The Crown's Fire - Chapter 211

Chapter 211: Mutations
Before nightfall, Katelina received word from Luis. Just as Ezekiel had said, it was a marriage proposal from the King of Ebodia, and the majority of opinions from the remaining ministers and officials at the inner court were in favor.

“I can’t believe that everyone agreed so readily,” she muttered helplessly. This only confirmed what the three ministers had told her earlier: her people didn’t feel secure enough. Ezekiel was their savior, and they felt safer under his reign.

She sank into a chair, and Asura handed her a cup of tea. “Here, drink this to calm your nerves and thoughts,” Asura said.

Katelina was disappointed by her people’s lack of trust in her, but she understood the situation.

Asura glanced at the parchment and commented, “They are still not aware of Devon’s bloodthreads. Once they find out about that, I wouldn’t be surprised if they push you to marry King Ezekiel immediately.”

There was no doubt about it. Her people would definitely become more restless, and she had to prevent that.

“Please write a reply to the proposal, Asura, that I will accept the King of Ebodia’s request for marriage,” Katelina decided. There was no point in overthinking it. This was the best option, and it wasn’t as if she could say no to Ezekiel. She had no intention of rejecting him anyway, as she was following her heart despite her lingering confusion.

“That’s quite fast… Are you sure about this?” Asura asked, staring at her.

Katelina gave her a reassuring smile. “Yes, I’m sure, Asura. Marrying him will bring us more benefits. I don’t want our people to live in fear again, and Ezekiel was the one who gave them hope when he freed us from Devon.”

Her face reddened as she added with a timid smile, “Also, you told me to follow my heart. I like King Ezekiel despite not remembering him. My heart seems to remember the feelings I had for him, even though I’m still a bit confused because of my lost memories. But my body’s reactions and the beating of my heart are always in sync whenever I’m with him…”

Asura wore a teasing smile as she excitedly said, “I am happy for you, Your Majesty. Let me make a quick draft of your reply for you to approve.”

After Katelina’s approval, Asura handed the reply to their messenger, and the two of them sat down for dinner together.

“I’m surprised King Ezekiel didn’t invite you to dine with him tonight,” Asura commented, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Was it because you two were already together the whole day?”

Katelina didn’t respond, but she couldn’t help but wonder what time Ezekiel would sneak into her tent. He had clearly told her he would be her sleeping potion during the Global Summit, which meant he would probably sneak in every night.

“Your Majesty, what are you thinking about to make you blush so hard?” Asura pointed out, staring at her suspiciously.

“Nothing!” Katelina quickly defended. “Hmm, are you thinking about King Ezekiel?” Asura teased further.

“Stop that, Asura,” Katelina scolded with a pout.

“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore. Should I inform our Ministers here about this progress, or will you do it?” Asura asked with a thoughtful smile.

“You do it, Asura. I won’t bear another round of teasing gazes like yours, so you spill the tea to them,” Katelina replied with a resigned sigh. Minister Karen and Dion were the kind to tease her with their smiles and stares, just like they did whenever Ezekiel was with her. They never said anything outright, but their looks said everything, silently encouraging her to get closer to the King of Ebodia.

Asura chuckled. “Alright, I’ll handle it. They’ll be thrilled, I’m sure.”

“Thank you,” Katelina said, feeling a mix of relief and nervous anticipation. She knew the ministers would be supportive, but their teasing was something she wasn’t looking forward to.

“Now, let’s finish this meal and get some rest,” Asura suggested, taking a sip of her tea. “You have a big day tomorrow, and who knows, maybe King Ezekiel will surprise you again.”

Katelina blushed. Asura chuckled and then suddenly asked, “Your Majesty, what other beings do you know of that have immortality, aside from vampires and fallen angels?”

“Hmm, those that have human forms include elves, demons, fairies, and elementals. There are also celestial creatures like the phoenix and dragons. The guardians inside the Elemental Forest are immortals and are celestial beings too. Some have human forms, like the Sphinx and a Merman.” Katelina recalled.

“So, what do you think Kasper is?” Asura asked, her tone curious. “He said he’s been living for almost a thousand and five hundred years, years before dragons became extinct. He’s like a walking encyclopedia of dragons at this rate. He’s helping out, and I started training with him this morning…”

Katelina raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “What kind of training?”

“He said he can help me form a connection with dragons so I can be chosen as a dragonrider,” Asura continued. “He explained that over time, many changes have happened on Earth. He talked about why hatching dragons are now choosing dragonriders even if they don’t have dragonrider blood. He said there are some kind of mutations and changes since you revised a spell to bond King Ezekiel and the golden dragon spirit, tying it to his spirit instead of letting it return to the heavens.” Asura elaborated.

“I did?” Katelina asked, eyes wide with surprise.

“Yes, you did. That’s why you received that heavenly lightning strike as punishment. Kasper said you can ask His Majesty King Ezekiel for the full details,” Asura informed her.

“Is that why I lost some of my memories and my abilities to see the past and the future?” Katelina gasped.

“I guess… but Kasper didn’t confirm that to me. He said only King Ezekiel can confirm it,” Asura added.

Katelina was silent for a moment, processing this new information. “This is a lot to take in,” she finally said. “If what Kasper says is true, then my actions have had far-reaching consequences.”

Asura nodded. “It seems so. But maybe this is also an opportunity. If Kasper can help us understand these changes, we might be able to use them to our advantage.”

“Perhaps,” Katelina agreed, though her mind was still reeling. “I’ll have to speak with King Ezekiel about this. There are too many unanswered questions.”