“I Deserve to die, YOur Majesty!” The imperial Doctor was kneeling before Carvin’s throne, He was looking down at his trembling body with fury. “But, Your Majesty...I am nothing but a lowly doctor and the pulse I took wasn’t that of a sick person.” 

 

“What are you implying?” Asked Carvin.

 

“I think we Should summon the MAge...I am sure he will have a solution for this.” Said THe doctor with his head low.

 

Carvin stayed silent for a while, he pondered over his words.

 

“Darius!” HE said in a dry tone.

“YOur MAjesty,” Darius was again in his long cloak, He placed his hand on his chest and bowed.

“Send forth an invitation to the Mage, Tell him that his assistant is urgently required,” said Carvin.

“Right away, Your Majesty,” said Darius and left hurriedly.

 

Only the imperial Doctor and the Emperor were left in the room.

“On your way out, Send in  the attendant.” SAid Carvin,

allowing him to walk away in one piece.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” He stood on his feet and hurriedly left the room under Carvin’s piercing gaze.

 

Carvin’s emotionless cold face slowly melted, his eyes started showing concern. 

 

               ***************************************************************

 

Darius paced around the hallway where he was supposed to receive Symon, who had been called under short notice. Both ends of the hallways had huge open ends leading into the palace gardens. The wind blew through the hallway blowing Darius’s robes around. He was trying to keep himself composed but his shoulders slowly drooped because he was tensed up. Arcane had been in bed for two days straight and was showing no other sign of life except for breathing faintly. 

His head raced around the memories of when Arcane was playfully chuckling or while she was surprised because of some silly thing Darius had said. She had been here for less than a month but because of her, the palace had become lively, and deep dark shadows that had been looming around the palace for centuries seemed to have been lifted away just by her presence.

 

While he was thinking deeply the wind became intense and it blew dust all around the place, Darius’s eyelids fluttered, he held his hands up to avoid dust getting into his eyes, he peeked out of the small partition between his eyes to see why the wind had suddenly become so violent.

He saw the crispy leaves blowing towards him from both directions. They slowly collected in the center of the hallway and formed a spherical shape. And then the wind stopped abruptly. The dust that was flying around a while ago disappeared and the leaves that had formed into a sphere fell to the ground revealing a tall figure that stood in the midst.

Symon stood straight, with his chin high up and his silver hair perfectly in place while his violet eyes looked at Darius with a questioning gaze.

“I received your message…” Said Symon in a plain voice.

“Your MAjesty needs your assistance immediately,” said Darius, in an urgent voice, it was as if he couldn’t hold himself from dragging Symon to Arcane’s room.

 

“DO you mind giving me a hint? Is it a war that we are facing?” His mind wandered off to Arcaen’s words when she said she would harm the people and he wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. Suddenly his eyebrows creased and a hint of fire shone in his eyes. “Did the woman from RIdavell cause a problem?” His tone was sharp.

 

Darius who was short of words didn’t answer him, “YOur MAjesty will explain it to you. Follow me,” Darius suddenly felt a hint of hatred budding in his chest. But he didn’t say anything because the mage was not someone he could mess with.

 

Symon’s doubt grew as he got closer to the eastern wing of the palace where the Emperor’s room was located. 

‘Did she harm the imperial family?! Was that what she wanted to do?... I should have snapped that neck when I had the chance.’ Symon’s hand formed into a fist, the atmosphere around him became dark and his steps became heavy. 

 

But unlike he had expected, the room Darius led him to wasn’t the room of the Emperor but it was the room built for a princess, that the kingdom could never have because of a curse on the imperial family.

“Chancellor? Why this room?” Symon asked with doubt.

“The Emperor is waiting for you inside.”Darius pushed the door open. And slowly a very dim room came into sight, The candle was blown off and the thick curtains were drawn making the room look very sad.

 

Amid the room on a chair that resembled a throne, sat Carvin with his head low while holding onto a slender white hand.

 

Symon didn’t see who the person on the bed was, because the bed was too high, he slowly approached the partition between the rest of the room and the bed, He kneeled and spoke.

“Your majesty! You called upon me?” His voice was rather soft this time.

Carvin lifted his gaze and looked at the MAge who was kneeling, his silver hair falling on his face. 

 

“Treat her!” Carvin’s voice was hopeless, Symon’s eyebrows rose with surprise when he heard the great Emperor’s weak tone. He lifted his head and looked at Carvin. He saw a shine that resembled a forming tear, 

“ Treat this child.” HE repeated.

Symon, who felt the urge to see who the Emperor was talking about, slowly got on his feet and stepped up, when he was finally able to see the person on the bed he froze.

‘This…’ 

The dark hair roughly scattered on the bed and Arcane’s weak face came into Symon’s view. Her cheeks were sucked in due to lack of nutrition and dark circles were around her eyes, her lips had dried up, even the color of her lips was far away from pink as it was blue. 

 

Symon’s stomach boiled up in discomfort, he looked at her pale paper face with a frown. 

But he could not refuse the EMperor so he stepped over the flights, Carvin left the seat and stood a few steps away from looking over her like a guardian angel. 

Symon looked at the thin fleshless thin hand with disturbed eyes. He slowly approached it with his long slender finger. When his index finger touched the ice-cold skin his hand flinched and his brows froze. He slowly clasped his hand around her wrist and tried to feel the pulse.

 

‘She is dying! But...that shouldn’t be happening!! She shouldn’t die! Wasn’t she going to destroy the kingdom? So why is she like this?’ Symon’s head was flooded with questions, he held onto her thin twig-like wrist. The only thing indicating that she was still alive was her faint breaths.

 

Symon clicked his tongue with dissatisfaction, 

“What is it?” Asked Carvin.

 

“Your Majesty! She has been put to sleep by...Potion. The potion in itself isn’t that poisonous but Due to little to no magical abilities she has been affected greatly, ” Symon replied.

 

“Is there a solution?” Asked Carvin.

 

“I might be able to cure her by brewing the antidote, but…”

“But?”

“It should be ingested right away or the potions can have deadly effects”

Carvin pondered over Symon’s words. 

 

“What if we set up a brewery right here...inside the palace?” Asked Darius.

“Sir. Darius, As much as I like your idea, I am sorry to tell you that building a brewery would take at least 3 months and we don’t have that long.” Symon replied. 

Carvin cleared his throat before speaking. “ We have no other option than to send the Princess to your residence.” 

Symon, who was silently listening to the Emperor, received the shock of his life.

“But Your MAjesty!! That is not appropriate!” Symon rejected the emperor’s words, he was flushed.

“Not appropriate?” Carvin asked.

“Your MAjesty! YOu should know it better than anyone that I live alone and if you send the princess to my residence there will be many rumors about her.”

Symon almost shuttered.

“Then I will rip off the tongues that start the rumors…” Carvin’s voice was cold, making Symon shudder.