡®His ways of teaching me will cost me my life one day, but¡­¡¯ A smile painted itself on Erlos¡¯ lips despite the soreness his entire body was feeling. ¡®But I love the way he teaches me.¡¯

    ¡ª¨C

    The next day, just as Leeora was feeding Lusca the stag, he saw the unruly kid, Zeno, walk by her tree along with his parents. The kid¡¯s father and mother greeted the High Elder with a smile and had a small chat with her.

    Zeno then looked at a certain tree house with curious eyes. ¡°Elder, I heard there was a thief who attacked that human girl.¡±.

    Leeora smiled at the little guy. ¡°Why? Are you worried about her now?¡±

    ¡°Well.¡± He scratched his head as he didn¡¯t wish to admit it. ¡°I was just curious if there is really a thief.¡±

    His parents and Leeora shared knowing looks, aware that the kid was simply feeling shy.

    Leeora could not help but chuckle at his attempt of hiding his concern for Ember. ¡°It was a misunderstanding. There was no thief.¡±

    ¡°But I heard that Ember was hurt. If not a thief, then who hurt her?¡± Zeno asked.

    Even Leeora was curious to know what exactly happened that night. There was a king who never liked to exin, and the only other person who could tell them what happened remained unconscious. And even if she was awake, she was mute so getting an answer to this question was impossible.

    Zeno¡¯s mother dotingly rubbed her son¡¯s head. ¡°Elder, how about we visit this human girl? Is it alright for us to see her?¡±

    Both Zeno¡¯s father and mother were quite young among the elves as well, and they could not help but be curious about Ember, the human girl who Zeno wanted to be friends with.

    Leeora did not hesitate and was in fact d that these elves held no hostility towards Ember. ¡°But Zeno has to behave. Or else¡­¡±

    ¡°Understood, Elder!¡± he said happily and already went running towards the bridge leading towards Ember¡¯s house.

    Just as Zeno reached the door, a long vine-like tree branch blocked the door, causing the little elf to bounce back.

    ¡°Son!¡± His father managed to catch him just in time.

    ¡°Oh, that was fun!¡± However, the little elf seemed to enjoy it and ran towards the door once more. This time, the tree branch wrapped itself around his torso and lifted him. ¡°Elder! This tree spirit is bullying me!¡±

    Shaking her head, Leeora tapped her staff to tell the tree spirit that he can let Zeno go inside, but the tree spirit simply put him down. It still refused to let Zeno enter.

    ¡°Son,e here¡ª¡± Just as his father moved to carry him in his arms, another tree branch came to block his way, pushing both father and son away from the house.

    Leeora was puzzled. ¡°Everyone, step aside.¡±

    Zeno¡¯s family did so and Leeora walked towards the door, but this time, the tree spirit did not block the entrance and let Leeora enter the house.

    Leeora merely let out a helpless smile. ¡°Perhaps this spirit understood my instructions wrong. Its guard is probably up due to what happened to its house owner. It¡¯s all right now, though. Come in¡ª¡±

    However, she spoke too early as the tree spirit moved its branch to continue blocking the little guy and his father. Zeno¡¯s mother though could freely enter the house like Leeora.

    Leeora tapped her staff on the floor, but the tree spirit didn¡¯t seem to be listening to her.

    ¡°Bully! This tree spirit is a big bad bully!¡±

    Zeno started making a fuss, causing some of his friends nearby to approach out of curiosity. The other boys were also pushed away by the tree branches, except for the mother apanying one of the boys.

    Zeno¡¯s mother had an awkward look. ¡°Elder¡­I think the tree spirit is not allowing males toe close¡­¡±

    Leeora frowned, but she agreed since she also reached the same conclusion.

    ¡®The owner of the house is still unconscious and I did not leave such instructions. Other than me, the High Elder, the only person powerful enough to make a contracted tree spirit obedient is the King¡­Could it be¡­?¡¯

    Leeora realised something.

    ¡®The King had ordered the tree spirit not to let any male enter the home.¡¯

    But the question was, ¡®Why? Why did he stop any male from entering Ember¡¯s home? And only males? He even banned Erlos, his most trusted person from entering her home. Not even that kid Zeno was allowed¡¯

    Such behaviour was totally unexpected from him when he didn¡¯t even care for her.

 Chapter 46

    That morning, while Draven was getting ready for the day with Erlos fussing about his appearance a little more than usual. The elf seemed to be torn between giving him a form-fitting ck frock coat with silver runes on the linings, or an amber-coloured tailcoat with red scale patterns on the chest, leaning more on thetter to match the colour of a single jewelled earring on Draven¡¯s left ear.

    ¡°Sire, what do you think? This second one is better, right?¡±

    The ck-haired king didn¡¯t care as he simply adjusted his equally ck gloves, his mind upied with thoughts of a certain human girl.

    ¡®That thing, what is she?¡¯

    His handsome face continued to wear a frown as he wondered how he should proceed in investigating the mysteries of that girl. For someone like him who¡¯s aware of the countless secrets of thisnd, there weren¡¯t many who were as knowledgeable as him.

    As he pondered, his sensitive ears caught a familiar sound, causing the number of frown lines on his forehead to double.

    An irritating existence was approaching.

    ¡°You can leave,¡± Draven instructed Erlos, who seemed finally satisfied with the ck outfit he chose for Draven.

    Erlos wanted to protest since he was not yet done with his artwork, but seeing the King¡¯s displeased expression reflected in the mirror, he smartly shut up and didn¡¯t ask anything. After a quick bow, he left the King¡¯s chamber.

    The moment Erlos left, the heavy sound of pping wings resounded within the walls of his chamber, as if arge bird wasing from outside and about tond inside.

    His red eyes glittered as an evil smirk appeared on his lips.

    Thud!

    The ss window of his chamber closed on its own, and not even a secondter, a rough ¡®bang!¡¯ brutally rattled the window, as if a body collided against it. The sound of cursing could be heard from the other side of the window.

    The window crashed open as an invisible energy attack shot through it towards Draven.

    Smash!

    Draven casually stepped away to avoid the attack as if he not only expected it, but was long used to it. Unfortunately, the mirror in front of him received the attack and shattered into pieces.

    The red-eyed man turned around just in time to see someone jumped inside into his chamber, the intruder being in the middle of shifting into his human form, gusts of wind forming around him as hisrge wings disappeared behind his back to transform into a feathery cape as tall as his body.

    ¡°Did you miss me, Your Majesty?¡± a cheeky male voice said in a mocking tone.

    A half-naked man with short ashy grey hair and eyes of the same colour, looking like a human in histe twenties, was standing by the window with an aggressive, even roguish expression. His bare chest and parts of his face were marked with white tribal tattoos, which were part of the tradition of the family where he belonged. d in only a feather cape and dark short pants, his wild appearance was inplete contrast to the luxurious chamber he intruded into.

    However, Draven seemed more bothered by the mess inside his chamber rather than the fact that a shapeshifter had intruded inside it.

    ¡°Is this how you wee guests? By ignoring them?¡± the neer asked.

    ¡°No invited guests arrive like this,¡± Draven countered and looked at the shards of ss scattered on the floor. ¡°My servant won¡¯t be happy seeing this mess.¡±

    ¡°That kid?¡± he chuckled. ¡°You keep troubling him all the time, why pity him now? He¡¯s used to cleaning up after your mess¡ª¡±

    ¡°Morpheus,¡± Draven cut him off, offering him a re that seemed to warn him to back away, that only he was allowed to create troubles for Erlos.

    The shapeshifter called Morpheus sneered.

    Shapeshifters were a race of people who had the innate ability to partially or fully transform their bodies into an animal form or mythical beast, at the same time inheriting magical talents depending on the purity of their bloodlines. In terms of mentality though, it could be said they live mostly with instinct, and they value pride and freedom the most. Their personalities were closer to wild animals and were thus considered the most temperamental and least civilized among the races of Agartha.

    Divine Eagle Morpheus, considered one of the strongest warriors among the shapeshifters, was a ssic example of their aggression and savageness.

    ¡°Are you tempting me to create more trouble for that kid?¡±

    Rather than fearing the Devil King, the shapeshifter was filled with apetitive spirit.

    ¡°Try it,¡± Draven said in a warning tone.

    Morpheus loved a challenge and he looked around the chamber as if to check where he should start. ¡°Even if you are stronger than me, it will be toote by the time you stop me. It won¡¯t even take my sonic powers a second to ruin your royal chamber.¡±

    ¡°You know you will be the one cleaning afterwards, Morpheus.¡±

    Morpheus snorted as he looked around for a ce to sit. ¡°That¡¯s a lovely dream.¡±

    ¡°Stay there.¡± Draven walked over towards where the shapeshifter was standing, the random shards of his mirror getting crushed under his boots with each step, until he stood facing the neer. He asked straightforwardly, ¡°Why did youe?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me sit first? I am a guest! A guest!¡±

    Draven scowled. ¡°Don¡¯t waste my time.¡±

    ¡°How dare I waste Your Majesty¡¯s precious time?¡± The way he addressed Draven as ¡®His Majesty¡¯ held a sarcastic tone to it. ¡°Fine. I will be direct then. The Chief said you brought an outsider to your pce and that too a human.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± Dravenmented.

    ¡°I am here because it concerns you, and what concerns you is my concern since I am yet to find an opportunity to get back at you.¡±

    Morpheus said those as if it made perfect sense to him, but it merely made Draven give him a bored look.

    ¡°Keep trying.¡±

    ¡°You put that human in the care of the Wood Elves. That means you don¡¯t n to send her to the human viges.¡±

    ¡°My kingdom, my decisions.¡±

    ¡°Sure! Sure! Your Majesty King Draven Aramis,¡± he said mockingly. ¡°You want to be a tyrant now? You don¡¯t care about how your people feel? Are you not yet aware that news has spread and there is an uproar in every city in all territories? The people do not want a human living among us, interacting with us and our children, destroying the peace we all fought so hard for.¡±

    Morpheus¡¯ eyes held unreserved anger. True to his honest personality, not only was he straightforward, but he was also painfully direct when it came to his interactions. He had no qualms speaking even with the King.

    ¡°Never again, Your Majesty,¡± Morpheus spat out. ¡°Our people have already paid for your mistake of trusting humans once. Once is enough. We did consent that not all human beings are evil and greedy, and we gave them a chance. The human viges are proof of that. That¡¯s the limit. Anything beyond that is stupidity. Have you forgotten it already, Your Majesty? We allowed, no, we weed that¡­that taboo in our midst once¡­¡±

    Draven simply stared at him as it was the truth. Centuries back when the Kingdom of Agartha was newly founded, because of his mistake of trusting a human, the supernatural beings he vowed to protect had to pay a huge price. Everyone suffered and lost their loved ones, and Morpheus also lost his family then.

 Chapter 47

    ¡°The others must have forgiven you but I can¡¯t and I won¡¯t,¡± Morpheus said as he took a step towards Draven, his sharp eyes ring straight into his emotionless-looking eyes.

    ¡°I never sought your forgiveness. Don¡¯t be mistaken,¡± Draven said, not willing to show even an ounce of remorse.

    Morpheus dryly chuckled. ¡°As expected of you, Almighty Draven.¡±

    ¡°If you are done crying over the past, leave my pce. I don¡¯t have time to apany you in your tears.¡±

    Not feeling affected by it, Morpheus walked around Draven with a steady gait.

    ¡°I am not fond of seeing crocodile tears myself,¡± he said and then went for the real reason why he came. ¡°I am here to give you advice.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t need any,¡± Draven replied.

    ¡°You might need it when ites to that human.¡± Morpheus stopped walking as he stood exactly in front of Draven. ¡°That human, you care so much about her, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Draven guessed something. ¡°Seems like you can¡¯t get rid of your habit of spying.¡±

    Morpheus didn¡¯t deny it, as he had witnessed the King¡¯s strange actions for the past couple of nights. ¡°When eagles fly high in the sky, their eyes miss nothing.¡±

    Draven crossed his arms in front of his chest without a word, but his red eyes glittered dangerously.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that, Almighty One? Are you bothered that these bird¡¯s eyes have caught something it shouldn¡¯t?¡±

    Morpheus moved with a sly grin towards therge armchair on one side of the chamber, acting as if he¡¯s the owner of the ce andfortably sat on it. Draven merely followed his movements with his eyes.

    ¡°Saving her when she fell off the cliff, bringing her back home, treating her injury, secretly sneaking inside her home¡­so generous, aren¡¯t we, our King Draven who can do no wrong?¡±

    The next moment, all the sharp pieces of broken mirror on the floor floated in the air, their tips pointed towards the shapeshifter¡¯s head, some even already pricking his neck.

    Draven¡¯s slow yet dignified voice reached his ears. ¡°Do you n to personally experience that generosity?¡±

    Despite sessfully provoking the King, Morpheus chuckled with no fear in his eyes. ¡°You dare not. If you wanted to kill me, you would not have waited till now.¡± He touched one of the floating shards scratching his neck and easily moved it away with his finger.

    Draven sighed, and all of a sudden, the broken fragments crashed back towards the floor. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I told you I am here to suggest something to you,¡± Morpheus replied as a grin filled with contempt spread across his face.

    ¡°Say it and leave,¡± Draven warned coldly.

    Morpheus knew no matter how ill-tempered Draven was on the outside, he would not hurt anyone without a reason. Draven was known as a heartless king because he was cruel to his enemies, but he was a sword that would never point his de at the people of Agartha. That was also the reason why despite not understanding some of his decisions, many of the elders of the races chose to trust him.

    ¡°Justst night, the leaders of the different families convened with the Chief, demanding that the human girl you brought be sent to the outskirts of the kingdom. I say, perhaps not only among the shapeshifters, but this uproar must also be happening throughout the territories. I bet in a day or two, the council will request a meeting with you, reminding you of the agreement as well as the sin youmitted in the past. I am sure you look forward to all that drama.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wasting my time by stating the obvious,¡± Dravenmented.

    ¡°Apologies, my king, for wasting your time,¡± Morpheus said sarcastically. However, he leaned forward, his ashy grey eyes glittering with malice. ¡°But isn¡¯t there a way to convince them? An absolute guarantee that will assure your mistake won¡¯t be repeated?¡±

    Draven stared at him as if he knew exactly what this brazen eagle was talking about.

    Morpheusughed. ¡°Yes. I know that look. You know what I am trying to say, don¡¯t you?¡± Morpheus stood up from his seat. ¡°Knowing you, I did guess you have already made ns to keep that girl, but even I am surprised you are willing to go that far for a human. Should I be happy I did not guess wrong?¡±

    Draven remained expressionless. ¡°If you are here to predict the future, you are free to go.¡±

    ¡°Draven, my king!¡± Morpheus said in a sarcastic sing-song tone. ¡°When will you do it? Today? Tonight? To be able to keep that human with you without disturbing the peace, as your good old friend, I wholeheartedly support it!¡±

    ¡°Still not leaving?¡± Draven asked as his expression gradually turned cold.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait for the Almighty King Draven to finally have a weakness!¡± the shapeshifter said, as if rejoicing in mockery. As he walked towards the open window, he scratched his chin lightly as if he was thinking about something. ¡°That human girl¡­hmm¡­interesting!¡±

    Draven clenched his fists but his expression remained the same, cold as ice, as if wanting to plunge the entire ce in winter. Morpheus didn¡¯t fail to notice it and smirked since he got what he wanted.

    With his eyes looking like a sly fox, he waved as if saying goodbye to a dear friend. ¡°I think I shall see her closely. In case you might not want to keep her, perhaps I can bring her to my nest and tend to her needs.¡±

    Draven knew this eagle was trying to get on his nerves so he controlled himself, keeping his appearance cold. But inside, he was filled with the urge to tear his wings away and throw him out beyond those mountain ranges to suffer.

    The tension inside the chamber melted at the sound of a knock on the door. Draven knew who it was as he could sense his personal servant¡¯s presence beyond it. Before the elf could announce himself, the door opened as Draven permitted Erlos to enter the room.

    Erlos was about to say something when he saw the mess on the carpeted floor with trembling eyes. He looked like a wronged wife about to scream in frustration at her drunk husband. When Erlos lifted his head, he red at someone familiar standing inside who he knew was the culprit.

    ¡°Do I have to clean up after your mess every single time, Sire? Next time, please fight in the garden, or the field or the training grounds¡ª¡±

    ¡°me him,¡± Draven said, taking his hands out of this trouble. The only thing he did this time was dodge. He was truly innocent.

    ¡°It happened like that,¡± Morpheus said as he didn¡¯t look regretful.

    The frown lines on his forehead deepened the more Erlos looked at the floor. He could not help but mutter under his breath, ¡°I really don¡¯t like this eagle.¡±

    ¡°My servant says he doesn¡¯t like you,¡± Draven smirked and even before Morpheus could say a word, his body was thrown out of the window, at the speed that he looked like a dot by the time Erlos looked outside the window.

    ¡°Uhm, Sire, will this be alright?¡± Erlos looked at Draven in disbelief, but he could not deny he found it funny that such a strong warrior was being thrown out like a little kid.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you don¡¯t like that birdbrain?¡± Draven replied, a wicked smirk on his lips.

    ¡°Serves him right¡ªwait, Sire, let me correct you. I did not call him a birdbrain! It¡¯s you who called him that!¡± Erlosined with a smile, knowing his master¡¯s dark mood was brightened up by that small act.

 Chapter 48

    Once they got rid of the uninvited shapeshifter, Erlos remembered why he came to his master in the first ce. He was there to report something.

    ¡°Sire, Melion is waiting to have an audience with you in your study.¡±

    Since Draven already knew what it was about, his gaze turned grave. ¡®So it finally started.¡¯

    Simply nodding in response, Draven disappeared from his chamber and reappeared inside his study where a small winged person in pure white robes was waiting for him. It was a dirty blond young man with thin gossamer wings on his back, his delicate size small enough to fit a person¡¯s palm.

    ¡°Melion.¡±

    Upon Draven¡¯s arrival, the fairy bowed to him before transforming to a size simr to an adult human.

    ¡°Your servant greets King Draven, the ruler of Agartha,¡± Melion said in a smooth, almost musical voice.

    A great majority of the ordinary pce servants serving under Draven were elves, but that didn¡¯t mean the other races were not working within the pce. Many of those holding official roles were creatures who travelled around the kingdom, as they had special responsibilities entrusted upon their shoulders by the King of Agartha.

    One of them was Melion from the Wind Fae, a fairy of the wind-attribute serving as an aide, advisor and messenger of the King.

    As a spirit born out of the Wind, Melion was one of the fastest supernatural creatures who had the ability to circle the entire Kingdom of Agartha in a blink of an eye, fusing his body with the essence of the wind itself. His speed was perhaps only second to Draven, who had the ability to teleport.

    Melion was famous for his greatmunication skills and impartiality, thus it became his role to bring messages back and forth between the King and the members of the council spread across the different territories of the kingdom.

    Draven sat in his armchair behind the desk and gestured for his aide to talk.

    Before saying anything, Melion ced one scroll on the King¡¯s table for him to read while he stood quietly waiting for his king to finish reading it.

    Draven simply nced at it before tossing the scroll to the side of the room as if it was nothing important. He returned his gaze to Melion.

    The King¡¯s messenger was not surprised with that attitude as he knew the King already knew those were signed petitions from the various elders from all throughout the kingdom. It was more an annoying formality than anything, and it was nothing new for him to see the King throwing those scrolls directly outside his study to be burned by the servants on cleaning duty.

    Melion cleared his throat and said, ¡°Sire, the news of you bringing the human to the pce has spread around the kingdom, even to the human viges at the outskirts of the kingdom. Instead of sending her to the human territory, we are keeping her in the care of the Wood Elves. This action of yours made the inhabitants of the kingdom believe you are turning soft towards the humans.¡±

    Melion waited for his king¡¯s reaction, for him to say something over this im or at least deny it, but Draven simply stared at him as if telling him to continue.

    ¡°Aside from the fact that you broke the agreement, many of the people are talking about how this means it is your intention to allow humankind to enter and interact with the supernatural ns. This is one of the biggest causes of headaches for the council members. Not only that, even the humans are now demanding fair treatment.¡±

    ¡°Fair treatment?¡± Draven repeated, as if in disgust.

    The male fae schooled his expression. ¡°The leader of the humans has requested that they too be allowed to leave their viges and enter the other parts of the kingdom freely just like the other races. They don¡¯t want to be neglected as a territory of the kingdom. Their leader also requested to have a member from the humankind be present as part of the council, basically giving them all the rights of a proper citizen of this kingdom.¡±

    Though Melion was saying these words calmly, if the other aides and servants of the King were present to listen to his words, they would definitely be angered. However, the fae continued to exin the intelligence he gathered.

    ¡°Thest time they requested that they be allowed to enter a neighbouring territory had been two decades ago when the water from the river was unusually low and caused their harvests to yield lower than normal, but we didn¡¯t allow that since it would cause conflict with the elves. Now that they heard elves are allowing a human in their city, the humans in the viges feel indignation. This incident seems to have awakened the dissatisfaction they were suppressing. They are demanding equal rights.¡±

    Draven¡¯s eyes darkened, ¡°Those ungrateful creatures! Seems like it¡¯s time to wipe them from this kingdom. It¡¯s been so long I haven¡¯t heard the screams of those creatures as they burnt to ashes.¡±

    Melion simply lowered his head without saying a word. He knew it was not a difficult thing for his king to exterminate the human refugees living in the viges, and it reminded him of the battle with the human kingdoms centuries before. The Wind Fae sure didn¡¯t want to see the King in his devil form as whenever he appeared in that form, there was nothing but disaster following it.

    ¡°Sire,¡± he hesitated, ¡°may I say something in this regard?¡±

    Draven moved his gaze filled with murderous intent towards his aide.

    ¡°The time has changed, Sire¡± He started, ¡°We should not handle this matter the way we did in the past. Now decades have passed and all the ns are living in harmony in this kingdom. We can not exclude humans from being a part of this kingdom. it will show pure violence rather than harmony. After all, these humans did not sin against us. Will it not be wrong to punish them simply for being born as a human?

    Nothing could be gathered from Draven¡¯s expression. Still, Melion continued to talk.

    ¡°If we opt the old way and all the humans vanish from the kingdom, though other ns as well support you in it, it will cause their trust in you to break. Other ns will think if they oppose the king for anything, the king will do the same with their n as he did with innocent people. The trust will break and suspicions will rise. It will only lead to the destruction of the peace in the kingdom. What we have worked on for centuries will be meaningless with only one wrong decision.

    ¡°The unity among the ns will break and it will again put the supernaturals into danger against the humans. If the news of humans being killed in this kingdom reaches outside human kingdoms, they will think we are trying to rise against them and they will once again prepare for the war.

    ¡°Though we will win the war with the abilities Sire has, it will still cause great massacre and damage and once again we have to spend another century to rebuild this kingdom. Though other ns still trust you and follow what you say, there is that one thing which is still stuck in their hearts: that just because of Sire in the past the massacre happened and we lost so many things and our people. If it happens again because of you, they will never trust you or anyone.

    ¡°All the supernatural ns might fight among themselves to take over the power and over other ns thinking this is the way to keep their n safe. The day unity among the ns will break, the existence of the supernatural on this continent wille to an end.¡±

    ¡°The day our people stop trusting you, our king, the existence of the supernatural beings on this continent will be in grave danger once more.¡±

    Melion was not just a messenger but a talented aid of the king who always tried to advise the king in the best way possible.

    Draven knew what Malion said was right. Though Draven was powerful, if other ns started fighting among themselves, he won¡¯t be able to stop them as using his powers there won¡¯t be of any use. They won¡¯t be scared of dying when ites to protecting the existence of their own races.

    ¡°What are you thinking, Sire?¡± Melion asked, trying to figure out if what he said made sense to the king.

    ¡°I will find a way,¡± Draven replied.

    The way where he could keep the human in the kingdom but it won¡¯t disturb the peace.

 Chapter 49

    Far away at one of the mountains a tall figure stood up from the bed of snow and pped its wings to get rid of that snow from them. He looked in the direction of the far-away pce and smirked.

    ¡°You can just throw me away but you can not get rid of me. Wait till the day I turn one human into your weakness and then use it against you. The very human that you even hate their existence will be your doom one day.¡±

    The pair ofrge, strong and wide wings spread at their fullest and the man took his beast form- the divine eagle and flew away from there.

    He flew over those mountain ranges and vastnd that was dense with numerous tall trees, making it look like a green velvet from high up in the sky. When he reached above Ronan, he smirked.

    ¡°See you soon human,¡± and flew to his n territory.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    In the middle of the night. Draven was thinking about what was going on in his kingdom- The kingdom, which was peaceful until he brought this human with him. At first, he didn¡¯t intend to even look at her lest her save from the fire but he was forced to save her. But now, he didn¡¯t regret bringing her with him as he started to think there was some connection between him and her and there was a reason for her appearance in his life that he needed to find it.

    He sighed, ¡°That thing!¡±

    The more he thought of her, the more it made him frustrated as he simply could not stop thinking about her.

    ¡®I shall check if that thing is dying or can keep living?¡¯

    The previous night he had visited her but he could not stop himself from going to check on her once again.

    When the city of Ronan was in a deep sleep, Draven appeared at the human¡¯s home in Ronan. This time the tree spirit didn¡¯t stop him.

    He looked at the tree as he asked in his mind, ¡®Did you let any male enter the home?¡¯

    The tree shook its branches in a response to what Draven asked. Draven understood the meaning and moved towards the home where the door opened for him on its own.

    The moment he entered the inside home, his sensitive ears caught the sound of unstable ragged breathing and unclear mumbling. He looked at the human lying in bed and as expected it was her and she was not fine. He walked closer only to see a scared little thing.

    She looked so scared as if trying to run away but her body could not move. Her entire body was covered in sweat. He went closer to the bed and heard her mumbling.

    ¡°Fire¡­ fire¡­it hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°Save me¡­.help me¡­.¡±

    ¡°It hurts¡­Ahh¡­Pain¡­¡±

    Tears were rolling down the corner of her eyes as she sobbed in her sleep.

    Draven simply looked at her with an emotionless gaze and stood at the edge of the bed.

    Her hand clutched the nket covering her and she shrunk into the ball just like how Draven had found her on that mountain surrounded by the fire from everywhere.

    ¡®Nightmare? Is she having a nightmare?¡¯

    He had been in the same situation as her so many times but he was not sure if it was just a nightmare or the reality of his life that he had forgotten. That pain when every time he had that dream it was not just pain of stabbing but he could feel the pain of that woman who stabbed him. She was hurting deep inside her heart and her tears told him as much as it hurt him, it hurt her the same.

    He could understand what this human must be feeling and subconsciously his hand moved to hold her hand that clutched the nket. His warm palm covered her thin, delicate and cold hand.

    As if she felt the presence of someone and thatforting warmth even if that was a little, her hands stopped clutching the nket as she mumbled.

    ¡°Gaia¡­¡±

    Frowned lines appeared on his forehead, ¡®Is she thinking I am that person?¡¯

    The next moment his doubt was clear when she let go of the nket and held his hand.

    ¡°Gaia..don¡¯t leave me¡­¡± She thought it was Gaia the only person she ever knew was with her now.

    When she feltforted and turned calm, whose hand she was holding, his eyes turned into a darker and deeper shade of red that showed he was turning angry.

    ¡®Is Gaia a male?¡¯

    How could she mistake thatrge hand of his for the hand of any female?

    His jaw tightened at the thought of it and he felt like throwing this human back to who she was remembering at the moment. He wanted to pull his hand back but that little thing had held it tightly like a child having a toy that helps it to sleep.

    He waited for a few moments and pulled his hand back as if he felt disgusted. The human female seemed to be in such a deep sleep that she didn¡¯t realize what was happening and continued sleeping.

    ¡®Disgusting and annoying humans!¡± He frowned at the existence of all the humans on this earth and stepped out of that home.

    Just as he was out, he looked at the sky at whatever was visible through the crowns of those tall trees. He was searching if someone was there high up in the sky but tonight it looked calm and no one was around to keep an eye on him and this human.

    ¡®Seems like he had learned his lesson.¡¯

    The next moment Draven disappeared from there and appeared in his chamber in the pce. He went to his bed as he had a few things in his mind.

    ¡®So, I was right. She won¡¯t die so easily. Even if I had not sewed her wound, she would have managed to survive even if it was as a living corpse. She seemed to have been born with a purpose and won¡¯t die until she fulfils it.¡¯

    He was trying to join links and figure out things.

    ¡®But, does it have anything to do with me? Why am I the only one she keeps summoning to save her? That fool human doesn¡¯t even seem to know she is the one to summon me then how is it even happening?¡¯

    There was no answer to these questions.

    He looked at his hand that she held like a sleeping toy. His warm hand could still feel the touch of that cold and delicate hand. Not getting any answers, just like the past few days, the same question he asked-

    ¡®Who are you?¡¯

 Chapter 50

    North of Agartha, in the forest bordering the rugged peaks around the kingdom, a beautiful eagle with ashy gray feathers could be seen gliding swiftly with a downward momentum.

    Within that dense forest, ancient trees with height so tall and width so wide they resembled tower spires could be seen somewhat covered in fog. Large thatched houses made of interwoven branches could be seen hanging on the bodies of every tree, their features seemingly like giant nests.

    Morpheus had reached Redcrest, an imposing city within the territory of the shapeshifters and thend where the Divine Eagles ruled over the other feathered races.

    Just as hended and transformed to his human form outside of his house, one eagle n member approached him as if waiting for his arrival.

    ¡°Hey, Morph,¡± the eagle casually called out, looking to be of simr age as Morpheus. ¡°The Family Head¡ªI mean, the Chief has asked for you.¡±

    The race of shapeshifters followed thews of the jungle, particrly on how they revered bloodlines and strength, and their hierarchy were particrly strict not only within their own family but with other families as well, just like how predators like wolves dominate over small animals like rabbits. Morpheus¡¯ uncle, the Head of the Divine Eagles, was the current strongest shapeshifter alive, and thus, he was also the acting Chief of their entire race.

    Morpheus sighed and walked towards the door of his home without answering.

    ¡°Morph? Are you listening? Hey, Morpheus!¡±

    ¡°I am tired, Iden,¡± Morpheus said as he entered his house. His residence was modest,cking decoration and looking empty with only basic furniture made out of wood inside. Though it was fairly spacious, one could see the entire house upon entering the ce. Morpheus went toy on his bed, which was nothing more than a pile of dried grass which was covered with soft animal skin.

    ¡°Chief said it¡¯s urgent,¡± Iden insisted. ¡°All the other family heads have arrived and they are only waiting for you.¡±

    Morpheus decided to ignore him, but Iden was sent to him for a reason. He was persistent.

    ¡°Hey¡ª¡±

    ¡°Morph¡ª¡±

    ¡°Can you hear me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you really asleep?¡±

    After a while, Morpheus sighed and sat up on the bed. ¡°You won¡¯t give up unless I go?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Chief¡¯s order and I have to carry it,¡± Iden replied with a shrug.

    Morpheus stood up, and in the fraction of a moment, he turned into his other form, flying away from his house without stopping until hended on the most magnificent tree within the city.

    The residence of the Chief of the Shapeshifters was a gigantic ancient tree with a thick crown and an even thicker body,rge enough that numerous connecting nests were built around it, and the hollowed trunk further divided into sections with the entrance at the bottom of the tree. The entire tree was divided into different floors, and protected by enchantments, making it the most important ce within the City of Redcrest.

    The first floor was amon-use area, and it had a huge assembly hall that was meant for meetings by the leaders, while the other floors were used by the Chief¡¯s family.

    When Morpheus reached the assembly hall, he saw the influential people from various families all seated, waiting for him. He knew why they were waiting for him.

    ¡°Morpheus, finally, you are here.¡±

    A middle-aged man with gray hair color simr to Morpheus, only his hair had a slightly bluer tint, was seated at the head of the long table. His wild appearance was simr to Morpheus¡ªfrom his feather cape to his white tribal tattoos¡ªonly that this man¡¯s marks were numerous, almost covering every inch of his dark skin, highlighting the aplishments he had umted during his younger years.

    He was Agraleus, the Chief of the Shapeshifters.

    Hearing the Chief¡¯s words, the attendees of the meeting all turned to look at one of the strongest warriors among their kind. There were males and females with various appearances, each giving off different scents and auras, some of them in their original forms. There were those of the feathered races¡ªthe ordinary eagles, the golden crows, the blood hawks, the red-crowned cranes and the doves¡ªand there were also the leaders of the other families like the wolves, the cats, the berserkers, and merpeople, among others..

    Morpheus bowed his head in front of his uncle, Agraleus. ¡°Chief, you asked for me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Morpheus,¡± the Chief said. He went straight to the point as soon as his nephew was seated. ¡°Did you meet the King?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did,¡± Morpheus replied.

    Curiosity could be seen on the faces of everyone within the hall. The leaders of each family knew the kind of rtionship Draven and Morpheus shared. This warrior was the only person in the entire kingdom who dared to be brazen in front of King Draven, never fearing him contrary to the instinct that shapeshifters have against the devil. They also knew whatever Morpheus did, the King would not do anything to harm him.

    Agraleus nodded. ¡°Then, did you talk to him about what we discussed yesterday?¡±

    ¡°I did.¡±

    Morpheus answered only what he had been asked and didn¡¯t bother to exin, causing the hall to be silent as the people around him waited for him to say more.

    His uncle realized the silence would go on if he continued to wait, so he asked, ¡°What did you two talk about?¡±

    ¡°I told him what issues will arise if the human remains within the Forest of the Elves.¡±

    ¡°What did His Majesty say?¡± the leader of the merpeople asked.

    ¡°He is the king of this kingdom. Do we really expect him to not know about the consequences?¡± Morpheus asked.

    The Chief sighed. ¡°That is the issue. Despite knowing everything, the King is ignoring it and continues to keep that human female in the city of the Wood Elves.¡±

    The leader of the Golden Crows chimed in. ¡°I wonder why the King did not send that human to the human viges. I heard she is a child, a young female. Won¡¯t it be morefortable for her too to be surrounded by adults of her own kind?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­the King has taken a liking towards that female and intended to raise her to be his woman?¡± someone murmured.

    All conversations stopped within the hall. Everyone had sensitive ears due to their animal-like senses, and those shocking words were enough to scare the souls out of everyone in attendance.

 Chapter 51

    Then all of a sudden, it was as if a dam broke as the people started arguing.

    ¡°How dare you imply our King wants a human as apanion?¡±

    ¡°Are you delirious?¡±

    ¡°Someone beat up this lunatic!¡±

    ¡°W-What? Did I say anything wrong? I am just guessing too!¡±

    ¡°Use your head! Words are precious¡ªonce you say them, you can¡¯t take them back! Are you asking to be killed and all your descendants to be killed? A devil falling for a human? Hah! Preposterous! You just insulted the King!¡±

    ¡°We know how cunning and treacherous humans can be. Our king will not favour them even if it¡¯s a female.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said I am just making a guess! Can you think of any other reason? Agartha has remained peaceful for so long, so why did the King break this unwritten rule for a single human female?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps¡­you are right. Maybe the human tricked the King¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a child¡ª¡±

    ¡°I heard she¡¯s a youngdy so she might be only feigning innocence¡ª¡±

    ¡°What if¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªwe can¡¯t allow the King to fall for human¡¯s tricks again!¡±

    ¡°Once was enough!¡±

    Surrounded by chaos, Morpheus let out a bored sigh and rubbed his ear with a finger as if to say their chattering was annoying.

    ¡°Silence!!!¡±

    The Chief¡¯s loud voice resounded within the assembly hall, its imbued sonic power causing the walls to slightly shake. Though he controlled it to not hurt anyone, it still caused some weaker ones to suffer ringing sounds in their heads. However, his shout sessfully calmed down the arguing leaders in attendance.

    Agraleus red at the leaders, especially the most hot-headed ones, before speaking, ¡°We know nothing for sure, though I am pointing out that if His Majesty had truly taken a liking to that female, she should have stayed in his pce, not given to the elves in Ronan.¡±

    Someone hurried to agree to it. ¡°True. Don¡¯t we know the King? He had never taken a liking to any female. The Fae, the Snow Elves, the Moon Elves, the mermaids¡ªwhich of them aren¡¯t peerless beauties? Even with the Head of the Witches, King Draven didn¡¯t bat an eyelid in front of her beauty. Compared to such existences, human females won¡¯t even stand a chance.¡±

    ¡°Even if we pick the least attractivedy among the Dark Elves, she will still be more beautiful than the prettiest human females.¡±

    ¡°Well, now that you mention that, I heard from a merchant in Ronan that the human female is quite uglypared to an average human.¡±

    ¡®Ugly?¡¯ Morpheus wondered if it was right to say she¡¯s ugly. He remembered watching her when she was sitting by the edge of the cliff. Though he was far away from her, he had seen her eyes and he felt they were like the most precious green gemstones he had seen.

    Because of her eyes, he didn¡¯t pay much attention to the rest of her appearance. After all, for a warrior like him, the bruises and scars on her body were like badges of honour, akin to the white tribal tattoos his family painted on their bodies¡ªevidence of the suffering they went through and a show of pride that they survived through them all.

    ¡°¡ªStill we can not deny this possibility of the King taking a liking to her. Afterall, he is a male and she is a female that he saved¡­¡±

    The Chief of the Shapeshifters raised his hand to stop everyone from talking and focused on his silent nephew.

    ¡°Morpheus, didn¡¯t you try to tell him what is good for this kingdom?¡± Agraleus asked.

    Morpheus smirked. ¡°I did offer him some advice.¡±

    Thinking that Morpheus must have asked the King to send that human out of the kingdom, the Chief nodded. ¡°Then, what did he say? Did he agree to it?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t agree but he didn¡¯t refuse it either,¡± Morpheus replied, as his eyes carried an evil ze. ¡°I believe he¡¯s considering epting my advice.¡±

    ¡°We can only expect him to consider it,¡± the Chief agreed.

    Morpheus suppressed the evil grin forming on his face. He vowed inwardly, ¡®I will make sure he will consider it.¡¯

    ¡°In the next council meeting, I will press the King to send that female to the human viges. I have received messages from the council members from the other races that they have made a decision and we, shapeshifters, are actually thest ones to make a stand. We won¡¯t leave this matter until that human is out of here. At the next council meeting, it will be the end of this issue.¡±

    ¡®I wonder if I shall attend that meeting? Though only council members go there, as one of the strongest warriors who helped the King build this kingdom¡­Am I not his good old friend?¡¯ Morpheus smirked. ¡®I can always go there.¡¯

    The meeting went on, but it was nothing but pure boredom for Morpheus. However, he had to wait until it was done to leave, at least as a show of respect towards the influential figures among the shapeshifters.

    As soon as his uncle adjourned the meeting, he escaped the assembly hall in his beast form. While flying around, he realized he had gone near the rugged peaks outside the city. He noticed a certain ce up a rocky slope and hisrge wings brought him there before he realized it.

    A graveyard.

    Dotting that side of the rocky mountain were tombstones. For the people of the feathered race, it was part of their tradition for their loved ones to be buried in locations where they were nearest to the vast sky, and at the same time, they could watch over the people they left behind below them.

    Morpheusnded in front of two graves that belonged to his family.

    One belonged to his father, the previous head of the Divine Eagles as well as the most powerful warrior their family ever had. Beside that gravey his mother, known as a female warrior equally powerful as his father.

    When his parents were alive, that time was revered as the golden age for their kind, but before their people could enjoy prosperity, war broke out once more. Both lost their lives when humankindunched a brutal massacre against the people of Agartha.

    ¡°Father! Mother!¡±

    He kneeled in front of those graves and lowered his head.

    ¡°There is finally a chance for me to take revenge for both of you. I will make him regret the decision he had taken at that time¡­ I will make him regret destroying our lives. I will never let him forget our pain¡­I promise you¡­ ¡±

    He lifted his head, his grey eyes steely with determination, but the next moment, his expression softened as he gazed at those graves once more.

    ¡°Soon, the only regret I¡¯ll have left is my missing sister. I could not find her despite searching for her for so many decades. But just like today, I am sure I only need to be patient. Fate won¡¯t be so unkind. It will give me a chance to find her. I won¡¯t give up. I will find her one day and bring her back home.¡±

    =====

    Don¡¯t forget to support the novel with gifts, golden tickets, and power stones. XOXO

 Chapter 52

    Warm sunlight leisurely had spread across the grassy field, causing the tall stalks of grass swaying along with the gentle wind to shine with a golden tinge, making the nd give out a pleasant, surreal atmosphere.

    A woman with beautiful mahogany hair was walking slowly in the middle of the field, her long hair braided with threads of real gold slowly moving along with the warm breeze. She was d in a simple white dress that perfectly fitted her delicate-looking body, its long flowy skirt brushing along the ground with each step she took. Not just the field, even the woman herself shone like gold under the rays of the sun, making her look like a divine angel

    The slender body dressed in white turned around and stopped in ce. Lips the natural colour of rose, emerald green eyes that sparkled like gems, a small delicate face framed by locks of wavy mahogany hair falling on either side of her face, she looked like the most beautiful woman in existence.

    Despite standing in the middle of the field, faintly glowing red runes surrounded her body, floating like halos of light, as if they were part of her existence. One could not deny the sacredness the woman seemed to emit despite her modest attire.

    However, rather than the dignity, one should expect from someone like her, her emerald green eyes brightened with child-like happiness as she saw someone she was waiting for.

    ¡°Raven!¡±

    She called the name of the one she was looking at and then turned around to keep walking forward, expecting that person toe follow after her.

    After walking a few steps, the wind picked up in strength and messed up her long hair. She used her hands and held her long hair at the back of her neck, moving them to one side in front of her left shoulder, and afterwards, she continued her leisurely walk.

    There was a strange glowing mark on the back of her neck, seemingly neither a birthmark nor an inked tattoo. It was orange in colour with a tinge of red, resembling the symbol of fire. It was obviously not an ordinary mark, as with each passing second, the brightness of that mark flickered as if it would soon turn into a real fire.

    An ominous atmosphere suddenly descended, causing the bright day to darken and turn gloomy. Thick dark clouds covered the sun and the rest of the sky, and the wind blew wildly as if a huge thunderstorm was brewing. From a distance, shes of lightning fell from the sky.

    It was as if the scene of paradise turned into hell.

    The woman turned around once more to look at the person behind her, but this time, the beautiful smile on her face was gone. Tears were streaming down her face, her expression filled with heart-wrenching sadness. Her trembling lips once again called that name.

    ¡°Raven¡ª¡±

    Before she could say the rest of her words, the fire from that mark on the back of her neck engulfed her entirety, and as if awaiting that spark, the world burned after. Everything disappeared into nothingness, and there were only roaring mes covering thend and the sky.

    Draven woke up from his sleep in fright. He sat up in bed, breathing heavily as if he himself could still taste the smoke from that fire. He tried to swallow but felt his throat was dry. As he put his hand over his racing heart, he realized that his entire body was covered in a cold sweat.

    ¡®What is this dream?¡¯

    He moved his hands through his damp hair. ¡®I never had this dream before. It was the same woman. This time, I saw her clearly. But what is the meaning of this dream?¡¯

    Sighing helplessly, Draven stepped out of the bed. He knew nothing about this dream and could not predict anything. He walked towards the window of his room and stared at the dark sky outside. The night sky was filled with stars, and somehow, he was able to calm himself after staring at them for a while. He reached out his hand towards something from his right and a ss filled with water flew towards his hand, something that was taken by his power from the wooden table nearby.

    He had a sip of water and thought, ¡®Who is Raven? I didn¡¯t hear it wrong. She clearly said Raven. Who was the one she was looking at?¡¯

    He emptied the ss of water.

    ¡®That mark on the back of her neck, why does it feel so familiar? It¡¯s like I have seen it before. It¡¯s like I had touched it before. A mark that resembles fire¡­¡¯

    So many questions but no answers. However, he felt that although he was still grasping at straws, he had found a new lead now. In this dream, he had seen those eyes when they carried happiness as well as sadness. He recalled how vivid those green eyes were, and he could not be mistaken.

    ¡®Those are the same eyes as that human creature¡¯s.¡¯

    Draven remembered the human girl¡¯s eyes. When she was interacting with those elf kids, he witnessed how her eyes carried a tinge of happiness, and after he saved her from falling down the cliff, he remembered how those teary eyes looked back when he was stitching her wound close. His intuition was telling him that it was no coincidence that the woman in his dream and this human girl had the same eyes.

    As if everything changed but the eyes remained the same.

    ¡®If there is any rtionship between these two, is it possible that this human also had that mark of fire on her body? I need to verify it.¡¯

    All this time, the long hair of that girl was covering her nape and he never got to see it.

    ¡®I should go and personally verify its existence myself. Anyways, it¡¯s been a week since I visited there. There is no news from Leeora; it means that thing is still alive. I wonder if she is dying or managed to recover well even without the potion. Such a tough soul.¡¯

    He looked at the sky and it was almost dawn. The sun would be out soon, and most elves wake up as soon as the sun rises, believing it¡¯s a blessing to greet the first rays of the sun every day. Since the city would be bustling with life soon, it was not the best time to go to that human.

    Due to the issue of her stay, the council members had unanimously requested an urgent meeting in the pce. It was scheduled to be held on the next day, and he knew how things would probably proceed. Before that, he needed to make a decision to keep that human.

 Chapter 53

    That morning, Leeora went to check on Ember as usual. Visiting the human in the morning had be a part of the High Elder¡¯s daily routine. A week had passed by since that ¡®thief¡¯ incident, and Ember had recovered enough to even leave her bed.

    ¡°Good morning, Ember,¡± Leeora greeted the youngdy who was sitting by the window. Her face no longer had the bruises and small injuries she received from that night, but her skin was still suffering slightly red from the burn marks which were almost healed now, though the scars would probably take some time to fade. Though from what Leeora gathered, if she were not given proper potions soon, those ugly burn scars might permanently remain on the poor girl¡¯s skin.

    Ember¡¯s long hair was still messy, almost like a curtain covering her small body, making her look even smaller. She looked like a lost child who had no one to look after her.

    ¡°Have you eaten your meal already?¡± Leeora asked affectionately as she replenished the supply of food, putting some freshly plucked fruits on the table. ¡°I¡¯m sure you are tired of eating porridge and bread so I decided to bring you fruits.¡±

    Ember let out a grateful smile towards the kind elf, and as she was about to stand up to approach her, Leeora gestured for her to keep seated.

    ¡°Let me check on your wounds first.¡± Leeora kneeled down to match her height and began to check on the wounds on her face and arms. After that, she said, ¡°Your leg?¡±

    Ember quietly extended her right leg. Leeora pulled her dress up and inspected the wound as she gave out a satisfying sigh. ¡°You know this cut is life-threatening. You would have lost your entire leg if immediate attention was not given. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t get infected because His Majesty used the cautery technique when stitching it close. It must have hurt when he sewed it, but the pain was worth it. However, remember not to wear anything tight or anything that can make your skin itch until it fully heals¡ª¡±

    Though Leeora was speaking without any motives, Ember could not help but grit her teeth as she remembered that hateful man treating her with cruelty. Not just his actions, but even his words were cruel.

    Leeora observed her body and her clothes that were different from the previous day. ¡°You seem to have washed yourself already too. Such a good child!¡± Leeora then looked at her long mahogany hair and touched its strands. ¡°Hmm, it seems you already brushed your hair but¡­ There are damaged parts, mostly burned at the ends so it will be better if we trim them. What do you think?¡±

    Ember nodded. Leeora returned to her house for a bit and returned with a pair of scissors in hand, smiling as she began her work on Ember¡¯s long hair.

    Leeora trimmed the burned parts of her long hair. The hair that was grown originally below her waist was now sheared to a length that reached her chest. ¡°Your hair feels like silk on my hands, Ember. I didn¡¯t realize you have such beautiful hair.. I am sure it will even be lovelier after we wait for your hair to grow back.¡±

    Ember found herself in a daze under Leeora¡¯s praise. It reminded her of Gaia who loved to brush her hair every night before going to sleep.

    ¡°You look so beautiful, little princess!¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know if she was beautiful or not, but she trusted what Gaia said and saw herself through her eyes. To Gaia, she was her beautiful child.

    In the morning, before starting their day, Gaia would also often style Ember¡¯s hair, her personal favourite being when her long hair was neatly divided into two braids, each of them falling in front of her shoulders.

    ¡°Let me see.¡± Leeora turned her around and observed her, appreciating her work. ¡°Look at yourself in the mirror.¡±

    Ember stared at her reflection, and after giving it some thought, her hands moved to style her own hair. Her bandaged fingers moved swiftly as if they were doing something familiar, and it did not take her long to recreate the braid that Gaia used to do to her hair. Leeora thoughtfully gave her ribbons to tie her hair to finish the look.

    The elderly elf could not help but gasp upon seeing her new look. ¡°How adorable!¡±

    Though Ember had a scarred face, her cheeks were slightly fuller now since she¡¯s no longer starving, the unblemished parts of her skin taking on a healthy pinkish white colour. She looked absolutely adorable in those braids like a little naive girl. The gloomy girl seemed to transform into a brighter version of herself. Leeora could not help but praise her again.

    ¡°This hair suits you really well!¡±

    Her beautiful emerald green eyes brightened up upon getting simr praise like Gaia¡¯s.

    ¡°Yes, this is definitely better. You shouldn¡¯t be covering your face with your hair. My, look at that face, and those eyes, they¡¯re gorgeous. I can see you are one prettydy. Once the swelling and scars are gone from your face, we can have all bandages removed. By then, I am sure everyone will see how lovely you are.¡±

    For the first time, Leeora saw a genuine smile appearing on Ember¡¯s face.

    However, this warm scene was disrupted when they heard a loud noise outside.

    Hoot!

    Thud!

    ¡°That sounds like an owl. Is it Midnight?¡± Leeora mumbled to herself and then said to Ember, ¡°I will be back shortly.¡±

    Ember nodded as she caressed her two long braids, her expression softened as she began to reminisce.

    Leeora went outside her house and saw a snowy white owl seemingly fighting his way through a number of vines moving like whips. The tree spirit was stopping Midnight from approaching closer.

    Leeora sighed, lifting one of her hands to rub her temple before touching one of the moving branches with the other. She spoke out loud, knowing the tree spirit will not understand her. ¡°How long are you going to keep the King¡¯s order? Midnight might be a male, but he is just an ordinary bird, not even a shapeshifter. You are taking the King¡¯s instructions too rigidly.¡±

    However, she understood. Tree spirits might have developed sentience, but they were still simple creatures, even less sensible than wild animals. These spirits could not understandplex instructions. She let another helpless sigh and looked at Midnight who was still trying to fight against those unruly tree branches.

 Chapter 54

    Leeora understood that Midnight was here as a messenger from the King, otherwise, the owl would not try to fight with the tree spirit. ¡°Midnight, go to my house.¡±

    Upon hearing it, Midnight stopped and turned towards the tree house on the other side of the hanging bridge. Leeora followed him back to her home and received the message that the King would visit Ronan soon.

    Last time, he appeared without any announcement, causing rm among the elves, but they were able to excuse his arrival because of Erlos, but this time he preferred to do it through the proper means.

    Midnight conveyed Draven¡¯s message that he would be visiting her house in a while. There was no need for written messages, as it was an innate ability of an elf tomunicate with animals.

    ¡°Sire will be arriving within the day?¡± Leeora repeated what Midnight said to her to which the owl nodded his head.

    ¡°Let him know I have received his message,¡± Leeora said, and just then, there was a knock on Leeora¡¯s door. Leeora opened the door by using her powers and she was greeted by the appearance of someone who seemed to be bing her frequent guest. A red-haired beauty, the Head of the Witches, was standing outside her door.

    ¡°Lady Cornelia!¡± Leeora said in surprise as she was not aware of her arrival. ¡°Please,e inside.¡±

    As soon as she was seated, Lady Cornelia offered a pleasant smile to Leeora. ¡°Seems like Elder Leeora has not been informed of my arrival. As expected of His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Did Sire invite you here, Lady Cornelia?¡± Leeora asked, but it was more like she was merely confirming a suspicion. As the leaders of their kind, it was umon for people of their status to leave their respective territories.

    Lady Cornelia nodded. ¡°I believe His Majesty has something important to talk about with us regarding the council meeting that will be held tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Looks like it but he could have summoned us to visit him in the pce. Why is heing here personally?¡±

    ¡°As it¡¯s about that human girl, he must want to meet her in person before making any decision about her.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense,¡± Leeora agreed but she still had many questions in her mind. ¡°I will inform Ember about the King¡¯s arrival so she won¡¯t be surprised to see him. Please enjoy this tea I just brewed. You can make yourselffortable in my house. I will return soon.¡±

    Cornelia simply nodded as Leeora headed back to the house next door.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    After Leeora stepped out of her house, Ember found herself softly smiling as she looked at her hair in front of the mirror. Her heart was warmed to meet someone like Leeora, who seemed to care for her like Gaia. However, she soon returned to looking outside the window from her favourite spot.

    She was watching the lively street below when something seemed to catch her eyes. For some odd reason, she found herself staring at the distant pce, and she saw a familiar streak of energy seemingly leaving that ce. She recognized it right away.

    ¡®I-Is heing here again?¡¯

    She found herself gulping as her body became covered in goosebumps. She didn¡¯t know if it was her imagination or not, but it was as if her stitched wound was aching worse than usual. She almost jumped out of her seat when she heard the knock on her door. Subconsciously, her body shrunk back towards the window until she heard the familiar female voice.

    ¡°Ember, I aming in.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s not him.¡¯ Ember felt she could breathe finally when it was Leeora who entered her home.

    ¡°Ember, I am here to inform you that His Majesty King Draven is arriving in Ronan. If he wishes to meet you, be prepared.¡±

    With her doubts confirmed, she once again shrunk back towards the window, her eyes shaking in fear.

    ¡°What is wrong, dear?¡± Leeora asked with a furrowed brow.

    Ember just shook her lowered head.

    Leeora walked closer. ¡°Is there a problem meeting with the King?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­don¡¯t¡­want to¡­¡±

    Leeora let out a gasp. ¡®She¡¯s not mute?!¡¯

    The human finally spoke up, and though her voice was a little rough fromck of use or probably because it was damaged due to the smoke and the fire, it was still a voice that could be understood.

    However, Leeora had been around Ember for more than a week. She felt like it was her illusion due to her old age and thus she had to confirm it once more. ¡°What did you say, dear?¡±

    Ember raised her head up to look at Leeora. This time, her hoarse voice was a little louder.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to meet him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, dear. It¡¯s good to know that you can talk,¡± Leeora said happily. She went to get honeyed water for her to ease the girl from her obvious difort. Using her throat for the first time in days would have probably caused it to ache.

    She offered her honeyed water. ¡°Have this first. It will be good for your throat.¡±

    Ember drank the entire ss and Leeora held her hand, gently cupping them within her own.

    ¡°Ember,¡± she said slowly, ¡°you don¡¯t have to be scared of the King. He is a good person, and though he talks and acts a little mean, his intentions are never bad. When hees to see you, just listen to what he says and try to answer his questions.¡±

    Ember shook her head.

    Leeora continued, ¡°You will have me by your side, so you have nothing to fear. If you cannot answer his questions, do not force yourself, all right? We are not unreasonable people.¡±

    The human girl quietly studied her face, and though she was anxious, she reluctantly nodded. She felt it hard to refuse since it was Leeora who was asking for it.

    Just then, Leeora heard the loud hoot of an owl beyond the door, telling her that Draven had arrived and was waiting for her to wee him.

    ¡°The King is here. Do you want toe out and wee him with me?¡± Leeora asked only to get an obvious answer¡ªEmber adamantly shaking her head to say no.

    ¡°I understand. Stay here. I will call you when you¡¯re needed,¡± Leeora said and left in a hurry as she could not keep the King waiting.

 Chapter 55

    When Leeora returned to her house, she found the ck-haired king already seated inside, having made himselffortable on thergest armchair in her lounge. He was leaning casually on the armrest, one hand under his chin, his red eyes expressionless between the ck strands of his messy short hair. He simply watched her close the door behind her, saying nothing as she approached.

    With his dark regal clothes, hismanding presence lookedpletely out of ce inside the elf¡¯s house which was filled with simple wooden furniture and leafy nts.

    The Head of the Witches, Cornelia Grimm, was standing quietly by the side of the King, waiting for Leeora to return. There were only the three of them inside. Since Erlos was not with the King, it probably meant Draven didn¡¯t find it important to bring him there with him.

    ¡°The Wood Elves are honoured to wee King Draven in our humble city,¡± Leeora greeted him with her head lowered.

    Draven simply nodded, easily dismissing formalities, and instructed, ¡°Have a seat, both of you.¡±

    The two women sat on the couch in front of him and patiently waited for their king to talk. The red-robed witch with a youthful face and the elderly elf d in simple white clothes sat side by side, their expressions equally respectful before him.

    Draven turned his attention to Cornelia. ¡°Leeora told me that you tried to read that human¡¯s memories but failed.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± she replied.

    Though Draven knew the reason, he preferred to hear it from her, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Cornelia exined. ¡°As you know, Sire, we witches have our potential powers determined at birth. Though we can use spells, we cannot effectively use them on beings that are stronger than the witch who cast the spell. When I tried to read the human girl¡¯s memories through scrying, I felt a strange power stopping my magic from reaching her mind. I don¡¯t know what exactly it is, but it¡¯s not something I had evere across before. It is the second time my scrying spell failed to read a person¡¯s memories.¡±

    Leeora looked at her. ¡°Second time? You mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Cornelia nodded. ¡°The first time was with His Majesty King Draven himself. Not only me, even Her Eminence the Monarch tried to read the King¡¯s memories in the past but failed to do so. It was understandable in the case of His Majesty as he is not an ordinary being, but that human girl¡­it bothers me that cannot read her memories. How can a mere human render my scrying invalid? Not even other supernatural beings can hide their memories from me.¡±

    ¡°Is there a possibility that she is not human?¡± Draven asked. Somewhere in his mind, he believed she wasn¡¯t truly human.

    ¡°The world is arge mysterious ce, and there is much to be explored. We cannot say we know everything about it so we cannot discount the small possibility that she is, in fact, a supernatural being like us,¡± Cornelia said, ¡°but there is also another possibility¡ªthat she is truly human, but she is suffering from a curse. Since this kind of curse belongs to a divine realm far beyond what we mortals understand, it makes sense our powers fail to work on her.¡±

    That reminded Leeora of something and she looked at Draven, who looked calm and cold from the outside, but there was a chaos of thoughts in his mind.

    Leeora remembered something. ¡°Sire, from what Erlos said about that child¡¯s background, he mentioned that she was dered as a bad omen by an oracle, that her family gave her up because she is a cursed child. We cannot deny the words of the human priests as their predictions tend to be messages from the gods they worship. Perhaps there is truth in their prediction.¡±

    ¡°Cursed?¡± Draven repeated the word but then looked at Cornelia. ¡°Is there a way to prove that she is not human? I understand the council¡¯s position. The only way to assure the people is to convince them that she is not human.¡±

    Though he already had a way to solve this in mind, if possible, he would not mind having another solution. If there was an alternative way to make the human girl stay, he would not have to use thest resort that he was not willing to use at all.

    Cornelia understood the King did not want this human girl to leave. She was sure he must have his reasons, or else there was no way he would keep that human when he hated them to his core.

    ¡°Your Majesty, in the council meeting, I can say what I had experienced with that human girl but that won¡¯t be enough. That only proves she¡¯s not an ordinary human. If I insist, they will think I am conspiring with you to keep that human girl where she doesn¡¯t belong. They won¡¯t agree to it unless they get concrete proof about that human girl¡¯s abilities. However, if she has other abilities, then that would raise the question on whether she is a human who wields ck magic, which is something that would enrage the other leaders. Our kind finds humans disgusting, but sorcerers, in particr, are beyond eptable. If she¡¯s a human, they would merely ask that she be sent to the viges, but if they start to think she¡¯s a sorcerer¡­¡±

    ¡°But she doesn¡¯t have ck magic,¡± Leeora interceded.

    ¡°That will be a point of contention if we raise that Ember, that girl, has strange abilities. It is a universal truth that human beings cannot use magic unless they are sorcerers who dabble in the forbidden use of ck magic.¡±

    Leeora turned towards Draven. ¡°Sire, during my first meeting with that child, I remember the pce servants in charge of her said something about her changing her appearance?¡±

    ¡°A lowly shape-shifting spell,¡± Draven recalled that time. ¡°It¡¯s not ck magic.¡±

    Cornelia was hearing about this for the first time, and she could not help but be surprised. ¡°How is that possible? A human who I cannot scry and also use a magic spell? She¡¯s bing more and more of a puzzle. Now I understand why His Majesty wants to keep her close. She¡¯s a special human, probably the first of her kind¡ªa pure-blooded human who could wield magic.¡±

    Humans could not use magic while other races could¡ªthat was the ultimate reason why supernatural beings and humankind had fought in the first ce. Though they dominated the continent with their poption, humans felt threatened by the magical races who were far stronger than themselves and refused to coexist with them, causing the hunted ones to go into hiding to survive.

    Yet now a strange human appeared¡­

    ¡°Hmm,¡± was all Draven said and stood up. He looked at Leeora. ¡°Is that human inside her home?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire. Do you wish to meet her?¡±

    Draven nodded. Leeora also stood up with an awkward smile. ¡°Let me lead your way, Sire.¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± Draven countered and walked ahead, not giving Leeora a chance to say anything.

    Leeora and Cornelia shared a worried nce with each other. They were both concerned about the human girl. They knew his presence would scare her, but who would dare raise this out loud to this overbearing king who didn¡¯t know how to care for others¡¯ feelings?

 Chapter 56

    Draven didn¡¯t cross the hanging bridge connecting the two trees. He simply disappeared before reaching Leeora¡¯s door and reappeared in front of the door of the house next door. The door opened on its own¡ªhe didn¡¯t even bother to knock to inform the owner of the house about his arrival.

    Before he made any decision, Draven felt like he needed to make sure that he really wanted to keep her. He personally came to Ronan to determine this. If he had to use hisst resort for the sake of this human, then she should better prove her worth.

    As soon as the door opened, his gaze went towards the small body already shrinking back against the wall, looking like a cornered animal meeting a predator. This reaction made him frown.

    ¡°Is this how you greet your king?¡±

    His red eyes were fixed on her trembling form, and his dark eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

    Hearing the familiarmanding voice of this scary man, Ember¡¯s arms were covered in goosebumps. She gulped, and remembering Leeora¡¯s words, she tried to calm herself. With her head lowered, not willing to look at him, she tried to stand up from sitting on the floor. Her movements were slow and clumsy because she was injured, but it was worsened by the fact that she was shivering in fright.

    ¡°Forget it! Keep sitting,¡± he said, seeing her struggle which made him feel like she would take an eternity to stand up.

    Ember obediently followed his order, though she straightened her posture with her head still lowered.

    While his red eyes continued to observe her, Draven realized she was looking different that day. Instead of having her long messy hair cover her scarred face, her hair was tied in two braids like a young girl, making her look even younger than her estimated age.

    ¡°I am here to check something,¡± he simply said, not exining exactly what it was.

    She didn¡¯t react as the fear she had towards him had enveloped all her senses. Her mind could not think, and her body refused to move. She heard the footstepsing closer until a pair of long ck boots came into sight. At that point, her heart was thumping loudly inside her chest.

    ¡°Turn around,¡± she heard him say.

    She clutched her dress, not knowing why this man towering over her small figure had asked her to turn around.

    ¡°Are you deaf?¡± His tone was impatient as he hated slow and clumsy people.

    This thing in front of him was abination of things he hated the most¡ªa human being and annoyingly slow to react. She was wasting his precious time.

    Not only was she a frustrating creature, she was also an ungrateful one. He could see her trembling worsened, as if he¡¯s someone who treated her badly.

    Was he not the one who saved her life twice in a row? He even graced her by treating her wounds. What more did she want?

    The more he thought about her behaviour towards him, the more he lost his patience.

    ¡°Is it that difficult for you to turn around?¡± he asked, his voice icy cold.

    Despite her reluctance, Ember finally turned around while seated on the floor, her fear further heightened thinking what the man standing behind her nned to do. She could barely breathe when she felt him kneel behind her.

    Her heart was racing so fast that it felt like it would jump out of her chest. She was absolutely terrified with this closeness. Hisrge and tall build was looming over her frail body, and she felt like she was being cornered between the wall in front of her and this man behind her. His shadow that was falling on the wall in front of her was making him look even more gigantic.

    She¡¯s like a tiny mouse about to be swallowed by arge predator.

    The moment she felt something touch the back of her neck, she felt her soul leave her body in fright.

    ¡®He¡¯s gonna strangle me! He¡¯s gonna kill me!¡¯

    The King, who remained ignorant of the misunderstanding, had no intention to hurt her. He was merely kneeling on one leg, his hand moving not to strangle her but to pull down the cor of her dress to check the skin of her nape. It was easy for him to check as the back of her neck was not blocked by her hair this time since her hair was braided.

    Nothing.

    There was no mark at the back of her neck. With a frown, Draven decided to pull the fabric downwards, thinking the fire mark he saw in his dream might be hidden a little lower as her dress¡¯s neckline was high.

    Still nothing.

    He did not notice Ember let out a soft choking sound as his fingers pulled the neckline of the dress to see her entire nape and even her shoulders. He could see nothing but the bones clearly visible through her thin skin.

    Draven felt himself getting angry. He felt irritated by the fact he might have wasted his timeing to Ronan. He could not ept that he almost ruined his kingdom¡¯s peace for a disgusting human.

    ¡®What if the mark is on another part of her body?¡¯

    It didn¡¯t have to be on her nape. It could be on her back, or her shoulder, or on top of her heart like his dragon tattoo.

    ¡®If I can¡¯t find it, I will throw her out to the human viges.¡¯

    m!

    The door of the house that he had left open mmed closed, causing the girl to let out a pitiful whimpering sound.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he said and the next moment¡ª

    Riiiiiip!

    ¡®H-He tore my dress¡­¡¯

    Ember could not stop herself from letting out a gasp. A gust of cold wind touched her bare back, and her eyes widened at the realization of what had just happened. Her dress was about to slide down her shoulder but she held it immediately. Due to the injuries on her body, Leeora didn¡¯t let her wear inner clothes but she was covered in bandages.

    However, she felt his hands pull on thatst cover of her body, loosening the bandages until her back was fully exposed under his gaze. Tears welled up in her eyes as it felt humiliating.

 Chapter 57

    Draven remained unbothered as all his attention was on inspecting every inch of skin on her back. There was no such fire mark, only ugly burn scars stretched over a bony skeleton. Though Ember had regained some weight, it would take her body time to gain a normal amount of healthy muscles and fat. Currently, she was still so skinny one could clearly count the number of vertebrates on her spine.

    However, the King¡¯s only concern was finding that mark. One could hear him gritting his teeth in frustration.

    ¡°Turn around,¡± he instructed again.

    His angered voice demanded absolute obedience. She remembered how she almost choked earlier and was terrified that if she didn¡¯t follow him, he would snap her neck.

    Holding her ripped dress up to cover her front, Ember clumsily turned around. Though her face was lowered, he could see tears streaming down her cheeks.

    Draven scowled at her appearance. He could not understand her reaction. He simply wanted to check something on her body. If an outsider were to see her, one would think he was physically abusing her.

    ¡®Is it that difficult for her to cooperate?¡¯ Then he realized he didn¡¯t tell her anything about what he was doing.

    ¡®Doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t bother to exin anything to her. He just wanted to leave as soon as he confirmed the presence or absence of the fire mark.

    Draven held her chin with his gloved hand and made her look up to inspect her face, but was met with her terrified emerald green eyes. He found it difficult to move his eyes away from them, as if they held magic in themselves, reeling him in.

    ¡®How could you have her eyes¡­?¡¯ he could not help but wonder. His intuition was telling him, it wasn¡¯t just a simr colour¡ªit was the exact same eyes as that woman in his dreams.

    On the contrary, Ember nearly fainted in terror upon meeting his gaze, and she shut her eyes tightly to not look at those red eyes, leaving Draven with nothing to see but her small tear-stained face riddled with injuries.

    Unknown to her, her reaction angered him.

    ¡®Ungrateful creature!¡¯ The hold of his fingers tightened on her tiny chin and she whined a little in pain, but still, she didn¡¯t open her eyes. ¡®If not for you summoning me every time your life is in danger, if not for your eyes, do you think I will even have the interest to spare for a disgusting thing like you?¡±

    He loosened his grip after inspecting her scarred face and her neck, but even as his eyes traced down the curve of her thin shoulders and pronounced corbones, there was still no sign of anything close to a tattoo or a birthmark resembling a fire symbol. His gaze travelled across her bare skin, stopping at her arms that were still covered in sleeves and the chest part of her dress which she was clutching like her life depended on it.

    ¡°Hands!¡± he ordered as he let go of her chin.

    When she finally opened her eyes to look at him like he was an evil monster, he felt his temper rising once more.

    ¡°Show me your hands.¡±

    In response, her hands clutched her dress closer to her chest and she looked unwilling to let it go. An unpleasant thought popped into his head.

    ¡®Could this creature be thinking¡ª¡¯

    ¡°Human, I told you already that I have no interest in your body. Stop acting like a victim and cooperate,¡± he said looking straight into her tearful eyes.

    ¡°Hands!¡±

    His voice sounded like he lost whatever little patience he had left this time.

    Ember moved, but she only put forward her left hand, while the other was still kept on her chest, holding her dress as she closed her eyes once more.

    Riiiiip!

    Without hesitation, hepletely tore the sleeve covering her left arm, ripping the bandages as well. Once he could not find anything on her arm or wrist, he eyed her right hand.

    ¡°The other.¡±

    Obediently, she reached out her right hand, using her left hand he had finished inspecting to hold her dress and cover her chest. He held scarred hand, and once again, she heard the round of cloth ripping. The other sleeve of her dress was gone as well.

    Draven¡¯s forehead creased as he inspected her arm.

    ¡®There is still no mark.¡¯

    He eyed her hand that was holding her dress. ¡°Let it go.¡±

    She opened her eyes, not understanding his intention, and his t gaze met hers.

    ¡°Your dress, let it go.¡±

    Ember wanted to protest, but no word came out of her mouth. Her tearful eyes sneakily moved to look at the door, expecting Leeora to show up, but his next words made her entire body freeze.

    ¡°With me here, no one will dare enter this house.¡±

    It was difficult to guess what exactly he was implying. Was he telling her that she didn¡¯t have to worry about someone entering and seeing her without clothes on, or was he telling her that she should not expect anyone toe and save her from him?

    ¡°Don¡¯t test my patience, human,¡± he said with a warning gaze.

    This overbearing man kneeling in front of her, towering over her frail body, looked fiercer with each passing moment. She felt like this was a nightmare, and she had to wake up. Those red eyes of hiscked even a hint of warmth, as if he was staring at her like he was inspecting a lifeless object.

    In his opinion, it would have been easier if she was a lifeless object. He would have finished checking for the fire mark in a minute, unlike now when he had to tolerate her reaction and waste his time by talking to her.

    With shaking hands, Ember let go of her dress, letting the ripped fabric slide down until it pooled around her lower abdomen.

    =====

    Dear readers, this month¡¯s top fan of the novel will be included in the novel as a cute character or something precious. Six days to go to increase your fan value and be a part of ¡°Devil and Witch¡± series. Feel free to ask if there is any question.

 Chapter 58

    Instinctively, Ember¡¯s hands moved to cover those mounds on her chest. Her face flushed at being seen naked, but it didn¡¯t matter to Draven at all.

    ¡°You are wasting my time acting embarrassed,¡± he snapped. ¡°To me, your body might as well be a tree. Should I feel anything for a tree?.¡±

    His red eyes searched every inch of skin visible to him. Apart from those mounds she was covering, he confirmed there was still no fire mark on her chest.

    ¡°Put your hands aside,¡± he instructed.

    Since he had that ck dragon mark above his heart, there was a huge possibility that this human might have the fire mark above her heart as well.

    ¡°Hands!¡± he said again, his tone demanding absolute submission.

    Ember moved her hands away, and this time, she could no longer stop herself from sobbing. Her tears rolled out with more intensity, but Draven didn¡¯t care. He saw her entire chest but there was no mark.

    ¡®Still nothing!¡¯

    He gritted his teeth in deep frustration, and he felt the urge to crush the wooden floor under him.

    If this human girl had no fire mark, then why did that woman in his dreams show him the mark on her nape? It shouldn¡¯t be a coincidence. It had to mean something, and that something had to do with this human.

    Ever since that night he found her, he¡¯d been seeing new dreams. These days, he had a feeling that he was close to getting clues to his past, but it seemed like he was overthinking.

    After centuries of waiting, he finally had hope that he could find the reason for his immortal existence and he didn¡¯t wish to give up on that hope so easily. How pathetic it felt, not knowing about his own origin and the reason for his existence.

    Draven¡¯s re dropped towards her waist that was still covered by her dress, and the next moment, his gloved hands tore the remaining fabric, leaving not even bandages on her naked body.

    Once her dress was gone, she let out a panicked scream. All she could do was to clench her legs, folding her knees together to hide herself, and she scrambled backwards towards the corner away from him.

    At this moment, she realized how much she hated this man. She hated him more than how much she hated those vigers living down the mountain who made her entire life difficult. She hated him more than anyone else she¡¯d met.

    Her sobbing only annoyed Draven. He merely felt anger and disgust, instead of feeling guilt or pity for her.

    Her right leg only had that wound which he himself had sewed close. There was nothing on that leg aside from the burn scars. Seeing her sobbing like a wounded animal, he no longer felt a need to check the other leg. He knew there would be no mark too.

    Draven stood up, leaving the girl¡¯s body curled like a ball while trying to squeeze herself smaller into that corner, covering her chest with one hand and the other trying to hide the ce between her clenched legs.

    ¡°It¡¯s good I checked. Turns out that you are nothing but a useless human.¡±

    Draven disappeared from where he was standing. The moment he disappeared, the closed door of her house partially opened.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Ever since Draven went inside Ember¡¯s home, Leeora could not calm down, aware that the human girl was afraid of the King. As such, she could only imagine the poor terrified girl trembling after being interrogated by Draven, and she continued to pace back and forth near her door, ncing at the tree house on the other side of the hanging bridge every once in a while.

    Meanwhile, Cornelia remained seated on the couch, feeling dizzy herself as she watched the anxious elf walking in circles. She found it kind of amusing, how the High Elder of the Wood Elves grew so attached to that human called Ember. As one of the oldest elves, Leeora should have witnessed the worst treatments her kind had ever received from the hands of humans, yet instead of hating them, here she was, worrying over a human girl like she¡¯s her own grandchild.

    ¡°What are you so worried about, Elder?¡± Cornelia could not help but ask. ¡°Even if Ember is scared of the King, you canfort her after he¡¯s done asking questions. His Majesty will never hurt a human child.¡±

    ¡°I know, Lady Cornelia,¡± Leeora said as she nced at the closed door of Ember¡¯s house. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­It makes me ufortable thinking how scared she is right now. That poor child has already suffered so much¡­¡±

    After some time, Leeora let out a surprised sound. She saw the door of Ember¡¯s house open. She understood it meant that Draven had left.

    ¡°Seems like His Majesty is gone,¡± Cornelia said. She had left her seat and was already standing next to the elf. ¡°I am sure you are merely being overly anxious. Come, let¡¯s meet that child.¡±

    Leeora said nothing and simply crossed the hanging bridge towards Ember¡¯s home, and the Head of the Witches leisurely followed behind her.

    ¡°My goodness, Ember!¡±

    The moment the elf entered the house, her face paled. Looking at the scene before her, panic enveloped her mind and she hurried towards Ember who was curled like a ball,pletely naked and sobbing. Her dress was almost ripped to shreds and even her bandages were torn apart, lying next to her.

    ¡°Ember? Ember, my dear, can you hear me?¡± Leeora enveloped the crying girl in a hug while Cornelia let out a gasp of disbelief before quickly closing the door.

    Leeora embraced the girl and softly rocked her back and forth to soothe her. ¡°Sssh, everything will be alright. You will be fine. I am here. I will stay here with you¡­¡±

    Cornelia pulled the bedsheet from the bed and covered Ember¡¯s naked body with it, and Leeora continued to hug her, whispering soothing words. The human girl must be feeling embarrassed in such a condition. Not just humans, even females from any of the races would have felt the same.

 Chapter 59

    Ember continued to cry, letting out sobs with her eyes closed tightly.

    Leeora and Cornelia looked at each other, not knowing what to draw out of this situation. They wanted to ask Ember, but judging the situation, she was in no condition to talk. They would have to wait for her to calm down.

    ¡°I-I wonder what happened.¡± Cornelia fiddled with her hands. ¡°The King wouldn¡¯t have¡­he wouldn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Even Leeora was at a loss as well. ¡°Sire did not forget to open the door before he left to let us know we could enter. He shouldn¡¯t have ill intentions towards this child¡­¡±

    The question was what Draven did and why. It was totally unexpected behaviour from their king. It would have been easier for them to imagine Draven killing this human than seeing him turn her into such a situation.

    However, they could not make heads or tails of what urred inside this house. Not just her dress, but all the bandages on her body were torn apart, and the poor girl was sobbing as if something terrifying happened.

    Leeora caressed her head, not knowing what other words to say to console her. The two women simply let her cry. Once the crying subsided, Leeora used her powers to carry her towards her bed, still wrapped around her bedsheets.

    ¡°Ember, will you look at me?¡±

    With a tear-stained face and reddened eyes, Ember looked at the elf and felt like crying once more. She missed Gaia, she missed her small home inside that cave, she missed being in that dead forest and haunted mountain. At least there, she didn¡¯t have to face something like this.

    Why did Gaia have to die? Why did the forest burn and why did she end up here? She regretted every bit of it.

    Finally seeing her react, Leeora felt relieved and asked, ¡°How do you feel? Do you want anything? Water? Food? Do you want to get dressed?¡±

    Ember remained silent. She didn¡¯t know what to answer. She didn¡¯t even have the energy to answer. She only stared at Leeora with her reddened eyes.

    The older woman wiped her tears that were on the verge of falling. ¡°I am sorry, Ember, that you have to go through it¡­¡±

    Though she didn¡¯t know what exactly happened, she knew that this girl should have been deeply terrified. Remembering how lovely Ember smiled back when she braided her hair, Leeora felt a painful stab in her chest, as if she had let the girl down.

    Cornelia approached, bringing a cup of water with her. ¡°Drink. It will make you feel better.¡±

    Leeora took the cup of water and helped Ember have a few sips. By this point, Ember had calmed down, only sniffling every once in a while.

    ¡°Should we start by treating her wounds?¡± Cornelia suggested, feeling awkward with the silence. Seeing Leeora nod, the witch took a clean set of bandages and herbal paste from the shelves.

    Leeora thanked her before turning back to Ember. ¡°Let us treat your wounds first. Can we put away this bed sheet? Will that be alright?¡±

    Ember did not react at all, but since she didn¡¯t refuse, Leeora took it as her agreement.

    With the help of Cornelia, Leeora bandaged her wounds and made her wear a new dress. Ember was silently staring at the floor, and after exchanging nces with Cornelia, Leeora thought it should be a good time to ask questions.

    ¡°Ember, will you tell us what happened?¡±

    However, the voice that followed wasn¡¯t from the human girl, but from the witch awkwardly standing near the bed.

    ¡°You are asking her? Isn¡¯t she mute?¡± Cornelia asked in surprise. ¡°Do you mean¡­ she can talk?¡±

    Leeora nodded, ¡°She can.¡± and talked to Ember, ¡°What happened.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t reply. The two women understood she won¡¯t talk now.

    ¡°Fine!¡± Do you want to rest Ember?¡± Leeora asked.

    Ember simplyy on her bed, not saying a single word.

    Leaving her alone to rest, Leeora and Cornelia left. The moment the door of her home closed, Ember closed her eyes as once again tears rolled down them. ¡®Gaia, I miss you. Why did you leave me?¡¯

    As she was exhausted from crying and drifted to the sleep

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Leeora and Cornelia returned to Leeora¡¯s house in silence, knowing Ember would have preferred to be left on her own. Both were anxious, not knowing what to think about this situation. Leeora, in particr, was close to the King, yet even she could not understand why Draven treated Ember like this.

    After a long ufortable silence, Cornelia, who had been quietly sitting in a daze, decided to speak up. ¡°That child¡­will she be alright?¡±

    Sitting opposite the witch, Leeora tensed, her hands tightly gripping the head of her staff.

    ¡°I would like to believe so,¡± she responded, and once more, silence descended between the two women.

    The witch closed her eyes as if she were trying to make sense of her tangled thoughts. ¡°When the council questioned why His Majesty let a human stay here in Ronan, I believed it was because he had taken a particr interest in Ember in a positive light. After all, he even tasked you, an esteemed leader of a n, to take care of her. And earlier, when he asked for a way to prove she¡¯s not human, I was further convinced of this. I thought he was determined to keep her near him. But after seeing this, I feel like I was wrong. I do not know what to think anymore.¡±

    Leeora sighed. ¡°Did you know? Today, for the first time, Ember talked to me. She even braided her own hair, and she let out a shy smile when I praised her. I wasforted that she was finally opening up. I thought everything would be fine from now on but¡­.now this happened, and I am afraid she will go back to how she was before¡ªsuspicious of people and unable to let her guard down.¡±

    ¡°¡­what do you think happened?¡± Cornelia could not help but ask. ¡°Perhaps she angered him and was thus punished?¡±

    ¡°The only thing I know is that Ember¡¯s not harmed.¡±

    While they were bandaging her and dressing her up, the elf and the witch took that chance to observe Ember¡¯s body. There was no sign of her being physically harmed, and in fact, aside from the shredded clothes, nothing was amiss with her.

 Chapter 60

    ¡°Regardless of the reason, I have a feeling that in tomorrow¡¯s council meeting, he will probably agree to send her to the human viges. The farther, the better,¡± Corneliamented.

    ¡°I am thinking the same,¡± Leeora confessed. ¡°That child is still traumatized. If Sire decides to send her among another bunch of strangers, she will probably be warier than she already is. I don¡¯t know what will happen to her. The thing is, once she¡¯s sent to the outskirts, I will probably have no chance of meeting her ever again.¡±

    Though the viges on the outskirts of the kingdom were technically part of Agartha, the races didn¡¯t treat them as such. Neither the leaders nor the ordinary residents dared venture into the human territory, mostly because they were people who had experienced how cruel humans were before. The centuries-worth of hatred umted between their races was hard to resolve.

    Though Leeora acted kindly in front of Ember, it was only because she considers her a pitiful child. She would rather avoid human beings if she could. If Ember was to be sent to the human viges, Leeora would never see her again because she would nevere to the territory of humans.

    She felt like her heart was sinking with worry. It was not even long, just barely more than a week since she knew this human, but she felt attached to her like a mother.

    ¡°I hope the humans will at least treat her well,¡± Corneliaforted her.

    Leeora sighed helplessly. ¡°Still, even if Ember angered him¡­¡±

    ¡°I am sure he must have his reasons,¡± Cornelia agreed, ¡°but this is not the way to handle things. That poor girl¡­¡±

    Leeora let out a bitter smile. ¡°Perhaps many of us have forgotten but the King¡­if we are to think about it, he¡¯s been considerably more civilized after living in peace for the past few decades. What he did could be said to be ¡®moderate¡¯, and he did well controlling his anger. The younger generation born after the war probably could not imagine how the King was like before, especially against humans.¡±

    The High Elder of the Wood Elves had known Draven even before Agartha was founded, and she had witnessed his countless feats that earned him the name of the ¡®Devil¡¯. In fact, Leeora was one of his earliest acquaintances, and among those living in Agartha, probably the one who knew him best.

    On the contrary, Cornelia Grimm was a young witch only a few centuries old, and she had only started being the leader of the witches after the Monarch left Agartha. Thus, she¡¯s listening intently as Leeora reminisced about the past.

    Leeora continued, ¡°I know he has done wrong but what can you expect from a man who lived for thousands of years without knowing where he hade from, the one who had kept on searching for his identity and the reason for his immortal life but he never found any answer and the one whose hands were always covered in blood in order to protect others.

    All he had seen countless deaths¡ªboth the death of his enemies and the people he cherished. Thest bit of warmth and emotion in him probably vanished the day back that particr human betrayed him.

    That human- the one he trusted the most but¡­ in exchange for giving a single human the benefit of the doubt¡­ was the death of his people. The ones who were like his family for centuries, he saw them as a pile of dead bodies, and he burned those bodies with his own hands.¡±

    Leeora felt her heart breaking as she recalled what happened in the past.

    ¡°That pain he felt at that time, we cannot even begin to imagine. The entire n of the High Elves vanished along with his friends who were akin to brothers to him. The safe haven he had built for his people, it was destroyed in front of his eyes just because of that one damned human.¡±

    Leeora, along with the other council members, had witnessed that cruel night when Draven returned after killing the enemies. He was coated in the blood of the enemies, yet despite his immense strength, he was unable to save them. In front of his eyes were the dead bodies of everyone he tried to protect.

    Those who were by his side for centuries¡­ people who he had shared stories withrades who trusted him¡­

    In that eerie silence, there was only the sound of his body hitting the ground as he kneeled in anguish in front of those corpses. His red eyes which looked like they were living mes had tears rolling down from them.

    A pained scream, like an animal whose heart had been torn apart, mourned his loss.

    For the first time in their long lives, they saw the devil cry in pain, the kind of pain that¡¯s worse than a physical one.

    Cornelia was but a young witch then, but she had heard from the Monarch what happened. She felt emotional as those words reminded her of those worst days in their lives when they gained nothing but lost so much. ¡°Even her Eminence had to do something that was forbidden to protect us and she had to leave our kind. After she was gone, no one was left who could talk to His Majesty. If only she was still around¡­¡±

    ¡°Wounds of the flesh can be healed, but for a man like him, the wound of betrayal can never heal. The day he killed that human for that betrayal, he lost his sanity. He no longer trusts anyone and neither does he let anyone get close to him. To him, humans are less than insects. Their existence was best squashed, if not ignored. The fact that he allowed the human viges to prosper in the outskirts was probably his limit. There mighte a day when we can forgive humans but he never will.¡±

    Cornelia agreed. ¡°Keeping Ember with you is simply because he believes she is something special, special enough to make him willing to turn a blind eye to the fact that she¡¯s a human.¡±

    ¡°There must be as he is not an unreasonable person. At this point, all I want is for him to make the right decision for Ember in the council meeting and not let his anger cloud his mind.¡±

    After sharing a couple more words, Cornelia returned to the territory of the witches.

 Chapter 61

    At noon, Leeora went to check on Ember, entering without making a single sound. Leeora didn¡¯t knock on the door worried that she might disturb Ember¡¯s sleep.

    When she entered the house, she saw the girl still in bed but she was wide awake. She hadpletely wrapped her body with a nket, her green eyes warily staring at the door, as if she was scared of something¡ªor someone¡ªbut could do nothing but shiver in distress. It didn¡¯t take time for Leeora to understand the human girl had withdrawn once more out of instinctive fear of the King.

    ¡°Ember, it¡¯s me, Leeora.¡± The elderly elf put the basket in her hand on the table and went towards the bed. ¡°I have brought the bread that you like the most. You are probably hungry. Come have some.¡±

    Ember looked at the basket but shook her head saying she didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°Everything will be fine, Ember. Trust me, you can rx. There is no one else but me here. The King has left, and it¡¯s just you and me now.¡±

    Leeora knew Draven wouldn¡¯te back after leaving her in that state. He had left this girl as if she didn¡¯t matter to him, and if her guess was correct, he was probably already nning to send her to any of the human viges.

    Ember seemed to rx after hearing her words. Leeora asked again, ¡°Hmm? What do you think? Doesn¡¯t the smell of freshly-baked bread make your mouth water?¡±

    Ember shook her head.

    ¡°One bread¡­no, even just half a loaf of bread?¡±

    However, Ember¡¯s only response was to clutch the nket closer to her body.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Leeora pretended to think. ¡°Well, if you eat, maybe I might allow you to go out with Lusca.¡±

    She knew Ember enjoyed the outside, despite feeling shy around people. The City of Ronan was like a paradise for someone like her who grew up in a cave, as everything was new and interesting to her.

    A tinge of brightness flickered within those red-rimmed eyes, and Leeora got her answer. She went to the table, got two loaves out from the basket and served it in a dish. ¡°You eat this. I will leave for a while, but if you finish it all by the time I return, I will instruct Lusca to y with you outside.¡±

    Leeora left as she knew Ember would only move in her absence and she was right. The moment Leeora left her sight. Ember slowly put the nket away and started nibbling on the loaf of bread. She didn¡¯t feel like eating but she wanted to go out. Part of her mind was wondering if she should use this chance to go away from here, never to return again.

    By the time Leeora returned, Ember had finished eating. Though she only ate a single bread, Leeora was happy to see that she at least ate something.

    ¡°Good that you ate. I will let it slide that you didn¡¯t finish your food, so you can now go around the city. Do you want me toe with you?¡± Leeora asked, though she knew the obvious answer.

    ¡°I¡­I can go alone,¡± Ember spoke instead of just shaking her head.

    Hearing her speak reallyforted Leeora. She thought by the time Ember returned from roaming the city, she would have probably recovered enough for them to have a proper conversation. With Lusca as her guide, there was nothing to worry about Ember getting lost.

    Leeora ushered Ember down with the help of the tree spirit, and they walked to where Lusca was staying just under at the base of the tree where Leeora lived. The stag would normally graze in the forest during the daytime, but there was a shelter at the base of the tree prepared for him where he could stay to rest whenever he wanted to.

    Seeing the beautiful brown stag, Leeora petted his back, running her fingers through his soft fur. ¡°Are you up, Lusca? Would you like to take Ember to y around the city?¡± Delighted by her gentle touch, it let out an affirmative bellow. ¡°You have to make sure she enjoys your trip. Understood?¡±

    Lusca just looked at Leeora but that was enough for her to understand what he meant.

    Meanwhile, Leeora handed Ember several coins. ¡°Keep them. If you ever get hungry or wish to buy something nice for yourself.¡± The elf smiled. ¡°Be sure to return by dinner time.¡±

    Warmed by the elf¡¯s kindness, Ember sat on the stag and let Lusca bring her around Ronan. Just like the previous time Ember observed everything in silence¡ªfrom the lively streets, the cozy residences, the rowdy marketce.

    ¡®Maybe for thest time I am seeing it.¡¯

    Despite wearing ordinary elf clothes, Ember stood out as she¡¯s riding thergest stag in the forest while covered in bandages. But thanks to her pitiful appearance, none of the elves nor other races openly showed hostility.

    Interest, doubt, pity¡­ The friendly Wood Elves in particr even nodded their heads in acknowledgement when she met their gazes.

    When it felt like Lusca would turn to return, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the cliff.¡±

    She reached the cliff which marked the border of the city of the Wood Elves, highlighted by the presence of that ancient magical tree which had magical fruits that glow likenterns in the night. During the day, they looked like balls of ss, their surfaces faintly reflecting the light from the sun.

    Lusca stopped by the tree, and Ember stepped down while warily eyeing the jutting edge where she fell down fromst time. No emotion could be seen on her face, but her chest felt difort the longer she stared at the cliff. She then turned her attention at that ancient tree, studying it as if she was looking at it for thest time.

    She slowly went closer to the tree, careful not to trip on the roots, and looked at those beautiful fruits hanging from its branches. She wanted to take one, but she was too short to even reach the glowing fruit from the lowest branch. After a while, she gave up and checked on the ground for any fruit that might have fallen, unaware of the fact that someone was keeping an eye on her.

    A pair of ashy gray eyes followed her movements.

 Chapter 62

    Morpheus was in his human form, sitting leisurely on one of the thick branches of one of the tallest trees on a nearby peak. His back leaned against the thick tree trunk, one of his arms folded at the back of his head while the other idly yed with a leaf. He looked like a wastrel, one legzily stretched out with the other folded as he nkly eyed the sky.

    His peripheral vision caught movement, and at first, he thought it was some kind of forest animal looking for food. However, he noticed it was a person and an unexpected one at that.

    ¡®What is this human doing here?¡¯

    He looked at her in amusement, observing her every movement. He saw her trying to reach fruit on tiptoes, but when she could not, he watched her give up.

    ¡®What a funny creature,¡¯ he thought and then took notice of how small she looked from her physique. A thin, frail body covered in loose clothes, and those two braids made her look even younger than the first time he saw her.

    ¡®Is she even an adult? Even the kids of my n might weigh more than her. But then again, humans are truly smaller, their females weaker,¡¯ he concluded. ¡®You better be an adult, but even if you are a child, it doesn¡¯t change the fact I will use you against him. me your bad luck that you are tangled with that man.¡¯

    Afterwards, Morpheus saw her walking towards the edge of the cliff. ¡°Isn¡¯t she scared toe here again after falling that night? I do not know if she is brave or she hasn¡¯t learned her lesson.¡¯

    The female simply stood at the edge of the cliff, about four or five steps from where she fell thest time, seemingly staring ahead nkly.

    Morpheus observed her for a while as he continued to loungezily on the branch.

    ¡®What is she thinking about? Is she enjoying the view of the forest from the top of the cliff? A little daring, I say.¡¯

    An eagle¡¯s eyes had an impressive vision to start with, and as the owner of the sharpest eyesight among his kind, it was easy for Morpheus to see the details of her body. Her face was scarred but her eyes were still like water. There was no fear in her eyes, though he also couldn¡¯t read the emotions behind them.

    Morpheus could not help but nod despite himself. As a warrior, he appreciated people with greatposure, as self-control was a quality that warriors needed if they ever needed to face battle.

    ¡®Beautiful¡­¡¯

    Though one could not see how exactly she looked due to her burn scars, he found her lovely. Just those eyes were enough to fascinate him.

    He could not help but tilt his head, puzzled by his own thoughts. ¡®I wonder what exactly about those eyes that I find beautiful. I wonder how they look when she is happy¡­¡¯

    Just then, he saw a dainty butterfly flying around her, catching her attention, and she raised her hand to touch it. There was finally a change in her quiet behaviour.

    ¡®Does she like butterflies?¡¯ he thought and did something with his hand, causing a faint trace of sonic magic to escape his fingertips.

    Soon after, various insects nearby became more active, and along with them were colourful butterflies moving here and there. As if attracted to Ember¡¯s presence, those butterflies moved towards her and yfully danced around her, as if greeting a friend. Her green eyes brightened up and her lips curved into a small smile, as if she had seen something she longed to see.

    It made Morpheus baffled. He could see how her eyes turned moist, and even that smile felt painful, as if she was on the verge of crying.

    Seeing her like this, Morpheus sat straight on the tree branch where he was lying, his face pondering. He could not help but study that female once more.

    ¡®I expected that she would smile,¡¯ he concluded, ¡®but why does she look like she¡¯s crying? A smile filled with pain. Not the pain from her wounds but¡­looks like the pain from her heart¡­¡¯

    Grief.

    Morpheus understood. As someone who had also lost people most precious to him, he felt like he understood her smile.

    ¡®Is she remembering someone she lost?¡¯

    He shook his head to get rid of all these concerned thoughts about her. ¡®I can¡¯t show sympathy to her. I need her for my own purpose. I am sorry, human, but you might be the only key.¡¯

    Grunt! Grunt!

    His thoughts were disturbed by the restless grunt made by the stag apanying her. He understood what the stag was saying. He was anxiously calling for the human toe back.

    The harsh wind picked up, causing Morpheus to close his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, Ember was already standing at the edge of the cliff.

    ¡®What is this human¡ª-¡±

    Before he could finish his question, Ember had already thrown herself down the cliff.

    The next moment, a pair ofrge wings opened to their fullest behind his strong and muscr back. Without a moment¡¯s dy, he swooped down the cliff at a speed that defiedmon sense, resulting in a strong gust of wind that disturbed everything in his path, from the swaying branches of the trees to the dried leaves and twigs on the forest floor.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    After the butterflies flew away from her, Ember felt the weight inside her chest go away with them. It was a symbolic farewell in her mind.

    ¡®Gaia, I don¡¯t think I can bear it anymore. Our life on the mountain was hard, but it¡¯s bearable because I had you. You protected me all my life, and even sacrificed yourself for me. But¡­¡¯

    She remembered the beautiful city, the kind Leeora, the freshly-baked loaf of bread filled with affection.

    ¡®¡­but I am letting you down. It¡¯s so lonely without you. All your efforts to protect me are pointless since you are not here by my side. I am sorry, Gaia, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯

    She let out a shaky breath as she looked down from the top of the cliff. The dizzying height made her want to step back and run. Her heart shook as she remembered how terrified she was when she fell from this very cliff.

    Yet she did not back down.

    She had steeled her resolve.

    The only regret she had was being unable to fulfil Gaia¡¯s words.

    ¡®You told me to stay alive whatever it takes, but I cannot do it. It¡¯s too painful to remain alive. It¡¯s too painful to be alone. I hope you will forgive me when we meet again in another world, in another lifetime.¡¯

    She closed her eyes as she put one foot forward, only to let herself plunge down the cliff. Rather than tears, there was a relieved smile, a peaceful smile, on her small face.

    ¡®Finally, my suffering will be over¡ª¡¯

 Chapter 63

    Swish!

    However, even though she desired death, even though she lost the will to stay alive, destiny wasn¡¯t something she could control.

    Ember wasn¡¯t fated to die.

    Thud!

    She let out a startled scream when her body collided against another, the impact causing her aching body to erupt in pain and her breath to be knocked out of her lungs. A strong man with arge pair of ashy grey wings caught her midair before she could hit the crowns of the tall trees under the cliff.

    The abrupt stop made her dizzy, and she felt like her entire body had lost strength. She moaned in pain as her head spun like everything was light and airy. With her body feeling weak, her eyes refused to open.

    Still, she was sensible enough to understand her situation.

    ¡®I¡­was saved?¡¯

    She could feel that she was being embraced by two strong arms, surrounding her firmly against a warm muscr chest. Her face was resting against her saviour¡¯s shoulder and the smell of the forest on his body, the heat of his skin, made her feel more lightheaded.

    ¡®Please¡­I hope it¡¯s not him,¡¯ was all she could think even in her dizzy state.

    It took her a few moments to open her eyes, and she was first greeted by the sight ofrge and majestic wings pping slowly and rhythmically in the air, making them stay stable in one ce midair. She could feel the movement of the muscles of the shoulder with each p those wings made. She could not believe her eyes.

    ¡®Gaia used to say that angels have wings. Did I die and go to heaven? Am I seeing an angel now?¡¯

    Her gaze slowly moved around and found herself above a familiar forest, only she was seeing it from a different angle. She realized she was not dead.

    Dismay filled her veins. She was saved when she didn¡¯t want to be saved.

    ¡®Why can¡¯t you let me die peacefully?¡¯ she could not help but ask as she lifted her gaze to see the man¡¯s appearance. Her intuition already told her it was not that red-eyed man because that man could fly without using wings, but she was still relieved when she confirmed that unfamiliar handsome face.

    ¡®It¡¯s not him¡­¡¯

    Rather than a pair of terrifying red eyes, her saviour was a man with sharp ashy grey eyes.

    Flying effortlessly above the trees, the unfamiliar winged man was notpletely clothed, and she was pressed against his muscr chest that was inked with strange white tribal tattoos.

    She moved her head back slowly, only to see that the pair of wings attached to his back were of a simr shade to his eyes. She found herself flustered by the amusement in his gaze as he stared back at her from behind the short hair strands falling over his forehead.

    His thin lips carried a wild charm as he let out a lopsided smile, and for some reason, Ember felt herself getting a sense of safety from his presence. His handsome face only inches apart from hers, but she did not shy away from the closeness. Though his sharp appearance looked aggressive, she didn¡¯t feel afraid of him, unlike the instinctive fear she had for Draven.

    However, while Ember looked up at him in astonishment, he peered down at her with disbelief.

    ¡®Her eyes are more beautiful up close¡­¡¯ he could not help but think. ¡®How is that possible? How can a mere human have eyes like these?¡¯

    Only when she struggled in his hold, as if asking him to let her go, did he snap out of his daze. They had been hovering above the forest for who knows how long.

    ¡°Little female,¡± he said, ¡°if you wish to die, this is certainly not a good ce for that.¡±

    The rich, deep voice of the unfamiliar winged man made her stop struggling, and in response, he even held her firmer against his chest, making sure she wasfortable in his arms.

    She didn¡¯t know what to say or do while being held high up in the air. Her whole life, only Gaia had carried her this for a length of time, and that was only when she was a little girl who needed a luby to sleep.

    How long had this man been carrying her? Why wouldn¡¯t he let go? What was the meaning of keeping her up in the air? Why wouldn¡¯t he just put her down on the ground and leave?

    Morpheus was observing her in amusement. From her panicked expression, he could guess what was going on in her mind. Though he knew she was confused and embarrassed, he pretended to be unaware as he wished to stay like this for a little while longer.

    ¡®For a little female who was determined to take her life, she sure acts adorably feisty.¡¯

    She heard him continue speaking, ¡°Do you know? If you fall from here, you won¡¯t die easily.¡±

    She stopped squirming in his arms, frustrated that her effort to free herself from him was useless, and merely looked back at him.

    ¡°Do you know which people the forest under the cliff belongs to?¡±

    His rich, deep voice spoke once more, as if narrating in leisure.

    Seeing herck of response, he continued. ¡°This part of the forest is under the Valley Elves. They are the elf n well-known for their love of breeding animals, and within the Forest of the Elves, this ce is teeming with them, from small harmless animals torge predators. So imagine, if you fall down, you will survive because the trees will break your fall, but their branches will stab your body everywhere. You will feel immense pain, and you might break a bone or two, but you won¡¯t die as that softened impact is not enough to kill you.

    ¡°When you finally reach the ground, you will remain lying half dead and in pain, waiting for your death toe to you¡­but, it still won¡¯te. Before you die, you will find small wild animalsing to feed on your body. They will nibble on your skin, eat you in small bites, and after receiving that kind of torture, you might still survive unless a predator like a wild cates for you. While you watch your body be eaten, each passing second you will regret why you chose this way of dying.¡±

    Ember imagined all this happening to her and shivered in fright. Though she wanted to die, she didn¡¯t want to suffer that way. She was still a young naive girl, and now she heard him, she felt somehow relieved of his timely arrival. Though, of course, she wouldn¡¯t tell him that.

    ¡°So,¡± he drawled, ¡°if you still want to die then I will fly higher and let you go.¡±

    She felt him loosening his grip around her, but she instinctively held him close, circling her arms around his neck and clinging on to him for her dear life.

    Morpheus smirked yfully, finding her reaction adorable. He tried to loosen his hold once more, but she almost buried herself in his arms with her eyes shut. If he were human, he would have choked from the way she clung on to him.

 Chapter 64

    Deciding he had his share of fun, he tightened his hold around her, embracing her frail body to protect her from the wind for when he moved.

    Swoosh!

    When Ember took a peek, she saw those majestic ashy grey wings pping with great force. They were swiftly flying over the forest.

    She was flying¡­

    For the first time, she got to experience how it felt to fly like a bird. His beautiful wings looked strong as if they could cut through even the harshest winds of the strongest storm. The winged man glided over the vast forest below the cliff, passing through a number of viges and cities, before soaring up in the sky as he headed back towards where she came from.

    Ember found her heart racing in excitement the entire time, and when they reached the cliff and stopped under that ancient tree withntern-like fruits, only then did she calm down.

    Morpheus didn¡¯t let go of her immediately as he was sure after being up in the air for so long and flying with him, a human body would feel weak.

    ¡°Can you stand?¡± he asked gently while still holding her close.

    Ember nodded and let her legs take all her weight as he slowly freed her from his hold.

    ¡°You can sit there if you are feeling dizzy,¡± he said while pointing toward one of therge roots next to her. He continued to hold her hands till she sat downfortably.

    Once she was seated, he let go of her hand and she took that chance topletely take in his appearance.

    ¡®Does he not feel cold?¡¯ was her first thought.

    The man who saved her was half-naked, only wearing short pants to cover his lower body, though he did have a feather cape covering the top of his chest and his broad shoulders. His tanned body looked like they were sculpted to perfection, with strong but lean muscles, hard chiselled abdomen, and the white tribal tattoos on his skin seemed to highlight how beautiful his body was.

    Dark grey feathers were attached to the shoulder part of his cape like beautiful essories, but there were no wings behind him. She tilted her head a little to see if they were folded and hidden under the cape, but there was nothing there.

    While she was studying him, Morpheus kneeled on one leg in front of her, allowing their faces to meet on the same level, but that made her flustered. She lowered her head and simply gazed at her hands. Though she was curious about him¡ªto be more precise, his wings¡ªshe remembered he was aplete stranger.

    ¡°Do you want to say something, little female?¡± he asked, amused by how she was staring at him mere seconds ago. His manly voice surprisingly sounded gentle andforting, contrary to his wild look.

    Ember adamantly shook her head. It was good to not mingle with strangers¡ªit was a lesson Gaia had always strictly reminded her of.

    He didn¡¯t force it and simply said, ¡°My name is Morpheus. May I know yours?¡±

    She didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°Trust me, I mean no harm to you. But if you don¡¯t want to say your name, then it¡¯s fine as well. Just tell me if you are injured somewhere so we can take care of it.¡±

    She moved her gaze up to look at his face. She was surprised to see how this man could look and act gentle¡ªfrom his gaze, to his actions and the way he spoke¡ªunlike a certain red-eyed man who only knew how to be mean.

    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere?¡± he asked and looked at her feet wearing short boots made of the animal hide where one was torn near the ankle. He moved her hands to touch it but she moved her foot to dodge.

    ¡°Your shoe is torn,¡± he said. ¡°I am only checking if you hurt your foot.¡±

    He moved his hand once more and this time she didn¡¯t resist. He held her right foot gently and removed her boot.

    ¡°Your foot is fine, fortunately. We should fix this boot though.¡±

    He observed the torn shoe while she observed him.

    ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad man.¡¯

    She once again nced at his back while he was busy fixing her shoe, but she could not see his wings and felt somewhat disappointed. Those majestic ashy grey feathers looked soft to touch, and she remembered how shiny they look each time sunlight hits them at an angle.

    Meanwhile, Morpheus did not actually fix her boot. He simply secured it to her foot with a string he was carrying so that she would not have problems walking around.

    ¡°Done.¡±

    He stood up from kneeling and walked closer to the ancient tree behind Ember. Her gaze followed each of his movements, wondering what he was up to.

    Morpheus looked at the branches of the tree, and due to his height, his hand had no problem reaching the nearest fruit hanging down from where he stood. He plucked one fruit, which was in fact average in size, but because the size of his palm was quiterge even for a man, it looked tiny inparison.

    She saw him bringing that glowing fruit to her. He kneeled in front of her again and held that fruit in front of her. ¡°Do you want this?¡±

    Ember gave him a timid nod. She remembered she was trying to touch this fruit when she arrived earlier, but she could not reach it no matter how hard she tried.

    Fascinated, she held that fruit in her delicate palms. To her surprise, it was not heavy¡ªin fact, it was too light, as if it was nothing but an empty ball made of thin ss that shines. Holding it in her hand felt magical, but soon, she saw the fruit losing its glow and it turned to a dull shade of grey. Before she could even react, it scattered into smoke and disappeared from her hands.

    Startled, she looked at the winged man in distress, as if she had done something wrong.

 Chapter 65

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. It¡¯s not your fault,¡± he said, observing her guilty expression. ¡°These are fruits that can¡¯t survive away from their tree. If you pluck them, they disappear into nothingness, but as long as they remain on that tree, these fruits can survive for years and years. They don¡¯t die, just that the fruit cannot live without the tree.¡±

    Ember calmed down after realizing it was not her fault.

    ¡°Do you know what we call this ancient tree?¡±

    Ember shook her head.

    ¡°We call it ¡®Pharos¡¯, which means ¡®lighthouse¡¯. It¡¯s a magical tree that will forever shine as long as it has thesentern-like fruits. It is a beacon that guides the people of the forest at night. For those living in the forest, especially those below the cliff, as long as they see this ancient tree, they will know exactly where they are.¡±

    Ember found herself nodding, grateful not only because she had learned the name of this ancient tree but also because it was pleasant to listen to the winged man¡¯s deep and manly voice.

    After a while, Morpheus said, ¡°It will be evening soon. You should return home.¡±

    She turned silent with her lips pressed in a thin line. How could she say that she left ¡®home¡¯ with the thought of never returning again. It wasn¡¯t just a simple want of running away¡ªshe wanted to disappear.

    Morpheus observed her expression. He didn¡¯t know why he was being so gentle towards this human when he wasn¡¯t even half this nice to the females of the feathered race. He was also one who held deep resentment against humans in his heart, but he seemed to not be able to hate this particr human.

    Was it because she looked miserable? Was it because she tried to take her own life, and he felt pity for someone so young, or was it something else¡­?

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go home?¡±

    She shook her head to say no.

    In Morpheus¡¯ opinion, other than the Wood Elves¡¯ territory under the care of Leeora, there was no better ce for her to be in this entire kingdom than the human viges. After all, Wood Elves were the gentlest of the races, and due to their High Elder¡¯s leadership, none of the ones actively hostile to humans stayed in Ronan. On the other hand, the humans would of course wee an addition to their poption.

    However, Morpheus did not trust the humans in the outskirts of the kingdom. It would still be best that this female stay with Leeora, who was known for her kindness.

    Though he hated humans, he wanted this little female to be in safe hands.

    ¡°Are you scared of something,¡± Morpheus asked, ¡°or someone?¡±

    She again shook her head, not willing to tell him anything.

    ¡°Hmm, let me guess. Are you scared of a red-eyed man?¡± he asked.

    She immediately looked at him which confirmed his prediction.

    He chucked and stood up. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be scared of him. Though he acts cruelly most of the time, he is not evil.¡±

    Her expression told him she didn¡¯t believe the words Morpheus was saying. Leeora was the same. Why do they keep telling her that she shouldn¡¯t be afraid of their king?

    Seeing her look of suspicion, Morpheusughed. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong. I am not his friend, nor do I like him. In this entire kingdom, no one hates him as much as I do.¡±

    ¡®He hates him?¡¯ It surprised Ember, wondering how this tall-winged man could say two contradictory things. ¡®But he¡¯s defending him?¡¯

    ¡°Though he deserves to be hated, it¡¯s not right to run away and take your life for him.¡± A light smirk painted on his lips. ¡°Rather, you should stay and create a lot of trouble for him. Strike back and annoy him. Better if you give him a huge headache.¡±

    She blinked her pretty eyes a few times, as if to know what he meant.

    ¡°I mean, just be brave and don¡¯t be scared. He might punish you, but he won¡¯t really harm you.¡±

    Thinking about his words, she nodded slowly. Other than the elf Leeora and the witch Cornelia, this winged man called Morpheus was the third person in this kingdom who she felt trustworthy enough not to lie to her.

    ¡°You should hurry back. The sun will set soon,¡± he suggested and offered her his hand to stand up, showing he was not going to take a ¡®no¡¯ for an answer.

    epting his hand, she stood up hesitantly, and he took her to the stag loitering around the other side of the tree.

    Morpheus and Lusca were acquainted with each other, and he patted Lusca¡¯s back in a friendly gesture. ¡°You have been growing nicely under the care of the High Elder.¡±

    Lusca let out a bellow, as if greeting him back. This fascinated Ember, as she too wished she could understand the stag¡¯s words.

    After a while, Morpheus said, ¡°You should take this little female back in time for dinner. We don¡¯t want the High Elder to worry too much.¡±

    The human girl climbed on Lusca¡¯s back and was about to leave when Morpheus heard a soft voiceing from her direction.

    ¡°Ember.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Morpheus was surprised that she talked. From that night when he witnessed her being saved by Draven up till now, he had never heard her speak and thought she was mute.

    With Lusca walking away, the human girl turned her head over her shoulder to look at him, her green eyes sparkling.

    ¡°My name is Ember.¡±

    Morpheus grinned a lopsided smile, and in return, let her see what she wanted to see all along since the moment theynded at the cliff. Hisrge majestic wings appeared from his back, spreading them to their fullest, making her eyes widen in awe.

    Her mouth gaped at how beautiful and unbelievable those wings looked, making him look like a divine being, an angel.

    ¡°See you, little female,¡± he said with a satisfied smile and flew away still in his human form. He didn¡¯t know why, but intuition was telling him she would prefer seeing him like this rather than if he turned into an eagle in front of her.

    Ember continued to watch him fly until he disappeared from her sight. She turned around to rub Lusca¡¯s head and looked at the forest trail in front of her¡ªthe way back home.

 Chapter 66

    The sky was dyed deep orange, gradually turning purple, by the time Draven returned to his chamber after finishing his work. He was thinking about what to do in the next day¡¯s council meeting, pondering about what decision to make about that human.

    Hoot!

    With an rmed cry and the sound of wings pping, a snowy white owl entered through his open window and circled around him, as if urging Draven to move.

    Draven was shocked by the message his pet, Midnight, brought. He raised his arm and the owlnded on his forearm.

    ¡°Did she?¡± he asked with a frown.

    The owl nodded with another hoot, and even before he could say more, Draven shrugged him off his arm, causing the owl tond on the window. The King was about ready to use his powers to teleport on his own when¡ª

    Thump!

    A strong fistnded on his chest, disrupting the process of teleportation. With the magic dissipating due to the disturbance of another magic, the collision of two powers caused strong fluctuations in the air, enough for the ground and walls to vibrate. It caused a not-so-littlemotion inside the chamber that Erlos would definitely not like to see.

    Draven¡¯s red eyes red at the man who had his hand ced on his chest to stop Draven from teleporting. In response, the shapeshifter offered a teasing smirk to Draven and patted the King¡¯s chest, cheekily telling him to calm down. He only removed his hand when that pair of red eyes let out a dangerous gleam.

    At a speed that rivalled the wind, Morpheus had entered the King¡¯s bedchamber through the window. When he saved Ember, he had already seen Midnight flying away, and Morpheus knew he was going to the pce to inform his master of what he witnessed. Morpheus didn¡¯t care as he knew even if this bulky owl sped with his life on the line, he was merely an intelligent animal¡ªhe wouldn¡¯t be faster than a Divine Eagle.

    Proving his point, the two of them reached the pce merely several seconds apart though Morpheus spent some time consoling that human female.

    ¡°What¡¯s with that re? What, did Midnight tell you that the human fell from the cliff?¡± Morpheus grinned as he stood in front of Draven who clearly looked annoyed with his arrival. From the rising magic power in the air, it felt like the King was even contemting the use of violence for daring to stop him.

    The pair of red eyes moved from the winged man to Midnight to which Midnight replied with one more hoot.

    Morpheus chuckled at what he heard. Just like Draven, Morpheus could understand Midnight as well. ¡°Your Majesty, you didn¡¯t hear the entire thing and yet you are ready to sh by that human¡¯s side? Is she that important to you?¡±

    Draven clenched his fists, scowling at this daring eagle who didn¡¯t seem to care for his own life. He dared mock a devil? Did he finally lose his sanity after being thrown out thest time?

    Morpheus ignored him. ¡°Let me first deal with your pet.¡± He turned towards Midnight who sank back at the gaze of this eagle warrior who was no less scary than his master. After all, he was a mere owl, and in the hierarchy of the wild where instincts and bloodlines reigned supreme, eagles were top predators.

    ¡°Did you tell your master that she fell from a cliff?¡± Morpheus asked.

    Midnight hopped from one w to another on the window sill, letting out a timid hoot as if it wereining. Draven merely stared at the intruder, waiting to hear what Morpheus was up to.

    Morpheus sighed. ¡°After spending your time with the devil, you are losing your intelligence, Midnight.¡± He took a step closer to the owl. ¡°Falling and jumping down from a cliff are different things.¡±

    Draven felt like something tugged his heart, though his expression did not change.

    ¡°You go and y with your kind,¡± Morpheus said to Midnight, and even before the owl could react, there was a soft hitting sound.

    Thud!

    In less than a fraction of a second, one of therge grey wings behind Morpheus moved to p the owl out of the bedchamber. It was a light p, but it sent the poor owl tumbling in the air. Luckily, he somehow managed to open his wings and fly away after letting out a few angry hoots.

    Morpheus turned to look at Draven whose red eyes had turned to a considerably darker shade. He realized that this incident had clearly affected Draven more than expected. In his perspective, the King of Agartha had long been an unbreakable iceberg, and given how long he¡¯d live, barely anything could shake his emotions.

    The eagle found this discovery fascinating.

    ¡°I wonder,¡± he slyly smiled, ¡°what happened to that human that she decided to jump down the cliff and take her own life? Do you have any idea, Almighty Draven¡ªI mean, Your Majesty?¡±

    Draven did not bother to respond to his question. ¡°Where is she?¡±

    Morpheus tilted his head as if he was seeing a strange being for the first time. ¡°Your Majesty, your powers can track the presence of anyone you¡¯ve met inside this kingdom. Why do you not put your great powers to use instead of asking this lowly subject?¡±

    Morpheus¡¯ yful response was followed by him walking leisurely inside Draven¡¯s chamber, as if he¡¯s admiring the mess inside.

    This eagle was among Draven¡¯s closestrades back in the day, and thus, he was aware of Draven¡¯s powers. Precisely because he knew him so well, it had be an annoying thing for Draven.

    ¡°I will find out for myself. You can leave,¡± Draven spoke, not willing to have this eagle stay in his presence for another moment.

    Not just his powers, Morpheus was also aware of Draven¡¯s personality, easily guessing his thoughts and the meaning behind his gestures and his words.

    ¡°Oh, I see. it¡¯s not that you are not putting your powers to use¡ªyour powers cannot be used on her. Has the passage of time changed you this much? Are your powers ineffective against humans now?¡±

    ====

    Don¡¯t forget to vote Golden Tickets and Power stones to get up in the ranking.

 Chapter 67

    Draven stepped towards him with anger in his eyes and clutched his throat in his hand.

    ¡°Answer me.¡±

    It was amand from the King, or rather, the Devil. His red eyes were burning with mes of anger.

    However, this didn¡¯t affect Morpheus, nor did he try to escape Draven¡¯s hold. In fact, he seemed more curious about the King¡¯s reaction as he replied, ¡°The answer depends on whether you want her alive or dead.¡±

    The rising power in the air thickened, and an ordinary person would have suffocated due to the pulsating magic that seemed to echo the King¡¯s anger.

    ¡°Sire?¡±

    Just then, there was a knock on the door and it opened despite theck of response.

    As expected, a young silver-haired elf entered the chamber, only to witness the sight of the King clutching the neck of a half-naked warrior.

    Morpheus grinned at Erlos despite his neck being strangled, and said in a choking voice, ¡°Hey, kid.¡±

    Erlos sighed as he awkwardly scratched his head. The troublemaker had returned, and it was nothing new that the eagle was butting heads with his master. What mattered to him was the mess in the chamber that he needed to clean up as part of his servant duties.

    To his surprise, it was in a better state than Morpheus¡¯st visit. Nothing was broken, and only several small items were misced or had fallen on the floor. He gave out a sigh of relief and turned to leave as if what was happening didn¡¯t concern him.

    ¡°You two carry on.¡± With that, he left and closed the door behind.

    Only then did Draven let go of Morpheus.

    The shapeshifter coughed as he massaged his throat. ¡°You arecking in strength, Your Majesty. Seems like you are getting old now.¡±

    The fire in his eyes was extinguished, and he gazed at him tly. ¡°Are you not answering¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± he tsk-ed. ¡°She is safe. I reached there on time to save her.¡±

    Morpheus decided to answer him as he didn¡¯t wish to prolong this silly topic. He had more important things to talk about.

    Draven fell into deep thought. If the human¡¯s life was put in danger, howe he was not summoned to save her this time? He looked back at the shapeshifter. ¡°Reached? How?¡±

    Morpheus stared at him for a brief moment and answered, ¡°It just happened like that¡­?¡±

    Was he truly asking how a person from the feathered race saved a falling human? That couldn¡¯t be it. He felt like it was a stupid question,ing from the King, but he knew Draven was a person who wouldn¡¯t say nonsensical things. He wished to know what was in Draven¡¯s mind. His displeased-looking red eyes told him that something was troubling him.

    ¡°Were you summoned to save her?¡± Draven rified.

    As if Morpheus heard the funniest thing, he scoffed with a strange face, as if he was holding backughter. ¡°Summoned? Me? To save a human?¡±

    Seeing Draven¡¯s serious face, he could no longer hold it in andughed.

    ¡°Are you serious? Is this also you learning humour due to your old age?¡± He waved his hands in the air as if he could not believe it. ¡°Am I her branded ve to get summoned to save her? I thought only a witch¡¯s familiar does that. I am a descendant of an ancient bloodline! My destiny is not that pathetic to be anyone¡¯s ve and a mere human at that. Summoned? Pfft. Instead of living such a pathetic life, I would have killed the summoner rather than save her.¡±

    Draven could not say a word as he was the one to have that pathetic destiny. With a strange power, that frail human could summon him whenever her life was in danger, but¡­the question was why was he not summoned this time.

    Morpheus once again stared at the Devil King who had fallen into deep thought once more. Knowing Draven, with his intelligence, it was easy for him to connect the dots.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you are the one with that pathetic destiny?¡±

    Draven¡¯s cold eyes flickered at what Morpheus asked.

    The Divine Eagle could not help but gape. He already found it intriguing that this human could shake the emotions inside the King who had long buried his feelings deep within his heart. He would have never guessed there would be a much more surprising discovery..

    ¡°So I said the right thing?¡± Morpheus studied his face. ¡°I get it now. You were summoned to save her, and that¡¯s why you brought her here to Agartha.¡±

    There was no response from Draven, and his old friend took that as a ¡®yes¡¯. Morpheus felt proud at having an unexpected gain from this visit. The surprising thing was that Draven could not control or hide his shaken emotions, allowing Morpheus to easily guess the truth. He was just silent like a lost one who didn¡¯t know what to say or do, nor did he know how to handle the questionsing his way. His smart brain seemed to freeze at this moment.

    ¡®Does she affect him that much?¡¯ Morpheus thought. To lighten the situation, he decided to talk about something else. ¡°Just to let you know, after saving her, I sent her back home. She is safe now. Anyways, what are you going to do in tomorrow¡¯s council meeting?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± Draven replied and went to sit on his armchair before closing his eyes. After knowing that the human was safe, there was nothing more left that he wished to talk with this annoying uninvited guest.

    ¡°It sure concerns me more than it did before,¡± Morpheus said as he went to sit on the window sill with his one leg folded up and another one leisurely swaying back and forth as he made himselffortable, resting his back against one side of the window.

    ¡°After meeting her today, I found that human female interesting. Her eyes¡­ there is something about her eyes that makes it hard for me to look away from them. I think we can be good friends. She liked me enough to tell me her name¡ª¡±

    ¡°She talked to you?¡± Draven interrupted him.

 Chapter 68

    ¡°Is she not allowed?¡± Morpheus countered and smirked. ¡°Well, she just told me her name as we were parting. Such a nice name.¡±

    Draven only smirked and kept quiet, not bothering to tell him that he was the one to give her that name. ¡°If you are done with your useless talk, leave.¡±

    ¡°As a friend, I am here to share my thrilling experience with that human female but you simply want me gone,¡± Morpheus said with aining tone, but Draven knew it was his act to annoy him.

    ¡°I do not have a friend like you.¡±

    ¡°Denying won¡¯t change the past,¡± Morpheus smirked. ¡°Who knows? Maybe, we can resume our friendship as I share my feelings about the human you saved.¡±

    ¡®Feelings?¡¯ Draven¡¯s hands clutched the armrest lightly, though from the face he looked cold. ¡®What feelings?¡¯ he could not help but wonder.

    Morpheus¡¯ grey eyes seemed to sparkle, but whether it was interest or mischief, no one knew. ¡°After meeting that female, I feel like it won¡¯t be a bad thing to keep a human around. She can be a great way of entertainment. As you know, I live alone as thanks to your grace I had lost my family. I can keep her with me. She can be a good pet like how Midnight is to you.¡±

    ¡®Pet!¡¯ Once again the grip of Draven¡¯s hand tightened on the armrest of his chair.

    The shapeshifter continued to speak, ¡°In tomorrow¡¯s council meeting, if you decide to send her to the human viges, then I will offer to take her with me. Since there is such a rule of not keeping humans inside our race¡¯s territory, I will just build a nest in the habitable part of the forest surrounding Agartha. It is technically outside the kingdom, so there wouldn¡¯t be an issue. Though I hate humans in general, I have taken a particr interest in this adorable little female. Who knows, once she grows up, I might end up liking her and decide to make her my mate¡­.¡±

    ¡®Mate!¡¯

    Crack!

    The armrest of the chair was crushed in Draven¡¯s hand the moment he heard the word ¡®mate¡¯. Morpheus could not help but smirk at it was exactly the reaction he wanted.

    ¡°Oh, poor chair.¡± Morpheus looked at the crushed armrest with pity. ¡°Living or nonliving, both are meant to suffer in your hands, Your Majesty.¡±

    Draven realized he could not control his anger in front of the nasty eagle who was provoking him intentionally. ¡°If you don¡¯t disappear from my sight, you will know exactly how this armrest felt.¡±

    Unfortunately, Morpheus was not one to be scared of his threats. With a grin, he even leisurely walked towards Draven. ¡°Tsk! Always threatening others. You must have tormented that little one, pushing her so far that she decided to jump to death.¡±

    The winged man stood in front of the King and looked into those red eyes.

    ¡°What exactly did you do with her?¡±

    This question made Draven freeze as he felt another strange feeling tug at his heart.

    ¡®I did not torment her.¡¯ Draven thought about what he did to her inside the tree house. ¡®I did nothing.¡¯

    He merely tried to find out the mark from his dream, as his gut feeling told him it was a clue to his past. At most, he red at that clumsy thing for not cooperating well.

    ¡°You seem hesitant to answer, Your Majesty,¡± Morpheus probed.

    ¡°I am the one who brought her to my kingdom. Whatever I do with her doesn¡¯t concern you.¡±

    ¡°Here I am, telling you of the possibility of making her my mate and you say it doesn¡¯t concern me.¡± Morpheus put on an offended expression. ¡°The way she was happy andfortable with me, I am sure she won¡¯t mind bing my mate as soon as she bes an adult.¡±

    Draven swallowed his rising anger as he continued to listen to Morpheus¡¯ provocation.

    ¡°Also, she seems to love my wings,¡± he imed with pride. ¡°She enjoyed flying with her in my arms. She clung to me so tightly, pressing her body against mine. Such a small and frail body, I was worried I might crush her if I put even the slightest pressure in my grip¡ª¡±

    The next moment, the man in the chair was no more. Flickers and sparks appeared and disappeared within the chamber like lightning, their movements so fast that even the sound of the collision came only several seconds in dy.

    The bodies of the two men moved from one end to the other end of the chamber, only to stop when Morpheus was pinned against the broken wall behind him, strangled with the King¡¯s strong grip.

    The chamber was thoroughly thrashed, but the pair of red eyes with overwhelming murderous intent only had the shapeshifter in sight.

    Morpheus could not deny that this time he might have touched the King¡¯s bottom line. Draven was truly angry and his grip on his neck was no joke. Unlike a while ago when Draven just strangled him out of annoyance, there was bloodlust in the way he tightened his fingers around his throat.

    With the setting sun barely seen from the horizon, shadows danced within the darkening chamber, making Draven¡¯s red eyes look like mes summoned from hell. If the person targeted by his re was not Morpheus but another person, he would have fainted with fright.

    Rather than backing down, Morpheus felt his warrior blood boil. The beast inside him was ready to show up.

    ¡®When was thest time I had seen you like this?¡¯ Morpheus could not help but wonder.

    To drive Draven to this point, the shapeshifter had spent countless years without getting any real result. At most, he could only vent out his anger against the King through small quarrels. But now¡­

    ¡®Did you not realize or are you pretending not to realize, Draven?¡¯

    Morpheus was initially just probing around, wanting to mess with Draven using that human female purely to annoy him. However, it seemed like that human meant more to him than anyone could have thought. Morpheus felt like even Draven himself didn¡¯t realize how much that human female affected him.

 Chapter 69

    ¡°Interesting. Are you going to kill me because of a human?¡± Morpheus managed to speak, trying to remainposed despite the pain spreading from his neck. ¡°You might be stronger, but I¡¯m not going down without a fight. If I were to resist, that kid might end up needing to reconstruct not just your chamber but your entire pce.¡±

    Morpheus did not strike back, not because he couldn¡¯t but because he felt this was enough.

    ¡®Enough¡­ for now¡­¡¯

    Seeing the anger in those red eyes, Morpheus felt a small satisfaction. Next time, it wouldn¡¯t be mere words. What the shapeshifter had in mind was not only physical punishment, but one that would stab straight into Draven¡¯s cold heart.

    Soon, Draven would have a taste of the suffering Morpheus had suffered after losing his loved ones.

    ¡°Stay away from her,¡± Draven warned.

    But Morpheus only found his reaction more and more amusing. ¡°After seeing you like this, how could I?¡±

    ¡°If you hate me for that mistake that much, why didn¡¯t you ept the throne when I wanted to give it up?¡±

    After his failure to protect his people, Draven wished to give up the throne and exile himself from Agartha as punishment. He was going to hand over the throne to Morpheus, a trustworthy warrior whose strength was only second to his, but the shapeshifter declined.

    Morpheus sneered. ¡°And what? Let you run away? I want you to stay here, to witness the children of your subjects grow up without their parents, to see the people who still grieve over the loss of their family and friends even up to this day, to be reminded every single day that your mistake cost us our loved ones. How can you think of freeing yourself from your guilt and running away? You still have to pay for your blood debt¡­

    ¡°¡­and taking that little female away from you is but a small interest of your debt.¡±

    In a fraction of a second, the two men disappeared from the King¡¯s chamber and reappeared at the peak of a faraway rocky mountain. The darkness of the night had covered the entire sky at this point, yet this darkness seemingly paled to the shadow on Draven¡¯s face..

    ¡°Stay away from her,¡± Draven repeated with gritted teeth. He even tightened the grip of his hand on his throat to drive his point.

    Morpheus choked, and this time, he used his powers against the angry devil. His hand emitted a strong pulse made of sonic energy that pushed not only Draven back but also Morpheus. The two men slid away from each other, their feet leaving trail marks on the ground.

    Once again, the collision of their powers disturbed their surroundings, causing dust to be stirred and the nearby rocks to overturn.

    Both were standing quite a distance from each other with Draven ring at the winged man while Morpheus was more concerned about his throat. He stretched his neck left and right as he touched what he knew were finger-shaped bruises left by the King¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Ah, I almost thought my neck would break,¡± he said with his trademark lopsided smirk and took a step forward. ¡°I see you still don¡¯t put up your guard against my powers. If you are letting me go so easily, why waste energy on strangling my neck in the first ce? Do you think I am that human female who will be scared by your antics?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t check my patience, Morpheus,¡± Draven warned coldly. He remained standing in one ce while Morpheus approached him with leisurely steps.

    ¡°Do you know how fascinating this is?¡± Morpheus chuckled. ¡°I have never seen you angry like this in decades. It makes me curious about the identity of that female. Does that female mean something to you?¡±

    The winged man paced around Draven like he did inside the chamber earlier.

    ¡°Why do you want to keep her with the elves? Is she worth it? If you are going as far as to contradict the wishes of your own people and betray their trust anyway, you might as well bring her to stay with you in your pce.¡± Morpheus shook his head. ¡°A female who doesn¡¯t even look two decades old¡­¡±

    Draven simply stayed quiet, aware that not only Morpheus, but many of his subjects also had a serious misunderstanding about his intentions about that human girl.

    If it were someone else, Draven would have strangled the person for real but Morpheus¡­.though they were not on good terms, they used to berades.

    ¡°As you are not saying anything, then I will take it that you are willing to let her go,¡± Morpheus said but Draven simply stared at him, not willing to answer any of his questions.

    Willing to let her go or not, he didn¡¯t need to tell anyone. No, he wasn¡¯t capable of telling anyone. He was a man whose first memories were of solitude and survival. How could he express emotions when he didn¡¯t understand them? He had always been alone, and even after he gainedrades and followers, he never talked much.

    He knew how to express anger, and he knew how to be threatening. He used actions to talk, but not words. He never knew how to express himself through words.

    That was because he didn¡¯t understand people and he didn¡¯t understand himself.

    Morpheus sighed. ¡°It¡¯s during times like this I wish Evanthe is here. Only she is capable of understanding you without you saying a word.¡±

    At the mention of the name Evanthe, Draven¡¯s gaze softened. The only person who could understand him and act recklessly in front of him, and he never minded it.

    Simrly, Morpheus¡¯s expression also rxed as he remembered her who had gone from their lives, but fond memories of the past still remained with those who were left behind.

    ¡®No! This is not the time.¡¯ Morpheus shook his head to get rid of those old memories, those days that used to be the best phase of their lives.

    ====

    Top 5 Golden Tickets Rank = Mass release

    I am sure you all want to know faster if Draven keeps Ember with him and how. So please vote and make me write it faster. ??

 Chapter 70

    ¡°Draven.¡±

    This time, Morpheus called him by name.

    Draven looked up, startled by Morpheus¡¯ sudden shift. Calling him by his name reminded him of the old days.

    ¡°Evanthe is the only female I acknowledge,¡± Morpheus said and Draven simply listened, trying to guess what he¡¯s implying.

    Morpheus continued, ¡°And this human female is the second one. Do you understand what I mean now?¡±

    The anger that was buried by the mention of Evanthe¡¯s name once again rose in Draven¡¯s eyes. ¡°She is not Evanthe.¡±

    ¡°That is why I won¡¯t mind ying with her. Make your decision for tomorrow because this time I won¡¯t be sparing anything that will hurt you. Let her go and you will see her as my mate,¡± Morpheus warned, his tone calm but his intentions dangerous.

    ¡°She won¡¯te with you,¡± Draven snapped, surprising himself how he was so sure of his words. He didn¡¯t even know what he thought when he said it.

    ¡°That is up for her to decide. From what I understand, she summons you when she is in danger, but this time she didn¡¯t as I was there to protect her. That means she doesn¡¯t need you. Moreover¡­¡± His lips curled wickedly. ¡°I can see she likes me while she hates you.¡±

    ¡°She must have not seen you in your disgusting beast form,¡± Dravenmented.

    ¡°Better than that your beast form,¡± Morpheus countered. ¡°I am sure she would rather hold an eagle instead of a scary monster. And I don¡¯t mean just the devil form, but your true form¡ªthe ck dragon. Try it and I am sure she won¡¯t even dare look at your shadow.¡±

    With Morpheus¡¯ words, the thing that was always buried at the back of his mind now surfaced clearly to remind him of his true identity. Humans, they always hated him for his true form more.

    At first, they feared him, but that fear converted into hatred. That human who betrayed his trust, hisst words were of disgust and ridicule, hating him for his true form. This human girl probably wouldn¡¯t be any different. She already looked at him as if he would kill her. He never did anything to harm her yet the fear in her eyes continued to grow each time he saw her.

    Those green familiar eyes¡­.what was he even expecting?

    ¡®All humans are the same.¡¯

    Draven let go of his clenched fists and calmed down. ¡°Do whatever you want to do with her.¡±

    It surprised Morpheus, but even before he could say a word, Draven disappeared from the mountain and Morpheus had no chance of stopping him.

    ¡°We are not done talking!¡± Seeing him gone, Morpheus wanted to curse. ¡°That¡­That coward left just like that. Where did he go?¡± Morpheus wondered and transformed into an eagle. He headed towards the pce but Draven was nowhere to be found, neither in his chamber nor his study.

    ¡°Not here?¡± Morpheus mumbled while flying around the pce in his beast form. ¡°Then¡­that human¡¯s home?¡±

    Morpheus pped his wings towards Ronan. When he reached there and checked for Draven¡¯s presence around. His sharp gaze could not miss anything even in the dark, but Draven could not still be found.

    Morpheusnded on one of the tree branches near Ember¡¯s tree.

    ¡°Perhaps he has gone there¡­?¡± He sighed. ¡°Seems like this is enough for today. Let¡¯s leave him alone. This much I can do for the sake of our old friendship.¡± Morpheus flew away. ¡°I will have more chances to get back at him.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª

    Roughly an hour after Draven and Morpheus left the King¡¯s chamber, Erlos entered, thinking that the annoying eagle must be gone.

    ¡®I am sure Sire¡¯s nasty mood will be worse tonight.¡¯

    Erlos wanted to be particrly careful in attending his duties for the King, not wanting to be punished unjustly. As such, he made careful arrangements for the King¡¯s evening meal, but when he entered the King¡¯s chamber, he found it empty.

    ¡°Sire? What the¡ª¡±

    To say the chamber was a mess was an understatement. It was as if a whirlwind wreaked havoc inside. The smaller items were scattered here and there, the table and chairs were flipped, and worse, there was a crack on one of the walls. It was easy to guess what the King did based on the shape of the crack.

    It was infinitely worse than the eagle¡¯s previous visit.

    ¡®Not like I canin.¡± He sighed. The young elf looked around the chamber but no one was there. ¡°Where has Sire gone?¡± He looked out of the window, but there was no one in the garden below. ¡°Did they go out for their duel?¡±

    His long, pointy ears twitched, trying to listen for any sounds of fighting.

    ¡°But why is everything quiet? Are they having a silent match or what? Or did they leave the pce?¡± He immediately threw away the thought of them merely talking. Morpheus was a frequent nuisance to the pce, and each and every one of them ended with the two fighting. ¡°Oh spirits, I pity the n whose territory they¡¯re destroying at this moment.¡±

    Erlos continued to make his own assumptions, muttering under his breath at how dedicated Morpheus was in hating the King, but he didn¡¯t simply idly wait. He was sure his master would return soon so he got back to work.

    He cleaned the entire chamber at the highest speed possible, using his powers to fix the crack on the wall, and thought to wait for the King to return. Meanwhile, he informed the other servants to keep the meal heated just in case.

    However, hours passed by but Draven didn¡¯t return. Erlos kept waiting for him outside his door.

    ¡°What is taking Sire so long?¡± heined. ¡°I know I don¡¯t need to worry about him¡ªhe is the most powerful being in the kingdom and that eagle is an easy prey for him¡ªbut I don¡¯t know if I should ask the kitchen to cook a new meal or if I should prepare the bath. Ugh, he should have at least told me when he¡¯sing back¡­¡±

    Erlos continued to stand by the door, looking out a nearby window, staring at the night sky and the mountain ranges whose peaks were visible like giant shadows against the dark curtain of the sky.

 Chapter 71

    In the middle of the night, a handsome man with hair darker than the night sky appeared within the city of Ronan while everyone was in deep sleep, unaware that their king had arrived in the elf city once more.

    The lively streets were empty, and even the forest animals were sleeping soundly. Only the sounds of crickets and the rustling leaves could be heard, which were the signs of a quiet night.

    Draven stopped directly in front of the door of the human¡¯s home which opened slowly on its own. Thest time he visited thiste in the night to check the wound on her leg, she was already in deep sleep so Draven expected her to be the same tonight.

    ¡®Even if she is awake, so what?¡¯ he could not help but scoff, but remembering his encounter with Morpheus earlier, his face turned expressionless.

    With slow and steady footsteps, he entered the house without making any sound, not willing to wake her up if she was sleeping. If he could avoid it, he¡¯d rather not see a drama and relive the scene where the fear in her eyes seemed to be using him of being there to harm her.

    As soon as he stepped inside her bedroom, he saw a frail body sleeping on the small bed in the corner. She was curled like a ball while wrappedpletely in a thick nket. Only the top of her face was visible while everything below her tiny nose was covered by the nket.

    Draven simply observed her from a distance as if it was thest time he would see her. Staring at her for a while, he shook his head.

    ¡®What am I doing?¡¯

    Not even understanding the reason why he even came in the first ce, of course, he could not find anything new or draw a conclusion from merely watching her sleep. He was about to leave but stopped in his tracks upon seeing a little movement from the girl in bed.

    For a moment, he felt worried that she had woken up, and again, he would see those green eyes filled with fear towards him. It was not new for him to see fear in anyone¡¯s eyes.

    How many centuries had he seen his enemies¡¯ fear?

    He had seen more than his fair share, and even among the people of Agartha, fear was amon emotion others felt for him. Every day, he would see it in the eyes of his servants in the pce, and even if he were to drop by the territories, his subjects would also feel innate fear for him. Except for those who knew him for a long time, few could even converse with him.

    All this time, he was never bothered by other people¡¯s fear, regardless of gender or race, so then why did he feel uneasy seeing that fear in this human girl¡¯s eyes? What was he expecting exactly?

    The human girl moved, tossing around with a mumble, and Draven realized she was still asleep. He watched as she clutched and pulled the nket that slid down to cover her face as if she was trying to hide. She looked distressed as if she was having a terrible nightmare.

    ¡°..please¡­¡±

    With his sharp sense of hearing, Draven caught the words from her low mumbling. It was simr from that night when he had seen her having a nightmare.

    ¡°Fire¡­It hurts¡­Save me please¡­¡±

    Subconsciously, he ended up walking towards the human girl. Though he had decided to stay away, something inside him was urging him toe close.

    Looking at her distressed face covered with cold sweat, he sat at the edge of her bed, but the moment he did, his body stiffened and his forehead creased. He smelled a familiar scent, a beastly scent that shouldn¡¯t have been here.

    ¡®Morpheus.¡¯

    It was clear why her body had his scent. Hadn¡¯t that shapeshifter boasted over and over again how closely he held her in his arms?

    ¡°Pain¡­It hurts¡­¡±

    Her painful sobbing pulled him back from his wandering thoughts and he looked at her, who looked like she was waiting for someone toe and save her. She looked scared and in pain.

    Without another thought, he repeated what he did before. He put his palm over hers, hisrge hand enveloping her small one. His intuition was telling him that if he could make her feel someone¡¯s presence with her, she would feel safe since she was no longer alone anymore.

    The moment she felt the warmth from that hand which made her feel protected, she mumbled, ¡°Gaia¡­¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s that name again.¡¯

    Draven still didn¡¯t know who this person named Gaia was, but this time, he controlled himself from getting angry and simply watched her distressed face turn peaceful. Once she looked calm, he thought it was time to leave. He wanted to free his hand but she had held it tightly. Draven stared at her tiny hand that held his and then looked at her sleeping face, only to return his gaze at that tiny hand that refused to let go.

    ¡®Whenever you were in danger, I was always summoned to save you but¡­but this time, why didn¡¯t it happen? Why was I not summoned? Is it really because Morpheus came to save you? So is there no real connection between you and my past?¡¯

    He wanted to pull his hand out as she was nothing but a human who looked at him as if he was a monster. This thought angered him as well as pained him.

    He wanted to forcibly tug his hand away, disregarding the fact it might wake her, but¡­he couldn¡¯t. He felt restless as he couldn¡¯t figure out why he felt like this¡ªsuffocated and lost.

    With much effort and determination, he slowly pulled his hand out of her hold as he could not stay there any longer. He knew that once this human woke up, she would make a scene that would let others know he was here.

    Of course, he would not even give her a chance to make a fuss. He could stop her from moving and shouting with his powers as he did before, but he just didn¡¯t want to.

    He didn¡¯t want to see those emerald green eyes filled with fear for him.

    He managed to pull his hand out without disturbing her sleep. He stood up slowly, only to disappear in a blink of an eye, as if he had stayed for longer, he would regret it.

    This human, he wanted to stay away from her but always ended up going to her somehow, willingly or unwillingly. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but there was something about her that always pulled him towards her.

    It was too deep to be mere curiosity and too vague to be called interest. Was there something else about her that called out to him?

    Draven didn¡¯t know. He felt like he was going insane.

 Chapter 72

    Bored of standing on his own for the past several hours, Erlos decided to wait for his master while sitting in one of the cozy chairs in the lounge area of the King¡¯s chamber. He had barely dozed off when he sensed movement inside the chamber, and his body jumped up out of reflex.

    ¡°W-Wee back, Sire!¡±

    He immediately bowed and straightened his body to greet the King who had returned to the pce.

    Draven didn¡¯t reply to his greetings and walked towards the bed while removing the buttons of his clothes. With each step he took, one garment of his was thrown on the carpeted floor¡ªfirst, his ck tailcoat, followed by his patterned vest, his white long-sleeved shirt and his ck gloves, among other things, leaving him with nothing but his pants on his body by the time he reached his bed.

    Erlos immediately went towards the trail of littered clothes. He didn¡¯t say a word seeing the grave expression on Draven¡¯s face and quietly collected the dirty clothes.

    Not saying a word, Draven kicked away his boots and climbed into bed which surprised Erlos. The King wasn¡¯t thinking of going straight to sleep, right?

    ¡°Sire, the bath is ready¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can leave, Erlos,¡± was all Draven said as hey in bed with his eyes closed.

    ¡°Uhh, your meal?¡±

    ¡°Just leave,¡± Draven said again and this time Erlos left without saying another word.

    Erlos had not seen Draven like this ever since he started serving him, and it¡¯s been decades since then. He wondered what had happened to affect him like this.

    ¡®Is he thinking about the council meeting tomorrow? Maybe that eagle had said something? Bah. It can¡¯t be the meeting. It¡¯s not even a big problem. He can just send that human girl to the human vige and everything will be solved.¡¯ Erlos sighed. ¡®Though I will feel bad for that poor girl, she can¡¯t stay here. If only she weren¡¯t human, she could continue staying with the Elder. I bet Elder Leeora will feel lonely when she leaves¡­¡¯

    Beforepletely closing the door behind him, the young elf nced at the King who was lying on the bed with one arm covering his eyes, as if something was deeply troubling him enough to exhaust him body and soul. It was difficult to guess what exactly was going on in his mind.

    ¡ª¡ª¨C

    The next day was an important day for the Kingdom of Agartha as the decision would be made on whether the controversial human girl would be sent to the viges at the outskirts of the kingdom or be sent back to where the King had brought her from. In the mind of the people, the option where the human girl would be staying in the main territories was not even an option.

    As the person who had watched over that human girl the longest, it was Leeora who was the most worried about the arrival of this day. Deep in her heart, she didn¡¯t want to let go of Ember, but she tried to hide her true emotions when she went to see her that morning.

    Knocking on the door, she entered the girl¡¯s house as usual with a basket of food in hand. Just like any other day, she found Ember sitting by the window and staring outside of it. It seemed like she had been awake for hours, having finished dressing herself even styling her hair neatly into two braids.

    ¡°Are you looking at the people below?¡± Leeora asked as she offered her a gentle smile. ¡°Anyway, good morning, Ember. I brought fruits this time¡ª¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Elder,¡± Ember greeted back, causing Leeora to be pleasantly surprised. It was the first time Ember greeted her back like this instead of replying with a stare.

    The more Leeora observed her, the more she realized Ember looked brighter and more cheerful than usual. It made her wonder what happened to cause this change. Was there something funny happening in the streets below?

    ¡°You seem to be in a good mood,¡± Leeora said as she walked towards the center table and put the basket of fruits on it.

    Ember reacted with a shy smile to her question and looked at the basket Leeora ced on the table. Leeora walked towards her and kneeled next to her. ¡°Let me see what you are looking at from this window. Did a fight break out?¡±

    When Leeora looked outside the window, there was nothing special. Small birds could be seen flying about as they basked in the morning sun. On the streets below, there were carts being pulled by merchants and theirpanion animals, and few early risers could be seen walking about, minding their own businesses. As it was pretty early in the morning, many people were probably still at home having their morning meals.

    Leeora looked at Ember. ¡°Hmm, did something special happen to you yesterday?¡±

    Leeora recalled that Ember was smiling when she returned home after going out with Lusca yesterday, but at that time, she thought it was just because she got to go out. But since she was still happy even now, perhaps she had a special encounter.

    ¡°Is there something you would like to tell me? I want to be happy just like you,¡± Leeora said, looking at that bright face with curiosity. She could not help but think, ¡®I knew it. A smile suits you best.¡¯

    Ember had always been expressionless, almost emotionless, ever since the day she had arrived in this kingdom. Aside from the past few days, her face only showed either fear or wariness to everything, even to Leeora. Now, the girl was finally lowering her guard and opening up her heart.

    Ember nodded lightly to what Leeora asked. She didn¡¯t know how to exin but tried the best way she could, ¡°A nice man with big wings. We flew in the sky like a bird, and it¡¯s amazing.¡±

    This girl didn¡¯t fail to surprise Leeora as she didn¡¯t expect to hear this from her. First, this was the first time they actually had a real conversation, and second, she looked like she found a new friend.

    ¡®A man with big wings probably means a shapeshifter from the feathered race,¡¯ Leeora concluded but there were a number of shapeshifters living in Ronan. That also didn¡¯t mean that the new friend she made was a resident of the city.

 Chapter 73

    ¡°I¡¯m d you made a friend. Do you know his name?¡± Leeora asked. ¡°Maybe I know him too.¡±

    Ember nodded but even before she could answer, there was a disturbance outside her house. Her home shook a little as if the tree spirit had been disturbed and was restless.

    The High Elder btedly realized what it was. ¡®Not again.¡¯

    With a sigh, Leeora stood up and went towards the door. The moment she opened the door, she saw a Divine Eagle turn into a man beforending in front of the door. He swatted away the moving branches like he¡¯s fending off flies with his hand.

    Leeora easily recognized his ash gray hair and wings. She tapped her staff to calm the tree spirit that was rampaging once again due to the order of their king to not let any male enter this house.

    ¡°Morph!¡± Leeora said with a smile.

    The shapeshifter smiled back at her. ¡°Leeora, how have you been?¡±

    ¡°I thought you woulde to see me only after I die,¡± the old elf said as she walked towards him.

    Just then someone peeked out from the open doorway, and Morpheus offered that person a lopsided smile.

    ¡°Hey, little female,¡± he said lightheartedly.

    Ember let out a shy wave.

    Leeora understood that the winged man Ember was talking about was Morpheus. She felt relieved to think that it was Morpheus as she knew she could trust him with this human. Though he also hated humans, he was simr to Leeora¡ªhe would never harm any innocent person. He was carefree and straightforward, but he was a warrior with a great sense of justice.

    ¡°What is wrong with this tree spirit?¡± he asked, as he decided to grab the moving vines hitting him and tie them in a giant knot. As for the thicker branches, he¡¯s simply pushing them away with his wings.

    ¡°He is following the King¡¯s order to keep males from entering this house,¡± Leeora answered. She walked towards him while Ember stayed back at the door of her home.

    ¡°Why am I not surprised?¡± Morpheus mumbled as he continued to effortlessly push the branches away with his wings, making a rhythmic ¡®thwack¡¯, ¡®thwack¡¯ noise that Ember found funny in a silly way

    ¡°Seems like you two are friends,¡± Leeora concluded.

    ¡°Well, something like that,¡± Morpheus replied.

    Leeora looked back at Ember. ¡°Dear, do you mind if I leave for a bit? You can eat those fruits I have brought while you wait. When I return, we will be leaving for the council meeting.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know what council meeting Leeora was talking about but she nodded, and after waving at Morpheus once more, she returned inside her home.

    The moment the wooden door closed, Leeora led Morpheus across the hanging bridge towards her own house. ¡°Have you eaten? I have baked some buns with fillings, and they¡¯re still fresh¡­¡±

    Morpheus tilted his head as he entered her house. ¡°Do they have meat inside? If it¡¯s just fruits, then no. You know I don¡¯t like sweet jams¡­¡±

    ¡°You know we Wood Elves don¡¯t eat meat.¡±

    As Morpheus sat around the wooden table, Leeora casually chatted with him in a rxed manner.

    ¡°¡­well, I don¡¯t think you came to Ronan for me,¡± Leeora said after a while.

    The shapeshifter shrugged. ¡°I merely dropped by along the way.¡±

    ¡°Are you heading to the pce?¡± Leeora wondered. ¡°That means you are nning to attend the council meeting?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± He nodded.

    Leeora gave him a doubtful look. ¡°Never saw you taking interest in any council meeting.¡±

    ¡°How can I miss this one? I cannot remember thest meeting that had such an interesting topic,¡± hemented.

    ¡°What is your opinion about it?¡± Leeora asked but before he could say a word, she continued, ¡°Answer me keeping your hate for the King aside.¡±

    Leeora was one of therades close to the King, simr to Morpheus. Back in the old days, she had witnessed from the very start the close rtionship Draven and Morpheus shared. Even now, she felt regretful about how things turned out between them.

    ¡°My opinion doesn¡¯t matter here,¡± he replied inly. ¡°I am just going to attend to watch the council trouble him.¡±

    ¡°Such honesty.¡±

    Leeora almost rolled her eyes at his blunt reply. This eagle didn¡¯t even bother hiding his true thoughts. Well, he was always like this, honest and straightforward.

    ¡°But I worry for that girl,¡± the elf admitted. ¡°She is so young and her life so far has not been pleasant for her. She seems to be happy here and I wish she could stay with me.¡±

    ¡°You think if you send her to the human viges she¡¯ll be unhappy?¡± Morpheus was curious.

    ¡°She¡¯s such an innocent child¡ª¡±

    ¡°All humans used to be innocent children.¡±

    ¡°But maybe if I educate her well¡­¡±

    ¡°Humans are disgusting and greedy by nature. Didn¡¯t centuries of experience teach us that? The people we lost are innocent too.¡±

    Seeing the elderly elf look in low spirits, Morpheus could not be stone-hearted and said, ¡°Well, I am just saying what the other people are saying, but you don¡¯t need to worry. If he wishes to keep her with you, then he will find a way.¡±

    ¡°I am not even sure what he wants. Every passing day, I find it difficult to understand him.¡±

    ¡°He has always been like this,¡± Morpheusmented.

    Leeora nodded as she nced at the position of the sun outside the window. ¡°In a while, we have to leave for the council meeting.¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t seem to have any idea about the council meeting,¡± Morpheus probed.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t,¡± Leeora agreed. ¡°I haven¡¯t told her yet. She is already scared of the King. If I tell her we are going to the pce, she might just faint.¡±

    ¡°Seems like that Devil has scared her enough,¡± he said and Leeora only nodded, not bothering to exin to him the incidents that happened.

    After some time, Leeora reluctantly rose from her seat. ¡°Ember and I should start heading out. I wonder how she will react when she realizes I am taking her to the pce.¡±

    ¡°That, you can leave up to me,¡± he said with a reassuring gaze.

    Leeora didn¡¯t know what he had nned but decided to trust him.

 Chapter 74

    Leeora went to Ember¡¯s home. The elf came just in time as she had just finished eating the fruits and the bread Leeora brought earlier.

    ¡°Are you ready to leave?¡± Leeora asked.

    Ember nodded as she stood up from the chair. She seemed hesitant to ask, but she still voiced out her question before following the elf. ¡°What is a council meeting?¡±

    Ember was naive, but she was not dumb to follow everything blindly, especially not after seeing the elf¡¯s expression earlier. She ended up asking what Leeora feared to exin to her.

    ¡®It¡¯s better to make her aware of the situation.¡¯ Leeora felt like there was a huge rock inside her chest. ¡®She needs to prepare herself if ever it¡¯s decided that she has to leave Ronan.¡¯

    She looked at the human girl patiently waiting for her response. ¡°Ember, you know how you are an outsider brought by the King into this kingdom?¡±

    Ember nodded and waited to hear more.

    ¡°There will be a meeting about your stay.¡±

    The girl looked at her with ignorant eyes, unaware of the gravity of the situation, and Leeora could not make herself say that she would be sent away. Just like others, Leeora was sure that the King would send her away as there was no reason for the King to keep her with the elves and go against the people of his kingdom.

    In her mind, the only issue would be if it¡¯s to the viges on the outskirts of Agartha or if she¡¯s going to be returned to the human kingdom.

    ¡°The rest I will tell you on the way,¡± Leeora assured her.

    Ember simply nodded as she trusted Leeora and followed her out of the house. With the help of the tree spirit, the two women reached the ground. Leeora called for her animalpanion.

    ¡°Lusca? We¡¯re leaving.¡±

    The beautiful brown stag came to them and Leeora greeted him by gently patting his back. She turned towards Ember. ¡°Go on and ride Lusca.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Ember asked, and once again, Leeora felt troubled to answer her.

    The King¡¯s pce¡ªshe could not make herself say it. Leeora didn¡¯t feel this uneasy back when Ember was acting like a mute, but now that she was talking and asking stressful questions, Leeora was wishing she could stay silent at least for the day.

    Thump!

    Just then, Morpheusnded behind Ember which pulled their attention. Ember found Morpheus standing a few feet away behind her and his beautiful wings pping majestically behind his back, as if he¡¯s tempting her with them.

    ¡°Little female, how about flying with me instead of going with Lusca?¡± he asked.

    Hearing it, Ember wanted to nod straightaway, but she first looked at Leeora for her permission. Though she felt like the winged man was trustworthy since she was Leeora¡¯s friend as well, he was still a strangerpared to the kind elf.

    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Leeora agreed.

    Leeora felt like this would save her from answering Ember¡¯s question that they were going to the pce. Once Ember reached the pce, she could exin things to her and there wouldn¡¯t be a big issue even if she felt scared. Taking her nicely to the pce was a priority.

    With a bright smile, Ember turned to face Morpheus, but she realized she didn¡¯t know how she would fly with him. Did he need to carry her in his arms like the previous day?

    The tall shapeshifter walked towards that hesitating human, and the next moment, she was lifted up with a single arm of his as if she weighed nothing.

    Instinctively, she held onto his shoulder. Imagining flying in this position, she suddenly felt it would be better and safer if she hugged him likest time.

    Unaware of the human girl¡¯s internal panic, Morpheus looked at Leeora. ¡°I will give her a small tour of the city from the sky. I will make sure she¡¯ll be with you by the time you reach your destination.¡±

    Leeora nodded. ¡°Don¡¯t take her too high. She¡¯s weaker than an average human.¡±

    ¡°I will be careful,¡± he assured and looked at Ember. ¡°Hold on tight.¡±

    With wide eyes, she listened to him and tightened her arms around his neck as if she was terrified she¡¯d fall if she were to do anything less than that. The next moment, those majestic grey wings opened to their fullest and he flew up with Ember in his arms. Before she realized what happened, she found herself up in the air, above the crowns of the tallest trees in the city.

    She looked down towards the elf city barely visible from the sky because they¡¯re covered with dense trees. As they flew higher, she could see other parts of the forest that showed signs of people living in them.

    ¡°See how some parts look different despite it being the same forest? This territory belongs to the elves, but there are different ns living in those other cities, just like how you live in the Wood Elf n,¡± Morpheus replied, noticing her curiously looking at the forest below them.

    Ember simply nodded as she watched the forest in fascination. She listened to him as he continued to tell her something about each ce they passed by. Some of them were things she already heard from Leeora, like how there were eleven elf cities in the Forest of the Elves, but it was more exciting with Morpheus not only because his voice was nice to listen to, but also because she¡¯s personally witnessing them.

    They spent time flying around, only stopping from time to time whenever he saw a random tree tall enough tond. Ember didn¡¯t know, but Morpheus was paying attention to the High Elder of the Wood Elves even as he showed her around the Forest of the Elves.

    His sharp eyes were enough to notice the path Leeora was taking when he flew in the sky.

    Upon seeing Leeora reach the outer wall of the pce, he started flying towards it. Seeing they were nearing the pce, Ember tightened her grip around his neck and subconsciously shrunk her body.

    As theynded inside the pce grounds, the garden in front of Draven¡¯s study to be exact, the elf servants tending to the nts looked at the uninvited guests with surprise. They all knew Divine Eagle Morpheus, and they also recognized the ugly human girl he brought with him.

    Draven, who was walking along the garden corridor towards his study, witnessed their arrival as well.

    His red eyes inevitably darkened with the disturbing sight¡ªthat annoying eaglended on the ground with Ember in his arms, her entire body pressed against his chest with her arms wrapped around the eagle on her own volition.

    Morpheus was carrying her with one hand holding her back while the other was ced below her thighs.

    The King of Agartha could not help but scowl.

    ====

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    Top 5 GT rank = Mass release

 Chapter 75

    Morpheus didn¡¯t fail to notice the dangerous gaze thrown in his direction by a certain pair of red eyes, unlike Ember who had no idea what was going on. She was scared stiff by the fact that Morpheus had brought her back to the pce, and her thought process had suddenly stopped.

    The shapeshifter found where the gaze wasing from and smirked at Draven when he found his normally expressionless face in a scowl. As if to tease the King further, Morpheus even deliberately looked at Ember who was being carried in his arms and then back at him.

    She was clinging onto him tightly, burying her face into the crook of his neck and holding on as if she didn¡¯t want to step down.

    ¡°Ember, we are here,¡± he said a bit loudly, intentionally addressing her with her name instead of calling her ¡®little female¡¯ as usual. The human girl shook her head in refusal, even tightening her embrace to protest stepping down.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be scared when I am with you,¡± Morpheus tried again, trying to sound as gentle as he could to her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Though his words were mainly for her, they were deliberately said in that manner to let Draven hear them. Though Draven was standing quietly at a distance, Morpheus knew he could hear him because of his sharp sense of hearing.

    Draven clenched his fists and heard Morpheus continue speaking in a lowered, somewhat husky voice, ¡°Will you look at me, Ember, hmm?¡±

    She obediently looked at him which surprised Draven. She not only clung to a man she barely met¡ªpractically a stranger¡ªthey even looked close and she also listened to him.

    Meanwhile, Draven was her saviour, not only once but twice, and yet on that day when he wanted to see that mark on her, she was not willing to cooperate. The anger inside him started to rise.

    ¡®Ungrateful creature!¡¯

    He heard Morpheus again, ¡°You need to step down.¡±

    Ember nodded slightly, and with great reluctance, she stepped down from his arms.

    ¡°Good,¡± Morpheus praised as he patted her head like they were intimate friends before smirking and throwing a gloating look at Draven.

    Ember looked up at Morpheus and saw him looking in one direction and she followed his gaze. The very instant she saw Draven¡¯s figure, she flinched. Though he was merely quietly staring at them from a distance, she could not help but feel scared and moved behind Morpheus to hide herself from his sight in reflex. She felt like her soul would leave her body the moment she saw him¡ªafter all, she had noticed he seemed angry.

    ¡®Is he angry at me again? Did he order for me to be brought here to punish me? Will he tear my clothes again?¡± She gulped. ¡®No¡­if he does that others will see me as well. Maybe that¡¯s what he wants? To humiliate me in front of the people?¡¯

    Tears welled up in her eyes as she forced her voice to beg Morpheus.

    ¡°C-Can you take me away from here? Please¡­¡±

    Draven heard her voice clearly for the first time. Before he had only heard her screams, those two words, ¡®It hurts¡¯ and all her mumbling while she was having nightmares.

    Morpheus looked at her over his shoulder as she was hiding behind him. ¡°I told you when I am with you, you don¡¯t have to be scared. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± she replied, ¡°but¡­¡±

    Just then Erlos entered the corridor to inform the King that some of the council members had already arrived. As he was about to approach his master, he saw Draven ring in the direction of that eagle.

    ¡®So once again, that eagle came to stir up his mood. He¡¯s beening a lottely. Should a warrior of the Divine Eagles have this much free time in their hands?¡¯ Erlos wondered. ¡®Wait, but what is that human girl doing with him?¡¯

    Even before he could reach any conclusion, he found Leeora entering from the other side of the corridor. She had noticed the way Draven was looking at Morpheus. To her, Draven was angry because of Morpheus as both couldn¡¯t stand the sight of each other. Never could she imagine what was going on between these two beasts and how that ignorant human was caught in their silent battle.

    ¡°Greetings, sire,¡± Leeora greeted, but there was no reply from Draven as his fiery red eyes were stuck in the direction of the two who looked unusually close to each other. He had even felt offended by the fact that Ember had dressed herself neatly in elf clothes, even if it wasn¡¯t intended for Morpheus.

    Under the King¡¯s re, Morpheus cheekily pulled Ember to his side, holding her hand with his thumb caressing the back of her hand which had a number of freshly healed scars.

    Morpheus exined to Ember, ¡°Leeora told you that the council meeting is to decide about your stay, didn¡¯t she? That meeting will be taking ce here in the pce and your presence is needed. Leeora and I will be attending with you as well, so you don¡¯t have to be afraid.¡±

    Once again, she nodded to what he said, and it only added to the rising anger of Draven.

    Leeora felt perplexed. ¡°Sire, I believe Ember would refuse to receive the summons once she realizes that she has toe here, that¡¯s why Morph¡ª¡±

    Draven turned around without letting the olddy finish her exnation. He went straight towards his study with Erlos hurrying to follow him, merely giving Leeora a small bow as a greeting.

    Witnessing all that, Morpheus had a satisfied grin appear on his lips. The King¡¯s study was in the same hallway, and thus he could hear the sound of a door mming shut echoing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    They walked towards the corridor where Leeora was standing. Along the way, the pce servants made themselves scarce.

    ¡°Morph, thank you so much for bringing Ember here,¡± she said.

    ¡°My pleasure. I enjoyed showing her the elf cities from the sky. It was fun, wasn¡¯t it, Ember?¡± Morpheus asked.

    She nodded and he said, ¡°I knew you like to fly with me. Don¡¯t worry, I will slowly show you the entire kingdom like this. I will even bring you to my home.¡±

    Ember nodded once again, but she remained quiet as her mind was somewhere else. Leeora knew she had not exined anything to this young girl, and now, there was not much time left before the council meeting started.

    ¡°Ember?¡± Leeora called for the girl who was staring at the stone floor with a pale face.

    Ember looked at her while Morpheus handed the conversation to Leeora.

    ¡°Dear, let me exin to you why we are here,¡± Leeora said while Ember simply stared at her with anxious eyes.

    ¡°Ember, as you are an outsider who doesn¡¯t belong to this kingdom in the first ce, there will be a meeting to discuss your stay here. As you may have noticed, the people of this kingdom are not humans¡ªthere are elves like me, shapeshifters like Morph, and witches like Lady Cornelia. There are others as well, and the leaders of these people make up the council.

    ¡°In this meeting, we will decide whether¡­¡± she trailed off.

    Ember anxiously looked at the older woman to hear what came after that ¡®whether¡¯.

    Leeora felt like a huge lump stuck in her throat, and she found it difficult to say anything further. She inhaled deeply. ¡°¡­.whether to send you to live with the other humans at the border of the kingdom or to send you back from where Sire found you. You are a human, and humans are not allowed to stay inside the main territories of the kingdom¡­¡±

    Ember could clearly understand the meaning of her words and tears welled up in her eyes. She looked like she would cry any moment.

    ¡°Oh, dear¡­.Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± Leeora didn¡¯t have any words to say to console her as she didn¡¯t want to give her false hopes. She knew Ember had to leave.

    Tears rolled down from her green eyes. Not just Leeora, but this time, even Morpheus felt something tug at his heart the moment he saw her cry.

    Morpheus found his own reaction puzzling. He didn¡¯t care about her. He shouldn¡¯t care about her. He just wanted to use her against Draven¡­ but why? Why was seeing her cry making him upset?

    Morpheus was about to say something but Ember beat him.

    ¡°I¡­I want to stay with you, Elder,¡± Ember said in an earnest voice. ¡°I promise to be good and obedient. I-I don¡¯t want to leave you. I don¡¯t have anyone else.¡± As she said it, her cry turned into a sob.

    Leeora could say nothing but she stepped forward to hug this frail human. ¡°If it was up to me, I would have kept you with me but¡­¡± Even Leeora¡¯s voice choked up and tears rolled down her eyes.

    Morpheus knew a certain someone out there could hear them and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If they send you out of the main territory, I will take you with me. You can live with me outside Agartha, and I will even bring Leeora to visit us from time to time.¡±

    His words were surprising for both women as they stared at him in wonder.

    Morpheus patted the head of the crying girl and said, ¡°Just attend the council meeting without any worry. You still have me.¡±

    His words assured her in some way and she nodded.

    ¡°Good girl,¡± Morpheus praised her.

 Chapter 76

    Draven went to his study after seeing Morpheus and Ember together. He should have started heading towards the meeting hall, but he felt like he needed to be by himself. He didn¡¯t know why he was angry, but he felt like destroying everything around him.

    The way that creature hid herself behind Morpheus after seeing him angered him. He was sure she looked at him as if he was a monster and this angered him even more. He thought that having alone time would be enough to calm himself, but he couldn¡¯t vent out his anger since he could still hear their voices from beyond the door.

    At a particr moment of their conversation, his anger started to disappear. Erlos, who was quietly standing at one side, sensed this change in his temperament and finally felt relieved.

    After a while, they heard a knock on the door and a servant ryed a message to Erlos. The young elf then turned to Draven. ¡°Sire, shall we leave for the council meeting? All the council members have arrived in the meeting hall and are simply waiting for your arrival.¡±

    Draven stood up to leave for the council meeting. When he stepped into the corridor, the ce was empty. Those three were gone.

    ¡ª¨C

    The King reached the council hall where he found the fourteen council members inplete attendance, seated with their aides and attendants standing behind them. For Chief Agraleus, the head of the shapeshifters, it was his nephew Morpheus standing in the stead of his uncle¡¯s aide.

    Draven walked straight towards the throne as the rest of the council rose from their seats to bow to their heads at his arrival, including Morpheus who didn¡¯t forget to officially show his respect to the King of Agartha though outside he never maintained that respect for him.

    On this day, Erlos took particr care of his master¡¯s appearance. Draven was solemnly dressed in a formal long coat with an imposing ck dragon embroidered on the expensive red fabric, with a heavy ck-gold cape flourishing behind him with each of his long strides. Together with his cold expression, it strongly emphasized the dignity of the King.

    Only his footsteps could be heard echoing in the silent hall, and when Draven sat down on his throne to look down on the council, it was as if only then was everyone allowed to breathe.

    Everyone returned to their respective seats, and only their aides and attendants were left standing.

    Halifax, the High Elder of the Moon Elf n, stood up to start the council meeting. The faces of each council member were grave, while the ones standing behind them were even nervous and agitated. This wasn¡¯t an ordinary meeting, as there was only a single item on the agenda, but this particr meeting was of such importance that the entire kingdom was waiting for its conclusion.

    Halifax briefly looked at everyone¡¯s expressions and then turned towards the King. ¡°Your Majesty, like what we have discussed in the previous council meeting, we are here to hear what his Majesty has decided about the issue of the stay of that human girl you brought to the kingdom.¡±

    Draven simply looked at him calmly, allowing him to continue speaking his part.

    ¡°Your Majesty, on the behalf of all the other council members who represent their people¡¯s wishes, I would like to propose that we send that human girl to stay among her kind, or if not, that we send her back to where she came from.¡±

    Halifax looked at the other council members who agreed with what he said.

    The Queen of the Fae, who had transformed to her human form, spoke, ¡°Your Majesty, you are already aware that the main reason we are not allowing her to remain was for the peace of the kingdom.¡±

    She continued to talk while looking at him with a calm gaze, ¡°Your Majesty, you must have already received the information that the humans are already creating trouble at the border they are sharing with the fae n and are trying to enter other territories. They im that their innocent children should also be allowed to enter our territories since there should be no difference between that human girl and their children. We can not allow them to destroy this peace we have been maintaining for centuries now just because we allow one human to stay with us out of pity.¡±

    Halifax nodded. ¡°I can see that happening. If we allow the human children to cross our boundaries, give them a few years, they would dominate our cities.¡±

    The other council members chimed in.

    ¡°Humans grow fast. In less than a decade, those children will be adults.¡±

    ¡°A pair of humans are capable of producing a single offspring in one or two years, while for our kind, our entire city will rejoice if even one offspring is produced in a decade.¡±

    ¡°Humans are weak, but they are quick to increase their poption. This is the reason why they can dominate the entire continent despite being weakpared to us.¡±

    Halifaxmented, ¡°We Elves can produce only one offspring per family, as our women have pregnanciessting for two years, and there is no assurance that the same female can conceive once more after her first child. We can say the same for the other supernatural beings.¡±

    The head of the shapeshifters, Chief Agraleus, stood up. ¡°I would like to bring Your Majesty¡¯s attention to the same thing. Those refugees we allowed to take shelter when the kingdom several centuries ago, weren¡¯t they initially less than twenty in number? Even if there¡¯s only one human identally entering Agartha after that every few years, the humans now have many viges on the outskirts. Their numbers are growing too fast, and it won¡¯t be long before they take over this kingdom. It has already started from how they are revolting these days. Bringing that human female even boosted their morale.¡±

    Halifax added, ¡°Your Majesty, it would be better if we send that human back among her kind. It will send the message to the humans that we still don¡¯t won¡¯t allow any humans within our territories, that we have kept her here only out of kindness as she was injured.¡±

    Draven listened without saying anything. Morpheus also did not voice out his own opinion, merely curious to know his decision.

    Suddenly Leeora opened her mouth. ¡°I would like to say something.¡±

    Others looked at her and she continued, ¡°I am not opposing the decision of sending that human girl away as I understand the concern the council members have. I have been looking after that human girl for almost two weeks now and understand she has no knowledge of the outside world. She is but a naive child. If we send her among strangers, it would be difficult for her to adjust. Moreover, as a woman, I worry for her safety.¡±

    One of the elves replied, ¡°We understand your concern, Elder Leeora, but we can send her under the care of a kind human family where they will take care of her. I am sure other humans will look after her as she belongs to their kind.¡±

    Leeora wanted to say more but she was sure they would find a way to answer her worries.

    ¡°I agree with Elder Leeora,¡± Cornelia, the leader of the witches, intervened. ¡°We cannot easily trust anyone with her safety. If something bad happens to her after we send her to human viges, we will be responsible for it. His Majesty was the one to bring her here so we should consider her safety.¡±

    Halifax chuckled as he said, ¡°His Majesty brought her here and saved her life. That is more than enough. There is no need to worry about a human¡¯s safety when we ourselves are worrying about our safety from the increasing number of humans.¡±

    Agraleus sided with Halifax. ¡°Moreover, we don¡¯t know who that human is. From what I understand, she seemed to be abandoned and we don¡¯t even know of her origin. Who knows if someone had just nned to nt her here to harm us just like in the past? Perhaps she¡¯s someone¡¯s ve?¡±

    ¡°Must be a ve as I did hear she is ugly and wild,¡± the Queen of the Fae said.

    ¡°I heard that as well. If she carries the blood of a decent human family, she would have looked and behaved a little better,¡± Halifaxmented.

    Elves considered themselves to be the most beautiful race, and they took great pride in their beauty. In their eyes, humans were always ugly, and their appearance reflected their personality.

    ¡°Where is that human female? Shouldn¡¯t she attend this council meeting when it¡¯s about her?¡± the Queen of the Fae asked.

    Other than Leeora, Cornelia and Morpheus, the rest were curious about where that human was as they knew she was summoned for today¡¯s council meeting.

    Draven eyed Erlos who was standing below the throne. The elf acknowledged the silent order and silently left the hall.

    When the door of the council hall opened again, Erlos was escorting a frail-looking human girl who was following behind him with her head lowered.

    Everyone in the hall could hear Erlos whispering, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, just follow me.¡±

    Ember did what she was told and entered the council hall with her heart beating fast. The curious gazes thrown her way made her more than anxious, and she promised herself that she would only keep her eyes pinned on the floor.

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 Chapter 77

    When Erlos led her to the centre of the hall, everyone who had never seen her observed her.

    Thin, small and ugly¡ªthose were the words everyone agreed uponying eyes on her. Her body was so thin it could be seen she led a harsh life, and it was probably also due to that same reason her growth was stunted, making her body¡¯s frame tiny inparison to an average human. This point was further emphasized by her loose elf dress.

    The majority of her skin was still covered in bandages, but those exposed had visible burn scars on them. Perhaps the only redeeming point she had was that her hair was the rich colour of mahogany.

    The council members frowned at the presence of the human but her presence was needed.

    ¡®She sure is ugly. Was she tortured beforeing here?¡¯

    ¡®Well, humans are ugly creatures so we can¡¯t expect them to look like us fairies.¡¯

    ¡®This particr human is not someone pleasing to look at. She must have suffered a lot. Now I kind of understand Elder Leeora¡¯s worry.¡¯

    ¡®Since she suffered outside, she¡¯s lucky she¡¯s given a chance to enter Agartha. She should be satisfied to be allowed to stay in the human viges. At least there, she would notck food.¡¯

    Erlos stopped at the centre of the hall and told her, ¡°Stay here,¡± before walking away to stand by the King¡¯s side.

    She stood there nervously with her head lowered, not daring to look at Draven who was sitting on the throne in front of her. She could feel all the strange gazes at her as if she was some kind of rare wild animal.

    However, the gaze that scared her the most was that pair of red eyes in front of her. Anxiously, she started to fiddle with her fingers, scratching the skin of her fingers with the nail of her thumb.

    Draven simply looked at her, his eyes carrying no particr emotion even though he could see clearly how her body was trembling in fear.

    ¡°Human girl, what is your name?¡± Halifax asked, his aged voice gentle as he looked at the girl standing in the centre of the hall.

    She gulped and answered, ¡°E-Ember.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a family name?¡± he asked again.

    Ember simply shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have any.¡±

    The council members looked at each other.

    ¡°She¡¯s not a noble, but amoner.¡±

    ¡°What if she¡¯s not even amoner but truly a ve? Won¡¯t that mean she has a master? What if she¡¯s a spy?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s but a young girl though?¡±

    Halifax turned his attention to the King. ¡°Your Majesty, given the poor state of the girl, I believe it will be best to let her stay among her kind, and I will make sure that she will be put under the care of a good human family. She must have suffered a lot, but there is no need for us to keep her with the elves.¡±

    ¡°We shall immediately send her away. What do you think, Your Majesty?¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t answer as he simply stared at Ember. The council members once again exchanged nces while those who knew Ember wished for the King to make the best decision for her.

    Seeing how that heavy silence caused the girl to tremble, Halifax let out a sigh. The members of the council cared for their people, but though they have a bias against humans, they weren¡¯t cruel beings.

    ¡°Do you have anything to say, human?¡± the oldest of the elves asked.

    Ember let out a whimper. ¡°P-Please¡­let me stay¡­I-I promise to be good¡­¡±

    ¡®That is not possible,¡¯ the leaders wanted to say, but looking at her pitiful state, another heavy silence descended within the hall, this time more ufortable than thest.

    ¡°How about we decide after we keep her on the brink of life and death?¡± Draven spoke, finally breaking the tension among the council members. ¡°If she survives, then she can stay and if she dies, her useless body can be thrown for the wild animals to feed on.¡±

    The entire hall was filled with whispers as they talked among themselves, confused by what their king was aiming for. Leeora and Cornelia felt puzzled while there was a sudden glimmer of brightness in Morpheus¡¯ eyes. However, he didn¡¯t show anything on his face.

    ¡°What do you mean, Your Majesty?¡± Halifax asked on behalf of everyone.

    ¡°To leave her to die where even me and my powers cannot save her,¡± Draven responded. ¡°If she survives then we will consider her like us and let her continue her stay with Leeora.¡±

    Leeora then realized the King¡¯s intention and decided to intercede, ¡°Elder Halifax and the rest of the council, in fact, Ember is not an ordinary human. That is the reason why His Majesty wants to keep her with me, and because of her uniqueness, the humans will have a hard time epting her for she¡¯s more simr to our kind than the humans.¡±

    The members of the council were puzzled.

    No one could understand the situation, but Draven didn¡¯t wait for them and simply looked at Ember. ¡°What do you think, human? Do you want to take the risk?¡±

    Ember felt this was the only opportunity for her to stay in Ronan. She finally raised her head to look at Draven, and her emerald green eyes met his red ones.

    His dignified voice continued to speak, ¡°If you agree, there will be no one who will help you. Survival solely depends on your own strength and desire to live on. If you don¡¯t agree, you will be sent among humans, and after that, you will never be allowed to interact with anyone among the supernaturals.¡±

    ¡®Sent among humans? Gaia always cursed, saying all the humans are nasty and we should stay away from them. They were nothing but cruel to us. Leeora even said they burned the entire mountain and tried to kill me. I don¡¯t want to go to them. I want to live here with Leeora. She reminds me of Gaia.¡¯

    Everyone looked at her while she was busy with her thoughts.

    ¡®I was supposed to die anyway after jumping down the cliff so it doesn¡¯t matter. Either I die, or survive and stay here.¡¯

    ¡°Your Majesty, what if she survives?¡± the Queen of the Fae asked.

    ¡°As I said, she will stay here,¡± Draven repeated and looked at Ember. ¡°This is thest chance I am giving you, human. Do you agree?¡± he asked.

    Though she was scared of him and she didn¡¯t trust him, she had to ept his offer as there was no other way.

    ¡°I¡­agree¡­¡± she replied in a weak voice but everyone heard her.

    Once again, the entire hall was filled with the voices of council members talking among themselves.

    The Queen of the Fae started, ¡°Your Majesty, we still cannot allow her to stay. The humans¡ª¡±

    This time, Leeora chimed in, ¡°I do not see what is the issue, Fairy Queen h. I am sure His Majesty had all our opinions put into consideration.¡±

    h frowned. ¡°But the humans will demand entering our borders¡ª¡±

    ¡°His Majesty won¡¯t put a simple test when he said he himself can not do anything to save Ember. If she survives, then she¡¯s not an ordinary human. Since she¡¯s unique, then the other humans can¡¯tin about the difference in treatment. If she dies, then you have nothing to worry at all.¡±

    ¡°I agree. She should get a chance,¡± Cornelia sided with Leeora.

    The two women trusted their king, and since he had proposed something like this, then there must be a reason. h, the Queen of the Fae, thought their words made sense.

    Though others were skeptical about the King¡¯s proposal, after hearing Leeora¡¯s argument, they all agreed in the end.

    Halifax conveyed to the King, ¡°Your Majesty, we agree to what you suggested.¡±

    Draven looked at Ember who was waiting to hear what she had to do.

    ¡°Come here, human,¡± she heard Draven beckon, his gaze looking straight into those green eyes.

    She gulped, hesitant as to why he was asking her to go to him. As the hall was with a circr setting, she could see Morpheus standing at her right side. She caught a glimpse of him nodding. Leeora also wore an encouraging smile.

    Hesitantly, she walked towards the man on the throne. She climbed those few steps that led her towards Draven and let out a shaky breath as she stood an arm¡¯s length away in front of him.

    Draven, still sittingfortably on his throne, offered her his hand palms up. She looked at hisrge gloved hand and then toward those red eyes which showed he was waiting for her to ept his hand.

    She moved her trembling hand on top of his hand. It feltrge and foreign, but she didn¡¯t pull away as his hand dragged her closer. All along, his eyes remained fixedly staring at her. She didn¡¯t know what he was up to and followed his lead quietly.

    ¡®Brink of life and death,¡¯ were the words she remembered him saying, and she wondered how he was going to harm her in front of these people.

    Just as there was no more space left for her to take a step, she felt a tug to her arm and she fell on his body, causing her to sit on thep of the man sitting on that huge stone throne.

    Ember wasn¡¯t the only one shocked¡ªthe rest of the people inside the hall could barely believe what they were seeing.

    A human sitting on their king¡¯sp!

    Feeling nervous and thinking she made a mistake, she tried to get away but she heard his cold voicemand her.

    ¡°Stay still!¡±

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 Chapter 78

    Ember was petrified on hisp, her mind nked out after hearing his sharp demand.

    Hearing Draven¡¯s dignified voice with their faces mere inches away from each other made her freeze like a little rabbit facing the most terrifying wolf. Feeling his red eyes on her, not only her breath, even her own heart seemed to have stopped for a second.

    With her body being so close to him, even sitting on hisp with his hot breath fanning over her head, brushing lightly against the side of her face, Ember should have burst into panicked tears as she called out in her heart for those who she knew.

    ¡®Elder Leeora¡­Morpheus¡­I-I¡­¡¯

    Perhaps because she was in too much shock, or because she believed in Leeora¡¯s and Morpheus¡¯ words of assurance, she was able to somehow appear calmer than her real emotions.

    Sensing the strange atmosphere within the hall, Ember had a feeling that the shock of those people watching them seemed to be greater than her own. She could see faces wide-eyed, some even had their mouths openly gaping. For some reason, seeing them made her feel less scared, especially after she met Morpheus¡¯ gaze.

    From the corner of her left eye, Ember could feel Draven¡¯s gaze on her but she pretended to not notice it. It was not the first time she was this close to him. Back when he had saved her after she fell from the cliff, she was even in his embrace, but still, being close to him felt so different to her this time.

    An awkward voice broke the silence of the stunned crowd.

    ¡°Your Majesty, may we know what you are nning to do?¡± Halifax asked, on behalf of everyone who was unable to understand Draven¡¯s actions.

    Among them, Morpheus was the only one who had an idea of what Draven was trying to do, but even he wasn¡¯t sure his guess was correct.

    ¡°Putting her on the brink of life and death,¡± Draven simply answered, not bothering to exin further. His attention moved back to the frail-looking human girl who was sitting like a frozen statue on hisp.

    ¡°Sit properly,¡± he said in the samemanding voice.

    Ember didn¡¯t understand how she should be sitting, but as if knowing she¡¯d react this way, his hand moved towards her back while the other hand towards her legs that were partially hanging down the throne. He pulled them so her feet could rest on the side of that huge throne, with his arm supporting her back in front of his body.

    Her body felt so tiny in his arms. She remembered only Gaia had held her like this, and it had been ages ago, back when she was a young girl still small enough to be rocked to sleep.

    The thing was, being held by Gaia was the mostfortable thing in the world. On the other hand¡­

    ¡°Look at me,¡± Draven ordered. His words sounded like he was coaxing amb before leading her to be sacrificed.

    The entire hall was silent to see what their king was up to. How was he going to make the human girl face death in that manner?

    She stiffly turned her head to her left, only to have his neck in her line of sight. Because of the great difference in their height, even while sitting she still had to look up to meet his gaze.

    ¡°Turn to face me,¡± he instructed again even before she could raise her head to look at him.

    His words somehow confused her. She was facing one side like a child on her mother¡¯sp. How was she going to face him? She slowly turned her shoulders and tried to adjust herself awkwardly in hisp.

    Being in this position felt worse than death.

    Still, she didn¡¯t know what to feel about his hand supporting the small of her back to make it easy for her to move.

    ¡°Hold onto me,¡± he said next.

    ¡®H-Hold?¡¯ Despite her obvious confusion, she mechanically followed his words under the watchful gaze of the council.

    She moved her left hand and reached out for his right shoulder with her gaze lowered. Her forehead was almost touching his chin, but she dared not raise her head as she knew he was looking at her from over her head. She didn¡¯t know if she should put her other hand on his left shoulder, but as it was, she had turned her body enough to face him.

    Ember let out a small gasp when his gloved-covered hand held her free right hand and pressed it over his chest.

    She tried not to let out another sound as her confusion grew.

    ¡®Why are we like this? What is he going to do?¡¯

    Draven tilted his head to his left and looked at the right side of her neck. His gloved fingers traced the crook of her neck, and Ember felt herself shivering despite herself. Even though he didn¡¯t put force on his finger, all the hairs on her body stood up in rm.

    ¡®I-Is he going to snap my neck?¡¯

    Unaware of her internal panic, the red-eyed man slightly leaned forward and pressed her against his body to hold her steady. She closed her eyes and dared not move even if she was absolutely terrified of what was about to happen to her.

    ¡°Breath,¡± she heard him say in a whisper.

    She felt his hot breath brushing against her right ear, and it was as if her body heated up in response.

    As she gasped for breath, only then did she realize she had been too focused on his words she forgot to breathe. But just as she took a second, deeper breath, she felt his mouth on the skin of her neck and as his lips opened¡ª

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    A startled cry of pain left her lips. Despite herself, she clutched onto his clothes, almost to the point of ripping them, as a sharp pair of canines continued to deeply pierce her skin. It was as if a liquid fire were spreading through her veins, and the pain was too much, she could only let out a silent scream.

 Chapter 79

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty?!¡±

    ¡°What did you¡ª¡±

    Sounds of flurry could be heard as a few females let out an involuntary gasp. Some of the seated leaders even jumped to their feet in surprise, their chairs scraping along the stone floor. The entire hall was in shock¡ªno, to say they were in shock was an understatement.

    The council members and the rest in attendance were all experienced people. They saw the King¡¯s mouth on that human¡¯s neck and two of his teeth elongated into fangs to pierce her delicate skin, deep enough to cause her to bleed. Even though they could not believe it, they all knew what Draven was doing.

    The King of Agartha, the Devil, the infamous ck Dragon that brought terror to the continent¡­was marking a female.

    For beings of magic, to mark someone means to create a sacred bond, an intimate act far surpassing anything else in existence.

    That the King would do that to a mere human¡­

    ¡°D-Dear spirits¡­¡± one of the most conservative elves seemingly fainted, but no one paid attention to her as all eyes were on Draven and Ember.

    Ember felt as if her body was on fire from the inside. Tears streamed down her face but there was something else as well. When her eyes snapped open in shock, her emerald green eyes let out flicker like tongues of mes, as if something inside her had awakened.

    On the other hand, Draven could not be bothered by the people¡¯s reactions. To be more precise, his act seemed to have triggered a mysterious power and some strange images shed in his mind.

    The fire that could burn anything in its path, living mes that seemed capable of turning the world to ash.

    It was the same fire he had witnessed in his dream, the kind of world-ending fire that burned everything including her.

    Only a single being had a different reaction among those watching the ridiculous exchange¡ªCornelia Grimm, the head of the witches. As a witch who had a special affinity in the study of the soul, she was sensitive enough to sense that something was awakened inside the human girl.

    ¡°That child¡­?¡±

    Cornelia¡¯s eyes saw a soul mark shing on the back of Ember¡¯s neck, something indistinct that looked simr to a fire. Her intuition was warning her that whatever it was, it was powerful and dangerous.

    Ember felt like the entire world was spinning. The burning pain became bearable only after she felt a warm and coarse tongue slide over the curve of her neck, bringing much-needed relief to her body. But as if she had reached her limit, the world darkened and she fell unconscious.

    The silence of the council hall was eerily tense.

    Draven was shocked at what he had seen- the fire images shed in his mind when he was marking her, but he didn¡¯t show it on his face and calmly licked the blood off his lips as if he had just finished a meal. He leaned back on his throne, eyeing the two red dots on the side of her neck that represented his mark.

    Holding her unconscious body carefully in his embrace, Draven raised his head to look at the bbergasted expressions of his subjects.

    They had witnessed their king marking the human girl. What were they going to say? They couldn¡¯t even begin to ept what just happened. It was too ridiculous to think it was an illusion.

    For the longest time, no one could say a word.

    Among them, a certain shapeshifter had his eyes briefly closed. Morpheus, who had guessed the King¡¯s intentions and even pushed him in that direction, felt his insides twist ufortably. Seeing Ember get marked made him uneasy. He didn¡¯t even realize that he was tightly gripping the backrest of the chair where his uncle was sitting until he felt broken fragments on his hands.

    Even after Morpheus saw her go unconscious, the uneasy feeling inside him intensified. She won¡¯t wake up anytime soon.

    ¡®With this, either she wakes up as his weakness or she dies.¡¯

    Remembering the short time they spent together, Morpheus felt a twinge of guilt inside, knowing that even Draven could not save her if Ember were to fail this test.

    The most senior members of the council were able to somewhat regain theirposure after a while. Difort could be seen on their faces, and they all turned to the High Elder of the Moon Elves to break the strange atmosphere. Halifax had no choice but to be the bait.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty,¡± he coughed awkwardly, ¡°what is the meaning of this?¡±

    He was the oldest living elf, close to a thousand years old, yet even he was unable to act normally in this situation.

    ¡°As you can see, I have marked her,¡± Draven answered.

    Though they already knew it, hearing those words from the King flustered them once more. ¡°This human¡­? Why would Your Majesty¡­?¡±

    He was their king, an almighty being feared and respected by all. If he wanted to mark a female, he could have chosen a potential partner from any of the powerful female beings in Agartha, or even if not his subjects, there were those supernatural beings living in hermit across the continent.

    Why a human?

    No, why that particr human?

    Even if it¡¯s a human, they would still be able to understand if it was a kind princess, a saintess of virtue or at the very least ady of grace¡­

    Draven eyed the council from his throne as if what he did make perfect sense. ¡°We all agreed to put this human to a test. This is her test. Whether she lives or dies, the result will solve the issues the council raised in this meeting. If she survives, it proves that she¡¯s special, as a bond can only be created if the partner is worthy enough of the mark.¡±

    The other council members finally found their own voices and spoke up.

    ¡°But¡­Your Majesty, you can mark a female only once in your life. Why did you give up that chance for this human?¡±

    ¡°Your true form is a dragon. How can a mere human survive your mark? I doubt even among the outstandingdies in our ns, their magic wouldn¡¯t guarantee their survival if you marked them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. You can have only one mate and mark only once. If you wanted this human girl to die, we could have used other means.¡±

    ¡°As expected, His Majesty still hates humans. To think he cane up with this creative way of killing someone¡ª¡±

    ¡°I think this kind of death is too cruel. It is kinder to simply let a kind human family look after her¡ª¡±

    Death? Draven sure didn¡¯t want her to die, but this radical action of his convinced others that he wanted her to be tortured to death.

    Marking a mate was sacred and intimate as it was an eternal vow between souls that wouldst a lifetime. It tested a person¡¯s worth if they were destined to match the giver of the mark. No one could survive a marking if the person is not meant to be his mate.

    Especially for Draven whose true form was a dragon, the strength of his bloodline was too powerful for even the ordinary supernatural beings. It made sense that everyone in the council hall was sure a frail human would never be able to bear it.

 Chapter 80

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, how could you waste that chance for a mere human?¡±

    ¡°That poor girl¡­¡±

    Draven sighed inwardly as these people had already concluded that this human would die. Even he didn¡¯t understand why he went this far to test her, but this was his decision and he would stick with it. Not like he wished to have a mate, so it was fine to use this chance on testing this human.

    Seeing the expression of the King growing cold, Halifax intervened. ¡°Your Majesty truly broadened our horizons today. Then, as we have all agreed, let us wait for the oue of this human girl and postpone the conclusion of this meeting until next time.¡±

    The others also smartly stepped back. h sighed, ¡°If she lives then she is a human so special she¡¯s above anyone of her kind and deserves a unique treatment, and if she dies, then¡­regardless, the issue with the Fae borders will be resolved.¡±

    Leeora had aplicated look in her eyes as she stared at the girl in the King¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Sire, if Ember is truly not an ordinary human and is worthy enough to survive, then¡­what will Sire do?¡±

    Draven had thought about it already¡ªwhat if she survived this bond?

    His response held no emotion. ¡°If she survives it, she will continue living in Ronan.¡±

    Leeora opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she was unable to say it. The Fairy Queen asked the question in her stead.

    ¡°Your Majesty, we are aware that this kind of mark is not yet whole, erm, proper¡­¡± She coughed in embarrassment. ¡°That the mark is not fully formed until¡­well, you two¡­b-but if she survives, won¡¯t she be His Majesty¡¯s destined one?¡±

    ¡°That we will see if she survives,¡± Draven answered, not willing to hear any more questions. ¡°This meeting is adjourned.¡±

    With Draven¡¯s dismissal, no one dared to say another word.

    He stood up carrying Ember in his arms and the council members rose from their seats to bow. The red-eyed man strode out of that council hall with his silver-haired servant hastily following him. Until they disappeared from sight, everyone could only quietly stare at their king and the pitiful human girl in his arms.

    ¡ª¨C

    After Draven left the council hall, the other council members left as well with many questions and doubts in their minds. They could still not get over the shock over what their king had done. The result of this council meeting was far from what they imagined. Not even in their wildest dreams could these people guess this was the solution their king had thought of.

    Among these people, there were three people who had additional concerns with them.

    Leeora of the Wood Elves, Cornelia the Witch and the Divine Eagle Morpheus.

    Leeora always trusted Draven¡¯s decisions even if he never liked to exin it to anyone. However, she was shaken today. She believed that Draven was not the kind of person who would act without reason.

    Yet she worried for Ember.

    Of course, she still chose to trust the King. She knew, even if he hated humans and had no care towards Ember, he would not push an innocent human to the death. Perhaps there was more to Ember that made the King believe she would survive his marking¡­

    Meanwhile, the Head of the Witches remained in a daze, rooted in her seat within the council hall even after others had left. She was thinking about what she had seen, unable to wrap her head over the terrifyingly vast power she caught a glimpse ofing from that human girl.

    All along, their prediction was right. Ember was not just an ordinary human, but a unique human they had never encountered before.

    When his uncle gestured for them to leave, Morpheus slowly followed him out of the hall. He remained silent, finding what he witnessed hard to digest. When he saw Draven taking Ember with him, he found himself growing upset and worried for her safety, unlike before when he could throw her in danger and evenugh about it.

    ¡®Was it wrong to approach and befriend her?¡¯

    Because he interacted with her, now he was gued with guilt. He was aware of the restrictions of a mate¡¯s bond. With Draven¡¯s true form being a dragon¡ªa ck Dragon at that¡ªthe strength of his mark would probably be too much for anyone to bear. Not even supernaturals could guarantee survival, much less a weak human.

    ¡°Morph? Where are you going¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please go ahead without me, Uncle.¡±

    Without thinking much, Morpheus did not follow Agraleus to leave the pce. He took another turn to go somewhere else.

    Leeora thought she was thest one to leave the council hall but then she found ady with red hair still upying one of the seats. Cornelia had aplicated expression on her face, looking worried, shocked and anxious at the same time.

    ¡°Lady Cornelia?¡± Leeora called for her.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Pulled out of her thoughts, Cornelia looked at Leeora with deep worry in her eyes.

    Leeora smiled as she approached the witch. ¡°I believe Ember will survive. I know it¡¯s worrying but¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± the witch cut her off, shaking her head.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Leeora asked, realizing that the Head of the Witches seemed to have another concern other than Ember¡¯s survival.

    ¡°Elder Leeora, did you feel something about Ember when His Majesty marked her?¡± she asked immediately, her voice anxious.

    Leeora tried to recall anything but shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t think I did. But since you asked, did you feel something strange?¡±

    Cornelia nodded. She nervously fiddled with her hands, and the elf btedly realized that they were trembling. ¡°I¡­I sensed a strong power inside her. It is not magic from nature or spirits¡­as if, as if it¡¯s something that shouldn¡¯t exist in this realm.¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°Divine power,¡± Cornelia sighed. ¡°I merely caught a glimpse, but it¡¯s still too much for me. Till now, I thought only His Majesty possessed power of such strength but I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Leeora asked.

    Cornelia nodded, without having even an ounce of doubt.

    ¡°What kind of power was it? Any ideas?¡± Leeora asked.

    ¡°What I saw was a mark burning on the back of her neck,¡± Cornelia answered. ¡°I am not sure yet what it meant, but since I think I¡¯m the only one who sensed it among us, it has something to do with her soul.¡±

    ¡°A mark?¡± Leeora had stayed with Ember for two weeks, tending to her wounds. She knew there were nothing but scars on the girl¡¯s skin. ¡°What kind of mark?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t exin it in words. I only know that I have never seen it before or read about it ever,¡± she replied, ¡°I will draw it and show youter on.¡±

    Leeora agreed and Cornelia asked, ¡°Where do you think His Majesty must have taken her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s probably put in one of the guest rooms. Shall we see how she is before we leave?¡± Leeora suggested.

    The two women left the council meeting hall and asked one of the passing servants to guide them to where Ember was taken.

 Chapter 81

    This Bonus chapter is dedicated to the reader ¡°ckYuki_Cross¡± Thank you so much for the supergift. 3 3

    ¡ª¡ª

    Draven stepped out of the council hall while carrying Ember in his arms, his long, steady strides causing his servant to jog behind him to keep up with his speed.

    After barely catching up to his master, Erlos realized that the King had missed the turn in the hallway that led towards the guest rooms. He thought Draven must be busy thinking about what he had done and didn¡¯t realize it.

    ¡°Sire? The guest rooms are that way,¡± Erlos said immediately. ¡°I should bring her to her room myself. There is no need for you to¡ª¡±

    The human was unconscious and she needed to be kept somewhere, but it seemed improper for the King himself to keep carrying her in his arms.

    As if Draven didn¡¯t hear him, he continued to walk ahead without pause. It did not take long for Erlos to realize they were headed to the King¡¯s chamber.

    ¡®Sire is taking that human to his chamber?!¡¯

    Erlos nearly missed a step, but luckily he didn¡¯t fall t on his face.

    ¡®Is he in his right state of mind? Last time, didn¡¯t he ask me to throw her out of his bed¡­hmm? But¡­why is he¡ªwait, is it because he marked her? Does that mean he is acknowledging her as his mate already?¡¯

    The realization shocked him and he raised his head to look up.

    ¡®All my ancestors, if you hear me, tell me I am not losing my mind. Did I not fall asleep and have the most nonsensical dream?¡¯

    The door to the King¡¯s chamber opened on its own and Draven walked inside with sure steps. As if it was his n from the very start, he put Ember on his bed and covered her with the nket. His action was surprisingly tender, but there was no one else in the room to witness it.

    Draven sat at the edge of the bed and observed that unconscious human¡¯s face.

    With his glove-covered fingers, he moved her face to one side. He observed the mark he had left on the right side of her neck. Two red puncture wounds could be seen on her skin. He removed his glove from his right hand and caressed that mark gently.

    Secondster, Erlos entered the chamber, expecting to hear an order or snide remarks from the King, but what he saw shocked him.

    ¡®He¡¯s touching her?!¡¯

    His master wore ck leather gloves not as a matter of style, but due to his aversion to direct touch. The King was not just a loner, he also never liked toe into contact with anyone and always wore gloves as a habit. His pet owl, Midnight, was the only fortunate being that Draven patted with his bare hand¡­ and now, this human too.

    ¡®If this is a dream, I need to wake up soon,¡¯ the young elf could not help but gape. ¡®Things are getting way too absurd for my poor eyes.¡¯

    Every act of his master today stupefied Erlos, from marking the human in front of the council, to personally bringing her to his bed, and now, touching her with his bare hand.

    ¡®What am I thinking? He already went as far as to bite her to mark her, so touching is within the bounds of reason.¡¯ Erlos frowned at his own useless thoughts.

    Draven silently observed Ember and remembered something. In the council hall, when he had asked her toe to him and offered her his hand, he was reminded of back when she had just arrived, of her crying voice which he overheard when he was in his study and she was outside begging Leeora to not send her away.

    ¡°I¡­I want to stay with you, Elder. I promise to be good and obedient. I-I don¡¯t want to leave you. I don¡¯t have anyone else.¡±

    Her desperate begging was still ringing in his ears when she was summoned into the hall. Seeing her standing in the center of the hall, looking all helpless under the prying eyes of others, an irresistible urge bloomed within him. He didn¡¯t understand the reason for his action when decided to mark her, but he just went ahead with what he felt. He just knew he couldn¡¯t let her go.

    As Draven gazed at Ember¡¯s sleeping face, his sensitive ears caught something that made him frown. The next moment, all the windows of his chamber mmed close and the curtains were drawn, causing the entire bedchamber to be dark.

    It surprised Erlos, and even before he could say a word, Draven instructed him, ¡°These windows and the curtains should remain like this until I say otherwise.¡±

    ¡°You mean to keep sunlight out of your room?¡± Though Erlos was puzzled by this order, he could only agree to it, ¡°Yes, Sire. I shall obey your order.¡±

    ¡°Guard the door. Don¡¯t let anyone enter the chamber,¡± came another instruction from the King.

    Even before Erlos could reply, Draven disappeared from the chamber as the door of the chamber shut itself.

    ¡°Where did he go?¡± Erlos mumbled. ¡°Last time he disappeared like this, he brought this human female with him. I hope this time he will return alone.¡± Erlos nced at Ember once and then left the chamber to guard the door as instructed by the King.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Outside of the pce, there were sparks in the sky above the roof, followed by muffled vibrations like ps of thunder. There were collisions of two powers once again, and soon enough, two bodies seemingly fell to the ground covered with tall trees.

    Crash!

    Dust clouds rose into the air as two bodies collided on the ground, causing the forest floor to have a small pit the shape of a person.

    A warrior from the Divine Eagle Family was pinned to the ground. The grip of a single gloved hand strangled his neck with a force so strong, it left him unable to move.

    Morpheus didn¡¯t look surprised as he stared up at the pair of red eyes whose owner was kneeling on one leg. The force of his hand was ready to kill someone by strangling.

 Chapter 82

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you to stay away from her?¡± Draven seemingly growled.

    ¡°I¡­was¡­worried for her¡­¡± Morpheus managed to speak with his choked voice.

    Draven smirked as if he had heard a joke. ¡°Worried for her? You? Weren¡¯t you the one who wanted me to mark her? Weren¡¯t you the one to push my limits? Now, you act as if you care?¡±

    Morpheus didn¡¯t argue and closed his eyes as if he was regretting something.

    ¡°Draven,¡± he called and opened his eyes to look at the red-eyed man. ¡°I am serious.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care. Just stay away from her,¡± Draven warned once again.

    Morpheus didn¡¯t argue as he himself was filled with guilt and simply stayed quiet. His intuition was telling him it was also the best way to calm the rampaging devil.

    Seeing him stay still, Draven loosened his grip around Morpheus¡¯s neck, but he warned him before he let him go. ¡°I have marked her¡ªyou got what you want. Stay away from her.¡±

    Draven stood up and turned his back on Morpheus, about to leave, when he stopped mid-stride because he heard Morpheus calling him.

    ¡°Draven.¡±

    Draven stopped but didn¡¯t turn to look at him.

    ¡°When I said I was worried for her, it was not a lie.¡±

    ¡°And when I said stay away from her, it was not a lie either.¡±

    ¡°Ember is a person, not a puppet you can control, and I am her friend so you cannot stop meing to her.¡± Morpheus slowly sat up and pinned his gaze on the King. ¡°Do not monopolize her. She is not your mate yet entirely. Putting a mark on her is not enough. Something one-sided is not enough to make a sacred bondplete. Even if she fulfils the first stage of survival which proves her potential to suit your bloodline, without her consent the two of you cannot proceed to ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Draven eximed as he didn¡¯t wish to hear about thest stage ofpleting the bond. ¡°Stay out of it if you don¡¯t want to die.¡±

    ¡°I just want to say, I don¡¯t know if she will survive or not. Don¡¯t stop me from seeing her,¡± Morpheus said.

    ¡°Do it if you want to die,¡± Draven said coldly as he disappeared from the forest.

    Morpheus stood rooted to his ce, ¡°You can not stop me from seeing her. Somewhere I am the reason for the condition she is in. Despite, even if you had nned to mark her even before.¡±

    ¡ª-

    Meanwhile, Leeora and Cornelia got to know from the other pce servants that the King had brought the human girl to his chamber. Though it was surprising for the two women, they had long abandoned trying to understand Draven¡¯s thoughts. For now, they only wished to see Ember first.

    When they reached the hallway leading to the King¡¯s chamber, they found only one elf in sight. Erlos was standing outside to guard the door, as per the King¡¯s order. Since the pce where the Devil King resided never needed guards in the first ce, there were only aides and servants staying inside to manage the affairs of the pce. Erlos standing guard at the door was more for the sake of convenience rather than protection.

    Erlos bowed a little to greet the two women.

    ¡°Erlos, is Ember inside?¡± Leeora asked to make sure if the King had really brought the human girl to his chamber.

    The young elf signalled towards the door behind him. ¡°She is, Elder.¡±

    Leeora and Cornelia looked at each other, their expressions indescribable. Up until now, they were still doubting what they heard from the other servants.

    ¡°Is Sire inside as well? Leeora asked again. When Erlos shook his head, she prodded. ¡°Where is he?¡±

    ¡°He simply disappeared from the chamber and I am not sure where he went,¡± Erlos answered.

    ¡°Disappeared?¡± Leeora mumbled, feeling puzzled as she thought the King would be with the girl as he had brought her to his chamber. Her life would be in danger until she wakes up. It would be good to assign apanion who could at least watch over her.

    ¡°Can we see her?¡± Cornelia asked. ¡°We won¡¯t stay long. We just want to see her before we leave.¡±

    Erlos awkwardly scratched his ears. ¡°Apologies, Lady Cornelia. Sire has instructed me to not let anyone enter his chamber. He even closed all the windows and drew the curtains inside the chamber, instructing me to not open it as if he is keeping a precious gemstone in his chamber that even birds flying in the sky are not allowed to see.¡±

    Cornelia looked at Leeora. ¡°What do you think, Elder? I need to tell His Majesty what I had sensed when he was marking her.¡±

    ¡°We can wait for him to return,¡± Leeora replied. ¡°For now, all I want to see is her. I don¡¯t know how her frail body is coping with the power of a dragon¡¯s marking.¡±

    Cornelia agreed and Leeora instructed Erlos. ¡°Will it be fine for us to wait in one of the drawing rooms?¡±

    Erlos nodded. ¡°Once Sire is here, I will let him know you wish to meet him.¡±

    Just as the twodies were to turn away, Erlos sensed a familiar surge of power from the other side of the door he was guarding. As the King¡¯s only personal servant, he was used to seeing him disappearing and reappearing out of thin air, and it could be said he¡¯s the person most familiar with Draven¡¯s powers. Most of the time, he had to personally face his master¡¯s powers, regardless if it was Draven bringing him to teleport elsewhere or a target of punishment.

    ¡°Elder, Lady, wait! Seems like Sire is back!¡± Erlos called them out and the two women stopped.

    As if on cue, the door of the King¡¯s chamber opened on its own and the ck-haired king was standing there looking at the witch and the two elves.

    ¡°To my study,¡± Draven simply said before he once again disappeared from where he stood.

    The three were startled but not surprised. It was within reason that the King was aware of their presence outside of his chamber. They probably wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was already aware of the purposes of the two female leaders.

    Erlos stayed back to continue guarding the King¡¯s chamber, while Leeora and Cornelia headed towards the King¡¯s study.

    When they entered the study, Draven was already sitting in his armchair behind his long desk.

    ¡°Leeora of the Wood Elf n greets King Draven, the ruler of Agartha.¡±

    ¡°Cornelia Grimm of Honeyharbor Coven pays respects to His Majesty King Draven Aramis.¡±

    Draven, who looked the same as usual, cold and unreachable, gestured to them to have a seat.

    Once they sat down, Leeora asked, ¡°Sire, how is Ember faring?¡±

    ¡°She will remain unconscious for a while. If she does not wake up in two or three days, chances are she will never do,¡± Draven answered, as if the matter of life and death was just any other ordinary issue that he solved every day.

    Leeora could only swallow what she originally wanted to say. No matter how sad she was feeling for Ember, she could only wait and leave her survival to fate. She sighed, ¡°Lady Cornelia wishes to inform you something, Sire.¡±

    Draven looked at the Head of the Witches. ¡°Did you sense something when I was marking her?¡±

    Cornelia was surprised to hear it but then nodded. She realized that if she could feel that strong power then Draven, who was much more powerful than her, would not miss such an important thing.

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± she replied, but she hesitated, as if unsure where to start.

    Draven remained silent, as he was not the one to keep asking obvious questions. After all, they were the ones who came looking for him..

    Cornelia was thankful that the King did not pressure her to speak, and this time, she was able to recall what she witnessed without trembling.

    ¡°When Your Majesty was marking her, perhaps you triggered something that temporarily awakened the power hiding inside her. I merely caught a glimpse of it, but it was overwhelming, way beyond the power I felt when I failed to scry her soul. However, at least this time, I can confidently say that this was truly divine power, a power that shouldn¡¯t exist within a mortal. I even saw a mark appearing on the back of her neck, and it was as if something was waiting to be unleashed¡ª¡±

    There was a sudden change in Draven¡¯s emotionless eyes. ¡°On the back of her neck?¡± he asked.

    Cornelia nodded, and she heard another question from him, ¡°What kind of mark?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure what that mark exactly means as it was burning, but it looked like an ancient symbol. I am stillcking in the study of runes, but if I am to make a bold guess, I will say it is rted to the true source of that power inside her soul,¡± Cornelia replied.

    The next moment, several items floated in the air from Draven¡¯s desk towards the table in front of the women¡¯s seats. One empty parchment spread in front of the witch with a bottle of ck ink and a writing brush pushed towards her hands.

    ¡°Draw it,¡± came themand from the King.

    He generally didn¡¯t like to waste time, but after the mention of that mark, he became more impatient.

    Cornelia picked up the brush and started to draw the mark she had seen. The other two quietly waited for her to finish it.

    Once she finished it, she put the brush aside and held the parchment in her hand to show the King what she had drawn. ¡°Only difference is that the mark was crimson red and was covered in fire.¡±

    Draven¡¯s eyes narrowed the moment he saw that mark drawn on the paper.

 Chapter 83

    This bonus chapter is dedicated to the reader ¡°RMehrotra¡± Thank you so much for the super gift. 3 3

    ¡ª¡ª¨C

    It was the same mark he had seen on the back of the neck of that woman in his dream.

    That day, he went to search for this fire mark on Ember¡¯s body, but he returned empty-handed.

    ¡®A mark not in her body but in her soul.¡¯

    What was the rtionship between this symbol and him marking her as mate?

    Draven put all his thoughts aside and asked, ¡°Is there any way to know what this mark is about?¡±

    ¡°Leave this to me, Your Majesty. Though I do not know what it is, I will try my best to search through the hidden ancient books we witches have. I will even see if I can consult with the other leaders, though I do think it unlikely that they have evere across such a mark, since among the races in Agartha, witches are the experts when ites to matters of the soul. Please be assured that I will keep the reason secret.¡±

    Draven nodded before closing his eyes to clear his thoughts. After a while, he looked at Leeora. It was the time to tell them about a piece of information that might be crucial to understanding the mystery of that mark.

    ¡°Leeora, this mark, I also saw it on the nape of that woman in my dreams,¡± Draven informed.

    It shocked Leeora while Cornelia looked puzzled.

    ¡°Sire, that same woman?¡± Leeora asked. ¡°The one who is the reason for that stab wound over your heart?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°A few days back, I had a new dream¡­¡± Draven exined about the scene of the woman walking on the grassy field and how everything waster covered in a hellish fire.

    Leeora and Cornelia remained quiet even after he finished, unsure what to say.

    ¡°Sire, may I ask if this dream is rted to Your Majesty¡¯s missing memories?¡± Cornelia asked. In the past, Cornelia had been asked to scry the King¡¯s memories, but simr to Ember¡¯s case, it was also a failure. It was also Cornelia¡¯s first failure as a witch, which had a huge impact on her confidence.

    Draven simply nodded and gestured for Leeora to exin. The elf proceeded to fill in the witch with the important details about the King¡¯s dreams.

    Afterwards, Leeora looked back at Draven. ¡°Sire, do you think there is a rtion between that woman and Ember?¡±

    ¡°There should be. Initially, I merely had doubts as this human has simr eyes as that woman, but now, with Cornelia seeing that mark on that human¡¯s neck, the connection between them is undeniable,¡± he replied.

    The study was enveloped with silence as each of them fell into deep thought.

    The two women then witnessed the King let out a frustrated sigh that was ipatible with his usual cold dignified appearance.

    ¡°That day¡­¡± he trailed off. After shaking his head, his expression regained itsposure. ¡°I was trying to search for that mark on her body but I could not find it.¡±

    The devil finally thought to exin his cruel behaviour to that poor girl. He didn¡¯t know why he felt the need to exin it when he never bothered to exin any of his actions to anyone before, but for some reason, he felt it proper to tell these people about it.

    Did he regret it? Did he feel bad about that human girl? He had no answer. He believed his action was justified since he was simply trying to find out something important, but still¡­

    ¡®So that¡¯s why¡­no wonder that child was in that state of undress¡­¡¯

    ¡®I understand but did he really have to go that far?¡¯

    The two women finally heard the reason for his inappropriate action with Ember back then, but though they understood, they still thought the King¡¯s means were too extreme. Sadly, they could only keep that thought to themselves.

    ¡°There is something else,¡± Draven said and the two women waited for him to talk.

    ¡°That night I brought her to Agartha, I wasn¡¯t travelling¡ªI was in my chamber when I was suddenly summoned to a burning mountain on the other side of the continent. There was no one else on that mountain but her. She must be the one who summoned me, but she doesn¡¯t know she is capable of doing so,¡± Draven exined. ¡°I was forced to save her, or else I couldn¡¯t leave that ce.¡±

    This was a shocking revtion to the elf and the witch, something impossible for them to imagine

    ¡®She summoned the King?!¡¯

    There had been cases where humans with strong wills or pure hearts were able to connect with supernatural beings who¡¯d agree to help them in their time of need, but those were soul contracts or blessings that the supernatural beings would initiate.

    There were also cases of witches forming bonds with spiritual creatures¡ªbeings called ¡®familiars¡¯¡ªwho were either their ves or partners, simr to an elf¡¯s animalpanion, but that kind of summons could only be used on small creatures like cats or crows. Even then, a ritual, a medium or a sacrifice was needed.

    But a human girl summoning a dragon? The ck Dragon, the most destructive being on the continent, without knowing it?

    ¡°It happened twice,¡± he added. ¡°I concluded that whenever her life is in danger, I am forcibly sent to her,pelled to save her.¡±

    ¡°This is so¡­¡± Leeora mumbled in disbelief while Cornelia didn¡¯t know what to think about it.

    Leeora soon sorted out her thoughts. ¡°Sire, perhaps Ember¡¯s arrival in Agartha is not any idental event. Perhaps she was meant to be here.¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t agree but didn¡¯t deny it either. There were many questions with answers he was yet to find. The only thing he was sure about was that this human was the key to the mysteries of his past¡ªshe¡¯s his clue to the part of his memories he had lost.

    For now, what he needed to find out was this human¡¯s connection with the woman in his dream.

    ¡°I agree with Elder Leeora,¡± Corneliamented. ¡°As supernatural beings, we know that nothing happens without a reason.¡± She looked at Draven. ¡°The questions that have been guing Your Majesty for so many centuries, finally, you have gotten hold of a clue.¡±

    Draven agreed to what the women said, feeling unburdened that they reached the same conclusion he did. That was the reason he had allowed that human to stay with Leeora in the first ce, as he had always sensed there was something about her which was rted to him.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I will try to find out about that mark as soon as possible,¡± Cornelia assured him.

    Draven nodded and heard Leeora this time, ¡°Sire, are we keeping Ember in Ronan¡­?¡±

    ¡°She will stay in my chamber until we get the result of the marking,¡± he replied.

    He marked her in front of the council and that showed his intentions of making her his mate so there was nothing wrong if he kept Ember with him. In fact, it was normal for the male to look after their mate in this phase.

    Marking a mate was generally done between lovers who chose to tie themselves in a spiritual way, thus they were each others¡¯ most precious person. Even if they weren¡¯t, they at least had the intention of checking whether they were suitable to be each other¡¯s mates.

    ¡°Can we visit Ember? We are¡ª¡±

    ¡°You can,¡± he answered.

    After excusing themselves from the King¡¯s presence, the two women didn¡¯t dally and left to see Ember after bowing once more to the King.

 Chapter 84

    When Leeora and Cornelia returned to the King¡¯s chamber, the silver-haired elf was still guarding the door, though he did look bored, leaning against the wall. Seeing the two women, he understood the King had permitted them to see the human girl.

    He greeted them with a light nod and opened the door for them to enter the King¡¯s chamber.

    Cornelia and Leeora were weed by darkness as soon as they stepped inside the chamber as all the windows were closed and the thick dark-colored curtains were drawn close, stopping the sunlight from entering the chamber. Their eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness even after the door behind them shut close.

    Cornelia used a simple light spell, and themps inside the chamber lit up, allowing the two women tofortably see their surroundings.

    Meanwhile, Erlos stood outside with a yawn, continuing his duty as a guard.

    ¡®I wonder till when do I have to stay here and guard the chamber?¡¯

    Leeora and Cornelia entered the luxurious chamber in silence, and they saw Ember¡¯s tiny body lying unconscious in the middle of therge canopy bed. She looked out of ce in her simple cotton clothes and body covered in bandages.

    When the two women approached the bed, Leeora could not help but hold the girl¡¯s hand and caressed it gently. ¡°Human or not, she is just a pitiful child to me.¡±

    Cornelia could somehow understand Leeora¡¯s feelings for Ember. ¡°My feelings tell me she won¡¯t die, Elder. That power I sensed inside her, I believe that will keep her safe through this ordeal.¡±

    ¡°I believe so,¡± Leeora replied.

    ¡°But after she survives this stage of the bond, they¡­¡± Cornelia stopped as the two knew what was next.

    ¡°They need toplete this bond,¡± Leeorapleted the witch¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Her body is so weak and¡­for her mate to be a Dragon¡­¡± Cornelia felt heavy in her chest as she didn¡¯t know how to express herself. She could only shake her head. ¡°Do you think His Majesty will trulyplete their bond and make her his true mate?¡±

    Leeora continued to caress Ember¡¯s hand, hesitating to answer. ¡°If she survives, even if Sire does not want to fulfil their bond, he will bepelled to do so.¡±

    Cornelia was surprised. ¡°Is this mating simr to the ones between the pure-blooded divine beasts?¡±

    Leeora nodded. ¡°More powerful, even. It is a matter of the magic held within one¡¯s bloodline. Since her survival meant she¡¯spatible with the King, then he will be pulled toward her even if he does not want to and it will get stronger and stronger the longer he dys thepletion of the bond. That pull is impossible to resist for long, and with the King¡¯s true form being a dragon, I believe his urge to possess her will be fiercer.¡±

    ¡°That means they have toplete the bond,¡± Cornelia concluded. She eyed the frail-looking girl and her worry reflected the same worry Leeora was feeling.

    ¡°Can she bear it?¡±

    Cornelia wasn¡¯t exactly a kind person, but still, she was a woman. She couldn¡¯t help but be bothered by the fact that after everything Ember went through, she would wake up to such a fate.

    ¡°Elder, will this be alright?¡± she could not help but question. ¡°If I am to think of this from Ember¡¯s perspective, won¡¯t she feel tormented with all this? Her situation is already not so good, and she is scared of His Majesty. Dear spirits, what was His Majesty even thinking when he marked her? Doesn¡¯t he hate humans?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of asking this?¡± Leeora sighed. ¡°We cannot do anything since it has already happened. Destiny works in ways we cannot fathom. We can only hope that Sire will treat Ember better¡­but then again, dragons are temperamental creatures known for their possessiveness. Perhaps Sire will treat her better than we can ever wish for.¡±

    Cornelia caressed Ember¡¯s head gently. ¡°I wish you to survive but I don¡¯t want you to be tormentedter. I will pray for you to stay strong.¡±

    The mating bond was a sacred vow between a male and female choosing to spend their lifetime together, and it was the most intimate form of union for those possessing powerful bloodlines. For a bond to bepleted, the mating pair had to go through three stages.

    First was for the male to mark the female, showing his intention of choosing her as his partner. What came next was for the female to survive the test of power, to check whether she¡¯s strong enough to carry on the male¡¯s bloodline. Thest one was for both of them to consummate that bond.

    As long as the first two stages are fulfilled, then the third one is bound to happen because marking has shown the male¡¯s willingness to make that female his mate and survival is the female¡¯s determination to ept that bond.

    The third stage could not be avoided as it was the result of both of their agreement to be each other¡¯s mates. That sacred bond was meant to be fulfilled and avoiding it was not an option, especially for someone like Draven who carried the dragon bloodline.

    Cornelia ced her hand on Ember¡¯s forehead and closed her eyes to check on how her body was coping with the marking. After a while, she opened her eyes. ¡°As expected, her body is not strong enough to bear His Majesty¡¯s mark. We can only rely that the mysterious divine power in her body will make her go through this safely.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s up to her destiny now,¡± Leeora said with a nod.

    Cornelia noticed that though Leeora was unhappy with the situation, she still chose to believe the King¡¯s actions and decisions. It was nothing new for those who knew the elderly elf as Leeora had always supported whatever the King decided for as long as they remembered. Rather than mere trust, what she had was blind faith in him.

    After checking on Ember, the two women left.

 Chapter 85

    This Bonus chapter is dedicated to everyone who is writing sweetments and making me feel rxed when I read them. Thank you so much. 33

    ¡ª¡ª

    Draven remained in his study for a while, thinking about the discoveries he had that day. After some time, he felt the need to check on the human who he had marked.

    He was about to get up from his armchair but then paused midway.

    ¡®No need to check on her. Not like I can help her survive this bond. She agreed to put herself on the brink of life and death so I am not responsible for her.¡¯ He tried to resist the urge to go and check on her but the more he tried the more he felt restless. ¡®It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s the effect of marking her that ispelling me to check on her. I don¡¯t care even if she dies or survives.¡¯

    He tried to convince himself again and again but there was no use. In the end, he still stood up. ¡®It¡¯s this damn bond, not me.¡¯

    In a blink of an eye, he found himself inside his dark bedchamber.

    Although he nced at the thing in his bed, Draven¡¯s focus was on something else as his ears twitched a little. Using his sharp senses, he captured even the smallest sounds in his surroundings, from the soft footsteps of the pce servants to the rustling of leaves in the garden below his chamber.

    The target he¡¯s searching for seemed nowhere to be found.

    After a few moments, he nodded to himself, satisfied and assured that nothing annoying was within the near vicinity. The next second, all the thick, heavy curtains were pushed aside to brighten up the entire chamber with sunlight and the windows themselves opened, letting the fresh air fill the chamber.

    Only then did Draven take a proper look at the frail body lying in his bed, covered in the nket that he used himself. A sudden warmth covered his heart. He didn¡¯t feel anything was wrong with the human girl lying in his bed, as if that was how it should have always been.

    It was the exact opposite of how he felt after he brought her back from that human kingdom called Valor.

    ¡®It¡¯s this damn bond, not me,¡¯ he repeated to himself.

    He walked towards her but remained by her bedside, simply observing her face. She was in a deep sleep, her scarred skin looking pale while her thin lips were colourless and dry with fine cracks on them. It had only been a few hours since the meeting concluded, yet she looked much weaker than before, as if her vitality was being sucked by something.

    His cold red eyes suddenly flickered, showing a subtle change in his emotions, but it didn¡¯tst as the next moment, he felt deep anger brew inside him.

    ¡®This scent!¡¯

    He smelled something that made his insides re-up.

    Morpheus¡¯s scent was still on Ember¡¯s body as he was the one to bring her to the pce with him. Smelling his scent on her reminded Draven of how intimate the two looked together. In a normal setting, this tiny detail shouldn¡¯t have bothered him this much, but now, it was different.

    Draven clenched his fists and his jaw tightened.

    ¡°Erlos!¡±

    His angered voice echoed within the King¡¯s chamber, and as if on cue, the door opened with a flustered silver-haired elf hurrying to enter.

    ¡°Do you need anything, Sire?¡± he asked politely.

    The way Draven called for Erlos, that icy voice that could terrify children to tears, signified more than just a foul mood. Erlos understood something had happened to anger his master. He took a peek at Draven who was ring at the unconscious human in the middle of his bed.

    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me he is angry to see her in his bed? Is he having memory problems these days? Did he forget he was the one to bring her here and told me to guard outside? How many years has it been yet I still don¡¯t understand my master¡­¡±

    ¡°Call the female servants and ask them to clean thispletely and make her wear new clothes. Rece everything on the bed with new things,¡± Draven ordered coldly.

    His furious red eyes didn¡¯t leave the sight of that delicate and pitiful-looking face. If not for that small movement of her chest heaving up and down, showing that she¡¯s still breathing, anyone would have thought this human was already a corpse.

    Though puzzled, Erlos bowed, keeping his questions to himself.

    ¡®Seems like he once again changed his mind about keeping her here.¡¯ As he straightened himself, he said, ¡°I have received your orders, Sire. I will call for the servants and also move this human back to the guest room she previously used.¡±

    Draven moved his icy re towards his servant. ¡°Did I order you to move her?¡±

    The young elf blinked in confusion. ¡®Wasn¡¯t he disgusted by her presence? I thought he wanted to change everything on his bed to get rid of her smell.¡¯ He could only inwardly sigh. ¡®Sometimes he seems considerate, sometimes he¡¯s cruel. Does he hate her presence or not? Sire should make up his mind. It¡¯s so difficult to serve him when his personality is this unreasonable.¡¯

    ¡°Are your ears not working today?¡± Draven asked, which pulled the elf out of his muddled thoughts.

    ¡°Y-Yes, Sire! I will do it right away!¡± Erlos bowed once more and hurried out of the chamber as fast as he could to carry out the King¡¯s order.

    Soon after, a group of female servants arrived in the chamber along with Erlos, carrying the necessary stuff needed to execute the King¡¯s order. The female servants entered nervously, some were carrying fresh clothes for ady, while the rest brought a new set of nket and bed sheet to change the spread on thatrge canopy bed.

    Draven was still standing by the bed looking at Ember in a daze. It was hard to guess what was going on in his mind.

    With the King staying still, no one dared step towards the bed. They stood with their heads lowered in the presence of the King.

    Erlos sighed and said, ¡°Sire, the servants are here to do their work.¡±

    Draven stepped back to distance himself away from the bed so the servants would be able to start their work.

    The female servants still hesitated to work under the King¡¯s gaze and looked at Erlos who sighed again. The odd scenario was giving him a headache.

    ¡®Is he nning to stay here and monitor how servants work?¡¯ He then stared back at the servants. ¡°Start your work.¡±

    The servants went towards the bed, despite trembling under the King¡¯s presence. They divided tasks among themselves, from who was in charge of the human girl and who would change the sheets of the bed.

    The two assigned elves carried Ember to temporarily put her on the long couch, while the rest busied themselves in changing everything on the canopy bed, from the mattress to bedspreads and even the pillows and cushions.

    Just as the servants started attending Ember, Erlos let out an ufortable cough. ¡°I shall excuse myself, Sire.¡±

    Erlos left the chamber as he was a male, and regardless of race, a female¡¯s clothes were being changed.

    Draven was nkly looking at Ember without blinking an eye. When he saw the servant pulling her dress down her shoulder to remove it so they could wipe her body, he realized something and turned around.

    His heart suddenly felt ufortable at the mere sight of her thin and bony shoulders.

    His heart was not stable as he felt the change in his steady heartbeats. He cursed under his gritted teeth.

    ¡°This damn bond¡­.!¡±

 Chapter 86

    Draven walked towards the window and stood facing outside, but he could see neither the bright sky nor the peaks of the distant mountains surrounding his kingdom. He didn¡¯t know why he was acting like this.

    To make sure again, he turned around to look at the human, causing the nervous servants to flinch. He didn¡¯t mind them and simply eyed the human on his couch whose clothes were being removed, but he did not evenst three seconds before he turned his head to the other side.

    Not like he had not seen her without clothes. He felt nothing at that time, but now, he could not look at her when her clothes were being removed.

    ¡®This damn bond¡­¡¯

    Draven turned his back on them once more.

    With the king no longer looking at them, the servants felt relieved and continued their work with more efficiency, scared that if they were to dy then the King would pay attention to them. The news was quick within the pce and everyone among them already heard of what happened inside the council hall.

    This human was marked by their king, and after she woke up, she would be his mate and their queen. If they wanted to have a peaceful life, they had to be careful with how they treated her. Any mistake would anger the King and no one wanted to suffer their king¡¯s anger.

    Once the servants finished everything, they put Ember carefully back in bed that was now changed to new fresh sheets. Once they covered her with the nket, everyone gathered their stuff and left after bowing to the King.

    Erlos could hear their collective sighs of relief afterwards, as if they had each gone through a harsh battle.

    ¡®That¡¯s not even a third of what I suffer every day¡­¡¯

    Rolling his eyes at them, Erlos reentered the chamber and bowed to Draven who was still looking outside his window.

    ¡°Sire, everything has been done as you had asked. Are there any more instructions?¡± he asked.

    ¡°You can leave,¡± was all he said. Erlos left quietly as he closed the door behind him.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Draven was left alone with Ember once more.

    With her body wiped and her clothes changed, he could finally approach her as the other scent was gone from that human¡¯s body.

    He sat at the edge of the bed and moved the nket to check on her condition. What she was wearing now was a simple green cotton dress that was a size toorge for her, and even the white bandages on her arms had been changed.

    Removing the glove from his right hand, he checked the bite mark on her neck which still looked the same. It was supposed to heal a little bit as his bite mark should have been reced by something else, but there was no change.

    He pulled the nket further down and held her delicate hand. It was no longer bandaged, but he could still see traces of the scars left from back when she tried to grab at the rocks after falling down that cliff. He gulped at the touch of her cold skin under his warm palm.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect it to be this strong.¡¯

    Though the second stage of the bond, which was her fight of survival, was not fulfilled yet, he was already starting to feel the effect of the bond they will share if she survived.

    Exhaling a little, he decided to ignore the urge and checked her pulse. It was still weak, and the vitality inside her body seemed to be fading with each passing second.

    He felt a little restless. He was confident that she would survive this ordeal, and that¡¯s why he decided to mark her. But at this rate, she might truly die.

    Would he feel guilty to have caused the death of an innocent girl? Or would he feel bad that he would lose the only key he found to his lost past due to his reckless action?

    Draven did not leave the chamber as he felt the urge to be around the human who was lying in his bed. Even if he wanted to leave, he could not, and all that once again was med on the mark he made and the pull of the bond he initiated.

    For the next few hours, he remained seated in his chair inside the chamber. After a while, he heard a knock and Erlos came inside the chamber.

    ¡°Sire, it is way past your usual time to eat your midday meal,¡± he informed him. Seeing the King ignore him, Erlos asked, ¡°Shall I bring your food here?¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± he said coldly and continued to sit in his chair with his eyes closed. He didn¡¯t feel as if he had an appetite as all of his attention was on that human.

    He didn¡¯t know how long it would take for this human to wake up. Not even a day had passed since he initiated a bond, but he was already this out of sorts. He didn¡¯t even want to imagine what tomorrow would be like.

    But was he worried about her? He sure was, but the reason¡­

    ¡®I am just worried as I might not be able to know more about my lost memories. That¡¯s it.¡¯ He convinced himself and continued sitting in his chair as his gaze moved to her once in a while.

    There was nothing he could do to help her. Even his powers wouldn¡¯t help her, and everything truly depended on herself. He could only wait for the result.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Morpheus was sitting at the tallest tree at the peak of the mountain northeast of the pce after hisst argument with Draven.

    It was his favourite hangout spot, the highest yet morefortable ce for a Divine Eagle to simplyze while overlooking the peacefulnd of this magical kingdom. In front of himy the Forest of the Elves.

    At this moment, Morpheus was in his human form, sitting leisurely on the thick branch with his back resting against the tree trunk, one leg folded up in a knee while the other one was stretched along the branch he was sitting on.

    He looked at the cliff that bordered the territory of the Wood Elves and the Valley Elves. It was where that human female had jumped from that day, and he could not help but to save her after witnessing her reckless behaviour.

    ¡°I wonder why I saved her. To use her for my n or did I just feel bad for her?¡±

    It was an instinctive act where his body reacted before his brain could think of anything, and he ended up saving that human he didn¡¯t even really care about.

    He thought for a while. ¡°Of course, to use for my n. I have no sympathy for humans even if they die and their bodies are left to rot.¡±

    He felt somewhatforted with his conclusion, but what he didn¡¯t understand was that he was making excuses from having any sympathy or guilt towards her.

    Just as he closed his eyes, trying to discard any such thoughts that would make him think about her, he once again failed.

    ¡®What if she dies? That innocent female¡­ She is so tiny and frail, weak to the point she will fall on the ground with the slightest push. Can she bear a dragon¡¯s marking?¡¯

    He opened his eyes in shock. ¡°Why am I thinking about her?¡± He frowned at himself but doing so only flooded his mind with thoughts of that human female.

    ¡°Why was I so good to her? Why did I even go to the extent to console her that I will take her with me? Would have I done it for real if she was ordered to live among humans? What was I thinking when I said it? I never nned such a thing. Why did ite out of my mouth so naturally, as if I really wanted to take her with me? No, I don¡¯t have any such ns with her. I was merely provoking that coward.¡±

    He shook his head to get rid of those thoughts and closed his eyes again.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want her to die either.¡± His ashy grey eyes once again looked in the direction of the pce. ¡°That Dragon only knows how to hurt people but doesn¡¯t know how to care. He sure doesn¡¯t know that his care and warmth can help her ease through that survival phase. This ismon sense among those beasts with divine bloodlines, but I bet he¡¯s as clueless as usual. I doubt he will even go close to her.¡±

    He sighed helplessly. ¡°What should I do? If I try to tell him, and forget about believing me, he will choke me even before I could say a word. That brainless and heartless Dragon. It¡¯s not wrong that I pity that human for falling into his hands. Should I risk intruding¡ª¡±

    Suddenly, a sh of inspiration came into his mind. He was sure he wouldn¡¯t be able to go anywhere near the pce for now as Draven was too sensitive to any provocation with his potential mate being in a vulnerable state. Even if Morpheus had good intentions at heart, Draven wouldn¡¯t be reasonable enough to let hime close. He had to use another way.

    ¡°I need to do it for that human¡¯s sake. That way I might feel less guilty for pushing that devil and putting her in this situation.¡±

    With the thought of saving that human, Morpheus flew away from that tree with a n in his mind.

 Chapter 87

    It waste in the afternoon when Erlos entered the King¡¯s chamber carrying something in his hand. Draven was sitting in his armchair with his eyes closed when he heard his approach.

    ¡°Sire, someone is asking for an audience with you. I have told him to wait for you in your study.¡±

    Draven frowned and looked at Erlos, and the elf stepped forward showing him what was in his hand. It was a golden round token engraved in an enchanted wood, each symbol on its surface representing all the known races living within the kingdom.

    ¡°He said you will recognize the value of this seal,¡± Erlos said.

    It was the war seal that belonged to only a single person, the highest authority among the warriors of the kingdom and second only to the rank of the King during wartime. When the seal was used to meet the King, it was an official request that could not be refused. It meant there was something important rted to the peace and security of the kingdom and Draven could not say no to his visit even if he was preupied with other matters.

    Draven stood up and disappeared from his chamber. Erlos closed the door of the chamber and went to the King¡¯s study, carrying that seal with him.

    When Draven appeared inside his study, he found the owner of the war seal standing in front of the honeb-patterned shelf while holding one of the scrolls. It was the upgraded map of the continent that Draven had recently been working on.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s quick,¡± the manmented upon seeing him arrive. He was none other than the person who grabbed every chance he could find trying to get on the King¡¯s nerves these days, Divine Eagle Morpheus.

    Draven red at him and walked towards his desk. He heard Morpheus mumbling as he closed the scroll, ¡°New map looks interesting. Seems like a lot has changed.¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t react at all as he continued to sit in his chair behind his desk.

    Morpheus put the scroll back into the shelf and went to stand in front of the King on the other side of the long wooden table and bowed his head. ¡°The Commander of the Warriors, Divine Eagle Morpheus, greets His Majesty, King Draven Aramis.¡±

    Though his urges were telling him to kick the man out of the pce, that was only when he came as an uninvited guest. It was a different matter if the eagle paid an official visit in his capacity as themander. As a king, Draven had to listen to whatever issues themander had brought to him to discuss.

    ¡°I believe the Commander of the Warriors is not simply here to waste my time,¡± Dravenmented.

    ¡°I dare not, Your Majesty,¡± he said.

    Just as Draven held the position as ¡®King of Agartha¡¯ due to his feat of protecting the supernatural beings, Morpheus was simrly given the title ¡®Commander of the Warriors¡¯ because of his aplishments in the seeding wars.

    In the past, Morpheus had fought against the humans alongside Draven while leading all the warriors on their sides, regardless of n or race. Though there were other more powerful beings than Morpheus, Morpheus had shown great value in the strategy. He was a merciless and tactfulmander whose war tactics never failed to defeat the humans with little to no casualties on their ranks, earning him the trust of the other races.

    That was the time when Draven and Morpheus were not just king and subject, but closerades who trusted each other to protect their backs.

    After thest major war ended more than a century ago, there was no work for the Commander as the kingdom was at peace, making Morpheus an idle man. Once in a while, he had to only check on the things going on within the kingdom, but supernatural beings were generally hermits within their own territories. What small fights that happened were problems ordinary guards could do, and there was no need for him to step up.

    For the past decade, there was nothing left for him to do aside from attending boring meetings within his family or race. He had his uncle for that, and thus, he became an idle man who didn¡¯t need to work to live. He preferred to live a free life where he was not bound by any duties, and he even avoided attending those boring administrative meetings. Slowly, even he had forgotten that he was amander, spending his dayszing off and flying around, and so did others as he never showed his authority.

    For the younger generation told tales of his feats, they barely believed that ¡®Morph¡¯, such an easygoing idler, was once a ferocious figure on the battlefield.

    Finally, after centuries of being covered in dust, he brought out that war seal that proved his identity as the Commander of the kingdom¡¯s warriors.

    A knock interrupted the tense atmosphere and Erlos came in to return the seal to Morpheus. Seeing his master not fighting the shapeshifter was a fresh thing to witness, and thus Erlos asked politely, ¡°Do you need anything, Sire?¡±

    ¡°Go guard my chamber.¡±

    ¡°As per your order.¡±

    ¡°Proceed,¡± Draven instructed Morpheus after the elf left his study.

    Morpheus spoke with a serious expression, traces of his usual carefree self missing. ¡°Your Majesty, as discussed in the previous council meeting, the humans are brewing trouble. I believe Malion had also reported to you, and you are already aware of the situation in the outskirts of the kingdom, on how the humans are protesting to be allowed to enter the other territories. . In particr, the atmosphere in the territory of the fairies that borders the viges is already agitated, and the people are growing nervous¡­¡±

    ¡°Come to the point,¡± Draven interrupted him as he was bored of listening to the same story from everyone. Moreover, knowing Morpheus, Draven knew he was not interested in matters other than leading the warriors himself to fight if a civil war was to break out.

    Morpheus maintained the same calm expression in front of his king. ¡°In such a situation, if that controversial human dies inside your pce and that too because of the King, it will result in a riot. It will send the message that the King doesn¡¯t value the life of humans. Instead of sending her among the humans, the King took the life of an innocent human.¡±

    Draven¡¯s cold re didn¡¯t waver even after hearing it. ¡°Who is going to die?¡±

    ¡°The human Your Majesty has marked might die and¡ª¡±

    ¡°How are you sure that she will die?¡± Draven interrupted him, his voice coloured with a tinge of anger.

    ¡°Everything will be fine if the human truly survives, but is Your Majesty sure that she won¡¯t die?¡± Morpheus asked.

    Draven stared at him for a moment. ¡°Only time will decide.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, what if I tell you there is a way to improve her chances of survival?¡±

    ¡°Commander,¡± Draven said with a scowl, ¡°you are in my presence under your official capacity. Do refrain from involving your personal matters from the kingdom¡¯s affairs.¡±

    Morpheus did not back down. ¡°As the Commander that protects the peace of the kingdom, it is my duty to avoid any incident that will disturb the very peace that I am protecting. The life of that human is that valuable. I am here to provide you counsel on how you can influence that human female¡¯s survival, helping her bear the power of your mark. Even if it might not guarantee her survival, but it will not hurt Your Majesty to try and increase her chances.¡±

    Draven scoffed lightly. ¡°To me, it looks like instead of the kingdom, Commander Morpheus is worried that if that human dies then he will lose a chance of having my weakness.¡±

    Morpheus didn¡¯t deny it. ¡°Well, I won¡¯t dare oppose Your Majesty¡¯s conclusion. As long as that human survives, my duty asmander is fulfilled.¡±

    ¡°You have fulfilled your duty of bringing up this crucial matter to me. The rest doesn¡¯t concern you so you may leave, Commander Morpheus,¡± Draven said with a sarcastic tone.

    Morpheus sighed and closed his eyes for a moment as this stubborn man was full of himself and didn¡¯t wish to listen to anyone.

    ¡®Did initiating a bond truly made this guy dumb? I didn¡¯t know dragons had it this bad. He¡¯s letting his emotions get a hold of his rational thoughts. Does he not understand why I dug up this old-fashioned seal just so he will be forced to meet me? Does he think I enjoy throwing around my authority?¡¯

    ¡°Draven Aramis, listen to me, and listen to me well.¡±

    Morpheus looked at him with a sharp gaze.

    ¡°Regardless of my intention, we both agree we want that human to live. Does your pride matter more than her life? If not, then hear me out until the end. I¡¯m tired of seeing your face too, so I¡¯d prefer it if I can leave without dy as well.¡±

 Chapter 88

    Seeing those red eyes sharpen in his direction, Morpheus nodded, understanding that Draven was giving him a chance to speak.

    ¡°We shapeshifters generally look down on humans, but every once in a century, a half-breed would appear in our midst, showing that our races could findpatibility with humans even though they are weaker than us.

    ¡°However, mating is rare, and mating with humans ever rarer, still,pared to you, I am knowledgeable. You too know that you have no experience of any sort about how to care for your mate to provide her with some strength, so shouldn¡¯t you at least listen to me who has knowledge?¡±

    Seeing no response from Draven, Morpheus continued.

    ¡°I am sure she must be looking like a corpse at this moment as her body cannot take on the burden of such a powerful bond. Isn¡¯t she losing her life force faster?¡±

    Draven¡¯s eyes wavered at this moment as what Morpheus said was right. When he checked on her, she looked weaker than before and her skin looked pale as if her vitality was being sucked out. His silence told Morpheus that Ember was truly experiencing what he described.

    ¡°As a descendant of a divine beast, I can suggest to you something and I hope you will follow it. Though I don¡¯t have a mate, my parents are each other¡¯s true mates, and I have heard from my kind how it works, especially on how a male can help his female.

    ¡°Though you are a dragon and not a descendant of a divine beast, the bond works the same, and the stronger your bloodline is, the more life-threatening it will be for the female. You do know you have the strongest bloodline here.¡±

    Morpheus had long dropped the honorifics as he had enough of it and directly jumped to the important point.

    ¡°So, does the ck Dragon want to help his human mate survive?¡±

    Draven stared at him with a cold expression, none of his thoughts visible on his face.. Morpheus stared back at him with equal solemness. In the end, Draven gave in.

    ¡°What do I need to do?¡±

    Morpheus finally let out an inward sigh of relief. This dumb dragon had finally seen reason. ¡®I was about to lose my patience. This dimwit Dragon sure is stubborn.¡¯

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything to say, don¡¯t waste my time,¡± Draven snapped, seeing how Morpheus was grinning at him.

    Morpheus feigned an innocent look. ¡°I will tell you how to help that human survive this phase but the question is, ¡®Will you do it?''¡±

    Draven offered him an unimpressed look, as if saying there is nothing in this world someone as powerful as him cannot do.

    Morpheus chuckled, sensing his thoughts. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me you are the most powerful creature to walk the continent. Surprise, surprise, your powers have nothing to do with the help I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    Draven scowled, but he was trying to keep his temper since he still needed to continue listening to this annoying eagle.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t answer me if you are willing to do anything,¡± Morpheus pointed out.

    ¡°I am,¡± Draven replied. ¡°Just tell me what I need to do.¡±

    ¡°But I doubt you can. You are the kind of person who doesn¡¯t like to get close to anyone and¡­¡± Morpheus looked at Draven¡¯s glove-covered hands. ¡°You even keep your hands covered as if you will be tainted by dirt if you touch someone by mistake.¡±

    ¡°As long as it is not something filthy like you that I am touching,¡± Dravenmented coldly.

    ¡°Trust me, I won¡¯t enjoy it either so keep your hands away,¡± Morpheus countered. He then lowered his voice, his grey eyes glittering with interest. ¡°Mating is more than simply thepatibility between partners. Though the strength of bloodline matters, mating is still a sacred vow at its core.¡±

    The shapeshifter held up two fingers.

    ¡°Sincerity and devotion¡ªremember them.

    ¡°What a female needs the most in this phase is for her male to show sincerity and devotion to her, the warmth and care from her male, his constant presence and willingness to stay by her side. You might think I¡¯m speaking nonsense, but the magic of this world works in mysterious ways. The bond between you two might not beplete, but how much you want to save her will affect her chances of survival.

    ¡°So don¡¯t just sit idly and wait for her to struggle on her own. Show her care, better if you talk to her and pamper her even when she is unconscious and cannot reciprocate to what you do.¡±

    Draven stared at him without a change in expression.

    ¡°Are you done?¡± was all the King said after all his talk.

    Morpheus sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still didn¡¯t understand what I am trying to say?¡±

    ¡°I let her stay in my chamber.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. I said don¡¯t be idle! Think of her as a person, not an object. You need to talk to her, be close to her, be supportive of her¡­¡± Morpheus felt somewhat frustrated. ¡°Don¡¯t make me call you a dimwit out loud!¡±

    ¡°Being in the same room as her is enough.¡±

    ¡°What was I even expecting?¡± Morpheus felt like his head was starting to hurt.

    ¡°Leave,¡± Draven instructed him. He then tapped that round token on his desk. ¡°Take this back.¡±

    Morpheus picked up the war seal and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, sincerity and devotion.¡±

    Draven offered him a t gaze.

    ¡°I am leaving, you dim-witted dragon,¡± he scoffed as he left the study.

    Once Morpheus left, Draven leaned back in his chair and thought about the shapeshifter¡¯s words¡ªSincerity and Devotion.

    ¡®That battle maniac has lost his bird brain after idling for so long as there is no war.¡¯

    For the meantime, Draven brushed off whatever Morpheus said to him.

    He was thinking about something else, and he needed to leave the pce¡ªno, this kingdom for a while. He disappeared from his study and reappeared inside his chamber. He went closer to his bed and took one nce at the frail human who was looking weaker with each passing second which made him doubt that his judgment of her being able to survive in any situation was wrong.

    The door opened on its own and Draven called out, ¡°Erlos!¡±

    His servant was bored of staying guard in the same ce for the greater part of the day. Upon hearing his master¡¯s call, Erlos hurried inside the chamber.

    ¡°Yes, Sire?¡±

    ¡°I am leaving to go somewhere. Do not let anyone enter the chamber,¡± he instructed.

    On normal asions, Draven would just disappear without informing anyone, not even his personal servant. The poor elf would end up waiting for his master like a wife waiting for her annoying husband¡¯s arrival, wanting her husband to return as early as possible but also not wanting to see his face at the same time.

    ¡°May I know where you are headed to?¡± Erlos asked like a responsible servant.

    ¡°Just guard the chamber,¡± was what the King replied to his sincere query.

    ¡°Yes, Sire. I will guard it well,¡± Erlos assured, knowing the King would not tell anything if he didn¡¯t wish to.

    The next moment, Draven disappeared from his chamber.

 Chapter 89

    Erlos looked at Ember and then towards the window. ¡°The sun will be setting soon. I wonder if he¡¯ll be back within the night.¡±

    As a loyal and responsible servant, Erlos took care of everything even without his master¡¯s presence. After the sun had set, he lit themps inside the chamber and would check on the human once in a while, observing for any changes on her from a distance. She was the King¡¯s mate, and he didn¡¯t want to risk his life by going close to that bed. Though he was young, he wasn¡¯t naive¡ªhe had heard things about how ¡®marking a mate¡¯ could turn even the gentlest people unreasonable.

    The King was a dragon, and one could easily guess how this temperamental beast would overreact, with him possibly being the most dangerous and possessive creature towards his mate.

    ¡ª¡ª

    It was already deep in the middle of the night when Draven returned to the pce. He appeared outside his chamber and found Erlos almost dozing off while standing outside the door.

    Draven frowned at hiszy servant.

    Crash!

    The ssmp hanging on the wall fell on the floor, smashing into pieces as its oil spread on the carpet, causing part of the floor near the elf to catch fire.

    ¡°What the¡ª¡±

    The noise pulled Erlos out of sleep, and he jumped upon seeing the fire on the floor together with his master standing in front of him with a scowl.

    ¡°S-Sire, you are back?¡± he muttered as he hurried to step on the fire to extinguish it.

    ¡°Prepare the bath for me,¡± Draven simply instructed as he used his power to open the door and walked inside his chamber.

    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± Erlos replied with his head lowered. Once Draven was gone, he made sure that he properly put off the fire on the floor, reminding himself to order a new carpet in the morning, before going towards the side chamber which was a stone room with arge pool of water connected to a natural spring from the forest.

    Using his powers, he prepared a clean set of robes and other essentials. It didn¡¯t take him long to prepare the bath for the King, and he soon appeared inside the main chamber, only to find Draven staring outside the window.

    ¡°Sir, the bath is ready. Clothes are already ced there as well,¡± he informed.

    ¡°You can leave,¡± was all Draven said and his servant quietly departed.

    Draven turned to go to the side chamber after ncing at the bed on his way. After removing his clothes, he stepped into the pool of hot water, and soon after, fully submerged himself under the water to rx his mind. Hey at the bottom of the water without any particr thoughts.

    After a long time, he broke through the surface of the water and sat on the edge of the pool, resting his back against the edge with his long, toned arms spread along the stone tform behind him.

    He stared nkly at the night sky which was visible from the huge ss windows on one side of the chamber. His red eyes flickered with unknown emotions, unlike how cold and indifferent they looked most of the time.

    ¡®Going there was not useless,¡¯ he thought and stayed in the bath for a while longer.

    He stepped out of the bath wearing his usual sleeping robe. As he dried his dripping wet hair with a towel, he looked at the bed once again and realized he hadn¡¯t checked on her since the morning after her clothes were changed by the servants.

    He walked closer to the bed and sat at the edge of it. Not to his surprise, the human girl looked feeble, like a brittle doll made of porcin who would break at the gentlest touch, having almost no colour on her skin, as if she would die anytime soon.

    Unknown feelings flooded Draven¡¯s body, causing him to clench his fists. As gently as he could, he reached out his hand to touch her forehead, feeling her temperature had dropped drastically. He moved the nket a little and held her hand to check on her pulse. It was too weak which didn¡¯t look like a good sign to him.

    He felt a sudden heavy weight in his chest at the thought of her dying and called loudly, ¡°Erlos.¡±

    The door opened. ¡°Yes, Sire?¡±

    ¡°Light the firece,¡± Draven ordered as he ced her cold palm between his warm ones.

    Erlos quickly disappeared, and just in a few moments, returned with blocks of chopped wood in his hands and added them to the two fireces that warmed the huge bedchamber. Given Draven¡¯s strong constitution, neither the cold nor warmth of the seasons bothered him, and he generally didn¡¯t pay attention to such small inconveniences like the temperature of his bedchamber.

    However, it was different for humans, as what could be bearable to him might be the opposite to them, especially for this frail human mate of his who¡¯s barely fighting for her life.

    ¡°It¡¯s done, Sire,¡± Erlos informed him. ¡°Is there anything¡­?¡±

    His words trailed off as he felt like his eyes were seeing something beyondprehension. Even in that dimly lit chamber, he thought he just saw an emotion called ¡®worry¡¯ sh in his heartless master¡¯s face. He even witnessed something as unbelievable as the King holding that human¡¯s hand delicately in his bare ones.

    ¡®This can¡¯t be! A miracle! I am witnessing a miracle!¡¯ Erlos wanted to rub his eyes, just to make sure he wasn¡¯t seeing things. ¡®Is this bond finally making my master learn how to be truly considerate of others?! Will I be experiencing a better future too¡ª¡¯

    ¡°Leave,¡± Draven ordered as if he didn¡¯t want his presence there even for a moment more.

    ¡°Y-Yes, Sire!¡±

    It startled the elf out of his muddled thoughts, but his pointed ears continued to twitch left and right as he hurried to leave. ¡®Am I wrong? No, I don¡¯t think I am. That bond is making him lose his already not-so-sane mind. If he learns how to be kind to his mate, by extension, he¡¯ll learn how to be kinder to me too, right? Yes, that should be it¡­¡¯

    The elf nodded to himself, convinced of his thoughts, because he found the King¡¯s gaze still stuck on that human¡¯s face even as Erlos closed the door behind him.

    Draven stood up and removed his ck sleeping robe from his toned body, leaving only his pants on him. Without a second thought, he climbed on the bed and gently scooped that frail body in his warm embrace. He let her head use one of his arms as a pillow while his other arm circled her thin waist, pulling her closer to his warm chest. The nkets moved on their own to cover them both, leaving nothing but their heads under the sheets.

    Against his strong body, her body felt incredibly small and weak, but for some reason, he felt that having her in his arms like this made perfect sense. He held her even closer, his head filled with thoughts of wanting to protect her from any harm, but he didn¡¯t understand why he was doing it or why he was feeling this way.

    ¡®It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s the bond,¡¯ was the only reason he could think of.

    To Draven, these strange thoughts and behaviour of his were all due to the influence of the bond about to form between them. That bond waspelling him to protect her and take care of her. He himself didn¡¯t know if it was truly the work of the bond or something else.

    He wondered if he made a mistake. Just with this much closeness with his potential mate¡ª she was even unconscious and the bond had not yet crossed thest stage¡ªhe was already acting like he wasn¡¯t himself, then how much worse would it be afterwards?

    Having her in his arms already made his heart beat wildly in his chest. What would happen after this human survives and he is forced to finish thest stage of that bond with her?

    What would he do? How would he stop himself?

    Sighing at the uncertainty of the futureing his way, there was only one thing he was sure about¡ªthat he didn¡¯t want this human to die at any cost.

    As if not wanting to let her go away, he tightened his grip around her, pressing her cold cheek against his chest. Her weak breathing against the top of his bare chest continued to assure him that she was still alive.

    Sudden warmth filled his heart as his hand that was on her waist moved towards her head and caressed it gently as if she was a child. He had never done this before to anyone, and he felt surprised at his own action.

    He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply to calm himself, but the next moment, found himself leaning close and nting a gentle kiss on her head.

    ¡®What?¡¯ He opened his eyes in shock. What did he just do?

    ¡®This bond is making me do this. I better be alert,¡¯ he concluded and closed his eyes once again. Despite himself, he drifted to a peaceful sleep while holding the frail body of his mate in his arms.

 Chapter 90

    The next morning, Draven opened his eyes with a start, surprised by how sound his sleep was despite having the human in his embrace. Bright sunlight had filled the chamber and he realized he waste to wake up. It was his habit to wake up at the break of dawn, just as the first ray of morning sun showed up. However, today he slept through that and stayed in bed even after the sun was high in the sky.

    He could not even recall when in the past thousand years had he slept this peacefully. Sleeping holding someone closer did truly make a difference.

    He shook his head. ¡®I am looking too much into useless things.¡¯

    He lowered his head and looked at the human female in his arms, who was still sleeping without even the faintest idea of her situation.

    He wondered, ¡®If she wakes up like this, how will she react?¡¯

    He moved as gently as he could to ce her head back on the pillow, releasing her from his embrace.

    He observed her face which looked at least a little better from the previous night. Briefly touching her cheek, it no longer felt cold. It reminded him of what Morpheus had said to him¡ªsincerity and devotion to her, the warmth and care from her male, his constant presence and willingness to stay by her side.

    ¡®Did it really work?¡¯

    Covering her with the thick nket up to her shoulders, he stepped out of the bed, ready to start his day.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Despite his misgivings, Draven hovered around Ember like a truly responsible mate, checking on her once in a while to let her feel his presence around her.

    This was the situation that astounded Leeora and Cornelia when they arrived there by noon, wanting to check on how Ember was faring.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty¡­¡±

    Draven was in the chamber when he allowed these two women to check on his mate. He was standing by the window, staring outside with his hand folded at his back while ignoring the two women on their own. He had decided he wouldn¡¯t be leaving his chamber till this human wakes up. One day had passed by, and he didn¡¯t know how much longer he had to wait for her to wake up.

    Cornelia ced her palm on Ember¡¯s forehead and closed her eyes to check on her life force. When she opened her eyes, a glimmer of delight could be seen on them.

    ¡°What happened, Lady Cornelia?¡± Leeora asked.

    The witch had a look of interest. ¡°Her body is still weak, but I could tell her vitality is no longer dissipating. She is truly faring better than yesterday. Last we checked, each of her vital signs made me doubt how she would survive this bond, that¡¯s why it¡¯s fascinating¡­¡±

    ¡°Fascinating?¡±

    ¡°There is not even a hint of magic or divine power in her body, but it already looks better than what it should be in just a short amount of time,¡± the witch replied. ¡°On its own, a human body shouldn¡¯t be capable of such a recovery rate.¡±

    Leeora was visibly pleased by her words, and she held Ember¡¯s hand and closed her eyes to check on her situation. Leeora opened her eyes after a while and reached the same conclusion as Cornelia.

    ¡°I am d that the divine power hidden inside her saved her,¡± Leeora smiled with relief. ¡°Now, all there is left to do is to wait for her to wake up, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I believe that is the case,¡± Cornelia replied with confidence

    Though they were speaking to themselves, Draven had no trouble listening to their conversation. All those words that the Head of the Witches spoke, his ears had caught them, but he didn¡¯t react at the ¡®discovery¡¯ of Cornelia Grimm.

    Leeora nced at Draven, wondering about his thoughts, but she said nothing and turned her attention back to Ember. ¡°It¡¯s good that her situation is improving. We can expect her to be out of danger soon if she continues to show the same improvement.¡± Herst words were said for the King to hear them.

    ¡°Seems like it,¡± Cornelia said as the two women sighed with relief. They were d to be proven wrong, as they had expected her to be in an even worse condition than the previous day.

    The two women then approached the King.

    Draven turned around to look at them as if it didn¡¯t concern him what these two were talking about. His face was the same as always, cold and emotionless.

    Leeora lowered her head. ¡°Sire, there is an improvement in her situation. Not much, but at least this is a positive sign for her survival.¡±

    In response, he offered only a light nod.

    After talking to the King about the positive result in Ember¡¯s health, the two women left.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Leeora returned to Ronan where a certain someone was specifically waiting for her arrival. The moment she reached her tree, she felt a strong gust of wind and saw Morpheusnd on the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been seeing your face a lottely, Morph. Howe you are paying this old woman a visit?¡± Leeora asked as she looked at the warrior who folded hisrge grey wings on his back. ¡°Should I guess?¡±

    ¡°No need. I want to know how Ember is doing. I know you have gone to visit her,¡± Morpheus replied, getting straight to the point.

    Leeora smiled. ¡°I am sure you would like to have some tea to go along with the chat.¡± She then tapped her staff on the ground and the tree spirit took her up to her residence.

    Morpheus spread his wings and flew up to follow her.

    As the two entered her house, Leeora gestured to him. ¡°Have a seat.¡±

    Morpheus sat in the chair in her lounge while Leeroa prepared their drinks. After she ced the teapot and teacups on the wooden table in the centre, she sat opposite to him and served the tea.

    ¡°I am surprised you are concerned about her enough to ask me about her condition,¡± Leeora started as she sipped her tea.

    ¡°It¡¯s that man¡¯s business, so of course, I¡¯ll be concerned,¡± Morpheus replied with a sneer.

    Leeora could only shake her head. ¡°Ember¡¯s situation seems to be better than yesterday.¡±

    Her words surprised Morpheus as he had expected that the weak human¡¯s condition would have worsened by now.

    ¡°Better? Not worse?¡± he prodded.

    Leeora nodded. ¡°I came together with Lady Cornelia Grimm. We two were surprised to see her recovery as much as you are.¡±

    ¡°You mean she can survive it?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That I cannot be sure, but I am more confident now that she could. I don¡¯t know what had changed overnight to improve her situation.¡±

    Morpheus thought about what Leeora said and asked, ¡°Was Draven in the same room when you visited?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± She nodded. ¡°I heard from Erlos that he hadn¡¯t left his chamber since the night before. Though Sire doesn¡¯t show it, I believe he is worried for her.¡±

    Morpheus smirked as he had his guess affirmed while enjoying the tea¡¯s refreshing aroma. ¡®Seems like that stubborn dragon did listen to what I said.¡¯ He looked at the elderly elf.

    ¡°Leeora, you know a thing or two about how divine beasts mate, don¡¯t you?¡± Seeing her nod, he continued, ¡°Do you remember the belief that has been passed among divine beasts that if the male stays by the female¡¯s side after a bond is initiated, his care will help her survive this phase?¡±

    ¡°There is indeed such a thing I heard from your parents.¡± Leeora nodded and then looked at Morpheus with a questioning gaze. ¡°Do you also think that it¡¯s because of¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, he must have understood and epted the responsibility of the mate,¡± Morpheus replied, avoiding that suspicious gaze from the olddy.

    She stared at him for a moment and asked, ¡°Did you visit him?¡±

    Morpheus cleared his throat. ¡°Well, It happened like that.¡±

    ¡°So you still care for¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªfor that human,¡± he interrupted Leeora. ¡°I did it for Ember. I didn¡¯t want her to die inside our territory and let humans think that we killed her. As the Commander of the Warriors, it¡¯s my duty to prevent anything that can disturb the peace of this kingdom.¡±

    Leeora almost felt like rolling her eyes and said, ¡°I understand, Sir Commander.¡±

 Chapter 91

    This bonus chapter is dedicated to the reader ¡°RMehrotra¡± Thank you so much for the supergift. 33

    ¡ª¡ª-

    The second night since the mating bond was initiated, Draven found himself staring at the human in his bed once more.

    He was d in his sleeping robe and intending to sleep, but this time, he said something else to himself.

    ¡®It¡¯s my bed and it¡¯s only right to sleep in it.¡¯

    He climbed to his bed after taking his robe off. At this point in time, he was done questioning himself. He decided to go with the flow and kept his mind nk from thinking anything and drawing any more conclusions.

    ¡®If this is what helps her get better¡­¡¯

    He held her in his arms, pulling her close to his warm body just like the previous night and closed his eyes while holding her frail body as if to protect her. He could not deny it felt better to sleep like this and he felt the urge to hold her even tighter. His heart remained unstable just like the night before.

    He exhaled deeply and simply let things go.

    ¡ª¨C

    When he woke up the next morning, bright sunlight had filled the entire chamber once more. This time, he was no longer startled, even sighing as he had epted this unwee change to his sleeping habit. He was about to sit up when he felt the movement of head on his arms.

    ¡®Movement?¡¯

    As the realization hit him, he lowered his head to look at that small head crowned with rich mahogany hair that was¡­ snuggling against his chest.

    It was as if the world stopped when the human in his arms tilted back her head to gaze up at his face.

    Emerald green eyes met with his red ones. They were like brilliant gemstones from up close, as if they were the purest crystals in existence. To call them beautiful was simply an understatement.

    She was blinking sleepily, her eyes half-lidded as if she was yet to recognize her situation. Draven didn¡¯t expect her to wake up like this, as he thought she would remain unconscious for a few days more.

    And then her entire body stiffened.

    She was in the middle of letting out a yawn when she btedly realized who was next to her. Her eyes widened in panic, but before Draven could say a word, she passed out in his arms.

    Draven was as shocked as Ember because he didn¡¯t expect her to wake up so soon, much less in this situation. Not like he was used to waking up with ady in his arms. Worse, she had the nerve to faint as soon as she saw him!

    He sighed and looked at the unconscious girl once more. ¡®I was just trying to help you survive. Ungrateful human.¡¯

    As he sat up, he found himself checking if her breaths were even. He then had his fingers trace her cheeks, going down along the curve of her neck, where he found a beautiful crimson blossom in ce of where his bite mark should have been.

    ¡®A flower?¡¯

    His forehead creased in confusion. He had heard before that a mark would appear on the mates of the descendants of divine beasts, but he knew it would be some kind of rune or symbol of that race. Why did a red flower appear on her skin? He moved away from her as gently as he could and covered her with a nket.

    ¡°Erlos!¡± he called.

    Upon hearing his master¡¯s call, Erlos entered the chamber with a bright smile.

    The young elf was mostly idling outside the King¡¯s chamber due to Draven starting his morningster than usual. It was a pleasant change, one he was more than ready to embrace.

    ¡°Good morning, Sire¡ª¡± He nearly missed his step as what he saw was not the scenario he expected.

    He saw Draven without his robe, d in only his pants, sitting next to the human in bed while fixing the nket on her body.

    ¡®Why is he half-naked? No, before that, is he sharing the bed with that human girl?¡¯ Erlos thought, but before he could draw any conclusion, he heard Draven speak again.

    ¡°Ask Leeora toe to my chamber immediately.¡±

    ¡°What happened¡ª¡±

    Draven turned his head to re at him, and the elf obediently shut his mouth.

    ¡°I shall excuse myself, Sire.¡±

    Erlos disappeared in a hurry as he understood it was something serious.

    Upon receiving the King¡¯s summon, Leeora hurried toe to the pce as soon as she could.

    When she arrived, Erlos came to wee her at the entrance. ¡°Thanks foring on such quick notice this early in the day, Elder.¡±

    Leeora was used to the King¡¯s sudden summons and didn¡¯t mind it since she lives near the pce. ¡°Why did Sire summon me in a hurry?¡±

    ¡°Not sure but I think it¡¯s about that human girl,¡± the young elf replied as the two walked towards the King¡¯s chamber.

    ¡°Did Ember wake up?¡± Leeora asked with a hopeful voice.

    Erlos shrugged. ¡°She was still unconscious when I saw her earlier, but I am not sure. I am merely obeying Sire¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°It seems I¡¯m being overly anxious. Only two days have passed, and as far as I know, even for shapeshifters, it would take several days. I should see her first,¡± Leeora said.

    When they reached their destination, Erlos opened the door for Leeora but remained outside to give them privacy. Draven could be seen standing by the window while petting his owl, Midnight. He was d in rather casual attire, merely donning a in ck vest over a white long-sleeved dress shirt, and dark pants.

    The elegant elf bowed as she entered, speaking formally as usual. ¡°Leeora of the Wood Elf n greets King Draven, the ruler of Agartha.¡±

    Draven turned to look at her and Leeora asked, ¡°Sire has asked for me?¡±

    He nodded before looking at the unconscious girl lying in his bed. ¡°She woke up about an hour ago.¡±

    ¡°Truly?¡± Leeora felt happiness as a wide smile spread on her lips, but one more thing was there to notice¡ªthat the King had not addressed Ember as simply ¡®human¡¯ or ¡®creature¡¯ or any other coarse words. He regarded her as ady, calling her ¡®she¡¯.

    ¡°That¡¯s good news, Sire!¡± Leeora said happily. ¡°Can I see her?¡± she asked.

    Draven approved with a nod and the elderly elf went toward the canopy bed to check on Ember. Though she was still pale, a healthy colour had returned to her lips and cheeks. She then found an unfamiliar mark on the girl¡¯s neck.

    ¡®Hmm? A crimson blossom?¡¯

    Leeora ced her hand on Ember¡¯s forehead and closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes after a while, a sigh of relief graced her lips.

    ¡°Her life force seems to be stable now. She survived this stage of the bond.¡± Leeora smiled as well and caressed Ember¡¯s head. ¡°Such a strong child. But why is she sleeping again? Is it normal for the mated females to sleep after waking up?¡±

    Leeora was puzzled. Though she wasn¡¯t a shapeshifter, she had been alive for so long that she had heard plenty of things about matters of other races.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she should be sleeping even if it¡¯s because she is weak. I heard females would generally be very hungry upon waking up¡­¡± Leeora looked at Draven who was quietly looking at the human in his bed as if nothing happened. ¡°Sire, what was her reaction after she woke up? Did she say anything?¡±

 Chapter 92

    ¡°She lost consciousness right after she woke up,¡± Draven replied ndly.

    ¡°Are you sure she woke up, Sire?¡±

    ¡°She was sleeping in my arms when she woke up. But then she saw me and passed out,¡± he replied without any change in his expression as if what he said was not a big deal and cleared her doubts.

    Speechless, Leeora pulled out an awkward smile. She could easily imagine what happened. Though it was an obvious reaction from Ember given Draven¡¯s scary impression in her mind, as a king it was disrespectful to him.

    ¡°S-Sire, the poor child must have been scared. Please forgive her.¡±

    Draven changed the subject as if he didn¡¯t care about that human¡¯s reaction who wasfortably using his bed.

    ¡°With her passing the council¡¯s test, as per her wish, you can take her back to Ronan,¡± Draven instructed, returning his interest to his pet owl as if to say she¡¯s being dismissed.

    The elf did not move as she hesitated. ¡°May I speak my opinion, Sire?¡±

    Draven waited for Leeora to talk.

    ¡°As Ember has just woken up, I believe it would be better to keep her here for a day to observe her. As you know, the presence of her mate is important to a marked female. Once she ispletely fine, I will take her back with me.¡±

    He found her words reasonable. ¡°Then stay by her side and look after her for a day,¡± he said and stepped out of the chamber without dying for another second, leaving as if he was being suffocated by something.

    Draven disappeared from the pce and found himself reappearing at the cliff on the borders of the City of Ronan, under the ancient tree withntern-like fruits.

    Draven didn¡¯t know why of all the ces he had appeared in this particr ce when he could have gone to any random mountain.

    ¡®Why am I¡­?¡¯

    The reason he left his chamber was because his mate was awake, proving the fact that she was capable of mating with him and carrying on his bloodline. The dragon instincts inside him were being awakened with a mere whiff of that unique scenting from his female which only he could smell.

    It was a subtle fragrance that reminded him of a fully bloomed jasmine after the refreshing first rain of the season, and he found the sensual aroma downright irresistible.

    The scent of Jasmine was awakening his senses of desires while the scent of the first rain made him feel peaceful, made him feel like his lost soul had finally found its home after wandering for thousands of years.

    Since Ember had just woken up, the pull Draven felt towards his mate was not that strong yet and he could still control himself. He barely held on by somehow distracting himself with the fresh breezeing in from the open window of his chamber, as well as by petting Midnight, but he knew he had to leave before he sumbed to his urges and did something insane.

    He took a deep breath of that fresh breezeing from the valley and tried to calm himself. He must get rid of such strange thoughts that reminded him that he now has a mate.

    ¡®Mating instinct? Ridiculous! I cannot be weak in front of such things. I am not a lowly beast who¡¯ll let my urges control me. I am merely using her so I can find the mystery of my past. I feel nothing at all. I can handle it.¡¯

    With his eyes closed, he remained standing at the cliff, trying to make his mind clear but the peace didn¡¯tst long. An unusual gust of wind could be felt near the ancient tree. Upon hearing the sound of strong wings pping that apanied the wind, he frowned inwardly because he knew who had arrived here to disturb his peace.

    Draven didn¡¯t bother to look at the one who had arrived even after that person stood next to him.

    ¡°Hmm, this ce seems to be the best one when you want to be at peace,¡± Morpheusmented but got no reply from Draven.

    He continued, ¡°Last time, that human female came here to find peace of mind as well, and she jumped down from the edge to get it. Such extreme peace she¡¯s pursuing. Are you nning the same, Your Majesty? But let me tell you, I won¡¯t be saving you.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer to die rather than be saved by you,¡± Draven finally replied.

    ¡°That I know, but the issue is you won¡¯t die,¡± Morpheusmented, as if to say it¡¯s a pity.

    ¡°I might,¡± Draven said and looked at him with an emotionless gaze. ¡°Your longsting wish seems to being true.¡±

    Morpheus¡¯ looked back at him with his gray eyes carrying surprise. ¡°You mean¡­wait, is she awake?¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t answer and simply looked at thendscape of the forest beyond the cliff. ¡°I don¡¯t n to fulfill thest stage of the mating bond.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t n?¡± Morpheus chuckled at his nonsense. ¡°You speak as if it¡¯s in your hands. It has already started affecting you, that¡¯s why you are here away from your mate, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t reply.

    ¡°What you are thinking is not easy. You can try to run away from her, but it will only make you be fiercely violent at the end of it, the longing enough to drive you insane.¡±

    Draven still remained unresponsive.

    ¡°You might end up hurting her by denying this bond,¡± Morpheusmented as he too stared at the scenery before him. ¡°You started this sacred vow, then you are bound to fulfill it. Instead of avoiding it, you better start preparing her for it. After all, you are a dragon and she is a mere human¡­let me correct¡ªshe¡¯s now a special human. Though she is special, you are way too powerful for anyone, and as her mate, you need to prepare her before¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you that desperate to fulfill your own wish?¡± Draven asked tly. ¡°At the cost of hurting that human?¡±

    Morpheus scoffed. ¡°Don¡¯t pin this on me. In the end, you made the decision yourself. Besides, I have only known that human for just a few days, but I have been carrying that vow with me for several lifetimes of that human. How can I forget my vow and the people I lost because of you and think about that human who I met just a while ago?

    ¡°And do not think you can guilt me into this. It¡¯s not like we have not harmed humans before. This kingdom is founded after taking the lives of so many of them, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Draven let out a loud exhale and turned his body entirely to face Morpheus. The shapeshifter did the same.

    ¡°Morpheus, I don¡¯t know what you n to do, but mark my word. I won¡¯t ever let you harm her just to get back at me. As she is my mate now, I have more reasons to protect her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t n to harm her¡­yet.¡± Morpheus smirked. ¡°She is my little friend so she deserves to live a happy life though it will be for a short time. Moreover, she believes in me more than you¡ªno, scratch that¡ªshe trusts me yet fears you. I am sure that sooner orter, she will run away from you and I will be the one to console her. That is myst help as your old friend.¡±

    ¡°Stay away from her,¡± Draven said coldly as he clenched his fists.

    ¡°I told you before that she is notpletely yours yet. You cannot stop her if she needs a friend. And I will happily be her friend. I am sure she would want it too.¡±

    Draven could not say that he would make her entirely his as he had no such n. He simply calmed himself down as he knew getting angry at this stubborn eagle was of no use.

    ¡°Shall I take it as your approval, Your Majesty?¡± the man sneered as he stretched his wings provocatively. ¡°The only way to stop me froming to her is when you willplete the bond. Till then, you don¡¯t have a right.¡±

    Just then, a snowy white owl flew above their heads while letting out a loud hoot. Draven and Morpheus both understood Midnight¡¯s message and were ready to leave, but even before Morpheus could p his wings, Draven¡¯s palmnded on his chest, creating a thunderous sound of collision that caused thend underneath their feet to vibrate and the ancient tree nearby to shudder.

    Draven red at him. His eyes turned crimson red like a fire which warned Morpheus that he shouldn¡¯t take further things.

    ¡°She is my mate,¡± the Devil King spat out. ¡°Do not disturb us with your unnecessary presence.¡±

    Morpheus stood back while Draven used his powers to vanish in thin air.

    ¡°You won¡¯tst for long, Draven Aramis,¡± Morpheus said loudly, knowing that man would hear it before he left.

 Chapter 93

    Several minutes after Draven departed from the pce and left Ember in Leeora¡¯s care, the young human started to stir awake. As she¡¯s seated on a chair purposely ced beside therge bed, Leeora immediately sensed the movement and spoke up, ¡°Ember, can you hear me? Are you awake?¡±

    Ember heard the familiar warm voice and slowly opened her eyes to look at the elderly female elf. The dazed girl found herself greeted by Leeora¡¯s pleasant smile.

    ¡°Elder?¡± she mumbled in a weak voice.

    ¡°Good that you recognize me. That means you are fine,¡± Leeora said happily as she touched the forehead of the girl. Her skin was feeling a bit cold to touch, but it seemed there was nothing wrong with her body.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡±

    Ember tried to sit up, and the elf hurried to assist her, arranging pillows behind her for support so she¡¯d be morefortable.

    ¡°Do not push yourself too much,¡± Leeora told her with a kind smile. ¡°You must be feeling weak.¡±

    Ember nodded lightly and her blurry gaze moved around therge chamber. She didn¡¯t know what this ce was as she didn¡¯t remember evering here. She was lying on a canopy bed sorge and sheets so soft, that she felt like she was sitting on top of a cloud. The chamber itself was several times the size of her tree house in Ronan, and the luxurious furniture around her were all things she thought only existed in Gaia¡¯s bedtime stories back when she was a child.

    She took a deep breath and found her tense body rxing due to the soothing smell of the forest that permeated the air. For some reason, she felt the urge to bury her nose on the nice-smelling sheets and go back to sleep.

    Leeora stood up. ¡°I will ask the servants to bring something for you to eat. After eating, you might feel better.¡± Leeora went to the door and instructed Erlos who was waiting on standby outside.

    Seeing the young silver-haired elf, recognition struck her.

    ¡®This ce¡­am I in that red-eyed man¡¯s pce?¡¯

    Ember tried to recall what happened to her, putting together clues from her memories as to why she was here in this condition.

    ¡®The council meeting¡­¡¯

    All she remembered was the King, that red-eyed man, asking her if she was ready to bet her life for the sake of staying in this kingdom. Without thinking much, she agreed to be tested. Though she didn¡¯t know what the test meant, she remembered being instructed to stay seated on hisp. He asked her to breathe and then, there was a sharp pain on the right side of her neck.

    Her body inevitably shivered, and she hugged herself as she recalled the inexplicable pain. ¡®My entire body felt like it¡¯s burning from within.¡¯

    After that, everything went nk, and the next thing she recalled was waking up in this chamber.

    ¡®What did he do to me?¡¯ she thought and touched the right side of her neck. She thought she¡¯d feel a bite scar, but her neck was surprisingly smooth. ¡®I remember he bit me. Was it a hallucination?¡¯ Remembering that pain made her fragile body shiver once more, and she had to dorge intakes of air to calm herself down.

    She heard Leeora still talking to Erlos outside of the door of that huge chamber.

    ¡°¡ªinform His Majesty that she is awake now.¡±

    ¡®His Majesty?¡¯ It rang a bell in her mind. There was only one person they called His Majesty. ¡®The red-eyed man, don¡¯t tell me he ising here?!¡¯

    Ember panicked as she seemingly recalled something.

    ¡®No, that can¡¯t be. That¡¯s a nightmare. It¡¯s impossible¡­¡¯

    In her bad dream, she remembered opening her eyes and finding herself wrapped in someone¡¯s arms. It was a very vivid dream, where she was roused awake by the pleasant scent of wood and earth, as if the refreshing and calming scent of the forest was embracing all her senses. The scent had a distinctive scent of peppermint as well, simr to the fragrant oils Leeora had given to her to help her sleep, which was one of her favourite scents.

    Taking a deep breath of that mixed fragrance, all her nerves felt rxed. She simply wanted to continue enjoying the refreshing scent, but then she realized a person was holding her, causing her to snap her eyes open, only to be weed by the view of the bare chest of a man.

    The embrace felt so warm andfortable that she wanted to snuggle in it more. It was purely instinct, as she was still half-asleep and her body sumbed to that pleasant feeling she was getting from that warm and strong body.

    But then as it was with all bad dreams, an ominous feeling struck her out of the blue, telling her something was wrong with the situation. She then looked up, only to meet with the most terrifying gaze she had seen all her life¡ªthose pair of emotionless red eyes belonging to the most dangerous man in existence.

    It was as if she lost her soul at that very moment, and all the good feelings she had evaporated into thin air.

    ¡®A nightmare. Yes, he¡¯s thest thing I saw that¡¯s why I had a nightmare about him,¡¯ she convinced herself. ¡®That must be it. Why would he be with me in the first ce? It¡¯s crazy to think that scary man would be beside me in bed.¡¯

    Just then, Leeora returned to her side and disturbed her thoughts.

    ¡°Ember, your meal will be here soon. I am sure you will feel better and then we can talk.¡±

    Ember looked at the elderly elf with many questions in her mind. She hesitated as she asked, ¡°Elder, where am I? Are we still in the pce?¡±

    Leeora nodded.

    ¡°Why am I here? The test¡­¡±

    ¡°Calm down, dear. You have just woken up. I am sure you have many questions, but before that, I want you to eat first. You have been asleep for two days, so your body needs strength. Once you feel better, you can listen to everything I say.¡±

    Leeora wanted topletely exin the situation to Ember the best way she could, knowing that it was the right thing to do, but she was worried things would only scare her more. Leeora was dying their talk as she pondered over how to choose her words.

    Ember agreed. Soon, the food arrived. As she had just woken up, Leeora had instructed for light food to be prepared but in greater quantity, knowing that mated females would eat a lot once they woke up.

    With the help of Leeora, Ember finished her meal. She was surprised at how she ate more than she normally would.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you were sleeping for two days so it¡¯s normal for you to eat this much,¡± Leeora, who observed Ember¡¯s confused face, exined. ¡°You might feel hungry again soon. Just tell me if you are so we can ask for more food to be brought in.¡±

    At that moment, someone appeared outside of the chamber but didn¡¯t enter. Erlos was guarding outside and was about to say a word to greet his master, but Draven raised his hand which was enough for Erlos to understand that he needed to keep quiet.

    He heard the human¡¯s curious voice from the other side of the door.

    ¡°Two days?¡± Ember asked. ¡°I slept for that long?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, you were indeed sleeping for two days.¡±

    ¡°Why? What exactly happened to me?¡± Ember asked, feeling lost. ¡°I don¡¯t recall anything about how I even came here. The test¡­¡±

    Leeora inwardly let out a frustrated sigh. She needed to tell Ember the truth, but how could she properly deliver it so she wouldn¡¯t panic? She doubted if this young girl even realized she had been marked, much less what it meant to be someone¡¯s mate.

    ¡°Ember, listen to me carefully,¡± Leeora started tentatively, and Ember gave her a light nod, feeling anxious to hear what the elderly elf would say.

    ¡°When Sire said you are to be put to a test, it means surviving the mark he ced on you.¡±

    This was what Leeora came up with after struggling over what to say.

    ¡°Mark?¡± Ember repeated, confusion written on her face.

    It cleared Leeora¡¯s doubt that Ember was not aware of the importance of marking. In the first ce, a mate¡¯s bond was rare even among supernatural beings, as it only happened between a male and a female with strong magic or potential in their bloodlines. It was a concept humans wouldn¡¯t know in general.

    Leeora cupped the girl¡¯s hands within hers. ¡°You remember what happened in the council hall? When the King bit your neck, he marked you.¡±

    ¡®So it was not my imagination. He bit me for real,¡¯ she thought with wide eyes.

    ¡°The King is a Dragon, and he carries the strongest magic in his bloodline in this kingdom. No ordinary female can survive his marking. But as you have survived, that means you are not an ordinary human. Since you are special, you will be allowed to stay with us elves. No one will dare ask you to leave this kingdom as you are now under the protection of the King.¡±

    ¡°I can stay with you?¡± Ember asked to make sure, her eyes filled with delight.

    ¡°Yes, you sure can. You will now be epted as a real resident of Agartha,¡± Leeora assured and said the next thing with hesitation, ¡°Also you¡­are now the King¡¯s mate.¡±

    ¡°Mate?¡± Ember repeated. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

 Chapter 94

    Leeora took a short pause before inhaling deeply. ¡°It means you are the King¡¯s person now.¡±

    ¡°The King¡¯s person?¡± Ember mumbled as she didn¡¯t get a good feeling about it.

    ¡°As I said, you are under the King¡¯s protection. No one dares to hurt the King¡¯s person. You are truly a fortunate one,¡± Leeora exined, pulling out an awkward smile as she merely told her half of the truth.

    Leeora didn¡¯t know how she would exin to Ember the true meaning of being a mate. She was not sure that this girl was even aware about the things between a man and a woman. If she had to exin to her now, wouldn¡¯t she be scared?

    The elf decided that for someone as ignorant as Ember, it would be better to give her time to adjust, but she should not let the King wait for too long as well. The Dragon would start to feel a stronger pull towards his mate with each passing day, and before he loses sanity due to his urges, Ember should have been able to understand the truth, or else, she would be left traumatized for her life.

    She needed to prepare Ember for what awaited her.

    ¡ª¨C

    Draven didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop on their talk, but he stayed outside the door and didn¡¯t enter the chamber upon realizing that a serious conversation was taking ce on the other side of the door.

    Did he not enter because of curiosity or was he being considerate? Perhaps it was a little of both.

    For these past few days, Draven could no longer understand himself and decided to simply let things go with the flow. Still, he didn¡¯t wish to scare the human this time¨Che was still somewhat upset about her fainting the moment she saw him.

    When their conversation seemed to have finished, Draven pointedly looked at Erlos.

    Understanding his master¡¯s intent, Erlos opened the door of the chamber for the King, not forgetting to inform the twodies inside first.

    ¡°Sire is here,¡± Erlos Informed and left to stand outside as Draven walked to enter the chamber.

    The past two days have been the idlest and most boring days of Erlos¡¯ life and he prayed that it would end soon. He would rather get scolded and punished by his master than have such boring work to do. This descendent of the High Elves had turned into a royal guard.

    Leeora looked at Ember. ¡°His Majesty the King hase to visit you, Ember.¡±

    The colours of Ember¡¯s face almost disappeared the moment she heard those words but then Leeora whispered to her kindly, ¡°Don¡¯t be scared of him, child. As you¡¯ve be his person, he will be protecting you from now on. I know he left a terrifying first impression on you, but you will realize he isn¡¯t a bad person the longer you get to know him. Give him a chance, alright?¡±

    Before Ember could say a word, she saw Draven entering the chamber and gulped, swallowing the words she was going to say.

    Draven looked at her, and as he walked toward the bed, fear was obvious on her face. It didn¡¯t bother him before but now it greatly affected him, seeing his mate afraid of him. He didn¡¯t want her to be scared of him but then¡­humans had always been like this with him.

    He silenced his errant thoughts, not wanting to dwell with them in front of her.

    With each step closer, Ember felt her heart beating faster and faster. Leeora had repeatedly assured her she shouldn¡¯t be frightened, but though the intentions were good, still¡­every experience she had with this red-eyed man wasn¡¯t a good one. She clutched the nket closer to her body as if it was somehow able to ward off her uneasiness as she sat leaning back at the headboard.

    ¡®He isn¡¯t a bad person¡­he¡¯s letting me stay with the Elder¡­¡¯

    She tried to calm herself by chanting those words in her head. In the first ce, he was the one to save her. If not for him, she wouldn¡¯t be in this beautiful kingdom, and she wouldn¡¯t have met Leeora, Lusca, and Morpheus. She would have remained stuck in the mossy cave in that dead mountain¨Cno, she would have probably died in that forest fire.

    Even if their king was scary and had treated her badly, he had still saved her and given her new life.

    ¡®I should be grateful¡­¡¯

    Leeora, who had already stood up to greet the King, bowed to him while Ember lowered her gaze, finding it unable to stare into those red eyes that held no emotions.

    ¡°How is she?¡± Draven asked, stopping a few steps away from the bed. His question was for Leeora but his gaze remained fixed at his mate who didn¡¯t dare look at him.

    Leeora once again pulled out that awkward smile and answered, ¡°Nothing seems to be wrong with her body, just that she¡¯s a little weak. With proper nourishment, she will be perfectly fine.¡±

    ¡°If nothing is wrong with her, take her back with you to Ronan,¡± Draven said as if he could not wait to send her away from him.

    Right, he needed to send her away. From the conversation between these twodies, he understood this human was naive and was oblivious to important facts in life. He didn¡¯t wish to deal with her anymore. It was better if she stayed away from him for her own good.

    This time, Leeora dare not question his order. ¡°I will prepare for her to leave.¡±

    Draven was about to leave when he recalled something. ¡°Make sure to bring her back to your city with your stag. I would certainly not want her to fly in her weak condition.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Yes, of course. Understood, Sire,¡± Leeora promptly replied and watched the King leave his chamber.

    Ember was the King¡¯s mate even if the bond wasn¡¯tplete. No, it was more dangerous exactly because of thest phase and Leeora could not allow Ember to get close to any other male, or else, she didn¡¯t know what the King would do.

    ======

    This Bonus chapter is dedicated to reader ckYuki_Cross, for gifting Dragon to the novel. Thank you so much. 33

 Chapter 95

    After Draven left, Leeora helped Ember get ready with the help of other maidservants. She was the King¡¯s mate now and the servants were being specially careful how to treat her. Since she would be going out, she should look more presentable than how she normally looked.

    With the help of one of the servants who was a water-attributed fairy, they gave the human girl a proper bath as she hadn¡¯t properly washed up for the past two days.

    The female servants were thrilled to put on new clothes on Ember, as there was rarely a chance for them to dress up anyone in the pce. During the time the King¡¯s mate was unconscious, they weren¡¯t idle either and sewed new clothes for her.

    ¡°Oh dear, you look like a doll,¡± Leeora could not help but exim.

    It was ayered white and green dress that was easy to move about, the fabric being of the expensive silks used by the pce. Even though they tailored it for Ember, it was still oversized for her since they took note of her injuries. Still, they would continue working on new clothes for her, as they expected that her frail body would still change over time.

    ¡®The King¡¯s mate would soon live with us here in the pce,¡¯ was their collective thought.

    Leeora then braided her hair in two braids as she had done before, causing Ember to smile in delight. Finally, they were ready to head back to Ronan.

    ¡°Shall we leave?¡± Leeora asked.

    Ember nodded excitedly. She could not be happier than this¨Cshe could finally go back to the elf city! She would be allowed to continue staying in her home that was given to her by Leeora. She loved that cozy andfortable home, and she also loved her silentpanion, the tree spirit who guarded her house. Though it could not talk, its presence assured her that she was not alone, and the best thing was that the tree spirit didn¡¯t disturb her.

    Just as they stepped out of the chamber, Leeora asked the young elf still standing guard outside, ¡°Where is the King, Erlos?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s in his study, Elder,¡± Erlos replied and then he gave the girl a look before giving her a satisfied nod. ¡°Oh, the servants did good work on you. You¡¯re dressed like a human noble. Your scars seem to be getting better too, hmm? That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡±

    The pretty dress had sleeves up till the elbow, and the bandages had been removed on her arms, allowing him to see how much she¡¯d recovered from her injuries.

    He continued, ¡°I think the female servants are altering more clothes for you. I¡¯ll have the finished ones sent to your house by the end of the day.¡±

    Erlos was having a rtively easy timetely due to his master¡¯s distraction, that¡¯s why he felt fond of the King¡¯s little mate. She didn¡¯t know how to react to him being this friendly to her, but her eyes showed she acknowledged his goodwill.

    Leeora looked at Ember, ¡°We shall say bye to the King before leaving.¡±

    Ember looked hesitant.

    She then lightly shook her head and took a step back, as if to say she didn¡¯t want to apany Leeora.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Leeora assured. ¡°You have nothing to be afraid of.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡± Ember looked up at the taller woman with reluctance. ¡°Being the King¡¯s person¡­does that mean he wants me to work here as a servant? I remember he said something about me freeloading and being put to work in the pce¡­¡±

    Leeora smiled lightly. ¡°Given your status now, you don¡¯t qualify to be a servant.¡±

    It only puzzled Ember and Leeora didn¡¯t answer her unspoken question. What could she say? That she was now the King¡¯s mate, and by extension, that also gave her the status of the Queen of the kingdom? Leeora chose to not say it for now.

    ¡°It will be rude to not meet the King before leaving,¡± Leeora insisted.

    Ember finally agreed and Erlos led their way to the King¡¯s study.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Inside the study, Draven was talking to a blond young man with thin gossamer wings on his back. It was his aide, the Wind Fae Melion, who was working as his messenger and advisor on the general affairs of the kingdom. He was reporting to the King about the reaction of the people after the news of the King marking the human had spread across the kingdom like a wildfire.

    ¡°¡­.For now the situation is calm and everyone is waiting for the result,¡± Melion informed him. ¡°Many believe that His Majesty¡¯s action was a warning to the human viges. That is why you decided to give that human a cruel death. But most of our people are unhappy thinking that His Majesty has wasted the chance of having a mate to punish a mere human.¡±

    Draven, who was looking through those scrolls that seemed nothing more than trash to him, sighed upon hearing it. ¡°Since when did the King having a mate turn into their concern?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, they all expect you to continue your bloodline¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­so they will get another protector for them,¡± Draven finished the statement for Melion, who could not deny it.

    Ever since the kingdom was founded, the supernatural beings had all relied on Draven being their protector from humans. With him guarding Agartha for about a thousand years now, they expected him and his bloodline to continue to do so forever.

    Feeling awkward, Melion tried to say, ¡°Your Majesty¨C¡±

    But his next words didn¡¯t reach Draven¡¯s ears as the King suddenly stiffened, his attention grabbed by the unique fragrance that he had been avoiding for the past few hours.

    It was the barest hint of fresh jasmines that tensed his nerves, and he knew the source of this sensual floral scent for sure. It made him aware that she was nearby. When he focused on his senses, he realized he could hear footsteps approaching the study¨Cshe wasing to him.

 Chapter 96

    Seeing the King in a daze, Melion called him again, ¡°Your Majesty? Is something the matter¨C¡±

    Draven raised his hand to stop him from talking and his red eyes stared towards the door of his study.

    Just then, there was a knock and Erlos entered the study. ¡°Sire, Elder Leeora and¡­¡± Erlos wondered how he should address Ember now as there was a sudden change in her status from nobody to someone really important. ¡°¡­and Miss Ember is here to see you.¡±

    Erlos sighed inwardly and felt it was the right way to address her.

    The moment the door opened, the fragrance assaulted him, and Draven clenched his fists under the desk. He felt angry at how nonsensical he was reacting. She was yet to even enter his study but all his senses had be sensitive to her presence.

    It was not good news for him when all he wanted was to stay away from her. He should be strong enough not to get pulled towards her due to her scent, but his body was being honest, and her scent was numbing his thought process.

    Leeora and Ember entered the study where Melion turned to look at them. No one knew the human female was awake and it came as a shock to Melion.

    ¡°The King¡¯s aide greets the High Elder of the Wood Elves and His Majesty¡¯s mate.¡±

    Malion did not just bow to Leeora but to Ember as well because she was next to the King¡¯s status given the situation. There was no way that any resident of Agartha would ever bow to a human before, but now, the day hade when each and every supernatural being in this kingdom would bow to this human girl.

    Draven got hold of himself and looked at Melion. ¡°Send the news to every leader that the human survived the marking. Arrange the next council meeting and let me know when it¡¯ll be held.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°You are dismissed.¡±

    Melion bowed and left as he once again nced at the human who stood with her head lowered.

    Once Melion left, Draven turned his attention to Leeora who bowed to him and she signaled Ember to do the same which she followed.

    ¡°Sire, we are here to see you before we leave,¡± Leeora informed him after she raised her head.

    Draven nodded and looked at Ember who still didn¡¯t dare look at his face even once, as if he would eat her alive if she did so.

    ¡°For her needs, have the pce take care of them. You can simply have Erlos inform Y and Garros,¡± Draven said. Y was one of Draven¡¯s aides who was in charge of domestic duties, while Garros was the one who held finances.

    As Ember was his mate, Draven was the one to be responsible for her and all her needs. Leeora found herself inwardly smiling at the King¡¯s attitude.

    ¡°Thank you for your benevolence, Sire,¡± Leeora bowed once again and looked at Ember, ¡°Do you want to say anything, Ember?¡±

    Ember was smart enough to understand why Leeora brought her here. Even without the elf¡¯s encouragement, it was something that she herself wanted to say to the King.

    To show him her gratitude.

    She raised her head to look at the stern-faced king. It felt like an eternity had passed since thest time his red eyes had seen those emerald green ones, the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. Her scent was already affecting his urges, and now her eyes made him feel breathless. He was barely holding on, maintaining his poker face with difficulty as he met her gaze.

    Ember took a deep breath.

    ¡°T-Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± Ember said in a small, shy voice.

    Draven didn¡¯t know what to say to her and briefly closed his eyes. No one could tell what he was thinking.

    After a while, he turned to the elderly elf standing beside her. ¡°You can give her the potions Cornelia had sent thest time.¡±

    It puzzled Leeora for a moment and then she looked at Ember. ¡°Dear, can you wait for me outside?¡±

    She nodded and Erlos led her way outside, leaving Draven and Leeora alone inside the study.

    ¡°Sire, forgive me if this sounds rude, but I didn¡¯t give Ember vitality potions even when she needed them as that was your order. Her life isn¡¯t in danger now, yet now you are ordering me to give her those potions. May I know the reason for this?¡± Leeora asked carefully. In the back of her mind, she had a guess and that worried her.

    ¡®Is Sire thinking about mating with her?¡¯ the thought panicked her inside.

    ¡°Think of that as a test she also passed. I see no reason to continue withholding an item Cornelia gave her,¡± Draven replied tly which showed he meant nothing else.

    Leeora cleared her throat awkwardly, not knowing how to put it in words. ¡°Sire¡­we are not sure about her age yet¡­I was thinking¡­¡± She cleared her throat. ¡°How silly of me. Of course, I can ask her about her age as she talks now¡­¡±

    Draven¡¯s stare made her feel more ufortable. Still, he answered her unspoken question.

    ¡°You have no need to be overly protective of her. She is an adult woman, based on human standards.¡±

    It surprised Leeora to see how the King was so sure. ¡°Adult?¡±

    ¡°She is neen years of age. That is enough for humans to be called an adult,¡± he said in a nd tone.

    ¡°Oh? I see, I see¡­¡± Leeora spoke with a soft awkward chuckle. ¡°She had led a bad life with barely anything to eat, that¡¯s why she¡¯s probably so small and looks younger than her true age..¡±

    Leeora¡¯s mind was surrounded with new concerns that she didn¡¯t think to ask how Draven knew about her exact age.

    Draven gave her a light nod as he dismissed her. Leeora left after bowing to him.

    Once Leeora closed the door behind her, Draven leaned back in his chair. That day when Morpheus came to him using his authority as Commander of the Warriors and lectured him on how to care for his mate to help her survive the bond, he went to Valor, the human kingdom from where he found Ember.

    He went there to learn more about the princess they abandoned, and it was simple for him to find out her exact age. Before, he didn¡¯t care about such a trifling matter, but the situation had changed now.

    He needed to know¡­in case his mating instinct took over him.

    ¡®No,¡¯ he told himself. ¡®I will never let things go that far.¡¯

    That night he returned from Valor, he found himself craving for his mate¡¯s presence. He hated the fact that he had to go among the disgusting humans, and he was more disgusted by the things he heard from them.

    It was easy to learn things after threatening humans to get information without much effort. The sight of those humans was enough to make him angry, but upon returning to his bed that night, he was somehow pacified after holding her in his arms. A visit to that human kingdom felt worth the moment he held her cold body in his warm embrace.

 Chapter 97

    Leeora and Ember left for Ronan. When they entered the city, their arrival caught the attention of not only the local elves, but also the other residents and merchants along the way. For a small kingdom like Agartha, news travelled fast and it was easy to guess the significance of Ember¡¯s return to the elf city.

    The people¡¯s reaction was something within Leeora¡¯s expectations, but the deeper they entered the city, the High Elder of the Wood Elves realized that even the tree spirits were looking restless.

    ¡®What¡¯s happening?¡¯

    Tree spirits were basically sentient nts with low intelligence. Unless their existences were directly threatened, they would not respond with this kind of agitation. They moved their branches around in a fluster, as if they were not happy or scared of something, causing the innocent bystanders in the streets to be rmed.

    Leeora could not think about why they were acting this way, and neither could the elves living within those trees. They all looked outside of their homes, some evening out to see what happened, but then their attention would be shifted to the human girl passing by their homes.

    ¡°The High Elder returned with the human girl?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that girl supposed to be sent to the human viges?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear she underwent a test in the pce?¡±

    ¡°In thest council meeting, I heard that¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? That happened? The King initiated a bond with her?¡±

    ¡°¡­then since she survived, doesn¡¯t that make her the King¡¯s mate?¡±

    ¡°The King¡¯s mate!¡±

    All felt shocked when they realized the new identity of the human girl before them. The fact she awakened means she survived the marking phase and was their King¡¯s mate¡­more precisely, she had be their Queen.

    Amidst the whispers, Ember and Leeora reach thergest trees in the centermost part of the city where their residences were located. The sight of her house on the upper part of the tree made Ember¡¯s heart warm.

    ¡®I¡¯m home. This is where I belong now.¡¯

    She climbed down from Lusca, and after saying thanks to the stag, she looked at her house with a pleasant smile. However, that smile faded. She didn¡¯t feel the wee vibe from the tree spirit like how she felt all the time.

    Leeora looked around once again and found the tree spirits growing more restless. Even the tree spirit of her own house was agitated.

    ¡®What is wrong with them?¡¯

    ¡°You should head home first, dear. Something must have happened while we were away. I need to make a quick trip to see the other elders,¡± Leeora said to Ember to which the girl nodded.

    Leeora tapped her staff to instruct the tree spirit to lift Ember with its branches, but the tree spirit refused to listen. Ember was still on the ground.

    Leeora was sure she had instructed the tree spirit to carry Ember, but then why¡­?

    The High Elder issued a different order, and this time, the tree spirit obediently wrapped its branches around Leeora and put the elf in front of the door of her house. Leeora once again tapped her staff to instruct the tree spirit to carry Ember, but it simply didn¡¯t listen and instead its branches seemed to tremble.

    ¡°Ember?¡± Leeora called her from above. ¡°Can you trymunicating with your contracted tree spirit?¡±

    Ember had already tried to, but the tree spirit didn¡¯t listen to her. Upon hearing Leeora, she once again ced her hand over the tree¡¯s rough bark and closed her eyes.

    Whoosh!

    It was as if the swinging branches above her were expressing panic,shing around the air. She could not feel like she was connected to the tree spirit at all.

    Ember looked up at Leeora. ¡°Elder, the spirit isn¡¯t listening to me.¡±

    ¡°High Elder!¡±

    ¡°The High Elder has returned!¡±

    The weird behaviour of the tree spirits had caused some of their neighbours to also flock out in hopes of trying to understand the situation. This area was generally where the important figures among the Wood Elves lived, and many of them were elders only lower in status than Leeora.

    Just then, one elf crossed the hanging bridge towards Leeora. ¡°High Elder, these tree spirits are acting as if they¡¯re afraid of something. They¡¯re only growing more restless with each passing second.¡±

    ¡°How long have they been like this?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­no more than half an hour ago?¡±

    ¡®The moment we arrived in the city?¡¯ Leeora had a pensive look as she studied Ember who was sad that the tree spirit didn¡¯t listen to her and she could not enter her house.

    ¡°Ember, can you take a step away from the tree?¡± Leeora asked.

    Ember nodded and just as she took a step away, theshing branches seemed to have calmed a bit, though the tree spirit still shook its branches restlessly. It didn¡¯t attack Ember but¡­ it was as if it¡¯s gesturing for her to stay away.

    The other elves saw it too, and one of the elders spoke up, ¡°Elder, don¡¯t the tree spirits act like this only when there is fire? Isn¡¯t that the main reason why we don¡¯t usemps and instead use sun orbs inside our houses?¡±

    ¡°Fire?¡± Leeora mumbled and then looked at Ember. Why did this word ring a bell suddenly?

    ¡®Lady Cornelia mentioned seeing the sign on the back of Ember¡¯s neck surrounded by fire. Even Sire mentioned fire was rted to that woman in his dreams.¡¯

    Putting the clues together, Leeora had a conclusion.

    ¡®The mating bond must have triggered the power sleeping inside her. Her body¡¯s elemental constitution must be Fire. If that¡¯s the case, Ember can no longer stay in Ronan.¡¯

    Hit with the sudden discovery about Ember, Leeora stared at the human girl who was waiting at the base of the tree, looking disappointed and worried at how the spirit of her home was acting strangely.

    ¡°Ember, stay there,¡± Leeora instructed and tapped her staff to instruct the tree spirit to bring her down to the ground.

    Leeora knew she had to take Ember back to the pce but didn¡¯t know what the king would say or how he would react when he looked like he was eager to send Ember away from him.

 Chapter 98

    Just as Leeora approached Ember, someone happened toe to her side at the same time, apanied with the loud pping of the wings. Ember smiled as she recognized the one who arrived. As his majestic grey wings folded into his back and became a feathery cape, his lips donned their trademark lopsided smirk.

    Morpheus noticed Ember was wearing a fancy dress, a far cry from the simple cotton dresses elves prefer that made up her wardrobe.

    ¡°Hey, little female. You are looking good in your new dress.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± she replied shyly.

    ¡°Morph, what brought you here today?¡± Leeora asked.

    ¡°I happened to be flying above when I saw the tree spirits acting weird so I came down to check.¡± He continued to look at the surrounding trees which were still restless. ¡°Did something happen to scare them?¡±

    ¡°Seems like it but we¡¯re still looking into the cause,¡± Leeora replied, hiding her guess for now.

    Leeora didn¡¯t wish to say it in front of Ember that it was her presence that caused this. She knew Ember would not understand the reason as she herself seemed unaware about the power residing inside her. If Ember had an inkling of her abilities, she probably wouldn¡¯t be acting this weak and helpless.

    ¡®Moreover, I don¡¯t want to make her feel bad,¡¯ was Leeora¡¯s honest thought.

    ¡°Do you need my help?¡± Morpheus offered.

    Leeora shook her head. ¡°This matter, we Wood Elves can solve on our own.¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course. I shouldn¡¯t meddle over your kind¡¯s internal concerns, but do let me know if there¡¯s anything I can do. As you can see, an idle man like me has plenty of time to waste.¡±

    Leeora merely smiled. ¡°We will. For now, let me take Ember back to the pce. With the tree spirits acting strangely for unknown reasons, I worry for her safety.¡±

    Hearing those words surprised Morpheus. Even Ember turned to Leeora with a bewildered expression. ¡°Pce? I have to go back there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, dear,¡± Leeora said as she thought of an excuse. ¡°Other than Ronan, that is the only safe ce for you. This situation, I need to oversee it as a High Elder, and I will be too busy to take care of your needs.¡±

    ¡°But I¡­¡±

    Seeing her reluctance, Morpheus asked, ¡°Are you still scared of that red-eyed man, little female?¡±

    She didn¡¯t admit it as the red-eyed man was her saviour but said, ¡°I like it here more.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, we know that, but for now, you should listen to Leeora. I would have taken you to my home but that is not a good idea,¡± he said. ¡°At least, you are familiar with the pce.¡±

    Morpheus tried to convince her as he also agreed with Leeora that the pce was the safest ce for her. She was now Draven¡¯s mate¨Cit was reasonable for her to permanently live there. In fact, he found it kind of amusing how Draven naively thought sending her away was a good thing.

    ¡°And trust me, you will like the pce the longer you stay,¡± he assured.

    Even without Morpheus¡¯s encouragement, Ember understood it would trouble Leeora if she insisted on staying in Ronan. Although she¡¯s powerless to help, she didn¡¯t want to add another burden to the kind elderly elf.

    ¡°But¡­will you twoe there to see me?¡± she asked tentatively.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Leeora replied while Morpheus said nothing because he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to do so.

    ¡®¡­or rather, it wouldn¡¯t be easy.¡¯

    Ember looked at Morpheus. ¡°Morpheus? You wille to visit me, right?¡±

    Seeing her pleading face, he gave in. ¡°I will,¡± he said out loud, but in his mind, he was already feeling bitter. ¡®Just pray that your mate won¡¯t go crazy mad.¡¯

    Leeora and Morpheus shared knowing gazes with each other.

    ¡°Morph, I believe you understand the situation?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Morpheus replied to Leeora and looked at Ember. ¡°Will see you aroundter, little female.¡± With those parting words, he stretched his wings and flew away.

    Not like Morpheus was scared of Draven. He never was. In fact, going there with the King¡¯s mate would surely antagonize Draven, but maybe it was his conscience speaking, he didn¡¯t wish to put Ember in trouble by angering the King by letting him smell his scent on her.

    ¡®There will be more opportunities to annoy that man in the future without putting my little human friend at risk.¡¯

    After leaving instructions to the elders of her n, Leeora had Ember sit on Lusca once more, and the two women left to return to the King¡¯s pce.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Draven had finished his official work and came out of his study. He went to the garden outside his study and stayed out of the shade to bask in the sunlight.

    With everything resolved, he could finally breathe.

    The matter rted to humans at the border came to an end, he had sent Ember to Ronan as per her wish, and the most important part was that he had confirmed her rtion to the woman in his dreams.

    With the arrangements of her stay no longer a problem, she would be near enough for him to observe and he could continue finding the answers to his past through her.

    Moreover, since she was not in the pce but in Ronan, he could avoid being close to her. Without her scent to affect his urges, he wouldn¡¯t be forced toplete their mating bond. The Dragon inside him would be controble as his mate wouldn¡¯t be around to muddle his thoughts. He felt like all of his worries were gone and his mood improved.

    As he faced the bright sun with his eyes closed, he took in a deep rxing breathe¨C

    ¡®Jasmine?¡¯

    Along with the mild breeze blowing over the garden came the sweet scent of jasmines that made him open his eyes in shock. The peace he was feeling was destroyed in a moment, just like that.

    This scent, it was not the floral scenting from a flower. After all, there were no such flowers blooming in the garden. The fragrance was milder, more refreshing, like jasmine flowers bathed in rain, a unique scent that could only be found on one person.

    ¡®She is back?¡¯

 Chapter 99

    His heart beat faster with the thought of his mate being nearby. Even before he could deal with it, he heard the sound of wings approaching.

    Hoot!

    Midnight let out a loud hoot that conveyed the message that Draven had already guessed. The owlnded at the branch of a tree near his master and hooted again, only to get a displeased re from the red-eyed man.

    Not even a minuteter, Erlos came to Draven. ¡°Sire, Elder Leeora and Miss Ember returned to the pce.¡±

    Draven acted calm and replied with a nonchnt ¡°hmm.¡±

    With each passing second, the mild fragrance of jasmines continued to assault his senses.

    Erlos didn¡¯t notice how the King was struggling to keep hisposure. The young elf was filled with curiosity by the sudden return of two women who had left the pce just a while ago.

    ¡°Elder Leeora wished to speak with you. Shall I send her here or make them wait in the study?¡±

    ¡°Send Leeora here,¡± Draven instructed.

    Erlos left with a bow, and soon, Leeora arrived at the garden by herself. Meanwhile, Erlos led the human girl to the King¡¯s study.

    Leeora stopped on one side where the King was standing and politely greeted him as usual.

    ¡°What is it that brought you back here?¡± Draven asked with a nd tone.

    ¡°Sire, an unexpected issue arose and it seems like Ember can no longer stay in Ronan,¡± she informed him with a heavy sigh.

    He turned his face to one side to look at Leeora. ¡°Issue?¡±

    Leeora nodded. ¡°Yes, Sire. The situation is like this¡­¡± She narrated what happened when they entered the elf city up until they eventually reached their houses.

    Draven listened quietly and turned to face Leeora with a frown. ¡°So you think it is because of her?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire. The tree spirits behave like this when there is a threat to their existence, and the thing that they fear the most is fire.¡±

    ¡°So¡­¡± Draven stopped as he sensed a certain gaze on him. He turned his face towards the direction of the corridor, only to meet gazes with the owner of the most beautiful pair of green eyes.

    Caught staring, she immediately averted her gaze and continued to walk with her head lowered, unconsciously moving closer to the silver-haired elf escorting her.

    Draven continued to stare at his mate as he spoke, ¡°So you are convinced her elemental constitution is fire.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire. Or else, there is no other exnation for such a strange incident.¡±

    He nodded and looked back at Leeora who continued to speak her thoughts, ¡°That also means she can¡¯t stay in Ronan anymore. Of course, we can have her live in the other cities, but there is no reason to go through all the trouble of having her adapt elsewhere when we can keep her here with you, Sire.¡±

    Draven agreed as there was no way he would allow his mate to stay somewhere else. He allowed her to stay in Ronan because it was Ember¡¯s wish to stay with Leeora. Also, Draven knew she would be safe among the Wood Elves who are known for their friendly and peaceful nature.

    ¡°She will live in the pce from now on,¡± Draven confirmed.

    Leeora was not surprised as she knew this would exactly be the King¡¯s decision.

    After Leeora separated from Ember to talk with the King, Erlos escorted Ember towards the King¡¯s study. While walking along the corridor, Ember was following Leeora with her eyes up until the elf reached the King who was standing in the garden.

    Though he was at a distance with his back facing her, she could easily recognize that tall ck-haired man with a strong dignified presence.

    ¡®Elder Leeora is right. The more I look at him, the less he seems to be a bad person.¡¯

    Before, just the thought of him was enough to scare her, but now, even though she was boldly staring at him, she no longer felt frightened. She still found him intimidating, but there was also growing curiosity in her gaze. Unknown to her, she was openly staring at him without even blinking.

    All of a sudden, Draven turned to one side to face Leeora, and his side profile became visible to Ember. She clutched at her chest, thinking that perhaps she had gotten used to his presence, and cheered at the fact that she was no longer scared of him.

    ¡®Elder says to give him a chance because she seems to be friends with the King. I think Morpheus also thinks the same. I wonder if the Elder, Morpheus and the King are all friends¡­¡¯

    It made her thoughts wander, and her gaze became distracted.

    Suddenly, the King turned his head and she found his red eyes staring straight at her.

    ¡®Ahhh!¡¯

    She felt like her heart would explode. Ember immediately averted her gaze from him like a thief caught red-handed. She lowered her head and wanted to hide behind Erlos who was walking in front of her. However, she felt embarrassed to tell Erlos that she wanted to hide from the King.

    She cried out inwardly, ¡®Oh no. I hope he doesn¡¯t get mad at me. Why was I even looking at him? What if it offends him? I heard from Gaia thatmoners are not allowed to look directly at nobles, much less royalty, because it¡¯s rude. Commoners should be humble and keep their heads lowered. What if the King punishes me¡­?¡¯

    ¡°Miss Ember, we have arrived in the King¡¯s study. You can sitfortably inside while you wait for the King and the Elder to finish talking,¡± Erlos exined as he opened the door, gesturing for her to enter.

