Her Sickness, His Cure

Chapter 8 (Part 1)

Here's a new chapter beautiful people. Feel free to share your thoughts. Thank you for the support so far. Lots of love to you.

God bless you guys and have a wonderful day ahead. Pray for Afghanistan as well. Pray for the innocent citizens there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kyle's POV

"Wait you wanna leave so soon? It's not even seven in the morning! I thought we could go visit some cool places here. Take a ride around the kingdom. We can't cover the whole kingdom but we could do a lot-"

"I just um need to get back. I can't imagine all the school work that has been piled up. Two days is more than enough Kyle." She sheepishly looked up at me.

"What do you mean? I have the whole week off. We didn't come all this way to spend two days Lilian." I was getting frustrated with her. She wasn't telling me something. I mean I knew Bessie was out of line. Alex and I both had a talk with her. She was stubborn but she was still Bessie. Everyone knew what he reason was.

"Lilian I talked to the queen-"

"It's not about her. Really Kyle, it's not about her. I shouldn't be so sensitive to her words anyway. Especially if they were not true in the slightest." I looked down at her and smiled while my heart swelled up.

Of course they weren't true.

"Then what is it Lilian? You were so f*****g excited to come here and now all of a sudden this place repulses you. And you expect me to believe that nothing's wrong?" I asked and I gently tugged her wrist to stop her from packing her clothes.

"You've done so much for me Kyle. I want you to know that I don't take your kindness for granted. I appreciate them more than you know." She took a deep breath and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You need to tell me what's on your mind. Aeval healed you-"

"And I can't repay what she did to me. Maybe that's just it Kyle." She mumbled the last part.

"What's just it?"

"Look around us. Look at where we're standing. I'm not......I don't...I don't think I belong here." Her voice suddenly trembled. "I can't give you anything you don't already have. Your family are the most powerful creatures in the world. I don't see a place where I fit-"

"Where is this coming from?! You said you loved me two days ago!"

"I still do!"

"Then? Why does everything else matter?! You said this had nothing to do with the Fae queen's words." She looked away when I said that. So it did get to her.

I didn't think it would. Lilian has always been a  strong woman. She would never allow meaningless words to intimidate her. Before I could say anything she continued to pack until she was done.

"So that's it? You're leaving?"

"I'm not leaving you Kyle! I just want to leave this place. Call me weak or whatever-"

"There's something else you're not saying. I've never known you to be like...this. You're hiding something and yo... you're hurting me." I said to her with a pang in my chest. I felt so frustrated because I didn't know what was going on. What changed yesterday?

When I looked up I noticed that she had dropped her small bag of clothes.  She then slowly stepped towards me and took my hands in hers.

"Kyle Robins," She looked at my face but I was staring at our intertwined hands. "Look at me please." She uttered those words as softly as possible. Hence I looked her in the eye.

"I would never, ever, ever want to hurt you in any way. You need to understand that. I do love you-"

"Then where are you running off to? Why are you going-"

"I want to leave this place because I want to gain my strength back."

"That was why-"

"Alone Kyle."

"W..what?" I pulled my hands back and looked at her flabbergasted.

"I just...I think I need to heal and gain my strength back. You know, get back into the daily routine like school and teaching and housework."

"Bullshit." She rolled her eyes at this and quickly picked up her bag. Next thing I knew I was firing her with questions as we rushed down the stairs towards the main entrance of the castle.

"Lilian!"

"Kyle!" She matched my tone jokingly but I was not in the mood and so her smile faltered.

I sighed and looked away angrily. We were already outside the castle near the main doors.

"Wait, I'll go pack my things." I muttered, turning around. Before I could move Lilian pulled my arm and when I looked back at her she shook her head. Silently telling me that she wanted to go alone.

"Still not trying to leave me?" Sarcasm dripped from my tone. She swallowed, seemingly hurt by my words.

"I...I'm not-"

"Look at what you're doing. I'm not angry because you want to go back Lilian. I'm not that stupid!" My whole demeanor was bitter and that made her take a step back. "I'm angry because you're not being completely honest with me. I never lie to you!"

Her eyes instantly filled with tears that threatened to pour out. Her lips wobbled ever so slightly.

My gaze softened at how fragile she looked but I was at a lost for further words. If I was hurting her so much why was she still so adamant on keeping the real reason for her wanting to leave?

"You'll only be truly hurt once you hear the truth." Her voice cracked.

