Chapter 114: What If?
"Did you do it?"
Naveen’s sharp voice cut through the silence, her piercing blue eyes narrowing as they landed on the princess sleeping soundly in Rhaegar’s embrace. Her gaze lingered on the faint bite marks scattered across the girl’s tender skin.
Rhaegar shifted uncomfortably under the scrutiny, his jaw tightening as he cleared his throat. He adjusted the blanket, pulling it higher to conceal the marks from view. Naveen’s expression didn’t waver, her focus remaining steadfast as she awaited his response.
"I did what you asked," Rhaegar said, deftly steering the conversation back to the important matter at hand. "When she started acting strangely, I bit my lip and had her taste my blood. Her reaction was just as you described. It seems my blood managed to stir some of her real feelings to the surface."
Naveen tilted her head slightly, listening intently as his words trailed off. She remained silent, her thoughtful gaze fixed on him before shifting to Lorelai’s serene face. Slowly, she stepped closer to the bed, the soft rustle of her robes the only sound in the quiet room.
"Then my assumptions were correct," she said at last, "her mind is no longer her own. I can sense traces of powerful witchcraft weaving through her, corrupting her very essence. It’s already begun to creep into her soul. Soon, she’ll be nothing more than an empty doll—void of will, of thought, of everything that makes her who she is."
Rhaegar’s jaw clenched as he listened, his expression darkening.
With a deep sigh, he let his hand fall gently to Lorelai’s head, his fingers stroking through her silken hair. For an instant, the storm within him seemed to calm, the edges of his fury softened by her peaceful presence.
But the moment he withdrew his hand, the anger surged back like a tidal wave, flooding his veins with renewed intensity. His fists tightened as his golden eyes burned with frustration.