    It pulled her out of her thoughts and nodded to what Erlos said. ¡°Uhh, thank you, Mister Erlos¡­¡±

    ¡°No need to be polite, Miss. You can call me Erlos, just like the Elder.¡±

    Ember entered the study, and the elf servant closed the door, leaving her on her own inside. With the absence of the King, she used that chance to take a proper look at therge room.

    Simr to the other rooms in the pce, the study was arge stone chamber filled with luxurious furniture and expensive decorations, many of the items were things Ember had never seen before. The materials of a majority of the things inside did not exist in any human kingdoms, since they were mostly enchanted products created from materials only found in Agartha.

    There was a massive antique desk with detailed engravings with arge high-back armchair behind it, a bronze chandelier in the middle of the ceiling, a lounge area with seats made of velvet cushion, a firece with curious items as decor¡­

    What caught her attention the most was that an entire wall was dedicated to books and scrolls, and there was even an interesting-looking shelf that reminded her of a honeb.

    ¡®So many books¡­is this truly a study, not a library?¡¯

    As someone who grew up in a cave, this was the first time Ember had seen this many books in her life. Though she had never owned a book before, Gaia had taught her how to read and write.

    Gaia used to bring books for Ember once in a while whenever she sneaked out of the mountain to get food for them from the nearby towns. She used to bring story books for her to help pass time, some tales about heroes who saved a kingdom, others about adventures of mercenaries who travelled the continent. Her favourite by far was the collection of fairy tales and folk stories rted to magic.

    ¡®Are there any books that have stories of magic?¡¯ she wondered as her eyes didn¡¯t leave the sight of those huge bookshelves.

    ¡ª¨C

    Meanwhile, Draven had a passing servant call for Y, and the female aide in charge of domestic affairs of the pce was summoned to the garden where the King and High Elder of the Wood Elves were discussing Ember¡¯s stay in the pce.

    A mature woman with short wavy blue hair that shone with silvery glint under the sun soon appeared before the two.

    ¡°This humble aide greets the King of Agartha and the High Elder.¡±

    Y appeared to be a charming woman in herte twenties or early thirties by human standards. She was shorter than an average elf, her height simr to that of a human adult, and thus she was more than a foot shorter than both Draven and Leeora. However, no one would mistake her for a human because of her pointed ears, her strange hair colour and her pair of dreamy blue eyes.

    Opposite to Wind Fae Melion who was almost never in the pce and was roaming the kingdom, Moon Elf Y was the aide who never left the pce grounds as she¡¯s the one in charge of housekeeping, acting as the chief steward of the King. From the assignment of tasks of the pce servants to the kinds of nts grown in the garden and the meals cooked in the kitchen, those things were all under her jurisdiction. It could be said that she¡¯s the one running the pce itself.

    ¡°Sire has asked for me?¡± Y asked politely.

    He nodded. ¡°You have to prepare a chamber for the human to stay in.¡±

    Beforeing here, Y had already heard about the human girl¡¯s return to the pce and she was not surprised to hear what the King said.

    ¡°Rest assured, Sire. I will take care of everything,¡± she said in confidence.

    ¡°You two can discuss among yourselves,¡± Draven said nonchntly before disappearing into thin air.

    Y offered a light smile to the older elf. ¡°Elder, I believe that the arrangement will be permanent?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she¡¯s no longer a guest, after all,¡± Leeora replied.

    ¡°Is there anything specific about Miss Ember you would like to instruct me about?¡±

    Leeora thought for a while. ¡°Nothing much. She is an obedient child, and her needs are simple so you won¡¯t find any difficulty serving her. Though she seldom voices out her needs, I am sure you will do your best. I will trust you with her, Y,¡± Leeora replied.

    The short elf nodded. ¡°Rest assured, Elder. She is the King¡¯s mate and I will arrange everything for her. She deserves nothing but the best that the kingdom can offer.¡±

    After talking for a bit more, Leeora went to the study where Ember was while Y went to proceed with the King¡¯s order.

 Chapter 100

    Inside the study, Ember was walking across the bookshelves. Though she was curious, she simply stared at them, not knowing if she was even allowed to touch them.

    A voice made her jump in surprise.

    ¡°Miss Ember, would you like to take a look at the books?¡±

    It was Erlos. It appeared that she didn¡¯t hear him enter. She looked at him with eager eyes. ¡°Can I?¡±

    Erlos was quite surprised to see her reacting like this. Till now, he had only seen her quiet and withdrawn, even wary of the people around her. Even when Leeora was around, she seemed so awkward and shy.

    ¡®Does she like books?¡¯

    For the first time, he got to see her eyes clearly sparkle with excitement.

    ¡®She has such beautiful eyes.¡¯

    Seeing the elf not answering her question, Ember said, ¡°I understand¡­¡±

    She was about to walk away when Erlos realized he had forgotten to reply to her. He shook his head and said immediately, ¡°Apologies, Miss Ember. Of course, you can get any book you want from there.¡±

    She was the King¡¯s mate. Who would dare deny her the things she wants? Wouldn¡¯t she hold the right over whatever belongs to the King?

    Erlos tilted his head as another realization dawned on him ¡®Well, as his mate, she now holds the right over the King himself. With him being a Dragon, doesn¡¯t that make her our Dragon tamer?¡¯

    ¡°Is that really fine?¡± Ember asked, which pulled him out of his thoughts. ¡°They look precious.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Please get any book you want. If you tell me what you like, I will help you find any book,¡± he suggested.

    ¡°Is there any book which has stories of magic?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Stories? Hmm, there are lots of books which have information about ancient magic but they¡¯re instructional¡­Oh! There¡¯s one with legends and myths. I will get that one for you,¡± Erlos replied and went to one of the shelves to his left.

    He pulled out a blue leather-bound book from the highest shelf and handed it over to Ember.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Her arms sunk and she almost dropped the book to the ground. It wasn¡¯t a thick book, but it was terribly heavy due to its leather cover. Erlos held it like it was nothing, but for Ember, she had to put much effort to carry it.

    ¡°Ah!¡± the elf mirrored her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I forgot you¡¯re human.¡±

    Ember dly passed that book to him. He put it on the table in the lounge area and gestured for her to sit. ¡°Please make yourselffortable.¡±

    Ember happilyplied. There was something written on the leather cover of the book but she didn¡¯t know what it was. When she flipped the pages, she discovered not a single letter was familiar to her.

    Her whole face turned beet red in embarrassment. ¡°Uhm, I-I can¡¯t read this. I don¡¯t know whatnguage this is.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in humannguage though?¡±

    ¡°I¡­I wasn¡¯t taught¡­thenguage I know is different.¡±

    Erlos looked at her and then at the book and back to her again.¡¯I forgot this book was written in ancient times. Perhaps humans no longer use this.¡¯

    Just then Leeora entered the study and looked at the awkward atmosphere. ¡°May I know what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Miss Ember wanted to read a book, but I think the writing system she knows is different from ours,¡± Erlos replied.

    Leeora looked at the book in front of them. ¡± Well, most books in Agartha are written in either the ancient humannguage or racialnguages. Ember, you need to study if you want to read books.¡±

    ¡°Please teach me, Elder!¡±

    ¡°Oh, maybe if I have free time? Erlos can have a tutor arranged for you if you want.¡±

    Ember felt that was reasonable. ¡°Can you not live here in the pce, Elder?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad, child.¡± Leeora held her hand in hers. ¡°I am an elder of my n and I need to be with them. But as I said before, I will visit you often. I will introduce you to Y who will take care of you. And trust me, she¡¯s one of the kindest people you¡¯ll ever meet.¡±

    ¡®Y,¡¯ Ember repeated in her mind. However, she was still disappointed since she wouldn¡¯t be able to live with Leeora.

    ¡°Also, you know Erlos. You can talk to him anytime.¡±

    She looked at Erlos who immediately spoke up.

    ¡°Of course!¡± He looked at Ember. ¡°Miss Ember, you can always trouble me with anything. I will immediatelye to help you.¡±

    Ember looked at him. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    After a while, the three heard a knock on the door. A beautiful short-haired woman with pointed ears entered the study and Leeora introduced her to Ember, ¡°This is Y, the chief steward of the King, the one I told you who will take care of you in my stead.¡±

    Y greeted her. ¡°Miss Ember, I am fortunate to be able to serve the King¡¯s mate.¡±

    ¡®Mate? It¡¯s that word again. The Elder told me that I am his mate but why does everyone insist on this word? Does it hold a special meaning?¡¯

    She heard Leeora once again, ¡°You can ask Y if you need help with anything. She will fulfil all your needs.¡±

    Ember looked at the blue-haired elfdy. ¡°I will be in your care then, Miss Y.¡±

    ¡°Please, just call me Y.¡±

    Ember wondered if that¡¯s all right, but then she remembered Erlos also said the same thing.

    Y continued, ¡°Miss Ember, for now, your stay is arranged to be in one of the guest rooms. It may take about an hour for your chamber to be ready as the servants are still working on it.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no hurry. Please take your time.¡±

    Ember was feeling flustered because of how courteous and considerate Y was treating her. Regardless, she didn¡¯t think much about which room she would stay in. She was fine with anything as she was not used to luxury. A small room in any corner of the pce would be more than enough for her.

    ¡°Ember, I¡¯ve stayed for too long. I have to leave and take care of the matters rted to the tree spirits,¡± Leeora informed as she stood up. ¡°I will leave you in Y¡¯s care.¡±

    Ember nodded and Leeora left after assuring that she woulde to visit her soon.

    ¡°Miss Ember, I will show you your temporary room so you can rest there,¡± Y offered.

    Ember had just woken up from her two-day long sleep that morning and Y knew she must still be feeling weak and would want to rest. ¡°I will also arrange a nice meal for you. Do you have any particr food you want to eat?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with anything. Thank you.¡±

    Though she said that, Ember realized she was really hungry despite having a lot of food in the morning.

    Food, a small space to live and the freedom to be able to go anywhere are what she wished for the most at this moment and nothing else. Gaia told her to keep living, and that was the only goal she had in life.

    ¡ª-

    With Y escorting Ember out, only Erlos remained inside the King¡¯s study. After he randomly put the leather-bound book back on the shelf, he left to look for his master. He first went to the King¡¯s bedchamber but the King was not there.

    ¡®Where did he go? Don¡¯t tell me he left the pce again?¡¯

    The young elf came out in the garden and searched for the one creature who was most aware of the King¡¯s whereabouts. Erlos pulled out a tiny metal whistle and blew in it, but it didn¡¯t make any sound.

    A momentter, a snowy white owl came flying towards where he was standing andnded on the tree beside him.

    ¡°Where is Sire?¡±

    The owl hooted in reply.

    ¡°In his study?¡± Erlos eximed. ¡°But I was there just a while ago!¡± Frowning, he went back to the study, and before entering, he knocked as usual.

    He saw Draven was standing by his desk and was holding the ancient book that Erlos had pulled out for Ember.

    ¡®Eh? Didn¡¯t I return that on the shelf? Did I mistakenly put it on his desk?¡¯

    Erlos exined, ¡°Sire, regarding that book, Miss Ember wanted to read a story book but we found out that she can¡¯t understand the ancientnguage used in the book.¡±

    Draven closed the book and took a deep breath. Her scent still lingered in his study and the fragrance of jasmines was strongly concentrated on this particr book. He wished it would disappear soon, as he felt himself getting affected once more.

    He sat in his chair and looked at Erlos. ¡°Go out of the kingdom and bring back books that humans read. Have Garros give you human currency.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± was all Erlos could say in his disbelief. Was he getting punished in exchange for taking care of his master¡¯s mate?

    ¡°S-Sirest time¡­¡±

    ¡°You failed to bringplete information about her identity so take it as your punishment,¡± Draven interrupted him. ¡°Make sure to bring all the story books avable.¡±

    ¡°All?! Sire, that is impossible¨C¡±

    Swoosh!

    Erlos was nowhere to be seen.

 Chapter 101

    Ember had her midday meal and felt satisfied with her tummy full.

    ¡®Again, I ate a lot.¡¯ She wondered as she looked at her stomach. ¡®Where is all that food going? My stomach doesn¡¯t look that big to contain it all.¡¯

    It happened that Y returned after leaving her to have a meal in private. She caught Ember rubbing her stomach with a puzzled expression on her face.

    ¡°Miss Ember, do you wish to eat more?¡± she asked. ¡°Maybe a sweet dessert?¡±

    Startled, Ember looked at her immediately. ¡°No, no, I already ate a lot¡­I was just wondering how did I eat all this?¡± Her gaze passed across all the empty tes on the wooden table in front of her.

    Y smiled as she saw the ignorant face of this young human girl. ¡°It is normal for the female to eat this much after she wakes up from being marked.¡±

    ¡°Elder Leeora told me,¡± she replied.

    ¡°So don¡¯t worry. In a day or two, your appetite will return to normal. If you feel like eating anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask for it. Eating more is good for you in this condition.¡±

    Ember nodded and she heard the blue-haired elf continue, ¡°Which reminds me, I came here to inform you that your personal chamber is ready. Shall I bring you there now, Miss Ember?¡±

    Ember looked around that guest room and thought, ¡®Such a big room this is. Anyways, I don¡¯t need this kind of big room so it¡¯s better to move to a smaller one. I am not even used to sleeping on a big bed with such a soft mattress. My body is used to sleeping on the floor after living in that cave my entire life. A small simple room feels more like home. Something simr to my room in Ronan will be perfect.¡¯

    She followed Y quietly, hoping to get one simr to the one she had in Ronan.-It was simple, cozy andfortable, which suited her taste better whenpared to the guest room or thatrge luxurious room she had woken up in earlier.

    ¡®How far are we walking?¡¯ She thought it would be in a room on the same floor, but Y led her way towards the stairs. Ember looked at the staircase as she quietly climbed them. ¡®Upstairs? Third floor? No, we¡¯re still climbing. I wonder if I will get to see a view of Ronan from this height.¡¯

    After climbing all the stairs of the highest floor, Y took a left turn and informed her with a bright smile. ¡°We are here. This is the southwest wing of this floor. This entire wing is for you, Miss Ember.¡±

    ¡®Entire southwest wing? Does she mean the room facing the southwest direction? Where is the southwest? Is she making me guess?¡¯

    Bewildered, Ember looked around as if she¡¯d been given another test. How would an ignorant girl like her know about the pce and what they call the parts of it?

    Fortunately, Y continued to lead the way. Crossing that huge and wide hallway, they stopped in front of awooden double door with flower designs carved on its hard surface.

    ¡°This is your bedchamber, Miss,¡± Y informed her and the two female elf servants standing outside the door opened it for them.

    ¡°Please, this way,¡± Y said.

    Ember entered a room much more extravagant than the guest room she stayed in earlier. Her eyes were left wide open seeing itsrge size which was about two or three times the size of her entire house in Ronan. Framed paintings hang on the wall, and delicate bronzemps, and white gold curtains set an elegant mood on the interior of the room. Vases with colourful flowers and vine-like nts wrapped around the bed on the corner added a touch of nature to the extravagance. It was like a scene straight out of a dream.

    ¡°A-Are you sure, this is for me?¡± Ember asked.

    Since she was an outsider, not even an important guest but just a person who was lucky to be saved by their master, she was expecting to receive simple treatment from the people of the pce.

    Perhaps a room slightlyrger than her cave, or maybe simr to her room in Ronan. But this¡­

    ¡®Is this what it means to be a person protected by the King? Y and the other elves working here are also the King¡¯s people too. Are their rooms also like this? I don¡¯t think so. I have a feeling that being a ¡®mate¡¯ is more special than I thought.¡¯

    ¡°Yes, Miss Ember,¡± Y replied, thinking that she liked it.

    ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t need this kind of a big room. I am fine with the smallest one,¡± Ember said as she wondered how she would stay in such a big ce on her own.

    ¡°Miss Ember, you are His Majesty¡¯s mate. This is the ce arranged for you with that in mind,¡± Y replied, not knowing what was going on in this naive human¡¯s head.

    She looked at Y. ¡°But¡­is there anything smaller than this?¡±

    ¡°Miss Ember, His Majesty the King might not like it if you get something lesser than this. He would want his mate to be treated well,¡± Y replied.

    Considering Ember¡¯s change of status as the King¡¯s mate, she was no less than the Queen of Agartha though she was not officially given a title yet. Their future Queen deserved to be provided only with the best treatment.

    Hearing Draven¡¯s title mentioned, Ember could only ept what Y said. If the King wanted this, then Ember didn¡¯t n to anger him by rejecting it. It was already enough that he allowed her to stay here.

    ¡°Thank you, Y,¡± was all she could say as she epted it.

    ¡°The south-east wing of this floor belongs to His Majesty, the right turn from the staircase,¡± Y informed.

    Ember remembered that they took a left turn toe to this chamber. That means on that right turn it was his chamber. She gulped with the thought of having him around her, and that he was nearby enough for them to identally bump into each other.

    ¡°You have already been to His Majesty¡¯s chamber so I am sure you know the way there,¡± Y said.

    ¡°I have been there? When?¡± Ember mumbled curiously.

    ¡°Remember the chamber where you woke up after fainting during the council meeting?That belongs to His Majesty,¡± Y rified.

    Realization hit the young human as her eyes were left wide open. ¡®Didn¡¯t I sleep for two days? Does that mean I was inside his room the entire time? I was sleeping in his bed?¡¯

    A sudden thought struck her.

    ¡®That¡­wasn¡¯t a bad dream, but real?!¡¯ Her body unconsciously shivered. ¡®He was sleeping next to me. But why did he have to sleep with me? Couldn¡¯t he just put me in another room? There are countless rooms in this pce!¡¯

    Y didn¡¯t notice her face growing pale. ¡°Miss Ember, please make yourselffortable. I am sure you are tired as your body is still weak and recovering.¡±

    Ember was still so shaken that she could only dumbly nod in response.

    ¡°The two elves standing outside the door are your assigned maidservants. See, there is a bell on the bedside table? You can ring the bell to call for them toe in. You can order them around as you please,¡± Y exined. ¡°Please call for me after you rest, and I wille back to introduce you to the other chambers in this wing and the rest of the pce.¡±

    The short blue-haired elf bowed.

    ¡°I will take a leave then.¡±

    Ember nodded once again and Y quietly closed the door behind her.

    ¡ª¡ª

    After leaving Ember, Y went to the King¡¯s study to inform him about the arrangements she had made for his mate.

    She greeted the King sitting behind his desk with a bow.Draven epted her greeting with a light nod.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the stay of Miss Ember has been arranged in the highest floor of the southwest wing of the pce, the same floor as yours.¡±

    Hearing it, Draven¡¯s mind suddenly paused and he looked at her as his cold voice then reached her ears. ¡°The same floor as mine?¡±

    It startled her a bit. ¡°I-Is there any issue with it, Sire? We gave her the best chamber we have, second only to yours. If you find thatcking, do you want us to build a new¨C¡±

    ¡°Leave it,¡± he interrupted her.

    She was thinking that shecked in making the best arrangement for the human, but that wasn¡¯t Draven¡¯s concern. Draven couldn¡¯t tell her what was in his mind.

    Same floor. Such a huge pce but her stay was arranged to be close to him. Was his aide nning to torture him unknowingly?

    ¡°With Miss Ember being your mate, I believe it is better and more convenient to keep her near to Sire,¡± she exined her choice as if she had done the most righteous thing.

    Draven had no reaction to her words, so she continued, ¡°In addition to that, we already received the vitality potions from Elder Leeora to give to Miss Ember every night. Since those are the highest-grade potions personally brewed by the Head of the Witches, I believe not only will she recover from her injuries and heal her scars, her body will be strengthened and bepletely healthy soon.¡±

    Draven reacted with a light nod and said, ¡°Make sure to keep her chamber warm. Humans can¡¯t handle the cold like us.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the advice, Sire. I will make sure to follow it and she won¡¯t feel any difort in the stay arrangement,¡± she assured.

    ¡°Erlos will be bringing books from the human kingdom for her to read. Prepare a study room for her,¡± Draven instructed.

    Y hid her smile as she appreciated this rare sight of Draven embracing his role as a responsible mate. Who would have guessed that the cold-hearted king who never openly showed his care to anyone had this thoughtful side of him?

    ¡°Understood. I will convert one of the side chambers into a study ce for her.¡±

    Draven gave her an approving nod, and she left after Draven dismissed her.

    ¡®Same Floor!¡¯ He let out a helpless sigh.

 Chapter 102

    For the rest of the day, Ember had nothing to do. Though Y rmended her to rest due to her weak condition, she merely tossed and turned in bed. She tried to rest but the excitement of being in a new ce could not let her do so.

    Thus, she roamed inside her bedchamber.

    ¡®Are all these sparkly stones on the surface real jewels? They look so delicate like colourful ss.¡¯

    ¡®Thisrge antique statue has weird engravings on it. I wonder if it¡¯s the samenguage as that book¡­¡¯

    ¡®These curtains feel so heavenly to touch¡­ What kind of fabric is this?¡¯

    ¡®So the view outside this window overlooks the Forest of the Elves. I wonder if I can see the city from here¡­¡¯

    She was only interrupted from her wandering when she heard someone knock and realized it was already nighttime. After dinner, Y came by again to check on her before having the servants help wash her so she could retire for the night.

    However, her body refused to listen and she could still not sleep.

    ¡®I give up.¡¯

    While pulling her nket along with her, Ember climbed down from the bed and went towards therge window nearest to it. She opened the ss panels to allow the cold breeze to enter the chamber. After taking in several deep breaths, she heaved herself up the window.

    ¡®This is morefortable.¡¯

    The huge windows of her chamber had a wide sill simr to a tform at the base where one could put flower vases or ornamental pots. Since they were currently empty, a person of her size could sitfortably on the window sill.

    Satisfied, she wrapped herself in her thick nket and sat with her back resting on the window frame.

    ¡®I wonder how I should live my life from now on.¡¯

    She no longer had to live her life alone in hiding, and she was under the protection of the King of this kingdom so there was nothing for her to be worried about.

    ¡®Tomorrow, shall I look around the pce, maybe that huge garden as well? I am sure it will take me more than a day to explore this beautiful pce. Later on, I can go around the kingdom and see other cities. In Valor, Gaia doesn¡¯t let me leave the forest, and I was not allowed to enter the viges around the mountain. I wonder if the other cities are as lively as Ronan.

    ¡®Once my body bes normal, first, I must go to Ronan to visit the Elder. Afterwards, I can also visit Lady Cornelia and thank her for her potions. After that¡­ can I go to the other territories? Elder Leeora said the most magical-looking ce is thend of the fairies. Maybe I can ask Morpheus to show the other parts of this kingdom from the sky¡­¡¯

    As she enjoyed the fresh night air, she continued to work on her long ¡®to do¡¯ list, and unknown to her, her eyes began to feel heavy until she gradually dozed off while sitting at the window.

    That innocent happy smile didn¡¯t leave her lips even when she was sleeping.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Draven had juste out of his bath and was about to retire for the night, but he heard the loud hoot of Midnight just as he was about to get in bed.

    Frown lines appeared on his forehead. ¡®That thing! So careless!¡¯

    Annoyed, he disappeared from his bed-chamber and appeared inside a certain chamber on the southwest wing of the pce.

    Draven red at the human who was sleeping carelessly at the window. Her mahogany hair fell like curtains over her body, and they fluttered along with the evening breeze, but such a tender scene received no appreciation from the red-eyed man who was approaching her.

    His thoughts were getting darker with each step.

    ¡®What if she falls down from the window? There is nothing that could stop her from falling. Not even the bushes below could cushion her fall.¡¯

    He stopped in front of that window and observed her sleeping face.

    ¡®How can she be so careless? Does she n to wake up straight away in the afterlife?¡¯

    Despite his irritation, he scooped her in his arms and carried her to the bed, her scent ying dangerously with his senses as he held her close. Being in the same room as her was torturous as it was, and now, there was contact between their bodies. Even though there was a nket wrapped around her, he could feel her body in his strong arms. His senses were highly responsive to his mate.

    He put her in the centre of the bed and secured the nket over her as he sat at the edge of the bed. His red eyes stuck to her face.

    ¡®I try to keep my distance from you but you keep making mee to you. Are you asking for trouble?¡¯

    Though his words were for her, they affected him more. The kind of trouble he meant made his mind chaotic again with thoughts he didn¡¯t wish to have.

    ¡®I should leave.¡¯

    But his actions betrayed the rational part of his mind. The sweet yet refreshing scenting from her was seductive to his senses, asking him to get closer to her. His heart beating faster, his eyes darkened a little as his gaze observed her delicate face which still had faint scars.

    ¡®She¡¯s smiling? Is she having a good dream?¡¯

    His gaze was stuck on her lips and his hand moved on its own to touch those delicate lips, but he stopped midway and pulled back his hands. He closed his eyes for a moment, and he opened them only to have his anger be unleashed on something else.

    Draven stood up from the bed and threw his re at those windows of the room. He shut the window where he found her using his powers and closed thetches of all the other windows as well.

    ¡®I shall have them shut permanently so she won¡¯t dare sleep there like this. Careless human!¡¯

    He then looked at the firece which had a low fire burning within it, mere moments from going out.

    He turned his attention to the door of the chamber and flung it open with force, causing the two female servants standing outside the chamber to be startled. They immediately entered inside to see why the door opened.

    The moment they saw the King standing by the bed of his mate, they immediately lowered their heads. ¡°G-Greetings, Y-Your Majesty.¡±

    Draven red at them with a gaze scary enough for them to start trembling. He didn¡¯t even know why he was angry but he needed to vent it out.

    ¡°Shall I start sitting by the firece to check the fire all night, every night?¡±

    The servants looked at the firece and shivers ran across their spines in fear. ¡°A-Apologies, Your Majesty. We will take care of it.¡±

    Those elves were not at fault either as it was the normal temperature for them and the current temperature in the room was in fact too warm for them. Ember was the first human they had interacted with, and they didn¡¯t have a grasp over how exactly the ideal temperature was for a human body.

    As the two servants started putting on more logs, Draven took ast look at the human who could do nothing but worry him all the time. He sighed and disappeared from the chamber while controlling what he was feeling inside.

    If he had stayed for longer in that room filled with her scent, he was sure he would end up doing something unwanted.

 Chapter 103

    Draven returned to his chamber, but even after going back to his bed, sleeping was out of the question¨C his mate had thoroughly stirred up his mind and his body, giving him a hard time trying to suppress his urges to do things with her.

    He pushed aside the cket and got out of the bed barefoot. The restless king started to pace back and forth inside his chamber while frowning and sighing in frustration.

    ¡®I need to stay away from her. I need to shift her somewhere else,¡¯ was his main line of thought, but it continued to move on to an unexpected worry. ¡®But if she continues to behave carelessly like today, how will I learn her situation in time if she is not nearby? The worry will probably drive me crazy.¡¯

    Draven lightly massaged his temples.

    ¡®Fine, I will let her continue staying in the pce, but I must avoid meeting her. I can¡¯t afford to be affected by her like this, or I don¡¯t know what I will do. I might end up hurting her.¡¯

    He stopped pacing as he mused. ¡®Need to find a way so she won¡¯t evere across me, as if she doesn¡¯t exist here. Thankfully, her scent can¡¯t reach here or I would have left my own pce.¡¯

    Draven felt relieved, but the next moment, his mind had contradictory thoughts.

    ¡®Why would I leave? Instead, I will throw her out to some other ce. If the tree spirits of Ronan can¡¯t coexist with her, then how about I put her with the witches? Cornelia will treat her well.¡¯

    Just as he felt satisfied with his thought, once again it changed. ¡®But I can¡¯t throw her out. Damn it, she is my mate and if I throw her out, the other males¡­¡¯

    He clenched his fists at the thought of them and remembered how angry he was when she smelled Morpheus¡¯ scent on her. With his jaw tightening, he decided, ¡®I cannot throw her out. I can¡¯t keep her in ces where a male can approach her. Even if it¡¯s coincidental she became close or friendly with a male, the moment I smell any male scent on her, I might end up killing someone after so long.¡¯

    ¡®No one is allowed to touch my mate.¡¯ His eyes turned the deepest shade of red, the kind that showed the darkness inside him, and his breaths became heavy with anger. ¡®She is mine.¡¯

    The hellishly cold king who hardly said a few lines in a day¨Cand that too hardly included more than a few words¨Cwas now muttering to himself nonstop. Yet he didn¡¯t even realize it.

    While talking to himself, he had already spoken at least a month¡¯s worth of words.

    ¡ª¨C

    The next morning Ember woke up with a refreshed feeling from a good night¡¯s sleep, unaware that because of her a certain someone could not sleep the entire night.

    ¡°Oh, the Miss is awake!¡±

    ¡°Is she already awake?¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Miss Ember!¡±

    ¡°Did you sleep well, Miss Ember?¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s my and Clio¡¯s turn to serve the Miss today. Don¡¯t overwhelm the Miss. Shoo, shoo, get out.¡±

    Because they heard from Y and the other servants that Ember is a shy yet nice human girl, Ember became popr among the female servants of the pce, especially the younger ones. Several servants had been checking Ember a few times since early in the morning to see if she was awake, but when they discovered she was still in deep sleep, no one disturbed her.

    However, now that Ember was awake, the two servants assigned to her that day immediately bowed to her.

    Ember, who was sitting in her bed, looked at them. Y had introduced them to her yesterday. ¡°Good morning, uhm, Reya and Clio?¡±

    The first elf grinned. ¡°Miss remembered our names!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honored that you remember us, Miss,¡± the second one politely bowed.

    Reya and Clio were both Moon Elves with silvery blue hair, simr to Y, though they both wear them in a high bun. ording to them, they were cousins, with Reya being the older but spirited one, and Clio the more mature despite being the younger cousin.

    Just then, Y entered the chamber. ¡°Good morning, Miss Ember. How are you feeling this morning?¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Y.¡± Ember stretched her body. ¡°I am not feeling tired anymore. I think my injuries are not hurting that much as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. It must be the effect of the potion you got from the witches. In no time, you will bepletely fine and healthy, Miss Ember,¡± Y said with much happiness. ¡°Would you like to freshen up first? I am sure you must be hungry.¡±

    Ember nodded immediately. She had stopped thinking why she was eating this much and just enjoyed eating when she was being fed nicely. Moreover, she was feeling truly hungry.

    She quickly washed her face and changed into a simple dress, excited to start her day where she had a n to explore every single part of the pce.

    Ember had a nice morning meal inside the dining hall, and she was satisfied with everything she ate. Though she loved the bread that Leeora personally baked for her, the Wood Elves do not eat meat, and so for the past weeks, Ember only fed on bread, fruits and vegetables. Ember personally preferred the variety of food offered in the pce, which was more suitable to her pte.

    Just as she was thinking of going out to start exploring this pce, she heard Y talking to the two elf servants.

    ¡°Have you prepared everything?¡±

    The two servants nodded. ¡°The pool has been prepared the way you have asked, Dame Y.¡±

    Y offered them a satisfied smile and then looked at Ember. The human girl had stood up from her seat and the rectangle dining table in front of her all had empty dishes left on it.

    ¡°Miss Ember, please follow me,¡± Y instructed.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Ember asked as she was not one to blindly follow anyone.

    Y maintained that pleasant smile on her lips. ¡°Miss Ember, I have prepared a grooming session for you.¡±

    It puzzled Ember. ¡°Grooming? What is it?¡±

 Chapter 104

    ¡°Please follow me. I will exin to you as we walk,¡± Y said and she led her way back towards her bedchamber. Then, the elf gestured towards one of the side doors attached to her chamber, a ce where Ember was yet to go.

    The previous night, she had seen the side chambers. One was where she had to change her clothes, while the second door led to the toilet. She wondered what was behind the third door.

    The moment she entered that other door, her eyes widened seeing arge pool filled with steaming water, various flower petals floating on its surface. There were a number of short wooden tables arranged on the one side of the pool and several bottles and other items were ced on them, many of them being things Ember had no idea of their uses.

    ¡®This much water inside the chamber? Did they use a pail to bring up all this water to fill this pool?¡¯ she wondered in awe.

    Living on that dead mountain her whole life, she had never seen this much water in a single ce. Water was measured in pails and basins, and even then, they were precious to both her and Gaia since they collected them from rainwater. Other than reading about those so-called ¡®river¡¯ and ¡®sea¡¯ in the books, thergest she had seen were the streams running along Ronan, excluding the river around the pce of the King of Agartha.

    Y looked at the shocked young human and said, ¡°Miss Ember, we will be washing your body. Please allow Reya and Clio to take all your clothes off and please sit here.¡± She signaled for her to sit on one chair put along those short wooden tables.

    Ember felt a little awkward. The ¡®washing¡¯ she grew up with meant wiping her body with a wet washcloth. Even when she stayed with Leeora, that was how she cleaned her body. For her to be asked to undress under their gaze seemed weird, and she didn¡¯t know why she had to sit on that chair with no clothes on.

    ¡°Do I really need to?¡± Ember asked as she fiddled with the ends of her hair. A traumatic experience hovered in her mind¨Cone where a certain red-eyed man checked her naked body on the floor. Her shoulders inevitably tensed up.

    Y realized she had not answered Ember¡¯s previous question about what grooming meant. Y also remembered that Leeora had told her that this child was raised in the wilderness, away from civilized society and was ignorant of many things deemed normal by people.

    It was easy to guess from looking at her state as well. From how skinny she looked, this human probably paid more attention to survival rather than appearance. Their short interaction so far strengthened Y¡¯s belief.

    ¡®As long as she can eat, any food is fine, and as long as she¡¯s wearing clothes, she doesn¡¯t care about what they are¨Cin short, as long her basic needs are met, she no longer cares about the rest.¡¯

    She¡¯s happy to have her hair brushed, but didn¡¯t care even if it wasn¡¯t. She liked soft clothes, but as long as her skin was covered, she wouldn¡¯tin even if they make her wear a dress with a rough fabric.

    ¡®s, thedy of the pce cannot be this way.¡¯

    Y believed Ember was an uncut diamond in the rough. The shape of her face was delicate, and her features bore perfect symmetry. She had a pretty face which was still hiding behind those faint scars, and as long as she started taking care of herself, people might be unable to recognize the unexpected beauty she¡¯d be.

    ¡®I promise in my name, I will make you bloom as the most beautiful flower.¡¯

    Y went closer to Ember to stand in front of her. ¡°Miss Ember, here, you will get a nice bath with various oils and herbs so your skin will look even better. They will help make the burn scars go away. As the wounds arepletely healed, we need to clean your bodypletely from head to toe.¡± She looked at Ember¡¯s hand. ¡°Show me your hand, Miss Ember.¡±

    Ember did so despite her confusion and heard Y say, ¡°See, your nails are grown and dirty, and the palms of your hands are dry and cracked.¡± She then looked at Ember¡¯s feet. ¡°Your toes are no better.¡±

    Ember looked at her hands and then realized thatpared to Y¡¯s hands, hers were unsightly to see.

    Y continued, ¡°Not only are your hands rough due to scars, they looked like theybored hard. I understand that beforeing here you must have lived a difficult life, but now your status is different. Such shouldn¡¯t be the hands of ady.¡±

    The elf then brought her closer to the pool of water.

    ¡°You are his Majesty¡¯s mate, and soon, you will have to consummate the bond once you arepletely healthy. For that, we need to at least start preparing you.¡±

    ¡°Consummate?¡± Ember slowly pronounced the unfamiliar word as she looked questioningly at Y.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Y nodded. ¡°Thest phase of the bond. For that, we need to prepare you. Every male likes his mate as it is, but there is nothing wrong with pampering you and having you ready for him. His Majesty will be pleased to see you in your best state. Don¡¯t you want His Majesty to be happy?¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t understand what she exactly was implying and then thought, ¡®He allowed me to stay here. If this is what will make him happy¡­¡¯ She felt it was weird as to what all this had to do with him. It was her body and she could keep it however she wanted, but she gave up trying to understand them¡­

    ¡°Fine,¡± Ember agreed.

    Y signaled Reya and Clio to start their work. The two helped Ember remove her dress and she was left naked in front of them. She cleared her throat awkwardly and tried to wrap her hands in front of her chest, while her legs clenched together, trying to hide her intimate part from them.

    Her hesitation didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Y. ¡°No need to be shy, Miss Ember. We all are women here. Please rx and sit on the chair.¡± Y might look like a blue-haired angel who smiled all the time, but underneath, she was no less than a strict and responsible steward who would get her work done perfectly.

    Ember walked towards the chair with the slow footsteps and Reya helped her sit on the chair.

    Poor soul who had never known the word ¡®grooming¡¯. It wasn¡¯t as simple as she thought because cutting her nails was simply the start of her demanding grooming schedule.

    She wondered, ¡®What is this all fuss about? I can cut my nails on my own.¡¯

    Clio and Reya worked with each of her hands, then afterwards her feet, and all the time Ember was wondering what and why they were doing all these. She looked at Y who was standing there like a strict teacher and swallowed all her shyness and hesitation even when she was being touched all over her body. They even touched and saw her most private part and she wondered even Gaia had never seen her like this but here¡­. these two elf servants¡­ She inhaled deeply and left herself to be handled by the two female elves.

    After who knows how long, Ember was led to the pool filled with hot water.

    ¡°Please sit here, Miss Ember,¡± Clio said as she signaled towards the step-like tform at the edge of the pool which became visible after Clio shifted the floating flower petals to one side with her hand. ¡°Let us know if it¡¯s too hot for you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯sfortably warm.¡± Ember sat inside the steaming water while the two elves helped her have a bath. She could feel hands scrubbing her skin, sometimes massaging her scalp, while other times she¡¯s being rubbed by oils that smelled nice.

    Ember closed her eyes as she could not deny it felt good to sit within the warm water. Although it was boring, having people pamper her like this made her feel better and sleepy as well.

    She didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. She finally let out a sigh of relief when she heard Reya say with a soft chuckle, ¡°Miss Ember, did you nap well? You cane out of the water now.¡±

    She pouted. ¡°I am awake the whole time.¡±

    ¡°If you say so, Miss.¡±

    Ember stood up, and Clio dried her with the soft cloth.

    Ember felt as if every inch of her body had been scrubbed raw. Her skin felt particrly sensitive and tender, but the difort she¡¯s expecting faded after they applied a fragrant soothing oil on her body, and when Reya covered her with a silk robe that glided smoothly across her skin, she couldn¡¯t help but feel good.

    The two servants had Ember be put under the scrutiny of the Chief Steward.

    After a minute, only then did they get an approving nod from Y, as if saying ¡®good job¡¯.

 Chapter 105

    Afterwards, Ember was directed to her wardrobe room.

    Ember blinked. ¡®Is it just me or are there more clothes than yesterday¡¯s?¡¯

    Yesterday, there were merely a handful of pretty dresses hanging on the racks attached by the wall, but now, it seemed that a dozen more clothes were added inside. Nightgowns, colourful casual dresses, even fancy dresses she remembered seeing in books, all of them were present. She could see some simr to the simple elf clothes Leeora gave her, while there were others that had delicate frills and ribbons. Meanwhile, the shelves contained essories, shoes, and everything else that a properdy needed to get ready.

    Of course, for Ember who had lived a reclusive life in a mountain, many of these were things she had seen for the first time.

    ¡°What do you think, Miss Ember?¡± Y asked, satisfied with the human¡¯s look of awe. ¡°Many of the girls had worked hard overnight to finish these dresses for you.¡±

    ¡°What? I¡¯m sorry to have bothered¡ª¡±

    Reya chuckled at the sides. ¡°Oh, Miss Ember. You do not know how happy everyone was making these dresses for you. We don¡¯t know your taste so we made one of each style. We will be extremely happy to see you wear them.¡±

    Ember blushed shyly. ¡°Everyone¡¯s nice to me. They¡¯re all beautiful. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°No, we should be the one thanking you, Miss,¡± Clio said this time. ¡°It is our honour to serve you.¡±

    Ember was then directed towards the tall mirror ced on one side with a wooden stand supporting it. She sat on the wooden stool ced in front of it and Reya and Clio began to work on her long hair.

    ¡®Hmm? What are they doing?¡¯

    The elf servants were holding a strange metal item in their hands. They had put a grainy powder inside that container, and after lighting it up, it emitted a warm fragrant smoke. While one was gently brushing her long mahogany hair, the other was holding that container close to her head, moving it back and forth.

    ¡®It¡¯s¡­hot? Are they drying my hair? Why can¡¯t they just rub it with a towel? These people really do strange things,¡¯ she could not help but think, unaware that what they were doing was considered normal amongdies of nobility.

    Once her hair was dry, Y approached after spending some time on the racks of clothes. She pulled out a long dress for her. ¡°This will look really nice on you, Miss Ember. What do you think of changing into this today?¡±

    Ember looked at the dress through the mirror and her eyes widened.

    Pretty? No, the dress was more than pretty. What Y had in her hand was an elegantyered dress with loose sleeves and delicate pale blue fabric hugging the body. Clusters of white flowers were embroidered on the chest area, and those small flowers were stitched on the flowy floor-length skirt as well, making it look as if it¡¯s a dress of a fairy princess who had emerged from a flower garden.

    To her eyes, she had never seen a more beautiful dress. It was just like those she read in those fairytale books but¡­she was not sure if she could handle wearing it. It looked light and dainty, the type of dress that if she missteps would probably tear from the slightest force. Not to mention that long skirt that would drag on the floor.

    She was used to wearing simple sturdy clothes that werefortable to move around, but wearing this dress¡­

    ¡°Won¡¯t it be a little ufortable?¡± Ember asked. ¡°I was thinking of touring the pce¡­¡±

    Y put on a graceful smile. ¡°You have nothing to worry about, Miss. We have tailored this with your height and the heeled shoes in mind. Though it has been prepared ording to what human royalty casually wear, we used silk made by the fairies and threads from magical creatures so be assured this will befortable to wear.¡±

    Ember could not say ¡®no¡¯ to Y since she put it that way, and the two elf servants also had expectant looks on their faces. In the end, she quietly stood up to wear that dress and the pale blue heeled shoes that came with it. After Reya and Clio helped her put them on, she turned to see herself in the mirror and could not deny that the dress looked beautiful though she felt ufortable in it.

    Before she could voice her opinion once again, Y praised her. ¡°This dress looks stunning on you, Miss Ember! I am sure His Majesty will be happy to see you in it.¡±

    Reya and Clio also nodded, smiling pleasantly, agreeing to what Y said.

    The moment she heard the title of the King, Ember swallowed her words and decided to keep wearing this dress. As she was staying here, she thought it would be better to be on the good side of the King.

    Clio and Reya started to put on some makeup on her.

    ¡°Wait, what is this?¡± Ember asked as they were about to add something on her skin.

    ¡°This is the powder for your face, Miss.¡±

    ¡°It tickles,¡± shemented as they applied it over her face.

    Y smiled on the sides. ¡°Cosmetics are used to enhance a person¡¯s beauty. I believe you have never used it before?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­Umm¡­Yes, I never used it before¡­¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, Miss Ember. Just close your eyes and wait for Reya to finish,¡± Y assured. ¡°Among the female servants, you can say she¡¯s an expert on makeup.¡±

    The female elf didn¡¯t use much on her face. Ember had exquisite facial features, though they were not noticeable due to the scars on her skin. The servant simply covered those marks, and kept the rest mostly untouched, especially around the eyes. They could see that her emerald green eyes didn¡¯t need anything, perfect the way they were. In fact, adding eye makeup would probably lessen their beauty.

    ¡°I knew it. Miss is really pretty!¡±

    ¡°If only those scars disappear soon.¡±

    Ember was amazed as well. Reya did wonders covering the fading scars on her face to the point they didn¡¯t seem to exist. Her pale, sickly pallor was gone as well, and her thin face looked healthier thanks to the soft blush she put on her cheeks.

 Chapter 106

    Y looked pleased. ¡°Once you fully recover, I believe Miss would look even more beautiful than today.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t really bother with appearances, but still, she wanted to acknowledge the effort that the servant put into her. ¡°Reya, you¡¯re amazing.¡±

    ¡°You credit me too much, Miss. It¡¯s easy because your face is already pretty in the first ce.¡±

    Clio felt motivated. ¡°It¡¯s my turn now. I will make sure your hair will be just as pretty, Miss.¡±

    Just as Clio started to set her hair, Ember spoke, ¡°Uhm, is it alright if I do my hair?¡±

    She had listened to everything they said, but for her hair, she wanted to make it the way she preferred.

    ¡°Of course, Miss.¡± Y nodded and Clio handed over theb to Ember. Though Clio was disappointed because she couldn¡¯t show off, she was more curious about what Ember would do, so that next time she would simply follow the human¡¯s preference.

    Without a second thought, Ember fixed her hair in two braids that hung in front of her shoulders. She liked her hair this way because Gaia used to set her long hair like this. It was morefortable and it reminded her of Gaia. She gave a satisfied smile looking at those two braids.

    Clio then did some finishing touches, adding white flower and butterfly ornaments along those braids. ¡°You look perfect, Miss!¡±

    Ember felt embarrassed to be showered by their praises.

    ¡°You are finally ready, Miss Ember. I am sure His Majesty would be pleasantly surprised when he sees you,¡± Ymented.

    Ember didn¡¯t know what to say as Y often brought him between their conversations. She understood that he was their king and thus their master, but they acted like everything they were doing for her was for the King¡¯s sake. What did he have to do with how she looked? She wanted to ask that question but she didn¡¯t voice it out as she didn¡¯t want to sound rude. This was the King¡¯s pce and these people served him after all.

    Clio put that wooden stool aside to make way for Ember to stand. Just as she took her first step¨C

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¨Cshe ended up stepping on her floor-length skirt. She was about to fall but Clio and Reya were fast enough to hold her as they were standing close by.

    They panicked. ¡°Miss Ember, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±

    It was unexpected for Ember as well. She collected herself and nodded. ¡°I¡¯m fine. I think this dress is just too long.¡±

    Y smiled. ¡°Miss Ember, while walking, you have to hold the front like this.¡± Y held her own dress¡¯s skirt to show her how it was done.

    Ember understood and held her skirt with her hands, lifting it just as Y did. Though her feet wobbled a little due to the unfamiliar heeled shoes, she was able to take steady steps after a little practice. Ember was happy that she could manage to walk without falling, but then she fell into deep thought, ¡®Will this be alright? If I keep holding the dress like this, won¡¯t my arms hurt after some time? Not only that, my hands will be busy all the time. How am I going to touch the flowers in the garden? How am I going to hold things while walking?¡¯ It was as if she was having the most difficult puzzle of her life.

    ¡°Is everything alright, Miss Ember?¡± Y asked, seeing her dazed expression.

    ¡°Ah? Yes, everything is alright.¡± Ember nodded.

    ¡°Then, I shall excuse myself. Sadly, I have other things to do but worry not. Clio and Reya will apany you and guide you to wherever you want to go,¡± Y exined.

    ¡°They will be with me all the time?¡± Ember asked.

    Y nodded. ¡°Yes, is there any problem?¡±

    The problem was that Ember didn¡¯t like this. She didn¡¯t like to be watched by people all the time. Wasn¡¯t that the reason why she was really thankful to Leeora? The High Elder would onlye to visit her during mealtime but would leave her to her own devices the rest of the day.

    This was the first time Y and the two servants saw Ember put on a serious expression.

    Seeing her obvious difort, Y tactfully asked, ¡°Please tell me if the arrangement is not to your liking.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like the arrangement,¡± Ember started, thinking about how to exin without offending the nice elves who are looking at her with worry. ¡°If it¡¯s fine, I don¡¯t want anyone to apany me all the time. I want to be on my own. I am sure His Majesty would not mind that I want to explore the pce on my own.¡±

    This time, Ember didn¡¯t give a chance for Y to mention the King again, saying His Majesty would like this and that.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s fine. If it is what Miss Ember wants, there is no need for you to feel anxious about being honest to us,¡± Y agreed as she could see that Ember was serious this time and she had to respect her wishes. Moreover, being the King¡¯s mate, this pce now belonged to her as well. ¡°The pce is very vast though. Are you sure you won¡¯t need a guide?¡±

    Ember showed her a grateful smile. ¡°I know you worry for me as I am new here and you are trying your best to help me out. Thank you for taking care of me and treating me so well, but I think I prefer to explore on my own. I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just that I feel morefortable alone and¨C¡±

    ¡°Oh, Miss. There is no need to apologize. You don¡¯t need to exin it to me.¡± Y offered her pleasant smile, ¡°Miss Ember, you are His Majesty¡¯s mate so your wish is ourmand. Just remember that if you find yourself lost or needing anything, don¡¯t hesitate to ask the passing servants for help.¡±

    ¡°I will remember that.¡± Ember felt relieved to hear those words as she was worried that she might upset Y. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I will take my leave then. Clio and Reya will stay here in your chamber to serve you after youe back. I hope you enjoy your day today, Miss,¡± Y said with a smile before leaving.

    Ember inhaled deeply as she was now ready to go explore this pce.

 Chapter 107

    When Ember stepped out of her chamber, her attention was on her dress rather than her surroundings. She had to carefully hold her long flowy skirt in her hands so she wouldn¡¯t trip over her dress.

    ¡®Bear it for a day,¡¯ she consoled herself. ¡®From tomorrow onwards, I¡¯ll refuse to wear such a long dress.¡¯

    Because her mind was focused on keeping herself upright, she thoughtlessly crossed the grand hallways without any particr direction in mind. She had seen a number of servants on the lower floors yesterday, but this particr part of the pce was empty, without a soul in sight.

    ¡®This is morefortable for me, actually.¡¯

    The carpeted hallway had huge ss windows on one side which had their panels open, allowing plenty of sunlight and fresh air to enter inside the pce. With each step of hers echoing, those long curtains seemingly moved along it.

    Chirp, chirp?

    Suddenly, Ember stopped in ce. Hearing such a yful chirping voice, she turned around to search for its source. The pping of the wings caught her sight, and she saw an adorably small bird flying in the hallway, taking random stops on various spots along the wall, especially where themps were hung.

    ¡®Did it enter by mistake?¡¯ she wondered and went towards it, but sensing her presence, it seemed frightened and fled from her. Without a thought, Ember followed that small bird despite struggling with her heeled shoes and that unbearably long skirt.

    ¡®I wonder what that bird is called. I remember Leeora mentioning the birdsmonly nesting in the trees of Ronan. The brown ones are called sparrows, and the white ones are doves. This bird is white but it is too small to be a dove.¡¯

    Though it was flying several feet away from her, she could see it was one beautiful bird. Its body was covered in white feathers, with a yellow face and crest, and a long tail. The funny thing was that it seemed to have two red-orange spots on its cheeks, making it look like it was blushing.

    Ember wished to see it closely and continued to follow it. Unknown to her, she had crossed the boundary between the southwest wing that belonged to her and the southeast wing that belonged to the King.

    After a while, Ember realized the bird wasn¡¯t frightened¨Cin fact, it seemed to be ying with her. It wouldnd somewhere as if to rest, but once she came close, it would fly away again.

    Ember didn¡¯t mind it, and she even forgot how troubled she was with her dress. All she wanted was to see this bird and touch it once it got tired of ying.

    ¡°Ah? Little bird, where are you going? Wait for me!¡±

    The bird seemed to tease her before heading inside one of the rooms along the hallway. It appeared like one of the doors was left ajar, and the naughty bird entered through the small gap left between the door and the doorframe.

    Ember stopped in front of the door, pouting that the bird was troubling her to this extent. She didn¡¯t even know in which part of the pce she was in.

    ¡®It should be fine to enter since I was allowed to explore the pce, right?¡¯

    She slowly, ever-so-quietly pushed the door open to take a peek if someone was inside, and she let out a sigh of relief when she sensed no one inside.

    She opened it slightly, only enough for her small body to enter the chamber, and realized¨C

    ¡®Thatrge canopy bed and that fancy chandelier on the ceiling, not to mention this soothing smell of the forest. Isn¡¯t this¡­?¡¯

    The chamber was familiar. In fact, she had even slept here. It was the King¡¯s chamber where Leeora said she had spent the past two days sleeping.

    ¡®Oh, no. Will he get mad if I intrude?¡¯

    Realizing this mightnd her in trouble, she was about to step back but the naughty white bird let out another adorable chirp.

    Chirp, chirp?

    That bird flew along the ceiling of the chamber and sat on the crystal chandelier in the centre.

    Ember once again looked around the chamber to confirm it was vacant.

    ¡°Come down,¡± she said in a low whisper as if she was a thief. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t be here.¡±

    She raised one arm as if signalling him to sit on her hand, but it didn¡¯t make the birde to her. Instead, it fled away towards another door connected to the bedchamber.

    Ember sighed. ¡®That bird is so stubborn. I just want to see it close but it won¡¯t let me. I had never seen such a bird on the mountain nor in Ronan.¡¯

    In the end, she still braveding inside to follow that bird. Once again she peeked through the slightly ajar door of the side chamber. She realized it was simr to hers, a stone chamber with a huge pool of water in the middle, though this seemed to be twice as big as hers. Everything was quiet, and no one was there. The water in the pool had steaming out of it, but no one seemed to be using the pool.

    She felt relieved and walked inside with light steps as she looked at the yful white bird that was hovering over the pool.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s leave before anyone else realizes we came in without permission,¡± she said in a low voice as she walked closer to the pool. This time, the bird seemingly shivered in midair and hurried towards her arms.

    She let out a surprised cry as she held the bird in the cup of her hands.

    ¡°You are so beautiful.¡± She petted it with her other hand. ¡°See, in the end, you still listened to me. Why were you flying here and there when in the end you¨C¡±

    She was about to walk away while talking but¡ª

    Ssh!

    Someone emerged from the centre of the pool of water, startling Ember who reflexively turned her head to look at it.

    The bird flew away in panic as if it had sensed danger, making Ember take a backward step and causing her feet to be entangled with her long skirt.

    Ssh!

    An even louder ssh happened as her body lost bnce and toppled over the edge of the pool. She fell even before the person who came out of the water could get rid of the water from his face.

    With a look of disbelief, he looked for the person who fell in the water and then saw a panicked human emerging from the water, gasping heavily as if she almost drowned.

    Ember wiped the water from her face, only to see a pair of red eyes staring at her with bewilderment.

    ¡°Y-Y-Your¡­¡±

    Draven looked at the human girl who made him lose sleep the entire night, forcing him to take an unnaturally long dive under the water to keep his mind and senses calm.

    Just as he decided his mind was calm enough, this little mate of his was once again in front of him, putting all his efforts to waste.

 Chapter 108

    Ember wanted to stand, but her legs refused to cooperate and she could only sit awkwardly near the edge of the pool. The water reached just below her shoulders, making her look like a blooming water lily as her dress¡¯s long skirt pooled around her over the water surface. On the other hand, the King also remained seated in the central part of the pool. The water covered the middle of Draven¡¯s chest where one could see the head of a dragon tattoo over his heart.

    Two startled people wordlessly faced each other, but this strange standoff didn¡¯tst long.

    Draven¡¯s red eyes were iparably chilly, filled with annoyance at the awkward situation¨Cno, this unimaginably absurd situation. Seeing her dripping wet appearance together with those huge bewildered eyes was a dangerousbination when he¡¯s already struggling to maintain resistance against the pull he was feeling towards her.

    Ember tried to get up. ¡°Your Majesty, I apologize. I didn¡¯t mean to disturb¡ªaah!¡±

    Ssh!

    She fell back into the water as she was unable to maintain bnce. Her ankle was hurt and twisted after falling from the edge of the pool because of heeled footwear.

    Once again, water was sshed on Draven, reaching even his face, and he closed his eyes in brief annoyance. Afterwards, he opened them to re at her.

    Ember struggled in the water for a while due to the weight of her clothes dragging her down. After a while, she managed to sit back up again, only to receive the terrifying sight of a pair of red eyes openly ring at her. With this second fall, she was closer to him than before, putting her in a position where she was receiving the full brunt of his anger.

    ¡°A-Apologies¡­I¡­I followed the bird¡­¡± she tried to excuse herself in panic. She looked around the chamber but the small white bird was already nowhere in sight.

    Her mind was in chaos. ¡®He¡¯s angry. I made him angry. Will I be punished? I shouldn¡¯t have followed the bird. It was rude for me to enter his chamber without permission¡­¡¯

    When she moved her gaze back to Draven, she felt her heart leap and wanted to move back like she was escaping from a predator, but she didn¡¯t get far. Soon, she felt a hard wall behind her. She had reached the edge of the pool.

    Startled, she looked at him, only to realize his face was close to hers. She was being cornered by him.

    ¡°You sure like to be in trouble, don¡¯t you?¡± His breath turned heavy as he observed her closely.

    Draven could no longer see anything else but her¨Cher pale skin in her almost see-through form-fitting dress, the wet strands of hair framing her face, her beautiful eyes along with her thick eyshes that seemed to be graced with dew.

    ¡®This is crazy,¡¯ he could not help but think.

    Even that tiny nose trying to breathe as quietly as it could and her moist trembling lips that failed toplete a sentence were things about her that mesmerized him.

    ¡®This crazy bond¨C¡®

    His heated gaze followed the water droplets flowing along her skin, from her cheeks to her neck, to her thin corbones and further down. This sight by itself was already dangerous to his rationality, but the most dangerous part of her was her seductive scent that assaulted his senses, asking him to do dangerous things to her.

    As he moved to corner her, Draven noticed something. ¡®Her reaction is different from mine.¡¯

    While he was fighting off his urges, his little mate appeared to be more terrified of the fact that she barged into his chamber.

    ¡®Is my scent not affecting her the same way it affects me?¡¯ he wondered. ¡®How can she not be troubled when I am going crazy by her scent? Is it because she¡¯s human?¡¯

    The more he observed her, the more Draven felt convinced by his guess.

    ¡®How fortunate,¡¯ he sighed inwardly, his thoughts sarcastic. ¡®She is to be able to live normally despite having her mate this close to her!¡¯

    However, her next words made him change his mind.

    ¡°¡­this scent?¡± she mumbled.

    The look in her eyes changed as she took a deep breath. Her eyes were starting to go out of focus while looking at his neck and shoulders.

    ¡°This scent is so¡­¡± she murmured in a daze, and he saw her slowly moving towards him as if she had lost her mind.

    Draven¡¯s eyes widened when he realized what she was doing. With mere inches of space left between their bodies, he felt his body stiffen like a statue. He barely gulped upon feeling her heavy breaths on the side of his neck.

    He was wrong to think she could not smell his scent. It was just that her senses were not as sharp as his due to the physical limitations of the human race.

    Still, the fact that they¡¯re mates didn¡¯t change. His scent affected her the same way and it would also make her act on instinct toplete the bond.

    However, Ember had no idea about these.

    She was enchanted by this unique fragrance that seemed to be embracing all her senses. It was a familiar smell, a deeply masculine scent of the forest tickled with the freshness of peppermint. She remembered smelling this fragrance in the King¡¯s chamber and his study.

    That scent feltforting to her, but she didn¡¯t know the source of it was Draven. Now she could smell it directly from the man himself, she felt her heart beating faster. She didn¡¯t understand what she was doing and instinctively moved closer to him to smell this unique scent better¡ª

    This closeness!

    Draven moved back a little, wanting to scold this unruly little thing, but he could not say a word to her in this state. Her pretty eyes which were full of shock a while ago now looked dazed, as if she was half-asleep and didn¡¯t know what she was doing.

    He clenched his fists underwater and tightened his jaw, trying his damndest to resist her and the temptation of the bond.

    ====

    Bonus chapter dedicated to reader ¡°RMehrotra¡± for gifting Dragon to the novel. Thank you for the gift. 33

 Chapter 109

    ¡®This thing has lost her mind but I can¡¯t. I need to get hold of myself.¡¯

    He backed away from her once more, keeping himself more than an arm¡¯s length away, and she stopped following him, her eyes pinned on his body that was visible over the water.

    ¡®So daring!¡¯

    He frowned at her audacity.

    ¡°Turn around!¡± he ordered in a loud chilling voice, effectively bringing her back to her senses.

    Ember shook her head as if someone had pped her.

    ¡°I told you to turn around!¡± he snapped when she didn¡¯t immediately obey his order.

    With her entire face turning crimson red in a mix of horror and embarrassment, Ember almost slipped back into the pool after turning around so fast. Draven took that chance to step out of the pool. He was sure if he had not told her, she would have boldly admired his naked body.

    He picked up the silk bathrobe waiting on the side and wore it. After securing the belt at his waist, he ordered, ¡°Get out.¡±

    That entire side chamber was filled with her overwhelming scent and he wanted her to go away before he lost his mind.

    Flinching in fear, Ember quietly followed what he said. However, she was limping as one of her ankles was throbbing in pain.

    He saw her getting out of the pool with her arms supporting her body and only after she stood up did he notice something was wrong with the way she stood.

    ¡®Did she hurt her leg?¡¯

    However, his mind was otherwise distracted by something else he noticed. His little mate was drenched from head to toe, that pale blue dress clinging around her slender body. To no one¡¯s surprise, he found the sight messing with his senses once again.

    As she took steps towards the door, he didn¡¯t miss the soft cry of pain she let out when she had to put weight on one of her legs.

    He wanted to groan in frustration. ¡®How could such a frail and weak human dare to be my mate?¡¯

    Anger was the key to suppress his urges and he used it in every way possible.

    He walked towards her and stood in front of her. She looked up at him, but before she could understand his intentions, she was swept off her feet. She was in his arms and he moved to take her out of the chamber himself.

    She instinctively held onto him because of that abrupt lift. She once again found herself enchanted by his pleasant scent, but this time, she didn¡¯t lose her senses. She looked at his face which was devoid of any emotions, his red eyes simply looking ahead.

    Holding his breath to avoid feeling anything, Draven carried the unruly little mate of his out of the side chamber, but he didn¡¯t stop there. He went out of his bedchamber and carried her straight back to her own lodging.

    There was no way he would keep her in his chamber. He felt that if he were to let her stay for a few minutes longer, he would go crazy, but at the same time, he could not let her walk with her hurt foot.

    When Draven stepped out of his chamber, it just happened to be the time servants normally do their cleaning chores in this part of the pce. Around this time of the day, the King would normally be in his study or somewhere outside the pce, thus they weren¡¯t expecting to see him emerge from his chamber, much less witness him carrying a sopping wet human in his arms.

    The handful of servants who were cleaning the windows along the hallway were shocked to see this unbelievable sight, to the point that they neglected to see the messy trail of water left on the floor. They were too excited to see the intimate act of their king carrying his mate.

    Seeing the strange appearance the couple were in, it didn¡¯t take much for their minds to think that their king was having some good time with his mate, or else there was no way the King would change his schedule out of the blue nor would he step out of his chamber in just his bathrobe. Moreover, since his mate was drenched in water, it implied the unthinkable.

    When they reached the southwest wing of the pce, Ember saw Reya and Clio standing outside her chamber. The moment the two servants saw the King carrying his mate, they hurried towards them but as soon as they stepped away from the door, it mmed open on its own making, signifying the mood of the King.

    Ember could not help but shake in fear. She had a feeling that the King was very angry at her, probably because she disturbed him or because she intruded in his chamber. Maybe, it was abination of both reasons. This made her feel ashamed of her behaviour.

    ¡®He must be disappointed in me. He and his people treated me so well, but I have been rude in return¡­¡¯

    He put her on the bed, and the next thing Ember knew, she was already wrapped in a thick nket. Only then did she realize she was feeling cold after falling from the pool. She had been sofortable in his warm embrace when he was carrying her that she had forgotten she was drenched from head to toe in the first ce.

    Draven didn¡¯t look at her as he was barely holding himself back and turned to leave after he instructed the servants. ¡°Her ankle is hurt. Make sure to treat it and keep the chamber warmer than usual.¡±

    Ember heard his instructions to the servants and didn¡¯t know what to think about it. On the surface, he showed as if he hated her but then acted caring as well.

    Her thoughts were disturbed by the entry of the two servants. One of them went to attend to her while the other one went to the firece.

    ¡°Miss Ember, how are you feeling? What happened?¡± Reya asked, seeing her drenched self wrapped in the nket.

    Clio berated her cousin. ¡°Go get a towel and a new dress for Miss to change in first!¡±

    ¡°Oh, of course, of course!¡±

    Ember narrated what happened while the two servants helped her change into another dress and dried her hair.

    ¡°Seems like I have angered His Majesty once again,¡± Ember mumbled, as Reya dried her hair. They were now in front of her dresser.

    Reya offered her smile through the mirror. ¡°I am sure His Majesty is not angry at you. If I am to be honest, it¡¯s more probably he worries about you as you are still so weak, Miss Ember. Didn¡¯t he leave instructions to us thinking the cold might affect you? I have never thought the King can be so thoughtful.¡±

    ¡°Do you believe so?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Reya nodded. ¡°You are his mate so it¡¯s a given he cares for your wellbeing.¡±

    ¡°Is being ¡®mate¡¯ that special?¡± she asked.

    Clio, who brought a new nket for the bed, answered this time. ¡°Of course, it is special. A person can have only one mate in his life, and the King chose you. That means Miss Ember is very special to His Majesty.¡±

    Ember nodded, her mind wandering as she recalled what just happened.

    ¡®Still, I think it is best I apologize to him.¡¯

 Chapter 110

    Bang!

    The sound of mming doors echoed within the hallways of the pce, scaring the servants nearby as there was only a single person who dared to act that way in this ce¡ªthe King himself.

    Draven returned to his chamber with anger visible on his face.

    ¡®That thing!¡¯

    While he was trying his best to stay away from his mate and prevent her presence from affecting his mind, even going to great lengths of submerging himself underwater for hours, his little mate¡¯s careless attitude destroyed all his painstaking efforts.

    Draven paced around in his chamber restlessly in his bathrobe which was still wet as he carried that frail human drenched in water in his arms. He didn¡¯t know how to get rid of what he was feeling. It was as if his urges were wing at his insides, urging him to stop thinking and simply follow his mating instincts.

    He ran his hands through his wet hair, pacing around and feeling frustrated. ¡®Doesn¡¯t she understand what I can do with her? That brainless thing. Does she want to get hurt? Such a weak and frail body¡­¡¯

    He was torn¡ªhe could not send her away and neither could he keep her close to him.

    In a while, there was a timid knock on the door and a servant¡¯s voice could be heard from beyond the door, not daring to open the door and directly face the angry king.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Lord Melion is requesting an audience with you.¡±

    With Erlos on an errand, another servant was assigned to temporarily cater to the King¡¯s needs. However, the other servants didn¡¯t have Erlos¡¯ carefree attitude and guts. The servant merely waited for the reply outside the King¡¯s chamber.

    ¡°In my study.¡±

    Hearing that short reply, those three curt words, was enough for the servant to feel relieved. The servant excused himself and left.

    Draven merely changed into the first set of clothes he grabbed from his wardrobe, which included a simple ck tailcoat with a white undershirt and a pair of dark pants, among others, and disappeared from his bedchamber.

    His aide, Wind Fae Melion, was already waiting for Draven in the King¡¯s study when he saw him appear. He politely greeted the King as the man sat in hisrge armchair behind the desk.

    From the King¡¯s expression which was colder than usual, Melion could guess that the man was in a foul mood.

    ¡°Proceed,¡± said Draven as he looked at his subject.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the council meeting has been organized for tomorrow morning. All the council members had given word of their attendance, and they requested that Miss Ember¡¯s presence be required to hear the verdict,¡± Melion informed politely. ¡°Is this arrangement fine with you?¡±

    Draven approved of it and Mellion left after a couple more words.

    ¡ª¡ª

    On the other hand, the reason for the King¡¯s foul mood had already put the incident that morning behind her.

    Ember found it a pity that she had to cut her pce tour short and spend the rest of the day inside her chamber due to her sprained ankle. She had nothing to do but eat, sleep or stare at the ceiling of her bed. She chose none of those, choosing to act the same way she did the night before, which was something a properdy wouldn¡¯t do¡ªto sit on the window sill like a child.

    ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯

    She realized there were some additions to the window sill, some sort of railing about a foot tall made of a special translucent material that felt like wood..

    ¡°Reya, I don¡¯t remember if this was here before,¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°Oh, that? We put that just this morning, Miss. His Majesty has asked all the windows of your chamber to be like this,¡± Reya informed her.

    It puzzled her why the King had ordered such a thing, but she didn¡¯t dwell about it. This was his residence, he could do whatever he wanted. As long as she could sit in the windowfortably and see the outside of the pce, she¡¯s fine with anything.

    ¡®That bird, I wonder where it went. Such a pretty bird it was. I hope I can see it again¡­¡¯ she thought with a smile.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    That night, a certain travel-worn elf finally returned to Agartha, gritting his teeth and clenching his fists while cursing a certain king. He stepped inside the pce grounds looking extremely fatigued as if all the energy had been exhausted from his body.

    ¡°That heartless master! One day, I will get back at him for treating me like this and show him why High Elves are exalted among elves. So what if he¡¯s a dragon? How can he just throw me among those disgusting humans whenever he feels like it? Has he never heard of consent? This is the problem with old people¡ª¡±

    As he walked the dark hallways of the pce, he sniffed his dirty clothes. ¡°I reek of human scent. So disgusting. Ugh. I need to wash up, but before that, I should go dump these books¡ª¡±

    Erlos thought about putting the results of his errand inside the King¡¯s study out of spite, but he changed his mind when he realized that would only increase his workload once his master ordered him to put them away elsewhere.

    ¡®Should I put it near the Miss?¡¯

    After confirming her assigned room from another servant, Erlos went to one of the empty rooms in the south-west wing. With a gesture of his hands, spatial power escaped his fingertips and about more than a hundred books appeared out of thin air. He sessfully carried the king¡¯s order and brought all the books that the humans read.

    His already fatigued appearance worsened as he let out another groan.

    ¡®Never again.¡¯

    Erlos didn¡¯t stay there for long and left those books for the servants to be arranged. He decided to head back to his house in Ronan. . He was sure he would feel better once he ate something made by Elder Leeora. Of course, asking her for her elixirs was just a bonus.

 Chapter 111

    The next morning, Erlos didn¡¯t want to return to work but had no choice but head back to the pce due to Leeora¡¯s nagging that constantly reminded him of his duty as the King¡¯s servant.

    ¡®At least, I got two bottles of elixirs this time,¡¯ was his onlyforting thought.

    Fortunately, he was able to recover from his travel fatigue because upon his return, he realized that he needed to wee the council members.

    The council meeting was scheduled to be held in the morning, thus, by the time Erlos arrived, he had to hurry to the King¡¯s chamber and serve his master¡¯s morning needs.

    The moment Draven entered the council hall, all the members in attendance bowed to him as he walked towards the throne.

    ¡®His Majesty only has his personal servant with him?¡¯

    ¡®Where is the human girl?¡¯

    ¡®Isn¡¯t she attending?¡¯

    Everyone had expected the King¡¯s mate to make her appearance along with him, but she was nowhere to be seen even after they were seated. The council members looked at each other and no one dared voice it out as the human they would be talking about was now the King¡¯s mate, and by extension, would be the official Queen after the bond waspleted.

    The oldest elf, High Elder Halifax of the Moon Elves, stood to start the meeting.

    ¡°Your Majesty, as per what we have decided in thest meeting, we will now continue the discussion of the human girl and her stay in the main territories of the kingdom.¡±

    The old elf paused, and when the King didn¡¯t say anything, only then did he continue.

    ¡°The human girl has survived and sessfully passed the test Your Majesty personally conducted. She proved that she is not an ordinary human but a special one who could survive a mating bond. All the council members have now convened to officially announce the final verdict.¡±

    Halifax looked around the hall and said, ¡°But we wish for His Majesty¡¯s mate to be here in person so she can listen to the decision that will decide her future, as is proper.¡±

    Draven looked at Erlos who promptly went out of the council hall. After a while, the young elf entered the council hall with a delicate figure walking behind him.

    Ember walked inside the council hall with her head lowered, her hands busy holding the front of her long skirt to walk with ease. Due to a certain traumatic experience from yesterday, this time, she was wearing t shoes while taking each and every step with extreme caution.

    Because her focus was on keeping herself upright, she didn¡¯t see the awe on everyone¡¯s faces.

    ¡®It hasn¡¯t even been a week since thest council meeting.¡¯

    ¡®Her burn scars are almost all healed. She looks like a different person.¡¯

    ¡®Do humans really change this fast?¡¯

    Ember was nowhere close to how they saw her just a few days ago.

    Her petite frame was d in a frilly pink gown that showed off the graceful curve of her neck and shoulders, narrow at the waist before ring into arge floor-length skirt with ribbons. Her long mahogany hair was styled in waves, the upper part of her hair loosely secured at the back of her head with a matching pink-jewelled essory. Her makeup was light, mostly done to cover the leftover scars on her face and neck, but this was more than enough to emphasize her most beautiful feature¨Cthat pair of emerald green eyes.

    ¡®For a human, I guess she doesn¡¯t look bad,¡¯ the onlookers couldn¡¯t help but agree amongst themselves.

    She wasn¡¯t an astonishing beauty, but considering the arrogance of elves about their peerless appearance, it was already considered a great achievement for anyone to receive praise from them.

    But the most shocked person in the hall wasn¡¯t the leaders of the various races and ns, but a certain someone who was sitting on the throne.

    Draven could not take his eyes off of her. He felt as if he had be deaf due to the thundering noise of his own heartbeat. It wasn¡¯t just the way she looked, but also her scent that overwhelmed his senses. It was as if her fragrance that only he could smell had filled the entire council hall, and it was getting stronger with each step of hers

    His throat turned dry, and not even gulping could help him. While barely maintaining his calm front, he could only grip the armrest of his throne to suppress himself.

    ¡®Not here, not now, I should not¡­¡¯

    All he wished was to take her away from here and do what his body was urging him at this moment¨Cto im his mate andplete their bond.

    But then he noticed all the gazes in the hall on his mate, and another strong feeling added to the burden he was already carrying¨Canger. He felt angry that everyone was looking at her. He felt angry that this beautiful sight wasn¡¯t for his eyes to feast alone. He clenched his fists, yet it was obvious that he wasn¡¯t able to control his strength since small indentations were already forming on the armrests.

    Ember stood in the centre of that dome-shaped council hall, facing the throne where the King sat. Copying what she had observed so far, she greeted the King with a bow. She contemted if she should look at him or not, but then, being the curious girl she was, she ended up looking at Draven.

    His red eyes were fixed at her, staring at her without any restrain. She didn¡¯t understand what kind of look there was in those red eyes, but it was definitely not anger, which made her feel relieved. That emotion in his eyes was something that she could not understand.

    Not just her, everyone had noticed how the King could not take his eyes off of his mate. Many of them could not help but smile at the sight. They had never seen their king like this, showing something that was neither irritation nor indifference.

    ¡°Cough!¡±

    Halifax cleared his throat to pull everyone¡¯s attention back towards the topic they were discussing. With that, Draven finally moved his gaze away from his mate to the Moon Elf.

    ¡°Your Majesty, as the human girl is here¨C¡±

    ¡°Ember Aramis,¡± the King corrected him without any hesitation.

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Her name is Ember Aramis,¡± the King repeated.

    In thest council meeting, there was an instance where Ember was asked about her family name, but she had no answer to it, and everyone considered her a lowly human ve due to herck of a surname.

    With the King¡¯s deration, she would now be sharing surnames with the most powerful person in Agartha. Regardless of her human background, just the fact that ¡®Aramis¡¯ was attached to her name made her status higher than any human royalty.

    ¡®Aramis?¡¯ Ember looked at the red-eyed man in shock and felt a wave of different emotions pass her chest. The King had given her the name ¡®Ember¡¯ and now he even gave her a surname.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t it His Majesty¡¯sst name? Why did he give me his surname?¡¯

    She contemted it, but then, she calmed herself as she epted her new name. ¡®Is it because they say I am his person, his mate?¡¯

    ¡°Ember Aramis¡­¡± she murmured, liking how the name rolled out her tongue. A light smile appeared on her lips as she finally had aplete name.

 Chapter 112

    Realizing the importance of the situation, Halifax corrected himself, his expression humbled. ¡°Pardon my mistake. As I was saying, we have summoned Miss Ember Aramis in front of the council to hear the verdict that all the council members had agreed upon.¡±

    Halifax¡¯s words pulled Ember out of her happy world as she felt a little anxious about the verdict. From what she had understood, she had be the King¡¯s mate and no one could ask her to leave the kingdom without her consent, but still, she felt a little anxious until she heard it confirmed by the council members.

    ¡°From this day onwards, King Draven Aramis together with the fourteen leaders representing the collective will of the races thatprise the council, hereby announce that the human named Ember Aramis is awarded official citizenship in the Kingdom of Agartha due to her identity guaranteed by the authority of the ck Dragon.

    ¡°Her name will be written in the record book of the census, and she will be allowed to exercise all the civil liberties that go along with her identity, along with the obligations that went along with it¡ª¡±

    There were many formal terms that she didn¡¯t understand, but seeing the smiles on Leeora¡¯s, Cornelia¡¯s and Erlos¡¯ faces, Ember realized that it meant one thing¡ª

    ¡®I can stay for good.¡¯

    Hearing the final verdict, Ember finally let out the breath she didn¡¯t know she was holding. Leeora seemed especially happy for her, and her happiness was fully reflected in her smile.

    The other members of the council congratted her and gave her cordial smiles of an acknowledgement as well, their wariness seemingly disappearing as they decided to ept her as one of their own.

    She looked at the King who was the only one sitting there with the same cold attitude. Their gazes met and the smile on her face disappeared that very same moment.

    Seeing his cold face and scary red eyes, she dared not smile thinking she might offend him, but this young human didn¡¯t know how such simple actions of her were causing something else to the man on the throne.

    Draven wasn¡¯t mad or unhappy. To be more precise, he was in a silent battle with himself, doing his best to remain calm and hold himself back after seeing the sincere happiness in his little mate.

    ¡®Why does she have to smile at that? Those lips, those eyes¡­this scent¡­¡¯

    Draven looked calm on the surface, but inside, he was almost losing himself.

    Ember didn¡¯t know how to act under that intimidating gaze and simply bowed to him.

    ¡°Thank you so much for letting me stay in your kingdom, Your Majesty.¡±

    Draven nodded without really hearing what she said. Before he could lose the little control he had left over himself, he stood up from his throne.

    ¡°The meeting is adjourned.¡±

    He didn¡¯t wait for anyone¡¯s reaction and walked out of the council meeting hall with long strides.

    Ember watched him leaving in a daze, but she snapped back to reality when she recalled something. ¡®I am yet to apologize to him for intruding in his chamber yesterday. I must go meet himter.¡¯

    Draven¡¯s sudden departure puzzled everyone since the King acted as if he was in a hurry to go somewhere. They always knew that the King never liked to attend council meetings, but he never stepped out of it so abruptly.

    With the King gone, the others also didn¡¯t bother to stay long. Ember saw everyone leaving as they offered her light bows with a smile.

    Leeora and Cornelia shared a knowing look at each other. Leeora in particr knew why the King was acting that way.

    Cornelia approached the High Elder of the Wood Elves. ¡°What are you thinking about, Elder? You look bothered despite this being a joyous asion.¡±

    ¡°Seems like we have to tell her soon what it means to be someone¡¯s mate,¡± Leeora sighed.

    Cornelia looked at Ember who was walking towards them with a bright expression.

    ¡°Congrattions, my dear.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions for officially being a resident of Agartha, Ember.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, Elder. Thank you so much, Lady Cornelia.¡±

    They were the only ones left inside the council hall so they had to leave as well.

    On the way out, Leeora asked, ¡°How is the pce so far? Are youfortable with your stay here?¡±

    Ember nodded. ¡°It¡¯s good here. Everyone is friendly, but I liked it more in Ronan. I still miss my tree house.¡±

    Leeora felt bad that Ember wouldn¡¯t be able to step inside that tree house ever again. The tree spirit would never allow her because her elemental constitution was the fire.

    Cornelia had already heard about the incident from Leeora and she was not surprised to know that Ember¡¯s elemental constitution was the fire. What she saw and felt when the King was marking Ember, she had felt that strong power to be of the Fire element. With that, she concluded that the sign on the back of Ember¡¯s neck must represent the divine power of the fire attribute.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ember,¡± Cornelia assured her. ¡°Perhaps what you really miss is the Elder¡¯s home-baked goods. You should ask her to make more for you more often.¡±

    ¡°Oh, hush you¡ª¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s still a growing child. My potions might be the best, but fresh food from the elves are also good¡ª¡±

    Since Cornelia mentioned potions, Ember was reminded about the bottled medicine she drankst night and the night before. ¡°Lady Cornelia, thank you so much for giving me those potions. My body feels much better after having them.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to be of help,¡± Lady Cornelia replied and then looked at Leeora. ¡°Oh, Elder, I think we must part ways now. I am thinking of seeking an audience with His Majesty regarding what we talked aboutst time.¡±

    Leeora nodded. ¡°Sire must be in his study.¡±

    Ember looked at the twodies. ¡°Can Ie to His Majesty¡¯s study too?¡±

    They looked at her in disbelief. Wasn¡¯t she scared of the King till now?

    ¡°Of course, you can, dear, but may I know the reason?¡± Leeora asked curiously.

    ¡°Yesterday¡­¡± She had a look of guilt. ¡°I made a mistake. I need to apologize for it.¡±

    Leeora knew Draven hurried out of the council hall to avoid his mate, but now his mate wants to meet him in a smaller, more intimate setup. It was not good to send her to him when he wasn¡¯t obviously in a good state. This was also for Ember¡¯s sake.

    ¡°Dear, I think this is not the right time for you to meet the King. After all, he is a busy man. You must tell Erlos first and then he will inform His Majesty. Once he approves, you will be called to go visit him.¡±

    Ember understood and didn¡¯t pursue the topic.

 Chapter 113

    All the council members had already left the pce aside from the representatives of the witches and the Wood Elves. They confirmed that the King had returned to his study after leaving the council hall, and Leeora and Cornelia went to visit him. Meanwhile, Ember went ahead on her own as she had nothing to do. She decided to use this chance to continue her postponed ns of exploring the pce.

    Inside the King¡¯s study, Draven was sitting in his armchair quietly. Though he was present there physically, his mind was somewhere else.

    ¡®There is still nothing?¡¯

    As soon as he calmed down, he spread his consciousness trying to figure out whether his little mate had returned to her lodgings or had gone somewhere else. However, his powers couldn¡¯t find a trace of her. Even after she had be his mate, he could not find her presence using his powers, as if she didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡®Does that mean I can only determine her location by smell? No, I shouldn¡¯t be thinking about her now¡ª¡¯

    Despite trying to focus on other things, his mind could not help but think about her. He was in deep conflict. He wanted to keep her away from himself, but at the same time, he wanted to know her whereabouts, what was she up to, who she was talking with¡­

    Worse, Draven could not take a certain sight out of his mind¡ªwhen his mate entered the council hall looking like a properdy, it was as if everything suddenly fell into ce.

    Her beautiful emerald green eyes stole his breath when their sights met, her smile that he could not take his eyes away from and when she mumbled her name- Ember Aramis. His sharp hearing senses could hear her clearly and could not deny the kind of warmth he felt in his heart.

    His mate had his name. She belonged to him and him alone.

    After a long, long time, he had someone he could finally truly call his.

    His thoughts were interrupted by a knock. His personal servant entered afterwards.

    ¡°Sire, you have guests. Elder Leeora and Lady Cornelia are here to see you,¡± Erlos informed him.

    Draven nodded to approve it.

    Leeora and Cornelia greeted the King as per decorum. Draven epted it with a light nod and signalled them to have a seat.

    The red-haired witch was the first to speak. ¡°Your Majesty, I am here to tell you about what I have found about the mark I saw on Ember during thest council meeting. I believe you will be interested to hear about it.¡±

    ¡°Proceed,¡± he simply said.

    ¡°I have gone through the countless books from the various races residing in Agartha, but only found a single book that has that particr symbol. Surprisingly, it was not a magical rune nor was it a character of an ancientnguage¡ªit was a holy insignia rted to a long-lost human religion. I found a clue among the books left behind by Her Eminence the Monarch. It was an ancient ceremonial book that belonged to humans.¡±

    It peeked up the interest of the other two. Draven had a pensive look as Leeora asked, ¡°You mean that it¡¯s a religious symbol?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. That symbol belongs to the deity of fire that ancient humans worship. I believe that thousands of years ago, there were various deities humans worship, and the deity of fire is one of them. That insignia represents his fire.¡±

    ¡°Those from the divine realm no longer bother about the mortals. Even during the warring times centuries ago, I don¡¯t even recall any instances where they meddled in human affairs,¡± Leeoramented.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Humans worship gods, but the gods have abandoned them, causing lesser humans to worship them with each new generation. I believe even in the continent nowadays, the remnants of the god-worshipping religions are few and far between. From what I heard from our kind travelling outside Agartha, there is not a single human kingdom practising a national religion anymore.¡±

    ¡°But then how can Ember have that symbol? It¡¯s not even a tattoo on her skin, but a symbol hidden in her soul. She is clearly of human constitution¡­.¡± Leeora could not help but mutter. ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s safe to say this fire deity is the reason why even despite being a human, Ember can use magic spells, right?¡±

    Cornelia nodded. ¡°That must be the reason.¡± She then looked at Draven. ¡°Your Majesty, to have such a divine insignia with her, her parents or her ancestors must be from the religion of that fire deity. If that deity once descended on the mortal realm, it¡¯s even possible that Ember is his descendant. Do you have any idea about her lineage?¡±

    Draven pondered for a while. ¡°Her birth mother died due to simple poisoning so there is no way she¡¯s a descendant of a deity. Her birth father is nothing but an ordinary human with a royal status.¡±

    ¡°Are any of them devout believers of the deity of fire?¡±

    Draven frowned. ¡°I recall hearing about an oracle giving a prophecy about her birth, but I didn¡¯t bother digging up information about it.¡±

    ¡°To learn more about Ember¡¯s uniqueness, I believe understanding more about the deity of fire is needed,¡± Cornelia exined. ¡°A divine insignia would not appear on anyone without reason as anything rted to the gods contain powers.

    ¡°Fire carries the power of destruction. If my intuition is right, based on what I saw and His Majesty¡¯s dreams, Ember embodies destructive fire powers that seem to be suppressed for now. We don¡¯t know how long it will remain that way. If that power is unleashed, we can¡¯t tell how things will turn out and how it will affect her. The power thatcks control is extremely dangerous. We need to be careful and look after Ember well.¡±

    ¡°She is just an innocent child,¡± Leeoramented.

    ¡°I am not saying she is not, but that¡¯s more reason why we need to carefully guide her. Imagine, how scared will Ember be if one day she loses control of her power and harms another person by ident? How guilty will she feel?¡±

 Chapter 114

    Leeora was a bit taken aback, ¡°Lady Cornelia¨C¡±

    Cornelia looked at her pointedly. ¡°I understand you¡¯re concerned, but that child is carrying dangerous powers inside her. You cannot deny this truth.¡±

    Leeora let out a sigh. ¡°I understand. Do you mean we need to inform her about our discovery?¡±

    ¡°In due time. There is no need to rush, but I believe she deserves to know.¡± Cornelia softened her expression. She then looked back at Draven. ¡°I have one more thing to say. I have a theory about why I sensed the insignia of the deity of fire when Your Majesty was marking her.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Draven finally asked.

    ¡°We have predicted before that there is a strong seal that is suppressing her powers. When Your Majesty marked Ember, it probably triggered the magic of the seal. The mating bond is one of the strongest kinds¨Cif not the strongest¨Cbinding magic in existence, as it belonged to the category of the soul.

    -?(0)???

    ¡°Dragons have the most powerful magic due to their bloodline, and thus the pact created between His Majesty and his mate is bound to dominate any other magical restrictions about the soul. Meaning, it is highly likely that the seal on Ember¡¯s soul will be eventually destroyed by the magic of the mating bond.

    ¡°Considering His Majesty has merely marked Ember¨Cthe bond has been created but the bond is not yetplete¨C I fear once that bond isplete, the seal will break entirely and her powers will be freed. This worries me.¡±

    Leeora felt ominous seeing the frown on the witch¡¯s face. ¡°Since the power belongs to her, then shouldn¡¯t we support her in using it? We have the Fire Fae, the Sun Elves and the Valley Elves, and we also have the shapeshifters who are descendants of fire-attributed divine beasts like the ming Apes and Nine-Tailed Foxes¡­¡±

    ¡°I am not talking about her ability to control it,¡± Cornelia answered. ¡°As someone who lives in Agartha,I agree with you that we have many people who can help us teach her but¡­have you ever wondered why she¡¯s sealed in the first ce?¡±

    Leeora swallowed the other things she wanted to say upon hearing that question.

    ?(O)???

    Cornelia didn¡¯t wait for her to reply. ¡°Since her powers are locked intentionally then there must be a strong reason for it. The one who had sealed her must be a powerful being himself. Perhaps, a deity himself sealed her. I have merely sensed a bit of her powers and there is no question that kind of fire is destructive. I believe such powers are best kept suppressed. I suggest we shall not go against the one who had sealed her¨C¡±

    A cold voice cut in.

    ¡°What if the one who sealed her powers had ill intentions? What if he was an enemy of hers? What if her powers are a threat to them? What if it¡¯s them who are evil?¡± Draven asked without pause.

    Cornelia felt caught off guard, but Draven wasn¡¯t done yet.

    ¡°A destructive power doesn¡¯t always mean evil¨Cor you think I am evil as well?¡±

    Draven¡¯s powers were the same as what Cornelia described about Ember¡¯s. Realizing her mistake, she had to swallow her shame.

    ¡°Your Majesty, my deepest apologies. I didn¡¯t mean it that way. In her case, someone has suppressed her powers intentionally and it is not the same with you. You have been using your powers in the right way¨C¡±

    ¡°But someone has erased my memories and the one who did it is someone powerful as well, just like the one who sealed her powers,¡± Draven interrupted her. ¡°Perhaps, a deity did this to me as well.¡±

    ?(O)??? Cornelia could not disagree with this.

    Leeora, who had been silent till now, spoke again, ¡°What if the one who suppressed her powers and the one who had erased His Majesty¡¯s memories are the same people?¡±

    Draven nodded as he had thought about the same. ¡°After thousands of years, it appears that I will get the answers to my questions on the day her powers are unleashed. Whoever put that seal on her will not stay still. They wille out of hiding, threatened by her powers, and they will eventually end uping across me. I will know then if they are friends or foes.¡±

    ¡°That means, Your Majesty has to break the seal suppressing her powers,¡± Corneliamented.

    ¡°¡­.and only when Sirepletes the bond with her, only then will it happen,¡± Leeora added, feeling a little worried for Ember.

    Draven didn¡¯tment, but he knew that what these two said was right. Other than his instinctspelling him toplete that bond, now he had another reason to mate with her¡­but¡­

    ¡°Sire, I¡­think we need to give her some time¡­I¡­understand your situation but,¡± Leeora could not help but speak up, ¡°¡­she is unaware of such things¡­¡±

    ¡°She is my mate and I believe I worry for her the most,¡± Draven interrupted the elderly elf who was struggling with her words. ¡°I will make sure she understands everything.¡±

    Leeora could not say anything as being her mate, Draven had theplete rights over her and everything was up to him to decide.

    After the two women were dismissed, Draven leaned back in his chair with one conclusion in mind¨CEmber and him were connected to the same powerful being who had messed up with their lives.

    Intuition was telling him the two hadmon enemies, and he would make sure to find them. If they were toe after Ember once her powers are unleashed, he would make sure to protect her and make them pay for it. But, he was also aware that it wouldn¡¯t be easy as he would be facing someone really powerful.

    Now the main concerny with him was thepletion of the bond between him and his mate. he was aware that he had fulfilled it or there would be consequences of going against it. But his mate was a naive one and he didn¡¯t know how to proceed with things. She had just started living happily and he didn¡¯t know if he would be the reason to destroy the happiness she was feeling.

    ¡®Will I end up scaring her? Will she be able to understand what we will be doing soon toplete that bond?¡¯

 Chapter 115

    After leaving the presence of the King, the witch and the elf went their separate ways. Cornelia departed from the pce while Leeora sought for Ember to spend some time with her. Upon asking her whereabouts from the passing servants, Leeora got to know that she was in the main garden.

    ¡°That child must be excited to roam after getting to know that she can stay here for good,¡± Leeora mumbled with a smile and went to the garden.

    Soon, Leeora found the girl d in pink walking in the middle of the garden, holding the skirt of her formal dress in her hand and looking around at the beautiful flowers in full bloom.

    Contrary to human gardens Ember had seen in books, the garden in the pce didn¡¯t have manicured flower beds with a winding stone pathway in between. It had a more naturalndscape, with multiple levels of small ivy nts and bushes and various trees that gave off a harmonious feeling that was pleasing to the eye.

    There were some parts that had a mixture of wild flowers, while on the other there¡¯s mostly just awn with arge tree in the middle, giving a whimsical scenery as if it was obvious the gardeners taking care of this part of the pce had different preferences. The only thing that remained consistent was that there were various pavilions around for any guest to rest.

    ¡®This ce¡­¡¯ she thought as she reached a certain statue. ¡®I think this is where the King captured me when I escaped back then¡­?¡¯

    Ember was on her own. As per her wish, Y had informed the servants to not follow her as she wandered around. The pce was a safe ce so there was no harm in leaving her alone, and given her status as the King¡¯s mate, no one would even dare to trouble her.

    ¡°Ember?¡± Leeora called for her. ¡°What caught your interest, dear?¡±

    The human girl turned around after recognizing the familiar voice. There was a wide smile on her pink lips the moment she saw the elegant elderly elf in a white robe. ¡°Elder! I thought you already left.¡± She walked towards the olderdy with light steps, reflecting her mood.

    Leeora saw her almost trip and said, ¡°Careful!¡± She was worried that Ember would fall down with her feet entangled with the long and fluffy skirt of her formal dress.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Elder. I mentioned to Reya¨Cah, Reya is an elf helping me¨Canyway, she gave mefortable shoes to walk around today. As long as I hold my skirt properly, I won¡¯t miss a step.¡± Ember reached the High Elder with the brightest smile she had ever seen,parable to the first time she had witnessed the girl braid her own hair. She looked like a great weight was lifted off her shoulder, like she was finally in a good ce after struggling in life for so long. It was like a bird caged for a long was finally freed. Leeora could not help but feel happy for her as well.

    ¡°You look happy,¡± Leeora spoke.

    Ember controlled her wide smile and nodded. ¡°This garden is so big and interesting. There are many beautiful flowers of different sizes and colours. There are also many different butterflies as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. I remember you like butterflies,¡± Leeora mentioned.

    Ember nodded. ¡°My nanny, Gaia, used to create butterflies using magic. The mountain where I lived had no green nts so no butterflies ever came there. Now, I can see them for real, and they look more amazing than in the books I¡¯ve read. See the yellow butterfly in that tree, Elder? Look at howrge its wings are. I thought it was a bird at first¨C¡±

    Listening to Ember babble like an excited little girl, Leeora felt conflicted emotions. To think that seeing butterflies could make her delighted like this, what kind of life had this young girl lived?

    ¡°You mentioned you have a nanny?¡± Leeora asked after a while.

    Ember¡¯s bright expression slightly drooped. ¡°I mentioned Gaia to you before, Elder. She is the one who raised me on that mountain on her own.¡±

    ¡°She knew magic?¡± Leeora asked, feeling curious. If that was the case then her nanny was not human.

    ¡°Yes, Elder. She even taught me a magic spell.¡±

    ¡°So she knew that you¡¯re capable of magic. Interesting,¡± Leeoramented as they idly walked through the garden. ¡°What did your nanny teach you?¡±

    ¡°She taught me to change my appearance.¡±

    ¡°Shapeshifting?¡±

    ¡°Only one shape though,¡± she exined. ¡°I can turn into a monster to scare anyone who enters the mountain. She said it¡¯s necessary so that the people who wille to harm me will be driven away as well.¡±

    It reminded Leeora of how she heard Ember used that magic spell to scare the servants in the pce that day after she was brought by the King from outside. ¡°Do you know where your nanny is? Sire told me you were alone when he found you.¡±

    Only the sounds of their footsteps could be heard as Ember bit her lip, her face sorrowful.

    ¡°Ember?¡±

    ¡°¡­She¡¯s gone.¡±

    The two of them halted in their steps as Ember continued.

    ¡°T-They killed her.¡± A single tear rolled down her cheek as she tried to control her emotions. ¡°I personally buried her body near the cave where we lived roughly a month before His Majesty found me.¡±

    Leeora¡¯s eyes turned teary as she could imagine how miserable those times were for her. No wonder she was such a difficult child to deal with back then, distrustful of people to the point she wouldn¡¯t even speak. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to hear that. It must have been difficult for you.¡±

    Ember wiped the tear that escaped her control. ¡°Before dying, she told me to keep living. So I-I¡¯m trying my best¡­¡±

    ¡°Such a strong child you are. I am sure she must be proud of you,¡± Leeora said. The elderly elf tenderly stroked her head and then asked the question that she had always wanted to ask. ¡°Ember, dear, I have a question. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s fine to ask, but you don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Seeing her hesitation, the human girl patiently waited for the elf to speak.

    ¡°About your real name, is it alright for you to tell me your real name?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a name, Elder.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Leeora was bbergasted. ¡°Ah, apologies. I was just too surprised¨CI lost myposure for a moment. Then, how does your nanny call you if you don¡¯t have a name?¡±

    Ember shook her head as she wiped thest trace of her tears with her fingers. ¡°Gaia used to call me ¡®little princess¡¯. My birth parents didn¡¯t give me one, and she said she doesn¡¯t deserve to name me.¡±

    Leeora put together the clues and tidbits she knew about her. Ember was a royal princess, but she was abandoned even before she was given a name. Since her family tried to kill her before she was even born, then why would they even bother to name her?

    As she was a Princess, her nanny didn¡¯t give her a name either and preferred to call her by her title. But seems like Ember didn¡¯t have an idea about her origin and her being a princess of one kingdom. It didn¡¯t matter now as her status was much higher in Agartha than in that human kingdom. She was the mate of the most powerful being on this continent and the future Queen of Agartha.

    ¡°But now you have a name. Do you like it?¡± Leeora asked.

    She nodded. ¡°I like it a lot.¡±

    ¡°Sire sure has given you a name that suits you,¡± Leeoramented to which Ember nodded. But then, the girl had a puzzled look.

    ¡°Elder, but why did His Majesty give me his surname? Is it because of what you said before about me being his person, his mate?¡±

    Leeora smiled. ¡°Correct. You are his family now, and Agartha is now your home.¡±

    ¡°Family? Home?¡± she mumbled. She never had a family. What was worse was that she didn¡¯t even know who her parents were. All she had was that mountain as her home and Gaia who called herself as her nanny. How she wished Gaia was her mother¡­

    ¡°Hmm, family. You are His Majesty¡¯s only family,¡± Leeora added.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a family?¡± This surprised Ember.

    ¡°That¡¯s all in the past since now he has you,¡± Leeora replied. ¡°That is why if it¡¯s fine with you, dear, I have a favour to ask. Please be good to him. I hope you can help him smile more.¡±

    ¡°I will, Elder,¡± Ember assured her.

    ¡°Are you still scared of him?¡±

    ¡°¡­honestly?¡± Ember felt embarrassed. ¡°I am. It¡¯s not as bad as before but¡­¡±

    She heard Leeoraugh. ¡°He does look scary, but isn¡¯t he also a kind man?¡±

    ¡°He is¡­but he always looks angry¡­¡±

    This made Leeoraugh once more. ¡°Oh, dear. That¡¯s true. But the more you see him, the more you¡¯ll get used to it. When you are with him, try to show that you trust him. Don¡¯t be scared of his actions. Just remember, no matter how scary he appears to be, he will never harm you.¡±

    Ember nodded again, not knowing what exactly Leeora was implying. Leeora was simply hoping that this naive child would grow fonder of the King without outside interference, and that they develop a real connection as people beforepleting their bond.

    As the King said before, he would take care of her, so it was better to leave it to him¨Cbut still, Draven was someone who wasn¡¯t good with dealing with people in the first ce. She could clearly see that the King cared for his mate, or he would have done things till now instead of controlling himself. Thus, trying to encourage Ember and improving her impression of the King was all Leeora could do to help for now.

    Soon, the two of them reached the other side of the garden.

    ¡°My heart isforted knowing you are enjoying yourself here,¡± Leeora said. ¡°I believe the King and his people treat you well, so I will take my leave then. I will see you on my next visit.¡±

    Ember nodded, knowing Leeora had to go back.

    Once Leeora left, Ember continued to explore that vast garden. Soon, her eyes caught something and she could not help but feel excited.

    ¡°You¡­I finally found you¡­¡± she said and walked in hurry to catch something.

 Chapter 116

    Meanwhile, after Cornelia and Leeora left his study, Draven found himself having a phantom headache, trying to put together the things he heard from the Head of the Witches today. After a while, he heard a knock and Erlos entered the room to start cleaning the lounge area and Draven found himself staring at the young elf.

    Due to the council meeting, they never had a chance to talk about his trip to the human kingdom to bring back the books for Ember to read.

    ¡°One and a half days,¡± Dravenmented dryly out of the blue, and Erlos blinked his ignorant eyes at Draven, a little confused by his master¡¯s words.

    ¡°Huh?¡± was his reaction. He was still upset at Draven for sending him among humans so since morning he kept his talk as minimal and as formal as he could with the King.

    ¡°You took less time to return,¡± Dravenmented. ¡°That¡¯s progress.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Sire,¡± was all he said and was about to resume his work when Draven spoke once more.

    ¡°Seems like you are not happy about your performance.¡± Draven was aware of what his servant was trying to do and continued, ¡°Would you like to go back and improve your duration of return to just a day?¡±

    The young elf¡¯s long ears twitched in fear. ¡®No way! Is he going to throw me among those humans again?!¡¯ He immediately turned his full attention to the King and smiled as if he was never upset with the King in the first ce.

    ¡°Sire, I am very much satisfied with my progress! Isn¡¯t there a saying, ¡®More haste, less speed¡¯! Returning in one and half days is an achievement, considering that I also bought many different books from the human city. I should use this time to consolidate my learnings¡­¡±

    He smiled awkwardly, trying to talk more to divert Draven¡¯s attention from sending him back. ¡°S-Sire should see how many books I have brought for Miss Ember. It filled an entire side chamber. I¡¯ve already told Y and Garros to start constructing a library for the Miss.¡±

    ¡°You did well,¡± Draven praised.

    Those words shocked the elf.

    ¡®I got praised?! Am I not dreaming?¡¯

    Erlos felt excited as he was yet to tell his master how he got those books. ¡°Sire, you don¡¯t know how disgusting I felt in that crowded market of that kingdom¡¯s capital. I felt like I would be suffocated by the presence of those humans around me. Somehow, I found one shop where people were buying books. I paid that shop owner more than he deserved and he happily let me take each and every book in that shop. Now, Miss Ember doesn¡¯t have to worry for at least a year or two even if she finishes reading one book a day.¡±

    ¡°You seemed to enjoy shopping. Rest assured. When she needs new books, I will send you there once again,¡± Draven replied and the happy smile on Erlos¡¯s lips disappeared.

    With his servant staring at him with an aggrieved look, Draven stepped out of the study, only to catch a whiff of his mate¡¯s scent in the hallway. His gaze searched for her, but as the sweet scent of jasmine was barely there, it was easy to guess Ember wasn¡¯t in the immediate vicinity.

    He had failed again and again from finding her whereabouts by using his powers, but by tracking her through her unique aroma, he could easily find his little mate.

    His feet moved on their own towards the direction of the sensual scent, leading him out towards the main garden of the pce. Soon his ears caught the sound of movement in the garden. It appeared to be Ember talking to someone while walking in a hurry.

    His walking pace increased, and soon, he found a delicate figure in a frilly pink gown rushing along the uneven ground like a yful spirit while holding her long skirt in her hands.

    Chirp, chirp?

    Getting back to his senses, Draven then noticed she seemed to be following a bird which was flying from one tree to another like it was ying with her.

    He could hear her starting to pant and Draven¡¯s eyes narrowed at that bird who was troubling his mate.

    Draven continued to walk towards Ember with his gaze following her movements. When the girl finally stopped running to catch her breath, the man¡¯s death re was thrown in the direction of that bird.

    As if the bird had sensed the danger, it quietly flew towards Ember. She immediately put forward her hands and it sat in the cup of her palms.

    ¡°You¡­You made me run¡­ so much¡­hah¡­ See, I am tired,¡± she talked to him while caressing its soft feathers with her thumb, unaware that someone was standing a distance from her and ring at that bird in her hands.

    ¡°Sire? What are¨C¡±

    Erlos hade looking for his master to report something, but what he found was the funny scene of Draven ring at a little bird with his fists clenched tightly.

    Erlos could see right through him after knowing his master for a long time.

    ¡°Ahem, Sire, that white cockatiel is a female bird. It¡¯s a tamed animal who belongs to one of our servants.¡±

    ¡®Female Bird.¡¯

    Only then Draven did release his tight fists, his re turning into a t gaze at the little bird that was enjoying being petted by his mate.

    After informing him about the newly-arrived documents sent by the council on his desk, the young elf excused himself while Draven stayed back. Though her scent was messing with his senses, he didn¡¯t wish to let go of her from his sight. It was a chance to know more about his mate.

    ¡®She looks like she¡¯s enjoying herself? Does she like birds?¡¯ he wondered. Something inside him was urging him to understand her better. ¡®I want her to continue smiling like that¡­¡¯

    Just then, she turned around. It might be pure coincidence, or perhaps she felt his gaze, but she discovered Draven standing while watching there at a distance. His sudden presence startled her and her hands that were holding the bird shook, causing that white bird to fly away from her in panic.

    ¡°Ah?¡± Unconsciously, she tried to catch the bird but the next moment¨C

    Thud!

    She fell on the ground t on her face when her feet tangled with her long skirt. Draven was so immersed in her smiling face that he didn¡¯t get to react by using his powers.

    He walked towards his clumsy little mate who was sprawled on the grassy ground t on her stomach.

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡±

    Ember heard his familiar cold voice but didn¡¯t dare look at him. She wanted to just hide. Yesterday, she already made a terrible mistake when she barged into his bath, yet here she was once again, embarrassing herself in front of him for the second time.

    Not getting any reply from the blushing girl, Draven asked again, ¡°Are you hurt?¡±

    ¡°Uhm, yes¡­?¡±

    As she calmed herself, Ember tried to sit up while Draven kneeled on one leg to help her bnce herself. He looked at her face where her left cheek had a de of grass and a smudge of soil stuck to it. The front of her dress was even dirtier as she fell on her stomach.

    Unconsciously, his hand moved towards her face to remove that dirt from her cheek, but she panicked and moved her head back. ¡°I-I am fine, Your Majesty!¡±

    His hand was left hanging midway as the human girl shot to her feet and ran away from him. Her face was as red as an apple, embarrassed to face him due to her clumsy actions.

    Draven continued kneeling on one leg as he sighed, his helpless gaze following his escaping mate when¨C

    Thud!

    Once again, the exact same sound he heard earlier¨Cthe sound of a body falling down¨Creached his ears. He closed his eyes briefly, feeling annoyed as he knew what had happened.

    Draven saw that frail little thing lying t on the ground once again a few feet away.

    Unaware of theplicated gaze being thrown her way, Ember wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

    ¡®Three times! In a span of two days! Why? Why is this happening to me?!¡¯

    She felt like a joke to have embarrassed herself in front of the King for the third time. She wanted to cry but no tears came out, and this made her feel frustrated. She wasn¡¯t this clumsy usually, and she banged her head on the ground, wishing she could make herself erase her own memories.

    ¡®Ouch, it hurts,¡¯ she inwardlyined. ¡®Ugh, should I hit my head once again and see if it¡¯ll make me forget?¡¯

    Several awkward seconds passed by. The human on the ground didn¡¯t move like she was pretending to be one with the grass. Ember was hoping that the King would ignore her and leave her alone to swim in shame, but there was no chance that was happening. Draven stood up, and when he approached her this time, he offered her his hand like a gentleman.

    ¡°Get up.¡±

 Chapter 117

    Ember reluctantly raised her head and saw his ck-gloved hand in front of her. She epted it without saying a word. He helped her get up, but even before she could stand steady on her feet, her feet were up in the air¨Cshe was in his arms.

    This time, her small face turned red once more but for reasons she couldn¡¯t understand.

    Was it fear, or something else?

    She didn¡¯t resist his actions and quietly let him carry her. Without her noticing, she wrapped her arms around his neck as if it was the most natural thing to do, causing him to flinch before resuming his usual cold face. When she looked at his handsome face, it was without any emotions, making it difficult for anyone to guess what he was thinking.

    ¡®Is he disappointed that I am so clumsy? Does he think I¡¯m a bother since he always needs to help me?¡¯ she worried, but then her thoughts were distracted by the masculine scenting from him. She could not help but take a deep breath. ¡®Why does he smell so good? It makes me want to get close to him. It makes me feel calm andforted¡­¡¯

    The embarrassment she had inside had vanished as she continued to stare at his chiseled face while his gaze was fixed ahead. He carried her inside one of the nearby pavilions and made her sit on the stone tform inside it while he kneeled in front of her.

    His red eyes met her green ones.

    ¡°Where are you hurt?¡±

    His voice was firm and devoid of any emotion, and his red eyes were the same. Usually, a normal person would have replied promptly, probably with a stutter, but his little mate simply stared at him, not answering his question.

    ¡®So bold,¡¯ Draven frowned and moved his face closer to hers. ¡°Are you ignoring the King¡¯s question, human?¡±

    Only then did she snap back to her senses and backed her face away from him. ¡°Ah? I didn¡¯t mean to, Your Majesty¡­Apologies¨C¡±

    ¡°Where are you hurt?¡± he asked, increasing the distance between them as well when he realized he had subconsciouslye too close. During her second fall, he had already noticed something was wrong that was why he didn¡¯t hesitate to carry her in his arms.

    ¡°Umm, I am not hurt. I just scratched my knees a little, but I can walk, Your Majesty. I apologize for bothering you. I will go back to my chamber¨C¡±

    Her words were cut off as Draven moved her skirt up till her knee to check.

    ¡°No, Your Majesty!¡± she cried out in a fluster. ¡°It-It really doesn¡¯t hurt much!¡±

    She held her skirt down, pressing the fabric back to cover her legs.

    Her reaction caused the King to scowl, and as his red eyes silently stared into her emerald green ones, she remembered a horrible memory¨Cbefore the first council meeting, this scary red-eyed man entered her house and tore all of her clothes when she didn¡¯tply with his orders.

    ¡®Oh no, is he angry? Will he punish me¨C¡®

    Ember was distressed by the situation, but she didn¡¯t know the man in front of her was struggling more than her. Due to the bond, everything about Ember¨Cfrom her smallest actions to the faintest changes in her emotions¨Cwould cause severe impact to her more sensitive dragon mate. From his instinctive urges to his worries and his anger, they would all be enhanced when it came to her.

    How much was he affected by her scent alone? Being this close was sweet torture to him. It was as if every fiber of his being hade alive, and it was difficult to hold himself back from not giving into that seductive scenting from his mate. All he could do was distract that urge by focusing on his worry about her wellbeing, or else he would have pounced on her like a wild animal.

    That heavy silent stare from him made her gulp, and she resigned herself to letting go of her skirt.

    Since she did what he wanted, he turned his attention towards her knees. With her burn scars almost all healed, Draven could see the fair delicate skin of her legs that was hidden under her. She was wearing white stockings, but due to her repeated fall, they were ripped along her skirt.Both of her knees were scratched and bruised, but they were fortunately not bleeding.

    ¡®It¡¯s dirty,¡¯ he thought.

    Draven removed the glove from one of his hands and tried to brush away the crumbs of dirt from her bruised knees, only to hear her let out a whine despite touching her as gently as he could. He realized it was not bad and let go of her dress.

    When the King was observing her knees, Ember¡¯s gazended on his ck hair being messed up by the passing breeze. Pitch ck hair that seemed silky soft to touch, and she was tempted to reach out and test if those silky strands were as soft as they looked..

    She felt her heart beating a little faster as she hesitated, and her breathing turned shallow. She felt something different, one she had not felt before. Her hand involuntary moved towards his head to touch it but¨C

    ¡°Ask your servants to apply the Wood Elf healing elixir on it once you return.¡±

    His voice pulled her out of the trance, making her hand stop midway.

    Draven looked at her hand that was approaching him and then towards her face that looked puzzled as if she didn¡¯t know what she was doing. Even Ember herself felt confused when she noticed his red eyes looking at her.

    ¡°I¡­¡± She didn¡¯t know how to exin why her fingers were mere inches away from his face and was about to pull her hand back when Draven held it to stop her.

    Ember was startled, but what shocked her more was the moment he held her hand, it was as if her world lost all sounds, and in this exhratingly quiet world, only the frantic beating of her heart could be heard.

    Draven stared deeply into her eyes as he moved her hand closer to his face. He made that delicate palm touch his cheek.

    A gasp left her lips as she stared at her hand cupping the man¡¯s face, feeling something she had never experienced before¨Csomething wild and overbearinge alive inside her chest.

    How could touching someone feel like this?

    It was a fleeting feeling, but there was a sh of realization, as if what she had with the man in front of her was a connection deeper and infinitelyrger than anything she¡¯d ever known, as if¡­as if¡­

    However, she struggled to find the words to describe what she was feeling.

    Draven was mesmerized. A single touch of his mate was enough for him to feel as if the thousands of years he spent living without her was a nd dream. It was as if he was breathing for the first time, feeling sunlight for the first time, tasting what it meant to be alive for the first time. He wanted to close his eyes and enjoy her touch, but at the same time, he wanted to stare at her just like this.

    ¡®When the bond isplete¡­I wonder if she will feel the same way I do¡­¡¯

    His thumb caressed the back of her right hand that he was holding. Before any of them realized it, their faces were merely an inch apart, the tips of their noses almost touching.

    His hot breath fanned against her cold skin, and this made her body shiver as if it was craving their growing intimacy. Instinct was telling her that everything was falling into ce, and as her hand caressed the angles of his face, as her fingers traced his high cheekbone down to his jaw¨C

    ¡°Miss Ember, are you around?¡±

    Their intimate bubble burst, and reason came flooding back to the pair, along with the sounds around them¨Cthe chirping of birds, the rustling of trees, the distant sound of footsteps and voices¨Call resounding ps to their stunned faces that Draven and Ember had never been alone in the first ce.

    ¡°¨Chey, have you perhaps seen Miss Ember? I can¡¯t find her, and it¡¯s already way past meal time.¡±

    ¡°Try asking the others,¡± another voice responded. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Miss all day today.¡±

    ¡°All right. I wonder where the Miss went¡­¡±

    Ember recognized the voice belonging to one of the servants assigned to her, and this caused her topletely awaken from her trance-like state. Her hands flew to her chest, and she felt her heart still racing under her palms. She licked her lips, and only then did she realize her throat felt parched.

    ¡®W-What was that?¡¯ Her puzzled eyes looked at the red-eyed man who had moved away from her. ¡®What was I doing with the King? What were we¨C¡®

    Under her confused gaze, Draven stood up as if nothing strange had urred and kept proper distance between them. With his senses heightened, he knew the offender who ruined the moment was now roaming the garden.

    ¡®That elf, it is one of her servants.¡¯

    Draven waited for the elf to reach the gazebo while he nced at his mate who still looked to bepletely out of it. Ember remained sitting, trying to calm herself and rubbing her hand over her heart as if asking it to stop being like this.

    ¡®It¡¯s not the right time,¡¯ he inwardly sighed. ¡®Let her get used to it.¡¯

 Chapter 118

    The female servant with blue hair in a bun saw her human master together with the King inside the pavilion.

    Reya was quick to hide her surprise as she walked closer to the garden pavilion and bowed to the King. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty. I apologize for intruding, but I am here to inform Miss Ember that her midday meal has been prepared.¡± Then, she paused as if to consider her next words. ¡°Should I let the kitchen know that you two will be dining together?¡±

    But Draven ignored her question. ¡°Her knee is injured. Make sure to take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± said the servant as she kept her head lowered.

    Before leaving, Draven was reminded of something as he nced at his mate for thest time. ¡°Give her casual dresses that are easier to move around,¡± he instructed and left even before the servant could respond.

    After hepletely disappeared from sight, Reya entered the stone pavilion and looked at Ember who looked lost.

    ¡°Miss Ember? Are you feeling unwell?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ember blinked at the elf as if she was pulled out of a daze. ¡°I am not¨C¡±

    Seeing the girl¡¯s dirty dress and torn skirt, Reya walked closer and kneeled in front of her. ¡°His Majesty said you have hurt your knee. Please let me take a look.¡±

    Ember sat quietly, still dealing with what she was feeling a while ago. She studied Reya who pulled her skirt up to check her knee. Just like Draven, Reya had inspected her wound but Ember realized she felt nothing odd when Reya was doing it so¡­so why was it different when the King was doing the same thing?

    ¡®Wasn¡¯t he just checking my wound just like Reya? Then, why was my reaction so strange? My heart, it won¡¯t calm down.¡¯

    ¡°Miss Ember, it is a mere surface wound so you have nothing to worry about,¡± Reya concluded.

    The confused human simply nodded and stood up to go back inside the pce. Even after Reya had brought her back to her chamber and finished treating her wound, Ember was stuck with her memories from the garden.

    Afterwards, Reya gave her a simple dress which didn¡¯t have a fluffy skirt. It was one the simplest elf-styled dresses in her wardrobe, looking more like the summer dresses humans wear when they go on a pic.

    ¡°I apologize Miss that we failed to consider howfortable you¡¯ll be moving around when we made your clothes,¡± Reya started as she finished helping her into her dress. ¡°We made a lot of gowns and formal dresses we¡¯ve heard human nobles wear since Dame Y thought you¡¯d like them better. If we had known it will be like this, we would have made less of those heavy dresses and morefortable clothes for you¨C¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± Ember said with a smile and then proceeded to have her meal quietly.

    Seeing the young human acting strangely since they returned from the garden, Reya and Clio looked at each other. Clio hesitantly asked, ¡°Miss Ember, did something happen that made you upset?¡±

    -?(0)???

    The two elves had learned from the other servants how the council meeting went. They expected Ember to be in an extremely good mood, but to their surprise, their master looked shaken.

    Ember could not answer Clio¡¯s question. Something did happen, but whatever she¡¯s feeling, it was far from being upset. She needed to think about what it was exactly.

    The servants didn¡¯t force her and let her have her meal. Once she was finished, Clio informed, ¡°Miss Ember, your study room is ready. Would you like to take a look?¡±

    It surprised Ember. ¡°My study?¡±

    Clio nodded. ¡°His Majesty had ordered for books written in the current humannguage to be brought in, and they have been arranged in your study.¡±

    Finally, something within their expectations happened. The human girl¡¯s mood was immediately lifted, and she was back to her curious self. ¡°Is it fine to head there now? I would like to go see it.¡±

    ¡°Of course, Miss,¡± Reya chuckled at how adorable she was. ¡°You can go to your study whenever you want.¡±

    With smiles on their faces, Reya and Clio guided her way towards one of the many rooms within the southwest wing of the pce. Once they entered the room that was next to her bedchamber, Ember¡¯s gaze was weed by the huge study room that had various shelves filled with hundreds of books. She took a deep breath, and the musky smell of wood, leather and paper felt familiar andforting.

    ¡®So many books?¡¯ Her excited gaze could not help but roam around thatrge room that looked almost like a library.

    Clio gestured towards a long wooden table with small vine-like carvings and a high backrest chair that was kept in front of therge window of the room. ¡°You can sit here while you read your books, Miss.¡±

    Ember looked at her sitting arrangement and smiled, ¡°Thank you, Clio. This is wonderful!¡±

    Reyaughed. ¡°No need to thank my cousin, Miss. If you are to thank anyone, thank His Majesty and Erlos. They¡¯re the ones who had these books collected for you.¡±

    Ember was determined to thank those two at ater time. For now, she could not wait to go through and read all these books.

    Ember walked up to the shelves and felt confused which book she should first pick to read as there were so many.

    ¡°Are there any story books about magic here?¡± Ember asked her servants.

    Clio was quite flustered, looking deeply apologetic that neither she nor her older cousin couldn¡¯t help. ¡°Apologies, Miss Ember, but we can¡¯t read thenguage that is in those books. We, the servants, just arranged them randomly the way we picked them up.¡±

    ?(O)???

    ¡°No need to be sorry, it¡¯s fine. I can find what I want to read about on my own.¡± Ember randomly pulled out a book.

    She skimmed through it fast and realized It was about a romance story between a noble andmoner. It was the kind of story where a rich man and poor woman fall in love and then they fight for it against all odds, with the ending being their marriage and the epilogue about them having a family. She remembered how she and Gaia used to make fun of these stories in their free time whenever Gaia brought any such book for them to read.

    Ember put it back as she wanted something that had supernatural beings mentioned, perhaps a story with elves in them.

    Just then, there was a knock on the door and Reya attended to it. There was a servant standing outside who handed over a book to Reya and said, ¡°Elder Leeora had asked to give this book to Miss Ember. From this, Miss Ember can learn the runguage used in most of the books in Agartha.¡±

    After the servant left, Reya brought that thick leather book to Ember and passed on the servant¡¯s message. Ember could not be happier than this. She immediately got that book and sat in her chair. The thick book let out a heavy sound as she put it on the table.

    ¡°Reya, Clio, do you two know thisnguage?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, Miss. We have learned the runguage,¡± both confirmed. ¡°It is themonnguage used by the different races in the kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Will you two help me learn it?¡± she asked.

    The two could not be happier than this.

    ¡°Of course, Miss Ember.¡±

    ¡°We might also learn humannguage while we teach you this one.¡±

    ¡°Get chairs for you two then. Quick,¡± Ember said excitedly as she could not wait anymore.

    There was a reason why Ember was eager to learn the runguage.

    ¡®After I learn thisnguage, I will borrow that book from His Majesty¡¯s study and learn about magic.¡¯

    Ember wanted to know more about the magic, specifically on how to use it. She had learned only a single spell from Gaia¨Cthe shapeshifting spell¨Cbut she had seen her use more.

    ¡®Since Gaia can do it, so can I. Perhaps I can learn more.¡¯

    She didn¡¯t know why, but for as long as she could remember, she had always been drawn to anything rted to magic¨Cbe they stories about mythical creatures or folktales or even story books about the people who wield magic. It was possibly due to her nanny¡¯s influence, being a person capable of magic, or perhaps something else.

    ¡®I am sure His Majesty has the best books about magic in the kingdom. Elder did say he¡¯s the most powerful person here,¡¯ she thought but then, remembering the King gave her goosebumps. She vividly recalled their encounter in the garden.

    ¡®To fall down in such an ugly manner not once but twice? That was so embarrassing.¡¯

    She didn¡¯t want to remember that moment, but what happened afterward¨Cthat awkward yet heart-warming closeness inside the garden pavilion¨Cfelt just as bad now that she¡¯s recalling it.

    ¡®I could not even apologize for intruding while he bathed, and now I¡¯ve ended up adding more to my embarrassing moments he¡¯d witnessed. I don¡¯t think I can even face him now. Right, I am only unusually clumsy when he¡¯s around. I should be fine as long as I don¡¯t see him. But what about the books in his study? Will he permit me to borrow them if I deliberately avoid him? Well, if worsees to worst, I will just sneak inside his study during the night when no one is around and then borrow that book¡­¡¯

    ¡°Miss Ember?¡± Reya called her.

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I got distracted. What were you saying?¡±

    Ember got back to her senses and paid attention to her servant who continued to exin the basic characters of the runic alphabet. ¡°This symbol represents¡­¡±

    Hours swiftly went by as the three continued to talk about the basics of the runes. Ember tried to remember each and everything character they exined, which to her surprise, was pretty easier than she initially thought.

    ¡°And this one¡­?¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Ember pointed towards each symbol. ¡°This one represents chaos, this one witchcraft, this one heavenly power. This one¡­¡± Ember continued to recite.

    ¡°Oh, amazing!¡± The two servants could not help but feel amazed.

    ¡°Miss Ember, you learn so fast. You are really so smart.¡±

    ¡°It took me a month to remember them all.¡±

    Ember was surprised herself. The elves only needed to mention it once, and she could easily grasp their exnation. ¡°Maybe because I find them interesting.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t take you a long time to memorize the contents of this book,¡± Clio assured her.

    Ember smiled and thought, ¡®And once I learn this, I will sneak into King¡¯s study and get that book.¡¯

    This human girl didn¡¯t know that once again she was nning to put herself in trouble.

    Ember spent the rest of the day inside her study, learning that runguage without stepping out. When she got hungry, she refused to leave to eat but instead had her servants bring her snacks every once in a while.

    ¡°Miss Ember, it¡¯s time for dinner,¡± Clio informed her.

    ¡°Already?¡± Ember looked out the window behind her and realized the sky had already turned dark. She didn¡¯t realize this as she had been so focused on reading, but her study was bright due to the variousmps which her servants quietly lit up some time ago.

    ¡®Howe I didn¡¯t notice it? No wonder my eyes feel tired. I have been studying the entire afternoon.¡± Only then did she realize her back and neck ached as well, and she was feeling hungrier than usual.

    ¡°Do you want us to bring your meal here in your study?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. There¡¯s no need. I will eat at the dining hall.¡± She closed the book and followed her two servants to the dining hall while stretching her numb limbs.

    After a hearty meal, Ember was torn between going back to her study and retiring to her bedchamber, but thetter won as she could not help but let out a yawn.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t it a bit early in the night? Why am I feeling so weak and lethargic?¡¯

    ¡°Miss Ember, would you like to have a bath before going to bed?¡± Reya asked.

    ?(O)??? ¡°No, I am so tired,¡± she said and climbed her bed without even caring to change into her nightgown.

    ¡°You need to change clothes¨C¡±

    ¡°I am fine. Just let me sleep,¡± she interrupted Clio and fell asleep mere seconds after letting out another yawn.

    Seeing her exhaustion,, her two servants left her to sleep after adjusting the temperature of the chamber.

    ¡ª¡ª

    The next morning, a sweet floral smell spread across the pce. It was so strong that even less sensitive noses could sense it from within their own lodgings. Something like this would have normally been ignored if not for the strange reactions of the servants belonging to the shapeshifters. Among those working in the pce, those with the most intense reactions were the male servants with a beast constitution.

    Everyone could not help but wonder about the source of this scent.

    ¡®This situation has never happened in the pce before¡­¡¯

    ¡®I know, isn¡¯t it irresponsible to leave this be?¡¯

    ¡®This sweet scent, who does it belong to?¡¯

    ¡®Which female is it?¡¯

    A certain king had been soaking in his pool that morning when his entire body tensed upon catching a whiff of this scent. He could recognize this scent anywhere. It was that mixed scent that reminded him of jasmine but there was something more to it¨Cit wasn¡¯t refreshing, but rather heavier and sweeter, strong enough to make him go crazy with just a whiff.

    ¡®That thing, is she¡­¡¯

    He clenched his fists and came out of the water. Putting on his robe, he stepped out of the side chamber where he found his servant Erlos who seemed acting normally. He was not a beast but an elf so Draven could be relieved that his servant would not be affected by the scenting from his female.

    Sensing his agitation, Erlos bowed to the King. ¡°Sire? Is anything¨C¡±

    ¡°Have all the males leave the pce, not to return without my order,¡± Draven cut him off.

    It shocked Erlos. ¡°What? What happened¨C¡±

    ¡°Just do as you¡¯re told!¡± Draven scowled and his elf servant dared not ask any more questions.

    Once Erlos left, Draven felt like burying himself somewhere deep underground where he wouldn¡¯t smell this scent. He clenched his fists, trying to resist the temptation.

    ¡°That thing is in heat,¡± Draven said with gritted teeth.

    =====

    A/N ¨C Dear readers, the new month will start now from the 1st of august. I wish you all to vote GOLDEN TICKETS to take the novel into the top 5 in the month of August. And I will make sure to give multiple MASS RELEASE with interesting chapters that you all are waiting for.

 Chapter 119

    Despite creating unintentional chaos among the beastmen working inside the pce, the human culprit was sleeping soundly in her bed. When she finally woke up a littleter than usual, she was weed by difort in her lower abdomen.

    ¡®I feel so tired¡­I don¡¯t want to get out of bed¡­¡¯

    She subconsciously rubbed her abdomen and rolled into a ball, wanting to get more sleep, but then she felt an ufortable warm moistness between her legs.

    Her eyes flew open. ¡®Wait? Is it already¡­?¡¯

    She sat up in bed and pushed away the nket covering her.

    ¡®Please let me be wrong,¡¯ she begged as she hurriedly checked her dress and the bed. To her horror, the pristine white bed sheet and her clothes were stained red with blood.

    ¡®Oh, no! What should I do? This is so shameful!¡¯ she panicked. ¡®Wash, I need to wash. Water! I need water. Where¨Cah! Should I wash this in the side chamber?¡¯

    She tried to get out of the bed, but she had a bad cramp in her stomach and whined in pain. ¡°Ouch¡­I hate this monthly cycle¡­The first day is definitely the worst¡­but I need to get out of bed or else the stain will spread¡­¡±

    -?(0)???

    It just so happened that Reya and Clio found her in a curled position on the floor beside her bed when they entered.

    ¡°Miss Ember! Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°What happened, Miss?¡±

    The two servants approached her with obvious distress, scared to see her squatting on the floor with her hands on her stomach and her face buried in her knees.

    Since early in the morning, the elves had been checking from time to time if Ember had awoken, not disturbing her since they thought she exhausted herself from studying yesterday. That was why no one tried to wake her even though it was way past her usual morning meal. They never expected to see her look as pale as a ghost when they returned.

    Ember looked at the two with a painful expression and shook her head. Her eyes were on the verge of tears.

    ¡°W-What happened?¡± Clio asked in worry.

    ?(O)???

    Reya noticed the stained bedsheet and had a guess. ¡°Estrous cycle?¡±

    Clio followed Reya¡¯s gaze and understood.

    ¡°Miss Ember, it¡¯s alright,¡± Reya tried to console her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not alright at all,¡± Ember said in annoyance. ¡°I wish I won¡¯t get them ever¡­.ahh!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like this, Miss Ember. Let me help you wash up,¡± said Clio as she waited for Ember to ept her hand and help her stand up.

    With much effort, Ember managed to stay steady on her feet with an apologetic expression. ¡°Sorry, I soiled the sheets and my dress as well. I should clean them¨C¡±

    ¡°No, no, Miss. Things like these, allow us to take care of them. I will change it. It¡¯s fine,¡± Reya assured while Clio took Ember to the bath and helped get her clean and take care of the bleeding.

    After changing the bed sheets into clean ones, Reya appeared in the bath and helped Ember along with Clio.

    Because of her situation, she washed up quickly, not letting herself stay in the water for long. She was just content to take care of that annoying bleeding. She hated it whenever she ended up soiling her dress and bed like this. After changing into new clothes with the help of the two, Ember returned to her bedchamber and could not help but want toy in bed once more.

    The two servants arranged the morning meal for her inside her chamber instead of in the dining hall as Ember looked in pain.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can eat anything¡­Ugh¡­¡± She frowned in pain and curled in bed.

    ¡°Miss Ember, you can have this herbal concoction once you eat something. This will help you lessen the pain,¡± Reya said and Ember immediately looked at the bottle in her hand.

    ¡°You can give it to me.¡±

    ¡°No, Miss, you need to eat something first.¡±

    Ember agreed reluctantly and fed herself without really tasting the food, and only then did Reya give her the herbal concoction. The effect was almost immediate¨Cnot even half an hour after, she could feel the pain in her abdomen turn into a dull ache. She sighed in relief as it was no longer as bad as a while ago, where she was sweating coldly due to the terrible cramps.

    ¡°Thank you for helping me,¡± Ember said as she sat leaning back at the headboard of the bed. Clio dutifully arranged the softest cushions behind her.

    ¡°It¡¯s our duty to help you, Miss Ember.¡± Clio passed her a ss of water to get rid of the taste of medicine in her mouth and said, ¡°But you should be thankful to Miss Y who had already prepared everything for this moment. She said we need to be ready because humans get a monthly estrous cycle.¡±

    ¡°Miss, do you humans really get it once a month?¡± Reya asked as if she could not believe it. Clio also had a curious expression, waiting for Ember herself to personally confirm it.

    Ember looked at the two elves in surprise. ¡°You mean bleeding? Don¡¯t all females get it monthly?¡±

    The two shook their heads.

    ?(O)??? ¡°No. We don¡¯t get it monthly.¡±

    ¡°It depends on the race, Miss, but none of the other races has it monthly too.¡±

    Ember felt like she had heard something wrong and asked casually before taking another sip of water. ¡°If not monthly, then how often¡­?¡±

    ¡°For us elves and the females of the beast race, we get our estrous cycle once a year,¡± Reya answered. ¡°Fairies don¡¯t have them since they are spirits¡­as for the witches, I heard they can control them whenever they want?¡±

    ¡°What, they¨Ccough¨Cwhat?!¡±

    Ember choked on the water she was drinking and ended up spitting and coughing.

    She could not hold back her shock as she continued coughing. The two servants hurried to ease her, taking away the ss in her hand.

    ¡°Miss Ember, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes¨Ccough¨CI¡¯m fine¡­I was just¡­surprised¡­haaa¡­¡±

    ¡®Once a year?¡¯

 Chapter 120

    ¡®Once a year?¡¯

    Ember felt like her entire life was a lie. No, she had learned how unfortunate the life she was living as a human. If she didn¡¯t learn this, it would have been fine, but now¡­she wished to return to the blissful ignorance she had while living on that dead mountain.

    ¡®Gaia was right. Comparisons hurt.¡¯

    Reya put the ss of water on the bedside table while Clio brought a soft clean cloth to clean the spilled water.

    Ember looked at the two. ¡°For you¡­really? O-Once a year? Are you sure?¡±

    The two nodded and Clio said, ¡°That is why we were very surprised to hear that humans have it every month.¡±

    ¡°You mean every female in this kingdom gets their monthly¡­.¡± She stopped and corrected herself as it was not monthly for them and asked, ¡°I mean, estrous cycle only once in a year?¡±

    ¡°The majority, Miss, since we elves and the shapeshifters constitute thergest poption in Agartha. Sometimes, it goes like once every two years. But it¡¯s rare and unfortunate,¡± Reya answered. ¡°Like I said the fairies are spirits so they don¡¯t have them and the witches¨C¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, it¡¯s all right,¡± she cut them off, feeling like a new trauma was forming if she heard that again.

    Ember felt like crying at her fate of this monthly cycle. Tears rolled down her eyes but they were not due to the pain in her abdomen but due to the injustice she learned.

    ¡®How unfair it is that I have to bleed every month!¡¯

    It worried her two servants. ¡°Miss Ember, is it still hurting? Do you want us to get you something warm? Maybe soup?¡±

    Ember shook her head and looked at the two with an earnest gaze. ¡°Tell me¡­Tell me¡­is there a way a human can transform into a witch? No, even the elf race or beastmen race will do¡­¡±

    She was asking this earnestly, but the two servants smiled and giggled at it.

    ¡°Miss Ember, you are so funny¨C¡± Clioughed lightly.

    ¡°¨Cand so fortunate to have a monthly estrous cycle,¡± Reya added.

    ¡°Fortunate? How can it be fortunate?¡± Ember cried out. She felt like these two were making fun of her.

    ¡°I am telling the truth, Miss Ember,¡± Clio said when she realized the human girl was upset. ¡°It is such a precious time we elves cherish. Imagine how it was for those of us who have found their significant others, the couple had to wait for the female to go into heat only once a year, and they cannot miss that chance of mating. They wait for it eagerly, but as humans, you get it monthly and you don¡¯t have to wait for as long. That is why I say you are so fortunate.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t really understand what they meant and asked, ¡°When did you two have yourst cycle?¡±

    ¡°Mine was six months back,¡± Reya answered.

    Ember looked at Clio. The younger elf smiled. ¡°I am yet to get my first cycle, Miss.¡±

    ¡°Even though you look like an adult even older than me?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°We elves have a lifespan of about a thousand years, Miss. For us, we get our cycles when we are around eighty to a hundred years old. I am only seventy years old, not yet an adult,¡± Clio answered.

    Hearing those, no word coulde out of Ember¡¯s mouth and she could only blink in surprise. ¡°And how old are you, Reya?¡±

    ¡°I am a hundred and fifty years old,¡± Reya answered proudly. ¡°I¡¯m still considered a child as well among elves, Miss.¡±

    ¡°Is this for real? You two look around my age,¡± Ember asked in shock.

    ¡°Humans have short lifespans while we have longer life spans, that must be the reason why our growth rates differ. Though, once we be an adult at two hundred years old, we stop ageing physically until we near the end of our lifespans,¡± Reya answered. ¡°Only then will we age again.¡±

    Ember felt like her head would hurt with so much shocking information at once. She had spent some time with Leeora, but such conversation was never brought up. She took a deep breath. ¡°Umm, will it be all right to ask you to leave? I want to rest¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course, Miss.¡± Clio helped hery in bed and covered her with a thick nket.

    Ember closed her eyes as only the same words repeated in her mind, ¡®Once a year¡­once a year¡­¡¯

    But as the two servants were leaving, Ember heard their fading voices.

    ¡°¡­His Majesty is so fortunate to have a human mate.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. They don¡¯t have to wait for a year to mate¡­¡±

    Ember felt confused. ¡®What are they talking about?¡¯

    ¡ª¡ª

    After Erlos passed the King¡¯s order, Y being the Chief Steward in charge of the pce affairs carried out that order as swiftly as possible. Each male servant¨Cfrom the gardeners to the kitchen helpers, regardless of their respective races¨C all were sent out of the pce and were ordered to not return till the Kingmanded them to.

    Y went to check on Ember after finishing all her morning duties inside the pce. She looked quite tired after allocating the leftover work of the male servants to the remaining female servants to cover up theck of manpower. With their absence, it made her wonder if she should open temporary hiring for female servants. She could not let the pce turn into a mess due to the absence of the male servants.

    While worrying over this, she reached the top floor of the southwest wing of the pce. She saw the youngsters of her n, Reya and Clio, standing outside the chamber while talking and giggling.

    Seeing Y, they bowed to her. ¡°Greetings, Dame Y.¡±

    She epted it with a nod and asked, ¡°How is Miss Ember?¡±

    ¡°She is currently resting,¡± Reya informed.

    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s Y. May I enter?¡± After not hearing anything after knocking, Y quietly opened the door to check on her, only to find the human sleeping soundly. She went closer and observed her to check if everything was fine with Ember in such a situation.

 Chapter 121

    Only after Y was assured that Ember was fine did the elf quietly leave the chamber, not wanting to disturb the sleeping girl. She saw the two young elves still smiling as if there was something to be happy about.

    ¡°What are you two so happy about?¡± Y asked with a raised brow.

    ¡°Oh, Dame. Of course, it¡¯s because Miss Ember is in heat,¡± Reya answered with a sly smile.

    ¡°We are happy because it won¡¯t take long for us to see His Majesty¡¯s offspring.¡±

    Clio could only nod in agreement, unable to say those out loud as she wasn¡¯t as open as her older cousin.

    Y sighed as she realized there was a misunderstanding. ¡°A human¡¯s bleeding is different from ours.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you told us that they bleed monthly,¡± Reya answered promptly like a good student.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just that. For us, our estrous cycle starts with bleeding which is a sign of going into heat. We bleed for three to four days and then we are ready to mate and conceive a child. But this is not the case with humans. For them, bleeding means they have missed the chance of mating, and if they wish to conceive, they have to wait till the next time the female ovtes. The thing is, when their females ovte, they do not give off an obvious smell that tells the males that the female is ready to conceive. So humans calcte it with days of the month from the day the female bleeds.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so unfortunate that human males won¡¯t know if a female is ovting. They can miss the best chance of mating, but then, humans have it monthly so there are many chances for them to try,¡± Reyamented.

    ¡°Makes sense how humans produce so many offspring,¡± Clio said and then asked as realization dawned on her. ¡°So Miss Ember is not in heat?¡±

    Y shook her head.

    ¡°Then why did His Majesty ask all the males to leave the pce?¡± Clio asked.

    ¡°Even though she is not in heat, she is still bleeding because of her human estrous cycles so it affects the males in the same way. They can smell the female¡¯s bleeding and they think she is in heat,¡± Y exined.

    The happiness the two young elves were feeling was gone in a moment and then Reya asked, ¡°But¡­ His Majesty must be thinking she is in heat. He will be disappointed to hear of this.¡±

    ¡°I am sure he understands how it works for humans,¡± Y said with a smile. ¡°I need to visit his Majesty. You two look after Miss Ember.¡±

    The two nodded and Y went to the King¡¯s study. She had a guess that the red-eyed man dared not stay on the same floor as his mate due to that strong scenting from her, but couldn¡¯t also make himself leave the pce due to his primal instincts.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Inside Draven¡¯s study, Erlos was updating him about the situation.

    ¡°Sire, as per your order, all the males have been sent out of the pce,¡± he informed him. ¡°Most of them chose to return to their hometowns, while the rest decided to stay over in Ronan¡­¡±

    Draven sat in his armchair with his eyes closed, trying¨Cno, not just trying, but fighting with himself and his swaying control of his sanity from giving into that tempting scent.

    He couldn¡¯t stay close to her yet he also could not leave the pce, not when his mate was giving off the scent that would attract males towards her.

    As her mate, his possessive instinctpelled him to stay around his female, and this would be extreme if she went into heat. Though he knew that Ember was not in heat, the scent of her bleeding had the same effect on the males, giving them the wrong impression that a female beast was going into heat.

    Seeing the silent king, Erlos asked, ¡°Sire, since all males are to leave¡­this means I can take these days off work as well and go back home, right?¡±

    The young elf¡¯s eyes were shining brightly, excited to have a proper chance to rx. Since he finally could get time off from work, he even started to n in his mind what he would do during those off days.

    Visiting different cities, having fun in other territories, going anywhere he wants without worry of being called back by the King and so on¡­

    ¡°You are not going anywhere,¡± the King finally spoke and burst the happy bubble of the dreaming elf.

    Erlos¡¯ eyes were wide with disbelief. ¡°B-But Sire, I am a male¨C¡±

    ¡°Can you smell anything strange in the air?¡± Draven asked.

    ¡°Nothing strange, though I heard the shapeshifters saying something¡­but, Sire! You cannot be like this! You have sent the other male elves out as well. Why are you excluding me?¡± he cried out.

    ¡°You have to run errands,¡± Draven spoke.

    Erlos¡¯s face turned sad. ¡°Of course, Sire¡­What instructions do you have for me?¡±

    ¡°Go to Leeora and ask her the strongest essence she has in her collection. It must be one that can suppress any other scents around,¡± Draven instructed him.

    With his long, pointed ears drooping in a manner that reflected how very, very, disappointed their owner was. Erlos simply nodded and left without asking anything else.

    A few minutester, Y arrived in the King¡¯s study to let him know how Ember was faring.

    ¡°Your Majesty, do you have instructions for me?¡± she asked.

    Draven nodded. ¡°Make sure to not let her out of her bedchamber until this ends. Arrange everything she would need inside her chamber.¡±

    His words didn¡¯t surprise Y as if she was already expecting it. She knew what effect the scent from his mate must have had on the King, and having his mate roam around him freely was not a good idea. It was for Ember¡¯s own good. Y could see that the King was truly worried for his mate and that he was fighting such a strong urge where most males would have failed.

    ¡®She is surely so fortunate,¡¯ Y thought and then assured the King. ¡°I have received your order. There won¡¯t be any mistakes.¡±

    Draven nodded lightly and she left the study.

    Y passed the same order to Reya and Clio and told them to not let Ember step out of the southwest wing. She was only allowed to go to the dining hall and her study, other than being in her bedchamber.

    Since it was only a concern for four to five days, Y believed they would be able to follow it without problems.

 Chapter 122

    Erlos arrived in Ronan in no time, and he went straight to Leeora¡¯s home where he found the elderly elf busy segregating a batch of dried herbs in different baskets and wooden containers. They were ingredients freshly provided to her by a merchant from another city for her elixir-making.

    Leeora looked at the young elf who entered her house looking as if someone stole his future away from him.

    ¡°What happened to upset you?¡± Leeora asked as she continued to work.

    ¡°What else can happen when I am blessed to have such a wonderfully fair and just master?¡± Erlos said with a pitifully sad smile.

    ¡°Hmm, what happened?¡± she asked.

    The young elf simply sat on the chair opposite the High Elder, not answering her. ¡°Oh, Elder, I came here for official matters.¡± He proceeded to help her arrange the herbs. ¡°Sire asked me to get your strongest incense avable, one that can suppress the scent of any other things,¡± he informed her idly.

    ¡°Huh?¡± It surprised the elderly woman. ¡°That is quite vague. Did Sire mention what it will be used for?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure, but he has been acting strange this morning. He ordered all the male servants to leave the pce grounds for a few days.¡± He let out a miserable sigh. ¡°Everyone but me! How can he be unfair to me? I am a male as well. Why did he single me out¡ª¡±

    Leeora smiled at the naive elf who loved to badmouth his master.

    ¡°There must be a reason he had all the male servants leave,¡± shemented, as she was sure it was something about his mate. These days, it was a given that Ember was the only reason making Draven act out of character.

    ¡°I am not sure as he didn¡¯t tell me, but I heard the shapeshifters¡ªthe beastmen in particr¡ªsaying they can smell something sweet. And from what I heard, they were talking about a female being in heat. I tried to smell it too, but I couldn¡¯t really find anything out of ce.¡±

    Leeora now understood the entire thing. ¡®Seems like it is that time of the month for Ember.¡±

    ¡°That is because you are an elf. Only beastmen can smell it,¡± Leeora exined.

    ¡°That¡¯s my guess too! But still, he sent even the male elves out, all of them but me!¡± Erlosined.

    ¡°That is because of the possessive nature of the male to his mate. They don¡¯t like any other male¡¯s presence when their female is in heat. About you, you are someone Sire trusts the most. He must be confident in letting you stay because there is nothing for him to be worried about.¡±

    Erlos sighed helplessly, as if there was no one in this world that would understand him. ¡°You always take his side, Elder. Forget it, just give me what Sire ordered. Let me know how much it costs. I will have the expense sentter through Garros.¡±

    Leeora pondered for a bit before taking out several wooden boxes from her collection. Some of them were dried herbs and barks of trees, while the others were powdered minerals of various colours and small vials of scented oils.

    ¡°You are quite lucky since I have enough ingredients to create a single portion. Otherwise, you can only purchase this kind of incense from the territory of the shapeshifters, specifically in the city owned by the werewolves, but even there, this concoction is very rare and the ingredients hard to find.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, Elder?¡±

    ¡°You know that our people only get offsprings once every few decades. This is used to train the children¡ªI mean, the young beastmen who cannot control their primal instincts so you can say this is a concoction only used every hundred years or so. This essence does not only suppress, but rather, nullifies scents, turning them odourless within a limited distance. Of course, it has other uses as well¡­¡±

    ¡°Amazing, Elder. I¡¯m surprised you know how to make it even though you¡¯re an elf.¡±

    ¡°When you¡¯ve reached my age, you will know almost everything about everyone as long as you pay proper attention and show curiosity to those around you.¡±

    After mixing the ingredients with measured care, she gave a satisfied nod and brought a small box filled with golden powder to Erlos.

    ¡°You can burn it in the incense burner, and it will cover any scent. Considering the size of Sire¡¯s study and chamber, this much willst for a day.¡±

    ¡°Just a day? But Elder¡ª¡±

    ¡°Like I mentioned, the ingredients arecking. I will need to arrange them to be brought from other cities. Don¡¯t worry. I will send the next batch of incense to the pce as soon as I can.¡±

    Erlos held the box and heard the elderly elf continue. ¡°Since you are here, can you do me a favour? These elixirs are for Ember. Have Y give them to her.¡±

    Putting all those away with his spatial magic, he nodded and stood up. ¡°Thank you Elder. I shall excuse myself now.¡±

    Erlos left in a hurry as he was instructed to bring it as soon as possible.

    After he reached the pce, he went to Y to give her Ember¡¯s elixirs. He also took incense burners from the storeroom, one he put in the King¡¯s study and the other one in his bed-chamber.

    ¡®It didn¡¯t nullify her scentpletely but¡­¡¯

    Perhaps it was due to Draven¡¯s constitution, the incense wasn¡¯t able to totally mask his female¡¯s scent from his sensitive sense of smell. Still, Draven was somewhat relieved since the incense made it bearable for him.

    When Ember blinked the drowsiness away, she realized it was time for her to have her midday meal. She straightened her curled-up body and felt the pain in her abdomen be tolerable.

    ¡®Must be the effect of that concoction.¡¯

    Reya and Clio arranged the meal for her and once again offered her the concoction that Ember happily drank despite it being too bitter. As long as it can relieve her of her cramps, she was ready to drink anything.

    Afterwards, Reya gave her a tiny bottle. ¡°High Elder Leeora sent this elixir for you, Miss.¡±

    ¡°Did the Elder drop by?¡±

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t. She had this sent to us.¡±

    Ember was aware of what these elixirs were for and epted it right away. She was sure after drinking it, she wouldn¡¯t feel this exhausted.

    ¡®Thank you so much, Elder,¡¯ she said in her mind as she drank it.

    After a while, Ember felt more awake and energized, to the point she wouldn¡¯t mind even taking a stroll outside. She climbed out of her bed and heard Clio ask, ¡°Miss Ember, do you need something? You can tell me and I¡¯ll bring it to you.¡±

    Ember shook her head. ¡°I am tired of sleeping. I want to go out and get fresh air.¡±

    This was something the two servants were instructed to not let happen.

    ¡°Miss Ember, apologies but you cannot step out of the southwest wing till your bleeding is over.¡±

    It shocked Ember. ¡°Is there such a rule in this kingdom that women cannot go out?¡±

    ¡°There is no such a rule but females prefer to stay inside their homes during their estrous cycle as they can attract other males and it can be pretty dangerous,¡± Reya exined.

    ¡°What does my monthly cycle have to do with males?¡±

    Reya and Clio shared a nce with each other, as if they were silently arguing about who would take the role of exining this. In the end, the younger elf lost the staring contest.

    ¡°Miss Ember, when females are in their estrous cycle, their scent attracts other males,¡± Clio started. ¡°For your case, even though they know you are someone else¡¯s mate, sometimes a male with poor willpower can¡¯t resist this temptation and he might harm you. The more considerate males will try to stay away on their own, but even in this kingdom, there are some males who arecking in character and self-control. They sometimes fail to follow the rules and go rogue.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t understand most of what the elf said. ¡°What scent? Do you mean the smell of blood? Isn¡¯t it disgusting? And it¡¯s not so strong you can smell it if you are not beside me¡­¡±

    ¡°From what I understand, Miss, the beastmen can smell something else, a certain sweet smell that triggers their instincts,¡± Reya decided to help out her cousin.

    ¡°And His Majesty had strictly asked you to not step out of this wing, just for the next few days,¡± Clio said before Ember could ask more questions.

    Hearing the King mentioned, Ember could not help but obey them. She had already embarrassed herself in front of him; she didn¡¯t want to upset him by disobeying his order.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Ember agreed, ¡°but can I go to my study at least?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can go anywhere in the southwest wing,¡± Reya assured her.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± was all Ember said and they went to her study next door. She could not wait to study more about themon writtennguage of this kingdom, but at the same time, she felt stifled by the fact she was like a prisoner, not able to go out as she wished.

    ¡®Gaia never asked me to stay inside the cave whenever I got my monthly cycle, but here, things are different.¡¯

    Reya and Clio observed her being visibly upset.

    ¡°Is there anything else you need, Miss Ember?¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to bring you sweet snacks?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°I just wish I can get some fresh air outside but¡­¡±

    ¡°Miss Ember, you cannot go outside in the garden, but you can go there.¡± Clio gestured towards one door that was attached to Ember¡¯s study.

    She had seen that door before but forgot to ask what it was about.

    ¡°What is there?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a ce you might like, Miss,¡± Clio said while Reya didn¡¯t disagree.

 Chapter 123

    Ember stood up and the two led her way towards the door. Reya opened the door and they were weed by the pleasant breeze that caused their hair and skirts to flutter behind them.

    ¡°A balcony!¡±

    Ember stepped forward and let her eyes roam around the huge balcony attached to the study. There was a small table with a single ornate chair on the side. She could not help but beam in delight as she walked ahead.

    From her position, it felt as if she was overlooking the entire kingdom. The fresh breeze felt so pleasant against her skin, and she didn¡¯t feel like she needed to go to the garden. Her long brown hair danced along the direction of the breeze as her curious eyes appreciated the sight before her.

    ¡°This is beautiful,¡± Ember said and then realized she felt a little cold.

    ¡°I will get a warm coat for you,¡± Reya said and left in a hurry.

    ¡°I will arrange freshly-brewed tea, Miss. I shall excuse myself.¡± Clio left as well.

    Just as Ember was about to head towards the railing of that huge balcony, she felt a presence approach her from above. Large wings blocked the sunlight for a moment before folding behind a certain person the moment hended at the railing.

    ¡°Hey, little fe¨C¡±

    His words were stuck in his throat as the wind blew, and a certain sweet scent messed with his senses. He almost stopped breathing.

    ¡°Morph!¡± Ember let out a bright smile at the sight of the handsome winged warrior, unaware that the man himself was frozen stiff from shock.

    ¡°Stop¡­stop there¡­¡± he forced those words out as he put his hand forward.

    Ember felt puzzled but she still listened to him and stayed in ce.

    ¡®Her scent¡­¡¯ Morph tried to not get affected by it, but he was failing. ¡®¡­it¡¯s so intoxicating¡­so different and so¡­¡¯ He shook his head. ¡®No, what am I thinking?¡¯ His heart was almost jumping out of his ribcage and he felt like he would fall into temptation if he were to stay even a minute longer.

    ¡°Morph, what happened? Is something wrong?¡± she asked, seeing him cover his face with his hands. He didn¡¯t act like his usual smiling self.

    ¡°Ember, I am sorry, but I have to go. I will see you soon,¡± was all he said before he fled away without even waiting for her reply.

    ¡®What happened to him?¡¯ she wondered, but then, her attention was pulled by her servant¡¯s arrival.

    ¡°Miss, were you talking to someone? I think I heard a voice¡­¡± Reya asked, her pointed ears twitching, as she put the warm coat over her shoulders.

    Ember was about to answer when Clio timely brought freshly-brewed tea in a tray and asked the other elf to help her arrange it on the table. This caused Reya to forget the question she asked.

    After she was seated, Ember looked at the two. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two bring over chairs and have tea with me?¡±

    It shocked the two. ¡°No, Miss Ember, we dare not!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°You are the King¡¯s mate and we are mere servants working under him,¡± Reya answered.

    ¡°Is being his mate that special?¡± Ember asked.

    The two thought Ember was just being humble and just smiled.

    ¡°Get yourselves chairs and have tea with me. This is the order of the King¡¯s mate,¡± Ember said, copying the way they talk about her and Draven. Especially when it came to Y, she had always been ¡®the King ordered this¡¯ and ¡®Sire said that¡¯. The young human was surprised when she found out it worked.

    The two servants left to get chairs while Ember thought about something.

    ¡°Mate? I wonder what is so special about this. Maybe I can find a book and learn about it.¡± She nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Let¡¯s do it then.¡±

    After a while, the two servants returned with chairs and they enjoyed teatime with Ember in therge balcony.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    While Ember was enjoying her tea, a certain shapeshifter, one of the strongest descendants of the Divine Eagles in the history of the feathered race and themander of all the warriors of the Kingdom of Agartha, was struggling to keep his sanity after he smelled that seductive scent from the human female.

    Morpheus had seen Ember from high up in the sky and thought to talk to her as he had never gotten the chance ever since Draven marked her, but not in his wildest dream would he have thought he would have to face her in that situation.

    He was flying so high up as fast as he could using his strength to calm himself and distract his mind, but he simply could not.

    ¡®I havee across the scents of various females in my n and other ns, but never ever have I been affected by them like this. No scent felt this tempting. How can she smell so good? It¡¯s making my mind go crazy. Why am I not able to calm myself? This little female is dangerous. She doesn¡¯t even realize how much she could affect males around her.¡¯

    He had almost left the skies of Agartha, yet he was still unable to calm down. Not having any other option, Morpheus sped down towards the ground from the sky at a speed like a strike of lightning, and a loud sound of water sshing echoed in the otherwise silent river. It was not just the sound of a body hitting the water, but it was as if there was an explosion the moment he hit the surface of the river due to the insane speed he was diving.

    In a blink of an eye, the winged man reached the bottom of the river where the water was dark and freezing and felt content. He believed that under the freezing element of this river water, it was a good ce for his mind to go nk.

    Holding his breath, hey at the deepest part of the riverbed with his eyes closed, but then, a thought struck his mind.

    ¡®If I am like this, then I wonder what that Dragon is doing?¡¯

    ====

    A/N- Thank you everyone for showing your supportst month to the novel with all the votes and gifts. This is the new month and I n to write more. I hope you all will continue to support me in this journey of WSA 2022.

 Chapter 124 Sneaking Inside The Kings Study

    After enjoying tea with the elves, Ember spent the rest of her day inside her study, memorizing the runic characters with familiar ease, once in a while snacking on desserts oring out on the balcony to get fresh air.

    Though she liked studying, she could not help but feel restless since she¡¯s been told to stay put not of her own volition. She felt caged, like her world was limited to this southwest wing of the pce, and could not wait for these few days to pass till her bleeding stopped and she was allowed to go out wherever she wanted.

    She looked at thest page of the runguage book in front of her. She had finished the entire book in a span of two days. Her servants were amazed by her speed, and even she herself felt surprised at how fast she learned its contents.

    ¡®Why do I feel like I already knew this and reading it is like just revising it? Have I ever read thisnguage before? I don¡¯t recall Gaia ever teaching me thisnguage¡­Reya mentioned this was thenguage used thousands of years ago by the entire continent and is probably forgotten by humans after several generations have passed¡­But why does it seem easy to me? I have memorized the symbols and the grammar rules with no problems, and as long as I¡¯ve learned a word once, I can recall it without effort. Is it normal to feel like that after reading this book? Or am I as smart as Reya and Clio say but I was simply not aware of it?¡¯

    She then once again looked at the runic symbols written in the book. ¡®But no matter how much I think, I am sure I have never read a book like this before. It is too expensive formoners to buy books, so Gaia only gave me very few books which I left back in the cave. I know them all by heart¡­¡¯<sub>.</sub>

    She sighed and almost pulled her hair trying to remember anything, but there was no result.

    Late in the night, Ember was still feeling restless. She could not sleep and sat up in her bed. She thought of calling for Reya or Clio, but remembered that they had already retired to their rooms to sleep. As her assigned maidservants, they were given rooms in the same wing as hers so that they could easily attend to Ember¡¯s needs whenever she needed them. She only needed to call for them, but Ember felt it was rude to disturb them just because she couldn¡¯t sleep.

    ¡°What should I do? I can¡¯t seem to fall asleep.¡± She walked around her chamber and then remembered something. ¡°Right, since I have learned this kingdom¡¯snguage, now I can read that magic book, but¡­¡±

    Her mind recalled her embarrassing clumsiness whenever that red-eyed man was around.<sub></sub>

    ¡°¡­I can¡¯t dare face His Majesty to ask for that book. I better borrow it myself when he is not around. This can be a good time. Most of the servants in the pce are sent out, so I can easily sneak inside the King¡¯s study.¡±

    The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was of her n. With a determined expression, she wore her shoes and walked towards her door with soft footsteps.

    ¡®Elves have sharp hearing,¡¯ she remembered as she slowly pushed open her door and took a peek at the dimly lit hallway. ¡®I must not wake them up.¡¯

    ¡®Reya and Clio mentioned their rooms are those to the left across mine. Good thing I¡¯m not passing in front of their doors,¡¯ she said in relief as stepped into the empty hallway. With her heart skipping nervously, she quietly closed the door behind her and walked with slow footsteps. The King¡¯s study was located on the ground floor while she was on the top floor¨Cit would take a lot of effort for her to reach her destination without making any sounds.<sub></sub>

    ¡®It¡¯s fine, I can make it there,¡¯ she thought. Before descending the staircase, she peeked at the opposite side of the pce, the wing that belonged to the King.

    ¡®He must be sleeping as well. I don¡¯t have to worry,¡¯ she tried to cheer herself to distract her from backing out. Slowly, she climbed down the staircase, walking with the help of the moon outside the windows. Since it was nighttime, none of the oilmps were lit, but luckily, there was lighting from the decorative sun orbs hung on the stone walls, but they were ced at intervals.

    It took her a long time to reach the study as it was a huge pce and she was walking carefully to not get caught. Surprisingly, not a single person was outside. It made her remember the first time she tried to run away from this pce, no servant was also around to stop her, but somehow, the King had caught her and brought her back.

    ¡®Atst!¡¯

    Ember felt proud as she stood in front of the door of the study. As she looked at the door, she hesitated for a second, knowing that it was wrong to intrude, but in the end, her resolve won over her guilt.

    ¡®Please forgive me Your Majesty for sneaking into your study. It¡¯s just that I cannot wait to learn magic. I want to be able to protect myself and learning magic is the only way.¡¯

    Ember was aware of her situation¨Cshe was nothing but a girl with nothing to her name. Her entire life, she had been helpless by herself and relied on her nanny to survive. Before, Gaia had been protecting her and now she¡¯s gone, it seemed like the King had reced that role.

    ?[0)??? ¡®I don¡¯t want to be anyone¡¯s responsibility now. I will be independent. When I have the means to protect myself, I can finally do what I¡¯ve always dreamed of doing¨Cto travel around and explore the world.¡¯

    Ember slowly opened the door of the study, and as expected, it was empty. Strangely, themps were still burning, keeping the visibility inside the study high, and though confused, she didn¡¯t bother to think more about why themps were still on.

    She looked at the elegant desk carved out of redwood that took up thergest space of the study and therge armchair behind it which was empty, much to her relief, but as she was about to let out a relieved sigh, she smelled something.

    ¡®What is this strong scent? Did someone spill perfume on the carpet here?¡¯

    With a wrinkled nose, she quietly entered the study and walked toward the bookshelves. She remembered from which shelf Erlos had pulled out that book from. It didn¡¯t take her much time to reach in front of that shelf that was as tall as the ceiling.

    ¡®It should be around here¡­¡¯ It was a thick book with a unique cover and letters and it didn¡¯t take her time to find it. It was on the shelf two rows above her. ¡®Found it!¡¯

    A small smile of triumph appeared on her lips and she reached up to pull that book while tiptoeing. Just as she grabbed the spine of the book and pulled it¨C

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

 Chapter 125 The First Kiss

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Her entire body froze.

    Thud!

    The leather-bound book in her hand fell down with a heavy sound as she whipped around to see a tall person standing behind her. The moment the red-eyed man in his ck night robe came into her sight¨C

    Thud!

    She felt like her heart leaped to her throat and stepped back in hurry, only for her back to collide with the shelf behind her. This made the shelf tilt and the books above her head fall on her¨C

    ¡®Oh no!¡¯ she panicked, her arms subconsciously covering her head, but seconds passed by without anything hitting her. All those books stopped in the air before they reached her and moved up on their own to get back into their respective ces.

    While all of these were happening, Draven¡¯s gaze was on his flustered and scared little mate who was watching the floating books return to the shelves on their own.

    After thest of those books were settled, Draven stepped closer to her, causing her to wish she could pass through the bookshelf behind her, and perhaps the stone wall, so she could escape from this shameful situation. She was so scared and embarrassed she didn¡¯t know what to do.<sub>.</sub>

    Once again, the King had caught her sneaking in a ce she shouldn¡¯t be in.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­¡±

    She stopped once Draven lowered his head for their gazes to meet on the same level. Still, his body loomed over her cowering form, his gaze seemingly burning her as he leaned his face closer to hers. His arms were caging her in, both hands resting on the bookshelf behind her. She was trapped with no escape.

    His low, dignified voice brought a shiver to her body.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you asked to stay in your chamber?¡±

    If his personal servant was here, the observant elf would have noticed that his master was on the verge of losing his sanity. Taut veins were showing on the knuckles of his fists and neck as if he was trying to hold back himself, but he was losing the battle. The grip of his fingers on the bookshelf were tightening with each passing second, and the wood was letting out a crunching sound as if it would crumble into pieces soon.

    He had barely slept a winkst night, and even today, he had been exhausted just keeping his sanity in check, battling his urges that were making him go crazy due to his little mate.

    Despite trying all means, he could not stop smelling her scent, though that incense from Leeora eased him somehow. As long as Draven stayed in his study¨Cwhich was one of the rooms farthest from Ember¡¯s chamber¨Cand as long as the incense was burning right beside him, he found her scent bearable. Still, the incense failed to cover her scent in front of his heightened senses, not when his little mate had invaded his one safe haven.<sub></sub>

    Ember found herself staring at his eyes, seemingly spellbound. ¡°I just¡­I wanted a book¡­¡±

    ¡°Any idea how dangerous it can be for you?¡± he asked with gritted teeth, not realizing that he had leaned to her so close their hot breaths were almost mingling.

    ¡®His lips¡­have they always looked this¡­appealing?¡¯

    Ember, who had been wallowing in self-regret, found her eyes wandering to those tempting lips that seemed to be saying something she couldn¡¯t hear.

    ?[0)??? She didn¡¯t know what he had just asked her, and she even forgot what situation she was in.

    ¡®It¡¯s this masculine scent again¡­like the smell of the forest¡­with a hint of peppermint¡­¡¯

    With this much closeness, his scent wrapped around her, causing her rationality to flee. She tried to be sane, but her senses were flooded with nothing but wanting more of the source of thatforting scent. She took a deep breath and exhaled through her mouth, her soft lips parting a little.

    Draven¡¯s eyes shed with desire at the movement of her lips, and he witnessed how her gaze travelled from the opened slit of his night robe. He watched as she eyed his chest and then his neck and looked up to meet his gaze with fire that seemingly equalled his own.<sub></sub>

    ¡®So bold¡­so desirably bold¡­¡¯

    His little mate didn¡¯t look scared at all, and in fact, the way she was looking at him made him feel like she was stoking the heat inside him that he was trying to calm. He guessed his scent had affected her senses as well, and she was feeling the pull of the bond they shared.

    Draven wanted to resist, but it seemed like it was impossible. That alluring sweet scenting from her was just too much to bear. The scent of his woman being in heat was impossibly irresistible.

    ¡°Do you know,¡± he growled, ¡°what I want to do with you right now?¡±

    His right hand moved from the shelf to her face. Compared to the savery of his own desires, the way he caressed her cheek was especially gentle. But just this much and she let out a little gasp while looking into his eyes.

    Draven understood as he felt the same. Just a simple touch was enough to make every single cell of his body turn alive. His heart was racing inside his chest, and he could clearly hear hers racing as well.

    Ember felt like everything but this man was covered in haze. He was the only thing that exists in her mind. Nothing else mattered but him.

    Just like he touched her cheek, her hand moved up as well, replicating the same action as him. Her entire body moved as if she was falling into a beautiful dream she didn¡¯t want to wake up from. Her cold hand caressed the warm skin of his cheek, and she parted her lips, gasping, tasting, relishing in the unique seductive scenting from him.

    Draven was the same as her, and he had already lost himself in the haze of their scents. His face was near enough for the tips of their noses to touch each other. And in the end, he closed his eyes.

    He felt her hand brush his cheek, his nose, his lips, and he felt as if each time their skin would touch, warmth would spread all over his body. It made him want more. His thumb rubbed over her lips before it moved to cradle her head, his other hand moving to the small of her back to pull her closer, getting rid of what little distance there was between their bodies.

    Draven and Ember were in aplete trance, blindly following the need they were feeling.

    And then she tasted his breath.

    She let out a soft gasp as his lips gently brushed along her slightly parted lips. The teasing touch made her feel like she was slowly getting intoxicated. And when he fully captured her lips in his, she closed her eyes.

    It was a sweet little kiss, almost shy, fitting to be their first shared kiss, but when they were about to part away, Ember¡¯s hands moved to get a feel of his strong and firm chest, impatiently pulling at his robe as if to say she needed more, Draven responded in kind.

    He already wanted more from her. One kiss wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy his hunger. His hand cradling her head moved to entangle his fingers with her hair. With a light tug to them, he made her face move so he could kiss her better.

    Draven didn¡¯t wait for a moment and swooped in to kiss her more properly this time, giving her what she desired and taking what he craved for. He opened his warm lips to capture her soft ones, giving into the deep hunger he had for her. Their kiss was fierce and greedy, agonizing and unrestrained, sucking and nibbling as their moans and groans mixed together in sensual harmony.

    Their hot breaths mingled together and he pulled away, giving her only a brief second to catch her breath before punishing her lovely lips with another kiss. He pried open her lips and pushed his tongue inside her partially-opened mouth.

    ¡°Ahh¡­mmm¡­¡±

    As Draven pulled her into a rough kiss, their bodies were pressed against each other, nothing but their clothes between them.

    Ember had her hands circled around his neck, standing on her tiptoes as she let his tongue y with hers. That wild, mind-numbing kiss took her breath away, leaving her unable to even stay upright on her feet without his hold.

    The air around them sizzled with tension as they continued to give way to their desires. They were each other¡¯s sweetest delicacies, and they wanted nothing more but to have more of each other. As much as he wanted it, she was the same.

    Only what their bodies wanted at this moment mattered, and nothing else. There was no need to deny their hunger.

    After their long passionate kiss, they pulled away for the sake of breathing, and only then did Draven open his eyes. His mate was the incarnation of temptation. Seeing her gasping for air, those alluring swollen and moist lips slightly parted, images of what he could do with her shed in his mind.

    Her naked body pressed under him and how he was ravishing it with all his might.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Bonus chapter dedicated to reader ¡°Hollygolightly¡± for gifting Dragon to the novel. Thank you so much. <3 <3

 Chapter 126 You Dont Know What I Can Do To You

    Draven¡¯s mind was intoxicatedpletely with the desires and he wanted to have her right there and then but in the back of his head somewhere he was aware that this was not right.

    The grip of his hands tightened on her as his one hand holding at her back clutched her delicate skin, almost digging his nails into it over the thin fabric of her night dress. His other hand tugged her hair tightly making her whine a little as she looked up into those red intoxicated eyes.

    That pain felt sweeter to her as she looked like she wanted more of him, still gasping for air.

    ¡°You are my mate and you don¡¯t know what I can do to you, do you?¡± he asked with his gritted teeth.

    ?[0)??? She still didn¡¯t stop looking at him, as if inviting him to pleasure her.

    He wanted to pull her into another desperate kiss but he tried to stop himself. His entire self was torn between what his body wanted and what his mind was telling him not to. The previous one was dominant over thetter one but he gathered all his strength to not give up on his bodily desires.

    ¡®I can¡¯t..I can¡¯t¡­¡¯ he chanted while looking into her dazed, bewitching eyes.

    ¡®This human can lose to the bond, but I can not¡­I am not weak like her¡­I need to stop¡­¡¯<sub>.</sub>

    Just as he thought to let her go, Ember¡¯s hands that were circling his neck, started to mess up with the hair at the back of his head as if trying to seduce him to resume what he had stopped.

    ¡®This thing!¡¯

    He frowned inwardly as all she was doing was making him do what he didn¡¯t want. She was of no help to stop him, but instead, her actions were seducing him.

    ¡®She is human¡­she is not in heat¡­I need to stop¡­stop!..¡¯

    He repeated in his mind to remind himself. ¡®Humans are different¡­ She is not in heat¡­ If I do something now, I will only hurt her¡­I need to stop¡­¡¯

    He shut his eyes briefly to resist this intoxication with all his might and then pushed her away by freeing his hands that were holding her closer to him.

    Thud!<sub></sub>

    That dazed human almost lost her bnce as she was standing with his support and her back bumped into the book shelf behind her.

    ¡°Ahh..¡± she whined as it hurt her back but it helped her get back to her senses.

    She looked at Draven with a puzzled gaze as she could not understand what had just happened. She felt like someone had just pped her to wake her up from a deep sleep.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty¡­I¡­¡±

    Swoosh!

    Even before she could say more, Draven disappeared from there.

    She fell on her knees as if her body had lost all its strength. With her loud heartbeats making her deaf, She struggled to breathe.<sub></sub>

    ¡®What had just happened?¡¯ In a shock, she touched her lips which were still swollen and moist. She could still feel the touch of his warm mouth on her and how it felt.

    ¡®Was it not a dream? Why did we do that? It..It felt¡­¡¯ she struggled to admit it but it was the truth, ¡®¡­felt good.¡¯

    Her hands moved to her heart which was still beating faster with the effect of what her body was feeling a while ago.

    ¡®My Heart¡­It¡¯s the same as when we were in the garden¡­I am sure it¡¯s not because I am scared of him¡­It¡¯s just that¡­¡¯ she didn¡¯t find the words to describe it. ¡®..something different.¡¯

    As Draven was gone she allowed herself to calm but the memories of what she and Draven had done just now, kept shing in her mind which scared her with not being able to reason out her own actions.

    ¡®I¡­need to leave¡­¡¯ She tried to stand up but her handnded on the book that was on the floor which had slipped from her hands when in a shock she turned to look at someone standing behind her.

    It was the book that she was there for, the one that mentioned magic. As she had gotten it, she didn¡¯t wish to give it up. Afterall all of her efforts were to get this book and learn the magic.

    She grabbed that heavy book with her hands still shaking. She somehow managed to stand up and walked out of the study with her weak and trembling legs.

    This time it took her a lot of effort to climb all those stairs and go back to her chamber. She was exhausted by the time she reached there and was all sweaty and thirsty. She felt like only if she could have the elixir that Leeora gave her.

    She was not weak physically but the shock she got after what happened in the study, made her feel exhausted mentally and that affected her entirely.

    She put the book aside andy in bed as if she had no energy left. She had so many questions in her mind.

    ¡®Why am I like this wherever I am with the king? I feel like I keep forgetting my existence and losing myself in some kind of trance. That scent¡­It makes me feel different¡­¡± she concluded and remembered all those times when she found that scent enchanting.

    When she was in his bed, in his bath, in the garden and now in the study. All this while she was close to him and could smell his scent.

    ¡®Is he using any magic on me to bewitch me? But why? He looks angry after that, so why would he do it?¡¯

    She remembered thest words he said before leaving- ¡®You are my mate and you don¡¯t know what I can do to you, do you?¡¯

    ¡®What did he mean by that? Why did he look so troubled and looked like he was in some kind of pain? Did I hurt him by chance?¡¯

    She closed her eyes, willing to sleep as she was tired but the next moment once again those memories shed in front of her eyes, making her feel different and restless.

    She immediately sat up on the bed, ¡®Water¡­I am just thirsty¡­It¡¯s nothing else..¡¯ she concluded tofort herself and then went towards the table that had water kept on it. She filled the ss and emptied it entirely in one go as if she was walking in a hot desert for a long time and finally found the water.

    She went towards the window and stood there, trying to calm herself with the cold breezeing from outside. ¡®It feels much better now.¡¯

    She remembered the look on Draven¡¯s face just before he disappeared. She remembered his clenched fists and tightened jaw and how the veins on his neck and hands were visibly popped out and she could see them even in that light from themps

    ¡®Is it because he was feeling the same as me?¡¯ she could not help but wonder and hisst words continued to trouble her mind.

    Mate!

    ¡®This word again and again. He called me his mate as if it pained him. I need to find out about this.¡¯

 Chapter 127 Distressed Black Dragon

    ?[0)??? Once Draven disappeared from his study, after so many decades, a ck Dragon could be seen flying under the dark starry sky covering Agartha. The restless divine beast continued to fly with speed away from the pce as hisrge wings moved in a rhythm, swirling the air around him with its strong pping motions and making that strong sound that showed how powerful he was.

    His furious red eyes aimed to go somewhere far from what had caused him distress. He didn¡¯t want to smell that scent and wanted to get rid of all he was feeling at this moment.

    After flying for so long, he stopped at the base of the far away mountain, covered in tall trees and thick snow and was surrounded by a huge river bed from all sides.

    The ck Dragon seemed restless as he was growling and was trying to vent out his frustration on anything that was around him. His long tail moved relentlessly in the air, causing the tall trees around him to fall down to the ground in a blink of an eye as if they weighed nothing. So many birds from those trees flew in the sky, leaving their destroyed nests like running to save their lives.

    As if it was not enough, the next moment there was fireing out of that ck Dragon¡¯s mouth and it burned so many trees around as if the wildfire broke out that scared the animals residing around and all of them ran away to save their lives.

    ¡®That idiot Dragon.¡¯<sub>.</sub>

    Someone flying high up in the sky was frowning at what this ck Dragon was doing.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Morpheus, who hardly slept, was spending his time on the faraway tallest tree on the mountain peak from where he could see almost everything happening around. He had spent hours under the water to get rid of the effect he had after smelling the scenting from Ember.

    ¡®Her scent was surely so intoxicating. Almost made me lose my mind. If I had stayed there for a moment longer, I don¡¯t know what would have I ended up doing with her?¡¯ he shook his head to not let any of such thoughts toe in his mind.

    ¡®I wonder what is in her that was so strong to affect me like this? I was never affected like this by the scent of any other female in heat. Is it because she is human and their scent can affect me more strongly than a beast female¡¯s scent?¡¯ he shook his head to discard this thought, ¡®I havee across other human females as well in the past, but never felt like this.¡¯<sub></sub>

    ¡®This human female is special and there is something unique and mysterious about her. I just can¡¯t guess what it is.¡¯

    Just then he saw the shadow of a ck Dragon that was flying in the sky.

    ¡°Am I seeing something wrong?,¡± he smirked, ¡°Seems like he is out of control due to her. I was wondering how he could be so calm even when he could smell his mate.¡±

    Morpheus flew from the tree to follow him, only to see that ck Dragon stopping at the mountain base forest, venting out his frustration on the trees, not realizing how he was scaring and hurting the small creatures residing in that forest.

    Morpheus could not help but curse this Dragon calling him an idiot.<sub></sub>

    ¡®I need to stop him or he will burn that entire mountain. But to stop him, I need to use my divine powers or I won¡¯t be able to move him even an inch,¡¯ a devilish smile appeared on his lips, ¡®After so long, I finally got a chance to use my powers and that too on that brainless Dragon.¡¯

    Morpheus stopped abruptly high up mid-air as hisrge wings on his strong muscr back were spreading to their fullest. His eyes changed their colours from grey ones to that purest form of gold.

    Not only his eyes but the shining waves of gold colour spark started to flow along his strong muscr body that reached his wings which turned into gold ones which looked more like metallic armour in gold colour.

    Against the curtain of that dark starry sky, that divine eagle surrounded by the shield of his powers looked like a heavenly being himself appeared there.

    His golden orbs darted in that particr direction as he was ready to fly towards the base of the mountain. With the speed he flew, it looked like a huge ball of fire was moving while cutting that strong winding in its way.

    The next moment there was the sound of the collision of two strong powers and the vibrations emitting from it shook the entire mountain, causing all the small creatures and animals to feel scared.

    The restless ck Dragon was not aware of what wasing towards him and unprepared he was pushed by the strong powers that continued to push him in the air till it was away from the ground and that forest and was in the air only to direct it towards the river bed.

    The Dragon tried to get hold of himself and resist it but it was so sudden and fast for his distressed mind to get a grasp over. When finally got back to his senses, by then it waste and he was already under the water as that strong powerful being continued to push him towards the deepest part of that river.

    The Dragon¡¯s red and ferocious eyes stared at that bold eagle but the moment he touched that cold water surface he stopped struggling and let him push him under water. It was as if this was what he needed at this moment.

    Once they reached the deepest part and touched the bottom of the river, Morpheus let him go and swam toward the surface of the water to get out from there. He needed to stop that fire in the forest which was caused by this reckless Dragon.

    Lying at the bottom of the river, Draven continued to see Morpheus swimming back towards the surface as he could clearly see even in the night with his sharp night vision and even when he was under the water. The same was with Morpheus as he too could see in the night.

    Draven, who was still in his Dragon form, closed his eyes and preferred to stay there.

    ====

    Bonus chapter dedicated to reader ¡°RMehrotra¡± for gifting super gift to the novel. Thank you so much.

 Chapter 128 Why Dont You Just Mate With Her

    The powerful Divine Eagle emerged from the dark waters of that vast river, causing a loud sshing sound as if another explosion had urred on the surface.

    As soon as the water settled back on the river, Morpheus could be seen flying steadily in the air above the river, his majestic golden wings and their seemingly metallic feathers spread to their fullest, flinging all the water droplets away, leaving not just wings but the rest of his body dry.

    By the time he eyed the destroyed part of the mountain, Morpheus looked as if he never touched the water in the first ce.

    His golden orbs stared at the trees ahead; they were still burning because one distressed dragon could not control himself. Maybe it was by pure luck¨Cor that reckless dragon had a little bit of sanity left¨Cbut this part of the forest was one far from any of the cities or settlements, thus, only the wild animals should have been affected by his rampage.

    Morpheus had to use his powers once again to put off the forest fire, or else, it would only spread and cause more harm.

    He closed his eyes as his body emitted an invisible force. As if in response, his golden wings radiated bright light. He didn¡¯t look like the usual Morpheus, but someone totally different.

    The water in the river started to swirl and a whirlpool was soon formed due to his powers. In a blink of an eye, a small tornado¨Cmore precisely, a waterspout had risen from the river following the movements of Morpheus, his spread hands controlling the direction of the waterspout.<sub>.</sub>

    The moment he clenched his fists, the water above the burning trees broke into a shower, putting out that ferocious fire in a manner of seconds.

    Morpheus had a satisfied smirk on his lips as he swiftly cleaned up the mess that Dragon started, a weed card he could use against him once he sobered up. Afterwards, he looked down at the river as if his gaze could pierce through that dark waters whose surface reflected nothing but the moonlit sky.

    His sharp eyes could see the bottom of the river, where a ck Dragony with his eyes closed.

    ¡®You deserve to note out there till eternity,¡¯ he could not help but think.

    Morpheus pped his wings and headed towards the destroyed part of the mountain. Hended on the muddy ground as his sharp hearing sense caught a certain sound.

    Following the sound, he walked towards a fallen tree which was hiding a small nest. Morpheus picked that nest up and observed the baby birds inside. Fortunately, they looked fine except for being drenched in water as the nest was within the hole inside the trunk of the fallen tree.<sub></sub>

    ¡°That brainless dragon won¡¯t care for wild creatures like you, but I do.¡± He caressed those baby birds and carried them away. Just like that, he found a few more nests and put them on the trees near the destroyed forest.

    Their parents must have flown away after sensing danger, but the babies could not fly. At least this way, once the adult birds returned, they would be able to find their children. Whether they remain or build new nests elsewhere, that was no longer his concern.

    It took some time for Morpheus to take care of things. However, he by himself could not do everything. He would perhaps need to call out the Forest Fae or the Wood Elves to help rebuild this part of the forest, or else it would take decades for the nts and trees to regrow on their own.

    After thinking for a while, he pulled out a small wooden ornament that hung to his short pants on one side of his waist. He put one end of it on his lips and blew it. It was a mystical item, a whistle that could be used to summon anyone within its range with the help of the wind.

    It didn¡¯t make a sound, but soon, small green orbs of light came to surround him. They were the Forest Fae, sprites who had powers to control nts. They had consciousness but were not capable ofmunication, simr to the tree spirits in Ronan. With their help, trees were regrown in a manner of hours.

    Even before the break of dawn, birds came flying back to settle on the trees. With that part of the mountain fixed, the creatures and small animals residing there coulde back and live like usual.<sub></sub>

    Giving out a satisfactory sigh, Morpheus turned his attention back to the silent river.

    ¡°That Dragon always creates a mess, and here I am, having to take care of it once more. When will he stop doing this?¡±

    As Morpheus muttered his dissatisfaction to himself, a ck-haired man with a chiselled body rose out of the water. As he walked towards the riverbank, More of his bare body continued toe into view. He was drenched from head to toe, from his hair as ck as the night, to his handsome face, long neck, strong shoulders, down to the muscr chest with a ck Dragon tattoo on it and his toned abdomen. Even the short hide wrapped around his waist was drenched, continuing to drip water along his long, perfectly toned, bare legs.

    Draven¡¯s red eyes were devoid of any emotions, looking cold and aloof, and it was difficult to understand what was going on in his mind. He soon stepped out of the water and stood barefoot on the riverbank that was covered with small colourful pebbles and white stone.

    The next moment, not only did he lower himself to sit, he eveny on the pebble-filled ground with his limbs outstretched, facing that dark sky as if he was exhausted with the world. His mind was nk as he simply stared at the moon, his breaths peaceful like he had never gone crazy in the first ce.

    After spending so many hours underwater, he had finally gotten rid of all the wild thoughts his mind was having and the bodily needs he was craving. It wasrgely due to the fact he could no longer smell his little mate, and partly due to the senses Morpheus knocked back to him after he rampaged.

    Just then, Morpheusnded next to him. Though he could feel the eagle¡¯s stare, Draven ignored him and instead closed his eyes, paying the man no attention.

    Morpheus didn¡¯t mind it¨Crather, he expected as such from this dimwit. He simply sat next a few feet away from Draven and turned to stare at the calm river.

    ¡°Do you know how satisfying it is to see you like this?¡± Morpheus started as he let out a satisfied sigh. ¡°The great Draven Aramis, the man who cannot be affected by anything, one who has no weakness and whose arrogance knows no bounds, well, look at him¨Che is now in such a terrible state, losing his mind like some sort of inferior wild animal. I am thankful to be alive. It¡¯s worth the wait to see this day finallye.¡±

    Draven still didn¡¯t reply to him and heard his oldrade continue, ¡°I was wondering how you could remain sane smelling your mate being in heat and I got to witness the answer with perfect timing. Who would have guessed it would turn you savage enough to destroy a mountain just to take out your frustration?¡±

    Morpheus had a lopsided grin as he gave the man beside him a nce, but the man remained silent as if he didn¡¯t hear anything. That only made Morpheus smug.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just mate with her? Hmm? Why don¡¯t you¨C¡°

    ¡°She is not in heat,¡± Draven spoke to interrupt him, his voice still devoid of emotion.

    Morpheus raised a cocky brow. ¡°I know, it¡¯s different for human females but¡­you have to face it every month. I wonder if I should have fun watching you be this distressed every month, maybe have a snack while you go about destroying trees. At this rate, I might have to permanently hire the sprites to clean up your monthly mess, or else, you will destroy all the forests in this kingdom.¡±

    Hearing the eagle¡¯s snide remarks, Draven once again said nothing. He simply opened his eyes to look at the sky. He knew he had to find a solution. He could not just lose control over himself, and destroying the forest was the worst way to vent out.

    ¡°Listen to me and just mate with her,¡± Morpheus suggested. ¡°Anyways, I smelled her scent on you before pushing you to the river. That means¨C¡°

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± Draven cut him off.

    Morpheus scoffed. ¡°I am saying this for your own good. You know she smells different and it¡¯s really intoxicating. Even I had to run away from her the moment I smelled her scent. I felt that if too would have lost control if I didn¡¯t¨C¡°

    ?[0)??? ¡°You met her?¡± Draven asked, his red eyes glowing with growing fury as he stared at him.

    ===

    Top 5 Golden Tickets rank= Mass release.

 Chapter 129 Dravens Mate Is The Way To Kill Him

    Morpheus immediately retreated. ¡°Calm down. It was by pure coincidence. Well, I was just passing and dropped by to say hello, but I left in a hurry. Do you know why I pushed you into the river? That was from experience. I also had to take a dive just like you, so I personally know how effective the river was.¡±

    However, Draven wasn¡¯t keen on letting him go.

    ¡°I told you to stay away from her.¡±

    Despite hearing the threat in Draven¡¯s tone, Morpheus didn¡¯t take it to heart and simply shrugged, even letting out a smirk on his face. ¡°And I also told you I am her friend.¡±

    Draven was starting to lose his calm once again, but before he could say a word, Morpheusmented in a teasing tone, ¡°You know, mated pairs are not set in stone unless the bond between them isplete. There is a possibility for a female to change her mate to another if the first male who marked her won¡¯tplete the bond¨C¡°<sub>.</sub>

    A powerful st cut him off, and the Divine Eagle was thrown away far from where he was seated, his body even skidding against the hard ground, leaving a trail of overturned rocks

    Draven strode towards him with zing anger, and even before Morpheus could get off the ground, he was pressed on his back with Draven¡¯s hand tightly gripping his throat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make me rip your wings, Morpheus.¡± His eyes turned bright crimson with all the rage he was feeling inside him. ¡°I let you off again and again for old times¡¯ sake. You can do anything to me, can take anything from me, but if you touch her, you lose thest bit of guilt I have for you.¡±

    ?[0)??? Draven looked like he would kill him for sure.<sub></sub>

    ¡°Ember is just mine. Only mine!¡±

    But Morpheus simply chuckled as he met his gaze. ¡°That¡¯s it? Are you done?¡±

    His crimson eyes red. Draven found himself gripping his neck tightly enough for him to choke, roughly pushing the shapeshifter into the ground, causing a deeper impression on the overturned soil.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare have any other thoughts for her. I know once I fulfil the bond and she bes my true mate, you will exact your revenge. Friend? Hah. You only care about the fact that she is my weakness, the way to kill me,¡± Draven sneered. ¡°Let me warn you, I will never let you harm her. The day you try to harm her, I will make sure that you will breathe yourst. Mark my word, I will put an end to your entire race. Regardless of age, regardless of gender, none of the Divine Eagles will be allowed to survive. Everyone will pay if you touch her.¡±<sub></sub>

    Morpheus pried at his fingers and coughed, but instead of apologizing, heughed out loud, as if he heard the silliest thing in his life.

    ¡°You think I alone have a grudge against you? You really think my race has forgiven you? Didn¡¯t you almost put an end to us?¡± Morpheus said in betweenughter, but hisughter sounded painful to the ears. He sounded like a crazed madman. ¡°Because of you, our people lost their families! I lost my family! The oncerge and happy Divine Eagles were merely left with a handful of survivors, leaving all of us in grief!

    ¡°What? Are you not allowed to lose anyone but others are allowed? If I touch your mate, what, I will breathe myst? Like how my father breathed hisst trying to protect his fellow warriors? Like my mother did in order to keep the humans away? My sister¡­She thought of you as her brother, and yet what did she get in return? If you had not trusted that human, she would have been with us!

    ¡°To avenge my people, if I have to sacrifice that one human, your mate, I will do it without a second thought! That day, you will breathe for thest time, not me¡­¡± Morpheus shook his head with a dangerous glint in his eyes. ¡°Draven Aramis, I cannot wait for you to disappear into nothingness. This hatred, this grudge, I will bear it until one of us perishes. Either you kill me or I kill you.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t hesitate to kill you. Just try it, and you will see the worst of me,¡± Draven growled.

    ¡°I have seen the worst of you long back, Draven Aramis. Now the only thing left is to show the worst of me.¡± Morpheus didn¡¯t back down from his same arrogant self and didn¡¯t even try to free himself from Draven¡¯s grip. ¡°You have to suffer like I did. I want you to be in pain. I want you to be in great despair, you will beg me to give you death. You just wait.¡±

    Draven sneered and let go of him, but that fierce look was still there on his face. ¡°My death? You think too highly of yourself. At that time, don¡¯t me me for being merciless.¡±

    Morpheus sat up and said with his words filled with mockery, ¡°You have always been merciless so I expect nothing less from you, Your Majesty. And for that human, you should me yourself and your immortal life. If I could kill you just like that, I wouldn¡¯t have used her. It¡¯s your fault that she has to die.¡±

    ¡°Leave,¡± Draven growled at him.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave?¡± Morpheus countered. ¡°I n to stay here and admire how wonderful your crazed look would be once I serve justice on my family¡¯s behalf. Go on. Leave. I am sure you don¡¯t want to leave your mate alone. May I remind you she is capable of attracting any random male¡¯s attention due to her intoxicating fragrance?¡±

    Draven simply closed his eyes as he decided to ignore the shapeshifter¡¯s jabs. He had sent all the males away from the pce and no one would dare sneak around at this hour. He dared not get back to the pce, not when he himself was not confident he would not lose control once he smelled her.

    The cold breeze blowing from the river seemed to be whispering for the two men to calm down, and as if they hadn¡¯t just threatened to kill each other mere moments ago, the two oldrades continued to sit by the riverbank without saying a word to each, simply staring at the silent river until the break of dawn.

 Chapter 130 That Little Sneaky Thing

    Just as the first rays of the sun hit the sky, Draven disappeared from the riverbank without saying a word. Morpheus didn¡¯t bother to turn his head and simplyy down on the ground covered in colourful pebbles.

    He closed his eyes and spread his arms to the sides to feel that pleasant morning breeze, the growing brightness in the sky seemingly giving his skin a soft glow.

    ¡®Will I be happy after I kill that Dragon?¡¯ he asked himself, only to answer his own question the next moment. ¡®Of course, I will be. Isn¡¯t revenge what I have been waiting for all this time? He should face the same suffering that my people had faced. Once he loses his mate, he will be able to understand the pain of losing your most precious one, and then I will have his head and offer it to my parents¡¯ grave,¡¯ he concluded. ¡®Once hepletes the bond with that human, I won¡¯t even hesitate to do it.¡¯

    As he had those thoughts, the innocent face of a human girl shed in his mind. The way she looked at him, the shy smile on her small face, the brightness in her beautiful eyes, as if she was looking at someone she could trust¡­

    ¡®Morpheus!¡¯

    His name in her sweet voice and realized he never found his name sounding so good before.<sub>.</sub>

    A soft smile appeared on his lips as he continued to remember her child-like innocence. ¡®Her eyes, those are the prettiest eyes I have ever seen. I wonder what she¡¯s doing now¡­if she¡¯s adapting well to living in thatrge pce toorge to be a cozy home¡­I think she¡¯ll prefer my smaller butfortable nest over a pce made of stone¡­¡¯

    As his mind idly wandered, an errant thought made him frown. ¡®Will I be able to hurt her?¡¯

    With the thought of hurting her, he felt stuffed in the chest. Letting out a loud exhale, he discarded all those thoughts from his mind.

    ¡®I am thinking too much. I don¡¯t have anything against her, but she¡¯s unlucky to have be that Dragon¡¯s mate. She is nobody to me. I will kill her when the timees.¡¯

    ¡ª¡ª<sub></sub>

    The next several days passed by in peace for Draven as his little mate had not pulled any stunt during that time and had remained inside her chamber obediently.

    ¡®I wonder, what¡¯s keeping her so busy these past four days?¡¯

    Just then, he heard a knock and Y entered his study. After greeting him, she asked, ¡°Your Majesty, you called for me?¡±

    ?[0)??? Draven nodded as he looked at her from the armchair behind his desk. ¡°What is she doing these days?¡±

    The short blue-haired elf didn¡¯t have to ask who he was asking about. ¡°Miss Ember is spending time in her study. She seems to be immersed in reading all day, she barely leaves her study room.¡± Draven was pleased to hear that his mate was enjoying her time with the books Erlos got specifically for her, but then Y¡¯s next words changed his mind. ¡°From what I heard from her maidservants, the Miss has been studying the book she borrowed from Your Majesty.¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡®Borrowed?¡¯ Draven scoffed inwardly, not letting it show on his face. ¡®She¡¯s a little thief, daring to sneak in here and get a book without my permission. That brazen human only knows how to get herself in trouble.¡¯

    His eyes nced at the part of the bookshelf that was missing a book. There was a separate library within the pce where the ordinary books were kept, and those inside his study were unique or important books that were part of his personal collection. He knew that the ¡®borrowed¡¯ book was about advanced magic.

    ¡®She won¡¯t understand it.¡¯

    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Y called out, seeing the King remain silent.

    Draven looked at her and she said, ¡°Miss Ember has stopped bleeding so I am thinking of calling the male servants back to the pce. But before that, I want to know your opinion.¡±

    ¡°Do it,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± She bowed to him lightly and said, ¡°I will make sure to send them out every month whenever it¡¯s time for Miss Ember to have her monthly cycle.¡±

    Draven simply nodded. As the elf was about to excuse herself, he could not help but ask, ¡°Is she in her study at this moment?¡±

    ¡°Yes, she is, Your Majesty.¡±

    The most powerful man in the kingdom, with him being a Dragon and the entire pce grounds being his territory, was asking his aide about the whereabouts of his little mate.

    Draven never had a need to ask anyone¡¯s position before, because his powers allow him to locate people in a matter of seconds. What a pity that when it came to the one who was most important to him, his powers failed him. Due to his instincts as a mate, his thoughts would go to her from time to time, and he needed constant assurance that she was fine, but¡­

    When it came to Ember, there was nothing he could do but ask others. It was a first for him.

    This was the main reason why he found dealing with her difficult. She would constantly do things that would catch him unaware. Only if he could find her presence, he would have avoideding across her and all those encounters wouldn¡¯t have happened. Especially the one that happened in the study that night.

    Ever since she appeared in his life, it seemed he never had peace of mind.

    After he tasted his mate once, he could not help but crave for more. At times, he regretted doing it, but sometimes, he found himself questioning why he was denying himself his mate. She was his¨C how could he not expect at least that much?

    After dismissing his aide, his gaze passed across that particr bookshelf once more, but it seemed he could see two people standing in front of it, one caging the other as they shared a short burst of passion.

    The memory was vivid in his mind¨Chow good it felt to touch her face and how he felt his entire being be alive as soon as their lips met. There were no words to perfectly describe his feelings.

    His gaze then moved towards the space in the bookshelf where the missing book was supposed to be.

    ¡®Even after all that, she was ridiculous enough to take that book with her. That little sneaky thing.¡¯

 Chapter 131 Ember Asking Morpheus- "What Is Mate?"

    Ember was going through the book she supposedly ¡®borrowed¡¯ from the King¡¯s study. She could read the contents and understand the words thanks to learning the runenguage of the kingdom.

    It was quite slow, but she recognized that the book was talking about various magic spells, exining what they were for and how to use them with various different diagrams. She could understand the words by themselves but the concept and the exnations were quite difficult for her to grasp.

    ¡°Amplifying magic¡­ by changing the structures¡­? Will it be alright to simply memorize these? It doesn¡¯t mention how to use spells like the ones Gaia used. It talks about making strong magic, but I only know how to create an illusion to fool an enemy. Gaia can change forms to scare people away, but I only know one form. This book is reallyplicated. I have been re-reading this part multiple times but it still doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡±

    Ember pursed her lips as she flipped to another page.

    ¡°Controlling the intensity¡­? The difference between pure magic and true magic¡­what? I want to learn magical spells to protect myself, and I can even settle for entertaining magic like the butterflies Elder Leeora showed me, but I don¡¯t think I can find them here. Why do all these seem so difficult? Was my act of sneaking into his study unnecessary?¡±

    She helplessly looked at the book and then mumbled, ¡°But Gaia said one needs to keep learning to be better. I believe it would be fine if I memorize all of these. But can I learn it on my own? I will probably need someone to teach me.¡±

    Feeling like her mind was full ofplex terms and diagrams, she thought to take a break. She went to the balcony of her study, not knowing that she was now free to go anywhere as her monthly cycle was over and the King had permitted all the males to return to the pce.<sub>.</sub>

    Standing by the railing of the balcony, she thought about who she shall ask to teach her.

    ¡®Elder Leeora, maybe Lady Cornelia¡­? But they are busy people. I don¡¯t want to trouble them.¡¯ She let out a sigh. ¡®Can all elves use magic? I wonder if I can ask Reya or Clio, but will they teach me?¡¯

    Just then, she felt a strong gust of air, causing her hair to flutter around. A man with ash grey eyes and majestic wings of the same colournded on the balcony.

    She looked at the person with a bright smile. ¡°Morpheus!¡±

    The shapeshifter had gotten to know that all the male servants were being called back to the pce, which means it was safe to pay a visit to this little human. When he saw her standing on that balcony, he ended up going to her. It was ridiculous how he was being pulled towards this human who seemed to be not so ordinary to him, yet here he was, giving in to that strange impulse.

    ¡°How are you, little female?¡± he asked with a lopsided smile as his majestic wings folded back behind him.<sub></sub>

    ¡°I am good, just enjoying the view from here,¡± she replied and walked towards him only to stop midstep.

    ¡°Stay there.¡±

    As he said that, Morpheus even raised his hands, gesturing for her to not move closer.

    Last time, he ran away as if she was someone with a gue, and this time, he was still treating her the same.

    Seeing her disappointed expression, he spoke, ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand me. There is a reason I asked you to stop.¡±

    ¡°What reason?¡± she asked.<sub></sub>

    ?[0)??? ¡°You are the King¡¯s mate now so you should try to not get too close with males. Keep a safe distance away, at least five steps of distance.¡±

    She looked at the stone floor, and to her, she seemed about four steps away from him. She took a step back but heard Morpheus sigh.

    ¡°I am not talking about those tiny steps with your short legs. Compare it to my strides.¡±

    She looked at his long legs and then took a few more steps back.

    ¡°That¡¯s good now,¡± he said with a satisfied smile. ¡®I don¡¯t care about myself, but if that Dragon smells me on you, he might get angry at you.¡¯

    For good measure, Ember took another step back. She felt awkward, as they were standing almost on opposite sides of the balcony.

    When she looked back at him, she decided this was the best chance to ask the question haunting her the most.

    ¡°Morpheus, can you tell me why being the King¡¯s mate is so special? I tried to search for a book about mates but I could not find any. When I asked Clio and Reya, they merely smiled at me and thought I was making fun of them.¡±

    Morpheus looked at the innocent face of that human girl and was reminded of one fact.

    ¡®She is really so naive.¡¯

    A yful smile appeared on his lips as he restedfortably at the stone railing of the balcony, his arms folded in front of his muscr chest, looking like he had taken her question seriously and was hesitating to answer her.

    Her beautiful green eyes that were staring at him with anticipation gradually shifted into impatience, and then annoyance, with each passing second.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering? Are you going to tell me or do I have to ask someone else?¡± she asked with a pout.

    Morpheusughed. ¡®She looks adorable when she is angry. I feel like pinching her cheeks and that tiny nose.¡¯

    Ember frowned, annoyed to realize he was making fun of her. They had met a few times, and in each of them, he showed he cared for her. It was an easy friendship, and she wasfortable enough with him to show her feelings clearly, even if it was anger.

    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t tell me,¡± she snapped and turned around to leave.

    This caused him tough harder, as he said, ¡°Okay, I will tell you.¡±

 Chapter 132 Morpheus, Are You My Mate As Well?

    ¡°Now, don¡¯t re at me like that. I¡¯ll answer, I¡¯ll answer. Come on, don¡¯t be annoyed, little female,¡± Morpheus said and she stopped as she heard him again, ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a seat first? Seems like we¡¯ll be talking for a while.¡±

    Ember shook her head and remained standing, choosing to lean on the balcony railing like Morpheus, though her hands were on the loose parts of her long hair, trying to keep them from being swept by the wind.

    Morpheus tilted his head as he considered where to start. ¡°First, tell me what you know about being someone¡¯s mate.¡±

    ¡°From what everyone said, I understood that mate means I am the King¡¯s person now. But it doesn¡¯t seem to mean bing his subordinate or servant since he has given me his surname. Doesn¡¯t that mean I am his family¡­? ording to what others said, the King has marked me and that¡¯s why I¡¯m his mate.¡±

    Ember moved her hair away from the right side of her neck, showing him a mark on her skin like a flower tattoo.

    ¡°See, I have some kind of flower mark here. It looks like a brand. I understand this is what they meant by the mate¡¯s mark. Since I have his surname now, does ¡®family¡¯ mean bing like¡­I don¡¯t know¡­an adopted sister? Cousin? I have heard and read about all kinds of rtionships, but humans do not have a concept of your kind¡¯s mate. What is a mate exactly?¡±

    Morpheus rubbed his chin with a forefinger and said, ¡°Well, everything you understood is right that you are now King¡¯s person and his family, but there is more to it¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell me what it is,¡± she asked impatiently.<sub>.</sub>

    For the past four days, she had been wondering about why Draven said those words to her¨C ¡®You are my mate and you don¡¯t know what I can do to you, do you?¡¯

    Those words gave her a strange feeling. Coupled with the way he looked at her and how she was lost in him every time they were close, their every encounter confused her and she could not help but conclude being a ¡®mate¡¯ meant something more than she initially thought.

    ¡®What kind of rtionship is being someone¡¯s mate?¡¯

    ¡°To be a person¡¯s mate is to be a special person to them,¡± Morpheus said slowly, aware that the concept was foreign to humans and was difficult to grasp in its entirety. ¡°Mates have a sacred bond between them. It means you are tied to the other person till the end of your life.¡±

    ¡°Till the end of my life?¡± This was not something that Ember wished to hear. She had ns to travel everywhere, and if she was tied to someone, then it would be troublesome for her to leave.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Morpheus nodded.

    ¡°That means¡­ Do I have to be here always? Can I not go anywhere else?¡± she asked, feeling anxious.<sub></sub>

    ¡°Of course, you can go wherever you want. Not like someone is going to put chains in your feet and lock you up. You are not a prisoner, but wherever you go, in the end, you will feel the urge to return to your mate and that person is the King.¡±

    Was it simr to her rtionship with Gaia? Even though they were no longer together, Ember would miss her and would want to see her. It made sense to her, after all, she treated Gaia like her own family, although the woman was not her birth mother. But still, it didn¡¯t sit right with Ember, as if there¡¯s something more to being ¡®mates¡¯.

    ¡°Well, the King made me his family so I won¡¯t mind being a member of his family.¡±

    ¡°Good.¡± Morpheus looked at the mark on her neck. ¡°That mark on your neck will always tell others that you are his mate, and as long as they recognize it, you will be safe. No one would dare trouble you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± She was surprised. ¡°It¡¯s like a talisman. This seems to be a useful mark then.¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± he agreed.

    ¡°Then, since he¡¯s protecting me, then what about me? Do I have to do anything for him? I feel indebted to him. It¡¯s quite embarrassing that I am getting all the privileges here of being his family while all I do is to trouble him.¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡°Now you are asking the right questions, little female,¡± Morpheus said with a yful lopsided smirk. His intentions were hidden behind those grey eyes.

    ¡°Oh, then tell me what I have to do.¡±

    ¡°As I said, being mates is really special. See, the King is a divine creature and he can have only one mate in his entire life. That means you are the only one for him. You are the only person he can have by his side.¡±

    ¡°The only person?¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s surrounded by all the people in the pce, but even though I¡¯ve only been here for a short time, I do feel like he always seems alone,¡¯ she concluded and asked, ¡°He does not have family or friends?¡±

    Morpheus nodded and confirmed, ¡°He neither has family nor friends.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I think you should ask him that yourself. It¡¯s not my ce to share his personal story with you.¡±

    Ember realized she made a mistake and nodded. ¡°I bet he is lonely. I thought I am the only one with no family and friends¡­¡± she mumbled.

    Morpheus¡¯s sharp ears caught those words. ¡°You cannot say that now. See, he is your family while I am your friend.¡±

    She smiled. ¡°True!¡±

    ¡°So where were we?¡± Morpheus questioned only to answer by himself, ¡°You are the only family he has¨Cthat means you need to be responsible towards him. You need to y the role of a family and a friend to him. He has been living a lonely life for so long, but now he has you, you should not let him be lonely anymore.¡±

    Ember had doubts. ¡°Can I do that?¡±

    ¡°Of course. When a person has family or friends who show care, then wouldn¡¯t there be no reason for him to feel lonely? He treats you well, so the least you should do is treat him well too.¡±

    ?[0)??? ¡°That makes sense.¡± Ember fell into deep thought for a bit. ¡°So a mate means to be apanion for a lifetime¡­? A person who shows care, simr to the human concept of family and friends?¡±

    Morpheus made a sound of agreement. ¡°Something like that. For the King, you are the only person who can be like that to him.¡±

    ¡°What about other people? They also have a single mate for a lifetime?¡±

    ¡°Not really. How do I exin this? Hmm, it depends on the circumstances. The King is the only known pure-blooded divine dragon in existence, so his case is rather special.¡±

    ¡°Like family or friends¡­?¡± she repeated in a mumble.

    It felt like a y of words. All her life, Ember had always been alone and never had a friend before, that¡¯s why for her, Morpheus being her first friend was special. A special existence who felt like a friend and family to her.

    Her emerald green eyes looked up at his ash gray ones, her pure gaze causing the corner of his lips to subconsciously lift into a gentle smile.

    ¡°Did I clear your doubts, little female?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Morpheus, you are special to me too. You feel like a friend that means we are mates as well, right?¡±

    The handsome winged man froze into a statue after receiving such a shocking blow.

 Chapter 133 Find Opportunities to be around him.

    Ember¡¯sst words continued to ring in Morpheus¡¯s mind¡­

    ¡­we are mates as well, right?

    ¡­mates as well, right?

    ¡­right?

    Morpheus had not expected Ember to draw such a conclusion.

    ¡®My mate?¡¯

    Morpheus did not say a single lie in his exnation towards Ember. Everything he told her was true, albeit hiding one important fact¨Cthat for his kind, a mate bond is like marriage. All he was intending to do was not tell her the intimacy part directly as he didn¡¯t know how to exin to this naive girl all that.<sub>.</sub>

    He was just trying to get her to be closer to her mate, wanting their rtionship to improve, giving her ideas so that the stubborn dragon would let her in the walls he built around himself. He wanted Draven to give up his reservations and mate with her but¡­

    ?[0)??? ¡®What did she just say?¡¯

    Morpheus felt something within him stirring. After vowing to avenge his fallen family, he had never thought about having a mate and he was far from considering these things. He merely wanted to bring trouble to that Dragon using his mate¡­that was the reason why he hade¡­and yet¡­

    He shook his head to get back hisposure and then put that usual lopsided smirk on his lips. ¡°You are so naive, little female.¡±

    She only looked at him in confusion. ¡°Does that mean ¡®no¡¯?¡±

    Morpheus wanted to agree and say that was the case, but he couldn¡¯t say those words out loud. He chose to ignore her question.<sub></sub>

    ¡°You want to show the King gratitude for everything he¡¯s given you, right? Then you must work hard to at least make him feel you are worth making his mate,¡± he said.

    ¡°I understand.¡± She nodded. ¡°What do I do?¡±

    ¡°What do family do? What do friends do?¡± he asked back.

    ¡°They show each other they care and give each other things¡­?¡± Ember fiddled with the sleeves of her dress. ¡°But¡­I do not know how to show him care and I do not have anything I can give him. Isn¡¯t he the most powerful person in this kingdom? He already has people serving him and he iscking nothing¨C¡°

    ¡°You are wrong with that,¡± Morpheus corrected her. ¡°There are many things you can do. For example, when a friend is sad or in trouble, what can you do?¡±

    ¡°I canfort them? Listen to their problems? Like how you are with me¡­¡± she answered as the realization came to her.<sub></sub>

    He smirked lightly as he could not help but adore her naiveness. ¡°So smart, little female.¡±

    She smiled and heard him continue, ¡°So the King is lonely for so long but finally he has you. Let¡¯s do this step by step. You can start off by bing a good friend to him. You need to be around him always and let him feel there is no need for him to feel lonely at all. You need tofort him when he looks sad, calm him when he looks angry, and always show him you care for his well-being.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­?¡± she asked. She remembered the young silver-haired elf who always followed around Draven. Wasn¡¯t Erlos always caring for the King¡¯s well-being?

    Morpheus gave her an encouraging smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it so simple?¡±

    She wanted to say ¡®no¡¯, but instead nodded since she felt like Erlos couldn¡¯t also be a mate. His rtionship with the King was master and servant. As she thought of the King, she remembered some embarrassing memories. ¡°But it seems like the King doesn¡¯t like me to be around him.¡±

    ¡°And why do you think so?¡± Morpheus asked.

    She paused for a moment and touched her cheeks, hoping she wasn¡¯t blushing out of shame as she answered, ¡°You know how His Majesty has a cold, expressionless face in front of everyone? He looks annoyed whenever he sees me in front of him. His red eyes turn sharp, like he wants to avoid looking at me, as if he finds me ugly and disgusting. Well, I guess it¡¯s expected. Everyone working in the pce is beautiful. Especially Mister Erlos, his stunning face outshines even the other elves. Well, even you, Morpheus. You are good-looking as well.¡±

    She covered her face as she groaned.

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the problem? Maybe the King does not like having me around because a human like me doesn¡¯t fit the standards of your people?¡±

    Morpheus burst intoughter as he knew that Draven must have acted like this. That dimwit probably didn¡¯t realize his behaviour was causing anxiety to his poor mate, hurting her self-esteem.

    ¡®This little female is truly a funny human,¡¯ he could not help but think. ¡®You should be d that he has such strong self-control or that Dragon would have eaten you by now. You have no idea how much he desires you, yet here you are, questioning your worth.¡¯

    ¡°¡­Morpheus? Do you think that¡¯s the case?¡± she asked, seeing him lost in his thoughts.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing, and no, it¡¯s not what you are thinking. He is not so shallow as to judge you by appearance, and you really shouldn¡¯t concern yourself over that. It¡¯s just that he has a nasty personality that makes others easily misunderstand him. Since the King doesn¡¯t allow anyone to get close to him, he¡¯s good at pushing people away.

    ¡°In short, he doesn¡¯t know how to deal with people. That is where youe in. You can get close to him and teach him, and then he would stop looking so scary. As his mate, you have to help him be a better person.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­I will try?¡± she said hesitantly. Morpheus seemed to have big expectations for her, but she herself wasn¡¯t good at interacting with people as well. Beforeing to Agartha, the only person she had interacted with was Gaia. The things she knows about people all came from storybooks and her nanny¡¯s stories. She asked, ¡°What and how exactly should I do it?¡±

    ¡°Once again, a good question. I wonder why there are no other smart humans like you,¡± hemented, smiling lightly.

    She noticed that smile. ¡°Are you teasing me?¡±

    He was taken aback and then said, ¡°I mean it.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡± She let it go. ¡°Then tell me, what shall I do?¡±

    Morpheus had an evil grin on his lips, ¡°It¡¯s simple. Find opportunities to be around him all the time.¡±

 Chapter 134 Morphs Wicked Advices To Ember

    ¡°But he seems busy working all the time¨C¡°

    ¡°Even better. If he is working in his study, you can ask if you can help him out. He will definitely reject it because he is one stubborn creature but you have to remember to not give up. Say something like, you don¡¯t want to be an idle freeloader or you want to learn useful things or anything along those lines. If you are adamant, trust me, he won¡¯t be able to resist you and in the end he will give up.¡±

    ¡°I will try,¡± she said. ¡°Do you have more ideas?¡±

    ¡°Observe him, little female. I do not know how, but as long as you stay by his side long enough, you will find other ways to show him you care for him as his mate.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense¡­¡±

    Morpheus sighed as he stared at her anxious look. She looked really worried, so he decided to give her more ideas. ¡°For example, if he is strolling in the garden, you can offer to apany him.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t that be a bother? What if he wants to be alone?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let him be alone, that¡¯s the point. He¡¯s been alone for a long time, and that has to change,¡± Morpheus replied. ¡°You are his mate. You can do anything. You can go to his chamber and help him with various things, like helping him select clothes for the day. Female mates love to do that for their male counterparts. If he looks like he needs a break, you can even ask him to apany you and go travel around the territories of the kingdom.¡±<sub>.</sub>

    Ember liked thest idea especially well, but she could not imagine herself doing all these things with the King. Excluding the fact that being close to him felt nerve-wracking, she was someone who enjoyed quiet time by herself. She felt it was wrong to be overly attached to someone that way and disrupt the King¡¯s daily life. She didn¡¯t want to be an inconvenience.

    ¡°Won¡¯t that be too much?¡± she questioned hesitantly.

    ¡°Trust me, it won¡¯t. You are mates. Change is necessary. This is what you need between you two,¡± he replied and then suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask for his help whenever you want something? That would be even better.¡±

    She gulped at the mention of ¡®help¡¯. Wasn¡¯t she thinking of someone to help her learn magic? Would the King ept helping her when she stole his book¨C

    ¡®No, I just¡­ borrowed, yes, I borrowed the book without his permission. Once I am done, I will return it so it¡¯s not considered stealing.¡¯

    Seeing her lowered face, his curiosity was piqued. ¡°What are you thinking?¡±

    She didn¡¯t want to tell Morpheus that she had stolen¡­erm, borrowed a book without the King¡¯s permission.<sub></sub>

    She cleared her throat and wanted to change the topic. ¡°Morpheus, do you have ns today? If you are not busy¡­can I ask you to teach me?¡±

    Morpheus raised a brow. ¡°Am I not already teaching you how to be a proper mate?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that. I want to learn something else. You can use magic, right? Please teach me magic.¡±

    ¡°You want to learn magic?¡± he asked in surprise.

    ¡°Yes. Is that all right? If you are busy then¨C¡°

    ¡°Hah, you cannot find a man less busy than I am,¡± Morpheus chuckled. ¡°Sure, I can teach you magic, but rather than teach, I think I can only show you magic. You are human, and humans don¡¯t have the ability to use magic. I don¡¯t think you can learn.¡±

    ¡°I can use magic.¡±<sub></sub>

    It surprised Morpheus. ¡°You can use magic. Are you sure?¡±

    She nodded confidently. ¡°My nanny said I am different from other humans. I learned a shapeshifting spell from her¡­¡± She then said immediately, ¡°Don¡¯t ask me to show it to you. I look ugly. I turn into a monster so I can scare other people away from me.¡±

    ¡°Scaring away people, huh? Seems fun,¡± hemented and decided to trust her words for now. ¡°Fine. Hmm, for now, how about I show you a small magic spell?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you, Morpheus!¡±

    ¡°Small thing to do for my little human friend.¡±

    Ember smiled in delight as she watched Morpheus lift his right hand. His fingers moved gently and there was some change at the tips of his fingers.

    She looked at it with a curious gaze, and the next moment, there was a gust of air formed on top of his fingers, rotating into a palm-sized tornado that stayed in ce despite causing the wind around them to pick up. Ember had to hold onto her hair to prevent it from whipping her face.

    Morpheus looked at Ember while his fingers continued to be engaged with that tiny tornado.

    ¡°As you know, I belong to the shapeshifter race. Magic in general depends on innate ability. For my race, the talent in our bloodline allows us to change forms, but you can say that I have a more superior background since I am a descendant of a divine creature. That allows me to use another magic power. I can control the air around me the way I want. That is my main strength,¡± he told her with pride. ¡°Want to touch it?¡±

    She nodded and then saw that palm-sized tornado moving towards her and stopped an arm¡¯s length in front of her.

    She moved her hand and touched it with her forefinger, but the next moment, it dissipated into nothingness.

    ¡°Ah? I¡¯m sorry¨C¡± She looked at Morpheus nervously.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°That was supposed to happen.¡±

    She felt relieved and then asked, ¡°Can you create butterflies by magic?¡±

    ¡°Create? You mean, like an illusion? No, I can¡¯t. Besides, there is no fun in having fake butterflies when I can bring you real ones,¡± Morpheus said and once again Ember saw him moving his fingers.

    ¡°Are you ready, little female?¡± he asked, and before she could reply, she felt another gust of wind. It did not take long for her to spy a change in the garden below as if a sea of colours was approaching. Many colourful butterflies soon surrounded the balcony. Ember could not help but let out a delighted gasp. She had not seen so many of them gathered in a single ce like this.

    ¡°This! Morpheus, please, can you please teach me this? Tell me how you do it!¡± Her eyes looked earnest and Morpheus could not say no to her. He was worried that refusing her would make her upset, but on the contrary, epting to teach her yet seeing her fail would also make her upset.

    ¡°Please, Morpheus,¡± he heard her beg again.

    ¡®I worry for her too much. It¡¯s not my ce to worry. I will just exin it to her the way I teach it to the young ones in my n,¡¯ he decided. ¡®I am sure she will fail but it¡¯s fine to let her try¡­¡¯

    ?[0)??? =====

    You all can thank reader DespinaNY for these bonus chapters. <3 <3

 Chapter 135 Using Her Powers

    ¡°Since you say you know how to shapeshift, then I assume that you already understand the basic principle of controlling the magic inside your body? In shapeshifting, what you do is focus on the core of energy inside your heart and spread it to every inch of your body, right? I am not sure how you visualize this. This is a natural talent for someone like me so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same for humans. I have been using it for a thousand years so I don¡¯t even have to think. It¡¯s more an instinct for me and my people.¡¯

    ¡°Core of energy?¡± she asked.

    Morpheus scratched his chin. ¡°Magic power is the blessing of the world. Everything and everyone possesses magic inside their bodies, from trees to the river, from animals to elves and yes, even humans, but it depends on race and talent how to wield it.

    ¡°Humankind has no talent and their core of magic is so little, it¡¯s negligible, that is why they naturally cannot use magic. Other races have powers from birth since they have arge core of magic inside their bodies. This is the case for shapeshifters and elves. With more practice, our people be more powerful because you be skilled in using what you have. That is why your origin and bloodline matters a lot.¡±

    She didn¡¯t know her origin and bloodline, but since she was able to use magic, did that mean she was not fully human? Gaia could also use magic. Was Gaia also not human?

    Morpheus continued. ¡°In performing basic magic spells, there are two very important factors¡ªthe ability to tap the magic in your core and the strength of your willpower tomand that magic. Since my attribute is air, I only have to think¡ªor rather, imagine how I want to control air. I spread my magic in the air andmand the air infused with magic.

    ¡°For the butterflies toe, I make the air shake with a unique frequency to let out a sound that will call them to me. It¡¯s a pretty high-level technique. Since you are just beginning, how about you first try to tap the magic core in your heart and instead of spreading it inside your body, try spreading it to the air outside your body?¡±<sub>.</sub>

    ¡°Okay, I will try,¡± she said and closed her eyes.

    Just like what Morpheus did earlier, she put her hand forward and tried to focus on the source of power inside her. ¡®The magic inside my heart¡­try to spread in the air¡­¡¯

    On the other hand, Morpheus continued to look at this adorable human female whose face was firm with determination. He found it difficult to move his gaze away from her serious face.

    ¡®Since when did humans start to be born like her? Why is she so different from those disgusting creatures?¡¯ he continued to think about her, not knowing he was being pulled towards her.

    The silence within the balcony didn¡¯tst long as soon¡ª

    Swoosh!<sub></sub>

    Ember opened her eyes, feeling something had happened, only to be shocked at the view in front of her.

    mes.

    For a split second, there was a sea of orange mes.

    Those more than a hundred butterflies that turned the balcony into a beautiful colourful dream, all of them were on fire, and in a matter of seconds, their existence was reduced to nothing more than ashes.

    Morpheus himself was shocked and stared at Ember whose one hand was still raised in front of her, the tips of her fingers noticeably trembling.

    ¡®This human¡­did she just¡­?¡¯<sub></sub>

    Morpheus could not believe it even though he had personally witnessed it. Ember was clearly a human¡ªneither a halfling nor one of those crazy practitioners of ck magic¡ªand though she was able to be mates with Draven, it only meant she was special enough to be able to bear the magic of his bloodline.

    ¡®A human capable of using real magic?¡¯

    When she told him a while ago what she could do, he took it lightly. He thought her nanny must have done a magic trick, a sleight of hand, tofort her since she¡¯s naive.

    ¡®That isn¡¯t even a magic spell, but a strong power originating from her innate talent. I cannot be mistaken. Even now, it¡¯s like I can still feel the heat of those mes¡­¡¯

    In front of him, Ember was trembling with her hands covering her mouth. Tears brimmed in her eyes as she recalled how those butterflies were brutally burned to the point mere ashes remained on the floor. The sharp acrid smell left behind by the fire made her want to vomit.

    ¡°I-I-I killed¡­I killed¡­ them¡­I¡­¡±

    Her stuttering words pulled Morpheus back from his thoughts and he looked at her with an expression of pity. ¡°Ember, calm down. It¡¯s not¡ª¡±

    But before he could say anything more, someone appeared in their midst and walked towards Ember, pulling her into his strong, warm arms.

    Ember buried her face in the chest of that person as his presenceforted her, and finally, hot tears rolled down her pale cheeks. She cried in shock, horror and dread, the scene continuously reying inside her head.

    ¡°I¡­Killed them¡­I killed them¡­¡± her trembling voice sobbed before strength left her body and she lost consciousness in that person¡¯s arms.

    Draven tenderly held her unconscious body, but his red eyes red at Morpheus with killing intent.

    ¡°Draven¡­I didn¡¯t expect¡­¡± The shapeshifter¡¯s expression was unreadable. ¡°I don¡¯t know what had just happened. How could a human like her¡ª¡±

    ¡°Leave!¡±

    The anger in Draven¡¯s eyes reminded the winged man of what happened in that mountain a few days ago. Morpheus didn¡¯t want to argue with this man at this moment, especially not after he saw Ember faint in such a pitiful manner.

    Majestic grey wings spread on his back. ¡°I am leaving but I will return.¡±

    Morpheus shot the red-eyed man a serious look but Draven didn¡¯t react. He neither agreed nor disagreed and simply disappeared from the balcony along with his mate.

    The Divine Eagle flew away from the pce, worry and curiosity heavy in his mind.

    Draven reappeared inside Ember¡¯s personal chamber and carried the unconscious human towards the bed. He covered her with a quilt and sat at the edge of the bed while observing her delicate face. Her cheeks were wet due to tears and her thin eyebrows were furrowed together to show her distress. It was as if even in sleep, what she hadmitted still haunts her.

    He removed the glove from his one hand and wiped her cheeks gently with his fingers.

    ¡®So something did happen¡­¡¯ he inwardly sighed.

 Chapter 136 Will It Put Her In Danger?

    Draven had not been inside the pce. He was in another region within the Forest of Elves on official business.

    Though he was more a king in name, from time to time, Draven would visit the various cities within the kingdom for inspection. It was in fact a loose schedule of sorts arranged by his aides and the members of the council, but after having brought in a human outsider as his mate, he thought it would be a good time to do his inspection rounds now. It was both to tour around and to show his face to his subjects as a favor to the council.

    A couple minutes ago, he was talking with High Elder Halifax, being entertained with tea and snacks in Peleg, the city of the Moon Elf n, when he suddenly felt a strong pull that urged him to go back to his pce and see Ember. It was as if he could feel something was being triggered within her.

    It was strange. Even without having any idea of what urred, he remembered how he intuitively knew that something was wrong with her. Thus, he returned to the pce in an instant. His guess was that it was the magic in the bond between them that informed him of her situation.

    All he could think of was to drop everything and go back to her at once. And so, he did. He gave a brief promise of return to Halifax before leaving Peleg. When he appeared in the southwest wing of the pce, he easily found her scent along with the presence of another man who he recognized as Morpheus.

    When he appeared inside her study, he saw Ember and Morpheus on the balcony with his little mate surrounded by butterflies, standing with her eyes closed in deep focus. A fierce raging energy rose from her body, and the next moment, he realized that the air in the balcony was seemingly filled with sparks. The butterflies flying around her were set aze like dried paper leaves.<sub>.</sub>

    Everything was so fast and sudden that neither Draven nor Morpheus could stop or react to it.

    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect this to happen. Both Cornelia and I confirmed that she has a seal on her. Does that mean she could wield that fire I saw in my dreams despite the seal?¡¯ he could not help but wonder. This all happened because she was unaware of her powers and could not properly control it. ¡®Is it because marking her or our shared bond has affected her seal, diminishing the suppression it has on her power?¡¯

    Draven recalled the warning of the Head of the Witches, about the possibilities and the dangers of the powers Ember possessed. What happened today was something to be expected; however, he didn¡¯t realize an ident would happen this soon. He shouldn¡¯t have let his guard down, thinking nothing troublesome would happen to her since she was busy reading the books in her study.

    ¡®I need to see that eagle and know what exactly happened. He must have told her things, or else, there¡¯s no reason for her to try using her powers.¡¯

    As he had those thoughts, a frown appeared on his cold face.<sub></sub>

    ¡®Moreover, what was that eagle doing in my residence?¡¯

    Draven remembered warning that man to stay away from the pce, but that stubborn eagle kept showing up again and again.

    In the room next door, the two elf servants entered bringing snacks with them. Not knowing what had happened, Clio and Reya were surprised to find Ember not holed up inside her study.

    ¡°Where did Miss Ember go?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps she returned to her chamber to rest.¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡°She must be tired of studying. It has been days, hasn¡¯t it? I am amazed she¡¯s this dedicated¨C¡°

    The two continued to chat as they went towards Ember¡¯s bedchamber.

    ¡°¨Cand, dear spirits! His Majesty the King?!¡±

    Reya nearly stumbled as she abruptly stopped by the doorway, only to be hit by Clio who¡¯s holding a tray of freshly-baked sweet snacks.

    The two elves saw something unexpected. The King was sitting at the edge of the bed while their Miss was lying in bed.

    Draven had sensed their movements but said nothing and heard them properly conduct themselves.

    ¡°We humbly greet Your Majesty. Please pardon our rudeness. We shall be excusing ourselves.¡±

    The two were not brave enough to stay there in presence of the King. Reya was even regretting why she didn¡¯t knock first.

    ¡°Tell Erlos to call for Leeora,¡± the King instructed, and the two gave him a polite bow. They quietly closed the door behind them as they left.

    Draven continued to apany his mate who looked exhausted and distressed even in her sleep.

    ¡®The sudden use of power must have drained her energy,¡¯ he concluded. ¡®The shocking oue even made it worse.¡¯

    He continued to be by her side while she remained unconscious. Though he could smell her sensual scent like usual, his worry for his mate overpowered everything else, allowing him to remain in full control of his urges.

    Almost half an hour passed by when Draven decided it should be fine to leave her side. Still, he couldn¡¯t make himself leave her chamber, so he opted to stand by the window while thinking about what he should do next.

    ¡®I should get someone of the fire attribute to teach and guide her to use her innate power. I am not sure how this will affect that divine seal, but at least, letting her remain ignorant will do her no good.¡¯

    He briefly remembered those nights he had seen her tossing about in distressed sleep due to her nightmares.

    ¡®It won¡¯t be easy but I hope this incident will not add another scar in her mind. I do not want her to fear her own ability.¡¯

    With this, many other thoughts came into his mind and one of them was about fulfilling thest stage of their bond.

    He questioned how will it affect her if they fulfil the bond. ¡®Will it put her in danger or help her?¡¯

 Chapter 137 Determined To Prepare Her For Whats Awaiting

    Standing by the window of his little mate¡¯s chamber, Draven¡¯s mind was conflicted over things he had to face with his mate.

    ¡®If we are toplete the bond between us, chances are high that the seal on her powers will break, and it¡¯s easy to predict that the divine being who put that seal on her will know about it too. She will be forced to deal with the unfamiliar power inside her and face potential enemies at the same time. The peaceful life she has barely started enjoying will be destroyed. I have doubts whether she¡¯ll be able to handle all of these changes at once when she¡¯s yet to even adapt here.

    ¡®However, if we are to dy fulfilling the bond, idents like what happened today will reur. Both of our lives will be more difficult the longer we resist the pull of the bond, and in the end, our sanities will be lost and we may end up regretting why we held out in the first ce.

    ¡®It is impossible to avoid the inevitable¨Cwhat must happen will happen. Both of us must get the answers to our past, and those who messed up our lives must pay for what they did.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡®In any case, I should not dwell on the problem itself but the solution. For now, the best way to proceed is, to be honest with her and make her understand our situation. She is my mate, my partner and my equal, and this decision involves her life so she should have a say in it.

    ¡®I have to prepare her for what is awaiting her while I can still resist the pull of the bond before it gets worse to the point my urges rein over my rational mind. Whether it¡¯s thepletion of our bond, the handling of the dangerous powers inside her or the enemies she would be facing, I have to prepare her to face them.¡¯

    Draven clenched his fists with determination. What he nned to do next might not go as smoothly as he liked, but at least, having a direction was better than nothing.<sub></sub>

    ¡®My mate ought to be powerful for a divine being to intercede with suppressing her powers. Once she regains her ability, she will no longer remain weak and helpless. No matter what truth our past holds, no one is allowed to toy with her life. Those who had harmed her will pay for it, whether they be humans or gods.¡¯

    Just then, his ears caught the sound of movementing from his mate and he turned to look at the bed. For thest half an hour, she had been sleeping soundly, but now she was looking restless once more.

    Draven went towards her and saw she had turned all sweaty. She seemed to be having a nightmare as tears rolled down her pale cheeks. Draven sat at the edge of the bed and held her hand to let her beforted with his presence. He had experienced something simr before with her, and his presence seemed to have be more effective in calming her after he had marked her as his.<sub></sub>

    The moment he held her hand, Ember woke up in shock, eyes wide while gasping heavily as if something had been suffocating her mere moments ago. She sat up in bed and touched her free hand to her heart while still panting from her nightmare.

    Ember was paler than she was before she fainted, her lips cracked and colourless. She was covered in a cold sweat, her eyes unfocused, as if she hadn¡¯t truly woken up. She didn¡¯t even seem to have realized he was in the room with her.

    This reaction surprised Draven. ¡®What kind of nightmare did she have to be like this?¡¯

    ¡°Breathe slowly,¡± he told her, sounding as gentle and patient as he could. ¡°You need to calm down.¡±

    His mate looked lost, scared, and in pain. She didn¡¯t say a word in response to his words but her hand that Draven was holding tightened its grip on his as if seeking forfort.

    ¡°Breathe,¡± he told her again. His voice was firm and warm, hypnotic even, as he tried to make her focus on him. ¡°Listen to me. Whatever you saw, it was merely a bad dream. You are here and I am with you. There is nothing to be afraid of.¡±

    The frail-looking girl looked at him as tears continued to roll down her face and no sound came out of her mouth even though she opened it to say something. All she could do was follow his words and try to slow her breathing, but even as she did so, tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

    Draven pulled her into a gentle hug and simply allowed her to cry. The act felt foreign yet natural at the same time; he didn¡¯t know he was able to act this way, but seeing his mate like this, it was as if his body had moved on its own. As if holding her in his arms was the most obvious thing to do.

    Ember allowed herself to beforted by him and continued to cry till her tears dried up and turned into soft whimpers. Her hands gripped onto his top to hold him close and stayed like that for a long time. His scent, his warmth, his presence¨Cthis man was like medicine to her woes, and she wanted to drown in thefort he brought.

    Once he felt her calm down, Draven, who was behaving with much self-control even though her scent was affecting him the same, moved a little back and looked at her tear-stained face. He raised his hand to gently cup that small face.

    ¡°Are you fine now?¡± he asked in a low voice.

    Ember nodded but then shook her head as if she wasn¡¯t sure what she felt. Instead, tears started to roll down her eyes once again. Her right hand moved towards her chest as if she was suffering some kind of phantom pain.

    Ember¡¯s action puzzled Draven. ¡®What kind of nightmare did she have? Was it not about what happened earlier on the balcony? I am sure it is not a dream about the mountain fire in Valor as well.¡¯

 Chapter 138 The Purple Eyed Woman

    ¡°Tell me what is wrong,¡± were his next words, sounding sharp and impatient, and she flinched in his arms. She looked at him with teary eyes and shook her head, as if she decided she didn¡¯t want to tell him.

    Draven wanted to hit himself. This person was his mate and not one of his subjects who he could order around. He was not used to being gentle but he had long realized that acting as he usually did to his servants wouldn¡¯t work on his mate.

    ¡®She¡¯s not below me but my equal. I do not want her to fear me.¡¯

    He realized he should be softer to her, and today, he scolded himself that he should try harder in order to get her to trust him. As he thought of those, he once again removed the ck gloves from his hands and tenderly held her face, wiping the tears from her eyes with his thumbs.

    ¡°I mean¡­ you should tell me what happened so I can help you,¡± he said while idly putting her loose hair behind her ears so he could see her expression better. He struggled to put his honest thoughts into words she could understand. ¡°If you are hurt, I will make you feel better. If you are confused, I will try to answer your questions. I want you to trust me. Let me help you.¡±

    She stared at him for a while before hesitantly opening her mouth.

    ¡°¡­purple eyes¡­¡± she mumbled.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡°Purple eyes?¡± he repeated after her. ¡°Did you dream of someone with purple eyes?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I saw a woman with purple eyes¡­she¡­I don¡¯t know who she is¡­.¡± She once again clutched her chest. ¡°It¡¯s confusing¡­I don¡¯t know what it is¡­I feel like something from me has been snatched away¡­ I feel empty as if what was taken away was very important to me ¡­It hurts¡­It feels empty here¡­I don¡¯t know what it is but I want it back¡­¡±

    Ember kept clutching her chest, like she had lost something precious to her and the act of remembering her nightmare was causing her physical pain. She continued to cry while burying her face in his chest.

    Draven could not understand what her dream was about, but all he knew now was there was a purple-eyed woman who caused her pain.

    ¡®Is that her enemy?¡¯ he wondered. ¡®If that dream is a memory simr to mine, then does that mean that Ember¡¯s memory is sealed along with her powers? Will she remember more if the divine seal is broken?¡¯

    Once Ember had calmed and returned to her right state of mind, he decided to ask her properly.<sub></sub>

    ======

    Meanwhile, after leaving Ember in Draven¡¯s care, Morpheus returned to his residence in Redcrest, thend ruled by the feathered race. He was still shocked by what he had seen. He doubted what he had sensed from that human, but he was just beside her. His senses could not be mistaken.

    ¡®Then how could she possess such a strong power of the fire attribute?¡¯

    Hey in his bed and stared at the ceiling of his nest-shaped home.

    ¡®How can a human have powers?¡¯

    He felt like he had a bad dream and wished to erase it from his mind.<sub></sub>

    ¡®Has the continent changed that much? I know I have been cooped up in Agartha for some time, but I¡¯ve been alive for a thousand years. Humans from then and now shouldn¡¯t have changed to that extent.

    ¡®During the council meetings, the representatives of the races never raised any questions about her constitution being human. Be it Halifax, Leeora, Cornelia, or my uncle, everyone thought the same. Was there a mistake?¡¯

    Morpheus frowned as he tried to remember the talks he heard from the council.

    ¡®It¡¯s impossible, and even more impossible was the fact that no one could catch it. If she¡¯s not human, there wouldn¡¯t even be a need for those meetings in the first ce. She would have been epted as a supernatural being¡­¡¯

    He thought about something. Draven¡¯s reaction when he saw Ember using her powers on the balcony.

    ¡®He didn¡¯t look surprised at all. Has he been aware of how special that human is all this time? Did he mark her knowing she is not human?¡¯ His brain felt like it would explode from all the unanswered questions he had. ¡®If he knew, then Leeora also¡­?¡¯ He shook his head. ¡®Leeora would have mentioned something to me.¡¯ If she knew Ember is not human, then she would not have said she is one. Instead, Leeora would have chosen to stay quiet instead of lying.

    He then thought about Ember¡¯s reaction after she used her powers. ¡®Though she told me she could use a shapeshifting spell, she was shocked by what she did to those butterflies. Seems like she was not aware of her ability to use fire. I don¡¯t believe it was simply an act.

    ¡®There is more to her and I need to know. For that, I need to meet that annoying dimwit of a dragon.¡¯

    After he decided on his next step, he then closed his eyes with a deeper frown.

    ¡®Even if she isn¡¯t human, I should not care. Why am I so concerned about her? She is not even my mate¡­Mate?¡¯

    He remembered when she asked if he was her mate too. He was shocked, but somehow, he liked that thought. For the first time ever in his life, he liked that word ¡®Mate¡¯ being associated with him.

    Morpheus remembered how he could not say ¡®no¡¯ when she repeated her question and simply dodged it, leaving her unanswered.

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t I say no? What was I expecting? That human¡­has she bewitched me? Now I think about it, I always feel pulled towards her eyes. Did she bewitch me using her eyes? No wonder I cannot stop going to her. Whatever I try, I end up finding excuses to approach her.¡¯

    He once again frowned at the way his thoughts were leading him to something useless.

    Memories of their encounters shed before his eyes. The first time heid his eyes on her that time he found her wandering towards the cliff, the emptiness he saw in her emerald green eyes when she decided to end her life and he saved her, that shy smile on her face when he visited her home in Ronan and confirmed their friendship, even that time he carried her in his arms as he flew over the skies of Agartha, distracting her by touring above the Forest of the Elves before bringing her to the pce¡­

    ¡®She seems innocent. I cannot me her like this. I should just stop thinking about anything and wait to meet that Dragon again. Till then, I should meet Leeora and ask her about this. I am sure she knows something.¡¯

    ====

    Once again you all can thank reader Despina for this bonus chapter. ^_^

 Chapter 139 She Asked Me What A Mate Is?

    As per the King¡¯s order, Leeora was summoned to the pce. Although the elderly elf didn¡¯t know what had happened, since the King had suddenly asked for her presence without telling her the reason, worry filled her mind. She guessed that it must be something rted to Ember, or else, the King would not have asked for her toe at once.

    Meanwhile, Draven left Ember to her servants after she had calmed down, asking Y to pay special attention to her well-being before heading to his study. Staying by her side was not good for him as his self-control wasn¡¯t strong enough to withstand prolonged exposure to her and her scent.

    When Leeora arrived in the pce, she was escorted by Erlos to his master¡¯s study. She greeted the King who was solemnly sitting in his chair, his face showing traces of exhaustion, looking like many things were going on in his mind. It was a rare sight to see. Draven always acted cold, his handsome face never giving out a hint of what goes in his mind, but today, his expressionless mask had cracked.

    As usual, the elegant elf bowed to him in courtesy. ¡°Leeora of the Wood Elf n greets King Draven, the ruler of Agartha.¡±

    Draven wordlessly looked at her and gestured to her to have a seat.

    ¡°Is everything alright, Sire?¡± Leeora asked, feeling worried after some time had passed yet the King remained quiet. ¡°Am I correct to say the reason I¡¯m called is because of Ember?¡±<sub>.</sub>

    Draven gave a terse nod as he exined the incident from the balcony to Leeora.

    She was obviously shocked to hear it. ¡°How did that happen? Why did she suddenly try this on her own?¡±

    ¡°That we will know once that eagle arrives,¡± Dravenmented, and the next moment, his powers felt a familiar presence approaching. The frown lines on his forehead deepened. ¡°He is here.¡±

    Just as he said it, Morpheus barged inside Draven¡¯s study from its door without letting Erlos announce his arrival.

    Erlos scowled at the neer. ¡°So disrespectful!¡±<sub></sub>

    Morpheus stopped and turned to look at Erlos who was standing by the door of the study with crossed arms. ¡°Hey, kid, your master¡¯s hearing sense is faster than you. Why don¡¯t you run along now and bring in refreshing drinks and snacks for your master¡¯s important guests?¡±

    ¡°Whatever!¡± Erlos rolled his eyes and was about to close the door behind him, only to stop as if he recalled something. He pointedly looked at Morpheus and Draven. ¡°This kid won¡¯t be cleaning your mess so you better act like adults. Hmph, I don¡¯t even get any day off or rewards¡­¡± he muttered, his words directed towards Draven for not giving him a day off when the other male servants got it. ¡°¡­if I see any mess, I will leave this pce, never to return again¡­¡±

    His muttered words and the way he stormed off shocked not only Draven, but also Morpheus and Leeora as well. For the two guests, as frequent visitors of the pce, they were quite familiar with the young elf¡¯s temper. Did the King somehow wrong his servant?

    ¡°What happened to this child?¡± Leeora was stunned, still staring at the door even after Erlos was gone.

    Morpheus smiled teasingly and shrugged. ¡°Rest assured, Leeora. It¡¯s probably just puberty hitting him hard.¡±<sub></sub>

    Leeora simply shook her head, not knowing what to say, while Draven had remained silent the entire time behind his desk, ring daggers at this daring eagle who didn¡¯t look even a bit apologetic for messing up with Ember and her powers.

    ¡°Oh, I am humbled to be in the presence of Your Majesty.¡± Morpheus gave a small bow despite his exaggerated tone of courtesy; it was clear that he didn¡¯t mean it from his heart. He walked towards the lounge but didn¡¯t sit on any of the couches. ¡°I believe Your Majesty won¡¯t ask me to sit, yes?¡±

    ¡°Good that you know your ce,¡± Draven countered.

    ¡°My ce is out there in nature, in the forest and the sky, unlike a certain man who enjoys royalty,¡± Morpheus added. ¡°This stone pce is really stuffy. Don¡¯t you think so, Leeora?¡±

    Leeora sighed as she looked at Divine Eagle. ¡°Morpheus, I do not expect you to behave, but try not to provoke a fight. I believe we are called here to discuss important matters.¡±

    ¡°Fine!¡± Morpheus could not go against Leeora¡¯s words. Moreover, he wanted to talk about Ember and that incident as well.

    She could not say anything to the King but she could at least try to stop Morpheus and she did. ¡°Now, apany thisdy and sit here.¡± She patted the empty seat nearest to her.

    Despite shaking his head, Morpheus sat in the chair next to her.

    ¡°What exactly happened before I arrived?¡± Draven asked.

    Morpheus let out a lopsided smirk. ¡°That¡¯s your first question? I am surprised you are not asking what I was doing there in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°I know how shameless you are to do what you have asked not to, so better jump to the point. I don¡¯t have time to waste with you.¡± Draven showed him a mocking re. ¡°If you can understand, I need to go to my mate as I can¡¯t leave her alone when she is not well.¡±

    Hisst words made Morpheus feel bitter and that teasing smirk disappeared from his lips. ¡®His mate, huh? Of course¡­¡¯

    ¡°What exactly happened before I arrived?¡± Draven repeated his question.

    Morpheus got hold of himself to not show he was affected and spoke up in a civil tone, ¡°Ember asked for my help. It appeared that she had many questions in mind but your people are not doing their job well, so she needed someone like me to answer her doubts for her.¡±

    ¡°What questions?¡± Leeora asked.

    Morpheus smirked as he looked at Draven, ¡°She asked me what a mate is?¡±

    Draven red back at him as this was not something she should be discussing with this eagle. This time, Draven felt bitter and angry¡­and even jealous. How could he not, when his mate trusted and confided her worries on another male?

 Chapter 140 Your Mate, Your Responsibility

    Leeora sensed the atmosphere growing more tense as the two stubborn beasts red at each other. ¡®Both of you are the same. And why am I always the one stuck between these two?¡¯ Suddenly, Leeora pitied herself and felt how tough her life was.

    She cleared her throat. ¡°And what did you tell her, Morph?¡±

    She knew the answer would piss off the King since provoking Draven seemed to be Morpheus¡¯ talent, but still, she had to ask.

    ¡°I told her what she needed to know,¡± he replied ndly.

    ¡°How did she react?¡± Leeora asked.

    ¡°Nothing special as if it didn¡¯t hold that much importance,¡± Morpheus replied as his eyes didn¡¯t move away from the pair of red ones that were nning to kill him. ¡°She was more interested in learning magic.¡±

    ¡°Magic?¡± Leeora mused. ¡°Did you tell her how to use high-levelbustion magic? No, wait¨Cwhat exactly did you tell her?¡±

    Morpheus exined everything from the start, from how the human girl told him about her shapeshifting spell, to him showing her a basic air magic spell, and then showing off high-level sound magic that brought butterflies for her entertainment. Of course, he didn¡¯t leave out the ident that happened afterwards.

    ¡°I thought a human like her won¡¯t be able to do anything but¡­¡± He looked at Draven. ¡°The rest, you know what happened.¡±<sub>.</sub>

    The King and the High Elder listened quietly to his recount and pondered on their own. After a while, Leeora said, ¡°Strange. I also heard from the pce servants how she shapeshifted, but to think she can freely wield the magic inside her core. It¡¯s dangerous to leave her unattended. She needs to be trained.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s what you are worried about?¡± Morpheus couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°The first human capable of true magic appeared on this continent! Is this not something that goes against thews of the world? Is she really human?¡±

    Finally, Morpheus asked what he was seeking to know.

    He continued, ¡°At that time, I felt she had really a strong power residing inside her. How can she be human then? How can she hide her true constitution? Howe no one had caught a clue when she was standing among all those powerful beings during the council meeting?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to know,¡± Draven said coldly, asking him indirectly to get lost. ¡°Your job is done. You can leave.¡±

    ¡°This incident involves me, and I don¡¯t n to stop till I get answers.¡± He looked at Leeora. ¡°I need to know¨C¡°

    ¡°You do not need to know,¡± Draven cut him off.

    ¡°For now, Morph, go back. We will talkter. First, I need to go see Ember. She must still be in great shock,¡± Leeora said as she stood up. These men were as ipatible as fire and water; she didn¡¯t wish to stay between these two.<sub></sub>

    She turned towards Draven. ¡°Your Majesty, I shall excuse myself and go see Ember.¡±

    Draven nodded and Leeora left after letting out an inward sigh of relief.

    Once she left the study, Morpheus was also preparing to depart when Draven spoke to him.

    ¡°Did you truly tell her everything there is to know about being a mate?¡±

    ¡°First, tell me what it is about her that you are hiding,¡± Morpheus said. ¡°Is she not human?¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t find the need to hide it. ¡°Her body is human, that much I can say, but we are yet to confirm her origins.¡±

    ¡°Yet to confirm. That means you have an idea.¡± Morpheus recalled that moment when she used her powers and said, ¡°When I sensed that magic power, I can tell it was not something any supernatural being can possess. It felt strange¡­ foreign. It has a simr nature to yours but a different vour, a higher level, if that makes any sense. If I were topare with the rest of our kind, her magic isparably pure, purer than what is in my divine bloodline or yours.¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t deny this im. Though he had note across her powers, Morpheus wasn¡¯t the kind of person to lie about serious matters. He could trust his judgment as Morpheus being one of the strongest and most knowledgeable people among the living divine beasts.<sub></sub>

    Just as Morpheus reached the door, he looked over his shoulder and found Draven staring at the air, seemingly in deep thought.

    ¡°Oh, and before I forget, about her question about mates, I did not tell that innocent human anything a child shouldn¡¯t know. She is your mate, so that is your responsibility.¡±

    Morpheus left while Draven looked at the door from where that stubborn eagle left. He knew he had to tell her and he would do it soon once she is out of the shock of the previous incident.

    ¡ª¡ª¨C

    Leeora arrived at Ember¡¯s ce where she found a spiritless youngdy wrapped in a thin nket when she went up to Ember¡¯s bedchamber. The human girl was quietly sitting on the wide window sill, looking outside while resting her back against the wall and her head against the ss.

    The lonely image ovepped with how Ember looked on her first couple days in Ronan, cooped up inside her tree house without any desire tomunicate. The worried servants outside had already told her that Ember was not responding to them, and they were d that the High Elder, who they knew was the Miss¡¯s friend, came at the right time.

    ¡°Ember? It¡¯s me, Leeora,¡± the elf called out to her in a soft voice as she approached the unusually quiet girl.

    Leeora¡¯s voice roused Ember from her absent-minded state, but unlike all other times, the girl didn¡¯t smile the moment their gazes met.

    Leeora could understand her feelings. ¡°How are you, Ember? Apologies for noting to see you in the past few days. I was upied with work in Ronan.¡±

    Ember gave a light nod, saying she understood.

    ¡°Elder, please sit here.¡± Clio brought a chair which she ced next to the window so Leeora could sitfortably while talking to Ember.

    ¡°Thank you, child. Can you two get us refreshments?¡± Leeora asked gently.

    ¡°Of course, Elder. Miss, we will be back after a while.¡±

    The two elf servants hurried to excuse themselves, aware that Leeora was asking for privacy. The two servants were troubled and worried sick, wondering what happened to their Miss who refused to tell them why she¡¯s been so down since morning. All they did was take care of her by remaining by her side, hoping that their Miss would eventually open up after some time.

    After they left, Leeora uncovered the small bamboo woven basket she had in her arm and held it in front of Ember. ¡°I have brought wild berries for you. They are fresh as it¡¯s the season for them to grow. Try it.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t deny the kind gesture of the elder and picked up a few from them as she heard Leeora continue speaking in a gentle tone, ¡°Wild berries grow all over the Forest of the Elves, but Ronan has the sweetest kind of berries that¡¯s popr not only to the elves but the other races. They are supplied to everywhere, not just in Agartha but even outside for trading. Aren¡¯t they quite tasty?¡±

    Ember nodded as she chewed on the ones in her hand one after another.

    ¡°They are sweet.¡±

    Finally, the girl spoke and Leeora felt relieved.

    ¡°Do you want more?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    While Ember enjoyed the sweet treat, her stiff shoulders eventually rxed. Leeora finally decided to have a proper conversation with her.

    ¡°Sire and Morph told me about what happened.¡±

    Ember stopped eating the berries and looked at Leeora with a guilty expression.

 Chapter 141 A Gift From Draven

    ¡°Why do you have such an expression, child?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­¡±

    ¡°Were you scared?¡±

    Ember looked down as she nervously chewed on her lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be scared about.¡±

    ¡°But the butterflies¡­¡±

    ¡°No one expects perfection on their first try,¡± Leeora exined. ¡°Even elves, who are born with a strong affinity for nature, have difficulty using magic when we are young. Some of the weaker elves won¡¯t even be able to control the magic in their cores, and when they try to use magic for the first time, incidents like yours happen.¡± Leeora tried tofort her. ¡°Everyone has to go through it including me.¡±

    ¡°You too, Elder?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°But you are not a weak elf. Since you are a High Elder, aren¡¯t you very strong?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°Hmm, I guess I misspoke. It would be more appropriate to say my young body wasparably weakpared to my strong magic reserves, that was why when I first tried magic, I couldn¡¯t control it,¡± Leeora exined, only to make a young human girl curious that before.

    ¡°And what happened?¡±

    Finally, there was a change in Ember¡¯s solemn expression as she heard Leeora continue.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡°I do not remember much, but ording to my parents, I was a toddler back then when they gifted me a seed and I yed with it by injecting magic. The seed suddenly grew into arge tree that destroyed our house. The more I panicked, the bigger the tree grew, and it only stopped after I passed out.¡±

    Ember gaped as she saw the embarrassed face of the elf who began waving her hand around.

    ¡°Anyway, enough about my story. Sire will get a teacher for you, and soon will learn how to use your powers,¡± Leeora said though Draven and her had not talked about it yet. She was sure this is what Draven would do. ¡°Even if such an incident happens again, you don¡¯t have to be scared. If you want to learn magic, you should be ready for it. Understood?¡±

    Ember nodded.

    ¡°There are so many things you need to understand about yourself and I am sure you will have more opportunities once you learn to control your powers.¡±

    Hearing the word ¡®powers¡¯, Ember felt nervous. ¡°It was fire¡­Can I not use other powers? Fire is scary.¡±

    Ember had many bad memories rted to fire. Even now, she¡¯s still having nightmares about the mountain fire where she almost died.

    Leeora smiled softly. ¡°Fire in itself is innocent, Ember. Fire gives you warmth on a cold day, and fire gives you light at night. It¡¯s used for cooking, craftsmanship, weaponsmithing and treatment, among other things people need in their daily lives. It only bes a source of danger when you can¡¯t control it or you use it to purposely harm another.¡±

    Hearing those words, the human girl looked at her hands, remembering how her power tingled from her fingertips earlier. She could still not get out the image of the butterflies turning to ashes from her mind.

    The elf also looked at those small pale hands. ¡°I heard Morph had shown you how he cancontrol the wind. He had been practicing that spell for a long time, that¡¯s why he can call forth his skill without effort. Say, if one calls forth a strong wind but cannot control it in the right way, do you know what that wind can cause? That wind can grow into a storm or a tornado and cause destruction, uprooting the trees and destroying part of the pce, inevitably hurting the people nearby.

    ¡°So, is wind scary? Did you feel it was scary when Morph showed magic to you?¡±

    Ember shook her head. ¡°It was not scary at all.¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡°It¡¯s because Morph is skilled in controlling it. Remember, Ember, that fire is your talent. It is part of you. Rejecting it is rejecting yourself. Once you ept that the fire is part of you, you won¡¯t find it scary anymore. All you need is to put in hard work.¡±

    Seeing Ember nod, Leeora gently held one of her hands. ¡°Other than the destructive side of fire, you can think about the helpful uses of fire.¡±

    Just then, they heard a knock and Clio brought freshly-brewed tea and loaves of bread that seemed to have been baked.

    ¡°See, this tasty food we can enjoy thanks to the presence of fire. Don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    Ember understood. ¡°I will do my best to learn how to control my power.¡±

    Leeora offered her a pleased smile, content that she was able to aplish what she came here for. ¡°I know you can do it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for believing in me, Elder.¡±

    Once again, someone entered the bedchamber and it was Reya. She was carrying something in her hand. It was arge cage with a dome-shaped top and delicate frame made out white wood, and there was a little bird inside it hopping around among the arrangements inside.

    The elf ced the cage on the table as she admired it before turning to her master.

    ¡°Miss Ember, His Majesty has sent this for you,¡± Reya said, smiling happily.

    ¡°That bird¨C¡± Ember almost jumped as she recognized the small white cockatiel.

    ¡°A gift from His Majesty?¡± Clio asked excitedly.<sub></sub>

    ¡°Yes!¡± Reya replied as she used her finger to poke around, teasing the bird.

    Leeora was also surprised to hear that Draven had given Ember a present.

    ¡°That bird seems familiar,¡± Leeora said. ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen her a couple of times.¡±

    Clio smiled. ¡°Her name is Ray, Elder. She is a naughty bird who keeps troubling everyone in the pce. Her master works in the pce so she follows her here every day. All the servants here also give her treats from time to time, so you must have seen us ying with her.¡±

    Ember¡¯s mood brightened as she approached the bird together with the High Elder. ¡°This bird is someone¡¯s pet? Then why did His Majesty send her here? Won¡¯t her masterin?¡±

    Leeora chuckled at the obvious worry on the human girl¡¯s face. ¡°I am sure her master does not have any issue if she stays with you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    As Ember observed the bird, she seemed to have recognised her as thedy who was trying to chase her. ¡°Did you recognise me? You are so beautiful, Ray.¡±

    The bird gave her a singsong-like chirp.

    Of course, the three elves in the room could understand what that chirp meant. Leeora raised a brow. ¡°Naughty one, you should behave better and not trouble your new master. Understood?¡±

    The bird immediately nodded her small head, understanding what Leeora said.

    Their interaction surprised Ember. ¡°Can she understand ournguage?¡±

    Reya continued to tease the bird by tapping the cage. ¡°Of course, Miss! Our Ray is very smart! Aren¡¯t you a smart little cockatiel? Ray can even speak a few words. You can try to teach her a word and she will repeat them back to you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Ember looked at the bird. ¡°My name is Ember. Your new master. I hope you can say my name.¡±

    The bird let out an adorable chirp.

    ¡°Em-ber,¡± Ember repeated, emphasizing her pronunciation. ¡°Em-ber.¡±

    Leeora let out a warning cough when Ray merely let out another chirp. The bird froze for a moment before immediately saying, ¡°Ember!¡± It was a cute lilting voice and Emberughed a little, realizing that the naughty bird was simply ying with her.

    ¡°She¡¯s really naughty,¡± Reya said as she shook her head.

    Ember merely smiled when she heard the bird let out a few chirps that sounded like she¡¯sining. ¡°Thank you, Ray. I hope you will like it here with me.¡±

    ¡°How about we keep this cage in one of the windows?¡± Reya asked to which Ember nodded.

    It was a huge chamber with fiverge windows with wide window sills where one could put pots or even sit on them. All of them were empty at this moment, and it was a good suggestion to keep the cage in one window.

    Ember observed something as the elf carried the cage. ¡°Why is the door of the cage open? I mean, there is nothing to close it?¡±

    Clio answered it this time. ¡°Miss, birds are also children of the world like us. Though we treat animals as pets, you can say that they are friends andpanions to our kind. We will not force them inside a cage like a prisoner; they are free to go anywhere. This cage, think of it as Ray¡¯s small home where she can return and stay when she¡¯s tired.¡±

    ¡°Like it¡¯s her bedchamber?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss. That¡¯s a good way to put it.¡±

    Ember let out a soft smile. ¡°That¡¯s really good. I won¡¯t stop her from going anywhere.¡±

    The two servants settled the cage in the window with the best view as they teased the bird with their fingers.

    ¡°His Majesty is so thoughtful to send such a gift for Miss.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty knows what Miss likes.¡±

    While they chatted idly, Leeora nced at the blushing face of the young human girl standing beside her.

    Ember touched her cheeks and they felt warm.

    ¡®His Majesty knew I was trying to catch this bird. That is why he sent it to me,¡¯ Ember concluded. ¡®I thought I angered him, but he¡¯s being really kind to me. Since he gave me something I like, it¡¯s proper I give him something too¡­but I have no idea what he likes.¡¯

    Leeora could not help but smile at her. ¡®Slow but a satisfactory change.¡¯

    ====

    Name of the bird Ray is dedicated to reader RMehrotra.

 Chapter 142 Need To Search The Purple-Eyed Woman

    After Leeora bid Ember goodbye, the elf slowly made her way down from the top floor of the southwest wing of the pce. She had initially nned to leave but changed her mind after thinking things through. They had yet to decide things about Ember¡¯s training for her powers and decided to see Draven again.

    When she asked the servants where the King was, they informed her she was in the garden next to his study.

    She found Draven seemingly expecting her arrival.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡±

    Draven looked at her. ¡°How is she?¡±

    When he had left her, his little mate was downcast, upset not only because of the balcony incident but also her nightmare. He expected that Leeora¡¯s visit would drastically improve her mood.

    ¡°She is better now. When I visited, she was dispirited but¡­¡± She pointedly looked at him. ¡°But the gift from Sire had made her cheerful again.¡±<sub>.</sub>

    Leeora studied his expression, wondering how he would react, but that handsome face showed the same cold expression as always. He merely hummed.

    ¡°That child is simple. Even the smallest things can make her happy so there is nothing much to worry about.¡±

    Draven simply hummed again. Ember had a simple, even naive personality, but that also meant she¡¯s reckless and gullible. He could not voice out that her charming naivety was what worried him the most. He didn¡¯t know how to deal with it.

    Draven decided to change the topic of conversation. ¡°I will be appointing a tutor to teach her on how to use her powers. It is best that there be no repeat of this ident.¡±

    Leeora nodded. ¡°If you think about it, Sire, this ident came at a decent time. At least, it happened in a situation where Ember isn¡¯t by herself, and no one has been harmed. We discovered that she can still use her powers despite that seal. Imagine if we had never known and she¡¯s outside the pce.¡±

    Draven felt her words were reasonable. ¡°I knew it was bound to happen, but I was caught unaware because the weakening of the seal happened earlier than expected.¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡°Please do not me yourself,¡± she said. ¡°Have you thought of an appropriate candidate to teach her?¡±

    Draven shook his head.

    ¡°I believe it will be best if we appoint a Fire Fae to guide her,¡± Leeora suggested. ¡°The fire-attributed elves are mostly warriors, craftsmen or cksmiths, while those of the shapeshifters rely purely on bloodline talent. Since we¡¯re looking for the best candidate, the fairies are no doubt the experts on elemental magic. It will be better to discuss this with the Queen of the Fae.¡±

    Draven thought it was a good suggestion and decided to arrange thister with his aides. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh in disbelief, reminded that his mate asked that annoying eagle to teach her magic, of all people to ask.

    After a while, he said something which he had yet to tell Leeora. ¡°She had a nightmare earlier.¡±

    Leeora nced at the King when she heard his serious tone. Seeing how troubled he looked, Leeora understood it must not be any ordinary nightmare.<sub></sub>

    ¡°Is it rted to the balcony incident?¡± Leeora asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s different. I do not know if it¡¯s a memory, a prediction, or if it was rted to her seal, but she imed to have seen a purple-eyed woman in her dream.¡±

    ¡°Purple-eyed woman?¡± Leeora repeated in surprise.

    Draven continued, ¡°When she had that nightmare, she appeared to be in physical pain, though she didn¡¯t know why she was in pain. It reminded me of how I was every time I had those dreams of that woman with green eyes. I do not believe this is mere coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Did she say who that woman is?¡± Leeora asked.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t say, but I believe it¡¯s someone she doesn¡¯t recognize. All she said was that the woman has purple eyes. Once I get the opportunity, I will ask her more about it.¡±

    ¡°Please let me know if you need my assistance, Sire. I will do everything I can help on my end.¡±

    ¡°Having purple eyes is notmon, and I believe if she has dreamed of such a woman, then she must not be an ordinary woman as well. That will help us narrow down our search.¡±

    ¡°You are right, Sire. Please let me know once you get more details from Ember. I will also use my resources to find that woman. Hopefully, she might lead us to the answers behind the mystery rted to Ember¡¯s existence.¡±

    ¡°I hope so too,¡± Draven agreed.

    After talking for a while, Leeora left.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Ember decided to spend the rest of her day inside her bedchamber, not willing toe outside due to that incident.

    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t have a chance to feel lonely because of her newpanion. Her attention was upied by ying with her adorable pet.

    At this moment, Ember was sitting on the window sill beside the birdcage, chatting with the small white bird who¡¯s preening her wings, urging it to reply to her questions.

    ¡°Are youfortable in your perch?¡±

    ¡°Ah, why are you so beautiful?¡±

    ¡°Ray, Little Ray, can you call my name once again? Say it¨CEmber¡­¡±

    But the entire time, the little bird merely let out chirps while tilting her head. Ember finally realized that this naughty bird was ying dumb with her; she¡¯s obedient earlier only because Leeora was around.

    Ember pouted as she yfully poked her wing.

    ¡°Fine, don¡¯t talk to me. I am a little upset with you. You know, because of you, I embarrassed myself in front of His Majesty. I fell in his bath. If that was not enough, I even tripped in front of him in the garden¨Cnot once, but twice! Do you know how embarrassing it was? I felt like burying myself somewhere, not wanting to show my face to His Majesty anymore. I am not that clumsy but it¡¯s all your fault that¡­¡±

    The cockatiel simply chirped as if herints didn¡¯t matter to her.

 Chapter 143 Clumsy Master, Blames The Pet

    The day passed by just like that without her stepping out of her chamber even for her meals, and this worried her servants.

    The next day, Ember also requested for her morning meal to be brought inside her bedchamber. Unlike the routine she followed for the past few days, she did not go to her study and merely decided to stay in her room once again.

    Ember was not in the mood to y with her pet and simply sat by the window while looking outside. After Clio cleared the table of the empty tes, she finally asked, ¡°Miss, are you not heading to read in your study today?¡±

    Seeing her shake her head, Reya had an idea. ¡°Oh, Miss, how about you go on a stroll in the garden? The weather is pretty good today.¡±

    ¡°I am fine,¡± Ember replied indifferently.

    Reya thought to give it another try with a nice excuse. ¡°Miss, you cannot be like this. Think about Ray. See, since you are staying cooped up like this, she is also staying inside her cage only and not going out. This is not good for her health. She needs to go out and fly about. She needs fresh air and sunlight. If her master won¡¯t go out, she won¡¯t either.¡±

    Ember looked at the tiny bird and finally agreed after some thought. ¡°Fine.¡±

    Both Reya and Clio cheered when Ember stood up, proud that they persuaded their spiritless master to leave her chamber. Reya went to the cage and held out her hand. ¡°Ray, did you hear that? Let¡¯s go out! Come, time to y with the Miss.¡±

    Ray immediately hopped out of her cage and perched on Reya¡¯s hand, letting out an excited chirp that somehow eased Ember¡¯s mood. Together with her servants and pet, Ember went down towards the main garden of the pce. Along the way, Ember watched her pet flying in front of them as if she was guiding their way, letting out singsong-like chirps that caused even the passing pce servants to crack a smile.<sub>.</sub>

    A small smile appeared on Ember¡¯s lips, seeing her cheerful pet. It was the correct decision to follow Reya¡¯s suggestion.

    Feeling the warmth of the sun against her skin, Ember could not deny that she felt much better aftering out into the garden. The scenery from her window was beautiful, but still, it was better to experience the beauty of nature up close, walking along the nts and trees, hearing the sound of the leaves rustling and smelling the scent of full blossoms.

    With Ray as their guide, they soon reached the part of the garden that had a small stream. To cross it, one had to use a beautiful log bridge wrapped in vines, and on the other side of the garden, there was a lovely gazebo surrounded by pretty ornamental nts everywhere.

    ¡°Shall we head there, Miss?¡±

    ¡°Miss, careful, the vines on the trellis might rip your skirt.¡±

    Feeling the soft breeze against her face, Ember let out a delicateugh at her servant¡¯s nagging, once again thankful she listened and went out to the garden.

    In a certain room located on the other side of the garden, the King was listening to the reports of his aides when he found himself momentarily distracted. He smelled that particr scenting from his mate in the direction of the window.

    ¡®Seems like she has finallye out.¡¯<sub></sub>

    Part of Y¡¯s daily routine was to keep him informed of his mate¡¯s whereabouts. He was aware that Ember had refused to go out since yesterday, preferring to stay in her chamber even at the urging of her servants.

    ¡®It¡¯s good. Instead of meeting her in an enclosed ce, better to meet her outside and talk about her dream.¡¯

    ¡°¡­.Your Majesty, your interrupted visit from yesterday, are we returning to Peleg? Or do you want to follow the schedule and head to the next city? Would you like us to inform the Moon Elves¡­¡±

    ¡°Arrange that forter. You all are excused,¡± Draven interrupted them and stood up.

    The aides lowered their heads to their king and saw him leave his study. Their king was spontaneous, doing whatever and whenever he felt like it on a whim. Leaving a meeting midway was not something new for them to see. They knew the matters rted to the kingdom didn¡¯t interest him much. But then again, his existence as a King of Agartha was a symbol of protection, and it was more than enough to keep any troubles in the kingdom away.

    Draven came out of his study and walked towards the open corridor leading out to the vast garden. Following her sweet scent, it didn¡¯t take him much time to find her. His mate was standing on the wooden bridge while looking at the water below and chatting with herpanions.

    Even from a distance, his sharp gaze could see every detail of her frail-looking figure. She was pointing at the water, seemingly interested in the water lilies on the small stream. Her expression was bright, aplete contrast from what he had seen of her after she had that nightmare.

    ¡®She looks better, as Leeora said. Gifting her that bird was a good decision.¡¯<sub></sub>

    He walked towards them. When he was about to reach the other end of that wooden bridge, the two servants noticed the King¡¯s presence and immediately bowed to him.

    ¡°We pay respects to His Majesty the King.¡±

    Startled by her two servants suddenly greeting the King, Ember whirled around and met the gaze of the red-eyed man walking toward her.

    Her expression changed the moment she saw Draven and didn¡¯t know how to react. Should she copy her servants and bow too? She had embarrassed herself enough and now didn¡¯t wish to repeat anything of that sort.

    Her attentive servants didn¡¯t find it a good idea to remain, so they turned towards the panicking Ember.

    ¡°Miss, we will be around. Call for us if you need anything.¡±

    The elves left in a hurry without even waiting for her reply.

    Though they found it sweet that the King was being thoughtful to the Miss, they were terrified to be in the King¡¯s presence. The King surely wanted private time to meet his mate and they didn¡¯t wish to meddle in their business.

    The words Ember was about to say were left stuck in her throat as she watched her servants run away from the bridge.

    ¡®Don¡¯t leave me!¡¯

    After letting out an internal scream, Ember collected herself and bowed towards Draven who had stopped a certain distance away from her.

    They needed to have a proper talk, without him or her losing their minds to each other¡¯s scents, that¡¯s why though it did look awkward, standing several feet away from her was a must.

    Though he could smell her scent, in an open area like this, he was sure he could control himself well.

    Ember found herself feeling nervous under the gaze from that pair of red eyes.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she heard him ask when¨C

    ¡°Embarrassed¡­fell in front of His Majesty¡­wants to bury herself¡­¡±

    ¨Cthe little bird perched at the railing of the bridge answered in her stead even before Ember could say anything.

    Ember felt as if all the blood in her body rushed to her face. She turned to look at that brazen pet of hers with panicking emerald green eyes.

    ¡°Ray!¡± she eximed as she flustered to catch the naughty bird. ¡°What¨C¡°

    ¡°New master clumsy¡­mes me¡­¡± the bird said again and dodged her hands. She flew away while chirping as if she wasining.

    ¡®Can I disappear now?¡¯ Ember¡¯s hands that caught nothing but air clutched her dress as she found her palms turning sweaty in nervousness.

    ¡°That little¡­¡± Ember mumbled angrily while looking at her pet flying away from her. Her entire body felt hot with shame, and she wanted to just cover her face and run away.

    ¡®How could she¨C¡®

    Ember realised the previous day she hadined to her pet and now she was taking it out like this by embarrassing her master once again in front of the king. ¡®No wonder they say she is a smart bird.¡¯

    Several awkward secondster, the scarlet-faced Ember nervously peeked at the King¡¯s expression, only to get a little shock.

    ¡®Wait, is he smiling?¡¯

    She blinked, but there was no longer a trace of a smile on that cold face. She felt like it was an illusion. ¡®I must have seen wrong.¡¯ She was sure this ice-cold man doesn¡¯t even know how to smile.

 Chapter 144 I Am Your Mate, I Shall Be The One Closest To You

    Draven was amused to see her openly express her emotions on her face. One moment she¡¯s surprised, the next she¡¯s embarrassed, then there was anger, and now she seemed puzzled. It was entertaining to see.

    ¡°Seems like you are enjoying your new pet¡¯spany.¡±

    ¡®Enjoying? Do I look like I am enjoying myself? More like, she¡¯s the one enjoying my embarrassment! When I get my hands on that naughty bird¡ª¡¯

    Sadly, she could not voice out her thoughts. She liked Ray. Ray was her first pet and she adored that lovable little bird; she just didn¡¯t expect her pet to behave like this.

    ¡°Thank you for sending her to me, Your Majesty,¡± she said politely, keeping all her internalints on the side.

    Draven epted it with a nod, and then decided there was no need for small talk. He had no wish to spend more time than necessary with her, not wanting to test how much he could endure his urges despite her presence.

    ¡°I am here to talk about the nightmare you had yesterday,¡± he said matter-of-factly.

    ¡°Nightmare?¡± She looked like she didn¡¯t remember.

    ¡°The purple-eyed woman you saw in your dream,¡± he reminded her.

    Ember remembered now and nodded. ¡°Oh¡­that dream¡­¡±

    ¡°Can you tell me more about that dream?¡±<sub>.</sub>

    Ember thought for a while, her hands fidgeting since she didn¡¯t want to recall that dream. Still, since the King asked her, she had no reason to refuse.

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t recall much¡­ Apologies¡ª¡±

    ¡°Try. Tell me anything.¡±

    Maybe if he had asked her yesterday, she could have given him a clearer recount, but now, everything was blurry in her mind. All she could recall was how terrible she felt. As if something belonging to her was possessed by that purple-eyed woman. She did not know what it was, but she wanted it back. She desperately wanted it back. It made her feel like a part of her was missing, and that emptiness was painful.

    ¡°I can¡¯t remember the dream, but I can describe what the woman looks like,¡± she said. ¡°She has purple eyes. The lower half of her face is covered with a veil and¡­she has reddish gold hair¡­.¡±

    ¡°What happened in the dream?¡±

    Ember shook her head. ¡°I do not remember, only I felt desperate.¡±

    ¡°Anything else that you found significant?¡± he asked again.

    She continued to fiddle with her hands. ¡°Uhm, I¡¯m not sure if it counts but¡­ but terrifying darkness surrounds her.¡±

    ¡®Darkness?¡¯ Draven pondered at what that represented. Darkness was an ominous factor in dreams, most of the time representing fear, danger, evil or death. He wondered if this purple-eyed woman was someone evil, perhaps the culprit who had messed up Ember¡¯s life.<sub></sub>

    ¡°But why do you ask, Your Majesty?¡± Her words pulled his attention back toward her.

    ¡°Sometimes, nightmares are memories, at times, they are warnings. For those blessed with strong magic, dreams hold great importance so it is for the best that we do not ignore them,¡± he replied, not brushing off her question by saying ¡®it¡¯s nothing. It would be better to let his mate learn how things work in her new reality.

    ¡°That means that there is truly such a woman and that pain I felt was real?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know yet, and we are now trying to find out. It¡¯s good that you answered what I had asked.¡±

    She realized that it was for her sake that the King was inquiring about her dream. ¡°Thank you for taking care of me, Your Majesty.¡±

    He simply gazed at her with a hint of a smile, thinking how could he not when she was his mate, his only one, a part of his life now¡­

    Ember had that strange feeling again, where one moment a tinge of a smile could be seen on his lips, yet a more careful look would give her an impression that she was mistaken.

    His low, dignified voice brought her back to reality.

    ¡°Do you want to ask me anything?¡±

    The girl blinked, taken aback at how he sounded¡­friendly. ¡®Do I have anything to ask?¡¯<sub></sub>

    ¡°Anything that you want to know about?¡± the King repeated with the same strangely careful tone, though his expression was not even letting a hint out of his motives for asking.

    She thought for a while and then asked, ¡°Elder Leeora said I will have someone teaching me how to use my power. Is this true? You are allowing me to learn magic, Your Majesty?¡±

    Draven nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    That single word of affirmation brought arge smile on her face. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡±

    Seeing the excitement in her eyes, Draven felt something warm spread in his chest. ¡°Anything else?¡± he asked.

    Ember felt puzzled; why was the King being so attentive to her today? Since he¡¯s asking with such good intentions, she could not simply say ¡®nothing¡¯. She thought for a bit. ¡°Ah, yes there is¡­Uhm¡­¡±

    Finally, there was a change in his gaze. There was an expectant look on his face as if he already knew what her words were and was simply coaxing them out. ¡°What do you want to ask?¡±

    She hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°Your Majesty¡­Uhm¡­not that I hate the pce or anything. This ce is very beautiful but¡­if possible, I would like to explore the other cities of this kingdom. Will I be allowed to do so?¡±

    There was a little disappointment in his eyes but his words sounded like music to her ears. ¡°Of course. You are free to do what you want.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked with widened eyes.

    Draven nodded. ¡°I see no reason why not. But when you y outside, make sure to take someone with you. Do not leave on your own.¡±

    She stared at him for a while. ¡®Is he concerned about me?¡¯

    ¡°Anything else?¡± he asked again, but now, Ember really had nothing to ask.

    ¡°I am grateful, Your Majesty, that you are being kind enough to let me reside in this pce. Now, you also permitted me to travel outside. There is nothing more I can ask of you.¡±

    Seeing the sincerity in her face, Draven sighed inwardly and said, ¡°If you have questions or concerns¡ª-anything you need to talk about with another person¡ª you can ask me first. Not to someone else, but me. I am your mate, and I shall be the one closest to you.¡±

    He heavily emphasized the word ¡®mate¡¯ but¡­

    Ember had a nk stare on her face, nodding to his stern words without realizing his implied meaning. ¡®Oh, so this is what Morpheus meant when he told me a ¡®mate¡¯ is both family and friend. Isn¡¯t His Majesty showing me he cares for me? I should not trouble him a lot then¡­¡¯

    ¡°If there is anything, I will ask Your Majesty first,¡± she agreed with a polite smile.

    ¡®Why isn¡¯t she asking me anything? Isn¡¯t she curious about what mating meant?¡¯ Draven grumbled inwardly. ¡®This is that eagle¡¯s fault. I shall ban that eagle from the pce. Whatever he told her, I hope he didn¡¯t tell her anything misleading just to get back at me.¡¯

    Remembering that cheeky person, Draven grew more upset. It should have been him answering Ember¡¯s question. He should have been the person she needed to run to if she has concerns, not that damned eagle. He clenched his fists to control his anger.

    ¡°I see. Enjoy your stroll,¡± he forced out from his mouth and turned to leave.

    Ember somehow felt the rising anger inside the King though he didn¡¯t show it on his face.

    ¡®Why do I feel like he is angry about something? Did I do something wrong again?¡¯ she wondered and found the answer. ¡®Oh right, Morpheus said as I am the only family of His Majesty, I should always be with him. He looks after me so I should also look after him. Seems like I failed to do so and it angered him.¡¯ She took a deep breath. ¡®Is he returning to his study? I should at least apany him to the door. I need to be a good mate.¡¯

    With determination, she took a step forward to catch up to him when¡ª-

    Riiiiip!

    The outermost fabric of her skirt was caught in the trellis of the bridge, causing her to lose her bnce. She was about to fall and was bracing for impact, but then, nothing happened.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯ She found her body¡­suspended mid-fall?

    The fact that a magic spell caught her shocked her more than the fact she was about to show her clumsy side in the presence of the King once more. The upper half of her body was leaning backwards while her feet were still nted on the wood nk, and it was the strangest sensation as if an invisible hand had caught her.

    She gasped in shock as the next moment, she was pulled up by that unknown force, only tond in someone¡¯s warm embrace. Rather than magic, now, two strong arms surrounded her waist. It didn¡¯t take her time to realize who that was as she smelled that familiar fragrance,forting yet intoxicating to her senses, the deep masculine scent of the forest with a hint of peppermint.

 Chapter 145 Why Are We Mates?

    Draven had already turned to leave when his sensitive ears caught the sound of her surprised gasp. Perhaps because this wasn¡¯t the first time this happened, he was able to react fast enough to save her from falling this time.

    ¡®And she says she¡¯s not clumsy?¡¯ he wanted to ask as he held back a smile.

    His mate seemed to be very skilled in finding opportunities to fall down as if she were beloved by the ground. He wondered how she could survive in that dead mountain full of rocks and gnarly roots.How many times had she fallen like this and had hurt herself?

    Once Ember was steady on her feet, she looked up at him with that same dazed gaze caused by the influence of his scent.

    Fortunately, Draven was prepared and kept his own rationality. He held her on her shoulders before stepping away. He said coldly, ¡°Get back to your senses.¡±

    Ember felt like someone had poured cold water on her, and she also stepped back with her entire face crimson red. She dared not meet his eyes due to embarrassment.

    ¡°Your Majesty, apologies¡ª¡°

    ¡°Is it a habit?¡± he asked, keeping himself calm by turning his face away from her. She was so close, a mere arm¡¯s length away, and it was as if he could still feel her body in his hands even though he was no longer holding her. It was a relief they both stepped back.

    His words puzzled her already messed up senses. ¡°H-Habit?¡±

    ¡°Being clumsy, falling on the ground, tripping on something, hurting yourself¡­¡± he exined.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡°Ah, no! Not at all!¡± she said in a fluster, faking a little confidence as she too exined what happened. ¡°I am telling you, this is all coincidence. I wanted to apany you and be a good mate to you but the bridge¨C¡°

    The rest of her sentence faded into non-existence as Draven¡¯s ears only caught words that left his mind nk.

    ¡®¡­.a good mate to you¡­¡¯

    Draven stared at Eber trying to recall those words again and again she had just said. His cold gaze turned a little intense with the anticipation to hear something useful.

    He looked at her with amusement as he took a step closer to her, ¡°And what else do you n to do to be a good mate?¡±

    Ember stepped back with himing closer to her but had to stop due to the bridge railing behind her.

    She felt a little nervous with the way he looked at her and stepped closer. She exhaled softly through her mouth to calm herself and recalled whatever Morpheus told her about being a good mate.

    ¡°If Your Majesty is working in the study, I shall help you with your work. When you take a stroll in the garden, I shall apany you. I shall help you choose your clothes daily. I shall apany you all the time and won¡¯t let you feel lonely at all. I will be a goodpanion¡­I mean mate.¡±

    Ember said in a single breath like she had recited it so many times and took it as apulsion to follow it to be a good mate for the King.<sub></sub>

    He stood facing her at a step distance away, not letting his gaze move away from her anxious-looking eyes, ¡°But all this Erlos does for me as well? Then what is the difference between you and him when you call me your mate?¡±

    His words caught her off guard and she didn¡¯t think about it and simply looked at the king with her puzzled and questioning gaze.

    ¡°Have you ever thought about why you are my mate and not someone else? What is it that makes us mate?¡± she heard him ask again.

    She found her heart beating faster, not knowing whether it was because of nervousness caused by questions from the king or that intoxicating scent from him that she could smell.

    ¡°Focus!¡± hemanded as he saw her falling for his scent, ¡°¡­think and answer.¡±

    ¡°B-Because Your Majesty has chosen me,¡± she answered, thinking it was the right answer.

    Draven didn¡¯t deny her answer as he wanted to know more about what she had understood on her own till now. She didn¡¯t seem so dumb to not catch anything particr by now.

    ¡°And how do we be mates?¡± he asked.

    She cleared her throat as she thought if she would be using him in her next answer, ¡°Because you have bitten me and I have this mark on my neck.¡± She touched that mark with her fingers to show him.<sub></sub>

    He looked at that crimson blossom on her neck and could not deny it looked beautiful on her slender neck and that delicate almost translucent skin. It was satisfying to see his mark on his mate that told everyone that she belonged to him only.

    ¡°What do you find different between me and other males? Something that is unique which only belongs to me?¡±

    Ember recalled having only two males around her other than the king and those were Erlos and Morpheus. It would not be wrong to say these were the only three men she had been around in her entire life.

    She thought about what was the difference other than the appearance and it didn¡¯t take her time to find the answer as that answer was messing with her senses already at this moment.

    ¡°Scent¡­Your scent, Your Majesty¡­¡±

    Till now she had understood his scent was something that she could never ignore and instead she liked it. Whenever she was closer to the King, it was as if his scent had enchanted her and she would not have any control over her actions.

    ¡°What is it like?¡± he asked.

    Draven was curious about what he smelled like to his little mate like how she smelled like fresh Jasmines and first rain to him.

    She didn¡¯t have to think as this was the scent that made her feel as if it was what she longed for all her life.

    ¡°Smell of the forest, a little of peppermint¡­It¡¯s good¡­I like it¡­¡± The more she talked and focussed on his scent, the more she was going to lose herself again but Draven¡¯s next question held her back.

    ¡°Did you find someone else¡¯s scent affecting you the way mine does?¡± he asked.

    She shook her head trying to be sane asmanded by her mate and only to hear the next question.

    ¡°How do you feel when you smell my scent?¡±

    She gulped as her beautiful eyes stared into his intense one as if to find an answer in him, ¡°How do I feel¡­¡± she mumbled under her breath.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Draven nodded, ¡°What do you feel like?¡±

    The poor girl¡¯s soul had too much of this torture of smell while her mate was trying to keep her sane by forcing so many questions at her when all she wanted was to go to him. She felt tired of it and felt like in an enchanting daze as she covered that step distance between them and¡­.

    Something happened that Draven didn¡¯t expect as he found his little mate taking him by surprise. His body froze in its ce as he found her hugging him, surrounding her delicate hands to him and resting her face at the top of his chest, His chin almost touching her head. Her scent filled all his senses that he was trying to control and made him gulp hard.

    Draven didn¡¯t stop her as he knew she had finally given up resisting and it was not bad for the first time. She endured for a long time. She did well and now it was the time for the reward of what she deserved and hugged her back tofort her and himself as well.

    ¡®Such a torture it was to hold back.¡¯

    Ember felt so calm as if she had been on an exhausting journey and finally found a shelter to rx. She didn¡¯t want to let it go and continued to hug her mate. She didn¡¯t know why she acted like this or felt the need to do so, she just wanted to do what made her feel better.

    The servant working nearby or even at a distance could see this part of the garden as this bridge was curved and the king and his mate were standing on top of it.

    The moment they saw the king holding his mate in his arms, all of their faces flushed red while their mouths were left wide open. It was not something new for them as mates usually acted like this but seeing their king like this was unexpected.

    Everyone acted like they had seen nothing and focussed on working, not knowing the next moment something would happen that would make all of them stop working and disappear from the garden and area around.

    Draven lowered his face to look at her and she looked back at him. He caressed her cheek with one hand gently to praise her, ¡°You did well.¡±

    She didn¡¯t know what he meant and why he praised her and simply stared at him as if expecting something from him. Her gaze fixed on his lips as her own lips left open with a light gasp in anticipation.

    Draven didn¡¯t keep her waiting and leaned his face closer to hers as his one hand angled her face upward to hisfort.

    ====

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 Chapter 146 Show Me Your Tongue

    Draven didn¡¯t keep his little mate waiting. He leaned his face closer to hers, and his one glove-covered hand tipped her face upwards until their eyes met. Without warning, his free hand moved to the small of her back, and her lean body was pressed against his tall and stronger one, effectively getting rid of the little space between them.

    His thin and warm lips brushed over hers, making her gasp. She could no longer wait and sloppily nted her lips on his. Draven smirked at her weak attempt at kissing him where she knew what she wanted, but didn¡¯t know how to go about it.

    He pulled back a little to look into those enchanting emerald green eyes of hers, and whispered against her lips, ¡°Impatient¡­ aren¡¯t we?¡±

    Her face betrayed her confusion, but she gave him a displeased look and looked at him with using eyes as if he had taken away her favourite toy. In her lust-filled haze, she stared at his lips and licked her own in anticipation.

    The first time he had kissed her in his study, she was, at best, a novice, but now her face spoke of experience, and it was clear she had expectationsa€¡°expectations he would definitely meet.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡®Only if she knew what and how she is behaving like. I am sure she would want to bury herself once more,¡± he thought to himself in amusement.

    Draven still held himself back, but he couldn¡¯t suppress the tiny me of pleasure at how she had initiated contact, and even seemed to havee to anticipate their moments together, even though it was more than likely fueled by their bond.

    He trieda€¡°and faileda€¡°to quell the traitorous side of his soul that wished she hade to him naturally. ¡®Only if it was not due to the effect of the bond. Only if she wanted me on her own.¡¯

    He silently wished that she would be fully aware of her actions when the time came to consummate their bond, so that she woulde to him willingly. She needed to learn how to take control of the impulses to thrust on them by the bond, and he would dly teach her.<sub></sub>

    He couldn¡¯t wait for the day when she would have learned how to control her impulses, but still readily sought him out to consummate their union. That would be the day he would not wait even for a single moment. That would be the day she would be truly his¡­his mate¡­

    Under her demanding gaze, Draven brought his face within an inch of hers, and his heated breath fanned her flushed, pink skin. He slowly captured her lips between his, and sucked on them as if they were the juiciest fruits.

    Closing her eyes in apparent rapture, she got on her tiptoes, and, just like him, leisurely nibbled on his thin lips. She let him cradle the back of her head in his hands, while her hands bypassed his tailcoat and gripped his white shirt tightly.

    Ember rxed into his hold, as he yed with her lips, sending a thrill racing through her body. All at once, it felt like her soul had met its salvation, and his soft touch filled the empty crevices in her body and satiated the need that had always clung to her. She felt him everywhere, and her senses were arrested by his overwhelming warmth and scent. Her body shook with desire, and she kissed him with all the fervency she had to spare.<sub></sub>

    The lurking servants acted as if nothing was amiss, but quickly scurried out of the garden when they saw that their king was having an intimate moment with his mate. Within a few seconds, the Dragon and his mates were the only living people in the garden, and it felt like they were locked in their own world.

    Unaware of what was happening around them, the two needy souls continued kissing, so much so that they didn¡¯t realize their gentle kiss had turned into a more passionate one. With his hand at the back of her head to keep her steady, and his long fingers tangled in her long, luxurious hair, he deepened the kiss, eliciting a deep moan from her.

    Her scent never failed to arouse his carnal instincts, and their tongues duelled for dominance in her mouth. He pressed their bodies even closer, and angled his head, so that his coarse tongue plunged even deeper into her mouth.

    His poor mate wanted to do the same, but she couldn¡¯t match his intensity. Concerned, he drew back and gazed at her with knowing eyes. His red eyes reflected the unbridled desire that she had unknowingly ignited in his soul.

    Panting heavily, her cautious eyes rested on his, and she felt his hands move towards her cheek. Those glove-covered fingers settled at her chin, and he pinched it slightly, forcing her to let out a slight exhale of pain.

    ¡°You need to work your tongue the way I am doing,¡± he started. ¡°If you want it so desperately, then put in some more effort.¡± His words were gentle, but his impatient gaze signalled a warning, as it was clear that he was gradually losing control, and would soon do the unsaid.

    She looked spellbound, and nodded her head in agreement, though it seemed she didn¡¯t know what she was assenting to.

    ¡°Show me your tongue,¡± hemanded gently.

    She obediently stuck out the tip of her tiny, pink tongue, and, in his opinion, she had never looked more seductive. The sight set off a pang of longing in his loins, and he immediately regretted the brief interlude in their kissing. He couldn¡¯t wait to trap that tiny tongue of hers in his mouth again and suck it till she was left breathless.

    His heated gaze lingered on her face which was nothing less than a pure dose of seduction to him. Her face flushed at his evident desire, and, with her tongue on disy in this erotic way, he wondered if she knew the type of effect she had on his senses. Her small mouth, her tiny tongue, and her innocent, flushed face only served to heighten his desire.

    His mind was filled with all the wild thoughts about what he could do to his mate as far as his mind could think but then¡­.there was no limit to his wild thoughts¡­

 Chapter 147 My Mate...Is Beautiful...

    Draven hissed under his breath at the sight of his sensuous mate, and almost cursed himself for asking her to show her tongue.

    ¡®Why does she have to be so obedient? Why does she have to look so¡­.¡¯

    His heated gaze rested on her alluring face, and he was almost ovee by an overpowering sense to devour her at that very moment. He struggled to control his ragged breathing, as thoughts of taking her to his bed and finally making her his assuaged his cloudy, lust-filled mind.

    That¡¯s it! His lips crashed down on hers roughly, and he sighed softly as thest bit of his patience floated away. His warm mouth captured hers, and he violently thrust his tongue into her wet and eager mouth, in a show of the great hunger coursing through his bloodstream.

    His dazed mate epted his ministrations, and it seemed she enjoyed the fervency of his touch. The rougher and more dominating he became, the more malleable she became in his hands, and everywhere he touched burned with her leashed desire.

    He sucked her little pink tongue into his mouth, ttening it with his over and over again. Soft moans left her mouth and his loud groans filled the air between them, as their heated breaths mingled together.<sub>.</sub>

    The kiss sent numerous waves of pleasure through her body, and she felt almost numb from the passion searing through her veins. She felt her knees buckle, and instinctively knew that if Draven wasn¡¯t holding her up, she would be a pile of mush on the floor.

    Locked in his embrace so tightly, with her mouth being ravaged by Draven, she felt the distinct stirring in her chest that signalled ack of air. She tried toe up to breathe, but her weak attempts at pushing him away did not yield any result.

    As they kissed, a white mist of sparkling energy rose from Draven¡¯s body and floated around them until they were fully submerged in it.

    He wanted to have her and it would stop only at the bond beingpleted.

    The next moment, the two vanished from the wooden bridge in the garden, and appeared in Draven¡¯s opulent bedchamber. Before disappearing, Draven took care to shield her with his powers, so that the teleportation process would not affect her physically.<sub></sub>

    He lifted her up and his hands went around her waist. Her feet were a few inches up from the floor as he carried her towards the bed, their lips still locked in a passionate kiss.

    Their kiss only broke when hey her on his bed and her slender back ttened on his soft mattress. The moment her mouth was free, she inhaled deeply, taking in as much as air she could manage. She tookrge breaths as if she was almost suffocated to death, but Draven didn¡¯t pay her mind, as he knew a simple kiss would not kill her.

    Not giving her enough time, his tall and strong body came over hers on the bed, and his blood-shot eyes rested on her facea€¡°the look of perfect calm, when, in truth, he was impatient to resume their kiss.

    Though Draven was the most powerful being in existence, the power that the divine mate bond possessed was far superior to his own powers, so even the most powerful divine being like him could not resist it. No one ever had seeded in resisting it and he was no exception.

    The mate bond had emboldened, consumed, and invigorated all his senses, and he was unable to think straight or understand anything. The power of the bond only knew to lead the divine being to itspletion and it would happen by all means possible.<sub></sub>

    Draven pulled out his gloves using his teeth, and his heated gaze never left her alluring face. She gazed up at him through loweredshes, and he struggled to hold the reins of his ever-growing desire.

    The way she looked at him, it was clear she hadpletely lost herself to the bond and didn¡¯t know what she was doing. She was acting what that power of bond was making her do. She didn¡¯t mind being pressed under him and instead, she looked like she was anticipating more from him.

    Draven stared in wonder at her swollen lips, marveling that he was the one that caused it, and touched them with the same reverence.

    His fingers moved away from her lips, and he caressed her red cheeks. He wanted to touch her everywhere. His fingers made a trail from her cheeks to her slender neck, and, with his fingertips, he left behind traces of heat wherever they made contact, making her gasp softly.

    ¡®My mate¡­she is so beautiful¡­.¡¯

    Draven kissed her again, pressing her into the bed, while Ember¡¯s hands went around his neck and they deepened the kiss.

    The Dragon inside him was calling out for his mate, and it would stop at nothing to get her now. Leaving her breathless once again, Draven moved to her neck and sucked and licked her delicate skin with his unruly mouth.

    His eyes stopped at the sight of that crimson blossom on her neck and the dragon inside him could not help but get excited over it as it represented his mate. He couldn¡¯t wait to fully possess her.

    ¡®My mate¡­My only one¡­¡¯

    His face hovered over the crook of her neck, and his coarse tongue gently licked the crimson blossom mate mark there. Another soft gasp left her delicate lips as she clutched onto his shoulders.

    The Dragon did not feel satisfied only at the licking, as he wanted to mark her once again and feel the thrill for himself. He had finally gotten the chance to show up when this stubborn king always tried to keep him in control.

    The next moment, a pair of canines shed from his mouth, and they sank into the soft skin of her necka€¡°at the area where the cherry blossom appeared.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡±

    A painful cry left Ember¡¯s mouth and Draven felt his entire body freeze at the sound of her cries. As if someone had pushed him down the cliff and he finally collided on the ground, he got back to his senses.

    ¡®What happened?¡¯

 Chapter 148 Need To Train Her To Resist His Scent

    Draven felt Ember¡¯s thin body shivering briefly under him and suddenly turned calm as he found his canines lightly pierced into her skin. His tongue could taste the blood on it and realization hit him. He had bitten her¡­no it was not him but the Dragon inside him was being excited to im him mate.

    ¡®That Damn Dragon!¡¯

    He retreated his canines slowly and licked the hurt skin with his tongue to soothe it. His saliva worked on immediate healing of the tiny wounds caused by the biting. Feeling angry at himself he closed his eyes and buried his face on the side of her face and in her soft hair that crowned around her head which was resting on the pillow.

    Her scent, which always seduced him, made him feelforted when he was angry. His hands resting on either side of her on the bed, gripped the bedsheet to relieve his frustration and anger as he felt something warm and moist touching his temple.

    Draven moved his face back to look at his mate who had her eyes closed with tears rolling down from the corner of her eyes. She looked helpless while lying under him.

    It hurt him to see this sight of her. Though his senses were messed up, he had not gone insane to the extent of not being able to stop at all. He caressed her cheek with his hand as his thumb brushed away the tears rolling down her eyes.

    ¡°Ember!¡± he called out in a low whisper but there was no reply from her.<sub>.</sub>

    ¡®She has gone unconscious,¡¯ he realized and could not help but be angrier at himself.

    He looked back at the crimson blossom mark on her neck where he¡­his Dragon tried to bite her once again but could not seed. He caressed it with his fingers and found that it was not bad and it will be fine soon.

    He moved back and sat next to her in bed. To think of it, he realized what happened was for the better. If it was not for his Dragon trying to bite her and her crying out in pain, he would not have gotten back to his senses and must have ended up consummating the bond. Him, bringing her to his bed was already clear proof that he was determined to fulfil that bond.

    He ran his hands through his hair frustratingly to think what would have happened if he had not stopped. Wasn¡¯t he nning to wait for her till she reached that level when she would be aware of her actions and give herself to him willingly?

    ¡®I was about to ruin it all.¡¯

    Instead of getting angry at his Dragon for trying to hurt their mate by biting her, he was thankful to him that his action brought him back to his senses and prevented him from doing anything further with her.<sub></sub>

    ¡°Erlos!¡± Draven called for his servant.

    Given his heightened hearing senses, the silver-haired high elf would never fail to catch the calling of his master and would appear there regardless of wherever he was inside that pce.

    With his fast speed, It didn¡¯t take time for Erlos to reach Draven¡¯s chamber in a matter of a few moments.

    The door of the chamber left opened, ¡°Sire, I am here¡­..¡± he stopped as the expressions on his face changed with the sight of his master¡¯s mate on his bed.

    He observed Draven whose hair looked a little messy and even his clothes. His sharp gaze didn¡¯t fail to notice the lightly creased and messed up bedsheet which he had changed to a new one and arranged perfectly this morning after his master woke up.

    Erlos cleared his throat, ¡°I..shall have knocked on the door.¡±<sub></sub>

    Draven ignored him, ¡°Ask Y to be in the south-west wing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Sire,¡± Erlos left while Draven lifted Ember and carried her towards the southwest wing of the floor.

    That side of the floor was empty as Clio and Reya were still waiting for their Miss while standing around the garden, not knowing the king had brought her to his chamber.

    Draven put Ember on her bed gently and covered her with the nket. ¡®I hope she won¡¯t be scared after remembering it and will instead try to look for and ask about why it happened. I will answer everything to her once she is awake.¡¯

    If not for her scent affecting his senses, he would have had a proper talk with her. Today he tried but things went the other way. Before having a proper talk with her, he needed to teach her to control herself from getting affected by that bond or she would not understand anything he would tell her.

    It didn¡¯t take time for Y to arrive at the southwest wing of the floor. The moment she received the message from the king, she left her work and appeared there.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Did you ask for me?¡± she asked as her gaze passed by Ember who was lying in bed.

    He nodded as he stood up from the bed and looked at Ember, ¡°She will be awake in some time. Once she is awake and asks anything, make sure to answer her then whatever it is. I will return soon and then visit her.¡±

    Y nodded and Draven left the chamber.

    Not willing to stay in the pce at this moment, Draven disappeared from there to go somewhere. He needed to calm himself as well as the Dragon inside him who was still excited for his mate.

    There was only one way to calm that Dragon and that was to bring him to his favourite ce. Not just the Dragon but Draven himself preferred to go to that ce where he loved to visit whenever his mind was chaotic.

    He appeared in the centre of the vast field, covered with the dandelions as far as one¡¯s gaze could reach. He loved that vast field covered in those yellow flowers and enjoyed the breezeing from the mountains around which always helped him calm.

    There were instances when Draven spent time here in his Dragon form as the Dragon inside him loved these Dandelions and loved to be here. It loved to blow on those flowers till their petals withered and especially when those flowers were in their pappus form.

    ¡®I shall stay away from her for a time being. This Damn Dragon is still excited for his mate and I need to wait for him to calm down. I hope bringing him here would help.¡¯

    Draven could feel when exactly the Dragon inside him was calm or dormant as if it didn¡¯t exist inside him or when he was excited and was ready toe out.

    ¡®The effect of bond is yet to be stronger enough which I can still resist. I need to think through it and make her understand. I need to train her to resist the effect of bond before weplete the one month of marking. After that, it would be impossible.¡¯

    He opened his eyes. Looking at that beautiful yellow field, the only thought came to his mind, ¡®I believe she will like it if I bring her here. Once she learns to resist my scent and the effect of bond, I will bring her here as a reward for her. I believe she can do it. After all, she is not any ordinary human.¡¯

 Chapter 149 Morpheus Visit To Leeora

    Meanwhile, having so many questions from the previous day when Morpheus talked with Draven and Leeora, Morpheus appeared inside Ronan city at the home that belonged to Leeora.

    Hended on the bridge that connected Lenora¡¯s home to Ember¡¯s home. He looked at that empty home where that little human female used to live. He had seen her here so many times while flying in the sky but at that time he didn¡¯t think he would start missing her. These days whenever he peeked at this home from the sky, it made him feel empty knowing she was not around.

    That reminded Morpheus of something. ¡®On the day of that council meeting, didn¡¯t she say she wanted to live with Leeora and wanted to return to her home here. Then why did she not return? As far as I know, that Dragon had nned to send her away, so why is she still in the pce?¡¯

    ¡°Are you not nning toe inside? Let me make it clear, I am busy and would note out,¡± he heard the familiar voice of a woman from inside of her home.

    It pulled Morpheus out of his thoughts and he finally went to Leeora¡¯s home who was aware of his presence around. How could she not when she was an elder of the wood elf n and was mostly aware of what happened around.

    ¡°Good Morning, Leeora,¡± Morpheus greeted her as he walked inside the door. He sat in the chair opposite to her around that circr wooden table on which she had spread various herbs and was separating them in different wooden boxes.

    ¡°Morning, Morph,¡± she replied, ¡°I am sure you are not here for nothing.¡±<sub>.</sub>

    ¡°We have not finished the talk from the previous day,¡± he replied.

    Leeora was already expecting this and asked, ¡°About Ember?¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± he nodded, ¡°I still didn¡¯t get answers about why she has that power when she is human. No ordinary human¡­in fact, no human can ever possess such powers. Though there are few exceptions in history when one or two humans could use magic due to their special bloodline, those were just some weak magic spells they could use.¡±

    Leeora looked at him as he was not wrong. She heard him ask, ¡°What is she?¡±

    Leeora sighed as she continued separating those herbs, ¡°I don¡¯t have an answer about what exactly she is. But you are right about what you just said. Her constitution is sure of a human but her powers are divine. Much stronger than any of us supernaturals can possess.¡±

    ¡°That I felt as well but how?¡± he asked.<sub></sub>

    ¡°She is not supernatural from any of the races we know but she sure is not just a human. From what we observed about her, her powers are of fire element and in some way, she is rted to the deity of fire. ¡°

    It surprised Morpheus, ¡°Deity of fire?¡±

    ¡°The one that humans used to worship in ancient times. And we believe her powers are suppressed by some strong seal on it that makes her nothing but a human.¡±

    ¡°Seal?¡±

    She nodded, ¡°Who had put that seal on her powers that we don¡¯t know for sure, but we suspect it¡¯s the work of any diety. When Sire had marked her, it must have affected that seal on her powers and now they are leaking out.¡±

    To Morpheus, it all seemed so shocking. He had always considered Ember as an ordinary human though there was always something about her that pulled him towards her and made him curious to know her. But the thought of revenge had blinded him to understand anything else.<sub></sub>

    ¡°Why do I smell conspiracy behind it? Suppressing such strong power and the person herself doesn¡¯t know what resides inside her, makes me doubt the one who did it with her,¡± hemented.

    ¡°We feel the same,¡± Leeora agreed. ¡°Everything seems soplicated about her. I hope we will get answers soon.¡±

    ¡°I will look forward to getting them as well,¡± he said.

    Leeora simply nodded and didn¡¯t tell him anything yet about the connection between Draven¡¯s dream and Ember and what Draven was trying to figure out. She preferred to leave it to the King.

    ¡°Why is she not living here in Ronan?¡± he asked thest question.

    ¡°As I told you, her constitution is a fire element. So you can guess.¡±

    ¡°Tree spirits must be scared of her,¡± he concluded.

    Leeora agreed, ¡°Just like fire faes, now Ember can not enter Ronan ever.¡±

    ¡°She must be sad about it,¡± he asked, it was more like he wanted to know if she was happy to return to that Dragon, her mate.

    ¡°She was sad,¡± Leeora agreed which made him feel happy inside but her next words made that smile disappear from his lips, ¡°But now I see her, I believe she is happy in the pce more than she could be here. She is being treated and pampered the way she deserves to be¡­.¡± she said as she mumbled, ¡°¡­just like a princess.¡±

    Herst words she meant them as she knew Ember was a born Princess and deserved to be treated with the Royalty.

    Morpheus didn¡¯t notice herst words and was simply thinking about how happy she was in the pce. He could not understand why he didn¡¯t like it but this information was not up to his liking.

    He was torn between the thoughts of his revenge and what he felt towards her which he had not realised yet.

    ¡°Sire will get fire fae to help her train with her powers,¡± he heard Leeora say that pulled him out of his unhappy mood.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. It would prevent any such idents and it won¡¯t scare her anymore when her powers show up,¡± hemented.

    Leaving Leeora¡¯s home, Morpheus flew high up in the sky in his beast form- the eagle form. His eyes darted towards the pce as he expected to see Ember but he could not. She was not in the garden, not even on the balcony of her study.

    ¡®I wonder what she is doing.¡¯

    The divine eagle didn¡¯t know the poor human girl was lying in her bed after she had some intimate moments with her mate and got almost bitten by him.

    ¡®Fire Deity, huh? I can sure find out about it.¡¯ With the thought of it, he flew away.

    ====

    Bonus chapters dedicated to reader Peaches for gifting the supergift. Thank you so much. <3 <3

 Chapter 150 Mates- Husband And Wife

    Ember regained her consciousnesste in the afternoon. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in a familiar ce, her own bed-chamber. She stared in a daze for who knows how long at the white ceiling before snapping back to her senses.

    ¡®Huh? Wasn¡¯t I in the garden¡­?¡¯

    From the bright sunlighting through her windows, she realized it was quitete in the day.

    ¡®Why am I sleeping at this hour?¡¯ She tried to move but then felt a slight tingling pain in the crook of her neck. Her hand touched the smooth skin out of reflex. ¡®Why is it hurting?¡¯

    Memories of what happened before she went unconscious came flooding her mind and she gasped in shock.

    ¡®What was that? Did I really? Did he¡­we¡­his chamber¡­on bed¡­.what were we¡­¡¯ Ember felt lost at first, even denying reality, but a sense of growing shame made her groan the more she felt convinced the memories she had were real. ¡®Why did I act like that again? Why do I keep losing my mind like this?¡¯

    She sat in bed while burying her flushed face in her hands, her embarrassment making her cheeks grow hotter after recalling everything that happened in the garden when she met the King. From the normal conversation they initially had to her showing her clumsy side once again. The King saved her, even teased her, and then what happened after that¡­

    She remembered him asking her about his scent and for her to remain sane. He also questioned her about them being mates and then¡­and then¡­

    While recalling that vivid experience of intimacy, her hand involuntarily moved towards her neck once more. ¡®Why did he bite me again?¡¯

    Just then, a polite knock caused Ember to let out a startled gasp. Her heart was beating so fast, that one of her hands flew over her pounding chest to try to calm herself.<sub>.</sub>

    The door of her chamber opened and three female elves with blue hair entered. The shortest yet most senior of them, Y, entered first followed by the two younger Moon Elves who had strangely pleased expressions on their pretty faces. Ember stared at them with a puzzled look, but the three merely smiled at her as they approached.

    ¡°Miss Ember, did you have a good nap?¡± Y asked after clearing her throat.

    Ember nodded while still being confused about why her servants were sharing secretive smiles between themselves.

    ¡°How did Ie back here?¡± She remembered thest moments before she went unconscious and she was sure she was inside King¡¯s chamber, on his bed, and they were very close¨C

    ¡°His Majesty brought you here,¡± Y answered.

    ¡®So he brought me here,¡¯ she repeated in her mind and then looked at her servants once again. Reya and Clio were smiling at her, but there was something else to those smiles, one she could not figure out. Their faces looked a little pink, as if they were holding backughter¨Cno, they were watching something exciting yet embarrassing. Their gazes lingered on her body.

    ¡®They are staring at my neck,¡¯ she realized.

    Feeling self-conscious, Ember touched her neck again, where the tingling pain continued to remind her of the King. ¡®Do they know he bit me again? No, even if they do, it¡¯s not like His Majesty had bitten me for the first time. I don¡¯t think this is funny, so why are they smiling?¡¯

    Y noticed her difort and looked at the two young elves. ¡°Reya, Clio, why don¡¯t you two prepare an afternoon snack for the Miss? Oh, forget that, she must be hungry after missing a meal. Have the kitchen prepare a few hot dishes.¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡°Yes, Dame Y.¡±

    The two servants left to follow her instruction. As soon as they closed the door behind them, Y poured water into a ss and carried it to Ember who was still in bed. ¡°Have some water. You must be thirsty.¡±

    Ember epted it as she felt her throat was dry. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Once Ember finished drinking water and returned the empty ss to Y, the elf put it on the bedside table and turned to look at Ember. The human girl had a troubled expression, her forehead creased and her hands gripping the sheets as if she had a lot of things going on in her mind.

    ¡°Miss Ember, are you alright?¡± Y asked with concern.

    Ember simply looked at Y but shook her head. She was havingplicated thoughts and didn¡¯t know how to voice them out right now.

    As if Y could see through her, she smiled gently. ¡°Do you want me to listen to you and help you straighten your thoughts, or do you wish to ask me about something? In my experience, Miss, I¡¯ve learned that people tend to feel better after sharing their troubles with another.¡±

    ¡°Am I not being a bother?¡± the human girl asked while looking at the mature elf. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re busy.¡±

    ¡°Feel free to talk to me, Miss. I happen to have spare time today so I can answer your questions.¡±<sub></sub>

    Ember slowly nodded with a timid smile. She felt somewhat at ease, as this was what she was waiting to hear from someone. She had many questions piled up in the corners of her mind and she needed someone to answer them.

    Y pulled a chair near the bed and sat down as if to show she was ready to have a long meaningful conversation with her. ¡°Please feel free to talk.¡±

    Ember stared at her for a while as she wondered where she should start. The thing she wanted to talk about was the word ¡®mate¡¯ which she heard often from everyone. Though Morpheus had already exined it to her, her intuition was telling her there was more to it. She was sure there was something that she still was not aware of.

    ¡®Morpheus didn¡¯t lie but¡­¡¯

    Her odd behaviour whenever she¡¯s with the King, she was sure it was rted to them being ¡®mates¡¯. She wanted to know why she acted strangely whenever she was with him. She wanted to know why she was attracted to his scent all the time.

    ¡®It¡¯s like¡­I¡¯m being controlled by something I do not understand.¡¯

    Morpheus told her that Ember was now part of Draven¡¯s family but¡­was that all there was to it? She felt something was missing.

    ¡®What is family in the first ce?¡¯

    Gaia was family. The story books Gaia had read to her talked about family. Sometimes, her nanny would share some gossip or interesting experiences about families in the viges around the mountain whenever she would buy supplies. She remembered those times with perfect rity, since those days would normally be when Gaia was the most talkative and those days would be full ofughter for the two of them.

    Fathers, mothers, siblings, grandparents, rtives¡­ but Gaia never mentioned such a thing or word like ¡®mates¡¯.

    ¡°Mate!¡± Ember said, ¡°Please exin that word to me for your kind. I want to know everything about being a person¡¯s mate.¡±

    ¡°A mate, hmm? Can you tell me what you know about mates so far, Miss?¡±

    ¡°A family and a friend.¡± Ember was filled with anxiety. ¡°I know only a bit but I still cannot understand.¡±

    Y had a pondering expression as she stared at the anxious human girl.

    ¡°A mate is a person¡¯s closest family and most intimate friend, that is true,¡± Y started, ¡°but it will be more precise to say mates are partners and each other¡¯s lovers, the same as a human¡¯s husband and wife rtionship.¡±

    ¡°Husband and wife?!¡± Ember repeated in shock. ¡°I¡¯m His Majesty¡¯s¨Cno, How can that be?¡±

    As far as she remembered, from all the talks she had with Gaia, one needed to get married to be husband and wife. She had a clear idea of a wedding in her mind ording to the customs of the Kingdom of Valor.

    The endings of the romance books she read also talked about the main characters ending up as couples who married each other. It would always be grand where they would have a festival-like ceremony for their wedding. Sometimes, the celebration could go on for days. The groom and the bride would wear wedding clothes and take vows in front of a priest with their families, friends and loved ones, and so many other things. She had done none of these with the King so how could she be his mate¨Chis wife?!

    ¡°B-But we didn¡¯t, we¡­didn¡¯t¡­¡±

    Ember had to calm herself for some time before she could straighten her thoughts and speak without stuttering.

    ¡°Excuse me, but we never had a wedding,¡± Ember voiced out her thoughts. ¡°Is it different in this kingdom? Different with your people? That¡­do you not need to have a wedding ceremony?¡±

    The entire time, Y patiently let the human girl process her thoughts. She could see how Ember was rejecting such a notion, yet the elf remained calm despite the girl¡¯s denial, aware that ¡®mates¡¯ was indeed a strange concept for a human.

    ¡°Hmm, to say it¡¯s different would be a lie. It depends on the n and the race. For the beastmen and those with divine bloodlines in general, we don¡¯t call the couple husband and wife. We call them mates. For that, you don¡¯t need a wedding ceremony. It is a sacred bond initiated when a male marks a female as his. His Majesty has marked you as his.¡±

    Ember knew that biting is called marking, and the proof of that was that crimson tattoo on her neck. ¡°Yes, I am aware of it,¡± she said with a voice still in disbelief.

    Y continued, ¡°Mates are only simr in nature to a human¡¯s concept of ¡®marriage¡¯, but there¡¯s a reason why we call it a sacred bond. For humans, you can break the wedding vow and can have another partner, but for divine beasts, that is not the case. They can have a single mate in their entire life and the bond they share will only break when one of them dies.¡±

    Ember could not help but feel a flutter in her chest as she started understanding the weight of being a ¡®mate¡¯. ¡°¡­for his entire life¡­¡±

    Y nodded. ¡°Yes, Miss. His Majesty has marked you as his mate, and that means for the rest of his life, you are his only wife and he cannot have another one.¡±

    ¡°Wife¡­? Mate¡­?¡± Ember mumbled these two words as if she was still having a hard time epting the truth.

 Chapter 151 Doesnt Everyone Just Sleep In The Night?

    ¡°Bing a wife of a human male merely needs consent, but bing a mate of a divine beast requires both consent andpatibility,¡± Y added. ¡°The initiation of the mate¡¯s bond¨Cthe marking itself¨Cis life-threatening for the female. The female has to show that she has the potential of carrying the magic of the divine bloodline by surviving the male¡¯s marking.¡±

    Ember had a realization. ¡°So that was why Elder Leeora told me that I survived the marking and now I am His Majesty¡¯s mate.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss.¡± Y nodded.

