Combat Healer Ch. 31 (Patreon)

January 22, 2023

NOTE: Just for the next few weeks, I'm alternating between IDH and this story (back and forth), mainly due to Writer's Block on IDH.

Enjoy.

<< Chapter 30 | Ch 1 (Book 1) | Ch 15 (Book 2) | Ch 29 (Book 3)

- CHAPTER 31: Hope -

Present Day

In the capital of the Ryfle Kingdom, a petite human girl with red hair and excessive freckles cried out in pain in the early morning, holding her bulging gut as she writhed in torment, agonized and terrified of the illness plaguing her.

“Princess!” her shy maidservant cried out, feeling helpless to do anything, only able to hold the metal pail as the girl began vomiting blood into it.

“Heal,” the head maidservant commanded weakly, her voice hoarse from repeating the spell over and over all morning.

It was always at its worst in the mornings.

Always.

Another hour of this and hopefully the princess would be able to rest, at least before it started up again later in the evening.

So fast.

They were multiplying so quickly.

Her older sisters had survived for weeks, but at this rate…

The head maidservant flinched when the doors to the chambers burst open, a frustrated young Lord slamming the door shut behind him.

“What’s happened?” she demanded, despite her lowly status.

“Rumor has it that a challenge for the elven throne was issued!” he exclaimed. “We may have lost our only ally in the kingdom. We may have lost the Queen!”

The woman was stunned. “Is it not based on royal blood?” she said in disbelief.

He abruptly turned and slammed his fist into a wooden dresser. “I don’t know!” he yelled, pressing his palm against the wood and covering his face with his other hand as he leaned on it. “Commander Demetri just informed me of this news. His contacts haven’t been able to reach her, or the woman who stands by her side. Sylvia Vanitas is also missing. There is currently no Ruler on the throne of the Delanor Kingdom.”

“Surely these are only rumors,” the woman hissed.

“Demetri said no one knows how the elves choose their Ruler, but the signs are there. And there would be no such rumors if she plainly sat on the throne!”

The princess finally spoke up, a grimace twisting her youthful face. “I knew it was hopeless. Please…please just kill me. I don’t want to die like how my sisters perished.”

“Princess!” the young Lord said in shock, standing up straighter, his tone pleading. “Please. Please live, princess. Please persist, so that we might find time to save you.”

Tears were slipping down her freckled cheeks as she stared up at the beautiful canopy above her bed. Her voice was a quiet whimper.

“I don’t want to be eaten alive,” she sobbed. “I don’t want to suffer anymore. Please, Cassian.”

“No,” the Lord barked out, slamming the side of his fist into the dresser again. “No! We’ll figure something out! I made a promise to your sister! Let me keep my promise! Do not steal that away from me! It’s all…” His face twisted in grief then, the young Lord Cassian’s eyes beginning to sting, as his voice came out strained. “All…I have left.”

The princess closed her emerald eyes, tears streaming down the sides of her face. “And suffering…is all I have left,” she whispered.

No one responded…

It was quiet for a long few seconds, a brief silence and stillness before the horrible pain in her gut resumed.

It was always the worst in the mornings…

Always…

Unexpectedly, her green eyes flew open when a different kind of pain hit her.

One that was deeper, centered in her chest, more of a dull ache, rather than a sharp stabbing.

One that was centered…

Below the midnight blemish between her small breasts.

A blemish inflicted on her by the filthy man who was behind everything horrible since her father’s passing. A blemish that would allow him to find her, no matter where she went, making it impossible for her to escape.

A blemish he hadn’t inflicted on any of her sisters.

Only her…

However…

For the first time ever…

She felt something else, something deeper.

The ache…

It did not hurt like pain in her body, but instead hurt as if it were pain in her very soul.

A pain that was something else.

Something different.

A yearning.

A call.

Slowly moving her hand to cover the midnight marking hidden by her nightgown, she felt…something…

A presence.

Something…

Something was calling her.

She heard no words…

And yet…

She felt she understood the call.

‘Come find me. Adorn me, and I will free you from all other shackles.’

Was she imagining it?

A hallucination caused by her illness?

The call continued.

‘For…you are my Chosen. Come…and receive my Blessing.’