"I think I'll live." I crossed my arms and gave her a hard look. She closed her eyes and looked away for a moment. Then she looked at the ground where we stood. She gently placed her bag close to her feet.

"I just....maybe we could just forget it." She whispered nervously.

"I don't think so Vidarr. Spit it out." I stepped closer to her. She let out a defeated sigh, knowing she had to tell me now. Wiping her eyes briskly, she straightened herself and met my gaze.

"After Queen Aeval healed me, I was confused, wondering if there was anything seriously wrong with me before we came here. However, she calmed me down by saying there could have been other ways in which it could have happened because I was a stable person."

"Okay..? And?"

"I thought nothing of it at first but then one of the pixies said something. He didn't mean anything by it, he was actually joking but..." She sucked in another breath to calm herself. I had no idea why she was so f*****g nervous. She didn't do anything wrong.

"Just tell me Lilian." I reached forward and tilted her chin up so she'd look at me.

"He...he said maybe there was someone playing with my mind. The moment those words hit me, I instantly thought of the one being who was capable of doing anything like this."

I took a step back in one quick motion and stared at her in disbelief. Lilian looked at me expecting to hear something in reply. I tried to talk but failed. The words were stuck in my throat. Looking at Lilian's hopeful eyes, I shook my head at her and took another step back.

That very moment, the hope in her eyes disappeared. The yearn for my trust halted and she just stared back at me solemnly.

"Why....why would you say something like that Lilian?" She gave me a broken smile and picked up her bag once again.

"I knew this is exactly what would happen if I told you." She continued to smile as her eyes shined with unshed tears.

"Why would you say this?" I asked again. My chest was burning due to her accusation on Tim. "He would never do this Lilian. He would never harm anyone like this. I know him. I don't even think he's capable of doing this with his powers."

"Well, I would love to believe that too Kyle but now I understand that there was never anything wrong with me. Think about it, my episodes took place in the middle of our dates and they prevented me from sleeping so I wouldn't be able to function properly-"

"Enough! Stop it." My voice was filled with an unfamiliar anger. I blinked back the moisture in my eyes as they burned.

"I...I'm so sorry you're hurt Kyle. I'm really sorry for it. I only lied because I didn't want to see you hurt and now...." She paused for a moment. "I want to leave because I honestly think we're not allowed to give each other our hearts. Yours is locked away and I don't think you posses the key to it. Mine is in the process of being ripped out, slowly." She sniffled and controlled herself from bursting out.

"You...you need time. We need time." She whispered.

I looked at her frustrated, disappointed and sad. Everything was becoming too complicated for me. And it was getting complicated for her too. When I looked up, I caught her eyes flicker to something behind me.

I swiftly turned around to see Alex and that troublemaker Bessie.

I then looked back at Lilian only to find her avoiding my gaze. "Did she tell you anything else?"

Lilian quickly shook her head and I didn't know of she was telling the truth or not.

I knew exactly what she meant by us not being allowed to give each other our hearts. She was talking about the people around us who refuse to see how much Lilian and I love each other.

"Kyle let's just take some time for ourselves." She said softly. Knowing full well that she was too messed up at the moment, I just gave her a curt nod. I had things to do myself. Arguing more about this will not get us anywhere. Maybe she was right. Maybe we needed time to clean some stuff up.

Nevertheless, I wasn't going to let anyone come between us again. I wasn't going to allow Lilian to get punished again just because she loved me. She didn't deserve it.

"You can't go back alone, Lilian." She thought for a moment, clearly figuring out how to get to Red Kingdom alone.

"I...I can ask someone...maybe."

"No you can't. I'll take you." She slowly shook her head.

"Kyle-"

"I'll prepare a ride for you Lilian." We heard a smooth, gentle voice behind us. We both turned to look at Aeval who gave Lilian a small smile.

"I can arrange a proper carriage for you and you'll return to Red Kingdom safely." She said.

"Thank you, thank you Your Majesty." Lilian gave her a low bow before turning to me. Aeval left us by ourselves and as she walked into the castle, she forcefully pulled Alex inside with her.

"See I have a ride now." Lilian whispered. I saw fresh tears in her eyes but she hastily wiped them off.

"I don't really know what else to say." I admitted.

"I don't blame you one bit. This is hard and quite baffling." Her gaze seemed to be far off. I could see that she was tired as well.

"You better be off Lilian. I don't want you to travel so late."

"Alright then. Thank you for everything. Thank you for bringing me here and for making the pain go away. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't help me. I would have lost myself without you Kyle Robins." She uttered the words with a trembling voice.