    Silence filled the chamber as Ember digested the shocking things she learned today.

    ¡°Does being mates have anything to do with me being attracted towards His Majesty¡¯s scent?¡± she asked after a while. ¡°Every time I am near him, I feel like¡­ like I lose control over myself and I don¡¯t know what exactly happens to me.¡±<sub>.</sub>

    This was the thing that troubled her the most. Though she liked Draven¡¯s scent, it bothered her that she was acting unlike herself. She felt fear for the unknown urge controlling her body.

    Y nodded again. ¡°Being able to smell the unique scent of your mate is one of the most obvious changes and the most important aspect of sharing a mate¡¯s bond. Only a mate can smell¨Cor rather, recognize that particr scent on your other half and it¡¯s the same for your partner. In your case, Miss, you say you are attracted to the King¡¯s scent. His Majesty can also smell your unique scent and feel the same as you do.¡±

    For some reason, her body trembled at the thought. ¡°But why?¡±

    ¡°Remember how I mentioned ¡®marking¡¯ is the initiation of the bond? It means the bond is created but is notplete yet. The significance of that unique scent is mainly to lead the couple to consummate the bond between them. The magic of a bond is something one cannot resist regardless of will or strength, and though some mates try to avoid consummation due to their circumstances, in the end, it is bound to be fulfilled. Being lost in the scent of your mate is the reason for that. The scent will grow stronger and stronger until you give in to your urges andplete the bond through consummation.¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡°Consummation?¡± Ember asked. She knew she heard it from the High Elder, but at that time, she didn¡¯t think much about it.

    ¡°The bond has three stages¨Cmarking by the male, survival by the female and the consummation by the couple¨Cand fulfilling those threepletes that mate bond. In your case, Miss, you have passed the first two stages and what remains now is consummation.¡±

    Ember felt like the elf was trying to dodge something. ¡°What exactly is the consummation and how does it work?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± Y wondered how to make it easy for this naive girl to understand. ¡°Well, if I am to exin it using human logic, you can consider the first two stages of the bond, ¡®marking and survival¡¯, as the wedding ceremony for you and His Majesty, while the third stage as the wedding night.¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡°Wedding night? You mean the night on the day when the wedding happens?¡± Ember asked as she tilted her head in confusion. ¡°But so many nights have already passed by since our wedding¡­I mean, after the second stage when I survived His Majesty¡¯s mark, but the third stage is yet to be concluded. From what I understand, my bond with His Majesty is not yetpleted, right?¡±

    Y looked at the naive human for a few moments as she didn¡¯t expect her to not know what a wedding night was, but the female elf was tactful enough to not show anything on her face. From what she recalled from Elder Leeora, this human girl had an unfortunate life and was raised away from human society. Having spent her entire life on a deserted mountain with only her nanny as apanion, it was reasonable that Ember was ignorant of many things that should be consideredmon sense.

    ¡°I heard from Elder Leeora that you had a nanny.¡±

    Ember nodded as her expression turned sad upon hearing it. ¡°Yes¡­Her name was Gaia¡­¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Miss Gaia ever talk about weddings with you? Perhaps about how families are created? In particr, about¡­children?¡±

    That sadness disappeared from Ember¡¯s face as she remembered those fond memories. ¡°Gaia did. We used to gossip about various families whenever she went down to the viges.¡±

    ¡°What about the things between a husband and wife?¡± Y probed. ¡°What do you know about how families are formed?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­that when a man and a woman love each other, they get married, then they have kids and they have a family. Then their kids grow old and get married and have their own families,¡± she replied, feeling content about her answer. ¡°The first man and woman be grandparents, their kids parents and the kids¡¯ kids grandchildren¨C¡°

    Y cleared her throat. ¡°I mean, yes, Miss, you are correct but¡­what about the wedding night? Did your nanny never mention what married couples do at night¡­?¡±

    Ember blinked a few times. ¡°Is there anything to talk about? Doesn¡¯t everyone just sleep at night?¡±

    Y felt speechless. She did expect that this human knew nothing about such delicate affairs, but only now did it ur to her that without any older female family members to guide Ember, that guiding role had fallen on the elf.

    The elf¡¯s concern was how to exin it to her without overstepping her status. She looked at Ember who seemed equally curious and impatient, waiting to hear her response with absolute innocence on that small face.

    Y cleared her throat. ¡°Well¡­Miss Ember, when you felt attracted to the scent from His Majesty, your mate, do you remember what you did? I am sure you recall how you reacted though at that moment you felt unlike your usual self and acted under some kind of influence.¡±

    Ember thought about what Y had asked her, and in no time, her face turned bright red. Her cheeks felt warm with the memories of those intimate moments.

 Chapter 152 Is It Important To Consummate The Bond?

    Y did something with her fingers, and in response, a small mirror with a wooden handle came flying from one of the drawers of Ember¡¯s dresser.

    The mirror that was floating in the air stopped in front of Ember. The human girl looked at the item with a puzzled gaze before redirecting her gaze at Y.

    ¡°Miss, I want you to see what I am seeing,¡± she heard Y say. ¡°Take a good look at yourself in this mirror.¡±

    With her hands shivering a little for some unknown reason, Ember held the handle of that mirror floating in front of her and stared at the reflection of her image.

    Her face!

    There was nothing wrong with it, though she found her expression unfamiliar due to her pink color on her cheeks that seemed to be spreading to the rest of her face. Her gaze followed her neck where she saw that crimson blossom tattoo but¡­there was more. Her neck had some reddish marks that looked like small fading bruises and those surprised her.

    She touched them with cold fingers. ¡°This¡­¡±<sub>.</sub>

    ¡°I believe Miss knows exactly why those appeared,¡± she heard Y again.

    Ember looked at Y in a daze for a moment, but then, a sudden thought struck her mind. Before the King bit her¡­

    She remembered back when she was in bed with the red-eyed man. Before she passed out, the feel of his mouth on her skin¡­

    Ember gulped and her face turned redder than ever.

    Draven was doing something and she still remembered how much she liked it. Instead of resisting, she clutched on his clothes, her hands pulling and tugging to keep him close. She didn¡¯t know what was happening but she wanted him to continue. That strange feeling in her body, she liked it. Every time she was close to the King, she felt an influx ofplicated emotions that she liked despite not understanding them.

    ¡®Why am I feeling hot¡­?¡¯<sub></sub>

    For some odd reason, she felt shy seeing her reflection in the mirror. She put it down but kept a grip on it as she cupped her cheek with her other hand, chanting that she needed to calm down. Instead, she felt her face grow hotter the more she denied her unnamed feelings.

    She looked at Y for help. The entire time, the elf merely watched her while sitting calmly in her chair, her expression still the same polite one she had since she came in.

    Ember felt more embarrassed seeing the calm elf. She didn¡¯t know why she was even like this. However, she btedly realized this was why Reya and Clio were smiling earlier while sharing teasing nces among themselves.

    ¡°I¡­know¡­how¡­ I got it.¡±

    In a shy and weak voice, Ember replied to Y¡¯s previous question.

    Y let out a nod like shepletely understood what Ember was going through. ¡°Like I mentioned earlier, scents are important for mates in order toplete the consummation. What¡¯s happening to you, Miss, what you are experiencing, this is how scent affects the mated pair. Attraction is how the consummation starts. Both mates spend intimate times with each other and then by giving in to your desires, consummate the bond¨Cor you can say, consummate the wedding.¡±<sub></sub>

    Ember sat speechless as she didn¡¯t know what to say.

    ¡°Did you not like it when you were intimate with the King?¡± Y asked, seeing the quiet human. She knew there was no way anyone would not like intimacy with their mate, but Y wished to make her talk about her experience. That way, it would be easy to gauge whether they were on the same page.

    Ember gripped the handle of the mirror in her hand, feeling embarrassed to respond but chose to answer it in the end. ¡°I¡­liked it.¡±

    ¡°Then there is nothing for you to be worried about. You liked it. You should do what feels good when ites to your mate. His Majesty felt as good as you did. This is what mates do.

    ¡°When you are with His Majesty, remember that as mates, what feels good for you also feels good for him. Both of you can enjoy that intimacy. Trust me, you will like it when you consummate the bond.¡±

    Ember looked at the mirror in her hand before returning her gaze at Y. If being intimate was the consummation of bond, then what they did today¨C

    ¡°We were intimate today in his chamber, so that means we have consummated the bond?¡±

    Y cleared her throat, as she pretended to cough and cover her mouth. ¡°Ah, apologies, Miss, but no, you haven¡¯t yet. You and His Majesty are yet to do what is needed to consummate the bond.¡±

    ¡°What more do we have to do?¡± she asked, feeling a little anxious about it.

    Y¡¯s long ears twitched as she hesitantly opened her mouth. A relieved sigh escaped her lips when, just in time, there was a knock on the door. Clio entered the chamber. ¡°Miss Ember, your meal is ready in the dining hall.¡±

    Ember nodded while Clio looked at Y. ¡°Dame Y, His Majesty has just returned to the pce and he asked for your presence.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for letting me know. I will head there in a bit,¡± Y replied with a light nod and Clio left.

    Y looked back at Ember with a more rxed expression. ¡°About the consummation, let us have another discussion about this once we both find free timeter for it as it is not something I can exin simply. You need to understand it clearly without feeling scared or embarrassed. For now, I wish you to have your meal first, Miss.¡±

    Y didn¡¯t know how this naive human girl would react to it and preferred to let her have her meal first. With an empty stomach, the new information might bring panic to her.

    ¡®Scared? Embarrassed? Is there something more embarrassing than a k-k-kiss?¡¯ Ember nodded as she tried to calm herself but then asked with hesitation, ¡°Is it really important to consummate the bond?¡±

    ¡ª¡ª-

    Bonus chapter dedicated to our lovely moderator DespinaNY. Thank you for being the sweetest Moderator. <3 <3

 Chapter 153 I Will Take Care Of It

    ¡°It is, Miss,¡± Y responded with a solemn frown on her face, ¡°or else, the mated pair will suffer. Imagine how it is like to lose control of yourself.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that.¡±

    ¡°But that is how it will be if you do not consummate your bond,¡± the elf warned. ¡°The situation will worsen until you reach the point youpletely lose your sanity. As you are human, the bond affects you but not as severe as it affects your mate. It is way, way worse for His Majesty. He must be suffering a lot while resisting the bond for your sake, Miss Ember since you are not yet ready. And it is really not easy for any divine beast to do so.

    ¡°I will be honest, Miss. I wish for the both of you to consummate the bond as soon as possible for His Majesty¡¯s suffering to end.¡±

    ¡°Is he suffering?¡± Ember gasped. ¡°But he looked fine¨C¡°

    ¡°His Majesty has strong self-control, that¡¯s why. It is more impressive, because from what I heard, the stronger the bloodline, the stronger the urges the mate would be having. If you were a mate of any lesser beast, you would have ended up consummating the bond whether you understood its significance or not. His Majesty is just waiting for you to understand and ept him willingly and not do so under the influence of your bond.¡±

    ¡°Waiting for me¡­ to ept willingly?¡± Ember repeated in confusion.

    Y nodded. ¡°Miss, did I not say mates are simr to a human¡¯s notion of husband and wife? Will a proper husband force his wife to do anything she doesn¡¯t consent to? I have been by His Majesty¡¯s side for so long. He is a person who looks cold on the outside but he would never do anything that would hurt others.

    ¡°Miss Ember, you are his mate who he cherishes more than anything or anyone in this world. You are the most important thing to him and he would never want to hurt you. He is waiting for you even if it means suffering in silence.¡±<sub>.</sub>

    Suddenly, Ember felt her mood plummet. To think such a strong person was suffering because of her.

    ¡°Try to understand his Majesty, and please be a good mate to him. Cherish him, Miss, and I assure you, you will be the happiest woman ever.¡± Y let out a sigh before adding, ¡°Don¡¯t make him wait for long.¡±

    ¡°I¡­will try¡­¡± Ember replied as she continued gripping the mirror handle.

    ¡°There should be books about mates in the pce library. Should I browse through them and send them to you? After reading about the power of the bond, you will understand how it affects the mated pair and how much it is important for them to consummate that bond.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much,¡± Ember said, nodding in agreement. This kind of book was what she was searching for, but there was no such book in her study. And after sneaking into King¡¯s study and getting caught by him red-handed, she didn¡¯t dare ask him nor did she dare go to his study again.

    ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of asking Y about this before?¡¯ she wondered. ¡®I could have saved myself a lot of trouble¨C¡®

    ¡°Oh, look at the time. Pardon me for dying you. You should head for your meal, Miss Ember,¡± Y said politely as she stood up.

    ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Ember stood up from bed and went out of the chamber to go to the dining room as Y followed her.<sub></sub>

    ¡°Do you have a mate, Y?¡± Ember asked on the way.

    ¡°How should I put it? He is technically my mate, but ¡®mates¡¯ are used for beastmen and divine beasts. What I have is a partner¨Ca husband¨C but we don¡¯t need to have a bloodline bond like a beastman. Ours is more a vow with our elemental magic in line as children of the world. Elves do have only one partner for life and we choose one out of love and with free will from each other. It cannot be forced.¡±

    Ember nodded in understanding and asked, ¡°Then do you have children?¡±

    Y nodded with a smile. ¡°Yes, one daughter.¡±

    Ember smiled as well and looked at Y as they entered the dining room where Clio and Reya were waiting for them. ¡°Doesn¡¯t shee to the pce?¡±

    ¡°Once in a while. At this moment, she is receiving her education in the city of our n and training about how to use her powers.¡±

    Ember sat in the chair that Reya pulled out for her. ¡°How old is she?¡±

    ¡°That child? She will be turning two hundred and eleven thising winter,¡± Y answered and then said, ¡°I will visit His Majesty. Please enjoy your meal.¡±<sub></sub>

    Ember could only stare at her with a bewildered gaze as the short blue-haired elf left the dining room after checking everything was prepared correctly.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Draven had just returned to the pce after he went to calm the dragon inside him by spending time in his favourite dandelion field. Upon his arrival, he immediately had Y summoned to his study.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± The aide bowed to the King who was standing by the bookshelf while going through the books. ¡°You called for me?¡±

    ¡°How is she?¡± he asked as he idly flipped the pages of a book.

    Y was already used to it and didn¡¯t need to verify who the King was asking about though he never said her name.

    ¡°Miss Ember is awake and she is having a meal now,¡± Y informed him.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± he asked.

    Y knew what he meant and answered, ¡°As per your instruction, I strived to answer all her questions.¡±

    ¡°Such as?¡± he asked again, continuing to flip the pages of that book as if he wasn¡¯t particrly interested in what the elf had to say.

    ¡°I exined to her my understanding of what mates are and how the bond works. But¡­¡±

    Draven closed the book and looked at her. ¡°¡­But?¡±

    She cleared her throat awkwardly before answering, ¡°The Miss seems to be ignorant of thest stage of the bond¡­to be more precise, the process of consummation. I guess it is to be expected since she¡¯s a youngdy who knows little about the world. I was wondering if I should exin such a delicate matter to her the way we educate the young females in the kingdom, or if Your Majesty prefers to personally¡­¡±

    Draven closed that heavy, ancient literature book and walked towards hisrge desk. ¡°I will take care of it.¡±

    With much relief, Y agreed with a bow. ¡°Of course, Your Majesty.¡±

    He put the book on top of his desk and pushed out a different leather-bound book. ¡°You said she learned our runguage?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, Your Majesty. The Miss is astounding to learn how to read in a matter of days!¡±

    ¡°Then you can give this to her.¡±

    Y looked at the familiar-looking book. It was the book with the most detailed content written about the creation of bonds between mates, more specifically about divine beasts. Y could not be happier than this as she had already nned to give this particr book to Ember.

    She picked up the book. ¡°I will personally deliver this to her, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, someone from the Fire Fae n will be here to teach her about her powers. Make sure to inform her that her lessons will begin in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    Draven excused her from his presence. Left on his own, the King stood by the huge ss window behind his desk and stared at the garden scenery outside with various thoughts flitting through his mind.

 Chapter 154 I Will Ask Him To Teach Me

    After having eaten her lunch, Ember was quiet as she walked the hallway back to her chamber, her mind filled withplicated thoughts about the things she learned from Y a while ago.a€?a€? The moment she entered her chamber, she was weed by the sweet chirping sound of her pet, Ray.

    She walked towards the cage and saw the adorable little bird happily feasting on a small bowl of mixed grains. Once she saw her master, Ray lifted her head as if to imply she was finished eating. She hopped here and there in a silly dance before settling on the small tiny swing inside the cage.

    ¡°Finally, you are back?¡± Ember said as she sat on the window sill where the cage was kept. She remembered what the bird had done this morning and how she embarrassed her in front of the King.

    ¡°You naughty, naughty bird. What am I going to do with you? How can you embarrass me in front of His Majesty? I am your master and the things I tell you should be secrets between us.¡±

    Chirp! Chirp!

    Ray only responded with another round of sweet chirping while continuing to enjoy herself on her swing.

    ¡°Just because you¡¯re adorable, don¡¯t think I will forgive you easily!¡±<sub>.</sub>

    Ember was initially pouting but she couldn¡¯t help but crack a smile the more she watched the bird¡¯s cute antics.

    ¡°You like to y on the swing? It looks fun. You look like you¡¯re having a lot of fun,¡± Ember said with envy in her tone.

    ¡°You know, Ray, I¡¯ve never tried sitting on a swing before. I have always wanted a swing, but my nanny refused to make one for me. It¡¯s not that Gaia doesn¡¯t think of me; it¡¯s because she said the mountain where I used to live was not safe., There were nothing but dead trees in the forest and they were not sturdy enough for my nanny to arrange a swing for me. She was worried that those dry branches would break and I would fall and hurt myself. How lucky you are to have your own swing¡­¡±

    Still not getting any response from her pet, Ember gently stroked the small bird¡¯s head with a finger and then immersed herself back to her previous thoughts.

    ¡°Ray, I heard something really shocking today. Did you know? His Majesty is in pain because of me. I don¡¯t know what I did to hurt him but I wish he won¡¯t hurt anymore. Y didn¡¯t tell me what to do so he won¡¯t hurt anymore. What shall I do?¡± she mumbled to herself.

    ¡°I want to be a good mate, a good¡­ wife too,¡± Ember felt awkward as she tried to embrace her newfound role, ¡°but, Ray, what do I do? I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯m scared of bing a bad failure of a mate. Will His Majesty be happy if I go to him? What if he thinks I¡¯m bothersome? What if I try to be with him so he won¡¯t be lonely anymore, but it makes him mad instead?<sub></sub>

    ¡°I want to try, Ray¡­His Majesty has been very good and kind to me. He often looks angry though, but it¡¯s fine. I had seen him getting angry at me from the moment he brought me here so I¡¯m kind of used to it. It was not that bad. I can handle it.¡±

    Ember moved away from the cage and leaned her head against the ss panes of the window.

    ¡°But you know, Ray, I¡¯m still confused about what consummation means. Y made it sound really, really important. Why didn¡¯t she tell me and why did she say it can¡¯t be exined so simply and I might be scared? I wonder why it is scary¡­¡±

    The girl stared at the scenery outside her window, and she noticed her faint reflection on the ss. Seeing the crimson blossom on her neck, she had a vague idea.

    ¡°His Majesty bit me in the morning but then stopped because I was in pain. Is this biting thing what Y was talking about? She said it¡¯s scary because it¡¯s painful?¡±

    Ember thought her assumption was heading in the right direction.<sub></sub>

    ¡°When I think about it, didn¡¯t the bond start with biting? So maybe he needs to bite me again toplete it. If biting me will make His Majesty feel better andplete the bond so he won¡¯t be in pain, then I think I can bear with it. Biting hurts but it¡¯s bearable. It¡¯s only a short time of pain. Besides, I¡¯m used to getting injuries. Back when I fell from that cliff and had a big cut on my thigh, or even back when there¡¯s the forest fire¡­ Compared to that, biting isn¡¯t even painful. I can let him bite me and everything will eventually turn out fine.¡±

    She sighed. ¡°Shall I tell His Majesty that he can bite me again and let¡¯s consummate the bond?¡±

    She looked at her pet. ¡°What do you think, Ray? Shall I tell him I am ready to consummate the bond?¡±

    The bird simply chirped and Ember poked its wing feathers with her finger. ¡°Talk to me. You know how to use words yet you never reply to me, you bad bird.¡±

    In response, Ray chirped loudly as if she was angry before flying away from the cage. The white cockatiel thennded on the chandelier in the ceiling.

    ¡°Is she angry?¡± Ember wondered as she saw Ray turn her back on her. ¡°Even a tiny bird can be angry at me now. Poor me. Wait, shouldn¡¯t I be the one angry because you made trouble for me? I¡¯m yet to forgive you!¡±

    Just then, there was a knock on the door and Y entered with a book in her hand.

    ¡°Did you have a good meal, Miss Ember?¡± she asked as she walked towards the human sitting on the window tform.

    ¡°It¡¯s as good as always.¡± Ember nodded and then had a look of curiosity upon spotting the book in the elf¡¯s hand. ¡°What is this book?¡±

    ¡°His Majesty has asked me to give this book to you. In this book, you can read information about the mate bond of divine beasts.¡±

    Ember¡¯s eyes brightened up. ¡°Thank you so much for bringing it to me.¡±

    ¡°You should thank His Majesty. I was thinking of giving it to you but His Majesty had already thought about it.¡±

    ¡°I will thank him personally then,¡± Ember said.

    Y passed the book to Ember. ¡°That would be great. I hope Miss will understand how important it is to not dy the bondpletion and how important it is for you and your mate.¡±

    Ember nodded and then asked, ¡°Is it mentioned here that what I have to do to consummate the bond?¡±

    Y cleared her throat lightly. ¡°The process of consummation is indeed mentioned here but only enough for you to get an idea of the¡­process. This book is mainly about the information about the mate bond and how it affects the mated pair as well as the differences about bonds of beastmen and divine beasts.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡± Ember said, the disappointment written on her face.

    ¡°But, rest assured. His Majesty will personally tell you what to do about, uhm, consummation. I believe it is better that way,¡± Y added, feeling a little nervous for this human girl.

    Ember felt excited. ¡°Once I finish this book, I will go to him and ask him to teach me.¡±

 Chapter 155 Reading The Book About Mate Bond

    Y was speechless seeing Ember¡¯s child-like eagerness. This human had no idea what she was saying. In fact, Ember looked like a child who was talking about getting swordsmanship training or craftsmanship lessons. How could Y dispel such an absurd misunderstanding? She worried about how this child would react once she learns the truth.

    ¡®It¡¯s the matter between mates. I should not meddle. But to think of it, it can be a good start between these two. It can build her trust in His Majesty and can bring them closer before they try to be intimate. She needs to befortable with His Majesty first as the bond was not initiated out of love. Talking and interacting can help to develop feelings that will eventually lead to consummation.¡¯

    ¡°I am sure His Majesty will wee you, Miss,¡± Y assured her. ¡°I shall excuse myself now.¡±

    ¡°Thank you again. I will read this book now,¡± Ember said and opened the book while still sitting on the window sill instead of going to her study. As she rested her back against the wall next to the window frame, she opened the book and made herselffortable by putting it on herp.

    ¡ª

    The book was quite thin, so Ember would not have any difficulty reading the contents of the entire book in one sitting. Despite having Y tell her about how the bond works for divine beasts, she did not skip those parts that repeated things she already knew.<sub>.</sub>

    She read about the first two stages of the bond in detail, even stopping for a bit to look at the illustrations of the male marking his chosen female. Then after the female survives, they would get a tattoo-like mark on the ce where the male had bitten them, which would serve as a reminder and warning to others that the female was already another¡¯s mate.

    [The mark on the skin takes various symbolic forms as it is the materialization of the invible promise between paired mates. The meanings generally¡­]

    ¡®A symbolic form¡­a promise¡­?¡¯

    Ember browsed through the images of the mostmon marks that historically appear on the skin of the female mate and had their interpreted meanings written along with them. Some took the form of ancient runes, others took the form of elements, while others various representations of nature, like animals and flowers.

    [The symbol of air means ¡®love that embraces all¡¯]<sub></sub>

    [¡­]

    [The symbol of the four seasons shows ¡®love that can grow, feelings that grow¡¯]

    [¡­]

    [A peony flower shows the innocence of first love]

    [A rose flower means mutual love and affection]<sub></sub>

    The various symbols could tell the mated pairs¡¯ stories, like how some were ones who met by chance, some were childhood friends, some started with one-sided feelings and some were even initially enemies. Sometimes, the mark was rted to the kind of bond the two mates had.

    [A sunflower¡­]

    [A daisy¡­]

    Ember searched for the meaning of a mark she had on her neck¨C that crimson blossom she could not recognize, but there was no such mark described in the book.

    ¡®Is the mark I have umon? What are these red flowers on my neck anyway? What is the meaning of it?¡¯

    She subconsciously touched her mark and felt disappointed to see she could not find its meaning.

    ¡®What kind of mate bond do we have?¡¯ she could not help but wonder. ¡®How can I find out the meaning? I wonder if there are other books that talk about mate mark symbolisms. What if I don¡¯t find it? Since we didn¡¯t know each other before he marked me, what if there¡¯s no meaning at all? What if it means something like ¡®a love that never existed¡¯?¡¯

    With this thought, her face showed disappointment. She didn¡¯t know why, but there was a strong impulse to look for the meaning of the bond she had with her mate¡­her husband.

    She then flipped the next pages to read about thest stage of the bond which was consummation.

    ¡®I guess now I can finally get proper answers. Though I had guessed it already, it¡¯s good to confirm it.¡¯

    The page started with how the mates could smell the ¡®true scent¡¯ of their mates, and how it was tailored to the particr preference of the mated pair. It was a sensual and addictive fragrance that could make them lose their senses.

    Just as Y had told her, the book mentioned¨Cno, emphasized the importance of the scent. On the next page, it was written how the dying of consummation could affect the rationality of the mated pair.

    [A mate bond without consummation is akin to an iplete, imperfectw that could not exist in the perfect bnce the world imposes upon its children. The world is impartial, and thus, it will force perfection on the imperfect,pleteness on the iplete, for only then could nature go its course¡­]

    [Thus, even if an intended couple refuses to consummate andplete their bond, the true scent of their other half would gradually deprive them of the factor that prohibits them from perfecting the imperfect. For some, it is rationality, while for others emotion¡­]

    [The effects of the scent equally overwhelms the mated pair, but there were several known factors that could influence the behaviour of the affected mated pair. In general, males are bound to feel a stronger urge towards their females. The strength of the bloodline also ys a part in how long one¡¯s resistance could endure the sanction of the world. However, continuous resistance would only prolong the agony. In the end, a beastman could go berserk after losing rationality¡­ ]

    [On the night of the full moon, when the magic of the world is at its strongest, the true scent of the mate would reach its peak. The mated pair would develop stronger reactions to each other¡¯s true scent. Following the course of nature is advised. Any form of resistance or refusal to give in to thepletion of the bond would incur great damage to a mate¡¯s spirit, eventually leading to injuries of the mind and the soul¡­]

    Ember had furrowed brows as she flipped to the page where it showed more information about consummation with the picture of the naked male and female being intimate.

    ¡®Is this what we have to do to consummate the bond?¡¯

 Chapter 156 Her Wrong Conclusion

    Looking at the picture Ember remembered how Draven was lying over her while her delicate body was pressed under him.

    Her cheeks turned red as she felt her body burn with the thought of it. She shook her head and mumbled, ¡°I should not think about it. I need to focus on studying.¡±

    The next illustration had a male biting his female¡¯s neck while being in the same intimate position with the description written.

    [During the consummation, the male bites the female exactly at the same ce of the bond mark the female has on her body where the male had already bitten her to mark her. To indicate the consummation is over, there will be a change or addition to the already exciting mark on the female¡¯s body as the symbol orpletion of the bond.]

    ¡®So I was right. His Majesty has to bite me again to consummate the bond. But he bit me in the morning then why there is no change in the mark on my neck? Why it was not consummated? Did we miss something?¡¯ she then looked at the pictures again.

    ¡®Oh, right! It shows they are not wearing clothes. We were wearing clothes so it must be rted to skin-to-skin contact,¡¯ she concluded, ¡®Or why they would be naked the in this picture. Not like the artist waszy to draw their clothes,¡¯ she smiled at her funny thought but then she froze. She moved her gaze towards her own body d in clothes entirely.

    ¡®Do I need to be without clothes? Will he be without clothes as well?¡¯ a sudden shocking realization took over her. ¡®This is so embarrassing. Can¡¯t it be done with just clothes on? It¡¯s just biting.¡¯<sub>.</sub>

    She could note up to ept it. She remembered when he tore her clothes in her home in Ronan, how embarrassed she was. She realized being naked in front of a man didn¡¯t feel good at all.

    ¡®How am I going to do it?¡¯

    Collecting her thoughts, she then started to read further in the book which stated what happens after bondpletion but just then there was a knock on the door and her two servants entered the chamber.

    ¡°Miss Ember, are we disturbing you?¡± Reya asked.

    Ember shook her head as she saw something in Clio¡¯s hand. It was a ss jar with a wooden lid and had something grainy inside it.

    ¡°It is food for Ray,¡± Clio replied.<sub></sub>

    Ember looked at the cage and realized it looked the same. Ember closed her book as she had read about the consummation and only thest page seemed to have left which didn¡¯t seem to have more to it.

    ¡°Give it to me,¡± Ember said as she was ready to fill the food in her pet¡¯s food bowl.

    Clio passed the jar to Ember and asked, ¡°Where is Ray?¡±

    Ember looked at the ceiling where Ray was still sitting on the chandelier, ¡°She seems to not like me much.¡±

    ¡°No, Miss Ember. It¡¯s not the case. Ray is like this with everyone. She is only scared when any elder gives her a warning. Didn¡¯t you see how she was obedient to Elder Leeora?¡±

    Ember nodded. ¡°Let her be. I like that she does what she wants.¡± Ember continued to fill the food in the food bowl and the next moment Ray came flying to the cage to munch on her food.<sub></sub>

    ¡°You love food but you don¡¯t love the one who is giving you food,¡± Embermented but her pet focussed on eating and acted as if she didn¡¯t hear her.

    Soon it was night when Ember passed her time with her pet and talking with her servants about various things in the kingdom but despite that one thought was there that was stuck in her mind.

    ¡®His Majesty didn¡¯te to see me. I thought he would.¡¯

    Ember waited for him till it was time for her to go to bed and sleep but there was no news about Dravening to see her. He had called for Y. That means he was aware that she was awake but he didn¡¯te to meet her.

    She didn¡¯t understand why she expected him toe to her but she wished he hade and she could see him at least once. She somehow wanted to be assured that everything was fine between them and his brief visit would have assured her but¡­.

    ¡®Seems like he doesn¡¯t care or I am just overthinking,¡¯ she sighed and continued toy in bed while staring at the ceiling nkly.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t the book say that mates take care of each other and stay together always? But His Majesty always kept me away. Is it like he doesn¡¯t like me and is just forced by the bond to be with me?¡¯

    With sad thoughts, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

    ¡ª¨C

    In the middle of the night when the entire pce was quiet, Draven finally appeared in the south-west wing of the pce.

    In the darkness, he appeared in the bedchamber of his mate. In the dim light of her chamber, he found her sleeping soundly in her bed. He walked closer, being careful to not wake her up and stood next to the bed.

    He was aware that Y must have given her a potion from the witch n after what she had suffered in the morning and that had put her to deep sleep.

    He sat at the edge of the bed and looked at that innocent face of his mate. The scars on her skin had almost faded away to be invisible like she never had them before and her delicate skin was in clear view to his eyes.

    In the morning when they were so close in the garden, he could not deny that he could not move his gaze away from her face. It was not because she was his mate and he was supposed to feel attracted to her but it was because she was truly so beautiful.

    ¡®She would have been the prettiest daughter to that royal family of Valor which never had daughters for generations and the prettiest princess among all the kingdoms,¡¯ he thought as he once again found himself getting attracted to her.

    He hade across so many females but not even once he felt the same towards anyone how he felt for Ember. Even before they were mates, he always found himself getting attracted towards her though he tried his best to not ept it and his denial came out as his angry behaviour. He was not ready to ept that he was being affected by one human.

    Draven pushed Ember¡¯s hair aside from her neck and looked at the mark where he had bitten her this morning. He sure knew it must be painful for her and he felt regretful for biting her.

    ¡®It looks fine now,¡± he concluded and retreated his hand as he continued his one-sided conversation in his mind.

    ¡®I couldn¡¯te to visit you because it was not yet safe for you to be with me. And if you had once again acted clumsy and we had ended up getting closer, I would not be able to control my other side which might harm you. Tomorrow, I will see you tomorrow and we can talk.¡¯

    He fixed the misced nket on her and stood up to leave. He looked at the bird in the cage who was wide awake and looked at Draven. Draven walked towards the cage and stopped a few steps away.

    ¡°I believe you know what not to say.¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t want that bird to tell Ember the next day that he was here in the night. The bird chirped a few times which Draven understood and disappeared from the chamber. No one dared to disobey his order in this kingdom. Not even that small bird had the guts to do so.

 Chapter 157 Change In His Eyes

    The next day, Ember started her day with great expectations. She had been informed that her magic teacher, a fairy who belonged to the Fire Fae, would being in and she looked forward to meeting her teacher after she had her morning meal.

    Y escorted her to the open area at the rear of the pce where a vast meadow was allocated to be her training grounds. Her lessons would be conducted in this ce from this day onwards.

    Just as they reached the training grounds, she saw the King talking to a red-haired woman, together with what seemed like an entourage of servants from both sides.

    Yet Ember didn¡¯t notice the woman, and neither did she see the others with them. The moment she stepped foot on that open area, all she could see was the King, her mate.

    She only had him in her gaze and she found it difficult to move her attention away from him.

    It was as if the world faded into a blur, and everything turned quiet to her. The other people disappeared from her sight and what remained in front of her was only that handsome man¡ªher mate, who had a cold stern expression on his face as he talked to the person in front of him.

    ¡®I want him to look at me¡­¡¯

    It was such a strong urge seemingly out of nowhere. She didn¡¯t know what they were talking about¡ª no, she didn¡¯t even wish to know what, but she wanted him to turn around and pay attention to her and her alone.<sub>.</sub>

    As her mind focused on him, her loud heartbeats drowned the sounds around her, making her entirely deaf to be able to hear anything. She continued to look at him without even blinking once, having some unknown feelings appearing inside her heart.

    Draven¡¯s senses picked up the unique scent of his mate before she even arrived in the training grounds, that was why he was aware of the exact moment of her arrival even without looking at her. That was also the reason why he noticed her unwavering gaze on him that seemed to prick on his skin, causing him to turn tense despite having control over his urges.

    When she stopped walking midway, he pivoted his body towards his little mate and stared her down, only to be surprised that she didn¡¯t avert her gaze as she usually did; rather, her eyes boldly rested on his tall form.

    ¡°Miss Ember?¡± Y called out when she also stopped moving together with her, but the human girl gave no response. She was lost in her thoughts upon seeing her mate face her.

    Y finally noticed how Ember and the King were transfixed at the sight of each other, and with a slight smile, the elf walked ahead towards the fairy in human form that was talking with the King.

    Draven sauntered over to Ember, and the sound of her heartbeat drowned out all the little sounds around her. She could not help but try to gulp as her throat felt parched with each of his steps, her bodying under a spell of his making.

    Unknown to her, she also began walking toward him and they met halfway, their eyes still not leaving each other¡¯s gazes.<sub></sub>

    ? Y greeted the red-haired Fire Fae and the two women smiled at what was going on around them. They tactfully left the mated couple alone and went off to the side, talking to each other.

    ¡°I believe that pretty youngdy is my student, His Majesty¡¯s mate?¡± the red-haired woman asked, and Y nodded as they talked a few feet away from the couple. ¡°The Fairy Queen had already told me she¡¯s human, but it was so hard to believe without seeing her in person¡­¡±

    Draven and Ember formed a world of their own, though he chose to stand from her with a certain distance in mind for his little mate to be not affected by his scent.

    ¡°How are you?¡± he inquired as he hadn¡¯t talked to her since he bit her.

    ¡°Huh?¡± she said while blinking, and it was clear she could neither hear nor understand him.

    ¡°How are you?¡± he asked once again. ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    His firm and dignified manly voice became audible to her this time, and she snapped back into consciousness, bing aware of her surroundings again.<sub></sub>

    Flustered, Ember lowered her head immediately, before awkwardly bowing to the King. ¡°Y-Your Majesty, good morning,¡± she stuttered.

    ¡°Morning,¡± he responded after a brief surprise and he heard her mutter a reply to his previous question, even though her head was lowered.

    ¡°I am fine, Your Majesty¡­¡±

    With her head still lowered, the man in front of her was unable to see her expression. Ember was wearing a chagrined face, busy cursing herself about what she was doing and then wondered if she should tell the King that she was ready to consummate the bond so he wouldn¡¯t suffer anymore but¡­

    ¡°Starting from today, you will have your lessons in these training grounds. I have appointed a teacher for you. She will teach you how to control and effectively use your powers,¡± he informed her with a dry, emotionless voice, as if he were talking about work with one of his aides. Nobody realized this was him trying his best to keep a level head despite the strong, seductive scent emanating from his mate¡¯s body.

    As she heard the formal tone of the King, Ember swallowed the words she was about to say.

    ¡°Thank you, Your¡ª¡±

    She started, raising her head to meet his gaze, only to stop. She saw something flicker in his red eyes. That pair of eyes changed their appearance for a second.

    ¡°Your eyes¡­?¡± she said, looking at them.

    Draven immediately averted his gaze, as what she was referring to finally dawned on him making him panic inside.

    ¡®I need to leave.¡¯

    Draven looked at Y and the red-haired woman off to the side, who abandoned their discussion upon realizing the meaning of his action, and quickly walked towards them. They understood it was time to introduce Ember to her new teacher.

    ¡°Miss Ember, this is Lady Helia from the Fire Fae n,¡± Y said.

    ¡°Greetings, Miss Ember,¡± the red-haired woman said with an energetic smile. ¡°It is an honour to be chosen to educate such a unique individual like you.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Lady Helia.¡±

    Ember politely responded, feeling unexpectedly shy upon receiving such praise, as she studied the woman.

    Fire Fae Helia was extremely beautiful in a way she couldn¡¯t describe, especially how the rays of the sun caught the tips of her wild mane of red hair in the most eye-catching way. She stood at almost the same height as Y, who was shorter than the other female elves in the pce, and Ember smiled as she didn¡¯t have to raise her head to look at her new instructor.

    Her fair, porcin skin looked almost wless, and her long, red hair highlighted the shining copper-gold of her eyes. She wore a brown, ankle-length dress, and Ember gazed in appreciation at how her small figure filled out the gown. The dress was clinched at the waist with a brown garter belt, and her posture spoke of someone with experience. Despite her rather lively mien, she had this feeling that gave off a rich experienced vibe, and Ember knew that they would get along well.

    ¡°From today onwards, I will be your teacher regarding the basics of magic control,¡± the woman¡¯s voice breached Ember¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Rest assured, though you are a unique human, I will do my best to teach you how to use your elemental powers,¡± the woman assured her.

    ¡°Thank you so much. I will do my best to learn from you,¡± Ember replied.

    Draven looked at the Fire Fae. ¡°I will leave her in your care.¡±

    ¡°I will not disappoint your expectations, Your Majesty,¡± the fairy replied, and Draven turned to leave. His gaze rested on Ember briefly, as if he was telling her he was leaving.

    Ember stared longingly at his retreating back until he disappeared from her sight, and his sudden haste confirmed her suspicion that the change in his eyes meant something.

 Chapter 158 Energy Incomplete Energy Core

    ¡°Miss Ember, shall we begin?¡± Helia asked.

    Ember nodded and Y guided them to the central part of the training grounds.

    Y turned to Ember as she gestured to the vast meadow far from the buildings and the trees.

    ¡°This ce is protected by His Majesty¡¯s powers,¡± she started, ¡°so, even if you lose control over your powers, there is nothing to worry about. It won¡¯t harm others. Also, did you see the servants by the entrance of the training grounds? They¡¯re beings with water-attributed magic and there was also a witch among them who specializes in healing. They will be on standby just in case things go wrong, but of course, we are merely being careful¡­¡±

    Ember nodded and sighed in relief. Herst experience with her powers hadn¡¯t gone well¨Cas far as she was concerned, it had been a disaster¨Cand she still carried the guilt of having burned those butterflies.

    Afterwards, Y excused herself to attend to her pce duties, leaving Ember alone with her instructor. Ember stared at the red-haired woman with mixed nervousness and excitement.

    ¡°Do you know what makes fairies different from the other races, Miss?¡±

    Ember was taken aback by the question before shaking her head. ¡°I only heard that they¡¯re residents of Agartha too who¡¯s good at handling elements¡­¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡°That is true, but it also has to do with our constitutions.¡± Her copper-gold eyes were bright as she let out a confident smile. ¡°It is because we are not born with physical bodies, Miss. We are spiritual creatures of pure elemental magic. We are children born from nature itself and I am one of the spirits of fire who gained consciousness after existing for a long, long time¡­¡±

    With that, the air around the red-haired woman seemed to shimmer in gold and red, and the warm magic being emitted by her body gave a specially delightful feeling to Ember.

    Ember found it strange, as she had a number of ugly memories rted to fire, but at this moment, she felt the urge to reach out and touch Helia, as if her intuition was telling her this fire would not harm her.

    Helia let out a pleased smile as she dispersed the magic around her body. ¡°I will begin our lessons not with any introductory concepts about magic, but about understanding your potential and limits, Miss. I do not know if you are aware, but I am one with the most experience in teaching younglings among my people, but you are the first human student I have ever taken. Your lessons will be tailored ording to your needs. That makes sense, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    The human girl nodded.

    ¡°There are many kinds of fire in this world. Do you know that, Miss?¡±

    Ember looked puzzled. ¡°I only know there¡¯s many different uses of fire¡­¡±<sub></sub>

    ¡°Then, let us start with that. I wish to understand what kind of fire exists within you, and from that, we will decide the direction of your lessons,¡± Helia said, and she stretched out her two hands in front of her. ¡°Please put your hands in mine.¡±

    Ember remembered when the Head of the Witches, Cornelia Grimm, had asked her the same thing. Back then, Cornelia had been trying to see through her memories, so she felt there was no harm in doing this once more. She put her hands in Helia¡¯s outstretched hands.

    ¡°Please close your eyes,¡± Helia instructed.

    Ember did as she was asked, and Helia closed her eyes as well and focused on what she was trying to see inside her newly-epted pupil. Before she could start guiding her, she needed to know how capable her pupil was, and she also needed to determine the strength of her energy core. She had heard a few things from the King, but she needed to personally check it herself.

    Fire Fae Helia focused, and soon, she found herself delving inside the magic of her student¡¯s body.

    Fire.

    A sealed fire.<sub></sub>

    A sealed fire raging to be freed.

    Helia flinched, as if she herself was being surrounded by the strong aura of the divine power sealing that raging fire. Though it was sealed, Helia could tell that fire was even stronger than her own power.

    ? ¡®Her Fire is purer than mine and my kin, the kind of fire that shouldn¡¯t be possessed by just any supernatural being.¡¯

    Being a supernatural possessing the same fire element power, Helia saw that while the power inside Ember was much stronger than hers, it was also different in nature. It was destructive, if misused.

    ¡®Fire of Destruction.¡¯

    This was what she determined. It wasn¡¯t the gentle fire like hers, which was a Fire of Purification, but maybe because her own fire was used to eliminate things that shouldn¡¯t exist in nature, Helia became aware of the seal that imprisoned the Fire inside Ember.

    ¡®A power that doesn¡¯t belong in nature is binding that Fire. Divine power is what suppresses it, but that seal is loose enough for my student to be able to tap a fraction of her magic.¡¯

    Helia continued to explore, and perhaps because she was most sensitive with the fire attribute, she felt something more.

    As if there was something missing from Ember¡¯s body¨Calmost as if the core of her power was notplete.

    ¡®Such a strong energy core¡­but¡­why is her energy core like this? It seems iplete¡­ as if part of it had been taken away? However, there seems to be no injuries to her magic system or her soul. It was as if she was born this way. That doesn¡¯t make sense though, that it has been this way since the beginning. Something must have happened, or else it really doesn¡¯t make sense.¡¯

    Helia opened her eyes after a while and said to her student. ¡°You can open your eyes now.¡±

    Ember opened her eyes, and looked searchingly into the copper-gold eyes of her instructor, as if trying to figure out what the red-haired woman was about to say. She couldn¡¯t help it¨Cshe was excited to learn, and she would be happy as long as Helia said she¡¯d be capable of properly using her magic.

    ¡°You possess a strong Fire inside you, Miss Ember,¡± Helia said. ¡°Has anyone told you before that you are unique? Ordinary humans cannot even use a magic spell, let alone have innate power of the fire attribute like yours. Your Fire is even stronger than mine, who is a Fire Fae. It will be amazing; what you can do once you are in control of your power will probably shock even His Majesty, Miss.¡±

    Ember gaped in surprise, as she was equally amazed at the number of revtions about her identity that had been unearthed in the past days. She had lived her entire life as a nobody and had always been scared of the world, but now she was being thrust into this strange world where she was suddenly important and, apparently, possessed strong powers.

    ¡®Unique.¡¯

    She felt a strange sensation upon hearing that word.

    The power of fire she possessed was beyond her imagination. If she could control it¡­

    Though she was scared of the oue of her power, she couldn¡¯t deny she enjoyed the warmth of the liquid energy burning a path through her veins. Even though she didn¡¯t want to admit it, after she had tasted the sheer essence of her powers when she had burned those butterflies, she wanted to try using her power once again.

    The only thing stopping her was fear.

    ¡®I do not want to harm others.¡¯

 Chapter 159 Night Of The Full Moon

    Her instructor let go of Ember¡¯s hands before stepping back several paces away, such that they were facing each other with ample space for them to use their powers.

    ¡®I wonder what we¡¯re going to do next,¡¯ the nervous student could not help but wonder as she slowly clenched her hands into tiny fists.

    The voice of the Fire Fae caused Ember to look back up.

    ¡°First, you need to focus on what we call energy.

    ¡°Powers have several types and divisions¨Cthey can be innate or acquired, internal or external, talent or spell, elemental attributes, etc. Before going into those, the most basic thing you must know is the difference between energy and magic. They¡¯re the same, albeit technically, energy is what we call the form of the power inside your body and when you manifest it outside, we call it magic.

    ¡°Your energy flows naturally within your body, but it has a centre where the energy is the strongest. Think of it as the home of your energy. We call that the core. Only when you be familiar with your energy core and only when you be its master can you start to have basic control of your magic.¡±

    Ember nodded, patiently listening like a good student. ¡®Energy core? Morpheus also mentioned that term¡­¡¯

    Helia continued, ¡°Though it¡¯s a part of you, since you have never used your innate fire power, you are not familiar with your core. When a being bes one with their core, they won¡¯t face any difficulty in manifesting their energy into magic powers. It will be a natural part of your body, like your own arm or leg. You will only need a thought, and it will move. Like this¡­¡±

    Fire Fae Helia raised one hand palms up in front of her body, and soon, there appeared a small me on top of her hand. Though it seemed to be hot, it was not something to be scared of. Under Helia¡¯s control, that fire seemed gentle and tamed. Ember stared at it with fascinated curiosity.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t that fire burning her fingers and palm?¡¯ was the first question that came to her mind.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt, Lady Helia?¡± Ember asked as she looked at that gentle orange me ying on the redhead¡¯s hand.<sub></sub>

    Helia shook her head. ¡°This fire is a part of me. It cannot harm me. Say, like your hand, does using your own hand hurt you? No, right? Unless you order your hand to hurt your own body.¡±

    ¡°Oh!¡±

    ¡°Just like me, your own Fire, the fire-attributed elemental energy residing inside you, it won¡¯t harm you. Since you are not used to it yet, we will make sure you be familiar and slowly make you be morefortable with your Fire.

    ¡°I heard you previously tried to use your untrained powers and could not control it. It was because you forced yourself when you are not yet one with the core of your energy. Once you practice your focus on your core, you will naturally be able to feel how it should be used, and just like me, you will be able to control how you manifest your powers outside your body.¡±

    ¡°What should I do for that?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°You must begin with meditation. Rx your mind and your body while you look inside you and search for that energy core. You have used your energy core before so you should know how to feel the energy spreading across your body. Try to trace the energy in your body and find where theye from. Where is the strongest energy inside you? That is where your core is. You have to look deep within you.¡±

    ¡°Deep within me?¡± Ember repeated to herself.

    ¡°Close your eyes and try to search for it,¡± Helia replied. ¡°Remember, you need to rx. Take a deep breath¡­¡±

    Ember did so as she closed her eyes and heard Helia continue in a soft, maic voice, ¡°Feel your energy. Focus on your inside. Try to search for one strand of energy and use it to lead you where the strongest energy lies within you. There is no need to rush. It is something that is calling for you. You can feel it¡­¡±

    Ember tried to find the so-called ¡®energy core¡¯ as her brows creased, trying to follow what the knowledgeable Fire Fae was telling her. However, instead of bing more rxed, her anxiety grew with each passing second.<sub></sub>

    ¡®Where is it? Why can¡¯t I find it?¡¯

    She tried for a long time, but she could not find it. It felt like hours and hours had gone by, or maybe it had only been a few minutes; regardless, the passing time made the human girl frustrated. Finally, she flopped and sat on the grassy ground, feeling tired as if her energy had been drained on its own. It was even more tiring than when she caused that incident on the balcony with Morpheus.

    ¡°How are you feeling, Miss?¡± the fairy asked as she helped her student to stand up.

    Ember opened her eyes and breathed deeply. ¡°I¡­can¡¯t seem to find it. Apologies, Lady Helia.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your first attempt so it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not easy to find it,¡± Helia assured.

    ¡°Are you sure, Lady Helia, that I have an energy core too? What if, since I¡¯m human, I only have the energy spread around my body?¡± she asked to make sure. ¡°All I could feel was unending darkness despite trying so hard.¡±

    Helia raised a brow at her student¡¯s questions. ¡°There is. I have felt your core, Miss. Beyond that darkness, it¡¯s hidden there. You have to pass through that darkness to reach it.¡±

    ¡°Then can you tell me where I should look?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, you can only begin controlling your energy if you yourself figure out where your energy core is.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Then, I will try once again,¡± Ember suggested, despite feeling tired.<sub></sub>

    ¡°It¡¯s enough for today. It is not a good thing for you to attempt when you already drained your body of your energy like this. Say, it¡¯s simr to running. When you train your leg muscles to run faster or longer, consistent effort is necessary but you must never overexert, or else, you will receive an injury.¡±

    Ember nodded because it was reasonable when to put that way.

    ¡°Tomorrow, we will try it again. Even if we fail again, then there¡¯s the next day and the day after that. Do not be disheartened. Anything that concerns a great power doesn¡¯t happen in an instance. You need to be patient and wait for it toe to you while you do your best to pursue it.

    ¡°Do not force yourself, especially since you have personally experienced how uncontrolled fire can cause incidents. Aren¡¯t we having lessons so we do not have a repeat of that? Use that to guide and motivate you. Moreover, we are not in a hurry, are we?¡±

    Ember shook her head. ¡°Thank you for the reminder. I will be patient.¡±

    ¡°Good. Patience is what we need,¡± Helia said. ¡°You look tired. We should sit somewhere.¡±

    Ember agreed to it as she was really tired, as if she had done some heavy physicalbour. On her first day of her magic lessons, she was already this exhausted¨C she could not help but wonder what would happen in theing days.

    ¡ª¨C

    After leaving Ember with Lady Helia of the Fire Fae, Draven hurried to distance himself from her and was back to his study before he realized it. He knew Ember had noticed the change in his gaze, and he had felt it too¨Cthe abrupt rise of his urge that nearly made him lose control. It was the sign that he was gradually losing control of his Dragon, to the point it was trying to show up once again upon seeing his mate in front of him. Draven thought he had sufficiently suppressed that part of himself, but he was wrong.

    A Dragon had briefly tasted his mate once. He wanted it more¨Cno, he demanded more. He desired to be with his mate, and this desire would only grow stronger the more time passes by.

    Draven was distressed, though none of his emotion was showing on his face.

    ¡®I was nning to train her to resist my scent, but now, a new hurdle has appeared.¡¯

    He paced around inside the study to get rid of his restlessness.

    ¡®One week¡­only seven days are left until the night of the full moon and I am nowhere close to what I had nned.¡±

    Draven let out a worried sigh.

    ¡®That night is going to be the most troublesome. For ordinary beastmen, their females will also show severe signs of being stimted by their mates¡¯ true scent, but there is no record for divine beasts having human mates¡­I can only hope it is something I can handle.¡¯

    Just then, he heard a knock and his personal servant, Erlos, entered the study. The young elf looked at his master who was pacing inside his study with a small frown on his face.

    ¡°Sire, your aide, Malion, is here with a report.¡±

    Draven calmed himself. ¡°Send him in.¡±

    Erlos went out to call for Melion who¡¯s in the reception room, unaware that his master had an odd expression on his normally cold face. Draven stared at the door from where Erlos left with heavy doubts.

    ¡®What is it with him? He¡¯s been unusually quiet these days. Did something happen? Since I could not pay attention to him for the past few days, he should be in a good mood.¡¯

    However, he had no choice but to put that concern on hold as the Wind Fae entered the study. Melion greeted the King who sat in his armchair behind his desk to listen to his aide.

    ¡°Your Majesty, as per your instructions, we have sent a number of shapeshifters from the feathered race and witches to spy on the human kingdoms and help in the search for the woman with reddish gold hair and purple eyes,¡± Melion informed.

    Draven gave him a nod of acknowledgement and said, ¡°That appearance is umon so it should not be difficult to find her if she truly exists.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. You are right,¡± the fairy said and pondered over something. ¡°Your Majesty, if we could make a drawing of how that woman looks, it would be more helpful.¡±

    From what Ember described, the woman¡¯s face was covered by a veil. Draven paused for a moment before answering, ¡°I will try to get one.¡±

    Melion nodded and continued, ¡°In one week, it would be the night of the full moon and all the mated beastmen would be unavable. Like always, we would need warriors from the other races to protect the border shared with the human territories. For this round, I have appointed the Dark Elves and Valley Elves to take turns at the borders.¡±

    ¡°You did well,¡± Draven replied.

    Melion left after updating the King with other kingdom-rted issues. Draven leaned back in his chair as deep frown lines appeared on his forehead.

    ¡®Night of the full moon!¡¯

 Chapter 160 Going To See Draven

    Ember had a rxing time with her teacher after her first lesson. They had tea and snacks together in the garden as they discussed various things about the fire element and it added to whatever little knowledge Ember had about her power. She even got to hear the woman promise that she would show Ember her true form once she performed well enough, making the human girl eager to show satisfying results in their next lessons.

    Once the Fire Fae left, Ember continued to sit in the gazebo of the garden. Her thoughts gradually shifted from her lesson towards the King. She wondered why he had left in such a hurry.

    ¡®Is he avoiding me? Is it because I have not been a good mate to him? It¡¯s true though¨Che found an amazing teacher for me, and yet I have been unable to fulfill any of my duties of being his family.¡¯

    Aside from saying ¡®thank you¡¯, Ember had not even shown him her gratitude for the things she had received so far. She¡¯s really been a terrible mate.

    ¡®Shall I go and talk to him now? If I¡¯m not mistaken, Reya mentioned before that inside the pce, the King spends most of his time in his study. Maybe I should pay him a visit and tell him that I am ready.¡¯

    Ember felt convinced and stood up to go to the King¡¯s study, determined to have a proper discussion with him this time.<sub></sub>

    On her way to the King¡¯s study, she came across Erlos outside in the hallway. The silver-haired servant was carrying a wooden tray in his hand.

    He greeted Ember with a respectful nod. ¡°Miss Ember, are you looking for someone?¡±

    She let out a small smile. ¡°Yes, I am here to visit His Majesty¡­Umm¡­can I?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can,¡± he said. ¡°He¡¯s not granting an audience to anyone at the moment. Please follow me.¡±

    Ember let out a sigh of relief before peeking at the porcin teapot and cup on the tray. ¡°Is it fine if I¡­I mean, can I carry that tray? It seems like tea for His Majesty,¡± she asked.<sub></sub>

    As she said those words with a hopeful look, Erlos didn¡¯t have the heart to say ¡®no¡¯ to her and passed it to her. Just then, another servant came, ¡°Erlos, Dame Y has asked for you in the second storage room.¡±

    Erlos thanked the servant and then looked at Ember.

    ¡°Please go ahead,¡± she happily urged him. ¡°I don¡¯t think His Majesty will mind if I take this to him by myself.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Miss,¡± Erlos said and left while Ember looked at that long hallway that she had to walk on.

    ¡®This is harder than I thought?¡¯<sub></sub>

    Though the wooden tray itself wasn¡¯t heavy, it still took skill to keep it steady in her hands. She could feel the hot liquid inside the teapot sloshing around with each step. She remembered seeing Erlos and even her own servants do it so effortlessly; now that she¡¯s taken up the task, she realized that she had taken their work for granted.

    Ember took a while with her strides, choosing that it was more important for none of the tea inside the pot to spill. As she walked, she had a passing thought¨C other than the beautiful silver-haired young elf, she seemed to have never seen any other servant in this area and wondered why.

    ¡®As the master of the pce, shouldn¡¯t he have many servants left and right? I remember in the books I¡¯ve read that kings should have an entourage of chambermaids and manservants and¨C¡®

    Little did she know that the King of Agartha was infamous for his bad temper and didn¡¯t like to have anyone around his study whenever he upied it. Erlos was the sole exception. Since the servants were also afraid of interacting with Draven, it had be a silent agreement for the ordinary servants to never stray in this part of the pce during daytime.

    ¡®No wonder he¡¯s lonely¡­well, maybe seeing me being a thoughtful mate will make him smile, right?¡¯

    Ember carried the freshly-brewed tea for the King, not knowing seeing her at this moment was thest thing he would want to happen.

    ¡ª-

    Within the King¡¯s study, a certain ck-haired man was sitting in his armchair like a stiff statue, his eyes closed and muscles rigid despite leaning back to ease himself. His hands were gripping the armrest of the chair in his attempts to calm the Dragon inside him.

    Draven¡¯s mind was convincing him to return to the rear of the pce, wanting to stay close to his mate for reasons other than watching her train her fire power. It was hard because no distraction could pull his mind off her. However he knew that the moment he gave in, his Dragon would probably slip beyond control and he might behave in ways he shouldn¡¯t be in front of others.

    Just as he struggled to distract himself, the door of Draven¡¯s study opened and the most delectable scent reached his senses. His red eyes flew open and all his resolve to calm the Dragon melted away with the presence of his mate in front of his eyes.

    ¡®Why¨C¡®

    Ember herself was standing at the doorway, her beautiful eyes looking at him hesitantly while carrying a wooden tray in her hand. His mouth opened but no words escaped his lips. He could only gaze at her lovely form, unable to deny how much he liked to see her in front of him.

    At this moment, he wanted to go to her, to close the distance between their bodies and hold her in his embrace. He wanted to do the sinful but¡­

    ¡®No! I must resist!¡¯

    The grip of his hands tightened even more on the armrest, but thanks to the sound of crunching wood, he was able to stop himself from pouncing on her. It was as if he wouldpletely crush those armrests with a little more pressure.

    ¡®¡­she shouldn¡¯t be here¡­¡¯

 Chapter 161 Ready To Consummate The Bond

    Draven was having an internal battle where one side of him wanted to go to her while the other one was telling him to continue resisting.

    The ignorant human girl had no idea of the struggles of the man inside the study. With her focus on the teapot on the tray, she walked inside with slow and steady steps, trying her best to keep her bnce while carrying that heavy wooden tray, not willing to spill the tea in front of her mate. She had been way too clumsy in front of the King, and this time, she didn¡¯t wish to embarrass herself.

    Though his emotionless and cold gaze was making her nervous, she continued to walk, wondering in her mind, ¡®Why is he staring at me without saying a word? Oh, wait! I forgot that it was polite to knock first. And¡­and¡­¡¯ She struggled to remember what else the servants and other people do in front of Draven. ¡®Have I upset him bying to his study unannounced?¡¯

    She stood in front of the desk and bowed. ¡°Greetings¡­Your Majesty¡­¡± Her voice was shaky and her body was trembling a little.

    Yet, the King still didn¡¯t reply and simply stared at her without a change in his expression.

    This caused Ember to be more nervous. She lowered her gaze and fixed it at the wooden tray in her hand. Unable to bear the silence anymore, Ember nervously took a step forward and ced the tray on top of his desk.

    ¡°I¡­have brought tea for you¡­Your Majesty¡­¡±

    As she spoke those words, she didn¡¯t dare look at him.

    However, there was still no response from Draven. Though he appeared unaffected on the surface, he was busy trying to keep himself in check while his little mate was not aware of his situation.

    Under his intimidating gaze, her trembling hands moved to hold the teapot and she somehow managed to pour the tea in the cup while trying her best to keep herself calm. She did not want to make any mistake with him watching her every move.

    Once she finished pouring the tea, she held the teacup in her trembling hands and looked at the King as she offered him the cup. ¡°Y-Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± he finally spoke, looking at her as if she hadmitted a grave sin. Well to think of it, what she¡¯smitting now was flirting with danger. It was already difficult for Draven to calm himself, yet she came to him and her presence was akin to testing the limits of his self-control. The Dragon inside him was raging for him to im his mate.

    Her hands, which were holding the teacup, froze suddenly. ¡°I¡­ want to talk to you, Your Majesty. Is that¡­ fine? I mean, if I am bothering you¨C¡°

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked.

    She put the teacup back in the tray, understanding that King didn¡¯t want to ept it from her. She took a deep breath to hide her disappointment and gazed into his red eyes as she replied, ¡°I want to say I am ready to consummate the bond.¡±

    Those pair of emotionless eyes seemed to have darkened at what she said. Ember immediately took a step back, her heart pounding for unknown reasons.

    After letting out a shaky breath, Draven briefly closed his eyes. Something inside him was on the verge of breaking out of his control. His mate had just said she was ready to consummate the bond, and the Dragon inside him could not help but to rage in excitement.

    With his fingers deeply embedded on the armrest of his chair, he asked with gritted teeth, ¡°Do you know what you are saying?¡±

    Ember nodded weakly. ¡°It was in the book I¡¯ve read about mates and bonds. It says Your Majesty has to bite me once again. I don¡¯t mind if we consummate our bond now. It doesn¡¯t hurt much.¡±

    She said all those words in one breath as if she wanted to get done with it as soon as possible.

    Draven felt like all his rationality was disappearing because of his innocent mate. He stood up and walked towards her from the other side of the table under her scared gaze.

    ¡®Are we going to consummate the bond now? Is he going to bite me right now?¡¯

    Despite gathering all her courage to let him bite her, she subconsciously took a step back seeing his tall forming closer.

    Draven stood facing her as his cold gaze pierced her, and the next moment, she smelled that strong scent of him which was now stronger and more enticing than what she remembered before. She could not help but breathe deeply, as if wanting for more.

    ¡°You want to consummate the bond?¡± she heard him ask and her attention shifted to him from his seductive scent.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± She looked puzzled, like her mind had stopped working.

    ¡°You want to consummate the bond?¡± he growled in repetition.

    The tone of his voice snapped Ember back to her senses and nodded instantly. ¡°Ah, yes. I want to.¡±

    ¡°Can you even resist my scent?¡± he asked, doing his best to hold back and not pounce on her. She was sure checking his limits.

    ¡°Scent?¡± she mumbled. ¡°Why would I resist¡­? It¡¯s¡­it¡¯s so good¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t seem to know what she was mumbling.

    ¡°I asked if you can resist it and keep your mind sane,¡± he asked coldly, his voice firm and there was a tinge of annoyance in it.

    With her dazed eyes, she looked at him as if his reaction didn¡¯t affect her. If she was sane enough, she could have sunk back to the corner like a scared kitten seeing him like this.

    ¡°The scent is so good¡­I don¡¯t want to¡­.¡± she voiced out her honest thoughts.

    ¡°Then we cannot consummate the bond,¡± Draven said and took a step away from her.

    ¡°Cannot?¡± she asked, his abrupt statement causing rity to return to her mind. ¡°We cannot?¡±

    ¡°Till you learn to resist my scent, till you can remain sane when I am this close to you, we will not consummate our bond,¡± he dered as an ultimatum.

    She blinked a few times to understand why he was saying this. He smelled so good. Why did she have to resist it? And what did it have to do with him biting her to fulfill the bond?

    ¡°Then you will be in pain,¡± she said.

    ¡°Do you worry about my pain?¡± he asked.

    She nodded immediately to show her sincerity. ¡°I do. I am your family¡­your mate¡­and uhm, I am your wife¡­¡± After saying thatst bit, a hint of a blush appeared on her face. ¡°I cannot let you be in pain. I want to be a good mate. I won¡¯t mind if you bite me.¡±

    He frowned upon her repeated choice of words. ¡°Biting?¡¯ he asked with a scowl, as if he realized something. ¡°Is that what you understood about consummation?¡±

    Ember looked at him, somewhat feeling puzzled why his tone was like that. She began to think about what she might have missed and then remembered something. She gulped and cleared her throat awkwardly before answering, ¡°And¡­not¡­wearing any clothes¡­¡±

    Her words were like a weak mumbling that only she should be able to hear, but Draven¡¯s hearing sense didn¡¯t fail him.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± he asked coldly.

    She blinked a few times in confusion. ¡°Am I mistaken? Is there anything that I missed? Please tell me what I need to do. I want to be of help to you.¡±

    He felt like his brain would explode soon with this absurd situation. Here he was trying to suppress what he was feeling, and on the other hand, his innocent mate was tempting him to teach her what she had missed.

    He closed his eyes briefly as finally his hand moved to pinch his nose bridge, attempting but failing to suppress his frustration.

    ¡®Did I anger him again? I wonder what I missed. As far as I know, I read everything in that book. Is there anything I missed reading?¡¯

    ¡°Will you truly be fine standing in front of me and being with me without wearing any article of clothing on your body?¡± he asked with a strange glint in his eyes.

    This sudden question surprised her and she blinked looking at him in confusion.

    He took a step towards her, getting rid of that distance between them. ¡°Will you be truly fine if I take your clothes off right now?¡±

    Her eyes widened, and instinctively, her hands moved in front of her chest as she took a step away.

    ¡°R-Right now?¡±

 Chapter 162 Ready To Teach Her

    His little mate¡¯s frightened reaction caused Draven to let out an unamused smirk on his handsome face.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you are ready to consummate our bond?¡±

    Under that intimidating gaze that stared at her as if he was peering into her true thoughts, Ember could not say a word, and instead, she gripped the top fabric of her dress closer to her chest as if to cover herself better along with her increasing anxiety.

    Though his scent was affecting her senses, that anxiety she was feeling was keeping her sane.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± Draven asked, not willing to back down.

    This day would be a lesson for her to be careful about the things she says and start to understand reality¨Cthat what she concluded was wrong. While biting was included, it was not the only thing she needed to do.

    ¡°I-I want to¡­but¡­I am a little scared,¡± she voiced out her situation.

    ¡°At least you know to be scared,¡± he said, his tone a little sarcastic. ¡°I thought youcked basic survival instincts,ing at me so fearlessly because of my scent.¡±

    Ember felt like she was being wrongly used as she never tried to go at him¨Cwell, at least not intentionally. It was his intoxicating scent that would mess up her mind every time he was close, and there was no one else to me for it except Draven himself. ¡°Your scent is so good that I don¡¯t even understand my reactions.¡±

    ¡°Now you me it on my scent instead of trying your best to resist it and working on adapting to your new reality? Even if you didn¡¯t mean to do things, does that exempt you from the consequences of your own actions?¡±

    He spoke like a strict person who would not take any excuses from her.

    ¡°No, no! I mean, it¡¯s not¡­I don¡¯t mean to¨C¡± she tried to deny. With each passing moment, he looked scarier to her.

    ¡°If you want to consummate the bond with me then you have to follow what I say without failure or mistake,¡± he said in amanding tone. Draven knew they don¡¯t have much time left before the full moon, and this could be a good opportunity to deal with the naivety of his mate.

    ¡®Does he want to take my clothes off right now?¡¯ she wondered when she heard what he said and heard him insist.

    ¡°Well, will you or will you not?¡±

    ¡®I have to be a good mate¡­A good wife..¡¯ she repeated in her mind, consoling herself it was fine.

    Ember let out a shaky breath before nodding and straightening her body in front of him. Ever so slowly, she removed her hands from her chest as if to silently say she was letting her defence go.

    ¡°I will¡­¡± she answered him with her gaze lowered, not knowing how to feel about her daring action when she was dying with anxiety inside.

    ¡°First,¡± Draven started, ¡°you need to learn how to keep your mind sane¨C¡°

    Ember opened her mouth as if to say something, but Draven continued, not letting her speak.

    ¡°¨Ceven if you feel affected by my scent. You are capable of taking control over your actions, so be responsible for them. Resist and do not let the influence of the bond make you do things you wouldn¡¯t do. Understood?¡±

    Each of his words gave pressure on her as if trying to force his demands inside her mind.

    Since she already decided to agree, she nodded once more with her head lowered, deciding to remember and follow what he had asked her to do.

    Resist? Yes, she should do that. He tried her best to resist the temptation of his scent even when he was so close to her. She believed that she should also do the same to him.

    ¡°Second¡­¡± he said next, only to pause when he realized what he was about to say. It was something he could not exin to her in words. His mate was someone prone to misunderstanding due to her naivety. Action would be more effective on her.

    ¡¢ Draven looked her in the eyes. ¡°I will do something to you now and then ask you a question after. Once you go back to your room, I want you to think about it and find out the answer to the question that I will ask you.¡±

    Ember nodded once again, feeling her breath getting heavier and her entire body heating up with the closeness they had at the moment. This man, her mate, was a scary person. It wasn¡¯t that he¡¯s scary in a bad way¨CDraven was just someone who felt too out of reach not only to her but to most people.

    A man of few words, who wouldn¡¯t easily show his emotions on his face. The most powerful person in the Kingdom of Agartha who¡¯s respected by many. Few understood him, and he wasn¡¯t one to exin his actions as well.

    Draven was at the peak, while Ember was just a small existence, a nobody from a distant ce, before she became his mate.

    Yet she could not stop feeling strange whenever she was with him, and this ¡®something¡¯ was different from feeling scared. She admitted that at first, she feared him, but the more they interacted, that fear gradually changed to anotherplicated emotion she couldn¡¯t name. This strange feeling confused her all the time as she could not find out what it was.

    Draven continued to look at his mate¡¯s anxious self. He could see she was already trying to follow his instructions of resisting his scent. Now, he had to deal with someone else who was troubling him more than this little mate of his.

    ¡®Don¡¯t show up. It¡¯s not the time yet. If you want her to be our mate in the mostplete sense, then let me deal with her first. If you won¡¯t listen, we will only harm her and¡­¡¯ He internally sighed. ¡®If you don¡¯t want to lose our mate, then just let me handle it. You, be patient. Whatever you feel, don¡¯t show up. This time, if you intervene in my decision, I will make sure to send her far away from us where both of us won¡¯t be able to see her,¡¯ Draven warned.

    As if his words worked on the one he was warning, he felt the growing turmoil inside him turn calm. He let out a relieved sigh, grateful that his words worked to threaten the Dragon inside him.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± Draven instructed.

    Ember looked at him. From her drugged-looking eyes, he could see how hard she was trying to resist and felt proud of her for being able to do so as it was not easy. He was the older and stronger one between them, yet even for him, oveing his natural urges was not easy for him so he could imagine her situation.

    Confident it should be safe for both of them, Draven moved his hand to her back and pulled her close to him, getting rid of that tiny space left between their bodies.

    Ember looked at her mate in shock. She gulped, chanting over and over in her head that she should ¡®resist the influence of his scent¡¯ as he ordered. She found him removing the glove from his hand by pulling it with his teeth, and this time, she found his action irresistibly attractive, making her heart skip a beat. She could not pull away her gaze that was fixed on his enticing mouth.

    He could see she was being seduced by even this simple action of his. ¡®Is this not the way he always removed his glove?¡¯ With their position, this was the easiest way to get rid of that article of clothing since his other hand was holding onto her.

    When his other hand still settled at the small of her back, feeling that delicate curve, Draven used his now bare hand to hold her chin and tilt her head, making her look at his eyes.

    He would rather his little mate stare at his eyes rather than his lips. If not, he felt that he¡¯d be tempted to do something that would betray the order of things he nned for her.

    Startled, Ember¡¯s gaze moved from those enticing lips to look into the pair of intense-looking red eyes.

    His bare hand gently caressed her cheek as he continued to gaze at her, aware that she was barely breathing from the tension he could feel from her body.

    ¡°Breathe,¡± he whispered in a low, husky voice. ¡°You did well resisting my scent¡­¡±

    Ember¡¯s body shivered as if she felt his manly voice caress over her skin.

    ¡°¡­but you don¡¯t need to resist now,¡± Draven continued, his intense gaze still holding onto her dazed eyes. ¡°We will try something harder now. I want you to focus on what we will be doing¡­I want you to remember what you feel and I want you to think what more you want to feel¡­¡± he said in a low and raspy voice, which showed that despite his threat to his Dragon, he too was struggling to keep his true urges at bay. With his little mate eager to ¡®consummate¡¯ their bond, he would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t greatly affected.

    Draven could no longer wait to have her. The only thing stopping him was his desire to have her wholly ept him of her own volition, not just ignorantly giving in due to the effects of the bond.

 Chapter 163 My Nameâ€¦Say It Againâ€¦

    Ember didn¡¯t respond. Though she was trying to resist his ¡®true scent¡¯, she was barely hanging on. Before he could say it was fine to no longer resist now, she was already drowned in what her body was demanding and could not wait for him to do something with her.

    ¡®More¡­I want more¡­¡¯

    That simple touch of his hand over her cheek was enough to ignite her delicate skin. It burned for him to touch her more¡­ to hold her more¡­for more¡­

    Peering close into her eyes, Draven moved to brush his lips over hers. He then gently captured her already parted lips that let out a tiny surprised gasp that turned to a moan of appreciation. His bare hand moved to the back of her neck from her cheek, pulling her head close to be able to kiss her better while his other hand pressed her against his body.

    Before Ember could understand the situation, her body reacted in kind to his touch, clutching on his white undershirt as her hands moved to explore past his ck tailcoat, pushing the coat away as if her hands had a mind of their own.

    Their mouths danced with fervent urgency, his lips passionate and possessive on her innocent ones. But that didn¡¯tst long as her body learned to match his pace, earning a guttural groan of approval from him as she started kissing him back while sucking and nibbling on his lips¨Cthe same way he was doing it with her lips.

    Deep and hungry¨Ctheir kiss was one that responded to all the desires the two had suppressed for each other since they first tasted each other¡¯s lips. It was wildly intoxicating, as if they¡¯d found salvation in each other, and neither of them wanted to pull away, even if it was to take a breath.

    ¡®More¡­I want more¡­¡¯ Ember¡¯s body seemed to scream.

    Her mate¡¯s hand continued to angle her face the way he wanted as his mouth took over hers entirely, eventually sliding his coarse and warm tongue inside her wet cavern, making her blood thrum in her veins with each passing moment.

    Soft, alluring moans could be heard from her throat that mixed with the needy groans from him, and their hot breaths continued to mingle together, unmindful of their surroundings.

    However, in the end, Ember was still human.

    Though her mate¡¯s tongue continued to y with hers, she felt her own tongue going numb with that long kiss. Ember was starting to feel the effects of theck of air, causing her response to his teasing tongue to be weighed by her increasing tiredness and need to breathe.

    Feeling her slowly gaining back her senses, Draven stopped from ravaging her lovely lips, but he didn¡¯t move away from her. While she gasped to get enough air with her eyes closed, the tip of his nose brushed with hers in a yful manner as he enjoyed the sweet and refreshing scent that¡¯s unique to him.

    ¡°You can¡¯t be this weak with me,¡± he mumbled as his lips brushed against her moist and swollen ones. She could not understand a single word of it. ¡°A kiss like this is enough to turn you this weak; what kind of mess would you turn into when we mate for real? Will you be able to handle it? Will you be able to handle¡­me?¡±

    She opened her emerald green eyes to stare at him, and the expectation in that gaze gave him the answer he wanted.

    ¡°Today, I will make you feel something more.¡±

    As if to show her what he meant, both Draven¡¯s hands were on her slender body, holding her firmly to press her against him, not letting her move away or take a step back.

    Ember didn¡¯t understand what he meant but she felt his thigh parting her legs away from each other, before pressing a leg in between her thighs, against the most feminine part of her.

    A surprised gasp left her lips with this strange action. Her body felt a rush, as if a strange kind of anticipation hummed within her veins. She didn¡¯t know what it was, but it made her feel something different in a good way. In reflex, the grip of her hands tightened on his clothes as her eyes field with a sudden shock.

    Seeing her reaction, Draven tugged her lower lip with his teeth, making her feel a little pain and asked while increasing the pressure of his thigh on her feminine part.

    ¡°It feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    She let out a small cry of pleasure in response to his action between her thighs. As she panted, wanting something she wasn¡¯t aware of, she heard him whisper seductively against her lips, ¡°Answer me, Ember!¡±

    Calling out her name did wonders. A shot of pleasure made her body shiver. For a bit, she wondered if she was under an illusion or a dream. He had said her name a few times before, but all those times, it was to tell others things about her, talking to her in the third person. Not even once had Draven ever called her by her name when they were speaking to each other.

    Until now.

    ¡°Does it feel good?¡± he asked as his hand moved down from her waist to gently squeeze her bottom.

    She didn¡¯t answer it but instead let out a whimper, ¡°My name¡­say it again¡­¡±

    Her beautiful green eyes gleamed with expectations as they stared at him while her mouth let out soft pants. Her heart was running rampant inside her chest as well as she never had desired something this much from another.

    But at this moment, all Ember wanted was to hear him say her name.

    Draven lifted her a little and made her sit on hisrge desk that was just next to them. It made her miss what he was doing with his thigh, and she felt a surge of disappointment envelop her drooping body.

    Draven could see her bing visibly upset and smirked a little. He leaned in to kiss her, one of his hands already moving to grip the back of her head while the other one caressed her thigh.

    Small, chaste, a light brushing, almost teasingly frustrating¨Cit was that kind of kiss this time, and each time Ember moved closer to catch his yful kiss, Draven would move back only to swoop in once more, capturing her lips in his gentle yet insistent kisses.

    In between each yful kiss, he would ask,

    ¡°You want me to say your name?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to, hmm?¡±

    ¡°Just your name?¡±

    On her fourth try, she was able to catch his lips and sweetly kiss him back. Ember then let out a soft begging whimper as she nodded in response to his questions.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re doing well, then I guess I have to reward you after you do what I say,¡± he replied. His free hand that was caressing her thigh pulled her dress up to leave her thighs bare to his touch.

    He felt the soft skin of her thigh under hisrge and warm palm as it continued to move to the inside of her thigh, closer to the sacred ce between her legs.

 Chapter 164 So Delicateâ€¦So Beautifulâ€¦

    Ember chased his lips, wanting to kiss him once more, only to let out a sultry moan as her body felt his wicked touch that was heating up her skin. His hand was only touching her intimate part, but it felt as if he was touching her everywhere, leaving a sweet yet torturous trail of desire she wanted to savour but couldn¡¯t.

    Expectations. Her body was thrumming with expectations. The thing was, she had no idea what she wanted nor what Draven wanted to give as her reward. Whatever it was, she wanted it.

    She grabbed onto his clothes tightly as she continued to seek his lips, wanting to kiss him once more.

    Of course, Draven didn¡¯t disappoint her. He weed her moist lips with an equally hungry kiss. Draven¡¯s hand that was moving between her thighs continued to caress her soft skin while his hand that was settled at the back of her head moved down to untie thece at the back of her dress, loosening it up.

    His hand ying with her thighs found its way inside her loose dress to move towards her chest, only to stop at her chest band. Hisrge palm squeezed her soft mounds over her chest band, making her moan between their heated kisses.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    ¡¢ She didn¡¯t know what he was doing to her. All she knew was that it felt good, and she wanted more of it.

    Draven slightly pulled back from savouring her lips, though he continued to squeeze and tease her mounds. As she let out another moan, he whispered against her lips, ¡°Remember everything that I am making you feel. You will, won¡¯t you?¡±

    Subconsciously, she nodded to his questions as her drugged eyes continued to stare into his intense ones. Panting heavily, she arched her back as if asking him to just continue whatever he was doing, leaving everything up to him. It was as if her entire body was under his spell, and she had no other choice but to ask¨Cno, beg him to give more of what he was giving to her.

    Draven didn¡¯t expect that she would react like this. He found himself fascinated by the satisfaction he was feeling in exchange for making her feel good.

    And it was not just her¨Che also wanted more of this. Just like her, he could not wait for her to desire him, for her to explore his body and want him for herself.

    Draven¡¯s hands continued to caress the curves of her body under her loosened dress, and after hearing her let out a frustrated whimper, his hand finally moved back towards the ce between her legs once again, and this time, it had the intention of making her feel something that she didn¡¯t even know existed.

    Even before his hands could touch her most feminine part, her body had already started to anticipate it on its own and could not wait till his hand to do something that was unknown to her.

    Draven let her lips go to watch her reaction as his fingers brushed against her wet folds over the fabric of her undergarment. Her response was wilder than expected.

    ¡°Ahh¡­umm¡­¡± she let out the most indecent moans.

    He observed the way her body was acting to what he was doing to her. Just a light touch and her body was already acting as if it was too much for her. Her face which was flushed red with desire looked erotic. It was begging him to give her more as her half-lidded eyes looked at him in a hungry gaze.

    ¡®So delicate¡­so beautiful¡­¡¯

    Holding her closer while his hand at her back kept her body upright, his other hand began to work wonder between her thighs. He admired her reactions, from letting out erotic cries to the slight trembling of her body, as he try putting different pressures on her aching folds with his skilful fingers.

    ¡°Ahh¡­Hmm!¡±

    With a small cry, her body convulsed in pleasure. She gasped with her mouth, letting out broken sounds that weren¡¯t quite words, not knowing how to deal with this new yet pleasurable feeling. With her eyes closed, she arched her back to move herself closer to his fingers while holding onto his clothes to keep herself steady.

    All she knew was that she wanted more. More and more and more¡­

    Draven¡¯s fingers could feel the wetness of her folds even over her undergarment. He knew she was already feeling high and she would reach her limit soon.

    ¡®So sensitive¡­¡¯ he thought, mesmerized by the sultry beauty responding this much when he¡¯s barely begun.

    His thumb stroked her most sensitive ce, sometimes pinching and ying her harshly and at times lightly teasing her, both the light and heavy pressure taking her closer to her release. Her body squirmed in the pleasure she was feeling and was ready to let it go but¨C

    Draven stopped. He stopped just before she would get her release and would know she was able to feel something new, something so heavenly that she would continue to crave afterwards.

    She felt like someone had thrown her body into the freezing water after taking her high up to fly. She opened her eyes and looked at her mate with a displeased and using gaze. If she knew what he didn¡¯t give her, she would have been angry at him but she could only be displeased because he stopped abruptly. Intuition was telling her he was behaving deliberately¨Cthat there was a reason why he stopped at this moment.

    Draven could see the frustration on her face which had a tinge of anger to it. The way her hands were gripping his clothes showed her irritation clearly.

    ¡°Disappointed? Angry?¡± he asked while hiding a smirk.

    Ember didn¡¯t know what he was talking about but felt like someone had stolen something away from her. But it was exactly because of her ignorance that Draven could act this way towards her.

    Not saying a word more, he pulled his hand away from her thighs and straightened her dress to properly cover her lower body once more.

 Chapter 165 Answer to Where and Why

    ¡°Get back to your senses,¡± he said in a voice so cold and detached, it was the exact opposite of his earlier actions. ¡°You promised me you will remember what you felt, so I believe you will keep your word.¡± He then stepped back after taking her hands off of his shirt and fixing his own tailcoat.

    Ember was bbergasted. Once again, she felt overwhelmed and puzzled and lost. She didn¡¯t know what to do. She didn¡¯t know what she did. It ended so abruptly, that she didn¡¯t even understand what just happened. Draven turned away and took several strides towards the other side of his study, giving her a brief moment of respite to get her bearings back and have a grasp of their situation.

    ¡®She should have understood that, right?¡¯ he thought, convinced that this ¡®hands-on¡¯ lesson would be effective in showing her what the third stage of the mating bond meant. However, because he had his back on her, he didn¡¯t see her facial expression.

    Ember looked at him with a nk gaze and then looked down at herself.

    ¡®Once again, I am lost.¡¯

    ,?-?-m Her dress was still a loose mess, and she remembered how his hands moved inside her dress and what she felt when he¡­She sighed in embarrassment. She then realized that her legs were still parted away and she felt difort between them. Not being able to understand, she closed her legs immediately and her hands fixed the wrinkles on her dress, more specifically her skirt.

    All of a sudden, she felt an overwhelming sense of frustration. She buried her face in her palms and felt like crying.

    ¡®What was it? Why can I not control myself?¡¯

    She continued to sit on his desk, feeling all embarrassed while Draven returned to her. ¡°Have this.¡±

    Strictly speaking, Draven was more affected by their body contact than her, but he knew when to stop and how to control himself, unlike her who was naively ignorant of her own body¡¯s desires. Compared to her who had no idea why she needed to resist the effect of the bond, Draven was clear of his goal; he¡¯s determined on not to let the effect of the bond rule over his rationality for that would only end up hurting his naive mate. He didn¡¯t want her to me him in the future for taking advantage of the innocence of her youth.

    Ember looked at him and he continued to speak in a civil tone, as if his words were things that didn¡¯t personally involve him, ¡°Take it. You will feel better.¡±

    With her trembling hands, she epted the ss of water he was offering her and had a few sips. Once she looked calmer, Draven who was standing a few steps away from her, spoke once more.

    ¡°Are you fine now?¡±

    She could not find her voice to respond, so she simply nodded before lowering her head to stare at her hands that were busy gripping the ss of water. As he distanced himself enough for Ember not to smell his scent, her mind was slowly regaining its rationality, and a growing sense of shame and embarrassment was taking over her body.

    ¡°Now as I said before, other than resisting my scent, you have to do one more thing for me,¡± he spoke in an unnervingly calm manner, which showed clear contrast to her blushing face. ¡°Do you remember?¡±

    She nodded weakly as her brain was still trying to process what happened between her and Draven.

    ¡°Look at me,¡± he said with amanding tone that allowed no refusal.

    Ember didn¡¯t want to, but in the end, she had to slowly raise her head and look at his emotionless self. The mixture of frustration and embarrassment welling inside her found the sight angering.

    ¡®Why does he look unaffected?¡¯ she wanted toin. ¡®What did he do to me? What is this feeling? What¡ª¡¯

    ¡°You have to find the answers to the question that I would ask you now,¡± he continued to speak, unaware of the barrage of concerns causing chaos in her mind. Hesitation could be seen in her eyes.

    ¡°I-I will try, Your Majesty,¡± she spoke in response despite not knowing what he would ask and if she would be able to find the answers to them.

    ¡°When I was touching your body, which ce did you like it the most and where did you want me to keep touching you? In addition, you must tell me why¡± he said without any hesitation. His manly voice was no longer emotionless, but firm and authoritative as if nothing mattered to him more than getting this task done by her.

    ¡°I¡­¡± she paused as her mind spun, trying to recall everything that happened. Unknown to her, her small face that was blushing a beautiful shade of pink now turned to a very bright crimson colour as memories flitted through her mind

    Draven understood her situation. ¡°We are not in a hurry. You can go back to your chamber to think carefully and then answer me when you are more confident. If you find the answer to the ¡®Where¡¯ and ¡®Why¡¯, then we will consummate the bond. I will also say what you want to hear from me.¡±

    Ember looked at him, feeling puzzled, as once again she could not understand what was the rtion between him biting her and fulfilling the bond and him asking her all these strange questions.

    ¡°You can go now,¡± he instructed with finality. Ember curled her hands into fists as her frustration grew within her heart. Why was it that the King looked normal as if nothing could affect him while she was affected to her core? She didn¡¯t understand why, but she felt wronged.

    When she stepped down from hisrge desk, she felt her legs giving up but then controlled herself well.

    She hurried to bow to him so she could leave his presence, but even before she could take a step towards the door, she heard him drop amand.

    ¡°Stop!¡±

    Ember tried to calm herself, as if to show him that she too could show she was unaffected, but when she looked at him with a deliberate puzzled expression, the human girl found the Kinging towards her. She took a step back but was stopped by the desk behind her and it scared her.

    ¡®What does he want now?!¡¯

    The next moment, she got her answer. Draven came closer to her and then as if he wanted to embrace her, his hands moved to wrap around her body¡­but she was mistaken. He wasn¡¯t there to hug her. He simply tied thece belt of her dress on her back that he had loosened earlier.

    Ember held her breath to not smell his scent, not wanting to lose her mind once again. She had enough of that embarrassment, and by now, she understood his scent was the culprit all those times.

    As he fixed the knot of herce belt at the back of her dress, she heard him say in a low voice, ¡°It¡¯s not only you who felt strange. I was the same. I just know how to control myself. Don¡¯t feel embarrassed and think about what I have asked you.¡±

    His voice sounded as if he was trying to be gentle, and she felt like he was coaxing her. She nodded lightly to what he said and found him moving away from her. He took a look at her dress to see if it was fine now.

    Ember finally breathed and could not wait to go away, no, run away, from his study. She had a lot on her mind and needed to think about it without his presence clouding her mind.

    The confused human bowed to the red-eyed man in a hurry and dashed out of his study as fast as she could.

    Once his little mate left his study, the strong resolve Draven maintained till now broke the very next second. His seemingly emotionless face showed frustration that mirrored hers. He moved his hand through his hair as he exhaled deeply through his mouth to release the pent-up emotions within him. Though Ember had left, her true scent had already filled his entire study and that delicious fragrance was still affecting him the same.

    It was good that she left as soon as she could. He had no patience left in him to continue seeing her in front of him after being intimate and not doing anything more.

    ¡ª-

    Ember almost tripped as she hurried back to her chamber, her steps easily missing a few steps of the grand staircase leading to the top floor of her part of the pce. However, she didn¡¯t realize any of these with her mind chaotic.

    There was only a sense of horror and embarrassment on her face.

    Though she didn¡¯t understand why things happened the way they did, her mind was internally screaming in shame the more she recalled how she reacted. By extension, she didn¡¯t want to recall what the King had asked. Questions she should answer? Should she think about those?

    All she wanted to do now was to find a ce away from everyone and hide herself there.

    When she reached the top floor, the southwest wing, her servants Reya and Clio saw her running along the hallway in a great hurry as if something was trying to chase her down.

    ¡°Miss Ember¡­?¡±

    ¡°I want to be alone!¡±

    Before they could respond, she opened the door on her own and closed it immediately, leaving the two servants shocked, wondering what had happened to their master.

 Chapter 166 Frustrating And Embarrassing

    Ember could still feel the heat on her cheeks as she closed the door of her room behind her and rested her back against it. She closed her eyes while catching her breath, her body slowly sliding down along the door due to her trembling legs, but she didn¡¯t seem to notice any of these.

    Her mind was in absolute chaos.

    Her legs finally gave in to her muscles¡¯ exhaustion¨Cafter all, not only did she just have a bewildering experience, she had also ran the entire way from the King¡¯s study, only stopping once she returned to her bedchamber.

    ¡®What¡­?¡¯

    She sat on the floor with head lowered, and before she knew it, she could feel tears making their way out of her eyes. She didn¡¯t know why she was crying but felt truly overwhelmed by the situation¨Clike everything was just so unfair and she didn¡¯t want any of this.

    What Draven did with her, she didn¡¯t know how to take it, and those confusing thoughts came out in the form of tears. She didn¡¯t even want to think about it. Not what happened, and neither what Draven had asked her to answer.

    All she wanted to cry and cry as if it was the only way of letting out these things she could not understand.

    After a while, she heard a hesitant knock on the door behind her.

    ¡°Miss, are you okay¡­?¡±

    The concern on Reya¡¯s voice caused Ember to furiously wipe her tears from her cheeks. She stood up from where she was sitting but she didn¡¯t reply and went straight to her bed. With her pent-up emotions flooding out of her system, she knew she would not stop crying anytime soon and simply wanted to just hide herself. She got onto the bed and covered herself with a nket before curling up herself into a ball.

    Reya and Clio standing outside the door could not help but worry about Ember. They saw the way Ember was running in the hallway as if something was chasing down her. After their master entered her chambers, the elves¡¯ ears also soon picked up the sound of her muted sniffling. They could only imagine how upset Ember must have been that she burst into tears the moment she isted herself.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Clio asked her older cousin.

    ¡°Shall we enter the room? Though Miss didn¡¯t answer us, I feel¡­¡±

    Clio was also worried but she¡¯s the more level-headed person between them too. ¡°Miss said she wants to be alone. Since she explicitly said those words, it will be rude to enter her room without her permission.¡±

    ¡°I know, I know but¡­Do you think it¡¯s fine to leave her alone? Shall we go to Dame Y?¡± Reya suggested.

    Clio immediately agreed to it. ¡°I will go call her. You stay here and keep an eye on Miss.¡±

    Reya saw Clio leaving to get Y as she was someone with higher authority and experience about these things. It should be fine if Y permits them to go inside Ember¡¯s room tofort their Miss.

    Meanwhile, inside the bedchamber, the human girl continued to cry while hiding herself inside the nket, trying her best to not make any sobbing sounds. Of course, those weak attempts of hers could not escape even an ordinary elf¡¯s senses.

    Soon, a frowning Y came to the southwest wing along with Clio.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Y asked as soon as she realized the atmosphere outside Ember¡¯s chamber. Clio didn¡¯t inform her earlier what they witnessed as there were other servants around and she didn¡¯t wish others to hear that something happened to their Miss.

    Reya was the one to respond. ¡°Dame, something is wrong with the Miss. We don¡¯t know what exactly happened but Miss didn¡¯t look good and she had been crying ever since she entered her room. However, she told us she wants to be left alone¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you have any idea what might have happened to her?¡± Y asked.

    Reya hesitated for a moment and replied, ¡°When I was looking for Miss earlier, I came across Erlos and he casually mentioned that Miss had gone to His Majesty¡¯s study.¡±

    ¡°So she was with His Majesty?¡± Y made sure.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t check personally but I believe so,¡± Reya replied.

    The aide of the King had a strange expression on her face as she muttered, ¡°Did she have a fight with His Majesty¡­? How could that be¡­? All right, I shall ask Miss herself¨C¡°

    ¡°Miss said she wants to be alone so we dare not enter, Dame Y,¡± Clio spoke up just as the short elf stepped forward. ¡°Do you think it is wiser to check on her right now or give her private time first?¡±

    ¡°I will check on her,¡± Y said. ¡°If my meddling displeases her, then I will apologize to her.¡±

    Instead of knocking, the short elf called out, ¡°Miss, it¡¯s me, Y. I will being in.¡± She opened the door without waiting for a response and stepped inside with careful steps while Clio and Reya tactfully stayed outside the closed door.

    Y looked for Ember and found her in bed, her entire body under the nket. From the little shivering under the nket and those light sobbing sounds, Y could not help but wonder what must have happened to upset her this much.

    ¡°Pardon my intrusion, Miss Ember, did something bad happen? Is there anything I can help you with??¡± Y asked but there was no response from the shivering body under the nket.

    The elf waited for a while and realized that the girl truly wished to be left alone. She no longer pestered the crying girl.

    ¡°I will returnter to bring you a sweet drink and cookies to help you feel better,¡± Y told her before quietly leaving the chamber. ¡°I will be excusing myself now.¡±

    A sigh escaped Y¡¯s face the moment she faced the two younger elves waiting outside for her.

    ¡°After an hour, check on her once more and bring her sweet snacks and a refreshing drink. Till then, let her be alone,¡± Y informed them and left. She was sure the reason for Ember¡¯s tears was rted to the King, and those delicate things weren¡¯t concerns she might want to share or feelfortable talking about with her subordinate or servants.

    As per Y¡¯s instructions, Clio and Reya entered the chamber after an hour and found Ember still hiding under the nket.

    ¡°Miss Ember, are you sleeping?¡± Reya asked tentatively.

    As there was no reply, Clio said, ¡°We have brought you freshly-squeezed fruit juice with honey, Miss. There¡¯s also baked snacks, remember the cookies fromst time you said that have an interesting vor¨C¡°

    ¡°Please leave me alone,¡± was all Ember said.

    - The two servants looked at each other and then obediently left, not before reminding Ember that the juice and snacks they brought were left on the table in the lounge area of the chamber. After all, they could not force her though they were worried for their master¡¯s wellbeing.

    Once the elves closed the door behind them, Ember finally peeked her head out of the nket. Her entire face was flushed red and her eyes were swollen from continuously crying for the past hour.

    After exhausting her body from crying, not a single tear could be squeezed out of her eyes anymore. With that, she was able to calm her mind a little, enough for her to think about her situation without the apanying waterworks.

    As she stared at the fancy ceiling of her canopy bed, she remembered about the incident in the study and felt anger. She was angry at herself for behaving like that, but at the same time, she was angry at the King as well.

    ¡®Why did he do that to me?¡¯

    No matter how much she thought of it, wasn¡¯t she the one wronged by the King?

    ¡®He knew I am weak to his scent, so why did he treat me like that? It¡¯s so frustrating and embarrassing.¡¯

    She pulled one of the pillows and hugged it to herself tightly, wanting to bury her face against it, but her face was covered with tears and she didn¡¯t want to wipe them off her pillow. In the end, she had to use her hands to wipe the leftover tears on her face.

    ¡®I do not understand why I had to be treated like that. I only wanted to consummate the bond with him because the book said that way he won¡¯t suffer but¡­.he did something else. Why did he touch me like that?¡¯

    She hugged the pillow closer to her body as her thoughts returned to what happened after their kiss.

    ¡®It felt so weird¡­My body felt weird¡­I don¡¯t want to feel it again¡­I won¡¯t go to him again¡­¡¯

    Despite not wanting to, it was as if her body remembered Draven¡¯s touch¨Cthe way his hands touched her between her legs, the way her body heated up in a way she couldn¡¯t understand¡­and the frustration that came after¡­

    ¡®Why did it feel good when he¨C¡® She frowned at herself, not wanting to continue that thought. ¡®No! It was bad¡­really bad¡­I don¡¯t want to¡­It felt bad when he stopped¡­It was frustrating¡­I don¡¯t want to experience that again¡­¡¯

 Chapter 167 Not Able To Focus

    Byte noon, Y arrived at the King¡¯s study to update him about his mate.

    ¡°So she is still not out of her bed?¡± the King asked.

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty. I personally checked on her twice but she responds to no one, not even her servants, and even refuses to have any food or drink. She is not sleeping and merely lying in bed.¡±

    Draven simply nodded to show he understood and allowed Y to leave.

    ¡®Instead of working on the task I gave to her, she is wasting time like this?¡¯ He could not help but pinch the bridge of his nose. ¡®Seven days left till the full moon and if she is still not able to understand intimacy by then¡­ Was it too soon for her? Was it wrong to let her understand what¡¯s bound to happen? It¡¯s stupid to not ept things that couldn¡¯t be changed. I only helped her to know what she would be facing soon¡­¡¯

    Draven thought about it again, but if he were given another chance, he would do the same thing. To be honest, he thought he was being quite patient with Ember.

    ¡®Maybe she will be fine in the morning.¡¯

    Unaware of the various reactions of the people to her, the human girl lying in lethargy finally stirred in bed. She had no idea how long she¡¯d been there unable to sleep, but she had no will to move nor think.

    Ember, who had been left inside her chamber alone, only sat up when her stomach growled due to hunger.

    ¡®Why¡­? This stomach is so troublesome. I don¡¯t want to eat¡­¡¯ She tried to ignore her hunger but it was not easy. ¡®There were times Gaia couldn¡¯t buy food back when we lived on the mountain. There were days when I spent days without eating three meals, surviving only on water and a piece of bread a day, yet I could handle it¡­ It seems like eating lots of food here has made my stomach used to this luxurious lifestyle.¡¯

    As she sat with her legs bent in front of her, she rubbed her hands over her stomach, trying to bear the loud hunger that¡¯s overwhelming anything else in her mind. At this moment, there was no chaotic thought, no frustration or anger, or whatever she was feeling aftering back from Draven¡¯s study.

    All she knew was hunger.

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯

    Her servants had left a ss of juice and cookies earlier on her table, but after they returned and saw it untouched, they brought it out with them while apologizing, concerned that Ember was displeased with them or the snacks. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case, but the servants had no way of knowing that¡­

    Just as Ember felt her stomach grumble under her hands, there was a knock on the door.

    ¡°Miss Ember, pardon us for disturbing your rest, but may wee in?.¡±

    Her emerald green eyes brightened up with the voice of Reya and felt like her savior had arrived just on time. She looked at the door of her chamber that just opened and rxed upon seeing her two servants enter inside.

    Reya almost tripped as she half-ran towards the bedside. ¡°Oh, Miss! How are you feeling? Do you need anything¡ª¡±

    When the elves saw Ember sitting on the bed, they finally felt a bit of their worry disappear. Everytime they checked on her earlier, she remained unresponsive as she hid under her nket.

    The calmer Clio stopped her cousin from talking and turned to Ember. ¡°Miss, you must be starving. We have already asked the kitchen to prepare a meal for you, just in case. Would you like to eat now?¡±

    Ember could not say no to this as this was what she wanted to hear at this moment.

    Seeing her nod, the two servants could not be happier. They helped Ember freshen up and then took her to the dining hall. She finished everything that was prepared for her as she was truly starving.

    Ember had a realization after looking at the empty dishes in front of her. ¡®My appetite is of a monster¡¯s now. I can¡¯t believe I ate this much.¡¯

    Still, she felt content with her stomach full and stepped out of the dining room.

    ¡°Miss, would you like to go out for a walk?¡± Clio suggested.

    Reya pped her hands as she thought it was a wonderful suggestion. ¡°Right, Miss. You ate a lot so taking a stroll will help you digest food faster before retiring to your room. Though it¡¯s dark now, I think you¡¯ve never seen the garden at night? It¡¯s a lovely sight, Miss!¡±

    Ember thought about it for a while.<sub></sub>

    ¡®What if Ie across him? I don¡¯t want that to happen. I don¡¯t even want to see him.¡¯

    She frowned inwardly and replied, ¡°I am fine,¡± before returning to her chamber.

    ¡ª¡ª

    The next day, though Ember wasn¡¯t in a mood to do anything, she forced herself to move. She didn¡¯t want toe across the King, but she had toe out of her chamber as it was the time for her morning lesson with Fire Fae Helia.

    Ember arrived at the rear garden of the pce where the training grounds were located. It seemed empty aside from her instructor who¡¯s waiting for her arrival near the entrance. There were servants with water attributes observing from afar, assigned in case of emergency, but there was no one else to watch her lesson.

    ¡°Good morning, Miss Ember,¡± the red-haired Fire Fae greeted her.

    ¡°Good morning, Lady Helia,¡± Ember replied and her gaze wandered around to make sure that the red-eyed man was not around.

    She felt relieved to not see him and then focused on her teacher as they walked towards the middle of that circr meadow.

    ¡°Miss, how are you feeling? Do you still feel tired from yesterday¡¯s attempt?¡±

    Ember shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine after I rested.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. Then, do you remember what I told you yesterday?¡± Helia asked.

    Ember nodded. ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Good! Today, we will have to continue your practice. Just do the same thing. We cannot proceed further in our training until you find the core of your fire power inside your body.¡±

    Ember took in a shaky breath as she assured the fairy, ¡°I will try my best.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s start with meditation,¡± Helia instructed. Her voice once more began to sound soft and soothing as she guided Ember. ¡°Close your eyes, rx your body¡­take a deep breath¡­yes, just like that¡­ Try to focus on what¡¯s within you¡­¡±

    Ember did as she was told. Just like the previous day, she stood up with rxed shoulders, putting her body in the most natural andfortable state possible. She tried to focus on searching for her magical core but¡­

    A pair of red eyes¡­

    The taste of his lips against hers..

    The sounds of his rugged breathing¡­

    The smell of the woods and the earth, both masculine and familiar¡­

    All that came into her mind were Draven. Draven and the moments she shared with him the previous day inside her study. The more she concentrated, the more vivid she remembered what happened.

    The way their bodies were pressed close to each other, the way his hands roamed her thighs before touching her most intimate part, the way she responded to his touch. She could remember each and every nerve of her body humming under his seductive touches and how she craved for something more¡­

    ¡®No! I must¡ªthe magic core! Yes, I¡¯m looking for my magic core. I have to rx. I have to calm down!¡¯

    But there was none of the darkness she saw during her first lesson with Helia. Forget about locating her core, she could not even reach the energy spread within her body, the one she already knew how to use because of her shapeshifting spell.

    Her panicking mind was upied with nothing but those intimate moments with the King.

    Furrowed lines appeared on her forehead, and her heart started to beat faster and faster and faster. With a heavy gasp, she opened her eyes in shock. She didn¡¯t know how to handle herself or how to control her mind.

 Chapter 168 Is She Scared Of Me Again?

    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Helia asked, feeling worried to see her pupil gasping for air as if she took on manualbor. ¡°Did something go wrong? Did you see your core?¡±

    Ember shook her head in embarrassment. She didn¡¯t dare look her teacher in the eyes.

    ¡°Then what happened? Something must have gone wrong for you to react like this.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡­I just pushed myself too hard. I didn¡¯t want to disappoint you¡­¡±

    ¡°Do not worry about disappointing me, Miss,¡± Helia assured, not knowing what exactly had happened to her pupil. All she saw was Ember¡¯s entire face turning red and wondered if something had gone wrong with her power. ¡°It is fine to take an easy pace. We are not in a hurry, and what we want is for you to understand your own power. Please try not to be self-conscious. You need to be calm. Hmm, should we take a break first?¡±

    ¡°I¡­yes, I am sorry¡­I need some time¡­¡± Ember muttered weakly and walked away from the middle of the training grounds.

    Helia didn¡¯t stop her though she did feel surprised by Ember¡¯s reaction.

    Rather than sitting on the chairs outside the training grounds where the servants were waiting, Ember hurried away to be alone somewhere else. She was scared, very scared, and she felt like it was impossible for her to continue her lessons when all she¡¯s thinking about was what happened yesterday.

    Before she realized it, she had walked quite a distance and had circled the gardens surrounding the pce. She hade to the main garden where there were various nts and trees growing haphazardly like they would in nature.

    Ember found herself walking across the wooden bridge over the stream filled with water lilies, which once again reminded her of her encounter with the King on this bridge.

    She reached the gazebo on the other end and that ce also reminded her of the same thing. That time, the King picked her up and sat her inside, and for the first time ever, she felt something different.

    She turned around, not willing to look at the ce inside the gazebo. It was as if she could imagine her form where she was supposed to be sitting that time, and the King was so close to her¨C

    ¡®W-Why do all these ces only remind me of embarrassing moments?! Why do I only think of him? I hate this! I don¡¯t want to think about him!¡¯

    She closed her eyes for a moment.

    ¡®What should I do?¡¯

    She breathed deeply to calm herself and left the gazebo, wanting to go somewhere else, somewhere where she had no such memories rted to Draven. She continued to wander inside that huge garden which seemed to have no boundary.

    ¡ª¨C

    Meanwhile, Draven arrived at the training grounds to check on his little mate, but all he found was the Fire Fae walking towards where the servants were waiting at the sides. He found the situation confusing since he could see the retreating figure of his mate going the other way. He went to Helia.

    ¡°What happened?¡± he asked, as his gaze continued to follow the young human who was running away.

    Helia looked at the King and bowed to him in greeting.

    ¡°Your Majesty, shouldn¡¯t I be the one asking you what happened to my pupil?¡±

    Her stern expression had a hint of disapproval. However, Helia was apetent person. Though she felt conflicted over the way Ember reacted, she was only here as a teacher and didn¡¯t want to meddle over her student¡¯s personal affairs.

    ¡°I thought at first it was because she was stressed that she could not reach her core but¡­I think it¡¯s something else,¡± Helia replied. ¡°Something is troubling her and is not allowing her to focus on her lessons.¡±<sub></sub>

    Draven¡¯s response confirmed her suspicion.

    ¡°We should cancel today¡¯s lesson.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same,¡± Helia agreed. ¡°Please let me know if I should return tomorrow ore back in a few more days. I think she needs some time alone. I shall excuse myself then, Your Majesty.¡±

    The King agreed to it and Helia left. Draven looked at where his mate ran away and decided to go after her.

    ¡®Seems like it¡¯s because of yesterday¡¯s incident.¡¯ He thought for a bit. ¡®I should talk to her. I cannot let her waste time. We don¡¯t have much left in hand.¡¯

    Draven didn¡¯t have a hard time following her tracks because of the delicious scent she¡¯s emitting, and all he needed was to follow his instincts. He soon found her standing at the small slope at the farthest part of the garden. From where she¡¯s standing, she could probably see the river outside the outer wall of the pce that acts as a boundary between his residence and the vastnd outside the pce that was part of the territory of the elves.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Ember¡¯s body froze upon hearing the firm and manly voiceing from her behind.

    She gulped as she grabbed at the skirt of her dress. She wished to disappear from there. No, she wished that she could be invisible. She wanted to hide and run away and¨C

    ¡®Why is he here?¡¯ she thought but then turned to look at him as it was rude to not respond to the King.

    She didn¡¯t look at his face and only bent her body in a small bow. Her gaze was on his ck boots stepping on the green grass, that¡¯s why she could see that he was standing several feet away from her.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡±

    He was surprised at her strangely civil tone. ¡°What happened? Is anything troubling you?¡±

    Though he was concerned, his voice was as cold as usual, without a tinge of emotion in it.

    Ember shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    How could she me the King for her own thoughts?

    ¡®I don¡¯t want to get punished.¡¯

    Draven took a step towards her, but out of instinct, Ember took a step back to maintain their distance from each other.

    ¡®His scent, I cannot fall for it again,¡¯ Ember told herself. ¡®I don¡¯t want to smell his scent or again I will lose my mind. I can never allow myself to lose my mind¡­¡¯

    Draven frowned. He disliked the way she took a step back in response to his approach. He disliked it more that she seemed scared.

    ¡®Is she scared of me again?¡¯ He wanted to scoff. ¡®Wasn¡¯t she so bold toe to me and say she wanted to consummate the bond? What happened now? Has she changed her mind all of a sudden?¡¯

    Draven didn¡¯t expect his actions to have the opposite effect on her. Instead of her trying to understand the truth behind what consummation entailed, she ended up feeling confused and overwhelmed, unable to understand his purpose and unable to voice out her concern, which led to this strange situation full of misunderstandings.

 Chapter 169 Do You Think Its Easy For me?

    Draven didn¡¯t move closer to his mate, seeing how she stepped back. No person would be d to be on the receiving end of such a reaction, much less for a person like Draven who had been known for his bad temper.

    His voice was icy cold when he spoke.

    ¡°Your lessons for today has been cancelled.¡±

    Ember only nodded, not willing to look at him. She didn¡¯t even try to apologise or make excuses on her behalf.

    Draven could not take this kind of behavior from her. ¡°Why have you turned mute? Are you suddenly scared of me? Where¡¯s the bravess who came to my study on her own yesterday?¡±

    ¡°I am not scared¡ª¡± she tried to deny it, but he cut her off.

    ¡°Then why are you like this? Are you scared of me?¡±

    Ember shook her head weakly to say ¡®no¡¯.

    ¡°Did you do what I asked you? About why I touched you, about how you reacted¡ªdid you even try to understand what you felt?¡±

    She stubbornly shook her head.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± she voiced out honestly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think of it. I don¡¯t want to remember¡ª¡±

    ¡°Are you angry at me?¡± He cut her off once more, this time, his tone sharp.

    Ember felt her body heaving with strong emotion, but she shook her head though she wanted to say ¡®yes¡¯. Of course, deep inside her, she wanted to honestly tell him how she felt¡ªbut being a mere subject leeching off the King¡¯s grace, as an outsider who became lucky enough to be the King¡¯s person, how dare she disrespect the man who saved her, who¡¯s letting her live such afortable lifestyle? Wouldn¡¯t that make her an ingrate, an ungrateful person?

    However, her silent response angered him even more.

    ¡°Look at me!¡± he instructed sternly, his tone implying he would not take ¡®no¡¯ for an answer.

    Ember swallowed her fears with great effort as she hesitantly raised her head.

    ¡°I see anger in your eyes, human,¡± he snapped. ¡°Are you upset at me for giving you a simple task, or are you acting this way because I stopped you from getting what you wanted?¡±

    She gave him a puzzled look. ¡®What I wanted?¡¯

    Draven scoffed. ¡°Weren¡¯t you feeling good and wanted more but I stopped before you got to feelpletely satisfied? You felt frustrated. Wasn¡¯t that the reason you are acting like a child?¡±

    ¡°I am not acting like a child.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t get what he exactly meant, but she felt insulted. She knew she was indeed upset that he stopped, as it gave her body a sense of frustration though she didn¡¯t know why, but she couldn¡¯t ept that he¡¯s ming her for her reaction to what he did.

    Was it wrong to be confused? Was it wrong to want and to ask to be left alone?

    However, neither of them were in the right frame of mind to calmly talk about their situation.

    ¡°I tried my best to be patient, but it seems you do not appreciate my kind intentions.¡± His tone showed how displeased he was with her at this moment. He took a stride towards her, his red eyes glittering with unknown emotions. ¡°You say you don¡¯t want to think of it? That you don¡¯t want to remember? Then I shall finish where I had stopped yesterday since it¡¯s useless to wait since you have no intention toplete the task I had given to you.¡±

    Draven was never a patient man. He had never cared about people¡¯s feelings and he had never taken care of another being. Everything with Ember was a first for him.

    For the first time, he listened to the people around him. He tried to understand her, tried to be patient with her, tried to show he cared for her. He had been doing his best to hold back and not hurt her at all, but his little mate didn¡¯t even try to understand his painstaking efforts and instead acted like this in response to everything he did.

    Did she not understand he was doing all these for her?

    They were mates, but they started off unconventionally and there were no feelings of affection between them since they were basically strangers to each other. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she was an innocent and naive girl who had no understanding of what mating entailed.

    That was the reason why Draven was doing these things¡ªhe wanted to show her he wanted to respect her, that they should consummate their bond with her consent and understanding, since he wanted her to ept him as his partner fully knowing what¡¯s in store for her future.

    But why was she acting like this? Why was she trying to turn a blind eye on their situation?

    The night of the full moon woulde regardless of their will, and at that time, he knew he would be unable to hold back the urge toplete their bond. Even she wouldn¡¯t escape the seduction of his scent. He wanted to prepare her for what was bound to happen between them, but she was being slow-witted¡ªno, she was being childishly stubborn and didn¡¯t want to understand anything. It was really frustrating for him as she was doing nothing but checking his patience.

    But Draven¡¯s patience was limited.

    ¡°I stopped it because I wanted you to search for what you want on your own. I wanted you to understand yourself and what we would be doing to consummate the bond but¡­it seems you took it another way?¡± He sneered. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s easy for me and I am not suffering anymore?¡±

    Her green eyes turned teary seeing the scowl in his face. Was she truly wrong? Did she make a mistake?

    His eyes darkened with all those unsteady emotions he was trying to control all this while. The fact that his mate truly didn¡¯t care about him made him want to vent them all out.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything, you who wishes to be my good mate?¡± The scorn in his eyes felt like stabs to her conscience. ¡°I shall let you know what you have missed and then only then will you know what I was trying to make you realise.¡±

    Draven took a threatening step towards her, his looming figure that seemed to emanate frustration and anger causing her to back away.

 Chapter 170 Can I Even Fulfil My Revenge?

    The way he looked at her scared her, but then Ember suddenly let out a relieved smile as her eyes turned elsewhere.

    Someone arrived andnded next to the two of them.

    Draven was too focused on his mate that he only realized the new presence when he saw his mate¡¯s eyes brighten up, seeing the one who had just arrived. Her expression made it seem like she saw an angeling to save her from the jaws of a terrifying demon.

    A handsome man with ash grey wings folded his majestic wings behind him.

    ¡°Morph!¡± she eximed with tear-filled eyes.

    Draven¡¯s anger was redirected¨Camplified even¨Cupon seeing how happy his mate was to see another male. With gritted teeth and clenched fists, he shifted his attention to his side where he saw the winged man smiling at his mate, ignoring his presence.

    Draven controlled his anger as he didn¡¯t want Ember to witness him killing someone. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I am here to see my friend. I hope you won¡¯t be a petty man to stop a friend from seeing his friend,¡± Morpheus answered as if Draven¡¯s anger didn¡¯t matter to him and then looked at Ember with his trademark lopsided smile. ¡°How are you doing, little female? I wanted to see you sooner, but you know, I never got a chance to visit since there¡¯s this one petty person who won¡¯t allow me to enter the pce.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± she eximed, seemingly startled by his words. She looked totally different from how she was a moment before.

    ¡°You can guess who it was, right? Since you are a smart girl.¡±

    Ember let out a small smile, aware that he was taking a jab at the King.

    Draven felt his anger rising seeing her smiling at another male when she never bothered to even look at him unless he ordered her to.

    ¡°Divine Eagle Morpheus,¡± Draven called him out formally with a voice so cold, it could freeze all the rivers in Agartha. ¡°Even if you¡¯re my mate¡¯s friend, it is rude to interrupt my mate and I when we are having an important conversation at this moment.¡±

    Morpheus didn¡¯t even pretend to hear him putting emphasis on the word ¡®mate¡¯, and instead, offered a mocking smile to him.

    ¡°My Almighty King, pardon your lowly subject¡¯s rudeness but I am a very busy person so I don¡¯t know¡­ Maybe I wille back again soon, but since I came so far just to see her and she is already here, shouldn¡¯t I spend a bit of time with my friend?¡± He looked at Ember with a sly grin. ¡°Do you want me to leave just like this?¡±

    Ember shook her head immediately to say she wanted him to stay, but then peeked at Draven as if she was afraid he wouldn¡¯t let Morpheus stay. In the end, she¡¯s someone living under the grace of the King. The pce was his. She didn¡¯t want to do anything against Draven¡¯s wish as it was his home.

    Morpheus raised a brow. ¡°Why are you looking at the King, hmm? Do you need his permission to do anything here just because you are staying in his pce?¡± He looked at Draven as he crossed his arms. ¡°Are you treating my friend like a prisoner and won¡¯t allow her to do what she wants, Your Majesty?¡±

    Draven offered him a killer gaze as this shapeshifter was intentionally saying all these words to put pressure on Draven. If he were to continue chasing away Morpheus, then he was sure she would take Morpheus¡¯ words seriously and believe she was truly being treated like a prisoner here.

    ¡°My mate is free to do what she wants,¡± Draven dered in a firm voice, his anger suppressed under his usual cold face.

    ¡°Amazing! You are truly benevolent and kind, Your Majesty!¡±

    Morpheus almostughed at Draven¡¯s twisted expression that immediately returned to calm before Ember could see it. He felt fortunate toe to the pce and chance at this golden opportunity to annoy the King.

    ¡°Then, I would like to take Ember with me and have some friendly talk,¡± Morpheus said and then looked at the human girl by his side. ¡°Do you want to, little female? His Majesty said you are free to do what you want.¡±

    ¡°Yes, take me with you!¡±

    Ember immediately nodded with a relieved smile, thankful to find a chance to escape the ufortable confrontation with her mate. However, she had no way of knowing that the relief that brightened her eyes caused the anger that Draven was feeling to deepen.

    ¡°Your Majesty, as she has agreed to go with me, I believe you won¡¯t stop her,¡± Morpheus said in a way that Draven found irksome. He could see his mate truly wanted to leave with this annoying eagle and even though he wanted to stop her, he could not say anything at this point.

    Ember wasn¡¯t and would never be a prisoner, and she had the freedom to do anything she wanted. Draven would not give Morpheus any opening to make her believe he was treating her like one.

    The human girl had wide eyes as she waited for Draven¡¯s response with bated breath. She then heard him say, ¡°Only on one condition.¡±

    Morpheus smirked. ¡°Oh, conditions. Pray tell, Your Majesty. It should be something this little female is capable of doing, right?¡±

    Draven ignored him and only talked to his mate, ¡°You are allowed to go only if you give me your word that you will think about the questions I gave you. Find the answers to those questions, and do not run away from this one task. That is all I ask of you.¡±

    ¡®It¡¯s this again.¡¯ Ember understood that his request must be really important if he kept on pressing her to think about those questions. She sighed. ¡°I give you my word.¡±

    At this moment, she could not wait to go away from here. All she needed was to think about those questions; there was no time limit when she¡¯d give him her reply. She could dy them for as long as she wanted.

    Morpheus could see Draven¡¯s rising anger upon seeing her half-hearted response, but he ignored this and said to Ember, ¡°I suggest you wear something thick over your dress as we will be going somewhere high up and you might feel cold.¡±

    ¡°Wait for me! I will return soon,¡± she said and left to go back to her bedchamber.

    Once she was far enough to no longer see or hear the two men, Draven was finally ready to teach this annoyingly stubborn eagle a lesson, but even before he could do anything, Morpheus took a step back.

    ¡°If she sees me hurt, she will know it¡¯s you.¡± He even raised his arms to the sides, as if to show him he wouldn¡¯t even defend. ¡°Do you n to go against your word that you won¡¯t treat her like a prisoner and won¡¯t stop her from doing anything?¡±

    Draven took a deep breath to stop himself from grabbing the man and throwing him to who knows where. ¡°You better bring her back within an hour.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Aren¡¯t you being lenient? You won¡¯t say anything like ¡®to not harm her¡¯ or anything along those lines¨C¡°

    ¡°Our bond is not yetpleted so I know there is no use for you to harm her,¡± Draven interrupted him.

    Morpheus smirked. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d trust me that much.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s her who trusts you, and I know you are not so low to break her trust in you so easily. If you are taking her with you, you better take care of her well and bring her back soon,¡± Draven warned.

    ¡°You say that, but to me, it sounds like Your Majesty still trusts me a lot,¡± Morpheus said with a mockingugh. ¡°But let me warn you, I might break that trust.¡±

    ¡°That day would be thest one for your and my existence,¡± Draven said and turned to leave, but Morpheus wasn¡¯t done speaking yet.

    ¡°Did you even realize what you were doing to her a while ago? If I had not intervened, you might have ended up ruining things between you and your mate.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not your thing to worry about,¡± Draven countered without turning around.

    ¡°Can¡¯t help it when I call her my friend,¡± Morpheus could not help but argue.

    Draven finally turned to look at him, his t gaze apanied by a sneer. ¡°Since you are so invested in that friend of yours, why don¡¯t you use your silver tongue to inform her that she will bepletely mine six days from now, on the night of the full moon? I had been trying to prepare her for it, but it seemed like my painstaking efforts were unweed and unappreciated. Though you don¡¯t have a mate, I believe you are well aware of how important that night is.¡±

    Morpheus was taken aback. But before he could say a word, Draven had already left after giving him a mocking smirk that showed she would bepletely his soon. His mate by all means.

    ¡®Night of the full moon?¡¯ Morpheus mumbled as realization dawned on him. On that night, it would be near impossible for those two to not consummate their bond. Morpheus felt a little shaken.

    Wasn¡¯t that part of the n? Only after she fully became Draven¡¯s mate would Ember be a useful piece to him. Though it was something good, then why was the thought of Ember bing Draven¡¯s mate so ufortable?

    He shook his head. ¡®It¡¯s because I have grown a little attached to her. I shouldn¡¯t be soft. It¡¯s good that they will consummate the bond. Only then can I proceed to fulfil my revenge.¡¯

    As he was trying to clear his thoughts, he saw Ember at a distance,ing towards him d in an adorable-looking long coat.

    Seeing that innocent young female approaching him with a smile, all he could do was to question himself.

    ¡®Can I even fulfil my revenge?¡¯

 Chapter 171 Above The Clouds

    Ember was excitedly running towards the slope where Morpheus was waiting for her. She was happy that she could go outside today instead of just staying inside the pce. Now that she¡¯d thought of it, ever since she returned from Ronan after being given citizenship by the council, she hadn¡¯t been able to step outside again.

    She stood in front of the winged man with bright eyes. ¡°Are we going to leave now? Where are we going?¡±

    Morpheus stared at her for a moment, both amused and bothered to see how much she trusted him. She didn¡¯t even think twice before saying yes to going out with him.

    ¡®Is she so naive to trust any person who showed goodwill to her? Though she knows me, why does she trust me this much? Is it because I called her my friend? Is being a friend that special to her?¡¯

    ¡°Morph?¡± she called him, seeing him not answering her. She waspletely oblivious of why he¡¯s approaching her in the first ce.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± he reacted as if he just noticed her. He heard herugh. ¡°You spaced out. So, where are we going?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise for you,¡± he replied with a lopsided grin.

    ¡°If you say so, umm¡­ we aren¡¯t going to walk, right?¡± she asked, pretending nonchnce, but inside she was excited to be carried by him so she could fly in the sky once more.

    ¡°How do you wish to go?¡± Do you want me to borrow Lusca from Leeora?¡± he asked, but of course, he didn¡¯t mean it. He just wanted to tease her and check her reaction. He could clearly see what she wanted. Those innocent and beautiful eyes of hers could not hide what was in her mind.

    She cleared her throat awkwardly, before offering him a gaze full of expectations. ¡°Can¡¯t we just¡­ fly?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to fly with me?¡± he asked.

    She nodded immediately. ¡°Yes! Uhm, only if you¡¯re fine with the idea¡­Can we fly likest time?¡±

    He chuckled at her shy expression. ¡°Of course! We will do whatever you want,¡± he assured, and the next moment, she saw his majestic wings opening to their fullest.

    She could not help but be excited like a little girl, smiling happily upon seeing him yfully p his wings. She even reached out to catch one of the soft feathers that fell from his wings.

    ¡®Such a kid!¡¯ he thought as he smiled. ¡°Shall we?¡±

    She bravely stepped towards him. ¡°Shall I hold onto you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, likest time.¡± He nodded and pulled her closer with his hand at her waist. She didn¡¯t hesitate and let him carry her in his strong arms. She tightly circled her arms around his neck in fear of falling down once they¡¯re up in the air, though deep in her heart, she knew that would never happen with him.

    Ember let out a happy squeal the moment they were up in the air. WIth each p of his wings, Morpheus flew higher and higher until they¡¯re above the pce walls. He then headed towards the southern side of the mountain range surrounding the kingdom.

    Feeling the cool air brushing against her face, Ember slowly opened her eyes to look around. She was thrilled but also scared to look down to check how high they were flying.

    ¡®So high!¡¯

    She could see the size of the entire pce grounds to be no bigger than her fist, and the river outside looked more like a thin silvery rope. The huge trees of the forest looked tiny inparison, and rather than a forest, it looked more like a painting of a green-colored sea.

    ¡®It¡¯s higher thanst time!¡¯

    Feeling scared, she closed her eyes back and buried her face in the garment wrapped around his shoulders.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to look around, little female?¡± she could hear his deep yetnguid masculine voice seeminglyughing at her reaction.

    ¡°The wind hurts my eyes,¡± she countered, not willing to say she¡¯s afraid because he flew too high for her liking. She didn¡¯t want to give him any reason to refuse flying with her next time.

    ¡°But I¡¯m flying slowly?¡±

    ¡°The wind still hurts my eyes.¡±

    Ember was thankful she could not see his expression, because she could hear hisughter along with the pping of hisrge wings. Soon enough, they reached the peak of one of the mountains. She felt Morpheusnd and heard the sound of his feet stepping on pebbles and small rocks.

    ¡°We have reached our destination, little female,¡± Morpheus said as he lowered his head to look at the scared human in his arms. She had her body shrank as much as she could, held onto him as if her life depended on it.

    Ember slowly opened her eyes to see where her friend had brought her.

    ¡®It doesn¡¯t smell like the forest?¡¯

    She tentatively looked at Morpheus¡¯ strikingly handsome face before looking around and she could not believe what she saw.

    ¡°Clouds? Are those clouds?¡± she asked withrge eyes, staring in disbelief at those soft huge fluffy white tufts of cotton floating around the tract of rocky ground where they¡¯re standing..

    ¡°They are,¡± he replied as he looked at her shocked face.

    She wanted to take a big gulp of air, but realized that the air was too thin. She then looked at Morpheus with a bewildered gaze.

    ¡°Are we above the clouds?¡±

    He nodded in response.

    It was real. They were so high up in the sky that they¡¯re above the clouds.

    From her point of view, it looked like they were on a rocky ind surrounded by a sea of clouds. The experience was so unexpected she didn¡¯t know how to react.

    Morpheus then slowly put her down. The moment her feet touched the rocky ground, Ember held onto him, still unable to fully get a grasp of her situation. She could not believe she could even reach the clouds, but with Morpheus, she was able to reach higher grounds. The fact he could fly that high didn¡¯t feel that shocking to her; it was that she personally experienced it that made her unable to believe this to be true.

    ¡®I¡¯m on the peak of a mountain so tall, I could see clouds below me¡­¡¯

 Chapter 172 I Trust You

    Ember¡¯s body shivered as she had that thought. She first checked where she was standing and made sure there was no way she would fall down from the peak.

    What if she misstepped and fell? What if she rolled down the mountain from the top?

    Holding onto Morpheus, she checked all the visible sides of what seemed like a small rock ind. In front of her was the clear blue sky and slightly lower were the thick puffy sea of clouds. Behind them, at a certain distance, was another huge stony peak simr to where they were stepping on. The other nearby peaks were shorter and were buried among the clouds and were barely visible to her. She then recalled that theynded on merely one of the peaks of the mountain range.

    She could not dare walk to the edge of the peak and check how high they were from the ground as she was sure she would not be able to handle it.

    ¡°W-Why are we here?¡± she asked, still holding onto his muscr arm tightly.

    All this while, Morpheus was calmly observing her reaction, letting her adjust to the situation. Each of her reactions was funny. At first, she was like a scared kitten, and then her face had a look of awe, before returning to a quivering mess, and now she had a stubborn look on her face as she questioned his intentions.

    The way she was still clinging onto his arm despite that made it amusing to him, and he could not help but grin.

    Instead of answering, he asked her a question, ¡°Are you done looking around?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± She nodded to his question.

    ¡°From here, you can see how beautiful this entire kingdom is in a single nce. I believe you will never get to see it anywhere,¡± he answered.

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked. ¡°But we¡¯re too high. I am too scared to even look down.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You won¡¯t fall down from the edge.¡± He signalled for her to look ahead. ¡°And since I am with you, you should know I won¡¯t let you be harmed. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±

    She looked at him. ¡°I trust you.¡±

    ¡°Then you can stop grabbing my arm like a squirrel,¡± he countered and she finally let go of it.

    The trembling human didn¡¯t even realize that in her nervousness, she was grabbing him to the point she almost scratched the skin on his arms with her nails. However, a human like her could not leave a mark on his skin so Morpheus could only look at his arm with another amused smile.

    ¡°Let¡¯s walk to the edge?¡± he asked as he offered her his open hand.

    Without thinking much, she held his hand and walked towards the edge of the cliff. However, her hand had gone cold at this point. ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­I mean, why are we going there?¡±

    ¡°Because you will like it,¡± he replied calmly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I will like it,¡± she said with a look of reluctance.

    ¡°How can you say whether you like something or not when you haven¡¯t tried it yet?¡±

    That made sense to her. ¡°But what if I fall?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± he reassured her. ¡°I¡¯m with you.¡± He then walked ahead while holding her hand, leaving her no option but to be dragged along with him.

    When they almost reached the edge, Ember hid behind his strong back, not willing to look at what was ahead. Morpheus didn¡¯t say a word, but even before she could react, he turned to face her, held her with his arms around her waist and turned around so that both of them were facing the sea of clouds. She let out a high-pitched squeak as she held onto him tightly with her eyes squeezed close.

    ¡°Morph¨C¡°

    ¡°Open your eyes and look, Ember,¡± he instructed her with his mouth near her ear.

    She shook her head and stubbornly continued to turn around and bury her face against his chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m holding you in my arms. What is there to fear?¡± he chuckled. ¡°Even if you fall down, I¡¯m going down with you. Then all I need to do is to fly us back to the top.¡±

    As she found a bit of courage from his encouragement, Ember gradually opened her eyes and turned her head to look towards the sea of clouds. Between them, she could see bits of what ought to be the ground below but with her weak human eyesight, she could not even make out anything else but the colour of the foliage.

    ¡°It is not scary, is it?¡± she heard Morpheus¡¯ deepnguid voicement behind her as she felt his chin rest on top of her head.

    She could not believe her eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s beautiful,¡± she could not help but say.

    The vast blue sky and the sea of white clouds. The view ahead was absolutely mesmerising.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you?¡± he asked as he adjusted her to stand morefortably, still keeping his arms around her. ¡°Even if you step forward, you won¡¯t fall down. The peak of a mountain has a gentle slope, though it looks like a steep cliff because of the clouds. If you can see what¡¯s below us, there are a number of rocks where you can even sit.¡±

    Ember looked down, believing his words though she could not see anything but white. She looked over her shoulder to gaze back at him. ¡°You won¡¯t let me fall down, right?¡±

    Her face was so close that Morpheus forgot to breathe for a while and only stared at her face. This human sure didn¡¯t know since they left the pce how she was clinging onto him, a healthy male, unaware how much her actions could affect him.

    ¡°Morph?¡± she called out to him, bringing him out of his daze.

    He cleared his throat and turned his face to look the other way. ¡°Is that even a question? Of course, I won¡¯t let you fall down. Unless you ask me.¡±

 Chapter 173 If You Were My Mate

    She yfully hit him in the chest as she let go of him.

    Morpheus offered her his hand. ¡°How about we sit here at the edge?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll sit beside me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll sit beside you.¡±

    He helped her sit at the edge of the rocky peak, her feet dangling in the air, and he sat next to her. Their legs hung down, kicking at the nearest clouds, but since they were vapour, it only dampened their shoes.

    Ember was amazed that she didn¡¯t feel scared anymore. The more she looked ahead, the more she felt rxed. She realized that Morpheus was right¨Cyou couldn¡¯t actually tell whether you like something or not unless you¡¯ve tried it.

    To be able to witness such a spectacr view made her really happy. The only downside was that it was sort of difficult to breathe, and also, she was feeling cold despite her coat.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to breathe. Is it because I am scared?¡± she asked, trying to breathe as much as she could.

    ¡°It is the elevation. The air is thinner the higher you go, and your body is not yet used to it. You will be fine in a while,¡± he replied in a calm manner.

    This was something she never learned before, and it made her curious. She spoke again, ¡°Is that also the reason why it¡¯s cold here? You were right to make me wear thick clothes.¡± She rubbed her palms against each other as if to prove her point.

    ¡°Are you cold?¡± he asked, looking at her trembling hands.

    She nodded and looked at him. ¡°You are not wearing many clothes. Are you not cold?¡±

    Morpheus was bare-chested; he only had a thick feathery cloth wrapped around his shoulder, at most covering the top of his chest and short pants. His wings had turned into a long cape on his back, but it wasn¡¯t even wrapped around his body.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel cold,¡± he replied. ¡°I¡¯m not a weakling like you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a weakling.¡±

    ¡°Says the human who¡¯s cold.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just cold, but I¡¯m not a weakling,¡± she insisted and then touched her cold hands to his cheeks which came as a shock to him.

    Before he could even move back, she cupped his face with her hands and eximed, ¡°Howe you are so warm? Are you having a fever? Are you sick?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sick.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Not knowing that it was her causing his face to grow hot, she pulled back her hands and touched her own cheeks. ¡°Oh, mine¡¯s so cold.¡± She then again touched his cheeks. ¡°Your warm cheeks feel good.¡±

    Morpheus could only look at her as his body felt stiff with the act of this ignorant human. She was in her own world as she kept touching his warm cheeks with that innocently beautiful smile on her face as if she found something really interesting.

    With his heart picking up pace, he knew it wouldn¡¯t be good to keep this up. He held her hands and reluctantly moved them away from his face, leaving her palms empty and devoid of any warmth. She looked at him with a puzzled expression, blinking a few times while looking at his hands that were holding her own.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. Did I make you feel ufortable because of my cold hands?¡± she asked.

    He sighed inwardly, annoyed at how he¡¯s finding her naivety adorable. Suppressing what this human was trying to stir inside him, he let go of her hands and yfully poked at her forehead.

    ¡°Did I allow you to make me your hand warmer? Sit properly and look at the view.¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m cold.¡±

    He made a sound of disapproval. ¡°I have a way to not let you feel cold.¡±

    Ember obediently pulled back her hands and sat facing forward the sea of clouds. The next moment, she found arge wing extending from his back towards her and wrapping around her loosely to stop the cold wind from reaching her body. The warmthing from that huge wing gave her an urge to scoot close to it.

    She felt protected and smiled at Morpheus. ¡°This is much better. I didn¡¯t know you could use your wings like this.¡± She then moved her hand to touch its feathers but¨C

    ¡°You are not allowed to touch my wing,¡± she heard him sharply warn.

    The sudden change in his usual casual andnguid manner of speaking startled her. She felt wronged but turned to apologise. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­uhh, did I do something wrong? I just want to see how they feel,¡± she then remembered even before this, Morpheus had warned her to not touch his wings, ¡°You never let me touch your wings. Is it not allowed?¡±

    He sighed. ¡°Why do you keep getting distracted? Don¡¯t you want to see the view here at the peak? What have I brought you here for if you keep fussing over other things?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. Tell me first why can¡¯t I touch your wings.¡± She looked stubborn and would not let it pass.

    ¡°Why are you so nosy?¡±

    ¡°Why do you keep dodging the issue?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so stubborn.¡±

    ¡°So what if I¡¯m stubborn?¡±

    ¡°Can you act the same way in front of the King?¡±

    At the mention of the King, her body froze. It reminded her how scared she was just a while ago when he was confronting her. If Morpheus had not arrived, she was sure she would have cried or run away sooner orter.

    ¡°It¡¯s even hard to breathe in his presence,¡± she mumbled, remembering how intimidating his presence was, unlike how free she felt with Morpheus.

    ¡°Is it that bad?¡± he asked as he heard her mumbling.

    With her head lowered, she answered, ¡°I don¡¯t understand how to act in his presence and keep making mistakes. I don¡¯t know why I turn so clumsy in front of him and end up embarrassing myself.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you clumsy all the time?¡±

    She red at him. ¡°I am not.¡±

    ¡°If you say so,¡± he said in a way that clearly meant he didn¡¯t believe her. ¡°Try to be yourself instead of being cautious around him. Just be like how you are with me.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because he is my mate and you are my friend. It would have been better if you were my mate,¡± she said again, not knowing what she was even saying.

    Morpheus, who was looking at the sea of clouds, flinched as he turned to her.

 Chapter 174 You Have Fallen For Him

    ¡°Would you have liked it if I was your mate?¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know Morpheus was staring at her since she was looking at the scenery. ¡°Definitely. If it were you, I wouldn¡¯t have to be so cautious all the time. With you, it would have been fun. We could fly anywhere, talking andughing as we roamed around the various ces.¡±

    ¡°Then do you want to?¡± he asked, looking at her intently.

    As if sensing the heat in his gaze, she turned to face him. ¡°I want to but¡­¡±

    ¡°But?¡±

    ¡°If I be your mate, then I won¡¯t be the King¡¯s mate anymore, right?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Yes, you will only be mine,¡± he said. His eyes showed that he was taking this conversation seriously, but this human failed to see that.

    ¡°Then, I cannot do it. I cannot leave him,¡± she said and remembered the few good things among the many that made her wary of Draven.

    If Ember were to be asked, the one thing she wanted the most at this moment was to show her gratitude for the man who gave her everything when she had nothing.

    Draven Aramis was intimidating, and it was awkward tomunicate with him. There were many things she didn¡¯t understand about him, but it was because of that that she wanted to not give up on understanding him.

    She remembered how he took care of her when she was scared after using her powers. He made sure everything was avable for her without asking anything in return. When she was being thrown out towards the human viges, it was Draven who allowed her to stay by making her his mate¡­his family.

    Most importantly, he gave her something precious to her that she longed for all her life¨Ca name. Not only did he give her a name, he also allowed her to use his surname.

    Ember Aramis.

    It was Draven who gave her a family and an identity.

    How could she cruelly abandon him when she¡¯s not yet even put effort into knowing her mate?

    ¡°The King, he is my only family. Even if I feel scared of him now, it¡¯s because I do not understand him yet,¡± she said wistfully. ¡°I am alive because of him. I am here because of him. I met you because of him. He had given me more than anything I could ever wish for.¡±

    Morpheus stared at her for a while.

    ¡°You have fallen for him.¡±

    While immersed in her own thoughts, she didn¡¯t clearly hear what he had just said and looked at him. ¡°Did you say something?¡±

    ¡®She says she is scared of him, but it¡¯s simply because she cannot understand her feelings for him. That dumb Dragon. He doesn¡¯t deserve her at all,¡¯ he thought and then answered her question, ¡°I was wondering if you are sure that you don¡¯t want to be my mate.¡±

    ¡°I already have a mate¡­he is my husband¡­I heard from my nanny that women who have more than one husband are considered bad women.¡±

    Morpheus chucked at her what she said. ¡°That¡¯s a human concept. What¡¯s important is your own happiness. As long as there is consent, beast people can have more than one mate. It is not considered a bad thing here.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± she asked curiously.

    He nodded in response. ¡°But¡­I will not share my mate with anyone. If you are mine, then only mine,¡± he dered.

    ¡°I wish you to soon get your own mate as well,¡± she said, wishing good for her friend.

    Morpheus didn¡¯tment on it and simply looked ahead. He used to believe he would not get any mate ever. In fact ,he didn¡¯t want to have one until¡­until this human stirred up his determination, but it was toote. She was now someone else¡¯s mate.

    ¡®I have brought her here so she can be away from that dimwitted Dragon till he calmed down, but here she is, determined to stir up another person as her next victim instead. How can someone like her exist¨Csomeone so innocent and ignorant, yet able to provoke storms wherever she goes? What did I do to deserve this ordeal?¡¯

    While Morpheus was busy dealing with his chaotic thoughts, Ember sneakily moved her hand and finally touched his wing, causing him to jerk away from her as if he was electrocuted. Out of pure instinct, that wing tightly wrapped around her and pulled her closer to him, causing her to receive a shock of her own.

    ¡°Morph!¡± she called out while being pressed against his body.

    As soon as she met his eyes, she realized something was strange. His normally yful ash grey eyes were looking at her face with an intense heated gaze. It was the first time she felt scared of the way he looked at her and she was unable to form a coherent thought. He didn¡¯t look like the same Morpheus she had known till now.

    She was only able to return to her senses when she heard him say in a low voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to not touch my wings?¡±

    ¡°I-I am sorry. I just want to¨C¡°

    ¡°Do not touch my wings if you don¡¯t want to be in trouble. I won¡¯t care if you are someone else¡¯s mate,¡± he warned, each of his words making its way out of his gritted teeth.

    Their faces were so close that Ember could feel his hot breath fanning against her cold skin. Her entire body was covered in goosebumps because of the way he looked at her. It was not anger, but there was something intense in the way he looked at her.

    Her eyes widened as familiarity hit her. It was the same kind of look that Draven had in his eyes whenever they were close enough for his scent to make her lose her mind. Her heart skipped a beat at the way he looked at her.

    ¡°Morph?¡± she mumbled in a weak frightened voice, as her scared eyes continued to look into his intense ones, and found her heart beating faster.

 Chapter 175 Only My Mate Can Touch My Wings

    The winged man ran his hands through his ash gray hair as he looked away and let out a loud exhale through his mouth. Once he felt calmer, he finally looked back at her, who was sitting quietly while bearing the cold.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.

    ¡°I am sorry too,¡± he sighed. ¡°I should not have talked to you like this.¡±

    She raised her head to look at him. ¡°I should have listened to you as well. But if you tell me why can¡¯t I touch it, then I won¡¯t ever try to do it again.¡±

    ¡°Only my mate can touch my wings,¡± he said solemnly. ¡°If you want to touch it, then be my mate. I will not stop you.¡±

    ¡°I-I won¡¯t touch your wings again,¡± she said, looking guilty at what she had done out of her curiosity. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Morpheus stood up and changed the subject. ¡°I have been told to bring you back in an hour so we don¡¯t have much time left.¡±

    ¡°Only an hour?¡± She looked displeased.

    ¡°Even a few minutes are enough for you to bring troubles for yourself so an hour is more than enough,¡± Morpheusmented. ¡°That dimwit is actually being generous.¡±

    She offered him a displeased re as if she was being used unfairly. ¡°Troubles? When did I bring trouble?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t even know,¡± he replied and then thought, ¡®Only the person with you gets to know and have to suffer.¡¯

    Before she could say more, he offered her his hand so she could stand up. ¡°Get up. We need to leave. I will show you something else.¡±

    Trying to control the shivering of her body, she epted his hand and slowly stood up. Morpheus could see she was still feeling cold. That¡¯s why he decided to go somewhere where she wouldn¡¯t freeze.

    Though he had an option to take her back to the pce, there was still plenty of time left, and deep inside, he didn¡¯t wish to let her go so soon. Spending time with her felt good though it was also troublesome due to the nature of this naive little female.

    At least for now, he reminded himself to make sure she wouldn¡¯t go near enough to touch his wing, nor would he volunteer using it to warm her up. Though he was someone who loved taking risks, this was one gamble he wouldn¡¯t dare try.

    Morpheus and Ember started walking on that t surface sloped along the rocky peak. Ember didn¡¯t feel any difficulty in walking along that uneven trail, but Morpheus continued to hold her hand as he worried more about her inherent clumsiness.

    After walking for some time, they almost reached the other side of that circr trail. Ember couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How long do we have to walk?¡±

    ¡°Almost there,¡± he replied and then faced the rocky wall on the side of the cliff. Ember followed his line of sight and saw there was something on that rocky wall.

    ¡°Is it that cave?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Is it yours?¡±

    His expression looked nonchnt, but he gave off a sombre vibe. ¡°Used to be my sister¡¯s hiding ce but now it belongs to me.¡±

    It was the first time he mentioned his family member to her and she felt curious. ¡°Your sister? You have a sister? Is she older? Younger?¡±

    ¡°Are you going to keep asking questions right here, or do you prefer to go inside so you won¡¯t feel cold anymore?¡± he interrupted her.

    She realized she was in fact going to freeze soon. ¡°Ah, yes! Let¡¯s go inside.¡± She hurried towards the cave while dragging him with her.

    As they entered the mouth of the cave, there was a short dark passage that led to arge hall. Thanks to the holes on the ceiling, sunlight could enter to naturally brighten the ce. It amazed Ember to see how huge and neat the ce was.

    ¡°It¡¯s really bigpared to where I used to live, and it¡¯s so clean and nice, almost like a pce room.¡±

    Morpheus guided her towards the neatly-ced stack of hay which was covered by the animal skin hide. ¡°Sit here.¡±

    Ember could not stop looking around as she sat down. For her, this ce gave her greatfort¡ªas someone who grew up in a simr environment, she felt more at ease to be inside a cave than anywhere else.

    The walls had many colourful drawings randomly engraved on the surface. There were sketches of flowers, sunset, sunrise, starry sky, hills and so on.

    While Ember appreciated the interior of the cave, Morpheus walked towards the other side of the cave where there was a pile of neatly-arranged small wood blocks and thin dried twigs.

    He arranged them within the firepit in the centre of the cave which was marked by a stack of small rocks arranged in a circle. As he arranged the wood to build a fire, Ember took her time observing his actions.

    ¡°Morph?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Did you draw all those on the walls?¡± she asked as she returned her attention to the wall drawings.

    ¡°My sister did,¡± he answered.

    The mention of his sister brought her curiosity back. She pointedly looked at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me about your sister. Will you introduce us? Can I meet her?¡±

    Morpheus silently shook his head as he snapped his fingers to light the fire.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°She is no longer here anymore.¡±

    Ember could sense that sadness in his voice. Though he was not looking at her, her intuition was telling her his eyes must be sad too.

    ¡°Where did she go?¡± she asked again in a low and careful voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. She just disappeared,¡± he replied. He looked at her, his somber gray eyes reflecting the mes on the firepit. ¡°You will feel warm soon.¡±

    She stared deeply into his eyes and asked, ¡°Are you sad?¡±

    He stared at her for a while. Her beautiful eyes searched for the answer to her question as she patiently waited for his reply.

    In the end, Morpheus looked away and he stood up to go to the stack of hides ced on one of the shelves fixed on the wall. ¡°You are the first person I brought here. I don¡¯t even know why but I sure didn¡¯t expect to get asked so many questions.¡±

    Ember understood his mood was quite grim so she no longer badgered him and kept quiet. She found Morpheus bringing one folded hide towards her. He opened it and wrapped it around her.

    As she held onto the warm hide, she said in an apologetic tone, ¡°I¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. Since you mentioned your sister, I just became curious about her. ¡°

    He sat next to her to see her cheerless face. ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is now. All I know is that this ce is the only ce that makes me feel that she is still around me.¡±

    ¡°You miss her?¡±

    ¡°Hmm!¡±

 Chapter 176 Talking About Sister

    As she listened to the crackling fire echoing inside the cave, Ember thought about something and asked, ¡°Did she have beautiful wings like yours? It must be fun when you two fly together to visit this cave, right?¡±

    Morpheus let out a dryugh. ¡°The females of the feathered races cannot shapeshift. They cannot transform into their beast forms. They are born like a human child and their appearance is simr to a human.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Ember could not help but gasp. ¡°How can you be a shapeshifter if you cannot shapeshift? Isn¡¯t that unfair? If I were of your n, I would want a pair of wings to be able to fly anywhere.¡±

    Morpheus looked at her with a light smile as her words reminded of his sister who oftenined about this. ¡°My sister used to say the same thing. Well, nature has a reason why our n is made this way. Though females cannot shapeshift, nature haspensated them by giving themrger energy cores than that of males. That allows them to use their powers to efficiently cast moreplicated spells than most warriors.¡±

    Ember still could not help but find it a pity that the females had no wings. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­Having wings looks awesome.¡±

    ¡°You do not need to feel bad for my sister. Though she didn¡¯t have wings, she was much more powerful than me, and I am the strongest warrior of my n.¡±

    That piqued her attention. ¡°Really? That means you are very, very strong. I wonder how she must be if she¡¯s stronger than you.¡±

    Morpheus yfully poked her forehead when he saw her looking at his muscled arm. ¡°What are you imagining? I don¡¯t mean she looks like a burly warrior. She is delicate-looking like you. When I say strong, I mean to say her magical powers are beyond average among the females from the beast n. After all, she has the purest bloodline among those of the Divine Eagle n.¡±

    ¡°Since she¡¯s your sister, your appearance must be simr, but I cannot imagine you looking delicate,¡± Embermented.

    Morpheus was amused upon realizing she¡¯s using a human concept to understand the Divine Eagles.

    ¡°My sister embodies the ¡®divine¡¯ in our n name. Her hair and eyes were golden like the sun, and everywhere she went, she seemed to shine¡ªanyone would know that she was someone really powerful¡­¡±

    Morpheus continued to talk about his sister with a content smile painted on his lips.

    ¡°A beautiful delicatedy with golden hair¡­¡± Ember muttered as she tried to imagine. She then tilted her head. ¡°But why is your hair gray, not golden?¡±

    Morpheus already expected this question. ¡°For the Divine Eagles, the hierarchy of our powers can be differentiated by the color of our feathers. You see, I am a gray eagle. When I am in my human form, the color is manifested through my hair and eyes. Gold indicates the presence of divine power, so if I wrap myself in divine power or use divine power, I can temporarily show a golden appearance. However, there are some rare cases every few centuries where golden eagles are born. For this generation, it is my sister. They are the most powerful since they are the one with the purest bloodline. Then next to the gold is gray, then brown, while the lowest ones in the hierarchy are the blue ones. Though the blue are the lowest in rank, they are still stronger than the average shapeshifter.¡±

    ¡°It must be a pity she doesn¡¯t have wings. I think it will be beautiful to own a pair of golden wings,¡± shemented.

    Morpheus shrugged. ¡°Others find it a pity too since my sister is the only golden eagle among the Divine Eagles of our generation.¡±

    Ember then had a realization. ¡°Wait, if she doesn¡¯t have wings, then how did she find this ce?¡±

    ¡°She flew, of course.¡±

    Ember blinked at him in confusion.

    Morpheus exined with a grin, ¡°She had always been envious of my wings. Once, she decided that she would go to the highest ce and live there to mock me and look down on me, saying you cannot fly higher than this. Just like me, she had powers of the air element so she used it to make herself fly here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you mean she flew by controlling the air?¡±

    ¡°She is powerful enough to rival a Wind Fae in terms of controlling the air the way she wanted. She had trained for a long time and then seeded. I was so proud of her at that time,¡± Morpheus said and looked around with a warm gaze, as if he¡¯s recalling fond memories. ¡°We used to spend many days here in peace. It was nice when she was here.¡±

    Rumble!

    Just then Ember¡¯s stomach growled which showed that she was hungry. It shocked her as she immediately tightened her hands around her stomach and smiled awkwardly at him. ¡°I, uhm, I could not eat properly in the morning so¡­¡±

    Due to what happened between her and Draven the previous day, she could not sleep or eat properly and now she was hungry.

    Morpheus stood up. ¡°Wait here. I will be back.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want my guest to starve and faint on me,¡± he said and walked out of the cave.

    With him gone, Ember stood up and walked around the cave while having that hide wrapped around her. On the wooden shelves fixed in the stone walls, she saw a pair of female clothes and a curious-looking wooden box. She did not want to touch it since they were someone else¡¯s things, but after waiting for Morpheus for some time, she could not help her curiosity.

    ¡®Peeking won¡¯t hurt.¡¯

    She stealthily approached the curious-looking box and opened it. Inside, she found a few simple essories like a wooden hairpin with a delicate carving, brooches with fancy engravings, and a pendant woven in threads.

    ¡°Seems like this belongs to his sister,¡± she mumbled.

    The pendant in particr caught her attention. The ne was created from colorful threads neatly interwoven into a cord, and attached to it was a small circr pendant made of thick redwood, which had a pair ofrge wings carved on its center. It looked like a token that belonged to a person of a particr n.

    It reminded Ember that she too had something like this token, a jade pendant back in the cave.

    ¡°How could I forget about it? My nanny said it was something rted to my true identity. She told me to never lose it.¡±

    She racked her mind to recall where she hadst seen it. It should still be inside her old cave, right?

    ¡°I need to go back there and bring it back. But¡­how do I do it? I don¡¯t even know where exactly this kingdom is and how far Valor is from here. What shall I do? Should I ask His Majesty to take me back there?¡±

    Her thoughts were disturbed by the arrival of Morpheus who had brought something for her to eat. She looked at him in panic as the box of his sister¡¯s belongings was still in her hand. ¡°Ah! Y-You returned so fast¡­¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have to go far,¡± he replied. In his hands were fruits that were wrapped by a hide.

    He nced at the token in her hand and she put it back immediately inside the box before returning it to the shelf. A sense of shame enveloped her. ¡°I was just¡­¡±

    ¡°First, eat this,¡± he interrupted her as he gave her the fruits. ¡°Once you finish, we will return to the pce.¡±

    She nodded quietly and went to sit on the stack of hay covered with animal hide.

 Chapter 177 Such A Kid

    Ember opened the bundle made of hide and found exotic-looking red fruits wrapped inside. The red fruits were in the shape of a me as big as her fist and their skin was covered in scales that looked like flickering fire. She held one in her palm and observed it.

    ¡°It is called Dragon Fire fruit,¡± she heard Morpheus say.

    She could not help but be awed at how fitting the name was. ¡°No wonder it looks like a me.¡±

    ¡°It will help you keep warm,¡± hemented.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ember then wondered how to eat this fruit. ¡®How do I start eating this? Do I bite it or do I need to peel it first? But its skin looks hard.¡¯

    As if Morpheus understood her concern, he sighed and sat next to her. ¡°Give it to me.¡±

    She passed one fruit to him and watched him peel its skin. He started by pulling those scale-like skin and the peel of the fruit started toe off.

    ¡°It looks so easy,¡± she said happily and picked another fruit from the bundle to try it but stopped when she heard Morpheus speak.

    ¡°Leave it to me. You can just eat it,¡± he said and passed that already peeled fruit to her.

    She offered him a grateful smile as she immediately epted it. ¡°Thank you. You are like my nanny.¡±

    He red. ¡°Who¡¯s like your nanny?¡±

    Ember gave him a cheeky smile. ¡°My nanny used to do this for me.¡±

    ¡°No wonder you are so spoiled,¡± hemented and started to peel another fruit.

    ¡°I¡¯m not spoiled!¡± With her lips pressed in a thin line, it was now her turn to re at him. ¡°Do you know how hard it was to live on that mountain? Sometimes, we can¡¯t even get fresh fruits so we have to settle for whatever we can find. For having fruits peeled for me, you call me¨C¡°

    He stuffed the peeled fruit in his hand into her mouth to shut her up.

    ¡°Mmphf!¡± She chewed angrily before her expression turned curious. She thought the exotic-looking fruit would have a strange taste, but it was a juicy pulp simr to a watermelon. It¡¯s cool on the tongue but warm after swallowing. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s surprisingly sweet?¡±

    Morpheus then flicked his finger on her forehead.

    ¡°Ahh¡­It hurts¡­¡±

    ¡°Eat more and talk less. We have to leave soon,¡± he said, not minding herints.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to stay with you any longer,¡± she mumbled, still a little annoyed, but she found herself liking the taste of the Dragon Fire Fruit. She continued to eat the fruits that Morpheus was peeling.

    ¡°Look at you whining despite taking advantage of my kindness,¡± he countered her angry mumbling. ¡°You are eating the fruits that I brought and peeled for you without even leaving some for me.¡±

    ¡°Hmpf, I don¡¯t want to eat anymore!¡± She passed the peeled fruits back to him.

    ¡°You think I will refuse? I will eat them well. These fruits are only found on this mountain area and no one can get them other than me. It¡¯s sad that you won¡¯t get to eat them again after we leave.¡± He had arge bite of one fruit and licked the juice that spilled on his lips. ¡°Mmm, so tasty.¡±

    Just as he was about to take another big bite, she held his hand to stop him from eating. ¡°No, leave some for me!¡±

    ¡°Why? You said you don¡¯t want to eat anymore,¡± he smirked, repeating her earlier words.

    ¡°You¨C¡°

    ¡°You what?¡± he teased as he finished a single fruit in two bites.

    Ember was trembling. ¡°I¡¯m hungry! Take responsibility! You are the one to bring me here this far when I am hungry. It¡¯s your fault that I don¡¯t have anything else to eat. These fruits are mine! Stop eating!¡±

    She got the peeled fruits back from him and even grabbed the bundle holding the rest of the fruits. Her expression caused Morpheus to let out a boisterousugh.

    ¡°All right, all right, it¡¯s my fault.¡±

    ¡°Good that you know.¡±

    ¡°As an apology, let me peel the rest for you,¡± he offered.

    ¡°No, I can do it,¡± she said and hid those fruits as if he would take them away from her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat too much. You might feel like you are drunk or sleepy,¡± he warned.

    ¡°None of your concern,¡± she frowned and continued to eat without sharing.

    ¡®Such a kid!¡¯ Morpheus thought as he looked at her, stuffing the fruits in her mouth like a squirrel.

    But soon after, he felt her tiny head resting on his arm just below his shoulder. Morpheus looked to his side. ¡®Seriously? Did she just fall asleep while eating?¡¯ A half-eaten fruit was still in her hand, and when he turned to look at her face, he saw her eyes were closed.

    ¡°I told her to not eat much but this greedy human¡­¡± He sighed and then held her head gently in hisrge palm andid her down on that makeshift bed. Morpheus put the fruits away and put her legs up so she could sleepfortably.

    ¡°Seems like I have to wait to take her back. Even if it¡¯ster than the agreed time, that Dragon wille look for her anyways.¡±

    Morpheus pulled one of the clean hides over her body to cover her so she wouldn¡¯t feel cold and sat next to her.

    He looked at her peaceful sleeping face and her vulnerable form.

    ¡®How can she afford to sleep like this when a male is with her? Does she trust me enough to think I won¡¯t do anything with her, or is she just being fearless and reckless?¡¯ he sighed. ¡®In the first ce, this naive human doesn¡¯t know what a male can do with a female so she doesn¡¯t know fear. What a bothersome creature!¡¯

    ===

    A/N- Dear readers, this is the start of the new month. You can Gift and Vote for the novel to get it up in the ranking. <3<3

 Chapter 178 Shall I Just Mark Her?

    Morpheus let out another sigh as his gaze lingered on the mark on the side of her slender neck. He pushed aside the few hair strands blocking his view, allowing him to fully see the image of a crimson blossom.

    ¡®I wonder what this mark means. I don¡¯t think I have ever seen any female having such a bond mark before.¡¯

    As he thought of that, his fingers gently yed with her beautiful long hair.

    ¡®This mark is still the same as when their bond was initiated, that means they are yet to consummate the bond. Their bond is still iplete. What if¡­what if I mark her right now?¡¯

    Morpheus felt his heart jump at the thought.

    ¡®Since she went through the survival phase with that Dragon, then that meant she¡¯s strong enough to handle me as well. What If I make her my mate too? What if I mark her and consummate it now? Will it hurt him more? Since I will kill her once they consummate their bond, won¡¯t it be better to hurt him more, to prolong the pain in another way?¡±

    Though Morpheus had no intentions of having a mate, due to his long lifespan, he was pretty knowledgeable about it. About the mate bond, he knew that it was possible to create another separate bond with another partner during the phase of an iplete bond with the first mate. I

    And in the rare case that the female had proved her worth by surviving the marking of a male with a stronger bloodline, there was no need for her to go through the survival phase again when marked by a second intended mate. The couple could consummate the bond right after the marking.

    ¡®So tempting¡­Shall I just mark her?¡¯

    Morpheus caressed her hair gently to move them away from her nape, to a part of her skin that was clear of any blemishes. He leaned down closer to her as he looked at her smooth skin.

    ¡®I never wanted to have a mate but this female¡­I don¡¯t know why, but I do want to make her my mate. It¡¯s fine to mark her. And if I were to kill herter, that Dragon and I, both of us will die together with her and it will put an end to the revenge. I don¡¯t want to live anyways. It¡¯s a better way to die, the three of us together¡­¡¯

    Just as he was about to brush his lips on her neck, he heard her mumble in her sleep. ¡°It hurts¡­It hurts¡­¡±

    Her voice startled Morpheus and he pulled back to look at her, worried that she woke up. He saw tears rolling down her eyes and her expression made it seem like she¡¯s having a bad dream.

    ¡®She¡¯s still asleep.¡¯ Morpheus sighed and buried his face in his palms. ¡®What the¡ªwhat the hell was I about to do? I cannot do this. It¡¯s better to kill her at once than hurting her by breaking her trust like this. I cannot do it.¡¯

    He moved away from her and calmed himself by brushing his fingers over his hair.

    ¡®This revenge is turning me into a pathetic beast worse than that heartless man. I cannot stoop so low I will hurt her like this.¡¯

    He once again nced at her pained face and wiped away her tears. ¡®I wonder what kind of dream she is having to cry like this. I better take her back before I do something wrong with her.¡¯

    Morpheus lifted her sleeping figure in his arms and carried her out of the cave, silently flying down from the mountain to go back to the pce.

    He directly carried her to her own chamber through the window and put her on the bed. He only stepped back from her when he sensed someone else¡¯s presence with them.

    Morpheus turned around and was greeted by the sight of a ck-haired man staring at him with a t emotionless gaze.

    ¡°You took more than an hour,¡± the man said in a dignified tone.

    That was Draven whose powers were immediately alerted upon sensing the winged man¡¯s return. Since he knew his mate was with him, without hesitation, he immediately appeared where he sensed hisnd¡ªthe top floor of the southwest wing of the pce.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be d that I brought her back without harming her instead of nagging me?¡± Morpheus countered with a sly smirk as he crossed his arms over his chest.

    ¡°That you could not harm her is your weakness. For that, I don¡¯t need to be grateful to you,¡± Draven replied as he walked towards the bed and looked at his mate who was in deep sleep.

    ¡°Weakness?¡± he chuckled. ¡°I will make sure to not be weak next time.¡±

    ¡°There won¡¯t be any next time,¡± Draven said as he covered Ember with a nket after wrenching away the hide still wrapped around her body. He threw that thick hide at Morpheus. ¡°It reeks of your scent.¡±

    Morpheus caught it with a chuckle. ¡°Your mate reeks of my scent as well. Would you like to throw her at me? I¡¯m good at catching, I swear.¡±

    ¡°A nice soak in the bath is enough to rid her of that scent,¡± Draven responded without losing his cool. Instead, the emotionless way he gazed at Morpheus looked mocking, pitying even. ¡°Laugh while you still can. After the night of the full moon, only my scent will remain on her body.¡±

    Morpheus merely raised a brow at him, his expression haughty, as he didn¡¯t wish to show those words had managed to affect him. He chuckled to cover his true emotions and raised his hand as if to say he¡¯d pretend he agrees.

    ¡°A man can always dream,¡± he replied. ¡°Just know that in case you mess up and end up scaring her, at that time, I will dly take her under my wings. I promise you I¡¯d cherish her to the point she won¡¯t even think twice about leaving your side.¡±

    His expression then had a show of exaggerated surprise.

    ¡°Oh, speaking of wings, I remembered something. Do you know? She loved my wings so much that even after warning her, she ended up touching them. You know what it means, right?¡±

    Startled by that statement, Draven turned towards Ember to observe her face and then even pulled back the nket from her body to check¡ª

 Chapter 179 Your Lips Feel Good

    Morpheusughed seeing him panic. ¡°Calm down, Your Majesty. I did nothing of that sort¡­yet.¡±

    Draven ignored him and tenderly touched his mate¡¯s head.

    The Divine Eagle continued, ¡°But don¡¯t you think it¡¯s an interesting idea, for the two of us to share a mate, a single human bing ours? Pity, she is sleeping simply because she ate too many Dragon Fire Fruits.¡±

    Draven gradually calmed down. He knew he could trust Morpheus¡¯ words as there was no reason he would hide it if Ember truly became his mate as well. For a moment, he regretted the decision of sending her with him, but somewhere inside him, he still trusted that old friend of his. The Morpheus he remembered was not a bad person but was just hurt to the extent of willingly embracing the path to destruction.

    ¡°I will bring those fruits to her on my next visit. Just like my sister, she seems to like them a lot,¡± Morpheusmented as he looked at Draven with a hateful gaze. ¡°My sister. I hope you didn¡¯t forget about her, Your Majesty. You¡¯re once a loyal subject who suffered the most from your mistake.¡±

    Draven, who was sitting at the edge of the bed, froze upon hearing those words. At the mention of the Dragon Fire Fruits, Draven realized where Morpheus must have taken Ember.

    ¡°You can bring those fruits for Ember,¡± was all Draven could say as a wave of guilt took over him.

    Morpheus sneered at him.

    ¡°As if I need your permission to do so,¡± he said and walked towards the window, flying away once again and leaving nothing but a gust of wind behind him.

    Draven looked at his retreating figure that slowly disappeared from the sky.

    ¡®If only you knew what exactly happened at that time, but the truth might hurt you more.¡¯

    Just then, he heard the mumbling of the human girl on the bed.

    ¡°I want¡­ to be a good mate¡­a good mate, but¡­you scare me¡­Your Majesty, I want to¡­¡±

    Draven looked at his mate who was mumbling in her sleepy condition. His sharp hearing sense had caught her mumbling.

    ¡®I scare you? What did I even do? Instead, I try to be patient with you?¡¯

    She mumbled something once again, ¡°The scent..it¡¯s good¡­why do you¡­want me to resist¡­I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    He continued to look at her in amusement. He had seen her being clumsy and now he was seeing how sweet and adorable she could be.

    ¡®Don¡¯t want to resist? It¡¯s for your own good. Do you want to wake up the next day in shock thinking about what you did the previous night? Instead ofining, you better find answers to what I have asked you.¡¯

    She had frowned lines on her forehead even in her sleep due to all the frowning. Draven could not help but caress her forehead to make her feel at ease and found her drifting back to sleep instead of mumbling.

    ¡®Seems like she will sleep a few hours more,¡¯ just as Draven thought, his sleepy mate opened her eyes and looked at him with her half-lidded eyes. ¡°In my dream, you don¡¯t seem like a scary person,¡± she said and continued to look at himzily.

    ¡®Those fruits not just made her sleepy but caused her to feel drunk and delusional.¡¯

    He heard her chuckle in sleep, ¡°Even in my dream I can smell your scent¡­it¡¯s so good¡­¡±

    She raised her hand to reach out to his face. She touched his cheek and ced her palm on his it. Draven didn¡¯t move back and let her touch his face.

    She chuckled once again, looking at him with her drunk-looking eyes, ¡°You didn¡¯t bite¡­you are not scary then¡­¡±

    ¡®Bite?¡¯ Draven frowned at it. ¡®What do you take me for? Do I look like I go biting around anyone?¡¯

    With a frown, he was about to move back but then found her thumb reaching out to his lips and caressing them gently as if she was getting a feel of them. In a little shock, Draven lowered his gaze towards her hand and her thumb that was boldly teasing his lips.

    His gaze moved towards her smiling face who didn¡¯t know what she was doing. ¡®Are you asking for trouble Human?¡¯

    ¡°Feels good¡­ When you kiss me¡­They feel good¡­¡± she mumbled once again.

    ¡°Do they?¡± Draven asked as he continued to let her y with his lips.

    ¡°Hmm,¡± she nodded while smiling at him.

    ¡®So bold!¡¯ he thought, ¡®Only if she was in her right state of mind.¡¯

    She was so alluring at this moment for him to stop from not doing anything but she was not herself.

    ¡°Sleep!¡± Draven instructed coldly but she shook her head, ¡°I want.¡±

    She looked like a spoiled child who would not listen.

    Draven sighed, ¡®What would I do with her?¡¯

    He held her hand that was still touching his face and put it down as he fixed the misced nket. Then he looked at her, who made her lips into a light pout and her eyes turned small like crying as if she was hurt upon not getting what she wanted.

    Draven didn¡¯t know whether tough at her silly behaviour or to get angry at her for tempting him like this when it was already difficult for him.

    Giving up he leaned down closer to her face and gently pecked on her lips. He moved back a little and looked into her eyes, ¡°Sleep now.¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t expect her to listen to him but surprisingly she closed her eyes. ¡®That¡¯s it? After tempting me, she just obediently slept?¡¯

    Even in her sleep, she acted opposite to his expectations. When he expected her to sleep, she didn¡¯t and when he thought she would not sleep so easily, she closed her eyes right away and slept.

    ¡®This human is strange,¡¯ he could not help but think.

    Making sure she was really asleep, Draven stood up and left. Staying closer to her for a long was not good for him.

    ===

    Bonus chapter dedicated to reader Hollygolightly. Thank you so much for the supergift. ^_^

 Chapter 180 Finding The Energy Core

    4 chapters today

    ¡ª-

    Ember woke up with her head feeling heavy and sporting a dull throbbing ache. She opened her eyes to see a familiar ceiling, but she closed her eyes again as she groaned. Her body was urging her to keep still, but her throat was feeling dry.

    After a while, her thirst won and she rolled to her side. She blinked in surprise upon shaking off her disoriented state. She knew she should be somewhere else, but she found herself on her bed, inside her chamber lit with themps. It was already evening.

    ¡®Am I dreaming or am I really back in my chamber?¡¯

    She closed her eyes and opened them again to make sure she wasn¡¯t seeing things, but as she clutched the soft nket to herself, she could no longer ignore how real the fabric felt against her skin.

    ¡®When did I return? Thest I remember¡­ I was eating those fruits that Morph peeled inside the cave. Did he bring me back because I fell asleep?¡¯

    She sat up in bed but the sudden move brought about a dizzy spell, making her fall back to her pillow.

    ¡°Ugh! What the¨CMy head feels heavy.¡± This time, she tried to raise her body slowly until she was sitting upright. ¡°Is it because of those fruits? I even had a weird dream. I can¡¯t believe I even dared to dream about His Majesty.¡±

    The image of his handsome face briefly passed through her eyes, causing her body to shiver.

    ¡°It was surely a dream or there was no way he wouldn¡¯t look scary at all. He even¡­¡± She touched her chapped lips. ¡°It can¡¯t be¡­My brain is ying games with me. I shall avoid eating those fruits from now on.¡±

    With a sigh, Ember decided to look for the ss of water to relieve her thirst, only for her to let out another groan. Her abrupt movement was too fast for her body¡¯s liking. She held her head in her hand and tried to press it to relieve the throbbing headache.

    ¡ª¨C

    The next day, Ember wasforted to find her headache gone. After eating a hefty morning meal, she was ready for her magic lesson with the Fire Fae.

    The red-haired Helia was waiting for her pupil as usual in the training grounds at the rear of the pce.

    ¡°Good morning, Miss Ember.¡±

    Ember greeted the lovely fairy with a small shy smile. ¡°Good morning, Lady Helia.¡±

    ¡°Are you feeling better today, Miss?¡±

    Ember felt her cheeks turn hot at the memory of rudely running away in the middle of their previous lesson. She shouldn¡¯t have reacted like that in front of her teacher and could not help but feel disappointed with herself.

    ¡°Yes, thank you for asking.¡± She fiddled with her fingers before bowing. ¡°Apologies for what happened yesterday. Today, I will try to focus well.¡±

    ¡°There is no need to apologize, Miss,¡± the red-haired woman said and guided her way towards the centre of their training ce. ¡°Shall we begin?¡±

    Ember nodded with a determined face, relieved that the fairy did not show any disappointment towards her behaviour. Helia then held Ember¡¯s hands in hers.

    ¡°Close your eyes, Miss,¡± her teacher started, speaking in a soft calming voice. ¡°We will repeat the same meditation process like the previous days. Focus within you to find your energy core. Remember, there is no need to rush. The calmer you are, the easier it will be for you.¡±

    Ember let out a shaky breath to begin following her teacher¡¯s instructions. Under that calm voice, she kept her eyes closed and she listened to Helia¡¯s guidance, focusing on the energy spread within her body, and from there, tracing where the bundle of energy was at its strongest.

    The human girl was determined to find her energy core today.

    Just like on her first attempt, she only saw endless darkness within her, and it was difficult to get past that darkness. It was as if she was blindly swimming underwater without knowing where the surface nor the bottom was.

    Along with the passing time, the number of frown lines on her forehead grew. She was trying hard to trace where her energy wasing from, but the fruitless search was turning her anxious. She had a strange sensation that no matter how hard she tried, she would never cross that darkness.

    ¡°Be calm, Miss Ember. There is no need to be anxious. You can be slow, you can be fast¨Cin the end, it does not matter. You will reach the end regardless of speed,¡± she heard her teacher say in order to appease her growing anxiety. ¡°Focus on my voice. Take a long deep breath¡­Yes, like that¡­¡±

    Ember continued to try. She didn¡¯t know how long it took, but she felt as if the darkness she was trying to cross was starting to fade. She could see something sparkling in that darkness.

    ¡®Is it what Lady Helia calls the energy core?¡¯

    She wanted to move faster, trying to get a clearer look of what lies at the end of the darkness.

    ¡®Beautiful.¡¯

    That was the first thing Ember thought upon seeing the orb of light where the energy was at its strongest. No, rather than an orb, it looked more like a me floating midair. It shone alone within that seemingly infinite darkness, and though it was small, it gave off a feeling as if it was enough to diminish the existence of that darkness.

    ¡®It¡¯s really beautiful.¡¯

    The energy core didn¡¯t feel dangerous. It gave off a feeling of warmth andfort in a way that made her feel like it had always been a part of her. It was calling out to her and she needed to reach it, but¨C

    Suddenly, she felt as if she was drowning. The more she reached out, the more it was bing difficult for her to breathe. It was as if the air was suddenly cut off from her, and unless she took a step back, then she would continue to suffocate.

 Chapter 181 I Think I Found It

    It was as if the orb that looked like a me was isted by an invisible barrier that didn¡¯t let her move ahead. If she were to approach, she would suffocate. The more she tried, the stronger the suffocating force was, and she felt like gagging. It was same nausea she would have felt if her mortal body was being thrown down from somewhere high and was falling into the abyss.

    With a deep gasp, Ember opened her eyes. Her entire body was trembling and covered in a cold sweat. The sensation that she was being suffocated did not go away and she felt weak, as if her legs would give up anytime.

    ¡°Miss? Miss?¡± the red-haired woman asked. ¡°Healer! I need an elixir! Hurry! Miss? Can you hear me?¡±

    Ember was about to copse on the ground but the Fire Fae held her firmly. Soon, the servants that Draven assigned to keep watch approached to check on Ember¡¯s condition. They let her sit on one of the chairs near the entrance of the training grounds.

    ¡°Miss Ember is not hurt, just fatigued. A bottle of the elixir is enough for her to recover,¡± the servant exined as she let the human drink one. In fact, the healer thought a good rest was sufficient for Ember, but as she¡¯s the King¡¯s mate, there was no need to be frugal with a measly elixir.

    After a while, Ember was able to take a stable breath and thanked the servants. She stood up properly without needing support from Helia. It was a brief moment when she felt all of her energy was being sucked away by something, but she was back to normal again.

    ¡°Lady Helia, I¡­I think I saw it,¡± Ember said with mixed nervousness and excitement. She looked at Helia with a little doubtful gaze as she was not yet sure that it was what she was supposed to look for. ¡°I think I found my energy core. I am not sure but¡ª¡±

    ¡°You did well, Miss,¡± Helia smiled.

    ¡°I did?¡± Ember asked in surprise. ¡°Was that really my energy core?¡±

    ¡°I felt it too. It is such a powerful energy core of the fire element. I have nevere across anyone with such a strong Fire. Even my own Fire is not as strong as yours.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know what to say about it as she was not knowledgeable in these things. All she could feel was amazed at what she heard from Helia.

    Helia was a Fire Fae. She could not believe a human being like her possessed a stronger Fire than a fairy. At the same time, she felt excitement over the fact that she would be able to use magic soon.

    ¡°But¡­¡± she heard Helia, which pulled Ember¡¯s attention back towards her.

    ¡°But?¡± Ember asked anxiously.

    ¡°You felt it too, right, Miss? Something is stopping you from reaching your core.¡±

    Ember shuddered as she recalled that terrible nauseating feeling of being thrown down from a height.

    The Fire Fae continued, ¡°Miss, your energy core is sealed, hence it probably gave you a feeling that it¡¯s isted from you. Once that seal is lifted or broken, there is nothing that can stop you from using your powers.¡±

    ¡°Sealed?¡± Ember said and remembered she felt something was stopping her from reaching that beautiful me-like orb. ¡°Is that normal? It was stopping me from going closer to my energy core. I don¡¯t know how to exin¡­ I wanted to reach it but¡­¡±

    Helia gently caressed Ember¡¯s hand as she could sympathize with what Ember was feeling. ¡°Our energy core is an important part of us. It is normal to feel affection for it, and the more you try to look at it, the more you will feel like embracing it. Now, do you understand what I meant when I said ¡®bing one with your core¡¯?¡±

    Ember nodded. ¡°Then, please teach me how to remove that seal. I want to be able to reach my magic core.¡±

    Helia couldn¡¯t say she didn¡¯t know how to lift the seal. The seal was made of divine power, and it was beyond a mere fairy like her. However, even with the seal in ce, she knew that she could teach Ember magic. The sheer amount of energy being emitted by her core through the weakened seal was so massive, it was simr to an average supernatural¡¯s energy core.

    ¡°To be able to manifest your energy outside as a magic spell, then you need to keep doing the same thing, Miss. Try to reach out for your energy core. Bepletely familiar with it. Practice, practice and more practice,¡± Helia exined. ¡°Being able to find the energy core is just the start. We have a long way ahead of us. Understood?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Lady Helia!¡±

    Ember let out a brilliant smile, happy with the fact that she was finally able to see her energy core, and this boosted her confidence. She was ready to do anything her teacher would ask her to do.

    ¡°Since you are sessful, we will end our lesson early so you can rest. I will go to visit his Majesty before I leave and share with him the good news,¡± Helia said as she bowed toward Ember.

    Ember thanked her for her hard work and watched as the red-haired woman left the training grounds.

    ¡®Visit His Majesty?¡¯ Ember repeated her words and then thought, ¡®I didn¡¯t see him around today. In fact, I haven¡¯t seen him since yesterday. I wonder what he is doing. Must be in his study.¡¯ Ember found herself wondering about the King¡¯s whereabouts. ¡®Is he still angry at me for what happened yesterday? I hope he is no longer angry with me. Will his mood improve after hearing that I made progress in my magic lessons?¡¯

    Just then, an adorable white cockatiel came flying towards her andnded on her shoulder. Ember was shocked; ever since she met Ray, even after she became her pet, the little white bird had never behaved like this.

 Chapter 182 What Is The Night Of Full Moon?

    Ember looked at Ray through the corner of her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you today? You always run away from me, if not tout ignore me. Why are you sitting on my shoulder now? Hmm? Hmm?¡±

    The bird chirped a few times and before speaking adorably, ¡°Servants bring food¡­No tree nearby, master.¡±

    Ember understood the second line but not the first one. She gently poked the bird with a finger. ¡°You mean, you are treating my shoulder as a tree branch? You selfish little bird. And what food? Did I not give you enough before I left my chamber?¡±

    ¡°Master eats a lot¡­Pet eats too¡­¡±

    Ember felt shocked. ¡°You mean I eat a lot? Have you been checking on how much I eat? You just wait¡­I will¡ª¡±

    The bird dodged her poking finger before circling over her head.

    ¡°Come back here, you naughty little bird!¡±

    ¡°Master eats a lot!¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡±

    After flying some more, Ember watched the birdnd on Clio¡¯s shoulder, who was bringing snacks and tea for Ember along with Reya. Ember saw the delicious snacks on the tray. ¡®So that¡¯s why this bird is here! It came to eat! How dare it say I eat a lot?¡¯

    ¡°Miss Ember!¡± Reya hurried to her side. ¡°How are you feeling? I heard from the other servants you fainted?¡±

    ¡°What? I did not faint. I just got exhausted, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Reya was able to let out a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. I will smack those girls who exaggerated their stories. Hmph! You didn¡¯t know, Miss, but we were so worried that we brought more snacks than usual to help you recover.¡±

    ¡°I made good progress on my lesson today, so it¡¯s good you brought more snacks,¡± Ember replied but her gaze was still fixed at the bird who didn¡¯t pay her any attention. Its beady eyes were staring at the food tray.

    The elf continued, ¡°After practicing magic, you must be feeling really hungry.¡±

    Rather than staying in the training grounds, Ember led them towards the nearest garden gazebo. Reya and Clio served tea and snacks for Ember. The little bird also hopped down the table, seemingly also ready to eat.

    It chirped and did a silly dance. ¡°Food!¡±

    ¡°No, these snacks are for the Miss. You can¡¯t eat these, Ray.¡± Clio gave her grains from her pocket, something that was meant for birds to eat. The bird let out an angry chirp out of protest.

    Ignoring her pet¡¯s tantrum, Ember sipped on the tea and realized it tasted different from the usual fruit teas she liked.

    ¡°Is it a different tea?¡± she asked. They put honey in it to make it sweet, but she could still make out the herbal taste.

    Reya replied with a smile. ¡°Yes, Miss. This tea is good for you as you need to prepare your body for that night.¡±

    Ember stopped drinking. ¡°That night? What night?¡±

    Reya and Clio both blushed a little. Being the bolder of the two, Reya answered, ¡°You know, that special night.¡±

    ¡°What special night? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°The night of the full moon, Miss. You know that it is a night that is special for those who have mates, right?¡±

    Ember simply stared at them with a puzzled look. ¡°Full moon? Isn¡¯t it normal to have a full moon once a month? I never heard anything special about it, other than they say the moon is more beautiful during that night.¡±

    Reya let out a loud gasp. ¡°Are you serious, Miss? There¡¯s only five days till the full moon!¡±

    ¡°Oh, it seems that Miss is not aware of it,¡± Clio said as she looked at the human with concern. ¡°For humans, the full moon is nothing more than a pretty spectacle, but for supernaturals, it is very important. More so for you as you are the mate of His Majesty, a divine beast. It will be special for you as well, Miss.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Ember asked curiously as she continued to sip on this new tea. ¡°Is something going to happen?¡±

    Clio was torn betweenughing and crying at those words. ¡°Miss, the night of the full moon is when the magic of the world is at its strongest. That means that is also the night when the bond between mates is at its strongest.¡±

    Seeing her master¡¯s clueless face, Reya decided to speak up with a pink tinge on her cheeks, ¡°That means on that night five days from now, Miss will find His Majesty irresistible, and vice-versa! Aahh! Our Miss will finally be His Majesty¡¯s true mate. Miss, you probably don¡¯t know,, but you are so fortunate to be able to have your first experience on the night of a full moon. It is considered as every female¡¯s dream to have their bond consummated on the night of a full moon and it is so romantic¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wait! Wait, stop!¡± Ember almost spat out her tea in shock. She turned into Ray who could only nitpick the important words from Reya¡¯s statement. ¡°Consummate the bond? Night of the full moon? In five days?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Yes, Miss! That¡¯s right! You are really so fortunate,¡± Reya answered happily as if she was telling her master the best news she¡¯d received.

    Unfortunately, her poor master was badly shaken with this newfound knowledge. Draven¡¯s words seemed to echo in her mind. She had toplete the task given to her by her mate which now looked like the most difficult task of her life.

    ¡®The night of the full moon?¡¯ Ember eximed in her mind. ¡®His Majesty said we cannot consummate the bond till I learn to resist his scent. And unless I think about the questions he asked, then he won¡¯t allow us to continue where we left off. But five days? How am I going to do it in five days? His Majesty didn¡¯t say we have only five days left. What am I going to do now? What if I fail my task and he won¡¯t agree to consummate the bond? If we don¡¯t consummate soon, isn¡¯t he going to suffer more? I cannot let it happen. I need to hurry and do as he said. Only five days left¡­This time I need to make sure to consummate the bond.¡¯

 Chapter 183 Need To Complete The Task Given By Her Mate

    Seeing their master suddenly go quiet, Reya and Clio looked at each other to figure out what happened to Ember.

    ¡°Miss, is something wrong?¡± Clio asked with concern.

    Reya was troubled. ¡°Apologies, Miss. Did I make you ufortable? I was being too loud and rude. I don¡¯t mean to be a nuisance¨C¡°

    Ember shook her head as her mind was still busy over what to do. Ember put the cup of tea back in the tray and looked at her servants.

    ¡°Do you two know if there is a way to resist the scent of your mate?¡± Ember decided to be honest.

    The twodies were taken aback by the surprising question.

    ¡°We are not sure about it as we are elves, Miss,¡± Reya answered.

    Clio was thinking something else as she said, ¡°I also have no idea if the other servants could help. Miss Ember, there are some working in the pce who have mates, and from what I heard, they love the scent of their mates. So why would one want to resist it? I don¡¯t think anyone ever tried it. We are children of nature, thus we embrace the will of nature.¡±

    Ember thought about what Clio said. ¡°It is true that my mate¡¯s scent is so good that even I don¡¯t want to resist it but¡­¡±

    ¡°Right?¡± Reya interrupted her. ¡°Do you feel the same, Miss? How does His Majesty smells like¡­.Ouch?¡±

    Clio patted Reya¡¯s head to stop her. ¡°Why do you want to know what His Majesty smells like? It¡¯s a sensitive matter between mates.¡±

    Reya looked apologetic, and said in a low voice, ¡°I heard from other servants about how their males¡¯ scents were like so¡­I was curious about His Majesty. None of those working in the pce had a divine beast as a partner, you know?¡±

    Clio gave a warning stare as her older cousin was being nosy. ¡°You better not.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty smells like the freshest green leaves of the forest,¡± Ember started, breathing deeply as she smiled at the memory of the addictive scent of her mate. ¡°It reminds me of how much I wanted to immerse myself within the rich fragrance of the trees and the dense forest, theplete opposite from that deserted mountain where I grew up.¡±

    Ember still had a faraway look on her face.

    ¡°It was the most precious wish of mine to be surrounded by trees that are full of life, but I never got to have that experience beforeing here to Agartha. When I came here, only then did I get to see living trees up close for real. Oh, and when I was living inside my own tree house in Ronan? Those were the best days of my life.¡±

    ¡°You have never seen trees closely before?¡± Reya asked as if it was something unbelievable. ¡°Isn¡¯t it normal for anyone to be familiar with trees, at least?¡±

    ¡°The mountain where I used to live only had dead trees, and it was because it was a dead forest the ce became known as a haunted one, a cursed mountain. Not a single green leaf could be found on any tree. Whenever I smell His Majesty¡¯s scent, it makes me feel that my wish is fulfilled each time he¡¯s close, as if he embodies the most wonderful fragrance in the world.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t realize it, but as she spoke, a pleasant smile lingered on her lips. Her face brightened up the more she talked about her mate¡¯s scent.

    Reya and Clio shared a knowing nce between themselves, and could not help but think, ¡®Miss is truly smitten with His Majesty.¡¯

    All of a sudden, Ember stood up. ¡°I need to hurry up and find the answers.¡±

    ¡°Miss, what happened?¡± Reya asked in surprise.

    ¡°I am going to my study,¡± Ember informed them and hurried out of the gazebo.

    The two servants immediately stood up to follow their master with concern on their faces.

    As Ember was in the part of the garden that was connected to the training grounds, she would need to run across several hallways to reach the grand staircase that would lead to the upper floors. This made her run past many surprised servants who were doing their jobs nearby.

    Seeing their puzzled and worried gazes made her somewhat self-conscious, and due to this, she took a turn in one of the deserted hallways.

    ¡®First, I will find books in my study to look for the answers to his questions, and if there are not enough books, I will ask Y for books from the pce library. I am sure there will be at least one book that can help me. Will a day or two be enough? Then I will go to him and stay by his side to practice resisting his scent. I will finish both tasks by the night of the full moon. I do not want His Majesty to suffer, so we must consummate our bond in time. I should not fail his expectations¡­¡¯

    Because she was deep in thought, Ember did not realize that the hallway she was running in was familiar. She did not even realize that it was empty for a reason¨Cthat reason being that one of the rooms in that hallway was the study of the master of the pce who didn¡¯t like noise.¡±We need to consummate the bond¨C¡°

    Thump!

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    Her face felt like it hit something hard and firm. With her eyes closed, she rubbed her nose and covered it with both hands.

    ¡°It hurts¡­Ahh..¡±

    When she opened her eyes to look at what she bumped into, the view of a broad chest in a tailored dark outfit came into her sight.

    Covering her nose as it was still sore, she nervously raised her head to look at the owner of that strong chest. Upon seeing those red eyes staring down at her, she stopped breathing.

    She took a conscious step back to avoid catching a whiff of his scent and then stood there looking all embarrassed with her head lowered. She tried to bear the pain as she lowered her hands, realizing which part of the pce she was in.

    ¡°Apologies, Your Majesty. I didn¡¯t mean to run and disturb you¡­¡±

 Chapter 184 I Am Not Clumsy

    Draven stared at his mate, his expression colder than usual, upon seeing her silly state. She was squirming nervously under his gaze with a lowered head, but he could see the tip of her nose was a bit red due to her colliding against him head on, which was further reddened after she rubbed it with her hands.

    He had long known that humans were delicate creatures, but what he could not understand was how often his mate injured herself or put herself in a situation where she¡¯d be hurt. It was absurd. It seemed as if every time he saw her, she was in some sort of pain. Even now, though she was pretending to ignore the soreness of her nose in front of him, he could clearly see she wasn¡¯t seeding.

    He stepped towards her and in reflex, she stepped back. It was an instinctual move for her now to step away from him whenever he would close the distance between them.

    ¡®I¡¯m yet to grow immune to his scent!¡¯ she panicked, but then upon seeing the look in his eyes, her panic grew. ¡®Why is he ring? Did I upset him again?¡¯

    ¡°Stay still!¡± he said in a calm but authoritative voice that left no space for others to disobey him. Thus, when he took a step towards her this time, she obediently stood in ce as per his order.

    Draven raised his hand towards her face, causing her to flinch and close her eyes instinctively in fear despite not knowing what he was up to.

    The next moment, she felt something gently brushing the tip of her nose and when she opened her eyes, she saw that the tip of his finger was emitting a soft glow.

    ¡®What did he do?¡¯ she wondered and caught him muttering, as if he were talking to himself.

    ¡°You have already proven how clumsy you can be and how much you love to hurt yourself. Silly human, there is no need to hide your pain and pretend otherwise.¡±

    The look in Ember¡¯s eyes changed. This time, there was no fear in them, and they clearly showed how displeased she was with his words.

    ¡®Is he for real? He thinks I love to hurt myself?¡¯ she frowned inside.

    Draven could clearly see the anger appearing in those beautiful eyes. ¡®So she knows how to get angry.¡¯

    ¡°We don¡¯t punish anyone here for their clumsiness. Being clumsy is a shameful punishment in itself,¡± he continued, only to anger her more.

    She took a step back while ring at him, who still had his usual expressionless face. The more she stared at that annoyingly handsome face, the more she found it difficult to suppress her anger.

    ¡°Your Majesty,¡± she forced herself to say, ¡°I am not clumsy.¡±

    ¡°We also don¡¯t punish people here for telling a white lie.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a lie.¡±

    ¡°If you say so.¡±

    However, his tone clearly indicated that he didn¡¯t trust her words.

    ¡°I really am not clumsy,¡± she pressed as she felt offended by his patronizing tone. ¡°Neither am I a liar.¡±

    Being tagged as clumsy was annoying already, but to be deemed a liar? She could not ept it.

    Draven didn¡¯t react to her growing anger as he even found himself curious about her reaction. It was a side of her he had never seen before. However, he decided to drop the matter for now. ¡°I heard you say something about ¡®we need to consummate the bond¡¯ before you bumped into me. What is that about?¡±

    The way he ignored her anger and tried to gloss over the matter caused her anger to re even more.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± she replied, trying her best to reply without showing how angry she was.

    Draven found it amusing to see his little mate angered, and more so because the reason for her anger was so strange. It was a novel sensation. No one had ever quarrelled with him in such an adorable manner, and rather than get annoyed, he found himself entertained to see her stopping at nothing to openly show her emotions.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± he asked calmly.

    With anger still visible in her eyes, Ember clenched her fists.

    ¡°I won¡¯t consummate my bond with you. You can get another mate,¡± she responded dryly and walked past him without looking at him even once.

    Draven turned around to watch the delicate figure walking away from him. Unknown to him, a light smile was painted on his lips.

    ¡®Another mate?¡¯ he smirked. ¡®You are my one and only mate, and you are stuck with me for eternity.¡¯

    ¡ª

    By the time Ember reached her chamber, her face was red. Though she had walked the entire way, even taking time to climb the staircase, the anger inside her didn¡¯t subside. In fact, the more she recalled Draven¡¯s manner of speaking, the more irritated she became.

    She paced inside her chamber in a poor attempt of calming down.

    ¡®Clumsy? Yes, it seems that way because I fell a few times, but how can he say I love to hurt myself? Does he think I could survive on that mountain if I were truly clumsy as he says? And a liar? Just because he doesn¡¯t believe me doesn¡¯t mean he gets to call me out for lying!¡¯

    Even after her two servants arrived and entered her chamber, Ember was still in the middle of calming herself.

    ¡°Miss, why do you look so angry?¡± Reya asked carefully.

    Reya and Clio were following Ember the whole time, but they stopped at a distance when they saw the King talking to Ember. Being tactful people, the two elves gave the pair privacy and didn¡¯t dare listen to what was going on between them.

    Once they saw their master storming away, they walked through another hallway that led towards the main staircase as they dared not walk in front of the King.

    Ember stopped pacing after taking a few deep breaths and looked at her two servants. ¡°Do you two think I am clumsy?¡±

    The question startled the servants.

    ¡°Why do you ask, Miss?¡±

    ¡°Did someone by chance say anything to you?¡±

    ¡°Answer me first,¡± Ember insisted.

    ¡°Well, not really?¡± Clio answered in a hesitant manner and Ember threw a bewildered look at her.

    ¡°W-What do you mean by that?¡±

 Chapter 185 Determine To Find The Answers

    Reya held Clio¡¯s hands to stop her from saying anything more and gave her cousin a look that said she¡¯d take over from here. She had a feeling that their response would have a huge impact on their master¡¯s current state of mind.

    ¡°Miss, I do not think you are clumsy as a person, but¨C¡± The elf put great emphasis on thest word. ¡°But your body movements did seem uncoordinated due to many, many factors. I remember you telling us before you have been injured many times, yes? After that, you survived the mating phase and then were not well for long. You are human and your body has be weaker, and when we are weak, our bodies cannot function like usual. You are also not used to the lifestyle here so that might be another reason¡­.¡±

    ¡°Right!¡± Ember eximed. ¡°That is why I ended up falling a few times and that dress¡­ It was the fault of those long dresses that made me fall. I am just not used to the long dresses, and, and those heeled shoes!¡±

    ¡°You are right, Miss! That is why now, Dame Y instructed us to adjust the length of your dresses to fit yourfort. And you also got used to walking in heeled shoes since you practiced, right? You won¡¯t fall anymore,¡± Reya assured while Clio nodded quietly. Internally, she was relieved that her witty cousin prevented her from almost telling the truth.

    In the eyes of supernatural beings like her, who were inherently stronger than humans, all humans were weak and clumsy. Sadly, their master seemed to be on the clumsier side even amongst humans.

    Then Ember remembered a certain memory¨Cwasn¡¯t she wearing a dress with a shorter skirt when the King had saved her from tripping down on that wooden bridge?

    ¡®Well, that was not my fault. That dress was frilly and the skirt happened to be stuck on the bridge railing. So it was not my fault. That doesn¡¯t count. Not like I volunteered to fall. It was an ident, and idents happen from time to time!¡¯

    Able to breathe easier now, Ember sat at the edge of her bed. ¡®I need to calm down. I just need to show His Majesty that he was wrong. I am not clumsy and I am not a liar.¡¯

    Seeing their master turn quiet, the elves shared a knowing look among themselves. Reya then let out a delicate cough to catch Ember¡¯s attention. ¡°Miss, weren¡¯t you going to study? Is there anything we can help you with?¡±

    ¡®Study? Right, I was going there to search for something important,¡¯ she thought and stood up to go to her study next door together with her servants.

    Inside her study, Ember found herself walking among each of the bookshelves, going through the books with a serious look.

    ¡°What are you looking for, Miss?¡± Clio asked. ¡°If you tell us, we can help you. Though we can¡¯t read books written in yournguage, we can check those with illustrations.¡±

    Ember had a pensive look. ¡°You said before that Erlos brought various kinds of books that humans read, right?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°Yes, Miss. He said he bought every single book from the biggest shop in the capital city of the human kingdom where you came from.¡±

    ¡°Fine then. I am searching for a book that has stories about human couples and families. I want those kinds of books.¡±

    ¡°We will help you search!¡± Reya and Clio said as they started searching.

    ¡®I am His Majesty¡¯s wife so I need to learn about the matters between husbands and wives. Books should be able to help me know what I should do and how I should treat him. His Majesty asked me to think about what he did to me that day inside his study, so I need to see if husbands really treat their wives like that. I do not understand why they would touch them on their bodies to embarrass them, but if it¡¯s normal behaviour, then there must be a justified reason. After I find answers to his questions, I will then work on resisting his scent. Hmph, just so you wait! I won¡¯t fail to behave properly!¡¯

    She continued going through books but then stopped after she felt the need to stretch.

    ¡®But why am I doing this? Didn¡¯t I just tell him that I won¡¯t consummate bond and he can get another mate? There is no need for me to do what he has asked¡­¡¯

    ¡°Miss, I think this seems like a story of a couple starting a family,¡± Clio said as she flipped the pages of the book in her hand.

    It pulled Ember out of her thoughts and she hurried to get the book, forgetting what she was thinking a moment before.

    ¡°Show me,¡± she said and Clio passed her the book.

    Ember read the title which clearly sounded like a story between a human couple and she flipped the few pages. She read a few lines on top of each page. ¡®This seems like it,¡¯

    When she flipped through the next pages, she saw the image of a woman in a dress and a man in a suit walking with their arms linked.

    ¡®Gaia never brought books with pretty-looking people drawn on it. Oh, wait, there were. That princess in one fairytale book was so pretty. This seems like such a book but with more pictures.¡¯

    ¡°Thank you, Clio. I will read this book,¡± she smiled and walked towards her desk.

    Clio gave her a small bow. ¡°I am happy to help, Miss. Then, we will try to find more books of this kind.¡±

    Ember simply nodded and then flipped back to the first page of the book as she satfortably in her chair.

    ¡®Though I told him I won¡¯t consummate the bond with him, I can still find answers and show him that I am not a silly human. I will make him regret calling me clumsy and even Liar.¡¯

    ====

    Reader RMehrotra, thank you for the super gifts.

 Chapter 186 Reading A Story Of Human Couple

    Just as Ember was about to focus on reading, her fingers happened to touch her nose as she pushed back a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. She stopped upon realizing something. She touched the tip of her nose once more, this time with a little pressure¡­

    ¡®It is not hurting at all?¡¯ she asked herself in wonder. ¡®I was sure it was bruised. Howe it¡¯s fine so soon?¡¯

    She then remembered that after Draven gingerly touched her nose, she saw a glow at the tip of his finger. At that time, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to it as his next words angered her. Even now, his annoying words calling her ¡®clumsy¡¯ and ¡®liar¡¯ were bringing a frown on her face.

    ¡®Did he use magic to heal my nose?¡¯ she wondered, but the next moment, her expression changed. ¡°Well, his chest was the one that hurt me in the first ce so it¡¯s his duty to make the pain go away. There is no need for me to feel grateful towards him. Who asked him to stand so leisurely in the middle of the hallway anyway? With his sharp eyesight and ears, he should have been able to evade a human like me even when I was in a hurry.¡¯

    Feeling that she was absolutely right about what she was thinking, she moved her attention back towards the book. ¡®Let¡¯s read now. I will have to make note of what a proper wife is supposed to do.¡¯

    The book was a tale of romance between royalty of two warring nations. The story started with the newly-crowned king having to marry a tribute princess of a neighboring kingdom that was defeated in the war. The princess had no choice but toply despite not wishing to marry him to guarantee the lives of her family. She hated the king of the enemy kingdom since he was the root cause of her suffering, but then she gradually fell in love with him after their marriage. She learned what kind of person he was, and he too tried to make amends for his shorings. It was a journey of her feelings, from hating to loving her husband, and at the end, they both led a good life together.

    Reading the part where the princess outright announced that she didn¡¯t want to marry the enemy king, Ember had a funny thought.

    ¡®Why does it feel somewhat simr to me and His Majesty?¡¯ She chuckled. ¡®But I am no princess and I have no family to protect.¡¯ She flipped to the next page where it had the description of the wedding ceremony and how the princess was contemting running away. It even had an illustration of the wedding day.

    She looked at the drawn image of the king and the princess.

    ¡®This king is frowning so much, he looks as if he hates the entire world. He looks so scary¡­ just like His Majesty. Imagine having been forced away from your homnd, only to meet such a scary man¡­ No wonder the princess didn¡¯t want to marry him. She should have just ran away.

    ¡®If I had been given a choice, I wouldn¡¯t have agreed to be His Majesty¡¯s mate as well. He scares me all the time. Should kings always be so scary like this? Is having a scowling face a requirement to be king?¡¯

    She then reached the part of the story after the royal couple¡¯s wedding ceremony. On their wedding night, the king didn¡¯t meet the princess, much less proceed to consummate the marriage, as he was aware of the princess¡¯s hatred towards him. Even during the days after, she never failed to show it to him. She was straightforward and openly rude whenever the two encountered each other. With her bitter words, she would always remind the king how his greed destroyed the peaceful lives of the people of her kingdom.

    ¡®Hmm, they didn¡¯t consummate the wedding?¡¯ Ember sighed. ¡®I was looking forward to the part where they will act as a couple and be good to each other, but I do not think this is a good reference. Their rtionship is terrible. Forget about how to be a good wife; this princess even schemes bad things for her husband, angering him every chance she gets. If I act like her, His Majesty will not only throw me out of the pce, he might even have me banished from Agartha. They didn¡¯t even consummate the wedding so I don¡¯t even know what married couples should do. Shall I skip this book and read another one?¡¯

    Ember thought of closing the book, but before that, she flipped near thetter part of the book and saw an illustration of the king and his wife¨C

    ¡®They are kissing?!¡¯

    Ember¡¯s hand froze as she looked at the illustration for quite a while. It reminded her of the kiss she had with Draven and felt her cheeks turning hot. Unknown to her, even her heartbeats suddenly raced faster.

    She took a deep breath and thought, ¡®I¡­I think I should continue reading this book. Their rtionship seemed to have improved¡­¡¯

    Just then Clio, who found a few more books, had approached the table to stack more books for her master to read, but then, she found Ember staring at nothing in particr in a daze.

    ¡°Miss Ember?¡±

    Ember flinced. She felt like she was caught doing something wrong and immediately closed the book. She turned towards Clio with wavering eyes. ¡°Ha ha, oh, I didn¡¯t notice you, erm, were you saying something?¡±

    Clio ced three more books on the desk. ¡°We found a few more books for you, Miss.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, thank you. I will check them once I am done with this book,¡± Ember said as she let out another awkwardugh.

    Clio didn¡¯tment on her strange behavior, while Reya blinked in her direction with a curious gaze. They could both see Ember¡¯s difort as she carefully closed the book she had in her hand, pushing it slightly to the side of the desk while keeping her palm ced over the cover.

    ¡°Is that book not up to your liking, Miss Ember?¡±

    Ember blinked a few times in confusion as she didn¡¯t know how to answer it. Was she doing anything wrong by staring at the illustration of a married couple kissing? It should be fine, but she couldn¡¯t understand why she was embarrassed, and neither could sheprehend why she didn¡¯t want her servants to know what she was reading.

    Seeing her not answering the question, Reya spoke up, ¡°Would you like to check another book, Miss?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. I mean, I will first finish this book,¡± Ember rejected right away as she wanted to read this one now. She wanted to understand how the princess changed¨Cwasn¡¯t she cursing the king in the chapter she read? Howe in thetter part of the book, things proceeded to what she had seen¡­ and since that wasn¡¯t the end of the book, what more there could be? ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can continue searching for more.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Miss.¡±

    The two servants brought to her more books they had found with illustrations of couples and families and ced them on Ember¡¯s desk. She looked at two stacks of the book, each of them having five to six books.

    ¡°These are what we found till now from the first and second shelf. We will go through those books on the other shelves and find more of¨C¡°

    ¡°I think these many are enough for now. Thank you for helping me,¡± Ember interrupted them. ¡°After I finish them, we can find some more if there¡¯s a need.¡±

    She was forcing herself to remain calm as she waited for the two elves to move away. She was yet to open the book under her palm, the one that she had closed due to the embarrassing illustration because she didn¡¯t want them near her when she continued reading.

    ¡°What is the first book about, Miss?¡± Clio asked with an innocent smile.

    Ember cleared her throat awkwardly before answering, ¡°It¡¯s a story of a husband and wife who started out as enemies¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, will youter tell us about it? I have never read a story written by a human before, much less one where it¡¯s about a pair of human lovers.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I will once I finish reading it.¡± Ember pulled out a light smile. ¡°You two don¡¯t have to apany me here. You can continue your other work. I will call for you when I need anything.¡±

    The two servants obeyed their master as they decided to leave. ¡°We wille to call you for your midday meal, Miss. Enjoy reading.¡±

    Ember finally let out a sigh of relief the moment the servants left.

    Now Ember was finally alone, there was no reason for her to feel like a thief who was trying to hide something. She opened the book and once again looked at the illustration.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t she hate the king? Why is she¡­?.Ah, I should resume reading the part where I left off¡­¡¯

    Ember found the story amusing, especially the parts where the princess tries to annoy the king again and again, but as she read further, she gradually understood how the king and his wifended themselves in this situation. The princess was showing her usual bitterness towards the king, and in response, the king finally lost his calm and kissed her to shut her up, leaving her shocked. Then Ember read what the king said to his wife.

    ¡°If I am truly as evil as you im, do you think you will still be standing in front of me, mydy? I would not have left you alone on our wedding night, nor would I have shied away from our marital bed for all those nights that came after our wedding three months ago.¡±

    The princess was taken aback but she was not one to be intimated so easily. She wiped her lips with the back of her palms angrily.

    ¡°My lord, you say it as if I should be grateful for your benevolence, but I am sure that in your mind, you must not find my face up to your liking.¡±

    The king chuckled at her response. ¡°Under the dark veil of the night, should I care if the appearance of the woman in my bed is up to my liking or not? I care about nothing but satisfying myself. If you don¡¯t believe me, I can show you by satisfying both of us thoroughly at this very moment.¡±

 Chapter 187 Did He Feel The Same When We Kissed?

    When Ember read these lines, she found herself being intimidated by those words though she didn¡¯t know what the king in the story was referring to exactly. However, she felt her heart pounding in her chest.

    ¡®He sure is like His Majesty. So scary¡­ Simply reading these lines makes my heart beat faster.¡¯

    In the story, the princess turned angry and turned to leave while cursing the king.

    ¡°Who does he think he is?¡±

    The king replied coldly to her outburst, ¡°The sovereign of this kingdom, your lord, and your husband.¡±

    The princess heard him clearly, but she didn¡¯t even turn to look at him.

    Ember sighed as she turned to the next page. ¡®I don¡¯t understand if I should call this king insensitive or this princess stubborn. Both are impossible to talk with.¡¯

    As the story continued, their rtionship deepened, showing how their bittersweet encounters caused their treatment of each other to change. The king no longer felt indifferent toward the princess, and the princess started to look forward to seeing her husband.

    Whenever the king came in front of the princess, instead of pure hostility, the princess felt mixed emotions, sometimes even finding herself smiling as she stared at him, while at times her heart would beat fast and she would find herself flustered by his show of concern or goodwill. She would act, unlike her usual self. The way it was being exined, Ember could rte to the experience herself.

    She remembered that the past few days, she herself was unable to keep her calm. Whenever she wouldy eyes on Draven¡¯s dignified form, it was as if nothing around him existed and all she could see was the king. It was as if all the sounds in the world disappeared at the same time, leaving her to drown in her loud heartbeats.

    ¡®I have been acting the same way as this princess. Does that mean I have fallen for His Majesty, just like this princess to her husband?¡¯

    She kept her hand on her heart which was beating loudly at this realization. She could not understand why¡ªwas she bothered by her newfound discovery about her feelings, or was this simply because she was being affected by the romantic development of the couple in the book?

    ¡®But this king seems to have softened his character because he started to have feelings for his wife while His Majesty¡­¡± she sighed. ¡®I can¡¯t expect him to be soft towards me. Every time he sees me, all he does is re at me with those scary red eyes.¡¯

    Ember discarded the thought of her falling for the king or vice-versa, and continued reading. She had yet to find out how married couples should treat each other, the main reason why she was reading a book about human couples in the first ce.

    ¡®I don¡¯t think their unconventional rtionship is something I should use as a reference. I should move on to another book¡­but the story is so good¡­¡¯

    Continuing to read that developing romance between the couple, Ember could not help but had a small expectation in her heart, wondering if she too would get to experience some of the things the princess experienced. After the princess opened up her heart to her husband, the king changed his ways and started to openly show affection to the princess. In return, she too changed from always bitter to being sweet and affectionate to him.

    When she started getting worried upon realizing that there weren¡¯t a lot of pages left, Ember finally got to the part she¡¯s long been waiting for¡ª the king and his wife were finally going to consummate their marriage.

    ¡®Oh, finally they have decided to¡­.Now I will know what married couples do on their wedding night¡­¡¯

    Ember had already reached the part where the princess was being prepared by her maidservants for the night, and there was a lot of nervousness in the perspective of the princess as she entered her chamber that was prepared especially to wee the king. The princess was looking forward to spending the night with her husband, and from her dialogues, her shyness and excitement were apparent.

    The book being written in detail, Ember could picture everything in her mind well, and before she knew it, a part of her started to imagine herself being in that princess¡¯s ce.

    On the next page, there was an illustration of the princess sitting on her bed, waiting for the king to arrive in her chamber.

    ¡®Oh, her husband arrived¡­ but why is she this nervous? Isn¡¯t her character very proud and dignified? Hmm? Biting¡­humans don¡¯t bite¡­He doesn¡¯t mark the woman. They had a wedding¡­but then why¡­¡¯

    Ember read the description of what happened next, trying her best to understand their actions. After whispering sweet words to his wife, the king kissed her before pushing her down on the bed.

    For some odd reason, the more she read, the more Ember felt the temperature in her study getting warmer.

    ¡®The princess responds to her husband¡¯s kisses, and he seems to like it based on his reaction. I wonder if His Majesty likes it too when he kisses me¡­arghh, is it because of his scent? I get so distracted by His Majesty¡¯s scent that I didn¡¯t notice how he feels when we kiss. I wonder if His Majesty feels the same as this king¡­¡¯

    Ember tried to recall how Draven looked and behaved whenever they kissed. However, her mind would nk and only sensations of those moments would remain, as if each and every touch of his was engraved on her body. Shivers ran down her spine as she recalled the way his mouth dominated hers, how his hands wrapped around her to pull her close¡ª.

    ¡®Ahh!¡¯ She shook her head and tried to calm her racing heart. ¡®Focus! I need to focus! I should focus on the book or else I won¡¯t understand anything. But at least now I know it starts with a kiss. Next time, I¡¯ll pay more attention when His Majesty and I kiss¡­¡¯

 Chapter 188 [Bonus chapter]The Things Married Couple Do

    As things proceeded within the book, Ember found herself holding her breath with the next shocking matter she read from the following lines. The king¡¯s hand was roaming his wife¡¯s body. Didn¡¯t Draven do the same thing? While pinned against that bookshelf, he had touched her chest and¨C

    Instinctively, her hands moved to cover her chest. Ember found herself panting at this point, her face so hot she was thankful no one could see her expression inside her study.

    ¡®Do husbands really do this? I thought His Majesty was just being unreasonable back then. But why¡­do they need to¡­? It¡¯s embarrassing! Aah! So embarrassing!¡¯

    It took her some time to calm herself. Though she was trying hard to focus on the story, images of Draven upied her mind, and at times, she started fantasizing about her and Draven in ce of the king and the princess in bed¡­

    ¡®It would surely feel good for us too, right? No, no, wait¡­! I¡¯m forgetting something. If His Majesty and I do the things married couples do and our senses get overtaken by our scents¨C¡®

    That intoxicating scent of her mate¡­

    Gulping, Ember stopped herself and focused on reading the next part of the story.

    ¡®I should just read it all in one go and get done with it. Why am I losing myself in fantasies?¡¯

    As she read what happened next, her embarrassment reached the top of her head.

    ¡°Aah! He¡¯s removing her clothes! I know clothes need to be removed b-but¡­ Ahhh! So weird! Can I really continue reading? I want to stop but¨C¡°

    As the king and his wife continued to tangle between the sheets, Ember felt like she was encountering a brand new world. It was as if the words were simply flying before her eyes, and she became so engrossed the characters of the story seemed to have be alive in front of her.

    Under the spell of intimacy between the king and his wife, it was difficult for Ember to keep herself calm.

    ¡®What¡­?¡¯ Her eyes grew wide as her body shivered. ¡®It hurts but it¡¯s pleasurable¡­? How could such a¨Cam I thinking it wrong? Is it even possible? Their bodies¡­? I-I think I am reading something really wrong. Why would she beg for more? ¡­Harder? Faster? W-What¡­?¡¯

    Ember didn¡¯t realize it, but her breathing had be erratic the further she read. All those erotic exnations were making her feel hot and bothered.

    ¡®So this is what husband and wife do¨Cthey make love to one another¡­¡¯

    Ember¡¯s heart was pounding so hard, that she felt her heart woulde out of her chest if this continues. Her throat felt dry and her entire body was thrumming as if she were in heat. It was because in ce of the characters in the book, her mind had gone ahead and put her and Draven in it.

    At such a wild thought, she could not help but clench her thighs tightly. A strange heat of desire filled her belly, slowly spreading across her body.

    ¡®What am I imagining¡­?¡¯

    Ember groaned as she closed the book in a hurry. She buried her face in her palms and tried to calm herself by taking deep breaths. She didn¡¯t want to process what she had read in the book. All she wanted was to get rid of what she was feeling. She realized her face and even her palms were sweaty.

    ¡®Water¡­I shall drink water to calm myself¡­¡¯

    Her servants had kept a pitcher of water for her on her desk. Ember poured water on the ss and emptied the entire thing down her throat without stopping. Still, she found it was not enough and poured more water into the ss and emptied them out.

    ¡®This book¡­is wild. It¡¯s extreme. It-It must be wrong! I don¡¯t believe married couples do all those embarrassing things. I shall check others to make sure!¡¯

    She immediately pulled out the random book from the stack her servants had arranged and skimmed through it. With the help of random illustrations, she knew where she should read.

    The second book was about a young master of a noble family and a beautifulmoner. This new book had an entirely different setting, but the couple did not even marry each other yet when they started bing intimate as lovers. The embarrassing things they do were even much more absurd than in the first book!

    Ember looked through another book, and this time, it was a story between a rich heiress and a royal knight. After their wedding, they consummated their marriage before the knight had to leave for war¡­and they also did unreasonable things to each other¡¯s bodies! Their desires even became more extreme after they were reunited in the middle of the book!

    ¡®So¡­this is what consummation really means?¡¯

    Finally, Ember decided to give up and put those books away.

    She closed her eyes briefly as she leaned back in the chair but her mind and body would not calm down. She was shocked, but the more dominant feeling was her being stimted due to what she had read. There was no way she could deal with this so easily.

    She stood up and chose to go out on the balcony, hoping that the fresh air would help calm her down.

    As she leaned against the railing of the balcony, the gentle breeze and the sound of birds finally made her mind less chaotic.

    ¡®I never knew¡­ Does this really happen in real life?¡¯ She took one deep breath. ¡®So embarrassing! I can¡¯t even start to imagine¡­ No wonder Gaia never told me about it. That day, even Y looked so hesitant to answer me. I don¡¯t think this is something I can say out loud.¡¯

    Sighing again and again, Ember pped her cheeks to get her wits back. She paced around the balcony, and after some time, she sat on the chair on one side. Thoughts about her and Draven came to her mind.

    ¡®His Majesty is my husband¡­so that means we will be doing the same¡­? So embarrassing!¡¯

    Ember groaned as her emotions which had barely calmed down started to turn restless once again.

    ¡®Now I know why His Majesty asked me those questions and why he wanted me to look for an answer.¡¯ She stared at the bright sky. ¡®Night of the full moon! Reya and Clio said there are only five days left¡­will that truly be the night when His Majesty and I consummate our bond?¡¯

 Chapter 189 I Want To Kiss You

    With Ember engrossed in her worries, she didn¡¯t realize a certain someone was approaching her after having spotted her form on the balcony from high up in the sky.

    Morpheus had a big grin on his face at the thought of surprising her.

    ¡®Good that I found you here, or I would have gone through that annoying Dragon to see you. It¡¯s not like that will stop me, but I don¡¯t want you to see both of us arguing and fighting. I don¡¯t mind you thinking that dimwit is scary, but I can¡¯t have you scared of me.¡¯

    Morpheusnded on the balcony with a flourish, the gust of wind he brought with him causing Ember¡¯s brown hair to flutter about. ¡°Hey, little female!¡±

    Ember, who was lost in her own thoughts, was startled by his voice, and she almost jumped out of her skin. Upon seeing it was just Morpheus, she took deep breaths with her hand over her chest, trying to calm her crazily beating heart.

    ¡°Morph! You scared me!¡±

    ¡°Huh? I did?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did!¡±

    ¡°But I always arrive from the sky this way?¡±

    Ember pouted at his cheeky response. Her heart was still pounding, though at this point she was not sure whether it was because she was startled by the shapeshifter¡¯s arrival or she was yet to recover after reading those erotic books.

    Morpheus observed her red face, somewhat confused by the way she overreacted.

    ¡®Did my arrival truly shock her this much? Why does she look¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t quite find the best word to describe it. ¡®¡­different, maybe? Did something weird happen to her?¡¯

    However, the wind picked up at that moment and his nose caught a whiff of her sweet fragrance. He stared at her intently for a while.

    ¡®She always smells good, like fresh flowers, but why is it so strong today? It hasn¡¯t been a month since¨Cwait, is she..?¡¯

    Morpheus was stunned when a strange thought popped into his mind. Due to his guess, he began noticing the signs she was letting out.

    ¡®Damn, where is that idiot Dragon when he should be with his mate?! Such an ignorant creature! That dimwit can¡¯t even take care of his mate!¡¯

    Unaware of his thoughts, Ember was confused to see him standing without saying a word.

    ¡°Morph, why are you here?¡±

    Her own question surprised her. Normally, she would feel happy whenever he came to visit her. There was no particr reason, but this time, she felt a bit bothered to see him here.

    He showed her the bundle of hide he was carrying. It was filled with familiar red orb-like fruits. ¡°Ta-dah! Dragon Fire Fruits! I picked a lot of them for you. Yesterday, you liked them so¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you,¡± she said with a smile, but her response was a bitcklustre from what he expected.

    Morpheus ced the bundle of fruits on the stone railing of the balcony and stepped towards her, his expression showing concern.

    ¡°Are you not feeling well, Ember?¡±

    Ember took a step back instinctively and averted her gaze from him. She looked overly nervous as she fiddled with her fingers, scratching the skin around her nails.

    ¡°Y-Yes! I am fine¡­¡±

    Morpheus observed her for a bit and closed the remaining distance between them. He held her hand and checked her fingers. ¡°Stop that. You are hurting yourself.¡±

    The moment his hand touched hers, she felt as if she was electrocuted, and she tried to pull her hand back but he did not let go of his grasp.

    ¡°Did I? I didn¡¯t realize¨C¡°

    ¡°Tsk. You have scratched your own skin and it¡¯s almost bleeding.¡±

    ¡°I will take care of it,¡± she said, still trying to pull her hand away to let him know he needed to let go of her hand.

    He shifted his attention from her hand to her lowered face. Seeing the pink tinge on her skin, his doubt was cleared that she was not fine¨Cand he knew exactly why that was the case.

    ¡®Her sweet scent is stronger than ever.¡¯

    Morpheus felt his own heart skipping a beat at the realization of what she needed the most at the moment. He was a healthy male after all, and as a beastman, his instincts regarding such matters were stronger than males of the other races. His urges were pushing him towards giving her what she needed.

    He was starting to get lost in that sweet fragranceing from her. No other female¡¯s fragrance had ever tempted him like this, but this human¡­she was an anomaly.

    ¡®So sweet¡­I wonder if your lips taste just as sweet¡­¡¯

    Continuing to hold her hurt hand with his, his free hand moved towards her face. His rough fingers, remnants of his warrior days, touched her smooth cheek with gentle affection.

    A light gasp left her lips as she looked up to meet his gaze. She could not react under the spell of his eyes. Her heart was beating faster and faster as his soft touch seemingly traced a trail of warmth on her flushed cheek. Those ash grey eyes appeared darker than usual, staring at her intensely. As if he would engulf her entirely.

    ¡°Morph¡­?¡± she mumbled under her fast, shallow breathing.

    Excitement.

    She¡¯s feeling a strange surge of excitement, her body humming in anticipation.

    Morpheus felt the same as he could feel his own heart racing, his breathing turning heavy, almost like there was not enough air around him. He didn¡¯t wish to let her go.

    ¡°You smell so good, Ember,¡± he said leaning closer to her, his voice so low and hoarse with desire, it made her gulp.

    Ember could not pull her gaze away from those intense eyes. No word came out of her mouth. She found his faceing closer to hers, and soon enough, he was so near she could feel his hot breath fanning across her delicate skin.

    ¡°Ember¡­¡±

    Hearing him say her name again, her lips slightly parted but she still could not say a word. His voice held longing for her, and it gave her an odd impression. It was as if it was not just her name he was saying¨Cit was as if his very existence, his soul itself, was calling out for her.

    Morph was totally different from how Ember knew him.

    It was strange, but she didn¡¯t dislike this different Morpheus. Her body was humming, seeking for something, and it was telling her this man would give it to her. She wanted him closer as her body started to expect from him something she could barely understand.

    ¡°Morph¡­¡±

    Lost in his eyes, she ended up whispering his name. His name rolled off her tongue as if it was the most natural thing to say. She did not know why she did so and she didn¡¯t care in the first ce. It was just right, and she could see his eyes darkened in response.

    ¡°I want to kiss you,¡± he whispered back, his face so close the tip of his nose touched hers. He briefly closed his eyes as he savoured that sweet scenting from her. ¡®I want a taste of her lips¡­¡¯

    Hearing those words, Ember¡¯s gaze lingered on his lips that were approaching hers. She wanted it. She wanted it too. She wanted him to remove the remaining distance between their lips. It was such a strong urge, her body was craving, begging for it.

    And when his warm lips finally touched hers, she felt like all the thoughts inside her head melt into nothingness.

    Morpheus felt her delicately soft lips brush against his. It wasn¡¯t merely even a kiss, more a beginning of one, like she was teasing him with a featherlight touch. Something inside him was roaring as his own heart raced under his ribcage. It felt as if his heart would jump out of his chest. It was the first time ever he had felt this way.

    ¡®It¡¯s not enough! More!¡¯ his urges were telling him. ¡®More!¡¯

    He opened her lips slowly, wanting to deepen their kiss but¡­ but he stopped. Against his own instincts, Morpheus stopped and pulled his head back slightly. The man whose own instincts were driving him crazy fought against his desires to look at the human in front of him.

    Ember had her eyes closed and lips slightly parted, willing to receive his own desires. He wanted toply, to lower his head once more and readily give in to what he wanted, no, what they both wanted, but he needed to stop. As a man, he had to stop.

    ¡®Does she really want this?¡¯

    Morpheus knew what kind of person Ember was. She might not understand what she was doing and why she was behaving like this, but that wasn¡¯t the case for him. He could not just take advantage of her momentarypse of judgment. He wanted to make sure that she knew exactly what she was doing¡­ that she would not me ignorance for the consequences of kissing a man not her mate.

    Ember opened her eyes, her half-lidded emerald green eyes looking at him as if she was begging him to continue. However, Morpheus steeled his own resolve. He did nothing further although everything about her was saying she was expecting more to happen.

    ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t regret this, Ember?¡± he said in a low, husky voice, his breathing rugged.

 Chapter 190 She Didnt Want It

    For a moment, she could only stare. She felt like her mind could not process what he said.

    Regret? Regret what?

    But then, she realized what he meant. It was as if she had been pped. She lowered her head as blood rushed to her head, and tears started to form in the corners of her eyes. She felt like she had no right to look at Morpheus anymore. She wanted to hide, to scream, to run away. She didn¡¯t understand what she was feeling, but she could not deny it.

    ¡°I¡­Morph¡ªI¡¯m¡­¡±

    She was shaking so much that she could not form a coherent sentence.

    Morpheus understood. He felt like his entire body was weighted by a mountain exactly because he understood.

    ¡®Ah¡­she didn¡¯t want it¡­¡¯

    With a bitter smile lingering on his handsome face, he moved away from her, giving her enough space to breathefortably, but he could notpletely let go of her. His hand still caressed her cheeks, his touch gentle and affectionate, as if to assure her that refusing was fine. That he was fine.

    ¡°M-Morph, I¡­I am sorry,¡± she was finally able to say, feeling embarrassed by her actions. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡ª¡±

    ¡°Look at me,¡± he instructed, his voice as gentle as it could be.

    She looked at him, the corners of her eyes pooling with tears of embarrassment. ¡°I-I¡­¡±

    ¡°Hush,¡± he smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize. I was lost in the moment as well, but luckily, a bit of reason was left. I wanted to make sure that you really want it. I want to kiss you badly too, and I would not have stopped if you wanted the same.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Her mind was a mess of confusion with what she even wanted. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±

    He let go of her hurt hand that he was still holding as well as pulled back his other hand that was caressing her cheek. He let out an awkward yet bitter-soundingugh as his fingers brushed through his ash grey hair, somewhat a nervous tick as he avoided her gaze.

    ¡°Is that so¡­? I guess, well, let¡¯s not think about it¡­¡±

    His eyes happened tond on the bundle of fruits on the stone railing.

    ¡°The Dragon Fire Fruits, hah, I almost forgot. You should eat one. It tastes best when it¡¯s freshly plucked. You might feel better and help you change your mood?¡± he said, still sounding awkward, and without waiting for her reply, he pulled out one fruit from the bundle, peeled it and offered it to her.

    With her hands still trembling, she epted the peeled fruit, coordinating with him as she too wanted to get out of this embarrassing situation as soon as she could.

    ¡°Oh, but eat only this one, or you will fall asleep again,¡± he suggested, to which he received a small nod.

    With her attention no longer on him, Morpheus let out a shaky breath and regained his lostposure. He distanced himself a bit from her while leaning with his back against the railing of the balcony, his arms folded in front of his broad chest and his legs crossed over each other.

    As the breeze gently ruffled against his hair, he found himself bing calmer. He was content to simply watch Ember nibbling at the fruit with adorably small bites.

    Of course, Ember could sense his gaze on her. After a while, she felt like she could no longer stand his silent scrutiny.

    ¡°Stop looking at me.¡±

    She was still embarrassed by what happened a moment ago. If it was not for Morpheus pulling away, she was sure that something more would have happened between them. She had no will to resist what she felt earlier, and neither did she have the ability to stop her desires.

    Morpheus chuckled, wanting to tease her.

    ¡°But you eat so well.¡±

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t tease me!¡±

    Seeing her face burn crimson, he made himself look away. ¡°Fine!¡±

    After she finished that fruit, she stood next to him, her hands holding onto the balcony railing as support. She felt relieved that the awkward atmosphere around them had started to disappear.

    ¡°Thank you¡­¡± she started, her voice small and barely audible, ¡°umm, for the fruits¡­¡±

    Morpheus asked, ¡°Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± was all she could say as she didn¡¯t know what he was referring to.

    ¡°What happened to make you feel like this?¡± he rified. ¡°We¡¯ve hung out many times, and you¡¯ve never behaved like this. Something triggered you. Is it the effect of the bond?¡±

    ¡°That¡­¡± she hesitated.

    ¡°I am your friend and you can tell me. Friends are there so you can share things with them that you cannot normally share with others.¡± He then looked to his right, and their gazes met once more. ¡°I am sure something has happened.¡±

    She felt her heart beating faster, a mix of nervousness and embarrassment making her hesitate.

    ¡°I only want to be of help,¡± he assured her.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­His Majesty gave me a task,¡± she replied slowly, carefully choosing her words.

    ¡°Task?¡±

    ¡°He asked me some questions and told me to look for answers to them¡± she replied, but corrected herself immediately, ¡°Please don¡¯t ask what questions. I¡­I won¡¯t be able to say them.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no worries! I won¡¯t. Go on,¡± he assured her again.

    She put on a strained smile. ¡°So, to find the answers to those questions, I looked through a handful of human books, in particr romance stories, as Y told me that mates are simr to the human concept of a husband and wife. I wanted to understand how a proper husband and wife should treat each other and what they do¡­on¡­.their wedding night¡­¡± She stopped as she had no other words to say.

    Morpheus understood her dilemma and concluded, ¡°I see. And you found the answers?¡±

    With her head lowered in embarrassment, she nodded lightly and then exined, ¡°Earlier, I didn¡¯t mean to¡­but I don¡¯t know why¡­.¡±

    ¡°A momentarypse of judgment. It happens,¡± he assured her, keeping his own thoughts and feelings aside. His nonchnt shrug caused her to be visibly more at ease. He continued with a wistful smile, ¡°You are learning and exploring things you¡¯ve just be aware of. What¡¯s important is the lesson you get from these kinds of experiences. It¡¯s good for you to realize early what you want and what you don¡¯t want. Life is like that¡ªit¡¯s a matter of trying things out and choosing what works best for you. No one is perfect at the start. You can take it like you lost your way for a moment but then found the path you want to take.¡±

    The more he spoke, the more wistful his smile became.

    ¡®Should I think of this as a lesson for myself as well?¡¯

    It was the first time Morpheus had harboured romantic thoughts for a woman. It was the first intimate encounter he had with a female, and it was his first kiss, though it was nothing more than just lightly touching their lips.

    Could he really brush this memory aside as a lesson? What he felt in that mere second was something he would not forget. Unfortunately, this was something he could only keep to himself.

    Ember was not his. She did not choose him. She was merely caught up in the moment and didn¡¯t intentionally want something more. Aside from his friendship, there was nothing she wanted from him.

    ¡°Will I be a bad mate now?¡± she mumbled, feeling bad about what she did.

    He looked at her downcast face. ¡°You are thinking too much. It is just a matter of bad luck¡ªyou¡¯re with the wrong person at the wrong time. Isn¡¯t your decision to refuse the most important thing?¡±

    ¡°Do you think so?¡± she asked, looking at him with her worry-filled eyes.

    He offered her an assuring smile and nodded. ¡°His Majesty the King is a lucky man. You will be really a good mate to him.¡±

    She felt a little relieved. ¡°I will strive to be one.¡± But then, a thought came to her mind. ¡°Will His Majesty be angry if he gets to know I¡­we¡­?¡±

    ¡°Gets to know what?¡±

    ¡°That¡­we¡­¡±

    ¡°Did something happen? You¡¯re just eating the fruits I brought.¡±

    Her emerald green eyes stared at him intently.

    ¡°Your friend came to visit you and fed you fruits. That¡¯s all that happened.¡±

    He could not stand to see her guilt-ridden face as if she hadmitted a sin. Technically speaking, they were about to kiss and when he asked for her consent, she refused to continue.

    Attraction was a natural thing, and it was something that could not be controlled. What mattered was one¡¯s moral behaviour¡ªhow one chooses to behave. His conscience was clear, and so was hers. He wondered if Ember thought that was not the case, but her moral values were still attuned to the human ways.

    ¡°No need to mention everything to him. Best if you forget about it,¡± he suggested but felt bad that he was asking her to forget something he himself held with great importance.

    She nodded, her expression still downcast.

    ¡°Oh, I forgot to ask, how are your magic lessons going so far?¡±

    The moment he asked this, her eyes brightened up and she looked like she had put aside what happened between them.

    ¡°I was able to reach my energy core,¡± she informed him happily.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. I knew you could do it,¡± he encouraged her.

    ¡°Soon, I will be able to use magic like you! I will work hard because I want to show off my spell to you next time.¡±

    ¡°I look forward to it.¡±

    She smiled brightly at him. He felt relieved to see her smiling as he wanted nothing more but to see her smiling.

    ¡®She looks better. I should leave now.¡¯

    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I guess I will take my leave now. Remember, don¡¯t eat more than one Dragon Fire Fruit a day,¡± he said and the next moment the pair ofrge wings behind him opened up.

    ¡°See you soon?¡±

    ¡°See you soon.¡±

    Ember held the bundle of fruits in her hand as Morpheus flew away.

 Chapter 191 Finding Erlos

    Outside the pce, a ck-haired man in a rather dignified yet reserved attire could be seen walking amongst the trees at the outskirts of Ronan within the Forest of the Elves.

    It was the part of the forest where hardly anyone would step foot, unless one wishes to be on his own. Yet on this rather normal day, a rare visitor had visited this ce.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    ¡®Found you.¡¯

    Draven¡¯s sharp ears caught the whooshing sounds of training¨Cno, venting¨Cas soon as he went past the outermost circle of trees. His personal attendant, Erlos, had been in a foul mood for the past few days, to the point the young elf acted unusually quiet, pretending he didn¡¯t exist aside from doing his tasks. His master turned a blind eye on the elf¡¯s behavior, but after Erlos suddenly took a day off, Draven could no longer dismiss what he¡¯s going through.

    Being the one who raised him by his side, Draven could guess what¡¯s happening even without asking. It was not the first time he was facing this particr behavior of his servant.

    Swoosh!

    Draven tilted his head a little to the side and an arrow passed an inch away from his ear¡ª

    Thwack!

    ¡®He doesn¡¯t seem to have calmed down yet,¡¯ Draven concluded as the arrow struck the trunk of the tree behind him and continued to walk ahead.

    A few more arrows passed by but not a single one hit Draven. Finally, a young silver-haired elf came into sight who was shooting arrows at a row of targets¨Cmultiple dried grass tied into the shape of a person¡¯s figure¨C that were hung to the trees.

    As Draven was behind those targets and walking towards the archer, he was directly walking in the direction facing Erlos, and he could clearly see those eyes of his filled with muted rage. He looked nothing like his usual carefree self, his indignant expression giving him the impression of a cornered wounded animal who would bite anyone foolish enough toe close.

    Arrows kept passing by Draven as he continued to walk ahead but not a single one was touching him.

    Draven reached the row of straw dummies Erlos was trying to shoot, yet despite that, the young elf had no change of expression, as if he could see nothing but those targets.

    Draven took a few more steps forward and turned around to look at the targets, but strangely enough, not even a single arrow had hit any of them.

    ¡°Your quiver is near empty, but not a single arrow has hit the target?¡± Dravenmented as he eyed the container holding arrows near the elf¡¯s feet. Erlos was a skilled archer who was renowned for never missing a target. Archery was one of the innate skills of the High Elves, and it was impossible for his kind to fail something they found as easy as breathing.

    Erlos didn¡¯t reply to him. He merely grabbed a handful of arrows from the quiver, and the next moment, all those straw targets were hit simultaneously by the multiple arrows. It was as if he was saying he missed them all intentionally, and when he wished to, not a single arrow missed its target.

    Draven merely nced at those straw dummies. ¡°Were you waiting for me to provoke you? Is there a need for you to show off your archery skills?¡±

    Erlos still didn¡¯t look at the King as he prepared to shoot more arrows. ¡°I have officially taken time off from my pce duties.¡±

    ¡°I am aware of it,¡± Draven said as he walked towards the elf.

    ¡°Then why is Sire here?¡± Erlos asked. The next moment, the arrow he let loose hit one of the ropes, snapping it in half, and the target hanging from it fell down.

    Draven didn¡¯t find it important to answer him as he knew Erlos was aware why he was there. It was not the first time this was happening.

    ¡°Nightmares?¡± Draven asked.

    Erlos pulled another arrow from the quiver and asked in a strangely somber voice, ¡°When will you let me know who killed my parents? If not, then when will you tell me where I can find them? I will settle for anything that will lead me to them.¡±

    Swoosh!

    Thwack!

    Another target hanging from the tree fell on the ground.

    ¡°You are not ready yet,¡± Draven responded.

    ¡°The same answer I have been hearing all these years. It¡¯s been a century, Sire. Those human culprits might have long died but those of our kind who sided with humans are still out there,¡± Erlos said as he shot another arrow and another target fell down.

    ¡°They will face retribution one day,¡± Draven assured him. ¡°I won¡¯t let them remain unpunished.¡±

    ¡°It is I who lost his parents, rtives, and friends,¡± Erlos countered as he was ready to shoot another arrow. ¡°I want to do it with my own hands.¡±

    Draven said nothing and casually walked towards the row of fallen targets. Seeing him stand there, Erlos lowered his hands holding the wooden bow with an arrow knocked in it.

    The ck-haired man turned to face Erlos. ¡°I will give you a chance.¡±

    Those words made the hands holding a bow tremble.

    Draven continued, ¡°I will put up a shield in front of me, exactly of the same strength those people used back then. If you manage to break this shield, I will consider telling you their identities.¡±

    Erlos said not a word as he raised his bow back into shooting position. As he let out a shaky breath, he tightened his grip on the arrow he was holding and put his strength on pulling the bow. He closed one of his eyes to focus and put a number of strengthening spells on that arrow.

    Even his elemental power, Wind, covered that arrow.

    Swoosh!

    The young elf seemingly shot a single arrow, but the moment it left the bow, multiple wind arrows appeared out of nowhere and hit that shield all at the same time¨C

    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

    ¨Cbut nothing could affect that invisible shield in front of Draven.

 Chapter 192 Why Didnt You Kill Them?

    ¡°This is how powerful those people were a century ago. After so many years, do you think their strength would have remained stagnant? If you could not even shake my barrier a little, then it is useless for you to learn of their identities,¡± Draven said without a change in his expression.

    Erlos said nothing. He could only silently grit his teeth in anger and frustration. He held another arrow, and this time, he wrapped more of his elemental power around the arrow. He thought of the other magic skills he learned in the past and chanted under his breath to add them to this shot.

    If viewed by an outsider, one would be in awe to see the terrain around the silver-haired elf being changed by the mere force from that arrow.

    Swoosh! Swoosh!

    ¡®More arrows¡­ faster¡­ I need to shoot them faster!¡¯

    Countless enchanted arrows were shot at that shield, but still, the result was the same. It had reached to the point that Erlos had run out of wooden arrows and was already using pure magic, his arrows created from nothing but his own power. He didn¡¯t give up and kept trying, again and again, creating wind arrows with strength enough to destroy this part of the forest if it weren¡¯t for Draven¡¯s shield.

    Draven remained standing in ce without a word. He neither stopped him from trying normended him for showing talent beyond his peers, simply watching behind that shield with his hands folded behind him.

    Though Draven wasn¡¯t intending it, his nonchnce further provoked Erlos. The elf hated how he looked as if he was sure not a single arrow would reach him.

    After so many tries that Erlos even forgot counting, the young elf finally ran out of magic power and copsed on his knees. Drops of blood could be seen dripping from his nose, and even the fingers of his hand holding the bow were bleeding. They could not even properly hold the weapon anymore.

    Erlos let out a frustrated curse, angered by the overwhelming sense of helplessness inside him.

    The shield in front of Draven disappeared and he walked toward Erlos. He only stopped after reaching the kneeling young elf. ¡°You did not break the shield¡­¡±

    Erlos angrily wiped away the blood from his nose.

    ¡°¡­but you showed potential. You managed to create a small crack in that shield.¡±

    His words didn¡¯t excite Erlos at all. ¡°What is the use? I failed because I¡¯m weak.¡±

    ¡°You improved a lotpared tost time. It won¡¯t take you long to reach your goal if you keep trying.¡±

    Erlos continued to furiously wipe away his nosebleed. ¡°How long do I need to try? I cannot wait to get my hands on them.¡±

    ¡°Your anger is justified, but one should rule their anger and not let anger rule them. Impatience is the enemy that you need to first take control over. You are still young.¡±

    Erlos muttered another curse under his breath, but Draven ignored that and continued.

    ¡°The strength of a warrior is determined by three factors¡ªtalent, effort and time. Amongst all the High Elves I knew, you have the greatest talent, and you are notcking in the effort as well. What you need now is time to gain experience and grow.¡± Draven looked up in the sky as if he were reminiscing. ¡°In terms ofbat ability, you are far ahead of the High Elves of your age that I had seen in the past. Have patience.¡±

    Erlos continued to kneel on the ground, choosing to remain quiet as he calmed himself. Draven gave him ample time to recover his senses.

    After some time, Erlos raised his head to look at Draven, his eyes no longer showing frustration. Draven met his gaze and let out an internal sigh. ¡°Ask!¡±

    Erlos didn¡¯t hesitate to open his mouth. ¡°Everyone says you are the most powerful being on the continent. Then¡­ why did you fail to protect us? Why didn¡¯t you kill them? Say, even if you weren¡¯t able to hold all of them back and some escaped, why didn¡¯t you find them after that?¡±

    The young elf lowered his head as he gripped his bow with both hands.

    ¡°Sire¡­aren¡¯t you our King because you are our protector? Do you not feel anything for the loss of my entire n? Does it mean nothing to you? Is it your will to simply maintain this peace, to not fight at all? Do you wish to forget the debt of blood we have with our enemies?¡±

    That pair of red eyes seemingly darkened upon hearing those questions. Draven knew not only Erlos, the other subjects of the kingdom must also have the same questions in their minds. However, no one aside from Morpheus and Erlos dared bring this up to ask him.

    ¡°Do you know what our enemies call me?¡± Draven asked out of the blue, causing Erlos to be taken aback.

    ¡°Sire?¡±

    ¡°The Devil,¡± he responded to his own question. ¡°My hands are stained with countless blood, regardless of race, and I became feared for bringing death wherever I go.

    ¡°Peace? What use is peace when the people I cared for are gone? I wanted to kill them, all of them. The price for killing my people should be their lives. I was so angry that I won¡¯t even feel guilt if I hunt them and their descendants and everyone rted to them.

    ¡°Especially those humans?¡± Draven scoffed. ¡°Pathetic creatures, whose boundless greed is their only merit? There was a time I wished to remove the entire human race in this entire continent.¡±

    ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t you, Sire?¡± Erlos asked, feeling that it was so unfair those culprits were still roaming free after betraying their own kind and causing countless deaths.

    ¡°Because someone told me to not let my anger rule me, that she did not want me to be a monster who only knows ughter. She reminded me that I, Draven Aramis, am first and foremost a protector of my people. She is the reason I am still here and keeping myself still calm.¡±

    Erlos wondered who that ¡®She¡¯ was.

 Chapter 193 Smelling Morphs Intense Scent On His Mate

    Draven found himself momentarily closing his eyes, as if remembering those days from the past.

    ¡°I cannot forget that hellish day. Many lives were lost, and I had to make a decision¨Cdo I run after the escaping enemies at the risk of losing more of my people, or do I stay to protect the survivors and make sure to preserve at least one more life?

    ¡°She made the decision for me¨Cto protect. The leaders of the races, the most senior elders of the ns and the strongest warriors, they all sacrificed their lives to protect their people. She told me to honour their sacrifices, that I could not let them die for nothing.

    ¡°How could I refuse when she too made a sacrifice of her own? She chose tomit a sin to protect our people. There was no one else but me left to lead the broken alliance of races when even the strongest warriors were mourning over the loss. I had no choice but to agree.

    ¡°In exchange for her sacrifice, she made me promise her that I would stay here and protect our people. So stay I did. I led those lucky enough to survive to rebuild our kingdom. It¡¯s impossible to bring everything back to the way it was before, but for the sake of those who survived and those generations yet toe, the people had to continue living.

    ¡°I did not forget. No, no one forgot. The hatred we had is impossible to forget. The physical wounds healed but the scars are still left¡­but for the sake of those who sacrificed, I and those of the council, we who needed to shoulder the future of the survivors, we have to bide our time until those we protected are strong enough to protect themselves.¡±

    Erlos was at a loss for words. The King he served was a man feared by many for being heartless and cold, and he was someone who barely spoke about his real thoughts and feelings.

    Just as Draven knew Erlos, Erlos also knew Draven. The elf never expected that today of all days, his master would open up the scars of his past to him.

    ¡°Sire,¡± he spoke tentatively, ¡°the woman you speak of, I believe it¡¯s the Monarch of the White Witches?¡±

    ¡°It is indeed her. When she left, she assured me that she would try to find them. I wish she was still with us to lead our people, then I would have the confidence to leave and go after our enemies. If not for my promise with her, I would not have bound myself to this kingdom.¡±

    Erlos understood Draven¡¯s reasoning. Somehow, hearing about the sacrifices of others strengthened his determination. ¡°Sire, I know I am still weak now¡­but I want to do something that¡¯s within my current abilities. I might not have the ability to kill them yet, but at least allow me to search for their whereabouts. Then when I¡¯m stronger¨C¡°

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Draven said. ¡°When the timees, I will be the one to send them all to hell. Be patient till then.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you not trust me?¡± Draven asked.

    Erlos could not argue. ¡°I do, Sire.¡±

    ¡°Then wait and you will get what you want,¡± Draven assured him.

    Erlos tightened his grasp over his bow, but in the end, he had no choice but to nod.

    ¡°Instead of spending your day off venting over things you cannot control, you can do something else,¡± Draven suggested. ¡°Roam the kingdom. See the current strength of our people. After all, this grudge is not for you alone to bear. You will havepanions to fight along with you when the timees.¡±

    Erlos let out a shaky breath and stood up. Just as he witnessed his master using his powers to vanish out of thin air, he heard Draven¡¯s parting words, ¡°I will leave you to it then.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª

    Draven reappeared inside the open pce grounds. When he left the pce earlier, Fire Fae Helia had just arrived for Ember¡¯s magic lessons and checking the time, hours had passed since their lesson ended so there was no need for him to head to the rear of the pce.

    Once he arrived at his study, he called for Y to get an update about his mate.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡± Y bowed to the King.

    He epted it with a nod and asked, ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Miss Ember should be in her study, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°How did the lesson go? Any improvement?¡±

    The blue-haired elf smiled. ¡°Indeed, Lady Helia asked me to inform you of good news. Miss Ember was able to sense the core of her energy, and they can now proceed to the next part of her education.¡±

    Draven replied with a nod. ¡°Is she still in her study?¡±

    ¡°Seems like it as Clio and Reya are yet to prepare for her midday meal,¡± Y informed him.

    After dismissing Y, Draven thought of going to his mate and talking to her. When he was with her the previous day, she was not herself, and after that, they didn¡¯te across each other.

    Draven disappeared from his study and appeared outside of the study of his mate. The two servants standing outside the door immediately bowed to the King.

    ¡°Miss, His Majesty the King has arrived to see you.¡±

    Clio knocked first before opening the door of the study, knowing that the King was there to meet his mate. Despite not hearing a reply, Draven entered inside while the servant promptly closed the door behind. He looked around the room filled with shelves, but Ember was not sitting at her desk. He walked towards her desk which had stacks of books arranged on the surface. On the side, a number of books were scattered open, as if his mate had read them and left them just like that.

    He picked up a random book from the books that were scattered about and skimmed through it. Draven was aware of the current humannguage and thus he had no issues understanding its contents. Even the few random images drawn inside were enough for anyone to understand what those were about. He checked the other books and all were of the same kind.

    ¡®Does she enjoy reading this kind of book?¡¯

    He put the book in his hand back on the desk, and turned towards where he knew his mate was. Though she wasn¡¯t inside, her scent was filling that study, the sourceing along with the fresh breeze entering through the direction of the balcony. He knew she was outside.

    Draven walked towards the balcony and stood at the door from where he saw his mate leaning at the railing of the balcony, her back facing him.

    As he watched her, her long mahogany hair danced along the mild breeze.

    Even though he could not see her face, he could feel she was in deep thought and something was troubling her.

    ¡®Did something happen?¡¯

    As he stepped out onto the balcony, his entire body froze. Other than the scent of his mate, his nose caught a familiar scent of a male. He knew that was Morpheus, but that scent of his was stronger, deeper, than the one in his memories.

    His red eyes darkened into a dangerous shade as an unwanted thought entered his head.

    ¡®Did he¡­?¡¯

    Ember was still troubled by her conscience. It¡¯s been about half an hour since Morpheus left, but to her, it was as if he was still there with her as the memory of his closeness haunted her head. As she stood on the balcony, her mind was so chaotic. She didn¡¯t even know where to begin unravelling her thoughts.

    ¡®I should tell what happened to His Majesty. I should be honest with him. I feel like a sinner if I hide it¡­¡¯

    Ember¡¯s body stiffened when she realized she wasn¡¯t alone. It was pure intuition on her part as she was too far from him to catch his scent, and she hesitantly turned around to look at the ck-haired man standing in the doorway between her study and the balcony. She noticed his red eyes were darker and looked scarier than usual. She gulped as her guilt continued to cause her difort.

    Seeing him simply watch her without a word was making her feel more guilty.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± She bowed to him, keeping her head low.

    Draven continued to gaze at her and then looked at the red fruits bundled inside an animal hide that surely didn¡¯t belong to his mate. It reeked of the scent of that brazen eagle.

    ¡°Was someone here?¡± he asked.

    Ember nodded immediately. ¡°Y-Yes, Morph. He brought these fruits for me.¡±

    His intense eyes fixed at her.

    She could see he was upset about something. She felt suffocated under his gaze as if it would suck out her soul at any moment. For a moment, she wished she could disappear from his line of sight.

    Draven could read the guilt in her emerald green eyes. Her face was an open book, and he knew she would not harbour that emotion without a reason.

    He almost imagined himself going to her and strangling her to death for what he guessed his mate might have done but¡­

    He closed his eyes briefly to calm himself. With his hands clenched in fists and his jaw clenched, he asked, ¡°Anything I should know?¡±

    ====

    The Bonus chapter is dedicated to the reader ¡°SacRaj (RMehrotra) ¡± for gifting supergifts to the novel. Thank You so much. <3<3

 Chapter 194 Angry Draven

    Ember¡¯s fingers nervously clutched into her skirt as her conviction wavered. Before he arrived, she was thinking about telling him what happened between her and Morpheus, but his sudden appearance made her question whether this would be good for their budding rtionship or not.

    ¡°Ah, yes¡­I want to say something¡­¡±

    She tried to keep herself calm, wanting to talk about the situation with him clearly though she was shaking in fear. Not getting a reply from him scared her, but¡­

    Draven¡¯s face became icy cold as he watched the various conflicting emotions appear on her face. Seeing her look like she hadmitted a sin, his imagination ran wild, guessing what she had done.

    ¡°Tell me,¡± she heard Draven say, his eyes frosty cold as his voice held not even an ounce of emotion.

    Feeling dread crawling up her spine, Ember closed her eyes and forced herself to confess.

    ¡°Kiss! We k-k-kissed! I don¡¯t know how it happened¡ª¡±

    Before she could say more, Draven disappeared from the balcony, and the shock mixed with her guilt made her knees wobble; she needed to hold onto the railing to keep herself upright.

    ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Her eyes turned teary as she looked around the empty balcony. ¡°W-Where did he go¡­?¡±

    Draven was a man who seldom showed his real emotions to others. His cold expression was something that scared most people, even Ember, because it made him hard to read. It gave them the impression that he was constantly annoyed or that they were wasting his time.

    Yet today¡­that cold mask broke.

    His disappointment terrified her more than his anger.

    Sadness weighed her down, thinking about his reaction to what she said.

    ¡®Will he abandon me now?¡¯ Fat tears rolled down her eyes. ¡®I don¡¯t want him to. He¡¯s my only family. I want to be good to him, but instead¡­ instead of being good to him¡­I-I shouldn¡¯t have done anything that would hurt him¡­¡¯

    She felt like suddenly she was going to lose everything she gained, that she would be left alone once again.

    ¡®What have I done? ¡®

    ¡ª¡ª

    Leaving Ember in the balcony of her study. Morpheus returned to the rocky peak at the southern side of the mountain range surrounding Agartha. It was the same mountain where his sister¡¯s cave was located, the best ce to calm him down from his current agitated state.

    ¡®That little female¡­¡¯

    He kept recalling the same scene. He could not understand his own actions. He should have known better. Why did he allow himself to go that close to her? Why did he approach her¡­ and feel regret that she refused to kiss him?

    Morpheus sat at the edge of the cliff where he sat together with Ember when he brought her to this ce. He never mentioned it to her, but this was his favourite spot where he would often sit and be lost in his thoughts while surrounded by the sea of clouds.

    Remembering the admiration on Ember¡¯s face as she appreciated the view, he could not help but be bothered by the empty space next to him, seemingly echoing the strange emptiness inside his heart.

    However, even the sea of clouds wasn¡¯t helping. The image of Ember up close, the brief brushing of their lips, and how he had to stop himself, all of them kept guing his mind. When they were on the balcony a while ago, her scent was really intoxicating and he could not stop himself from giving in to temptation.

    ¡®It must be her scent, or else, there is no way I would do anything like this with someone with a mate. I have more dignity than that,¡¯ he told himself. ¡®Especially not that guy¡¯s mate. I wanted to punish him, so I don¡¯t think about her in that way. What I have for her is pity¡­and guilt for what I have to do in the future.

    ¡®Not just her. No one should be able to affect me like this.¡¯

    He continued to deny what his heart was feeling, but the more he tried, the more he thought about her.

    How close they were and how good it felt when he felt those delicate lips of hers against his. His heart started to beat faster, and he put his palm on it to calm it.

    ¡®I should not think about her¡­I should not¡­¡¯

    In the end, he gave up trying to get rid of the thoughts about Ember. Feeling helpless, Morpheus fell back toy down on the rocky ground with his legs dangling over the edge. He stared at the sky for a while and then closed his eyes.

    One word left his mouth¡­

    ¡°Ember!¡±

    Unknown to him, a pleasant smile had appeared on his lips, continuing toy there with his eyes closed.

    Almost half an hour passed by when he finally thought to get up but then sensed a certain movement nearby. A wicked smirk appeared on his lips.

    ¡®Oh, I¡¯ve been found. I can never underestimate his senses.¡¯

    With a slight shake of his body, he stood up at the edge of the cliff, his eyes on the sea of clouds as if he could see somethinging in his direction, and the next moment, the peace on that mountain was destroyed.

    A loud sound of collision could be heard with broken rocks falling down the cliff.

    Morpheus was being strangled, his body pushed against the side of the mountain by the owner of a pair of ring red eyes. The force put on that grasp seemed determined to kill him. Before Morpheus could even put up a struggle, he was once again thrown somewhere else, which caused him to collide on a nearby cliff, crushing the rocks where hended.

    With a cough, Morpheus¡¯ body fell down to the ground. Before the cloud of dust could even dissipate, Draven disappeared from his ce and appeared next to Morpheus, only to throw him once again which caused the same effect. He repeated this until the other man¡¯s body was covered in bruises and cuts.

    Draven didn¡¯t look like his usual self. He had none of his nonchnt attitude, and there was neither a tinge of mercy in him.

    The fury that he embodied made it seem like he would really kill Morpheus today.

    Draven walked towards that pile of rocks under which the shapeshifter was buried. His red eyes carried raw anger in them, as if he had lost every bit of sanity left in him and only his animal instinct took over him. The rocks moved away on their own as Draven used his powers to lift them. His red eyes darkened ferociously at the bloody shapeshifter who was lying on the ground.

    Cough! Cough!

    Morpheus coughed a little blood out and turned his head to look at the man who was standing a few steps away. He smirked at him with his face covered in bloody cuts.

    ¡°This much is not enough to kill me, Draven. You should try more.¡±

    The next moment, Morpheus was lifted up in the air and was pinned to the rock behind him, but the shapeshifter¡¯s expression still held the same mocking smirk. Nothing could scare a man who wasn¡¯t afraid of dying.

    ¡°Yes, this is it. That expression¡­¡±

    He chuckled though he was in pain and looked at Draven with a broad grin. His entire body was covered in dirt and blood was gushing out of the cuts, but he continued to chuckle as if the badly battered body was not his own.

    ¡°How satisfying it is to see you like this, Draven. You think I don¡¯t know? You always intentionally avoided hurting me for real throughout the years, but today, you finally could not hold back. I am seeing the sess that my efforts brought to me.¡±

    Draven said nothing, but Morpheus¡¯s smile broadened.

    ¡°So, did you finally decide to end my life with your own hands? What are you waiting for? Go ahead, or do I need to do more with your mate to make you kill me? Why are you not charging in? What¡¯s holding you back? Seems like only a kiss was not enough¡­Cough!¡±

    His throat was strangled by the power Draven was using to pin him to the wall, causing his face to change colour due tock of air.

    Draven walked closer to him and red down at him.

    ¡°You ungrateful eagle! I let you be because you are the only friend she had and she trusted you. How dare you take advantage of her?¡±

    Morpheus choked in response, and he used his own power to push against Draven¡¯s. As soon as he was able to gasp enough air, heughed mockingly at him.

    ¡°Advantage? You think I did something she didn¡¯t want?¡±

    Those words felt like des cutting through Draven¡¯s anger, causing him to freeze.

    Morpheus continued tough at him. ¡°Before ming me, you should look at yourself, see how pathetic you are as a mate. How can you leave your mate alone when she has ¡®needs¡¯ to be taken care of? You should be aware of how much such desires affect a female, and you should know how worse it is for one who is already marked. Do I need to spell it out to you?¡±

 Chapter 195 You Still Cant Kill Me

    ¡°She is my mate, and even if she suffers, it is none of your concern. She suffers, she dies or whatever, that has nothing to do with you.¡±

    ¡°Do I need the King¡¯s permission to have the right to be concerned? Are you treating her not as a person but as an object you owned?¡± Morpheus enjoyed the murderous expression on Draven¡¯s face. ¡°Tell me, how can I not be concerned about her when she smells so good? I simply cannot stop myself,¡±

    Draven gritted his teeth at the evil words he said, ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be her friend.¡±

    ¡°Why? Did I do something wrong?¡±

    ¡°You know better than me whether what you did is wrong or not.¡±

    But Morpheus was unrepentant. ¡°So tell me, what did I do wrong?¡±

    Seeing him continue to provoke him, Draven¡¯sst patience snapped.

    Another reason Draven let Morpheus be with his mate was not only because Ember needed a friend, but due to his lingering guilt for Morpheus himself. He felt guilt over how his past mistake ruined his formerrade, and that was why he allowed their friendship. For the first time, he witnessed the shapeshifter show interest in something aside from his revenge.

    ¡°I thought your friendship with her might help you out of your obsession for revenge. I thought you won¡¯t at least break her trust in you, but you simply don¡¯t deserve it¡­¡±

    Morpheus coughed out blood and started tough in disbelief.

    ¡°So Your Majesty was making up for the loss of my family and my loneliness by letting me borrow his mate¡­? Do you hear yourself? Do you honestly¨Cah!¡± He spat out the blood from his mouth and continued, ¡°Hah¡­You sure are so funny, Draven¡­you got me¡­¡±

    Morpheus broke the invisible power pinning him to the wall and fell on a single knee as he gasped for breath. He was mumbling words in between each gasp, and Draven had no problem catching what he was saying.

    ¡°¡­I wonder why did I even stop? I should have just¡­ gone ahead with it¡­tsk¡­sad that she stopped me, I did not try to seduce her¡­ But now I really regret it. With little push, she would have felt it impossible to resist me¡­ When someone is in heat, they tend to lose their mind¡­¡±

    Crash!

    Once again, the badly battered body of the shapeshifter was thrown against the side of the mountain, and this time, Draven didn¡¯t stop with just one or two¨Che threw him, again and again, using his powers.

    It only ended when Morpheus¡¯ body broke through the rocks and ended up sliding inside a random cave, his body leaving a harsh trail of overturned rocks on the ground. His entire body was covered in blood and he looked like he had no strength left in him.

    ¡°Haa¡­it hurts¡­but not enough¡­¡±

    Morpheus heard steady footsteps echoing inside the cave, the sound getting louder as it approached him, and he slightly turned his face to look at the furious Draven ring down at him.

    Despite having his entire face covered in blood to the point he¡¯s nearly unrecognizable, he still smiled at him, the trademark lopsided smile he wore that felt especially mocking on his face.

    ¡°Is that it¡­? But¡­am still alive¡­tsk¡­You still can¡¯t kill me¡­?¡±

    Morpheus¡¯s body was already in such a miserable state, but that did not stop him from continuing to provoke Draven. The once proud warrior was panting, many of his ribs broken, and he could barely open his eyes, his ash grey hair dyed red with his own blood, yet the broad grin on his face remained.

    ¡°If this¡­all¡­ you got, Your Majesty¨Ccough!¡±

    Blood was pooling on the ground underneath his body, but there was not a tinge of pain on his face. He even seemed entertained by the situation.

    ¡°¡­her lips¡­sweet¡­should have¡­kissed her¡­more¡­¡±

    It was as if the world had be white for Draven, and by the time his senses returned, Morpheus was no longer on the ground and there was a new gaping hole on the walls of the cave.

    Draven took slow strides towards where he could hear the shapeshifter¡¯s gasps for air. Upon entering the hole, he found himself in another cave, one that looked like it had been someone¡¯s residence at one point in time.

    It was the cave that belonged to Morpheus¡¯ sister, and the man¡¯s already weak body was sprawled on the ground. He seemed to have collided against the shelves, causing the shelves to topple over and the things on them to scatter around him.

    Draven bothered with nothing else other than that half-dead eagle letting out amused chuckles amidst his groans of pain. He continued to walk forward, but just after a few steps, he stopped as his ck boots nearly stepped on an item that looked familiar to him.

    A pendant ne made of colourful woven threads.

    Draven looked at it and gestured with his fingers for it to fly into his hand. The small circr pendant was made of redwood, and a pair ofrge wings were carved on its centre. It was an identity token, and Draven knew who it belonged to.

    A young woman as radiant as the sun, long hair like silk spun out of gold.

    The images of her innocently smiling face shed in front of his eyes, and it was as if the sounds of her giggles echoed in his ears. But in a split second, those images and sounds were reced by her face crying in grief, her lovely voice broken as she sobbed and begged.

    Those were memories he had long buried in his mind. Draven closed his eyes for a moment as he tried to put them back in ce, but the more he tried to ignore them, the heavier the weight in his chest became.

    Draven looked around the cave which he had turned into a mess, but as his gazended on the familiar items inside, the more the memories he tried to bury turned vivid. The paintings on the wall, the decorations on the side, and the things scattered on the ground, all of them triggered a particr memory of their owner.

    No matter where he looked, every inch of that cave reminded him of its owner.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ touch¡­¡± he managed to say, ¡°¡­give it¡­back¡­you monster¡­¡± Morpheus struggled to keep thest strand of his consciousness when he recognized what Draven was holding. He tried to crawl towards Draven, his broken arm reaching out to get from him that pendant ne.

    Draven nced at that token in his hand and then looked at Morpheus forcing himself despite his wrecked body.

    It was then that Draven realized what he had done. He was blinded by his anger that he thought of killing the one person he shouldn¡¯t kill.

    With his body leaving a trail of blood, Morpheus somehow reached him, but his body was too damaged for him to do anything else. Draven crouched down to put that wooden token that belonged to his sister on his bloodied hand.

    Morpheus clutched it tightly in his fist and mumbled, ¡°You¡­don¡¯t deserve¡­touch¡­hers¡­¡±

    Morpheus closed his eyes as thest of his strength left him. Tears appeared at the corners of his eyes as he mumbled the name of the owner of that pendant ne.

    ¡°¡­Myra¡­¡±

    Draven lowered his head and let out an anguished groan as he heard Morpheus call out the name of the person who had be a taboo between them.

    He could not help but feel suffocated by the onught of long forgotten emotions threatening to erupt out of him.

    ¡®I should not have¡­¡¯

    Looking at the broken body lying at his feet, he was hit by a deeper regret. He knew what Morpheus wanted, and he knew what Morpheus was doing. He should have known better than to be provoked.

    ¡®Myra, I let you down.¡¯

    Draven continued to kneel there for a while as he had his eyes closed.

    ¡®I had promised her I would take care of her older brother but¡­Myra¡­what have I done?¡¯

    He felt even more suffocated and didn¡¯t know how to deal with it. He had no mortal wound, but he was in pain and could not figure out where exactly it hurt. It was as if his entire body was dragging him down, further down, into a swamp he could neither understand nor ignore.

    Why was he hurting like this?

    An eternity seemed to have passed before Draven found himselfposed enough to realize the unconscious man on the ground needed immediate attention.

    ¡®¡­I need to have him healed.¡¯

    ¡ª¨C

    Morpheus regained his consciousness after some time and found himself lying on top of a stack of hay covered with thick hide. After several seconds of confusion, he realized he was still inside his sister¡¯s cave.

    ¡®How long had I been out? A day? Several days?¡¯

    As an experienced battle-hardened warrior, he knew precisely how bad his injuries were and could somehow guess how fast it would take for him to recover naturally. Though he could still feel the pain in his body, it was not much.

    ¡®I should have slept for at least five days¡­¡¯ He tried to lift an arm. ¡®This¡­No way¡­¡¯

    He discovered that his body was covered in bandages and his fractured shoulder was wrapped in a thick bandage with a splint attached to not let it move. Realizing he had not been abandoned as he initially thought, he let his eyes roam around the cave that was lit with amp. Though the walls were still broken, he could see that the broken shelves were disposed of and the things inside had been tidied up on one side.

    His gaze moved towards the entrance of the cave where his sharp eyes could see the familiar figure of someone, seemingly facing outside.

    Morpheus sighed andy his head back.

    ¡®Unlucky. Why is he the first thing toe into my sight the moment I wake up?¡¯

    Draven sensed him waking up and he returned inside the cave to look at Morpheus. Draven could only do basic healing, but as someone who had also gone to war, he was able to manage this much even without an elixir or potion.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a night,¡± Draven spoke with his normal dignified tone. ¡°Buy yourself a potion after and you will be fine in a day or two.¡±

    Morpheus scoffed at him. ¡°Do you want me to thank you?¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t react to it and said, ¡°I am leaving. Stay here until your bones mend back and don¡¯t attempt to fly.¡±

    Morpheus raised a brow. ¡°Why? Are you worried that I will take your mate away?¡±

    ¡°You can try it once you are fine,¡± Draven said and turned to leave.

    His reply surprised Morpheus. Instead of getting offended, this Dragon just brushed him off, acting all cool about it.

    ¡°You better not regret it,¡± Morpheus said in a loud voice.

    Draven still didn¡¯t turn to look at him until he disappeared from his line of sight.

    ====

    Bonus Chapter dedicated to reader ¡°RMehrotra¡±. Thank you for the supergift. ^_^

 Chapter 196 Waiting For Draven

    Ever since Draven left, Ember could not be at peace. When she sought to find him afterwards, she learned that none of the servants knew his whereabouts and he was nowhere to be found within the pce.

    ¡®They say it¡¯smon for him to disappear but¡­¡¯

    She continued to ask her servants if the King had returned to the pce, but every time they inquired, the answers they received from the other servants were disappointing. She wondered if she had angered the King so much that he left because he didn¡¯t want to see her anymore.

    ¡®No matter how I put it, the fact that I kissed another man is wrong. It¡¯s my fault and that wouldn¡¯t change. I can do nothing but apologize and make sure to make up to him. But why is he not returning yet?¡±

    Shey in bed while thinking about him. It was nighttime, and the entire pce was quiet as everyone had gone to sleep, but she could not feel even an ounce of drowsiness.

    ¡®Since it¡¯ste, His Majesty has probably returned to sleep, right? But I don¡¯t have anyone to ask. Reya and Clio went to sleep already,¡¯ she thought and sat up in bed. ¡®Shall I go to his chamber and personally check if he is back?¡¯

    Unless she got to talk to him, she knew she would not be able to get back her peace of mind.

    Ember went out of her bedchamber and headed towards the southeast wing of the same floor where she knew his chamber was. The hallway was quiet, and other than her light footsteps and her own breathing, she could hear nothing else.

    After what felt like a long time, she eventually reached her destination. She stood in front of the looming door of his chamber. The closed door of the King¡¯s chamber felt especially intimidating the longer she stared, and she took several deep breaths to calm her nerves.

    She knocked on his door three times.

    ¡°Your Majesty, it¡¯s me, Ember. May Ie in?¡±

    She knocked once more.

    ¡°Uhmm, I havee here to talk with you¡­if it¡¯s fine with you¡­¡±

    However, there was still no response from beyond the door, and for a moment, she felt a brief sh of frustration.

    ¡®Is he ignoring me or is he really just not inside?¡¯

    There was only one way to find out.

    As she carefully entered the chamber, she found it lit withmps but there was no one inside. Therge canopy bed of the King was empty and even the bedsheet on it was neat which showed no one had climbed on the mattress ever since the servant made the bed.

    ¡®It¡¯s been so many hours since nightfall but he is still not yet back?¡¯ Disappointment weighed her chest. ¡®I thought he would have returned by now at least. Did I really anger him that much?¡¯

    Unknown to her, she had been staring at the bed for some time, and memories of resting on this very bed shed in front of her eyes. She remembered how woke up before and found herself in his embrace.

    At that memory, her lips curved into a smile.

    ¡®Soforting¡­ it was as if all the pain I had felt till now had disappeared.¡¯

    She hadn¡¯t really thought much of it before, but now that she had a chance to reflect on the past when she had gone unconscious due to the marking, she dreamed of someone staying by her side. Now that she could understand the things, she could conclude it was no dream but reality¡ªher mate had remained by her side to be her source offort.

    She tried to recall all of their interactions. Though not all of them were pleasant, most of them showed his goodwill though his way of showing goodwill was strange and awkward, as if¡­as if he was trying but he wasn¡¯t used to acting that way. She probably annoyed him many times after she became his mate, but he had always, always been so patient with her.

    ¡®He acts cold and indifferent, but it¡¯s undeniable he cares.¡¯

    Ember wandered inside the chamber while observing each and everything, trying to feel his presence in them. Things he used in his daily life, decorations and items he collected based on his tastes, details that could tell her more of his personality, among others¡­

    She looked at the empty chair facing the window and could imagine him sitting on it while staring outside the window. It was so easy to picture the cold expression on his face.

    As she felt her heart skip a beat, she shook her head. ¡®Am I missing him? That can¡¯t be. Why would I even miss him?¡¯

    Ember patted her heated cheeks and tried to change the direction of her thoughts. ¡®What should I do? Will he be mad that I entered his room without permission? Shall I wait for him here till he returns?¡¯

    She looked around the quiet chamber once again. ¡®Umm¡­maybe I should wait, or else how would I know when he returns. It¡¯s good to be here just in case he wouldn¡¯t want to see me. I can¡¯t miss the chance.¡¯ She was determined to stay there and wait. ¡®Where should I wait?¡¯

    She looked at the armchair by the window. ¡®I can¡¯t. It¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s chair. He might not like it if I use it.¡¯ She then looked at the bed, as other than the chair, it was the only ce where she could sit, but she strongly rejected this idea. ¡®I dare not even sit on his chair, let alone his bed. I don¡¯t have a death wish.¡¯

    Ember then looked at the carpeted floor. ¡®The servants cleaned it. It should be fine if I sit here.¡¯ She walked towards the wall next to the door of the chamber and sat on the floor while resting her back against the wall. After a bit of waiting, she folded her legs in front of her and circled her arms around her knees, casually rubbing her arms from time to time. She was merely d in a sleeping gown, and the temperature within the chamber was considerably lower than her own. For a while, she wondered if it was fine to light up the firece.

    ¡®It¡¯s not much. I¡¯ve suffered worse during those winters inside the cave with Gaia. I can handle this much just fine.¡¯

    She rubbed her hands gently and continued to bear the cold.

    She continued to wait, yet the owner of the chamber still didn¡¯t show up even until she finally fell asleep, sitting there and feeling cold.

    At the crack of dawn, Draven appeared inside his chamber, only to be weed by the sweet and tempting scent that seemingly filled his chamber. He was bewildered at first, wondering why his chamber was filled with the scent of his mate, and the next moment he found the answer.

    The culprit was sitting by the wall¡ªno, in fact, sleeping by sitting by the wall was a more precise description.

    His red eyes stared at her with disbelief.

    ¡®What is she doing here?¡¯

    Draven had just returned after taking care of his affairs with Morpheus, unaware that someone was being restless and guilty, and was desperately seeking forgiveness. If he had known sooner, he wouldn¡¯t have bided time to return to the pce; he could have always thrown that eagle to some other more capable healer.

    He walked closer to her, trying to control his urges due to her scent, and kneeled on one knee to observe her. Her skin looked pale and he could see the goosebumps on her skin, telltale signs that she was feeling cold.

    ¡®How careless. Does she n to fall sick?¡¯

    He wanted to rouse her from her sleep, but she was in a deep sleep, and he didn¡¯t feel like waking her up. He didn¡¯t think much and lifted her in his arms to carry her towards his bed. He didn¡¯t find anything wrong with it as she was his mate and the instinct of a mate was strongly telling him to take care of what was his.

    The moment he lifted her, the sleeping girl sank into a deeper, morefortable sleep, acting on instinct in the warm familiar embrace of her mate.

    Draven could not help but frown to see her not even showing signs of stirring. Instead of being alert that she was being lifted by someone and waking up, she seemed to be intent to continue her sleep.

    ¡®So careless and ignorant. No wonder she could fall for anything and be taken advantage of by another male.¡¯ At the thought of it, his eyes darkened as he was once again reminded of her and Morpheus. Anger was rising inside him but he was forced to calm himself, and instead, he put his concentration back on his mate. He gently ced her in the middle of his bed, making sure she wouldn¡¯t wake up.

    He covered her with a nket and then lit up the firece by using his powers so the chamber would turn warm. Draven opted not to sleep in bed with her as he knew it would only make him lose his self-control.

    After all, the night of the full moon was drawing near¡ªmeaning, the urges would only continue to grow stronger.

    ¡®It is not wise to tempt fate.¡¯

    Since the first hint of daybreak was showing in the sky, there was not much time left for him to rest as well so there was no need for him to sleep. He simply stayed by the window, looking outside until the rays of the sun started to slowly brighten up thend.

    ¡®I wonder¡­had she been waiting for me to return?¡¯ He sure didn¡¯t expect to have her be the first thing he would see the moment he returned to his chamber.

    ¡®She is so unpredictable.¡¯

 Chapter 197 On Dravens Bed

    Up until the mild rays of the sun also entered his chamber, Draven remained standing by the farthest window from the bed, which in turn, also meant he had ced a decent distance between him and his defenceless mate upying his bed.

    It was sweet torture, staying inside a room filled with her scent while resisting temptation.

    After a while, the door of his chamber suddenly swung open and behind it was a surprised Erlos who was frozen in a strange posture, his hand raised as if he was just about to knock. Draven had sensed his approach and used his powers to allow him entry without waking up the sleeping girl in his bed.

    When the bewildered young elf entered inside, only then did he find out that the King was not alone. Draven pointedly looked at him to signal him to keep quiet and continue his work. At this time of the day, as his personal attendant, the elf had to prepare the bath for the King as well as his clothes to wear for the day.

    Back to his normal cheerful self, Erlos gave a casual gesture saying he understood, though inside, he was surprised that the King didn¡¯t ask him to stay outside of the chamber.

    ¡®Sire is really thoughtful to the Miss¡­but why is she here? I wonder what happened while I was on leave¡­¡¯

    While he imagined the reasons why Ember was on the King¡¯s bed, Erlos kept his movement light, walking back and forth the side chambers without making any sound.

    Once Erlos finished preparing the bath, he silently informed the King before heading off to the King¡¯s wardrobe to choose his attire.

    When Draven stepped out of the side chamber wearing nothing but his bathrobe, Erlos brought his change of clothes next to him.

    As Draven stood in front of the full-length mirror after wearing his pants, Erlos came out of his wardrobe this time holding two sets of tops¡ª one being a pair of a white dress shirt and ck tailcoat, and the second being a snug dark red vest coat over a cream-coloured long sleeve¡ª to ask the King which one he preferred.

    Draven never cared about his appearance, so up until now, he didn¡¯t understand why Erlos kept on asking for his opinion every single day when it was more convenient for the elf himself to choose on his own.

    Just as he sighed, Draven sensed movement in his bed and he caught his mate mumbling something while turning to her side under the sheets.

    Erlos acted as if he didn¡¯t notice it and only stood there holding the clothes.

    When Ember woke up, her sluggish senses were weed by a familiar scent that gave her the urge to smile. She sank deeper into the pillows, finding her bed morefortable than before.

    Without opening her eyes, shefortably twisted in bed and voiced out her inner thoughts.

    ¡°Feels so good¡­don¡¯t wanna leave bed¡­¡±

    She didn¡¯t realize she was not in her own chamber, much less her own bed, but a sudden sh of insight made her open her eyes.

    ¡®This scent¡­?¡¯ Her drowsiness disappeared when she found the view in front of her different from the norm. ¡®¡­and this ceiling is not¡­¡¯

    She blinked and rubbed her eyes, hoping what she thought wasn¡¯t real. But then she heard a voice that confirmed her suspicions.

    ¡°Are you finally awake?¡±

    Hearing that dignified voice, she immediately sat up in bed and turned her face towards the source of the manly voice.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty? Erlos? What¡ª¡±

    She saw a half-naked Draven standing in front of a mirror, his ck hair slightly wet, while his young attendant was standing behind him, holding clothes in his hands.

    She gulped as realization finally dawned on her.

    ¡®It¡¯s morning?! Oh no. But why am I in his bed? Was I not waiting for him while sitting on the floor? When did he return?¡¯

    She had many questions racing through her mind and her face showed them clearly.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I am¡ª¡±

    ¡°As punishment for intruding, you answer Erlos¡¯ question,¡± Draven told her in an indifferent tone.

    The initially confused Erlos but he immediately understood his master¡¯s intention and moved closer to Ember, allowing her a better view of the two sets of outfits.

    ¡°Good morning, Miss Ember. Which one would you like Sire to wear?¡±

    As if he was an experienced auction host, he put forward the clothes in an exaggerated manner, introducing the pros and cons of each outfit as he waved them up.

    ¡°¡­so you see, Miss, my heart is torn because Sire would look good either way. Such is the problem of good-looking men,¡± he said as he faked a tear. ¡°Then, do you prefer this one or this one?¡±

    Ember took her time to process what Erlos meant. Erlos spoke so eloquently yet so fast, none of them registered in her mind that was yet topletely be awake.

    ¡°Uhmm¡­I think¡­¡± She simply looked at the clothes, somewhat anxious that she was put in this spot while agreeing that either outfit would look good on Draven.

    ¡®The ck one matches his hair but the red one matches his eyes.¡¯ Finally, she decided and pointed toward the red one. ¡°That one in your left hand.¡±

    ¡°Good choice, Miss! I know you have good taste!¡± Erlos praised with a light smile to encourage the confuseddy.

    Draven looked at Erlos. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be preparing my meal now?¡±

    Erlos understood what Draven was truly implying and immediately nodded, ying along with him. ¡°Indeed! I need to go now, Sire. Can¡¯t let the kitchen people wait. I will keep the clothes here then.¡± He hung the clothes on the wooden rack ced next to the mirror where Drayce would hang his coats or robes after returning to the chamber.

    Once Erlos made his hasty escape, Draven turned toward his mate. It was odd how he found her appearance quite lovely, despite her long hair being in a dishevelled state and her thin body d in a in boring white dress.

    Was it not strange for him to want to suddenly close the distance between them and run his fingers through her hair?

 Chapter 198 Help Me Get Dressed

    Unaware of his errant thoughts, Ember stepped out of bed, wanting to apologize and exin why she was there.

    ¡°Your Majesty, apologies. Last night¨C¡°

    ¡°Help me get dressed,¡± Draven interrupted her. ¡°That is, if your apology is sincere.¡±

    Her body that was halfway to a bow suddenly straightened, and her emerald green eyes blinked at him in puzzlement. Her body shivered the moment her gaze trailed down from his face down towards his broad chest, and further down¨C

    ¡°Ah¡­I¡­should I?¡±

    She realized he was telling her to help him wear his clothes; in short, she had to do one ofErlos¡¯ tasks as the King¡¯s attendant.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you?¡± she heard his voice grow cold.

    ¡°I will!¡± she cried out in a hurry. ¡°I am sincere so I will help!¡±

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± Draven spread his arms to the side, prompting her to start. ¡± You can start by getting the clothes on the rack.¡±

    For some reason, Ember felt a hint of irritation growing. Was it the way his red eyes shed in her direction, or that annoying bored tone that sounded like there was no room for her to disobey him?

    In her opinion, he looked like a bully who intentionally wanted to trouble her.

    ¡®He knows very well I will be affected by his scent! Why is he like this? And then when I can¡¯t stop myself, he will probably me it on me that I can¡¯t control myself.¡¯

    ¡°You can¡¯t help me by standing there,¡± she heard his cold voice say, and she noticed him ring at her as if telling her his patience was about to run out.

    Ember quickly stepped towards the clothes hung on the wooden rack and took the cream-coloured long-sleeved shirt. Since Erlos gave a lengthy introduction about the clothes earlier, she had a vague idea of which articles of clothing should be worn over the other.

    With him so near to her, the refreshingly masculine scent she was smelling from her mate was hitting her strongly. She wanted to try her best to control herself. At one point, she thought she should have practiced holding her breaths for situations when she needed to be near Draven.

    She held the cream shirt in her hand and looked at Draven¡¯s muscr form. Since the man was facing the mirror, the entirety of his back was facing her.

    Solid yet lean, defined and toned¡­

    Her gaze could not help but wander around the toned muscles so visible on his back despite him simply standing leisurely. It travelled from his strong neck to those broad shoulders, and then down to his trimmed waist. Anything beyond was covered by the ck pants he was wearing, but those firm bottoms fit his pants snugly. She could not help but gulp, and unknown to her, her eyes were getting wider the more she stared at her man.

    ¡°If you are done observing, start helping me dress,¡± Draven spoke, his red eyes staring at her through the reflection on the full-length mirror. None of her reactions went unnoticed by him.

    Ember felt like a thief who was caught red-handed. Warmth spread across her cheeks in embarrassment.

    ¡®How awkward!¡¯

    She didn¡¯t dare look at him and instead held the shirt behind him after observing which side was the right one.

    Draven, who was being affected by her smell as well, held back a hint of a smile. He silently appreciated his mate¡¯s effort as she was obviously trying her best to control herself from the temptation of his scent. It wasn¡¯t likest time, when she hadpletely lost her mind the moment she was but an arm¡¯s length away from him.

    He put his hands in the sleeve of the shirt while waiting for Ember to pull it up. Ember did so and made sure it was worn properly, but then suddenly, Draven turned around to face her which made her jump back a few steps.

    Startled by his abrupt action, she lowered her gaze as her breath got stuck in her throat. Her heart was beating so fast with just a glimpse of his front. It seemed like she could not stand looking at him bare-chested.

    Draven acted as if it wasn¡¯t a deliberate deed on his part, wanting to test the improvement of his little mate¡¯s control.

    ¡°You need to button my shirt,¡± he prompted the girl nervously standing in front of him.

    A chill ran down her spine and goosebumps appeared on her skin.

    ¡®His eyes are on me. If I¡¯m that close, I only need to raise my head and his lips will be¡­My self-control¡­What if¡­Can I do it¡­?¡¯

    She felt her heart beating faster and faster, and she could not tell whether this was caused by his demand, or his scent, or her imagination running wild. Maybe it was abination of all three.

    With a shaky breath, she steeled her resolve and stood at a certain distance enough for her to be able to button his shirt. His scent was affecting her greatly, and she had to breathe thinly through her mouth, trying her best not to let that delicious scent tempt her to raise her head.

    ¡®If I meet his gaze, I will get lost in those eyes and I might end up losing control.¡¯

    Her hands were trembling a lot as she started buttoning his cream shirt from the bottom. And as her gaze travelled from his bare stomach, and then chest and up his corbones, she found her heart pounding so loudly, it was the only sound she could hear. She felt like she could not stand it.

    ¡°At this rate, I will miss my morning meal,¡± she heard him mutter and that broke through her panic. She tried to recollect herself and focus solely on her task at hand. More than him, she wished to finish this as soon as possible. She chided herself for getting distracted and impatiently reached out her hand.

    ¡®I can do it! I can do it! I must do it!¡¯

    Contrary to her forceful thoughts, her actions were careful, as if she was handling something fragile. She cautiously held the sides of his shirt, buttoning with such care that not one of her fingers grazed his skin. She didn¡¯t know why she was acting this way, but intuition was telling her she would regret it if she touched him.

 Chapter 199 Have You Found The Answers?

    Under the burden of Draven¡¯s intense gaze, the poor girl continued to button his shirt, and as she finally reached the third button¨C

    ¡°Have you thought of the answers to the questions I gave you?¡±

    ¨CDraven said something to tip the fragile bnce maintained by her highly-sensitive nerves.

    Hearing his dignified voice ask that, her already unsteady hand shook so much, that she could barely hold the button.

    ¡®Ahh! Why is he bringing that up now? I¡¯m recalling things I don¡¯t want to remember!¡¯

    Ember stopped what she was doing with an awkward face. She didn¡¯t want to answer him and fervently wished for Erlos to return so she could run away from this man.

    Her mate had made her flustered to the point she forgot her original purpose foring¨Cthat she was here to apologize to him for what happened between her and Morpheus.

    ¡°Have you?¡±

    With his gaze staring at her fidgeting form, he asked again, knowing she hadpletely understood the reason behind his questions.

    ¡°I¡­I have, Your Majesty¡­¡±

    Though he would have preferred if she raised her head, Ember kept her head down, and thus he was unable to see her expression. However, he caught the shaking of her hands still holding onto his shirt.

    ¡°What did you find?¡± he continued to prod, but that only made her feel more embarrassed. She didn¡¯t want to think about those answers as shameful images were flooding her mind, prompted not only by the intimacy she had with Draven, but also by the vivid wild images portrayed from reading those human romance books.

    ¡°C-Can I not say it?¡± she asked in a small, hopeful voice.

    Draven didn¡¯t understand why she was trying to dodge the issue. ¡°Is there something to not talk about?¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s embarrassing,¡± Ember admitted, but this only made Draven frown.

    ¡°Then how would I know if you understood or not? I already told you we can¡¯t consummate our bond unless you know what you want.¡±

    Draven felt a strange ufortable sensation at her hesitation. He really could not understand why she was like this, unless¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want toplete our bond?¡±

    For some odd reason, Ember felt something hot brimming at the corners of her eyes. But she hurried to blink back the tears threatening to spill. She didn¡¯t want to cry.

    Still, she was conflicted whether she should say ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ to his question.

    Before, she had naively said she wanted to consummate the bond, but at that time, she didn¡¯t know what it exactly meant, but now as she knows, she could not help but hesitate. Embarrassed? Yes, she was, but it was moreplicated than that. She was nervous and unprepared and scared, but also curious and somewhat eager to give in to what her body was demanding.

    Was it wrong to feel conflicted?

    The consequences of saying ¡®yes¡¯ were frightening, but saying ¡®no¡¯ meant she would be a bad mate and Draven would suffer the pain that she¡¯s trying to prevent in the first ce.

    She took in a deep breath and let the air out through her mouth.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡­¡± She stopped and decided to not answer. She raised her head and looked him straight in the eye. ¡°Isn¡¯t it enough that I understood?¡±

    For the first time, Draven felt speechless in front of her. He was urging her because he was worried about her naivety and ignorance, but if she truly understood what it meant to consummate, then she was correct¨C it was unnecessary for her to answer him.

    Hearing her response, Draven felt that strange stuffy sensation inside his chest disappears. He wished to respect her refusal. However, a small part of him was disappointed. He had been looking forward to knowing her answers, as it was another way of getting closer to her.

    ¡°As long as you understand and won¡¯t be shocked three days from now,¡± he said, gazing deeply into her beautiful eyes. ¡°You do know what is the night of the full moon, right?¡±

    Both were so close to each other, with her hands still holding onto his shirt, but it didn¡¯t matter as they felt like the world around them had be silent.

    She nodded, still looking at him. ¡°I know, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Have you decided what you want on that night?¡± he asked.

    She lowered her gaze once more, her reply sounding reluctant, ¡°I am not sure but¡­¡±

    Draven could see she was not ready to ept it yet and didn¡¯t pester her more. He changed the topic.

    ¡°Were you waiting for mest night?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes, I was. I apologize for intruding, uhm¡­¡±

    Since she no longer had to answer him on that sensitive issue, she let out the breath she didn¡¯t know she was holding and resumed buttoning his shirt. The conflicted thoughts and her emotions made her forget about the scent, but now that she was normal once again, it started to affect her and she decided to finish buttoning the shirt fast.

    ¡°Why?¡± he asked as she saw her resuming her work.

    She felt hesitant but she was sure she won¡¯t be at peace unless she says it. ¡°I wanted to apologize for what I and Morpheus did.¡±

    His eyes darkened a little and the muscles on his jaw tightened, but the sight of his naive mate asking for forgiveness made him pull back and swallow his anger. It was enraging to think that some other male had touched what was his, and he felt like he could just turn this entire world upside down in his fury.

    Seeing hisck of response, Ember felt more guilty and was prepared to apologize properly. She¡¯s even prepared to be punished if that could help Draven forgive her.

    But as she lifted her gaze, for a split second, she thought his eyes looked darker, but then they were their normal shade of red. She wondered if the lights were ying tricks on her.

    While his mate was staring at his eyes, those eyes were in turn stuck at her delicate lips¨Cthat sweet temptation that she used to kiss another male.

    Every inch of her only belonged to him and only he should im it!

    ¡°Your Majesty, I apolo¨C¡°

    The rest of her sentence was stuck in her throat as the next moment, Draven kissed her. It was not a gentle one, but a rough punishing kiss, as if he wished toy im on her and swallow her whole. Though he had managed to suppress his anger from showing on his face, his actions brought it out.

 Chapter 200 Answer Me In Three Days

    Draven tried to slow the pace, but simply could not as the anger inside him didn¡¯t allow him to. He wanted to dominate her, to brand her as his, to make sure this kiss would erase all traces and possibility of her remembering any other lips than his.

    His one arm circled around her delicate waist, his hand on the small of her back to press her against him, and his other hand gripped her hair at the back of her head, causing her to whimper in pain, but that sound was buried in that rough and urgent kiss.

    His warm mouth devoured hers, making her unable to breathe. Her delicate lips were being sucked and nibbled ferociously, causing her to lose her mind. Her hands inevitably gripped on his shirt tightly, unable to pull or push, causing wrinkles to form on it.

    Theck of air made her feel weak, and she was mostly standing with the support of his grip around her waist.

    His unruly tongue was tasting her sweet one, making her senses go numb. His scent, his intimate touch, theforting warmth from his hard body¡ªeverything was making her lose herself.

    At this rate, she probably wouldn¡¯t stop him even if he meant to do something more.

    But Draven stopped, and as he did, her harsh breaths echoed around his chamber.

    He didn¡¯t want to move his face away from hers, but as he needed to let her breathe, he settled to simply resting his forehead against hers. Both of their eyes were shut closed while their hot breaths mingled together.

    Draven tried to calm himself. The hand holding the back of her head moved to caress her head,bing his fingers gently along her soft hair.

    He opened his eyes to look at her flushed face.

    ¡°Mine!¡± he spoke, staring at her lips that were still slightly parted. While she was still trying to catch her breath, his lips brushed against hers. ¡°You belong to me. You are not allowed to get close to any male but me. You are only mine.¡±

    Still gasping, Ember opened her eyes and gazed into the pair of red eyes that were full of possessiveness for her.

    ¡°Do you understand?¡± he asked, staring back into her emerald green eyes.

    She nodded lightly, her gaze moving from his eyes towards his lips as if she was tempting him to kiss her again.

    Draven wished to do so but¡ª-

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    Suddenly, Ember cried out in pain. Draven hurried to catch her falling body that was spasming for some reason. Her face was abnormally pale, her brows furrowed, and she helplessly buried her face in his chest, trying to not let out any whimper escape her lips.

    ¡°Ember? Ember, what¡¯s wrong?¡± he called her as he hugged her in worry.

    ¡°It¡­ hurts¡­¡± she managed to say in between her soundless cries. Even her hands gripping his shirt tightly had turned white.

    Draven carried her in his arms and put her on his bed, only to see her curl into a ball, her hands clutching her own chest. Trails of tears were streaming down her eyes that were shut tightly.

    ¡°Ember? Can you hear me? Ember!¡± he called out as he put pillows under her head. ¡°Where are you hurting? The chest? Are you finding it hard to breathe?¡±

    ¡°Heart¡­ It hurts!¡±

    She clutched the left side of her chest.

    This gesture ovepped with another from Draven¡¯s memories. It reminded him of that time when she had that nightmare and imed to see a purple-eyed woman. The way she reacted back then was so vivid, Draven could not forget the image.

    Draven didn¡¯t know what to do as she was not physically harmed. Chances were high that it was something rted to her elemental powers and the seal over it.

    ¡°Erlos!¡± Draven roared, calling for his attendant.

    After a few moments, an out-of-breath Erlos could be seen entering the chamber, as if he dropped whatever he was doing at his master¡¯s call. ¡°Yes, Sire? What¡ª¡±

    ¡°Call for a healer immediately!¡±

    Erlos caught a glimpse of Ember¡¯s body in bed and turned around without question. ¡°Yes, Sire!¡±

    ¡°No¡­No, I am fine¡­¡± Ember spoke in a weak voice. It could be seen she¡¯s even sitting up on her own. ¡°The pain is gone¡­ I do not know what that was, but I am fine now.¡±

    Erlos paused by the doorway, wondering what this was about. He switched his gaze between Draven and his mate. ¡°So, Sire¡­am I still¡­?¡±

    Draven waved at Erlos without looking at him, his gaze not leaving Ember¡¯s pale face. ¡°You may leave. No need to call anyone.¡±

    Erlos left, closing the door behind him without any sound, while Draven reached out to wipe away the cold beads of sweat from her forehead. ¡°Are you really fine?¡±

    ¡°I am. I don¡¯t know why it hurt like that again, but suddenly, it¡¯s gone and I feel fine now,¡± she replied as she patted her chest, her breathing turning stable..

    His red eyes which hardly seem to show their emotions continued to observe her face. Without him realizing it, his hand moved to fix her messy hair. She looked better¡ªin fact, she looked normal, as if how she looked a while ago, that curled body in agonizing pain, was nothing but an illusion.

    ¡°Are you sure you do not want me to call a healer?¡± he asked, still continuing to caress her hair gently.

    Ember stared at him for a moment before answering. She liked the way he was caring for her, and it made her heart flutter. This was theplete opposite to his usual cold and dominating personality.

    ¡°Hmm, I am fine,¡± she replied but didn¡¯t know what to do or say next. She wondered if she should leave right away or if he expected her to continue staying there. She didn¡¯t know why, but suddenly, she felt like staying to be pampered by him sounded like a good choice but¡­she then remembered what they had done a while ago and her face flushed red.

    She cleared her throat awkwardly, ¡°I¡­I think I shall leave, Your Majesty.¡±

    Draven stared at her for a while, not answering her. He didn¡¯t want her to go. Ember stared back at him, still not knowing what to say or do, and simply waited for his reply.

    Her red face started to heat up at the thought of her mate resuming where they had stopped before. She wanted to put her hand on her chest once more, this time not because of pain, but because wanted to calm it down.

    Draven watched the blush on her cheeks spread towards the rest of her face, even to the tips of her ears, and of course, her loud heartbeats didn¡¯t go unnoticed by him. If he could, he would not hesitate to keep her with him all the time. But it was dangerous for her and he gave up on his thoughts.

    ¡°Three days,¡± he spoke.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Let me know in three days what you expect on the night of the full moon,¡± he replied.

    As if her mind could not process what he said, she simply gave him a nk stare. Draven left the bed and walked towards the mirror to fix his clothes.

    ¡°You can leave,¡± his cold voice reached her ears.

    As this was what she wanted to hear, Ember stepped out of the bed and immediately left the King¡¯s chamber.

    Once she left, Draven wore the rest of his attire by himself, his expression serious. He could not turn a blind eye on his mate¡¯s situation. He decided to find out the reason for the pain in her chest.

    He called for Erlos once more.

    Erlos warily entered the chamber. ¡°Sire, you called?¡±

    ¡°Send a message to the witches. Summon Cornelia to the pce.

    If it¡¯s rted to Ember¡¯s seal, then it should be a matter of the soul. In terms of expertise on the soul, no one could be better than the Head of the Witches in this regard. Perhaps she might be able to answer what was happening with Ember.

 Chapter 201 What Happened To Ember

    After leaving Draven¡¯s bedchamber, Ember hurried back to the southwest wing of the pce. Her face was still red with what Draven had said to her.

    Her servants were inside her chamber, and not seeing their master inside, they wondered where Ember had gone so early in the morning.

    ¡°Do you think she went for a stroll in the garden?¡±

    ¡°In her sleeping wear? She didn¡¯t even grab herself a coat¨C¡°

    They were about to search for her, but just in time, the red-faced Ember came barging inside the chember, her chest heaving as she sprinted the entire hallway.

    ¡°Miss, are you fine?¡±

    ¡°Here, have a ss of water.¡±

    ¡°Yes, take deep breaths¡­¡±

    After the servants managed to calm her down, Clio could not help but be curious. ¡°Miss, where have you been?¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t answer as if she didn¡¯t hear anything and went straight back to her bed. Shey on it while burying her face in the mattress and her feet dangling out the bed.

    ¡°¡­I need to tell him what I expect on the night of the full moon?¡± She felt like burying herself deeper into that mattress. ¡°Why does he have to keep nagging me about such embarrassing things? Can¡¯t he understand that I don¡¯t want to say it? Does he not know shame?¡± She waved her legs on the bed like a little girl.

    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Reya asked with a curious blink. The two servants, being elves, could hear her mumbling though her words were muffled by the sheets.

    Ember groaned. ¡°No, I am not.¡±

    ¡°What happened, Miss? Tell us. We are always on your side,¡± Clio affirmed. She recalled the face of the girl earlier. Her expression seemed like she¡¯s panicking for some reason. Did someone scare her?

    Reya struck her chest, as if to say that she was a reliable big sister. ¡°Did someone bully you? We will go to that person and give whoever that is a piece of our mind¨C¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s His Majesty,¡± Ember answered, still burying her face in the soft sheets.

    The two servants froze. Then, they looked at each other and wondered if what they were thinking was right. They didn¡¯t know what to ask or say to her exactly.

    ¡°Uhm, Miss, do you need something?¡± Clio carefully asked. ¡°Do you want me to call for Dame Y?¡±

    Ember sat up in bed and shook her head. ¡°I will just have a bath.¡±

    The servants nodded and left while Ember no longer attempted to hide her true emotions. Her small face flitted between annoyance and embarrassment, and in the end, she groaned once again before burying her face on the sheets.

    ¡®Having a bath might calm me enough to think how to handle what he asked me.¡¯

    ¡ª¡ª

    When Draven went to his study, Wind Fae Melion was already waiting for him with a report.

    The blond man with gossamer wings on his back greeted the King, ¡°This servant greets His Majesty the King of Agartha.¡±

    Draven simply raised his hand in a dismissive gesture and sat behind the desk, casually leaning on his armchair. ¡°Any news about that woman?¡±

    Melion straightened himself and replied with an apologetic expression. ¡°Unfortunately, our scouts are yet to find any woman with purple eyes outside Agartha. We have covered all the kingdoms in the west and are now focusing on the central and eastern regions.¡±

    Draven lifted his hand and a onerge scroll came flying towards his hand from the honeb-shaped shelf on the other side of the study. The next moment, the parchment spread and a map of the continent was spread on his desk. Draven pointed towards a certain part on the map.

    Mallion observed the map and noticed fresh ink marks on the other side of the mountain ranges. ¡°Your Majesty, this map is new? Did new kingdoms appear in thest decade among humans?¡±

    ¡°This part has been here for centuries. Our people merely never engaged with these southern kingdoms,¡± Draven answered. ¡°These mountain ranges are the dividing line between the continent and the kingdoms on either side are not aware of each other¡¯s existence. The kingdoms in the south call our region the Northern Barrens, not knowing there are more and older civilizations beyond these mountains.¡±

    Melion looked fascinated. ¡°Even I, Your Majesty, didn¡¯t know these kingdoms existed. Megaris¡­Thevailes¡­Mivesea? If their histories are less than a thousand years old, then they¡¯re truly young nations.¡±

    ¡°Tell the scouts and spies to investigate this region.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Make sure they are from the feathered races. These mountain ranges are difficult to cross and it would take the other beast ns months to traverse the distance. The feathered races can cross it by flying though it won¡¯t be that easy. It would still take them days.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Hold onto this map with you and make your own copies.¡±

    Melion thanked Draven, and using his powers, he lifted thatrge map before shrinking it into a tiny object and disappeared on top of his palm.

    ¡ª¨C

    After a while, the Head of the Witches, the red-haired Cornelia Grimm, came to the pce as per the King¡¯s order. Erlos informed Draven about her arrival and she was immediately allowed to see the King in his study.

    ¡°Cornelia Grimm of Honeyharbor Coven pays respects to His Majesty King Draven Aramis.¡±

    Draven ignored the overly formal greeting as usual and gestured for her to have a seat. Cornelia sat in the chair in the lounge and asked, ¡°Is there anything going on with Miss Ember?¡±

    The witch was confident she was summoned for a matter rted to the King¡¯s mate, or else, there was no reason for the King to summon her suddenly.

    Draven exined to her about what happened with Ember¨Cthe dream she had and the pain she suddenly felt in her chest. It was not due to any physical injury but due to something rted to her power and seal on it.

    ¡°Will it be possible for you to look at her soul and investigate the reason?¡± Draven asked.

    ¡°I will give it my best, Your Majesty,¡± Lady Cornelia assured.

    Just then, someone knocked on the door of the study, and before Draven could say anything, the door opened. Erlos opened the door while the female Moon Elf with him suddenly fell on her knees.

    The two elves spoke at the same time.

    ¡°Sire, apologies for the rudeness but I let her in¨C¡°

    ¡°Something happened to Miss Ember!¡±

    It was Clio who came running to the King¡¯s study despite learning that he was granting audience to an esteemed council member. As she kneeled on all fours, she tried to catch her breath, her expression showing something terrible had happened to her master.

    Draven stood up from his chair. ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Her chamber¡­Bath¡­¡± She managed to say words in between gasps and saw the King vanished into thin air.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Cornelia asked the servant.

 Chapter 202 Something Is Protecting Her

    Draven appeared inside his mate¡¯s bedchamber where he heard voicesing from one of the attached rooms. One was Reya¡¯s, who was calling out for Ember, while the other voice belonged to his mate and she was letting out iprehensible noises, as if she was in deep pain.

    ¡°Miss Ember, please stay strong! My cousin already called for the King¡­¡±

    Reya¡¯s voice was filled with anxiety, her voice breaking like she would cry anytime.

    Draven hurried towards the side chamber, feeling his own chest tighten upon hearing the painful groans of his mate. He saw Ember lying on the floor curled into a ball, her hands clutching her chest and her body spasming uncontrobly. Her body was drenched in water and had no clothes on. Reya was next to her, holding arge towel in her hand.

    Seeing the King, Reya moved back. ¡°Y-Your Majesty, you are finally here¡­the Miss¡­¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t notice anyone but his mate. He strode towards her as the towel came flying towards him which he used to cover his mate and lifted her in arms.

    However, Ember did not notice her surroundings, simply trembling in the immense pain she was feeling.

    He carried her towards her bed and gently ced her on it. Her eyes were shut tightly but those painful groans were growing quiet, as if the pain was slowly disappearing. Draven covered her with the nket so she wouldn¡¯t feel cold.

    It was the same thing happening with Ember, and this time, it looked intense.

    ¡°Bring Cornelia here,¡± he ordered the female servant who rushed out without looking back.

    Not even a minuteter, the Head of the Witches arrived in the chamber of the King¡¯s mate. Draven moved away from the bed and looked at Cornelia. ¡°You can check on her.¡±

    Cornelia hurried towards Ember and sat at the edge of the bed. Magic swirled in her eyes as she observed Ember who was breathing roughly as she clutched her chest. Cornelia put her hand on her forehead and then closed her eyes.

    A strange force filled the air as the witch casted a spell to determine what was wrong inside the human¡¯s body. Small orbs of mes formed arge runic circle with Ember at the center.

    Draven did not speak, and neither did the others in the chamber, causing the tense atmosphere to be suffocating. Though his red eyes showed no outward emotions, deep inside he was worried for her. He found himself feeling anxious after so long.

    The two servants found themselves unable to leave the chamber, their worry for Ember overwhelming their fear for Draven. Amidst the nerve-racking situation, Y also arrived there and stood next to the two servants.

    Once Cornelia finished scrying through Ember, she retreated her hand from her forehead and stared at Ember with a worried gaze. By that time, Ember had drifted to a peaceful sleep.

    ¡°Miss Ember is exhausted so I advise that we leave and let her rest,¡± Cornelia said as she stood up. ¡°Your Majesty, we can talk in your study.¡±

    Draven nodded and looked at his mate only to hear Cornelia say, ¡°She is merely asleep.¡±

    She looked at Y and the two servants. ¡°Take care of her.¡±

    Draven and Cornelia returned to his study where Erlos was waiting for them. The young elf was also worried about Ember, but as it was about the King¡¯s mate, he was concerned that his being a male would cause Draven¡¯s sensitivity to be triggered.

    Seeing Draven appear in the study, Erlos asked, ¡°Sire, is everything alright with the Miss?¡±

    Draven nodded and then turned towards Cornelia, his gaze zing with questions.

    ¡°Did you find out what the cause is?¡± Draven asked.

    Cornelia nodded. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± She didn¡¯t have to wait for the king to ask her again and exined, ¡°From what I understood, the pain is due to the seal put around her power being triggered by an outside force. Last time, it took me a lot of time to search for it, yet I failed to reach it. I am surprised that this time, I could see it as if it had lost some of its strength.¡±

    ¡°It must be because Ember was able to find her own energy core,¡± Dravenmented.

    Cornelia agreed to it and said, ¡°The situation is what we have predicted before. The one who had put the seal on her power was rmed that the seal was weakening. That was why that being is sending more divine power towards the seal, but since the connection is faint, the surge of divine power is causing Miss Ember pain.¡±

    ¡°You mean the owner of the seal is trying to locate her and establish a connection?¡± Draven asked.

    ¡°Seems like it. Prior to this, the owner was unaware of her location, but with the seal weakening, it is a matter of time till they find her. What we are worried about is finally happening.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since the seal has weakened, then why could they still not find her?¡±

    ¡°That I am not sure but maybe something is there which is preventing them from reaching her.¡±

    Both wondered what it could be.

    ¡°If we get to know what exactly is protecting Miss Ember, then we can proceed to strengthen it to buy us time until we find out everything about her.¡±

    Draven agreed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay in the pce for now and try to find out more?¡±

    Cornelia thought for a bit. ¡°Until that seal is there, there is nothing more for me to see. She will only go through it again and again. If we don¡¯t want to see her in pain, it would be better topletely get rid of that seal.¡±

    Draven understood what she meant but stayed quiet.

    Cornelia didn¡¯t wish to meddle in the private matter of the King. ¡°I must return to my city and see what potions I can brew to help her deal with the pain. You can summon me again, Your Majesty, after the seal disappears.¡±

    The witch then excused herself, leaving Draven to wonder about various things.

    ¡®If the seal is there, she will keep feeling pain, and if the seal is lifted, it will only expose her to those who sealed her powers. I hope it will not put her in any grave danger.¡¯

 Chapter 203 How Did She Manage To Reborn?

    Beyond the world of mortals, in a realm inhabited by divine beings known as deities.

    Hundreds of heavenly pces seemingly made from the most delicate white jade and grandest precious materials could be seen in the clear blue sky, residences giving off majesty and dignity amidst the golden sunlight and white clouds¡­

    Inside one of those pces, an image of a woman could be seen sitting on a throne made of red gemstones with her eyes closed, her long eyshes somewhat trembling, as if she was trying to focus on something.

    If there were any words to describe her peerless appearance, it would be devastatingly beautiful.

    She was the incarnation of the word ¡®attraction¡¯, from her long copper brown locks that fall in waves on her back, to her face that seemed to be nothing less than perfection, down to her ravishingly voluptuous body covered by a long elegant white dress that touched the white marble floor.

    One nce and anyone would know that no human could be that beautiful¨Cno, even elves renowned for their beauty or angels famous for their blessed looks could notpare.

    A goddess.

    The woman was a goddess, her entire persona radiating glorious divinity, and one could see she was someone powerful even among the pantheon of gods.

    Her fair and delicate hands resting on the armrest of her throne trembled, those long slender fingers of hers gripping the frame of her throne.

    ¡®Found it!¡¯

    An attractive smile appeared on her perfect lips, but it disappeared as fast as it came. A slight wrinkle appeared on her smooth forehead, yet even the act of her displeasure looked exquisite.

    ¡®Almost caught it¡­but why did it disappear? As if a shroud had veiled it from my vision¡­¡¯

    As she opened her eyes, a re brighter than the sun seemingly escaped her eyes as a hint of anger shed inside them.

    ¡®Who dares stop me?¡¯

    With her grip on the armrest tightening, a crack inevitably appeared on it, but the divinity surrounding her body flowed onto that crack and seemingly rewound time. In a blink of an eye, not a blemish could be seen on her red throne.

    However, none of that mattered to the goddess. Her deep brown eyes, eyes that seemed to epass all emotions at once, suddenly grew tranquil. It was as if the image of her growing upset was all but a trick of light.

    Just then, someone entered the throne hall and kneeled in front of her.

    ¡°This humble servant pays her respect to the Sovereign.¡±

    The beautiful divine being sitting on the throne moved her deep gaze towards the neer.

    ¡°You havee, Petra,¡± a voice that sounded like heavenly music echoed within the vast halls. ¡°Did you manage to find the whereabouts of that Sierra and her child?¡±

    The being called Petra lowered her head and replied, ¡°Not yet, Lady Isis, my Sovereign. Our kind almost reached them but they managed to escape our grasp. My heart hurts to say they have been harmed as a result , but it could not be faulted as they brought harm to themselves by trying to resist your glorious benevolence.¡±

    Goddess Isis closed her eyes to calm herself.

    ¡°How regretful¡­¡± her lovely voice remarked with a sigh, ¡°¡­and that seal¡­¡±

    Her servant was surprised to feel the throne hall shake. ¡°M-My Sovereign?¡±

    One second, Isis looked like she could burn this entire ce in anger, and the next, it was as if that anger was but a mirage. Her deep gaze felt like they held bottomless emotions within them.

    ¡°I felt my seal,¡± the goddess said.

    ¡°By seal, you mean¡­the Primordial¡­?¡±

    ¡°How did she manage to be reborn?!¡±

    And with those words, the throne hall shook once more.

    ¡°My Sovereign, I beg you to please calm down,¡± Petra, the most loyal servant of Isis eximed. ¡°The Sealed One is but a soul in a mortal body, reborn as nothing more than a weak human due to your boundless kindness instead of eradicating her soul.

    ¡°My Sovereign, even if she is reborn, she will never get to know who she is as there is nothing that can break your powerful seal. A goddess like you who is on par with The Primordials, no one in the mortal realm can challenge your powers.¡±

    But the goddess was not calm. ¡°Something had shaken that seal! Whatever it is, it should be at least as powerful as mine! Do you think any of the older deities have noticed?¡±

    Her servant lowered her head. ¡°I believe none of them moved against you, my Sovereign. The heavenly realm would have been in an uproar had any of those beings higher than you in the pantheon moved. Since that is the case, only a being within the mortal world should have interfered.¡±

    Fortunately, the shaking of the throne hall stopped. The divinity around Isis enshrouded the cracks caused by her anger, returning the broken white pirs back into their original state.

    ¡°Who can be this powerful in the mortal realm, powerful enough to hide her from my divine gaze?¡±

    However, Petra had no answer to the question asked by her master.

    Isis continued, ¡°The seal I put had weakened, yet I cannot manifest my blessings in that world to strengthen it. Something is stopping me from reaching that seal. If that seal is broken, and once she remembers everything¡­the other Primordials might move.¡±

    ¡°Should I descend to the mortal world and personally oversee this matter, my Sovereign?¡±

    Isis gritted her teeth before answering, ¡°It would be useless. Darkness prevents my divinity from strengthening the seal. A darkness so powerful it can dominate the powers of gods, much less an angel like yours but¡­¡±

    Darkness.

    None of those in the current pantheon could wield it, but when the worlds were yet to be divided, back when Time was young, there was such a being, a supreme being above The Primordials¡­

    Petra¡¯s kneeling body shook. ¡°Darkness belongs to Him. When He became the owner of Darkness to protect the heavenly realm, He had pledged to never meddle in the matters of the pantheon. My Sovereign, He would not break an oath to harm the gods¡­it cannot be His power¡­¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± the goddess agreed, ¡°I know that is why this matter confuses me. Did that being break his vow? If so, He has to face the consequences.¡±

    ¡°Should I look into this matter?¡± the angel raised her head in determination.¡±He should be living in seclusion and has nothing to do with the heavenly nor the mortal realm. I believe there must be some other factors interfering in your matters¡­

    ¡°Darkness only belongs to Him,¡± the goddess repeated with a shake of her head, unable to make anything out of it. ¡°I will keep tracking her through the seal, and since she has be a measly human, it won¡¯t take long till I find her. This time, I will destroy her soulpletely so that she will never be reborn again.¡±

    ¡°I shall gather more of my brothers and sisters to serve you once more, my Sovereign,¡± Petra dered. ¡°Though it has only been a few days in the heavenly realm, the passage of time would make it almost two decades in the mortal realm. If the Sealed One has reincarnated right away, then my kind will search for a human girl of that age.¡±

    The goddess leaned back on her throne. ¡°I wonder which lowly human had given birth to her. A deity born from a human¡¯s body. DisgustingI Such an existence doesn¡¯t deserve to stay alive.¡±

    The servant nodded. ¡°Oh my Sovereign, as one of the strongest deities of the pantheon, your powers are immense. You can seal a Primordial Goddess in her peak, what more now she¡¯s but an ant? I believe it won¡¯t be long till you find her soul.¡±

    Hearing those sweet words, a warm benevolent smile appeared on the goddess¡¯s delicate rose-coloured lips, yet hidden in her seemingly holy gaze was a flicker showing her evil intentions.

