The Rightful Queen

Fifty-four: Zain

    My eyes widened in fear and shock as the sword went through her stomach. When Hood realized what he had done, he ran away, only to be met with Feras's sword.

    I was ready to accept my fate. I was ready to die. Although I wanted more time to apologize to Sedra for hurting her, I was ready to accept dying because I liked the fact that she'd sit on the throne. I knew that she'd make an awesome queen.

    But she just had to jump in front of the fatal blow aimed at me. She had to be the martyr and save me again. For the fourth time!

    I looked down at Sedra and gulped. She fell against me and I quickly wrapped my arms around her limp body. I carefully picked her up and rushed to a hidden place, away from the swords and arrows. I looked around for any healer, but nobody was around. Gently, I set her down and studied her face and only then did I realize how tired she was. There was a faint bruise on her left cheekbone, a gash on her temple and a cut on her bottom lip.

    "No, you... you don't... don't," I didn't know what to say. Words were escaping me. She was almost lifeless. This wasn't supposed to happen to her. "You don't get to do that again!" I screamed tightening my hold on her. Why was she shivering? Or was I shaking?

    "It's o-okay... I'm fine," she stuttered and squeezed her eyes shut. She was in so much pain. It was written all over her face. I put my hand on her wound, trying to suppress the blood from oozing out of it.

    "You idiot! You don't get to do that again, Sedra!" I cried out. She put me through hell when she jumped in front of the arrow to save me and she did the same thing again. She jumped in front of danger to save me. The sword was meant for me, not her. Why did she have to do that? She wasn't going to die in my arms. I was going to marry her and she would have been my partner.

    I wasn't going to lose her.

    Not after everything.

    "This... is y-your first t-time to call me Sedra without feeling d-disgusted by the name," she whimpered and I just held her tightly.

    "I was never disgusted by it! Never! I was only mad at you! Don't I get to be mad at you for a little bit?" I cried. She was slipping through my fingers like water. I was losing her.

    Did she think that I would let her go? I could never do that. I was just a little bit upset, but not enough to push her out of my life.

    "I need to get you to a healer. Now!" Where I tried to scoop her up in my arms, she placed her hand on top of mine, making me look at her face.

    "I want you to know s-something," she gulped and closed her eyes for a few moments. "I don't regret saving y-you," she whimpered and I pressed my lips against her forehead as tears formed in my eyes. "I did it as Nuriya... and I... I want you to know that Sedra loves you as much as Nuriya did." My heart was being ripped apart. It felt like somebody was throttling me. She wasn't going to die in my arms. She wasn't going to leave me. Why was she talking like she was about to die? She was going to live. She wasn't selfish. She wasn't going to leave me.

    "Listen... I was a little bit mad at you, but I never stopped loving you, sweetheart. Do you remember when you got mad at me and gave me the silent treatment for a few days after what happened at Carbilia? I swear I was doing the same thing! Did you think I can live without you? I can't, Sedra. I can't! You fool, I was playing your game. Don't I get to play it too?

    "I loved you as Nuriya and I love you as Sedra. I don't care who you are! I will always love you. I don't care who you are. Hell! I would still love you even if you don't have an identity. I will always love you. I can't stop loving you," I cried, tears falling down my cheeks.

    "Come on, let me take you to a healer now. Enough talking." I placed my lips against hers for a moment and got ready to pick her up.

    "Hell!" Feras came out of nowhere and he quickly knelt beside me. "We will save her. We won't let her die!" he spoke to me. His eyes fell on her wound and cursed. It was deep. I knew it was so deep and my hand wasn't enough to stop it from bleeding. He pressed a piece of cloth over it. "Sedra, I need you to stay awake. You're fine! This is just a treatable wound. Do not close your eyes! Do you hear me?" his tone was stern, but he seemed worried.

    I knew that Feras considered Sedra a dear friend, even after everything. Who could hate her though? She chose us. She chose our side and left everything she was raised to do for our sake. She was loyal to us.

    "S-So tired..." she whispered and I shook my head.

    "Stay with me! Please, stay with me," I begged her.

    "Pick her up and I will cover your back. We need to take her to the clinic!" he instructed me and I nodded. I did as he said and dashed to the clinic. My heart was shaking inside my chest. What if it was too late to save her? She lost so much blood and she was already in recovery. Would her body handle all of that? We needed a miracle.

    "Sedra, Stay awake," I spoke, looking down at her, but her eyes were already closed. "No, no, no. Stay with me. Open those beautiful eyes, Habeebti. I need to see them." I pressed a kiss on her forehead.

    As two healers took her from me, I was forced to step outside. My mind was in total chaos. I didn't know what to do. To them, her life was in their hands, but to me, my life was in their hands.

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Will she make it?
Published on September 10th, 2022
Sara