Powers Revealed

It was late in the evening when Aria woke up. She opened her emerald slowly scanning her surrounding. She discovered that she was in a Healer's den in the palace. On the far end, doctor Christen, the royal family doctor, was preparing some herbs. When he finished, he turned to Aria and smiled at her.

"You woke up, your highness." He took the herb from the table and put it on the table beside Aria." I prepared this for your pain. You should drink it twice a day. I will make more soon."

She tried to sit up, but her body protested and she lay back down on the bed. Christen helped her up. She could remember fainting during her training with Leon and wondered how long she had been out. As she lay there, she felt a sense of frustration and disappointment in herself. She had been so focused on channeling her magic into her sword, that she didn't realize the toll it was taking on her body.

"You should take it easy princess. Judging from my experience, it should take a week or two for you to fully recover. That,s why I want you to sleep for now." Aria was about to protest when a sudden pain washed over her body. Beads of sweat formed on her now tired face as she tried hard not to cry.

After drinking the medicine from Christen, Aria drifted into sleep or rather became unconscious. When she later came to, the room was now empty and darkness had now enveloped the room. Only one candle lit the room dimly by a corner on the table. It then dawned on her that she had injured Leon. Yes, she needed to check on him right now.

She knew she had to get up, and she had to get out of bed, but her body felt heavy and unresponsive. She took a deep breath and tried to sit up again, this time with more determination. She managed to sit up, but she felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She closed her eyes and waited for it to pass before slowly getting off the bed.

Aria knew she had to be more careful in the future, and she knew she had to control her powers better. She couldn't afford to be reckless anymore. She couldn't afford to put her own life at risk. She knew she had to be more responsible, not just for herself but for the kingdom too.

She suddenly felt thirsty. It had been a long time since she drank water, let alone eat. She looked around the room again and saw a pitcher of water and a cup on a small table. She poured herself a cup of water and drank it down in one gulp. The water was cool and refreshing, and it helped to clear her head. She felt a little better now, but she still felt weak and tired.

Reaching for the door with struggles steps, she opened it and was about to move out when a knight blocked her way. She looked up at the knight with fierce eyes and he immediately swallowed saliva noisily and nervously.

"I'm sorry princess but I have orders from the council to not let you out of this room until instructed otherwise."He said with all the courage he could gather. Suddenly she realized, her magic powers were no longer a secret. She felt a knot form in her stomach as she thought about what the council would do with this information. She feared for her father's standing, and hers as well. Time was not on her side and she knew she needed to act swiftly. But she was weak now.

Aria looked at the knight and wished she had her strength for just one minute. She would burn him alive and flee this castle. "I promise to burn you alive after I recover." The knight shuddered at the thought remembering how she had attacked Leon earlier.

Closing the door behind her, Aria sat there lost in her thoughts for a while. She didn't know what to do or where to turn. She felt as if her world had been turned upside down and she didn't know how to fix it. She felt a tear roll down her cheek and she wiped it away. She knew that she needed to be strong, for her father and for herself. She took a deep breath and stood up. She felt a little steadier now and she collapsed in the bed.

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Leon woke up feeling sore and tired. He remembered how the princess had striked him mercilessly with no sense of humanity in her ever-emerald eyes. Breathing was a difficult task for him as he took strained breaths. His right arm had burnt revealing the flesh under his garment. He took a closer look at it as searing pain washed over his body.

The door to the room opened and Lord Blackwood entered. He took a closer look at his arm and looked outside the window contemplating something.

"You were there when the princess unleashed her magic, weren,t you?" Leon looked baffled by his question. Blackwood looked at Leon expecting an answer.

"Why should I tell you? I have the right to answer to no one but the princess alone. Besides, what right do you have to question me?" Blackwood seemed amused by his response. He turned back to the window before continuing, "As you know, it is a crime to practice magic in Avon kingdom. So if you don't answer my questions it will be assumed that you assisted the princess in her quest to unleash her magic. Do you still want to keep quiet or shall I call the guards?"

Leon looked at Blackwood disbelief written all over his face. He knew there was no other option but to tell the truth. Besides, many knights witnessed it. Why would he question him specifically? Maybe there was more than just questioning.

"I am sure you don't want me to confess that the princess used magic because there are more than fifty witnesses for that," he paused before nervously eyeing Blackwood, "what exactly do you want from me?"

Lord Blackwood seemed impressed by Leon's wisdom." You really pick up quickly knight. I will tell you exactly what I want. But first I need you to do something."