Hello people! Welcome back to "Kingdom" by Droplets of blue rain :P
Thanks so much to Misaki, TwilightUniverse018, Cutetyhil, Sohana Sarkar, Emerald Vivian Rami, IshuRock8, Scarlet Witch of Terra, Justafan, LadyPeach7, Jyotsna and Sehun is hottttt for reviewing :D
Misaki: Yes, almost all the times, mother-in-laws become the most badass villains. Surely Kai is very considerate. But now...this cliffhanger has ended. Thank you so much for reviewing :D
IshuRock8: Yeah, but in annoying her, there's the hidden love. But...have you noticed Max's possessiveness? It will change one of the views of this story one day. Now what to do dear, the people of old eras were weirdo *Sighs*. Actually yeah, Garland is the son of Boris. At first, I put another character there. Then suddenly, my mood swung and I felt, "Nope, let's place Garland" but this worthless and forgetful author once again forgot to change the relation. Look, how naive Misty is! Please pardon her! :P
Yeah, Arianna is my fav :* About the dress of Hilary in her groom-choosing ceremony, yeah, it was heavy. She wore it because she wanted to cope with the traditions and customs of her future in-laws' home. This is the beauty of a relationship. At one part, Natalia and Apraxia are trying so that their daughter-in-laws don't have to face any trouble in Russia and Hilary is trying to adapt the culture of Russia because she's gonna be the queen of the kingdom. Sweet, isn't it? (Yeah, I know that I'm an old-fashioned girl. Pardon this Misty once again :P)
Okay, enough blabbering...thank you so much for reviewing :D
Justafan: Areh! Tomake ki vola jay sokhi? Okay, let's not scare other readers :P.
Oww...another exam? No problem dear, good luck for it. I'm sure that you've nailed it. Now tell me how the chapter was. Anyways, I wanna share something with you. You must have read (or watched) "Chokher bali", right? Now, this crazy Tagore-fan has decided to write a parody of it with a love square containing "TalaXJuliaXKaiXHilary" (I'm a weirdo, I know) Guess who's who? :P
Anyways, thank you so much for reviewing :D
Jyotsna: Heyy, you're welcome :) Judy is actually possessive of her son and she wants the future queen of America to be a girl of her choice. Here's another KaiHil moment with TalaJuli. Thanks a lot for reviewing :D
Sehun is hottttt: Judy is actually quite proud like she was in the first season of Beyblade, not bad. Garland is the son of Boris, I've clarified the mistake now :P Here's the TalaJul moment. Thank you so much for reviewing :D
So...here's the new chapter. Before reading, let me clarify some things:
Concunado: Spanish word. The brother of brother-in-law. In Bangladesh, this relation is considered to be the relation of jokes and mockery :P
Hachimitsu: Japanese. Means "Honey".
Gikei-san: Brother-in-law in Japanese.
So...enjoy! :D
The grove was nothing but a piece of art submitted by nature herself. There-segmented green maple leaves were wavering from the branches. Tall trees were concealing the heavenly roof of the planet. Raising their leafy heads high, they were wishing to befriend with the white floating clouds. The melted gold of the sunshine was falling on the verdant twigs where the woodpeckers were checking the sharpness of their tiny beaks. Beneath them, squirrels were quarreling for guavas and rabbits decided to play the mediators. Before them, there was a rectangular creek. It was also flickering as the sun was examining its reflection on its watery mirror. Like amethysts, lotuses were blossoming there on oval-shaped leaves, using them as comfortable beds to lie down. The entire water surface was the image of a piece of sky-blue cloth on which green leaflets and mauve flowers were embroidered.
Two cuckoos flew away as they heard the clinking laughter of the girls who were approaching the forest. They were seeming so pleased because of coming there. Not all of them were Japanese but surely, the blood of Japan flowed through all their veins. The Spanish princess was overjoyed the most. Her pitch was surpassing all the quietening sounds of the jungle. However, someone behind the girls wasn't liking it. He was feeling annoyed. Finding the princesses childish, he wasn't taking part in the conversations. His sapphire pools were set on the Spaniard who didn't bother a bit. She was seeming bothersome to him, yet, he didn't remove his eyes from her once.
