King Make Believe

Chapter 17

Anja

"Where you harmed?" He asked, kneeling down beside me, tracing his hand down the leg that was trembling most. He pulled my white nightgown up to my mid thigh, there was a severe gash down the inside of my leg.

He sucked in a shocked breath. His guard came to his side immediately. Hirokazu brushed her hands away. He looked up at her. "She might bleed out if I don't." He protested.

She opened her mouth in shock. "Hiro—no." She said in horror. "The last time you tried that, you nearly died—I will not let you—"

He turned and looked over at the mountain cat that once sat at his feet. It came at his glance. He murmured something in its ear and it rumbled in acknowledgement. He looked back at me and spoke softly to the guard. "Go help barricade the door." He sent a a quick look to her, one that not even I think I could disobey. One like my parent's used to own. He looked down at his hands. "It may hurt, is that okay?"

I plastered a sloppy grin to my face. "It cannot hurt more." I pushed out. I fought back a sigh. Inglesh was so complicatedly hard.

He placed both hands on my leg and closed his eyes, not long before Mist appeared around him, it was a fair amount. I braced myself for the worst pain imaginable, but all I felt was a dull ache as the Mist entered the wound, slipping past the flesh. Not long after this occurred did more blood behind to pour out and I gasped wildly. It felt like the first time Aleksei made love to me. Painful but pleasurable. I watched in utter astonishment as the Mist partially resurfaced from my skin and began to weave in and out, sewing up the gash.

It was then that I heard it. The low, wheezing sound as the boy before me wielded his Mist to heal. I looked up and saw that only one hand was touching me, and only two fingers from that hand were on my leg. The other hand was covering his mouth, I watched as red bloomed from in between the cracks between his fingers. I cried out in alarm. His eyes opened and looked at me in concern. They weren't at all worried for himself, not in pain. Nothing. It was as if he was willing to die for this cause. I blinked in shock.

He watched me for a few seconds before returning to watch the Mist's work. I followed his gaze, the stitches were in place, but he didn't stop there. Before I knew it, the wound slowly began to heal, as in the stitches slowly did their work and the Mist sped up the healing process of the gash. I looked back up at him, he was fighting to stay conscious. I shook my head and bit lip.

"Stop—that is enough!" I shouted at him, I didn't care whether he was a King, he was dying for a stupid cause. He looked up at me once again and let go of me, the Mist sucked back into him and he fell to the ground. His guard cried in alarm and rushed to his side. In that instant, the guards who'd been fighting to get in pushed the door open harshly. They saw the scene in front if them and knew exactly what had happened. They rushed immediately to their King who was lying unconscious over the back of his mountain cat. We were escorted to another room immediately.

I stood up and stared at Aleksei as he lay, sleeping on the only bed in the room. The servants who'd managed to save us had been taken elsewhere so it was just us.He must've been so tired after all that walking and running. I didn't look back on the night. We'd been travelling our whole life, it was how I fell in love with him.

I looked at the pile of clothes for each of us on a nearby chair. I picked up the white t-shirt and yellow sweatpants. I looked at the neatly folded pair of underwear and bra and hoped they got the size right. I sent one last look over at my lover. His tussled brown hair was still damp from his shower earlier. I grinned and walked into the bathroom, I turned and closed the door.

I placed the clothes on the side of the sink and pulled my night dress over my head as soon as that was done. I pulled off my underwear and bra and chucked the clothing on the ground. I pulled back the shower curtain and stepped onto the yellow tinted tiles. I pulled the curtain back into place and turned the taps. The water flowed, first cold, but after a short time, became a stinging hot sensation that ran down my scalp and spine. I fiddled with my hair for a few moments, still afraid to close my eyes, to see the flickering flames lick up the door of my bedroom. To hear my parents screams as they cried my name. Aleksei appearing from my window and jumping down into a bush directly underneath my it, me in his arms. He broke my fall. He saved my life. Again.

I opened my eyes gasped. Nonononono! Stop remembering! Don't make it worse! I turned the cold tap harder and soon I was shivering madly. I slapped myself a few times and turned it back to normal temperature as before. I rubbed my body down with soap and scrubbed my hair clean of any dirt.

When I came back out of the bathroom, my hair falling over my face in damp strands, I saw Aleksei staring blankly out at the night sky, the curtains over the window swishing delicately. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly, I crawled onto the bed and lay in front of him. I placed my hand on his pale cheek and smiled softly.

He smiled back and sighed. "This place is too familiar for me." He said simply. I nodded in understanding. I couldn't exactly tell him he wasn't wrong but—I wasn't reminded of home, but then I would glance at something from the corner of my eye and see a familiar portrait of me and my parents. I closed my eyes, listening to his breathing.

I felt something cold trickle down my cheek and opened my eyes in shock. I watched as Aleksei reached up and wiped the tear aside. He didn't pull his hand away afterwards though. I watched as his eyes met mine and I felt a familiar zing run down my spine. He was beautiful.

I leant closer to him and shut my eyes, burying my face in the crook of his neck. I felt his pulse, rhythmic and steady. I closed my eyes and I felt him shiver. I looked up at him and smiled, hoping that he felt better now—I was distracted—I could never forget what had happened, but I would bare it with him by my side. Aleksei blinked dazedly and leant down. I grasped the back of his head as the familiar sensation that ran through me did so, every time we kissed. Every time we fucked.

"You know that they might walk in at any moment, right?" He asked, our language swift and perfect on his tongue. I nodded and grinned.

"But it wouldn't matter, they would leave us instantly." I remembered the last time someone intruded on us. I shook my head at the thought. "Maybe we shouldn't." I amended.

Aleksei laughed and hugged me tight. "We'll get out of here soon, don't you worry." He kissed me harder, our teeth clashing. He pulled back. "That damn squad..." He said, gritting his teeth.

I frowned and grasped at his face. "Let us forget it." I said in Inglesh.

His expression faltered and he sighed. I grinned and sat up. I looked out at the moon that was slowly sinking back to the earth. I felt my face melt into awe and I stood up. My hands stroking the bed as I walked away from it. "Anja?" He asked.

I blinked up at the huge ball of light. I hugged myself as I shivered. Aleksei was by my side immediately. He wrapped his arms around me and placed his chin gently on my wet head.

"What is it?" He murmured.

I breathed out softly. "He really is Moon Mountain's Dragon."