The King's Gamma (Previously The King's Beta)

Thirty Two

Marcenia

I was enjoying a hot bath, my new helper happily scrubbing my back for me and Jin's sister adding herbs and oils to the water, when the door flung open. My eyes met with Ahman's, my smirk evident when he rushed out as soon as he could. He stood with his back facing me and blocking the sight of the other males who almost stepped in.

"What was it you wanted?" I asked after some silence.

"You angered the Emperor. We were forced to receive punishment for you."

"What was the punishment?"

"We each received a hundred lashes."

I stood up, my helper putting a robe over my shoulders instantly, and got out of the tub. I concentrated my attention on the males standing outside the door and heard a gasp a moment later. I felt it dripping, warm against my skin as I transferred their wounds onto my own back.

"Master!" I heard a worried voice as I moved towards the door, small footsteps running after me.

"Master, your back! Your back is bleeding!"

I entered the living room where the entirety of Ahman's entourage stood up at the sight of the emerald robe turning a murky brown with the blood. I stopped for a second, absorbing the last of their pain, blood dripping onto the slated floors from my robe.

I turned my head towards Ahman, side-eyeing him with a smirk.

"I'm sure this is enough of a compensation. You should be completely healed now."

I turned away from them, towards my own room where the two women closed the door before any of the men could enter. The robe was ripped from my shoulders by Jin's sister.

"Master! How... how did you get these..."

I sighed, hearing the silence in the other room. They were listening in on whatever was being said.

"I took their wounds and transferred them onto myself."

I rolled one shoulder back as they brought medicine.

"That won't work." I told them. "My body will burn the medicine away before it touches my wounds." I turned to Na'hal's sister who now stood in the doorway with widened eyes on my back.

"Ask your father if he still has some of my scales."

She quickly left, returning with a leather pouch. "He's already powdered all of it, but this is what was left."

I went to lay down on the cot.

"Mix it with water and pour it onto the wounds, then step away. Ask the mage to come set up a barrier."

"A barrier for what?"

"To protect you. The wounds should heal naturally in four days, but I have another bout in the arena tomorrow. This is a crude way, but it will heal me much faster."

Curious, the men filled the room and stared at my back riddled with wounds, blood soaking the bed below me. I looked at Felix who seemed perplexed at the idea of setting up a barrier and even more at the markings on my skin.

"How do you have so many seals on your body?"

"My power grows too quickly for my body to contain it. I get a new seal at least once a decade."

"But this many... and with such a strong seal each time..."

I gave a slight smile, holding my hand up for Na'hal's sister to wait.

"It should be common knowledge that every dragon has a different type of power... correct?"

He nodded. "Some powers are stronger than others and few can use theirs while in a humanoid form."