Chapter 357 - Saving The Prince
Esther looked at Lady Tyra with a meaningful gaze, which the older womanunderstood.
Esther wanted to help the Crown Prince but it would be impossiblefor her to make a move with many people around.
The royal physicians werealways by Prince Theron's side, and there were servants on standby inside thechamber as well.
Esther would nd it dicult to heal him without themnoticing it.
Given their situation, those of their kind would normally refrain from usingtheir powers in front of normal humans, even to those they trusted.
It was thesame case for Esther. She found it somewhat acceptable to have the Queen beaware she's not ordinary, but she didn't wish to aunt her powers to others, asit would highly likely give away her true identity.
Not only that, the moment her abilities were made public, there would be agreat change to her current status. It would not be surprising if the ladies she'sfriends with now would think of her as a bad person later on, or pretend to benice but would avoid her.
Humans tend to feel scared of people who aredierent from them, more so when it comes to people with powers. and sheneeded to keep her identity hidden to fulll her promise to the Queen—that shewould stay by her side for not less than ve years.
King Esteban gently wiped away the tears from his wife's face to console her."He will wake up. I believe he will wake up. He is our son and he won't give upso easily.
"With red-rimmed eyes, Queen Theodora looked at the King. "I am scared...Ourson...what if by morning...?""Nothing will happen. You should stay strong. He would not want to see hismother crying like this."
His words didn't manage to console her as an anguished mother's heart wasnever rational in the rst place.The King sighed as he turned to his wife's companion.
"Tyra, take my wife toher chamber to rest."Lady Tyra nodded and approached the Queen.
"Your Majesty, let us go back."
"But Theron..."King Esteban urged her once more, his tone rmer this time.
"I will call for youas soon as he wakes up. Go rest."
The Queen could not ignore the King's order although he was her husband.With great reluctance, she stood up and left the chamber with Lady Tyra andEsther.
------Queen Theodora continued to silently weep even after returning to herchamber, and Lady Tyra did her best to console her. Esther didn't know what tosay as she was just waiting for the moment when she could go back to theresidence of the Crown Prince.
Late into the night, Queen Theodora nally got tired from crying and fell into arestless sleep. Only after the entire Queen's residence quieted down did LadyTyra manage to have a private talk with Esther."Your Eminence, are you planning to go to the Crown Prince?"Esther nodded. "I have no other option.""Will you be alright with using your powers in the palace?" Lady Tyra asked.
"Unlike in the forest, there are more eyes here..."
"Though I have decided to not use them, it seems like this royal family wantsme to go back on my decision again and again."
Lady Tyra lowered her head in front of Esther.
"Your Eminence, not just theroyal family but even I will be grateful to you if you will take action yourself tosave the Crown Prince. I have watched Prince Theron grow up, and he is aperson with a heart as good as Her Majesty. This kingdom needs him...and Ibelieve Her Majesty will be truly heartbroken if the worst happens to that poorchild."
Esther smiled. She did not need persuasion, as she had intended to save him themoment she heard that his condition wasn't improving."Wait for me here and look after Her Majesty."
After saying those words, Esther left the Queen's chamber and made her wayout of the Queen's palace through the doors at the back used by the royalservants.Esther had already been staying in the Royal Palace of Megaris for severalmonths, and she was aware of which routes to take to avoid the patrol of theroyal guards.
It did not take her long to reach Prince Theron's residence, whichwas of course more heavily guarded than usual.
It seemed like the King hadordered for the knights to be more vigilant; after all, the fact that the CrownPrince was injured made him a perfect target for those people with sinisterschemes against him.
However, the King couldn't have factored that his orderswould be useless in front of someone like Esther.Standing outside of the Crown Prince's residence, the young woman playedwith her ngers and invisible energy emitted from them, spreading slowlyacross the residence.
Several seconds later, silence enveloped the place.
Everyone, from the guards to the servants, and even the physicians presentinside the residence, had all drifted to sleep.Esther walked inside the residence without any restrictions. Along thehallways, she found people unconscious on the carpeted oor, and she couldonly murmur an apology as she walked past their bodies.
She quickly reachedPrince Theron's chamber, where she found the royal physicians asleep as welldue to her spell.
Esther went towards the bed and chose to sit on the edge of themattress.
She observed Prince Theron's pale face with the help of the lightcoming from the bedside lamp.'He looks like he's dying...'
Not only was his skin sickly pale, but his lips were also dry and chapped.
Therewere purplish bruises under his eyes, and his breaths were so weak andshallow, his chest seemed to be not moving at all.
The young man hadseemingly lost the youthful and hot-blooded energy he had been exudingbefore, and it was painful to see how his once charming face had turned intosomething struggling to keep ahold of life.
'How could he turn out like this so fast? Is his injury really this terrible or...?'
Just a day before, he was a proud young man whose presence was enough tomake her feel intimidated, to the point she even deemed him annoying forbeing able to make her feel that way. Earlier, she was still cursing him for beinga rascal, and now, she was even thinking it's alright for him to continue being arascal as long as he would just wake up..'
It has been so long since someone has made me feel like this...
'With a determined look on her face, Esther placed her hand on his forehead andclosed her eyes. Invisible energy slowly trickled out of her palm, yet unlikebefore, this energy was as gentle as water. After a while, she opened hercaramel-coloured eyes and worry could be seen in them.'
His life force is weakening with every passing second.
The physicians are rightto say that if he doesn't wake up by the morning, he really won't be waking up.
An ordinary healing spell will not be able to save him.
' Esther sighed helplesslyand stared at his face. 'I should have started healing you last night.
I shouldhave risked it.
I didn't know...
Am I too late? But...
I can't let you die.'Esther closed her eyes again and tried to think of a way to prolong his life.
Herpowers were related to the energy of nature, and if she was going to save theyoung prince, it was the same as opposing nature since it was akin to pulling adying person from the arms of death.
She could not think of any ordinary way—'Unless I share with him my own life force.'
Esther opened her eyes and looked at the pale young man with a troubledexpression.
She could not recall any instance that someone of her kind had everdone such a thing such as sharing their lifeforce with another, but sheremembered seeing it done once in an ancient scroll.
Sharing her lifeforcewasn't dicult but...
'Will it be possible to share a part of my soul with this weak human? Can hebear it?'After a few more moments of hesitation, Esther let out a shaky sigh.
PrinceTheron would die if she does nothing, but if she were to give him a part of hersoul, then the possibility of him living through the night would be higher.
Itwas worth the risk.
"This is the rst time and possibly the only time that something like this willever happen in the history of this continent.
I do not know if you can survivewith this, but I had no other way to save you.
At least, with this, the chances ofyou living will be higher."Esther cupped his face in her hands and lowered her head. His skin felt icy cold,and even his lips felt like ice against hers.
The moment that Esther let out abreath, it was as if time stopped.
A strange white haze seemingly escaped herlips as she poured in a part of her soul into him.