Amelia dipped the washcloth into a basin filled with cold water and squeezed out the excess liquid before using the damp cloth to wipe the sweat on Iris's face. Meanwhile, Chysanthe and Ricci were standing near the windowsill, conversing in low voices, occasionally throwing Iris a worried look.
Iris had been unconscious for almost half a day now. The sun had already set and all the maidens were scheduled to travel with Queen Asheera to Shayla Kingdom the very next day.
"We didn't expect that the rest of the Court of Shadows would punish Lady Iris like this. Lord Kieran regretted than she was dragged into his dispute with Master Xanaros." Amelia heard Ricci say.
The demon lord had dropped by earlier to check on Iris, but he didn't utter a single word at her and Chrysanthe. He merely stared at Iris blankly for a long moment, deep in his own thoughts. He then left and never came back.
"Does this mean that Iris's life is in danger now? Why did the Red King forcibly put a mating rune to her and Lord Kieran? What is he trying to achieve?" Amelia took a seat next to Iris's bed and looked at the fae.
Iris's life in Dravial was already risky, and although they knew that Asnar was more dangerous, neither Amelia nor Chrysanthe expected that their best friend's life would be hanging on a thread as soon as they arrived at the world of the magical beings.
Their friend might have been able to avoid the persecution in Dravial, but here, she would be targeted by the other demon lords and darklings that had an enmity against Lord Kieran.
"Lord Kieran didn't think that Lady Iris would replace her sister and come here as a tribute instead. He might have bestowed her the geas, thinking that it would protect Lady Iris from the other darklings that are lurking near Calaren Town." Ricci explained, her eyes widening slightly seeing Iris rousing from her slumber.
"Lady Iris…"
As soon as she uttered those words, Amelia turned around and immediately helped her friend to sit up on the bed.
"How are you feeling?" She asked Iris.
"My back is aching. What happened to me?"
Iris felt like she had just hit a boulder as her whole body was aching. The last thing she remembered was the demon lords arguing about what to do with her and how to punish Lord Kieran for giving her a geas before the selection.
She would be lying if she said that she wasn't afraid earlier. Being in the presence of the thirteen demon lords was enough to remind her of how insignificant her life was in these darklings' eyes. They were willing to use her as a tool just to get rid of Lord Kieran.
"Master Xanaros placed a mating rune on you and Lord Kieran." Amelia replied, keeping her voice low, just in case Iris was having a headache. "Miss Ricci said that it would be impossible to remove, but she thinks that Lord Kieran would eventually find a way to remove it."
A mating rune.
Iris shut her eyes and heaved a deep breath. She might not have received the same education as Amelia and Chrysanthe, but she wasn't that dumb not to know what a mating rune was.
"What did Lord Kieran say about it?" She asked Ricci.
She heard what the High Fae had said earlier, but she wanted to know what the demon lord thought of the mating bond that was forced upon them. If the rumors about Lord Kieran hating humans were true, he must be simmering with rage knowing that he was bound to a mortal human like her.
"He said nothing about being bound to you, Lady Iris." Ricci confessed. "I dropped by to bid goodbye, ladies. Lord Kieran and the rest of us are going back to Aisgarth. Forgive me for not being able to accompany you to Shayla Kingdom."
The three young women could see on Ricci's face that she was telling the truth. She was the first darkling they met that didn't pose any danger towards them and regarded them with respect, despite their heritage.
"You don't have to apologize to us, Miss Ricci. You've been a great help to us from the moment we left Calaren Town. If it wasn't for you, I don't think that we would be able to arrive in Asnar without losing our heads in the process." Amelia voiced out their mutual opinion towards their new friend. "It's an honor to be acquainted with you, Miss Ricci."
Despite the thick black armor she was donning like the rest of the Frost Guards, Ricci's face turned crimson from hearing their words. A little more and Iris thought the red haired fairy's face would turn into the same shade as her hair.
She looked at them with tear-glistened eyes, which made Iris wonder if the fae never had a friend or a confidante before meeting them.
Ricci smiled at them and blinked her tears away and said, "Master Yuri left another message for you though. He said that you wouldn't have to worry about your safety or the risk of being killed as long as you are in Shayla Kingdom. Queen Asheera would keep you safe until you, Miss Amelia and Miss Chrysanthe are ready to leave."
"I see." Iris whispered as she looked at her calloused hands, wondering when she had lost the leather gloves she was wearing earlier. As she looked down on her dirty shirt, she had no doubt that she looked like a mess now.
"Can I… can I at least have a word with Lord Kieran?" She asked.
"Iris!" Amelia exclaimed, while Chrysanthe gripped the side of her skirt as she looked at her friends.
"Isn't it enough that you are in this condition because of him?" Amelia admonished her friend.
"It's not like Lord Kieran wanted this to happen." Iris frowned, then looked at Ricci.
If there's one thing she knew about Lord Kieran, it was that he won't do a thing that he might regret later. Also, it cannot be denied that she disrupted the selection and the ritual by switching places with Junifer and coming to Asnar in her stead.
"Forgive me, Lady Iris. Lord Kieran and Master Cal left an hour ago. You may send him letters later, but please don't expect any response from him. We are mostly on the battlefield and leisure time for ourselves is almost a luxury we can't afford to have."