...52...
QUEIROSETTE
Suddenly, there was laughter in the bedroom.
All the heads instantly turned in the direction of the unwarranted sound -or was it?
The sound was from non other than Cora.
There were lots of raised brows directed at her when she was done with cackling with laughter.
'What is it that humors you?' the Emperor asked her.
She lowered herself into the one knee bow in his direction.
And then she spoke to him with her shiny eyes directed at the clean floor of the bedroom.
'Forgive me My Lord, but I meant to cause a distraction that will have everyone in unison.'
'And it worked,' Matrix said with a slight shrug.
'How smart!'
It was Quei.
'I never knew any of my competitors had such a large amount of wisdom. If it were not that I-'
'Forgive me for interrupting you Quiero Quei, but you are inadvertently toppling what I have just achieved. Please let us concern ourselves with the lady, only the lady until she is well taken care of. Then, we can all point fingers and throw accusations at each other. That is including I myself for I have something to tell you too.'
'Very well, I agree with you senior Zuiderose.'
'Thank you Quiero Quei.'
'Do not mention,' the soft feminine voice said with a happy and willing undertone.
'Get to your feet Cora,' the Emperor said to her, 'for you have done nothing wrong by me or anyone here. Infact, your wisdom has brought us all to a conclusion.'
'Thank you My Lord,' she said and then stood to her feet.
'Now, what shall you have me do for you?' Quiero Quei asked.
'Well well now Quiero Quei, in order for her to heal we need you and the Zuiderose to draw out her Quei essence. You are the only personality that we can reach without actually calling out her beast.'
'Isn't the Emperor here? Why does he not just have her and save us all the strength for this hassle?'
'Did you not just promise to do as you are told?' Matrix asked in a very frustrated voice. 'Did you not just do that Quei?'
'Well of course I said-'
'Then why on earth are you trying to frustrate me to damnation?! What have I actually done to you?'
'But she has a point,' the Little Prince spoke for the first time.
'You little-' the Emperor began but was cut shut by Hyeera.
'That is not a decision for any of us here,' the healer announced. 'Now Quei of you will please do as you are told and stop bringing up rather unnecessary things. If you had a form, I would have spilled juice over your head because you deserve if for doing this to someone you insist is your ward. All what you have been doing so far doesn't show that you care for her at all.'
'But I-'
'Save it Quiero Quei. If you really do want to say something, do it with action for it speaks rather louder than your words.'
'Alright, let's get to work. I shall have to possess my ward then. If I do, I do not also wish to leave her after it all. I wish to stay and guide her. I suspect foul play in whatever caused her to be lying here.'
'We shall see about that,' the Emperor said to her.
'It is a deal then.'
'I never made you any deal Quei. Let us be guided.' This time, it was Vura who laughed. The way the Emperor had told Quiero Quei 'let us be guided' cracked her to the extreme. She doubled over with her laughter until a few others joined her.
'Now I am the object of your humor?' the voice without form asked in a tone that gave away the fact that she was sulking really hard.
'I'm... I'm s-sorry for laughing,' Vura said admist more laughter. 'It's just... It was so... Oh just simply forgive me and forget.'
'We have been here for nearly an hour and we have done nothing but talk like heavily pregnant women, dragging our feet's along as we go,' the royal physician said to them all in an annoyed voice. 'Now, I forbid anyone to talk lest my patient dies. Let us begin what we are here for. If it is possession, let's be quick about it. Her heart is gradually failing because her demon is suppressed,' he informed them as he checked the Lady's pulse from her wrist.
'I shall have to turn her,' Quiero Quei said to them. 'Then, she shall be able to heal properly without having to rouse any other personality.'
'Let's begin with it then.' Matrix began to chant again in the language of magic. He chanted for a moment and said to Quiero Quei. 'Are you ready ancient essence?'
'Yes I am,' was her reply.
