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Chapter 26 - The King's Light



Castle Xanthe

City of Aphelion, Wolfen Territory

The Realm of Xathos



Dimitrios' warriors ran as fast as they could when they heard their alpha roar.

They shifted into their Wolfen forms and ran towards the woods. There, they found their King circling his fallen Queen, standing guard over her. His hackles were raised and it was as if he was torn between going after those who did this and also protecting his mate.

"Find them!" Dimitrios shouted over their pack connection.

Immediately, his wolves ran towards the forest, scattering in different directions so that they could cover more ground. There was the stench of a Cerran in the nearby woods but when they followed the trail, it suddenly vanished.

There was also a different scent in the woods. The Cerran weren't alone in this attack.

"My King, they're gone," Argus sent towards their mental link.

He received a growl in response. "Search everywhere!" Dimitrios sent back.

Dimitrios immediately shifted to his human form and gathered Ailara in his arms. Then, he ran as fast as he could back towards the castle. He was careful not to put pressure near where the arrow was embedded. He examined the wound earlier and it looked very deep. He didn't want to take a chance and yank it out himself.

Ailara moaned as pain shot up her body with each step Dimitrios took. It was like her entire body was being jarred and pricked with a thousand needles.

"Hang in there, my queen. We'll be safe soon," he whispered to her.

She only shivered against him as the rain continued to pour over both of them.

Protect her! Dimitrios' Wolfen instinct shouted at him. It clawed inside him and wanted to be out to protect its mate, the mate the human side of him didn't want to acknowledge. Dimitrios closed his eyes as a wave of shame washed over him.

He promised to protect her and here she lay bleeding in his arms.

This was the second time he was carrying her back to his castle like this.

When he stepped foot inside the threshold, he began yelling orders. "Summon the healer! Summon the Vampyr one too!" He never stoppedor slowed his pace as he entered the castle and brought her to her room.

He laid her down on the bed face down and ripped the dress she wore. He cursed under his breath when he saw that the skin around the area where the arrow was embedded was inflamed and the veins were clearly seen.

"Poison," he hissed.

Dimitrios reached for the washcloth beside her bed and dipped it in the bowl of water. He wrung it and began cleansing the area around the wound as he waited for the healer. Throughout his ministrations, Ailara remained unconscious. He tried wiping her face as well but she was still out cold.

The Vampyr healer, the priest, arrived first.

"Princess!" he gasped as he saw her.

Dimitrios growled. "She's your queen," he corrected.

"I'm sorry your majesty," the priest mumbled quickly. He knelt beside the bed and started inspecting the wound just as the Wolfen healer arrived.

The moment she saw Ailara, she gasped as well. "The arrow has been poisoned!" she shouted. It confirmed Dimitrios' suspicions and he clenched his jaw.

"Take that damned arrow out!" he barked.

"It's too deep. This will cause her a lot of pain. We need to hold her down so the damage is kept to a minimum," Andreas, the priest, said.

The Wolfen healer quickly ran out of the room and shouted for help. Immediately, two guards entered.

"Hold her down," Dimitrios ordered the guards.

The Wolfen and the Vampyr healer climbed onto the bed to make room for the guards. Dimitrios used his forearm to pin down Ailara's shoulders while the other guard used his forearm to pin her waist. The third one held down her legs.

Dimitrios clenched his jaw again at the sight of other wolves holding down his mate. The rational part of him knew he needed their help. The irrational part of him protested at other hands touching what was his.

Andreas wrapped both his hands on the shaft of the arrow. The Wolfen healer grabbed clean cloths and prepared them so she could stop the bleeding when the arrow was pulled out.

"On the count of three," he said.

Dimitrios and the two guards nodded. Andreas counted to three and on the word three he yanked the arrow hard.

"No!" Ailara shouted. Even with three Wolfen pinning her down, her body still came off the bed as she thrashed. Blood quickly poured from the wound and the Wolfen healer immediately placed the clean cloths over the wound.

The cloths were soaked in under a minute.

"Put pressure on it!" Andreas hissed.

"I am, Vampyr! I know what I'm doing!" the Wolfen healer retorted.

Ailara continued to thrash and sob and it broke something inside of Dimitrios. More cloths were provided to stop the bleeding but those were also soaked in a span of minutes.

"Why is it not stopping?" Dimitrios asked through gritted teeth.

