Chapter 8

"How?"

"Sorry, Your Honor. He bit his own tongue to death instead of saying who his Master was."

The words of his trusted confidant made him growl in anger. His hands were tightly clenched into fists holding back all his emotions.

"Keep on finding out who has dared to touch mine." Hit it on every word.

"good lord."

Zevan moved away from a dimly lit place with a distinctive smell of fishy and rancid. Stepping out holding back anger for not getting what he wanted.

****

Elsewhere someone was sitting on his throne. His right hand holds a glass filled with a deep red liquid, occasionally his lips take a sip. Feel the rancid but delicious taste for him. His eyes were closed enjoying the strum of the harp from one of the slaves at the end of the room.

"How?" he asked someone he had been waiting for.

"As Your Majesty ordered. The slave committed suicide." Said someone who was kneeling in front of him.

"Good." His lips smiled contentedly with the information he got. "Do plan B." He orders again.

"Fine, Your Majesty." He replied, resigned.

The thin lips smiled crookedly. As if he was mocking someone who became his eternal enemy.

"Enjoy your destruction slowly Zevan."

***

The failed attempt to find out who was the mastermind who had dared to target Arley's life made Zevan take extra care of his lover. Putting every eye in Arley's every move. Making sure her lover will stay safe. I don't know how long the effort to protect her lover from all the dangers that target her will end.

Deep in his heart Zevan was very afraid that something unwanted would really happen to his lover. He had thought of letting Arley go and not dragging him into the circle of danger.

"Don't even think about letting go of the empress, your highness." Simon said, his right hand.

"But if he continues to be with me, his life will always be in danger." Zevan said desperately.

"Sorry, Your Honor. Even if you let go of the empress, she will still be in danger because she already has your heart completely. Moreover, the loyalty that our people have is known to be eternal."

Zevan took a deep breath after hearing all the stories from Simon. "Is there really no other way?"

"Nothing noble."

"If you use that one method?"

Simon was surprised to hear his king's words. He knew what Zevan meant by that way.

"Not your highness. Even if you use that method, if your enemy is still roaming freely everything will remain the same." Firmly give understanding to Zevan.

Once again Zevan took a deep breath. His mind feels full of all these troubles. If he didn't fall in love with humans, maybe things wouldn't be this complicated.

"Tighten the guard for him and continue to find out who is the mastermind behind all this." He ordered again.

"Good, Your Majesty. I resign." Simon said goodbye to Zevan.

"Hm."

His sharp eyes were still staring out the window. Staring at the sun shining brightly above. Gives a refractive light that is beautiful to look at but dangerous to reach. Maybe that's how he and Arley look like. But, who is to blame if the heart has got its harbor.

"I wish I could always take care of you until it was time for you to come here, Arley. Until then, please be strong for me. But if the worst finally happened. I'll always be waiting for you here." The monologue is sad. 

Don't forget, eyes that are always firm, sharp, and in that bottomless tub now looks sad just because of a human named Arley Curt Daran.

****

Tight guard in fact can be missed too. I don't know how good the enemy is who can take a gap as small as dust to attack Arley. Or the guards who were a little careless about the situation since almost two weeks there hadn't been any attacks aimed at Arley.

Almost three times Arley's life was lost this morning. From going to school while riding a bus that suddenly brakes fail. The tree in front of the school that suddenly fell when Arley passed by. Until he slipped on the stairs of the second floor of his school. Arley can be saved because his guards swiftly dispel everything easily.

Everyone who got the job was on standby. Putting every sharp eye in every movement around Arley. Also sharpen their hearing.

The guards started to breathe a sigh of relief when Zevan had already left for school and was always by Arley's side. Keeping the empress in sight at all times. Making sure everything is safe and under control.

"What did you call me?" Zevan asked after arriving at the school park.

Earlier when Zevan took Arley and Sean to the cafeteria as usual, suddenly called him. Inevitably Zevan met Glen in the garden behind the school, the place where Glen usually was.

"There is someone who wants to speak to you, Your Majesty." Glen said paying his respects to Zevan.

"Hm."

After Zevan gave permission, even if only with a mutter. Then there was a girl in a light green knee-length dress facing her.

"Sincerely your highness." Said the girl bowed respectfully.

"Just go ahead." Zevan said, who really didn't like small talk.

"This morning while I was sitting in the back shed, I heard two people talking . They said that they would carry out plan B's master plan on the empress." He said with his head down. Feel reluctant just to meet face to face with the ruler of nature.

"What plan?"

"I don't know your majesty."

"Did you hear anything other than that?" Zevan asked again. Feel if this is a bit of a bright spot to find out who the mastermind who dared to harm Arley.

The girl seemed to think for a moment. Remembering every word that was uttered by the two figures who were talking quite seriously in the warehouse earlier.

"I like hearing the name of a poison." He muttered a little unsure.

"Poison?" Zevan and Glen muttered at the same time.

"Yes, Your Honor. If I remember correctly the name is Batrachotoxin poison."

Tbc...