Even he himself didn't know why.
"Wow!" The dual-haired girl exclaimed, having the sight of the flowery rivulet, "How serene and beautiful this is!"
"Perfect for the lotuses!" The purplette added, "We haven't done any mistake by coming here."
"But someone is looking very unhappy, Dew-chan," The orange-banged narrowed her eyes behind, "Maybe he doesn't know how to enjoy the beauty of nature. After all, how will he? He has come from such a land which wasn't blessed with natural beauty...hehehe..."
The eyebrows of the redhead scrunched as he tried to object, "Don't forget that the soon-to-be son-in-law of Japan hails from the same land, princess Fernandez."
"Yeah, you're right," Julia jiggled her head, "He's the would-be son-in-law of Japan. That's why, his nature has improved a lot. But what about you, prince Valkov?"
"Stop talking to him, Julie," The royal blue-haired girl hastened, "Otherwise, we may be late for the veneration. Let's pluck lotuses!"
"Sure!" Agreeing with the Japanese, the Spaniard knelt down beside the water plane. As she touched it with her fingers, miniscule waves rose there, spreading circularly. That amused the Latina more. Looking at the redhead who was bending his head down like an obedient soldier, she tried to find out some similarities between the creek and him. Maybe, she could have discovered some if she had frozen the liquid surface.
"Dew, you know," Julia's voice was spooky, "A giant wolf resides in this lake."
"What?" The violet-head's eyes widened as she gasped. Fear knocked at the door of the fearless heart of the blunette too as the brown-haired American hugged her. The wolf-prince rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.
"Yes..." The Spanish girl didn't let the spookiness fall, "I've heard that it is a cannibal. It needs to taste the blood of two young men a day at least. Specially, it loves to eat those who have come from Russia."
"It means..." Charlotte gasped, "Brother-in-law's life is at stake?"
"Duh!" Julia chuckled, "Why will he be in danger? He killed demoness Katherine, drove all the demons out of Japan, freed Tyson from the spell of a wicked witch, confronted a ruthless hermit like Hiro Granger and eliminated a natural disaster. If someone seems to be at risk, it's..."
"Of course, Kai is a brave warrior," The redhead confirmed, proudly raising his nose up, "With a faithful comrade like this Tala Valkov, his heroism shines brighter."
"And with his cousin, Tala Valkov is safer," Julia remarked, "I forgot to mention that in all the heroic events of brother-in-law, the safety of prince Valkov was entrusted too."
"Arggh!" Gritting his jaw, the wolf-prince turned back. Not talking to the girls anymore, he strode deep inside the jungle, out of their sights. The Spaniard simply burst out laughing at it.
"What have you done, Juli ni-chan?" The purplette pouted, "He came to accompany us for our well-being and you angered him? Is it fair?"
"I've angered him?" The Latina cocked an eyebrow, "When? He was too egoistic to talk to us. At first, I thought brother-in-law was colder than he but my assumption was completely wrong."
"Yet..." The violet-head tried to justify, "He's the brother-in-law of Oni-chan. You should have paid some respect to him."
"So what?" Julia shrugged, "I'm also the sister-in-law of prince Kai Hiwatari. Have I wanted respect for myself from him? Prince Valkov is my concunado and some jokes may take place between us. Why to mind that much? Why's he so grumpy?"
"But..."
"I've just taken the revenge of my humiliation from him, Dew," Julia grimaced, "Now let me pluck those flowers. Stop disturbing me."
Sighing, the girls went behind the redhead to pacify him. Sniggering, the dual-haired girl stretched an arm to pull out a flower...
"Splash!"
Before her, a four-footed carnivorous animal rose on an ice-berg. Its thick, white furs were preventing his skin from the ruthless chills of the outer world. When it opened his mouth, four canines like the blades of Dao swords exposed themselves. Its ears twitched a bit, embodying his hearing power. Droplets of saliva were trickling down from his keen tongue, revealing the fact that he was very hungry. At that time, only the blood and the flesh of a human being could smother the flames of his appetite. Seeing Julia in front of it, it felt her to be enough for satisfying his hunger.