* * *

The people of Aranthar did not react how I expected them to, when they discovered that we had slaughtered their Chief. First, they didn’t even recognize the body as being hers, considering that it had died with its ‘mouth’ fully open, the face split as well. However, upon learning the truth, they were shocked and horrified of the monster living amongst them…

But also somber with intense guilt.

For, as one man admitted loudly, they were aware that any healers visiting would disappear without fail – sometimes along with those accompanying them, especially when the rest of the party didn’t accept that their healer had run off without explanation – and many had come to believe that the regular sacrifice of such individuals was the reason why they remained free of the Decay curse.

That their Chief was doing what was necessary to keep their people alive and healthy.

Mel was beyond disgusted in them.

We all were.

I’d never heard her swear so much in my entire life.

She was fucking pissed.

Filled with absolute revulsion.

And she told them as much.

Once she’d calmed down some, I demanded a horse and cart from them, in absolutely no uncertain terms, so that we could transport the body to the capital and show the Queen. Of course, I realized it was possible that there could be another such creature residing within their midst in this village, but we didn’t have time to try to check everyone out.

The reason?

Because I was far more worried about such a monster existing in the capital.

In the guilds.

Perhaps even…

In the Queen’s castle.

Worried enough that I had already sent Wren back to the capital to warn Astaer, or whoever else she could find that we knew and trusted, with me being glad that distance didn’t seem to affect our telepathy at this point, possibly because I was a monster like her now, allowing us to communicate even once she arrived.

I knew Eliza had been enduring the Trial of Resolve for a full day now, which meant she still had one more to go. Ideally, I wanted to time our arrival to the capital just after she’d reached two days, which would be the following morning, hoping that maybe they’d end her trials early when they saw the abomination we’d stumbled upon.

At a normal pace, we could probably make it back to the capital in one full day, but instead we would make camp just before reaching our destination, and then finish the trip the next morning. Of course, I’d probably be up most of the night in my monster form anyway, so ultimately the exact details of what we did during the daytime didn’t matter.

Thus, we got the large gruesome body wrapped up in burlap and hoisted into the cart, flies already starting to swarm around the gore, only to be on our way. By that point, I could tell from the look of Val’s hard tits that she probably needed relief, but she was still very distressed and thus wasn’t bringing it up.

As was Mel, likewise disturbed.

Granted, it needed to be done.

Thus, once we had been on our way for about an hour, I had us stop so that I could take care of my Holstaur, with her of course having no problem getting the relief, since the act wasn’t inherently sexual for her, even if it was usually a passionate loving experience. And I felt like it did help, with her finally seeming to focus on me, in the here and now, instead of what she’d witnessed not long ago.

Mel unsurprisingly declined to help, suggesting she felt nauseous.

I was honestly hungry though, and was able to drain my betrothed fully without a problem.

We were then on our way again.

Val held onto my arm now, seeming more…stable.

Mel continued to focus on guiding the horse by the reins, walking just ahead of it.

After almost another hour of silence, Val spoke up quietly.

“Master,” she whispered simply.

“What is it?” I wondered, having no idea what she wanted to say or ask.

“Can we…Can we visit my family?” she wondered softly, her purple eyes pained as she looked up at me. “Can you make sure no one is…” Her voice trailed off.

Fuck.

She was worried that her family could be in danger.

“Yes,” I said reassuringly. “Absolutely yes. We have time, and we will make time. I promise.”

She squeezed my arm more tightly, clearly thankful, but there was still stress in her purple eyes.

We were quiet again for a long time, Mel finally breaking the silence this time.

“Allie,” she began hesitantly.

“Yeah?”

She glanced at me, her gold eyes hesitant. “We haven’t really talked about it yet.”

I frowned at that. “Which part?”

She scoffed, only to visibly swallow as she focused ahead again. “You…and Wren…” Her voice trailed off. “What happened…”

I took a deep breath, thankful again that Val was holding tightly onto my arm, not at all fearful of me, my tone gentle. “What do you want to know?”

“I, umm…” She hesitated, glancing back at me again. “I mean, it’s still you, right?”

“Of course,” I replied gently, only to sigh, deciding to just explain what I knew. “Basically, it seems that Wren saved my life by putting a Monster Core in me. Specifically, the Monster Core of a doppelganger, and I guess doing so slowly changed me. My body is now part-monster, the same kind of monster that she is, which means I can also transform like she can. But I’m also still human too.” I paused, realizing I actually hadn’t told them anything yet. “Also, I’m a dual Class. And dual Focus. A Healer, but also a Hexer.”

