Chapter 84: Testify
“A witch?” Rhea repeated, staring at Aria to be sure she had heard her correctly. Rhea remembered a case and frowned, telling herself it was just a coincidence and nothing more. She had only heard the rumour and was too young to understand things. Besides, Leia was from another pack, it happened in this pack.
“Yes. Unbelievable, right? I know they only said it to hurt her, and I am not going to stop searching for her real parents,” Aria said, pouting her lips.
“Speaking of witches, I know Lucien hates them. He hates them more than anything. I am certain of that much,” Rhea disclosed suddenly, remembering something and causing Aria’s eyes to widen.
“He does? Why?” Aria asked, curiosity piqued.
“It’s for a really stupid reason,” Rhea said, waving a hand as she laughed. The reaction only made Aria even more curious.
“Don’t worry, I can handle stupid if it’s him,” she said. Rhea cleared her throat and dropped her gaze.
“Alright. So once, during a war with another pack, they had a witch who was skilled at altering reality. She could make you see your deepest desire, pulling you away from what was real. Unfortunately, our men had so many buried desires that they easily fell for the illusion. If not for Casimir, whose desire wasn’t strong enough to distract him, they would have been trapped in that false reality forever,” Rhea explained, barely holding back her laughter.
“Is that all?” Aria asked, her expression confused. For something Rhea called stupid, it didn’t sound stupid enough.
“Ah! No. Apparently, Lucien’s deepest desire was to see his favorite toy, the one given to him by his first love, that had been stolen from him. The witch revealed it in front of everyone. The whole pack found out and started teasing him with toys. Since then, he’s held a grudge against witches,” Rhea added, her laughter growing louder.
“That must have hurt. My poor Lucien. I hope he found his toy,” Aria said softly.
Rhea’s laughter stopped abruptly, her expression turning cold. “I thought it was funny,” she said, clicking her tongue.
“I know how it feels to have your favorite toys stolen. When I was a child, the neighborhood kids used to bully me and hide mine. If not for Leia, I would have lost so many. I still remember how heartbroken I was when I lost Princess…”
“You named a toy?” Rhea cut in, staring at her in disbelief.
“Yes…” Aria began, but before she could continue, Rhea raised a hand.
“Never mind. Save the story for him. I am sure he will enjoy it as much as you do,” she said. Aria smiled.
“I can’t believe my friend is worrying about a guy while I lie here in bed,” a voice spoke, prompting both Aria and Rhea to turn at the same time, each wearing a different expression.
“Oh, finally. Sleeping Beauty is awake. I was about to request a prince to kiss her,” Rhea remarked, rolling her eyes as she leaned back into the couch.
Leia smiled, relieved to see Rhea safe.
“Why do I suddenly feel the urge to scold instead of cry?” Aria said, frowning at Leia.
“Won’t you check on me first? What if I faint again?” Leia teased, earning a scoff from Aria.
“Go ahead. I will follow you this time. Let’s see who dares to come back alive first,” she answered, pouting her lips, which made Leia burst into laughter.
“Help me up,” Leia urged the nurses standing by the bed.
“You can’t get up now, Luna. The doctor strictly instructed us not to let you move if you wake,” one of them said, causing Rhea to hiss.
“So what? She’s going to die from sitting up?” Rhea snapped, rendering the nurses speechless.
Hesitating, the nurses exchanged glances between themselves, contemplating offending one of the highest packhouse officials or strictly obeying the doctor’s instructions.
“Don’t let me say it again!” Rhea warned and the nurses had no choice but to help Leia up.
Stretching out her arms, Leia gestured for Aria to hug her. Aria immediately rushed forward and pulled her into a tight embrace.
“Ahh!” Leia cried out, making Aria gasp and release her at once. She stepped back, eyes darting over Leia as she asked, “Are you okay? Did I hurt you? Oh my, I am sorry.”
Leia suddenly burst into laughter and Aria stared at her in confusion. Was she toying with her?
“You sly thing!” Aria yelled, pointing a finger at her, and soon they were both laughing.
“I thought you were in the mood to scold me,” Leia teased, deepening their laughter.
“Look at them, acting all lovey-dovey while ignoring the rest of us in the room,” Rhea remarked, coughing as she rose to her feet.
“Hi, Rhea. I am glad to see you are back. Thank you for saving my life and Aria’s,” Leia said gratefully. Rhea smiled, clearly enjoying the praise.
“Well, I am your bodyguard, remember?” She joked, and Leia smiled back at her affectionately.
“See you girls later. I have to go receive my punishment,” Rhea said, glancing at her wristwatch. Leia raised a brow, puzzled by her words.
“Punishment? What do you mean?” Leia asked.
“Don’t worry about that. Sit there until your husband comes to visit, we don’t want him beheading anyone,” Rhea replied as she headed for the door.
Leia shifted, about to get out of bed, but Aria stopped her.
“She gave something up so we could escape, and the council refuses to consider that she did it to save you,” Aria explained, causing Leia’s frown to deepen.
“What about Casimir and Lucien? They would never let any harm come to her,” Leia asked, shaking her head. Aria sighed.
“They agreed to spare her if you woke up within two days and testified on her behalf. But you have been unconscious for three days, Leia. You were the only one who could have saved her,” Aria revealed, leaving Leia stunned. It felt as though she had only slept for hours, yet three days had passed.
“No. I am going to help her. It’s not too late, I can still testify,” Leia insisted, pulling the duvet over herself.
“No, Leia. The council has already decided on a lenient punishment. Challenging their decision could make things worse. All you can do now is hope,” Aria said, gripping her shoulder. Leia met her gaze and realized she wasn’t lying.
“What do I do, Aria?”