Chapter 13

The ride back was awkward yet oddly charming.

As much as Maris didn't want to be carried around, she couldn't say no to Valda.

She'd tried.

The queen had demanded her to sit on her lap as they made their way back to the castle. Argo was a good horse that knew his way around. Maris's mare followed right behind as if it was tied to Argo.

As much as Maris wanted to relax and enjoy the ride back to the castle, the constant and deep-seated growling emanating from Valda's chest made her uncomfortable. She understood her anger, but at the same time, she didn't know if she could say something to calm her. Maris, herself, was still shaken up. The fact that she was out in public was enough to make her nervous, and now she was terrified.

She had just finished washing her hand when the two guards entered the washroom. Of course, she thought nothing of it. She even smiled brightly when she noticed the uniforms. She had no reason to fear them. But then they grabbed her, started asking her questions, regarding why she was in the castle, threatened to kill her if she didn't talk, even slammed her against the wall when she refused. Her silence more fear driven than anything.

Thankfully, Valda made it to the washroom to stop them. But, Maris couldn't just sit back and watch everything unfold. As one of the guards slammed his elbows against Valda's brow, she used her powers to smother him with water, giving Valda enough time to attack.

Sometimes Maris wished she was stronger. She was done sitting back and watching. She wanted to fight too, to help.

Shifting in her lap, Maris turned her face enough to look at Valda. The queen was frowning deeply with her eyes closed.

"I am fine," Maris whispered again.

Valda's answer was another angered grunt.

"Really, I am—"

"We will see if you are fine or not when we get to the castle."

Maris decided to stay quiet the entire ride back and didn't protest when Valda carried her the rest of the way to her chamber. Once there, Valda settled her on the large bed and called for Melvian.

Maris laughed at that. She was sure her friend had no idea she was being called on to attend her. She knew about Melvian's curiosity with healing, but never thought much about it.

Valda sat at the bedside as they waited. Cerberus jumped on the bed, meowing at Maris and then slowly making her way towards Valda.

The queen leaned down, allowing the cat to bump her head with hers. Maris moved closer, but the simple movement of reaching out made her cringe in pain.

Valda's face contorted with anger. She grabbed Cerberus, who released an annoyed growl before Valda set her down to the ground.

"This won't do. I can't have you like this and expect you to help me around."

"I can manage just fine," Maris said, while Cerberus jumped back on the bed and sat between both of them.

"You can barely move. What did they do to you?"

"Nothing, I– Cerberus! Stop it!" Maris hissed, waving her hand at the cat, and pushing her off her lap.

"Can't even take Cerberus's weight on you."

"To be fair, your cat is pretty big," Maris said, pushing Cerberus's face away from her as the cat tried to bump her head against her arms. "What's with you? You've never been this clingy."

Valda chuckled. "She knows you are hurt."

"I am not."

"Stop lying..." Valda's voice lowered, and Maris felt a thrill run down her spine. She snapped her fingers making Cerberus stop her affection to go back to Valda's side. "Down, Cerberus."

Cerberus hissed as Valda grabbed her by the scruff and set her down, before patting her bottom hard enough to get her to run off.

"Now, Maris."

"Yes?"

"Answer my questions."

Maris was about to do just that, but she noticed the soft curve on the edge of Valda's lip, a subtle tease that Maris couldn't quite ignore. She wanted to let her know that although in pain, she was fine. The best way to do that was to tease her back.

"Or else what?" Maris asked, grinning the moment Valda turned enough to face her. Oh, she had flipped a switch in the queen, and she was about to enjoy every single second of it.

"Maris, I do not believe you are in the right state to be saying those things, especially to me."

"What things?"

The subtle change in Valda's features sent a surge of desire through Maris, making her thighs clench involuntarily. She longed for the queen's touch, to have Valda ease her discomfort with pleasure, and to reciprocate in kind. Her body ached with anticipation, and Maris found herself biting her lower lip as she inhaled Valda's intoxicating scent of clean linen, wood, and spices. Gods. Valda could be covered in sweat and still smell delicious.