 Chapter 204 The Reason For Her Pain

    Ember, who had gone unconscious for hours, finally woke up. She felt surprised to find herself in bed, herst memory being in the bath.

    ¡°Miss, you are awake?¡± she heard the cheerful voice of Reya who had noticed that Ember had stirred under the sheets.

    Ember blinked in confusion at her two servants who came to check on her immediately.

    ¡°Miss, are you feeling alright now?¡± Clio asked as she helped Ember sit up, the other elf moving to hand a ss of water for her to drink.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t I taking a bath?¡± Ember asked in a low voice after giving the empty ss back to her servants..

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember, Miss? You fainted suddenly in the bath.¡±

    ¡°We were so worried the entire time you were unconscious.¡±

    Hearing their concerned voices, Ember tried to recall what happened, causing her body to tremble.

    Pain. She was in so much pain.

    At that time, she didn¡¯t have the energy to pay attention to what was happening. All she wanted was to get rid of that pain.

    It started when she stepped out of the pool. She felt a sharp stabbing pain in her chest, causing her to lose her bnce and fall on the ground. And with each passing second, the pain intensified, making her feel tremendous suffering to the point she was unable to breathe.

    It was as if something inside her was being torn to shreds. She felt like she would die any moment.

    But then the pain eased for a moment and she was able to find a littlefort when her mate came.

    Though she was at the verge of losing her consciousness back then, she remembered Draven covering her with a towel and lifting her in his arms.

    Air came back to her lungs. She was able to breathe again as the pain slowly lessened. Though it was notpletely gone, she feltfortable with her mate nearby.R¨ºa?t??st ch??pters on n??/v/??/l(b)i??(.)c??m

    Did he cast magic on her? Was it his power? The mate bond? Whatever the reason was, she wanted him close.

    Later, she went unconscious due to exhaustion.

    ¡°¡­Miss?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Ember blinked ignorantly, not realizing that her servants were talking to her.

    Clio repeated what she missed. ¡°We were asking if you want to dine here in your room.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry. My mind drifted off for a bit.¡± She let out a wry smile. ¡°Can I simply have fruits? I don¡¯t really have an appetite now¡­¡±

    The servants brought several sliced fruits for her to eat, even making sweet refreshments for her to feel better. Once she finished them, she told the elves she wanted to continue resting, and the two tactfully left.

    Ember remained in her, leaning on pillows with her back against the headboard. She asked Reya and Clio if they had an idea why she passed out, but neither of them could tell her what was wrong with her body. They told her to ask the King instead.

    She could not help but think about why this was happening to her. It was the third time she felt such overwhelming pain, but the first time it came along with a nightmare, and the next two, she was wide awake.

    ¡®I wonder what¡¯s wrong with my body. Do I have some sort of strange heart disease? But then, what about that nightmare with the purple-eyed woman¡­?¡¯

    In a while, her servants informed her that the King was there to visit her. Draven had received the news that Ember was awake and came to see her.

    The ck-haired man entered his mate¡¯s chamber before she could say anything. Meanwhile, Clio and Reya excused themselves, leaving the pair alone.

    Draven stood at a distance from her bed, staring at her with those emotionless red eyes of his. As the night of the full moon was close, the pull he felt towards his mate was getting stronger, and the fact that he was in the same room as her was already testing his limit.

    Ember stared back at him, her emerald green eyes filled with questions. There were many things she wanted to ask, but didn¡¯t know where to begin. She was about to get out of the bed to greet the King but she heard him speak coldly, ¡°Stay in bed.¡±

    As she was feeling lethargic, she promptly obeyed him and continued to sit in bed.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I am fine now,¡± Ember answered, feeling strangely upset to see him maintaining a distance with her. She didn¡¯t understand his reason as she didn¡¯t feel the pull of the bond as strongly as him.

    ¡®Why is he only staring? Shouldn¡¯t he show his care like how husbands in those books cared for their wives?¡¯ She could not help but clench her hands against the sheets. ¡®Is it because¡­because he doesn¡¯t see me as his wife? It does make sense. We started off as strangers, and he is onlypelled toe close to me when he is affected by the power of bond.¡¯

    Not knowing what she was thinking, Draven spoke, still standing at a distance. ¡°You must be wondering about the cause of these chest pains.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Beforeing to Agartha, nothing of this sort had ever happened to me before. I don¡¯t know what is wrong with me.¡±

    He hummed in response. ¡°I had asked Cornelia to check on you and we had drawn a conclusion as to why this is happening.¡±

    Ember¡¯s eyes immediately lit up, eager to hear what the Head of the Witches discovered, but the next moment, she turned anxious. Did she really want to know? What if it was something serious, like a terminal illness? What if it was some sort of symptom telling she would lose her life?

    ¡®Was it because I am learning magic? Could it be dangerous for a human to find her core? My instructor did say I am a special case¡­maybe there¡¯s a reason why humans don¡¯t have powers¡­¡¯

    She had struggled to survive and suffered a lot. There was no way she would want to die now. A few weeks back, she had tried to kill herself by jumping from the cliff, but that was because she thought her life was meaningless back then. Luckily, she was saved and it led her to meet her first friend.

    ¡°W-What is it?¡±

    But what Draven said next was something she never expected.

    ¡°There is an existence, a third party, causing you pain.¡±

 Chapter 205 Arrival Of Someone New

    Ember could not help but be stupefied. A third party? Did he mean someone like an enemy? Was there someone out there who she wronged before? And since it was causing her pain, was it some sort of magical attack? Was he implying she¡¯s been cursed?

    His words only brought more questions to her chaotic mind.

    Draven continued despite her shock. ¡°You are the first human with an energy core inside your body, and it is in a sealed state.¡±

    ¡°Is that why it feels like something keeps stopping me despite Lady Helia saying that finding an energy core should feel as easy as breathing?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Draven nodded.

    ¡°The seal makes it impossible for you to use your energy core to its fullest. When I marked you, it weakened the power of that seal, which must have alerted the one who had casted that seal.¡±

    No wonder she never experienced these beforeing to Agartha. ¡°And this person who put the seal on my energy core is causing these chest pains?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°We are not yet aware who put that seal on you, but as that being is aware of the seal weakening, they must be trying to locate you using the magic on the seal. The result of that causes you to feel pain.¡±

    That meant every time she suffered, it meant this faceless enemy was trying to find her.

    Three times.

    She had felt it three times so far.

    It was something Ember could not process easily. She had been living in istion and had nothing to do with anyone other than her nanny. Who was the one that was causing her pain? Was it the people who abandoned her? Or were they rted to the humans who hated her as a witch? She had so many things going on in her mind.

    Draven let her process his words and walked towards the bird cage ced near the window where Ray was jumping here and there, as if to get someone¡¯s attention. Seeing the empty dish bowl inside the cage, he opened the lid of the food container and picked up a handful of the bird food. He was about to put those grains in the dish bowl, but the little bird jumped on his hand instead, as if she could not wait to eat.

    Though startled, Draven didn¡¯t stop her and let her eat from his glove-covered hand while shefortably perched on his wrist.

    ¡°¡­ I thought I could live my life well? Don¡¯t I deserve to live a peaceful life?¡±

    He could hear Ember¡¯s soft mutters under her shaky breath despite the distance.

    Draven suddenly spoke, ¡°There is an immediate way to stop the pain.¡±

    Ember flinched in bed as she looked at him. ¡°Is there? Are we going to find the one who made the seal and ask them to stop? Do we have clues¨C¡°

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t.¡± Draven continued to look at the bird in his hand. ¡°If weplete our mate bond, the power of the bond will break that seal entirely and you will not feel this pain ever.¡±

    Toplete the bond¡­ meant they needed to consummate their rtionship.

    Ember didn¡¯t know what to say and lowered her head, feeling embarrassed as she knew what it meant.

    ¡°But if that seal breaks, it will expose your power and it will be easier for them to reach you. I do not know if that seal is meant for your well-being or meant to harm you.¡±

    At that, a dangerous glint appeared on his red eyes.

    ¡°Be assured. If they mean to harm you, I give you my word that I will protect you from them so you don¡¯t have to feel afraid of them finding you.¡±

    Ember stayed quiet for some time. As she thought about it, she needed Draven¡¯s help in both cases, regardless if she decided to break that seal or not. She felt like her life waspletely dependent on him.

    ¡°Is there no other way?¡± she asked tentatively.

    ¡°As long as that seal is on you, you keep feeling pain. Worse, we cannot guarantee that they won¡¯t find you even if you keep this seal. They might have other means of locating you. The only question is ¡®when¡¯.¡±

    Ember closed her eyes with her head lowered. She heard Draven speak again, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about anything. In any case, I will be by your side. I will take care of you.¡±

    But his mate was so engrossed in her own thoughts, lost with this new revtion of her life, that she failed to notice the care behind those words he said.

    Not getting any response from her, Draven turned to look at her, who was still in a daze.

    ¡°Do you need anything¨C¡°

    ¡°Jealous master¡­wants swing¡­.Pet has swing¡­¡± Ray answered even before Draven could finish, and the little bird flew back inside the cage, only to perch on her small swing. ¡°Master sad¡­Master wants swing¡­¡±

    ¡°Ray!¡± Ember eximed, as if urging her to stop.

    The little bird didn¡¯t stop, and instead, she said something to embarrass Ember more, ¡°Master wants to mate! Master wants to mate!¡±

    ¡°Ray!!!¡±

    But her brazen pet continued to talk. ¡°Master wants to mate! Master wants to mate¨Cchirp!¡±

    Draven nced at his visibly flustered mate who had jumped out of her bed to catch her pet. However, how could a human girl be fast enough? Before she could catch Ray, the little bird swiftly escaped,and Ember missed her step, only to be held by Draven to not let her fall on the floor.

    ¡®I did say that before but¡ª¡®

    Back when Ember had expressed her thoughts to her pet, at that time, she didn¡¯t know what it meant to mate. That was why she didn¡¯t think it was wrong to say that. Who would have thought that the naughty little bird would still remember something so long ago?

    ¡°Ray! Come back here, you little¨C¡°

    But now she was aware of ¡®mating¡¯ and ¡®consummation¡¯, she could not help but feel like hiding herself somewhere. She couldn¡¯t even look at Draven.

    Draven held his breath as he helped her stand on her own. Only when she was stable on her feet did he step away from her.

    ¡°Decide what you want to do with the seal,¡± he said. ¡°I will do as you wish.¡±

    Seeing him stepping away from her, she felt a little disappointed. It was for a selfish reason¨Cthe scenting from him was calming her when her mind was chaotic.

    ¡®Can¡¯t hefort me by staying close? Does he still think I can¡¯t resist his scent? I think I can, though I feel like I would soon lose my mind.¡¯

    Before Ember could say anything to him, Draven¡¯s sharp senses caught something and he looked at Ember. ¡°I have to go.¡±

    Ember looked at his retreating back. ¡®He didn¡¯t even wait for me to answer him.¡¯

    Once Draven left her bedchamber, Ember let out a sigh.

    After a while, Clio and Reya returned, seemingly having a small argument. They noticed their master standing by the window quietly.

    Ember turned around to look at them as she felt like something was going on. ¡°Why is your face crumpled like that, Reya? Is there a problem? Did something happen?¡±

    The calm Clio immediately went towards Ember and answered in Reya¡¯s stead, ¡°There are no problems. It is actually pleasant news for the pce since Young Lady Isa has returned.¡±

    Seren had no idea who this said person was.

    Reya immediately spoke up with her hands on her hips, her long ears twitching. ¡°Clio, why are you so excited about her arrival? Are you that happy? I don¡¯t like her at all.¡±

    ¡°She is someone cherished by His Majesty. Do not say such a thing or you will be in trouble.¡±

    ¡®Someone cherished by His Majesty?¡¯ Ember felt like suddenly her senses were active and she focused on what the other two talked about.

    ¡°What if she is cherished by His Majesty? I don¡¯t like the way she acts. It would be better for everyone if she had not returned.¡±

    ¡°She is a person of Agartha.¡±

    ¡°Bah. Didn¡¯t she leave to travel and see the world? Even if she returned, then why didn¡¯t she head straight for Nomi City and partied with her fellow foxes? Whye to the pce? I am sure our peaceful days are over,¡± Reya said angrily. ¡°Not like this is her home but she acts like she is the queen here.¡±

    ¡°Reya, calm down,¡± Clio said gently. ¡°Even though she is back, we don¡¯t have to serve her as we are now Miss Ember¡¯s servant.¡±

    Ember finally decided to speak.

    ¡°Who is Isa and why are you so worked up?¡±

    She was curious about this person who the King cherished when he acted like a block of ice with others. It was hard to believe that there was such a person.

    ¡°Young Lady Isa is a shapeshifter of the Divine Fox n, a longtime acquaintance of His Majesty, Miss Ember,¡± Clio replied. ¡°As you are His Majesty¡¯s mate, she won¡¯t trouble you.¡±

    ¡°If I was not His Majesty¡¯s mate, would she trouble me?¡± Ember asked.

    Both servants felt speechless as the possibility of it was high.

    Now Ember wondered who this person was, totally unaware that someone hade to destroy the peace of her pce life.

    Unknown to her, she disliked what she heard and frowned, ¡®So this is why he left in hurry without waiting for my reply just because his cherished youngdy is back in the pce.¡¯

 Chapter 206 Beautiful Red Fox

    After leaving Ember¡¯s bedchamber, Draven went back to his study where he received news of the unexpected guests.

    ¡°Sire, Lord Ailwin and Young Lady Isa request to be granted audience,¡± Erlos informed him.

    Draven nodded, permitting him to let them enter the study. Not long after, the elf escorted two people to the study of the King.

    ¡°Ailwin of the Divine Fox n greets His Majesty the King of Agartha.¡±

    ¡°This Isa greets His Majesty the King of Agartha!¡±

    One male and one female wearing elegant robes. The male was a handsome man carrying a calm and solemn expression, while the female, her youth visible on her pretty face, offered a wide smile to the King. While the man looked like a dignitary on a mission, she looked like an excited young girl who could not wait to talk to a longtime friend.

    Her dark eyes showed how happy she was to see Draven.

    Draven gestured for them to sit and the two sat in the chairs opposite to the king.

    ¡°When have you returned?¡± Draven asked her.

    The lively girl took the chance to reply, ¡°Guess?¡± And then when she received the side nce from her olderpanion, she immediatelyposed herself to sound more courteous. ¡°I came back two days ago, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, she came back bearing good news. Our Isa haspleted the second level of her cultivation training and now she is a three-tailed red fox,¡± said the man with pride.

    Though he was wearing nothing but a simple long white robe with an unadorned pale blue coat, his identity was not simple.

    Divine Fox Ailwin. An eight-tailed fox and the leader of one of the shapeshifter ns living in Agartha. Although he looked like a human in his thirties, he was a powerful existence who was almost a thousand years old. Only his long grey hair gave away his age, the front half of the hair secured at the back of his head.

    ¡°Isa is the second female red fox who achieved it at such a young age of barely more than a hundred years old when it is difficult to have more than one tail at this age for a female fox. It won¡¯t be long when she bes the strongest fox in the n. We look forward to having a Nine-tailed Divine Fox in the foreseeable future.¡±

    The Divine Fox n. Unlike the Divine Eagles where they could call forth the divine power in their bloodline anytime and the difference between the purity of their blood would determine the duration of their battle forms, Divine Foxes were born weak, even weaker than their shapeshifter counterparts.

    However, what made them unique among the descendants of divine beasts was that their growth would allow them to not only increase their strength but also their lifespan with each tail.

    Draven nodded as he looked at Isa with his usual nonchnt gaze, ¡°You did well.¡±

    As Draven was Isa¡¯s guardian, updates of her cultivation and wellbeing were given to him, and everything rted to her was taken care of from the King¡¯s pce. Draven made sure she was raised well and she would notck in anything.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty,¡± she replied politely.

    Even if Draven praised someone, his expression would be the same, and people were so used to it that no one expected him to show a pleasant expression. Though both Isa and Erlos were raised under his protection, even though both of them were close to Draven, his behaviour was the same.

    Draven and Ailwin continued to talk where Ailwin informed him about what was going on inside the fox n and various other updates. After a while, Ailwin left, leaving Drayce and Isa on their own.

    As she had returned from her outdoor training, it wasmon knowledge she would stay in the pce as it was like her second home though being a member of the fox n. She would normally only be in Nomi City in the fox n territory whenever there was a need to learn from the elders of her n.

    ¡°How have you been, Your Majesty?¡± she asked with a pleasant smile that made her look even prettier.

    Foxes were a race known for their innate charm. Female foxes are meant to be beautiful, and the addition of their tails would also enhance their appearance.

    Rather than a seductive vixen, she looked more like an innocent childlike sprite. The light peach long robe she wore showed off her slender figure. Her waist-long ck hair fell in waves, the front strands were woven into tiny braids and secured at the back of her head with a hairpin.

    ¡°I am good,¡± he replied. As the Divine Fox n leader had already informed him about Isa, there was nothing more for him to ask.

    ¡°Soon, it¡¯s Brother Harvey¡¯s death anniversary. Will Your Majesty apany me to his grave?¡± she asked, looking hopeful.

    Draven agreed without a dy, ¡°I will.¡±

    Her lips curved in a happy smile. ¡°Thank you so much, Your Majesty.¡± And then, she asked, ¡°I have heard Your Majesty has a mate now. Can I see her?¡±

    Once again, Draven nodded and called for Erlos.

    Erlos entered the study as he bowed to Draven. ¡°You called, Sire?¡±

    ¡°Take Isa to visit Ember,¡± Draven instructed.

    Erlos looked at Isa who was sitting in the chair and then looked back at Draven. ¡°To visit Miss?¡±

    Draven nodded. ¡°Take Isa to her chamber.¡±

    ¡°¡­Chamber, hmm?¡± Erlos mumbled as if he was trying to imagine something and then immediately nodded. Draven would never allow a male to go anywhere near his mate¡¯s chamber, and today, he was telling him to escort this fox there? Erlos quietly looked at Isa. ¡°Pleasee with me.¡±

    The young fox smiled at him and stood up to follow Erlos after she bid farewell to the King.

    Just as the two stepped out of the king¡¯s study, Isa asked, ¡°How have you been, Erlos?¡± Her voice was sweet and gentle.

    ¡°I have been well,¡± he replied dryly, as if he was answering her for the sake of it.

    ¡°Aww, I have returned after so long and you talk to me like this,¡± she said in a sweet but a littleining voice.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to remind you again that I hate foxes,¡± he replied while walking forward.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t hate elves.¡±

    ¡°Still hate foxes.¡±

 Chapter 207 Does This Bond Has No Meaning?

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you just jealous of me?¡± she giggled. ¡°Even though I am younger than you, I am more powerful than you. Since you¡¯re so busy ying servant of His Majesty, you don¡¯t get to strengthen your powers. I bet you will be defeated even if I give you a handicap of using only weak spells.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you try it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go to His Majesty crying andining about me like in the past.¡±

    Erlos frowned. ¡°You keep reminding me how unlucky I am to have spent my childhood with a cunning fox like you.¡±

    ¡°Cunning?¡± she chuckled lightly. ¡°Well, foxes are meant to be cunning. That¡¯s our nature.¡±

    ¡°Reason for the hate is clear then. I hate cunning ones.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more like you cannot be smart so you me me for being cunning. I thought you would have be smarter when we meet this time but¡­¡± she sighed loudly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. One doesn¡¯t need to go to the mountains to get stronger. Soon, the day will be there when you will regret boasting your three tails.¡±

    She giggled sweetly. ¡°By then, I might grow all my nine tails.¡±

    Erlos didn¡¯t reply to her and continued to direct her to the top floor of the southwest wing of the pce.

    ¡°What is His Majesty¡¯s mate like?¡± she asked. ¡°I heard she¡¯s human.¡±

    ¡°Exactly the opposite of you,¡± came another hateful reply from Erlos but Isa seemed to be unbothered by this.

    It was not the first time these two were arguing as they were used to it. He could not help but hate her and felt annoyed at her presence, but she enjoyed annoying him¡ªeven bing entertained the more he showed he hated her. Their rivalry was as natural as breathing for them.

    ¡°That means she is like you,¡± Isa mocked.

    ¡°Yes, she is my soul sister,¡± he replied with equal annoyance.

    ¡°Always crying andining, lost, powerless, depending on His Majety for everything, brainless¡­¡±

    ¡°Mind your words. She is¡ª¡±

    ¡°I was describing you, not her,¡± Isa countered immediately as she smirked.

    Erlos didn¡¯t argue and they reached the hallway leading to Ember¡¯s bedchambers where a blue-haired elf servant came across them.

    Clio immediately greeted the red fox. ¡°Lady Isa, good to see you back.¡±

    Isa smiled and replied, ¡°I am here to visit His Majesty¡¯s mate.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­Ah yes, let me first inform Miss. She is in her study.¡±

    Saying that, Clio left to go to Ember¡¯s study where she was standing on her balcony, enjoying the pleasantly cold breeze.

    Clio informed her, ¡°Miss Ember, Young Lady Isa is here to visit you. Shall I let her in?¡±

    Even before Ember could reply, Reya, who was apanying Ember by standing at one corner of the balcony quietly, immediately spoke up, ¡°Why does she¡­?¡±

    Clio gave her a narrow-eyed look, telling her to keep her mouth shut, and then returned her gaze back to their master. Ember had a puzzled look, surprised to know that this neer wanted to meet her when they didn¡¯t even know each other.

    ¡°His Majesty must have sent her to visit you. Erlos personally escorted her here,¡± Clio informed her.

    ¡®His Majesty sent her to me?¡¯ Ember thought. ¡°Fine, let her in.¡±

    In a while, a beautiful young woman looking about the same age as Ember entered the study with Erlos following her. Ember could barely catch what the two were saying.

    ¡°¡­Are you allowed to enter here?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear Sire ask me to send you here?¡±

    ¡°No male wants another male entering the private ce of their mates. I wonder if His Majesty even considers her his mate.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to judge what he thinks of her,¡± Erlos said and smirked, ¡°She is the first female Sire takes care of personally and I even saw him allowing her to sleep in his bed with him.¡±

    Hearing that, Isa felt a little angry but she was good at suppressing her true feelings behind a smile. They soon reached the balcony where a young woman with green eyes could be seen standing by the railing.

    The two females stared at each other.

    ¡°So you are His Majesty¡¯s mate? You have the most beautiful eyes.¡±

    Isa put on the brightest smile on her face as she entered the balcony, while Erlos stayed inside the study with a decent view of the balcony. He didn¡¯t trust Isa and was always wary of her intentions. The sweeter she sounded, the more suspicious he grew. Experience from childhood with her had made him cautious of her.

    ¡°Thank you, Young Lady Isa.¡±

    ¡°I heard His Majesty has a mate and became curious to meet you. I hope you don¡¯t mind that I made a sudden visit. Meeting you now, I say, it¡¯s so good to see you.¡±

    Ember smiled back at the beautiful red fox in front of her. She looked like a pretty doll, and she was also polite and well-mannered. It made her wonder why Reya and Clio looked anxious seeing her.

    ¡°Same here.¡± Ember only nodded as she only stared at this sweet, young, elegant and beautiful girl. It made her wonder if they could be friends.

    ¡°How about we have tea?¡± Isa offered.

    Even before Ember could instruct her servants who were standing like guards of their master, the elves immediately moved to get tea and snacks. As they passed Erlos, they saw him giving them a light assuring nod.

    When the servants left, Isa walked closer to Ember. ¡°You know, you are pretty famous among the people. On the way here, I heard a lot about you, like that you are human but you have some special power inside you.¡±

    Ember shrugged bashfully as she could not deny it.

    ¡°Good to know. At least, you are not a weak and useless human.¡± Her voice was as usual sweet but filled with a tinge of mocking.

    Ember blinked in surprise. She could not say anything as she was not used to interacting with strangers and guessing their intentions. Though Isa¡¯s words felt somewhat ufortable to hear, her naive self did not know that this fox was mocking her for being a human.

    Isa walked closer to her and looked at Ember¡¯s neck. ¡°Wow. How pretty. What kind of mark is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a mark given by a mate when¡ª¡±

    ¡°That I know. What I mean is what is the meaning of this bond. Each mate mark always has a certain meaning, kind of like a symbolic brand describing their bond, but I had never read about this mark.¡± She then moved her curious gaze from her neck to Ember¡¯s face. ¡°Does it mean that there is no meaning to the bond you share with His Majesty?¡±

    Even Ember was unaware of what this mark meant and why it was not mentioned in that book she read.

    ¡°Well, it won¡¯t be surprising if there is no meaning to this bond. His Majesty had not marked you out of love but just on a whim to check if a human can survive. Now as you have survived, he has no other option but to keep you here.¡±

    A sharp voice resounded. ¡°Isa! You¡ª¡±

    ====

    Don¡¯t Forget to Vote Golden Tickets. This Month there will be more chapters and a Mass release.

 Chapter 208 Facts

    3 chapters today.

    ¡ª¨C

    ¡°Erlos, why are you shouting?¡± she offered him a smile, ¡°Please do not raise your voice like that. It is rude. Besides, I wonder what you are doing listening to a conversation between two women.¡±

    Erlos was about to walk towards her but Ember looked at him as she shook her head lightly. Ember, despite being generally naive, realized now that this youngdy seemed somewhat unhappy with her despite her smiling face.

    As Erlos stopped, Isa looked back at Ember. ¡°Oh, apologies. I hope you do not think badly of me. I am saying this only out of concern for you, Ember.

    ¡°I know we just met, but it is precisely because I am a stranger to you that I see things objectively. I am from the beast n. All the males would consummate the bond once their intended female woke up. I am just concerned between you and His Majesty, since males wouldn¡¯t have waited for this long,¡± Isa said as she nced at the iplete mark on her neck. ¡°But from what I see, it¡¯s more than two weeks since the marking yet you have not consummated the bond.¡±

    ¡°There is a reason¡ª¡±

    ¡°Of course, there is a reason,¡± Isa interrupted her with a gaze full of pity, ¡°and that reason is His Majesty doesn¡¯t truly want to bond with a human.¡±

    All the time, her expression had be so emotional, it was hard to decipher the true meaning of her words unless one truly knew her personality.

    Ember could only wordlessly stare at her, and Isa used this chance to speak again.

    ¡°Well, I think I am saying something you already know. I apologize again. You, more than anyone, would know how His Majesty doesn¡¯t have any feelings for you so obviously he would not want to consummate a bond,¡± she sighed, ¡°But, His Majesty would be forced to fulfil his responsibility on the night of the full moon even if he doesn¡¯t want to¡­¡±

    Ember was maintaining her calmposure but she could not deny that Isa¡¯s words were starting to affect her. Her pretty green eyes held venom in them as she pulled her hands back from the fox¡¯s grasp.

    The entire time, Isa acted as if she was ignorant about how offensive she sounded, causing Erlos to immediately intervene. He stood in front of Isa with Ember behind him.

    ¡°Isa,¡± he said in warning, ¡°I am sure you would not like this to be known by His Majesty.¡±

    The young fox maintained the same innocent smile on her pretty face. ¡°You cannot stop meddling between women, can¡¯t you? Why do you sound so indignant? I am just stating a fact to her so she won¡¯t be disappointedter.¡±

    ¡°Facts? How can you say that when you don¡¯t even know a thing?¡±

    Erlos¡¯ anger was rising, but just in time, someonended at the balcony, breaking the tense atmosphere.

    With the pair ofrge wings folding behind him, Morpheus caused those in the balcony to back off from each other. With the gaze of an adult looking at a bunch of children, he raised a brow at Erlos and Isa.

    ¡°You kids started arguing again?¡± He then opened his arms at Isa. ¡°Little fox, when did you return?¡±

    Isa immediately went to him, giving him a friendly hug, smiling ear to ear. ¡°Morph, good to see you!¡±

    ¡°How have you been? Let me guess, did you seed at growing three tails?¡± He smiled teasingly and tilted his head to look at the space behind her. ¡°But I don¡¯t see any.¡±

    Isa knew he was just teasing her and simply giggled endearingly. Morpheus tilted his head towards Erlos¡ª-in particr, he was ncing at Ember who was behind him.

    ¡°Little female, why are you hiding behind that kid?¡±

    This was the main reason why he was always unhappy with Morpheus¡¯ presence around. Though he found it annoying that Morpheus would make him clean their mess every time he met with Draven, the one that really irked him was that he was also Isa¡¯s backer.

    No wonder she acts so spoiled. Whatever she did, he always supported her as if she could never do anything wrong.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Erlos frowned. ¡°Sire doesn¡¯t allow you to be in his pce.¡±

    ¡°I am here to visit my friend and that dimwit Dragon won¡¯t stop me from visiting her. You can step away and quietly go serve by your master¡¯s side.¡±

    Erlos didn¡¯t budge. ¡°It¡¯s better if you leave.¡±

    Morpheus sighed. ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood so I will refrain myself from arguing with a kid like you.¡± He then nced at Ember once more. ¡°Little female, will see youter.¡± He then offered his hand to Isa. ¡°Shall we go out? I want to hear what you¡¯ve been up to since west met.¡±

    Isa immediately nodded, and the next moment, Morpheus flew away with her in his arms.

    The moment they left, Erlos turned to look at Ember who had her head lowered. Her eyes were closed, and no one could guess what she was thinking from her face. ¡°Miss, that fox is gone.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t reply and continued to stay like that.

    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡± Erlos felt worried. Just a while ago, he swore he saw a sh of anger in her eyes. At that moment, he felt a strange fluctuation around the human girl¡¯s body, and he had to interfere in their conversation upon remembering the incident with the butterflies.

    Ember remained silent for a while. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw the elf looking at her with deep concern. She didn¡¯t know what happened to her, but she felt the confusion inside her turn to anger and it rose suddenly, overwhelming her senses.

    Fortunately, Erlos blocked her from Isa, and she was able to use that opportunity to calm herself. She was unable to spare care for what was going on around; that was why even though she had heard Morpheus, she didn¡¯t bother to talk to him.

 Chapter 209 Fear Of Loss

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Ember replied in a weak voice.

    Erlos stared at her for a while and said, ¡°Miss, why are you apologizing? You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± His long ears twitched as he voiced out his frustration. ¡°It should be me who should apologize. I should have warned you what kind of person she is beforehand. But you don¡¯t need to bother with her. She is nothing but a spoiled brat because Sire is her guardian.¡±

    Ember simply smiled at him to show her thanks, and just then, Clio and Reya appeared with the tea and snacks. When they saw Isa was not there, they felt instant relief.

    ¡°Miss, you should have tea to help improve your mood.¡± Clio arranged tea for her on the balcony.

    Erlos was ready to leave, ¡°I shall excuse myself then.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Ember stopped him. ¡°Have a tea with me? They made more than enough for two people¡­¡±

    Seeing herrge innocent gaze, Erlos did not have the heart to refuse.

    ¡°Umm¡­perhaps, just a cup,¡± Erlos agreed as he sat in the chair opposite hers.

    Clio and Reya were about to remain standing on the side but Ember asked them to join them for tea.

    Reya proceeded to serve the tea for everyone. After they each took a sip, she heard Ember ask, ¡°Who exactly is Young Lady Isa? Why is she¡­¡±

    The three elves nced at each other, their eyes seemingly urging one another to answer Ember¡¯s question. In the end, Erlos cleared his throat. ¡°She is¡­I guess she is like a little sister to the King? She grew up under Sire¡¯s care and spent most of her time here in the pce, though unlike me who helps the King, she acts like a princess and orders everyone around.¡±

    ¡°And His Majesty doesn¡¯t say anything?¡± Ember asked.

    Reya sneered at that, and Erlos continued to exin.

    ¡°Well, he¡¯s the sister of Sire¡¯s good friend who died in thest battle with the humans. The thing is, Isa became the King¡¯s ward because not just his friend but even her entire family was killed back then. Her brother¡¯s dying will was for Sire to take care of his little sister, and Sire faithfully follow the words he had given to his friend,¡± Erlos replied. ¡°Not just Sire, this is also the case with Morpheus as well. Those two were good friends with Isa¡¯s brother, and thus, they treat her well, acting like a recement to the family she lost.¡±

    ¡°It is fine for her to keep ordering us around, but what we can¡¯t stand is her two-faced attitude,¡± Reyained.

    ¡°She seems to not like me.¡± Ember could not understand her reason for acting like this with her when they didn¡¯t even know each other.

    ¡°It¡¯s because everyone thought she would be His Majesty¡¯s mate,¡± Erlos sighed. ¡°She has been the only female that His Majesty cherished. For the past century, only she was allowed to constantly be by his side.¡±

    Reya added, ¡°Many people expect her to be the Queen of Agartha. Since her parents and brother were Nine-Tailed Foxes, they know she has the same potential to grow into one as well.¡±

    ¡°She has all the qualifications that made people think she would be Sire¡¯s mate¡ªher appearance, the purity of her bloodline, her rtionship with Sire and what not.¡±

    ¡°But Miss¡¯s sudden appearance changed the ying board. With His Majesty sessfully marking you, it must be a shock not only for Young Lady Isa but also for everyone in the kingdom. She must be quite I don¡¯t know¡ªbrokenhearted?¡ª since she had always looked up to His Majesty. This must be the reason she doesn¡¯t like you, Miss.¡±

    Ember understood. She finished her tea calmly and said, ¡°I would like to rest.¡±

    For some odd reason, the entire incident had tired her out and she could not wait to rest.

    Lying in the bed, Ember could not help but remember the words Isa said. She tried not to think about them, but she could not help herself from feeling hurt. Isa had sessfully raised a doubt in her mind about her and Draven¡¯s rtionship.

    ¡®I remember the council¡¯s words. They did mention about testing me and now I ended up being his mate¡­ so did that mean His Majesty has no choice but to keep me here? I thought he marked me because he wanted me to stay. Since I have survived the test, is His Majesty forced to keep me here as his mate?¡±

    Ember turned and tossed in bed.

    ¡®Does he not want to consummate the bond? Is that why he keeps asking me what I want on the night of the full moon? He doesn¡¯t love me so he would not want it, right? In those books I¡¯ve read, the husbands all loved their wives.

    ¡°If His Majesty loved me, he would have told me about it but he never did. His attraction only happens due to the scent¡­

    ¡°Will that always be the case going forward?¡±

    ¡°Will he not love me ever?¡±

    Ember felt like a huge rock weighed her chest.

    ¡®An unwanted mate,¡¯ she sighed. ¡®I have to answer his questions.¡¯

    But then, she remembered about Isa once again and how Morpheus took her with him.

    ¡®Not just His Majesty, but even Morph is so close to her and cares for her.¡¯

    Though he was helping her out of trouble earlier, Ember remembered how Morpheus called Isa affectionately.

    Little fox

    ¡®I was so dumb. Though he is my only friend, that isn¡¯t the same with him. Morpheus is so nice, so he must have other precious friends as well. Like Isa. He seems to be close with her as well, closer than me. I am the new one here and she is here for a long time. Obviously,pared to me, His Majesty and Draven would cherish her more.¡¯

    Sudden fear of loss engulfed her mind as she could not help but feel left out and didn¡¯t belong here.

 Chapter 210 Morphs Advice To Isa

    Just like Morpheus and Erlos, Draven had also sensed the fluctuations that Ember gave off during her confrontation with Isa in the balcony. The moment he felt that, he immediately arrived inside his mate¡¯s study. However, no one was able to notice him because their focus was mainly on Ember and Isa.

    His sensitive ears caught each and every word spoken by those in the balcony, but he chose not to interrupt them since Morpheus¡¯ timely arrival alleviated the tension. By then, Ember was calming down and that strong fluctuation of power was disappearing.

    Leaving Ember to Erlos, Draven disappeared from Ember¡¯s study since Morpheus had already taken care of the matter.

    ¡ª¨C

    Meanwhile, on the topmost branch of one of the tallest trees outside the royal pce, Morpheus and Isa were sitting side by side while staring at the pce walls ahead. They were talking about what Isa had done these past years.

    Morpheus patted her head. ¡°I always believed my little fox would grow to be as powerful as her brother. Can¡¯t wait to see you bing like him while unting all those nine tails.¡±

    Morpheus was not stingy with his praises as it was not easy to grow a single tail yet Isa had three at such a young age. Each tail represented a giant leap in cultivation, and it required the foxes to have to go through intense training to purify their blood and bring out the divinity within them.

    The purer their blood bes, the stronger they grow, and that will cause a new tail to appear on their bodies. That was why though her kind were called the Divine Fox n, only those who cultivated all nine tails earned the title of Divine Fox.

    Moreover, Isa was like a sister to Morpheus. When she was still a kid, she used to visit him with her brother and they would spend time with him and his little sister, Myra. The brothers were friends and so were their sisters.

    For Isa, she treated Morpheus the same as her brother, but for Draven, she felt in a different way.

    After a satisfyingly long talk, the eagle and the fox remained infortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

    Morpheus was then reminded about why he suddenly went to the balcony of Ember¡¯s study. When he was flying, the balcony was a little crowded, and upon observing Ember, he felt a familiar strong force surrounding her. He remembered the incident when she tried tapping her power and ended up burning the butterflies he gathered. He didn¡¯t wait even a moment and went to them.

    As he had sensed Ember¡¯s powers before, he didn¡¯t want a repeat of what happened.

    As someone who watched over the young fox grow, Morpheus was not blind to Isa¡¯s immaturity. Upon seeing the confrontation on the balcony, he could guess what could happen there. He didn¡¯t want both Ember and Isa to be in any trouble so he took Isa with him away. He knew Erlos would take care of Ember¨C and Draven would be there as well¨Cso he knew there was nothing for him to worry about.

    ¡°Isa?¡± Morpheus called.

    When she looked at him, he said, ¡°What was going on between you and Ember?¡±

    Isa didn¡¯t look guilty at all. ¡°I was just giving her some advice.¡±

    Morpheus knew it was not the truth and said, ¡°Isa, you have always been a good child and you have been working hard. We all admire you and I, in particr, care for you. Don¡¯t do anything that will ruin it all. Don¡¯t upset Draven.¡±

    He indirectly meant to say that she should treat Ember well.

    This caused the fox to pout. ¡°She is but a mere human. How is she worthy of His Majesty? I cannot ept it¡­¡±

    ¡°Isa, Draven has been taking care of you for a long time and you are like a family to him, but it¡¯s not your ce to decide what he wants. He can decide for himself. Also, didn¡¯t you sense the energy surrounding her when she was getting angry at you?¡±

    Isa had sensed it too back then, but she felt courageous given her own strength. If Erlos had not meddled between them, something must have happened. However, Isa was sure she could deal with whatever that human girl threw her way.

    ¡°But that makes it even more uneptable,¡± she pointed out. ¡°A human who has some special power? Aren¡¯t humankind our enemies? What if she bes a threat for us? What if there is a repeat of the past? Our people showed kindness andpassion, giving chance to humans, only to be betrayed¨C¡°

    ¡°Isa,¡± he warned.

    The young fox put on a defeated look. ¡°But I am not wrong, am I, Morph? If there¡¯s a possibility, even just a little, won¡¯t it be better to send her away?¡±

    ¡°She won¡¯t be a threat; don¡¯t worry. Try not to do what you did today again,¡± Morpheus said, sounding gentle and caring.

    ¡°I will try, but I cannot give you my word,¡± Isa replied. ¡°Anyways, Erlos calls me a cunning fox so I don¡¯t mind being one. Foxes are known to be cunning anyways.¡±

    Morpheus observed her sad face. ¡°Ignore that kid. He doesn¡¯t know anything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better that way. I am used to pissing him off and it will never stop even if his hate for me keeps growing.¡±

    ¡°About him, do what you want. Anyways, because of you, that kid had be stronger instead of crying all the time.¡±

    Isa sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me of that little crybaby. As he stopped being one, he had leaned to hate and especially hating me.¡±

    ¡°Then you did a good job,¡± Morpheus said as she chuckled.

    ¡°Seeing him angry and hateful is better than seeing him crying for his parents and family.¡±

    ¡°Now you are sounding like my sweet mature sister. Be like this all the time and don¡¯t be in a trouble with Draven¡¯s mate.¡±

    ¡°That human,¡± she once again clenched her fists, ¡°Only if she was not His Majesty¡¯s mate¡­I would have¡­.¡± The hatred for humans was clearly visible on her face.

    More than the fact that Draven had a mate, she was angry that his mate was a human- the humankind that killed her entire family and left her orphan. Just like others, she could not forgive human kinds.

    Just then Isa noticed a few wounds on his body that were already healed but still some marks were left. Being of divine blood, Morpheus had the great ability of self-healing and he was healed in a day despite having serious injuries.

    ¡°How did you get hurt?¡± Isa asked then remembered it was not easy for anyone in this kingdom to hurt him unless¡­.she sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me¡­.¡±

    Morpheus chuckled, ¡°After so long that dimwit Dragon and I thought to y a little.¡±

    Isa shook her head in disappointment, ¡°When would you two stop?¡±

    ¡°Till one of us is dead,¡± he replied.

    Isa could say nothing as it was nothing new for her to see and hear. Just like Erlos she had enough of their fights.

    She mumbled, ¡°I wish only my brother was alive. Only he could stop these two.¡±

 Chapter 211 Her Soul Is Tainted With Vengeance.

    3 chapters

    ¡ª-

    After having tea on the balcony, Erlos immediately returned to his chores, but his mind was still on the confrontation between Ember and Isa. Fortunately, he could feel more at ease knowing that the cunning fox was currently outside the pce grounds and he could avoid seeing that two-faced vixen.

    As soon as he finished his most urgent work, he decided he needed to speak to his master.

    When Erlos entered the study of the King, Draven was looking at the map of the continent he personally created. Melion had just returned to him the original after making copies to give to their spies and scouts outside of Agartha. Draven was expecting to receive some news soon as his aide reported they had already gone beyond the southern mountain ranges.

    In particr, Draven was looking at thergest kingdom on that other part of the continent¨Cthe Kingdom of Megaris.

    ¡°I wonder if you are still there,¡± he mumbled as if he was remembering someone. ¡°I hope you are doing well.¡±

    ¡°Sire?¡± Erlos said in a little raised tone.

    Draven didn¡¯t raise his head to look at him as if he had already expected such a reaction from his attendant and started rolling the map.

    ¡°Sire, did you know what happened?¡± By the tone of his question, it was easy to understand that Erlos was truly upset with the fox.

    Draven stared at him, his red eyes emotionless as he nodded.

    Erlos felt conflicted. ¡°You know and yet you have no ns to intervene? Shouldn¡¯t you¨C¡°

    But Draven cut him off. ¡°She needs to learn to deal with such things on her own.¡±

    ¡°On her own?¡± Erlos scoffed. ¡°Miss doesn¡¯t know much about people.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s time for her to get to know about people and this is a good start.¡±

    ¡°Must you truly do this, Sire?¡± Erlos sighed. He could not understand how his master¡¯s mind works. ¡°When Isa used to cause troubles for me, you ignore it, and now she¡¯s making Miss upset, you are ignoring it as well. It seems that fox is more important to you than your mate, Sire.¡±

    A normal person wouldn¡¯t openly point out his master¡¯s fault, but Erlos was never the type to mince his words.

    Still, that didn¡¯t mean Draven would let him question him like that.

    ¡°Erlos,¡± he started, his voice dignified, ¡°when I left you to deal with your problems on your own, didn¡¯t it help you to get strong? Didn¡¯t it help hone your character? Didn¡¯t you forget about the pain when you were busy fighting her?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡± As Erlos thought about it and remembered those days, he could not deny it. ¡°Well, that might be true but¡­¡±

    ¡°Ember is a good person, but kindness alone is not enough of quality for the future Queen of this kingdom. She is naive and reckless and trusts too easily. Moreover, she is a human and she will have to go through so much¨Chate and criticism being some of them¨Cas shees across more people.

    ¡°My mate can¡¯t simply sit inside the pce all her life and be protected. If I stand by her side all the time, others won¡¯t dare say a word as they fear me. I don¡¯t want her to live in my shadows. She needs to hear all the criticisming her way and deal with them on her own. She needs to gain the trust of others on her own and win the people who¡¯ll stay on her side to support her on her own.

    ¡°What this kingdom needs is a queen who has the trust and support of her people.¡±

    Erlos thought about it and realized Draven was not wrong. It was just a single Isa and how could she rule an entire kingdom if she couldn¡¯t even deal with one person? Moreover, they were in the pce, within the King¡¯s surveince, so Draven could still go to Ember if a need arises.

    What if in the future she had to go out and mingle among other races? What if she met supernatural beings who were more intimidating and more aggressive than that young cunning vixen? Would she have another Erlos who she could use as a shield? Would another Morpheus pop out to disperse the tension?

    As a human who would be the Queen of Agartha, she wouldn¡¯t be able to avoid these kinds of situations. One day, she had to face them.

    ¡°You are right, Sire, but I still cannot help but worry¨C¡°

    ¡°Seems like she has already won your trust and support,¡± Dravenmented.

    He had sent Erlos there on purpose and Erlos didn¡¯t fail him. The way he acted to defend Ember and stood in front of Isa to protect Ember, he was satisfied by the oue.

    ¡°I am but a single person, a young elf. How much can it help her?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate yourself. You are a High Elf with the purest bloodline. One day, you will understand your true power, the reason why other elves are unable to raise their heads in front of your n.¡±

    Erlos felt d to hear it though he didn¡¯t think he was strong enough to fit Draven¡¯s narrative. There were countless other supernatural beings of his age who were stronger than him, just like Isa of the Divine Fox n.

    ¡°I am not sure how but I will always protect Miss when she is in any kind of danger,¡± Erlos assured his master.

    Draven nodded slightly as he put the map in his hand back on the shelves.

    Erlos had more to say. ¡°Sire? Back when Isa offended the Miss, I think she felt anger and there was a strange fluctuation in the air around her.¡±

    Draven turned to him without a change in his expression.

    The young elf continued, ¡°It was not just strong¨Cit was terrifying. It was as if it would just destroy everything around her at a moment¡¯s notice.¡±

    Draven once again nodded. ¡°We will get answers soon.¡±

    Erlos understood that his master would no longer say more on the matter and excused himself to resume his work.

    Draven was not surprised to sense Ember¡¯s powers this time.

    Back in his dreams, he had seen the woman with emerald green eyes use a me that seemed to be destruction personified. With that as reference, Ember¡¯s current power, though much stronger than what he had felt before, was within the range of his understanding. He could rte it to her being angry this time.

    Last time, it was because she was trying to forcefully use her powers, and this time, she was not trying to use her powers but it reacted to her sudden change in emotions¨C anger.

    An anger seeking to harm another.

    Vengeance! Her soul is tainted with vengeance.

    She is not what she seems.

 Chapter 212 Why Is His Attention Elsewhere?â€™

    The next morning, Ember was readying herself for her magic lesson with her instructor, Fire Fae Helia. Not being able to sleep well due to what Isa said to her, her head was feeling a little heavy and she felt cranky despite having a sumptuous morning meal.

    Lady Helia was waiting for her at the training grounds in the rear of the pce by the time she arrived. In the previous lesson, Ember seeded in finding her energy core, and now, both she and her instructor looked forward to her progress. Of course, it probably wouldn¡¯t be easy given Ember¡¯s special case.

    When Ember reached the middle of the training grounds, Lady Helia cordially greeted her.¡±Good morning, Miss Ember. I hope you have been well since west parted.¡±

    ¡°Good morning!¡±

    Though her voice was bright, Lady Helia noticed how Ember had to force herself to smile.

    ¡°Pardon if I sound intrusive, but you feel¡­gloomy? Is everything all right, Miss Ember?¡±

    Ember denied having issues, but deep inside, she knew she was not feeling as excited as in her previous lessons.

    What Ember didn¡¯t know was that Helia was not ignorant of the confrontation. She had heard from Draven what happened to her student, and she knew she had to keep that in mind while teaching her today.

    ¡°If that is what you say,¡± she relented. ¡°All right, shall we start our lesson?¡±

    Ember nodded.

    Helia didn¡¯t hold Ember¡¯s hand this time as she instructed, ¡°To start with , why don¡¯t you try locating your energy core again?¡± When Ember told her she was done, the fairy smiled. ¡°Wonderful. You did it quite quickly this time.¡±

    ¡°It is because I became more familiar with it now.¡±

    Helia then moved on. ¡°Since we do not have any more issues with that, we will move on to the next step. Let me ask you, Miss. We have been practicing for a while and I wish to know when was thest time you felt the presence of your powers.¡±

    It reminded Ember about the previous day¡¯s incident, so she confessed, ¡°Yesterday, something happened.¡±

    Helia waited for her to continue without saying a word.

    ¡°I was¡­¡± Ember hesitated ¡°¡­angry at something and didn¡¯t actually mean it but I felt like hurting another person. Not just her, but I felt like destroying everything around me to release the pent up emotions, and only then I could be calm. That urge of destruction was so strong that I almost gave in to it. I felt like something evil inside me which wanted nothing but destruction.¡±

    ¡°How do you feel about that urge?¡±

    ¡°I do not like it one bit, Lady Helia,¡± Ember said with a lowered head.

    Helia touched her chin and lifted her face, smiling as soon as their eyes met.

    ¡°Are you afraid, Miss?¡±

    Ember pressed her lips in a thin line as she considered answering that question.

    Her instructor patiently told her, ¡°Do not doubt yourself. As you have just found your energy core, you might have subconsciously tried to manifest your power the same way some people who couldn¡¯t swim were forced to learn how to swim once they were on the verge of drowning.

    ¡°It might also be that due to the seal on it weakening, your strong emotions can trigger that energy, kind of like an energy leak.

    ¡°No matter what it is, believe in yourself. Only your willpower can control your energy. Out of all the emotions, anger is always the one that leads to destruction. As your energy core is notpletely yours yet, any leak of power can get out of control, so make sure to control your anger. It won¡¯t be easy but you have to try it.¡±

    Ember let out a shaky breath. ¡°I will try.¡±

    ¡°That is all I wanted to hear from you,¡± the Fire Fae smiled. ¡°Then, about our lesson for today¡ª¡±

    As Helia began her lecture, Ember saw Draven standing at a distance and though he was quite far, she was sure he was looking at her. She didn¡¯t avert her gaze from him.

    That man standing there was her husband, her own family, but how difficult it was to reach him and she could only look at him from a distance. Though she hadints for him in her mind, she forgot them all the moment she saw him. The sight of him was something she wanted to have in front of her all the time.

    ¡®I wish I could just go to him.¡¯

    But suddenly, Draven¡¯s eyes narrowed at her and her breath momentarily quickened. She froze in ce as if some invisible force was binding her.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    She could not move her body. It was Draven who bound her with his energy as his mate was not paying attention to the lecture and was about to step ahead in a daze only to bump into her teacher.

    Just then a young woman who appeared to be her age, her every move showing elegance and grace.

    Isa.

    Ember saw Isa came to Draven, and she couldn¡¯t help but narrow her eyes at that person.

    ¡°¡ªand so, in order to move that energy¡ª¡±

    With a frown, Ember averted her gaze from the King and the fox and looked back at Helia who continued her lecture as if she didn¡¯t notice her student¡¯s momentarypse of concentration.

    ¡°¡ªwith that, it concludes the lecture. Miss, stand there and we will begin the practical application of everything I said.¡± The Fire Fae then pointed at the ce a few steps away where she wanted Ember to stand.

    Ember walked over there, not forgetting to throw a brief nce at Draven and Isa who were now talking. Isa was smiling a sweet smile, while Draven was nodding, seemingly listening to her with his entire attention focused solely on her.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t hee here to watch me? Why is his attention elsewhere?¡¯

    Deep in her heart, she wondered what they were talking about to make Isa smile like that. She would evenugh once in a while.

    ===

    This Bonus chapter is dedicated to readers ¡°RMehrotra¡± for gifting almost 200 Golden Tickets to the novelst month. Thank you so much, dear. <3<3

 Chapter 213 Embers Killing Intent

    ¡°Miss?¡±

    It pulled Ember¡¯s attention back to her instructor and she decided to focus on her lesson.

    For this session, Helia was trying to teach her on the basics of energy manifestation. Magic spells all began with the energy inside the body being forced to the outside world, and only then could she begin molding magic in whatever form she desired using a spell as a framework.

    ¡°¡­Imagine your energy to a form like ¡®air¡¯ and try to breathe it out of your body. It doesn¡¯t matter what form it takes for now. You will have seeded as long as you are able to manifest your energy outside your body.¡±

    Ember tried to do as she was told but something was affecting her from focusing on her lesson. Whenever she tried to focus, her thoughts would wander around towards how Isa had mocked her and now she was talking to Draven as if she had done nothing wrong. Ember was usually a level-headed person, but she didn¡¯t know why her temper was so unstable and why she would get affected by others so easily.

    ¡°Hmm, how about you observe how I do it, Miss?¡±

    ¡°Look at my hand. Nothing changed yet. But look, if I force my energy out, you can see my palm turn red.¡±

    ¡°Another way to manifest is to use an attribute of fire. Feel it, isn¡¯t my hand now hot?¡±

    ¡°If I imagine my energy creating a small smile, that works as well. See?¡±

    Despite trying to copy Helia, her attempts were in vain. Again and again and again, she had nothing but failed attempts to show off.

    ¡°You look exhausted, Miss. Why don¡¯t we take a short break?¡± Helia suggested.

    Ember was feeling disappointed in herself. Despite trying so many times and her teacher instructing her patiently again and again, she failed the entire time. Not just disappointed¨Cshe was angry at herself.

    Helia could see how Ember was feeling. ¡°Miss, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s your first day of trying to manifest the magic. It is normal since you need to be familiar with the process of guiding energy from your core. Still, you did well today, and I am sure soon you will be able to do it in a few days.¡±

    Ember looked at her teacher apologetically. Helia was always so patient with her and it made her feel even sad.

    ¡°Since you are exhausted to the point you¡¯re sweating, rather than a break, I think we should stop for today.¡±

    Ember nodded as she knew how much she would try, she too felt nothing would happen today.

    After saying a few more encouraging words, Helia left. Rather than her instructor, Ember looked at the empty ce where Draven was standing a while ago.

    ¡®He saw me failing again and again. He must have left thinking I cannot do it.¡±

    Ember felt worse and could not help but feel disappointed at herself, and this turned to anger. She had always felt sorry for herself but never felt angry. She stared at her palms, and suddenly, she felt that she was worthless. That she could not do anything.

    Just as she was feeling awful, someone came to make it even worse.

    ¡°Tsk, I thought you could at least perform a simple magic trick today and I waited here for so long but¡­¡± the neer sighed. ¡°Even His Majesty could not tolerate it and left. Such a failure! Even a child without a prominent energy core can perform simple magic manifestations, but you turned out to be worse than a child.¡±

    Ember silently red at Isa who didn¡¯t let go of the chance to mock her. Ember was already angry and she didn¡¯t want to create any trouble by dealing with this annoying vixen.

    Ember turned to leave, not bothering to reply.

    ¡°Rude. I cannot believe what I am seeing. To leave without even talking,¡± Isa scoffed. ¡°But I cannot me you for this. I had heard you don¡¯t have a family so you must have been raised without manners. Uncouth and uncivilized.

    Ember stopped in her ce as she heard the person behind her didn¡¯t stop at it and heard her again.

    ¡°I wonder about the person who raised you. Did she think it would be fine since you are supposed to rot on your own in some distant mountains anyway?

    ¡°How pitiful of you. Whoever that person is, she could still have done better and had taught you how to behave like a person and not some wildling. You truly do not deserve someone as perfect as His Majesty. What? Are you ring at me? Oh, I apologize. Did I somehow offend you?

    ¡°But it is the truth, right? What I do not understand is why you are still sticking to His Majesty living avish life inside this pce and living off His Majesty¡¯s grace like a leech. Was being that shameless in your nature? Or maybe, that is something you learned? I feel like whoever raised you, that person taught a good-for-nothing like you to leech off someone in power in order to survive.¡±.¡±

    Ember finally turned back to look at Isa. Her emerald green eyes were filled with rage.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say a word about my nanny!¡±

    ¡°Oh, a nanny? Why? Are you some sort of noble or Princess of any kingdom? If you were at least a princess among those useless humans, I would have considered you but you are simply nobody who is raised in the dirt by her nanny.¡±

    Isa could see Ember was truly enraged and she enjoyed every single second of it. She could not wait for Ember to do something silly and then get punishment for it. ¡®It¡¯s even better if she harms me, then it would be easy to kick her out of this Kingdom.¡¯

    With a cunning smirk, Isa continued, ¡°And why can I not tell the truth? Parents are med for their child¡¯s upbringing. As you are an orphan, whoever raised you is to me. I wonder what kind of a woman your nanny must be to raise a child like you. You truly embrace all the ugly things about humankind from your nanny, greedy and shameless and¨C¡°

    Swoosh!

    In just a blink of an eye,rge mes erupted seemingly out of nowhere. Isa¡¯s body was pushed away by some unknown power while all the trees around the training grounds caught fire, scaring the servants mingling around.

    Ember¡¯s pretty emerald green eyes glowed in brilliance, looking like they themselves were on fire.

    Killing intent. There was killing intent in them.

    ¡®Silence! I must silence her! Get rid of her! I must¨C¡®

    The next moment, someone appeared in front of Ember and hugged her in his warm andforting embrace. It took a moment for her to calm down as she closed her eyes and went unconscious. With that, the sudden fire disappeared as well.

    ===

    This bonus chapter is dedicated to reader ¡°Hollygolightly¡± Thank you so much for the gift, dear. <3<3

 Chapter 214 Bloodlust In Embers Eyes

    What Ember didn¡¯t know, in the middle of her magic lesson, Erlos hade to the training grounds and sought Draven, informing him that one of his aides, Wind Fae Melion, hade back to the pce and was waiting in his study to report something urgent. That was the real reason why the King had left.

    After Ember¡¯s lesson, Helia went to the King¡¯s study. As per her usual practice, she would report the results of the day¡¯s lesson to Draven. However, Erlos told her he was still granting an audience to Melion, and thus, told her to wait for her turn to talk with the King.

    By the time their meeting finished, Helia had enjoyed a cup of tea in the reception room next door.

    Helia paid her respects to the King. ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty.¡±

    Draven epted it with a light nod andmented on her expression, ¡°Is she having trouble learning today?¡±

    The Fire Fae let out a wry smile. ¡°Unfortunately. It¡¯s not like she cannot do it. The Miss cannot focus and her mind is wandering elsewhere the entire time. I even got the impression that if I were to ask her to repeat the lecture, she could barely remember the words I said.¡±

    Before he could even say a word, Draven felt a strong energy fluctuationing from the direction of the training grounds and he knew it came from his mate. The rming thing was that it was much stronger than thest time.

    His intuition was telling him that the destructive nature of her power would surely bring big damage not only to her surroundings but to herself as well.

    Under Helia¡¯s bewildered gaze, Draven stood up and disappeared from behind his desk.

    When he reached the training grounds, he felt an overwhelming scorching sensation in the air. He saw the clear bloodlust in Ember¡¯s eyes. Due to the mate bond they shared, Draven could clearly feel the way her elemental power wanted toe out, that innate nature of fire wishing destruction on all things in its path¨Cin this particr case, the person standing in front of her. Isa. Ember wanted to kill her right there and then.

    Draven immediately forced Isa away from Ember using his power, but he had no mind to be gentle, and her body was thrown a distance away as soon as the trees surrounding the training ce caught fire. He didn¡¯t even bother to look at where Isa was thrown. All he knew was that he needed to calm Ember and stop her before his mate could do something worse and then regret itter on.

    He appeared in front of Ember and pulled her shaking body immediately into his arms. He knew that the most efficient way to calm her was a mate¡¯s physicalfort. Regardless of how enraged she was, his true scent should be able to affect her mentality.

    The moment he wrapped his arms around her, Ember fell like a puppet that had lost its strings. Though his presence helped calm her down, she went unconscious as the sudden and uncontrolled manifestation of her power caused her body to be exhausted. Not only was she not used to using her power, her power was also beyond what her fragile human body could bear.

    All of this happened in a blink of an eye. No one other than Draven knew what exactly happened. Not even a minuteter, Helia reached the rear of the pce as well. Being a fairy of the fire element, she also sensed therge eruption of fire in the vicinity despite it being abrupt. Looking around, she could also see the traces of burn marks on the trees and the grass.

    ¡°Your Majesty, is the Miss all right? Shall I call for a healer?¡±

    Helia thought it was her fault. A while ago, she was trying to teach Ember how to manifest her powers, but she could not focus and thus she dismissed her lesson early. She didn¡¯t expect to see her manifest her power like this and in such a strong way.

    ¡®Could it be that she was frustrated because she thought I was disappointed? I need to teach her how to safely manifest her powers as soon as possible or it would only end up harming others.¡¯

    Isa, who was thrown aside, had also not expected Ember to be an owner of such a strong destructive power. She did not even have a clue that her power had an elemental attribute. The oue of provoking Ember was beyond her wildest imagination.

    To get her three tails and be the most powerful among her peers, Isa had to cultivate every day while gritting her teeth. Despite her sly nature, Isa was a real hard worker. She practiced in strict discipline and was always serious whenever she was cultivating.

    For the past several decades, she had to face difficult training under the guidance of the senior members of her n, and she also needed a steady supply of elixirs to helpbat fatigue and replenish stamina, among other things.

    But this human girl who was not even two decades old caused her to feel threatened? Didn¡¯t that mean she was much more powerful than her?

    Absurd!

    ¡®How can she have this kind of power? This human¡­Once again, a human can be a threat to our existence¡­¡¯

    If Draven had not pushed her away from Ember¡¯s sight, she would have ended up injured. Given the destructive nature of Ember¡¯s elemental power, even a three-tailed fox like Isa would have ended up gravely harmed.

    Draven carried the unconscious Ember back to her bedchamber. After heid her on her bed, he noticed that her entire body was sweaty, as if she had done some heavybour work.

    Even in her unconscious state, deep creases showing her distress remained on her forehead.

    Draven sat next to her and ran his fingers gently over her forehead to smoothen those frown lines. He then held her delicate hand and looked at her small face.

 Chapter 215 What Did You Say To Her?

    ¡®I could guess that Isa said something that provoked her. What could it be? What made you so angry to the point you would show killing intent towards another person?¡¯

    Though it hadn¡¯t been long since he brought this human to Agartha, he had known her enough to understand her personality. She might be reckless and naive, but she had a kind heart. Such a person wanted to attack another? It was a difficult thing for him to imagine if he had not seen what she almost did today.

    He pushed away the stray hair strands that were stuck to her sweaty face.

    ¡®That means I do not know you well enough. There are so many things I need to find out about you. However, I have to stay away from you for your own good. This bond does not allow me to stay sane, and if I test my limits, I don¡¯t know what I would do to you.

    ¡®Until you decide that weplete our bond, our situation will remain the same. But I have no wish to force you.

    ¡®It all depends on what you decide.¡¯

    Not long after, Ember¡¯s servants came to their master¡¯s chamber after they saw her being carried away by Draven.

    Draven stood up from the bed and looked at them. ¡°She is merely exhausted. Have Y give her a vitality potion.¡±

    The elves received his orders, and Draven left, leaving Ember to be taken care of by her servants.

    He could only silently wish that he could stay by her side for a bit longer.

    ¡ª¨C

    Draven returned to his study where he saw Isa already waiting for him. It was good timing. He had already nned to call her but she was already there.

    ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡±

    Her pretty face looked upset as soon as sheid her eyes on him. Herrge watery eyes would make any person feel pity for her.

    But Draven didn¡¯t look at her and went straight for his armchair behind his desk. He didn¡¯t ask Isa to have a seat and instead looked at her with his gaze seemingly colder than usual.

    Seconds passed by as he waited for her to begin speaking. As she was the one who came on her own, he was sure she had something to say.

    Isa looked at him as if he had wronged her. Her lips were trembling like she would cry any moment now, but seeing theck of response from the King, Isa felt disheartened. Though she did expect him to be like his usual self, it did hurt her that he showed no interest in her well-being nor showed even a hint of worry for her.

    For the first time, she somehow felt disappointed in him. Wariness also started to grow inside her. She felt like this time, there would be no preferential treatment. Maybe, part of it was also due to the guilt inside her as she knew she was the reason for what happened a while ago.

    ¡°Your Majesty, did you see what she almost did? S-She almost killed me today! That was so scary! How can such a monster be born among humans? Even till now, I cannot calm down¡­For a human to have such power is dangerous.¡±

    Her entire body shivered as if she was traumatized by the entire experience.

    ¡°She¡¯s crazy! I know she doesn¡¯t like me, but is that reason enough to want to kill another person? Humans do really take life for granted. How easy is it for her to aim at another person? I am afraid once again what happened in the past would happen. Luckily, Your Majesty was there and I survived today unscathed. What if she attacks another person next time? I do not want other people to experience the same pain I suffered when I lost my brother¨C¡°

    ¡°What did you say to her?¡± Draven interrupted her. His voice was cold and his gaze emotionless.

    Isa immediately swallowed the rest of her words. She didn¡¯t expect Draven to ignore her previous words and ask this suddenly.

    Isa took in a shaky breath and calmed herself. ¡°Your Majesty, does it matter? No matter what I said to her, it was her responsibility to control her powers. If everyone in Agartha gave in to our anger, then no human in this continent would remain alive¨C¡°

    ¡°I will not repeat myself. What did you say to her?¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t stop Isa from visiting Ember as he thought it wouldn¡¯t be much serious and things would end up in a small argument and Ember would know what kind of people she would be facing in theing days. But what happened a while ago, he was sure something serious had happened that hurt Ember and she was so angry to the extent of killing a person.

    That was not his Ember. The one he knew was kind and could never harm anyone.

    In both the encounters between Isa and Ember, Ember was angry and Draven didn¡¯t know what exactly was the talk about. During the previous day¡¯s event, Draven reached there when the talk was over and he sensed Ember¡¯s powers. By that time, Erlos and Morpheus were taking care of everything.

    Also after Ember¡¯s training a while ago, he left and didn¡¯t expect something like that to happen. He came to Ember only when he sensed her powers.

    Isa told Draven everything she had said to Ember after she finished her training. There was no regret on Isa¡¯s face when she told this to Draven.

    Draven continued to hear her quietly and as he didn¡¯t stop her or showed any change in his emotions, Isa felt she did the right thing and his silence encouraged her.

    ¡°Not like she is any princess. She is just raised on some dead mountain by a random woman who she calls a nanny. How can a lowly being like her deserve to be your Majesty¡¯s mate? It¡¯s not eptable. I will never ept it¡­..¡±

    ¡°It has nothing to do with whether you are willing to ept it or not,¡± he interrupted her, his cold words and his gaze had a warning for her in them.

 Chapter 216 Do Not Hurt My Mate

    Isa¡¯s intuition was telling her to shut up, or else¡­

    And her own reaction shocked Isa.

    In her more than a hundred years of living, this was the first time Draven had talked to her like this. Before, whatever she said, he would always hear her without giving any response. He would reprimand her like a true guardian, but only after he fully let her vent out. It made her feel that Draven was someone who was always by her side, and since he showed her favour all the time, never refusing her away no matter how busy he was, she thought she was someone really important to him. That maybe, she was special to him.

    She never realized that to Draven, she was nothing more than one of his duties. All he had in his mind was the responsibility towards the ones around him and the promises he had made that he needed to fulfil.

    Guilt and repentance.

    He needed to protect and take care of those who had suffered because of his mistakes in the past.

    It was the price he chose to pay.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Apologize,¡± Draven interrupted her once again as his cold voice almost sent a chill down her spine. ¡°Apologize to her.¡±

    Isa, being spoiled not only by Draven but also by the other adults of her n, still could not believe what she was hearing. She didn¡¯t want to take it seriously. She thought she could still do what she wanted.

    ¡°Apologize to a human? And to a lowly one at that?¡±

    ¡°If she was a human princess, would you have?¡± Draven asked.

    Isa was confused why Draven was questioning her again and again when he had never questioned any of her actions before. ¡®Is that human being so important to him that he forgot the hate he has towards humankind?¡¯

    ¡°Even if she¡¯s a royal, why would I apologize?¡± she said stubbornly. ¡°She is the one who wanted to kill me. She should apologize to me instead! I am the victim!¡±

    ¡°You instigated her.¡±

    ¡°And her origins must be so lowly and barbaric for her to not even think of resolving things in a civil manner. I know she¡¯s of low birth, but she¡¯s worse than I thought!¡±

    ¡°What you know doesn¡¯t matter. It doesn¡¯t change the fact you wronged her first.¡±

    Draven knew that Ember was a princess but had not told this to anyone. Only Leeora, Erlos and Cornelia were aware of this fact. If his understanding was correct, even Ember herself was unaware of her royal background.

    ¡®When the opportunity arises, I will let her know.¡¯

    For now, he decided to keep it a secret as Ember was not in a condition to digest other shocking things about her life. He was waiting for the day when she would be able to handle it all.

    Isa was clearly upset at this sudden change in events. Her lips were trembling as if she was about to burst into tears any second now. ¡°Y-Your Majesty, how can you say that to me? You have promised my brother that you will always take care of me. Did you forget that promise just because of that human? You are asking me to apologize to her¡­a human?¡±

    Draven was still calm as he said, ¡°For our kind, the responsibility we have towards our mates is above any promises. Our matese first, even before our own lives. Do you need me to remind you of these rules?¡±

    It was the truth that there was nothing above the mate bond and the promise made by the two souls. In front of it, any promise could be forgotten.

    Isa felt speechless. ¡°B-But still, my brother¡­¡±

    ¡°Was there ever a time you felt Icked as your acting guardian?¡± Before she could say anything, he continued, ¡°Ask yourself if I failed to fulfil my promise.¡±

    With herck of response, Draven knew she herself could not deny how much favour she had received from him in the past.

    ¡°You are now a grown fox, a powerful member albeit a rising star of your n. You don¡¯t need to live under my shadows now and be independent.¡±

    He didn¡¯t feel even a bit of sympathy towards Isa when he said those words.

    Draven was always a straightforward person. On most days, he chose to be quiet but once he chose to talk, he never cared about hurting anyone¡¯s feelings. All that mattered to him was his own thoughts, and he would not back down even if his words could be merciless to those who received them.

    Was he a heartless man?

    Maybe, maybe not.

    For someone who had lived as long as he did, who had gone through countless pain of loss and betrayal, perhaps being decisive in matters of the heart and affection was his way of protecting his sanity. He kept himself from wavering due to emotions until in the end it turned him into this.

    It was easier for him this way.

    Finally, a single tear escaped Isa¡¯s eyes. ¡°How can you ask me¡­? To a human? For that lowly human, I never expected you to¡ª¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t care about her tears. He spoke as if didn¡¯t notice it. ¡°Apologize to my mate, or you can go back to your n and never step inside this pce ever again.¡±

    ¡°You want me to leave the pce? Because of her?¡± Isa mumbled as more tears rolled down from her eyes. She was the same as Erlos. Both of them practically grew up inside the pce. For Isa, aside from her earliest memories with her brother and parents, her only family had always been Draven.

    The pce was her home, and except for the time when she left for training, she always stayed here. Yet the King¡­ he was asking her to leave?

    Suddenly, she felt as if she had lost everything.

    She lost the man she loved to a human, and now, she was losing her home to that human.

    Isa closed her eyes for a moment as she wiped her tears and said, ¡°If that is what you want, I-I¡­ will apologize to her¡­¡±

    As she said those words, it was like her slender body deted and she moved like a puppet. She hastily bowed to the king, wanting to escape the study and leave his presence in a hurry, but just as she turned, she heard Draven¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Do not hurt my mate ever again.¡±

    With her back facing at him, Isa clenched her fists and left. Now, she confirmed that she was no longer the one who the King cherished the most.

    ¡®That human¡­That lowly human! How dare she take away everything from me? I swear on my life, I will have that wicked girl pay the price of her sins!¡¯

 Chapter 217 Gentle With His Mate

    Inside Ember¡¯s bed-chamber, only the sounds of Reya¡¯s and Clio¡¯s movements could be heard.

    They had given her the vitality potion as per the King¡¯s order in order to relieve the side effects of her magic exhaustion, and then they proceeded to clean her body from sweat.

    However, even after an hour had passed by, Ember continued to remain unconscious. Her servants, who were waiting for her to wake up, could not help but worry for her.

    Clio was still a bit better; she tried to distract herself by wiping the dustless furniture and tidying up the chamber again and again. On the other hand, Reya was pacing around to the point that her younger cousin was getting dizzy, her angry rambling the dominant sound echoing inside the chamber.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Miss waking up?¡±

    ¡°Should we inform Dame Y to send in a healer just in case?¡±

    ¡°Maybe one bottle of potion isn¡¯t enough? Should I request one more?¡±

    ¡°This is the Young Lady¡¯s fault! I know she¡¯s bad luck! As soon as shees back to the pce, this happens¡ª¡±

    The rest of her words were swallowed the moment they felt movement in the bed and the two servants hurried to check on Ember. However, instead of joy, the elves felt panic.

    Rather than seeing her rousing from sleep, they found Ember restlessly turning in bed, her face pale and dotted with cold beads of sweat.

    ¡°Miss? Miss, can you hear me?¡± Reya asked but there was no response.

    Nightmare.

    ¡°Looks like Miss is having a nightmare,¡± Clio said.

    Reya put her hand on Ember¡¯s arm to wake her up, but the moment she touched Ember, she retracted her hand as if she had touched something that she should not have. Despite the fabric between their skin, she felt her burning up.

    ¡°Why is Miss¡¯s body temperature so high?¡± Reya mumbled. ¡°She didn¡¯t have a fever earlier!¡±

    Clio reached out as well, and this time, she touched Ember¡¯s hand. She flinched. ¡°It¡¯s not normal to have such a high temperature even for our kind. For a human with a weaker body, this should be really dangerous.¡±

    ¡°We need to inform His Majesty.¡±

    Just as Clio said those words, they heard the door m open and saw Draven entering his mate¡¯s chamber with quick strides.

    Because of what happened, Draven had expanded his senses to pay particr attention to the unconscious girl. Though he could not detect Ember herself with his powers, it was easy for him to check on her servants from time to time despite him being in his study.

    The same moment he sensed the female elves¡¯ agitation, he felt something was not right with their mate bond. This only happens whenever he sensed her powers were about to surface, and that meant something dangerous could happen to Ember once again.

    Without a dy, he went to her chamber, and as expected, something was not right with her.

    The moment they saw the King, Clio and Reya stepped away from the bed.

    Draven touched Ember¡¯s forehead and found her body temperature higher than normal¡ªno, that was saying it lightly. Her entire body was burning up.

    Even though he was already by her side, she continued to turn and toss restlessly, and the beads of sweat dotted her forehead. She looked like she was having another terrible nightmare.

    ¡®Is it rted to her seal?¡¯ He caressed her cheeks. ¡°Ember, wake up. Can you hear me?¡±

    There was no response from her even though he called out to her once more. Draven tried to wake her up but could not get her out of the nightmare, and her high temperature was worrying.

    He climbed the bed and held her body in his embrace.

    ¡°Ember? You can hear me, can¡¯t you? Wake up. I am here. There is no need to be afraid, It¡¯s just a nightmare¡­¡±

    He continued to caress her head gently while saying the same thing over and over again.

    Ever since he began to learn the consequences of Ember¡¯s powers leaking from its seal, Draven had somewhat expected troublesome times ahead. He had never been weak, and never been powerless. As a person used to using his overwhelming strength to deal with his problems, it was exceptionally difficult for him to be in a position where he was helpless, unable to do anything but hope for time to pass.

    At this moment, he didn¡¯t know what was going on with his mate. He had no idea what he should do to help her. No medicine or potion was going to work on her, and he could only rely on the power of their mate bond to at least ease her suffering.

    The two servants initially wanted to ask Draven whether they should call Y or someone else, yet witnessing him holding his mate in his arms made them unable to speak up. Their shock grew when they heard him speak to Ember in such a tender manner.

    Standing by the doorway, they awkwardly looked at each other, not knowing what to do, but in the end, they decided to leave the pair of mates on their own. They decided to go out of the chamber, knowing that King would take care of his mate and call for them if he needed their presence. They silently closed the door behind them and stood outside.

    Minutes slowly crawled without them knowing the situation inside.

    ¡°I wonder what is wrong with Miss,¡± Reya could not help but say as she fidgeted outside the door. ¡°Remember that time she passed out while having a bath?¡±

    Clio could only sigh. ¡°Whatever it is, I hope she can recover soon¡­¡±

    The sounds of approaching footsteps caused the elves to shut their mouths. Several secondster, they saw a beautiful young woman in a pink long robe approach them. The two bowed before her.

    ¡°Greetings, Young Lady Isa,¡± they both greeted her.

    ¡°Announce my visit to your master.¡±

    ¡°Young Lady Isa, apologies but Miss is resting and will not receive guests at the moment,¡± Clio informed her courteously.

 Chapter 218 Jealous Isa

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t take much of her time. Tell her I will just see her for a bit and leave immediately.¡±

    ¡°Young Lady Isa, please understand. You really cannot visit Miss at this moment.¡±

    ¡°You two, how dare you disobey me? Is it because you found yourselves a new backer? You think you can be arrogant?¡± Isa raised her voice. ¡°Tell your master that I want to see her. I do not believe she¡¯s shameless enough to refuse to see me when I am personally requesting to see a human like her!¡±

    She usually kept her temper in check and dealt with everyone with her sweet-sounding veiled words, but she didn¡¯t have that leeway now. She was already upset because of Draven and could not help but take it out on the servants.

    ¡°Young Lady, our master is resting¡ª¡±

    ¡°If she¡¯s asleep, wake her up!¡±

    ¡°Young¡ª¡±

    ¡°Get out of my way!¡± Isa raised her hand towards the door to open it with her powers, but despite her hand gestures,nothing happened.

    ¡°Did you put a barrier on her door?¡±

    She was so angry that she failed to see what was stopping her, and once again gestured her hands towards the door, but the door remained closed. Just as she reached out towards the doorknob, thinking of mming the door open, realization dawned on her.

    ¡®Perhaps¡­?¡¯

    Her guess was confirmed when Reya immediately put her body between the door and Isa.

    ¡°His Majesty is inside taking care of our Miss, that¡¯s why we cannot allow you to enter the chamber, Young Lady Isa. Please show some decency.¡±

    Isa furiously looked at the door and heard Reya continue, ¡°As a person from the beast n, the Young Lady should know best it¡¯s not good to disturb mates who are on their own,¡±

    Though her words were polite, the Moon Elf offered a meaningful gaze to Isa which suggested something else. It was precisely because she didn¡¯t like Isa that she¡¯s happy to make the annoying fox misunderstand the situation.

    This time, even the level-headed Clio didn¡¯t stop her cousin as she didn¡¯t like how Isa was behaving at this moment.

    Isa gritted her teeth and stormed away without a word.

    ¡®That human¡­I will teach her a lesson and let her know her proper ce. I don¡¯t care even if I have to leave this pce and I cannote here again. That lowly human will get what she deserves.¡¯

    Inside the chamber, Draven had justid the calmed Ember back on her bed when he heard themotion outside. The moment he heard Isa¡¯s voice, he sealed the door of the chamber with his powers. He didn¡¯t want her to affect Ember more than what she had already done.

    Once Isa left, his attention shifted back to his mate. ¡®I wonder what the nightmare was about. Did she see the purple-eyed woman again? Nothing about her can be taken lightly. Once she is awake, I will ask her.¡¯

    Draven left after he instructed her servants.

    ¡°Do not allow anyone to see her without her permission.¡±

    The two servants immediately bowed as they received his orders, and when they straightened their bodies, the King had already disappeared in front of them.

    ¡ª¡ª-

    It waste in the afternoon by the time Ember woke up. Her head was hurting and her entire body felt weak. She could not even sit up straight without pillows propping her back.

    However, the mere fact she woke up made her servants happy and relieved. They fussed over her, giving her herbal concoctions to help relieve her headache, along with light snacks since she said she had no appetite for a heavy meal.

    Of course, Draven was first to receive the news of her waking up, but like always, he preferred to give her ample time to settle down first and thus didn¡¯t immediately head for her chamber despite wanting to talk to her.

    Unfortunately, there was someone in the pce who was neither considerate nor attentive rushing towards his mate.

    The moment Isa got to know the news, she could not wait to see Ember and hurried to her chamber. Though the King had asked her to apologize, one could see from her expression that her intention was anything but that.

    ¡®I will never lower my head in front of a human!¡¯

    When Isa reached outside the chamber, she said to Clio who was standing outside, ¡°I heard your master is awake.¡±

    Clio bowed her head to greet her. ¡°Yes, she has, Young Lady. Please wait while I ask Miss if she wishes to see you.¡±

    Her pretty face showed hints of annoyance. ¡°What do you mean? Why do you have to ask her? Just announce my arrival!¡±

    ¡°His Majesty has ordered us to not let anyone visit Miss unless she allows it to.¡±

    As the servant mentioned Draven, Isa could not force herself in. ¡°Fine, what are you waiting for? Ask her.¡±

    Clio opened the door and entered the chamber.

    ¡°Miss, Young Lady Isa is here to see you. Should I allow her to¡ª¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Without a moment¡¯s dy, the elf heard the reply. A single-worded response said with a firm tone.

    Clio came out to see Isa whose pretty face was crumpled as if she had also heard that crisp ¡®No¡¯. Without even letting Clio speak, she turned around to leave.

    ¡°I will returnter,¡± was all she said before she disappeared from that hallway.

    ¡®Hide, hide, till how long does she n to hide when we live in the same pce? Sooner orter, I will get her.¡¯

    Ember felt pissed even with the mention of Isa¡¯s name. She simply could not stand that person, and with the condition she was in, she could not afford to see her. She was exhausted, and mentally and emotionally disturbed. Part of her state was caused by Isa¡¯s provocative words, but most of it was brought about by her own power.

    Even among the supernatural beings, those with the fire attribute were generally known for their daring personalities, but more so for their hot tempers and fierce spirits. It was because elemental attributes normally were reflections of someone¡¯s true nature.

 Chapter 219 When Gaia Died

    Though Ember was raised as a human, now that she had started to develop her own Fire, her power was somewhat affecting her unstable emotions, making her feel cranky and irritated even at the smallest things.

    ¡°Miss, are you sure you don¡¯t need anything else?¡±

    Since she woke up, Ember was unusually quiet and simply let her servants do what they wanted to take care of her. As soon as they left her chamber to give her more time to rest, she opted to leave bed and sit on the same window sill where Ray¡¯s cage was located.

    She stared at her pet who was busy jumping here and there inside her cage, eating once in a while, sometimes ying on the swing. Time passed idly like that.

    Though her eyes were at her pet, her mind was somewhere else, her thoughts lost in memories she thought she had buried deep in her mind.

    ¡®I miss my nanny.¡¯

    For some odd reason, an overwhelming sense of grief weighed her chest. It was like back when Gaia had left her alone.

    Gaia. She was Ember¡¯s everything, the only person in her world, and yet she lost her life because of her. For as long as she could remember, she took care of Ember like her own child, and in the end, the only reward she had for her years of dedication was death.

    That day, Gaia went down the mountain early in the morning. They needed to get the necessary supplies inside their cave before winter arrived. During the winter, the entire mountain was covered in heavy snow for the entire three months and it would be difficult for them to leave the mountain.

    Along with food like cereals and grains, they had to have other basic survival items like medicines and various other necessities with them. However, it was not easy to get supplies since she had to trade secretly in the viges near the foot of the mountain. In order to not expose herself, Gaia would always start to procure supplies for their cave slowly at least a month or two ahead.

    That day should have been like all the other days, but her nanny didn¡¯t return even after the sun had set. In order to lessen interaction with the vigers, Gaia would only purchase things at the market at the guise of a traveler, and she would never spend more than a day away from the cave. She would always return before the sunset but that day she didn¡¯t.

    The cursed mountain where they live was a dangerous ce to be at during the night. Due to the nature of the ce, the pitch ck darkness and the fog that could not be dispelled by a torch could easily cause ignorant passersby to be lost or injured. Though it boasted nothing but dead trees, poisonous insects and the rocky steep slopes could still kill unlucky stragglers.

    That was one of the advantages of the terrain that allowed Ember to grow up safely in that mountain.

    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be worried. Gaia knows this mountain like the back of her hand¡­but what if she met an ident? What if she lost her footing and fell?¡¯

    Finally, in the middle of the night, Ember was shocked awake upon hearing the first sign of noise at the mouth of the cave. She didn¡¯t even realize she had fallen asleep while waiting.

    ¡®Gaia is back!¡¯

    With a bright smile, she lit up amp and hurried out of the cave to wee her, only to see a sight she would never forget in her lifetime.

    ¡°Did you buy a lot? What happened¡ªGaia! Is that¡­b-blood?¡±

    Ember ran towards her nanny who was lying face down on the ground. Her body was severely wounded, her traveler robe almost torn to shreds and the clothes underneath drenched in blood. It looked like she had been harmed with a sword and there were several arrows sticking out from her back. One could barely see the small rise of her torso to indicate she was still breathing.

    In panic, Ember immediately kneeled on the hard ground and held the shaft on an arrow, intending to pull it out.

    ¡°G-Gaia? You are awake, right? Please tell me you are. Tell me what to do. What do I do to treat you? I-I-I don¡¯t know what¡­should I pull out the arrow first? Do I break the arrow and then clean the wound? Tell me¡­please don¡¯t fall asleep¡­I will bandage the wound so you won¡¯t bleed anymore¡­¡±

    Gaia had her eyes closed but she was still awake. She groaned in pain but she smiled as she heard Ember¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Little¡­ Princess¡­¡±

    Her voice was weak and could barely be heard.

    ¡°Gaia, let me get you inside the cave. I will treat your wounds inside, so stay awake, all right?¡± Ember proceeded to help her get up but she could only put Gaia toy on her side.

    ¡°Little Princess¡­ listen to me¡­¡±

    Ember shook her head even though Gaia could not see her. ¡°Talk once we¡¯re inside the cave¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡­listen to me¡­ carefully¡­.¡±

    ¡°Let me treat you first, Gaia!¡± Ember cried out.

    ¡°¡­no use¡­I cannot be saved¡­¡± She coughed out blood, but after that, she was able to speak more clearly. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad, little one. I am old¡­ I am happy that I at least get to die in your arms¡­¡±

    ¡°Gaia, don¡¯t say that¡­¡±

    ¡°Little Princess, you will be alone from now on but¡­you know how to protect yourself and survive¡­Do not let anyone harm you. Do not die¡­Protect yourself well¡­You are strong¡­You can do it even without me now¡­¡±

    ¡°No, Gaia, I¡­I still need you.¡±

    ¡°Apologies, my Princess. I cannot serve you anymore¡­please survive¡­¡±

    ¡°Gaia!¡±

    ¡°The vigers caught me¡­they will soone for you. Run if you must¡­hide if you must¡­remember my words¡­Do not die¡­¡±

    With this, Gaia let out herst breath, but at least, the fact that she was able to meet Ember before she left the world caused a small smile to linger on the corner of her lips.

    That night, the sound of Ember desperately crying her heart out echoed within the darkness of the forest.

    ¡°Gaia, don¡¯t leave me please¡­¡±

    ¡°I am scared¡­¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me. I don¡¯t want to be alone.¡±

    ¡°Please wake up! Don¡¯t leave me!¡±

    ¡°Gaia, I need you!¡±

    ¡°Gaia!¡±

    After spending that night next to her dead nanny, Ember could not remember the next events well. It was as if her own heart was covered in fog. She only had a brief recollection that she buried Gaia¡¯s body somewhere near her cave, but those days felt like she wasn¡¯t truly alive.

    Tears rolled down Ember¡¯s eyes when she remembered that night. It was the most painful moment of her life. What she wanted in life was simple¡ªto have a happy life with just the two of them. It didn¡¯t matter to her that she starved on most days or that they lived inside a cold dank cave. She didn¡¯t need family or friends or anyone else.

    Gaia was enough.

    But even such a simple dream was mercilessly destroyed just like that.

    Whoever had written her destiny, must have been a cruel person to not spare her any moment of happiness.

 Chapter 220 Angry Ember

    ¡°Master crying¡­Master sad¡­¡± Ray started to chirp and make a fuss, causing one of her servants to enter her room to check on her.

    It was Clio. ¡°Miss, are you not feeling well? Are you feeling pain somewhere?¡±

    Ember wiped her tears. ¡°I am fine.¡±

    Clio didn¡¯t know what to say and simply decided to cheer her up. ¡°Should I get a couple of books from your study to help you pass the time?¡±

    Just then, Reya entered the chamber. ¡°Miss, His Majesty is here to see you.¡±

    Ember did not respond. Though she didn¡¯t want to see her mate, he was the King. As the owner of the ce where she¡¯s staying, who could stop him?

    The things Isa said to her were still in her mind.

    ¡®¡­living off His Majesty¡¯s grace like a leech¡­¡¯

    ¡®¡­whoever raised you taught a good-for-nothing like you to leech off someone in power in order to survive¡­¡¯

    ¡®¡­you truly embrace all the ugly things about humankind from your nanny¡­¡¯

    Ember let out a shaky breath.

    ¡®Insulting me, I can bear it. But how can you insult Gaia? I can¡¯t forgive you!¡¯

    As soon as Draven entered the chamber, her two servants left them alone.

    Ember didn¡¯t look at him and simply stared at her pet. She didn¡¯t even bother to greet him. She could not stop him from entering the chamber and nothing could stop her from showing her anger.

    ¡°How are you now?¡± he asked in his usual no-nonsense tone.

    She faced him, not bothering to answer his question.

    ¡°I won¡¯t apologize to her.¡±

    Her voice was firm, her gaze unyielding,showing how angry she was and that she feared nothing.

    Draven was taken aback as he was not here for that. Moreover, in his opinion, there was no need for Ember to apologize for her actions, but it seemed like his mate had misunderstood his arrival.

    ¡°I am not¨C¡°

    ¡°I will apologize to you for the damage on the trees but not her. If Your Majesty insists, then rather than having a rude guest like me stay, I won¡¯t bother you with further conflict. I will leave this pce this very instant. If that is not enough, then I don¡¯t mind if I leave this kingdom. But an apology? I won¡¯t.¡±

    Her green eyes which were shedding tears a while ago held no sadness in them; they were now filled with rage and hatred.

    She didn¡¯t look like a timid girl but someone with a strong will who would not bend her pride in front of anyone. Maybe because her powers were showing up, they were making her reveal her true nature, or because she was too much hurt by Isa which changed her like this, or even that she carries royal blood and was a royal by birth so hermanding nature was showing up. It was possible it was a mix of all of those.

    ¡®She is a princess, after all.¡¯

    Draven could not deny he liked this change in her as he wanted her to be strong. One who had her own mind, who would not cower easily before others. That kind of Ember deserved to be the Queen of this kingdom.

    He kept his distance from her and spoke from his spot without pulling his gaze away.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apologize to anyone. I am here to check on your state.¡±

    Even though he told her of his concern, she remained the same, her face cold and indifferent.

    Draven continued, ¡°You had a nightmare earlier. I want to know if you saw the same things asst time.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing,¡± she replied.

    Drayce could clearly see she was still upset because of Isa, but this wasn¡¯t a time for her to act petty. It was for her own good for them to find more about her powers as soon as possible.

    ¡°Be honest with me. Each clue to your seal bears great significance to your safety. If can weaken what causes you pain¨C¡°

    ¡°I can bear with it,¡± she replied stubbornly as if didn¡¯t want to give in to him. ¡°Instead of wasting your time here with me, Your Majesty, you should take care of the person who I almost killed. I believe I must have scared His Majesty by making him lose his most cherished woman.¡±

    Draven opened his mouth, but he was too stunned to speak that not a single sound came out. He thought she was only upset with Isa, unaware that she was upset with him as well.

    He recovered hisposure.

    ¡°Did I do anything to upset you?¡± he asked.

    If others had heard him asking this question, they would have been shocked to their bones. Draven never cared about upsetting anyone¨Chis mate was an exception.

    Ember didn¡¯t want to talk about it and said, ¡°If I tell Your Majesty about the dream, will you leave?¡±

    Draven didn¡¯t say ¡®yes¡¯ or ¡®no¡¯ and asked, ¡°What was the dream about?¡±

    Ember sighed and turned to face him, though she still sat at the window sill.

    ¡°I dreamed of fire¡­like a forest fire,¡± she paused. ¡°No, rather than saying it¡¯s a burning forest, it would be more proper to say it¡¯s a sea of fire. Only mes could be seen no matter where I looked. I was scared, trying to call out for help, but then a woman showed up in the middle of the fire as if that fire belonged to her.¡±

    ¡°Was it the same purple-eyed woman you sawst time?¡±

    Ember shook her head. ¡°She was someone else. I could not see her face as she had her back facing me but I know she was not the same woman. This woman wore different clothes and even her hair was different. Her clothes seemed like it was white fabric one moment, but then clothes made of mes the next. You know how in dreams, some things just made sense? It was like that. My self inside the dream knew that woman was not simple at all. She felt¡­abnormallyrge, like when you are meeting something grand, like she¡¯s¡­a higher existence. I could only see her fluttering long hair and¡­she had the same colour as mine.¡±

    A woman bathing in a sea of mes¨Cit reminded him of the same woman he had seen in his own dreams.

    ¡°Did she turn around? Did you not see her eyes?¡± Draven asked as he wanted to make sure.¡±Was there any mark at the back of her neck?¡±

    ¡°Her neck?¡± Ember thought for a bit. ¡°Her long hair covered her neck but something was glowing at the back of her neck. I don¡¯t know what it was as it was covered by hair.¡±

    Though she neither confirmed nor denied anything, Draven¡¯s intuition was telling him that it was the same woman. Now, he wondered who exactly she was.

 Chapter 221 Do As You Wish

    Draven stared at his mate.

    With the contents of her dream already confirmed, the usual Draven would have already left her chambers as there was no need for him to stay. However, at this moment, he could not turn away from her.

    ¡®Had I done anything to upset her?¡¯

    Concern. It was an unfamiliar feeling.

    Draven had never initiated understanding another person¡¯s feelings before, normally tasking others to deal with such delicate matters rted to the heart. But now, he had to learn. He had to learn because Ember was his mate, and his mate was a person with her own feelings that affected him as well.

    Other than answering him, she said no more. She wasn¡¯t even bothered to look at him.

    ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯

    ¡°Is there something you want to tell me?¡±

    However, Ember didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°Whatever it is, you can tell me. You don¡¯t have to be worried about what I would say or do,¡± he insisted.

    Looking at her, he could guess she was bottling up things inside, and given her element was fire, her nature was to be angered easily. If she continued to act like this, sooner orter, her negative feelings would explode, just like earlier in the day.

    After a while, Ember finally spoke, ¡°I do have something to say.¡± Her tone was somewhat cold.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, inwardly relieved that she was responding.

    Her pair of emerald green eyes looked straight at him, her gaze firm as she let out her thoughts.

    ¡°That Isa, I don¡¯t like her. She dared insult my nanny so there is no way I would ever get along with her. I don¡¯t wish to talk to her nor do I want to see her. If shees in front of me, I won¡¯t even pretend to show courtesy and be rude to her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t care if it would displease Your Majesty as I know she is very important to you. I don¡¯t care if she¡¯s a cunning fox¨Cthe moment she overstepped my boundaries and insulted Gaia, that means she is someone I will never see eye to eye with. I hate her. This will never change, even if she suddenly turns good to me, even if she begs me on her knees asking me to forgive her. I will never forgive her and this will never change. Never.¡±

    Ember said each word without even a tinge of hesitation. As if what she thought, decided and said was absolute to her. She didn¡¯t even add the title of ¡®Young Lady¡¯ to Isa¡¯s name to show how much she despised Isa.

    Gaia was everything to Ember and she even lost her life for her sake. No matter how much Ember tried, she knew she could never pay her kindness back. All she could do was to keep her alive in her memories.

    But Isa insulted her.

    If she had insulted Ember, Ember would have not been this angry. There would have been a chance for them to reconcile; after all, she understood that Isa had her own bias against the race that killed off her family and against her, the stranger who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

    However, that fox went overboard, and all Ember had in her mind for Isa was just pure hatred.

    ¡°Do as you wish.¡±

    To all her venom-filled words, Drayce only replied with this and it somewhat embarrassed her. She was expecting him to say something along the lines of ¡®I am disappointed you are so narrow-hearted¡¯, or say ¡®you should be good and merciful¡¯, or ¡®don¡¯t cause troubles¡¯. Maybe, even ¡®you are also at fault for wanting to murder another¡¯ but¡­

    ¡°Won¡¯t you say anything to oppose me?¡± she asked.

    Draven shook his head. ¡°For my kind, the concepts of Good and Bad, they are simr but not the same from how humans view them. Everyone solves their grudges on their own and others have no right to meddle unless it¡¯s causing serious problems to the general popce. Everyone is powerful and each of us wants to prove we are superior to others. It applies to you as well and you are free to show if you are superior to others.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know what to say and sat quietly on the window sill with a lowered head. She was upset with Draven as well so she didn¡¯t want to thank him for not opposing her decision. She thought the talk was over and waited for Draven to leave but¡­

    From the corner of her eyes, she noticed a pair of ck boots approaching her. Startled, she raised her head to look at the handsome owner of those boots. He approached her in no time, and her heart skipped a bit. She had no idea why he suddenly came close to her.

    ¡®Weren¡¯t you intent on keeping your distance from me so why¨C¡®

    Before her thought process could bepleted, she was pulled into a warm embrace by her mate.

    One of his hands settled at the small of her back to hold her steady while the other one gently moved from her jawline to the back of her head.

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    By the time she got her reason back, all she knew was that a pair of warm lips covered her own and she was reciprocating the kiss with a sultry moan. That strong seductive scenting from her mate enveloped her senses and it was stronger than she had felt before.

    Instinctively, she held onto his clothes and didn¡¯t resist him¨Crather, she had no will to resist him.

    Draven knew it was a risk to get close to her and now he even dared to kiss her, but this time, he simply couldn¡¯t stop himself. He had enough torture of seeing his mate just a few steps away from him and not being able to even touch her. Moreover, he was confident that he would be able to stop himself in time as his mate¡¯s consent came first.

    Like an animal who starved for food for a long, he wanted to devour her, but at the back of his head, arge part of his rationality still remained. He knew that at this moment, he needed to coax his upset mate. That was the priority, and not to go for satisfying his bodily needs.

    With her body firmly pressed against his, he kissed her softly, sweetly, tenderly, as if he was using his lips to tell her that everything would be all right. Softly nibbling her lips, he moved to show a gesture offort, his hand caressing the back of her head while the other moved along her thin but curvy back.

    His hand then gradually pressed the back of her head to deepen their kiss, and he took his time to slide his coarse hot tongue inside her warm cavern. In response, Ember¡¯s hands moved to circle his neck as she tiptoed and tasted his yful tongue against her delicate one.

    The air around them had turned hotter and the scents from their bodies mixed with it. Soft moans from her throat filled that quiet chamber along with demanding groans from him.

    It¡¯s not enough¡­

    More¡­

 Chapter 222 Intimate Way Of Comforting

    Just as the two mates were indulging in a passionate kiss, someone was frozen just beyond the door, her eyes wide open as she witnessed the scene from the doorway.

    The door of the chamber was left open as Draven was standing there a while ago. When Clio and Reya left the chamber, they did not bother to stand guard outside and left the hallway unattended.

    Isa got to know that Draven had gone to visit Ember, and thus, she thought it a good chance to go to meet her, thinking that with the King present there, that shameless Ember would not be able to send her away.

    She found it a good chance to show how Ember wronged her in front of Draven. He had asked her to apologize to his mate, but though she nned toply with his order, it was with the intention of creating more trouble for Ember. Apology would be nothing but a fake one.

    ¡®But this¡­¡¯

    Not even once in her wildest imagination could she have guessed that she would get to see something so disgustingly bloodcurdling.

    Draven kissing that pathetic human.

    She could not bear it. The situation they were in, that intimacy, Isa could not help but get furious.

    ¡®That should have been me! That is my ce!¡¯

    In her mind, she was the one who should have been the King¡¯s mate. It should have been her showered with his love but¡­.this human had ruined everything.

    The pair of mates were so immersed in their intimate act that they didn¡¯t know someone was standing at the door ring daggers at them.

    With wrath filling her mind and tears filling her eyes, Isa disappeared from the doorway.

    ¡®That human, she doesn¡¯t deserve what is mine!¡¯

    After that long passionate kiss, finally Draven stopped and pulled away from his mate. Ember still had her eyes closed as she was trying to catch her breath, gasping from her mouth.Her small face scarlet red, those lips swollen and wet¡­

    Draven found her appearance beautiful.

    He didn¡¯t wish to pull away from her and continued to hold her close, his face still close to hers, observing her closely.

    Ember opened her eyes, only to see his pair of red eyes looking back at her. Her mind was nk and she was not able to think about anything.

    All she could see and think was her mate and his touches, that intimacy and the seductive butforting scenting from him. Everything that had upied her mind before¡ª those displeased thoughts, anger, and hate¡ªsuddenly disappeared and she felt peaceful.

    She could only stare at those red eyes which didn¡¯t look scary to her at this moment.

    Knowing he would soon lose control, Draven let her go and she immediately stepped away from him, her back hitting the wall. And then, reality struck her, and she felt aplicated web of emotions with shame at the forefront.

    ¡®What have I done? Why did we¡ª¡¯

    She was upset at him. She wanted to give him the silent treatment. Yet¡­Yet¡­

    She couldn¡¯t understand how this came about, why he approached her when he would always distance himself from her as if she was something he would not allow closer to him.

    Ember let out a shaky breath as she looked up at him. ¡°Y-Your Majesty, why did you¡ª¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know any other way tofort you,¡± he replied calmly with that cold dignified voice, trying his best to hold back and not pounce on his mate who was smelling delicious at this moment.

    How he almost thought to not wait for her consent and just do as he wished with her. How he wished to crush that delicate body under him, never to let her go away from him, but¡­he couldn¡¯t.

    Such desires could only remain in his thoughts for now.

    ¡®Comfort me? Such an Intimate¡­umm¡­ embarrassing way offorting!¡¯

    She didn¡¯t know how to react to his im, but she could feel the anger brewing inside her had faded before she knew it and her mind was calm. She almost wondered if his way offorting her really worked on her. She only knew she liked what he did with her and she found her mind bing peaceful thanks to the scenting from him.

    She shook her head to get those thoughts out of her mind and asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t Your Majesty agree to leave after telling you about my dream?¡±

    ¡°I never agreed to it,¡± Draven replied straightforwardly.

    ¡®Think of it¡­¡¯ Ember realized Draven didn¡¯t say yes or no at that time and simply asked her again about her dream and she was the fool to take it as yes from him.

    She med herself but then heard Draven continue, ¡°I believe it helped to calm your mind. If not, we can try it again¡­.¡±

    ¡°Ah! No! I am fine now.¡±

    She immediately increased the distance between them, taking advantage of that chance as she knew there was a limit to her resistance to his scent. After calming herself a bit, she threw a curious nce his way.

    ¡°Uhm, may I ask a question? If I am not wrong, Your Majesty intends to stay away from me as if I am a gue. Then why¡ª¡±

    ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± he replied with a straight face. ¡°If I don¡¯t keep my distance from you, your scent will affect me and I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I-I understood,¡± she interrupted him as she didn¡¯t want to hear from him what he would do.

    Her face had turned red and she didn¡¯t dare look at him. She was aware of everything now and she was not ready to even hear about it, let alone think about doing it with her mate.

    Draven knew he was reaching his limit and he needed to leave. As he was about to go, he gave her parting words.

    ¡°Instead of confining yourself in your room, a stroll outside will help you feel better.¡±

    Ember simply kept her head hanging low until her mate had left. The moment he disappeared from her sight, she felt her legs turn weak. To her surprise, she found herself sitting on the bed which was just behind her. She didn¡¯t even realize how she got here and patted her chest to calm her heart. She tried not to think about what they had done.

    After a while, her servants entered the chamber with wide smiles on their lips.

    ¡°Miss, pleasee with us to the garden.¡±

    Ember looked at them. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°His Majesty¡ª¡±

    ¡°There is something for you, Miss,¡± Clio interrupted her excited cousin as she didn¡¯t want her to spoil it. ¡°Miss, it would be better if you see it in person. Pleasee with us.¡±

    Ember reluctantly agreed and followed her servants. Even Draven had told her to go out so she would feel better.

    ¡®A little sunlight won¡¯t hurt¡­¡¯

    Just as they reached the entrance of the garden, Ember saw something she had never seen before. On the part of the garden where there was arge patch of grass surrounding a singlerge tree, there was a swing hanging down itsrgest branch.

    ¡°A swing?¡± Ember mumbled as a smile inevitably grew on her face, reaching ear to ear.

    With that reaction, her servants smiled as well. They were relieved to see that their master no longer looked gloomy.

    ¡°Yes, Miss! His Majesty had ordered the other servants to have this swing made for you.¡±

    Ember understood this was the reason why he suggested for her to go out and take a stroll. She could not help but thank him in her heart and walked towards the swing.

    Long ropes were tied to the strongest branch of the tall and huge tree and at the end of those ropes, there was a rectangr wooden frame attached for a single person to sit down. The thick ropes were covered and intertwined with vines and wild flowers in full bloom, making it look better than what Ember could ever imagine.

    ¡°Miss, please sit here.¡±

    ¡°We will push the swing for you.¡±

    The two servants held the swing for her, and when she sat on it, she realized it was tailored for her height as her feet were a few inches above the grassy ground. Her servants pushed the swing, and soon, the sweet sounds of theirughter could be heard from the garden.

    ¡°Miss, do you want it to go higher?¡±

    Ember immediately agreed and the elves fulfilled her wish.

    Draven was standing somewhere at the outskirts of the garden, but his eyes could see his mate giggling like a little girl. Her green eyes were filled with happiness, as if she had a long forgotten wish of herse true.

    ¡®Such a small thing is enough to make her happy.¡¯

 Chapter 223 Apolozising to Ember

    After enjoying ying on the swing for some time, Ember had no choice but to stop. She was starting to feel a little dizzy and had to ask her servants to stop pushing her.

    Though it ended up with her feeling unwell, she was happy that one of her childhood wishes was fulfilled. And since the swing belonged to her, she could enjoy it for as long as her heart desired.

    Once Ember stepped down the swing, her servants could not help but be full of smiles.

    ¡°That was fun,¡± Reya giggled. ¡°Was it fun for you too, Miss?¡±

    ¡°Miss, did you enjoy it?

    ¡°I did.¡± Ember smiled back at them. ¡°Just a little dizzy.¡±

    ¡°Apologies, Miss, did we push too high?¡±

    ¡°We did get a little bit excited.¡±

    Ember held her head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­It was fine at the start¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your first time ying on a swing so that must be the reason. Once you get used to it, you will get used to it.¡±

    Clio suggested, ¡°Next time, you can try kicking your legs so you can adjust your own pace¡­¡±

    Ember agreed, ¡°I see. Next time then.¡±

    Reya then looked around. ¡°Miss, do you want to rest for a bit first in the garden gazebo? We can prepare tea for you. The weather is wonderful today so¨C¡°

    However, someone¡¯s arrival made not only Reya stop speaking, it also caused the smile on Ember¡¯s lips to disappear.

    ¡°So you were here having fun on this swing like a little girl,¡± Isa said, stopping a couple of steps in front of Ember.

    ¡°We greet Young Lady Isa,¡± the elves hurried to say to the neer.

    Meanwhile, Ember simply stared at the pretty fox in silence. Her two servants were worried that once again Isa would upset their master who finally looked better.

    Isa¡¯s gaze remained fixated on the swing decorated in vines. ¡°If His Majesty could see you¨C¡°

    ¡°He is the one who arranged this swing for me,¡± Ember countered, emphasizing the words ¡®for me¡¯.

    ¡°I see. I guess His Majesty has no choice, because his mate not only looks like a child, she is childish as well.¡±

    As if to drive her point, Isa tilted her head, crossing her arms in front of her to show off her womanly charm. As Ember grew up living a harsh life, her body was on the smaller and leaner side, making her look younger than her real age. Compared to Isa, her curves were truly nothing to speak of.

    However, Ember was not even a bit insecure.

    ¡°Fortunately, His Majesty cares for his mate¡¯s wishes, even if they are childish.¡± Ember no longer looked like a timid girl, and instead, made sure to meet Isa¡¯s eyes to challenge her. ¡°I am sure you have other ces to be in, so you can go ahead. I believe you won¡¯t disturb this child from enjoying her gift from her mate.¡±

    ¡®In short, please go away.¡¯

    There was a glint of anger in Isa¡¯s eyes, but she suppressed it and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will leave as soon as I am done. I wouldn¡¯t even be here if not for His Majesty telling me to apologize to you.¡±

    Ember was quite surprised that Draven had asked Isa to apologize to her. Before she could say a word, Isa spoke again ¡°But shouldn¡¯t you be the one apologizing? It was you who attacked and almost harmed¨C¡°¡±

    ¡°I already apologized,¡± Ember replied.

    Isa raised a perfectly arched brow at her. ¡°Have you? I do not recall hearing nor receiving your apology.¡±

    ¡°I have apologized to those I have hurt,¡± Ember said as her gaze turned towards the direction of the practice grounds in the garden which had burned trees surrounding it. ¡°To those trees I harmed, I apologized to them already.¡±

    Isa could see Ember was mocking her and felt humiliated. ¡°Oh, you are acting like this with me? You are only proving how uncivilized and rude you are. If not for His Majesty, I would not havee here¨C¡°

    ¡°I am yet to hear the reason why you sought me out,¡± Ember interrupted her.

    Clio and Reya were staring at Ember as if they were seeing her for the first time. Only now did they realize this timid-looking human, their master, had some bad temper. On normal days, she looked like a weak bumbling girl, the kind that would need protection, but now¡­it seemed like the arrogant spoiled fox had brought the best¨Cor probably the worst¨C out of their master.

    ¡®Should we thank Young Lady Isa that she brought this side out of her?¡¯

    Isa clenched her fists but didn¡¯t say a word. As the King had ordered her, she had to do it.

    ¡°I am waiting,¡± Ember said again.

    Isa closed her eyes as she said with gritted teeth, ¡°I apologize.¡±

    Several secondster, she opened her eyes and saw the human girl wearing no expression on her face.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear you,¡± Embermented.

    ¡®If she was not his mate, I would have strangled her right away, let alone apologize to her,¡¯ Isa thought and took a shaky breath ¡°I apologize for what I said to you before.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t need an apology from her as she knew it was not sincere, but she didn¡¯t want to let go of a chance to see her obediently apologizing to her. Draven had told her that she is free to prove she is superior; thus, she was following his advice. From now on, she would not let others trample on her so easily.

    Moreover, being a wielder of the fire element, Ember herself does have a fiery temper. She simply had no opportunity to discover this when she and Gaia were focused on survival, and with her powers slowly revealing itself, Ember¡¯s true nature was being disyed as well.

    Isa turned to leave since she had followed the King¡¯s order but¡­

    ¡°You!¡±

    She heard Ember, and she looked over her shoulder, her lips curved into a frown. She didn¡¯t want to mingle with this uncivilized human anymore.

    ¡°I am not done with you yet,¡± Ember said, causing Isa to turn around topletely face her.

    ¡°What now? And you dare call me that way?¡± Isa said in irritation as Ember didn¡¯t call her by her title, treating her like she was nobody.

    ¡°You receive what you give to others,¡± Embermented.

    Clio and Reya realized that Isa always called Ember in this manner as well and there was no politeness of respect whenever she talked with Ember. However, Isa talked down to all the pce servants like this, and they got so used to it they did not find it weird anymore.

    ¡®Miss sure is ruthless.¡¯

    ¡°What do you want now?¡± Isa asked impatiently. She could not stand this human. She was holding back simply because she knew she could not do anything to Ember when they were in the pce, not when the King was around.

    Ember¡¯s eyes had that vicious look which showed she would not spare this annoying fox. ¡°As you questioned my upbringing, I want to question yours as well.¡±

    Isa simply crossed her arms in front of her.

    ¡°You say I am uncivilized because I was raised in the mountains by some random woman, so howe you are this ill-mannered and rude when you were brought up in this pce? Should I me His Majesty since he raised you?¡±

    ¡°You¨C!¡±

    ¡°I am not done yet,¡± Ember raised her voice a little.

 Chapter 224 Draven Proud Of His Mate

    Isa stopped, but her mind had a little vicious thought. ¡®So she is going to say bad things about His Majesty the same way I did to her nanny? Hah! Go ahead, human. I will make sure His Majesty knows how you insulted himter.¡¯

    ¡°As we all know how great His Majesty is, we cannot me him for you being like this. His Majesty raised Erlos as well and proved there is no fault in his upbringing. So, I wonder who shall I me for you turning into such an ill-mannered person. Maybe you are just a foul creature by nature?¡±

    Hearing those, Isa could no longer hold back her anger. ¡°It was a mistake on my part that I came to apologize to you. You lowly human, you don¡¯t deserve it. You seduced His Majesty by acting all innocent but I see your true colors now. I was right about humans being vicious. I will let His Majesty know how you treated me.¡±

    ¡°Do not bother,¡± Ember said. ¡°I had already told His Majesty that I have no intention of being courteous to you.¡± Ember remained calm andposed. ¡°And he said, I can do as I wish.¡±

    ¡°You are lying. I will let His Majesty know your true colors! The one who brought you up, your nanny¨C¡°

    ¡°Say one more word about my nanny and I will burn you right here right now!¡±

    Ember was furious. She would not let this horrible fox insult her nanny again!

    Isa, being a powerful person herself, could sense the thick energy starting to surround Ember the moment she shouted. It was not intensely fluctuating, but still looked threatening.

    ¡°You know I can do it,¡± Ember continued. ¡°You won¡¯t be fortunate enough to be saved by His Majesty a second time.¡±

    Isa took a step back as she could clearly sense Ember intentions through her eyes. Those green eyes looked dangerous and intimidating.

    Draven was observing this confrontation from a distance. After what happened between the two girls after Ember¡¯s lessons, he paid more attention to her whereabouts in the pce. When he saw Isa going to Ember this time, he decided to personally witness the entire thing and understand why these two were as ipatible as oil and water.

    What he expected was that it would be Isa who would hurt his mate but¡­the exact opposite happened. Each and every word said by Ember was cruel and mean towards Isa.

    And this made Draven smile.

    He approved of the change in his mate. ¡®She is quite ruthless if she hates someone. If she was raised as a princess in Valor, she would have been a great princess, one who could even be the heir to inherit the crown. Nevermind. She will be a great queen of this kingdom.¡¯

    The more he looked at her anger-filled eyes, the more convinced he was that this was her true nature.

    Fire. Fire could be tamed if handled with care, but one careless mistake could cause it to erupt and burn everything in its path.

    The same way his mate could be gentle one moment and turn dangerous the moment she grew furious.

    ¡®This is a good discovery. However, I need to teach her how to control her powers as well as her emotions. She cannot continue to let her anger control her.¡¯

    For her to be humiliated like this, the normal Isa would have thrown caution to the wind and attacked her. However, despite her burning anger, she could do nothing but grit her teeth due to the identity of her enemy.

    ¡®This human, I cannot deal with her here. Soon¡­Soon, I will make her regret what she said today.¡¯

    Not saying a word, Isa turned to leave but then saw a silver-haired elf approaching them.

    ¡°Did you hear her, Erlos?¡± Isa sneered in contempt. ¡°And to think you side with such a human.¡±

    Erlos merely scratched his pointed ears in nonchnce, as if he was a mere innocent passerby, and threw a cheeky grin towards the young woman whose emerald green eyes had already calmed down.

    ¡°I sure heard something,¡± Erlos said and walked towards Ember with a thumbs up. ¡°Miss, I heard you praising me and my upbringing. I know you are the best! Only you acknowledge how awesome I am!¡±

    ¡°Erlos, you¡¯re siding with a human?¡± Isa raised her voice at him.

    Erlos ignored her, his attention solely on Ember. He did a small, yful bow. ¡°Thank you for appreciating me, Miss.¡±

    ¡°You shameless elf,¡± he heard Isa scorn, ¡°did you forget your family? Your entire n was killed by these humans. Did you forget everything about how we spend our childhood growing up without our families?¡±

    Only then did Erlos acknowledge the fox¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Are you really going to go this far, Isa?¡± He could not help but frown. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t forget anything, and I still hate those who did it, but Miss is not one of them. She is Sire¡¯s mate and she will be the Queen soon. Why do you¨C¡°

    ¡°Queen? This human? Hah, I will never let it happen.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself, Isa. Sire has chosen her as his mate and she is the one who will be the Queen.¡±

    ¡°I will see how!¡±

    With that, Isa stormed away in fury.

    As soon as the fox disappeared from their line of sight, Erlos turned towards Ember. ¡°Miss, don¡¯t worry about her. She cannot do anything.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Ember gave him a small smile. Despite being furious at Isa a while ago, her expression now showed not a hint of that and was entirely calm. After all, she had no intentions of harming Isa despite the tense situation between them. She just wanted to give her back the same attitude the fox had shown her so far.

    The elf then decided to change the topic.

    ¡°By the way, did you have fun, Miss? I hope you liked the swing. His Majesty had nagged me alot to¡­umm¡­hmff!¡±

    Erlos was unable to say more as his mouth was shut tight due to a certain someone using silence magic on him.

    The young elf then raised his arms as if to show he admits defeat. He stopped trying to speak as he understood someone didn¡¯t want him to. He simply bowed to Ember and turned to leave.

    ¡°Erlos?¡± Ember called out to him.

    Erlos stopped in his tracks to hear what she wanted to say.

    ¡°Thank you for being on my side.¡±

    ¡°Always, Miss¡­Huh?¡± He realized he was allowed to speak now. He could not help but look around in suspicion. ¡®Sire is keeping tabs on us.¡¯

    In the end, he could only sigh and go back to work after offering a smile to his master¡¯s mate.

 Chapter 225 Mating Important For The Beast Clan

    After Isa and Erlos left the garden, Clio and Reya were visibly happy as they flocked around their master.

    ¡°Miss, you were really good.¡±

    ¡°Pardon my words, but that was so satisfying to watch!¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t get toment as her attention was caught by something else. There was arge groupposed of males and females who were being led around by Y. The sight was so eye-catching because the blue-haired female elf was the shortest among them all despite being at the front of the group.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Ember asked. ¡°Are those guests?¡±

    Clio and Reya looked at where Ember was looking.

    ¡°Oh, those people? They¡¯re also servants like us, Miss,¡± Reya replied, ¡°just that you might be unfamiliar with their faces since you can consider them as temporary hired help.¡±

    Clio then further added, ¡°They have just arrived to rece some of the servants from the beast ns for a few days.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Ember was curious as she stared intently at the group. By now, she could identify they were all elves.

    ¡°Miss,st time, didn¡¯t we tell you that it will soon be the night of the full moon?¡± Clio replied. ¡°That night is important for all the beastmen. For those servants, they are granted leave, so that those with mates can spend the next few days with their partners, while the others get to return home. This scene in the pce repeats every time the night of the full moon is about to ur so it¡¯s not a special case for us. You will get used to this once-a-month situation too.¡±

    The words ¡®night of the full moon¡¯ was enough to freeze Ember in her ce. She had almost forgotten about it, and now her servants reminded her, she realized she was yet to answer the King.

    ¡°Miss, we are told to give you ¡®that¡¯ tea,¡± Reya said as if she remembered it suddenly. ¡°I will go and bring it for you. For now, please wait and rx inside the gazebo.¡±

    Reya left while Clio guided Ember¡¯s way towards the gazebo. The human girl blindly followed behind her servant, immersed in her own thoughts.

    ¡°Miss, please sit here,¡± Clio said as she pulled out the chair for Ember, but then, she noticed her master seemed to be in a daze. ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡±

    Ember nodded quietly and proceeded to be seated, but her gaze once again headed towards that group of newly-arrived servants passing through one of the open corridors.

    Noticing this, Clio stood on the side and exined, ¡°Miss, as it will be the night of full moon the day after tomorrow, the servants are passing over their tasks to the recements today. However there is no need to worry about those servants who just came in¡ªthe majority of them have already previously worked in the pce before, so they will do their work well.

    ¡°Look at those grinning servants apanying them. It is so obvious that they¡¯re beastmen even though they are in their human forms with just a nce. That they will get to go back home, this is a privilege unique to their kind. Then for the next three days, they won¡¯t return. It is like a monthly off day for them where they get to spend good time with their mates.¡±

    ¡°Why three days?¡± Ember asked as the night of the full moon is only one night.

    ¡°Hmm, well, even though we say they will go to their mates, there is more to just spending the night with their bonded partners. For example, tomorrow, there will be a festival in all cities dominated by beastmen where the males will take their females out to enjoy the festival.¡±

    ¡°A festival?¡± Ember asked with a wide eye. She had never been to a festival before, thus, her curiosity grew.

    ¡°Yes, Miss. There will be music and dancing the entire day, and the mates normally give gifts to their partners. Basically, doing things to make their mates happy. On every celebration of the full moon, the cities in the territory of the shapeshifter race are all beautiful sights to see. It just shows how mating is very important for their kind.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know what to say. She was curious to know more about the festival, but then she realized that shouldn¡¯t be her priority at this moment¡ªafter all, she was the mate of a divine beast. That night would be important for her and her mate as well.

    After a while, Reya brought the tea and served it to Ember. ¡°Miss, have the tea while it¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Reya.¡± Ember epted it and then asked Clio after taking a sip. ¡°I have a question. What about those who don¡¯t have mates? From what you said, they also get to take a leave from work.¡±

    Clio smiled. ¡°That is one of the interesting aspects of the festival. For those who have no partners, this is their chance to meet others, and if they are lucky, they might find a mate during the festival. For those who don¡¯t find any, they will try again on the next celebration of the full moon in another city.

    ¡°However, Miss probably knows this, but not only is the lifespan of supernatural beings longer than a human, and the fertility of beastmen grows lower the stronger their power is. It normally takes decades for an ordinary beast to be an adult, and it takes a century for divine beasts. Chances are, if one cannot find their mates now, they need to wait for tens of years to try searching for one again. Currently, hardly anyone is left alone as most of them had somehow found their mates already.¡±

    Just then, Reya said, ¡°Miss, it would be a special time for you and His Majesty as well. It is your first celebration of the full moon! Are you going somewhere with His Majesty? I mean, are you going to attend any of the festivals? There are many cities to choose from!¡±

    Ember shook her head. This was the first time she even heard of a festival celebrating the full moon.

 Chapter 226 What Happens If Wont Complete The Bond

    Since she and her mate were stuck on what she wanted that night¨Cthe most important issue¨C then discussing others things was out of the question. Moreover, given Draven¡¯s personality, she was sure he would not take her anywhere to mingle with a crowd. Not like she wanted him to take her out, but she had indeed grown curious to see what a festival looks like.

    Clio and Reya looked at each other and then towards their master who was lost in her thoughts. In their eyes, they saw her behavior as one done out of disappointment.

    ¡°Miss, it¡¯s fine. Not every pair of mates goes out to y in the city,¡± Reyaforted her.

    Clio offered her a displeased look, chastising her cousin for saying some nonsense, and then looked at Ember. ¡°Miss, maybe His Majesty nned to give you a surprise and that¡¯s why he had not informed you about it.¡±

    Reya chimed in, ¡°Yes, Miss. Maybe His Majesty had prepared a gift for you already.¡±

    Ember waved her hands at her servants. ¡°You two don¡¯t have to console me. It¡¯s fine as I am not thinking much about it.¡±

    The two servants stopped coaxing her.

    Ember believed, other than getting her answer andpleting their bond, Draven would not have thought about anything else. He was not like those male characters in the romance books who showed sincere affection to their wives. Her mate probably knew nothing about such tender things.

    ¡®I should not expect much. Not like he loves me so there is no reason to show that kind of affection.¡¯ She sighed but then thought something else. ¡®What about me? Do I love him?¡¯ She shook her head.

    ¡®What do I know about love? How can I know if I love him? If I use the books as reference where the wives think of their husbands as their entire world, then no.¡¯

    Ember held her chin as she pondered.

    ¡®His Majesty is good to me and takes care of me. I feel grateful to him but I don¡¯t like that I¡¯m indebted to him. Does that mean I should love him or I already love him? I don¡¯t even know if I like him as a person. But then again, we are still basically strangers. I barely know anything about him¡­ but I am attracted to him¡­I think¡­¡¯

    She sighed again and again.

    ¡®So confusing. I can¡¯t tell.¡¯

    ¡°Miss, would you like to have more tea?¡± Reya asked, bringing her back to reality.

    Ember shook her head and then asked, ¡°Do you know what happens if someone won¡¯tplete their bond on the night of the full moon?¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask this, Miss?¡± Clio asked.

    ¡°I am just curious.¡±

    She had read about the pair of mates suffering, but she wondered if what was written in the book was the same as how things were in reality.

    ¡°Umm, well, I do not know anyone who has personally experienced that, Miss,¡± Clio said. ¡°It is normal for someone marked to have their bondspleted in a matter of days so to wait for more than a month is rather¡­¡± She then turned towards her older cousin. ¡°Reya has arger group of friends. Perhaps she knows?¡±

    Reya pondered.

    ¡°Umm, it¡¯s just what I have heard from other beast females that the male and female suffer a great pain on the night of full moon if they won¡¯tplete the bond. It¡¯s less for females but for males, it¡¯s beyond one can imagine. The power of the bond is at its highest on the night of a full moon and it demands the bond bepleted. That beast female also said no sane female would want her mate to go through the pain.¡±

    Listening intently, Ember understood. ¡®So His Majesty will suffer if I refuse toplete the bond?¡¯ Her mind was chaotic¨Ctorn between two decisions. She was worried about hurting her mate, but at the same time, she could not force herself when she felt she was not ready for it¡­more like she was afraid of it.

    While her servants continued to chatter by her side, Ember took that chance to simply enjoy teatime. After a while, her gaze caught the sight of Draven walking along the open corridor with his aide, Wind Fae Melion, busy discussing something.

    They were far away from where she was seated and she didn¡¯t know what they were talking about, but her gaze was firmly fixed at her mate.

    ¡®His Majesty looks so strong and reliable¡­to see him in pain¡­but¡­to agree for that reason¡­do I even have romantic feelings for him?¡¯

    She tried to figure out what she felt for him but things looked confusing to her.

    Only thing she knew was that whenever he was within her line of vision, she would stare at him as it was hard to take her gaze away from him. Most of the time, she even felt her heart going unruly, as if she was sick of some heart disease.

    Before she realized it, she had spent hours outside. Golden colors dyed the garden as the sun began to set, causing even the gazebo made of white marble to be dyed with the colors of yellow and red.

    ¡°Miss, it is getting cold. Would you like to return back to your chamber?¡±

    Ember shook her head as she felt better outside than staying cooped up inside an enclosed space like her chamber. ¡°I haven¡¯t enjoyed the view of this garden at night.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it looks beautiful, Miss. Especially when thenterns are all lit up, you will find it even more beautiful.¡±

    ¡°If you are staying here, please wait a moment so that I can fetch you a coat.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If it gets too cold, I will head back inside.¡±

    With that, Ember stood up and decided to take a stroll. By then, the sun was nothing more than a red line peeking above the horizon, and the vast sky was more indigo blue than anything.

    Just as she stepped out of the gazebo, all thenterns in the garden lit up. Ember looked around in surprise as the moment made it seem like the entire garden was sprinkled with many sparkling stars.

    More than Ember, Clio and Reya were surprised.

    ¡°Howe thenterns are lit up so early today?¡± Reya asked as it was not entirely dark yet.

    ¡°Maybe by mistake? The newly-arrived servants must have done it,¡± Clio answered.

    As they were supernatural beings, there were many tasks they didn¡¯t have to manually do, such as things that required elemental powers. Lighting thenterns was normally a task given to those capable of wielding the fire attribute.

    On the other hand, the two male servants who were in charge of it were surprised as well. They were yet to even step on the garden premises.

    ¡°Did you light up thosemps?¡± asked one servant.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. It¡¯s not even time yet,¡± the other one answered.

    Both felt confused, but one of them simply shrugged it off. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Anyways, that means we got ourselves some free time so we should be grateful¨C¡°

    ====

 Chapter 227 Gift For Ember

    Ember continued to stroll on the walkway within the garden which was covered with beautiful pebbles. She soon reached the side garden where she had a view of the burned trees at a distance.

    ¡°Will they cut those trees?¡± Ember asked, guilt colouring her voice.

    ¡°No, Miss. Those trees might have been burned, but the damage wasn¡¯t much¡ªonly up till the branches. I heard from Dame Y that tomorrow the gardeners will cut those branches and then Elder Leeora wille to treat those trees.¡±

    Hearing Leeora¡¯s name, Ember¡¯s eyes lit up as she could not wait to meet her.

    Ember then looked at the sky where the moon was shining brightly. It looked like a silver te against the darkness, almost but not quite a full moon yet. Despite being iplete, it gave off a sense of elegant beauty in the sky, wrapped in a dark curtain with nothing but those scattered stars to apany it.

    Ember was so lost in thought that she didn¡¯t realize her servants had retreated away from where she was standing and someone else hade to her side. In a while, the evening breeze picked up and she smelled a familiar scent. She gulped as she realized the presence of the owner of that scent.

    With her heart racing, she turned around to look at the person standing a distance behind her. Red eyes seemingly glittering like gems against the dim lights offered by thenterns. The man¡¯s charisma made her unable to gather her thoughts.

    Under the pale silvery moonlight, his masculine form was less intimidating, the soft glow emphasizing his good looks that it was difficult to take her eyes off him.

    ¡°Are you not feeling cold?¡± she heard Draven ask.

    Unknown to her, the spell of the moon didn¡¯t just affect her but her mate as well. Draven was also immersed in how beautiful she looked under the moonlight.

    She was a sight to behold.

    ¡®Simply breathtaking¡­¡¯

    Her delicate skin was akin to the clearest white porcin, and her long dark hair framed her small face, emphasizing her lovely grace. Her long dress clung to her slender body, her flowy sleeves and skirt gently moving along with the evening breeze.

    And the moment she turned around and their gazes met, his heart¡ª

    ¡°A little,¡± he heard her say.

    For a second, Draven was at a loss, forgetting he initially asked her a question.

    Fortunately, Erlos came at the right time, holding something in his hands. ¡°Sire, I have brought the item you requested.¡±

    Drayce regained hisposure and nodded to him. He then said to Ember, ¡°This belongs to you.¡±

    It was a palm-sized wooden box which Ember recognised right away. She was shocked to find out Draven had it with him.

    Erlos promptly went towards Ember to hand the item over to her. After that, he bowed to both his master and his mate before leaving.

    With shaking hands, Ember opened the box to check if the important thing inside the box was there as well. Seeing the familiar beautiful jade pendant sitting on the cushion inside the box, she felt equally overwhelmed and relieved. Her eyes turned moist and her lips curved into a light smile.

    She had almost forgotten about this important thing that her nanny told her never to lose. It reminded her of one of the most memorable conversations she had with the woman.

    ¡®Little princess, never lose this jade pendant. This is a token that represents your identity.¡¯

    ¡®Token? What is a token, Gaia?¡¯

    ¡®It¡¯s the proof of your true origin and identity. Not now, but in the future, it might help you in some way.¡¯

    ¡®I do not understand. How will I use¡­?¡¯

    ¡®There is nothing to understand. You will know when the timees. Just remember to never lose it. Understood?¡¯

    ¡®Yes, Gaia.¡¯

    Ember caressed the pendant with her thumb.

    She had many questions in her mind. About how Draven found her. About why he entered the cave. About why he took her token with him.

    That night, she clearly remembered everything that happened as if the forest fire happened yesterday. The mountain was burning and she had to run far away from the cave to save herself from suffocating in the smoke. She was yet to ask him how he found her and why he saved her¡­in the first ce, why was he on that mountain that night?

    She was aware that supernatural beings living in Agartha wouldn¡¯t normally wander in the human kingdoms, and she refused to believe it was a pure coincidence that he saved her.

    To get the answers to her questions, wasn¡¯t the solution to ask the man in front of her?

    Ember raised her head up to look at him but¡­he was gone. She looked around the garden but Draven was not in sight.

    ¡®I couldn¡¯t even thank him.¡¯

    As Ember let out a sigh of regret, her two servants approached her.

    ¡°Miss, what is that?¡± Clio could not help but ask, her eyes on the jade pendant. ¡°Jewelry?¡±

    ¡°Could that be the gift from His Majesty?¡± Reya asked excitedly. ¡°So he really did prepare!¡±

    Ember looked at them and was about to say that it was something that belonged to her in the first ce but¡­

    ¡°Miss, can we see what His Majesty has given you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss. I want to see it as well. I heard every male tries to give the best gift to their mate.¡±

    Ember watched the excited servants fawn around her and gave in. She held the box in front of them. The two elves gasped in awe at the beautiful jade pendant inside.

    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful, Miss!¡±

    ¡°Look at that delicate craftsmanship. It¡¯s not something that we sawmonly in the area. I wonder where his Majesty got it. Did hemission the dwarves to make it?¡±

    ¡°Maybe? But aren¡¯t the dwarves hiding underground somewhere outside of Agartha?¡±

    ¡°Miss is His Majesty¡¯s mate so of course, His Majesty will give her something that no other male can give to his mate.¡±

    ¡°Seems like His Majesty is trying his best to make his mate happy before the night of the full moon.¡±

    Both servants giggled like excited young girls.

    Unknown to Ember, a light blush covered her face upon hearing what her servants said.

 Chapter 228 Invitation To Attend Festival

    ¡®Gift for me? To think of it, though it belongs to me, I had already lost it. But he brought it back to me. Nothing could make me happier than this jade pendant. If not for him, maybe I would have never gotten it back.¡¯

    ¡°Miss, I am sure His Majesty will take you out as well for the festival.¡±

    Her servant¡¯s statement pulled back her attention to them.

    ¡°His Majesty is preparing for both of your first night of the full moon.¡±

    ¡°We are so happy for you, Miss.¡±

    Seeing the two elves excitedly cheering as if it was about them, Ember kept quiet and didn¡¯t deny their im though she had doubts that Draven even had such intentions.

    ¡®Is he really preparing for it? I am yet to give my answer to him.¡¯

    Ember felt her heart beating faster at the thought of it. She shook her head. ¡®I don¡¯t think so. He simply returned to me what originally belonged to me. There is no use for him to keep it with him.¡¯ But then another thought came to her mind. ¡®He could have given it to me anytime. So why now? If the timing was deliberate then¡­¡¯

    Ember felt a shiver run through her spine and goosebumps covered her skin.

    ¡°I am feeling cold. I want to go back to my chamber.¡±

    ¡°Let us head back then, Miss.¡±

    Her servants immediately followed her back to her chamber. Ember knew it was going to be a sleepless night for her, given the countless thoughts in her mind. She did not even get the chance to taste her food since time seemingly flew by with her in a daze. Before she knew it, her servants were bidding her goodnight.

    As shey in bed, sleep could note to her even a bit.

    Along with her own thoughts, she could not help but imagine himying in bed like her.

    ¡®I wonder what he thinks about all this. If it is His Majesty, he will probably be sitting somewhere or standing by the window while deep in thought.¡¯ She could not help but sigh. ¡®He always asks me what I expect but I don¡¯t know what he wants. Should I ask him tomorrow before deciding my answer? Maybe that is the right thing to do.¡¯

    Making a decision, she closed her eyes, waiting for morning to arrive so she could ask Draven about what he wanted.

    ¡ª-

    The next day, Ember had been informed during her morning meal that her magic lesson with Helia had been put off until after the full moon psed. As the next couple of days were of great importance for those with mates, the Fire Fae thoughtfully considered giving her student some time to rx. After all, theirst lesson didn¡¯t end well, and it was not good to stress Ember if something again went wrong.

    Since her morning schedule had been freed, Ember went out to the garden with her servants. Now she was feeling fine, so she wondered if she could go out of the pce and visit the nearby cities.

    ¡°Miss, what are you thinking?¡± Clio asked as they walked towards the part of the garden with a small stream. The three females idled over the log bridge across it, leaning over the vine-filled railings to enjoy the sight of the clear water partially covered with beautiful water lilies.

    For a while, Ember wondered what she should say, but decided to be honest. ¡°Hmm, I think the pce is lovely and all, but¡­ I am wondering what the other cities of Agartha look like. Ever since I became His Majesty¡¯s mate, I have always been staying inside the pce. Do you think it is all right for me to go out? Even the nearest one, Ronan, is fine but I¡¯d love to see the other cities too.¡±

    ¡°Umm, Miss, for that you have to get His Majesty¡¯s permission,¡± Clio replied with a small frown. ¡°As your bond is notpleted, it¡¯s not good to go out. It can be dangerous for you.¡±

    ¡°Dangerous?¡± Ember was curious. ¡°Is it because I am human?¡±

    ¡°Well, that is another factor to consider, Miss, but what I meant to say is that I advise you to never leave His Majesty¡¯s side if ever you go out. You are marked but your bond is notpleted yet so it¡¯s not good for you to go out without your mate. Especially these days when the peak of the full moon is a mere day away. There are beastmen without mates and they can harm you.¡± Clio exined.

    ¡°I see,¡± Ember replied as she contemted.

    Now that she thought of it, aside from Erlos, all of the male servants would leave whenever she was in the vicinity, to the point she would have thought all the pce servants were females. Was that also the King¡¯s arrangement to protect her?

    Just then Erlos appeared in the garden and informed her, ¡°Miss, there is a guest in the pce. Sire had asked you toe to his study.¡±

    Ember wondered what it was for as it was the first time she had been called to meet a guest but then smiled. ¡®Seems like Leeora is here.¡¯

    Just as they were about to leave the garden premises, Ember caught sight of Draven walking along the open corridor with an unfamiliar person and they wereing towards the garden. He was listening intently to what the person next to him was talking about, and the serious countenance had some sort of special appeal.

    ¡®Is it the angle of the sunlight? His Majesty looks especially good even though he¡¯s just walking¡­¡¯

    The heart of the youngdy could not help but beat at the sight of her mate. The more she looked at him, the more she could not help but feel attracted towards him. His expression was cold and aloof yet she found it extremely attractive as it is, giving her a small satisfaction in the knowledge that she had the ability to break that solemn mask.

    His existence was intimidating and made it hard to approach him, and this was a fact the entire kingdom would agree upon. But to her surprise, rather than fear, what she felt for him was curiosity. Along the way, Ember found herself no longer fearing him.

    ¡®Since when¡­?¡¯ she could not help but wonder. ¡®I remember I used to be so scared of him.¡¯

    Now, all she could see was his dignified appearance. d in his ornate attire that favoured the colour ck, coupled with his tall masculine stature, everything about him looked noble.

    The moment Draven turned his head, his eyes found his mate standing at the edge of the garden, openly staring at him. It was not the first time he caught her looking at him that way, and now he had already gotten used to it.

    The servants stepped away while Ember walked towards Draven.

    ===

    Dear readers, this month we aim for 10k privileged unlocks. To reach the goal, I wish you all to unlock privileged chapters. <3<3

 Chapter 229 [Bonus chapter] Invitation For The Festival

    Ember¡¯s gaze was only on Draven. Just as they reached each other, her senses were suddenly brought back to reality when she heard the man next to her mate speak while bowing to her.

    ¡°Etorn from the White Tiger n greets His Majesty¡¯s mate.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, nice to meet you, Sir Etorn.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know how to respond so she simply offered a light courteous smile. She subtly nced at Draven, silently asking if her response was proper, but the King had no change in his expression. His gaze was simply fixed at his mate.

    The man with white hair, despite looking to be in his mid-thirties, straightened his bulky body. He was wearing clothes made of animal hide with a pattern of ck long patches on wide cloth which resembled white tigers¡¯ appearance- an opened front waistcoat, a knee-length long skirt which was secured with a leather belt and boots.

    ¡°I am honoured to be in your presence. I came here to invite His Majesty and you to attend the festival in our n¡¯s city. His Majesty was saying that the decision is yours to make, that was why I sought your audience, mydy. I believe you will enjoy it.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know what to say and moved her gaze towards Draven once more. She wondered if what the man said was true, that the decision was hers to make.

    Understanding what her gaze meant, Draven spoke, ¡°If you wish to go, I can take you there.¡±

    For a moment, Ember felt she heard it wrong but then got back to her senses. ¡°I wish to go!¡±

    Draven nodded and then looked at Etorn. ¡°We will be there.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty. The elders will be pleased and honored to receive you. I will take my leave then to bring back the good news.¡± The white-haired man bowed to both of them before leaving.

    Draven looked at Ember. ¡°We will leave at noon.¡±

    Ember nodded and Draven turned to leave, but she stopped him. ¡°Your Majesty, wait!¡±

    Her mate silently gazed at her, waiting for her to speak.

    She let out a shaky breath as she looked up. ¡°Thank you for giving my jade pendant back to me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose it again,¡± was all he said.

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡±

    Awkward silence enveloped the two. It was Draven who broke the silence.

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    As he asked, she felt caught off guard and quickly shook her head. Only then did Draven turn around to leave.

    Ember sighed in relief. Though brief, she confirmed once more how hard it was tomunicate with the King. She understood the reason why he refused to stay close to her, but she could not help but wonder if it was all right for their conversations to remain stiff and awkward like this.

    ¡ª¨C

    As soon as they returned to Ember¡¯s chamber, Clio and Reya hurried towards her wardrobe, excited to prepare Ember for her first outing with the King.

    ¡°There is no need to hurry. We still have hours till noon¨C¡°

    ¡°No, Miss! Not ¡®we still have¡¯. It¡¯s ¡®we only have¡¯! We need to make you look lovelier than usual!¡±

    ¡°Yes, please let us dress you well. Your outfit must befortable yet pretty since it will be your first time being seen in public with His Majesty.¡±

    The two elves continued to match the clothes inside her side chamber, arguing and giggling as they paired the dresses with the different boots inside the shelves. Ember simply watched them since they looked like they were enjoying themselves.

    Reya then remarked, ¡°See, Miss? We told you every male takes his mate out for the festival, but you didn¡¯t believe us.¡±

    ¡°I am really happy for you, Miss. When His Majesty said you two will attend the festival, I almost gasped in happiness.¡±

    ¡°Right? It was surprising. Who would have guessed? His Majesty is also like the other males who show how they care¨Cno, love their mate!¡±

    Ember, who was standing in front of the mirror, found her cheeks turning red as she heard her servants.

    ¡®I know he cares for me but¡­love? Does he?¡¯

    Just then, they heard a knock on the door and a short blue-haired elf entered the chamber. ¡°Good day, Miss. I think that red dress suits you better. You¡¯ll look like a rose.¡±

    Ember was grateful her arrival caused her two servants to stop pushing clothes towards her. The red dress was already the fifth or the sixthbination they were trying on her. ¡°What brings you here, Y?¡±

    Y then looked at the two young servants. ¡°I came to make sure both Clio and Reya know they¡¯re going outside with you. You two will be apanying Miss. Make sure to take care of her and do not leave her side.¡±

    ¡°Us? Are we going?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t His Majesty taking Miss out for the festival?¡±

    Ember suddenly felt betrayed. ¡®He clearly said he will take me out.¡¯

    She heard Y continue, ¡°Of course, His Majesty is apanying Miss, but you two have to go as well. If you do not want, the others can rece¨C¡°

    ¡°No, Dame! We are very honored to have this chance!¡±

    ¡°We will serve Miss with utmost care!¡±

    One second, the two servants felt bad for their master, the next they were excited to go outside and y at the festival.

    Several minutes before noon, Ember came out to the front yard of the pce with her servants, all three of them d infortable casual dresses made of lightweight fabric.

    Outside the entrance, she spied several horses loitering along with the people. Erlos together with some other servants were tending to the horses. Draven was there as well, standing next to a beautiful ck stallion and was caressing its long mane. The horse had his head lowered, looking like he was enjoying the petting.

    Ember had a scary thought as to why the horses were there.

    ¡®Don¡¯t tell me I have to ride a horse?!¡¯

    She gulped and looked at those handsome horses even taller than her. Perhaps because they were horses raised in the wild, their sizes wererger than the domesticated ones used by humans.

    To her, they looked beautiful but dangerous.

    ¡®Sitting on Lusca was easy as he was fluffy and small like a pony but a horse¡­?¡¯

    Just as her mind nked, she heard her servants talking as if this was expected.

    ¡°I want the one with chestnut fur and the ck mane.¡±

    ¡°I will take the dapple gray one.¡±

    Hearing her feare true, Ember gulped once more and gazed at thoserge creatures. If it weren¡¯t for her servants, she might have frozen in ce and been unable to approach.

    As she stepped forward, an image seemingly shed in front of her eyes¨Cshe could see herself falling down the horse and embarrassing herself in front of Draven once again.

    ¡®Ahh! No! He already believes I am clumsy, and this will only solidify that belief. I don¡¯t know how to ride a horse and since this will be my first time¨Cah! He will again get a chance to look down on me!¡¯

    Frightened by her own thoughts, she soon reached the horses where Erlos greeted her with a pleasant smile. Draven nced at her pale face. It was as if his sharp gaze could see through her, Ember averted her gaze which was full of panic and fear.

 Chapter 230 Riding The Horse

    ¡°A-Are we riding horses?¡± Ember threw her stuttering question at Erlos.

    The elf merely blinked, quite puzzled by her behaviour. ¡°Yes, Miss. Riding animals is a normal way to go around other cities. These beautiful animal friends were nearby and were called to help, and they agreed.¡±

    In Agartha, normal animals were given the freedom to roam, especially for elves who treat them likepanions.

    ¡°Are you scared, Miss?¡± Erlos asked. ¡°Do not worry. It is not much different from you riding Lusca.¡±

    ¡®It is different!¡¯ Ember felt how much she missed Lusca now. That fluffy soft stag was like a babypared to the wild horses in front of them.

    Ember forced a chuckle. ¡°I never rode a horse before. I don¡¯t know how to ride it¡­¡± Her voice was low and hesitant.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Miss. It¡¯s not difficult. They are friends. Once you sit on one, you will know. Moreover, these horses are all well-behaved,¡± Erlos replied. He then rubbed the snout of the horse nearest to him. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, little one?¡±

    She almost choked. ¡®That red mare isn¡¯t little though?¡¯

    Erlos continued, ¡°Well, you see, Miss, in front of Sire, not just these horses but even their ancestors will do their absolute best to behave. They would not dare let you fall so you really have nothing to worry about.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know what to say about this remark but a dignified voice interrupted their conversation.

    ¡°Are you done, Erlos?¡±

    Erlos stopped right away and Draven, who was petting his horse, turned to look at Ember. ¡°You will be fine. I am there to look for you.¡±

    Ember blinked a few times as if to say his words didn¡¯t register in her mind.

    ¡°Rx. You will enjoy the ride,¡± Draven simply said as he walked towards her with the intention of helping her sit on the horse.

    But first, he looked at Erlos. ¡°Get on your horse.¡±

    The smart Erlos knew he was being ordered to show Ember how to climb the horse saddle.

    ¡°Miss, this is how you do it.¡± Erlos held the saddle then put his one foot in the stirrup, and the next moment, he lifted his other leg and he was seated properly on the back of the red mare. He held the reins firmly and said, ¡°See, it¡¯s easy.¡±

    ¡®Can a human like me even move that smoothly?!¡¯

    At this moment, Ember was questioning her coordination. Erlos being Erlos, he made the move of riding a horse not only picturesque but also effortless.

    However, Draven was already offering her his hand and she epted it as she knew there was no other choice. He then led her to an elegant pure white stallion, second only in size to thergest ck one. She gulped as he held the stirrup of the white horse, while holding her hand in the other.

    ¡°Put your foot here and climb up. Do not overthink it.¡±

    Ember felt d that her servants didn¡¯t make her wear a long frilly dress. Only now did she learn it was intentional. The red dress she wore was a casual dress with its skirt just below the knees, and underneath it, she was wearing riding tights and long leather boots.

    ¡®Here goes nothing!¡¯

    Ember followed Draven¡¯s instructions with her lips pressed together, trying not to make a sound as she didn¡¯t want to be a bother to him or the white stallion. She grabbed onto his hand a little too firmly as she put her right foot in the stirrup first, just as Erlos did.

    Just as she was about to make herself climb up, a pair of strong hands held her at the waist and easily moved her up to sit on the saddle on the horse¡¯s back. It all happened in just a blink of an eye, and even before Ember could understand what had happened, she was properly seated on the saddle.

    Draven let go of her and fixed her skirt around her legs. Though he had removed her hands, Ember could still feel the warmth of his palms on her waist. As she calmed her heart, she looked at the man who held the reins of her horse and offered them to her.

    ¡°Hold it tightly.¡±

    Ember had seen what Erlos did so she held the reins with both hands. She then saw Draven petting the white stallion and talking to it. ¡°Walk slowly. She is riding your kind for the first time.¡±

    He then looked at Ember. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared.¡±

    Ember stiffly nodded, half of her concentration on keeping her bnce. From time to time, she would peek at Draven, up until she saw him swiftly ride thergest ck horse. As shepared to both horses, both looked like a perfect pair of ck and white.

    By then, her two servants were also already on their horses. Erlos led the way in front while Draven and Ember rode next to each other and two female elves at the rear of the group of five.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving for Nimer, the city of the White Tigers!¡± she could hear Erlos announce.

    As the horses started moving, Ember held on to the reins tightly, her entire body stiff as she was anxious of falling down. She was a good several feet off the ground. If she was to fall from this height¡­

    She cried inside., ¡®Lusca, I really miss you. You were never this scary to sit on.¡¯

    The horse¡¯s body wagged left and right with each step and she felt like she would fall as soon as she lost concentration.

    After several more minutes, another problem came up.

    ¡®I think my muscles are getting numb.¡¯

    Though the saddle was cushioning her bottom, she found it difficult to remain seated. She knew soon enough, her back and butt were going to ache.

    Draven noticed her growing difort through the corner of his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t be stiff. Rx and match yourself with the horse¡¯s moving rhythm and you won¡¯t find it difficult.¡±

    Ember nodded quietly but inside she frowned.

    ¡®Is he looking down on me just because he knows how to ride a horse? It¡¯s my first time! My first time!¡¯ she inwardlyined. ¡®If I can learn things simply by listening once, I wouldn¡¯t be in this trouble in the first ce. Things like this need to be learned. Supernaturals can¡¯t understand the difficulties of humans.¡¯

    Still, she tried to rx and do as she was told.

    ====

    Dear readers, this is 4th chapter today. As I upload the moment I write and don¡¯t stock them to release like a mass release they will alwayse like this one by one.

 Chapter 231 Get Everything She Has Touched

    As they came farther and farther away from the pce, soon the view around them captured Ember¡¯s attention and she forgot the fear she was feeling while riding a horse.

    The city of the White Tiger n.

    On one side of the pce where Draven resides was the Forest of the Elves, where the nearest city was Ronan, the city of the Wood Elf n. Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the pce was the territory of the shapeshifters. The city of Nimer was the city nearest the border.

    The way towards Nimer was not covered by tall trees but vast greenery made up of meadows and small hills covered with grass. There was a river flowing along the way they were moving. With the bright sky and peaceful grasnd, many adorable groups of small animals paying homage whenever they pass, it looked really pleasant.

    Ember suddenly felt like she hade to heaven. Ever since she left behind that hellish dead mountain, the sights that she had seen were all much more beautiful than she could ever imagine.

    Coming to this kingdom was the best thing that happened in her life. It was more than she could ever have dreamed of¨Cto live in such a peaceful ce where everything was filled with beauty and vitality.

    She looked at Draven who was riding next to her and could not help but feel thankful towards him for saving her and bringing her here to his kingdom.

    Draven noticed her gaze on him and said without looking back at her, ¡°We will be there in less than half an hour.¡±

    Ember simply nodded and returned her attention to the scenery around. There were many nts and animals whose names eluded her, and she became curious and fascinated with them.

    After a while, Ember¡¯s attention was snatched away by the noiseing from a distance. No, it wasn¡¯t noise but music. She realized they were near their destination, as she could see what seemed like a walled city after they crossed another hill.

    Soon, an arched gateway made of gray stones came into their sight. It was the entrance to the city.

    Below the gateway, Ember saw a familiar man, the same white-haired man she had seen in the morning. He was there with other well-dressed people to wee the King and his mate.

    ¡°The White Tiger n wees the King of Agartha and Miss Ember to the City of Nimer.¡±

    The man and hispanions bowed before them. After a couple more remarks, the wee entourage led them inside the city. The man called Etorn walked beside Draven and Ember.

    ¡°Your Majesty, d to see you here with your mate. You can keep your horses in my manor so they can rest while your group freely roams the streets. I believe Your Majesty and his mate will enjoy the festival.¡±

    Draven offered him a light nod and they rode slowly inside. As soon as they passed the gateway, Ember saw what seemed like a human town filled with cottages and cabins made of stones and wood, their roofs made with y. It was so different from the houses in Ronan, where the Wood Elves lived within trees and barely made visible changes within the forest.

    ¡®Not only the houses, but even the people are also different.¡¯

    Shapeshifters.

    Given that the city was governed by the White Tigers, the majority of its residents were shapeshifters, particrly beastmen. There were a couple of elves, fairies and witches here and there, but they were rare. The tiger shapeshifters look like humans except for their prominent features that gave away their identity like trademark clothes, white hair and culture.

    There were few white tigers in their beast form. Ember could not help but feel goosebumps on her arms.

    ¡®But their fur looks soft¡­¡¯

    The entire city was decorated with flowers andnterns. After some time, they were guided through the marketce which was crowded. Around the za, Ember could even see people dancing while others were ying musical instruments.

    Of course, along the way, the residents all noticed their king and didn¡¯t fail to show their respect to him by bowing their heads. However, a lot of them could be seen gawking at them as soon as their group passed by. Most of them were curious about Ember, the human girl and the King¡¯s mate.

    Ember felt a little awkward under their gazes but pretended to be calm. It was easier than expected since she was concentrating on keeping her bnce. It would be extremely humiliating if she fell on horseback in front of the King¡¯s subjects.

    Fortunately, Etorn told their group that they had arrived in his manor.

    ¡°Everyone, you may leave your horses here.¡±

    Draven climbed down his horse and approached Ember. Without her saying a word, he held her at her waist. Instinctively, she put her hands on his shoulder as he lifted her down the white horse.

    Her entire body shivered as relief flooded her veins. ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty!¡±

    She was smiling brightly, as if she had just finished a great ordeal.

    Draven simply nodded and said, ¡°Go ahead with your servants.¡±

    Ember subtly stretched, unable toin that her legs had grown numb. Fortunately, her two servants approached her to fix her clothes and hair, allowing her to discreetly get rid of the numbness in her muscles.

    White Tiger Etorn used that chance to strike up a short conversation with the King.

    ¡°Do you need a guide, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°No need.¡±

    ¡°Please let the city guards know if you need anything else. Again, I and the elders of my n hope you and the Miss enjoy your time together in Nimer, Your Majesty.¡±

    Soon enough, Draven, Ember and the three elves were back at the centre of the marketce. The threedies were at the lead while Draven followed them at a distance along with Erlos.

    It was the first time Ember had ever attended a festival. Before, she could only read about them in books. Her gaze could not stay at a single ce as it wandered around to take note of each and everything.

    ¡°Miss, look at this bracelet!¡±

    ¡°How about this y teapot?¡±

    ¡°Oh, this skirt looks nice but I don¡¯t think Miss will wear this¡­¡±

    The females went through the stalls and they bought a few simple essories. However, they were unable to buy clothes. A greater majority of those offered were the kind that were heavily favoured by the females of the White Tiger n¨Ca simple short top which is fixed with one knot at the back of the neck and the back of the torso, and knee-length skirts.

    ¡®Too revealing!¡¯

    Ember could not imagine herself wearing those clothes and immediately looked away. It wasn¡¯t that the fashion of tiger beast n did not have much variation. One could say this kind of clothing was specially tailored to celebrate the night of the full moon¡­

    As their group chose to skip the clothing shops, they focused more on other stalls. Ember would always touch something in admiration and curiosity, from bead essories, to wood sculptures or y crafts, any random things she would find attractive to her eyes.

    Draven, who was walking behind them, ordered Erlos. ¡°Get everything she has touched.¡±

    Without a question, Erlos started to buy each and every item Ember touched.

 Chapter 232 What Is Human Doing Here?

    None of the females knew what Erlos was doing as he kept the items he bought using his spatial magic, and thus he was carrying nothing in his arms.

    ¡°Miss, do you want to buy anything?¡± Clio asked.

    Ember looked around. However, instead of the shops or stalls, her gazended at the couples walking around. Ember noticed all the females were holding beautiful flower bouquets in their hands.

    ¡°Those flowers look good. Where can I get them?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°I will check,¡± Clio said as she left to see where she could get those for her master but none of the nearby shops had them.

    After a while, she returned. ¡°Miss, those flowers are not for sale. Those are personally made gifts between mates. Outside the city, there is a flower valley where the males will pick flowers and arrange a bouquet, and as part of tradition practiced within Nimer, they give it to their females on the day of the festival.¡±

    ¡°Ohh,¡± was all she could say. ¡°Never mind.¡±

    Continuing to walk ahead, there were food stalls as well, and the moment they entered the street, delicious aroma filled the air.

    ¡°Miss, would you like to try the local food of the White Tigers? The most popr food they offer are roasted meat, and they are put on sticks so you can eat them while walking.¡±

    ¡°While walking?¡±

    ¡°Yes, look at that couple there, Miss. You can see them walking hand in hand, while the female lets the male take a bite of the meat. Isn¡¯t that romantic?¡±

    Ember imagined herself holding roasted meat and feeding it to Draven¡­and the image looked funny. She could not help but giggle. ¡°I¡¯d like to taste one then.¡±

    Reya went and bought a stick for each of them. Ember found the taste fascinating, smoky with a deep and rich peppery vor. In the end, she had to ask Reya to buy a couple more and while eating, they walked towards the za of the city where the ce was filled with music and couples seemingly doing their tribal dance.

    She happily watched it, enjoying the festivity. She had never seen such a lively scene in her entire life. Even in Ronan, she had never seen such a big crowd have fun like this, and the atmosphere was thrilling.

    For a moment, she wondered if Draven was having as much fun as her, and she turned her head to look behind her.

    ¡®Where is His Majesty? Did we get separated?¡¯

    She looked around to see if Draven was among the crowd but he was not. She was sure he was following her with Erlos up until they reached the za. Though he kept a distance between them, she was aware of his presence but he seemed to have left.

    Disappointment took over her mind but she brushed it off easily.

    ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be greedy. He allowed me to go have fun outside and it is more than enough.¡¯

    Therge za was crowded not only by the merrymaking residents of the city, but by visitors from other territories like Ember, some were pulled to join the dance by the friendly locals. Ember witnessed a number of local males inviting females who had no partners to dance, and vice-versa. It was easy to distinguish the females as outsiders by their attire, as the local beastmen favored revealing clothes made of striped fur regardless if they were male or female.

    ¡®I hope no one approaches me¡­¡¯

    As Ember watched the folk dance apanied by lively music dominated by hand drums, once in a while, she would turn around to search for Draven but she could not see his tall form anywhere.

    She could only see the silver-haired elf standing some distance from them, keeping an eye on them while letting them enjoy themselves.

    ¡®Since Erlos is nearby, His Majesty should be nearby too, right? Maybe he has to step away for a bit and will return¡­¡¯

    ¡°Clio,¡± Reya suddenly called out, ¡°I think those young beastmen are approaching us?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, one smiled and waved at us. He must have thought of inviting us to dance.¡±

    Her servants were flustered, and Ember, not wanting to dance as well, decided to move away and evade the invitation. In their attempt to move among the crowd, Ember could help but turn her head and look around for Draven once more.

    However, her boot was caught on a small protruding part of the ground and was about to fall forward but¡­

    A pair of strong hands held her at the shoulders, and as her body was pulled upright, she felt a muscr chest against her back. A strange feeling crept inside her chest as she immediately got away and heard the person saying with obvious irritation.

    ¡°Clumsy female!¡±

    ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡±

    Her servants, who noticed Ember was about to trip, were half a second toote and only held her after she moved away from the owner of the irritated voice.

    However, her mind was not on them.

    ¡®Clumsy?¡¯

    This word was taboo to her. Hearing it from aplete stranger made her feel even worse. Ignoring her servants¡¯ concern, she immediately turned around to confront the person who called her clumsy.

    And then she froze.

    ¡°What is a human doing here?¡± she heard him say with narrowed eyes.

    Seeing the scowling man, not a single word came out of her mouth.

    Silky white hair falling below his broad shoulders, fierce amber eyes with a sharp gaze, a small scar on his left eyebrow, making him look aggressive and always ready to fight¡­

    It was an appearance that could only be described as a predator, a hunter by nature. The man was tall, so tall he was towering over her and her servants, and beneath the open vest made of white tiger hide, several deep scars could be seen on his muscled chest.

    One could say he was dangerously attractive, a sight to behold, but his beauty was like that of a wild animal who was only fascinating at a distance. Make a wrong move and he could easily rip your throat apart.

    The two servants recognized the white-haired man and bowed. ¡°Greetings, Warrior Logan.¡±

    Ember, who was still in the middle of regaining herposure, stepped back so that her two servants were ced between her and the man.

    ¡®A warrior? No wonder he looks scary.¡¯

    Tiger beastman named Logan merely passed his gaze at the elves before fixing his sight at Ember, more precisely to the crimson mark at the side of her neck.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be without your mate.¡±

    Before Ember could say a word, another person came to intervene, deftly inserting himself between Logan and Ember¡¯s group.

    ¡°Warrior Logan, good to see you here. I didn¡¯t expect to see you amidst this festival.¡±

    The White Tiger recognized Erlos and knew the chatty elf was Draven¡¯s servant. He heard Erlos continue, ¡°This is Miss Ember, and I believe you must have heard of her. She is the King¡¯s mate. As for Sire, he has gone somewhere but he will be back soon.¡±

    ¡®So she is Draven¡¯s mate.¡¯ His frown deepened. ¡®That irresponsible Dragon left his marked female by herself.¡¯

    Logan stared down at the green-eyed human; however, to his surprise, he discovered her looking back at him with hostility. He didn¡¯t know that she had offended this human by calling her clumsy.

    ¡°Look after her,¡± Logan said to Erlos and turned to leave.

    ¡°Of course, that is why I am here.¡± Erlos let out a sigh of relief upon seeing Logan leave. Other than Draven, Logan was one of the people he was wary of.

    ¡°Who is that?¡± Ember asked. She noticed that her two servants were intimidated by that tiger beastman. In her memory, they only behaved like this in Draven¡¯s presence.

    ¡°Miss, that man is White Tiger Logan, one of the best among this generation¡¯s warriors in the kingdom and the next leader of his n.¡±

    ¡°He seems dangerous,¡± Ember mumbled and her servants nodded in agreement.

    Erlos didn¡¯t deny the im as well. He could understand why Ember made that remark. Despite his good looks and achievements on the battlefield, not a lot of people were willing to approach him. He was infamous for his harsh and frigid personality, and as such, everyone was wary of him, including the elders of his n.

    Unknown to her, Ember¡¯sst words fell into Logan¡¯s ears and he frowned, his thick white brows knitted together.

    ¡®Beast or human females, all females are alike. Pathetic.¡¯

 Chapter 233 Gift For The Mate

    After leading the three women to a less crowded part of the za, Erlos turned towards Ember. ¡°Miss, are you alright?¡±

    Ember nodded. ¡°Umm, but¡­I don¡¯t see His Majesty anywhere. Has he returned to the pce?¡±

    The young elf chuckled as if he had heard something funny. ¡°Miss, how can SIre return to the pce, leaving his mate here? He is just¨C¡°

    ¡°His Majesty is here,¡± Clio cut into their conversation without warning as she saw the ck-haired maning towards them. However, her expression was strange. Rather than caution, her eyes showed she was shocked with something.

    Out of reflex, the rest of the group also turned to look at the direction of her gaze, and their expressions all mirrored the female elf.

    By then, Draven had already reached them carrying something in his hand. The three servants stepped aside so the two mates could have space.

    Ember gaped at him, still unable to pull herself out of disbelief until she heard him speak in a low tone.

    ¡°This is for you.¡±

    Gulping, Ember continued to stare at his handsa€¡°rather, at that beautiful flower bouquet in his hands.

    ¡°For me?¡± she mumbled, looking up at his face to check whether he was serious or not.

    He let out a terse nod, his expression seemingly stiffer than usual, and waited for her to ept the carefully arranged set of flowers. As if her hands had a mind of their own, they reached out to receive them in her arms. Ember smiled sweetly.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡±

    The smile on her face had a hint of bashfulness and delight, as it reflected the butterflies dancing in her stomach. Draven had brought flowers for her¨C and not just any flower¨C but various wildflowers that gave off a refreshingly sweet scent, meticulously arranged into a beautiful bouquet wrapped with a green silk ribbon. A majority of them were flowers that reminded Ember of the colour of Draven¡¯s eyes, and they were surrounded by dainty light yellow and white flowers that entuated the beauty of the central pieces.

    ¡®Clio said it is the local tradition of this city for a male to pluck the flowers from the flower valley of the White Tiger n¡­does this mean His Majesty disappeared because he went there and picked these flowers for me?¡¯

    An unknown emotion crept into her chest, but by the growing warmth that tingled her heart, the dominant part of that unknown emotion was happiness.

    Draven didn¡¯t fail to notice that his mate thoroughly liked his gift. It was as if her entire being brightened up.

    He wanted to remain like this for a bit more, but there was a limit to his self-control and in the end, he had to take a step away in order to lessen the impact of her scent on her.

    ¡°Do you wish to continue watching the dance?¡± he asked.

    When Ember shook her head, he then turned his gaze away. ¡°Then, see the rest of the festival.¡±

    After a nod of acknowledgement, Ember leisurely let her eyes roam, wondering where to head next.

    ¡°Miss, how about we go that way? We have yet to see that street,¡± Reya suggested and Ember walked with her servants, while Draven followed several steps behind with Erlos.

    ¡°Sire, Miss seems really happy to receive those flowers,¡± Erlosmented, putting his arms casually behind his head in a rxed manner. ¡°I didn¡¯t know she liked flowers this much. I wonder if she has a favourite. Maybe if Sire gives her flowers more often then¨C¡°

    Draven cut him off midway, knowing that his servant would probably keep on chattering nonstop. ¡°Did something happen when I was gone?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much.¡± Erlos thought for a bit. ¡°Oh. We came across Warrior Logan, and he talked to Miss.¡±

    ¡®So that was Logan¡¯s scent on her? No wonder it was familiar.¡¯ Draven didn¡¯t fail to notice another male¡¯s scent of her when he offered her flowers but didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Erlos narrated everything to him and Draven simply hummed in response.

    ¡°Did you get everything she touched?¡±

    Erlos tilted his head, as if in deep thought. ¡°Ah, not everything.¡±

    Draven frowned. Seeing his reaction, Erlos grinned.

    ¡°Well, Sire, forgive my ipetence, but I dare not pack Warrior Logan with my magic. If I could, then we would have one white tiger pet in our pce yard,¡± Erlos chucked at the thought. ¡°I don¡¯t think that ferocious guy can work in housekeeping though¡­so as a guard? But there is no need to hire a guard¨C¡°

    Ember continued to walk ahead while looking around the city, but as she had been walking for a while now, her legs were getting tired. Not to mention, she had also ridden on horseback for the first time, thus her leg muscles were sore.

    Her speed was slow, from time to time stopping to pretend to look around at things she wasn¡¯t interested in. Her servants were elves, and obviously, their constitution was many times sturdier than hers. This level of physical activity didn¡¯t affect them but they forgot one poor human was with them.

    Draven noticed it though he was walking behind her. Before he could instruct Erlos with anything, the crowd parted as the elders of the White Tiger n passed through. At the head of the elder group was Etorn, and they approached the King.

    After exchanging brief pleasantries, Etorn told him the reason why they came. ¡°Your Majesty, remember that other concern I mentioned to you in the pce? If it is fine with you, can we invite you to our n house to further exin the situation? I assure you, this won¡¯t take long.¡±

    ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    Though Draven had no such n before, he agreed as he thought Ember could use this chance to rest.

    The shapeshifter in front of him happily guided their way towards the n house after Draven told Erlos to inform Ember about the situation.

    The so-called n house was thergest stone structure within the city, almost like a human fortress, and it was situated at the centermost part of Nimer, near the manor owned by Etorn. Once they entered the n house, the other elders with their subordinates weed the King and his mate.

    ¡°The White Tiger n is honoured to be in the presence of His Majesty King Draven Aramis.¡±

    Draven epted with a nod while Ember stood quietly next to him, feeling slightly awed to see how subservient this group of high status people were acting towards her mate. It was even more overwhelming than the wee their group received at the entrance of the city, perhaps because the atmosphere within the n house was serious and dignified.

    ¡°Your Majesty, if you don¡¯t mind, we can go to the rooftop. From there, you and your mate can see the city and events while enjoying the best refreshments our n has to offer.¡±

    Draven agreed and Erton led their way up the stone stairs.

    Ember looked at the stairs. It was only one floor, but given the state of her muscles, those few steps looked too much to her. Not to forget, those steps were taller than normal as they were made by keeping in mind the height of tiger n members whose frames were nothing butrge.

    The human girl let out a silent sigh and climbed the stairs with trembling legs, but before she could take the third step, she saw a glove-covered hand in front of her. She raised her head to look at Draven who looked down at her, wordlessly asking her to hold his hand.

    Ember epted his hand and climbed the steps with more ease, but still, it wasparably slow in contrast to others. Yet Draven didn¡¯t hurry her and patiently walked with her pace. This made the White Tigers match their steps with their important guests as well.

    Once they reached the rooftop, Ember saw a huge open space covered with shade and there were chairs arranged around the wooden tables. However, their group was not the only ones there. There seemed to be other invited guests of the White Tiger n who were also of some status.

    Draven took her towards one of the empty tables. ¡°You can rest here.¡±

    Ember nodded and sat in the chair and her servants apanied her. Everyone present there bowed to the King from a distance. Knowing the significance of his presence in this festival, these people were smart enough to understand that it was not the day they should disturb the King. His mate was with him so these people tactfully stayed away from them.

    Ember saw a familiar scary person who was standing with another group. Upon Draven¡¯s group¡¯s arrival, they too were forced to pause chatting to pay homage to the King.

    After Draven gestured for them to raise their heads, he then left Ember with her servants and instructed Erlos, ¡°Stay with them.¡±

    Erlos was happy to be with Ember as he knew where Draven was going. ¡®I am not interested in meeting that tiger anyways.¡¯

 Chapter 234 Draven And Logan Talk

    As Draven reached Logan and his, Logan bowed to him once again. ¡°Logan of the White Tiger n greets His Majesty.¡±

    Draven epted it with a nod while the others left the two to talk.

    Logan¡¯s curt voice rang out. ¡°I believe His Majesty enjoyed the festival.¡±

    As they were by themselves, Draven instructed him, ¡°You can drop formalities.¡¯

    Logan nodded andmented, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a day woulde when I¡¯ll see you attending this festival with a mate.¡±

    ¡°Unexpected things happen. I still don¡¯t expect you to have one.¡±

    ¡°Who wants the trouble anyways?¡±

    Draven nced at Ember who was talking to her servants and enjoying the refreshment that had been brought to their table. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s trouble.¡±

    ¡°For me, it is. Females find me scary anyways so it¡¯s fair game. Trouble stays away from me on its own.¡±

    Draven scoffed. ¡°You are scary. Don¡¯t me those females for their instinct¡¯s judgment.¡±

    ¡°Less than you. Tell me, has your mate ever seen your real form?¡±

    ¡°She is getting used to me now.¡±

    ¡°I heard how you were troubled by the council members.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing.¡±

    Draven¡¯s gaze moved towards his mate who was smiling, seemingly having an enjoyable conversation.

    Logan followed his line of sight. ¡°From what I see now, you seemed to be delighted by the trouble they created.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t deny it,¡± Draven replied straight away.

    ¡°Then, I can only say that I congratte you.¡±

    Draven silently epted his best wishes.

    After a while, Loganmented. ¡°I see you have notpleted the bond yet. Any reason in particr?¡±

    ¡°There is. Will tell youter but we might have to put your rusting powers in use when the timees.¡±

    ¡°Trouble with humans?¡± Logan asked as Ember was human so that was the only thing he could conclude.

    ¡°Humans are not worth creating troubles. Things can be more than what we imagine.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured. My n¡¯s warriors will be there at your disposal.¡± Logan then seemingly remembered something.¡±I came across Morpheus recently. He was hurt. Did you two fight again?¡±

    ¡°You know how he is.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t leave a chance to get on your nerves. Go easy on him. You know that isn¡¯t him.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± Draven nodded.

    ¡°If Myra was here¡­.¡± the tiger momentarily trailed off. ¡°After she was gone, it affected him.¡±

    ¡°One day she will return and pull him out of all this.¡±

    ¡°I hope so too,¡± Logan mumbled.

    Draven nced at him. ¡°Are you still waiting for her? Is that the reason every female looks like trouble to you?¡±

    ¡°You are thinking too much. I am fine with how things are. I just want her to return for the sake of Morpheus. Also, it was not her fault and she should not me herself.¡±

    A rare bitter smile shed across the King¡¯s handsome face, but it was gone as quick as it came. ¡°I was the one at fault yet she was the one to suffer its consequences. Even if Morpheus hates me, I don¡¯t have a right to confront him.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t lose hope. Maybe one day she would want to return.¡±

    ¡°We will wait for her.¡±

    At that, Draven merely closed his eyes.

    On the other side of the rooftop, Ember suddenly found herself losing zoning out of her conversation with her servants as she nced at the direction of her mate. Seeing the two men deep in talk, she could not help but wonder what kind ofplicated issue they were talking about.

    ¡®They seem to be talking about something really serious.¡¯

    After a while, Draven met with Etorn and the other elders of the White Tiger n. But as promised, their meeting didn¡¯t take a lot of time and by the time Ember was starting to get bored, she had been informed that it was time to return to the pce.

    Fortunately, Etorn instructed his n members to bring their horses to the n house so Ember would not have to walk far.

    Yet Ember¡¯s happiness was brief.

    She could not help but gulp as she stared at the white horse she had to ride once again.

    ¡®This is my second time so it should go smoother, right? I just have to make sure to go along with the natural swaying of the horse. I can do it. I can survive this without embarrassing myself.¡¯

    However, the more she looked at the horse, the more she felt like she had to climb a mountain, and she was already feeling tired. While she was hesitating, Erlos, Reya and Clio had already climbed their respective horses.

    All of a sudden, Draven brought his ck stallion to her. ¡°Get on this horse.¡±

    Ember stiffened.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Ride this one,¡± he simply said.

    Inside, Ember was crying, gawking at the horse muchrger and seemingly fiercer than hers. ¡®ck or white, what does it matter? In the end, I have to suffer the same.¡¯

    Regardless of her thoughts, Draven took the flower bouquet she was holding and offered her his other hand to help her up. She epted it reluctantly, and he almost took the brunt of her entire weight until she settled at the back of the horse. Once she was seated properly on the saddle, only then did he hand her the flowers back.

    While she was busy mentally chanting over the things she needed to remember about horseback riding, something happened that shocked her to the point she almost let go of the reins.

    In a blink of an eye, she felt warmth against her back,ing from the strong chest of a man. Her hands that were about to let go of the reins were suddenly covered by glove-covered hands.

    Her entire body froze at the unexpected heat rising to her cheeks.

    ¡®Did he¡­Did he just climb the same horse? Is he going to ride the horse with me?¡¯

    Ember could not believe it though she could clearly feel him sitting behind her, his body pressed close against hers. His hands held both her hands and the reins, and she had to blink several times, making sure she was not hallucinating.

    His arms were on her either side, his entire body almost felt like¡­like he was covering her? Protecting her? The little bit of chill she felt due to the passing breeze from the rooftop was pushed out of her body. She no longer felt cold at all, finding herself enjoying thefortable warmth emitting from his body.

 Chapter 235 Meaning Behind The Scent Of Mate

    ¡°Are youfortable?¡± she heard him ask over her head. She could feel his chin touching the top of her head as he talked.

    ¡°I am.¡± Ember felt her cheeks heating up some more, her heart pounding faster. ¡®What is this? Didn¡¯t he say my scent affects him? Then why is he so close?¡¯

    While Ember was internally screaming her panic, her mate had no obvious change in his expression, as if he felt nothing over their intimate position, but only he knew it took a lot of effort to remain unaffected.

    The two female servants smiled at the adorable sight of their shyly blushing master and could not help but exchange nces with each other. Erlos, on the other hand, ignored them as if it was nothing. He had seen Ember in his master¡¯s bed so this much was nothing.

    As it was earlier, Erlos led the way with his red mare, and Ember¡¯s original horse, the white stallion, was walking along with him. The two Moon Elves followed immediately behind him, leaving the pair of mates at the rear of the group.

    As the ck stallion started to move, Draven continued to hold Ember¡¯s hands that were holding the reins. He didn¡¯t ask her to let go of the reins so he could hold them directly but continued like that.

    Though he could have just teleported with Ember to the pce, he opted for this less efficient way of travel to give her more time to spend outside the pce walls and let her enjoy the scenery.

    On the other hand, Ember swore she felt him gently squeezing her hands a little as if trying to feel them. Though his palms were covered with ck gloves, she could still feel the heat from them on the back of her palms.

    Ember sat like a statue and didn¡¯t dare move at all. Draven sensed it, and thought to ignore it at first, but then he recalled that humans have a more feeble constitution. It would only bring her body aches if her posture remained as such.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so stiff. Rx.¡±

    Ember nodded tersely and tried to rx her body, but it seemed so difficult a demand given she could feel his body behind her. Maybe it was her imagination, but her hearing had be so heightened she swore she could hear him breathing.

    How could she rx when Draven was so close to her, hisforting scent engulfing her senses at the same time?

    ¡®Why are my senses so sensitive today? I can hear his breathing, I can feel his body heat, I can smell his scent. It¡¯s all difficult¡ªno, impossible to ignore. Is it because the night of the full moon is just a day away and they say the effect of bond gets stronger the closer it is?¡¯

    As the group traversed the rolling hills ahead, each passing moment felt like torture to Ember.

    Her heart was beating fast along with the growing difort in her tummy, and what was supposed to be the most natural act of breathing became a chore. She tried to hold her breath from time to time to not be affected by his scent, but her effort did not make much of a difference.

    Sadly, her difficulties weren¡¯t merely physical, it was mental as well. All the while, her mind was restless, barely able to make coherent thoughts.

    Draven could clearly feel Ember¡¯s struggle as he was suffering no less than her though he was trying his best to appear calm andposed. He knew he had put himself in trouble by being so intimately close with her, but he simply could not stop himself from being greedy. Her scent was simply so seductive that he could not help but give in to it.

    ¡®Her sweet, sweet scent¡­¡¯

    As he subconsciously took in a deep breath, his body inevitably tensed in response..

    Ember got alerted as she thought she must have done something to upset him.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty, what happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    She wanted to turn around and see his expression, but it was impossible to do so while on horseback. ¡°If you are troubled by me, I can ride on a separate horse. I don¡¯t want to cause you¨C¡°

    ¡°It¡¯s just your scent. It¡¯s difficult to resist,¡± he cut her off.

    ¡®Then, the more reason we should ride separately, right?¡¯ she thought but then her mind wandered to somewhere else. ¡®Maybe talking can help to distract us.¡¯

    ¡°Your Majesty, can I ask you something?¡± Ember started, trying to distract her mind from his tempting scent.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°What does my scent smell like?¡±

    ¡°Your smell¡­ it¡¯s a sweet yet fresh fragrance, maybe you can say the sweetness of freshly-bloomed jasmines after the first rain of the season mixed with it.¡±

    Ember imagined it and she could not help but feel a hint of satisfaction hearing it. ¡®Jasmine flowers sure smell good, but first rain? Ah, that smell of soil mixing with the first drops of rain, they are enough to calm one¡¯s soul.¡¯

    ¡°There is a reason why one¡¯s mate smells in a particr way,¡± Draven said, disturbing her train of thought.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I personally like the scent of jasmine. The beast part of me loves the first rain. So you being my mate, your scent satisfies my human as well as beast form. However, though a mate¡¯s true scent isn¡¯t intense in any way, just a whiff of it has a way to stimte one¡¯s natural instincts.¡±

    Ember remembered that there was a mention of that in the book about mates she read before. ¡°For me, Your Majesty¡¯s scent¡­it smells like the trees of the forest with a cool tinge to it, like peppermint¡­?¡±

    After a heavy pause, Draven asked, ¡°What is the reason for the scent of the forest?¡±

    ¡°Umm, in that ce where I was raised,¡± Ember started, her gaze drifting a little as she recalled the past, ¡°the entire mountain was dead¨Cthere were no trees bearing green leaves, no rich brown soil, no flowers, no grass, no nothing. Everything was gray and foggy¡­but if I were to climb the peak of the mountain, I can see a vast sea of green a distance from the foot of the mountain.

    ¡°My nanny said it was a real forest, one where nts grow and animals thrive, nothing like the bare trees that surround our cave. Unfortunately, I couldn¡¯te down since there are viges in the vicinity of that forest.¡±

    Ember momentarily closed her eyes as she recalled those days of longing.

    ¡°Back then, there was this jutting rock near the peak where I used to sit, where I could stare at that vast sea of green for hours. I had my nanny describe her experience down the mountain, and I used that to daydream¨C about birds flying over the trees, those branches with green leaves swaying along the breeze¡­

    ¡°When I came to Agartha¡­it was the first time I ever found myself in a living forest, and I guess the impact it had on me was mind-blowing. The Forest of the Elves¡­Ronan¡­my home there¡­It was even better than what I imagined, better than my dreams¡­Maybe because it is what I longed for all these years of my life, I got that as the scent for my mate.¡±

    Draven was unable to say anything as he ruminated over her words and heard her continue, ¡°And as for the smell of peppermint¡­I will find out the reason behind that scent.¡±

    ¡°Let me know once you do,¡± was all he could say.

    ¡°I will.¡±

 Chapter 236 Dont Keep Me Waiting For Long

    Asfortable silence fell on the two, Ember wondered what else she could talk about, but then the spire of the pce came into her sight and she felt relief.

    ¡®Soon, we will be arriving. Just need to hold back for a little while.¡¯

    With their conversation no longer there to distract her, the silence engulfing the two of them starts to grow ufortable once more. Though she wasn¡¯t meaning to, she began to find herself getting immersed in Draven¡¯s scent.

    ¡®I need a distraction. We need to talk some more!¡¯

    But not knowing what else was there to say, Ember could only keep quiet, and once again, her senses were zeroing on her loud heartbeats.

    By then, the sun was already setting. It was dark by the time they reached the gates of the pce. The five horses stopped by the entrance of the building, and Erlos, Reya and Clio climbed down from their horses first. The two female elves were about to attend to their master, but as they turned to look at therge beautiful ck stallion at the rear of the group, they were shocked.

    ¡°Where did Miss go?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t they here just now? I saw His Majesty helping Miss get down the horse.¡±

    Clio found the flower bouquet on the ground and picked it up.

    ¡°Could it be¡­?¡±

    Erlos disturbed the two servants, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about Miss.¡±

    The Moon Elves nodded as they understood that the King had already taken her away.

    ¡ª¨C

    Inside the top floor of the southwest wing of the pce, two figures appeared out of nowhere, a man and a woman. The moment they appeared, the man pressed the delicate woman against the stone wall of the hallway and tugged the hair at the back of her head to make her look up at him. Without giving her a chance to realize what was going on, his lips captured hers into a passionate kiss.

    Ember was startled, but as if it was the most natural thing, she kissed him back. Pressed against the wall behind, she received her harsh, rough kisses without backing down.

    Draven harshly sucked and nibbled her lips, cradling her head to angle her face, not even paying attention to her struggle of keeping up with him. All he knew at this moment was the desire he felt¨Ca thirst so overwhelming, he wanted to taste every inch of his mate, to have her quench that terrible, terrible thirst.

    Ember could only give in to him to let him have his way while she enjoyed that dominating, breathtaking kiss.

    Draven, half losing his sanity as he gave in to his instinct¡¯s demands, gradually tightened his grip on her hair, to the point it was pulling at the scalp at the back of her head, causing her to wince in pain.

    Loud needy groans from his throat and the heavy breathing mixed with the light moans from his mate, echoed in the hallway. His dominating tongue not letting go of hers even for a moment, turning her breathless.

    He had done his best to hold back but now it was the time to let go. In return for his entire day¡¯s torture with Ember being so close to him but unable to act on his urges, he deserved at least this much.

    After a demonically long and passionate kiss, Draven had to stop with a frown.

    Blood.

    Only when he tasted blood in his mouth did he realize he had hurt Ember. While panting heavily, his red eyes darkened with desire, he forced himself away from his mate who was holding onto him weakly.

    She was gasping heavily for air as if her life depended on it, her lower lip bleeding as he had been biting her during the kiss.

    Seeing he had hurt her when he didn¡¯t intend to, a tinge of regret shed in those darkened eyes. He closed his eyes briefly, his frown deepening as he loosened the grip of his hand on her hair.

    He looked at her hurt lower lip and caressed it with a thumb. His gaze seemed to turn gentle and the darkness inside his eyes started to disappear.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± he asked, his voice low and gentle, the regret of hurting her filling his mind.

    When Ember heard the concern in his words, she opened her eyes, but she was unable to answer readily as she was still trying to calm herself from that exhausting intimate act.

    After getting her wits back, she nodded to assure him, but did nothing other than stare at him. When they were kissing earlier, Ember could sense the change in him. It was not simply urgency. It was a sort of intuition¨Cas if he was the same yet different person at the same time.

    They had been intimate before, but Draven had never acted this way.

    ¡®Is it because of the strengthened effect of the bond?¡¯

    Keeping her still pinned between his body and the stone wall, Draven¡¯s hand moved to caress her cheek, his thumb brushing gently on her hurt lip. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    Ember shook her head, silently enjoying his gentle side, a side he showed only when caring for her, which she had grown to like.

    ¡°You seem to have learned how to remain sane despite being under the effect of my scent,¡± hemented, narrowing his eyes at her.

    Ember merely smiled awkwardly because she didn¡¯t tell him the task he had given to her- learn to resit his scent, she had seeded it. It was a matter of willpower, and she realized that understanding their circumstance had allowed her to gain more confidence in controlling her urges.

    ncing closely at the delicately beautiful face of his mate, he asked, ¡°Your decision, I am still waiting to hear it.¡±

    It was more like he was expecting her to answer what he wanted deep inside his heart. He wanted toplete that bond but needed her consent¡­Moreover, there were other difficulties rted to it that he wished to put aside and wished for nothing but for his mate to ept him.

    Ember didn¡¯t know what to say at this moment.

    His intense-looking eyes remained fixed on her puzzled face, waiting expectantly for her to answer.

 Chapter 237 Why Am I Feeling Hot?

    Ember nced at the side, as if she wanted to dy this moment as much as she could.

    His impatience leaking, amanding voice escaped his mouth.

    ¡°I am waiting.¡±

    Ember¡¯s body shivered.

    ¡°I-I¡­¡± she started. ¡°I am yet to decide¡­¡±

    His eyes changed to a deeper color as if the darkness inside was showing its existence, but Draven held it back. He closed his eyes, his brows furrowed, and focused on making that darkness disappear. His glove-covered hands caressed her cheeks as his forehead rested against hers, trying to breath in her calming scent.

    Ember could feel what he was going through and this worried her. ¡°Your Majesty, are you¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting for long or I might end up hurting you,¡± he said earnestly, his voice hoarse with emotions.

    Ember closed her eyes briefly to collect her thoughts. ¡°I¡­I want toplete our bond but¡­ I need time.¡±

    Draven opened his eyes, his impatience leaking through his words. , ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°I am not sure¡­I have yet to decide.¡±

    ¡°I will wait.¡± Unwillingly, he let her go, releasing her from his hold. He stepped back as he looked at her. ¡°Do note in front of me for time being, unless you wish toplete the bond.¡±

    He was forcing himself to leave. If he won¡¯t, then he would harm her. Before Ember could say a word, he disappeared from her sight. Her emerald green eyes dimmed.

    ¡®I wanted to ask what you feel for me, but you left just like that.¡¯

    Ember remained frozen in ce for a long, long time, her back resting against the cold wall of the now empty hallway, her eyes shut close as she took steady breaths.

    ¡®Coming and leaving me at will, conversations that center only on mating¡­maybe what that Isa said is right.¡¯

    A sad smile lingered on her face, a dull ache forming on her chest at the thought that maybe she wasn¡¯t truly wanted by her mate. Maybe Draven was just pulled towards her solely because of the bond and he didn¡¯t feel anything for her. His concern and care, everything she received till now, they were only possible because she became the King¡¯s mate. Without that¡­

    She sighed and turned towards the door of her bedchamber.

    ¡®Despite anything, it¡¯s given that I have toplete the bond.¡¯

    Entering the chamber, she straightaway went to her bed toy down on it, and as soon as she sank on the soft mattress, moments from the festival shed in front of her eyes.

    Handsome, imposing, and powerful. The sight of his dignified self riding on horseback. The awe and respect his subjects showed whenever he passed by. His look as he helped her climb and get down the horse. The heartwarming scene of him offering a flower bouquet for her. The relief when he held her hand to help her climb the stairs towards the Tiger n house rooftop. The warmth he brought with him as he sat behind her on the back of his horse, his hands holding hers the entire time¡­

    ¡®He sure cares for me because I am his mate¡­ but does he love me?¡¯

    Ember nkly stared at the canopy curtains of her bed.

    ¡®We never even got the chance to spend time together before all these happened, so how can love be even possible? His Majesty is just going through the motions; there is nothing more to it. I am thinking too much.¡¯

    A sad smile lingered on her lips.

    ¡®Shall I just go withpleting the bond with him? It would have been better if he loved me. I wouldn¡¯t have to think about it this much, but then again, my nanny said that even among humans, there are many marriages that never had love to begin with.

    ¡®What shall I care about now¡­is whether it is worth suffering from an iplete bond or being mocked by someone like Isa.¡¯

    When she was immersed in her thoughts, Clio and Reya arrived in her chamber and found their master lying on the bed in the darkness. Clio hurried to light up themps, brightening up the room, her action causing Ember to realize she was no longer alone.

    Reya approached her with a ss of water which she gratefully epted. ¡°Miss, you seem tired due to the festival we attended.¡±

    ¡°My legs hurt,¡± Ember replied as she handed back the empty ss.

    ¡°Shall we prepare a bath for you? Soaking in warm water will help your muscles rx.¡±

    Ember agreed and the two servants left to prepare their master¡¯s bath.

    Several minutester, Ember sat in the pool of hot water with her eyes closed, trying to rx her body and mind but¡­

    The images of the intimate moments she had with her mate in the hallway shed in front of her eyes. The way he held her closely and the way he kissed her with all his might. The memory made her heart beat faster, and her entire body started feeling hot, her desires affecting her senses.

    She immediately opened her eyes and pulled her legs toward her, hugging her knees tightly with her fingers interlocked together.

    ¡®What¡¯s happening to me? Why do I feel so¡­hot¡­¡¯ A gasp left her mouth. ¡®Is it because it is the night of the full moon tomorrow?¡¯

    She didn¡¯t stay in water for long as she didn¡¯t feel right. Clio and Reya helped her get ready for the night, but this time, it was somewhat different. They had not just put on a beautiful night dress on her but also set her hair ornately instead of simply brushing it like every night. They applied fragrant essence on her skin and it gave her the impression that they were preparing her for something.

    ¡°Why are you two setting my hair and all this?¡± Ember asked, nervous as she had a guess but was hoping that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°Miss, though the night of the full moon is tomorrow, that simply means that the power of the bond is the strongest that night, to the point it is almost impossible to resist. But the night before, and even the night after, they still affect the mates¡¯ urge to be intimate so that¡¯s why we are¨C¡°

    ¡°Cough! I-I see!¡±

    Reya¡¯s response left her flustered. Ember was worried about the next night but now she had to worry about this night and the night after as well.

    ¡®Will he¡­¡¯ She shook her head. ¡®He said he would wait for my answer.¡¯

 Chapter 238 Am I Sick?

    After they returned to the main chamber from the side chamber, Ember noticed the familiar red flowers that were now kept in a vase instead of wrapped with a ribbon.

    ¡®The bouquet, I wasn¡¯t holding it when I entered my chamber. I even forgot where I lost them.¡¯

    Reya noticed Ember¡¯s gaze and answered, ¡°Miss, you happened to drop them at the pce entrance when you left with His Majesty in a hurry. I brought them back.¡± She said all these with an expectant beam, as if she was asking to be praised.

    ¡®Left in a hurry? Who? I was brought here without my knowledge.¡¯

    ¡°Miss, His Majesty sure is a good mate. Today His Majesty did everything for you a male should do for his female.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Miss. We are so happy for you.¡±

    Ember heard them and thought the same. ¡®He sure did everything.¡¯

    Her servants arranged a small meal for her inside her chamber, but she had no appetite due to all those disturbing thoughts and ate a little.

    ¡°Miss, you ate almost nothing.¡±

    ¡°The trip outside exhausted me, and all I want to do is rest,¡± was all she could say.

    ¡°Have this tea perhaps? It will help your mind rx,¡± Clio offered.

    Ember epted as it was what she needed at this moment and asked her servants to leave her alone as she wished to rest.

    As the night started to deepen, the round shape of the moon shone brighter in contrast, and each passing moment felt like sweet torture to Ember. Her body had started to react differently, hot and wanting for something to make it feel better. She curled in bed, tightly holding her folded knees. At this point, she had thrown away the nket that was covering her.

    Despite the cold weather, she was feeling so hot beads of sweat had started to form on her skin.

    ¡®What is happening with me? Am I sick?¡¯

    She clutched onto the bedsheet as if it would ease that unknown pain she was feeling. ¡®It¡¯s just I am so exhausted. Once I rest, I will be fine,¡¯ she consoled herself.

    The entire night went by with Ember struggling to sleep, and sleep came to her only around the crack of dawn.

    When her servants entered her chamber about an hour after the sun rose, they found her still sleeping. Thinking she was still recovering from ying too much at the city of the White Tigers, no one woke her up and the elves left the chamber to let her continue her rest.

    Ember woke up just before noon. She sluggishly looked around her chamber that was brightened by strong sunlight. With a yawn, she sat up in the bed and pressed her hand against her heart.

    ¡®It feels fine now. My entire body seems alright.¡¯ She sighed in relief. ¡®I was exhausted, that¡¯s it.¡¯ After a good stretch, she happily stepped out of the bed. ¡®Nothing is wrong with my body.¡¯

    She recalled something and realized, ¡®So he didn¡¯te to me. He kept his words.¡¯

    After a while, her servants arrived to check on her.

    ¡°Oh, Miss! You are awake? Are you feeling better now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thank you for letting me sleep in.¡±

    ¡°Why are you thanking us for something like that? Anyway, shall we get you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please.¡±

    As the elves helped her out of her nightwear and into afortable dress, they chatted about the things they did yesterday at Nimer, somewhat passing jokes about the things they observed.

    ¡°Oh, Miss, by the way, Elder Leeora has arrived at the pce to check on the burnt trees,¡± Clio infomed while applying light pink pigment to her lips.

    ¡°Elder is here?¡±

    ¡°Yes. She arrived about an hour ago. She asked about you but you were sleeping so she didn¡¯t disturb you.¡±

    Ember¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Is she still in the garden?¡±

    ¡°Not sure. I think she must be leaving or must have already left?¡±

    Ember immediately stood up. ¡°Maybe I can still

    ¡°Miss, your lips¡­.¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t hear that as she had run out of her chamber, holding the skirt of her ankle-length dress as she hurried. All the servants she had passed wondered what must have happened.

    The human girl was gasping for air by the time she reached the rear garden of the pce.

    ¡°E-Excuse me,¡± she called out one of the servants nearby as she tried to catch her breath. ¡°Elder Leeora. Where is she?¡±

    The servant bowed. ¡°Last I saw the High Elder, she is headed for the King¡¯s study, Miss.¡±

    Ember was about to take a step in the direction of the study when she recalled something, causing her to stop.

    ¡®His Majesty asked me to note in front of him unless¡­What should I do? I really want to meet the Elder.¡¯

    She didn¡¯t think much and ran towards the King¡¯s study. As she entered the hallway leading to the study, she came across Draven which made her stop running. Even before she could bump into him this time, she was stopped by the strong hold of his hands at her shoulder.

    However, despite this, his senses were filled by her sweet scent.

    ¡°Elder¡­Elder Leeora, is she in your study?¡± she asked with a gulp.

    He shook his head quietly and looked at her lips where the pink pigment applied to her lips had smeared on the corner of her lip towards her cheek. It happened when she suddenly stood up while Clio was applying it.

    ¡°Has she already left?¡± Ember asked.

    ¡°She is with Erlos. You will find them at the end of the hallway.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Your Majesty.¡± She bowed and was about to leave but he stopped her.

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    Ember turned around to look at him and found him looking at her lips. Under her puzzled gaze, he moved his hand towards her face and wiped that smeared lip colour.

    She simply let him do as he pleased while holding her breath.

    He made sure everything was fine and said, ¡°You can go now.¡±

    Ember nodded and left to meet Leeora while Draven looked at the fingertips of his glove-covered fingers. The ck glove was stained with pink colour but he didn¡¯t mind it and looked in the direction where she had run.

    ¡®So careless to run like this without caring to fall down and hurt herself.¡¯

 Chapter 239 Ready To Complete The Bond

    As Draven said, as soon as she reached the end of the hallway, she spotted the elegant elderly elf talking to Erlos.

    The two elves were already expecting her approach after sensing the movements in the hallway.

    ¡°Elder! I thought I will miss seeing you today as well,¡± Ember said while catching her breath.

    Leeora offered her a smile. ¡°My dear, rx. You found me so you can breathe calmly and then talk after. Shall we sit there?¡± She pointed towards the stone-carved sitting arrangement just a little away from the hallway.

    Ember nodded while Erlos excused himself away. ¡°You two go ahead first. I will get water for Miss.¡±

    After he left, the two sat down side by side on the stone couch. ¡°Yesterday, when I came here, I was pleased to hear you went to attend the festival at Nimer. How was it for you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a¡­nice experience.¡± Ember merelyughed. ¡°The White Tiger n invited me and His Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Did you enjoy the festival?¡±

    ¡°I did. It was the first time I had attended a festival,¡± she said and then asked, ¡°How have you been, Elder?¡±

    Leeora ced her hand on hers. ¡°I should be the one to ask you about how you are doing.¡±

    ¡°I am fine, Elder. I wish I coulde to Ronan and visit you.¡±

    ¡°I wish you could but¡­¡± Leeora sighed. ¡°I will make sure toe visit you often.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Elder.¡±

    After a short pause, Leeora asked, ¡°How is everything between you and His Majesty?¡±

    Ember didn¡¯t know what exactly to say.

    ¡°Umm¡­everything is fine, I think.¡±

    Leeora noticed the confusion on her face. ¡°Is there anything you want to tell me?¡±

    Ember hesitated for a moment and then said, ¡°Elder, I know that His Majesty marked me to just test if I can survive. Now I did pass the test, he has to take me as his mate. Am I being forced on him and he doesn¡¯t really want me? And again, tonight is the night of the full moon and if weplete the bond, it is just because he is forced by the effect of the bond, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Leeora felt puzzled for a moment as she didn¡¯t expect Ember to draw such a conclusion. ¡°Why do you say so?¡±

    ¡°Umm..Someone said it and then I¡­¡±

    ¡°Instead of what someone said, what matters is what you feel about it.¡±

    ¡°Well, that person doesn¡¯t seem to be wrong either. If he had not marked me and I had not survived and be his mate, he would not have even looked at me and even treated me this well. You know how he treated me before he marked me. It was as if he was disgusted by me. Now I wonder what he even thinks about me.¡±

    Leeora gave her an appreciating nod at what she said. ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask him? He is your mate so I am sure he will answer.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t even stay in front of me for long because my scent affects him. We can¡¯t even talk for long.¡± Sadness was evident in her eyes.

    ¡°Hmm, that seems difficult.¡±

    ¡°If he is just forced to ept me¡­.¡±

    Leeora shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case. He is a straightforward person. If he wants to do something, no one can stop him and if he doesn¡¯t want to, no one can force him. He would never do anything against his will even if the heavens had to force him.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­.but he doesn¡¯t love me and¡­.¡±

    ¡°Do you love him?¡± Leeora asked.

    Ember had been asking the same question herself the past few days and she could not get the answer. ¡°It¡¯s been hardly a month since I knew him and how can I¡­.¡± she stopped.

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for him,¡± Leeoramented.

    Ember understood what Leeora meant and heard the older woman ask her. ¡°What do you feel about him?¡±

    Ember thought about it carefully, ¡°I am thankful to him for everything he did for me. I am d that he cares for me and takes care of everything I need.¡±

    ¡°So you are grateful for what he did for you. Feeling of Gratitude! So you don¡¯t love him yet.¡±

    Ember blinked a few times, ¡°How would I know if I love him? I don¡¯t know what exactly I should feel to think I love him.¡±

    ¡°Not everyone falls for someone immediately. It takes time. Not every pair of mates is made just because they love each other. There are so many couples who first became mates and then had feelings for each other. You and Sire must be among such couples. Give him and yourself some time.¡±

    Ember nodded, ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Ember, it¡¯s been hardly more than a month since you are here. I am proud to see you change into such a strong and thoughtful person. you, who had never seen the outside world and knew nothing, it¡¯s a great thing. I believe in you that you will make the right decision for him and yourself.¡±

    ¡°I will try to. Thank you for praising me, Elder.¡±

    Leeora offered her gentle smile. After talking for a while, Leeora left while Ember walked in the hallway to go to Draven¡¯s study where she hade across him a while ago.

    ¡°I will answer His Majesty that I am ready toplete our bond.¡±

    When she reached in front of the study, Draven was not outside. She saw Erlos, ¡°Can I meet His Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Miss, you can but Sire is not in the study.¡±

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°He has gone out with Mellion to inspect the border of human territory. It¡¯s the night of the full moon tonight and there are changes made at the border so His Majesty has gone there. I heard humans have created some trouble knowing beast men are not there to guard the border.¡±

    ¡°When will he return?¡±

    ¡°Not sure, but I think it won¡¯t take time.¡±

    She nodded and left to return to her chamber.

    In the evening, when her servants prepared her like the night before, Ember was conflicted over what to do. She couldn¡¯t meet Draven and so could not tell him her answer.

    ¡°Is His Majesty back in the pce?¡± Ember asked her servants.

    ¡°I heard there was an issue at the human border so His Majesty didn¡¯t return yet.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Miss. This night is special and no male can not stay away from his female. I am sure His majesty would be back soon and wille to you right away.¡±

    Preparing her, the two servants left while Ember stood by the window side where the sky would soon turn dark and those few rays of the sun brightening the sky would disappear soon. She sighed again and again.

    ¡®I could not answer him. He might think I am not ready so he won¡¯te to me. It¡¯s best if I check once if he is back.¡¯

    With the thought, she stood up to leave.

 Chapter 240 Waiting For Draven

    With each passing minute, Ember became more restless inside her chamber, sometimes ncing out the window, sometimes sitting on her bed, even pacing back and forth, trying to wait for time to go by.

    Yet upon seeing that darkness hadpletely settled outside, she could no longer control herself from leaving her bedchamber to go in the direction of the southeast wing of the pce. The entire hallway was lit up withmps, and in the absolute silence of the empty passage, she could even hear her own heartbeats.

    Before she knew it, she had reached the closed door of the King¡¯s chamber. She knocked on the door.

    ¡°Y-Your Majesty, are you inside?¡±

    There was no response. She waited for a while before opening the door. She looked inside the empty chamber which was lit up withmps.

    ¡®Why is he not back yet? He left at around noon and it was almost evening. Did something bad happen?¡¯ She felt worried but then shook her head. ¡®He is the most powerful, I heard. How can anything happen to him?¡¯ She consoled herself, trying to get rid of the growing worry.

    She went to the window of the room where she had seen him standing a few times before. She nced at the view outside, but given her limited human eyesight, there wasn¡¯t much for her to see on the ground. She lifted her gaze towards the night sky.

    ¡®I wonder what he thinks about when he stands here quietly. He never expresses himself so it is impossible to guess what he even thinks about.¡¯

    After staying like that for several minutes, she turned around to sit on the armchair nearby. ¡®He shouldn¡¯t mind it if I wait for him to return while seated, right?¡¯

    As she made herselffortable on the chair, her gaze remained on the window. And just like that, time passed by. The dark sky was dyed by the silver moonlight, brightening the initial ck curtains of the night. As Ember appreciated the beautiful shape of the full moon, she felt her eyes getting heavy as if she was being hypnotized by it.

    ¡®Huh?¡¯

    She shook her head, blinking while touching her warm cheeks. She realized she was starting to feel strange. She could feel her heart beating fast, and inexplicable anxiety was engulfing her mind.

    ¡®What is happening?¡¯

    She walked out of Draven¡¯s chamber and went back to her own.

    ¡®It feels the same as yesterday, but today it¡¯s worse. Am I really sick?¡¯

    Entering her chamber, she went straight to her bed andy down on it. Whatever she tried, it only worsened and it scared her.

    Her hands clutched the bedsheet, pulling it towards her, leaving it all a mess. Her lips parted away to gasp as if it was difficult to breathe. Not knowing what was happening, she started to squeeze her eyes shut. She felt like she would go crazy.

    ¡®Did I eat something wrong? What is happening with me?¡¯

    She didn¡¯t feel like herself and felt like something was trying to take over her mind and body. Her throat felt dry, and even as she licked her lips, they felt rough and cracked.

    ¡®Water! I want water.¡¯

    She climbed down the bed and realized her entire body was trembling. She walked towards the table which had her pitcher of water kept on it, but she could not find a clean ss nearby. There was only a metal goblet left behind from when her servants brought her juice from earlier.

    With her trembling hands, she poured the water into the goblet and emptied that entire goblet of water down her throat without hesitation. She was about to put it back on the table but due to her shaking hands, it fell on the floor, making a noise of metal nking on the stone floor.

    nk! nk! nk!

    This noise stopped when that gobletnded on the part with a carpet, but the ringing sound seemed to have triggered her situation more and her already racing heartbeats made it feel like her heart would soon jump out of her chest. She kneeled down on the floor, not knowing how to stop all this. Sudden anxiety covered her mind, as if she needed or wanted something, for what reason she didn¡¯t know. Shey on the cold floor, her frail body curled into a ball.

    ¡°Mmpf!¡± Ember bit her lip, trying to suppress the cry brought out by sudden pain that caught her unawares. It was not physical pain, not a tearing or searing pain inflicted on the body, but the kind of pain one could only experience on their soul. It was as if a part of her was yearning for its other half, and its ipleteness was causing her a hollow pain so intense, it demanded to be whole.

    Just as she felt like she couldn¡¯t bear it, someone appeared inside her bedchamber and pulled her towards him from the cold floor. She felt the warmth from his bodyforting her.

    ¡ª

    Beyond the mountain ranges surrounding Agartha, Draven was with a group of elves who were put in charge of dealing with the patrol of the kingdom¡¯s borders. With the security of the area bing somewhat weaker due to the beastmen pulling out ofmission due to the full moon, several issues that were created by the humans at the northern border cropped up that needed the King¡¯s immediate attention.

    It was quitete when Draven finished and reappeared inside his chamber.

    The next moment, all the curtains on the windows of the room were drawn close.

    ¡°This damn moonlight,¡± he scowled with his jaw clenched.

    The night of the full moon. As a divine beast himself, it was natural for him to be troubled. Worse, it took him time to return to the pce, with him barely able to keep his wits under the effect of the bond. As if it was not enough to trouble, one more thing added to it.

    ¡°This scent?¡±

    Jasmines¡­ first rain.

    ¡®Was she here?¡¯

 Chapter 241 Are You Sure Of It?

    Draven could smell the lingering scent of his mate without a doubt and then he found that the door of his chamber was left open. Erlos would not have left it behind like that.

    ¡®Seems like she was here a while ago.¡¯

    He panted lightly with what he was feeling, but had to suppress it. His entire body felt hot and he removed his tailcoat, only to throw it aside somewhere on the floor. He tried to distract himself by focusing on removing each article of clothing from his body¨C his shoes, his gloves and the rest, until he was left with his white shirt and pants.

    The entire time, annoyance filled his mind, yet only the subtle shaking of his fingers gave away his true situation.

    His fingers stopped midway from unbuttoning his shirt when realization dawned on him.

    ¡®I forgot she must be affected as well.¡¯

    A bad feeling came to him, causing him to stop undressing. His feet moved towards his door and just as he stepped out of the chamber, he found the hallway empty.

    ¡®I wonder how the full moon affects a human mated to a divine beast. There is no precedent before¨C¡®

    Just as Draven was about to return to his chamber, his sharp hearing senses caught the nging noise that he was sure came from the southwest wing.

    ¡®Ember!¡¯

    It was intuition but Draven hurried to go to her chamber to check on her. She was a human and he was not sure to what extent the effect of the full moon had on her. He was hoping she would be fine; still, he could not help but trust his instincts as her mate.

    The moment he appeared in her chamber, it felt like a knife pierced his body at the sight. His mate curled into a ball on the cold floor and looked in pain. He knew why she was like that and hurried to get her.

    ¡°Ember!''¡± he called her as he held her, cradling her trembling body while kneeling on one knee.

    Her entire body was covered in sweat and she looked like in great pain. But the moment she heard him, she opened her eyes to look at him.

    ¡°Your¡­Majesty¡­¡±

    Draven felt another pang of pain in his heart seeing her like this. It hurt more than what the effect of the bond could make him feel. He lifted her in his arms and carried her towards the bed.

    Ember let out a small sound of relief through her parted lips. Though she was still feeling the same pain, his presence, the way his arms were wrapped around her,forted her at least a little.

    Draven ced her on the bed as gently as he could, ignoring his own difort caused by the effect of the bond. The veins on his hands and his neck were popping, so visible underneath his exposed skin, showing how much he was trying to remain sane for the sake of his mate. His eyes were changing their colour, a close indication that something from within him was about to snap.

    ¡®Not now! I can control it.¡¯

    With her half-lidded eyes, she nkly gazed at the ck-haired man holding onto her. ¡°Your Majesty, I¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the bond. Nothing is wrong with you,¡± he said as he held her hand and caressed it with his, all the while reminding himself that he couldn¡¯t stay here for long. Her decision was yet to be given, and thus, he did not want to go against her wishes. ¡°It won¡¯t harm you. Just one night. Bear it till morning, and you will be able to pass it.¡±

    Under the dim light of themps, his red eyes glittered as he stared down at her. Despite her situation, she noticed that his own fingers were trembling, and that his entire body had be so stiff, as if he was a rock solid statue. She could guess that this was him suffering the same as her but he was good at holding back.

    ¡®The book says it¡¯s worse for males.¡¯

    If she was feeling like this, she could not imagine what was happening with him.

    She closed her eyes briefly as she tried to talk through the pain. ¡°I came¡­ to your chamber.¡±

    ¡°I know¨C¡°

    ¡°Our bond,¡± she interrupted him, ¡°I want toplete it.¡±

    Draven¡¯s body shook.

    Theposure he was renowned for disappeared at this moment, and various emotions could be seen flitting through his handsome face. Earlier, his mind had made several guesses for the reason for her visit to his chamber, but it never crossed his mind that it would be for her much-awaited decision.

    Draven was prepared to wait for her response for several days, but how easily she said she wanted toplete their bond.

    He opened his mouth, but not a single word could make its way out of his mouth. The man who was holding back for his mate¡¯s sake now was seeing his mate offering herself to him.

    Once more, this little mate of his was able to do something that had rendered him shocked and speechless.

    A fire was burning inside his chest, and he could feel himself wanting to lower his face closer to hers. Yet, he stopped himself, wanting to first confirm whether she truly meant it. He gently squeezed her hand as he gazed at those beautiful green eyes.

    His voice came out low and hoarse.

    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±

    Ember reached out her free hand to touch his face. Maybe it was her long-awaited wish or the effect of the bond, but it felt as if touching him like this was the most natural thing to do. Her cold palm touched his warm cheek, and her thumb gently brushed over it as if she was trying to get the feel of it.

    She stared straight into those expectant red eyes which were fighting hard to not show his true desires.

    ¡°I am sure of it.¡±

    ====

    Bonus chapter dedicated to reader ¡°DnIsha¡± Thank you for the castle and the golden tickets.

 Chapter 242 Wont Stop Even If You Cry And Beg

    Chapter 242 Won''t Stop Even If You Cry And Beg

    4 chapters mini mass release.

    Music- Salted Wounds by Sia

    ¡ª-

    She had no doubts about her decision. Though she did think twice about it afterwards, as she had been waiting to tell him for half a day, her choice remained unchanged.

    For the man who gave her everything, she made thergest decision she made in her life.

    Draven held her hand that was caressing his cheek and pulled it away from his face. Slowly, he pinned her hands on her sides as he leaned towards her to bask in her sweet scent.

    He gently brushed the tip of his nose against hers, his hot breath grazing against her delicate skin as she heard him continue to speak in a low and hoarse voice. ¡°Then, there won¡¯t be a way back for you.¡±

    She gulped understanding the meaning of his words but then whispered back, ¡°I know.¡±

    Due to his scent, she found herself rxing and turning brave, her gaze observing his face closely. The arch of his brows, those long eyshes, the high cheekbones. The pain she was feeling was fading away, recing it with a burning desire for her mate.

    ¡®I know.¡¯

    Her simple reply almost made his mind go crazy. He wished to do nothing but devour her entirely without mercy, but he was sane enough to hold back and take his time to thoroughly enjoy this moment.

    Draven¡¯s strong muscr body hovered over hers, not putting weight on her delicate body, as he lowered himself and tenderly captured her lips with his.

    Lips that tasted like honey, so much sweeter than any delicacy, filled his taste buds. His mouth could not help but let out a groan, akin to that of a parched man who finally had a first gulp of water.

    He wanted to be greedy, but contrary to his raging desires, his mouth moved with uncharacteristic gentleness, sucking and tugging her lips with unparalleled slowness, taking his sweet time on each of them as if to savor every bit of them.

    Ember freed her hands from his loosened grip and moved them to touch his face as she kissed him back just as slowly and tenderly, her fingers gently tracing lines along the heated skin of his cheeks and sculpted jawline.

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡±

    With her eyes closed, light moans left her throat as herck of sight heightened her other senses. His scent, his warmth, his taste¡­ Weak gasps escaped her mouth as the mes of desires started to burn her body, and she found herself losing herself in a trance.

    Draven pulled away from their kiss, just enough for his red eyes to gaze at the hazy emerald green eyes of his mate who hadpletely given herself to him. She looked so perfect under him, and he felt the sudden urge to keep her trapped under him the entire night, so that he could watch each and every bewitching change of his mate¡¯s expression with every touch and move he would make.

    His hand moved to her chin as he held it a little roughly, making her open her mouth with a gasp.

    She found him gazing deeply at her, his eyes seemingly holding boundless expectations, and she felt her soul being sucked into that intense-looking pair of red eyes.

    Draven moved his scorching gaze downwards to her moist plump lips, opened in a way so alluring and captivating, it was inviting him to do exactly what he was desiring. Without hesitation, he closed that little distance between them, pulling Ember into a kiss once again, this time aplete contrast to the one earlier.

    If the first was affectionate it was almost chaste, this kiss was its opposite in its wildness andck of restraint. Urgency could be felt, desire leaking as if he could no longer contain his passion. He slid his coarse and hot tongue inside her slightly opened mouth, causing Ember to let out a breathless moan.

    The moment he tasted her sweet tongue with his, a needy groan left his mouth. His hot body covered hers entirely, with only theyers of clothes separating their flesh that were flushed with longing for each other. One of his hands moved to the back of her head, entwining his fingers with her hair and taking control of that passionate kiss, while his other hand pinned her hand to the side, entangling his fingers with hers.

    Ember was just as greedy for her mate. She gave in to her instincts, not hesitating to enjoy the passion in their kiss, her soft tongue smoothly rolling with his in a rhythmic dance. It was unfamiliar yet natural, as if this was how things should have been in the first ce.

    Her free hand moved to the back of his head, her fingers tangling with his inky ck hair while the other hand enjoyed the warmth from his palm as she tightly entwined her fingers with his.

    Draven reluctantly parted from her, a part of him reminded that his human partner needed to breathe after such a long, passionate kiss, only to call her name in a needy whisper against her swollen and moist lips.

    ¡°Ember.¡±

    Despite her mind feeling dizzy with theck of air brought about by the intensity of their kiss, Ember had to open her eyes to look at her mate. How beautiful it sounded, the way he called her, as if he needed nothing else but her, and showed the yearning he felt for her.

    He looked into those green eyes and said in a raspy voice, ¡°I won¡¯t stop now.¡±

    She held her breath as she could sense the warning he was giving her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t stop even if you cry and beg me to,¡± she heard him continue.

    Her racing heart almost skipped a beat when he said those words, somewhat nervous despite knowing this was expected given she agreed toplete their bond. The way he was staring at her, the hunger in those eyes, she was sure he would be proving his words right.

    ¡°Got it?¡± he asked.

    She nodded her head lightly as half of her mind was on the scorching heat emanating from his muscled body. She could guess things won¡¯t end so gently and so soon.

 Chapter 243 My Mate...Mine

    Chapter 243 My Mate...Mine

    Draven leaned down towards her lips, but he did not kiss her this time, merely brushing against that swollen mouth ever so gently as if to tease her. His warm and moist lips trailed down her jawline, only to stop at her neck where he had marked her. His eyes glittered at the sight of that crimson blossom mark.

    ¡®My mate¡­mine¡­¡¯

    He licked and kissed the delicate skin of her neck, making her moan loudly. His warm mouth sent waves of pleasure through her body as it continued to savour every inch of that tender flesh. Her delicate fair skin continued to change colour under each of his harsh licks and bites.

    Ember could only quiver under his unrelenting attention. He had herpletely overpowered, his actions showing nothing of the tenderness he had shown when he started. One could only sense the urgency in Draven¡¯s touch, like one trying to put out a fire from spreading, as his true self wasing out, wanting to ravage his mate all wild and rough until he fully satisfied the unquenchable thirst he had for her.

    His actions were making her feel high to the point she might lose her mind. Her hands were clenched so hard at the fabric of his white shirt, her nails were almost digging into his shoulders, and she had almost ripped his clothes away.

    ¡°Your¡­Majesty¡­please¡­¡±

    He groaned a little and bit her earlobe as if to punish her.

    ¡°Ahh¡­Your Ma¨C¡°

    ¡°Call me Draven¡­¡± he whispered against her ear, his hot breath and that horse voice making her body tremble. ¡°Do it.¡±

    It was amand that she could not disobey him.

    ¡°D-Draven!¡±

    A bit of rity was returned to his mind upon hearing his mate call him by name, and an unknown warmth spread across his chest. Draven gave out a satisfied groan this time and moved down to remove that night dress from her beautiful body. Just as he was about to rip it off, his brows knitted as he remembered an unsavoury memory.

    ¡®Will she be scared?¡¯

    He wanted to get rid of her clothes in an instant, to tear them away from her precious body as the beast inside him was getting impatient, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. A memory he didn¡¯t want to recall resurfaced, where he had ripped her clothes off her body back in her home in Ronan. The image of her shivering in fright was simply¨C

    His hand paused in the air. His sane part told him to not scare his little mate. He was trying his best but for the first time found it difficult to control the beast inside him. Draven wanted her, and his beast hungered for her. They wanted to have her body and soul, topletely own every inch of her, to possess her as theirs, but he could not bear the thought of his fragile human mate fearing him once more.

    Draven moved back and Ember opened her eyes to see why he had stopped. He sat in the bed and pulled her with him on her knees to face him. It was so sudden that Ember could not understand what he was up to. The next moment, she saw him pulling his white shirt apart to remove it from his torso, too impatient to unbutton it, and threw it somewhere down the bed.

    As he undressed, not even for a moment did his intense gaze move away from her.

    With the shirt gone, Ember looked at his exposed body and found herself staring at it with boldness even she herself didn¡¯t know she had, appreciating every inch of it with a gaze full of lust.

    ¡®How could a man¡¯s body look so much like an artwork?¡¯

    The hard lines of his muscles, from his broad manly shoulders, to his strong arms, his sculpted chest, down to the t but contoured stomach, and further below¨C

    Even before she could recover from it, she found his hands removing her nightdress. He pulled it up, removing it over her head, and she didn¡¯t resist.

    Ember¡¯s servants, given that it was their master¡¯s first night of the full moon, prepared her to spend an intimate night with her mate, and thus, she had nothing under her night dress.

    Ember was stark naked in front of Draven.

    Out of instinct, her hands moved to cover her chest and her most private part, but before she could, Draven held them. He then pulled her towards him, pressing her body against his, skin to skin.

    Startled with his rough action, she raised her head to look at him, and that pair of red eyes looked like they would suck her soul out. Draven¡¯s hand gripped the back of her head and once again he kissed her. With both of them kneeling, their bodies gradually fell back into bed, and they wrapped their arms around each other, enjoying the heat shared by their mate¡¯s body.

    After hey her naked body on the bed, he briefly leaned away to admire her beauty, before pulling her into a more passionate kiss with him moving along to get on top of her. He wanted to grind his body against her, but he knew the moment he did so, he would lose all control. Even as it was, he could not wait any longer to get inside her, and with his beautiful mate all naked, it was only a matter of time.

    His hand yed with her mounds as he kissed her, kneading the soft flesh, from time to time his fingers pinching her perky pink buds.

    Soft moans of hers turned into loud cries of pleasure as she responded to what he was doing to her. As she squirmed under him, her hands tried to find something to grab, and her body reacted to get out of his hold.

    Soon enough, she found his warm mouth moving along her neck to settle on her mounds, savouring them as if he was worshipping her body. His coarse tongue drew circles around her buds as the hollow of his mouth sucked and bit that soft flesh harshly, taking turns on tasting both of them.

    ¡°Aah¡­ahhh¡­¡±

 Chapter 244 Or You Will Be Punished

    Chapter 244 Or You Will Be Punished

    That torturous pleasure made her both crave for more, yet she felt it was too much for her to bear. Something was building up inside her, and these new feelings that she was not aware of was making her thrilled, nervous and scared.

    When he bit her chest, her entire body could not help but shudder in equal pleasure and pain.

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±

    His darkened red eyes looked up at her, displeasure swirling along with his hunger, as if wishing to punish her for forgetting what he had told her earlier.

    He moved up just enough for their heated gazes to meet. As soon as their eyes locked with each other, Draven pinched her swollen buds.

    ¡°Ahh¡­Your¨C¡°

    ¡°What did I tell you to call me?¡± he interrupted her.

    ¡°Draven¡­¡± she replied, her voice breathy.

    ¡°Do not forget it,¡± he warned as he leaned down towards her face and bit her lips, ¡°or you will be punished.¡±

    Her body trembled in response, but even Ember herself didn¡¯t know whether it was out of fear or arousal. But Draven did. He could clearly smell the scent of it, the scent of wetness between her legs, now even stronger than when he first touched her. That tempting scent, the beast inside him could not wait to have a taste of it.

    Still looking at her aroused face, his hand moved between her legs, his rough fingertips running along the wetness of her folds. The moment he did, he found her gasping loudly in shock. But then her shock was brief, as his fingers made her feel a wave of pleasure she never knew was possible, and she could only shudder with an open mouth, her expression erotic, wanting more and more and more. Out of pure instinct, her hip slightly moved¨C

    ¡°Not wet enough,¡± he whispered against her lips and she found him moving down at her, his hands parting her legs apart.

    ¡°Draven,¡± she called for him. Though there was a need, embarrassment was still there.

    She had no say or control over what he wanted to do next with her, as she found him gazing at her most private part, and even before she could say a word, she felt his warm mouth pleasuring the aching ce between her legs.

    ¡°Aha¨Cmmm¡­please¡­ahh¡­¡±

    Her mind nked. By the time her reason returned, she could do nothing but let out loud moans. Her body was buzzing with an unfamiliar sensation of excitement, a feeling of ecstasy and danger she could not name, and it was a struggle to keep up with the pleasure he was giving her. His unruly tongue, his greedy mouth, were sending waves and waves of building pleasure through her already heated body.

    ¡°¡­Draven¡­ahh¡­ I ¨C¡°

    That unfamiliar feeling her body was experiencing till now was at its peak, and soon enough, she let out an erotic sound she didn¡¯t know she was capable of. However, by that time, Ember had lost her senses, her mind up in the clouds as her entire self basked in the sea of carnal pleasure.

    Yet Draven still didn¡¯t stop as if he had lost himself.

    With her nerves being more sensitive than usual, she was scared that she wouldn¡¯t be able to take it if the man were to make her release like that once more.

    She breathlessly tried to call out to him, ¡°Draven¡­please¡­stop¡­I need to rest¡­¡±

    Upon hearing her pleas, he stopped and hovered above her body once more. Her moist eyes looked at him, silently begging him.

    ¡°I told you, I won¡¯t listen even if you cry or beg,¡± he said in a husky voice, almost as if he was a growling animal in heat.

    Ember had to know it was impossible to stop now. This was already him being considerate of her, not letting the beast inside take control over him.

    If he were to give in to his most primal instincts, then she would¨C

    She opened her mouth but then shut the next moment. Seeing her nervous expression, he caressed her cheek and assured her, ¡°I will try to not hurt you as much as possible.¡±

    Even before she could say a word, she found him setting himself between her legs. She tried to close them but his free hand firmly pressed her one leg and stopped her from doing so.

    Leaning over her, with his muscr body pressed over her delicate ones, she heard him say, ¡°Soon enough, you would understand. You would lose yourself to me, and I to you.¡±

    That seductive whisper was trying to reassure her, but there was a dangerous glint in his eyes dark with wildness.

    ¡°Hold onto me.¡±

    She could feel his hard throbbing manhood against her aching femininity. She didn¡¯t know when he had taken off his pants, but she realized he was naked as well.

    ¡®That¡­inside me?¡¯

    She held onto his shoulder, knowing what toe. Her heart was beating wildly inside her chest with fear and anticipation at the same time.

    And then he moved.

    Draven lowered himself, yet as the tip of hisrge manhood went inside, Ember already let out a soft whimper, the corner of her eyes budding with tears.

    As he continued to go deeper, he could feel him stretching her and it took him all his willpower to stop himself from simply plunging inside. Seeing her tears that were now streaming down her face, he had to force himself to stop when it was difficult for him to do so.

    He gritted his teeth. ¡®Barely half inside¡­¡¯

    The veins on his body stretched out, showing how hard it was for him to hold back, thick beads of sweat appearing on his body. Yet for the sake of his mate, he had to persist. He didn¡¯t move again until she somewhat calmed down.

    Keeping his body still, he reached out to caress her cheek, his thumb gently brushing away the tears from the corner of her eye. He lowered his head to kiss her forehead tofort her.

 Chapter 245 Completing The Bond

    Chapter 245 Completing The Bond

    A low whisper left Draven¡¯s mouth. ¡°It will pass soon.¡±

    He kissed her gently, trying tofort and distract her at the same time, and then before she knew it, he thrusted himself, such that he waspletely inside of her in one swift move, making her let out a loud gasp of pain. She felt like she was being ripped apart. That sudden intrusion inside her was both strange and painful, and it was hurting so much that she had to stop herself from begging him to pull it out. Her eyes could not stop shedding tears as whatever she tried, it was hard to findfort in that pain.

    ¡®How could anyone want to do this?¡¯

    The books had to be lying when they said it felt good. They said it would only hurt briefly, and then it would feel good. But this tearing pain, Ember found it hard to believe that it was possible for anyone to enjoy this.

    ¡®Ah, so painful¡­¡¯

    Draven had no way tofort her or console her. All he could do was wait for her to adjust to him and feel better on her own.

    ¡°Ember¡­¡±

    With him fully inside her, what little patience and reason he had quickly evaporated. The beast inside him was growling and urging him to continue. Thus, losing to his instincts, Draven started moving inside her.

    At first, it was slow, but with each thrust of his hip, his pace became faster and deeper. Her whimpers of pain gradually disappeared, reced with sensual whimpers as each of his thrusts filled and stretched her. She could not understand what it was at first, but when she too started moving her own body to match his, she realized that another kind of pleasure, iparable to what she had felt before, enveloped her body.

    Soon enough, the pair of mates lost themselves to each other¡¯s most primal desires, the two bodies engaging themselves in movements of perfect harmony.

    Carnal sounds echoed inside that chamber made by their bodies, Ember¡¯s moans of pleasure being the most prominent among them, making him crazy in his want to let her soon scream his name.

    Knowing that she was starting to enjoy herself, Draven let go of his control and his following movements turned rougher and wilder. His muscr body shifted position over her parted legs, such that with each of his thrusts, he could find which one would bring the greatest pleasure to her aching womanhood.

    With the dim illumination offered by themps, their bodies¡¯ shadows could be seen moving against the walls. But as the two were lost in their own world, none of them realized that unknown energy surrounded both of them, surrounding their entire bodies as if to wrap the two together.

    It was the call of the bond for them to bind their souls.

    Mesmerized, Draven¡¯s gazended at Ember¡¯s neck where he had marked her before. The crimson blossom seemed to beckon him, and giving in to his instinct, he moved his mouth once again towards that mark to bite her at the same spot.

    ¡°Draven!¡±

    That bite didn¡¯t hurt Ember, instead engulfing her into another round of pleasure as if it was a stimnt shot directly into her blood.

    Meanwhile, unfamiliar images shed inside Draven¡¯s mind. He was in bed with a woman, and they were being intimate in a way that indicated he had tender feelings for the woman.

    The woman under him called for him but¨C

    ¡®Raven!¡¯

    She called him by another name, and when he saw her face¡­ she was the same green-eyed woman in his dreams. For a moment, it ovepped with Ember¡¯s, but the strange scene he saw disappeared just as quick as it came. He was unable to fully understand what happened as he was about to find his release, and it was clouding his thought process.

    All he wanted was to finish inside of his mate and let her reach the height of ecstasy together with him.

    With a loud groan, he felt her muscles clench around him, and together with her, he found his release. He buried his face in the crook of Ember¡¯s neck where he had bitten her, putting all of his weight on her delicate body which was still under the influence of her release. But he felt his body jerk upon hearing Ember mumble something.

    ¡°¡­Raven¡­¡±

    Ember¡¯s voice snapped him out of what he was feeling and he immediately looked at her. She looked back at him with her sleepy eyes and let out a soft smile.

    ¡°My¡­Raven¡­¡± Ember trailed off before drifting to sleep.

    His heart started to race, but for reasons not rted to their intimacy. For several seconds, he continued to look at his mate, both in confusion and disbelief.

    ¡®Why is Ember calling me Raven?¡¯

    It was supposed to be a night where there should be relief, if not joy, as he and his mate hadpleted their bond, and it went better than expected. No, that was an understatement¨Che could not properly put into words how beautiful this intimacy he was feeling with his mate.

    Yet for Draven, he was too shaken to cherish this moment.

    The man slowly moved away from his exhausted partner, and after covering themselves with a nket, hey on the side with his mind filled with so many questions. He observed her face for a while with a tender gaze and pulled her closer to wrap her in his warm embrace.

    It was somehowforting to have Ember in his arms as Draven¡¯s mind drifted to that memory he saw earlier.

    ¡®Was that woman his lover before he lost his memories?¡¯

    That was the only exnation Draven could derive, otherwise, he could not imagine himself being in a situation where he would be intimate with her. In that memory, he seemed to be content and happy, and it was a strange thing to see as he could not ever remember himself wearing such a soft expression in his thousands of years of living.

 Chapter 246 The Black Dragons Mate

    Chapter 246 The ck Dragon''s Mate

    That woman from his dreams, since she shouldn¡¯t be a stranger but someone he cherished, then why was it in his earlier dreams, he had seen her holding a knife to his chest?

    Was she an enemy? A lover? A lover turned enemy?

    Though he couldn¡¯t answer that, there was something his intuition was telling him¨C the closeness he had with her felt the same as what he felt with Ember.

    ¡®And why did Ember call me Raven? How did she know that name which I only heard in my dreams?¡¯

    A strange thought came to his mind as he remembered how Ember¡¯s face and the face of the woman in his dreams ovepped.

    ¡®What if rather than her ancestor¡­Ember is that very woman?¡¯

    He almost scoffed at how stupid he was being, yet he could not drive the strange feeling away.

    ¡®Though they looked different, their resemnce is too uncanny to say they are not the same person. But how can that be? Am I thinking too much or¡­?¡¯

    Draven could only let out a tired sigh as he pressed his lips against Ember¡¯s forehead, briefly closing his eyes.

    ¡®For thousands of years, I have roamed this continent without a memory of my past. Say, if my dreams are all from before I lost my memories, that would mean I had probably encountered a terrible tragedy that caused me to suffer memory loss. Then, what if I had family or friends back then? It wouldn¡¯t be impossible that something happened to them too.

    ¡®If the woman in my dreams is my lover, then did something happen to her¡­like dying¡­ and she is reborn as Ember?¡¯

    The mere thought of that made Draven¡¯s chest tighten.

    ¡®There are too few clues and it¡¯s arge leap of logic, but that would exin a lot of the strange things about Ember, the only human in existence who can use magic, who also possesses a seal created by divine power.

    ¡®If so, then I need to discover what happened to me and her. For that¡­¡¯ His gaze turned determined. ¡°I hope the seal on her powers lifts with thepletion of the mate bond and those peoplee after her. Only then I can know who they are. If they had truly harmed her before, I will spare none of them.¡¯

    His eyes simmered with rage at the possibility that someone had hurt Ember before. He held her sleeping form closer, as if to assure himself that as long as he was living, nothing could ever hurt his little mate in this lifetime.

    ¡®My mate¡­¡¯

    Holding her slender form closer, Draven breathed in her lovely intoxicating scent and pecked on her forehead as he decided to sleep. An unusual sense offort spread over him, causing all his muscles to rx, as if nothing of his burdens existed at this moment.

    ¡®Is it because of her?¡¯

    There was not a single night, as far as he could remember, when he could have a peaceful sleep. It had been a habit of his toy in bed for the sake of resting, but his beastly instincts had always been on alert, his body prepared to react at the smallest sign of danger or hostility. Despite the long period of peace the kingdom had witnessed for the past decades, Draven had never been at ease.

    This had been the case even thousands of years ago, from the moment he had woken up without his memories. His mind would always be restless, trying to fill in what was missing, and there would always be this odd feeling that there was danger lurking everywhere. Whatever it was, he needed to find it out, whatever it was that was waiting for him.

    On the rare asions when he fell into a deep sleep, his recurring nightmares would descend, causing him to wake up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat while harbouring the phantom pain of being stabbed in the heart.

    So Draven had never had a night of sound sleep.

    But now¡­

    With his mate by his side, it was like everything fell into ce, and before he knew it, he drifted to a peaceful, dreamless slumber.

    By the time he opened his eyes, it was already morning. The entire chamber was filled with bright sunlight, and the first sight he saw caused a ghost of a smile to linger on his lips.

    It was the sight of a beautiful face framed in a mess of long mahogany hair, its owner still in deep sleep, and he found it hard to move his gaze away. His hand seemingly had a mind of its own as it moved to caress her cheek, as if to make sure she was real and not a dream. He could not resist leaning close once more to leave a soft kiss on her forehead.

    Careful not to wake her, he freed her from his hold and then he moved to look at the mark on her neck. It was supposed to change after the consummation of their bond and he was curious about its evolved appearance.

    A content smile appeared on his lips as he looked at that mark on her neck which had a ck dragon draped around the crimson blossom.

    ¡®Now everyone will know she is the ck Dragon¡¯s mate, that she belongs to me and me alone.¡¯

    Beside the crimson blossom mark seemed to be pink petals scattered all over her fair and delicate skin, and he almost chucked when he realized what they were. Love bites were everywhere around her neck and her shoulders, and as his gaze moved down to her chest, he even saw his teeth marks.

    He touched those bruise-like marks with his fingers. ¡®I hope they won¡¯t hurt.¡¯ Then a thought came to his mind as he recalled her pained expression and her weak efforts to get away from him. ¡®Did I scare herst night? I hope not.¡¯

    As he admired the marks he left on her body, his mind could not help but wonder.

    ¡®With our mate bondpleted, the seal on her powers must have been broken by now.¡¯

    Curious about the consequences this would have brought, he could not help but feel the heavy burden added to his shoulder. He had already decided that whatever happens now, he would face it head-on while ensuring that his mate remains safe. He covered her sleeping form with a nket up to her shoulder before stepping out of bed. He then picked up his pants that were left lying on the carpeted floor and wore them.

    ¡®Seems like she won¡¯t wake up soon.¡¯

 Chapter 247 Memories From His Past

    Chapter 247 Memories From His Past

    Draven had many matters to attend to and thus could not stay with Ember for long. His sharp senses also heard the movement outside the door and realized Ember¡¯s servants must be waiting to attend to her.

    The moment Draven opened the door, the two elves immediately lowered their heads upon seeing the King wearing nothing but pants. It was because the previous night, he had ruined his white shirt and that was why he had nothing to cover his upper body.

    ¡°Good morning, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°Take care of her, and when she awakes, let me know,¡± was all he said before disappearing from the chamber.

    After making sure that the coast was clear, the two elves entered the chamber and saw their master still asleep, wrapped in a warm nket.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost noon yet Miss is still sleeping.¡±

    Clio had a flushed face as she scanned the mess on the floor. ¡°It is as expected. Is it not a given that females sleep for recovery after theyplete the bond? We just need to make sure Miss will have a warm meal ready when she wakes up in a few hours.¡±

    Her cousin let out a cough. ¡°But, uhm, do you think Miss is alright? I also heard males are quite aggressive on the night of the full moon.¡±

    ¡°Since Miss had survived the marking, this should be alright for her. We shouldn¡¯t worry.¡±

    In order to not disturb their master, the two servants started to tidy up the room without letting out a sound, starting by picking up the clothes on the floor.

    ¡ª-

    Draven returned to his chamber and found Erlos already waiting for him inside.

    ¡°Send a message to summon Cornelia in the pce,¡± Draven instructed.

    ¡°Yes, Sire. I will do it right away,¡± the young elf replied, and just as he was about to turn to the door, he did a double take as his gaze passed across Draven¡¯s chest and shoulder. However, tactful as always, he averted his gaze immediately and said as he closed the door, ¡°Oh, Sire, I have prepared the bath for you so¡­¡±

    On his way to the side chamber, Draven passed the mirror and stopped in front of it. Of course, he didn¡¯t miss Erlos¡¯ behavior and had a feeling as to why Erlos had to hurry away.

    On the skin of his shoulder and chest were a number of scratches left by nail marks, and even his arms had few of them. Unknown to him, a yful smirk appeared on his thin lips.

    ¡®That little mouse.¡¯

    Draven strode towards the side chamber carrying the same yful smirk. Even after he took off his pants and he stepped inside the pool of hot water, even after he spread his arms to lean against the side of the pool, the smirk never disappeared. His mind kept remembering the moments he had with his mate over and over again.

    ¡®I need to stop thinking about it or I will end up going back to her right away.¡¯

    He forced himself to regain hisposure, but the corners of his lips kept on curling upwards. That beautiful body writhing under him, her lovely voice calling out his name, the feeling when¨C

    ¡®She is not in a situation to take me again.¡¯

    To calm himself and get rid of those wicked thoughts, he submerged himself under the water andy at the bottom of the pool.

    At first, he thought he managed to tame the memories of the previous night, yet something else happened. Strange images started to sh inside his mind.

    A beautiful ancient structure made of white stone, surrounded by a sea of clouds, as if it was a pce floating in the heavens. A woman in a long elegant dress made of simple white fabric, her long mahogany hair falling in waves behind her, was walking ahead, and Draven seemed to be following right behind her.

    When she turned around, the woman with emerald green eyes offered him the loveliest of smiles.

    ¡®Raven, you are here?¡¯

    It was a beautiful smile, a genuinely happy smile, the kind one knew its owner was giving it to someone important to her. Yet like a broken record, the image faded, reced by another, but the images were all so blurry they did not make sense. It was as if time went in fast forward, and by the time Draven regained his senses, he was no longer in a sea of clouds but in a sea of mes.

    The same woman was looking at him with tears in her eyes.

    ¡®I am scared, Raven¡­ I am scared¡­Don¡¯t ever leave me¡­¡¯

    The ancient pce was engulfed withrge mes, and Draven could feel the heat of the fire despite standing a distance away, while the woman stayed at the same ce, wrapped in mes, looking at him with tears in her eyes.

    Draven could clearly feel her raw emotions, and it caused his chest to hurt, as if he was suffocating from their weight. The moment those images disappeared, Draven came out of the water with a loud gasp leaving his mouth.

    ¡®What was that?¡¯ He breathed heavily again and again, trying to make sense of the scenes he had seen, and he touched his chest where he could feel the loud beating of his heart.

    His hand ran down his hair to get rid of the water and then wiped his face, but something caused him to freeze. He noticed something new, something he had never seen on his body before, and he could not help but rte it to the images he saw a while ago.

    He looked at the inner side of his right wrist, and at first nce he thought it was a burn mark, but upon closer inspection, it was a tiny tattoo drawn in red ink.

    It was a tattoo of a red phoenix.

    As if he felt an unknown connection to that tattoo, he gently ran his thumb over it, causing a faint sound of voices echoing in his mind. He shut his eyes to focus on the words.

    ====

    Bonus chapter dedicated to reader ¡°Peaches¡±. Thank you so much for the spacecraft and the golden tickets. <3<3

 Chapter 248 You Belong To The Phoenix

    Chapter 248 You Belong To The Phoenix

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­yes?¡±

    ¡°¡­give me¡­hand¡­¡±

    The fragmented voices seemed to belong to a man and a woman.

    ¡°Raven¡­how does it look¡­?¡±

    And the woman¡¯s voice was the same one as the woman in his dreams.

    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±

    Hearing the man¡¯s voice, Draven recognized that it was his own voice.

    As if the memory had further surfaced, the voices in his head became crystal clear. He could now properly hear the melodious female voice speaking amidst theughter.

    ¡°I drew this little phoenix on your wrist so everyone will know you belong to me, that you belong to this phoenix. You are mine for eternity.¡±

    ¡°Hmm!¡±

    ¡°I am sealing this with my powers. No matter what you do, you won¡¯t ever be able to get rid of it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm!¡±

    Hearing this exchange, his heart constricted as if in pain and longing.

    The voices disappeared and Draven gradually opened his eyes.

    The more he stared at that newly appeared tattoo on his wrist, the more he felt confused.

    ¡®That green-eyed woman gave me this tattoo? However, this mark has never shown itself up until now¡­ so why did it suddenly appear?¡¯

    Draven continued to stare at the tattoo. ¡®Is she really Ember? Everything seems to be pointing out that possibility.¡¯

    Afterwards, he stepped out of the bath and returned to his chamber after wrapping himself in a bathrobe.

    Erlos had already returned by then and he was preparing the clothes for his master. Seeing Draven, he informed him, ¡°Lady Cornelia responded to the summon and replied that she will be arriving this afternoon.¡±

    ¡ª¨C

    When the Head of the Witches arrived at the pce, Erlos directed her towards the King¡¯s study. Draven had been impatiently waiting for her, though this could not be seen in his expressionless face, as she was the only one who could answer his questions.

    As usual, she greeted him formally.

    ¡°Cornelia Grimm of Honeyharbor Coven pays respects to His Majesty King Draven Aramis.¡±

    Draven gestured for her to have a seat. Even without him saying anything, Cornelia was aware as to why the King had asked for her. As the full moon had passed, she was sure he and his mate hadpleted their bond. It was now time for them to see if their theory about Ember was right.

    ¡°I have called you to check how thepletion of the bond affected the seal on Ember¡¯s powers.¡±

    ¡°I have expected as much. I will look into it, Your Majesty,¡± Cornelia said.

    ¡°There is something else that I have discovered.¡± Draven narrated to her about those new scenes that appeared in his mind.

    ¡°They must be parts of the memories that I had lost.¡± As he exined further, he said, ¡°I have a strong suspicion that the woman in my dreams is Ember from her previous life.¡±

    Cornelia was taken aback by this discovery. Though it sounded absurd, as someone who specialized in the study of the soul, she knew there was a high possibility of it.

    Draven then put forward his hand. ¡°I discovered this on my wrist this morning. In my memory, the woman imed to have drawn this phoenix and that she had injected her powers to keep it evesting. I guess it¡¯s rted to thepletion of the bond, further supporting my suspicion that Ember is the same woman.¡±

    ¡°Listening to your words, that can be possible, Your Majesty,¡± Cornelia replied. ¡°There are no coincidences in this world and everything happens for a reason. We have noticed that since her arrival, you have started to get more clues about your lost memories, as if her presence had triggered something in you. I believe it is only a matter of time before you recover your lost memories and you will find what exactly happened to your past.¡±

    After talking for a while, Draven and Cornelia went to see Ember in her chamber.

    ¡°Apologies, Your Majesty, but Miss is still asleep. If she¡¯s meeting a guest, shall I wake her up?¡±

    ¡°No need. Let her rest and recover.¡±

    Draven had neglected to consider the stamina of a human body, and didn¡¯t realize that Ember would remain asleep even up till the afternoon.

    ¡®She might only wake up in the evening at the earliest,¡¯ he thought, that was why after some consideration, he ordered Clio and Reya to have Ember briefly cleaned and made to wear a new set of clean clothes. Cornelia was a leader of a race, and it would be rude to summon her suddenly despite her busy schedule, only to send her away because Ember was still asleep. He was also reluctant to wake up Ember after having gone through her first night of the full moon.

    Only after the servants left the chamber did Draven lead Cornelia inside.

    The red-haired witch sat at the edge of the bed and pulled out Ember¡¯s hand from under the nket. She held her hand in both of her palms and closed her eyes. A runic circle appeared in the air as Cornelia tried to look through her energy core.

    Unlike before, the witch found it with ease this time. She tried to see through more, but just like before there was something that was blocking her.

    ¡®The seal remains.¡¯

    Cornelia opened her eyes and put down Ember¡¯s hand. She looked at Draven who was calmly standing at the side, silently waiting for Cornelia to do her work.

    ¡°Your Majesty, that seal is weaker than before but it¡¯s still there. Though it has lost its strength, its sealing power remains intact.¡±

    Disappointment took over his mind as he didn¡¯t know what to do now. What other way could there be to break that seal? Would his mate have to go through that pain again and again whenever the one who put that seal on her tries to search for her?

    ¡°Your Majesty, though it¡¯s still there, it¡¯s very weak. It might be possible for that seal to be broken if Ember learns to take control of her power and break it from the inside. Given the strength and purity of her element, the possibility of her breaking it on her own is high.¡±

    Draven simply nodded as he looked at Ember with a silent gaze.

    Cornelia stood up from the bed. ¡°I shall excuse myself then, Your Majesty. I apologize, but I won¡¯t be able to wait until Miss Ember wakes up, but please call me again if a need arises.¡±

    Draven nodded and Cornelia left after bowing to the King.

    ====

    Bonus chapter dedicated to reader ¡°Hollygoligtly¡±. Thank you so much for the Castle and the golden tickets. <3<3

 Chapter 249 The Kingdom Of Valor

    Chapter 249 The Kingdom Of Valor

    Kingdom of Valor.

    A small and prosperous kingdom surrounded by vast greennd, mountains and rivers. The generations of the Valor family ruled this kingdom for several decades and built it from scratch.

    Inside the royal pce of the Royal family of Valor, the queen¡¯s residence.

    A beautiful middle-aged woman, wearing a royal elegant light blue dress, was standing by the huge ss window of her study. Her face had a solemn expression as her eyes stared at the mountain far away which was still emitting smoke even after a month of fire breaking out. Her long blonde hair moved along the silent breeze, the sunlighting from the window, making her look dreamy.

    That faraway mountain she was looking at was burned and she looked like her eyes were trying to search for someone, knowing it was impossible from such a long distance. That quiet gaze held the pain of losing someone.

    She was the first wife of the King of Valor, Queen Shanel Valor.

    A servant entered the study, ¡°Your Majesty, the Third Prince is here to visit you.¡±

    ¡°Allow him.¡±

    A handsome young man in his early twenties entered the study, ¡°Greetings, Mother.¡±

    His features resembled his mother along with his sea-blue eyes and short blond hair like his mother. He was dressed in a light beige shirt with a brown waistcoat and brown pants with long ck boots. The gold delicate essories added to the royalty of the clothes and the sword hung at the left side of his waist, made him look like a warrior.

    The Queen turned her face to look at him, ¡°Did you find her yet, Rhian?¡±

    The young man lowered his head apologetically, ¡°Apologies, Mother.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been more than a month and you still could not find her,¡± her beautiful eyes filled with impatience.

    The Third Prince Rhian kept his head lowered, ¡°My men searched the entire mountain for a month now but there is no sign of her as if she had disappeared in thin air. The group of men I had sent to rescue her even before they burned the mountain, went missing as well.¡±

    ¡°Maybe she had escaped long before that day. Have you searched the viges and areas around that mountain?¡± Shanel asked.

    ¡°I had already done it, mother, but there is no sign of her. Maybe, that fire had harmed and left no traces of her¡­.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be,¡± the Queen interrupted Rhian, ¡°She can¡¯t die. If she could, she would have been dead long back. She is somewhere and you have to find her. She is your sister, a Princess of this kingdom. You must find her.¡±

    ¡°I will do my best, Mother. I have sent my spies to the neighbouring kingdom as well.¡±

    ¡°I believe she is alive and you will find it,¡± the Queen said. ¡°I can only rely on you as your two brothers follow their father. You don¡¯t have responsibilities like them and you are free to go anywhere so do not miss this opportunity to search for her.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mother. But there is something else that I wished to inform you about.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°The day before that incident, a group of royal soldiers was guided on the mountain.¡±

    ¡°Royal soldiers? His Majesty¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes, mother. I think, father had sent the soldier there the day before they put the mountain on fire. But those soldiers went missing as well ording to the information I received.¡±

    ¡°Why would the King send soldiers there¡­hah!¡± She chuckled, ¡°He must want to be sure that she is dead and has no escape from that mountain. Such a cruel father she has got. It would have been better if she was not born instead of having such a cruel fate when her own people wants her dead.¡±

    ¡°Mother, what if father has found her and kept her imprisoned somewhere? If we can not find her and she can¡¯t die, then this is the only possibility we are left with,¡± the Third Prince Rhian suggested.

    ¡°If that is the case, then I will go to your father personally and ask him,¡± she had determination shing in her eyes, ¡°You can leave.¡±

    The Third Prince bowed to his mother and left. Shanel looked back at that burned mountain far away, ¡®Sephina, before you die, I promised you that I would protect your daughter,¡± she sighed, ¡°But why do I feel like I failed to keep it? Almost two decades¡­I did my best to secretly protect her but why does it feel like I still failed to keep that promise?¡¯ her eyes turned moist, ¡®If I can, I would protect her with my own life but If I have already failed, will you forgive me? I can only hope she is alive somewhere and living the life she deserves.¡¯

    She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to calm herself. Opening her eyes, she called for the servant, ¡°Nomi!¡±

    A servant entered her study and bowed, ¡°You called for me, Your Majesty?¡±

    ¡°Send a message to the King¡¯s residence that I would visit there.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± The servant left.

    After an hour the Queen went to visit the King in his study. The knight opened the grand-looking wooden door for her. Entering the study she saw a man, her husband sitting in his chair behind his desk inside that grand study. Light brown colour haired, middle-aged good looking man, wearing the king¡¯s Royal looking signature attire. His light brown eyes lifted from the document in his hand to look at his wife who had just entered his study.

    He was calm andposed and could see through his wife¡¯s current mood. She was upset about something and there was turmoil inside her. She seemed to have so many questions for her husband and was in a mood of confrontation.

    She stood in front of his desk while ring at him. She was so upset that she had lost her usual calm and dignifiedposure as a Queen of this kingdom.

    The king of Valor, King Gregor Valor simply put the document in his hand back on the desk and instructed, ¡°Have a seat, Shanel.¡±

    ¡°I am not here to sit and chat with you, Gregor. I want the answers to my questions,¡± she said coldly, her blue eyes filled with rage.

    ¡°Ask!¡± He was still calm.

 Chapter 250 Search For The Princess

    Chapter 250 Search For The Princess

    ¡°Where is she, the Princess? Did you hide her somewhere after putting that entire mountain on fire? I want to know if you have killed your own daughter this time for real. I want to know you are still the same heartless father who would want to kill his own newborn child.¡±

    Her words didn¡¯t affect him. ¡°Calm down, Shanel?¡±

    ¡°Calm down? Hah? You expect me to calm down when you want nothing but to kill that innocent girl. She was away from here and was living in hiding. Why¡­Why do you have to give in to the requests made by your ministers and people and agree to kill your own daughter? How can you be so heartless? She is a princess but she doesn¡¯t even have a name or family name. She was like nobody, living worse than a wild animal. How can you¡­How can you not even feel a bit pity for her? How can you not care for your own daughter?¡± Her voice was loud and rageful that echoed in that huge study.

    ¡°Shanel¡­.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say my name. A cruel man like you doesn¡¯t deserve to say it.¡± The thought of King having managed to kill his daughter this time had turned her bitter and she didn¡¯t want to stop from showing her anger. ¡°You are turning into nothing but a hateful man to me.¡±

    Gregor stood up from his chair and walked towards his wife calmly and stood facing her. His eyes looked calm but it showed deep inside her was hurt by her words. She had shown her hate so many times before and he had learned to tolerate it as she was right but now he was hurt.

    ¡°You say I don¡¯t care? If I had not cared for her even a bit, then I would not have ignored all those things you did in secret.¡±

    ¡°So what you ignored. I am your wife and I have to make up for the sins youmitted.¡±

    ¡°I am not done talking yet,¡± the king said, ¡°Today you have to listen to me. That witch Gaia who was to be punished, you secretly saved her just the day before her punishment. You even send her to take care of the princess on that mountain. She agreed because she owed you her life. You secretly sent money and supplies for them and you have been doing it for the past two decades. That day when you freed that witch, do you think you would have taken her out of the prison without knowing anyone just like that? Even when you send them supplies, do you think it would have gone unnoticed for two decades?¡±

    ¡°But it won¡¯t change the fact that in the end you killed your daughter. If not, you must be hiding her somewhere. I want to know where she is. I had promised her mother that I will protect her daughter and that nothing can stop me from doing so. Not even you, Your Majesty.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where she is,¡± the King replied calmly.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Another lie? The group of royal soldiers was sent to the mountain a day before that fire incident. Other than you, who can order the royal soldiers to do it? Were you nning to kill her there so when a fire breaks out, she wouldn¡¯t be able to escape?¡± Each word she said was merciless and her eyes showed how much she came to hate the man in front of her.

    ¡°Enough!¡± He eximed, ¡°I sent a few soldiers there so that I could take her away from that mountain to send her to some better ce when people would have thought she died in the fire. It was an opportunity for me to send her away and no one would have known it.¡±

    She red at him, ¡°Do you think I will believe it? What if you have killed those soldiers on your own so there won¡¯t be any proof of you hiding her? No one is more powerful than you in this entire kingdom and nothing goes unnoticed by you so how can you im that the entire group of soldiers went missing just like that? You have never shown care for her for two decades and now you think I will believe this lie of yours?¡±

    The king sighed helplessly, ¡°You can believe what you want.¡±

    Tears rolled down her eyes, ¡°Though I have not given birth to her when I held her in my hands for the first time, I wanted to protect her. You are her father, how can you not feel anything?¡±

    Knowing his wife would not listen, he gave up to her. ¡°You are right. I feel nothing at all,¡± he said, maintaining his calm, ¡°I am a King and it doesn¡¯t allow me to feel anything but to think about the people of this kingdom. If you are done ming me, you can leave.¡±

    ¡°Like I want to stay here? Just give her to me and I will never meddle in what you do,¡± she said and left, unwilling to stay even for a moment more.

    After the Queen left, the King¡¯s knight entered the study.

    ¡°Commander of knights, Sir Taylor greets your Majesty,¡± the tall and well-built middle-aged man wearing a knight¡¯s uniform, bowed to the king.

    ¡°Any news about the princess?¡± the King asked, while sitting in his chair behind the desk.

    The argument with his beloved wife had affected him this time. Just like her, he was eager to find his daughter but failed again and again which affected him more.

    ¡°Your Majesty, another group of soldiers we have sent to search for the princess, returned with nothing. They could not find the previous group that went missing either,¡± the knight informed. ¡°The cave she stayed in was unharmed but no one was there. The area around the cave is so burned that it¡¯s impossible for anyone to escape it.¡±

    The King looked at his knight who lowered his head because his words pointed towards something that the King didn¡¯t wish to hear.

    ¡°The arrangement we have made for the Princess to escape and take her away from the Kingdom to somewhere safe, are still there. If we find her, I will make sure to send her safely to that ce we have decided,¡± the knight said further to make the King feel better.

    ¡°Find her then whatever it takes. You know well that she can not die,¡± the King said.

    ¡°Yes, Your Majesty,¡± the knight bowed and left.

 Chapter 251 Two Decades Back In Valor

    Chapter 251 Two Decades Back In Valor

    As the knight left, the King of Valor remained silently seated on his chair behind his desk.

    After some time, he opened one of the drawers on the desk and pulled out a long thin wooden box that was the size of a palm. He opened the box and pulled a small paper scroll out of it. One could see that the paper seemed to be quite old, its colour close to yellow and its borders a little worn out.

    Gregor looked at the content of the scroll and it was a birth chart of a person. It had a big circle drawn in the middle with various lines drawn along it, dividing it into different sections. The astrological signs of the stars were drawn along various shapes and patterns.

    At the top, there was a nk space where the name of the person whose birth chart it was should be ced, but it had no name written on it. Gregor caressed that nk space as his mind was filled with images and voices from that particr incident from the past.

    ¡°Your Highness Crown Prince Gregor, here is the birth chart of the future princess made ording to the patterns of stars at the moment she is expected to be born.¡±

    It was the voice of an old man, whose expression was grave, causing the then younger Gregor to fall into a simrly serious expression.

    ¡°What does it say?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness¡­forgive me but the birth chart of the princess is strange and gives an ominous feeling. Just as the High Priest said, the child is bound to bring disasters. Even the star patterns that indicate different phases of her life are strange and it is hard to guess anything other than she will be meeting misfortune. In my entire life, I had never seen such an inauspicious birth chart and patterns of stars.¡±

    Gregor¡¯s hands nearly tore the scroll apart, yet he had to keep his emotions at check.

    ¡°Do not tell my father, the King, about this.¡±

    ¡°B-But how can I?¡±

    ¡°Make up any random chart which does not show anything good or bad and show it to him. The kind of chart that belongs to the most ordinary citizen of the kingdom, one so mediocre no one would pay interest to it.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°I will take responsibility if something happens.¡±

    Heavy silence engulfed the room before the old man relented.

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness,¡± the man said. ¡°That ce at the top, you should write the name of the princess¡­¡±

    The sound of his hand wrinkling a part of the scroll pulled Gregor out of those memories.

    ¡°My child, even though I hid this chart and tried to protect you, I failed and you met with the worst fate.¡±

    However, secrets were made to be found out with time.

    Reclining further into the chair, one could see the exhaustion on the King¡¯s face as he closed his eyes. His mind started to remind him of the incidents from two decades back.

    It was the day of the annual ceremony for the Royal Family of Valor to worship the ancient gods. It was a special day not only for the royal family but for the entire kingdom who worshiped the gods for bountiful blessings, and it was more like a festival for them.

    For Gregor, who was the crown prince at that time, he was even feeling more exceptionally blessed as his second wife, Lady Sephina, was heavy with a child back then, about to give birth anytime.

    What made it an even more joyous asion was the words of the oracle. That esteemed person had predicted that a female offspring will finally be born in the Valor Royal Family, whose direct descendants were dominantly male since the founding of the kingdom.

    Everyone was excited to wee the little princess, be it the royal family or the subjects of the King, and thus the pregnant Sephina was treated with more care and affection by the family.

    By then, Gregor already had three children with his first wife, Crown Princess Shanel, and all of them were boys. Gregor¡¯s two oldest sons were excited to wee their little sister, while the youngest prince, Rhian, was hardly a year-old baby at that time.

    On the day of worship, Gregor remembered his children following their father and mother to Sephina¡¯s chamber in the morning as it happened that it was also her birthday that very day.

    ¡°Happy birthday, Sephina!¡± Shanel greeted Sephina who was sitting in bed while resting her upper body against the headboard.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Father, will we really have a sister this time?¡± the eldest son asked with bright eyes.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, I always wanted a sister,¡± the second son chimed in as he crawled into bed to sit beside the pregnant woman.

    Both boys started to shower Sephina with questions.

    ¡°Second Mother, do you think she will like me when she grows up?¡±

    ¡°Second Mother, will you let me carry her like I do with Rhian?¡±

    ¡°Second Mother¡­¡±

    ¡°Second Mother¡­¡±

    Shanel had to scold the boys to let them stop. ¡°Children, I know you are excited, but ask one question at a time.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Your Highness,¡± Sephinaughed as she rubbed her belly. ¡°I can see from how sweet our boys are that our little princess is going to be the most loved and spoiled princess ever.¡±

    The boys grinned at each other to show their agreement, but they did calm down a bit after receiving the warning gaze of their birth mother. The eldest then asked, ¡°But how many more days till we see our sister?¡±

    ¡°Soon,¡± Sephina answered with a warm smile.

    The second son tilted his head. ¡°What is the name of our sister?¡±

    ¡°We are yet to decide about that¡± Sephina responded.

    ¡°Since the Second Mother¡¯s name is Sephina, then Sophie? Sophia? Sapphire?¡±

    His brother refuted. ¡°No, no, since she¡¯ll be born after Rhian, then maybe something that starts with R¡ª¡±

    ¡°Why his name? Should be simr to mine then, because I like our sister best!¡±

    ¡°What?! I like her best so her name should be¡ª¡±

    Both boys started to think out loud, throwing names at each other amidst their quarrel, causing Shanel to look at her husband.

    ¡°Gregor, shouldn¡¯t you be the one to decide the name for our little princess?¡± She then turned towards Sephina. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Sephina smiled, her green eyes twinkling at Gregor. ¡°I am sure the princess will like it a lot if her father gives her name.¡±

    ¡°If that is your wish,¡± Gregor replied, as the happiness of having a daughter reflected in his eyes, ¡°but I have to think about the name first. The long-awaited princess of Valor. I cannot give her any random name; it should be something special and meaningful.¡±

    ¡°We still have a lot of time. You bettere up with the prettiest name that will suit our princess,¡± Shanelmented.

    ¡°I will.¡±

 Chapter 252 The Child Is Cursed

    Chapter 252 The Child Is Cursed

    After that, the Crown Prince¡¯s family dispersed as they had to prepare for the worshiping ceremony that would mark the beginning of the festival.

    That day, the High Priest who had been away from the kingdom, rumored to have gone to the mountains for cultivation, had returned to the temple in order to oversee the worship ceremony. The High Priest was a revered holy man, respected for his foresight, as he had shown countless miracles in his lifetime. Everyone believed in his prophecies as they never went wrong and the trust he had built up throughout the decades were so strong, the people of the Kingdom of Valor treated him like a prophet sent down by the ancient gods.

    At the grand hall of the royal pce, the worship ceremony was arranged in a way that not just the members of the royal family, even the high-ranking nobles attended it. The entire process was guided by the priests of the temple like every year.

    After the initial part of the ritual where prayers of gratitude were offered, it was time to take the blessing from the symbolic images of the ancient gods arranged at the altar. The High Priest stood in front of the pedestal, and from there, he would facilitate another prayer to bless the royal family.

    Meanwhile, Sephina had just arrived at the grand hall precisely for that part of the ceremony. Given her delicate situation, she could not participate in the ritual for long, and she was permitted by the temple to join only at the moment to get the blessings.

    The heavily pregnant woman was helped by her servants, and she was brought towards the altar.

    After getting the blessing from the altar, she went to the High Priest who was now sitting on the grand-looking chair next to the altar.

    Gregor¡¯s father, King Tredor, was talking to the High Priest happily upon seeing his daughter-inw approach. ¡°Oh, herees our lovely Sephina. The oracle has predicted that she is carrying a princess. A princess after all this time! Give this mother and child your blessing so they will always be protected from harm.¡±

    The High Priest looked at the pregnantdy in front of him who came to get his blessings but narrowed his eyes as soon as he felt the spiritual energy surrounding the woman.

    ¡°This child is cursed. It should not be born!¡±

    The voice of the High Priest echoed in the entire grand hall, shocking everyone.

    Sephina felt as if her entire world was crumbling down as her hand resting on her round stomach trembled.

    ¡°H-High Priest, this¡­what do you mean?¡± King Tredor asked with shaken eyes.

    The High Priest looked firmly at the King of Valor.

    ¡°The soul of this child is surrounded by ominous energy from hell. It¡¯s tainted with rage, vengeance and the spirit of destruction. This child is meant to bring nothing but ruin to thisnd. You should not let her be born. It will bring disaster to this kingdom if she is born.¡±

    Sephina, who was already so pale in fright, could not stand these cruel remarks about her child and was about to copse when her husband, Gregor, fortunately caught her trembling body. ¡°Sephina!¡±

    Shanel also got back to her senses and immediately hurried to support Sephina. ¡°Gregor, we need to take her back to her chamber.¡±

    Gregor immediately carried her in his arms while Shanel and Sephina¡¯s servants followed them. Gregor put the crying Sephina on bed, and the moment he wiped her tears dry, she opened her reddened eyes to look at her husband.

    ¡°Y-Your Highness, our child, she¡­You don¡¯t trust what the High Priest said, do you? Our child¡­¡±

    He held her hand gently and caressed it. ¡°I don¡¯t trust it either. Don¡¯t worry. There must be some misunderstanding. You should rest first¨C¡°

    ¡°Tell me nothing will happen to our child,¡± she insisted, as tears continued to roll down her eyes.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let anything happen to her,¡± Gregor assured her and looked at his first wife. ¡°Please take care of her. I need to talk to my father.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured. You leave first.¡±

    Gregor stood up with a gloomy expression on his face. He needed to talk to his father before the older man could decide what action to take as per the High Priest¡¯s words.

    Gregor returned to the grand hall but the King and the High Priest had already left after what happened. It worried Gregor even more. After he got to know that the two had gone to the King¡¯s study, the Crown Prince immediately hurried to see them.

    When Gregor reached the study, the knights standing guard outside the door directly permitted him to enter without announcing his arrival. There was no need to get the King¡¯s permission. It was clear that the King was already expecting to see his son.

    When he entered the study, the atmosphere inside was suffocating. His father was seated on an armchair in the lounge area with the High Priest sitting opposite him, neither of them speaking and simply staring at him.

    When Gregor approached to offer respects to the two individuals, only then did the King open his mouth.

    ¡°Gregor, we were waiting for you.¡±

    The Crown Prince didn¡¯t have a good feeling about it. ¡°Father¡­¡±

    ¡°We have decided that the child should not be born.¡±

    The King of Valor said such cruel words without a change in his expression, as if he was not speaking about executing one of his own descendants.

    ¡°Father, how can you do this to your own granddaughter¨C¡°

    But even before Gregor could plead mercy for his child, the older man cut him off.

    ¡°Precisely because she is my granddaughter that I must do this!¡±

    King Tredor mmed his hand against the armrest of his chair.

    ¡°I am the King of Valor, the royal blood runs in me, in you, and in your children. Our ancestors created this kingdom, and as descendants, it is our duty to protect it, even at the cost of our lives.

    ¡°Though we all were excited to finally have a princess in our family, it¡¯s not bigger than our duty towards this kingdom! If her death can ensure the safety of Valor, then as a member of the royal family, she should make that sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°Father¨C¡°

    ¡°You and your wives are young and healthy. You can have more children in future so there is no need to feel bad about a single death of a child. The kingdom and our peoplee first.¡±

    ¡°That I know, Father, but she is not even born yet and we are already deciding her fate. Just an unborn child, what problems can she cause? We will raise her well and if you want, we will do so secretly¨C¡°

    ¡°Uneptable!¡± the High Priest cut him off, his aged face cold as if his benevolent face had been a facade all along. ¡°Once that child is born, she will bring disaster to thend. She possesses something that no human should ever have.¡±

    ¡°High Priest, I am not sure what you saw, but it is not right to harm a child. Once she is born, I give you my word that I will send her away¨C¡°

    ¡°Gregor Valor,¡± the old priest called him out, his tone filled with unshakeable authority, ¡°Your words are useless. Emotions cannot fight against fate.

    ¡°The point is: she should not be born.

    ¡°Once she is born, then nothing can stop the disaster.¡±

    ¡°S-Should not be born?¡±

    Gregor felt his entire body tremble as only then did the meaning of those words sink into his head. What the High Priest meant wasn¡¯t a simple death.

    If they wouldn¡¯t allow his little princess to be born, then they would have to kill her while she was still inside her mother¡¯s womb¡­that meant they would kill his wife as well.

 Chapter 253 Helpless Gregor

    Chapter 253 Helpless Gregor

    ¡°No! I cannot allow you to harm my wife and my child!¡±

    ¡°Gregor!¡±

    The loud voice of King Tredor echoed inside the study as he stood up from his chair and faced his enraged son.

    ¡°Do not forget I am the King of Valor! My words are the heaviest in this kingdom, and what I decide to do, no one in thisnd can ever disobey. You are nothing but just a Crown Prince. How dare you go against the King?!¡±

    ¡°The King that I know is a wise man! He will not take the life of a person after listening to mere words without evidence!¡±

    ¡°Those words are uttered by the High Priest who always said the right thing for the wellbeing of our kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Father,¡± he said through gritted teeth, veins protruding through his skin, ¡°that¡¯s my wife and child you are nning to kill. How can I agree to this madness? I will never allow you to do it.¡±

    ¡°Gregor, you¡­¡±

    Just then a knight entered the chamber with ady servant who informed with a trembling voice, ¡°Y-Your Majesty, p-pardon but Lady Sephina has gone intobour and will give birth soon¡­¡±

    ¡°King Tredor, this should not happen,¡± the High Priest dered.

    Without waiting for anyone, Gregor stormed out of the King¡¯s study, his heart filled with fear and worry for his wife and child.

    ¡ª¨C

    Inside Sephina¡¯s chamber¡­

    After Gregor left, Shanel held Sephina¡¯s hand tofort her. ¡°Everything will be fine, Sephina. Do not stress yourself in this situation. Stress is bad for the child, but you already know that, right?¡±

    Sephina¡¯s tears continued to fall. ¡°B-But what the High Priest said¡­¡±

    ¡°Sshhh, our husband will handle it so calm down and take deep breaths.¡±

    Sephina nodded weakly, and just as she was about to wipe away her tears, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her belly. ¡°Ahh!¡±

    ¡°Sephina? What¡¯s wrong¨C¡± Shanel looked at her worriedly while herdy-in-waiting noticed the growing stain on the nket.

    ¡°Your Highness! Lady Sephina is havingbour pains!¡±

    They again heard her pained cry as she gripped Shanel¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Get the midwife! Hurry! Servants, prepare everything!¡± Shanel ordered before looking at the pale Sephina.

    As a mother of three, Shanel could guess the younger woman¡¯s internal panic. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will soon have a healthy little princess who will look as lovely as you¡­bear with the pain¡­take deep breaths¡­¡±

    With a pained expression, Sephina could only nod before crying out once more. As she struggled to breathe, she turned to Shanel with a pleading gaze.

    ¡°Your Highness¡­just in case¡­if something happens to me, please protect my daughter. Please!¡±

    ¡°Nothing will happen to you, Sephina,¡± Shanel, who herself was panicking inside, tried to be calm andforted the pregnant woman.

    ¡°Please, give me your words that you will protect my daughter. You will take care of her¡­Please, Your Highness¡­¡±

    ¡°Fine. I give you my word. I will always protect our little princess. Now, don¡¯t think about anything and try to focus on your breathing¡­¡±

    Fortunately, the midwife arrived to take care of everything.

    When Gregor arrived outside his second wife¡¯s chamber, all he heard was his wife¡¯s screams and cries beyond the door. He was about to rush in when the servants outside stopped him from going inside.

    ¡°Your Highness, Lady Sephina is giving birth under duress. The Crown Princess is inside with her, and she fears your presence might further stress Lady Sephina. Please wait here until the Lady sessfully gives birth.¡±

    Gregor wanted to quietly wait outside, and he would have done so if not for the unexpected situation caused by the High Priest. After making a bold decision, he turned towards his guardian knight.

    The Crown Prince lowered his voice to one barely above a whisper. ¡°Taylor, keep an eye on what my father is nning. He will try something to kill my child. Also, make arrangements to send the child out of the pce. Do not let anyone know about it.¡±

    ¡°I have received your orders, Your Highness,¡± the knight saluted before leaving.

    Time seemed to crawl as he waited. Gregor was praying for his child to be born as soon as possible so that he could send her away; however, he could hear nothing but the cries of his wife in the hallway, not the sound of a newborn infant. He could only pace around anxiously while waiting to hear the good news.

    ¡®Why is it taking so much time? Shanel did not take this long¡­It must be because of stress that¡¯s why she¡¯s having difficultbor¡­¡¯

    As he let out a sigh, he noticed a number of footsteps approaching. He saw two servants being escorted by the royal guards and the knight of the King. One of the servants had a small bowl ced on the wooden tray in her hand.

    ¡°Halt!¡± Gregor scowled as he blocked their way.

    ¡°We greet the Crown Prince¨C¡°

    However, he was having none of their nonsense. ¡°What is ¡®that¡¯?¡±

    The servant who was not holding the tray replied in a calm voice, ¡°Your Highness, this is medicine for Lady Sephina.¡±

    ¡°Medicine? She doesn¡¯t need any medicine. Take it back.¡±

    ¡°His Majesty the King has given a royal decree that this medicine be fed to Lady Sephina to help¨C¡°

    Gregor knew what it was and was about to march towards the servant but the royal guards blocked his way. This time, the King¡¯s knight stood to face him.

    ¡°Your Highness, do not do anything that we have to use force on you.¡±

    Gregor pulled his sword out of its scabbard. ¡°Try it!¡±

    More royal soldiers appeared behind the knight, filling up the entire hallway, and the knight informed with a terse expression.

    ¡°Crown Prince Gregor Valor, ording to His Majesty¡¯s decree, the moment you show resistance, you will be stripped of your title and be imprisoned for the crime of treason.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense¨C¡°

    ¡°His Majesty has ordered us to kill everyone inside this residence if you do not obey his orders. As a criminal who hadmitted the highest offense, the equivalent punishment would also force us to seize your properties and apprehend the rest of your family. Not only your wife but your three sons as well, the three princes, will pay with their lives for their father¡¯s mistakes.¡±

    All the blood inside Gregor¡¯s body seemed to have turned into ice.

    The King¡¯s knight continued, ¡°If you think your knights will be arriving to side with you, then stop your meaningless expectations. They have already been taken care of. As for whether they are alive or not, well, they are still breathing for now, but I cannot guarantee what will happen to them.

    ¡°Make your choice, Crown Prince. Stand down or lose it all.¡±

    The sound of a sword falling on the floor echoed in response, and along it the sound of a shattering heart.

 Chapter 254 Medicine

    Chapter 254 Medicine

    Gregor wanted to shout in rage at how cruel his father was, but only a helpless sound that sounded more pathetic than a sob escaped his mouth. He was a fine swordsman, but so were the soldiers who were guarding the royal pce, theirbat ability beyond the norm.

    It was impossible for him to beat all these soldiers, much less with the presence of the King¡¯s knight in front of him, who was the elite among the elite.

    ¡®And there¡¯s Shanel and my sons¡­¡¯

    Aside from his family, there were also his men who swore fealty to him. So many lives were on the line. He knew his father who would not bat an eye before taking their lives for the sake of the kingdom.

    ¡®Even if I try to fight my way out¡­¡¯

    How many could he fight? Could he protect his wives and the newborn child while doing so? What about his three sons, could he have them escape? His loyal knights were also in danger¡­ And then what? Would he have everyone live as fugitives in the Kingdom of Valor?

    ¡°If you obey His Majesty, things would only be over with the ending of two lives.¡±

    The voice of the King¡¯s knight sounded like a demon¡¯s taunt as it reached his ears.

    Veins popping out of his skin, Gregor held back his rage as he put his fallen sword back in the scabbard.

    Satisfied by his silence, the King¡¯s knight gestured for the Crown Prince to follow him. ¡°Pleasee with me, Your Highness.¡± Even his manner of speaking changed to a courteous one.

    As the knight led the way for him, Gregor had no choice but to follow him.

    The King¡¯s knight led his way back to his own chamber where not royal guards but a group of high-ranking knights were present. A bitter smile filled with anger and disbelief appeared on his face. Gregor could see his father had nned to keep him under strict watch.

    Gregor entered his chamber and heard the King¡¯s knight say, ¡°Your Highness, please do note out of the chamber until His Majesty allows you to.¡±

    Gregor could only swallow the resentment he was feeling at this moment. He closed his eyes briefly to calm himself and said, ¡°At least send my guardian knight to me. I am sure he by himself cannot create troubles for you.¡±

    The King¡¯s knight silently gazed at him, as if to weigh whether or not that was permissible, and gave a terse nod before leaving.

    ¡ª¡ª

    Inside Sephina¡¯s chamber, only the female servants sent by the King entered, led by two senior-looking servants, yet despite leaving the royal guards outside, their presence caused everyone inside the room to feel an ufortable chill in their spines.

    Shanel knew those were the servants from the King¡¯s pce; the one holding the wooden tray was the most trusted courtdy of King Tredor.

    The Crown Princess gestured for the midwife to continue what she was doing as she stood to confront the neers. The servants gave a brief but polite greeting.

    ¡°What brings you people here?¡± Shanel asked, feeling worried.

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± the servant standing beside the courtdy answered, ¡°this is medicine for Lady Sephina.¡±

    ¡°Medicine? What kind of medicine is it?¡± Shanel shivered as she could guess it was not what they imed it to be.

    ¡°Your Highness, His Majesty has ordered us to bring this medicine. Kindly do not ask more questions,¡± the courtdy replied, her expression and her voice without any emotions.

    Seeing the courtdy take a step forward, Shanel grew pale but did not budge from where she was standing. ¡°M-My husband, let me get him¨C¡°

    ¡°Your Highness, the Crown Prince has been sent back to his chamber. Shall we escort you to be with him as well?¡±

    Knowing her husband, Gregor would not leave unless he had been physically subdued or threatened with their lives. Though she was worried about him, Shanel also feared what would happen if she were to step away from Sephina. ¡°No, what¨C¡°

    ¡°Please do not waste our time.¡±

    Despite her fear, Shanel kept herposure, determined to stand her ground inside the chamber filled with Sephina¡¯s cries. She could not help but pray for her child to be born safely.

    ¡°Please leave,¡± Shanel dered. ¡°I will not allow you to give such a thing to her.¡±

    The woman in front of her did not yield as well.

    ¡°This is His Majesty the King¡¯s order. His Majesty¡¯s words are thew of thend. Does the Crown Princess wish to openly disobey a royal decree?¡±

    The courtdy bowed her head.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t give this medicine to Lady Sephina right away, everyone involved, not only you, but everyone in this chamber as well, will receive the wrath of the King and be punished. For me, I will probably be killed for failing the King. As for you who directly challenged the authority of the King¡­well, the three princes will also have to pay with their lives¨C¡°

    ¡°How dare you threaten me?!¡±

    ¡°Pardon my rudeness, Crown Princess, however, I am but a lowly servant of the King. My life is on the line as well. I too only want to survive. Please be understanding. We are merely executing His Majesty¡¯s order.¡±

    Shanel felt like all this was a bad dream, an illusion that would vanish the moment she opened her eyes. Just this morning, this chamber was filled with happiness andughter, yet now¡­

    ¡®How can everything change like this? What went wrong¡­?¡¯

    The moment the courtdy was about to step forward again, Shanel¡¯s body moved on its own to block her. ¡°Y-You cannot! My husband, Gregor, he¨C¡°

    ¡°For the sake of the kingdom, His Majesty the King would not hesitate to punish his own son, even if it ends with a tragedy, Crown Princess,¡± the courtdy said, and then her eyes sought the body of the woman covered in sweat and blood. ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me ask Lady Sephina if she wants to drink this medicine or not?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see her condition?! She is in the middle ofbor¨C¡°

    ¡°But the Lady can still hear my words. If Your Highness won¡¯t allow us to approach her, then do not me His Majesty for being cruel to his own son and grandchildren.¡±

    ¡°Y-Your Highness¡­¡± a weak voice called for Shanel.

    With her teary eyes, Shanel turned to look at the pale woman whose lovely face was contorted in pain, her entire body covered in sweat.

    ¡°Sephina¡­¡±

    ¡°Listen to her¡­Your Highness¡­¡± Sephina had heard everything and though she was in pain, she could understand the situation.

    No matter how they resisted, the King would seed in getting rid of her child. The question would be: how many lives would be lost along the way?

    Rather than fight a losing battle, the pregnant woman decided to give up.

    Shanel ran to her side and held her hand. ¡°No, Sephina. You don¡¯t have to¡­¡±

    ¡°If¡­If everyone I cherish has to die¡­ then how can I and my daughter think about living?¡± Sephina said as tears rolled down her eyes. ¡°Please¡­give me that¡­¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, Lady Sephina has agreed. Please do not dy it anymore, or else, we have to use force on you.¡±

 Chapter 255 Child Born From Dead Mother

    Chapter 255 Child Born From Dead Mother

    Shanel had no option but to obey the King¡¯s decree. The courtdy carried the bowl of medicine to Sephina while Shanel could only shed tears while standing on the side. The courtdy passed it to the servant she brought with her, who then fed that medicine to Sephina. The second wife of the Crown Prince drank with her eyes closed, tears streaming down her face.

    Once she finished, shey down on bed as heavy drowsiness threatened to pull her under. She knew the moment she slept, she would never wake up again.

    ¡°Please sleep well, mydy. His Majesty¡¯sst act of mercy is to make sure you can leave this world as peacefully as possible,¡± the courtdy said as the next moment Sephina gasped heavily. She wanted to at least see her beloved husband onest time, but as her eyes opened, the world had turned pitch ck.

    The second her eyes fluttered close, there was no life left inside her.

    Shanel started to sob, her entire body having fallen on the ground, while Sephina¡¯s servants could not hold back their tears. The midwife and everyone else could only lower their heads to offer a silent prayer to the young woman forced to die by her own father-inw. They all were nothing but helpless ordinary people who had witnessed the tragedy of the royal family.

    The courtdy also lowered her head in a brief prayer. She had nothing against the wife of the Crown Prince, merely fulfilling her role as the King¡¯s servant.

    Only the sound of her clothes rustling could be heard as she checked Sephina¡¯s breathing to make sure she was dead.

    Everyone heard the heartless courtdy say, ¡°His Majesty was kind enough to choose a painless death for her,¡± before she turned to leave. Just as she reached the door and was about to step out¡ª

    Uwaaaaah! Waaaaaah!

    Everyone inside the chamber was stunned.

    The midwife paused amidst wiping her tears. Given that the mother was dead, her role should have been done as there wouldn¡¯t be any babying out, but just as she was about to put Sephina¡¯s parted legs down, the loud cry of a baby echoed within the chamber.

    She saw movement between the corpse¡¯s legs, and she saw the head of the baby squirming out. She could not help but reach out her hands to help the baby though she was shocked to see iting out of the dead mother.

    The baby¡¯s cries only grew louder the moment her entire body was out, causing Shanel to snap out of her shock. Shanel immediately ran towards the midwife who informed her in a trembling voice, ¡°Y-Your Highness, the little princess has been born¡­¡±

    The servants of Sephina who were shedding tears could not help but rejoice, but then their hearts were seized with fear once more upon hearing the hostile voice of the King¡¯s favored courtdy.

    ¡°A child born out of its dead mother?¡±

    ¡°How dare a mere servant address an offspring of the Valor Royal Family with such impudence?¡± Shanel snapped into action. ¡°You have already executed the King¡¯s order to give medicine to Lady Sephina. You have done what you were told.

    ¡°In my name as the Crown Princess of this kingdom, I order you to get out of my sight! Without the King¡¯s order, you have no right to touch this child, the First Princess of the Kingdom of Valor.¡±

    With an expression that could not be defied, Shanel stood between the courtdy and the newborn infant still crying in the midwife¡¯s arms.

    The courtdy frowned, but she did nothing but let out a curtsy before departing along with the King¡¯s servants she brought with her. With the little princess born, she decided to go back and let King Tredor decide what must be done next.

    Once the King¡¯s servants left, only then did Shanel allow herself to feel relief, but she knew it was too early to rx. The King would order to kill Sephina¡¯s newborn child. The only way for her to survive was to have her leave the royal pce, but the chamber was probably heavily surrounded by the knights right now. There was no way she could escape with the little princess.

    ¡®I need to reach Gregor. I am sure His Majesty must have pressured him and locked him up somewhere.¡¯

    ¡°Your Highness,¡± the servant¡¯s call pulled her out to her senses.

    ¡°Your Highness, we have cleaned her body, but now, the baby needs to be fed. What shall we do?¡±

    ¡°Give her to me,¡± Shanel instructed. Her youngest son was hardly a year old and he was still feeding on his mother¡¯s milk. Shanel felt d that she was able to feed her and took the baby from the servant.

    The small bundle of warmth felt especially fragile in her arms. ¡®Oh my pitiful little princess¡­¡¯

    Shanel looked at the dead Sephina on the bed. The servants had ced a white cloth to cover her head out of respect for the dead, but it was still difficult for Shanel to ept that the woman who she loved like a sister was no longer alive.

    Though she felt like crying her heart out, it was not the time to show weakness. She needed to protect the little one that Sephina had left behind. She had to fulfill the words she gave to Sephina.

    ¡°Find out where His Highness is and tell make sure the news reaches him.¡±

    The servant nodded and left. Since the circumstance only allowed servants to freely leave and enter the chamber, Shanel could only get help from them.

    ¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Imbeciles!¡±

    The news of what happened reached the King who could not help but feel furious at the failure. He turned towards the High Priest with a worried gaze.

    ¡°What shall we do, Your Holiness? The cursed child is born¡­what will happen to Valor?¡±

    The High Priest frowned. ¡°A child born out of a dead mother? She truly is an evil thing from hell.¡± He shook his head as if something terrible had happened. ¡°We could not stop her froming into this world but it might still be possible to prevent ruin to our kingdom.¡± He then stared at the King. ¡°For the sake of this kingdom and the people, you have to order it, Your Majesty. You cannot let that cursed child live.¡±

    ¡°We have to kill that child,¡± the King said as he looked at the courtdy kneeling on the floor.

    ¡°Your orders will be followed, Your Majesty,¡± the courtdy said before she left.

 Chapter 256 Killed His Wife

    Chapter 256 Killed His Wife

    Meanwhile, Gregor received the news of his wife¡¯s passing and his daughter¡¯s birth still imprisoned in his own chamber. It was such a bittersweet feeling¨Cto realize what should have been a joyous affair had turned into a tragedy. Yet despite his sorrow for Sephina¡¯s death, he could only feel fear for what was toe.

    ¡®I cannot let my father kill my newborn daughter as well.¡¯

    Grabbing his sword once more, he stormed out of his chamber where the royal knights stopped him.

    ¡°I am going to see my dead wife. Do you dare stop me?¡± He brandished his sword and aimed at his throat. ¡°If you dare stop me, I will take my own life.¡±

    Seeing the enraged Crown Prince, the knights looked at each other on what to do.

    ¡°Let his Highness leave,¡± the King¡¯s knight said who happened to have arrived at that moment.

    Gregor shot him a deadly re, his reddened eyes seemingly saying he couldn¡¯t wait to kill him the first chance he got, but for now, he schooled his killing intent for the sake of his wife and daughter.

    No one stopped Gregor on his way to Sephina¡¯s chamber.

    When he reached there, the royal guards standing outside even opened the door for him.

    Gregor entered the chamber, resolved to face reality as calmly as he could, yet his strides faltered the moment he saw his wife, more precisely her dead body, lying in the middle of the bed, covered with a white cloth over her head.

    ¡°I want to be alone with my wife.¡±

    His voice was iparably quiet, not a hint of emotion to colour it. Yet it was precisely the uncannyposure he was exuding that caused the servants inside the chamber to start crying once more.

    ¡°W-We shall excuse ourselves, Your Highness.¡±

    The servants tidying up the chamber left without another word.

    Gregor was finally alone with his dear Sephina. Before he realized it, he was already walking towards her, each step of his as heavy as his heart. He felt like huge rocks were tied to his feet, and it was difficult to walk, yet he did¡­because he must reach his Sephina.

    ¡®Sephina, my wife, how lonely, how terrified you must have been¡­¡¯

    At this moment, no other thought came to his mind, not even about his newborn child or the danger she would be facing. All he could think about was his dead wife, his poor sweet Sephina who died without any fault of her own.

    Wiping the tears streaming down his face, he sat at the edge of the bed and pulled back the white cloth covering her head. He stared at her lifeless face, her eyshes still moist due to the tears she must have shed before dying. He caressed her cold face and broke into a cry of pure anguish.

    ¡®Sephina, my Sephina, forgive me¡­I should have¡­I should have been here. I don¡¯t even deserve your love¡­ I failed to protect you¡­.forgive me, I failed you¡­¡¯

    Though Gregor was royalty, he would never have agreed to take a second wife if he did not have feelings of affection for her. He loved Sephina as much as he loved his first wife, Shanel. He was extremely happy when he learned their love had borne fruit and was looking forward to their first child, but now, everything was ruined.

    ¡°Sephina¡­¡±

    After pouring out his regrets and resentment, Gregor finally stood up after saying farewell to his dead wife. He looked like a changed man, his expression one of cold ruthlessness.

    As he left the chamber, his thought was fixated on one thing: to find his daughter and protect her.

    ¡®I told her that I will take care of everything. I need to keep my word.¡¯

    He asked the knight guarding outside the door with a frigid tone, ¡°Where is my daughter?¡±

    The knight flinched before responding, ¡°Her Highness the Crown Princess has taken Lady Sephina¡¯s child with her to her bed-chamber.¡±

    Gregor went to his wife¡¯s chamber. But when he reached there, he found the ce empty. He felt his heart skip, fearing that his father the King had moved to harm them both. He knew Shanel would not give up the newborn child, and he was worried that her going against the King hadnded her in trouble.

    Just then his knight Taylor arrived and talked to him in a whisper. ¡®Your Highness, as per your order, I have made arrangements for the princess to escape. A trustworthy servant will be bringing her away from the pce secretly.¡¯

    Gregor nodded and then saw a familiar face passing by the hallway. It was the royal astrologer. They shared a knowing nce and the astrologer left after bowing to him.

    It was the same astrologer he asked to give the wrong birth chart to the King. From the way the astrologer shared a look with him, he understood he had done as he was asked.

    ¡®If only the High Priest did not say those words¡­¡¯

    ¡°Taylor, where is the Crown Princess?¡±

    ¡°Apologies, Your Highness, as all our knights are kept in prison, I alone could not track everything. But please give me a few minutes, I will¨C¡°

    ¡°Your Highness! I finally found you!¡± Gregor turned around to see one of Shanel¡¯sdy-in-waiting running towards him. ¡°Your Highness, please save the Crown Princess!¡±

    ¡°W-what happened?¡± What he was worried about the most had seemingly shed in front of his eyes. ¡°Where is my wife?!¡±

    ¡°His Majesty the King¡¯s knights have taken her away! She did not want to give up the princess¨C¡°

    ¡°Where did they take her?¡±

    ¡°I-I think they are bringing Her Highness and the little princess to the throne hall,¡± the servant answered while shedding tears.

    Gregor and Taylor hurried to go to the throne hall where they saw King Tredor sitting on his throne, the High Priest sitting on the seat nearest the throne, while in the centre of the grand throne hall was the frail body of the Crown Princess carrying a newborn baby wrapped in a thick cloth in her arms.

    With a heavy heart, Gregor walked forward with stiff strides, stopping to stand beside his kneeling wife.

 Chapter 257 Cursed Child Needs To Die

    Chapter 257 Cursed Child Needs To Die

    ¡°We have been waiting for you, Gregor,¡± he heard his father say in an apathetic tone. ¡°Good that you are finally here.¡±

    Shanel immediately turned her head to look at her husband. Her teary eyes were asking him to do something. ¡°Gregor¡­¡±

    Gregor simply nced at her without a word. He then turned his attention back to the man on the throne, and despite the anger in his chest, he had no choice but to bow his head.

    The emotionless voice of the King echoed inside the throne hall once more.

    ¡°I hope I have given you enough time to spend with your deceased wife.¡±

    His head still lowered, Gregor almost choked to force out a polite-sounding response.

    ¡°I thank¡­your benevolence¡­¡±

    ¡°What happened was unfortunate, and as your father, I feel bad that a precious life has been lost, but nothing is more important than our kingdom and its people. I do believe you understand why I made such a choice.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand.¡±

    Gregor could only helplessly close his eyes. Only he knew how pathetic he felt at this moment. So what if he was the Crown Prince? He could do nothing about the situation his family was in and could only beg for his father¡¯s mercy.

    King Tredor continued to speak, ¡°You are the next king of this kingdom. I know you understand what it is to be in my position.¡±

    ¡°I do, Father,¡± he replied in defeat.

    The King let out a smile of satisfaction and was about to praise his son when Gregor suddenly raised his head to stare at his father in the eye.

    ¡°Father, if you truly think of me as your son, I hope you will listen to a request of mine.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I have lost a wife. I don¡¯t want to lose the child I have with her as well. Please, as someone who is a parent as well, I am seeking your understanding. Do not harm my child. I will make an oath in my name that I will send her away so that even her shadow would never reach here¡ª¡±

    However, his plea was met with a cruel denial.

    ¡°I cannot ept this request of yours. That cursed child has to die.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, your granddaughter is but a harmless child!¡± Shanel cut in, her voice full of pleading. ¡°Please do not harm her, Your Majesty. I beseech your benevolent heart¡­¡±

    King Tredor sighed as he didn¡¯t wish to argue with his daughter-inw and just looked at his son. ¡°The First Knight Brigade is still stationed at the Crown Prince¡¯s residence. I just need to say one word and those knights will take into custody everyone residing inside.¡±

    His words meant one thing: his three young sons would be in jeopardy.

    Shanel shook her head at her husband. ¡°Gregor, don¡¯t give up. His Majesty would not kill the heirs of this kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Crown Princess, are you underestimating me just because I have been good to you as you are my family?¡± the King said in a cold voice as he red at her.

    Gregor knew his father really well and he knew how heartless he could be, exactly the opposite of how he was portrayed to be. Tredor Valor was renowned for his ruthlessness in his younger years, even killing his own siblings back when he was in the battle for session for the throne.

    ¡°Please do not harm your grandsons, Father.¡±

    ¡°Then, get your daughter and send her to her death with your own hands.¡±

    It shocked Gregor as he felt like he had heard something wrong. ¡°Father¡­?¡±

    ¡°Do you not hear me?¡± The King raised his voice, and the next moment, one knight held a sword against Shanel¡¯s neck.

    Gregor looked at his wife who was shaking her head, telling him to not listen to his father, but Gregor ignored her gaze and bent down to get the newborn baby from her arms.

    ¡°No! Gregor¡­w-what are you doing? Give her back!¡±

    He didn¡¯t answer her as he felt the remnants of his broken heart shatter once more.

    ¡°Gregor! No! Gregor, please don¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ying deaf to the screams of his wife, Gregor forcefully got the baby from Shanel. The entire hall was filled with Shanel¡¯s cries as well as the cries of the newly awakened baby whose sleep was disturbed.

    ¡®She¡¯s so tiny and precious¡­¡¯

    Gregor finally got the chance to see his daughter. The tears he was holding back rolled down his eyes. Instead of happiness at their meeting, he felt pain seeing her.

    Grief, frustration, anger, helplessness¡­

    He had already lost Sephina. He didn¡¯t wish for more lives to be taken away. Shanel, his three sons, how could he let all of them die?

    With eyes filled withplicated emotions, Gregor turned his attention back to his father seated on the throne.

    ¡°As she is still your child, I will not ask you to give her a cruel death.¡±

    When King Tredor raised his hands, several servants entered the throne hall with a huge pot made of brass which was heavy to carry as it was filled with water.

    The servants put that brass pot in the centre of the hall, in the space between Gregor and the King.

    Callous words rang out inside the throne hall.

    ¡°Put that cursed child in the water and let her die on her own.¡±

    Gregor closed his eyes at this madness and heard his father continue speaking, ¡°This is for your own good.¡±

    ¡®My own good¡­?¡¯

    ¡°After she is dead, you won¡¯t feel like you have a right to be her father and won¡¯t feel anything about losing your child. Also, this is a lesson for you. Remember, the future King of Valor must uphold the kingdom first and foremost. Nothinges before this throne you will sit on, not even your own family.¡±

    Gregor simply had no words for his father¡¯s twisted grace and thoughtfulness. Shanel was still in utter disbelief at how the King could do this to his own son. He ordered for Gregor to drown his own daughter, and say it was for his own good? He could have just asked any servant but he had decided to be cruel to his son.

 Chapter 258 Could Not Kill The Child

    Chapter 258 Could Not Kill The Child

    ¡°Proceed with it,¡± King Tredor ordered but Gregor found it difficult to take even a single step ahead.

    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± the King called out amidst his reluctance.

    As if on cue, the knight with his sword pointed at Shanel moved, causing Shanel to let out a panicked cry. His sword touched the skin of her neck, causing a small nick that started to bleed.

    Gregor took a sharp intake of air before woodenly walking towards the brass pot. Taking the baby out of that bundle of thick cloth, he felt as if his soul was leaving his body as he put that tiny precious body in the cold water.

    As he reluctantly let go of his hands¡ª

    The next moment, that brass pot broke and the water flowed out of the cracks, spilling onto the floor, while the baby remained at the bottom of the pot, her body red from crying but still very much alive.

    While everyone was still in shock with what happened, Gregor immediately picked up his daughter and hugged her towards his chest. He grabbed the cloth which he had dropped on the floor and hurriedly wrapped it around her body. He could not help but kiss her forehead, muttering prayers of gratitude to no one in particr, d and relieved to see her safe.

    The King wordlessly looked at the High Priest. ¡°Your Holiness, this¡­¡±

    ¡°I have said before that this child is cursed and she should not be born but¡­now she is born¡­¡± The old man shook his head with a heavy expression.

    ¡°What shall we do then? Shall we try other means?¡±

    The High Priest gave him an approving nod.

    King Tredor looked at his most favoured courtdy waiting on the sidelines. ¡°Prepare the same medicine for her.¡±

    The courtdy left while Shanel, who was visibly relieved as well, wanted to go to her husband but the knight used his sword to block in front of her, warning her to not move.

    ¡°Sephina¡¯s daughter¡­she¡¯s still¡­she¡¯s blessed¡­Her mother is protecting her¡­¡±

    Hearing the baby continue crying, happy tears rolled down her face¡­but it was too soon to feel relieved.

    Soon, the courtdy arrived with a bowl of the same medicine that killed Sephina. She bowed to the King who then ordered her, ¡°Hand it over to the Crown Prince.¡±

    At this point, Gregor was simply kneeling on the floor, tightly clutching onto his newborn child, unable to move due to the insane situation he was in. Tears couldn¡¯t stop making their way out his eyes as he felt his heart being ripped apart once more.

    The courtdy held the tray in front of the Crown Prince. ¡°Your Highness, please feed this medicine to the princess.¡±

    His gaze was blurry with tears, and it took him some time to understand what he must do next. In the middle of the wooden tray was a bowl filled with a dark liquid which had a wooden spoon in it.

    If it was a silver spoon, it would have changed color, but how thoughtful of them to use wooden spoons. A silent chuckle left his lips as he got a spoonful of that medicine and brought it closer to his daughter¡¯s mouth.

    ¡®My daughter, if you really are a cursed child as they say, if you are not an ordinary person, then please don¡¯t die. Your father is begging you, please don¡¯t die.¡¯

    He didn¡¯t know why he felt like that but there was a hope inside him that his child would not die. She was born though her mother was dead, and earlier, when he ced her inside the brass pot¡­

    The moment her tiny body went under the water, he swore she continued to cry, not suffocating, as if¡­as if she could breathe even underwater.

    He fed her the medicine. It was fatal and only a drop was enough to kill a newborn child.

    Gregor put the spoon back in the tray and everyone waited that the child would die in just a few moments but¡­it didn¡¯t happen.

    The King shouted at the courtdy who was next to Gregor. ¡°What is this farce? Why is that cursed thing still alive? What happened?¡±

    The courtdy was too shocked and could only voice out her disbelief, ¡°Y-Your Majesty, the child is still alive¡­? How¡­?¡±

    ¡°How else can it be if not your mistake? I told you to bring the same medicine!¡±

    The courtdy bowed to him immediately. ¡°Trust me, Your Majesty, it¡¯s the same one!¡±

    ¡°Prove it by drinking,¡± the King ordered.

    The courtdy looked at him in surprise but then she was trained to follow the King¡¯s orders, whatever it would be. Without a tinge of hesitation, she drank the medicine, and the next moment, everyone saw her copsing on the ground.

    No one could deny her death after thest deep gasp she had taken.

    The ensuing silence was so loud it was deafening. The King threw a look of revulsion at the child wrapped in cloth before turning once more towards the frowning High Priest. ¡°What shall we do?¡±

    ¡°s! As the cursed child has been born, she won¡¯t die without fulfilling what she is born for.¡±

    ¡°Your Holiness! The kingdom cannot be destroyed! If it¡¯s impossible to kill her, then¡­?¡±

    ¡°That child possesses the darkness from hell, and her soul is bound to stain thisnd with darkness.¡±

    ¡°There must be a way. What do you suggest, Your Holiness?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s attention was on the High Priest, who took some time to ponder over the situation. ¡°Since execution is impossible, the only other option is to try to suppress the evil fate she harbours. An unholy being like her should be ced in a ce which is as unholy as her. Outside the capital, there is a cursed ce, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about the haunted mountain south of the capital, Your Holiness? That region where no life thrives?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Leave this child on that mountain and let her fate be decided by the darkness there. Whether she lives or dies, let us simply live it to fate.¡±

    ¡°If that will save the kingdom, then I will do as you have suggested.¡±

    ¡°Father!¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty!¡±

    Gregor and Shanel both cried out together. How could these two men think about leaving a baby on that mountain on her own?

 Chapter 259 Decision To Send Her Away

    Chapter 259 Decision To Send Her Away

    ¡°The decision has been made. Gregor, you will go with my knights this very instant and leave your daughter there.¡±

    ¡°Father, I won¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am giving you the chance to see her for thest time. Regardless if it is you or even the servants, I do not care as long as that cursed child is left on that mountain.¡±

    Just as he was about to dismiss his son, he recalled something.

    ¡°By my name as the King of Valor, I decree that after leaving that cursed child in the haunted mountain, you are to immediately report back to me and will not be allowed to set foot on that mountain ever again.¡±

    Gregor knew he had to listen to his father. Like a puppet with its strings pulled, he stood up carrying the little princess in his arms. He could only hope that another miracle would ur¡ªsince she was not meant to die now, then she would continue to survive till the end.

    The King then ordered his loyal men to escort the Crown Prince and make sure he aplished the duty assigned to him. Gregor¡¯s way out was led by the knights, leaving Shanel free to withdraw from the throne hall as well.

    ¡®There is only one thing I can do.¡¯

    Shanel knew she could not openly defy the King¡¯s order but she could do something to protect the princess. It was something she had already thought about as soon as the princess was born.

    ¡®I must hide the child away from the King¡¯s eyes.¡¯

    As she walked out of the throne hall, she happened to see her husband¡¯s guardian knight, Taylor, who was waiting outside as he was not allowed to apany the Crown Prince. As if he understood something from Shanel¡¯s gaze, he let her leave first and went the other way.

    Shanel¡¯sdy-in-waiting was relieved to see the Crown Princess safe and sound, and she hurried to her side. As they walked away, Shanel talked to her in a low voice, ¡°Have you done what I had asked you to?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness. Due to the chaotic situation here, no one paid attention when I sent our servant there.¡±

    ¡°Where is she?¡±

    ¡°Waiting for you. Please let me lead the way.¡±

    Thedy-in-waiting took her to an unfamiliar path within the pce walls, inevitably ending inside one room seemingly forgotten by time. The room was dark and filled with old stuff lining the shelves, and if not for the smallmp held by herpanion, it was impossible to see anything amidst the darkness.

    Behind one of the wooden shelves stood a woman wearing a long dark robe with a hood to hide her face. The moment Shanel reached her, the woman bowed and pulled the hood up.

    It was a woman in her early thirties who had a number of scars on her skin which looked freshly healed. She even had a small brand on her right cheek which was left behind by a hot iron. If an outsider were to see that brand, they would have been scared¡ª that was the mark left behind by the authorities of the kingdom on those suspected of practicing witchcraft, which was a serious offense punishable by death.

    ¡°Gaia,¡± Shanel called out towards the branded woman, ¡°you say I am your benefactor because I have saved your life. I believe you will keep your words of paying me back for that debt of gratitude.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, you can trust me.¡±

    ¡°I will entrust the sole princess of this kingdom to you,¡± she said with a small smile. ¡°This poor child, she will be abandoned on the haunted mountain south of the capital in the next few hours. Save her.

    ¡°Know that despite her being the daughter of Gregor and his second wife, I love her like she is my own. You have to take care of her and raise her like your own child. You have to protect her. Make sure¡­make sure to hide her well. I think not letting her know her past will ensure her safety as well¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand, Your Highness. I will raise the little princess well.¡±

    Shannel then looked at her servant who handed her a small wooden box. She offered it to Gaia. ¡°This box is her mother¡¯s memento. It was a gift personally by her mother before her birth. You need to keep it with her, the token of her identity. Maybe in the future, I am not sure, but maybe this token will be of great help to her in the future¡­¡±

    Gaia epted the box and heard Shanel continue, ¡°You had lost your child a few days back. I believe you will give that warmth to the princess and raise her like your own.¡±

    ¡°I give you my words, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you will need, I will find a way to provide it to you secretly.¡± Shanel then looked at herdy-in-waiting. ¡°Is everything ready for her to leave?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Your Highness.¡±

    ¡°Then take Gaia immediately out of the pce. My husband has already left for the mountain and will leave the princess there. Problems might ur if she is left on her own for a duration of time. Hurry!¡±

    The Crown Princess¡¯sdy-in-waiting hurried out of the room, bringing along Gaia with her to evade the routes taken by the royal guards patrolling the hallways. Just as they reached outside, they spotted the brigade of knights stationed outside, moving in pairs at intervals as they secured the security of the area.

    ¡®Or to prevent anyone from sneaking out.¡¯

    Gaia had the witch brand on her cheek and her identity could not be hidden upon seeing her face¡ªthey would know at once she was a fugitive.

    Thedy-in-waiting hesitated, thinking of an alternative path when¡ª

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    The two women nearly jumped upon hearing the quiet voice from behind them, and thedy-in-waiting gave a sigh of relief upon recognizing the man.

    ¡°Sir Taylor.¡±

    ¡°This way.¡±

    The women followed the knight of the Crown Prince who made them leave through a secret tunnel known to him.

    Thedy-in-waiting was quite relieved when they managed to sessfully get Gaia out of the pce walls and into a hidden shed with strong horses waiting inside. In fact, she was quite overwhelmed; after all, the knight helped them despite Gaia¡¯s identity.

    Gaia was a person who was hiding inside the pce with the help of Shanel. The Crown Princess had taken pity on the poor woman who had lost her child after getting captured by the authorities and saved her before her scheduled day of execution. Shanel was a righteous woman who could not see the unjust, and thanks to her kindness, Gaia in turn became an instrument to save the royal family¡¯s little princess.

 Chapter 260 Abandoned On The Haunted Mountain

    By the time Gregor reached the haunted mountain, the sun had long set beyond the horizon, causing the already gloomy forest to look even more menacing.

    At the base of the mountain where not a single living thing could be found, it could be seen that therge ominous trees were bare, and there were no visible trails to follow as everything was covered in thick fog. The further one walked, the less the eye could see. It was due to this phenomenon that caused even the vigers nearby to fear the dead forest as even a veteran hunter could get lost if they were to stray off the known paths.

    Gregor was led by the King''s knights, the men carrying torches to be able to see through the foggy darkness. It seemed as if there was something lurking among the shadows. Even as a man, he could not help but feel the fear of the unknown.

    As they walked in hollow silence on the uneven rocky ground, only the sound of the baby''s crying could be heard.

    "That''s enough. We can leave the cursed child here," the leader of the knights announced.

    Gregor looked at their surroundings and there were only dead trees and sharp rocks around, nothing even to shelter her. Several feet away from the torches, only the fog awaits.

    ''How can I simply leave her here?''

    Gregor held his crying daughter closer to his chest, as if to say he would not let her go.

    "Your Highness, the King would not take your act of disobedience kindly. Unless you do as you are told, no one you love is safe."

    The knight didn''t have to remind him as he was aware of this fact.

    Gregor lowered his head, gazing with a heavy heart at the crying face of his daughter.

    <o>,m ''My little princess, please...please survive.''</o>

    With movements as heavy as his heart, Gregor carefully put his daughter on a rtively t part of the rocky ground. After fixing the cloth wrapping around her body again and again, he even took off his outer coat and put it on her. He also asked for two fire torches from the knights escorting him and stuck them in the rocks around her to chase away the darkness and chill from her tiny body.

    Though he heard that no wild animal could survive in this dead forest, he still thought the fire could help ward them off on the low chance they exist. He only wanted to give his daughter as much protection as he could.

    ''Once I assured the King that I had followed his instruction, I could send someone to get my daughter.''

    When Gregor returned to the Royal Pce of Valor, he didn''t go to meet the King as he could not bear to see that cruel man who he used to call father. It was the King''s most trusted knight who informed him that his orders had been followed.

    "Good," King Tredor said as he gave an appreciative nod. "Make sure Gregor won''t step out of his chamber for the next two days and keep an eye on his knights and servants. Dispatch your knight brigade to watch that mountain. If you find anyone, kill them on sight."<sub> </sub>

    "Your orders have been received, Your Majesty."

    The moment Gregor arrived at his residence, he found the most loyal knights of the King, the First Knight Brigade, were still guarding the premises. He felt like a prisoner in his own home. He could only helplessly head straight to his chamber, unable to even see his first wife or children. Fortunately, his guardian knight was at least allowed entry to his room.

    As it happened, the leader of the King''s knights also entered the chamber and informed him, "Your Highness the Crown Prince, the King has decreed that you are not allowed to leave your chamber for the next two days. Please cooperate with us."

    The older knight then looked at Taylor.

    "Allow me to give you advice as a senior knight and your former instructor, Taylor. Focus on protecting the safety of your liege. Dissuade the Crown Prince from trying to circumvent the King''s orders. If you send anyone to save the little princess, they will be killed, as per His Majesty''s orders, and I do not wish my sword to be stained with the blood of the knights I trained myself."

    The knight departed after giving a terse salute, leaving Gregor even more frustrated. His father sure didn''t wish to leave any room for him to help his daughter.

    Once everything was quiet and Taylor made sure no one was around to listen, he spoke, "Your Highness, I have something to tell you."

    Gregor was sitting on the couch with his head buried in his hands. It took him effort to lift his head, and his exhausted face seemed to have aged ten years in a span of a day.

    "As you had predicted, the Crown Princess did move in case you cannot do anything. Her Highness had prepared a person to help the princess and I helped her leave the pce like you said. As King''s attention was on you, things went easy for Her Highness."

    Gregor''s dull eyes somehow brightened. "Tell me, who did she send?"

    "It was the woman who owed her life to Her Highness''s pity, the witch who was supposed to be hanged to death a few days back. You should remember her because you asked me to secretly keep troubles away from Her Highness."

    Gregor remembered. His first wife took pity on that woman because she was someone who lost her child after being captured by the temple knights. She was an innocent vige woman who became a victim of the temple''s witch hunt.

    "I personally made sure she reached the haunted mountain, and only then did I return to the pce."

    "Did you see that woman bring away the princess with her?"

    "Yes, Your Highness. Rest assured."

    Gregor could not be more relieved than this. Fortunately, his daughter was not left alone to die.

 Chapter 261 Cruel Edict From The King

    "Keep watch on Shanel and if there is anything that is about to go wrong, protect her. Help her in secret with whatever she does."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Sooner orter, he would be able to meet his daughter once more.

    Just as Gregor thought that everything was over, the leader of the King''s knights once again appeared in his chamber.

    "Crown Prince, His Majesty has summoned you to his study."

    Gregor frowned inwardly, but had no choice but to receive the summon. While wondering what new kind of torture the King had cooked up, he went to the King''s study where King Tredor was waiting for him.

    From his grave expression, it was clear that he was waiting to drop one more shocking news at him.

    Gregor formally bowed to him. "Greetings, Your Majesty!"

    King Tredor gazed at him without a word, and it was his aide who was standing next to his desk who responded to the greeting. The aide opened the scroll he was holding in his hand.

    "Gregor Valor, kneel before the royal edict given by His Majesty King Tredor, the 23rd King of Valor."

    The Crown Prince kneeled with a bad premonition.

    "From this moment onward, records of Sephina Valor, the second wife of Gregor Valor, will be erased from the royal annals and archives. Anything rted to her and the child she had given birth to will be erased from the records of the royal family ordingly, and it will be prohibited by thews of thend to bring up her and her child''s existence.

    "In ordance with this, Gregor Valor, you are refrained from ever acknowledging the existence of the cursed child, regardless if she happens to survive or not. Contact, be it direct or not, will constitute treason against the crown. If any of your men are spotted doing so, you will be held responsible as a criminal of the highest offence.

    "From this moment on, the cursed child on that mountain is nobody to you. As an evil thing ordained to bring destruction to the kingdom, you are ordered to use all means to kill that child the moment she leaves the mountain that suppresses her evil tendencies or the moment she fulfils her evil destiny and harms the people of thisnd.

    "On the instance that you fail to follow the words written in this royal edict, Gregor Valor will be stripped of his title as the Crown Prince and would be dered as a traitor whomitted the crime of treason. As punishment, the traitor along with his family would be given the death penalty and executed in public."

    A bitter chuckle echoed inside the study.

    ''Why am I not even surprised?''<sub> </sub>

    A gleam of madness shed in Gregor''s eyes as he heard the advisor ceremoniously close the scroll in his hand.

    "Kindly ept the royal edict, Gregor Valor."

    Gregor epted the decree with him still kneeling on the floor. At this moment, acting as per what the King said was the best option. Just as he stood up and was about ready to leave after bowing to King Tredor, he was stopped.

    "Gregor," the King called.

    He gazed at the heartless man with frigid eyes. "Is there anything else, Your Majesty?"

    "It is the will of a king that I am leaving for you. You know you cannot go against this will even after my death. If you go against this, the royal court will have the right to execute the order given in this edict. So do not be foolish to think after I die and you be the king, that you can undo my will. Even after my death, you and your family will be punished for viting my edict."

    "I know, Your Majesty. Thank you for your guidance. I am humbled by your boundless wisdom."

    Gregor bowed to his father for thest time, carrying a weakness that his father had created for him for his future. Once he was crowned the King of Valor, the noble faction of the royal court would want to use it against him to decrease the power of the royal family, and he would have to be careful if he wanted to protect his wife and children.

    ''What a useless king I am destined to be, to be unable to do anything for my one and only daughter.''

    When he stepped out of the study, his knight who was waiting for him outside the study silently followed him back to his chamber. Gregor exined everything to him and the knight could not help but feel bad about his liege.

    "I apologise for my ipetence, Your Highness. I could not help you in any way." Taylor kneeled in front of him and lowered his head. "Your Highness can punish me for my not being able to be your strong support."

    "It''s not your fault, Taylor. In front of the King''s power, even I had to give up¡ªwhat more could you do when even I am powerless? If not for my family''s lives at stake, I would have not cared for anything. I would run away with my daughter and give up on everything but¡­" he sighed. "You have done enough by helping Shanel secretly and I wish you to continue doing it."

    "I will, Your Highness."

    "Do not let anyone know about the King''s edict. Especially Shanel. Since I cannot do anything, Shanel is the only one who can help our little princess. That decree has nothing to do with her, and keeping her ignorant is the best option. If something happens, I can take the sole responsibility."

    "Rest assured, Your Highness." The knight Taylor Assured and he was determined to do it at the stake of his life.

    After that day, whenever there was any cmity or unexined troubles within the Kingdom of Valor, it was all med on the princess'' existence. That cursed child eventually became the witch for them, an existence that became synonymous to evil. The people wanted nothing but to have her killed.

 Chapter 262 End Of The Past

    When the abandoned princess was around five years old, King Trevor passed away and Gregor took over the throne as the new King of Valor.

