Chapter 19 - The Enemy in the Room
Ismena moved in and out of consciousness, that the days blurred.
She tried to remember things to ground her so she wouldn't fall asleep again.
She tried to remember her children. The names of each of them and how much they meant to her.
She remembered Lowie.
Meryl.
Her Haron.
Her father.
And how much she didn't want to go back to that abyss of darkness where only the beast of a prisoner was in.
Each time she gained consciousness, she could feel every part that the blood had been drawn to her. Weakness took a toil on her and nausea almost wrecked her into nothing. She was hot enough to be used as a
Yet, she was determined to stay alive.
Very determined.
So that when she pried her eyes apart this time and her dizzy sight took in Haron's kneeling blurry image by her bed side, with his head resting on the bed and her hand in his, she did not close them back. Instead she whispered his name.
His head jerked up when he heard it. A physician that was in the room rushed forward. Soon enough, she could feel those medical hands all over her again.
She drew in a breath and when she realized she had spent more than she would normally awake, she smiled.
She lived. She had survived. And her Haron had survived too.
Everything was perfect now.
Not a thing about that prisoner.
Not a worry about that beast.
They were only dreams.
Everything was perfect now because they had both lived.
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"I am so grateful to you, Stavan, for raising the alarm. If he hadn't thought to check on you before the Knights' meeting…" Haron's voice trailed off, squeezing Ismena's hand tightly, as he sat by her side on the bed, his face turned to her.
They were in the room and Stavan was standing some distance away from them.
It had been about an hour since Ismena had been stable. The royal physicians had fed her medicine. They reported that her strange behavior after she had woken up was most likely because of how much blood had been drawn from her.
There was hardly enough knowledge and experiments on blood transfusion. Her body's reactions had been recorded and were being closely monitored. As for Haron, he seemed more alive than ever.
Nonetheless, the Head Physician stated that it was such a risky and unexplored part of the Healing world yet and firmly stated that he would never carry it out again, nor would he ever permit or advise it.
His face was as white as death. All of them. They must not have been sleeping well.
That made Ismena feel terrible.
Her handmaidens had fed her soup upon the physicians instructions. Haron was here the entire time and she had no chance to speak to her ladies privately.
It enraged Ismena though, that after that had all gone and it was only Haron left, Stavan had found his way in. It enraged her even further that she had to spend this hour in Stavan's presence. She took comfort in the fact that Haron was here with him though.
She wasn't alone with him. Good.
But still, that wasn't enough.
She had an entirely new worry and with the way Stavan turned to her and smiled, he knew what she was thinking about.
Had anything happened?
She knew he had taken her handkerchief. Done disgusting things to himself while he was on his knees by her bedside side with his irritating forehead pressed against her cheek. While she was put u der by sedatives and couldn't do anything to fight for herself.
Bastard!
"I couldn't just go on without stopping by to see my sister-in-law first." He was walking closer.
No, by the Sun, why couldn't he just stay away.
"Not after I have heard of her great sacrifice for you, brother. It is good to see that you are well, your Majesty." He bowed slightly, and kissed her hand.
Ismena's head rang bells.
"We need no such formalities between us," Haron was the one speaking but all Ismena could feel was that pair of repulsive lips lingering a second longer on her skin before pulling away and letting her hand go. "Just call her Ismena."
"Thank you for your great sacrifice, Ismena."
Ismena's insides recoiled. She wanted to scream at him. To tell Haron what he had done to her. To tell Haron that the first time she had opened her eyes, her health had not been that terrible until Stavan fed her a sleeping liquid. But she was scared. Stavan was very quick with his words and she didn't know what he had told Haron already.
The last time she had tried to outsmart him and tell Haron how horrible he was, Haron had fallen for his tricks. He had made the Punishers beat her till her back was sore and bleeding.
A witch!
He had called her a witch.
Although, Haron stated that things were different between them now, Ismena was scared to do test that just yet.
"It is no service to save my husband. Thank you for raising the alarm, Stavan."
He laughed, taking a step back. "There is no gratitude needed between us." Something sharp glimmered in his eyes. Something mad. And a strange coldness spread through Ismena's veins. "It is my duty. And since the war has been put to a temporary halt due to the capture of that Alpha—"
The Alpha.
The Prisoner.
The images of the dreams she had of him flashed in her mind and she forced herself to blink them away.
"---I shall be here for a long while. I intend to exercise that duty. Fully."
Ismena's heart dropped.
"Such admirable dedication."
"You can't blame me, brother. We all know that this castle will know no peace without her being alive and well to keep you happy."
She felt Haron's hand sink into her hair as he pressed a kiss to forehead and breath the word 'True' into her skin.
With Haron's back turned and her eyes on Stavan, she saw it fully now. The wicked jealousy in his eyes and his determination to get her alone again.
She wasn't safe with him in thus castle. She had to find a way to tell Haron. She has to find a way to get Stavan out of this room!
"I cannot extend my gratitude enough to you, Stavan. You saved my life." The words felt like rusted iron in her mouth but she spoke them anyways. "I would like to have time alone with my husband now." Then she dared to look right at him. "There are some things I would like to tell him. In private."