With a jolt, the Spaniard stood up. Neither she had the energy of screaming left in her throat, nor was she able to attack that animal back. For the first time in her life, fear invaded her from all the directions. Noticing it, the eyes of all the girls went amplified.
"Julia!"
Yet, she was a Spanish, coming of the clan of a renowned matador. She knew how to tame wild animals. Dusting all the fears off, she pulled out a dagger tucked in the belt of her gown. Rotating to the girls, she voiced, "Go and inform Hilary and brother-in-law! Soon!"
"Sure!" Somehow nodding, all the young ladies hurriedly left the forest. Clutching the weapon, the Latina looked straightly at the icy orbs of the wolf. It licked its lips. As it advanced, the ground beneath its feet froze. Frosts spread all over the grove. The creek turned into ice, snatching all the color from the lotuses. Woodpeckers flew away. Scared, stopping fighting over fruits, squirrels hid in the tree-holes. Rabbits had disappeared before a long time. Julia's back thudded against one of the trees while retreating. She stared left and right, finding no way to flee. The wolf's pupils shone as it found it out.
"Don't near me!" She hissed, "Otherwise, I'll kill you!"
The four-footed animal didn't pay any heed to her words. Its feet kept moving ahead. Seeing no other way, the dual-haired girl projected the knife at the cannibal at an acute angle. It pierced the head of it.
"Thank goodness!" Julia huffed. At the very next moment, she regretted to express her relief since she saw the stiletto vanishing in the furry head of the beast. It growled, rushing towards the damsel in distress. Gulping, she screamed, hiding her face:
"Aaah!"
The orchard was behind the gorgeous central temple of Japan. Nobody used to come here. Assured by the environment, it became the sanctuary of the birds, bees and butterflies. People worshipped in the shrine, they venerated in the coppice. Attached to the branch of a mango tree, bumblebees were humming around their hive. They were keeping collected honey in their house. Rainbow-winged arthropods were travelling to flowers from flowers of the new fruits. Nibbling, birds were enjoying their breakfast from them. Ripe peaches, cherries and plums were making the mouths water. Sweet fragrance raised the waves of hunger in stomachs as they growled a bit. Luscious they were, naming the forest, 'Hachimitsu'.
Honey was being showered by a couple too, sitting on the soft bed of grass on the ground. The slate-haired prince was resting against a tree when the head of the brunette was posed on his chest. Though it was hard, the princess found it like a pillow. Hugging her collar-bones from behind, he also pulled her closer like a teddy-bear. With another hand, he picked up the fallen flowers and tucked them in her thick and waist-long chocolate hair. In return, the brunette was crooning softly, pleasing his ears. At that time, her voice was sounding more euphonious than hundreds of cuckoos. The man asked himself, 'Why's she so beautiful?'
"Is Russia too cold?" She asked, stopping singing and enjoying the comfortable touch of him on her hair.
"You've melted my stone-like heart, princess," Reply came from her would-be husband, "Won't you be able to melt Russia?"
"A kingdom cannot be melted, prince," Hilary shook her head, "Otherwise, where will you reign? What about my ruling?"
Mute, the phoenix-prince smirked and aimed at the left side of his chest with his index finger.
"Duh!" Her face took fifty shades of red, "The hearts of kings and princes are made for politics...well, as far as I know."
"Then...I'll do politics in love."
"Means?" The brown-haired girl puckered her brows.
The dual-haired prince didn't reply, just grinned once. Closing his eyes, he kept his head on the stem to rest. Though the brunette didn't know him since many lives, she learnt that he wasn't liking to open his mouth anymore. Not wanting to annoy him, she buried her face in his chest.
World-alluring this guy is,
Whose heart-stealer is he?
I'll place my eyes upon his,
Then, I won't be coming back, never be.
"Sister Hilary! Brother-in-law!"
"Oni-chan! Gikei-san!"
"Hilary! Prince Hiwatari!"