    With the previous king''s demise, the kingdom mourned, but no one within the royal family felt sincere grief. In fact, for the newly crowned Queen, what she felt was relief and hope. Shanel was now hopeful that Gregor would do something for his daughter. After the various affairs of the kingdom had been settled after King Trevor''s death, Shanel talked to her husband.

    "Gregor, your father has passed away, can we bring back Sephina''s daughter to the pce?"

    "There is no need," was all he said, as if he didn''t care.

    It shocked Shanel. She thought Gregor would be the first one to think about his daughter after his father''s death as there were no more obstacles to bringing her back. Then why...?

    "Gregor! Come to your senses!" Shanel felt enraged. "Your daughter is living so miserably on that haunted mountain! Don''t you want to do something for her? Do you want her to continue living like an animal?"

    "She is fine the way she is. The most important thing is that she is alive. Bringing her back means creating troubles for her and for everyone else."

    "T-Then, not here! You do not have to bring her back to the pce but you can send her somewhere else. There are summer vis on the outskirts. You can even have her live as a foster daughter of some countryside noble. At least provide her with a good life!"

    "No need to do that. Leave her be. As a Queen, you better know where your priorities lie and give attention to your royal duties."

    "Gregor, you..."

    "There won''t be any more discussion about this," he replied coldly.

    Shanel could not help but feel bitter at his attitude. "I thought you hated King Tredor''s cruelty, but you are just like your father--maybe even more ruthless. You don''t care about the innocent life that you people have abandoned to die. I thought I knew the man I married, but I guess I was wrong. "

    "You are dismissed," Gregor said as he resumed his work.

    Disappointed and infuriated at her husband''s callousness, Shanel stormed out of the King''s study. The heavy sullen silence that followed was only broken by the knock on his door.

    It was his guardian knight, Taylor.

    "Your Majesty, you were right. Given that you have just ascended the throne, the control of the royal family over the nobles of the kingdom is at its weakest. The royal court members led by the Duke of the North have started to gather evidence that shows you are going against your father''sst will. It would be better for the time being if we don''t have a connection with the princess''s matter."

    Gregor nodded. "As expected of those sly ministers. They want to use my daughter as an excuse to dethrone me and use that to put my easily controble cousin to the throne. My father had handed them my weakness on his own so how can they not take advantage?"

    He could only massage his temples.<sub> </sub>

    "Make sure to keep an eye on Shanel. I don''t want her to be in any trouble. Try to protect her but make sure she does not discover your interference."

    "Yes, Your Majesty. One of the Queen''s servants left the pcest week to visit the market and secretly provided money and food to that Gaia woman."

    "Watch that servant. You can kill her if there is a chance our enemies will discover her."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Gregor closed his eyes briefly. "Just for the time being. Once I get the chance, I will arrange to send her somewhere away."

    Taylor left while Gregor thought about how he had upset his wife just a while ago. She must have had great expectations from him but he had to disappoint her for the sake of saving her and their three sons. He didn''t want to put their lives in danger because of his father''s edict, hisst will for his son that he could not go against.

    ''Since I cannot tell Shanel the truth, I have to prepare myself to receive hate from her. She is righteous and willful and she won''t hesitate to show how much she hates me after this.''

    ------

    Like that, several years passed by.

    However, it was not as uneventful as hoped. Ever since the rumors grew that the witch lives in the haunted mountain, the local authorities continue to receive reports from the viges around that mountain. The locals imed to face various ominous things.

    Once in a while, someone would disappear and then their dead body would be found at the outskirts of the forest. At first, it would be once or twice a month, but soon, the situation escted where a group of veteran hunters disappeared, their dead bodies to be found at the foot of the mountain.

    People were enraged and they thought it was the doing of the witch who lived on that mountain. The angry mob started to protest and demand for her death once more. The King was forced to follow the edict left by his father that he had to go against his daughter if she ever ''harms the people of thisnd''.

    <o>,m He ordered Taylor to send a trustworthy group of knights to secretly get the princess and send her to a small vige at the fringes of the kingdom, a ce he prepared where no one could find out about her identity, but no one knew what happened on that mountain that night and where the group of knights disappeared.</o>

    No one could ever think that the Princess they had abandoned and tried to kill was saved by someone powerful, known as the devil and whose existence had scared humankind for centuries. No one of them would have imagined even their wildest dream that the princess would be a Queen of the kingdom of the supernaturals and a mate of the ck Dragon.

    Moreover, she was someone powerful beyond their imagination-

    The one who could bring hell to thisnd if she wished to and burn everything to ashes, not letting even the traces of their existence.

 Chapter 263 The Divine Eagle

    Present day, the Kingdom of Agartha.

    As Ember was still not awake after their bondpletion, Draven had to leave her side as he had urgent matters to attend. He received a report that two of the many scouts that were sent on the other side of the continent had returned with positive news. His aide Melion had informed him about their arrival and now they were waiting to meet the King after their long journey.

    When Draven entered his study, he found Wind Fae Melion apanying two male brown eagles, shapeshifters from the Divine Eagle n.

    "Good evening, Your Majesty. I have brought them as per your order," Melion said as he bowed, and the two brown eagles with him did the same, though their greeting was more formal.

    "Your humble servants greet the King of Agartha."

    Draven sat in his chair behind the desk and epted their greeting with a light nod.

    "What did you two find out?" Draven asked straight away.

    "Your Majesty, we have sessfully found one purple-eyed woman in the human kingdom called Megaris. Her name is Seren Ilven, a princess from another kingdom who had recently married the King of Megaris and is now Queen Seren Ivanov. ording to the rumors, she is a witch. Unfortunately, we could not confirm this as we did not manage to see her in person because we were caught by her husband."

    "You say her husband caught you? That human king?"

    Draven and Melion were both surprised.

    Melion could not help but rify, "A human strong enough to catch scouts who specialize in speed and evasion?"

    "Sir Melion, the King of Megaris, Drayce Ivanov, isn''t human," the more senior between the two scouts exined. "Intuition is telling me he is strong, very strong, and it has something to do with the superiority of the bloodline. Thus, I believe he might be a descendant of a divine beast, if not a divine beast himself, though we fail to confirm which race he belongs to. However, the essence of his powers was somewhat simr to the King...and he has eyes as red as yours, Your Majesty."

    "A Dragon?" Draven murmured with a furrowed brow. Though he was not showing it, he could not help but feel a bit of anticipation, as he had never met a fellow dragon in his thousands of years of existence.

    "Apologies. We cannot say it for sure, Your Majesty."

    "A supernatural being suspected of being a dragon is the king of a human kingdom?" Melionmented in absolute disbelief.

    Draven gave the brown eagles a questioning look. "He let you leave after capturing you?"

    "It is because he has a message he wants to be delivered to you, Your Majesty," the senior scout said with a bow. "The King of Megaris had officially demanded an exnation as to why Your Majesty was searching for a purple-eyed woman. Depending on your response, he will decide if he wishes to cooperate with us or not."

    Draven frowned. "Exnation? To a king of a human kingdom?"

    "Your Majesty, there is another thing," the other eagle quietly spoke up.

    Draven and Melion looked at him with heavy expressions, causing him to wither under their stares. Hispanion had to nudge him for him to start speaking.

    The younger scout then dropped a second mind-blowing news.

    "The King of Megaris has a golden eagle by his side."<sub> </sub>

    A golden eagle. From the mouth of someone from the Divine Eagle n, it could only mean one thing.

    "A golden eagle?! Is it Lady Myra perhaps?" Melion asked in shock. Meanwhile, Draven had something else going on in his mind upon hearing it which he hid.

    The senior scout sadly shook his head. "Unfortunately, it is not her. It is a young Divine Eagle not even two hundred years of age. His name is Aureus. Fortunately, he will being to Agartha as the King of Megaris has sent the golden eagle as a royal envoy from his kingdom to talk to our King. He will arrive here in a matter of days."

    "Make sure to bring him directly to me."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    "The rest I will discuss with the envoy from Megaris. You are dismissed."

    The shapeshifters excused themselves, leaving Melion alone with Draven. "Your Majesty, what do you think? Can he be someone rted to Lady Myra? When she left, she was..."

    "Do not mention it yet. I will need to meet that golden eagle first and only then can I make a conclusion." Draven leaned into his chair as he considered how his arrival would affect the future. "This is ssified information until then. Temporarily assign those scouts where they cannot contact their n, and bring that envoy to me without letting anyone know about it."

    Draven was aware that it could create a sudden uproar not just within the Divine Eagle n but even among the leaders of the other races who had witnessed the presence of thest divine golden eagle. They would wonder about where he came from and if he had anything to do with Myra.

    "I have received your orders, Your Majesty."

    After Melion excused himself, Draven pondered over the new discoveries he heard tonight.

    ''Can he be Myra''s son? In each generation, only one golden eagle can be born at most, then...

    ''It is possible that he is a child of one of the wandering Divine Eagles scattered in the continent, but the possibility of him being her child is high. If so, we can find Myra through him.

    ''Morpheus, he...''

    Draven got rid of the thought as soon as it came into his mind.

    ''I cannot tell him yet. What if he is not her child? Morpheus will be disappointed again. I should take time to know more.''

    Besides that, the other thing that troubled him was the identity of the King of Megaris. His wife was the suspected woman in his mate''s dreams, and he also had a Divine Eagle by his side.

    To him, the King of Megaris didn''t seem to be someone who should be taken lightly.

    ===

    A chapter dedicated to the reader "ck Yuki Cross". Thank you so much for the castle and golden tickets. <3<3

 Chapter 264 Oath From The Past Life

    Meanwhile, in the realm beyond the mortal world.

    A female being with long copper brown locks was seated on a throne made of red gemstones. Though her entire body was exuding divinity, rather than sacredness and serenity, a pulsating pressure was centered on her, causing the atmosphere within the heavenly pce to grow cold and heavy.

    "My Sovereign, what happened? Why do you look so agitated?" that divine being''s angel, Petra, asked as soon as she felt the shaking of the stone pirs of the pce.

    Goddess Isis was restless as she felt the seal on Ember''s powers had further weakened.

    The moment her gazended on the angel, a golden re escaped her eyes, though not a single emotion could be seen on that beautiful face.

    "Where is that purple-eyed child?"

    The gentle voice sounded like heavenly music as it echoed within the vast halls, but it caused the angel to freeze in fear.

    Petra could see this time that the goddess was not in a good mood. Another change must have urred. She immediately kneeled, her head touching the white marble floor as she bowed in front of the goddess.

    "My Sovereign, we are still searching for her. Please forgive my ipetence!"

    The silence that followed caused Petra to feel more fear as she kept her head on the floor.

    "M-My Sovereign, I have sent more of my brethren to spy on the mortal realm, so please be patient. I am sure it won''t take long for us to find her after shees of age. It will happen soon--"

    "Soon? I have been hearing the same thing from you." Though Isis had an image of a calm benevolent ruler on her, the suffocating divinity wrapped around her made it seem like she would destroy everything around her. "That seal on her is about to break and you are yet to find that purple-eyed child?"

    "My Sovereign, please punish me."

    "Punish you?"

    The beautiful goddess heard that, causing her lips to curve into the sweetest of smiles--

    "Ahh!" Petra cried out in pain. Goddess Isis''s eyes remained glued to her as she inflicted well-deserved punishment on her loyal but ipetent servant.

    "My...Sovereign..."

    Petrapletely lost strength as she fell on the ground, her body writhing in intense pain. For a span of time, her pitiful cries were the only sounds within the pce covered in clouds.

    The instant Isis released her from punishment, the trembling angel crawled back to her knees.

    "...T-Thank you for...your boundless...passion..."

    "If you fail this time, your punishment won''t stop here," Isis warned as she watched her with a satisfied expression. "I will take back the blessings endowed on you, and you will be stripped of your divinity. You will no longer be an angel and will be banished to the mortal realm to face a worse fate than death."

    Petra trembled, her weakened body covered in sweat, at the looming image of her future.

    "Apologies again, my Sovereign!" she said, a strong conviction to survive colouring her tone. "I will make sure to find her to the best of my abilities!"

    "Do you resent me, my dearest Petra?" Isis suddenly asked, her voice gentle. "Was my punishment too harsh?"

    "My life is yours, my Sovereign! Even if you erase my soul at this very moment, I will never bear hatred for you. It is I whomitted a mistake and let down your expectations."

    "I am d you understand how it pains my heart to punish you like this." Isis then let out a lonely sigh. "My heart is aching, Petra..."

    "Is it because...of the Sealed One?"

    "Indeed, I cannot find her while the seal on her powers is about to break. She will endanger not only you and me, but the entire peace of the pantheon. Before she remembers everything and gets back to us, we need a way to stop her and the only way is to find that purple-eyed child...Sierra''s child."

    Petra straightened herself up and looked at Isis. "Please give me permission, my Sovereign! I will personally go to the mortal realm and use my powers to search for that child. I assure you, my Sovereign, that I will bring that purple-eyed child to you."<sub> </sub>

    "I trust you, my most loyal follower. This is thest chance you get...for even a goddess as gracious as I have no use for an angel who knows nothing but failure."

    "Y-Yes, My Sovereign."

    "Leave," Isismanded, her expression kind though her voice was icy cold, which made Petra''s body tremble even more. The angel immediately stood up and left her presence, leaving the heavenly pce covered in clouds to regain its peace once more.

    =======

    "I am not wrong, you all are!"

    "You power-hungry creatures!"

    "You want to control everyone and manipte the innocents--"

    A green-eyed woman with long mahogany hair had her entire body chained--from her torso to her four limbs--as she angrily challenged the celestial beings in front of her. Each of her words was full of rage and resentment. Her anger made the surroundings silent and tense, as if something unholy was going to happen.

    Yet her struggle was futile; no matter how much she tried to break those chains, she was unable to free herself.

    "I dare you to free me and then see what I will do to all of you!"

    The celestial guards who were holding the other end of those chains were having difficulty holding those chains, as the one, they were trying to suppress was one of the most powerful beings that the pantheon of gods had ever seen--but even a Primordial goddess such as her had a weakness. She had no choice but to kneel in front of the heavenly powers meant to subdue divine beings such as her.

    Though none of the deities were responding to her taunts, she could feel the contempt in their gazes slithering on her body like the snakes they are.

    "If not for you tricking me into losing my powers, do you think you can stop me? Do you think any of you can even stand in front of me?"

    She was growling like a hurt lioness, her eyes holding nothing but burning rage in them caused by the pain she had gone through. She looked like she could not wait to be free and kill all the greedy beings who wronged her.

    Dark clouds were gathering in the sky with threatening thunderbolts. Though she knew the end was near, she looked up with fearless eyes, as if mocking those thunderbolts themselves.

    "Mark my words, you hypocrites!

    "Cherish what little you have gained this day, for though I have lost, I will never perish. With my soul at stake, I am making an oath to the heavens, the world be my witness.

    "The moment I return and walk through the gates of the heavenly realm once more, I will strike down upon you the great vengeance and furious anger of those who you have oppressed!"

    Her emerald green eyes glowed golden, as if they were burning mes.

    "And when the day of reckoninges, I will destroy you all! I will destroy this ce full of wickedness!

    "Tremble in fear for my return! My name is---, the sovereign of ---, loyal servant to the Absolute, the emperor of heavens...

    "And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next!"

    At the end of her oath, multiple thunderbolts fell on her, making her existence disappear into nothing but numerous small mes.

    Ember, who was still unconscious after the phenomena of the night of the full moon, had tears rolling down the corners of her eyes.

    It was as if she herself had been the one bound in chains. What that woman in her dream was going through brought her aplicated sense of helplessness, anger, grief and misery. Negative emotions so deep swirled inside her like an abyss, and she could feel every bit of that darkness as if it was her own pain.

    ...and that desire to destroy everything was the most dominant of them all.

    Even in her deep sleep, Ember felt no peace as she experienced the woman''s pain.

 Chapter 265 Woke Up

    As Ember watched the entire thing unfold over and over again like a broken nightmare, she was struck by the same resonating pain, and she wanted to reach out to her.

    Was it out of pity? She had no idea. All she wanted to do was tofort the woman. She felt like she could do something to lessen the pain of that woman...

    Ember didn''t just have tears, soft cries gradually left her mouth as she sobbed at the suffering of the green-eyed woman bound in chains. And when the bolts of lightning struck her, causing her body to perish--

    "No..."

    Her hands clutched on the nket covering her, as if she too was trying to resist that scorching agony, yet her entire body was unable to move, paralysed beyond her control.

    It just so happened that her servants, Reya and Clio, entered her chamber to check on their master at that moment. It was already evening, and given that Ember had slept for an entire day, they were somewhat expecting her to awaken around this time. The Head of the Witches predicted that thepletion of the bond might have taken a great toll on Ember''s human body; thus, even though they weren''t sure when she would regain consciousness, they had to check on her from time to time.

    "I think Miss is awake?" Reya felt hopeful when they suddenly felt the movement in bed. However, the two elves were immediately alerted upon hearing the sounds of sobbing and they hurried towards the bed. They saw tears rolling down Ember''s closed eyes.

    "Miss? Miss, are you alright?" Clio asked worriedly but there was no response.

    "Is she having a nightmare?" Reya asked as she looked at her cousin. "Shall we wake her up?"

    Clip leaned down and put her hand on Ember''s hand that was clutching the nket. "Miss, can you hear me? Please wake up. Miss, it is Clio..."

    "No!!!"

    As she yelled that out, Ember opened her eyes and sat up in bed, catching her breath as if she was yet to realize she had woken up. For several seconds, nobody inside the chamber moved.

    Ember then blinked before looking at her worried servants and the surroundings in confusion. A moment ago, she felt like she was somewhere else, a ce that was very different from where she was, one so beautiful yet so terrifying than anywhere she had ever seen in her life.

    "Miss, it is us. Please stop crying, "Reya said as she reached out for Ember''s hand like an older sister. "Everything is fine. No matter what you saw, you left it behind in your dreams. Everything is but a bad dream..."

    Ember closed her eyes briefly as she was still not out of it and didn''t know what to think about it. All she did was let out an exhausted sigh as her equally exhausted body fell back to bed.

    Her servants quietly waited for her to say anything.

    When she had calmed down, Ember opened her eyes again, and she gave her servants a small smile of apology, causing them to give a collective sigh of relief. Clio passed a cloth to Ember for her to dry the streaks of tears on her face. Just as Reya was about to say something funny to change the mood, an awkward sound beat her to it.

    It was the sound of a certain human''s stomach growling in hunger.

    "Uhm, I am starving?" Ember said as she looked at the two servants with an embarrassed face.<sub> </sub>

    Fortunately, her body gave her an excuse as she wanted to avoid answering any of her servants'' questions about why she was crying in her sleep.

    The servants were considerate enough to no longer ask, simply proceeding to serve their master.

    "Miss, I will immediately bring a nice warm meal for you," Clio said as she left.

    Ember wanted to sit up again, but felt her body was so weak to even move an inch.

    "Miss, let me help you." Reya went to her side and helped Ember to sit up, but she had a crumpled expression on her face as she lifted her upper body. She could not help but groan in pain.

    "Miss, what''s wrong? Are you injured somewhere?" the servant asked as she observed Ember''s expression while arranging the pillows to support her back.

    Ember closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She felt like she had done some heavybour beyond what her body could handle. Her legs felt like they had no strength in them and then she realized that a certain ce between her legs was aching badly.

    Reya didn''t ask any more questions and went to get water for Ember who had buried herself in thefort of the pillows stacked behind her. With her eyes closed, she tried to process what she had seen in her dream.

    "Miss, have some water."

    Ember opened her eyes and epted the ss from Reya. She had a few sips of water which she swallowed slowly. Her free hand moved to rub her empty stomach. It felt like her stomach really needed something to fill it in.

    Reya smiled at her gesture. "Miss, I am sure you must be starving. You have slept for an entire day. You have not eaten anything sincest evening. Tsk, don''t worry. Clio will return soon as food is already prepared for you. Your body needs proper nutrition as you must have exhausted yourself afterpleting your bond--"

    Ember was simply nodding along the elf''s chatter when her mind caught the words ''bond''. Right! That strange dream almost made her forget about it.

    Thepletion of the mate bond.

    She recalled everything from the previous night--the things that she and Draven had done. Despite her feeling weak, her heart began to pound loudly at those embarrassing memories and her cheeks turned bright red.

    Fortunately, Clio returned with her meal, causing her other servant to be distracted. Reya immediately arranged the footed tray so Ember could eat in bed,and Clio ced various dishes on it for Ember to eat.

    Seeing the delicious food, Ember forgot everything else. All she wanted was to put out the fire of hunger in her stomach first, or she was sure she would go crazy.

    ''I''m so hungry!''

 Chapter 266 [Bonus Chapter]Hungry Ghost

    It was strange. Even though she often starved beforeing to Agartha, it never felt this intense but this¡­this was something else. She could trust Reya''s words that it was because of the bondpletion.

    This kind of overwhelming hunger, she had experienced when she woke after Draven''s marking. For the next few days, she used to feel hungry all the time, as if she had been starved for ages.

    This bond process, from start to itspletion, sure makes one like a hungry ghost.

    Ember started to eat the food on the te, and she didn''t even realize when her utensils hit the empty tes. She had eaten it all¡ªno, she had wolfed them all down. Once again, she was surprised at her own appetite.

    "Shall we bring more, Miss?"

    "Uhm¡­"

    "Don''t worry. The kitchen prepared more servings than usual for tonight."

    Once Ember''s stomach was fully satisfied, the servants cleared the footed tray off the bed.

    "Miss would like to freshen up or rest for some more?" Reya asked.

    "How long did I sleep?" Ember asked as she carefully stretched her limbs. Last time, after her marking, she slept for two days.

    "About an entire day? Maybe less? We don''t know exactly when you slept the previous night¡­" Reya answered hesitantly.

    Ember understood she didn''t sleep for too long, only a day this time. She sure had a need to wash up and relieve herself, but just as tried to move, her muscles refused to listen well. "Reya, Clio, please help me get out of bed."

    Her servants hurried to her side to help. It was not simply her muscles going numb; they could see she was in pain.

    "Maybe, Miss, you would like to sit in warm water so your muscles will rx and feel better," Clio suggested.

    Ember could only groan in agreement. Fortunately, she was able to stand up despite the weak feeling in her legs. Not to forget how she was hurting in various ces.

    With the help of her servants, she walked slowly towards the side chamber where they prepared hot water for her inside the stone pool.

    "Miss, let me help you take off your clothes."

    Ember nodded and then realized she didn''t remember wearing them the night prior.

    "These clothes¡­?"

    "Ah, Miss. Lady Cornelia was here to visit you today to check on your body, but you were unconscious so before that, His Majesty asked us to clean you and put fresh clothes on you," Clio answered.

    Ember sighed as she didn''t have any more energy left to think as she wanted to bury herself within that captivating pool of steaming water. She didn''t know what mess she must have looked like when her servants were cleaning and putting clothes on her.

    "I will undress myself. Leave me alone for a while."

    Clio and Reya nodded and left. Ember removed her sleeping robe, and with slow footsteps, walked inside the pool to sit in the hot water. She could not deny her body was aching everywhere and she wanted it to feel better.

    Carefully, she lowered her body on the edge of the pool, and only after she made herselffortable amidst the water did she look down at herself. She could see so many marks on her body, and she knew what they were and how they were made. Those coloured bruises and teeth marks everywhere reminded her of how wild her mate was the night prior.<sub> </sub>

    Shivers ran down her spine as she closed her legs. In the end, she folded her legs in front of her chest and circled her arms around them.

    Each and every moment of that intimate night shed in her mind. The way he kissed her, loved her and cared for her, everything was fresh in her memories, along with those cold warnings of punishment¡­

    Though she knew she felt good, there were moments when she felt the pain that she didn''t want to ever feel again.

    ''That sure hurts. I won''t be doing that again.''

    Her heart was overwhelmed with so many feelings at the same time. She felt embarrassed but then felt scared to repeat it again. Most importantly, now she didn''t know how to face Draven after what they did. She wondered how it would change their rtionship.

    ''I don''t know¡­I really don''t know¡­''

    When Ember returned to the main chamber covered with a robe, her servants helped dry her body before leading her to her wardrobe room, where they helped her get dressed into a simple dress. Although it was nighttime, as Ember had just woken up, she had no ns of returning to sleep anytime soon.

    As Ember sat in front of the mirror, Clio pulled back Ember''s long hair from her shoulders and neck in preparation of brushing her hair. Her eyes lit up in wonder.

    "Miss, you have a beautiful bond mark."

    "Oh, you are right! It is beautiful!" Reya also remarked.

    Ember nced at her own neck in response. She had seen that crimson blossom on her neck many times, and so did her servants, so why were they praising it again?

    Upon observing the mark this time, she realized there were changes. She leaned closer towards the mirror to see it more clearly with the lighting from themps. In addition to that crimson blossom¡ª

    ''What is that ck thing?''

    As she observed carefully, she realized it was a small ck dragon wrapped in between that crimson blossom.

    Seemingly noticing her surprise, Clio exined, "Miss, after thepletion of the bond, the female gets her mate''s true form in that mark. You have a beautiful ck Dragon added to that crimson blossom. That ck Dragon is His Majesty''s true form¡­beast form."

    She had heard already that Draven was a ck Dragon, and now she saw that mark, she could somewhat imagine how he must look in his beast form but¡­was she ready to see him in his true form?

    "Now everyone can see you are the mate of the ck Dragon."

    "How thrilling it seems."

    She heard her servants chatting with joy but Ember could not find it in herself to join in. What she was feeling¡­she still had no idea. She simply observed that mark, briefly touching it with her fingers.

    They hadpleted the bond, now what?

    ====

    Chapter Dedicated to Reader/Moderator "DespinaNY" Thank you for the gifts.

    Do check the reference image for the bond mark in thement section.

 Chapter 267 Do You Want Me To Help You?

    Just as they returned to the main chamber, the three heard a knock on the door, and Y entered the room with a concerned smile. After hearing that Ember was awake from the other servants, she immediately hurried to finish whatever she was doing to see her and check on her body. She felt worried for Ember; after all, it was the first time that a delicate human had be a mate of a divine beast. For Ember, it wasn''t just any divine beast but a Dragon.

    "How are you feeling, Miss?" Y asked.

    "I am feeling better now," Ember answered as she slowly walked towards the bed.

    Though she no longer needed her servants'' support while walking, Y could see her struggle. Her weak human body must be having difficulty.

    "Miss, I have prepared some herbs for you that will help you regain your strength and you won''t feel this weak."

    "Thank you, Y." Ember replied as she continued to take her slow steps.

    After Y gave detailed instructions to Ember''s servants, the two excused themselves from their presence.

    "Miss, we will brew the herbs Dame Y prepared for you to make medicinal tea. Shall we add some honey so you won''t taste its bitterness?"

    "I think we should," Reyamented. "We will return in a bit, Miss."

    When the elves left, Y approached Ember who was about to get into a bed.

    "Miss, I have something for you."

    Ember looked at her curiously and realized she was carrying something. She held one tiny ceramic container with a lid in her hands.

    Ember wondered what it was. "What is it?"

    "Miss, it is a specially made ointment," Y cleared her throat a little awkwardly, "It will help you be relieved of...some muscle pains...heals faster if you are hurt...Umm...you can use it where you are hurt. I am confident it will help you feel better."

    Ember felt a little embarrassed as she knew what Y meant and just looked at the tiny container being offered to her.

    Y observed her hesitant and embarrassed face and smiled gently. "Miss, don''t take it as me being nosy. You are a human, and it is a given your physique is much more delicate than ours. I worry for you. I truly wish you well, and besides, it is part of my job to ensure the welfare of everyone residing within this pce."

    Ember never doubted Y''s care towards her. Though Y looked a strict and tough person, she was in fact very caring and responsible. She epted that tiny ointment container with a grateful smile.

    "Thank you, Y."

    "Don''t forget to use it. If His Majesty ns to visit you tonight as well, then you have to use it after as well."

    Draven was a beast and Y was aware of the instincts of beasts who had mates when it was around the time of the full moon. Though the night when the urge was strongest had passed, she didn''t doubt that Draven woulde to his mate again. She could only help the weak human to deal with it as it all was new for her.

    ''T-Tonight as well?''

    Ember felt a shiver run through her entire body and it was because she didn''t want to experience ''that'' again. She didn''t want to go through that same pain and that same embarrassing--

    "I..will...I will use it well..." Ember said in a weak voice. If Draven were toe to her chamber, she would be helpless and unable to refuse. As she lowered her head, she felt her heart beating faster and her palms turning sweaty.

    "The herbal concoction Clio and Reya will bring you will also help a lot so make sure to drink all of it," Y informed her.

    "Hmm."

    "I will take my leave then. Please rest well."

    Y gave her a light nod and turned around to leave, only to see Draven standing at the door that Clio and Reya had left open.<sub> </sub>

    The Moon Elf immediately bowed to him. "Your Majesty, good evening."

    As if each cell of Ember''s entire body was alerted by his presence, she stiffened in ce. She didn''t know what to do and could only stare at him.

    Draven, still in his form-fitting tailcoat as if he had returned straight from working outdoors, brought in the scent of the forest as he walked inside. He merely epted the greeting from his servant by raising a hand. Y took it as a dismissal, and she closed the door behind her.

    Draven walked towards his mate who looked like an ice sculpture, not moving even an inch. She was not even breathing. He could clearly hear her loud chaotic heartbeats which picked up the pace with each step he took closer to her.

    Things had changed after their union. He no longer had to keep his distance from his mate as her scent could not overpower his rationality because they hadpleted their bond. It should be a thing worth celebrating yet her reaction...

    ''Is she still scared of me?''

    Her loud heartbeats and her trembling hands that were holding onto a small container were proof of it.

    Seeing Draven standing in front of her, Ember got back to her senses. She tried to calm herself and as she stared at his expressionless face, she realized she had not greeted him yet.

    "G-Good evening, Your Majesty."

    "You can call me by my name from now on," she heard him say in response to her greeting.

    She stared at him for a moment. "N-Name?"

    "Not like you have not said it before," hemented. His red eyes held no emotions, that was why she could not understand the meaning of his gaze.

    Ember recalled she had called him by his name the previous night when he asked her to. Those memories....she shook her head to not think about it.

    "I...don''t think it''s appropriate...?" she tried to speak, as he was a king and didn''t find it proper to refer to him in such a casual manner.

    "I find it appropriate. Moreover, it sounds nice when you say it," he said straightforwardly, not thinking how his words would affect her.

    Well, he had always been like this, straight to the point and saying whatever he wanted.

    ''Sounds nice?'' she repeated in her mind, only to remind herself once more how she called his name again and again.

    Her cheeks turned red. ''Is he trying to make me feel embarrassed by trying to remind me of it?''

    Seeing her not answering, he continued to speak, "Any issue with what I had asked?"

    She shook her head. "No, no! It''s just that I...I will call you by your name, Your Majesty...I mean..." she swallowed the rest of her words. She opened her mouth again, but she was not used to saying his name. Her cheeks continued to burn a bright red.

    "Draven. Say it without hesitation next time."

    He saw Ember visibly gulp before she nodded, but not wanting to push her further, he then looked at the ceramic container in her hand. "That thing in your hand..."

    "Ah, it''s nothing." She hurried and put it on the table by her bedside as if that was really nothing.

    "Are you not going to use it?" he asked, ignoring her embarrassment.

    Ember felt like burying herself somewhere. ''Did he hear what Y told me? Does he know what it is?"

    "Do you want me to help you?"

 Chapter 268 You Will Be Fine When I Am With You

    He dropped another bomb at her embarassed self and she felt like she was being burdened with his straightforwardness. She took a peek at his handsome face to see if he did not feel anything while saying such an embarrassing thing but...

    Draven was as calm andposed as usual, as if he said nothing wrong and continued to look at her.

    ''Are all beastmen like this? Do they have no shame? Or their females are like this as well?''

    "You can hand it over to me," she heard him say as his gaze went towards that tiny ceramic container.

    She immediately took a step to her side to cover the bedside table from his line of sight using her body. "Ah, no need. I will take care of it. Please do not bother with it."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Hmm." She nodded and chanted in her mind. ''Please don''t talk about it anymore.please...''

    "If you are fine, I have something else to talk about."

    She sighed a relief as he changed the topic. "What is it?"

    "You can first sit instead of standing since you are not feeling well," he said as he gestured for her to sit on the bed.

    "Thank you for your concern but I am fine," she said awkwardly but took slow steps towards the bed, keeping her expression in check to show she was truly fine.

    Draven felt bad about her situation but didn''t feel guilty about it. He had done his best to keep himself sane and not to let his beast take over him so he wouldn''t physically injure her. Though she was still hurt, there was nothing more he could do to make it better for her.

    He walked towards her and carried her gently even before she could react. Ember didn''t make a sound and let him carry her. He ced her not at the edge of the bed but in the middle, letting her sitfortably with her back resting against the stack of pillows behind her. Meanwhile, he sat at the edge of the bed. She wondered what it could be that he wanted to talk about.

    His red eyes stared at her green ones as he spoke in a low voice.

    "Last night, you called me by another name. Do you remember it?"

    It puzzled her. She tried to recall if something like that happened but could not. "I don''t remember."

    "Raven," he said, his voice solemn. "Have you heard of this name or do you know any person with this name?"

    She again shook her head. "I don''t know anyone with this name."

    Draven still clearly remembered that she had called him Raven just like the woman in his vision. It was as if it was her who was saying it. The feeling he got after hearing them utter that name was the same as well.

    ''My Raven.''

    These words kept ringing in his mind since the previous night.

    "Is there anything that you have to talk about?" Draven asked.

    He somewhat felt that if that woman in his dreams was Ember or someone rted to both of them, then Ember must have some visions like he had.<sub> </sub>

    Ember thought about if she had anything to talk about but then...

    There was a knock on the door and they heard the voice.

    "Miss, we have brought medicine for you."

    Her servants had brought the medicine brewed in a tea that Y had arranged for Ember.

    The door of the chamber was opened on its own as it was Draven who permitted the servant to enter. Then he looked at her, "If there is anything you want to talk about, even if you find it''s not important, you should tell me."

    Ember nodded while the two servants entered the chamber with their heads lowered.

    Draven stood up to leave, "Take rest," and left.

    Ember looked at the door from where he left. ''So he came just to talk.'' She felt relieved as he was not there for what she was scared about.

    The servants brought her medicine which she finished withoutining though it was too bitter.

    At midnight, when the moon was at its brightest, Ember, who was lying in her bed, felt uneasy. Once again her body was reacting the same way as the previous two nights but it was not as strong as the previous night.

    ''They say three nights. It''s thest one. I can handle it.''

    She curled herself into a ball and tried to bear those uneasy, anxious and strange feelings. Her body started to feel hot and a thinyer of sweat started to appear on her body. With her eyes shut tight and her hands clutching the sheets, her mind started to think about Draven.

    ''Is he the same as me? Will he be here again?'' she didn''t know what she wanted exactly. Her body started to anticipate his presence while her mind prayed that he should not be there and she didn''t want to go through that pain again.

    Some time passed by as it started to get stronger and she found it getting hard to bear. Just then a space behind her in the bed sank and she found her body being pulled back and wrapped in a warm embrace as the strong muscr warm chest came in contact with her delicate back and a pair of hands wrapped them around her.

    ''It feels fortable...''

    But then it didn''t take a moment for her to recognise thatforting scent and she realised what was going on. Draven, he came to her. Her body stiffened. As much as it felt good to be closer to him, it felt scary as well. He was there so she was sure they would be doing it again.

    Her heart picked up the pace, which was caused by both her fear and her body''s reaction to the bond effect, but the feeling of fear was prominent over the need her body was feeling.

    "Rx and sleep," she heard him whisper gently at the back of her neck, "I won''t be doing anything tonight."

    His gentle whisper sounded assuring to her ears and she found herself being rxed slowly in his warm embrace. His hand under the crook of her neck moved to wrap in front of her shoulder while his free hand, held her other hand and warped around her stomach as his palms felt warm against the skin of the back of her palms.

    His fingers gently entwined with hers, she felt him holding her even closer, not leaving even an inch of space between them, her feet brushing against his.

    "You will be fine as long as I am next to you," he whispered again tofort her.

 Chapter 269 Dont Tempt Me!

    Ember could not deny Draven''s im as those strange things her body was feeling became more manageable the moment his body''s heat embraced her. Though there was an urge, it was more subtle now. She no longer felt the same unbearably painful urge due the effect of the full moon, and her body felt somewhat satisfied, recing the painful desire with a mere need to be close to her mate. His scent calmed her senses and she felt like it should be fine to snuggle back into thatforting embrace.

    She wanted to close her eyes and sleep as he said, but she could not make herself do so. At this moment, all her senses were heightened. She could feel the hot minty breath at the back of her neck that showed he was not as calm as his words showed.

    Her heart started to beat fast, thrumming like a drum inside her chest, and her breathing turned shallow at their intimacy. Unknown to her, her body started to expect more.

    Her fingers gently caressed his arms to feel them, not thinking it might affect him who was already doing his best to not do anything to hurt her. Yet her little innocent gesture was eroding the thin thread holding his sanity together.

    As she could not remain still, Draven held her tightly to keep her steady, and spoke with a low, hoarse voice.

    "Sleep quietly."

    <o>,m With that warning, his lips brushed against the sensitive skin at the back of her neck.</o>

    "Don''t tempt me..."

    He gently pressed his lips against her skin as he sucked on it tenderly.

    "...or I might go back on my words."

    A gasp left her lips the moment she felt his mouth tenderly ying on her skin. His restrained words, full of warning, made her aware of the consequence of her own unintentional action.

    "Apologies..." she said in a voice so small, without his sharp senses, he would have a hard time hearing her.

    He responded with a light groan as his nose gently nuzzled her nape, head-on diving into her seductive scent, to which she reacted with her hands clutching onto his in reflex. Her entire body was covered in goosebumps as she tried to keep a moan from escaping her partly opened lips.

    Both wished to hold back but were starting to struggle hard now. Draven forced himself to pull back and released her from his strong hold which startled her, but then...she didn''t know why but she turned around to face him, her haze-filled green eyes looking up at his red ones.

    The intensity of his gaze grew as if he had expected her to do exactly that. His hand moved to her face, his fingers brushing ever-so-gently over her soft cheek, before moving down towards the smooth curve of her neck. The tips of his fingers caressed the mark on her neck which assured him again and again that she belonged to him and only him.

    "Just a little," he said as his hand settled at the back of her head and his face leaned closer to hers.

    Ember, as if she had understood him clearly and those unsaid feelings he was having, closed her eyes as she waited for the inevitable.

    His lips captured hers into a tender kiss as he sucked and nibbled them gently, his hot breath mingling with hers as if burning her delicate skin. The grip of his hand tightened at the back of her head, taking her into a deep kiss overflowing with his needs.

    Her hands clutched into his night robe as she responded to the kiss in kind.<sub> </sub>

    After several sweet seconds, Draven forced himself to stop as he wanted to stand by what he said to her earlier. Panting heavily, he looked at her slender form who was also trying to catch her breath. Her entire face had turned red and it looked bewitchingly beautiful.

    The grip of his hand at the back of her head already loosened, and he fixed her messy hair with his fingers. "This much is enough."

    Ember slowly opened her eyes and looked at him with eyes that showed a hint of disappointment, but the rational part of her agreed to what he said. He caressed her head with unfamiliar gentleness.

    "Close your eyes and sleep."

    Ember felt like she was dreaming as he was being so gentle and caring to her. He had always shown gentleness towards her but oftentimes, Ember was either semi-conscious or unconscious. For her, it was the first time she had fully experienced his affection. His seemingly eternally cold-looking face carried a hint of softness as he stared at her, and even his words sounded gentle and soothing to her ears.

    ''It must be a dream,'' she thought and closed her eyes while Draven continued to look at her with the same tenderness. His fingers slowly, affectionately brushing through her hair made her feel drowsy and it helped her to fall asleep.

    Even after his little mate fell asleep, Draven continued to look at her for a long without moving his gaze anywhere else. He didn''t know how much time passed, but he continued to do it without feeling the passage of time. He was appreciating the sight of her slightly parted swollen lips, when suddenly, she moved closer to him and snuggled into his chest which made him freeze in ce.

    ''So adorable...'' He simply held her body and closed his eyes as a faint smile appeared on his lips. ''She feels like a soft little bunny.''

    In no time, sleep got to him. He fell asleep while holding her like a pillow.

    The next morning, Ember woke up and found herself alone in bed.

    ''He was herest night. When did he leave?''

    She looked around the room to make sure Draven was really not inside. She remembered how good he was with her the previous night and nothing went as she expected and was scared before he came to her.

    ''I think everything will be fine between us. I don''t have to be scared of him. He cares.''

    She felt relieved that nothing happened during the night, and as she stretched her limbs, she realized she was feeling better and nothing was hurting anymore. It was a miracle!

    Shefortably sat up in the bed and was about to climb down when her gaze fell on that ointment container on the bedside table. Its lid was... a little misced? Rather, it would be more appropriate to say the lid was not put on properly.

    Her mind still somewhat sluggish from sleep, she picked it up and opened it, only to find it was almost all used up. She remembered she didn''t touch it at all as she almost forgot about it. She also didn''t believe Y would y a prank on her and give her used ointment.

    After several seconds, her gaze dropped towards her body--to be more precise, at that ce between her legs. This must be the reason why it felt fine instead of hurting. That burning feeling was gone.

    ''I didn''t apply it on me. Then...?''

 Chapter 270 Calling His Name

    ''Reya and Clio. Maybe Y must have told them to...?''

    Just then, her servants entered her chamber with huge grins on their faces.

    "Good morning, Miss," both greeted her who were looking at them, only for her to ask them something but...

    "Miss, what is that in your hand?" Clio asked.

    "I saw itst evening when we brought tea for you but forgot to ask," Reya added.

    ''So not these two,'' Ember concluded. "Did Y visit my chamber this morning?"

    "Miss, that is impossible. Dame Y returned to her homest night after finishing her work and she is on leave for a few days," Clio answered promptly.

    "Leave?"

    "Dame Y''s daughter would be returning home, so she took a leave to spend time together as a family."

    "Dame Y really loves her daughter."

    ''So it was not Y,'' Ember concluded again. ''Then there is no other culprit. It had to be him. Did he... Did he really?''

    Her face felt very, very hot.

    "Miss, what happened?" Clio asked, noticing her red face.

    "N-Nothing," Ember replied as she put the lid back properly on that container and set it aside.

    She could note up to imagine what had happened to her just now.

    ''Him..st night...No way!'' she screamed inside.

    "Miss, we will prepare a bath for you."

    The two servants didn''t know what was wrong with their master but felt it was fine to leave her on her own. Both thought it must be something about her master spending a night with her mate and she didn''t want to talk about it.

    ''Just as I thought we would be fine, once again I can''t face him. Why...Why did he have to do it?...Ahh...'' Ember felt like pulling her hair out.

    "Miss, bath is ready," Reya informed.

    Ember walked inside her bath and sat in the water after removing her clothes. Calming herself down in warm water, she thought about it once again.

    "It''s fine. As he did it when I was sleeping, then I will act as if I don''t know."

    After bath and her servants helped her get ready, they prepared a nice meal for her which she ate once again like a hungry ghost.

    She was inside her room for two days now and wanted to go out. As they walked along the corridors of the ground floor to go out towards the garden, Ember asked, "Now the bond isplete, can I not go outside of the pce? Visit other cities?"

    "Miss, you can but we have to get His Majesty''s permission," Reya informed.

    "Or who knows His Majesty would like to personally take you out with him?" Clio teased.

    "That is also possible. Males like to take their females out and make them feel happy," Reya added, "Sometimes I wish if we were beasts as well."

    "I will ask grandmother to get a spouse for you so you can go out as well," Cliomented.

    "Really? Please do so..."

    When the two were talking, Ember was busy wondering if Draven would take her out and show her other cities. Immersed in her thoughts, she forgot that they were walking in the corridor which would lead her towards the King''s study. She simply followed behind her chatterbox servants.

    "His Majesty," Clio said in a low voice.<sub> </sub>

    It pulled Ember''s attention towards Draven who had stepped out of his study. Though they were far from him, she froze in her way as she felt embarrassed to face him due to what he did when she was sleeping.

    Ember took a step back and was about to turn around but then heard her two servants, "Miss Isa.?I haven''t seen her for a while now."

    "I wonder where she was. In her absence, the pce seems peaceful."

    Ember looked at Isa who was with Draven and they seemed to be talking about something. Ember, who was about to leave, her eyes narrowed at that sly fox upon seeing how she was smiling at her mate. She frowned and....

    Her servants watched her walking past them and going towards Draven and Isa. The two servants didn''t follow her as they knew she was going to her mate and it was not good to follow her.

    On the way, Ember pushed aside the hair locks hanging in front of her right shoulder so the mark on her neck was clearly visible to anyone who woulde in front of her. She continued to re at the certain fox, clearly displeased seeing her talking to her mate. That naive-looking Ember suddenly turned into a different person who would not like it if someone tried to cover her things.

    Draven had sensed her presence a long back since the moment he stepped out of the study but waited to see if she woulde to him. He had also sensed she was about to leave but then she suddenly turned back and walked towards him. He still didn''t look at her and was listening to what Isa was telling him.

    "....everyone would be there like every year."

    Just then Isa''s gaze followed Ember who was walking toward them. Isa smiled at Ember as she reached them. "Good Morning, Miss Ember."

    Ember was quite surprised that Isa called her ''Miss Ember''. She didn''t reply to her greeting and looked at Draven with a displeased gaze. Draven looked back at her with his usual gaze like a still water which held nothing in it.

    Isa''s gaze didn''t fail to notice the mark on Ember''s neck which now had a beautiful addition to it- A Balck Dragon. She had no doubt that they had consummated the bond as there was a night of full moon and that was the reason she was away from the pce. She had epted the fact but now as she saw that bondpletion mark, Isa could not help but feel bitter. This could have belonged to her but this human meddled.

    As the two mates shared silent gazes with each other and forgot someone else''s presence around them, Isa maintained her calm and talked.

    "Miss Ember, His Majesty is apanying me to visit my brother''s grave."

    Ember simply looked at her, not saying a word. Her quiet gaze was more intimidating than if she had spoken mocking words.

    "I believe you won''t mind it," Isa said, maintaining that same smile.

    Ember was still calm while Isa looked at Draven, "Your Majesty, shall we?"

    Draven looked at her and nodded.

    "Draven," Ember called, which made him look back at her. He was sure she had something to say. His name rolled out of her tongue so swiftly and he liked it.

    Isa was taken aback that Ember called him by his name. No one...no one dared call him by his name except for a few of his close acquaintances and they called him by his name only in private and not in front of others.

    "Once you are back, let me know. I have something to tell you," Ember exined.

    "I will."

    Ember was ready to let him go as she knew that Isa''s brother was Draven''s dear friend and she didn''t want to hold him back from visiting him.

    She heard Isa again, "We have to teleport there," and held onto Draven''s arm with her hands.

    Ember frowned inwardly seeing her hands holding his arm and Draven said nothing. To teleport with him, Isa had to hold his hand but Ember could not help but feel angry at it.

    "I will be back soon," Draven informed.

    Ember nodded and saw them disappearing in front of her.

    ''Seems like that little fox wants two of her paws burned.'' Ember''s eyes looked vicious with a hint of grave danger like her true self was showing up.

    ====

    A chapter dedicated to reader/Moderator "DespinaNY" Thank you for the gifts and golden tickets. <3<3

 Chapter 271 Visiting The Old Friend

    Draven and Isa appeared at the vast greennd where under one huge tree there was a tombstone of Isa''s brother. Since Isa was a child, she was used to teleporting with Draven and Erlos whenever they had to go somewhere as Draven was the one to look after them. She didn''t feel the effect of teleportation as she knew how to protect herself with her powers during the process of teleportation.

    "I feel like I am here after so long." Isa walked closer to the tombstone which was an elevated cylindrical surface, surrounded by rocks. There was a name carved on the vertical t stone fixed at the one end of the grave- the name of the deceased-

    In the Memories of Aldis- The nine-tailed divine fox. The Great Warrior of the Kingdom of Agatha.

    Isa kneeled in front of the grave as she kept the flowers on the grave and bowed to it by folding her both hands horizontally in front at the elbows and then moving her head with them towards the ground. She repeated it three times as it was the way their n paid respect.

    She continued to talk to her brother. "Brother Aldis, I miss you. I have been..."

    Draven stood in his ce and simply looked at the grave. His eyes which hardly showed any emotion, held something in them- the pain of losing a dear friend. Past memories

    Just then someone arrived there as the pair of majestic wings stirred the air around with his arrival. Hended at the base of the tree, next to Draven and had flowers in his hands. Draven knew Morpheus was there like every year and continued to stand quietly.

    Morpheus walked ahead towards the grave and kneeled next to Isa as he put the flowers on the grave as well and paid respect to his deceased friend. He patted Isa''s shoulder gently who had tears in her eyes to console her and stood up to stand quietly next to Draven.

    "You are the reason for that grave to be there and you daree here every year," Morpheus said in a low voice that only Draven could hear.

    Draven didn''tment on it and instead asked, "Are you healedpletely?"

    "The one who stabs you, has no right to ask if the person is fine," Morpheus sneered, "I would rather die than be shown care by the stabber."

    "You know what you did wrong," Dravenmented.

    "You should have been careful with your mate to not leave her like that," Morpheus countered.

    "I had my reasons for staying away from her."

    "Yeah, you managed to control that beast inside you for a long. I should praise you for that instead."

    "No need," Draven offered him a cold meaningful re, "I did it for my mate''s sake."

    Morpheus could see he was mocking him by telling him again and again that she was his mate. He scoffed, "I should have not let that chance go."

    "You wouldn''t be alive after that."

    "When was I scared of dying? No one stopped you now even."

    "What are you two talking about?"

    The two saw Isaing closer to them and shut their mouths. It was her brother''s death anniversary and they didn''t wish to her see both of them arguing on this day at least.

    "Nothing much. We were remembering Aldis," Morpheus replied while Draven stayed quiet. Lying was not Draven''s style, rather he would keep quiet and not answer.

    "I wish my brother was here as well and we would have lots of fun together like in the past," Isa said.

    "Though he is not here, we can still have fun thinking he can see us," Morpheus offered, "Want to fly with me, little fox?"

    Isa immediately nodded while Morpheus looked at Draven, "This Dragon has his own wings so he can follow us if he wants."

    "I have to return. You two can go ahead," Draven replied.

    Isa knew why he was leaving. Ember said she had something to tell him and she could see Draven could not wait to go back to her. Even if she tried to stop him, he would not have stopped because he had already cleared her before that his mate came first and the rest otherster.

    "Whatever suits you," Morpheus said and looked at Isa, "Little fox, let''s go."

    Isa quietly walked towards Morpheus who lifted her in his arms and flew away the next moment.

    Draven watched them leave and walked closer to the grave of his friend. He went to the tomb stone which had the name of the deceased carved on it. He kneeled on his one knee next to it and his fingers brushed away the dust around the name, making that name look even clearer.

    Draven missed his friend, felt bad for his unfortunate death and had so many regrets but he could only be quiet. He had long forgotten how to express the pain he felt and how to let it go by shedding tears. Thatst time he had shed tears and cried his heart out was that night of the massacre whichter turned him and his heart into a stone which felt nothing.<sub> </sub>

    "Aldis..." he felt unable to talk further or rather didn''t know what to say. He simply closed his eyes briefly as his friend''s voice rang in his ears.

    "Draven, the best wine I got. I am sure this one will manage to make you drunk."

    "What are you doing? Get the sses. Don''t even think about emptying the entire wine on your own."

    "Let''s call that annoying eagle and share with him."

    "Draven, this stupid Morph. why did you even make him ourmander?"

    "Hey, Aldis, Draven knows who is more capable. This flying eagle with sharp gaze is better than a fox with nine trails who run on the ground."

    "Haha! We will be friends, even after my death. Just don''t forget to visit my grave often or I will be lonely."

    "You are the only one we have. Never leave us."

    "Draven, don''t me yourself for anything."

    "Even if I die, it''s for our people."

    "Just take care of my sister in case I can''t make it back."

    After exhaling deeply through his mouth to relieve the suffocation he was feeling, Draven finally opened his eyes. His hand touched his chest which felt suffocated with so many emotions at the same time and he felt like had a huge rock on his chest. He kept inhaling and exhaling to make himself feel better but it took time. After spending a while by the grave, he finally returned to the pce once he felt he was fine.

    ''She must be waiting for me.''

    ----

    When Draven arrived at the pce, he realised Ember was in the garden. His sharp hearing senses could hear her two servants talking and he could guess she was there. Draven walked towards the garden. He wanted to know what she had to tell him. It was the first time she came to him on her own and wanted to talk to him.

    He saw Ember quietly sitting in the swing, holding the side rope and resting her head on it and one of her feet lightly scratching the grassy ground. She looked immersed in some thoughts while her servants were quietly standing on the side, feeling worried about what happened to their master.

    They both had only one conclusion in their minds- It''s because Draven had left with Isa which their master didn''t like. Displeasure was obvious on Ember''s face.

    As Draven walked closer and the two servants got aware of his presence, they immediately bowed to him. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

    As usual, Draven walked past them to go to his mate, without reacting to their greetings while the two servants left immediately, leaving the two mates alone. Moreover, it was difficult for them to even breathe in the presence of their intimidating king, so leaving was always a better option.

    Draven stood in front of Ember who was sitting on the swing but her gaze was stuck to the ground where her one foot was adamant on digging the hold on it, which seemed impossible with those weak and light hits.

    She was yet to notice his presence but the next moment the pleasant breeze brought that sweet scent of her mate to her which made her aware of his presence. She immediately looked up, only to find him standing in front of her, a few steps away.

    "What are you thinking about?" she heard him ask.

    Ember didn''t answer immediately as she took her time looking at him. He was back so fast when she thought he would be spending half a day outside.

    "What do you want to talk about?" Draven asked once again.

    It pulled her back to her senses and she said, "Before that, I would like it if you opt for a change of clothes."

    Ember didn''t stand up to greet him and find it fine to talk causally when he was the one to ask her to call him by his name. Moreover, she was upset and she had no will of showing any respect to anyone.

    "Huh?" was what Draven could say.

    This was out of context for Draven as nothing was wrong with his clothes. Still, he looked down at himself to check and then looked back at her.

    "Anything wrong with my clothes?"

    "They stink of red fox."

 Chapter 272 Donâ€™t You Like It When I Kiss You?

    Hearing her, Draven simply stared at her for a moment as he was surprised by what she said. ''Stinks of a red fox?''

    "I don''t like red foxes and their stench. You better wash yourself beforeing to me," she repeated, without a tinge of hesitation.

    Draven smirked at what he understood and walked towards her even though she said he stinks.

    ''Angry?''

    He was sure not going to change his clothes and wash himself but he had a better idea.

    With hisrge strides, he reached her even before she could understand his intentions and held her one hand as he pulled her up only to press against his body.

    It took Ember by surprise."What are you doing¡­.?"

    She tried to be free from his hold but he held her tightly as she heard him say.

    "Recing the bad stench from my clothes with my mate''s sweet scent."

    he pressed her body against his, with his both hands tightly holding her, one circled around her slender waist while the other one rested at the top of her back.

    He could not deny howforting it felt to hold her closer like this and he would never want to let her go. He was holding back till now but after bondpletion, he was free to act on his will.

    Ember stopped struggling and looked at him, only to meet with a pair of red eyes that held amusement for his mate in them. She never failed to surprise him with any of her actions. She was so spontaneous and unpredictable to guess what she would do if she didn''t like something.

    "It won''t work?" she countered, as her rebellious gaze challenged him.

    "It will," his lips curved into a sly smirk, "At the same time, I can also cover you with my scent... Inside out... Do you want to try?"

    Her rebellious gaze filled with a sudden confusion to think what he exactly meant and then watched him moving his face closer and then moving to her ear.

    "I believe you arepletely fine after applying that ointment?"

    At his whisper with suggestive words, Ember gulped as she felt a shiver run down her spine and her cheeks heat up. She had decided to act ignorant thinking it happened when she was sleeping so she could continue to act like she didn''t know what he did but¡­.

    Draven smirked at her reaction as he could sessfully affect his mate who was angry but now she was ready to melt at his advances. He could clearly hear her loud heartbeats while continuing to hold her suddenly stiffened body.

    He was surprised at his own actions but his mate was the one to bring this side out of him which was unknown to him.

    "I made sure it was done without missing any hurting spots," he whispered again. "The medicines seem to have worked really well as you seempletely fine now. What do you think about continuing what started on the night of the full moon?"

    Of all the memories from that night, Ember only focused on the ones that were painful and his words immediately reminded her of them. Her palms turned sweaty and ayer of sweat appeared on her back.

    He moved his face back to look at her as he felt her reaction now was strange as if he had said something to scare her. Her head was lowered and she really looked scared. He could feel her body tremble a little.

    "What happened?" he asked, and this time he was genuinely worried.

    "I don''t want to," she answered in a low voice, with her head still lowered.

    "Why?" he continued to look at her lowered face. He could see her eyshes flutter violently as if she was trying to muster up her courage after being scared.

    "It hurts¡­I don''t want to¡­" her words came out like whispers with a heavy gasp leaving her mouth, as she tried to say it with much difficulty.

    "Did it?" His voice was calm and tender.

    "Hmm," she nodded, not daring to look at him.

    Draven felt bad how much she was scared and then moved his hand to caress her cheek gently to coax, "It won''t hurt again."

    Ember could feel that warmth from his palm on her cold cheek. It feltforting to her disturbed senses but it was not enough to make her forget her fears.

    "We havepleted the bond. Can we just not do it again?"

    Draven''s hand moved to her chin and made her look at him. His red eyes filled with questions for her.

    "Was there nothing that you found good about it? Didn''t you like when I touched you, the way I made you feel?"

    "I¡­" her heart was beating so wildly that not a single word coulde out of her mouth. A stubborn and unyielding woman from a while ago was gone and she looked like a weak girl who needed to be protected.

    She wanted to say she liked so many things but just didn''t want to feel that pain again.

    Draven moved his lips closer to hers as he whispered against her lips, diving into a sweet scent of her, "Don''t you like it when I kiss you?"

    Ember inhaled deeply to calm her nerves to be able to answer him. Her eyes closely looking at him, she whispered back, "I do¡­."

    "Then you should not say you don''t want it, because I want it desperately," his voice was hoarse as his entire attention was on taking her into a deep kiss. The beast inside him had tasted his mate and couldn''t wait to keep having her again and again.<sub> </sub>

    "I¡­."

    "I can smell you are in your fertile days which makes me want to have you even more," he interrupted her, his body turning to a hotter side as she could feel the heat rising against her skin from his.

    Before she could say a word, as desperate as he was, he captured her lips into a hungry kiss, as the beast inside him wanted his mate. He didn''t care if they were outside. Nothing mattered to him but his mate.

    A female being in her fertile days was what could excite the Dragon inside him just like any other beast. Their all senses were always heightened at the awareness of their female being ready to conceive a child and they could not wait to mate with her.

    After a long needy kiss, he stopped and looked at her flushed pale face. He wanted her but he knew why the Dragon inside was getting excited and he needed to get hold of him before it was toote. He continued to hold her, letting her catch her breath and calm down or he was sure the way she was holding onto him, her legs would give up.

    He could hear her still so loud heartbeats, he could feel she was in her fertile days, he could even smell she was aroused just by a kiss and her scent got stronger. All of this was maddening for the beast inside him but¡­he was not going to give in to his beast. His mate was delicate and he needed to be patient.

    Once she was calm, he said, "You wanted to tell me something before I left."

    It diverted Ember''s attention as she looked at him and then stepped away from him as he loosened his hold around her.

    "I¡­Yes, I have something to tell you," she said after taking a deep breath.

    "What is it?"

    "You said I should tell you anything if there is something."

    "Hmm! You can tell me even if you feel it''s insignificant."

    "Yesterday, when I woke up in the evening, I was woken up by a dream."

    "What was it about?"

    Ember exined everything about how she saw that woman who was held captive and was using others for her condition. How she was in pain and how enraged she was to vow to return to take her revenge.

    "...and I think it was the same woman who I saw a few days back but could not see her face."

    After hearing everything, Draven asked, "Did you see that woman''s face this time?"

    "Yes. She didn''t seem to be an ordinary woman but someone really powerful. She was beautiful and looked divine like a goddess of some sort."

    "Can you exin to me how her face looked or anything which is specific that can be her identity?"

    "Umm¡­she was wearing the same clothes I told you about in thest dream. Her hair same long, the colour just like mine and¡­.her eyes¡­" Ember stopped.

    "...her eyes..."

    She recalled something and once again felt the same as what that woman was feeling.

    "What about her eyes?" Draven asked.

    "Her green eyes!" Ember mumbled in a daze, "It felt like I was looking at myself...I was looking into my own soul..."

    Draven didn''t feel surprised at all. That woman had the same hair as Ember and green eyes. It was clear they dream about the same woman.

    "¡­ her eyes¡­that pain, I felt it all..."

    Involuntarily her hands moved to her chest which suddenly felt suffocated with so many raging emotions.

    "It was as if I was the one feeling it all¡­ It hurts¡­ She was in so much pain."

    Unknown to her, tears rolled down Ember''s eyes, "What did someone have done to her?... Who were those who she was using?... What did they do to her?..." Ember continued to mumble in a daze, her vision blurry with the tears in her eyes.

    Her heart hurt and she could not stop crying.

    Draven closed the distance between them and hugged her to console her.

    "We will find it. Rest assured."

    He was getting sure of his conclusions about Ember and that woman and he could not wait to find the entire truth. The day he would find out someone wanted to hurt her, he would show no mercy to them.

    ===

    A/N- The month has ended. Thank you everyone who supported this novel this month and voted the golden tickets and gifted to the chapters.

    A new month will start today. I wish you all to support and vote for the novel just like thest month. I will do my best to give as many updates as possible with an interesting twists and turns with many shocking revtions. <3<3

 Chapter 273 Golden Shiny Hair

    Once Ember had somehow regained herposure, she let go of Draven, moving to dry her tears, but her mate beat her to it and his glove-covered fingers wiped her cheeks.

    "Are you feeling better?" he asked.

    She nodded and Draven fixed the random hair strands that were stuck to her moist cheeks. Just then, his sensitive ears caught something and he knew that there were people approaching but he ignored them, preferring to pay his full attention to his mate.

    Secondster, Morpheusnded in the garden with Isa. He put the youngdy down and asked, "Little fox, I do know you still miss your brother but I believe you are not feeling down anymore, right? Or do you want to go y somewhere else?"

    "Umm, thank you, Morph. I feel much better now," Isa replied with a grateful smile. "You really care for me the most."

    Ember heard their exchange and looked at their direction. Isa was like a thorn in her heel as she could not stand seeing her and especially with the ones who she cherished. Morpheus was her friend and she didn''t like how that cunning fox had him caring for her.

    Morpheus had already noticed Draven and Ember and then turned to look at them. He purposely ignored Draven and took steps towards the human.

    "Ember, are you not feeling well?" he asked, as he saw her visibly reddened eyes and nose. He could tell she had just cried because her delicately pale skin showed clear signs of it.

    "I am fine," Ember replied, while she didn''t bat an eye at Isa as if she didn''t exist.

    Draven didn''t stop his mate from talking to Morpheus as he knew she considered him as her good friend. Still, he stayed by her side, simply focusing on her voice.

    At that moment, Ember''s eyes widened.

    "What happened to you? Those scars¡­How were you injured?" Ember asked worriedly as she saw the marks on his arms and chest that she swore she had never seen a few days ago.

    "It''s nothing. Don''t worry about it," Morpheus replied as his gaze passed her neck.

    He could clearly see the changes on the mate mark on her neck and he knew the meaning of it. He looked at Draven who offered him a t stare in return.

    "I hope he is not troubling you like before and treating you well," Morpheusmented.

    Ember simply smiled at it which showed she was fine with Draven.

    "I will take a leave now. When you want to fly somewhere, you call me," the eagle offered.

    "No need. I can take her with me," Draven replied instead of Ember.

    Morpheus threw a mocking smile his way. "Here we are talking about flying. You can but you know¡­I believe you would not want to scare her."

    Draven stayed quiet at that remark. He could not help but wonder how she would react, if she would be more scared of him once she witnessed him transform into his beast form.

    Would his little mate be able to ept his visibly intimidating dragon form, a sight that could even make the most experienced war veteran tremble, when she was already scared of him when he was in his human form?

    Seeing Draven''sck of response, the smile on Morpheus'' lips widened. He let his majestic wings open behind him with majestic ir, causing a gust of wind to surround him.

    "See you, little female," he said to Ember with a wink before flying away.

    With him gone, Isa bowed to the King and left as well. She didn''t want to remain in the garden to get res from Ember. This human female sometimes looked like a lunatic to her whenever she went on her angry mode and she didn''t wish to deal with her, today of all days.

    Just then, Erlos came to Drayce. "Sire, there is an important message for you."

    Draven could guess what it could be and looked at Ember. "I have to go."

    Ember did not insist he stay since she understood he had to go. After all, he was a king and a busy person.

    Draven left with Erlos to go to his study.

    Just as the King left, Ember''s servants approached her. "Miss, would you like to go back to your chamber?"<sub> </sub>

    Ember nodded as her gaze was fixed at the direction Draven had gone. As she walked with her servants towards the central stairs leading to the upper floors, she could not help but nce towards the hallway leading to the study. Ember noticed a few people walking towards the King''s study under the escort of one of the King''s aides.

    ''Seems like he has guests.''

    She recognized Wind Fae Melion leading the group while the other three were unfamiliar to her. Two of the men were dressed simrly to Morpheus, their upper bodies naked, white tattoos marking their skin with a feathered cloak that were brown in color over their shoulders. It was safe to say they were from the same n as Morpheus, the Divine Eagle n.

    The third one caught her attention as that person was covered in a long ck hooded robe. He was covered from top to bottom with his clothes that nothing about him was visible. Even the hood was pulled down so low, it almost covered half of his face.

    But, aside from his strange appearance, something else about him caught her attention.

    It was as if some mysterious aura was surrounding him. She couldn''t point out what it was but her eyes remained stuck on him till he disappeared behind the door of the King''s study.

    ''Hmm¡­?''

    Ember blinked, doubting her eyes since she managed to see something more¡ªthe hairstands that happened to peek out from the low hood.

    ''Strings of gold?''

    As Ember climbed the stairs, she could not help but think if that seemingly golden thread she saw were hair strands. She had never seen anything quite like it, but it was as if those hair strands were giving off a glow on their own. They were abnormally shiny, it made her wonder what kind of race that person belongs in.

    ''Hair as shiny as the sun¡­I wonder which supernatural being that person is.''

    Her brows creased.

    ''But why do I feel like he was trying to hide his identity? I see no one covering themself like that here. Why does he have to hide himself? Is he some spy or what?''

    "Miss, what are you thinking about?" Reya asked.

    It pulled Ember out of her thoughts and she asked, "Who are those people that entered King''s study? Do you know anything?"

    "Since they are His Majesty''s guests, they must be really important people since if they do not have a high status, I doubt they will be allowed in the pce," Reya tried to answer as she turned towards her cousin.

    Clio shrugged. "As maidservants, we are not allowed to pry on other affairs in the pce other than our work. Dame Y especially advised us to stay away from anything rted to His Majesty and his work. Also, we are not allowed to say anything happening inside the pce to outsiders if someone tries to ask us when we go out."

    Ember understood and didn''t ask anything further. But hearing Y''s name, Ember asked, "Is Ying to the pce by chance for anything?"

    Y was on leave so Ember had to ask.

    "Dame Y might be here as the new goods she had ordered for the pce are here and she is the one who needs to check them," Clio answered.

    "If she is here, let me know. I have something to talk to her about."

    "Yes, Miss."

    Ember had something in her mind and she knew only Y could answer her.

    Draven''s words ''I can smell you are in your fertile days'' were stuck in her mind. She wanted to talk about it with Y.

    She found it proper to ask her only as they had talked about private stuff before.

    ====

    A/N- Dear readers, keep voting the golden tickets as it''s the start of the new month. Last month we were #8, I hope this month we can be #5.

    <3<3

 Chapter 274 Visit Of Divine Golden Eagle

    Inside the King''s study, Draven was sitting in his armchair behind the desk with his usual cold expression, while Erlos was standing next to him with an expectant gaze. The young elf was aware of the identity of the newly-arrived guest as he was one of Draven''s aides, and he was curious about this Divine Eagle who was said to be working for a human kingdom.

    When Melion announced his arrival and entered the study, the elf''s eyes immediatelynded on the mysterious guest from Megaris who was at the rear of the group. Because of the person''s long and loose-fitting attire, it was impossible to distinguish anything about his features.

    The Wind Fae and the two shapeshifter scouts bowed to Draven first.

    "Greetings, Your Majesty," Melion started. "We have brought in the distinguished guest from the human kingdom."

    Draven slightly nodded his way before his red eyes took in the sight of the outsider who was wearing a hooded robe.

    The guest moved the hood of his robe back, revealing his entire face.

    A silent shudder went through Draven''s heart.

    ''Truly...Myra''s...''

    It was the face of a handsome young man with fierce golden eyes and golden hair, an appearance that easily resembled another face in Draven''s dustden memories.

    Unaware of the feelings his appearance caused, the owner of that face bowed to him as well to show courtesy.

    "Aureus, the royal envoy from the Kingdom of Megaris, greets the King of Agartha."

    Draven''s gaze remained fixed at him, hisplicated feelings making him unable to calm himself down. For so long, there had been no news of Morpheus'' sister, and the first clue he found was about this young man whose strong resemnce to her could only mean one thing.

    However, to the others inside the study, Draven''s silence gave them intense pressure, and thus, no one made a single noise until the King of Agartha closed his eyes and let out a silent sigh.

    Draven then gazed at the guest once more and epted his greeting. "You may rise. I believe the journey was not tough for you, Aureus."

    "It was challenging but I love to face challenges, King of Agartha," Aureus replied, his voice polite but not servile.

    After all, although Draven Aramis was also a king, he was the king of a different kingdom. Aureus had stayed in the Royal Pce of Megaris long enough to understand that foreign envoys represent the dignity of the king they serve; thus, there was no need for him to act overly courteous to another king.

    However, though the young Divine Eagle looked rxed on the outside, he was not as calm inside. The moment he saw Draven Aramis, this man with hair as ck and eyes as red as his master''s and even the essence of his powers was simr to him, Aureus could not help but wonder why this man gave off a simr vibe to his master...

    Draven looked at Melion who understood the King''s silent signal and looked at the two scouts. "You two are dismissed."

    The two scouts excused themselves after bowing to Draven. Erlos, who was next to the King, did not even look at them leave as he was busy observing Aureus,paring him to Morpheus. The young eagle looked like the child of the sun god, and he was so shiny it was almost blinding. Morpheus''s feathers were of a beautiful ash-grey colour, yetpared to this young eagle, it was truly dull.

    Erlos could not believe his eyes that he was seeing the golden Divine Eagle of this generation. Not only were the color of their feathers, eyes and hair different, even the vibe they gave off were hard topare as well. It was difficult to imagine Morpheus and this Aureus were blood-rted.

    ''And yet he serves humans?'' Erlos could not help but look down on him. ''What happened to his pride?''<sub> </sub>

    "You can speak your business, envoy of Megaris," Melion stated as he stood beside Draven. "For what reason did your king send you to Agartha?"

    "I am here as per the order of my king, the King of Megaris, Drayce Ivanov," Aureus stated politely. "He awaits the reason as to why the King of Agartha has sent his people to search for the Queen of Megaris, the one you refer to as the purple-eyed woman. Given that the two kingdoms have never had any interactions before, he believes there is a valid reason for this particr action."

    Draven''s red eyes did not move away from Aureus the entire time he was speaking, and even until he finished stating the reason for his visit, those red eyes never wavered from him.

    In that span of silence, a hint of nervousness appeared on the young eagle''s face.

    "Have a seat," Draven offered after a while.

    Aureus obediently sat in the chair in front of him with a sigh of relief.

    "I have no animosity or ill will towards the Queen of Megaris. I do not even know her identity and that is why I had to send my people all over the continent to search for a purple-eyed woman," Draven informed him.

    "As it concerns my queen, I would like to know the reason," Aureusmented.

    As he needed the cooperation of Megaris, Draven didn''t find a need to hide anything. "My mate, she often has visions and she sees a purple-eyed woman in it. It troubled her a lot and we believe there is a connection between my mate and the purple-eyed woman."

    Aureus didn''t look surprised as his master, Drayce Ivanov, and he had talked about various possibilities and had drawn various conclusions before Aureus left to visit Agartha.

    The young eagle said nothing and put forward his hand as a sealed scroll appeared on his hand. "I would like you to take a look at this, King of Agartha."

    Without needing amand, Erlos walked forward and epted the scroll from Aureus. He opened it andid it t on Draven''s desk. Erlos was shocked to see what was there but Draven was not.

    The scroll had the portrait of a woman drawn on it. As Draven stared at the portrait, he heard Aureus continue, "Since your intent is to look for a woman, then my king believes it only fair for us to seek your cooperation to do the same. He wishes to know if such a woman exists in your kingdom."

    Draven moved his gaze from the portrait to Aureus. "Seems like the King of Megaris had already understood the situation."

    "He believes there are no coincidences in this world."

    "The woman in this portrait is my mate," Draven admitted without a change in his expression.

    Aureus had high expectations for this woman to exist in this kingdom, but he didn''t expect her identity to be the King''s mate. That meant the green-eyed woman in the portrait was the Queen of Agartha.

    ====

    A/N- For the readers who might wonder who is Drayce Ivanov, the King of Megaris- He is the male lead of the first book of the series "Witch''s Daughter And The Devil''s Son."

 Chapter 275 Welcome Back To Agarth

    Before the young eagle left Megaris, King Drayce Ivanov had made a rough sketch of the green-eyed woman by asking his wife Seren to describe the facial features of the woman in her dreams. He gave it to Aureus with a strong intuition that it would be useful. As he was visiting the Kingdom of Agartha, then it was better to be prepared.

    "Does the Queen of Megaris get visions about my mate?" Draven asked as it was what he could conclude from the existence of the portrait.

    "Her Majesty does and it''s not something she and the King are happy about. Those visions give her pain as they take the form of nightmares."

    "The same thing can be said by our side as well," Draven said, his dignified tone showing hints of rebuke, though he did regain hisposure. "I am more eager to find out the reason than thinking about the pain it causes."

    "If the King of Agartha has information to share, I request for both our sides to exchange intelligence about this matter."

    "What kind of visions does the Queen of Megaris have?" Draven asked.

    Aureus exined to him about Seren''s visions and the main content of it was seeing hellish fire surrounding the green-eyed woman.

    "Hmm, my mate possesses the power of the fire attribute. Does the Queen of Megaris possess the same attribute? My mate had a simr vision about the purple-eyed woman being surrounded by mes."

    The young eagle could not help but ponder. "Unfortunately, that is not the case. Queen Seren has an affinity to the earth element."

    "By any chance, has she mastered the fire element as well? Did she train herself on a second element? There are supernatural beings who can master two elements though such cases are rare."

    At this, Aureus shook his head. "The Queen of Megaris cannot use her power. There are reasons behind it that I cannot exin to you. However, I can assure you that she is incapable of willfully using magic as she herself is not aware of what kind of power she holds."

    ''Not aware of what kind of power she holds.''

    Draven found it simr to the case of his mate and found the simrity interesting. If the circumstances of the Queen of Megaris were simr to his mate, then...

    "Is there any seal on her power? Has someone intentionally suppressed it?"

    Draven''s guess was not wrong.

    "There are such possibilities," Aureus admitted. "My king is personally overseeing the investigation about this concern, and perhaps in a span of a month, many questions will be cleared."

    "Any particr event will be happening within a month?" Draven asked.

    "Hmm. There is. Forgive me for being unable to say more," Aureus replied, not giving clear exnations.

    Draven Aramis was a stranger. As Aureus was meeting the King of Agartha for the first time and he was yet to be aware of his true intentions, thus, it was not fine to tell him details about things concerning Drayce and Seren''s private lives.

    "I hope the King of Megaris will be sessful so we can solve the connection between his mate and mine."

    "We wish the same," Aureus said. After a while, he seemed to have remembered something. "I have an item for the King of Agartha. That esteemed person said to pass it to you directly."

    Draven silently waited as an object appeared on Aureus'' palm. It was a wooden token that was enchanted with a magic spell, the runes conveying that inside was a sealed message which only Draven could unravel and read.

    Once again, Erlos epted that wooden token from Aureus and passed it to Draven. After ncing at it, Erlos realized that the token had a particr set of symbols carved on top, and those were runic letters from the ancientnguage that High Elves used.

    The token reminded Draven of someone.

    "High Elf Yorian? Is he with the King of Megaris?" Draven asked calmly. Though he was surprised, he controlled it from showing on his face.

    His oldrade who left the kingdom, what was he doing with the King of Megaris?

    Aureus nodded. "Yes, that esteemed person is in Megaris as we stumbled uponmon enemies. When he found out I was heading to Agartha, he asked me to deliver a message for him."

    Draven caressed the token with his thumb and closed his eyes. The bindings of the spell that Yorian sent unravelled in an instant. It was the method Yorian and others of his kind always used when there were secrets to be sent that could not be seen by others. That spell allowed only the concerned person to read it. If others tried to read the message not meant for them, instead of the spell being lifted, it would cause the token to self-destruct.<sub> </sub>

    As Draven read the entire message, he was inwardly shocked. Among the news of the ck magic practitioners were a couple of things that Draven was not allowed to reveal to Aureus or to anyone as it concerned Aureus'' mother, Myra, thest golden Divine Eagle of Agartha.

    ''So he is really Myra''s son,'' Draven confirmed as he looked at Aureus. He let out a silent sigh as he focused on the other things in the message that Aureus had knowledge of. "Bymon enemy, you mean the ck Witch Zaria Lynx."

    Aureus'' face visibly hardened, but it quickly returned to a calm expression as he controlled his emotions. "ording to that esteemed person, that is the identity of that ck Witch. We discovered her after she tried to abduct the Queen of Megaris, and I learned that she was also the one who killed my mother. Now, she is after me as well."

    ''Killed his mother?'' Draven thought. ''So Yorian doesn''t want Aureus to know the truth just as he said in his message.''

    "I happened to cross paths with her while protecting the Queen. Her spells are the nemesis of the powers of nature, and it was pure luck that we are able to escape from being captured. Currently, she seems to be trying to create trouble for Megaris by siding with an enemy kingdom, but there is no doubt she will continue targeting Queen Seren."

    "She is targeting the power the Queen of Megaris possesses," Draven concluded.

    "Your guess is right, King of Agartha. That''s why His Majesty King Drayce ns to capture that ck Witch in order to protect the Queen. He would have done it by now but there are some difficulties that need to be ovee."

    "Being in a human kingdom, the King of Megaris mustck manpower--supernatural beings who could counter Zaria Lynx''s forces."

    Draven was not wrong so Aureus did not deny the im. "Other than me, only High Elf Yorian is able to help him."

    "As you know, ck magic practitioners are our enemies as well. Since we share amon enemy, if your king wishes for it, Agartha would offer help. However, I will demand for the capture of Zaria Lynx, and she will be brought to Agartha as a prisoner. That witch has to pay for what she did to our kind."

    "That I will have to discuss with His Majesty. I believe we will reach amon conclusion."

    Draven no longer pursued the topic "You must be tired after a long journey and must want to rest. You are our guest afterall, so arrangements have been made to wee your arrival. Feel free to ask anything that you may need."

    "You have my gratitude." Aureus made a small bow. "I am honoured to be a guest of Agartha."

    If this was a human kingdom, a banquet would have been set up to celebrate the arrival of a foreign envoy, and not only the King, but several officials or high-ranking people would also be invited to socialize with the foreign envoy. However, Agartha was a kingdom of supernatural beings, and they had little interest in observing superficial human customs.

    Just as Melion was about to escort Aureus away, Draven suddenly spoke up.

    "Wee back to Agartha, Divine Eagle Aureus."

    The young eagle was flustered. "What...?"

    "Though you are not a native-born within Agartha, as someone of our kind, you are one of us. Treat this ce as if it is your own homnd," Draven continued, his tone without fluctuation. "Your mother was someone this kingdom and her n cherished. I rmend you visit your own people before you go back to Megaris."

    Complex emotions shed across Aureus'' eyes. "Do I...Do I have any rtives?"

    "You do," Draven responded, "and they will be happy to see you."

    Nervousness and excitement could be heard in his voice. "Then, I would like to visit them today. Will that be fine, King of Agartha?"

    "Before that, give me some time as I have something to do first. Your sudden presence might shock a few people. I need to make them aware of your arrival and notify them to expect your visit."

    "I understand."

    =====

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 Chapter 276 Not Ready To Have A Child

    When Ember returned to her chamber, she started ying with her pet bird, though she was somewhat still in a distracted state, her thoughts sometimes on the chained woman in her dream, at times on the scars on Morpheus'' body, and from time to time, her hand subconsciously touching the changed crimson blossom on her neck as well.

    After some time, her servants informed her that Y had returned to the pce for some work reason, and would be leaving the pce again after she took care of the leftover work.

    "Please ask her to see me before she leaves¡­if that is all right with her?"

    "Of course, Miss. You are His Majesty''s mate."

    "Indeed, Miss. You don''t have to hesitate when asking anything from us."

    Ember was relieved that she would get to talk to Y about one of the concerns she had in her mind. Other than Y, she had no other choice as her two maidservants were still young and immature just like her.

    After a while, Y arrived at her chamber. "Miss, I heard you were asking for me?"

    Ember felt relieved to see the short blue-haired elf. "d to see you back, Y. I had something to talk about with you."

    The two servants quietly left, closing the door behind them without making a noise. They were smart enough to understand and didn''t have to be told to leave. Once the servants left, Y said, "You can tell me, Miss. Do you have a problem?"

    "Please have a seat first," Ember said as she herself sat in one chair while Y sat opposite to her.

    Ember felt a little hesitant but said in the end, "I wish to talk about mating¡­"

    "What about it?"

    "Uhm, the so-called fertile days."

    "Sure, Miss," Y smiled in understanding. "Those are the days when you can conceive a child after you be intimate with your partner."

    Ember cleared her throat. "That, I understood from the books I read. But I want to know if males can really smell if females are on their fertile days. His Majesty said something along that line¡­and¡­I could not understand¡­"

    Y nodded. "What you heard from His Majesty is right. Beastmen in general have senses as sharp. It is natural for males to be able to smell when females are in their fertile days."

    <o>,m "Is that so? Uhm, I don''t know what to say."</o>

    "I will exin to you why?" Y said, "You are human, Miss, so it''s normal for you to go on fertile days every month but it''s not the case for females of our kind.

    Ember focussed on what Y would tell her.

    "You have already learned that beast females get their estrous cycle once a year so they have to wait for another year to get into fertile days. That is why mating and having offspring is an important part of beasts'' ns or any other supernatural ns here. Because we don''t produce children like humans do, we have a pitiful number of children.

    "For divine beasts, it''s even rarer to conceive a child. Most of them have only one child or some end up childless. That is why males have their senses heightened to know when their females are ovting so they won''t miss the chance to have a child."

    Ember understood the need for males to be able to smell a female''s fertility but she had other concerns. She awkwardly cleared her throat.

    "So¡­ it ispulsory to mate?"

    "Notpulsory, but it is the most basic instinct of survival. Mating will ensure their kind will continue to live on. No one wants their kind to be extinct."

    "Then it is fine to not mate?" Ember probed.

    "Of course, it is a choice that should be decided by the mated couple. But males'' attraction towards their mated female is difficult to control. During days when their mates are fertile, or on nights when the moon is at its peak, on both asions it is difficult for them to not mate. They will be troubled¡ªthey will experience suffering simr to that of unsatiated hunger, and I am sure you know best what His Majesty was like on the night of the full moon."

    ''Effect is the same as the night of the full moon?''

    Ember remembered Draven''s actions in the garden. He sure looked affected and looked like he wished to be intimate with her... mate with her. It gave Ember goosebumps.

    "Miss, ording to my understanding about the human estrous cycle, you must be in your fertile days from today or maybe from tomorrow."<sub> </sub>

    "Yes, I am," Ember confirmed with confidence as Draven was the one to say this. After listening to Y, she didn''t doubt Draven''s ability to sense her ovtion.

    "You will be ovting every month¡­" Y said as she could not decide if she should feel good for her or pity Ember as she had a mate now.

    Ember chose to pity herself¡ªnot only should she brace herself on the night of the full moon once a month, she also had to take into ount how much her fertile days would put her into trouble. There was truly no escape for her.

    ''I thought after the night of the full moon everything will be over but things are getting moreplicated.'' She sighed and asked, "Y, you should know but I am still young and immature. Though I havee of age by human standards, I am not ready to have a child. I cannot even imagine myself taking care of another when I don''t know how to take care of myself. What should I do?"

    "I am ttered that you trust me to this extent, Miss, but I advise you to talk about this with His Majesty, as he is your mate," Y suggested. "Your concerns are valid and valuable, and I believe he will understand you."

    Ember knew Draven would understand but then¡­ if they ended up like that night of the full moon¡­ She sure didn''t want to have a child yet.

    "Isn''t there anything that can stop me from having a child? I read a human story book about women taking some medicine to not have a child."

    "There must be but our kind has no use for those as reproduction is a blessing to us, and what we have are potions or concoctions that will increase the possibilities of bearing a child."

    "Uhm¡­Can''t we get it from the humans?" Ember asked, being hopeful. "I remember there are viges at the outskirts¡­"

    Y had a look of deep thought. "Well, that is an option, but there might not be a need for us to go get one from the humans. An expert herbalist or apothecary like Elder Leeora must have some knowledge about it. If you want, I will talk to her."

    "Thank you, Y."

    "But, Miss, I urge you to talk to His Majesty first. Just as your concerns are valid and valuable, so is your mate''s opinion. If he wishes to have a child and you take this medicine behind his back, as your mate, His Majesty might feel betrayed. You don''t want to make him feel like that, do you?"

    Ember realized Y was saying the right thing and agreed, "I understand. I will talk to him."

    Suddenly, Ember felt a strange enlightenment, as if she had grown into a mature woman from a naive mountain girl. Before, her only concerns involved whether she had food to eat, but now, she had to worry about her husband and having a family.

    It made her feel¡­human. Like an ordinary human woman living an ordinary life that she had read about in the books.

    ''My life sure has changed a lot.''

    Her green eyes held Y''s image with gratitude. "Thank you so much, Y, for advising me."

    "It should be I who thank you. Thank you for trusting me enough to confide in me. I will always wee your future concerns as well, Miss," Y said as she reached out to hold Ember''s hand, lightly squeezing it in the process.

    "I won''t hold you back then. I heard you are on leave but returned to the pce for some work. Thank you again for sparing me your time. You should go ahead so you can go back to your daughter as soon as possible."

    Y stood up. "Thank you, Miss. And I will send a message to Elder Leeora about what you have asked for."

    Ember nodded and Y left.

    One concern was resolved, but another sprang up in its ce.

    ''How should I talk to him about this?''

    Ember could only bury her face in her hands as she let out a groan.

    ''There was no talk about having a child and now I have to initiate a talk about it. I am not ready to have one.'' She looked down towards her t belly. ''Ah, sure not ready.''

    She then walked towards the window and mumbled to herself, "Since I am in my fertile days, his instinct would want him to be intimate. We need to talk before he acts on it. If hees to my chamber tonight, I will talk to him about it. Most probably he would, as from what Y said, he would feel the same as on the night of the full moon. At least, I would remain sane and be able to stop it."

    ===

    Dear readers, this month, instead of writing small multiple chapters, I will prefer to write long chapters. So please do not think that uploads are less. From the number of coins you use to unlock the chapters, you can guess whether they are short or long. Longer the chapter, the more coins you need to unlock it. So it is the same whether you read two chapters or one long chapter.

 Chapter 277 The Female I Like Has Born

    After leaving Aureus in Erlos'' care, Draven did not dy handling the important work he was set out to do.

    To inform the Divine Eagle n of Aureus'' existence.

    For descendants of divine beasts, it was natural for the divine power in their bloodline to grow thinner and thinner with each passing generation. That was why the existence of a golden eagle was like a miracle for the n, and it was of utmost priority to inform them of such a person appearing in the kingdom. Moreover, Aureus was not just some random eagle¡ªhe was Myra''s son.

    There was someone who needed to meet Aureus more than anyone else.

    Draven had to let Morpheus know first before his entire n crowded around Aureus. He owed him at least that much. Draven knew where he could find Morpheus at this moment and disappeared from his study.

    On the peak of the mountain bordering the Forest of the Elves, Morpheus was sitting at the edge of the cliff silently, his eyes looking mindlessly at the sea of white clouds. After paying a visit to the grave of Isa''s older brother, Divine Fox Aldis, he was still unable to shake off the sadness thus he headed straight to this ce to have some alone time and reminisce about the past.

    ''Decades have passed by, but the memories of the past feel like it''s only just yesterday since you left us, Aldis. The only person who treats me as an equal¡­I don''t really want to admit it, but I miss how annoying you are. My younger self would have scoffed at this thought¡­

    ''I should have treated you nicer¡­I should have annoyed you less¡­maybe then, I wouldn''t feel this much guilt.

    Thinking back, I loved those days. They weren''t peaceful, but they were fun because you were there with us. I wish we could continue to annoy and bicker like in the past. You are the only person who listens to me, even though you make me feel bad after sharing things with you, but still¡­ Now I have no one to share it with.

    ''Aldis¡­I wish you were still here to listen to me. I don''t care if you tease me or annoy me afterwards. You can be a nuisance as much as you want.

    ''But then again, with the secret, I have this time, I am sure you would have scolded me and called me a fool.''

    Morpheus closed his eyes as phantom voices rang in his ears.

    "Myra, I am telling you, your brother will die as a lonely single soul. He nitpicks every female he sees, and believes no one is good enough for him. Bah, his ''ideal'' mate probably only exists in his imagination."

    "Leave Morph alone, Aldis. My brother is waiting for the right one. The day when he finds the right female for him, trust me, he won''t let her go."

    "Really, you believe that? This conceited guy?"

    "Other than my sister and my mother, all the females in my n are annoying."

    "Did you hear that, Myra? Trust me, there is probably no female in this world who is ''not annoying'' to him."

    "Maybe she''s not born yet."

    "Bah, at this rate, maybe I will have a child¡ªno, a grandchild first before you start worrying about whether or not your mate is born."

    Morpheus sighed with his eyes closed.

    ''Aldis, the woman I want to be my mate has already been born, the only female I feel is right for me, and I cannot stop myself from thinking about her. She is perfect and there is not a single thing about her I want to change.

    ''If you were here and I had told you about her, you would have given me an earful. But, even if I lie or hide what I feel, it does not mean my feelings for her will cease to exist. I cannot stop myself from liking her. Her name is always in my mind and I keep chanting it like a spell."

    Morpheus opened his eyes at the sea of clouds once more.<sub> </sub>

    ''Ember¡­her name is Ember, Aldis. But she is someone else''s mate. I tried to convince myself again and again saying she is just a tool for me to use against Draven. But I can''t seem to do that. I cannot let myself or anyone else harm her. All I want to do is to protect her even at the cost of my life.''

    He could not help but let out a bitterugh.

    ''When I saw that mark on her neck today, I felt¡­hah¡­I feel pathetic, Aldis. I want her so badly but I cannot show it to her. She seemed to be happy with him. Well, let her be happy then.'' A sad smile appeared on his lips. ''You were right, Aldis, that I will die as a single soul. I will, because there is no one else that I can ever like but her¡­ and she can''t be mine.''

    Morpheus let out a silent sigh, and as a particrly strong wind passed by, he imagined his regretful thoughts drifting away with it. He was about to lie on his back to enjoy the sun when he sensed a certain person''s arrival at the peak of the rocky mountain. It was the presence of the one who he didn''t want to see the most.

    "This is not a ce where you cane whenever you want."

    The eagle didn''t even turn to look at the neer.

    ? Draven didn''t mind as he was not expecting any weing words from his oldrade. Instead of replying, he walked ahead and sat next to Morpheus at the edge of the cliff, with his legs hanging in the air.

    Morpheus said nothing and acted as if it didn''t concern him what Draven would do, whether he would sit next to him or jump down the cliff. He would just treat him as if he didn''t exist there.

    A long, awkward silence ensued between the two men.

    It was Draven who broke the silence.

    "Thinking about Aldis?" he asked.

    "Doesn''t concern you."

    Draven was used to Morpheus acting this way towards him, so he simply went straight to the reason for his visit. "I have news to share."

    "Huh, since when did the Almighty King of Agartha be so bored, he''s now doubling as a messenger as well?"

    "It''s important news."

    Morpheusughed. "There is my uncle, the Chief of the Shapeshifters, and then there are the elders of my n, who can hear whatever news that is. What are you doing sharing news with an idle nobody like me? Important? Nothing is important to me as I concern myself with nothing in this kingdom. All the important things in my life had disappeared. Shall I remind you that you are the reason for it?"

    Draven held his tongue as he epted the allegations from his friend. He stared at the sea of clouds in front of them, his red eyes unblinking.

    "But not all of them have disappeared," he said, his quiet voice abnormally loud as it was carried by the wind.

    Morpheus froze. Like a broken puppet, his body turned towards Draven, his gray eyes wide with disbelief, his heart beating faster at the thought of if¡­if by chance the important news was about his missing sister.

    "M-Myra¡­are you talking about her? Is she back? Did she return to Agartha?"

    Draven''s personallying to see him could only mean this was important personal news for him.

 Chapter 278 He Is Myras Son

    The ck-haired dragon looked at him without a change in expression, and Morpheus could not understand what that annoyingly indifferent look meant. Was that a yes? A no? Probably a ''no'', for if Myra had truly returned, then this ck Dragon would not be wasting time like this. His excitement was then reced with disappointment and annoyance.

    "You are wasting my time," he scowled as he turned away from him. "Get your royal self back to your pce."

    But Draven spoke again, as if not minding Morpheus'' reaction. "A guest arrived today from one of the kingdoms from the other side of the continent."

    Morpheus rolled his eyes. "Doesn''t concern me--"

    "He is a young golden eagle around a century old."

    Morpheus stiffened. He felt like he heard something wrong. He quickly looked at Draven with his gray eyes filled with questions.

    "That golden eagle is your nephew," Draven added. "He is Myra''s son."

    Morpheus seemingly forgot to breathe as he wordlessly stared at Draven.

    Draven looked back at him, his firm gaze reassuring the eagle that he spoke no lie.

    ''My sister''s son...? That means Myra is...Myra is...''

    Morpheus felt a sudden surge of emotions and felt his heart pounding so hard, it was a struggle for him to breathe. His gray eyes turned moist and his throat felt choked as sounds between augh and a sob escaped his lips. He didn''t know how to react to this. So many decades...more than a century had passed without news of his little sister.

    No one probably felt the agony of waiting more than Morpheus. Waiting for a loved one without knowing whether your patience would be rewarded. Hoping despite the loneliness of being alone. Expecting even though his wish might or might not be answered.

    Vaguely waiting, wishing, hoping that he would be reunited with his sister in some distant future...

    In an instant, Morpheus was on his feet, his majestic gray wings spread behind him as if he would fly any second now. "Myra, my sister, where is she? Why didn''t you bring her here?!"

    The joy on Morpheus'' face was so genuine, Draven knew his next words would break his heart. Yet he did not keep the truth from him.

    "Only her son came to Agartha."

    "What! Why...Why is she not here? T-Then where is she?"

    One could see the agitation on the warrior''s body. His voice shook and his body trembled as he spoke.

    ''If she had sent her son, then she should havee as well unless...'' Morpheus'' mind started toe up with various rming thoughts.

    "Calm down. Listen to me first," Draven told him.

    It only made Morpheus more panicked. "First, tell me if Myra is fine."

    Draven sighed. "Will you even hear my words in your current state?"

    "Why are you not answering--"

    "Sit down, Morpheus, and listen to me calmly," Draven tly told him. "There is a situation I need to exin to you, and the chances are high that we will get to meet Myra soon."

    Not having any other option, Morpheus let out a sigh, barely able to calm himself. As a warrior, he knew that letting himself be ruled by emotions would get himself killed in the battlefield. He was normallyposed...but this was about his sister. It was difficult.

    In the end, the agitated eagle folded his wings in resignation and returned to sitting on the edge of the cliff. All he wanted was to see his sister once more.<sub> </sub>

    "Tell me what happened."

    Draven exined to him why Aureus was in Agartha, including the matters of the Queen of Megaris and Ember, about how the young golden eagle had been living in a human kingdom and hade under the orders of the King of Megaris. He also talked aboutck Witch Zaria Lynx, their old enemy who caused the tragedy experienced by the people of Agartha a century ago.

    "That witch!" Morpheus clenched his fists upon hearing the news. "This time, I will not let her escape. I will give her a death so cruel that her soul won''t dare to be reborn again."

    Though Draven did not look as affected, one could see the rage silently burning in his eyes. "She will get the punishment she rightfully deserves."

    Morpheus calmed himself down and asked, "But, what about my sister? How is this rted to her? Why are you not telling me about her? Is she...that witch..." He stopped. "Tell me she is alive."

    Draven didn''t say anything and instead pulled out the token that Yorian sent to him.

    Morpheus looked at the familiar-looking token. "This is... Yorian''s?"

    "He is with the King of Megaris at this moment." Draven handed it over to him. "I have erased the protection spell so it won''t self-destruct. It is better for you to read the full ount than hear it from me."

    Morpheus closed his eyes as he injected his magic to read the message hidden inside. It took him a while, and though he did not let out a single sound, one could see the fluctuations of his emotion from the tightening of his grip on the token every now and then.

    When he opened his eyes, those gray orbs were dark with rage. "How dare she?! To do this to Myra--!"

    Draven put his hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. We are not sure about anything yet. It''s just an assumption Yorian made."

    Morpheus stood up. "I will go to that side of the continent. Once I find her, then we will be sure. If Myra is truly her captive, I swear to give that witch a hell of a death."

    Draven stood up as well. "This is what I don''t want. Do not let your anger rule your head. You know as well as I do that she is not so easy to deal with. We need to n. A single mistake and she might kill Myra in order to survive our attack. If Myra is truly with her, then the more vignt we should act."

    Morpheus was not ready to listen but heard Draven continue, "Her son, he had grown up thinking his mother is dead. We cannot be reckless. Calm down first."

    With a shaky breath, Morpheus thought of his sister''s child. He got his reason back and asked, "A son...well, if she has a child, then that means she found herself a mate." His eyes narrowed. "Is her mate apanying her child? Are the two of them your guests?"

    Draven shook his head.

    "The child is by himself. Neither Yorian nor Myra''s son mentioned anything about his father," Draven said, but there was clear guilt in his eyes that he tried to hide.

    There were things that were only known to him and he decided to continue keeping this secret, for it was Myra''s secret to share, not his.

    "Where is her son? Is he still in your pce? I will meet him."

    Morpheus finally got on the same page as Draven.

    "Indeed. His name is Aureus. He is staying as a guest in the pce. I will arrange for you to meet him. He is yet not aware of the existence of his family members. After you meet him, I will leave it to you to handle his introduction to your n."

    "Aureus!" Morpheus repeated.

    He usually didn''t agree to Draven but this time he did. "Fine! I will wait for your message."

    ====

    A/N- Dear readers, I am meeting my parents after one year. This week I have nned a small trip with them to spend time with them, so there might be less updates. Once I am back, I will make up for it. <3<3

 Chapter 279 Erlos Aureus Talk

    Aureus had a sumptuous meal inside the guest room, finding himself enjoying the food tailored to the taste of a shapeshifter like him. While he ate, Erlos used that time to befriend him, telling him about various facts about the people of Agartha. Listening to Erlos make idle talk about Agartha and its residents, the young eagle started to look forward to exploring the kingdom where his mother grew up.

    "Would you like to stroll around the pce?" Erlos offered him after he finished his food.

    "Sure!" Aureus agreed immediately as he didn''t want to simply stay sitting inside the room.

    At first, he was not expecting much, merely agreeing for the sake of having something to pass the time. However, the more he saw, the more impressed he became.

    The Divine Eagle could not help but find himself awed by the sight around him. Elves, shapeshifters, fairies, and witches. The pce servants he saw along the way were all non-humans, and he could see some of them using their elemental magic on the simplest tasks, like dusting furniture or watering nts.

    And the pce itself...

    It wasn''t that the building was more extravagant than the Royal Pce of Megaris--it was that the architecture of the pce itself spoke of a design so ancient, one couldn''t find an intact building like it in any of the current human kingdoms. Not to mention, even the simplest items and articles littered around the pce boasted of great history hundreds if not thousands of years old.

    The garden in particr was a work of art, a perfect representation of the beauty and wildness in nature, and Erlos took that chance to brag about it being thebined effort of the fairies and elves working in the pce.

    "You say youe from a human kingdom called Megaris, right? Do they treat supernatural beings the same as before?" Erlos asked.

    "What do you mean?"

    "You ought to know. Witchhunts and the like?" Erlos said. "There is a reason why our kind chose to iste ourselves from greedy humans."

    "Can''t say if it is the same because nobody is aware of my existence. Only the King of Megaris and his knight knows about my existence. People think I am an ordinary bird."

    "Hmm! But the King of Megaris is a supernatural being. Does he hide the fact that he has magic?"

    "No. In fact, many people have seen him use his powers."

    Erlos was surprised. "How do they treat their king then? All I know is humans hate everything supernatural."

    "They don''t know the true form of the King, only that he is extraordinary and blessed by the ck Dragon--"

    "ck Dragon? Wait, wait, stop. I think I misheard. You said ck Dragon?"

    "You heard right. The ck Dragon is the god said to be protecting the Ivanov Royal Family."

    "There is only one ck Dragon, and that is my king, King Draven Aramis. Do those humans worship our king as a god?" Erlos asked, his voice still thick with surprise. In his head, he could not help but imagine a statue of the cold-faced Draven d in ceremonial robes while having priests burning incense for him. He shivered, but as for the reason why, nobody knew.

    "They don''t actually worship it outside of the temple, but it is used as a symbol of the power of the king. I don''t know how it happened but maybe they must have heard something about the ck Dragon centuries ago..."

    Erlos had a thoughtful look. "Hmm. That can be possible. Or maybe Sire visited that part of the continent in the early days? Maybe I should ask...oh well, for those humans to treat their king equal to the ck Dragon shows the might and authority of your king."

    "I believe there is probably a more personal reason. Megaris is one of the oldest kingdoms on the continent. I don''t think the founder of the Ivanov Royal Family would make it a symbol of the king if there wasn''t a strong connection between the two."

    "Maybe you are right. I hope we will get to know it." Erlos then changed the subject. "By the way, what race does the King of Megaris belong to? From what I heard, the scouts got scared of him. He ought to be a divine beast..."

    "A Red Dragon, to be exact."

    Erlos'' eyes widened. He never expected that there would be another Dragon other than Draven Aramis. His curiosity peaked. "How was Dragon born in a human family? Wait, if it''s only one of his parents, hmm, shouldn''t that make him half-human?"

    "Not sure. I don''t think this is something we should be talking about." Aureus didn''t reveal that Drayce was not King Theron Ivanov''s real child.<sub> </sub>

    "Oh, pardon me!" was all Erlos said and didn''t ask more about the matter. He could only let his imagination run wild, guessing about whether the King of Megaris was adopted or whether his mother had an affair.

    The two feltfortable talking to each other.

    For Aureus, he never had anyone close who was of his age, the only person he could confide in before being only Lady Tyra.

    Meanwhile, Erlos was such a chatterbox that most of his peers grew numb to him, often avoiding being pulled into a conversation with him. Isa was not counted, because the two would always argue whenever they had a chance. Besides, since the elf had been working in the pce, he was often following the heartless Draven around.

    As such, the two youths enjoyed talking to each other about their respective kingdoms, and their exchange was not something awkward.

    "Can I ask you something?" Erlos asked as they stopped on top of the pce wall. At that height, they could see the river flowing outside the pce that marked the borders of the Forest of the Elves.

    Aureus watched the river as he replied, "Yes?"

    "You came across that ck Witch. Is she really that powerful?" Erlos asked. "I heard that it''s not easy to deal with her."

    Aureus briefly closed his eyes. "She truly is. My divine powers were useless in front of her strong spells. I couldn''t evennd an attack on her, much less harm her. But then again, she is the first and only ck Witch I have fought with so I do not have anyone topare how powerful she is."

    "I heard about her from Sire before," Erlos admitted. "She is someone who has escaped the forces of Agartha."

    "Then that means she is truly powerful."

    "ck magic practitioners like her grow stronger through the sacrifice of blood. That is why ck magic is the nemesis of nature. Many decades had passed, and though she must have cultivated her magic as a witch, there is a higher chance she had an additional source that makes her powers strong."

    "Source?"

    "Yes, something that will amplify the effects of her spell. I have read a lot of books here, and among them, there were books about ck Witches and their powers. ording to them, during the previous wars against humans, the powers of ck Witches are unimaginably strong because they used the lives of the people as sources to boost their spells."

    Aureus listened intently; afterall, he was never educated about the history of the supernatural beings given he was raised among humans.

    Erlos continued, "I also discovered then that for ck magic practitioners, the greatest source to make their ck magic stronger was divine power. That was why during wartime, they often target divine beasts to use them as sources. I heard you telling Sire that the ck Witch wanted to capture you and the Queen of Megaris. Maybe this is the reason?"

    Erlos'' conclusion made sense to Aureus. "No wonder she desperately wanted to capture me and Seren."

    ''Seren?'' Erlos was startled to hear Aureus call the Queen of Magaris by her name so naturally. "Are you close to the Queen of Megaris?"

    Aureus paused for a while due to his slip of the tongue.

    Was he close to Seren? They were close, but rather than friendship, their rtionship was as master and pet. He didn''t know if that rtionship would remain the same once she found out that he was a shapeshifter.

    Chances were, once she saw him in his human form, she would definitely distance herself from him, thinking of him as another man. It made Aureus feel bad inside.

    Erlos observed his changing expressions and understood things were not simple as they seemed.

    Aureus got back to his senses and asked, "How do they use that divine power source to make their spells stronger?"

    "They use the blood as a medium. Think of it like a bonfire: the fire is the spell and the wood is the source. To grow the fire, you add more wood.

    "It is difficult to get hold of the precious blood of a divine beast, so as much as they could, they would capture a source to have a steady supply of blood they can draw as per their need, keeping it barely alive so that it''s weak enough to be unable to escape.

 Chapter 280 Beautiful She Must Be

    "For any divine beast, drawing a little blood should not harm them since flesh wounds heal fast, but this is not the case for the captives, since whenever a ck magic spell is casted using their blood, it shortens the lifespan of the source.

    "I suspect whoever that ck Witch is using as a source must have died or must be on the verge of death, that is why she is in search of a new divine power source."

    Aurus felt this theory was reasonable. "How pitiful. I feel sorry for whoever she captured. Do you have any idea who that might be? Those with divine bloodline are rare, and Agartha has a small poption, so I guess you will know if there is anyone missing from your kingdom."

    The elf shrugged. "I can''t tell. There are also supernatural beings not living in Agartha like you. Last I heard, your mother is thest known divine beast who left the kingdom."

    "My mother is dead. That ck Witch killed her."

    "Deepest sympathies," Erlos said with a lowered head. "If it''s any constion, I too have a grudge against that ck Witch."

    Aureus nodded but there was sadness in his eyes as he looked away, pretending to see the rest of the scenery on top of the pce wall. "She died protecting me."

    "It must have hurt you a lot to witness that."

    "Sadly, I wasn''t able to see herst breath. I wasn''t even able to see her corpse," the young eagle sighed. "The attack caused an explosion so strong, I was lucky the previous Queen of Megaris found me and saved me or else I too would have died. My savior did not even find a single trace of my mother left. It was pathetic that I could not even bury her body..."

    "Sorry to hear that." After a bout of silence, Erlos continued, "You and I are not thest. As long as that ck Witch remains alive, there will be more and more people like us whose loved ones would be taken away. Maybe even now there is someone out there, one of the wandering supernatural beings, mourning in grief because their family or friend is that ck Witch''s current source."

    Aureus said nothing, but he felt a small sense of unease gnawing at his insides, as if something was amiss.

    Seeing his new friend had be upset, Erlos hurried to change the topic. "I remember you saying that ck Witch has gone to the enemy kingdom of Megaris?"

    Aureus looked at Erlos as he stared at him for a moment. "Erlos, I know you have a grudge against her just like I do. Yours is heavier for your n was wiped out but... what you are thinking at this moment, I wish you to drop that idea."

    Erlos fell silent as Aureus had guessed his intentions.

    The young eagle continued to speak, "If it was that easy to beat her, I would have done that many times over. So wait. We need to be patient. With our kings cooperating, her days are numbered."

    Erlos sighed and nodded but inside he was not calm at all.

    Aureus said nothing more and apanied him in silence.

    ------

    After talking with Y, Ember could not sit idly inside her chamber. Even after she had her meal, she felt nervous and uneasy, worried about how to bring up the issue of child-bearing with Draven. She desperately wanted to go out on a stroll--more like to breathe fresh air outside of the pce where there would be no chance of her coincidentally meeting her mate.

    "Is His Majesty busy?"

    "Yes, Miss. There is an important guest in the pce and His Majesty is busy with that."

    Ember sighed. "Is that so?"

    If Draven was stuck in his study, then maybe she could take a leisurely walk in the garden. But what if he happened to leave his room? She often bumped into him in the hallways.<sub> </sub>

    ''Maybe I should head to the ce farthest from the study?''

    "I think I ate too much," Ember started. "Let us take a stroll outside."

    Her two servants apanied her without suspicion. As they walked in the garden, Ember''s eyes wandered around, and they soonnded at the outermost part of the pce--the walls.

    Reya''s words then reached her ears. "--I heard from those in the kitchen that the mysterious guest is a shapeshifter from the Divine Eagle n and he is the royal envoy of a human kingdom."

    "Human kingdom?" Clio eximed. "How can that be?"

    "Not sure but it was what I heard from the other servants who are in charge of his stay and meal. Erlos told them to prepare food preferred by the Divine Eagle n so the kitchen help identified the guest immediately."

    ? Ember remembered seeing the gold hair strands of that guest. She also remembered what Morpheus told her in passing, about the hierarchy among his n, and among the four colors of the eagle shapeshifters, and the golden one was the highest. Gold symbolized the purest divine bloodline.

    "Divine Eagle? You mean the golden one?" Ember asked.

    "Yes, Miss," Reya replied.

    "I want to see him," Clio said excitedly as they continued to walk, not realizing that Ember who was in the lead was taking them towards the pce wall.

    It happened that the three young women spotted two people at a distance--one with a familiar but eye-catching silver hair, while the other had an even more eye-catching golden one. The first was Erlos, and he was standing next to someone, and from his garments--the feathered cloak specifically--they realized he was the guest they were talking about.

    Erlos and Aureus sensed their presence and turned around to look at them. Erlos then gestured for the eagle to follow him, as they had to properly greet her first, given her status in the pce.

    "Greetings, Miss Ember."

    "Good afternoon, Erlos," Ember replied and her gaze went towards Aureus who gave a polite bow towards her. He had seen her portrait so he knew who this woman was. It was almost simr to what they drew in the portrait and those emerald green eyes...No wonder Seren pointed out the color of her eyes when she described the woman in her dreams. Her eyes had a unique and beautiful shade of green.

    "Miss, this is Aureus, our guest from a human kingdom. Aureus, this is Miss Ember Aramis, His Majesty''s mate."

    "Aureus from Megaris pays respect to the Queen of Agartha." For him as an outsider, it made sense that the mate of the King holds the title of the Queen.

    Ember epted the greetings with a light nod though she wanted to correct him, but in the end since neither Erlos nor her own servants reacted, she kept her mouth shut.

    ''A Divine Eagle...''

    She didn''t know why but she found him to have a resemnce to Morpheus but on second thought, there was nothing simr between them aside from the manner of their clothing.

    ''Are they rted or is it just because they are both shapeshifters from the same n?''

    The more she looked at him, the more she recalled the things Morpheus told her in the past. His sister was thest golden eagle, and ever since she was gone, no golden eagle was born in his n. She wondered if Morpheus'' sister looked the same like this--golden hair, golden eyes and even that invisible aura around their body seemed to shine gold as well.

    ''Beautiful she must be.''

 Chapter 281 Feels Like Husband And Wife

    Just then Draven appeared among them. He had just returned from his talk with Morpheus. He walked towards them as everyone bowed towards the King. Draven looked at his mate with the same t gaze which then moved to Aureus. "Aureus, there is someone you need to meet first before visiting your n."

    Aurus nodded. "Anyone rted to my mother?"

    "He is your uncle, your mother''s older brother. You must have many things to talk about."

    Aureus could not deny it. He could not wait to know more about his mother but was also curious to see other family members. Maybe his grandparents? Though it was strange and awkward, he wondered how they would react upon seeing him.

    "When can I meet him?"

    "He will be here soon," Draven said as he raised his head up to look at the sky. He knew Morpheus would not just sit idly after he got to know about the existence of his nephew. and must be hiding in the sky, watching them until he received a sign that he coulde down..

    Aureus looked up as well as he spotted someone of his kind flying behind the clouds. It was barely a small dot, but given his sharp eyesight, he found it. The winged mannded next to Aureus, his gray eyes unable to pull away from the young man the entire time. Morpheus had even seemingly forgotten the existence of Draven and the rest the moment his sight caught the form of the golden Divine Eagle from the sky. When he saw Draven and the young eagle turn in his direction, Morpheus'' body moved on its own and sped towards the pce wall as if he was racing against the wind.

    ''Myra''s son¡­''

    The young eagle was beautiful in a neutral way, his facial features a strong resemnce to his sister''s. It was not simply the color of his hair and eyes¡ªit could be seen in the shape of his eyes, the tall nose, even that exquisite bnce of sharpness and softness in his expression. Though Aureus was a handsome and well-built young man, he was on the leaner side, having strongly inherited the delicate features of his mother. At first nce, one would even think he was a younger Myra in masculine form.

    On the other hand, Aureus felt a strange sense of familiarity despite seeing the gray eagle for the first time. He was obviously a stranger, but he felt as if this man was someone he could depend on.

    ''He doesn''t look like Mother¡­''

    Though Aureus was merely a child when he lost his mother, he could still vividly remember her face. Morpheus and Myra were siblings, but Morpheus strongly inherited the valiant and muscr appearance of their father, the former Chief of Shapeshifters, while Myra had a softer, sunny look that resembled their mother.

    Aside from the faint simrities in the shape of their mouth and eyes, the siblings look nothing alike.

    ''But that lopsided smile, Mother used to smile like that whenever she saw meing back from ying¡­''

    The resonance in their blood was undeniable. Not to mention, the warm thoughplex gaze the gray eagle had for him helped Aureus feel less nervous.

    "I will leave you two to talk," Draven said as he looked at Ember. "Shall we?"

    Ember nodded, and together with her servants, they followed Draven as they walked away from the two shapeshifters. Even Erlos gave a small bow in their direction before following his master''s departure.

    Morpheus and Aureus were left on their own. Both didn''t know how to initiate their talk.

    The older eagle almostughed at how silly they were acting. He deliberately let out a cough. "Would you like to go somewhere, kiddo?" Morpheus asked.<sub> </sub>

    Aureus was conflicted over what to say first¡ªwhether he should act filial and polite, acknowledging their rtionship without a fuss, or a bit more cautious and sensible since his uncle was still basically a stranger. Unknown to him, his tense shoulders rxed when he saw how casual the other man was speaking to him.

    ''Family¡­my family¡­''

    "Follow me then," Morpheus said as he opened hisrge wings once again to fly and Aureus followed his pace.

    Meanwhile, upon the sound of wings pping, Ember and others could not help but turn around and witnessed the two shapeshifters flying away. They could not blink upon the sight of the glorious pair of wings covered in golden feathers, each of them seemingly reflecting sunlight. It was blindingly beautiful, to the point it even overshadowed Morpheus'' majestic ash gray wings.

    Once the Divine Eagles left, the group led by Draven resumed walking. He spoke up after a while. "He is Morpheus'' nephew, the son of his sister, Myra."

    Ember nodded. "Morph had told me about her before. He misses her a lot." After a while, she added, "I am d that he got to meet his nephew but¡­ his sister didn''te back with her son?"

    "There is some issue. I hope we will solve it soon," Draven answered to which Ember simply nodded again. Though she was curious, she didn''t ask what kind of issue it was. If it was something that Draven could say, he would have told her right away.

    As they neared the garden near his study, Draven remembered something. "There are some important things going on, and I might work outside the pce until it''s resolved. If you wish to see me, you can tell Erlos."

    Seeing his mate look down, her hands fidgeting on her sleeves, he asked, "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

    Ember sure had something to talk about. Earlier, Y convinced her to talk with Draven about the issue of having children.

    ''Should I raise it to him now?''

    She turned her head to look at the man who was walking next to her. He didn''t look affected despite her being in her fertile days. He was behaving normally.

    Either he was truly not affected or he was good at controlling himself.

    ''So he will be busy?''

    Ember felt how nice it was to talk with him without their desires clouding their senses and could not help but raise the corners of her lips into a small smile. It was the first time he informed her about his day''s n, and it was like an ordinary working husband informing his stay-at-home wife about his job.

    Draven felt her warm gaze on him and turned to look at her with a puzzled gaze. Their eyes met and Ember blushed.

    "Is there something you want to talk about?" Draven asked again, momentarily wondering what made his mate react that way.

    Ember shook her head in fluster. She didn''t want to ruin this pleasant mood. They could always talkter about whether or not Draven wanted children, and at the back of her mind, she could not help but feel they might argue over it because she didn''t want one.

 Chapter 282 Who Is Your Father?

    Morpheus and Aureusnded at the peak of one of the highest mountains in the southern mountain ranges surrounding the kingdom. It was so high that the air was cold and thin, its slope so steep a normal human would probably take a week of climbing to reach the top of the mountain.

    ''But it''s beautiful¡­''

    Aureus let his golden eyes roam the vicinity. The mountain had nothing but rocks and boulders, but it was tranquil and secluded, the kind of ce he and his mother both liked.

    When he was a child, he remembered that he and his mother would travel from ce to ce, thus they had no permanent residence, but they would often build their homes on ces like this¡ªparticrly on caves at the top of the mountain surrounded by a sea of clouds. They loved to spend time in such high ces where they had freedom to use their powers without the humans living on the nds noticing their existence. Away from the world, such peaceful days those were.

    "Is there a cave here?" Aureus asked, a sad smile lingering on his face.

    Morpheus didn''t feel surprised at what Aureus asked. "There is. Do you want to see it?"

    Aureus nodded. "Do you also enjoy being at ces like this¡­? Umm, Mister¡­? I don''t know what to call you."

    Draven didn''t tell him his uncle''s name and he didn''t know if this man would feelfortable to be addressed as ''uncle'' without his permission. Though Aureus wouldn''t normally have bothered, this was his first time meeting family, and he felt oddly nervous.

    "My name is Morpheus. I am your mother''s older brother so you should call me ''uncle''. I won''t mind if you call me by my name as well."

    "Hmm¡­t-then, Morpheus," Aureus said.

    Though a part of him wanted to call him ''Uncle'', a part of him also resisted. He was not sure about calling him an uncle yet. Morpheus was still a stranger to him and calling him an uncle felt too intimate. It was strange. They weren''t close to each other, but he wanted to at least befortable with him.

    Seeing the brief shadow of disappointment on Morpheus'' face, which disappeared as soon as it came, Aureus felt guilt about his choice. He wanted to smack himself in the head for being so indecisive. Still, it would probably take time for him to ept this man as family.

    Morpheus didn''t mind that his nephew chose to call him by name. He offered Aureus his usual lopsided smile which reminded the young eagle of his mother. Morpheus could understand him as it was not easy to ept the new rtionship that appeared in his life so suddenly. Even he himself unknowingly rxed his tensed shoulders; he also needed time to ept the existence of Aureus. It saved him from feeling awkward to have someone yelling ''Uncle!'' all of a sudden.

    "We can be friends first. Morpheus is a bit stiff and formal, don''t you think? You can shorten it to Morph. People close to me mostly call me like that," Morpheus said. "Very few of them are left now though."

    Aureus didn''t know what to say about it, but then conceded on this. "Alright, Morph¡­"

    "Come to this side. I will show you something that belongs to Myra."

    Hearing another person saying his mother''s name for the first time in a long time, and that too with so much affection, Areus hadplex emotions in his chest. However, the most dominant one was excitement. After so many years, he was going to see something that belonged to his mother.

    Aureus followed Morpheus as they followed an uneven trail leading towards the side of a cliff, where one could see arge hole enough to fit about three adults walking side by side.

    "Hmm? What''s wrong?" the gray eagle could not help but ask as Aureus stopped at the entrance of the cave.

    "It''s nothing." Aureus could not help but look around, as it reminded him of the cave he had near the capital of Megaris.

    Morpheus didn''t inquire further and merely said, "This ce belongs to Myra. It was like her second home."

    "I see. My mother probably missed this ce a lot," Aureus said. Seeing his uncle''s curious gaze, he exined, "When I was young, we used to wander around and she always chose ces simr to this for both of us to stay. I thought she only liked high ces. Now that I''ve seen this cave, this must be her real intention¡ªshe purposely chose those that reminded her of home."

    Morpheus opened his mouth, wanting to ask him about the things the mother-and-son pair experienced, but then thought to give Aureus some more time to feel morefortable with him. He wanted the young eagle to share his story to him without any hesitation.

    "Seems like she was still the same as I remember," Morpheus said as he walked deeper into the cave with Aureus silently following behind him.

    As they reached the end of the tunnel, Aureus observed the cozy interiors¡ªthe shelves filled with trinkets, the cave art on the walls, the haystack ced on one side as a bed¡ª and just as expected, the arrangements were a replica of how his former homes looked like.

    ''Everything looks old but well-kept. I can imagine how Mother would have lived here in the past.''

    Each and every single thing inside was something that had her essence in it. Aside from one thing.

    "What happened here?" Aureus asked.

    His gaze was directed at one hole on the wall of the cave which led to another tunnel. Though the destroyed part was cleared of rubble, the remnant still showed that it was a recent addition to the cave. Aureus narrowed his eyes, and he realized he could see sunlight on the other end. The hole passed through the other side of the mountain.<sub> </sub>

    "It''s nothing much. Just one Dragon got crazy," Morpheus brushed it off with a yful smile and then walked towards the shelves from where he picked one wooden box and offered it to Aureus.

    Aureus opened it and his hands trembled. Inside was one thing which was familiar to him¡ª a wooden token which had a pair of wings carved on it.

    Aureus picked it up in his hands and caressed the carved wings with his thumb. His eyes turned moist.

    "Mother¡­"

    After a while, he let out a shaky breath.

    "She made one for me in the past," the young eagle informed as he pulled out a simr wooden token from under his cloak. It was hung around his neck in a thread but was hidden under the golden feathered cloth sped around his shoulder.

    It was crudely made, the material made from inferior wood that had none of the blessings of spirits, but the symbol of the n was the same, and Aureus'' name was inscribed in it using the ancient runes. Morpheus could also faintly feel his sister''s divine power on those runes. Now, whatever little doubt he had about this Divine Eagle being Myra''s son was gone.

    "For as long as you stay here in Agartha, you can use this cave for as long as you want. Treat it as your own."

    "I will." Aureus put his mother''s token back in the box and observed the rest of the cave. It made him wonder what his mother was like in her youth.

    As he eyed the items on the shelves, he realized his mother was fond of collecting colorful things, and seeing the drawings on the wall, she seemed to be deeply interested in art.

    In the young Aureus'' mind, he had brief memories of his mother making bracelets out of wild flowers, but she did not leave any marks or drawings on their old homes. Their old homes were also mostly modest, the things and arrangements inside only those basic for survival. She was too busy taking care of her young son, too focused on hiding their existence, that she could not afford to live as freely as her old self.

    Morpheus left the young eagle alone inside the cave dwelling, giving him privacy to explore the things his mother left behind, and he walked towards his favorite spot at the edge of the cliff, the very same spot he would sit to watch the sea of clouds.

    After some time, Aureus went out of the cave, his expression looking a bit lost, but then after he spotted Morpheus, he walked in his direction. Morpheus patted the spot behind him, gesturing for him to sit down, and the golden eagle did not refuse.

    Comfortable silence enveloped the two.

    However, Morpheus'' thoughts could not help but wander. He had so many questions that he didn''t know where to begin. He was curious about Aureus, about the time he spent living on the other side of the continent, and what Myra was like after she left Agartha. Moreover, he was curious to know who was her sister''s mate, Aureus'' father. His sister was not someone who would select a nobody as her mate. He was sure that her mate must be someone extraordinary, a person so outstanding he managed to win her heart.

    Morpheus let out a light cough to get Aureus'' attention. "King Draven had exined to me the reason you came to Agartha."

    Aureus nodded as he heard Morpheus try again, "I mean, I don''t want to talk about the official reason¡ªI mean, ugh, I am curious about so many things but I wonder how to ask."

    The older eagle was acting so befuddled, the younger one could not help but crack a smile.

    "Does it help if I say I also feel the same?"

    "Yes. Talking like this makes me feel weird. But I want to hear about my sister so¡­ If you can tell me anything you remember about Myra..."

    Aureus stayed quiet for a while as he took a deep breath. "About my mother, I am not sure what kind of life she had here and why she left Agartha. What I remember is her struggle to hide the both of us. We never had a permanent residence, and we also avoided people as much as we could. At that time, I didn''t know why she was doing all those things, but now, I know. I wish I could be of any help to her. I wish I had protected her but I was just a child back then. When she was gone, I, who was dependent on her for everything, was so scared and lonely. I hated myself for being weak¡­."

    "Your father, didn''t he do anything for you two? Wasn''t he with you?" Morpheus finally asked, seeing this was a good chance to talk about his sister''s mysterious mate.

    "I don''t know my father. About who he is, where he is, I don''t know."

    It shocked Morpheus. "How could¡ªDidn''t Myra tell you anything about him? In the first ce, why was he not with his mate and child?"

    Aureus merely shrugged. "For as long as I could remember, it''s always been just my mother by my side. She didn''t wish to talk about him so I never forced her to tell me. She looked hurt whenever I brought up topics rted to him."

    "Hurt?" Morpheus asked. In his opinion, she must have loved the person and vice-versa if they had a child together.

    "Seems like whoever my father is, he must have done something that disappointed her, that''s why she didn''t wish to talk about him."

    This angered Morpheus as he wondered how her mate had hurt his precious little sister.

 Chapter 283 King Of Divine Eagles

    Various curse words were at the tip of Morpheus'' tongue. A strong urge to look for his little sister''s mate and confront that good-for-nothing man enveloped him, but given that it was physically impossible to do so at the moment--mostly because he didn''t have any idea of that person''s identity--and hecked an understanding of how that imbecile wronged his sister, he had no choice but to stifle his anger. For now.

    Morpheus changed the subject. "It must have been hard to survive on your own."

    However, Aureus shook his head at that, a small smile lifting the corner of his handsome face. "I was fortunately raised by good people."

    "Oh?" The older eagle was surprised. "You seem to be living happily in the human kingdom?"

    "Hmm!" Aureus nodded. "The people I am with are like my family."

    The golden eagle shared brief stories about his experiences for thest two decades--about how he lived in the Royal Pce of Megaris, more specifically about the people who changed his life: Queen Esther, Drayce, and Lady Tyra.

    "Good to know that you were treated well. The King of Megaris must value you a lot."

    "He does. He is like a brother to me."

    "Still, if you ever wish to live in Agartha, to live among your kind, you are always wee to stay with us. After all, this is your homnd as well."

    "I will think about it," Aureus half-agreed as he thought about the people on the other side of the continent. ''There mighte a day when I have to leave Megaris in order to stay away from Seren. When that timees, I will live here with my mother''s memories.''

    Seeing the gloomy, somewhat longing expression on his nephew''s face, Morpheus raised a brow as he made a certain guess. "By the way, although you are young by our people''s standards, you seem to have reached adulthood already. You must have found someone who can be your mate?"

    Morpheus expected the younger eagle to be flustered, to blush even, but instead, Aureus stayed quiet, pretending to be immersed in the sea of clouds before him.

    "Oh?"

    As his nephew didn''t deny it, it was enough for Morpheus to understand that there was indeed someone but Aureus didn''t want to talk about it now.

    ''I don''t think he feels shy or ufortable to share it...that means there must be aplicated situation.''

    Morpheus decided to let it go. "It''s fine you don''t want to answer. I was just trying to know how it feels to be an uncle who tries to be nosy about his nephew''s love life."

    "What about you, Morph? You must have married--I apologize, I mean, taken a mate? Will you introduce me to my aunt and cousinster? Aureus asked.

    "I don''t have a mate. Children are out of the question."

    It surprised Aureus and he looked at Morpheus. "Don''t have a mate yet? From what I know, you must already be around a thousand years old. Then..."

    "I choose to live a free and easy life," Morpheus answered in a manner as if he had given this same excuse one too many times. After all, as one of the strongest warriors of the Divine Eagle n, he was one of the most eligible men in the kingdom in terms of status and purity of bloodline. Many females of the feathered race had been set up by Chief Agraleus and the elders to be his potential mate; however, he found all those females annoying.

    Aureus probed, "Or you have someone you are waiting for?"

    Morpheus didn''t expect Aureus to get back at him being nosy and grinned in mischief. "Are you trying to act like a nosy nephew now?"

    "Maybe," Aureus answered with a simr grin. If an outsider was to see them at the moment, that person would say the two handsome men truly belong to the same family.

    "By now, the news of your arrival must have reached our n. You will have to meet the rest of our kind," Morpheus informed him.

    "Is it necessary to rush?" Aureus asked. "I can meet them tomorrow."

    "Unfortunately, it is. ''Necessary'' is putting it lightly. You might not know the importance of your existence, but if I were to copy my uncle''s words--oh, he''s a granduncle to you--a golden eagle is basically the foundation of the n. You are the most supreme, the king of our n. You will see me kneeling to you soon. I should have done it the moment I saw you but at that time I was only thinking about my sister''s son--"

    "Oh, no. Don''t do that!" Aureus shivered in difort at the image of Morpheus or a bunch of white-haired grandfathers kneeling to him. "I will appreciate it more if you tell them to treat me as they would a junior n member or member of the younger generation."

    "That won''t happen. You forget that though we are divine beasts, it does not change the fact we are beastmen--we are ruled by nature and instinct. The purity of bloodline determines hierarchy. The same way thergest and strongest predator leads the pack among wild animals, it is the truth of the world that a golden eagle is the ruler of all eagles in thisnd."

    "I hope they won''t expect me to stay here which I cannot listen to."

    "No one can force you," Morpheus assured him. "Rather, no one will dare upset their only king. Given your age and the fact you do not have a mate, you are the precious one who can continue the purest divine bloodline so none of those old fogeys will dare upset you. Rest assured."

    Aureus flinched, but then avoided his uncle''s stare. "Good to know."

    Morpheus did not move his eyes away, feeling nosy once more. He had a hunch he wanted to confirm. "But...may I know the reason why you are adamant on staying in that human kingdom? Your mother is not with you and I don''t think it''s just because of the King of Megaris. You can always go and meet him even if you live in Agartha."

    "I have someone that I need to protect," Aureus answered, "which I will do even at the cost of my life."

    "Oh, I see." Seeing the way Aureus was avoiding his eyes, Morpheus smirked lightly. "Seems like it''s about a female."<sub> </sub>

    "That..." However, the response that came from his nephew was more serious than expected. "I need to protect her. I could not protect my mother from that ck Witch but I will protect her. I am not a powerless child now."

    Morpheus wanted to tease him but paused midway as he thought about what Aureus said. Putting his choice of words together with what Draven had told him earlier and the secret message from Yorian, he made an rming guess.

    ''The person he needs to protect from the ck Witch sounds like the Queen of Megaris? Don''t tell me he..." Morpheus looked at his nephew but didn''t know what to feel about him. ''My nephew seems to be taking after my path. It''s sad.''

    Wife of a king.

    Mate of a Dragon.

    ''Is it unrequited love? That Queen chose another man? s, pitiful nephew...and if say, even if the Queen has affection for Aureus, if the King of Megaris is truly a Dragon, then there is no chance for him to snatch her away. A Dragon will never allow his mate to be taken by someone else. He would kill him.''

    Morpheus simply put his hand on the young eagle''s shoulder.

    "I am sure you will be able to protect that person."

    Aureus said nothing.

    As the two sat in silence for a while, Morpheus offered, "Would you like to fly around and check the other parts of the kingdom? Agartha is a small kingdom so it won''t even take us half a day. After that, I will bring you to our n. I am sure they must be desperately waiting for your arrival. Let them wait a bit more."

    Aureus decided to ept his uncle''s decision. "Sounds fine to me."

    "So, the territory of the shapeshifters is here in the south of the kingdom. There are about ten viges and three cities belonging to the feathered races, and our Divine Eagle n leads them all. Where we are heading now is called Redcrest, the main city of the feathered races. I will take you to my nest--we call them like that, though of course, they''re tree houses-- and will also show you the nest that belonged to your grandparents."

    "Do I get to meet them as well?"

    "That''s impossible." Morpheus gave him a sad smile. "I will bring you to their gravester if you want."

    Aureus didn''t know what to say, and Morpheus merely waved his hand to dismiss the gloomy atmosphere. "But you can meet your granduncle. He is the current leader of the Divine Eagle n and the Chief of the Shapeshifters. Your grandfather was the former leader, but after his death, Uncle Agraleus took his ce."

    "Shouldn''t you be the next leader and take your father''s ce?" Aureus asked.

    "I was not interested," was what Morpheus answered. "I told you I like a free and easy life. You think I can afford to leisurely nap on this mountain peak if I be a leader?"

    As the two chatted, they flew together towards the foot of the mountain. However, their ns were disrupted when Morpheus'' body jerked upon hearing a strange sequence of whistles used by their n during urgent matters.

    "Hah, they must have heard I''m with you. They summoned me and ordered me to escort you. Seems we need to head straight to Redcrest."

    Aureus had yet to see any settlements in Agatha when he entered the kingdom as he was guided secretly through the forest to meet the King of Agartha, ensuring he stay hidden from the sharp gazes of the feathered races or any supernatural beings who would ry news to the Divine Eagle n. Given his golden form, it would not be difficult for them at all to spot him if he entered the kingdom normally.

    "I apologize. Once you meet our n, I will make sure to show you the entire kingdom."

    Aureus simply nodded as he followed his uncle high up towards the direction of a dense forest filled with gigantic trees. They were so huge it would have been impossible for them to grow this much if they were not enchanted with magic.

    ''There are nests in the form of houses on the branches of the trees,'' Aureus could not help but observe the appearance of Redcrest as they got nearer the city filled with winged people. ''It''s quaint, the simplicity charming even, more pleasant to the eyes than I imagined.''

    Members of the feathered race--regardless if they were flying in the sky or walking on the ground or on their beast form perched on the trees--their gazes didn''t fail to notice Morpheus'' and Aureus'' flying forms.

    Given that news had already spread, they were anticipating their arrival, yet the moment they saw Aureus, many of them could not believe their eyes.

    A golden eagle!

    A young golden eagle!

    As they reached closer to the n territory, more and more shapeshifters from the Divine Eagle n came into Aureus''s sight. He could clearly see how they were looking at him as if they were looking at something they would worship.

    Well, it wouldn''t be wrong to say that the existence of a golden eagle was a miracle. Maybe tens of thousands of years ago, those with pure bloodline were treated with only a bit of importance, but as the poption grew and the divinity in the n''s bloodline weakened, their numbers grew so scarce that only one was birthed in each generation. Sometimes, there were generations with no golden eagle born.

    It was unbelievable, basically a miracle, to have Myra and Aureus, two golden eagles born in seeding generations.

    Morpheus and Aureusnded in front of the n chief''s home where along with the chief many n members were already crowding the ce to see the one and only golden Divine Eagle.

    The moment Aureusnded on the ground, each and everyone present there kneeled on one knee with their heads lowered to greet Aureus, their king, their god. It took Aureus by surprise. Though he had somewhat expected this because of Morpheus'' warning, he did not know it was to this ridiculous extent. It was as if not only the eagles, but all the residents of the entire city were paying homage to him.

    He turned to look at Morpheus who hadnded next to him, his golden eyes intending to seek help from him, but Morpheus'' tall form could not be seen. Aureus lowered his gaze towards the ground, only to find his uncle kneeling just like the others.

 Chapter 284 Difficult To Move On

    "The Divine Eagle n, greets the King, the sole Golden Eagle Aureus," the chief of the n, chief Agraleus greeted.

    The voices of so many n members echoed everywhere as they repeated after the n chief. Aureus looked around and as far as his sharp gaze could reach, he found numerous shapeshifter eagles in their human forms bowing to him from every corner of that ce from the ground to the top of the trees. He had never seen a single person of his kind for decades after his mother had passed away and now there was a sea of his kind.

    Just as his mother said, they were divided into four different colours based on the purity of their blood and now other than his own golden self he could see them all in the remaining three colours.

    Aureus was awkward by getting so much attention at the same time and how so many powerful shapeshifters were bowing to him.

    "Please, you all can rise," Aureus said but everyone kept kneeling.

    "Your Majesty, we do not dare stand at your level," the chief replied.

    Aureus sighed. "I am asking you all to please rise. We can talk without you all kneeling in front of me. I believe all of you have work to do. I am here only for a short while."

    ''Short while?''

    Everyone was surprised to hear it and finally, the chief raised his head up to look at Aureus, "What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

    Suddenly getting addressed as ''Your Majesty'' made Aureus feel burdened. He was aware of how things worked in the divine eagle n but now was not the time for him to be a king or rather he never wished to be one. But he simply didn''t want to disappoint them by being too blunt.

    "I am here as an envoy of the kingdom of Megaris. So I will prefer you all to rx yourselves and treat me like that," Aureus replied.

    "This can not be..."

    "Please rise and we can talk," Aureus insisted.

    Everyone followed his orders. Though he could deny being the king, his authority over the n was created the moment he was born as a Golden Eagle and even if anyone wanted, they could not dare disobey him.

    "I know I am supposed to be your king but for now it''s not the time. All these years when I was not here, I believe everything in the n was working fine. I am here for important work and until Iplete it, I can not ept to be your king. I do believe you all would understand me."

    "Apologies, Your Majesty if we have offended you," the chief said.

    "You didn''t. I just wish to clear things. I can not deny the fact that I am d to see you all, the people of my kind and make me feel that I am not alone. But I have to return from where I havee. There are people who have raised me and have taken care of me when I had no one with me. I can not disappoint them when they need me."

    "We understand you, Your Majesty. We, the Divine Eagle n, can never be ungrateful to those who have helped us. We won''t stop you but we do hope one day you will return to your people."

    "I will. When I finish what I have to, I will return here," Aureus assured. He was aware of his situation that one day he had to leave Drayce and Seren''s side when they both would be aware of his true identity.

    "As long as Your Majesty decides to return to us," the Chief looked relieved.

    Morpheus was aware of the situation Aureus was in so he was prepared to see his nephew return. Given how he was trying to protect the one he liked, nothing in the world could make him stop here.

    Once a supernatural with a divine bloodline fell for someone, it was next to impossible for them to move on. This was what made the mate bonds between them so strong and different from other ordinary supernaturals.

    As per the chief''s order, the other n members returned to their work while he led Aureus'' way inside his home in the tree. The home of the chief of the Divine Eagle n where he weed the king and introduced him to the family members. Chief Agraleus was Myra''s uncle so Aureus was aware that they were his family as well and they shared the same blood.

    ''I wonder how my real grandparents were?''

    Morpheus was by his side all the time and made him feelfortable by his presence among the strangers, Aureus was meeting. Family but still strangers to him.<sub> </sub>

    Once he met his distant rtives, Morpheus and Aureus left the Chief''s home.

    "The chief''s home once belonged to my father. We all used to live there including your mother," Morpheus informed as they flew towards his current home in one of the tallest trees. Just as theynded in that home, which had an open front side with the proper base and the roof, Morpheus informed, "And this is my current home. Feel free to treat it as your own till you are here in this kingdom."

    Aureus nodded as he looked around. It was a huge empty but clean ce with only an arrangement to sleep and nothing else. One could clearly see the owner of this home only returned here to sleep and had this as home just for the namesake.

    Observing Aureus'' gaze, Morpheus spoke, "Don''t worry about the sleeping arrangement. I can arrange one more bed for you."

    Aures didn''t reply but he feltforted just by being in this empty home. He had never lived in a home like this and had only caves which he and his mother used to live in. He had heard her talking about such homes and now he could see them for real. He felt like this was where he should be, a natural habitat for his kind.

    "If I return here, will I get one home like this as well?" Aureus asked.

    "One home? You will get a bunch of trees which would be converted into the kind of residence that suits the king. Did you already forget who you are? If you want, you can even get the entire city just for yourself."

    Aureus felt this was too overboard and simply smiled, "I would prefer just a single home like this so I can live alone peacefully."

    "Alone? You won''t be. You with divine blood, will have to get a mate so you can continue this bloodline," Morpheus waited to see his reaction and as expected there was a sudden silence surrounding Aureus.

    ''Mate? I can never have her.'' His eyes filled with sadness as he remembered Seren. ''If not her, I don''t want anyone else.''

    "Thinking about someone?" Morpheus asked.

    "You sure like to be a nosy one, don''t you?" Aureus replied, not willing to answer.

    "Nothing harmful in trying my luck," Morpheus smiled yfully and then said, "If you are done dreaming about your home, we can leave to visit the graves of your grandparents. They would be happy to see you."

    Aureus agreed and the two left. Theynded at the ce where the two graves were present side by side, covered with a stack of stones with the tombstones carved with their names and titles.

    Aureus paid respect to the graves by kneeling and lowering his head in front of them. Once he was done, he looked at Morpheus who was standing on the side.

    "My mother, shouldn''t we have her grave here as well? I never got the chance to make one for her. All I did was to keep her alive in my memories and cherish her."

    ''Myra''s grave?'' Morpheus could not agree to it. ''She is alive if what Yorian said is right. We can not make her grave.''

    "Morph!" Aures called him. "What do you think?"

    "We will think about it," was what Morpheus could say as he could not tell Aureus that his mother could be alive.

    "When I visit here again, please allow me to do so," Aureus insisted.

    "Sure," Morpheus agreed as till his next visit they might have already found Myra if she was truly alive.

    ===

    A/N- The new readers who are wondering about new names- Drayce, Seren, Aureus, Kingdom of Megaris, are from the first novel of the series- "Witch''s daughter and the devil''s son."

    The plots of both novels are running together and characters from both novels will crossover into both novels.

 Chapter 285 Logans Pain

    After leaving the graveyard, Morpheus brought Aureus away from the city, knowing his nephew would probably be ufortable since a lot of people woulde looking for him if they stayed. Knowing Chief Agraleus and the elders, they would probably throw a wee banquet in Aureus'' honour.

    Thus, the uncle and nephew pair spent their time roaming around the kingdom where Morpheus introduced the viges and cities ruled by the various supernatural beings while flying up high in the sky.

    "Can wend?" Aureus asked after a bit. "I want to see how the witches are living like in Agartha."

    As both Queen Esther and Lady Tyra, who were like parental figures to him, were witches, it was natural for the young eagle to be curious about that race.

    Morpheus chuckled as he slowed his flight to a stop and kept himself steady in the air. "Not now. Let''s not shock the kingdom by your sudden presence. Wait till the news of your existence reaches them, andter, we can inform them we will be visiting, because you don''t want the curious crowd of the other races flocking you, right? It will be worse than they did in Redcrest, because at least Uncle was present to disperse the crowd, but if wend now, it will take time for the senior witches to gather and control the people. The Divine Eagle n is one of the most powerful warrior ns of this kingdom so your importance is not limited to only the feathered races or the shapeshifter but to the other races as well."

    Aureus slightly shivered at the unsavoury memory of the residents of Redcrest all looking at him like a god, and he didn''t say anything more as they continued to fly towards the next city.

    Meanwhile, inside Draven''s study.

    Erlos entered in a hurry. "Sire, you have a rare guest. Can you guess? Warrior Logan requests to see you!"

    Much to the young elf''s disappointment, Draven was not surprised at all upon hearing that the shapeshifter from the White Tiger n hade. "Send him in."

    Erlos left with a pout, only to return with the scowling Logan in tow. The young elf didn''t stay and hurried to excuse himself, but no one minded him as the white-haired shapeshifter d in tiger fur stormed straight towards Draven''s desk, putting his hands on the tabletop as he stared with wide eyes at the King who was sitting behind it.

    "Draven! What I heard, is it true?" Logan asked. None of his usual sharpness could be seen on his face; there was only shock, no, disbelief on it. He didn''t even bother to politely greet the King.

    Draven didn''t have to ask what Logan was talking about. The only incident shocking enough to get this kind of reaction from him must be the arrival of the golden eagle.

    "It is true."

    Logan seemed to not believe it. "Did you confirm? Are you sure you are not mistaken? What proof do you have that he is Myra''s son?"

    Rather than the fact that a new golden eagle had appeared, Logan was more interested in the fact that the outsider was Myra''s offspring. An offspring! Logan had been in love with Myra for a long, long time, and even to this day, he had believed the two of them had hopes of bing a mated pair. That was why he continued to wait for her return, focusing on his duties instead until the time they reunite.

    ''If she has a child, that means she found someone to love. Someone that is not me!''

    This cold-blooded warrior felt his world turn upside down when this unbelievable news reached him, and thus, he transformed into his beast form and ran as fast as he could to confirm this personally with Draven.

    "That golden eagle is truly Myra''s son," Draven replied with firm conviction, and he cut off Logan before the shapeshifter could ask again. "Yes, I confirmed, and no, I am not mistaken."

    "But are you--"

    "Calm down first and hear me out."

    Logan, a warrior renowned for his iron steel-like nerves, a being wavered by nothing, who always maintained a level-headed stance no matter how dire the situation, lookedpletely shaken at this moment. Despite hearing Draven''s words, he found it hard to calm down.

    "Have a seat first."

    Letting out a shaky breath, the shapeshifter briefly closed his eyes before ruffling his white hair with both hands. Only then did he calm down enough to sit on the chair opposite to Draven.

    "So? Where is Myra?" Logan asked.

    "She is not here," Draven answered, "and we are not sure where she is."<sub> </sub>

    "What do you mean? Howe you don''t know? Where is her son? Is he keeping her whereabouts secret because she told him not to--"

    Draven sighed at his impatient friend. "Hear me out."

    Without waiting for his reply, Draven exined to him all that he knew. There was no need to hide anything from Logan as he was one of therades Draven trusted with his life. Not to mention, Myra was also someone important to him.

    Logan lost his shock, and this was reced with anger. His expression grew stern and cold, returning to normal, though his eyes remained silently burning with fury. "That Zaria! It''s her again!" He clenched his fists. "Has Morpheus heard of this?"

    "I told him, and because of this, we need to act fast but we have to carefully n our next steps. Aureus doesn''t know his mother might still be alive. The King of Megaris and Yorian had kept it from him and I believe it is the right thing to do at this moment."

    "If we have to keep it from her son, then we cannot include that eagle when we move. What do you n on doing next?" Logan asked.

    "I have to meet the King of Megaris, and with his cooperation, we will capture Zaria."

    "Is he trustworthy?"

    "Regardless if he is, the King of Megaris will dly help us as that witch is a threat to his wife as well."

    "When are you going to meet him?" Logan could not stop but be impatient.

    "Soon."

    "How soon--"

    "We will only know once Aureus returns to the human kingdom. Besides that, there seems to be something going on in their end, something rted to the safety of their Queen, so we have to wait till the King of Megaris is ready to meet us."

    Logan scowled. "Why are we taking a passive approach? We have to send some of our scouts out there at the very least. If Myra is truly in Zaria''s hands, the more we dy, the lesser her lifespan will be."

    "You forget Zaria is not alone. Once the ck magic practitioners notice our movements, they will be more careful and harder for us to trace."

    "Fine. Let me know when it''s time to leave. I wille with you."

    "Sure."

    Logan stayed silent for a while as he contemted whether he should ask it or not but then heard Draven continue speaking.

    "Don''t think too much. Aureus doesn''t know his father," Draven answered his silent question.

    "How could he not know who his father is?"

    Draven didn''t say anything, and Logan frowned once more.

    "Do you mean that this eagle lost his father early? Maybe her...mate, that guy failed to protect Myra and their son so he died then? He must be too young to remember..."

    "I am not sure about it," Draven answered dryly as he didn''t wish to talk about this.

    He didn''t wish to face the question of being asked who was Aureus'' father. It was a painful secret that he didn''t wish to reveal without Myra''s consent. Moreover, there was that guilt he felt towards her.

 Chapter 286 Hurting Past

    The two men talked for a while on what to do next and walked out of the study. Just as they stepped out of the hallway, Draven''s and Logan''s ears caught the noise of wings pping.

    "They are here," Draven spoke as they looked in the direction of the garden where the two eagle shapeshiftersnded.

    Noticing their presence, Morpheus and Aureus approached them. Draven was the King of Agartha, so it was only proper for them to greet him, and it applied more to Aureus who was an envoy from another kingdom.

    The entire time, Logan''s eyes were fixed at Aureus. Unknown to him, his fists were clenched at his sides. It was difficult to deny that this young eagle was rted to Myra as he could clearly see Myra''s image in him. He looked young but dignified and capable. Such a handsome and divine being could only be Myra''s son.

    Aureus properly greeted Draven while Morpheus didn''t bother to pay any heed to that, and instead, introduced Aureus to Logan.

    "Aureus, meet Logan. He is the next leader of the White Tiger n and one of the greatest warriors of Agartha. He is also one of the old acquaintances of your mother."

    Aureus admired the strong appearance of the white-haired man who looked to be the same age as his uncle. He offered him a light bow to greet him which Logan epted with aplicated heart. However, his face showed none of his emotions, and his response was short but civil. "Nice to meet you, Divine Eagle Aureus."

    "Nice to meet you too, Mister Logan."

    "Are you here after hearing that Myra''s son is here?" Morpheus asked Logan.

    "Hmm, something like that," Logan replied curtly.

    Draven changed the subject. "Aureus, you must be tired after being outside the entire day. You should rest."

    Aureus nodded and Erlos appeared there as if he already got Draven''s message.

    The King of Agartha continued, "Erlos, escort the guest back to his room."

    "Just in time, I had the kitchen prepare a hearty meal for our eagle friend."

    It was almost evening, and since Aureus arrived, he had only a single meal before leaving the pce with Morpheus.

    The young elf then guided the young eagle''s way inside the pce, leaving the three old acquaintances behind.

    "Shall we go somewhere?" Logan offered and the other two agreed.

    The next moment, all three disappeared from there, only to appear at the top of a random mountain, away from others in order to have a private conversation.

    A Dragon, a Divine Eagle and a White Tiger.

    Among these three men, none of them had a carefree expression on his face.

    "Had fun with your nephew?" Logan asked after a bout of silence.

    "I did, but it would have been even better if my sister was there with us," Morpheus said and he was ring at Draven when he spoke the next words. "Thanks to someone, I lost her."

    Draven as usual ignored his remark and looked away towards the sky. The sun had descended to the point the sky was starting to show a hint of orange. His action, of course, provoked Morpheus even more. "See, the guilty one doesn''t want to hear the truth."

    "We are not here to do the me game, Morph," Loganmented. "We need to have a serious discussion--"

    "Serious discussion? How my sister had to bear all that, is that not something serious to discuss about?" Morpheus crossed his arms over his chest as his hand was itching to throw a punch towards someone''s face. "No one talks about it as everyone is scared to offend our great king but I am not scared of him. See that? He keeps quiet because he knows he was at fault. Everything happened because of him." He sneered towards Draven. "Look at me, or will you still ignore what I am saying?"

    Draven turned to look at him. "I cannot turn back time."

    "What? There is something the Almighty Dragon can''t do? Impossible!" Morpheus mocked.<sub> </sub>

    "What we can do is to fix what woulde in our way."

    "Fix? Will that bring back the dead? Will that make up for the heartbreak of all who suffered? You. Can. Do. Nothing."

    "Morph, stop it." Logan moved to intervene, but Morpheus continued to re at Draven.

    "If you were even just a bit thoughtful before, you would have considered my sister''s feelings for you. That idiot fell for someone like you, I still can''t believe it. Didn''t she know you don''t have a heart? It was all your fault! If you had epted her and had given her the opportunity to be your mate, she would not have fallen for that human''s trap. She would not be med for what happened back then! She would not have med herself and left this kingdom! In the end, this alles down to you hurting my sister!"

    "Morph--"

    "Let me speak, Logan," Morpheus snapped.

    He was enraged, truly enraged. The entire time he was touring around with his nephew, he might have been smiling, looking all carefree, but deep inside, the wounds of the past that didn''t heal started bleeding again. The old pain resurfaced and he could not help but take his anger out on Draven, the source of this all.

    However, Logan did not back down and held him in the shoulders. "We know at that time Draven has no intention to--"

    The furious Morpheus knocked his hands away. "Exactly." He then turned his eyes back on the expressionless Draven. "At that time, you were acting like you were not interested in any female, like you would never have a mate worthy of you...but why do you have a mate now? What made you change your mind suddenly? If you only gave my sister a chance...

    "Was my sister not worthy in your eyes? What she had not done for this kingdom, for you, for every one of us? In return, she got unrequited love. She never showed it but she was hurt--

    "My kind sister, she was hurt. She was hurt but what did she do? She epted the truth and still stood by your side, but you! You did nothing but be heartless to her!"

    Draven opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he chose to close it. He, of all people, knew the me was truly his. He continued to listen silently despite knowing what was going toe next would remind of his sins.

    "And I know, I know that one cannot force emotions. It was fine if you didn''t ept her but...why...why did you trust that human piece of trash? Because of that, she was tricked and used. If not for you--if not for you!"

    Morpheus raised his hand, wanting to hold the other man in the throat, but in the end, he didn''t let his angerpletely take over him. He lowered his trembling fists to his side.

    "Even if she returns one day, I am sure she would never stop ming herself and would never forgive herself though it was all just because of your mistake of trusting humans. And now, she is once again trapped by that ck Witch. My sister, my poor little sister, what has she done so wrong that she''s being punished to live her life by getting used by power-hungry people like you and that ck Witch?"

    Draven emotionlessly stared at him, but inside, he was terribly shaken. This morning, it was about Aldis, and now, it was about Myra. He was reminded once more of two of the closest people he had in his life who suffered as a result of his mistake.

    Silence enveloped the mountain as neither of the three spoke for some time. Logan warily watched the two, Morpheus took that chance to calm himself, while Draven briefly closed his eyes to remind himself he must look forward and not be dragged down by his guilt.

    "I will bring her back," Draven told them with conviction.

    "Now, sure you can," Morpheus scoffed, "after making her suffer for decades. I wonder how much that ck Witch must have used my sister and how weak she must have turned? I cannot leave her with that witch longer, n something fast or I will have to take things into my hands. I am simply being patient this time because I don''t want to put her life in danger due to any unnned reckless thing, but know that I still don''t trust you. Talk to that human king as soon as possible and let''s get my sister back."

    "This is what we want to do that''s why we''re here," Logan replied instead of Draven. "If you are done ranting, we can talk business."

    Morpheus took a deep breath as he turned to face the sky and let out arge exhale, as if he''s trying to push out his negative emotions along with his breath. The three men started talking about how to deal with the ck Witch without letting her harm Myra.

    "...If Evanthe was here, this n would work better. Back then, she was the one who defeated that mass-destruction spell," Logan spoke.

    "But she paid a heavy price for it. I don''t want Evanthe to be involved with her again. I don''t want her to face the same thing again," Morpheusmented.

    Draven sided with Morpheus. "Evanthe had done enough on her side. I will never allow her to sacrifice herself once again because of that ck Witch."

    Logan could not help but agree to it. "I hope wherever she is, she is living well."

 Chapter 287 Crying Without Reason

    While Draven had be busy due to the consequences of Aureus'' arrival, Ember spent the rest of her day in an equally serious albeit more leisurely task than her mate--reading scrolls and books. The human girl decided to spend her time in her study, reading the materials kept in the pce library about using one''s elemental powers.

    Fire.

    As an element, fire represented destructive energy, which could be helpful when controlled, but vtile if left unchecked. It was the type of attribute that reacted most sensitively to its owner''s negative emotions, such as anger and hatred.

    ''But I am not my anger.''

    She wanted to take control over her elemental power and not let it be ruled solely by her anger. She didn''t like that feeling whenever she got angry and her powers would go out of control. That strong urge of burning and destroying everything overpowered her rational mind, and it was a feeling she didn''t want to feel again. No matter how much she might hate the person in front of her, she would never want to hurt them, even if it was by mistake, with the dangerous power she owned.

    ''It''s scary...to get overtaken by my emotions and see everything burn to ash...''

    Even up till now, the image of the beautiful butterflies being burnt to death on the balcony haunted her. It was her first-ever attempt at elemental magic, and with every passing day since then, she had started to feel the presence of that strong power growing more and more powerful and she was worried it would rule over her instead of her ruling over it.

    As Ember continued reading the bookid open in front of her, she could not help but linger on the pages where runes symbolizing ''Fire'' and images of raging mes were drawn. Another image was ovepping with them. The dream she had about that chained woman who made a pledge to take her revenge continued to trouble her mind. That dream scared her, but that woman scared her more.

    ''I wonder who that woman is? She was terrifying...Her anger felt as if she would destroy everything. I wonder why she was chained, why she vowed to take revenge...How much pain and suffering could one receive to turn a person into something so filled with rage and hatred? What did others even do to her...? Wait, it was just a bad dream. How can I be so sure that it happened for real? What if it was a product of my imagination, somethingmy mind had constructed on its own, after exposing myself to the magic and supernatural beings of this kingdom?''

    Just as she was convincing herself that it cannot be real, Ember felt a sudden weight on her chest, and for reasons unknown to her, she felt emotional. Her eyes turned moist, and gradually, tears rolled down from them without their owner registering this fact.

    ''What...what''s happening to me?''

    Ember tried to stop her tears but she simply could not.

    ''Why do I feel in pain thinking about her? Is she someone whose identity I should know? But I don''t know her.''

    At this point, all she wanted was to cry her heart out, but why? Wouldn''t she look like a lunatic if she cried without any reason?

    Her servants entered the study to check on her in case she needed something but ended up finding their master silently weeping, her shoulders even heaving as if she was in great distress. This made the two young elves panic.

    "Miss! What happened?"

    "Why are you crying? Are you hurt?"

    Ember had no answer to their questions as she continued to wipe those tears with the back of her hands.

    "Miss, please tell us. Are you hurt somewhere? S-Should we call a healer?"

    "Did someone say something to upset you?" As Reya asked that line, she mumbled as if she was cursing, "But I haven''t seen Young Lady Isa in the pcetely."

    "...Nothing... happened..." Ember replied but even her attempt at smiling was painful to look at.

    "Then, why are you crying, Miss?"

    "I-I don''t know either.... I just can''t stop crying?" Ember replied in between faint sobs.

    "Are you perhaps reading an emotional story?" Reya looked at the book but it was a magic-rted book and not a novel.

    "What shall we do?" Clio helplessly looked at Reya as Ember continued weeping as if her heart was broken. Both could only attempt tofort her. Y was not in the pce and neither was the King. Was there anyone they could ask for help?

    "Miss, please have some water," Reya offered while Clio was ready to go out.

    "I will check if His Majesty has returned."

    Before Ember could stop her, the younger elf had already left.As she hurried down the central stairs, Clio reached the main hall, she came across Erlos who was on his way to make preparations for the guest from Megaris.

    "Erlos! Wait!" Clio called out to him, her voice echoing loudly enough to cause everyone within earshot to turn towards her direction.

    The young silver-haired elf looked at the panicking soul and even before she could say anything more, he asked, "Yes? What happened? Why do you--"

    "Is His Majesty back in the pce?" she asked.<sub> </sub>

    "No, not yet. Why? What happened?"

    "Miss, something is wrong with Miss Ember. She burst into tears for no apparent reason and she won''t stop. We don''t know what to do. Dame Y is not here as well?"

    "Crying? Didn''t you ask what happened?"

    "She said she doesn''t know why she is crying."

    Though confused, Erlos knew enough to attend to anything rted to Ember, no matter how trivial it might seem. "Strange. You go back, I''ll be there quickly."

    "Alright. Hurry. Miss is in her study," she informed and returned the way she came from.

    Aureus, who hade out of the guest room, was standing by the railing of the hallway on the second floor and heard the entire conversation. Erlos looked up as he sensed Aureus'' presence and he seemed to have turned into the wind, disappearing from the main hall below the stairs only to appear on the spot in front of Aureus in just a blink of an eye.

    The young eagle''s sharp gaze didn''t miss Erlos'' fast movement and it was amazing to see how fast he moved. Aureus realized thatErlos must not be some ordinary elf either, being thest pureblood High Elf in existence-- it defined what kind of powers he must have.

    "I apologize for disturbing your rest," Erlos said. "If you need anything in my absence, you can ask any of the passing servants."

    Aureus nodded and heard Erlos continue, "I will have to excuse myself for a while."

    "Go ahead."

    Erlos disappeared in ce like the wind, and a few secondster, he ran so fast his form seemingly materialized out of thin air in front of Ember''s study on the highest floor. Clio was yet to arrive, and onlyReya was waiting for him. Just as Erlos entered the study, he found Ember seated in front of her desk, her crying face causing anyone who saw her to feel her misery.

    "Miss, why are you crying? Did something bad happen?"

    She didn''t reply for a while, and instead buried her face into her hands. After some more time, Clio arrived while gasping for breath. When finally she looked at her master, Ember was already wiping thest of her tears away. Even her breathing was starting to even out.

    Clio was the first to break the silence. "Miss, are you feeling better?"

    "I am not sure," Ember replied, being confused herself. "At least, I stopped crying now."

    Everyone was confused. Erlos decided to take charge for the meantime. "Miss, I guess you should have a nice and warm evening meal, then perhaps you should rest afterward instead of reading. Once Sire is here, he might help you understand what just transpired."

    Ember agreed. More like she was relieved those seemingly never-ending tears had finally stopped. She was feeling like a fool for feeling emotional and crying without a reason. If her crying spell was about missing Gaia, it was understandable but she cried because of some strange woman from her dream.

    After making sure the two female servants would have no problems and Ember was truly fine, Erlos returned to attend to the guest.

    Meanwhile, the guest in question was inside his assigned guest room, standing by the open window, looking to be in deep thought. He was staring at the starry sky, at the bright moon in particr, and was missing a particr person.

    ''I wonder what she is doing at this moment. It''s been so many days since Ist saw her. I hope she is doing fine,'' he thought and then shook his head at it. ''With Dray by her side, she can only be fine. I don''t have to worry about her...but...but I can''t stop missing her.''

    Aureus recalled those moments when he used to keep watch on Seren while flying in the sky. He used to wait for her toe out of the balcony so he could go and meet her. Her beautiful purple eyes, the way they shone with happiness upon seeing him, were the most beautiful sight to see.

    ''I wonder once she knew I was deceiving her, how would she react? When she learns thather pet is not just an ordinary bird but one that can transform into a man, will she happily greet me the way she always used to be?''

    It was a question that already had an answer.

    ''I guess not.'' He let out a conflicted sigh. ''It''s useless thinking about this. I don''t want to tell her. I don''t want to be away from her. I can give up everything and be her pet for the rest of my life. I need nothing but to be by her side, to be able to see her, to listen to her and to be loved by her, though that kind of love is one meant for a mere pet.''

    He closed his eyes briefly as an image of her veil-covered face shed in his mind. Though the lower half of her face was covered with a veil, her eyes showed she was smiling and was happy to see him.

    "Seren!"

    Unknown to him, he called out her name out loud.

    Erlos, who arrived in front of the room, heard it clearly and stood confused in his ce. ''Isn''t ''Seren'' the name of the Queen of Megaris, the wife of Drayce Ivanov who is his master and lord? Why is an envoy calling her name so intimately?''

 Chapter 288 You Are Mine

    Aureus opened his eyes as he sensed Erlos'' presence at the door of the room. When heard the door open after a knock, he turned to look at the elf on the doorway.

    "Anything serious?" Aureus asked.

    "It''s nothing much," Erlos replied as he closed the door behind him. He then proceeded to exin what happened.

    It reminded Aureus that Seren had such a state as well, and she had been crying in her sleep due to her dreams.

    "I think I have a clue about the reason behind it."

    "What do you mean?"

    "The Queen of Megaris also has some strange dreams and she cries due to them. But in her dreams, the woman she sees is your Queen, Ember Aramis."

    Erlos connected that to the reason why the King of Megaris was looking for the green-eyed woman in the portrait, and the more he got to know, the more he felt puzzled.

    "I wonder what is the rtionship between Miss Ember and your Queen. I am sure they had nevere across each other as both lived across opposite parts of the continent. Not to mention, Miss Ember had lived her life like a prisoner so there is no way she would meet a person from across the other side of the continent. By chance, has Queen Seren ever travelled far from your human kingdom?" Erlos asked.

    "That is not possible in Seren''s case." Aureus once again simply called her by her name, without using her title. "Though she was a royal princess, she had never stepped foot outside of the pce walls of her homnd like a prisoner as well."

    "Then I wonder what''s there that links the both of them?"

    "Something that might be beyond our imagination," Aureusmented.

    ------

    In the middle of the night, though Ember was in bed with her eyes closed, she could not make herself fall asleep. The thoughts in her mind were being too loud, and she could not help but ponder and worry restlessly due to the various things she had experienced the past month. With the new changesing to her life, she could not help but question what the future holds for her.

    ''Ah, I give up.''

    Just as she thought she would not be able to sleep, the ce next to her sank and she got alerted that someone had joined her in bed. Even without his smell, she knew that it could only be Draven and worry took over her mind. Other than her worries over her dreams and taking control over her power, there was also that much-needed conversation between her and her mate. She was yet to talk about having a child, and now he was there with her in bed, she wondered how she should proceed.

    Just as she heard from Y, males are the same on the female''s fertile days just as they are on the night of the full moon. She knew Draven hade wanting to be intimate with her once again. Just like any other beast, he wouldn''t miss a chance to have his offspring. In the afternoon, when he informed her about him being busy, she thought it implied he wouldn''t being, but his arrival now made her think she was being too optimistic.

    She found Draven moving closer to her, his one hand reaching for her waist to pull her body close to his. In the end, she simply blurted out her honest thoughts.

    "I-I...don''t want a child yet!"

    Draven froze at her reaction but then he resumed what he was doing without saying a word. His right hand that froze midway continued to reach for her. He then ced his warm hand over her stomach while his other arm slid below her neck and he scooped her in a warm embrace just like the night before. His nose then nuzzled her, breathing in her sweet scent at the crook of her neck.

    The entire time, Ember was as stiff as a statue.

    ''Did he not hear me? Or is he going to ignore my wish? Is he that eager to have a child?'' Her heart started to beat faster with fear. She nervously gulped and tried to say again, "I don''t want to have a child--"

    "Neither do I," Draven replied, as he continued to hold her tightly.

    Ember felt like she misheard him and stared at his handsome face with confusion. ''Did he say...? Really? Did I hear it right? Or maybe he did not hear me clearly?''

    She thought he would question her why she didn''t want to, or that he would point out something along the lines of ''even if she didn''t want to, she should do it as part of a mate''s responsibility''. After all, Y and the books emphasized over and over again how important it was for supernatural beings to continue their bloodline, what more someone like Draven who was a divine beast.

    "Uhm, did you clearly hear what I said?" Ember probed.

    "Hmm," Draven replied, as he closed his eyes, wanting to sleep peacefully.

    "You don''t want to have a child either?" Ember asked to make it sure.

    "Hmm."

    "Why?"

    There was a short pause and Ember held her breath to hear his reason. After a while, she heard the sleepy hoarse voice respond, "I don''t wish to share you."

    "Huh?"

    She was honestly surprised. This was not the reason she expected. This sounded unreal. Shouldn''t a divine beast be eager, unable to wait to have their next generation? But here, he seemed topete with his future child for her attention. Such a father he would be.<sub> </sub>

    "You are mine!" she heard him responding to her surprise.

    ''Huh?''

    Mine.

    Hisst word made her heart skip a beat. That was something which could melt any female''s heart and hearing it from someone like Draven made it sound so much more meaningful.

    ''What does he mean by this? Why does he sound like he likes me for real? Does he really?''

    Ember wanted to make sure what was going on. She cleared her throat. "As you know, I...I am in my fertile days..."

    "Hmm!"

    ''What is meant by this ''hmm!''? Is he tired of talking to me, he''s not even using words anymore?'' She frowned a little and asked, "...so, uhm, the reason you''re here... aren''t you affected by it?"

    In response to her question, she felt both of his hands tightening around her. She was pressed so close against him, her slender back felt like burning against the heating from his chest. Even his legs brushed against her body, and she could feel well that he was in heat.

    "D-Draven?"

    "Hmm...?" His voice was low and hoarse, like an instinctive reply when someone half-asleep was being asked a question.

    "Uhm, I asked you something. Aren''t you affected by--"

    "Can''t you feel the answer to your question?" she finally heard him say.

    His voice showed great restraint as if he was trying to suppress what he was feeling. To say he was greatly affected seemed to be putting it lightly.

    "Then..." Ember gulped "...shouldn''t you stay away from me?"

    "I don''t want to."

    ''What is this child-like stubbornness?'' she thought. She recalled how frustrating the longing had been for her before theypleted their bond, how her body ached the nights prior, and could not help but ask, "Isn''t it like torturing yourself?"

    There was a short pause as everything turned quiet. Ember waited for him to say something, and just as she thought he wouldn''t answer, she got to hear his reply.

    "It''s more bearable than staying away from you."

    Once again, her heart skipped a bit. ''What happened to him today? Why does he sound like he is flirting with me like those men in the books? Is he serious? Or is he saying whatever just because he is troubled?''

    Draven was immersed in his own world while holding his mate close to him, drowning himself in her sweet scent, not knowing what confusion his honest words were causing his mate.

    "Draven...?"

    "If you keep on calling my name like this, I will think you want me, and trust me, I won''t hesitate to give you that," his restrained voice said, its hoarseness begging her to not provoke him. He was barely controlling his urges and had decided to settle with sleeping peacefully with her in his arms. He didn''t wish to do anything more because she was in her fertile days. Like he said earlier, he didn''t want to have a child yet.

    Hearing his warning, Ember swallowed the rest of her words and didn''t ask any more questions.

    "Good night!" was all she said before closing her eyes. He snaked his limbs around her entirely, not leaving room for her to move even an inch, but she didn''t mind and instead feltfort.

    Draven didn''t reply to her with words but instead gently pecked the smooth skin at the back of her neck before starting to drift to sleep.

    As a person with many burdens, Draven had never been fond of the night as it was never easy for him to fall asleep. For thousands of years, he felt no peace of mind despite wanting to rest, but with his mate''s presence, everything had changed. He found sleeping with herforting, and now, he had started to feel various emotions that he thought he was not capable of or were not meant for him to feel.

    A hint of a smile pulled at the corner of his lips.

    ''It''s definitely a good night...''

    ===

    A long chapter dedicated to reader "RMehrotra" Thank you for the super gift and golden tickets. <3<3

 Chapter 289 So Handsome

    When Ember woke up the next morning, Draven was no longer next to her in the bed. It wasn''t surprising for her at all, and she was even relieved by his absence; she didn''t have to face him first thing in the morning. Just as she tried to sit up, she realized her body was aching and it was due to her sleeping in the same position the entire night as the solid body of her mate had firmly kept her in ce, unable to move a bit.

    ''He was wrapped around me like a snake. Did he forget I''m human? Can''t he be a little lenient towards my frail body?'' sheined but then as she remembered the sensation of his muscled body pressed against hers, she could not help but grin.

    ''Though I can''t deny that not only does his body look good, it also feels good. His muscles are firm and strong and so perfect, his body is just like how they described in those books. And his smell? He smells so good all the time, that fresh yet masculine scent of the forest...''

    She could not help but nuzzle her face against the pillow he used that still carried a bit of his smell. A light dreamy smile appeared on her lips.

    ''I wonder how he looks if he smiles at me? But then again, can''t deny he is good-looking even if he''s frowning most of the time. So handsome!''

    After she rolled around the bed like a little girl, she then let out a frustrated groan. ''Wait...Why am I thinking about him? So what if he is handsome? It is only natural for my mate to be good-looking since I am pretty. I might be human but I don''t lose out in terms of appearancepared to thedies I''ve met so far in Agartha. Besides, Gaia had always told me I am the prettiest princess she had ever seen and I trust her words.''

    A proud and content sigh left her lips as she stepped out of the bed. She then heard a timely knock.

    "Good morning, Miss," her servants greeted her as they entered the chamber at the same time.

    "Good morning, Reya, Clio," Ember replied as she moved to stretch her arms and waist. She let out small groaning sounds as she did so, not knowing her two servants would interpret her thoughtless action differently.

    The pair of cousins shared a knowing look at each other as they smiled shyly. Draven was with Ember the entire night. The elves didn''t have to think to know that something intimate must have happened between the two mates. It made sense that Ember''s body would ache if they did something...quite rigorous.

    Ember noticed their strange behaviour and lowered her arms. "What''s wrong? What happened?"

    "Umm! It''s nothing, Miss."

    "Yeah, it''s nothing. Shall we prepare a bath for you?"

    Feeling puzzled at their reactions, Ember simply nodded but just as they left, something clicked in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more Ember felt that her guess was right and sighed, ''These two overthink a lot. Did they think that whenever a man and a woman sleep together, they always do that? Are we beasts to do it all the time? Cough! Well, he is technically a beast, but not me. Ugh. Poor me...''

    Thus, Ember''s morning routine started with her trying her best to ignore her servants'' meaningful looks.

    During the meal afterwards, she asked her servants, "Is His Majesty in the pce?"

    "Yes, Miss."

    "I want to meet him. Can you ask Erlos to send a message?"

    "Oh, I''ll return in a bit then, Miss," Reya said as she volunteered to seek the King''s attendant. When Reya returned, she told her master that she coulde to see the King in his study at her convenience.<sub> </sub>

    "Miss, are you going to your study now?" Clio asked after Ember finished eating. Her servants knew she had been immersed in reading books rted to elemental magic since yesterday, and thus, they were prepared to search for more study materials from the library for their master.

    But Ember shook her head.

    "I am in the mood for a stroll. I''ll walk around the garden first."

    Ember was thinking it would be a nice and quiet day as usual, but when she came out into the garden, she realized there seemed to be people other than the usual pce servants today. It wasn''t just one or two guests, but there were groups d in various attires going in and out of the King''s study and the waiting room next door.

    "Why are there so many people today in the pce?" Ember asked. "Various races are present but it doesn''t seem like a council meeting?"

    The two female elves had expressions of surprise and then guilt on their faces. Reya hurried to bow. "Right, Miss, you must not know about it. Apologies for not telling you about it!"

    "What is it? Is there a festival?"

    Reya elbowed her younger cousin, urging her to exin. Clio sighed. "Well, I believe it is more proper to say it''s amemoration rather than a festival, Miss. In a few days, the entire kingdom will pay respect to the dead so they are preparing for it. The important figures of the different ns and races havee to consult with the King as it would be something that the entire kingdom would be busy with."

    "Paying respect to the dead?"

    "More like, it''s a day of mourning," Reya exined.

    Clio then rified Ember''s doubts.

    "You must have somehow heard by now, Miss, that the humans and our kind had almost always been at war, haven''t you? Roughly a century ago, there was a particrly horrific massacre that happened when the humansunched an attack against Agartha. So many lives were lost, families and friends died and some pitiful ns were even wiped out. It was the most tragic war in the history of Agartha.

    "For humans, a hundred years is already a long time--it amounts to three generations of your people--but for most of us, the people we lost back then were our parents and children, people who we grew up with. Thus, our people continue to mourn and grieve for the loss we experienced back then," Clio answered, trying her best to sound informative without being sad.

    Ember quietly listened to her exnation.

    "On the northeast part of the kingdom, there is a vast valley that used to be the battlefield from a century ago, and to honour those who gave up their lives for the sake of protecting our people, it was turned into a sacred burial ground held in high regards by each and every supernatural being in the Kingdom of Agartha. The bodies and souls of the fallen warriorsy there in graves, regardless of identity or race, and a memorial was ced there detailing their achievements, as they deserved to be honoured by the people they saved and remembered by the generations toe."

    "People like them are admirable heroes," Embermented.

    A bitter smile hung on Clio''s lips. "Our kind would rather not have that title if it meant they need not lose a loved one."

    Ember nodded as she struggled to understand how it must have felt. For her, losing Gaia had been a truly terrible, terrible experience, and that was just a single person. What was grief like for these long-lived people, beings who could live for hundreds of years? How was it like to know that the neighbour you casually greet every morning would never get to greet you ever again? To wake up one moment, only to find out you lost your father, your mother, and your sibling? To know your home would never beplete? She could not even begin to imagine.

 Chapter 290 Cant Let Anyone Insult His Mate

    As the three women were covered in heavy silence, Reya let out an exaggerated ''oh'' as she attempted to change the mood. "By the way, I heard thatst night there was a feud at the borders of the human territory. A few viges were attacked by the Wild Elf n with the support of the artefacts made by the Valley Elves, and aside from the human casualties, many houses were burned."

    Ember felt her entire body shiver. "What? A-Aren''t those humans residents of Agartha too? Isn''t everyone living in harmony now?" Ember asked.

    "It seems that way on the surface, Miss, but in the end, regardless of race, people are still people. People have emotions. Not everyone wants to move on, not everyone wishes to forget the past, and especially for those who have lost all of their loved ones, they would never be able to forgive how humans killed so many of our people through evil means.

    "But those humans are not the ones who killed your people a hundred years ago. From what Elder Leeora told me, they were in fact humans you saved from the mountains."

    "Indeed they were, but Miss, humans reproduce fast, and the gratitude their parents or ancestors felt would not necessarily be carried on by their descendants. Humankind is a greedy race. Sometimes, for the sake of benefit, those humans attack the borders of the more bountiful territories whenever there is an opportunity, just like the night of the full moon. Of course, no matter how peace-loving supernatural beings are in general, those attacked by humans would surely retaliate. It''s a never-ending cycle of cause and effect. It seems like the grudge between our kind and humankind would never be resolved."

    Ember could not help but fiddle at the sleeves of her dress. Everything was so peaceful within the safety of the pce walls that she had no idea such a thing was happening somewhere in the Kingdom of Agartha.

    Was it truly impossible for humans to live in harmony with supernatural beings?

    As she imagined the situation Reya painted in her head, she could not help but question how powerless humans could manage to harm supernatural beings who possess magic. Even disregarding magic, the physical abilities the non-human races have over the weak humans alone were an overwhelming advantage no willpower could disregard. Was it even possible for humans to defeat supernatural beings?

    "I have something to ask. You mentioned there was a terrible war a century ago¡­but aren''t your kind more powerful than humans? I remember that I am a special case¡ªthe only human capable of magic¡ªso then how could humans kill so many of the residents of Agartha?"

    "Miss, humans are sly and love schemes," Reya said, but then when Clio gave her a t look, she backtracked, "or at least, that''s what my parents say. Though I was born during the war, my parents and I were lucky enough to not be involved back then."

    "Same for me, though I was too young to even know what war was back then. To be honest, probably only the elders and the warriors who survived can tell exactly what happened. Maybe, Miss, you can ask His Majesty. He will exin what happened if you asked him."

    "All I know is that ck magic practitioners got involved and sided with the humans."

    "ck magic?" Ember asked.

    Reya covered her mouth. "T-That is a taboo. Oh, silly me. Please just ask His Majesty."

    "Oh, fine! I will ask him."

    Clio looked at the pouting Reya. "Like every year, everyone in the pce will go to Netherfields for the day of mourning. Will His Majesty take Miss with him?"

    "Not sure. We are yet to receive any instructions from His Majesty," Reya answered.

    "Miss is human¡­so¡­."

    "We will see," Reya interrupted Clio before she could say more. It would do no good to say more in front of Ember. That she might not be allowed because she was born human might hurt their master.

    Ember understood their intentions, but what they were worried about wouldn''t happen. She didn''t mind as neither the tragedy that happened in the past nor the fact that she was born human were her fault.

    If she could, she would have rather chosen to be born as a wild animal instead of being human. After what she had gone through in Valor and what she hade across in Agartha, in her opinion, humans were evil. She didn''t dislike the fact that the citizens of Agartha hated them as she herself felt the same.

    Inside Draven''s study.

    After dismissing thest batch of visitors, Draven got some free time and had Melion bring Logan with him.

    "Draven, what do you n about your mate?" Logan asked.

    "She won''t be apanying us."<sub> </sub>

    "That''s a good decision," the White Tiger replied and Melion agreed with it as well.

    "Due to the feud between the humans and the elves at the border, our people would be more sensitive than usual when it came to humans. It is only proper that we take extra precaution on the day of the mourning."

    That was what Draven had in mind. "Many people are yet to even officially meet her as my mate. They need time to ept her and I don''t wish to hurry."

    Of course, if Draven were to insist, people would probably not question the King''s decision to bring his mate with him to Netherfields, but as that vast graveyard was a monument of built upon countless painful memories this kingdom had because of humankind, it was inconsiderate to take her there in person. The survivors of the war would be mourning for their loss, immersed in the memories left behind by the loved ones they missed, and seeing a human there would highly likely cause them to feel upset.

    It would still be tolerable if they treated her indifferently, but Draven could not allow them to disrespect her or let them say something that might hurt her.

    Though Draven believed that the people of Agartha were more rational than that, the report he received about the feud the previous night made him think there would be a more proper timing for Ember to appear in the eyes of the public.

    ''And then there is her power.''

    What he worried about the most was that an incident would ur which wouldn''t be resolved by merely talking. Ever since Ember started tapping her elemental power, the lesser control she held over her temper. By chance, if someone angered her, her power might cause harm to others, and he didn''t want the people he had long protected to judge her solely through that.

    ''Even I do not understand what kind of disaster she could bring.''

    The fact that Ember was a human was posing to be a problem. What if her power was uncontroble as well? If that happened, they would see her as a threat to the safety of Agartha. In fear of repeating what happened in the past, they might consider her as a spy from the side of humankind, or maybe some atrocious creation by the ck magic practitioners. Rather than risking an unknown factor, they would surely aim to kill her.

    Logan, as one of the highest-ranking warriors in the kingdom, marked a couple of strategic points on the mapid out on Draven''s desk.

    "We have to tighten the security at the borders starting today. We will pay more attention to these ces where thergest human viges are located on that day as most of the kingdom''s poption would be heading for the Netherfields, leaving their cities mostly empty. Most of the guards would be younger ones who are exempted from visiting the graveyard on that day," Logan offered. "and especially here at the pce, if you n to leave your mate here when the strongest ones will be away."

    Draven nodded as he knew it was not safe to keep Ember away from him, but he was confident in the magic of their bond. The moment she finds herself in danger, he would teleport by her side. Fortunately, the bond they shared allowed him to sense the extreme shifts in her emotions and her powers.

    Erlos knocked and then entered the study. "Sire, Miss Ember ising here to visit you."

    Draven nodded while Logan stood up. "I will take my leave then and look into the matter we have just discussed."

    "I will apany Warrior Logan," Melion said as he was ready to excuse himself as well.

    Melion escorted Logan out of the study. Just as they stepped out into the hallway, they came across the slender human with emerald green eyes who was with her servants. The warrior from the White Tiger n and the Wind Fae both paid a polite greeting her way.

    Ember offered them a light nod before entering the King''s study. As he walked away, Logan thought about the human girl. Something about her seemed a little different from how he saw her during the festival of the full moon.

    At that time, she looked fragile and weak, someone who needed to be protected, but now she had confidence in her gait, and her eyes¡­they didn''t waver even a bit, as if she was scared of nothing.

    ''She didn''t look at me as if I am a scary monster. I wonder what has changed in her. She is different. Is it the effect of the bondpletion or there is something that we don''t know?''

    Logan being keen with his gaze to identify the people correctly, left with questions about Ember in his mind. In the past, he had doubts about that human as well but in front of Draven''s trust, he put his doubts aside and chose to trust that particr human but it was not the right decision on his side.

    ''I need to know more about her.''

    ====

    Bonus chapter dedicated to the reader "ck Yuki Cross" Thank you so much for the super gift and golden tickets.

 Chapter 291 Medicines

    Ember entered the King''s study while her servants waited outside. Erlos bowed to the King and his mate and left, leaving the two alone. Ember looked at Draven who looked back at her. Sudden silence enveloped the study after everyone left as the two simply stared at each other. Why? They both didn''t know.

    "Have a seat," Draven finally broke that silence.

    Ember sat in one chair and then looked at him who was observing her each move. Though they were mates, hadpleted their bond and even shared bed every night, both were yet to learn more about each other. Under his gaze, she felt a little nervous as she made herself sit in the chair.

    Draven didn''t ask her any question about why she was there and if there was something she wanted to talk about. He waited for her to say it on her own.

    "I wanted your permission to go outside the pce and visit other ces in Agartha," Ember finally spoke, casually. "I have only been inside the pce all the time."

    She waited for him to talk, but he simply observed her. ''Why is he not saying anything? Does he not want me to go outside?'' She fiddled with her fingers and tried to exin, "Though the pce is huge, I have already seen everything here. I wish to go out. I have never seen the outside world. I want to see new things, new people. I just don''t want to sit inside the pce all the time doing nothing but eat and sleep."

    Still Draven was only looking at him, listening to each word she said. To him, it was a beautiful sight to see her talking, seeing those changes in her expressions when she tried to exin, the anticipation in her eyes, trying to know what he was thinking, frowning inside on not getting a response and many more things just in a few moments. Moreover, she looked so beautiful to his eyes that he didn''t wish to move his gaze from her even for a moment but he didn''t know what it was causing to his mate.

    ''What is wrong with him? Shouldn''t he just agree or disagree? What is this only staring at me as if he is seeing me for the first time?'' she frowned inwardly. ''Just ask him for thest time,'' she decided and said herst words, "Can I go outside the pce and visit other cities?"

    "Erlos will apany you," Draven finally replied, which meant he had permitted her.

    Ember felt relieved that he at least said something instead of just staring at her. "Thank you."

    "But, for now, you can not go everywhere randomly. There are situations and we have to be careful."

    "Where can I go? I mean ces safe to visit?"

    "You can visit witch n territory along with Cornelia. You will be fine with her. You can not visit wood elves n and Leeora."

    "Why?"

    "Wood Elves live inside the trees with tree spirits. As you are a fire element, your presence can cause them distress. They might even harm you in their defense even if you won''t harm them."

    It surprised Ember but this also reminded her about herst visit to Ronan. Just as Draven said the tree spirits were distressed and they didn''t allow her to enter her home.

    "That means, I won''t be allowed to visit Ronan ever?" Ember asked, sadness covering her face.

    "Right!" Draven confirmed, "But there are other ces that you will be slowly allowed to visit. Other than the wood elves n, no other n lives with tree spirits. For now you can visit the Witch n."

    "Thank you...Draven?" she said his name as she looked at him and he simply nodded as if she did nothing unexpected.

    She had called his name before but it was in a fit of anger in front of Isa but now she called it on her own.

    "I will take a leave then," she said but just then Erlos entered the study, "Sire, Elder Leeora is here."

    Hearing it, Ember''s eyes brightened up. Leeora was the person she always looked forward to meeting.

    Ember''s happiness wasn''t missed by Draven and he ordered, "Allow her inside."

    Erlos left and Leeora entered the study in a few moments as Erlos apanied her while he talked to her.

    Leeora bowed to the king, "Elder of Wood elves n, Leeora greets Your Majesty," and then she looked at Ember who was looking at her, smiling pleasantly while sitting in the chair.

    Draven had already gestured for her to take a seat and she walked ahead to sit in the chair next to Ember. "How are you, Ember?"

    "I am fine. Elder. I didn''t expect to see you here."<sub> </sub>

    "I came here for you," Leeora answered.

    "For me?"

    "I received a message from Y and I was here to deliver the herbs or should I say medicines you have asked for."

    Cough!

    Ember didn''t expect Leeora toe for this and even say it in front of Draven.

    "I have delivered it to your servants with the instruction of how to use them," Leeora added.

    "Medicines?" Draven asked.

    "Ah...It''s...It''s nothing..." Ember didn''t want Draven to know it. As he already said he didn''t want a child either, then there was no need for her to take those medicines. She was not sure what he would think if he knew about this. ''Will he think I don''t trust him?''

    "It''s fine dear," Leeora put her hand on Ember''s as she thought Ember was reluctant because she was embarrassed. "Sire is your mate and without his knowledge I am not allowed to give you anything. He must know it. In fact I am here to inform him about it."

    "Elder...I won''t need it...I...we..." Ember wanted to say what she and Draven had talked aboutst night but the more she tried to say, the more she felt like burying under the pile of embarrassment.

    "What is it, Leeora?" Draven asked, his dignified voice sounded like an order. He needed to know anything that concerned his mate.

    "Ember needed the herbs that humans use to prevent having children. I brought them for her," Leeora answered.

    "Hmm! You did well," Dravenmented to which Ember looked at him with a little surprise.

    ''What does he mean by Elder did well? I thought he would be displeased, thinking I don''t trust his words.''

    "It''s my duty to help, Sire," Leeora replied.

    Ember wanted them to stop talking about it and infomed, "Elder, I will be visiting Witch n territory."

    "Oh, that''s good to know. Cornelia is there so you will be fine there."

    Ember nodded and heard Leeora, "I have to leave now. I will visit you again and I will make sure to spend more time with you."

    Ember didn''t stop her as she knew being a n elder, Leeora was always busy.

    After Leeora left, Ember and Draven were once again left alone. Ember wished to ask if he was not upset but couldn''te up to say it. She wished to say she trusted his words and came up with something as she talked further.

    "I...I will throw those medicines. We won''t need them as we talkedst night...."

    "You should keep them," Draven interrupted her, his cold red eyes looking into her puzzled ones.

    ''What does he mean I can keep them? I won''t need them...?''

    Draven could see through her, "I won''t always be patient enough to not do anything with you."

    His words felt like a warning to her and she felt loss for words.

 Chapter 292 Stay Away From Other Beastmen

    "Erlos!" Draven called for him, who had gone out to see off Leeora.

    He immediately entered the chamber, "Yes, Sire?"

    "Send a message to Cornelia that Ember would be visiting the Witch n today," Draven informed.

    "Today? Oh Okay! I will do it right away," Erlos said as he was ready to leave.

    "You will be apanying her so have Midnight send the message," Draven suggested.

    "Midnight?" Erlosughed a little to which he received a questioning re from Drayce.

    "Well Sire, these days Midnight is busy just like you," Erlos replied.

    "Where did he go?" Draven then thought about it, "I have not seen him for days now."

    "Sire, you were so busy to not pay attention to him so he found someone to give his entire attention. He found his mate and just like his master he is busy everyday."

    Ember, who was sitting quietly after Draven''sst remark, finally understood what Erlos was talking about and felt embarrassed to see how boldly people here talked.

    "His mate has evenid eggs and we will be having a little Midnights soon," Erlos continued, "I have thought about their names. Sunrise, Sunset, Dawn, Dusk, Noon, Evening and so on...."

    "Are you done?" Draven didn''t show any interest in his talk.

    "Yes, Sire. I was just wondering what to name your children. Finding names as good as their parents is a difficult task."

    "You don''t have to worry about it yet. Don''t waste your time and do as you have told."

    "Yes, Sire," Erlos left the study.

    Ember had nothing left to do so she stood up, "I..will take a leave as well."

    Draven''s sensitive years caught some movement and he stood up, "Let me send you out."

    Ember said nothing as Draven was already ready to escort her out. On the way out, she heard him, "When you are in your fertile days, you should stay away from other beast males. Just like me, they can smell that scent from you as well."

    Ember looked at him, "Can they?"

    "Hmm!" Draven nodded, "Beast males are sensitive to these things. Regardless of whether you are their mate or not, they can smell the scent of any female in heat. As you are a human female, it''s your monthly cycle and fertile days they can smell."

    She nced at him who said it all with a straight face without a tinge of hesitation and as if it was the most normal talk. ''I keep forgetting people here always talk so openly about mating and everything...But...I am fine with this talk with him. It feelspletely normal like a human husband and wife talk.''

    She had another question. "Erlos is a male as well...."

    "He is not a beast male but an elf so he can''t. This only applies to beast n members. About identifying beast men, every shapeshifter n member is a beast and there are various kinds of shapeshifter ns we have here."

    "Umm, I have seen eagle and white tiger shapeshifters."<sub> </sub>

    "Just like that, there are others. For example wolves, foxes, hawks from feathered races and so on."

    "Understood! I will be careful."

    "You are going to a Witch n territory so you will be fine there," he assured.

    Draven didn''t just walk her out of the study but continued to walk along with her along the corridor which had an exit way towards the garden.

    Just as they stepped out of the corridor, Erlos arrived there as he tried to catch his breath. "Sire... I have passed a message. I personally met Lady Cornelia as I didn''t wish to disturb our Midnight from taking care of his female."

    Ember looked at him with surprise. He had left just a while ago and he returned already. "That was fast, Do you know how to teleport?"

    Erlos smiled at her, "No Miss. I don''t teleport but I am way too fast on my feet. After all, I am high elf."

    Ember understood as she recalled him running so fast when she was living in Ronan. "That''s amazing."

    Draven didn''t disturb both of their talks while Erlos asked, "Miss, will you prefer the same white horse from before to ride on?"

    ''Huh?'' Ember realized she had forgotten the fact that she had to ride a horse if she had to go anywhere in Agartha. Here she was excited to visit other cities but that excitement was now affected by the fact of riding horse.

    "Is the Witch n too far?" Ember asked.

    "Not really, Miss. Just a double distance of what we traveled to white tiger n for the festival."

    "Double?" Ember could not believe her ears and this silver haired elf easily said it was nothing. ''I am a human if you can see,'' she cried out inwardly.

    "Yes, Miss. I will apany you there so rest assured about the journey," Erlos replied like the best guide who was going to do his best.

    ''Not like you will be riding my horse, Erlos,'' she said and pulled out a forced smile on her lips. "Oh..Okay!"

    Her hesitation and difort about riding horse, didn''t go unnoticed by Draven but he didn''t wish to pamper her. If she wanted to be independent and wished to roam around the kingdom, she needed to either learn horse riding or have to posses powers like him to teleport. Out of that, only the first option looked possible for her.

    "You will get used to horse riding soon. If you wish to travel everywhere, you need to learn it. I believe you will," Dravenmented.

    Ember simply nodded. He said nothing wrong and decided to learn it. "I will keep trying until I learn it properly."

    Draven offered her a light nod. If he wished, he could have just teleport her directly to Witch n and save her from the efforts of riding, but he decided otherwise.

    "Who is riding a horse?"

    Morpheusnded there as he was there to get Aureus who reached there just in time as well upon getting a silent signal from his uncle which only he could hear. The moment Morpheus and Aureusnded closer to others, strong sweet scent yed with their sane senses and both looked at Ember.

    Aureus took steps back and increased the distance between her and him while Morpheus stayed in his ce, controlling himself from not getting affected. Morpheus had been sessfully tolerating such scents from other females and no one could affect him, but Ember was different and her scent could affect him every single time. He didn''t know if it was because she was human or there was something special about her.

    This particr scent reminded Aureus about Seren. He remembered how he stayed away from her since she started getting her monthly cycle after arriving in Megaris. She didn''t know why he didn''te to her often but he knew when he needed to stay away from her. He was a beast and he was scared of that beast inside him.

 Chapter 293 Treacherous Minds

    As per decorum, Aureus gave a polite greeting towards the King of Agartha and his mate, but Morpheus simply ignored Draven and spoke to Ember with a dismayed smile. "Well, I was thinking of inviting you to join me and Aureus in touring some of the scenic spots you hadn''t seen beyond the Forest of the Elves ¡­but¡­I guess not today."

    With this pretty littledy smelling so enticingly sweet, not even Morpheus had the confidence he could resist. He was scared of the beastly instincts inside him.

    Seeing how Morpheus changed his n on his own, Ember realized it was probably due to the smell brought about by her so-called fertile days. Ember was reminded of Draven''s instruction of staying away from those of the shapeshifter race.

    "Hmm, maybe some other day," Ember agreed. "But then, I already made ns for today so I would have declined. I will be visiting the territory of the witches with Erlos."

    "It''s good that you are no longer trapped within this stuffy pce." His words were directed to Draven who never took her out of the pce. "Enjoy your trip then. You cane with me some other time. I believe you still enjoy flying more than riding a horse."

    "If you wish to visit ces with her, then apany her on horseback, Morpheus." Draven didn''t say Ember could not go with Morpheus, but this could only work on the condition that there was no unnecessary skinship between them. Not to mention, he didn''t want his mate to grow dependent on flying with another man, much less a beastman at that. She should get used to riding a horse until she grows her magic enough to cast flight spells, though of course, no one knows how many years into the future that would be.

    But Morpheus just snorted in derision at Draven''s words.

    "A Divine Eagle riding a horse? Are you serious?" The man with ash gray hair rubbed his face in disbelief. "I don''t know about you, but nature has given my people wings for a reason, and I am determined to stay faithful on using these wings. But then again, a Dragon like you can''t understand the joy of stretching your wings to fly, right? Given your ugly gigantic body and wings, the moment you use your beast form, a single wrong p of your wings can destroy a third of a city."

    Draven simply threw him a t re that showed him how annoying his nonsense was. "Focus on your nephew who will be leaving soon. You won''t want to miss this time with him."

    Morpheus smirked. "Sometimes, you happen to say useful things. Anyways, I merely dropped by to inform you that I will be taking care of the issue on the border so you don''t have to worry about it. You should be grateful I am in a better moodtely."

    Draven merely raised his gloved hand in a dismissive gesture. Morpheus was the Commander of the kingdom''s warriors, but ever since he lost his family, he had been neglectful of the less important warrior work and would generally be active during wartime. He was an idler on most days, refusing to deal with his n elders and oftentimes would simply take afternoon naps among the trees in another territory. It was truly rare for him to volunteer for work he was not responsible for.

    Morpheus then looked at Ember, throwing a casual, "Little female, see you then," before winking at her yfully and flying away with Aureus.

    When the two eagles flew far enough from the pce, Aureus voiced out something he noticed. "You like that human girl, don''t you?"

    "One can always recognize one of his own kind," Morpheus replied, "just like how you like the Queen of Megaris."

    Aureus didn''t reply to the straightforward words of his uncle and merely quietly flew behind him. Morpheus said nothing as well; if not him, who else could understand Aureus'' situation? It was truly a farce of fate for this pair of uncle and nephew to share simr pains.

    After some time of them flying without exchanging a single word, Aureus cleared his throat. "Where are we going today?"

    "At the westernmost region of the kingdom. It''s the border between the human territory and the territory of the elves. These days, the humans living there have been creating trouble just because the soon-to-be queen of this kingdom is a human being."

    "I don''t think such an internal matter of this kingdom should be shown to a guest?"

    "You speak as if you''re an outsider," Morpheus scoffed. "I wish you to see how things work here since Agartha is thend you will return to in future."

    Aureus didn''t agree nor deny this suggestive remark. It didn''t take them long tond on a side of a cliff that bordered the edge of the thick abundant forest, a natural fortress made of trees and rocks seemingly interlinked with magic. If one were human, they would have difficulty distinguishing the fortress from the rest of the forest from a distance.

    Just as the two eaglesnded, warriors donning appearances that hinted their ns and origins left their guard posts and greeted Morpheus and Aureus.

    The men saluted Morpheus.

    "Greetings, Commander Morpheus."

    And then, while the others bowed, for those with wings on their backs, they knelt in front of Aureus.

    "We wee the Lord of the Feathered Races, Divine Eagle Aureus."

    Aureus was shocked; not only because he learned something new about his easygoing uncle, but also because he found not only shapeshifters, even other races treated him like a king.

    The young eagle ordered them to rise, and then turned to his uncle. "Commander?"<sub> </sub>

    "Well, unfortunately, I still am," Morpheus responded with a defeated sigh. "Though I normally stay away from all these, when there are issues, I have to step in."

    Aureus could not help but feel a little proud that his rtive was an outstanding person. After all, from what he had seen so far about Agartha, they would not give titles or responsibilities to those without skills.

    One dark-skinned beastman who seemed to be the leader of the fortress led Morpheus and Aureus around. While walking on top of the rampart of the fortress, the leader informed Morpheus of the recent attacks. It wasn''t that there was negligence in their patrol; it was just that the security was too focused on preventing the humans from entering that theirck of manpower allowed the Wild Elf n to find a blindspot and attack the human viges. Morpheus then began instructing the beastman incharge on what to do with the patrol schedule and how to tackle the issue of the breach.

    Aureus observed how serious everyone was with the breach of security and the expected counterattack of the humans.

    ''Powerless human beings against the supernatural beings blessed with powers¡­isn''t the result obvious?''

    Once Morpheus dismissed the beastman incharge, Aureus asked his uncle, "Can I ask a question?"

    "Hmm?"

    "With this natural fortress being guarded by supernatural beings, do you really have to worry about humans that much?"

    But Morpheus'' response was a sneer. "Do you think we are acting like fools?"

    "I don''t mean that but¡ª"

    "Don''t take humans lightly. Never, ever do that, Aureus," Morpheus said with a serious tone. "Agartha has learned that lesson in the most painful way."

    "It''s just¡­I find it hard to believe. How can they pose a threat to us when supernatural beings not only have magic but also stronger bodies?"

    "They don''t possess powers but they have a great gift that allowed them to dominate the continent."

    "Gift?"

    Morpheus nodded.

    "A treacherous mind."

    He continued, "We supernatural beings are naturally arrogant. We boast that we are the blessed children of the world, that we are superior to the obviously weaker human race, and that we have nothing to worry about. But the human race are also beings created to inhabit the world, and nature has its own way of bncing all life forms. While humans have many fears as they don''t possess magical powers or bloodline talents, they have strong reproductive abilities, and wisdom to go along with their ambition and greed.

    "Because they are the weakest race, they would willingly do things they wouldn''t do and willingly abandon even their morals to gain strength. At first, it was a matter of survival but always, always, their inferiority gets them and they would try to prove themself that they are not weak and they feel entitled for more and more of whatever their desires are, be it our treatment of them or resources. That treacherous mind of theirs let no one be in peace."

    "I do not think it is fair that you generalize humankind like this," Aureus countered. "There are humans I know¡ª"

    "The things I speak of, they are things not only I, but many residents of this kingdom have experienced. Like I said, Agartha has learned its lesson," Morpheus responded. "We too once believed that not all humans are like that, but if we are to fall into the same thinking after we experienced their treachery and greed over and over again, that would be an insult to our intelligence as well as those who sacrificed their lives for us."

    Seeing Aureus quiet down with an unconvinced expression, Morpheus sighed.

    "Fine, it must be hard for you to rte because you didn''t grow up in Agartha, nor did you experience such an unfortunate thing, but I am sure you have observed the humans in the Kingdom of Megaris, yes?

    "Are all the people in that royal pce united? Say, do you not see the infighting between noble families? What about kingdoms? Why are there wars? Do you deny the fights they have among humans for the sake of power?

    "No king is satisfied with what they have, and even though they don''t have supernatural beings as a threat in your part of the continent, they treat other humans as a threat. There is a constant power struggle between them¡­s, it''s a tiring life those humans live. I don''t understand why those short-lived humans struggle so much when they should just enjoy those several decades in harmony. You won''t see that here in Agartha. Here we follow rules and morals and we believe in living in peace. We don''t have to fight our own kind for any kind of power. We are happy to live a greed-free existence and simply enjoy being children of nature, cherishing this abundance and long life."

    "I cannot deny what you said," Aureus replied as he remembered how wars often happen between the human kingdoms. Didn''t Drayce be renowned, gaining the reputation of a Devil King, precisely because of his achievements in the battlefield? Didn''t Megaris be thergest kingdom exactly because it waged wars and conquered territories to expand itsnd?

    While living by Drayce''s side, Aureus had witnessed so many of them and considered it as a normal course of life. But Agartha, it was different. It was peaceful.

 Chapter 294 She Loves To Hold Grudges

    Once the two shapeshifters left the pce, Draven turned his attention to his servant, Erlos.

    "Bring the horses to the front yard."

    Even without him speaking, Erlos understood that the King would be seeing his mate off. Just as Draven was about to escort Ember to the entrance, she looked at her long dress and sandals. "Uhm, I think I need to have a change of clothes first. This dress won''t befortable for horseback riding."

    "Miss, take your time. I will prepare our horses and meet you at the front yard," Erlos spoke.

    After a while, Ember went to the entrance of the pce after changing into afortable leather dress and boots, suitable for horseback riding. Draven and Erlos were talking, pausing their conversation when she arrived. Only two horses were waiting out front, a familiar chestnut mare and white stallion that were the same horses Erlos and Ember rode back when they visited the White Tiger n. This time, her two servants could not apany her. They were visiting the territory of the witches and this particr race kept their guests to limited numbers.

    Erlos climbed on the reddish brown horse while Ember was ready to climb the saddle of her pure white horse. Since this was her third time riding it, she didn''t focus on trying to climb the horse but took time to appreciate the elegance and beauty of the horse. She somewhat remembered how Draven caressed that horse''s crest from thest time, and thus, she did the same. The soft and beautiful white hair along the crest felt amazing under her hand and she looked at the horse''s eye on her side.

    "I will be in your care today. Even if I trouble you, please bear with me."

    The horse let out a snort, its tail swishing as it enjoyed her delicate hand caressing the crest.

    "She will be good to you," Draven assured.

    "She? Eh? Is this a female?" In her mind, she had always referred to this horse as a white stallion. It should have been a white mare. But Draven nodded, and he had no reason to lie to her.

    "This horse looks so strong and valiant that I thought it''s a male," Embermented. "Doesn''t she have a name? I didn''t askst time."

    "Her name is Albina," Draven replied.

    "That''s a lovely name," Ember continued to caress the crest.

    "Miss, Sire was the one to name her. Her coat is pure white so her name is what suits her¡ªAlbina. You see, Sire is so good with names."

    Ember didn''t deny this im. Her name was also given by Draven and she loved it.

    "Take care of me, Albina," Ember talked to her horse with a smile. "You are a beautiful female horse."

    "Miss, what do you think about Sire''s horse? Male or female?" Erlos asked.

    Ember recalled that beautiful pure ck horse that seemed to be a splitting image of Albina, only its coat was of the opposite color and it was slightlyrger in built. Since she thought Albina was a stallion, then that meant she also mistook the gender of that wild horse.

    "That horse is also like this one. Must be a female."

    Erlosughed loudly. "Miss, other than you, there is no female who Sire allowed to be close to him. Not even animals. Our Midnight, Sire''s pet owl, is a male as well."

    Draven offered his bbermouth of a servant a t re while Ember smiled lightly. She found this adorable as she remembered how he was stuck to her side the entire night like a snake. So he didn''t allow any other female toe close to him. But then¡­

    "He allows Isa."

    Draven and Erlos both didn''t expect Ember to say this. Draven stared at her in disbelief. ''She sure knows how to hold grudges.''<sub> </sub>

    Erlosughed louder this time. "T-This¡­I can''t¡­does she even count as female? She is like a little sister or child to Sire. She is not counted."

    "Even a wild animal like a horse counts, what more a fox?" Ember said sarcastically as she turned to climb the horse.

    "Let me help you," Draven was about to hold her waist but¡ª

    "I can do it myself," Ember rejected his help and climbed the horse on her own. Though it was not as swift and smooth as Erlos, she tried her best, trying not to lose her face when she clearly rejected the help.

    Draven watched her climb with amusement in his red eyes. ''Anger can get the best out of her.'' He then fixed her dress around her legs and caressed the crest of the white horse. He spoke to the horse in a casual tone, "Make sure to not anger her."

    Ember heard it and she narrowed her eyes at him. ''Is he teasing me? What does he mean not to anger me?''

    "Miss, are you all good? We can go if you are ready," she heard Erlos speak.

    Draven looked at her. "If there''s anything, just tell Erlos."

    She nodded and the two horses started moving towards the gate. As their ride trotted leisurely, Ember felt relieved to find she didn''t fall off, her body seemingly more adapted to sitting on the saddle this time. She could not help but turn her head to look back, wondering if Draven had returned inside the building, but to her surprise, he was still standing outside the main door, looking at her leave. The corners of her lips pulled up as her chest warmed with happy feelings. It felt good to see him there, and even after she turned her head to look forward once more, the smile remained on her lips.

    After their horses passed through the outer walls of the pce, Erlos asked, "Miss, are youfortable?"

    "Yes. I think I got a little used to it. Maybe, I''ll be able to ride even better after a couple more times."

    "That''s good to know. This is why Sire made you ride a horse when he could just teleport you there and return. He wants you to be more independent," Erlos informed. "Maybe in your free time, you can ride horses for fun."

    "Oh!" was all she said and felt d about her mate''s intentions.

    "Moreover, the route towards the witch territory is fascinating. We will pass through part of the Forest of the Elves on the way. This way, you will get familiar with the other elf ns in the kingdom."

    "Right!"

    Along the way, they crossed various small viges and towns in the vicinity, Erlos continued to tell her about those who lived there.

    "Miss, are you up for a challenge? Since you are already more used to riding, you can try to speed up your horse a little. Look at how I do it." Erlos made his horse trot faster by lightly squeezing the horse''s body with his legs.

    Ember tried it and it worked for her, though she felt like she would fall, she had learned to bnce her body along with the rhythm of the horse''s movements.

    "Yes, like that! Miss, you are a quick learner. No wonder Sire trusts in your learning ability. You look like a beautiful royal princess riding a horse."

    "Do I?"

    Erlos agreed, continuing to shower her with praises and encouragement. It was a different thing that Erlos already knew she was a princess from the human kingdom, and the more he looked at her, the more she embodied one. But Erlos knew he could not tell her about her true identity.

 Chapter 295 Fun Time With Erlos

    After crossing half the distance, Erlos decided to take a stop at a ce by the riverside as he didn''t want to tire Ember too much. He was mindful that her human body was not used to such a long journey and that too on horseback.

    "Miss, how about a short break by the river? You should stretch your limbs while we let the horse feed," Erlos suggested as they had already lowered their horses'' speed back to a slow trot.

    Ember almost let out a cheer. She was d that she could give rest to her hurting bottom from the constant jerks. "Please, let''s do that."

    When they found a good spot by the riverbank, Erlos easily jumped down from his chestnut horse while Ember had to struggle to climb down thatrge white horse who was far much taller than her. Climbing it seemed easier than getting down from it.

    Her struggle continued until Erlos reached her side. "Miss, let me help you."

    Ember looked at him with an awkward gaze. "That¡­."

    "Miss, it''s fine. Let me help you so it won''t be difficult for you."

    As he said it, she nodded. He held her at the waist while she put her hands on his shoulder for support and easily stepped down the horse.

    "Thank you, Erlos."

    "My pleasure to help you, Miss," he led her way closer to the water towards the rocks to sit on them.

    "Miss, would you like to eat something?" he asked as Ember sat on one rock and he passed her wooden water carrier.

    She first had water and felt less tired. "Do you have something to eat?" she asked, she in fact felt that she needed to fill her stomach.

    "I don''t have but I can prepare. Just give a moment," he said and walked towards the river.

    She watched him removing his boots, folding his pants up before entering the water. ''What is he doing?''

    Just as he reached a little ahead in the water, he looked down at that flowing water for a few moments and then¡­

    Ssh!

    Ember didn''t realize when he bent down to put his hands in the water and when he caught that big fish long upto his elbow in his hand. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes to see if she had seen something wrong.

    ''How can he be that fast?''

    Erlos turned around and retuend to her with a fish and wide smile on his lips, "Miss, I will cook it right away. I am sure you will like it."

    "I didn''t know one can catch fish like this," shemented as she watched him gathering some dried twigs around with the magic as they gathered in front of him in one ce.

    "Not everyone, Miss. I am just too good," heughed a little as he praised himself.

    She didn''t deny his im. "You are really amazing."

    She stood up from the rock and walked towards him, who was kneeling on the stony surface and was adjusting the fish to one stick and hung it horizontally over the bunch of twigs to roast it after putting fire. Just as he was about to ignite the fire, Ember stopped him.

    "Wait, let me try it." She wished to check if she could do what her teacher Helia had taught her.

    Erlos agreed as he understood what she meant. Ember kneeled in front of the bunch of twigs and inhaled deeply and exhaled through her mouth first to calm her nerves.

    "I hope I won''t burn this, especially this poor fish."

    "Don''t worry, Miss. Even if you burn, I can catch hundreds of fish so you can keep trying till you seed."

    Ember looked at him. How sweet he was to encourage her like this. "Fine, I will try now. You step back a little. I don''t wish you to be hurt."

    "I will be fine, Miss. You can try," he said and rooted to his ce, without worrying about getting hurt.

    Not for the sake of fish but for the sake of Erlos, now Ember needed to be careful and control her powers. Ember closed her eyes and focussed on her energy core just as Helia had taught her. Few moments passed by and then she opened her eyes which looked like they had fire burning in them as she looked at the bunch of the twigs and¡­there was a small me for fire inside that bunch of twigs.

    Ember blinked her eyes in a shock as she heard Erlos'' cheerful voice, "Miss, there is it. There is that tiny me. You did it."

    Ember smiled, in fact sheughed happily and pped on her own sess, "It really did work."

    "Let me make it bigger," he said and fanned that me so the other twigs caught it too and soon they had their natural fish roaster ready. They roasted a fish and both ate it happily.

    Once they were done and rested for a while, Erlos spoke, "Miss, if you are ready, we can leave."

    Ember nodded and they climbed the horses to resume their journey.

    "Erlos, it was fun, I never experienced these things."

    "I know, Miss. But now you are in Agartha. Here you will experience everything and will always be happy."

    "I wish the same," she said and looked at him, "I loved the fish you roasted."

    "Ah, that. Sire had taught me. When I was a child and most of the time I used to be upset after losing my family, he would bring me out like this and even catch fish like like this and roast it for me."

    "You mean Draven?" she was surprised at the revtion.

    "Hmm!" he nodded, "I didn''t have family or any rtives so he did his best to raise me not to let me feel lonely," Erlos then lowered his voice and mumble to himself, "That is the different thing he is taking everything back by making me work for him."

    Ember didn''t hear his mumbling and said, "It''s hard to believe."

    "I know. But he just look tough on outside, but he deeply care for people around him. As long as he is not angry for real, he is an angel."

    "Does he get angry?" she asked.

    "Not so often as no one has the guts to do so. But only one person can do that."

    It didn''t take time for her to realize who that must be, "Morpheus?"

    "You are quite an observer, Miss."

    "I only saw him talking to Draven without caring for his status as a king."

    "That eagle really got some guts but it''s because Sire takes it lightly as well and let him do as he wished."

    "Because of what happened in the past?"

    "Yes, Miss."

    "Isa? Draven raised her as well. Why is she not like you?"

    "Miss, she is not really bad but just a spoiled one."

    "Shouldn''t Draven correct her?"

    "Sire did but if someone is being delusional enough, one can not do anything. Just because she was the only female close to Sire, she has her own delusions."

    Ember frowned, "He must have led her to have those delusions." Aftetall he was a male and who would not want female''s attention?

    "Sire?" Erlosughed, "He was the one who never thought about having a mate and let alone misleading anyone. It''s your arrival that changed him, Miss. And about Isa, he didn''t care what she thought as it didn''t matter to him. Even after Sire had a mate, she acts the same, then it''s her fault. Sire never led her to anything. I have been with him since I was young and I can vouch for his behavior. She is nothing more than just a responsibility to him, his best friends sister who he owed something in the past."

    Ember understood. "Maybe she would understand one day." Ember sighed and mumbled, "But that won''t make me like her."

    "Same thoughts, Miss," Erlos added as he heard Ember clearly.

 Chapter 296 Ember Feeling An Unknown Pull

    Erlos and Ember continued to ride their horses at medium pace and reached the witch n territory.

    "Miss, we are finally there," Erlos informed as he looked at the particr residential structuresing into his site.

    Ember followed his gaze and could see the boundary of the Honeyharbor city and the top parts of the residence that were taller than the boundary wall which was made by the strong and tall tree logs arranged vertically and closely to create the stronger fencing. The homes looked like cottages and most of them were built taller to two to three story structures. It even had towers at the different corners of the city to keep watch outside.

    As Cornelia was aware of their arrival, her aids were already present at the territory entrance to wee the guest.

    "Wee to the honey harbor city, Miss Ember and Mister Erlos," a beautiful, long ck haireddy wearing an elegant dress and apanied by another woman, greeted them.

    "Thank you," both replied together.

    "I am Silvia and she is Talia," she informed, "Please be seated on your horses as it will take time to reach the residence of Lady Cornelia."

    Silvia and Tania climbed on their horses and led the way of their guests through the city gates. Their horses walked on the streets inside where Ember observed each and everything.

    ''This territory is different from the Wood Elf and White Tiger ns,'' she thought as shepared it to tree homes of the Wood Elf n and stone and y homes of White Tiger n.

    On the way, she looked at those cottages like beautiful homes, shops and everything the city should have along with people doing their work and walking on the streets.

    ''Witch n lives more like humans, their homes, clothes and this city feels like how humans live.''

    Soon they reached a quiet part of the city where thergest home in the city was located. It was a vast spread and two storey cottage with wooden fencing and inside that fencing the ground was covered with greenwn and beautiful flowery nts.

    "We are here," Silvia informed as she climbed at the gate of residence.

    The guard at the gate bowed to them and he took away that horse.

    Erlos stepped down the horse and just like before he helped Ember to step down the horse as well and this time she didn''t feel hesitant.

    Another guard came and took away their horses and tied them at one ce as they offered food and water to the tired horses. Ember felt d that her horse was being taken care of. During this journey she felt connected to her horse and cared for her. Now she even knew her name and she felt like that white horse was someone that belonged to her only.

    Silvia led their way inside that wooden gate and they walked on the in marble path, dividing the greenwn in two parts. They stopped at the wooden door of thatvish looking cottage where the servant opened the door for them.

    "Please,e inside," Silvia instructed.

    Ember followed Silvia as she observed the interior of that beautiful cottage. It was decorated nicely with beautiful artefacts, vases with flowers, beautiful wooden furniture and a firece burning to keep that ce warm.

    ''Witches sure love to live in luxury and with elegance like human nobles.''

    "Wee to the Witch n, Miss Ember."

    Ember heard the familiar voice and looked at the beautiful woman walking down on the stairs from the first floor. That beautiful face like a rich nobledy, her long red hair left open at her back, that beautiful long blue dress perfectly fitted till her waist and long skirt covering even her feet.

    ''She always looks so beautiful. I heard witches are meant to be beautiful with bewitching beauty.''

    Ember got back to her senses and smiled at Cornelia, "Cornelia," while Erlos bowed to greet her.

    Cornelia was a head of the witches and she was no less than a queen of witches in absence of their true Queen.

    Cornelia reached them, "I believe the journey was not tough for you, Miss."

    "It was fine. I enjoyed it," Ember replied.

    "You must be tired. Please have a seat," Cornelia guided their way to the wooden couch and chairs ced in the center of the Drawing room, closer to the firece.

    Ember and Erlos sat in the chairs opposite to Cornelia, around the wooden center table. The servants brought tea and refreshments for the guests.

    Cornelia offered her tea, "This tea will help you get rid of all the tiredness you have felt due to the journey."

    Ember epted and so did Erlos as hemented, "I always like to get potions...cough..I mean tea from the Witch n. Helps me cope up with work given by my cruel master."

    Cornelia simply smiled as she knew what Erlos meant. "But, you don''t really need any potions, Erlos. Sire have trained you enough to be stronger. You might not realize, but I can see that."

    "His way of training?" Erlos sighed, "I pray no one has to go through such an unusual training methods."

    Ember looked at him, "How did Sire trained you? Did he teach you like Helia teaches me?"

    He frowned inwardly, "I wish that was the case, Miss."

    "Then?"

    "I would like not to say embarrassing things I go through," he replied as he didn''t wish to say how he coped with the mean ways of the king to treat him as his personal aide. That unending torture he didn''t wish to talk about. Instead of training him to use his powers, it was more like it was training of testing limits of his patience.

    Ember didn''t insist as Erlos looked reluctant. Just as she finished her tea, she realized that she no longer felt tired and understood Cornelia was generous enough to give her potion in the tea.

    "I have received a message that you wish to explore Honeyharbor city, Miss Ember. I will make sure to give you a nice tour."

    "Thank you, Cornelia. Can we go out now?" Ember asked excitedly as she no longer felt tired and didn''t wish to waste much time. They would have to return to the pce as well.

    "Sure. But would you like to have a nice meal before leaving? Kitchen must have already prepared it."

    "I don''t feel hungry at this moment. We can do itter on," Ember replied, she was excited to check this new ce.

    "As you wish, Miss."

    Cornelia let their way out of the residence. Ember looked around as she wanted to see this residence first.

    "Your residence is beautiful, Cornelia."

    "Thank you, Miss."

    They wandered around Cornelia''s residence and Ember''s eyes caught the attention of something. Other than Cornelia''s residence, at a distance there was another residence bigger than Cornelia''s but it was different and was at a lonely ce. It was not a cottage but a residence built with stones and had a mini castle-like structure and it was surrounded by fog even in day time.

    Ember felt some unknown pull towards that residence as if it was calling for her.

    "Whose home is that, Cornelia?"

    "That is the residence of our Queen. Her Eminence used to live there when she was still with us."

    "Can I visit that ce as well?" Ember asked, unable to move her eyes away from it.

    "Yes, Miss. I will take you there," Cornelia said as she asked to prepare their horses.

    Riding their horses, they reached that lonely looking residence.

    The entrance of the Witch n territory had a t ground but where it ended, it had a deep valley and at that very end located that mini castle of the Queen of Witches.

    Though it looked lonely from a distance as if no one lived there, it was still maintained well and there were servants to take care of that residence.

    It had an iron gate attached to the stony wallpound and inside ground of thepound walls was filled with Camellia flowers everywhere and it looked beautiful.

    "Beautiful!" Ember said the moment she stepped down the horse and saw thend filled with flowers.

    "Her Eminence was fond of Camellia flowers. Even if she is not here, these flowers keeps blooming here despite any seasons, marking it as this residence belongs to only her."

    Cornelia and Ember walked on the path and entered the residence building while Erlos apanied them. They entered the grand circr Drawing room where at the one end, exactly opposite was the stone chair at the elevated tform having few stairs and it looked more like a throne.

    ''This must be where she used to sit but...why do I feel so connected to this ce or more like someone''s presence here? I am sure I have never been here. It''s more about the essence of a person or powers I am feeling.'' Ember could distinguish these things after getting few lessons from Helia.

    ''Have I ever came across this particr person to feel this way. It can''t be possible as no one came to that mountain. Then why....?''

    Cornelia observed her, "Miss, what are you thinking about?"

    "Uhm! It''s as if I can feel someone''s presence here....I don''t know how to exin but it''s so familiar."

    Cornelia being a knowledgable Witch who had faced so many strange things that could exist, would never take anything lightly. She also believed nothing happened without a reason.

    "Miss, then should try to look for it, maybe you can find it."

    Ember looked at her, "Did you believe what I said. Even I am not sure about what I am feeling."

    "We should never ignore what our intuition tells us," Corneliamented.

    Ember felt d to hear it. "Fine! I will try."

 Chapter 297 I Cant Hear Her Name

    Ember walked further inside from the entrance as she tried to identify that particr pull she was feeling. Along with that, her gaze observed the interiors of that drawing room which was more like a throne hall of the queen. Huge ss windows allowed one to see the outside but that was mostly fog out there.

    In the center of that empty circr hall, there was a short, stony, well carved pir-like tform which had a big, circr, t metal container. Ember walked towards it and found it had water and there were the Camellia flowers floating on it. The same flowers which covered most of the outside garden and made it look beautiful.

    "These flowers have been here for more than a century now. They are still the same as on the day Her Eminence left them," Cornelia infomed as she saw Ember looking at the flowers.

    "For more than a century? How can that be¡­Won''t they¡­" Ember stopped as she realized something. In this kingdom, with the help of magic everything could be possible.

    As if Cornelia guessed her thoughts, she answered, "You are right, Miss. It''s because of a magic spell."

    "The pull I felt ising from these flowers," Embermented as she wondered what it was for.

    "From these flowers?" Cornelia mumbled and then exined as she thought about something. "I don''t know why Her Eminence did it but she had put a part of her powers in these flowers. Either she loved these flowers so much and wished them to be the same in her absence or she wished to leave something as a mark of her presence, as a sign that this ce belonged to her or once she lived here."

    When Cornelia was exining, Ember happened to touch one flower on an instinct. The moment she did it, she felt as if she knew that energy which was flowing in that flower.

    "So familiar. Such aforting warmth. I feel like I know this."

    Cornelia and Erlos simply observed her as they heard what she said. She put her palm under one flower to lift it out of the water but just then something snapped and Amber heard some voices.

    ''What is it?'' Her hand froze in a ce.

    She closed her eyes and focussed on it. Her brows knitted and furrowed likened appeared on her forehead as she held that flower in her hand. Her other hand resting on that metal container, held its border tightly.

    Erlos thought something was not right, "Miss¡­."

    But Corenlia held his arm and shook her head lightly, asking him to not disturb her. Erlos listened to her and stayed quiet.

    Cornelia didn''t know what was happening but knowing their Queen and her powers, she was sure it would not harm Ember.

    ? Ember continued to focus on those voices.

    "Eavnthe, please help me."

    "What happened, ¡ª?"

    "I¡ªam scared, Evanthe."

    ''This voice? It''s the voice of that green eyed woman. And who is this Evanthe?'' Ember tried to understand but at the same time she once again started to feel emotional because of that green-eyed woman. ''This woman Evanthe called that Green-eyed woman''s name but why couldn''t I hear it?''

    "I am scared of the powers I possess. I feel like I am getting pulled into an abyss of darkness. It''s scary. I¡ªcan''t handle it. I am losing myself," the green-eyed woman cried with sobs.

    "No one could possess it, not even the deities stronger than you. But only you could control it and posses it. That means you are the one who can control it and rule it. If not for you, everything would have been destroyed. You are strong and you have to be strong, ¡ª"

    "But this power is destroying me. It''s consuming me slowly. Instead of me controlling it, it has started to control me. I worry....I worry one day I will destroy everything. I can not handle it. I don''t want to hurt anyone."

    "You won''t. Trust me. Sierra And I are always there to help you and protect you. You will be fine, ¡ª"

    "I¡ª" she continued to sob, not being able to say anything.

    "Don''t cry, ¡ª"

    Ember also started to cry with her eyes still closed as she continued to hear that conversation. At the end of conversation Evanthe once again called that green-eyed woman''s name but Ember could not get it.

    Ember finally opened her teary eyes and looked at that flower in her hand. "Evanthe!" she mumbled and was about to lose her bnce but Erlos held her.

    "Miss!"

    Cornelia and Erlos heard her say this name. No one called Evanthe by her name but only by her title except for her old close acquaintances.

    "Miss, are you alright?" Erlos asked worriedly, as he held her firm and she stood taking his support.

    "Let''s take her there," Cornelia said as she signalled towards one stone made chair in that drawing room.

    Ember seemed so exhausted that Erlos carried her in his arms towards the chair and made her sit in it.

    Cornelia had already signalled the servant around to get water who brought it just in a moment. Ember had that water and heard Cornelia, "Are you feeling better now, Miss?"

    Ember nodded while Cornelia passed her soft folden cloth to wipe her tears. Ember epted it and heard Cornelia, "How about I take you back to my residence first and you rest?"

    "No. I am fine."

    Cornelia didn''t insist her. Once she looked calm, Cornelia asked, "Would you like to tell what you felt or saw?" Ember''s tears were proof that she had seen or felt something emotional.

    "I heard voices, voices of two women but I didn''t have any particr clear vision about them to see their appearance."

    "What did those voices say or talked about?"

    Ember exined what exactly she heard and what those two women talked about and then said, "One woman I know. She was that same green eyed woman in my dreams. I know her voice and I could feel her strong presence in this vision as if it really happened."

    "And the other one?" Cornelia asked as she had already heard Ember saying her name but needed to make sure.

    "Evanthe! That green eyed woman called her Evanthe."

    Cornelia and Erlos looked at each other and then both looked at her.

    Their reaction puzzled Ember, "W-What happened? Who is she?"

    "Evanthe is the name of Her Eminence, the Queen of Witches, the one who had left us due to some reason," Cornelia answered. "As you have touched the flower having the essence of her powers, you must have seen or heard something rted to her."

    Ember only looked at her in shock, "How does she know the green-eyed woman in my dreams? They¡­.They felt so close to each other as if they were closely familiar¡­" Ember stopped as she tried to think more.

    "It''s really surprising thing- green-eyed woman," Cornelia said as she realized things were not so simple anymore. With new discoveries rted to Ember, things were gettingplicated. When she received a message about Ember''s arrival, not even her wildest dream she would have thought that this visit would lead them to something new about Ember.

    ''As His Majesty predicted, if Ember is that green-eyed woman in her past life, then she knew Her Eminence but¡­.how? And exactly when? When Her Eminence was here with us or after she left us? Tooplicated,'' Cornelia shook her head and asked, "Miss, anything more you would like to tell? You can think carefully if there is anything."

    Ember thought about it and then said, "There is one thing that I find really strange."

    "What is it?"

    The woman Evanthe...I mean Her Eminence called that green-eyed woman''s name many times, but I could not get it... It was like I heard but at the same time I couldn''t¡­I don''t know why but her name passed by just like that and I could not get a single letter of it."

    "Miss, your thoughts and emotions must be so chaotic that you missed it," Cornelia suggested.

    "No! I am sure it''s not the case. There is something really strange I felt. In myst dream when I saw that woman chained and she said her own name while taking an oath, I thought I could not hear it because of the sounds of thunder bolts but¡­.seems like I just can''t hear her name. I am sure I am not mistaken. Something is stopping me from listening to her name."

    This was surprising for the other two as well and they didn''t know what to say. Though Ember had wiped her tears, she could still not stop feeling emotional. That green eyed-woman''s emotions had affected her greatly as if it were her own and she could not stop herself from getting affected by them.

    Seeing her emotional state, Cornelia instructed, "Miss, for now let''s go back to my residence. You need to rest. Rest of the city, I can show youter."

    Ember immediately agreed as she felt suddenly drained as if she had worked heavybor. She realized whenever she had dreams about that woman, she always felt this tired.

    With Erlos'' help, Ember returned to Cornelia''s residence where the guest rooms were already prepared for them. Meanwhile, Cornelia sent the message to the king about what happened here. It was about his mate and she was in the care of the Witch n so it was necessary to tell him what happened here.

    She had already informed her aides to prepare for the visit of the King as she was sure the moment he would get the message, he would appear here without a dy.

 Chapter 298 Itâ€™s Time For Evanthe To Return Agartha

    As the King of Agartha, Draven had be extremely busy dealing with the necessary preparations for the uing big day, alongside with the difficulties regarding the current state of peace and order of the kingdom. After Ember left for the witch city of Honeyharbor, he continuously met with the leaders of different ns. Even after he finished granting audience with them, his work for the day was not yet done. He had to pay a visit to the border of the human territory to check the situation.

    A handful of members from the council met him on the rampart of the natural fortress at the edge of the Forest of the Elves.

    "Your Majesty, I am not sure why but these days, those humans are getting aggressive and ambitious. Just today, we found two human scouts near the fortress. I wonder what is there that gives them courage to do so," the Chief of the Shapeshifters, Divine Eagle Agraleus,mented as his n members who were patrolling the border recently dealt with the nuisance caused by them.

    Draven continued to silently observe the other side of the forest border, prompting his aide to respond.

    "Aren''t our people at fault for attacking them this time?" Melionmented in the King''s stead.

    "That''s true, but humans were the ones to provoke them, knowing the day of mourning is close and we all would be sensitive to the wounds of the past," the High Elder from the Moon Elf n, Halifax, countered.

    "We know how they are so we need to handle it sensibly, not falling for their provocation. It will simply destroy the peace we have been working on for a century now," Melion suggested.

    Though Wind Fae Melion was the King''s aide and not any n leader or member of the council, his words were always taken seriously. As Draven''s most trusted messenger, he was the King''s mouthpiece; his opinions were considered to be what the King also wished to say.

    Others didn''t contradict his statement as Draven''s silence implied his tacit agreement on the matter.

    "We agree with you, Wind Fae Melion, but still, we need to act with caution. Something more must be going on in the human territory. We cannot ignore the restlessness among the viges. Two decades ago was thest time a vige head raised arms against us. Ever since his son took his ce and became the new leader, did he not rally for the unification of the other human viges? He is known to be more ambitious than his father," Agraleus informed.

    "Oh, I have heard of that human child," the most senior elf remarked. "My people hade across him a few times a year back when my grandchildren facilitated trade with the human viges and they spoke ill of his temper."

    "I think this was a concern you raised in one of the council meetings? He initiated a feud with the merchant''s guards back then?"

    "He seemed to have something in his hands to be this ambitious. He keeps pushing for demands like making him a part of the council, or letting humans enter our ns'' territories. How dare he ask permission to let them roam freely inside the central regions of the kingdom when he himself behaves with such impudence?

    Draven finally spoke up.

    "Are any of our people on friendly terms with them?" he said, his voice impassive as usual. "If not, have people from the outside reached out to them?"

    "We have such doubts as well because we fear history to be repeated, but since we have no spies among the vigers, it is hard to say," Agraleus sighed. "I had already asked the scouts from my n to search for traces of any outsidersing in contact with them, especially traces of ck magic practitioners entering the kingdom. But so far, we have found none."

    As per the message from the King of Megaris, Draven knew these days that the ck Witch Zaria Lynx was active with her old scheme and he was sure she would not leave Agartha alone. He knew all her efforts for creating troubles were simply for the sake of a single goal: to sit on the throne of Agartha and take control over all the supernatural beings in the kingdom.

    Seemingly having the same thoughts, Halifaxmented, "Your Majesty, do you think... Zaria might be plotting against us once more?"

    Draven nodded. "I received news of her most recent activities outside the kingdom. Given her tenacity, she must have been working on a grand scheme for the past century in order to achieve what she failed to have back then."

    The council members were surprised but not shocked. As that witch was one of the greatest enemies of Agartha, they found it only natural that Draven would keep tabs of her movements.

    "She won''t move if she thinks her chance of seeding is low. That means she got a powerful weapon in her hands," Agraleus said as worry painted his face.

    Draven didn''t deny it. He could guess what ck Witch Zaria was nning.

    First, she wished to get another source of divine blood to strengthen her ck magic spells, and for that, she aimed for the wife of the King of Megaris and Divine Eagle Aureus. To get them, she was nning to use the enemy kingdom of Megaris. Once she got her targets, she would return to Agartha with stronger power and attack once again, possibly with the help of humans.

    "We have to be careful then," Halifaxmented. "We cannot let our guards down this time."

    "Rest assured, Elder Halifax," Agraleus said, determination filled his eyes. "This time, we won''t let her escape. It''s a good thing that she ns toe back, that way, we won''t waste time searching for her. She has to pay for all the lives we lost."

    The High Elder of the Moon Elves nodded. "I believe His Majesty would not let the past repeat itself."

    His words also meant to remind Draven. Both back then and this time, there was a human next to the King; worse, the human in this situation was his mate. As leaders of their people, though they hoped in their hearts that Ember was not going to betray their trust, they still worried exactly because she was a human. Though she was someone special, they would not hesitate to be her enemy if she would endanger their people.

    Draven merely stayed quiet. He didn''t try to assure them that Ember was not someone they should be worried about. He too suffered from the wounds of the past. Back then, he had trusted a certain human blindly and he assured everyone which caused them harm and countless deaths, so this time his words would hold no value. Instead of persuading them, Draven preferred to let time show that Ember was trustworthy.

    Ember was not simply a human being with a special ability but someone much more than they could imagine.

    Draven turned towards Agraleus. "Continue to watch over the human territory and their leader."

    "Yes, Your Majesty."

    Just as humans were not allowed to step inside thends belonging to supernatural beings, the opposite was true. None of the supernatural beings were also allowed to step inside human territory aside from the trade made once every few months. However, there was a loophole to this rule. The feathered races could fly in the sky; thus, they could keep watch over any part of the kingdom, especially members of the Divine Eagle n famed for their sharp eyesight, so it was part of their responsibility to keep watch. Still, humans were not fools either. They were aware that from the sky, pairs of eyes always watched over them so they did everything carefully in their way.

    As they were conversing, a little bird approached their group and it chirped repeatedly to get their attention. Draven and others recognized that bird''s identity. It was the ck sparrow bird which belonged to the Head of the Witches, Cornelia Grimm.

    Draven understood there was a message for him as Ember had gone to Honeyharbor City. As it chirped and circled around Draven, he raised his arm, allowing that ck sparrow to sit on his arm. There was a tiny piece of paper rolled and tied to her neck with a thread.

    Draven pulled it out and opened the note, and the others respectfully gave him privacy and chose to talk amongst themselves.

    It was a short messageposed of a few runic letters, but upon reading that note, Draven burned it until nothing but ashes were left behind.

    His action caused his group to grow concerned.

    "Anything to worry about, Your Majesty?" Halifax asked.

    "It''s nothing serious. I will take my leave," Draven said and disappeared from there even before others could bow their heads to see him off.

    ---

    Momentster, Draven appeared at the territory on the other side of the kingdom. His tall form stood in front of the residence of the Head of Witches where he found Erlos already waiting for him.

    "Sire, good to see you came at once," Erlos said as he approached his master.

    "Where is she?" Draven asked, his expression colder than before.

    Erlos could clearly see how worried his master was for his mate. "Miss is resting inside. Lady Cornelia had asked me to bring you to her room as soon as you arrived." Without dy, the elf led Draven inside therge cottage where each and every person working inside hurried to bow upon seeing the King walk past them.

    Draven was brought to the guest room where Ember was sleeping in the bed with Cornelia by her side. Draven watched his mate''s expression, his gaze checking if there was anything wrong with her body, and only after he found nothing wrong with her did he pay attention to the redheaded witch who answered his unspoken question.

    "She was exhausted so I had given her sleeping potion so she could restfortably and recover her energy. She will feel much better once she awakes."

    Draven nodded. "What exactly happened?"

    Cornelia narrated the brief excursion they had on the residence of the Queen of the Witches.

    "Evanthe? She had a vision of Evanthe?" Draven asked in disbelief.

    "Yes, Your Majesty, and even I am wondering when Her Eminence came across that green-eyed woman in Miss'' dreams."

    Draven stared at his mate with aplicated gaze. Every new thing getting revealed about her was a discovery that even he himself finds it hard to ept or understand..

    ''From the kind of vision she had about Evanthe, it looked like what I knew about my friend was merely the tip of the iceberg. I had always felt Evanthe was far more superior than a White Witch. Not just Ember, but even Evanthe''s real identity is a mystery to me. If she knows the exact identity of the green-eyed woman, then I need to find and meet her. Only Evanthe can confirm if the green-eyed woman is really Ember in her previous life. If not, then she must know the connection between her and Ember.''

    "What are you thinking about, Your Majesty?" Cornelia asked as she observed Draven who was lost in his thoughts.

    "It''s time for Evanthe to return to Agartha," Draven answered, which took Cornelia by surprise, but then a pleased smile appeared on her face as it was something to be happy about.

    But the question was, "Will she really return?"

    "She has to," Draven said with determination.

    "We don''t know where she had gone for all these decades. How are we going to find her?" Cornelia asked.

    "Last I heard, she had gone wandering on the other side of the continent, nning to explore thend our people had never stepped on. I will send scouts to roam thend. Knowing her, she would interact to help humans in need so I am sure we will find clues about her. Since Agartha is also forming an alliance with Megaris, I will ask the King of Megaris to help us find her."

    "Sire, maybe Aureus can also help us find her," Erlos suggested. "Supernatural beings are rare on that side. Aureus mentioned that he used to roam around with his mother, so there is likelihood he hase across her. Even if not, if he knows a witch or other wanderers, maybe they had interacted with Her Eminence in passing."

    Draven nodded. "I will ask him. Not just him, even the King of Megaris could havee across her. If he is like me, then even if she purposely pretended to be human, it''s very difficult for Evanthe and the essence of her powers to not catch his attention."

    Cornelia felt d to hear this all. "Your Majesty, if there is anything that I can help with, please let me know."

    Draven nodded.

    "I will be outside," Cornelia excused herself. Erlos was smart enough to leave his master alone with his mate as well.

    Draven walked closer to the bed and sat at the edge as he observed Ember''s sleeping face. He had nothing in his mind and simply stared at her. After a while, he reached out to hold her hand, content to simply listen to her rhythmic breathing.

    ''I thought the day would end with me seeing you all happy and cheerful since your wish to go out is fulfilled, that you would excitedly show off to your pet and servants how you enjoyed your visit outside, but it seems like even such a simple wish is impossible for you to fulfill. Nothing about you is simple, and trouble keeps finding you."

 Chapter 299 Evanthe, Is She Or Not Esther Ivanov?

    When Ember stirred awake from sleep, she looked around the familiar room in a daze before realizing she was inside the guest room of Cornelia''s residence.

    She sat up in the bed just as the door opened, and the owner of the house came in with a smile. "I guessed you would be awake by this time, Miss. How are you feeling now?"

    Ember looked at Cornelia. "I am feeling good. Have I slept for long?"

    "Just an hour," the witch replied. "Miss, you must be feeling hungry now."

    Ember realized she was in fact hungry. She looked at the window and could guess it was already afternoon and she had missed her midday meal. "Thank you, Lady Cornelia. I would like to eat something."

    "You can freshen up. I will have a servant wait for you outside till you''re done." Cornelia then excused herself while Ember stepped out of the bed.

    After a while she came out of her room, feeling fresh and her clothes tidied up, and the servant guided her way towards the dining room. When she entered the room, Erlos and Cornelia were already seated in the chairs on the long table. The two were seated side by side, with the head of the table empty, and the servant offered Ember the chair directly opposite Cornelia''s.

    Seeing the clean tes and untouched food on the table, Ember could not help butment with wide eyes, "Have you two yet to have your midday meal?"

    "How can I have a meal without my guest?" Cornelia replied and looked at the young elf beside her. "Erlos wished to have a meal with you as well."

    Ember felt touched and embarrassed at the same time. "Apologies that you two arete for your meal because of me."

    "It''s nothing, Miss. To be honest, after eating that tasty fish we caught by the river, I am still a little full," as he said that, he offered her an assuring smile.

    As the host of the meal, Cornelia then proceeded to introduce the delicacies on the table. Though the meal was not as grand as the food she eats in the pce, there was an assortment of dishes she had never tried before, and Ember made sure she got to have at least a bite of each.

    By the time the desserts were served, Ember hesitantly opened up a concern she''s been politely withholding since she woke up. "Lady Cornelia...about that vision? What are we going to do?"

    "His Majesty has some ns in mind so let''s just wait for him to verify some things," Cornelia replied.

    "His Majesty?" Ember asked, feeling surprised."By chance, was he here?"

    "Hmm," Cornelia nodded. "He dropped by while you were sleeping. He is your mate so I had to inform His Majesty about anything that happens with you."

    Ember understood. "Then, what does he n to do?"

    "He wants to bring Her Eminence the Queen of Witches back to Agartha. He believes Her Eminence can tell us a lot of useful things rted to the green-eyed woman."

    "I remember you mentioning Her Eminence left for some reason. Does that mean it will be difficult to search for her?"

    "We do not know where she had gone but His Majesty seemed to have some clues. Do not worry, Miss. We have a general idea of her whereabouts. We believe she is on the part of the continent south of the Great Mountain Range."

    "Are you talking about thend where His Majesty''s guest, Mister Aureus, came from?"

    "Yes, Miss. We merely need to wait until we find more useful information."

    ----

    Meanwhile, after showing off the different territories of the Kingdom of Agartha, Morpheus brought his nephew back to his favorite spot at the peak of the rocky mountain surrounded by a sea of clouds. The two men were leisurely snacking on the wild fruits they picked along the way.

    "Agartha is truly a beautiful, magical ce," Aureus said as the two were sitting at the edge of the cliff, looking at the clouds."I feel like if I want to take a proper look at each town and city, I''d need to spend at least a month more. Unfortunately, now that I have passed my message to the King of Agartha, I need to start heading back to Megaris by tomorrow."

    "So soon? You should stay here a little longer. The journey is long, and we''ll never know when you will get the chance toe back again."

    "I can''t. I have to return as soon as possible," Aureus replied without budging.

    "Then wait at least after the day of mourning." Seeing his nephew''s expression, the gray eagle rified, "It is the time of the year when the survivors and their descendants pay respect to the people we lost in that catastrophic war I mentioned to you before. Especially for our family, our n... This is something I wish you to witness."

    Since Morpheus had put it that way, Aureus no longer refused. "When is it?"

    "In a week''s time. I am sure the King of Megaris would not mind if you stay here for a few more days."

    "He won''t but we have to protect Seren from lurking danger. Unless I am by her side, I won''t be able to stop worrying. Besides, I need to pass him the information I have found here about the woman in Seren''s dream."

    "Look at thisd." Morpheus chuckled. "You say your Queen''s name so easily without a title, don''t you?"

    Aureus turned his face towards his uncle who was sitting next to him and the older man squarely met his gaze. "Don''t you do the same?"

    Morpheus offered him a yful smirk. "She is not officially a queen yet."

    At that very moment, the two Divine Eagles sensed another presence suddenly joining theirpany. It was precisely Draven who had just left Ember''s side, using his power to teleport straight out of Honeyharbor City.

    Morpheus sighed as he realized the identity of the intruder and didn''t even turn to look at him as he muttered, "This Dragon won''t leave me alone with my nephew."

    Aureus didn''t react to what his uncle said and stood up to greet the King of Agartha.

    "I pay my respects to the King of Agartha."

    Aureus was raised among humans and he was used to following the royal etiquette practiced in the Kingdom of Megaris. Given that he came as an envoy, he was even more careful in his conduct, though of course, his uncle had an annoyed expression seeing the highest-ranking member of his n act that polite in front of Draven.

    Draven epted the greetings with a light nod. "I have something important to talk about, Aureus."

    "Yes, Your Majesty?"

    "I wish to search for one person who left Agartha a century back. I believe the possibility you might havee across her by chance is high, and even if not, I''d like to request your assistance to help in the search."

    "Her? A woman?" Aureus probed.

    "Hmm," Draven agreed. "Have youe across a witch named Evanthe?"

    "Evanthe? I don''t recall such a name...."

    Morpheus, who heard the familiar name for the first time in a while, stood up and joined them. "Evanthe? Why are you searching for her?"

    "We have to find her," Draven replied.

    "Why so suddenly? And after these many decades to boot?" Morpheus asked, his intuition telling him this might be rted to Ember. After all, Draven''s utmost concern as ofte had always been his little mate.

    Draven didn''t hide anything from them and briefly told them the vision Ember had about Evanthe.

    "Ember had a vision of Evanthe?" Morpheus eximed. "I have been to her castle countless times and I''ve also seen that camellia flower after she left, but I never triggered such a vision."

    Draven had no answer to that. "I have questions as wellbut for now let''s talk about Evanthe." He then looked at Aureus who appeared to be deep in thought.

    "Aureus, Evanthe is a powerful witch, and we call her the Queen of the White Witches. She might have used a spell to change her appearance so describing what she looks like is useless. Try to think of the most powerful witch you have evere across. If you hade across her, it''s impossible for you to not sense the essence of her powers."

    Aureus didn''t answer for a while and then looked at Draven. "Are there many Queens of Witches? Aren''t witches separated by covens?"

    "There is only one," Draven answered firmly.

    Aureus tried to speak but then Morpheus exined it to him. "Witches live in covens, and they have a Head Witch, the most respected and most senior witch who guides their group, so there are many Heads of Witches. However, there has been only a single Queen regardless of the hundreds of different covens in this continent.

    "The Queen''s power is absolute, and the entire race follows hermand. They worship their Queen like a goddess, even more than the feathered race worships you. She is the only witch who possesses a mark on her body, and it looks like this."

    Morpheus used his magic to produce a faint replica of a witch''s symbol in the air.

    "Without this sign, one cannot be regarded as a queen, no matter how powerful a witch she is. Only one queen was born in their race, and for thousands of years, Evanthe had been the Queen of Witches. She had this mark on the back of her neck to give away her real identity so that any of her kind would recognise her right away."."

    "I havee across one Queen of Witches, but I remember her being referred to as the Monarch and her name is not the name you said," Aureus replied.

    Given what they exined so far, Aureus could only think of a single person who fits their description of a powerful White Witch. It was the previous Queen of Megaris who had saved his life but he had never heard anyone calling her Evanthe. Even her most trusted servant, the half-witch Lady Tyra, always only addressed her as Her Eminence and Monarch.

    "Who is it?" Morpheus asked as he was sure that there couldn''t be another Queen of Witches.

    "Her MajestyEsther Ivanov, the previous Queen and the birth mother of the current King of Megaris."

    Hearing it, Morpheus and Draven were surprised and looked at each other.

    "Are you sure she is a Queen of Witches?" Morpheus asked. "Besides, wouldn''t that mean your king is a half-witch?"

    "I can''t be mistaken. She has that mark on the back of her neck. The woman who raised me had also told me that Queen Esther, the Monarch of Witches, is the most powerful witch in existence."

    "Then there are two possibilities," Morpheus said. "Either there is really another Queen of Witches or Evanthe has changed her name."

    Draven agreed to it. "I find it hard to believe another Queen could have been born, because if the mark was bestowed by nature to another witch, then that would mean Evanthe has fallen."

    Morpheus pondered as he looked at Draven. "We both know Evanthe. She would not fall for a mere human and even give birth to his child. We know she was someone else''s soulmate who she could not be with."

    "True. But still we cannot discard the possibility of her being Evanthe. Many decades have passed and unexpected things could happen."

    Morpheus agreed. "Can you tell me what this Esther Ivanov looks like? What kind of person is she?"

    Aureus exined how she looked and behaved as per how he remembered her. Despite it being two decades since she left, she was still clear in his memory as if she had met her just a day before.

    "Her description sounds like Evanthe, and if she stayed for years under the public eye, then it would be difficult for her to keep an appearance-altering spell without pause throughout the years. It is likely that the blond hair with caramel brown eyes is her true appearance, but many witches have simr looks and they are always beautiful too."

    "We can only confirm once we have her portrait or we can personally go to Megaris to visit her," Draven suggested.

    "Unfortunately, Queen Esther is not in Megaris, and her whereabouts are unknown," Aureus said. "She had left two decades back."

    "Left? Why?"

    "She had her reasons, I guess." Aureus didn''t exin much as he himself was not entirely clear about why she left.

    "I have a question," Morpheus said. "Since you say that the King of Megaris has a witch as his mother, thenyou told us before that his father is human, then howe their son is a Dragon?"

    Draven had the same question before. Aureus didn''t answer the King, and the same goes with his uncle.

    "I cannot say more about my King which doesn''t concern official matters."

    Draven and Morpheus both understood that Aureus was unwilling to say more.

    Draven decided to return to the subject at hand. "She left Megaris as well. Sounds so like Evanthe. She is exactly the kind to put herself in trouble, only to pay for it by leaving the ones she loves."

    "Most importantly, if this Esther Ivanov is the current Queen of Witches, then why was she with humans and not with her kind?" Morpheus added and then asked Aureus. "Is there a coven of witches in Megaris and that Queen is leading them secretly?"

    "No. There is no such thing. From what I know, aside from the woman who raised me, Queen Esther never interacted with other supernatural beings. She preferred to live like a human being for the sake of her husband and son. She never liked to use her powers, let alone leading any coven," he answered. "His Majesty King Drayce is also searching for his mother. However, it has been decades of fruitlessbor. It will probably take a miracle for us to find her, let alone seek the answers of the woman in Miss Ember''s dreams through Queen Esther."

    "Then we can only hope the King of Megaris will find his mother as soon as possible."

    "There is something else as well," Aureus said as he thought about it carefully.

    "What is it?"

    "Before leaving, Queen Esther told me about Agartha and even gave me a map of how I can reach here. She said I can use it if someday I wish to return to my kind. That means..."

    "....she had been to Agartha," Morpheus continued. "Only the one who had been here, can give you a way to reach here. That mean she is Evanthe?"

    "If she is Evanthe, that also mean she knew the importance of existence of Golden Eagle and she would have also known that Aureus is Myra''s son. But she didn''t send Aureus back here and didn''t send us any message about Myra. That means, we can not say she is Evanthe for sure. Evanthe would have definitely informed us about Myra," Dravenmented.

    "I agree. She would have also send Aureus here knowing someone was trying to harm him instead of giving him just a way to return Agartha. She would have also sensed the presence of ck witch and would have send us information about her whereabouts." Morpheus sighed, "This woman...she can''t be Evanthe."

    "We can''t say that either. If she is Evanthe, we need to know why she didn''t do all this we said just now and if she is not Evanthe, then howe she is aware of Agartha. No other witch Queen had ever visited Agartha after Esther was gone. If she had, witch n would have known it and we all would have been aware of her existance."

    "We can only understand it when we get to see her."

    With the discussion they had, it was difficult to confirm if Esther Ivanov was Evanthe, the queen of witches.

    "Aureus wished to return but I am expecting him to stay here till the day of mourning so that he can pay respect to our ancestors with us. So your message to the King of Megaris would reachter once he left." Morpheus replied.

    "The King of Megaris is not in his kingdom from what Aureus said and he must be dealing with some important issues so we can wait."

    Aureus agreed, "Something important is there. I don''t wish to add anything more to his already existent worries about his wife."

    "Fine, then you leaveter and that is confirmed. Till then, as you wanted, I can make you visit those cities closely. By the way, you said you wanted to visit how witches live. Do you want to go there and visit?"

    Aureus nodded immediately but it was for his uncle''s sake. He could have gone thereter but his uncle could get a chance to see the woman he liked who was in the witch n at the moment.

    Morpheus looked at Draven, "We are leaving for the witch n. You can enjoy the lovely view of clouds from here."

    Aureus bowed to the king before leaving. Draven epted it with a nod and saw the two shapeshifters flying away. Draven didn''t stop them as he felt it was fine to let them meet Ember. It would make her feel better to see her friend.

    Draven had to leave as well because he had some other ns. He had to use this chance to go to the other side of the continent and try to search if he could get any clue of Evanthe''s existence. He could not simply rely on others or wait for them to be free and then get information from them.

    ''If there is any chance that Evanthe is Esther Ivanov, then I better visit that kingdom first.''

    Draven disappeared from there, only to appear at the top of the mountain around the capital of Megaris as the pair of red eyes looked around the ce.

 Chapter 300 Affected Morpheus

    After finishing their meal, Cornelia continued to act like a proper host to her guests."Miss Ember, would you like to go see the city or do you want to return to your room to rest?"

    "I want to see the rest of the city, but if we do that, won''t it be toote for us to return to the pce? I like the sight on the way here but riding horses after dark is a bit..."

    "Miss, there is no need for you to rush. His Majesty has permitted you to stay in my residence as an esteemed guest till you finish exploring the city," Cornelia informed her with an amused smile. "Honeyharbor might be smallerpared to Ronan, but you need more than a day or two to fully explore the wonders of the city. Due to what happened earlier, you could not do much sightseeing."

    "Did His Majesty really say that?" Ember asked with surprise. Ever since she became his mate, she couldn''t remember a time where she had been allowed to spend the night elsewhere.

    "Yes, Miss. So rest assured and be here as long as you want. I will make sure you will befortable in my residence."

    "Thank you, Lady Cornelia. I will be under your care then."

    "Then, Miss, shall we leave now?"

    Ember agreed and Erlos excused himself first so he could prepare the horses. Though Honeyharbor only houses a small poption of witches, the size of the city was still something that would exhaust a human being if they merely walked from one end to the other.

    Just as Ember and Cornelia stepped out of the witch''s residence, Cornelia seemed to have sensed something and looked up in the sky. "To receive these many guests in a single day, what a rare urrence."

    Ember looked up but she could see nothing. It just so happened that Erlos was walking towards the womening from the direction of the stables with the reins of the horses in hand. He mumbled under his breath, "Can''t stay away from the annoyance for long."

    Ember looked at Erlos with a puzzled expression, but the elf merely started putting the saddles on the horses. Just as she wanted to ask what he meant, she felt a strong gale blowing towards her, causing her to shield her face and hold onto her skirt. When she looked around while fixing her hair, she finally found the cause of the strong wind--she was weed by the sight of one handsome man with ash gray wings, followed by a younger winged man whose body seemed to shine like gentle sunshine.

    Morpheus gave a polite bow towards Cornelia, and the witch also did the same, exchanging brief greetings. Given their status, Cornelia who led the witch race in Agartha and was part of the council was of a higher rank than Morpheus, but given Morpheus'' seniority and war achievements, he was someone the Head of the Witches also respected.

    "Hey, little female," Morpheus offered his usual yful smile afterwards to the pretty brte standing beside the witch.

    She smiled back at him. "Morph, howe you are here?"

    "ying guide. Just like you, my nephew wished to see the territory of the witches."

    "Oh, no wonder."

    Ember looked at Aureus, who bowed to her. "I pay my respects to Her Majesty Queen Ember."

    "Please get up!" Ember was taken aback by this. ''Q-Queen?'' She was not a queen. "I...You can call me Miss Ember or simply Ember."

    "I dare not, Your Majesty," Aureus replied as he straightened himself.

    Ember didn''t know what to say when Morpheus spoke, "Let him call youQueen, Ember. You will soon be officially crowned as one anyway so get used to it."

    "It feels weird."

    "The King''s mate should be the Queen, unless you don''t want it, then the King has to get another female to be his Queen," Morpheus teased.

    Ember frowned inwardly as the thought of her husband having another woman next to him was enough to displease her. ''No way. He is just mine.''

    They all observed the fleeting change in her expression. That tinge of anger in her beautiful green eyes was particrly eye-catching.

    "But I won''t call you the Queen ever. You will always be Ember for me," Morpheus said, which diverted her attention.

    As people who had been interacting with Ember for sometime, Cornelia and Morpheus had noticed how sensitive her emotions had be these days, more particrly so ever since she had touched her energy core. They were both aware that Ember''s temper was short, especially when it came to her mate. It would be better for everyone''s sake that no one angered her for real. They didn''t want another incident like back when she burned the pce garden because that fox Isa''s behavior displeased her.

    Cornelia turned to the other esteemed guest who had been silently observing the entire exchange.

    "Wee to the witch city of Honeyharbor, Divine Eagle Aureus. I am Cornelia Grimm, the Head of the Witches." Cornelia finally got the chance to wee the golden eagle whose arrival had caused an uproar within the entire kingdom. It was the first time she was seeing him, and just like others who have met Myra, she could see how much the young eagle resembled his mother.

    "I am honored to be in your presence, Lady Cornelia." Aureus also gave a polite bow her way, which the woman returned with equal grace.

    "Cornelia, I have to trouble you to have us as your guests as well," Morpheusmented. "My nephew was raised by witches so he is particrly curious about your people and lifestyle."

    "It''s not a problem, Morpheus. Please befortable."

    Morpheus looked at Ember. "Shall we go around together?"

    Before she could answer, Erlos spoke up with a bright smile, "Oh, this sounds troubling. Miss is going on horseback, and from what I had heard this morning, eagles don''t like to ride horses, hmm?" Though he looked as carefree as usual, his words were filled with mockery.

    "Would you look at this? The master is not here yet his pet won''t make us forget him," Morpheusmented with an amused look. "Don''t worry, we eagles can manage to follow you while walking. We have feet too, you know, and it''s not like you can enter shops or buildings bringing horses with you. Surely you will dismount and walk too?"

    With Ember being on her fertile days, Morpheus knew he should not risk carrying her with him and he had no such intentions in the first ce. The farther, the better...well, as long as she''s still within sight. Seeing Ember smile from time to time brought a wave of happiness Morpheus never imagined he would experience in his lifetime.

    Together with the newly-arrived guests, Cornelia led the group out on horseback, her horse a beautiful dappled mare brought out by her servants while they were weing the shapeshifters. After a while, their group were ready for their city tour, with Cornelia and Ember in front, their horses side by side with each other, followed by Erlos and the witches serving the Head. The two winged men insisted on walking at the rear. Given their appearance, Morpheus and Aureus looked more like guards escorting a group of fair maidens.

    With the sun pleasantly shining down on them, it was a leisurely ride, with the retinue bringing with them a basket of snacks and other necessities. As Cornelia''s residence was away from the bustling part of the city, it was mostly surrounded by idyllic greenery, making it look like her cottage was in the middle of the quiet woods. Along the way, the cottages were few and sparse, each of them with arge yard.

    "Your city is so peaceful, Lady Cornelia," Ember could not help but remark, "and I barely see people in the streets."

    "That has to do with our values. You see, Miss, the witches are rather...individualistic people, if you are to put it nicely, and rather reclusive if you view it in another way," Cornelia exined. "We are a race who values curiosity above all, and that''s why, many of us focus on understanding the world and the magic supporting it. You can think of us simr to schrly mages so we spend most of our time at home or in a workroom, focused on our areas of expertise."

    Ember had read about witches on the books in the pce library, but still, she found Cornelia''s personal ount fascinating.

    "Miss Ember, Mister Aureus, first, I will show you the gardens where we grow our herbs," Cornelia said as their horses neared what seemed to be tall fences wrapped in flower-bearing vines.

    "There are many gardens like these within the city, and this one is thergest, established to grow the precious herbs and nts for potion-making. You probably know this, but making potions is a specialty of the Witch Race."

    They entered the vast gardens established inside the fenced region, and there were almost a hundred greenhouses inside. Ember was mesmerized by seeing the beauty of fields of colorful nts, orchards thick with fruits she couldn''t name, along with the greenhouses where one could see people working inside, watering or checking on the various nts. What more, Ember could feel the strong elemental magic pulsating in the air.

    When they reached the stables, they climbed down their horses and proceeded to walk towards one of the fields nted with purple flowers.

    "Is the soil enchanted with some kind of magic?" Ember asked.

    Cornelia had a satisfied smile on her lips, hearing her question. "It''s good to find you can see through the magic, Miss. These aconite flowers are ingredients for potions that are rare to find in the wild, that is why they are cultivated carefully by the herbalists. They grow slowly so we have to protect them using magic."

    "They are so beautiful."

    "Not all beautiful things are good," Morpheusmented as he eyed the particr kinds of flowers.

    Ember turned towards him with a puzzled gaze and heard him continue, "They are deadly poisonous."

    Ember looked back at those flowers. "I wouldn''t have known."

    "Morpheus is right, Miss. Aconites are also called wolfsbane and are deadly poison humans used toce their arrows to hunt wolves in the past, hence the name. But they are useful as well if we use them in the right way. They can help you in a way you might not expect."

    "Oh!" was all she could say, and they continued to walk along the segregated fields and greenhouses until they saw a beautiful andrge two-storey structure made of red bricks at a distance.

    "What is that ce?" Ember asked.

    Aureus also paid attention to know about it. He was quiet but he was noticing everything around and was paying attention to each word others talked about.

    "That''s our research workshop where we experiment on these herbs to create more potent or other useful kinds of potions. Herbalists, apothecaries, and alchemists sometimes stay inside for days, if not weeks, as if they''re living within their own workrooms whenever they have ongoing experiments. There is also a huge library within that has records of all the discovered herbs so far, as well as the potions that we have created till now. Would you like to visit?"

    "Yes!"Ember nodded immediately as she could not wait to see how witches make potions.

    "This particr part of the city, including these gardens and fields, the workrooms and the library, these ces are not open for all witches. Only concerned people part of the Honeyharbor coven can enter here."

    "Why so?" Ember asked. "And will that be fine for us to enter? It sounds like a really important ce for your people..."

    "With the Head of the coven apanying our esteemed guests, there is no reason why it won''t be fine," Cornelia announced with pride. She continued, "Witches have different areas of expertise. Our coven is divided based on the work particr coven members do. Rules and regtions are necessary, otherwise, the witches will request ingredients for their own potions or spells that might severely affect the supplies of those nts.

    "As long as they are within the city, the residents cannot do anything other than what is assigned to them unless I or the senior witches permit them. It helps keep things in order, without getting chaotic. Our coven follows rules strictly and no one dares break them or else the punishment won''t be merciful."

    "I see..."

    Their group reached the entrance of the workshop where two females who were dressed like guards greeted their Head. However, they remained unfazed as they stared down at Aureus, Erlos and Morphues. As per their coven rules, no one without the proper identity could enter this particr ce. Though they were aware that they were esteemed guests, rules were rules.

    Even Ember was not spared from their re, although they pulled back the moment they saw the mate bond mark on her neck which gave out her identity as a mate for their king, the ck Dragon. Still, within the witch territory, the Head of Witches Cornelia Grimm''s words are absolute and they would only listen to her.

    "It''s alright. They are my guests," Cornelia spoke and only then did the two guards make way for them.

    The grand-looking double doors had ancient symbols carved on its wooden body, and it made a heavy sound as they opened to wee the guests. They entered inside arge lobby, where Cornelia led them to another guarded door leading to thergest library Ember had ever seen. Ember turned around to see the countless shelves lining up the circr chamber filled with variousbooks from top to bottom.

    "There are so many books! Are they all about magic?" Ember asked.

    "Not all. Most of them are about nt records, medicine and potion-making."

    "Am I allowed to read books here?" Ember asked again.

    "Though outsiders are generally not allowed, I can permit you to read it as you are His Majesty''s mate."

    "Thank you, Lady Cornelia!"

    When Aureus saw that library, he was not particrly impressed because he had seen an even bigger library than this one inside the Royal Pce of Megaris, but he was still interested because he imagined that these kinds of books must be what Esther and Tyra would have enjoyed reading if they were here.

    His attention then turned towards his uncle whose eyes were only following Ember''s slender body as she approached the shelves. Neither the books in the library nor the specialties of the witch territory appealed to him; he was simply interested in seeing that beautiful face which had shown various colorful emotions in a short span of time--from curious, to amazed, to happy and shocked--as she got to know new things.

    Just in time, Morpheus felt a strong gaze on him and methis nephew''s gaze, who then offered him a teasing smirk. In return, Morpheus offered him an equally teasing smirk as if telling him that he was not any different from him. Flustered, Aureus averted his gaze from him and quietly looked around.

    After Ember informed Cornelia she would return to read the books here in the near future,they left the library. Cornelia led their way through another huge door connected to the lobby and then they entered an extremelyrge room with countless tables and side rooms attached to it.

    Inside, there were about tens of witches experimenting on their respective tables, some crushing the herbs on their mortars, others casting magic spells to test their potions on nts, while others were mixing certain shiny chemicals inside the ss bottles and sks.

    "Miss, this is the main workroom and these are the ongoing experiments on various herbs to make either new kinds or more effective potions."

    Ember could not help but gasp in wonder as she walked closer to one table. She had seen the High Elder of the Wood Elves, Leeora, make an elixir for her back then inside her tree house, but it was not even close to how fancy orplicated the potion-making of the witches. Just then her gaze caught one witch experimenting on a beautiful flower which started to bloom bigger in size with silver shine forming around its petals in whirls.

    "So beautiful!"

    Ember walked ahead in a daze but...

    Twack!

    "Ah!"

    That flower exploded the next moment which caught Ember by surprise, making her jump in fright towards the arms of the person standing behind her. Her eyes were shut tightly, her hands clutching onto the strong arms, almost digging her nails into its skin, with her face buried against the strong chest of a man. She was so close, she could clearly hear the man''s loud heartbeats.

    "Miss! Are you alright?" Cornelia asked as she had not expected this to happen. After seeing no injuries on her, she then turned towards the witch closest to the table. "Mildred, how about you? There should be a defensive spell around each experiment..."

    "L-Lady Cornelia, I apologize!"

    "As long as you are unhurt as well--"

    The witches nearby helped to clean up the leftover mess.

    Meanwhile, Morpheus, who held that shivering, delicate and sweet-smelling body in his embrace, was unable to move,pletely frozen in his ce. He felt his heart would jump out of his chest in a moment.

    He gulped as a clear line of sweat appeared around his temple.

    "Are you alright, Ember?" Morpheus asked, trying to sound as calm as he could.

    Ember took some time before she could regain herposure. Only after she finally opened her eyes did she step back. She let out an awkwardugh. "Hmm, I didn''t expect it to explode."

    "It''s fine. Nothing happened," he assured her.

    Erlos was also by her side, fussing over her body. "Miss, you gave me a scare. Please be more careful! I am d you are not injured. Still, you must have been shocked. So you want to sit somewhere? I will get water for you--"

    "No. I am fine, Erlos. I am sorry for worrying you all."

    "It''s alright, Miss. We know you are not used to these things. Don''t worry, but please next time, avoid approaching magical items or enchanted things without understanding how they work."

    She nodded, knowing Erlos meant well. She then spoke to the approaching Cornelia, "Apologies about this. I''m unharmed so is it fine for us to continue?"

    "It''s fine, Miss. I should have warned you before we entered, so I am also at fault."

    "All of you can continue. I will wait outside," Morpheus said as turned to leave.

    "You are leaving, Morph?" Ember asked.

    "There is nothing much for me to see. I have seen all these in the past. Have fun," was all he said before departing from the workroom.

    Aureus could only pity his uncle as he watched him escape as if he was being chased. He knew why his uncle left. Morpheus could never show it to anyone, not even to the woman who had affected him greatly, making him almost lose control over himself.

    ===

    A/N- Dear readers, the things in these novels about some supernaturals might be different from how you must have read about them in other books till now. How the Queen of witches can be decided on and how their n work. Also, about Dragons and mate bonds which I wrote in my own way. I am not sure if there are any books which includes eagle shapeshifter n that I have written here.

    I just want to say that if you find it different from how it had been written in other books, then it''s not wrong. It''s my way of creating this new world, without thinking or knowing how others have written it. In the end, it''s fantasy and nothing is absolute. Ining plot, there would be many more thingsing that would be different. <3<3

 Chapter 301 Isnt She Adorable?

    After Morpheus left, the others continued to observe the witches milling about inside the coven''s most important ce. Ember was enjoying herself witnessing the people work with such concentration and skill. There was something impressive about people who worked hard, be it their expression or dedication, and the serious atmosphere within the workroom was something impossible to be captured in the written words of a book. Not to mention, these witches had opened up a truly magical world for Ember.

    "Lady Cornelia, do you make your potions here as well?" Ember asked after a while.

    "I do guide and take part in important research here, but the potions I make by myself, I do that in my residence. I have a personal workroom that I use. Some potions that need a longer time, like a year or maybe more, to create, I especially do them in private."

    "Year or more? Isn''t it too long?"

    Cornelia chuckled. "Miss, even humans ferment some wine for months, even years. Plus, those are not ordinary potions. More time, more energy and more patience are needed to make those precious ones."

    "Oh!"

    "You yourself should have noticed how effective our potions are. Remember, you were badly injured when you were brought to Agartha, and the severe burns you sustained would normally be permanent injuries if left to heal on its own. After that, you have hurt yourself badly where you lost a lot of blood and gave you a number of wounds with deep scars, but now, you see, you have none of them on your body. Moreover, your weak, starved body recovered to a normal human''s in a matter of weeks. You might have not realized it, but when you just arrived in Agartha, you were so thin and small, it''s hard not to worry about your health."

    Ember never thought of it that way. Now that it was pointed out, even the old scars she earned from living roughly in that dead mountain had disappeared without leaving even a tinge of their existence. Due to the poor living conditions back then, her body was indeed thinner, smaller and weaker than amoner''s child. Recovery from living in such conditions, even if she were lucky enough to be nurtured by a rich merchant or a noble house in Valor, would have taken her many months instead of just a few days.

    "So that was the effect of the potions you have made. Back then, I remember Y had given them to me continuously after every meal."

    "Yes, Miss."

    "Thank you so much for giving me your precious potions. I don''t know how to pay you back..."

    "Your gratitude is enough."

    "I will always be thankful."

    "It''s my duty to take care of any subject of this kingdom when they are in need. Moreover, you are someone His Majesty is personally taking care of."

    "Personally taking care of? I won''t say that. If only you knew, he stitched my wound with a hot needle without caring for my pain. If such a thing would happen again, I would reject such care."

    Cornelia smiled at Ember''s grievance. "His Majesty did?"

    Ember did a brief recount of what happened, and Cornelia could not help but sympathize.

    "Dear spirits, from the sound of it, it must have been tough for you to bear, Miss." Cornelia shook her head. "It seemed like His Majesty had neglected the fact that a human''s body is frailer than ours, especially when it came to tolerating pain."

    "I bet he did..." Ember could not help but mutter, "or back then, maybe he simply didn''t care."

    Cornelia could notment; after all, only Draven himself knew what had been his thoughts back then.

    The witch then changed the direction of the conversation. "But the method His Majesty used was right. Using fire as he stitched your wound saved your wound from getting infected and also helped the wound close faster."

    "Isn''t cleaning with water enough?"

    Ember had a look of doubt on her face, so the witch further exined.

    "You know our people have been involved in numerous battles, right, Miss? For those warriors in the battlefield who had no ess to healers or high-level blood clotting potions, what His Majesty did was their best option to treat their injuries. I heard even human physicians do the same treatment to avoid severe bleeding.

    "When severely injured, humans suffer not only from the threat of blood loss, but also the threat of losing their body parts because of deadly infection. His method saved you from getting infected. Bearing with momentary pain, isn''t it better than losing your entire leg?"

    Ember gulped at the thought of not having her one leg and could only quietly nod.

    ''So he did help me while acting all cruel, as if my pain and wounds didn''t matter to him.'' However, it remained a bad memory for her. ''I wonder if he cared for me at that time or was it just for the sake of helping someone in need? Maybe I can ask him when I get a chance.''

    "Miss, that''s it for this ce. I hope you enjoyed looking around the workshop," Cornelia said as they went back towards therge lobby. "If you are not tired, do you wish to see more of the city before sunset?"

    "Hmm, let''s do that then."

    "Please go ahead," Cornelia smiled. "I will be apanying you after giving some instructions to my fellow witches."

    When Ember and her group stepped out of that building without Cornelia, Ember''s eyes searched for Morpheus. He was neither at the lobby, nor anywhere within the garden nearby.

    "Where did Morph go?" she wondered out loud. "He couldn''t have left us behind, right?"

    Aureus looked at the sky. "He''sing down."

    Ember followed the direction of the golden eagle''s gaze, but she could not see anything other than clouds in the sky. She mumbled with a frown, "Why do you all have such good eyesight? I struggle to even see the flowers three plots away."

    The others only smiled at her adorable grumbling, up until she finally saw the winged man descending from the sky. Secondster, Morpheusnded in front of her. "Don''t feel bad. You have your own special qualities that none of us have."

    "Ugh, you even heard that? Eyesight, hearing, the sharp senses of your kind are enviable." She frowned once more and mumbled, "Meanwhile, there is nothing special about me."

    Morpheus'' gaze and voice softened. "You are special, only you don''t know."

    "Really?

    "Hmm!"

    "What is it?" she asked, expecting to hear something good about herself.

    Aureus tried to not look at his uncle, whose expression would make anyone think he would confess his feelings to the woman in front of him. On the other hand, Erlos was clicking his tongue in distaste, wondering if he should intervene or not.

    ''This sly bird! How dare you take advantage of Sire''s absence and tter Miss? If he was not her friend, no, if Sire had not tacitly allowed him to be around Miss, I would have taken her away right now.''

    Ember waited for Morpheus'' answer with bated breath, but she could not help but notice that the way he stared at her was a little different than usual. Puzzled, she called his name, "Morph?"

    He immediately got back to his senses and cleared his throat. "Oh, are we finally leaving the research workshop?"

    "You didn''t reply to me," sheined.

    "Hmm?"

    The Divine Eagle wondered how to answer her. She was special and he could list out so many things about her that he found special but...they were not things he should speak out about given their rtionship. What they have was friendship, nothing more. If he were to voice out his honest thoughts, it would clearly show that he looked at her more than just a friend. He decided to divert her attention.

    "Yes! Of course, you are special. You have enough ability to burn this entire ce to cinders, that''s why the witches should do their best not to offend you unless they want their main livelihood gone. None of us can do that but you. Aren''t you special?"

    Ember had an urge to punch him. "You! I-I thought you would say something good about me."

    Morpheus chuckled, seeing her angered expression. "Well, having power and being able to use them, isn''t that good?"

    She clenched her fists and turned to leave like a little girl throwing a tantrum. "Erlos, let''s go. I don''t want to talk to this eagle."

    Erlos immediately followed her. "That''s exactly what I want to say, Miss. He is so annoying."

    Morpheus smiled yfully as he watched her walk away. "I didn''t know it''s fun to tease her like this." He then looked at Aureus. "Isn''t she adorable?"

    "Not more than Seren," Aureus replied, as he too walked ahead, leaving his uncle behind to follow the human and the elf.

    Morpheus guffawed as he matched his nephew''s strides. "Say that in front of the King of Megaris. I dare you."

    "Only if you dare repeat what you said in front of the King of Agartha."

    Morpheus sneered. "Oh, I dare. Should we make a bet? I have said a lot of things to him about her but..."

    Aureus nced at his uncle when his words trailed. "But?"

    "...I just worry about her response so I have to step back."

    "Same goes for me. Do you think you are the only one brave here?"

    "You are my one and only nephew so I won''t doubt how brave you can be."

    As they walked towards the stables, no one said a word.

    After a while, Aureus asked, "How high did you have to fly to calm yourself?"

    "As much as you fly when you need to calm yourself."

    "I simply stay away."

    "That''s smart as well."

 Chapter 302 How Witch Clan Works?

    While the pair of uncle and nephew were having a friendly conversation amongst themselves, Ember and Erlos finally reached the horse shed. Even after they got on their horses, Ember didn''t spare a nce to Morpheus which made him smile wider, but he suppressed his amusement to not provoke her temper.

    Cornelia arrived not long after and climbed her horse. Afterwards, their group departed in the same arrangement as they came in, and they headed for the most bustling part of the city, the marketce.

    Ember''s green eyes could not help but marvel.

    ''It''s like what I''ve read in story books!''

    In her entire life, Ember had only seen the marketces of two cities: the city of the Wood Elves, Ronan, and the city of the White Tigers, Nimer. Both of them were crowded ces with many items put out for trade, but neither of them were as neat and as picturesque as the marketce of Honeyharbor, the city of witches.

    ''There are so many beautiful women! And their clothes, they all look like pretty dolls!''

    It was as if Ember was transported into a human kingdom''s capital city and was walking on a luxury street meant for nobledies.

    Everyone in the market was equally stunned to see their group, and upon realizing who was leading them, the people milling about moved in unison to make way for the horses, standing at the sides of the street with their heads lowered. Even the people inside the stalls and shops stopped whatever they were doing to pay respect to them.

    It was because not only did their leader visit the marketce¡ªan act she rarely does since she mostly stayed indoors, studying spells and making potions¡ªbut also due to the esteemed guests she had with her.

    An unfamiliar young woman rode a white horse side by side with their Head, and to their awe, it was a human girl with the prettiest emerald green eyes one had ever seen.

    ''The King''s mate!''

    Even without the mate mark on Ember''s neck, it didn''t take them time to recognize the only human allowed to walk among their kind. As a schrly race, many eyes filled with curiosity stayed on Ember, especially the younger witches who had never seen a human being in their entire lives.

    As the group passed by the curious crowd, the attention of the majority shifted towards those at the back. The witches were attracted by the presence of three handsome men in particr.

    Morpheus, themander of the warriors of Agartha and nephew to the Chief of the Shapeshifters.

    Aureus, the golden eagle of the current generation, King of the Divine Eagles and Lord of the Feathered Races.

    Erlos, the High Elf and trusted aide to the King of Agartha.

    Many were well aware of the Commander''s achievements to the kingdom''s current peace, as well as the fact that he was one of the most sought-after unmated beastmen in the kingdom. The crowd could not help but be amazed by his overwhelming presence. It was not easy to spot this powerful shapeshifter who had isted himself from important matters regarding the kingdom.

    As for the young golden eagle by his side, though not many knew of his name, rumors of his arrival at the Divine Eagle n had long reached the ears of the merchants and had already spread to the general popce. Even those recluse schrly witches who hadn''t heard of the news yet could recognize his identity because of his golden hair and wings.

    However, the most popr among them was the young Erlos, his handsome silver-haired looks coupled by his aloof, if not arrogant expression, not even throwing a single nce at the crowd, made him especially attractive to the young witches of the coven.

    After finding a good spot to leave their horses to Cornelia''s servants, their group then went around on foot.

    ''Hmm? One, two¡­there''s only been three men so far in the crowd?''

    At first, Ember thought there were many female witches due to the shops they passed by selling female-targeted merchandise, but the more they walked, she saw not even ten men, two of them even elf merchants. It was so strange, as in the other cities she visited, all had an abundance of males and less number of females.

    "Lady Cornelia, do the males in your coven work somewhere else?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Well, I haven''t seen many males so far. Not only here in the marketce, even in the research workshop. Do the male witches, the warlocks, mostly work outside the city?

    Cornelia understood why Ember had asked that question. "Miss, no, there is no particr rule like that, though a few warlocks are appointed outside for certain jobs. But I know why you asked that."

    Ember looked at her and Cornelia continued, "The Witch race is mostly dominated by females. Unlike other ns, our kind gives birth to daughters more than sons. Warlocks are rare, and since they also have weaker magic, they were often given jobs and positions that didn''t involve much use of magic spells."

    "Eh? But if the number of warlocks is that little, then does that mean many witches have no mates?"

    "We have a simr concept to a human''s marriage, so we do not experience mating and heat, and we also have little interest in increasing our poption. Not to mention, like humans, our females can give birth to multiple children so our number is not an issue for us. Nature has a way to bnce the existence of our race with the world.

    "Plus, the majority of the females don''t really care about building families as our kind are more focused on studying witchcraft. Most witches dedicate their lives to either increasing their magical powers or inventing new spells or potions. Like I mentioned before, it''smon for witches to lock themselves inside their workrooms to research about their areas of expertise."

    "Lady Cornelia, are you also among those who focused on increasing your powers instead of having a family?" Ember asked.

    "Hmm," Cornelia agreed.

    Ember, being human and following human values, she was curious what women of this race actually thought while sacrificing things in life for the sake of their powers. "Have you never wanted to build your own family? From what I remember you saying, you are quite young even for a witch."

    The beautiful redhead gave Ember a bewitching smile, as if this was a question she particrly heard often.

    "You remember it correctly, Miss. I am, in fact, the youngest not only among the members of the kingdom''s council, but also among the powerful witches in this kingdom. All the ones you''ve met in the research workshop are my seniors, and I belong to the younger generation, the apprentice witches, age-wise."

    Pride shone in Cornelia''s eyes as she spoke.

    "In every coven, the position of the leader is not decided by bloodline or seniority but by one''s capability. When I was selected to be the Head of the Honeyharbor Coven, it was because the coven needed my skills and guidance and I had no privilege of thinking about anything else.

    "A century ago, I was but a young witch lucky to be guided by thest Head and Her Eminence. Just like other races living in Agartha, we also suffered greatly in that war. We lost not only the Head, my master, but most of our high-ranking witches, which left us with very few capable ones. Some of them sumbed to curses and died a few years after the war, while the rest were those who sustained soul injuries that made it impossible to recover their past strengths.

    "I am not sure if you know, but a great number of our enemies back then were also our fellow witches, ck Witches who had fallen depraved and evil in their obsession for a stronger power and thus embraced ck magic. This caused great pain for our people to fight with our fellow witches."

    Cornelia let out a sad sigh.

    "Moreover, Her Eminence left us, and our coven were like orphan kids that needed guidance. But Her Eminence trusted us and we could not let her down. Every survivor back then vowed to persevere. The responsibility fell over the rest of the coven members to train and be more powerful so we can bring our race back to its former glory.

    "Although I am young, I am capable when ites to the study of the soul, that was why when I was made the Head of the Witches, I epted the responsibility dly. I studied even harder in order to remove the curses and heal the soul injuries of those who survived the war."

    A bewitching smile appeared on the lips of the Head of the Witches once more.

    "Miss, tell me, why would I desire a family when the entire coven is my family, every witch my sister and warlock a brother? I am more than content seeing my coven flourish like before."

    Ember''s eyes shone with awe and respect.

    "You are a really amazing woman, Lady Cornelia."

    "Thank you for the praise, Miss."

    Both women smiled at each other and continued moving ahead.

 Chapter 303 I Burn For You

    Aureus watched the different ces as they were wandering around while Morpheus'' gaze was simply following Ember who was talking to Cornelia andter whose attention was caught by the shops full of beautiful dresses, jewelry, makeup products and everything a woman would want.

    Being so young, Ember was not different from any other females of her age. She was also attracted to those beautiful things. She never got to visit any human city-market and visiting witch n market was simr to it. Her face brightened up as she could fulfill her dream of buying things just like the human girls of her age.

    Cornelia could understand what Ember was feeling and offered, "Miss, let''s buy a few nice things for you. I believe you will like them."

    Ember felt d to hear it and immediately nodded. They went to the biggest boutique of the market where the staff weed them. They were happy to have their n head and King''s mate as their guests. Cornelia helped her select the clothes, jewelry, footwear and everything Ember liked.

    "Miss, that dress will look good on you?" Cornelia suggested, while pointing towards particr dress.

    "Will it?" Ember asked with a little doubt.

    "Yes, Miss," an owner of the shop who attended the esteemed guest personally, chimed in, "It goes really well with your beautiful green eyes and I also believe His Majesty won''t be able to move his gaze away from you if you wear it."

    A light blush covered Ember''s delicate cheeks as she awkwardly cleared her throat, "Then, I will buy this one."

    Ember was happy to be able to shop like this and wondered how good it would have felt, ''If Gaia was here we would had done it together.''They had always talked about doing such a simple tasks but the chance never arrived.

    Ember''s face looked emotional which Cornelia noticed."What happened, Miss?"

    Ember shook her head, "Itis nothing," and looked at her, "Thank you for bringing me here and helping me, Lady Cornelia."

    "It''s my pleasure Miss."

    "Everything you have selected, will be sent to the pce, Miss," the owner informed.

    It reminded Emebr about something, "Oh, let me pay for it first." Ember had started to carry money with her as Y had arranged it for her and asked her to carry it whenever she go out or needed it.

    "No, Miss. There is no need for you to pay for it," the owner, a witch who looked slightly older than Cornelia, spoke.

    "This, I need to pay or I won''t buy it," Ember insisted.

    "You are his Majesty''s mate, Miss and you havee to our city for the first time. You are our esteemed guests. These are the gifts for you not from me but on behalf of our n. I request you to please ept them," the owner insisted.

    Ember hesitantly looked at Cornelia who nodded to her, "It''s alright to ept them, Miss."

    Ember finally agreed and the two left the shop. The men who were waiting outside, followed them again.

    Walking inside the bustling market, so many things caught Ember''s attention as she observed them. Standing by the roadside shop, she looked at delicate jewelleries kept on the disy and happened to touch one set of light green jade bangles.

    "Miss, did you like it? Let''s buy it," Cornelia offered.

    "Ah, no. I was just checking it. We have already bought enough," Ember refused in the fear that once again she would be told it''s a gift and they won''t allow her to pay.

    Soon the sky started to be covered with darkness and every ce lit up with multiplemps. All those shops, roads, and residences looked beautiful. As they rode the horses to return to Cornelia''s residence, Ember enjoyed that beauty.

    Morpheus and Aureus apanied then till the residence and they were ready to leave once they reached.

    "Morpheus have tea, before you leave?" Cornelia offered as they climbed down the horses.

    "Thank You, Cornelia. But we have to leave now."

    "That''s so smart of you," Erlosmented, as he was happy Morpheus was leaving.

    "You are the one to doubt it, Kid," Morpheus smirked yfully at the elf who looked like he could not stand his presence anymore.

    "Kid," Erlos frowned, "One day you will see who is kid."

    "I will wait for that day," Morpheusmented while Erlos turned around and went inside the home, not willing to talk to him more.

    Cornelia simply sighed as it was nothing new for her to see. She had witnessed Draven and Morpheus'' word battle and it was nothing different with Erlos who followed his master''s footsteps.

    "I have something to talk to Ember," Cornelia heard Morpheus.

    Cornelia nodded and looked at Ember, "I will be waiting inside."

    Once Cornelia left, Aureus opened his wings, "I would like to take a night flight," and left, leaving his uncle alone with the woman he adored.

    With only those two left, Ember red at him, "But I don''t wish to talk to you, Morph."

    "Are you still angry at me?" He asked as if he was ready to coax angry woman.

    "Of course, I am," Ember eximed with loud frown, "How can you say as if I know nothing but burn everything."

    "Was it wrong? You keep burning things," his gaze softened, "some you can see, some you can''t."

    Hisst line puzzled her, "I can''t see?"

    ''Yes, you can''t see how you make me burn for you,'' Morpheus wanted to tell her loud and clear but simply chose to stare at her for a while and said, "I have something for you."

    It diverted her attention and she looked at him questioningly. "What?"

    Morpheus put forward his hand and a pair of light green jade bangles appeared on his palm.

    Seeing the familiar pair of jade bangles, Ember''s eyes left wide open, "This¡­.?"

    "They will look good on you," Morpheus said.

    It pulled her attention back from those bangles to him and reminded her that she was still upset with him. "I don''t want anything from you. I am still upset."

    She turned to leave but Morpehus held her hands and stopped her, "Ember?"

    She frowned and turned to look at him who had different expressions on his face rather than those teasing ones he always had. It was as if he had something more to say to her but he could note up to. There was a silent begging in his gaze.

    She stopped and faced him and said quietly. "I can not ept it, Morph."

    "Why?" he asked calmly.

    She felt a little hesitant, "Umm?...Women who are married, it''s not fine for them to ept gifts from other man."

    "Other man?" he chuckled lightly, "Am I a stranger to you? Am I not your friend, Ember?"

    "You are my friend," she agreed.

    "Then you can ept gifts from friends. Haven''t you epted those delicious fruits I brought for you? If I was not your friend, do you think you would be allowed to go anywhere with me or even anywhere near me?"

    He sure was her friend and his words made sense. ''Draven never stopped me from going with Morph. He also knows Morph is my friend.''

    "Well¡­."

    Before she could say more, Morpheus held her hand one by one and put those jade bangles in her hands while Ember could only let him do it. He looked at her wrists, still holding her delicate palms and offered her a satisfied smile.

    "They really look good on your wrists, Ember," he said as his thumbs caressed the back of her palms and then he let go of them.

    Ember looked at her wrists as well and then looked at him with a smile on her beautiful lips, "Thank you for the gift, Morph."

    Other than Draven, he was one more person who brought a gift for her. Feeling of receiving gifts was something that made her happy just like anyone else.

    Seeing that smile on her lips, he felt content and decided it was enough.

    Staying with her for long was sure not good and it was as if he was checking the limit of his own patience. That sweet scenting from her was true torture. If he stayed with her even a moment longer, he was sure he would do something with her that he should not. That strong urge of pulling her in his embrace and kiss those sweet lips of hers was taking over his mind and once he did it, he knew he would stop at nothing.

    "Now go inside. I will leave," he instructed unwillingly and hoped she could stay with him for a little longer.

    Ember nodded, "Good night, Morph."

    "Good night," he watched her leaving. He stayed there till he saw her entering inside the door of the residence. Once he was assured, he left with his wings opened to their fullest and he flew high up in the sky, having a wide smile on his lips.

    ===

    Chapter dedicated to reader "Hollygolightly". Thank you so much for the castle gift. <3<3

    Happythanksgiving to you all.

 Chapter 304 Dont Wish To Live For Long

    At first, Ember was d that she got to spend the night in Cornelia''s residence. As a human being whose only exercise was strolling within the pce garden, thebination of riding horses and shopping had thoroughly exhausted her body. However, as shey in bed, she tossed and turned among the soft sheets, finding it difficult to sleep.

    ''Why can''t I fall asleep? It''s so annoying.''

    She grabbed one of the extra pillows and hugged it, only to fluff it and put it on top of the pillow where her head was resting.

    ''It''s a new ce for me, that must be the reason.'' After some time, she fixed the pillows back to their original position. ''But I never had trouble sleeping before. I could sleep anywhere, even on the floor.''

    She gazed at the ceiling, and she kind of missed the canopy curtains of her own bed.

    ''Did I get too used to sleeping in my chamber in the pce? Is that why?''

    She closed her eyes and tried to focus on her breathing, lulling herself to sleep.

    ''I don''t feel right. I¡­I just feel like something is missing¡­'' She pulled the nket over her head and covered herself entirely under the sheet. ''It''s not warm at all. With him, it feels better¡­warm¡­''

    Ember opened her eyes in shock.

    ''Did I just think about Draven? Am I missing him¡­?''

    She felt her heart beating faster at the thought of the handsome ck-haired man, the defined jaw, the straight nose and those red eyes of his that she could see up close whenever he would join her in bed. She somewhat missed his strong arms that would wrap around her and also thatforting scent of his.

    ''Maybe it''s normal to feel like this once you have a mate.'' She consoled herself and tried her best to not think about him.

    But¡­

    ''What could he be doing at this moment? Sleeping? Is he in bed already as it''ste night? Is he asleep? He must be.'' She frowned as she pulled the nket down from covering her head. ''Here I am, not able to sleep, and yet he is sleeping already.''

    Filled with annoyance, she buried her face in the pillow.

    ''Why am I missing him? Ugh!'' Then, she again wondered, ''Is he missing me as well? No, it can''t be, or else, he would have already used his powers to appear by my side.'' She once again countered her own thoughts. ''Maybe it''s because he doesn''t want to intrude in Lady Cornelia''s home? That''s a possible reason why he can''t be here¡­ but then again, he is the King and he can go anywhere he wants.''

    She continued questioning and countering her own ideas, and in the end¡ª

    ''Ugh! It''s all his fault that I can''t sleep!

    ''Why did he have to make me used to his embrace? Will I have to suffer a sleepless night tonight?

    ''It''s all his fault, it''s his fault, it''s his fault!''

    ¡ª-

    After leaving the city of the witches, Morpheus and Aureus headed back to the rocky peak in the southern mountains where Myra''s cave was located. Though strictly-speaking, Aureus was the guest of the King and should return to the pce to rest, Morpheus knew Draven wouldn''t mind this ''outsider'' with a special identity to act freely within Agartha. It would be fine even if the young eagle stayed out for the night.

    With neither of them showing any signs of tiredness, the uncle and nephew sat at the edge of the cliff, silently enjoying the view of the clouds that appeared like the dark waters of ake from their vantage point.

    Above their heads, without clouds obscuring their vision, the number of stars in the sky appeared to be like thousands of diamond dust.

    Aureus spoke up after some time. "Your smile shows she has epted your gift, even liking it."

    "She is a simple girl who bes happy even with the simplest things. It was not difficult to make her like it."

    "Hmm. Just like Seren."

    Morpheus threw a nce at the side profile of his nephew. "What is the special thing you mentioned happening to the Queen of Megaris? You didn''t exinst time."

    "She will being of age."

    It surprised Morpheus. "You mean to say the Queen of Megaris is, by human kingdom''sw, still not yet an adult?"

    Aureus nodded.

    "I thought human families don''t marry off their daughters before they are of age."

    "There was a situation."

    Morpheus sighed but then heard Aureus continue, "You don''t have to sigh like this. The King of Megaris takes care of her really well. He is a patient person and truly loves her."

    The gray eagle probed about the meaning of Aureus'' words. "They still don''t share a mate bond?"

    Aureus nodded as he nkly stared at the starry sky. "Not yet, but soon¡­ once shees of age¡­"

    Morpheus didn''t have the will to say more. Though he would often make fun of Aureus'' one-sided love, he knew his boundaries; he didn''t want to hurt his nephew the same way it hurt him when Draven and Emberpleted their bond

    Morpheus cleared his throat hesitantly and said, "You know¡­ a female can have more than just one mate."

    Aureus turned his head to look at Morpheus. "Then why don''t you try as well?"

    Morpheus knew what he meant. As both were in the same situation, whatever he said to Aureus, would be relevant to him as well.

    Morpheus put his hand on Aureus'' shoulder as he looked deep into his eyes.

    "You and I are different."

    Seeing the silent question in the younger eagle''s eyes, he rified, "I have been living for a thousand years. Though I can still live for a few centuries more, I have practically lived my life the way a man should. I nevercked anything growing up, I have built rtionships and lost them, I have achieved many things in my lifetime¡­ and I do not mind spending the remaining years of my life just like this.

    "Even without her affection, I won''t be lonely staying by her side as a friend. I can spend the rest of my life just like this, and I don''t wish to live for a long time as well¡­ but you¡­you are different.

    "You are still young, Aureus, and you have an entire lifetime in front of you. It would be really difficult for you to spend it like this while thinking about her and seeing her from a distance..

    "Take a chance with her. You and the woman you love are both young. You know it as well that it''s almost impossible to fall for someone else once a divine beast already has someone in his heart."

    "I don''t think it is possible. Seren only loves Drayce. Moreover, she doesn''t know who I am¡­what I am¡­that I am not just a mere pet." At this, the young eagle rubbed his hands together, as if trying to warm up the coldness encroaching his heart. "I am afraid, afraid that once she learns I have been deceiving her all this time, she might despise me."

    "Are you going to let fear conquer you?"

    "Say what you will, but I would rather be a coward than risk both Drayce''s and Seren''s contempt. That would be worse than dying. The day she learns the truth, that day would be the day I return to Agartha."

    "You already have a n of returning here."

    "I have no other choice. Here or somewhere else, as long as I am not in Megaris."

    Morpheus sighed. "You have it tough, kiddo. But what if she understands your situation? What if she doesn''t despise you? Won''t you regret losing that chance?"

    "Still, I know that there is no space for another man in her heart. Drayce is the only one for her. It''s better for me to not be greedy and affect their happy life. She has already gone through a lot, and there are still more troubles waiting for her. Why should I make it moreplicated? I only wish for her to be happy, even if it''s not with me."

    "Now, I have no doubt at all that you are Myra''s son. You are just like her. Ready to sacrifice yourself for the one you love, not expecting anything in return from that person," Morpheusmented.

    Aureus decided to probe.

    "Who did my mother love so much? Since you don''t know the identity of my father, I gather you are talking about a different man, one who she loved before my father."

    Morpheus gave a wry smile and asked, "Do you really want to know?"

    "I do."

    "Draven. Your mother loved him with all her heart."

    For a minute, Aureus was unable to find words. The image of the ck-haired man with emotionless eyes and his sweet smiling golden-haired mother¡­He shook his head. "Then? Did the King of Agartha not like my mother back?"

    "Draven was not the kind to fall in love. He only knew how to fight, and fight, and fight some more. There was no ce for any woman in his life."

    "But now¡­"

    "Time changes the person." A sneer formed on Morpheus'' face. "I won''t forgive him for ignoring Myra. He rejected her, iming he would never get a mate and yet now he has a mate for himself. If he had only epted her feelings, she would have been with us, and trust me, she would have been the best queen this kingdom could ever have ¡­But..."

    "Feelings can''t be forced," Aureus finished what his uncle wished to say.

    Morpheus sighed in agreement. "Just like you can''t take someone out from your heart, we cannot try to fit someone in our hearts."

    "Well, if he had be my mother''s mate, then he would have been my father as well," Aureus chuckled.

    "That''s true."

    "Then it''s good it didn''t happen. Thinking about it now, dragons are no good. I can''t tolerate that both women important to me are taken by dragons, whether it''s my mother or Seren. Besides, if he was my father, with the strength of his bloodline, I would have be a dragon as well and I can''t imagine myself being anything but an eagle."

    Morpheus chuckled as well. "Agree! We need to keep the dignity of our Divine Eagle n."

    Both brushed aside their pain with smallughter and continued to look at the sky quietly.

    "Don''t ever say that you don''t have a wish to live long," Aureus suddenly spoke and looked at Morpheus. "To have someone I can talk to without fearing for my image, to have a person I can open up and be honest with¡­I do not want to lose the family I have just found."

    Morpheus smiled lightly. "Maybe now I have a reason to keep on living."

    "I believe I am one of them."

    "You are."

 Chapter 305 Where Is The New Queen Of Witches

    Some time in the middle of the night, Ember, whose consciousness continued to flicker in between restlessness and sleep, seemingly found herself in the middle of the forest, the soothing scent of the wood and the rich masculine fragrance of the soil causing her lips to curve into a smile. As she felt herself drifting off to deeper sleep, giving into the allure of a sweet dream, a pair of strong arms both familiar and warm wrapped around her body...

    It was still dark outside when she woke up. Still half asleep, her arm blindly reached out and felt the warmth still lingering on the space by her side dissipating. This caused her to jolt awake, but when she checked her bed, no one was next to her.

    ''Why do I feel like he was here?'' She could not help but pout as she buried her face in her pillow. ''Ugh. Am I missing him so badly that I dreamed of him in my sleep? Looks like it. Otherwise, why would hee here, only to leave before dawn?''

    Ember groaned as she battled her thoughts, hating how she kept expecting for him to appear out of nowhere like the main character in the romance books who refused to be separated from their beloved. Not only was Draven extremely busy with his work, their rtionship was not like that in the first ce.

    A few restless hourster, a tired Ember joined Cornelia and Erlos in their morning meal. Fortunately, Cornelia took over most of the conversation, sharing some tales about her potion-making, and Ember didn''t need to expend much energy aside from nodding and saying praises from time to time.

    Soon after, it was time to leave.

    "Thank you so much, Lady Cornelia," Ember said with a bright smile. They were on the smallwn at the entrance of Cornelia''s cottage, the redheaded witch formally seeing her two guests off. Their horses, one pure white in color and the other with a chestnut coat, were being saddled by the witch''s servants.

    "It''s my privilege to have you as my guest, Miss," Cornelia said with an equally bright smile.

    After Erlos made sure their horses were ready to leave, another of Cornelia''s servants approached them with a basket in hand and handed it over to the elf. Packed inside were some baked snacks for them.

    "These are the local snacks you enjoyed yesterday. I thought you might like to have some on the way back," Cornelia exined.

    "Thank you, Lady Cornelia!"

    After giving her word that she would return again to read the books in the research workshop, Ember bid the Head of the Witches farewell. By now, Ember had enough experience on horseback riding that she didn''t need anyone''s help in climbing the saddle.

    As her white horse turned to go, she gave onest wave at Cornelia, the brilliant smile on her face not leaving even as she turned around.

    Cornelia continued to look at the retreating back of Ember. ''It feels like a dear sister who grew up under my watch is leaving...I can''t believe we''ve only spent a day together...''

    Once they left the city gate, Erlos spoke, "Miss, did you enjoy this outing?"

    "Of course, I did, Erlos. It is everything I imagined and more." Her emerald green eyes seemed to glow brightly as she stared ahead. "For as long as I can remember, I have always dreamed of going to a city--a human city--walking on paved roads, roaming inside various shops, dining inside restaurants, checking items sold on the market, you know, simple things even ordinary people get to experience. To experience the joy of interacting with merchants, buying, bargaining but..."

    Even though she was smiling, a tinge of sadness appeared in her eyes.

    "But you never got the chance to leave that mountain," Erlos continued in her stead.

    "Hmm." She nodded. "We also didn''t have much money. I don''t know from where and how my nanny got those bronze coins--there was no animal to hunt in that mountain, and neither was there any nt or herb we could sell--but beforeing to Agartha, I had never even seen a silver coin. Even with the pitiful money my nanny scraped, we had to use them sparingly to buy not only food, but also necessities from the viges. Food was expensive, and worse, my nanny had to buy them in bulk while in hiding, so for that, she had to pay extra money."

    "Miss, do you know why you had to live your life in hiding?"

    "I don''t know," she said with a sigh. "I don''t get exactly why my nanny didn''t let me leave the mountain. She said the vigers feared me. Whenever I asked my nanny for the reason, she would only say they just don''t like us because we do not belong there. She also looked ufortable whenever I brought up that topic, so at some point in time, I simply stopped asking."

    "Humans are unbelievable creatures," Erlos sighed and then looked at her with aforting gaze. "It''s fine. Miss. You may not belong with those humans, but that was only because you were meant to be in Agartha. This must be the ce where you truly belong, where not only are you epted as you are, but you are also hailed as its queen."

    Emberughed at Erlos'' kind words. "Perhaps. I am happy with where I am and what I have now. Though if I am going to be honest, sometimes, I feel guilty."

    "Guilty?"

    "That only I get to enjoy this kind of happiness. I might have suffered, but Gaia who raised me suffered more than I did. She deserved to be here too, to be happy with me."

    "Wherever she is, she must be d to see you doing well."

    ----

    Roughly an hour after Ember and Erlos left Honeyharbor City, Draven appeared in front of Cornelia''s residence. Her servants rushed to inform Cornelia about the arrival of the King.

    The Head of the Witches was surprised. It was so unlikely of the King to visit her personally; as per convention, whenever he needed her service, he would always summon her to the pce.

    ''Is he not aware that Miss has already left the city or there is something important?''

    Cornelia was about to personally wee the King from the entrance when she found him walking into her study. She curtsied in a hurry.

    "Cornelia Grimm of Honeyharbor Coven pays respects to His Majesty King Draven Aramis."

    Draven epted it with a nod and heard Cornelia, "Please have a seat. Servants, bring in tea for His Majestya€¡°-"

    With one hand raised, gesturing there was no need, Draven sat in the armchair of the lounge area within the study. Cornelia sat on the couch directly opposite him, a wooden table in between them.

    He directly went to the point. "I came to ask about an important matter of your people."

    "About my people? Did something happen, Your Majesty?"

    "I remember that every witch, regardless if they belong to a coven or not, gets a vision when a new Queen is about to be born?"

    "Yes, Your Majesty. To some, it appears in their dream, while to others, ites in the form of a revtion or divination. Even the weakest warlocks will get a vague stir in their souls. It''s a natural phenomena of the worldmunicating to us, and the stronger the witch, the more detailed their visions are."

    "Then, was there any such vision after Evanthe left Agartha?"

    Cornlia felt a little conflicted but she decided to be honest. "There was such a phenomenon roughly two decades back."

    "Twenty years ago..."

    "Hmm," she agreed, her expressionplicated.

    "Then? Where is the new Queen of Witches?" Draven asked.

    "No one knows," Cornelia answered helplessly.

 Chapter 306 The New Queen Of Witches Should Not Be Born

    "No one knows what happened. Even I, who was strong enough to be the Head of a coven, got an iplete vision. I dare not even guarantee if the next Queen was truly born or not. Though witches are scattered all over the continent, the covens do interact with each other in secret. After all, we are a race who are forced to interact with others because we need to trade for ingredients and spells. If any of the covens had sensed her presence, Honeyharbor would have at least heard some news, but no such incident had urred so far."

    "Do you mean there is no new Queen?"

    ? "I honestly cannot make a proper conclusion, Your Majesty. As I said, the vision back then was hard to decipher. Either she was not born, that vision was wrong, an unknown factor had interrupted and hid her, or something had gone wrong with her birth."

    Cornelia sighed as she further exined..

    "The birth of the Queen of the Witches is a great event where nature itself informs us that our monarch is born. This truth can never--should never be possibly hidden from our people, but nothing happened on that day when the prophecy of her birth was meant toe true.

    "Nature was silent. A silence so loud, it made me question whether there was an unknown factor that changed the vision. It is difficult to exin this to beings not of our race, but back then, it was as if thews of the world were momentarily disturbed. It was as if every witch and warlock had gone blind, mute and deaf for a few moments.

    "It was a puzzle that many senior and high-ranking witches had then obsessed over to solve. After that, many covens spent the past twenty years searching for the new Queen, but there is nothing that can lead us to her. If she was really born, it was impossible for us to not know about her. The existence of our Queen can''t be hidden from our people--or at least that was what the majority of us believe."

    "More than twenty years have passed, you say... If you received the vision of her birth merely twenty years back, then she is but a young witch around the age of twenty or twenty-one. She couldn''t be the previous Queen of Megaris, Esther Ivanov."

    Cornelia was puzzled to hear an unfamiliar name. "What do you mean by this, Your Majesty? Who is this person you speak of?"

    "Since we need to search for Evanthe, I asked Aureus for help. He told me he hade across someone addressed by another witch as the Monarch, and he imed she is the Queen of Witches. Her name is Esther Ivanov, the previous Queen of Megaris, mother of the current King of Megaris."

    Cornelia was so shocked she didn''t realize she had jumped to her feet. This was the first clue the witch race had heard about the new Queen! "Your Majesty! Is Mister Aureus sure? Did he really know the Queen of Witches?"

    "I do not know if she is the new Queen of Witches, but that young eagle confirmed seeing the mark on the back of her neck. Since there is no reason for her to lie, then that confirms her identity as the Queen of Witches. He also said that it was this woman who had given him a map to reach Agartha. Unless some strange factors are in y, the only conclusion is that this ''Queen of Witches'' was someone who had lived in Agartha before..."

    Cornelia''s shock turned into excitement.

    "It''s not the new Queen! It must be Her Eminence! We found a clue about Her Eminence''s whereabouts!"

    Lost in her emotions, Cornelia had to momentarily excuse herself, and after she regained herposure, she apologized for interrupting Draven. She then returned to sitting on the couch, but it could be seen that she could barely contain her joy.

    "I reached the same conclusion," Draven didn''t deny her im. "Last night, I paid a visit to the capital of Megaris. Though I could not sense Evanthe''s presence, when I approached their royal pce, I could feel faint but familiar traces of her energy."

    "Energy? You mean, not a spell?

    "Something in that ce carries an enchantment made either by injecting her pure energy or maybe even a part of her soul. However, that''s all there is to it. It only confirmed Evanthe had once been in the Royal Pce of Megaris. There is a possibility she could have been there to see Esther Ivanove, the new Queen of Witches, and blessed her with a gift.

    "However, with you sharing about the strange vision of the supposed new Queen''s birth only happening roughly twenty years back, then she couldn''t be old enough to mother the current King of Megaris. It suggests that Evanthe is Esther Ivanov."

    With each word Draven said, Cornelia felt various emotions rushing through her body, each statement knocking her breathless.

    If Evanthe was truly Esther Ivanov, that meant she married a human. The Queen of Witches, promised by fate to another, had a child with this human... and she built a family of her own. It was something Cornelia could not believe but...a smile spread across her lips as the hope of finding the most respected Queen of her people appeared in her mind.

    "Your Majesty, I-I wish to leave Agartha and go meet Her Eminence..."

    "No one knows where she is. The King of Megaris has also been searching for his mother for the past twenty years."

    "Going by your words, Your Majesty, Her Eminence disappeared at around the same time our people received that strange vision?" Cornelia made sure.

    Draven nodded. "I guess it must be rted to the birth of the next queen."

    "That makes sense..." Once more, Cornelia showed aplicated expression. "This is not something I should be telling a person who is not of our race, but...The birth of the next queen was a grave and controversial matter for our people."

    Draven''s silence seemed to imply that he was not forcing Cornelia to share a secret guarded by her race. In the end, Cornelia chose to inform the King of Agartha.

    "Many believe she should not be born."

    Once more, Draven remained silent, neither urging nor stopping Cornelia, fully leaving the decision to continue to her.

    The Head of the Witches sighed. "That child to be born. From what the fragmented visions of many high-ranking witches, the new queen was supposed to be a ck Witch. Even my own visions showed the same."

    As she said that, her face had gone pale in shame.

    "A ck Witch...hah...No White Witch would ever ept a witch who uses ck magic as their queen." Her eyes shook as she met his expressionless red eyes. "Your Majesty, you can understand why no one wants a ck Witch to rule our race."

    Draven lowered his head as he pondered. "As the highest-ranking witch, Evanthe must have gotten a more concrete vision, if not aplete one."

    "Indeed. With her strength, Her Eminence being the queen must have seen more, piercing through the veil of the strange disturbance back then. She might have possibly even traced the location of the next queen as the two would share a faint connection due to the mark on the back of their necks. Her Eminence would havee across that child if she was born... but these are all mere possibilities."

    "The truth would be known once we get Evanthe back," Dravenmented.

    Cornelia agreed, "It will be a joyous asion to witness Her Eminence''s return. Her Eminence, even up till now, the more you think you know her, the more you realize you do not know anything about her. She is shrouded in great mystery, everything we are going through seems connected to Her Eminence in one way or another."

    Draven didn''t deny it. The only things people knew about Evanthe were only what she let people know about her.

    "And... I can''t wait to see her son. He must definitely be someone who had inherited her powers."

    "From what Aureus said, he seems to be," Draven agreed but he didn''t talk much about it.

    Concluding things about Evanthe, Draven disappeared from Cornelia''s study.

 Chapter 307 What Are These?

    Ember was in a good mood. The breeze was cool and crisp, the sunshine warm, and the lovely scent of the grasnd before them made her feel rxed. Erlos told her that the vast meadows before them marked the boundary between two territories; they had just crossed thend of the witches and were about to enter the Forest of the Elves.

    As they neared a river, she recognized this was the same river where Erlos had fished before.

    "Erlos?"

    "Yes, Miss?"

    "If I remember correctly, from this river to Honeyharbor, didn''t we take more than two hours? But it''s only been roughly an hour since we left? Does this mean we already covered half the distance we need to travel?"

    "Miss, it''s all thanks to you. You can ride a horse really well now. Because of that, we could cross this distance faster than before," Erlos praised.

    She offered him a pleasant smile. "No, it''s thanks to you, Erlos. It''s because you have taught me well."

    "But it''s also because you learned fast..."

    As the two of them threw friendly praises at each other, Erlos spied arge tree with a nice shade by the riverbank.

    "Shall we take a break under that tree? You must want to stretch your legs a little," Erlos suggested.

    "Yes, please. And I am a little hungry as well."

    He chuckled. "Even I feel the same. This time, I''ll catch an even bigger fish and we can eat leisurely. We don''t have to hurry back to the pce yet."

    "Yes. I would love that. Let''s spend some more time outside." Ember then nced at the other side of the river and saw more trees clustered by the riverbank. "Why don''t we cross the river? Is that possible? I think that spot near thatrge red tree beside that boulder is a nice ce to camp..."

    Erlos hesitated for a moment when he realized where she was pointing. "Do you really want to go to that side of the river, Miss?"

    "Well, if it''s too much trouble, then there''s no need."

    However, even as she said those words, her eyes held a look of curiosity at the dense green forest on the other side of the river.

    "As you wish, Miss," he agreed, which caused Ember to show him a brilliant smile. Seeing her cheer for something so simple, he no longer doubted his choice. ''It should be fine, I think? Besides, we won''t even go near them. Those people don''t normally stray outside their viges. Even if they do, I can handle them.''

    Ember tentatively looked around. "But is it possible for our horses to cross this river? Is there a shallow part?"

    "There is a stone bridge ahead from here. Do you remember? We passed by it yesterday."

    "Oh, yes, I remember now," she said. "Well, maybe it''s because the impression of you fishing was too strong, I forgot it."

    Both urged their horses to a gallop and soon reached the stone bridge. Ember happily crossed that bridge with Erlos in the lead.

    As they crossed the body of water, her eyes could not help but widen in awe at the glittering surface of the river, the water crystal clear she could see the lively fishes and the swaying nts at the bottom. Erlos, being his usual chatterbox self, introduced the names of the fishes he could remember, among other things.

    "...so the Aquatic Elf n love to eat these as delicacies."

    "So does this mean the Aquatic Elves live nearby? Is their city among those trees?"

    Ember was referring to the forest on the other side of the river. The Forest of the Elves covered arge region, dominating almost a third of the entire kingdom, and thus many kinds of trees and nts thrive depending on which elf n lives in those parts.

    The forest they were approaching happened to give off an ancient and mystical vibe, withrge sturdy trees that had numerous branches. Under them, there were countless bushes, shrubs and tall grasses, all filled with vitality.

    "Oh, no, Miss. They don''t live in this area. Their city is further north, located upstream."

    ''Does that mean we can stroll around undisturbed?'' Her green eyes shone. ''Maybe after we eat, I can ask Erlos to check out this forest before we return to the pce.''

    "Miss, this ce seems fine. We can stop here," Erlos said as he found an open space with a soft patch of grass and a tree to provide shade. This particr tree was almost at the shoreline, separated by quite a distance from the rest. His eyes nced at the numerous trees and saw no movements within them. ''They won''te out of the forest around this time of the day as they don''t like strong sunlight. It should be fine.''

    Erlos stepped down the horse and helped Ember to get down as well. There was no need to tie the horses to the tree; he simply let them graze on the spot he chose. Given they were wild horses, their intuition was good and they also chose to feed on the grass without getting close to the ancient forest.

    Ember found herself a dry spot on the grassy ground and sat down while stretching her limbs. ''I apologize, Albina, but sitting on the ground feels so much better.''

    Erlos brought down the water and snacks given by the witches andid them beside the human girl.

    "Miss, have this while I go catch a fish." He wished to keep her busy and not wander here and there. "For the meantime, please don''t move around without me. There might be poisonous nts or insects nearby."

