Chapter 17: Sister and Empress

Aven, Lumina and Ruth are seen standing around the bed which Alecia lays upon.

Aven opens his eyes gently, as he stares down at Alecia's peaceful state with her eyes still closed.

"Did you do it?" Ruth said, looking at him.

Aven looks at her and flicks his gaze down at Alecia.

"Watch." He said with a calm look in his eyes, which urges Ruth to look at her sister.

Alecia's eyes flutter open and looks at Aven, and at Ruth.

She slowly sits up, with her sister's hand along her back.

"Easy now." Aven said.

Alecia turns her gaze to him for a moment, her eyes still heavy. Only to look at Lumina, which causes her to widen her eyes.

"Hey miss." Lumina said with a gentle tone in her voice.

"How are you feeling?"

"Lumina..." Alecia said, before pausing.

"We found you unconscious in the restroom." Ruth said, which urges Alecia to look her way.

"Before my eyes, you fell unconscious." Lumina said, averting her gaze.

"What's going on with you?" Ruth said, crossing her arms with a narrowed gaze.

"What?" Alecia said turning her gaze to meet hers.

"Lumina told me, she heard you coughing and were vommiting." She said, taking one look at her daughter and back at Alecia.

"Are you ill or something?"

Alecia looks down at her hands within her lap, as she has her thumbs gently rubbing each other.

Ruth sighs, while looking at Aven.

"Alecia?" She said, turning her gaze to her sister once more.

"You've been sick since you came here."

Alecia looks up at her sister, still silent. Only to turn to Aven. Her lips part, as if she is about to speak. Except, she just looks at her own lap once more.

"Aven..." she said, her voice sounding quiet as a whisper.

He takes a step forward with his eyes drawn to her.

"Please leave the room." Alecia said, looking up at him with a stern gaze.

"I need to speak with Ruth."

Ruth turns her attention to him.

"Aven..." she said with a calm tone in her voice.

"Give us a moment, please."

"As you wish, Empress." He said with nod, and turns while he keeps his gaze on Alecia.

"Take Lumina with you as well." Ruth said, looking over her shoulder.

"Of course." He said, taking Lumina's hand and leads her to the doorway, while she is seen looking over her shoulder at Alecia.

"You first." Aven said, opening the door, which urges Lumina to look up at him for a moment, and steps out the room with him.

The door closes, amd Ruth turns her attention to Alecia. She looks down at her lap for a moment, the end of the bed moves inward, urging her to look up and notices Ruth, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"So..." Ruth said, resting her leg over the other.

"Do you want to tell me what's happening with you?"

Alecia sighs, and looks away for a moment.

"Alecia?" Ruth said, with a stern tone in her voice, which urges her to look her way.

"I can't help you, if you can't tell me what's wrong."

Alecia looks down with her eyes now flickering in thought.

"I..." she said, and pauses, only to look up at her.

"I'm not in good health."

"I see that." Ruth said, with her gaze still fixed on her.

"I want to know what kind of illness, and how long you had it for."

Alecia stares at her for a moment, only to look at the window of the room.

"Those black rings around your eyes, doesn't look good either." Ruth continued.

Alecia turns her gaze back to her sister, with a tired glare.

"This disease..." she said, pausing.

"This virus..." she sighs with her eyes closed.

Ruth starts to have a concerned look on her face, only for her to place her hand on her sister's leg that's under the blanket.

"Please tell me." she said now with a gentle tone, filled with worry.

"Ruth..." she said, opening her eyes.

"It is slowly killing me." she gently closes her eyes once more with a saddened look on her face.

Ruth's eyes widen in response.

"W-what do you mean?" She said with a slight stutter in her voice.

"This virus I have." Alecia said, opening her eyes and looks at her palms.

"It burns..." she closes her hands into fists.

"It's everywhere. I can even feel myself getting weaker."

"What was the cause of it?" Ruth said, narrowing her eyes.

"Can you tell me? I need to know." her face softens as she stares at her sister.

Alecia sighs with her eyes downcast.

"There was a young man who needed help." She said, looking at her own hands within her lap.

"His sister was very ill, and I was his best bet at saving her."

Ruth flickers her eyes in thought for a moment and looks at her sister.

"So you caught it ftom her?" She said.

"It's contagious?"

Alecia shakes her head slowly.

"It's a virus, it isn't airborne." She said, looking up at her.