Hearing the combination of three feminine voices, the duo stood up. The female felt horrified. Her heart leapt in fear, telling her that something bad had happened. With fearful eyes, she gaped at her fiancé. With a nod, he assured her, keeping a hand on her shoulder which comforted her a bit. Yet, she couldn't pacify herself.
"You're here?" At first, the brown-haired American panted, placing her palms on her knees and bending, "You know...you know what happened there?"
"What happened, Charlotte?" Hilary rushed to her, "Why did you have to come so fast to us? Is everything okay?"
"No...nothing..." Another girl with royal-blue hair stammered, standing beside her, "A wolf...a wolf attacked Julia."
"What?" Hilary felt as if she'd fallen from the sky all of a sudden, "What're you saying, Mariam?"
"Yes," Dew nodded, "Mari ni-chan is speaking the truth. We were plucking lotuses from the creek. Suddenly, a wolf rose from the water and leapt in front of Juli ni-chan. She ordered us to come here and inform you."
"And you came here?" The elder brunette grabbed the shoulders of her foster-sister which made her gasp, "How could you leave Julia alone? At least one or two of you could stay with her and help her kill the wolf. But no, you all left her. Is it a sign of friendship?"
"Calm down, princess."
Feeling a hand on her arm, she looked back. There was her fiancé who still had a soothing expression all over his face and amethyst eyes. It was he who didn't break down during dangers. Once again, through his looks, he proved it.
"I have full faith on Tala," He spoke, "He won't let a single scratch touch the skin of princess Fernandez as long as he will be intact."
"I believe him too, prince," Hilary's eyes were restless, "But we also should go there and check them, shouldn't we?"
"Hn," Kai nodded, "Follow me."
"Ouch!"
Opening her eyes, the Spaniard glanced all over her body. No, nothing had happened to her. The wolf couldn't have even touched her properly, let alone harming her. But what had happened to the beast that it had given her mercy?
"Leave me alone!"
As the voice of a stern man entered her ears, pondering, she looked at right. In front of her horrified orbs, the wolf-prince was scuffling against the wolf. He was on the ground, the beast was standing on his chest, pinning him down. The animal was so heavy that he couldn't move his organs properly. It had a gash on its forehead from which there was bleeding. Beside them, the princess saw a blood-smeared sword. She understood what had happened right then.
The wolf howled loudly, pressing him hard against the plane. With one hand, the redhead punched at the right eye of the cannibal. Enraged, it scratched a little deep at the neck of the prince with its blade-like claws. Three curved lines got drawn there in the shades of deep red as the liquid of life dripped. In soreness, he groaned, "Aah!"
"Prince Valkov!" Julia winced as if she had felt the pain, not the prince, "Let me help you!"
"No princess, stay away!" Tala stoically gestured, "Otherwise, this beast will hurt you."
"But..."
"I say stay away!" The redhead rumbled, struggling to get up on his own feet, "Don't put your life at stake, you have my oath!"
Like a statue, the Spanish princess remained standing still, quietly watching the fierce battle of life and death between a dumb animal and a human being. Unknowingly, tears seeped on her cheeks. To her, the wolf didn't seem normal. Something special was inside it. Otherwise, how could its brain have digested a metal dagger? Could other wolves have done it? Could they?
"Prince..." She cleared her throat so that it couldn't sound teary, "I'm not going anywhere leaving you alone. But I want to warn you about one thing: This wolf is supernatural."
"What?" Tala panted, trying to clutch the merciless ground.
"Yes," Julia quickly nodded, "You have to take any supernatural help in order to kill it. Forgetfully, I kept my thunder Pegasus in the palace because it was forbidden to bring fighting spirits near the temple area. But...but I know that you can defeat him. You have the strength to do it, prince."
"I didn't know..."
"It means..."
"But for the first time, I am not regretting of being ignorant," A new force entered Tala's body along with the inspiring words from the Spanish princess as he picked the sword, rolling a bit, "Wolvia!"
