Ethereal Beauty

''It is the king.''

Neera's eyes turned to the gates as they opened slowly, and her eyes fell on him. She thought of a thousand ways to disappear from there, but her legs stood still and unmoving. It was she was tied to the spot. She could barely breathe.

He rode a horse while the soldiers that followed him walked behind. Neera wanted to look away, but his face captivated her. There was something she didn't hear from the rumors, how beautiful the king was. His was the most beautiful face she had ever seen. His hair, golden and they shone in the darkness. His golden eyes looked like there was an eternal flame burning within them. Neera tried to bow, as everyone else was, but her eyes couldn't leave his face.

Immortals were beautiful, but this demon was out of this world.

The soldier, who noticed her staring, quickly pulled her, reminding her to bow. Neera recovered from her trance and bowed to the king.

Zavian did not mind the people who stood by the gates, the day had been a long one and he could not wait to retire, but as he walked past, he felt something he had only felt when that person was near, and he stopped instantly. Looking around, his eyes grew with shock when he saw a woman with the same color of hair as his wife. She bowed her head and her hair covered most of her face.

Zavian's heart raced. There was no way she was here. She had died. He saw her disappear…

Zavian's throat tightened, but he rode towards her. As he drew closer, what he felt grew stronger, too strong to ignore.

''Raise your head.''

Neera's heart nearly exploded. She heard his horse walking towards them, and she had wondered if it was because she stared at him. And now he had asked her to lift her head. She knew she was doomed.

She didn't mean to. She didn't even know she was staring. Tears filled her eyes as she trembled. She was almost out of the gates. Why did she have such bad luck?

Saying her last prayers, Neera lifted her head slowly, her eyes still shut. She wondered how he would kill her, suck her blood? Rip her heart out? No, he would not want to stain his hands with her filthy blood. He would just order the guards to cut off her head and hang it on the gates as a deterrent to the others.

Zavian stood transfixed and in shock as he stared at the woman, who looked exactly like his wife. He could not move. He did not believe his eyes. Zavian closed his eyes and opened them. Maybe she would disappear, but she did not. She stood there, her eyes still shut.

He walked closer to her; ''Open your eyes. '' he commanded.

Neera trembled. She did not imagine that this was how her life would end. Her eyes opened slowly, and they drowned in the most bewitching eyes she had ever seen. Now, seeing his eyes up close, she felt like they were absorbing her soul. How could someone be this ethereal?

She was not her.

Zavian's heart shattered when he looked into her eyes and saw she was a human. Her eyes were different, but apart from that, she looked like his wife in everything else. How could they look so much alike? He was still lost staring at her when Neera fell to the ground and fainted.

The servant rushed to her;

''Miss! Miss!'' He shook her, but she was not responding. Zavian signaled one soldier, and he came and lifted her up, taking her back to the castle.

''Call the royal physician. '' Zavian ordered, as he walked into the room, where she lay, her eyes still shut. ''Everyone else, leave!''

The soldiers left the room, leaving only the two of them. Zavian walked to where she lay and sat down beside her.

His eyes stared at her; looking at her now, he couldn't spot a difference between them. They looked exactly the same.

But she was a human. Delilah was an ancient demon. Zavian closed his eyes, as he tried to stop himself from thinking about her, but right now, sitting in front of someone who looked exactly like her, he couldn't. He sighed and stood up from the bed. He took one last look at her and turned to the door, then he stopped. Walking back to the bed, he took her hand and read her past.

She was a slave brought to serve him… Zavian frowned when he saw what his sister did. She had tried to send her away so he wouldn't see her. There was a knock on the door and Zavian let go of her hand.

''Come in. ''

The royal physician walked in. He was a demon too, so when he approached the bed and saw the woman lying on the bed, he fell backward.

''Your majesty… The Queen… ''

Zavian stood up;

''She's not the queen, treat her, and let no one into this room until I say so.''

The physician nodded, still in shock at what he was seeing. Zavian left the room and called for Freya.

Freya knocked before walking into her brother's room; ''Brother, you sent for me. ''

She said, walking into the room. Zavian was older by a century and a half, but Freya liked to act like she was older. She loved Zavian and would do anything to protect him.

Before she came to see him, she already knew he had seen Neera. She was mad at Beatrice, but she couldn't do a thing. Zavian had already seen her.

Zavian turned to look at her;

''Everyone leave.'' he ordered the maids who were serving him, and they quickly left the room.

Freya smiled. She did not know how much he knew, but seeing that he had called for her and with that angry look on his face; she suspected he knew she had seen Neera.