"The poison," Andreas replied.

"Do something!" Dimitrios roared. He could see Ailara's pale complexion become even paler. He could hear her heartbeats slow down as well. Dimitrios lifted his arm and bit his wrist.

He lifted her head and placed his arm against her lips.

"Drink, Ailara," he commanded.

Weakly, she drank. But she was losing blood more than she could replace it. Also, her body did not have time to process the blood she was receiving for her to heal. Ailara coughed and blood spattered all over the bed.

"Ailara..." Dimitrios whispered.

"Give me one of those," Andreas ordered the Wolfen healer. The Vampyr jumped off the bed, clutching one of the blood-sodden cloths. "I will take this to my tent and see if I can analyze the poison that caused this and also make an antidote. In the meantime, please try feeding her blood and put pressure on the wound," he told them.

"Do it fast," Dimitrios commanded.

The Vampyr nodded and ran down the castle.

Dimitrios started to pace. His wolf clawed inside him. It wanted him to help Ailara but he didn't know how. He was helpless at this point. His wolf also wanted him to take her into his arms and hold her. It was terrified for her. But he can't show weakness.

Dimitrios ran his fingers through his hair. He was at odds with himself and he couldn't reconcile the two sides in him: the king and the wolf.

He wanted to go down the castle and follow the Vampyr healer. Or maybe better yet, he could go to the forest and track Ailara's attacker. Maybe there's still a faint trae of whoever attacked her. Also, he wanted to see for himself the report that the scent of a Cerran was accompanied by a Wolfen scent.

"Take good care of her. Send one of my warriors if there are any changes in her condition," he told the healer.

Her eyes widened and it looked like she was against the idea of him leaving but she didn't dare say anything for that would be contradicting the orders of her King and Alpha.

She just nodded and bowed her head in submission.

Dimitrios was about to leave when he felt a cold hand wrapped around his wrist. He looked back and quickly crouched by the bed.

"Please don't leave," Ailara whispered weakly. Her arm fell to the side and she grimaced in pain.

Dimitrios quickly crouched beside her and took her hand. It was cold and pale. The wolf inside him howled at seeing her like this.

"I'll stay," he replied with a small smile.

She also managed a weak smile for him. "A s-story. You p-promised." She stuttered as the healer replaced the cloth used to soak up the blood. Dimitri knew she was in a lot of pain and instead of succumbing to sleep, she stayed awake and even requested a story.

"Yes, Ailara. A promise is a promise," he told her softly. "Now where do I start?" he added.

"Tell me how Sylvan and Aerine met."

Dimitrios sat on the cold floor and stretched his legs. He leaned his back against the nearby dresser grabbed her hand once more. He told himself it was to calm and assure his wolf but the truth was, he was afraid.

He didn't want to lose her.

"Legends say that Sylvan, the King of Xathos, found Aerine in a dark alley one cold night. She was alone and shivering from the cold. He passed by the alley and something in her called out to him. It's the pull of mates."

"Pull of mates?" Ailara repeated.

"The Wolfen believe that when you see your mate, you just know that she's the one. Wherever the halves of the pair is, fate would find a way to bring them closer. It's inevitable. They would always find their way to each other."

Dimitrios watched as Ailara's eyes filled with tears. "That's beautiful," she whispered.

The healer lifted the cloth covering her back and replaced it with another. This one was also soaked in blood. Dimitrios clenched his jaw. There was no stopping the bleeding. They had to find a way or she would continue losing precious blood.

"What happened next?" she asked.

"Sylvan found her in the alley and he looked into her eyes. The moment he did, it was as if he was cured from his insanity. In her eyes, he found the peace he craved. He lived in Xathos since his exile and this is such a harsh world – it's much different from the realm of the gods. He felt like he was slowly going insane. It was also partly because of the wolf inside him he had yet to accept. But one look at her and it was as if he was cured."

Ailara winced as the healer pressed against the wound. She still managed a smile for him.

"You told me this. It's why the mates calm the wolf within," she whispered. He knew she was under tremendous pain yet she managed to look calm. Once in a while, she winced. And then she would compose herself and the calm mask was back in place.

"Yes, that's correct. But Aerine was just a child when she met Sylvan. And Sylvan did not understand the pull or the feelings he felt for her."

"He left her?"

