Ch. 17 - The Morning Into a New Future

Naomi woke up with a start. She gasped as she flinched awake. She expected the rigid floor of the hallways, but she found herself tucked into a bed with her body quite well-rested. She scanned the room.

Everything looked normal. Too normal.

It was her bedroom. It was just as she remembered it. Right at the center was a queen sized bed, surrounded by two night stands. At the corner was a small vanity that she's grown out of, the kind she kept only for nostalgia, and opposite the room, near her doors were a row of shelves that were once full of her favorite novels. They've been empty since she's moved into the academy though, for the sake of preserving them.

She gave another quick look around, and this time she found Oliver in the corner, who was dusting a shelf of hers. If she hadn't felt so sick, she'd question if she was dreaming, or far worse, had she gone back in time?

She tried calling out to him, but her throat was too rough, and all that came out was measly breath. Oliver heard, nonetheless, and set his duster down. It hit her then. Based on the sunken lines on his face, and his drooping eyes, perhaps she hadn't gone back in time.

"Princess, you're awake." He didn't look up from where he was standing, keeping his head at a bow. Bits and pieces of the previous night rushed back to Naomi. If Naomi was going to be completely honest, the anger that consumed her that night made Naomi's stomach twist in shame. She'd never been particularly good at controlling her emotions, and it reared, perhaps, one of the ugliest versions of herself.

"I've informed the Household of your decision. There is little to no resistance, but they do wish to meet with you before the throne procession takes place." Oliver said.

"The Household? Had they been aware of the Queen's condition?"

"They were the first to know, of course."

"The Queen will be pleased to hear that. They've always been ready to serve her."

"Are you ready?"

That question caught Naomi off guard. Somehow that single thought made her stomach worse. The answer to it was ambiguous. While she was aware of all the things she lacked, she still also felt that it was the best decision she could make at the moment. Who else would take responsibility over the country? She was raised for the sole purpose of the throne.

She was high on adrenaline that previous night,  but now that was gone, all that was left with her was crippling self-doubt. Was she ready?

Naomi hated the fact that Oliver spoke mostly truth. No matter how much she spun it in her head, she wasn't ready to be a ruler. She needed her grandmother.

Naomi cleared her throat, "Aren't you supposed to be away from me? I thought you were corrupted with dark magic. Or something." It was a petty attempt to change the subject, but it was all Naomi knew.

Oliver was caught off guard by the sudden change in topic, and it took him a good second to make sense of Naomi's words.

"Damien, the boy you came here with, had been purifying the castle since dawn. He started with me. I should be free of it now." He held his hand up to his chest, an attempt to show Naomi that he was fine, but Naomi saw no difference.

"Purification?" She hadn't heard of that before. "Is it magic?"

Oliver shook his head, "Not traditional magic. Not the type of magic any human with mana can do, but it is of the same realm."

"But Damien's human?"

"A talented one at that."

Naomi thought back to all the previous times she's felt sick, and it finally clicked. Every moment she had felt ill, Damien was always somehow by her side. His ability must've been the reason why she was able to endure all those times.

How long had he wielded this ability for? How long had he been using it for her?

Naomi, stuck on her thoughts, couldn't wrap her mind around it. Who exactly was Damien? Why did he have this ability?

After all this time, Naomi still knew nothing about him.

Oliver walked to her bedside, "There are far more things that you don't know about Naomi. Her majesty has done everything to make sure you were well aware of the forgotten lore of this continent, but you have to know that even the information we have is just a fraction of the objective truth out there."

Naomi huffed out. How was that supposed to make her feel any better?

"In short, don't expend too much effort in trying to understand everything all at once. There is a time and place for everything, and you will get there at some point in your life, as the fates allow it. For now take control of what's arm's length from you now. You can only control and understand the things you can reach. right?"

The thought of the unknown and forgotten made Naomi feel sick to her stomach, but Oliver was right. There were some things she had control over.

"Where is Damien now?" Naomi asked.

She had a hunch, but she didn't want to get her hopes up. Assumption had only been an enemy for her this whole time. Although, she probably already fell to its wiles.

"He's with the queen now."

"Still purifying?"

Oliver nodded.

All at once, like a wave, relief consumed Naomi. The gratefulness she felt at the moment was incomparable to any feeling she's ever had. She had done nothing to deserve his kindness. To think she doubted him even for a second.

Damien was nothing but kind-hearted.

"Did he sleep at all? Had he eaten?" Naomi pried into it more.

Oliver shook his head, "I offered breakfast to him when he woke, but he refused. Perhaps he's uncomfortable eating with us."

Naomi thought back to the little Lenz told her about Damien. He said, in all the years he's been in the Jesters, Lenz never once saw him eat during lunch break. He simply read a book, or worked on something in his notebook, while the rest of the room swarmed off to the cafeteria or feasted on their homemade lunches.

Naomi could never fully understand Damien. Naomi contemplated whether to go look for him, but as soon as she left an opening, Oliver continued briefing her of the schedule that day.

She was to meet with the Household within an hour. They were made of the highest ranking officials of the kingdom, hand-picked by the Queen herself to assist her rule over the country. With the Queen's high standards, every single member of the Household was known to be the most respectable talents of the country. To think that she'll convene, face-to-face, with the most capable nobles that afternoon.

Worse, shortly after she was to proceed with the throne procession. It was going just as Naomi demanded the night before.

The procession will be a bit more formal than usual. If it was any other circumstance, it would take a single announcement to let the kingdom know that the throne was being passed onto somebody else, but it was different this time. Since it was going to be Naomi's official debut into high society, Oliver felt that it was to be treated with utmost care. She is the future of Azalea, and winning people's sentiment from the get go was a priority. The public had never known her after all. She couldn't just win the country over with a half-hearted introduction.

Given the urgency of the situation too, it shouldn't take as long either. Normally, debuts like these called for at least a week of celebration, but there were far more important matters at hand. Holding a celebration would only leave Azalea vulnerable.

In the middle of the briefing, a loud thud interrupted Oliver, making the two jump up from where they were.

Oliver dropped the conversation, and immediately turned to check what the sound was. Naomi followed right behind, and when they opened the door they were met with Damien who was curled into himself, dropped onto his knees. His one hand clenched onto his abdomen, the other leaned on the wall.

"DAMIEN!"

Naomi ran to Damien, but Damien swung his one warm forward.

"STOP! STAY AWAY!" He seemed to swallow a breath, before heaving violently into himself, "I'm filthy." 

Naomi caught herself midstep. Even at this distance she felt the pit in her stomach. She didn't need to see it, but Damien was completely consumed with dark magic, "What do I do? What should I do?"

There was nothing she could do. Naomi stared down at her trembling hands.

How useless. How incompetent.

"I'll take care of him." Oliver stepped up from behind her, as he kneeled down to Damien. Naomi winced as the two took one step towards her. "Please stay in your room for now. You can trust me. I'll take care of him."

Naomi counted their steps as she stepped back into her room, and before they completely left her sight, Damien lifted his head and smiled, a stiff smile, a classic Damien smile, one that probably made Naomi fall for him.

Naomi wanted to cry as she stood by idly.

She had fallen for him.