As the days went by, the Imperial Palace was hectic. Nesrin took her role as the proxy and attended all meetings in Callyx's absence. No one complained at the sight of the Empress since they were aware of her intellect and leadership. Just like the Emperor, all nobles trusted Nesrin and her judgement, so the meetings went smoothly.
On the other hand, Callyx remained beside Astraea, using his mana to help his poor daughter. He ate near her and slept beside her. He did not want to leave her for a second. Whenever he took breaks, he did paperwork in his room and then went back to channelling his mana.
There were still no signs of Astraea waking up, however, she did not make any distorted expressions out of pain, so he knew it was a good sign.
Evander dropped by whenever he could and monitored her condition.
Despite the chaotic situation, everything was going smoothly.
News of the Princess being unconscious spread and Callyx ordered his knights to help ease the nobles. They were worried as she was the only child of Callyx and if anything happened to her, the Empire would be at stake.
Callyx was just glad that news of her having mana was not released.
It wasn't until a few weeks later that Evander informed Callyx that the Princess successfully infused all of her mana inside her body. This was a huge surprise because she was able to do it so fast in a short period with no knowledge of mana. Of course, it was sped up by the help of Callyx, but it was still an amazing feat.
When Evander confirmed the news, the entire Palace felt relieved that their Princess was safe. Although she was still unconscious, they knew she was no longer in danger. This eased the stress and concern of Nesrin and Callyx. Now all they had to do was wait for Astraea to gain consciousness.
As she was safe, Callyx slowly resumed his duties as Nesrin looked after Astraea instead.
~
๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค. ๐๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฐ. ๐ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ค๐๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐. ๐๐๐๐ซ๐๐, ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ . ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ข๐ง ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐๐. ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐?
๐๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ญ. ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ฌ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ญ. ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐๐ค๐๐.
๐๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฌ๐ก, ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐. ๐๐จ๐ฐ, ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐. ๐๐๐, ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐. ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ. ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ซ ๐ฆ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐. ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐ข๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ง๐จ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐.
๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ. ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค๐๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ. ๐๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ๐.
"๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฒ! ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ! ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฉ!" ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐.
๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐. ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ฅ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ญ๐๐๐ญ ๐ฆ๐, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐. ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐. ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐.
๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐, ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐ฒ.
๐ ๐ฌ๐ก๐ซ๐ข๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ง. ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ข๐ง, ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ง ๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ก. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐๐ณ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐. ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ง'๐ญ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ. ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐.
๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ง'๐ญ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ฌ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ฆ๐.
๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ. ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ.
๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ, ๐ ๐ก๐๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฆ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ข๐ญ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐. ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ , ๐ ๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฆ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ.
~
Groggily, my eyes slowly opened. Light entered my vision and I quickly shut my eyes at the sudden visual overload.
After some time, I reopened my eyes and let my sight adjust to my surroundings.
My fuzzy world became clear and I recognised where I was. I was in the Imperial Palace. My eyes darted around the room and I noticed I was in my parent's chambers.
"Mummy?" I whispered so quietly, that it was close to being inaudible.
But despite it being almost inaudible, two heads quickly appeared in my line of vision.
One was my mother, and the other was my father.
"Astraea!"
When I heard my mother's voice, tears came to my eyes. I remembered the fire and darkness and before I knew it, I jumped into my mother's arms and wrapped my little arms around her neck.
Tears poured out.
"Fireโฆscary," I cried.
A warm hand patted my back, and a sweet voice filled my ears.
"What fire baby?"
"Astraea was awone in the fire. It hurt and burned, and I was awone."
I revealed. When I said that, I felt another pair of arms wrap around me.
"It's okay princess. You're not alone anymore," I heard the deep voice of my father.
With the warmth from my mother and father, I calmed down. I felt safe. The light in my dream felt like the warmth from my parents.
Without realising, I felt my consciousness slip, but I wasn't scared because I knew I was safe with my parents around me.