Dimitrios shook her head. "He took her to a friend and paid a huge sum so she would live a good life. He felt that even that was not enough to thank her for the moment of peace he was given."

"How did they meet again?"

Dimitrios threw back his head and laughed. Ever so eager, his Ailara.

"They met again several years later. She was already a grown woman."

"How?" she wheezed. Her voice started to rasp and he could see she was having more and more trouble breathing.

"He raided a Vampyr castle and she was a blood slave."

Ailara gasped at the last words he said. She was a Vampyr and she knew what blood slaves meant. This has been outlawed in their kind for several hundred years now. Blood slaves were creatures the Vampyr kept as prisoners just so their blood could be harvested.

Blood slaves were considered Vampyr's playthings. They were the lowest class citizens in the Vampyr kingdom.

"But he made sure she lived a good life! How did she end up as a slave?"

"Legends say that the friend he entrusted her to lost a lot of money. He sold her to the Vampyrs to settle a debt."

Ailara closed her eyes.

"Still with me, my queen?" he asked softly.

"Yes. I feel for Aerine. I know her pain," she whispered back. Her voice was so low that he barely heard it.

Dimitrios frowned. How would she know the pain of being a blood slave? How would she know what it was like to be kept prisoner and tortured? To be kept as a plaything? To be used and abused?

He opened his mouth and was about to ask but Ailara spoke first, "Please continue," she pleaded.

"He rescued her from that place. It was said that this time, she was the one who was almost insane. She didn't want to be near anyone. She cringed whenever anyone tried to touch her. She was injured and she was very sick."

"And he was the one who saved her this time?"

"Yes. He was patient with her. He protected her and gave her back her peace of mind. In time, she grew to trust him. They both didn't know it at first but things were as it was meant to be."

"She made him sane and he made her feel cherished and protected," Ailara said with a soft sigh. There was a small smile on her lips as she closed her eyes and fought through the pain.

"Yes. Sylvan fought a lot of wars for her. It was known that her blood could heal anyone very fast and gave the one who drank it tremendous strength. It was also said that her blood amplified magic. A lot of evil ones sought to have her.""

"But Sylvan fought them all."

"That's right, my queen. He fought all and won all. He claimed her as his and killed anyone who dared take her away. He never planned to be King of all Xathos. He was perfectly happy to have his band of warriors, mercenaries, who was with him. But in order to protect her, he amassed an army. He conquered kingdoms by killing rulers who dared seek her. And in time, all of Xathos was under his belt. And further on, this realm also found its peace."

"That's really beautiful," Ailara told him. "But why was her blood so important?" she asked.

"They didn't know it at first but later found out that she's a Celestian."

"A fallen star!" Ailara exclaimed. The effort was too much for her and she started coughing. This caused her wounds to reopen and blood flowed freely and soaked the cloths once more.

"Rest easy, Ailara. I won't finish this story," he threatened and squeezed her hand.

"No! Please finish," she pleaded.

"Alright. Yes, she is a Celestian – a being of light and magic who fell from the heavens. Not only that, she is a Celestian princess. Legends say that a very influential family in Celestia offered her marriage. Her parents rejected it because they knew this family was after power. The entire royal family was killed. They thought they killed the princess but her family was able to save her by throwing her down from the heavens."

"Fate works in mysterious ways," Ailara said.

"Hmm?"

"She fell from the heavens and could have landed in any of the nine realms. But she fell in Xathos– where Sylvan is. This was fate's way of bringing them together."

Dimitrios knew of this story for a long, long time now. These legends were told to the Wolfen as bed time stories. But it was only now that he thought of that angle.

And yes, he agreed with his queen. Fate does work in mysterious ways.

"Legends say that Sylvan calls Aerine his brightest star. Because she's his fallen star and also because she brightened up his life and kept the darkness at bay. To everyone else, Aerine is known as the king's light."

Dimitrios paused and exhaled the breath he was holding.

"And that, my queen, is the end of this story."

Ailara sighed with bliss. "Thank you. That was a great story," she said, looking straight in his eyes.

"You should rest now, Ailara. Get your strength back," he commanded.

She closed her eyes for a while and then opened them again and looked at him.

"Do you need anything, my queen?" Dimitri asked.

This time, it was her who squeezed his hand. "Dimitrios... if this is the end–"

"Stop."

