where pilgrims are sinners, saints go to hell

4

He was standing exactly where he had been before, looking like he'd seen a ghost. He didn't say anything as she approached.

When she was a couple of meters away from him, she couldn't help it. She bowed.

"My King".

"...was that... a vessel?"

"...yes, your Majesty. The one that defeated the Radiance. I cannot enter this realm without their help, since they're the one wielding the dream nail".

"...oh. Okay" he replied, and she didn't miss the way he cringed at her use of the pronoun 'they'.

...was that it? She certainly wouldn't press the issue, but she had expected him to have more of a reaction. Though, out of the three siblings, the little ghost was the one that would have caused the least impression to him, she guessed.

After a moment of silence, they both started talking at the same time.

"You stopped it".

"Why are you here?"

She quickly bowed again. "I'm sorry, your Highness. Please do speak".

"...you stopped it from attacking us".

She blinked, taken aback. She hadn't been expecting that.

"Of course I did".

"Why?"

"Well, while I know you are more than able to fend for yourself, I wouldn't want you to come to harm, Sire".

"No, that's not... Surely you know it was not wrong of it to attack us. So why did you stop it?"

"...I wouldn't want them to come to harm, either. And vengeance is a stupid thing. Eye for an eye, and the world will end up blinded".

He didn't reply to that.

The silence stretched on again, and she had forgotten her previous question. Suddenly, she heard a soft gasp.

"You're injured".

She quickly looked up, and then at her arm, showing it to him.

"Oh, yes. It was an accident, they didn't mean to. I'm fine, though, it should only take a couple of days to- " she cut herself off as she saw the King lift his hand, as pure and white as his crown, from underneath his cape, and let his fingers hang over her wound.

"Allow us".

She swallowed hard and nodded.

He softly set his fingers over the cut, and his entire body started giving off even more light than usual, encompassing her in a white glow. She could not take her eyes off him. She was thankful she didn't have to speak at the moment, because she wasn't sure what she would have said.

In a matter of seconds, the itching sensation of her arm had vanished, and soon enough so had the extra brightness around the King. For the few seconds after he removed his hand she could still feel the ghost of his touch. She continued staring at him, and it took her a couple of seconds to realize that her mouth was slightly ajar and to close it with haste. She was sure she was blushing.

Her wound was gone.

"...was that soul magic?" She knew the King's children could use it, so it was pretty obvious the man himself would be able to, as well, but she had never seen it used on others.

"Yes". He offered no explanation. None was needed, though.

"Thank you, my King".

She suddenly remembered what she wanted to ask him.

"Oh! By the way, uh... I do not mean to pry, your Majesty, but why are you out here? Were you in the middle of something?"

He looked caught off guard, and then a bit bashful, as if he had been caught doing something he knew he shouldn't.

"Ah, actually... we thought it might be a good idea to revive the kitchens, along with the many other rooms your stay here has put to use again. So... we were waiting to ask if you would like to eat with us".