Trust

>>Sorin

I gasped for air as I shot my eyes open, immediately reaching for my neck that was now released of external pressure.

My windpipe felt free and I began to cough as I turned my head and looked at Kaan. He let me go at the last moment and then moved away into the darkness.

I tried to sit up and just then I heard footsteps coming down the dungeon.

Lazily, I looked at the person who approached us and while I thought it might be Enri again, I was heavily disappointed yet relieved at the same time. But on the contrary, I could never have imagined ‘him’ coming down.

Leonidas was the one who came into view.

“Wh-” I tried to speak but my voice was hoarse and I placed one of my hands on my neck again and coughed some more. The place stung but I had to get over it, I used my other hand for support to stand up while Leonidas stood outside the cell and assessed the situation.

It didn’t take him long to see the marks around my neck and my staggering legs and the free demon king.

“You!” He took his sword out and pointed it towards Kaan, “You’re dead!” He was about to strike him when my adrenaline rushed to my brain in the moment of fear and I got a wild surge of energy.

“No!!” I jumped in front of kaan, hugging him in the process, “You can’t!” I then turned around with my arms open in a defensive position, “Don’t hurt him.” I looked at my ‘little brother’ straight in the eyes, “You can’t…”

Leonidas was baffled, “What's wrong with you? Didn’t he try to kill you?!”

“Calm down,” I said, “He did attack me but he moved away on his own too.” I stood my ground but I could feel Kaan’s gaze on me, “If he really wanted to kill me, I’d be dead right now.”

“He attacked the king of an empire.” Leonidas argued.

“Let’s not forget that he’s also a king of an empire who was unjustly kept in the dungeon of ‘our’ palace by ‘our’ father.”

He paused, his eyebrows knitted together, “Kept here?” He was confused, “In the dungeon? As a prisoner?”

I nodded, “Ask Enri for details.” I coughed.

“Enri was the one who sent me here.” He replied.

Yeah, I guessed as much, “And what did he say to you?”

“He just said that you and the demon lord were in the dungeon and you were in danger.”

I was about to say something when I stopped and focused on his words. Something seemed a little odd there, “And that’s why you came here?” I looked at him with skeptical eyes, “For me?” He didn’t answer, “That’s not like you.” I said softly, “You coming to me because I’m in danger?”

He stayed silent for a few moments, “It’s very unlike you to put yourself in something like this too.” He sheathed his sword back and I brought my arms down, “So you’re telling the truth?” He looked at Kaan and noticed his condition and I guess he pretty much got his answer there.

“He looks a little better because I healed him a little.” I said.

“How long was he here?” Leonidas looked back at me.

I sighed, “Ask Enri for details, he was the one who fought him and brought him here.” My words shocked him but he was quick to regain his composure back.

“And you? What are you going to do?” He asked.

“I’m going to treat him further.” I turned to look at Kaan, “From today he’s a guest of our empire.” I paused for a moment, “People don’t know about his imprisonment here and I’d like to keep it a secret.” I looked down, “He has his dignity as a king.”

And the safety of our empire is at stake here too. It’s a win-win. No one needs to know about what happened to Kaan and how and why he was kept here. He can keep his dignity as the Demon Lord and we get to keep ourselves safe.

“Sorin,” Leonidas had objections.

“We’ll talk later.” I half turned and glared at my non blood related brother, “Go, I have things to take care of.” I turned my head away, “Tell Enri to tell you the truth and to keep his mouth shut.”

He gritted his teeth, glared at the demon in front of him and then left.

After he was gone, I extended my hand towards Kaan, “Will you go with me?” I asked and he silently looked at me. Then he decided to stand up and only then did I realize that he had a really tall frame. I mean, I was definitely looking up and I could tell he was taller than Leonidas but I guess demons have sturdier bodies and build than humans.

Kaan stepped into the light and I saw his dark horns for the first time.

Holy hell!!

Those actually look so cool!! I thought that even though his appearance was messy right now.

He looked at my hand and I kept it in the air. I was hoping he would take it and after staring at it for a while he finally did.

Yess!!

But as he placed his hand on mine, I realized how tiny my hand looked compared to his and just so he wouldn’t notice that, I immediately held his hand and turned the positions of our hands upside down and began to pull him out with me.

God!!

No wonder Sorin was so paranoid. She looks like a girl from everywhere!! The voice I’m using is artificial but I’m sure her natural voice is girly too!

Damn!!

I get why she always wore this big ass cloak around her.

***

“Mana potions are expensive,” Leroy said as he shut the blinds. I had told him everything about what was done to the demon lord and how I wanted to try and make things better right now. He was surprised at me for trying to do such a noble act but at the same time, he was happy I was changing. He even lent Kaan some clothes but because of his build all the shirts were tight. In the end we had to make do with just pants.

“Well, I am the king,” I scoffed but I felt proud, “I can buy anything I want.” I drank the last sky blue glowing bottle and then moved to the bed where kaan was lying and I was going to heal him further.

Each time I talk to Leroy, it pains me but I’m sort of happy that he’s getting to see a better side to Sorin. Even though I am not the real Sorin, but no one needs to know that.

In the darkness and isolation of the night. I brought Kaan to my room and then explained everything to Leroy. He then went to the magic tower to get mana potions.

So far I’ve drunk three and I feel an overflowing energy inside me but I need it. Mana potions are usually used for war or at missions, made for people with low mana or to replenish mana but they are expensive. So mostly people rely on their own talents and power.

The nobility have a lot of mana, this is why there are many soldiers from them. Leonidas and Enri are those people who have abundant mana but not me.

I do belong to the noble lineage from my mother’s side at least but I guess the deities didn’t bless me with mana because I was a result of adultery.

I looked at the Demon lord and raised my hands over his chest to start the process.

Why am I doing this myself? It’s because no one else is capable of healing a demon but me. Not even the best doctor can heal him here because of the type of magic humans possess.

“If I fall unconscious,” I told Leroy, “Just leave me be.”

“Really?” He gave me a ‘look’ , “With him?” He was not amused,

I nodded

“I’ll be fine.”

“Sorin-” He had all the objections but I didn’t want to listen.

“I’ll be fine Leroy,” I looked at my attendant as I started the treatment, “I promise,”

***

I opened my eyes the next morning after exhausting myself and falling asleep right after I was done with the healing to the sound of birds chirping and as soon as I did, I saw a very pretty sight.

The first thing I saw was a pair of eyes that had a darker shade of blue mixed purple, the color was so pretty that I just kept staring at them but soon noticed that those eyes were on a very handsome face.

!!!

An alarm went in his head when I realized Kaan’s face was right next to my face, on my bed because apparently we were sleeping together and he was staring at me!

“K-kaan!” I said his name, “You were up?” Oh shit! Right! I did heal him on my bed!

His eyes softly blinked, “Yes,” He said and I paused softly.

This is the first time he’s said anything, at all! He had a nice voice and it calmed me down for some reason so I stayed in my place, “Are you fully healed?”

“Almost,” He answered softly and I realized that red was not the color of his normal eyes. It was purple. I now remembered that his eyes were red because he was in ‘survival mode or danger mode.’ That part was in the novel.

Kaan kept staring at my face and it sort of made me a little hot. Having a handsome demon king stare at you so much is bound to make that happen but I certainly wasn’t expecting him to say what he said next.

“A female,” He said as he looked into my eyes and I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach, “You have a scent of a female.”