From the rapier, an icy blue light emerged. Disseminating in all the directions, it took the form of another wolf. But it...no, she was way different from the attacker. Azure, crystalline icebergs rose from her neck, knees and back. Between her gleaming golden eyes, there was a gilt crown with an emerald at its center. Sharp ears yanked as she pierced the ground with her nails seeing the miserable condition of her master. Glaring murderously at the former one, she hissed. A bizarre ray was coming from her physique. It almost blinded the male wolf, snatching all its power. Knowing her actual identity, it bowed before her and returned to the lake. The female animal seemed to smile a bit in pride. Then, it also disappeared in the sword. Finally, breathing deeply, the redhead stood up.
A smile rose in the lips of the Spaniard as she sighed in relief. Almost dashing to the wolf-prince, she stopped. Her arms were craving for capturing his body in an embrace. Her head wanted to lie on his chest, her eyes were yearning for shedding tears and getting his kosovorotka drenched. However, her feet didn't cross the line of norms. With tearful eyes, worriedly, she asked, "Are you okay, prince Valkov?"
"Don't worry about me, princess," Tala smiled, stretching a hand to her which was holding a bunch of pink-purple lotuses, "They're for you."
With surprised eyes, the Spanish girl kept gazing at the flowers. They were fresh. Despite being grasped by the wolf-prince; they hadn't been pallid. A single stain couldn't be seen on their petals. Sunlight made them glimmer like cherry topazes. The redhead had preserved them very carefully. He had saved them from the wolf, risking his own life.
For her.
Spellbound, Julia took them from his hands, lowering her eyes. Before a while, she'd been joking around him. She'd been taunting him, comparing his heroism with his brother's. But she shouldn't have done it. She should never have doubted his prowess. Deep inside, she had praised him a lot. Now, the admiration in her heart for him grew more after the fierce battle against the paranormal wolf. She felt tiny butterflies tickling her stomach. She wanted to thank him right then. But unknowingly, she lost the language.
"My lady..." His accent sent shivers to her heart, "Are you alright?"
"Hm..." Blushing, Julia nodded. Suddenly, they heard the restless and hastening footsteps of some people rushing there. Turning their heads, they saw their respective cousins and friends hurrying towards them.
"Julia!" The brunette glomped on the Spaniard, "You okay? Are you hurt?"
"No Hilary, I'm alright," Julia returned the hug, "Don't worry."
Sighing in relief, the dual-haired prince looked at his cousin. Soon, his eyes fell on the smirches of the nails on his neck. Blood was still dribbling from there. Nearing him, he asked, "What's this, Tala?"
"Huh?" In confusion, the redhead queried. Before he could answer, he felt his brain being empty. The sight of his cousin and sister-in-law started blurring before his eyes. The world span, he felt as light as the air. The pain on the neck wasn't felt that much but that spot was going numb. Finally, accepting his defeat to siesta, he let his knees touch the ground and collapsed. Before his back touched the surface, two strong arms had caught him tightly.
"Tala!" His cousin gently placed his head on his lap. Gasping, the girls encircled him, scurrying. Everyone, particularly, the dual-haired girl was shocked the most. She felt her lower body going limp. Again, the same fear when she had been going to be attacked by the wolf invaded her. This time, it sharpened its blade. Feeling a lump in her throat, she lost the power of her vocal cord. Ashamed, she looked down as a few beads of tears drizzled from her jades. She felt that only she was responsible for this massacre. Her heart bitterly wept as she saw the unconscious figure of the wolf-prince though it didn't sound in the material world.
"Prince, bring him to our palace," Hilary assured, "I'm going to inform the royal physician there. Don't worry, he'll be alright."
"Sure." Hooking his arms behind his back, the phoenix-prince raised his upper torso a bit. Nearing the still figure of the redhead, Julia embraced his shoulders. As his cousin questioningly looked at her, she swallowed once and spoke, "Let me help you, brother-in-law."
Leering once, Kai gave a silent nod of approval. Thanking him silently with her eyes, Julia smiled as they both elevated the motionless body of the scarlet-haired Russian up. Throwing one of his arms around hers, she captured his broad waist while another arm of him was inclosing the phoenix-prince. His head gently slumped on the neck of the Spanish princess as she shuddered a bit, her skin pulsated, receiving his touch for the first time. Before the soon-to-be husband of her cousin, his brother came in physical contact with her. She couldn't feel shier. At times, she felt to remove his head. But then, she let it be. Yet, she plodded with the dual-haired on the way to the castle.