    Ember obediently listened to his warning. After the explosion ident inside the workroom, she promised herself she wouldn''t recklessly approach things she didn''t recognize or understand. "I will. Thank you, Erlos."

    Erlos removed his boots and rolled his pants so he could enter the river to catch a fish. The water on this side of the river was deeperpared to the other side, and surprisingly, it was not easy to spot arge fish here. There were schools of fishes the size of a finger, but this kind of fish wasn''t something he could roast in an open fire.

    While the elf was preupied in searching for prey, Ember nibbled on the sweet biscuits given by Cornelia''s servants. Just as she took the second one from the basket, she sensed movement behind her.

    She turned around and looked at the wall of trees, eyes wide with curiosity. ''What''s there? A wild animal? Maybe a rabbit?''

    Ember looked back at Erlos and saw he was still busy looking for fish. ''I think it got scared when it saw me and ran away.'' She resumed eating the tasty snacks.

    Meanwhile, Erlos wondered if there was a need to dive in the river or if he should tell Ember to return to the other side of the river. Thergest fish he had seen so far were a third of a fist, and if he were to roast that, there would be no meat to eat. Seeing the young miss happily enjoying her snacks, he had no heart to ask her to cross the river again.

    "Where are the big fishes? I am not even asking for a fat one. Did those people scared of them so they only gathered on the other side? Well, it''s possible since those people are hunters.'' he mumbled but didn''t wish to give up. "Miss wants to eat roasted fish. I can''t disappoint her."

    As he walked a little farther from the shore, his sensitive ears caught some sounds, and the next moment, Ember saw Erlos jump out of the water. His nimble body was high up in the air, and when he twisted around, a bow and arrow appeared in his hands out of thin air.

    Ember could only raise her head and stare at the young elf with a gaping mouth--

    Swish! Swish!

    She only heard two sounds, but dozens of arrows left his bow towards her direction. She opened her mouth to let out a scream, but she seemed to have lost her voice, not understanding what was going on. Just as the magic power inside her body was about to erupt, she realized that the aim of the arrows were not her, but something behind her.

    Ember immediately turned head back and jumped to her feet when she saw a handful of scary-looking creatures seemingly approaching her. Erlos'' arrows had hit the ground in front of those creatures'' feet as if to draw a line for them to note forward.

    "W-What are these?"

 Chapter 308 Attacked

    Ember thought that the beastmen of the White Tiger n were already huge and savage, but they were adorable cats inparison to the beings in front of her. With stone-like grayish green skin, the group wasposed of males with tusks protruding from their lower jaws, holding in their hands spears, clubs and rods as weapons. Aggression and brutality seemed to ooze from their muscled bodies.

    With her eyes wide, Ember took in the sight of the giants twice as tall as her. Given theirrge size, she could not help but wonder how they moved so stealthily she did not even hear their footsteps.

    The creature nearest to them let out an angry roar, speaking in a manner Ember could not understand.

    "Miss, stay back. I will take care of these orcs," Erlos said as he stood in front of her, positioning himself in such a way none of the orcs could see her behind him.

    Orcs? Ember didn''t know what to do exactly. She was obviously scared as she had never seen orcs before, not to mention they appeared really angry. She had never read about them in the books from the pce library.

    Another round of growling came from those orcs, but Ember didn''t need to understand theirnguage. Their scary res were a clear indication that they were not happy about their presence.

    "Miss, this part of the forest is their home, and orcs are a territorial race who don''t like outsiders entering theirnd. Don''t worry." Erlos loaded an arrow and drew his bow, warning those orcs. "Stay back. We mean no harm. We will not enter the forest and leave soon. Go back to your vige."

    In a response to Erlos'' warning, one orc stepped forward, hisrge foot deliberately stepping on the arrows, crushing them to smithereens. An ugly ferocious grin warped his face afterwards, his snorts taunting. His intentions were clear that he was not going to tolerate their intrusion.

    "Erlos, w-we should run away," Ember said, but realized that there were more orcsing out of the forest. Their escape route was blocked from all sides, and the only way for them to leave was to swim across the river. Her eyes headed for Albina, her white mare, as well as the chestnut horse that belonged to Erlos. Not to mention she didn''t know how to swim, it was not possible for the horses to cross over.

    "Miss, do not be scared. Trust me and just stay behind me," Erlos said as he observed the surroundings. Some of the orcs were already waving their heavy weapons around.

    Ember''s body shook. There were five¡ªno, six of these dangerous-looking creatures, and she could not help but worry that they would hurt Erlos. From what she understood, Erlos was supposedly very strong since he was a High Elf¡­but wasn''t he young? Could he fight them all? Should she help?

    At the same time, she didn''t trust that she could use her Fire magic without harming Erlos as well.

    ''But I don''t want to hurt these orcs. It is us who are wrong in the first ce. We have intruded on theirnd¡­''

    As they marched towards them, Erlos shot warning arrows at their feet again to stop them. His thoughts were simr to Ember''s. ''I should not kill them. We are at fault for entering their territory. Do I capture them? Trick them? Miss¡­her safety should be my priority. I have to lead them away from her.''

    "Miss, run towards the river!"

    "But you¡­"

    "Trust me. I''ll be fine. J I will only divert their attention while you run away. You don''t need to go deep in the river. Orcs have a good sense of smell but poor eyesight. They don''t like bright sunlight so they won''t run after you."

    "Be safe!"

    Despite her reluctance, Ember could only leave these words behind. Since she couldn''t help, at the very least she didn''t want to be a burden.

    At his signal, Ember and Erlos separated. The elf jumped to his right, lunging towards the orcs nearest to him to taunt them while shooting arrows at the ones furthest from him, sessfully diverting those orcs'' attention solely towards him. For these aggressive but simple-minded creatures, the fact that this young elf attacked them meant he was a great threat to the safety of their vige.

    As nned, Ember ran toward the river, opting to hide behind one of the boulders scattered amidst the water, uncaring about how the water sshed around her legs. On the other hand, Erlos directed all those angered orcs in the direction of the forest, jumping up and down the trees, agilely taking advantage of his speed, while continuously shooting at their feet. Whenever he wouldnd on a tree, Erlos would nce at the river, and only after making sure that Ember was safely hidden did he focus on the orcs.

    "Graaah!"

    Orcs were creatures who specialize in closebat with heavy or blunt weapons. They were the type who fought with brute strength while destroying their surroundings. Thanks to their bulky sizes, each swing of their maces or clubs could upturn soil or destroy a tree, causing Erlos who had no ns to engage in a direct confrontation with them to jump swiftly from one tree to another, confusing those orcs.

    "Graaaah, eaurk!"

    They felt annoyed seeing him dodging their attacks like a rat. The leader of that group of orcs then roared what sounded like an order to his subordinates. Three of the orcs then attacked the trees surrounding Erlos, one of them being the tree Erlos was about to jump to.

    With him losing hisnding spot, Erlos, who was midair, made a sudden twist. He forced his body away from the orc waiting for him to fall on the ground, causing him to roll miserably among the dirt. Erlos was not injured but he was quick to roll back to his feet.

    The moment hended on the ground, those orcs hurried to attack him. Erlos was an archer, and though he was aware how to use a sword, he had none with him. He only had to rely on his advantage of speed. Erlos swiftly dodged a mace attack headed his way and slipped between the wide gap of the attacking orc''s legs. He stabbed his feet with the only dagger he had with him, the same dagger he used when gutting fish.

    The orc roared in pain and reached down to pull that dagger out. However, due to his immense size, a simple kick from Erlos caused him tond t on his face, bringing a nearby orc along with his fall.

    ''Hah, so clumsy!''

    With a flick of an arm, a thick rope-like vine shot out from his hand. He managed to restrain two of the six orcs to a tree and put a magic spell to strengthen the vines into iron-like chains so they wouldn''t be able to break free from it. Thanks to the mess they made out of the trees, many tangled vinesy about for Erlos to use and he took advantage of the terrain toy out a trap.

    Now, there were only four left to handle, easing the pressure on the elf, but Erlos knew the same trick wouldn''t work on them. These orcs might look brainless, but they were decent warriors with a good sense ofbat. He had to use other tricks. He had to face their weapons.

    Unknown to those fighting in the forest, two flying figures in the sky noticed what was going on and moved close enough to recognize the young elf surrounded by orcs.

 Chapter 309 Lesson For Erlos And Ember

    One of them spoke, "Aureus, just watch. Don''t intervene."

    The younger Divine Eagle who was about to lunge paused. "Shouldn''t we help? Erlos is alone and looks to be struggling. The King''s mate is there as well."

    "Don''t worry. Erlos is not that weak to fail handling a few brainless orcs," Morpheus countered as the twonded on the top of a tree far enough to not be noticed by those fighting near the river.

    Morpheus'' gazended on Ember, the human girl visibly shaking as she hid behind a cluster of boulders, and for a moment, he was tempted to intervene and bring her away immediately but...he dropped the idea. Morpheus was hailed as the strongest warrior of Agartha, and as someone who practically lived his whole life in the battlefield, he could have dealt with those orcs in a matter of seconds.

    But what good would that too? It would be helpful to the growth of Erlos'' and Ember''s mentalities if they were allowed to solve this problem on their own.

    Erlos obviouslycked realbat experience, while it was obvious that Ember had never witnessed such violence before. Especially for Ember, it was important for her to face such situations, to understand what kind of ce she is living in and what kind of creatures were part of Agartha.

    "Aren''t you going to her?" Aureus asked.

    "Every new experience is a useful lesson for her. Let her learn," Morpheus replied as his gaze followed Erlos who had just tied the two orcs to the tree. "Oh, look at that. What a conscientious kid. The past him wouldn''t mind hurting these orcs, but he''s just capturing them. Not only did he mature, he has learned how to use his strengths. Draven had taught him well."

    Morpheus observed Erlos and his gaze was proud, as if the elf was his own sibling or child.

    "He sure is skilled," Aureus replied as he observed Erlos. Though he too had not much personalbat experience, as an eagle who grew up watching the high-level swordsmen of Megaris, he could appreciate the elf''s quick movements and how he was dealing with those weapon-wielding orcs without causing them heavy injuries.

    "Do you think that Dragon would have left his mate with just anyone? He knows what he needs to do to teach these two and has sent them to adventure on their own," Morpheusmented.

    "What do you mean?" Aureus frowned. "You''re saying the King of Agartha has foressen their lives would be put in danger? Erlos is eptable but the Queen is a mere human. She doesn''t even know how to fight."

    Morpheus chuckled, as if he found his nephew''s words amusing. "Don''t look down on her. She is the kind who won''t give the person in front of her a chance to fight. Once she makes a move, forget about injuries, nothing but ashes would be left behind from her enemies."

    Aureus sighed and mumbled, "I won''t let Drayce put Seren in danger like this. Nothing is more important than her life."

    Morpheus heard it and patted his shoulder. "Don''t worry. Nothing will happen. It''s just a lesson. If something dangerous were to truly happen to his mate, Draven would be the first one to rampage. He isn''t moving because he trusts Erlos can handle this much."

    "I can see he can but still..."

    "Erlos needs to learn to take responsibility for others. All this time, he has been under Drayce''s wings but now it''s time for him to fly out of the nest and be responsible for others. Being the youngest one, he had been protected and doted upon by our kind. There had been no one he needed to protect too, but now Ember''s appearance gave him this chance.

    "As the only pureblooded descendant of High Elves left, this kid needed to be stronger and wiser than even his predecessors, or else, how could he build up his n and lead people in the future? He needs to learn all these things as well. Responsibility forces a person to be careful with their decision and not be impulsive. There is a lot for him to learn."

    "And the Queen?" Aureus asked.

    "She will get to see what kind of ce this is. Agartha is not all sunshine and roses. To be a proper queen, along with the good parts, she needs to witness the dangerous parts of this kingdom and embrace it as well.

    "I guess with this, she will grow to understand not everyone will show goodwill towards her. Some will be indifferent, while others will be hostile to her. Bnce and harmony exists within the kingdom, and even the strongest beings need to respect others and their rules.

    "For example, these orcs, they are residents of the kingdom but they don''t like outsiders intruding into their territory. They love to live in istion and will only show aggression if we fail to respect their wishes and let them be on their own.

    "Agartha is founded not to be a kingdom where a monarch rules over everyone''s heads like a tyrant, but in order to support the peaceful paradise desired by every creature in this kingdom. Regardless of their differences, all the beings living within this kingdom matter."

    Ember flinched every time Erlos narrowly dodged an attack, and after some time, she decided to pick up some stones and slowly make her way forward, throwing them to the orcs from time to time in order to distract them. Aureus could not help but remark, "Erlos and the Queen seem to get along really well, like real siblings."

    "Hmm!" Morpheus agreed. "See, Ember has a strong willpower. She didn''t want to only be protected."

    By then, Erlos had managed to restrain two more orcs, leaving only the leader and one smaller orc to deal with. As the smaller, more nimbler orc who uses a spear engaged with him, Erlos saw the leader going towards the river as he followed Ember''s smell.

    "Are we still not intervening?" Aureus asked.

    Morpheus''s eyes narrowed at the orc and he almost reached the limit of his patience. It was already hard to merely watch when the woman he loved was in danger, and each passing second was a test to his own willpower. He was losing it and almost thought of going to her but...

    Swish!

    One arrow hit the calf of the orc, making him roar in pain and Ember immediately got the chance to run away from there. She ran towards Erlos, but then saw the other smaller orc about to step on the snack basket given by Cornelia. Those baked snacks were going to be crushed!

    "Hey, watch out. My snacks!" she cried out at him. "Erlos, pull him away! I am not done eating them!"

    Aureus could not help butugh, but Morpheus gave him a narrow-eyed gaze. "She is right. One should respect food."

    "Not more than their own life," Aureus countered as he could not stop chuckling.

    "She is a little...childish, I guess."

    "I understand," Aureus said, suppressing his smile.

    Erlos immediately shot another arrow in the thigh of that orc, making him stop in his tracks which saved the snacks.

    Throwing caution in the wind, Ember rushed towards the basket and picked it up as she red at that orc. "Seems like you have never starved in your life, have you?"

    With the arrowced with magic, the orc growling in pain was about to raise his weapon against her. Though he was on the ground, his massive kneeling body was stillrger than Ember.

    "Eurkkk! Eurkkkk!"

    The orc was suddenly flustered the moment he met her eyes which seemed to be like mes to him. Orcs being sensitive to heat, he felt like she was a living, breathing fire.

    He scrambled away though he was in pain. He didn''t attack her and instead looked wary of her. He looked at his leader who had just pulled the arrow out of his calf and growled as if tomunicate with him.

    The leader of the orcs looked at Ember and then looked back at his subordinate. Ember didn''t know what they were talking about, but she was somewhat relieved they lowered their weapons and she saved her snacks. She watched the orcs taking a step towards the trees where theirrades were restrained with vines.

    Erlos calmed down as he understood they were not going to attack Ember.

    ===

    A/N- My lovely readers, thank you so much for supporting the novelst month with all your love. As the new month started, I believe you all to keep supporting the same. Love you all.

 Chapter 310 Food Is Important Than Life

    With the result of the fight determined, the leader of the group of orcs decided topromise. He let out a roar before gesturing at his four subordinates struggling to free themselves from the vine ropes. Understanding his demand, Erlos nodded and released the spell put on the vines. The orcs managed to easily break the vines, and the leader gestured for them to do something. The defeated orcs then red at the direction of the elf before returning the way they came from.

    After they disappeared, the remaining two orcs retreated back to the forest as well, not without making low grunting sounds towards Erlos, as if to say, ''Do not enter the forest, or else we will battle with our lives on the line...''

    With the orcs gone, the tension on the young elf''s shoulders immediately dissipated. He knew he could overpower these creatures, but the fact that he was responsible for the safety of another person inevitably made him nervous.

    When Erlos returned his attention to Ember...he could not help butugh. Here he was, worried about the wellbeing of the Miss, but the human girl was more worried about her snacks than her safety!

    "Miss, are the snacks fine?" Erlos asked as he kneeled in front of her.

    She observed the insides of the basket. "Hmm, everything looks alright. That orc was about to ruin them. So disrespectful towards the food Lady Cornelia especially prepared for me..." she grumbled.

    "Hmm, you are right, Miss. Now they have given us permission to stay by the river, you can continue enjoying your snacks while I go catch us some fish--"

    A familiar voice apanied by the sound of wings interrupted him.

    "You two were just attacked but still thinking about food and not about your lives."

    A pair of shapeshiftersnded next to them.

    "Miss loved these snacks so of course we needed to protect them. And with me around, we won''t be harmed so what''s there to be worried about?" Erlos replied confidently, jumping back to his feet.

    Ember''s green eyes shone. "Morph! Mister Aureus!"

    The golden eagle gave her a polite greeting, but the gray eagle was still sending judgmental looks between her and the basket of snacks she protected.

    "What?" she protested when Morpheus shook his head at her. "Erlos is right. With him around, I am protected, but who will protect these snacks? You probably don''t know, but Lady Cornelia said some of the ingredients used in these special treats can only be harvested once every few years. If they''re destroyed, I don''t know when will be the next time I get to eat them. These are treasures, and treasures must be protected! I have yet to taste all of them."

    As she said that, she shot a grateful smile at Erlos. "Thank you for saving me and these snacks. I will share the tastiest one with you, Erlos. Want to try it?"

    "Thank you, Miss." The young elf looked inside the basket of baked treats. "Which one is it, the tastiest one?"

    Ember pulled out a bunch of cookies inside a delicate paper wrap and offered them to him. "This one. It''s really tasty, the vor bursts in your mouth on the first bite."

    Erlos pulled out one, remembering he did like the taste of this treat back at Cornelia''s residence. "Oh, I remember this cookie!" He then took a bite and closed his eyes in appreciation. "Eating sweets after my workout fighting those orcs is the best! It''s good that we saved these snacks, Miss!"

    Morpheus and Aureus looked at the two in disbelief. They seemed to have forgotten their presence, and all their attention was on those baked goods given by the witches, acting like half-starved ghosts who had not seen food for a long time.

    "I suddenly doubt if it''s safe to leave these two little kids by themselves," Morpheus sighed as he shook his head. He had not expected Erlos to feel this carefree like he''s on a pic, treating the orc territory like his own backyard. Any sane person would have taken Ember away from this ce. But no, this young elf was even encouraging the little female to eat more food!

    Contrary to his uncle, Aureus was smiling as he looked at those two, especially Ember. She reminded him of Seren who was once starving because she burned her kitchen, and he was the one to bring her a packed meal in her tower. He still remembered how she heartily ate those meals every time though she had doubts if they were poisoned. Yet, hunger won over reason.

    ''This queen is just as innocent as Seren. So adorable. No wonder my uncle fell for her.''

    Ember then looked at them. "Morph, Mister Aureus, please don''t stand on ceremony. Join us and have some." She was totally treating this like a pic, seemingly already forgetting about the earlier danger she experienced.

    ''If it was any other female, she would still be shaking in fear or worry, probably eager to run as far as she could. No one would not have stayed in this ce even for a moment. I don''t know if she''s courageous or if her brain has nothing in it but food.''

    Morpheus simply smiled at her. "I am fine. You can have my share."

    "Let him be, Miss," Erlos said and looked at Aureus while eating another cookie. "You should join us, Aureus. Once you head back to that human kingdom, you won''t get another chance to enjoy these."

    Aureus stepped forward and sat on the ground next to Erlos as he epted the cookies from Ember. "I am grateful for your generosity, Your Majesty."

    Ember was still unustomed to being addressed like that. "Uhm, Mister Aureus, can''t you just call me by my name?"

    "That would be rude, Your Majesty."

    "Not at all."

    "Still, it is disrespectful for a guest like me--who is basically a stranger--to address the partner of the King so informally."

    "Is that so? I like it when someone calls me by my name and there are few who do." A sad smile appeared on her face, but it was reced with a chuckle. "I grew up without a name. I never had a name beforeing to Agartha so calling me by the name I am given makes me feel like...like my existence is being reaffirmed? I mean, what am I even saying..."

    Aureus had already heard from his uncle about how Ember came to Agartha. ''Seren is the same. She always wants people to call her by her name, but because of her high position, everyone must call her ''Her Majesty'' or ''Queen''. She has no friends or peers or people who will treat her as an equal. I wish I could call her by her name but I can only remain in my beast form in front of her. How nice would it feel to call her by her name? Seren...such a lovely name befitting a lovely woman.''

    Seeing him turn quiet, Ember suddenly waved her arms around. "Ah! Apologies, Mister Aureus. I am not forcing you to call my name. I apologize for making you ufortable."

    "Ah, no, Your Majesty..." Her worrying that her simple request made him ufortable, together with the burning re his uncle was throwing his way, made the young eagle cave in. "Fine."

 Chapter 311 Like Friends On Picnic

    Ember''s green eyes seemingly lit up like gemstones under the sunlight. "You agree?"

    "Yes, I will call you Ember." The human made a small cheering motion with her fist, causing the golden eagle to grin. "Since I will call you by your name from now on, you must also call me Aureus. Give and take. Is it fine?"

    She smiled brightly. "It''s absolutely fine...umm...Aureus!"

    "That seems nice. Just drop the formalities and titles and call each other your names," Erlos said with a nod, only to hear Ember chime in.

    "Then you should also call me by my name, Erlos."

    "Umm, Miss, it''s different for me. I am a servant working in the pce..."

    "See, this is what I am talking about. Even Aureus agreed to say my name." She gave him a displeased look.

    "But Sire is my master, that means you are also my master!"

    "Oh, then, I order you to call me Ember from now on."

    "Ugh, Miss, how could you do this? This isn''t fair!" But in the end, the elf too was beaten down by the look on Ember''s face. "Fine, fine, I will call you by your name, but only when we are by ourselves. When there are others with us, I must address you respectfully. It''s not that I don''t want to follow your orders. You will be crowned Queen and we must separate kingdom affairs from private matters."

    "I agree."

    "I will have to follow the same rule, Ember," Aureus chimed in.

    "Alright. I agree, I am not unreasonable," she said cheerfully. She felt especially happy that she gained more friends!

    Speaking of friends...

    Only then did Ember realize someone from the group was missing. "Where is Morph?"

    Aureus didn''t have to search for him, and this was the same with Erlos. Their senses were sharp enough to realize when the gray eagle took off while Ember was engrossed in conversation. The young eagle gestured for the human to look in the direction of the river.

    "Whoa! When did he get there?" Ember eximed. Morpheus'' figure was steadily flying above the glittering surface of water, his majestic gray wings pping with strong strokes that caused ripples to appear on the river. "But what is he doing there? Don''t tell me--"

    The next moment, she got her answer as Morpheus dipped his hand in the water, and by the time he raised it, there was a big fat silvery fish in his grasp. He didn''t even have to step in water and get wet himself.

    Erlos frowned as he mumbled, "It''s not that impressive. The real fun of catching fish is when you step in the water."

    Secondster, Morpheusnded back on the riverbank with tworge fishes in his hands.

    "You are amazing, Morph!" Embermented.

    "You and Erlos must be hungry after that big fight," Morpheus said.

    "You don''t have to worry about me," Erlos frowned, "and I can take care of Miss Ember''s needs as she is under my responsibility.

    Morpheus was not in a mood for argument as he simply said, "Alright, alright. I know you are a big guy. For now, be good and learn to ept someone''s goodwill."

    Erlos, who was about to say something more, shut his mouth, seeing Morpheus was acting like an adult for once. Was it because he was showing off to his nephew?

    Morpheus looked around and found a suitable dry spot to start a fire pit. He walked away from the group and put down the fishes on the grass before he used his wind magic. Several twigs and branches flew towards him, neatly arranging themselves in a bunch on the ground.

    Just as Morpheus was about to ignite fire using his powers, he heard Ember call out, "Morph, wait, let me do it."

    He looked at her, who already stood up from her ce and approached with an excited skip to her step. She then kneeled next to him. "I can do it. I want to show you as well how much I improved in controlling my power. I promise I won''t burn this like those butterfliesst time."

    "Even if you burn these sticks, it''s fine. You can always try again."

    Ember happily ignited a small me in the center of the stacked branches and eximed as she held onto the winged man''s arm. "Morph, look, look! I can control my mes now! I did well, didn''t I?

    In her happiness, she didn''t realize she was squeezing his arm with all her strength.

    Though it didn''t hurt him, the fact that she was touching him was affecting his willpower. He frowned inside but controlled himself. "Ember go sit with them under the tree. I will bring the fish for you once it''s cooked."

    "No, I want to help out too," she insisted. She was so close to him, her scent was clinging on him strongly. "Since the firewood is lit, we need to clean the fish next and then put them on a stick--"

    ''She loves to check my limits. This human...'' He closed his eyes briefly to get back to his senses. ''I can bear it for a while.''

    Meanwhile, Erlos noticed something. "Where is Albina?"

    "Who?" Aureus asked.

    "Ember''s horse, a white mare," he answered and looked around. His chestnut-colored horse was frolicking at a distance, probably spooked by the orcs earlier, but the white one was nowhere in sight. "Don''t tell me!" He was rmed. "Argh. I knew it. Those no-good orcs! No wonder they easily backed off. They must have taken her away!"

    "They stole it?" Aureus asked.

    "Best quality horse meat! With such mouthwatering food in front of them, why would they not steal it?" Erlos stood up immediately. "I need to get her back. If something happens to Albina, Ember will be really sad."

    "I wille with you," Aureus said. "If they forcefully brought the horse, as long as it''s still alive, they couldn''t have gone far."

    The elf wanted to curse. "Come on. Let''s hurry! We can''t let her find out her horse is in danger."

    The two youths then swiftly entered the forest without letting Morpheus and Ember know.

 Chapter 312 You Should Stay Away From Me

    When Aureus and Erlos moved towards the forest, though they did not let the other two know, their departure didn''t go unnoticed. A war veteran like Morpheus wouldn''t let his vignce down just because he hadn''t been active for the past decades. However, he had little interest in why those two young men sneaked away since had a bigger problem at hand.

    He and Ember were left alone.

    Ember was helping Morpheus to roast the fish though he didn''t need any help. When he held the first fish to clean it before skewering it to a stick and propping it in between two rocks on opposite ends of the fire. With bright eyes, Ember tried to copy everything he did to the second fish like an obedient little student.

    "Am I doing it right, Morph?" she asked as she carefully ced the stick on the arranged rocks, such that the skewered fish could roast without needing to hold it over the fire..

    "Hmm." Morpheus simply hummed. No word coulde out from his mouth due to how close she was to him; at this moment, his entire willpower was trying to resist the temptation caused by Ember''s scent which even the smoke from the fish couldn''t cover up.

    This naive human girl...had she even had the slightest idea of the torture he was going through because of her?

    Morpheus was debating whether he should find an excuse to move away, but since neither Erlos nor Aureus were in the immediate area, it wouldn''t be good to leave her side. He also didn''t want her to realize that he wanted to avoid her.

    The conflicted shapeshifter could not help but silently endure, slightly angered as to why those two foolish youths were taking their time to return. Ember was yet to notice their disappearance, and she was telling him a story about her never getting to try to roast anything prior toing to Agartha. Meanwhile, he rotated the skewered fish over the fire and Ember did the same. She watched as the fishes slightly gave off a delicious aroma and could not help but be excited.

    ''Such a child!'' Morpheus was about to slowly move away from her, thinking of using ''stretching his numb legs'' as an excuse, but the silly little female held onto his arm, causing his entire body to freeze up once more.

    "Morph! The fire is getting bigger. Seems like it will burn the fishes. How often shall I rotate it?"

    Her entire attention was on the fishes, her food, unaware that the man beside her had aplex look on his handsome face. For a moment, Morpheus wondered that even if his heart were to stop beating due to the unintentionally inflicted torture she was giving him, she probably wouldn''t realize it until the moment his breathing stopped.

    ''Why must the woman I love be such a glutton?'' he thought as he looked at his hand where she had held him. He felt like his skin was burning where she had touched. ''If only she would pay even half the attention she gives her food--wait, what am I thinking? I can''t believe that I, a warrior feared and admired by many, will feel self-conscious and jealous of a fish.''

    Not getting any reply from him, she shook his hand violently, throwing an adorable pout his way before focusing on the two skewered fishes. "Morph...it smells good. Is it still not cooked? Do I have to rotate the stick now? Should I wait some more?"

    Morpheus tugged his arm from her grasp, which made her fall towards him, almost leaving no distance between them. She looked at him with surprised eyes, but she was unable to say anything because of his intense gaze on her. It was not the usual way he looked at her.

    Even his deep voice was hoarser than usual in her ears.

    "Ember, you should stay away from me," he warned, doing his best to hold himself back from taking a bite of this frustratingly naive walking temptation. "I don''t want tomit an act that we both would end up regretting."

    The initially puzzled human girl immediately pulled her hand away from his arm, moving back without a word of protest as she realized what he meant. Because of all these exciting things happening around her, she had forgotten Draven''s warning--that she must stay away from beastmen as they would be affected by the scent she was emitting during her fertile days.

    Only then did she see the things she failed to see--his serious expression, that stiff body, and his shallow, almost negligible breathing. All this time, her mind was filled with food,pletely ignorant that she troubled Morpheus. He clearly looked affected but was pretending to be fine, and she regretted her negligent behavior.

    "I...I am sorry, Morph." Her green eyes dimmed, full of guilt.

    Morpheus held his breath, hisposure about to break, and stood up immediately.

    "Keep your eyes on the fish. I''ll be back."

    For a split second, Morpheus wanted to lean close to her, to immerse himself in her scent sweeter and more delicious than anything he had ever encountered--

    Luckily, his conscience poured cold water over him and brought him back to his senses. He feared what other thoughts would tempt him if he were to continue staying by her side. She was pure and innocent and ignorant, but he was not.

    His mind recalled her expression of shame and embarrassment after they shared that kiss on the balcony of her study. It was a mistake that should never be repeated. Even if she had all the excuses in the world, he was not allowed to touch her. He would never allow himself to do anything with her.

    ''If I give in to temptation, she will bear the burden of guilt even if it is my fault. That can never happen.''

    His little female was too important to him. Though she would never be his, he vowed to protect her smiles, even if it meant his death.

    Ember wanted to say something, but in the end, she could only nod.She could understand Morpheus'' situation and decided to let him keep a distance between them. She did not want to trouble him anymore.

    As his tall figure turned away from her, it gave her an impression that his back looked lonely.

 Chapter 313 How Dare They Steal My Horse?

    Just as Morpheus had taken a step towards the river, he noticed that the two young men were still nowhere in sight. He looked around. "Why are those two still not returning?"

    When Ember heard him, she looked towards the ce where Erlos and Aureus were sitting a while ago. She stood up with a furrowed brow. "Erlos and Aureus left? I didn''t notice. They were here just a while ago¡­"

    Morpheus didn''t have a great feeling about their prolonged absence, and then heard Ember ask, "Where is Albina? Did they leave while riding her?"

    "Albina?" he asked.

    "My horse. A beautiful white mare. Surely, you''ve seen her¡­" she replied but panic settled in her body when Morpheus told her he had only seen Erlos'' horse which was still munching on fresh grass at a distance from them.

    Morpheus sighed as he guessed what must have happened. "This is a problem when one steps on a foreignnd whilecking experience. That kid, was he not aware this could happen?"

    "What do you mean?"

    "Since that elf simply let your horses graze on their own, when the orcs appeared, they were spooked and ran away separately. Those orcs must have caught yours and had taken her away with them."

    "How dare they steal my horse?!"

    Morpheus shrugged. "Maybe they took her as a kind of exchange for you and that kid entering their territory."

    Her shock turned to worry. "Orcs are so big. Will Albina be able to handle their weight if they ride on her?"

    "They are big enough for your precious Albina to fill their big stomachs, I think."

    Hearing his words, Ember was horrified.

    "We must save Albina!"

    "We? Oh, no, little female. You are noting."

    "Bring me with you! Please?"

    Morpheus was conflicted as he could not leave Ember alone but neither could he bring her with him. At the same time, Erlos and Aureus had been gone for far too long. Handling a dozen orcs would be within their scope, but if those two youths followed that group of orcs back into their vige¡­

    From males, to females, to children, the entire poption of orcs were aggressive, and to see outsiders approach their vige was tantamount to a deration of war. A single vige would have a few hundred warriors. It would be difficult to deal with their numbers unscathed even for Morpheus if they were to battle out using pure physical strength.

    Morpheus made a decision. "I will take you back to the pce first and then return to search for them. I can''t leave you here alone. Those two are probably not foolish enough to enrage the entire vige. Let''s hope they hold on long enough till I find them¡ª"

    "No. I won''t go back to the pce. I will go with you to get my horse."

    "It''s dangerous. You have seen how violent they are. You can be harmed if a fight urs."

    But Ember was determined.

    "Worst case scenario, I can threaten them that I will burn a house or two if they don''t give me my horse back. They won''t be able to harm me without them getting burned first. Besides, haven''t you boasted before that you are the greatest warrior of the kingdom? I am sure that with you, I will bepletely safe."

    Thatst line, Morpheus felt how much she trusted him. It made his heart flutter, but he was forced to pretend unaffected by her unconditional trust.

    ''I will keep you safe even at the cost of my life.''

    Morpheus eventually agreed.

    "Fine! However, you must listen to my words from now on. Don''t do anything reckless on your own. Even if something happened to me or to those two, you should first protect yourself, understand?"

    "Yes."

    Morpheus and Ember then entered the ancient-looking forest on foot.

    "Won''t it be easier to search for them while flying?"

    Morpheus shook his head. "We are the intruders who barged in the territory of the orcs. In their eyes, we did something wrong first, so it is better to show wee with peaceful intentions. If we fly, it will further provoke them."

    Ember had no response to that.

    At the start, the trees at the outermost part of the forest were far enough from each other to let sunlight make its way toward the ground, but as they continued to walk ahead, the nts and trees were getting denser and denser, to the point it could be described that everything was overgrown and tangled.

    ''The atmosphere of the forest is dark and gloomy.''

    When Ember was on the other side of the river, all she could see was how the forest looked beautiful under the sunlight, the dense trees like a sea of green overflowing with vitality back when she was looking at it from afar. However, it was different inside the forest.

    Heavy and stifling.

    The thick branches of those ancient trees intertwined together like a mesh against the sky, not even giving any creature on the ground a chance to see what was beyond those thick, sturdy branches. Because of this, the temperature under those trees was lower as well. It was cold and dark and damp, a thriving environment for various insects, small game and wild nts Ember had never seen in the Forest of the Elves before.

    As the shapeshifter and human continued to walk further, Ember realized they never spotted a single orc around. "Why is there no one here?"

    "My guess is that those orcs called back their people to share the horse meat?"

    "Morph!"

    "What? You asked a question. In this forest, orcs normally leave their vige to hunt wild boars or small animals like rabbits. They don''t really have to guard their territory as no one dares step inside. With a rare beautiful mare awaiting themrge and thick with meat¡ªall the wandering orcs must have returned to their vige to get a bite. That must also be the reason why we had yet to see traces of Erlos and Aureus fighting even though we are nearing their vige now."

    "My horse is not food!" sheined, her expression upset.

    "Weren''t you salivating over the fish I caught earlier? You eat meat, orcs eat meat. No, don''t re at me like that, little female. You have no right when you have protected those witch snacks to the point you willingly stake your life. It''s the same for the orcs¡ªa meaty horse is a special and luxurious treat for them."

    "Draven gave me that horse. I can''t let it be harmed," she mumbled as herst defense. It was like seeing a bunny with drooping ears. Morpheus had to once again resist thinking how adorable she was.

    "Don''t worry, we will get her back," he assured after a cough. "Don''t frown, don''t drown. You don''t look pretty at all."

    "I don''t care."

    "But I do."

    She frowned harder, even making a face at him. "Whether I look ugly or pretty, it has nothing to do with you."

    "I agree. I am just concerned with you being sad."

    Just then, a group or orc came into their sight at a distance and they heard the familiar voices. "Let the horse go and we won''t harm you.'''' That was Erlos.

 Chapter 314 Give My Horse Back

    ''So many orcs!''

    Ember''s nervous gaze found at least about twenty or so grayish green giants in addition to the group they met by the river. They were the orcs hunting for food outside their vige, and the sight of all of these armed hunters gathering had caused the gloomy atmosphere within the forest to give off a dangerous smell.

    Morpheus signaled Ember to be quiet and stay back.

    Ember obediently kept herself hidden behind a tree while Morpheus continued on towards the young elf and young eagle, their figures cutting a sorry figure amidst those monster-like creatures. From the looks of it, they were trying to talk to the orcs, but the orcs were trying to drive them away. For these territorial orcs, it was already a sign of goodwill that they were yet to raise their weapons against these two intruders.

    Ember''s eyes searched for Albina. ''Where is she?'' She moved a little here and there, tiptoeing to gain leverage, trying to see if she could find her beautiful white horse in between those giants.

    Albina was behind the group of orcs, and she was kept captive with one orc holding her reins. The poor horse looked restless. An animal''s instinct was sharp, and she could feel what was going to happen to her.

    Morpheus stood side by side with the two youths and red at those orcs who of course recognized him. However, the leader of those orcs merely gave Morpheus a growl of warning. They didn''t care about his identity--orcs cared little about anyone other than their own kind.

    "You heard these kids, right? Give that horse back, and I will let this slide. Today, I am not in a mood to harm anyone."

    Aureus looked at his uncle, btedly realizing that the man had probablye to show off in front of Ember. His eyes seemed to be asking, ''Did you have a good time with her?''

    Morpheus ignored his gaze and focused on the orcs. Erlos, encouraged by the fact that he had an additional fighter on his side, pulled his bow out of thin air. "Ugh! I''ve been telling you over and over again! We just need the horse back! Do you not clean your ears or what?! I am not patient enough! If words won''t work on you then I would have no other choice..."

    In response, the orcs in the frontline bravely stepped forward as if they would attack them as soon as they made a single move, their heavy weapons raised in their hands to attack the intruders. One of the orcs made a weird sound, and soon, more orcs came to them from the other side of the forest. The twenty-odd orcs had grown to the size of thirty.

    "Seems like you guys won''t listen, huh?" Morpheus sighed as he stepped forward, spreading his ash gray wings behind him in an intimidating manner.

    It was Ember''s horse; he would take it back at all costs. Though he didn''t wish to harm these orcs, he had no other choice. There were times like this when violence was the question, and the answer was ''yes''.

    Thirty orcs versus three.

    Ember could not help but feel scared.

    ''What if something happens to them? It was all my fault. It was I who asked Erlos toe to this side of the river. It was I who chose to stay there instead of leaving immediately.

    ''Why am I so thoughtless and reckless?"

    Ember could not take it and hurried towards them as she shouted, "Wait! Don''t fight!"

    Everyone turned towards the delicate figure running towards them.

    ''I told her to stay back,'' Morpheus sighed.

    Erlos yelled, "Miss, stay away. We will take care of this quickly."

    However, Ember had no ns to listen to anyone. As the person who caused this mess, she didn''t want to simply watch on while those three got hurt. She wanted to face the orcs along with her friends.

    "Don''t fight, please. I am the owner of that horse. That is just one horse that you will eat and forget, but she is someone I can''t forget. Please, if you give my horse back, our group will leave at once. You can eat something else. If you want, we can help you hunt for your food."

    "How about a gray eagle?" Erlos offered them as he smirked at Morpheus.

    "I am sure they are yet to have a lovely taste of a high-grade steak freshly cut off from the highly treasuredst descendant of the High Elves," Morpheus shot back, and the next moment, all the orcs looked at Erlos.

    "What are you all looking at me for? It can''t be that you believe what this bird said--dammit, orcs are simple-minded enough to really believe you!"

    The orcs had moved towards Erlos, looking at him from head to toe as if they could not wait to start roasting him. It was a favorable exchange in their mind--a young tender elf was indeed an even tastier meal than the white horse they had taken.

    The next moment, Morpheus stood in front of Erlos to block him from those orcs'' hungry gazes.

    "I just said this elf steak is probably high-grade, but that doesn''t mean you can have him for real."

    The orcs roared angry at Morpheus while Aureus asked to Erlos, "Howe they responded to you and not me or Morph or Ember?"

    "Because the blood of High Elves is good for them, kind of like an elixir. They would kill each other to get it if I happen to get into their hands."

    "Howe they didn''t recognize earlier that you are a High Elf?"

    "Oh, majority of orcs are too dumb to differentiate High Elves from other ns. Besides, the Head of Witches had given me something to protect my real identity from such dangers as I am thest descendant."

    Meanwhile, a small fight had begun. The orc closest to Morpheus had swung a fierce-looking spear towards him, but he was thrown away by Morpheus'' wind magic without touching him. The orcs turned angry and their leader signaled his subordinate to take their prized horse away. The opposite party had no ns of handing back this horse at any cost, and they would even take the elf with them.

    Ember saw Albina being taken away, and her blood began to boil as she shouted with all her might, "Give. My. Horse. Back!"

    In response, all the orcs stepped back, moving with wless coordination, and there was a sudden silence within the forest. The three were shocked as well as their gazes moved from Ember to those orcs.

 Chapter 315 Getting Her Horse Back

    3 chapters today.

    ----

    Ember was startled as well seeing how orcs felt intimidated by her and her mind quickly worked out a n on how to take advantage of the unexpected situation.

    "Ember, stay back," Morpheus warned while Erlos remembered how earlier, one of the orcs didn''t attack her when she protected her snack basket.

    "Let me handle it, Morph. She is my horse and I am responsible for her."

    Even though Ember didn''t understand the exact reason why the orcs listened to her, she looked determined. She felt even more confident seeing how the orcs were yet to make a move against her.

    ''Are they scared of females or they just don''t attack them? How gentlemanly,'' she could not help but think.

    Morpheus listened to her but stayed by her side to protect her if something were to happen.

    Ember spoke again, "Give me my horse back, and I promise we will never step in your territory ever again. Just this once, let it pass. I want to end this without anyone getting hurt."

    The orcs all looked at each other, and when Ember took another step forward, they all stepped back in unison, as if they didn''t want her anywhere near them.

    What was happening?

    All the four outsiders felt puzzled as to why they were moving away from Ember. These crazy orc hunters didn''t even react when Morpheus stood against them. Moreover, all of their eyes were gazing at the human girl not with hostility but...fear?

    The three men could not help but wonder.

    ''Are they scared of Ember?''

    Ember could see the wariness in their eyes for her and found herself gaining more courage. Whether the orcs were scared of her or they just didn''t want to hurt a female, she did not mind taking advantage of it.

    "Give me my horse back and I will leave," she said once again, deliberately taking a step ahead. It was a repeat of their earlier reaction--those orcs stepped back as well. They weren''t even letting out a single growl or roar.

    ''So I am not mistaken. They are not going to harm me.''

    Her green eyes gazed at those orcs and then settled at the horse standing behind them.

    "I am going towards my horse to take it back."

    After openly telling them her intention, she took deliberately slow and steady steps towards her horse. Understanding that its master was heading her way, Albina tossed her head and nipped at the reins the orc beside her was holding. However, it was as if the orc had no intention to snatch it back.

    Starting from those nearest to Ember, the crowd parted one by one as they slowly backed away from her, giving an impression that they were creating a path for the human girl to walk unimpeded. A step behind her was the warrior with ash gray wings. Morpheus dared not leave her shadow, continuing to walk several steps behind her with his majestic wings spread to their fullest, creating a shield for Ember if anyone was tounch a sneak attack on her.

    ''I think I know the reason why these orcs are like this.''

    Morpheus gazed at the confident-looking Ember in front of him. As the person nearest to her, he was first to sense the powerful aura being emitted by her body. It was something he was used to feeling, that was why he didn''t immediately realize it was the reason. However, that wasn''t the same for these orcs.

    Erlos and Aureus wanted to follow behind them as well, but Morpheus raised his hand, silently asking them to stay put. If those orcs decided to attack, someone needed to pave a way to breach the encirclement; it was better to split instead of letting all four of them be surrounded at the same ce. That would simply be offering themselves as an additional treat.

    Among the four, the impact of the orcs'' behavior on Erlos was thergest.

    The elf was as inexperienced, but he was a native of Agartha and had a general knowledge about what orcs are like. It was an unbelievable sight to see that orcs could be submissive and that too in front of one human female. He fought with them earlier and knew the stories he heard from the adult elves were true, but what was this? Why were these orcs reacting like they were under threat? He couldn''t even begin to understand why there was such a disparity between their treatment!

    Wait--

    "Miss...Her body seems to be surrounded by invisible fluctuations of energy?" Erlos had a realization. "Dear spirits, had she already learned how to release her energy without manifesting a spell? She''s not even harming the grass under her feet."

    "Is this the strength of your Queen? She is powerful, worthy of being the King''s mate," Aureusmented but...it reminded about someone. He continued, "Strange. I recall feeling a simr power radiating from Seren. Back then, I was hurt in my beast form because of wild wolves and she was enraged."

    "What is strange about that? Miss is enraged as well because her horse is about to be orc food," Erlos casuallymented.

    Meanwhile, Ember reached her horse without any problems arising. The animal suddenly let out a series of frightened neighs and her hand had to caress her smooth mane to calm the frightened animal.

    "Were you scared, Albina?" Ember asked as she continued to caress her mane. She then hugged her horse''s head, gently rubbing her cheek against her white muzzle.

    Though the horse could not talk, it responded in her own way, ring her nose in agreement. As she continued to caress her mane, Ember could feel the horse starting to rx.

    "I am sorry for putting your life in danger. I won''t do it again." She then looked at her horse''s face. "Let''s go home now."

    The orcs started to make impatient noises when Ember took her sweet time with her horse. It was already annoying for them that an outsider was treating their territory as her own, worse, she was even taking their food away. However, none of them darede forward and could only make displeased growls or stomp their feet.

 Chapter 316 We Are Flying

    At Morpheus'' urging, Ember held the reins of her horse and walked back to where Erlos and Aureus were standing. As for those orcs who were starting to show signs of restlessness, Morpheus red at them, warning them to not even think about attacking them. His wings began to show hints of gold as he released a bit of divine energy, causing the de-like feathers on his majestic wings to look particrly intimidating. None of the orcs dared make another sound.

    Ember, walking beside her pure white horse, with Morpheus just behind her, his wings spread to the fullest.

    Aureus could not help but sigh at the sight of his uncle acting like a protective knight loyal only towards his queen. It reminded her of how he felt for Seren. ''If only he can see how beautiful they look together like this.''

    When the four intruders were finally reunited, the leader of the orcs then let out a growl. The other orcs growled in response, shooting hostile res towards the intruders, raising their weapons as if they would attack if the intruders were to continue biding their time inside their territory.

    "We are leaving, we''re leaving," Ember frowned. "Do you have to be aggressive all the time?"

    In reply, the orc''s leader roared at her, though he did not appear hostile, only wary of her. He clenched the shaft of the spear in his hands but did not attack her.

    Realizing she sounded rude earlier, Ember lowered her tone and said softly, "We apologize for intruding within your territory. We did not mean to cause trouble for you. We are leaving now and won''t bother you again."

    To her soft tone, the leader of the orcs simply turned and left. He was displeased that they had to submit to the intruders. Out of the thirty, three of thergest orcs remained, growling at them, asking them to hurry and stop wasting their time.

    "Uhhm, it should be fine if we leave after we eat the fishes we roasted, right? Wasting food is not good," Ember said to those orcs who only growled at her as if saying foolish woman but then....

    "Wait, our fish!" She felt like crying. "They must have burned by now! My food--"

    Morpheus interrupted this gluttonous woman, "The river isrge, and there are thousands of fishes out there. We can fish again. Just because the orcs let us be once doesn''t mean we take their lenience for granted."

    Erlos agreed. "We are near their vige. It will be bad if some ill-tempered orcs follow us, and if a fight breaks out, the entire vige will treat us as enemies."

    The three males could move fast, but Ember and her horse couldn''t. Due to the chaotic, uneven terrain of the forest, Albina would break her leg if she were to run with Ember on her back. However, their group had to cross the dense forest before the orcs showed up again.

    "Ember,e to me?" Morpheus said.

    She looked at him, her mind still in a daze about her roasted fish. "Huh? What--"

    He cut her off by lifting her in his arms. "We are flying." He then looked at Erlos. "Get the horse."

    Erlos obeyed Morpheus this time. On the other hand, Aureus opened his wings and decided to guard the rear.

    "We will go ahead. Don''t be toote to catch up," was all Morpheus said before rushing his way out of the forest together with Ember. Due to the density of the overgrown nts and ovepping trees, it would take time for Erlos and the horse to cross the forest. However, it should be fine since Aureus was there to help him out if ever orcs do appear. As for them...

    Sunlight!<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    The sunlight caused Ember to be blinded for a few seconds. Morpheus had them fly up, breaking through the crowns of the trees, and now they were flying over the forest.

    Ember held onto Morpheus as he flew towards the river where they initially camped. Though Morpheus had to struggle with Ember being so close to him, her delicate body pressed against his, at this moment, he only cared for her safety.

    "Will they be fine down there?" Ember could not help but ask.

    "Orcs are slow. Don''t worry about those kids."

    Ember nodded, fully trusting his words.

    Their group had been blessed with luck that those orcs chose not to fight in the end, but if more orcs had shown up, it would have probably turned into a big mess. Given the strength of Morpheus, Aureus and Erlos, they could probably defeat an entire orc vige, but it wouldn''t be without sacrificing an injury or two. With Ember around, Morpheus didn''t wish for her to be in any kind of dangerous situation.

    When theynded on the riverside, Ember immediately jumped out of Morpheus'' arms and hurried towards where the two skewered fishes were being roasted. She kneeled on the ground and immediately removed the sticks from the fire pit.

    Seeing the fishes that were as ck as coal, Morpheus was about to say something when Ember turned towards him with a bright smile. "We made it! Only the outside is burned! They smell really delicious!"

    The shapeshifter swallowed the words offort he was about to say. "I see. How lucky."

    A few minutester, Erlos and Aureus arrived with an energetic white horse in tow.

    Ember cheered as she called out to the two youths, "Good news! We can still eat the fish!"

    Erlos hurried towards her and kneeled next to her. "That''s great, Miss. We can eat them now."

    "You two..." Morpheus sighed heavily as he shook his head. "These kids. What am I going to do with you?"

    Aureus chuckled. "You need to keep catching fish for them."

    "Seems like it. Should I switch from being a warrior to a fisherman?"

    "I guess you won''t mind anything for her sake."

    "That''s true."

    The two shapeshifters walked towards the two gluttons- one wasst descendent of the High Elves and the other one was a walking fire torch.

 Chapter 317 Open Your Mouth

    Just then, Ember looked at the two. "Morph, Aureus,e here and let''s eat."

    Morpheus couldn''t bear it anymore and took arge leaf nearby to wrap the fish. "Silly girl. Let''s leave first. This will keep the meat warm. Remember, we are not wee in this ce."

    Once they doused the fire with water, they were ready to leave. Erlos held the fishes wrapped in leaves while they approached their horses.

    "Go carefully," Morpheus said as he helped Ember climb her horse and fixed her dress.

    "I will," she assured and their horse moved ahead.

    The group hurried towards the bridge. Once they crossed the river and stepped on the riverbank next to the grasnd, all four let out collective sighs of relief. Afterward, Erlos led them to a dry spot with decent shade so that they could start eating the roasted fishes.

    "Morph, do you know why those orcs didn''t attack Ember?" Aureus asked as they watched the elf and the human sit down without a worry in the world. On the other hand, he and his uncle offered to tie their horses to a nearby tree.

    "Orcs don''t like fire. Their instincts are simr to that of a wild animal, maybe even more sensitive. Ember is of the fire element, and when she became aggressive to save her horse, her body emitted fire elemental energy. The territory of the orcs is gloomy andcks sunlight--imagine how it must have felt for them when she walked towards them."

    "I saw that," Aureus said.

    "Those orcs were threatened by her presence. They must be worried that she would use her powers and burn their home if a fight breaks out so they let her be," Morpheus answered.

    Ember soon called out for them, gesturing to them to hurry. Erlos and Ember were busy eating one of the fishes, and when the eagles approached, Ember passed the other stick to them. "This is for you two. Fortunately, it''s still warm."

    Aureus epted the fish while Morpheus simply sat next to her and idly yed with the ends of her hair.

    "Morph, why are you not eating?" she asked.

    "I am not hungry. You three can eat," his attention waspletely on ying with those long and soft beautiful mahogany hair locks.

    She frowned. "It doesn''t feel right that we are eating and only you are not. Have some."

    "I don''t want to dirty my hands." He raised his hands in the air so she wouldn''t insist again but...

    "Open your mouth," Ember said and held one portion of fish meat in front of his mouth.

    The man stared at her in disbelief.

    She raised a brow, shaking her hand in front of his face. "Say, ''ah''. What, now you don''t even want to chew the food or what?" She offered him a displeased re.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Morpheus opened his mouth and ate from her hand. Her slender fingers brushed his lips as she fed him. Morpheus almost forgot how to chew as a wave of emotions rushed inside him, causing that thing inside his chest to pound heavily.

    How long had it been since someone showed such care to him? Maybe his sister Myra was thest person, and ever since she had left, he had forgotten all these things--how good it felt to receive care and love from someone.

    "This is for being by my side and protecting me today," she said.

    Morpheus nodded like a wooden doll, his expressionplicated as he chewed that portion of fish which took time to go down his throat. He couldn''t determine whether it was the fish or the sudden rush of emotions that was choking him.

    Erlos, who heard her words,ined, "Ember, I also protected you and yet you only credit him? Unfair!"

    Ember chuckled yfully and offered him a bite too, which the elf ate with exaggerated motions to bait the gray eagle. "See, you are not the only one she cares for."

    Morpheus didn''t reply as he was busy dealing with his own emotions.

    Aureus could understand his uncle''s emotional state and felt somewhat envious. He wished that such a sweet moment woulde between him and Seren as well, but the answer was a clear ''no''. He knew Seren would do it only for Drayce--he didn''t exist for her in that way. For now, he could only be happy for his uncle.

    Not knowing what her small act of gratitude affected Morpheus, Ember continued to feed herself and feed him until nothing but fishbones were left on therge leaf.

    When it was time for their group to split up, Morpheus had somehow calmed enough to bid Ember farewell without her noticing anything. The two Divine Eagles could not help but keep an eye on them till the pair on horses entered the Forest of the Elves.

    Late in the afternoon, Erlos and Ember finally reached the pce where Reya and Clio weed Ember. Just as she stepped down from her horse, she searched for someone and asked, "Is Draven in his study?"

    Reya and Clio shook their heads. "His Majesty left the pce this morning, Miss."

    Ember had not seen Draven since she left for Honeyharbor City, and it wouldn''t be wrong to say that she did not miss him. Cornelia told her that he had paid a brief visit yesterday to see her, but at that time, she was unconscious. She regretted sleeping like that.

    ''Why am I so eager to see him? It feels like something is missing and only seeing him can make me feel better.''

    Seeing their master quiet, Reya spoke, "Miss, rest assured. I am sure His Majesty will return as soon as he learns that you are back."

    Ember nodded and then looked at her horse, patted her muzzle gently. "Thank you for being my ride, Albina. I will see you soon."

    The horse made a friendly grunting sound in response to her, and Ember left with her servants to go back to her chamber.

 Chapter 318 Her Elemental Attribute Is Water

    Draven returned to his pce after dark after spending an entire day searching for clues of Evanthe''s current whereabouts. The moment he appeared inside his study, he found Erlos patiently waiting for him inside.

    "Good evening, Sire!" the elf bowed. "Wee back. Have you eaten or do you want to have your evening meal--"

    "When did you return?" Draven asked as he sat in his chair.

    "We returned in the afternoon," Erlos replied.

    "Did she enjoy visiting the witches?" he asked, leaning back in his chair.

    "Yes, Sire! Ember--cough!--I mean, Miss Ember enjoyed her outing and got lots of gifts from the witches. They were especially friendly and weing to her, and Miss even got shy! Lady Cornelia took care of her really well and did you know that the first hour we arrived--"

    Draven stopped him before the elf could give him a detailed step-by-step ount of their entire trip. "Rest I will hear from her."

    "Of course, Sire!" Erlos didn''t mind.

    "Is Aureus in the pce?" Draven asked.

    "No, SIre. I don''t think he has ns to return to the pce before the day he leaves for Megaris. He is staying with his uncle. If there is anything important, I can send him a message to return."

    "No need. I will go to them in person."

    Draven was about to leave when Erlos suddenly spoke up, "I want toe with you as well, Sire!"

    Draven didn''t say a word as both of their figures disappeared from the study. Momentster, they appeared at the mountain peak by the sea of clouds, at the particr ridge of the cliff where Morpheus usually stayed.

    It was the first time for Erlos toe to this ce, and he felt shocked. "Whoa, what''s this ce, Sire? I thought we are going to that eagle''s nest in Redcrest!"

    "A second eagle''s nest," was all Draven said as he looked around the rocky cliff, but not a single soul was in sight. Thinking about it, he walked in the direction of Myra''s cave to check if they were inside. Erlos noiselessly followed behind him, his gaze flitting about trying to find out more about the ce.

    "Sire, what--ack!"

    The moment the two of them reached the entrance of the cave, Draven pushed away Erlos without warning, causing the elf to fall into a messy heap on the side, while he himself received the st of wind that came his way. Though he managed to block the attack with his hand, his body was pushed back, leaving a trail of crushed rocks under his boots that were several feet long.

    "You are not weed here, Draven Aramis."

    They heard the familiar voice and saw Morpheus stepping out of the cave.

    "Aren''t you being shameless? You have almost destroyed this cave, thest keepsake I have of my sister, and you dare step inside again!" His scowl, that was directed towards Draven, turned into an amused one as he stared at Erlos. The elf had stood up and was busy removing dirt from his clothes. "Are you alright, kid? I didn''t know you tagged along with this shameless Dragon."<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    "Such attacks can''t hurt me so you don''t have to show any care towards me."

    "Sure, next time, I won''t," Morpheus said as he looked at Draven. "Do you dare step inside this cave?"

    Draven rubbed his gloved hands together as to silently express that the attack from the shapeshifter merely amounted to dust. He then leveled a t re at Morpheus. "If you are done ying, step away and call out Aureus."

    With all the noise their arrival caused, there was no way Aureus wouldn''t hear them talking. He stepped out of the cave on his own and bowed to Draven. "Good evening, King of Agartha. Pardon my uncle''s rudeness. May I ask what brings you here?"

    Draven went straight to the point. "I came to tell you that Esther Ivanov you know is indeed Evanthe, the Queen of Witches we know here in Agartha."

    This news that dropped out of nowhere caused two Divine Eagles and one High Elf to be shocked.

    "What?!" Morpheus eximed. "You confirmed it?"

    "Yes," Draven answered. "I have talked to Cornelia Grimm, and she confessed a secret of her race that rified my doubts. Evanthe and Esther Ivanov are the same person."

    Between these four men, the one who had thergest reaction was Morpheus. Erlos and Aureus were ignorant, but there was an open secret about Evanthe that only those familiar with the Queen of the Witches knew.

    "So she truly married a human and had a child with him?" Morpheus mumbled in disbelief. His eyes turned towards Draven as if to silently ask, ''How can this be when her soulmate is someone else?''

    ? "That means the King of Megaris is half warlock and half Dragon?" Erlos mumbled as if he had heard the most fascinating riddle ever. "I have never heard of such a thing."

    Aureus happened to be the calmest of those who received the news. "Are you certain, Your Majesty?"

    Draven nodded. "I visited the Royal Pce of Megaris, and I sensed Evanthe''s powers. She had been myrade for hundreds of years; I cannot be mistaken in identifying the essence of her powers."

    There was a sudden silence with everyone trying to process what they had heard.

    "Does this mean you can trace her if given more time?" Morpheus asked Draven.

    "It''s impossible to trace her purely with magic. I attempted to do that earlier, but I am only able to find items she enchanted on the other side of the continent. The person herself could not be found. I will need to meet with the King of Megaris and ask for whatever clues he can provide us."

    Draven then looked at Aureus. "Who was thest person who saw Evanthe before she went missing? How did she leave? That could lead us to her."

    Aureus did not hesitate to respond, "There were two people--my king and thedy who raised me. ording to Lady Tyra, Queen Esther jumped in the river outside the capital. Her n was to submerge herself and lock her soul at the depths of the river as she could not bear to part from her husband and child and that was the only way she could stay close to them. However, King Drayce had unceasingly attempted to search for her in the river throughout the years, but he returned frustrated and empty-handed every single time."

    "Water?" Draven said. "Her elemental attribute is water so that''s why she chose it. But if she had truly submerged herself in that river, then I have the means to find her."

 Chapter 319 I Hate Waiting

    "Unfortunately, we believe that Queen Esther is no longer in that river," Aureus exined. "We don''t know how, but she had passed the flower mark on her wrist to the current Queen of Megaris, Seren Ivanov, back when she was an infant. She was born around two years after Queen Esther jumped in the river. That meant that at least for the past eighteen years, she was not submerged underwater. She is hiding somewhere from us."

    "That means we can find her through the current Queen of Megaris," Morpheus said, aware of the meaning of that flower mark. "That infant who she passed the mark on found her soulmate in Evathe''s son. This is not a coincidence and it seems to me there is something she is trying to protect. That child may hold important clues." He then turned to his nephew. "Isn''t the Queen of Megaris a witch? Is there something more to her identity?"

    Aureus wondered how much information about Seren he could share. "Queen Seren''s life...from what I heard, she was always in some kind of danger and her father exhausted all means to protect her in Abetha. It won''t be surprising if Queen Esther did something to help protect her in one way or another," Aureusmented.

    "You say there is an important eventing for the Queen of Megaris. Is it rted to her powers?"

    Aureus didn''t hide anything this time, thinking things could be dangerous and getting help from these powerful supernatural beings could at least lessen the risk. "You are right. The Queen, she will be of age soon. Once she bes an adult, her powers will mature and it will be impossible to hide the essence of her powers from the people who are after her. That is why, the presence of Drayce around her is important because he acts as a scabbard suppressing the de that is her essence, keeping her from letting her enemies discover her."

    "Knowing Evanthe, if she is aware of the dangers befalling her daughter-inw, then I am sure she will look out for Seren Ivanov," Morpheus said with confidence.

    Draven didn''t deny it. "This is our chance of finding Evanthe."

    Morpheus looked at Aureus. "When is that day?"

    Aureus kept quiet for a while. "I am not sure if the King would like it if you interfere in their matters. If Evanthe is Queen Esther, then she is his mother as well. Once he finds her, I am sure he won''t let her leave again, and then, we can meet her afterwards. Please be patient and let King Drayce handle it. More than anyone else, I think the son who lost his mother is the most eager to find her."

    Draven and Morpheus looked at each other, mutually acknowledging the truth in Aureus'' words.

    "We will wait to hear from the King of Megaris then. It''s important for us to get Evanthe to help my mate," Draven said.

    "My king will surely help you to honor the alliance between our kingdoms," Aureus assured. "After the Day of Mourning, I will head back to Megaris and pass your message to him."

    Draven nodded, epting his offer.

    Morpheus looked at Aureus. "Why don''t you rest today in the pce?"

    Aureus understood Morpheus must have something to talk with the King of Agartha so he pretended to go along.

    "Erlos, take care of the guest," Draven said.

    "Yes, Sire! But, uhmm, where exactly in Agartha are we? After climbing down the mountain, do I run south? North? East--"<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    "I will carry you," was all Aureus said. No matter how fast the elf could run, it was nighttime and they were at the top of the mountain. It would not be easy for Erlos to go to the base of the mountain, and it would be faster if he were to carry him.

    Aureus flew away with Erlos, leaving the pair of oldrades by themselves.

    Once they left, Morpheus no longer hesitated.

    "Let me get everything we have so far. So we know the green-eyed woman in your dreams is highly likely Ember herself, and Evanthe knew Ember. Also, this Ivanov woman who was the previous Queen of Megaris is our Evanthe. Evanthe married a human and gave birth to Drayce Ivanov, the current King of Megaris. She left her family twenty years ago, and sometime after came across the newborn Seren Ivanov, and this child is now the current Queen of Megaris.

    "In the end, her whereabouts are unknown, but since she is trying to protect people, she will likely reappear soon."

    Draven agreed to all the points summarized by the shapeshifter. "It''s highly unlikely that she would lie about submerging herself in the water. I believe she indeed sealed herself--or at least she intended to seal herself--but something must have happened, and that something is surely rted to Seren Ivanov."

    "Hmm, that is what we can conclude." Morpheus nodded. "I wonder if Drayce Ivanov is aware of his mother''s and wife''s connection. Since he had been investigating for so long, he must have arrived at the same, if not simr, conclusions."

    "We have to wait for his wife''sing of age ceremony. That day we will get answers."

    "I hate waiting." Morpheus could not help but let out a loud exhale. "And what about that ck Witch who is hiding Myra? You don''t allow me to leave and you don''t do anything on your own. How long are we going to wait for the King of Megaris? While he''s busy worrying about his wife, are we going to stand by and let my sister continue suffering under that witch?"

    "Myra is a precious tool for any ck magic practitioner. If she is truly with Zaria, then that guarantees she will be kept alive for as long as possible. All we need to do is be patient. A single mistake and we can lose her. Don''t you know how vicious Zaria is? I believe she didn''t keep Myra alive merely for her blood--she probably kept Myra with her to strike Agartha with a decisive blow when the timees, probably to reenact that tragedy from the past."

    Morhpheus clenched his fists, and blue veins were popping on his skin. "That Zaria. When she appears in front of me, I will give her the most terrible death." He had to take in deep breaths to calm himself. "Did you find that ck Witch''s traces in Megaris as well?"

    "I did. I also went to the Kingdom of Thevailes, the ce Yorian said she fled to."

    "Did you find clues?" Morpheus asked with much expectation, "...and Myra?"

    Draven shook his head. "I merely scouted the borders. Just like I can sense her powers, she can sense mine as well. It can put Myra''s life in danger so I had to return without digging too much, but...I did find traces of her ck magic in that kingdom. She seems to have prepared trapping formations to help the Kingdom of Thevailes to attack Megaris."

    "That ck Witch. Once again, she is doing dirty schemes behind the scenes." Morpheus could not help but curse under his breath. "Then we should help the King of Megaris as well."

 Chapter 320 She Will Always Be A Friend

    3 chapters <3<3

    -----

    "We will help; he only needs to open his mouth when," he replied. He seemed to have recalled something. "The King of Megaris is not a fool. In his absence, he left a counter of his own and built a barrier between the borders of Megaris and Thevailes using his powers. His magic is of the darkness attribute no inferior in quality as mine, though the spell structure is a bit simple in my opinion."

    "Hah. You are an old Dragon. You should praise a youngling for doing a great job without as much experience as you do. Besides, is there a need to be surprised that you have simr kinds of powers? You are both Dragons."

    ? "It''s not like that. You and Aureus, the same blood flows between you, but your powers are merely simr but not the same. Even if youpare yourself to other gray eagles of your kind, do you feel that your essences are the same as theirs, as if you have been made from the same origins?"

    Morpheus was staring at him as if he was looking at an idiot. "You know as well as I do that each being, each creature with magic, has a unique essence. Even the naive Ember should have learned this basic principle by now. Well, I am not sure how things work for Dragons, but are you seriously asking me this?"

    However, Morpheus could no longer make fun of Draven because the man had a serious no-nonsense expression on his face.

    "Our dark energy feels as if they are crafted from the same origin but different in some ways. I could not put it well into words... but there is really something, as if I am connected to Drayce Ivanov in some way...

    "It''s hard to say more when we are the only two Dragons in existence."

    Morpheus studied Draven''s grave expression; however, he pointed out one crucial fact.

    "Root resonance," the shapeshifter said. "You already said it: you and Drayce Ivanov are the only known living Dragons in the continent. Deeper than bloodline resonance ought to be the fact you have the same roots as members of the same race. If you believe your connection is deeper than simply being both dragonkin, then you should go meet that young Dragon and seek answers from him."

    Draven could only nod in response, but it was obvious he was lost in his own thoughts.

    Silence embraced the cave tunnel as neither beast said another word. After some time, Morpheus let out a soft sigh before gesturing that they head back to the cliff at the peak. Draven turned away from the eagle, his eyes holding a strange flicker in them as he looked at the sky in a daze.

    ''The same roots...''

    After leaving the entrance of the cave, the two men sat side by side on the ridge, their movements easy and familiar, as if they had returned to the time back when they were stillrades.

    "Let me guess," Morpheus said, breaking the silence first. "You are curious about the existence of other Dragons."<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    The ck Dragon did not deny the man''s guess.

    "We know how Drayce Ivanov is born from a witch and a human--at least that''s who he acknowledged to be his parents are, but we both know bloodlines do not work that way. Beasts are born, not created out of nothing like spirits and fairies. One of his parents has to be a Dragon, that means Evanthe met a Dragon other than me....about me, I know nothing. I know no other Dragons. I only know I am a ck Dragon because I transformed into one in my beast form."

    "Your existence, origins, we sure know nothing about it. Have you not been searching for thousands of years? Who knows when we can get answers to these questions. Think about how Evanthe seems to be connected to every puzzle we encounter--maybe she will help end all the misery you have been through for so long."

    "I have a gut feeling that this time everything will end for good."

    "I hope your feeling is right."

    They both continued to talk about their shared pasts, remembering the days when they fought battle after battle with their trustworthypanions to guard their backs. Draven the ck Dragon, Morpheus the Divine Eagle, Evanthe the White Witch, Aldis the Nine-Tailed Fox, Logan the White Tiger, Leeora the Wood Elf, together with the leaders of the various races who allied together to protect Agartha. For a moment, the pair forgot the bitterness between them.

    After some time had passed, both looked at each other and found that there was nothing more to say. It was as if they had poured out all the words they kept hidden and buried throughout the years. After that tragic war from a century ago, It was the first conversation they had without resentment, without scorn and usations, and it was equally uplifting as it was tragic.

    Reality had made it that their past friendship would be impossible to return to its original state. Too many people had been hurt, too many lives had been ruined, and too many loved ones had been lost. The damage could not be undone, and whatever fond memories they shared would remain only as memories. They simply stared at the same dark sky.

    "I smell a scent on you," Draven spoke up after a while.

    Morpheus understood what he meant even without context. "I had to carry her to protect her from orcs."

    "Hmm," was all Draven said.

    Morpheus picked up on his mood. "Don''t worry, I have no other intentions despite what I feel for her. She is and will always be a friend."

    "More than that will only lead you to death by my hand."

    Morpheus chuckled fearlessly. "As if I am scared of death. In that case, I will prefer to make her my mate first before dying in your hands. Makes it a worthy death, don''t you think?" A bitterugh escaped his lips. "Lucky bastard. It''s a shame you found her first. With her mated to you, if I try to make a move, she will end up getting hurt. I don''t want to hurt her. She does not deserve that. That''s why you should thank your dastardly luck: she is yours and will always be yours only. She will never get to know what I feel for her."

 Chapter 321 Missing His Little Mate

    Draven scoffed, "As she should. Pay attention to your family more. When we get Myra back, you ought to act like an ideal big brother should, and you also have to guide Aureus so that he doesn''t end up influenced by your uncle and n elders."

    "You don''t have to tell me what I need to do. I can take care of the matters rted to my family and n."

    "You better," Draven said before disappearing from the cliff as if he had be one with the wind. After talking with the shapeshifter about things that happened centuries ago, he felt as if he had not seen Ember for a long time. He missed his little mate.

    Morpheus sighed as he stared at the empty space beside him. With a heart both heavy and light, he then quietly returned to his sister''s cave.

    When Draven appeared inside the pce, Erlos had just finished attending to Aureus'' needs and had started doing his evening duties. When the elf returned inside his master''s chamber, Draven was unbuttoning his tailcoat.

    "Where is Ember?"

    "Wee back, Sire. Miss is resting in her chamber. She also ate her evening meal there. The journey on horseback must have been tiring for Miss, though she didn''t let out a single word ofint."

    "Hmm."

    "I have prepared the bath for you already. Once you have finished washing up, I will bring your meal," Erlos informed him.

    "No need to bring a meal. You can leave and go rest."

    Erlos looked at Draven in shock. To think Draven was really dismissing him so early! What happened between his stone-hearted master and that birdbrain? He could only watch his master drop his dirty clothes on the floor, unable to stop his imagination from wandering.

    As soon as his master entered the side chamber, Erlos snapped out of his daze. As quick as lightning, he picked up the dirty linen and hurried out of the room with a cheer. He was free for the night! Oh, how rare a chance that he got to sleep early.

    Draven slowly soaked himself in theforts of the heated bath, allowing the warmth of the water to rx his taut muscles. The entire day, he had been moving around to find traces of Evanthe and Zaria the ck Witch. Though he was a powerful being, he was not omnipotent; using his teleportation magic continuously exhausted his energy reserves. He had so much in mind that there was not a single moment he could even think about rest.

    Rather than sleep, Draven''s mind wandered towards his mate.

    ''I miss her.''

    Only now did he realize that all throughout the day, he had been unconsciously looking forward to nighttime, to having his mate in his arms and embracing her to sleep. Last night, when he sneaked inside Cornelia''s home to sleep by Ember''s side, it had been a brief but effective respite for his tired body. He came to her bed before dawn and left before she woke up, but those few precious hours of sleep was enough to get rid of all of his body''s exhaustion and mind''s fatigue.

    His mind found peace the moment his senses were wrapped in that sweet floral scent from his mate. It seemed like the situation was the same for Ember--she had been restless in her sleep, but the moment he held her in his arms, she drifted to a peaceful sleep.

    After drying himself and donning his night robe, Draven disappeared from his chamber, only to appear in front of Ember''s bedchamber. He was about to knock on the door, but stopped himself when heard the voices of her servants conversing with their master.

    "Miss, do you need anything else? Should we put out the light from themps?"

    "Keep themps bright. I don''t feel like sleeping yet," Draven heard his mate say, her voice sounding a little muffled.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    "Why, Miss? Didn''t you say your back and bottom hurt from riding horses all day? Sleep is the best remedy for small body aches."

    "Oh, cousin. How can you be so naive? Miss is obviously missing His Majesty, that''s why she can''t sleep!"

    Cough! "It''s not that."

    Her servants giggled, and one pointed out, "But Miss, you have asked us so many times if His Majesty is back in the pce so..."

    "If I remember correctly, during dinner, she asked us three times."

    "She also asked us after her meal."

    "And she asked after her bath."

    "Even before that--"

    "Stop it, you two!" Emberined. "Isn''t it normal for a wife to check if her husband is back home? It is the single mostmon scene in all the romance books I''ve read."

    The servantsughed at her obvious embarrassment. "Of course, Miss, but didn''t you realize that in those books, the wife waits for her husband because she misses him? Longing for his presence, his voice, his touch, his--"

    "Reya, you talk too much these days," she berated, "and Clio, you used to scold your cousin before. Now you two team up to tease me!"

    This response elicited another round ofughter inside the room. "Miss, it is natural for you to yearn for your mate. There is no need to be shy. I am sure His Majesty must have missed you as well in your absence."

    "I don''t think so. If he had, he would have teleported to see me. He could do it but didn''t. It''s obvious I am the only one who feels this way."

    "So are you upset that His Majesty didn''te to you?"

    "Why would I be upset?" Her voice seemed a little annoyed and angry. "I am just correcting you about what you said that he missed me."

    Inside the room, there was the sound of footsteps. "Well, Miss, maybe you do not know because His Majesty is not the sort to express what he feels..."

    "Ugh, go, go! Why are we even talking about this? I am sleepy. You two should leave and sleep too." That impatient tone implied she didn''t wish to hear more.

    "Good night, Miss."

 Chapter 322 I Want More

    When the door opened, the pair of female elves nearly jumped out of their skins to discover Draven standing before them. Both immediately bowed to the King and stepped aside to make way for him.

    "G-Greetings, Your Majesty!"

    Ember felt as if she was a thief caught red-handed, her face burning in embarrassment as she looked at the doorway, wondering when the man returned and how much he had heard. She had been originally sittingzily in bed, her back on the headrest, but upon meeting his gaze, she corrected her posture and straightened her back.

    Draven stepped inside the chamber and the two servants immediately found their way out. They tactfully closed the door behind them, leaving the couple on their own.

    Ember watched on as the expressionless man walked towards her bed without speaking a single word, and she didn''t know what to do, whether to get out of bed or say something to him about the conversation she had with her servants.

    Even before she could decide on what to do, he was already standing by her bedside and his deep gaze was fixed on her.

    "You seem tired."

    Three simple words, but hearing his voice made all the nerves of her bodye alive. She cleared her throat awkwardly. "Uhm¡­yes¡­ a little."

    He sat at the edge of the bed, and with him being close to her, she could smell that refreshing forest scenting from his body. It was obvious he had juste out of the bath as she could see his short ck hair was still a little damp.

    ''Did hee straight to her after he had a bath?''

    Ember could not help but feel her heart skip a beat at that guess.

    She observed his handsome face, appreciating each and every little detail as if she had not seen him for long. The way those wet hair strands fell casually against his smooth forehead, that pair of captivating red eyes, his high ridged nose, those thin pinkish lips, the sharp lines of his jaw¡­

    ''Devil? Isn''t a devil a monster? What kind of sane person would dare call him a devil with this kind of face?'' Ember could not help but wonder.

    Of all supernatural beings she had everid her eyes on, Draven''s appearance could be said to be matchless. He wasn''t conventionally beautiful like the elegant elves, and he didn''t have the rough charm of the warrior-like beastmen. His good looks embodied dignity and divinity, his manly appearance rather imposing in a way no mortal should have such perfect features. The arrogant way he carried himself added more to how dangerously attractive he was.

    "Did you enjoy visiting the witches?"

    "Huh, what?" His question pulled her out of her wandering thoughts and her gaze settled at his deep red eyes, making her gulp. "Yes, I did¡­"

    "What did you do and what did you like there?" Draven asked, his tone low.

    These were the things Erlos wanted to report to him earlier, but for some odd reasons, Draven feltpelled to hear these words straight out of his mate''s mouth.

    Unaware of her mate''s mood, a small smile graced Ember''s face as she excitedly started recounting her experiences, beginning from what happened after they left the pce. "...then we stopped by the river and ate roasted fish. Erlos told me that you personally taught him those wilderness survival skills."

    Draven nodded, somewhat finding his shoulders rxing the more he listened to her voice. She reminded him of a small bird chirping, and as his eyes observed her lively expressions, he became more positive that she strongly resembled her naughty pet bird, Ray.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    "....and then, they gifted me those items even though I said no¡­"

    His gaze zeroed on her animated face, moving between her beautiful bright eyes and those plump lips which opened and closed so many times while making different shapes to make words, that small tongue of hers being particrly eye-catching as she talked.

    For a second, he couldn''t understand her words, the loud beating of his heart drowning out all noise. He could not wait to grab her and im that talkative mouth of hers, to y with that small alluring tongue¡ª

    "....we somehow saved Albina, thankfully, or else I would not have been able to forgive myself if she truly became orc food. Those orcs are so cruel to want to eat such a beautiful horse!"

    At this point of her narration, she was pouting her lips, and only vaguely realized that her lips and throat were quite dry. Draven had not said a single word and she was the only one doing the talking.

    "Draven? Are you still listening?" she asked, feeling confused about how he was looking at her. "Uhm, did I say boring stuff?"

    He shook his head. "But there is something more interesting I wish for you to do."

    "What is it?" she asked, but inside, she could guess his meaning. Her womanly instinct was warning her about the man''s intentions.

    Just as she expected, the man leaned closer, his rough hand moving to hold her chin and not let her look away. His eyes fixed on her lips with growing intensity, she gulped and could only let out a barely audible whisper of his name before he cut her off with a kiss.

    Her lips were sealed by his, and the rest of her words were buried in her throat.

    Though she was scared of the consequences of intimacy between them, those were worries of the mind when one had time to think. This was not such a time. With the seduction of her mate''s manly scent, and the temptation of their own needs and desires surfacing, she could not help but be lured into giving in. Her body reacted before her mind could.

    "Mmm¡­"

    His strong scent overwhelmed her senses, his lips sucking and nibbling hers, sometimes gentle, sometimes rough, seemingly yful as her head was pushed back to rest against the soft pillows under her, not leaving her an inch to move away from under him.

    "Draven¡­haaa¡­.mmph!"

    She wanted this, wanted him, wanted¡­ more. She ended up responding to the kiss with hunger, demanding more from her mate. Her delicate lips moved with urgency against his, and when he kissed back just as fiercely, she swore nothing could feel better than this.

    More...I want more!

    Her hands moved, one holding onto his broad shoulder, while the other moved to the back of his head, her slender fingers entwined with his hair, pulling him into a deeper kiss.

    Draven let out a needy groan, the fire of desire in his chest burning. His little mate was being passionate and demanding, and there was nothing he could ask for more.

    The man''s hand moved to the back of her waist, and her slender body was led to lie morefortably on the bed. Ember circled her hands around his neck, and the couple didn''t stop kissing even for a moment even when Draven hovered over her, pressing her delicate body under his.

 Chapter 323 It Wont Hurt This Time

    Ember''s soft, slender body trembled under her man, the anticipation of what''s toe causing her muffled moans to turn into seductive cries of yearning. What she felt for this man was a raging fire threatening to ruin whatever was left of her rationality, and he obviously wanted her as badly as she was for him.

    Maybe more.

    The man''s rough hand caressed one side of her face, his other hand still holding onto her small waist, his hold possessive as his needy mouth imed hers with raw passion, his tongue dominating her small mouth in a manner that left her breathless. She tasted sweet, sweeter than anything he had ever tasted, and it was addictive, making him grow more impatient at the thought of tasting the rest of her delightful body. His hot breath mingled with hers, making her cold skin burn with the fire ignited inside him.

    The scents emitting from their bodies were getting stronger with the increasing desires inside them, drowning them in temptation, causing them to lose thest thread of patience they held.

    Riiiiiiip!

    The fabric on her waist was torn away, exposing parts of her tender skin, and his free hand moved along the curves of her body, up and down, as if to worship its beauty. The ripping sound continued as his hand continued to explore her body, his fingers seemingly teasing her sensitive neck, her soft mounds and further down towards her exposed stomach and the curve of her waist, only to settle back on her chest, squeezing and kneading her mounds with hisrge palm, finding that clothing of hers an annoyance, something to tear apart immediately like a wrapper of a present.

    His aggressive actions caused her to let out pants of desire, but they were being sucked by his unruly mouth as he kissed her without restraint. With their bodies pressed together, their most savage urges were stoked--

    "Draven..." she whispered, her voice low and breathless after another round of torrid kissing. She didn''t know what exactly it was that she wanted, but she knew that this man was the only one who could give it to her. "Please..."

    Her eyes were half-lidded, her lips wet and parted, and her emerald green eyes were staring at him, begging...

    She needed him. She wanted him. She was desperately asking him to give her what she could note up to say.

    As he pulled away from her, giving her time to catch her breath, his pair of burning red eyes closely looked into her hazy ones before roaming the beautiful body presented before him. Her nightgown was a mess, his earlier rough handling causing the fabric to be ripped to pieces, showing more skin than covering it. Parts of her supple skin and soft curves were exposed for him to appreciate, even adding a vor of intrigue to his raging desire, and he could not help but lick his lips at the feast he was about to devour.

    His hand stopped at the neckline of her nightgown as he said, "I want to see your body."

    His crude words pulled Ember back to her senses, and her heart almost stopped at the realization that kissing was not the only thing they would be doing tonight. She gulped as herst remaining bit of sanity appealed to her.

    "A-Are we...?" She could note up to say it.

    "Don''t you want it?" he asked, peering closely into those eyes lingering between fear and excitement. Her body was honest, and as if to point it out, he ran his fingers down her chest, down to the exposed part of her t stomach. This caused her body to tremble in lust.

    "I..." Does she not want it? She sure did but... "...hurts..."

    "It won''t." He realized the cause of her fear. "This time, it won''t be as bad. The first time is always the worst."

    Her entire body was covered in goosebumps as she recalled his size. "But..."

    "This time, I will make you feel good. It won''t hurt. I won''t let you be hurt. Trust me."

    She still had aplicated look on her face, and he tenderly brought up one of her hands to his face, nting soft kisses on her fingertips as if to show how good he would be towards her. "Will you trust me, my mate?"

    He had never sounded this gentle to her, and it was as if she was seeing a new side of him--or maybe, it was more precise to say he was apletely different Draven. Since when had he learned to be so gentle and caring?

    Her eyes strayed away from his face, and only then did she realize he was almost straddling her--almost, because he was half-hovering over her with a body trying its best to control its primal instincts towards its mate. His muscles appeared strained, like a predator barely stopping himself from pouncing on its delicious prey. If she were to say ''no'', she knew that Draven would respect her decision even if every part of his body was screaming at him to take her.

    ''This is a man worthy of my trust.''

    Despite her obvious fears, Ember lightly nodded, not knowing from where she was gaining that courage. She decided to trust him, her instinct telling her that her mate would not deliberately hurt her.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Draven''s hands moved to her shoulders and pulled her nightgown down her shoulders, fully exposing her delicate skin and that smooth curve where his crimson mate mark was located. The tips of fingers brushed lightly over the mark before tracing her prominent corbones, leaving behind a trail of heat as they touched her skin, making her gasp and shiver.

    He watched her reaction in fascination, realizing only now how sensitive his mate was to even the lightest of touch. A part of him grew excited at how much more she would react once he did more than brushing fingers against her skin.

    ''So lovely.''

    This time, Draven wanted to take his time properly enjoying the feast before him. There was no need to hurry--neither of them were affected by the irrational pull of the iplete bond, and he could remain sane.

    ''My lovely mate.''

    As he breathed in her scent oozing with desire, he found himself growing impatient to begin enjoying every bit of his sweet Ember. Oh, the things they would be doing... There was no need to worry about hurting her as she would get used to him soon...

    Draven''s face leaned closer to her exposed skin, his hands taking their sweet time to pull down her dress like a man steadily savoring his favorite meal. His warm and moist lips nted soft little kisses on her skin, that mouth leaving a trail of anticipation inside her, causing her to let out soft moans slightly muffled as her hands tried to pull him up so she could kiss him.

    After giving her a brief but passionate kiss, his lips moved closer to her ear and he whispered, "I missed you, Ember."

    Ember froze, and her hands that wanted to reach out towards her man''s clothes paused midway.

    "What did you say?" she asked, her eyes wide.

    Seeing her tense suddenly, he moved his head back to look at her. Draven''s red eyes stared at her green ones without a single hesitation in his gaze.

    "I missed you," he repeated, each word causing her heart to squeeze and stutter.

    Not even in her wildest dream had she expected to hear these words from him. Her beautiful green eyes shook, and his next words spilled out without reservation to convince her she didn''t hear him wrong.

    "I missed you when you were away. Every passing moment felt difficult to bear with. I missed you more than you can imagine."

    Waves of emotions stirred her heart and her mind nked for a moment. No word coulde out of her mouth.

    Missed...She was missed. Her mate missed her. She was not the only one missing him like crazy. Her eyes tried to blink away the moisture budding as she tried to calm the onught of emotions gushing inside her. It was overwhelming.

    Draven leaned in to kiss those trembling lips of hers as he whispered, "I mean it."

    "I missed you as well," she whispered back against his lips and kissed him, as both her hands cupped his cheeks.

    With the sweet confession made by these two igniting a new round of passion, they continued to savor each other. Draven no longer hesitated and--

    Riiip!

    Not a single fabric was left to cover her body, leaving her stark naked to his hungry gaze.

    ''My mate is beautiful.''

    Ember was startled but she didn''t shy away. In fact, the slow burning fire of desire that had been ignited between them had now burst forth into a dangerous me ready to devour their sanity. As shey fully exposed under him, she felt a hot rush of lust blossom within her. The space between them sizzled in the heat of anticipation, and she was eager to know how good it would feel to be at the mercy of that wild hunger raging behind his gaze.

 Chapter 324 Do You Want To Touch Me?

    Draven looked at her exposed mounds with the gaze of a predator. Her scent of fresh jasmines and the scent of her being in her fertile days altogether was making him go crazy. One thought was dominating his mind--that he could not wait to bury himself deep inside her and fill her up to the brim.

    Hisrge palms groped her soft round mounds, and then his warm mouth swooped down to devour them. His coarse tongue yed with those perky buds that were stiffly waiting for his attention.

    "Draven...ahhh..."

    In between gasps, she called out his name. Each time he suckled and nibbled, she would arch her back in response, her hands clutching on his strong shoulders as if to encourage her to be rougher.

    "Mhm?" he responded, but it was more the kind of response that showed one was enjoying a tasty treat.

    His teeth grazed her delicate skin, leaving a trail of marks behind, and the stark contrast of those marks against her delicately white skin tempted the beast inside him to bite her and test her blood.

    But no, not yet.

    Draven parted her legs with his knee, preparing to settle himself between them. He leaned down to swoop her into another kiss, while his hand moved to her wet folds, brushing and stroking his fingers against forbidden territory.

    "Ahh, wait--mmph!"

    But his unruly mouth swallowed her moans, kissing her roughly as his nimble fingers made her tremble.

    She found him sliding his finger inside her and could not help but call out in rm, "D-Draven!"

    The strong scent of her arousal was making him go crazy, tempting him to go back on his words of not hurting her. The urge to take liberties on her was staggering. He wanted to consume everything she could offer, to simply push his entirety inside the woman and make her cry out from his sudden invasion. He wanted to pound into her again and again and again until his hunger was fully satisfied...to the point she would even forget her own name, and only remember the ecstasy he made her feel.

    As it was, his rough fingers showed no mercy as they moved in and out of her, his movementsced with a sense of urgency, wanting to properly prepare her to receive his entirety.

    He had long stopped kissing her, but didn''t stop thrusting his fingers inside her, even deigning to add another one to stretch her, making her flinch and arch her back once more. Draven wanted to remain sane, but the beast inside him was going insane. He wanted to take her, to hurt her, to make her cry out his name--

    "Ngghh...you''re too...ahhh...I''m about to--"

    Her hands clutched onto the parted sides of his robe around his chest, her body squirming under the intense pleasure he was giving her. The sensation was too strong for her to handle, and she could not even form a coherent thought in her head. Even she herself didn''t know why she was holding onto him.

    Did she reach out of instinct to hold onto him like a lifeline, or was it a desperate protest against his still clothed body?

    "I want you, Ember."

    His hoarse voice almost sounded like a growl as he appreciated the rosy flush on the cheeks of the beauty drowning in pleasure. Her response was nothing more than incoherent noises, gasps followed by moans that seemed to resemble a plea.

    She was about to get her sweet release. Just a little more, a little--

    But Draven stopped. Panting heavily, she offered him a displeased look with her brows knitted together.

    "I was...why...?" Her haze-filled eyes blinked back the frustrated tears about to erupt from her eyes. She was so close!

    With his face just an inch away from her, her ck-hearted mate spoke with deliberate slowness.

    "I said, I want you, Ember."<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    There was immense passion and need in his eyes, his voice coated with velvet, the corners of his lips curved at the wicked ns he had prepared for her.

    "I want all of you."

    Ember found herself gulping as her body once again thrummed as if he was still touching her in between her legs. With his provocative words, her femininity throbbing as she watched his next move in anticipation.

    Under her expectant gaze, she saw him getting down from the bed and removing his sleeping robe, the ck fabric exposing his muscr body for her eyes to feast on. Ember, being bold, didn''t move her gaze away like a shy little bride and instead went ahead fully appreciating every inch of her mate''s body.

    Those wide shoulders, that sculpted chest, his toned abdomen, and as she watched his hands moving down to remove his pants...

    Ember''s eyes widened at the particr sight of his lower body and it was as if all the blood in her body went to her head. It wasn''t the first time she had seen his manhood, but that didn''t make it any less impressive. She could not help but suck in air through her mouth, and her legs inevitably clenched together as if wanting to stay away from that beast. Yet despite her fear, her body hummed to life, reminding her of the satisfying pleasure it once gave her before.

    Her reaction to him made him smirk, and it made him want to taunt her more, to bring her to the edge of ecstasy once more and remind her there were many things he could make her feel, way more than what she was being scared of. He could not wait to show her how good he could make her feel.

    Sliding away from the pants pooled at his feet, the handsome man with a sculpted body climbed back towards the bed without breaking away from her gaze. It was as if he had issued a silent challenge, and though she felt a little scared, she had no ns of backing down. Lust took over whatever reason was left in her, and as her man neared, her hungry eyes never strayed away from his daunting manhood.

    "Scared?" he asked as he hovered over her.

    His intense gaze told her that he was not going to show any mercy to her though he had said he would not hurt her.

    She immediately corrected him. "I am not."

    Though she tried to act brave, it was obvious that inside she was still scared.

    However, he epted her words as it is and asked, "Do you want to touch me?"

    ===

    A/N- Dear readers, "The Devil''s Cursed Witch" is participating in the DOUBLE GOLDEN TICKET event which will start from 20th Dec and end on 8th Jan. We have to make sure we win this contest and there will be a nice REWARD I have nned for you all with a nice SURPRISE.

    Q- How to help novel win it?

    A- Vote all your "GOLDEN TICKETS" to this novel after 20th Dec till 8th Jan, so we can make use of it to win the event. Every golden ticket voted during event will be counted double in number.

    For Ex- if you vote 1 GT, It will be counted as 2 GTs.

    If you gift CASTEL which is 16 GTS worth but it will turn into 32 GTs

    Reward for readers-

    Mass release for both novels of "Devil and Witch" series with important events in the novel covering up.

    Also, another SURPRISE which will be revealed only after we win the contest.

    The novel with most number of GTs during the event will win the contest and I really do wish us to win. We can do it. <3<3

 Chapter 325 Playing With Fire

    Touch him¡­?

    Even though his words were vague, she understood what he meant precisely because she too wanted that. To reach out and wrap her fingers around that length, to feel those bulging veins so prominent on his hardness¡­

    She was spellbound, and before she knew it, her small hand had moved down, brushing against that throbbing piece of erect flesh with her cold trembling fingers, before wrapping it firmly in her hand.

    Draven hissed with his jaw clenched the moment she touched it, while Ember found herself growing breathless in amazement.

    Her heart thumped wildly in her chest at the size that a single hand of hers could barely hold¡ªthat hot pulsating manhood seemingly still growingrger in her hand. She could not believe this thing had been inside her. She moved her hand, slowly sliding from the head down to feel it entirely, and at that move, it twitched and throbbed against her palm. A low throaty groan escaped her man''s lips, the corded muscles of his arms visibly tightening.

    "You ying with fire, Ember," he hissed. He asked her to touch but he didn''t expect her to move her hand like this. That warm palm felt indescribably soft, and the pressure of her grasp caused his entire body to stiffen. It took him all of his willpower to prevent himself from punishing his cheeky little mate and ravishing her body until she begs for mercy.

    "I like fire," she replied in a brazen manner, stroking his length as if to prove her point.

    "You have no idea what such fire can cause you."

    His warning was received by another teasing stroke.

    "You are the one who told me to touch you," she retorted, still not letting go of his manhood. Seeing the intense struggle in his eyes, she had a passing thought, ''It feels strangely good to see him react this way.''

    He gritted his teeth as his darkening red eyes pressed her. "So bold, huh? I might make you regret it."

    She enjoyed seeing him like this, to see him struggling at her mercy. Under the naughty movements of her hand, the muscles on his entire body were covered in delicious sweat, each sharp line and ne showing how much he was restraining himself.

    "Make me regret it, then," she said boldly, unaware how she was nothing more than a little kitten taunting a dangerous wild beast.

    Draven wanted to let go of himself, to flip her on her stomach and bury himself deep inside her but¡­.he said he wouldn''t hurt her. He wanted to teach her exactly how dangerous a game she was ying, that she was provoking an untamable beast, but he stopped himself.

    ''Just you wait.''<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    He removed her hand from his manhood and moved it towards the sensitive spot in between her legs. Realizing what he was up to, her entire body seemingly turned red. "What are you¡ª"

    "Letting you know what these naughty hands of yours can do." He used her own hand to do what he would do to her, and this subverted what she knew of the world.

    "Nggh, no, wait¡ªD-Draven!" she gasped as she attempted to pull her hand back, her body turning soft and pliant from embarrassment. "Let go¡­haaa¡­haaa¡­I''m going to¡ª"

    "Do you feel good?" He then held her hand in front of her, showing off those drenched fingers towards their shy owner. "Wet enough for me to punish you."

    Ember felt her entire body shudder, equally conscious and excited by her own arousal, and she felt like hiding underneath the covers. However, the man had flipped her on her stomach before she could get out of her embarrassment.

    "Ah, Draven¡­?" she eximed in shock, but her entire body was as soft as cotton at this moment, and she could do nothing with his hand against her back, pushing her down. Hisrge hand felt like a heavy rock keeping her in position. Why did he flip her?

    The next moment, she found him hovering behind her, his naked body pressing against her, the heat from his body being absorbed into hers. His hot skin felt delightful against her cold one, and his scorching hot breath fanning against her nape was causing her entire body to lose strength.

    His throbbing manhood pressed against her bottom as his legs stretched along hers. His hot breath continued to brush on the crook of her neck, and she let out a moan when his warm and moist lips grazed the sensitive skin where her crimson mate mark was located.

    Ember could not help but be rmed. Her delicate body was sandwiched between his massive body and the soft mattress underneath, both of her hands on the sides being held down by Draven, his fingers entangled with hers. Twisting her face away from the soft pillow, she called out as her heart thundered inside her chest, "Draven, what are you going¡ª"

    "Going to make you regret what you did," he answered, as he titled his face to look at her. Her eyes met with his and she didn''t get a good feeling about the wicked glint in them.

    Before she could fully register the meaning of his words, she found him moving back to kneel, pulling her hips along with him as his lustden voice reached her ears.

    "On your knees, Ember."

    She didn''t even need to understand hismand as he had easily positioned her body on his own, without waiting for her to react. He held her hands and made her upper body lean forward, settling her palms and elbows on the mattress . "Yes, just like this."

    With her heart beating loudly inside her chest, only the sounds of her rugged breathing echoed inside the chamber. She could not see him as he was behind her, and it made her nervous¡ªand incredibly excited¡ªinside. His actions had been beyond what she expected so far, and he was different from back then. What they did on the night of the full moon made her feel fulfilled,pleted, but it was nothing more than an instinctive need. But tonight, tonight was different¡­he was teaching her the various vors of pleasure.

 Chapter 326 You Misbehaving Little---

    Ember felt his throbbing manhood ready to invade the sacred ce between her legs.

    "It may hurt a little, but it won''t be like before."

    To that coaxing whisper, her ragged breaths turned into excited pants, her heart beating wildly in fear and anticipation. She felt her insides quivering, and as much as she didn''t want to admit it, she was growing even wetter along with the wait.

    Draven steadied himself behind her, one hand on her slender waist before--

    "Aahh!"

    A loud gasp left her mouth as she felt his erection entering her. Though he wasn''t fully inside, she felt him stretch her in ways mere fingers could not replicate. She shut her eyes and clutched on the bed sheet under her, her body stiffening in expectation of that intense tearing pain she feltst time but...it was not the same. Though she felt difort of something invading her inside, it was not painful like before--in fact, she felt more shock than pain.

    "Aggh..." Draven sucked in air as he felt her inside clenching tightly around his member, and he felt like he woulde inside her the very next moment. The beast inside him wanted to grab her hips, to plunge in and out without remorse, but he held himself back. He made a promise, a promise not to hurt her.

    He sucked in his breath and entered her with deliberate slowness, only the beads of sweat on his forehead being evidence of his deteriorating determination.

    "Rx, Ember," he warned, telling her to stop clenching around him. "...or I won''t be so patient."

    Ember didn''t know what he was talking about. As she had let go of inhibitions, her muscles, her hips, were all moving out of instinct. All she knew was she was being filled up by him, and it felt heavenly to feel him throbbing inside her stretched womanhood.

    He clenched his teeth, wanting to punish his stubborn mate who didn''t understand his warning. He was just halfway when she moved her hips.

    "You misbehaving little--"

    "Ahh!!!"

    She let out a loud cry as he fully thrusted inside her, and the sensation of fullness made her mind copse. Her hands gave up and her face fell t on the pillow. With her still hips raised, her legs and knees trembled, and she could not even gasp properly. An intense wave of pleasure filled every inch of her body. The corner of her eyes turned moist with the pain of his intrusion but...but it felt good. Her inside felt so good, her entire body was thrumming with joy. She wished for him to do it again.

    Strange!

    Draven panted heavily, and his hands grabbing at that slender waist tightened, his fingertips leaving marks in that soft flesh. He could only growl as it was too much to hold back at this moment. All he wanted was to pound inside her mercilessly.

    "Are you alright?"

    To distract the beastly instinct trying to take over his mind, he caressed her back and leaned down to nt kisses on her bare shoulder.

    "I''m...fine..."

    "Does it hurt?"

    His voice was almost a restrained growl, each wording with much effort, showing how considerate he was being to his mate.

    She shook her head and replied between chaotic pants, "It felt... good...really good..."<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    "I won''t hold back then."

    Even before she could respond, she felt him straightening his back and then he pulled his length out of her to the fullest before pounding back in one smooth movement.

    "Nggh! Ahh, aah, umm...D-Dra...ven--aaah! So deep--"

    She shuddered on her knees while Draven left groans of violent urgency. This felt so damn good that he didn''t care anymore. He gave in to his carnal urges and plunged deep in and out of her, making Ember cry in both pain and pleasure.

    Holding her tightly at the waist with his one hand while his other hand presing at her back to keep her steady against the mattress, he continued his wild beastly movements, each of the strong thrusts from him making her moan, the sounds of their flesh and cries mixed into erotic music filling that chamber. His mate was enjoying what he was giving her, and he was enjoying giving her that and more.

    As their bodies gave in to violent lust, not even once did she ask him to stop, neither did she show even a single sign of her not wanting his merciless treatment. Instead of resisting, she did not hold herself back from responding to him, letting her mate hear her cries of pleasure.

    "Haa, haa--nnngh!"

    The entire chamber was filled with the loud and intense sounds of pping of flesh, Ember''s moans and cries of pleasure, and Draven''s heavy panting and groans. It was as if they were an orchestra setting everything in fire, their mes of passion and desires drowning the world in a sea of ze.

    "Come here," an order came down amidst his ragged breaths.

    As he uttered those words, his hands clutched onto her hair as he leaned down, their upper bodies pressing against each other as he continued pounding inside her. He hungrily bit and licked her neck, and because of their position, he was so deep inside her that he could feel a bulge on her initially t stomach.

    As if unsatisfied, he pulled her up with him, causing both of them to be on their knees on the bed with their upper bodies straight, and with that, his hands were free to roam around her body and so was hers. His mouth moved to where her bond mark was, his beastly nature rearing its head. The beast wanted to taste not only her aroused body, but her sweet blood as well, reminding his seductive little mate that she was his and his alone.

    His one hand groped her soft mounds and the other one moved to the aching bud between her folds to y it with his fingers. Ember felt like losing her mind from all the stimtions she was receiving and she had no control over her body as she gave into those waves of intense pleasure he was making her feel. He continued ravaging her inside with rough violence, his skilful fingers adding to the mounting pleasure.

    "Does it feel good? How about this? This?" he asked, his voice at edge.

    "Ah..Y-Yes...it...that too," she spoke between those lewd moans and cries. From how much her insides were clenching, he knew she was about to reach her peak. "Ahhh, everything feels good...nngh!"

    Draven no longer spoke and fully withdrew his length from inside her, only to m back into her in one forceful thrust. Along with it, his teeth buried themselves into her soft skin, drawing blood at the smooth curve of her neck where the bond mark was located.

    "Ahhh!!"

    A strong wave of pleasure spread across her body, making her go limp in the end, supported by nothing but his hold around her drained body.

    Draven licked the bite mark on her skin and then his tongue swiped along his lips, licking the stain of blood on one the corner.

    Sweet!

    As he appreciated her taste, he pulled out of her, but the sensation of his still-hard manhood made her flinch once again and her limp body was alerted. Ember wanted to lie on the mattress and rest, wishing to relish the feeling of the release she had just gotten but....it was all wishful thinking on her part.

    Draven merely let hery on the bed for her to catch her breath, but he was not done yet.

 Chapter 327 She Makes Him Feel Alive

    With her body facing down, she was thinking of burying herself into theforts of her pillow when all of a sudden, she was flipped on her back to face the devil. His red eyes clearly gave out his dangerous intentions, looking about ready to devour her again.. She nced at the devil settled between her parted legs and his erect manhood still drenched in her wetness--and for a moment, that length looked more dangerous and threatening than before.

    "Draven..."

    "Don''t even think about resting," he warned, sensing her intentions.

    "I am tired--"

    "But I am not," he growled.

    The next moment, she let out a shocked cry as he plunged inside her without a warning, his hands holding her folded legs to keep them apart. His muscled body covered in sweat was relentless as he pounded into her, his red eyes watching the alluring expression of her face, especially her partially opened mouth letting out seductive moans as her hips attempted to match his thrusts.

    "D-Draven...slow down...ahhh....You''re going to make me--mmphf!

    He kissed her roughly, cutting her off, and burying those wild moans of hers down her throat.

    His hands held hers and pressed them on the side of the mattress, takingplete control over her, not leaving any space for her to resist. He continued pounding her like a beast, his pace growing faster and faster as if he could not have enough of her no matter how much he did it.

    She gave up resisting and simply let go of her inhibitions, her sweaty body responding to him as pleasure began to build inside her again. Muffled moans once more found their way out of her throat. She could not believe that just a while ago she felt like dying with exhaustion, yet now she was reacting to this man with the same earnestness he was giving her.

    As he slightly pulled his head away, Draven''s red eyes weed the beautiful sight of her well-ravaged lips, and her misty eyes drowned in passion and lust was enough to drive his inner beast into another rampage. Those swollen lips of hers looked so enticing that for a moment, he wondered how it would feel to have her small mouth pleasure him and take all of him inside that warm mouth down her throat. Simply the thought of it was maddening and made him pound her harder and faster.

    That seductive mouth of her opened as she tried to form a coherent sentence.

    "...about to...I''m about to--"

    ''Not yet.''

    Not feeling it was enough, Draven let go of her hands and moved back to sit, and as he pulled her body up to straddle on top of him. Not a single sound of protest came from her, only another surprised sound followed by a lewd cry as their new position buried him so deep inside her, she could feel almost his throbbing manhood reaching deep inside her. He had filled her up so thoroughly her mind had nked. All she knew was pleasure, and let nature take its course.

    As she let him toy with her the way he wished, her own body moved to adapt to his--she circled her hands around his neck and her legs straddled his waist, her hips moving up and down to heighten the pleasure they both felt.<novelnext>  </novelnext>

    Her haze-covered eyes looked into those intense ones as she leaned in to kiss him. She didn''t know what''s gotten into her but she did it and felt him smirk before reciprocating her kiss. His hands held her bottom, digging his fingers into that soft flesh, helping her move up and down consistently with his movements, keeping control of the pace of his manhood invading her depths.

    With a few final thrust and animalistic grunt, Draven emptied himself inside of her as she too reached ecstasy, the pair of mates finding their releases together. Ember''s sweaty messy body once again limped over his as she buried her face in the crook of his neck, her ragged breathing brushing against his sweaty skin.

    Draven hugged her tightly, enjoying every bit of his release inside her as he had his eyes shut tightly, inhaling her aroused scent while nuzzling into her messy hair.

    ? He had never felt this good, not even on the night of the full moon when they shared their first intimacy.

    Back then, he only let his primal instinct take over him, and it was a kind of satisfaction one would get after eating a full meal after a period of starvation. It was different from what they shared tonight. This intimacy where she gave herself to him without holding back, knowing this was something she wanted...it told him he was desired by choice and not out of need.

    For this frail human mate of his to trust her entire being to him, for her to allow him control over her body, it made him feel a strange warmth inside his chest.

    Being able to hold her like this, being able to drown in this sweet scent of hers, it made him feel alive. Yes, he was alive. After thousands of years of merely living for the sake of surviving, like a cloud drifting without direction, he felt himself find a purpose, an anchor, and that was his mate.

    His mate, his Ember, she was everything to him.

    His arms tightened around her, assuring him she was his and she was with him. A reminder that he would never let her go of her no matter what.

    Draven gently ced her back on the mattress. Her tired body messy with sweat, she didn''t even have the energy to open her eyes. He pulled out of her slowly, making her flinch and whine a little and saw his own body fluid gushing out of her swollen wet folds. It was an extremely satisfying sight, and he knew this would not be the first nor thest that he would fill her up to the brim to the point she would overflow.

    It made his manhood throb again and the n to let her rest disappeared in thin air. He leaned down to nibble on her lips and she opened her eyes in shock. Her eyes were wide in disbelief, silently telling him to be reasonable, that surely he was not nning to do it again.

    "I made another promise--to make you regret your actions--and I am yet to make good of that."

    Her exhausted body trembled under the gaze of the dangerous predator ready to y with his prey again and again.

    "D-Draven...you can''t be seriously--"

    But the rest of her protest was buried inside her mouth as the devil executed the n of devouring her again, and that chamber continued to be filled by the echoes of her cries, until the owner of that pitiful voice passed out from the devil''s wicked hunt.

 Chapter 328 An Ominous Vision

    In the middle of the night, at the residence of Cornelia Grimm, the Head of the Witches.

    The beautiful red-haired witch was in her bed, but instead of being in a peaceful sleep, she was restlessly tossing among her sheets. Her face wore a pained expression and her breathing shallow, her fine brows knitted on her forehead that was glistening with sweat. Her hands were clutching and tugging on the bedsheet as if she was struggling to be released from a terrible nightmare.

    A rain of petals¡­ camellia flowers¡­

    A solemn graveyard¡­

    Red blood flowing¡­ someone was stabbed¡­

    "No, no¡­don''t¡­" she continued to mumble in her sleep.

    The energy emitting her body was getting stronger and¡ª

    "No!"

    Smash!

    Shatter!

    Her entire chamber turned into a chaotic mess as the vases on the table and bottles on the shelves burst into shattered pieces, waking Cornelia from her sleep. She sat up in her bed with her face looking utterly shocked, her breathing ragged as if she had gone through a hard time.

    "Death?" she breathed heavily, and unknown to her, hot tears were rolling down from her eyes. "S-Someone¡­is going to die¡­someone¡­.going¡­to die¡­" she continued mumbling and clutched on her chest as its pounding hurt. Tears continued to roll down her pale cheeks, her gaze still seeing the ominous premonition she had.

    Sensing themotion, two young witches hurried towards Cornelia''s chamber. The sound of explosions was rathermon for a witch when one was doing experiments in the workroom, but this time, Silvia and Talia were rmed by the sudden outburst of powers from their Head''s bedchamber.

    Inside the chamber, everything was a mess, broken ss shards were on the floor and along with pottery fragments and other unknown liquids mixed together. Even themps were destroyed, and it would have been pitch ck inside had it not been for the feeble moonlight streaming in from the direction of the broken windows.

    Amidst the ruined room, Cornelia remained seated in bed. Her appearance resembled that of a ghost, pale withrge vacant eyes as her body rocked back and forth while talking to herself.

    "My Lady!" the servants called out as they hurried to reach her side, "are you alright?"

    "What happened?"

    "Are you hurt? Can you hear us?"

    "M-Mydy, your eyes are bleeding! Tears of blood¡­Did you see something?"

    "...Someone is going to die," Cornelia mumbled as her eyes stared into oblivion.

    The two servants felt scared to hear her ominous words. Being apprentice witches under Cornelia''s direct tutge, they were aware that if the Head Witch had such a vivid vision then there is no way it was but a simple dream. It was a premonition of a future, and the chance of it being wrong was non-existent.

    However, the message of her vision wasn''t the most important for them at the moment. It would be detrimental to Cornelia''s mental state if she was unable to extricate herself from her dream. They had to bring her back to her senses.

    "My Lady, do you recognize me? Talk to me. What did you see in your nightmare?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    It was Silvia who spoke, the servant who always followed Cornelia, acting as her assistant and representative on many asions.

    "My Lady?"

    After a couple more attempts, Cornelia finally looked at her, her bloody eyes filled with fear. "S-Silvia¡­death¡­"

    Silvia held Cornelia''s icy cold hand. "I hear you, my Lady. Is it a vision of a friend''s death?"

    But Cornelia''s response remained vague and incoherent.

    "...It will happen¡­ that person will die¡­that person is going to¡ª"

    Cornelia repeated over and over in shock, as if had lost control over her emotions. Tears of blood rolled down from her eyes as she started to sob.

    The two servants gave each other a worried look. It was rare to see Cornelia like this; in the past hundred years, thest time this happened was during the death of one of the senior witches who sumbed to her war injuries. Visions of death would only ur if the person in the vision was someone of great importance, to the point its repercussions would severely affect the destiny of an entire n or race.

    For the Head of the Witches to suddenly have such a nightmare out of the blue seemed to be an ominous sign of a death that could destroy the peace of thisnd.

    "First, you need to get hold of yourself, mydy, so we can talk about it."

    Talia, the other servant, brought water for her. "My Lady, please have a drink."

    Cornelia epted the water without much of a reaction. As she had a few sips, a bit of sanity appeared in her solemn eyes.

    "My Lady, have you calmed down?"

    "Give me my coat," Cornelia said all of a sudden. "I need to pay a visit to the Spirit Circle."

    "The Circle? Now? It''s the middle of the night, mydy," Silvia said as she went to clean the woman''s face. "How about we go there first thing in the morning?"

    Cornelia handed the half-full ss back to Talia, and after her face was clean of blood, she stepped out of her bed. "Since when did night and day start to matter to us witches."

    With renewed determination, the red-haired woman walked towards the fallen wooden stand on one side of the room, her face unchanging as she stepped on the shards of ss and broken y fragments on the floor. She went to get the thick winter coat hanging on the wooden stand and wore it.

    Silvia immediately stood up and approached her master.

    "Let me apany you, my Lady."

    The Spirit Circle was not a ce that weed anyone other than the Head of the Witches, but Cornelia didn''t say ''no'' to this request. Silvia was a talented young witch who was learning things from Cornelia. Though they did not have a formal master-disciple rtionship, Silvia was one of her students and among the younger generation, this ck-haired witch was the one with the best character, judgment and ability. Silvia was one she was preparing for the future of their coven. It was only a matter of time for young Silvia to be introduced as her sessor to the esteemed people of the Spirit Circle.

    Silvia then handed over the cleaning up of the room to the other witch and left along with Cornelia.

 Chapter 329 Someone Is Going To Die

    Some timeter, the two witches appeared in front of the wooden cottage located in the most isted part of the coven''s territory. It was at the outskirts of the city where no one often went, and from what Silvia noticed, there was an istion spell casted on the periphery such that unwee visitors would unconsciously turn away.

    That two-storey cottage was surrounded by a wooden fence, and although the building looked old it was well maintained as witches didn''t like to live in shabby ces. The only source of light was a single old-fashioned oilmp hanging from the ceiling of the entrance porch.

    Cornelia and Silvia reached the door of the cottage, and after getting permission from her master, Silvia lifted the bronze door knocker in the shape of the moon to announce their arrival. The sound of metal striking metal gloomily echoed in the silence of the night.

    The door of the cottage opened on its own, but there was no person behind it. The two witches were not startled as it was to be expected, given psychic powers were rathermon for high-level witches. The moment they entered the door, they were weed by an old but melodious voice amidst the darkness.

    "Cornelia, my dear. We were expecting you but¡­."

    "...didn''t expect this young witch to be our guest as well," another voice continued, referring to Silvia.

    "Apologies for disturbing you at this hour, seniors," Cornelia said, and the next moment, themps inside lit up one by one, making that huge drawing room visible to their eyes. Three old women wearing simple long dresses were sitting on the long couch, staring at the two young women in front of them as if they had long been waiting for their arrival.

    "As you have already disturbed us, there is no need for formality," the thin woman in the center said, who had simr red hair like Cornelia, though she appeared to be already in herte seventies. Meanwhile, the other two next to her both had silvery blond hair and had simr plump figures, looking to be around in their sixties. However, one was missing a leg, while the other, an arm, but from their facial simrities, it was obvious they were blood-rted siblings.

    Glinda Mortem, Glinda of the Meteor.

    Maria Grimsbane, Maria the Great Mage.

    Th Grimsbane, the Witch of Destruction.

    These three old witches were war veterans, survivors who were highly respected not only by the witches belonging to Honeyharbor Coven, but also by the entire Kingdom of Agartha for being in the frontlines to go against the worst of the enemy ck magic practitioners, the ck Witches, in that tragic war a hundred years ago.

    After the war, numerous casualties were incurred by the witches, some losing their powers, some sumbing to depression and losing their sanity, while others had permanent injuries that made them disabled for life. Those who remained sensible formed the Spirit Circle and chose to retire from their positions, vanishing from the public''s eye.

    Of those mighty and glorious figures who fought alongside Her Eminence Evanthe, these three were the only ones who survived up to the present times.

    Cornelia gave a gracious bow to the thin woman.

    "Thank you, Senior Glinda."

    "Have a seat," said the one sitting left of Glinda, the woman with a missing arm.

    "Thank you, Senior Maria." Cornelia walked to sit on the chair opposite to them. "Seems like seniors are already aware of mying."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You think that because we have lost most of our powers during that war, we can''t even detect the arrival of a little girl like you?" said the third old woman with a little frown.

    Cornelia immediately corrected herself, "I didn''t mean to offend you, Senior Th. I should have known you three can sense the agitation of my powers and expect me toe since something troubles me."

    "You don''t need to feel apologetic, Cornelia. Old age is getting to Th so she is acting nasty these days," Maria spoke.

    Th''s frown turned into a scowl. "Nasty?" She red at the two next to her. "Living with you two old hags, seeing your faces day in and day out, sure makes anyone nasty."

    "So at this age, do you wish to live with your warlock and review that old romance which you never had?" Mariamented to which Th felt enraged.

    "As if you ever had any in your life. Not a single Warlock ever looked at you due to how arrogant you were because of your powers."

    "Yeah, and you have a queue of warlocks in front of your door as you are so sweet and down to earth."

    Maria and Th arguing like this was nothing new for both Glinda and Cornelia; taking any of their sides was asking for trouble. Given her careful character, Silvia chose to keep her surprise to herself and kept her face stoic, mimicking Cornelia''sposure.

    "Are you two done?" Glinda, who was pressing her temple with a wrinkled finger, finally interfered. "I do not know about you, but my old bones do not wish to spend an entire night on a couch. Why don''t we listen to why Cornelia hase?"

    The two old women stopped arguing. With Glinda being the most senior and responsible among them, they always listened to her.

    Glinda smiled at Cornelia. "Dear, the protection and istion spell around Spirit Circle is your masterwork. We sensed something had happened as we felt the intense fluctuation of your magic power from the spell. Something serious seemed to have happened to make your magic this agitated."

    "I had a vision, Senior Glinda," Cornelia said with a worried tone.

    "An ominous one, I presume?"

    Cornelia nodded. "It is a vision of Death. I had a dream that showed someone is going to die."

    "Are you sure it is a vision, my dear?" Glinda asked while the other witches beside her looked at each other.

    "Yes, senior. I only had one such vivid vision during that war, and at that time, Her Eminence was with me. She said that kind of vision was me catching a glimpse of the future, that was why my soul was shaken. It was meant to happen."

 Chapter 330 Assaulter Is A Woman

    "I remember that," Maria said, to which Th added, "and we lost G. Sheughed it off back then, saying something along the lines of ''how can such a thing happen'' when she was the most powerful witch among us, the Head Witch of the coven, second only in strength and knowledge after Her Eminence."

    Cornelia let out a bitter smile. "Even I did not take my own vision seriously back then. Only Her Eminence believed in what I saw."

    "At that time, you were closest to G. Not only are you two master and disciple, she raised you like her own daughter." Glinda mindlessly stroke the back of her hand, where a vicious scar could be seen. She then changed the subject. "If you say that the vision you had tonight is simr to then, that means this is about the death of someone really important to you. We witches often get such more urate visions of the future when it''s rted to people we cherish or tragedies that would immensely affect our lives or the people around us."

    Cornelia agreed and thought about it. "Someone I cherish? There are many I do care for, but I cannot point out the identity of the person this time, unlike back then with Master."

    "Every vision has clues. Try to look through them," Maria suggested. "Those clues may not be rted to the identity of the person in your dream, but they can lead to details that may help us predict that person or the circumstances about their death."

    Th grumbled, "But then? Even if she finds out who is dying, we all know that person''s death is bound to happen anyway. We can''t even stop it. What''s the use of learning that person''s identity? To let that person know that they are going to die? Give them a heads up so they can bid their loved ones farewell? Isn''t it better to simply let nature take its course?"

    "Th, can you be a bit sympathetic?" Maria gave her displeased look.

    "Did I say something wrong? Last time, we found out that G was going to die. Could we have stopped it?" Th asked as she gave Maria a t stare. "No, we could not stop it. Even Her Eminence, whose powers we don''t know the limit of, could not keep her from dying.

    "Like what Her Eminence said, Cornelia caught a glimpse of the future, and the future she saw was set in stone. Witches are seekers of truth--we could not change the events that destiny had set. It only made all of us feel guilty and pathetic. Didn''t we all feel useless, ming ourselves for letting her die when we could have stopped it? But could we have really stopped it?

    "If we had tried to change the future back then, do you think G would have lived? Be honest. You know she would have still died, albeit in a different manner. This time it won''t be any different, and Cornelia will simply end up feeling guilty once more.

    "Do you want her to suffer what we all have suffered since then? Have any of us ever forgotten G and her cruel death? Once is enough. We old bones should learn from our mistakes and not let our juniors repeat them. No one deserves that kind of pain. Destiny cannot be changed."

    There was a sudden silence in the drawing room. No one dared deny what Th said. Though her words were bitter, what she said was the absolute truth.

    Being an optimist, Glinda finally broke the silence. "We know we cannot change the future, but do not forget, Th, knowledge is something we seek to better the lives of others. Understanding Cornelia''s vision might help us in other ways, letting us determine what woulde next and prepare in advance so that the repercussions would harm less people. Though we cannot change the vision itself and cannot save that person from dying, we can try to avoid the consequences of their death from worsening."

    While the old witches were conversing, Cornelia found herself growing anxious at the thought that she was soon going to lose someone she cherished but...who was that person? Who was so important to her?

    "Cornelia," Glinda called her, seeing her dazed.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She immediately looked at the old witch. "Y-Yes, senior?"

    "Are you fine? You look..." Maria stopped. "What are you thinking about?"

    "Is there really no way to change it? I...I feel like my heart is being torn even though I don''t know who it is yet and even though it didn''t even happen yet. I...I don''t want it to happen." Her eyes turned teary as that feeling made her feel worse, like she was getting her heart broken.

    "Get ahold of yourself, Cornelia," Glinda instructed with a cold voice. "You are the Head Witch of our coven and you cannot be so weak because of such a vision. Emotions should not blind you from reality. You are blessed to be able to see the future but that doesn''t mean you should let yourself be affected like this. You know you cannot change it. It is useless and irresponsible to waste time thinking of things you cannot control. Instead, focus on the present. Try to find the positive in the future--think of how your vision can help people avoid any disaster rted to it."

    Cornelis wiped the tears she didn''t know when she began shedding and nodded as she heard Maria''s soft voice try to soothe her, "Now, now, we understand how you feel. Glinda might sound harsh, but she means you well."

    "I understand. I apologize for showing such a weak side of me, seniors."

    "It''s fine, it''s fine," the old woman smiled as she gestured in the air with her only arm. "Now, why don''t you tell us more about the vision you saw? Maybe we can help interpret the clues."

    "I saw camelia flowers, and there was a graveyard, and also someone bleeding after being stabbed. There were more things, but I could not see them clearly..."

    "Someone being stabbed. What was the weapon? Any clues about who got stabbed? A male body? Female body? Which body part? And the offender, anything you can recall? Does the hand holding the weapon show any marks?"

    "I could not see either of them but the one who was stabbed and the one who will die...I feel... that''s a man...and someone really powerful, " she sounded unsure.

    "And the one who stabbed him?" Maria asked.

    "I didn''t see the person but I saw the weapon. It was not an ordinary dagger...I think, I think it emitted divine powers. The hand that was holding it was slim and delicate, so I think it belonged to a woman. That means the assaulter is a woman."

    "Woman?" Th mumbled. "It''s always a woman. Back then, it was that Zaria wench, and now, who is this female murderer?"

    Glinda patted her hand to calm her down as Th''s hate towards Zaria was like a poison.

 Chapter 331 Bitterness From The Past

    ? "Do you have anyone in mind who dares do such an act when everything is peaceful in this kingdom? If she dares to do this, that means she is someone powerful. You need to make a list of the people you are close with--be they your fellow sisters or brothers in the coven, or from the other races. After that, try to make another list of the powerful female beings with divine powers. Maybe we can check which amongst them have possible bad blood or animosity between them."

    Cornelia sighed. "I will try to look more into it."

    "Most of the people you know are important figures of the kingdom, Cornelia, and people at that level are by no means weak. If that murderer can kill someone powerful, that means she can bring another disaster to this kingdom. You need to prepare for the possibility of a battle, a riot or a massacre happening. As I said, though we cannot stop the death of the person in your vision, we can at least stop the murderer from causing more harm," Glinda suggested.

    "I will do my best," Cornelia assured.

    "Do you have an idea of when this is happening?" Th asked.

    Cornelia nodded head. "Since I saw a graveyard in my vision, I feel it is highly likely--"

    "It''s on the day of mourning," Thpleted her sentence.

    "It''s the most important day for this kingdom," Maria said. "Anything that happens that day will surely bring harm to a lot of people, especially since the atmosphere within the kingdom is at its worst during this time of the year."

    Th tapped her fingers on the wooden recement of her missing leg as she pondered. "Is that all? The details are too few."

    "I apologize, but that''s all I can remember, senior."

    "Tsk. Little girl, when will you grow up? Apology can solve nothing. Next time you see a prophetic vision, be more responsible and observe as much as you could. More lives could be saved the more clues you get. Don''t juste to us for help; think of a solution yourself. It''s your vision and we can only lend you small pieces of advice based on our experiences. We are not fortune tellers, and we are not your nannies either. We are too old to be solving your problems and cleaning up after you--"

    "Oh, hush, you grumpy hag!" Maria scolded her.

    "But Senior Th is right. I should have thought of a solution myself first rather thaning straight here to disturb the seniors. I am fortunate to receive such advice," Cornelia responded.

    Glinda spoke with a gentle smile, "Don''t mind her words. We know having such a vision can make anyone panic, and it is a wise move to seek us for help. Being the Head Witch doesn''t mean you need to carry all your burdens on your own. The more lives you shoulder, the more you need someone who can understand you. Remember, you are always wee here and we are with you. Isn''t that the reason why we from the Spirit Circle wee you, the Head, as a visitor, even though we live in seclusion?"

    "Thank you, Senior Glinda."

    After exchanging some more words, Cornelia stood up to bid farewell. After she and her servant were gone, the three witches remained seated in the drawing room, their expressions all reflecting a somber frown.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Glinda, what do you think?" Maria asked.

    "The vision, it''s not a topic of whether it wille true or not. My concern is what is the most likely reason or variable that brings about the vision. Of the two incidents that have urred in this kingdom recently, one of them is first in history. I think you know what I am talking about," Glinda replied.

    "Though the arrival of the golden eagle is surprising, it is not as mind-blowing as the mate of the King, and as if that isn''t shocking enough, that mate has to be a human being," Th said as she sighed. "I had a terrible feeling about her the first time I heard of that absurd news..."

    "She is not an ordinary human. Didn''t we hear things about her? Last time, Cornelia said she has divine powers inside her."

    "That makes it even more worrisome," Th said. "A human with such powers. I am sure she is rted to that little girl''s vision, one way or another. She will be the one to bring disaster to our kingdom, and once again, not only will the King pay for his mistake, our people will have to suffer again."

    "Th, don''t say that."

    "What? It''s true, isn''t it? That stubborn ck Dragon doesn''t learn. So what if she''s special? She''s still human. That person from a century ago--ugh! I don''t know what his problem is with humans..."

    "Oh, hush. He''s still the King. Be mindful of your words. Instead of that, we need to do something on our own to deal with the aftermath of this vision. On the day of mourning, we have to prepare spells to at least protect our coven," Glinda said.

    "We will do it," Maria assured and looked at her twin sister. "Th?"

    "Do I have any other option? The King brings humans and we have to clear the mess," she said with a deep frown. "Again."

    "Aren''t you worried about who is the powerful man destined to die?"

    "I don''t care." Th snorted. "If it is that human stabbing the King, oh spirits, I will even give her an additional dagger, no, a sword. Even if he dies, I don''t think his death is enough to pay for all his sins."

    At that, Th stood up, walking without issue using her one good leg and one wooden leg, as if she wasn''t disabled in the first ce.

    Glinda and Maria simply looked at her walking ahead. For someone like Th whose energy core had been broken, she was mostly sustaining her lost leg with thest bits of her vitality, and it was thest bit of dignity she could afford for herself after giving up her everything for the sake of their people. Once a powerful woman, living with a dignity and pride was now lost in the darkness.

 Chapter 332 Hurt And Angry Mate

    When Ember opened her heavy eyes to the bright sunlight flooding inside her chamber, she could notprehend what situation she was in. She could only let out a groan, finding the brightness painful to her eyes. As she tried to bury herself under her sheets, she realized she was lying naked in bed, and for a moment, her mind was nk.

    ''Why am I...?''

    Her bleary sight took some time to adjust to her surroundings, but when she looked around, her servants were nowhere to be found. Still in a stupor, she could not understand the situation. It waste in the morning, maybe even noontime, but neither Reya or Clio were around. Those two, she always found them ready to attend to her whenever she woke up every morning.

    ''Where are--''

    "Uggh..." She tried to move in bed but her entire body was assaulted by a heavy, dull ache that made her unable to gather even an ounce of strength.. ''My body hurts. I can''t even move.''

    She closed her eyes andy in bed without moving. The corners of her eyes turned moist at the helplessness she was feeling, and only then did the memories of her rigorous nighte back to her.

    ''Him! It''s all because of him! He didn''t listen to me and...'' She felt like crying. ''So cruel, he is. Next time...no, there won''t be any next time. I won''t let him...I won''t allow him to... Ugh, I won''t fall for his sweet words...

    ''He said it won''t hurt but look at this! Look at me! I can''t feel my arms, and my back, and my legs--and my hips! Wah! My entire body feels like I''ve been battered by an enemy, from head to toe. How is this even possible?! Liar, such a liar!''

    Her entire body was a mess, dirty with sweat and stuff she didn''t even want to think about. Her initially unblemished skin was now peppered with bruises, teeth marks and love bites. The ce between her legs, her thighs still felt so sticky--

    It was driving her crazy! She wanted to jump out of the bed right away and dive in the pool of water to clean herself.

    "Reya, Cli--cough! Clio, cough!" Her throat felt dry and sore. ''M-My voice? Why is it so bad?''

    Another memory fromst night shed before her eyes. The way she cried out his name repeatedly, how he made her beg for mercy, how she could not stop herself from being loud every time he made her peak.

    Half in embarrassment and half in anger, she felt like cursing out loud.

    ''He must pay for bullying me!''

    Just then, the door of the chamber opened and Reya''s head peeked inside the chamber. "Miss, we heard you calling for us."

    ''Despite my voice? Thank goodness, elves have sharp hearing!'' Ember nodded with a strained smile. She cleared her throat a few times, but her voice was still barely a croak. "H-help me... get up..."

    The two elves who had been waiting outside immediately entered her chamber and helped her get up.

    "Bath...I want..."

    Even after Clio handed her a drink from her bedside table, she could not speak much.

    "Don''t worry, Miss. We understand," Clio said while Reya wrapped the sheet around the naked body of their master. Though they acted calm, from the shaking of their eyes, it was apparent her body wasn''t a pleasant sight to see.

    Their king sure had taken full liberties with his frail mate. A Dragon...No need to imagine what he was capable of, and the pair of elves could only give looks of pity towards the struggling human girl. For a moment, they wondered if this was a result of him already being considerate of her.

    The two helped Ember have a long, long bath, helping even massage parts of her body. After they helped her get clothed, Ember was brought back to her bedchamber, where the sheets on the bed had been already changed to clean ones.

    She sat on the newly-made bed with a big frown on her face, her hands fidgeting over the long sleeves to cover some of the marks on her arm, and the more she stared at the finger-shaped bruises, the more her anger simmered.

    "Miss, have this tea. The honey will help soothe your throat," Clio offered.

    "Oh I know what will make you feel good, Miss. You must be very hungry by now. I will bring your meal for you so you can eat in bed," Reya eximed in an attempt to cheer her up before leaving.

    ''How embarrassing it is to let these two see me in that condition but...'' she sighed as she epted the cup. ''I had no other option. I could not even walk on my own.''

    "Miss, is your body feeling better now?" Clio asked.

    Ember had a sip of tea and nodded lightly. "A little."

    "Dame Y had given us an ointment. Once you have your meal, we can apply it on your body. It will heal you overnight."

    "Thank you, Clio. Please let Y know I appreciate it."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Not long after, Reya brought her meal for her. Ember could not deny she was starving, giving her an illusion that she had not eaten anything for days. One thing was sure, whatever situation she was in, she would never say ''no'' to food. Her stomach was always honest and would not reject anything that would enter it.

    After having a hefty meal, she continued to stay in bed, half-sitting and half-reclining with a handful of soft pillows ced on her back. Though she wanted to move about, her body was not in a good state, and she was starting to get bored.

    ''Maybe I should read some books to pass the time.''

    It happened that Clio reentered the chamber after taking back the empty dishes to the kitchen. "Miss, His Majesty is on his way here. Shall I help you up?"

    In response, Ember pointedly fluffed the pillows on her side. "Tell him I am resting and I am not epting any visits."

    "B-But, Miss..."

    "Didn''t you hear me? Also tell him I am not going to talk to him so he should not bother me."

    Clio and Reya gulped. Their master sure was short-tempered but they didn''t expect her to show her temper to the King, of all people. Not many in this kingdom dared to be impolite to him, and to think that his mate....the two could only sigh.

    Reluctantly, Clio went out of the chamber where she found Draven standing silently. He had heard what Ember said. Instead of feeling offended, there was a light curve at the corners of his lips as if he was pleased to hear what Ember said.

    "Y-Your Majesty, M-Miss...said..." Clio trembled to pass such a message to the King.

    Draven turned around and left, not bothering to let the servant finish what she had to say.

    Clio returned to the chamber, only to hear Ember ask, "What did he say?"

    With a somewhat relieved face, Clio replied with her hand over her racing heart, "His Majesty said nothing."

    "Nothing?" Ember asked, feeling a little disappointed. "Then?"

    "His Majesty simply left," Clio answered.

    "Left?" Ember exhaled lightly and then frowned. "Good for him. I don''t want to see him at all."

    Draven, who was walking away, didn''t fail to catch what his mate said. The small smile remained on his lips as he continued to walk leisurely along the hallway.

    Someone overpowering him, disregarding his authority as a King, such a pleasant feeling it was and only his mate could do it...only his mate was allowed to do it.

    ===

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 Chapter 333 Leeoras Vision

    In the city of the Wood Elves, Ronan.

    Inside thergest tree residence in the central part of the city, the High Elder of the Wood Elf n was in the middle of making an elixir. The elderly elf was sitting on the floor, her wrinkled face in deep concentration, a weak glow surrounding her body as she prepared to use her spiritual power to purify the essence of the ingredients she prepared.

    In front of her, y pots containing various precious herbs were ced with visible care, some freshly plucked leaves, while others included barks and roots grounded to fine powder. Contrary to how witches make their potions by cing heavy emphasis on thebination of rare ingredients, elves ce more emphasis on the herbs itself, on bringing out the essence of the nts using their earth-attribute power, and turning them into elixirs.

    As Leeora finished her meditation, she began the process of refining herbs. A portion of the prepared herbs from the pots flew up in the air and they arranged themselves to float in the air in the form of a perfect circle in front of the elf. With her eyes closed, her hands moved in front of her chest, her palms moving in a circr fashion facing each other.

    The herbs in front of her mimicked the movement of her hands, and wrapped by the elf''s magic, each of their essences took the form of a pure white energy that sparkled in the air, and under the guidance of her hands, that refined essence moved towards one of the empty bottles sitting on the side.

    Once that white energy entered the small bottle, its lid closed on its own.

    Leeora didn''t open her eyes and prepared to make another elixir. Once again, she repeated the same procedure as another portion of the herbs from the pot flew into the air. Just as she began wrapping them with her magic, her concentration fluctuated. Leeora''s brows knitted as something shed in front of her eyes.

    A basket overflowing with freshly-plucked herbs¡­

    The sky turning dark¡­

    Heavy clouds, shes of lightning¡­

    lDripping blood, a glint of a weapon''s de¡ª

    A person being stabbed.

    With a loud gasp, Leeora opened her eyes. She did not even pay attention to the ruined sludge in front of her, or the broken pots and withered herbs that received the brunt of her magic''s outburst.

    The elf was still in shock, finding it difficult to breathe, her chest heaving up and downboriously.

    ''A premonition?''

    She ced her hand on her loudly beating heart, and even though she was trying to calm herself, the sense of impending doom continued to suffocate her.

    ''Something bad is going to happen. Something really bad.''

    As she thought about it more, her intuition was telling her this was not something she should overlook.

    The utterly shocked old elf shivered at what it might imply, but given her wisdom due to her old age, she was able to calm herself.

    "I¡­I need to pay a visit to the one who can clear my doubts," the High Elder mumbled as she stood up from her ce.

    That very same day, Leeora sent word to Cornelia that she had an urgent concern that needed her help, and shortly after, the elf arrived at the city of the witches.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She was warmly weed at the residence of the Head of the Witches'' residence where Cornelia personally came to meet her at first notice of her arrival.

    "High Elder Leeora, wee to my humble home," the red-haired witch greeted her, but she dropped the long-winded formalities upon seeing the elf''s anxious state. "You do not look well, Elder. Pleasee inside quickly. Talia, serve our guest with sweet tea."

    Leeora tried to regain herposure as Cornelia led her to the drawing room.

    "Pardon my sudden visit, Lady Cornelia. I hope I did not disturb you from any important affairs."

    "It''s fine, Elder," the witch said. "May I ask what brought you here?"

    Leeora inhaled deeply and replied, "I had an ominous premonition, and I am hoping you can give me some advice."

    "A premonition? Can you tell me more about this, Elder?"

    The elf gave aplete recount of what she had experienced, and the witch silently listened till the end. Seeing the dazed expression on the witch''s face, Leeora could not help but ask, "What do you think, Lady Cornelia? I tried to continue making elixirs afterwards, but I could not gather my concentration no matter what I did. My spirit had been greatly disturbed by what I saw. I fear what I saw meant someone''s death, that''s why I hurried toe here¡­"

    Cornelia let out an audible sigh. "So I am not the only one."

    Leeora was quick to pick up clues. "Are you saying you as well had the same premonition?" She had a realization. "Oh, of course, if it''s something that can cause great disaster, it will be you witches who will be first to get a vision or prophecy."

    Cornelia nodded, sharing what she saw in her dream. Though retelling what she experienced made her upset, she was the Head of the coven, and thus chose to focus on the more important matters. "...because it is inevitable, I am trying to look into more things that can be avoided. I must thank you foring, Elder. With your help, we found more clues."

    Leeora sighed. "You say it so easily, Lady Cornelia. Every life is precious, and the fact that a person you cherish will die, should we not attempt to change the future?"

    "We cannot change it, Elder, and you are aware of it," Cornelia said. "I suggest that you let the people you trust know so they can also prepare for the day of mourning¡­"

    In front of the calm andposed Cornelia, Leeora found herself feeling disappointed. "We both received the same vision of the future, Lady Cornelia. That means the one who is going to die is someone important to the two of us, a person we both cannot bear to lose. Aren''t you even a bit worried about who we are going to lose this time?" At this, her eyes had be moist.

    Though Cornelia pretended to be unaffected by those words, she could not help but feel her heart waver. She stayed quiet for a while.

    Silvia, who was standing at the side to attend to their needs, looked at her master with a worried gaze. The young witch remembered how devastated she was the previous night and the old seniors had to scold her to get hold of herself. Though she outwardly appeared to be keeping the dignity as the Head of the Witches, Silvia knew her master was not as heartless as she portrayed herself.

    "I will try to find out more about it," was all Cornelia could say.

    After talking for a while, the High Elder of the Wood Elves left, and theposure Cornelia was maintaining till now copsed as soon as she was alone.

    Her eyes once again turned teary at the thought of losing someone dear to her. As a person whose childhood epassed the greater part of the war, she could still vividly remember the deaths of her loved ones as if they only happened yesterday.

    The dream, the vision she had the previous night, had arge impact on her emotions, triggering the fears she thought she had lost as a child.

 Chapter 334 Wants To Find Her Identity

    After sending Draven away, Ember spent her time inside her chamber reading books. It would have been an enjoyable time spent in leisure if not for her body pains.

    Some timeter, Clio knocked on her door. "Miss, pardon for disturbing you, but there is something we wished to ask you."

    "What is it?" Ember asked as she closed the book of magic in her hands.

    "All those gifts His Majesty bought for you, how would you like us to arrange them?"

    "Gifts?" Ember asked in confusion.

    "Yes, Miss. Apologies for the dy as after that day things kepting that kept you busy," Clio said.

    Ember was still confused, unable to make heads or tails of the situation. "What gifts? When did the King buy me gifts?"

    Reya popped behind her cousin. "Did you forget, Miss? The day we went to the festival in Nimer, the eve of the full moon in White Tiger n territory."

    This only made the girl more confused. "I didn''t see him buying anything..."

    "Miss, you are so adorable. You forget His Majesty''s status. He only has to say a word and the merchants would happily deliver theirmodities to the pce. There are so many gifts that one cannot even think of carrying them along, even with Erlos'' spatial magic."

    Ember knew that the young elf had a type of space magic that allowed him to transport objects. He boasted about it during their trip to Honeyharbor, especially mentioning that the books currently shelved in her study were books he carried from the human kingdom that way.

    "That many?" she said in awe.

    "Yes, Miss. Even we were surprised when Erlos told us that His Majesty asked him to get everything that you touched that day."

    This was insane. Ember could not even remember what things she had touched in those stalls. As she recalled, she had been curious about almost each and every item.

    She felt speechless. "I will check them when...I...can walk and move around freely." She felt embarrassed about her own situation.

    "We understand, Miss. You have many empty rooms in your wing in the pce, so we used three of them as a temporary storage room for them."

    ''Three rooms full of gifts?!''

    For a moment, she forgot she was mad at Draven, finding his gesture excessively silly but sweet. It reminded her about the first thing he gifted her, her adorably naughty pet Ray. There was also her swing in the garden... and then, wasn''t there another? Something which belonged to her but she thought was lost, the token Gaia said to be the proof of her identity.

    ''My identity...''

    Ember had never thought much about these two words after her nanny died. Ever since Draven gave her a name, she had decided to put aside her past and embrace her new identity as his mate. But now that she was reminded of her identity token, she felt herself growing curious about her past.

    ''What is my identity?''

    Back then, Gaia refused to tell her anything, and she respected her nanny''s decision to keep her ignorant. But now...

    She looked at her servants. "Where is that gift, the wooden box His Majesty gave me before the night of the full moon?"

    "I have kept it inside the side chamber along with your other essories, Miss."

    "Can you bring it to me?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Sure, Miss."

    Reya returned with the wooden box, carefully carrying it in her hands, and she passed it to Ember. "Here, Miss."

    Ember opened it and saw the familiar token ced inside the cushioned box. She pulled it out, delicately holding the pendant through the beautiful whitece tied to it. When she lived in the mountains, Ember had been ignorant about this type of jewelry, but after living in the pce and bing exposed to luxury, she could now recognize that the gemstone in the middle was made of jade and it had delicate engravings on its surface.

    The girl touched the cushion out of curiosity, wondering perhaps if there were other items inside the box, only to realize the cushion was in fact folded velvet cloth. She was surprised as she had never paid much attention to this box before. To her, its existence was lesser than the other things inside her cave rted to her survival.

    She unfolded that velvet cloth and smoothed out its edges, recognizing that it was a cut in the form of a handkerchief. She found a symbol embroidered on the lower right corner and lightly caressed the image of the downward pointing celestial sword with its crossguard shaped into fierce-looking wings.

    "Do you recognize this symbol?" she wondered and then looked at her servants. "Can you tell?"

    Clio got that handkerchief from Ember and the pair of cousins studied the symbol. "Miss, it might be some kind of family or n symbol among humans. Even in Agartha, the people use different symbols to represent them, some as members of a n, some as a statement they belong to a certain group or as a status symbol. For example, this bracelet in my hand. It has this silver moon symbol hanging on it which represents Moon Elf n."

    "Yes, Miss. See, I have this ne too." Reya showed the moon-shaped silver pendant hanging on a silver chain around her neck. However, she soon furrowed her brows. "But how do we determine which human family or group this symbol belongs to? There are countless humans on the continent!"

    "Silly, of course we will limit it first to Miss Ember''s own kingdom," Clio berated her. "Looking at this crest and the quality of the handwork, not to mention the value of the cloth, I do not think this is something that is owned by an ordinary person. Such quality ismon among us who can use magic, but for humans, this must be made by a highly skilled artisan. Maybe it represents a noble family or a wealthy group."

    Reya looked at Ember. "Miss, the kingdom you lived in, are you aware of the noble houses that are maybe famous for using the sword? "

    "I have no idea. I was always on that mountain. Forget about the names of nobles, I don''t even know the name of the nearest vige. All I know it was called as Kingdom of Valor."

    The two servants felt bad for their master as she had lived a life worse than even an animal. Just then, Reya spoke to cheer up Ember, "Miss, there is a way to find out."

    "What is it?"

    "A map."

    "A map?"

    "Miss, from what I remember, most human noble families rule a territory. That was why in maps, the crests of their families are used as symbols to indicate which region belongs to them. If this crest is truly that of a noble house, maybe we can check if we can find this crest in the map of your kingdom."

    Ember felt excited to hear such a vital clue. "W-Where can I get that kind of map? Do we have one in the library?"

    "In His Majesty''s study, Miss. What you need is a map that covers thend outside Agartha, and most books and maps we have do not care about humans. I heard from Erlos that His Majesty loves to travel and he makes maps of the ces he had visited. ording to Erlos, their details are far better and up to date than the other maps in the kingdom."

    No matter how excited Ember was, it disappeared the moment she heard that she had to ask Draven for it which she was not going to do. She said she wouldn''t talk to him and even sent him away without even letting him see her.

    ''I have my own pride!''

    The solution? She had to go to his study once again to get it herself.

    She could not ask her servants to steal--no, borrow the map without permission, as that would make them receive a punishment. Only she could do this extremely important albeit dangerous task.

    Sadly, going today was not an option as she could not even afford to walk a few steps.

    "Tomorrow, I will get it myself," Ember said with a determined glint in her eyes.

 Chapter 335 The Black Witch Village

    In the middle of the day, Draven appeared in a certain peaceful grove within thend of the witches. It was a vige so small, one would be able to count the number of houses with their fingers, and the people living there did not even exceed thirty.

    It was the vige that belonged to the ck Witches, an isted vige where not only their fellow White Witches, even the other residents of Agartha turn a blind eye to, pretending as if it does not exist. A vige where only ck WItches lived.

    After the war a century ago, the number of ck Witches living in Agartha decreased to the point they were threatened to extinction. While most of them died in the war, many followed Zaria Lynx to flee into hiding, and the rest left the kingdom, unable to bear the shame caused by their own people betraying the kingdom to side with the wicked humans.

    The pitiful few who chose to remain carried the stigma of the betrayal, and despite their innocence, they were discriminated against by other supernatural beings.

    In fact, due to the rage of the people, the council had put forward that all ck Witches were to be banished from the kingdom. It was simply the grace of the King that allowed them to remain living in Agartha, and in the end, the council members chose to ept this decree from the King.

    However, their existence was only a little better than the humans living at the border of the kingdom. The only difference between ck Witches and them was that the ck Witches were treated as proper citizens, allowed to roam freely inside any territories within the kingdom while human beings were not allowed to do so.

    When one entered their vige, one could see they didn''t live a luxurious life like the White Witches. Their cottages were rather quaint, poor even, and their streets mostly barren except from the fowls and other small animals raised by the witches themselves. There was not even a single merchant as other races tried to keep distance from them. If a stranger was to see this vige, one would think its residents were mere farmers andborers, living a simple honest lifestyle in the countryside.

    Draven appeared in front of a cottage that was bigger than the majority of houses in the viges which looked like small huts. The cottage was notvish and it had no fencing, but it had a sturdy and well-maintained appearance.

    The moment Draven appeared, it caught the attention of the people working nearby, and they immediately dropped whatever they were doing to pay their respects to the King.

    One middle-aged witch wearing an ordinary long ck dress came to him. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

    "I am here to visit Zelda," she heard the King''s dignified voice say.

    "Pleasee inside, Your Majesty. I will inform Sister Zelda."

    She led Draven''s way inside the cottage after instructing others to resume their work. Draven followed her inside towards a small drawing room. Simr to the humble outward appearance of the cottage, the insides were equally simple as well, with nothing more than the most basic things needed for living. There were novish decorations or any magical artifacts kept on the shelves, but there were quite a number of woodcarvings on disy, as if to show how the house owner passes her idle time.

    "Please have a seat, Your Majesty," the woman said as she gestured towards the only armchair meant for the host, as aside from that, there was only a small couch avable meant to receive guests. It was the best seat that they could offer for someone of his status.

    After weing the King, the woman disappeared behind the curtains hanging on the doorway to enter another room.

    Draven heard the woman talking to the owner of the house. "Sister Zelda, His Majesty..."

    "I''ll be out in a while, Urs," an older woman''s voice replied.

    The woman named Urs came back to the drawing room. "Your Majesty, please make yourselffortable while I make tea for you." Not waiting for Draven''s reply, she disappeared to go to another room.

    After a while, Urs brought freshly brewed tea and served the King. The middle-aged witch then hurried to excuse herself, leaving the cottage to give the two privacy, mindful that their topic of conversation would involve important matters an outsider like her should not be privy to.<novelnext></novelnext>

    An old hoarse voice echoed in the room, apanied by dragging footsteps, a telltale sign that their owner was crippled.

    "Howe His Majesty found his way to my humble abode?"

    An extremely old woman in simple washed out clothes stepped out of her room from behind the curtains. Her face was wrinkly, her thin gray hair tied in a small bun at the back of her head with a wooden hairpin. With her back bent, she moved extremely slowly with the help of a wooden cane towards the couch.

    "I have something to ask," Draven replied.

    After taking her time sitting down on the couch, she raised her head to meet his gaze. Zelda''s gray eyes looked dull and tired, giving off the impression that she had no interest in anything in this world.

    "As you are personally here, Your Majesty," she started, her raspy voice low, "it must be something you believe only I can answer."

    Draven nodded and directly asked, "Twenty years back, there was a prophecy of the new Queen of Witches being born and she was meant to be a ck Witch."

    Zelda peered at him without a change in her expression. "What happened for Your Majesty to gain interest in the secret matters of the witches? Are any of us once again creating troubles for your kingdom?"

    "Not yet," he replied. "I am here to ask what you know about it. Being a powerful ck Witch yourself, you must know about her existence better than others. Was she really born twenty years ago?"

    "This is something that only us witches should know about, Your Majesty."

    "This concerns something important and I will not leave empty-handed."

    His words sounded moderate, but the dangerous glint in his red eyes showed he would not take no for an answer.

    The two of them stared at each other in tense silence, no one backing out, but in the end, it was the old witch who let out a sigh of defeat.

    "Your Majesty, please understand. This secret is something so serious that I vowed to take it with me to my grave. I cannot reveal it even if it means my death right at this moment. Its revtion can bring another disaster like that one a century back. Though I am ck Witch myself, the existence of such a Queen who possesses strong powers of darkness...s, even up till now, I am scared thinking of her existence."

    "There is no secret that can remain hidden forever. The truth of her existence will be known, one way or another."

    "The previous Queen hid her existence for a reason," Zelda replied.

    "The previous Queen? Evanthe?" Draven asked.

    Though his face looked unaffected, inside he was shocked. Once again, Evanthe''s involvement was brought up. He could not even begin to fathom for what reason she had been involved in all these issues in the past. It gave him a feel that she was the invisible hand guiding fate.

 Chapter 336 Why The New Queen Of Witches Is Hidden?

    Zelda let out a sigh. "The new Queen of Witches was indeed born twenty years ago, it''s just that our sights had been blinded, making our race unable to gain certainty of her birth. If she had died, those with the gift of foresight would have felt it, or at least be given a proper vision. However, that was not the case. That was why her life or death had be a dilemma none of the witches could solve, but I for one swear on my soul that she exists, but that is all I can confirm. Your Majesty, the entire witch race doesn''t know her existence, much less where our new Queen is.

    "Think about it, is it even possible to hide her from us witches? If someone hid her then who can it be? Someone who is powerful and cares for the witches. Someone who doesn''t want the Queen''s existence to cause any disaster."

    Everything pointed towards Evanthe.

    "Did youe across Evanthe?" Draven asked.

    "No I didn''t but I know only Her Eminence can do it. No one but a queen can know about the new queen better than anyone else. From what I gather, Her Eminence Evanthe must have suppressed the new Queen''s powers to hide her."

    "Hide her from?"

    "Your Majesty knows the answer," the old woman said as she continued, "Every witch will be enlightened as to the existence of the Queen, and once it bes known she is one who has the power of darkness, then who woulde after her? Witches like Zaria? What will happen if that newborn Queen falls in the hands of Zaria?"

    "She will use her to rule the entire witch race," Draven answered.

    "Having a ck Witch as a queen itself is bad news and if she falls in the wrong hands and is raised following a twisted belief then that new Queen can bring an even bigger disaster than anything Zaria could ever bring." Zelda exined and chuckled. "How sad is it that instead of feeling relief that at least the new Queen is one who shares the same nature of powers as I, what I feel is immense fear that her rule will be the downfall of our people?"

    Draven pondered over her words. "Evanthe was the one to hide your Queen, that means if we find either one of them, it can lead to finding the other."

    "I won''t ask why Your Majesty wishes to find them. I merely answered your question to pay you back for the mercy you have shown us ck Witches. After sharing this secret with you, me and my people won''t owe you anything."

    "I sheltered the innocent ones who had nothing to do with what happened back. You are my people and my responsibility. You never owe me anything."

    Draven was about to get up and leave, but then Urs came to the drawing room with an apologetic expression.

    "Your Majesty, Sister Zelda, pardon my intrusion. We have a visitor waiting outside. The High Elder of the Wood Elf n, Elder Leeora, is here to see you, Sister. Should I ask her to wait?"

    It surprised the other two.

    "What a special day today is, to have esteemed guests in my home," Zeldamented. "Let her in."

    Afterwards, Urs led Leeora to enter the drawing room. The elderly elf was shocked to see Draven there as well. It was so unlikely for outsiders to visit the ck Witch vige.

    What kind of concern did the King of Agartha have which brought him to this ce?

    Though she momentarily lost herposure, Leeora got back to her senses and immediately bowed to the King who was looking at her with his usual t gaze.

    "Leeora of the Wood Elf n greets King Draven, the ruler of Agartha."

    On the other hand, Draven might appear unbothered, but he was equally surprised to see Leeora for the same exact reasons. However, he did not say anything and merely received her greetings.

    Leeora turned to the owner of the house.

    "I extend my greetings to you as well, Lady Zelda. I apologize foring unannounced."<novelnext></novelnext>

    The old witch scoffed. "Whatdy? It has been a century since I lost that title. Besides, don''t talk to me so stiffly. Do not forget how you are much older than me."

    Leeoraughed at her grumpy response. "How are you, Zelda?"

    "Just how you are seeing me," the old witch replied offhandedly. "Have a seat if you don''t mind sitting next to a ck Witch or I would have to stand to let you have this couch by yourself."

    "Please be seated," Leeroa said and went to sit next to Zelda on that couch.

    "What brought you here, Leeora?" Zelda asked. "I believe you are not so free toe this far to spend time with your old friend."

    Leeora hesitated for a while as the King was there. This was a private matter she wished to consult on her own, but thinking about how it might be someone connected to him, she decided to talk about it in his presence. "Recently, I had an ominous premonition, and I thought you could answer the questions I had regarding it."

    "What kind of vision?"

    "Death!"

    Regardless if it was the result of divination, a prophecy or a premonition, no being could ignore any vision that had rtions to Death.

    "Death¡­?" Zelda''s raspy voice repeated with a grim expression.

    "Yes, and that feeling was so prominent and real that I can''t help but be restless. I¡­I am scared to lose a person close to me again," Leeora answered with desperation coloring her tone. As she exined to them what she had seen, her anxiety became more apparent. "...so can you check from your side if we can try to figure out the identity of this person?"

    Instead of an answer, Zelda asked her a question. "Why find me instead of the Head Witch?"

    The elf had no choice but to confess, "I went but¡­ I discovered she also had the same vision."

    "Is that so?" The ck Witch pondered for a bit. "Even the strongest witch gets shaken when she gets a vision rted to the matters of the heart. It will be difficult for her to figure it out without a calm heart, so the Head Witch herself needs help in this case."

    Leeora asked, "Didn''t shee to you?"

    "I am not the only one who she can seek advice from," was all Zelda said before standing up with the help of her cane. She walked towards one of the walls of the drawing room where a door was hidden behind the long dragging curtains. "Follow me. Let''s see what else is hidden in your vision to make you this anxious."

    Leeora was about to stand but then turned to look at the still seated Draven, "Your Majesty¡­"

    "Go ahead," he said without moving an inch from the chair.

    With a light bow, Leeora then followed the witch behind those curtains. It was considerably dark inside, one where a human being would have a hard time seeing his hands in front of him, but for an elf, the light seeping through the gaps of the curtains was enough for her to see Zelda sitting in front of a table covered in ck cloth. She signaled for Leeora towards the chair opposite hers. "Have a seat."

    Leeora sat down without a word, and the next moment, she saw the cloth covering the table flew away on its own, exposing a pure ck ss orb ced on a velvet cushion in the center of the table.

    "I don''t need to tell you what to do, right?" Zelda spoke.

    Without hesitation, Leeora ced her hands on the orb.

 Chapter 337 I See Fire

    ? As Leeora ced her hand on the crystal ball, she closed her eyes and inserted a thread of the same spiritual power she used to purify the essence of herbs during elixir-making. Spiritual power was the power of the soul, a different kind of power that was unrted to one''s element attribute, and through it, witches who are gifted with powers of divination could somewhat take a peek on the experiences that troubled the soul''s owner.

    Zelda mumbled an ancient chant as her hands moved around the crystal ball, their motions fluid as if she was trying to lift a veil in the chaos of truths and untruths. Beautiful rays shing in various colors swirled inside that originally pure ck crystal ball, making it look like a ss orb that contained misty otherworldly light.

    The witch then ced her hand on that ball as well and closed her eyes in meditation.

    "Think about the vision you had, Leeora," she said. "Imagine yourself walking once more, from the very start..."

    Guided by that soft yet enchanting voice, the elf took on a look of deep contemtion as she tried to recall what she saw, and through the fragments of memories--the images of someone being stabbed, the delicate hand holding a ded weapon, the ssh of blood, the whirlwind of herbs, a gust of wind, the darkened sky--more details she did not notice started to emerge from her mind, and those scenes were also being shared to the witch sitting in front of her.

    It was as if the two of them fell inside a dreand--no, their consciousness trapped within a nightmare. Their transparent bodies floated in midair and they were swept about by the whirlwind of fragmented images that were starting to align as if they were pieces of a puzzle, and when the vortex of images stopped, the two souls found themselves in an empty sea of darkness illuminated by shes of lightning.

    In a blink of an eye, the sky appeared from the empty darkness, pleasant and perfectly blue as if it was a painting, but the shes of lightning did not cease, and heavy gray thunderstorm clouds rolled by like an army invading the sky, the loud sound of wind and thunder announcing the arrival of a terrible storm.

    Heavy, suffocating, and ominous-- the dangerous atmosphere was telling, no, warning both of their senses that a catastrophe was about to hit them.

    Another sh of lightning more terrifying than thest enveloped the dreand, its intensity so severe it even affected the real world. The spiritual power wrapping that crystal ball flickered, and in shock, Leeora''s hands were flung away from the ball, causing her transparent body to be thrown out from the nightmarish vision.

    With a loud gasp, the elf realized that she was struggling to breath, her body covered in cold sweat. Zelda still had her hands around the ball of swirling light, her expression stiff as a statue, implying that her consciousness was still existing inside the vision.

    "Zelda...?" Leeora called out to the old witch.

    "Danger is awakening," the raspy voice of the witch mumbled as if she was speaking to herself. "One which has been buried for long is going to be shaken up. Pain... tears... blood...it''s going to bring anguish to the people...it can''t be stopped...death...someone is going to die...This kingdom is going to face another disaster...no one can stop it..."

    Tears of blood rolled down Zelda''s closed eyes as she remained immersed in that vision. As it was Leeora''s vision, the witch had temporarily taken hold of the elf''s identity inside. Zelda was no longer a mere audience but the owner of the vision. She was hurting, feeling the same pain Leeora felt...no, at this point, given that a witch has a stronger, more sensitive soul, what Zelda was feeling was more than what the elf originally felt. She was drowning in the pain as if she was personally witnessing the death of her own beloved.

    Leeora called for Zelda once more, before asking the important question that was yet to be answered, "Zelda, can you hear me? Did you see who is going to die?"

    "A person so dear to you...someone who you can''t bear to lose... I cannot see his face but yours, I can see...I see...Grief...Immense grief...You cannot stop crying, my friend..."

    "Can we save him? How can we stop his death? The attacker, can you see that person? The face of the person holding the weapon?" Leeora asked.

    "I cannot see the face, but I feel divine power...the weapon does not exist yet...It''s a weapon created out of magic..."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So that means the attacker is someone who has divine powers, and only beasts with divine blood or their descendants have divine power in Agartha..."

    Leeora mumbled, and her heart squeezed at the thought. There were a number of beings with divine powers in the kingdom, and though this had limited the number of suspects, no divine beast had an ordinary status. All of them were leaders and important figures of their respective families or ns.

    "That person''s death will bring disaster...." Zelda mumbled.

    "Can''t you see who it is? The one who is stabbed or the one who stabs him? Is it impossible to see their identities?" Leeora asked.

    "A woman...a woman with divine power, she will stab him."

    "Who? Can you see her face? Can you see anything that will determine who they are?" Leeora got impatient.

    "That weapon...it is made from sacrificing part of her divine powers... The power was corrupted by her negative emotions. Hatred, anger, fear, inadequacy...She is determined to kill..."

    "Who can it be? Is it murder caused by a grudge? Revenge? Maybe there are other factors in y?" Leeora mumbled but Zelda had no specific answer to her question.

    "Graveyard...don''t let him leave it... keep him there... Don''t let him go to her...He needs to stay away from her..." Zelda answered.

    "But if this is supposed to happen on the day of mourning, we will all be present in the Netherfields. I don''t think it is possible to iste female divine beasts on that day without causing confusion and offending their ns, especially when they learn they are being suspected of murder that''s yet to happen."

    "Don''t let him leave the graveyard and go to her...only then did the slim possibility of his survival be ensured...Otherwise, that corrupted weapon will kill him...His energy core...I see it disappearing...and it will be impossible to save him..."

    Though Zelda could not give exact answers to Leeora''s questions, the things she discovered could help narrow down the list of people involved in the incident she saw in the vision. She was also able to at least give Leeora a glimmer of hope.

    "Anything...anything more you can tell?"

    As the witch continued to immerse herself in Leeora''s vision, a stream of blood escaped her lips, and she could not help but cough.

    "Zelda! You should stop! Your injury--"

    However, the witch continued. "Fire," she whispered with her forehead creased. "I see fire ready to destroy everything...It will burn and kill people..."

 Chapter 338 Heard About His Majestys Mate?

    "F-Fire?" Leeora mumbled, and now her heart squeezed as her thoughts went to a certain someone. "This fire, did this spread before the stabbing? After? Did that someone perhaps lose reason? Maybe she was instigated...or, or maybe it wasn''t a fire caused by magic. Maybe the fire broke out due to an ident? Like, like amp breaking? Or maybe another person started the fire?"

    "...that fire is of magic, demanding blood, intending to burn everything in its path..."

    "Did you see the face of the cause of that fire?" Leeora asked with caution.

    With another cough of blood, Zelda broke away from that crystal ball, causing the ss to dim back until it looked like a pure ck orb. The room was plunged back into darkness, and only the sounds of the witch gasping and coughing could be heard. Leeora immediately reached out into her pockets and handed the witch the small bottle of elixir she made. "Have this."

    Zelda epted it without courtesy. Once she had considerably be stable, Leeora asked, "How do you feel? Should we head back outside? I think you need to rest. I will have Urs make you calming tea--"

    The witch, who had her eyes closed, opened them as she shook her head. "There is no need. My body just got rusty after not using that much power for a long time."

    "Are you sure?"

    "I know my body better than anyone else."

    "If you say so," Leeora sighed. "About the vision you saw, is there a way to prevent it from happening in the first ce?"

    Zelda shook her head helplessly, using a clean cloth to wipe the blood from her face. "You said you consulted the Head of the Witches, did you not? She is right. It is impossible to stop things set in stone by fate."

    "So we cannot...?"

    "The future that we see...it is not that it cannot be changed, just that the consequences are oftentimes worse than if we simply let nature take its course. The price to pay to save a life is too high, considering a vision of this magnitude.

    "If we let the future unfold as it is, a person will die and it will affect the entire kingdom, causing confusion and chaos, I believe the harm caused by the incident will still be reasonable. However, if we try to prevent his death, it is possible but the effect will be enormous--not only will more people may die, maybe ns will be wiped out once more. Perhaps a disastrous tragedy worse than what happened a century ago will ur.

    "I apologize, Leeora, but we cannot stop it from happening."

    Leeora''s eyes turned teary as thest hope she had was now gone. Even the most senior of the ck Witches, Zelda, who has been long famous for her urate divination was helpless to save this person''s life. Leeora''s entire body shook, fearing to think of a precious person she would be losing in the immediate future.

    "So... I can only wait for the vision to pass and do nothing?" Leeora asked.

    "Unfortunately," Zelda replied as she reached out to squeeze Leeora''s trembling fists on the table. "Death is inevitable. No mortal can defy fate. Nothing in this world can stop it, not you, not me, not even the King. But we can try to change what happens after..."

    "We can''t stop a death, then what''s there to change?" Leeora mumbled as tears rolled down her eyes. "I have lost my family, my husband, my children, my grandchildren. I have lost my friends. I have even lost my disciples. Those who remain now, they are the only ones left. I cannot bear to lose another person...I do not want to experience grief once more..."

    "Seems like instead of giving you solutions, I added to your worries," Zeldamented as she sighed helplessly.

    "The woman with divine powers," Leeora said, "even though you could not see her face, do you have any clue that can help us determine her identity or can lead us to her?"

    Zelda shook her head. "There is nothing, and even if there is, it is not like you can figure out her identity and talk her out of killing this person. Like I said, the price of changing fate is too high and will lead to a worse oue. We need to choose the lesser evil."

    Leeora lowered her head in silence, and even in the darkness of the room, the suffering on her face could not be hidden.

    The witch caved in. "All I can say is that the weapon she would be using was made by her sacrificing her own powers with the intention to kill a person. Since it is the kind of weapon made with a purpose, then that weapon will fulfill the reason for its existence at all costs. I believe the people you cherish are those who you''ve known for a long time, people whose identities or capabilities are no lesser than you. If that is the case, you need to find out which lunatic with divine powers has enough motivation or magic to sacrifice in order to kill a person of such high status."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Leeora nodded. "That I will work to find out. The man who will die possesses divine powers as well so it will shorten the list, and if the one who will kill him has divine powers of the fire attribute..."

    "Do you have someone in mind?" Zelda asked, seeing the elf lost in thought.

    Leeora forced herself to put on a facade of a smile and looked at the old witch. "I am grateful for your help, Zelda. I know you think of me as a stubborn fool, but...I...I will take my leave. Maybe there is a way where no one dies and none of our people will need to suffer. I just need to try to search for more clues."

    Zelda understood Leeora definitely had something in her mind, but as the elf was about to stand up, she called out, "Wait!"

    The witch raised her hand and something from the side shelf in the room flew towards her hand. It was a tiny bottle barely the size of a fist. "Your hand."

    Leeora put forward her hand and Zelda poured one dark round pill on her palm. "Have this. It will help you feel better after being exposed for too long to my dark energy."

    The elf swallowed it without hesitation. "Thank you, my friend." She then stood up to return to the drawing room.

    She looked around the empty chair. "Did the King leave already?"

    Zelda came out as well. "He doesn''t waste time at all."

    Since Draven was not there, Leeora reluctantly turned to Zelda to ask something, "Do you think the person who will get stabbed is His Majesty...?" She trailed off her words as it was something impossible to imagine. "If something happens to him, then nothing can stop this kingdom from ruin. He is also a dear friend I cannot bear to lose."

    Zelda trudged towards the couch, the sound of her cane striking the wooden floorboards being unusually loud. "I cannot assure you but the possibility exists."

    Leeora''s gaze followed the old woman. "Have you...have you heard about His Majesty''s mate?"

    The old woman slowly sat down on the couch. "Though I do not step out of Millow Circle, my familiars do so I am somewhat aware of what is going around."

    "Then do you know she is a human who possesses divine powers as well?"

    The witch froze as she turned to study the face of the elf. "Are you suspicious that she can be the woman in your vision? A mate killing her own mate?"

    "N-No, I dare not say that but... I...I was just--"

    "We cannot deny nor confirm anything given what we currently know. Do not burden your heart with useless guessing," the witch chastised her. "Keep the possibility in mind, but see what more you can find out but...in the end, what is meant to happen will happen."

    Just then Zelda felt something and sighed, "Here hees again."

    "Who?" Leeora asked.

    Zelda stood up slowly and walked towards the door of her cottage leading outside. "You know him well. He had brought a young guest with him this time."

    Leeora followed Zelda out, being curious that who was there who she knew.

 Chapter 339 Gift For Black Witch

    5 chapters today

    ---

    Morpheus took Aureus to a dense forest around the valley at the base of mountain which belongs to the valley elves and the dangerous animals nurtured by them.

    "What are we going there for? To visit any n inside these dense forest like those orcs?" Aureus asked.

    "We sure are going to visit a n but before that we need to prepare something to make the old grumpy witch happy," Morpheus answered as they continued to fly towards the valley.

    "Witch?" he asked, "Other than Lady Cornelia is there someone above her?"

    "Not someone above her but we are going to visit a ck Witch," Morpheus answered, which made Aureus frown, "I don''t find myself interested in meeting that kind. Why are they even staying in this kingdom?"

    "I know you have a bad opinion of ck Witches due to the experience you had with them but I wish to show you not all of them are bad. In fact they are pitiful ones who are struggling to survive. Let''s not make things difficult for innocent ones just because of a few evil ones."

    "King Draven, does he approve of it?"

    "He is the one to allow them to stay in Agartha when everyone in this kingdom opposed it," Morpheus replied, "and for that I admire that Dragon that he didn''t let his anger and sorrow take over his rationality and didn''t punish the innocent."

    "Still¡­"

    "Are all humans you stay with good?" Morpheus asked.

    "No!"

    "You got your answer then."

    Aureus understood what his uncle meant and nodded as they finallynded inside the dense forest.

    "Do they live in such dangerous forest?" Aureus asked as he observed the dense surrounding.

    "They don''t live here but we are here to collect a precious herbs that grumpy old witch prefers to have with her," he exined further, "Be careful, this forest is full of some dangerous wild creatures that is why ck Witches don''te here as they are already weak in powers. Make sure to be alert.

    Aureus nodded as he followed his uncle in that uneven, tall grass covered path with so many tree around.

    "We have to look for one specific nt which you won''t see everywhere but once you find one, underneath you get a treasure of what we are searching for." Morpheus'' sharp eyes continued to search something with a focus and soon his gaze caught what he was looking for.

    "Come with me," Morpheus instructed as the two walked ahead.

    Morpheus stopped in front of an ordinary looking small nt which was almost hidden by the grass which was grown almost a foot tall.

    "This nt?" Aureus asked.

    Morpheus nodded and kneeled on the ground, "Under this nt. We need to get part of its roots without killing this nt.

    Morpheus started to dig the soil around the nt carefully with gentle movements of his fingers. Aureus kneeled in front of him and started to help as well. Soon the roots of that nt were being exposed and it caught Aureus with a shock.

    "Are these the roots of this nt?" He observed thick and strong roots under the soil which seemed to have belonged to any big tree but this tiny nt.

    "Don''t be deceived by the size of this nt. It''s a precious nt which grows its roots firmly under the soil. Even if it gets killed, some other will grow on those strong roots and it keeps living. We need to cut a part of the root which is not too close to this nt and won''t affect it."

    Aureus understood and saw his uncle cutting the palm size big part of the entwined roots. It was strong and Moroheus had to use quite a lot of strength to cut it.

    "What do they use it for?" Aureus asked as he observed it carefully.

    "These roots help to diminish the effect of ck magic on one''s body. That old witch also needs it to keep her body nourishing after she was injured in war. It helps her to regain her strength which she loses after using her powers for any use. She makes pills out of it for herself and others who need it."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "So it''s basically a medicinal herb."

    "Hmm, which is helpful for ck magic users."

    They collected the roots and flew away towards the vige of the ck WItches.

    From the sky they saw a small isted vige with few huts and one prominent cottage. "Here we are. Vige of ck witches- Millow Circle."

    "Is this the name of a vige?" Aureus asked.

    "Yes," and they flew towards the ground towards the particr cottage. Just as theynded on the ground, in front of that old cottage, they heard the voice of an old woman from inside the cottage, "You are here again? You won''t leave this old witch alone?"

    "As long as you are alive, I don''t n to," Morpheus replied with a yful smirk. "But I also brought a gift for you so you keep living and get bothered by me for a long."

    The door of the cottage opened and an owner of the voice stepped out, "You annoying child," and she looked at Aureus, "you brought a guest as well."

    Morpheus offered her smile in return and saw Leeoraing out behind her. It shocked Morpheus that why Leeora was here as it was not something usual. "Leeora?"

    "Why are you so surprised? Can''t shee here to meet her old friend?" Zeldamented as she continued to walk towards them.

    "Of course she can," Morpheus said but looking at Leeora he was sure she was bothered by something and must be here to seek help from Zelda. For now he decided to keep it forter and let Aureus know about the ck Witches and their powers and not all of them are evil.

    Leeora walked forward as she offered them a smile, "So, today you are introducing ck WItch territory to your Nephew?"

    Moroheus nodded and then introduced, "This is Myra''s son, Aureus," and then he looked at Aureus, "This is the Elder of Wood Elf n, Leeora and this is Elder of ck Witches, Zelda."

    Aureus greeted them with a light nod and heard the two women who said it together, "He looks like Myra."

    "He sure does," Morpheus agreed and they heard Leeora, "I will wait for you to bring Aureus to the Wood Elf n. For now I have to take a leave."

    Morpheus agreed and Leeora left. Morpheus put his hand forward and the root appeared on his hand, "Old witch, this is for you. I hope it will help you get rid of your grumpiness."

    "Grumpy, you are the one," she frowned and without a dy epted that root from him. "I am not going to thank you for this as you came here announced."

    "You can save that thank you forter. For now, you can offer us tea," He said.

    Without replying, the old witch turned around to go back inside her home carrying that precious roots herb

    "You cane inside if you want," finally they heard her when she reached the door.

    Morpheus looked at Aureus, "let''s go."

    "Doesn''t look like she is happy to wee us," Aureus said as he was conflicted over being unwee.

    Morpheus chuckled, "That''s her normal way of weing guests. You know old age and once mind can¡­."

    "I can hear you, Eagle. Old age didn''t affect my hearing senses," they heard Zelda as she entered inside her home.

    "See, she is asking us toe inside," Morpheus said as he walked ahead.

    ''When did she even ask us to?'' Aureus wondered and followed his uncle.

    ===

    A/N- The Double Golden Ticket event has NOT started yet. Please hold onto your Golden Tickets. Once the event starts, I will publish a new chapter to inform you all. <3<3

 Chapter 340 Pain..You Are Crying...

    As they went inside they found the old witch sitting on the chair while Morpheus guided Aureus to sit on the couch.

    "Why is your home reeking of a Dragon?" Morpheus asked while Aureus also wondered about this familiar scent as he knew who it belonged to.

    "Now it will reek of eagles," the old woman frowned and then she looked at Aureus, "Are you with this annoying eagle to learn bad things from him? You should follow the good people as you are young and have a lot to learn."

    "I have been with a good people for a long time so I thought I would experience badpany," Aureus replied with a light smile.

    The old witch chuckled, "Polite but sweetly whitty like your mother."

    Aureus felt d whenever everyonepared him with his mother and this time it was no different. This way he could know more about his mother than what he already knew.

    "Learning bad things is equally important, Zelda," Morpheus said as he was not offended by any of her words and instead enjoyed sarcastic remarks from this old witch. "I am here to let Aureus know about your kind. I hope you won''t mind."

    Zelda sighed, "There is nothing to know about the n which is already ruined," and then looked at Aureus, "as you are here for the first time, I can look into some things for you that you wish to know."

    Aureus offered her a questioning gaze, "I didn''t understand."

    "Your past or your future, anything that is important to you, old memories or if you are looking forward to a certain kind of future for yourself or someone who you want to learn about."

    Aureus thought about something, "Can you do that?"

    "You can see for yourself," she said and stood up, "seems like there is no rest for me today. Everyone wants to drain the energy out of my soul."

    Aureus heard it, "If you are troubled, then...."

    "I had enough trouble and adding more to it won''t affect much," she said, "follow me young one. And Morph, you can make yourself a tea," and she disappeared behind the door behind the thick curtains.

    Aureus looked at Morpheus who nodded, assuring him to go, "You know what is important for you and you can look into it. When you go there, you will understand."

    Aureus nodded and followed the olddy to the door behind the curtains which opened into the small dark room. With his sharp sight he could see Zelda sitting on the chair across the table with a dark crystal ball in the center.

    "Have a seat," she said, singling at the chair in front of her.

    Aureus sat in the chair and heard Zelda, "With the help of this crystal ball and my powers, I will look into what you want to know. If there is anything you wish to know, you have to think about it while putting your hands on this ball and then I can see through it. I believe just like every other person, you must have something in mind as well."

    Aureus thought about it and nodded. The first thing that came to his mind was Seren. He wondered what was going on with her and what she must be at.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Put your hands on this, close your eyes and think about anything you have in mind. You can ask me questions that you seek answers for," she instructed.

    Not knowing how everything worked, Aureus put his hand on a crystal ball and closed his eyes. Zelda moved her hands around the ball as she mumbled something and then put her hands on the ball as well as she closed her eyes.

    After a moment she mumbled, "A beautiful woman with purple eyes."

    Aureus heard it as this was what he was thinking about. That beautiful pair of purple eyes which he had not seen for a long time.

    Zelda saw something more and she spoke, "You should not feel guilty about it, young one. You seemed to be not even in a situation to help her."

    Aureus opened his eyes and looked at the woman who could clearly see and feel as he was at that moment. Aureus was remembering those helpless moments when Seren needed help but he could not help her. When she was scared seeing those mutted dead bodies and ran for her life and hid inside the wardrobe in her chamber, he could only sit in the window and helplessly look at her.

    Due to the spell put on him by Tyra so he wouldn''t be able to transforming in his human form. She was worried because he was going away from Megaris to an unknown kingdom, and she didn''t wish him to be in any trouble and reveal his identity by mistake to humans. Dut to that spell, Aureus could not transform and go to Seren and could simply wait in his eagle form for someone toe help her while he apanied her in silence. Helplessness of that day still haunted and hurt him.

    "Hmm, I see feelings...so you love her," Zelda mumbled.

    Aureus stayed quiet but then asked, "Can you tell me what is going on with her? Is she alright?"

    "For now, she is...but soon, everything will change..."

    "What do you mean? She will be fine, right?" he asked worriedly.

    "She will be as she is surrounded by strong power and it will protect her. But, she and everyone around her including you will face difficulties that will affect and change your life."

    Aureus had nothing more to ask as he was aware what changes would be there. He was about to retreat his hands but Zelda suddenly turned restless.

    "What happened?'''' he asked.

    "Pain...I see you in pain and crying."

    "Is she hurt? Will she be hurt by something?" he asked as Seren was the only reason he would cry for.

    "No, she is not...but you are crying...you..."

 Chapter 341 You Have A Mate Written In Your Destiny

    "It''s fine," Aureus interrupted her as he knew Seren would be Drayce''s mate soon once she would be of age and he would be hurt and be in pain. The woman he loved would be someone''s mate soon, they willpleted the bond and she would never be his. This well aware fact, he didn''t wish to hear it from someone else as well.

    "Be with the one you care for as much as you can. You might not get to be with them ever again. Have all the precious memories with them. It will be yourst chance," Zelda mumbled.

    "I know," Aureus replied normally. He knew he would have to leave Seren and go away from her. ''I have enough memories with her.''

    Zelda opened her eyes and looked at him. "I wanted to look deeper into it, but it seems like you don''t want to. Something ominous I sense but you are not allowing me to see through anything. What are you worried about?"

    "I already am aware of what you are telling me so there is no need of stirring the things that I don''t want them to surface. Let them be buried."

    "Calm andpose. So matured for your age," Zelda praised as she moved her hands back, "I can not force you. But, things might not be what you think they are to be."

    "It''s alright. Knowing them or not, facing them is absolute so it does not make much difference," he replied with sameposure as her words didn''t affect him at all.

    "True!" her eyes looked at him with admiration, "you are surely amendable young man who is not easily tempted by anything. I see a great leader, a King inside you. One day you will lead your n to its most glorious days and you will be more powerful than you can think you can be."

    Just then they heard a voice from outside of the door, "Also do tell if my nephew has any mate written in his destiny." That was Morpheus.

    Zelda sighed, "These divine beasts and their hearing abilities. I should have put the blocking spell here."

    Just then the door of the room opened and Morpheus stepped inside the room as he sipped on the freshly brewed tea from the small tea cup, "I am his uncle, his only guardian. I have the right to worry about his life."

    "You don''t have to answer him, Lady Zelda" Aureus said as he stood up from the chair.

    Zelda looked at Aureus, "You do have mate written in your destiny. You will be bound to her, you will save her from all the dangers, you will fight to protect her."

    It made Aureus'' calmposure to shaken up, finally. ''Seren, I will do all this for her. Will she...Is it possible..between us...but Drayce...?''

    "Finally you said something good, old woman," Morpheus said, "Next time, I will bring an even bigger size root of that herb," and then he put his hand on Aureus'' shoulder who was immersed in his thoughts, "I am happy for you, Aureus."

    Aureus looked at his uncle with narrowed gaze, "Why don''t you ask her if you have a mate in your destiny as well?"

    Morpheus chuckled, "I don''t need any mate," and turned to leave the room, e outside you two. I won''t brew this tea again for you."

    Zelda stood up as she talked to Aureus, "He never allowed me or any other witch to look through him. There is no use in trying."

    "Why?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "He is just so stubborn or may be scared to see through his pain or something that he doesn''t want to see himself," she replied.

    "Did he ever need such help?" Aureus asked as he matched the slow pace of the old witch.

    Zelda nodded, "When he was going through the most painful phase of his life. He was not like this at that time. It took him decades to get out of it."

    "After that massacre?"

    "Hmm, it had shaken us all but His Majesty and your uncle were the ones who had it worst. Since then, both never allowed anyone to see through them. Both are so stubborn. Maybe if Her Eminence was here, they both would have allowed her to help them but others have no chance."

    Aureus wondered what kind of pain Draven and Morpheus were dealing with. "Now they both are fine, aren''t they?"

    "On the surface everything looks fine," she replied with a deep sigh.

    The two came out of the room and they watched Morpheus brewing the tea for them. Aureus stared at his uncle, a strong warrior but he looked lonely and lost, hiding his pain behind that smile of his, acting all funny and witty but those eyes of his always told Aureus that his uncle had so much pain buried deep inside his heart. He wondered what kind of pain and how much he must have suffered alone.

    After talking to Zelda, Morpheus and Aureus walked around that small vige of the ck Witches. As Aureus observed the vige and its low poption, he realized they were no different from other races. They were not evil but stained by the evil work of few among them. In fact, to him they looked like pitiful creatures.

    "It will be sunset soon. Before that let me take you to the Wood Elf n. Leeora would be d to see you there as she is someone who was close to Myra."

    Aureus nodded while Morpheus had other thoughts going in his mind.

    ''I need to find out what Leeora is bothered about.''

    ===

    MASS RELEASE and A Lovely SURPRISE Alert.

    Dear readers, from today onward till 8th Jan, please vote all the golden tickets to this novel "The Devil''s Cursed Witch." This novel is participating in the double golden ticket event and novel with most golden tickets will win.

    REWARD FOR READERS- There will be 10 chapters Mass release (With biggest and surprising event in the plots) for both the books of the "Devil and Witch" series.

    A SURPRISE rted to Aureus would be revealed if we win the contest.

    You can also vote Golden Tickets through the GIFTS. <3<3

 Chapter 342 Embers Home

    Morpheus and Aureus arrived at the Wood Elf n territory. As they flew over the treetops, Morpheus instructed his nephew. "Be careful. These tree spirits are sensitive to the intrusion of strangers."

    "Tree spirits?" Aureus asked as he looked at those normal looking trees.

    "Hmm! They are not normal trees like what we have in Divine Eagle n territory. Wood elves live inside homes made in the trees with tree spirits. These trees have their own thoughts and instincts and can act ording to them. Though they can not hear or talk, they can sense the things around them clearly. If they feel any threat, they don''t bother to refrain themselves from attacking."

    It surprised Aureus, "I have just heard it from mother when I was a child but I thought she was just making up a nice story to entertain me and then I forgot it like any other stories."

    "Why don''t you try going near them to check if those were simply stories or there is truth in them?"

    Aureus looked at his uncle, "Shall I?"

    Morpheus nodded, "Go ahead but be alert. Don''t go too close."

    Aureus heard it and flew closer towards the tree tops carefully. Just as he reached a little closer where the tree spirits could sense the stranger, all the trees around started to shake their branches at the top as if trying to drive the stranger away. The trees closest to him moved their branches even to attack him.

    Aureus immediately moved back as he didn''t wish to hurt those tree spirits. "Seems like, I won''t be able to get past these trees."

    "You can. It''s just that it''s your first time here and these trees have never sensed the essence of your soul or your powers before. They can feel the essence of our powers or our souls and can remember it forever. They can differentiate everyone based on their essence and identify them."

    "That''s amazing I must say," Aureus praised as he looked at the trees which were calm now.

    "Wait here. I will be back in a while," Morpheus flew down through the trees and no tree spirit attacked him. After a while he returned to Aureus, "We can go now."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes."

    Both flew down and this time no tree spirit attacked Aureus. Theynded at one bridge connecting tree houses and Aureus asked, "What did you do?"

    "Not me but Leeora. She can control andmand these tree spirits. She instructed them what was needed and the tree spirits understood."

    Just then Leeora stepped out of the home, "Wee to the Wood Elf n, Aureus."

    "Thank you, elder Leeora," he offered her a light bow and watched his uncle looking at another home connected to the bridge. It seemed to be empty as there was no sounding from that house.

    "Pleasee inside," Leeora instructed.

    "You go ahead. I will be there in a while," Morpheus said to Aureus and looked at Leeora who nodded to him.

    Aureus went to Leeora''s home while Morpheus went to the empty home on the other side of the bridge connected to Leeora''s home. This home belonged to Ember.

    ''When she was here, I never got the chance to visit her home. That dimwit Dragon ordered this tree spirit to not let any malee closer to her residence,'' Morpheus chuckled at that silly act from Draven, ''...and he acted as if she was nobody to him when all he was trying to do was to keep her for himself. Stubborn Dragon, he better be good to her at least now.''

    Morpheus entered inside that small tree house and this time the tree spirit didn''t stop him. That small house was quiet and even though no one lived there, the few things it had were ced neatly as if it was waiting for its owner to return but sadly she won''t return.

    Small wooden bed covered with a thin soft mattress with animal hide spread on it, enough for only one person to sleep.

    Morpheus chuckled as he looked at that small bed, "Only her tiny body can fit on this bed."

    Little things she had were ced just like that- a y water container with a y cup ced over the lid was still there. Morpheus picked up that cup and observed, ''She must have used this one to drink water.''

    He ced it back and walked towards the shelf with neatly folded clothes of the previous owner. From those clothes he could still smell her sweet unique scent, in fact this empty home still had her scent lingering inside.

    He stood by the window and looked outside, only to see the pce in front at a distance. ''Did she spend her time sitting by the window, looking at that pce, not knowing she will end up living there?''

    He was trying to feel her presence in each and everything inside that house by thinking how she spent her time here.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Just as he was about to leave that home, his gaze noticed something ced on the wooden drawer chest. He went there and picked it up. It was a finely carved pendant which had a tree carved on it which was avable in the city shops of the ronan as it was the crest design of the Wood Elf n. Behind the tree carving, her name was carved on it- Ember.

    Morpheus didn''t think much and took that pendant woven in a thin thread. He left the home and walked along the bridge to go back to Leeora''s home but then heard familiar voices.

    "....sire is always going somewhere these days and returningte at night. I wonder what he is so busy with."

    "He is a King and must have important things to deal with, Erlos."

    "Hmm, that is true."

    "How is Ember? What is she doing in the pce these days? Her lessons are on halt as well."

    "Miss was resting in her chamber the entire day and didn''t evene out," Erlos replied.

    "What? What happened to her? Is she not well?" Leeora asked in her worry filled voice.

    "Well, Elder¡­." Erlos stopped and there was a sudden silence inside the home.

    Leeora understood she had asked something wrong as worry about ember took over her mind. Erlos kept quiet while Aureus was the same. Previous night his sharp hearing senses heard those loud noises from the west wing of the top floor of the pce which he didn''t wish to hear.

    Leeora cleared her throat and looked at Morpheus who had entered the home. "Oh, Morph, you are here? Have a seat. I will serve you three some freshly baked bread." She immediately changed the topic and that awkward silence inside the home disappeared.

    Aureus looked at his uncle and understood he had heard what they were talking about. Morpheus sat in the chair and he looked at Erlos with a yful gaze.

    "Seems like you gets lots of free time these days, kiddo."

    Erlos smiled at him sarcastically, "I was trying to know how it feels to be an idler like you."

    Morpheus smirked yfully, "Well, it feels great. I believe you will enjoy it."

    In reply, Erlos simply rolled his eyes at Morpheus.

    Leeora brought the bread for them. The sweet scent of those freshly baked breads spread in the house.

    "Elder, it looks tasty," Erlos immediately picked up one and started to eat. Aureus and Morpheus picked up as well and started eating.

    "It tastes really good, Elder Leeora," Aureusplemented.

    "Thank you, Aureus," Leeora also sat in one chair.

    "As Morphues finished one bread, he looked at the two young ones. "Erlos, as you are free, take Aureus to visit Ronan."

    Though Erlos loved to disobey Morpheus, in this matter he agreed, "I will."

    After they talked and finished the bread, Erlos and Aureus left while Morpheus stayed back with Leeora. He needed to talk about Leeora''s visit to the ck Witch n head, Zelda.

    ===

    A/N- We are just 250 golden tickets away from the 3rd ce in golden ticket event. Keep voting.

    There will be a 10 chapters MASS RELEASE for both novels of the "Devil and Witch" series with most important events in the novel plots.

    The surprise about Aureus will be revealed as well.

 Chapter 343 I Will Save Him

    Once Erlos and Aureus left, Morpheus finally could not stop himself from asking, "What troublesome thing is going on for someone with yourposure to lose your calm like this, Leeora?"

    Leeora sighed, helplessness apparent in her bitter smile. "I knew you would notice things after catching me visiting Zelda''s home."

    "You can tell me whatever it is," Morpheus offered. "Given that you visited Zelda, that means it''s serious enough to need her intervention."

    Though Leeora did not want to admit it, she had no choice but to let out the truth.

    "It is..." she said and then she exined everything to Morpheus, starting from that ominous vision she had while making elixirs this morning, her visit to Cornelia, and as well as why she went to see Zelda afterwards. "...I know that it sounds unreasonable, but I do not want to just let nature take its course, especially after knowing terrible things are bound to happen even if I stand by doing nothing. I know it''s a fool''s errand but I do not want to experience losing someone important once more...but at the same time, I am scared to see this peaceful kingdom plunge into chaos once again."

    Despite her old age, the elf''s expression at this moment was simr to that of a young, ignorant child who shed honest tears while shaking in distress.

    Morpheus had a grim look as he silently watched Leeora''s aggrieved face. He spoke up, unable to bear his old friend''s sadness. "The fact that you and Cornelia got these visions meant it''s a message sent down to alert us of a future disaster. Doesn''t this mean we have a chance to avoid it?"

    Hearing him try tofort her, Leeora had aplicated feeling. She too wanted to change things, but after meeting the two witches, she lost hope. At this point, she was merely telling this to Morpheus to inform him, not to drag him into attempting to change what can''t be changed.

    "You know we can''t," she said with sorrow in her eyes. "Aldis... despite all our efforts, we could not stop his death."

    Morpheus knew this was how these visions worked. Foresight was more a curse rather than a gift. Despite knowing what was toe, it was impossible to change. It wasn''t that he was heartless, just that for a warrior like him who''s prepared to die anytime, he had long seen matters of life and death with a more open mind. He decided to redirect the conversation.

    "Well, the fact that we know, maybe we can make arrangements for that person ahead of time. Ask for hisst will and helpfort his family at the very least... so who do you think is the one in that vision? Who is going to die?"

    Leeora didn''t know how to voice out her suspicions. She felt that they would be reality the moment she opened her mouth. In the end, she gave in to Morpheus'' persuasion. "I...I hope I am wrong, but one thing I am sure of is that it involves Ember and..."

    "And, highly likely our dear ck Dragon is going to be harmed," Morpheus finished what she couldn''t.

    "I...am not sure but he is the one, if something happens to him, then this kingdom will be in utter chaos," Leeora replied.

    "Sounds reasonable. If it involves Ember then Draven will be involved as well," Morpheus said. "If the sacrificed weapon must fulfill its purpose then...there is no way of stopping it."

    "I only hope it''s not His Majesty, but the chances are...." She stopped, as she tried to wipe the tears rolling down from her eyes. "Zelda said we can try, try not to let him go to her. She didn''t mention a name but I feel it''s about not letting him go to Ember''s side. If we can stop him, it might change...I don''t know what will happen by attempting to change this future. Both witches warned me a worse future will unfold if we try to tempt fate, but...but I want to hope..."

    Morpheus chuckled dryly. "How much I wanted him to..." he stopped, "...but not like this. If that vision of death is truly about him, then I will do anything to stop him from going near Ember that day. We must separate them at all costs. Since I n to escort her, with me staying by her side, I will be able to keep watch. The Ember we know is so naive and silly, it''s unbelievable to think she is capable of killing anyone." Then, for a moment, he remembered the butterflies she killed the first time she attempted to use elemental magic. "I might be able to stop whatever will provoke her into losing control over her power."

    "Can you do that?" Leeora looked at him with a hopeful gaze.

    "Though I am idler in everyone''s eyes, I am not that useless yet," Morpheus replied.

    "But how do you n on keeping a pair of mates apart?" Leeora asked.

    "Take control over what belongs to me," He replied.

    "Are you..."

    "Once again, I have to use my authority," he said with a sigh. "At times like this, I wonder if I should be thankful I never found a sessor for this position..."

    Leeora let out a sigh of relief. "If the Commander makes a reasonable proposal, given the circumstance during the day of mourning, that may truly help to keep His Majesty away from danger."

    They continued to discuss what Morpheus had nned to do, which Leeora wholeheartedly approved and supported. As they talked for a long, they did not realize it was already sunset. Leeora turned on themps inside her residence.

    "Seems like those kids are enjoying sightseeing around the city," Leeora said as she looked out of the window.

    "Those two go along really well. Finally found someone of their age that they could talk with freely," Morpheus said. The elf and the shapeshifter both walked out of the door.

    Under the soft golden light of the setting sun, the entire city ahead looked beautiful, and even after the sun hid behind the horizon, the numerous sun orbs in each of the Wood Elves'' tree houses painted a picture of hundreds of fireflies suddenly appearing in the dark.

    "Your nephew, do you know his ns for the future? Is he nning to live among us or return to that human kingdom?" Leeora asked.

    "Hmm, well, he sounds undecided, but he had some urgent matters to deal with back in that human kingdom. Once it''s over, I believe he wille back to live in Agartha."

    "That''s great news. He will have to lead the Divine Eagle n as well as all the feathered races."

    "Though he''s still a kid, I believe he has the basic qualities of a ruler. He is a responsible and thoughtful person, though it bothers me he''s kind of indecisive, that''s normal given such a young age."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Indecisive? Sounds like his uncle," shemented.

    "Am I? All I know is that I am idler. Shouldn''t you say I''mzy?"

    "You? Lazy?" the elfughed. "To those who don''t know your history will probably think so. Sadly, I''ve known you for hundreds of years. In Aureus, I see that young Morpheus who was the most responsible person I had ever seen in that young golden eagle. Is Aureus not leaving for the sake of the order of that king he vowed to serve? To think your nephew would choose responsibility over family, well, reminds me of a certain someone who is ferocious when the time to fightes, and steps up in the frontlines when ites to the people''s safety."

    "You are praising me to the point I question if you are talking about a real person or some book hero," the shapeshifterughed goodnaturedly. "That was such a heavy praise for the old me, a remnant of the past. This person is nothing more than an idler right now."

    "Do you really have to put yourself down like this?"

    "It makes me feel less burdened."

    "Or help you run away from the pain?"

    The gray eagle stayed quiet and just then they saw two young ones returning.

    Morpheus and Leeora went down to the ground and waited for their approach at the base of the tree.

    "Did you two have fun?" Leeora asked.

    Erlos nodded with a wide smile on his lips, "Yes, Elder," while Aureus replied calmly, "Your city is beautiful."

    "Aureus also bought a lot of fancy things," Erlos informed them, being his usual chatterbox self, giving them a rundown of the items the golden eagle bought.

    "Really? That''s good to know," Leeora smiled, only to hear Erlos continue speaking like a gossip. "I wonder which lucky female will be receiving these gifts."

    "Just some gifts for when I go back," Aureus replied calmly, as he didn''t wish to specify a specific person.

    Morpheus knew the answer but he said nothing about it. "Aureus, I am busy tonight as well. You have to stay in the pce so you will be in the care of Erlos once again. You can also spend a night in Redcrest if you want. Your granduncle will be pleased--"

    "Don''t worry about me," Aureus replied firmly. He wasn''t that interested in talking to other members of his n, especially since he was unable to forget that impression he had of them when he visited for the first time. Rather than having a decent conversation among family, Aureus suspected he would be revered like a god, with everyone unable to speak infort.

    Erlos looked at Morpheus. "Yeah, I will take care of my friend. You can go continue idling." The young elf looked at Aureus. "Are you ufortable in the pce? Would you like to stay in my house here?"

    "Do you have a house here?" Aureus asked in surprise. He thought that since Erlos resided in the pce as an attendant to the King, that was his home as well.

    "Of course, I do. I was raised here in Ronan before working in the pce." He then pointed towards one tree house connected to Leeora''s home with a hanging bridge. "That is my residence. Oh, do you see that one beside mine? That other one belongs to Miss Ember. She used to stay here as well before moving to the pce."

    "I won''t say no to your offer. I want to experience what it''s like for elves to dwell inside a tree spirit."

    "Good. To think I''d be having a friend over like this." The young elf''s eyes brightened at the thought. "Wait, I have only one bed there, hmm, I will arrange one more for you..."

    "No need. I can manage on the floor."

    "Let''s go," Erlos offered and looked at Leeora. "We two ate while roaming the city. We will excuse ourselves now, Elder."

    "Go ahead," she replied with a smile, looking at those two like a grandmother looking at her grandsons.

    Once the two young ones left, Leeora spoke up, "You are right. These two would be good friends."

    "Because of Erlos, I see a change in Aureus. He used to be so stiff andposed, pretending to be more mature than he should be, but now he has started to act his age."

    "That''s good to see."

    "I think I should also take my leave as well. I have to start working on our ns," Morpheus said and flew away with Leeora''s well wishes in his heart.

    ====

    A/N- It''s Christmas eve. I wish you all to enjoy and have fun with your family and friends. Merry Christmas everyone. May Santa shower you all with tons of gifts... <3<3

 Chapter 344 Wants The Responsibilities Back

    Since Erlos was still in Ronan, when Morpheus arrived at the pce, he went straightway to the King''s study. If he hade earlier, he would have returned empty-handed since the King of Agartha was not in the pce, but fortunately, he came with perfect timing. It just so happened that Draven had also just recently returned from a trip outside of Agartha. One could even see the dust on his boots and outer coat.

    When Morpheus opened the door of the King''s study, Draven was not surprised, calmly waiting for the eagle as he had already sensed his arrival. Seeing his travel-worn appearance, Morpheus raised a brow.

    "Seems like, at least this time, you have returned with something useful about my sister," Morpheusmented as he walked inside as if he was the owner of the ce.

    Draven was standing by his desk, gazing down at the object he brought back with him from outside. Morpheus''s gaze was simrly fixed on that shiny object ced on the table. With a few quick steps, he was directly in front of the desk, and picked it up with a look of disbelief and pleasant surprise in his shaking eyes.

    A feather.

    A golden feather.

    An eagle''s golden feather.

    It was small, somewhat withered, but from the weak traces of magic, he knew who it could belong to. There was turmoil in his mind but he acted calm. "Did you bring it with you from the other side of the continent?"

    "Hmm," was what Draven said, and walked to the other side of the desk to sit on his chair. Using his powers to teleport was part of his daily routine, but to use it repeatedly on such long distances covering half the continent for several days finally took a toll on him. He had exhausted too much of his energy, and it was visible in his tired-looking eyes.

    "Myra''s, right?" Morpheus could not construct any more words.

    "Only proves Zaria has a Divine Golden Eagle in captivity. If there are no other living golden eagles, then if that is not Aureus'', that means it''s indeed Myra''s feather," Draven replied calmly.

    Morpheus further observed that small golden feather with a heavy heart as he mumbled, "This?" He rubbed tiny red dirt on the tip of the feather with his fingers as anger rose inside him. "Dried blood?"

    Both men knew that if a divine beast were taken prisoner by a ck Witch, the chances of death weren''t low, and to be simply injured was already a fortunate thing. But, neither of them wanted to imagine any harm happening to Myra. Draven chose not to say anything more as it would only be painful to listen.

    "Where did you get it?" Morpheus asked and then stared at Draven. Now that he took time to observe, Draven had the smell of blooding off his body. "Did you discover their hiding ce? Did you catch anyone from their group?"

    "I killed a wizard," he admitted. "Sooner orter, they will find out about his disappearance."

    "What! That wasn''t what we nned!" Morpheus felt panicked inside. "Shouldn''t you be only investigating? Why did you fight? What if they suspect you are pursuing them and run away? What if we cannot find Myra?"

    "We have time," Draven responded theposure in his voice a direct contrast to Morpheus. "Zaria Lynx is in Thevailes, her hands full with the impending war with Megaris. By the time they find out about that wizard, our preparations areplete. And about that n, I am scrapping it. We must separate Myra from that witch as soon as possible."

    Morpheus was relieved to hear this, but he could not help but ask, "No longer waiting for the King of Megaris?"

    Draven shook his head. "We do not know when the King of Megaris would be avable. There is no use in waiting. We have to get her back even if it''s just one second earlier. I don''t wish to let her suffer more."

    Though Morpheus approved of this new n, he could not help but look at the red-eyed man with a doubtful gaze. "Are you sure that is the only reason? You are the kind who never changes his decision once made and that too without having a proper n."

    "I simply don''t wish to let her continue suffering," Draven answered as he closed his eyes.

    As much as Morpheus worried for his sister, he felt something was troubling Draven as well. "Did something happen?"

    "Hmm." Draven nodded.

    "What? You can tell me."

    "I wish to go to my mate but you are keeping me here," Draven replied with a sigh.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Are you trying to change the topic?"

    "I don''t need to," Draven replied calmly. "My mate is in her fertile days and you know I should be with her."

    Morpheus understood Draven didn''t want to tell the truth and he could not get it out from him if he didn''t wish to. As long as he brought Myra back or let him save his sister, it was enough for him.

    "You can go to your mate after I finish what I am here for."

    "What is it?" Draven asked as he opened his eyes to stare at the shapeshifter standing in front of his desk.

    Morpheus put his hand forward and Draven saw the familiar thing appearing on his hand. The seal of themander of warriors. He put it on Draven''s desk.

    "I want to resume all of my responsibilities as the Commander of Warriors."

    "May I know why all of a sudden this change and realization of your responsibilities, Commander of Warriors?" Draven asked as he was surprised.

    In thest hundred years, whatever happened, Morpheus never demanded to resume his responsibilities entirely as he only meddled if there was something urgent and needed his attention.

    "You can say after a gap of hundred years, I am suddenly tempted to get everything back which belongs to me."

    "Are you sure it is the reason?" Draven offered him a doubtful gaze.

    He chuckled, "What more can be there? Soon my sister will be back and if she sees me as an idler, she will be disappointed. Also, I need to set a good example for my Nephew who will be the King of my n. He should see how responsible and worthy our n is."

    Draven simply looked at him as he was yet to agree to his demand.

    "Fine, let me tell you the real reason," Morpheus said under that doubtful gaze from the King. "The truth is I want you to only focus on finding my sister and not be diverted by anything. Whether you agree to it or not, you know this seal still allows me to take control over all of my responsibilities which include handling the matters rted to the safety of this kingdom and everyone has to follow my orders when it concern safety. The day of mourning is on the door and we have to maintain strict security at the border and inside the kingdom. While doing so, I will be able to train Aureus as well and he will understand more about this kingdom."

    Morpheus finally stopped and looked at the idle red-eyed king, "Did you get it or do you want me to say more."

    "No need." Draven agreed and Morpheus felt relieved inside.

    "From tomorrow I will handle everything you have been looking after. You don''t have to worry about anything. Just be a good king and do your things," Morpheus said as he picked up his seal and walked towards the door to go out only to hear Draven.

    "Are youing from Leeora''s ce?"

    Morpheus sighed, ''This Dragon surely smelled herbs on me.'' He turned to look at Draven, "Whatever it is, the thing that I am taking my responsibilities back and you have to listen to me as well, it won''t change."

    Draven didn''tment as he saw Morpheus leaving. Draven could guess what was going on but he decided to go along. Morpheus being ready to take his responsibilities was a good thing.

    There were so many things going on in his mind at this moment as he needed to fix so many things before the mourning day...before that vision Leeora and Cornelia had, woulde true.

    ===

    A/N- Keep voting golden tickets <3<3

 Chapter 345 Die For Her Sake

    After Morpheus left, Draven went to his chamber to retire for the night.

    As he had given Erlos permission to stay in Ronan, Draven was without an attendant; he had to take care of his needs on his own. This time, when he removed his bloodstained clothes, he didn''t scatter them on the floor like usual, and when he went to the side chamber to have a bath, he used his powers to heat the fresh water. One could see that his movements were skilled though unhurried, a sign that this was not the first time he tended to himself.

    While soaking in the pool of water, Draven''s thoughts wandered. His arms were spread on his sides, his head slightly tilted back, and he could not help but close his eyes.

    The day of mourning...

    The day of mourning this year was bound to be different. This was already within his expectations given the fact his mate was human, but after hearing about the visions that Cornelia and Leeora had, it seemed things were more serious than expected.

    He clearly heard that there was a mention of fire, and he could not help but be concerned about Ember, whose control over her own fire magic was still somewhatcking. If the cause happened to be her, then something would provoke her into losing control over her emotions, as he knew from experience negative emotions such as anger was her trigger.

    There were plenty of usible reasons. One would be that she would grow upset at being a target of hostility if he brings her to Netherfield to join the mourning. Another was the possibility of her being attacked, either by those who hate humans or by a third unknown party.

    He also could not ignore the possibility that those who sealed her powers wereing after her. If that were the case, then he needed to be by her side all the time. He wished to keep her away from anything dangerous.

    ''If the Commander of Warriors takes control of managing the manpower for security...''

    With Morpheus wanting to share the workload, Draven would be free enough to focus on Ember and the potential danger lurking on the day of mourning.

    ''An omen of death.''

    Death...

    The corner of his lips lifted at the contradiction. Death? He was never scared of it. If the man Cornelia and Leeora saw in their visions was him, he was ready to face it.

    Draven was not called the Devil for nothing--he who reaps lives ought to be ready to die anytime. For someone like him whose existence spanned thousands of years, he was exhausted from living without meaning. In fact, if not for his responsibility and guilt towards the residents of Agartha, he would have willingly let Morpheus end his life long back.

    It was only upon meeting Ember that a small spark was ignited within the darkness inside him. And when she became his mate, he started to grow greedy. Greedy for life, greedy of the future.

    But the visions meant she would be endangered on the day of mourning, Draven would dly ept death to protect her. He would protect her even if it cost his life.

    ''Fate looks kindly upon me, to let me meet my mate and die for her sake...''

    Getting rid of all of these muddled thoughts, Draven soon readied himself in his night robe and disappeared from his chamber, only to appear in front of his mate''s chamber. After this tiring day, all he wanted was to be with her.

    Ember''s servants were outside the chamber, about to return to their quarters when they saw the King. Both bowed to him. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

    One of the elves tactfully told him, "Miss Ember had just fallen asleep, Your Majesty."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Draven gave her a small nod before walking towards the door which opened and closed on its own after he entered the chamber. Not having any other thoughts other than to be with his mate, he straightaway climbed the bed and pulled her into his warm embrace. Instinctively, Ember snuggled back and slept holding onto him.

    His mate said she didn''t want to see him and talk to him--was he not a good mate to not go against her wish? At this moment, she was sleeping and could not see or talk to him.

    A hint of a smile could be seen on the man''s handsome face as he closed his eyes to sleep.

    ---

    When Ember woke up the next morning, she could not help but let out a hearty yawn as she stretched. She felt like she had slept really nice and had a satisfying dreamless sleepst night.

    ''Hmm?''

    She sniffed once to make sure she was not mistaken. She could smell a familiar scent and immediately looked at the ce next to her in bed.

    ''It''s his scent. Was he herest night?'' She moved towards the pillow next to her and sniffed closely.

    "He did sleep next to me!"

    She then raised the nket covering her body, checking for anything amiss...

    To her relief, her clothes were fine and her body didn''t feel any difort.

    "He didn''t do anything." She was surprised. "Are my fertile days over so he didn''t go crazy this time?" She tilted her head. "That can''t be. Y said fertile days for me are six to seven days and they are not over yet. Then, how did he spare me?"

    Her train of thought was broken when she heard the knock on the door. Her two servants entered the chamber, wondering if their master would look like the previous day as the King had visited his mate but...Ember lookedpletely fine.

    "Good morning, Miss."

    The servants greeted her and helped her with her morning routine. While they attended to her, her mind was fixated on a single thing--to find clues about the symbol embroidered on her handkerchief. All she could think of was going to the King''s study to look for the map of the Kingdom of Valor and find out her real identity.

    After her morning meal, she asked her servants about the whereabouts of the King. Reya left and came back with the information.

    "Miss, His Majesty is entertaining guests inside his study. The Commander of Warriors is there as well and seems like they are discussing important matters with the leaders of various ns. Only this much I got to know."

    After listening to her report, Ember stood up to go to her study. "Thank you, Reya. Let me know if His Majesty leaves the pce."

    The servants received her orders before following their master to her study.

 Chapter 346 A Whistle

    Inside the King''s study.

    Due to their agreement yesterday, Morpheus'' return would entail that not only the council members, even the leaders of the cities had to coordinate with the Commander of Warriors. That was why despite it being early in the morning, Draven had summoned the necessary people who needed to know he had handed over the matters rted to the security of the kingdom to Morpheus.

    "The number of warriors who will be in patrol onnd and in the air¡ª"

    "They must take this route and switch shifts¡ª"

    "About the ongoing strife between the humans and the elves at the border, the bare minimum manpower¡ª"

    "Have the witches strengthen the protective formation¡ª"

    Hourster, their discussion finally came to an end and everyone inside the study was dismissed. A certain shapeshifter stayed back until only two people were left inside the room.

    "I n to visit my friend before leaving," Morpheus said in a casual manner, the serious expression he wore earlier already shifting into a carefree one. His tone implied he wasn''t particrly asking permission, but more like simply notifying Draven who had returned to sit in his chair behind the desk.

    "Go ahead," was all Draven replied as he read the documents the people from earlier handed for him to review.

    Morpheus left the study but instead of walking through the hallway, he flew out of the building. To his surprise, Ember was standing in the balcony of her study and she seemed to look bored. He could have gone to visit her by letting a servant inform her of his arrival, but that would be too dull. It was still more entertaining to visit her his usual way, randomly, surprising her with his appearance when she least expected it.

    Though her scent would affect him, he was determined to control himself. The matter he was meeting her for was much more important- her safety and stopping something hurtful from happening.

    As nned, his suddennding on her balcony made her nearly jump in surprise.

    "What¡ª-Morph! Ugh, you scared me!"

    As sheined, she kept her hand on her chest to calm her heart.

    "The Queen of this kingdom can''t be this delicate," hemented as his majestic wings folded behind his back. "Tsk, scared by nothing."

    "I am not scared, just surprised, and I am not a queen," she frowned.

    "Not officially yet but you will be soon," he said and walked towards her. "What are you doing here spacing out?"

    "Just thinking," she replied with a pout, her expression seemingly saying, ''You made me mad so I won''t tell you.''

    "Oh, is that so? Will you tell me what you are thinking about?"

    Seeing the familiar lopsided smirk on his face, she grumbled under her breath. In the end, she let out a sigh and looked the shapeshifter in the eye. "Morph, is it fine for me to try to find my identity?"

    This question puzzled him for a moment. "Of course. There is nothing wrong with it. In fact, it is a logical thing to do, but why are you curious about it so suddenly?"

    Morpheus was aware of herck of interest in her past. She was content embracing her identity as ''Ember Aramis, mate of the King of Agartha'' and living her life forward. For Ember, only a single woman, her nanny, mattered to her about her past.

    At the same time, he was also aware of her real identity: a royal princess from a human kingdom. Because her parents had abandoned her, she was forced to live a life like that of a beggar, scraping food for survival, instead of being pampered and showered by luxury as per her birthright. Morpheus could not help but worry about the impact of the truth to this pure and naive girl.

    Unaware of hisplex thoughts, Ember showed him the token she was gripping in her hand. "This¡­This made me want to find out about my identity. This doesn''t look like any ordinary token, isn''t it?"

    "You are right."

    Ember fiddled with the token, her head lowered as she studied the engraving on the jade.

    "I''ve been thinking a lot," she started slowly, as if distracted. "At first, I just wanted to know who I am. But the more I thought, the more questions I had.

    "Why did my nanny refuse to give me a name? If I''m no one, why do I have this token? Who are my parents? Are they still alive? Do I have a family? Maybe siblings?"

    As she voiced her thoughts, more words spilled out from her, years of umted grievance.

    "Why did I end up on that mountain? Am I unwanted by my family? Why are the people of Valor scared of me? Why do they call me a witch? What about my powers? Why am I a human being with powers?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    A hollowugh escaped her lips as her thumb caressed the jade pendant.

    "I-I thought I was already content to remain ignorant. I thought it didn''t matter whether I knew it or not. I thought I was satisfied with having Gaia as my mother, and the people I met here in Agartha as my new family. But¡­but I realized that somewhere deep inside me, I wonder if my birth parents ever cared for me or even thought about me."

    As she said those words, her voice was so small it was almost a whisper. Morpheus wanted to reach out tofort her, but in the end, he chose to remain silent and listen to her until she fully let out all the troubles she kept in her heart.

    "When I was living on that mountain, survival was the only goal I had. It was all I needed to think about, and there was no room for these kinds of thoughts. Maybe because I am living too well and too idle ever since I came here, that I start harboring silly thoughts.

    "I see all of you with your families, the bonds between ns and people of the same race, and I can''t help butpare and wonder¡­" she exined. When she lifted her face, her beautiful eyes looked at him as if asking him if she was not really not doing anything wrong. "Do you think it''s fine for me to¡­?"

    He offered her an assuring smile. "Of course, it''s fine to find out about yourself. It is a choice only you yourself have the right to make. You, of all people, deserve to freely lead your life the way you want. Things like that, you don''t have to worry about whether it''s right or wrong. Do what you want and you can ask for help from me when you feel you need to."

    At those words filled with sincerity, Ember could not help but smile. "But don''t you think I''m being ungrateful?"

    "Ungrateful? You? Howe?"

    "I was wondering if Draven would be fine with it. He brought me here, gave me this new life, and yet I do not want to let go of my past. I don''t want him to think I am being ungrateful and trying to look into unimportant things."

    "I don''t think he will think that way. Though he doesn''t look like it, he''s the kind of man who will support you with what you want."

    "Do you really think so? I don''t want him to misunderstand¡ª"

    "He is your mate and you should know him better by now."

    As he said those, Morpheus found himself feeling sour. To think that there would be a day he would speak highly of that Dragon, he wondered what spoiled food he ate today. But he could not bear seeing Ember dispirited.

    "Umm, I think you are right but¡­" She took in a shaky breath. "Don''t tell him about it yet. Let me do some research on my own first. I don''t want to worry him about my matters when he is busy with matters rted to the kingdom. I know the day of mourning that ising soon is an important asion. I do not want to disturb him from his priorities¡ª"

    As she talked, Morpheus had his arms folded in front of his chest, his back leaning against the balcony railing, simply staring at her without saying a word.

    "Morph, did you hear what I said?"

    "I did."

    "Then why aren''t you saying anything?"

    "I was just thinking you have be more mature, considering the bigger picture when making decisions. Before you''re just like a little girl, but now I feel like you have grown up a lot, Ember."

    She didn''t know what to say in exchange for this praise, but a hint of pink appeared on her face to show how pleased and embarrassed she was to hear those words.

    "Ah, I forgot why I was here," Morpheus suddenly said and put forward his hand on which a tiny object carved out of wood appeared. "This is for you."

    She observed that wooden item about the size of a finger and picked it up. "What is this? A bird figurine?"

    "It''s a whistle," Morph informed her.

    Only then did Ember realize that it was indeed a dainty whistle skillfully carved in the shape of a bird perched on a branch. The mouthpiece of the wooden whistle was located on its tail.

    "So this is a whistle. It''s so small," she said in awe. "The details are so fine, I thought it''s a figurine. Such a beautiful whistle. But why are you giving it to me?"

    "You can use this to call me when you need me," he replied, his expression unexpectedly solemn. "Especially when you are in danger and no one is around to help you. Use this to call me. Do you understand?"

    "To call you? For help?"

    "Hmm."

 Chapter 347 Lesson To Blow A Whistle

    Seeing her give him a look of doubt, Morpheus added, "You can also call me whenever you feel like missing me. Just blow this whistle and I wille to you."

    "How hard do I have to blow? What if you are far away from the pce? What if you are up in the mountains? Will the sound this make reach you?"

    "It is enchanted by my magic spell so you have nothing to worry about. When you blow it, I will be able to hear it no matter where I am."

    "Oh, but if it lets out a loud sound, won''t it disturb people?"

    Morpheus shook his head. "Only I will be able to hear it."

    It amazed her. "But how do I use it? Do I just blow or do I also need to insert magic into it?"

    At that thought, her worry deepened. The only magic she was capable of using was a basic manifestation of fire at the moment. If she needed to use magic on this wooden whistle, wouldn''t it burn into charcoal?

    Morpheus found her anxious face adorable. "You simply need to put that narrow end of whistle between your lips and blow air in it."

    Ember let out a sigh of relief. "Shall I try it now?"

    "It''s yours already so you don''t need my permission."

    She put the narrow end of the whistle between her lips and blew all the air in her lungs into it, but¡­it didn''t make any sound.

    She tried a few more times before looking at Morpheus with a skeptical gaze. "Did it work?"

    A sh of mirth shed across Morpheus'' face, but he didn''t say anything.

    "I think it''s broken?" Ember blew on it once more. "It doesn''t make any sound."

    "Well, it won''t make any sound, but you are still not doing it properly. If you blow it the right way, this small bead inside this whistle will roll and you will know it''s working."

    "Let me try again." She blew the air with her eyes closely fixated on the bead but¡­

    "It''s still not moving."

    Morpheus sighed. "Because you are not doing it right. All the air from your mouth is making its way out from the corners of your lips which you keep open. The air should only go through the whistle."

    Ember was confused. She pouted a little at her failure and put the whistle again between her lips and the result was still the same.

    "Such a child!" Morpheus remarked with augh, which caused Ember to feel displeased. Before he realized her intentions, she put that whistle in his mouth, taking him by surprise.

    "Then teach this child!"

    Morpheus got back to his senses and held that whistle. "Fine, pay attention to it." He crouched down, just enough for their faces to be on the same level, and blew the whistle.

    Ember saw the bead inside it rolling but there was no sound. Morpheus held the whistle in his palm. "Did you see how I did it?"

    She grabbed that whistle from him and followed exactly what he did. The next moment, she found Morpheus covering his ears. "Stop! Stop! Once is enough. You will burst my eardrums."

    She stopped. "But I heard nothing."

    "What did I say earlier? This whistle has a magic spell. Only I can hear it."With a grouchy expression, he rubbed his ears with his palm., "My little Ember, blow a bit more gently, or else I will turn deaf."

    "Ah, I apologize. I will try again and then tell me if it''s better."

    He nodded and she softly blew into the whistle, its strength barely enough to move the bead inside. She stopped. "Is this much good?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    Morpheus, who was preparing to cover his ears again, felt relieved and nodded. "Perfect."

    She felt happy. "This is my whistle now. Maybe I should make it into a ne¡ª"

    "It is good that you''re happy but¡­"

    "But what?"

    "Do not let others use it."

    "Alright!"

    "And¡­you shouldn''t simply remove things from your mouth and stuff them into another male''s mouth."

    Ember btedly realized she had done exactly that a while ago. Her eyes flickered towards his lips and stammered, "Oh, uhm, I¡­"

    Morpheus didn''t mean to make her feel bad but he just didn''t want her to do it with other males. In the world of beasts, such simple unintentional acts could be considered an act of affection, and males could misunderstand such acts of females. If they were to fall for her but she doesn''t feel the same then it would be bad for the male.

    "It''s fine with me since I understand you did it without thought, but you shouldn''t do it with others. Be more careful with how you act around males."

    "Draven?" she asked timidly.

    "He is fine as well because he is your mate but not others."

    "Understood. Sorry¡­"

    Morpheus felt like a parent who was teaching his young daughter about the ways of the world. Such a naive female this human was.

    "I will take my leave now but before that, I need you to make a promise."

    "What promise?"

    "If you face any difficulty in the future, if you find yourself in danger, if yound yourself in trouble and don''t know what to do, the first thing you will do is to blow this whistle. Can you promise me that?"

    "I promise."

    He patted her head with a light smile, indulgently telling her "What a good little female you are," before opening his wings to fly away.

    Once he left, Ember looked at that bird whistle once again and then found Morpheus gone. A slightly evil thought popped into her head.

    "Shall I try it and see if hees back?" She shook her head, "He will be annoyed if I call him just to check this whistle."

    Sometime after Morpheus left, Reya came to the balcony. She found Ember looking at an unfamiliar item in her hand. "What is that, Miss?"

    "It''s a whistle. Morph gave it to me," she replied with a smile. "What do you think?"

    "That''s a pretty whistle, Miss. How thoughtful of the Commander to give you a gift," Reyaplimented, already long used to the shapeshifter''s unannounced visits to her master, before informing her the reason for hering. "Miss, I brought news. His Majesty just left the pce."

    Ember was waiting for this opportunity as she needed to go to Draven''s study. "That''s good to know. Let''s go to his study then."

    Reya followed her master toward the King''s study.

 Chapter 348 Dravens Scent

    When they reached the hallway outside the study, they happened to see Erlos walking in their direction. With bright eyes, Ember hurried to meet him halfway, wishing to first make sure about the King''s whereabouts from his aide. It wasn''t that she didn''t trust her servant; what if Draven suddenly returns after she sneaks inside his study and catches her snooping around his things? Wouldn''t that be embarrassing?

    "Good afternoon, Miss Ember," the young elf greeted as he offered her a light bow. "What brings you to this part of the pce?"

    Ember offered him a sweet smile. "I wish to see Draven. Is he in his study?"

    "You just missed him, Miss. Sire just left."

    "Oh..." she reacted despite knowing that already. "Where did he go?"

    "I am not sure, Miss."

    "Umm, do you know when he will return?"

    "Pardon me, I am not sure of it as well. These days Sire tells me nothing. However, if there''s one thing I am sure of, it''s that he won''t return before the day ends."

    Ember''s eyes brightened up even more upon hearing him say that. ''That''s enough time for me to do my work.'' She controlled her happiness and informed him, "Can I enter his study without him?"

    "Of course, Miss. Do tell me if you need help with anything."

    "Umm...I in fact need your help, Erlos."

    "You can tell me, Miss."

    "I''m looking for a map of the continent, and if there are books about the human kingdoms, I''d like to see them as well."

    "The map, Sire indeed recently made a new one, but about the books, I am not sure what I can find. Human kingdoms and empirese and go, and since our kind generally do not leave Agartha, there are few ounts about their culture or geography. Some of them may be outdated by centuries..."

    "Anything will do."

    The young elf nodded. "I will see what I can find for you, Miss. Let me apany you to the King''s study."

    Ember followed him inside while her servant stayed outside to guard the door. Erlos went towards the honeb-shaped bookshelves with Ember by his side, but since she wasn''t familiar with how the books and scrolls were arranged, she refrained from touching Draven''s belongings to avoid any unwanted incidents.

    Speaking of incidents...

    As her gaze passed across the particr section of the study, a certain memory shed before her eyes.

    Ember all flustered caught like a thief and trapped by the red-eyed devil. She tried to be stealthy to secretly borrow a magic book, but was instead discovered and pinned against the shelf. It was the first time Ember found herself at a such close distance from Draven, and under the influence of their scents, it was their first time losing control of their urges.

    Her body was covered with goosebumps as she remembered her first kiss with Draven. Back then, she didn''t understand what it was, but her body was honest as she responded to the desire that engulfed her rationality. It was primal instinct to respond to his hungry kiss, and she could not help but--

    "Miss, I found only three books for you. I will try to look for more..."

    Erlos'' voice yanked her out of her not-so-innocent thoughts, and she had to cup her cheeks to hide the growing blush on them. She then looked at the stack of books in his hands. Erlos ced them on the desk as he continued to chatter, unaware of her reaction.

    "...but, Miss, these books are considered ancient by human standards. They were penned by wanderers who decided to settle in Agartha from a century ago at thetest. As we have long stopped contact with the outside world, there is not much information noted in these books about their current situation. Besides, since most supernatural beings are long-lived, rather than penning books, most of us rely on personal stories shared by word of mouth."

    Ember walked towards the desk to trace the yellowed leather-bound books. "It''s fine. What about the map? I heard His Majesty has the most detailed one in his collection."

    "Yes, Miss. I will get that one for you," he said and walked back towards the shelves. He pulled out thergest scroll from the honeb-shaped shelf and brought it to the desk. "This is it. Sire made this one by himself after visiting all the marked ces in person."

    "Is it fine for me to see it?"

    "Of course, Miss. Let me make enough space for it. Please step away for a bit."

    Erlos put the stack of books aside before opening the scroll. Ember found herself in awe as the elf unfolded the scroll to its fullest on the desk and put weights on the ends, slowly smoothing over the paper filled with lines and marks so detailed one could easily mistake it for a painting. She had never seen a map before and only learned of its existence from the dialogues of book characters and the casual mentions of Gaia.

    ''So this is a map!''<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Uh, there are parts and signs I do not understand. I have never read a map before," she said as she carefully touched that map.

    "Miss, which ones are you curious about? I can exin it to you," Erlos offered.

    "That will be really helpful, Erlos. Thank you."

    "Let me exin how to read a map, Miss. Come to this side so you can see it clearly," he instructed and made a ce for her to stand next to him.

    "So, Miss, let''s start with the knowledge of the directions first." He put his finger on one upward-direction arrow. "Miss, this arrow pointing upwards you see here, it indicates the north direction. So this is north, this is south, then this is east and west."

    "This side is east...this side is west..." Ember concentrated, trying to memorize this newfound knowledge.

    "Miss, the directions of a map are absolute, unlike the rtive directions of front, back, left, and right. For example, the sun will always rise in the east, but depending on where you are standing, sometimes the sun will rise in front of you or on your sides. Due to the existence of this absolute direction, if say, you are standing in this location--" he then silently traced an invisible path with his fingers "--and walk in the direction of the sun, you will eventually reach this kingdom east of your original location.

    "Miss, let me tell you the easiest way to understand east and west. Say, if we are facing north, you will always get east on your right side and west on your left side.

    "Do you get what I''m saying so far?"

    Ember felt amazed to learn something really innovative and said, "So when I face the east and look at the sun, the left side is north and the right side is south. Am I right?"

    Erlos turned his head to look at her and she looked back at him to know why he didn''t respond.

    "Miss, I must say you are really very smart to get this easily. I believe you will understand this entire map soon."

    She put on a bright, satisfied smile. "Thanks to your teachings, Erlos. I like it when you teach me useful things like this--it reminds me of how you taught me useful survival tips during our tripst time. I find it easy to learn because you teach by using examples."

    "Then I will be your teacher, Miss."

    "Is that fine with you?"

    "Of course, Miss. I would love to teach you anything that you want to learn."

    "I look forward to learning more from you then, Erlos." She then returned her attention to the map. "What are these pointed structures? Are these houses? They look like roofs?"

    "Oh, no, Miss. There are mere symbols and one needs to know the map legend to interpret them because not all cartographers--the person who draws maps--agree on using the same symbols to mark the territories, features, and topography of the ces they represent.

    "These pointed structures symbolize ''mountains''. Though they look small on the map, that doesn''t mean they are all of the same sizes. It only means there is a mountain--this part in particr, these interconnected pointed symbols, meant this is a mountain range. Can you guess which mountains these are?"

    Ember could only shake her head as Erlos continued.

    "You ought to recognize them, Miss. You can see them from your chamber on the top floor of the pce. These are huge mountains that only a few lucky humans can cross. Not even those of the feathered races can cross them easily," he answered and then pointed at one ce on the map which was surrounded by the mountain symbols.

    "Miss, this is where Agartha is located. This mark here is the pce we are in."

    Ember looked at the tiny ''castle'' mark, a symbol so smallpared to the rest of the map, yet it marked the residence of the most powerful figure of the kingdom. However, it left her breathless to see that the size of Agartha wasparably modestpared to the other kingdomsbeled on the map. At this moment, a thrill went through her body as she realized the world was truly more immense than she imagined.

    ''This is the ce I am currently living in.'' Her gaze then followed the other names written on the territory marked under Agartha and the first name that caught her attention was the green leaf symbol where written underneath was the word ''Ronan''.

    "Elder Leeora''s city...This is the White Tiger''s city...This is--"

    She suddenly realized the unusual silence of herpanion and when she looked to her side, the ce next to her was indeed empty.

    "Erlos? Where are--" But her nose caught a familiar scent, causing her entire body to freeze up.

    ''Draven, it''s Draven''s scent! Don''t tell me...''

    Even before she could turn to look behind her, a strong solid chest pressed against her back and a pair of manly hands rested against the surface of the desk, covering her delicate hands with hisrge ones.

 Chapter 349 Torturous Way Of Teaching

    Ember felt like her heart would jump out of her chest.

    It wasn''t merely due to surprise; her senses were warning her about the grave danger shended herself in once again.

    ''Waah! Howe you''re back so fast?! What happened to ''won''t return before the day ends''? Erlos, you liar!''

    Draven had appeared inside the study when she expected his absence and she was caught looking at his personal belongings without his permission. Wasn''t this a familiar situation?

    Ember silently swallowed. She was scared of him doing indecent things again and she would be forced to rest her body the entire day. What if he gives her punishment for being caught? Then what awaits her...

    She could not bear the following embarrassment--and, and! She had important things to do! She had no desire to waste her days keeping up with her overly energetic mate! No, no, this cannot be!

    "Draven..." she tried to say, but could not continue words because she could feel his head lowering behind her, his hot breath brushing against the delicate lobe of her ear. His hands gently cradled and squeezed hers, and her heart seemed to stutter when she found him inhaling her scent at the crook of her neck.

    "D-didn''t I say, say that...that I don''t want to see you and talk to you?"

    She tried her luck as she remembered how he respected her wishes and left without meeting her the previous day. Maybe he would listen again, unfortunately, she was being far too optimistic.

    "I am behind you. You cannot see me," he replied, his lips leaving a trace of light kisses on her smooth neck, "and you don''t need to talk to me if you don''t want to."

    Trying to resist his seduction, Ember briefly closed her eyes. She wanted to argue, to hurl back some witty response at what he said, but his skillful teasing was muddling her thoughts. She tried to calm her senses to no avail. Though her mind wanted to remain rational, her body was ready to give in to her mate''s advances. The effect of the bond was making it difficult for her to reject her mate.

    "Draven, the map..."

    "I am not stopping you. You can continue what you are doing," he said gently before biting her neck.

    His intention was clear--that he would not let his mate go when she herself came to him. He tried his best to stay away from her but now she was here...with her smelling this delicious... His study was filled with her sweet scent, making him lose his mind.

    Light gasps left her lips as she tried to speak, "I...need to learn...understand... this map...I need to focus..."

    "Shall I help you to learn and understand it then?"

    She felt his lips brushing against her cheek as his hoarse voice sounded like the temptation to her senses, hard to resist.

    She audibly gulped. "Then...you need to stop this so you can help me...."

    "I can help you like this as well," he said and moved his face forward, such that the sides of their faces brushed past each other, causing her to gulp once more. His hands remained holding her hands against the desk, such that he could move her right hand along with his to touch the markings on the map.

    "This is Agartha."

    "I know--" The rest of her words were caught in her throat as she was caught by surprise. "W-What are you doing?!"

    His other hand had found its way towards her skirt, starting to lift it up.

    "Teaching you," he replied as if that naughty hand wasn''t his and continued to move her right hand on the map. "This is the mountain range that acts as a natural barrier surrounding our kingdom."

    Ember clearly could not focus on the map as her attention was diverted by the naughty intentions of Draven''s left hand.

    "Your hand..."

    "It won''t stop you from learning this map," he replied and moved her hand once again. "These mountains are what you see through your window."

    Though he was exining to her, his main focus was somewhere else as well. On his hand which was slowly sliding under her dress from below, now slowly, tenderly, yfully heading to that precious ce between her thighs.

    "D-Draven, you can''t..."

    "What I can''t?"

    "You..."

    "Last time we were here, I left you frustrated. As a good mate, I need to make up for it," he replied, which reminded her more of that particr day. Back then, she came to him to tell him she was ready to consummate their bond. He pushed her against the desk and almost touched her intimately.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You...ahh... you... don''t have to...hnggh!" she tried to speak, but it was as if not only were his fingers ying with her body, but also her mind. She could not form a coherent sentence!

    "Focus on the map, Ember, or you will miss learning," he whispered against her sensitive ear, his hot breath causing her to shudder, and the poor tortured soul of his mate tried to hold onto her sanity as much as she could.

    ''Is he for real? How can I focus on the map when he is....making me feel so good again...no, not good at all.''

    Draven once again moved her right hand along the horizontal line of mountain ranges. "This long mountain range here, it divides the continent into two parts."

    "Ah, you...ahh..." she let out a loud lewd sound as his fingers found their way inside her. She tried to clench her thighs together but it was impossible to stop his hand.

    She was trapped, trapped between that huge desk and her mate. With hisrge, solid body towering behind her, his arms caging her in, he was not giving her even an inch to move away from him.

    "Draven, no, that''s too much, too soon..." She found it difficult to even look at the map with what he was doing to her body.

    "Shh, pay attention to our geography lesson. We have barely started. This map will take a lot of time for you to understandpletely."

    "Nngh, but...ahh...like this, I don''t think...I don''t... we can evenplete it--"

    She was biting her lips, trying to keep her moans buried, but the next moment, a cry of pleasure left her lips. She had to bite her lips harder afterwards.

    "You can, if you focus," he said, which made her open her mouth, wanting to retort. However, she could only moan in response.

    ''He sure wants to torture me. How can one focus while ying with my body like this?''

    He moved her hand towards the part of the map west of Agartha. "This is a vastnd, see this? This is a dangerous forest, and beyond these mountain ranges are territories that humans im for themselves."

    Ember wanted to clench her right hand in a fist, but his hand was holding onto it firmly, guiding it along the map. Her other hand already gave up on trying to restrain his hand under her skirt; it was now gripping the edge of the desk. Amidst her distracted thoughts, she listened to Draven''s low, seductive voice reciting the names of the human kingdoms, and it was absolutely impossible for her to remember them under the torturous pleasure he was giving to her. However, her mind cleared upon hearing him say a familiar name.

    The Kingdom of Valor.

    Just as she opened her mouth--

    "Nggh, ahh...ahh! Draven, you!" she felt her breath stuck in her chest as she realized that a hard, throbbing length was buried inside her.

    When did he...?

    Amidst his ministrations, Ember tried her best to focus on listening to him introducing the kingdoms, half her attention on his hand guiding hers along the map, and it was unknown when he exchanged his fingers for his manhood.

    All she remembered was he parted her legs, her dress was lifted up, and his fingers were misbehaving. Before she knew it, he was inside her.

    ===

    A/N- A surprise Art gift for only the top tier privileged readers to view in advance. (Do read till the end)

    1)Aureus and his mate couple art.

    2)An and His mate couple art.

    3)yer and His woman couple art.

    Q- How to get ess to the Art?

    A- Once you entered the discord server, please tell admin that you are top tier privileged reader and provide a proof. You can see the art in private channels of discord meant for the readers who are eligible for it.

    All the art will be avable in January but you can get a glimpse of Aureus and his mate''s art at this moment if you are top tier privileged reader.

    Discord link- https://discord.gg/FeBvNrBbkn

    When you arrive at the server, if it''s night for admin or me, you will get response once it''s a day.

 Chapter 350 Draven Aramis...You Monster...

    Ember''s legs suddenly lost their strength to stand, and she had no choice but toy her upper body against the desk, her hands firmly holding onto the corners just so she wouldn''t identally crease the precious map in front of her.

    Draven gave her several breaths'' worth of time to adjust to his invasion before he pulled out and thrust again.

    "Ugh..."

    Not a single word of protest left her mouth this time as this second thrust hit a sweet spot, overwhelming her senses, making her forget the reason why she was here in the study in the first ce.

    What learning how to read a map, what finding clues about her identity--all these vanished in the heat of the moment.

    All she could feel and think was what he was doing with her. The rational part of her mind tried to protest, but her body was being honest. Way too honest, in fact.

    "You are not focusing on the map, Ember?" Draven whispered against her sensitive ear. Again and again, the man pounded into her, and she felt herself stretch for him repeatedly.

    ''Focus? What the...'' she cursed in her mind as her mate continued to take her from behind. Moaning along with his every move, Ember repeatedly tried to steady herself against the desk, but it was as if all her limbs had gone soft with pleasure.

    Ember felt her body giving up. From her hands, she got on her elbows, and she was far too lost in lust to care about the map. All she knew was that she wanted to keep up with her overbearing mate.

    "Seems like you are no longer interested in learning how to read maps anymore," she heard Draven''s remark in between pants, and felt his hand tighten his hold on her waist to keep her steady.

    There was a difference between hearing and listening, and though Ember heard his teasing words, she was unable toprehend their meaning. In her ears, there were only the indecent sounds of flesh hitting flesh and her wild moans. She thought of nothing but wanting to reach that sweet feeling of reaching the peak, and at the moment, she was riding the waves of pleasure spreading across her body.

    "Draven, ahh, move a bit--" She wanted him to go faster but the remaining self-dignity she had left made her hesitate. She couldn''t be that shameless. Minutes ago, wasn''t she telling him not to do it? How could she be so thick-faced to take back those words and encourage him now?

    "You still don''t want to see me?" he asked, his voice restrained as if he was trying to hold back.

    With her face pressed t against the desk, her cheek crumpling the map under her, she could no longer withstand it.

    "I-I...want to..."

    Before she realized what was happening, Ember was flipped on her back, and she was staring face to face with her handsome mate. He had turned her body around and she was now sitting at the edge of the desk, with him standing between her parted legs. She had barely understood the situation when he pressed her against his body, using one hand to make her legs wrap around his waist.

    "Draven!" she screamed again when he thrust his manhood hard inside her, filling her to the brim in one swift movement. Her hands clutched his shoulders and her head was thrown back at the immense feeling of fullness. With one final thrust, Draven let out an animalistic grunt, and together, they found their release, causing her mind to float in the clouds.

    As they tried to catch their breaths, he continued to hold her limp body tenderly, nuzzling her neck. He then heard her weak voice, "D-Draven, that''s it. We should stop with a single round this time."

    She didn''t want him to overdo it and leave her body on another mandatory bed rest for the rest of the day.

    Draven held her tightly in his arms as his eyes flickered with hidden emotions.

    "We..." he stopped, as if reluctant to finish the sentence, but in the end, he still said the rest within his mind, ''...might not get this chance again.''<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Hmm?" she asked in a daze.

    "We cannot stop like this," he replied, changing his words. "Bear with me for a while more."

    As if Ember could sense the turmoil inside him, she moved her head back which was resting against his shoulder. However, by the time their gazes met, those red eyes of his looked the same as usual, cold and emotionless.

    ''Was I wrong? For some odd reason, I thought he felt...scared.''

    Draven caressed her cheek gently, only to let out words of warning.

    "Today, you can see and feel nothing but me."

    His dangerous intentions were clear in his eyes and his voice. She shivered, whether in fright or anticipation, not even she knew.

    "You cannot...D-Draven--"

    All her protests were once more buried under the loud moans and lewd cries that echoed inside the King''s study.

    The entire hallway outside the King''s study had long been emptied and no one darede to this part of the pce. Any guest who arrived to have an audience with the King had to return without meeting him and were guided to meet the Commander of Warriors, Divine Eagle Morpheus.

    That day, Ember learned about the interior of the King''s study in a way she had never expected, discovering how one room could look differently depending on which nook and cranny one wasying, sitting or standing.

    When she woke up after a long sleep due to her exhaustion, it was already the next day. The bright rays of thete morning sun were gracing the chamber.

    Lying on the bed, her hazy gaze gradually realized the view of the ceiling was different. She was not in her own bed. Her sleepy brain was jolted awake as her face burned red in shame.

    ''From his study to his chamber, that, that man!''

    Ember could not help but inwardly shriek as she remembered every little shameful thing they did, not forgetting how he made her beg for release, only for him to arouse her again and again until she passed out.

    From afternoon! Till night! That man! Did! Her!

    Her entire body felt like a broken toy. She let out a silent scream of frustration, clenching her fists as she red around the empty bedchamber.

    Unable to get out of bed, Ember could only shout in a hoarse voice.

    "Draven Aramis! You monster! Don''t you daree in front of me!!!"

 Chapter 351 Liar! You Always Lie

    Draven was soaking inside the pool attached to his bedchamber with his eyes closed. The dream he was seeing these days shed in his mind once more.

    A hand wielding a sharp weapon, flowing blood from a stab and the sound of someone crying.

    He opened his eyes, and this time, he didn''t look shocked, as if the vision no longer affected him. Every time his vision came to the part where the assant would stab that weapon, Draven would feel sharp pain in his chest, as if he was personally experiencing the attack.

    ''A weapon made of divine magic, a creation that bears its creator''s bloodlust, Its very existence will stop at nothing until it fulfills its purpose. A weapon that brings death.'' He was determined. ''If that is the case, I should be the one to take that hit. I cannot lose more of my people.''

    Unpleasant memories he had long buried began to resurface, causing his normally expressionless face to twist in anger.

    ''If only I find that weapon.''

    However, despite searching the entire kingdom, Draven was unable to sense any divine weapon with malicious energy. A weapon that brings death was a monstrosity that could not coexist peacefully with nature. It was not possible to hide such an ursed divine weapon in a kingdom full of powerful supernatural beings.

    This made Draven wonder if this meant an outsider would cause trouble on the day of mourning.

    Just then, he heard the sound of his mate cursing him from the main chamber.

    "Draven Aramis! You monster! Don''t you daree in front of me!!!"

    All the worries he had in mind disappeared in a blink of an eye, and an uncharacteristically pleasant smile spread across his normally expressionless face.

    ''Seems like she is finally awake.'' At the thought of what kind of face she''s making, the smile on his lips widened even more. ''She sure sounds adorable when angry. I overdid it but¡­maybe I might not get another chance to be with her like this. I need to be with her as much as I can.''

    He stepped out of the bath and went out after drying himself and wrapping a towel around his waist. As soon as he stepped out of the side chamber, he found his mate staggering under the sheets. She was trying to sit up in bed with much effort when she felt a figure approaching him.

    Ember gritted her teeth, refusing to look at him. "You! I don''t want to see you!"

    "You are the one who called my name and dared me to show up in front of you," he countered as he approached her to support her aching body.

    "I don''t need your help," she snapped and shrugged his hand angrily, but the next moment, she froze.

    The moment she turned her head, her gazended on the perfectly sculpted body of the half-naked mate in front of her. She could not help but appreciate those beautiful muscles, forgetting her anger for a moment.

    He also paused upon finding her bold gaze on him. "I thought you didn''t want to see me."

    She immediately turned her face away. "Who wants to see you? I don''t want to anymore."

    "You might get your wish fulfilled soon," he said under his breath, too soft for her to hear properly, and despite her not wanting to get help from him, he held her upper body up. He went ahead and arranged the pillows behind her and pulled up the nket for her to cover herself.

    Before she could say anything more, Draven beat her to it. "Maybe you will feel less angry with this." A rolled scroll came flying towards the bed and spread open in front of her. It was the map of the continent.

    ''Oh! I forgot about this¡­''<novelnext></novelnext>

    She looked at the map and then looked at Draven with a doubtful gaze, tightly clutching the nket in front of her chest.

    Draven sat at the edge of the bed. "I am not going to do anything now. You can just focus on the map."

    "Liar! You always lie."

    "I never," he countered with a genuine gaze. "I will make up for the dy by teaching it to you properly and answering every question you have in mind. If you want to tell me anything, I will listen to it as well."

    Ember stared at him with a suspicious gaze and wondered, ''Why is he being so gentle and patient? Is he trying to make up for what he did wrong? Hmph, you should apologize if you''re sorry, what''s this trying to spoil me?''

    Despite thinking like that, she felt her anger lessening.

    Draven straightened the map as he exined, "The continent isrge, and there are parts yet to be explored, but the possibility of civilizations on those areas are small so they remain as unmarked territories on this map. These in the map are the confirmed current human kingdoms, principalities and other imednds that I''ve seen for the past few years. Is there any particr ce you are interested in?"

    Ember felt herself rxing with the serious conversion taking ce.

    "This one"¡ªshe put her finger on the map¡ª"Valor, where I used to live."

    "What about Valor?"

    "Tell me anything you know about it."

    Draven gave her a brief introduction about the Kingdom of Valor, like how it was built centuries ago, about how it was a small kingdom with a single religion, and how the royal family had been ruling it unimpeded since its foundation.

    "Anything in particr you want to know about this kingdom?"

    Ember stared at the map of Valor. It had marks of its terrain and cities, but thebels on them were only handwritten names, not a single symbol could be seen. "I want to see the family crests of each of the territories within Valor. Someone mentioned to me those symbols put on gs were used to represent whichnd belongs to them. I don''t see any drawn on this map."

    "Those kinds of maps are sold to adventurers and mercenaries. This map is different since it is only meant for my personal use."

    "That makes sense"

    Seeing the disappointment in her gaze, Draven did something with his fingers, and on the map, shes of light appeared on the scroll. As they dimmed, one could see various crests made of magic appearing above the different cities and regions of Valor. In particr, the crest hanging over the capital city was eye-catching due to its size beingrger than the rest.

    A downward-pointing celestial sword with its crossguard shaped into fierce-looking wings.

    "This?" Her eyes lit up and she exined to Draven where she had seen it.

    In response, he said, "This is the symbol used by the Valor Royal Family and the Kingdom of Valor itself."

 Chapter 352 Dravens Heartfelt Confession

    "Is it because I am a resident of Valor that I have a cloth with this crest embroidered on it?"

    "What do you think?" Draven didn''t answer her directly.

    "Umm, that might be the case," she replied. "Do you remember the token you found from the cave I used to live in?"

    He nodded.

    "My nanny said it''s the token of my identity." As she said those words, she took a deep breath, as if she was trying to gather courage to say something. "Uhm, Draven?"

    "Yes?"

    "I want to know about my real identity. About my birth parents, my family...I know it''s selfish to ask but...Will you help me learn about who I truly am?" Herrge green eyes met his gaze with intensity. "I want to go back to Valor and search for my past myself."

    Draven wanted to say he knew about her identity but...as she wished to personally investigate the truth, then he would not stop her. She seemed to have found a goal for herself and he didn''t wish to take this chance of learning away from her.

    "I will help you."

    A relieved expression appeared on her face as she spoke, "Thank goodness. I thought you would be upset and think I am being ungrateful."

    "Why would you think that way?"

    "Well..."

    "I will never think that way. You are free to do whatever you want to," he replied.

    "Thank you," she finally smiled at him. The anger she felt before had long disappeared.

    Draven picked up something from the bedside table and gave it to Ember. "You dropped this yesterday in my study."

    Ember caressed the bird-shaped whistle. "Morph gave it to me. He said I can use it to call him whenever I am in danger." She then looked at him hesitantly. "I can keep it, right?"

    No matter the intention, she knew a gift from another male was not something one''s mate would like. This much she had understood by now. It was narrow-minded, but that was how the world of beasts worked.

    "Hmm, you can. Keep this whistle safe and don''t lose it again."

    "Are you fine with me epting gifts from another male?" she asked tentatively.

    "Morpheus is an exception. In my absence, he is the only one you can trust."

    "In your absence?" she asked as she looked at him with a doubtful gaze.

    "If a situation ever urs where you need help and I am unable toe to your rescue, call for him. He will protect you at all costs."

    "I thought you don''t like Morph..."

    "We have a kind of rtionship that is beyond like and hate. You don''t need to think about it. Just remember to trust him.When I am not around, listen to him. Understood?"

    "Yes." She looked at him and realized they were having a normal conversation like husband and wife. He reminded her of a soldier leaving for war who worries for his wife.

    "I will have my aide copy the map of Valor and send it to your study. You can keep it with you as long as you want."

    "About going to Valor?"

    "I will take you there soon," he replied and gazed at the nket covering her delicatebody. "With the day of mourning around, it will be difficult for me to leave my work. I also don''t think your body has recovered its strength to have an adventure."

    Ember awkwardly cleared her throat. "I...I will go back to my chamber."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Rest here. Your servants will attend to you once I leave."

    "You are leaving?"

    "Do you want me to stay and trouble you more?"

    "N-No. I was just--"

    "I have some important things to do. I will be backte tonight."

    She nodded and watched him get ready for the day. He quickly put on clothes, and once he was done, he turned to look at her, meeting her gaze. Her eyes had been stuck at her mate the entire time, watching each and every move of his. His body looked like an artwork, and regardless of what he wore, it didn''t diminish how attractive he is. She felt like she could never get tired of looking at him.

    "Do you want to say something?" he asked.

    She nodded.

    "Go ahead."

    "What am I to you?"

    "Someone who makes me want to live," he replied, without thinking even for a moment.

    Ember''s heart skipped a beat. Such a sugary reply yet it sounded sincere, and not just a line tossed out to impress her.

    Not a single word could make its way out of her mouth as she watched him walk in her direction. Reaching the bed, he leaned towards his mate who was leaning against the pillows.

    Draven held her hand and moved it towards his chest to rest it over his heart. His burning gaze looked into her beautiful emerald green eyes, and he spoke, as if that single line was not sufficient of a reply to her question.

    "Someone who tells me this thing inside my chest is still beating," he said, his tone low as if he was saying a fervent prayer. "Someone who makes me realize I am still alive. Someone for whom I feel greedy to be alive. Someone I wish to go back to no matter where I go.

    "My safe haven, my shelter, my home."

    Ember felt her chest tighten with each word he spoke. She silently gazed up at that pair of red eyes filled with sincerity, his genuine feelings for her recing that coldness and aloofness that she thought was ever-present.

    She never expected him to respond in such a way, for him to honestly express his feelings insuch a beautiful way.

    Unlike him, she was ignorant in the way of words and understanding people. She was mostly a confused mess of a person--naive, petty and childish--that was why she could not grasp how he truly felt for her until he put them into words. At this moment, she was filled with warmth, she felt like she''s about to burst.

    She wished to show she epts his feelings, that she wished to reciprocate it as well. She wanted to show him gratitude, and at the same time, wished to let him know she wanted to be worthy of those words.

    To be a woman who deserved to be his home.

    Ember let go of the nket she''s holding and her hands moved to cup his face. The next moment, her face moved forward and her soft but swollen lipsnded on his lips.

    Through her kiss, Draven could feel what she was feeling at this moment, and he gently kissed her back, wanting to tell her she didn''t need to strive to deserve his affection. He had already long known her worth, and he was simply giving her the love she deserved.

    ====

    A/N- New month started. Kindly vote all your golden tickets to "The Devil''s Cursed Witch" as DOUBLE GOLDEN TICKET event is still ongoing for this week.

    MASS RELEASE OF 10 CHAPTERS will be there if we reach 3rd spot in the event.

    Gifts are also weed to support the event.

 Chapter 353 Take Care Of Ember

    As they parted away reluctantly while kissing, Draven spoke, looking at his mate who was panting lightly. "We should stop here or I might not be able to leave anymore."

    Ember knew she wouldn''t be able to handle him anymore either. Though her body had started to expect intimate things again after listening to his sweet indirect confession, her mind was rational to know her own body''s condition. She was in a desperate need of rest.

    Draven pecked on her forehead gently and pulled the nket up to cover her bare chest which was painted with the sweet assault he made on her delicate body.

    "Rest well," he said and stood up to leave.

    Ember nodded and she watched him leaving. ''He seems so different. Was he always like this, so tender and sincere? Why do I want him to stay back? Why do I still want him to be with me?''

    Just then, Ember''s servants entered the King''s chamber which pulled her out of her thoughts. All along while letting her servants help her, Ember was simply thinking about Draven while sitting inside the pool of hot water. A pleasant smile didn''t leave her lips as she continued to remember the words he said to her when she asked ''What am I to you?''

    She gave a thought about what he had said to her, repeating each and every word in her mind.

    ''Why did it feel like he likes me...umm loves me? It''s not all because I am just his mate but he seems to really feel that way about me? Am I wrong? To think of it, even if I am not sure about him, I guess, I like him...I love him. Only if he stops overdoing things, everything will be perfect. We can get more time to show what we feel instead of me lying in bed all the time." Her gaze turned determined, ''Soon I will tell him what I feel for him. I never felt this way before, it feels good...really good...this lovely feeling which I thought I will never be able to feel.'' The smile on her lips widened, as she thought more about it. ''I can''t wait to see him again. I hope he returns soon.''

    ---

    Draven appeared in his study where Morpheus had arrived to meet him as well. The moment Morpheus entered the study and went closer to Draven''s desk, he could smell the strong scent of Ember on him. He sighed inwardly to ignore it and for a moment cursed for having such sharp senses.

    Morpheus bowed to Draven by lowering his head a little to give him the respect of a king as he was there with the authority of the Commander of Warriors. "Good Morning, Your Majesty."

    Draven epted the greetings with a light nod and signaled Morpheus to have a seat.

    Morpheus let out an annoyed sigh as he mumbled while sitting, "It''s so annoying to y this King and his subject role after so long."

    "No one is forcing you to. You can just get to the point," Draven said as he heard Morpheus who didn''t bother hiding his displeasure and neither did Draven mind it.

    Morpheus tilted his head and then spoke after a small pause as if he came up to decide on something very important, "I think that would be best as no one is here. It can spare me from pretending to be your most treasured subject which I am sure not."

    Draven offered him his usual cold re, "I don''t have much time for you. Make it fast."

    Morpheus smiled yfully, "Neither do I, Your Majesty."

    Draven simply waited for him to talk.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Morpheus finally said, "You are aware of Leeora and Cornelia''s visions, right? Leeora told me you were at Zelda''s home when she was there."

    Draven nodded, "Hmm, what about it?"

    "My sharp eyes didn''t fail to notice you roaming around the kingdom in search of something?" Morpheusmented, "And if my guess is right, then you are searching for any kind of divine weapon that can exist in this kingdom."

    "Hmm, you are right," Draven agreed, "If that divine weapon in the vision is going to cause a disaster then it won''t be created out of thin air. It must exist somewhere. If we can not find it in Agartha then it wille from outside. We need to keep an eye on any activity happening inside the kingdom and anything entering the kingdom from the outside."

    "I have already appointed my n members for this work. It would be impossible to skip anything from their gazes," Morpheus replied.

    Draven approved of it and said, "If that weapon is powerful enough to kill the strongest supernatural, its existence itself is not a good thing if it fell into the hands of the wrong person. We need to find it at all costs."

    "And then what?" Morpheus asked with a frown, "what if we find that weapon? You know that weapon is meant to kill someone destined to die with it. Do you n on taking that destiny?"

    "I will decide what I have to do with that weapon. You don''t have to worry about it," Draven replied coldly as this was what he didn''t wish anyone to concern themselves with.

    "Worry?" Morpheus chuckled as he almost looked like he was going tough, "Why would I worry if you want to die? I will be d to see my wish fulfilled. Finally, there is another weapon which can kill you. It''s something to celebrate about. If I find that weapon, I will hand it over to you by myself or even help you stab yourself. Better than dying in a warrior''s hand that in a woman''s hand."

    "Anything else?" Draven asked with indifferent tone as if Morepheus'' words didn''t affect him.

    Morpheus stared at the cold and quiet king for a while and then replied, "Nothing. I was just here to see how you look when you prepare to head for your death," he sighed, "tsk! And I must say, it''s boring."

    Draven said nothing as his cold gaze looked like he could never be affected by anything.

    "I and Aureus will be in the search of that weapon as well. It can''t be hidden for so long. Once I find it, I will let you know," Morpheus stood up, "Before you are gone, I can help you that much at least for the sake of our old friendship," he turned to leave without waiting for Draven''s reply.

    Just as Morpheus reached the door of the study, he heard Draven, "Just take care of Ember. I guess I don''t need to tell you how."

    Morpheus stopped and turned to look at Draven, "You don''t need to tell me anything. I know what I need to do," and turned back to leave while Draven simply watched him leaving."

    ===

    A/N- Keep voting golden tickets for the double golden ticket event.

 Chapter 354 Tasting Bitterness

    Once Ember finished her bath and had a meal, she thought of going back to sleep once again; after all, it was not often she gets to enjoy thefortablyrge luxurious bed belonging to her mate. She had no idea what the difference was, but for some reason, it felt like she liked his bed better than her own. Though she doesn''t want to admit it, his scent lingering in the air was very effective in soothing her mind, even better than any calming herbal tea.

    ''Sadly, they changed the bedsheets into fresh ones or else his scent would be clinging on the--no, no, no, what am I thinking? This line of thinking is dangerous!''

    As she struggled with her wayward thoughts, Reya entered the King''s chamber, carrying a bowl in a wooden tray, a bowl filled with a certain kind of medicine. Ember looked at it and her brows knitted as an unpleasant scent tickled her nose. She could not help but press her lips together into a thin line.

    As Reya reached the side of the bed, she said, "Miss, your medicine."

    Ember looked at that bowl filled to the brim with dark-colored liquid and her expression changed many times. It was as if she was going to puke just by looking at it.

    "Not again," she cried out in aining voice.

    This was the medicine made from the herbs sent by Leeora when Ember confided that she didn''t wish to have a child yet. Ember had this medicine once when she mated with Draven when she was in her fertile days, and now, just after a single day of rest, she had to drink this again.

    "But Miss, is this not a drink you wanted?"

    Ember had an expression of incredulity, as if she could not believe Reya was seriously saying she wanted to drink this, this--ugh, she could not help but pinch her nose!

    "If I drink it this time, I will surely empty my stomach out and you have to clean all the mess, Reya."

    Reya felt conflicted, unable tough or cry, but she knew she could notugh in this situation. She could only pity her master--Ember had no one to me but herself. It was she who wanted to take this medicine; the price she had to pay was its terrible taste.

    "Miss, if you don''t want to, I can take it back. Should I?"

    "No, no, give it to me quickly before I change my mind," Ember said as she lifted the bowl of medicine from the wooden tray like a criminal epting a grave punishment.

    She stared at that medicinal concoction and cursed inwardly. ''I wish him to spare me on my fertile days. This medicine is just too bad, the worst thing one can ever taste...Ugh! If only he knew how much suffering I have to go through, first being bullied by him, then enduring body aches, and now this medicine.''

    However, she could only silently shed tears.

    ''Sometimes I wonder which one is worse--drinking this medicine everytime we be intimate or risking having a child just so I won''t ever suffer through this horrible drink anymore.''

    "Miss, what''s wrong?" Clio had just returned from the kitchen when she noticed the silently crying face of their master. When she looked at Reya, her cousin could only throw a sympathetic shrug towards their master.

    "This medicine tastes so bad, Clio. If I could...I will throw it away," Ember sounded like she was crying, but there were no actual tears. "It''s unfair! Truly unfair! Why only I have to take it? Why can''t he take it instead of me? Why do I alone have to suffer the bitterness of this medicine? Where is justice--"

    At first, she was wailing like a bullied child, but somewhere in the middle of her rant, her distress turned into anger.

    The sensible Clio began to appease her. "Miss, I have brought honey this time. Once you drink this medicine, you can eat this honey and you can wash away the bitterness."

    Ember was upset and angry. The more she looked at that medicine, the angrier she felt. "Hmph! Who needs honey? Give that to him. I don''t want it. He just leaves after doing whatever he wants to do and I am the one left to suffer. Hmph, hmph, I dare him to keep that expressionless face of his after tasting this horrible--"

    Her servants had been by Ember''s side long enough for them to get used to Ember''s fiery temper. Both sometimes wondered if it was part of her real personality or her getting affected because of the nature of her elemental power. They knew a number of creatures who also had the fire attribute, and though many were irritable or impulsive, none of them were like their human master who would not care who she was getting angry at.

    That was the King of Agartha she was badmouthing!

    No one sane dared to openly get angry at their king, but his mate had no bounds to her anger. No one would believe just a while ago she and Draven were acting like a perfect loving couple. One had to remember mere minutes ago, she even thought of confessing to him that she loved him, and now, she was angrily spouting words behind his back.

    In the end, all she could do was sulk.

    ''I don''t want a child yet. I have no other choice.''

    After another fierce battle between her rational mind and her emotions, she moved the bowl closer to her mouth. However, her lips were still pressed together into a thin line. Her mind was egging her to drink and be finished with it, but her body was showing immense reluctance. The bitter smell of that medicine alone was enough to make her stomach feel upset. With much effort, she pried her lips open and held her breath--

    Cough! Cough!

    Clio immediately got the empty bowl from her master and handed it to Reya, and she caressed the back of her master to make her feel better. "Miss, don''t lean forward... You must not spill a single drop--"

    Draven happened to return to his chamber after dismissing Morpheus, and the moment he appeared outside the door, he heard thetter part of his mate''sints. He entered in time to witness Ember coughing violently with tears rolling down her reddened face.

    "Your Majesty!" Clio and Reya immediately straightened up themselves and bowed to him. He gestured for both of them to leave. Clio thoughtfully left the bowl of honey on the bedside table before the two servants left.

    Draven sat at the edge of the bed and Ember looked at him with her teary eyes which were caused by the intense coughing. She looked so miserable, her delicate face red all the way to her neck and corbones.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Her mate caressed her back, his movements gentle yet firm to ease her from coughing. Afterwards, he picked up the bowl of honey to feed her a spoonful.

    Ember shook her head. "It won''t work. It''s too bitter."

    "Try it."

    "Last time, it didn''t work and my mouth was bitter for the entire day...Cough! You can''t understand it...Someone like you who never tasted it won''t understand even if I exin..."

    As she let out a whimper, she turned away from him, her expression unhappy.

    "Is your mouth bitter even if you wash it away with water?" he asked, calmly.

    "It is. Water, honey, sweets, nothing works. Maybe cutting my tongue and throwing it away will." She leveled a re at his impassive face. "What? Don''t look at me like that. You think I''m lying?"

    "I''m worried."

    "But you don''t have to worry. It''s my tongue, mouth and stomach that are suffering, not yours. You can just keep doing what you do. You don''t care that I have to suffer like this anyway."

    There was no change in Draven''s expression, but he held her chin in response, leaning in a way his face was merely an inch away from hers.

    "What are you--"

    "Going to taste your suffering."

    Draven kissed her deeply, his tongue sensually exploring the insides of her mouth.

    She hurriedly moved back. "Stop! My mouth is too bitter."

    Draven moved to close the distance between them again. "Let me check how bitter it is." He held her chin once again and kissed her thoroughly, enough to make her dizzy.

    "You...don''t...have...to--"

    She tried to stop him, but was it possible to stop Draven when he didn''t want to stop? Instead, he further deepened the kiss, making sure his tongue tasted every bitter inch of her tongue and mouth.

    In the end, Ember no longer struggled, finding that though the bitter taste in her mouth remained, the warmth of his mouth and that coarse tongue had sessfully distracted her andforted her. Whether it was due to the scent of her mate or the taste of her mate, she no longer cared as she held onto him, kissing him with the same passion as his.

    After a long time, they parted away to let the human girl catch her breath. Draven looked at her flushed face, especially those luscious wet lips of hers. "Does it still feel bitter?"

    She nodded as she looked back at him. "But feels better now."

    "Do you want me tofort you like this going forward?" he asked, his hand caressing her cheek gently.

    Ember felt rmed by this and said, "Instead, how about staying away from each other during my fertile days?"

    "That cannot happen," he rejected her right away. "I cannot waste my time."

    "Huh?" She didn''t get what he meant. "Time? Why? Are you traveling outside the pce for some time?"

    Draven realized what he had just said and changed his words. "I don''t want to waste a single moment. If I can, I will stay with you each and every moment possible."

    Ember wanted to t out refuse his nonsense, but she found herself unable to voice it out because the moment their eyes met, she could not lie to herself and deny how much he desired for her.

    "Fine!" she said as she pursed her lips. Half of her mind was not that willing, but the other half of her felt the opposite. ''If he kisses me like this everytime, then I can handle that bitter medicine for him. He better not skip on kissing me though, or else, he shouldn''t me me for getting angry at him.''

    "I have to leave now. You should continue resting."

    She nodded and he stood up. As she watched his retreating figure, she could not help but touch her lips.

    ''Strange, his brows didn''t even wrinkle a bit after our kiss? My mouth still tastes horribly bitter. Do Dragons not taste bitterness? I don''t think so. My mate is just tooposed to react over such small things.''

 Chapter 355 Morpheus Plan

    For the early risers of a certain elf city, they were weed by the unique sight of a golden-haired young man with equally golden wings watching the sunrise on the porch of one of the tree houses in the central district.

    Aureus, who had spent the night in Erlos'' home in Ronan, was watching the sight of the city slowly stirring awake. Compared to the boisterous crowd in the human cities or the stiff discipline in the royal pce of Megaris, there was an strangely rxing scene unfolding before his eyes.

    Seeing the Wood Elves moving in and out of their tree houses, the tree spirits interacting not only with them but also the random wild animals who held no wariness in their movements, the birds singing happy morning songs while perched on the hanging bridges in between trees, and the other races walking about the grounds while warmly greeting their neighbors-- the wonderful scenery before his eyes held a liveliness that was also in harmony with nature. It was a warm and cozy sight.

    Back in Megaris, Aureus had always been in his beast form, living either in the pce where he''s surrounded by humans he could not interact with. On those times he''s not perched on the trees of the pce, the eagle ''Dusk'' was in seclusion atop a mountain simr to his mother''s cave or among wild animals in the forest where birds of prey like him were often targets of hunters. There was a need to hide every single moment of his life.

    ''But it''s different here.''

    His presence was weed in this ce, and the elves were more concerned on whether the nts they were raising were healthy, instead of gawking at the golden eagle in their midst.

    Not to mention, Aureus found his first interaction with a tree spirit interesting. To live inside a house where it was neither cold or warm, to be breathing fresh air all the time, to have a silentpanion to guard your home...

    As a person with a strong love for tall trees, he could not find anything better than being able to live inside a tree house in Ronan.

    "What are you thinking so hard about this early in the morning?" Erlos asked as he let out a hearty yawn, stretching his limbs after he closed the door of his house behind him. He wanted to sleep in if possible; unfortunately, he had to go to work today and had to head back to the pce.

    "I am thinking of purchasing my own tree house in the near future."

    "Huh? So are you nning to return to Agartha?"

    "Hmm!"

    "Really? I thought you wanted to live with your human friends. Also the female you like..." Erlos stopped as he realized he had said something that he should not.

    Aureus faced him with an impassive look. "The female I like?"

    "Ah, I mean, there must be someone you like as you have spent so many decades amongst humans," the elf smiled awkwardly. "I am just speaking nonsense. Don''t mind me."

    Aureus said nothing and once again looked at the bustling sight on the street below them. "I can''t stay there forever. I have to return here one day."

    "That would be great."

    Just then, the eagle''s sharp senses caught a certain sound and looked at the sky. It was a signal for him which was sent by his uncle. Erlos looked up as well and frowned. "That old bird! Once again taking you out to show off--"

    Aureus could only shake his head at his friend''s reaction. It was amusing how Erlos felt annoyed whenever his uncle was around. "I have to go."

    "Go ahead."

    Without hesitation, Aureus flew high up in the sky, while Erlos also disappeared like the wind from his home, leaving a trail of upturned leaves as he headed in a hurry to the pce.

    As Aureus reached his uncle in the sky, he heard the gray eaglement idly, "Seems like you enjoy thepany of that kid a lot."

    Aureus smiled. "He is a good and interesting person."

    "Hmm. He is, but don''t take him lightly."

    "What do you mean?"

    Morpheus gestured that they should start flying, and Aureus followed his lead. "Though he looks dumb, always smiling and acting silly, that kid isn''t simple. In the end, he is the only surviving pureblooded High Elf. A lot of pressure lies on those shoulders."

    For a moment, Aureus was silent. He had heard of Erlos'' story, but he had little understanding of elves. "Are High Elves powerful?"

    "You know what elves are known for?" Morpheus suddenly asked, and without waiting for his nephew''s response, he answered, "Arrogance. They are a proud race, and they think they are perfect--no, I am telling you the truth. You''ll know once you spend more time with them.

    "So imagine, how could those proud pointy ears look up to High Elves if they aren''t overwhelmingly powerful? It''s because the other ns have no choice. The difference between them is thatrge," Morpheus responded. "The High Elf warriors being always in the frontlines was not for nothing. They were the strongest protection of this kingdom, and you see, the enemies were aware that only with the High Elves gone would they have a slim chance of attacking Agartha."

    "Then I will expect something amazing from my friend."

    "Don''t wish to. It''s good to be quiet as it is."

    Aureus decided to change the topic. "Where are we going?"

    "You will know when we get there."

    Seeing him being evasive, Aureus no longer probed. "Did you manage to find the divine weapon from the vision?"

    "No, not yet," Morpheus replied.

    "Then, is there anything I can help with?"

    Though he was unfamiliar with theyout of the kingdom, with his strength, he would be able to help search for traces of the weapon by doing a nket search per area. It would be troublesome, but it was better than nothing.

    "Yes." Morpheus smirked, but his next words were not what Aureus expected. "I need your help to create the divine weapon."

    "What?" Aureus looked at his uncle in a shock.

    "You heard it right."

    "But..."

    "We will give that Dragon what he wants."

    "I don''t think it''s good..."

    "I know what I am doing," Morpheus interrupted him. "It''s between him and me."

    Aureus sighed. "I don''t support this."

    "You only have to give me a few drops of your divine blood."

    "Morph..."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Don''t say no to it. This is the only thing I will ever ask of you."

    Up until they reached the familiar humble sight of Millow Circle, Aureus chose to stay quiet for the rest of the flight.

    The pair of uncle and nephewnded in front of Zelda''s ce. This time, Aurus chose to remain outside of the residence of the ck Witch, and Morpheus did not convince him otherwise.

    All he said was a simple, "Wait for me here," before entering the cottage.

    Aureus watched the vigers move about, doing chores like cleaning their yards and feeding livestock. The only difference they have from human farmers was that sometimes, he could see them using magic spells to do simple tasks like causing a broom to fly into their hands.

    The young eagle waited for a long time, but even after the sun had long settled overhead, his uncle still didn''te out.

    ''What could they be talking about?''

    It happened that Urs, carrying bags of vegetables and fruits, saw him and greeted him. "Why are you standing there by yourself, Mister Aureus?" the witch asked with a smile.

    "Have you been well, Miss Urs?"

    "Yes, of course. Pleasee inside. It''s not good to let a guest dry outside like this. Let me make tea for you," Urs said and she led the way for him. "I need to put away these things first. Some nice people got a full harvest this year and shared it with us."

    "Let me help you carry them," he offered and took half of the bags she was carrying.

    The two of them idly chatted as they walked towards the small shack next to Zelda''s cottage. As the witch entered to arrange the food inside the storage, Aureus waited outside. He was surprised when his ears caught the almost muted sound of conversation. He could not help but take a few steps closer towards the source.

    "...I don''t support this, Morph." It was Zelda''s hoarse voice.

    "You have to. You know my reasons."

    "He is our king and I can''t--"

    "It''s for this kingdom. Think of the people..."

    "No, I won''t and I in fact have no capability of helping you the way you want me to."

    "Then who can? I trust you, Zelda, and I know you will help me. I need to set up the stage right. Everything should go as nned."

    "No. Do not expect any help from me in this. I cannot do this."

    "Then tell me who can. At least this much, you can help me, right?"

    There was a long pause.

    "Please, Zelda."

    "Th Grimsbane. She has the capability to create weapons with divine powers. But I am sure you are aware she has retired from the affairs of the world. I am not sure how powerful her remaining magic is at this moment and if she can help you."

    "The Witch of Destruction? Then I have to go to the Spirit Circle."

    "She hates the King."

    "That sulking old witch... I guess it should not be difficult to persuade her."

    "It is impossible to see them without their permission, and even if you do get to see her, herpanions Glenda Mortem and Maria Grimsbane, those two won''t allow her to help you."

    "I will figure out how to deal with them."

    "Think about it once more. You cannot do this to our King."

    "It''s for everyone''s betterment. Don''t worry. Just help me when the time I need you arrives."

    "I didn''t agree to help you."

    "You already did when you told me to see Th Grimsbane."

    "I hope she won''t help you."

    "That we will see."

    When Morpheus came out of the cottage, she found Aureus walking towards the main door together with Urs.

    "...so which tea would you like to have?" he heard the witch ask.

    "Ah, it''s fine. I think my uncle is finished with his business."

    Only then did Urs notice Morpheus waiting by the door. "There he is. Is your talk with Zelda done, Commander Morpheus? Let me prepare some tea before you leave."

    "Thank you, Urs, but we have to leave now. Maybe next time."

    Urs no longer insisted and she watched two shapeshifters fly away.

    After some time, Aureus could no longer hold back his curiosity. "What did you talk about?"

    "Nothing much." The older man gave him a side nce. "I believe you must have heard something."

    "Just before you ended the conversation," he admitted.

    "That''s more than enough. Now, let me bring you to a fun ce."

    They flew towards the territory of the witches, and before long, they arrived at a remote ce at the outskirts of the city belonging to the Honeyharbor Coven.

    It was the entrance to the istion spell hiding the presence of the Spirit Circle.

 Chapter 356 Visiting Old Witches

    5 chapters today.

    ----

    Aureus studied the pine needle trees in front of them. The woods were quiet, with twigs, rocks and underbrush abound, but there was not a trail in sight, as if not a single person had stepped foot in this ce for ages. Though there was nothing wrong with the trees and shrubs, the woods gave off a wrong vibe.

    There was no movement or sound around them. No birds singing, no squirrels chattering, no insects churring. Not even the rustling of leaves.

    Motionless, like a painting.

    "What is this ce?" Aureus asked.

    "This is the Spirit Circle, a ce where the White Witches who survived the war a century ago had retreated."

    "A retirement home?"

    "Is that a term humans use? You can say it''s simr to that, but it is more appropriate to call this a sacred ce meant to honor the war heroes who sacrificed their youth and lost their powers for the sake of the kingdom. Out of so many, only three witches have survived to this day."

    "But I don''t see anything but trees?"

    "The Head of the Witches hid their cottage behind an istion spell since those women no longer wish to interact with the outside world and have chosen to stay here in seclusion," Morpheus replied. "Put your hand forward. You can feel the magic trying to reject you, right? Concentrate your divine power into your eyes. As a golden eagle, even if you are young, you can still see through this high level of magic."

    When Aureus did exactly that, he was finally able to see that they were standing outside the wooden fence of a two-storey cottage.

    With the spell put around the fence rejecting their entry, Aureus realized they needed to ask for permission to enter this ce.

    "If they don''t want to meet outsiders, will they allow us in?"

    "No one can deny your uncle," Morpheus smirked as he stood at the gate of the fencing and called out in a confident tone, "Divine Eagle Morpheus hase requesting to meet Lady Th Grimsbane."

    The two eagles waited for a moment but there was no reactioning from the cottage.

    Inside the cottage, the three witches were in the drawing room, each leisurely doing their own thing, when they heard the voice calling out for Th.

    "Seems like we have a rare guest," Glindamented as she paused in the middle of doing embroidery.

    "Guests. I sense the presence of another Divine Eagle outside," Maria spoke, though she did not stop writing in her notebook with her only hand.

    Glinda meekly smiled. If she were in her heyday, she would not have made this kind of mistake. However, among these three, only Maria had aplete energy core and could afford to freely use her powers.

    "Well, regardless if he''s alone or not, does it matter? I''m not epting visitors," Thmented with a grumpy face, unhappy that someone disturbed her from reading.

    The two other witches ignored her, already used to her attitude.

    "That other one has a powerful divine energy, even purer than the Commander''s."

    "Seems like he brought his newly found nephew, Myra''s son, with him."

    "I wonder why such an important person wants to see Th," Glinda wondered out loud.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Th scoffed, "Does it matter? Let him be."

    Just then, they heard Morpheus'' voice call out once more.

    Maria chuckled. "If he is as we remember him, he will not leave unless he meets you, my dear sister."

    Th deeply frowned. "That annoying eagle. What does he want?"

    "Well, won''t we get to know once you talk to him?" Glinda replied, her tone urging.

    "But I don''t wish to."

    "It must be something important if he came in person."

    "Whatever." Th returned her attention to the book she was reading, deciding to no longer bother with her fellow witches.

    However, as Maria predicted, Morpheus did not give up.

    "Th Grimsbane, I know you can hear me. I only ask that you spare a short time for a chat. If you meet me, I am sure you won''t regret it."

    Still, there was no reaction from Th, and since she was not interested in entertaining guests, the two other witches also pretended to be deaf.

    "Think of this as a favor," Morpheus continued, "If you agree to see me, regardless if you agree to my offer, I promise to do one thing for you as long as it is something within my capability."

    The three old witches stood in attention, looking at each other with bewildered gazes.

    "The Commander is willing to promise to do your bidding, Th," Maria said. "He must be desperate for your help. Are you sure you wish to miss this chance of having him indebted to you?"

    "Hmm, seems like we can use this chance sometime in the future," Glindamented, already thinking of how to turn this precious favor into an advantage for their coven.

    But Th was indifferent. "Did I agree? Did I? You hags continue doing whatever you are doing. Stop badgering me. I can''t focus on my book!"

    "Th, why are you like this?" her sister criticized.

    "No means no. If you want to entertain him, I will go back to my room."

    "Fine, fine, but are you not curious? We have not even talked to Commander Morpheus since the aftermath of that war. At least listen to what he wants. He is especially asking for you. Go and see what''s there," Maria insisted.

    "I don''t need his favor. I don''t need anything¡ª"

    "About getting something from him, that you can leave to me and Maria," Glinda remarked. "Besides, this is not the time to be childish¡ª"

    "Who''s being childish?!"

    Glinda continued, "If the Commander himself came, even offering to be in your debt, does that not worry you? Whatever concern he has, it must be something of great importance. Maybe even a matter of life and death? Shouldn''t you at least hear what he has to say?"

    "Yes, Th, just go and talk to him."

 Chapter 357 Offer To The Witch

    Th put her pinky finger in her ear, showing how annoyed she was at being nagged. "You two are really noisy. I am going back to my room if you don''t stop being annoying as well."

    Seeing her still refusing to see Morpheus, Glinda and Maria looked at each other. As if having made a silent agreement, Maria spoke, "If you agree to see the Commander, we two will do all your chores for an entire month."

    Th still didn''t react.

    "I will cook your favorite meal for a whole month, every day," Glinda added.

    "Every morning, I will brew your favorite tea for you," Maria further remarked.

    The two women continued to curry favor with Th until she could no longer stand it. She finally turned her head to look at them.

    Glinda and Maria met her stare with anticipation, waiting for her words of agreement.

    "You two," she started, and her eyes narrowed, "don''t go back on your words."

    Seeing that their stubborn-as-mule sister was finally persuaded, the witches immediately nodded.

    "Then go away. Let me see what he wants to talk about." As an afterthought, she said in warning, "Don''t you two dare eavesdrop."

    "Of course not, Th."

    "We will be leaving now. Talkfortably."

    The two witches smiled and gathered their things before leaving the drawing room.

    Once two were gone, Th turned towards the door and watched it open on its own.

    The pair of shapeshifters watched the istion spell disappear, and together with it, the door of the cottage opened, a silent gesture that meant Th Grimsbane was allowing them entrance.

    ''Took them long enough. I already guessed it would be tough to get a hold of that unsociable witch, and only with the help of those two could I have a chance. Luckily, they are tempted by my offer.'' Morpheus was somewhat relieved. ''I wonder how thosedies finally convinced the Witch of Destruction.

    Morpheus then looked at Aureus. "Let''s go before she changes her mind."

    "Will she be fine to see me..an outsider?"

    "I am no better than an outsider as well," Morpheus said as he walked towards the cottage.

    Aureus followed him without a word. He could not help but feel concerned as his intuition was telling him his uncle was up to no good. Maybe he was being overly worried but he could not shake that feeling off.

    As such, he hoped this visit would give him more clues about what Morpheus was up to. He wished to stop his uncle if he was really going to something which he should not.

    When they entered the cottage, they found an old plump woman with silvery blond hair sitting on the couch and reading a book. She did not even raise her head when they came in.

    The moment both of them stepped towards her, the door behind them mmed close.

    "Thank you for agreeing to see me, Lady Th," Morpheus said, sounding well-mannered, as if he hadn''t been rudely shouting mere moments ago.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You should say that to my sisters," the old witch countered as she finally raised her head to look at the guests. From Morpheus, her gaze moved to the young shapeshifter next to him.

    Aureus bowed to greet her. "Divine Eagle Aureus greets Lady Grimsbane. I apologize for our arrival causing a disturbance in your home."

    "Pure divine energy, a heart as white as the first snowfall of winter," Th mumbled.

    "You read him right, that means your powers are still working," Morpheusmented.

    "I was just stating he is not like his uncle," she countered.

    "Mydy, you sure are harsh. I brought my nephew with me to broaden his horizons, hoping a wise witch such as you can teach him a thing or two. It''s not everyday one gets the honor of entering the Spirit Circle."

    Th understood the underlying meaning of his statement; Morpheus wished to talk to her alone. She looked at the young golden eagle.

    "Young one, I believe you would like to see something interesting behind that door," she said as she signaled towards one of the doors attached to the drawing room. "My fellow sisters are curious to meet the new lord of the feathered races and have prepared tea for you."

    Aureus was also smart enough to understand what was going on and nodded. "Thank you, Lady Grimsbane. I shall enjoy your hospitality."

    The young eagle walked towards the door which opened for him on its own. Once the door closed behind him, Th looked at Morpheus who was staring at the closed door. "Don''t worry about your nephew. He is in good hands. Have a seat, Commander."

    Morpheus sat in the chair opposite hers and heard Th continue, her tone jeering, "What brought you to honor this olddy''s humble residence, esteemed Commander of our great kingdom''s warriors? If you are preparing for another war, I plead that you let thisdy enjoy her pitiful time left in peace. She is disabled and of no use now."

    "Not war, but for something equally important," he replied, not bothering to respond to her scorn. "Do not belittle yourself, Lady Th. Even without yourbat ability, the knowledge and abilities of the Witch of Destruction is a treasure admired by those who remember your contributions."

    Th merely scoffed, unttered.

    Morpheus continued, "And exactly because I know of your noble character, I believe you will listen to my offer."

    "Commander, this level of ttery makes me cringe. Enough, enough. No need for sweet talk. Out with it. What did youe here for?"

    "I ask that you use the remaining of your power for something good."

    "Good?" she offered him a doubtful look.

    His trademark lopsided smirk graced his face. "Something you might find good."

    "Good? What good is there when youe on the King''s orders? Let me clear you that I¡­"

    "...hate him?" Morpheuspleted her sentence. "You misunderstand, witch. I came here as an individual."

    Seeing her raise a brow, Morpheus continued, "After you hear my offer, I am sure you won''t say no to me."

    "Go ahead."

 Chapter 358 Is King Of Megaris Powerful?

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the door, Aureus felt like he entered a different world. Instead of another room, there was a fairytale-like garden in front of him, a vast meadow surrounded by rolling hills, the nts blooming with colorful flowers as if it was the middle of spring. Butterflies and small birds could be seen flying here and there, and one could even hear the sound of a stream nearby.

    The scene felt refreshingly beautiful.

    ''I am sure there was nothing like this outside the cottage?'' His gaze followed the bright clear sky above, and when he extended his five senses, he had another strange feeling.

    The sunlight was neither too harsh nor too bright, the scent of flowers neither overwhelming nor sweet, the sounds of nature was like music, and the flowers were magnificent, not a single leaf or petal wilting.

    It was...too perfect.

    ''This is not real either.''

    "You got it right, young one," he heard the voice of a woman and Aureus turned to look at her. An old witch who looked simr to the woman outside walked towards him. She only had one arm, and her empty sleeves fluttered along with the wind. "Everything you are seeing in this room is an illusion."

    "Wee to my garden, shapeshifter. I am Maria Grimsbane," she introduced herself and then an older woman with a sickly thinplexion came to her side, "and this is Glinda Mortem."

    Aureus got back to his senses as he was stunned to see that beautiful illusion and immediately greeted them, "Greetings,dies. I am Aureus, Commander Morpheus'' nephew."

    "We have heard about you, the golden eagle of this generation, and we were curious about you. It''s good that you had an opportunity to visit us."

    "And I must say you look like your mother," the thin woman called Glinda said. "Even with just one nce, I know you are her son."

    "Thank you for your kind words," he replied politely and once again looked at the beautiful illusion around them. ''This kind of garden, Seren would have fallen in love with its beauty.''

    The two witches observed the young shapeshifter and then shared a knowing look with each other.

    "Aureus, would you like to learn how to create such an illusion?"

    He looked at Maria. "Can I? I do not think I can learn the magic spells of witches."

    "It''s a simple magic, nothing more than a trick, which won''t be difficult for a divine being like you to use. You don''t need to be a witch or warlock to do this. It is nothing special; anyone capable of magic can do this to some extent," Maria replied. "The only thing its caster need is imagination. After all, what will materialize is a product of your own creativity."

    "It''s amazing how this spell can deceive all five senses," Aureus could not help but marvel. "And you say it''s a simple magic trick?"

    "You see, we old witches have nothing but abundant time in our hands. Our bodies are too weak for manualbor, and neither do we have much magic power left in us. So what do we do here in Spirit Circle? We develop simple tricks to relieve our boredom. Most people think amazing things are products of strong powers--the moreplicated, the better--but sometimes, breaking down spells to their core structures can allow one to reach the same conclusion."

    As Glinda said those words, she did something with her hands, and as she threw dust in the air, there appeared more butterflies which happily danced around their figures.

    ''Butterflies? Seren loves them,'' was the first thought that came to his mind.

    "Teachers, I would like to learn under your guidance. Please teach me."

    ----

    It took a while for Aureus to listen to the two witches'' exnation, and in a span of an hour, he was able to manifest a single butterfly.

    The pair of old women praised him.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You learned it fast. See, it was so simple."

    "If you practice imagery for a couple more days, I am sure the level of details you will be able to create will be quite high."

    "The easiest illusion deceives the eye. You already seeded in that. Next, would be hearing. I believe you can achieve that even without us teaching you."

    "Indeed. You got the basics down, Young Lord Aureus."

    ''Once I return Megaris, I will make sure to find an opportunity to create the most beautiful illusion for Seren.''

    A light smile painted on the shapeshifter''s lips with that thought.

    When Aureus left the illusion to return to the drawing room, he found Morpheus and Th silently enjoying tea, their appearance seemingly waiting for his return . Though neither of them were frowning, Aureus could sense this peaceful atmosphere was not as it seemed.

    "Did you enjoy learning new things from these senior witches?" Morpheus asked as he stood up.

    Aureus was about to respond when he heard Glinda speak from behind him, "Your nephew is incredibly talented. I do not know if it is because of his youth or the way he was raised, but his ability to absorb new teachings will be a great help to his future reign. The Divine Eagle n of this generation is lucky to have him as their lord."

    "Thank you for the praise, Glinda," Morpheus said and then looked at Th, who offered him a light nod, before picking up her book to resume reading. It was a silent dismissal.

    After some brief parting words, Morpheus and Aureus left the Spirit Circle.

    In the middle of flying, Aureus could not hold back, "Morph, what are you up to these days? Are you nning something dangerous?"

    "I told you, you don''t have to worry," Morpheus said. "Instead, let me ask you something."

    "What is it?"

    "Is the King of Megaris alone enough to beat that ck Witch Zaria Lynx and save others from her?"

    Aureus didn''t even have to think. "He is. He is the most powerful person I have ever met, but I can''tpare him to the King of Agartha. After all, I had never witnessed King Draven using his powers. But, my instincts are telling him he is more powerful than your king."

    "More powerful than Draven? Draven is a several-thousand-year-old dragon while your king is only twenty-odd years old. He''s like a newborn infant to the eyes of long-lived races like ours."

    "I cannot describe it. Like I said, it is just my intuition. Must be because his mother is the Queen of Witches? I can''t point it out exactly, but if you were to ask me if I am in danger ''who would I run for help?'', then I would side with my king. The King of Agartha might have the power to destroy, but the King of Megaris has the ability to protect."

    "Good to know."

    "But why do you ask?"

    "Just a random thought that came to mind," Morpheus said. However, his next words, he could only keep to himself. ''So he will be able to protect Myra, even without anyone''s help from Agartha. Yorian, that elf, is there too. With Aureus and those two, I am confident Myra will be saved.''

    "What are you thinking about?" Aureus asked after his uncle had gone unusually silent.

    Just then Morpheus heard something and he sighed, "Someone called for me. I have to go."

 Chapter 359 What Are You Planning?

    Inside the Spirit Circle, the three old witches resumed lounging within the drawing room, silently doing their own things, as if nothing had happened. But from time to time, Maria and Glinda would throw curious nces towards Th who acted as if she didn''t know what these two were up to.

    Maria could no longer bear it in the end.

    "Th, what did you talk about with Commander Morpheus?"

    "It was nothing."

    "C''mon, you don''t need to hide it from us. We are sisters," Glinda insisted.

    "Don''t nose in on another person''s private matters. If you are allowed to know, he would have requested to see us three, not only me, but he didn''t, did he?"

    "He must have thought your help alone is enough, but three heads are better than one, isn''t it? Burdens should be shared among us. Don''t keep it to yourself, you hag. We will do our best to help as well."

    Rather than wise grandmothers, Glinda and Maria were acting like silly little girls burning with curiosity.

    "If I tell you two, you two will never support me and will instead stop me. Which I don''t want."

    The witches turned quiet, their heads trying toe up with their own individual guesses.

    "Hmm? An arrangement with the Commander that we would stop you from doing?"

    Glinda looked at the plump witch suspiciously. "Is the Commander nning tomit an act he should not?"

    "Ugh, I am hungry. Both of you better start cooking and doing chores, as you have promised." Th stood up. "I''ll be in my room. Call for me when the food is ready."

    "Th, what is it? What did that man ask you to do? Don''t tell us you are going to partake in dishonorable business? With your energy core broken, if you attempt to unleash a destructive spell¡ª"

    "¡ªthat I may lose my life?" Th smiled, but her smiling face was uglier than a crying one. "If it means I will be satisfied before I die, then I think I did something good. After all, the most befitting end for the Witch of Destruction is to not die of old age in bed."

    Glinda and Maria didn''t get good feelings about this.

    "Th, be honest. What did the Commander ask of you?" Glinda asked, her expression serious. "If he asked you to use your powers despite knowing your circumstances, I will have to personally step in and prevent you from doing whatever it is, even if I have to ask Cornelia that youngss to help out. There is no war that will need your powers now."

    "Who says there is no war?" Th sneered. "There is always war going on, one way or another. Sometimes, that war includes armies and causes chaos, while sometimes, it only includes individuals and it goes on silently without any noise. Not every kind of war can be seen¡ªwho says one''s mind cannot be a battlefield? Who says there is no battle just because one cannot see? An individual need not let those around him know how he fights to put an end to that war."

    "That individual is the Commander?" Maria mumbled. "What kind of war is he going to put an end to?"

    "Not just him. Are we not all individuals fighting our own wars? This time, I wish to put an end to the war inside my mind as well, one which I have been fighting against for more than a century. I now have an opportunity to put an end to that hatred."

    "Hatred?" Glinda looked at Th in shock. "It is not a secret that the Commander also holds a grudge against the King because of his younger sister."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Maria was horrified. "Th, you are out of your mind! A-Are you nning something against the King?"

    Th didn''t answer her and Maria rushed towards her sister.

    "Speak to us!"

    Th didn''t react even until after she left the drawing room..

    "Th, where are you going?"

    "Answer us."

    Both continued to shout but Th disappeared behind one of the doors without giving a response.

    "Sister Glinda, what shall we do? If these two are truly scheming against the King, then... Dear spirits. We know how much Th hates the King."

    "We need to tell Cornelia," Glinda replied with deep worry etched on her aged face.

    -----

    Meanwhile, Ember spent that day inside Draven''s bedchamber, entertaining herself by studying the map lent to her. Some time after, she moved to reading some books about the human kingdoms that Erlos had found for her from the shelves within the King''s study.

    When afternoon rolled in, she got so bored and restless in bed that she used her willpower to force her aching body to move. Though it was quite a struggle, she was able to arrive at her study on the opposite side of the pce using her own legs.

    By the time she entered the balcony of her study, she plopped on the chair with a relieved sigh. The fresh air blowing against her face made her smile.

    ''The weather is nice.'' For some reason, she missed Draven''s presence. ''I wonder where he is. Reya told me he is not in the pce again. Are all kings this busy?''

    She then looked at the clear sky. As she idly watched the clouds roam, she realized she could not see even a single bird. It made her wonder if there was truly nothing in the sky or it was just that her eyesight was poor.

    Agartha is a kingdom where the feathered race exists. Even if not Morpheus, there should be other winged people soaring through the sky, but even after narrowing her eyes, she could not see anything aside from clouds.

    ''Morph, I wonder if he is up there.'''' She pulled the bird whistle out from her pocket. ''Should I see if this really works?''

    Ember put the whistle between her lips and blew air into it as she was told. It didn''t make any sound but she sensed the bead inside the whistle was rolling.

    Though she trusted Morpheus'' words about its effect, it was quite difficult for her to wrap her mind that it worked.

    ''Should I try again?''

 Chapter 360 Change In Morpheus

    She was not sure the magic did its function, but she decided to wait for a while to see if Morpheus would appear after hearing the whistle.

    Several minutes passed by without any signs of his arrival. It made her question whether the whistle worked or if Morpheus was unable toe because he was preupied with other things.

    "He said he''lle anytime as long as I call. Maybe he''s busy?" She decided to wait a bit more. After some time, she fiddled with the bird-shaped whistle. "What if I didn''t do it right? I should try blowing harder."

    She was about to put that whistle back to her lips--

    "Don''t blow it again or you will damage my eardrums!" she heard the familiar deep voice, and even before she saw the man, she felt the wind swirling around the balcony due to that pair of majestic gray wings.

    She turned around to look where Morpheus hadnded. She smiled brightly, finding his helpless expression funny. "Ah, so it really worked."

    He folded his wings behind him and walked towards her. "So did you doubt before when I said I will appear whenever you call for me?"

    "I did? But now, I trust that it really does work. I know this is a magical item, but since I cannot hear a sound, it makes me doubt myself, whether I used it correctly or not."

    "You did use it correctly--in fact, more than you should. Doing more would turn me deaf, little female. Next time, do it a bit more gently, alright?"

    She smiled at him apologetically. "I am sorry. Do your ears hurt? Let me check."

    She approached him and reached out, but Morpheus held her hand before she could touch his ear. "You don''t think twice before touching a male, do you?"

    Ember''s eyes looked at him with an aggrieved expression. "You are my friend, not just any male. You said the whistle can make your eardrums burst. I only want to confirm that you are not hurt."

    "I am still a male. You should..." He paused mid-sentence when he smelled the strong scent of Draven on her body, and he could not help but frown inwardly. He let go of her hand and stepped back, breaking his gaze away from her. ''Is there any day when I won''t smell that Dragon on her? The stink is unbearable. When will it end?'' He closed his eyes briefly. ''Haa...I shouldn''t be so greedy over small things such as this. It will all end soon. After the day of mourning, I won''t be tortured like this.''

    On the other hand, Ember did not know how to react seeing how ufortable Morpheus looked. "Did I really hurt your ears badly? I apologize--"

    He opened her eyes, his gray eyes meeting her green ones, and forced himself to smile. "No need to worry. I am fine. By the way, why did you call for me? Is there an urgent matter that needs to be solved?"

    "Umm, no reason," Ember replied, her face turning red in embarrassment. "I hope I didn''t disturb you? I have nothing to do and am feeling bored so..."

    He folded his arms in front of his chest and raised a brow with a not-so-pleased expression. "So you remember to summon me only when you are bored?"

    "N-No!" She felt herself getting more flustered. "I think...I want to see you, uhm, I called you because I miss you...Don''t get mad at me, please?"

    Morpheus stared at her wordlessly. ''She missed me?'' He didn''t know how to react, but deep down in his heart, all he wanted was to grab her and kiss her with all his might, leaving her breathless and hearing something more from her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    These days he found it hard to keep his desires buried, and the urge to show her what he felt for her grew stronger by the day but...he could not.

    "Is your mate not in the pce? Is that why in your boredom, you called for me instead of him?" Morpheus asked.

    Ember could feel Morpheus sounded strange. There was nothing different about their yful banter, but for some reason, the way his eyes looked made her feel something was wrong with him. However, she didn''t know if it was right to point that out or not. In the end, she chose to answer him, "Draven indeed left for work, though I don''t know where he is at the moment. He stays out a lot these days and only returnste at night. I wonder what is keeping him busy."

    ''I know what is keeping him busy. But don''t worry, soon, I will give him what he is looking for.''

    Ember once again found Morpehus zoning out. "Morph, are you sure you are alright? If your ears are ringing badly, I can ask my servants to fetch a healer."

    Her worried face was so adorable, it made him want to pat her head. "I am just thinking about where I should bring you. Would you like to go out? Since you are bored, we should go sightseeing outside."

    "Umm, I think I am not up to any adventure today. I do not want to walk or roam around that much...I...my legs hurt..."

    As she said those while stammering, she could not help but avoid his gaze. She swallowed the rest of her words in shame.

    How could she let it slip that in fact her entire body hurt because of her mate? Ahh! Too embarrassing!

    But Morpheus understood what she was trying to say. "With me around, you don''t have to walk. I can just carry you like before and fly wherever you want to."

    "Then, shall we?" she asked hesitantly.

    "It''s up to you to decide. If you don''t want to y outside, then I am not going to force you, but if you want to, then I will make sure you enjoy your day."

    "Fine!" she agreed and Morpheus let go of his hands folded in front of his chest and lifted her in his arms.

    "Umm, where are we going?" she asked, as she wrapped her hands around his neck to hold him firmly.

    "Somewhere you would like to be," he replied and flew away with her.

    ====

    A/N- Though we could not top the double GT event, this mini mass release is to show my gratitude towards everyone who supported me in that event. Thank you so much. Lots of love to you all. <3<3

 Chapter 361 Flower Valley

    Ember chose to go outside with Morpheus.

    Secondster, they were up in the sky, his strong arms effortlessly carrying Ember in front of him, one hand supporting her back while the other was under her legs. A strong gust of wind hit her face, and she could not help but close her eyes and hold tightly onto the man carrying her.

    ''Too fast!''

    Whether it was his uncontrolled excitement or for some other reasons, a single p of Morpheus'' wings caused them to shoot upwards, almost reaching the clouds, flying higher than he usually does.

    Pleasantughter erupted from Morpheus, and Ember could feel his chest shake along with it.

    "Open your eyes, Ember. The scenery up here is better than on your balcony."

    She opened her eyes slowly to take a peek at the said scenery, but not only was the wind too strong, the moment she looked down, she could barely see anything but the rolling hills below. The houses looked like ants, and a feeling of nausea took over her.

    Not only could she barely keep her eyes open, her stomach was starting to feel funny due to the height. She turned her head slightly towards his chest, tightening her grip around his neck, her small face buried into the crook of his neck.

    "I won''t drop you, Ember," she heard him say, after sensing her reaction. Her tensed body in his arms gave away her exact thoughts.

    "Umm, I know. I am just scared to look down," she replied with her eyes shut tight.

    "We will reach there soon," he informed with a small smile and continued flying. After a while, Ember finally felt Morpheus had lowered his speed, as if the ce where they were going tond was nearby.

    Ember swallowed her fear and forced herself to open her eyes, only for her to let out a gasp.

    ''Wow! It''s so colorful!''

    Below them was a vastnd with strips of colors¡ªvarious hues of pink and red, yellow and orange, as well as blue and purple¡ªgoing from one end to another, and upon closer look, she realized it was an extremely wide meadow overflowing with flowers in full bloom, surrounded by small hills and greenery.

    Not just a flower garden, but a world of flowers!

    Ember was in absolute awe.

    She did not even realize theynded until Morpheus put her down. The two of them stood in the small pathway between two rows of flowers of different colors.

    To her left was a row of yellow flowers, while to her right were flowers with deep violet color. From where she was standing, she could not see the end of those rows.

    She wondered how vast this flower field must be. It even seemed to berger than Draven''s pce, no, evenrger than Ronan. Everywhere, each and every corner was covered with flowers. Forget about seeing such a ce before, she could not havee up with this even in her dreams.

    "So many flowers! There must be thousands, tens of thousands of them!" she eximed.

    Her eyes did not even know where to start looking. It was too much to take in a single nce!

    "What is this ce, Morph?" she asked as her curious and amused gaze could not stop observing the beauty around.

    "The specialty of the city of Reif. It is the flower valley belonging to the Valley Elves," he replied and observed the overly excited female in front of him whose eyes could not stop brightening at the sight.

    "There are even more flower varieties here than the ones I saw in Honeyharbor," she eximed and started counting them.

    This sight was nothing much for Morpheus or those living inside the Kingdom of Agartha as they were used to seeing such heavenly beautiful ces, being children of nature, but it was different for Ember.

    To someone like her who grew up within a haunted mountain, the sight of the garden in Draven''s pce was more than enough to impress her, and thergest collection of reared nts she had ever seen in her life was the fenced garden the witches of Honeyharbor Coven maintain for potion-making.

    Yet in terms of scale, those paled inparison to this wonderful flower valley.

    Ember immediately moved to touch the nearest violet flowers and tried to smell them. "These smells so good. What are these?"

    "Star Chives. They are edible, from the flower to the other parts of this nt," he told her with an amused smile.

    She looked at the unending rows of those flowers and asked, "Who eats them?"

    "Whoever wants to. You must have eaten them in your food as well but you simply didn''t notice what you were eating."

    "There must be hundreds of flower varieties nted here. Are all of them edible?"

    "Some are, some aren''t, but know that all of them are not mere decorations," he exined. "These are the main products sold and exchanged by the Valley Elves to the other ns and races. Some are also exported to the human kingdoms in exchange for other essential items that are not produced within Agartha. Many of the flowers here are considered rare by humans and can only be grown by the elves, that''s why human merchants buy them from us at a high price when they trade outside the border."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "That''s interesting," she said and walked around and then found a few workers working around the field. "Will they be fine as we are here¡­especially since I''m human?"

    "You are with me, the Commander of Warriors. Let''s see which brave soul dares say a word," heughed goodnaturedly as he walked alongside her.

    The Valley Elf workers tending to the flowers bowed in their direction the moment they saw the couple pass by them. They didn''t bother with the guests and continued their work of managing the nts in peaceful harmony.

    Some timeter, a male elf with brown hair, donning simple linen clothes, could be seen heading their way. The once in charge of the valley had heard that Morpheus and the King''s mate had arrived so he hurried to greet them.

    "Baruel of the Valley Elf n humbly greets Commander Morpheus and Lady Ember Aramis."

    "Nice to meet you, Mister Baruel," Ember greeted back with a polite smile.

    The elf in front of her had a friendly appearance, his pleasant features gentle to the eyes, wearing sturdy clothes and boots that were tailored for farmwork, and seeing him smile at her, Ember''s earlier worries disappeared.

    "How''s everything going, Baruel?" Morpheus asked.

    "Because of the Commander''s quick attention, everything has been solved," the elf replied. "The humans at the borders are behaving and no longer bother us when we take our goods out past their territory. Because it is winter in the kingdoms beyond the mountains, we are having an increase in demand due to the medicinal properties of our flowers."

    "Hmm, make sure to report it at once if they create trouble again."

    "I will let the elders know, Commander. Since you came to visit us, pleasee to my house for tea. We freshly harvested flowers of the best quality to make tea for you two."

    Morpheus looked at Ember who replied, "Then, we will impose on your hospitality, Mister Baruel, but is it possible for us to have itter? I wish to continue sightseeing first."

    "As you wish, Lady Ember," the elf said. "I won''t disturb you then." With that, he bowed and left.

    Ember continued strolling along the rows upon rows of flowers, touching and smelling, and sometimes asking Morpheus about their names and usage.

    Soon, her gazended on something that made her eyes lit up in curiosity. On the other side of the valley, there was a smaller field with only a single kind of white flower. They were not nted in rows like the others, but were like wildflowers that grew on their own.

    "Those white flowers, what are those? They look holy," she said and was about to walk towards them but Morpheus held her hand to stop her.

    "Huh?" She turned to look at him. "Is something wrong?"

    "You can''t go there," he replied, still holding her hand.

    "Why?"

    "Those flowers are dangerous. You can go anywhere but there."

    "Dangerous? But they look pretty and harmless."

    "They are pretty but not all beautiful things are good. There is a reason why those flowers are grown separately from the other flowers."

    Not all beautiful things are good¡ªthis was not the first time Morpheus said this line.

    "What exactly do they do?"

    All of a sudden, she remembered when she first heard Morpheus'' warning. It was back when they were in Honeyharbor and he pointed out the flowers called wolfsbane raised by the witches. Back then, Cornelia said they could be turned into poison.

    She shuddered. "Are those white flowers poisonous? Can their scents kill a person?"

    He chuckled and shook his head. "They are not poisonous. In fact, they are of high medicinal value. The reason you need to stay away from them is that if you are exposed to their scent for several minutes, you won''t be yourself. You will lose control over your mind and hallucinate. Even a beastman like me is not spared from their effect, much less a human like you. If I remember correctly, for humans, a single whiff and you will lose your mind for a few minutes, and if you have low tolerance, it could go as long as an hour."

    She felt conflicted that such beautiful flowers had such a scary effect. They looked like soft cotton balls on top of thin stalks, and from afar, they looked like a nket of clouds. How much she wished to touch them at least once. "Umm, what if I don''t smell? Is it fine if I touch them?"

    Morpheus felt a headache iing seeing her pout.

    "Wait here," he said and walked towards that isted field of white flowers.

    "Morph, wait, no! Stop!"

 Chapter 362 Commanders Mate

    "I''m holding my breath." By that time, Morpheus already reached the boundary of that field and plucked one flower. He brought it back to Ember.

    "Why did you go there! Didn''t you say even you are not spared¡ª"

    "Hey, look at me, I''m fine. I know what I''m doing. You said you want to touch it, right? Didn''t I say I want you to enjoy your day? I am making good of my promise." Morpheus held out the flower in front of her. "You can touch it but not the petals. Hold it at stalk and don''t try to smell it."

    A smile even more beautiful than any flower blossomed on her face as she epted that white flower from him.

    Upon closer look, the flower was not fluffy-looking like a dandelion¡ªit had five ethereal petals that looked almost like transparent ss except for its delicate white veins. How tempted she was to touch those delicate white petals, but in the end, she controlled herself.

    As she studied the gorgeous flower, she could not stop being curious about its scent. What kind of scent must it have which causes one to lose their mind? Was it like a perfume? Or maybe like her mate''s scent?

    ''Shall I just smell it? Morph will take care of me. I have strong willpower so I think I will only hallucinate for a few minutes.''

    Just as the thought popped up in her mind, it burst as Morph held her hand, as if aware of what bad idea she cooked up in her pretty little head. "Do not even think about it. Be good and don''t make me regret bringing you here."

    She pouted as Morpheus took that flower from her. He used magic and that flower disappeared into nothingness.

    "So cruel," she mumbled.

    "I am saving you from trouble, you human," Morpheus said as he didn''t give in to her pouting face, no matter how adorable she looked. His cold gaze, which he rarely showed to her, clearly told her ''no means no''.

    After exploring the flower valley for a couple of hours, Ember started to feel a little tired. Her body was yet to fully recover, and with her earlier excitement fading, she was starting to feel the return of her muscle aches.

    Morpheus had his eyes on Ember the entire time. Of course, he noticed her slowing down. "Do you want to rest?"

    Seeing her nod, Morpheus lifted her in his arms and she immediately held onto him.

    "Let''s stop by Baruel''s ce then."

    "Are we going to fly towards their city?" she asked as Morpheus walked swiftly across the field.

    "No, just heading over there."

    Turning her head around, Ember saw arge thatched cottage at the outermost of the valley. It was surrounded by a wooden fence and there were a few more small cottages around it.

    "Whoa, is that his home? It''s nice to think that the moment he wakes up, he gets to see this view!"

    "Not his home¡ª think of it as his temporary abode. That bigger cottage is where he stays as he is the elder in charge of maintaining this medicinal valley and those small cottages belong to the field workers under him. Staying here makes it more convenient for them to keep watch of the nts because this valley is at the outskirts of Reif City."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh!" was all she said as Morpheus carried her towards the row of cottages.

    Many gazes were on them, especially on the human girl. The elves looked at them with curiosity, and those with keener eyes realized that the winged man was Divine Eagle Morpheus, while the woman in his arms was the King''s mate.

    Why was the human girl being carried by the Commander? Was she injured?

    While there were various guesses, none of them openly voiced them out. Still, the younger female elves looked at Ember with admiration. If they were beastmen, maybe they would be envious.

    The King is a Dragon, and the Commander a Divine Eagle. Two divine beasts¡ªahem, ahem!

    Their thoughts could not help but go wild. A male and a female, acting this intimate in public, especially when one is a beastman¡­From what they know, beast males would only care this much for his mate or potential mate.

    ''Strong females are said to be able to survive having multiple mates to protect themselves. The elder said she''s a special human. No wonder she would attract another strong male."

    ''Seems like after having His Majesty as her mate, this human is nning to have ourmander as well.''

    ''How fortunate this girl is! Instead of receiving hate because she is human, she is being showered with affection from powerful beastmen! She must be truly special!''

    As if Morpheus could sense their thoughts through their gazes, his gaze met theirs, causing everyone to lower their gazes and pretend to focus on what they were doing.

    Morpheus took Ember to Baruel''s cottage where he happily weed the couple. His wife and subordinates staying with him also received the couple with smiles, most of them throwing impressed gazes at Ember, thinking she was going to be theirmander''s mate as well or else there was no reason he would carry her intimately like this in front of the people.

    These Valley Elves had somewhat forgotten that humans have low stamina and failed to imagine the real reason she was being carried.

    Getting their thoughts in check, Baruel escorted the Commander and the King''s mate towards the courtyard where they could rest with the view of the flower valley.

    Morpheus made Ember sit on one of the chairs ced around the wooden table where several snacks and dishes were already prepared. The freshly brewed tea was personally made by Baruel''s wife and its aroma could be smelled even from a distance.

    ''Good tea!''

    It was neither sweet nor bitter, its taste light without an aftertaste. After having two cups, Ember happily munched on the snacks while Morpheus only had the tea.

    As Ember was busy eating, filling up herparablyrge stomach hidden inside that tiny body, Morpheus and Baruel had a pleasant talk about various things. Later on, when their conversation turned towards the issues with human territory, the two men decided to stroll while talking. Morpheus told Ember to wait for him, and she happily agreed, having no wish to use her legs for the meantime.

    Just as she watched him walk away, Ember''s ears caught something and her gaze followed the source of the voice.

 Chapter 363 Females Can Have Multiple Mates

    Ember saw an elf woman with her child ying in the flower field. The woman was wearing the usual clothes of the elf n while the child was wearing clothes that the white tiger n members wore. The child sure was a white tiger as he didn''t have pointed ears like his elf mother and neither did he look like her.

    "Watch out, son. You will hurt yourself," the woman shouted as she watched her son running and jumping around the field happily.

    "I won''t, mother," a child replied who looked like a human child of age of four to five.

    "Seems like her mate is a white tiger," Ember mumbled.

    But then a man came to them and lifted a child. "Father," the child clung on the man''s neck and asked cheerfully, "You are back, father?"

    "Hmm," the man replied as he patted the child''s head gently.

    "Will father y with me?" he asked.

    The man nodded and put the child down only to be dragged away by him to the flower field.

    It shocked Ember. The man didn''t look like a white tiger but she was sure he was from a fox n. His features and his signature clothes gave out his identity. Ember had already learned to identify all the different n members now and she was sure she was not mistaken.

    "Howe a fox is the father of white tiger? Even the mother is an elf," Ember mumbled once again, which was heard by Baruel''s wife.

    "Umm, about that, Lady Ember?" the woman started and Ember looked at her.

    "Her name is Rina. She is the daughter of the chief of the valley elf n," the woman informed.

    "Is there something I am not understanding here?" Ember asked.

    The woman exined, "Rina''s first mate was a white tiger but he died due to some reason. At that time she was already carrying his child and then gave birth to him. Later her current mate, the fox n member persuaded her and she ended up having him as her mate."

    "Second mate?" Ember asked, though she had already heard that in agartha females can have multiple mates.

    The woman nodded. "She had a child with her and one needs a mate to continue living this long life."

    "Her first husband died then it''s fine to have anotherpanion for life," Ember agreed and asked, "Does that mean she now doesn''t love her previous mate?"

    "It''s not the case. The bond mates share is the bond between their souls and it''s painful when one leaves. It was not easy for her either. She was broken for long but her second mate persuaded her. She is fortunate to have another mate who cares and loves her the same as her previous mate. She must remember him but you can not do anything for one who is gone. The ones who are left need to continue living."

    "But I heard males can''t do the same, right?" Ember asked. She was sure she would never have another mate but she also could not imagine Draven having another mate. In her opinion she was the only one he should always have.

    The woman nodded, "That''s true. If the female dies, male follows her after. They can never have another female and with her death, it''s like they lose their soul as well. The mate bond has its real value when ites to the males. About females, they can continue leaving and have another mate."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Isn''t it unfair for males, isn''t it?" Ember asked, "Why has nature made such a rule?"

    The woman nodded and then exined, "Nature is meant to create a bnce between everything that exists. It can not let the stronger ones rule always and there should be something to hold them back. The reason we believe it, is because females are less in numbers and they need to give birth to keep continuing the race as birth itself is not a frequent thing for a beast like in humans.

    "About males, they are powerful, stronger and more in numbers. There are chances that one male might want any female around them and it would create conflicts between the males. Males would rule the females and to them females won''t hold any value other than being a weak object which they can have whenever they want and there won''t be a need of any sacred bond even.

    "I believe this is to give powers to females and make powerful males understand the value of females though they seem weaker than them. The bond between them makes male love, care and respect the only female they can have in their lifetime. Isn''t it good?

    Ember understood the reasoning now, "Hmm, makes sense."

    The woman continued further, "Though the males are powerful, unless the female epts them, they can not make her his mate. They can not force her. If the female is unwilling and they still mark her, she won''t survive the marking. So they all have to treat females as good as they can to make her ept him."

