Hermes.
It had been days since Lienna had been unconscious, and everyone had been waiting with bated breath for her to wake up. Every time we came to see her, she still looked so frail and weak, barely responding to the treatment she was receiving. The Royal healer had been coming in regularly to check up on her, adjusting her medications and potions, but even he seemed concerned about her slow progress.
Security around her was just as tight, with guards stationed everywhere and specifically assigned maids who would come to help her while the Royal healer was present. We had taken every precaution to ensure her safety, knowing that her weakened state made her vulnerable to harm.
Finally, after what seemed like forever, a maid burst into my study room where all three of us were present, a look of relief in her eyes. “Lienna is awake, your Majesty,” she announced, her voice trembling with excitement.
Caspian, Adonis, and I exchanged hopeful glances, our faces mirroring the same mix of emotions – relief, concern, and anticipation. We had been waiting for this moment for so long, and now that it was finally here, we weren’t sure what to expect.
“Let’s go,” Caspian said, already rising from his seat.
We followed the maid to Lienna’s chambers, our hearts pounding in unison. What would we find when we got there? Would she be the same Lienna we knew, or had her ordeal changed her in some fundamental way?
As we entered her room, we saw her lying in bed, her eyes open and fixed on us. She looked pale and weak, but there was a spark of recognition in her gaze that gave us hope. The Royal healer was by her side, a smile on his face.
“Welcome back, Lienna,” he said, his voice gentle. “We’ve been waiting for you.” The Royal healer was saying to Lienna as we arrived there. They stopped when they saw us walk in and Lienna’s eyes widened a little as she caught sight of us.
“Your majesties…” She greeted, slowly lowering her head, her voice hoarse from disuse. The small words she spoke seemed to have a toll on her, and she paused to catch her breath.
“How are you now?” Caspian asked, taking a step forward, his eyes filled with concern.
“Listless…” She answered, her voice barely above a whisper, before clearing her throat. The effort seemed to exhaust her, and she leaned back into her pillows.
The Royal healer interrupted our interaction by passing her a bowl filled with a miry liquid. She scrunched up her nose at the smell but accepted it anyway, drinking the contents in small sips. Some of the liquid spilled from her lips, and she groaned in disgust as she returned the bowl to the healer. A maid swooped in with a clean towel, gently cleaning Lienna’s chin and lips.
Most of the white that had been in her hair on that day had disappeared, leaving behind a pale brown that was her usual hair color. Her eyes, however, still seemed sunken, and her skin was pale.
“We would like to talk to her, can you excuse us?” Caspian asked, glancing at the Royal healer.
“Of course, I’ll be outside if you need anything,” he replied, promptly packing his things and exiting the room, the maid by his side.
Finally, it was just us and Lienna. The silence was so tense you could hear a pin drop as we all exchanged tentative glances. I could sense the unspoken questions hanging in the air, the uncertainty about what had happened and what lay ahead.
“Do you remember what happened?” I finally asked, breaking the silence, my voice gentle but urgent.
Lienna’s eyes fluttered closed, and she took a deep breath before opening them again. “Not really…” She began, her voice quiet.
“What do you remember, at least?” Adonis asked, his voice low.
Tensing slowly, she closed her eyes and tried again. “I remember been led to the place where I would be executed. I remember being lowered to my knees.” She broke off, trying to catch her breath as if the words she just spoke had already exhausted her. Taking a deep breath, she continued “I… I remember the power surging through me,” she began, her voice still hoarse. “And then… nothing.”
“You had another display of power,” Caspian said, his voice gentle yet firm. “This time around, it was for everyone to see.” Letting the words sink in, he added, “So, you do have magical powers.”
Lienna’s face reddened at his words, and she began to fiddle with her fingers, avoiding eye contact. “I wasn’t born with it,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, but we heard it all the same.
Caspian’s expression turned thoughtful, but he didn’t press the issue. “We’ll get to that soon,” he said, waving his hand in dismissal. “You said you don’t remember what happened in that moment, am I right?” he asked, his eyes locked on Lienna’s.
Lienna nodded, raising her head to look at him. “Yes, your Majesty,” she replied, her voice still soft.
“Do you at least remember who accused you of trying to harm me?” Caspian asked, his brow furrowed in concern. “Because you mentioned something like that during that incident.”