"But–"

"You will not die today, Ailara! I won't allow it!"

Her eyes filled with tears. "Please... listen to me."

Dimitrios pursed his lips and waited for her words. "If I die... please take care of my people. Please don't drive them away from the safety of these walls. Please protect them from the Cerran."

She took a deep breath before continuing.

"I know this alliance ends with my death. We do not have an heir to continue the blood pact and it would be voided by my death. But I implore you. Please find another way. Please keep this alliance and keep my people safe. I will rest well knowing you will do this for me. Will you, Dimitrios?"

"I will keep your people safe, Ailara," he told her.

"You promise?"

"As long as I live, I will keep them safe. And as long as they uphold their part of the alliance, this promise is valid."

A single tear made its way down her cheek.

"Thank you, Dimitrios," she whispered.

She lifted their entwined hands and brought it to her lips. The moment her lips met his skin, there was that electricity once more. But this time, it was weak.

Ailara closed her eyes. She looked so weak and vulnerable like this that if felt as if a fist was clenched around his heart. He hated feeling helpless and being unable to help her.

A few moments later, her hand slipped from his. He jerked upright and looked at her more closely. Every inch of him stiffened in shock when he could no longer see the rise and fall of her chest.

"My king!" the healer exclaimed. She shook Ailara but her entire body was limp.

"No!" Dimitrios roared. "This can't be happening," he muttered, mostly to himself.

"Do something!" he shouted to the healer. She was already reaching inside her bag of herbs. She shouted for one of the guards to enter and instructed him to put pressure on her wound while she touched Ailara's chest and pumped.

Dimitrios knew it was to try and restart her heart. But he also knew that she might not even have enough blood to keep her heart pumping. She's already lost so much.

"Ailara!" he roared. Immediately, there was the sound of footsteps as several guards rushed inside the room in response to the roar of their Alpha.

He reached for her and wrapped his arms around her blood-soaked body.

"No. My queen... No!"

His wolf clawed inside him and demanded he fix its mate but he was helpless. He didn't know how to help her. He didn't know what to do!

Suddenly, he heard the sound of running from the hallway.

"Make way! Quickly!" shouted Andreas, the Vampyr priest. The guards by the doorway quickly let him pass.

Andreas took one look at Ailara and paled.

"No! Princess!" he shouted.

"Help her!" Dimitrios told the priest.

"It's not yet too late. We can do this. Goddess Lai, I implore you! Save our queen!" Andreas shouted as he reached for the vials inside his robe.

"Quickly, my king. Give her your blood."

"We tried that earlier and she just lost more than she could drink."

"Give it to her. I will explain later!"

Dimitrios didn't need another word. He quickly sliced open his wrist and placed it against her mouth. The blood only flowed down her chin and her neck.

"Keep it there, my King," Andreas told him when Dimitrios looked at him questioningly. There was still no response from Ailara.

The priest retrieved a vial from his robe and filled it with Dimitrios' blood. Then, he placed a stopper on it with a needle. He quickly plunged it into Ailara's chest, directly above her heart.

Meanwhile, the healer continued trying to restart her heart. She also put several herbs under Ailara's nose to rouse her.

A few moments later, when Dimitrios was about to give hope, he felt her jerk in his arms. She inhaled sharply then coughed and threw up blood.

"Ailara!" he called out. Dimitrios felt tremendous relief that he almost sagged against the bed.

"She's still rejecting it!" he told the priest.

"Keep giving it to her, your highness! A little is better than nothing."

"Do you know what caused this?"

"Yes. The arrow was infused with poison. But also the blood of a Cerran. Remember the first time she rejected your blood? I am thinking she was given the same blood from that Cerran and now her body is recognizing that since she had it for a longer time and then rejecting anything else."

"So I can keep giving her my blood and her body will adjust just like before?"

"Yes, my King. This is the only solution for now but this is no guarantee. I need more time to find a cure for the poison. But it's also possible that it can be cured as she bleeds and her blood is replaced."

"Do everything you can," he nodded to the priest.

The priest nodded. "But my King... You have to give up so much blood that this can be dangerous for you too."

"I don't care! Fix her and make her well!" he shouted. He looked at Ailara and his heart clenched. The mask of calmness she wore earlier was gone and her beautiful features were pale and twisted in pain.

"My queen, fight for your people. Fight for me – for us."



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