After leaving the chamber, Arin Helev went straight to the dungeon in the prison where interrogations were mostly held.
Antony was leading the interrogation of the two assassins as the King's order. One look at the assassins and it was obvious that they already suffered a lot though only a few hours had passed since they were brought there.
The soldiers in the dungeon quickly bowed at the sight of the King and Antony approached him. "Your Majesty."
"They won't talk?"
Antony shook his head. "They still refuse to speak."
"I don't care what you do to them," the King said in a cold voice. "Just make sure that they don't die before they speak."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
ραпdα nᴏνɐ| сom "Don't neglect the security here either. I bet the one behind this incident will already hear of this. He will surely be eager to shut their mouths."
"I understand."
Arin Helev quietly stood still, staring at the two assassins who were tortured by the soldiers. Despite the horrendous scene, the King's face was devoid of any expression. He seemed like a completely different man!
"No matter who did this, it will surely be the biggest mistake of their lives," he muttered. Then he turned his back at the scene and left the dungeon.
*
It was already past dinner time yet Arin was still sitting alone in his working chamber. He blankly stared at the scrolls on his desk, the sign that he had a lot of work to do. However, he didn't feel like working at all.
That scene in the Wesdale Forest still occupied all his mind.
Throughout the 23 years of his life, he never felt incompetent as he did now and the feeling was tormenting.
As he quietly sat still, he heard the sound of knocking on a door and a servant walked inside. "Your Majesty."
"How is the Queen?" he promptly asked the servant.
"Her Majesty said she wants to rest. She didn't step out of the chamber at all and she didn't leave her bed either."
"She skips dinner?"
The servant nodded. "I can't convince her to eat. I apologize, Your Majesty."
Arin Helev narrowed his eyes and entwined his fingers. He was anxious and nervous at the same time.
After a while, he finally turned back to the servant. "Alright. You can go now."
The servant left and the King's mind was occupied by the same incident again. Slowly rising from his seat, he walked towards the opened window and glanced at the outdoors.
When his body felt the cold breeze of the night, Arin only realized that the weather was quite cold tonight. Before this, he was too occupied to even know that. This made him realized what the royal doctor said.
Iria's injury was prone to cold weather and it will be tough for her as winter had started.
As concern swept through him, the young King couldn't stand still anymore. Not even a minute passed before he finally turned around and made his way to their chamber.
The servant was right. Iria was still on the bed.
Did she fell asleep? He doubted that though she didn't move at all. She slept on the side with her left pressing against the bed and also shut her eyes. Her ears were always sharp and Arin knew that she will already know his presence without even looking at him.
Maybe she was disappointed with him for leaving her alone while she was sick.
Did she know that he was angrier at himself than he was towards her?
He couldn't forgive himself for having no clue while living together and seeing each other every day!
Maybe he truly neglected her.
At first, Arin didn't know what to do. He felt confused, unsure of what to do. But still, he walked towards her and climbed on the bed. He slept beside her though her back was still the one that faced him.
He turned to her and moved a bit closer. He slightly pulled down the blanket that covered her body and the part of the nightgown that covered her injured shoulder. Iria didn't say anything or react to his action.
Though the wound a year ago was just below her shoulder on the front, the tear had affected her shoulder too and he saw the bruise there. As a warrior, he had seen many kinds of wounds and this one was no exception.
It's bad.
That's what first crossed his mind.
He leaned towards the bruise and planted a soft kiss on it. "I'm sorry," he muttered in a low voice. "I shouldn't be so thoughtless. I was so scared and -"
His voice trailed off when Iria finally turned to him and hugged his body. She was practically holding on to him as if she would die if she let go of him. "It's cold," she murmured. "And you're warm."
With a subtle smile on his lips, he pulled up the blanket and covered her. "Are you okay with relying on your right arm?" he asked. "We can switch sides if you want."
"It's fine," she said. "It's my shoulder, not my arm. It doesn't hurt like this."
As she buried her face in his chest, he caressed her hair and planted a kiss on the crown of her head. "I'm glad that you're still alive," he whispered. "I won't be able to live on without you, Iria."
"Don't say that," she said in a calm voice. "I won't die. I still have many things to do."
He wasn't even sure of why her response comforted him so much. It's not like someone died because they didn't have things to do.
"When I read the letter, I thought that my world is over -"
"What letter?" she asked, still closing her eyes.
He gave a brief thought and said, "I'll tell you tomorrow. You should sleep for now. The doctor said you need rest."
She looked up at him for a while and then nodded. "Alright." She moved closer to absorb more of the comforting warmth he provided but still, she won't let go of him. Rather than that, she eventually fell asleep that way in no time.....
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