I want to start off by saying thank you for the kind comments on the previous chapter. I was so nervous putting a scene like that in this story but I wanted to challenge myself to see if I can convey the emotion of a situation like that while not trying to make it scream trauma. I thought that "the scene" is what people would talk most about but it was the after scene of Flora and Krystal. I knew that I wanted that to be the beginning of the healing of their friendship and I am glad that for those who commented or sent me messages, that you liked what I did. I love reading your comments and messages on PM and Instagram. It really helps me with my stories and allows me to write more of what you all like (while still writing what I like to write haha). We are almost done with the story but not with the journey...
The sun rose as it always did beyond the horizon of the Dearil Mountains. Flora's eyes opened and a deep pain could be felt on her cheek and lower eye socket. Why did her face hurt so much? Why was her head killing her? She looked ahead as far as she could and saw the bright lavender hair of the princess in bed next to her. Why was she in bed with the princess?
Flora sat up in the bed and felt a shooting pain run from her pelvis to her stomach. She wanted to throw up, but she found that she couldn't as she hadn't eaten anything since the early evening before. She looked around the room and took in the mess of the skewed red curtains, the crooked wardrobe, and the pens on the floor next to the desk. Her eyes kept scanning the floor and when she saw the pale-colored cake, the events of last night came flooding back to Flora.
When she saw the cake, she saw Duncan. She could feel his hits, feel his hand around her throat, feel him pulling her up by the hair, feel him inside her. Everything hurt. Flora placed a hand on her chest as she found it harder to breathe, her breath burning as it moved through her throat. She was thirsty, why was she thirsty? Everything hurt, everything burned.
Hearing a quiet, tired moan and feeling the mattress move beside her, Flora looked over to Krystal, her eyes frantic as she watched the princess wake up. She couldn't breathe. She felt like she was going to die.
"Flora," Krystal shot up in her bed, "Flora, you are okay. You are alright. You are going to be okay. Please just take a deep breath."
"I can't..." Flora inhaled with a gasp, "I can't...I can't breathe. Your Highness, I can't breathe. Help…help…"
Krystal nodded and swung her legs over the edge of the bed as she ran into the washroom. Grabbing the pitcher of water on the large stone counter, Krystal couldn't focus on finding a glass as she brought the pitcher back into the bedroom. She ran next to Flora's side and held out the large pitcher.
"Drink, Flora. Drink and try to breathe." Krystal commanded as she placed the pitcher in Flora's hand. Flora's hands shook as she grabbed the pitcher of water and brought it to her lips. As the cool metal hit her mouth, she winced, forgetting the cut on her lip from the general's belt buckle. Still, she brought the pitcher to her mouth and felt herself begin to relax as she felt the cool water soothe her burning throat.
"Good, Flora. You're okay. You're okay, I am here." Krystal ran her hand over Flora's hair, the small tangles catching between her fingers.
Flora removed the pitcher from her mouth as she took a deep breath. She wiped away the water from her mouth and looked up towards Krystal.
"I am sorry, Your Highness. I just saw the...I felt...I remember what he did to me..." Flora stammered as she brought the pitcher back up to her mouth to take another drink.
"Don't apologize," Krystal said as she continued to softly rub Flora's head, "and that is a command. No more apologizing for your reactions to that piece of sh-"
"Language, Your Highness."
"He is a piece of shit, Flora. An absolute waste of space and if I ever see him again, I'll-"
"Your Highness, please. I don't want to think about him right now." Flora sighed.
"Of course, of course. But just know that if I ever see him, I'll, well, I don't know what I'll do but I can assure you that it is not going to be good."
Flora gave Krystal a smile but winced when she felt a dull pain in her jaw. She raised a hand and winced again when her fingertips touched her face.
"You'll heal soon, Flora. Saladin said that you would be alright, and I know that you heal faster given your powers."
"It just hurts," Flora replied as she felt her cheek under her hand. It was warm and it felt swollen. How bad had it truly been? How did she look at the moment? She was curious but she knew that if she looked in the mirror, she would be saddened to see the reflection staring back at her.
Flora made a move to get up from the bed but was stopped when she felt a hand on top of hers.
"Oh no you don't." Krystal stared down at Flora as she took the empty pitcher from Flora's hands, "You are on bedrest. Saladin's orders."
"But I must prepare for the day, Your Highness." Flora replied, "I must get dressed and see to your breakfast."
"Your orders for the day are to stay in this bed while I bring you food and gossip." Krystal smiled as she placed the pitcher on her bedside table.
"You know what I say about gossip, Your Highness."
"Well, I guess it can't be gossip if I am wanting to know more about you. I am dying to know about you and the prince."
Flora's eyes widened in shock, well, widened as much as they could in their swollen state, "Me and Hel-His Highness? Are you sure?"
