"Just a couple more spoonfuls after this."
Feliciano paced the room, watching as one of the maids propped up the pillows behind Erika, who was now in so much pain that she couldn't even sit up in bed. Laura sat on the other side of the bed, a bowl of porridge in one hand and the spoon in the other that she was using to feed Erika some breakfast.
This was now the third straight day that Erika has been unable to leave her bed, with the backfiring spell causing her so much pain. Just as Antonio had warned, the spell was punishing her for whatever she has been unable to accomplish just yet as a human. Feliciano has attempted to bring her a quill and paper multiple times the last two days, hoping she could write out what he can do to help, but every time she has been too tired to write.
If there was one consolation, they had the time now to figure this out. Tolys successfully delivered the potion to Natalya the other night, and now the fae were contacting their networks to see who could help get a rescue party into Tivalon. Their other two human allies were set to arrive in Niba tomorrow, Erzsébet riding on horseback while Madeline sailed in from Thagia. As there was nothing for them to do in the human realm but wait, Katerina had requested Tolys to help find Erika some relief from the pain.
"Last spoonful," Laura cooed, "There we go, all done now. Let's lay you back down now, so you can go back to sleep."
Laura placed the bowl on the nightstand, before assisting the maid in helping Erika lay down under the covers once again.
"We'll set up a cool foot bath this afternoon again," Laura offered once Erika was tucked back in, "That seemed to help yesterday."
"Tolys should be back shortly as well," Feliciano added, "He might have something stronger for her."
"Of course, Your Highness," Laura acknowledged as she picked up the empty bowl, "Come, let's allow her to rest."
"I will stay with her a little longer," Feliciano declined, "You can attend to your other duties."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The two maids curtsied as they circled around the bed and walked out of the room. Once Laura had closed the door behind her, Feliciano finally stopped pacing the room and slowly approached the side of the bed. It did not seem that Erika had fallen asleep just yet, her eyes were closed as she winced in pain. He finally sat on the edge of the bed, and leaned forward to gently hold her hand in his.
"There must be some way to heal you. There must be some way I can help you overcome this curse."
He felt his throat choke up as he quietly spoke, and his eyes began to water. Moments later, a tear formed and escaped his left eye, trickling down his cheek. As he brushed his spare hand up to his face to brush the tear away, he couldn't help but realize how emotional he was getting over this. He had only known her for just over a week, and she had first rescued him the week before that, and here he was weeping over her like she was the dearest person in his world.
If only there were some way to help her, to take the pain away. He already wanted to know why she became human, whether it was possible she wanted to find him the same way he wanted to find her. The spell was already punishing her, and he would help her satisfy the spell's demands if only he knew what to do. Watching her suffer like this, simply because she couldn't tell him what she needed, it was breaking his heart.
A squeeze of his hand brought him back to the present, and he realized that Erika's eyes were open and fixed on him, concern written all over her face.
"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Feliciano comforted, "Just worried about you, that's all. You should try to get some sleep."
She winced as she pulled her other arm over, placing her second hand on top of their already-joined hands and squeezing as if to make sure Feliciano's hand stayed right there. Feliciano mustered the best smile he could as he placed his own spare hand on top of hers, silently implying that he did not intend to go anywhere any time soon. Erika gave him a faint smile in return, before closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to relax herself. After only a few seconds of calm and peace, she was already wincing in pain again, her entire face contorting in pain.
On pure instinct, Feliciano shuffled closer to the head of the bed, keeping his hands enjoined with hers, leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. He lingered there a moment after, before slowly pulling away as he realized what he just did. Erika had opened her eyes once again, blinking at him in confusion. Her face was no longer wincing and her cheeks were blushing, just like Feliciano felt his own beginning to do.
Before Feliciano could come up with something to say, somebody coughed behind him, and Feliciano spun around to see Tolys standing there.
"My apologies, Your Highness," Tolys greeted, "I certainly picked a moment to arrive, didn't I?"
"You saw that?" Feliciano checked.
"Yes, I saw that," Tolys confirmed just as a blond-haired fae appeared beside him.
"What did you see?" the fae asked.
"None of your business," Tolys diverted, "Feliks, this is Prince Feliciano of Solyra. Your Highness, this is my best friend Feliks."
"Pleased to meet you, Your Highness," Feliks hailed as he waved with his spare hand, keeping his other tucked behind his back.
"Likewise," Feliciano welcomed, "Did the two of you find some way to help Erika?"
"Feliks brought a flower whose scent will put Erika to sleep," Tolys answered.
Feliks pulled his hand out from behind his back, revealing a large flower with deep blue petals that faded to a lighter blue in the centre.