“A Hexer?” Mel said in shock. “Like, curses?”

I nodded. “Yes, but keep it a secret.”

She nodded adamantly. “Of course, Allie. I’ve just never heard of such a thing before.”

“Me either,” I admitted. “And then while being an Essence Diviner…I’m also a Berserker.”

Mel straight-up stopped in her tracks, causing the horse to bump into her, my Red Oni girlfriend’s mouth hanging open. Val was staring up at me in disbelief too.

Mel took a handful of seconds to recover. “I guess…I guess that makes sense, given what happened. Both in the Dungeon and then…” Her voice trailed off as she glanced at the wagon. She then sighed. “Fuck, we’d probably be dead right now if not for you changing like this.”

I grimaced at that. “It’s something I’ve been trying not to think about,” I admitted.

Because they were right.

Combined with my Stun spell, maybe Wren could have saved me in time so that it would be possible for me to recover, but maybe not. And if not, then Mel and Val probably would have perished too. Kind of depended on what would happen after that initial bite – whether or not I would have died instantly, and whether I would have had time to even cast Stun. As well as how effective Mel and Val’s spells would have been, since they both were about to cast magic to protect me.

We might have survived.

Or maybe they might have at least survived.

But the situation would have been entirely different, were I not different myself now.

Limbs probably would have been lost.

At least one of us might not have survived.

Mel sighed heavily, beginning to tug on the horse’s reins again, her tone more lighthearted. “You know what, Allie? I’m glad you’re not conceited. I’m glad you didn’t want to go to the village right away last night. I’m glad you’re you. And that you didn’t let me push you into doing something you didn’t want to do.”

“It’s not your fault, Mel.”

She scoffed. “Yeah, I know. But imagine if we’d checked out the village before conquering the Dungeon? Even just that one decision might mean we’d all be dead right now.”

“Wren would have been closer, at least. If it were nighttime.”

She glanced back at me, considering that, her lavender lips tugged to the side.

I continued. “What’s done is done. Let’s just focus on the future. I’m a lot stronger now, we all are, and now at least we’re aware this kind of threat is out there. I mean, shit, even just yesterday, and we had no idea such a monster existed.”

Val chimed in. “What kind of monster even is it?” she wondered quietly.

I frowned at that, only to glance at the cart, wondering if my Eye of the Goddess could identify it, even while dead. Never really tried on a dead creature before, especially since I already knew what most things were.

Monsters and animals alike, I’d often already identified them prior to coming across a dead body.

It took about a minute of concentration, but finally worked.

----------------------------------------

Lesser Eldritch (DECEASED)

----------------------------------------

“A Lesser Eldritch.”

“My God,” Mel exclaimed. “Does that mean there are Greater Eldritch?”

“Probably.”

“Fuck,” she hissed.

Val tightened her embrace on my bulging arm, seeming to enjoy how much thicker it was, her milked tits extra squishy now.

We resumed walking in silence.

Villages and farms were a little closer together within a day’s walk of the capital, so the frequency of us crossing paths with others increased as we got closer and closer. Val’s family lived a little further southeast, so we would be going out of our way a little bit to visit her family’s farm, but it ultimately wouldn’t affect my plans at all, and I knew she needed the reassurance. Not to mention, we could just stay there the night in one of the stables, instead of making camp.

Plus, it was probably a good idea to meet her father again.

After all, he was a big part of Val being in my life.

The one who initially offered her to me as a wife, and the one who gave her encouragement as she honed her skills. All of which I’d never actually thanked him for.

Overall, the rest of the day was uneventful, just a lot of walking.

The birds were chirping overhead, the cart wheels were squeaking, the horse was neighing occasionally.

In the afternoon, we stopped among an outcropping of trees, and Mel drank some of the cowgirl’s milk this time too, followed by more walking and an eventual creamy dinner as well, letting Val be the one to actually eat what little food we had on us. My betrothed Holstaur also ended up eating an Essence Crystal too, her Iron Stomach allowing her to turn that into energy – and more milk – though that was another thing I was hoping to help her learn.

The basic Essence Extraction skill.

