The Crown's Fire - Chapter 177

Chapter 177: An Older Brother
Cora enthusiastically continued without even a pause. Katelina was beginning to worry that the commander might lose her breath from talking non-stop.

“To be honest, you two were in a good relationship. You had an understanding before that tragedy at Helion happened. According to his sister, Queen Mineah, you saved them including the unconscious King Ezekiel while carrying a child on your back. You created a portal for them after reassuring her that you could escape on your own. His Highness was unconscious for some time after that, but the moment he woke up, the first thing he did was look for you. It was futile… Then, after weeks, he killed Devon to free you from the Tophet Bloodchain Spell of Devon.”

Katelina’s mind whirled with this new information. “He did all that… for me?” she whispered, feeling a mixture of awe and confusion.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Cora said softly. “He did. He has always been dedicated to you, even when you didn’t remember. After killing Devon, he became unconscious for an entire season due to overexerting his inner core. He was fortunate to have divine blood, or else he would have been consumed by the dragon’s power.”

Katelina’s eyes widened further. “He was unconscious for a whole season?”

Cora nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. His divine blood saved him, but the toll it took was immense. He pushed himself beyond his limits.”

Katelina felt a lump forming in her throat. The weight of Ezekiel’s sacrifices and the depth of his dedication were overwhelming. “I… I never knew,” she whispered, her voice trembling.

Cora reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Katelina’s arm. “You didn’t know because you couldn’t remember. But now, you can make sense of it all and find your place in this story again.”

Before Katelina could reply, Luis approached her and said, “Your Majesty, the Ebodian mages and soldiers are all settled.”

“You should go and rest, Commander Cora. I apologize for taking so much of your time,” Katelina said with a smile.

“It’s nothing. If I remember something I forgot to mention, I’ll seek your audience and tell you more,” Cora commented. She then excused herself, and Luis instructed a nearby royal guard to escort Commander Cora to her chamber.

“Your Majesty… What does this mean? Did you possibly tell them that?” Luis questioned with a frown.

Katelina shrugged. “There’s no point in denying it, Luis. They already know since King Ezekiel already saw my face. Besides, I’m following my gut feeling on this. I see no harm in their presence.”

“But—”

“That’s enough, Luis, please. I can handle this situation on my own. If I need your or Asura’s opinion, I will not hesitate to ask. We have a lot to focus on right now, especially you and your bond with Jade. Take care and tame it well because I will perform your bond with it as soon as I am able,” Katelina stated firmly.

She had had enough of Luis’s negative comments because they weren’t helping her at all. His words often left her feeling confused, and she hated being uncertain. She was confident in her ability to discern whether people were telling her the truth or not.

“I apologize Your Majesty,” Luis suddenly hummed. “It’s just that your safety is my top priority. I care for you a lot because I…”

Katelina released a heavy sigh. She was not naive. She was aware that Luis had special feelings for her. Maybe it was time for her to tell him how she felt in a way that he wouldn’t feel embarrassed or humiliated.

“Luis, look at me,” she called to him gently. He raised his head to meet her gaze, and Katelina continued, “I also care for you, Luis, because to me, you’re like an older brother that I was not fortunate enough to have. You’re like family to me, and I truly appreciate everything you’ve been doing for me and Levi.”

She paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully. “But this matter regarding the King of Ebodia and everything else I was involved with in the past is something I need to solve on my own. Hearing comments from others who weren’t directly involved and didn’t know the full story only confuses me more, and I don’t like that. I hope you understand.”

“I understand,” Luis murmured, then excused himself.

Katelina felt awful seeing how downcast Luis was, but she had to make herself clear so he could move on from his feelings for her. She meant her words—he was like an older brother to her and nothing more. She hoped he understood her intention.

Not wanting to waste any time, Katelina headed to the secret chamber to study more about dragons and the spells associated with them. She knew that the bond between dragons and their riders was detailed in the texts. Her goal was to modify that bond. But was it even possible? The only way to find out was through Ezekiel. She wondered if Ezekiel had direct communication with the dragon spirit within him, or if the dragon spirit had given him enough knowledge about dragons and their riders.

Determined, she immersed herself in the ancient texts, searching for any clues that could help her understand and potentially alter the bond. The task was daunting, but Katelina knew that understanding this connection was crucial for what lay ahead.

“Should I seek him now? That will be…” Katelina started biting her nails. It would be shameless to seek him now and ask about dragons since she shooed him away. But her curiosity because of what Cora said was killing her.

Ezekiel knew what happened to her and why she lost her memories. All she knew was that she was struck by heavenly lightning, and according to Magnus, that was what happened when you received direct punishment from heaven. She had informed Lucrezia that she would receive that punishment beforehand, which was why they arranged for a small hut located far enough so no others would be affected by the lightning.

But apparently, she hadn’t told Lucrezia the reason why she would receive that punishment from heaven. With Cora’s words a while ago, it seemed King Ezekiel knew every detail.

“Should I seek him now or just wait to meet him at the Global Summit?” she murmured with a sigh, still undecided.