"Flora," Krystal's voice softened, "he makes you happy and he loves you. It is like a romance novel come to life. I want to hear all about it."
"And you aren't upset?" Flora asked.
"No, not anymore," Krystal shook her head, "I cannot be mad when the prince never loved me. He never made any indication that he did, I was just oblivious to his feelings for you. I should have noticed the way that you two looked at each other, the way his mouth would turn up ever so slightly when you spoke in the corner of the study, or how he would spend time savoring the food that you had made for tea. I should have known that he is in love with you, I was just too caught up in my own fantasies of marrying the prince and becoming the queen of a distant land. It was all that had ever been expected of me as a princess. But I will not be with someone who doesn't love me. I want whoever I marry to love me as much as I can clearly see how much Helia loves you."
Flora smiled weakly up at Krystal, "Then I shall tell you everything, Your Highness."
"Good," Krystal's smile grew again, "spare no detail. I want to know it all."
Helia sat at his desk in his room, preparing for the meetings that he was to have with the Council. While the meeting had been to discuss the latest victory in Koria, Helia had a victory of his own that he sought to gain.
Pouring over the documents in front of him, Helia tried to make sense of the marriage contract that his parents and the King and Queen of Linphea had drafted nearly twenty-four years ago. It all seemed straightforward as far as marriage contracts were concerned. Every 'I' had been dotted and every 'T' had been crossed. There was not a comma out of place or a period forgotten. It was a very average contract, with the typical royal addendums, and that is what Helia had stressed over the most. If there was one thing that he knew about his father, it was that he was always a step ahead. While the contract had been drafted in good faith, his father had always been a man of words and deception. Azrael, while not always malicious, was always cunning. So Helia had to make sure that nothing went unread or unnoticed.
Everything was dependent on the success of this meeting. He would announce that there had been a mutual agreement between both betrothed parties that they did not seek to carry forth the terms of the contract. Krystal wanted to find love with someone else while Helia had already found the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. However, just because he and Krystal had come to an understanding didn't mean that the two countries would see eye to eye. The last thing that Helia wanted was to start another war. That was his father's pastime, Helia would much rather spend his time reading to Flora, listening to her and Krystal talk of home, or holding Flora in his arms as he watched her fall asleep.
Helia had to make sure that everything was perfect.
Looking at the clock in the corner of his room, Helia noticed the time and the fact that Flora had not been to his room yet. Ever since the incident with Krystal, Flora had spent most of her time with him. Krystal said that she would talk to Flora today, but he didn't know when. Perhaps the princess and Flora have already talked. Perhaps everything is okay. Helia sincerely hoped so, he didn't like the conflict and he didn't like seeing either woman upset.
The clock also indicated the time that had passed and that it was time for Helia to make his way to the meeting. He gathered the loose papers of the contract and stacked them neatly on top of each other, taking care that all of the pages were neat and in order. Helia was sweating in the cold palace at the gravity of the situation. There was the possibility of war between two countries all because he fell in love with the wrong woman that Linphea had sent over. Or worse, the Council could reject the proposal of ending the contract. Helia was the prince, but when it came to these matters, the Council had the final say acting as the extension of his father and the Council was loyal to the king, much to Helia's chagrin.
As he stood up from the desk, Helia adjusted the collar of his black jacket and straightened the buttons. Everything had to be perfect. He would tolerate the dark colors for this meeting if that meant he made a good impression. He would be the perfect prince. Anything to get out of the contract and have Flora by his side as his wife and queen. Helia took a deep breath before straightening his posture and opening the door to his bedroom and making his way out into the hallway.
Helia walked down the same corridor that he always did, his boots hitting the ground, and servants throughout the palace stopping to reverence their prince. Helia paid the sounds and sights no mind as he kept walking down the hall until he was stopped when he saw a flash of purple carrying a pile of cloth. Helia stopped in his tracks as he saw Krystal making her way down the corridor carrying a pile of cloth that appeared to be dresses. Pinks, greens, and light purples filled her arms, the same colors that Flora liked to wear. Helia looked behind her and saw that she was coming from the direction of the servants' quarters.
"Good afternoon, Your Highness." Helia stopped Krystal in the hallway.
"Oh, good afternoon, Prince Helia," Krystal smiled as she raised a hand to wipe a piece of purple hair from her face that had fallen out of her low braid. "Are you ready for the meeting today?"
"I was on my way there now," Helia replied, "I just...what are you doing?"
"Going to my room, Your Highness. Was I supposed to attend the meeting as well? You told me last night that you would be able to-"
"No, I mean you are carrying..." Helia gestured to the pile of gowns in Krystal's arms.
"Oh!" Krystal smiled, "Yes, I had to grab some gowns for Flora-"
"You have talked to her?" Helia asked, his mouth forming a bright smile as he took in the news that Krystal and Flora were speaking again.