    "That''s something good to know about," Ember said.

    She realised how gentle and considerate Draven was with her when it came to mating and he gave her time to ept her. ''If every female is treated this way, then nothing is more fortunate for them.''

    Ember had heard the stories from her nanny about humans. There it was totally opposite than in Agartha. Men were allowed to take multiple wives and treated them poorly while women were not allowed to have more than one husband.

    She heard the elf woman again, "But there is also bad side of this. Once beastman''s heart is set on one female, it is said that they can not think about another female. This way, there are so many males who are left single as the female they liked might end up with another male and would not want to have another male."

    "Hmm, that''s sad. They are forced to spend such a long life alone," Embermented.

    "But there are also so many cases where females ept them and they have multiple males. Just like Lady Ember...."

    "Hmm, I once heard from Morph as well that females here have multiple mates," Ember interrupted her not knowing what the elf woman was going to say. "But among humans having multiple husbands is immoral."

    "Lady Ember, you now belong to Agartha so you can forget human values. Slowly you will learn to ept the culture of the beasts as you stay here longer. You will feel fine to have two mates."

    "No, I...."

    "Lady Reese, master, asked for the flower seed bags we brought yesterday," a male servant came there.

    Lady Reese immediately stood up, "Lady Ember, please excuse me."

    "Yes, go ahead," Ember permitted and continued observing the couple and their child.

 Chapter 364 Would You Ever Want Another Mate?

    Though the male fox was not his father, Ember saw how affectionately he looked at the child like he was his own. Light smiled painted on her lips as she watched the child ying with his parents.

    ''It''s good to have your own child, isn''t it?'' Suddenly she thought about Draven being a father and they had their child. She wondered how Draven would be as a father, ''Will he show affection towards our child often or will he just have those same cold expressions? Will he even smile and talk alot or will he just sit quiet and observe?'' she sighed, ''Hard to imagine. But one thing is sure, he will make sure to protect our child at all the costs. That is what he does the best- to protect everyone around him.''

    A smile painted on her lips as she thought about having their small family. ''It will feel so good but...instead of thinking about what kind of father he will be, can I be a good mother?'' she shook her head, ''I can''t. I am like a child myself who needs to learn a lot or I will be a stupid mother who knows nothing. I can''t be clueless in front of my child. I need to learn. Once I am smart enough, only then we can have a child. I don''t want to be a silly mother. I also need to be stronger enough to be able to protect my child. I have to wait. We have to wait.'' The Expresions in her face looked determined about bing strong.

    "What are you thinking about so deeply?"

    She heard the familiar voice and it pulled her back to her senses. She looked at Morpheus, "Are you back? Where have you gone?"

    "Just nearby," he replied and asked, "Shall we leave if you are done resting?"

    Ember stood up immediately, ready to leave, "I am fine now. After eating lost of tasty snacks, I feel much better that I can walk this entire field," she touched her stomach with her hand, gesturing him that her hunger was satisfied.

    "Gluten!" he said with a light chuckle and led her way, "Let''s go then."

    Morpheus offered a light nod to Baruel to say they were leaving to which the elf replied with a polite bow.

    Ember followed Morpheus and reached to walk with him. She could not wait to tell Morpheus about what she had learned today.

    "Mister Baruel''s wife told me about their story," she looked at the couple and the child who were still enjoying the field of flowers," she looked at him, "Do you know their story?"

    "Hmm, I know."

    "How did her mate die? Aren''t white tigers too strong?"

    "We beasts are stronger than others but we are not immortals," he replied.

    "Hmm, that''s true as well. I was wondering how hurt she must be to lose her husband. I can''t even think about losing Draven. But it''s good to see her and her child happy with her other mate. She seems happy."

    "Hmm," Morpheus looked at the couple and asked Ember, "Will you ever want to have another mate?"

    It surprised Ember, "Another mate? No, I can''t. Though I live here, I am still a human who believes in beliefs I followed. I already have one husband...a mate, so I won''t have another. I can''t be immoral."

    "And if you were a beast woman?" he asked as he looked at her, the expectations in his heart buried behind that questioning gaze.

    "Umm, if I were a beast woman?" she looked like giving a deep thought, "I still think no. As long as Draven is my mate, I don''t need anyone."

    A disappointment took over him as he could not help but swallow it quietly. Though she was a Dragon''s mate, a Dragon he hated for long and wished to stay away from him, just because he fell for his mate, Morpheus didn''t mind sharing her with him as long as he could have her but...he knew it was not possible. The one who had never thought about having mate was now even considered sharing a mate.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''So unpredictable and pathetic a destiny can be. Or maybe I am being punished for rejecting all thsoe females who wanted to be my mate. Price of breaking their hearts.''

    But then he asked again, "If you were not his mate and you had nothing to do with him? You would have still needed a mate, then?"

    "Hmm, you are right," she said and then looked at him, "Then you would have been my mate. I would have asked you to marry me."

    Morpheus looked at her in disbelief. Though this is what he wished to listen to, she said it so easily as if it was not a big deal but to him it meant a lot. In that split second he already ended up imagining their happy life as mates together.

    Seeing him quiet, she felt like she had said something wrong, "What? You don''t want me as your mate? Would you have rejected me?"

    He didn''t reply her and continued walking quietly, matching her slow pace.

    She frowned, "Such a bad friend you are. How can you reject me? Am I that bad? Don''t I look good? Why would you not want me? Would you have left me alone in the world of beasts?"

    Morpheus still said nothing, letting her sulk over her misunderstanding. How much he wanted to tell her that he wanted her as his mate but he chose to be quiet.

    ''I should not ruin this happy moment between us when she just said she would want to be my mate.''

    "Morph, you are mean. You don''t want me as your mate? How can you....Woh! I just saw a rabbit..." she immediately ran and walked ahead, forgetting what she was whining over just now.

    Morpheus shook his head with a light sigh and followed her. ''Such a child and I want to make this child my mate? There is sure something wrong with my heart which fell for a child.''

    "Morpheus, did you see there was a rabbit? I can''t find it now?" she turned to look at him.

    "There are many here," he replied.

    "Where?"

    He looked at the small fencing in the field, "There,"

    Ember ran towards it and soon found a few white rabbits inside the fencing. "Can I touch them?"

    "You can."

    Just then Morpheus'' sharp ears heard amotion from the storage house in the field. "Ember be here and I will be back."

 Chapter 365 Unbelievable!

    3 chapters

    -----

    Ember did not mind being left alone as all her focus was on the rabbits. She had seen plenty of wild ones back in the forest around Ronan, but their furs were mostly darker and they were too quick to hide in the bushes as soon as they spotted her.

    Meanwhile, the rabbits inside the fenced area were snowy white and round and extremely chubby, peacefully nibbling on the leaves on their feeder racks.

    ''So cute!''

    She tried to touch the one nearest to her, but it hopped away before she could reach it. When she tried again, it ran away from her.

    "Here, little rabbit. I''m a friend. I won''t do anything else. Just let me touch you at least once," she coaxed, even putting some of the leafy greens on her palm to bait it toe nearer. "Here, here, little rabbit."

    However, the rabbit avoided her, jumping away, causing the other rabbits to flee away from Ember. This caused her to be more motivated.

    "Little rabbit, this friend is not scary¡ª"

    She followed the naughty rabbit she was targeting to catch, going as far as to enter the fenced area. But the moment she did, the rabbit jumped over the fence and fled towards the flower field.

    "Wah! No! Come back!"

    Ember could not help but follow the rabbit blindly, worrying that it might trample the flowers being cultivated carefully on the field.

    However, the naughty rabbit disappeared from her sight among the rows of flowers.

    ''Where did it go?''

    She looked around, trying to spot the fluff of white among the green leaves and colorful flowers¡­ and realized she had reached the patch ofnd where the white flowers Morpheus warned her about were cultivated.

    ''Did that rabbit enter this field? Morph said it''s dangerous.''

    Loitering on the periphery, she tried to search for the rabbit but could not see it. After some time, she noticed movements among the white flower shrubs.

    ''Oh, no wonder I can''t see it. It really went there. What do I do? What if something happens to that rabbit? What if it eats a flower? Morph mentioned that the scent is dangerous, then how worse would it be if it''s eaten? I need to get the rabbit back before it gets hurt¡­but¡­''

    She looked at those flowers gently swaying along the wind.

    ''I guess I need to hold my breath.''

    Ember took a deep breath before entering the white flower field, not knowing she was not capable of holding her breath for more than a minute and this much time was not enough to find the rabbit. The moment she reached her limit, she ended up inhaling more than she should.

    After a while, Morpheus returned to the fenced area where the rabbits were kept. He looked around but there was no sign of Ember.

    ''Where did she go? I told her to stay here.''

    His majestic wings stretched open behind him, and with a single p of his wings, he flew above the flower valley to spot the disobedient human girl probably carelessly ying around the field. With a quick sweep from the sky, his sharp eyesight immediately found his target.

    ''This little female really needs to be punished for sure!''

    From above, he saw the girl lying in the field of white flowers with her arms spread out. She was smiling with her eyes closed, as if she was taking a leisurely afternoon nap.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Unbelievable!''

    He gritted his teeth and flew down as fast as he could. He held his breath beforending by her side to get her out from there. As soon as he carried her in his arms, he took off towards Baruel''s cottage.

    The moment hended in the courtyard of the cottage, Baruel''s wife, the elf called Reese, came towards them. She gasped upon noticing Ember in Morpheus'' arms. Her eyes were closed and her face looked flushed.

    "Commander, is Lady Ember alright?" the woman asked.

    Baruel, who was also rmed by his shy arrival, hurried towards them as well. "What happened, Commander¡ª"

    "She is intoxicated by the scent of the ss Mist Flower," Morpheus replied, referring to those delicate white flowers that could make people lose their minds. "I found her in the field and don''t know how long she had been exposed to their scent. We need to treat her."

    Both elves panicked. Though this little ident would not kill Ember, as the King''s mate had to face this within their territory, they feared how the King would react once he learned of this.

    "Please bring her inside, Commander," Reese said as she led their way inside the cottage. They were brought to the guest room.

    Morpheus ced Ember on the simple bed. The human girl was smiling the entire time, as if dreaming of something good, and was not aware that because of her others were having a headache.

    "Commander, can you estimate how long Lady Ember was exposed to the ss Mist Flower?" Baruel asked.

    Morpheus counted how long it took him to deal with the matters within the storage house.

    "Around ten to fifteen minutes, I guess."

    The elf couple had their foreheads creased.

    "Even five minutes is too much for an elf. We had an incident just yesterday and thest bottle of antidote was used¡­" Baruel mumbled, but then, his wife cut him off.

    "It''s fine. I remember collecting the freshly harvested ingredients in my personal workroom. Do not worry, we can just make a new batch of antidote."

    She signaled her husband to follow her and she spoke to Morpheus, "We will be back with the antidote, Commander. We have it at our residence in the city, so please be patient. It will take a little while to bring the medicines from the city home and create the potion."

    "She is human, and her body is frailer. Make sure to put that into consideration when you produce the antidote."

    "Thanks for the reminder, Commander. My wife is a good potion-maker. She will surely take care of Lady Ember," Baruel assured before following his wife, leaving the shapeshifter alone with the unconscious human.

    As time slowly trickled, Morpheus found himself staring at Ember who was still smiling in her sleep. He paced around the room, shaking his head, sometimes frowning, sometimes sighing, unable to remain seated.

    After some time, he approached her and pulled one animal hide to cover her body. Seeing her remain blissfully asleep, he kneeled next to the bed, his eyes unable to pull away from her smiling face.

    "Are you having a good dream?" he murmured, his voice tender.

    His hands moved on their own to move the messy hair strands away from her face. Only then did he notice there was dirt on her hair and clothes from lying on the ground. He pulled out the tiny dried leaves stuck in her hair.

    "No matter how much I warn you, you always end up doing what you should not do. When will you learn to listen?" His gentle gaze lingering on her beautiful face, his fingertips gently brushed the delicate flushed skin of her cheek.

    As if hearing his words, Ember struggled to open her heavily lidded eyes. With her blurry gaze, she observed the person in front of her.

 Chapter 366 Confession

    "You finally came to me?" she said in a voice somewhat thick with sleep.

    "How could I have left you alone?" Morpheus replied.

    "Hmm, I knew you woulde back to me."

    As she said those words, the smile on her lips widened. Her hand moved towards his face to touch it.

    Her words and the way she looked at him-- as if she had been waiting for him all along--made his body freeze. It felt like time had slowed as he watched her hand moving towards his face.

    Her fingers brushed against his face ever-so-gently, her caress lighter than a feather, her cold fingers soothing against his warm skin.

    "I missed you," she said. A gentle voice, a tender gaze, her actions showing how much she yearned for this person.

    For a moment, Morpheus forgot how to breathe.

    The man opened his mouth, but his mind was unable to form words.

    "...I missed you," she repeated, her fingers on his face seemingly leaving a trail over his warm skin.

    After a bout of silence, he put his hand over her hand that was caressing his cheek. "And I miss you with every breath I take that you are not by my side."

    His response caused her expression to soften. Her emerald green eyes stared at him with equal joy and longing.

    "I want to tell you something," she said.

    "I am listening."

    "Come closer," she urged him, as her hand guided his face closer to hers.

    Morpheus'' heart was racing so fast, he felt his heart would jump out of his chest if he went any closer to her. With them staying by themselves inside a small room, her sweet scent was already starting to affect his senses, but unaware of this, she continued to urge him.

    "A little more..."

    ''She is still heavily under the effects of the flower.'' Morpheus knew she was not in her right frame of mind, seeing things in front of her that were not real. It was worse than being drunk in strong liquor. ''I wonder, does she know it''s me or she is seeing someone else in me?''

    "Little closer..."

    He heard her urge again, and he found himself gazing deeply into that pair of emerald green eyes. Her long eyeshes looked especially lovely as she stared at him in her half-awake state.

    Morpheus gulped and wondered how much closer she wanted him to be. He could already feel her sweet breath touching the warm skin of his face.

    She slowly lifted her face, her lips almost touching his ear and in a voice so shy it was barely a whisper, her next words made his world flip.

    "I love you."

    Each and every nerve of his body tightened, and his mind nked. Those three words she whispered echoed repeatedly in his ears, and for a moment, he wondered if he too had been exposed to a hallucination.

    Seeing Morpheus'' eyes widen in absolute disbelief, Ember''s head fell back to the pillow, and afterwards, the sound of her giggling filled the room.

    It felt like a long time had psed before Morpheus got his bearings back. He found his mouth going dry, and he gulped in an attempt to speak.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''She said...to me...?''

    He looked at her and she looked back at him. Her arms moved to circle around his neck and she pulled him closer. The smile on her lips was expectant, and her eyes were speaking silently, waiting for him to say words to reciprocate what she was feeling for him.

    ''Does she really feel that way towards me?''

    A part of Morpheus was overwhelmed with joy, yet a small voice at the back of his head was trying to tell him something else. Yet with the woman in his heart being the one who said them, the hope he had chosen to abandon was akin to a small me being provided tinder and wood.

    His rationality was being wrapped in mes, quickly turning into ashes. His heart was beating wildly inside his chest, happiness spreading warmth all over his body.

    His breathing turned heavier with each passing moment.

    "Ember...I--"

    Everything about her was intoxicatingly beautiful, and he wanted--no, he ached to kiss her, to confess his feelings to her, to shout and let the world know that this little female was the one he would willingly spend his entire lifetime with.

    Yet...yet he could not do that.

    At the back of his mind, a seed of doubt remained.

    ''What if...? I should not get ahead of myself. She is not herself. I should not...''

    However, his silence caused Ember''s eyes to redden. Hisck of response caused her mouth to lose its smile, and her lips trembled, as if she was about to cry.

    "You don''t feel the same?" she asked. "You don''t love me?"

    Her eyes looked as if she would shed tears any moment. He felt like his heart would burst if he saw her cry because of him, and ended up saying, "I do. I love you..."

    With an expression that was both firm yet vulnerable, Morpheus smiled.

    "I love you, Ember."

    The beautiful smile that blossomed on her face caused his heart to once again race, and as she stared at him for a few moments, her gazended on his lips. "Won''t you kiss me?"

    Morpheus'' lips slightly parted, but despite the strong urge to fall into temptation overwhelming his mind, a part of him struggled.

    ''Will it be fine?''

    His gaze lingered between her expectant eyes and those soft and delectable-looking pink lips of hers.

    "You don''t want to?" she asked, her face once again losing its smile.

    The woman he loves had just confessed to him, though it was under the spell induced by those dangerous white flowers. She might not be in her right state of mind and she might even forget this after she regained consciousness.

    An illusion, a delusion--it might not be real, but such a beautiful moment, those words he thought he would never get to hear, how could he ruin this moment?

    The back of his fingers gently rubbed her cheek as he leaned to meet her lips with his.

 Chapter 367 Kiss

    This was not their first kiss, and though back then Morpheus decided to stop it as mere brushing of lips, today, he didn''t wish to stop.

    His lips gently captured her lips, the kiss chaste and innocent and unmistakably affectionate, respectful even, showing how pure his feelings were for her, but such tenderness disappeared the moment she opened her mouth to demand more from him.

    Her encouragement was not left unanswered. As she gave him permission to deepen their kiss, Morpheus responded in kind, what little self-control he had left slowly fading into the background. He sucked and nibbled her lips like the sweetest delicacy, and she did the same, their hot breaths mixing together.

    His tongue was invasive in its exploration, and hers equally thorough. Their kiss became more and more intense as they gave in more to their desires.

    She let out soft moans as her hands moved through the hair at the back of his head, pulling him into a more passionate kiss. Morpheus found himself reacting to her touches, the upper half of his body hovering over her, half-kneeling on the bed with one of his feet still nted on the floor.

    Further deepening their kiss, Morpheus'' hand moved to the back of her head, supporting her to angle her face and keep her eagerness steady. He wanted to slowly enjoy her taste, but Ember enthusiasm was causing all his restraints to snap far quicker than he wanted.

    Though he was a beast, he didn''t want to lose control and go wild. He wanted to treasure Ember and wanted to limit themselves to merely kissing given her situation.

    ''For now...for now, this is enough.''

    After briefly pulling away to let her breath, he slid his tongue into the sweet cavern of her mouth once more, and she weed it with all her heart. His tongue explored her mouth, relishing its sweetness, and her tongue tried to keep up with his.

    Satisfied groans left his throat as she answered his love with moans of her own.

    "I love you, Ember."

    "I love you too..."

    Still gasping for breath, Ember closed her eyes and continued to kiss the man in front of her, the man she had grown to love... the man with ck hair and red eyes.

    Meanwhile, the elf couple, Baruel and Reese, had returned to the cottage after rushing back from their house in the city proper. Reese headed to the kitchen that she had turned into a makeshift workroom, while Baruel went towards the guestroom to check on any changes on Ember''s wellbeing.

    However, Baruel was an elf, and though an elder specializing in herbs, his senses were still sharper than most. He did not need to see what was going on inside and didn''t dare go towards the door.

    After several seconds of standing in a daze on the hallway, he turned around and left the way he came.

    When he returned to his wife who was measuring herbs before boiling them inside a metal pot, she didnot even turn her head towards him as she asked, "How is Lady Ember?"

    "...Seems fine."

    "Is she still unconscious?"

    "She is awake."

    Though surprised, Reese quickly epted it. "Truly deserving of being the special human chosen by His Majesty." She then returned her attention to the potion. "Is she having strong hallucinations?"

    "Umm, not sure," Baruel replied hesitantly as he didn''t know what to think about her situation.

    "What do you mean by not sure?" Reese felt annoyed at the uncertain answer. "I sent you to check on her, or else Commander will think we don''t worry about her. Go back and see if the Commander needs anything."

    "Commander Morpheus is...busy," he replied, and without exining, started to help his wife in preparing the rest of the ingredients.<novelnext></novelnext>

    She put the wooden spoon from her hand on the table. "Never mind. I will check." She left even before Baruel could stop her.

    "Reese, wait!"

    He fortunately managed to stop her by grabbing her hand as soon as she left the kitchen. She red at him at first and was about to speak, but her husband signaled her to remain quiet, his pointy ears twitching.

    Knowing the temper of his wife and given her less sensitive senses, he then pulled her to step outside and gestured for her to look at the slight gap from the slightly opened window of the guestroom.

    Only then did Reese understand why her husband returned like that. Not only the Commander, the couple inside was...indeed busy. She looked at her husband who signaled her to not disturb them. Both returned to the kitchen and resumed preparing the antidote.

    "It''s good that ourmander finally found a mate for himself," Reesemented happily, but Baruel was not as excited as her.

    "What happened?" she asked upon noticing him stay quiet..

    "Well," he hesitated, "to me, the situation looks worrisome."

    "Worrisome? Why so?"

    "Lady Ember is His Majesty''s mate. If she had indeed taken a second mate, should this not be known by us? Not to mention the second mate is a high-ranking official of the kingdom...Yet the council does not know of this? It''s impossible."

    "So you doubt the Commander and Lady Ember''s rtionship?"

    "I have a reason to. You have never personally conversed with the King, so perhaps you are not aware, but His Majesty...his temper is quite..." Baruel could not quite put it into words. "See, he is an arrogant Dragon and to think his mate will ept another? I am not sure if His Majesty is aware of it. I don''t believe he would ept it."

    However, Reese quickly refuted him. "If not, would His Majesty have sent his mate with another male? Don''t we know how possessive divine beasts can be? Blood would be spilled the moment an unmated malees closer to their female, let alone allowing them to roam freely with one."

    Those words made Baruel think. "You have a point. I am not sure what is going on then."

    "You worry too much. For a female to have two strong males is a boon, and at that Lady Ember got the two strongest and most powerful beastmen. Isn''t humankind''s best trait their ability to reproduce? As long as she survives having both bonds, then she deserves to have them both as her mates, and it is worthy of celebration if in the next few years she gives birth to strong future warriors for us."

    "Hmm, you are right. I should not worry about it."

    "Moreover, even if His Majesty is not willing, the decision is not his to make. He can attempt to persuade her but if Lady Ember wants to ept Commander Morpheus as her second mate, His Majesty cannot do anything as what the female wants is what males have to follow. His Majesty and Commander have no option but to ept each other as Lady Ember''s mates."

    Reese then let out a chuckle.

    "On the contrary, this is good news. How many decades have those two men been fighting? It''s an open secret how the Commander would taunt the King to fighting every time they interacted before. For the past weeks, didn''t we get no news of a mountain or a part of the forest being destroyed?

    "They can finally set aside their never-ending feud. After Lady Ember officially makes them her mates, they won''t be able to hurt each other. At most, they can re?" The female elf could not help butugh. "They will be one family and I do not believe either of them will hurt their own family."

    Baruel found himself bbergasted, but the more he thought of it, the more his wife''s reasoning made sense. "I guess...well, I hope everything goes well for them."

    Inside the guestroom, sounds of panting filled the room. Ember and Morpheus had finally pulled apart and were both gasping for breath.

 Chapter 368 Troubled Morpheus

    Morpheus'' body burned for more, his raging desires threatening to ignite whatever is left of his sanity.

    The guestroom was filled with Ember''s sweet scent, and it was so strong that he himself was like a man being intoxicated. If he wanted to keep his wits with him, he needed to get out of that room fast.

    Morpheus almost ran to the yard, and as soon as he stepped out of the thatched house, he took a big gulp of fresh air. The cold breeze carrying the scent of the flowers on the valley somewhat helped to calm his nerves.

    Baruel saw him from the window of the kitchen. "The Commander is out."

    "Good. The antidote is ready as well so we can give it to Lady Ember."

    "I will inform the Commander."

    Baruel went out to where Morpheus was standing with his eyes closed. The elf felt hesitant to disturb the Commander who looked unusually calm on the surface. The Divine Eagle''s body was giving off a sense of restlessness, exposing the chaos in his mind, and Baruel was having second thoughts on approaching him.

    In the end, he went to him.

    "Commander? The antidote has been prepared."

    "Thank you for your hard work," was all Morpheus said and Baruel understood that it was a sort of dismissal. Baruel tactfully excused himself and returned to his wife.

    Reese brought the freshly prepared potion to the guest room and roused Ember for a short moment to feed it to her, before getting her to return to sleep. Once she was done, she came out of the thatched house to inform Morpheus.

    From the moment Baruel approached him up till when Reese found him, Morpheus was like a statue, quietly standing in one ce while staring at the flower field with a faraway gaze.

    "Commander, I have fed the antidote to Lady Ember. We need to let her rest for at least an hour for the effects of the ss Mist Flower to bepletely eliminated."

    "Hmm, let her continue resting then. I...I need to go somewhere but will be back shortly. Till then take care of her," he instructed, and the next moment, Reese saw the majestic pair of gray wings stretched out behind him.

    "Yes, Commander," the elf woman answered and she watched Morpheus fly away from the valley.

    Morpheus flew high in the sky at the speed of wind, cutting through the air like a sharp knife, no one--not even him--knew where he was heading. He was simply flying for the sake of flying, enjoying the feel of the wind on his skin.

    He tried to calm himself while standing outside the cottage but it didn''t work. This time, what he was feeling was beyond what he could control. He dared not stay in the room as Ember as he knew he would end up doing something bad with her.

    With his eyes closed, not knowing where he was going, he simply continued to fly towards the clouds. He wanted to go as high as he could, somewhere so high that, perhaps, his mind would stop thinking about her and her scent and those delicious lips of hers.

    ''Stop. Thinking!''

    He was hot and bothered, and nothing seemed to work on him this time.

    Even the cold wind and the strain of flying relentlessly seemed useless, and he didn''t know what more he should do. His normal way to calm himself was staying by Ember''s side, but that was not the case today.

    High up in the sky, a couple of patrols from the feathered race noticed someone approaching at a high speed. Even with their keen eyesights, they almost did not recognize who or what it was.

    The familiar aura made them realize it was Morpheus and wondered what happened to him.

    "Did something happen? Why is the Commander rushing? Are we under attack--"

    "Are you silly? The Commander is flying upwards. Do you feel that there''s a fight somewhere among the clouds?"

    The other winged man shook his head. "I wonder what is wrong with Commander Morpheus then..."

    "Earlier..."

    "Hmm?"

    The winged man coughed before lowering his voice. "Don''t let others know, but remember how I was a littlete for our patrol? On my way, I saw the Commander carrying a female...well, His Majesty''s mate in his arms some time ago," he said hesitantly.

    "You mean His Majesty''s mate and Commander Morpheus..."

    "Maybe. Or have you seen the Commander pay this much attention to a female?"

    Agartha might be a kingdom with a small poption, but all its residents were supernatural beings. They could see more and hear more than a human, and as many of them were long-lived races, most of them knew each other''s affairs like the back of their hands.

    Morpheus had never been close to any females outside of his family. Yet ever since the human girl arrived in the kingdom, Morpheus could be seen either frequenting the pce or sightseeing with her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As fellow beings from the feathered race, they could guess his mood--the fact he was flying so haphazardly had everything to do with him being visibly distressed.

    "Only a potential mate can make a beastman behave like this."

    "So, does that mean that ourmander sees that human girl as his potential mate?"

    "Can''t deny it. I have never seen him treat females the way he treats Lady Ember. Well, the Commander also treats Lady Isa well, but we all know he treats her nothing more than a little sister."

    "Whatever it is, I am happy that the Commander will have someone to cherish in the future."

    "But... to think he has to share a mate with the King...it''s a little..."

    "Doesn''t matter as long as he has a mate. I thought we would never get to see the Commander have an offspring, but now, the child he will have with that human will carry his divine blood. I see that in the next few years, we will get a powerful gray eagle--or if the spirits bless us, maybe the Lady will give birth to a golden one?"

    "I agree. We want more strong warriors like ourmander to keep our kingdom safe. We have Lord Aureus now, but he is quite young so it will be good to have a new generation of strong warriors to serve him."

    "Lady Ember survived the marking of a dragon that means she is the female in the kingdom most likely to give birth to a divine beast''s descendant. That means if the Commander marked her, there is no chance for it to fail. Our kingdom will soon have another dragon and divine eagle."

    "Yes, but the best thing is the possibility that the Commander''s child would be another pureblood, a golden eagle."

    "We should share such good news with others."

    "No, no, are you daft? Do not even think about it if you don''t want to be in trouble with Commander Morpheus. This is still his private affair so only the Commander himself has the right to tell others."

    "That makes sense."

    "Also she is already mated to HIs Majesty the Dragon. If I guess right, Lady Ember taking Commander as her second mate is not yet set in stone. We don''t know how His Majesty would react once he hears of this prematurely. We can not ruin it for the Commander even before he gets to start properly."

    "Let''s hope ourmander will mark Lady Ember soon then."

    Morpheus continued to fly through the clouds, hisrge gray wings disturbing that sea of whiteness as he passed through them. When he could no longer go higher as the air had be almost non-existent, he let himself plummet downwards.

    With his wings folded around his body, Morpheus plunged headfirst at a speed twice, no, thrice as fast as when he was flying upwards.

    As he continued to fall towards the ground, not even once did he open his eyes and let himself remained immersed in the thrill of that fall.

    Once again, the patrols in that region saw Morpheus and wondered what theirmander was up to. Still, no one bothered to approach as they knew nothing much would happen to theirmander. At most, he would suffer some superficial cuts and bruises.

    When Morpheus was just a few feet away from the ground, his wings opened and his body, which had its back facing towards the ground, turned around. He swiftlynded at the front yard of Baruel''s thatched house.

    He had no idea how long It''s been since he left, but from the movement of the sun, it seemed that almost an hour had passed. Though it didn''t help him much in ridding him of inappropriate thoughts, he was at least sure he could stand having Ember around him.

    Baruel and his wife greeted him at the door.

    "How is she now?" Morpheus asked.

    "Lady Ember is still sleeping, but do not worry, I checked her pulse just now and it has gotten better."

    Morpheus went towards the guest room and saw the human still sleeping soundly, unaware of what kind of storm she had almost brought on herself.

    Should he wake her up? Staring at her face, he shook the thought away. He approached the bed and lifted her in his arms. ''I need to take her back to the pce before she pulls more troubles towards her.''

    He stepped out of the cottage and informed, "We will be leaving. Thank you for your hospitality, Baruel, Reese."

    "Take care, Commander."

    Baruel and his wife bowed to him and watched the pair fly away.

    "Commander Morpheus cares for Lady Ember a lot. He stayed away from her so he won''t end up hurting her," Baruelmented as he watched the figures that were getting smaller from his view.

    "Isn''t that a given, a male treating his chosen female well?" Reese said as she followed her husband''s gaze. "What a fortunate human being to have such amazing males as her mates."

 Chapter 369 Furious Draven

    The flight towards the pce was uneventful. Normally, Morpheus would dy reaching the pce in order to spend more time with Ember, but after what happened, the shapeshifter dared not pull any petty trick and wanted to make sure he would be long gone before she woke up.

    Rather than bringing her to the front door and rming all the servants of the pce, Morpheus opted tond on the balcony of Ember''s study. He carried her inside and took her towards her chambers.

    "Miss!"

    Ember''s servants were pacing back and forth in the hallway outside. When Ember left, she had forgotten to inform them, causing them to panic when she went missing. Fortunately, they spotted a gray feather that had fallen on the balcony, and they guessed that their master might have left with Morpheus.

    Reya and Clio had been impatiently waiting for her to return, and if Morpheus had arrived a bitter, they would have already reported her disappearance to Y.

    Though they were relieved that Ember had returned, seeing her unconscious in Morpheus'' arms, the two elves panicked.

    "W-What happened to Miss Ember, Commander?"

    "Is something wrong with the Miss?"

    Morpheus first carried Ember to her bed. Once he made sure she wasfortable after covering her with a nket up to her shoulders, only then did he answer, "She was affected by the scent of ss Mist Flowers but there is nothing to worry about. Antidote has been given to her and she will wake up in a while."

    The two elves felt relieved, and after Morpheus left the bedchamber, only then did they check on their master.

    "How is her pulse?" Reya asked her younger cousin.

    "It''s normal."

    "Commander Morpheus said Miss would be fine, so I guess I can leave you here to watch over Miss while I take care of our other tasks."

    "No problem. I will wait for her to wake up," Clio said while Reya nodded.

    However, Ember continued to sleep throughout the entire afternoon, and even after Reya returned to check if she should bring Ember''s dinner, the human girl remained unconscious.

    When Draven returned to the pce that night, the first thing he wanted to do was to see his mate but his current appearance was not presentable. Once again, there was blood on his clothes, exposing the fact that he had returned after dealing with enemies. He had found an important clue about what he was searching for.

    ''The blood on my clothes might scare her.''

    Draven chose to bathe first as he didn''t wish for Ember to see him like this. After cleaning himself, he wore fresh clothes and tossed the bloodstained clothes to Erlos.

    Erlos held those dirty clothes in his hands, noticing from the size of the stains how much trouble Draven had gone through. "Sire, is there a war I didn''t know going on somewhere? Or else, what kind of beings made you spill their blood and bring death to themselves?"

    "A useless being," Draven replied nonchntly.

    "Sure. Everyone is useless in an almighty dragon''s eyes," Erlosmented as he rolled his eyes.

    The young elf was about to leave when he heard his master mutter, "Not everyone. You are not included in that everyone."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Erlos froze in his steps, and he turned around to look at his master in disbelief. The red-eyed man had just finished wearing his clothes, acting as if he had not spoken out of character.

    "Are you alright, Sire? Did you get injured in the head?"

    What happened to Draven for him to spout such cringey words?

    "No. I am starving. Get me a nice meal," Draven replied.

    Could Dragons turn silly if they''re starving? Or maybe, like in stories, a person suddenly finds out he has a terminal illness--

    Erlos understood his master didn''t wish to talk, and went to say a quick, "Will get it right away, Sire," as he left.

    After Draven made sure not a whiff of blood could be smelled from his body, he disappeared from his room, only to appear in front of his mate''s chamber. He was weed by the servant who happened to step out of the door at the same time. Clio immediately bowed to the King.

    "Your Majesty."

    Reya, who heard it, also looked at them and bowed to the King who stepped inside the bedchamber without a word. To his surprise, he found his mate sleeping despite the night still being young.

    Even before he could ask anything, his senses got alert, his nose capturing various scents--the stench of medicine being the strongest, then the fragrance of flowers, along with one which should not be there. A scent that made him furrow his brows--Morpheus'' scent.

    Worse, it was a male scent so deep a terrible image of how it came about immediately sprung inside Draven''s mind.

    The two elf servants immediately felt their knees weaken at the outburst of dangerous aura being emitted by the King. They felt their hearts nearly stop upon seeing his frosty expression.

    "Y-Your Majesty, Commander Morpheus brought Miss back--"

    Despite her fear, Reya exined why Ember was asleep but Draven didn''t react to her words and simply disappeared from the bedchamber.

    His dangerous aura exploded at a certain steep cliff at the peak of one of the highest mountains in the southern mountain range surrounding Agartha.

    The sound of mockingughter greeted Draven''s arrival.

    "What took you so long? I have been waiting for you."

    Draven red at the back of the shapeshifter who was sitting leisurely at the edge of the cliff. Morpheus looked over his shoulder to stare at him.

    "That face...Seems like you already smelled me on her."

    Draven clenched his fists and attacked, but Morpheus was quick enough to stretch his wings and dodge. Half a secondter, there was a sh of powers on that mountain cliff.

    Their bodies collided with each other and the repulsive force threw them backwards, cracking the rocky ground with their feet leaving deep gully-like imprints.

 Chapter 370 Because He Didnt Want To Be A King

    Draven''s red eyes darkened, and this time, he didn''t look like he was going to spare the shapeshifter. Despite this, Morpheus had a grin dripping with provocation hanging on his lips.

    These two men had shed for tens, no, hundreds of times, for the past century but not once had it been truly a fight to death--it was Morpheus seeking to end his life through Draven''s hands, taunting but never really engaging in realbat with Draven.

    But tonight, the Divine Eagle''s hollow eyes burned with determination.

    "I''m suddenly reminded, we have never truly fought to death, have we? In the past, hadn''t there been a conflict on who should be Agartha''s protector and I let you beat me so you became king. Thousands of years have passed and maybe you have forgotten that you are not more powerful than me, Draven."

    Draven said nothing to that mockery as anger had clouded his mind. All he wanted was to kill the shapeshifter in front of him.

    Wham! Crash! Bang!

    Powerful explosions and sounds of destruction could be heard in the darkness of the night, with rocks being pulverized and trees being crushed to smithereens as the elements of Wind and Darkness continued to sh from the mountain down towards the forest at the bottom.

    Birds and other forest animals on the forest at the foot of that mountain scurried away in fear, causing the other parts of the forest to turn into chaos.

    As that part of the mountain range was nearest to the territory of the elves, it was them along with the forest spirits who were first to be rmed. Even a human being would be able to sense the vibrations on the ground and the ear-splitting noise that reached tens of leagues in the air, what more the supernatural beings blessed with sharp senses.

    The scouts and patrols of the nearby cities came to check on the situation, but once they were near enough to sense the aura of the two most powerful beings in the kingdom, they immediately retreated to report to the elders and High Elders of their respective ns.

    After hearing the culprits were Draven and Morpheus, the high-ranking officials thought to no longer pay attention to it. It was nothing new for them, so they dismissed their subordinates and resumed their sleep.

    But there was a certain n elder from the Valley Elf n who was paying close attention to it, as that n elder and his wife were aware what caused this current confrontation.

    "Baruel, they are fighting because the King found out that the Commander is courting his mate, right?" Reese asked.

    "Didn''t I tell you that His Majesty would never tolerate sharing his female?" Baruel replied.

    "But will the King risk Lady Ember bing unhappy?"

    "Well..."

    "I thought as much. The King, being a Dragon, is more arrogant and possessive than other divine beasts, but in the end, isn''t the happiness of his mate the most important? Lady Ember looked attached to the Commander. She was sofortable with him---no, she was practically glowing. Otherwise, which female who has no intention to be mates would be so close to a male?"

    "You forget. That applies to females of the beast race. Lady Ember is a human. Perhaps she doesn''t understand our culture."

    Reese could only shrug. "I hope these twoe to the conclusion that having two strong males is better for a female. They should ept the course of nature. An exceptional human female deserves more than one mate. Oh, and don''t humans have their cycles monthly? How good a news it would be if she bears the children of the two strongest males of our kingdom. Imagine if she has an offspring once every one or two years, then there won''t be any threat to our kingdom ever."

    Baruel didn''t know whether tough or cry at his wife''s words.

    "You are thinking too much, Reese. This stuff, don''t ever mention it outside. No beastman will think of their mate as a mere tool of producing an heir to their race, and if they hear you, they will be insulted. This is the private affairs of other people. Let them handle it. Better to not talk about it."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I was just--"

    "You should sleep. They will handle things on their own. We have countless mountains around Agartha for them to destroy."

    Baruel closed his eyes and Reese could say no more as she too closed her eyes.

    ''But I really think Lady Ember and Commander are made for each other. They look perfectly happy together.''

    At the same time, the pair of shapeshifters who were assigned on the skies above the Valley Elf n''s City of Reif had just finished their shift and were turning over their work to the next batch of patrols. They were preparing to fly to Redcrest, the main city of the feathered races, when they felt the ruckus caused by the fight between Draven and Morpheus.

    They could not help but gossip once more about theirmander.

    "Did you feel that? The vibrations in the air are already this scary when we''re so far away."

    "I wonder how many mountains need to be rebuilt after this fight."

    "Thest time, I heard the forest spirits were badly overworked for an entire night to make sure the damaged part of the forest returned to the way it was before."

    "I think the Fairy Queen is going to file anotherint soon."

    "Well, maybe not? I do not think it is wise to confront His Majesty when he is this angry. He must be incredibly pissed about ourmander courting his mate."

    "Of course, he must be pissed. Though having multiple mates ismon for females, there has never been a case before that a divine beast shared a mate with another divine beast. You know how those with superior bloodlines are territorial and arrogant beasts. They are extremely possessive about their mates and try to keep them for themselves. Sharing...hah...that''s almost impossible."

    "That applies to ourmander as well. But even though he is a divine beast, he still chose Lady Ember, meaning he is fine with sharing a mate. His Majesty should be more open-minded."

    "Maybe it''s the difference between the divinity in their blood? Commander Morpheus might be a Divine Eagle, but he''s a gray one not a golden one, so he is more reasonable. On the other hand, Dragons must be more ferocious and more possessive--"

    "You make it sound like those with purer bloodlines have less sanity."

    "I didn''t say that."

    "Yeah, you just implied it."

    The shapeshifter coughed in shame and changed the topic. "Oh well, I hope ourmander won''t give up and fight for what will bring him happiness."

    "Do not worry. Though the King is a mighty Dragon, the strength of the most powerful warrior of the kingdom is no less than his. From my grandfather, I actually heard a rumor that ourmander can match a dragon but he doesn''t want his strength to be known because he doesn''t want to be king..."

 Chapter 371 Destiny, Beautiful But Wicked

    On the southern mountain range, a part of one mountain had copsed, while the surrounding forest was almostpletely destroyed, countless trees uprooted and the ground badly cracked as the two beasts fought like their lives are on the line, turning a blind eye on the damage they had caused.

    The dignified look of the King of Agartha and the easygoing appearance of the Commander of Warriors were both nowhere to be seen. In fact, two miserable figures had emerged from a pile of rubble.

    Half of Draven''s shirt was wed off, one sleeve even missing, with his ck hair aplete mess and cuts from wind des visible on his arms and chest. A trickle of blood could be seen leaking from the corner of his mouth. Meanwhile, Morpheus'' state was not any better. There were bruises on his face, one eye even swollen shut, and some feathers from his wings were missing, causing parts of his gray wings to be dyed red with his blood.

    Both men looked miserable, yet there was one big difference between them--their expressions. While Draven''s cold face was murderous, Morpheus could still afford to sport a mocking smirk on his lips.

    Draven disappeared from where he was standing, and the next moment, his hands got hold of Morpheus'' throat, pinning him to the stone wall behind him, his other hand lifted to give him a strike strong enough to break three or four ribs.

    But the smirk on Morpheus'' face remained, and the next moment, a gust of wind hit Draven in the gut, causing him to double over. Their situation turned with Draven being the one strangled by Morpheus while pinned against the wall of rock.

    "Just because I let you beat me, do you really think I am that easy to kill, Draven?" That mocking smirk on his lips widened. "Before, I had no will to live but now I have a reason to continue living. I believe you know that reason. For old times'' sake, should you not rejoice for your old friend?"

    ck light exploded from Draven''s body, his magic of darkness causing Morpheus to loosen his grip, and he once again strangled Morpheus, pushing him deeply against the face of the cliff, almost burying him into the rocky wall.

    Morpheus merelyughed. "What are you doing? Giving me a scratch? I don''t even have a single internal injury. You have exhausted your powers already, oh Almighty Dragon. Do you think I cannot take you down at this moment?"

    Draven knew his own state best. Magic exhaustion. It was a situation that he had not experienced for a long time. For the past few days, he had been using his spatial powers to teleport in and out of Agartha, crossing long distances covering several kingdoms for an entire day, and today, he even had to deal with a group of ck magic practitioners.

    As the saying goes, even an ant could hurt an elephant. Draven''s and Morpheus''bat ability were almost on par in the first ce, and with his magical power reserves exhausted, Morpheus did not even have to do much to overpower him at this moment.

    Draven knew...he knew he could not deal much damage to Morpheus, but he had gone crazy upon realizing what Morpheus had done. This disgusting man took advantage of his naive mate!

    ss Mist Flower!

    He didn''t know the exact situation, but to discover his mate had been intoxicated by that dangerous nt, coupled by the fact he could smell Morpheus'' scent on her, all he wanted to do was to kill this beast.

    "Even if you attack me, you cannot turn back time. Aren''t you being silly venting weakly like this? Fight me again in your best state," Morpheus said as he easily disengaged himself from the rock, stepping forward, causing Draven to be pushed backwards. He then lowered his voice, his tone serious, "But you know it, right? The signs are all pointing in that direction. You can feel it. I do not believe you don''t. You can feel that your end is fast approaching, and destiny cannot be changed. And when that timees..."

    Morpheus'' only good eye stared at his red ones.

    "...Are you sure you want to kill me, the only one who will take care of your mate with all honesty when you are gone?"

    Hearing these words, the darkness in those red eyes started to fade and the grip of his hand on his throat loosened as well.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Morpheus continued to speak, his tone unchanging.

    "Do you think that if both of us are gone, an unmated human can survive in this kingdom full of supernatural beings no matter how special she is? You can''t even send her back to the humans as she bears your mark for all to see.

    "Those who hate Agartha, once they discover her, they will no doubt move to kill the Dragon''s mate right away. What if she falls into the hands of ck magic practitioners? I do not even want to imagine what kind of torture she would experience."

    Draven''s body froze like a statue as he closed his eyes, but Morpheus'' words continued to flow to his ears.

    "Do you want that to happen to Ember, Draven?"

    The truth that he didn''t even wish to think about had beenid bare. It was like the raging fire burning inside him had been doused with ice cold water.

    Destiny...

    Such a beautiful yet wicked word.

    Draven would willingly sacrifice his life when the time called for it. Morpheus had not said a single lie. All the clues had been pointing to his iing death... but what would happen to Ember when the vision hade to pass? How would she survive without him?

    Red eyes stared at the bruised face of his oldrade. This was once the face of the man he had trusted to cover his back, one who was as close to him as a brother. That was why the fury that erupted when he felt betrayal was immense.

    The dragon inside him was enraged at the thought of another male being close to his mate, and it was worsened by the fact that the male was Morpheus. It brought the worst out of him.

    "Be rational, Draven. That Dragon can be brainless but you cannot," Morpheus said, as if having read his thoughts, "and if you still insist on fighting, I will make sure to defeat you in a formal duel. Then as the rule goes, the male who wins takes the female. Do you want to do that?"

    Draven simply stared at Morpheus, his mind flooded with nothing but worry about Ember and her future. He didn''t pay attention to the other things Morpheus was saying.

    There was a special rule followed by the beast race.

    There had been a situation many generations ago when two males wanted to mate with the same female but refused to share despite both of them being epted by the female. Two ns had be enemies and went to war, and unnecessary blood was shed. In the end, the decision was made by a duel between those males and the winner took the female. Ever since then, theter generations had epted the tradition in order to prevent ns from getting involved in a fight between potential mates.

    However, this was an extremely rare case, as it is a fact that exceptional females have the right to choose more than one mate.

 Chapter 372 Till I Am Alive, She Is Mine

    "I have no wish to snatch your remaining days with your mate so you better spend every precious second with her instead of fighting with me. You might regret wasting your time."

    Draven closed his eyes briefly as he let go of Morpheus.

    "You took advantage of her," he spoke in a low, dangerous tone.

    "You know me better than that. At most, it was apse of judgment. Things happened that way as she was seeing a hallucination," Morpheus said with a wry smile.

    Morpheus was not an idiot, and though at that moment he thought it was a good dream, a dream was still a dream. He knew better than to live within the delusion brought about by Ember''s confession.

    "That little female...She said something which was meant for you. I knew it was too good to be true to be directed to me, but I was the lucky one to hear it. You missed your chance."

    Draven''s forehead creased. "What did she say?"

    "Those words,you should hear directly from her instead of me. Won''t sound good if a male says it to you."

    Draven didn''t insist as he stepped away from the shapeshifter, using the back of his hand to wipe away the blood from his face. Only then did he allow his eyes to roam their surroundings, and with the foundation of the cliff mostly missing, more broken rocks came tumbling from the copsed part of the mountain, causing their visions to be covered by the clouds of dust.

    Morpheus straightened himself as well, massaging his throat and stretching his wings as he stepped away from the falling rocks.

    "I smell blood not your own on you. Who did you kill this time? ck magic practitioners?"

    Draven didn''t reply to this, and Morpheus took his silence as an affirmation.

    "If you are done venting, I will go--"

    "As Yorian predicted, Myra is with Zaria Lynx."

    Morpheus froze with his wings half-outstretched at the news. After several seconds, he got back to his senses and straightened himself.

    "And? D-Did you find her?" he asked and hurried to approach Draven. "Where...How is she? Since she''s not with you---"

    "I didn''t find your sister but I found this."<novelnext></novelnext>

    Draven put forward his hand and several golden hair strands appeared on his palm. In the darkness of the night, those hair strands were like threads spun out of sunshine.

    "These, I am sure, belong to Myra," Morpheus said.

    "Zaria knows someone ising for her, and she''s always one step ahead. It''s like she feels the threat even before I can reach her. Regardless of her means of detection, I am positive she doesn''t stay at the same ce longer than a day."

    "Then, what should we do? Since she knows we are already tracking her, then let us gather our best scouts. I will also form a troop made of warriors experienced with fighting against ck magic--"

    "Don''t be in a hurry. If she senses an attack, she might prepare a trap to ensnare our warriors. Knowing her, she would once again use Myra''s blood to create that formation, just like in the past. This time, we have no Evanthe nor any senior witches to help us remove the formation. We also cannot let Zaria use Myra''s blood to create any strong spell or it will be a threat to Myra''s life. These hair strands, the fact they are falling and they barely contain divinity means Myra''s condition has deteriorated to the point she might be dying."

    Morpheus gritted his teeth. "The more we need to find her then! If we dy, we mighte for her toote. I don''t want to see my sister''s corpse. A dying body is better. Even if for a short time, even if it meant she would not make it for long, let here back to her people. Let her see her family. Better if we find her before her son leaves for the human kingdom. If Myra would die, I would rather she die surrounded by us with a smile, rather than a slow death while being chained in who-knows-where."

    "Zaria is cunning, and since she knows we are looking for her, there is a chance she has schemed to use our emotions against us. If we approach without ample preparation, she can just kill Myra straightaway to hurt us more. This is the reason why I am scouting in person. If there is a chance for Myra to survive, why risk her death? Do not be in haste. By now, she must have noticed a few of her warlocks are missing, but probably do not know I am the one personally tracking her."

    Morpheus helplessly ran his hands through his hair. "My sister needs her older brother but I can''t do anything to save her. I will just..."

    "Don''t even think about being reckless. Do not do anything on your own if you want her back. Understood?"

    Morpheus sighed and kicked a rockrge enough to reach his knees and it shot into the sky, falling down somewhere like a destructive meteor. Regarding his sister, he could not do anything but listen to Draven.

    Draven was about to leave but then said, "I am letting you go today only for the sake of Ember but do not think you can do anything more with my mate. As long as I am alive, she belongs to me and me alone."

    "Don''t worry, I don''t n on disturbing yourst days with her," Morpheus shot back as he watched Draven disappear.

    Morpheus looked at the destroyed mountainside and forest and cursed.

    "That Dragon always creates a mess but runs away when it''s time to clean up." He then looked up at the night sky and turned towards the mountain next to the destroyed one. "Well, it''s good he destroyed this mountain instead of that one. If our fight damaged my sister''s cave, I would have not let him off with a light internal injury."

    Morpheus then used his powers of the wind to send out a call towards the nearby forest spirits and fairies, and with their help, the damage caused by their fight started to be cleared out and settled.

 Chapter 373 Divine Eagle Myra

    On the other part of the continent, in the human kingdom of Thevailes where the ck Witch Zaria Lynx was residing these days.

    Aftering to terms with the young King of Thevailes, agreeing to help King Samer Vailes wage war against its neighboring kingdom of Megaris, the ck Witch became an esteemed guest of King Samer.

    In order to fulfill the agreement, she chose to stay in the vicinity. The King of Thevailes provided her lodging outside the capital, a small secret manor within the dense woods owned by the royal family, and thus, considered a restricted area by themon people.

    After Zaria secretly took residence in that manor, she also casted a spell of deceit around it, the barrier effectively hiding its presence from people''s eyes.

    At this moment, the sound of someone being pped echoed within one of the rooms. An enraged woman was ring at the two men kneeling in front of her with their heads lowered.

    The woman had pale white skin and long ck locks spilling over her long ck dress, her all-ck ensemble giving off a dangerous vibe despite her stunning beauty, while the two men were also equally good-looking despite the blood and bruises on their faces.

    Three supernatural beings, a witch and two warlocks, and all three of their bodies were emitting ck magic.

    The woman scowling down at the men was precisely Zaria Lynx.

    "How can you be so ipetent?! How can you not know where your subordinates are and where they have disappeared?"

    One of the warlocks spoke, "Apologies, Master, but we are still investigating where the three of them had disappeared. We searched for them and..."

    "And what?"

    "We found nothing but traces of blood. The possibility of them being abducted is low, but the chances of them being killed is even lower. We are not sure if that blood even belongs to them."

    "Blood? If you say that, then you must have found something suspicious."

    "Their disappearance itself is suspicious. Thestmunication with them before we discovered that they''re missing was just shy of an hour. If they had been attacked, they would have at least attempted to reach out to us, but there was nothing. They''re simply...gone. This had never happened before.

    "But if another supernatural being indeed attacked them, there should have been traces of a fight, but there was nothing."

    The other warlock exined, "As such, Master, if they did not defect or run away, then the only other exnation we cane up with is that a powerful being must have entered our territory without being noticed and killed those three. That enemy ought to be as powerful as Master."

    Zaria continued to pace in the room while thinking deeply about it. "What about the trace of power that''s left behind?"

    "There is none, Master. That is why we say we are not sure if there is a third party involved. If there was, then that being was not only powerful, but cautious enough to not leave anything behind..."

    "...or he is familiar with our group to know how to deal with us without being caught," Zaria spoke as she rubbed her lips.

    "Master is wise."

    "Those scums from Agartha might have caught our tail," shemented after giving it a thought.

    "What if it''s the King of Megaris? He might be trying to get back at us for abducting his wife."

    "The spies reported he and his wife are on a voyage westward. His hands are already too full to care about us in such a situation. I can think of a few busybodies from Agartha who can work this silently right under our noses."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Master, there is that archer who saved the Queen of Megaris and that golden eagle. Could it be that person?"

    "I almost forgot about that mysterious troublemaker"-- she put her hand forward and an object appeared on her palm-- "who is now not mysterious at all."

    It was a broken body of an arrow which had ancient elvish runes carved on it.

    "Yorian, my old friend," she smiled slyly. "We will get even the next time we meet."

    The two warlocks had puzzled looks on their faces. These two were part of the generation born after the war from a century ago and had never heard of that name.

    "One of my old friends from Agartha." Zaria toyed with the broken arrow. "I wonder what he is doing in this part of the continent. Could it be that Agartha sent him out to search for us?"

    At this point, the witch had no idea that the High Elf had be a wanderer after the war.

    "Master, can that archer be the one who attacked our people?" one of the warlocks asked.

    "There is a possibility, but I will need to personally check if I can find his tracks within Thevailes. However, my intuition says it is not him. I believe someone from Agartha..." She stopped as she narrowed her eyes. "... that Dragon? Could it be that barbaric lizard finally got the guts to leave his nest to target us?"

    "Do you mean the King of Agartha?"

    Sheughed as countless thoughts yed inside her mind. "Another possibility. There are only a handful of beings powerful enough to kill our people without us noticing, and he is one of them."

    Seeing her expression, the warlock sighed in relief. "I believe Master has a n?"

    "Of course. Don''t be afraid. That barbaric lizard has a funny weakness, and we can even lure him towards us and have him in the palm of our hands."

    "You mean that female Divine Eagle, Master?"

    Zaria nodded. "I didn''t keep her alive till date for nothing. She--well, her life wille handy when the timees he tries to sabotage our ns. She will be the key to dealing with Draven, just like in the past. I know exactly how foolishly sentimental he can be. In order to save her, I bet he will willingly step on an obvious trap to prevent us from killing her."

    An evil smile spread on her exquisite face.

    "It''s good if he does not find us, but it will be definitely better if he does."

    The two warlocks could only wonder about what was going on in her mind, and heard her change the topic, "By the way, has my pretty little bird arrived yet?"

    "Yes, Master. Before we came to report, she had been moved inside this manor''s underground chamber."

    Zaria then waved to dismiss them before turning to leave. The door behind her opened and she disappeared behind it.

    Inside the underground chamber which was dimly lit with a fewmps, the sounds of Zaria''s footsteps echoed loudly as she walked along the long stone pathway. Each step of her followed a strange rhythm, getting louder and louder, as if she was deliberately announcing her approach to the being at the end of the pathway.

    She stopped in front of an ordinary-looking wooden door lined with enchantments and spells. She leisurely grabbed one of the nearbymps before opening the door. The chamber was pitch ck, and only themp in her hand made it possible to see the situation inside.

 Chapter 374 Mocking

    Zaria''s lips curved into a sickeningly sweet smile as she looked at the weak body lying in the middle of the small grass bed tucked at the corner, its size barely enough to hold that thin naked body.

    That person was a woman covered in dried blood, and if not for the small movement of her chest, one would think she was a corpse. Her wrists had thick metal cuffs which were connected to the chains attached to the stone wall.

    It was the missing Divine Eagle Myra.

    Her appearance bore a strong resemnce to Aureus, only her features were feminine. However, she looked so miserable at this point that even if Drayce and Morpheus were to see her, it would take them several seconds to recognize her. Her long golden hair had lost its original shine, and few of them had even fallen on the floor, and she was so thin she looked like she had been starved for a long time.

    "How pretty."

    Zaria entered the chamber, leisurely closing the door behind her and hanging thatmp on the hook near the door frame.

    "My pretty little bird, your master hase. Won''t you wake up and greet her with a song?"

    The chained woman slowly turned her head to look at her visitor. Golden eyes the color of liquid gold appeared in the darkness, and at first they were unfocussed, somewhat dull even, but as soon as their owner recognized the face of the ck-haired woman, hostility shed within them.

    The person she hated the most, the one she wished to kill the first chance she get¡ª

    "How are you, my dear Myra?" the witch asked like she truly cared about her wellbeing. "Did you sleep well?"

    However, even though her voice sounded kind, the evil look in her eyes was unmistakable. She gazed at Myra as if she was nothing more than an object of amusement.

    Myra simply turned her head back to face the wall and closed her eyes.

    "Are you upset, my dear, that you missed the chance to see your son?" Zaria asked, like a gossipy rtive, her tone mockingly concerned. "s, it was his fault. He did not know what was good for him. If only he obediently followed me, then you two would have reunited."

    Myra pretended to be deaf and didn''t bother to react to her provocation, but the witch continued to speak, unbothered by her silence.

    "Don''t worry. I am not a cruel person. See, you have been by my side for years and I have benefitted lots from you. I think of you fondly, like a friend. At the very least, I will let you see your son before he takes over your role."

    Myra wanted to scream and tell her to stay away from her son, but she could not. She was very, very weak, and even breathing was a strain for her body. She needed to preserve her energy to keep on surviving.

    After all the terrors she had gone through, Myra was so broken she had once thought of escaping this hell through death, but¡­

    The only thing that kept her going was hope. A small, feeble hope that maybe, maybe she could at least see her son and her brother before she died.

    "s! You are indeed upset," Zaria said as she let out a dramatic sigh, "and here I thought you would be grateful that you have gotten a rxing vacation for the past few days. You really don''t know how to be thankful that I won''t be taking your blood until you recover sufficiently. I know you want to survive long enough to see your family. I am a very supportive friend, but tsk, you seem to be ungrateful to me.

    "I am heartbroken, Myra."

    Myar swallowed her anger and breathed deeply to keep her calm. Taking her blood signified this witch had a dangerous spell to cast, as the fresher the divine blood, the more powerful its effect as catalyst.

    Myra didn''t want this. She felt she was better off dead so her divine blood would not harm others, but at the same time, she was conflicted to disappear from this world without ever seeing her loved ones for thest time.

    Though she was not getting any reaction from her, Zaria didn''t mind. Myra was always like this.

    When she was abducted, she tried to fight back for the first few months, but when she realized her impossible situation, she gave up resisting and yed dead. Decadester, she was weakened to the point she could not even sit and would not say a word back anymore.

    However, Zaria had little care for her. Why would she when this Divine Eagle was but a tool? It was her blood that mattered the most to her.<novelnext></novelnext>

    As long as Myra is alive and breathing, it didn''t matter if she became ugly, blind, mute or crazy.

    Zaria made sure this eagle would not escape by any means. The cuffs on her hands were enchanted with spells, and Myra''s body was corroded by ck magic. Even a healthy shapeshifter could not break the spells on the chains and the door, much less a starved, half-dead female.

    But, Zaria was in too good a mood to talk to herself. She wanted to get Myra to react.

    "Ah, before I go, I am suddenly reminded. You know Draven? Do you still remember him, the only man you have ever loved?"

    Myra''s body visibly stiffened the moment she heard this name. Zaria never mentioned him in so many years, and it worried her why she was bringing him up today. Did something happen to Agartha? Was he alright?

    "Oh, my bad. He was not the only man you loved. I forgot about the father of your child. That filthy¡ªs, are you ring at me? Yes, that''s a lovely look."

    Zaria took a small bottle out of nowhere and approached Myra. She removed the cork and lightly tipped the contents into her mouth, and despite her weak struggle, Myra had been forced to drink the potion inside.

    "Be good. Can you feel your strength returning? I saw you struggling to breathe. We can''t have your heart stop once I drop the shocking news. I poured enough for you to speak, so apany me for a chat, will you?" Zaria leisurely kept the bottle using her powers, and after that, she stood up once more. "I heard that your beloved Draven has gotten himself a mate."

    Myra''s eyes wavered but she remained quiet.

    "Are you sad that he has a mate now? You know, I recall that when he rejected you, he imed the reason being he won''t ever have a mate."

    "He rejected me, that doesn''t mean he cannot have a mate. If you are trying to provoke me, then it won''t work as I feel nothing for him. All I feel and think is how to kill you, you damned witch!"

    A response, finally!

    Zariaughed. She got what she wanted and her amusement echoed inside that underground chamber.

    "Oh, my pretty little bird. I almost forgot how lovely your songs sounded. Sing for me more, cursed me more, better if you do it while crying though¡­"

    As Zaria stared down at the chained woman, she could not help but grab her hair, forcefully pulling it just to hear her cry out. "Ah..."

    "Yes, like this. Perfect. You know, seeing you like this reminds me of your brother," she smiled. "Morpheus, I wonder how he''s been. I haven''t seen him for a century now but I still remember everything about him like I had seen him just yesterday."

    "I''m d my brother rejected you even before you showed us your true colors," Myra chuckled mockingly. "The moment you see him will be yourst. You will end up killed by the target of your obsession."

    "Not an obsession but love, you wench!" The grasp the ck Witch had on her hair tightened as she red down at Myra. "I love him! I love him but he spurned my love! I will hurt him back by killing you in front of his eyes. That day¡­that moment he would regret rejecting me."

    "Go ahead. Kill me. Even better if you kill me now, at least I can get out of this hellhole. You should worry about yourself how cruel death you will get by my brother''s hands¡­the man once you crazily obsessed over but he didn''t even spare you a nce."

    Zaria pped her with her other hand, but Myraughed despite the blood trickling down her lips.

    "Poor you," Myra chuckled, "at least the man I once loved, he wille to save me, but the one you ''loved'' wille to kill you."

    Zaria''s face suddenly turned calm, as if she had never lost herposure in the first ce. She then let go of Myra''s hair.

    "Seems like just because I have been very kind to you, you have turned arrogant. My, my, maybe you miss the bliss which I have not given you for a while?"

    The next moment, corrosive ck magic enveloped her hands and that underground chamber resounded with Myra''s pained cries.

 Chapter 375 Dream Or Reality?

    Ember woke up in the middle of the night. She had been sleeping ever since she unintentionally wandered in the field of ss Mist Flowers.

    ''I love you...''

    ''I love you as well, Ember...''

    Her own voice and the affectionate voice of a man who she confessed echoed within her mind.

    When she opened her eyes, the familiar view of the ceiling from her own chamber weed her. With heavy-lidded eyes, she looked around the room dimly lit with a singlemp and tried to get ahold of her situation.

    ''What was that? Did I... confess to Draven?''

    Her heart skipped a beat at this thought.

    ''Did he say those words back to me?'' She ced a hand over her chest, her breathing turning shallow as a flush of shyness spread across her cheeks. ''He did, right? He responded to my confession! He said he loves me back!''

    Just as she turned to her side to look at him, what greeted her was the sight of his side of the bed empty.

    Dismay hit her hard.

    ''Don''t tell me...was all that just a dream?!''

    Last she remembered, wasn''t she in that flower valley owned by the Valley Elves, ying in the field of white flowers? She had no memory of returning.

    ''Howe I am back in the pce? Was that confession really just a dream? A dream due to those flowers?'' She touched her lips with her fingers, ''All that felt so real.''

    Her mood turnedplicated as she looked at the window.

    ''It''s already dark? I slept for that long?'' She pinched herself firmly to make sure it was not a dream, and as the pain shot through her arm, she could not help but rub her face in frustration. All of a sudden, a sudden thought came to her mind.

    ''What about Morph?'' She also searched for him but then pped her forehead for being silly. ''Of course, he won''t be here with me in my chamber at night. Morph must have left after sending me back...but...Draven?''

    Ember found herself doubting her memories. A dream or not?

    ''I clearly heard his voice. It doesn''t seem like a dream. His voice...it did sound a little different, but I couldn''t possibly have imagined hearing that. It was sincere. It has to be real. I swear I felt that he is in love with me.''

    However, though the impression she got was strong, everything else was fuzzy.

    ''But if it''s not a dream, why am I alone? I don''t believe my mate will be heartless enough to leave my side on the night after I confessed to him.''

    With her head hurting and body feeling a little weak, she slowly sat up in the bed. As if her servants had sensed she was awake, one of them entered the chamber.

    "Miss, you finally woke up!" Reya cheered as she lit up anothermp, her lips curved into a pleasant smile.

    "Seems like I slept for a long time. Don''t tell me it''s been two or three days," Ember asked with a frown. She thought that if that was the case, it would exin why she was alone in bed. Something might havee up, needing Draven''s attention. That meant that Draven had yet to retire for the night?<novelnext></novelnext>

    But Reya''s response shot down her guess.

    "Not at all, Miss. Commander Morpheus brought you back in the afternoon and you''ve only been asleep since then. It should be past midnight now so..."

    "That''s still so long," Ember mumbled and asked, "Draven, he is not in the pce?"

    "His Majesty? The King is in the pce."

    Ember was confused. "Uhh, did he enter my chamber while I was asleep?"

    "His Majesty indeed came to see you, but it was only for a brief moment. His Majesty left as soon as I informed him what Commander told us happened," the elf informed dutifully, unaware that Draven didn''t listen to even a single word she said as all his thoughts back then centered on that strong scent of another male on his mate.

    "What did he say?" Ember asked, her tone filled with both guilt and worry. She had no one else to me--she was being irresponsible when she ignored Morpheus'' warning about those dangerous flowers. Not only did she leave without informing anyone, she even returned under the influence of those white flowers. ''Morph, he must be upset with me. Draven as well, he must have found me troublesome...''

    "Umm?" Reya looked hesitant, but then lowered her voice. "Miss, when I reported to him what happened, I felt like His Majesty was angry. He said nothing and left right away but I was more scared than usual."

    ''Angry?'' Ember felt worried and asked, "Is he in his bedchamber?"

    "Yes, Miss. Though no one else is allowed in his chamber, I saw Erlos leaving the east wing earlier, bringing with him the King''s dirty clothes," Reya answered and offered Ember a ss of water. "Miss, you haven''t eaten anything since noon. You must be hungry. I will bring something light for you to eat, so you can go back to sleep faster."

    "No need, Reya," Ember replied and emptied the entire ss of water. "Instead, can you give me that elixir that Elder Leeora sent for me? The one that''s good for the body."

    "Oh that. Sure, Miss. I will be back shortly."

    ''I need to go see Draven first and need to make sure he is not angry. About Morph, I can just say sorry to him and exin to him why I went against his warnings. He is my friend. He will easily forgive me. The only thing I need to think about is how angry Draven is with me. Maybe he might have calmed down by now, but I will still make up for it.''

    Reya brought the elixir for her, and some time after Ember had it, she felt her body regain its lost strength and stepped out of the bed.

    "Miss?"

    "I am going to Draven''s chamber. You can go back to sleep," Ember instructed and left the chamber as fast as she could.

    With each step getting her closer and closer to Draven''s chamber, her heart started to beat faster in turn, and she wondered what he must be doing.

    ''Of course, he must be sleeping as it''ste. Will I be disturbing him if I go there right now?'' She stopped in her tracks as she hesitated. ''Shall I return to my room? Maybe I can just visit him tomorrow.'' She was about to turn around but paused midstep. ''Since I''m already here, how about I''ll just check on him now? As long as I move quietly, I can leave without disturbing him. A wife can check on her husband. That should be fine, right?''

    Calming her senses, Ember took a deep breath before walking to the King''s chamber with light footsteps. Only when she reached his door did she allow herself to exhale through her mouth. She tried to calm herself once more and slowly pushed the door to open it. She took a peek inside, only to find the entire chamber was dark, not even a singlemp lit.

    ''Is Draven not in his chamber? Maybe he''s truly asleep?''

    As she wondered if he was in bed, she pushed the door enough to let a small amount of lights from the hallway slip in, allowing her inferior human eyesight to take in the shape of therge bed, but the next moment, all themps inside the room lit up, taking her by utter surprise.

 Chapter 376 I Made A Mistake

    Ember was momentarily blinded by the sudden brightness inside the chamber, and as soon as her sight returned, she found someone standing by the window, causing her heart to nearly jump out of her throat .

    ''That scared me!''

    She put her hands over her chest, trying to calm down her heart.

    ''So he''s been awake the whole time? He must have sensed my presence already. But why is he standing in the dark? Why does he look as if¡­as if¡­?''

    The view of the man''s broad back, d in ck sleeping robe, looked a little lonely.

    ''It must be my imagination.''

    Just as she hesitated on what to say, the tall man in ck robes turned around to face her, causing all her thoughts to scatter. Those familiar red eyes carried no emotions as they looked at her; instead, they looked unusually calm like still water.

    Ember froze in her ce as she was seeing him like this for the first time in a while. She could not point out what was different about it but she could feel a certain difference in him.

    ''Is it because of what I did today? I returned in an unconscious state.''

    She braced herself and walked towards him while Draven watched her approach him with slow, reluctant steps. He could still smell another male''s scent on her, mixed with her sweet one, but he tried his best to ignore it and his expression remained unchanging even as she stood next to him.

    Strands of Ember''s long hair slowly drifted across her face as the evening breeze slipped through the open window, but neither of them moved nor said anything. Draven merely stared at her, and she stared back without a word.

    At this point, her heart had somewhat calmed down. However, though she was now facing her mate, her expression showed conflict, not knowing what exactly to say or how to start the conversation.

    "You should have been sleeping at this moment."

    Draven broke the ufortable silence between them, his dignified voice causing her body to shiver.

    Ember felt like she could finally breathe upon hearing him speak. She couldn''t decide if she did the right thing bying to him and disturbing him.

    A shy smile appeared on her face as she spoke a little softly, "I didn''t find you next to me so¡­I thought to check on you..."

    Draven didn''t say anything even as she eventually lowered her head and fiddled with her hands.

    Seeing him simply quietly looking at her, Ember started to feel a little nervous. Reya said he looked angry when he found out she returned unconscious. He must still be upset with her, right? Otherwise, he would not have chosen to stay alone in his chamber instead of sleeping on the same bed as her. Should she apologize for not following Morpheus'' warning? She was clearly in the wrong.

    "I am fine," he spoke up, breaking her line of thoughts. "Do you want to say something?"

    Ember gulped and slowly nodded while taking a peek at his face.

    "What is it?"

    "I know it''s more proper to wait for tomorrow to talk but I don''t want to dy my apology. I''m sorry! Sorry for being irresponsible today, for leaving without saying a word and for returning home in an unconscious situation." She gulped again and as she continued to speak, her voice turned softer and softer. "It must have angered you, right? I was wrong. You must have been worried when I disappeared and angry at me when¡ª"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I was never angry at you," he interrupted her.

    She tried to see through his eyes if he really meant those words, but those red rubies didn''t give out anything.

    "You were not angry?" she probed, her eyes closely observing his reaction.

    "I was," he replied, "but not at you."

    "Then?"

    "You don''t need to know."

    "But¡­"

    "Do you have anything else to say? If not, you should go back to sleep."

    Ember could not guess if he was really not angry in the first ce or if he had forgiven her. She could not even tell whether his calmness was real or not. She could not leave just like this.

    "I have something to tell you."

    Those words escaped her mouth before she could stop herself. It felt as if all the blood rushed to her brain. For a moment, she wanted to step back, her cowardly self urging her to return to her room now that Draven confirmed he was not angry with her, but her feet refused to move.

    The Draven she had seen in that dream, the Draven who loves her back¡­

    She wanted him to be reality.

    She didn''t like the way Draven gazed at her now¡ªthose red eyes that were beautiful to look at but held not a single emotion in them, as if he was looking at her but not seeing her. She wanted him to look at her the way he looked at her in that hallucination induced by those white flowers.

    A gaze overflowing with expectations and warmth, filled with longing and sincere affection.

    "Earlier, I made a mistake."

    Draven''s gaze darkened. He didn''t wish to hear something which he already knew.

    Was she going to tell him what she did with Morpheus? She didn''t need to be so honest about it. Some things were better kept hidden. Was she really so brazen to say it to his face?

    He didn''t want to hear it¡ªhe simply wanted to disappear at this very moment. Or rather¡­to escape. Yes, the almighty ck Dragon had considered escaping rather than hearing his mate admit the truth, to feign ignorance and act as if her intimacy with another man never happened in the first ce.

    Yet as he watched her nervously fiddle with her own fingers with her head lowered, trying her best to gather her courage, he found himself unable to use his powers to leave.

    After a while, her green eyes met his red ones.

 Chapter 377 Love Between Dragon And Human

    There was neither guilt nor shame in Ember''s eyes, only shyness.

    Shyness?

    "I...I made the mistake of confessing my feelings to you in my dream, instead of saying it to you in person."

    Draven froze in his ce as he watched her face flush a beautiful shade of pink.

    Confession? She confessed to him in a dream? A memory suddenly resurfaced in his mind. Was this what Morphues was referring to when he said he heard something from her which was meant for her mate?

    Because of the ss Mist Flowers, Ember mistook Morpheus for Draven?

    "In that dream, you epted my feelings and..." She stopped and exhaled through her mouth. "Well, but, I know now that it was all a dream."

    Draven found the unsettling weight inside his chest fading, reced by a stranger, moreplicated feeling he could not name. He understood that she ended up confessing to Morpheus and he responded to her in kind as he had romantic feelings for her as well.

    What an ill turn of events. His mate ended up confessing to another male. Another male received what was supposed to be his.

    For a second, anger dominated his emotions, but he quickly suppressed it, not wanting to scare Ember.

    Seeing no change in Draven''s outward appearance, Ember felt more nervous. She had no idea of the turmoil of emotions within her mate. Her emerald green eyes stared at him with expectations. "Won''t you say anything?"

    Draven could not upset her and said, "It was a good dream you had."

    His reply further encouraged her.

    "But, see, I don''t want it to be just a dream," she said, her gaze full of conviction, akin to a warrior stepping into the frontlines of a battlefield for the first time. "I want to say it to you for real. I want you to hear it for real, and I want to listen to your response for real. You deserve to know how important you are to me."

    Draven didn''t expect to hear this from his mate and found his heart almost stopped beating at what she had said.

    Ember dared to take a step closer towards him, her gaze unwavering as her eyes held his.

    "I love you, Draven."

    It was as if a me burst within those ruby-like eyes of his. His eyes widened and his lips parted, a stunned appearance so fascinating to look at, it caused a sweet smile to spread on her face. Finally, a reaction!

    Ember felt warmth spread across her body, and before embarrassment could hit her, her hands reached for his shoulders and she tiptoed to peck on his lips.

    Seeing him remain like a stone statue, Ember could not help but giggle.

    "I love you," she repeated, her eyes sparkling. "I wanted to say this for a while now. I love you. I love you so so much. Just thinking of you makes me smile, and whenever you are not by my side I keep missing you. It''s as if I can no longer imagine what life is like before I met you. I never felt this way ever, and you are the only one who can make me feel this way. If what I feel for you is not love, then I don''t know what love is."

    Love.

    It was a word he didn''t know he would get to hear from Ember.<novelnext></novelnext>

    A love between a Dragon and a human...

    If loving means constantly missing her, wanting to see her smile, being unable to imagine what life was like before meeting her, does that mean he too has fallen in love with his clumsy little mate?

    Draven felt as if he had turned silly and foolish, overwhelmed by this realization. Was it truly love? Both of them have fallen in love with each other?

    They were initially bound by thepulsion of their mate bond, but now it was not onlypulsion anymore. It was not just lust but feelings.

    She loves him? He loves her?

    Then, that means they are in love with each other.

    Love...

    The almighty ck Dragon, once again, lostposure. He who feared nothing and barely reacted to anything, found himself acting unlike his normal self.

    A mere confession from his mate turned him silly.

    However, his mate didn''t know the inner chaos in his mind.

    Seeing hisck of response, a hint of disappointment appeared in her eyes, not realizing her words were like a bolt out of the blue for her mate.

    "Uhm, won''t you say anything?"

    Her voice pulled Draven back to his senses, and he...gave her forehead a kiss.

    This chaste action caused Ember to be bewildered. What did that mean? A kiss to the forehead? Was that a proper response? Was that a rejection, saying he doesn''t feel the same way? Was he putting her down gently?

    However, the moment she saw his eyes, she knew she misunderstood.

    With his gaze stuck on his mate''s beautiful face, Draven''s hand moved to the back of her waist to support her tiptoeing body and his other hand moved to cup her face, his fingers gently caressing her cheeks, as if making sure she was not a dream.

    "If what I feel for you is not love, then I don''t know what love is as well, Ember," he said in a voice filled with tender affection, it was like a caress to her heart. "I love you. I have been feeling this way for a long time as well, I simply did not understand it. Forgive me for saying it toote."

    "What is there to forgive?"

    The most brilliant smile appeared on her face. Indeed, reality was better than her dream.

    Her eyes turning moist with happiness, she leaned her face towards him for a kiss. She wished to show him exactly what she felt for him. This time, there was no need to wait for him--she would be taking the initiative.

    ...and Draven kissed her back with equal fervor, a kiss that started out gentle but insistent, before gradually turning hot and passionate.

 Chapter 378 Am I Dreaming?

    When the two parted away, Draven found his mate all breathless and panting heavily while he himself was the same. She opened her hazy eyes to look at him, her gaze silently saying she didn''t find it enough.

    Draven could see through her and how she was expecting more from him. "If I do more, you will once again end up cursing your heart out."

    Draven could still clearly hear her voice in his head when she angrily called him a monster. That brief memory of her adorable anger never missed to bring smiles to his lips.

    "I won''t curse as long as you won''t overdo it," she remarked.

    "I cannot not overdo it," he whispered hoarsely. "You think too highly of me. I am unable to control myself when ites to you. I will always want more of you and I can never stop until I am fully satisfied."

    "I don''t mind you wanting me but..."

    "But?""

    "At some point, I want to stop but I can''t stop you...and..." She lowered her head, feeling like she wasining but then heard him sigh.

    "Tell me."

    "That...feeling of helplessness is what I hate," she replied with reluctance with her head still lowered. "Since you are not human, our endurance is not the same, so I hope you can be a little more mindful of my state. I enjoy doing it with you but I have my limits. I had been feeling helpless all my life but I don''t want to feel like that ever again. That feeling is frustrating when I can do nothing but keep bearing it."

    Draven understood what she meant. His hand moved to her chin and he made her look at him. "I will keep this in mind and will never let you feel helpless again."

    She felt better to hear his promise. "Thank you."

    "You don''t have to," he said and kissed her once more. As things have started, it wouldn''t just stop there.

    Soon, two naked bodies were on therge bed, engaged in passionate intimacy, their loud pants and cries of pleasure echoing inside that chamber like music.

    After some time, Ember felt she could no longer take it any more. Her sweaty body felt as if it had lost every ounce of its energy.

    "D-Draven, I...can''t take it anymore...I need to rest..."

    Draven, who had buried his face in the crook of her neck after that intense release, lifted his head to look at her. Her sweet scent had driven him near-crazy once more, but he wanted to keep his word to her. He observed her tired face and used his fingers to push away those hair strands stuck to her sweaty face.

    "As you say."

    He intended to keep his promise that he would not let her feel helpless ever again, so despite his urges still demanding for more, he chose to stop. He moved toy on the space next to her and scooped her into his arms. "Sleep well."

    A content smile painted on her lips. That he kept his words and listened when she asked him to stop caused a sweet feeling to flutter in her heart. This felt heavenly-- like a perfect pair of how a husband and wife should be.

    ----

    When Ember woke up the next morning, her gaze was weed by the grand view of her mate''s chamber brightened with sunlight. She turned to her side and was even more surprised with what she saw.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Red eyes on a chiseled face. A man with messy ck hair was also lying on his side.

    Draven was with her in bed, awake and staring at her.

    She was taken aback, and thezy yawn about to escape her mouth was cut midway.

    Seeing his handsome face made her heart flutter but at the same time made her puzzled. This was not the first time they spent a night intimately, and Draven was always an early riser--he was not the type to stay in bed. Whenever she happened to wake up, she would always be alone no matter whether they did the deed in his or her bedchamber.

    What happened to cause this change?

    "Good morning," she heard him say in a leisurely voice she had never heard before.

    "G-Good morning?" she replied instantly. "Howe you are still in bed?"

    "Can''t I?"

    "No, I mean, you are never in bed whenever I wake up."

    "I am following the same routine while you changed yours. You woke up early," he replied offhandedly.

    Ember looked at the window once again and it took her several seconds to realize what he meant. She woke up in the morning instead of at noon, but wait...what did he say? Following the same routine?

    She looked back at him and asked, "So you stay in the bed like this always? Looking at me? Like this?"

    He nodded which surprised her.

    "Really?" she asked once more, which caused him to raise a brow at her.

    For a heartbeat, she found herself staring at him in disbelief.

    ''Why is he so attractive this early in the morning, and howe I never knew?!'' She wanted to let out a groan of frustration. ''I thought, I always thought he would leave as soon as he could! Have I been misunderstanding all this time?''

    She didn''t know what to say, only to hear him speak in the same leisurely tone, "Do you n to stay in bed for long? If so, I can give you a reason to do so."

    She blinked a few times as she observed that yful smirk on his lips.

    ''Am I dreaming? Since when did he learn to smile? He is even teasing me like this? Is this Draven? Did I get another whiff of that dangerous white flower?''

    "Seems like you want me to..."

    "W-Wait!" She ced her hands on his bare chest to stop him from moving closer to him. "I was just thinking about something. I don''t want to do it again. For the first time, my body is not badly sore. I am feeling unexpectedly good."

 Chapter 379 Bathing Together Saves Time And Water

    Draven no longer insisted as he listened to her. "I don''t n on doing more in bed either. Instead, I n on taking you somewhere."

    "We are going out?" Her eyes sparkled at the pleasant surprise. "Where?"

    "You will know once we go there."

    Though she was excited to go on an outing with Draven, she immediately calmed herself. "Don''t you have to go to work? I understand you have been very busy these days."

    "Work can wait," he said and got out of the bed, causing the sheets covering him to slide down, exposing his naked body for her to appreciate.

    With a surprised yelp, Ember looked away, covering her head with the nket like she had seen something she shouldn''t have. Draven noticed her beet red face before she was able to hide it, and it caused a small smile to appear on his normally expressionless face.

    ''She loves to act bold but it doesn''t take her a long time to act shy again.''

    He pulled the sheets away from her, only to hear her scream his name, "Draven! No! What are you doing?!"

    Not answering, he lifted her struggling form in his arms. "I told you we have to go somewhere."

    He carried her towards his side chamber where the pool of hot water was located.

    She looked at the pool and asked, "Why did you bring me here?"

    "Having a bath together will save time and water."

    "Since when are you worried about saving water? Not like Agarthacks it."

    "Starting today," he replied, only to hear her amusedughter.

    Draven carried her inside the pool, and from the warmth of the water, it seemed like Erlos had silently prepared it early on before she woke up. He made her sit in front of her while he sat behind her near the edge of the pool. Her small back was pressed against his muscr chest as she sat between his legs, his hands gently wrapped around her, ying with her smooth white skin.

    The entire time, he felt her shoulders trembling, quietly attempting to hide herughter.

    "What''s so funny??" he asked, curious.

    "Oh, I just remembered something. Remember the day when I entered your bath for the first time by mistake? I was trying to catch that bird, Ray, back then," she replied, still giggling. "How careless and silly I was, wasn''t I?"

    "Was?" she heard his doubtful tone.

    She frowned and turned her head to look at him. "Are you implying I am still the same?"

    Her face looked adorable whenever she was about to get angry. Draven wanted to nod, but not wanting to ruin her good mood, he carefully chose his next words.

    "Not the same," he replied. "A little less troublesome than before."

    "Troublesome?" she eximed with a frown. "Me?"

    "Don''t you know?" he asked, his expression innocent, as if he was saying nothing but the truth.<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Oh wow," she scoffed. "If I am troublesome then why did you keep me here? You even made me your mate."

    Sensing her mood turning sour, he wrapped his arms around her and nted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Because I like troubles. Life without trouble is not interesting."

    "So I am a tool to make your life interesting, huh?"

    She frowned and casually shrugged off his arms, turning her face away from him. She even wanted to move away from him, but there was no way Draven would let that happen.

    "You are someone who brings color to my dark life."

    At this response from him, she could no longer insist on being angry with him. She could only settle for a pout. After some time, she sensed him moving and found him pouring a bottle over her skin, gently rubbing her shoulder before moving his hands towards her back to help wash her.

    As he continued to wash her, she could only sigh. "Well, I guess I am a bit troublesome. Back then, I remember being scared of you. You were so angry when I fell into the water and you could not wait to get me out of here."

    "That was for your own good," he replied in a casual manner. "By now, you must have understood what I could have done to you had you stayed longer."

    Ember nodded. It was not difficult to imagine. Their rtionship back then was superficial. If he had lost his patience back then and forced himself on her, she would have been scarred for life. Even if she would beter educated about mating and the bond, she would have hated him.

    Fortunately, Draven had been patient with her, allowing her to adjust first, and though there had been ups and downs in their rtionship, he had always done his best to amodate her wants and needs.

    "Thank you for bearing with the troubles I caused you, and uhm, thank you for not losing your patience with me."

    "You are my mate. That is what I am supposed to do."

    "Are all males like this with their females?"

    "Perhaps. I don''t know about others."

    She chuckled. "Well, I guess we are unique. No one but you has a silly and troublesome human mate testing your patience every so often."

    "I would never have you any other way."

    "Seems like being silly has good sides as well."

    "You can be like that only with me. With others, you need to be smarter."

    "I will."

    After ying in the water for who-knows-how-long, the couple finally left the side chamber, and Ember returned to her own room to change into outside clothes. Upon hearing her ns for the day, Ember''s servants prepared her thoroughly, giving all their best as their master was going out with her mate, the King.

    When she was ready to leave, Draven came to her chamber to fetch her. "Shall we?"

    She nodded but mumbled, "Still didn''t tell me where we are going."

    Draven ignored herining and held her hand to pull her closer to him. Even before she could recover from his sudden action, both of them disappeared from her bedchamber.

 Chapter 380 Dragon Form

    Music - Dandelions by RuthB

    ----

    Draven and Ember appeared at a ce far away from the pce.

    When Ember regained herposure, she found herself in a location she had never seen before---a vast meadow covered with dandelions, the pleasant lush scenery extending to cover even the surrounding hills.

    Seemingly kissed by the sunlight, the softly swaying colors of green, yellow and whitey in a spread before her eyes.

    ''Beautiful...''

    It was a different kind of beauty from the flower valley where Morpheus had taken her the previous day. That ce was beautiful in a fancy way, looking more like and of rainbows, a heavenly ce that descended on earth, causing one to gasp in admiration the moment theyy their eyes on it.

    Meanwhile, though this meadow only had a single flower-bearing nt, it was equally breathtaking but in a more lowkey manner. It gave off the feeling that one would enjoy spending azy afternoon napping in this field.

    "What is this ce?" she asked with wide eyes.

    "Where I like to spend my time alone."

    She walked ahead and observed thatnd as far as her sight allowed her. As she weaved through the nts that reached her knees, the pleasant breeze continued to y with her long brown locks.

    "What are these called?" she asked as she plucked one yellow flower.

    "Dandelions."

    She observed it closely. "So delicate."

    "Like you."

    She raised a brow at him, not feeling angry for being called delicate but she smiled yfully. "Am I?"

    He nodded and she then looked at a white flower. "They look more delicate than this one."

    Draven plucked one of them and handed it over to her. "You can try blowing on it."

    Ember epted that delicate-looking dandelion puffball and blew on it gently, sending the small white puffs into the air. She could not help but be awed as she watched them fly higher with the passing breeze.

    "Yellow dandelion flowers turns white after some time. These are the seeds of these flowers."

    "It''s beautiful," she said and plucked another puffball and blew on it, giggling as she yed like a little girl. "I can''t get enough doing this."

    "You can wish for something while blowing on it," hemented.

    "Wish?"

    "Hmm," he nodded, "They say your wishes true if you make it while blowing on this white white flower."

    "Really?" her eyes widened at it.

    "Hmm."

    "Then I have so many wishes to ask for. I might end up plucking out all these white flowers."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Go ahead. You can do it for as long as you want. There are countless flowers in this meadow.""

    Ember happily continued to pluck white flower, close her eyes to ask for a wish and blew on it. She continued to do it again and again while wishing for something and Draven continued to follow her, observing his naive mate.

    As if he got the chance to see Ember''s realself, busy in her own world, Draven didn''t wish to miss any of this moment. She was like an excited little girl who asked for nothing but just little happiness.

    After a while she felt tired and stopped. "These many wishes should be enough for today," she said and blew thatst dandelion towards him thinking, ''he is the most important than all the wishes I can ever make.''

    It caused some white puffs to stick to the front of his ck coat. She stepped towards him and tried to remove thsoe white puffs and asked, "Why do you like toe here? Because you like these flowers or you like the scenery?"

    "The Dragon inside me likes it. Whenever he''s restless, this field can help him calm down. He loves to blow on these dandelions just like what you are doing now."

    ''The Dragon inside him? He always speaks as if the Dragon part of him is another person.''

    As she continued to leisurely stroll among the flowers, a part of her mind was fixated on the image of a Dragon ying on this vast meadow.

    Draven was said to be a ck Dragon.

    What was a dragon like?

    In the books she read in the past, there was one with an illustration of the Dragon Race, and the image looked like winged lizards the size of a house. It seemed odd to imagine Draven as anything aside from his human form.

    Would he look scary? Since he''s so handsome as a man, then he should also be handsome as a dragon...but how can one tell if a dragon is handsome in its beast form?

    It made her incredibly curious.

    If she asked him to show her his beast form, would he agree?

    Should she try?

    "So how often do you visit this ce?" she asked, pretending nonchnce, aware that he was following behind her. "In the future, will I get the chance to see a ck Dragon ying with dandelions? Well, it must be ufortable to be seen blowing on flowers by others when you''re here to rx so I don''t mind if--"

    But the rest of her words were struck on her throat when she heard a familiar rustling sound of fabric. The sound of clothes being removed...?

    She found a ck coat being tossed on the ground next to her feet, and before she could react, her surroundings darkened, as if the sunlight was suddenly covered by the clouds.

    It wasn''t clouds.

    Arge shadow appeared on the meadow, looming over her body from behind.

    The gigantic shadow took the shape of what she was talking about a while ago, and she felt her heart skip a beat.

    ''Did he...did he just transform into...?''

    Her breathing quickened with the realization, but she dared not say out loud what was in her mind.

    Several secondster, she heard the light grunting of a beast, and a warm wind blew her way, which she was sure was the breathing of the creature looming behind her. She gulped, her mind a mess.

    Even without turning around, her instincts were screaming at her that there was arge predatory beast behind her.

    The legendary creature she once thought only existed in stories...a Dragon.

 Chapter 381 Can I Touch You?

    Ember could hear her own loud heartbeats, and her palms turned sweaty as she held onto the skirt of her dress.

    ''Shall I turn to look at him? What if my expression offends him? Oh no, what is my expression like? Do I look scared?'' She shook her head. ''It should be fine. He is my mate. I have seen White Tigers and even the feathered races in their beast forms. They simply look likerge animals. I shouldn''t be scared of animals. Dragons should be justrge lizards with wings, right?''

    She repeated those lines in her mind over and over again, but whatever courage she managed to scrunch up evaporated along with the warm blow of air behind her, the loud but rtively shallow breath of a divine beast.

    ''No, no, no, I can''t look! Dragons are said to be the most powerful divine beasts in existence. Can I really turn around and pretend that I''m not scared? What if my reaction upsets Draven?''

    She heard the grunt of therge creature behind her, as if he was urging her to turn around and look at him.

    ''Ugh! Now, I realize I am indeed troublesome. Wah! What do I do? I was the one who told him I wanted to see his beast form. I can''t be like this now.''

    Holding her breath, Ember decided to throw caution in the wind and turned around.

    ''Whatever, this is my mate! Even if I''m scared now, as long as I get used to his appearance, I will adapt to his looks!''

    However, the courage she gathered dissipated the moment sheid eyes on that savage-looking w.

    Yes, the moment Ember turned around, her gazended first not on the head of the scaly creature, but on its sharp talons sorge it was almost the size of an adult human. If by mistake she happened toe under even that talon, grasped by within those nails, she was sure the slightest force would stab--no, crush her under it.

    ''If the ws are already thisrge...''

    With bated breath, her gaze slowly moved upwards, up, up--

    For a moment, she was momentarily blinded by the sunlight behind therge creature, and all she could see was a silhouette that seemedrger than even a house. She instinctively took a step back and squinted her eyes as she raised her head.

    Ember forgot how to breathe.

    ''A ck Dragon.''

    Under the re of the midday sun, a mystical-looking creature so magnificent and elegant, it looked like a sculpture made out of the finest ck obsidian stone, stood in the middle of the flowers.

    To say the creature was beautiful was an understatement.

    Arrogant and domineering, a high-ranking creature that could exert pressure on every living organism simply by standing still.

    ''So this is a Dragon...''

    His entire body was covered in midnight ck scales, glinting mysteriously under the sun like an armor, yet as much as he looked dangerous and ferocious, one could say his form was a sight to behold. He was like an artwork, from the way its barbed tail leisurely curled on top of the nts, to his long graceful neck curving up towards the Dragon''s horned head, and those intelligent red eyes...

    "Draven?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    She found him peering down at her, thoserge red eyes almost the size of her head, and she could see her reflection on them. She could see the image of a bewildereddy with her mouth gaping, and she could not help but cover her mouth in an attempt to calm herself.

    Was she scared? No, she was not scared.

    Though her heart could not stop beating wildly inside her chest, it was more due to her nervousness. She was even surprised she wasn''t scared of this gigantic beast. She had all the reasons to be scared of this Dragon...but she was not.

    ''Maybe because I know that even if the form is different, this is still the same man I love?''

    There was movement from his side which made her take a step back, but then she realized he was simply stretching his wings open. Leathery and veined, those two ck wings outstretched had the span twice, no, thrice the length of his gigantic body, causing her to realize that the Dragon was even bigger than her initial estimation.

    ''How can a creature be as big as this?''

    Once he folded his wings back towards his body, she gulped.

    ''This is my mate...This is my mate...but he''s like a small hill...''

    Though her fear of the creature no longer exists, she was still struggling to ept that this was Draven''s true form.

    It didn''t seem real.

    "Can I touch you?"

    Ember didn''t know what''s gotten into her that she asked for this though inside she was somewhat nervous. It was human instinct that one would feel scared of something that they had never seen or experienced, but for Ember, her excitement and curiosity overpowered her other emotions.

    In response to her question, the ck Dragon lowered his head in front of her.

    "Oh, that tickles!"

    A smallugh escaped her as she felt that hot breath blow against her face. A grunt came from Draven as his face got closer to her. Thoserge red reptilian eyes were like mirrors; they could contain the reflection of her entire body so easily.

    That huge head of Dragon lingered in front of her, as if urging her to reach out. He then stopped moving and patiently closed his eyes, telling her he wouldn''t move so she could touch him all she wanted.

    Ember raised her hand slowly.

    His head was evenrger than her body, its entire skin covered with smooth scales, and there were two curved horns on top of it, with smaller horn-like projections at the edges of its jaws.

    At first, she touched a scale with caution, eventually using her fingers to trace the patterns on his scales. She heard him softly grunting in response. It felt like he was saying he liked how she was touching him.

 Chapter 382 Riding A Black Dragon

    The scales felt smooth at times, rough on some parts, yet equally hard under her soft palm but she felt more and more excited as she moved her hand along his head.

    "You feel warm."

    In response, she heard a grunt from him once again, as if he was approving what she said. Maybe it was mere intuition, but she swore she could feel the difference between his responses to her.

    "Draven?"

    He opened his eyes and looked at her and she could see her entire body''s reflection in thatrge red eye of his.

    She offered him a gentle smile. "I was wrong, you are not scary."

    He slowly rubbed his head against that tiny palm of hers, being careful not to hurt her. He heard her continue, "Your wings are beautiful, so big. They must stir everything up around you whenever you fly."

    Something flickered in his eyes, and the next moment, Ember felt her body being lifted in air by an invisible force.

    "What the¡ª! Draven, are you doing this? Are you using your powers?"

    In response, she received another grunt, and her expression brightened when she understood the meaning of it.

    The next second, she found herself sitting on the graceful curve between his long neck and his torso.

    Like an excited little girl, she embraced that neck, caressing and rubbing its scales.

    "Wah! The view is nice up here!" she eximed while giggling.

    She somewhat pressed her legs against his body in reflex, the way she would when riding a horse..

    "What are you nning, Draven? Are we going to be flying with me riding you?" she asked in a joking manner. "Should I say ''Giddy up''? Where are the reins and the saddle?"

    He grunted in a response, and when his wings started to open, only then did she realize he was being serious.

    "Wait, Draven, I have nothing to hold onto properly. I might fall down."

    In response to herint, she felt an invisible force surrounding her, making her sit firmly as if she was simply riding a carriage. She tried to wriggle her bottom and realized she was stuck to her ce with magic.

    A childish grin spread across her face.

    "Fly! Fly high! I am ready!" she said with the same enthusiasm as a little girl on her first outing.

    As much as she was somewhat uneasy to fly without any physical item attached to her, she believed in Draven''s powers even though she could not see it. He turned his head to look at her as if to confirm whether she was ready.

    Understanding his inquiry, she offered him a smile with her trembling lips as her body was shivering with excitement.

    "I am fine¡­I guess¡­" she herself was not sure. "I''ll scream if I can''t take it."

    Draven blinked at her, and the next moment, his wings were outstretched at their fullest. Ember turned her head to look at them, and seeing them up close, they looked like curtains made of thick, tough ck fabric.

    ''Next time, I will ask him if I can touch his wings.''<novelnext></novelnext>

    She felt his body move down a little before taking flight into the air.

    "Ahhhhhh!"

    A happy squeal left her throat as she rode on her mate towards the sky.

    The sudden rush made her instinctively close her eyes and embrace his neck, and only when she felt him steadily gliding did she dare take a peek at what''s below them. She realized they were flying rtively low, and she was able to observe the field of dandelions under them.

    After ap or two around the field, the distance between them and the ground slowly increased and Ember realized Draven was going to fly higher.

    From just the view of the meadow, now she could also see the rolling hills surrounding the dandelions, as if it was hiding that field within.

    With another mighty p of his wings, Draven started to fly elsewhere, leaving the dandelion field behind.

    Roar!

    Just then, Ember found Draven letting out a mighty roar, sounding like a beast warning others to stay away from its territory.

    He had turned his head to his left, but when she followed where he was looking, she seemed to have seen¡­ birds?

    Her eyesight was not sharp like Draven''s, but she could guess they must be shapeshifters from the feathered race, and Draven didn''t like to be watched by them. She found those dots-like images in the sky flying away.

    Ember giggled and patted his neck, but she could not stop herself from getting amused by their reaction. A single roar from a Dragon was enough for everyone to run away as if their lives depend on it.

    ''Poor people, they must have been terrified.''

    Still, a bright smile remained on her face as she enjoyed the sensation of the wind brushing against her body. She felt like an adventurer from a novel. While most main characters ride animals like horses, she was more special because she''s riding a Dragon.

    After riding for some time, her enthusiasm finally dwindled.

    Ember was starting to feel tired and her throat ached after all that excited screaming.

    "Draven, I''m thirsty¡­"

    In response, the ck Dragonnded on the banks of a river. He helped Ember climb down using his powers. The moment her feet touched the grassy field below, she felt her legs turn weak and wobbly. Her body was trembling with all that adventurous flight. She fell on her knees, and without hesitation,id on the ground t on her stomach.

    As she breathed heavily, she mumbled some words while smiling ear to ear.

    "That was awesome."

    After some time, she rolled around andid on her back, but there was no Dragon in sight.

    "Where did he go?" she panicked and sat up, only to find a handsome ck-haired man walking towards her, carrying something in his hands.

    The man was half-naked, having only a short animal hide wrapped around his waist till the mid of his thigh.

    "D-Draven?"

 Chapter 383 You Like The Wild Me?

    For a moment, Ember could not believe he was Draven. She had seen the King of Agartha in his royal splendor, wearing a dignified set of robes and tailcoats. She had even seen him without his clothes on. But this time¡­

    Ember gulped.

    Something was different about this wild-looking Draven. Maybe it was her imagination, but his body this time looked more muscr. Under the re of the sun, his skin glowed like it had golden sparkles stuck to it, and his dark hair was ruffled into a mess by the wind.

    ''I feel like I''m seeing an untamed beast.''

    Her heart started to beat at the wild beauty of the man in front of her, and for a moment, she found herself fortunate to have such a handsome man as her mate.

    A Wild Draven.

    The typical female inside her had already started to drool over his handsomeness as if she was a pervert.

    Draven came to stop in front of Ember and kneeled under her bewildered gaze.

    He offered her a small wooden cup which had crystal clear water inside it.

    "Water."

    "Huh?" It took a moment for her to realize he was saying something to her. She had even forgotten she was dying of thirst a while ago.

    "Water," he repeated.

    She moved her gaze from his face to the water container in his hands.. For a split second, she wondered where he got it.

    "Ah, water."

    She distractedly got that wooden cup from him, her gaze flickering in the direction of his muscr chest, and realized her throat was achingly dry. How could it not when she could not stop internally drooling over her mate?

    When she felt Draven''s eyes on her, Ember retracted her gaze and focused on the water in the cup. Once she was done, Draven took back that wooden cup from her and she happened to meet his gaze moving from her damp lips to her eyes.

    There was something in that gaze which made her gulp. She realized she was not the only one feeling attracted to him¡ªhe was the same to her.

    It was as if time slowed down as she watched his hand move towards her mouth. His thumb gently brushed against the bottom of her wet lips and chin to wipe away the water that spilled while she was distractedly drinking.

    The moment his thumb touched her lips, she felt goosebumps cover her body. Of course, this reaction of hers was Draven''s intention. He had yed with his mate''s body enough to know how his touch affects her. Not to mention, every time they were together, his sole attention was on her. He could sense everything about her.

    His gaze moved back to her eyes from her lips, only to discover Ember putting her hands on his shoulders, her face moving closer to his. The very next second, her lips touched his.

    Draven had already found her sweet scent getting stronger, and he knew she was attracted to him enough to want him. The fact that his mate was being greedy these days made him smile.

    He kissed her back, deliberately, yfully nibbling at her lower lip before pulling away.

    Her hands moved along his bare body as she whispered, "You look so good like this."

    "You like this appearance better?" he asked before pulling her into another kiss.

    "I like you in every way, but like this, there is something different about you."

    Draven could feel how her hands naughtily glided along his chest, trying to feel his firm muscles.

    "Different?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    She swiped a tongue across her lips as she deliberately ogled at his perfectly sculpted body. "Hmm, how do I say this? It looks like gold dust is sprinkled on your skin, it''s shining." She then smiled at his ruggedly handsome face. "You look¡­umm¡­a wild rogue, the kind that will give in to his most primitive instincts so¡­I can''t stop looking at you."

    "You like the wild me?"

    "Maybe?" she replied as hunger in her eyes grew. "I think so. Yes."

    Draven pulled her into a passionate kiss, and soon, their bodies were lying on the grassy field. After pulling away to let her catch her breath, he asked, "Do you want to go back? It might not befortable for you to do it outside¡­"

    "I am fine here. Don''t stop," she said and moved her head up to kiss him once more.

    Draven gripped his hands around her body and flipped her over him. Their position was rather intimate, with him lying on his back on that grassy field while she was hovering above him. He smirked. "This will be morefortable for you."

    Ember looked at the man under her. His muscr body felt great, and in this position, she had the reins, like she could take control over this wild man.

    "Well, let''s check if it truly feels good¡ª" But then, she paused. She looked up in the sky, as if looking for something. "Can anyone see us from up there?"

    "No one dares," was all Draven said, his fingers twisting a stray strand of her hair.

    With his assurance, Ember stared down at the cheeky man with a naughty smile. They needed to continue where they stopped. Ember didn''t have any reservations at all.

    Soon, their surroundings were filled with erotic sounds, the pair of mates engaged in an intimate act without a single care in the world.

    After who knows how long, Emberid across her man''s sweat-covered body, feeling utterly tired, her limbs refusing to move. She found Draven sloppily dressing her in her dirty clothes before carrying her in his arms.

    That was thest thing she remembered after passing out from exhaustion.

    When she woke up, she found herself inside an unfamiliar ce.

    She rubbed her eyes in a daze. "Where am I?"

    She looked around the bare wooden walls and found herself sitting on top of a quaint-looking bed which had only a soft sheet covering it but not a mattress. After she wiped thest traces of sleep from her face, she realized she seemed to be inside a small wooden cottage.

    ''Where is Draven?''

    Just then, her ears caught noiseing from outside the door. She climbed down the bed while holding that sheet in front of her chest to cover her naked self.

    ''Where is my dress?''

    After looking around, she found the dress ced on one wooden shelf and it was not in a good shape. She briefly recalled that when both of them were busy enjoying themselves by the riverbank, her mate didn''t bother to remove her dress¡ª he ripped it apart.

    She sighed, pitying her beautiful dress, but then realized¡­she was not sorry after all. His rare wildness was more than worth sacrificing a dress.

    A furious blush covered her face as she remembered what happened afterwards.

    Once more, the noise outside the door pulled her attention, and she decided to check. ''It must be Draven.''

    Wrapping that sheet around her securely, she tried to walk towards the door as quietly as she could, to the point she was approaching it on tiptoes. Her body didn''t feel sore as Draven chose to stop when she asked him to.

    Ember peeked out of the door and saw something difficult to believe. She never thought a day woulde when she would get to see this view.

 Chapter 384 Cooking

    Draven cooking.

    Outside of the room was a small dining area with a kitchen, and her half-naked mate had his back on her, busy cooking.

    She rubbed her eyes with a hand, trying to check whether she''s dreaming or what.

    ''Ha ha, of course this is a dream. Otherwise, it doesn''t make sense. My dreams are being so weird these days. I need to get out of it.''

    She pinched her arm, only to whine in pain.

    "Ouch, that hurts--"

    Draven heard her and looked in her direction. Seeing her distorted expression, he walked towards her with adle in hand. "What happened?"

    She blinked a few times at him. The mixture of his forest scent, smoke and delicious broth caused her to dumbly gawk at him. "It''s...not a dream?"

    He looked at the red patch on her arm where she had pinched herself and rubbed the ce gently with his thumb. "It''s not a dream."

    She moved her gaze towards the table where she could see freshly roasted fish, and other food prepared. "You can cook?"

    He nodded.

    She walked past him and went to check the items on the table. Aside from the roasted fish, there was also vegetable stew and bread, some cut fruits, and he seemed to be in the middle of making mushroom soup over the stove.

    "I can''t believe it. Even I don''t know how to cook all this other than just basic. How do you--"

    "After living for thousands of years, if I don''t know how to cook then it''s a shame," he replied offhandedly and returned to check on the mushroom soup on the stove.

    "Oh, well, I guess that makes sense," she said and moved to stand next to him in front of the stove. "Can I taste it?"

    "Why don''t you sit down and wait for me to finish?" he offered, gesturing for her to go to the table. Two chairs were ced around it, perfect for just the two of them.

    Despite her reluctance, Ember nodded and was about to leave him to cook, but the moment she turned around, her feet were caught in a tangle with the long sheet she used to cover her body.

    Fortunately, Draven caught her on time.

    His hand moved to where she was holding that sheet. She panicked. "We already did it many times! We can''t--"

    "I know. I am just helping you secure this so you won''t fall down again," he replied without a single change in his expression, and Ember felt embarrassed for doubting his intentions.

    With a blushing face, she allowed Draven to wrap that sheet properly around her and tighten the knot in front of her chest.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Ember smiled at his thoughtfulness. Was Draven always this caring? It was beyond expectations. It seemed like she had many biases about her mate, and this time, she was getting to know his true face and his many sides one by one. All she needed was to trust him and open up to him which she already had and now they started to be like a couple in love.

    Ember sat on the chair Draven had pulled out for her. Under her impressed gaze, he also finished making the mushroom soup and after bringing it to the table, he even set the table, arranging wooden bowls, tes and utensils in front of Ember as well as himself.

    After sitting down, he noticed that Ember was gazing down at the table. "This ce doesn''t have much tableware so we have to manage with only these."

    "Oh, no, that''s not it--"

    His words brought her back to her senses, and she realized there was a misunderstanding. She was in a daze because she was still finding it hard to believe the freshly cooked normal-looking dishes on the table. Appearance aside, the smell was enough to cause her mouth to water.

    "In my cave, I even sometimes eat on the same y pot where we cooked our meals. Compared to that, having separate wooden tes is far better," she replied as began choosing which dish to start with first.

    Seeing her hesitation, Draven decided in her stead. He passed her a bowl of soup along with a wooden spoon. "You can first try this."

    She immediately epted the piping hot soup, stirring it with the spoon to somewhat cool it down enough for her to taste. The first sip and her expression brightened--she was expecting it to taste good, but to her surprise, it was better than expected. She felt like she was eating the best thing ever.

    Whether it was because she was truly starving, or it was because this was personally cooked by her mate, she couldn''t tell.

    She looked at Draven with shining eyes. "It''s so good! Even better than what they make in the pce."

    Draven could see her affection towards food as she was always like this. He simply smiled before scooping rice into her te. "Have this as well." After that, he ced one of the roasted fish on his te and deboned it for her so she could directly eat it without letting her take the effort of separating it from the fish bones.

    "Mmm! So tasty! How can your roasted fish taste so differently from the one Erlos made? It''s many times better!"

    She continued to eat while praising him but then realized she was the only one eating. Her mate had not even taken a single bite, busy serving her little by little, putting more food on her te.

    "Why are you not eating, Draven?"

    "You can eat first," he said and added more fish on her wooden te.

    She put fish on a spoonful of rice and offered it to him. "I will feed you."

    Draven didn''t say ''no; and opened his mouth to be spoonfed by his mate. Seeing her smile as if she had done a great feat, such a heartwarming feeling it was.

    "What do you think? This fish is tasty, right? Is the secret putting special spices aside from salt? You have to tell me," she said and fed him again.

    A simple banter, a sweet exchange, Ember realized they were acting like the husband and wife in the novels she had read in the past. Just that the situation was reversed, because it was the husband who did the cooking and the wife who did the praising. Still...

    ''I wouldn''t have it any other way,'' she could not help but think in her heart.

 Chapter 385 Good Husband To Silly Wife

    Though the cottage and food was simple, everything seemed so pleasant and nice. There was no tension or awkwardness between them, as if they had been living like a normal wedded couple like this from the start.

    "...so is this ce yours?" She nced out the open window. "I mean, I can see the dandelion field and the river nearby, and it seems like there are basic necessities in this cottage. Do you stay here often?"

    "This cottage originally belongs to Evanthe," he replied without a change in his expression.

    "Evanthe?" Ember wondered where she heard that name. "You mean the Queen of Witches?"

    He nodded. "This ce is not a secret, just that not many dare go near this ce because of me. Because people tend to avoid this area, Evanthe enjoyed staying here in the past to get away from her coven''s affairs to enjoy the peace here.

    "I, being a Dragon, do not mind staying on the dandelion meadow since I can frolic on the field as a beast, but witches are closer to human nobles when ites to preferences. She finds the idea of lounging in the open uncivilized. She built this cottage here and spent days here whenever she wanted to be alone. But after she was gone, I took over this ce."

    Ember listened quietly as he spoke.

    "Were you two close?" She could not help but feel a little jealous.

    "We were," he replied normally. "We wererades--no, we still are...maybe, at some point, you can say we are friends..."

    Ember felt relieved to hear it. "Like me and Morph?"

    Draven wondered if theparison made sense.

    "She is someone I could trust with my back," he replied. "I am not good with people, but back in the days, I used to havepanions I treated as peers, not subjects. Along with Evanthe and Morpheus, there was Isa''s brother, Aldis, and Morpheus'' sister, Myra, as well as Logan who you''ve met in Nimer. You can say Evanthe is the core of the group, the one who gets along with everyone, and she sometimes invited us here for a meal. Those were peaceful times..."

    His expression looked calm as he shared his past, but Ember could see there was a pain behind those red eyes, the pain of being the one left behind by people he cherished. "You miss them a lot?"

    Draven did not answer. His face was like a serene river which provided water to others but had nothing for himself.

    "You still have Morph and Mister Logan. Aren''t you guys still friends?"

    "Things have changed." After a bout of silence, he added, "Maybe it''s me who has changed and I don''t know how to go back now."

    Ember put the spoon in her hand down and reached out to hold Draven''s hand in her delicate hands. She caressed it gently tofort him. "Maybe you can try. I am here as well. With me, you can try to be like before and get back with your friends as well. We have plenty of time. You don''t have to always be like a king."

    He put his hand over hers as he looked at her quietly.

    At this point, only a single thought came to his mind.

    ''Time...is something we might not have.''<novelnext></novelnext>

    The visions, the dreams, the signs, all of them were pointing out the end. Whatever time was left, he would rather use it to spend more time with his mate, to leave good memories of him for her to remember him by.

    He simply agreed. "I will try."

    She smiled. "You know, you are a better person than I thought. My initial impression of you happened to be totally wrong. I didn''t know you could be such a good husband to such a silly wife."

    He chuckled. "I like the silly you."

    "Of course, you will say that now as you have no other option than to ept me." She yfully made a face at him, causing him to smile.

    "I am telling the truth."

    "Fine, fine, if you say so." She then returned her attention to the food. "Oh no! You distracted me. The food is cold now. Let''s eat, let''s eat!"

    Ember resumed eating, while Draven started to eat. After the meal, Ember let out an udylike but satisfied burp.

    "So good. I can get used to this. I wish we can stay here longer. Are we returning to the pce now?"

    "We can stay here if you want to," he replied as he put the dirty dishes away, moving like he was really used to doing household chores.

    She was pleased to watch him clean the table, even more pleased when she heard his response, but there was an issue. "Umm, Draven, do I have nothing else to wear other than this? I mean, I don''t have clothes."

    He looked at her body. She was trying her best to keep that sheet wrapped around her chest and was being careful with her movements. When she stood up, she was like a wooden doll which made him smile a little.

    Draven led her back to the bedroom and went to a shelf where he had ced his clothes. He pulled out his white shirt, blue waistcoat and belt as well and brought them to her.

    "You can wear these for the meantime."

    She looked at those clothes and clearly remembered howrge they were. "These? They are so big. Won''t I look like a cat jumping around who is trapped in a bup sack?"

    Draven smiled at imagining her as what she had said and shook his head. "First, wear this. I will adjust it for you."

    "If you say so," she said with a pout. "Not like I have any other option. It''s at least better than this sheet which can fall anytime."

    "I won''t mind if you keep this sheet and it keeps falling again and again."

    Ember noticed that yful smirk on his lips and narrowed her eyes at him. "I can see your intentions, Mister Dragon."

 Chapter 386 Pervert Mate

    Draven tried not to smile but the teasing in his eyes could not be hidden. "Anything wrong with my intentions?"

    "No, I am the one who is wrong," she said sarcastically and got the clothes from him. "You can turn around."

    "You might need my help," he countered, his wicked intentions clear in his eyes.

    "Shush, I know how to wear them." She forcefully made him turn around. "I have helped you before, if you have forgotten."

    "I shall make you help me often then," he said, but obeyed her wishes. Soon after, he heard the sound of fabric falling on the ground. Behind him, his mate was stark naked but he had to remain standing with his back on her like this.

    "You don''t have to be so shy, you know. I have seen all of you. You can just let me help you," he said after a while, trying his luck.

    "I can help myself better," she shot back while putting on hisrge shirt, but not even three secondster, he could hear her muttering, "Where is the other sleeve? This shirt is just toorge."

    He chuckled, "If I am not wrong, both sleeves are still attached to the main part of the shirt."

    "I know that much. But only one I got and the second feels like it has disappeared somewhere. This shirt is so tricky. I am not going to wear it."

    "I also would like it that way."

    Ember rolled her eyes as she struggled. Her mate was being a pervert today. "No, I am going to wear it but...Ugh...why is it so difficult?"

    Draven sighed as he could not take it anymore and turned around, only to find her eximing at him and trying to cover herself. "Draven! I told you to not look--"

    He stepped towards her. "Let me help you. Like this, you will spend the entire day trying to wear this shirt. Don''t you want to go out?"

    Ember could not say ''no'' to that. In the end, she gave up. "Fine. Just hurry. No teasing!"

    Getting her approval, Draven took a step closer to her. His mate managed to put one long sleeve over her short arm, but the back part of the shirt was twisted, and she could not push her other arm on the other sleeve. He turned her around and untangled that part. Only then did her arm pass through the sleeve.

    Once it was done, he turned her around so that they were facing each other and buttoned the shirt for her.

    She looked down at herself and found his shirt reaching below her thighs; it was so long, it was like a short dress for her. Even the sleeves were hanging beyond her hands. The shoulder part? There was noparison between his broad shoulders and her small ones.

    She could only sigh and mumble, "I sure look like a cat trapped in a bup sack."

    Draven didn''t react to it but he noticed her unhappy face.

    "Wear this first."

    He held the waist coat in front of her. She looked at the secondrge piece of clothing and pouted but had no option but to follow what he said. He put that blue waistcoat on her which was long enough to cover her bottom. Afterwards, he picked up the belt and wrapped it at the curve of her waist and secured it tightly. Then, he rolled those sleeves up and fixed them till above her wrists.

    With the clothes tightened at her waist, Ember felt morefortable with their fit. Draven guided her to stand in front of her small mirror mounted on the wall. "Is this better than the sheet?"

    She studied her attire. "Well, it looks decent, I guess. Thank you." She then looked at him. "But what will you wear? Do you have clothes kept here?"

    "Didn''t you say you like the wild me? I will stay like this," he replied.

    Ember almost choked, but she held back herughter. "Well, I do like it. I get to see you walk around like this longer. Shall we go out? I want to see the rest of this cottage."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "There is nothing more to it. Just this small room for resting and thatmon area attached to the kitchen."

    "Then let''s go out?" she said and walked out of the door. She was holding her mate''s hand to drag him out with her. Draven followed her with a small smile on his face, his fears of the future reduced as he focused on the present.

    For now, he would put down everything. He wanted to focus on Ember and Ember alone, to enjoy this time with his lovely mate.

    ----

    Meanwhile, Aureus flew to the mountain where his uncle had his cave. Morpheus was clearing out the ce which was affected by the previous night''s adventure of one angry Dragon and yful Divine Eagle.

    "Does this often happen in Agartha when residents here experience the scenario likest night?" Aureus asked, his tone sarcastic.

    The previous night, just like others Aureus also felt those strong earth shattering vibrations and noise caused by Draven and Morpheus but Erlos told him not to worry and exined to him that it was these two divine beasts fighting over something like always.

    "Well, now you are also fortunate to witness it which you can''t in that human kingdom of yours. Agartha is more adventurous, you know," Morpheus replied as he continued using his powers to set everything like before. Though the forest fairies had helped him, the mountain around his cave, only he preferred to set it.

    Aureus observed his uncle''s body had bruises and cuts. Normally ordinary wounds would heal on their own but as they didn''t heal, he could understand these beasts had used their powers on each other with the intentions of seriously hurting each other.

    "What did you do to anger the Dragon?" Aureus asked.

    "Something that I should not have," Morpheus answered.

    "But still you ended up doing it?"

    "I could not help it," Morpheus looked at his nephew, "we are beasts and we tend to have a weak control on our own desires. Resisting them is like a pain and we end up giving into it."

    "Ember?" Aureus asked.

    Morpheus didn''t say no, "I stopped before it could bete."

    Being a beast, Aureus could understand his uncle. Humans were different and they could control their desires easily but beasts are driven by the force of nature and that force could take over their rationality, so strong that it is not easy to stop. He could only pray that there won''t be any day when he will lose his rationality to Seren and end up giving into his desires.

    "Anyways, it''s good that you are here," he heard Morpheus who had done clearing and setting everything around the mountain.

    Aureus looked at his uncle, "Anything the matter?"

    "We are going to see Th. There I need you," Morpheus informed.

    "Th? For what?" Aureus didn''t feel good about it.

    "You will know when we go there, but before that we also have to go to Zelda," Morpheus said as he opened his wings to fly, "Let''s go."

    "Morph, tell me you are not doing anything which you should not."

    "Juste with me," Morpheus instructed and flew away.

    Aureus opened his wings and followed his uncle, ''I need to know what he is up to. I hope it''s nothing dangerous.''

 Chapter 387 Dream Of A Perfect Family

    Happy with her makeshift clothes, Ember dragged Draven out of the cottage, only to stop at the entryway where she caught sight of a small porch with delicate wood railings. There were even a set of chairs, as if intended for guests tofortably sit outside while enjoying the weather.

    "Oh, I didn''t realize this when we were inside that this cottage is built up from the ground. I thought we would just directly step into the grass," Ember said and looked at the set of small stairs attached to the wooden floorboards.

    She could not wait to check the surroundings of this sweet little cottage built by the riverside. Since it''s near the meadow, she wondered if this cottage had a pleasant view of the dandelions as well.

    Ember let go of Draven''s hand and hurried to leave the front porch. Draven followed her leisurely with a smile on his lips.

    She went down the stairs, turned around to face the cottage and continued to take a step back to get a panoramic view of the ce.

    "It''s¡­it''s so tiny yet so charming," she eximed as she went to appreciate the rather simple but tasteful wooden structure.

    The small cottage was standing on wooden pirs, raised from the ground, and the front porch extended to surround the cottage and form what seemed like a roofed deck or balcony where one could stay outdoors.

    The deck continued on, and she saw there was a door leading to the balcony, as well as another door leading to the kitchen next to themon area where Ember and Draven had a meal.

    Aside from the brick nting roofs and the short stone chimney attached to the kitchen, everything else was made of wood.

    "You seem impressed," Draven said as he reached her side, wondering which part of thatmon-looking cottage made her react in this manner. "It looks ordinary."

    "It''s wonderful because it''s ordinary."

    Ember''s smile held a tinge of longing.

    "This size, don''t you think it''s perfect for two people?" Before Draven could answer, she continued, "When I was young, I used to dream of building my own house, just for me and my nanny. A small wooden house, nothing fancy, with an open porch like this where we can spend time watching the scenery around us and enjoying the good weather.

    "However, it was nothing more than a child''s dream. Not only was the scenery in that mountain full of dead trees, the wood in the forest were rotten and could not be used to make furniture, much less a house. We had no other choice but to live in a cave¡­"

    "You can have this cottage for yourself now," Draven offered.

    "But my nanny is no longer here with me," she replied, her eyes turning moist at the memories. "It will still remain a dream."

    Draven put his hand on her shoulder tofort her. After a few moments of silence, she peeked at him and spoke, "Can we just stay here instead of that huge pce?"

    He turned his head to look at her. "Do you want to?"

    "If it''s possible?"

    She pointed towards one ce near the riverbank.

    "There, we can make a garden to grow vegetables for our food. Since we''re by the river, we can always get fish. We can rear chickens and other small animals as well. Rabbits, I like them so we can grow lots of vegetables for them to eat as well."

    Getting more and more excited, she pointed at the tall tree next to the cottage.

    "That tree, we can put a swing on it, like the one in the pce. Oh, and we can also bring Ray with us and put Ray''s cage on the front porch. We can have a few more birds as our pets and¡­"

    Ember continued to talk about the various things she imagined for her dream home, and Draven patiently listened by her side, picturing everything she was saying in his mind.

    "...and¡ª" She paused mid-sentence, shyly sneaking a peek at his face. He got out of his imaginary world beautifully painted by his mate''s words and wondered why she stopped.

    "And?"

    "And you, me and our future kids can have a happy life here. A perfect family."

    Draven was taken aback. "Kids?"

    A few days back, she was adamant on not having any kids, and now, she was thinking about them?

    "Hmm." She nodded with a faint embarrassed blush on her cheeks. "Not now, but won''t we have anyter? I think I will be ready to have kids once I mature and learn how this world works so our kids won''t have a naive and silly mother."

    Draven found it adorable, calling herself silly. "They will love their silly mother."

    "I want to be a wise mother," she countered with a pout.

    "You are wise already."

    "I know you don''t mean it. Don''t try to tease me."

    "I am telling the truth."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I don''t believe you." She walked away and Draven followed her, a smile still lingering on his handsome face. The more he interacted with her, the less he could help himself from finding each and every action of her adorable.

    "Where are you going?" he asked, seeing her continue walking without a direction in mind .

    "Wherever," she replied, not even turning to look at him.

    Draven continued to follow her. "Shame. I was initially nning to take you to a nearby waterfall but you have other ns."

    As expected, she bit the bait. He watched his mate stop and turn to look at him with a suspicious gaze. "Waterfall where?"

    "At least not in the direction you are going," he replied, smiling yfully.

    "Umm." She looked around and her gaze stopped at the nearby hills. "There?" She tried to listen to her surroundings. "I guess I can hear the sound of water falling from that direction."

    "And you say you are not wise?" he asked and reached her with long strides, only to hold her, and the couple disappeared from where they were standing.

    When Ember regained her sight, they were no longer in the vicinity of the cottage. They appeared at the part of the hill from where they could see the water flowing along the rocky surface and falling down towards the base of the hill, where a pool of water had formed underneath, and the water was so clear one could see the nts and rocks at the bottom.

    The feeling of the cold breeze against her skin, the sound of water falling, and the sight of the water flowing along the rocks, the peaceful beauty of the ce stole Ember''s breath away. .

    "So this is a waterfall? I am seeing a waterfall for the first time!" she eximed in awe. "This water, it leads to the river near the cottage, right? Amazing¡ª"

    The sight was nothing much to Draven. It was neither thergest nor the most beautiful waterfall in Agartha, but that was not the case for his mate. Ember was as ignorant as a newborn child who got to see this world for the first time. Since nothing beautiful exists within that haunted mountain, even the simplest sights were wonderful for her.

    "Can we¡­can we approach it? I don''t want to get wet but just enough to¡ª"

    Even before she couldplete the line, she was whisked away by her mate, only to reappear at the edge of the pool underneath the waterfall.

    Ember clung onto Draven, fearing that she would slip. The ground at the base of the falls were nothing but wet rocks, as water would sprinkle into the air after falling from such a height.

    "No, I''m getting wet! Why are we so near?!"

    Emberughed as she held onto Draven. Despite her earlier words, she found being close to the spray of water thrilling. Even Draven was not exempted from getting drenched, and she found the sight of his muscles glistening under the sun to be beautiful..

    Like a little girl, she curiously put her hand forward, letting the water spray on her palm, and found the sensation quite ticklish.

    "So cold but feels good," she giggled while other hand continued to wrap around Draven so she wouldn''t slip into the pool of water by mistake.

    "You can let go¡ª"

    "No! If I fall into the water by mistake, I might not make it out alive," sheined, only to hear her mate chuckle.

    "You''ll only die if you drown."

    "I''ll drown. I don''t know how to swim."

    "Shall I teach you?"

    "Yes? No, maybe next time¡ª"

    "Shall we try it now?"

    "What? No!" She looked at him in disbelief. No, no, no. I know I can''t. This water is too scary¡ª"

    "I will take you to the not so scary part then," he said and held her hand to guide her farther from the falls.

    Ember''s every step was careful as she grabbed his hand like her life depended on it.

    After walking carefully along that wet rocky surface at the banks, they safely reached the part of the river where the water was flowing considerably slower.

    "It doesn''t feel scary here at all, right?" he asked.

    "I guess, this part should be shallow," she replied while removing her shoes.

    As soon as she stepped on the water reaching her ankles, she yfully kicked towards Draven, spraying water in his direction. She made a face at him. "That''s for bullying me earlier. Hmph!"

    "Not like this," he stopped her. She looked at him with a puzzled expression, only to hear him say, "Take off your clothes."

 Chapter 388 Swimming Lesson

    Ember got alerted and stepped away from him, crossing her hands in front of her chest. "I don''t want to."

    "But you have to."

    "Why?"

    "Your clothes will get wet if you swim with them on. We don''t have spare clothes for you to change into afterwards," he answered, looking as serious as he could. "I know human bodies are so frail they will catch a cold if they wear wet clothes."

    Ember could see he was serious, but she didn''t want to go into the water naked. "Do I really need to learn how to swim?"

    "One needs to learn such things. You might not know when it wille handy. This skill might save your life in the future."

    "I don''t need to save myself. You are always with me. You won''t let me be in danger in the first ce."

    "What if you have to save me one day?" he asked.

    ''Highly unlikely,'' was Ember''s first thought. ''Draven is the strongest person in existence, isn''t he?'' Maybe the only person who could put Draven in danger was himself.

    Still, she decided to not argue over it. It was nice to imagine herself heroically jumping into the river to save Draven, no matter how unlikely that dayes.

    "Fine."

    "Clothes," he urged and she nodded obediently. She removed her clothes and passed them to her mate.

    Draven ced them on a dry boulder farther away from the river. With him standing so close, she felt a little awkward being naked in front of him like this.

    "Won''t you remove yours?"

    Draven only had one piece of clothing on him.

    "Do you want me to?"

    Just as his hand was about to reach for that brown animal hide wrapped around his waist, she yelled, grabbing his wrist, "No, no! It''s fine, it''s fine! I mean, it would get wet as well but--"

    "It''s the hide of a magical creature. It will dry in no time," he replied. "And I''m a Dragon. I won''t get sick from the cold."

    "Oh, that''s amazing."

    "But if you want, I..."

    "No, no, we are fine like this. You are perfect the way you are--"

    He gazed at her naked body with his eyes dark with lust. "You sure are perfect the way you are."

    Ember sighed and turned him around to face the river. "You are going to teach me how to swim. Remember?"

    Draven had an amused smile on his face as he let her push him towards the water.

    Just as they stepped into the river, Draven held her hand and pulled her deeper into the water till it reached her chest. Ember felt relieved as she didn''t feel exposed and even her chest was now covered with water.

    She tightened her hold on Draven''s hand.

    "Are you sure I can learn how to swim?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "I know you are a fast learner. You learned many things faster than expectations and never failed to surprise me."

    "Which things?"

    "Maybe you want to try them in the river instead of a bed."

    Ember''s face turned bright red. She understood what he meant.

    Pervert! Her mate is a pervert, aah!

    "I...I think you should start teaching me how to swim."

    Draven did not tease her anymore. He truly intended to teach her how to swim. Afterwards? He was sure he would get his hands on her and hid a grin.

    "The first thing you need to know is how to properly hold your breath."

    "My breath? Shouldn''t I start on how to move my arms or legs?"

    "Before that, you need to conquer your instinctive fear of drowning. I do not know how long an average human being can hold his breath underwater, but air is necessary because you are not a fish, that is why--"

    The teaching session continued for several hours, and after taking breaks in between, Ember somewhat learned how to swim with Draven''s guidance.

    Her muscles were sore but she was happy. She could not believe she learned how to swim. Now, the deep waters didn''t feel that scary at all.

    "I told you. Isn''t it easy?" he asked as he pulled her closer, her wet naked body pressed against his muscr one. He put her hands around his neck. They were so close, he could see nothing but her beautiful face.

    "It is," she replied, "but I''m feeling cold now and my legs ache--"

    The wide smile on her lips started to disappear as she looked into those intense-looking red eyes. She knew the meaning behind that look and didn''t back down. She also found their position intimate and inviting, but she continued to look into his eyes, feeling a little nervous and expectant under his heated gaze.

    Draven''s hand ran along her bare back underwater and he pulled her closer, their lower bodies pressing against each other, making Ember realize that he waspletely naked as well.

    ''When did he--''

    His free hand moved towards her face. His fingers put the wet hair stands stuck to her cheeks behind her ear.

    As he did all that, his fingers went from her corbones, then her neck, while his gaze moved to her wet and delicate-looking lips.

    Ember had always been beautiful to his eyes, but today, she was even more dazzling, her drenched body glistening under the sun. Her body felt soft in his hand pressed against his muscr one underwater.

    "For today, this much swimming lesson is enough," she heard his hoarse voice say, which felt enchanting to her and she nodded without a word.

    She felt like she would agree to anything he would say to her at this moment. Though they were in the river, instead of feeling cold, it was as if her body was burning, the same as his. She craved for the wild, alluring intimacy brought about by the change of their surroundings.

    ''What''s wrong with my body? These days, I can''t seem to resist him. We just did it a few hours ago and again I am craving it? Is this what they meant when they say ''you can''t resist your mate''? But I am human! Am turning into a beast or does the bond work the same for humans as well?''

    "What are you thinking?" he asked, seeing her fall into a daze in the middle of his seduction.

    "It--It''s nothing," she replied and kissed him before he could ask more. She didn''t wish to tell him how she had started to crave intimacy whenever she was with him.

    Draven kissed her back. With her learning how to swim, it was time for their next lesson. His mate was going to experience a new way of tasting heaven.

 Chapter 389 Weapon

    Morpheus and Aureus reached Zelda''s ce, the vige of ck Witches.

    As theynded outside the cottage, Morpheus spoke, "You can wait here."

    "What are you going to do that I am not allowed toe with you?" Aureus asked.

    Morpheus looked at him, "You sure cane but I don''t want you to see and hear something which might made you disappointed in me."

    "That''s up to me to decide if I will be disappointed or not."

    Morpheus smiled yfully, "I don''t want you to be disappointed, when we have met finally. Wait here. I will be back soon. Later I will surely let youe with me when we meet Th."

    Aureus could not argue with him and stayed outside while looking at his uncle with a gaze of suspicion. ''He looks like he is ¡­.''

    "Are you a golden eagle?" a voice disturbed his thoughts.

    Aureus turned to look at the little girl around the human age of six to seven years old, standing behind him, a cute little ck witch. He nodded, "Yes, I am"

    "You are beautiful just as everyone has been saying," the girl said which brought a smile to his face. "Thank you¡­," he stopped, "¡­may I know your name."

    "Lina," the girl answered.

    "You are also beautiful, Lina."

    "Thank you, Mister¡­."

    "Aureus," he told her his name.

    "Mister Aureus, would you like to see mymb? She is beautiful as well."

    Aureus nodded and followed the little girl. Anyways his uncle was not going to let him know anything but he decided to be alert.

    Morpheus entered the cottage where Zelda was busy knitting while sitting in the couch of her drawing room as she looked immersed in her thoughts.

    "What are you thinking so deeply that you didn''t even realise my arrival?" Morpheus asked, he walked inside and made himself sit on the chair opposite to her.

    She looked at him with a displeased gaze. "Do you even have a right to ask it?"

    "Seems like I am the reason," he chuckled, "Have you prepared what I have asked you to?"

    She frowned, "I wish I could decline your offer but¡­."

    "But you can''t because you know this is the right thing to do."

    "No, because I am repaying you for what you did to help us back then."

    "Then, you should not be so displeased," he added.

    "The King is the most powerful and you know it. You can''t just do this¡­."

    "He is the most powerful but I have my ways. His weakness is to y with his emotions and he bes weaker. This is how I am overpowering him for so long whenever we fight but that emotional Dragon doesn''t know it. This time, I don''t have a chance to y with his emotions to make him weaker so I need other way."

    She frowned, "After this, I will have nothing to do with you."

    "You know it well that after this, I won''t have anything to do with anyone as well."

    Anger rose on her face as she put her hand forward and a small piece of paper appeared on her hand, "Take this and don''t bug me ever again."

    "Your wish will be fulfilled." Morpheus got that paper flying towards him and opened it. There was a design of a weapon drawn. "Such a beautiful weapon to die with."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You can leave," she said, as anger rose in her eyes.

    "Thank you for your help Zelda," he said and went out of the cottage while Zelda looked at him with a sad gaze.

    Coming out of the cottage, Morpheus saw Aureus talking with a little girl who was showing him hermb.

    "Hey, Lina," Morpheus called for her, offering her a sweet gentle smile.

    Lina observed him for a while as her eyes darkened little as if her dark power was surfacing. Aureus was surprised to see this change in her.

    "A weapon? I see you¡­.."

    ? "Lina," Morpheus called her sweetly and kneeled in front of her as he held her hand. The powers surfacing insider her disappeared the next moment and the girl got back to her senses.

    Aureus could feel his uncle had stopped her from speaking.

    "My sweet little girl, I have something for you," Morpheus said, totally diverting her attention.

    "What is it?" the girl asked.

    Something appeared in Morpheus'' hand. A small stone that shined under the son and emitted multiple color rays if one rotate it under the son.

    The girl looked at it, "It''s beautiful."

    "It''s for you," he put it in her hand and stood up, "we are in a hurry today. See youter."

    The girl nodded as she looked at the stone in her hand with aww.

    Once again Aureus frowned at his uncle''s quickness and followed him. "What was she saying? A weapon?"

    "It''s nothing much. You will know once we go to Th."

    "If I would know then why did you stop her from speaking."

    "She is a little ck witch who can see the near future but it''s not good for her innocent mind to see the things which she should not."

    "And what are those things?"

    "The prophecy in the ominous vision," Morpheus answered. "Now don''t ask more things as we are gettingte already. That old sulking witch Th might not entertain us if we arete."

    They increased the speed and went to the spirit circle.

    This time Morpheus didn''t have to wait to enter the spirit circle as the door opened for him on his own.

    "She already knows we arrived," Morpheus said and walked inside the old looking cottage along with Aureus.

    Th was sitting on the couch alone while her other two sisters were not there.

    "Where are the other two?" Morpheus asked as he walked further inside while Aureus offered Th a greeting nod.

    "Having them around would be a nuisance," Th replied as she looked at the both.

    Morpheus didn''tment on this, "I have brought what we needed." A piece of paper appeared on his palm as it flew towards Th.

    Th held that piece of paper and opened it, "Hmm, so this is how it looks."

 Chapter 390 Divine Blood

    "It''s from Leeora''s vision that Zelda gets to see," Morpheus answered.

    Th observed it carefully, "A lovely weapon to create. After so long, finally I have a chance to create one."

    "You should thank me for giving you an opportunity," Morpheus countered.

    "Dream on," she sneered and looked at Aureus, "Young eagle, will you mind sparing a few drops of your blood?"

    "I do mind unless I know what it is for," Aureus said straightforwardly.

    "I won''t say it is for something good if I consider you, but I won''t say it is for something bad if I consider things other than just you."

    Aureus felt puzzled to hear her response. This woman sure didn''t like to answer straight. ''Are all the witches like this. No, Queen Esther was not like this.''

    "What do you mean?" Aureus asked.

    "Aureus, ignore her," Morpheus interrupted them, "You must know by now she never talks anything in right way and makes one feel puzzled. Don''t fall for her tricky words. This is one of her talents, ying with words."

    "Andmanders'' talent is to y with the destinies," Thmented mockingly.

    Morpheus ignored her and said to Aureus, "You can trust me. For the first andst time I am asking you for something. After this, I will never ask for anything."

    Aureus looked at his uncle who looked desperate and could not say no to him. "Fine, only this once."

    Aureus made a tiny cut on his palm with his own sharp nail and the next moment the blood seeped out. Before it could fall on the floor, the blood droplets floated in the air as they moved towards Th.

    "This is precious blood, young eagle. You can not just carelessly drop it. You have no idea what kind of disaster just a one drop of this divine blood can bring."

    She collected that blood in a small vial that appeared in her hand and closed it. She looked at Morpheus and warned, "See you on the mourning day. Before that, do not disturb me."

    Morpheus nodded and he left the Spirit Circle with Aureus.

    "What is she going to do on Mourning day? What are you nning? I hope to get an answer as you took my blood," Aureus asked as they walked out.

    Morpheus sighed, "I can not answer you anything yet as nothing is certain but just know that, though you might feel disappointed in me, it is not for something bad. So till then, just trust me."

    "You always say to trust you but I am starting to feel like I can not trust you the way you are keeping things from me. If you tell me, I might help you if it''s something important."

    "You have already helped me," Morpheus said, "After mourning day, I want you to return to that human kingdom."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "You want me gone? I thought you would want me to stay here."

    "After that day, you might not want to stay here. You better go back and help the King of Megaris to deal with that ck witch Zaria Lynx."

    "I will. That ck Witch has to pay me back for what she has snatched from me."

    "Make sure to give her the worst death possible."

    "I will."

    --

    Meanwhile, Draven and Ember had finished their strenuous intimate activities and were lying on the nt grassy field at the base of the hill while looking at the sun setting behind the tall hills ahead.

    Ember, wrapped in just a single white shirt of his mate, was lying in his arms while putting her head on his shoulder and her hand resting on his chest.

    Draven had his one hand folded below his head while the other one was being a pillow for his mate, his palm caressing her shoulder gently.

    "I didn''t realize how this day passed by," she said.

    "Hmm, time is passing so fast these days. While thest thousands years I felt like time has just stopped for me," Draven added. "I am d that I have you to move that frozen time for me."

    She raised her head and looked at him. "And I am d that I have you to give me this life where I feel alive as well. On that dead mountain, I was nothing but like a living corpse."

    He looked at her and she spoke again, "Thank you foring to save me, Draven, and bringing me here. Thank you for giving me this life or I would have never known what it means to live among the people, what it feels like to be alive."

    He caressed her cheek gently, "Life there must have been really tough."

    She nodded. "It feels tough now as I am living here. But there, my only goal was to survive. Now that I think about it, I wonder how I even survived there? It used to be always dark and foggy. Can you believe I had never seen a single human close to me other than just my nanny. I was more like a wild animal who never knew people. Except for darkness around and foggy sky above, I had never seen any color in particr other than what my nanny taught me by showing in the story books or the things she brought from the market.

    "My entire life, I had never touched any green tree, had never seen a single animal or bird other than those scavengers which I saw only flying high up in the sky. Even the scavengers would stay away from that dead mountain and I was worse than them to stay there."

    He continued to listen to her side this time. He himself can not imagine how one can live such a life, still keeping their sanity. Her nanny sure had done her best to keep this little girl a human while keeping her away from the society and without her seeing anything in real life. Even the animals need their kinds around to be sane then what more a humans who are known to be the most social creatures.

    "You are a precious one," hemented.

 Chapter 391 Lets Have Kids

    "You would not say it if you had seen me how I lived there," Ember countered, "After my nanny died, I was worse than any wild creature you can ever find in the worst condition." She put her head back on his chest as tears rolled down her eyes. She remembered those days after she buried her dead nanny.

    Draven felt something moist and warm on his skin and he knew his mate was crying. He didn''t want to stop her from talking and wished to know how she lived alone.

    "Was it too difficult?" he asked.

    She nodded lightly as Draven heard a slight sob. "It was really difficult... I didn''t have anything to eat or drink. I was alone and scared... I could not go to human viges even to get anything as they would have killed me the moment they had seen me. I survived eating whatever was left in the cave, having only a few bites everyday and starving the rest of the day and night... When I didn''t have anything, I....." her sobs increased, "I even had a bite of rotten wood which I could not even swallow. I...I had nothing to eat...It felt so bad and helpless...I felt like dying..."

    Draven held her closer tofort her as his hand continued to caress her arm. He lowered his head and made her look at him. He wiped her tears and pecked on her forehead gently. "I wish I could havee to you sooner."

    Once she was calm, she said again, "When there was a fire on that mountain, I ran to save myself from it but...finally there was a moment I gave up and wished to die. I thought it was better to die than to live such a life. Though that fire felt scary and being burned to death felt scarier, it was nothingpared to how desperate I was to end all that suffering.

    "I gave up on the promise I made to my nanny that I will do my best to survive and I stopped running away from that fire. I simply waited for that fire to reach me and burn me. But I guess there was still some hope inside me to save myself as if I was waiting for some miracle to happen... and... you came to save me," she looked at him questioningly, "But how did you reach that far from Agartha? Were you just randomly traveling?"

    He shook his head, "I was summoned there."

    It surprised her, "Summoned? Who summoned you?"

    "Maybe it was you."

    "I? I didn''t even know you."

    "I know, but it happened. I was summoned to save you, though I don''t know how?"

    "That''s strange," shemented. "Whatever the reason, I am d you came to me. You must have found me so strange, didn''t it?"

    "I was more puzzled about why I was summoned," he answered.

    She heard him and said again, "When I came here, it was my first encounter with any living being other than just my nanny. I had never seen any man before, you were the first one. You must have been annoyed with me seeing how I was. I was scared and I didn''t know what would happen to me here. I was more like a scared animal who was seeing the outside world for the first time and everything felt unfamiliar and strange."

    "Not an animal but you were like a new born child who was seeing the world for the first time. I could understand and neverpared you to those who had lived civilised life in the society among people," Draven corrected her, "If youpare to the lifespan of supernaturals, you are still a child."

    "Child?"

    "Do you remember Xeno?"

    "That kid?"

    "Hmm, he is the same age as you. Two decades old."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yeah, I know, But I am not a child now."

    "Now you are not, but then you were. I am proud that you learned everything so quickly despite spending life away from society. No one can tell how you have spent your life."

    "Really, but I still feel like I don''t understand many things and get excited over any single thing like a silly one," she said and stopped suddenly.

    "What happened?"

    She put her head back on his shoulder, "I know I am still not like ady and still so immature while you are so good for me. Will you ever think I am not good for you?"

    "I won''t. As I said, I know you are like a new born child who is still learning and will take time to understand things."

    "I hope I will learn everything faster so I won''t embarrass you. I feel like I finally got a family here which I longed for and I want everything to be like this. I got you- my husband, a mother like Leeora, Erlos feels like my sibling, my pet Ray, I even got a very good friend Morph. I want all of you with me always and I can keep feeling like having a family and friends. I never ever had a friend before."

    Draven paused for a moment and asked, "What do you think about Morpheus?"

    "Morph? Uhm?" she thought and replied, "he was the first one after Leeora who was good to me and made me feelfortable in this ce which I thought to be strange at that time. I don''t know why, but I always feltfortable with him as if I always knew him and he was not new to me. He is a very good friend who cares for me and as you said before that to trust him only, I really do trust him. With him, I can be the way I want and I don''t have to think about behaving myself. I can annoy him however I want. Maybe this is what they say having a good friend in life."

    "Hmm," was what Draven replied only to hear her, "But..." she frowned.

    "Hmm?"

    "When he asked if I have not met you and I had to get a mate for myself then what would I have done."

    "What did you answer?"

    "I told him I would have him as my mate but he..." she frowned angrily.

    "What did he say?"

    "He didn''t reply," she said with annoyed frown, "he doesn''t think I am worthy of being his mate. That annoying eagle, couldn''t he have lied to make me feel good at least. I really hate him."

    Draven chuckled at her anger and continued to caress her shoulder. He knew the reality but didn''t say it to her.

    "But I have you, and I don''t want anyone else Draven. We are always going to be together," she said and raised her head to look at him, "Let''s have kids soon. I will show that annoying eagle that I need no one and I have the best mate a female can have and even have my own family. What do you say?"

    He offered her a gentle smile, "As you say."

 Chapter 392 Woman In My Dreams Has Reincarnated

    Emberid back on the grassy field, using Draven''s arm as a pillow. This time she continued to look up at the sky which was painted with hues of different beautiful colors as the sun was going to set soon.

    "Draven."

    "Hmm?"

    "Is this the effect of the bond that we have fallen for each other," she asked.

    "Do you feel that it is an effect of bond? he asked, staring at colourful sky.

    She chuckled, "It''s because I can''t believe I can even feel such feelings. Till a month back, I didn''t even know what it meant to love someone."

    "It''s not a bond, it''s our own feelings," he replied, "Bond can onlypel you to be closer to fulfill it butter it''s you and your own feelings. What we feel for each other, is just us and not the bond."

    "Really?" she said happily, "Good to know it because I am happy with what I feel for you. I don''t want it to be the effect of bond. I want it to be real us and our feelings."

    ? He turned to his one side to face her. His right hand caressed her cheek, "Are you that happy?"

    She turned to her side to face him as well, "Shouldn''t I be to have such a great man as mine, my husband, my mate?"

    His mate was getting good with words and she now even learned to flirt with him. He smiled and pecked on her forehead. "I am happy as well to have you as my mate."

    Just then her gaze fell on the wrist of his right hand which was caressing her cheek. She held his hand and looked at that mark. She had been seeing this mark quite a few times whenever he didn''t wear his hand gloves but never get to ask him.

    "What is this bird-like red mark on your hand?"

    "I am not sure either," he replied, not knowing how to exin it to her.

    She offered him surprised look. "How do you not know? It''s your body, your own hand."

    "This mark appeared on my wrist after wepleted the bond that night."

    "Appeared? It was not there before?"

    "Hmm," he agreed.

    "Does that mean I marked you as well?"

    "Looks like it."

    "But, I didn''t bite you."

    "I think it''s just the effect of the bond created between us," he replied.

    "Well, that''s a beautiful mark. I liked it," she said as she caressed the inside of his wrist where the phoenix tattoo was drawn. "Now you have my mark as well."

    She continued to caress it with her thumb and suddenly something happened which made her pull her fingers back. Some random blurry images shed in front of her eyes as she saw that same green eyed woman in her dreams who was drawing something.

    Ember looked startled and moved away from Draven as she sat up.

    "What happened?" Draven asked as he sat up as well.

    "I...I felt something," she replied, staring at his right hand''s wrist.

    "What is it?" Draven asked and somewhat he felt what it could be, ''Did she have the same vision as me?''<novelnext></novelnext>

    Just as he thought, he heard her. "I saw that green-eyed woman again. She...she was drawing this bird on someone''s wrist," Ember couldn''t see the owner of that wrist but she looked at Draven in shock, "Did..Did she draw it for you? She looked happy when she was making it." Her eyes held expressions of confusion as well as if something was being snatched away from her. Her eyes turned teary.

    Draven held her hand, "Calm down first, Ember."

    She didn''t know what to say or think about the vision she had just got, "Why...Why do I get visions about that woman? Who is she? Why can''t she just let me be?"

    Draven wiped her tears that just rolled down her eyes, "Ember, calm down first."

    Ember felt devastated and could not stop herself. "W-henever I see that woman, I can not help but feel sad and end up crying...She gives me pain...I-I don''t want to see her anymore. Why is she troubling me like this when I am finally happy? Why?"

    She looked at Draven with her teary eyes, "You say this mark just appeared on your wrist after wepleted the bond but when I touched it, I saw her drawing it on someone''s wrist and I am sure that someone is you. Do you know her? If you know her, tell her to not show up in my dreams."

    Draven simply looked at her, to give her time to adjust to her current outburst of her state.

    "Draven, why don''t you tell me who she is? I don''t mind if you know her and she made this mark on you. I just want to know why she is ying with me like this. It''s painful...so painful to feel her pain and even her happiness. I don''t want to feel anything rted to her." Ember started to cry even more.

    Draven pulled her into his embrace and hugged her gently. He caressed her head with his one hand and let her cry. Once he felt she had stopped crying, he let her go and wiped her tears.

    "Will you listen to me now?" his voice was gentle.

    She nodded.

    "I have concluded something about this situtaion but what I am going to tell you, listen to it calmly and don''t be so shocked, understood?"

    She nodded again like an obedient girl.

    "We both get visions of the same woman, right?" he asked only to see her nodding again, "That means we both are connected to her."

    "Seems like it," she replied, trying to control those light sobs.

    "I have had visions about her for the past thousands years even now and then but since the day we met, those visions are frequent," he informed and asked, "that woman holds the power of fire attribute, you must have felt it as well."

    "Yes. I feel like it''s not her but I who is always surrounded by that scary fire."

    "That''s right," he said and hesitated to say next, "You have seen a lot of strange things here aftering to Agartha which you must have never thought are possible, isn''t it?"

    "Hmm," she nodded, "I thought Dragons are myth."

    "But now you believe."

    "Yes, I do."

    "So what I am going to tell you, you have to try to believe it as well which might sound stranger than what you havee across till now."

    "What is it?"

    "I think that the woman in my dream has reincarnated...." he stopped to see her reaction.

    "Reincarnated?" she repeated as she waited to hear more.

    "And that reincarnation is you," he finally said it.

    Ember felt speechless for a moment before reacting, "Me?"

 Chapter 393 You Are A Reincarnation Of Deity

    "Yes, that green-eyed woman reincarnated into you," Draven said as he gently cupped his mate''s face. "There is no other exnation. Though your appearances are different and she is not human like you, your eyes and the eyes I always saw in my visions, I know they are the same eyes."

    "I''m her reincarnation? So that means I''m remembering her--my past? She''s not deliberately haunting me? I...I don''t know what to say."

    He caressed her hand gently, trying to help ease her turbulent emotions.

    "I think you and I, we two know each other from your previous life, only neither of us remember. You reincarnated as a human, starting anew, while I have lost all my memories. I don''t know anything about myself, much less of other people. But from time to time, I do get visions from the past, and it was always rted to that woman. That was why I believe that the reason why I lost my memories was rted to her."

    Ember remained quiet as she listened to his words, wrapping her head around the things she never considered before.

    "Is the reason you allowed me to stay in Agartha because I have the same eyes as her? You thought I am the key that can connect you to her?"

    "You are correct." Draven studied her. "Does that make you upset?"

    Ember shook her head. "No. I am in fact d. If not for that, you wouldn''t have bothered with a human girl, and you wouldn''t have marked me. Back then, I was worried that I am a useless burden, but it seems like I''m useful to you."

    "And you say you''re silly? That is quite wise and mature of you." Draven smiled as he continued to caress her hand. "You are right she is the one to make this mark on my wrist, but it did not appear until we hadpleted our bond. Not only that, both of you have the fire element. There are so many things that point towards the same thing, and..."

    "And?"

    She looked at him with a calm gaze, as if no matter what he said, she was ready to ept it wholeheartedly.

    "That woman has a mark on the back of her neck, the fire rune that should not exist in the mortal world," he said.

    "I think I know what you mean. I have seen that in my vision as well," she agreed.

    "That fire rune is on the back of your neck as well," he informed, only to see her surprised.

    "Huh? Is it? I thought the only mark on my body is the crimson blossom as proof of our mate bond. Neither Reya nor Clio--"

    "It''s not visible for everyone to see."

    "Then, only you can see it?" she asked.

    He shook his head. "I can''t even see it except when it''s triggered. It appeared for the first time the moment I marked you during the council meeting. Cornelia Grimm had seen it then. I saw it once more that time you caused a fire at the rear of the pce when you were angry at Isa."

    "What kind of mark is it?"

    "ording to the ancient records, that mark belongs to the heavenly realm and represents a deity of fire."

    Ember blinked a few times, as if she was hearing something strange. "Why would I have a mark that belongs to a deity? I do not have a religion. Is it because I have the fire element as well?"

    He shook his head. "None who possesses the fire attribute has such a mark. Only you."

    Ember pondered. "If it''s a deity, then that deity must have worshipers. Could it be that the past me is a worshiper? Maybe a priest even? Like, am I that deity''sst priestess?"

    "That is not the case, Ember. The green-eyed woman in my vision is not mortal."

    "W-What are you trying to say?"

    "That, you are perhaps the reincarnation of that deity of fire."

    "What?!" she eximed in disbelief.

    "So far, that is the only exnation that makes sense. You know Dragons are divine beasts, but what you do not know, divine power is the power of the heavenly realm. All pure-blooded divine beasts originally came from the heavenly realm, the realm of gods and deities, in one form or another. From what I have gathered, a tribtion must have urred in the past, the past where your past self and I know each other. Since we are connected by fate, when your human reincarnation fell into danger, I was summoned to save you."

    "I really don''t know what to say," Ember admitted. "I have always wondered about my past. I imagined myself to be an illegitimate daughter of some important man with amoner woman, or that I am the sole survivor of a fallen family with dangerous enemies, and that was why I have a nanny who raised me out of people''s eyes, because I am in some sort of danger if my identity is revealed. But to hear that I''m a reincarnation of a deity..." "

    This reminded Draven of something and he said, "You want to know your identity, about your human family?"

    "Yes, I do."

    "I will bring you to them," he replied.

    "You...You know about my past?"

    "Yes. Do you want to go back to Valor?" he asked.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Draven had already nned to do this before. When the visions rted to the day of mourning came, this urge became stronger as he was not sure what would happen afterwards. This might be the best time for her to face her past.

    "I...Can we...go there...? I mean, those people...? Do I still have a family?" she asked, feeling skeptical about it.

    "You have a family. You are not an ordinary woman but someone from a good family."

    "I...."

    "I shall take you there," he said and offered her his hand.

    "Like this?" she asked, referring to her borrowed clothes.

    "Don''t worry," was all he said as he held her hand and pulled her to her feet. The next moment, they disappeared from that grasnd and came back to the pce. They were inside Ember''s bedchamber.

    "Call for your servants. I will get dressed as well."

    "Wait, wait, wait...why are we in such a hurry?"

    She grabbed his hand before he could teleport away, her nervous-looking eyes staring intently at him.

    "We can go to Valorter. I mean, can you give me more time to absorb everything? The things you''ve told me, I need time to take it all.Everything is feeling so rushed so..."

    Draven didn''t find her im wrong as he was truly rushing things. But, he could not help it. Neither he nor Ember could afford to dy important matters.

    The day of mourning was looming close. He could feel the sands of time slipping through his hands.

    He caressed her hand. "I know you must feel nervous to face the family you thought you didn''t have, but this is the truth you have been searching for all along. You have to face it."

    "Yes, I know, but we can go next time..."

    "I am with you. Trust me, you will be fine. One day, you will realize there is no right time, only the right mentality."

    "Fine, since you''re insisting so much." She let go of his hand.

    "I will be back in a while," Draven said. He gently kissed her forehead and she watched him disappear in front of her.

    Sensing her presence, Reya and Clio soon entered the chamber and they saw their master wearing only a white shirt, one sorge it could only belong to her mate.

    Both could imagine the two mates having a good time together, but when they observed the serious face of their master, even Reya stopped herself from making small talk.

    "Please dress me infortable outdoor clothes," Ember said quietly.

    "Will you be leaving again, Miss?"

    "Yes."

    Clio, who was the more perceptive of the two, gestured for her cousin to not speak a word.

    The elves simply proceeded to help Ember change into a fresh set of clothes with a sturdy fitted coat. Throughout her changing, Ember didn''t say a single word.

    Once she was ready, Clio finally asked, "Miss, are you alright? Would you like to snack a bit? Maybe have a drink?"

    Ember simply smiled in her direction, but said nothing. When she walked out from the wardrobe room, she found Draven waiting for her in the main chamber.

    He walked towards her, and he handed her an exquisite-looking bottle. It was Leeora''s elixir.

    "Are you ready?" he asked after she regained her strength after drinking elixir.

    "I am not," she replied nervously. "I don''t think I''ll ever be."

    Draven held her closer. "We are directly going to Valor. Such a long distance trip would be ufortable for you. Your body might not take it well if we teleport straight to our destination, so I will be making short stops in between. I brought the remaining elixirs for you to consumeter and I will do my best to protect you with my powers as well.

    "Shall we go?"

    Ember nodded once again, and the pair of mates disappeared from Agartha.

 Chapter 394 You Are A Princess

    Despite taking stops in between teleportation for Ember''s sake, allowing her brief rest every time to ensure her body''s condition, it took them hours to reach the Kingdom of Valor. The sun had long set by the time they stopped at the borderline mountains of the capital city.

    In the darkness of the night, the city was calm, the streets mostly empty, many of the city residents asleep in their own houses.

    "We have arrived," Draven informed her as he set her down to stand on her feet.

    Ember looked ahead towards the city. Under the night sky, the city lights looked like flickering fireflies. It seemedrge, the buildings spreading out the horizon, seemingly too much to take in at a single nce.

    In the middle of the city, there was a looming presence, a pceplex tens of timesrger that the one in Agartha.

    From where they were standing, Ember could see beyond the walls, and the buildings and gardens inside remained bright despite it being deep into the night.

    "This is Valor?" she asked.

    "It''s the capital city and that is the royal pce," he exined.

    ''The capital...''

    In books, it was said that the capital was the most magnificent city in every kingdom. Not only was it the most beautiful, it was also the most lively since it was bound to have the densest poption as well.

    This was the location where the influential people and families gathered, the center of the nation.

    Almost two decades of her life was spent in Valor, but as she remained only on that dead mountain, she had never seen such a marvelous sight before.

    ''The capital must be more amazing during the day, right?'' Expectation shed on Ember''s face. "Why are we here? Does my family live in the capital city?"

    "Yes," he replied. "If you are feeling fine, we can enter the city."

    "Do you know which house they live in?" she asked nervously.

    Ember somewhat began to imagine a scenario--an older man and woman waking up from bed, terrorized to find out a pair of intruders suddenly appeared inside their bedroom.

    Draven couldn''t be nning to meet her parents that way, right? He wouldn''t be so rude...right?

    "Yes, but before that, I need to show you something, and for that, we need to go to the pce."

    "Pce?"

    "Hmm," he replied and held her close to him once more, only to disappear from the mountain and appear on top of the pce wall where groups of royal guards were patrolling.

    Ember immediately buried her face in Draven''s chest the moment she saw the guards. Draven found her reaction adorable. As if she could hide herself like this.

    "They won''t see us..." Draven said, only to get his mouth covered by her hand. He heard her whisper like a thief.

    "They will hear you. Lower your voice."

    He removed his hand from her mouth. "Trust me. You don''t need to hide like this."

    "Why are we here?" she whispered again.

    Draven signaled for her to look at the gs attached on the stone rampart, as well as the gs attached on the spires.

    With the illumination from the lighted torches ced on the walls, as well as thenterns carried by the patrolling guards, Ember could see the design embroidered on the gs. The crest was familiar to her.

    "It''s...the design I have on that silk cloth," she said and looked back at Draven. "Why is it on the g of the royal pce?"

    "I think you can guess why," he replied.

    Ember gulped and looked back at that g. "Since these gs are in the royal pce, then it should be the crest of the ruling royal family, isn''t it?"

    "You are right," she heard him say.

    As she gazed at those gs once more, her next words were muttered so softly, the wind seemed to bring them away.

    "What are you trying to imply, Draven?"

    "Exactly as you think."

    Complicated emotions appeared on her face, and her grip on his arm tightened. "Are you trying to tell me that I am a part of the royal family of Valor?"<novelnext></novelnext>

    "Yes."

    "Do you really think I will believe it?"

    "You have to because it''s the truth."

    "You look so sure about it. How long have you been aware of it?"

    "Quite some time," he answered vaguely. "I needed to know everything about my mate."

    "Then why didn''t you tell me before?"

    There was me in her voice, somewhat unhappy, but Draven felt like she didn''t truly mean it.

    "Because you never asked me. I didn''t wish to interfere."

    "Then why now?"

    "I felt it''s the right time for you to know everything."

    "Everything?"

    "That you are the daughter of the King of Valor, the only princess of the Valor Royal Family," he replied.

    Daughter of the King.

    A royal princess.

    The only princess.

    Ember let go of him out of reflex and stepped away, shaking her head. She felt like she was hearing something wrong. Was Draven just teasing her...?

    "It can''t be. How can I be a princess? I am just...just...I am..."

    If she''s the only daughter of the most powerful man in this kingdom, shouldn''t she be spoiled by her family, growing up under the loving gaze of the people like all those princesses in the books?

    Draven reached out towards his shocked mate and held her hand. Her moist eyes were still in shock, but a sense of betrayal could be seen growing in them.

    "It''s the truth, Ember. You are the royal princess of this kingdom. Do you think I will lie to you?"

    "M-Maybe you are just mistaken."

    "I am not. What I am telling is the truth I personally confirmed."

    The tears she had been holding back rolled down from her eyes. "If...If I am a princess, why...? What was I doing on that cursed mountain? Why was I left there to live worse than an animal? Even if they don''t want me, they could at least guarantee a life where I have my most basic needs...I didn''t have to...I... I don''t believe it!"

    "You have to believe it," he said as he cupped her face in his hands and his thumbs wiped the tears from her cheeks.

    "I...I thought my parents were dead, that was why my nanny and I were forced to live like that to avoid enemies," she sobbed. "Then, are my parents the current King and Queen of Valor? Why did they abandon me? They didn''t want me?"

    "After your birth, you were branded as a cursed child. They could not kill you, so they left you on that mountain."

    "A-Am I cursed?"

    "No, you are not, Ember."

    "Then why? I know they call me an evil witch. Is that why this kingdom hated me and wanted me dead? B-But I''m human and I''ve never hurt anyone--"

    "Humans fear what they don''t understand."

    "My family, they wanted me dead?"

    Draven knew it was going to hurt her and replied, "Maybe not all. The ones who helped burn that mountain were the royal soldiers, so that means at least someone from the royal family does."

    "My family, my mother, father...they all wanted me dead?"

 Chapter 395 My Family Wanted Me Dead

    "You no longer have a mother. She died while giving birth to you, but your father is indeed the current king. If you want, you can ask him¡ª"

    "No! I don''t want to! Let''s leave!" she said with her tears not stopping. "The ones who had abandoned me and wanted me dead, I don''t want to even see them! Let''s go, Draven!"

    "You don''t want to meet your family? You have a father, a step mother and half-brothers."

    "No, I don''t. I don''t want to have anything to do with them. If they were a poor family or a fallen family, I could have tried to understand their difficulties, but it seemed like I was thrown away on purpose."

    "Maybe you want to question them¡ª"

    "N-No, I don''t¡­" she sobbed harder, her shoulders trembling as she remembered what kind of life she had experienced.

    How much pain she had gone through, struggling to survive, while her family was living a life of luxury. Maybe they had forgotten her. Maybe no one even remembered her.

    Was it because her mother died, and they didn''t want her?

    How cruel they must be to abandon a baby¡ª no, wait, didn''t Draven mention they initially wanted to kill her?

    What kind of people was this royal family? They were even worse than the wild animals. At least these creatures looked after their children.

    "Take me back. I want to go back," she said, desperate to return to her safe haven. "Please? Let''s go."

    Draven hugged her to console her. "Alright. Let us go back to Agartha. Don''t worry."

    "I don''t ever want to step in this ce again," she said as she continued to cry, burying her face in his chest.

    Just then, they heard noises of guards approaching near where they stood, causing Ember to bite her lips, muffling her sobs. They saw the guards salute two men, before leaving to give them privacy to talk. Based on their uniform, they seemed to be high-ranking officers.

    Aside from the two officers, Ember, and Draven, the walkway on top of the wall was empty.

    "Greetings, Commander."

    "Have you found clues of the princess'' whereabouts?"

    "Please punish us for our ipetence. We have secretly sent search parties to that mountain again and again, but not only the princess, but also the first group we sent, there are no signs of them."

    "Not even their corpses?"

    Draven felt Ember''s grasp tighten as she heard those words.

    "Are they talking about me?"

    Draven did not answer.

    "So they want to make sure I am dead."

    Just as she said that, the man whose position seemed more superior between the two continued, "She might not be dead. Continue searching for her. Broaden your range. Tighten the security on the borders and search the rest of the kingdom."

    "These cruel people." Ember made sure she would remember the face of this cruel man, and then turned to Draven. "I don''t want to stay here even a moment longer. Please, let''s go."

    Draven epted her wish and they disappeared from the pce wall.

    While teleporting back, Ember requested that they travel faster than their earlier speed. Draven gave in to her request, shortening intervals of their stops.

    When they reached the edge of the forest beyond the mountain ranges surrounding Agartha, Draven offered his weak-looking mate another elixir. "Have another one. The next will be ourst teleport."

    Ember drank it without anyint. She was tired physically as well as mentally. All she wanted was to return home and sleep. "Please take me to the cottage. I want to sleep there."

    Draven agreed. When they next materialized out of thin air, they arrived inside the cottage near the dandelion field.

    Draven wordlessly helped hery on that small bed. The sounds of her muffled cries echoed inside the room, and he kneeled next to the bed, allowing her to vent the grievances she tried to hold in. After some time, her crying died down to sniffles.

    His heart ached at the sight of her tired and swollen eyes.

    "You have been through a lot. Rest well."

    She didn''t even have the energy to reply to him and closed her eyes, falling immediately asleep the next moment.

    The next day, Ember found herself waking up more exhausted than when she slept. It was almost noon when she opened her still swollen eyes. However, she was alone in bed. Her mate was not with her.

    Instead of searching for him, she continued toy on that small wooden bed, staring at the ceiling in a daze. She recalled what happened the previous night.<novelnext></novelnext>

    The capital city of Valor. The royal family. The pce.

    ''Princess?'' She felt likeughing at herself. ''What is so good about being a princess who is abandoned by her family? They believed I was a cursed child? They tried to kill me? Maybe Gaia thought they were too ruthless and pitied me, that''s why she ran away bringing me with her. I am d I didn''t have to live with them. I am d I had Gaia with me.

    ''Gaia is my only family, and now, I have Draven too.

    ''We will create our own family, and I will make sure I will shower my children with all the love I never received from my own parents.''

    "Are you awake?" She heard the voice which she always wanted to hear and looked at the man who was standing at the doorway of the room, wearing only a in white shirt and ck pants.

    "Morning." She observed her handsome mate who made her forget what she was thinking a moment ago.

    "Is it?"

    He walked towards her while she sat up in the bed. "How long did I sleep?" She looked outside the window and realized it was noon. "I slept through the entire morning?"

    "You were tired. You needed a good sleep," he said. "You must be hungry. I have prepared a meal for you."

    She moved her gaze from a window to him. "You cooked food again?"

    "I can''t let my mate who loves to eat a lot starve, can I?"

    "Well, only a person who knows what it''s like to starve truly understands how precious food is," she said as she stepped out of bed.

    Draven didn''t deny her im. He understood what kind of suffering she had gone through. "You can take your time freshening up. I have already arranged the food on the table."

    Ember nodded and Draven quietly went out of the room. Draven could sense his mate''s mood was not so good and decided to give her time to be on her own.

    Afterwards, Ember came out of the room and sat in front of the table with a forced smile. Draven served the fish dish on her te which she started to eat quietly. As expected, it tasted good.

    She gazed at the table filled with tasty food and said, "Even though I don''t starve now and I get to eat whatever and whenever I want, is it wrong for me to feel food is the most precious thing?"

    "It is not wrong. In fact, everyone has their own priorities," he answered. "None of them is wrong, only different."

    She remembered something. "That day when we were attacked by orcs, instead of caring for my safety, the safety of the food basket was more important to me. I could not bear to see those snacks meticulously prepared by Lady Cornelia being crushed under that orc''s feet. Erlos must think it was immature of me, but it was like a basic instinct for me towards food."

    With her moist eyes, she looked at him.

    "I¡­I am pathetic, am I not?"

    Draven observed her for a moment. He could see the things she got to knowst night were affecting her more than she was letting on. She must be frustrated to know that there was noplicated reason why she suffered in life. Her family was well-off¡ª-no, the wealthiest in thend. The royal family had a luxurious life, and her siblings must have good upbringing, with all their needs and wants provided.

    Meanwhile, Ember lived a life worse than a beggar.

    Draven recalled her appearance when he found her. Barely skin and bones, so dirty her skin was almost ck. Injuries covered her entire body. If not for the elixirs of the Wood Elves and the potions of the witches, it would take her months, if not years, for her body to be healthy.

    She did not even have her own name because she was a cursed child. She must feel betrayed and heartbroken.

    He held her cold hand in his warm one and squeezed it gently.

    "Do not think like that," he said, his tone uncharacteristically soft. "You have lived a tough life and it''s understandable. I know you are affected by what you learnedst night, but do not let your past define you.

    "You are Ember Aramis, reincarnation of a deity, the mate of the King of Agartha. The supernatural beings in this kingdom are your people, and the ones in the pce your family. In Agartha, you have family and friends, people who wee you and appreciate you as you are.

    "Valor doesn''t deserve to have you. Those people don''t know what treasure they have lost."

    Tears rolled down her eyes as she choked back another sob, but in the end, she could not stop herself. Draven let her cry for a while.

    "I know the truth brings you pain, but I hope you do not forget it; instead, use it to strengthen your heart. There are various people in the world, and many of them will disappoint you. You will have to learn how to ept things and move on."

    She nodded and continued to sob.

    "Ember, from now on, live your life the way you want. Do what you want, and make sure you will no longer have regrets."

    After finishing their meal, they returned to the pce. Draven could no longer afford to stay away from his official duties due to the preparations for the approaching day of mourning. Various officials were lined up to meet the King of Agartha regarding various issues.

    After returning to the pce, Ember remained umunicative, barely saying a few words before dismissing her servants. Reya and Clio didn''t dare ask her anything.

    However, even though Draven busied himself with work, he would check on his mate once in a while, either by visiting her himself or sometimes asking Erlos about her.

 Chapter 396 The Day Of Mourning

    On this particr day, the morning was unusually bright, the blue sky almost cloudless, as if to dere the weather would be bright and sunny all day long.

    The warm summer-like atmosphere would normally cause naughty children to run about inughter and sneak out to y outdoors, but none of the young ones within Agartha dared make a noise on this day.

    Regardless if they were elves, fairies, witches, shapeshifters, or the other hidden races, all their viges and cities had a rare solemn mood that day.

    The day of mourning, the most important day for the Kingdom of Agartha.

    It was not a celebration, but an annualmemoration of the dead.

    One would think it strange, why these long-lived races who treated years as shortly as weeks wouldmemorate their loved one''s death anniversary, but that only proved how devastating that massacre one hundred years ago was to the living residents of Agartha.

    For many of them, the painful memories of that day were as fresh as if it only happened yesterday.

    A nightmare they wanted to wake up from.

    In order to deal with their grief, the council designated a day of mourning to honor the sacrificed lives of that war. The beings born after the war were taught to show respect to the dead, and this day which marked the end of that war was set aside for the entire kingdom to rest.

    Some people believed the souls of the deceased continued to roam around the kingdom to seek for their families and loved ones.

    A tradition was then formed that those who survived would pray to nature for the peace of their souls. They would visit and offer prayers on the mass graves northeast of the kingdom, thest battlefield of that war, the Netherfields.

    Even though the kingdom was rtively quiet, each and every family''s preparations had started from dawn.

    The younger generation of the beast ns were assigned at the border of the human territory. Security was tightened since the day before as there were chances that humans would create trouble to affect the peace and order on the day of mourning.

    It didn''t use to be that way, but ever since the Chief of the human viges changed, the day also marked the rivalry between human beings and supernatural beings.

    As soon as the sun rose, countless supernatural beings had left their homes, from young to old, male and female, all of them headed northeast of the kingdom.

    Even the ns who had cut ties with the outside world, who had decided to live in seclusion after that massacre a century back, would step back into the open and visit the mass grave.

    It was a time for the retired war veterans to interact with the younger generation, for the elders to interact with the rest of their ns, for the survivors to reminisce the memories of those who they had lost.

    Draven, being the symbolic king and protector of Agartha, had to be present at the Netherfields as well.

    The young Erlos meticulously prepared the clothes for Draven to wear on this day.

    "ck as usual," Erlos pulled out the ck shirt and ck coat for Draven.

    Every year, Draven would always wear a pure ck attire on the day of mourning. It was something so fixed, even Erlos'' earliest memories of this day involved the King of Agartha being in all ck.

    The dark clothes seemingly represented the darkness that was brought to this kingdom. As if this was Draven''s attempt to hide the pain of that memory.

    Meanwhile, Erlos was d in a simple white garb, a ceremonial robe used by the High Elves in the past during important events. Now, there was only Erlos to wear it.

    The day of mourning was an emotional day for Erlos as well. Not only did he lose his parents during that war, as the entire n of High Elves had perished.

    In fact, where the Netherfields currently stand used to be the main city of the High Elves. All the residents of that city were massacred, and even the reinforcements of the other ns and races who came after died.

    The final battlefield where thends were colored red with all the blood spilled.

    Every year, since Erlos started to live with Draven, he would visit the Netherfields with Draven. He had no family or n members to go with¡ªfor him, Draven was his only family.

    As a kid, he used to cry whenever they visited the grave of his parents. Draven would apany him in silence, but as years passed by, Erlos had learned to stop crying and started to ept his new reality. That he was alone.

    Erlos helped the freshly bathed Draven wear his clothes.

    "Are we really not taking Miss with us, Sire?" Erlos asked.

    "No. She will stay in the pce," Draven replied. "Don''t worry, the security around the pce has been reinforced. Morpheus and Logan worked together, and I know their arrangements would ensure her safety."

    "I am not worried about the security as no one would dare harm the King''s mate. I was just feeling bad about leaving her behind. Your aides and the pce servants are all going.

    "Besides, I think it is best that the Miss apany us. The day of mourning happens every year. The earlier she sees how we spend this important day, the better. She will also get to witness the rare moment when the various ns and races of Agartha are united, gathered at the same ce."

    "Among those ns and races, many of their loved ones died in the hands of human ck magic practitioners. They would not ept a human''s presence on this special day. They might try to hurt her, not through weapons but with words," Draven replied.

    He knew Ember was already sensitive after she learned of her royal background and he would never allow anyone to hurt her feelings once more.<novelnext></novelnext>

    ''Also there was that vision.''

    Draven knew this was the day in that vision. Ember would be safe in the pce as no one dared break inside. Moreover, if he were to fall into danger, then she was better off away from him.

    "You are right, Sire. It''s better for her to remain than to be targeted by others'' criticism."

    Draven was about to leave for the Netherfields. Without him, the ceremony of paying respect to the dead won''t start. Before leaving, he went to see his mate.

    When he reached her chamber, her servants were just about to leave, one to get Ember''s morning meal and the other to bring their master''s dirty clothes away. Seeing the King, they bowed and left the chamber.

    Draven went to his mate who was standing by the window. Since she had just finished bathing, she smelled refreshingly sweet.

    She turned around to look at him and pulled out a bright smile though her eyes looked sad.

    "Good morning," he greeted and stayed facing her, appreciating her somewhat pale face. "You are up earlier than usual."

    "Good morning," she replied and observed him wearing a pure ck dress shirt, a ck waistcoat, even his pants, tailcoat and boots were ck as well. With his ck hair and ck gloves, he looked like a living, breathing shadow.

    The red irises of his eyes were especially bright in contrast.

    "Are you leaving?" she asked.

    He nodded as he held her hands and pecked on her forehead. "Take care."

    "Will you return by sundown?"

    "I am not sure, but if I don''t, you can ask for Erlos or Morpheus," he replied.

    "I will do so."

    "I have to go now. Without me, the ritual won''t start."

    "Go ahead."

    Draven looked at her for a moment, and the next second, ended up wrapping his arms around her tightly, holding her so close he had lifted her off the floor. He could fully feel the warmth of her body.

    He stayed like that, listening to the beautiful music of her heartbeats with his eyes closed.

    Ember was startled, but she hugged him back, putting her face on the crook of his neck. After a while, he let go of her, and instead of leaving, he pulled her into a kiss.

    Ember didn''t know why he was like this. Was he getting emotional too? She remembered that one of his close friends died in that war as well. Not to mention, their group separated afterwards, changing the rtionships he had with those who remained, like Morpheus and Logan.

    ''Maybe he has yet to forgive himself. He probably believes it''s his fault people died.''

    She felt it was something more, something different which she could not put a finger on.

    But as her mate kissed her, she let those thoughts go and responded to that sweet kiss.

    After a while, Draven finally let her go as he looked into her beautiful eyes.

    She smiled lightly for him. "Aren''t you gettingte?"

    "I am."

    "Then you should leave. Once you are back, I will make sure you won''t leave with just a kiss."

    Draven didn''t know how to respond to her words, but he nodded with a light smile on his lips.

    Ember watched her mate leave and then looked at her bird Ray who was eating her food inside her cage.

    "He is only going to another part of the kingdom, but it feels like he is going somewhere far. It''s unreasonable, right? Seems like my love for him is growing too much for me to feel like that. A little distance feels unbearable."

    ===

    A/N- Only for the month of March, all the 17 privileged chapters are for 100 coins. The highest privileged tier is 100 coins only.

 Chapter 397 Worried For The Ominous Vision

    Inside the city of the Wood Elf n, High Elder Leeora was carefully wrapping a bundle of herbs, about to set out for the Netherfields. She was d in a rare dignified brown robe, her white hair braided with tendrils and leaves, holding onto a long wooden staff with the symbol of ''Wood'' in ancient elvishnguage written on the head.

    Since the moment she woke up¡ªno, in fact, since the moment she realized danger was about to befall someone she cherished, the elf had been worried about the arrival of this day.

    Her vision, that ominous vision, she knew it would unfold on the day of mourning. She feared to see what was going to happen.

    A vision of death,ing from a person of her level, never went wrong.

    Who were they going to lose this time?

    Was it truly Draven, the King of Agartha? Ember, was she going to¡ª

    Just like the High Elder of the Wood Elves, the Head of the Witches Cornelia Grimm was in a simr conflicted situation. She could not sleep for the past few nights, fearing what was toe.

    Exhaustion could be seen on her face. Since the night she had that vision, every moment was dedicated to looking into divining the future, attempting to get more clues to prevent the disaster from striking.

    She wore a long white dress which showed the identity of White Witches, her long red hair brushed back with the frontal part of her hair pinned at the back of her head with the simple but elegant white jade hairpin.

    Her apprentices, Silvia and Talia, stepped away to admire their master''s appearance.

    Seeing her immersed in her thoughts, Silvia could not help but ask, "Are you worried due to that vision, mydy?"

    Though she was standing in front of the mirror, Cornelia was not taking note of her appearance. She was lost in her thoughts, her eyes simply staring nkly ahead without seeing anything.

    She closed her eyes after hearing Silvia speak.

    "I hope today wille to pass without any strange urrence, but given what I saw, I believe this is an impossible wish. Be prepared to respond for even the tiniest abnormalities. Report anything you notice to me."

    "We will do our best. We have alerted the other sisters to keep watch," Silvia replied.

    "The Seniors from the Spirit Circle are aware as well," Talia said, "Please be at ease, mydy."

    Cornelia simply nodded. The two apprentice witches were also wearing elegant white dresses. In fact, the entire Honeyharbor Coven were going to be in white attire.

    Inside the Spirit Circle.

    "Maria, have you seen where that ill-tempered sister of yours is?" Glinda asked. "I knew there was a problem when she didn''t join us for breakfast."

    The two old women were ready to leave for the Netherfields, but Th was nowhere to be found.

    Maria shook her head. "I just went to her room to call her but she was not there. I searched everywhere, but I could not find her."<novelnext></novelnext>

    "This Th¡­since the day Commander Morpheus visited her, she had been acting suspiciously. They are surely up to something," Glinda sighed. "Didn''t I tell you to keep watch on your sister?"

    "I¡­I was keeping an eye on her, but she managed to slip under my watch. You know it well how capable she is. Even though she had lost a big part of her powers, she''s the type to look for alternative means as long in order to reach her goal."

    "Did you find any clue in her workroom? Do you have an idea what the Commandermissioned her to do?"

    "She left no traces at all."

    "I understand," Glinda sighed once more. She felt like with each sigh, she was aging. "Oh, well. You are twins and you can connect to each other. Try using that to find where she is hiding. Don''t tell me she locked herself behind¡ª"

    Maria looked helpless. "I already tried that as well, Glinda. That was the first thing I did but¡­"

    "But what?"

    "She had used an enchanted item to separate our connection¡­and¡­if she went to great lengths to block me from reaching her, that means that sister of mine is up to no good."

    "We need to find her. Inform Cornelia, that child, to help out as well."

    "Let''s leave first. The coven must already have left for the Netherfield. We will meet Cornelia there and alert her."

    In Millow Circle, the vige of the ck Witches, Urs entered their head''s cottage where she found the old witch sitting quietly in her chair.

    "Sister Zelda, it''s time to leave," Urs informed politely. "The vigers are waiting."

    Zelda, who looked like a frozen statue, moved her head slowly up to peer at her subordinate with cloudy eyes. "Is it already time?"

    Her gray eyes held sadness in them. She looked like a lost person who was not aware of what was going on, like she was inside a dream and didn''t want to wake up.

    It worried Urs. "Sister Zelda, what happened? Why do you¡­?"

    Zelda slowly stood up from her chair. Urs felt like she had not seen their leader like this for many decades. For some reason, her heart ached just seeing the pain in her eyes.

    "We should not bete," Zelda said as she dragged her aged body towards the door. The cane in her hand made tapping sounds on the wooden floor, causing Urs to break away from her thoughts.

    "A-Are you alright Sister Zelda?" Urs followed behind her. "If you do not feel well, then I think others will understand if you opt out from attending the ritual."

    "I am fine," she heard Zelda say in her usual hoarse voice, and the two were met by the rest of the vigers in front of the cottage.

    Just like the other residents of Agartha, this small ck Witch vige was also going to pay respect to the ones they had lost, fighting against their fellow sisters who chose to side with the enemies. It was the only day in the year the despised ck Witches could stand next to other ns and races, though their reputation was almost as bad as humans, thanks to the betrayal of the ck Witches in the past.

 Chapter 398 Trouble By Humans

    Draven and Erlos arrived at the enormous graveyard where thousands upon thousands of supernatural beings could be seen standing under the bright morning sun.

    ''This is what Lvenor had been reduced to.''

    Before this vast wastnd earned the name Netherfields, this ce used to be the main city of the High Elves, Lvenor.

    Amongst the proud elves, the High Elves were excessive lovers of art, always demanding stone masons for the most luxurious materials and artisans for creations nothing short of the best, that was why numerous beautiful houses and creative architectures were built in their city.

    Lvenor was once the most magnificent city of Agartha, even rivaling that of human empires of the past.

    However, at this moment, not even the ruins of their fallen city had remained. The once blood-soaked soil became covered with grass, and now, there was nothing but vast green fields covered with the gravemarkers and tombstones of everyone who died.

    It became known as the Netherfields, and in ce of houses were rows of graves, extending so far that gravestones could be seen for as long as one''s gaze could reach. Unending rows of graves marked with white tombstones¡ªeach of them a family member, a friend, a lover, of those who hade to mourn.

    ''A hundred and one years had passed since that massacre,'' Draven thought as he solemnly walked from the outskirts towards the graveyard.

    Many of the elders and high-ranking officials of each race could have arrived at their destination through their powers and bloodline abilities, but like Draven, they chose to slowly walk step by step towards the graves they were visiting. It was a sign of respect for the dead.

    The Netherfields had no clear demarcation among the graves, as the warriors and those whose lives were sacrificed need not be divided, but in general, the graves of those belonging to the same n or family members were kept side by side. As such, one could see those of the same n or race mourning together.

    As Draven and Erlos walked, they saw familiar faces.

    Cornelia Grimm and her coven members were standing in front of the graves where the witch race were buried. Beside them, there was a small number of witches not wearing white¡ªthey were the vigers from the Millow Circle. After all, regardless of their attribute, both the White and ck Witches belong to the same race.

    The stooping old witch, Zelda, was in the lead, and though the ck Witches had a small number of mourners, the number of graves under them were one of thergest, second only to the High Elves. Other than the High Elves, the ck Witches were the ones that were killed the most in that war, and their remaining numbers were not even fifty.

    On the side of the elves, Draven saw High Elder Leeora lead her n members, from kids to the elderly.

    Likewise, he saw Logan together with his father, standing in front of the graves of the fallen White Tiger warriors, as well as Morpheus and Aureus, standing side by side the Chief of the Shapeshifters, and they were talking with each other, probably Chief Agraleus sharing brief stories about his brother and sister-inw towards his nephew and grandnephew.

    Draven stopped in front of thergest part of the Netherfields. At this moment, it had no visitors aside from him and Erlos, unlike the rest of the graveyard.

    "My people, this unfilial child hase to pay his respects," Draven heard Erlos murmur as the young elf lowered his head, his real thoughts unknown.

    Draven and Erlos were standing in front of the graves of the High Elves. Erlos, being thest descendant, and Draven, being Erlos'' guardian, would always offer their prayers in front of the gravestones of Erlos'' n.

    It was an absolute tragedy, where everyone from a new born child to the elderly were killed, with no one spared. An entire n disappeared from the face of thend. Erlos was fortunate to survive that massacre.

    Draven closed his eyes, and as for his prayers, only he knew in his heart.

    Time ticked by, and soon, the sun had risen to a certain point in the sky.

    As basically all the residents of Agartha had convened in the Netherfields, except for those with special circumstances, like the warriors appointed elsewhere for the sake of security, the prayer ceremony would begin.

    A loud, deep sound of horn echoed within the Netherfields. Those who were murmuring amongst themselves turned quiet.

    At the second sound of the horn, everyone kneeled on the ground in front of the graves and closed their eyes.

    Some solemnly chanted while offering flowers, some sang war songs while crying, others read out prayers while others silently prayed in their hearts¡ªeach n and race had their own ways of showing honor for the dead, but in the end, all their actions were for the souls of the deceased who had lost their lives in that terrible, terrible war.

    Erlos could not help but stifle a sob, yet his eyes burned red as he tried to hold back his tears.<novelnext></novelnext>

    Seeing the young elf trembling, Draven ced his hand on his shoulder to console him in silence.

    Draven remembered the past, as if he was flipping pages of a book. A small silver-haired child would fall into Draven''s arm and cry uncontrobly, and as that silver-haired elf grew up, turning from a little boy to a youngd, the loud cries eventually stopped.

    Erlos was now a young man, but his silent cries of anguish remained the same. His loss was still painful, and he was still painfully alone.

    The day of mourning was a first for Aureus.

    He followed what the rest of the Divine Eagle n were doing. Till a few weeks back, he had no concept of family. As far as he was concerned, he had no living blood rtives, and there were only those few he considered as his new family.

    But now, not only did he have a living uncle, he also has a granduncle. He had distant cousins as well as n members who looked up to him. He bowed to the gravemarkers of his grandparents and prayed for the rest of his fallen n members as well.

    After a while, the sound from that horn echoed once more.

    iIt was a signal for the mourners to stand up and leave the graves of their respective ns, allowing the people to pay respects to their fallen friends and acquaintances from other ns and races.

    It was also the time for the mourners to interact with each other and reminisce about the memories of the deceased. Those who had chosen to be in seclusion began to interact with their younger generation, and old friends who had not seen each other for a long time began to chat.

    Most of the members of Divine Eagle n used this chance to interact with Aureus, as this young lord of theirs was quite elusive, mostly refraining from the n affairs. Despite Aureus throwing pleading nces at his uncle, asking him for help, Morpheus left him alone and went towards where the White Tigers were located.

    Morpheus and Logan were the ones in charge of the security of the kingdom, with Logan acting as a temporary Deputy Commander to Morpheus. The entire day, the residents of Agartha would be at the Netherfields so their day was basically just beginning. They could not be relieved of their duties so soon.

    "How is it at the border?" Morpheus asked.

    "For now, seems quiet," Logan replied after he received the scroll from a newly arrived messenger.

    Logan was handling the security at the borders, preparing for problemsing from the outside, while Morpheus was the one assigned to monitor the happenings within the kingdom. They could not take chances in case humans managed to fool them and sneak inside the main territories, or that the hardliners from within the Wild Elf n who hated humans would cause trouble as well.

    After all, they had learned a painful lesson from the betrayal of the ck Witches¡ªeven your fellow brothers and sisters could turn into an enemy in the future.

    Just then a shapeshifter from the Divine Eagle n, a young brown eagle,nded near the two officials. Morpheus recognised him as one of his n members appointed at the fortress bordering the human territory.

    "Greetings, Commander, Deputy Commander."

    "Why are you not at your post, warrior?" Morpheus asked.

    "Reporting to the Commander, the humans are creating trouble at the border. Our two groups are currently at a deadlock, but the humans managed to destroy part of the fortress wall with the use of explosives. The captain is engaged inbat but did not send out a signal for reinforcements, so the vice-captain sent me to inform you for further instructions."

    "Those lowlives?" Morpheus opened his wings to fly, but Logan put his hand on his shoulder.

    "You stay here. I will go take care of it."

    "Let us go together. I need to be there as well."

    "Don''t worry, I alone can handle the situation. Besides, since their captain did not call for reinforcements, he probably believed their manpower is enough to subdue the humans. You should remain here just in case unexpected problems ur."

    "Alright!" Morpheus agreed and he watched Logan transforming into arge White Tiger with a scarred body, his beast form, and followed behind the brown eagle who led the way.

    With Logan''s speed, blessed with the strong body he possessed, he by himself could subdue those problematic humans.

 Chapter 399 Suspicious Of His Uncle

    399 Suspicious Of His Uncle

    In front of the grave of the High Elves, there were two males who seemed to be in their own quiet world, unaffected by the bustle of their surroundings.

    "How are you feeling?" Draven asked, his voice as usual dignified but held genuine care for the young elf who he raised like his own family.

    "I am fine," Erlos replied.

    Silence enveloped the two.

    "Have I told you before that you look just like your father now, the leader of the High Elves, Elror?"

    Erlos looked at Draven. "Really?"

    Draven nodded. "But your personality is like your mother''s, rielle."

    "That''s good to know."

    "You are brave and strong like your parents. They would be proud to know you grew up this well."

    "I am sure they will give that credit to you."

    "I would have epted it dly as raising a trouble into a fine young elf was not an easy task," Draven said, only to have Erlos narrow his eyes at him.

    "Sire, when have you learned to be shameless?"

    "I speak the truth."

    "Raising trouble you say, Sire? You are lucky my parents can''t see how you have raised this trouble. Otherwise, they would have lodged aint to the council.

    "How dare you treat a noble High Elf so poorly? I''ve been with my family for more than a decade, and my mother won''t even let me stain mud on my clothes. Yet Sire, what about you? Hanging a High Elf upside down on the tree for an entire day, making him clean all those useless weapons in the pce which nevere out to be used, making him clean your room, wash your clothes, bring your meal for you¡ª-"

    Draven knew he had to cut him off at this point. "They would have thanked me."

    Erlos scoffed. "Who would want their precious only child to be treated as a manservant?"

    "Correction: A King''s personal servant."

    Erlos'' pointed ears twitched in dismay. "I¡­I can''t simply digest this level of narcissism¡­Who are you and in which underground cave did you bury your shame?

    The young elf walked away, intending to visit his acquaintances among the Wood Elves. Draven smiled as he watched his retreating back.

    "Still a kid." Draven could not help but chuckle, but he was d that he could make Erlos forget the sadness he was feeling, even if it was only temporary.

    Just then, Draven felt something and turned to look at the faraway mountain north of Netherfields.

    ''That feeling¡­ Divine power? Is¡­is it what I am searching for?'' He extended his senses towards that direction, and the more he focused, the stronger the feeling was. ''I need to go and check.''

    Meanwhile, Morpheus managed to separate Aureus from their n members and brought him to the side.

    "Were you troubled?" Morpheus asked.

    "Not exactly, but I am not used to having many people surrounding me and asking me questions at the same time."

    Morpheus patted his nephew''s shoulder. "They are like this since they are curious about you and the world outside Agartha. You might not know, but only the scouts have special permission to leave the kingdom, and even then, there are only a few spots avable for them to fight over."

    "So this will stop once they get used to me?"

    "Well, if you tell Uncle Agraleus about it, he can tell them off so they won''t trouble you much. Also, when you officially ascend to be the Lord of the Feathered Races, the young ones will be on their knees and won''t dare look into your eyes. The only ones you''ll need to deal with are the handful of n elders. I mean to say, you will be less troubled then."

    As they were walking, they spied a certain silver-haired elfing in their direction and he was sulking.

    "What happened, kiddo? Where is your master?" Morpheus asked.

    "What are¡ªhuh?" Erlos turned around to look behind him. There was no one. "Where did Sire go?"

    Morpheus'' gaze moved towards a particr snow-covered mountain north of the Netherfields. He stared at that mountain for a while. ''Seems like the n has started. He must have gone over.''

    Aureus followed his uncle''s gaze. Morpheus turned his attention back to Erlos, then heard the elf mutter in confusion, "Could he have met with Elder Leeora¡ª"

    "If he said something that upset you, ignore him."

    "That''s between Sire and me and I don''t need your advice on it, Commander," Erlos retorted with a roll of his eyes.

    "Fine, kid!" Morpheus didn''t argue with him and looked at Aureus. "Stay with this noisy brat. I have things to do."

    "Where are you going?" Aureus asked. He would not normally question Morpheus, but he didn''t get a good feeling about his uncle''s sudden n to depart.

    "Your uncle is themander who is handling the peace and order of the kingdom. Of course, I need to go on rounds and check on things."

    "Then let''s go. I wille with you."

    "What?"

    "I wille with you," Aureus insisted.

    "You can''t," Morpheus rejected him in a firm voice which startled Aureus. It felt strange to hear Morpheus speak like this, but then heard him continue, "I mean, this is your first time experiencing the day of mourning. You should spend more time with our n members. Also, aren''t you familiar 17:38

    with witches? Take this chance to mingle with them. As the future Lord of the Feathered Races, you Directly support the authors on Webnovel!

    should know how important this kind of asion is."

    Morpheus then looked at Erlos. "Take care of him for me. Don''t let the people swallow him whole."

    the day of mourning. You should spend more time with our n members. Also, aren''t you familiar with witches? Take this chance to mingle with them. As the future Lord of the Feathered Races, you "I know what to do," came the usual annoyed reply from Erlos, which Morpheus didn''t mind. The gray eagle flew away from the two youths without a second nce.

    Aureus saw that his uncle was not heading for the mountain up north he was staring at earlier. He was going the opposite direction, towards the central regions of the kingdom.

    Was he mistaken about his uncle?

 Chapter 400 Missing Thala Grimsbane

    400 Missing Th Grimsbane

    Aureus felt like Morpheus looked at that mountain with a different gaze, as if he knew something was about to happen. He wanted to follow his uncle, but he knew the gray eagle would find out he was tailing him.

    Aureus didn''t know what to do. He looked at the mountain up north again.

    "Where are you looking at? Erlos asked as he looked over there as well. "Is there something special about that mountain? A while ago, your uncle was looking there too, wasn''t he?"

    Aureus eyed Erlos. ''So he noticed it as well. I must not be that wrong about it.'' He asked, "What is that mountain?"

    Erlos raised a brow, "Why are you asking me?"

    "Aren''t you the local?"

    "Well, I don''t know. There are hundreds of mountains surrounding Agartha." Erlos replied vaguely.

    Aureus pondered for a bit before asking, "Earlier, did you notice that the way my uncle was looking at that mountain seemed to be as if there was something strange?"

    "I don''t know, but then your uncle is strange. Maybe something wrong with his bird brain. If he is sane, then he will not cause a mess in the pce every time he visits. Tsk. Just remembering how I have to clean up everytime makes my mood sour¡ª"

    "No, Erlos. I¡­I have this feeling that something is going to happen. I try to ignore it, but my instincts aren''t letting me be at peace. It''s telling me something bad is going to happen and we need to stop it."

    Erlos wanted to say that Aureus must be overthinking due to the atmosphere caused by the day of mourning, but then, he didn''t want to hurt his friend''s feelings. The golden eagle looked restless already. "So what do you want to do? You can tell me and I will help you."

    "We¡­I think we need to go to that mountain and check what is there. Just a while ago, I felt strange energy from there. It was brief, and then afterwards, my uncle looked in that direction. There must be a connection. I am sure that feeling is not simply an illusion."

    "Did you as well?"

    "You mean, you too?

    Erlos nodded. "Some kind of bad feeling I have been getting for a while now. I thought it''s because I was getting emotional over this day. For years, terrifying memories from the past keep troubling me whenever this day approaches."

    "We need to go to that mountain," Aureus said.

    Erlos nced around them. "We normally can''t leave unless the council members and the seniors or each n leave first. We have to sneak out."

    Aureus understood. However, they were both too high profile¡ªone the golden eagle of the current generation, and the other, the only surviving High Elf. Aureus had to dodge his n members, while Erlos had to hide from the eyes of the Wood Elves. With the help of Erlos using a stealth spell, they slowly made their way out from the crowd.

    Once the two were away from attention, Aureus held onto Erlos and they flew away from the Netherfields, headed towards that snow- covered mountain up north.

    ---

    Cornelia went to Zelda who was silently standing by herself in front of the tombstones of her fallen sisters. The old witch looked lost, as if she was thinking about unsavory memories.

    "Senior Zelda," Cornelia called for her and the stooping ck Witch looked at her.

    "Lady Cornelia," the old woman politely nodded.

    "Missing our sisters?" Cornelia asked as she stood next to Zelda. In front of them was the grave which belonged to Zelda''s dear friend, the former Head of the Witches who was also Cornelia''s master.

    "We can do nothing more than missing them and keeping them alive in our memories," Zelda spoke, her hoarse voice more broken than usual.

    Cornelia lowered her head and stood quietly by her side for a while, before saying, "That vision, you know about it."

    Zelda simply sighed but said nothing. Cornelia took herck of denial as confirmation.

    "Did you¡­ did you try to look into it further?" Cornelia asked, looking at her with a gaze full of expectations.

    "What''s the use?" Zeldamented. "Things that are meant to happen will happen. Stopping a tragedy will cause a more painful tragedy to ur."

    "But, we can try to¡­"

    "Enough, Lady Cornelia. You should prepare yourself for the vision toe to pass," Zelda spoke in a low voice, her gaze not leaving the gravestone.

    Cornelia bit her lower lip as she held in her disappointment. "You¡­looks like you already know what is going to happen."

    "Don''t you know as well?"

    "Not everything."

    "I am the same as nothing is certain," Zelda replied, and this time, she didn''t look at Cornelia but somewhere at a distance. "I only know that it will bring us pain."

    Cornelia felt something was amiss. "Senior Zelda¡ª"

    "Cornelia, my dear," she heard a familiar voice calling for her. She turned around and found the senior White Witches from the Spirit Circle approaching them. One of them was missing.

    "Greetings, Lady Cornelia."

    Glinda and Maria gave the Head of the Witches a light bow before looking at the ck Witch.

    "It''s been a long time, Sister Zelda," Glinda said as she offered her a smile.

    Maria, being younger, was more polite. "Greetings, Senior Zelda."

    "Good to see you two," Zelda replied. In terms of seniority, Zelda and Glinda were simr, with Maria and Th slightly lower in status despite all four of them being elder-level individuals of the coven before they retired. "You must have something to talk about with Lady Cornelia. This one shall excuse herself."

    Zelda walked away from them, choosing to stand alone once more in front of a different grave, her back looking lonely as she stood away from the rest of the witches.

    What Cornelia wanted to ask Zelda remained unspoken. She could only let out a silent sigh. Cornelia moved her attention to her seniors. "I don''t see Senior Th."

    "This is what we are concerned about. She left the Spirit Circle without us knowing and we don''t know where she is," Glinda told her, shaking her head. "She even blocked Maria''s connection from reaching her."

    "What¡­I mean, what is going on?"

    "We told youst time that Commander Morpheus came to see her."

    "Yes."

    "Since then, she has been acting suspiciously. She doesn''t let us know what she is up to. Since we were worried, we were keeping tight watch on her, but she still managed to escape."

    "She¡­must be somewhere around," Cornelia said anxiously. "This particr day is important to her, just like us so¡­"

    "No, Cornelia. You do not understand. She is not called the Witch of Destruction for nothing. If she is behaving like this, it means that the secret she''s keeping is something we would never approve of if we knew. I have this feeling¡ª this intuition¡ª that she is going to do something really terrible."

    "We should find her then. Do you have an item that belongs to her? I will try to scry her location," Cornelia said and the other two agreed.

    "Thank you, Cornelia. We will try other ways as well."

    On the other part of the graveyard, Leeora was standing in front of the tombstones of her husband and sons.

    Wood Elves believe that members of their n would return to earth after their death, turning into spirits who would further nurture the forest. At this moment, she could not help but reach out to ask help from them as thest resort of help.

    Leeora closed her eyes, putting a hand over chest in order to ease her heavy heart.

    ''If you can hear my words, know that I am troubled. Something terrible is going to happen. After so long, this kingdom is finally experiencing peace. The peace you''ve worked so hard for¡­ and I don''t want anything to happen anymore.

    ''I am tired of being in pain. Tired of being left behind. I don''t want to lose anyone again.

    ''If you can hear me, if you are listening to me and watching over the hard-earned peace of our Directly support the authors on Webnovel!

    kingdom, please, don''t let anything happen. Please help me stop it. At least, show me a way to stop it. I believe your spirits are still here and still wishing for the wellness of this kingdom.

    ''Please, help me.''

 Chapter 401 Stabbed

    At a distant mountain north of Netherfields, a mountain so tall its peaks were covered in snow all year round, a man in an all-ck ensemble appeared in the middle of a frost-covered ridge.

    When Draven arrived, the divine energy he sensed grew more pronounced. It seemed like an istion barrier had been set up outside the mountain to prevent anyone from sensing it, and it was by pure ident a crack appeared. Despite the crack being immediately mended, that short fluctuation of divine energy was caught by Draven, causing him toe and investigate.

    As he traced the direction where that divine energy was most concentrated, his boots left deep footprints behind on the snow. The cold air mixed with snowkes continued to blow in his direction, but the man continued to walk, unbothered by the low temperature.

    The divine energy led him towards the steep ridge at the top. The thick snow nketed the rugged peaks in white, and Draven realized the trace of magic ended in this ce.

    ''A cave?''

    He walked towards that exposed cave-like structure, and at the mouth of that cave, he could see shing runes that were close to fading, meant to rm those inside that an intruder had breached the cave.

    Draven could not determine theplete nature of the spell, as if the person who casted it had deliberately muddled the lines of the runes so that one could not decipher the origin of the spell. One could only break it through brute force.

    ''Seems like the weapon is inside the cave. I have searched all the possible ces in this kingdom, and I also checked these mountains before, but there was never an istion barrier thest time I came. Seems like it was brought here recently. The person who put it here, what is his intention?''

    As he pondered over his discovery, Draven reached the entrance of the cave, stopping in front of the energy barrier guarding the cave.

    ''Should I break it? I wonder if my entrance would alert those behind this.''

    Draven took a step forward, prepared to receive a sneak attack or the activation of a trap, but there was nothing. He took more steps, crossing that protective barrier, but there was still no reaction.

    ''If this barrier is meant to keep intruders out, then why did it allow me to enter?" Draven frowned. ''For...me? Is it prepared especially to deal with me?''

    Keeping his vignce up, Draven slowly strode inside that cave, stretching his senses forward in order to check for the presence of other beings inside the cave. He was alert enough to react to any kind of movement within a split second.

    There were holes on the ceiling of the cave, allowing sunlight to enter them along with flutters of snowkes and wind, causing a thinyer of frost to cover the ground.

    The cave tunnel was long and deep, sloping downwards, and aside from Draven''s quiet footsteps and the rustling of his clothes, only the sound of the wind blowing could be heard.

    ''Are they simply allowing me in?''

    At the end of the narrow cave passage was a naturally formed ice chamber. Icicles sparkled from the ceiling and the walls, glittering like crystals under the reflected sunlight, and the entire ground was covered in undisturbedyers of snow.

    Draven noticed there was a tform in the middle, and it was also covered in snow. However, it was the source of the divine power he was sensing.

    He stood at the outskirts of the ice chamber, expanding his senses to cover not only the cave but the entire mountain. Perhaps due to the barrier outside, not even small animals could be sensed.

    Draven was alone inside an empty cave.

    Could he truly be alone when this was an obvious trap?

    ''Who can be so strong they are able to hide their presence from me? This level of spell could not be easily casted in a day or two--it had to be prepared for some time. I don''t sense ck magic. That means it''s not Zaria Lynx at least.

    Unable to find anything more, he walked closer towards the tform. With a wave of his hand, an invisible force caused the snow on the surface to be blown away.

    ''A short sword? No, a straight dagger.''<novelnext></novelnext>

    Draven carefully observed the intricately designed weapon, the handle seemingly made of a mix of ivory and wood with its white de made out of solidified magic.

    ''The people who put it here can''t be foolish to leave it without protection. It''s as if they want me to get it.''

    Draven tried to sense his surroundings, but there was still no other presence within the cave but him.

    ''Something is wrong with this setup. And this weapon...Though it''s emitting divine energy, it feels weaker than expected.''

    Some time passed by, but there were no changes inside the ice chamber.

    ''Seems like whoever that person is, they won''te out till I pick this weapon. Let me see what you have prepared for me.''

    Draven reached out for the tform, his hand moving towards the straight dagger, yet his senses were on high alert to catch any movement in the vicinity of the ice chamber.

    But when his fingers closed around the dagger''s handle, his hand went through it--

    Whoosh!

    His action triggered a trap, and Draven hurried to cover his face to block an attack. As a Dragon, he had pride in the defenses of his physical body, and most sneak attacks would only leave a scratch on his skin.

    However, what he received was no sharp de or magic attack. A sweet, mellow fragrance reached his sensitive nose, and it was toote for him to react.

    ''It''s not poison?''

    He had expected an offensive spell or binding magic which he could deflect before counterattacking, but he was not ready for this kind of low-level trick which a strong supernatural who could have divine power would use. He had taken a step back when realized what it was.

    ''ss Mist Flower.''

    Draven held his breath, attempting to prevent himself from inhaling more, but unfortunately, a single whiff was enough to affect his senses. It was the most concentrated dose of ss Mist Flower essence--even a divine beast like Dragon could not be spared from its hallucinatory effects.

    His thought process started getting messed up, and his vision began to grow blurry. His surroundings shed before fading, and instead of being inside an ice chamber, he saw...a battlefield.

    ''This is just an illusion!''

    Magic of the purest darkness attribute began to swirl around Draven''s body, causing cuts to appear on his skin, attempting to forcefully wake himself up from the illusion. And though he was affected by the hallucination, Draven began to see his vision switching back and forth between the ice chamber and the battlefield.

    Draven sensed movement behind him. He turned to look at the source of it and--

    Stab!

    The real form of the straight dagger pierced his heart, giving him pain beyond he could bear.

    ''Who--''

    The face of an old friend appeared in front of him, and for a moment, shock made him freeze.

 Chapter 402 Giving Him Pain

    ''No, this is just an illusion--''

    Immense pain told Draven otherwise. That person stabbed his chest, the ce over his heart where he had once been stabbed in his forgotten past.

    Was he unable to dodge because of that face? Since he had been focusing on flushing out the toxin of ss Mist Flower, his other senses had dulled.

    However, the pain heightened his senses once more, and the effect of the ss Mist Flower dispersed.

    Draven looked at the owner of that hand, and even with a blurry vision, he could identify that the person was a woman. The hand holding the dagger let go of it and the person stepped backwards, with her fake wooden leg taking a first step back.

    ''Th Grimsbane?''

    Draven could not believe his own eyes.

    The Witch of Destruction, the war hero of the White Witches? Why would she attack him?

    No, she would never do it. Draven refused to believe she was an enemy. She was someone who cared for this kingdom and fought for its peace.

    But then, he remembered the words of the vision he heard at Zelda''s ce--a woman with resentment would create a weapon of hatred, and she would use that weapon to stab him.

    ''Th Grimsbane resents me. She has always shown her dissatisfaction towards the result of that war but...never to the extent of wanting to kill me.''

    That prophetic vision of his death came to reality, but something felt off, though he could not quite put his finger on it.

    His mate, was she alright?

    There was no reaction from the bond. Did he do it right bying here on his own, which saved his mate from getting harmed? If that was the case, then he would dly embrace his death.

    Draven lost all his strength and fell on the ground. Though it was but a single stab, it was draining his body''s strength.

    A weapon created out of pure hatred, made of divine power for the purpose of killing its intended victim. It should have the ability to destroy the energy core of even a divine beast.

    His red eyes never left Th''s gaze, his gaze full of questions.

    Did she hate him that much?

    The Witch of Destruction looked at the fallen king with a gaze which had not a tinge of regret in it.

    "Your Majesty, does it hurt?" she asked, as she stood in ce, looking down at him with a quiet expression.

    "Why?" he managed to force out a word through his gasps. He could feel his heartbeats slowing down.

    "Why?" she repeated with deliberate slowness, chuckling a little in the end. "To make you feel what I and so many of your people had felt but could not say a word. Your Majesty, we could only swallow our helplessness because you are too overwhelmingly powerful to receive fair punishment for your sins."

    Draven could only stare at her without a word, and he heard her chuckle again. "I have done my part. It''s time for me to leave."

    As he watched her turn around, Draven struggled to move his body, putting effort to raise his hand.

    "S-Stop..."

    Th obediently stopped, but she did not turn back to face him.

    "This...this is not...enough...not enough to kill me..." Draven said with much effort.

    The old disabled witch finally looked over her shoulder, her expression light.

    "I never said it was to kill you, Your Majesty."

    Under his gaze that was on the cusp of losing consciousness, she continued to speak softly.

    "I am here only to fulfill your destiny of being stabbed by a divine weapon in the hands of a woman full of hatred and resentment. Someone else will fulfill the destiny of that divine weapon in your stead. If you can remember my answer to your ''why'', you can understand what I meant.''''

    Draven tried to recall her earlier words--

    ''To make you feel what I and so many of your people had felt but could not say a word. Your Majesty, we could only swallow our helplessness because you are too overwhelmingly powerful to receive fair punishment for your sins.''

    At this point, Draven had already lost his eyesight. He could only hear her voice echoing inside the chamber as Th continued to say various things.

    "To make you feel how it feels when the one important to you sacrifices their own life to save you. To make you feel how it is to be the one left behind, the one to be protected...

    "How pathetic it feels when you are forced to live at the cost of the life of someone important to you.

    "Do you know, Your Majesty? So many of us have been living a life under someone''s shadow. That pain for more than a hundred years, and now, it''s your turn to feel that pain. I wonder how it will be for you, to miss that person who sacrificed their life for your sake.

    "A life of regret, that''s what it''s like. Every breath, every second--from the moment you open your eyes in the morning, till the time you close them--you know that life you''re living should have been someone else''s. You will regret living every moment of your life."

    As the effect of ss Mist Flower essence was flushed out of his system,his mind started to be clearer...various clues from her words and...and the ss Mist...

    ''It can''t be.''

    Realization struck him.

    "Don''t..." he gasped, his tone pleading, "don''t...no...don''t..."

    Th didn''t waver even for a moment as she stared down at the man who had been robbed of his senses. She casted a spell over his body, among it was a spell protecting him from the piercing cold.

    "I wish you a good rest, Your Majesty. That divine weapon won''t kill you, but it will keep you in your weakest condition for a long time. Take this chance to rest as you won''t be able to leave this cave anytime soon. Maybe if you are at your peak strength, you''ll have a chance, but given your state, you will remain imprisoned in this spell casted with divine blood.''

    She turned to leave once more, the sound of her uneven footsteps muffled by the snow.

    Draven let out a groan, as if asking her to stay. Despite hisck of words, it was as if the witch could understand his pleas.

    "The deal has been already done," Th said and she took a look at Draven for thest time. "Have a good life ahead. I wish that you feel pain, Your Majesty. Maybe not as much as I felt after losing my sisters, but I will settle for this."

    Th left the cave after casting anotheryer of istion spell.

 Chapter 403 Hurt

    When Th reached outside, she saw two youths staring at her--a young elf and an even younger shapeshifter.

    Erlos and Aureus were shocked to see the high-ranking witch, but before they could say a word, the witch disappeared from the mouth of the cave without even trying to stop these two, as if she didn''t care what happened next.

    The elf had no strong reaction to Th--he was merely curious as to why that person was in this mountain instead of the Netherfields, but the eagle beside him knew more about the secret currents behind the day of mourning.

    Seeing the witch in this ce, of all ces, Aureus could not help but get a bad feeling.

    "I think we should check the cave," Aureus said. "It''s the most suspicious."

    Erlos nodded, and after ncing suspiciously around them, whispered, "That old woman who left, have you met her before? She''s Th Grimsbane, one of the oldest witches in Agartha. She''s a recluse--"

    Aureus wanted to tell him Morpheus brought him to the Spirit Circle before, but in the end, he didn''t. Admitting that would mean he had to also tell the elf that his uncle seemed to be scheming something detestable.

    ''What if I''m misunderstanding?''

    Aureus didn''t want to do that, especially since he had no evidence that Morpheus was indeed nning to harm others. He simply listened to Erlos speak.

    Though he kept his voice down, the elf continued to talk as they walked towards the cave. When they reached the entrance, they were stopped by the barrier ced at the entrance. Both could not cross it despite covering their bodies with Erlos'' magic.

    "It''s a strong repelling spell, difficult to break in," Erlos muttered as he studied it. He was not proficient in runes, but he had basic knowledge about formations.

    "What''s inside to have this kind of spell casted? Th Grimsbane''s workroom? A secret treasure vault of the witches?"

    "Maybe your king," Aureus replied.

    He recalled his uncle went to Th often and he was sure they were nning something rted to this day. Since Draven went missing earlier, the possibility of him being in this cave was quite high.

    "Sire?" Erlos asked in shock.

    "I think so," Aureus said. The elf was about to ask another question, but Aureus beat him to it. "Stay back, Erlos, I will try to break this barrier."

    "What! Why would you do that and destroy other people''s barriers?"

    "I told you something bad is going to happen and we need to stop it."

    Though he had no understanding of the situation, Erlos stepped aside. Aureus covered his fist with divine power before using it to deliver a punch and break that barrier. His strike didn''t work, but he realized that a resonance existed between him and the barrier.

    ''My blood...my blood was used as a medium for this spell.''

    Seeing his punch did not work, Erlos stepped forward. "Let''s try it together."

    Erlos and Aureus tried attacking it together, but the energy barrier was too strong for them to break. It did not even show a single fluctuation. They tried again and again, using various means, but there was no use.

    Aureus felt guilty about giving his blood so thoughtlessly to that witch.

    "Are you sure Sire is in this cave? If that old witch finds out we destroyed her barrier, she mightin and her entire coven might me us for trespassing on another person''s property."

    "The likelihood is high that King Draven is inside."

    "So you are not sure but we need to break in?"

    "Yes."

    Erlos walked closer to the barrier and tried to peek past it. "Sire, are you there? If you are there, please say something or show some signs."

    There was no reply from inside.

    "I feel he is there but he is not in a situation to reply to us," Aureus said and tried to use his power on that barrier again, but the barrier remained unaffected.

    "I''m doing this because I trust you," Erlos said. Still, their actions bore no fruit. "Since you say something bad is going to happen, shall we ask for help? The more people dealing with future trouble, the faster it will be resolved."

    "I don''t have anyone else who will believe me," Aureus replied.

    "I''ll help. I have a pretty good reputation. Since it''s a spell casted by a high-ranking witch, only those from the Spirit Circle or Lady Cornelia can have the ability to deduce this kind of formation."

    "You go get help, I will wait here," Aureus said, but just as the elf was about to leave, they sensed movement from the inside of the cave.

    Erlos perked up. "Sire? Is that you?"

    Secondster, there was still no response from within the cave. The two could only wait, since the sound was approaching the entrance of the cave anyway.

    Between the two youths, the elf had more sensitive hearing. He frowned when he realized something was amiss.

    ''This sound... a body being dragged..bored breaths? But there''s no footsteps.''

    After what seemed like an eternity, they finally saw the source of that dragging from where they were standing outside the barrier.

    A body of a man d in all ck, paralyzed and barely able to crawl on the ground.

    As he struggled to move towards them, his body left a trail of blood on the snow-covered ground.

    "S-Sire?!" Erlos eximed in shock as he could not believe his eyes.

    Draven continued to drag himself, as if he had not heard Erlos.

    Erlos began attacking the barrier again with more desperation this time. "Sire? Sire, can you hear me? Sire, what happened--wait, we will get help! Aureus, you go and call your uncle--"

    "M-Morph..." they heard Draven''s weak voice amidst his struggle. "Wait."

    The two obediently waited outside the barrier; however, their expressions were both terrible. The closer Draven got to the entrance of the cave, the worse they realized his condition was.

    What happened to the King of Agartha, the proud ck Dragon, for him to be reduced to this pathetic state?

 Chapter 404 We Need To Save Him

    Draven''s senses were sealed, but given his powers, he was able to regain his sense of sight and hearing back, but he could not feel his limbs. That was the effect of the hostile divine power from the stabbed dagger rampaging inside his body, devouring his own magic. It was pure willpower that allowed him to leave the ice chamber.

    The man managed to drag himself towards the barrier, despite him taking some time.

    Since he could enter it, he thought he could freely get past it this time as well, but the moment he touched the barrier, his hand was pushed back.

    Draven had guessed it, but confirming it still made him grit his teeth in frustration.

    Th had made sure he would not leave this cave at any cost.

    Draven heard Aureus'' guilt-ridden voice, "My apologies. It''s because of my blood. I¡­I should not have listened to my uncle and should not have given my blood. I didn''t think he was really going to harm you, King Draven."

    Draven was in a situation he could not even afford to re at him. The King of Agartha leaned against the barrier, using it as a support for him to sit up.

    Only then did they see the injury on his chest. A handle of a ded weapon was stuck over his heart.

    "Sire¡ª"

    "You¡­you should not have listened to him," Draven growled at Aureus, his pale face showing anger. "You don''t know¡­ what you have done."

    Aureus felt worse. "What do we do now? Should we ask the council to capture my uncle?"

    Draven struggled to stand up, and soon, he seeded, but one could see that he was teetering so much, he could fall on his knees any moment now.

    "Save¡­We have to save him¡­"

    It shocked Aureus. "Save who? My uncle?"

    But this time, Draven did not answer him.

    With a ferocious expression, he grabbed the handle of that divine weapon and pulled it out from his body, causing his bleeding to worsen. His injury was severe, but it was not deadly. It was the kind of injury that would take at most several days to heal with the help of potions.

    However, that was not the most important thing.

    With the divine weapon gone from his body, Draven''s powers were returning!

    "Step back," Erlos said as he pulled Aureus away from the barrier. His master was extremely powerful¡ªeven the strongest barriers could not trap him for long.

    He knew Draven would break the barrier, and thinking about the high level of this runic formation, the remnant force after destroying it would be extremely dangerous for them.

    p¦Á§ád¦Á §«?¦Í¨º|,§ã¨°§® "The King said my uncle needs saving?" Aureus mumbled in disbelief. "Did I hear him wrong?"

    "Though I don''t know what happened, I think you are misunderstanding something," Erlos said. "You thought the Commander wanted to kill Sire?"

    "I heard things¡­"

    "He is annoying, but unfortunately, that bird is indeed Sire''s friend. Did you really think that your uncle is that kind of person? A lowly scum who would harm his own dear friend? They just have conflicts, but even though these two always fight, they do not truly hate each other. They just can''t be honest to themselves."

    However, Aureus could not register a single word Erlos said as Draven began to manifest his powers.

    Though Draven was yet to regain his peak strength, the level of magic he was emitting was stronger than both Erlos'' and Aureus'' powersbined. They felt strong vibrations on the ground, causing them to take a couple more steps away from the barrier.

    Draven, who looked so weak he could pass out mere moments ago, was now standing firmly in ce, his body emitting rays of light.

    The two youths were shocked. The kind of energy they felting from Draven was a foreign energy which they had never felt before.

    ''White light? Isn''t Sire''s attribute darkness?'' Erlos thought in shock.

    It was extremely bizarre. As the one always by Draven''s side for years, Erlos of course knew his master''s abilities but this new energy he was sensing, was something he had never sensed before.

    Aureus'' shock was bigger.

    The young Divine Eagle grew up in a human kingdom¡ªthough he had seen supernatural beings use their powers before, they did it in a more lowkey manner, not to mention they would not spread out their magic in this manner.

    The King of Agartha did not seem like a person at this moment. He was like the sun, the moon, the stars and the sky¡ªnot a living, breathing being but a part of nature.

    ''What kind of power is this? This¡­this is stronger than anything I have ever felt before. It feels like no one in this world should have such power. I was mistaken¡ªthe King of Agartha is stronger than Dray.''

    Aureus could not believe his eyes.

    He felt like he was facing the strongest being in this world.

    The rays being emitted from Draven''s body grew stronger and stronger, to the point the two youths thought the sun had descended on the continent.

    Crack!

    Crack, crack, crack¡ª

    Boom!

    The barrier of the cave could no longer keep such overwhelming divine power at bay, and soon, the collision caused by Draven''s powers and of that barrier caused the entire peak to be leveled t.

    Not just the cave, but the upper part of the mountain soon crumbled, causing an avnche to cascade down the remnant side of the mountain.

    Fortunately, Aureus and Erlos were able to react on time¡ªthe eagle managed to pulled themselves to safety by flying away from the cave as fast as he could, while the elf was able to cast a doubleyered defensive spell of his own, shielding the two of them from the st of the explosion; otherwise, they could not imagine how injured they would have been.

    A minute after the explosion died down, Aureus and Erlosnded on the ruined mountain. The entire cave was destroyed. Nothing remained.

    "Sire?" Erlos carefully called out.

    As the dust settled down, the King of Agartha reappeared in front of them. He was floating over the pile of rocks stacked in snow, his appearance as if he was never hurt to begin with.

    Both Aureus and Erlos might have been shocked by the King''s show of strength, but Draven himself was more shocked than them. His own body was emitting a kind of power which Draven himself had never known.

    Draven was a divine beast, and the divinity in his blood was extremely pure, that was why his magic of the darkness attribute was stronger than other supernatural beings. Yet today, he finally realized he had been ignorant about himself.

    ''This kind of power¡­it''s like Ember''s, the kind of divine power that should not exist in the mortal world.''

    In his desperation of saving someone dear to him, something inside him was unleashed. Along with his Dragon powers, there was another strong power flowing inside him and that power was not foreign but his own.

    Thousands of years had passed since Draven awakened without a memory, yet he never discovered this otherworldly power. It only showed how important that person was to him.

    He had questions about himself, but this was not the time to think about it as he needed to hurry to save that stupidly sentimental person.

 Chapter 405 Divine Power

    Dravennded back on the ttened peak, but before he could say a word to the young eagle and elf, he felt a strange fluctuationing from a certain direction and froze in ce.

    Crackle, crackle!

    A gust of hot wind suddenly blew over, one with the strength of an iing hurricane. A bolt of lightning crashed down with vengeance, as if it nned to scorch the earth ck.

    In a mere moment, the bright and sunny weather changed. Sudden darkness enveloped the sky. A distant sound of explosion echoed in the air, and it was so strong its vibrations could be felt by Draven.

    The King of Agartha turned to look in the direction of its source-- the pce.

    The sky over the pce was covered in pitch ck clouds, making one have the illusion that night had fallen. The threatening lightning and thunder appeared as if they were omens of disaster.

    Divine power.

    Another divine power was being unleashed in the pce.

    It was the most destructive divine power he had only caught a glimpse of, but he knew who was the owner of that power.

    "I amte," Draven said before disappearing from the destroyed peak of the mountain.

    ----

    Meanwhile, back in the Netherfields, Cornelia was holding a ring on her palm. It was an item that belonged to Th Grimsbane which her sister had taken from her chamber, as Maria knew Cornelia''s scrying would be more precise if she had a proper medium.

    Cornelia went to a less crowded part of the graveyard, trying to sense the presence of Th, when she suddenly grew pale.

    She identally saw something in front of a grave.

    ''Camellia flowers?''

    She was frightened out of her wits. The shape of the bouquet, the number of flowers, even the angle of sunlight hitting those petals...

    It was the same view as in her ominous vision.

    Cornelia looked at her apprentice who was standing behind the senior witches of her coven. "Silvia, who brought those flowers?" Cornelia pointed at the bouquet.

    "Let me inquire, mydy." The young witch quickly asked a nearby sister and returned with news. "Commander Morpheus brought them, mydy."

    Cornelia was shocked.

    ''Morph? Could it be...''

    The red-haired witch felt her breath stuck in her chest. With her eyes wide open, the scenes of that vision yed in front of her eyes once again. A lowugh soon escaped her lips, sounding so distorted it was as if she was about to grow mad.

    ''Someone important to me? Of course, His Majesty is important but it was only because he is a benefactor who helped us witches again and again, because I owe the King a debt of gratitude and I strive to return his trust... but as a person...my important person...How could Morph''s importancepare to the King?''

    Tears rolled down her eyes at the realization of what that vision of hers was going to cause.

    ''I thought I have sessfully moved on...but it seems I''ve yet to forget that man. My heart remains foolish...''

    As if to mock her, the heaven suddenly turned dark like the night sky. sh of lightning struck without warning, causing all the supernatural beings in the Kingdom of Agartha to be enveloped by a sense of tension and fear. Just then, an explosion urred south of the graveyard, and waves of strong vibrations rocked the earth.

    Cornelia dropped the ring in her hand as she stood up in ce, the blood in her body turning cold as ice.

    ''No, no, no!''

    As desperation hit her, Cornelia immediately enveloped herself in magic, but before she vanished, her gaze happened to meet Zelda''s. There were tears in Zelda''s reddened eyes, the traces on her aged face showing she had been crying for some time.

    Cornelia understood. Zelda knew. She had known all along.

    ''I hope I am notte!''

    The Head of the Witches disappeared from Netherfields even before her subordinates could say a word.

    --

    Minutes ago, before the skies of Agartha darkened, Leeora had been approached by the Wood Elves who were residing outside of Ronan, bringing along with them their spouses or families to greet the High Elder of their n. Since they live in other cities, they had little chance to interact with Leeora who almost never leaves Ronan except for the pce during council meetings.

    "Greetings, High Elder."

    "How have you been, dear? It has been six months since Ist saw..."

    After she epted their courtesy, Leeora sensed something upon returning to the graves of her fallen n members. She smelled precious herbs that were mixed together.

    Rosemary, yarrow, chamomile, mugwort...

    She carefully looked around and found that every grave had those wreaths in front of them, the herbs she smelled all woven together along with pine. Some graves had small baskets of those nts, while others had y pots with a different mix of nts as well, showing great care and thought had been put on those offerings. As if the person who put them there knew the names and preferences of those buried.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    For the Wood Elves, these nts held a ceremonial meaning of ''protection'' and ''healing''.

    Why didn''t she notice it before? This arrangement was not done by her. Could it be one of the elders?

    "Who put these wreaths here?" Leeora asked the elder closest to her.

    "Greetings, High Elder. Are they not a nice gesture? Commander Morpheus gifted it in honor of our deceased friends and families. From what I heard, not just us. He also arranged something for each of the elf ns."

    ''Morph did?''

    A sense of unease struck the elderly elf, but before she could collect her thoughts, the sunny sky was reced by ominous darkness. Her unease turned to fear when she sensed the source of the explosion.

    ''The pce!''

    After a quick word to the elder, Leeora then hurried to leave the graveyard.

    Though those who had knowledge of the vision were the fastest to react, the others weren''t slow as well.

    The warriors immediately deployed formations, the authority figures quick to calm their own people, prioritizing to put the elderly, the weak and the children to the safest locations.

    Thanks to the preparations they had from expecting trouble from the humans, the n leaders and elders present in the Netherfields prioritized the safety of the people first. Those who could fly went to the sky, and the shapeshifters transformed into their beast forms, looking in the direction where the sky was pitch ck.

    Even the weakest supernatural beings felt the threating from that direction, and they reacted as if they were going to face the biggest disaster.

    "Everyone, be careful! Witches, make sure the barriers are maintained."

    "The feathered races, first scout the situation and report! Don''t approach the source of that power!"

    "Could it be those ck magic scoundrels attacking?"

    "People, calm down. Don''t spread panic. Our warriors are checking out the situation--"

    The uproar rose in the Netherfields. Perhaps because today was the day of mourning, but the majority thought that it was an attack caused by ck magic practitioners.

    Mothers embraced their young children to protect them, while the others, regardless of their gender or age, as long as they had an ability to fight, were preparing to fight. Especially those who held deep grudges against ck magic practitioners, they were even gritting their teeth, expectant to exact their vengeance.

    The first batch of scoutsnded where Chief of the Shapeshifters, Agraleus, was standing. They were members of the Divine Eagle n, considered the fastest of the scouts. The two shapeshifters looked panicked.

    "Chief! Please head to the pce!"

    "What''s going on?" Agraleus asked.

    "Commander Morpheus is injured!"

    Though the news shocked him, Agraleus was able to quickly regain hisposure. After all, though he had long retired from fighting, he was also a battle-hardened warrior himself, and as one of the highest authority figures of the kingdom, he knew only by remaining clearheaded would he be able to stabilize the situation.

    "Report the situation."

    "The Commander is currently at the King''s pce. The human--I mean, the King''s mate, her powers are out of control. We can''t even approach the outer walls. Her powers are not allowing anyone to enter there. When we left, the Commander was at the brink of losing his life. We do not know how long he can resist."

    "It can''t be." Agraleus gritted his teeth and looked around. "Where is His Majesty? Did you report this to him?"

    "Not yet. We didn''t see His Majesty, but since this rtes to his mate, perhaps he had already left for the pce."

    Not waiting for another moment, Agraleus opened his wings to rush towards the pce.

    After news spread from their own scouts, the other n leaders hurried to leave for the pce as well, not without leaving instructions to the strongest members of their ns.

    "No one is to leave the Netherfields. Wait for further instructions."

    "Yes, elder!"

    "I obey your order, leader!"

    "Please rest assured, Father. We warriors will protect everyone here!"

    ===

    A/N- The third book of "Devil and Witch" series has beenunched today on webnovel app. It is a story of Dragon and a new queen of witches- A ck witch, who I have mentioned before in this novel.

    Title- The Devil''s Betrothed.

    It is the entry for WSA 2023 contest. I wish all of your support once again as this can be thest WSA I am participating in. Let''s get a Gold this time, I believe we can. <3<3

    You can find the novel in my webnovel author profile or you can simply search the title in webnovel app.

 Chapter 406 Cant Use His Powers

    ''Don''t die! You can''t die before I arrive¡ª''

    When Draven appeared at the pce, he mistakenly thought he was in the wrong ce.

    Fire and devastation.

    It was as if he had returned to the scenes of wars against the human race from thousands of years ago. Back then, Agartha was yet to be founded and the continent had been ravaged by wars between human kingdoms. There was no safe ce. Cities burned, and towns were constantly ravaged by battles, leaving ruins behind.

    Draven himself was but a wanderer fighting against the human armies who destroyed whatever settlement stood their way, protecting the supernatural beings who were running away from their original homes.

    At this moment, the destroyed city walls and burning houses from the past ovepped with the sight of devastation before him. Broken walls and pirsy about, and part of the pce had copsed into scorched rubbles, as if they were smashed apart by an extremely strong explosion from the inside. Fire was quickly spreading towards the rest of the pce.

    ''Ember! Is she safe?'' He could not find his mate outside the pce walls. His blood grew icy cold. ''Could she be inside? Is Morph inside as well?''

    A tall wall of fire surrounded that broken part of the pce, and Draven could not see even with his eyesight what was happening beyond those mes. Something was blocking both his eyesight and magic from sensing what''s happening inside.

    Draven hurried over, intending to rush through the wall of fire¡ª

    Bang!

    His sturdy body passed through the initialyers of mes, but somewhere within, he mmed against a firm solid wall, one so strong it did not even tremble under his strength. One had to know that a Dragon''s body, even in his human force, was a force that could destroy mountains.

    He tried to attack it once more, wrapping his magic around his fist, but the barrier remained unmovable. He spread his senses around, looking for a way to enter, but realized that the solid barrier was in the form of a dome.

    ''The source of the explosion came from inside. I need to know what''s going on!''

    Since he could not directly enter, he disappeared from the wall of fire and appeared on the highest remnant spire of the pce from where he could see the entire pce grounds.

    Rumble!

    Above his head, thick bolts of lightning shed, followed by ps of thunder. The dark sky above the pce was raging with strong wind and thunder, as if something had provoked the heavens from unleashing its anger.

    The raging mes, coupled with the bolts of lightning and the strong wind, made him unable to see anything clearly. Still, his eyesight was able to catch images of those inside the barrier.

    At the center of the ruined pce, amidst what looked like the remains of the garden, he caught sight of his mate.

    ''She''s safe, but¡­''

    His relief was short-lived.

    The source of the power that caused this devastation and triggered the anger of the heavens was no one else but Ember.

    At this moment, his mate didn''t look like herself. No, she didn''t even look human.

    She looked like a fire incarnate, floating above the scorched ground like an immortal, tongues of red mes intimately worshiping her from all directions. Therge mes behind her had taken the shape of a furious phoenix, its threatening wings formed from zing fire.<novelsnext>please visit </novelsnext>

    Extremely arrogant and domineering, as if she did not mind the destruction around her, reminding Draven of her reincarnated past.

    The Deity of Fire.

    And at this moment, that deity was unleashing her anger against the world.

    Even from afar, Draven could feel her emotions. It was as if she would stop at nothing but destroying everything in her path. He didn''t know what provoked her, but no matter what, her rampage was bound to cause her problems in the aftermath.

    He knew that Ember would regret this once she was in her right frame of mind.

    Through the bond, he could feel that strongest change in her powers and her emotions. He knew things were bound to worsen as time went on. He needed to stop this madness and calm her down.

    ''But where is Morph?''

    Other than Ember, the reason he hurried back to the pce was because he found out that the stupid eagle did the most stupid thing he had ever done to date.

    ''Who told you to intervene with destiny?!''

    From the sky, Draven tried to break the barrier once more, casting magic spells and even using the brute force of his body, but nothing worked against the energy barrier surrounding the garden premises.

    In the end, Draven had tond on the ground at the boundary of that barrier. All his powers did was disperse the wall of fire outside the barrier, allowing him to see more of the situation inside.

    Ember was not alone. However, she was the only one who was not injured.

    He found some injured female beasts captured by ropes made of mes, being strangled in the air. Only then did he notice Morpheus lying on the ground. Someone seemed to be kneeling beside him, but Draven''s sole attention was on Morpheus'' chest.

    His gaze then found a dagger stabbed over his heart.

    ''No! No, no, no¡ª'' His fists mmed against the barrier once more. He had no time to waste. Maybe it was not yet toote.

    He had to destroy this barrier, stop Ember and save Morpheus!

    ''Why?! Why won''t it break?!''

    This wasn''t the case with the barrier casted by Th Grimsbane. Back then, his energy was being constantly devoured by the fake divine weapon she stabbed him with.

    He was using his full strength now! Why couldn''t he break this barrier?

    He tried again and again, and after he somewhat regained his calm did he realize it wasn''t that his strength wascking. Against the powers of his mate, it was as if his attacks were dissipating on their own.

    ''What is this? Why can''t I use my power?''

 Chapter 407 Rage Filled Deity

    Draven looked at his hands in shock. It was as if he was some powerless being and he was being delusional to think he had powers. Taking a step back, he found a broken stone pir a few feet away from him and after hitting it with a st, that stone pir turned into dust.

    ''Is this the difference between the purity of divinity? Because I''m a mere beast while she''s a deity?''

    "Ember! Stop this!" he called out, despite knowing that his voice could not possibly reach her because of the barrier. "Ember! Morph!"

    It was shocking how he could not do anything despite seeing the situation in front of him. He thought he had forgotten how fear and desperation felt, that he had grown numb to emotions, but he realized he was merely lying to himself.

    The King of Agartha was powerless in front of destiny once more.

    The sounds of wings pping caused him to get back to his senses.

    Headed by Chief Agraleus, the leaders and warriors who were first to respond to the explosion were arriving one by one at the pce. Various expressions, from grim to horrified, were on their faces. They were all weaker than Draven, that was why they were more affected by the terrifying strengthing from within the barrier.

    To worsen the situation, Draven''s appearance was extremely terrible, as if he had gone through a fierce battle, his clothes dirty and burned at some parts. And also they could not see blood on him due to his all ck attire, they could smell the strong stench of blood on him.

    Was the King attacked?!

    "Your Majesty!"

    "What happened¡ª"

    "Where are the enemies¡ª"

    "Morpheus! Where is he?"

    Agraleus had already lost his calm upon seeing Draven. In his mind, if even the King was in this awful situation, then wouldn''t it be worse for his nephew? He panicked as he searched for his nephew.

    Thanks to Draven''s earlier efforts, most of the mes outside the barrier had been extinguished, allowing those outside to somewhat see the situation inside despite the raging mes, the sharp winds and the bolts of lightning obstructing most of their vision.

    They saw the King''s mate domineeringly covered in mes, the strangled female shapeshifters, as well as the bleeding Commander of Warriors on the ground with a female shapeshifter crying over his body.

    "Commander Morpheus is inside!"

    "Commander! Commander!"

    "He''s still alive, right¡ª"

    Few started to call for him, but there was no response.

    "The King''s mate put up this barrier, right? How can a human be so strong?"

    "Lady Ember, please remove this barrier!"

    Only then did they realize that the barrier isted the outside world from those within the dome-shaped barrier. They also tried to break the barrier, but their efforts yielded no results.

    "That female¡­isn''t that Young Lady Isa next to the Commander?" someone said.

    "Aren''t thosedies from the Divine Fox n?" anothermented when they recognized the three shapeshifters being strangled by Ember''s power, struggling for their lives.

    More people had arrived by then, and one of them was High Elder Halifax from the Moon Elf n. "Your Majesty! You need to find a way to stop your mate or she will kill everyone inside."

    "Your Majesty, please break the barrier and save the Commander!"

    "Your Majesty¡ª"

    Among them, Draven was the most desperate to destroy the damned barrier, but he was helpless in front of Ember''s power. He could not help but get angry at himself¡ªhe could not figure out why his powers were not working when he needed them the most.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Was this destiny ying tricks on him, acting up in order to ensure the future seen in the vision stays true?

    He could not ept this!

    Someone dear to him was dying! Wasn''t he the one destined to die? Then he should be the one lying there, not Morpheus!

    How could he tolerate helplessly watching as a bystander as life fades away from his friend?

    Gasps of horror rang out.

    "She¡­She killed them¡­"

    "A human killed¡ª"

    "Your Majesty, I beseech you! Break the barrier!"

    "We must save the Commander and Lady Isa!"

    "How could she do this¡ª"

    Everyone was frightened after seeing Ember mercilessly kill the three captured shapeshifters, and they panicked at the thought of what the human girl would do next. These people were not blind and had realized that Ember had gone berserk, and was no longer rational. The only way to stop her rampage was to overpower her.

    Draven finally opened his mouth. "Use your powers together to break this barrier."

    "What¡ª"

    "Use your most destructive offensive skills and focus on this spot," he ordered, his tone like a general ordering his people.

    Those who hade to the pce were all experienced warriors. They didn''t question him and simply executed the King''s orders.

    After they all controlled their emotions, they eachunched their strongest ranged spells, and for the next seconds, it was as if fireworks of the five elements had erupted above the pce, causing sts upon sts to hit the barrier, the shockwaves further causing ruin to the surroundings.

    The beings gathered in front of the barrier were council members, leaders and active warriors representing the strongest firepower avable in their respective ns and races, yet despite trying their best, nothing happened. They could only stop after they exhausted the energies in their cores.

    It was as if that barrier was absorbing their powers instead of getting affected by it.

    "Your Majesty, I believe you should attack together with us," Halifax said after seeing the most powerful being with them not participating.

    Draven decided to be honest. "My magic dissipates before it can even touch the barrier."

    The King''s answer shocked everyone. At first they looked down on the King''s human mate, thinking her unworthy of the Dragon''s noble bloodline, but now, many of them began to fear what would happen if such a tyrannically powerful human ruled them, so powerful that even their king could not affect her.

    "T-Then, what about the people inside? Are we only able to wait and watch them die?"

    ===

    A/N- The third book of "Devil and Witch" series has beenunched today on webnovel app. It is a story of Dragon and a new queen of witches- A ck witch, who I have mentioned before in this novel.

    Title- The Devil''s Betrothed.

    It is the entry for WSA 2023 contest. I wish all of your support once again as this can be thest WSA I am participating in. Let''s get a Gold this time, I believe we can. <3<3

    You can find the novel in my webnovel author profile or you can simply search the title in webnovel app.

 Chapter 408 Failed Attempts

    Once Draven disappeared from the mountain, Aureus flew towards pce with Erlos. After facing Draven''s strong divine power which destroyed the peak of that huge mountain and using his own powers to protect Erlos and himself from it''s effect by creating a shield of his divine power, Aureus was slower than usual to fly from that far away mountain and to arrive the pce.

    Though Draven''s powers were not meant to attack them and he just had to protect them from it''s destructive effects, Aureus could not help but wonder what would happen if the King of Agartha ever used that power to fight with someone. The result would sure be the defeat or death of his opponent.

    When they reached the pce, all they could see from the sky was whatever was going in the garden part of the pce.

    They saw everyone was using their powers to break that dome shaped barrier. He could not believe his eyes for what he was seeing.

    "What happened here?" Erlos mumbled as he had never seen this pce in it''s almost destroyed form.

    Aureus'' gaze started to look through that barrier

    Ember¡­ his uncle...

    Theynded where Draven and others were. Letting go of Erlos, Aureus carefully looked inside that barrier closely only to get the shock of his life. His uncle was injured, there was a dagger pierced in his heart and looked like he was on the brink of death.

    "W-What happened?" he asked, his eyes utterly shocked and started to get moist. "Morph?"

    Draven looked at the shocked young eagle but he had nothing to say and his first concern was his friend.

    Erlos put his hand on his shoulder to console him first though he was equally shocked. "First, let''s help them break this barrier."

    Erlos could be calm as he had long been trained by Draven himself through his unexpected ways of teaching which taught him to keep his calm even in the worst situation as panicking would not give any result.

    Aureus got back to his senses and started to use his divine power to help others break that barrier along with Erlos. He was desperate to break it and go to his uncle.

    Erlos even used his magical arrows that contained strongest powers from the young High Elf which could destroy anything in its way, but in front of that barrier everything failed.

    When everyone had exhausted their powers and could not break the barrier, Aureus heard others asking the King to use his powers. The King, the almighty ck Dragon who could destroy that huge mountain peak, who he had seen using the strongest divine power he had ever witnessed, Aureus was sure nothing could be impossible for this powerful person.

    Just as the hope flickered in his mind, Aureus got to hear something shocking from the King.

    "My magic dissipates before it can even touch the barrier."

    Aureus felt terrible and felt like time was slipping through his hands and again he was going to lose his only family. He had so many questions about how all this had happened but first he wanted to reach his uncle and save him.

    ¡ª---

    The Head of the Witches, Cornelia Grimm, was the second person to reach the pce after Draven.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    However, she came from a different direction, and rather than using brute force, she was using divination spells to see an alternate way to pass through or undo the barrier. Her eyes began to bleed, and she even used her own blood to write runes in order to weaken the barrier.

    However, against the divine power of a deity, what could a mere witch do? Her skills were not meant for offense andbat in the first ce¡­

    Her heart constricted at the sight of Morpheus lying immobile on the ground. A man important to her, a divine weapon created for the purpose of killing, the raging mes, she had all seen this before.

    ''The vision¡­in the end¡­''

    Tears fell from her eyes, and she cried loudly like a little girl as she fell on her knees, her bloodied hands leaving red prints on the barrier.

    ''Morpheus¡­''

    When she realized the King of Agartha was trying to destroy the barrier as well, a me of hope flickered inside her, but this small me was quickly extinguished by his helplessness.

    ''Even His Majesty could do nothing?''

    When others started to attack the barrier under the orders of the King, though she was already bleeding from her eyes from the bacsh of failed spells, Cornelia pushed herself to help. Since her attacks were pathetic inparison, she tried weakening the defenses of the barrier through the use of curses even at the cost of squeezing her magic dry.

    As she looked around, many familiar faces held desperation in them as they strived to bring down the barrier.

    There was Morpheus'' uncle, Agraleus, and his nsmen. There were the warriors who were once trained by Morpheus, as well as Leeora and the other members of the council. There''s also the two youths beside the King, Erlos and Aureus, who looked as if they too were about to fall on their knees from exhaustion¡­

    ''I cannot let him die. There''s still hope. Since I''m not alone, since many of us are trying to save him, there has to be hope!''

    Tears of blood continued to flow down her cheeks as the desperate witch tried to save the man she once loved.

    -----

    Leeora reached there as well and saw the most powerful beings of this kingdom were altogether attempting to break that barrier. But they had failed. It looked like even if the entire kingdom gathered here and used their powers, it won''t be able to break this barrier.

    "Morph!"

    She called out in a weak voice as if she had lost all her strength just at the sight of Morpheus being hurt.

    Tears rolled down her eyes as she was going to lose the precious person to her just as it was shown in her vision. She felt pain in her chest. The pain of losing someone she was going to experience once again.

    ''You said you will save him. Is this the way you chose? Sacrificing your own life? Why could you not find another way without anyone needing to die? Why....?''

 Chapter 409 Beautiful To Die...Protecting You

    Meanwhile, inside that dome-shaped energy barrier.

    Morpheus was on the ground, his pulse growing weaker by the minute as if counting hisst breaths. A handle of a dagger could be seen sticking out from his chest.

    In his eyes, the world was turning blurry and slowly losing its colors.

    Only the fiery redness of the mes behind Ember remained bright, like a ssh of color on a faded painting. Perhaps it was a blessing that thest sight he''d get to see before his death was Ember''s me phoenix.

    ''How beautiful,'' he could not help but think as his heartbeats began to slow. ''She has the most beautiful wings...perhaps if there''s a next life...a mere eagle like me can also...''

    "M-Morph, don''t die please," he heard a voice continuously say beside him like a prayer.

    It was the spoiled but still adorable little fox, Isa, and she was crying and begging, looking so pitiful, his heart ached. This was someone he treated like a little sister.

    At this moment, she was covered in his blood, her beautiful face white as a sheet. Her hand was ced above him, and she was casting a basic healing spell with whatever energy was left in her. Something was wrong with her energy core, but despite that, she was squeezing out her remaining divine power into his weak body, trying to protect thest of his vitality.

    However, Isa was no healer in the first ce, and the strength of the divine weapon could not be negated by a mere basic spell.

    She was only dying the inevitable.

    "D-Don''t cry," Morpheus raised his hand to wipe her tears. "I..."

    Cough!

    He coughed out blood and was unable to say anything.

    Isa gripped Morpheus'' hand and continued to force her powers into him. "No, no, you have to hold on, please! I will do something. Don''t give up--"

    Morpheus'' dull senses caught movement at the periphery. It seemed like someone had arrived.

    ''In the end, he came.''

    A triumphant smile lingered on Morpheus'' pale face when he noticed a certain red-eyed man from outside the barrier.

    Although his vision was deteriorating, there was no need to guess who it was since there was only one person with red eyes within Agartha--that arrogant ck Dragon.

    ''This powerful Dragon. Th''s n could not hold him back any longer. But still was enough to keep him away from here.''

    It seemed like the Dragon was trying but failing to break through the barrier. He could only imagine Draven''s expression at this moment. Had he thrown away that irritating expressionless mask of his? Was he staring at him with a face full of worry? Guilt? Anger?

    He wanted to mock Draven, to boast how he managed to sessfully pull a scheme without him knowing and that he sessfully changed his destiny.

    Morpheus was able to fight against destiny--in a sense, this could be considered a miraculous achievement that not even Draven had achieved.

    ''You dimwit... hah, you''re still so annoying...Ugh, it hurts...I wish I could punch you onest time...haah...You better make a nice grave as a sign of thanks...and don''t ever make your mate cry...if you do, I''ll crawl out of my grave and haunt you...''

    Memories of their early camaraderie shed before him.

    Back then, he really thought he''d call Draven his brother-inw.

    It''s a pity he could not see his sister onest time...

    If only things were different...

    "Morph! No! Don''t close your eyes!" Isa screamed.

    In desperation, red fox tails appeared behind her. However, instead of three, there were merely two tails and one was even starting to dissipate into pure divine power, which she nned to inject into Morpheus'' body.

    To think the youngdy of the Divine Fox n would sacrifice a tail to preserve hisst breath! That was worth hundreds of years of bitter cultivation! It was her own lifeforce! Not to forget once a divine fox loses their tail, that lost tail would never grow back and they could never have nine tails when all these foxes do is to dedicate their lifetime to grow those nine tails. Hardly the numbers countable on fingers could achieve it.

    "Isa, what are you doing?! Stop!"

    Even if she did this, he would still die! She was wasting her divine powers for nothing!

    The moment he felt her lifeforce being transferred, Morpheus forcefully interrupted their connection and pushed her hand away, causing Isa to fail in sacrificing her tail.

    "I''m sorry, I''m sorry! I just don''t want you to die. Please don''t die, Morph!" she sobbed. "Don''t die, don''t leave us! It''s all my fault and I need to save you."

    Perhaps it was due to his anger, Morpheus was able to get back some strength in his body. He found his vision clear a bit, and he could somehow move his limbs a little.

    Only then did he notice the crowd outside the barrier, and he somehow felt sentimental seeing the faces of the people he used to bicker with for years.

    He noticed his nephew who he got to meet just a while back and now it was time to separate from him. He could see what Aureus was feeling at this moment, he must have felt hurt and betrayed.

    ''I hope you will forgive me Aureus for keeping you in the dark...for being such a disappointment as your uncle, for not being able to spend more time with you... for once again making you feel this pain...for taking your blood to fulfill my n...the n where you lose your only family...please forgive me...''

    Morpheus saw his uncle Agraleus who looked hurt and he could not help but be thankful to him for looking after him like his own son.

    Just as Morpheus was starting to feel guilt at the sight of his uncle and nephew, his attention was quickly diverted by the pitiful screams of those tortured under Ember''s hands.

    A suffocating power erupted from her body.

    ''Killing intent!''

    Screech!

    The fire phoenix behind Ember seemed to let out a furious silent cry before pping its mighty wings towards the three shapeshifters.

    Whoosh!

    mes devoured their bodies, turning them into ckened corpses that gradually scattered into ashes.

    The strength of that attack made even Morpheus fearful. His instincts were telling him that he was in great danger, that he should stay away from that phoenix, that the master of those mes had already lost her reason. He would be set on fire the moment he approached her.

    Because she was no longer Ember.

    That woman was a fire itself.

    There was only the raging desire to burn everything in her path.

    Yet knowing he was bound to die either way, Morpheus moved. Between dying by pitifully bleeding on the ground or dying in the hands of the woman he loved, it was an easy choice to make.

    With the outside world isted from within, only he could stop Ember''s rampage.

    The next moment, the fire phoenix behind Ember grew bigger and more ferocious, and the temperature of the mes around her rose along with her killing intent.

    Killing those three shapeshifters didn''t satisfy her anger--it only fueled her desire to burn the world and let all living beings know of her rage.

    It pained Morpheus to see her like this.

    ''I need to stop her. I need to.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    He closed his eyes briefly and tried to gather whatever strength left in him. He wanted to pull out the dagger from his chest, but it was impossible to remove it unless its purpose had been achieved--meaning, he had to die first for it to be removed.

    His body was breaking down, and only through sheer willpower was he making his body move.

    "Morph, you are hurt. Stay still. Why are you standing--"

    Morpheus staggered to his feet. He had no energy left to spare for anything else. His consciousness was starting to grow blurry as well, but he steeled himself. Onest mission before his death.

    ''To stop Ember...''

    ''Stop Ember...''

    ''Stop her...''

    Hisrge gray wings spread behind him. Compared to their original beautiful feathers, they looked rather dirty andckluster, with some feathers broken and falling off. It could be seen from their state that their owner''s power could no longer sustain their form.

    Morpheus then let out a grunt as he caused his core to explode, sacrificing his bloodline in order to gather enough divinity in his broken body.

    Whoosh!

    The strands of his hair turned to gold, and his gray wings became majestic and beautiful once more, its color a shiny golden colorparable to the morning sun. Divine power pulsed through as he squeezed out the potential of his bloodline.

    Morpheus was back to his peak form, the strongest Divine Eagle and the most respected among the warriors of Agartha, even if it would onlyst for a few moments.

    This golden battle form was the image of Morpheus admired by all warriors in their hearts but they didn''t know they were going to see it for thest time.

    "Commander...he is alive..."

    "I knew it! How can a mere dagger hurt our Commander. Back in the days, he even survived being hit by ten arrows!"

    "Indeed! He can stop the human now!"

    "It''s not easy to disable the Commander. He is so powerful, he can still fight even if injured."

    Those with less perception started to cheer, but Draven along with the powerful council members had grim expressions on their faces. Those from the Divine Eagle race started to tear up as they knew what harm Morpheus had caused to himself.

    "M-Morph..." Agraleus had no words to say as his eyes reddened. Being a divine beast himself, he was aware of what his nephew had done. After this, even if his nephew survived by miracle, he would be crippled.

    ''U-Uncle?'' Aureus got another shock and ended up taking a step back in disbelief. He felt like he was lost somewhere and was just seeing things. He didn''t want to see it, he was not ready for this, not ready to lose his uncle.

    Draven felt like he was trapped in a nightmare, forced to watch a tragedy unfold without being able to do anything. It was even ironic because his surroundings were filled with people ignorantly cheering, unaware of the truth.

    After this...he could not imagine what would happen after this.

    Inside the barrier, Morpheus in his glorious golden form shook off Isa and flew towards Ember.

    "Ember! Can you hear me? It''s me, Morph! Your friend, Morph! Wake up! You have to stop--"

    The woman wrapped in mes did not respond. She looked like she could not see or hear anyone.

    However, the mes around her continued to deepen in color, their temperature rising to the point the rocks under her were starting to melt, and the fire phoenix behind her continued to condense an attack...

    ...as if...

    ...as if it was preparing to burn him to death.

    "Ember!"

    Morpheus knew who was her next target. The one closest to her.

    It was him.

    "Ember,! Wake up! You have to stop. This is not you!"

    But the enraged divine being in front of him could not hear him. The phoenix behind her let out a soundless screech, causing an invisible force to hit his gut. This caused him to fly out like a meteor outwards, and he coughed out blood as he mmed against the solid barrier.

    The divine energy around him fluctuated, fading a bit, and when he raised his head, he found Ember changing her target.

    Because he received that attack, Morpheus was no longer the one nearest to her. It was the trembling- Divine Fox, Isa.

    ''I cannot let her take another life.''

    Morpheus understoodmunication would not work on the current Ember. With a determined gaze, he lunged towards her.

    She was wrapped in mes, but he didn''t care. He was dying anyway.

    What he could not tolerate was her having blood on her hands. She had already killed three people. He had to stop her frommitting more kills. Once she regained her consciousness and learned she had murdered people in cold blood...

    "Ember! Please stop--"

    Morpheus ignored the pain of fire burning against his skin. Even with his divinity surrounding his body, his feathers were starting to be scorched. Still, he extended his arms and wrapped Ember in a tight embrace.

    "Come back to me, Ember...I know you can hear me..."

    It was as if the raging mes froze for a second.

    "P-Please stop... Your fire is hurting your best friend..."

    Though he was in his most powerful divine form, his defenses were nothingpared to the rampaging of a deity''s power. This was even restrained by thews of the mortal world. If she was truly to use her hellfire in itsplete form, forget about the pce, at least half of Agartha would have been reduced to ashes already.

    "Little female...I''m dying but...at least..."

    Tears fell on the bare skin of her shoulder, and the next moment, the fire phoenix copsed to nothingness.

    Morpheus tightened his hold around her, but his senses had long lost their functions. He did not notice the fire had disappeared because his skin had already lost its ability to feel. He did not notice the situation changing because his eyes could no longer see. His nose could no longer smell his scorched body or her sweet scent, and his ears could no longer hear the sound of someone weeping from a distance.

    ''...this kind of...death...satisfied...''

    His heart had already stopped beating, and his body was starting to grow cold. Even willpower could not defy death.

    At this point, it was Ember keeping them afloat, holding onto his body that was slowly turning gray and lifeless.

    ''..beautiful ...to die...protecting you...the one I...''

    The rest of his words would remain unsaid forever.

    Divine Eagle Morpheus had died.

 Chapter 410 My Every Lifetime Should Mean To Die For You.

    The moment Morpheus breathed hisst, rity came back to Ember''s eyes, those red fire mes like orbs regained their original emerald green color.

    But it was toote.

    Half a beat toote.

    Because the man embracing her no longer had a heartbeat.

    "M-Morph?"

    In her shock, something inside her mind seemed to have snapped.

    Various images shed in front of her eyes. Images seemingly belonging to another world.

    A sea of fire. A green-eyed woman in a white robe. A man with golden wings wearing a familiar lopsided smile.

    "...Don''t die, please."

    Surrounded by mes, the green-eyed woman was crying while holding the tattered body of a winged man in her arms. Sorrow could be seen on her exquisite face.

    The winged man, on the contrary, seemed relieved as he moved his trembling hand to wipe away her tears, "My every lifetime should mean to die for you."

    "No, no, I don''t want you to die for me! Coward! Live for me! Don''t give up! You have to live for me!"

    "This is my destiny, my Sovereign..."

    "Destiny! Again! This damned destiny! We will change it! So don''t die for me anymore, _______!"

    But only the sea of fire could witness the deity''s sorrow as the body of the winged man scattered into golden sparkles before vanishing into nothingness.

    "No!!!"

    The green-eyed deity''s scream ovepped with Ember''s.

    With that painful and hurting scream, Ember''s powers erupted once more, causing an explosion so powerful it caused the barrier around her to crack and shatter.

    She went unconscious the next moment, and before she and Morpheus fell on the ground, Draven had swiftly moved to catch their limp bodies. He thenid them promptly on the ground. The various supernatural beings with healing powers immediately proceeded to cast spells on Ember and Morpheus.

    Aureus could not believe what he was seeing. He kneeled next to his uncle and didn''t know what to do. He was lost and tears continued to flow his eyes. ''Uncle!'' He never called him like that and now he regretted it.

    As the most powerful expert of the soul, Cornelia hurried to cast another spell on Morpheus. She wanted to try protecting his soul, keeping it from heading towards the cycle of reincarnation. Even though he was no longer breathing, since his body still retained warmth, as long as his soul remained...

    Maybe, maybe there was a chance for them to attempt to revive his heart, right? Right

    Cornelia didn''t want to give up though she knew it was impossible. Her love towards him, made her lose her reasons.

    After checking that she only lost consciousness, Draven handed over Ember to Leeora and kneeled beside Morpheus. He ced his hand over his chest, injecting his own vitality towards him.

    "Morph!"

    The peaceful smile on Morpheus'' lips brought tears to Draven''s eyes.

    Draven could not say a single word as overwhelming sadness stifled him. He pulled out the divine weapon from the eagle''s chest, but the moment it was removed, the dagger disappeared into nothingness.

    The weapon had fulfilled its destiny.

    A divine beast had been killed by its de.

    He ced his hand on Morpheus'' chest and closed his eyes. Tears continued to flow out from them.

    Aureus followed Draven as well and tried to inject his powers in his uncle''s lifeless body. He was ready to do anything just to save his uncle.

    However, despite the numerous supernatural beings attempting to heal Morpheus, the Commander of Warriors no longer responded.

    "Why?" was the only word Draven could speak, his voice emotional. "Why are you smiling...?"

    The smile on Morpheus'' lips felt like a curse to Draven. It was as if everything that happened was within Morpheus'' calctions.

    As if Morpheus was telling him that he had no regrets. That he had epted this oue, weing it even.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Morpheus truly had no regrets. He sacrificed his life in order to change Draven''s destiny.

    ''Because you are my most important friend, Draven.''

    However, these words, the King of Agartha would never get to hear.

    One by one, the healers attempting to save Morpheus lowered their hands. Despite their reluctance, there was no more reason to cast another healing spell. They could only sob, some looking away, others weeping into their hands, when they saw the King of Agartha shedding tears.

    The Commander of Warriors...had passed away.

    Aureus felt like he had never been this helpless before. Once again he could do nothing to save the one important to him. So Pathetic.

    Agraleus held Morpheus'' body. Ever since his brother died, he had been like a father figure to Morpheus. He had always nagged his nephew from skipping meetings andzing around, but the Chief of Shapeshifters had doted on him like he was his real son.

    Leeora had already copsed on her knees. The unconscious Ember was in her arms, and the elderly elf could not help but cry in hatred.

    She hated destiny!

    She wanted to curse its cruelty!

    Why must she keep losing her cherished ones so tragically?

    Why couldn''t destiny be changed?

    Why?!

    -----

    The Commander of Warriors, Divine Eagle Morpheus... had passed away?

    Seeing people in tears, coupled with the strange heavy atmosphere, the newly arrived warriors who shortly cameter as reinforcements were in confusion. They even pestered the exhausted first batch of warriors they were acquainted with, asking them what happened, whether there were enemies or such.

    However, what they heard instead was absurd.

    The Commander died? The human mate of the King went berserk? It was her who caused this phenomenon? There was no enemy attack? She killed three of their people?

    Did she... kill the Commander?

    None of those at the scene dared believe their own guesses, many wanting to deny Morpheus'' death despite seeing his lifeless body with their own eyes.

    Some eyes began to show hostility towards the unconscious human girl, growing vignt against the King. Those belonging to the feathered races had awful expressions on their faces, while those beast ns close to the Divine Fox n were visibly angry.

    This brewing aggression made many show subtle expressions; however, those intimately acquainted with Morpheus did not notice the change.

    For them, it was as if time had stopped. Deadly silence enveloped their grief-stricken figures, the exactly opposite of how chaotic everything was mere moments ago.

    Cornelia had cast one spell after another, and her skin had grown deathly pale from the massive loss of blood, wanting to call back his soul, begging his spirit to return...but though she seeded, she knew she failed.

    The taboo weapon had eliminated the vitality of Morpheus'' body.

    So what if she saved his soul? What was the use of a soul without a body?

    Was that not the same as cursing Morpheus to be a wandering ghost?

    Wouldn''t it be better to simply give up and allow him to move on and rest in peace?

    Tears of blood didn''t stop flowing from her eyes. She helplessly fell on her knees and continued to silently cry.

    Draven simply stared.

    He was as still as a statue, unmoving, not even breathing. He sat on the burned ground with a ck expression, eyes fixed on his smiling friend. It was as if he himself had lost his soul.

    Even as Aureus and Agraleus surrounded Morpheus'' corpse, even as Agraleus prudently wiped the blood that trickled out of Morpheus'' mouth, the King of Agartha did not move.

    Draven Aramis was the ck Dragon who always brings death, earning him his moniker of being the Devil. People expected him to be cold and heartless no matter the situation, yet at this moment, the people around him realized that he too was someone who could bleed. He too could be affected by a friend''s death.

    Seeing him look miserable, no one had a heart to say or ask anything to him.

 Chapter 411 Do You Blame Me?

    Yet precisely because of this situation, no one dared to move at will or pass orders. They had to wait for the King, or at least one of the council members, to take initiative and control the situation.

    The oldest amongst the council, High Elder Halifax of the Moon Elf n, took on this role.

    He ordered the warriors to move away to allow those grieving privacy.

    Some were ordered to head back to the Netherfields and report the situation to those in charge, others to seek White Tiger Logan who was the Deputy Commander of Warriors, while the rest were to investigate the truth of the situation and look for casualties around the pce.

    As the sky slowly regained normalcy and the chaotic atmosphere calmed, those who were waiting at the Netherfields received the news that Divine Eagle Morpheus was no more. Many dared not believe it, but when it waster confirmed, they had no choice but to ept it.

    There were some who were angry, a few who were in fear, and while some felt pain for the loss, all of them had a question no one could answer.

    How did Morpheus die?

    Due to the sensitivity of the issue, until after they had confirmed the truth, Halifax had strictly ordered the messengers to withhold crucial information about Ember, Morpheus, Isa and the three females of the Divine Fox n who were killed by Ember.

    On the witches'' side, the senior witches Maria and Glinda found Zelda who had strayed away from her kind. She was sitting on a tree stump near the edge of the graveyard, her dull eyes seemingly staring at nothingness. Streaks of tears had long stained her cheeks.

    "You were aware of this all, weren''t you, Zelda?" Glinda''s voice floated to her ears.

    Zelda closed her eyes briefly and she tried to calm her bitter emotions. "Do you me me?"

    "Should I?"

    "You wouldn''t havee to me otherwise."

    Glinda said nothing, but her silence held condemnation.

    With a tired sigh, Zelda tightened the grip of her wrinkled hands over her cane. "It is the least disadvantageous alternative for not losing our king."

    As it was about saving the life of the King of Agartha, the two White Witches could not object to the decision those involved had made.

    "Th, she was part of this," Glinda said, "and she didn''t let us know."

    "You two would not have allowed her to interfere with a person''s destiny. Your kind have always strictly abided by the rules," Zelda responded, her tone tired.

    Glinda''s silence affirmed Zelda''s words.

    After some reluctance, Zelda briefly exined Morpheus'' n.

    "I-I thought Th hated His Majesty and¡­" Maria felt guilty for doubting her sister.

    "She does hate him but not to the point of wanting to kill him," Zelda spoke. "But thanks to her hatred towards him, she yed a role in fulfilling the King''s destiny and we managed to keep him away from that real taboo weapon."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    The ck Witch sighed, wondering if this too was a trick of fate. "I am not sure whether we should thank her for hating the King this much."

    "Thank you for clearing up our doubts, Senior," Maria spoke in gratitude. "We shall excuse ourselves now and search for Th. I am sure the Commander''s death would weigh heavily on her conscience."

    "Let''s go. She must have returned to the Spirit Circle," Glinda said, and the two witches left after offering a light nod to Zelda.

    Upon receiving the heartbreaking news, the members of the Divine Eagle n and other feathered races who were stationed around the kingdom flew towards the pce. The sky above the pce became covered by the wings of those who hurried, wanting to verify the truth of the news of Morpheus'' death.

    After handling the most important affairs, Halifax put his hand on Agraleus'' shoulder.

    "Chief Agraleus, we should move. We cannot keep the Commander here like this. You need to take him back to your n and prepare for the memorial rites. Allow our kingdom to pay our respects to the bravemander."

    Agraleus could only silently nod, his expressionplicated. He and his sons, along with their n members, prepared to take Morpheus back to Redcrest, the city of the Divine Eagle n.

    The weight of the man in his arms seemed unbearably light, and a sense of conflict rose in the Chief''s heart. Morpheus had always been a strong man, annoyingly casual yet steadfast, a powerful figure of a warrior¡­yet at this moment, Agraleus seemed to recall the young Morpheus, an obedient little boy who always badgered his father, the former Chief, so small and so precious, tagging along with his little sister.

    How could anyone understand the grief of an elder who outlived the younger generation?

    Agraleus struggled to rise to his feet, but when his sons offered to carry Morpheus, the older man vehemently refused.

    "Your Majesty, if you allow us to¡­" Agraleus choked, unable toplete his sentence.

    As Morpheus was a member of the Divine Eagle n, it was only proper that his dead body should be taken back to their territory. After the ritual arrangements of the n, his body would be buried next to the grave of his parents.

    Still on the ground, Draven woodenly lifted his head, and regardless whether he understood the Chief of the Shapeshifters properly or not, he nodded. Erlos moved to guard beside his master who was obviously not in a good condition.

    Agraleus looked at Aureus.

    The golden eagle gritted his teeth, his reddened eyes growing firm. Yet, tears continued to pool at the corners of his eyes, betraying his emotions.

    "Let''s¡­Let''s bring your Uncle home."

    Aureus was not ready to ept that he had lost family just as he had found him. He was racked with guilt, his heart burdened with shame.

    If only he decisively stopped his uncle¡­

    His uncle shouldn''t have¡­

    Morpheus didn''t even hear him call him ''uncle'' even once¡­

    Soon, the Divine Eagle n rose to the skies, and those who were on the ground were bowing in their direction as they left.

 Chapter 412 Need A Witness

    On one side, Isa had regained her consciousness after receiving treatment from a healer. As one of the two survivors from inside the barrier, her life was prioritized by Halifax in order to fish out the details of the situation from her once she stabilized.

    As if she didn''t care about her surroundings, she began to cry, wailing loudly like a little girl. She sat on the ground, and though her body was no longer bleeding, her face remained pale and unwell, as if there was a fundamental damage to her body that mere water-attributed magic could not handle.

    The current leader of the Divine Fox n, Lord Ailwin, hurried to thank the elf healer before asking for some alone time with Isa.

    He was shocked to see her in this state. WIth a guess in his heart, he kneeled in front of her and reached out to check her pulse.

    "Dear spirits, you...!"

    Her cultivation was damaged!

    Worse, it was not caused by an external force, but self-inflicted!

    The most eligible Divine Fox expected to grow all nine tails, the sessor of Divine Fox Aldis and future hope of their race had lost one tail out of her three tails!

    "Isa, what have you done?"

    With a pained expression, the youngdy looked at him, her eyes still shedding tears. "It''s...It''s all my fault."

    She looked like she would copse any moment.

    Lord Ailwin had no option but to carry her blood-covered body in his arms and take her back to the Divine Fox n. She was in a terrible condition, and if treatment was dyed, she could lose her life any moment. Losing a tail not only meant damage in cultivation--it could also kill the fox, as their tails were rted to their souls. He could only order a n member in a hurry to inform Halifax that they would be heading out first.

    Upon hearing the tragic news, Moon Elf Y hurried to the pce straight from the Netherfields, bringing with her some of the pce servants who were able to return at a moment''s notice.

    When she arrived, Halifax was relieved to turn over the situation to her. After all, though he was the most senior council member, he was still an outsider.

    The elderly elf dared not overstep his boundaries and order people around to manage the things within the pce, especially regarding the unresponsive King and his mate. The most he could do was calm the people who were beginning to stir in anger, ming Ember for killing the Commander.

    At this moment, Halifax had ordered everyone else to disperse and leave the pce, leaving several warriors to guard and protect them from outside. Only Draven, Ember, Erlos, Leeora and Cornelia were left within the ruined garden.

    Y didn''t have the heart to say anything to the King so she first went to Leeora. She checked on Ember who was lying on the ground, held in Leeora''s arms.

    From what she sensed, Ember was merely unconscious. "Elder, we have to take Miss inside the one of the rooms."

    The condition of the pce was horrible, but only one wing of it had been damaged. The other half was in livable condition.

    Leeora got back to her senses and nodded.

    Y signaled the servants to carry Ember back to her chamber. Once Ember was taken back, she then ced her hand on Cornelia''s hand. "Lady Cornelia? I believe you need to rest as well."

    With her teary eyes, the witch stared at Y, and she heard her continue, "Why don''t you rest in one of our guest rooms? I can see you have exhausted your powers."

    Cornelia staggered to her feet, and when she found Draven being unresponsive, she didn''t know what to say to him. She had never seen their king appear this weak and helpless before. Neither Y nor Leeora wanted to step forward as well.

    Erlos merely stood by Draven''s side, apanying his grieving master in silence.

    Indeed, it was grief.

    Erlos had long known grief after losing his entire n from the massacre. That was why for him, every creature, every individual he met, was someone he cherished like his family. This was the same for Morpheus.

    Though Erlos always argued with Morpheus, it was out of his tough affection towards him and not hate. Kind of like having a favorite brother; he simply always took the side of his master and opposed Morpheus.

    Maybe of all Draven''s aides, he was the one who understood his master best. The kind of friendship two divine beasts had, the truth behind their frequently happened fights--it was all due to their brotherhood that was cruelly twisted by fate.

    "Sire?" Erlos finally called him.

    But there was no response.

    Erlos felt conflicted, but he did attempt to convince the man to go back inside the pce to rest and recuperate. Though the King was not seriously injured, his mentality was not stable. It was still better for him to rest inside a room, instead of staying here in the garden.

    But then, they saw Draven standing up from his ce. The very next moment, he disappeared. Nobody knew where he went.

    He said nothing where he was going and simply disappeared. Everyone understood Draven needed alone time. He probably wouldn''t be returning anytime soon.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    With the King gone, Y and the rest focused on Ember.

    "Lady Cornelia, shall we lead you to a guest room to rest?" Y offered.

    The red-haired witch shook her head. "I don''t need it. I have potions with me. I think I need to see Miss Ember first."

    Leeora interceded. "It''s fine. I can check her condition by myself. You do look like you need to rest."

    However, Cornelia stubbornly insisted. Y and Leeora could only give in.

    Though exhausted, Cornelia went to see Ember along with Leeora. Ember wasid in her bed. Her entire chamber was in a good state, though the objects on the shelves and tables were still scattered here and there. Though her wing in the pce survived, it was only the structure; the insides were still a mess. A handful of servants were doing their best to fix the room and tend to Ember.

    When Cornelia looked at the unconscious Ember, her expression was subtle.

    ''Did she really kill Morph? How did she get that divine weapon? Why did she do that...?'' Her body trembled as her heart grew heavier and heavier. ''Why did she lose control of herself? Isa was there as well. Did she get into a fight with her? But then...why kill Morph? No, in the original vision, it was His Majesty...''

    "Lady Cornelia?" Y called her out, which brought her back to her senses.

    The witch could not help but resent the one who caused this destiny. But she had her suspicions. She had interacted with Ember, and she had a good grasp of the human girl''s character. She could see Morpheus had feelings for Ember, and though not romantic, Ember had good feelings for Morpheus as well.

    So then, why did this tragedy happen?

    For now, till the entire truth was out, Cornelia could only keep it to herself and do her duty towards the King''s mate. If Ember had indeedmitted a crime, then she would get her just punishment once things were sorted out.

    Both Cornelia and Leeora checked on her.

    Cornelia informed Y, "Her body is merely burdened by the sudden outburst of her powers which her body was not used to. However, though she has no injuries, she won''t be waking up soon. Her body will need time to get used to her strength. I will send some potions that will help alleviate the fatigue on her core. Make sure she takes them along with her meals when she wakes up."

    Leeora also promised to send herbs which they could feed Ember while she was unconscious.

    Y promised to follow their instructions. Leeora then asked, "Where are Ember''s personal servants? Aren''t they with their master? Or did they go to the Netherfields to mourn?"

    "You mean Clio and Reya? Those children stayed behind with Miss," Y responded. "Both of them are being treated. They were found hurt and unconscious at the moment."

    "Hurt?"

    "I am not sure exactly what happened, but they were found at the outskirts of the garden. Miss'' powers must have affected them, but I don''t believe Miss would deliberately harm them. We will know everything once the two regain their consciousness"

    "What about others? Was there no one else in the pce before the explosion?"

    "All the servants aside from Reya and Clio left to mourn," Y answered. "Commander made arrangements for young warriors to guard outside in case the humans caused trouble, but even they are unconscious as well."

    "So none of the witnesses can tell what exactly happened here?" Leeora spoke in disbelief.

    "Young Lady Isa seems to be in life-and-death condition," Y informed her. "If I am not wrong, she has lost a tail."

    Four lives lost, one life at the brink of death, and a human who seemed to have caused these all.

    These sounded too unreal. They didn''t even want to imagine what kind of turmoil this would cause the kingdom once people learned that a human was in the center of it all.

    To think so much had happened in just a small fraction of time, no one could derive what had happened. All they could do was wait for at least one of the witnesses to wake up.

    ===

    A/N- The third book of "Devil and Witch" series has beenunched today on webnovel app. It is a story of Dragon and a new queen of witches- A ck witch, who I have mentioned before in this novel.

    Title- The Devil''s Betrothed.

    It is the entry for WSA 2023 contest. I wish all of your support once again as this can be thest WSA I am participating in. Let''s get a Gold this time, I believe we can. <3<3

    You can find the novel in my webnovel author profile or you can simply search the title in webnovel app.

 Chapter 413 The Deity Of Fire Has Awakened?

    In the heavenly realm, Goddess Isis remained in the garden after Petra and the other angels left to search for the purple-eyed child.

    The child birthed by the Deity of Earth, that vessel containing that loathsome power that should have long disappeared from existence...

    ''Once I find that purple-eyed child, then that woman can''t do anything even if she is reborn. Without herplete power, she is nothing but an ant. She cannot fight her way back to the heavens. I will make sure even if she is to be reincarnated again and again, she will forever be damned to stay as a pitiful ant in the mortal world''

    Her gazended at the violet waterlilies in the pond.

    ''That purple-eyed child is the key to my ns. She has tond on my palm at all costs.''

    After strolling leisurely for a while longer, Isis thought of visiting another deity to pass the time; however, she changed her mind.

    Due to the time difference between the mortal world and the heavenly realm, a year for an ordinary human being would merely be days for the divine beings living in the upper realm. Her loyal Petra would probably be back in a matter of minutes. She could not miss her good news upon return.

    With thoughts of her n bing sessful, Isis hummed a lovely song but all of a sudden, she felt something, making her freeze in ce with her beautiful eyes wide in disbelief. The pleasant atmosphere around her changed.

    A sea of fire.

    Divine beings were immortals, and they would neither dream nor fall into a daze for no reason at all.

    For someone of her status to suddenly see a vision of raging mes...

    Her hands tightened into the fists, the divine power around her brewing as if enraged, but her eyes looked terrified.

    "No...this can''t be..."

    She got back to her senses and that dangerous power fluctuation surrounding her disappeared. However, the initially harmonious garden had long gone silent. The trees and wind became deathly still, and even the birds had been frightened into escaping.

    Although the expression on the goddess'' face remained the same, unfazed and calm, one could see from her eyes she was utterly shocked and terrified.

    "That seal on her powers is broken... The Deity of Fire has awakened...?"

    "I need to find her."

    In panic, she closed her eyes right there and there, not even bothering to return inside the pce, and began to deduce that human reincarnation''s whereabouts. She tried to search for the Deity of Fire, but the more she looked, the more her face grew frosty cold.

    ''With the seal gone, it seems I still won''t be able to reach her, but I should be able to find her through the essence of her powers as they are no longer suppressed.''<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    She continued to focus but...

    ''Why can''t I reach her power? I should be able to sense either Sierra''s child or that woman''s reincarnation. But I cannot find both. What is happening?''

    Her expression soon changed when she extended her vision.

    ''Darkness? Darkness is hiding the essence of her powers? Could it be that some lowly ck Witch is trying to interfere?''

    Arrogantly, Isis decided to unleash her divinity at least half of her strength into her gaze. One sweep, and she could easily see all living beings under the heavenly realm, be they human beings or supernatural beings.

    However, there were some ces obscured by light, others by shadows, some ces even blurry, Isis could only get a general idea of the ce but could not pinpoint the exact location or see the current situation.

    Regarding that loathsome green-eyed woman, the Darkness covering her was so absolute even a divine being like Isis could not prate it with her gaze.

    ''I can''t even find the source of darkness, but all it''s doing is stopping me from reaching that damned woman.''

    Isis opened her eyes and a dangerous glint shed in them.

    ''Darkness, huh? Such powerful Darkness should belong to only Him. Is He meddling in the affairs of the heavens now? Hasn''t He vowed to never partake in the matters of the pantheon? Is He going to break that vow he made in front of the Absolute? How dare He?''

    She turned to go back inside her residence, her beautiful face marred with anger.

    ''I can''t just stand here and not do anything, or else what I had nned for so long will be ruined. You, Primordials, should forget about returning to the heavens! Your arrogance sure knows no bounds. Your glory has long passed, yet you wish to crawl back up here? The heavenly realm had prospered in your absence!

    ''That purple-eyed child is thest opportunity you have, and I will snatch away yourst hope. I have to ensure you will nevere back.

    ''Primordial Fire, Earth and Water, stay in the mortal world for eternity! Never think of stepping into my kingdom again!''

    She sat in her white marbled throne, and with a gesture of her hand, a mystical bronze mirror appeared in front of her, floating in the air as if it was supported by wisps of clouds. Myriads of colors shed on the edges, but there were no images being reflected on its smooth surface.

    ''Sierra, you better not break another rule by letting Evanthe know of her past--that she used to be the daughter of the Heavenly Emperor, banished from the heavens and stripped away of her divinity. If you did so, you will be punished even more severely and I will take it out on your daughter.

    ''You are already suffering for stealing what belongs to the pantheon and hiding it inside your daughter. The King may be lenient to you for old times'' sake, but I am not as merciful. Don''t make me be cruel to you."

    Her hands gripped the hand rest of the throne and she focused on the divine treasure in front of her.

 Chapter 414 Visiting Thala

    The senior witches, Glinda and Maria, returned to their residence in the most secluded part outside of Honeyharbor.

    Though they were yet to enter the cottage, they immediately confirmed that Th had returned.

    The Spirit Circle was not a simple dwelling for these three witches¡ªnot only was it hidden and isted by the spell of the Head of Witches, it was also a manifestation of their remaining powers. It had long be the witches'' familiar. As much as it was under their absolute control, it also deeply reflected their characters and moods.

    At the moment, the Spirit Circle emitted a gray, dreary atmosphere, clearly mourning for loss.

    The old witches looked at each other as they stood in front of the cottage. They could feel their other sister''s sadness, and her current emotions were deeper than they had expected, causing their residence to be enveloped in sorrow.

    "It has been so long," Glinda said with a sad sigh. "She always pretends to be harsh and unkind, but we know that among us three, she is the most warmhearted."

    "It must not have been easy for her to y a part in this scheme," Maria said as she raised a hand, but it stopped before it reached the doorknob. "It has only been a hundred years since we lost people. I cannot believe we have lost anotherrade so soon. My sister caused many casualties amongst our enemies, gaining her that heartless title of ''Witch of Destruction'', but she had also contributed the most to protect people in thatst war. She would rather lose a leg than lose a sister.

    "Though this time, she acted to protect the King, it was made in exchange of sacrificing another life. How can we expect her to be fine after this? For my sister, she must feel guilty as if she herself killed Commander Morpheus."

    "I wonder how we are going to console her?"

    "Can she even be consoled?"

    The pair of witches hadplicated expressions on their faces.

    Glinda shook her head. "Before that, we need to worry about her body. I heard from thetest investigation, Th casted a powerful spell to stall His Majesty. Not to mention creating that divine weapon, she must have offered up her life force more than once. She only has several years left to live. If she overexerted herself, then¡­"

    "Let''s check on her first. I don''t want anything to happen to her."

    Glinda and Maria entered the cottage and found the drawing room empty.

    "Sister must be in her room," Maria spoke quietly.

    Glinda faced the witch with a missing arm before gesturing for her to go. "You should talk to her first while I make her a fresh pot of her favorite soothing tea."

    With a nod, Maria went towards her sister''s room, while the other headed for the kitchen.

    Maria stood in front of Th''s door, but just as she wanted to enter, she hesitated.

    ''Should I give her more time to be on her own?''

    There were times when solitude was better thanpanionship. She wanted to respect Th''s will if she truly wanted to be alone. However, she also knew that Th would fall deeper into ming and hating herself if left alone with her thoughts.

    As she debated whether to intrude or not, Maria felt the spell blocking her connection to her sister disappear. This time, she could sense Th inside the room.

    ''Seems like she has stopped blocking me, silently allowing me to go see her.''

    The door then opened on its own as Maria used a magic spell to open it.

    The room was dark. Though it was still daytime, the owner of the room had drawn the curtains close, not even letting a single ray of sunlight in, as if she was using the darkness to hide her emotions.

    The plump witch with a missing leg was reclining on her rocking chair with her eyes closed, her hands resting on the armrest with the chair moving ever-so-slowly.

    "Th," Maria called for her. "Why are you sitting in the dark?"

    As she stepped past the threshold, she waved a hand which lit up the candles inside the room. On a normal day, Maria would have nagged her to open the curtain, but she had sensed her sister''s mood and didn''t want to fight with her over something so small.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Th didn''t open her eyes and simply replied, "Don''t you find it befitting? When one''s heart is dark, then that person belongs to the darkness."

    "Why are you saying this, Th?" Maria went to her sister and put her only hand on hers.

    With a face seemingly aged with exhaustion, Th let out a heavy sigh. She then looked at her sister who was kneeling in front of her. Maria''s gentle eyes were brimming with tears.

    "Why shed tears? This sinner is unworthy of them."

    "Th¡­"

    "Isn''t it the truth? I have a dark heart. I, who doesn''t hesitate tomit a sin and partake in killing a person?"

    "No, Th. Instead, you helped save this kingdom. You saved the King," Maria spoke as she gently squeezed her hand.

    "...at the cost of sacrificing another person''s life. I killed arade with my own hands."

    "Oh, sister, why me yourself like this? We both know it was the Commander who sought you out. Commander Morpheus willingly died to change His Majesty''s destiny."

    "Changing destiny made no difference as someone important to the kingdom still died in the end," Th''s voice was calm as she said all those. It was so eerily calm, so lifeless, it made the hearts of those who could hear her ache.

    "Even if I were you, I would also¡ª"

    "The Great Mage would also agree? Do not lie, sister. If circumstances were different, if the Commander had chosen to seek Maria the Great Mage or Glinda the Meteor instead of me, then none of this would have happened," Th spoke as finally a tear escaped her eyes. "I will always be the reason why we lost ourmander."

    The Witch of Destruction who had always acted tough and ill-tempered broke down into pitiful sobs.

    How could one measure her guilt? Who had the right to judge?

    Whether saving Draven''s life was right or wrong did not matter¡ªthe fact that a good person died due to her actions filled her conscience with guilt. Although they managed to save an even more important person, she could not convince herself that she made the correct decision of agreeing to Morpheus'' n.

    Glinda, who had quietly arrived with a tray of freshly-brewed tea in hand, put the tea on the side. With the door open, she had heard their entire conversation.

    "Th, we can understand your pain. No one mes you for what happened. Though we have lost ourmander and all of us are in grief, your actions are not wrong. What you did was to protect this kingdom.

    "Think about it. If His Majesty died instead, can you imagine what would have happened to the people? Enemies everywhere, the ns would fight for their own interests. Someone needed to stand up before that happened, and you did. You should be proud for having saved more lives that would have been lost in the future had our kingdom lost its protector.

    "The decision you made was not easy. I know it must have been hard on you but you did well. This kingdom cannot afford to lose its king and Commander Morpheus knew it well that is why he saved the King at the cost of his own life. Agartha will always be thankful towards you and the Commander."

    "In the first ce, there should have been no reason for anyone to be thankful towards us!" Th pointed out in muted anger as tears rolled down her eyes.

    "Th¡­"

    "Why does it always have to be like this? What bnce of the world? What damned destiny? Why do our kind always need to sacrifice our lives? We are all so powerful, and so the price to pay is that we will always lose people so miserably?

    "Destiny keeps asking for someone''s blood! If the future had not been changed and flowed its original course, imagine how that child would have felt having killed the one she loved? This is how tragic the life of us supernatural beings are! So what if we are powerful? Why are none of those I know dying peacefully of old age? Howe each of their deaths are filled with regrets and unwillingness?

    "The more powerful we be, the more we know the truth of this world, the more I grow to hate it! I wish this life would end soon so there won''t be any more pain to suffer through¡ª"

    Maria gripped her hand tightly. "Th, please don''t say that. Don''t say about ending your life. I, we need you. You have lost a huge part of your life force already. Your body needs to recuperate."

    "Let it be. I have no wish to prolong this life anyway," Th replied with a snort.

 Chapter 415 Myras Pain

    "Th!" Glinda said in admonishment. "Get back to your senses. I know you are hurt and so are we, but you can''t be like this."

    "Yes, Th, please don''t talk like this." Maria could not stop her tears as well. "I am not saying your hatred is wrong, or that destiny has been fair to us, but you must live on. The pain you feel, which of us has not felt that before? You forget that when the City of Lvenor was lost, when our sisters betrayed us and sided with the humans, we too were forced to kill the people we once trusted. How many of us who survived did not have blood in our hands? Did we not question whether we were in the right? Whether their intentions for betraying were justified?

    "You must be in pain, but please, think of us. Think of me. Sister, you are the only blood kin I have left. Glinda and I, what will be of us if we lose you? Maybe my wish is selfish, but I want you to know we are with you and will always be with you. We three will continue to live on till the end of our lifespan or we are called for a greater cause.

    "If you feel guilt for the Commander''s death, then let us all three equally carry that burden. I have no wish to see you waste away like this.

    "For a warrior, it is their greatest honor to die for their homnd. Commander Morpheus died a heroic death, and so must we. We shall keep living so one day, when this kingdom needs us once more, we can die a death protecting the younger generation."

    "Maria has spoken the truth," Glinda agreed. "We might be mere shadows of our peak''s strength, but as long as we live, we can still help this kingdom and our people. You cannot give up just like this.

    "You forget. Changing fate heeds a price greater than what should have been lost--it is never an equivalent exchange. If the original vision determined that we will lose King Draven, then the future is bound to be more grim. A tragedy far worse awaits Agartha. Commander''s death is just the beginning. With the way things are going, the kingdom will face a catastrophic future."

    Maria gently dried the tears of her twin sister. "After the short peace we enjoyed for a century, blood might be shed once more and a river of blood might engulf our people. It might be worse than the downfall of Lvenor and the High Elves."

    Th listened to them without a word. She had felt the same when Morpheus came to her for the first time to seek her help.

    However, the Divine Eagle had persuaded Th, saying that as long as Draven Aramis survived, there would be a fighting chance-- Agartha would never fall as long as its guardian, the Almighty ck Dragon, existed. That burden, Morpheus, Logan and the other warriors would not be able to carry if the original future happened.

    Th could only sigh. Glinda used that chance to give her a cup of soothing tea.

    Maria continued to caress her free hand. "We cannot afford to act weak. Pull yourself together, sister. We have to be prepared for what is toe."

    Th nodded as the two heard Glinda say, as if as an afterthought, "I wonder how Cornelia is. That child, she and the Commander..."

    "Cornelia will have no one but me to me," Thmented after she finished the cup of tea. "I robbed her of her future."

    "Don''t think like that, Th. Though she must be grieving, she will be able to understand the Commander''s intentions. She would have respected his will. That child is strong, otherwise, she would not have be the Head Witch of the coven. Her priority has always been our n, and that is why she never--"

    "--and now she will never get the chance to tell the Commander what she felt,'''' Th cut her off. "Pitiful, oh just truly pitiful. Howe we have damned that kind child to a life like ours? She will always be lonely, fulfilling her duties towards our coven and this kingdom. How could we ever face her master, Sister G, in the afterlife? We had been terrible seniors to that child."

    "That''s the price of peace," Glinda said. "She knows well what she needs to do."

    "Still, we have to look out for her. The aftermath will bring unrest to the people. If she is unstable, perhaps we can take over part of her duties," Maria said to which Glinda agreed.

    "Commander, he..." Th could note up to say it.

    "His body is with his family. The Divine Eagle n will soon conduct memorial rites and allow visitors toe," Glinda answered her unspoken question.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Th silently nodded as if to say she understood and asked, "The King and his mate?"

    "That child is in the care of the King''s aides. I heard Cornelia and the High Elder of the Wood Elves are keeping herpany as well, but no one knows where the King has gone," she answered.

    Beforeing to the Spirit Circle, the two witches received an overview of the general situation through their familiars in the form of birds.

    Th could only sigh once more, her thoughts unknown.

    -----

    On the other side of the continent, in an underground stone chamber hidden by a high-ranking spell, a thin, frail figure was crying in the darkness. Her soft sobs echoed within her prison, but there was no one but her who could hear the pain in those cries.

    Myra, who had long lost sense of day or night, had been restless for the past few days.

    Today, she understood the reason.

    "Morph...my brother...how can you die...?"

    Although her magic was almost non-existent at this point, as the golden eagle of her generation, the power of her bloodline remained strong, ensuring not only her survival, but also allowing her to have brief dreams of her older brother.

    Myra never had a good dream since she had been held captive. Beings like her would only dream for one reason--a vision. It might be a warning of dangers in the immediate future, or a phenomena of losing someone dear to her.

    She tried to pull those chains locked around her wrists, but she could only struggle pathetically. There was no escape from her captor. She wanted to at least go to her brother and see him onest time but...she simply could not.

    How could her powerful brother be killed? Was there war outside?

    Was it the ck magic practitioners?

    The demons?

    She didn''t understand. She didn''t want to understand.

    "Morph..."

    She was left to cry alone in that darkness. Only her sobs could be heard as she continued to call out for her brother''s name, longing to go to his side.

 Chapter 416 You Can Not Hurt Your Friend

    With the entire kingdom enveloped with unease and confusion, the council made a choice to focus on keeping the peace and order of their respective territories and ns while assigning the Deputy Commander of Warriors, White Tiger Logan, to investigate what happened in the pce while the residents of Agartha were in the Netherfields.

    Late in the same afternoon, Clio and Reya fortunately regained consciousness together with the young beastmen who were appointed to stay for the security of the pce. Each of them exined their experiences to Logan, and the warrior repeatedly verified the details about what exactly happened based on the various personal statements of those in the pce.

    "Commander¡ª" one of his subordinates began to speak.

    "It''s Deputy Commander," Logan corrected in a low voice, causing the warrior to grow pale.

    Strictly speaking, with Morpheus gone, the role ofmander officially belonged to Logan; however, it was quite understandable why Logan refused to be addressed as such at the moment.

    "Apologies, Deputy Commander," the warrior said tactfully. "After collecting all the statements of the witnesses, I am afraid not only us, even the council cannot directly respond given the nature of this case. We need to inform His Majesty."

    Logan nodded and left the rest of the interrogation to his subordinates to search for Draven.

    ''I don''t think he will be back so soon, but there is nothing wrong with trying.''

    Logan went to see Y and Erlos who were busy handling the matters of recovering the destroyed part of the pce. However, he was only able to find Erlos.

    "Is your master back at the pce?" Logan asked Erlos.

    "Not yet, Deputy Commander."

    "How about his whereabouts?"

    The young elf shook his head.

    "Once he is back, let me know. I will remain here in the pce for the meantime."

    "I understand. I will inform Dame Y as well."

    ¡ª--

    Draven returned to the pcete in the evening and directly went to his mate''s chamber without rming anyone of his presence. However, his entrance to Ember''s room did not go unnoticed as there were people inside.

    Instead of Reya and Clio, a different pair of servants were attending to the unconscious human girl. Seeing the King, the two servants lowered their heads to greet him and left the chamber without being ordered to do so.

    With slow steps, Draven went towards Ember. She was peacefully sleeping in her bed and he sat at the edge of it, intending to not wake her up. He held her wrist to check on her situation. Her life was not in danger but her pulse felt weak due to her body''s inability to endure the strong divine power she used earlier.

    He observed her pale face with a conflicted gaze.

    ''Wake up and tell me the truth, Ember,'' he pleaded in his heart. ''I do not wish to doubt you¡­

    ''I want to believe that you did not kill Morph¡­at least not intentionally.''

    Draven let out a heavy sigh as he closed his eyes, but his hand holding onto Ember''s wrist trembled.

    ''I-I want to believe you can never harm your friend, your best friend.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    ''So wake up. I do not want to ept that you can harm him. Wake up and defend yourself. Tell me an excuse. Tell me¡­''

    He opened his eyes, their red color seemingly dull.

    "At the very least," he whispered, "you need to wake up so you can say goodbye to your friend for thest time."

    As Draven continued to sit by her side, Y arrived at the chamber as she was informed by the servants that Draven had returned to the pce.

    "Good evening, Sire." Y bowed to the King. Traces of fatigue could be seen on her face as well, but she remained dutiful towards Draven. "Do you want me to prepare anything for you?"

    Draven continued to hold Ember''s hand, looking at her pale face as he talked. "Ember''s servants, have they regained consciousness?"

    "Yes, Sire. I am here to inform you of that. Deputy Commander Logan had finished his initial investigation of the incident and he has been waiting to meet you all day."

    Draven nodded lightly in response and heard Y continue, "Lady Cornelia checked on Miss before leaving and she assured me that Miss is fine."

    Draven nodded once again and stood up to leave.

    Y knew what her King was going to do and simply bowed. "I have already informed Deputy Commander Logan of your arrival and he is waiting for you in your study."

    Draven disappeared from the chamber of his mate and appeared in his study. He found therge warrior with white hair standing by the window while looking outside.

    In the King''s absence, Logan dared not leave the pce. With Morpheus gone, the security enforced by the warrior was on an all-time high. Logan chose to stay in the pce not only to be in the centralmand but also to stabilize the situation; after all, there was one powerful human residing inside the pce who could be targeted by the angered residents of the kingdom.

    Logan sensed the arrival of his friend and turned to look at him. Seeing that emotionless face, Logan wanted to ask him where he had been or how he was feeling, but in the end, he dared not ask this. Draven was not good at showing emotions, and neither was Logan skilled inforting others. Each of them were coping in their own ways with the pain at the death of their beloved friend.

    Draven sat in his chair while Logan went to sit on the chair opposite his. He observed Draven''s unkempt appearance and his clothes still had blood on it.

    "That blood, it''s yours? How did you get hurt?" Logan asked.

    "That''s not important now," Draven said coldly. "You talked with the servants?"

    "Yes."

    "What happened in the morning?"

    Without hesitation, Logan started to narrate what happened within the pce in the morning and finally everything would be known to everyone.

    ====

    A/N- Dear readers thank you for being patient with the updates when I was away. I had been on a long trip where I went to attend WSA event by Webnovel andter was tired due to too much traveling.

    I am delighted to inform you that "The Devil''s cursed witch" has won the Bronze reward in WSA 2022.

    Thank you so much for all your support and I hope you all to be with me always. <3<3

 Chapter 417 Ember Praying For Everyone

    Morning on the day of mourning¡­

    After Draven left for the Netherfields, Ember remained standing by the window of her chamber for some time. Though she was smiling in front of Draven, that smile on her face disappeared as soon as he was gone.

    The event from the previous night was upying her mind.

    ''The Kingdom of Valor¡­the Valor Royal Family¡­the only daughter of the King¡­''

    All her expectations shattered after Draven took her to Valor. At this point, she was torn about her real identity.

    An abandoned princess.

    How her family abandoned her, in fact that was still somewhat eptable to her. But what thoroughly crushed her heart was when she learned they wanted to kill her. They branded her as bad¡ªno, cursed even¡ª when she had done nothing bad in her entire life.

    ''Why did they think I''m a cursed child? Why did they let people think I''m an evil witch? Why¡­me?''

    Before she knew it, the corners of her eyes moistened, and a small sniffle escaped her mouth. She wanted to question why this happened to her.

    Why was she forced to live such a pathetic life in hiding, a life worse than animals, when she was the only daughter of the most powerful family of the kingdom?

    Even the daughters of the most ordinary vigers lived a better life than hers. At least, they did not have a need to fear that their parents would want them dead¡­

    Clio and Reya could no longer watch their master looking lost and miserable like this. She barely even had a bite of her morning meal, and even though Reya attempted to strike conversation with her, Ember would only nod at most before going back into a distracted state.

    After a lot of consideration, Clio finally managed to say, "Miss, would you like to take a stroll in the garden? The weather is fairly good today. The fresh air will be a nice change instead of the stuffy air here in your chamber."

    Ember didn''t seem to hear her as she continued to look out of the window in a daze.

    Clio looked at Reya, who nodded and talked to Ember, "Miss, I heard from the gardeners that new flowers have bloomed in the garden. Would you like to see them? I am sure there will also be many butterflies to admire in the garden." She then nced at the lovely white bird sitting on the swing of her cage. "Even Ray would like to go out and y in the garden, don''t you, Ray?"

    The little bird, as if sensing the situation, immediately let out a musical chirp.

    "y! Ray, going out! Garden! y!" she continued to repeat in a singsong manner.

    Finally, Ember''s expression softened as she looked at her pet. "Alright, let''s go out."

    Not only the little bird, but also her servants cheered at her words. Their group soon went towards the garden.

    As soon as she stepped out onto the paved path leading outside, bright sunlight shone on her face. The temperature was neither too hot nor too cold, just perfect for a walk.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Ember felt the warmth of the morning sun against her skin and she heard Ray let out a happy chirp as the bird danced around the nearby trees, but all that did was make Ember let out a tired sigh. Even the beauty of the scenery could not lift her spirits.

    Seeing Ember''s mood remain unchanged, her servants could only continue worrying about her.

    As they sat in one of the pavilions within the garden, Reya looked at the sky as she spoke, "Around this time, everyone must have started paying respects to the graves in the Netherfields."

    Ember had a nk look on her face, prompting Clio to exin, "Miss, around this time of the day, all the residents of Agartha would have gathered in the Netherfields. Once the people have settled, the prayer ceremony will begin with the people paying respect to the deceased altogether."

    "Why didn''t you go?" Ember asked. "I don''t mind being by myself."

    "We are your servants. Staying with you is more important, Miss, and besides, those of us staying here in the pce today already visited the graves of our loved ones yesterday. Going to the Netherfields is ceremonial anyways. As long as we are sincere, we can just pay our respect from here."

    As she said that, Clio closed her eyes, and Reya followed suit. They silently prayed for the souls of their dead family and friends.

    ''As long as we are sincere, you say¡­''

    Ember also closed her eyes, saying a small prayer in the deepest part of her heart. She might be a human being, part of the race that caused the tragic massacre in Agartha, but she was no ordinary human¡ªshe was Ember Aramis, mate of the King of Agartha. She considered the supernatural beings of this kingdom her family. It was only proper she prayed for her own people.

    Instead of praying for the dead, she prayed for those who were left behind.

    ''For all the good people still grieving for the deaths of their beloved, may they find joy in living. I pray that their future will be filled with peace and happiness.

    ''I pray for Draven, for Morpheus, Elder Leeora, Lady Cornelia, Reya, Clio, Erlos, Lady Helia¡­''

    She started listing down all the good people she became acquainted with in Agartha, sincerely wishing that they find peace in their grief, that they may eventually get over the pain of loss.

    Once she was done, she found that Reya and Clio were already finished praying as well.

    They walked along the stone path within the flower garden, spending time peacefully as they admired the full blossoms. Reya dly introduced the new flowers to Ember, bragging about how the Wood Elves nurtured them and how the fairies blessed these flowers to bloom.

    However, their peaceful stroll was short-lived.

    "Oh, so you all are here?"

    A familiar but unweed voice caused them to turn around. Young Lady Isa was standing in front of them with a sugary sweet smile on her pretty face

 Chapter 418 Angry Deity Of Fire

    Though neither Ember, Clio and Reya like Isa''s presence, none of them outwardly showed their displeasure. In fact, Ember did not even acknowledge her arrival. The elves bowed to her politely.

    "Greetings, Young Lady Isa."

    Reya could not help but ask, "Young Lady Isa, what brings you to the pce? Shouldn''t you be in the Netherfields with your n?"

    "There are more important things to do than being in the field of people who are already gone. Someone has to do something to protect the present and the future," the female red fox replied in a cryptic manner.

    Her gaze observed Ember who was looking at the flowers quietly. The human girl didn''t even spare a nce to the neer, much less bother listening to their conversation.

    "Ember," Isa called out to her, causing Ember to face her with a tranquil gaze.

    "Why do you look sad? Is it because His Majesty didn''t take you with him?"

    Ember didn''t show any reaction, as if she was calm as still water. After several awkward seconds of silence, she returned her attention to the beautiful yellow flower she was looking at previously.

    Despite her sweet smile on the surface, Isa was annoyed. She didn''t like that Ember was not reacting to anything.

    She continued to talk in a casual manner, as if she was chatting with a friend, "Don''t let it get to you. I am sure it is not because he''s ashamed of you. His Majesty simply did not bring you to the most important ce of our people because even if you are his mate, you are still not one of us. You are an outsider, a human. He''s such a thoughtful person to think about the feelings of our kind. Truly an outstanding man."

    "Young Lady Isa, Miss is not feeling well," Clio interrupted, seeing how Isa was trying to provoke Ember which was really not good.

    Her servants were aware of their master''s temper issues, about how vtile her anger was and how strongly her powers reacted to her negative emotions. They felt worried something bad might happen. Worse, the King was away and no one was there to stop Isa''s taunting or Ember''s resulting rampage.

    Isa red at the two elves. "Both of you, you are the only servants in the pce, yes? Why don''t you prepare tea for me, or you have forgotten your positions after serving a human?"

    The two were taken aback, but Isa was not wrong in a sense. They indeed have to serve Isa refreshments as it was part of their job as pce servants.

    "Apologies, Young Lady. I shall return with fresh tea for you," Clio said as she left.

    Isa looked at the other elf. "You, bring some snacks for me as well. I want freshly baked blueberry tarts along with sliced fruits."

    Reya nced at her master who was not paying attention to them and heard Isa''s voice rise, "What? You need permission from your master for such an ordinary task? Are you forgetting who I am? Is this how you serve me, the princess of the Divine Fox n who His Majesty treats like his own person? "

    Reya didn''t want to leave Ember''s side even for a moment. She lowered her head as she said, "Apologies Young Lady Isa, but I have been told to not leave Miss'' side even for a moment and I believe you will not force me to go against the order of His Majesty. About the snacks, Clio will bring them after she returns. I ask for your patience."

    "Hmph. Fine! Then get me the flowers from there," Isa said as she signaled towards the freshly bloomed flowers. "I don''t need to spell it out to you that I want to talk to your master in private, right? You can see us from that location. Hurry and scram!"

    Reya could say nothing and had to listen to her. She made a small bow towards Ember. "Miss, I will be back soon."

    Ember simply nodded in her direction and continued to stroll along with the flower-bearing shrubs. Afterwards, she sat on one of the benches under the shade of a tree.

    Reya would nce over her shoulder from time to time as she walked away towards the flowers Isa asked her to collect. She was relieved that Ember was still in her line of sight.

    "So, Ember," Isa once again targeted the young woman. The red fox walked to stand in front of her, forcing Ember to look at her smiling face.

    "Do you want something?" Ember asked as she had started to feel annoyed. She knew Isa was up to no good.

    All she wanted was peace. She wanted to think about her life, her past and present, but a certain vixen was disturbing her again and again.

    "Yes, I do," Isa said, "but will you give it to me if I ask you to?

    "What is it?"

    "Leave this kingdom and never return," Isa said, which took Ember by surprise.

    But before Ember could say a word, Isa spoke again, "But you can''t, right? Rather, you won''t because your greedy human heart can''t let go of all the luxury and pleasure you are getting after bing King''s mate."

    Ember creased her brows as she stared at this young fox in disbelief.

    Did she not learn her lesson after provoking her in the past? Wasn''t she scared of getting all her pretty fur burned?

    "I do not wish to hurt you. It would be better if you leave," Ember warned her calmly.

    "Hurt? Me? You good-for-nothing human?" Isaughed mockingly. "Not only are you uncivilized, you are also pretty barbaric, aren''t you? Are you proud that you can''t control your power? Try it. Burn me then."

    "I am warning you," Ember said as she tried to keep herself calm.

    It was an important day for this kingdom, and Ember didn''t want to create any trouble on this day.

    "Why don''t you try it? Let''s see if you can really injure me." Her red lips curved into a mocking smirk. "You who don''t know how to use your powers, do you want me to help you? Fine, since I am a generous person, I will lend you help. All I need to do is give you a reason to get angry, right? Because you are an uncivilized person who acts based on your emotions rather than your head. Do you want me to talk about how useless your nanny was to raise a filthy being like you?"

    "Isa, mind your words," Ember warned.

    Isa simply chucked. "Oh, you almost scared me. Shall I act for your sake? Shall I start crying now?"

    Ember sighed and decided this was a waste of her time. She stood up, intending to return to her chamber, but just as she turned to leave someone blocked her way, taking Ember by surprise.

    It was a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties. Seeing the single brown tail swishing behind her, she appeared to be a member of the Divine Fox n as well.

    "Did I say you can leave, human?" Isa said as Ember looked back at her.

    Sensing something was wrong, Reya hurried back carrying flowers in her hand and offered it to Isa. "Young Lady Isa, these are the flowers that you asked for."

    "Not enough, get me more," Isa said, not even sparing the elf a nce.

    "Apologies, Young Lady Isa, but it''s time for Miss Ember to rest and I am taking her back to her chamber."

    "Can''t you see I am talking to her?"

    "Miss Ember is thedy of the house. Please do not overstep your boundaries as a ''guest'' of the pce. For now, she needs to rest. She is not well."

    "You lowly elf! How dare you go against my words?!" Isa eximed with anger, but Ember stepped forward to interrupt her.

    "Isa, you better leave the pce. This is not the ce you should be in. Shouldn''t you pray for your deceased family?"

    "The family that your kind killed?" Isa said with an angry scoff.

    Reya felt that the situation was about to turn for the worse when she saw two more foxes appear in the garden, approaching their location. Isa brought her friends with her. She would not have invited her fellow n members without any reason.

    "Miss, let''s go," Reya said but then something happened.

    Ah!

    Reya touched her neck and there was a dart which was shot by someone. Isa smiled at the bewildered elf. "It''s time for you to rest for a while. Don''t worry, I will take care of your master in your stead."

    Ember caught Reya who was about to lose her bnce. Her eyes were wide with indignation. "You! What did you do to her?"

    "Letting her enjoy a short rest as serving you must have tired her so much," Isa replied offhandedly and her friend with a brown fox tail took Reya away from Ember and put her on the ground. Reya helplessly looked at her master with her heavy-lidded eyes.

    It just so happened that Clio had returned from the kitchen at this time, and she was shocked by the sight that weed her. Her cousin was on the ground, and Isa seemed to have ill intentions towards Ember.

    The wooden tray in her hand fell on the ground, spilling tea and cups as she hurried towards Ember. But even before she could reach them, she was shot by the dart as well, causing her steps to falter in ce. She felt it hard to move even a bit, her entire body paralyzed.

    Anger shed within Ember''s eyes, causing her energy to brew dangerously inside her. "You..."

    Another dart flew in the air, and this time, it hit Ember''s neck. A sharp pain was all she felt before her senses grew numb. Even when Ember touched her neck and held the dart in between her fingers, she could not feel anything, as if the hand holding the dart was not her own.

    "Oh, my bad. You uncultured human probably have no idea what hit you, right? Let me enlighten you.

    "The poison applied on this dart will make your brain unable to think straight. It will paralyze not only your body but also your mind, making you numb to everything, but you will have enough awareness to know what is going on around you, as if you are dreaming," Isa narrated as if she was not mocking Ember, but telling her a story.

    "Anger makes your power strong, doesn''t it? But what are you going to do now? You can''t get angry or feel any emotions. Even if I kill your servants at this moment, you cannot do anything.

    "s, you probably cannot understand me well at this moment as well. Perhaps I shall do a demonstration to illustrate my point?"

    Ember stumbled on her feet as she heard Isa. She tried to stand straight, intending to defend herself and her servants from her malice, but Ember could feel her body slowly losing its strength. It was a strange sensation, as if her thoughts were slowly fading away as well.

    "Are you shocked, Ember, that you cannot get angry? Are you beginning to lose your senses? You can hear my words but you cannot understand it, and you feel your body slowly getting paralyzed? Soon you will only be able to see me bringing your death to you but you won''t be able to do anything.

    "I can only imagine how guilt-ridden you will feelter on. How would it feel to watch helplessly as you lose the things you gained? Well, I can only me your servants'' luck. Their only mistake in life is serving a master like you."

    Ember''s eyes looked around, hoping that someone would discover the situation. Though Reya and Clio were the only servants left in the pce, she knew that several shapeshifters were assigned outside the pce to guard it just in case someone targeted her.

    However, her hope was dashed upon seeing two more female foxes approaching them.

    "Young Lady Isa, the beastmen outside were already taken care of. No one wille here to meddle in," one of the two foxes informed the red fox. Ember realized they must haveunched a sneak attack to paralyze the guards as well. After all, she heard before that the shapeshifters were guarding against human intruders and those hostile elves from the borders--the young beastmen never expected to be attacked by a group of women.

    "Did you hear that, human? No one wille to your rescue now. Now, all I need to do is make your soul vanish and never to be born again. That way, everything will return to normal, the way it was before you ruined everything."

    At this point, Ember could barelyprehend what Isa was saying. It was as if she was watching the situation as a bystander. Her knees gave out and she was about to fall on the ground.

    Isa ordered, "Hold her."

    Two foxes hurried towards Ember and held her arms, forcing her to remain on her feet. They were holding onto her so tightly, bruises were forming on her delicate skin. However, due to the effect of the dart poison, Ember could not feel pain.

    Isa had a satisfied look on her face.

    "Ember, oh, Ember, look at me. I want you to look at me, and I promise you I will give you a swift death. That much dignity, I can give you, right? So generous I am, am I not?"

    Isa held a gentle expression on her pretty face, but madness could be seen dancing within her eyes, akin to that of a lunatic. As she let out a dainty giggle so out of ce given the situation, she took a few steps away before twirling around to face Ember once more. She let out a soft sigh.

    "You have to thank me for this, Ember. You don''t know what I am sacrificing for you and for this kingdom. Because of you, the peace of this kingdom is broken. Because of you, His Majesty gained a weakness. Because of you, this kingdom is doomed! Your very existence is a curse to Agartha!"

    Three beautiful furry tails appeared behind Isa, their soft reddish fur shining golden under the sunlight. Isa raised a hand and gently hugged one against her chest, caressing it gently with a tender gaze.

    "Did you know? Each tail of a Divine Fox is a fruit of countless tears and sweat, earned after bitterly cultivating for years and each of them contain the divine powers of our bloodline. They are the main source of our magic, the same way others harness energy from their cores.