She didn't want to think about what could have happened if she wasn't healed. It was a scary thought. Lilian would have been sent to a mental institution. Or perhaps put to death.

"Why are you thanking me for helping you? Normal partners are supposed to do that." I looked at her puzzled. She smiled widely through her watery eyes.

"Oh Kyle." She chuckled sadly. She then came close to me and pecked me on my cheek. "I love you Kyle, always. Goodbye for now. I'll see you in the village." She whispered and turned around. A carriage was already waiting for her.

~~~~~~~~~~~

India's POV.

The sound of my cell unlocking alerted me. I rubbed my eyes trying to focus on what was happening. My body was weak and severely dehydrated. The screechy metal noise only added to my pain. It gave me a headache.

"You're free India." Said a voice that sounded faraway. Looking straight ahead, I saw the young prince. A thick maroon coat rested over his white shirt. His outfit was paired along with black slacks and black dress shoes. Prince Timothy seemed to be dressed for something important. His hair was neatly combed and he looked very elegant. Even more than he normally did.

While I was nothing more than a  disgusting excuse of a witch who laid on dirt and goodness knows what else.

"Wh...what?" My voice died in my throat as it was dried up.

"You are free. Go."

"K..king Zenas-"

"He surprisingly agreed with the fact that you should be free. I do not know the reason behind his sudden change of heart but I do suspect he has one."

"Rea...really? I can go?"

"Yes, hurry up before my brother changes his mind again. I will not be able to convince him a second time."

"Th..thank you, Your Highness." I breathe out with much difficulty. Sensing my pain, the prince brought in two maid servants to help me up.

He then instructed them to clean me up before releasing me.

"India." He called out just before we walked out of my prison.

I turned around slowly, all the time praying that this was real. That I was actually free. That this wasn't a dream or some cruel trick made by the king himself.

"My brother still bears some ill will towards you. He doesn't like you all that much and that means Zenas is going to keep a very close eye on everything you do. Do not give him any reason to throw you back here again."

What was the his problem?

"I...I under...stand Prince Timothy." I coughed violently due to the absence of moisture in my throat. The two servants quickly grabbed my arms and took me out of that horrible place. Only when we reached the servants' quarters did I allow the tears to pour down my cheeks.

I simply couldn't believe I was in there for so long. Without the feel of sunlight. Without warmth and cleanliness. My shoulders shook as I continued to cry, relieved that I was finally free. Free of that filthy place and Zenas' taunting voice.

"Stop your tears now, girl. You're getting your freedom." I looked at one of the older maidservants unable to tell her that that was exactly why I was crying.

I just couldn't stop.

The older maidservant came up to me and held my shoulders. I flinched due to the sudden gentle contact.

"Hush now. Go clean yourself and get out of here as fast as you can." She said sternly as she looked me in the eye. I slowly wiped away my tears and nodded at the kind woman. She was right. What if I'm thrown back there again?

Keeping that in mind I cleaned myself in the servants bathroom and wore a plain servants' dress given by the woman who was waiting for me.

"Thank you." I whispered out. She gave me a glass of water which was very much needed.

"Off you go. Eat something too. You look terribly ill." I reached forward and hugged her. Not because I wanted to give her a hug but because I needed one. It had been too long since I've felt anything close to human touch.

"Thank you. I won't forget you." I whispered. My throat was finally moist enough for me to speak up. After the hug, I left the castle as soon as I could. I basically limped my way out because my limbs were not put to use for so long.

I rushed out anyway. I needed to go home. I needed to feel free. I didn't feel like I was free even if I was, physically. Maybe Kyle would make me feel it. He was always there.

Once out of the castle, I demanded to see Rexamus. The guards guarding the servants' entrance looked at me weirdly and ignored me. That's when my anger flared up to no end. I felt my blood boil as I sneered at them. The new form of energy growing inside me threatening to come out.

Where the f**k was Rexamus?!

I demanded the whereabouts of my friend again. This time there was fire in me and they backed away. I also informed them that I was freed by Prince Timothy. They looked at each other for a moment and gave me a curt nod. I knew my eyes had that soft glow in them. That's why the guards suddenly looked nervous.

"Black stallion, huge and strong. He's one of a kind so it won't take long to for you to figure out which horse I'm talking about." I breathe in, my lungs ached due to my own fatigue but the will to get my horse was much stronger.