"What about the coughing?" Ruth said, with a narrowed look in her eyes.

"I'm not sure." She said flickering her eyes in thought.

"I don't know why I'm coughing from it." she looks up at Ruth.

"Her brother didn't seem to have it, nor her mother." Alecia continued.

"Then what?" Ruth said, frowning with a puzzled look in her eyes.

"How is it that you have it now?"

Alecia averts her gaze with a saddened look in her eyes.

"I..." she pauses and trains her eyes towards her.

"Well, you know the things I can do."

Ruth raises her chin slightly with a stern gaze.

"Yes, go on." She said with a calm collected tone in her voice.

"I know how much you despise it." Alecia said looking away for a moment.

"After everything, I wanted to do something good with it." She pauses as she hears Ruth sigh in frustration.

Alecia sighs, and has a downcast look.

"The girl was sick." She continued.

"I don't think she would've seen another day. I decided to help by healing her, but the virus remained."

She clears her throat.

"I..." she pauses.

"I moved the virus into me instead, curing the girl in the process."

Ruth widens her eyes with a slight jaw-drop.

"Wasn't there another way?" She said in frustration, and stands up from the bed and looks down at her.

"Why kill yourself, Alecia!?"

"But, the girl..." Alecia said, and pauses only to watch Ruth pacing herself back and forth while biting her nails.

"She was running out of time, what was I suppose to do?"

Ruth stops, and flickers her eyes in thought for a moment, and turns her gaze to her sick sister.

"I suppose we can't worry about the past now." She said, looking ahead in thought.

She places her hands over her own face and slowly moves them down, until her fingers are over her mouth.

Her eyes dart to Alecia, only to move her hands away from her mouth, and sighs.

"Perhaps I can take a sample of your blood, and find out what kind of virus this is." She said, stepping towards the drawer, where a jug of water stands.

She pours a glass, and turns around to face Alecia.

"Here..." she said, handing the glass to her.

Alecia takes a few sips from the glass, and looks up at Ruth.

"I was told that she went to a few doctors before they turned to me." she said, and downs the rest.

"Fortunately, you're here. I have more than enough resources to help you." She said, and stands with a blank stare ahead for a moment. She looks down at her.

"Someone could make you a vaccine, that will help for a while."

Alecia slowly nods with a slight smile, placing the glass on the side-table

"That sounds like a plan." She said, moving the blanket off her and swings her legs off the bed and stands up.

"That was still a foolish thing though." Ruth said with a frown.

"I know." Alecia said, looking down, only to look up at her.

"But, what other options were there? She has a whole life ahead of her. I couldn't let her lose her chance to have a long life, now could I?"

Ruth stares at her with a calm look on her face for a moment.

"I suppose, you're right." She said.

"If it was Lumina, I would be more than willing to trade my life for hers."

"It's odd to know that you have a daughter now." She said with a smile.

"How old is she?"

"Age seventeen." Ruth said.

"Last night was the first time the people from Sentaria had a glimpse of her."

"Well, she's beautiful." Alecia said, with a smile.

"Just like her mother." She chuckles while averting her gaze.

"So... Now I'm an aunt now hey."

"Yes." Ruth said, with a slight smile.

"You're definitely are."

Alecia steps towards the mirror at the room and looks closely at the reflection of her face, inspecting it from side to side.

"By the way." Alecia said, moving her fingers under her eyes. Only for her to adjust her fringe, which barely passes over brow.

"Who is the father?" She flicks her gaze to Ruth's reflection.

"Her father?" Ruth said, averting her gaze, which urges Alecia to face her.

"That's not important, Alecia." She looks ahead and walks towards the door.

"Come." She said opening the door, and calmly waits for her.

"I know someone who could maybe help with your sickness."

"Alright." Alecia said, walking towards her, and steps through as Ruth locks her eyes on her, and follows her from behind.

"Do you think this virus is curable?" Alecia said, as she walks with her through the passage.

"I hope..." Ruth said, staring ahead.

"The best we could do is for you to have an antidote on hand, until we could find a way to cure it."

"You think about everything don't you." Alecia said, with a slight smile.

"Of course. What are big sisters there for." Ruth said, still staring ahead only to turn her gaze to her.

"Also, I need to be as an empress, it is my duty to think ahead after all."

Alecia chuckles, and looks ahead as well.

"True. You're right."