    "But... do you know what else this tail can do?"

    There was no reply from Ember as she could not say a word. All she could do was to listen, her gaze unable to pull away from the expression on Isa''s face that grew more vicious with each word she spoke.

    "Legend has it that if I am to sacrifice my tail and convert it into a weapon, that weapon has the power of destroying even the soul of a divine being. Even deities cannot protect their soul if that weapon is used against them. This is actually a secret technique passed down from my ancestors, and only a handful among my n knows of this. Among the younger generation, only I am aware of this secret.

    "Amazing, isn''t it? This is the deep foundation of a noble lineage like my Divine Fox n. Even souls of divine beings won''t be reborn ever, so what more is a lowly human like you? Even if you have divine powers, not only your energy core, even your soul will dissipate into nothingness, not even fragments will remain.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "A special ending for a special human. Befitting, isn''t it? I am going to destroy your soul, and this kingdom will get rid of you forever."

    At this, augh filled with madness escaped Isa''s lips.

    "Queen of Agartha? Hah! You dare to be a queen of us, supernaturals? You whose people ouwed us, tormented us, you who destroyed our ancestralnds and broke apart our families, forcing us to live in this tiny piece of hiddennd? You who robbed my kind of our freedom! You who robbed me of my future!

    "You greedy human, you don''t deserve to live!"

    Isa''s eyes were overflowing with hatred and lunacy as sheughed.

    A small steel dagger appeared in her hand, and even as she raised the weapon over her head, her deranged gaze didn''t leave Ember even for a moment. As the dagger whistled down to slice behind her, Isa let out a silent scream.

    Aaaaaaah!!!

    The three female foxes could not help but turn away from the sight, and only the paralyzed Ember ended up witnessing the gruesome sight of the three-tailed fox cutting one of her tails.

    Isa''s pretty face was distorted in pain, covered in tears and bulging veins, but in the end, she did not let out a single sound as she tried to suppress the immense agony simr to her own soul being ripped apart.

    Ember watched all these without a single fluctuation on her emotion due to the dampening effect of the poison.

    Yet, despite this, she could not help but wonder why Isa was doing this to herself. After reading books about supernatural beings in Agartha, Ember was aware how important a fox''s tail was to the Divine Fox n. Not to mention the unbearable pain, a fox could lose his or her life upon losing a tail.

    ''Why would she hurt herself so...?''

    Though Ember could not react, her mind was able to form slow thoughts.

    ''Does she hate me that much?''

    The negative thoughts guing Ember ever since she found out she was abandoned by her family began to resurface once more.

    ''Isa hates me so much she''s willing to sacrifice her life to kill me...Maybe I really am a disgusting, repulsive person? Perhaps I am truly a cursed child? If not, howe my own family hated me and wanted to kill me as well? Howe thisdy who only knew me for weeks wants to kill me as well?

    ''There is no difference here and there. No matter where I am, I am unwanted. There is no ce I belong to. Everyone just wants me gone.

    ''Perhaps this is for the best. I have indeed done nothing for others. Ever since I came to Agartha, I have troubled others and make them worried all the time. If I die, everyone will be happier, right?

    ''My presence, my existence, I must be really cursed...''

    As Ember epted her fate, a creepyughter reached her ears, followed by murmurs filled with madness.

    "...Wretched human...You greedy and hateful human, you will die by my hands...You hateful human...I will save the kingdom by killing an evil thing like you..."

    Isa''s bloody hands were holding her cut tail, and as she continued to ramble in lunacy, a bloody red glow enveloped her hands. She coughed out blood and in a matter of seconds, that tail disappeared and a ded weapon--a straight dagger-- reced the tail in her hands.

    Its golden de was transparent like crystal made out of solidified magic, the tip as red as blood, but its dark glow gave off a gloomy aura that showed it was a dangerous weapon.

    Simply the sight of that golden dagger made Ember feel like thousands of needles were pricking her skin. Her instincts were screaming at her to flee, but even without the paralyzing poison in her body, it would be difficult for her to overpower the hold of the two female shapeshifters keeping her upright.

    As she held that golden weapon in her hand, Isa moved her vicious gaze towards Ember.

    "Isn''t it a beautiful weapon to die with, human? Be thankful, I am allowing a little evil thing like you to die a worthy death."

    Not even the potency of the paralysis poison could dampen a human''s survival instinct. Even though Ember felt that dying was proper, there was a strong urge deep within her trying to resist her iing death.

    However, Ember could at most move her fingers. Her breathing hitched as Isa was ready to kill her, but not a sound escaped her lips.

    "Die, human...Die, die, die!"

    The golden dagger in Isa''s hand was raised above her head, and as she plunged it down towards the human''s heart, Ember closed her eyes, resigning to fate--

    --until she caught a whiff of a familiar manly smell, followed by the strong metallic stench of fresh blood.

    "Morph!" Ember heard Isa scream.

    Ember''s eyes flew open as she and the foxes holding her were thrown to the ground by a st of wind. The death she expected did note, but she was weed by the sight of a man''s wide back with outstretched gray wings.

    She recognised the person. It was her best friend, Morpheus.

    As soon as he appeared, the prickling feeling of a thousand needles disappeared.

    Did he destroy the weapon?

    Did hee to save her?

    That meant she didn''t have to die?

    Someone...wanted her to live?

    Ember still could not move. She could onlyy on the ground like a puppet with its string cut. All she could do was watch as things unfold before her. She wanted to call out to Morpheus, to tell him she didn''t want to die but she also didn''t want to make others unhappy.

    Just as tears began to pool in her eyes, she realized something was terribly, terribly wrong.

    Morpheus, his strong body swayed before falling down on his knees, and Isa...her face...had tears streaming down?

    The female fox kneeled in front of the winged man. "Morph! No, I didn''t mean... W-What did you do...why?" Isa cried out.

    From her position, Ember could still only see his back but then watched Morpheus turning his face to her, offering her his usual lopsided smile.

    "Little female, are you alright?"

    Ember could not answer-- she could not even let out a single sound. All she could do was helplessly stare back at him. Still, he continued to smile at her, even after his body copsed on the ground.

    "Morph! No, Morph!" Isa continued to cry out. He coughed out blood, looking to be in immense pain.

    Only then did Ember finally see the hilt of the golden straight dagger piercing in Morpheus'' heart.

    It was as if Ember''s own heart was stabbed.

    ''Morph!''

    Tears rolled down from her eyes as rity returned to Ember''s mind.

    Isa''s earlier words about the weapon surged through her like a nightmare.

    ''The power to destroy the soul. Souls won''t be reborn ever. Even with divine powers, not only your energy core, even your soul will dissipate into nothingness...''

    ...and not even fragments will remain...?

    ''No! No, no, not Morph! Morph can''t die! Morph can''t disappear!''

    Ember wanted to go to him, check on him, to pull that dagger off his chest and call for a healer toe.

    Why wasn''t Isa doing anything? What was the use of crying?

    Save Morpheus! They have to save Morpheus! Morpheus can''t die!

    But Ember could only open her mouth. She could only listen to Morpheus'' pained groans and Isa''s sobs. She wanted to do something but all she could do wasy on the ground helplessly.

    She hated it! She hated that she could not do anything!

    Was that how her life would be? She would only always be on the receiving end of things?

    Others would dictate her life and death, and she could only ept it? Her family abandoned her and she could only suffer, others wanted to kill her and she could only run, people would sacrifice for her and she could only do nothing but watch and wait...?

    Unwilling!

    She was extremely unwilling!

    "Ember''s attention went towards the crying youngdy kneeling in front of Morpheus.

    ''It''s her. If not for her, Morph wouldn''t...he wouldn''t...''

    As she had those thoughts, a strange sensation erupted within her chest. It was as if a chaotic ball of fire was growing hotter and hotter with each passing second, devouring her consciousness. Her eyes that were stuck on the bleeding Morpheus began to grow heavy.

    She forced herself to stay awake but her eyes were betraying her and she ended up closing them. As her consciousness grew blurry, she seemed to hear some faraway voices.

    "You cannot die. I won''t let you die. I will kill everyone who hurt you. I will make their souls vanish. I will avenge you, I promise you. I, ______, in my name as the Deity of Fire, vow to avenge you. No one will be spared!"

    Suddenly, an invisible power started to surround Ember''s body, a divine power so pure the atmosphere around her started to change. Dark clouds began to cover the sky and hide the sun, and strong gusts of wind struck the trees, causing many branches to break.

    Not only Isa and the foxes, even the victims of the paralysis poison noticed the growingmotion over their heads, but before anyone could react, a terrifying outburst of power erupted, causing the structures nearby to copse and the people to grow momentarily blind and deaf from the sound of the resulting shockwave.

    By the time people''s senses returned, they saw Ember floating amidst the rubble, and her body was surrounded by huge red mes that emitted scorching heat. Her eyes were like living mes, and as her body was wrapped by fire, she looked like a goddess who descended on thend for the sake of destruction.

    Isa''s three friends, who were merely weak one-tailed foxes, could not help but be suppressed by the pressure of Ember''s overwhelming strength. They wanted to run away, but their actions ended up getting Ember''s attention and she used her powers to strangle them.

    "...Ember?"

    Feeling the sudden heat, Morpheus could not help but turn towards its source. He could not believe his eyes. He knew Ember was powerful, but he did not expect it to be to this extent. Even he felt suffocated by the heat. Her powers were so strong that perhaps, no one in Agartha could match it, not even Draven.

    But as he met her gaze, he realized she was not the Ember he knew. This being was not human.

    She was destruction personified.

    The Deity of Fire had awakened.

    ====

    Note- the next chapter "The King of heaven" is the same chapter 668 in the first book "Witch''s daughter and the Devil''s son." If you had read there, do not unlock it here.

    I had to do it for the readers who don''t read both the books but I needed to introduce king of heaven to them as well.

 Chapter 419 The King Of Heaven

    Dear readers this chapter is same as the chapter number 668 of first book "Witch''s daughter and the devil''s son." If you have read this one, then dont read that chapter. It is for the readers who don''t read first book so they can know about this part as well. If you have unlocked both, then do not worry about wasting coins. I willpensate you by giving free content ining chapters worth those coins.

    ====

    In the heavenly realm, amidst the rolling sea of white clouds, there was a particr floating ind so massive it was like a world of its own, eclipsing the vast sky.

    It was and of nature, withkes and rivers, marshes and forests, all thriving with vitality. The scenery of divine beings in white robes, angels singing praises, some even ying musical instruments, was a wee addition to the perfect harmony of the ind.

    On this paradise nketed by immortal misty the most breathtaking as well as the most important pce of the heavens, the high temple where the ruler of the three realms resides.

    Sitting on therge throne within the grand hall of the temple was a powerful being shrouded in blinding radiance, his very existence giving out heavy pressure even without making a single movement. It was as if he was the reincarnation of the sun, and each and every living being could only prostrate in front of him in reverence.

    A figure of a man in pure white clothes could be vaguely seen behind the shroud of brilliance, but aside from his long silvery white hair, nothing of his appearance was visible.

    This powerful deity was none other than Grianor, the King of Heavens and the Lord of Light.

    At this moment, Grianor had sensed something familiar yet strange, causing his divine gaze to briefly sweep across the mortal realm below his domain.

    The heavy gaze of the King of Heavens thennded at the deity standing at the step below his throne.

    "Solon," he spoke towards the minor god, his normal voice like thunder to the ears, "did you feel that power?"

    The incident in the mortal realm, about how the power of hellfire appeared and grew out of control, as well as the awakening of the sealed Primordial, the Deity of Fire ¡ª such argemotion wouldn''t be possibly hidden from the gods of the pantheon, not to mention the King of Heavens himself.

    "Indeed, Supreme Lord. No matter how long, existences like us cannot forget such a familiar power," the God of Knowledge, Solon, replied.

    As a god, Solon had a rather ordinary appearance, resembling a youth with a rather schrly figure. He appeared both young and old at the same time, giving a sense of dizzying dissonance. However, his eyes were his most peculiar trait¡ªthey were as dark and as deep as the abyss, and each of them seemed to hold a universe within.

    The King''s eyes narrowed at his confirmation. "The essence of hellfire¡­"

    Solon had a rather curious expression as he voiced out his confusion, "Supreme Lord, it should not be possible for hellfire to appear in the mortal realm. Isn''t it preserved in the underworld after it was taken away from the Deity of Fire? Could it be that someone entered the underworld and disturbed that dangerous power?"

    The expression on the King''s face turned grave. "Send someone to the guardians in the underworld."

    "Yes, Supreme Lord."

    Solon respectfully withdrew from the grand hall, and upon his return, he brought bad news for the King.

    He faced Grianor with a worried face. "Supreme Lord,, something worrisome has happened!"

    Grianor''s silence prompted him to continue, "The hellfire locked in the underworld, it''s no longer there!"

    The King of Heavens stood up from his throne in shock, and this gesture caused the temple to shake. "What are you saying, Solon?"

    "It is gone! No one knows where it is, or how long it has gone missing. The two divine guardians in charge of watching over it are missing as well."

    No one could see the expression of the King of Heavens, but the suffocating aura his body emitted were telltale signs of his anger.

    "Summon the pantheon! Howe no one knows about this? Investigate it and find where the hellfire is!"

    "I heed your orders. I will arrange for this matter to be investigated, Supreme Lord." Solon assured. "However, for the meantime, shall we send down angels¡ªno, a Celestial to the mortal realm? I worry about this being who currently wields the power of hellfire."

    If the most destructive divine power fell to the wrong hands, all the three realms would be in danger.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Solon patiently waited for the King to speak.

    ''There is only one person who can wield the power of hellfire¡­,'' the KIng sighed, ''its one true master.''

    Solon looked at the King as he had the same thought as the king, "Supreme Lord," he could not help but say, "do you think the Deity of Fire is back?"

    "Seems like it, Solon. We all know, no one among the gods or demons is capable of wielding that power. Only she, as the first being birthed by fire, can control that destructive fire."

    Though Solon was worried about the hellfire falling in the wrong hands, the possibility of the Deity of Fire getting her power back brought himfort.

    ''It is only fair and just for that hellfire to return to its real owner. Such is fate. However, for her to get a new lease of life, I hope the future that awaits her will be bright. The unfairness she had once suffered, she must not go through that again.''

    "Solon?" the King called for him.

    The minor god looked at the King, who was known for his righteousness.

    "Supreme Lord, I will send some of my people to descend on the mortal realm. I seek your permission to do so. However, I believe that if it is truly the Deity of Fire whoes to possess that dreaded hellfire, then the pantheon has nothing to worry about. You know as well as I, she might not have the best temper, but she has the purest of heart. The past, when she¡­ s!"

    Solon no longer mentioned it, and changed the subject.

    "Besides, that power is a hidden danger we merely temporarily suppressed with the help of the underworld. Once ites out again, it will threaten all three realms. No one but her can truly control it."

    The King of Heavens sat back on his throne as the radiance surrounding him fluctuated along with his emotions. He remembered a certain deity as dear to him as a younger sister, but nothing was the same now.

    "Though it belongs to her, if she cannot control herself from being affected by the corruption of that hellfire, then the past will repeat itself. Sacrificing a deity, keeping that absurd power suppressed in the underworld, such a cruel choice I will make over and over again for the safety of all living beings in the three realms."

    "Maybe we can give her another chance," Solon suggested.

    "She left with a vow of revenge for what happened to her, Solon. An oath of a deity cannot be taken lightly. If she returns, her revenge will bring harm and destroy the peace. Even if she has the ability to control that hellfire, the pantheon can no longer trust her. You know she was punished, her powers taken away from her, because her actions threatened the heavenly realm."

    "Supreme Lord, things may not always be what it seems," Solon sighed.

    As the Lord of Light, Grianor was a being of principles, a god who upholds righteousness and morality, that was why he understood the good sentiments of the God of Knowledge.

    However, regarding the crime of the Deity of Fire, he could not remain impartial.

    "Does the truth matter in the face of danger?" he spoke solemnly. "As one of the Primordial Gods, the Deity of Fire would not be judged and punished so harshly if not for her giving into the darkness. She had been corrupted by that hellfire. The gods exist to safeguard all the realms, and we cannot allow anyone to harm the living beings, whatever the circumstances are."

    Solon lowered his head. "With her sins punished, her reincarnation should be now free of guilt."

    The King of Heavens agreed. "However, if she returns seeking revenge for the past, then she will have to face the wrath of the pantheon. Heavens won''t spare her."

    "I understand, Supreme Lord," Solon bowed to the King. "I will look into the situation personally."

    The King nodded and Solon left. The radiant being sitting on the throne appeared particrly lonely in the middle of the massive temple.

    ''I have no wish to go through the pain of punishing you once more. I hope your soul finds peace in this lifetime, and that we each go our separate ways.

    ''I wish you to never return to heaven ever again.''

 Chapter 420 Visit Before The Funeral

    "...and the rest, you personally witnessed what happened," Logan said as he finished exining to Draven what happened in the pce that morning with Ember and Morpheus. All the while his gaze didn''t leave Draven as he waited for his reaction.

    After a minute of silence, all Draven said was, "Where is Isa?"

    Though his demeanor seemed outwardly calm, his tone was cold. One could see immense anger behind those flickering red eyes.

    "WIth her n in Dn. ording to thest report, she remains unconscious till now despite getting treated by the witches," Logan replied and asked, "What do you n on doing with her?"

    "Make sure to heal herpletely."

    Logan could see through his friend. To others, those words might sound ordinary, making it appear as if the King worried about the recovery of the little fox, but Logan knew better.

    "I guess I can''t stop you from being cruel now," Loganmented, "But I will be with you as that little fox caused us to lose our another friend. Even if the entire Divine Fox n sides with her, she won''t be spared from severe punishment. If Aldis were alive, he would have also¡­" At this, Logan let out a sigh.

    Draven said nothing but his eyes silently agreed with his friend.

    Logan continued, "I have informed the leaders of the ns regarding the findings of my investigations so you don''t have to worry about your mate being falsely used. This time, not humans but our own kind has harmed us."

    Draven simply nodded, not letting out a single word. Silence stretched between the two for some time.

    "What''s going on in your mind, Draven?" Logan asked.

    There was a short pause before Draven answered, "I was supposed to be the one in Morph''s ce."

    "What do you mean?"

    Draven exined to Logan about those visions and how he was ready to face his death, as well as how Morpheus acted behind his back to change the foreseen future.

    Logan could only gape in shock. "Changing someone''s destiny, isn''t it an impossible thing to do? From what I remember, back then¡­"

    Draven closed his eyes momentarily as he sighed, "But he managed to do it."

    After his initial shock, Logan regained his bearings. "I cannot believe such an absurd thing happened. But from what I know, the price for such an action is horrific. I''m afraid it won''t end with Morpheus simply exchanging his life for yours. Who knows what else he sacrificed?"

    "I will get answers from his aplices."

    "Who are those?"

    "ck Witch Zelda and Th Grimsbane."

    "No wonder. Only witches who can see fate have the chance to change impossible things," Loganmented but then felt conflicted. Who could judge whether the original future or the changed one was better? Either way, he would have ended up losing one of his friends.

    Draven remained silent, his mind lost in thought. The warrior mirrored the King''s grave expression.

    "Are you nning to visit him before his funeral?" Logan asked after some time.

    Draven nodded, but at the mention of the word ''funeral'', his heart felt like it was pierced with a thousand thorns all at once.

    "I shalle with you as well," Logan offered. "Though things are still a mess, I made sure the affairs of the pce are more or less settled."

    With Morpheus gone, along with Draven''s earlier disappearance, Logan had been forced to temporarily carry out some of the more important tasks that the council members could not do. Because of his responsibilities, he could not even spare time to grieve for their deceased friend. <novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "I will see you in the morning then."

    Draven stood up and Logan did the same. They went their separate ways for the night.

    When morning came, both figures appeared in the Divine Eagle n''s territory.

    As the home of the feathered races and the main city of the shapeshifters, Redcrest was a bustling ce filled with countless beastmen from all walks of life. However, the sight of a lively city with all winged people freely soaring in the air could not be seen at the moment. The streets were empty, and the skies bare.

    The handful of people loitering outside had downcast expressions on their faces.

    As one goes past the residences, they could see a number of warriors belonging to other races heading towards the centermost region of Redcrest. They were warriors who wanted to pay their respects to the Commander.

    Not only the Divine Eagle n and the other members of the feathered race, the entire kingdom were mourning the death of Divine Eagle Morpheus.

    Morpheus'' body was kept at the main hall of the n building. Death was rare for supernatural beings, and as such, most families would keep the wake intimate, choosing to put the deceased in their family homes for a day at most before sending them to the n graveyard to be buried.

    Chief Agraleus decided to make an exception for Morpheus and opted to make his wake public. Though the dead body was apanied by their family members, others coulde and visit it to pay their respect. The next day was going to be the day when Morpheus would be buried next to his parents in the mountain at the outskirts of Redcrest.

    When Draven and Logan reached the n building, Aureus, Chief Agraleus and the other Divine Eagles were there along with a few elders from other ns.

    Morpheus'' body was ced on a stone tform in the center of that huge hall. His body had been cleaned up, and he now wore a ceremonial white robe crafted together with the feathers from the members of his n. On his sidey a sword and a few trinkets that held important meaning to Morpheus, each item representing something that once belonged to his family and close friends.

    Aureus was next to his uncle, looking at him helplessly, not willing to believe that Morpheus was gone.

    With the arrival of the King and the Deputy Commander, a visibly aged Chief Agraleus stood up to receive them and signaled the others to leave. Everyone did so as they bowed towards Draven, some also greeting Logan, before leaving. Only the Chief and Aureus stayed behind.

    By now, Logan had released the initial results of his investigation to the council, and most of the high-ranking figures knew the truth of the incident. No one was ming the King''s mate for the death of theirmander.

    Draven walked towards the stone tform. His heart was heavy with guilt as he stared at the peacefully smiling face of his friend, a face too white, too rigid and too lifeless for his liking.

    ''It should have been me¡­not you¡­''

    Draven closed his eyes for a moment to get hold of his emotions.

    Mere days ago, they were still at each other''s throats, fighting over Morpheus'' taking advantage of his mate. If he could turn back time, Draven would choose to be more honest to him. It was toote now. He would never get to see that annoying lopsided smile of his and he would never get to hear those provoking words from him once more.

    No one would barge in from his windows anymore and mess his chamber with their silly brawls.

    Another friend of his was gone, and it was his fault.

    Every moment of his existence, Draven would be reminded that his life was made in exchange for his friend''s life.

    He looked at the covered part of Morpheus'' chest where the stab wound should have been.

    Draven nced at Aureus who remained unmoving like a statue next to the stone tform. He didn''t acknowledge anyone''s presence around as if he could see or feel nothing. Draven had no words to console him because both of them contributed to Morpheus'' death¡ªDraven''s destiny and Aureus'' blood. He could somewhat understand what Aureus was feeling at the moment.

    Regret. Guilt. Shame.

 Chapter 421 To Him, You Were A Brother Worth Dying For

    An eternity of stifling silence had passed within therge hall.

    Lost in self-loathing, Draven did not even realize when or how he left. He had been wandering like he lost his own soul. By the time he snapped out of his daze, he was standing outside the entrance of the n building. A familiar face with a cane wasing towards him from the opposite direction, causing his hollowed gaze to regain a bit of rity.

    ck Witch Zelda.

    The old witch did not expect to chance on the King, and though she had the heart to attend Morpheus'' wake, she dared not face Draven with a clear conscience.

    Their gazes met but neither acknowledged each other, both sides not saying a single word.

    Leaving her witchpanion outside, Zelda entered the wake where her poor vision found not a single soul, except for a young winged man standing in front of Morpheus'' corpse like a stone statue.

    The scene coincided with the vision she had about Aureus back on his first visit to Millow Circle. Back then, she saw his future¡ªit was a scene where Aureus was crying for someone and that someone turned out to be his uncle.

    Zelda let out an exhausted sigh. She had seen countless deaths, outlived many loved ones, but it did not make grief any easier to bear.

    ''If you can see the present,won''t you regret your choice, Commander?'' Zelda could not help but ask in her heart. She looked at Aureus once more and hobbled to his side, putting a hand on his shoulder to console him.

    Only then did Aureus seem to realize her arrival. At first, his face was ck, not recognizing the witch. Seconds crawled by before his red-rimmed eyes stared at her with growing anger.

    Zelda coordinated with his uncle to pull off thisscheme! If not for her help, Morpheus would not seed in sacrificing his own life. He wanted to me her, but not a single word coulde out of his throat. He could only brush off her hand from his shoulder.

    Towards his show of hostility, Zelda simply lowered her head.

    "I ept whatever you want to say. I don''t expect your forgiveness."

    Aureus didn''t reply, purposely ignoring her. His gazended once more on Morpheus'' cold body.

    When Zelda came out of the hall, herpanion Urs hurried to her side. The senior witch waved at her. "You go ahead. I still have some matters to attend to."

    "Sister¡­"

    In the end, Urs watched Zelda walk away on her own before turning away with aplicated expression.

    Given the nature of its residents, Redcrest was a forest city built on the side of a steep mountain. Not only were the ancient trees with nest abodes tall and lofty, even the ground had aplex terrain where only people of the feathered race could move freely. For an elderly with a deformed body like Zelda, trekking through the winding paths was a difficult task. However, her expression remained tranquil as she walked.

    At the end of her path was a ridge at the outskirts of the city. Below it was a cliff that would prove deadly to anyone who could not fly. A certain figure with a lonely back was standing at the edge, patiently waiting for her arrival. With the support of her cane, she approached that person.

    That person was Draven, the King of Agartha. Zelda knew the King had things to talk about, and she herself desired toe clean about her participation in Morpheus'' grand scheme. No matter how justified it was, the fact remained she agreed to sacrifice Morpheus to save this man along with this kingdom. The least she could do was to not let his heroic sacrifice be buried.

    Zelda bowed to Draven. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

    Draven wordlessly turned around to look at her. Zelda dared not meet his gaze.

    If one were to think of it in another perspective, Zelda helped save Draven''s life. However, was that a feat the King would be grateful for?

    "Apologies for your loss, Your Majesty," she said to break the silence, her raspy voice sounding worn out.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "Apology won''t bring him back," he snapped, and Zelda could feel the hurt and disappointment in that harsh rebuke.

    "The Commander''s choice, he did it for this kingdom''s sake. The Commander''s death would cast gloom on the Agartha, but the King''s death would destroy it. We all still need you, Your Majesty. You are the reason this kingdom can still stand aloof."

    Draven had nothing to say in this regard. The peace and stability enjoyed by the Kingdom of Agartha was a result of countless sacrifices throughout the years. Morpheus was not the first, and he would also not be thest.

    Draven understood¡­but understanding was different from eptance.

    After his mistake that led to that massacre, he vowed that he would protect the people who survived. He never wanted to lose anyone again, not to mention dying in his stead.

    "Exin it to me," Draven ordered. "What did that foolish bird sacrifice to change my destiny?"

    "Do you hate him, Your Majesty?"

    "What¡ª"

    "Commander Morpheus was a proud warrior." Zelda said, cutting him off. "Once he made a decision, only he himself could change his mind. He was a decisive man, but he was never impulsive, despite how he acted in front of others."

    "Why are you saying this, witch?"

    "The Commander, he confessed to me how much he hated you."

    At that, Draven''s expression changed. His lips tightened to a thin line, and his knuckles turned white.

    Zelda continued in a slow drawl, "The grudge of his parents'' deaths, it was impossible to resolve. You were the cause why his family broke apart. For him to hate you, it was a natural thing to happen but¡­

    "Your Majesty,to him, you were also family. His precious friend, closer to him than a real brother, you were also a person he could not bear to lose. Your importance to the kingdom was one of the reasons why he acted as he did, but if not for his devotion, the Commander would not smile as he died in your ce.

    "To him, you are a brother worth dying for."

    Draven felt emotions choke his throat while Zelda continued to speak.

    "The Commander wanted you to know that though he med you for what happened in the past, he had long forgiven you as well. Yours was a mistake for trusting the wrong person, but in the end, that massacre was caused by the enemies. It was Agartha who was weak. Because we had the protection of the mighty ck Dragon, our people had growncent that the enemies could never truly endanger us.

    "He was angry¡ªangry at himself¡ª that he could not protect his own family. If he were stronger and wiser, then what happened in the past would not be so catastrophic. If only the elves were not arrogant, if only the shapeshifters were not selfish, if only the witches were more vignt and the fairies more expressive¡­ In the end, he realized everyone back then wascking.

    "He had no way to take that anger out, so you being the closest and the only one left dear to him, he chose to take it out on you. It was an action of a petty man, but whenever he fought with you, he felt the violence was a well-deserved ''punishment'' for himself. For him, fighting was the only way he could face you again.

    "It was an excuse, but at the same time, it was his lifeline¡ª an assurancethat you two still meant something to each other and that friendship was still alive. He told me that he would have probably gone insane if after losing his family, your rtionship became distant as well."

    Draven could only close his eyes, having been aware of this all along. As Morpheus'' friend, how could he not know his intention? Morpheus was indeed not an honest man, but so was he.

    "Your Majesty, I will tell you about that night when the Commander first came to ask for my help¡­"

 Chapter 422 Morpheus Plan

    shback¡­

    After piecing together the clues from Cornelia and Leeora, Morpheus left his nephew, Aureus, in the care of Erlos, before heading towards Millow Circle under the guise of the night.

    The arrival of the Divine Eagle at her front door surprised the ck Witch.

    "Pardon for the sudden visit, Zelda."

    "What are you doing here sote in the night, Commander Morpheus?" Zelda asked as she opened the door for him.

    "To talk about important matters."

    "That vision?" she asked and turned to go back inside her home. "You could havee in the morning."

    Morpheus followed behind her after closing the door. His gazended on the lit candle on the corder, its wax half-melted. "I can see you could not sleep after knowing that vision. I happen to be free enough to share your worries."

    "As if your presence can ease that worry?" she chuckled hoarsely before sitting on the rocking chair. Her turbid eyes watched as he made himselffortable on the couch. "The future has been written. We can merely be spectators watching destiny unfold before our eyes."

    "What if¡­ we can be more than spectators?" he asked, a carefree look on his face. "What if we can save a life destined to end?"

    Zelda''s expression hardened."What are you trying to imply?"

    "Exactly what you heard," he replied calmly.

    "Please do not make a fool out of me, Commander."

    "I don''t think there is any problem in this world which has no solution."

    "It is a destiny we are talking about. There arews that will never be broken."

    "There is none?" He raised a brow. "Are you sure?"

    Zelda averted her gaze from him. "There is none."

    "Why do you not sound confident to me?" he asked.

    Ignoring his question, her turbid eyes returned to meet his. "Commander Morpheus, the world does not allow us mortals to change a person''s destiny. Birth and death, such a cycle, is part of the natural order of the world."

    Morpheus quietly gazed at the old ck Witch, his thoughts unknown. After some time, he sat with a straightened back.

    "Zelda, be honest. I believe you saw more things through Leeora''s vision than she herself had seen."

    Zelda stayed quiet.

    "It is about Draven, isn''t it?"

    Zelda refused to respond.

    Morpheus continued, "??As the saying goes, ''In times of chaos, it is the quiet observer who sees the most.'' Those who caught a glimpse of the future might have missed many clues, but not you. You know for sure that the one stabbed in those visions was Draven."

    Seeing the determination in his eyes, Zelda felt as if the eagle had already seen through the truth. Regardless of her confirmation, even if she denied it, Morpheus would not believe her. She nodded in the end.

    "Do you think Agartha can afford to lose the King, Zelda?"

    She shook her head. "I know we can''t but¡ª"

    "Destiny? We can change it."

    Before the witch could refute, Morpheus continued, "Imagine if the future you sawes to pass. What happens after? Do you think Agartha will remain the same Agartha we know?

    "You are one of the oldest surviving witches¡ªhow many wars have you witnessed? Twenty? Thirty? Before the tragedy of Lvenor a hundred years ago, there had been constant battles against the enemy humans. They massively outnumbered us back then, and we suffered many defeats and many of our people died in order for the rest to survive. The most we could do was ask the warriors of each n to persevere and help each other out, allowing the weak and the injured to flee towards safety.

    "Tell me. Who had been fighting in the frontlines? Was it not the Devil King of Agartha, the ck Dragon Draven?

    "Who protected the races, buying them enough time to recuperate and train new warriors after every conflict? Who allowed therge races to coexist peacefully along with the smaller ns? Was it not Draven? Who was the only existence able to control all those arrogant old fogeys, whose pride soared through the heavens given they are strongest or the leaders of their kind? Who?

    "Draven is the one who is holding Agartha together. With him gone, you know what can happen. Do you think I can handle the ensuing chaos on my own? My reputation might hold sway within the beastmen, but do you think those elves will bow down to a shapeshifter?

    "You do not need the gift of foresight to see the future I speak of. It would be utter chaos. Forget the thirty or so ck Witches, even all the witches and warlocks would have no ce in Agartha once the various races began putting the interest of their own kind first.

    "Then, what if our old enemies began to take advantage of this? What if the humans sent an army of a million soldiers? Even if traversing through the mountains would take months for a marching army, they had seeded before¡ªthey could do it again even at the cost of casualties. What if the ck magic practitioners join in?

    "Do you understand why Draven cannot die?"

    The witch''s thin body trembled in horror. Morpheus was not lying nor was he being an rmist. Such a future was highly likely to happen.

    "Zelda, help me," Morpheus persuaded. "I am telling you this because I trust you and your knowledge. Help me save Draven. Even if it is just a clue¡ª"

    "Destiny," the old witch started, "it belongs to the realm of the gods."

    "That much I know."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "The ancient scriptures say that changing destiny¡­it is not impossible, but it''s forbidden for us mortals. But the price¡­"

    A flicker of hope shone on Morpheus'' eyes.

    "So it is indeed possible! Even if it''s forbidden, I will be the one to pay the price. I will be the one to bear responsibility for everything. All you need to do is tell me how to save him."

    Silence enveloped the cottage, the flickering me of the candlelight the only movement within. Morpheus was patient. He knew Zelda was wavering in his favor.

    The witch took a deep breath.

    "Mirroring destiny!"

    Morpheus did not need to ask, as she proceeded to exin.

    "Destiny cannot be changed, or else mortals will suffer the wrath of heavens. That means death is inevitable. However, there is a way to cheat the divine gaze of the heavenly being who oversees Destiny and Fate¡ªand that is to mirror what is meant to happen. As long as we cloak ourselves with an ancient spell boosted by divine power, we will be able to fulfill the needs that allow us to deceive destiny, and the first requirement is to rece the most vital elements with simr properties."

    "You mean to say, if the target of death is a divine beast, then another beast who fits the requirements can rece his identity. Blood is meant to be spilled, and that cannot be avoided," Morpheus rified.

    She nodded. "And that divine weapon, its birth cannot be avoided. At the same time, it should fulfill its destiny, otherwise such an evil weapon would bring danger to others. That means it is necessary for that weapon to take away the soul of a divine beast."

    Morpheus processed her words. "So mirroring means we can fool destiny and save Draven as long as we rece the identity of the person stabbed by that divine weapon?"

    She nodded. "That is the gist of things, but it is not that simple. The King is no ordinary divine beast. Be it his strength or status, a being who can match that¡ª"

    "A candidate for that already exists."

    Her eyes widened with incredulity. "You are not nning to¡­"

    "Since that part has been solved, let''s not talk about it," he interrupted her, aware she had guessed his n. "What more do we need to pay attention to?"

    Zelda took some time to regain her calm. "The first vital element is that someone will die in his stead. The second vital element involved His Majesty being stabbed by that divine weapon."

    "But that kind of weapon, you say it will destroy the soul of whoever it stabs. How are we going to have the weapon stab him but not let him die? We do not even know how that weapon was made, much less who made it."

    "A simr, albeit weaker weapon can be created. Since I have seen the vision, I am able to determine the level of divine power it possesses. Forging a replica will be difficult but not impossible."

    "So we have to fulfill both vital elements but in separate ces," Morpheus said. "The issue would be who are the other parties involved in that vision. If it is Ember, then he would immediatelye to her side even if we manage to separate them. Can you confirm if the one stabbing Draven is his mate? Leeora seems to believe it''s her."

    Zelda shook her head. "I am not sure about it, but from the kind of divine energy I sensed from the weapon, it does not seem to have the fire attribute."

    "That''s good to know. That naive little female won''t be able to bear the guilt of killing her own mate, but if it is her destiny to dye her own hands with blood, then the more reason for me to stop it. Otherwise, that weight on her conscience will ruin her life."

    "You care for the King''s mate," Zeldamented.

    "I care for both of them," he replied.

    "Care is a shallow word when you intend to die in his ce. Such loyalty is unparalleled."

    Morpheus bitterlyughed. "Loyalty? I wonder."

    "King Draven will never approve of you sacrificing your life in his stead."

    "Does it matter? Even if heins, I will not be alive to hear it."

    Seeing the warrior acting so willfully, the witch could only shake her head. He was taking the matter of his own death lightly.

    Morpheus then asked, "The person, the weapon, what else? What are the other vital elements? I think I heard Leeora saying herbs and a few other things. Are they important enough to matter?"

    Zelda nodded. "Lady Cornelia mentioned seeing camellia flowers, while Leeora saw wreaths and baskets of herbs."

    "Herbs and flowers?" Morpheus repeated under his breath as he attempted to recall something he heard. "Few days back, I think Draven mentioned in a meeting about memorial gifts on the day of mourning. Perhaps this is rted to that."

    "That is highly possible."

    "Such a kind gesture for each n, giving their loved ones meaningful gifts, that will paint me in a good light. Those graves in the Netherfields were warriors. As the Commander, that gesture will suit me better than the King. What do you think?"

    Zelda was bothered by his easygoing attitude, but she had to agree with what the Commander was saying. After all, with his imminent death, the least she could do was allow him to do as he pleased.

    ===

    A/N- The third book of "Devil and Witch" series has beenunched today on webnovel app. It is a story of Dragon and a new queen of witches- A ck witch, who I have mentioned before in this novel.

    Title- The Devil''s Betrothed.

    It is the entry for WSA 2023 contest. I wish all of your support once again as this can be thest WSA I am participating in. Let''s get a Gold this time, I believe we can. <3<3

    You can find the novel in my webnovel author profile or you can simply search the title in webnovel app.

 Chapter 423 Help To Create Weapon

    After a long, grueling conversation, Morpheus bid the ck Witch farewell, promising to return after some progress with their n. He then went to Draven, and he sessfully took over his responsibilities in rtion to the day of mourning.

    Fortunately, Draven''s attention was diverted by his investigation of Myra''s whereabouts.

    From then Morpheus began to busy himself with the security of the kingdom.

    Thinking about how to spend the remaining days of his life, Morpheus found a new appreciation for life. He felt strangely enthusiastic, finally having a goal after aimlessly drifting in the past. It was as if a heavy burden was lifted off his shoulders.

    The Next day, after a morning meeting in the pce, he went to see Ember after informing Draven. Long used to his attitude, Draven didn''t stop him.

    When he saw her beautiful form standing on the balcony, his heart could not help but flutter.

    ''Since my days are numbered, can I afford to be a little selfish? I wish to spend more time with her¡­even if it is merely as her friend.''

    Ember was visibly upset.

    As her friend, giving herfort would not be out of line.

    Standing by the railing of the balcony, Morpheus relished in her presence, listening to her sweet voice as she voiced out her worries. It turned out she was worried about troubling others, especially her busy mate, with her issues.

    ''This little female could not afford to worry about others? I did not realize she has grown more mature,'' he could not help but think. ''I wish I could witness more of your growth but¡­''

    Thinking about what was toe, Morpheus gave Ember his whistle.

    The vision only gave glimpses of Draven''s future, but that did not mean he was the only one whose death was looming¡ªthere was a high chance that his mate would also encounter fatal danger.

    Morpheus wanted to keep Ember safe, thus giving her a way to summon him was good. It would also work in his favor if on the earliest sign of danger, the first person she would call was him, instead of Draven.

    Seeing her amusement over the whistle, he could not help but think, ''A little adult but still like a child.''

    He taught her how to blow a whistle, and those few silly but enjoyable moments with her, he held them dearly in his heart.

    The next day, along with Aureus, Morpheus began to search for the divine weapon in that ominous vision. It was a race against time. He even went to Draven to check if he managed to find that weapon, but even that haughty Dragon had not a single clue.

    It made him realize the possibility that the weapon was either yet to be brought into Agartha from outside¡­or was yet to be crafted.

    This led Morpheus'' way back to Zelda to share his discoveries. However, Aureus was sticking to Morpheus'' side all day long, and it would be highly suspicious to drive him away. He could only ask his nephew to wait for him outside the witch''s cottage while they had a private chat inside.

    That day, Zelda and Morpheus got into an argument. Zelda feared the repercussions of changing the destined future. She could not bear to imagine the cost of such a sin!

    By saving a single life, they would lose more than what they gained!

    "...I could not find that weapon," Morpheus exined. "I thought we could reforge or enchant it, weaken it enough to simply injure Draven. I will still keep my eye on it, but that aside, we should create a replica. What do you need to forge the replica? Tell me. I will gather the ingredients you need¡ª"

    Zelda sighed. "I will have to rudely ask you to see yourself out."

    "What?"

    "I have thought things over. I believe it is best we leave destiny alone. It was extremely foolish of me to tell you about mirroring destiny. Even if you rece your friend and die in his stead, what if the consequence ends with both of you dying? Such a terrible future¡­"

    "This is not the time for you to back down, Zelda. Neither of us know what will happen after I die, but if Draven dies, I assure you, Agartha will copse." Morpheus was desperate. "The day of mourning is near and we do not have much time. You need to tell me how to create the replica."

    "...I don''t support this, Commander."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    "You have to. You know my reasons."

    "He is our king and I can''t¡ª"

    "It''s for this kingdom. Think of the people¡­"

    "No, I won''t and I in fact have no capability of helping you the way you want me to."

    "Then who can? I trust you, Zelda, and I know you will help me. I need to set up the stage right. Everything should go as nned."

    "No. Do not expect any help from me in this. I cannot do this."

    "Then tell me who can. At least this much, you can help me, right?"

    There was a long pause.

    "Please, Zelda."

    In the end, the ck Witch was persuaded by the stubborn Divine Eagle.

    "Th Grimsbane," she sighed. "Seek her."

    "The Witch of Destruction? But she is neither a crafter or a cksmith."

    The old witch nodded. "Indeed. Her reputation boasts of her offensive might, hence her moniker. But, Commander, have you seen the leg she lost? Do you have any idea how exquisitely made it was, as if it was a real leg made of flesh rather than wood? As far as I am concerned, be it technique or precision, no one could surpass Th Grimsbane.

    "It was exactly her eye for detail that allowed her to maximize the output of even the ordinariest spells, allowing them to produce might unimaginable to most. If you wish to have a replica made, one that could deceive the King into thinking it was the real one, only Th Grimsbane could do it."

    "Then I have to go to the Spirit Circle."

    "But I am sure you are aware that she has long retired from the affairs of the world. Her core is broken, and I am not sure how much of her remaining magic is left."

    Despite Zelda''s warning, Morpheus was in a good mood. "That sulking old witch¡­ Considering how much she hates Draven, I guess it should not be difficult to persuade her."

    "It is impossible to see them without their permission, and even if you do get to see her, herpanions, Glinda Mortem and Maria Grimsbane, won''t allow her to help you."

    "I will figure out how to deal with them."

    "Think about it once more, Commander. The future¡ª"

    "¡ªthe future, I will protect it," he finished the sentence in her stead. "Trust me. It''s for everyone''s betterment. I will not act without thinking twice. When I need your help, I wille again."

    "I didn''t agree to help you."

    "You already did when you told me to see Th Grimsbane."

    "I hope she won''t help you."

    "That we will see."

    With renewed determination, Morpheus brought his nephew to Spirit Circle.

 Chapter 424 Convincing Thala Grimsbane

    Morpheus originally thought it would be better to separate from Aureus.

    Though his nephew was young, he was no fool, and certain actions of his would certainly raise suspicion. However, he realized his line of thinking was funny. So what if he was suspicious? The truth would be revealed after his death.

    With that kind of mindset, Morpheus introduced the significance of Spirit Circle to the young eagle. Spirit Circle was one of the sacred ces within Agartha, a ce no one could enter easily.

    Morpheus thought this was a good opportunity to let his nephew meet the most senior witches in the kingdom.

    ''With them acquainted, Aureus will have the best teachers supplying hisck of basic magic knowledge.''

    Upon entering the Spirit Circle, Morpheus immediately put his n to action, separating Th Grimsbane from her sisters.

    Simr to how his talk proceeded with Zelda, Th rejected Morpheus, her unkind tone not even with a tinge of courtesy.

    "Heh, have you gone mad?" she let out a grunt. "You want me to help you save him? Let him die! Why meddle with his fate? I cannot wait for his time of reckoning toe. That Dragon has lived for so long, he must be miserable. You''d do him a favor letting him end his sinful life."

    Morpheus had long expected this kind of response and prepared a counter. Unlike with Zelda who cared about the King, Th would not bat an eyelid had Draven dropped dead this very moment.

    "Are you that merciful?" he asked.

    "What?"

    "If you hate him that much, why give him eternal peace? You said it yourself¡ªdeath is a favor, letting him end his miserable life. Why don''t you use this chance to give him a living hell?" Morpheus remarked.

    "Oh, no. I know what you are doing¡ª"

    Morpheus continued, "If we seed, you are damning the King to suffer the same way you suffered. Do you not hate him for the death of your closest sisters? Isn''t your rage for the bitter struggle your people suffered, as well as the guilt of being lucky to survive?

    "Admit it. You feel shame that many of the senior witches who were stronger than you died. Your title as the Witch of Destruction, rather than honor, you feel humiliation to be given such a grand title when the sisters you cherish have nothing to show but a few words of bravery on their gravestones¡ª-"

    "Commander Morpheus, you are overstepping your boundaries!" Th cut him off, her eyes icy cold. "If you came here to provoke me, you seeded. I ask that you leave this instant!"

    However, the winged man did not back down. A lopsided grin hung on his face, but his eyes remained dead serious.

    "Listen to me, Th Grimsbane. I know how you feel. No one knows better than me, the Commander of Warriors, the hatred and the anger you feel for being the one who survived. The feeling of wanting to die, but your life was paid for by countless sacrifices¡ªhow could you have the heart to end it?"

    A flicker of unknown emotion appeared in his gray eyes.

    "Make the King live with the curse of knowing it came at the cost of his dear friend''s life. Give him just retribution."

    The senior witch silently studied his face, trying to gauge how serious he was. Morpheus gave her time to think over his words.

    Seeing that she was hesitating, he further urged, "Be honest with yourself. The main reason why you never acted on your grudge against Draven, because you know how important his existence is to this kingdom. With him gone, what will happen to the Honeyharbor Coven?

    "A hundred years ago, the witch race was at its peak. You used to have a hundred senior mages, and the Queen of Witches was present to preside over the coven. As of now, aside from you three disabled war veterans, there are less than twenty senior witches. The current Head, Cornelia Grimm, is so young. The younger generation are yet to grow strong enough for the battlefield. How many of your kind will survive another chaos?"

    Th could only swallow the rest of her words.

    She raised her hand, waving it at Morpheus when he was about to open his mouth again. "That''s enough. Why are you a warrior? With your tongue, you should have been a bard."<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Morpheus grinned. "Is that a ''yes''?"

    "I will help you, but only for the sake of my kind."

    "And you get to stab the King you hated as well," he added with a smirk.

    "You don''t have to tell me what I need to do," she countered as she narrowed her eyes on him.

    Despite her grouchiness, he smiled pleasantly at the old witch. The most difficult phase of convincing her was over. "I will bring the design of the weapon prepared by Zelda. Let me know what ingredients you need to create a replica."

    "Divine blood of the highest purity," she said and nced at the direction of the door where Aureus had gone. "Commander, you sure are ruthless. Not only do you involve innocent people to orchestrate your death, you even n to use your own little nephew."

    "Don''t worry about it, he will understand. I only ask you say not a word to anyone until we sessfully execute our n."

    "When you bring the design, give me a vial of his blood as well."

    "You can take it yourself."

    With the help of both ck Witch Zelda and Th Grimsbane, the Witch of Destruction, Morpheus felt more confident that he would seed in changing Draven''s destiny.

    ''Everything has been set in motion. Myst regret is not having the chance to bid my sister farewell.''

    With Morpheus'' days numbered, he wanted to make sure he could set aside time to see his n members and his closest friends. He could only hope that with him gone, others could find and save Myra.

    Draven would surely seek for his younger sister, but he alone was not enough. If he alone could do it, Draven would have already brought his sister back. After the day of mourning, Draven would have his hands full with the affairs of the kingdom.

    Morpheus would have to seek more people to help searching for Myra.

    He could not help but ask his nephew, "How strong is the King of Megaris?"

    "Stronger than me, at the very least."

    "Is the King of Megaris strong enough to beat that ck Witch Zaria Lynx?"

    Aureus had once mentioned before about Zaria Lynx''s attempt to capture him. Since they had met, Aureus should be able to tell her strength.

    The golden eagle assured him that the King of Megaris was really powerful, maybe even more powerful than Draven. Though Morpheus dared not believe his im, his words made him relieved.

    ''Aureus is friends with the King of Megaris. I am sure that king would help save his friend''s mother.''

    Just then, the sharp sound of a whistle caught his attention. It was precisely the whistle he had given to Ember.

    His body stiffened. Could she be in danger?

    "Someone called for me. I have to go."

    He parted ways with Aureus.

 Chapter 425 Dissolved Resolution

    Morpheus'' ears buzzed with the way she was blowing that whistle again and again. ''Patient, little female. You will break my ear drums like this. Stop blowing it already.'' He flew as fast as he could in the direction of the pce, even using his divinity and his battle form in order to arrive by her side as soon as possible.

    By the time his sharp eyesight spotted her little form on the balcony, only then did the stone weighing his chest disappeared. The golden feathers on his wings transformed back to their normal gray color.

    ''This naughty human girl! I was scared, thinking she was in danger!''

    When hended next to her, the mixed scent her body emitted causedplicated emotions inside him to stir, it was a strong scent of her mate and he knew what it was on her.

    He had a small argument with her, but he could not deny how he loved just staying by her side. He was tempted to spend more time with her, make the best of hisst best moments with her.

    It just so happened Ember mentioned her boredom. Morpheus would be a fool not to grab this chance.

    "Morph, are you sure you are alright?" Ember asked. "If your ears are ringing badly, I can ask my servants to fetch a healer."

    "I am just thinking about where I should bring you," he told her. "Would you like to go out? Since you are bored, we should go sightseeing outside."

    "Umm, I think I am not up to any adventure today. I do not want to walk or roam around that much¡­I¡­my legs hurt¡­"

    Reminded of the reason, he could only keep the jealousy in his heart. She had a mate, and the divine beast at that.He was satisfied simply staying by her side.

    "With me around, you don''t have to walk," he coaxed. "I can just carry you like before and fly wherever you want to."

    With her agreement, Morpheus brought her to the skies, letting her experience a thrilling flight, before deciding to visit a ce he knew she would love¡ª the flower valley of Reif, a beautiful ce belonging to the Valley Elves and thergest field of flowers within the kingdom.

    It just so happened that he had an important matter to attend there as well, rted to the arrangement of the camellia flowers to the graves of the fallen witches on the day of mourning. He needed to fulfill what was seen in the vision.

    However, Morpheus did not expect that their easy banterin would eventually lead to a conversation he would deeply regret.

    "...Then you would have been my mate," Ember said naively. "I would have asked you to marry me."

    A sour feeling erupted withinMorpheus.

    He knew Ember was simply saying those words in passing¡­but how casually cruel could she be? The possibility of such a future, imagining both of their lives together as loving mates, would be forever out of his grasp.

    ''If I got to you first¡­if I imed you as mine instead¡­''

    "You don''t want to be my mate?" Ember asked, grumbling at his silence.

    He wanted to hug her tightly and tell her, ''Of course, I want to be her mate''.

    Morpheus could no longer lie to himself¡ªhe was deeply, madly in love with Ember, so much it hurts. Even if he knew this love was impossible, Ember is the only female he would give his heart to. A part of the reason why he wanted to save Draven was her. She could not see her hurt if something had to happen to Draven.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    However, these feelings, he would take with him to the grave.

    As he attended to the matters with Valley Elf n Elder Baruel, Morpheus left Ember to y in the valley. To his horror, despite warning her not to go to the plot where the poisonous ss Mist Flowers were, this obnoxious little female ended up going there.

    He found her passed out in the middle of the ss Mist Flowers. Fortunately, Baruel and his wife were present to help make an antidote.

    "I love you," he heard her say in her delirious state.

    For a split second, his heart swelled in happiness.

    ''She said¡­to me¡­?''

    The poison of the ss Mist Flower would affect the mind, allowing one to hallucinate, but no one knew what kind of scene they would see. It might be a scene from a cherished memory, a choice they regret, or their most hidden desire. That also meant the affected person would be more open and vulnerable to his or her own feelings.

    Ember was staring at Morpheus¡ªdid that mean she was seeing him?

    ''Does she really feel that way towards me?''

    A part of Morpheus was overwhelmed with joy, but a small voice at the back of his head was telling him it was not meant for him. With the woman in his heart confessing her love, could he not¡­ pretend?

    His breathing turned heavier with each passing moment.

    "Ember¡­I¡ª"

    Morpheus wanted¡ªno, he ached to kiss her, to confess his feelings to her, to shout and let the world know that this little female was the one he would willingly spend his entire lifetime with. Part of him was saying it should be fine, that he should resolve his regrets before his death.

    ''What if¡­? I should not get ahead of myself. She is not herself. I should not¡­''

    However, his silence caused Ember''s eyes to redden. Hisck of response caused her mouth to lose its smile, and her lips trembled, as if she was about to cry.

    "You don''t feel the same?" she asked. "You don''t love me?"

    Seeing her hurt, what little resolution he had dissolved.

    Why did he want to change Draven''s destiny? One was their friendship, another was his guilt, along with his devotion to his people¡­as well as to protect Ember''s happiness.

    Morpheus would never let Ember dye her hands with her own mate''s blood¡ª he''d rather she stab him instead, if that was what destiny demands.

 Chapter 426 Let Me Be Selfish For The Last Time, My Love.

    As his conscience battled with his rationality, Morpheus'' gray eyes stared into her green ones.

    "I do. I love you¡­." he confessed with a smile. I love you Ember."

    And then he leaned to give her the kiss she was demanding.

    ''Even if it is wrong, even if you forget this, even if it is a memory only I can cherish¡­let me be selfish for thest time, my love.''

    He savored their kiss, imprinting each precious second, relishing in her sweet taste.

    Yet no matter how sweet an illusion is, in the end, Morpheus had to face the bitter truth¡ªthat he was in love with a woman who did not love him back.

    ''I hope you forgive me, Ember,'' he could only pray silently in his heart. ''If you remember this kiss, may you not feel disgust for this lowly selfish man. Even in death, I could not bear your hate. Don''t hate me. All I want is for you to never hate me.''

    As soon as their lips parted, suffocating guilt assaulted Morpheus. What he felt for Ember was something that he had never felt for any female in his long life.

    He wished to im her, to have her for himself, and that desire was only growing more threatening and dangerous with each passing second. The beast inside him was attempting to break free of his control, but Morpheus leashed his instincts in¡ªhe had no wish to do something which would earn Ember''s hatred.

    To him, nothing was more important than this green-eyed woman, not even his own crazy desires.

    Since she was the woman he vowed to protect, and even if she was not Draven''s mate, he was a man with morals. He would not have done more without her consent. He might be a beastman, but he was not a wild beast who could not control himself.

    That night, after sending Ember back to the pce, Morpheus found himself sitting at his favorite spot on the ridge near his sister''s cave.

    It was as if he could still feel Ember''s soft lips against his. Her sweet scent lingered around him, causing the corners of his lips to lift from time to time. He quietly waited at the edge of the cliff, at times falling into a daze. He knew Draven woulde for him.

    How could that arrogant ck Dragon miss the fact that Morpheus had taken advantage of his mate?

    A strange feeling of exhration ran through Morpheus'' veins, simr to a high one would have when dancing with death.

    ''He should be here soon. Let''s have onest good fight with him.''

    His gray eyes scanned the night sky, images of the past shing before him.

    ''Shall I provoke him more so he won''t hold back in his attacks? Would be fun. I know though, he will hold himself back in the end. That arrogant but soft-hearted man¡­if only you were an evil, despicable tyrant, I would have the resolve to kill you a long time ago¡­ Maybe our twisted friendship¡ªno, our brotherhood¡ªmaybe this too is destined.''

    As expected, Draven stormed in anger upon sensing the intense scent of Morpheus on his mate. The Divine Eagle easily provoked the enraged ck Dragon, causing half a mountain to copse in their fight.<novelsnext></novelsnext>

    Time passed. When Morpheus got the design of the weapon from Zelda, he immediately took it to Th, and when he asked Aureus to provide his blood, there was no more turning back.

    In his heart, he knew he owed his nephew for keeping him in the dark.

    ''Forgive me, kiddo,'' he could only apologize in silence. ''I am a terrible uncle. Not only am I implicating you to deceive the King, I am also making you participate in a scheme that will kill the family member you just regained.

    ''It is cruel, but such is life. Some things had to be sacrificed. I hope you will understand.

    ''Forgive me, Aureus, so that when you meet your mother in the future, you will tell her not what kind of lousy uncle I am but what a great, heroic person I am.''

    On the day of the mourning, everything was conducted as nned. Morpheus had done things ording to the vision, mirroring the future. He came early to scout the Netherfields, ordering his subordinates to ce various gifts to all the gravestones, such as giving camelia flowers for the witches and baskets and wreaths of rare herbs for the Wood Elf n.

    After the prayer ceremony, Th sessfully managed to get Draven''s attention, leading him away from the Netherfields. Meanwhile, Morpheus used his control over the warriors to disengage from the crowd and flew towards Draven''s pce.

    Zelda exined to him that the pce was a vital element of the vision. It was the ce where the incident was destined to happen, that was why part of the n involved getting Draven to stay as far away as possible from the pce, as well as stalling him for as long as the Witch of Destruction could. The ck Witch meticulously calcted the exact time from the position of the sun in the sky in the vision, allowing Morpheus to n the timing of his departure.

    When he reached the pce, he was shocked to see Isa about to stab Ember.

    ''Is there a mistake? Is this an effect of changing the future? I thought Ember is supposed to stab¡ª''

    Despite his confusion, Morpheus swooped down from the sky, hurrying towards them. His mind almost exploded in shock at the sight of the divine weapon in Isa''s hand. It was exactly the same as the drawing Zelda made.

    "This little fox, she can''t¡ª"

    And as he shielded Ember from the fatal stab of the divine weapon, Morpheus found himself enlightened. The pieces of the puzzle in his mind formed a perfect picture.

    A person cherished by both Leeora and Cornelia, a weapon created to kill a divine beast, a woman stabbing a person to death, Ember flying into a fiery rage¡­

    Morpheus had perfectly mirrored Draven''s destiny.

    Dying while protecting his beloved woman, dying to save his closest friend, dying for the sake of his kingdom¡ªnothing could be more fortunate than this for a warrior.

    It was a blissful death.

 Chapter 427 Where Is Morph?

    After Zelda finished speaking, she could only let out a quiet sigh before leaving Draven''s presence. The sight of the King''s empty gaze was too much for the witch to bear.

    Draven remained at the outskirts of Redcrest for a long time.

    The passing breeze tousled his ck hair, yet he stood like a stone statue forsaken by time. The random bouts of wind and the swaying grass were the only movements within that ridge.

    As the clouds soon partially covered the sun, another strong gust of wind blew over, and only then did the sorrowful figure of the King of Agartha disappear, returning to his pce to be by his mate''s side.

    Morpheus would be cremated and buried tomorrow. Seeing her unconscious, Draven felt another pang of guilt in his heart. Ember had to wake up soon, or else she would lose her chance to see her friend for thest time. However, Draven also worried about her reaction once she heard of Morpheus'' death.

    He sat at the edge of her bed while holding her hand.

    "Wake up, Ember," he murmured, his voice hoarse in grief. "You need to see your friend for thest time, or you will regret it. If you can hear me, you have to wake up."

    The sky outside changed colors, the blue turning to hues of yellow, orange and red being the only indication of time passing within the silent chamber.

    Just as the sun disappeared from the horizon, there was finally movement on Ember''s side.

    Draven felt his chest tighten. "Ember?"

    The young woman''s body was trembling, her brows furrowed but her eyes were tightly shut. Her limbs were restlessly iling, as if she was trying to grab something unseen in the air.

    "Ember¡ª"

    She opened her eyes in terror. "Morph!"

    Her breathing was ragged, and she sat up, head turning around searching for thest person she saw in her memories. She was no longer in the garden, but inside her bedchamber. Only then did her gazend on her mate.

    "D-Draven? You''vee? Morph, he¡ª"

    "Ember, calm down¡ª"

    Ember attempted to leave bed, clutching onto Draven''s arms. "M-Morph?" Tears rolled down from her eyes. "Morph, he is, he is hurt¡­I saw¡­ Where is he? Is he fine? I want to see him."

    Draven didn''t know how to answer seeing her messy, disoriented state. "We have to go somewhere."

    "I want to see Morph. He was¡­"

    "Let us go see him. It''s good that you are awake."

    "Is he alright? Is he still being treated? That weapon¡­his heart¡­" Her trembling lips could not form a coherent sentence, as if there was too much to say but she could not voice them out. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Draven gently soothed her hair. "You need to get up so I can take you to him."

    Draven helped Ember get out of the bed before calling for her servants. Though Ember''s body was not in a good condition, she had been given potions which made her body strong enough to be able to stand and walk.

    Her servants silently helped her get ready and she was dressed in a simple white dress. Ember was too fixated on visiting Morpheus to notice they were avoiding mentioning his current state.

    Once she was ready to leave, Draven ordered the servants to leave the two of them alone. He then gazed down into her red-rimmed eyes.

    "Ember," he started, his voice low and tired, "when we arrive, I hope you will remain calm."

    For some odd reason, fear started to creep inside Ember''s heart. Was Morpheus in a miserable state? Could it be that he is still unconscious? But then, that made sense. Being stabbed by a weapon in the heart, even someone as strong as Morpheus needed adequate time to recuperate.

    Ember agreed to Draven''s request. As long as she gets to see her friend and confirm with her own eyes that he is fine, she would agree to anything.

    Before they reached Redcrest City, a message had been sent there about the visit of the King and his mate. Draven wished that ce to be devoid of people by the time Ember arrived.

    Draven brought Ember to the city of the feathered races using his powers.

    It was the first time Ember visited Redcrest, but it was nighttime and the only source of light were the sun stones illuminating the windows of the residences. To the supernatural beings with sharp eyesight, there was nothing strange about this, but for a human like Ember, the sight of therge forest and the nest abodes on the trees appeared gloomy and eerily imposing.

    In front of Ember stood a gigantic ancient tree with a thick crown and an even thicker body,rge enough that numerous connecting nests were built around it, and the hollowed trunk further divided into sections with the entrance at the bottom of the tree. It was precisely the n building, where the huge assembly hall in the middle was opened to the public for Morpheus'' wake.

    There was not a single soul in sight. The premises had been emptied out before their arrival.

    ''This is Morph''s house?''

    Ember stared at the enormous tree, silently berating Morpheus in her mind at how he yed down his description of his residence. From what Morpheus had described to her, his home was a small nest abode that could only house a single person. How was this small?

    But then, Ember realized this was way toorge to be one person''s residence. It must be amon building for the n and Morpheus was being treated inside.

    When the mated pair stepped inside arge hall, Ember saw only two people present. One was a man with gray wings, and she recognized him as a member of the council and Morpheus'' uncle, Agraleus, The other was a young man with golden wings, the guest of the pce who was also Morpheus'' nephew, Aureus.

    Ember''s gaze followed the center of the hall where a body was lying on the stone tform.

    Though she was yet toe close, that body was¡­Morpheus?

    Her breathing turned chaotic, and her grip tightened on Draven''s hand. A part of her was in denial, but the voice of her rational side was impossible to ignore.

 Chapter 428 I Wish You To Come Back To Me

    A huge deathly still hall, a stone tform surrounded by flowers, no healers or servants in sight¡­

    Why was Morpheus not lying on afortable mattress inside his own home¡­?

    Draven could feel what she was feeling, but he continued to take her towards the stone tform. Each step felt heavy as if a weight was tied to her ankles, dragging her back. She even had the urge to turn around and run away.

    "Draven¡­?" Ember looked at the man with moist eyes, wanting to hear but at the same time fearing to hear the truth.

    The red-eyed man turned away from her sorrowful gaze.

    At this point, Agraleus was bringing Aureus with him outside to give Ember privacy and they were heading for the door. Aureus had no reaction, but the gray eagle forced out a thin smile at the sight of the trembling human girl.

    "Morph, he will be¡­ pleased to know you visited, Lady Ember."

    After Agraleus and Aureus were gone, the silence inside the hall was so loud it was deafening.

    Ember did not know what happened next, but when she regained her senses, she was already looking down at the white-robed Morpheus surrounded by flowers, feathers, small trinkets and other various objects.

    His handsome face harbored a small smile, not his usual lopsided smirk, but one that was¡­that was¡­

    Ember could not tell. Her eyes had turned blurry with tears.

    "W-Why is he lying here like this? No pillows, no nket¡­no wonder¡­no wonder he is so cold¡­Draven¡­Morph is cold¡­"

    Her trembling hands were touching his lifeless hand. Therge hand that held her whenever they flew in the sky, therge hand that gave her her first whistle, the same hand that saved her when she almost died on that cliff, that kind and warm hand¡­why was it so stiff and cold?

    It was the same coldness she felt when she held her nanny that fateful night. The tears she had been trying to hold back fell in torrents.

    "I-Is this some kind, some kind of weird preservation spell? To prolong his life till his injury¡ª"

    Draven''s words shattered her false hope.

    "Morph is gone."

    "What do you mean by...gone?"

    "He won''t be with us anymore."

    "No, no, no¡ª"

    "Morph is gone, Ember."

    "It cannot be! He can''t be gone! He can''t be dead!"

    Draven put his hand on her shoulder. "It''s the truth."

    Loud sobs overflowing with denial and pain echoed within that empty hall.

    "¡ªno, no¡­ You cannot die¡­you cannot¡­Morph, wake up! You promised me! You told me you''lle to me whenever I call for you! You told me you will bring me around Agartha! You promised! You promised¡­You have to wake up¡­you cannot leave your bestfriend behind¡­Morph¡­"

    Ember had fallen on her knees in front of the stone tform, begging and crying her eyes out in grief. Draven didn''t say a word, merely staying by her side tofort her. No amount offort could heal her¡ªwhat she needed was time to ept reality.

    "It''s all my fault¡­Why did you have to be there¡­? Why didn''t you let me die instead? It should have been me. I wanted to¡­I wanted to die¡­"

    Draven closed his eyes.

    ''No, Ember. The one who should have died is me.''

    After crying for a long, long time, she remembered how all this began and who was the one to kill Morpheus.

    "...her fault¡­Isa''s fault¡­that vixen Isa, I will¡ª"

    Anger inside her started to rise again and Draven felt it clearly through their bond. <novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    "Ember," he called her and held her closer. He could not let her lose her temper and cause another tragedy.

    She buried her face in his embrace and continued to bawl like a child, "Morph died because of me¡­It''s all because of me¡­"

    ''It''s not because of you but me. He died because of me, to save me¡­to change my destiny.''

    Draven could only say those words in his heart. The death of his friend¡ªit was a sin he would carry forever. As he closed his eyes, a single tear betrayed his cold mask.

    "Isa¡­she did it," Ember cried. "You need to punish her!"

    "She will be punished," he assured, but no amount of punishment would be enough. Even if Isa was sentenced to death, a life gone would nevere back.

    Ember clutched Draven''s clothes, and her green eyes stared at him with hope. "Draven, aren''t Dragons powerful? Aren''t you the most powerful? Can''t you use your powers to bring Morph back? Anyone''s¡ª"

    "Not even Dragons can revive the dead."

    Hearing those words, Ember started to cry even more. The loss of her best friend was simply unbearable.

    Draven took her back to the pce, but even then, Ember could not stop crying. All night, she cried and cried, wishing for Morpheus toe back to her.

    When morning came, her servants knocked to inform her it was time for the cremation of the Commander of Warriors and she should prepare to leave. What greeted the elves were the sight of Ember''s red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks, and she barely responded to their words. She didn''t even take more than a bite from the food they brought her.

    Before leaving for Redcrest, Ember dug up from her dresser the most treasured item in her possession¡ªthe small bird whistle Morpheus gave to her. An object to summon him to her side¡­ but even if she called him now, she knew he wouldn''te to her.

    Ember stood at the balcony of her study with the whistle clutched against her heart. The sky, had it always looked this empty? Not a single cloud in sight? No one with majestic gray wings dropping down from the sky?

    It was difficult to wrap her mind on the fact he would never appear in front of her again. As her green eyes swept at the expanse of the balcony, it was as if she could see him talking to her.

    ''Little female, why do you look sad?''

    Ash gray eyes that never wavered away from her, a lopsided smile on that handsome face, his majestic gray wings spread behind him, bringing about a gust of air with each and every p.

    A miserable smile tugged at her lips.

    ''Do you miss me?''

    ''I miss you.''

    ''Uhm, where do you want to go?''

    ''Anywhere you want to take me to.''

    ''Let me carry you then.''

    Ember stretched her hands towards him so he could carry her but the moment she touched that blurry image, it disappeared.

    "Morph!"

    Devastated, she continued to call out until she was hoarse.

    Her cries gave way to augh too painful to hear. She was clutching too tightly on the bird whistle, it dug on her palm.

    ''You told me you wille¡­if I blow the whistle¡­you told me¡­''

    Ember blew the whistle a few times, puffing all the air in her lungs as loud as she could, the same way as she did before.

    "Turn deaf! I will blow this whistle so hard your eardrums will burst and you turn deaf!"

    As a stream of tears continued to roll down her cheeks, she could not help but blow more air into the whistle, wishing for the impossible.

    ''Morph, you liar¡­you said you woulde so where are you¡­? I wish you woulde back to me¡­I wish¡­''

 Chapter 429 Has The Destiny Changed Again?

    The next morning, Honeyharbor City, the main city of witches¡­

    A red-haired woman was sitting in front of a mirror, mindlessly brushing her long hair, her eyes swollen as she stared at her pale image without really seeing it. There were no streaks on her cheeks, but it was apparent that she had been shedding tears for hours prior.

    Her heart was empty, yearning for the one she had just lost. Though she knew they were never meant for each other, she was satisfied by his mere existence, catching a glimpse of him from time to time¡­ and now, even that was no longer possible.

    She had to prepare herself to go to him, to see him onest time.

    Ever since the day of mourning, Cornelia Grimm had locked herself in her room. She had no courage to go to Morpheus'' wake, as unlike others, she could not face reality.

    But now, she had to. It was time to bid farewell to the man she could only silently admire in her heart..

    She put on a simple white dress when she heard a knock on the door.

    "Lady Cornelia?" Her servant, the apprentice witch Silvia, entered her room. "Everyone is waiting to leave."

    Cornelia nodded and stepped out of the room. Silvia followed her quietly but could feel the pain her master was in, who had just lost herrade and friend.

    The Head of the Witches led her people towards the Divine Eagle n. With a heavy heart, she entered the crowded mourning hall where the man she loved was lying there with no sign of life.

    With each step, her feet felt like they were stepping on thorns. It was painful, agonizing even, but her face showed not a hint of her emotions, maintaining the dignity of the Head of the Witches.

    ''Morph¡­''

    She looked at his handsome but lifeless face. Memories from the past two hundred years shed in her mind. Cornelia was but a young girl following her master when she first caught a glimpse of the gray-winged warrior fighting valiantly in a battle against humans. Especially when he took on his battle form, his wings and hair turning golden, her breath was simply taken away. The winged warrior robbed the innocent young witch''s heart.

    Easygoing and charismatic, powerful yet kind, Divine Eagle Morpheus was the idol of every warrior, a hero loved by the people of Agartha.

    Unable to stare at that lifeless face, Cornelia closed her eyes.

    Just then Cornelia felt something and she opened her eyes in shock.

    Before she knew what she was doing, her hand moved towards him, grabbing his wrist.

    The people standing beside her were taken aback.

    "Lady Cornelia?"

    "Head Witch, what are you¡ª"

    However, Cornelia could not hear them. The loud heartbeats in her chest were drowning all the sounds around her.

    ''I am not mistaken!'' She closed her eyes and focused her energy, gripping his hand so tightly it would have bruised had Morpheus been alive.

    There was no pulse and not a single hint of vitality on his body, but as the person with the deepest knowledge about souls in the kingdom, Cornelia would not doubt her own senses. Morpheus''s soul¡­

    Her behavior caught the attention of Agraleus and the other high-level figures of the other ns and races. The entire hall was dead silent, waiting for Cornelia to exin herself.

    Some more time passed by but the witch didn''t move. Agraleus found the three newly arrived senior witches from the Spirit Circle. He wanted to know what was going on, whether they should disturb Cornelia or not. However, they were clueless as well.

    Zelda was the one who blocked Glinda from approaching Cornelia. "Let us wait patiently."

    Glinda asked her, "Do you know what is the matter with Cornelia? It''s almost time¡ª"<novelsnext>I think you should take a look at </novelsnext>

    Cornelia opened her eyes and faced the crowd gathered before her. A trembling smile hang delicately on her lips. "We cannot proceed with the funeral, senior."

    "What do you mean?"

    The tears she was holding back finally left her eyes as she found Agraleus. "He is not gone. Your nephew is not gone, Chief. His soul, I can feel the presence of his soul¡­"

    What did it mean for a soul to remain on its body?

    That meant¡­the body is not dead?

    Morpheus is not dead?

    "Cornelia, child," Glinda began to say, "I know you treasure him¡ª"

    "Senior." Cornelia looked at her,ughing while crying as she shook her head. "I can feel his soul. I do not understand how or why but as long as we do not give up, he can still be saved."

    The crowd stirred, and those from the Divine Eagle n rejoiced. However, they quickly quieted when Glinda approached Morpheus and held the wrist Cornelia held.

    "Child, lend me a bit of your magic," she told Cornelia. Glinda''s energy core had been crippled in the past, and she could only have Cornelia temporarily insert her own magic into her broken body. With her help, the senior witch was finally able to faintly detect the fragments of a soul inside Morpheus.

    "A miracle!" Glinda could only exim.

    "When I checked on Morph''s body after the pce incident, I could no longer sense his soul but now... We can still get him back. We can get him back!" Cornelia repeated as she could not help but show her happiness on her face.

    Upon having two witches'' confirmation, Agraleus lost his calm. Tears streaked down the Chief''s eyes. "What does it mean? Is Morph alive?"

    "Strictly speaking, Commander Morpheus is neither dead nor alive," Cornelia replied, "still, it means there is a small chance we can save him."

    "A-Are you sure?" the Chief asked as he could not believe it. He badly wanted to believe that Morpheus could be revived, but he was terrified to hope only to lose it again.

    "Yes," Cornelia assured and Glinda assured them as well.

    The dead silent hall was now filled with the low voices and cries of people. Outside, one could hear some warriors cheering as the news spread.

    Zelda also walked forward to confirm Morpheus'' state.

    ''Did something go wrong with the birth of that divine weapon? Destiny was changed once more? It should be impossible but¡­''

    The happiness warming her chest erupted out into tears. Relief, joy, hope¡ªall these feelings made her dizzy. Her elbow was supported by Glinda while the one-armed Maria was hugged by the simrly crying Th. Th was crying like a little girl, her proud nasty persona nowhere to be seen.

    Zelda and Th med themselves the most for Morpheus'' death. Both of them had no way to express their relief aside from bursting into tears.

    As for Aureus¡­

    The golden eagle too was in the embrace of his crying granduncle, but he was in too much shock to react. He was only standing like a rock statue, praying in his heart what he heard was real and not an illusion. .

    "What do we have to do? When would he wake up?" Chief Agraleus asked Cornelia as soon as he regained his bearings.

    "I want to move his body to Honeyharbor as I would need the help of my fellow sisters to understand this phenomenon. Though his soul has not left his body, something has to be done to merge the two together. I will have to keep his body purified in the meantime, and that would require some materials to revive the vitality of his body as well as some items rted to the soul. I ask Chief Agraleus to help us collect the list I will send."

    "ording to whatever you say, Lady Cornelia," Agraleusughed as he could not contain his happiness. "Not only the Divine Eagle n, the entire race of shapeshifters will be at your beck and call."

 Chapter 430 Whatever It Takes

    Chapter 430 Whatever It Takes

    Draven and Ember had arrived at Redcrest city. However, unlike what Draven expected, instead of sorrow of mourning and the bustle of cremation in the main square, there was an air of celebration.

    ''What''s going on here?''

    Draven''s sharp senses got him the answer and his red eyes looked towards the entrance of the hall in shock.

    Ember was too dispirited to take notice of her surroundings, immersed in her own pain while clutching onto that bird whistle tightly in her hand.

    Draven took Ember inside the hall, where the people bowed wherever he passed, but spared them not a nce.

    He caught the part of Cornelia saying she needed to bring Morpheus back with her.

    "Is it true?"

    "Yes, Your Majesty. We can save Morph. There is still hope."

    Draven didn''t know what to feel. His red eyesnded on his friend''s body and chaotic emotions burst inside his chest. He covered his face with his hands, but one could see that his hands were trembling.

    Ember''s reaction was simr to Aureus. She was frozen in ce, disbelief on her face, standing by her mate''s side like a statue. Cornelia''s crying andughing face turned to her.

    "Miss Ember, did you hear me? We can save the Commander."

    Tears rolled down her green eyes, her trembling lips moved to form a sentence, "You ¡­are not lying¡­?"

    The red-haired witch shook her head. "I am not lying."

    Ember had no words to say, and the next moment, everyone heard the loud sobs of King''s mate bawling her heart out, wrapped in his arms, her face buried in his chest. It was happiness she was feeling but she could only cry as it was her only way to express it. Draven embraced her dearly, his own face betraying his own joy.

    The entire hall was soon emptied of the crowd. Guests were asked to leave, and only a few others were allowed to stay back, like the n elders, the witches from Spirit Circle as well asZelda.

    Cornelia and others talked about what to do while Aureus and Ember stood next to Morpheus, staring at him and praying in their hearts for him to wake up soon.

    As Chief Agraleus approved, his body was moved to Honeyharbor City.

    Morpheus was taken to the sacred ce of the witches where only high-ranking witches and their apprentices were allowed. It could be considered an inheritance passed among witches with souls as their main expertise, and before the war, this was where Cornelia''s master, the former Head of Witches, and her fellow witches studied soul spells. Simr to the Spirit Circle, it was covered by a powerful concealing spell, but the difference was that Cornelia had sole control over who could enter.

    Thisce was aptly named Spirit Shrine.

    Situated in a grasnd to the east of the witch territory, the Spirit Shrine was a small stone structure with a dome-shaped roof and a onerge hall with small side chambers. It was surrounded by the woodenpound wall and when the shapeshifters brought Morpheus'' body, they were only allowed till the walls. The rest of the work was handled by warlocks.

    The apprentice witches working under Cornelia, Silvia and Thalia, activated the hundreds of ancient runes marked on the floor, the walls and the ceiling. Morpheus'' body was then ced on the stone tform in the center of the circr hall withrge ss windows.

    Those inside could see the outside world, but none from the outside could see nor sense what was happening inside. There was a mysterious energy circting inside that hall, and those in the know would realize it was not elemental magic from nature, but spiritual power, the energy of the soul.

    After Silvia and Thalia left, only Cornelia was left with Morpheus. She lightly brushed his cheek.

    "Whatever it takes, I will make sure to bring you back. You have toe back to me, to us, to all who cherished your existence. Hold on there, it won''t be long."

    cing her hand over his chest, she confirmed once more the faint presence of his soul within his body. She was hopeful that she would seed, though she did not know how long it would take. Still, hope existed¡ªand that was what mattered.

    Right now, Morpheus was nothing more than a lifeless body, but she believed she could do it. She would stake her lifethe love she had for him in her heart for his revival to seed.

    ''And even when you wake up, I will expect nothing in return. All I want is for you toe back to life.'' Tears rolled down from her eyes but they were tears of happiness. ''Don''t fail me. I know you won''t. You are a strong, brave warrior and you will fight your way back.''

    Draven had to take Ember back to the pce. No one but the witches were allowed where Morpheus was taken, thus they could only patiently wait for the oue. He made her sit on the bed and she looked at him with her moist but hopeful eyes.

    "He wille back, right?"

    Draven caressed her cheek and wiped her tears away. "We need to trust Cornelia. Since she said he can be saved, then she will do anything to bring him back. She is a powerful witch. We can only believe and wait."

    Ember nodded and fiddled with the bird whistle in her. "If his soul is still there, that means he can hear this. Then I will blow this whistle again and again and hurt his ears so he won''t have any other option but toe to me."

    She nced up at Draven, herrge watery eyes fragile with hope.

    "...Can I?"

    "Do as you feel right."

    On the other hand, Aureus flew towards Morpheus'' home. The interior of the thatched abode was covered in dust as its owner had never returned for days.

    The young eagle started to clean the house.

    ''When youe back, you will be grateful to be weed by a tidy nest, right? I will take care of your home and my mother''s cave till you return.'' He looked around. ''There is only one bed. I need to add another for me so when he returns, the two of us can stay together. I will make sure this time, the first word you will hear from me is me calling you ''Uncle''.''

    A person would only realize the importance of someone when they are gone¡ªAureus realized this saying toote. He had taken Morpheus'' existence for granted, and now, he was given a second chance to rectify his wrong. His decision to return to Megaris began to waver. Maybe, just maybe, it would be better for him to stay in Agartha, to stay with family where he truly belonged.

    His mind could not help but n what he and his uncle would do together once thetter woke up.

 Chapter 431 Isas Punishment

    Chapter 431 Isa''s Punishment

    The King''s Pce, Council Hall

    Upon confirming the possibility of Morpheus'' survival, a council meeting had been arranged the very next day, not only to discuss the incident during the day of mourning but also the matters of imposing punishment to those involved.

    Not only were the members of the council present to attend the council meeting, even a handful of the high-ranking elders of their ns also came, insisting to involve themselves in today''s proceedings.

    White Tiger Logan was with Draven in his study before the council meeting.

    Logan was merely the son of the Leader of the White Tiger n, and though he was the Vice Commander of Warriors and the current Acting Commander, his role involved fieldwork, merely receiving instructions from Draven''s aides or the Chief of the Shapeshifters on normal days. As the person in charge of the investigation of Morpheus'' murder, Logan''s presence in the meeting was necessary.

    The two men walked towards the council hall.

    "You can guess what issues would be raised in the meeting," Logan said.

    "Hmm," was all the red-eyed man replied.

    "Seems like you don''t n on having your mate attend this meeting."

    "I do not want her stressed when she is yet topletely recover," Draven answered. "Today, there would be questions raised against her and her powers."

    "Your mate''s powers, to be honest, indeed pose a danger," Logan admitted. "Though that cannot be denied, I just hope their demands won''t be extreme."

    Draven simply nodded as he was aware of it as well.

    When Draven entered that huge circr council hall, thirteen of the fourteen members of the council bowed to him, along with the rest. The Head of the Witches, Cornelia Grimm, was unable to attend, so one of the senior witches came in her stead.

    Aside from Logan, there were also two unusual guests present in today''s meeting¡ª ck Witch Zelda and Th Grimsbane, who were both parties involved in the meeting''s main agenda.

    "Greetings, Your Majesty."

    Draven sat on his throne without a change in his expression.

    As usual, the High Elder of the Moon Elf n, Halifax, started the meeting. He asked the Acting Commander, Logan, to narrate the most important points as well as the results of his investigation.

    After Logan did his part, Halifax spoke, "Your Majesty, though your people are overjoyed to know that Commander Morpheus has not left us and we still have a hope to get him back, it is only right and proper that we punish the culprit, as well as the aplices, of this incident."

    Everyone agreed to this and Halifax continued.

    "I represent all the council members to have Divine Fox Isa be punished severely for her crime of attempted murder."

    Upon hearing those words, Draven raised his hand and dered, "Divine Fox Isa not only aimed to harm the mate of the King, but also caused life-threatening injuries to the Commander of the Warriors. Her malicious actions also caused the unnecessary deaths of three of her n members. She will get what she rightfully deserves.

    "Heed my orders! The moment she regains consciousness and her life is found no longer in danger, one of her tails must be removed!"

    "What?" the Divine Fox n leader, Ailwin, eximed in shock. "Your Majesty¡ª"

    "I am not done yet," Draven interrupted him coldly. "After cutting her second tail, the pce will have her healed again, and her third tail shall be removed as well."

    "Your Majesty, that child, she won''t survive it," Ailwin exined as if he himself could feel the pain of cutting the tail. "Commander Morpheus can still survive. Please show some mercy on her. She was raised under your care. How can you be cruel to her?"

    "A sinner is a sinner; my role as King is to enact impartial judgment to my subjects," Draven remarked without a single fluctuation of emotion. "The fact that I did not sentence her to immediate death is already me being considerate of your n''s painstaking care. Do not test the limits of my patience, Lord of the Divine Foxes."

    "Your Majesty¡­"

    "The decision has been made," Draven dered. "Once she loses all her tails and still survives, she won''t be allowed to cultivate and would do manualbor in the service of the feathered races as repentance."

    The council members unanimously agreed with this decision. The Lord of the Divine Fox n had to ept the decision as well, though unwillingly. He could only me Isa for her mistakes.

    Once the first item on the agenda was taken care of, Halifax moved to the next one.

    "Your Majesty, due to these incidents, there have been countless reports of acts of violence in the territory of the shapeshifters. To be exact, the members of the Divine Fox n are being targeted not only by the angry mobs from the feathered races, but also the young warriors who idolize the Commander. If it''s not taken care of soon, this internal conflict may spread towards the other territories. On thest incident report submitted by Acting Commander Logan, the casualties of both sides already totaled in the hundreds. We seek you to look into this matter."

    Halifax handed the report to Erlos, who then handed it to Draven. The King then called out Ailwin and Agraleus. "I order both of you to take control over the members of your n. Punish those at fault and do not let this matter escte."

    "Your Majesty, reason does not work against conflicts that originate from faith, especially not against beastmen who are ruled by their nature," Agraleus exined. "The one who almost killed the spiritual pir of the warriors is a direct descendant of the Divine Fox n. The warriors seek retribution. The foxes also won''t allow themselves to passively defend without attacking back. Unless you or the Commander personally steps in, the disorder will only worsen."

    Draven was aware of it as well. Several simr incidents like this had urred in the past, where ns would fight and disrupt public peace. He was the one to forcefully make the arrogant races coexist with peace. "The peace of this kingdom is maintained not only by me but the council as well. If both ns fail to control their people, then I would have to step in to show who is superior in this kingdom and I believe no one would like to see the truth."

    If ck Dragon stepped in, then there was no chance for anyone to stand in front of him.

    "We will try to take care of it, Your Majesty," Agraleus said.

    "We will try to take care of it, Your Majesty," Ailwin repeated.

    The other council members offered to send some of their warriors to help pacify the situation as well.

    "The third issue, the humans have taken advantage of the day of mourning and tried to sneak in," Halifax informed.

    Logan was the one to exin it. "The humans attacked the fortress, taking advantage of our inner turmoil upon finding out the Commander''s situation. They infected four warriors using a new concoction of poison before retreating. I had taken care of it, Your Majesty, and sent the poison sample to be studied by the witches. My concern is that we do not know how many humans attempted to enter, and if all of them truly retreated. If they left behind humans who could study the terrain, there is a possibility that their next attack would yield more casualties."

    "Bring me the result from the witches once they are done with their analysis. We can talk about the new arrangement to tighten the kingdom''s security in my study."

    "I received your orders, Your Majesty."

 Chapter 432 She Is A Princess

    Chapter 432 She Is A Princess

    It was time to discuss the next issue in their agenda, but Halifax felt a little hesitant mentioning it to their ill-tempered king. "Your Majesty, the next issue is about His Majesty''s mate, Lady Ember."

    Draven did not say a word.

    Taking his silence as approval, Halifax continued, "We are concerned about the kind of power His Majesty''s mate possesses. Even His Majesty''s power, which is strongest among our kind, fails short in front of it."

    "It is not her power per se, but the fact that she is human with power that concerns you," Draven said in a t tone. "Your Majesty, ording to the report, though instigated by Young Lady Isa, you cannot deny that Lady Ember killed three people. You also cannot deny that Lady Ember lost control of her powers. If not for the Commander luckily stopping her¡­s!"

    Another elf chimed in, "We are worried to see humans having such powers. Think forr our kingdom. In the past, ordinary humans with no powers had brought chaos to this kingdom, so we are not sure what a human with such power would be able to do. Your subjects fear her very existence, Your Majesty. No one wishes for her to step foot on their cities.""

    "She is my mate, and I refuse that she be put in harm''s way."

    "We do not ask that she be harmed, Your Majesty. Only¡­though it is best if you can ask her to stay outside of Agartha, we will be satisfied if you can assure us that she never steps out of your pce¡­"

    "You want me to imprison my mate?"

    "Your Majesty¡ª"

    "She indeed possesses a great power, but you forget power is a tool

    ¡ªone needs to be guided to properly wield this tool. What she needs is not me, but guidance."

    "The people are terrified of their survival, Your Majesty. Please think of your people."

    "My mate only used her power because someone important to her was being harmed. It shows that although she is a human, she values our kind and sees us as people, not a being of another race. Morpheus is her dear friend and she was angered because he was dying in front of her. You excuse the behavior of the Divine Eagle n beastmen venting their anger on the Divine Foxes just because they hurt their n member, yet you turn a blind eye to the fact she lost control over herself because her friend was stabbed right in front of her eyes?"

    "That''s true, but Your Majesty, you forget humans are fickle beings. We cannot be sure about herter intentions. Please learn from the past. Back then, His Majesty trusted that human you called a friend as well and assured us all, but didn''t that human''s betrayal wiped out the entire High Elf Race¡ª"

    "I know whatever I do, my mistakes from the past will never vanish and I am regretful for that. But this, I solemnly vow¡ªEmber Aramis is my mate and I can feel her intentions through our mate bond. I believe none of you would want to doubt the power of this sacred bond. If she harbors evil intentions towards our people, I will be the first one to feel it. If her existence threatens the lives of the people of Agartha, I will stand in the vanguard protecting you from her."

    Though others still had doubts, they dared not openly question the King in front of the council. Many of them were not assured, especially those who witnessed Draven''s power being ineffective against Ember''s barrier back then. Everyone talked among themselves and Halifax finally turned to one person. "Queen of the Fae, you assigned Fire Fae Helia as Lady Ember''s magic teacher. Do you have any opinion on this matter?"

    The Fairy Queen replied lightly, "I¡­wish to believe in Lady Ember."

    The conversations stopped, and everyone''s attention was on the elegant winged woman.

    "As you know, the Fae people are spirits born from nature. As such, our thoughts and emotions are pure and simple, and are reflected by the elements we represent. Among all the humans I have met ever since I existed, Lady Ember has these traits that are most simr to us. That child is pure and simple, and though her power seems difficult for her to control, this is simply a matter of time. We have to train Lady Ember. Teach her how to wield her power for good, teach her heart to remain kind, teach her how to protect our people¡­

    "This is the opinion of Lady Helia who personally taught her, and this is my opinion as Queen of Fae as well."

    As the Queen of Fae herself sided with the King''s mate, the atmosphere within the council hall became subtle, some opinions swaying in favor of giving Ember a second chance as well. If that fearsome fire magic became an additional protection for Agartha, then risking to trust Ember might be worth a shot. However, there were still a few things they needed to rify.

    The schrly representative of the Grey Elf n raised a concern, "Your Majesty, there is something we all want to know and we ask that you enlighten us."

    "Go ahead," Draven instructed. "We want to know Lady Ember''s history and background," the elf said. "I am talking about before His Majesty saved her from the fire. May His Majesty please allow scouts to leave Agartha and investigate her identity¡ª where exactly she came from, what family she has, as well as all her rtionships in the outside world."

    His demand received support from the other council members.

    "Indeed, even if we choose to give the human girl a chance, we must remain careful."

    "It is good to find out if she''s a hidden danger to our kingdom." The elf continued, "It is all to make sure she is not someone nned by the humans to invade us. In the past, we trusted what that human told us and we pitied that person. We neglected to verify that human''s ims. I hope His Majesty will not be offended¡ª

    I just don''t want the past to be repeated."

    "There is no need to send scouts to inquire about her as I had already done that," Draven replied. "Erlos."

    His personal attendant stepped out from the side and informed, "Lady Ember is the royal princess of the human kingdom called Valor." "Princess!"

    Before, they were merely concerned whether her status befit that of the King''s mate. But to think she was royalty!

    Everyone started to voice out their opinions. "If Lady Ember is a princess, then she indeed poses a greater threat to the kingdom. How high are the chances that our King coincidentally saves a human princess? She must be a spy."

    "There is no such thing, High Elder," Erlos exined. "From the results of both my and Sire''s investigation, She had been abandoned by the royal family just after she was born. They did not even give her a name. She was left to die on a mountain and it was due to luck that she survived to this day." "There is no longer any rtionship between her and the outside world," Draven spoke, causing the entire hall to turn silent. "My mate herself had no knowledge of her background and only learned it through me. She doesn''t want to have anything to do with her human family. She is just Ember Aramis, the mate of Draven Aramis and a citizen of Agartha."

    Even after his deration finished, the silence in the council hall remained. Though others still had doubts about this ''abandoned royal princess'', since the King himself made a decision, they could only wait and see if that im would remain true in the future. "However," Draven spoke, which pulled everyone''s attention back to him, "even though I vouch for her not being a future threat to Agartha, I will be impartial about her punishment."

    ''Punishment? The king was going to punish his mate?''

 Chapter 433 Kings Wisdom

    Chapter 433 King''s Wisdom

    Draven''s firm voice filled the quiet hall, "On the day of mourning, Ember Aramis failed to control her powers, and irrespective of her intentions, she unintentionally caused harm and death to other people. Her behavior brought fear and unrest to the hearts of the people. Ember Aramis deserves to be punished as well so such a mistake won''t happen once more."

    The council members were visibly relieved, some evend to hear that the King would not shirk his responsibility and was not going easy on his own mate. "Ember Aramis would not be given the title of the Queen of Agartha. She will not partake in any official duties nor will she be given authority, only living as an ordinary citizen of the kingdom and the mate of Draven Aramis."

    This was another news to be happy about. As supernatural beings, how could they bear to call a human their queen? No matter what, their kind had too heavy a grudge umted against human beings. Though they could ept Ember as an individual, they found it difficult to ept that they had to bow in front of her, calling her their Queen.

    "Your Majesty is wise!"

    "Once I return to my city, the people will surely praise the King for being fair and just."

    Amidst those cheering people, there were few who didn''t like this decision. Erlos thought it was unfair to Ember, while Leeora was sighing in her heart, still wishing to see that sweet girl sitting next to her mate as a Queen. After the crowd quieted down, Halifax cleared his throat. "With that, we have covered the items from our agenda. If there''s nothing more to discuss, I believe we can end the council meeting here¡ª" "

    "There is one more thing we are yet to discuss," Draven interrupted him.

    Though startled, the old elf quickly lowered his head. "Forgive me, Your Majesty, but may we know what His Majesty means?"

    "We are yet to punish those who participated in deceiving the King and in the murder of Commander Morpheus," Draven replied as his gaze passed through the two aplices standing among the aides and attendants of the council members. Halifax and the rest followed his line of sight. Erlos announced, "The witches, Zelda Venn of the Millow Coven and Th Grimsbane of the Honeyharbor Coven, step forward and receive His Majesty''s decree!"

    The two elderly women, one with a hunched back and the other with a wooden leg, stood in the center of the hall. Now, everyone understood what the King meant. "Your Majesty, I ept my crime of participating in Commander Morpheus'' murder. I will ept the punishment His Majesty would decide for me," the ck Witch said as she lowered her head in front of the King. Th repeated after her, "I, Th Grimsbane, ept my crime and will ept the punishment His Majesty decides for me." However, she did not bow, instead opting to look at the King on the throne. "But let me make it clear that I do not regret stabbing you with that weapon."

    Herst words didn''t affect Draven as it was nothing unexpected. Before Draven could dere their punishment, Halifax once again spoke, "Your Majesty, on the behalf of all the council members, I would like to say something."

    Draven approved with a light nod and the elf said, "The reason we did not include Th Grimsbane and Zelda Venn) in the agenda is that rather than punishment, we feel that these two deserved to be rewarded instead. The council unanimously concluded that based on their testimonies as well as Acting Commander Logan''s investigation, these two were persuaded by Commander Morpheus to save your life, Your Majesty. "Their actions saved the life of the King of this kingdom, ensuring the survival and peace of this kingdom. It''s every citizen''s duty and honor to protect the King, even if you find the means not to your liking. We do not think these two deserve to get a punishment."

    "In my opinion, I, as your king, I should be responsible to protect the lives of each and everyone in this kingdom and not the other way round," Draven said. He then continued, his red eyes looking down at them from his throne.

    "Th Grimsbane and Zelda Venn, you willingly participated in this act knowing it would kill the Commander of Warriors. Th Grimsbane has endangered the lives of people by attacking me and interfering in my responsibilities, which includes protecting my subjects and my mate. As for Zelda Venn, you helped orchestrate the situation that caused our kingdom to lose Commander Morpheus."

    No one could defy what the King had exined. "As these two had used their powers for the wrong purpose, I hereby dere that Th Grimbsane and Zelda Venn are hereby prohibited from using their magic powers till the end of their lives. High Elder of the Moon Elves, I order you to craft a magic lock on their bodies. They can never use their powers and will live as powerless witches under the watch of their covens."

    That was a cruel punishment for witches who are known for using their magic in their daily lives. Especially for Th, that would mean she could no longer use her magic to move her wooden leg. "I ept my punishment, Your Majesty," Zelda said without a tinge of hesitation. "I ept my punishment, Your Majesty," Th said the same.

    As the two witches epted the punishment, no one had anything to say. The council meeting was over and every member returned to their respective cities. Upon returning to Spirit Circle, Th headed straight to her room while Maria and Glinda stayed in the drawing room. "What do you think about the punishment she got?" Maria asked as she folded a shawl.

    "In my opinion, any punishment that is not death is a good punishment," Glinda replied. "I don''t know what to think as my sister won''t be able to use magic. She won''t be even able to walk without crutches¡ª"

    "Look at the better side, Maria," Glinda said. "Th''s energy core is already empty and she used her life force to create that weapon. If she uses more of her magic, we could lose her soon. His Majesty has instead saved her by punishing her."

    Maria was surprised. "I didn''t think of it that way¡­Thank you, sister. I am now relieved that she got punished.It''s for her own good. I am not ready to lose her¡­"

    "Same goes for Zelda. She must have paid a great price to scry into the visions of both Cornelia and Elder Leeora and she even helped Commander to perform that forbidden act of changing destiny. Without her sacrifice, I find it hard to believe the Commander would be sessful. Didn''t you notice how weak she looked earlier?"

    "So His Majesty in fact saved these two by punishing them," Maria asked as the realisation surprised her.

    Glinda nodded as the light smile painted on her lips.

    "We can say that. His Majesty thinks far ahead for the sake of his subjects. Other than his strength, the King''s wisdom is the main reason why the kingdom can never lose him."

 Chapter 434 Flower Gift From Morpheus

    434 Flower Gift From Morpheus

    After the council meeting, Draven went to the south east wing of the pce. He wanted to check on Ember who had been still quiet and avoided stepping out of her chamber. All she did was to sit in the window of her chamber and stare at the sky as if her empty gaze was expecting someone to show up in that vast blue sky. Once in a while she would notice patrolling guards from the Divine Eagle n flying but not even once she mistook them for Morpheus. She could easily distinguish between them and Morpheus. No one held that dignified aura like him and the way he looked with those majestic beautiful wings, no one could match it.

    Draven entered the chamber and her two servants left after they bowed to the king. Draven walked towards her and stayed by the window where she was sitting. Not saying a word, he simply put his hand on her shoulder. She finally got back to her senses and looked at the man standing next to her. Draven sat next to her and looked at her unusually calm face. Though she was looking at him, in those eyes there was nothing else but a hope that he would say something that she wanted to hear. Through their bond, he could clearly feel what she was feeling.

    "Cornelia is yet toe out and no one is permitted to go inside, not even other witch n members. We simply have to wait for her toe out."

    He caressed her hand, "We can expect positive news. You have to be strong."

    Finally, she reacted and opened her tight fist only to reveal that whistle she was still holding in her hand, as if she let it go, she would lose it and never get it back. Draven put his palm over hers which had a whistle, "Make sure to blow it as hard as you can when I tell you to."

    She nodded, "I will make him go deaf that he would hear nothing else but this whistle and stick by my side all the time. I will never let him go away."

    He nodded, "Do that. If you want my help, I will help you. We might tie him here in the pce with some magical rope so he would never be free and never fly away from here."

    She looked at him, "But I want to fly with him."

    "Then he will only be free when you want him to take you out. Then we can tie him again. I am the king and most powerful. I can control him."

    She nodded, "We have to make a magical rope then."

    "I will get it."

    It was childish and useless talk but it felt better, she felt better. As long as she could get him back, she wanted to hold onto hope, even if it meant having these ridiculous thoughts and this childish conversation. He wiped the tears that rolled down her eyes and hugged her. Once he felt she was calm, he spoke. "Today I have made a decision for you in the council meeting."

    "What is it?" she asked as she raised her head up from burying into his chest to look up at him. He looked into those moist green eyes, "I had dered that you would never be given a title of Queen of this kingdom and you will forever live as my mate only."

    She buried her face back in his chest, "You did well," and continued to hug him. Draven simply patted her back, letting her be calm in the embrace of her mate. He had to take that decision of not making her queen was to calm council members who would continue to raise issues regarding Ember''s powers as they felt threatened from this human. Knowing that she won''t be their queen, Draven managed to somehow divert their attention from targeting her and they could pay attention to other things. Ember was already going through a lot and he didn''t wish her to face any more troubles. All she needed at this moment was peace and he was sure his mate was not greedy for any title or position or power but all she wanted was a quiet and peaceful life which he wished to give her.

    "You should rest instead of continuing to sit here," he suggested, "don''t tire yourself like this. When Morpheuses back, you need to be strong enough to be able to fly with him."

    Hearing it, the hope she had inside, felt stronger that Morpheus would be back. She agreed and Draven led her to bed. He continued to sit by her side till she fell asleep. Once she was asleep, Draven looked at her hand which was still holding onto that whistle even if she was in a deep sleep.

    ''She never let it go.''

    Draven picked up that whistle from her and observed it. He had seen something even before but ignored it as at that time the situation was different and it meant Morpheus was doing it to protect her. The something which he noticed on the whistle was a tiny carved flower- a lily rose. It was a flower Divine eagle males gave to their mates or the potential female they wished to have their mate as. If the female epted it, that means they agreed to it. But that flower also meant protection. It was like a connection a male shared with the female through that flower when they didn''t have a bond established between them. If the female was in any danger, the male would sense it ande to protect her. Morpheus'' intention was sure only to protect her at that time as other than Draven no one could sense if she was to be in danger. Morpheus had used his magic and converted that floor into a carving on this whistle and this item became something that would protect ember.

    ''She doesn''t know what she has epted from a male.''

    As her mate, Draven should have been angry when another male had given such an item to his mate which clearly showed the other male''s intentions but Draven was a rational person. At that time, all Draven could think about was to have more ways to protect Ember and secure her life if something had happened to him. And now he thought about it, Morpheus had prepared for his own death so it was like hisst gift to Ember, the flower which he could only give to a female special to him. Draven could not get angry over it. Draven put that whistle back in her loosely clenched palm. ''This whistle belongs to her and she should be the one to decide what to do with it.''

    Covering her with the quilt, Draven quietly left his mate''s chamber.

    A/N- If you are reading the 3rd novel of series "The Devil''s Betrothed", then cast all your votes to the third novel, instead of this one. Mynovel20

 Chapter 435 Fight Between Clans

    435 Fight Between ns

    A strange tension nketed the Kingdom of Agartha for the next several days. While time passed by normally for the general popce, many of those in the know nervously awaited news from the witch territory. Morpheus'' situation was a controversy much talked between neighbors, even as far as a topic among passing strangers. However, this tranquility only existed for the rest of the kingdom. Within the territory of the shapeshifters, the citizens were engulfed in a maelstrom of anger, me and fear.

    Despite the orders of the King and the kingdom council, the members of the Divine Fox n continued to be targeted not only by the feathered races, but also the young warriors who idolize Commander Morpheus. It came to a point that other beast ns who were allies with the Divine Fox ns began to also receive discrimination.

    The current Lord of the Foxes, Divine Fox Ailwin, privately sought out Divine Eagle Agraleus, the Chief of the Shapeshifters, regarding this escting disorder.

    "If His Majesty has to meddle in, I am afraid many beast ns would have to pay the price of blood," Agraleusmented, looking at the sky from the cliff of the mountain between the two ns.

    The shapeshifter territory was unlike the vast Forest of the Elves. It only spanned tens of mountains and a handful of cities. The city of Redcrest where the feathered races lived was in one of those gigantic mountains, while the city of Dn where the furred races like the Divine Foxes lived was precisely at the valley right next to it. Ailwin agreed, "If the ck Dragon shows up, then that means not only did we fail to control our people, but also the casualties are beyond what our kind can afford. I hope we do not reach that point."

    "Hmm, His Majesty has sent out an order, and we also increased the patrols between our cities. The problem is that the warriors we sent often start the fight or worsen it, instead of preventing trouble in the first ce."

    "Why don''t we get someone who is powerful to oversee and takemand? We should send a request to Deputy Commander Logan."

    "He is already swamped with protecting the borders," Agraleus replied.

    "Then what? Do you rmend someone else? Your n is the most aggressive of all the offenders, and even if we imprison them, they do not repent their actions."

    The eagle''s face hardened. "Are you ming me for being unable to control my own people, Lord Ailwin?"

    "I don''t mean that way, Chief Agraleus." At this point, the fox beastman could only let out a frustrated sigh. Exhaustion could be clearly seen on his face. "I understand the reason for this aggression from your n warriors. I wish to assure you that the Divine Fox n is ashamed for what our n members did. But for the mistake of a single immature girl, do the warriors of the feathered races wish to punish an entire n of innocent people? And it is not like I can prevent my people from fighting back. With our safety threatened and our food supplies destroyed, how can we quietly ept this without fighting?"

    The reason why Ailwin came in a rush to meet Agraleus was precisely because the supply of food in the city was in danger. Because of the continuous fighting, merchants were frightened away from Dn City. The foxes were also unable to leave their houses to gather food in the forest in fear of being attacked.

    Agraleus could also only sigh at Ailwin''s dilemma. Beastmen were beings ruled by instincts and emotions; though he did try to reason with them multiple times, he alone could not manage them all when even some elders privately approve of the fighting.

    Ailwin tapped his fingers on the table. "If not the Deputy Commander, then I can only think of one suitable candidate."

    "Who?"

    "Your grandnephew,Lady Myra''s son. His superior bloodline is enough to suppress all the feathered races, and given his rtionship with the Commander, no warrior would dare go against his words. If no one attacks us, then there won''t be retaliation from my kind."

    "That child is not yet fit to hold responsibilities. The shock he received from Morpheus'' situation was the greatest. Aside from his meals, he never leaves Morpheus'' house."

    "And you will allow him to wallow in sadness? Won''t it be better to give him something to distract himself? When Commander Morpheus wakes up and learns his nephew is taking an active role in your n, he will be a proud uncle."

    The Chief of the Shapeshifters was moved by his suggestion.

    "I will have to talk to Lord Aureus."

    With their meeting concluded, Agraleus stretched out his gray wings and went towards the tree where Morpheus''s house was located. He found the young golden eagle standing at the deck outside the nest abode, lost in his thoughts.

    Aureus was looking in the direction of the distant mountains bordering Agartha. Beyond those snowy peaks, in the other part of the continent,y his real home, the Kingdom of Megaris. ''I wonder how Dray and Seren are doing. It''s been a month since I left the capital. I missed Seren''sing-of-age ceremony. With Dray around her, I am sure she is safe and she doesn''t need me¡­'' As he gazed at the clouds idly moving in the clear blue sky, he felt like he could see that veil-covered face, those beautiful purple eyes smiling at him. ''I am sorry, Seren, but I don''t think I will return by your side anytime soon. I¡­I broke my promise to protect you. I should have returned during this critical time of your life, but things turned out this way. I have to make a choice, and I did not choose you. ''I am sorry for choosing family over you. I have to stay here. Someone important to me almost died because of me, and I want him to wake up knowing he is no longer alone. I hope, no, I believe that he will be saved, and till then, I don''t wish to leave him. I want to remain and let him know that family is waiting for him, and he needs to return whatever it takes. ''I can only hope you are doing fine. I hope you and Dray are happy together¡­''

    ===

    A/N- If you are reading the 3rd novel of series "The Devil''s Betrothed", then cast all your votes to the third novel, instead of this one. Regr updates from Jan2024

 Chapter 436 Powerful Aureus

    436 Powerful Aureus

    The sound of pping wings pulled Aureus out of his daze. He realized someone wasing towards him. The older eaglended at the deck of the nest where Aureus was standing. "Greetings, Lord Aureus."

    "Granduncle, I told you just call me by name." Despite saying that, Aureus'' face brightened. "Is there any news about my uncle?"

    The gray eagle shook his head. "Not yet. I am here for another urgent matter."

    "What is it?"

    "I am here to ask you to take control of the n as the situation needs it now."

    Aureus lost his smile. "We''ve talked about this matter already."

    Agraleus gave a brief summary of the situation within the territory. "...and they keep neglecting my instructions. The elders ended up indulging in fighting with fox n members, and the warriors tried to cover each other''s behavior, not reporting the correct situation. We do not want the King to meddle in the internal fighting of us shapeshifters¡­"

    "Why don''t you ask for help from the leaders of other beast ns?"

    Agraleus let out a deep sigh. "I have tried that, but as you know, my role as Chief is mostly as a middleman, and I do not control the representatives of various beast races. I have no real enforcing power. When ites to respect, especially regarding the pride of warriors, Morpheus is no doubt the spiritual leader. "With theirmander assaulted, forget the Divine Eagle n, the majority of the feathered races won''t listen to me. It is not like the Divine Fox n can forgo protecting themselves. Their allies, like the wolves and other werecreatures, would also try to protect their interests. At this point, the situation might escte where the feathered races will have a full-blown war with the furred races. No one wants to see that.

    "To avoid the situation worsening, the Lord of the Divine Eagle n must step in. You have a high enough status to mediate as well as the power to back it. Our people will listen to you. I believe you won''t want your uncle to wake up and learn that war broke out because of him, that he became the reason the peace he had been maintaining for centuries was destroyed. Even if not for our people, even if it is just for your uncle''s sake¡­"

    Agraleus got on one knee and lowered his head. "Granduncle, what are you¡ª"

    "Divine Eagle Agraleus officially requests the Lord of the Divine Eagle n to intervene. Please take control of the situation." Aureus helped the older eagle get back on his feet. "I''ve told you many times. I am no Lord. I am not suitable for this role. I am d to be part of our n, but¡ª" "I am aware that you, my Lord, never wanted to hold power, and we respect your wishes; however, this is a situation that calls for you to step up to your rightful position. Please do it for ourmander who sacrificed his own life for the sake of this kingdom."

    Aureus did not have the heart to refuse the old eagle''s pleas. "Alright, but I will do it only for the time being. You know I have to return to the human kingdom after my uncle wakes up."

    "I won''t stop my Lord if he wishes to leave by then."

    "Take me to Dn."

    The two Divine Eagles soared towardsthe sky, and in a matter of minutes, their sharp eyesight caught the scene ofpatrolling feathered race warriors fighting with a small group of Divine Foxes who were outside the city gathering food. There were about twenty feathered race warriors, the leader of them a eagle, and they were beating up a group of thirty ordinary foxes who were being protected by ten fox warriors.

    Aureus was shocked to see the situation. He had seen human battles as Dusk, the pet of the King of Megaris, but this was the first time he had really seen a fight among supernatural beings.

    Not only were the warriors bleeding, the terrain was destroyed, and even innocent people were injured.

    Anger boiled inside him. His uncle sacrificed his life for the sake of peace and these thoughtless beings were making his effort go to waste. His entire body shone with divine power, golden rays emitting out of his body. It was as if the sun had descended on earth.

    From what Agraleus told him, if Aureus wanted to control these beings consumed by their anger, he needed to give them a huge impact. Words and persuasion were no longer useful in this madness.

    Aureus had to stop them with a show of strength.

    Boom!!!

    Blinding gold light hit the ground. A strong gust of wind followed the shockwave, the explosion causing the people to be thrown out here and there like dried leaves blown away from the ground.

    Even after the initial burst of wind, no one was able to keep their feet steady on the ground. After a while, everyone stopped struggling and only then did the wind disappear. What they saw next was the Lord of the Divine Eagle n high up in the sky, ring down at them with anger in his golden eyes. Every member of the feathered race got on their knees despite being injured, lowering their heads out of respect. Meanwhile, the reaction of the foxes was no different. Though he was not their lord, it was instinctive for beastmen to kneel in front of one with superior bloodline, not to mention Aureus was more powerful than all of thembined.

    "You seem to be adamant to show off how destructive your attacks are," they all heard the loud voice of the golden eagle, but no one dared answer him.

    "In my name as the Lord of the Divine Eagle n, I issue a challenge to you all to fight me. Show off to me yourbat magic, the very skills you take pride in. You warriors who bring shame to the Commander''s hard work, I swear in my uncle''s name that I will spare no one who destroys the peace of thisnd."

    The once chaotic ce turned deadly silent. "No one dares?" he asked, but there was no reply to his provocation. "Remember, Commander Morpheus sacrificed his life for the sake of you all and you have no right to act like this. How dare you make his efforts go to waste? Tell me, warriors, why do you fight? What do you want to prove? If you injure a fox, will that hasten the Commander''s recovery?"

    The warriors from the feathered races could only lower their bows. Aureus continued, "You are angry over the action of one fox, and punish the innocent for what? To show insult to the hard work of the very person you im to respect? The peace that my uncle valued more than his own life, you ungrateful beings dare destroy it?"

    Sensing the dangerous aura Aureus was emitting, the leader of the patrolling warriors finally spoke with his head lowered. "Apologies, my Lord. We made a mistake."

    Someone from the Divine Fox n spoke as well, "Forgive us for our thoughtlessness."

    "When you disperse and return to your own ns, spread my word. I want this madness to stop. If I catch another unreasonable fight erupting, they will personally get a taste of my wrath." Aureus then ordered the patrolling warriors. "Take care of this entire ce. I want the terrain to be like how it was before. Not a single sign of battle should be left behind. Am I clear?"

    "Yes, Lord Aureus," the warriors said in unison. With Aureus personally stepping in to mediate the battles he discovered after that, public order finally returned within the territory of the shapeshifters. Both Agraleus and Ailwin felt relieved, and Aureus was able to return to his uncle''s home in peace.

    Regr updates from Jan2024

 Chapter 437 Third Prince Of Valor

    Chapter 437 Third Prince Of Valor

    Inside an ordinary tavern at the border of a certain human kingdom, a young blond man in his early twenties sat down in exhaustion. He was eye-catching, not only because he was handsome and tall and obviously of high birth, but also because he was apanied by a group of cloaked men with swords strapped in their waists. There were about twenty of them, and their group alone took over four tables. All of them looked travel-worn and came to the tavern to rx for the night. As the server brought food and drinks for them, the disappointed-looking young man picked up the beer tankard while his twopanions on the table could only sigh to see him like that. The young man was the third prince of the Valor Royal Family and one of Ember''s older brothers, Prince Rhian Valor. It''s been many months since they departed from the royal capital of Valor, searching for the lost princess after that fire on the haunted mountain. The prince had given his all to find his younger sister, leaving no stones unturned like a madman, risking his life traveling through foreign kingdoms, but there was no result. Not even a single hint of his sister''s whereabouts could be found. They did not even know if she was alive. Since there was no corpse in the mountain, the royal family had sent people in search for her with the hopes she survived and fled elsewhere. Yet even now, that feeble hope was slowly dimming.

    All three princes had gone separate ways, leading their own knightly orders to scour each city, town and vige known to mankind. The First and Second Princes were officially investigating under themand of the King of Valor, while the youngest prince set off under the guise of an excursion, but all three of her sons were working under secret orders from the Queen.

    As far as Queen Shanel was concerned, it would be best for the princess to live a quiet and stable life away from her cruel royal father. Her order was to ensure the safety of the royal family''s only princess. To hide her from the eyes of King Gregor!

    Rhian and his men had reached the end of their search, thest vige at the edge of the kingdom, where further aheady nothing but unending forest so dangerous no sane human dare enter. Beyond that were gigantic mountains as high as the sky. It was the end of the continent. "Your Highness, shall we arrange to return to Valor tomorrow?" one of the knights sitting with him asked. In response the young prince simply downed the entire mug of liquor down his throat. Disappointment and frustration were visible on his tired face. He had lost hope in finding his missing sister and fulfilling the promise he made to his mother.

    Just then, they heard somemotioning from a table nearby. A drunk old man was creating a scene, arguing with a group of miners from another table with red-faced anger. "You morons, you don''t believe me? I tell you there is that secret kingdom beyond that forest! A ck dragon protects that kingdom and elves do live there."

    The minersughed at him. "No wonder people call you Mad John. You are out of your mind." "Well, I remember from what my father told me, Mad John was found half-dead in the forest around four decades ago by the former Vige Chief. He must have gone insane from fear back then." "It was lucky he even survived."

    "Stop this nonsense talk already, old man. We are in no mood to listen to your garbage stories. We are no little boys who want to listen to silly tales about dragons."

    The old man named John mmed down his beer. "I have seen it. I have seen it all when I was young. I ran away from there!"

    "Yes, and you came here to spread the news of that kingdom. What, you want to say there is a banquet we are invited to, otherwise the fairies wille to kidnap the vige children? You should have stayed there with that dragon and made him your pet and fly on his back."

    "If you tamed the dragon, then you are the master of their king!"

    Loudughter erupted throughout the entire tavern. It appeared that the old man was infamous for his reputation as a lunatic, but the vige people treat him well despite him showing signs of senility.

    "Fine, don''t believe me," the drunk old man shouted. One of the miners cajoled him, "Well, have you seen the dragon with your own eyes? How big is it? Can I hold it in my palm?" It was obvious he was referring to amon lizard.

    John snorted. " I have not seen the Almighty ck Dragon himself, but I have seen an elf merchant¡ªa real elf!¡ªwho came to visit my old vige. You won''t believe how a man can be so beautiful and he doesn''t age."

    "What? How can you boast of dragons when you haven''t seen one? Old man, your story is full of holes. Alright fine, how big is this kingdom? How many cities?" "I don''t know. ording to my parents, it is only a tiny kingdom but all sorts of supernatural beings that you only hear in stories live there. Witches, ogres, fairies, werewolves, shapeshifters¡ª"

    "Oh, I''ve heard of shapeshifters!" one man said in a funny tone. "In books, they say those fox women can shapeshift and turn into unrivaled beauties that can rob men of their wits. More beautiful than any princess." He then grinned. "Say, Mad John. Can you get one for me? I can have some furry fun with her."

    "Fun?" The drunk old man sneered. "Even before that you will be dead. Those foxes are dangerous." "How can you tell when you haven''t seen them?" the man shot back.

    "I heard they eat human liver. Say, Mad John, do you still have your liver? Remove your clothes and show us your scar. Or they found your liver to be rotten and spared you?"

    "The foxes found him too ugly they didn''t even nce his way!"

    Once more, the people inside the tavernughed at him. Out of anger, John grabbed the tankard of beer from his table and threw it at the miners. The men good-naturedly dodged, and they even teased him about him missing his target and to practice more. "Don''t believe me, you morons!"

    "We believe you!" one miner hollered, causing everyone to burst into cheers of "Yes, we believe you" and "Tell us more about the dragon!" John started to walk out of the tavern while mumbling, "Of course, I have not seen the Almighty ck Dragon. Can amoner see the King? But I can still clearly remember that silver-haired elf¡­"

    The prince perked up the moment he heard those words. When he began investigating the incident of the fire, he heard rumors of a strange and inhumanly attractive silver-haired man inquiring about the witch living in the cursed mountain. The gold coins he offered to the people in exchange for information did not belong to any of the kingdom. The prince pulled out a gold coin from his pocket. It had an image of a flying dragon marked on it on one side, and on the other side of the coin was a symbol of some foreignnguage. He had done research of it but could never find out which kingdom this came from. He even ventured into old historical records, but no ancient civilization or fallen nation matched those symbols.

    Rhian stood up from his chair, intendingto follow that drunk man. His intuition was telling him this old drunk held the answers to his questions.

 Chapter 438 Search For The Lost Sister

    Chapter 438 Search For The Lost Sister

    The two knights stood up as well to follow the prince but they heard him say, "Wait for me here." Outside of the tavern, Rhian found Mad John swaying on his feet, still mumbling his discontent and cursing those people whoughed at him. Rhian thought about how to best approach an old man like him.

    He approached the old man and held his arm, helping him walk. "Let me help, Grandpa."

    John looked at the unfamiliar young man with heavy-lidded eyes. "Who are you?"

    "I am just a traveler. I saw you struggling to walk so I thought to help you."

    The old man chuckled. "You are a thoughtful young man."

    The prince didn''tment and asked him where he was headed. He helped him walk in the direction of his house. "Grandpa, I heard you talking about some dragon and hidden kingdom."

    "They all think I am making up stories. No one believes me."

    "I believe you," he said. "Will you tell me more?"

    John''s eyes visibly widened, as if Rhian''s curiosity sobered him up. "You want to listen to this old man''s ramblings?"

    "What ramblings, Grandpa? Are they not your experiences from your younger days?"

    The old manughed as if he found the most precious gem. He started to stumble on his words. There was finally someone who believed him and was willing to listen to him, and he had so many things to say he had no idea where to start. "Grandpa, why don''t you start where that kingdom is located?"

    John raised his head towards the distant mountain ranges, their snow-capped peaks shining under the pale moonlight. "You see those mountains there, young man? Beyond those mountains, if you travel about three or four weeks on foot, there is a hidden kingdom of supernatural beings, of people that are not part of humankind."

    "Does that kingdom have a name?"

    "Agartha," the old man said with fervor. "That kingdom is called Agartha."

    "Agartha," Rhian slowly repeated,mitting it to memory.

    "You can call it a paradise¡­" The old man further described the kingdom the best he could, but he was a stupid teenager when he ran away, and all he knew were the few stories he overheard from the vige chief and his parents."...and many races resided there to seek shelter and escape from the endless wars within the continent a thousand years ago."

    No wonder people called him a lunatic. John''s story did sound like some folklore, impossible to believe unless you have personally experienced it. "You say witches also live there?"

    "Yes. I''ve never seen one, but from what I heard, those witches make amazing potions! They are good people, unlike what the rumors say about them."

    Rhian didn''t want to think of his sister as a witch, but this was what he had heard people call her. Countless attempts were made to kill her, but she survived each of them. There was a rumor that she was an immortal and no one could kill her. Even his own mother, Queen Shanel, told him that his younger sister was different, blessed by some unusual power. What if she escaped towards Agartha, a ce where people would not care whether she was truly a witch or not?

    ''The mountains ought to be dangerous for a lone girl. If she truly headed there, I hope she is safe.''

    Rhian pulled out the strange gold coin from his pocket and showed it to the old man. Even before the prince could say anything, the old man grabbed it from his hand. "You! Where did you get this?!"

    "I found it while traveling," the prince replied casually. The old man looked at him in shock. "Do you know where this belongs to?"

    "Agartha?" the prince asked, taking chances, but to his surprise, the old man enthusiastically nodded. "Yes! See, this is the symbol of the Almighty ck Dragon carved on it! And these"¡ªhe flipped the coin¡ª "ancient symbols spell out the words ''Kingdom of Agartha''."

    Rhian didn''t want to believe the old man''s stories,but a part of him was starting to.

    Especially hearing about his sister from Queen Shanel, he started to believe there were things beyond human understanding. Moreover, while traveling across the continent from the past few months, he heard various stories about beings that people either feared or respected, about incidents impossible to exin without the existence of magic as well as historical records or murals that would be logical if people epted the existence of supernatural beings.

    "Can I keep this?" the old man asked him with hope in his eyes. "You can." The prince gave that coin to the old man. "Think of it as my gratitude for sharing your experiences."

    However, when Rhian asked abouthow one can go to Agartha, he received a dismal response from the old man.

    "The entire kingdom is protected by a barrier created by the King of Agartha himself. You will not be able to find it without a map, and even if you identally do find its location, you won''t be able to see through the illusion and enter it unless the patrolling warriors allow you to enter."

    John sullenly exined he was a naive sixteen-year-old boy when he ran away. He hated being cooped up in the vige. Back then, there were only five human viges and everyone knew everyone. He felt like a bird trapped in a cage, but also didn''t want to rebel against the supernatural races so he ran away with his friends. Only he was lucky enough to survive. It had been forty-seven years since then.

    He attempted to return when he missed his parents but was unable to find his way back. The old man could only tell the general direction to the prince.

    After sending him to his house, Rhian looked at those mountain ranges for a long time and then returned to the tavern.

    The prince filled his mug of beer before telling his knights, "Tomorrow, we are leaving for Agartha."

 Chapter 439 Missing Part Of Energy Core

    Chapter 439 Missing Part Of Energy Core

    The stars on the night skies of Agartha were akin to sprinkled diamond dust, a lovely sight to behold, but with the curtains drawn shut inside a certain bedchamber, its owner was drowned in darkness, unaware of the beauty outside, silently wrapped in her mate''s embrace.

    Embery in bed, unable to sleep even with Draven lying down next to her. She relished in him caressing her head. "Ember?"

    "Hmm?"

    "I requested Helia to restart your magic lessons, and she wille tomorrow."

    "Hmm."

    "I want you to keep yourself distracted instead of being depressed like this."

    "Hmm."

    His fingers slowlybed through her long hair.

    "I know you are sad and so am I," he said, "But there is no longer a reason for us to remain this way. We have hope that he will return to us. I believe in his tenacity. He wille back, and when he does, he will make fun of you for being a crybaby."

    This caused Ember to let out a smallugh. Morpheus was indeed like that.

    Draven continued, his voice soft, "How about you improve yourself before he wakes up and show him how well you can control your powers? Shock him speechless. I''m sure he''ll be happy"

    "Do you think that''s possible?"

    "Hmm. Isn''t he your friend? Friends want the best for their friends."

    She nodded. "I will start my lessons."

    Draven lowered his head to peck on her forehead, as if praising her silently for being a good girl. "You should sleep. Your lessons start early."

    Ember buried her face in his chest and obediently closed her eyes. ¡ª-

    By the time Fire Fae Helia arrived at the pce, Ember was waiting for her in the rear garden, in their usual ce for training. "Good morning, Miss Ember¡ªoh, it should be Lady Ember now."

    Though surprised, Ember greeted her back, only to hear the red-haired fairy ask with a smile, "How have you been?"

    "I am fine, Lady Helia."

    The woman offered her a gentle smile and said, "Starting today, we will resume our lessons again but not here."

    "Not here?"

    "I thought of taking you to a new ce for your lessons. I believe you will like it."

    Ember hesitated. "I need to ask Draven."

    "His Majesty has already permitted it."

    Just as Helia said those words, Erlos promptly arrived at the practice grounds. "Lady Ember, I will be apanying you."

    Once more, Ember was surprised by the change in the way she was addressed, but did not question it. As Draven had permitted her to leave the pce grounds, she had no reason to refuse. After changing into a morefortable attire, Ember bid her servants goodbye. Helia, Ember and Erlos traveled to the nearest mountain from the pce, a ce specially arranged for her magic lessons. After riding on horseback for half an hour, they reached the small mountain covered in dense greenery. As soon as they reached the bottom of the mountain, they had to climb down from their mounts and travel on foot.

    "My Lady, good to see you can ride a horse better now," Erlos ca to which Ember offered him a thankful nod. Several minutester, they arrived at a circr clearing in the middle of the mountain forest. The size of the de was twice asrge as the practice groundsin the pce. "His Majesty has arranged this ce. He believed that Lady Ember would feel more rxed to use your power without worrying about the damage," Erlos exined. There was even a small cottage-like log cabin arranged on one side for the de. Ember could not help but feel touched by Draven''s thoughtfulness.

    Erlos skipped towards the bench outside the log cabin, while Helia led her student in the middle of the clearing. "Lady Ember, what difficulty we had with your energy core before, we don''t have it anymore. Your energy core is free from its seal. Manifesting fire is no longer an issue. What we need to do now is to teach you how to harness your power. Our main goal for today''s lesson is to polish your control."

    Ember focused on Helia''s instructions. "The lesson about control will be divided into size, shape, quantity and quality of your mes, before we will talk about the moreplicated concept of motion. For now, we will focus on size. I want you to create a normal fireball, then I want you topress it to a fourth of its size."

    After practicing for more than an hour, Ember''s initial fireball the size of a te had reduced to half its size. Another hourter, she sessfully created a fireball that met Helia''s expectations, before moving on to the opposite, creating a fireball asrge as she could. This proved to be a disaster, as the size of Ember''srgest fireball was enough to burn the entire de. Helia hurriedly had her stop feeding energy into the ball, and moved on to the topic of creating fine threads using mes. Like this, Ember''s lessons continued for the next few days. She did everything quietly, as per her teachers instructions. She learned fast and didn''t fail to meet Helia''s goals for her. "Lady Ember, you have massively improved your control in just a few days of lessons. I am sure in a week, you will have perfected basic control over your mes," the fairy said but instead seeing her rejoice, the human merely gave her an unenthusiastic nod.

    "Anything the matter, mydy?"

    Ember looked at her hesitantly, only to hear Helia urge, "I am your teacher. If it is a problem you think I can help you with, please share your concerns with me."

    "Lady Helia, whenever I use my power, I feel strange¡­I do not know how to exin it well, but it''s like something is missing. Like, like a part of me is iplete. I know I am following your lessons well, but I feel like I am missing something. Can you check if there is anything wrong with me?"

    Helia held Ember''s hand. "I apologize, Lady Ember. I should have notified you of this earlier. Indeed, there is still some issue with your energy core. One''s energy core is rted to their soul. That is why there is a dissonant feeling when you use your power. That is because of that iplete part of your core." "MIssing? Howe the part of my core is missing?"

    "Lady Ember, I am afraid I cannot answer you. Your core has been this way before you came to Agartha. The people who can answer your question are probably those who ced a seal on your energy core."

    Ember realized Helia''s words made sense. The fairy continued, "After you became His Majesty''s mate, the mate bond somewhat helped you stabilize your core, although it can help only to a certain extent and not enough topletely solve the problem. But you do not have to worry about it, we will find a solution to that."

    Ember could not nod. Only she knew how hurt she felt with that feeling of emptiness in her soul but she had to endure it. She could only wonder how and when she will get that missing part back. Who had stollen it? Who was keeping it with them while leaving her here all hurting.

    Somewhere a part inside her was feeling angry. She felt the same anger brewing inside her whenever she was angry and ended up creating chaos. Her angry self was screaming out. ''Whoever had stollen it, they will face my wrath.''

    Hellia and Erlos noticed the air around her changed. "Lady Ember, are you alright?" Hellia called. It snapped Ember back to her senses and she looked at Hellia, "I am alright."

    "Lady Ember, let''s go back," Erlos immediately came to her. Ember nodded and they got on the horses. Erlos offered an assuring look to Lady Hellia, as if saying he would take care of Ember.

    Hellia trusted Erlos and his abilities and nodded in agreement. When all this was happening, they were not aware a pairs of sneaky eyes were observing all of this. They had all of their attention on Ember since past few days since she starteding to this mountain for her lessons. They signalled each other something and moved from there along the dense woods, following the tracks of the way Ember and Erlos had left.

 Chapter 440 Humans

    Chapter 440 Humans

    As Ember and Erlos approached the midpoint to the pce, an unusual silence enveloped their path. Erlos, attuned to the subtleties of his surroundings, detected a shift. His ears twitched, prompting him to lower his voice.

    "Lady Ember..."

    "Can you just call me Ember?" She interrupted him, reminiscent of our trip to the witch''s n.

    Erlos hesitated, acknowledging the transformation in her status. "Your position has elevated significantly since those days, now being ady of the pce and officially His Majesty''s mate. It doesn''t seem appropriate for me to..."

    "Just when we''re alone. I don''t have friends anymore. Morph was the only one..." Her voice trailed off, a hint of sadness lingering in her eyes. She missed him.

    "Ember," Erlos finally addressed her by name, "I''ll call you Ember when we''re alone, alright?"

    She nodded, and Erlos, with a subtle gesture, conveyed a sense of unease. "Something is amiss," he whispered, motioning for Ember to remain silent.

    His keen eyes scrutinized the surroundings, focusing on the wooded area along the roadside. In the next instant, he extended his hand, and an arrow and bow materialized within it.

    He took aim in a certain direction, preparing to release the arrow. However, before he could loose it, two figures emerged from the woods, hands raised in surrender. d in dark tunics, matching pants, and boots, their appearance and aura distinctly set them apart from any supernatural race in Agartha.

    "Humans?" Erlos muttered, catching Ember off guard. As the two men approached with raised hands, signaling surrender, Erlos instructed Ember, "Stay behind me, and don''t dismount the horse. I''ll handle these intruders."

    Tensing the arrow against his bowstring, Erlos conveyed his readiness to shoot at the slightest provocation.

    The presence of humans in territories belonging to supernaturals was highly unusual. Sneaking in posed a challenge, as their human essence would inevitably be detected. How did they manage to infiltrate so deeply without getting caught?

    As Erlos contemted this, his brows furrowed. Humans were not a bearer of good news for Agartha.

    "How dare you trespass into our territory?" Erlos growled, his voiceced with warning. "Do you have a death wish?"

    In response, the two men knelt and bowed in their direction. "We bow to the Queen of Agartha," they uttered simultaneously.

    Upon hearing this, Ember was taken aback, while Erlos maintained his firm grip on the bow and arrow. "State your purpose, or I won''t hesitate to deal with trespassers decisively."

    "We are here to speak with Her Majesty, King Draven''s mate, Lady Ember," the two men calmly replied.

    "You are not deserving," Erlos retorted, his gaze moved to look up in the sky. "There will be consequences for crossing the border."

    The patrolling guards of the divine eagle n had spotted them now that the two humans were out in the open.

    "Please, Your Majesty, hear us out," the two men pleaded. "It has taken considerable effort for us to reach you. Once we''ve spoken, you can decide our fate."

    The guards, with wings folded back,nded on the ground and red at the humans. "How dare you appear here? How did you manage to conceal your presence in our territory?"

    Approaching the humans, one guard scrutinized them closely. "They''ve used magical spells to mask their essence from supernaturals. That''s why no one could sense them."

    "Spells? Humans colluding with magical beings again?" the other guard stated coldly. "Let''s take them to Vice Commander Logan."

    "Please, Your Majesty, listen to us first."

    "You two..."

    "Wait," Ember intervened, "Let me hear what they have to say."

    As Ember asserted herself, the others had to listen to her. "Speak."

    "Our leader wishes to meet you, Your Majesty," one of the men spoke.

    "The reason?" Ember, though surprised, maintained a calm demeanor.

    "You are human, and our human n is proud to have you as the Queen of this Kingdom," the man exined. "Our n simply wishes to convey our best regards and seek the honor of meeting you."

    "Apologies, but I cannot," Ember stated.

    "Please, Your Majesty," the man pleaded, "Unless you agree, someone will alwayse asking the same. We cannot give up. So, please consider our request."

    Was it a plea, a threat, or a tactic to annoy her?

    Ember observed them silently for a moment before responding, "I will have to discuss this with His Majesty first. If he approves, only then can I consider your request."

    "Thank you, Your Majesty. We believe His Majesty cherishes you, and he would agree to what you ask for," the man expressed.

    Ember raised a brow, sensing an implication in the man''s words¡ªto y on her position as the King''s mate and sway his decision. They must be aware of the tendency for divine beasts to pamper their mates.

    "I will think about it," Ember said, directing her gaze to the two divine eagles who had apprehended the men.

    With that, Erlos and Ember departed for the pce.

    Meanwhile, in Draven''s study, the fire fae, Helia, had arrived to discuss matters with the King, having left Ember''s side.

    "What''s your conclusion after today''s lesson?" Draven inquired, seated in his chair and fixing his gaze on the red-haired woman across from him.

    "It was her first lesson since the incident on the day of mourning. As anticipated, her core remains vtile, making it challenging for her to fully control her powers. Today, I focused on engaging her in basic magical abilities, deliberately keeping her unaware of her potential beyond that. If she attempts to exceed a certain threshold while wielding her power, there''s a risk of losing control and causing destruction. The mate bond between you and her has been instrumental in stabilization, preventing a more chaotic oue but it is not how excatly we expected it to be. The bond between you two is still not enough to stabilise her core entirely and risk alwaysy in her way of using her power," Helia exined.

    "What do you suggest to address it? Youmand the fire element and likely possess more profound knowledge than others," Draven inquired further.

    "Fire is inherently the most potent and destructive element, but the fire Lady Ember possesses is no ordinary me. It is the zing fire said to have originated from the depths of hell, capable of annihting all realms. The goddess of fire once saved all the realms by controlling this hellfire as only she could do it. But legend said she perished. Given how Lady Ember possess it now, we know who she is, the reincarnation of the deity of fire."

    Draven nodded as this much he had understood long back but yet so many questions were unanswered. If she was a deity, then howe he knew a deity as the woman in his dreams was Ember''s previous life. The questions had no end at all. But for now, stabilising Ember''s energy core and protecting her from any possible harm caused by her own powers, was the priority.

    Hellia continued, "Though she was a deity in her previous life, now her body is of human and it won''t sustain this power for long," Helia conveyed with a somber tone. "We must find a solution urgently. Only the head of the witch n can provide answers, but as far as I can discern, we either locate the missing part of her core or find a potent force to aid in stabilizing it. Until we achieve core stabilization, everything surrounding Lady Ember, including herself, remains at risk. Our priority is to shield her and her surroundings by finding a resolution."

    Draven simply nodded, and Helia departed. He lingered in his chair, deep in thought about how to safeguard Ember from her own elemental attribute, a force that threatened to consume her sooner orter.

 Chapter 441 Am I Not A Proper Mate?

    Chapter 441 Am I Not A Proper Mate?

    Once Ember returned to the pce, she and Erlos both narrated to Draven what had happened on their way back from her training ground.

    Draven''s expression turned grave as he listened to Erlos. "Sire, we should increase the security of the borders and also search for any other intruders. We need to establish strict punishments for intruders so they won''t dare to cross the border again."

    Upon hearing this, Ember said, "Draven, I don''t think they had any other motive. They crossed the border only to send me a message from the human n leader. If they had ulterior motives, they would not have shown themselves to us and even surrendered after passing the message."

    Erlos turned to her, "Lady Ember, trying to reach you is their main ulterior motive. They think you are human and, furthermore, powerful. They might try to manipte you to gain power in this kingdom by using you. Their intention is to brainwash you and use you for their own benefit, thinking that as a human, you will side with your kind or do something to benefit them."

    "I won''t be manipted," she said, understanding Erlos'' words clearly. "I only listen to Draven and do what he says. No one else can tell me what to do."

    "That we know, Lady Ember," Erlos responded, "All I want is for you to stay away from humans. They are maniptive and selfish."

    Ember understood Erlos'' strong reluctance towards humans. She was d that despite what happened with his n, he didn''t show any hostility towards her at least and nodded, "I will keep that in mind, Erlos. Don''t worry. Moreover, even if not Draven, you are always around me, so they won''t be able to manipte me."

    Erlos finally calmed down, "Of Course, I will always be by your side, Lady Ember."

    Draven was quietly listening to them, his expression serious. The crafty humans had tried to reach his mate, another worry to add to his list. He couldn''t trust those humans and knew he needed to keep Ember away from them at all costs.

    In Ember''s presence, he suppressed his worry and spoke, "You must be tired after your training and traveling on horseback, Ember. You should go and rest." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    Ember, sensing that Draven had work to do, agreed and left.

    "Erlos, send a message to Logan and the chief of the Divine Eagle n to visit me," Draven said once Ember was out of earshot.

    "Sire, why not also ask for Aureus?" Erlos suggested. "He resolved the war between the Divine Eagle and Fox ns with just a few words. All the shapeshifter ns listen to him."

    Draven, aware of this, replied, "He helped us in the absence of his uncle, but as he ns to return to the humans, we cannot expect more from him."

    "I understand, sire," Erlos bowed. "I will pass the message to Vice Commander Logan and Chief Agraleus," and then he left.

    Logan and Agraleus soon arrived at the pce and had a lengthy discussion with Draven on how to prevent humans from intruding into their territory. They devised a n, hoping that after this, no human would sessfully enter their domain.

    -----

    At night, Draven returned to his mate''s side. Ember was sitting by the window, gazing at the starry sky, a routine she had maintained for a few weeks. Without a reminder, she could sit like this indefinitely.

    Draven knew she was still waiting for the day when Morpheus would suddenly appear in the sky ande to her.

    Noticing Draven''s presence in her chamber, Ember turned to him and offered a light smile. "You seemed to be workingte?"

    He nodded and asked, "Aren''t you tired sitting here? I expected you to be resting to help your body heal."

    "I couldn''t sleep alone," she admitted, standing up. "But now that you''re here, I suddenly feel sleepy."

    Draven saw in her eyes that she was trying to hide her wait for Morpheus, so he chose not to mention it either.

    He lifted her in his arms and gentlyid her in bed, theny down beside her and pulled her into afortable embrace.

    She looked at him. "Draven, do you think I''m not a proper mate?"

    He met her gaze. "What made you think that?"

    "I just sometimes feel that way," she confessed.

    "You are the perfect mate for me. I want no one but you," he replied with an assuring gaze. "Are you doubting yourself because you keep waiting for Morpheus?"

    Ember was speechless, realizing Draven had guessed her thoughts. "I wait for him as my friend. I don''t have any other..."

    "I know. I too am waiting for him to wake up. You don''t need to exin," he assured her, caressing her hair gently.

    "I read that males can be possessive and they don''t like their mates thinking about another male, so I was worried."

    "He is our friend who sacrificed his life for us. It''s only natural to think about and wait for him," he said. "Today, I spoke with the Witch n. Although Cornelia is still in the Spirit Shrine, they''ve reported positive progress. We can hope for his soul to recover sooner orter."

    Her eyes brightened. "I know he wille back to us. If he survived the divine weapon, he''s meant to return," she said, hugging him happily. "Thank you for telling me this."

    "You can thank me in another way," hemented. Ember raised her head to look into those intense looking red eyes. It''s been a while since he had said something like this or looked at her in this way. Since that day of incident, everything between them seemed to have stopped as well. She moved her face closer and gently pecked on his lips, her eyes closely looking into his, that showed he was not content with just this much. The next moment she found the world had turned upside down and she was lying beneath him, his intense eyes gazing into her shocked ones. He was in the end a beast, how long he could he suppress his primal instinct when his beautiful mate was in his arms?

    "I thought to let you rest for your lesson tomorrow, but it seems we''ll have to cancel it."

    She gulped. "Will that be alright?"

    "Anything is alright when it''s an order from the king," he said, sealing her lips with a passionate kiss. Ember reciprocated eagerly.

    After many days, their chamber was once again filled with the sounds of intimacy, as the Dragon and his mate surrendered to their passion.

 Chapter 442 God Of War

    Chapter 442 God Of War

    The following morning, Draven awoke to find Ember in a deep slumber. Gently, he adjusted the nket to cover her naked body, noticing the marks adorning her delicate skin, stark against her fairplexion.

    He couldn''t deny he failed to hold back the previous night as it felt like an eternity since he got the taste of intimacy with his mate. Not being able to take him, she finally begged him to stop despite trying to keep up with him for long. He stopped at her plea and allowed her to rest. Deciding to leave Ember in the care of the servants, Draven returned to his own chamber. After dressing in fresh clothes following a soothing bath, a sudden sensation caught his attention. His expression turned serious as he realized something significant.

    "Sire, your meal¡­" Erlos began, but Draven had already vanished from the chamber.

    "Where did he go?" Erlos muttered, shaking his head. "I hope this time he doesn''t bring someone else back, or Ember would roast him in her hellfire."

    Draven reached the riverside in the dandelion field, where a woman stood. Her back to him, she gazed at the river, her long honey-blond hair flowing with the gentle breeze, giving her an almost divine appearance.

    "Evanthe," Draven uttered, his expression one of surprise.

    The woman turned to face him, her beautiful features framed by a gentle smile, her very presence exuding aforting warmth.

    "Draven," she greeted him. "I knew you would still sense my presence ande here."

    For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words before finally asking, "How have you been?"

    "Just as you see, as usual¡ªbeautiful and powerful," she replied with a yful tone. "And you, still the cold iceberg."

    Draven silently acknowledged her words; being called a ''cold iceberg'' by her was nothing new to him.

    "Did youe here because of Morph?" he inquired, knowing that like him and a few others, Evanthe must have seen the dream that dictated the prophecy.

    Evanthe''s yful demeanor shifted to seriousness as she nodded. "He..."

    "He is still with us," Draven informed her. "We need your help to heal him."

    Evanthe managed a light smile, tears still lingering in her eyes. "As I am here, I will bring him back so I can continue to annoy him like before. He''s not allowed to leave us until I''ve had my fill of troubling him."

    Evanthe held back tears, relieved to hear that Morpheus had not passed away. Having witnessed numerous deaths over the past century, they had all be somewhat indifferent to loss. However, Morpheus'' incident had shaken them deeply.

    Evanthe managed a light smile, tears still lingering in her eyes. "As I am here, I will bring him back so I can continue to annoy him like before. He''s not allowed to leave us until I''ve had my fill of troubling him."

    Draven felt a deep sense of relief upon seeing Evanthe. She was not only a close ally but also the one they desperately needed now to bring their friend back. As the most powerful witch queen, Evanthe, alongside Cornelia, possessed the capability to expedite soul healing.

    "I am also here for another matter," Evanthe mentioned. "I believe you can assist me."

    "I will," Draven assured her.

    Evanthe began to exin, "On the day of the incident with Morpheus, I had visions. Along with Morpheus'' injury, I saw a woman surrounded by fire, believed to be the reincarnation of the deity of fire. I need to meet her."

    "Seems like you are here because of the purple eyes woman," Draven spoke. "If I am not wrong that woman is your son''s mate." Aureus'' arrival in Agartha, had answered so many of his questions.

    "Hmm, it seems you''re already aware of much," Evanthe remarked. "Where can I find this reincarnated deity of fire?" n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om

    "She''s in the pce. My mate," Draven revealed.

    Evanthe raised an eyebrow. "So, you finally have a mate. That''s good to hear," she noted, then added, "Your mate is connected to my son''s mate, Seren. If I''m correct, she''s troubled by her fire attribute as well."

    Draven nodded, acknowledging theplexities. "Her human body can''t cope with her iplete, unstable core¡­"

    "And that part of her core resides in Seren''s body. Acting as a vessel for such a strong power, it is affecting her body greatly. We need to find a way to solve it for both of them." "I am ready to follow any suggestion you have," Draven affirmed.

    "To begin, I need to meet her," Evanthe proposed. "Also, there''s someone who can confirm if your mate is indeed the one we''re seeking and help us resolve this matter." As she spoke, her gaze shifted past Draven.

    He turned to see a woman shrouded in a white hooded robe, her formpletely concealed.

    "This is Sierra, a friend of mine with extensive knowledge in these matters," Evanthe introduced. However, she quickly sensed Sierra''s tension at the sight of Draven.

    "Raven," Sierra murmured, appearing rooted to the spot.

    Draven had heard this name before in his dream but was surprised to this woman calling with the same.

    Evanthe approached Sierra. "Who is Raven?"

    Sierra seemed to take a deep breath forposure and then said while pointing towards the red eyed man, "That''s him, Draven Aramis, the God of war."

    The revtion left both Evanthe and Draven in a state of shock, mirroring Sierra''s earlier reaction.

    "God of war?" Evanthe repeated, her voiceced with surprise.

    Sierra nodded. "The one we thought had vanished into the realm of nothingness," she said, focusing on Draven. "I didn''t expect to find you here. It exins why she is with you."

    Confusion spread across Evanthe and Draven''s faces.

    "Who are you referring to?" Draven inquired.

    Sierra responded, "I''m talking about you and the reincarnated one. Are you here in the human realm to protect her?"

    Draven was skeptical. "I believe you''re mistaken about me," he said. The idea of being a god, let alone the God of War, seemed preposterous. Why would a god be on Earth, striving for peace in the human realm for centuries?

    "Don''t you remember anything?" Sierra probed, noticing his disbelief.

    "What am I supposed to remember?" he asked, a realization dawning on him that he truly didn''t know his own history.

    "That you are a god of war," Sierra stated. "And I''m not mistaken. I can sense your powers, even though they''re weakened from how powerful you used to be."

    Draven and Evanthe exchanged looks, at a loss for words.

    "It seems we have more to discuss," Evanthe finally remarked, as an uneasy silence fell upon the group.

 Chapter 443: Lost Memories

    Wordlessly, Draven''s gaze lingered on the two women, particrly on Sierra, whose face remained hidden beneath her hood. He tried to recall if he knew such a woman but there was nothing he could remember.

    "I''m not sure what you''re implying right now. All I know is that we need to help Morpheus. We can discuss these other matterster," Draven stated.

    "Before we proceed, could you exin exactly what happened that day?" Evanthe inquired.

    Nodding, Draven recounted the events on the day of mourning, as well as everyone''s involvement in detail.

    After listening, Evanthe said, "He must be at the Witch n''s Spirit Shrine if Cornelia is trying to retrieve his soul."

    Draven agreed, and in an instant, they transported to the outskirts of the Spirit Shrine, a grand stone structure essible only to the highest-ranking witches of the n.

    "I sense a strong energy barrier around it," Evanthe observed. "Cornelia, always so reckless. She needs to prioritize her own safety."

    "What''s happening?" Draven asked, concern evident in his tone.

    "Cornelia is so desperate to save him that she''s using up all her energy," Evanthe remarked. "I must go inside before she continues this way and endangers her own life. Wait here for me." With that, Evanthe prepared to enter the shrine, her determination clear in her stride.

    Evanthe, gliding effortlessly inside the boundary of the Spirit Shrine,nded gracefully at its entrance, guarded by Silvia and Thalia, Cornelia''s apprentices.

    The apprentices were taken aback at the sight of their queen, whom they hadst seen a century ago when they were nothing but young witches, training themselves under the guidance of the queen. Yet, her distinguished presence was unmistakable.

    "Your Eminence," they both kneeled immediately in reverence.

    "You two have grown into fine witches. It seems Cornelia has mentored you well," Evanthe observed, appreciating the growth in their power essence. "Please, stand up."

    Remaining respectfully bowed, Silvia and Thalia responded, "It''s an honor to see you return, Your Eminence."

    Evanthe gave a simple nod and announced, "I am entering the Spirit Shrine."

    Without hesitation, the apprentices stepped aside, watching in awe as their queen approached the door. It was sealed with Cornelia''s powerful magic, a barrier imprable to most. However, Evanthe''s own formidable powers allowed her to pass through effortlessly, demonstrating the extent of her abilities as she vanished beyond the door.

    Inside the ancient stone structure, Evanthe observed Cornelia, deeply engrossed in her task. She was seated on a small stone tform, facing another where Morpheus''s bodyy. The intense energy radiating from Cornelia was dual-purpose: preserving Morpheus''s body and attempting to restore his soul.

    Evanthe noted the profound dedication in Cornelia''s efforts, ''Love knows no bounds.''

    Approaching Morpheus, Evanthe ced her hand gently over his heart, still bearing the mark of an unrecovered wound. She closed her eyes, extending her senses to probe his body. She detected the faint presence of his soul and the nearly destroyed energy core. Yet, amidst this devastation, something extraordinary caught her attention¡ªa mysterious divine energy guarding his core.

    ''What is this?'' Evanthe pondered, intrigued by the discovery. ''This immensely powerful divine energy shielding his core¡ªit''s neither Cornelia''s nor Morpheus''s. Whose essence could this be, safeguarding him? Someone is protecting him that''s why his soul is still in existence despite being harmed by the divine weapon.''

    Despite her surprise, Evantheposed herself, refocusing on the urgent need to help Morpheus. Standing beside the stone tform, she closed her eyes, channeling her formidable powers to assist in the healing process. Her presence alone added a significant boost to the efforts already underway, strengthening the hope for Morpheus''s recovery.

    Meanwhile outside, Draven turned to the hooded woman, "Lady Siera, do I know you?"

    "You used to know me, King Draven," she said. "But it seems you have no memory of your past life in the heavens."

    Draven conceded, "I have no such memories, nor do I believe I have any connection to the heavenly realm. A god of war? It seems too far-fetched."

    Sierra persisted, "You may not believe me since you recall nothing, but it''s the truth. You were once a powerful god revered across all three realms¡ªa god of war whom everyone respected."

    Draven, intrigued, asked, "Then what am I doing here in the human realm? How did Ie to be here?" His curiosity about his origins had always been a part of him, and now Sierra appeared to offer a path to those lost memories.

    "I''m not sure of the details," Sierra admitted. "When chaos engulfed the heavenly realm, I was dealing with the consequences of my own actions. All I heard afterward was that the god of war no longer existed, believed to have vanished into the realm of nothingness. It''s somehow connected to the deity of fire."

    Draven''s interest peaked. "Tell me about her, this deity of fire."

    Sierra exined, "Her existence has been erased from all three realms. What remains are probably just legends created by her followers."

    Driven by curiosity, Draven pressed further. "Why? What exactly did she do?"

    "That I cannot say, nor do I possess the entire knowledge. Speaking about her will lead to heavenly punishment, and I cannot afford that at this moment when I have to protect my daughter," Sierra added.

    "Then you can tell me about the God of War," he said, understanding the implications and strict rules that heaven follows. If he was rted to the deity of fire, knowing about him might give clues about Ember''s past life.

    "I already told you who you were, and I don''t know why or what you are doing here," she replied.

    "You said previously that ''my existence here exins why she is with me.'' By ''she,'' you meant Ember, the reincarnated deity of fire, didn''t you?"

    Sierra nodded, only to hear Draven again, "Why would you say that as if I am meant to be with her? What''s my rtionship with her? Were we close when we were in the heavenly realm?"

    Sierra simply nodded, unwilling to say more. "If I say more about her, I will be punished by heaven, and they will discover her presence here, which will put her in danger. If you do not wish to expose her to the heavenly realm, do not make me talk about her. I do not fear punishment, as being punished by them is nothing new to me.

    What I fear is the safety of my daughter and my old friend, whom I used to cherish like my own sister."

    "What can be done to avoid putting her in danger? How will we know everything?" Draven asked.

    "The day she gets her core fixed, she will regain all her memories, and what was wiped about her from all three realms will be restored."

    "I wonder what she did for the heavenly realm topletely erase her existence?" Draven mused.

    "Trying to save the world and bing the most powerful being in the processes with a price," Sierra replied. Before Draven could ask more, she added something even more shocking.

    "How did you be a ck Dragon and possess the power of darkness?" she inquired.

    "What do you mean?" Draven asked, puzzled. "Wasn''t I always a ck Dragon?"

    "You were a powerful god with divine light powers. Seeing you now with the attribute of darkness, and as a ck Dragon, is surprising," she answered. "If you don''t mind, may I scry through you?"

    There was a pause on Draven''s end, but then he consented, "Go ahead."

    "Give me your hands," she requested, extending both of her hands, which were covered in scales.

    Without hesitation, he ced his hands in hers. Her being a friend of Evanthe was enough for him to trust her, though he couldn''t see her face.

    Sierra closed her eyes, and a silence ensued while she finished scrying through Draven''s body.

    Releasing his hands, she exined, "Your divine power is weakened or suppressed, and now darkness flows through you. But that doesn''t mean your divine power is useless. It seems it was recently triggered, and you have even utilized it."

    This reminded Draven of the incident from the day of mourning. Left helpless in a cave, he had used a different kind of power that destroyed the cave, aiding his escape.

    "You are right," he affirmed. "Where can I know about myself or how can regain those lost memories if what you have said about me is true?"

    "I am not sure how you lost your memories and how you will regain it. Maybe the day when she regains herself, you will face the same," Sierra answered, "First I need to meet her and make sure she is the one."

    Draven simply offered a nod and both of them waited for Evanthe to return.

 Chapter 444: Queen Of Witches Is Back

    Inside the Spirit Shrine, Evanthe spent several hours infusing the dome-shaped stone chamber with her divine energy, a force far more potent than any other witch could muster. Once her task wasplete, she floated gently to the ground and called out to her apprentice.

    "Cornelia, you can stop now."

    Seemingly lost in her own world, Cornelia did not respond; it was as though she had shut herself off from any external interruptions.

    Evanthe''s brow furrowed at the sight of this obstinate witch. Using her formidable powers, she severed Cornelia''s connection to the spirit shrine, halting the flow of her essence meant to safeguard Morpheus'' soul.

    Startled, Cornelia opened her eyes, her expression one of clear displeasure.

    "Who dared..." Her protest died in her throat the moment she recognized the overwhelming presence of that familiar, potent divine energy¡ªenergy that could only belong to one person. She swiftly turned, her eyes searching, and there she was¡ªher master, her guardian, the figure she revered above all others.

    "Your Eminence," Cornelia whispered in a frail voice as she slowly descended to the floor, kneeling before the woman she admired.

    Evanthe regarded her with a look of disapproval, noting how Cornelia seemed to cling to thest shreds of her strength.

    "You have disappointed me, Cornelia," Evanthe said, her voice icy.

    Cornelia kept her head bowed, fully aware of the reason behind the Queen of Witches'' disapproval. "Apologies, Master, but¡ª"

    "You need to return to your residence and rest. I won''t waste my time reasoning with someone who has lost her reasons and sense of responsibility," Evanthe cut her off sharply.

    Unable to argue, Cornelia simply nodded. She stood, facing Evanthe with resolve. "I will ept whatever punishment Your Eminence deems fit for me," she said, then nced at Morpheus'' lifeless body. "Now that Your Eminence is here, I believe he will return to us soon."

    "I have filled the Spirit Shrine with my power which willst for a few days and will nourish his soul. We don''t have to stay here," Eventhe informed, "Let''s head out."

    With a final nce at Morpheus, Evanthe turned and headed for the door, Cornelia trailing behind her. Outside, Silvia and Thalia were visibly relieved to see Cornelia after several anxious weeks. They had feared she might be harmed while healing the Commander''s soul.

    "Take Cornelia to her residence and ensure she rests," Evanthemanded, handing over a small vial. "Give this potion to her."

    "Yes, Your Eminence," the two witches replied and disappeared from there along with Cornelia.

    Evanthe then rejoined Draven and Sierra, who were waiting for her.

    "How is he?" Draven inquired immediately.

    "I have just exhausted a significant portion of my strength to aid our friend, and that on top of the exhaustion from my long journey to Agartha," she replied, raising an eyebrow. "Might I not at least expect the hospitality of your kingdom and have a nice rest to recover my strength, King Draven?"

    "My apologies," he said with a quick nod. "Let''s return to the pce first."

    In an instant, the trio vanished, reappearing in the grand foyer of the pce.

    "Erlos," Draven called out.

    At his call, a silver-haired young elf dashed into the foyer at a speed of wind, appearing a fraction of second on his master''s call, "Yes, Sire?" But his words trailed off as he recognized the distinguished visitor. "Your Eminence?" He bowed deeply, a gesture of profound respect.

    Evanthe, with a gentle smile, observed the young elf. "Erlos, you do have good memory unlike your master who remember absolutely nothing about himself." Her tone light yet teasing, as she directed a yful smirk towards Draven, who responded with his usual stoic silence.

    Erlos kept his head bowed, a sign of respect. "It''s good to see you back, Your Eminence."

    "Indeed, it''s heartening to see you''ve grown into such a well-mannered young elf. I''m d you haven''t adopted any of your master''s more... challenging traits, such as his arrogance or imperious demeanor."

    "I have strived to follow the right path, Your Eminence," Erlos replied, tantly ignoring Draven''s presence. "I''ve always remembered your teachings from the past, which helped me avoid adopting the unpleasant traits of one''s character."

    "Apparently, her teaching from the past has also taught you on how to run your mouth uselessly and talk endlessly without point," Draven interjected, his gaze sharp as he nced at his servant, who seemed too intent on currying favor with others.

    Erlos fell silent, chastened by his master''s tone, while Evanthe chuckled. "That, we call being sociable and adept inmunication¡ªunlike someone, who might as well be mute. I sometimes wonder if you even speak to your mate, or if she has to y the game of guessing what''s on your mind. Tsk! Poor thing."

    "You needn''t worry about her," Draven responded, his voice icy.

    "Aren''t you tired, Evanthe? If not, we can continue with the work what we are here for," Sierra chimed in, knowing full well Evanthe''s penchant for stirring trouble with her words.

    Evanthe exhaled slowly and stretchednguidly. "Actually, I do need to rest. My body aches from the journey."

    "Allow me to show you to your rooms, Your Eminence," Erlos offered, eager to facilitate a retreat from the tense atmosphere.

    "See youter, Draven," Evanthe said with a soft smile band winked at him, then followed Erlos as he led the way, leaving a slightly cooler air behind them.

    Draven shook his head with a resigned sigh and walked away.

    He returned to the study just as Ember, who had been spending her time in the garden, arrived.

    "I heard there are guests in the pce?" Ember inquired as she approached him.

    Watching her cross the room, with her servants lingering outside the study, he confirmed, "You heard right." He extended his hand towards her. "Come here."

    Instead of stopping across the table, Ember walked around to his side and took his offered hand.

    With a gentle tug, Draven pulled her onto hisp. Ember, unfazed, made herselffortable and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Who are they?" she asked curiously.

    "Evanthe and her friend," he replied.

    "The Queen of Witches?" Ember''s eyes widened in excitement. "Mother of a red dragon?"

    "That''s her," Draven affirmed with a nod.

    "She can heal Morph, right?" Ember''s voice was hopeful. "I''ve heard she''s incredibly powerful."

    "You are right," he confirmed. "She''s powerful and a bit childish. Don''t mind her yful jabs."

    Ember chuckled, "Are you worried I might get upset? From what I''ve heard from the other witches, she seems like a fun person."

    Draven said no more and simply held her closer,his red eyes observing her beautiful face, "You seem to be fine. Seems like you are adept in bearing with me now."

    A light blush tinted her cheeks. "You''re bing shameless. You weren''t like this before."

    "Don''t you like it?" he teased, a yful smirk curling at the corner of his lips.

    "Stop teasing," she shot back with a re, "We have guests. I can''t wait to meet them."

    "You will meet them soon."

    By this time the news of Evanthe''s retuned had spread not only in the witch n but the entire kingdom.

    The witch n was ready to wee their queen and other races cheered as well, expecting something good to happen as the one of the most powerful supernatural of their kingdom had finally retuned.

 Chapter 445: Ember Meeting Evanthe And Sierra

    Evanthe enjoyed a peaceful nap in the guest room after having a nice meal. While she was enjoying herfortable sleep, the pce of the King of Agartha was busy with various visitors - the different n members who wished to seek an audience with the Queen of Witches.

    Draven had to drive them away, saying she was tired due to the long journey back to Agartha and would be visiting others once she wished to.

    After a few hours when she woke up, she felt refreshed. ''Coming back to Agartha, the air here sure is magical; I had a good sleep after so long.''

    When she stepped out of her room, Erlos arrived immediately. Evanthe was taken aback. "What are you doing here?"

    He smiled at the woman. "Sire asked me to take care of anything Your Eminence needs so that¡­" he stopped, thinking he was going to say something he should not.

    She raised a brow. "Care to finish?"

    He cleared his throat awkwardly. "So that you won''t trouble him with anything."

    She scoffed. "That annoying Dragon. Just because he got a mate, he doesn''t want to be troubled by his friends. Let Morph wake up, and I will see how he dares act this way."

    "Where is he?" she asked, her senses visibly blocked by Draven to prevent her from tracking his presence.

    "Sire is in the study," he answered.

    "Bring my friend to his study if she is free," Evanthe spoke and disappeared from her ce.

    She appeared outside the King''s study and pushed open the door using her power, which she used more than required, causing quite a stir inside the study. The shelves shook violently, causing the books and some things to scatter here and there.

    The servants around were startled, but they didn''t dare say a word, knowing it was the Queen of Witches.

    Draven, sitting behind his chair, seemed unfazed and continued his work as he said, "You are only increasing work for Erlos."

    "You seem to be torturing that child all these years. No wonder he sided with me so easily," she said as she walked inside the study.

    "Everyone needs a change. He is looking for some fun."

    "When one''s master is a baggage of boredom, what can a poor servant even do?" shemented and sat in the chair, "Where is your mate? I believe you want me to meet her."

    "She is eager to meet you as well," he responded, "Not sure who had portrayed the wrong image of you in her mind."

    She scoffed, understanding the meaning, "Even your mate knows who is the person worth meeting. Though you are a dumb Dragon, your mate seems smarter."

    "Once she meets you, she will know the truth," Draven countered.

    They watched Erlos bringing Sierra inside the study. Sierra bowed to him and sat in the chair at Draven''s gesture.

    "Erlos, summon Ember here," Draven instructed.

    Erlos left, and the three were left in the study.

    "I sense a strong aura of divine power in this pce," Evanthe spoke, "Just like what I sense from Seren."

    "It belongs to Her," Sierra spoke as she looked at Draven, "the reincarnated form of the deity of fire."

    Draven hummed, "You can assure it once you meet her."

    Just then Erlos arrived, "Sire, Lady Ember is here."

    The two women sitting in the chair turned their heads to look at the woman who had walked through the door of the study. Both of their eyes fixed on her, the feeling of unknown familiarity grappling their hearts. Unknown to them, they stood up from the chair, their gaze not breaking away from Ember.

    "It''s Her," Evanthe spoke, referring to her vision when she saw a woman surrounded by fire when Morpheus was hurt.

    "It''s truly Her," Sierra mumbled, referring to Ember being the Deity of fire. "Face is different but her essence, her soul is still the same. Those eyes, they didn''t change either."

    Ember observed the two women. Though she had never seen them, she felt she had known them for a long time, that they were someone close to her. Her gaze puzzled as she tried to figure out what exactly she was feeling. Unknown to her, tears rolled down her eyes; she felt emotional, not knowing what was happening to her.

    Sierra''s eyes were moist as well, but she concealed her tears. Her friend, who was like her sister, was truly in front of her once more when she had thought she had lost her. Though appearance changed, memories were gone, her soul was still the same.

    On the other hand, just like Ember, Evanthe was feeling emotional in her heart. Though there were no visible tears, her heart felt heavy to see Ember. It was as if there was some connection between them.

    Draven walked towards Ember, his hand surrounded her shoulder tofort her. "Are you alright?"

    She nodded, "But I am not sure why tears areing out of my eyes," her hand moved to her tightened chest, "I don''t know why I am feeling this way."

    He wiped her tears and said, "Let me introduce you to these two." He signaled towards Evanthe, who immediately got hold of her emotions and said, "This is Evanthe, the Queen of Witches, and this is Lady Sierra, her friend as well as former Deity of the Earth element."

    "d to meet you, Lady Evanthe, Lady Sierra," Ember spoke, "and apologies for letting you see me cry for no reason."

    "It''s fine, Lady Ember," Sierra spoke, getting hold of her emotions.

    While Evanthe was still lost in her mind, as if trying to find something she had lost. ''Why does she feel so familiar? It was the same feeling when I met Sierra for the first time. I felt like I knew her for a long time and now once again the same feeling towards Ember.''

    Draven guided Ember to the chair and made her sit. As the four of them sat, when all the women had their emotions in check, Evanthe asked, "Sierra, she is the one?"

    "Yes, it''s her," Sierra confirmed and looked at Ember, "You are indeed the reincarnated Deity of fire, Lady Ember."

    As Sierra and Evanthe spoke, Ember''s attention was caught by something else, especially when she heard Evanthe speak.

    "I have heard both of your voices before," Ember spoke.

    "Have wee across each other before, by chance?" Evanthe asked.

    "No," Ember replied, "I heard you two when I visited Lady Evanthe''s residence in the witch n a few months back."

 Chapter 446: Evanthes Secret

    "You visited my residence?" Evanthe asked.

    "Yes, and I am sure I felt a certain pull there which came from the Camellia flowers preserved there, which carry a part of your power, Lady Evanthe. I felt a pull from them."

    "I do have some flowers preserved there with my powers," Evanthe replied.

    "The moment I touched those flowers, I heard the three women talking. They even called each other by names the same as you two, while I do not know the name of the third woman. It was more like someone''s memory, and I could only hear the voices."

    Sierra visibly shook to hear as if what was hidden till now, was going to be uncovered.

    While Evanthe asked, "What was the talk about?" She was sure what Ember said had some meaning to it.

    "The third woman was in pain, and she was asking both of you for help. She said she was scared of the power she possessed, she was getting pulled into the abyss of darkness. She said she was losing herself. She was scared she would one day destroy everything. She was crying." As Ember recalled, her eyes turned moist, as if she could feel the pain of that woman.

    "Lady Evanthe, you even assured that you and Lady Sierra would help her and protect her, that she will be fine. She was in pain."

    Evanthe tried to recall and said, "I do not have recollection of any such memory," and then looked at Sierra, who was unusually silent. "Sierra, can you recall it?"

    "I... am not sure either," Sierra answered, hesitation clear in her voice.

    "That third woman," Ember mumbled, "It was that green-eyed woman I saw in my dreams¡­ a Deity of Fire¡­" Ember''s words trailed off as she had a realization now. "...that third woman was me in my past life¡­"

    Evanthe was taken aback, "Your past life as a deity of fire? It makes sense that Sierra was there as she was a deity previously but not me. Moreover I am sure I had not met Deity of fire ever in my life. You seem to have mistaken. ."

    "No, I am not," Ember said, her confidence growing at her own discovery, "I am sure it was you, Lady Evanthe. It was the simr pull that I am feeling from you at this moment as if I have known you for a long time but I can''t recall it. I feel the same towards Lady Sierra."

    Evanthe turned to Sierra, her mind puzzled, "Sierra, won''t you say something?"

    "I am not sure what to say, Evanthe," Sierra spoke helplessly, "We better focus on helping Ember with her power so I can help my daughter, and then you also have a responsibility to cure your friend."

    "What are you hiding from me, Sierra?" Evanthe insisted as she recognised the change in Sierra, "Is the memory Ember witnessed, is it right or is there a mistake in it?"

    In response, Sierra remained quiet.

    "Sierra, I want an answer," Evanthe spoke coldly, her voice raised.

    "I will be punished by heaven if I say anything and we will be discovered," Sierra answered. "I, or anyone from heaven, is not allowed to say anything."

    "You said the same thing when it was about Ember," Draven spoke. "You said her existence was wiped out from Heaven and you can''t say anything. Why does it feel the same about Evanthe?"

    Evanthe''s gaze remained on Sierra. "We have been together for so long, Sierra. You are my dear friend, and we have been helping and protecting each other all along. Is it wrong for me to expect some answers from you?"

    "Evanthe, it''s not like I want to hide it from you intentionally. Heaven follows certain rules. If I break them, it will only put all of you in danger. I never feared punishment, but I fear putting my friends in danger. Be patient. Do not ask me anything.

    We know we can''t let them discover the existence of Ember."

    Evanthe calmed down as she inhaled deeply. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions. "Alright. At least tell me the memory Ember said, is it exactly how she had said and concluded?"

    Sierra nodded. "Now, what you were doing in Ember''s past life, you are smart enough to guess it on your own and without making me speak it."

    Evanthe''s fingers clutched her dress, she exhaled through her mouth to calm herself. She stood up abruptly, "You continue talking. I need some time alone."

    No one stopped her, and Evanthe disappeared from her ce.

    Ember, feeling apologetic at the turn of events, turned to Sierra who sat there helplessly. "Lady Sierra, I didn''t mean to¡­"

    "It''s alright, Ember," Sierra interrupted calmly, "Truth is like flowing river water. You can obstruct it for a while, but one day it makes its way to the other side even if it means through the tiny cracks. Do not me yourself," Sierra assured.

    Draven caressed her hand, offering her an assuring gaze that there was nothing to worry about.

    "She needs some time alone," Draven spoke, as he knew his old friend better.

    "Will she be alright?" Ember asked worriedly.

    "She is not the one to be shaken so easily. She will return soon," he assured. "She is the strongest of us all for a reason, not because of her powers but her ability to endure and understand even the worst situation with a calm and rational mind."

    Ember then turned back to Sierra, "Can I ask you something, Lady Sierra?"

    "Go ahead."

    "In that memory, you two were saying the third woman''s name again and again, but I could not hear it. There was another vision of that woman I had when she swore to take a revenge on Heaven, but even then I could not hear her name. It''s as if something was stopping me from hearing it. Is it what I said or I just missed hearing it?" Ember asked.

    Sierra replied, "Maybe king Draven can exin it to you," Sierra stood up, "We can continue this talk once Evanthe returns."

    Draven nodded and Sierra left.

 Chapter 447: How The Queen of Witches Came Into An Existence

    Draven exined to Ember what Sierra had told him before. "...so, we can know your name from the past life only when you regain your memories."

    Ember understood and questioned, "Wiping the existence of my previous life? What crime I had evenmitted? Being powerful was really a crime?"

    "There must be more to it," Draven said, "There is something else you should know which I got to know from Lady Sierra."

    "What is it?"

    "I used to be a god of war," Draven replied.

    "What?" Ember felt utterly shocked.

    "Yes. But I had lost my memories and I have no recollection as well."

    "Why do those from heaven have to wipe out memories?" Ember frowned. "They did the same withdy Evanthe I believe."

    "When gods are punished and exiled from heaven realm, they are not considered as a part of heaven anymore and so are not allowed to remember anything about it. That is the part of punishment, leaving them miserable like a child to fend for themselves."

    "So cruel."

    "But you are missing out on something important, Ember," Draven said, which piqued up her curiosity, "What is it?"

    "If both of us are from heaven realm, then didn''t you think we must have known each other in the heaven realm as well?" Draven asked.

    Ember''s eyes brightened up, "That means it''s not a coincidence we met again?"

    "It''s certainly not."

    "Hmm," she sighed after, "I wonder why did I take an oath to take a revenge on heaven. What did they do to me?"

    "Do not trouble your mind too much. I believe we will get answers soon," Dravenforted her.

    -----

    Evanthe emerged by the river in the dandelion field. Throughout her life, this serene spot had been her refuge, a sanctuary for calming her mind and soul. Eventually, she transformed it into a second home, erecting a cozy cottage thatter became a haven for her close friends as well.

    "So, I am from the heavenly realm as well. But who was I?" Her gaze traveled toward the flowing water. "Water elemental attribute? Was I an angel with the water attribute? Just like Ember, I must have done something to be exiled from heaven and was sent to the mortal world.

    No wonder I have no childhood memories like others, and they said I appeared at the holy ce of the witch n as their queen, the one descended from the sky. I do not have any parents from the witch n, nor do I have any memories of where I came from."

    Her thoughts wandered to the first time she encountered Him when she was a new queen of witches and was once in mortal danger. He came to save her and took her with him, teaching her various things and guiding her with knowledge and wisdom.

    At that time, she was not aware of who He was and simply thought of Him like any other supernatural being with powerful attribute of darkness, who loved to live alone in an isted world.

    "When I came across Him that night when He saved me, though I didn''t know Him, He knew who I truly was. During that time I spent with Him, I always thought somehow He knew me better than I know myself. No wonder." She sighed helplessly "Though we spent the day together, He didn''t tell me anything either. Was He close to me as well when I was in heaven?

    But He could not be with me just because I was a sinner, and he disregarded my feelings for him? Is that the reason he said we were not meant to be?"

    Her mind was a whirlwind of memories- the memories she had since the moment she was awakened as the Queen of Witches; not once did she doubt her existence. How foolish she was.

    Staring at the waterbed, she stepped into the water, slowly walking ahead into the vast expanse of the river. Her body gradually submerged, until nothing of her was visible. She continued to sink deeper into the water, where hardly any ray of sunlight could reach, her eyes closed. Water, her elemental attribute, was something that provided herfort and detached her from the world.

    It was her safe haven.

    ----

    "Draven, the day has passed, and it''s already night," Ember said as she stood by Draven''s side on the balcony of her study, gazing at the starry sky. "Lady Evanthe is yet to return. I worry..."

    "It''s nothing unusual," Draven replied. "She will return once she gets hold of her emotions. Do not worry."

    "I was wondering about something."

    "Hmm?"

    "If she was banished by heaven and she lost her memories when she came to the mortal world, did she never wonder about her lost memories? Just like you always try to find out about yourself. One would at least wonder where their parents are and how their life was before."

    "She didn''t know she had any past," Draven answered, leaving Ember puzzled as she said again. "I mean, it''s amon thing to think about."

    "The situation I was awakened in, I could think about where I came from, but it was different for her," Draven exined.

    "Different?"

    "She didn''t randomly awaken with no one by her side or no one to give her a reason. She was awakened in the Witch n," Draven began. "Centuries before, the Witch n used to be vast and one of the biggest ns of the supernatural. They had their separate divine territory.

    Once there was a prophecy in the Witch n that their Queen, the most powerful witch ever, was going to descend from the sky and lead their n. Every powerful witch in the Coven, all the elders, gathered that fateful night at the holy worshiping ce of the Witch n, the night when once in many centuries a rare ''blue moon of water attribute'' could be seen.

    "Under the lighting from the sky and moon, a woman appeared at the altar of the holy ce, unconscious, nk like a newborn child. She knew nothing other than her name and had an innate ability to use her powers. She lived her life in the Witch n under the guidance of the elders and became a queen, for the purpose she had appeared there.

    She continued her life, thinking it was the truth all along and we all believed the same."

    He looked at Ember to see if she understood, and she nodded. "She must be utterly shocked at what she now knows."

    Draven nodded and heard Ember speak again, "Were you shocked when you found out who you were?"

    "I was, butter I felt I had nothing to do with my old identity. All I need to do is protect you and lead a peaceful life with you. I have nothing to do with the heavenly realm as long as they do not dare disturb our peace. The day they dare cross the line, they will have me as their enemy."

    Ember hugged him and said, "I feel the same. I do not wish to know my past and do not wish to seek revenge. I want to live here with you, leading our peaceful life."

    Draven hugged her back, his hold assuring. "We will."

 Chapter 448: Evanthes Anger Towards Him

    At the crack of dawn, a woman emerged from the river, having spent half a day and an entire night submerged. Her drenched form made its way onto the riverbank, leaving trails of water in its wake.

    Closing her eyes, she uttered a magic spell. In an instant, her drenched clothes and hair transformed, bing dry and immacte, leaving no trace of water upon her. Her appearance now refined, befitting her role as the Queen of Witches, she traversed the dandelion field in silence until the sun had fully risen, then quietly vanished from sight.

    Arriving at the pce, her presence did not escape the notice of Draven and Sierra, who sensed her immediately. Draven chose not to rush to her side, opting instead to wait for her to approach at her own pace.

    Evanthe entered Sierra''s chamber to find her standing motionless by the window. "Have you been like this all night?" Evanthe inquired, knowing Sierra''s habits well.

    Sierra turned to face her. "Are you alright?"

    "I am. But please, take a seat. My knees ache at the sight of you standing like that."

    Sierra, noticing her friend''s return to her usual self, remarked, "Indeed. I mustn''t forget that my body is no longer that of a deity, but of an old witch," as she walked over to Evanthe. "Apologies..."

    "Let''s not dwell on it," Evanthe interjected. "Let''s indulge in something delightful to soothe both body and mind, and then we can return to the task at hand."

    Sierra nodded in agreement, and the two exited the chamber, only to encounter Erlos approaching them. He greeted them and ryed, "Sire awaits you for a meal together."

    Following Erlos to the dining room, Evanthe nced at Draven. "I hope the food is delicious. If not, I might have to put you to work in the kitchen to cook for me again."

    Draven simply nodded in response. "Understood."

    "Has this stubborn dragon learned obedience?" Evanthe raised a brow, turning to Ember, "You seem to have tamed him quite well."

    Ember replied with a smile, "I did my best."

    Draven chose silence, allowing the women to chat.

    After the meal, they retired to the study, where Evanthe and Sierra delved into scrying Ember''s body toprehend the state of her energy core.

    "What are your thoughts?" Draven inquired of Evanthe, knowing her expertisey in soul and core reading.

    "She has an unusually powerful core which none of us have," Evanthe spoke. "So the measures to stabilize her core are not simple, and she iscking an important part of the core which is with Seren, making it even more challenging for us. No wonder the entire heavenly realm must have feared her; the hellfire she possessed cannot be controlled by anyone."

    Draven turned to Sierra. "As Evanthe said, if that hellfire cannot be controlled by anyone, how did you put it in your daughter''s body? Also, how did you even obtain it from the Deity of fire?"

    "How did I obtain it, I cannot tell you that. As I said before, I cannot reveal anything rted to the Deity of fire. About how I put it in Seren''s body, I used the darkness from Him to bind it and then infused it into Seren''s core," Sierra answered, only to earn a surprised gaze from Evanthe. "Is that why you never told me how you did it? Because it was His Darkness?"

    "I didn''t want you to know that I know Him. It would have only lead to more questions from you," Sierra admitted as she exined further. "He was one of my close friends before he left heaven. That darkness was a departing gift from Him, a promise to protect me even if He won''t be around."

    "Seems like He used to gift his darkness every now and then," Evanthe remarked sarcastically, her displeasure evident as she realized even He had hidden the truth from her.

    "You must have received it as well," Sierramented.

    "I did, when I encountered Him in the mortal world as a new queen of witches," Evanthe exined, anger appearing on her beuatiful face. "Thankfully, it came in handy to protect someone. If not, I would have thrown it back to Him right at this moment."

    Seeing her angry, no onemented on Him anymore. They could only wonder if He was present there at this moment, what would have happened to Him even if He is the most powerful being. Evanthe rarely got angry, but when she did, it was doom for another person.

    "Protect someone? Who?" Sierra asked.

    "The new Queen of Witches," Evanthe replied.

    "So she was truly born," Dravenmented.

    Evanthe nodded and said firmly, "Let''s get back to our previous discussion. That new Queen of witches is another puzzle to solve. I am not willing to explode my brain with too much issues at the moment. I wish, I was still buried under water after I jumped from that cliff two decades back and keep myself away from all this mess."

    Her frustration growing up, and it was the result of what she discovered about herself but could never get any answers rted to it.

    "calm down," Sierra said.

    "I am calm, or do you think I would have been sitting here still?"

    "Alright," Sierra said and continued, "That darkness is what keeps the hellfire controlled in Seren''s body and prevents it from harming her," Sierra borated.

    "Now that we have the answer, we can provide Ember with what she''s missing," Draven suggested. "We may need to bring your daughter here."

    "It''s futile," Evanthe interjected. "Firstly, we don''t know how to extract that hellfire from Seren now that it''s ingrained in her core. Secondly, even if we manage to extract it, Ember''s body won''t be able to handle it. Her human formcks any cultivation of divine energy. Infusing hellfire back into her core would only destroy her body, The mate bond with you can only offer limited protection.

    If her core was of an ordinary supernatural from mortal world, the bond might have worked, but in her case, it''s insufficient."

    "With an iplete core, she is also a danger," Dravenmented, having witnessed Ember''s struggles firsthand.

    This time, Sierra spoke up. "Draven, you can assist her body in enhancing its divine power cultivation by sharing your essence with her. As her mate, your connection will facilitate this process. Do you understand what I mean?"

    Draven hummed. "Until recently, I had never used it. I have only been aware of my dark attributes and using it."

    "As I said before, I am not aware how you got the darkness attribute and became a Dragon. But it seems like this darkness has suppressed your divine energy entirely so that you can''t use it easily. But recently you have used it, which means you can use it again. Ember''s body doesn''t need your darkness as she doesn''t possess the attribute of darkness, but she needs your divine power essence.

    For the time being, it can help her body stabilize until we find another permanent way."

    "I will give it a try."

    "We have to take everything step by step," Evanthe spoke, "For now, I will go visit Cornelia and then Morph. Need to wake up that annoying eagle soon."

    Draven nodded, and both Evanthe and Sierra vanished from the room.

    Ember, who had been quietly processing their conversation, finally turned to Draven for rification. "You''re going to share your divine power with me?"

    Draven met her gaze. "Yes."

    "How?"

    "A pair of mates can assist each other in cultivating their power, with the stronger one passing it to the weaker one. This can be achieved through physical intimacy," he exined matter-of-factly.

    Ember cleared her throat awkwardly, feeling a bit flustered. "Understood."

 Chapter 449: Infuriating Witches

    Evanthe, along with Sierra, appeared at the witch n, at the residence of the head of the witches, Cornelia Grim.

    Talia guided them inside the residence and brought them to Cornelia''s room where she was resting, seemingly unconscious as she had exhausted a major part of her energy to review Morpheus'' soul. Evanthe sat at the edge of the bed and held Cornelia''s wrist to check her condition.

    "She looks weak; it might take days for her body to recover," Sierra said as she simply observed Cornelia''s appearance.

    Evanthe let go of Cornelia''s wrist and nodded in agreement with Sierra. She then passed her divine power to Cornelia to aid in her healing and turned to Silvia and Cornelia, "Make sure to give her vitality potions frequently for a few days and let me know once she is awake."

    "Yes, Your Eminence."

    Evanthe stood up and informed them, "I am heading to the Spirit Circle."

    "Your Eminence, the entire n is waiting to meet you," Silvia informed.

    "Now is not the time. I have to take care of some other important matters. You can ask them to be patient," Evanthe instructed.

    "Yes, Your Eminence."

    Along with Sierra, Evanthe disappeared from Cornelia''s residence and appeared in front of a wooden cottage located in the most isted part of the coven''s territory. Evanthe lifted the bronze door knocker, shaped like a moon, to announce their arrival. The sound of metal striking echoed gloomily in the silent surroundings.

    The gate opened on its own, and Evanthe walked inside with Sierra following her. The door of the residence swung open as well, allowing them entry into the drawing room where three witches sat on the couch, waiting for them.

    Upon entering, they saw three witches¡ªGlinda, Maria, and Th¡ªsitting on a wooden couch.

    "I see you three are still holding onto your dear life quite well," Evanthemented as she approached them.

    "How could we bear to die before seeing you?" Glinda retorted.

    "I wonder if you are here as our Queen or simply as our friend," Maria added.

    "That depends on how you treat me," Evanthe replied as she settledfortably in her chair, asserting her authority over the ce. "Seeing that you didn''t greet me as your Queen, it seems you are in the mood to reminisce about our days as friends."

    "If you think that way, then so be it," Maria added.

    Evanthe turned to Sierra, "Make yourselffortable. We are not guests here. Consider it our own home."

    Th chuckled mockingly, "We didn''t give you permission. This is still our home."

    "Do I need your permission?" Evanthe responded, a light smirk ying on her lips. "You seem to be on your way to the afterlife very soon. Who are you going to keep this home for? I might as well im it today."

    "Just arrived and already this witch is cursing us to die," Th frowned. "Such a crafty vixen."

    "This vixen speaks only facts," Evanthe replied. "Now, if you''re done gritting your already half-gritted teeth, save them for the rest of your life so you can still eat, unless you want to sport fake teeth like that fake leg of yours."

    Th red at her. "Youe here, and the first thing you do is get on my nerves."

    "And you make it easy as you age," Evanthe countered. "You old witch, try to rx and maintain some calm, or it won''t be long until the days of your life can be counted on one hand''s fingers."

    "You, who are you calling an old witch?" Th''s voice rose, "Let''s face off and see if I am old enough to die."

    "But I heard you are banned from using your magic," Evanthe grinned, "How sad."

    "You¡­"

    "Enough, you two," Glinda interrupted and turned to Evanthe, "Stop infuriating her already."

    "Didn''t you three want me to act like your old friend?" Evanthe smirked.

    "We prefer you as our Queen," Maria spoke up, clearly displeased with how Evanthe had angered her twin sister. "You are so annoying as a friend."

    "I am not going to bow to her," Th dered. "She is not my Queen."

    Sierra looked at Evanthe, surprised by her behaviour. Evanthe usually didn''t act like this, infuriating others to the brink of death , but it seemed she shared a different connection with these three witches.

    "Alright, calm down now," Glinda, the most sensible one, tried to mediate. "Evanthe, it''s good to see you back. Have you visited Morpheus?"

    "I did," Evanthe replied and turned to Th, who fell silent at the mention of Morpheus. "I will try everything in my power to wake him up as soon as possible," Evanthe assured.

    Th looked at her, "You can me me all you want, but make sure to bring him back." The guilt of what happened to Morpheus still weighed heavily on Th.

    "I will. At least before you die, I will let you have hearty conversation with that eagle," Evanthe replied.

    "That''s not bad either," Thmented, "As long as hees back."

    "What''s your n going forward?" Glinda asked. "Are you back for good?"

    "Not really, but I will take care of important matters before I even think about leaving," Evanthe replied. They chatted for a while, during which Evanthe received updates on the Witch n from Glinda and prepared to leave after visiting her old friends.

    Evanthe stood up and approached Th, a small vial appearing in her palm.

    Th frowned, "I don''t need any potion."

    "It''s mytest creation, and you are the first to receive it. How fortunate are you, isn''t it?" Evanthe said further, "It takes months to make one of these. Think carefully before you reject it. Morpheus might take longer to wake than your remaining days."

    Hearing this, Th frowned but epted the vial, only to hear Evanthe add, "In a few days, the next ones will be ready. I''ll bring that to you."

    "Do whatever," Th didn''t look at her, "Now get lost and focus on what you came here for."

    "Of course, not like I am dying to see your old wrinkly face. But rest assured, I won''t let you die unless you get to see Morpheus alive and soaring," Evanthe responded, and then she left the spirit circle.

    "Why did you infuriate them with your words?" Sierra couldn''t help but ask.

    "If I had spoken normally, it would have been perceived as sympathy and pity, and we would have been kicked out the moment we entered," Evanthe exined. "Those sulking witches always need someone to mock them and argue with them. It makes them feel connected to us and keeps their fighting spirit alive. Pity is thest thing they want, especially Th. She despises it."

    "I understand," Sierra said thoughtfully, "They must have once been proud witches but are now left only with their past glory."

 Chapter 450: Aureus Meeting Evanthe

    The two then appeared at the Spirit Shrine. This time, Evanthe allowed Sierra to enter the shrine to assess Morpheus'' situation.

    "No one outside the Coven is allowed to be here, but I am allowing because I need your help with something," Evanthe spoke.

    "I will help you with what I can," Sierra spoke as she followed Evanthe.

    "I want you to scry through his body and check his core," Evanthe spoke.

    "Anything wrong there?" Sierra asked before holding Morpheus'' hand.

    "There is a strong power that is protecting his core. This power is what saved his core and soul from vanishing entirely." Evanthe informed, "I want to make sure I am not mistaken."

    Sierra did as she was told. After a few moments she opened her eyes and looked at Evanthe who looked impatient to hear her.

    "It''s Ember. Her power is protecting him," Sierra answered, seemingly surprised herself at the finding. "And trust me, it''s a miracle."

    "Is it possible to even bring someone back from the death when their core was destroyed?" Evanthe asked, "It was a divine weapon, which is once used, nothing can save the person."

    "You are right. Other than heavenly emperor, possibly no one must be capable of doing so," Sierra replied, "For one to do this miracle, they need to be equal to or on par with heavenly emperor. Ember, no wonder she is most powerful, and everyone back then feared her."

    "I am sure she herself is not aware what she had done," Evanthe added, "But how did she even do it. Wasn''t his soul meant to be perished after he was stabbed, and his core was destroyed?"

    "Maybe desperation to save him must have made her do it," Sierra answered.

    Evanthe recalled the vision she had on that day when Morpheus was hurt, and Ember had awakened her powers. "What you said makes sense. Before he could take hisst breath, her powers surrounded his core and preserved what was remaining of his core and soul.

    ording to what I saw in my vision that day, I believe it happened that very moment when he was trying to stop her from destroying everything in anger. But it took time to show its effect, and everyone considered Morph was gone. Thankfully, Cornellia finally noticed the presence of his soul, or he would have been buried by now, not knowing his soul was still protected."

    "What''s your n now?" Sierra asked.

    "To wake him up as soon as possible," and Evanthe continued to articte more of her powers to Morpheus'' healing.

    "I think we should get Ember''s help once more to aid his healing core. After all, her power is what''s protecting him," Sierra suggested. "At this rate you would end up losing lots of your powers and might take you time to regain them."

    "It''s alright. Not like I have to go fight any war," Evanthe spoke, not stopping her powers, "We cannot take Ember''s help. From what I know, she is unable to control her powers. If we try, it might end up causing more harm than help if she fails to control them."

    Sierra once again checked Morpheus'' body and said, "His body is absorbing your power really well, but to bind his core, he would still need Ember''s power. Otherwise, even if he wakes up, he won''t be stable anymore."

    "I can foresee the possible difficulties that might follow, but we will think about it once he wakes up," Evanthe said, her gaze turning serious. "In the world of beasts, what Ember has done unintentionally, can draw another meaning. If the beast ns get to know it, it would put Ember in difficult situation. Draven and Ember are happily together. We should not disturb their peace."

    "What if we need Ember to stabilize his coreter. How will you handle it?" Sierra asked.

    "I don''t know," Evanthe answered, sounding helpless, "but It might bring another chaos in her peaceful life. I only wish by that time we can find some other way to stabilize his core. For now, we need to conceal the fact that it was Ember who saved him."

    After a while, Evanthe and Sierra stepped out of the Spirit Shrine, Evanthe visibly exhausted but she tried to conceal it.

    "You scolded Cornelia, but you are doing the same," Sierra frowned.

    "There is a difference between hers and my powers. I can handle it," Evanthe answered, "You dare not underestimate the Queen of Witches."

    "My bad, Your Eminence. I forgot you are invincible."

    Just then, Evanthe spotted someone standing outside thepound walls of the Spirit Shrine. Her lips curved into a light smile as her gaze met a pair of beautiful golden eyes staring at her from a distance, eyes she had not seen for the past two decades.

    "He has grown up into a beautiful divine beast just like his mother," Evanthe mumbled, catching Sierra''s attention and prompting her to follow her gaze.

    "Is he Aureus?" Sierra asked.

    Evanthe nodded and walked out of the boundary wall of the Spirit Shrine.

    Aureus, who had heard of Evanthe''s arrival, finally made it to visit her after taking care of the work that hismander uncle should have been doing. Since the day Aureus stopped the war between the Divine Eagle and Fox n, he was asked to handle Morpheus'' work until he wakes up. Out of respect for his uncle, Aureus agreed.

    He was hesitant to meet her, not knowing how he should feel seeing her after so long. But the moment he saw her, his eyes conveyed the emotions one would have upon seeing a long-lost family member.

    When Evanthe reached him, he bowed to her, "Your Eminence..."

    "Is this how you used to call me in the past?" Evanthe interrupted him.

    Aureus raised his head to look at her, remembering what position this woman held in his life, one like his mother, his saviour and protector, the one who gave him home and people who he could call his own when he was left alone in this world full of dangers.

    "Mother," he finally spoke, "I am d to see you again."

    "So, am I," Evanthe replied, "You make me feel proud as I heard a lot about you since I arrived here."

    Aureus didn''t know how to react to this praise, but he jumped to important part. "How is my uncle."

    Evanthe''s expressions were assuring, "Your uncle is tough bone to survive anything. Do not worry, he will wake up soon. And you do not need to thank me for that."

    Aureus swallowed the same words he was going to say and simply nodded.

    "Drayce told me how you protected Seren," Evanthemented.

    Hearing that beautiful name, emotions in his eyes changed to that of longing ones which he tried to conceal in front of Evanthe and asked, "How is she doing? Drayce as well?"

    "They both are fine. When I left them, we had dealt with the difficultiesing along hering of age. She is safe now," Evanthe answered.

    ''She is finally of age,'' Aureus thought, his heart feeling unsettling. She was of age that meant she and Drayce would consummate their marriage. Drayce would mark her and form a mate bond between them, and then Seren would belong to her mate alone.

    It hurt think that the female he had given his heart to, would not be his ever. Maybe, just like his uncle, he was meant to spend his life alone while praying for wellbeing of that woman and watching her happy with her mate.

    Aureus collected his thoughts and pulled out a light smile that didn''t reach his eyes, "d to know it."

    Evanthe smiled back as she observed this young eagle when he seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

    "Now you are back to your real home, I believe you will find a beautiful female for yourself as well and let me see another of my son happy."

    To this, Aureus simply nodded and asked, "Any estimated timeline till my uncle wakes up?"

    "Ining few days. Your uncle is keen on sucking my power dry, he is recuperating that well," she replied with a chuckle.

    Aureus'' gaze finallynded on the woman in white hooded robe, only to hear her, "I am Sierra, Seren''s mother."

    Aureus bowed to her as he greeted her politely. ''Seren''s mother. Finally, she found her. I believe Seren must be happy.''

 Chapter 451: Need To Hide The Fact

    Evanthe visited the Witch n. Everyone cheered to see their queen return. She was not only the Queen of the white witches but also of the ck witches, and she headed to visit the small vige where the ck witches resided¡ªMillow Circle.

    Evanthe appeared at the entrance of the small vige. "I left after this vige was built for the ck witches. d to know it''s still the same," she mumbled and walked inside along with Sierra.

    The residents of the vige, whoever saw her, recognized her even after more than a century had passed. They were not surprised to see her, just like others who had heard the news of her return. They all bowed to her, ensuring the younger ones bowed in respect as well.

    "Who is she?" the children would ask.

    "That''s our Queen, Her Eminence, Queen Evanthe."

    epting their greetings and observing that they were all doing well, though still considered outcasts by other ns, she was relieved they were not suffering at least. She knew it was all thanks to Draven who had offered his protection to them.

    Evanthe reached Zelda''s home, where the older witch walked out of her cottage upon sensing a familiar presence.

    "Your Eminence," Zelda was about to get on her knees when Evanthe spoke, "Spare me the formalities. I don''t wish to hear the sound of your knees crackling."

    Zelda smiled lightly and simply bowed her head, "Milow Circle wees you, Your Eminence. Please,e inside."

    She led the way into the cottage with the support of her cane, and Evanthe and Sierra followed.

    Once inside, Evanthe and Sierra settled down on an old-looking couch. Urs, a fellow witch residing with Zelda, said happily, "I will brew tea for Her Eminence," and walked away cheerfully.

    "This is my friend, Sierra," Evanthe introduced.

    Zelda offered Sierra a polite bow and then turned her attention back to Evanthe. "How have you been, Zelda?"

    "I am doing well, Your Eminence."

    The two conversed about Morpheus, with Evanthe''s words reassuring Zelda about his situation. The topic then shifted towards the new Queen of witches.

    "She was born," Evanthe informed, "being a powerful ck witch, you must have felt it as well, despite my efforts to hide her presence."

    "I did, but I understand the need to hide her existence," Zelda replied. "As long as Zaria won''t find her." At the mention of Zaria''s name, Zelda''s expression turned sadder.

    Zelda and Zaria were once like the closest friends and were more like sisters. Till date, Zelda could not believe how Zaria changed. All that was left were those memories of good time they spent together and shared even the tiniest of their secrets with each other.

    "Queen''s existence will be exposed soon, as I can''t keep her hidden for long," Evanthe replied. "Despite all the threats, she is still the Queen and it''s necessary for her to know it."

    "I agree," Zelda nodded, understanding the weight of the situation.

    "When the timees, I can only rely on you to as the elder of ck Witches and guide her well with what you can."

    "I will do my best. Though I cannot train her with my broken core, I will do the job of n elder."

    "To train her, we need a powerful ck witch," Evanthe spoke.

    "There is only one in existence," Zelda added, "and only she can train her."

    Evanthe sighed, "Zaria. It''s her I tried to hide the new Queen from, but in the end, I have no option but to let Zaria know about her."

    "When hide her, didn''t you consider this possibility, Your Eminence?"

    "I did, but I didn''t expect time to pass by so soon."

    "Zaria is best at training ck witches. We have seen her in the past. There can be no better teacher for the new Queen than Zaria," Zelda added. "Now it''s up to new Queen''s destiny if she gets to train under her without letting herself turn into Zaria''s pet. Though Zaria has turned evil, I believe she would do her best to train our Queen."

    "Once I leave Agartha after I take care of the matters here, I will arrange for it. It''s time to meet our old friend after long time," Evanthemented.

    "Your Eminence has always been thoughtful."

    ----

    A few more days passed as Evanthe continued to heal Morpheus by aiding him with her powers every day. After a few days, Cornelia finally regained consciousness, her body recovering well under the care provided by Silvia and Talia.

    "How are you feeling now?" Evanthe asked Cornelia, who was sitting in her bed.

    "I am alright, Your Eminence. How is Commander Morpheus?"

    "He is doing better than expected. We are thankful that you recognized the traces of his soul before it was toote."

    "But we should thank someone else first, whose powers protected his core before it waspletely destroyed," Corneliamented.

    "So, you recognized it as well," Evanthe remarked.

    Cornelia nodded. "When I was trying to preserve his soul, I found it. She is the one who saved him. If not for her power protecting his core, we would have lost him."

    "Cornelia, for now, I don''t want you to mention to anyone about how Morpheus was saved," Evanthe said seriously. "Let others think it was just a miracle."

    Cornelia''s expression turned disapproving. "Your Eminence?"

    "I do not need to tell you the consequences it would bring," Evanthe interrupted her. "You should rest more. Leave everything else to me." Her tone wasmanding, as befits a queen.

    "Yes, Your Eminence." In front of the Queen, Cornelia could only agree.

    Evanthe left, instructing Silvia and Talia to take care of her and not to let Cornelia leave her residence.

    Sitting helplessly in her bed, constrained by the Queen''s order, Cornelia closed her eyes, her mind fixed on Morpheus''s well-being.

    ''Your Eminence, to save him, if I have to disobey you, I will do it. I will ept the punishment you give me. Please forgive me, but that seems to be the only way,'' her thoughts wandered to green eyed woman.

    ''Ember, forgive me, but you are the only hope Morpheus has. I believe, you value him and to save him you won''t mind sacrificing a little. Only you can stop his suffering.''

 Chapter 452: Morpheus Improvement

    During the days when Evanthe was tending to Morpheus, Ember prayed fervently for his recovery and return. Nearly a month had passed, and her patience was wearing thin.

    "Draven, can you take me to the Spirit Shrine? Yesterday, Lady Evanthe and Cornelia said he should wake up in a day or two."

    Draven took her hand gently, offeringfort. "You are not allowed to enter the Spirit Circle since you are not from the witch n. But rest assured, the moment he wakes up, you will be the first to know."

    Ember pressed her lips into a thin line. "I wish I were a witch."

    Draven chuckled. "You are more dangerous than a witch."

    "Are you scared?" she asked, searching his eyes for a genuine answer.

    He caressed her cheek, a light smile forming on his lips. "I like dealing with dangerous things."

    Suddenly, Draven sensed something, his ears perking up. He spoke immediately. "Let me take you there."

    "What? Where?"

    "To the witch n, to see Morpheus."

    "But I''m not allowed¡ª"

    "He is back," Draven said calmly, containing his own happiness. "Someone from the witch n is in the pce to inform us. He just told Erlos."

    "Sire," Erlos burst into Ember''s room with the speed of the wind, not even bothering to knock. "The Commander is awake,"

    "I told you," Draven said, ncing at Ember, who looked like she thought Draven was pranking her.

    "The Commander is awake," Erlos repeated. "The messenger from the witch n is here." The wide smile on Erlos'' face showed his happiness. Though he always pretended he didn''t like Morpheus, deep down, he was just as hurt by Morpheus'' condition and now equally delighted by his recovery.

    "Draven, take me there," Ember said, clinging to his arm impatiently.

    "Sire, I''ming too," Erlos added.

    "Use your own powers," Draven told him, then disappeared with Ember.

    "Stingy Dragon." Erlos shrugged. "Alright, my own powers then." He disappeared as well, moving with the speed of wind, invisible to ordinary eyes.

    Draven and Ember appeared outside the healing chamber in the witch n where Morpheus'' body had been transferred from the Spirit Shrine. Along with Evanthe, Cornelia, and Sierra present inside, a few witches and warlocks were stationed outside as guards.

    Upon their arrival, the witches and warlocks guarding the entrance weed the King and his mate. Without dy, Ember started to walk forward, but Draven held her hand. "Patience. We are going to him, but this is the witch n''s territory. Though I am the King, it''s proper for me to get permission to enter inside and same applies to my mate."

    Ember held herself back and waited for the witch n members to permit them to enter the healing chamber. It looked like a simple wooden cottage, but Ember could feel the energy barrier surrounding it, designed to stop foreign forces from entering.

    After a while, a witch returned outside and informed them, "Your Majesty, you may enter with Lady Ember."

    Delighted, Ember clutched Draven''s hand. It had been so long since she had seen Morpheus, and finally, she was going to meet her dear friend, her savior.

    Just then, Erlos arrived, followed by a golden-winged mannding nearby¡ªAureus.

    They only allowed two people to enter at a time. Aureus decided to stay back, knowing how important Ember was to his uncle. He could wait a little longer, having already waited so long.

    Once Draven and Ember entered the healing chamber, Erlos turned to his new friend. "Finally, your uncle is back."

    Aureus, with his calm expression, simply nodded as he watched the other two disappear through the door.

    Draven and Ember entered the circr hall, which had various doors in the walls leading to different rooms. Draven''s eyes scanned each door, unable to determine behind which one they would find Morpheus.

    "This way, Your Majesty," the witch guided them.

    Inside the sacred ces of the witches or any other n, outsiders were unable to use their senses, so Draven and Ember had to rely on the guiding witch to take them to Morpheus.

    She led them to one door and opened it, allowing them to enter while she stayed outside, closing the door behind them. Inside, they saw Morpheus lying on a cushioned bed. Evanthe sat by his side, holding his hand and seemingly scrying through his body using her powers, while Cornelia and Sierra stood nearby.

    Cornelia noticed them and bowed silently to the King.

    Evanthe finished and gently put Morpheus''s hand down. She stood up, noticing the neers.

    With a hopeful gaze, Ember asked, "H-How is he, Lady Evanthe? Will he wake up now?"

    "We have managed to preserve his soul and his core. He should wake up soon, though we were expecting him to wake up by now. It might take a little more time," Evanthe answered with uncertainty.

    "Can... I... go to him?" Ember asked hesitantly, unsure if it was appropriate since he was still being treated.

    Evanthe looked at Draven, who remained calm. Before she could answer Ember, Cornelia spoke, "Of course, you can go to him, Lady Ember."

    Evanthe nced at Cornelia but remained silent as she watched Ember walk toward the bed.

    Ember walked ahead, her eyes fixed on Morpheus''s sleeping form. She remembered how pale his body had looked thest time she saw him, lying on the cold stone tform. The memory made her heart ache. But seeing him now, not pale anymore, made her feel relieved. She sat at the edge of the bed, her gaze moving from his face to his chest, where remnants of the wound still marked his skin.

    She ced her trembling hand over his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin, a stark contrast to the cold from that day. The warmth was a sign of life. The moment she felt his heartbeat under her palm, a sense of great relief washed over her, and her eyes moistened with tears. "Morph," she whispered softly.

    She held his hand in hers, caressing it gently in her hold, unsure of what to say. Tears streamed down her face as she spoke in a broken voice, "Wake... up... soon... I am waiting for you..."

    In response, she felt an immovable hand that she was holding, its fingers moved, its hold light against her palms.

    "Morph?" she looked at his hand and then to his face where he showed no reaction. "You heard me, don''t you?"

    There was no reaction from Morpheus but his hold on her hands remained as it is, showing her he heard her.

    Others heard Ember and waited to see what was happening.

    Ember turned to Draven, her eyes teary but there was a smile on her face, "Draven, he just held my hand back. He can feel me, he can hear me."

    In response he smiled back at her, assuring her she was right.

    "Maybe, if Lady Ember spends some more time with him, he would wake up soon," Cornelia suggested, only to earn a displeased re from Evanthe.

    "Is it?" Ember asked.

    Before Cornelia could speak, Evanthe answered, "Not necessary. You can visit him once in a day along with Draven for a few moments till he wakes up entirely."

    Ember nodded and looked back at Morph, "You have to wake up soon and talk to me. If you won''t, I have a whistle with me and I will blow it right into your ears this time."

 Chapter 453: Being Saved Brought Him Harm

    "Ember, you can return with Draven. If there is anything, we will inform you," Evanthe suggested, ncing at Draven. "You should head back with her."

    Draven turned to Ember to see what she wanted. Ember stood up, looked at Morpheus, and said, "I will visit you soon." She then turned to Draven. "My presence here might disturb Lady Evanthe from treating him. Let''s go."

    Draven nodded, and they stepped out of the healing chamber. Erlos and Aureus were waiting outside.

    "Sire, how is he?" Erlos asked, while Aureus listened intently.

    "He woke up, but not entirely yet," Draven replied, then turned to Aureus. "You can go inside."

    Aureus offered a polite bow and headed inside, while the other three returned to the pce. When Aureus entered the main hall of the healing chamber, a witch standing inside signaled him toward a particr door that led to Morpheus.

    As he reached the door and was about to ask for permission to enter, he heard something.

    "It''s happening again," came Cornelia''s panicked voice, apanied by the painful groans of a man.

    Aureus froze in his ce as he recognized the groans as his uncle''s.

    "I will try to infuse more of my divine powers," Evanthe''s voice could be heard.

    "It won''t work for long. It''s the darkness of hell, and our divine powers cannot deal with it. Only Ember..."

    "Stay quiet," Evanthe''s voice was angry. The chamber went silent, and soon Morpheus''s painful groans stopped. After a while, Evanthe''s voice was heard again, "He will regain his concourses soon. Only he has a right to take the decision for himself."

    Aureus, still in shock, didn''t know what to do. A witch outside asked, "Aren''t you going inside, Lord Aureus?"

    He snapped back to his senses, knocked on the door with the metal ring hanging on it, and then entered. He saw his uncle lying on the bed, unconscious, his entire body covered in sweat.

    He looked at Evanthe. "What happened?"

    "He hasn''t recovered entirely yet, so we''re facing some issues. But I''m sure we''ll find a solution soon."

    Trusting Evanthe, Aureus walked towards Morpheus and settled at the edge of the bed. He held his uncle''s hand and could feel his divine power was unstable and weak.

    "Can I offer him the essence of my powers?" Aureus asked.

    "I was about to ask you," Evanthe approved. "You share blood, so both of your powers resonate more."

    Aureus transferred a part of his divine powers to Morpheus. As he did, he could see through Morpheus''s unstable and damaged core, surrounded by hellfire that both protected and overwhelmed it.

    His gaze lingered on Morpheus''s pale face, and his heart ached for him. Even after fighting his way back to life, he was being tormented. Was he better off dead?

    "Is there anything else I can help with?" Aureus asked.

    Evanthe shook her head. "Just once a day, you need to provide him with your divine powers."

    "I will," Aureus said, and turned to leave. His eyes met Cornelia''s, who looked at him expectantly, as if he could do more.

    Once he stepped out of the door, his heart felt unsettled. ''Why did Lady Cornelia mention Ember? What is it that Mother does not wish her to say?''

    With conflicted thoughts in mind, he flew away.

    -----

    While Ember was busy training to control her powers under the guidance of Fire Fae, Draven and Evanthe met.

    "Is he any better?" Draven asked.

    She shook her head helplessly. "The darkness will engulf his soul slowly if we don''t do something soon. He is suffering the consequences of changing destiny. If not for the hellfire protecting him, his soul would have been left to torment in hell. It would have been better if his core was not protected and his soul had vanished entirely from the universe. Saving him brought him harm rather than good."

    "There must be a way," Draven said, looking into her eyes.

    "You want me to say it?" she asked, feeling trapped and helpless.

    Draven kept quiet, waiting for her to continue. "The elders from all the ns wille to see him and check his condition. They will all know what is happening and will demand a council meeting. What do you n on doing then?"

    "We will see."

    "You know what it means for Ember to save him with her own powers," shemented.

    "I know," Draven said before disappearing. "Take care of him."

    Evanthe helplessly looked at the empty spot in front of her. Just then, Sierra arrived. "What did he say?"

    "Nothing," Evanthe replied. "You were going to tell me something?"

    "Something we have both been waiting for desperately, something that concerns our kids."

    Evanthe''s eyes lit up. "Is it about the Curse?"

    Sierra nodded, her voice cheerful. "Finally, the curses on Seren were broken. I felt it clearly. My daughter finally did it."

    Evanthe''s face brightened as well. "She is just like you¡ªso stubborn and determined. Just like you couldn''t give up on Armen."

    "Which caused me to be punished and my daughter to be cursed," Sierra sighed. "Unlike me, I hope my daughter''s stubbornness will only lead her to happiness."

    "It will. My son would never let her regret anything," Evanthe assured. "We could see how much they love each other, but we could only deny it in front of them," she looked at Sierra, "It was painful to see Seren heartbroken when, despite knowing, we told her what she felt for Drayce might not be love."

    "It was necessary at that time. Instead of seeking assurance of her feelings towards Drayce from others, she should be assured on her own," Sierra added. "Only her strong determination, a will to defy the consequences,ck of fear, and devotion to Drayce and her to her own feelings would help her break the curse. I wonder what happened that led her to be so determined and break the curse."

    "Drayce was hurt," Evanthe answered. "That must have triggered her."

    "Hurt?" Sierra was shocked. "What happened?"

    "I did not tell you this, thinking you would worry about Seren," Evanthe exined how Zaria Lynx had hurt Drayce and Seren. "...both of them are alright now. After what you told me about the curse being broken, I am sure we can expect our grandkids soon."

    Sierra chuckled softly. "You don''t look like someone to be called a grandmother."

    Evanthe smiled yfully. "It seems, being a Queen of Witcheses with the benefit of eternal beauty and youth."

    ''Or maybe being a deity of Water,'' Sierra thought.

 Chapter 454: I Do Not Want To See You

    The next day, elders from all the ns began visiting Morpheus. Elder Halifax, whom everyone trusted, examined Morpheus''s body. Understanding the gravity of the situation, they gathered at the Divine Eagle n to discuss their next steps. Agraleus, the most anxious among them, was willing to take any measure to restore Morpheus to his former state.

    They all decided to hold a council meeting with the King the following day.

    Ember arrived at the healing chambers with Erlos this time, as Draven was upied with kingdom matters and Evanthe had gone to attend to other concerns. As usual, Ember was guided towards the healing chamber where Cornelia and her apprentices were tending to Morpheus.

    Everyone greeted her with polite bows before leaving, leaving Cornelia and Ember alone.

    "Did he wake up?" Ember asked.

    "He did, but not as he should have," Cornelia replied. "Perhaps your presence and talking to him might have a positive effect."

    Ember nodded and sat at the edge of the bed. She remembered how he had reacted the previous day when she spoke to him.

    She gently caressed his hand. "Morph," Ember called softly, "can you hear me? I know you can. I want you to wake up ande back to me. I want you to talk to me, tease me like before, take me to fly with you. Morph, I miss being with you.

    Can you wake up and talk to me?"

    Cornelia turned to leave, but then Aureus entered the chamber to visit his uncle, following Evanthe''s instructions to channel his divine energy into Morpheus. He watched Ember by Morpheus''s side.

    The two greeted each other and then heard Ember''s voice again, "Morph...you listened to me..." Her voice was emotional yet cheerful.

    Cornelia and Aureus turned to look at them. They watched as Morpheus slowly opened his eyes and looked at Ember.

    "Morph, you are awake?" Ember asked, a smile painting her lips, her eyes moist.

    Morpheus looked at her for a long time, not reacting at all.

    "Uncle," Aureus said, approaching the bed along with Cornelia, who had a smile on her lips. ''I knew only Ember could bring him back.''

    Morpheus'' gaze moved to the other two in the room. Cornelia sent a message to Evanthe. This time, Morpheus was awake, not in pain, but normally.

    Morpheus'' gaze moved back to Ember, seemingly lost in the situation he was in.

    "It''s not a dream, Commander," Cornelia exined, understanding his lost state, "You are truly saved and Ember''s hellfire has protected your core and protected your soul from being destroyed. It''s her who had protected you."

    "It''s not a dream, Morph," Ember gripped his hand, "You are truly back, back to me."

    No one couldprehend what was in his mind. After a few moments of silently staring at her, Morpheus pulled his hand back from her hold, turned his face away, and closed his eyes once more.

    Ember looked at her empty hands, surprised by Morpheus'' indifference to her. She could feel it clearly.

    "Morph, what happened?" Ember asked, her voice trembling. "I am sorry, I know I hurt you. My hellfire hurt you, but it was not intentional. If you are upset, I will make up for it. I will do anything you want. As long as you are back..."

    "Leave me alone," Morpheus'' weak voice reached everyone.

    "Morph, do you not recognise me?" Ember gaze worry filled.

    "Leave," Morpheus repeated. "I do not want to see you or anyone."

    Ember was once more shocked but hurt this time. Was he really angry with her for what had happened to him?

    Tears welled up in her eyes. She had been waiting for him to wake up, and she didn''t expect this reaction from him the moment her wish was fulfilled.

    "Ember, you should leave for now," Cornelia spoke gently.

    Ember stood up and wiped her tears, making her way out of the room.

    Aureus was surprised by his uncle''s reaction to Ember. Seeing her as the first person when he woke up, shouldn''t he be happy? She was the woman he loved.

    When Ember stepped out, Erlos was startled to see tears in her eyes.

    "Ember, what happened?" Erlos asked, worried. "Has his situation worsened?"

    "He is awake, finally."

    "These don''t look like happy tears to me."

    "He doesn''t want to see me. He seems to be angry with me."

    "What? How dare he¡­"

    "It''s not his fault. I hurt him with my hellfire when he was trying to stop me. He even died for me."

    "He is awake now. Let''s head back."

    "No, I want to stay here. I want to be sure he is alright."

    Evanthe and Sierra arrived just then, aware that how Morpheus reacted after waking up. Once Aureus had finished channeling his powers, Morpheus felt much better. He could sit up in bed, though his body still remained weak.

    Seeing Evanthe, Morpheus was surprised.

    "Finally awake, eagle? Your expressions tell me that your brain is working fine," Evanthe remarked, her tone mocking. "I thought you would end up sucking all of my divine power cultivation before you''d be satisfiedly awake."

    To her jibe, Morpheus weakly replied, "Finally, you have returned?"

    "It''s you who brought me back here from my peaceful life."

    "You shouldn''t have returned, at least not for me," he retorted.

    "Saving you was the priority."

    "That priority was a mistake," he replied coldly, his voice tinged with bitterness.

    "You hurt the one who truly saved you, and now you want to hurt the one who nourished your soul."

    "I didn''t ask to be saved," he countered, "And I don''t want to see her."

    "She is outside. She won''t leave."

    "You have to make her leave," his voice was weak but cold and determined. "In fact, I am the one who should leave." Morpheus tried to step out of the bed, his steps weak, and he was about to fall when Aureus helped him. "Uncle, be careful."

    "I am alright." A pair of his blue-gray wings appeared at his back. He tried to open them, but they moved just a little and then disappeared again. He tried again with the same result, leaving him frustrated.

    "Do not try it. You cannot use your powers yet. You are as good as a human for now," Evanthe warned. "You better rest here and recuperate if you want to be able to fly again."

    "If you could not heal me entirely, what was the point in bringing me back? To leave me crippled?" he frowned, and Aureus helped him sit back on the bed.

    "You all can leave," Morpheus dered.

    "I know what''s going on in your mind, Morpheus. I know you better than anyone. You can save this act of yours for others," Evanthe frowned.

    "If you understand me so well, then you should have let me die," he growled weakly.

    "Go back to the one who saved your core and ask her to kill you again. Only she can do it by remove the protection of hellfire, " Evanthe spat out. "As you want me to leave, I am leaving because I have no more energy left to spend on you at this moment."

    Aureus didn''t know what to do and followed his uncle''s wish. "I will be back again," and left.

 Chapter 455: Council Meeting

    Outside the cottage, Evanthe approached Ember. "You shall return to the pce, Ember."

    "What''s wrong with him? Is it really because I harmed him?" Ember asked, her voice trembling with concern.

    Evanthe shook her head. "No. He has his reasons. Do not worry."

    "What reasons?" Ember pressed.

    "He has just lost his mind after that incident. That''s the reason," Evanthe answered, then turned to Erlos. "Take her back to the pce."

    "Ember, please," Erlos requested gently.

    With no other choice, Ember left with Erlos.

    Aureus and Cornelia stepped out of the cottage as well.

    Evanthe turned to Aureus. "You should stay by his side. Just keep in mind, do not ept any of his unreasonable requests."

    "I won''t," Aureus assured her and returned inside.

    Evanthe looked at Cornelia. "You should go and rest as well. He will be fine with Aureus around."

    "He understands everything, and he might try to do something he shouldn''t," Cornelia said, her worry evident.

    "I will take care of it. Sierra and I are already trying to find a way out."

    Just then, Silvia arrived. "Your Eminence, there is an urgent council meeting. You have been asked to be present."

    Evanthe was taken aback. "These elders, they can''t wait anymore."

    "Lord Aureus has also been asked to be present," Silvia added.

    Evanthe looked at Sierra. "You have to stay by Morpheus'' side while we attend the meeting."

    "I will."

    "I do not have to tell you to ignore any of his reckless demands."

    "Rest assured," Sierra replied confidently.

    -----

    Ember returned to the pce. Draven was in his study, where he had agreed to Elders'' demand for an immediate council meeting.

    He was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, seemingly conflicted about the uing Council meeting, knowing what challengesy ahead.

    "Draven," Ember said as she entered the study.

    Draven, who would usually sense her presence even before she appeared, was so distracted that he hadn''t noticed her arrival. He opened his eyes and looked at her, wondering if she knew what was going to happen in the council meeting.

    With teary eyes, she walked to the other side of the desk to reach him. Worried, he held her hand and made her sit on hisp. "What happened?"

    "Morpheus is awake."

    "Shouldn''t you be happy then?"

    She shook her head, "I am happy but¡­when he woke up, he asked me to leave. He didn''t want to see me," tears continued to roll down her eyes, "Does he hate me for hurting him? Or is he disgusted to see the see my scary side?"

    He wiped her tears away with his fingers, "His mind and body have gone through a great ordeal. He is like a newborn person now. It will take time for his mind to think properly."

    "Has he forgotten about me then?"

    "No. I am sure that''s not the case. Just give him some time to get better, alright?"

    She nodded and buried herself in Draven''s embrace, mumbling against the crook of his neck, "I felt hurt when he acted as if he didn''t know me and wanted me gone."

    "It''s alright," Draven tried to console her, guessing the reason behind Morpheus''s behavior.

    "Ember, there is a council meeting today about Morpheus," Draven informed her after a brief silence.

    "What about it? Are you going to dere a punishment for him as well, just like you did for Th, Zelda, Isa, and me?"

    Draven shook his head. "I''m not sure yet. Let''s first see why the elders have demanded this council meeting."

    "Let me know what happens then."

    "You areing to the council meeting as well."

    "Am I allowed? I''m not a Queen or even a council member and it''s about Morph."

    "You are involved in that incident, and you are allowed to attend because you are my mate."

    "Alright, I wille with you."

    Draven caressed her long hair softly. "At today''s meeting, I want you to stay calm despite whatever the elders talk about."

    She raised her head and looked at him. "Is anything unpleasant going to happen?"

    He looked into her beautiful eyes. "Just know that you are free to make decisions for yourself, and no one can ever pressure you. You are my mate, and I will stand by your decision. Understood?"

    "Yes," she nodded.

    ----

    Ember went to her chamber to get ready for the council meeting. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Draven had just stepped out of his study when Evanthe arrived.

    "Ready to face the harsh truth now?" Evanthe asked.

    Draven ignored her question. "Weren''t you going to find a different solution?"

    "Do you think I''m some sort of creator of the universe and everything runs ording to my will? Things take time while the elders are being impatient."

    Draven couldn''t deny it and asked, "What''s wrong with Morpheus?"

    "Just like you, he knows what''s going to happen. Though he woke up now, he knows the rules better," Evanthe answered. "He took his stance by sending Ember away. What are you going to do?"

    "Whatever Ember decides."

    "What if her decision means leaving Morpheus to suffer? Will you let your friend sacrifice?" she asked.

    "Just as you said, he took his stance, which means he knows what he''s doing. I will leave it to both of them."

    Evanthe chuckled as they headed to the council hall. "On one side you have your mate, and on the other side, your dear friend. You''re in a pickle, Draven Aramis."

    Draven frowned, seeing her taking jabs at his situation to which he had no answer. "On one side there is your husband, and on the other side, there is your soulmate and the father of your child. When the timees, I will see what kind of a pickle you fall into."

    "Even during stressful times, you don''t forget to be bitter."

    "And you don''t forget to mock others."

    "We''re even."

    Ember arrived in the hallway, waiting for Draven. He walked toward her while Evanthe sighed inwardly. ''Poor thing. I hope there is another way to solve everything.''

 Chapter 456: Shocked Ember

    Inside the council hall, all the members were present. Draven sat on the throne while the elders from each n took their ces, with their apanying members standing behind them. Evanthe had assumed the role of head of the Witch n, with Cornelia standing behind her. Ember, as the King''s mate, was given a separate seat.

    Leeora, seated next to Ember, offered her an assuring gaze, silently encouraging her to remain calm. Ember responded with a light smile. Erlos stood behind Ember instead of by Draven''s side, as Draven didn''t want Ember to feel lonely.

    The council meeting began, and as usual, Halifax took charge to proceed with the agenda.

    "Your Majesty, the purpose of today''s council meeting is to discuss the Commander, the divine eagle Morpheus, his current state, and the measures we can take to restore his soul and energy core to their previous condition. If you allow me, I would like to initiate the discussion."

    "You may," Draven replied, his gaze briefly passing over Ember.

    Halifax began, "We are all grateful to Queen Evanthe for returning to Agartha and helping us restore the Commander''s soul by exhausting a great deal of her divine energy."

    Evanthe knew what wasing and looked at Draven, who returned her gaze, both understanding each other''s thoughts.

    Halifax turned to Evanthe, "Queen Evanthe, I would like you to state the Commander''s current situation in detail so everyone in this council meeting can understand it clearly."

    vanthe stood up and offered a polite bow to the King before beginning. "Since my arrival, the Witch n, along with myself, has been doing our best to aid themander. We owe a great deal of gratitude to Cornelia Grim for discovering traces of his existence before it was toote.

    "At this moment, although themander''s soul has been recovered, it is not stable, and we could lose him again at any time."

    A collective gasp echoed through the hall. Ember, shocked by the revtion, looked at Draven, who returned her gaze, silently urging her to stay calm.

    "Please borate more on this, Queen Evanthe," Halifax prompted.

    Evanthe continued, "When themander was stabbed in the heart with the divine weapon, his soul was meant to perish entirely. However, after being saved, his soul is now tormented by the darkness of hell as punishment for altering destiny. Soon, his soul will be sucked into the darkness of hell and tormented for eternity in the underworld."

    Hearing this, those previously unaware of the full extent of themander''s fate gasped and began speaking among themselves. They had not anticipated such a cruel destiny for theirmander, especially after his selfless act of saving others.

    Ember, deeply shaken by the news, recalled reading about the torment of souls in Draven''s library. She knew the gravity of what it meant for a soul to be sent to the underworld.

    Aureus felt his heart grow numb at the revtion. He remembered the painful groans of his uncle, which he had heard while standing outside the door of the healing chamber. The thought of the unimaginable torture Morpheus was enduring weighed heavily on him.

    "Queen Evanthe, does that mean it would have been better for the Commander to die after he was stabbed with the divine weapon rather than being saved? Has saving him caused more harm than letting him die?"

    Evanthe nodded, her voice tinged with helplessness as she felt bad for her friend. "Yes, it would have been better if he had not been saved. His soul would not have suffered being sent to the underworld."

    "How was he saved?" Halifax asked.

    "He was saved by Ember," Evanthe replied. "Her hellfire saved his core from beingpletely destroyed. That hellfire is what still keeps him alive, standing between his soul and the underworld. But we do not know how long it canst."

    ''I saved him, but I caused him greater harm?'' Ember felt guilt grip her heart, her gaze blurring with tears. Through their bond, Draven felt her emotions clearly and nced at her.

    Halifax hummed thoughtfully and looked at the King, while the others waited to hear his response.

    "I wish to say," Halifax began, "that Lady Ember possesses an incredible power¡ªan ability to save someone harmed by a divine weapon, which is considered an impossible act even for deities. Other than ancient gods or some ancient divine beasts, there is no record of anyone possessing such an ability.

    If not for themander''s sin of changing destiny and his soul being pulled to the underworld, Lady Ember''s act would have been considered noble. But in this situation, it has caused more harm than good."

    He paused and looked at Ember. "Lady Ember, for what you have done, the harm you caused to themander, on behalf of this council, I request that you take responsibility for your actions and save themander''s life."

    Ember felt puzzled by Halifax''s words but stood up and calmly asked, "Can Commander Morpheus be saved?"

    "Yes," Halifax assured. "Are you willing to take responsibility to protect him and his soul from the underworld?"

    "What do I have to do?" she asked.

    Draven, though outwardly calm, tightened his grip on the throne. Evanthe sighed inwardly, knowing the difficult part was about toe.

    Halifax looked at Evanthe. "Lady Ember, Queen Evanthe might be able to exin it better."

    Evanthe exhaled slowly to calm her nerves and answered honestly, "As your hellfire is protecting his core, you must be his mate. A mate bond between you two canplete his core and protect his soul."

    Ember felt as though the ground had vanished beneath her feet, plunging her into an endless pit. Erlos, equally distressed for her, quickly came to her side and held her arm to steady her.

    Ember looked speechlessly at Evanthe, shocked by this sudden revtion that no one had mentioned before.

    "The hellfire you possess is one of the strongest attributes capable of fighting the darkness from hell, as hellfire itself originates from the depths of hell," Evanthe exined further. "Only a mate bond with you can save him now."

    She felt her senses went numb as Evanthe''s words echoed in her ears- ''Only a mate bond with you can save him now.''

 Chapter 457: Only Way To Protect Morpheus

    "Even if we set aside the matter of his soul being pulled to the underworld, he would still die," Evanthe reiterated, her tone serious. "Without the stability that a mate bond can bring, his core will slowly degenerate, leading to a slow death. He would never be able to use his powers again and would die like a human. To keep him alive, having a bond is essential."

    As a Queen of one n and a council member, it was her duty to state the facts rted to the matter being raised. She could not afford to be biased.

    "Can we have any other female to establish a mate bond with him?" Halifax asked.

    Evanthe shook her head helplessly, "It''s the hellfire that is protecting his core so it shall be Ember. If he tries to create a mate bond with someone else, hellfire would never let it established."

    The silence enveloped the council hall.

    Erlos guided shocked Ember back to her chair and stood by her side, offering his support.

    In addition to what Evanthe said, Agraleus, the chief of the Divine Eagle n, stood up. "I would like to say something as well, Your Majesty."

    Draven, caught between his mate''s tumultuous emotions and his responsibilities as a king, gave him an approving nod.

    "Apart from what Elder Halifax and Queen Evanthe have stated, I have something else to add," Agraleus began. "ording to the rules of the beast ns, if any male saves a female, he has the right to make her his mate. Morpheus saved Lady Ember from being stabbed by the divine weapon, so he already holds the right to make Lady Ember his mate."

    This was the rule always being followed in among beast ns and there was no denying to it.

    Ailwin, the Chief of the Divine Fox n, stood up as well. "I would like permission to say something as well, Your Majesty."

    Draven nodded, allowing him to speak.

    "I would like to mention the ancient records, where a rare incident of a divine beast protecting his mate''s core with their own elemental attribute was documented. This happened only once in ancient times, and we have never witnessed or heard of any other such act in thousands of years after that. This underscores its rarity and importance.

    "Please enlighten us with it, Divine Fox, Ailwin," Halifax stated.

    "As we talk about the importance, the fact stated in ancient records says- That particr divine beast could save his mate''s core with his powers was because he deeply loved her, and there was no one who could love as profoundly as he did. That is also the reason no one else has ever been able to replicate such an act.

    "But Lady Ember, as someone who has carried out such a rare phenomenon, indicates that her feelings for the Commander run deeper than one canprehend. Such an act can only bemitted through the power of true love, the kind of love that is rare."

    Everyone in the council hall agreed, except for a few who knew the truth and chose to stay quiet, as there was no argument to defend it.

    Ember felt overwhelmed by the weight of their words and the implications of her actions. For her Morpheus was simply a friend, a friend she deeply cared about.

    Halifax offered an approving nod to both Agraleus and Ailwin. "After hearing all the statements, Your Majesty, we all know what the best decision is. Lady Ember is your mate, and we respect your decision, as divine beasts are known to be possessive of their mates. But the entire kingdom would want you and Lady Ember to save themander.

    Having more than one mate, is nothing new for us we would wee it with open hearts."

    He then turned to Ember, "Lady Ember, we await your decision by tomorrow''s council meeting. We must hurry, as we fear themander may not have much time left. We hope you also wish to protect themander who sacrificed his soul to protect you and your mate."

    Ember could only nod lightly and remain in her ce as the council members departed, except for a few: Evanthe, Cornelia, Aureus, Erlos, Leeora, and Draven. Once the others had left, Draven, who had been silently staring at his mate, finally stood up and approached her.

    She raised her head to look at him, finding him offering his hand to her. Letting tears roll down her cheeks, she epted his hand, and he silently guided her out of the council hall with him.

    Leeora watched them leave and asked Evanthe, "Is there truly no other way?"

    Evanthe shook her head. "I am trying to find one, but it seems it would be toote by then."

    Leeora sighed, "Where the fate had brought these three. I wish there is something which can change this situation. I hope there is."

    Everyone could understand Ember''s dilemma, but they could not deny their collective desire to save Morpheus. What could be more important than saving a life when given the chance?

    Erlos stepped out with Aureus, not knowing what to say. The weight of the situation hung heavily in the air, leaving them both deep in thought.

    "I will head back to my uncle," Aureus said.

    Erlos nodded but then asked, "What do you expect Ember to do?"

    "I am not the right person to ask this question," Aureus replied and flew away.

    Of course, he wanted Ember to save his uncle at all costs, but he was not going to say it and pressure her. Morpheus was his uncle, and he would be selfish to want to protect him.

    Draven took Ember back to her bedchamber. He made her sit on the bed and offered her water. Once she had taken a few sips, Draven put the ss aside and sat next to her. His strong arm wrapped around her, pulling her into aforting embrace, which was what she needed at the moment.

    She buried her face against his chest and allowed herself to calm down while inhaling her mate''s scent.

    "You were aware of this?" she finally asked.

    Holding her closer, as if he would lose her if he let go, he responded, "Hmm."

    "Why didn''t you tell me?"

    "Forgive me, but I didn''t know how to bring this to you. It all happened so suddenly, and even the council meeting was decidedst minute. Also, I wanted you to be calm and listen to all of them first."

    "I do not me you. I could feel your emotions when they all were talking about me having another mate. I know you are deeply hurt with just the thought of it."

    His hold tightened around her and he refrained from saying anything. She was right, the thought of having another mate for her was killing him inside. The dragon inside him wished to show up and turn the entire world upside down if he could.

 Chapter 458: His Soul Is Being Sucked Into The Underworld

    Ember raised her head to look at him. "What do you want me to do?"

    He lowered his gaze to look at her, "I do not wish to influence your decision. It is entirely up to you. All I can say is, I am with you no matter what decision you take."

    "I didn''t know I had caused him harm." Her tone sad, her eyes showed the guilt.

    "You saved him. No one knew what was going to happen."

    "They said I could save him because I love him," the guilt in her eyes deepened, "You know that is not the case. I...."

    "I know. You do not have to exin yourself," His one hand caressed her cheek, "I can feel any of your strong emotions throng the bond as well. Even if not for the bond, I would still know the truth."

    "But I don''t want him to die. At least not the way they say his soul would be underworld for eternity. I would be regretful always."

    "I know. None of us wants him to die."

    She hugged him back and mumbled, "I didn''t know he was suffering. I want to meet Morpheus. Would it be too much if I ask you to take me there?"

    "I was going to see him anyways. I will take you with me," he responded and both of them left for the Witch n''s healing chambers.

    As they reached the door, they saw Aureus standing helplessly outside, the sound of painful groans emanating from the room behind that door. Ember recognized the voice as Morpheus''s. She hurried to the door and opened it, with Draven following close behind.

    Her gaze was met with a shocking sight. On the bed, Morpheus''s pale body was writhing in pain, curling and tossing. Evanthe was trying to aid him with her divine powers, but it was of little help.

    Ember saw something more terrifying that others could not see. Shadows surrounded him, torturing him, sucking the life out of his soul, and trying to drag his soul away. She froze at the terrifying sight.

    "D-Draven," she held his hand, "Do you see it?"

    "I do," he responded and went inside the room. He stood by Evanthe''s side and tried to channel his newly discovered divine power into Morpheus, which helped to a certain extent but not entirely.

    "He will be fine in a while," Evanthe informed Draven, both continuing to channel their powers.

    Cornelia saw Ember and approached her. "Go to him if you truly care for him."

    Cornelia''s words snapped Ember back to her senses. Cornelia was anything but polite at this moment.

    "I don''t know how to channel my divine powers. Tell me how to do it?" Ember asked earnestly, wiping away her tears.

    "Just go to him and do nothing," Cornelia replied impatiently.

    Ember went to Morpheus and sat next to him. She held his hand and mumbled in a weak voice, "Morph."

    The moment she touched him, a faint glow emanated from her hand, and the shadows seemed to hesitate. Morpheus''s groans softened slightly as if her presence brought him some relief. Ember closed her eyes, focusing on the connection she felt with him, hoping that her mere presence would provide somefort.

    Draven watched silently, his heart aching for both Ember and Morpheus. Evanthe felt relived, seemingly exhausted after exhausting her powers for long.The room was filled with a tense, desperate hope as they all fought to save Morpheus from his torment.

    Aureus, could stare at his uncle with his teary eyes. He felt it was better if his uncle was died instead of being tormented like this.

    "Morpheus," Ember called out, but there was no response.

    "He is exhausted and won''t wake up for a while," Evanthe told her gently.

    "My presence seems to push those shadows away," Ember said, controlling her emotions. "I will stay by his side."

    "You do not need to," Evanthe replied. "It happens once a day, and today''s episode is over."

    Ember nodded, feeling a mixture of relief and sorrow. She looked at Morpheus, his face now more peaceful, and then back at Draven, who gave her a reassuring nod. She knew she had a difficult decision to make, but for now, she was grateful for this moment of peace.

    Draven returned to the pce with Ember. The atmosphere felt unusually calm, as if time had stilled itself. All the servants moved quietly, performing their tasks without making any noise. Even the little bird Ray was quiet inside her cage, as if understanding the gravity of the situation.

    The tension of the next day''s council meeting hung heavily over the entire kingdom as they awaited Ember''s decision.

    -----

    In his nest, Agraleus, Morpheus''s uncle, was restless, pacing back and forth.

    His wife approached him. "You have been worrying for a month already, Agraleus. He is awake, and he is going to be fine. He defied death once; he will do it again."

    Agraleus shook his head. "This time it is not that easy. Everything is in the hands of the King''s mate. Given how possessive divine beasts can be, I doubt King Draven would agree to it. He seemed calm and unbiased in the council meeting, but after the meeting is over, he is a Dragon who would not let anyone have his mate, let alone share."

    "His Majesty has always been thoughtful and wise. He would not be selfish in this matter," she tried tofort him.

    "Even if His Majesty stays unbiased, we cannot say the same about his mate. Lady Ember is young and deeply in love with her mate. Not being ustomed to the world of supernaturals, I doubt she can even understand the severity of the situation. She might choose to be selfish and not give importance to Morpheus''s life." He held his wife''s hand with his trembling one.

    "I do not want Morpheus''s soul to be sucked into the underworld. He doesn''t deserve it." His eyes filled with tears.

    She wiped his tears away. "I understand your worry. We can only pray for Lady Ember to make the right decision."

    "If the situation arises, I will get on my knees and beg her to save Morpheus''s life. In exchange, I would give my life away," he spoke with determination.

    "Wait for tomorrow''s council meeting. I believe everything will be fine. There will be a way where no one is hurt and the situation is resolved," she continued tofort him.

 Chapter 459: Morpheus Request

    By sundown, Morpheus stirred in his sleep. Aureus, still by his side, hurried from the small window where he had been standing, lost in his won thoughts.

    "Uncle."

    Morpheus opened his eyes and looked at the young eagle. "Aureus."

    Aureus sat at the edge of the bed. "How are you feeling?"

    "I am fine," Morpheus looked around the chamber. Not finding anyone else there, he simply looked at his hand. "Was she here again?"

    Knowing who Morpheus was asking about, Aureus nodded.

    "Did she see me like that?" Morpheus asked.

    "Yes, but it was her presence that brought you relief from that torture," Aureus added.

    Morpheus let out a weak and helpless sigh, closing his eyes for a moment.

    Aureus wanted to say something. "Uncle¡­."

    "Aureus, will you do something for me?"

    Aureus didn''t have a good feeling about it but still agreed, "Yes¡­Uncle¡­"

    Morpheus opened his eyes, the helplessness and pleading evident in his voice. "Can you take me away from here?"

    Tears threatened to spill from Aureus'' eyes, barely held back by sheer willpower. He had never felt so weak and helpless before, not since that one night when he lost his mother and was left alone in the forest. Was he about to lose his only family once more?

    "You can''t leave from here, Uncle. It would weaken your body even more if you stay out of the spiritual confinement of the healing chamber."

    "It doesn''t matter as long as you can take me away from here," Morpheus insisted, his voice pleading. "It''s my request."

    Aureus gave in to his uncle''s pleading. "Where do you want me to take you?"

    "First, take me to the mountain cave. I can''t stay here," Morpheus replied. "Once I feel a little better, take me out of this kingdom."

    "You will¡­."

    "I know. I don''t mind dying, but I don''t want her to see me dying again. She would be hurt again and me herself for it."

    Tears welled up in Aureus'' eyes, his voice heavy with emotion. "I¡­don''t want you to die¡­"

    "Didn''t I die before and you had already epted it?" Morpheus asked gently. "Think of it as a little more time you get to spend with me before I finally die. Isn''t this better as well?"

    "You will die, but your soul¡­ You will be dragged to the underworld¡­"

    "I knew the consequences of changing destiny, and I still did it. That means I was ready for it," Morpheus added, his voice calm. "Trust me, as bad as it looks on the surface when I am in pain, it doesn''t hurt that much. It''s bearable."

    Aureus could see how his uncle was putting on a brave front, but he knew it wasn''t bearable at all. His strong uncle wouldn''t be screaming in pain for no reason. Morpheus loved Ember so much that he preferred to die instead of being a burden to her.

    "There was a council meeting today," Aureus informed, giving onest attempt to stop his uncle.

    "Already?" Morpheus asked in surprise, a crease forming between his brows. "Those old hags couldn''t wait even a day more?"

    "I do not think they did anything out of line," Aureus replied, showing his stance.

    "It''s not about you or them; it''s about her," Morpheus replied. "Did they tell her to do something?"

    "Yes. They did, and now everyone knows the only way to protect you," Aureus said.

    It only angered Morpheus. "Did they ask me if I even want to be protected? I have a right to decide what I want to do with my life." Morpheus''s anger rose even in his weak state. "These damn council meetings and those members. I never liked them." He inhaled deeply to calm himself, needing to save his energy. "Did they pressurised and guilt trap her?"

    "They just stated the facts¡­."

    "Facts," Morpheus scoffed. "I know how their brains work. In the end, they will make her do what they want."

    "You love her. Don''t you want her to be your mate?" Aureus asked. "You will be saved and can live with her."

    There was silence in the chamber for a while before Morpheus responded, "What would you do if it were you and Seren, instead of me and Ember?"

    Aureus fell silent, unable to find the words.

    "You got your answer now?" Morpheusmented. "Help me get up."

    Without any further questions, Aureus helped Morpheus sit up.

    "Tomorrow, Ember has to dere her decision," Aureus added.

    "I know what her decision will be after everyone did their best to guilt trap her. That''s why we need to leave," Morpheus said, putting his hand around Aureus'' shoulder for support as he struggled to stand.

    "I don''t think running away is right," Aureus replied. "She would be even more worried, and once you''re gone, everyone would only me her for not making the decision earlier."

    "First, take me out of here. We''ll think about the restter," Morpheus spoke with great difficulty. Simply standing on his own feet was taxing, but he gathered his strength and walked out of the door with Aureus''s help.

    Before they could take another step, they were confronted by Cornelia, who stood there with a displeased re.

    Morpheus cursed under his breath for his bad luck while Aureus looked at her, feeling as if he hadmitted a grave crime.

    Cornelia fixed her gaze on the golden eagle. "Lord Aureus, the Commander might have lost his mind, but I suppose you are still sane enough to understand what you should not do."

    "Do not me him. He denied my requests, but I was persistent," Morpheus spoke, standing with the support of Aureus. "Whether you like it or not, I am leaving."

    "Commander, this is the Witch n''s territory, and I am not obligated to follow your orders. It''s quite the opposite. You have to follow the orders of the Witch n," Cornelia said, her tone anything but calm. She was ready to do anything to stop this stubborn eagle.

    He sneered, "And who is going to order me, a young witch like you?"

    "Yes, and you have to follow it," Cornelia replied firmly.

 Chapter 460: Offer To Cornelia

    Morpheus felt his patience and energy wearing thin. "Evanthe wasn''t here back then. Was it you who found my soul''s existence?"

    "Yes, it was me," Cornelia confirmed.

    "You should have left it at that. Why did you have to bring me back?"

    "If I had not, your soul would have been pulled into the depth of hell and we would never have known...."

    Morpheus spat out angrily. "It was my soul that would have suffered. It''s all because of you that we are facing this situation. You do not have the right to stop me¡­."

    "It was her who saved you. Though unintentional, it was her choice to save you. Go and me her," Cornelia interrupted him. "Do not try to deny what you truly want when you can finally get it. Wake up and face reality, Divine Eagle Morpheus. Do you think sending her away or running away like this would solve the issue?

    It''s just begun, and you have to bear it whether you like it or not."

    Morpheus growled, "You are going ahead of yourself¡­"

    "It''s you who went ahead of yourself and changed others'' destiny. Just because you didn''t want to see Ember sad, you wanted to save your dear friend Draven. And because you didn''t want to live anymore, youmitted the sin of changing destiny and preferred to die in his ce. It was all your doing, and you have to face it instead of taking it out on others and ming them for saving you.

    Don''t take advantage of the fact that we all care for you and did everything in our power to save you."

    "I didn''t know she would end up saving me, neither I want any of you to do anything to protect me," he replied, his tone still angry.

    "No one had expected it, but she did something impossible. And impossible things happen only when someone deeply cherishes you. You are important to her, do you not get it?" Cornelia asked.

    Morpheus stared at Cornelia wordlessly. Until now, she had never acted like this in front of him. In his eyes, she was always the little girl Evanthe once introduced as her new apprentice, a little girl who barely reached his waist. But now, she stood before him, strong and determined, speaking the harsh truths he needed to hear.

    "Rest now. No one will disturb you unless you want," Cornelia said firmly. "Do not try to leave and run away because you won''t even be able to reach the door in your current state unless you want to crawl your way out. Lord Aureus, take him back inside."

    As she turned to leave, she heard Morpheus speak.

    "If you care that much, then why don''t you be my mate?"

    Cornelia froze, feeling like she had heard something wrong. She turned around to look at him, only to hear him say more.

    "I am sure, though we do not share hearts, a powerful witch like you can survive the marking. If you don''t make it, then we both will just end up dying together. Want to gamble on your life?"

    Aureus was shocked to hear his uncle. He clearly understood one thing. His uncle loved Ember so much that he was ready to do anything to get her out of this situation.

    Cornelia stared at him wordlessly. ''Gamble? She would have dly epted it if he had asked when it was possible. Those words of his proposal engraved in her heart, she found herself dreaming about their future in just a split second.''

    "You don''t want to? Now your own life is precious to you?" Morpheus asked, his tone biting.

    His words pulled Cornelia back to her senses. "I would have dly epted your proposal, Commander, if that meant bringing peace to everyone, but it would not work. The hellfire surrounding your core would never allow any other element to reach it. The bond with any other female will never be formed."

    "Then find a way to get rid of that hellfire around my core," Morpheus demanded.

    "There is no way to do it. Hellfire is stronger than all our powers. The moment that hellfire is separated from your core, you would die instantly. The hellfire is what keeps you alive. Moreover, in this situation, only a female who has your heart can be of use. And we all know where your heart lies."

    Morpheus sighed deeply. "There is truly no way?"

    "Only way is for you to ept Ember as your mate," Cornelia stated firmly.

    "And that won''t happen," Morpheus retorted.

    "She is going to give her decision tomorrow."

    "Her decision is not mine. I have the right to decide for myself. And right now, my decision is to leave this ce." He nudged his nephew. "Let''s go."

    Cornelia clenched her fists at his stubbornness. The next moment, she used a spell on Morpheus, and he went unconscious.

    "Uncle!" Aureus panicked.

    "I used a spell on him," Cornelia exined. "He is alright. Take him back inside."

    Aureus looked at her. "He does not wish to stay and he does not wish to do what you all want him to."

    "Wouldn''t you be d if he stays alive and even has a woman he loves as his mate? Do you not care for your uncle even a bit?" Cornelia asked, her tone calm andposed.

    "I care, but I also understand his reason. Bonding him to a female who would never love him but is forced to ept him, this is not how things should be done. This is just all of you exploiting the sacred mate bond to satisfy your own hearts under the guise of saving someone. If I were him, I would do the same¡ªdie rather than hurt the one I love and put her to unwee suffering."

    Cornelia had nothing to say to him as what he said was right as well, but she was doing the same. She was doing everything she could to protect the man she once loved or rather still love him. What if he could not be with her, seeing him in front of her was always enough.

    "Lord Aureus, take him inside. We will see what to do tomorrow after Ember deres her decision. If she agrees, I am sure your uncle would agree as well."

    Aureus started to take Morpheus back inside the room while saying, "Lady Cornelia, you do not know my uncle well. Even if Ember agrees, he would never go through with it. He would find a way out of it even if that way means his death."

    Cornelia stood in her ce and watched them head back inside the room. Just then, a hand rested on her shoulder.

    Without looking at the person, Cornelia spoke, "He is too stubborn, Your Eminence." She referred to Morpheus.

    "But he is not wrong," Evanthe replied.

    Cornelia turned to look at her. "Trying to save someone is not wrong either."

    Evanthe nodded. "Want to take a walk outside?"

    Cornelia agreed, and the two stepped out of the cottage.

 Chapter 461: Good Night, My Mate

    Evanthe and Cornelia stepped out of the cottage, following the pathway that led to the small garden ahead.

    "Your Eminence, you can scold me, me me for the current situation, or even punish me, but I do not regret what I did," Cornelia said resolutely.

    "I could have punished you the moment you went to the elder this morning and proposed a way to save Morpheus, prompting an urgent council meeting," Evanthe replied. "But I didn''t, did I?"

    Cornelia knew nothing could escape Evanthe''s notice and admitted her actions.

    Evanthe continued, "I didn''t say anything because I know you were right in your ce. I can''t stop you from doing what you feel is right. Everyone has their own perspective of right and wrong."

    "In your perspective, what I did, was it wrong, Your Eminence?" Cornelia asked.

    Evanthe shook her head. "Nothing is definitively wrong or right at this moment. Any decision we make will end up hurting someone¡ªwhether it''s Ember and Draven or Morpheus."

    "But isn''t hurting better than losing a life?" Cornelia asked. "People face difficulties, ept them, and learn to adapt. Ember and Draven will do the same. But losing Morpheus¡ªwould that be any better? It''s about saving a life everyone cares for."

    "I understand you. None of us wants to lose him," Evanthe acknowledged. "While we were trying to find a solution, you had only one goal in mind¡ªto save him. I should apologize for letting you face this situation alone, without our support. You had to shoulder all the responsibility and be the bad person in the eyes of the man you love."

    "It doesn''t matter. He never felt anything for me; his heart was never mine. What matters is that he keeps on living. I''ve lost nothing. I will just resume my life as it has always been."

    Evanthe stopped in her tracks. Cornelia halted as well, turning to see what had happened. "Your Eminence...?"

    "I am such a bad mentor and queen to you, aren''t I?" Evanthe said.

    "No, Your Eminence¡­"

    "I left everything to you when you were just a young witch, and the entire n was in disarray. I apologize for making you go through all this. You''ve emerged as a strong woman and head of the witch n. No words can express my gratitude towards you. I am fortunate to have you as my student."

    Cornelia has not expected Evanthe to say it. With her eyes moistening, Cornelia, usually so stubborn, had a light smile on her lips. "As much as I am fortunate to have you as my master, Your Eminence. I have done nothing but follow your teachings. You are the one who made me what I am today. I am d to know I have not disappointed you."

    Evanthe could say nothing but hugged Cornelia. "I am so proud of you."

    Tears rolled down Cornelia''s cheeks. "Thank you, Your Eminence."

    Evanthe let her go and spoke, "Whatever happens next with those three, it''s not your fault or responsibility, so do not me yourself. What happens ahead is their destiny, understood?"

    Cornelia nodded, "Yes, Your Eminence."

    Evanthe wiped the tears away from Cornelia''s cheeks. "Let''s walk a while longer. It''s been a long time since we had quiet moments like this."

    Cornelia dly agreed and walked by her side as they continued to talk.

    -----

    At the pce, Ember sat in therge window of her chamber, her back resting against the sill, her hands wrapped around her half-folded legs as she stared at the dark, starry sky. Ray, her pet, remained quiet in its cage, sensing its master''s unusual silence.

    Draven entered her chamber. He wished to hurry back to her after finishing important matters but decided against it. He gave her time alone to think, wanting her to take her decision for the next day''s council meeting without any outside influence. His presence around her would only make it difficult for her.

    Ember sensed his arrival and turned to look at him. Draven walked to her. She folded her half stretched legs and made for him a ce to sit. He sat between the ce left between his mate and the cage of his mate''s pet.

    He ced his hand over hers, unsure of what to say. In her difficult situation, he could only offer his silent support.

    "Won''t you ask me what I have decided?" she asked.

    "All I know is that I will stand by whatever you decide," he replied calmly.

    "What if my decision hurts you?" she asked, her eyes searching his calm gaze.

    "If it hurts me, that means it hurts you more."

    Her eyes finally turned moist. "Draven, all I can think of is that I don''t want him to die. Saving a life is more important than anything."

    "I know, and I agree," he said. He leaned closer, held both her hands in his, and kissed her forehead. "No matter what the decision is, nothing will change between us."

    She hugged him, mumbling against his chest, "Thank you, Draven. I give you my word, I won''t ever let anything change between us."

    "It''ste. You should sleep so you can have a peaceful mind during tomorrow''s council meeting," he suggested.

    She nodded and looked at him, "Won''t you sleep with me?"

    He offered her a gentle smile, "Why wouldn''t I? You know well I can''t sleep peacefully if I don''t have you to hold in my arms."

    "Then carry me, using those arms."

    In the next moment, she was lifted into his arms and ced on the bed. Draven slid in next to her, holding her close, her head resting on his chest, his chin gently atop her head.

    Though they were in bed, sleep was elusive, their minds preupied with thoughts of the uing council meeting.

    Sensing her restlessness, Draven murmured, "Do not think about anything. Close your eyes and sleep."

    "Can you sleep?" she asked.

    "I can, if you sleep."

    Not arguing, she closed her eyes, "Good night, Draven."

    He kissed her head. "Good night, my mate."

 Chapter 462: Embers Decision

    The next day Ember was ready to go to the council meeting. Reya and Clio quietly helped her. From the previous council meeting, even these two servants were unusually quiet to worry about their master.

    Ember looked at herself in the mirror, adjusting her expression to appear calm andposed. Draven arrived, and together they left for the council hall. When they arrived, everyone was already present, awaiting the King and his mate.

    This time, Draven walked Ember to her chair personally. Once she was seatedfortably, he took his ce on the throne.

    As usual, Elder Halifax began the meeting. "Your Majesty, today we council members have gathered to hear Lady Ember''s decision."

    Draven nodded, and Halifax turned to Ember. "Lady Ember, please let us all know the decision you have made."

    Calm andposed, Ember stood from her chair. Evanthe''s gaze shifted to Draven, who appeared calm, but the way his fingers gripped the handrest of his throne revealed what Ember''s decision would be.

    Ember walked to the center of the council hall. She bowed to Draven before turning to face the council members, who waited in anticipation.

    Before she could speak, Halifax interjected, "Lady Ember, before you take your decision, let me remind you that a life depends on your one decision. Saving a life alwayses first, and it is the right thing to do."

    Ember turned to him, her voice polite. "Thank you for the guidance, Elder Halifax."

    The old elf offered her an appreciative nod and prepared to hear her decision.

    As she looked ahead, Ember spoke, "I, Ember Aramis, have decided to ept the divine eagle, Commander Morpheus, as my mate."

    Entire council hall buzzed with happiness as this is what they were expecting from Ember, to save Morpheus, except for a few faces that were calm, neither sad nor happy that included Evanthe, Leeora and Erlos. They knew how difficult it was for Ember to make this decision and how hurtful it was for Draven to bear with it.

    Draven, was still as a statue, had been ready to ept his mate''s decision. He had anticipated her choice and had prepared himself, but the beast within him was agitated, knowing that his mate would no longer be his alone, that another male would be a part of their lives as well.

    As much Draven wanted to save Morpheus as well and supported Ember''s decision as his own, his beast side could not leave its primal instincts.

    Through their bond, Ember could sense the turbulent emotions he was trying to suppress. She turned to look at him, his red eyes calm on the surface, yet she could feel the storm brewing behind them. Her own eyes grew moist, sharing the pain of her mate''s turmoil.

    "It''s indeed the right decision, Lady Ember," Elder Halifax spoke once the council hall quieted. Ember, preupied with her concern for Draven, neither cared nor wished to know what others thought of her decision. Her focus was solely on him.

    Evanthe, Leeora, and Erlos could only watch the pair silently, understanding the depth of their emotions.

    Elder Halifax turned to face everyone. "As Lady Ember has given her decision and has agreed to ept Commander Morpheus as her mate, we will soon..."

    m!

    The huge door of the council hall was thrown open, capturing everyone''s attention. Morpheus walked through the door, announcing, "But I, Divine Eagle Morpheus, refuse to ept Ember Aramis as my mate."

    All the council members, especially Chief Agraleus, who were delighted by Ember''s decision, were stunned by Morpheus''s deration.

    Ember, shocked by his words, turned to face him as he approached.

    Morpheus, who had barely been able to move on his own, was now walking without any difort as if he had never been hurt. What had happened all of a sudden? As experienced supernaturals they all could guess the reason.

    Cornelia, standing by Evanthe''s side, looked at her and noticed Evanthe searching for someone.

    "Aureus, he is not here," Cornelia realized. Aureus was the reason Morpheus could be there. To make Morpheus this strong, Aureus must have exhausted a significant portion of his divine energy.

    Evanthe turned to Erlos, who quickly walked towards her. She handed him something and instructed, "Find Aureus and give this to him. Make sure he drinks it."

    "Yes, Your Eminence," Erlos replied before leaving the council hall.

    "Morph, what are you saying?" Agraleus asked, his voice agitated.

    Morpheus didn''t bother to look at anyone else. He stood directly in front of Ember and repeated his words, staring straight into her eyes. "I said, I do not wish to ept Ember Aramis as my mate."

    There was hurt in Ember''s eyes, a pain from thinking he was rejecting her decision when all she wanted was to save him. Morpheus saw the hurt in her moist eyes, but his gaze remained cold and unyielding.

    "Morpheus, this is all to save your life," Agraleus insisted. "Do not be impulsive."

    Morpheus turned to his uncle. "Have any of you consulted me about what I want? Did any of you care to ask my opinion about my own life?"

    "Commander, you were not in a condition to discuss it," Halifax spoke.

    "But now I am, and my decision is that I do not want to be saved. That''s the end of the discussion," he replied. His voice, cold and firm, echoed inside the hall, silencing everyone, leaving them unsure of what to say.

    Ember, who had been standing quietly, broke the silence. "Morph."

    Her voice tugged at his heartstrings, but Morpheus''s expression remained hard as he turned to face her.

    "Be my mate, alright?" she said softly, struggling to contain her emotions.

    "I would rather die than ept a human as my mate," he replied, his eyes devoid of any emotion. The warmth and kindness that Ember had always known in Morpheus were gone; he appeared cold and heartless.

    He refused her because she was human? Through their friendship, she had believed he had epted her despite she was human. This refusal felt like a betrayal.

    He had acted coldly with her when she went to visit him but she thought it was because he was not well, but now it felt like he deliberately wanted to hurt her.

    ''Was this all just because she was a human?''

 Chapter 463: Morpheus Declaration

    "Commander Morpheus," Draven''s voice echoed through the hall, "Mind your words. Do not dare hurt my mate."

    Draven could feel the sting of Morpheus'' words reflected in Ember''s eyes.

    Morpheus turned to Draven, "Apologies, Your Majesty. I do not intend to hurt your mate. But I must exin why I do not wish to be her mate. If this causes her pain, I cannot help it. I believe Your Majesty would not refrain me from stating my views and thoughts. An argument cannot be one-sided, favoring only Your Majesty''s mate."

    Draven''s gaze moved to Ember, and each of Morpheus'' words seemed to wound her deeper, a feeling of betrayal etched on her face, betrayed by her own friend. Draven regretted ever allowing their friendship. If only he had restricted it, she wouldn''t be suffering like this. His hands itched to strangle his own friend, even though he had wanted to save him, even if it meant sharing his mate.

    The aura around him began to shift, bing menacing despite his efforts to stay calm. He had been agitated for days, and he was on the edge, hiding his disturbed emotions behind the faced of calmness, a little provocation might lead him to do the unsaid. At this moment, only his mate mattered to him, and he would tolerate nothing that would hurt her.

    Evanthe stood up from her ce, sensing the tension between her two friends. "We need to calm down here." She turned to Morpheus, "You need to be polite with your words, Commander. The entire kingdom has epted Ember as part of this kingdom. But your words might suggest otherwise."

    "I do not represent the entire kingdom but myself alone, Your Eminence. By not allowing me to express my thoughts, is this council meeting trying to impose a decision on me that I reject?" He turned to the council members, "I stand by what I said. I can ept Ember Aramis as a rightful citizen of this kingdom, as my friend, as the mate of our king, even as the queen of this kingdom.

    I would protect her again and again if she is in danger, but I cannot ept her as my mate. I refuse council''s decision, even if it means my death."

    Evanthe could only shake her head helplessly. She knew Morpheus would listen to no one. He had always been stubborn, resolute in his decisions. It was easier to persuade Draven to change his mind, but Morpheus was unyielding. Realizing there was nothing more she could do, she decided to leave it at that.

    "But Lady Ember is not human," Agraleus spoke, "we all know she possesses powers. So, there is no reason for you to reject her."

    "She is born of humans. Neither of her parents is supernatural. Though she possesses powers, which is an anomaly itself, she will always be human to me¡ªthe race that took my family and friends away from me. His Majesty can be generous enough to ept her as his mate, but I do not have a forgiving heart. I cannot disappoint my parents, who lie in their graves because of those humans."

    "If you hate humans, then why did you protect her on the day of mourning by sacrificing your life, Commander Morpheus?" Halifax asked. "I do not see any hate you have towards humans."

    Morpheus turned to Halifax and chuckled, "Elder Halifax, you call me by my title¡ªCommander, yet you forget my responsibilities towards this kingdom."

    "You mean you did it out of your responsibility as amander?" Halifaxmented.

    "Precisely. Everything I did was for the sake of this kingdom," Morpheus dered. "If I had not intervened that day and protected the King''s mate, we would have lost our King. The loss of the King would have thrown this kingdom into chaos, and the peace we have maintained for over a century would have been shattered.

    As amander, it is my responsibility to protect the peace of this kingdom and eliminate any threat, even if it means sacrificing my own life."

    "We appreciate what you have done for this kingdom, Commander Morpheus. But instead of dying, you were saved. Isn''t it wonderful that you can continue to protect this kingdom you value above everything?" Halifax asked, his words thoughtful.

    "If I were gone, someone else would rece me, and the peace of this kingdom would remain intact. We do notck capable warriors," Morpheus countered. "If I had died that day, it would have been a prideful death for me. But being saved only caused me harm and left me to survive on someone else''s mercy and sacrifice. I do not intend to live a life that shames my pride.

    I, Commander Morpheus, refuse to live off someone''s mercy. I would rather choose a prideful death."

    Morpheus'' argument left everyone speechless and helpless. Ember, rooted to the spot like a statue, felt a turmoil of emotions. Disbelief, betrayal, and hurt painted her face, tears streaming down her cheeks without stopping. She had fought with herself to ept another mate, and just when she had finally readied herself, he rejected all her efforts meant to save his life.

    His hatred for humans ran so deep that he chose death over epting her as his mate.

    Draven longed to go to her andfort her in his arms, feeling everything she was experiencing at this moment. It took all his self-control to hold himself back, hoping it would be over soon.

    "I believe everyone understands my position," Morpheusmented. "I will take my leave now. I trust there won''t be any further council meetings regarding this issue." With that, he bowed to the King and turned to leave.

    "Wait!"

    A voice stopped him, but he didn''t turn to see who had spoken.

    "Even if you hate me for being human, I do not hate you," Ember said. "To me, you will always be my friend. I want to protect you just as you have protected me¡ªnot just on the day of mourning but even before that. If you hadn''t saved me that night when I jumped from the hill to end my life, and all those other times when you stood by me, I wouldn''t be here today. Let me help you now.

    Once the bond is established and you are safe, you can continue to hate me."

    Silence filled the council hall, everyone waiting for Morpheus'' response.

    Her words, which seemed like she was begging, caused his throat to tighten with the emotions he was trying to suppress. He inhaled deeply and turned to look at her once more, meeting her hopeful eyes that also showed the pain he had caused her.

    "Would I be able to hate you after the bond is formed?" he asked. "Don''t you know how the bond works? Even if I wanted to hate you, it wouldn''t allow me. I would have no choice but to ept you."

    "Am I so hateful that you can''t even consider epting me?" she asked.

    If only she knew how much he loved her, she would never ask such a question. Hateful? She could never be. How much he himself was hurting to say such hurtful things to her.

    "If I be your mate, would you love me the way you love Draven?" Morpheus asked, looking straight into her eyes.

    Ember felt her resolve falter. The only one she loved and would ever love was Draven. She knew she wouldn''t be able to love someone else, and she didn''t want to lie.

 Chapter 464: Bitter Words

    "I... I will try to be fair to you. I will try to be a good mate."

    "You mean you will force yourself to be a good mate to me while I watch you shower all your true feelings on your first mate. Do you want to save me or n to torment me for the rest of my life?"

    "I..."

    "Enough!" Morpheus interrupted her. "I have heard enough. I do not need pity, especially not from a human. Save it for someone else."

    "It''s not pity..."

    "Then it must be greed," he said.

    "Greed?" she asked, disbelief coloring her voice.

    "Just like those females who want all the powerful beasts as their mates, you must be greedy as well. Having Draven as your mate and then me, the two most powerful beasts as your mates, you would be the most powerful female in this kingdom."

    Shaken by his words, Ember could say no more. She felt her willpower slipping away, unable to stand against his bitter words any longer.

    Seeing that he had hurt her enough, Morpheus knew she would back down eventually. He didn''t wait any longer and left the council hall.

    No one had a word to counter his ims; they could only watch him leave in silence.

    The moment he stepped out of the council hall and took a few steps down the corridor, all the strength he had been clinging to vanished, and he fell to his knees, unable to move any further.

    He tried to stand, tried to open his wings, but nothing worked. He cursed inwardly, not wanting anyone, especially Ember, to see him like this. If she did, everything he had done in the council hall would be in vain.

    I need to get out of here quickly.

    He tried to gather thest shreds of his strength to get up, but his legs wavered, and he was about to fall again when a pair of strong arms held him steady.

    "Uncle!"

    With his barely open eyes, Morpheus looked up. "How are you here?"

    "Mother sent Erlos with a potion for me, so I regained my strength, but it won''tst for long."

    "How far can you take me?" Morpheus asked, knowing both were in a dire situation.

    "At least to the peak of the mountain," Aureus replied.

    "That''s good enough," Morpheus chuckled weakly. "Take me there."

    Aureus'' wings opened, and soon both of them flew away. Erlos, standing at a distance, watched them go, his own emotions conflicted by what was happening to the people he cherished.

    Aureus carried Morpheus to the peak of the mountain, to his uncle''s favorite ce¡ªthe cave. Supporting Morpheus as they walked, they entered the cave. When they reached the makeshift bed of dry hay with an animal hide over it, both of them copsed onto it, losing all their remaining strength.

    Not just Morpheus, but Aureus was also covered in beads of sweat, having used all his energy to get his uncle there with the little strength he had left. He had chosen this mountain because he knew it was where his uncle would want to be.

    "How does it feel to have no strength left?" Morpheus asked, breathing heavily.

    "I must say, I hate it," Aureus replied, in the same condition as his uncle. He helped Morpheus to turn to lie on his back and himself did the same, "Now I know what you''re going through."

    "Thank you for bringing me here," Morpheus said. "This is the ce I always wanted to take myst breath if not while fighting against the enemy. I can stay here and die peacefully now."

    There was silence from Aureus. His uncle was ready to die, but he was unwilling to let him go.

    "Once I am gone, this cave is yours. Make sure to keep everything as it is here, so you never forget me," Morpheus said, staring at the rough, stony ceiling of the cave. "I always wished there would be someone to remember me, even after I''m gone. Now I''m d I have you. Make sure to perform a memorial service for me every year."

    "It is performed for the people who are dead, but you won''t be as your soul would be in hell," Aureusmented, he had long epted the truth as he would do the same for Seren.

    "Then there is more reason for you to do it," Morpheus said, "During that torment in hell, at least once in a year it would sooth my soul to know someone out there still misses me."

    To all his calm and casualments, Aureus opened his eyes to look at the ceiling as well and responded, "I heard everything you said to Ember. You have hurt her deeply. Don''t you want her to miss you once you''re gone, or do you want her to hate you?"

    "Of course, I don''t want her to hate me. How can a beast bear the hatred of the woman he loves?" Morpheus replied. "But I had to say all that to make her back down. She is a stubborn woman, Aureus. That was the only way to make her give up. If not, she would go to any length to make things happen her way."

    "I don''t think she''s like that," Aureusmented. "I believe everyone shares the same opinion."

    Morpheus chuckled, "That means you do not know her well. I have spent enough time with her to understand her. Behind that beautiful face and kind heart lies a hellishly stubborn woman who can stop at nothing. What I did today was necessary, though it was a bit overboard. It was the only way to shut those council members up as well.

    After this, they won''t pester her again or me her for anything that happens to me afterward."

    "You thought through all this before going there, didn''t you?" Aureusmented.

    "I had to, for her sake," Morpheus closed his eyes, "Let me rest now. If you see me in pain, just stand outside the cave."

    Aureus sighed helplessly. "What more can I do?"

    "It won''t be long till it all ends," Morpheus murmured.

    Aureus had nothing to say. What could he even say? His uncle was telling him it would end soon, meaning he was going to die anytime now.

    He turned to look at his uncle. Seeing him fast asleep from exhaustion, Aureus sat up, a small vial appearing in his hand. He drank it, hoping that if Morpheus had another attack, he could provide at least a little of his strength and make it less painful for him.

    Just then, he sensed someone''s presence outside the cave. He stepped out and found Evanthe standing at the edge of the cliff, looking at the sea of clouds.

    "Mother."

    Evanthe turned to look at him and observed him. "Seems like you have used what I sent."

    "Thank you for the help, Mother."

    In response, a small wooden vial appeared in the air. "Keep this with you. You might need it to help Morpheus."

    "Thank you, Mother."

    "How is he?" she asked.

    "Drifted to sleep."

    "You do know that he doesn''t have many days left," she asked.

    "I know. I am with him, do not worry."

    She hummed, "Take care of him."

    Aureus nodded, and Evanthe disappeared from sight.

 Chapter 465: Take Me To Him

    All the council members left the council hall, feeling helpless about the situation.

    Draven returned to Ember after taking care of matters following the council meeting. As usual, Ember was sitting quietly in her chamber, lost and hurt.

    He sat next to her and waited before speaking. "What happened today is not your fault. It''s what he chose for himself. All you have to do is ept his decision."

    Ember remained silent for a while, then finally spoke, "Does he hate me so much for being human that he would rather choose to die than ept me as his mate? Did he never consider me his friend? Have I been imposing on him all the time and following him around while he despised me for being born human? Even if I have powers, he sees me as the kind he has been hating for so long."

    Draven knew Morpheus had not held back from hurting her and now he could feel the extent of hurt his words has brought to Ember. Anyone in her ce would feel the same.

    "Do you think so?" Draven asked.

    "Am I wrong, then?"

    "If you know him well and think about everything, you will find the answer."

    Ember stayed quiet.

    "You look tired; you should rest," Draven offered.

    Ember didn''t resist and allowed him toy her down in the bed and cover her with a nket. She closed her eyes, unable to think about anything anymore.

    Draven watched her quietly. Seeing her sad and hurt was painful for him as well.

    -----

    Cornelia arrived at the healing chamber after leaving the council hall, only to find what she expected¡ªMorpheus was not there.

    She felt frustrated. He didn''t want to be Ember''s mate, and by leaving the healing chamber, he was choosing to die sooner. She walked inside the empty chamber and sat at the edge of the bed, her head lowered as she epted her defeat in trying to save him. She had done all she could, but he didn''t want to be saved.

    "You did everything you could. You don''t need to feel bad," Evanthe said as she entered the chamber and saw helpless Cornelia.

    Cornelia didn''t reply, her emotions choking her at the thought of losing him once more, knowing she might never see him again.

    Evanthe walked over and ced her hand on Cornelia''s drooping shoulder.

    After a moment of silence, Cornelia spoke, "Your Eminence, you were close to themander, and you''re the only person he ever listened to. Why didn''t you try to convince him this time? He would have listened to you like he always did. Don''t you want to save him? Don''t you consider him your friend anymore?"

    "If you know I''m close to him, then you should also know I understand him," Evanthe said, sitting next to Cornelia. "In the past, it was different, but now it''s about the woman he has given his heart to, a woman he wants to protect and would never wish to hurt. He wouldn''t have listened to me. Moreover, as his friend, I should respect his wishes rather than impose anything on him.

    He has always respected my wishes and decisions, so I shall do the same."

    Tears finally rolled down Cornelia''s cheeks. "Everything is over now."

    Evanthe could only sit by her side in silence, her own eyes moist at the thought of losing her dear friend and knowing she could do nothing to protect him.

    ----

    After an hour of sleep, Ember woke up to find Draven still by her side, wide awake, keeping an eye on her restless form. She stared at the ceiling wordlessly.

    Draven stood up and fetched water for her. Without asking what she was thinking, he helped her sit up and offered her the water. Ember took a few sips, and Draven put the ss away.

    "Are you feeling better?" he asked, noticing her lowered head.

    She nodded and looked at him, her eyes filled with a sea of emotions. "Draven."

    "Hmm?"

    "You said you would respect whatever decision I make," she said.

    Draven hummed in agreement.

    "Is it still valid after the council meeting is over and no one is pressuring me to decide?"

    Draven hummed again, "I will always respect any of your decisions."

    "Then, I have decided something about myself."

    "What is it?"

    Ember felt her heart sink, unable to speak further.

    He ced his hand on hers, his usually cold eyes softening. "What do you want to say?"

    "Can you take me to him? I want to talk to him onest time," she asked, not revealing what she had decided.

    "Alright," he said, gently fixing her hair with his fingers. His own heart was restless, anxious about what she intended to do. He kept himselfposed, ready to face whatever decision she had made. This time, his heart didn''t race out of love for her but out of anxiety over what she might be nning.

    Draven took her from her chamber, and they appeared at the top of the mountain where Morpheus had his cave.

    Aureus was standing by the cliff. Just a while ago, his uncle had stopped screaming in heart-wrenching pain, and Aureus felt he could not bear the agony Morpheus was enduring. He had used the potion Evanthe provided to offer more divine energy to Morpheus to help alleviate the pain caused by the darkness from hell. Though it wasn''t enough, it eased his pain a little.

    Seeing Draven and Ember there, Aureus was surprised. He bowed to the king and heard him ask, "Where is he?"

    "Resting inside the cave," Aureus answered, not questioning their presence. "I will check if he is awake."

    Draven nodded. As Aureus was about to enter the cave, he heard his uncle''s voice, "Send them back. I do not want to see anyone."

    Morpheus had already sensed their presence and immediately rejected them. Aureus turned to look at Draven and Ember.

    "It''s alright," Ember said, walking toward the cave.

    Aureus stepped aside, and Ember stood in front of the cave, without intending to go inside.

 Chapter 466: I Have Learned My Lesson

    "Morpheus," Ember called, addressing him formally rather than using the affectionate short name. "I know you do not wish to see me and that you hate me. I apologize for being human and that my presence here is unwee. But I want you to hear me onest time."

    There was no reply from inside the cave, but Ember knew he was listening.

    "I want to apologise for being so weak and for not being able to control my own powers and anger, which have led us to this point. I have no one else to me but myself. Everything about me was wrong from the start. I should not have been born, or my parents should not have thrown me away. They knew I would bring nothing but disaster.

    Now that I think about it, I forgive my parents for abandoning me as all they wanted was to protect everyone from me.

    "I should not havee to this kingdom; even if I was brought here out of pity, I should not have stayed. I should not have expected more. As the cursed one I am, I did nothing but bring disaster to this peaceful kingdom. Though I possess power, I am still human, and I understand why this kingdom hates humans. I realize my presence here will only bring more harm to all of you."

    Draven stood quietly, his heart skipping beats as he sensed where Ember''s words were leading. He swallowed hard, wanting to go to her and stop her from speaking further, but he held back, his fists clenched tightly. He had given her his word and felt obligated to keep it.

    Aureus remained in his ce as well, feeling the weight of her words and wondering what his uncle was waiting for or why he wasn''t saying anything.

    Ember continued, disregarding the emotions of those around her.

    "As I am human and can cause harm to this kingdom, just as I did on the day of mourning, I have decided to return to where I came from."

    "Ember," Draven couldn''t hold back.

    She turned to him, "Draven, I know what I''m saying hurts you, but you said you would respect my decision."

    Draven froze, his mouth opening to speak, but no words came out. Every muscle, ever blood vessel in his body tensed in a fear.

    She turned back to face the entrance of the cave. "Before leaving, I wanted to apologize to you, Morpheus, for causing you harm and because of me, you are going to die. I am truly guilty, and nothing will ever make up for the sin I havemitted. I won''t ever let myself forget that my anger caused my friend to die and that I do not deserve to live among people.

    I am better off on that dead mountain where I can harm no one."

    There were still no words from Morpheus, and she didn''t expect him to respond. "I do not expect you to ept my apology or forgive me, but I had to apologize anyway. I am leaving tomorrow morning, as I wish to spend some more time with my mate before I never see him again. Until then, you have to bear with my presence here and breathe the same air as this human. I apologize for that as well."

    Draven''s eyes filled with the emotions of loss, his body frozen by her words. He wished he could turn back time and prevent her from making such a decision. He had so many regrets now that he wished he could reverse the course of every regretful events, but...

    Ember turned to Draven, her eyes moist. "I''m sorry. I know I''m hurting you, but I have to go away. Can you take me away from here now? I want to be with you today, maybe in the dandelion field."

    Draven''s eyes filled with emotion, and he felt choked by his own feelings. He nodded and disappeared with her.

    Aureus immediately rushed inside the cave and knelt next to his uncle, who was staring at the ceiling, tears rolling down the corners of his eyes.

    "Uncle, she''s leaving," he said urgently, hoping to snap his uncle back to reality.

    "She won''t. Draven won''t let her go. She is his mate," Morpheus replied.

    "I don''t think¡­"

    "Don''t worry. She''s just trying to sway me from my decision. I told you she''s stubborn and would do anything to make things go her way. She won''t leave. Draven won''t let his mate leave."

    "Uncle¡­"

    "Let me rest. It''s already been painful enough. Let me experience being without pain until that torture returns again." Morpheus closed his eyes, not even having the strength to wipe away his own tears. All he desired at this moment was for death, which seemed to be ying hide and seek with him, to finally find him.

    Helpless, Aureus sighed and sat next to his uncle.

    Draven and Ember appeared at the dandelion field by the riverside. Ember smiled at him and said, "Let''s sit on that rock like always." She walked ahead, but Draven didn''t move.

    She turned to look at him, suppressing all her emotions. All she wanted was to create happy memories with him, so she could spend her lonely time on that mountain with more of his memories.

    "Can''t you change your decision?" he asked.

    "You are the one I expected to support my decision. I can''t bring more harm to this kingdom. I have to go."

    Draven inhaled deeply and closed his eyes for a moment to calm himself. "I wille with you."

    "You can''t. Your responsibility is to this kingdom. If both you and Morpheus are gone, what will happen here? I won''t allow you to leave."

    "Then, I wille visit you often. Don''t say no to it," he said, his voice heavy with emotion. He clearly understood what she meant when she said she wanted to spend time with him before leaving.

    "I have to deny this request as well. It''s my fate to live alone on that mountain, a fate I tried to change. But I''ve learned my lesson. I have to make everything right. Only then can no one be harmed."

    He held her at shoulders. "You harmed no one, Ember."

    "You know that''s not true."

 Chapter 467 : Wish List

    "I mean it," Draven insisted.

    "But I know the truth in my heart, the truth I''ve been hiding even from myself. This incident has made me realize I need to ept it and not run away from it," she said, walking back to him. She held his hand and ced it on her heart. "I can feel the hellfire inside me, always wanting to destroy something. I''ve managed to keep it in check with the help of our bond, but I don''t know how long I can maintain control. As I struggle to contain the hellfire, I feel surrounded by darkness, as if it will engulf mepletely one day. I''m scared of losing control, scared of harming anyone, scared of harming you."

    "We know where part of your hellfire is. We can fix it."

    "But we don''t know how long it will take, and until then, I might end up destroying more things. The day they truly find a way to fix it and I can no longer harm anyone, I''ll let you be with me. But even then, I won''t return here. I will always feel guilty for killing Morpheus."

    "But¡­"

    She put a finger on his lips. "This is thest thing I ask of you as your mate. Let me protect everyone from myself." She gently caressed his hand. "Let me have some more good memories with you to hold onto until we can reunite again."

    Draven could only agree and walked with her hand in hand.

    "How about you cook something for me?"

    "I will."

    "A ride with the ck Dragon?"

    "Sure."

    "Swimming in the river?"

    "Hmm."

    "A sweet night together?"

    "Whatever you say."

    They continued talking as Ember kept adding more things to her to-do list for the time they had left until morning.

    Late in the night, after Ember had fallen asleep, Draven woke up and quietly left the cottage they were staying in at the dandelion field. Ensuring she wouldn''t wake up anytime soon, Draven disappeared from there and appeared at the pce where Evanthe was staying in the guest room.

    He knocked on the door and entered. Evanthe, standing by the window, seemed to be waiting for him.

    "She is leaving," Draven said, his tone serious.

    "I know. Aureus told me."

    "I understand her leaving the kingdom because of the guilt over Morpheus''s death, but she won''t allow me to go with her or even visit her."

    Evanthe turned to look at him, listening as he continued, "She''s scared of her own powers and thinks they could harm everyone around her. Do whatever you can, but tell me how we can fix her core and make it stable right now. I can''t be away from her; I''m not ready to ept it."

    For the first time ever, Evanthe saw Draven pleading for something. She understood, as she once had someone for whom she was willing to do anything.

    "There is a way, but I''m afraid it''s useless now," Evanthe said.

    "Tell me what it is. I''ll do anything you ask me to," Draven urged.

    "Another mate bond, but Morpheus has already declined it. Two mate bonds with two powerful beings could stabilize her core. I hadn''t suggested it before because I knew you and Ember wouldn''t want it. So, I thought we could hold on until we found a way to transfer the hellfire from Seren''s body to hers. But now, it seems like we''ve lost that chance for another mate as well," Evanthe spoke helplessly. "Now we can only wait."

    "How long?" he asked.

    "I can''t say. Hellfire is too strong for any of us to handle. When deities and demons had given up in front of it, what can we earthly supernaturals do? We can only hope and work towards a solution like shooting arrows in the dark, hoping at least one of them reach the gaol."

    "She would only suffer on that dead mountain. I can''t let her lock herself away for an uncertain amount of time. What if she can''t control her powers and none of us are there to help her, to protect her? I can''t let her suffer. I¡­" he paused, then continued, "I know what to do."

    "I hope you seed," Evanthe said as she watched him disappear.

    Draven appeared on the mountain once more to visit Morpheus. Aureus sensed his arrival and stepped out of the cave, only to be brushed past by Draven, who entered the cave without a moment''s hesitation.

    Using his power, Draven lit themps hanging inside the cave. He went straight to Morpheus and looked down at him. "Morpheus, wake up."

    Aureus entered, saying, "King Draven, he was in pain until a while ago. I somehow managed to calm him...."

    "I don''t care," Draven replied coldly. "Wake up. I know you can hear me. I have something important to tell you. You have to listen to me if you don''t want Ember to suffer."

    Morpheus weakly opened his eyes. "You''vee to the wrong person, Draven. A dying man can''t help you."

    "I know what I''m doing," Draven insisted, kneeling next to him.

    "You two, a couple of mates, have you decided to torment me until I take myst breath? Can''t you let me die in peace?"

    "No. If she leaves, you won''t die in peace either," Draven growled.

    Morpheus chuckled weakly. "I know what you two are ying at, but it won''t work on me. I''m not a fool."

    "No one is ying any games here. She is leaving for real. Tomorrow morning she''ll be gone," Draven''s voice grew impatient at Morpheus''s disbelief.

    "Leaving?" Morpheus scoffed lightly. "Then what kind of mate are you to let her leave? You are a Dragon; the bond you have with her is the strongest. She can never leave you."

    "She is not a beast female to follow those rules. She is free to make her own decisions, and she''s stubborn enough to defy any rules," Draven said angrily.

    "Whatever you want, I''m afraid I can''t do it. I can''t even move on my own. I''m dying; do you realize that? You have to take care of her matters yourself."

    "Morpheus, listen to me carefully onest time, and I won''t repeat it again," Draven growled, his impatience clear in his eyes.

 Chapter 468 : Leaving The Kingdom

    "Alright, say it. I guess my life canst until you finish," Morpheus replied calmly.

    "If she leaves this kingdom, she won''t survive for long. The enemies looking for her will find her without my protection around her, and we will lose her forever. We do not know what they would do to her. We can''t allow her to leave, and you are the only one who can stop her," Draven exined.

    "I am not important enough. If she won''t listen to the man she loves, why would she listen to me either?"

    "It''s because of your stupidity that she thinks she is a danger to everyone around her and feels she must stay away from everyone. She won''t return unless we find a solution to stabilize her core."

    "Then go and find it instead of wasting time with me."

    "You are the solution; that''s why I am here. Do you think I want to see your face after how you have hurt my mate?"

    "What can I do?"

    Draven clenched his fists to control himself for what he was going to say. "You have to mark her and make her your mate. Another bond with a divine beast will help her stabilize her core."

    Morpheus was stunned for a moment but then chuckled. "You are making things up to make me agree to it so you can stop your mate."

    Draven gritted his teeth, wanting to punch this infuriating eagle even if he was on the verge of dying. "You know well if I can lie or not. Do you think I am happy to share my mate? If I could, I would not even allow you to look at her but¡­." Draven closed his eyes, as this was not the moment to lose his calm.

    "You are the one who messed things up and brought all of us to this unwanted situation that none of us wants. If you had not meddled and changed my destiny, I would have been the one stabbed by the divine weapon and then protected by Ember''s hellfire. But you¡­ you have done everything wrong from the start just to fulfill your own wish of dying, and even now you are being stubborn just because you want to die.

    "Your wish to die is what brought us here today, so there is no way I will let you fulfill it after bringing her and me to this situation. You have to make up for it, Morpheus. Do you hear me? You have to mark her, not for your sake, but for hers. You have to create a bond with her, despite none of us liking it."

    Morpheus felt speechless for a while. "Trust me, I did not expect her to save me. If I had known this would happen, I would not have changed your destiny. If I had known you would be saved by her, I would not have taken your ce."

    "I know, but now you have to correct your own mistakes. If you don''t, and if she suffers once she leaves and falls into the enemy''s hands, I will drag your soul out of hell and make you watch the woman you love suffer. I will make you watch until you are left with regrets for rejecting and hurting her. I won''t be the only one suffering here." Draven stood up. "Tomorrow morning, she will leave. If you have an ounce of care left for her, you will show up and stop her." With that, Draven disappeared to return to his mate.

    Aureus, who had overheard the conversation, knelt next to his uncle quietly.

    "All I wanted was to protect those I cared for and then die. Why does everything have to turn out this way, where I have nothing but regrets now?" Morpheus mumbled, tears rolling down the corners of his eyes.

    "You have done nothing wrong, uncle," Aureus spoke. "If I ever get a vision where I see Drayce and Seren being harmed, I would do the same and protect them with all I can. You didn''t expect this variable to appear, and that is not your fault."

    Morpheus chuckled bitterly. "Only you, who barely know me, understand me."

    "What do you n to do tomorrow?" Aureus asked.

    "I shall trust Draven not to let her leave."

    "You''re not going to do what he asked you to?"

    "He is just desperate to stop Ember, so he is ready to do anything for it. Even if I don''t stop her tomorrow, Draven will find a way. I''m not worried."

    "What if you are wrong?" Aureus asked. "What if she truly ends up leaving?"

    "She won''t. Let me rest now," Morpheus closed his eyes. "You should go around instead of getting bored by my side. I can tell, I''m not dying, at least not today."

    "I''m alright."

    "But I''m asking you to leave me alone. Go out and fly across the kingdom for a while. You will feel better," Morpheus insisted.

    Aureus stood up, "Though I support your decision of changing destiny to protect them, I do not support what you are doing now." With that, hewent out to follow his uncle''s instructions.

    Just as he opened his wings, he heard Morpheus'' pained groaning. Aureus knew why Morpheus insisted he leave. Respecting his wishes, he flew away, giving his uncle time alone to deal with his own torment.

    ----

    The next morning, at the border of the kingdom, Ember was ready to cross on her own. She had rejected Draven''s offer to take her where she wanted to go, deciding to find her way back independently. Draven was hurt to see her leaving, and every n leader and elder present felt bad for both of them.

    "Lady Ember, you truly do not have to leave," Halifax said. "None of us hate you for being human. We have long epted you as a citizen of this kingdom, and we see you as one of us."

    "Thank you, elder, but I have to go," Ember replied politely. "I am grateful to all of you for letting me stay here for so long, but I do not wish to be a threat to any of you."

    "We do not me you for what happened on the day of mourning, and we ept that it was the fault of one of our kin. We do not me you for what happened to themander and his impending death. We know you tried, and we are grateful for that. We all wish for you to reconsider your decision. You are our king''s mate, and we are even ready to ept you as our Queen. In fact, we already consider you our Queen."

    Ember was touched by these words but was not ready to change her decision. "Thank you so much for this honor, elders. This is the only ce that has given me the feeling of being epted and wanted. I will always keep this beautiful ce in my memories."

    Evanthe felt bad for both of them and cursed Morpheus for being so stubborn about marking Ember. Her eyes moist, a light smile painted on her lips, she looked at Draven, who stood next to her. With a heavy heart, he walked with Ember towards the border. Each step felt like a thorn piercing his heart, his red eyes glistening with moisture.

    Just as they reached the border, his hold on her hand tightened, stopping her from walking ahead. She looked at him, only to find herself embraced in a tight hug. A muffled whisper left his lips, "Please don''t go."

    He tried to be strong, knowing she wouldn''t change her decision, but at that moment, all he wanted was to hold on to her. She hugged him back, her own tears refusing to stop. "I will wait for you toe to me with a way to fix my destructive hellfire core. Don''t take too long."

    Draven could only nod as they let go of each other. He wiped the tears from her cheek. "I will do everything I can to find a way. I wille for you soon."

    "I trust you," she said with a gentle smile. "I have to go now."

    Though reluctant, Draven let her hand go and watched her turn her back to him and leave.

 Chapter 469 : Forbidden

    The same morning, Aureus returned after flying around. He was surprised to see Morpheus sitting with his back resting against the wall of the cave, as his uncle had barely been able to move before.

    As Aureus entered the cave, Morpheus looked at him. Aureus greeted him with a "good morning" and sat down, resting his back against the wall opposite Morpheus.

    "I didn''t expect to see you awake and sitting like this," Aureusmented as he closed his eyes.

    "It was dead boring to keep sleeping¡ªworse than dying itself."

    Aureus hummed in response and then heard his uncle speak again, "Where were you?"

    "I went to say myst goodbye to Ember," Aureus replied. "All the n leaders and elders are there to see her off, so I thought I should be there to represent our family."

    Morpheus pressed his lips into a thin line, unsure of what to say. Aureus opened his eyes, sighed, and then stood up, looking tired. "Now that you''re awake, I''ll go fetch some food for you." He walked toward the cave exit.

    "Is she really leaving?" Morpheus asked, his tone hesitant.

    "Why bother asking when you only trust your own judgment?" Aureus turned and looked at his uncle with a displeased gaze. "Would you like fresh fruits or your favorite fish?"

    Morpheus closed his eyes, feeling helpless. He let out a weak sigh. "Just take me to her."

    Aureus wasn''t surprised to hear it but said, "She didn''t listen to anyone. All the n members practically begged her to stay, but she has made up her mind to leave. She won''t listen to you either. There''s no use in going there and making her feel bad by seeing you dying again. If you say she is stubborn, then you are worse," his voice was cold. "Fruits or fish?"

    Morpheus opened his eyes and looked at him, a regret and guilt gripping his heart. "I won''t let her leave. Just take me to her. I know what to do."

    "Have you thought it through?" Aureus asked. "Because, even if you are my uncle and you are dying, I won''t stand for it if you hurt her again. I consider her my friend."

    "I won''t do anything like that. Just take me there before it''s toote," Morpheus insisted.

    Aureus softened and knelt in front of his uncle. "I''m going to pass whatever energy I have left to you. With that, you can sustain yourself for at least half an hour. I won''t be able to take you there, so you''ll have to go using some of my powers."

    Since thest time Aureus had almost drained his divine energy to help his dying uncle stand for the council meeting and had daily nourished his body with his own powers to lessen the torment from hell, Aureus had not yet regained his powers to their full extent.

    "Thank you," Morpheus replied. "This will be thest time you do this for me."

    "It better be."

    ----

    At the border, just as Ember was about to step out of it, a sudden disturbance filled the air, startling everyone.

    "You''re not going anywhere, Ember," a familiar voice rang out, causing Ember to stop in her tracks.

    She turned to see who had spoken. A divine eagle, themander of the kingdom, hovered in the air. His usual majestic gray wings pped, each powerful beat sending ripples through the air.

    Everyone was shocked to see him there, including Ember. Evanthe sighed in relief, d her stubborn friend had finally had grown some brain and realized the right thing to do.

    Draven, who had felt as if his soul would leave his body when his mate disappeared from sight, felt like he could finally breathe again. As long as Ember stayed under his protection, he was willing to ept anything even if it meant having another mate for her.

    Morpheusnded on the ground and walked straight towards her, while everyone watched, eager to see what would happen, why Morpheus was there all of a sudden.

    Ember smiled, her eyes brimming with tears. "I thought I wouldn''t get to see you before I left."

    He stood facing her, his expressions gentle unlike how fierce he looked during the council meeting. This was the Morpheus she knew who was always good to her.

    "You''re not going anywhere. I won''t let you go," he said, his gray eyes locking onto her green ones.

    Ember looked confused, her voice trembling. "You¡­"

    "I''m here to make things right for us, for everyone," he began, his tone sincere. "What I said in the council meeting, I didn''t mean a single word of it. I don''t hate you for being human; I never did."

    "I know," she kept her smile, "But it did hurt to hear all of it from you."

    "I am sorry," she said, keeping her smile, though it was tinged with sadness. "Will you allow me to correct what wrong I have done?"

    "But I am not leaving because your words hurt me. I am leaving for my own reasons so you don''t have to feel bad for me or regretful for your actions and decision. I know one should respect others'' decisions like how Draven respected mine."

    "You don''t have to leave for any other reason as well. Your powers won''t be a threat but your own strength. I know a way to fix your core and then you don''t have to leave this kingdom."

    Her eyes widened to hear it, "You know how to?"

    He nodded, "A bond between us would stabilize your core."

    Ember understood the meaning. "Does it also mean you won''t die?"

    He nodded, "I won''t die either. I n to stay by your side always."

    A pleasant smile painted on her lips to know he won''t die anymore. "Then, I don''t mind."

    Everyone heard it and understood what was going to happen, Morpheus was finally going to mark Ember.

    "May I?" he asked.

    Ember first looked at Draven, who offered her an approving nod. Though she had made her decision, she still needed to seek his permission.

    She looked back at Morpheus to answer, "Yes."

    Morpheus took a step closer to her, his gaze moved from her face to her long hair that was falling over her left shoulder, long till her stomach. His fingers ran along her silky hair, "I did not realise your hair had grown so long."

    "It was your fault for being unconscious for so long," shemented.

    He chuckled softly, "My bad," and gently pushed her hair behind her shoulders. He looked into her eyes, "Do you trust me?"

    "I do."

    "It will hurt, but I know you are strong enough to endure it."

    With her heart picking up the pace, she nodded.

    Everyone held the breaths to witness the divine beast marking his mate.

    Draven, who was standing at a little distance stepped further back and closed his eyes. Though he had epted the fact, he could not bear to see his mate being marked by another beast, the beast inside him was urging him to stop it, but he held back and preferred not to look.

    Soon, he heard a painful groan from Ember, understanding the meaning of it, but then...

    Loud, surprised gasps of the bystanders echoed in the air.

    "What did he do?"

    "Morpheus , what have you done?" Agraleus'' angry voice echoed in the air.

    "It''s forbidden."

    It puzzled Draven and he opened his eyes, only to be shocked like others.

 Chapter 470 : Golden Feather

    Just a moment ago, everyone was looking at the couple standing before them, anticipating a divine beast to mark a female. They watched in awe as Morpheus and Ember talked with each other.

    "Do you trust me?" they heard Morpheus ask Ember, to which she nodded, "I do."

    "It will hurt, but I know you are strong enough to endure it."

    Everyone held their breath, expecting him to sink his teeth into his mate''s flesh.

    Morpheus looked at her beautiful face, her eyes meeting his. His right hand, which had moved her hair behind her shoulder, now held a beautiful golden feather. It shone beautifully like a divine artifact, the end of its stalk pointed. Ember could hardly take a proper look at it when his hand moved, and he stabbed the pointed end of the feather into her heart, making her groan in the immense pain she had ever felt.

    Her entire face red, her eyes teary, she looked at him, feeling puzzled, her mind unable to process anything. This pain was a hundred times worse than the pain she felt when Draven marked her.

    It all happened in the blink of an eye, so quickly that no one could understand what Morpheus was up to, nor they had the chance to stop him.

    With surprised gasps from everyone, Draven who opened his eyes and was shocked as well, watched a golden feather stabbed right in Ember''s heart as Morpheus'' hand let it go.

    The next moment golden feather turned into gold-colored sparkles and was absorbed into Ember''s heart entirely, leaving no trace of its existence behind.

    Ember was about to lose consciousness, but Morpheus held her immediately. Her delicate body slumped against his as his hands firmly wrapped around her, holding her steady.

    He swallowed hard, feeling the guilt of causing her this pain, but it was necessary, and he knew she would survive it. This pain now was better than the pain she would feelter if he had to sink his teeth into her flesh to mark her. He ignored the shocked reactions of others and his uncle''s angry voice, focusing only on the woman in his arms, feelingforted to hold her like this after so long.

    Since the moment he woke up, returning from his death, he had longed for her, wished to hold her, inhale her sweet scent, but all he had to do was push her away. It hurt him as much as it hurt her, but now, he didn''t have to pretend anymore.

    He could be with her forever without letting anything happen that she never wished to. Though it meant he had done something forbidden and would be punished for breaking another rule. But he was thankful he would be punished by the king or elders and not by some darkness in hell.

    "Morpheus?" Agraleus called him again, "What''s the meaning of this?"

    Morpheus turned to face everyone. "All of you didn''t want me to die and didn''t want her to leave. You all wanted us to be mates, so I did what was best, to fulfil all those wishes of yours. Now she and I are mates. You can punish me formitting a forbidden act, but I do not regret what I did. She is more important to me than anything else, and her wishes matter to me."

    Agraleus, angry, was about to say more, but Elder Halifax stopped him. "We cannot revert what he has done. No use in getting angry."

    Agraleus swallowed his anger, which originated from his worry for Morpheus, but he knew Halifax was right, so he kept quiet.

    Morpheus turned to Draven, who seemed lost in the situation. "Draven."

    The red-eyed man came back to his senses and went to Morpheus, understanding why he had called for him. Draven lifted Ember in his arms to take her back to the pce, while Morpheus was ready to leave.

    "You have toe with us," Draven told him before the eagle could fly away. "You need to be by her side."

    "She will be fine even without me. She is strong," Morpheus said, hurrying to leave before the strength he got from Aureus drained away.

    After making such a decision and showing himself strong in front of everyone, he didn''t want them to see him in his most vulnerable state. He didn''t wee pity from anyone.

    "It''s not for her. It''s for your sake," Draven insisted, his words turning into an order. "And you areing with me."

    Ignoring him, Morpheus tried to open his wings, but before they could fully extend, they suddenly disappeared. Before he could fall to the ground, an invisible power surrounded him and held him in the air, unconscious. It was Evanthe''s powers. She walked forward and told Draven, "I will bring him. Don''t worry."

    Draven nodded before disappearing with Ember, followed by Evanthe, who disappeared with Morpheus, leaving everyone behind, puzzled about what to do as another rule was broken. No one wished to punish Morpheus, but rules were meant to be followed.

    Draven appeared inside Ember''s bedchamber and gentlyid her on the bed. Soon after, Evanthe appeared with Morpheus, using her powers to hold his unconscious body. Draven stepped away and made space on the bed so Evanthe couldy Morpheus down.

    Once done, Evanthe sighed as she looked at Morpheus'' unconscious form next to Ember. "Even after centuries, he never changed. Always unpredictable with his actions, and never fails to surprise and anger us. His desire of protecting others had always caused him harm. Why is he like this?"

    Draven remained quiet, not knowing what to say.

    Evanthe turned restless. "Are you going to follow the rules and punish him? He did it for your sake and especially for Ember''s sake. She won''t be forced by the pull of a bond to be intimate with him."

    Draven didn''t answer; he had nothing to say at this moment. He simply picked up the nket and covered both of them to sleepfortably.

    Evanthe understood Draven''s dilemma. He knew why Morpheus did it and that Draven didn''t wish to punish him.

    Evanthe walked ahead and checked Ember''s pulse. "Your mate is strong enough to withstand this. She will wake up soon." She then checked Morpheus'' pulse. "He should be fine once Ember bears his mark on her body and they are connected by the bond. With her by his side at this moment, he shall not face any torment."

    Draven quietly nodded. "I will keep watch on him."

    "I am staying here as well," Evanthe dered. "You are not alone in this."

    Draven didn''t reject her offer. Evanthe was his close confidant who had seen all his sides, and he had nothing to hide from her.

 Chapter 471 : Unconscious Aureus

    By evening, Ember stirred in her sleep, waking much sooner than she had after Draven marked her. Draven and Evanthe weren''t surprised; it was a proof to how much stronger she had be over the past few months. Her powers were graduallying under her control.

    She opened her drowsy eyes, feeling disoriented, unsure of where she was or what was happening. Draven, who had been sitting nearby, unwilling to leave her side in case she woke up, quickly moved to her. Evanthe remained seated, understanding that only Draven was needed at this moment. Her gaze shifted to the still-unconscious Morpheus, uncertain of when he would wake.

    "Are you awake?" Draven asked, sitting at the edge of the bed.

    At the sound of Draven''s voice, Ember turned to him as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Draven?" she murmured.

    He took her hand gently. "How are you feeling?"

    She looked around, confused, taking a moment to recognize her surroundings. "What happened?"

    When she tried to move, a sharp pain made her groan, her hand instinctively clutching her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes as the memory of what caused the pain resurfaced.

    Draven helped her sit up, concern etched on his face. "Are you still in pain?"

    Resting her head against his chest, she nodded. "Morph?"

    "He''s right here, next to you," Draven replied, and she turned her head weakly to see the unconscious man lying beside her on the bed. "Is he alright?" she asked, her voice weak but filled with worry.

    "He is, but he was already weak, so it might take some time for him to wake up," Draven reassured her.

    She nodded, closing her eyes again, trying to endure the lingering pain.

    "It will stop hurting soon," Draven whispered softly, trying tofort her.

    "Is this how the eagle n marks their mates?" Ember''s pained voice was muffled against Draven''s chest. "I thought he was going to bite me on the neck like you did, but this¡­ this is so terrible¡­"

    "They don''t. They mark their mates just like I did," Draven exined softly.

    "Then why did he mark me this way?" she asked, a groan of pain escaping her throat.

    "It''s a different kind of bond you share with him, not the same as the one we share," he added.

    Despite the pain, Ember''s curiosity stirred, and she looked up at him, her eyes searching his. "Different? How?"

    "I''ll exin, but first, we need to do something about the pain you''re feeling," Draven said, gently wiping the tears from her eyes, his heart aching at how much she was suffering.

    Ember nodded in agreement, and Draven turned to Evanthe. "What can we do?"

    "There''s nothing we can do. She has to bear it until it passes on its own," Evanthe replied solemnly. "There''s a reason why this kind of bond is forbidden."

    Draven nodded, then hugged Ember closer. "You should rest. Once the pain passes, we''ll talk about it."

    He carefully helped her lie back on the bed. Ember turned her gaze to Morpheus, reaching out to hold his hand. The warmth of his skin reassured her that he was still there, alive and breathing. Holding his hand somehow managed to ease her pain a little and she didn''t let it go.

    Draven didn''t mind her holding Morpheus''s hand and gently covered her with the nket as she closed her eyes again.

    Draven returned to his seat, where he heard Evanthe speak quietly. "Can you feel the bond her core has with Morpheus now?"

    Draven nodded. "Yes, the bond has been established, and her core seems more stable than it''s ever been."

    "That''s a good thing," Evanthe remarked. "Now she won''t struggle with an unstable core or fear of harming others."

    Draven agreed, only for Evanthe to add, "With the bond between them, your beast won''t be jealous of Morpheus anymore. Soon, you''ll find yourself epting him without any reluctance."

    Through his connection with Ember, Draven could already feel the effects of the new bond Ember''s core now had. He didn''t mind when Ember held Morpheus''s hand. Both he and Morpheus were connected to Ember which meant they were somewhere connected to each other as well.

    "But then, Morpheus doesn''t intend to form an intimate connection with your mate, so everything will be fine between the three of you," Evanthe added.

    Draven''s expression grew conflicted, instead of relieved.

    "Are you feeling bad for your friend now?" Evanthe asked, understanding the thoughts likely running through Draven''s mind. "Would you have preferred he marked her in the usual way, forming a bond like yours?"

    "This bond¡­ it''s going to be nothing but torture for him," Draven remarked, his voice heavy with concern.

    "But it won''t be as bad as dying and his soul suffering in hell," Evanthe exined. "Though, I do find it somewhat unfair to him, at the same time, his decision makes sense. Without forcing Ember to go through the difficulty of epting two mates, he''s forever bound to her and can stay by her side. The three of you can continue as before, living a life without conflicts. He did his part to make things right for you three; now it''s your turn. You need to find a way to spare him from punishment at the next council meeting."

    Draven nodded, his resolve hardening. "I won''t let him suffer anymore."

    "When she wakes up, let me know," Evanthe said, preparing to leave. "I''ll check on what''s happening around the kingdom. The council members must be conflicted too. Not long ago, they wanted to protect him, and now they might be forced to follow the rules. I also need to check on Aureus¡ªI believe he''s not in good shape."

    Draven agreed and watched her disappear. He then looked at Ember and Morpheus, finally finding himself epting the current situation¡ªanother beast by his mate''s side.

    Evanthe appeared at the mountain cave where she found Aureus unconscious. She hurried to him, quickly infusing him with some of her divine power and administering a potion, but he remained unresponsive.

    "This child," Evanthe sighed, realizing the extent to which Aureus had drained himself to help his uncle. "He''s exhausted every ounce of his divine power." She gently picked him up and disappeared, reappearing in the healing chamber of the witch n, cing him in the same room where his uncle was being kept.

    "What happened to him?" Cornelia asked, concern evident in her voice.

    "He''s the reason Morpheus could reach Ember," Evanthe exined. "We need to help him recover quickly."

    Cornelia examined Aureus and sighed as well. "This uncle and nephew pair are relentless when ites to protecting those they care about. They have no regard for their own well-being." She looked at Evanthe and added, "It will take him at least a week to regain consciousness."

    Evanthe nodded and began to fill the healing chamber with her divine power. Once she finished, Cornelia spoke again. "When he wakes up, you need to warn him about being so reckless, Your Eminence. I don''t want him to end up like his uncle."

    "I''m certainly going to give him an earful. Rest assured," Evanthe replied.

    "I see him following in his uncle''s footsteps," Cornelia noted, a hint of worry in her voice. "But I pray he doesn''t put his heart on a woman he can''t have and end up like Morpheus."

    Evanthe nced at the unconscious Aureus, a sudden worry gripping her heart, though she wasn''t sure why. Aureus was soft-hearted and obedient, which made her concerned. Cornelia''s voice broke through her thoughts.

    "Your Eminence, instead of waiting for him to find a mate on his own, perhaps we should consider the chosen mate approach before it''s toote? We could find the strongest female who can survive his marking, ensuring he has a mate. but once he find someone he can''t have, it would be difficult to get him a chosen mate."

    "He''s a golden divine eagle, and his marking can be as lethal as Draven''s. Do we even have such a strong female in existence?" Evanthe asked. "If we choose a mate for him, she must be as strong as Ember; otherwise, she won''t survive. That''s why we avoid choosing mates for powerful beasts and let them find their fated mates, who have a better chance of surviving."

    "I just don''t want him to end up hurt like Morpheus," Cornelia said, her worry evident.

    "Once he wakes up, I''ll talk to him," Evanthe assured her.

 Chapter 472 : Another Mate Bond Mark

    At the crack of dawn, Ember woke up. Draven was still sitting in his chair, staring outside. Sleep hadn''te to him when his mate wasn''t in his arms. Sensing her movement, he went to her. Her face looked betterpared to how pale she had been when she first woke up.

    She opened her eyes, spotting Draven, and felt relieved. He helped her sit up in bed, her hand still holding Morpheus''.

    "He hasn''t woken up yet?" Ember asked, fighting against the lingering pain in her heart.

    Draven shook his head. "It might take a little more time."

    Ember nodded and turned to Morpheus, noticing something. "His hair color¡ªhas it changed, or are my eyes ying tricks on me?"

    "You''re seeing it right. His hair has turned gold from gray-blue," Draven confirmed.

    She extended her hand to touch the silky gold hair. "Why did it change color? He looks like Aureus now, with gold hair."

    "I''m not sure either, but maybe forming a bond with you has increased his powers, turning him into a gold divine eagle, the most powerful form of his kind."

    "You mean he''s risen in rank?" Ember asked.

    "Seems like it," Draven replied, as surprised as Ember, but both felt happy about it.

    Out of the four ranks in the divine eagle n, gold is the most powerful and rare. They are like the kings of the n. Gray-blue, like Morpheus and his uncle Agraleus, is the second rank, possessing the power of gold but only using it when fighting enemies or acting as the strongest warriors. They are fewer in numberpared to the brown and blue eagles, who are numerous and perform lower tasks like soldiers, patrolling, spying, and manualbor in the n.

    "After everything he''s suffered, losing his powers entirely, I think this is a good thing, right?" Embermented.

    Draven hummed in agreement and asked, "How''s the pain? Is it still hurting?"

    She nodded. "But it''s not as bad as before. It''s a little more bearable now."

    "You must be hungry. How about you have a meal first?"

    "Can you call for Reya and Clio? I''d like to take a bath first. Warm water might soothe the pain in my heart."

    Draven agreed and called for her two servants.

    Reya and Clio arrived to help her while Draven left for his own chamber, giving her privacy.

    In the bath, Reya and Clio prepared warm water for Ember to soak in. Just as Ember settled into the water, Clio remarked, "That''s a beautiful mate bond mark you have now, Lady Ember."

    Ember followed Clio''s gaze, which was fixed on her chest. Lowering her head, she tried to see the mark but couldn''t make it out clearly. However, she knew something golden was shining over her heart.

    Reya gasped as well. "That''s such a beautiful mark! It looks like it''s the bond mark with Commander Morpheus."

    "I can''t see it clearly," Ember mumbled, feeling curious herself.

    Reya quickly fetched a mirror and held it in front of her. "Now you can."

    Ember looked into the mirror, her fingers tracing the pair of golden wings tattooed on her fair skin¡ªgold wings spread wide on either side, covering her heart. It was a symbol that her heart and soul were now connected to the owner of these golden wings.

    The mark was so beautiful that she didn''t want to look away. Not only was it aesthetically pleasing, but she also felt an emotional bond with it, just as she had when she first saw her bond mark with Draven.

    "It''s beautiful," she mumbled in a daze, her fingers carefully feeling every inch of it.

    "You are one of the rare and fortunate females to have such beautiful and powerful bond marks, Lady Ember. One with a dragon, and now another with a divine eagle," Clio said happily. "And we are fortunate to serve the strongest female this kingdom has seen in so long."

    Ember didn''t know how to respond, as she had never desired to be the strongest. But she was happy to feel this new connection. It was as if she had never been so at peace. The instability she had once felt within her had suddenly disappeared. Her core felt more stable than ever.

    "Is it because of this other bond? Morph did say before marking me that he had a solution to stabilize my core. Now I understand what he meant.''

    "Commander will be over the moon when he sees his mark on his mate," Reyamented.

    "Morph?" Ember asked.

    Clio chuckled. "Who else? Every beast dreams of seeing their mark on their mate. It''s the greatest pleasure of their entire existence, and it''s their right to see it."

    Ember looked at the mark again and realized it was in a rather intimate ce to show anyone, even her mate. ''But he is my mate, so it wouldn''t be wrong, right?'' she thought, trying to reassure herself.

    Despite her efforts to calm down, she felt embarrassed. She could bepletely bare in front of Draven without hesitation, but standing before someone else, even if that person was her mate now, felt a bit awkward. ''What if he asks to see it? Maybe it''s okay.''

    After her bath, Ember dressed in fresh clothes and was ready to enjoy a good meal. She was ravenous, her energy drained from the bond-marking process. It reminded her of how hungry she had been after Draven marked her.

    Clio and Reya made sure she had everything she wanted and ensured she ate well. Draven came to her, dressed in new clothes, looking as if he was ready to return to his duties.

    "Are you feeling better now?" he asked.

    "After a tasty meal, I definitely am," she replied with a smile as they both stepped out onto the balcony of her study. She longed for some fresh air after spending so much time resting in her chamber.

    She inhaled deeply. "Now I feel alive again."

    Draven wrapped an arm around her waist as he stood next to her. Even with another mate in the picture, nothing seemed to change between them, and that pleased him.

    "Draven, um¡­ I have another mark now," she admitted.

    He simply hummed in acknowledgment.

    She turned to look at him. "But I''m puzzled. I don''t feel any pull toward him like I felt toward you when we needed toplete our bond. Don''t he and I need toplete our bond by¡­?" She swallowed the rest of her words.

    "This bond doesn''t require you to consummate it. It''s alreadypleted," Draven answered but held the entire truth from her, deciding to leave it at Morpheus to reveal if he wished to.

    The truth that- Though Ember can''t feel the pull and treat Morph normally like before as her friend, Morpheus would feel the pull towards her and it would be difficult for him if they won''t mate.

    "There are no flowers or symbols in the mark, just a pair of golden wings. It feels like he''s fully devoted to the bond, but I''m somehow free from it, even though I feel a connection with him."

    "You''re not imagining it. That''s exactly how this bond works. I told you before, your bond with Morph is different from mine."

    She nodded. "What kind of bond is it, then?"

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