"Flora came to my room last night and surprised me with cake." Krystal would leave it at that, she promised not to tell Helia the events of the night before. And it wasn't a complete lie. Flora did bring her cake in the hopes of presenting it as a peace offering.
"I will have to stop by and have some cake. I remember at the ball you telling me that-"
"No!" Krystal interrupted, "I mean, there is no cake left, Your Highness. We ate all the cake. Well, I ate it all. You know how I love Flora's baking."
Helia chuckled, "Ah yes, she does make excellent cake and bread."
"Precisely, Your Highness. That is why there is no cake left. So no need to come to my room for cake."
"So why have you fetched Flora's gowns?" Helia asked, still unsure why the princess was fetching her handmaiden's things.
"Um, Flora cannot leave my room," Krystal replied, trying to hide her nerves. She just wanted to get back to Flora. Krystal didn't want Flora to worry, and she didn't need Helia asking any more questions.
"What? Why?"
"She's sick, Your Highness."
"Sick?"
"Yes, nasty case of the Linphean Flu."
"Linphean Flu?"
"I am just as shocked as you are, Your Highness. She must have caught it from someone at the market or a servant who went to the market brought it back to the palace. She is on strict bed rest."
"She seemed fine yesterday," Helia remarked.
"Flora woke up with it. She spent the night in my room, both of us talking until the late hours of the evening. When she woke this morning, she looked terrible. Her eyes were swollen shut, her nose running, a stomachache. The Linphean Flu is known to just really hit you. Awful sickness."
Helia nodded, "I will come pay her a visit after my meeting. I will bring her soup."
"No! It is highly contagious. You must not visit her, Your Highness."
"But she is staying in your room?" Helia tilted his head in confusion.
"I am a Linphean, and I have had the flu multiple times and each time it gets easier to bear. Flora doesn't want it to spread around the palace and infect people who have never had the Linphean Flu. She also doesn't want to get you sick, Your Highness. She knows how busy you are and how important your duties are." Krystal put a calm hand on Helia's arm as she gave him a smile, "She will be fine, Your Highness. Those with powers are known to get better faster than those without powers. She will be good as new in no time and you two can go back to your reading lessons or whatever it is that you two have planned with one another."
Helia chuckled and his face relaxed, "Very well, but please be advised that I am not one to shy away from a sick woman. Especially not Flora."
"And you be advised, Your Highness that I think that we both know that Flora is not a woman that you would want to upset. At times she can be quite..."
"Resolute?"
Krystal laughed, "Yes. That." She looked up at Helia and shook her head, remembering all the times that Flora would find the words that Krystal could not seem to locate, "You and Flora really are perfect for each other."
The men droned on in the meeting. It had been over an hour, and they were still discussing the harvest. While an important topic, Helia was itching at the chance to bring up the topic of the marriage contract. He needed to at least mention it but as the clock kept ticking, his chance to say anything grew smaller and smaller. November was just around the corner and with the winter fast approaching, meetings would be cancelled due to the extreme weather and council members would be shut away in their homes. Not to mention that the winter meant wedding preparations and he had no intention of marrying the princess come the spring. Neither he nor Krystal wanted to go through with the marriage. He had to let them know that the only woman he would be with was Flora. She is who he wanted. She is who Helia would marry the minute he was allowed to.
"...and the wheat harvest of the villages down south, what of them?" a council member turned to one of the southern representatives.
"A little down from previous years but the summer had been colder than the years previous. The winds from the west certainly had an impact. Plus, most of our earlier harvest was sent to the front lines."
"Very well," the man said, "we look forward to seeing the final yield totals come the end of the fall. If there are no other matters that need to be addressed, I feel that it would be best to end-"
"I have something that I would like to bring to the attention of the Council." Helia rose to his feet and all eyes fell onto him. He rarely spoke or brought anything up in the meetings. He usually just attended because he had to because his father would rather spend his time planning out which kingdom he would invade next.
"Your Highness, of course." a member of the council remarked as he gave Helia a slight now of his head in recognition.
Helia looked down at the papers in front of him on the large wooden table. He flipped through the pages absentmindedly as he gathered his thoughts. It was now or never, he had to present his proposal to end the proposal to the council or be stuck in a loveless marriage with a woman, who while amazing, was not the woman that he wanted to be with.
"I call your attention to a matter that has been the topic of many during the summer months and that is my current engagement to the Princess Krystal of Linphea." Helia addressed the room.
"Last night, the princess expressed the desire to be severed from the marriage contract and I am in agreement."
There was a murmur amongst the men in the room as they looked from Helia to one another.
"The princess and I discussed different avenues by which we would be able to break the marriage contract in a way that would be both agreeable and amicable to both parties."
"Your Highness," one of the council members spoke, "this contract has been a long withstanding symbol of peace between our country and Linphea. The breaking of this union could be detrimental."
