chapter 17

Orion’s p.o.v

“You said she just passed out from fatigue!!” I was barely keeping it together at this point. It had been days, three days to be exact and she was yet to open her eyes.

“Well you were not too keen on talking to her when she was awake” Hazel, Karin’s healer on the ship said.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything but she cut me off with a laugh. “you don’t have to worry, I assure you, she would be fine” she said giving me a smile that was meant to be reassuring. “I have to ask the question she asked though-“

“You should do your damned job and leave” I snapped, unable to hold in my irritation.

“Ah… My Prince, I think you seem to forget that I do not bow to you” she said, taking several steps closer to me. “I bow only to the king” she said shoving me in a way that I had to lean further into the chair “and to the princess” she continued, removing my band aid a little roughly. “I am here solely because of the princess” she said, giving me an overly sweet smile.

I ground my teeth, wishing I had my full strength at the moment so that I could show her exactly who it was that she was disrespecting, but I sighed. It was of no use trying to be aggressive at this point, I still very much needed her for Astrid.

I lifted my hands to further allow her tighten the bandage as she was done cleaning at this point but I could not take my eyes away from her.

“You care for her, don’t you?” she called, causing me to snap my gaze towards her.

“Don’t be stupid and just do your damned job” I snapped.

“I can’t believe it” she snickered, ignoring the death glares I was shooting her way “Prince Orion, the Prince of the Interstellar race and of the Martians actually cares for someone other than himself!!” she looked at me with shock, trying all that she could but failing terribly to hide her smile.

I looked back to Astrid for a moment feeling a bit of rage and helplessness before I sighed.

“she is different” I muttered, but she still heard me, looking at me with renewed interest “everyone only ever looks at me as part of the crown or as a monster, but she… she looks at me as a monster but each time she looks at me, she has this defiance in her eyes, that tells me though she wants to go against what I say, she keeps herself because of what she has been through in the hands of our clan. I...” I sighed, unable to stop myself at this point “I just.. this way that…”

“Wow.. You really are the most fucked up person on the planet!” she said, looking at me with her jaw getting unhinged.

I snapped out of my twisted thoughts looking at her before it turned into a scowl.

“Don’t you have something to do?” I said, motioning to the still unmoving body.

“She should be fine. Her body is healing, so she should have woke up by now, but I guess the problem is emotional.”

“Emotions?” I thought, already having this gut wrenching feeling. I did not do well with emotions, more so human emotions.

“Do you have any idea what her life could have been like before she came here?”

“no” I answered immediately, throwing my head to the side. I knew for a fact that she was treated in the cruelest way possible and also the fact that she was not treated well by me from the onset.

“Are you sure Orion, I have seen this play out countless times. We see it daily on our ship. She most likely has lost the zeal to live, or does not want to reawaken in this place that most likely-“

“so what!!!” I snapped, feeling more and more irritated as she spoke. Her words were hitting deep in places I did not like which left a bitter taste in my mouth “do you want me to leave her because she has had an unpleasant time here?” I felt the blood rush to my ears as the thought of her leaving my presence fuelled me with great anger.

“I am just trying to help you my prince, but if you want to act like a brat then be my guest” I halted, looking at her for a while and wishing for the second time today that I had even a tenth of my power so that I could reduce her to the nothingness that she was.

“there is nothing I can do at this moment, the only thing I can do at this moment is advice that you bring something she comfortable with so that when she wakes up, she has a reason to stay up.”

“I should be enough, I should make sure that she wants to…”

“Orion!” she snapped cutting me off. Indeed she was Karin’s favourite for a reason. “this is not about Pride. I advise you do as I have instructed, or whatever happens would be on your head. My job here is done, have a nice day.

She walked out of the room, leaving me with my thoughts.

I looked at the unmoving body, my mind looking back to every single moment together.

“I really fucked up” I groaned putting my head in my palm “I should have protected her more, I should have…” I sighed, “Caelum” I thought out loud. ‘definitely would be a better option than me right now’ I thought, trying my possible best to keep it all in.

“I could do that you know, I could not be selfish. I could keep away my pride, at least till you get better” he said, standing up from the room and walking out the door.

“I really would get out of your hair for now” I looked at her one last time before closing the door of the room, freeing her of my ugly presence.