Chapter 268 Chapter 267
More days passed, and Xenon started recovering his strength, albeit slowly. Rayena was happy to see him respond to treatment, and she devoted the rest of her time to ensuring he was properly cared for.
He'd spend most of his mornings with Morvan, training and making strategy plans, and during the evenings, he was with Rayena, either keeping her company or doting over her. That added an extra layer of happiness within Rayena. It felt like he wanted to make up for lost time.
She adored the attention; it made her feel whole.
On days she couldn't be with Xenon, due to his duties taking his attention, she'd spend them with Soraya, either just talking or making embroidery, her favorite pastime.
Although she'd noticed in recent times that Soraya and Morvan weren't as cordial as they used to be.
When she asked why, Soraya wouldn't speak, her face tightening in what Rayena could only suspect was anger.
Rayena sighed, moving closer to Soraya, who placed all her attention on the embroidery piece she was working on, punching the fabric with a fervor Rayena didn't know she possessed. "Are you acting this way because of the differences between you again?" She asked, her voice gentle.
Soraya bit her lip, throat bobbing as she swallowed. "It's not that." She ground out.
"Then what is it? Why are you no longer speaking with him? And don't say nothing, because I've noticed how you've been avoiding him. You're always going out of your way to ensure you don't encounter him at all."
Her fingers faltered slightly, and she let out a frustrated breath. She dropped the piece she was holding, wringing her fingers as she stared ahead. "I spoke with Morvan, and even he pointed out how impossible our union is. Unfortunately for him, his reasons run deeper."
The corners of her eyes started to sting with tears, but she blinked them away. Picking up the embroidery, she tried to distract herself with it. "Unfortunately, at the moment, it's not something we can risk."
Pity filled Rayena for her dear friend, and she reached for her friend's hand, squeezing it gently. "Have a little faith, will you?" she began gently, pausing as Soraya glanced at her. "You always used to tell me that whenever I was feeling hopeless about Xenon, and look at what it resulted in for me. Never for a moment should you stop believing it wouldn't be the same for you."
"But..." Soraya started, and Rayena cut her off.
"No buts. You like each other and are already aware of that. The rest is just a matter of time."
A breath escaped Soraya's lips, and she reached to hug Rayena. Rayena flinched in surprise but soon encircled her hands around Soraya. "Thank you..." Soraya muttered into her neck.
Rayena smiled. "Anytime."
They pulled away, and Rayena cocked her head to the side, seeing a tear trail down Soraya’s cheek. "Now, wipe that tear off your face and let's focus on the positives. This will all be something we look back on and laugh about, I promise you."
"I hope so," Soraya muttered, picking up her embroidery and returning to it with renewed vigor. Rayena watched her for a moment, then returned to hers as well.
They continued their craft in blissful silence.
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Xenon stood in the center of the enclosed training ground they used to train in, huffing in frustration. He'd tried to get back to fighting to increase his strength and endurance, but it wasn't progressing well.
"I'm much slower now," he groaned as Morvan walked towards him. "I never used to be like this. It's aggravating."
Morvan shrugged, wiping the sweat off his brow. "Well, the healers did say you aren't fully recovered yet. It would be best if you didn't overexert yourself and break down again."
Xenon's brows furrowed in thought. "That's probably true." He accepted the towel Morvan stretched to him. "Perhaps we should ask them what exactly the problem is."
"We're done here already. Let's meet with them on our way out," Morvan stated, and they both walked out of the training grounds, their footsteps echoing behind them in the training pit.
Arriving at the section where they resided in the, Xenon met with one of the healers. The latter bowed instantly, ushering the king and his second-in-command into the small room filled with herbs and strange-looking bottles.
Xenon lowered himself onto the only comfortable seat in the room with a grunt, while Morvan stood behind him, hands clasped behind his back.
"To what do I owe this surprise visit, Your Majesty?"
"I've come concerning my health. I'm not progressing as quickly as I'd like. I find that addling. Could you perhaps tell me why?"
The healer stood, rubbing his chin as he lost himself in his thoughts. "This could be happening due to a plethora of reasons. But before I go further, I'd like to ask—are you feeling the presence of both your animal sides?"
Xenon tensed, then slowly shook his head. "Only the wolf. I haven't heard from the tiger at all since I returned."
"Must be why you're struggling so much. Both of them need to be active within you for you to return to your old self."
Xenon tried to reach within himself to feel his tiger but received nothing—almost like it no longer existed within him.
"What's taking that so long?"
"If my memory serves me right, you were poisoned just before you turned feral, is it not so?" the healer asked, and Xenon nodded. "That part of you must have taken the hit, since the poison was particularly lethal to your kind. Besides that, you've stayed in your wolf form all these years. It will take more time for it to awaken."
"How do I speed up the healing process?" Xenon asked, his voice grave.
"Based on some of the records I have studied, intimacy does help. But you'll be having lots of it. It could act as a trigger and heal the tiger if it's still injured."
"That isn't hard to do, right?" Morvan asked, and Xenon glanced behind him. He shrugged, lips pressed into a thin line.
"As long as Rayena is willing," he revealed.