The sorcerer

In that moment, Eiravyne exerted a conscious effort to lift her hand, hoping to quell the rising panic in the eyes of the maid. 

Her voice trembled with uncertainty as she questioned, "Where am I?"

Martha stuttered: " ah …a …amm " 

It felt like she was not prepared for that kind of question therefore she didn't know what to say to Eiravyne, that is why she just looked so overwhelmed.

Martha was a 30 years old maid, with dark eyes and hair pulled back into a neat bun, slightly overweight stature, donned the standard maid's attire.

 Her figure, a touch fuller than the conventional norm.

Martha finally stopped stuttering and just calmed down with a serious look on her face as she said : "I have to bring the sorcerer. It's my duty to summon him when you wake up, my lady."

She disappeared immediately as if she was being chased, and minutes later someone knocked the door gently, opened it and entered .

In that moment, a palpable awareness crept over Eiravyne.

Startled, she felt a gaze upon her, the weight of scrutiny settling uncomfortably on her shoulders. 

A flicker of fear danced in her eyes as she turned to face the source, and there, she met a pair of piercing purple eyes.

The unsettling intensity of those eyes sent shivers down her spine.

" A ..Romani !!" she said .

 In the kingdom of Ildoria, the rare trait of purple eyes was a distinctive mark reserved for the Romani family alone.

 A surge of unease gripped her; she felt like she fell in another trap and that she somehow fell again in Romani's hands.

As she looked away, attempting to evade the disconcerting gaze, she couldn't shake the feeling of being haunted.

 The purple eyes lingered in the periphery of her awareness, casting an invisible net around her senses.

" You caught me again !" she said with frustration and fear.

"Lady Eiravyne, you've finally awoken. If you hadn't, the Duke would have surely kept exploiting my services for more days." 

The tone held a peculiar mix of familiarity and light-hearted jest, leaving Eiravyne momentarily puzzled.

The fear that had gripped her intensified as she instinctively shifted, a subtle defensive posture betraying her unease. 

The person continued, "But worry not; it seems your timely awakening has spared me from further servitude." As he spoke, a teasing tone crept into his words.

Intrigued and slightly confused, Eiravyne scrutinized him carefully, observing his features from head to toe.

Karl approached Eiravyne with a measured pace, his eyes focused on the task at hand. 

She was so defensive putting her arms in front of her trying to push him if he got anywhere closer or even dared to touch her .

With a wave of his hand, a ball of ethereal blue light materialized, hovering in the air. It danced with a gentle energy, casting an otherworldly glow in the room.

The sorcerer extended his hand, guiding the luminous sphere as it traversed the expanse of Eiravyne's body. 

The soft hum of magic resonated in the room as the ball of light silently scanned her, delving into the intricacies of her physical state.

After completing the scan, Karl's expression held a mixture of concentration and reassurance. 

"Your body is healing well," he declared, the weight of his words carrying a soothing cadence.

 The ethereal light dissipated, leaving a sense of calm in its wake, and Karl continued to observe Eiravyne with a discerning gaze.

Karl's demeanor hinted at a depth of unspoken concern as he carefully placed a small box on the nightstand. 

His words carried both caution and care as he revealed, "Please allow the maid …Martha to take care of your …injuries."

The small box, a container of healing cream crafted from herbs he personally prepared, held the promise of natural remedies for Eiravyne's recovery.

With a final glance, Karl left the room, allowing Eiravyne more rest.

In that fraught moment, Eiravyne's pulse quickened, and a surge of panic gripped her with relentless intensity.

 The enigmatic unease lingering in Karl's actions unfurled into a suffocating cloak of anxiety. 

As her mind dissected the implications of his words, a torrent of apprehension flooded her thoughts.

"If he was the person who healed me in that state, then he must have seen those bites, those cuts," she whispered, the realization echoing in the hollow recesses of her mind.

 The mere notion sent tremors of fear coursing through her veins. 

