Chapter 168 Crushed

Chapter 168 Crushed
Freya's conversation with Kael had been odd, but she was at least thankful that he was not about to reveal her secret to anyone. The last thing she wanted was for people to find out that her mother had been a healer and that she had inherited the same ability.

For a long time, stories had been shared about how healers had been hunted years ago by those who wanted to harness their powers. Freya wanted no part of that fate.

She remembered being a little girl, her mother constantly reminding her to keep her abilities a secret. However, as she grew older, she never experienced any signs or side effects of being a healer. She had simply assumed that she had never inherited the gift. But now her powers were revealing themselves, proving that she had indeed inherited some of her mother's healing abilities.

As Freya walked out of the kitchen, she made her way through the castle's large corridors. It seemed as though this entire section of the castle had fallen unusually silent, which was strange because it was normally bustling with servants, guards, and nobles moving about.

Just as she rounded the corner, she froze. Her breathing quickened, and her eyes widened in horror. Scattered across the corridor were dozens of dead white doves.
Unable to control herself any longer, a single tear rolled down Freya's cheek. Her hands trembled violently as she hurried forward and crouched beside the nearest bird, gently lifting it into her hands.

"No..." she whispered. She tried shaking it gently, hoping it would somehow wake up, but its tiny body remained lifeless. Then she felt it… A familiar warmth spread throughout her body, beginning in her chest before flowing through every vein. Without thinking, Freya placed her hand over the dove.

A soft silver glow surrounded her fingers. Moments later, the dove suddenly inhaled before opening its tiny eyes. It fluttered its wings excitedly before flying into the air. Freya smiled through her tears. Without wasting another second, she moved to the next bird.

One by one, she laid her hands upon each lifeless dove. Every time she did, the same warm energy flowed through her body as another brilliant silver glow surrounded her hands. Slowly but surely, each dove returned to life before taking flight, filling the once silent corridor with the sound of fluttering wings.
She continued until every single dove had been healed. Only after the last bird disappeared into the distance did Freya allow herself to sit back against the cold stone floor. She breathed heavily, completely exhausted.

Healing every dove had drained nearly all the strength from her body. Using the wall for support, Freya slowly pulled herself to her feet. Despite her exhaustion, a small smile spread across her face. She had done a good deed once again.

Yet one question continued to trouble her… How had all those beautiful white doves ended up dead and abandoned throughout the corridor in the first place?
Just as she was about to leave, Freya suddenly paused. She felt a familiar presence nearby. Slowly, she turned around and Henry stood a few steps away, a smug smile resting comfortably on his face.

Fear immediately settled inside Freya. The moment their eyes met, they both understood exactly what had happened. She knew that  Henry had seen everything.
He had watched her bring those doves back to life. Still, Freya forced herself to remain calm. Someone like Henry could never discover the truth. He was a greedy man... a man who would undoubtedly try to use her abilities for his own selfish gain.

"Oh, Henry... what are you doing here?" Freya asked, pretending as though she had done nothing unusual. Henry began walking toward her... not hurriedly, but with slow, confident steps.

When he finally stopped in front of her, he slowly clapped his hands, the sound echoing throughout the corridor. "That was a magnificent thing you did there," he said, his deep voice filled with admiration.

Freya raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand what you're talking about," she replied, forcing a confused expression. "But if you'll excuse me... I have several things to attend to." She attempted to walk past him.

Henry stepped sideways, blocking her path. "I'm sorry, My Queen... but you're not going to fool me," he said with a knowing smile. "I saw exactly what you did. You brought those birds back to life."

Freya's heart pounded inside her chest, but she knew one thing… She could never admit to what he had just witnessed.
“I think you have lost your mind, Master Henry. You're starting to see things. Perhaps you've had too much to drink," she said in a low tone.

Henry rolled his eyes. He was not about to fall for her tricks. He knew Freya was trying to make him look as though he was delusional... as though he had imagined everything he had seen.

"I also know that you were the one who saved Kael. You came into his room and instead of killing him, you healed wounds that would often take days, or even weeks, to recover from," Henry said. He expected Freya to argue or deny his accusations, but instead she laughed in his face. The sound only fueled his anger.

"I see you're not well. Perhaps you should see a doctor," Freya remarked calmly. Her response felt like an insult to a man of Henry's standing. Just as she turned to walk away, he grabbed her arm with so much force that Freya cried out.

"Let me go," she pleaded. Henry refused to release her. Instead, a smug smile spread across his face as he watched her struggle against his grip.

"Unfortunately, I won't let go of you. In fact... what are you going to do? Tell your husband? Because if you tell your husband, you'll obviously have to explain a few other things as well," Henry threatened.

As Freya desperately tried to pull herself free, she felt that familiar heat rising through her body once again. Panic washed over her. Before she could stop herself, she grabbed Henry's hand and squeezed with incredible force.

A loud crack echoed through the hallway. Henry let out a piercing scream as the bones in his hand gave way beneath her grip.

The moment Freya realized what she had done, she immediately released him. Henry stumbled backward, clutching his injured hand against his chest while breathing heavily. His face had turned bright red as he stared at Freya with unmistakable fear in his eyes.

Freya looked down at her own hands, equally horrified. She could not believe she possessed enough strength to crush the hand of a man much larger than herself.
"I... I'm so sorry," she cried, tears threatening to spill as she realized the extent of the damage she had caused. Henry remained bent over in pain, cradling his hand as he struggled to catch his breath.

"What is going on here?" Kael's voice interrupted the tense silence as he approached, his eyes shifting between Henry and Freya.

"He tried to hurt me... and I... I..." Freya stuttered, unable to find the words. Just then, Henry pushed himself off the floor and staggered toward the corridor.

"That woman is a monster, I tell you. Watch out for her. She's not who she says she is," he shouted angrily before limping away, still clutching his injured hand. Freya and Kael silently watched him disappear down the hallway.

Kael turned his attention back to Freya. She was visibly shaken, her breathing uneven and her expression filled with confusion. As she looked into his eyes, she saw nothing but concern.

"Are you okay, my queen?" he asked gently. Instead of answering, Freya simply nodded.

"I have to go," she whispered. She had barely taken a step when Kael stopped her.

"He probably saw you using your powers," Kael said.