"The queen is here" the door announcer announced, as the door started to open.
Cassandra's eyes flew open as she immediately started to stand. The queen entered gracefully.
"Sit." Katherine told Cassandra. And she nodded and sit back down.
"I was told that you are unwell" Katherine said, as she sat on a golden chair opposite the goddess of beauty.
"Yes, your majesty" Cassandra answered.
"Have your physician checked you?" the queen asked.
"Yes, your majesty. He stated that I'll be fine in a few days" she informed.
"I see" Katherine said. "You've grown weak, Cassandra"
She looked down, "I'm sorry" she apologized.
"I am preparing you to be Ivo's queen, and rule by his side. Don't make me change my mind" Katherine threatened. "Queens are meant to be powerful, not weaklings" she informed.
"And look up when am speaking to you!" Katherine thundered, and without delay Cassandra's face flew up.
"I'm sorry" Cassandra said, her voice weak and shaking.
"Stop apologizing you are not a fool" Katherine said. "You know how much I love Ivo, I love him more than my other sons."
"I know, my queen" Cassandra said.
"Then start acting like you do. You are unwell because you're weak, and my son does not need a weak queen by his side"
"I'll do better, my queen"
"Oh, you will. You must." Queen Katherine said before she stood, "I want to see you tomorrow, your physician gave you a few days to heal, I give you just today. Do you understand?"
"Yes, my queen" Cassandra replied.
Katherine then turned on her heels and left the chamber.
************************
"I heard you now sire an alkarite" Raf asked Zander, as they ate at the dinning hall. Both of them with the Third and Fifth prince were the ones present at the dinning hall.
"Wait, did you say an alkarite?" Theo asked.
"You heard me right" Raphael said.
"Impossible" Theo stated.
"It was Ivo's doing" Kal added.
"How can the great impaler sire only one human" Theo asked. "I sire a hundred" he added.
"So, tell us how Ivo's countenance was like, when you declined that shameful degree" Raphael said.
"His countenance was...calm" Zander replied.
"Calm?" Theo asked rather perplexed.
"Because I didn't decline that shameful degree, as you put it" the lord impaler told them.
"What?" Theo asked again.
"Zander, are you okay?" Raphael asked.
"I think he is" Kal added.
"Ivo gave you one disabled human to sire, and you wouldn't decline it. I'm finding it very hard to believe" Raf stated.
"What's wrong with one disabled human?" the lord impaler asked.
"What's wrong with one...Zander are you sure you are not sick?" Raphael said again, only for the great impaler to smile.
"Zander, you can't sire just one mortal. The lowest number of alkarates ever sired is fifty" Kal informed.
"I'm aware" the great impaler said.
"You should be siring up to five hundred humans, not one" Raphael stated.
"And a disabled at that" Theo added.
"I must say, I like disabled humans" he said.
Raf turned to Kal, "I think we should consort a physician for Zander"
"You know I can hear you" he told them.
"I was hoping you can't" Raf replied with a smile. "And besides where were you last night?"
"At the realm of men" he sincerely answered.
His brothers appeared stunned by his answer.
"Doing what?" Theo asked.
"Visiting my disabled alkarite" he answered plainly.
His brothers looked at each other.
"Alright, now I agree with Raphael. Zander is sick" Theo said.
"You visit your alkarite?" Kal asked.
"Yes," he answered as he drank from his goblet.
"How can you visit a human, they don't see us" Raf said.
"Mine does" Zander replied.
Theo almost choked on his wine, "What?" he has to ask.
"Are you joking?" Raphael asked, what Zander has said was impossible.
"Do I jest?" Zander told him. "She sees gods, ghosts, reapers, all whatno"
"I understand now, why you didn't decline that degree" Raphael said.
Prince Kal was about to ask a solid question, when suddenly the court's witcher walked in.
"The king is in a private meeting with the council" Kal informed.
The witcher bowed and left.
"Is he ever going to find out the gods that brought down the barrier?" Theo asked.
"He wouldn't, Theo. He's wasting his efforts" Raphael said.
"Why is father still looking for those who brought down that barrier. He didn't so much as punish Zander for breaking his so-called ground rules" Kal said.
"Punish who? Him?" Raf said gesturing to Zander. "He is to scared to do that" he added.
Zander waa the king's worse nightmare, and they all knew it. Since the day that he returned back to Axis Mundi, after killing the lord of the city of bones. Thorne realised that he has as a matter of fact made a monster.