"You know exactly what I am talking about." Valda's growl drew Maris's attention, and she responded by placing her hand over Valda's, guiding it to the outside of her thigh. The soft touch ignited a fiery sensation pooling between her legs, causing her to tighten her grip.

"I have no idea what you mean, Your Highness," Maris murmured, her breath brushing against Valda's moist lips.

"I do not care if you're injured, I will gladly punish you if you continue to behave like a brat."

Valda's warning only served to fuel Maris's desire, and she let out a breathy laugh, her eyes fixated on Valda's perfect face, disregarding the gash on her eyebrow. "I believe your brain got scrambled inside your skull. You're not making any sense," Maris teased, her hand tracing Valda's jaw and neck. "You don't have a fever." She tilted her head, bringing her lips tantalizingly close to Valda's. "You need to sit down."

"I am sitting down." Valda's raised eyebrow betrayed her surprise, and Maris couldn't resist the urge to tease her further.

"Not where I would like you to," Maris whispered, feeling a shiver run down her spine as Valda's other hand moved to expose her darker skin.

"Oh? Where would you like me to sit, Seashell?" Her white eyes flashed a faint tone of honey before disappearing instantly.

Maris's head tilted, mesmerized."On my face, my Queen."

Valda's breath hitched at Maris's bold suggestion; another flash of honey brightened her white eyes before vanishing. Before she could pull away, Maris claimed her lips in a searing kiss, reveling in the taste and warmth of Valda's mouth, knowing she had the queen under her control.

Valda's eyes fluttered closed as she let out a sultry moan, her mouth eagerly melding with Maris's in a fiery kiss. Their tongues tangled, sending shivers down Maris"s spine. Valda's hands blazed a trail of scorching heat from Maris's knees to her waist, pulling at her clothing, revealing more and more of her flesh for the queen's exploration.

With a sigh of satisfaction, Maris pulled away from the hungry kiss, her eyes fixated on Valda's trembling hands as they slipped off her undergarments, discarding them carelessly.

"My queen is not one to follow instructions," Maris teased, her voice husky.

Valda's breath hitched as she growled against Maris's ear, her words dripping with heat. "I will use your face as my throne eventually," she murmured, her hands brushing tantalizingly close to the juncture of Maris's legs. "But right now, I need to taste you again before I lose my fucking mind."

The explicit promise in Valda's words sent a wave of need coursing through Maris, accelerating her pulse, her body aching with longing. The throes of desire pulsed between her legs, and she eagerly surrendered herself to the insatiable hunger burning between her and Valda with an urgency that was too powerful to resist.

Maris's frustration simmered as she grabbed Valda by her shirt, pulling her back up before she could descend further. She held Valda's face, steadying her.

"I want you to do more than taste me, Your Highness," Maris breathed, her voice deep with need.

Valda trembled, pressing her chest against Maris's, her hands roaming hungrily over her waist, arms, shoulders, and neck, mapping every curve and contour, as if memorizing the sight and feel of Maris.

"What do you want?" Valda asked, her voice low and rough.

Maris swallowed hard, suddenly feeling shy and hesitant, but emboldened by Valda's unwavering attention. She wetted her lips and took a deep breath, hesitating.

"I want you to worship me, Valda," Maris finally confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Valda faltered for a moment, her lips quivering with want, her whole demeanor shifting as a different side of her was unveiled. The confident and powerful queen seemed to crumble for a fleeting second, as if she wanted nothing more than to make love to Maris. Maris frowned in surprise at the unexpected reaction, chuckling unintentionally, not realizing that Valda could interpret it as an insult.

Valda's hand moved forcefully, gripping Maris's face with an intoxicating mix of possessiveness and want. Maris moaned, her mouth falling open as she succumbed to the sensations coursing through her body.