'Then I shall completely reconnect your severed ties.' He began to chant again and the soft orange light began to glow and glow, darkening, morphing from orange to oxblood. And then there was a shift in dynamic before the light began to possess the unconscious lady, filling her, slightly lifting her body above the bed. And when the light was too much for her body to bear, her eyes flew open and she began to struggle. The Emperor held her down until it seemed as if she would escape his hands and the little prince stepped in to assist him, joining hands in holding her down. Despite that, their combined strength was almost not enough to compress her and Quei.
Hyeera turned to the Zuiderose, Vura and Cora and signalled them. At it, they went on to either side of the bed and held one of their Lady's palm. They then held one of each other's, completing a circle of three. The light bloomed brighter, ethereal, never leaving the center of the three. More light flowed from the Zuiderose and combined with that of Quiero Quei. Their eyes blazed oxblood, and also their hair glowed the same colour. The scene was just magical. It was until the lady began to scream in pain, her body struggling to be free of whatever was taking place.
The two men held her down while she fiercely contended with everything. She screamed until her body began to convulse. Her eyes beamed brighter, effulgent as the veins around her hands and neck became prominent. She made a gurgling sound like she was being choked until blood began to leave her mouth. It began as a trickle, going down her mouth and cheek and jaw and neck until it became a fearful stream.
'Why is she bleeding so much?!' the emperor demanded as he began to panic. He looked as if he could break the circle at the moment. He had already quit holding her down and was staring in contemplation, leaving his brother to do all the restraining. And it was visibly taking its toll on the man. 'Stop! Stop it! Stop it Matrix!!!' he began to command in fright when he could take it no more, her screams, her struggle, her obvious fight for survival. The moment he reached out to stop it all, everything went still. Vura fell back in exhaustion but Hyeera caught her, steadying her gently. The lady smiled weakly, unable to mutter her thanks at that dire moment. The little prince also sank back in relief as did Cora. But, the Emperor did not notice any of this for he instantly claimed the woman, bringing her into the comfort of his arms. And when she sagged weakly against his body, fully alert and crying, he began to soothe her with soft words.
'You fear nothing unless this child is involved,' Matrix teased the Emperor with his words and a smile.
'She was in pain Matrix!' he barked at the healer, turning to him. 'There was blood! You should have stopped it Matrix! You should have stopped it all!' he snapped as he stood to his feet and made for the warlock.
'Gideon,' the blue and black haired physician assistant said to him with a smile. 'I would have stopped it if it was a pain she could not handle. But unfortunately, it was one that she could handle.'
'You are overreacting demon. She cannot die from that. She is my ward remember?' Quei chipped in as the soft orange light began to glow in the room once again.
'How sure are you about that huh?! How sure?!' he snapped irritatedly at Quiero Quei.
'If I were in her, she cannot do so because I am there. Unless she finishes that which she is here for, she cannot go to yonder.'
'Stop being so harsh Quiero Quei,' Matrix said to her. 'You know why he is like this after all.'
'My heart was hurting alongside hers,' he murmured in a soft voice. Matrix closed the distance between them and patted him on the shoulder.
'I commend you great Emperor of Linamine. Not all can do that which you do,' he said.
'I wish it all to be over soon.'
'Don't worry, it shall. She is alert now. And I can see that Master Kong is attending to her physical injuries.' The Emperor turned to see that Master Kong was cleaning her up assisted by the other healer, Hyeera. The lady was lying weakly there, staring at the ceiling as if she was brain dead. He knew that she was not actually conscious at the moment. She would forget all of what transpired here when she fully roused.
'Yes,' the Emperor said.
'I am completely linked to my ward now -as if I should ever have been severed. But anyways, I am taking my leave because I am not needed here. You all need to attend to her and if I am here I am sure to draw you away from the matter at hand.'
'So you know that it is you who is the disruptive personality here?' Matrix teased with a chuckle.
