Chapter 155

Had Akeem also been taken by the Volakys?

That was what Zezi started to worry about when she still hadn't gotten a message back or seen Akeem and it was already some minutes past midnight.

She had also gone to the library to check on him, but as expected, his seat was empty. The library had looked untouched by the chaos going on the the castle, it felt peaceful and Zezi lingered around longer, hoping to walk into Valerick.

He had said his mother loved the library, and she thought that he was probably here to find peace in that knowledge.

But no, Valerick wasn't here either.

With a long and heavy sigh, Zezi stood up. She should probably ask Delice if she had seen Akeem, it was good to confirm everything before jumping to conclusions. She wouldn't want to report anything and arouse suspicion regarding her relationship with the librarian, if things turn out differently.

Zezi didn't want more walls thrown between her and Valerick, they already had so many problems to deal with at the moment. Adding that to it wouldn't help anyone.

She knew her reasoning had crossed the threshold of logicality or protocol for the acquisition of the freedom of her people. Her feelings were now very much involved, at least, the part of her that kept falling for him regardless of all this.

Right now, she was too tired to argue with it. Fatigue claimed every fiber of her being and it was more than a herculean task to walk out of the library and up the stairs.

She needed sleep, she needed to rest, she needed to eat.

She hadn't been doing much of those lately.

By the Moon, a good bath would also help. Not the quick splash of two bowls of water that had now turned itself into her regular bathing routine.

She yawned. She really needed to sleep, but what kind of General would sleep at the frontline of the battlefield?

Her feet took her in the direction of her daughter's room, her head felt drowsy and she started to wonder why she felt so weak.

Worry hit her like a trainwreck.

Was this weakness hers or Valerick's?

Trying to reach into the bond again and finding it blocked, she realized it was hers. She was weak because she couldn't fully reach into their bond and draw strength from it as she used to.

Valerick was been selfish with his resources, keeping them for only himself. She chuckled as the mental image of him possessively guarding a basket of candy slipped into her mind.

So childlike and petty.

She couldn't blame him though. They were at war here, and for each their own, not to be shared with someone that called them a regret.

How wonderful.

Zezi had reached the width of her own strength. By the Moon, she was tired and her body would have crashed to the ground if someone hadn't been behind her at that moment, pulling her up to her feet and taking her in a totally different direction entirely.

"Gwen?" She whispered, knowing fully well that Gwen wasn't in the castle but at home with her mate and her little bats, trying to fight the instability the recent attack had rendered to her.

Her rescuer didn't say anything... or wait, she was talking! Zezi just couldn't hear her. All she could hear was her heart drumming loudly in her ears.

___

___

Zezi must have passed out at some point because when she woke up next, she was in her room and someone was hovering over her with a smile.

Her stunning green eyes were unmistakable.

Lord Rosil?

"Ah, you are awake. Good. We should thank Irysi for this, Your Majesty. If I hadn't been searching for my runaway, I wouldn't have been there when you passed out."

"Passed... out?" Zezi attempted to stand up, and Lord Rosil stopped her.

"Yes."

Zezi nodded lightly. "I'm fine. I just need to go and see my daughter."

"Your daughter is fine, "you" are not. You need to rest."

"How do you know that?" Zezi scoffed, pained by what she was about to say. "She still hasn't woken up."

"She will. It is just taking time and she will be fine when she does." That sounded reassuring but not enough.

Zezi wanted to ask more questions but the next thing Lord Rosil said distracted her.

"But you are not fine. I will send a messenger to the King so that he can know about this."

Zezi held her hand up immediately. "No."

She had wanted to talk to him all day, and this was the perfect opportunity, but having to summon him because of her own weakness felt too embarrassing.

Would he even come?

That was another thing.

If he didn't, it would hurt too much.

She wasn't strong enough to test how much her words had torn their relationship.

"Well, I will get a physician to stay with you then. I must leave now. I have to continue packing for the night and find my daughter."

"Packing?"

Lord Rosil nodded, smoothening her green robes.

"I am leaving with my daughter. We are going back to the Right Province tonight. Times are hard and we must protect our territory. The King's orders." She ended with that before looking around the room like she was searching for something. "Where is that girl? I wonder where she went," she paused, flashing her an almost playful smile."Maybe saying some hurried goodbyes to dear friends." She ended with a shrug.

Lord Rosil didn't push to find out anything, instead, she turned to leave but Zezi stopped her with a question she had always been curious about.

"You have a mate?" That wasn't the question but she was getting there.

"Had, Your Majesty." Lord Rosil gave her a warm smile, her eyes filled with the warmth and cold of memories. To stop the Queen from expressing any sort of sympathy, Lord Rosil waved her hand aside. "My Dorious. Absolutely wonderful, my time with him."

"Fated?" Getting there.

"Yes."

"So you had a matebond?"

This was so embarrassing.

"Every fated mate has."

"Were you able to block it?" She wished she was asking Gwen this instead. Gwen would tell her the truth without judgment, even tell her how to work around it, cheat the system, if there was such a way. She would do anything for her and the King to be together.

Why had she never thought of asking someone about this before now? Gwen would have been perfect.

Now, she had just opened herself to judgement.

With Lord Rosil's slight frown, Zezi could feel that was what was coming.

Surprisingly, Lord Rosil gave none.

"No. A matebond remains open and free between mates. It cannot be closed, blocked, or locked by either mate."

Zezi frowned.

What does that mean? Was something wrong with the bond she shared with Valerick?

"Do you want to block yours? Why would you want that--" Lord Rosil's questions were fading away, her thoughts overcoming them in her mind.

Did that mean they weren't really mates?

Her heart raced.

The answer to her little question was starting to wreak havoc in her head.

Werewolves and vampires weren't mates, they have always said. So was this some kind of mistaken link?

"Your Majesty, is it different with you and the King?"

Lord Rosil's carefully asked question sounded like a distant echo while different worlds collided in Zezi's mind and made her doubt her place with fear.

Werewolves and vampires weren't mates.

So, they said.