It had happened in a flash.
Belladonna had bursted into the hallway with a torch in her hand, shouting that Lytio should be saved.
Eli had been shocked at her presence and although he had many questions to ask regarding her strange request, he had swiftly moved back to the den and with an unfathomable speed, held up his ring at the dragon who already had flames at the depth of it's throat, and directed her attack somewhere else.
The dragon growled against the restraint, angry at the sudden control and intrusion, while Lytio passed out from shock on the floor. Belladonna came behind him shortly after, out of breath and shape.
What was she doing here?
She should not be here! She was supposed to be resting in bed.
Had she heard it from the servants that Lytio was here? Had she come running to save him? Despite how painful that would certainly be for her, she had put her health at risk to save this criminal?
He was displeased with the thought that she had put herself through any form of stress to rescue that boy.
He was not even worth it.
"Lytio." She said faintly, her gaze fixed in the golden boy on the floor, fear in them. "Is he dead?"
"What are you doing here?" His voice as low and he didn't try to hide his displeasure.
"Is he--" she took a step forward and stilled, the rumbling of the dragon made her aware of it.
It's large eyes that seemed to devour her just with it's stare and the memories of every moment they had ever met, slamming into her.
She staggered back and Eli held her wrist, taking the torch from her, making her pay attention to him, while he blocked her view of Pamela with his body frame.
The fear that flashed in her eyes at the sight of his dragon, was obvious and he didn't like it. It wasn't something he particularly enjoyed that his Donna was scared of his beast, anytime she showed her fear while he was there, it undermined his strength. But it was a relief however that this time she was seeking protection from him and not away from him.
"Is he dead?" She asked in a whisper and her worry confused him.
Why was that important to her? Had she lost her memory? Didn't she know what he did?
That bastard!
He hated it anytime her memory was been tampered with and now this? That had better not be it.
"No, unfortunately." He slid a finger ubderneath her chin. Being close to him like this, she could see the seething rage in his brown eyes. "You should be resting." He scolded her but she only smiled back in return.
"You saved him." She praised him.
He frowned beneath his mask, feeling like taking it off just so she could clearly see that he wasn't happy with how she had put her body at risk to save this criminal.
If he had died, then so what?
It would only be rightly deserved after all. His action and the words he had said made him deserve it.
"We should get you back to bed." He held her wrist, taking her along with him, while he walked away from the den and up the stairs.
She couldn't see but it seemed that he could see in the darkness perfectly, could that be one of his abilities or was it just simply out of habit of being so used to the place.
"Someone should get him out of there. You have to go back. What if the dragon attacks him?"
"And so be it."
"What?" She struggled to snatch her wrist from him but his hold was strong. "Eli!"
"What?" Before he had the chance to say the rest of the words that were burning like embers in his throat, a light was seen in the distance and a guard was shouting while he made it down the stairs.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty, Your--" he saw them and stopped. "Your Majesty! A woman is threatening to jump!" Then he added after collecting his breath. "She is with child."
"Aniya." Belladonna gasped silently and without saying anything more, attempting to race off after the guard but someone was stopping her and soon enough, her feet was no longer on the ground.
"You need to stop putting yourself through so much stress." He muttered underneath his breath, but before she could reply to that, they were in the hallway.
The crowd she faced as Eli reluctantly placed her back on her feet, made her certain that this was the correct hallway.
For a moment there, she had been scared that he would take her to her room and force her to rest while he handled this. She was glad that he hadn't done that.
She would have been so mad if he had done that.
Aniya was by that window she had been drinking earlier, she had sat on it, with Arlo in her arms.
When her gaze landed on Belladonna, her tears increased and she wiped her palm over her face in an attempt to get rid of the tears, that had only created more mess.
"What will you do to me now? Punish me?" Her voice was shaky.
Belladonna didn't have any problems going through the crowd, they made a way for her. There was no longer a doubt in their minds as to who she was here as.
She would be their Queen.
Why she wasn't their Queen already though, they didn't know.
That held the mystery, one they had tried to form many theories in their head to answer.
"Aniya, get down from there."
"No. I would rather die than be alive when everyone finds out."
"Think about your baby."
"I am thinking about him!" She yelled. "Mother said it was better to die than to face the magnitude of my shame."
"Mother is wrong."
"Mother is never wrong." She yelled back, shaking violently.
It was a mess, Arlo was crying, Aniya was yelling, Belladonna was begging and the guards were trying to get Aniya down, while they prepared something on the ground to ease her landing in case she eventually jumped.
It would catch her but the possibility of her and Arlo being alive after the jump was low.
Very low.
"Any, please."
"If I die tonight, it will be your fault."
Belladonna felt her heart drop.
Not this again.
"It will be because you are not a good elder sister and you couldn't just stand by your sister's side for once in your path--" the look in her eyes changed, becoming blank, and her words faded away.
Slowly, she got down from the window and walked into the crowd towards someone who had just arrived but they had all been too distracted to notice.
Lady Kestra.
Something in her head was glowing red, she looked more exhausted than Belladonna had ever seen her, there was blood running down her nose too and she leaned against the wall as the red glow on her forehead died out.
Aniya blinked, looking around for a moment, before she recollected herself and looked right at the window. Before she would attempt to head for it though, some guards had quickly restrained her, and taken Arlo from her.
A maid grabbing him next and taking care of him, while she followed after the guards that had dragged her back to her room. The physician rushing behind them shortly after, reassuring Belladonna to take care of everything.
"Lady Kestra," she said, when she finally felt a little at ease and the crowd had gone back to their duties immediately after an order from the King. "You don't look well."
"I'm just exhausted, that is all." She brushed her fingers over her head, tracing the bandage. "You pretty little thing, how is your head?"
Her head?
Oh, her head!
Belladonna had forgotten that.
"It will heal."
"I can help you heal it faster."
Belladonna opened her mouth to speak but Eli beat her to it. "My Donna will be fine. I think you should take care of yourself instead. I have no plans to lose my Right hand woman anytime soon."
Kestra smiled, not the one that usually strain her lips in a way that it ached for the onlooker, this smile seemed gentle and sincere.
"If you will excuse me," she bowed lightly, turning to leave. Belladonna offered to help her to her room buy Eli had asked a guard to do that instead.
Eli took her wrist and lead her straight to her room.
"I am worried about Lady Kestra.She seems very weak. I have never seen her like that before." She said when she stepped in, poking her head through the door, expecting him to leave. "Well, goodnight." She pushed the door but he stopped it, stepping in and shutting it behind him.
"I advise you save your goodnight and worry about what I am going to do to you instead."