Chapter 6

(Zephar's pov)

My body pressed against the cold walls, I looked down and saw voids surrounding my legs, something beneath gripped them. I was afraid to know what it was, it kept cribbing up and it got to my waist. My spine snapped, I got henged, my mouth spew out blood like running water.

I held my burning throat, it was as if I swallowed something very hot. My body slammed hard on the ground and I was dragged away by the void. I couldn't speak, I couldn't fight back, my eyes refused to open.

I started hearing voices in my head, Selith was calling my name, I was pressed down. I just couldn't move.

“Zephar, wake up, you need to try to come out of it,” I could hear Elsin’s voice. Malek was shouting my name but I couldn't see them, their voices were closer in the dark void.

“Zephar? Wake up, just wake you…. You have no excuse to die.” Prince Darius spoke in my ear, everywhere became warm, my body turned hot as I shot up and looked around breathing tirelessly and coughing.

“Sixth prince?” I was surprised to see he was actually holding me. It was just both of us in his chambers.

“Their symbol smoke entered your body, I told you to find traces not to get bewitched,” he said.

“I'm sorry, my prince, how did I get here?”

“You are questioning me?”

I got on my knees and pleaded for my life, he left the bed to his chair and sat down facing me.

“I heard your inner scream from the library and picked you up, your friends are still there, you just came back from what is called bewitchment anarchy and I just happened to know the skill to revive you,”

“Thank you, Prince Darius, I am very grateful you saved a lowly servant like me.”

I held the floor and stood up, he stood up too and rushed to me, swept me off my feet and carried me to his bathroom. He carefully laid me inside his bathtub filled with warm water and stood, hands crossed and his foot on the wall.

The shock I was in didn't let me question why he was being nice, I kept my hands on my thighs and shut my eyes.

“Soak yourself inside this water, I casted a spell on it to cleanse you, I won't have you dragging dark magic circles into my chambers,” he said, still fixed at one point.

“Yes, my prince, I will make sure not to attract any dark magic.”

He turned and left, I slowly slipped into the water and buried myself in it. I felt the wrap, it was painful at first, I screamed my lungs out and then, the pain gradually subsided. I came out of the tub feeling reborn and energetic.

Hunger just hit me like danger was coming. I went to the sixth prince and stood in front of him, still drenched in the cleaning water that had this gutter-like smell.

“I would love to go and change my dress and get lunch ready,” he looked up at me.

“That's an arranged dress for you, change into it and eat that bread on the table,” 

“Pardon me, my prince,”

“Should I repeat myself?”

I ran to the cloak shelf and took the dress and went back to his bathroom and changed. My heart responding to my fears, it beat as if it wanted to rip out of his place. My legs moved as if it was avoiding being noticed, I carried the bread off the plate, so soft and appetizing. I sat on the floor and ate quietly without looking up but something in me knew the prince was watching me.

“Why on the floor?”

I choked on the bread and took his water and drank it. I placed the remaining bread inside the plate and turned back to see the prince still watching me.

“I can't stay here any longer,” I muttered to myself.

“Why can't you stay here any longer?”

“Fuck it, there's no secret beside him,” my mind was tireless.

“Nothing, my prince, I should go and join other servants, I need to get your meals on time despite the uproar in the kingdom,” I tried to excuse myself.

“Sit down,” That came out as a command and I sat on the floor immediately.

“On the chair.” I quickly got up and bounced on the chair, sitting upright and my hands placed on my thighs, my face straight at the window, not wanting to meet his constant stare.

The day crawled like never before, the boredom stretched me out, my back ached, I wished I could stand and walk around but no, the prince is a devil and doesn't need noise in his chambers.

A knock came and I took it as an opportunity to stand up, walk to the door and open it. I was handed two different trays of dishes and I went straight and placed them on the table and rushed to get the remaining. Different wines were brought and I wondered what the occasion was.

No one entered his room except me. I went back and took the basket of fruits and locked the door. His dining table was so long that it carried everything. Without being informed, I arranged them on the table accordingly and stepped aside.

“Your table is set, my prince.” I informed him.

He didn't respond, he held his sword and moved the seat back, arranged his cloak and marched to the table and sat down. He took the grapes and pulled out two into his mouth.

“Sit on that chair,” he pointed to the seat opposite him and I sat down. I was already hungry again, my face was down waiting for his command to eat.

“Eat.” Finally, he said. I was happy to hear it, I looked at the delicious dishes on the table and swallowed my spit but it felt like punishment, he dropped his grape and began watching me.