"I understand that, Council Member Warren but the princess and I feel that it would be best to break the marriage contract. She has assured me that no harm will befall Hademort from Linphea because of our decision and I have promised the same. We ask that the council accept our agreement and end the marriage contract."
There was a still silence as Helia looked out amongst the council, his eyes scanning over each dark-haired, pale-skinned man and took in their pensive expressions. Helia could barely breathe as he waited for someone, anyone, to respond.
"While the promise of peace is reassuring," a member spoke up, "the question of marriage still remains. Your Highness, you are twenty-seven years old and while His Majesty is still in excellent health, Hademort will need to ensure that the royal line is secure. You must marry soon and produce an heir for both your father and the council to feel confident that the royal line is secure for the foreseeable future. We waited for the princess for three years, we are not sure how much longer we will be able to wait to secure another match."
"I already have a match in mind," Helia remarked with a smile.
"And who might that be, Your Highness? All the princesses of age are either married or engaged. I do suppose there is the second princess of Dyamond but she is still a mere child. We will not be able to wait that long, Your Highness."
Helia shook his head, "No, I intend to ask for Flora of Linphea to be my bride and future Queen of Hademort."
There was a stunned silence as all the council members looked up at Helia.
"But, Your Highness," one of the men quietly spoke, "she is but a handmaiden. She is not of any royal or noble blood. She has no dowry and no status. She would not be a suitable fit for you, Your Highness."
Helia opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by another council member.
"And the girl is engaged to General Duncan."
Snapping his head over to the man who spoke, Helia clenched his jaw at the mention of the general.
"And what is a general to a prince, Council Member Whittaker?" Helia seethed.
"Nothing, Your Highness." Whittaker recoiled into his seat, "It's just that your father, His Majesty the King, made and announced the engagement. The question then becomes, what is a prince to a king, Your Highness."
Helia relaxed his jaw and body as he looked at the dark-haired man who looked at Helia with fear. He did not mean to frighten the man, but Helia would much rather not hear of the general. Helia had quite enjoyed not hearing about or seeing the general during the campaign in Koria but ever since Duncan had returned from the front two days ago and walked back onto the training field, it was like Helia couldn't escape the man. The only reprieve he had gotten was when he spent time with Flora. He didn't speak about the general and she didn't ask.
"Fine," Helia brought his hand up to rub the bridge of his nose, "I will talk to my father. But I ask that you agree upon the dissolution of the marriage contract between the princess and me."
"We shall consider it, Your Highness, and report our decision come our next meeting."
Helia nodded and gathered up the papers in his hands. He knew that was all that he was going to get as a response from the council and a maybe was far better than a no.
"We are done for the day, gentlemen. I look forward to our next meeting and to the Council's decision."
The men of the council stood up and gave Helia a bow as he made his way to the door of the meeting room. As the door shut behind him, Helia took a deep breath and calmed his racing heart. It went better than he expected but not as well as he had hoped. He wished that the council would have been in enthusiastic agreement over the proposal that he had to marry Flora. He had secured peace and the people of the palace loved Flora, maybe a little too much for his liking. He had forgotten about his father and the plan to marry her off to Duncan. Helia dreaded the idea of talking to his father about his plans. Azrael hated him and Duncan had come home victorious from the battle, there was no way that his father was going to take away something or someone promised to Duncan and give to Helia.
Helia walked down the corridors of the palace, heading to his room where he longed to take off the dark colors of his uniform. He also longed to see Flora, but he heeded Krystal's advice to stay away. He knew that Flora would be upset if he had gotten sick because of her and with his father and Duncan back together, Helia had to be alert to all that they might have planned. Duncan already had Flora, all Helia had left was his crown and he couldn't be sure that Duncan wasn't after that as well. Helia could not afford to be sick.
However, before Helia found his way back to his room, Helia thought that he would stop down at the kitchen. If he could not be with Flora, then he would send up some soup to make sure that Flora knew that he was thinking of her. It had only been a day since he had seen her, and he already missed her. What was wrong with him? He truly was a man obsessed, but who could blame him?
He made his way down the stairs to the kitchen and servants' quarters where he passed by servants who bowed to him, just as they did in the hallway. Before he could turn the corner into the kitchen, he heard his grandfather speaking to a man who sounded like the palace physician. Peaking around the corner, he saw his grandfather, and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw the old physician. Was there something wrong? Was Saladin okay? He was old but he wasn't that old.
"...the bleeding has stopped but I worry that she has said that her head and abdomen keep bringing her pain." Saladin sighed as he leaned forward to the physician. So he wasn't talking to the physician for his own sake.
"I see." the physician stroked his chin, "As long as the bleeding has ceased for now, she should be fine. Viviana would bleed for days, weeks sometimes. After a day, I would not be too concerned if the girl keeps bleeding. However, as we all know, if a fever were to break out there might be a cause for concern. As for the head, plenty of rest should be enough and maybe some tea to help. I would not worry too much, my friend. From what you have told me, she seems like a strong woman to have endured so much pain."