Soon after, they brought him out to me. The moment our eyes met Rexamus neighed and shook violently. He pushed the guards away with his ferociousness making them fall back. He then ran towards me as if we were finally reunited after years. I couldn't help but throw my arms around his thick neck.

"Oh I missed you. I missed you so much. Did they hurt you?" I whispered to him while my eyes filed with the familiar moisture. I couldn't believe how weak I had gotten.

I remember how my mother used to tell me that I was made of steel with a hard head. She said that because I was never the one to simply cry. Ever since I was a toddler. If my mother ever saw me cry, it was for good reason.

Now I felt pathetic and I hated myself for it. When I felt Rexamus move against my face, I realised that the tears had poured out of my eyes.

Not wanting to be in that horrible place a moment longer, I quickly mounted him and we were off towards my house. The whole way I felt like I was being watched but I didn't stop anywhere. I needed to get home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kyle's POV

"Alex I need to go back to Red Kingdom." I murmured under my breath as we sat in the private living room. Alex instantly looked up from the book he was reading. He was faking it actually. Alex just wanted a reason to sit in the living room with me and make sure I was okay.

Such a dad.

"Are you sure?" He asked concerned. "Lilian did say she needed time and I think she's right. The girl has been through a lot."

"I'm not going back to see Lilian, Alex."

"What? Then why?" He leaned forward.

"I need to see a certain prince." I almost grumbled.

"Kyle I know this is a lot to take in but nothing is confirmed yet. We don't know what happ-"

"And that's what I'm going to find out. I need to know if it's true. Lilian is not a liar. That much I know."

"Kyle that makes it even worse. What if she's right?"

"Huh?"

"What if he actually did do it?"

"Then I'll give him hell for-"

"f**k this Kyle!! He might be your friend but the end of the day, he's also a royal pure blood! If he can hurt Lilian he can surely hurt you."

"He wouldn't dare. He just wouldn't. I know him."

"Apparently you don't! So I want you to stay here for a while until things settle down."

"No! I'm leaving today. With or without you. But I want to be there fast that's why I asked you."

"Kyle please listen to me-"

"Why can't you listen to me for once huh Alex? I need to know. You have no idea how much she suffered. They almost sent her to a mental institution! I refuse to believe that her pain and suffering came from the little brat. He's my best friend! No matter how much I refuse to believe it, I also know that Lilian would never lie about this. She's not a hateful person. That being said, I need to know what happened so help me." I noticed how Alex's features softened. He looked at me for a very long time and finally nodded.

I didn't want to lose any time so I quickly informed Odelle before we left for Red Kingdom. Aeval had gone into town to inspect certain things. Phoenix was in his office with Zephyr and Beth was no where to be seen. Since Odelle knew, that was enough for us.

With Alex's car, we'll be there by evening. Hopefully before nightfall.

It had been a very long time since I traveled in a car so my stomach felt funny at the speed Alex was going.

"Hey you alright?" Alex turned to me.

"Yeah yeah I'm fine, just keep going."

"If you want me to slow down-"

"No!"

He shook his head and off we went. Trees and houses became a blur as we drove past everything within my eyesight.

I immediately stopped looking out the window as it made my head spin like a top.

"This f*****g sucks." I mumbled and tried to sleep.

"Sorry, you're the one who was in a hurry to get there."

I groaned and pulled myself together until we reached the borders of Red Kingdom. The moment we passed the borders, something didn't feel right. It was as if the air had somehow shifted. There was a certain dread.

It was completely different from the atmosphere in Silver Heights.

The difference felt like night and day.

"You feel that too?" Alex asked turning to me. I slowly nodded and we moved. He slowed down, scanning the environment. We were at the outskirts of Red Kingdom. The lands were quite bare except for those few who chose to live here. The same place where Tim and I came across when we had to deliver that letter to Lady Tallulah.

"Maybe you should step on the gas Alex, something feels off." He wordlessly drove a little faster. I knew Alex. He wanted to know what was wrong. He was always the curious bastard.

"Alex seriously, go faster." I ordered him this time. He went a little faster until we passed the outskirts. Now we were much deeper into Red Kingdom. We saw more settlements. Some places could even be called small towns.

"I feel better, don't you." I turned to Alex. He shook his head and squinted his eyes. He scanned the entire place like a machine.

"What's wrong with Red Kingdom Kyle?"

"What do you mean?"

"I smell blood." Alex murmured.

"What the hell? We're in a car!"

"The air comes from outside genius and it reeks of blood." He said adamantly. I believed him. Alex is royal Fae. His senses are almost never wrong.

