Turning Point

After a while of screaming and crying herself hoarse, Naiari fainted at last.

She was taken down and sent to her room where she drifted in and out of unconsciousness, she never stayed awake long enough to be coherent or even know where she was. For all intents and purposes she could have been dead and she would not know it and there was worry that she would never recover.

After an entire week of not being conscious, Naiari opened her eyes fully for the first time and weakly raised her head.

"Thank the gods!" Celia exclaimed then gently pushed Naiari back on the pillow before running out of the room saying, "let me go and get the healer."

She came back a little while later and looked grateful to realize that Naiari had not slipped back into unconsciousness.

The healer, a stooped and man placed his hand on Naiari's head and nodded before holding her wrist and examining her pulse then he hummed and looked up at Celia.

"I will give you some medicine that you will feed her along with soup while you also apply the ointment on her wounds." He said before leaving the room.

"What happened?" Naiari asked in a voice husky from disuse.

"Don't you remember what happened with the Queen?" Celia asked and Naiari frowned as memories of what had seemed like a nightmare resurfaced then she moved her feet and winced from the pain which reminded her that it had not been a dream but real life.

"The king was mad at the Queen." Celia whispered and Naiari's brow furrowed as she wondered why.

"There has been a marriage proposal for you." She continued and Naiari's frown grew deeper.

"For me?" She asked, sure that she had heard wrong.

Why would the king come with a proposal for her when Yvette had not gotten a proposal yet. Granted that he was her father but he had never show her any type of acknowledgment, Celia must have heard wrong.

"You must be mistaken." She insisted and Celine smiled.

"Havent i told you that things would turn around one day? It seems that your fortunes have changed now. Your father personally requested the royal healer to ensure that you were treated well, he has even changed your room."

Naiari took a look at the room and saw that Celine was right, this was not her sparsely furnished room at the maid's quarters. This room while not as luxurious as Princess Yvette's room was still a far cry from her former room. It had velvet curtains, a desk with a chair and even a screen for dressing with a bathtub at the corner of the room and a fireplace.

She realized that even the bed she was laying on was not that lumpy pallet she had slept on for years and she was perplexed with this new treatment. Why would her father do all of this and why now?

Over the days Naiari's doubts about Celine's news began to fade as she started to receive scholars who came to give her lessons. It was a shock because she had never been taught how to write of etiquette or all of the things that Yvette had learned since she was little.

It appeared that her father was serious about getting her married, but to whom?

By the end of the second week after she had woken up and was able to shuffle around on her feet which had mostly healed, she was summoned to see the king.

With the help of Celia, Naiari was able to wear one of the new dresses that had been supplied for her. She went on to his study which was opened by the guards who stood by the door.

When she entered, the King was standing in front of a book shelf with his back to the door and he did not acknowledge her entrance. She curtsied low and remained in that position even though it hurt her feet until he turned around and examined her.

He had been told that the burns to her feet were almost completely healed and he noted that the change of clothes and etiquette lessons were enough for her to pass off as a princess.

He had been mad when he returned and found out that Elara had punished the girl so badly that she almost died despite his warning for her to be careful with her. She had almost ruined his carefully laid plans but thankfully she was well and the wedding could proceed.

King Edmund was an ambitious monarch who had plans to become one of the strongest men in the realm and his daughters were the key to having that.

"You may rise and take a seat." He said at last as he sat.

Naiari straightened up and sat down while looking down at her hands, she could not raise her head up to look at her father because it felt weird being here with him like this. She had never had a conversation with him one on one.

"I have procured a marriage for you, You shall marry the prince of Cork in a week." He announced.

"Yes your majesty." Naiari answered timidly.

"You may leave." The king dismissed her and she got up and left the room and returned to her room where Celine was anxiously waiting for her with news.

Apparently she was not the only princess who would be getting married, there were whispers that Yvette would also be getting married to King Kael, a lycan king who lived in the northern hemisphere.

"I heard that he is a very dreadful king, many fear him." Celine said one evening and looked around the room even though it was just the two of them in the room.

"I wonder why the king would marry off the princess to such a disgusting creature, I heard they are more like dogs."

Naiari on the other hand was dazed by the news she had been given, why would the king decide all of a sudden to claim her as his child?

She was happy, thrilled at the being considered by her father after so many years of abandonment. At that point she was willing to do anything that he asked of her, this felt like a turning point in their relationship and she wanted desperately to make him proud.