CHAPTER 199: THE REQUEST

Lumina walked out of the room with Ashen’s help, her face blank beneath her calm composure. In the main hall, the King stood with his daughter, pacing anxiously.

Adam was by his side, his expression tense, while Serena’s anger was written clearly across her face.

"Lumina?" Serena’s voice cracked with disbelief. "How could she.." Lumina could sense that Serena wasn’t happy about the fact that she had just saved Queen Sephora.

She ignored her and turned sharply toward Lord Drex.

"Lord Drex, you should go check on the Queen. After all, I learned my healing from you," she let out.

Lord Drex frowned, unsure what to make of her tone. Still, he bowed and hurried toward the Queen’s inner chambers.

When he entered the room, he froze seeing how the Queen lay peacefully on the grand bed, her breathing steady, her skin no longer pale.

The sickly weakness that had clung to her for weeks was gone. She looked almost radiant, as though she had just woken from a long, dreamless sleep.

Lord Drex stood still for several moments, unable to find his voice. There was no explanation. He was pretty sure that whatever was wrong wasn’t easy, but watching how she was doing fine just a few minutes after Lumina and walking into this place seemed so unclear to him.

He moved closer, checking her pulse and the glow beneath her veins. Everything was normal. Perfectly normal.

Minutes later, he returned to the waiting royals, still visibly stunned by what he had just seen there.

"Your Highness," he called slowly, bowing. "The Queen is... well. Completely well. I don’t know what the princess has done, but her condition has been fully restored."

King Aden didn’t hesitate. Without a word, he rushed past them into the Queen’s chamber.

He stopped at her bedside, breath catching in his throat as he saw her sleeping peacefully, her face full of life again. Relief softened his features. He turned, and there standing quietly by the window was Lumina, with Ashen beside her.

"Mum.." Aurelia cried out, grabbing the queen’s hands with so much relief and excitement.

King Aden exhaled heavily. "Again, you have done something that earns my respect," he said, voice thick with emotion. "You have my gratitude, Lumina."

She responded with a small smile.

"Actually, I am so pleased to get the praises from the king, which of course happened because of the little knowledge I had learnt from the physician."

Lord Drex only nodded his head still in a state of confusion, until Alumina spoke again.

"Your highness as much as I know this would be kind of disrespectful to say something like this but I feel I wouldn’t like you to owe me anything so I would ask for something now." The look in Aurelia’s eyes changed.

"You! Brat! Are you.."

"Enough!" King Aden’s voice boomed as he stared at Lumina, "What do you want, princess?" And Aurelia snorted at this.

"All I ask isn’t much," she said calmly. "If you can do this one thing for me, then we will call it even. You will owe me nothing after that."

Ashen’s head snapped toward her, surprise flickering in his eyes. "What are you saying?" he asked softly.

She turned to him, unbothered. "The King asked me what I wanted. Shouldn’t I tell him exactly what that is?"

Aurelia stepped forward, her voice harsh. "Are you trying to use this as leverage? To twist the King’s gratitude into something for your own gain?"

Lumina tilted her head and smiled faintly. "Your mother is alive because I saved her. I would think gratitude is the least I deserve."

"You disrespectful..." Aurelia started, but her father raised a hand to silence her.

"I won’t repeat myself Aurelia!," King Aden said firmly. He looked at Lumina with measured calm. "Again I am asking what do you want?"

Lumina’s eyes softened, but her words were steady. "I want to become the Coven Leader. That is all."

The King’s brows drew together, disbelief flashing across his face.

"What?" His voice rose slightly. "The Coven Leader? How do you even know about that?"

"I came from the Celestial Realm," Lumina replied. "Did you really expect me not to know? You can either grant it, or you can refuse. The choice is yours."

The King stared at her for a long moment, weighing her words. "And if I don’t?" he asked slowly.

Lumina gave a small shrug. "Nothing will happen," she said simply. "But a promise from a King should never be wasted. You asked what I wanted and I have told you. Do what you think is right."

Her voice held no threat, yet the quiet confidence in her tone made the King skeptical.

Then she turned toward Ashen, exhaustion flickering in her silver eyes. "Ashen, please take me back to my chamber. I need to rest."

Ashen hesitated for a moment, then bowed to the King. "I will be back soon, your highness," he said softly.

"Thank the heavens the queen is alive," Ashen said under his breath, more to himself than anyone. "Now you can finally breathe again."

Before the King could stop them, Lumina had already turned away, and Ashen followed her out.

The King remained where he stood, his gaze following the pair until the door closed. He turned slowly to his daughter and to Adam. Both looked equally unsettled.

For a long moment, none of them spoke, well Adam for a weird reason couldn’t speak all through out of shock with how his brother had hit him in his chambers.

"I should also take my leave," Serena said and then Adam moved toward her.

"I will help you." Serena wanted to reject this but only let out a deep ugh as she walked forward.

Finally, King Aden exhaled, his expression darkening. "Something is happening that I don’t yet understand," he said quietly.

"Why do both of them suddenly feel distant from me?" He asked no one but himself while his eyes stared straight toward the door.