"How do you want me to worship you?" Valda breathed, her lips tantalizingly close to Maris's.

Maris swallowed hard, unable to form coherent words under Valda's commanding touch.

Valda's voice dripped with seduction as she gave Maris a choice. "As a queen," she murmured, her moist lips brushing against Maris's lower one, sending shivers down her spine. "As a goddess," she nipped at Maris's trembling jaw, igniting a trail of heat in its wake. "Or do you want me to sit on your face?" Valda's bold suggestion made Maris's body pulse with need, her mind foggy.

Maris squeezed her eyes shut, trying to regain some semblance of control, but the intensity of their passion was overwhelming. Just as she was about to answer Valda's question, Cerberus meowed loudly at the door, rasping it with her claws before a knock interrupted their heated moment.

Snarling, Valda released Maris from her grip. She took a deep, heaving breath. Maris couldn't help but smile, realizing that Valda was just as affected by their game as she was.

Another knock on the door echoed, and Valda, using the strings Maris had attached around the room, walked towards it. She fixed her hair, before finally opening it.

"Good afternoon, my Queen. It's Melvian," greeted Melvian, her voice warm and friendly.

Maris breathed a sigh of relief, glad to see her friend, while Valda groaned with annoyance.

"Right. Come in," Valda said, opening the door wider and allowing Melvian to step inside.

Cerberus meowed affectionately and rubbed herself against Melvian's leg, then gracefully strutted in front of her. The cat stretched her paws and shook her fur before settling down.

Maris arched a brow, amused by Cerberus's fondness towards Melvian, and exchanged a knowing glance with her friend who simply shrugged in response.

"She likes you too," Valda said, waving at Cerberus with a teasing smirk.

"A good judge of character," Melvian chuckled, her voice lighthearted and playful, as she jumped slightly when Valda stood close to her.

"Follow me," Valda said, her tone authoritative yet friendly as she led Melvian further into the chamber.

As Melvian got closer to Maris her eyes widened. "Gods, Maris! What happened?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with concern.

"Some thugs tried to mug me, I guess," Maris said, shrugging, her voice tinged with humor. She didn't want to reveal too much, unsure if Valda wanted others to know that her attackers were castle guards.

Valda sat down near the bed, giving Melvian enough space to work. "Two castle guards attacked her at Lasmeer's in Ophelia Plaza. I took care of them," Valda explained, sounding rather proud of her understatement.

Melvian frowned with worry as she spoke. "Castle guards? Most of the guards know you work here. Why would they attack you?"

Valda shrugged, gesturing towards Maris. "Please. Could you take a look at Maris?"

Maris shook her head and reached for Melvian's wrist. "Take a look at her first. She got a pretty nasty blow on her head. I know she's hard-headed, but it still worries me."

Melvian's eyes opened wide in surprise, and she turned to Valda, who grinned in response to Maris's comment. "I'll go get the kit then," Melvian said quickly, hurrying off to the washroom, but not before her face turned red upon noticing something on the ground.

Valda leaned back in her chair and turned her attention to Maris. "Do you trust her?" she asked.

"Melvian? With my life. She's my best friend. She...she was the one who brought me here," Maris replied earnestly.

Valda nodded, and just then, Melvian returned and gently touched Valda's jaw and tilted her face upwards. She studied the queen's face, a frown forming on her face. "This might sting a bit," Melvian warned.

"Get on with it. Maris needs your attention more than I do," Valda said.

Melvian worked quickly, dabbing the cut with a cloth drenched in alcohol, cleaning the dried blood off Valda's face and applying a bandage to the gash, before turning her attention to Maris. With a sympathetic and warm smile, Melvian asked Maris to lie on the side of the bed closest to her for examination.

"As you look her over, I'll be heading to talk to Arwin," Valda said, standing and placing her hand in her pocket.

"Don't worry. I'll take good care of Maris, Your Highness," Melvian reassured her.

