The Crown's Fire - Chapter 121

Chapter 121: Blood Samples
“We’re terribly late, milady,” Cora whispered behind Tarah. They were indeed tardy, as the coronation was nearing its conclusion, with people eagerly cheering their new King. Tarah smiled as she observed Ezekiel, now adorned with the crown of Ebodia.

She awoke with a sharp pain in her head, unable to believe she was such a lightweight when it came to drinking. If she remembered correctly, she had only had around five or six cups before feeling the alcohol kick in. But then Cora had immediately given her hangover soup and relayed what Ezekiel had said.

She couldn’t agree more; that was exactly what she wanted. She hadn’t even wanted to show her face on coronation day, but she couldn’t resist the urge to see Ezekiel in his crown, seated upon his throne as king.

As expected, he looked incredibly dashing and handsome. She also noticed that despite wearing something simple to the event, she still attracted attention, perhaps because people were curious about her identity. After all, not everyone knew her face or who she really was, except for those she had formally met in the encampment. The rest could only speculate whether she was the new fated seer or not.

“He will make an excellent ruler,” she whispered, her eyes filled with adoration as they keenly watched Ezekiel.

“After this, everyone will proceed to the great hall for the feast, milady,” Cora informed.

“Hmm, you can stay and enjoy the festivities, Cora. I’ll return to Jade Palace to rest a bit more. I just need to greet Her Majesty,” Tarah suggested, her gaze shifting to Queen Mother Dana, not far from where they stood.

Cora simply nodded, and with that, Tarah approached the Queen Mother.

“Your Majesty,” she greeted politely with a bow.

“Oh, you’re finally here. Ezekiel mentioned you were feeling under the weather. Are you feeling better now?” Queen Mother Dana inquired. Tarah smiled and replied, “I will return to Jade Palace to rest a bit more, Your Majesty. But before that… May I have permission to visit your private tower, where you conduct experiments?”

Dana furrowed her brow, and Tarah offered her a reassuring smile as she continued, “King Ezekiel has given me access to the journal containing spells involving demons, and I am studying them. Would it be possible for me to collect some blood samples stored there?”

“Oh, I see. I’ll have Cora escort you there, then,” Dana replied, immediately instructing Cora. Tarah wasted no time and swiftly pulled Cora towards the tower.

“Milady, why do you need to go there?” Cora inquired as she led the way to the Queen Mother’s private tower.

“I need blood samples. I heard from King Ezekiel that his mother had been regularly collecting blood samples from him and his sisters, including herself,” Tarah explained.

“We’re here, milady,” Cora announced as she stopped at the door and opened it. Tarah quickly entered, making her way to the storage area where the blood samples were kept.

“Why do you need those?” Cora asked as Tarah gathered a few vials of blood.

“I need them to break a demon spell. You see, some demon spells can be broken using divine blood. I don’t have access to divine blood, but if I incorporate the right chants and blend them with these divine blood, there’s a chance I can break the demon’s spell,” Tarah explained.

“But why do you need to break a demon spell? The war is over, isn’t it? Also, black and dark magic are prohibited here. There’s a barrier cast around…” Cora trailed off, her words halted as she cast a suspicious look at Tarah.

“Milady, are you planning to do something foolish?” she asked directly.

Tarah chuckled and shook her head, explaining, “No, Cora, but it’s always best to be prepared. Like King Ezekiel mentioned before, we can’t simply let our guard down…” She couldn’t bring herself to mention Devon’s name.

She had read Queen Mother Dana’s journal about demons, and everything was detailed there. It was incredibly helpful for Tarah, especially for her plans. She was truly grateful that Ezekiel had lent it to her.

“I’ve gathered enough. I will return to Jade Palace…” Tarah commented after stowing away the rest of the vials in her magical pouch.

Cora nodded and escorted her outside. The room was empty, with only a few people roaming outside, as everyone had gathered to witness the coronation day.

“Cora, go and enjoy yourself with the others. I’ll find my way back from here,” Tarah insisted, knowing how much Cora would love to partake in the festivities.

“Oh, thank you so much, Milady. But let me at least escort you back to Jade Palace,” Cora insisted, so Tarah simply agreed.

Back at the Jade Palace, Tarah spent her day immersed in studying every spell detailed in the journal about demons. There was no time for her to slack off, especially with the most awaited day drawing near.

She couldn’t afford for all her efforts to go in vain due to simple hiccups. Knowing Devon, Tarah had to remain vigilant. She needed backup plans for everything, in case her initial plans didn’t unfold as expected.

Tarah retrieved her personal journal, the one meant for Ezekiel. Within its pages lay everything—her visions, dreams involving Ezekiel, and all her true feelings and emotions for him from the start. She had poured her heart into those pages, especially things she couldn’t bring herself to tell him in person.

Looking around her bedchamber, she pondered where she should place it so Ezekiel could easily access it once she was no longer a part of his life. “Perhaps I should leave it in his bedchamber?” Tarah murmured to herself.

A knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. “Milady, your lunch is here.”

“Come inside,” Tarah replied, her focus still on the journal as she began writing something. Usually, it was Cora who would enter her chamber to bring anything she needed, but since she had let Cora go to attend and enjoy the festivities, a servant came in and set her meal on the table instead.

Tarah was so engrossed in writing that she didn’t notice how the servant’s eyes narrowed as they glanced at the journal she was writing in.