Page 85

“Wow, you really are good at diagnosing.”

“Thanks…” Melvian said before resting her elbows on her knees. “Are you sleeping with the queen or not?”

Maris pursed her lips and nodded. “I am, and I am not planning on stopping any time soon.”

Melvian blew a breath and rubbed her hands over her thighs before lifting her gaze to Maris. “Well, I guess if we are opening up to each other… I have something to tell you.”

Maris frowned. “What is it? Are you all right?”

“I… might be a worshiper.”

Maris’s heart dropped. “An Asclepius worshiper?”

Melvian nodded, scratching her arm, and averting her gaze to the ground. “A blessed one at that. I just healed you, so all that stuff about having a bruise… it’s not going to happen. I was blessed months ago. I was able to heal a soldier with a broken rib. One touch, Maris. That’s all it took. I was more than surprised to know I was chosen by Asclepius.” Melvian scoffed. “I guess all those hours of worship were worth it. He heard me.”

Many healers were Asclepius worshippers, yet not all of them had the ability to heal as the blessed ones. The chosen ones were able to heal sickness and injury with one touch, some could even bring people from the brink of death with their extraordinary knowledge. Their gift was coveted by many, to the point they were kidnapped and locked away.

“Melvian! That’s wonderful! We must tell Valda!”

“No! Don’t!”

“Why not!? Melvian! You can cure her blindness—”

“I… tried,” Melvian said softly, as if ashamed. “Just now, I was wrapping her gash up and… Maris, this is not an illness. She is not sick. What she has is not natural.”

“What in Tartarus do you mean? Can’t you fix and heal anything?”

“Any natural sickness and injury, yes.” Melvian licked her lower lip and grabbed Maris’s hand. “She is cursed, Maris. This is the work of a god.”

“Why would a god curse her?”

“I don’t know, Maris. I—” Melvian blew a raspberry and stood, flailing her arms in the air. “The rumors keep coming. The kingdom is restless. They will look for any way to harm and demoralize the queen. Imagine if they knew that she was cursed? Even now they are starting to suspect it.”

“Is there no way to heal her?”

Melvian shrugged and shook her head, rubbing her arms in distress. “No. That’s why I worry so much. If the kingdom already has a bad impression on Valda. They don’t think she is ready to lead. They know she is blind, imagine if they know it is because of a curse from a deity. On top of that, if they know her lover is a maid from the castle…” Melvian bit her lower lip, her eyes shooting to Maris. “A Sealian…”

Maris’s upper lip twitched. Averting her gaze from Melvian, focusing on Cerberus stretching her front legs, and opening her mouth wide in a large yawn.

“Are you mates?”

Maris scoffed. “No. We had sex once, Melvian. We are not heart mate, we are not soulmates. Didn’t you say she used to fuck around with maids?”

“Yes, but none of them stayed around as long as you had. None of them joked around with her and called her hard-headed without any repercussions. You act like mates, Maris.”

“We are not, and you can be assured, things will not escalate. I don’t want a mate. She knows this and—”

“Then why keep you? The Queen can already walk around freely, she walked out to talk to Arwin just now, why keep you around?”

“I don’t know, Melvian.”

“Does anyone else know?”

“We are not in the open like that!”

“Then why were you attacked, Maris!?”

“I don’t know!” Maris yelled, fear trickling out like a broken faucet. “I don’t know, and I am scared to find out why.”