"You better," Valda said, trying to sound playful, but her tone lacked its usual levity. Maris noticed how Melvian tensed as Valda grabbed her cane and left the room, locking the door behind her.

As soon as Valda was gone, Melvian turned to Maris with a knowing gaze. "You are fucking the queen, aren't you?"

Maris's eyes widened and before she could deny anything, Melvian squeezed her shoulder, causing her to yelp in pain.

"Don't you dare deny it. I saw your undergarment on the ground, and when I walked in, your face was red, crimson! Not to mention the entire room reeks of sex."

Maris's eyes widened in surprise. "You can smell it?"

Melvian let out a frustrated groan before turning away and sitting on the chair Valda had used. "Maris, you are my friend and I told you that—"

"I know what you told me, Melvian, and I really appreciate you worrying about me. Believe me, I do." Maris sighed and sat up. "There is something about Valda that just pulls me to her. I can't control myself."

"Yes, of course. That would be her hand. Not only is she pulling you but also your undergarments."

"Melvian, I am being serious."

"And so am I! Maris, you can't get involved with Queen Valda! You just can't. Look, you are hurt, two "guards" attacked you. You don't have any internal bleeding, but you will have bruises the color of the night sky, your shoulder was almost dislocated," Melvian sighed and covered her eyes anxiously.

"Wow, you really are good at diagnosing."

"Thanks…" Melvian said before resting her elbows on her knees. "Are you sleeping with the queen or not?"

Maris pursed her lips and nodded. "I am, and I am not planning on stopping any time soon."

Melvian blew a breath and rubbed her hands over her thighs before lifting her gaze to Maris. "Well, I guess if we are opening up to each other… I have something to tell you."

Maris frowned. "What is it? Are you all right?"

"I… might be a worshiper."

Maris's heart dropped. "An Asclepius worshiper?"

Melvian nodded, scratching her arm, and averting her gaze to the ground. "A blessed one at that. I just healed you, so all that stuff about having a bruise… it's not going to happen. I was blessed months ago. I was able to heal a soldier with a broken rib. One touch, Maris. That's all it took. I was more than surprised to know I was chosen by Asclepius." Melvian scoffed. "I guess all those hours of worship were worth it. He heard me."

Many healers were Asclepius worshippers, yet not all of them had the ability to heal as the blessed ones. The chosen ones were able to heal sickness and injury with one touch, some could even bring people from the brink of death with their extraordinary knowledge. Their gift was coveted by many, to the point they were kidnapped and locked away.

"Melvian! That's wonderful! We must tell Valda!"

"No! Don't!"

"Why not!? Melvian! You can cure her blindness—"

"I… tried," Melvian said softly, as if ashamed. "Just now, I was wrapping her gash up and… Maris, this is not an illness. She is not sick. What she has is not natural."

"What in Tartarus do you mean? Can't you fix and heal anything?"

"Any natural sickness and injury, yes." Melvian licked her lower lip and grabbed Maris's hand. "She is cursed, Maris. This is the work of a god."

"Why would a god curse her?"

"I don't know, Maris. I—" Melvian blew a raspberry and stood, flailing her arms in the air. "The rumors keep coming. The kingdom is restless. They will look for any way to harm and demoralize the queen. Imagine if they knew that she was cursed? Even now they are starting to suspect it."

"Is there no way to heal her?"

Melvian shrugged and shook her head, rubbing her arms in distress. "No. That's why I worry so much. If the kingdom already has a bad impression on Valda. They don't think she is ready to lead. They know she is blind, imagine if they know it is because of a curse from a deity. On top of that, if they know her lover is a maid from the castle…" Melvian bit her lower lip, her eyes shooting to Maris. "A Sealian…"

Maris's upper lip twitched. Averting her gaze from Melvian, focusing on Cerberus stretching her front legs, and opening her mouth wide in a large yawn.

"Are you mates?"