It was rare for someone to be incapable of learning Essence Extraction, so I felt confident she should be able to get it eventually. Of course, her Iron Stomach still had its own uses, but eating Essence Crystals wasn’t the ideal way to recharge one’s magic.

Still, for now she was at least functional as a Scourge Suppressor.

The sun had set, and we’d lit the one Light Crystal we had on us by the time we neared Val’s family farm. I’d been communicating on and off with Wren all day, and she was still in the capital, with nothing notable having really happened.

Unfortunately, she actually hadn’t managed to stumble upon anyone we knew though, but she was still looking for the opportunity. I suggested she take a break and get some sleep, since I myself might be up with her later in the evening.

Something that excited her.

In her head, it was another opportunity to try to get me to mate.

And an opportunity to just be with me, even if I refused to do that much.

When we finally stumbled upon someone Val knew, her father unsurprisingly, walking with a bale of hay on his shoulder, she finally let go of my arm to announce she’d come home. The large human was more than thrilled to see her, giving his oldest daughter a big hug. He had already been a little shorter than me, prior to my increase in height, but he was still wider with a very sturdy frame.

Wide, thick, and tall enough to be able to handle a full-blooded Holstaur in bed, at least, since Val’s mother was a large woman.

He was also extremely excited to see me again, as well as meet Mel.

Unsurprisingly, he didn’t have a problem finding out that I was also with Mel.

He tried to offer us a meal, but Val adamantly refused.

I suspected it was because she didn’t want to be a burden to her very large family.

Thankfully, he didn’t ask about the cart, or its contents at all, offering to guide us to the stables so that we could feed and water our horse. Being that I’d basically lived at their farm for a couple of days about a year ago, while I was trying to attend to Val’s sick pregnant mother, I pretty much was at least familiar with all the faces of her younger siblings. Some of whom had more cow-like faces, especially the young boys, as was more common for the males of the Minotaur race.

And I also easily recognized the woman in question, who birthed all of them.

Val’s mother was very much like a larger more mature version of Val, except with hooved feet and quite a bit of fur on her body, literally capable of picking me up in her arms as she gave me a massive hug. And she wasn’t even taller than me!

But she also had huge legs, massive hips, and a firm embrace that easily pulled my feet off the ground.

One of the smaller kids was busy giggling as he chased the mature woman’s wagging tail while she was squishing me firmly against her huge tits.

She then set me down, gave me a big wet kiss on the mouth, not being even remotely shy with her tongue, and reached up to pat my head.

Again, even though I was taller than her.

“Mom,” Val complained in an adorable voice.

Her mother just laughed at her.

No doubt a kiss on the lips was no big deal to her when she used to be a prostitute.

Probably didn’t even view it as a sexual thing at all.

Could also be that she was just preparing me for something more than a kiss eventually. Getting me used to that first, before introducing a little more intimacy later on. Doubtful her husband would even care, considering her previous occupation, and especially considering he didn’t react to the kiss at all.

As for Val, it was possible she was just upset because we’d never actually kissed before. Or done much of anything else, for that matter.

Ironic, considering I spent so much time sucking on her tits.

Val got over it pretty quickly though, deciding to suggest that she wanted to make sure everyone was in ‘full health,’ and had asked me to give them all a ‘heal’ just to make sure. Of course, I instead used my Greater Healing on all of them silently, one-by-one, and it basically had almost no effect on any of them.

Because they were all in perfect health.

When I gave her a nod, and announced that everyone was healthy, she seemed extremely relieved.

The three of us then socialized with Val’s parents for a few hours after they put all the kids to bed, tasking the older ones with making sure the younger ones behaved, before finally deciding to help get some fresh hay in a stall for us to use once it was late, prior to them leaving us for the night.

We then talked just amongst ourselves for a while in the darkness, the two of them curled up against me on either side, before finally falling asleep.

Like the last few times I’d slept, the underlying stress I felt caused me to rouse within about thirty minutes of passing out. But, I knew I really needed the sleep, and so I closed my eyes again, this time falling into a deeper slumber for a few hours. Of course, part of me felt bad knowing that Eliza likely wasn’t asleep right now, likely in a great deal of pain too, but I needed to have a sharp mind the next day, and couldn’t afford to be at anything other than full health and alertness.