"Well we're in a vampire kingdom okay. So the smell of blood is normal. You're just not used to it like before." I said lightly hoping that we'll reach my house in one piece.

Alex drove the car, seemingly to follow the smell of blood. It went on for some time and we came across nothing out of the ordinary. Just more trees, empty trails, and-

"What the hell is that?" Alex whispered. I groaned but decided to look where his hard gaze landed.

There was an overturned carriage in a distance. About a hundred metres away from us. Alex increased his speed and we stopped beside the carriage. What I saw almost made me puke.

The blood drained from my face as I shivered. I wanted to look away but I was frozen in my spot. I couldn't even speak. I might never forget the gruesome picture before me.

Four men. Badly beaten. Their faces unrecognisable. That wasn't the only thing that shook me. They were badly mutilated. Butchered like animals. Everything was red with blood. It seemed like these men never stood a chance.

I looked towards Alex and noticed he had gotten out of the car.

Turning back, I saw Alex squatting before the dead bodies. One of the men had his arms ripped off of his body. I swallowed hard and looked at my lap. I just focused on my breathing. All I wanted to do was leave.

I don't remember how long I kept my eyes closed but I opened them when I felt the car move.

"Found fruits inside the carriage Kyle. They were probably honest sellers in the market. I can't believe...." He shook his head. "They didn't have to die like that. They were tortured first."

I didn't reply. The picture was buried inside my mind now. I wanted it out. Every time I closed my eyes, their lifeless ones stared back at me.

Alex sensed my uneasiness and didn't stop anywhere else. Not until we were close to the main village.

"I'm going to park my car with other cars. We don't need attention." He muttered and drove towards a neighborhood where rich vampires lived. Since Alex knew some of them, I didn't worry about his car.

Once we parked, we walked along the neighborhood towards the village where I lived. The houses here were definitely much better. They were built with stronger materials. And the size of these houses were huge. Some double storey and some triple storey.

"Damn." I mumbled.

"You've never come here before?" Alex looked at me questioningly.

"I have but I still get surprised every time I see this place. Excuse my human emotions, Your Majesty." I rolled my eyes.

"Every time you go through something terrible, you become a sarcastic, annoying bitch." Alex folded his arms over his chest and glared at me. "We can talk about it you know. I understand it was difficult for you to see those dead bodies."

"I don't wanna talk about it so please stop." I almost begged him.

"Fine." He grumbled. We walked in silence as I admired the grand looking gardens here. Nothing compared to Aeval's but still these small ones were pretty too.

The roads here were completely made of asphalt concrete. Whatever that means. Ours in the village was just dirt.

Okay not just dirt. It was also sand and stone.

I envied their chimneys too. And how they get to keep themselves warm during the freezing weather. I swear I'm gonna build one for me. After buying a heater for my shower.

"Can't believe I actually miss this place." Alex smiled as we heard noise coming from the busy market square. I shrugged and walked faster.

"Oh look a candy shop! Man that's adorable!" Alex was letting go of his inner child.

"We just saw dead bodies Alex!" I shouted at him. His smile immediately dropped as he stared at me regretfully.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

I grabbed his arm and dragged him in the direction of my house. We walked for about ten minutes before I stopped dead in my tracks.

"No way." I whispered.

"What is it Kyle? Something wrong? Who do we need to fight?" I shook my head and looked at Alex bewildered. He was already reaching for his hidden blades.

"Alex!" I whisper yelled. "Keep those where they belong." He stared at me for a moment and then nodded.

"I was just surprised to see Rexamus." I pointed at the black stallion in India's house which was not far away.

"Hey I missed the fighter witch. Shall we pay her a visit?" Alex asked me.

"Yes we are. She disappeared for a long time you know. I always wondered where she went. She left without saying anything and now she's suddenly here."

"That doesn't sound like her at all." Alex commented when we reached the front gate. I slowly opened the gate so as to not alarm her. I wanted to surprise her and then yell at her for an hour or so. That's what she deserved for leaving me.

"You're being such a Kyle." Alex whispered while he stroked Rexamus' hair. At least he was calming the horse.

I ignored his stupid words and reached the front door. Ever so slowly, I turned the knob. It wasn't locked.

Ah hah!

Feeling excited about shouting at India, I fiercely pushed open the door with a loud bang and barged inside her house.

.............................................................................