25 A Stirring Storm

Nesrin was inside her old room again. 

The place was just like how it used to be, but for some reason she was lying on the ground. There was a burning pain on her wrists and ankles as if shackles bound her.

Nesrin tries to free herself but it causes the pain to increase even more. 

She could not stay there.

Izekiel needs to be warned.

Things were going in a very wrong direction. She had to go to him, she had to do her best so that he couldn't...

Nesrin stopped struggling against the shackles that refused to budge. 

She had to save him, but she shouldn't think about that. Why was she worried about him so much when he was the one who will be her death.

"Nesrin," a soft hand rested on her shoulder.

She didn't have to turn to know who it was. Izekiel had this low deep voice that tickled her neck as he stood so close to her. 

"You know I love you," he embraced her from behind, and all of sudden Nesrin forgot those shackles, the darkness and everything.

She was too aware of their closeness, and her heart beats that were too loud.

"...and that's why I can't see you suffer," he finished.

Nesrin couldn't understand him. These words he said  were familiar to her, but something was odd. Before Nesrin could think more, a sword was plunged through her.

Izekiel held her close in a lover's embrace as he took her life. There was a sad chuckle,

"We can be together in death at least..." she found herself whispering before her legs gave up.

She fell on her knees and Izekiel knelt with her before capturing her lips in a soft warm kiss, Nesrin's eyes glanced at the distant shadows that were getting closer at a frightening pace.

There was fire and the world was burning as her breaths left her, and his heart beats faded into nothingness and the two of them were devoured by an endless darkness.

A tear rolled down her eyes as soon as they opened. Nesrin was covered in cold sweat, her heart was heavy because of the dream that had claimed her. 

The later part of her dream was from the epilogue of Damsel Of Death, that's how Izekiel had died along with the empress. 

Lillian's death was certain by  the end of the novel, and Izekiel could have won if he didn't choose to burn the land in hell fire and eventually die with his lover. 

Nesrin had teared up when she read that scene.

She had found herself wishing for someone to love her as passionately as Izekiel loved Lillian and deep down she knew she could never be like the empress.

Nesrin can not afford to think that Izekiel had feelings for her, but with every second that she spent with him, the doubt in her heart started to lessen.

"Was there any news from the council," she asked as her eyes gazed at the distant snowy mountains.

"Lady Croff said there had been none," Jane sighed, "The breakfast will go cold, your highness."

Nesrin was sitting upon an armchair near the window while Jane was worriedly watching her. It had been almost a week since the incident at the imperial court. 

What happened that day was easily slid under the rug, the peace of the palace was not disrupted but a lot changed for Nesrin.

"I said I am not hungry," Nesrin mumbled.

"Her highness will fall sick like that," Jane frowned, Nesrin was getting careless with her meals lately.

"I do eat twice, don't worry so much,"

"What you eat twice a day is equal to my meal of one time!" Jane exclaimed.

Nesrin said nothing and continued to blankly gaze outside the palace window. Her mind was muddled with many thoughts, she couldn't bother with breakfast.

The last time she saw Izekiel was when he had been badly injured, there was so much blood and Nesrin could not do anything.

He refused to meet her after that, there were no news from him and he even confined her to her chamber because of the repeated assassination attempts.

On the other side, the system had decided to give her minor achievements. Nesrin was feeling down and so she turned the system notifications off.

The holy council had not made any move even though it had been seven days since Saint Azure died. His disciple  Cassandra had run away the next day and so the council might already know about the incident.

Their silence made Nesrin more dreary with each day.

Were they planning something big?

Nesrin bit her lips and stood up.

"I am going to see his majesty," 

"B-but your highness, you are in confinement!" Jane panicked as Nesrin strode across the room.

"It's been too long,"

Nesrin couldn't sit back silently anymore. She needs to do something to change the plot, a lot of things have gone astray and she has to find a way before it's too late.

"Your highness," the guards outside her chamber bowed, "I am afraid we can not let you go."

"It's something urgent," Nesrin insisted.

"It's for the security of her highness-"

"There have been no attempts lately!"

The guards wanted to convince her but they all stopped and bowed to Jeremiah when he arrived. He seemed a bit serious unlike his usual carefree self. 

Nesrin wondered what caused him to be like this.

Then a thought invaded her heart, was everything alright with Izekiel?

Jeremiah gave a quick bow of greeting to Nesrin before gesturing to her to follow him.

"How has her highness been?"

"...not good," Nesrin was surprised at how easily she said what she was feeling, "How is his majesty doing?"

"He is doing...normal," Jeremiah replied with a small chuckle.

Nesrin looked at him with puzzled expressions.

"I am afraid I will invite his wrath if I speak about him much," 

"Oh...it's okay,"

"But there has been unrest in the capital. His majesty is busy because of that,"

"Unrest?"

"Her highness shouldn't bother with all that, it's just some petty political maneuvers to turn the people against his majesty,"

Nesrin was well aware of how these petty political maneuvers ignited a civil war later on. Izekiel had been fair to commoners, but he had made plenty of enemies from influential families and they all united together to overthrow Izekiel.

The first step they had taken was to gain public trust and mislead them against Izekiel.

"The funny thing is," Jeremiah glanced mischievously at Nesrin, "Some noblemen and royals are bringing marriage proposals for his majesty because they think he might want to make alliances at this time."

Nesrin bit her lips.

She knew he won't do any more marriages but hearing about those proposals made her feel strange.

"I didn't thought he would marry but his majesty did considered a few proposals,"

Nesrin was at a loss of words, she didn't understand politics well and the novel she had read was mainly about Ophelia's journey, the conflicts of palace that didn't affect her directly were barely touched upon.

They soon reached the dragon palace.

"I can't go further," Jeremiah said, then paused and quickly added, "There are matters I must attend but I am sure her highness knows the path from here?"

Nesrin bowed.

"Thanks for your assistance,"

"Anytime," he smiled before leaving.

She was a little nervous as she walked inside, the palace was even more isolated than normal. 

The silence made her uneasy.

However, when Nesrin reached Izekiel's room she saw two ladies whispering among themselves. 

One of them was angrily whispering while the other one tried to explain something in a grim voice.

"What do you mean he doesn't-?!" Myrtle stopped when she noticed Nesrin.

"Lady Sybil," Nesrin greeted, "What's happening?"

"His majesty refused to be treated, and-"

"Shut up," Myrtle interrupted, then smiled sweetly at Nesrin, "Are you here to see my brother?"

"Your brother?" Nesrin had not seen her before so she couldn't understand who this was.

Myrtle's sweet smile froze.

"You should go meet his majesty," she nodded, "He is in a very good mood!"

Sybil glanced at Myrtle with complicated expressions.