Valencia

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    I tried to physically push myself away from him but only managed to stumble back. Luckily, the wall behind me and Mary, who rushed forward to help me were enough to get me stand upright.

    But not for long-

    Mary wordlessly threw my hand over her shoulder and slowly led me towards the bed.

    I was aware of being in just that in and thin undergown, so she quickly threw my feet up and covered me in sheets.

    Martin hovered near the door for a second as she adjusted the pillows and didn’t even acknowledge him.

    The door was wide open, and he must have felt stupid standing in it awkwardly, so he stepped inside and muttered.

    “It looks like our Blessed One isn’t doing well health wise.” He didn’t say that to anybody in particr but it was clear that he was expecting a response.

    I knew Mary didn’t want to even stay in the same room as him, much less have a casual conversation, so I forced my mouth to open.

    But she saw my struggle and only ced a hand on mine to indicate that I should rest.

    “Lady Valencia has been advised to rest for a few days. She fainted in the Temple of Elorin.”

    Martin’s face lit up as if he got an answer to a question that had been tormenting him forever.

    “Ahh, so that is where she has been hiding all these days.” He tapped his chin and continued.

    “I was wondering where did our little witch go after that over the top and a rather peculiar disy of her mark in the court.”

    That smile on his face turned into an evil smirk.

    “Tell me, little witch, did kissing my brother make you feel powerful? Did showing your mark truly with a royal prince at your side make you feel you were finally worthy of a lick of attention from father?”

    His smile and smirk disappeared, and his voice rose by the time he reached thest few words, that were more like a shout.

    “Lady Valencia is unwell…” Mary began again, but Martin stormed through the room and stood directly in front of her.

    Mary tried to disappear into the wall as he raised his voice again, shouting at the top of his voice.

    “And who the hell are you to talk to me like that, you filthy maid?” He roared, and Mary’s hand trembled slightly, and her eyes fluttered shut in response.

    “I dont appreciate you waltzing into my quarters and shouting like a lunatic,” Another voice said through the open door, and both mine and Mary’s gaze flew to the door automatically.

    And we both sighed in relief to see Killian standing there.

    He was wearing the royal robe over his regr clothes, indicating that he must have been in some court meeting or other important discussion.

    Martin turned around to see Killian and threw his hands to the sides in the air as if to wee him.

    “There you are, my little brother. I have been looking all over the castle for you.”

    10:57 Tue, 26 Aug 0.

    Killian ignored him and approached me. He sat down on the stool beside my bed and ced his hand on my forehead.

    “How are you feeling?” He asked softly, the corners of his eyes crinkling with worry.

    I only nodded to indicate I was okay. He caressed my face as Martin butt in once again.

    “I can see from where that lowly maid picks up her traits,” Martin drawled, and Killian tried not to roll his eyes.

    “And I can see that you dont have the basic decency not to shout in front of a patient, Prince Martin and heir to the Elorin throne.”

    Killian’s voice was dripping with sarcasm, and it felt like he had hit Martin where it hurt because his eldest brother’s voice contorted in fury.

    “This is what you have been nning all along, haven’t you, little brother? You know you can never get the throne with me and dozens of your other male siblings so you found this little witch and then tried to lure her into craving your affection, smiling those pretty smiles of yours and acting all nice and sweet so that when the timees, she takes your side.”

    Killian got up from the stool to face Martin and retorted.

    “If I wanted the throne, you wouldn’t be alive and breathing in front of me.”

    His voice was cold as a stone, and the warning in it was imminent.

    “See, you are back to threatening me again, aren’t you, little brother? I know what you are doing. I can see right through your ns. I know how you hope that this little witch awakens her magic so that you, a nobody, the least favored prince of Elorin with no chance of staking a im on the throne, suddenly grows powerful and takes all the glory and the chair for himself. After all, who could challenge you with that little witch standing loyally beside you?”

    Martin pped his hands and continued to mutter.

    “And here I was stupid enough to think that you were just a pretty little boy who said he was done with bloodshed and greed and simply wanted to live a quiet life. I must say, you act very convincingly, little brother of mine.”

    Martin came forward to point a finger and thrust it into Killian’s chest multiple times.

    “Do you think I dont know why you want us all away from her? Do you think she wouldn’t one day realize what you are really doing to her? You want her to believe you are the only good person here and the rest of us are evil.”

    Martinughed, and his deepughter bounced off the walls, echoing loudly.

    And just like that, his voice turned sharp again as he pointed at Killian for the hundredth time.

    “You think training her and sending her to the temple while limiting her contact to just you and a few of your trusted servants is a sure shot way of curing thisnd of the curse, OR is it that your little heart still hopes to find a cure for yourself as well?”

    Martinughed when Killian looked like he was caught off guard, and Martin blinked.

    “You never told her, did you?”

    He looked from Killian to me and back to Killian.

    And he scoffed as if he had realized something that I had no clue about whatsoever.

    Martin pped again and then looked at me.

    “If you think that this man here is any less evil than us then I will pray that the day you find he is as evil or perhaps even more evil than any of us, I will be there to watch the color drain from your face.”

    10:57 Tue, 26 Aug.

    ? ??? 29%-2

    He threw a scathing look at me and Killian and then turned around to walk out of the room without another backward nce.

    Meanwhile, I, Killian, and even Mary were left stunned by his unexpected outburst and kept staring at the door for a long time.

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