Even if I have to die?

The more he stayed with her, the more he saw many differences between her and Delilah. Delilah was chattery and cheerful. Her smile was captivating and her laughter melted the strongest of hearts. Zavian blinked as he tried to stop himself from thinking about her. What was he doing?

He looked at the girl in front of him. She was almost shivering from fear, and yet he could not ask her to leave.

Even though she was not her, he just wanted someone who looked like her by his side. Slowly, without knowing it, he was falling back into the dark hole he had crawled out of after all these years.

Zavian's fingers tightened around his cutlery.

He opened his lips to ask her to leave, seeing she feared him, but when he looked at her, she had started to eat.

Neera tried to look on the brighter side of things. No matter how much she mourned or cried, it would not change the fact that she was here now. Neither would it change that she looked like the dead queen, so she should better enjoy every moment. She might probably end up dead, so she better eat good meals before that.

Zavian was surprised to see her eat. Although she still looked tense, she was a little relaxed now.

''Do your siblings look like you?'' He asked, starting a conversation as they ate.

Neera shook her head; ''No, your majesty, I am the only different one. ''

Zavian looked at her. He wanted to believe that she was a normal human and there was no connection between her and Delilah, but the signs were too glaring to ignore.

''They all look like normal humans?'' He asked, and she nodded again.

''Yes, I'm the only different one. ''

Even if she was human, with what she had just told him, he knew there was something more about her, and there was a connection between her and Delilah, and he was going to find that out.

''Did anything special happen when you were born?''

Neera shook her head; ''No, I do not think so. '' She paused; ''But if something happened, I would not know because my parents did not say those things to me. They barely spoke to me.'' she smiled faintly; ''Everyone hated the girl who looked like a demon.''

Zavian knew the humans detested the demons, but he did not think they would hate their kind simply because she looked like them.

Neera did not raise her eyes once. She just stared at her food.

''My wife was killed by my father. '' Zavian said, and Neera looked at him;

''And before I could save her, she had disappeared into thin air. So when I saw you, I could not believe my eyes. I thought I could never see her again. Every memory of her was painful until I met you. And I found hope. Hope that maybe she is not dead. That someday she would come back to me.''

Neera stayed quiet as she listened to the King.

''You fear me, I know. But there is something more about you that might lead to me bringing my wife back, and I won't stop until I find what it is.''

''Even if it meant me dying?'' Neera asked;

The king was stunned by her question. He did not think she was brave enough to ask that. He blinked but did not reply;

Neera nodded; ''I understand, Your majesty. What is my life to compare to the queen? I promise I'll make myself available to whatever would bring back the queen, even if it meant that I would have to die.''

She said, and Zavian did not say a word. At that moment, he was going to do anything to bring Delilah back, even if it meant sacrificing her.

''Eat your food. '' He commanded, and Neera continued eating.

…

After dining with the King, Neera joined the other maids to pack the bags and load them into the chariots as they prepared to leave. Kira walked up to her the instant she joined them;

''The girls said the king made you eat with him?'' Kira asked with wide eyes and Neera sighed;

''Kira, I do not want to think about that right now.''

After she left the King's tent, she had looked around for Adeline, but she was nowhere to be found. She wondered what the soldier had done to her, so she asked Kira;

''Where is Adeline? I did not know the demons could read minds? Did you know? The king read my thoughts and knew that I had lied to him, and he ordered for a soldier to take Adeline away. Have you seen her? What happened to her?''

Neera asked, looking troubled. Even though she did not like Adeline, she could not bear the thought that she had been killed.

''Oh my, I forgot to tell you!'' Kira exclaimed; ''but I did not think that you would get in too close a proximity that the king would touch you. Only ancient demons can read minds, but they have to touch you to read your mind. They can see as far as into your past, and as soon as the recent things that have happened, and what you are even thinking! It's easy to stop them from seeing your thoughts. You just have to not want them to, but you cannot prevent them from knowing what you are thinking at the moment, except you are a witch. Only witches can do that.''

Neera sighed; ''I wish I knew this sooner. Where is Adeline? '' Neera asked again and Kira shook her head;

''I do not know, Neera. Two soldiers dragged her away, and they returned without her; so I do not know.''

Neera's heartbeat against her chest. The look in Kira's eyes told her what she was thinking was true, but she did not want to accept it.

''The demons do not forgive Neera. They don't know what forgiveness means. Adeline should have known what would happen when she went against the king. ''