"I just worry," Saladin slumped in his chair, "I don't know what would happen if she were to...I begin to think about how the princess or the prince would handle the news should she succumb."
Helia perked up at the mention of "the prince". What was going on? What happened? Who was in trouble?
"Give the Linphean girl a cup of chamomile tea with her supper and in the mornings, peppermint tea should help with the abdominal pains."
Were they talking about Flora? She was bleeding? Was she hurt?
"What is going on?" Helia asked as he appeared around the corner. The two older men whipped their head's around to face Helia. They straightened up in their chairs and gave the young prince nervous smiles.
"Nothing, Your Highness." the physician responded.
"Horse shit!" Helia cursed, "I heard you two talking. Has something happened to Flora?"
Saladin replied, "No, not at all, Helia. Flora just suffered a nasty fall last night and has been having some abdominal pain and headaches as a result."
Helia glared at the old men before narrowing his eyes towards Saladin, "The princess told me that Flora came down with an illness. Now I am hearing that she suffered a fall?"
"Yes, she fell last night and unfortunately fell ill this morning." Saladin tried not to stammer but he could feel his voice begin to waver. He hated lying to Helia, but Flora had begged him not to tell the prince, but Saladin did not know how much longer he could keep the secret. "Flora just came down a case of rotten luck if you ask me. Hence why I am consulting the physician, a fall and an illness, recipe for a disaster that I would like to prevent."
Helia inhaled, "I am inclined to believe you, but you mentioned my mother. How sick and injured is Flora? What exactly happened?"
Saladin looked down at the large wooden table and to the physician. He opened his mouth to speak when a shrill and nasally voice interrupted him from the doorway.
"That Linphean bitch only got what was coming to her."
Helia quickly turned around and in the doorway was a servant with dark hair and gray eyes. He had seen her around Duncan from time to time, Marcy or Muffy was her name. He had never paid her any mind, never carrying about the women who threw themselves at the general. Whatever her name was, he didn't care. However, she knew something that Saladin, the princess, and the physician were not telling him.
"What are you talking about?" Helia's jaw clenched as he glared at the woman in the doorway. Her mouth was upturned in a smirk, angering Helia even more. What did she know? "And I would choose your words very carefully," Helia warned.
The woman scoffed, "That filthy whore needed to be put in her place and last night she was taught a lesson."
"What. Happened?" Helia asked one more time, emphasizing each word, growing angrier and angrier.
"When you were talking to the princess last night, the general paid his naughty fiancé a visit. I have it on good authority that she will not forget what is expected of her again. She really thought that she could be engaged to a man like Duncan and whore herself out to you while he was away bringing glory to our kingdom? What's not to say that once she left your side that she wasn't hopping into the bed of the cook or the stable boy. She already dresses leaving so little to the imagination that one can only assume that she has no problem showing everyone what she can do with what is between her legs. Duncan taught her a lesson she would soon not forget."
Helia pushed the woman into the wall and pinned her there, his eyes burning holes into hers. But the smirk on her face did not disappear. In fact, it grew as Helia became more and more visibly upset.
"Your Highness!" the physician called out to the fuming prince with his arm pressed against the servant's chest and throat. He wanted to kill her for the things that she said about Flora, but Helia needed answers and he needed them now.
Helia turned his head to the physician and Saladin.
"WHAT HAPPENED TO FLORA?!" Helia shouted as his mind was swirling with thoughts about what possibly could have happened. They mentioned his mother, they mentioned bleeding, the potential for fever, the princess, and Saladin had lied to him. What was happening with Flora? Was she dying? What had Duncan done last night?
The woman let out a strangled laugh, "She didn't even fight back. As I said, she is a disobedient bitch and Duncan set her straight. Just as he would any other person who dared cross him."
Helia released the woman from against the wall as terror replaced the anger in his eyes. Without thinking, Helia stormed out of the kitchen and made his way down the hall to Krystal's room. Nobody would tell him what happened and so now, he was going to find out what happened for himself.
Reaching the doors to the princess's room, Helia didn't take a moment to recompose himself as he heard silence behind the doors. If Flora and Krystal were in there, he was more accustomed to the sounds of giggling, and at times, Flora scolding Krystal about how a princess should act and behave. Silence was odd. Silence was unfamiliar. Silence coming from the princess's room when Flora was in there was not a good thing.
He placed his hands on the handle and swung the door open to find Flora lying in the princess's bed asleep and Krystal sitting at her desk. The princess looked up at Helia and shot up to her feet.
"Your Highness," Krystal gasped, "what are you doing here? I told you that Flora is sick and highly contagious. You shouldn't-"
"What happened to Flora?" Helia asked as he did his best to look behind the princess at the woman sleeping in the large bed. She looked so still and so...well that was all he could really see. Her hair was in her face and her body was scrunched up in a ball.
