Alessandro remembered that day. He hadn’t helped her. Despite her being injured, he had punished her.
“Lie down,” he said.
Abril obeyed, and Alessandro lowered her nightgown and covered her with the blankets.
“You must stay in bed until you recover. Try not to move too much.”
“Yes I will.”.
“If you need anything, ask the maids. And if any of them is rude to you, let me know.”
“Alright.”
“I must go. Rest. I’ll see you tonight.”
To Abril, the king’s kindness and concern were strange. Perhaps if it were at the beginning of their marriage, she might have thought it was because she was his wife. But after being ignored and forgotten for three years, it was hard to believe. She wondered if it was because of the child she was supposed to give him, but she dismissed that reason as well
Abril looked at her left hand, where the marriage mark was visible; If she had died, if the king hadn’t arrived in time, he would be free from this invisible bond that united them, and he could remarry his betrothed.
Abril sighed deeply and wondered, “What has changed? I don’t understand. Until recently, His Majesty wanted me dead. Why is he so worried about me now?”
Abril had so many questions in her mind, so many things she wanted to ask the king. But she was also afraid to ask, afraid of the answer she might receive. She decided it was best to stay quiet and inconspicuous until she recovered.
Alessandro summoned Sirius. When he entered, he asked, “Why is her wound taking so long to heal? When I injured my hand, it was gone in two days. It’s been a week, and hers is healing very slowly. Plus, she has several scars. I don’t get it.”
“Perhaps her magic prevents her from healing her own wounds.”
“Healing magic hasn’t worked on her either,” Alessandro said.
“I believe her magic nullifies all other magic, though I don’t know if she does it consciously or unconsciously. That’s why magic doesn’t work on her. I think that’s why, when she went to the temple and touched the sphere of magic, there was no reaction. The sphere is a magical artifact. I think she nullified it, and that’s why it seemed like she possessed no magic.”
“And now what? Her wound is still not healing. What do we do?” The king asked, looking worried.
“We can only wait, Your Majesty.”
“That wound… Will it scar?”
“It most likely will, since healing magic doesn’t work on her.”
“I don’t want her to have another scar because of me. Find a way to prevent it.”
“But Your Majesty, I am a mage, not a healer.”
“Well, from now on, you are. So stop wasting time and go do as I have asked.”
Sirius left the king’s office and wondered what the king had meant by saying he didn’t want her to have another scar because of him.
At night fall, Alessandro returned to his room. He thought Abril would be asleep, as it was quite late. However, she was standing on the balcony, gazing into the distance. Alessandro hurried to her side and said, “What do you think you’re doing? I told you not to get out of bed.”
Abril didn’t answer.
Alessandro moved a little closer, placed his hand on her shoulder, and called her again, “Princess.” Abril still didn’t respond. It was as if she couldn’t hear him. Alessandro made her turn around and discovered her eyes were closed.
He waved his hand in front of her face and called her again, “Princess, what is wrong?”
Abril remained unresponsive, as if asleep. He shook her shoulder, causing her to wake up. As she opened her eyes, Abril wondered how she had gotten to the balcony and what she was doing there. She looked at Alessandro and asked, “What am I doing here?”
“I would like to know myself,” he replied.
Abril didn’t know how she had gotten to the balcony. She had fallen asleep and didn’t remember getting up.
Alessandro carried her in his arms and said, “You must go back to bed.”
“I really don’t know how I got to the balcony,” Abril said.
“It’s okay, I believe you.”
Alessandro gently placed her on the bed and said, “Are you alright? Does your wound hurt?”
“A little, but I’m fine,” she replied.
“Go back to sleep.”
Alessandro took off his jacket, loosened his shirt and shoes, and then laid next to Abril. She stared at him.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” He asked.
“I’m not sleepy.”
“Well, I am, so close your eyes and sleep. I won’t be able to sleep until you do.”
“Perhaps I should be in another room.”
“What?”
“I was sharing a room with Your Majesty to give you an heir, but in my state that’s impossible. I’m just a nuisance to Your Majesty.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want you far from me.”
“I don’t understand. Why does Your Majesty want to have me close when he hates me?”
“I don’t hate you, at least not now, so get that silly idea of wanting to go to another room out of your head.”
“What has changed? Why doesn’t Your Majesty hate me anymore?”
“I don’t know, I just don’t hate you anymore. You don’t like that?”
“It’s not that, it just seems strange to me. No one has ever cared about me. I’m not used to Your
Majesty being so kind and caring to me.”
Alessandro wondered what kind of life Abril had lived in the kingdom of Laios. He asked, “What was your life like in the kingdom of Laios?”
“Hum…. Lonely. I was never someone anyone loved. I don’t even remember anyone being kind to me in that place.”
“Was your mother not kind to you either?”
“My mother died giving birth to me. I never met her, nor do I know much about her, only what the maids said when they were annoyed.”
“What did they say?”
“Why didn’t I die with my mother? That I shouldn’t have been born. When I was little, I was very sickly. They hated having to take care of me. To everyone, I was just someone annoying who shouldn’t have survived. I don’t even know how I’m still alive, since they always neglected me.”
Remembering what her life had been like in the kingdom of Laios, Abril frowned and said, “When that maid attacked me, I thought I was going to die. I thought I would never open my eyes again, and at that precise moment I realized that I have never been happy, that there has never been anyone to love me.”
Alessandro stared at her intently and asked, “Do you want me to love you?”
“I have never expected love from Your Majesty. I wonder if when I have a child, he will love me.”
“You will be his mother. I’m sure he will love you, and I think I will too.”
Abril’s eyes widened, and she wondered if she had heard correctly. She cleaned her ears and said, “Maybe I should sleep, I think I’m hearing things.”
Alessandro caressed her cheek and asked, “Don’t you want me to love you?”
“Why would Your Majesty love me?”
“Do I need a reason to do so?”
“I don’t know how love itself works. It’s something I have no knowledge about.”
Alessandro moved a little closer to Abril, gave her a soft kiss on her lips, hugged her, and said, “You don’t need any reason to love, it just happens. You fall in love without thinking, without planning, without realizing it. When I saw that you were about to die I was scared, I didn’t want to lose you.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
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