I awoke again to realize Wren was stalking various guards, just listening out for anything noteworthy to tell me, but not having anything significant to share.

She still hadn’t stumbled upon Astaer, Celestine, Sylvia, or even Alyssa, but technically that wasn’t too surprising since there were a lot of people in the capital, a lot even just on the Royal Grounds.

When we woke up, Mel and I had breakfast from Val’s tits, and then she had breakfast with her family while we made preparations to leave. I knew it might be a while before we returned again, depending on how events played out in the next few days, so I wanted to make sure she got some quality time with them before departing.

We were then saying our goodbyes, a couple of ankle biters trying to cling onto my legs.

I honestly had to admit that there probably wasn’t a hotter sight in the world than watching Val scoop them up, having one on each hip as she delivered them to her father to hold onto. The sight alone made me capable of truly imagining what it might be like having kids of my own, Val as their mother. I could tell she would be an amazing mother.

A sexy mother.

Similar to Val’s voluptuous mother, who made sure to grab my face and plant another wet kiss on my lips when she wished us goodbye. Unsurprisingly, Val complained again in that same adorable tone, her tan face flushed this time.

However, by the time we were heading away with the cart in tow, it was already long forgotten.

Because we had a task to accomplish.

Important news to deliver.

There were two main gates to enter into the capital, with the southeastern gate getting the most foot traffic, given that’s where the guilds were, on the eastern side of the city. There was then a gate more toward the southwestern side. However, there was also a third entrance to the furthest west side, one that was smaller and not meant for commoners to pass through.

Mainly the Elf Guard used it, and it was where we went now, keeping our distance to avoid crossing paths with most people, before we were just south of our destination, taking one of the main stone paths leading up to the massive walls.

I wasn’t at all surprised when two Guard rode out on horses to meet us, though not in greeting.

It was a warning to steer away, and head to one of the other two main gates.

I spoke with confidence at the nearest one as the elf slowed down, and turned his horse slightly to face us, the other holding back much further, also turning his horse around in preparation to head back once the situation was dealt with.

“I am Allister Rosengard of Remnant,” I said firmly. “I need to speak to General Vildred immediately. It is of the utmost importance.”

He scoffed at that. “Know your place, healer. If you have important news, you may share it with me, and I will decide whether or not it needs to meet the General’s ears.”

I stepped closer to the cart, giving him a warm smile, only to abruptly flip up the burlap.

“I think this is important. What say you?” I wondered curiously.

The elf’s eyes nearly bugged out of his head, his horse abruptly rearing up when it caught sight of what resided within, almost looking like a massive green corpse split down the middle with its ribs jutting out.

“What the fuck?!” he exclaimed, barely hanging on as he tried to keep his steed under control, his eyes locked on the monster corpse. “Fuck! What the fuck is that?!”

My tone was hard. “Take me to Vildred,” I snapped. “He needs to see this. And stop making a scene before you cause a panic.”

“Fuck!” he repeated, only to finally get his horse turned around and urging it back to the gate, speaking to the second Guard. “Let them through. Get the General. This is of the utmost importance!”

The elf closer to the gate slapped the reins and took off at full speed, going straight through the gate and bolting down a side street in the direction of the entrance to the Royal Grounds, no doubt to the Guard Station there. Or perhaps Vildred was at the castle.

Didn’t matter.

I just needed to make sure I handled this in a way that would most benefit Eliza.

Wren was currently on the Royal Grounds, hiding up a tree, but hadn’t heard anything overly important regarding the Queen. Not whether she was still enduring the Trials or anything else for that matter. Which didn’t necessarily mean anything at all. Just meant no one outside was speaking of her, which might indicate they all believed she’d remain Queen, thereby making the ‘excitement’ of the trials a moot point.

The woman who had been Queen for the last ninety years had returned in full health from her Quest and reclaimed her throne. Which meant, it might just be business as usual for most of them, at least those who weren’t mourning the loss of Lord Vizen.

However, due to Wren keeping watch on the activity going on, she tipped me off that General Vildred was coming from the Queen’s castle, climbing on his steed just as a Guard notified him that he had company.

Unfortunately, the other guards stopped me at the gate, not even considering allowing me to enter the Royal Grounds, instructing me to wait. Given that I didn’t want rumors to spread prematurely, thereby possibly tipping off any of these intelligent monsters that might be hiding in plain sight, I didn’t show any of the others what was in the cart.