Without any reason, a strange attraction towards the red-haired Russian sprang from the heart of the Spaniard.
"What the hell are you saying?" The purple-haired monster exploded in anger, "You couldn't do anything to that nasty land?!"
"Pardon me, my lord," With lowered head, the wolf-man who was in the form of a human being murmured, "I was about to create a chaos there. But before it, I got to meet the queen of our race. Before queen Wolvia, all the wolves are helpless. That's why, I didn't dare do anything wrong in her presence."
"Shut up!" He pinned him hard against the wall, leaping on him. The wolf tried to free himself but it was impossible to become released from the paws of Boris Balkov. Everyone in Doomland knew that far well. Gulping and closing his eyes, the wolf quietly prayed for his survival. However, that didn't work as the ruthless fingers of the demon had already started strangling his neck. He tried to breathe but found it hard. His hands went paralyzed, so did his legs. Whitish face turned blue along with lips as blood stopped streaming through his veins. Skin lost temperature, the heart ceased beating. Since the purplette left him, his lifeless body landed on the floor.
"Have you experienced the power of Boris Balkov?" Pointing at his corpse with his index finger, the purplette roared, "Have you? I have killed you but where's your queen? Has she come here to save you? I promise...I promise that one day, your queen will be my maid! Not only she, but also all the sacred spirits which are connected to her. Through her, I'll fulfill all the goals of my life. Even if I need to be reborn for that, I'll do it! This is the vow of Boris Balkov!"
Cruelly wading over the corpse, he shouted, "Billy!"
Through the open door, a big-nosed guy having spiky short black hair entered the room. Standing before the emperor, he knelt down.
"How many days are left for the marriage of the Russian prince and the Japanese princess?"
"Less than ten days, your Majesty."
"We have to execute our plan within this time, Billy," Boris ordered, "Go and inform the king of Japan that I have waged a war against their kingdom. When the king and his soldiers will leave for the battleground, kidnap his beloved daughter. Sliding her on the ground by holding her hair, throw her right at my feet."
"As your wish, my lord." Standing up and bowing once again, he left the room. Looking at his exit, the purplette grinned, twisting his fingers in pleasure.
The room was colored in the shades of maroon and black. Pushing the heavy curtains hanging before the arched windows, the sunlight couldn't enter there. However, tealight candles were burning on the lusters made of human skulls. In fuzziness of the mixed patterns, their toothless jaws were looking creepy. On the velvet bed, a round bamboo basket was open. Feeling the presence of some light, from there, a venomous cobra lifted its hood and glanced all over the chamber. Having golden spots on the black background of its body, it rotated its marble-like eyes. Ripped tongue came out of its mouth as it sensed the sound of a certain flute.
In front of the vicious animal, a sky blue-haired girl was blowing a cylindrical musical instrument. Her cheeks were puffed; nose was covered with a piece of black georgette cloth. A linear cut could be seen on her nose. Strongly clutching the tool, she kept playing it. Getting the hint, the cobra also swayed its hood right and left. Happiness rose in her frosty pupils as they got fixed on the physique of the serpent. Tunes went louder, the snake went faster. Amused, the princess stood up from her bed and retreated towards the couch. The infatuated snake also moved in her direction, totally smitten in the music. She swirled, the poor animal slithered.
"Stop playing with snakes, Zina!"
Stopping playing the flute, the girl looked at the doorway. There was standing a boy around her age who had ruffled orange hair down to his neck. His aqua eyes were filled with concern both for her and the poor animal which was being tamed. Her teeth went clenched, her fists did too. Gesturing the cobra to go back, she approached him.
"Brooklyn," She grinned, "After a long time, you have entered my room. Come in."
Breathing, the guy came inside. Sitting on a couch, he watched the cobra returning to the bamboo basket. Covering it, the princess asked, "What's the reason behind visiting me all of a sudden, Brooklyn?"