"I have told you that-"
"No! No more lies! What happened? I heard that the general...I heard that he...I need to see Flora."
Helia moved Krystal out of his way with a push as he made his way to the bed. As he approached the sleeping Flora, Helia noticed how still she was and how wheezy her breathing had become. He loved the way that she would snore, but this sounded different, it didn't sound like Flora. His Flora. He raised his hand and made a move to brush the hair out of her face but Flora, sensing his movement, jumped up and Helia jumped back when he saw her face.
Her eyes were swollen and bruised, her cheeks were red and black and blue, her lip was cut and swollen, and Helia wanted to throw up when he saw the bruised marks around her neck.
"Stop don't touch me!" Flora exclaimed as she shot up. Her eyes were frantic as she looked ahead at the prince. She looked at him but the blankness behind her eyes indicated that she did not see him. It was like she was stuck in a memory. "Don't touch me! Don't! Stop! Please!"
Helia didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. What happened to Flora? This was not because of a fall nor a sickness. What did Duncan do to her?
"Flora," Helia raised his hand to stroke Flora's face, "what-"
"Please don't touch me." Flora weakly said, "What are you doing here?"
"What happened?" Helia asked as calmly as he could as he took in Flora's appearance. Flora was silent as she did her best to avoid Helia's gaze. Her hair fell in front of her swollen eyes in a poor attempt to hide her face. But it didn't matter. Helia had seen everything, and he felt himself filling with hurt, anger, and sadness. He needed to know exactly what happened and he needed to know now, or else he would go crazy.
"Please, Flora." Helia pleaded, "please tell me. We...we said no more secrets."
"Helia..." Krystal's voice sounded from the back of the room; she had never addressed him so informally. "Do not ask her to tell you such things. Let this be a secret. Let her-"
Helia turned to face Krystal, "Please, Krystal. Tell me what happened. Did...did..." Helia took a deep breath as he tried to keep himself from exploding, "Duncan..."
Krystal closed her eyes and placed a soft hand over her mouth to keep herself from crying as the memory of a broken and bloodied Flora entered her head. She nodded and Helia turned back to Flora to take in her face.
"He put his hands on you!?" Helia yelled, "He did this to you!?" He looked down at her neck and the bruising indicated strangulation. He had seen it on the dead bodies that came back from war. Flora looked like she was in a battle of her own, though Helia could only assume that the battle was more of an ambush.
"Answer me!" Helia commanded Flora, hating that he had yelled at her, but he was filled with nothing but rage and desperation as he took in Flora's bruised and beaten appearance. "Tell me what he did to you!"
Flora began to cry, her body shaking as she wrapped her arms around her body.
"Helia," Krystal spoke again through tears, "he also..."
"No, Your Highness. Please don't." Flora looked at Krystal and pleaded with her lavender-haired friend. "Please..."
"He also, what?" Helia turned his attention back to the princess. "Tell me! Tell me what he did!"
Flora's sobs grew louder and louder as she remembered the night before and all that was done to her.
"TELL ME WHAT HE DID!" Helia commanded with a shout, causing Krystal to jump back at the sound of Helia's booming voice. Neither she nor Flora had heard him yell like this before. He sounded like he was going to unleash the powers of all that was unholy on the Kingdom of Hademort if someone didn't tell him what had happened. Helia was shocked when he heard a voice emerge at his side, covered in the thick noise of heavy sobs and labored breath.
"He...he...he..." Flora stammered as she tried to control her breathing.
Helia reached forward and placed his hands gently on either side of Flora's bruised face. She flinched under his touch, but she soon relaxed under Helia's tender hands. His hands became wet under the tears that poured from her eyes and her cheeks were hot under his palms.
"I cannot say it." Flora closed her eyes, "I cannot say it. You will cast me aside. You will hate me. You will think that-"
"Flora," Helia did his best to keep his voice calm as he looked down at Flora and stroked her bruised cheek with his thumb, "I told you before, I could never hate you. Please tell me what he did to you."
Flora took in a deep breath, snorting back the snot that had collected in her nose. She swallowed the saliva in her mouth, the contraction of her throat as she swallowed painful under her bruised throat. She opened her green eyes as far as they would open and looked at Helia.
"I was told that last night the princess wanted to see me to talk. I did not know the servant's name, but her voice is one that I could never forget. I spent the afternoon making Her Highness a cake, it was perfect."
"I am sure that it was," Helia gave Flora a smile, doing his best to make Flora relax but deep down, he was on edge to hear what had happened the previous night.
"When I came to the room, I found out that I had been tricked and the general was waiting for me. He was so angry with me. He told me that because I had not done as he said, because I had fallen in love with you, I was to be punished. He hit me, yelled at me as his golden eyes filled with anger, and..." Flora continued to cry. Helia was silent as he looked down at her in shock, but he hung on to every word that Flora spoke as she recounted the events of the night before.
