Chapter 12: The mermaids song.

WRITER’S POV

Dragon flame—a corrosive and deadly type of fire—burns hotter than anything known.

Once the smoke is inhaled, the throat and lungs swell massively, fluid loss begins, blood pressure crashes, and the smoke itself carries poison.

Supernatural beings were able to harness dragon fire by presenting valuable treasures to the dragon itself in its tavern.

There, the dragon would bestow upon them small flames, which were then absorbed into their bodies as they were placed close to the chest.

Riccardo had been unconscious for three weeks after being struck by dragon fire.

A lot had happened during the incident that followed.

The fake Catherine—Raya—had killed herself after burning Riccardo.

The real Catherine appeared after Raya’s death.

Seraphina was safe and sound, without a scratch, but she was confused and cried vehemently at her uncle’s side.

The real Catherine was even more confused; she felt as though she had been in a very long sleep.

As Eastall’s guards carried Riccardo to the carriage, King Adolf looked devastated.

It felt wrong leaving the estate in such a state.

But they had to leave. It wasn't safe for Eastall, and it wasn't safe for Riccardo.

\~~~~~~~~~~

(Song: A Thousand years by John Michael Howell and Jvke.)

Luana never left the king’s side.

In the carriage, for days and nights, she performed spell after spell, hoping he would wake up—but he didn’t.

The queen fell ill upon seeing the condition of her son. Harry cried. The kingdom began to worry—was this the end of their king?

Luana sat by his bedside, placing her palm against his forehead.

“Hot again,” she muttered.

It was strange to her. All night and day, she had tried everything to wake him. The same person she wanted to kill—she should have been happy, but she wasn’t.

“Why won’t you wake up? You have everyone worried,” she said, brushing strands of hair away from his face.

She was exhausted and drained. She hadn’t slept in days. She blamed herself for what had happened at Eastall.

If she had been quicker, she could have prevented him from being so badly wounded.

Dragon fire was almost impossible to cure.

As she watched him in his unconscious state, she couldn’t help but notice how handsome and harmless he looked.

If she killed him now, the spell would be broken and she would be free. But she was conflicted.

She wanted to kill him—and at the same time, she didn’t. She was even worried for him. Why?

She remembered a story Andressa’s mother had told them when she was younger—a tale about a princess that was burned with dragon fire, and how the sweet songs of mermaids were able to heal her burns and revive her.

Andressa’s mother would always sing the song. It had sounded like nothing more than a fairy tale.

But something in Luana urged her to try.

Maybe… it might work.

So she began to sing to the king.

A soft, enchanting echo filled the room as her voice rose gently into the air.

As she sang, water emerged from the air and wrapped around Riccardo.

Luana was surprised.

She intensified her singing in hope that he might finally wake up. And as she sang the last sentence of the song, he opened his eyes. An unknown joy filled Luana's heart.

“It worked. It worked!” She laughed softly.

As Riccardo looked at her, his eyes turned red and his silver and dark hair turned pure white. As he sat up on the bed, dark wings emerged from his back. He looked furious.

His hand shot out, gripping hers. And in the next instant, they were in the air.

Above the bed.

A gasp left her lips as her feet left the ground.

As they were suspended in mid air, his hand gripped her waist. They were close. Too close.

Luana noticed the changes, “He's in his primal demon form”. She concluded that he was confused and didn't recognize her.

She placed her hand on his cheek.

“Hey…it's me. Luana.”

He growled. His red eyes glaring.

“Luana…” She said again, caressing his cheek.

“Lu…a…na…” he echoed, the name unfamiliar on his tongue.

“Yes, it's me, your highness”.

His white hair began to gradually turn back to silver and black. His red eyes returned to the icy blue they once were.

He looked normal again, Apart from his wings, they hadn't disappeared.

“Luana.” He called.

“Yes, your highness.” She was so relieved he was awake.

He flew down to the bed and pinned luana beneath him. This time, she didn't struggle.

“Why didn't you kill me? You had the perfect chance.” He asked, his face inching closer to hers with every word.

Her breath hitched.

“It won't be fair if I killed you without you putting up a fight, now would it?” She asked, her arms wrapping round his neck.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips and his wings disappeared.

“Thank you. For saving me. ” He said, his smile reaching his eyes.

“I'm still going to kill you.” She said with a coy smile.

“I'm looking forward to that”. He whispered in her ear. Her cheeks turned red. They were too close now. If she just moved a little, their lips would touch.

She suddenly snapped back to reality. What was she doing? He was her enemy. She hated him. So why did she feel happy when he woke up?

She pushed him away and got up.

“You need to rest. You just woke up,” she said, not looking at him.

Before he could say anything, the door opened, and Harry and the Queen entered.

The Queen cried tears of joy, and Harry looked happier than ever.

They both hugged him dearly.

Riccardo looked at Luana, and their eyes locked. It was as if the air stilled and time stopped.

To him, she was his savior; to her, he was a confusion.

She tore her eyes away from him, much to Riccardo’s disappointment.

“Are you hungry, dear?” his mother asked.

“Not really, Mother. Just a little tired.”

“Then you must rest. Oh, lest I forget, someone is here to see you.”

“Who?” Riccardo raised a brow.

Just then, a tall, handsome man with silver hair and blue eyes emerged.

“Hey, Ric-Ric!”