"Nothing special," He shook his head, "I wanted to tell you to leave the snake in the forest. Let it be happy, Zina."
"Why?" Zina titled a brow, "What's your problem? It's just one of my toys which please me a lot."
"Toys?" Brooklyn frowned, "Zina, when a mother chooses toys for her children, she remains very careful."
"So... you're my mother?"
"I didn't say that," The orangette sighed, "Zina, please, try to understand. Dangerous things aren't the objects of playing."
"Danger always collides with danger, Brooklyn," Zina grimaced, "Just like me. I love to compete with fire."
"And the prize of the competition is evident on your nose, Zina."
"Brooklyn! Stay in your limits!" The princess hissed, "Don't forget that you're only the nephew of Boris Balkov, not his son. My father has brought you up like his own children and let you stay here but it doesn't mean that you're a prince! You have no right of interfering in my life!"
"Zina, I just wanted to warn you because I want your welfare," Brooklyn pleaded, "Please, leave the grudge which you have against prince Hiwatari. Let him be happy."
"Oh, so you came here not to warn me about playing with the snake, but about playing with Kai?" Zina chuckled, "Why Brooklyn? Are you jealous of him?"
"What the hell!" Brooklyn turned red in embarrassment and humiliation, "Why should I be jealous of prince Hiwatari?"
"Because you are not so handsome, intelligent, strong and brave like him," Zina confidently retorted, "Besides, you don't have an attractive personality but he has. Moreover, he has got my attention for which you crave a lot. It's simple."
"Mind your language, Zina!"
"You had better do that, Brooklyn!" The blunette seethed, "Why? Are you being afraid of confessing the truth before me? Isn't it true that you admire me? Is it false…...is it false that you have no feelings for me? Is it?"
The tangerine-haired boy hung his head low, not answering to the question of his half-cousin. Yes, he had a crush on the daughter of his step-uncle. They'd been childhood friends and the feelings had developed from that period. However, Zina had always overlooked it. In her eyes, Brooklyn was minor. He was inferior to her. His cheeks turned crimson which he hated a lot. Despite not wanting, his eyes went watery.
"I know the boys like you far well, Brooklyn," The princess wickedly sneered, "You are a gold-digger. You want to be the next emperor of Doomland and that's why you want to get married to me. But your dream will never come true, Brooklyn. Boris Balkov, the current king of this kingdom and my father, will never appoint a sheltered boy like you as his successor. Garland Siebald, my victorious brother who got his title because of defeating the Greek God Apollo, is the rightful heir of the throne. Don't dream to surpass him! I repeat, don't ever!"
Done with her words, she went to the bed. Taking the basket of the snake, she left her room, quickly walking past the orangette who was standing there without any sentence. There rose a storm inside his heart. Zina had always ignored him but never insulted him in this way. He felt dejected. A lot of questions emerged in his brain, regarding his loyalty and faithfulness. He respected his uncle a lot. He loved him like his own father. However, the arrows shot from the mouth of his cousin deeply gouged that trustworthiness with a question mark.
'Am I doing the right thing? Am I walking along the path of the truth and virtue by supporting my uncle?'
"Sir, will prince Valkov be okay?"
Anxious, the chocolate-haired girl asked the royal physician. Her gapes were on her cousin whose eyes turned bloodshot because of weeping continuously. Never had she seen her crying in this way in her life. That was something unexpected from the strong-cored princess of Spain. Her cheeks were swollen too. Fingers were still snugly clutching the lotuses. She wasn't loosening her grips from them. She was thinking that they would've been stolen if she'd released them a bit. Again, the ruby-orbs of the Japanese fell on her lying brother-in-law. His neck was bandaged nicely. Breaths were calm and stable as if he'd been peacefully sleeping. There was no sign of distress or pain on his face. However, his cousin didn't seem to agree on that point as he was holding his hands gently but firmly, sitting by his bed. The phoenix-prince hadn't uttered a single word since his cousin had been wounded. He hadn't even shed a droplet of tears. Obvious it was, crying was something against his nature. But his stiff face, painful amethyst orbs were clearly saying that he was much worried for his cousin. Quietly, he caressed the forehead of the redhead, smiling a bit. The words of the wolf-prince rang in his ears:
"Still quarreling with your tools, lord Sourpuss?"