The General looked visibly annoyed as his steed exited the gate and turned toward the Guard Station. Raising my hand, I decided that I would confirm one thing right away, speaking out loud for his benefit.

“Greater Healing,” I said simply as he slowed down.

His brow furrowed at that, not reacting negatively, his deep voice definitely annoyed. “What nonsense is this, human?”

Damn, not even ‘healer’ with him, but ‘human.’

Asshole.

“I demand an audience with the Queen,” I snapped.

His slate eyes immediately glared at me. “Know your place!” he roared, catching several guards’ attention, a couple of them placing their hands on the hilts of their swords. “You will be granted no such thing! Now, what business do you have?!”

I reached in the cart, and lifted the burlap just high enough for him to see what resided within, causing his brow to furrow, if only briefly, before his slate eyes nearly bugged out of his head.

“I demand an audience with the Queen,” I repeated evenly, laying it back down.

Instantly, without hesitation, he practically flew down off his mount and walked over in almost the blink of an eye, stepping right next to me as he lifted the burlap up again to focus on what he’d only caught a glimpse of previously.

Damn, the bastard was still so much taller than me. Probably only six inches taller now, instead of eight or nine inches before, but he was still just as tall to me as I was to Val.

And he didn’t even seem to notice that I’d grown a few inches taller myself, though he also wasn’t focused on me.

“May the gods have mercy on us all,” he said under his breath, seeming genuinely startled as he reached out to touch the corpse. His tone then grew hard. “Who slayed this abomination?” he demanded.

“I did,” I snapped, already having decided on a believable story.

He looked down at me in shock. “How?”

“I will disclose everything, in the presence of the Queen.”

His expression grew hard. “She is not available for an audience,” he hissed.

“I can’t imagine what would be more important,” I hissed right back, holding his gaze firmly. “She is the Queen, is she not?”

His slate eyes narrowed.

“Take me to her,” I snapped. “For if given the wager, I would have bet my life that this abomination was a normal person, prior to it attacking. Bet my life,” I emphasized.

His eyes widened in sincere surprise, and he lifted the burlap up higher again.

“You swear?” he said in a deep whisper.

“On my life,” I repeated. “Never would I have thought this anything more than a completely normal Oni woman. Spoke normally, was friendly, was conversational. It’s an intelligent monster, hiding in plain sight.”

His slate eyes widened at that…

Only to abruptly tug the burlap down forcefully, his head snapping up in search of a specific guard, one of the few on a horse. He then spoke loudly.

“Ensure the Queen is informed an audience has been requested by The Healer. Tell her it is of the greatest importance.”

The Guard immediately turned his horse around, slapped the reins, and took off.

Vildred moved over to Mel and grabbed control of the horse’s harness, speaking to me as he did so. “Your companions are to wait here. You may be permitted to follow,” he snapped at me, beginning to lead the horse and cart toward the gate.

I gave them both a quick nod before following after him.

Doubtful I’d be allowed to speak to the Queen for long anyway.

Climbing up the first set of wide steps, to the first level of the multi-level grounds, Vildred spoke again to me, his voice commanding and harsh. “You are to wait where I tell you to wait, and only move when I tell you to move. If you come within even a dozen paces of the Queen, I’ll relieve you of your head. Are we clear?”

“I understand,” I said simply, assuming he was worried about me healing her.

He didn’t respond. Didn’t emphasize his threat.

Honestly, he didn’t need to.

I believed him. No doubt he would very well wield his sword and remove my head if I disobeyed his orders. But that was fine.

When we reached the entrance to the Queen’s castle, outside the doors that led to her audience chamber, the same place I’d been asked to wait prior to meeting her again for the first time in a hundred years for her, Vildred had several of his men use the burlap to lift the large corpse and haul it inside, demanding they keep it covered without looking.

Still, I heard someone curse once they were through the doors.

At least one of the guards saw something.

There was a lot of natural light that filled the audience chamber, but I could see someone running around and turning on Light Crystals to make sure it was fully lit. I still had to wait longer than I was hoping though.

But finally, it was time.

Vildred motioned for me to follow him, speaking quietly once we reached the wooden doors being held open by one of his men.

“Stand where I tell you to stand. You are not to approach the Queen under any circumstances, understood? Not even if she requests it.”

