The Crown's Fire - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: A Spy
Tarah slowly opened her eyes, then closed them again to gather her senses. Recalling as much as she could from last night, she had a vague memory of passing out in Ezekiel’s arms before surprisingly having a peaceful sleep. After a while, she opened her eyes once more and finally moved, pulling herself up to a sitting position on the bed.

“Good morning, Milady,” Cora greeted her.

“I woke up late,” Tarah muttered as she got up from bed.

Looking at Prince Ezekiel’s empty bed, she couldn’t help but have a few thoughts running through her mind. She should have been the one personally serving him even though she had already ascended and had become the official Seer of Ebodia. He would soon ascend the throne too, so she should stick with him at all times.

“Oh, if you’re wondering where His Highness is, he’s currently on the battlefield with his men, subduing the Helion Army marching toward the northern borders of Ebodia,” Cora explained.

Tarah’s eyes widened. “I should be with him for his every battle!”

“Hmm, that’s true. I heard that Seer Beirut never left our King Stephan’s side. At least not until he ascended the throne. He has served the King for years, and he was only dismissed from his duty as an assistant after the king married Queen Dana,” Cora remarked. “Oh, by the way, Seer Beirut’s chest will be arriving today. The King wants you to have it as instructed by Seer Beirut once he’s gone.”

Tarah simply nodded as she got up from the bed. Feeling herself, her eyes widened as she noticed something. “My clothes…” she muttered as she then stared at Cora. “Did you change it?”

“I changed it, Milady,” Cora answered with a smile. “Come. You should eat first.”

Nodding, Tarah walked toward the table and sat down. Her stomach was already grumbling, and she had woken late enough that, right now, it was time for lunch already. She quietly ate for a while, waiting for Cora to ask about the scar on her back. Cora must have seen it herself, but the question was if she informed the prince about it and let him see it.

“Oh, right. His Highness asked wizard Lurio to prepare more incense like last night seeing how it made your sleep so peaceful,” Cora absently commented while she ate with her.

Blinking, Tarah ignored what was just said as she directly asked, “Did you see it?”

Cora blinked at her in turn as if mulling over her words. “Hmm… I guess you’re referring to the mark-like scar on your back, right? The one on your lower back?”

Tarah just nodded. “Does he know?”

Cora frowned and asked in response, “Don’t you want His Highness to know about it?”

“I don’t want to, Cora, but I believe you already informed him…” Tarah answered with a sigh.

“I apologize then,” Cora sighed back. “Yes, I informed him, and he saw it too. Also, the Prince asked us to gather more information about the mark, Milady… Well, maybe you can spare us the time and just tell me about it?”

Tarah bit her cheek at that information. Still, she let out a sigh as she let the situation go. “I can’t tell you about it even if I want to, Cora.”

She didn’t know exactly how the spell worked to her disadvantage, but she wouldn’t take the risk of putting her brother in danger by trusting others.

This time, it was Cora who let out a heavy sigh. “That’s what His Highness assumed too. I guess you have a valid reason for not telling us,” she lamented. “Anyway, I’m sure the rest of the prince’s dragon knights will find out about it one way or another.”

Cora then winked at her, and Tarah simply parted her lips. The woman just never failed to fascinate her like this somehow. She didn’t even look alarmed or threatened.

“Aren’t you also suspicious of me?” she asked.

“You might be hiding something, milady, but to be honest, I’m not suspicious. I trust my instincts on people, and I can tell that you’re a good person. Someone who’ll help us,” Cora responded with a smile.

“Seer Beirut also gave me some heads up years ago, telling me that I should support and assist his successor no matter what. At first, I was confused, but after seeing you, everything makes sense now. I believe he meant that I should support you and give you the benefit of the doubt. After all, you’re our fated Seer.”

Tarah didn’t say anything as she let things lie. She wanted to follow Ezekiel to the battlefield that day, but Cora didn’t let her because of his orders. As such, she had no choice but to stay, simply helping take care of the wounded before then returning to the tent with Cora for dinner.

“It’s here…”

Cora gasped when the servants brought in Beirut’s chest sent by King Stephan from Ebodia. Tarah smiled upon seeing the excitement on her friend’s face the moment she opened the big chest.

“It looks like Seer Beirut’s important and magical items are all in there,” Cora remarked.

Looking down, it seemed that what Cora said was right. Still, Tarah felt like she didn’t deserve any of it. These were all the magical items Seer Beirut had managed to collect over the years, something that he was saving for this very moment.

There was also a journal that caught her attention. She picked it up, flipped it open, and silently read the written note on its first page.

‘I hope all of these things will come in handy while you train your gift and assist Prince Ezekiel in his future reign…’

Her reading was then interrupted when Ezekiel suddenly entered the tent.

“Your Highness,” Cora greeted him with a curt bow, with Tarah doing the same.

“Leave,” he told Cora who quickly left the tent. From there, they were left alone, with nobody to see what they were doing together.

“Are you wounded?” Tarah asked as she quickly approached the prince to help him remove his bloodstained armor

Ezekiel didn’t reply. Instead, he simply stared at her as she swiftly did her job. “You seem to be used to removing armor and undressing men,” he remarked with a dim expression after she was done undressing his upper body, leaving him with only his trousers.

“You’re wounded,” she commented with a frown, ignoring his words while checking on his torso to see how bad his wounds were.

“I’ll prepare a warm bath with healing potions for you.” Tarah turned to leave, but Ezekiel firmly held her by the wrist and abruptly pulled her down with him on the chair. She fell on his lap. In a panic, she moved to quickly get up, but Ezekiel’s arms encircled themselves securely around her waist, holding onto her firmly.

“Are you a spy, Tarah?” he sternly asked her, not batting an eye as he stared deep into her eyes.