Anger flashed through his eyes.
Flames of fire escaped his brown eyes.
They burned him.
Ivan raised the sword and hit the practice man in fury.
He had been practicing since the sky got freckled with the sun, and now he was beginning to feel more furious.
He had come to practice to chase away vulnerability.
Ivan let out a loud peal of scream and fell to the ground roughly in tears.
Yes, the fire lord fell to the ground roughly in tears.
Ivan wept.
He let the tears trickle down his face as he roared.
He hated tears.
Tears were only for the weak.
They didn't depict power or strength, and he had been taught to never show emotions other than strength.
But now, they were overcoming him.
His blood boiled as he gritted his teeth amidst tears and pulled his hands through his hair.
The thoughts from last night flashed through his mind.
He could bear anything else from anyone — even his family.
He could bear their hate and resentment, but, he couldn't bear his wife being afraid of him.
It killed him inside.
The thoughts of her scared face and quivering body almost suffocated him to death.
His heavy burden suffocated him too.
No one ever had to find out.
Just where did everything go wrong with him?
______________
Elsa clutched the young girl's hand close to her bosom and rushed into her room while slamming the door behind.
The young girl trembled as she held her bleeding knee and sat beside Elsa on the large bed.
Elsa rattled and scurried towards the first aid box that lay on the table close to the window.
She needed to stop her knee from the profuse bleeding.
She could have called for the royal physician, but she didn't want the young girl's identity to be leaked because the young girl who probably could be at age ten or eleven had pleaded with her not to call on anyone.
" Ava, you have to stay still. This will sting for some time," she uttered as she straightened the young girl's knees.
She applied the hot substance from the bottle and tied it with the bandage.
Elsa had found the young girl at the boulder behind the palace.
She saw her lying helplessly on the floor.
She had whimpered and stretched her hand out to Elsa for help, and Elsa had managed to bring her into the palace without being seen. No one knew about it — not even Lydia.
Elsa smiled back at her and offered her a cup of water.
Ava heaved a short sigh and smiled.
Her smile was child-like and her giggle was unburdened and light.
Her gray eyes glistened with gratitude and affection.
" Thank you."
Elsa put away the first aid box and pulled a chair out.
She sat down and put the girl's leg on her thighs.
This gave her fulfillment as she blew warm air over her knee.
It reminded her of her childhood days.
Memories of previous moments with her brother and mother brushed past her mind with nostalgia.
She used to practice with her brother.
He used to teach her so much; she had even learned to ride the horse.
Riding the horse was very tedious and difficult, especially for a princess like herself.
Ava raised her hands and placed them above her knee.
And after she muttered few words in an unknown language, she pulled out the bandage.
Her wound was gone, and her knee looked as if nothing had happened.
Elsa slammed her eyes shut for a moment and opened them again.
" What are you?" Elsa questioned as she narrowed her eyes and tried to get away from her.
The young girl lifted her head.
" Your highness, please don't let anyone know," she pleaded and took Elsa's hands in hers.
" It doesn't answer my question."
" I'm sorry, my lady."
Elsa gurgled under her shallow breath and swallowed saliva forcefully.
" What are you sorry for? If you knew you could heal yourself, why did you ask for my help?"
" I'm a druid," Ava divulged and turned her gaze downward.
Elsa shook with laughter.
Ava didn't look like a druid in any way.
She looked like a normal human — like every other person.
She had heard the tale of the druids too.
No druid was accepted in any land because all kings had put their power together and rose as one voice to say no to the druids overtaking their lands.
All druids were killed in the era of her great-grandfather, and her grandfather had made sure that none of them was left alive because they had begun to oppress the mundanes with their powers.
" They slithered my parents' throats and beheaded them," her soft but cold voice rose from within her.
" I escaped alone and they would kill me once they find me."
Elsa stared at her.
Here was an innocent child who would be killed for the mistakes of her ancestors (all in the name of being a druid.)
She couldn't help but imagine what those pains could feel like.
Ava was too young to witness a brutal murder of her both parents.
She feared for her because she was the last of her kind; she was the last of her own kind.
Ivan could get her executed once he sees her.
An ache started deep in Ava's stomach. She turned away as her eyes welled up with tears.
Her lips trembled and she choked on her words.
" They keep chasing me all over the place. I'm not safe anywhere. I only managed to get here because my mother had brought me to the border before they killed her.
They could come for me at any time.
Your highness, please don't let them take me. Please!"
Elsa bit her lips while suppressing the urge to cry along with Ava.
Before now, she felt protective of Ava, and now, she decided to stand up for her and defend her — even if it meant getting in the way of her execution.
The door knob turned.
Elsa held her breath unconsciously and pulled Ava closer.
She could feel Ava's body tremble in horror.
Ava could see it.
The prophecy would come to fulfillment, but it wasn't time, and they were all coming for her.
They would kill her.
Elsa held her closely and rubbed her blonde hair. She took Ava's cold hands in hers and rubbed them.
They were both going to be doomed sooner.