“Not even to verify that she’s not also a monster?” I blurted out, surprising even myself, since that hadn’t been a part of my initial plan.

He abruptly grabbed my arm roughly, and turned me toward him, leaning over me aggressively.

“What in the fuck do you mean by that?” he snapped harshly, loud enough that those inside likely heard.

“Why in the hell do you think I wasted a spell on you?” I hissed back.

His eyes widened in sincere surprise. “What are you saying?”

“This kind of monster reveals itself when exposed to Greater Healing. It’s how we will flush out any that might be living in the capital. Possibly living in the Guilds, or even among your Guard.”

“Impossible,” he said in disbelief.

“I swear it. On my life.” My eyes narrowed. “Besides, what does it matter if I heal her? This should have never happened in the first place.”

His jaw clenched at that and he glared down at me, my words indicating to him that I clearly did know about the challenge to the throne, with him still holding my thick arm roughly. “Our laws are sacred.”

I wasn’t even remotely intimidated, despite his slight hostility.

“Your Queen defeated dozens of Arakna’cabra with her own hands and returned with a show of her power. She is worthy of the throne and should have never been challenged in the first place.” I immediately changed my tone, becoming questioning. “A fight to the death, were she present, right? As the current Ruler, she should have never been required to partake in the Trial of Resolve. Not when she was alive all this time.”

His slate eyes were full of hatred now.

Because I was right.

Technically, I was right, and he hated it.

Hated me.

I was struggling to not grin, keeping my expression hard.

Unexpectedly, a woman’s voice called out then, a familiar one.

Sylvia.

Her tone was loud, pristine, and commanding.

“The Queen grows impatient. She will have her audience now.”

Vildred tightened his grip on my arm, and shoved me forward, keeping right behind me as I stepped through the large wooden door and focused around the brightly lit room. Compared to the last time I’d been summoned, there were a lot less elves inside, though I was surprised that there were a few, standing off to the side, who Wren identified as likely being some of the nobles.

In the middle of the room was the burlap wrapped body, still hidden from view.

But then, there was Eliza herself.

Astaer and Celestine were standing together on one side of the Queen’s throne, dressed in the navy guard uniform with silver accents, hands crossed behind their backs, their blue eyes sharp and contrasted against their slightly tan skin.

While Sylvia was standing on the other side in all her glory, wearing a silver dress, icy blue eyes piercing, sharply contrasted against her blonde hair.

Only a week ago, I would have looked upon these four women and thought ‘never in a million years’ would I ever be with any of them, let alone all of them. They were individually beautiful, but together these four elf women were beyond stunning.

The epitome of beauty and elegance.

But then, there was the Queen.

She was poised very carefully on her throne, sitting rigidly upright, wearing an outfit I was shocked to see her in. Most of her body was hidden by a long black silk cape that reflected in the light, but beneath it she was adorned in all leather from neck-to-toe, covering every inch of her body, including her hands and feet, only the skin on her face exposed.

Skintight, but also thick, I suspected the outfit was both to conceal her many wounds, as well as to avoid contracting a disease while she moved about the castle. An extra layer of ‘hide’ to protect that which was so severely damaged beneath.

For me, the conflicting part – as I focused on the shiny black material stretched tightly around her thighs, conforming to her waist, holding her full breasts tightly in place, even snug tightly on each finger – was that I’d never seen her anything more seductive in all my life.

Very conflicting, given the situation.

The extremely tight shiny leather didn’t leave anything to the imagination.

And it was very obvious the only purpose of the black silk cape was to conceal that exposure.

To hide her ass and overall figure from those who might otherwise have leering gazes.

However, I didn’t let those thoughts display on my face, pushing them out quickly.

The Queen’s expression was hard as she met my gaze.

Resolved.

Not immediately seeming to notice any changes in my physical form.

Probably tired enough that she’d assume she was hallucinating, even if she did notice.

And likewise, my expression was equally as firm.

Determined.

Eliza and I had never had a fight or disagreement before.

Never.

But this felt like one.

She’d done something of her own volition, without consideration for how I would feel about it, and I could see that same resolve in her purple eyes now. A stubbornness that nonverbally told me her position on this subject. That she was Queen and she would do what was necessary to remain Queen, whether I liked it or not.