Maris scoffed. "No. We had sex once, Melvian. We are not heart mate, we are not soulmates. Didn't you say she used to fuck around with maids?"

"Yes, but none of them stayed around as long as you had. None of them joked around with her and called her hard-headed without any repercussions. You act like mates, Maris."

"We are not, and you can be assured, things will not escalate. I don't want a mate. She knows this and—"

"Then why keep you? The Queen can already walk around freely, she walked out to talk to Arwin just now, why keep you around?"

"I don't know, Melvian."

"Does anyone else know?"

"We are not in the open like that!"

"Then why were you attacked, Maris!?"

"I don't know!" Maris yelled, fear trickling out like a broken faucet. "I don't know, and I am scared to find out why."

Melvian sighed, stood up, and pulled Maris into a tight hug. "I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"I will be fine…"

"Things will get worse before they get better. The kingdom is on the brink of a civil war. I am petrified that this won't be a balanced conflict, and now that I know that guards from the same castle we live in are against Valda, who can we trust?"

"You know more than I do Melvian. You got ears on the outside," Maris said, wrapping her arms around Melvian and squeezing her.

Melvian's upper lip twitched. "Yes, I do. But I need you to keep it a secret, Maris."

Maris smiled and rested her head on Melvian's chest before sighing and nodding. "You can count on it."

She hoped Arwin was inside his study. When he wasn't in the training yard, instructing new and upcoming soldiers or guards, he was there. Although he overlooked the entirety of the army and the castle's personnel, Valda ultimately would've been the one to give the final say to whatever decision Arwin took.

With trembling hands, Valda opened the door and stepped inside the study. Arwin announced himself with an angered grunt the second she walked in.

"What can I help you with, my Queen?"

Valda didn't speak. She made her way to where she knew the desk was, placed her hand inside her pocket, and retrieved the two badges she had removed from the corpses. Movements uncharacteristically elegant, she put them on the desk and sat down unaided.

After a shuffling of papers, Arwin spoke. "Are you all right? What happened? You are hurt." If he was being facetious, Valda couldn't tell. Not without seeing his face.

"I am fine," Valda answered, leaning back and crossing legs. "My assistant could say otherwise."

"Oh?"

"She was beaten around on our outing. Another maid is having a look at her as we speak."

"And how does this pertain me?" His voice did not hide his annoyance.

"According to Maris, two castle guards attacked her. If it wasn't for me, they would've killed her, probably worse. You know our code against that kind of attack."

"Death."

"Exactly. I took off their badges and I was wondering if you could read their names out loud for me."

Arwin sniffed in irritation. The badges scrapped against the wood of the desk as Arwin picked them up. He read the names out loud. "Acton and Karlec."

Valda nodded. "Young boys. I knew them."

"Stupid ones. Not so bright,"Arwin added.

"But they knew to follow orders," Valda said, opening her white eyes. "Or at least that's what I thought."

"They were young boys, Valda. Driven by hormones. You know how it is. Boys will be—"

"If you finish that sentence, I swear upon Ouranos…" Valda growled before taking a deep breath. Arwin always had the ability to get her riled up. Today was no different. "These guards, I am sure, were following orders."

"Not mine."

"I never said they followed your orders. But I am noticing a pattern here. The people you bring to work here are either leaving or not really that good at what they do. Or, you don't know everything about them, like Melvian. Who knew that we had a fine healer among our servitude?" Valda's laughter was shaky. "Not me."

"What are you trying to say, Valda?"

"You remember Lasmeer?"

Arwin chuckled. "The soldier who quit to become a cook?"

Valda nodded.

"I remember him."

"I paid him a visit today. That's where Maris got attacked. He told me that my own soldiers were leaving to join the rebellion and that they had a leader. How come I have to find this out from a fucking cook in Ophelia Plaza!" Valda bellowed, not able to hold in her rage any longer.

"I can explain."

"Then talk, Arwin. Because I am about to break something, and it won't be your desk."

