Garden Of Poison

Although Raylen lacked a beating heart, his breathing remained harsh as he watched Emily nestled in his arms. He knew this was bound to happen, but hadn’t expected it to be this soon. Gently cradling her head, he used his other hand to wipe away the blood that had been smeared at the corner of her lips.

"You won’t have to feel pain ever again, Princess," he murmured softly.

His blue eyes shifted to her neck, noticing the root-like markings on her skin gradually fading away until there was no trace of them left. The spot where he had bitten her began to heal seamlessly, and not a moment later, a skeletal framework of wings materialised to encircle the side of her neck.

Picking her up in his arms, Raylen began to walk when he heard two sets of hurried footsteps hastily approaching his location. Before long, Lady Sophia arrived along with Janelle.

"Emily! What happened to her?!" Lady Sophia demanded, her face marred with worry as her eyes fell upon her unconscious daughter.

"The corruption got triggered, and she was on the brink of death," Raylen stated before narrowing his eyes at her and Janelle. He questioned them, "She was perfectly fine when I left her side. Did something happen after that?"

Janelle shook her head, her expression a mix of worry and fear under the King’s scrutinising gaze. She was the first to answer, saying, "She was doing fine with me, until all of a sudden, she felt a pain and found it hard to breathe."

Lady Sophia’s expression grew troubled, and she murmured, "I didn’t say anything upsetting to her."

Raylen’s glare didn’t waver, as if he suspected foul play when it came to Emily’s corruption manifesting out of nowhere, rather than it happening gradually as it should have.

"Has the corruption stopped progressing?" Lady Sophia asked, and, without waiting for an answer, she added, "We must summon a physician to immediately come and take a look at her to make sure she is doing fine."

"She needs to rest," Raylen stated firmly, and the two women agreed.