I didn’t want to fight or argue with her though, even if we could have done so openly.

Instead, her attitude stirred something else up within me.

I found the look she was giving me to be very attractive, though my own expression remained hard.

The General still had a hold of my arm, pulling me to a stop just after we’d stepped in a few feet, speaking up in a loud voice.

“My Queen, I have an announcement to make.”

She hesitated in shifting her amethyst gaze away from me, and instead to him, her expression finally becoming wary as she did so.

“Speak.”

He continued. “Given the nature of the situation you are about to be informed of, I am declaring, as Head of the Guard, that I find it necessary for this healer to use his spells to allow you to fully recover from your ailments.”

Astaer and Celestine both reacted, visibly surprised.

Sylvia was shocked too, but kept her composure.

Eliza’s amethyst eyes narrowed, skeptical. “I refuse. Such an action would be against our sacred laws.”

He raised his voice. “My Queen, as Head of the Guard, I now declare the challenge issued unlawful,” he announced, causing several to gasp. “While a Ruler is living, an issued challenge shall be a fight to the death, and only after the challengers have undertaken and recovered from the Trial of Resolve. However, the living Ruler is not required to participate themselves in the trials a second time.”

Her amethyst eyes narrowed again at that.

Of course, I understood why this happened in the first place, even despite those laws.

The other nobles trapped her.

They had decided she was ‘unfit’ to be Queen, and used the opportunity of her absence to begin the Trials, as if she were dead. Then, upon her return, if she were to refuse to partake in the trials, since it was not legally required of her, the nobles would use that as ‘absolute proof’ that she was no longer worthy of being Queen.

That she’d grown weak and unresolved.

Which meant, there had been no way for her to win that argument, because ultimately there was no other judge to validate that truth. In such a case, with all the nobles against her, they collectively were the judge.

But now, she’d proven her strength and resolve.

She was again the indisputable judge.

Now, no one could contest her judgement.

However, this had still been the only way to bring their laws back into alignment, after Lord Vizen had poisoned everyone against her.

If this argument had been made prior to her proving her resolve, the nobles would have removed her as Queen. And unfortunately, even as powerful as Eliza was, she couldn’t hold the throne by force. She required at least the majority support of her people, most of whom were more than convinced by the Trials alone.

It was a ridiculous situation.

It should never have happened.

One of the reasons why I hated politics, especially when there was corruption.

But there was nothing that could have been done.

However, at least now, no one would ever doubt her again, probably not for the rest of her life. Definitely not for the rest of her reign as Queen.

However, at this point, there was the question of how she would respond.

Would she accept the proclamation that Vildred was making?

Or would she be stubborn, out of concern that this was a trick?

Even though she was again the judge, jury, and executioner?

Finally, Queen Eliza rose to her feet, her expression mostly neutral despite the pain in her purple eyes…reframing the entire situation.

As if everything she’d done was by choice.

“Hear now, the words of your Queen!” she announced, shifting her gaze toward the few nobles present. “To prove my resolve, I undertook the trials even though not required of me by our laws. And now, I have reclaimed the throne through resolve alone, though I would have reclaimed it either way, even in battle,” she snarled, causing several nobles to flinch, only to raise her voice. “As the one who Rules our proud elite race, I will now accept healing for the unnecessary trial I endured, for the throne that was already mine! Your Queen has spoken!”

All the elves in the room, including the nobles, Vildred, the elf sisters, and even Sylvia, immediately knelt on one knee and covered their hearts with their hand, bowing their heads in submission.

I was the only one left standing.

Eliza focused on me, her tone clear and commanding. “Allister Rosengard, in this moment, you are the only one permitted to stand in my presence. For you are worthy of such honor. And now, your Queen commands you. Approach, and lay your hands on me. Offer me your Divine Healing, my Blessing.”

I was surprised by the unexpected title, realizing from Wren that she’d heard whispers about ‘the Queen’s Blessing,’ with me only now beginning to wonder if those whispers were actually in reference to me. However, I knew now wasn’t the time to worry about it.

The Queen had given me a command.

And so, I took a step forward…

Proud to do as she asked.

For my Queen.

FEEDBACK: If you haven't already answered the questions on the previous chapter, please take the time to do so, as that one was a pivotal moment in the story.

Chapter 32 >>

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