The Crown's Fire - Chapter 89

Chapter 89: Heavens Ordained
Back in the carriage, Ezekiel leaned closer to Tarah’s face.

‘I must stop!’ he reminded himself as he tried to not make any harsh moves. Tarah was his Seer, and he must not let his emotions get to him.

Ezekiel was getting ready to back away, but seeing Tarah close her eyes and part her lips made his body stiffen. The sight of it made him gulp. It was a temptation that was so hard to ignore. If he pursued these feelings he had for his Seer, he would lose Ebodia’s greatest asset the heavens had provided them.

Was he willing to compromise the welfare of his kingdom just to have her all for himself? No one in history had broken the fate of a Seer yet, so no one could say the implications that such actions could bring.

Still, he would soon have the dragon’s power under his control. Once he has fully gained control, then maybe he could pursue Tarah. Who cared about the foresight then? He would simply ensure their kingdom’s protection by using the dragon’s power instead.

Back to the sight in front of him, Ezekiel’s eyes softened as he stared at Tarah’s face. There was no doubt that he had fallen in love with her at first sight. He had denied it for so long, but he couldn’t pretend anymore.

Right then, Ezekiel decided to compromise. Leaning in, he was ready to close the remaining gap between him and Tarah. But just as he was about to do it, the carriage suddenly jolted.

Immediately, his arms instinctively wrapped around her body as he pulled her closer to his chest, ensuring her safety. “Are you alright?” he asked her, concern evident in his voice.

Tarah nodded in response.

“Be careful out there!” he shouted, loud enough for the coachman to hear.

Soon after, the carriage came to a stop, and Tarah wriggled in his arms and whispered, “You can let me go now Your Highness.”

However, Ezekiel didn’t let her go. Instead, he turned to Elijah who was still mounted on his own horse. “What happened?” he questioned.

“Are you alright, Your Highness? Apologies for the inconvenience. We’ll be experiencing rough roads from here on,” Elijah quickly informed them. “The path was destroyed due to previous battles, but they are still passable. They would just be a little bumpy.”

“Let’s proceed with the journey then,” Ezekiel told them with a nod, disregarding the furrowed lines on Elijah’s forehead as the man stared at him with Tarah in his arms.

‘What are you doing?’ Elijah silently mouthed at him.

Ezekiel simply frowned and replied, “Return to your position.”

Elijah could only shake his head before quickly returning to his place at the front of their convoy. Meanwhile, Tarah shifted in his arms, prompting Ezekiel to loosen his grip and reluctantly let her go.

“You can hold on to me if you need to,” Ezekiel reminded her. “You heard Elijah, right? The roads here would be rough.”

As the carriage started moving again, just as Elijah had warned, the journey was indeed bumpy. All the while, Ezekiel smiled as Tarah suddenly grabbed onto his arm for support. It wasn’t enough, however, and she nearly fell back into her seat during the journey. Of course, he quickly took advantage and scooped her into his arms.

“Your Highness,” Tarah murmured, her cheeks flushing red. He loved seeing her blush intensely like this.

“It’s better this way, don’t you agree?” he gently insisted. “Let’s stay like this until we pass through the rough terrain.”

Tarah simply sighed in resignation, and Ezekiel smiled as he held her securely in his arms throughout the ride. He respected her boundaries, at least. He wouldn’t force her to do something if she didn’t want it, and her lack of rejection filled him with joy.

Meanwhile, Tarah bit her lower lip as she allowed Ezekiel to hold her close. Comfortably nestled against his chest, she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, which seemed to synchronize perfectly with her own.

Their relationship was unconventional, but for some reason, she found solace in being close to him like this. Perhaps it was because she believed that she and Ezekiel would soon part ways, so she allowed herself to indulge in these fleeting moments of bliss with him.

In addition, for some reason, the bumps on the road felt like a lullaby to Tarah. Unbeknownst to her, she eventually dozed off, cradled by the gentle rhythm of the carriage’s movements.

All the while, Ezekiel watched over her with a gentle and soft smile as she slept peacefully. He used his magic to ensure that the carriage’s movements remained gentle, like a soothing lullaby, to keep her comfortable. While he hadn’t expected her to fall asleep, he was grateful that she was resting now.

As they entered Ebodia’s territories, they headed directly to their private estate in the north that the royal family of Ward owned. It was already night, so they decided to have a stopover there first to rest for the night before continuing their journey to the central Capital City of Ebodia. where the Ebodia Castle and the current monarch resided.

Tarah was still sleeping as they arrived. Cora opened the carriage door, and Ezekiel quickly signaled for her to stay quiet. He then carefully stepped out of the carriage with Tarah still in his arms and made long strides toward his own bedchamber. There, he gently placed her on his bed and silently left.

Outside his door, his mother was waiting for him.

“Son? We have plenty of spare rooms, so why did you put Tarah in your bedchamber?” Dana questioned.

“I want to keep a close eye on her, Mother,” he answered simply, noticing the deepening frown on his mother’s face.

“Ezekiel, what is going on?” she pressed, her concern evident.

“Let’s just head back to the dining area and talk there instead. I’m sure you and Father are hungry by now,” Ezekiel replied in deflection. “Let’s have dinner first, and I’ll instruct Cora to prepare the bedchamber connected to mine for Tarah in case she wakes up and chooses to sleep in another room.”

His mother didn’t look convinced, however.

“Look, let them talk, Mother. I know what I’m doing, and I’ll take full responsibility for all my actions,” Ezekiel replied, leading his mother to the dining area despite her firm tone of concern. “Don’t worry too much. Let’s discuss more pressing matters with Father for now.”

“Must I warn you that there are corresponding consequences if you break what the heavens ordained? A Seer is our kingdom’s blessing, virtue, and strength. No one in history has broken that, Son,” his mother reminded him, her tone laced with concern and warning.

Ezekiel did his best to remain stoic. He was aware of the gravity of the situation, and he simply smiled at his mother to reassure her. “Mother, please don’t worry,” he insisted. “And trust me. I’ll handle everything from here.”