Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Amasir stood close to a tree, watching the soldiers cast the tent on the ground. Afterward, she went inside to sleep. It was already night, and she lay on the blanket, trying to rest.

Even with the wind blowing around, no amount of coldness could take away the warmth from her. No, she wasn't just warm—her blood was boiling. It was as if she were lying next to the sun.

Everyone in the tent was asleep except for the soldiers guarding the area from wild creatures that could be roaming nearby. They hadn't encountered any yet, but they still needed to be cautious.

Every crunch of grass or abnormal gust of wind had her hand reaching for her sword, which lay beside her. With the heat burning through her, the possible presence of wild creatures, and the threats from Ravar, sleep was impossible.

She had barely managed to finish a loaf of bread.

Hearing approaching footsteps, she snapped her head toward the entrance and saw Mikhaz standing there, a sword in his hand.

"You're not sleeping."

"I'll sleep soon," she said. "Are there any signs of wild creatures around?"

"No." He shook his head.

"Then inform all the soldiers to sleep in the tents. We still have a long journey tomorrow."

"I already did," he said. "We only have three tents, so we've divided ourselves to occupy them."

She raised a brow. "Then why are you here when you're supposed to be asleep?"

"To make sure you won't be attacked by some wild creature in the middle of the night."

"I won't be attacked," she said, her heart pounding when he started walking toward her.

"What you're going to do is fall asleep and let your guard down, allowing your Aether to flow out. That would draw the attention of wild creatures," he said. "I'll be staying here for the night."

"You can't sleep here," she argued.

"I'm not," he replied. "I'll stay awake, watching over you and making sure your Aether doesn't escape."

Amasir couldn't bear the thought of Mikhaz staring at her all night. The idea made her uncomfortable.

"I don't want anyone here," she insisted. "And if the creatures are drawn out, I will destroy them with my Aether."

"And what will happen when you use Aether to kill them?" he asked, tilting his head. "Other creatures will feed on your magic, and you'll be killed. I can't let that happen."

Heat crept to her cheeks. "I don't want you here."

For a moment, he stared at her intently, as if reading her mind.

"You know, your mother once warned me about how dangerous you could be at night."

Sadness pierced her heart at the mention of her mother. "She did tell you a lot about me."

Her eyes burned with unshed tears, and she quickly blinked them away before Mikhaz could notice.

She thought of her mother… She missed her so much.

"I want to be close enough to intervene in case your Aether starts slipping out at night," he said. "So please sleep and try not to think too much about it. We have a long journey tomorrow."

"And what about you?" she asked. "Won't you rest?"

"I'll be fine."

Mikhaz had told her earlier that if they traveled at a fast pace tomorrow, they could reach Suvark Village by nightfall.

"Go to sleep, Princess," Mikhaz said when he saw her still awake.

Pressing her lips together, she shot him a glance before turning onto her side and closing her eyes.

After some time, the only sounds she could hear were Mikhaz's steady heartbeat and the wind stirring outside the tent. The combination of his presence and the whistling breeze made it hard for her to fall asleep.

"I… I can't sleep," she admitted, turning back to Mikhaz. "I don't feel comfortable with you watching me all night."

He chuckled. "But you were comfortable disguising yourself as a maid in the Prince's chamber?"

Her mouth fell open at his words.

"Or were you more comfortable when you spent—"

"Shut up," she snapped. "You should know my reasons for masquerading as a maid in the palace."

"To get the Prince's attention?"

"No, you fool," she said. "To study the Prince. I was looking for his weakness."

"And what did you find?"

"He's weak—generally," she sighed. "When he was a boy, after the King died and the war started, his mother neglected him. She made it clear that she only needed him because of his importance."

She scoffed. "He prefers spending his time at brothels with women. He's an alcoholic. He can't fight to save himself, let alone like a god. He has no Aether in him. He only does what his mother allows him to do. He's completely useless."

"Hmph. How close were the two of you for him to tell you all this?"

"He didn't," she replied, turning to Mikhaz. "I kept my eyes on him everywhere he went."

"The Prince had a rough childhood."

"No, he's just useless," she said through gritted teeth. She wished she had killed him and his mother when she had the chance. Not only was he weak, but he also took every opportunity to badmouth her to everyone.

"I can't believe anyone would sit back and allow him to rule Khazanar."

Back in the old days, when a Prince was to be crowned King, there was always opposition. There were gods who would spill blood to claim the throne. In the end, becoming a King or Queen wasn't about royal blood—it was about power. And Rughald was weak. Why had no gods stepped forward to do something?

Amasir sighed.

Once she claimed her mother's dragon, Khazir, she would ride to the palace and take the throne for herself.