"I kept it from you due to your situation. You had too much going on at the same time. Your blindness, your mother's death–"

"I asked for a meeting so you could tell me everything. I don't need you to sugar coat things or give the information little by little. Right now, I have a million things going through my mind, and the one that is eating me alive is if I can still trust my father's right-hand man. You."

Silence fell in the room. The soft muffled click of the badges against the wooden desk took Valda by surprise. She shifted in her chair just as Arwin took a deep breath.

"Your father had trouble trusting me as well."

Valda frowned. She wanted to ask why but before she could Arwin continued.

"I guess he saw me as a competition."

"Why would the king see a soldier as a competition?" Valda asked.

Arwin grunted. "I don't know, but I just knew he was threatened by me." He chuckled, as his chair groaned when he moved. "He gave me the scar on my face."

Valda frowned. She always wondered how Arwin got his scar. She never asked, thinking he must've gotten it in a battel when he was younger. It never crossed her mind that her father gave it to him.

"Why?"

Arwin inhaled. "Again, he was threatened. But I proved myself to him. I accepted his decisions, even the ones I thought weren't so good. He made me his general. If he could find it in himself to trust me, so can you. You can always trust me, Valda."

"Then prove it. Stop hiding things from me like I was a little girl. I can handle it."

"Can you? What if I told you that a coup is imminent, that we are months, probably weeks away from having a civil war? That we need to head to Umbriel, fucking kill every single one of those bastards, and show their decapitated heads in the sand hills so anyone else who even has the audacity of thinking about dethroning you would run back to whatever hole they came from. What would you do?"

Valda swallowed hard. "Are we weeks away from a civil war?"

"Answer my question."

"You know my answer. The same answer as always. I would go to battle as I have done before becoming queen. You know me, Arwin. You know what I am capable of."

"And I know you hesitate a lot. I ask you to trust me, because I know you don't trust yourself."

Valda jumped as she felt the sudden touch of the general upon her shoulder. The tension drowned her, and as much as she didn't want to, Valda needed to trust the only person that knew how to rule aside from herself.

"I will lead you to victory, protect you from harm as I have always done. There is always going to be the threat of a rebellion, a coup, but you know how we resolve all of that. I haven't taken you to Umbriel for obvious reasons. My next trip will be in a couple of days. I cannot ask you to join me. I will not be able to defend you if we do not know who the enemy is. Trustme, Valda."

Biting the inside of her cheek, Valda placed her hand over Arwin's before he patted her shoulder and moved away.

"There is something I would like you to do for me," Valda said, her white eyes searching uselessly for him in the room. "I need you to do an investigation. A background check on someone."

"I am all ears."

Valda exhaled shakily. "Maris." She closed her eyes. "I need you to get me all the information you can from her. Family, where she lived, what she did before working here. Her education… her father."

"Father?"

Valda nodded and wetted her lower lip before talking. "Her father was a soldier to our army, but she told me that she was abandoned by the crown when her father died."

"Hmm. The only reason I can think of for the crown abandoning his family is—"

"If he is a traitor to the crown," Valda whispered as a sudden fear washed over her. She wiped her palms over her pants roughly.

"I'll look into that. Of course."

Valda sighed and crossed her legs again. "Is there any news about my mother's death? Have you been able to find something?"

"The investigation is going well. I will be receiving a full report from King Hagan. If anything, whatever happened to your mother happened in the Vulcan Kingdom." He paused and the sound of fingers drumming over wood caught Valda's attention.

Valda raised her eyebrow. "Yes?"

"If we were to tie your mother's death to them, what will happen?"

"You know damn well what will happen. I said I wanted blood, I will have blood."

Silence consumed the room again and Valda heard taping fingers against wood.

"Arwin? What is it?"

Arwin huffed, the tapping of the fingers stopped. "I wonder."

"What?"

"Is the Sky Kingdom ready to engage in war with the Vulcanians?"