Chapter 13: The Mark (Part One)

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He woke up to see Diana sitting beside him. She was turning the herbal medicine the physician had given to her. She took a little of the herb, tasting it with the tip of her tongue.

She made a face of disgust, rubbing her tongue with the back of her hand. And with all this happening, she didn’t notice Derek was awake.

When she turned to look at him, he was rubbing the back of his neck. “You’re awake.” She said, happily.

“What happened?” He asked.

“You passed out.” She replied.

“I passed out?” He repeated.

“Yeah. Twice.”

“No, that’s impossible.”

“Well, that’s exactly what happened, Mr. Here. “She stretched the herb to him. “ The doctor said you should drink it as soon as you wake up.”

He shifts the herb away from his sight. “ I don’t want it, I’m fine. “

“Seriously? You said that earlier and at the end, you passed out. And now you are trying to convince me that you are fine?”

He sighed, taking the drug from her. He drank it all at once, stretching it back to her. She was about to take the cup back when he held it back. She frown.

“Let me have it back.” She said.

He was looking at her, deep into her eyes. “What?” She asked.

“I just wanna be sure if you are the real Diana.”

“Of course, I am. “ She said, snatching the cup away from his hand. “ I can see you are very much okay.” She stands up. “Now that you’ve rest enough, I think I should get some rest too.”

She was halfway to the door, he said. “ Thank you.”

She stopped, squeezing the cup in her grip. “You shouldn’t be thanking me, I didn’t save your life, the doctor did.” She exited the room. 

When she got to her room, she went to sit before the mirror. Did he just thanked her, for what she didn’t do? She exhaled heavily.

She knows she didn’t deserve to be thanked. When he collapsed, she couldn’t do anything but to shout. What if no one was around? What if they had gone out and somehow far from home, all she could do is to shout for help?

He would probably be dead even before a helper shows up.

Erica walked in. She didn’t expect to see Diana in such mood. She should be happy that Alpha Derek was back alive but no she wasn’t, she looked sad.

“Your highness. . .”

Diana cuts in. “I don’t deserve him, Erica.”

“Don’t say that, Your highness. You deserve him.”

“ He was dying, Erica, and I couldn’t do anything to save him. I’m such an asshole. A weak, useless, undeserved mate.” She wept.

“ Your highness, “she walks close to her. “ you aren’t useless or weak, or any of those. You are his majesty’s mate. He chose you for a purpose, not because he saw that you are that little child in the wood who deserves mercy. You did the greatest thing anyone could have done. You screaming for help was the best option you took.

And his majesty doesn’t care if you had him treated or not, you sat beside him for hours, not every mate can do that. You don’t have to blame yourself for anything. You and his majesty deserve each other. So clear the thoughts, no one is blaming you for what happened.”

She bursted in tears. “ He thanked me, but I said he shouldn’t. I told him I wasn’t the one who saved his life, the doctor did.”

“ The doctor did save his life, but you were there for him not the doctor. It’s difficult to understand the kind of person alpha Derek is if only you don’t come close to him. Alpha Derek has been kind and generous to everyone since he ascended to the throne. Even now, he never stops being so kind to us. Take a look at you, we both know you should have been long dead, but here you are, very much alive. Everyone wants to be loved, Your highness, but only few are given this opportunity.” She broke out in tears.

She wiped off the tears, chuckling. “ Sorry, I. . . I shouldn’t be crying. I was just. . .touched by your words.”

“Were you ever in love with someone before?” Diana asked.

“ Yes. But something happened and. . .we aren’t together anymore. It’s almost like years now.”

She made her sit on the couch beside her. “ Tell me about this friend of yours.”

“ I was ten and he was thirteen. Dad always go to farm or sometimes to the city for a petty work and mom, she served here in the palace so I had enough chances to see the one I love. We were perfectly fine. We weren’t just friends, people thought we were distant cousins. My parents don’t even know we always saw each other.

When I turned fifteen, then he was eighteen, he told me that he was gonna travel and never come back. That his father had gotten a new job at the city with the help of his elder sister, and that he was very sorry it was coming so suddenly. So he wrote me a letter a day before he travelled and I wrote him back.

Before he left to the city, he told me that no matter what, he as gonna come back for me. I felt relieved, and so I waited. I promised myself that I will never fall in love with another man, and I kept to the promise. I waited and waited. Months turned to years and I kept waiting for him because he promised me that he was gonna come back for me.

Three years later, my mom died and out of frustration my dad killed himself. My mom’s best friend who also worked in the palace with her took me in as her child, that’s how I grew up here. One day, she sent me to the market with her daughter Freya, that was the first day I knew her. I saw him, but he looked different. I called his name, he looked at me but didn’t say a word.