"He grabbed my hair and dragged me across the room, slammed my head into the vanity," her eyes left Helia's face momentarily as she looked at the wooden vanity, "I tried to fight back, I tried to escape his hold, but he was too strong, and everything hurt. It still hurts. He choked me, he hit me across the face with his belt before he..."
Flora looked down at her lap as the memories all came flooding in. She didn't want to say it.
"Helia," Flora whispered through tears, "I lost it. I couldn't keep it. I didn't even know that I was but now it is gone. He took it from me. From us. I'm sorry."
"What is gone, Flora? What did you lose? I shall get it back for you if you would like. I shall help you look for it or buy you another. Whatever it is you lost, I will get you another."
Flora began to hyperventilate as she looked to Helia, "No, Helia," she said through heavy breaths, "I was...I was...we were...I can't do this."
Flora removed herself from Helia's grasp and swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stumbled to the washroom before shutting the door behind her. Helia stood up from the bed and made a move to go after Flora, but Krystal placed a hand on his arm, stopping him in his path.
"No, don't..." Krystal whispered as she looked up at Helia. "I told you not to come here."
"How could I just ignore that something was wrong with Flora? How could I leave her be when she was in here like this because of that piece of shit? Please, I must know what happened."
Krystal nodded, "Please sit down, Your Highness."
"No, I must see that Flora is okay. I must-"
"I said sit!" Krystal commanded more forcefully as she pointed to the desk chair. "You said that you wanted answers, I will give them to you, but you need to sit. If not for your sake, then for Flora's sake."
Helia slowly sank down to the wooden chair, hoping that he would finally get more answers than the ones that had been so obviously marked on Flora's skin. He could tell that she had been beaten by the general and Helia already wanted to murder him for it but when Flora jumped from him and gazed upon him with fear, Helia knew that there was more to the story. More than he knew he wanted to know. But he had to know.
"Thank you, Your Highness." Krystal sighed when she noticed that Helia was fully seated. "Before I tell you, I need you to know that Flora loves you, more than anything. More than anyone."
"No," Helia shook his head, "she loves you the most."
Krystal silently shrugged in agreement, "Perhaps, but Helia, you need to know she loves you and she was powerless to stop what happened. She might be able to take down entire villages but Flora...she freezes when she is around him. She didn't want it. She didn't...she needs you to know that she loves you."
"I...I know that," Helia stammered his reply, "just please...tell me. I can handle it. Anything is better than not knowing."
Krystal nodded, "Helia," Krystal leaned forward and placed a hand on Helia's, "Duncan not only beat Flora, he...he... he took her. He defiled her. Helia, the general raped her last night."
Helia snatched his hand away as the words sank in. His mind went blank with the realization of what Duncan had done to the woman that he loved. Helia couldn't even imagine what horrible things had happened because of Duncan even if he wanted to. His mind would not let him begin to fathom Flora trapped between Duncan and the princess's bed. He couldn't think of the both of them together, Duncan inside of her as Flora laid helpless to his assault. No, he had seen war, blood, pain, even death, but they paled in comparison to what happened to Flora. He couldn't imagine it.
"Flora also..."
There was more? Helia's eyes shot back to Krystal as she spoke. How could there possibly be more than what had already been done to her?
"Flora also...Flora..." Krystal didn't know how to break the news, "Helia, Flora was pregnant. With your child."
Helia felt the air leave his lungs and his heart stopped beating in his chest. Flora? Pregnant?
"Flora is pregnant?" Helia asked, making sure that he had heard the princess right.
"No, Helia," Krystal responded with a choked sob, "not is, was. The beating Duncan gave her, when he dragged her across the room, Flora said that she kept running into furniture. He slammed her head into the vanity, he beat her, he choked her, he took her with such violent force-"
"Stop!" Helia held out a hand, "Stop, please. I don't want to hear it."
"It was too much on her." Krystal sighed, "I'm so sorry, Helia but she miscarried. There is not to be a child. Not anymore."
Helia felt tears prick his eyes as he thought about Flora being pregnant. With his child. Their child. Bastard or not, she carried his heir, and he would name that child as the next crown prince or princess of Hademort when they came of age. But Duncan took that away from him. He took away what would have been the future King or Queen of Hademort. He beat the woman he loved. He raped her. He took everything.
There was a small squeak and Helia turned his head as he looked to the door to the washroom slowly opening and Flora tentatively stepped out, her head hung low, and her hand splayed across her abdomen.
"Flora..." Helia looked at Flora, tears clouding his vision.
