Chapter 52

Bending over she could feel her intestines twist in pain, she was puking out everything she ate last night and a strong case of dizziness had overcome her,
'I don't know what's wrong with me these days." She washes the residue off her mouth and heads back to her bed, she pushes her magneta locks out of her face and lay her weak frame on her massive comfort, she had become significantly paler but it didn't mean she couldn't kick some ass if it came to that.
In fact she didn't want Arcadia to know or she would prevent her from going to Battle, and that was the last thing she wanted. Her eyes were pale and she could herself going back to sleep. But she knew she would wake up again to just hurl everything out. It was always like this in the morning but it got better when it neared the afternoon. And like that, she would be better after some time.
Laughter could be heard from the Queen's room and the couple are awake and nude in each other's arms, he had never been so satisfied before in his entire life. But he was especially naughty this morning.
'Asher please, we need to get going, remember our deal?" She reminds him and he rolls his eyes, he didn't want to leave bed,
'It's still so early in the morning Arcadia, we haven't even heard the birds chirp, everyone is asleep except for us. Let's just go back to bed." His massive arms crush her and she is choking on her spit, she attempts to slither out but he makes it difficult for her,
'Asher as your Queen I order you to release me this instant!! We cannot delay our journey, Conan stole the decree and what if he decides to sell it or claim it? It had the Royal seal on it, it is like you do not understand what I'm saying." She was speaking to someone who was already closing his eyes in sleep, she squeezes his skin with force and he jerks back,
'Why did you do that?" He whines as he rubbed the irritated spot,
'You weren't even listening to me! Get up! We need to start moving." She's almost off the bed but he drags her back and she crashes into his body,
'We're not leaving until I say so." He imposes his borrowed authority on her, and this makes her smile,
'And who are you to say so?" She cocks her brows and waited for his answer,
'Who do you think I am?" His form raises to almost drop on hers, 'hmm Arcadia?"
'You're a lecherous man that's what you are!" She laughs and she pushes him away but it was of little effect, 'Asher stop!! Stop!!" And he's doing it again, putting her under bondage with his weight; slender but packing a lot on the inside.
'Beg me…" He groans in her ears and her cheeks begin to color again,
'I beg you my knight……put me to sleep…." Was her response. And he acted on his Queen's command.
Dawn had set and the kingdom was already on the road again, with Arcadia's horse galloping in front and Asher's trying to catch up to her. Xerxes and Sheila rode with the army at a moderate pace but he did notice that Sheila was a bit pale today,
'Sheila," he calls out to her to get her attention as she was deep in thought, 'is everything alright with you? You look sick." He stated and she couldn't help the blush that stained her cheeks, it was so kind of the king to notice her health,
'It must have been something I ate, I suspect it was Asher, he gave me some berries to eat when we were in the valley and I have a feeling they don't do so well with me." She gives a reasonable explanation, something she could understand because she wasn't sure about what was happening to her.
'I could tell Arcadia to slow down a bit so you could rest." His kind gesture sets her ablaze and she almost falls off her horse,
'To stop the whole army because of an upset stomach? No my King, it wouldn't be considerate of the Queen and others. I can comport myself, it would get better as the time passes." She turns down the offer event though she really wanted to get down from her horse, run to the nearest shrub and puke her insides out. Xerxes didn't like the look of discomfort in her face but he also didn't think it was the berries because he ate them too.
Maybe she was allergic to them? But they were black berries. He had a feeling that Sheila was really sick and it wasn't something caused by berries.
Conan was pacing back and forth, he had seen another Raven and it had delivered another one of Asher's letters. It said they would be reaching the palace by nightfall and Conan was a nervous wreck. The letter also stated that Arcadia was furious with him and that she would definitely want to behead him so it was better he ran away before they got there.
That was what made him start pacing up and down in the first place.
Orla enters the room and the moment she closes the door behind her, she becomes Octavia, she sees him in this condition, and being the born sadist that she is couldn't help but delight in his suffering.
'What Is making you so restless Conan?" She hops on his examination table with a sly smile, she grabs his letter and laughs a little before reading it. Her eyes begin to water as she saw her daughter's name written on it, she reads further and the latter part of the letter made her laugh even harder,
'You seem to enjoy it when people are In pain." He states caustically and her smile stretches even more,
'Of course!! There is this pleasure to the pain you feel, it excites me." She takes in a deep and happy breath before letting it out, 'your brother is right though, you need to hide as Arcadia is more likely to come after you since you wronged her. She would want to bury you first before challenging Mace for her people."
'But I cannot just leave, Mace would know that something is up, and he wouldn't let me leave so easily." He does speak a little sense for the first time in a while, 'I'm not totally defenseless you know." He adds with embarrassment staining his cheeks, Octavia laughs him to scorn before moving some hair away from her face,
'Hmmm." She agrees with him with just a simple nod, 'but I appreciate your bravery Conan, I would make sure to talk to my daughter before she kills you." She laughs a little once more.
'My Queen, I won't run away from this. What do you want me to do? How can I assist more?" It came as a shocker to her as a new wave of courage flooded his being, her eyes soften with motherly affection, 'I couldn't save my clan then but I can save this one at least…." Memories flash in his eyes, everything burned and he thought his brother burned with his family.
'You have done a lot even if you do not believe it Conan, you're more than welcome to be a member of the rose clan, we would be glad to have a brave, young and talented man at our disposal." She praises him and his heart leaps with joy, 'but there is something you would need to do for me." She exhumed roses from her hair.
He takes them gently feeling that the may be delicate and they were, 'what do I do with them?" He knew they were not ordinary since they just morphed out of nowhere.
'You will place them around the palace, in the secret passages and the prison. They would emit a scent that my people would recognize, Xerxes would be able to find the captives since he is accustomed to the scent. The others would know how to infiltrate the palace without Loki knowing." She looks at the rising sun, 'I've been learning the ins and outs of this place and I can proudly say that I know every passage and tunnel in this building. I will tell you where to plant them and you would leave messages at each stop."
'Yes my Queen." He bows in submission, and she smiles, he may not be the sharpest but he was loyal to his grave.
But she wanted to see who would defeat who, she needed to see how her daughter would prove her strength and take back her people and conquer Mace. She was excited to see who would win the struggle of power.
Would it be Alpha or Luna?