50: Zairo

[Zairo's POV]

"Where is your queen?" I asked Patrice's knights when I went to Holland to discuss about our next step

'Patrice,' I called her through the communication bracelet

I arrived in the meeting hall, the King of Holland and his cousin, the Baron who had helped Patrice enter Holland is here. The last time I contacted her she said that she had seen my sister in Astrae, hence, I went to Arcadia and found out that she, indeed, had been invited over by the traitorous Lady Trinity Ezra and Dowager Queen Katrina.

I warned her not to accept invitations from them again as we're currently working in an alliance with Holland to help them reclaim the territory they had lost to Astrae in the brink of war.

"She hasn't return yet, King Zachary." The Baron answered

"She left the kingdom?" I asked in disbelief

"Yes, the queen insisted to retrieve something in Astrae." Dame Therese replied

She's gone to retrieve something in Astrae? What would that be?

"When did she leave?" I asked

Why didn't she tell me that she'll be returning to Astrae?

"Several days ago, your majesty," Dame Maia replied

'Where are you now?' I asked but I did not receive any reply

"We cannot discuss when to put the next step into action unless the queen is here, this is her plan after all." The King of Holland replied

"Yes, indeed, I'll be off then." I said and stood up

"Will you not wait for the queen? She may arrive today." The baron asked and I shook my head then turned to my knight

"Sir Monte, we're heading back to Arcadia." I said

Knowing Patrice, it wouldn't take this long if she didn't encounter any problem. Something must've happened during her return to Astrae, as I cannot contact her.

"Yes, your majesty." He said

"I'll be back for the discussion of the next step once the Queen is back." I said

"Will you not check on the acting general? He may need your guidance." The King of Holland suddenly asked and I shook my head

"He has the knight Stephen and Sir Charles, doesn't he? Therefore, he does not need my help." I said

"I see," the King of Holland said

I left Holland and it took me nearly two day before I arrived at Arcadia, my mother was surprised to see me back after four day, they knew that it takes two days to reach to Holland and two days to return to Arcadia, hence, they had an idea that something happened for me to return immediately.

I headed to our escape house and I immediately knew something really must've happened during her return to Arcadia as the windows are frosted from within and I can feel her magic running wild around the place. Her emotions could be currently in chaos for some reasons that I am not aware of.

'Patrice,'

I contacted her as I opened the door but once again, I did not receive any reply.

I went to the kitchen and I noticed that something's different, the materials are in the same place as I last put them, the number on the gauge is the same as before indicating no one has cooked and the stocked vegetables weren't touched.

She didn't eat?

I shook my head and looked outside, the trees are bare so it's unlikely she went to eat wild berries, which proved my assumption correct that the stubborn queen of mine did not eat. I prepared congee as it's the only meal I thought of that will not upset her stomach after not eating for many days.

I headed upstairs to invite her to eat and I saw her staring into nothing but crystal-like tears are falling down from her eyes, her eyes that are showing me a familiar and unfamiliar emotion.

There's sadness in her eyes, comparable to the eyes that she had when the late King Aristotle, her father, died, however I am not certain of the emotion laced along with the sadness in her eyes.

"Patrice," I called he but she didn't even glance at me

"Pam, what's wrong?" I asked her

"Nothing," she gave me a smile that cannot refute the evidence of sadness in her eyes

"Pam," When she averted my gaze, my gut feeling that something is really wrong became stronger

"Hey," I wasn't surprised when she avoided my touch

I knew that she has this kind of defense mechanism of isolating herself from other when she's in deep sadness.

"What's wrong?" I asked and lifted her face

Seeing her face up close, I knew she wasn't sleeping well, she's not sleeping to be exact as there are dark circles under her eyes

"Pam," I began to worry

"What happened?" I asked her

"There's nothing to worry about,"

That's a lie, she knew I know that's a lie as if it's nothing to worry about, she wouldn't be acting this way.

"Pam,"

"You're acting strange."

Her blank eyes gave her away, I knew there really must've something wrong.

When she asked me why I am there, I knew she didn't have the communication bracelet on her and it was proven when her wrist was bare.

"Where is your – I left it." I cut him off and sighed

"Where did you leave it? You know how important it is to have a means of communication at a time like this."

What if something had happened to her while she's in Astrae, how would she ask help then?

Goodness, this stubborn queen of mine will make me age quicker.

"I left it in the passageway,"

"What are you doing here, King Zachary?"

Her indifference towards me is frustrating the hell out of me and I want to know what is running through that pretty head of hers, I'm not up for a game of charades.

I tried my best to stay calm, I shouldn't meet her indifferent with irritation, I need to understand her as this is not a game of towering prides.

My question has triggered her emotions, her magic immediately protected her, I tried to avoid it, and I noticed that her spikes of outbursts shoot out quicker than it used to.

She wasn't at fault, I knew very well that gifted people whose emotions are in chaos cannot control their magic well and it would run wild against their control.

I can't bear to leave her, especially at time like this so I did what I knew she needed, it's not someone to talk to, all she needs right now is someone to assure her, so I did. I hugged her.

She cried, I don't know but I felt a sense f relief when I hear her sobbing and crying with sound. Crying with only tears coming out is a lot more painful than crying while sobbing because it means that the person is still willing to acknowledge the emotion.

"I'm here,"

"I won't leave,"

I know this is what she needed. Like how my mother and father coaxed and comforted me when I almost hurt Dike while we're playing because of my gift, I knew that Patrice just needs someone to hug and coax her.

I smiled when her crying died down and I supported her to sit on the bed. When she said she's okay, I didn't buy it. If there's something I'm proud of, it's reading her emotion.

"Pam, I know you want to act strong but we all have our down moments."

She lied again, but her lies don't hurt me because they're lies, it hurts to see the woman I've protected shattered without my knowledge.

I was too late to react, I had caused the foreign emotion in her eyes earlier to resurface and it wasn't just fear now, there's a sense of realization for something I don't know reflecting in her eyes.

I wrapped my wound, it's not painful, I felt numb just by watching her walls rise and thicken, I cannot bear the thought of her pushing me away. To watch the lady I treasured and protected shattered by a harsh truth, I couldn't help but give her space, but that does not mean I will let her deteriorate as she struggled within. Watching her eat, I noticed just how much the information she had found out had taken toll on her.

When she told me about the event that had occurred in Astrae, I couldn't help but feel mad. It's been years, why would it need to be resurfaced? Patrice was not at fault, she merely became the vessel of her gift's personification, and she is not herself when that happened.

All gift users had gone through such phase, a phase where their magic took control of them, a phase where they manifest their gift, I had mine, and it turns out she already had realized hers.

She may not know it, but she by far was the second person to manifest their gift at such a young age. I had manifested my gift just a month prior to meeting her, I had admired her for a long time ever since I found out that the heir to the crown of Astrae managed to manifest the gift given by the gods at such a young age.