The Royal Mark-Chapter 183: Fate
After a few moments of crying Prince Drake was still not releasing Hera from his embrace so she signaled to Elandir to help her with his brother but Elandir just raised his shoulder and hands in surrender.
"Drake, I think you’ve cried enough. Shouldn’t you be celebrating that I am alive and not crying as if I died?" Hera said to his brother. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞
Prince Drake finally released Hera and wiped his tears while saying, "But these are happy tears. And what the hell are you doing here? Since when have you been here? Why didn’t you go back home? Why didn’t you try to reach us? Are they holding you here? My goodness, you look older. What happened to you?"
"I told you he will ask questions," Elandir interjected.
"Gosh Drake, I won’t be able to remember all of your questions. Just ask me one by one," Hera said before checking Elsa’s IV drip.
"I’ll start with that one. What is that thing connected to Elsa? Are you sure that’s safe?" Drake questioned while still sniffing.
"To explain it plainly, it’s food for her body. She has been unconscious for three weeks now and that’s not good, so this thing here will keep her healthy. And Drake as you can see, this is something my mother cannot do. Healing is different from sustaining the body from what it needed so you can’t take her back to Zemaria. She will stay here until it’s safe for her to go back," Hera stated.
"Then come with us, Father and Mistress Valeria would be happy to see you. Especially your mother, she was devastated when she lost both her daughter and mother that day. Don’t you want to see her?" Drake said.
"Drake, I can’t. I have been here for six months. Ever since Elsa thought I died and that’s twelve years her time. I am thirty-eight my time since I stopped aging when Elandir rescued me and brought me here, so yes, I am technically older than you now," Hera chuckled as if she was only telling a joke.
"Rescued you?" Drake questioned and asked, "Elsa said you died."
"I almost did. I erased and tweaked Elsa’s memories so she thought I died but I was the one who brought her to a hospital before I faced that evil witch queen. And before my last breath, Elandir brought me here and I survived."
"Well, to be honest, it was not my intention," Elandir butted in, "I was just trying to run after Christopher by conjuring my own portal to Novus. I was so worried since he got injured before he jumped and dropped the portal stone I gave him but I was teleported to the past instead of the future or wherever Christopher was and I found Hera.
I recognized her since I usually teleport myself all over Vectus looking for herbs so I know how she looks. I brought her here but the High Priest couldn’t heal her anymore and my mother and father could only do one thing for her. And that is to bring her inside the Tree of Life."
"Woah, wait a minute. You mean you say you can actually go inside that gigantic tree?" Prince Drake asks in amazement.
"Well, yes and no," Elandir replied, "there is a small opening like a cave, in the middle of it. That’s where we put our offerings and creatures that we want to heal. The Tree of Life will swallow the creature or something like that. The opening will close and after a few days or hours, it will open again with the creature still in it.
There are only two results, the creature is either dead or alive. The Tree of Life is the one who decides if it will heal the creature or not. There’s one condition though. Once the Tree of Life healed the individual, that creature cannot leave Qiryn anymore.
Also, it doesn’t bring to life what has died. It will only heal those who are worthy of living. It has been abused in the past and it resulted in almost the death of it. That is one of the many reasons why my ancestors decided to close our kingdom’s door to the rest of Vectus. To protect what has been given to the elves by the gods above."
"So you mean to say, Hera cannot leave Qiryn because she was healed by the Tree of Life?" Drake asked Elandir who nodded. "What will happen then if she leaves?"
"The Tree of Life will take back what it gave and Hera will be put back in her previous state and die," Elandir answered.
"Oh my God!" was the only thing Prince Drake was able to say before covering his face with both hands, feeling exasperated.
"Drake, you must keep this from everyone including my father, my mother, and Andrius. Do not tell them I am here," Hera said.
"What? Why? King Tyrion is opening Qiryn’s door now. Father and Mistress Valeria can come here to see you. Andrius is just in the castle which is just an hour away. I would understand you don’t want to see my mother and Milda but your parents? Why? Tell me!" Drake exclaimed with irritation in his voice.
Hera pursed her lips and pulled Drake’s hand, the one that she hit and accidentally cut, and started healing it.
"It is not the right time, Drake. I only showed myself to you now because that was the fastest way to stop you from removing Elsa’s IV. Everything will fall into place at the right time please be patient," Hera uttered.
"I still don’t understand why are you doing this. Don’t you want to end the loneliness of your mother and father? And how about Elsa? Will you show yourself when she wakes up? My poor niece has so many questions about her life and powers that you could have told her. But she’s figuring everything out all by herself and now her husband is taken by the bitch queen and her dog, oh poor Ciel. I do understand why she doesn’t want to wake up. Coz if I am in her shoes, I will feel the same.
"Drake..." Hera held both his hands and said, "Remember you told me before that I am your most trusted person in the whole wide world? Well, for me there are two worlds but still the same goes for me. You are my most trusted person in both worlds. Can you please, trust me on this one, huh?
Elsa had waited for her mate for twenty-five years because it was meant to be. Fate had brought them together regardless of wherever they were. And I know that fate will not let them down. They will be together again, so let fate do its job and when the time comes I will let the people know that I am alive, including my daughter," Hera pleaded to his brother.
Drake dropped his shoulder and sighed in defeat. He knows that his stubborn sister will never listen to him and will still do whatever she wants and all he can do is agree and let her be.