"Helia I am so sorry. I couldn't fight him back. I couldn't move. I couldn't protect..." Flora gripped her abdomen tighter and held back a pained expression as a sharp cramping pain ran through her lower abdomen. "Helia, I love you, please, you have to believe me. I didn't want him; I don't want him. Only you. Please, do not cast me aside. I know I have been soiled and-"
Helia shot up from his chair and charged towards Flora. She recoiled a bit but allowed Helia to hold her head once more between his hands. He had not been as gentle as the time before as his hands were heavy against her cheeks. She let out a small groan of pain when Helia's lips met hers. He kissed her hard and with as much passion as he could muster.
Breaking away from the kiss, Helia brushed back the tangled curls from Flora's face, tears staining his own face to match Flora's. He placed his forehead on hers, mindful of the bandaged wound.
"You have nothing to apologize for, Flora. I love you and nothing that he does will ever change that. There will never be a day when I don't love you."
"But I lost the baby, Helia. I know that the timing would not have been ideal, and we are not to be married, but we would have had a child. And I couldn't-"
"Flora, none of this is your fault," Helia reassured her the best that he could.
"I should have fought back. What good are my powers if I couldn't fight back?"
"No no no..." Helia placed a kiss on Flora's head, "all I care about is that you are safe. You have made it clear that you could never want Duncan, I know you love me. Flora, you are alive."
"But our child..." Flora looked up at Helia.
"We will have more, Flora. As many as you would like." Helia gave her a sad smile. He was trying to make her feel better, hopeful even. But deep down, Helia was just as devastated as Flora.
Flora snuck a quick glance to Krystal who was sitting in the corner of the room, "But you will be married-"
"To you, Flora." Helia brushed a piece of her brown hair behind her ear, "Princess Krystal and I talked last night, we agreed to break the marriage contract. Flora, I will have only you. I will marry only you or I will marry no one. I don't want anyone else. I could never want anyone else."
Flora looked to Krystal and smiled, "Really, Your Highness?"
"I don't want to be with a man who is in love with my best friend. That would make for an unpleasant and uncomfortable marriage."
"But-"
"Flora," Krystal smiled, "I will find a man who loves me for me, if not, then I guess I will return to Linphea and rule on my own. Who said that a queen always needed a king?"
"Thank you," Flora left Helia's hold to run to Krystal and wrap her arms around the young princess, "thank you, Your Highness. Once again, I have done nothing to earn your kindness and-"
"I am not going to be someone who stands between you and happiness, Flora." Krystal cut Flora off with a smile, "You deserve every ounce of happiness that could ever come your way, especially after all that you have been through."
Flora gave Krystal a small smile before another pain shot through her abdomen and her knees buckled beneath her. Krystal caught Flora in her arms as Helia ran to Flora's side. Helia picked Flora up in his arms and carried her over to the bed. He placed her gently on the soft mattress.
"Your Highness," Krystal placed a hand on Helia's arm, "please, let me tend to Flora. She must...she must expel whatever remains of the pregnancy. Saladin and the physician said that she must rest lest she run the risk of fever. And if that happens..."
Now Helia knew why his mother was mentioned in the conversation between Saladin and the physician. His mother had died after catching a fever after a miscarriage. Helia felt his heart sink to his stomach thinking that the same fate might befall Flora. He would let her rest, as long as she needed. He would marry her at her bedside if need be.
"Yes, very well." Helia nodded, "I shall leave you two to rest. Unfortunately, my day is not over."
Krystal moved from Helia's side to lower herself onto the edge of the bed, grabbing the pitcher and a glass before filling it up with water and handing the glass to Flora so that she may drink.
"Shall we see you later tonight?" Krystal asked.
"I hope I shall. Depends on my meeting."
Krystal nodded, "I hope your meeting goes well. I know that Flora has missed your storytelling."
Helia smiled as he bent down and placed a soft kiss on Flora's forehead before turning to give Krystal a shallow bow. He gave one last look to the Linphean women before turning and making his way to the bedroom door. He was stopped when a faint voice called out to him, covered in sleepiness and slight pain.
"I love you, Helia."
Helia turned around and looked down at Flora. Even beaten and bruised, she was still the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.
"I love you too, Flora."
Opening the door to the bedroom, Helia quickly stepped out into the hallway and shut the heavy door behind him. He took a deep breath, finally allowing all of the anger and hatred to run through his body. He wouldn't let Flora see him so upset, he didn't want to scare her any more than she already was. But Helia was furious. He was fuming. All he could see was red.
Making his way down the stone corridor, the setting sun set the hallways ablaze in a mix of fiery hues. Helia's brow was low and furrowed, his jaw tight and his teeth clenched. He marched through the halls, his boots hitting the stone floor. He lied. Helia was not on his way to a meeting. The time for talking and games was over. Helia was on his way to a meeting of his own creation. A meeting that had been long overdue. A meeting he hoped would put an end to his and Flora's suffering.
Helia was on his way to murder Duncan.