Chapter 66 Call me Fernanda
The journey back to Clawshire resumed very early the next day. Both Fernanda and Maya sat in the same carriage upon Fernanda's insistence as they marched back to Sebastian's kingdom.
"You look really pale my queen," Maya commented, making Fernanda touch her face with both hands. "Do I?" She replied with raised brows. Maya nodded, "I'm not the only one who needs to be looked after. You also look like you are going to be sick." Maya told her.
"I hadn't even realized," Fernanda muttered. The frown on her face then disappeared immediately, replaced with a smile on her lips. "That doesn't matter now, all that I care about is that you are alive." She told Maya, holding the girl's hands in hers.
Maya sighed, "I could also say the same your highness, your well-being is all I'm after. You should know that using your catalyst powers also comes with a price. Immense exhaustion. You may end up hurting yourself when you overexert your powers your highness,"
Fernanda held Maya's hands tighter, "Trust me, I know. I've read about it. The books Damon gave to me. I know there are physical limitations to the host body of the catalyst power. But I don't mind as long as–"
"You have to mind your highness!" Maya snapped, cutting off Fernanda and surprising her as well. Fernanda's hold on her hands softened a bit. "What is it Maya? Why are you angry?" Fernanda asked worriedly.
Fernanda's face went from confusion to realization when Maya didn't say anything. "You are angry I brought you back from dead, aren't you?" She asked in a whisper.
"No. I'm angry that in the process of bringing me back, you almost killed yourself without realizing it. And you still haven't realized it." Maya told her, her tone shaky but firm.
"While I understand that the reason you did it was because you care so much but you throw yourself too much into death's hand without care. Without caring about the fact that the date of the world rests upon your shoulders." Maya said. Neither of them had looked away from each other's eyes for a good minutes.
"Of course I get chastised the first time I decided to do things my own way," Fernanda replied with a scoff.
Maya shook her head, "Your highness–"
"It's Fernanda! Fernanda. I've told you to not refer to me as your highness anymore. It makes it seem as though we are not friends. And I can't deal with the idea of losing a friend, so please... Call me by my name." Tears were streaming out of Fernanda's eyes now.
Maya immediately moved closer, the furs wrapped around her body dropping as she pulled Fernanda into an embrace. "I'm so sorry I too out my frustrations on you even after you did me a great favour. Forgive me for being ungrateful Fernanda." She said, crying also as they both hugged each other tight.
"What about Yolanda? Is she alive?" Maya asked Fernanda as they separated. Fernanda nodded her head, "Sebastian told me she is alive and that he made her received treatment for her leg before he left the palace. She should be well by the time we arrive." She told Maya optimistically.
Maya heaved a sigh of relief, "I could only imagine the amount of scolding I'm going to receive from her when we get back." She said with a small scoff.
"How could you have been so careless?!" Fernanda tried mimicking Yolanda but did it badly. "Or rather, you could have gotten yourself killed! I told you both this was dangerous." Maya tried and got her own initiation of Yolanda perfectly.
"Yes!" Fernanda exclaimed and they both immediately bursted out laughing immediately. They laughed hard untill their stomachs hurt. "That was absolutely funny!" Fernanda said in between laughter.
Sebastian and Levi both shared a look with slight frowns on their faces as they wondered what could possibly make both of them laugh out loud like that. "Should I go check on them?" Levi asks and Sebastian shook his head.
He wanted to hear more of Fernanda's laugh. "No, leave them be." He told Levi as they continued marching onwards.
"So... do you think there is wrong with the vice commander?" Maya asked. "Huh?" Fernanda immediately turned to face her, wondering why Maya would ask that out of the blue.
"No I don't think so, why do you ask?" Fernanda replied, looking excited and invested in Maya's curiosity. "He is being more attentive towards me. Trust me, he wasn't this way before I died but ever since you brought me back, it just seems like he's changed... A lot." Maya tried to explain.
Fernanda understood what Maya meant but she decided to play pretence and unaware because she didn't know if it was the right time or her place to let Maya know that Levi is her mate and he had definitely changed because her death had awakened the connection between them.
She also decided to not say anything because that would make Maya question her ancestry and put her into another whirlwind of curiosity and Fernanda didn't want to burden her with any of that so she just replied, "In what ways? What are the things he did that made you say that?"
"For instance, this morning... He was the first to come into my tent. Checked my temperature and fixed a warm bath for me. He also... Fed me. Oh my goodness!" Maya exclaimed at the end of her statement.
She turned to Fernanda with wide eyes, "I think the vice commander might... He might have been hit in the head during the fight!" Maya said, her voice filled with concern.
Fernanda let out a small laugh, "Really? I doubt it though. Levi is exceptionally good in a fight to even suffered any casualty talkless of being hit in the head. My guess is, maybe he just doesn't want to see you get hurt once again. A friendly gesture." Fernanda said, trying to stir the course of Maya's thought.
"You might be right," Maya agreed. "I must be overthinking it." She added. Fernanda also nodded, "I think you are." She told Maya, silently demanding forgiveness from the moon goddess for lying.