'I never said that I didn't know Avon the warlock. Take care of my ward demon. If what happened to her before happens again, I shall not leave you be. That is a threat. I am specifying because nothing ever sounds serious because of this sweet voice that I own.' Matrix chuckled again at her expression and the Emperor even smiled.
'Yes I get it Quei. I shall take care of your ward, Queirosette.'
'And Zuiderose, I am watching both of you too.'
'I do not doubt that,' Cora said. 'That is why you forgot about us during your last visit.' The unexpected jibe caused the feminine voice to giggle quite pleasantly.
'I admit defeat. I depart now while I still can before you begin to point fingers at each other -or me and throw accusations at each other -or me.' And then, she was gone. The Emperor sighed at her departure.
'Gideon?'
'Hmm?' he answered turning back to the warlock.
'Be rest assured that the time which you await is not so far. But, you can also try to make it be closer lest what we fear overtakes us at a moment we are not prepared.'
'I hope not. But I shall do as you say, I sure will.'
'I do not doubt that My Lord. You always listen to me.'
'I will keep doing so,' he said to the man with a smile. The physician assistant returned it and both of them walked back to the Lady whose eyes were still open but unregistering. But the moment the royal physician stepped away from her and the Emperor took her into his arms, she began to weep.
'Izhxel, it hurts, it hurts.' Even in her almost psychologically unconscious state, she knew who he was.
'It shall hurt less soon. You shall be fine,' he assured her.
'It hurts, it hurts,' she kept chanting to him in a broken voice.
He held her tighter st each word, giving her and also himself courage.
He needed to do so because he wanted to assure himself rather than her that she was fine, would be fine and he would never have to lose her.
'My Lord,' the royal physician addressed him.
'Speak for I listen to you Master Kong,' he said without even turning to look at the man or even loosening his hold on the lady in his arms.
The royal physician went on.
'The short transition has gone a long way. I believe that she is alright now. Her core will be able to perfectly heal itself. Right now, she needs no medicine except demon venom. I advise you to give her a good dose and let her sleep till the morrow. She shall be alright by then.'
'It is same with my conclusion My Lord,' Matrix added.
'Thank you Master Kong,' he said to him in gratitude.
The royal physician bowed to him though he wasn't looking his way.
'It is a pleasure to serve you My Lord,' he simply said.
Then he straightened and took his medical kit.
'I shall take my leave since we are done here.'
'Both of us too My Lord,' Cora and Vura announced.
'Feel free,' the Emperor assured him.
He nodded and turned to Hyeera who began to remove the barrier.
The magical white encasement fell away into virtuality.
'You get some rest too First,' the Little Prince told him. 'You look like you need it.'
'I will.'
Then, the five of them left the room, leaving only Hyeera.
She was there prepping the bedroom by closing the blinds and hanging more scented pouches.
And when she was done, she turned to her master.
'My Lord, I shall take my leave. Please don't forget to give her part of your esssence for she is weak at the moment,' she reminded him.
He looked down at the woman in his arms.
Her eyes were closed and her chest rose and fell softly.
'Yes Hyeera, I won't.' The healer bow and began to walk to the door.
'Hyeera?' the voice stilled her. She turned back to him.
'Yes My Lord?'
'Thank you.'
'You must not thank me My Lord. It is my duty to be of assistance. Rest well,' she answered.
'You shall be here at the morrow?' he asked her.
'Albeit before dawn.'
'Good then. Rest well too.'
'Yes My Lord. Watch over my Lady as well as yourself.'
'Yes I shall. Go well.'
The door opened and closed and then she was gone.
Then, he drew the lady closer to him and stared down at her.
He shifted her hair away from the right side of her neck, baring the skin.
'Rose,' he said softly before he drew closer to the skin.
He planted soft kisses over there till he settled on a spot that he liked.
'Mine,' he said again as his dark eyes became silver and his sharp fangs appeared.
Then, he gently bit into her neck.
...OmaPhinaPhire