Chapter 45 45
Once it was time to leave the beautiful, unreal realm where we stayed for three days, I was so happy because I hoped to meet River once again. I had inquired from Dragon Sovereign, and he said my brother was in their realm, so my happiness wasn't in vain.
In the twinkle of an eye, I found myself standing in the Sovereign's chamber. It was as though I just woke up from a sleep in a new environment. I turned around, and he was still standing behind me, his hands clamped backwards while he stared at me.
For heaven's sake, was it a big crime to mention him as my master again? He's been that way since I called him that, and it didn't seem to be funny any longer.
Pouting, I faced him, my hands clamped backwards too. “What should I call you henceforth? I'm scared you would eat me on a certain night because of this.”
“Whatever!” he said and began walking to his bed.
Was it really what I thought that angered him, or was there something else I did which I didn't know? How could my master be pissed that I called him one? So even if he possesses me, don't masters do that to their properties?
I rolled my eyes to one end, thinking that there could be something going on that I didn't know. But once I recalled River, I hastened towards him and asked, “Could you take me to my brother?”
He didn't answer at first, until he changed up his cloak. “Did you know that a fake figure of ours had been around since we left this realm?”
I widened my eyes. “A fake figure? What does that mean?”
A noise came from the door, and when I turned, I couldn't believe my eyes. Standing there were two figures of us, staring and smiling at us.
“That's nonsense! How did I happen to be here when I…
My words were cut short as both figures began piecing and vanishing into the air. If I didn't see those with my eyes, I wouldn't believe it.
“So, no one knew we hadn't been here. And if they knew, it could stir confusion, because only the dragons are expected to be in such a realm created by us. Since we aren't on good terms with the other realms, no other creature is to see what it looks like,” he explained, and I stared at him, baffled.
Wasn't I confused already?
I walked closer to him, “Do you mean that I'm not supposed to be in there with you?”
He nodded, “Exactly! That's why I created a fake figure, so you must pretend to have been here all through.”
I shook my head. It wasn't adding up.
“But there's no way I'd know what those figures did.” I gestured, because this was becoming disturbing.
He walked past me towards the mirror, and I followed him immediately. Once we reached, he touched his right index finger on the mirror, and our reflection vanished.
“If you can, then watch every scene. As for me, I already knew everything that happened,” he said and turned around again.
I shook my head and held his hand, “You can't leave. Is it because we are back here that your mood changed so badly? It got worse just a few minutes ago…”
“What do you expect me to do?”
“Smile…” I said to him, and he shook his head. “But you did that a lot in there.”
He nodded, "It's not my realm, so everything there is different, including my inner core.”
Inner core? He kept saying things that I didn't understand.
“Have you ever seen me smile when here?” he asked, and I slowly let go of his hands.
Truly, if he ever did, it doesn't last up to a second. So I thought the reason he kept smiling there wasn't that he wanted to, not knowing it was the environment that made him so lively.
I licked my lips and bowed to him, "I'm sorry for the disturbance.” Then I turned around and faced the mirror again.
Honestly, I couldn't concentrate. Recalling that this man was just all over me in these three days, claiming me like I was his source of living. Yet just now, he was cold again, even though he seemed enraged back there.
When I tried and wasn't grabbing anything from the scenes playing out from the mirror, I turned around and screamed as I came face-to-face with him.
“Are you okay?” he asked simply, like nothing just happened.
I bit my lower lip softly, took a deep swallow, and nodded. “Yes, I'm okay.”
“But sweating…”
Before I could speak, he grabbed my arm and leaped out of the room.
Once I got myself, we were standing before a building, long and tall too. A man walked up before us and bowed. He was dressed in armour and had weapons surrounding him, so I thought it was a war bureau.
“Get out his brother, fast!” Dragon Sovereign ordered, stirring my attention.
I turned to him, “Why is he here? Did he get punished?”
He pulled a long face. “If you had watched everything, you could have gotten an answer.”
“Then just tell me. You brought him and ordered him to be thrown into prison?" I sneered, and I was sure he felt the anger in my voice, which made his dragon let out a growl at me. “Ehm, I'm sorry but…
“Your brother fought a dragon and had his arm broken by my warriors. So, people like him end up here.”
River did that? Why would he?
I felt so ashamed and looked away, saying nothing again.
Once the warrior returned with my brother, I couldn't hold back but rushed into an embrace with him. As usual, he patted my head gently and kissed my hair. “River, I finally saved you…” I muttered to him, holding him tighter. “The dragon realm was attacked, and Dragon Sovereign sent out his dragon to find you with that opportunity."
“Neither of them left alive. I saw their corpses burnt,” he responded, and I pulled away. “But the realm isn't empty. I think they are training more armies and warriors.”
He seemed amused by the attack which befell the dragons, so I folded my arms and asked him, “Did you really fight a dragon when you were rescued and brought here?”
“They hate us so much.”
“But you were saved by a dragon. Weren't you?” My voice rose at each word. He was just disappointing me so soon. Even Ofelia hadn't reached this extent. “River, do you know what I did to have you saved? The Faes are the cruel ones here and shouldn't live.”
He nodded to me, “I know. They are cruel, too. But it was better I died than put your life in danger.”
“What are you talking about?” I hissed and dragged him like he was a child towards Dragon Sovereign. “This is the Dragon Sovereign ruler of this realm. He was the one whose dragon saved you, and had been…
River hissed and made a long face. “So it's true…”
My eyes snapped wide. “Huh?”
“Ofelia said you saved him from the ground.”
I nodded. “But…”
“You shouldn't have gone to that shrine. Don't you realise he's the cause of everything? If he didn't come after the faes and ended up sealed there, our clan wouldn't be wiped out.” River yelled at me, anger drained the blood from his face. “Davina…”
I stepped away from him. “What do you mean he did this and that? What is the relationship between him being sealed underground and our clan being persecuted as traitors? If I didn't save him, you would have been dead.”
“That was far better. At least, the fae council wouldn't have known you existed,” he snapped at me and arched his brows. “Now that you awoke him and put yourself into trouble, what's the essence of hiding you in the human land? You acted so rashly…”
“I only went there to pray for your safety.” I retorted, my palms clenched at my side. I couldn't believe I would be in this with my brother. “River, our life is assured here. Dragon Sovereign will make sure we don't die, because that's my agreement with him. Who knows, the faes could have still found me even after you all died.”
I licked my lips and took a breath.
He had his eyes still on me, and the Dragon Sovereign only watched us rant before his presence. His level of patience and tolerance just now was a topnotch.
“I'm not sure what you're going to be assigned as, but I'm now the Sovereign's slave,” I said, and he narrowed his eyes. “Now that you are saved, the dragons are going to wipe out all the faes. For your sake, Dragon Sovereign has been holding back.”
He closed the distance between us. “Did you just call yourself a slave to whom?”
I pointed at my master, and Rivers' expression chiseled.
“He's not cruel…”
“Do you know what it means to be a slave?” River asked, and I shrugged my shoulders. “You aren't supposed to be a slave to anyone when you are already betrothed to a human.”
His statement sank into my ears forcefully. I looked him dead in the eyes, not understanding a word. “Are you talking to me?” I asked, and he nodded. “That's a lie!!” I screamed at his face.