The vivid memory of the bites in her thighs intensified the panic, rendering her vulnerable to the haunting specter of what Karl might know.

Each "if" became a jagged edge, cutting through the fragile fabric of her composure. 

"If...if...oh...I just can't look at his face after this," she exclaimed, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and anxiety. 

"The fact that he might have seen those bites in my thighs and my chest... it is degrading," she confessed, her panic escalating into a tumultuous whirlwind of distress.

With a cautious effort, Eiravyne shifted on the bed, her weakened body protesting every movement. 

The urgency to confirm her fears propelled her to raise the sheets, revealing the vulnerable expanse of her thighs.

To her surprise, the bite marks that had once marked her skin were now in the delicate process of healing. 

The sight, though a relief, brought forth a cascade of conflicting emotions. 

As her eyes traced the fading imprints of the bites, she knew that those bites didn't heal on their own .

" He did ..that …Romani …did heal…shit shit shit " she panicked.

At that moment, Martha entered the room without the usual courtesy of knocking, a habit she had developed during Eiravyne's extended unconsciousness. 

As her eyes fell upon Eiravyne, inspecting her own thighs in a vulnerable position, Martha's immediate response was a profuse stream of apologies.

"Oh, my lady, I am terribly sorry for barging in unannounced! I didn't mean to intrude on your privacy," Martha exclaimed, her eyes widening with a mix of embarrassment and concern.

Eiravyne, caught off guard by the sudden intrusion, quickly lowered the sheets, a flush of embarrassment coloring her cheeks. 

"No, it's fine, Martha. I should have probably locked the door or something," she stammered, attempting to ease the tension.

Martha, still flustered, continued to apologize, "I just wanted to check on you and see if you needed anything. Is there anything I can do for you, my lady?"

"You don't seem surprised," Eiravyne averted her gaze. "You've seen them, haven't you?"

Martha's expression softened, understanding the turmoil within Eiravyne. "Yes, my lady," she admitted gently. "When you were brought here, your injuries were quite severe. The sorcerer, Karl, took care of your wounds, including the bites. However, I also tended to them with the healing cream he provided."

Eiravyne's heart raced with a mixture of embarrassment and apprehension. 

The realization that someone else had tended to her intimate wounds sent a flush of heat to her cheeks. 

Eiravyne, feeling a deep sense of vulnerability, couldn't bring herself to meet Martha's gaze.

 As Martha approached, she looked down, her cheeks tinted with embarrassment.

Martha, understanding the delicate nature of the situation, came closer and spoke .

"You were in a terrible state, my lady," she expressed, her voice filled with genuine concern.

 Martha then knelt on the ground, gently holding Eiravyne's hand in a comforting gesture. "It is their fault, not yours, the stupid Romani family ," she reassured, tears welling up in her eyes.

Eiravyne's momentary vulnerability transformed into urgency as she remembered Elara and Zain, her eyes wide with concern. 

In a heightened state of worry, she exclaimed, "Elara... Zain... Where are they? Are they alright?" 

" Who !!" Martha asked .

Eiravyne, still gripped by anxiety, repeated with fervor, "Elara and Zain! They were with me ..Where are they? Are they safe?" 

The intensity in her voice conveyed the depth of her concern for the people who saved her .

In her anxious state, Eiravyne seemed to have momentarily forgotten the perilous incident with the carriage. 

Martha quickly moved to reassure her, saying, "My lady, please calm down.Those were dangerous individuals who kidnapped you, putting you in even greater danger."

 Martha maintained a gentle grip on Eiravyne's hands, attempting to anchor her emotions in the midst of distress.

Eiravyne's voice rose with intensity, her eyes ablaze with determination.

 "You don't understand, Martha! Elara and Zain are not dangerous; they saved me from the Romani family. I need to find them; I can't rest until I know they're safe."

Martha, however, maintained a calm demeanor, trying to soothe her distressed lady. 

"My lady, I understand your concern, but those two were part of the Romani family. They might not be the saviors you believe them to be…they are going to face painful consequences"