Lienna’s gaze dropped, and she furrowed her brows in thought, trying to remember her actions before that day. Suddenly, her expression hardened, and her eyes flashed with anger. “It’s Veronica,” she muttered underneath her breath.
The room fell silent, and we all exchanged shocked glances. Veronica? The same Veronica who had been our mistress for goddess knows how long?
“What?” Adonis asked, his voice incredulous. “Why would Veronica accuse you of trying to harm the king?”
Lienna’s eyes narrowed, her jaw clenched in anger. “I don’t know, but I remember now. She was the one who started it all. She’s been trying to turn everyone against me.” Taking a deep breath, she continued more quietly, her voice tinged with anger. “She came to meet me before I was brought out of the dungeon and told me the truth. She even cast a spell on me so I would be unable to speak.” She said, stretching forth her hand.
Caspian moved forward, taking the hand he had presented to us, and stared at it intensely. He must have found something, as his gaze hardened before he let go of her hand. “There’s no sinister energy coming from you, but there is a scar that she left behind. So that at least makes your claim true,” he announced in a grave voice.
“Guards!” he bellowed, his voice resounding in the room. A soldier came rushing in, bowing his head the moment he stopped. “Your majesties,” he greeted, his voice filled with respect.
“Apprehend Veronica and start an investigation on her immediately. Find out what she has been up to these past few days and make a report about it,” Caspian ordered, his voice tinged with urgency.
“Yes, your Majesty,” the soldier replied and hurried out of the room immediately.
“I think we’re forgetting something here. What about the powers Lienna displayed during the incident?” I asked aloud, noticing as Lienna stiffened on the bed.
Caspian turned to her, however, his expression gentle. “Now, Lienna, concerning the matter at hand, I need to ask you a question,” he said, making us wait in bated silence.
“Are you the moon goddess reincarnated, or are you just a vessel for her?” he asked, his eyes locked on Lienna’s.
The room fell silent once more, as if the weight of the question had sucked the air out of us. Lienna’s eyes widened, and she looked like she had been punched in the gut.
“I am a vessel,” she muttered weakly, her head hung low. We all stiffened, the softly spoken words sounding like a roar in our ears. The moon goddess had returned through her? After all these years of believing the prophecy of the moon goddess was just a fallacy and it could never happen, at least not in our lifetime. It was finally staring at us in the face?
The room seemed to spin around me as I struggled to process the enormity of Lienna’s words. I glanced around and saw the same expression mirrored in the rest of the Shifter Kings.
“How did you come to meet her?” Adonis asked, breaking the silence that had fallen over us like a shroud.
Lienna’s voice was barely audible as she replied, “She appeared to me. The night after I arrived here. In a dream.”
Caspian’s eyes narrowed, his mind racing with the implications. “Why didn’t you tell us?” he asked, his tone firm but gentle.
Lienna looked up at us then, her eyes filled with a mix of fear and uncertainty. “It didn’t seem like the right time to tell anybody. Plus, it seemed like the moon goddess didn’t want to reveal herself just yet.”
“But she has been protecting you?” I asked, my voice neutral.
Lienna let out a sigh, nodding her head. “Yes… she has been protecting me all this while.” We fell into silence once more, each lost in our own thoughts, the weight of Lienna’s words hanging in the air.
“Well, if no one knew before, everybody knows now that the moon goddess is back through you,” Caspian stated and Lienna narrowed her eyes at him inspite of herself.
“You’re not saying it like it’s a good thing,” she whispered, her gaze darting suspiciously between us.
Caspian’s expression turned somber, his voice low and measured. “As much as we’re glad this is happening, we have to be honest here, not everyone wants the moon goddess to return.”
Lienna’s face paled, her eyes wide with horror. “So… My life is still in danger?” she squeaked, her voice trembling.
Caspian nodded gravely. “Yes, and even you being a vessel to the moon goddess poses significant danger to you as well. We have much to discuss, but you need to rest now. You’ve only just woken up.”
Lienna looked like she wanted to say more, but clamped her lips together, looking away. Her fingers balled into fists, and her body tensed, tears glistening in her eyes.
“Yes, your Majesties,” she whispered, her voice trembling.
We watched her stricken figure for a while, our hearts heavy with concern. With a shared nod, we turned to leave the room, leaving Lienna alone once more. Caspian was right; we had much to discuss, but right now we needed to deal with the immediate pressing matters.