Amara of Xeris

Chapter 23

"Why do the nobles hate you?", Amara asked Victor, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Victor's eyes had a twinge of misery in them. It was the first time Amara had seen Victor so vulnerable, even if for a moment.

"It's alright if won't say anything.", she repeated. The two settled in an awkward silence. "I'm sorry for asking."

"It's alright, thanks for the concern.", he said. "Here, have a drink.", he said, pouring her a red liquid from a bottle on his table.

"What is this?", Amara asked.

"Mixed berry juice.", Victor answered. "It's my favourite.", he said taking a sip.

"It kinda smells funny.", Amara said, sniffing the drink, "Reminds me of Cyanis berries." Victor had a moment of realisation and spit the drink out. A coughing fit soon followed.

Kerry Poisoning. Amara had no idea what to do. Victor had already started coughing ho blood. She could call for help but didn't think anyone could show up in time. She could try to neutralise the poison for some time before help arrived.

Quick, what would help against the Kerry poison? Some species of plants like Anamora flowers and the Blue Rose were helpful against this poison. The Blue Rose. Amara had one in her room. All she needed was one summoning spell.

Amara closed her eyes and thought of the Blue Rose, in a vase on her dressing table, and made a small portal to retrieve it. She was successful in the attempt. This was basic after all. Quickly, she plucked a few petals of the flowers and gave them to Victor to chew.

She called a servant to the room a few seconds later, after Victor seemed better. The poison should be at bay for at least ten minutes, enough for a doctor to arrive. Amara still gave Victor a few more petals as a precaution. "Help will arrive soon.", she assured him. It did. The servant and doctor arrived quicker than expected.

The doctor, a jolly old man, assured Amara that Victor was alright. He would be fine in an hour, maximum. Relieved, Amara left the study, glad that Victor was alive. Victor, however, seemed lifeless and self-reflecting.

*****

With a huge bouquet of flowers in her arms, Amara stood outside Victor's chamber door. She knocked on the door with her free hand. The door was opened by Pax, who seemed surprised to see her there.

"Are you here to see my brother?", Pax asked.

"Yes. Can I come in?", she requested.

"Of course, you can. I didn't expect you to be here this quickly.", he said ushering Amara inside. What she found was a peculiar scene.

"No, don't go back to work now.", little Rex said hugging his oldest brother's legs, so he couldn't move. Rex's efforts were of no avail because Victor easily picked him up like a sack of potatoes and set him off and was about to walk away from the room. He only stopped because he spotted Amara in his room.

"You didn't need to visit me.", he said. "Thank you for saving my life.", he said gratefully.

"It was no problem, honestly.", she said, "You know, you should rest a bit more before going to work."

"I have rested enough already.", he dismissed.

"You should rest more.", Amara argued.

"It's no use, we've been trying to tell him that the whole day.", Pax complained.

"I am already way behind my work.", Victor stated, "Just let me go." Soon, he was out of the room. Amara followed him out of the room and into his study.

"What's wrong with you.", Amara scolded, "You haven't recovered completely, so please take some rest."

"It's just a small amount of Kerry Poison. It doesn't take forever to heal.", he defended himself.

"A small amount? You could have died today."

"I would have deserved that for being so careless", he scolded himself, "Out of everything, I fell for the easiest trick in the book."

"Victor..."

"Just leave me alone.", he pleaded, eyes glistening with tears.

"No. Not now.", Amara said.

"I beg you. Please leave me alone."

"No. I am not leaving you alone. Not right now."

"Fine...", he finally gave in, "... stay then."

"I know you have probably seen more messed up things, Victor. But, please don't say that you deserve to die."

"It was my fault for sipping the drink too quickly.", he said. Amara just gave him a rueful look.

"You know how you said that you have survived multiple assassination attempts, right?"

"I have."

"Why do they keep trying to kill you?", Amara said with genuine curiosity.

"What else have you noticed about the Court?"

"You don't seem to be on good terms with anyone else."

"Would you like an answer to that too?"

"I'd appreciate it."

"It's a very long story."

"I don't care. Just tell me."

"It started before I was even born.", he started his tale, "After the Ephedian Occupation of Kelasar, Othrera became an unstable nation. Different houses gained power and lost it just as quickly. Until the late years of my father's reign, Othrera was in a state of constant civil war."

"My parents dreamt of a peaceful Othrera but they also knew that the chances of their survival in war-torn Othrera were pretty low. So, I spent my childhood doing nothing but learning how to rule, just in case tragedy struck.", he continued, "Tragedy did strike, I was nine years old and Pax was four when my mother died of illness. My father remarried and Rex was born a year later."

"Four years after Rex's birth, my father died too. I was fourteen years and was crowned Emperor. At that age, all I knew was how to make rules and policies, how to carry myself, and how to negotiate. I knew all about being the Emperor but I knew nothing about being a boy. I don't know how to trust or how to make friends."

"I still don't."