It was a nice dream.
Nesrin slowly opened her eyes, her head was throbbing in pain, her body was sore and she was extremely thirsty. She made a mental note of never drinking again because her body clearly felt weird.
The bed beneath her was so soft it felt like she was sleeping over clouds. She watched the gentle morning breeze play with the curtains and turned over on her bed.
A middle aged man was sitting on the armchair. He has graying hairs and a crown above his head, for a moment Nesrin thought he must be the emperor but then she recalled that Izekiel was described as having unparalleled looks.
Nesrin wondered who he could be.
As soon as the question appeared in her mind, a voice spoke inside her head and a sudden translucent blue screen appeared in front of her.
[New Character Introduced: Hans William Awington, the king of Iyanora.
Age: 46
Spouse: Queen Consort Fatimah
Issue: Crown Prince Hans Christian, Prince Anderson Erik, Princess Johanna Nesrin, ]
[Would you like to open a detailed character file?]
[Yes/No]
Nesrin declined the offer mentally and the screen disappeared. She thought for a while about how to greet him and then said,
"Ah... good morning, your highness."
Hans handed her a glass of water and Nesrin gladly accepted it. He was watching her with worry as well as curiosity. It felt a bit strange but quenching her thirst was more important for her now.
"Did something happen last night, why were you not in your room?"
Nesrin paused. The cup stopped mid air and she creased her brows together.
'If I wasn't in my room, then did I really wander inside that garden?' her heart sank as she thought further about it, 'It won't be good if anyone found out that the soon to be imperial consort got drunk and spent her night with another man!'
If the emperor hears about it, her already short life span might be greatly reduced.
The emperor has been shown as an incredibly possessive man in the novel. He was domineering and an 'alpha male' that acted as if he owned the world.
Well, technically he did own the world. The Elysian empire was spread across continents.
But that was not the concern now, Nesrin can only hope no one saw them and that man she met would choose to remain quiet.
Hans watched her in worry, Nesrin laughed nervously and replied,
"I just wanted to get some air,"
"You don't look well," he sighed, "It must be hard for you. You were brought here because of my incompetency..."
Nesrin bit her lips, she was uncomfortable in receiving this concern which was not meant for her.
"But worry not," Hans smiled, "There is this man I met, he is no ordinary person. He wanted to stand up against this unfair reign, and I have faith in him."
This decision of Hans has led Iyanora to a tragic end. Nesrin's fingers tightened around the glass and she forced a smile.
"Prince Agnes is not powerful enough to face against his majesty-"
"Prince Agnes is the most powerful after him," Hans glanced at the doors and then continued in a low voice, "Besides, he is not the only one who is supporting us. The man I met has the ancient lost magic."
No such person has allied with Iyanora in the original novel. Nesrin creased her brows together, she couldn't be sure how the upcoming battle would end with the arrival of this new mysterious character.
Hans's eyes were lit up with certainty. His confidence made Nesrin uneasy.
"It will only take a few months to complete the preparations. Everything will be alright then, you will be safe."
The world was not yet aware of Izekiel's true powers.
"I would request his highness to not worry about me...his majesty can not be defeated like this..."
"How would we know unless we try?"
Nesrin shook her head, even if she tells them the truth no one is going to believe her. It pained her heart to see Iyanora forwards towards its doom while trying to save her. She forced a smile.
"I will survive, please trust me."
"I can not trust his majesty..." Hans pressed his lips into a thin line, "You shall be freed from this cage. Have some faith in your king."
There was grief in his eyes, but there was also determination. Hans was ready to sacrifice himself and his kingdom only to bring his daughter back. It was not possible before for he was alone, but he has the support of powerful people now.
Little does he know that the person for whom he is showing such concern does not even deserve this.
Nesrin never had a father, he left her at a very young age. But as she watched Hans, she wondered if her own father ever cared for her like this.
'He would never,' a voice inside her mind replied.
Tears threatened to come out as she watched the stern look in his eyes. How can she convince him to not take this step?
"I won't let any harm befall upon you," he clasped her hands, "Don't be afraid."
He was certain because he was unaware of the truth.
She took a deep breath to calm herself and replied in a firm voice.
"You will regret this,"
"How can I ever regret saving a life?"
Nesrin wanted to say something but when a sudden warmth engulfed her hand, all words were lost. Hans' hands were glowing with soft golden light that surrounded her hand and a sensation spread across her. She glanced at him with alert wide eyes.
"Your highness, stop this!"
"You are acting strange today," Hand said but didn't stop.
It was a powerful magic of his. The Seal of Seraph is bound to the soul of a person and it protects them from almost everything. If anyone with mal-intent even approaches them, they are met with death.
Hans has given this seal to Johanna in the novel as well.
They both died eventually.
Nesrin tried to pull her hand back but the seal had already begun to form a bond with her soul. Only Hans can break this process now, panic surged through her heart and she immediately spoke in a shaky voice.
"Your highness, I-I am not Johanna!"
Hans didn't look surprised. He let out a soft laugh instead.
"We knew about you since the day you became Johanna's handmaid. Since you are risking your life to protect our princess, it's only my duty to make sure you stay safe."
"Y-you will die...."
Nesrin whispered but Hans has always been like this.
He was too selfless.
A king is always in a position of danger, the seal can not save him from everything but it still protects him to a major degree.
To save a small valley, he let the emperor marry his only daughter. The king never thought twice when it came to protecting those who served him or were loyal to him.
Hans slowly nodded. The colors of his face have started to become pale.
"I am dying already, at least I can save a few lives before death comes."
Nesrin never liked his character much while reading the novel. Not much was mentioned about him, but his selflessness was too irrational for her. Since childhood she was always taught to place her mind before her heart.
'This is a selfish world,' her mother would say, 'They will trample you if you don't act wisely.'
A drop of tear escaped Nesrin's eyes. Her hand shook but she couldn't think of anything to say or do now.
Hans frowned as he watched her. Nesrin spoke in a low voice,
"Why are you willing to do this? Are you not afraid to die?"
"Death is but a bitter truth," he said, "I have already lived long enough. The seal can not protect me from the damage within my body."
"You will live long if you don't do this now"
"I have made my decision. Besides, you have done a lot for our Johanna in past years. You were by her side for so long, but this is one thing which we can never let you do... not alone. I am simply doing what I must do."
'It was not me'
Nesrin couldn't bring herself to say these words inside her mind. Perhaps if she tells him the truth, perhaps if he learns that she is only a stranger who has come to this world and was given a chance to live in exchange for the life of Nesrin...then he might stop...
"It was cruel of Johanna to leave you here but I can't really blame her for I failed as a father."
"Your highness…"
Hans coughed, a small drop of blood coming out of his mouth. The seal was being ripped apart from his soul and sewn to hers, she was feeling pain but what he felt at that time was much worse.
She watched him and thousands of words emerged on the top of her tongue. She wanted to stop him and tell him that she was not actually Nesrin. She has done nothing to receive such a big sacrifice from him. She wanted to tell him that his daughter and her handmaiden are already gone from this world.
The fight he is fighting is futile…
But in the end, she was just a coward. Deep within her heart, the light of her desire to live outshone her morals.
The glow of golden light disappeared and a small symbol of a golden lotus appeared on her hand. Then it too faded on her skin.
The seal was complete.