"Shut up! Don't need to tell lies to give me fake assurances! I was there watching your battle. I know...I know what happened to you there. Kai, are you mad? How could you decide to continue the war when princess Hilary herself willed to stop the battle and disqualify your useless, bloody, scoundrel opponent..."
The scarlet-haired boy had always cared for him. Though he used to annoy him a lot, deep inside, he was a good friend, an awesome brother. Seeing him reposed motionlessly on the bed, Kai's heart whimpered.
'I'm sorry, Tala,' He whispered, 'I couldn't reach there on time to protect you. Only for me, always, you've fallen in dangers. If you didn't come with me to Japan, it would never happen to you, Tala. Please, forgive me…'
"Don't worry, princess," The voice of the doctor brought the prince back to the reality, "Prince Valkov is out of risks now. Soon, he'll regain his sense. But…"
"But what, Sir?" Now, the dual-haired girl couldn't hold his impatience back. Breaking the rules of her original nature, finally, restlessness splashed from her throat, exposing her anxiety for her long-time but secret crush.
"The poison which entered prince Valkov's body through the nails of the wolf is unique," The physician spoke, "For checking its qualities and traits, I've collected a little blood from his body. Prince Hiwatari, do you have any objection against it?"
Shaking his head silently, the phoenix-prince expressed his consent. Bowing, the healer voiced, "Thank you so much, prince Hiwatari. Take care of your cousin, he needs to rest now. I have to go now."
"Thanks a lot for curing prince Valkov, Sir," Hilary nodded, "You may leave now."
"You're welcome, princess." Gently smiling, the practitioner left the room. Turning to her cousin, the brunette patted her shoulder when the Spaniard sniffed a bit.
"Why're you crying now, Julie?" Hilary caressed her head, "Prince Valkov is out of danger now. Soon, he'll be okay."
"All these things have happened only for me, Hil," Julia sighed, "It was my plan to take prince Valkov with us so that you both could spend some quality time together. But…I never knew that this accident would take place. I'm sorry, brother-in-law. Only because of me, your brother got hurt."
"You have no fault at this, princess Fernandez," The phoenix-prince still didn't leave the hand of his unconscious cousin, "Don't blame yourself."
"Julia, I'm going to get some juice for prince Valkov," Hilary spoke, "Would you like to stay here or go with me?"
"I…I…." The Spaniard found herself at a loss. Once she looked at the face of her cousin, once she fixed her eyes on the senseless patient on the bed. When her eyes met those of the dual-haired prince, nodding once, he conveyed a message, 'Accompany your sister. I'm with Tala, don't worry about him.'
"I'm coming with you, Hil," She believed her would-be brother-in-law, "I think I should let the brothers stay alone for some time."
"That's a good girl," Beaming, the brunette pinched her cheeks, "Let's go."
Reaching the door, for the last time, the dual-haired lass rotated her face back in order to have another glimpse of the scarlet-head Russian. He was still sleeping. His closed eyes were serene. Slightly colorless lips were revealing how fatigued he was. Once again, she felt butterflies at her stomach. Her heart pounded, blood became visible under the skin of her cheeks. Heaving another sigh, she trailed her cousin.
Did she fall in love with the wolf-prince?
What are feelings, dear? What's pain, my dear?
"Love and love," Days and nights you utter,
Love is what my dear? Is it all pains-severe?
Is it all tears? Is it all sighs of despair?
Then why? People for which joy?
Aspire such grief, I wonder…
Done!
How was it? Will Boris's plan succeed? Btw, which poison lied in the nails of Cayden, the wolf-man? What would it do?
Do read and review. Pardon the grammatical and spelling errors. Take care and please please...help me fulfill my seventh century on this story. Otherwise, I'm not updating :P
Take care and stay safe, people :*
-Misty ^_^
P.S: Those who haven't read my story, "The temple of Phoenix", please please give that story a read. It's also a Kai-centered story set in medieval backdrop. Thank you :)