"Sounds like what King Gilbert used to knock out Natalya the other day," Feliciano recalled, "That one then was pink."
"Various flowers in Yuvalon have different narcotic strengths," Feliks explained, "This species here is deliberately reserved for medicinal purposes, for when the pain is far too extreme to do anything. However, before we use it, I need to use my magic and check on her myself. I need to see exactly how dire this pain is, how much the spell is making her suffer."
"Why do you need to do that?" Feliciano inquired as Feliks approached the bed, "Why does it matter how much pain she is in?"
"This flower is generally only used when there's nothing else that can be done," Tolys hesitantly specified, "It's used as a means of allowing someone to peacefully leave this world."
Feliciano's eyes widened and his heart sunk as he realized what word Tolys was deliberately avoiding.
Feliks sat on the other side of the bed, tossing the flower onto the covers by Erika's feet before reaching for her wrist. The fae did not interfere with how Feliciano and Erika were still grasping each other's hands, instead moving the sleeve up Erika's wrist to expose her arm. He then summoned magenta-coloured magic to his fingertips and placed them on her arm.
"You said she was in intense pain, right?" Feliks reported, "Because she's not in pain right now."
"Wait, what?" Tolys stuttered as he marched over to join Feliks, "She was in excruciating pain just half an hour ago!"
"She was wincing in pain only a few minutes ago," Feliciano amended as Tolys leaned into touch Erika's arm as well, "Erika, do you feel any pain right now?"
Erika shook her head, her own eyes wide open too, while Tolys used his magic to check on her.
"Feliks is right, she's not in any pain right now," Tolys ratified, "It seems the effect is only temporary though. You said she was in pain just a few minutes ago?"
"Yes, that's right," Feliciano spoke, "Why do you ask?"
"That moment I just intruded on," Tolys identified, "Erika, have you felt any pain since Feliciano kissed your forehead?"
Erika blinked as she thought about it, before shaking her head.
"A kiss?" Feliks considered, "That gives me a thought."
"What?" Feliciano grilled.
Feliks did not answer right away, once again using his magic to check on her. He suddenly let go of her and burst into laughter, rolling off the bed and onto the floor.
"Feliks, what is it?" Tolys demanded.
"True love's kiss!" Feliks shouted, "That's her cure!"
"Feliks, don't mess with the fates," Tolys scolded, "Free will always trumps true love's kiss, both parties must consent to it!"
As Tolys spoke, the gears turned in Feliciano's head, and he realized what needed to happen.
"Erika, may I kiss you again?" Feliciano requested, "On the lips this time?"
Her cheeks reddened even more intensely as she nodded, and Feliciano smiled as he felt his own doing the same. He slowly leaned forward once again, noting this time that she was lifting her head up to meet him partway. He closed his eyes once they were an inch apart, and focused his thoughts on how much he cared for her, as he slowly pressed his lips against hers for a sweet, chaste kiss.
When the kiss ended, Feliciano allowed himself to linger and savor the moment, and could tell from having Erika's nose still pressed against his that she seemed to be doing the same. He felt one of her hands break loose from where they were all still joined, only for that hand to then reach for the back of his neck and pull him forward so that they could kiss again.
"Aww, you're just so cute!"
The second kiss quickly ended as Feliks cooed at them, and Feliciano opened his eyes when he felt Erika pull away, just in time to see her roll her eyes at the fae.
"I really hope that worked," Feliciano remarked.
Tolys grabbed Erika's arm and used his magic to check on her once more.
"Good news, it worked," Tolys declared, "The spell is satisfied now, it cannot cause you pain ever again."
Erika's face lit up with a huge smile, and Feliciano sighed in relief.
"What you said a minute ago," Feliciano asked, "About free will trumping true love's kiss, what did you mean by that?"
"The magical powers of true love do not instantly work," Tolys explained, "Just because you know somebody is your true love, that doesn't mean you can't make mistakes and ruin all the plans the fates have for love to gradually develop. For true love to have its power, there has to be a connection between the two people already, they must already have affections for each other."
"Erika, is that why you became human?" Feliciano asked, "You wanted to find me again and see what would happen?"
Erika nodded, blushing again as if she could still blush any more than she already was.
"To be fair, I wanted the same," Feliciano confessed, "I watched the beach all week after the rescue, hoping to find you again."
"Do you think he knew you were each other's true love?" Feliks contemplated, "The cecaelian that cast the spell?"
Erika shook her head at Feliks's question, while Feliciano chuckled at the thought.
"If we ever see him again," Feliciano suggested, "we could always ask."