Chapter 25: Chapter 24 – Getting Help

Lana rushed into the atrium of her home, a slave girl following her. Worry twisted her belly when she discovered Raviel and Aster there. They were both in bad shape. Lana's eyes lingered on Aster’s bleeding leg, before moving up to Raviel's wrists, bound by thick iron bracelets. She tried to meet his gaze, but he kept his head down.

“Follow me,” she ordered.

Her tone left no room for debate. Aster nodded and took several shaky steps, his face pale. His clenched jaw left little doubt of the pain he was dealing with. However, he supported Raviel without fail while the latter struggled to stand up.

She led them through the atrium to another room. She motioned for them to come in, but as they entered, Raviel grabbed her by the wrist. Lana turned around and looked at him questioningly.

“Pallantin,” he said through gritted teeth.

He was panting, his breath short and his head resolutely lowered to the ground.

“Titus. Dead.”

Lana's eyes widened. Without a word, she indicated to Aster to settle in one of the seats and left at full speed. Aster helped Raviel sit down and let himself fall to the floor. His leg was burning. The walk to Lana's home had been an ordeal.

“How do you feel?” Raviel asked.

He lifted his chin slightly, and Aster could observe his face. His hair stuck to his forehead. The entire left side of his face was bruised. His skin was smeared with dried blood, especially at the level of his eyebrow, his burst lip, and his chin. Aster also noticed the bruises on his throat and guessed the wounds hidden under his tunic. A surge of rage washed over him. Titus ​​had done a number on Raviel.

"I don't think I'm the worse off of the two of us," Aster replied.

Raviel wanted to answer, but he was seized with a fit of coughing and suddenly put his hand to his mouth. A grimace of pain twisted his fine features, and Aster froze when he saw blood dripping between his fingers.

“Raviel,” he called him worriedly.

“Everything is fine.”

But Raviel felt his head spinning. Aster's silhouette became blurred, its outlines indistinct. A black veil obscures his view.

“Raviel!”

Aster caught him when he tipped over.

“What's going on?”

Aster looked up at the entrance to the room. Lana stood in the doorway, her eyes dark with worry. Behind her, a kind-faced man hurried over to them and knelt beside Raviel. The calm he exuded immediately calmed Aster's fear.

“He started coughing and spitting blood, then he collapsed,” he replied flatly.

Pontius gently took Raviel in his arms to lay him down on a nearby sofa. His chest was heaving with difficulty. Lana approached them in a few steps. She put the copper basin she had brought on the floor and turned to Aster.

“Aster, I need you to explain to me what happened.”

Pontius glanced briefly at his wife, making her understand she shouldn't rush him. Aster was obviously still in shock. Lana nodded, a worried frown crossing her forehead.

“You can speak freely,” she continued gently. “I promise you that nothing you say will come out of this room.”

Aster hesitated for a moment.

“Raviel wanted to get some fresh air, so we went to the bank of the Pallantin… But when we wanted to go back, men got in our way.”

“Who?”

“Mercenaries, I believe.”

Lana nodded, silently indicating he could continue.

“I don't know exactly what they wanted, but they tried to attack Raviel. I stopped them, but… But we found ourselves trapped by a man called Titus.”

Lana exchanged a look with Pontius.

“There were many of them… I couldn't do anything,” Aster admitted in a low voice. “Titus ​​went after Raviel until I managed to get rid of his henchmen.”

“And him?”

"I killed him," he answered coldly.

Lana didn't blink, and Aster locked his brown irises with hers.

“Who is he? Why was he so angry with Raviel?”

You are reading story The King’s Gift at novel35.com

Lana's impassiveness suddenly gave way to overwhelming sadness, but Pontius didn't give her time to answer and announced without taking Raviel's gaze.

“With the strength he must have put into his punches, it's amazing that Raviel has remained conscious so far.”

Lana narrowed her eyes.

"But you can heal him, can't you?"

Pontius nodded.

"Yes, but I don't think I can heal everything tonight."

"What's the matter?"

Pontius continued to move his hand over Raviel's body.

“Broken wrist. Cracked or broken ribs. Several bruises, and... His blood is flowing abnormally inside his body.”

He frowned slightly.

“The red marks on his skin look like burns, but…”

“The Emperor used his Gift on him,” Aster intervened.

Lana turned sharply to him, a murderous glint in her eyes.

“What?” She hissed.

Sensing that his wife was about to explode, Pontius spoke again:

“Can you clean Aster's wound, please? While I begin healing Raviel.”

Lana nodded curtly, her lips pursed. This was no time for questions. She knelt down and pulled the copper basin near her. She took out a soaked cloth which she wrung out and motioned for Aster to show her his wound. The latter immediately extended his leg in front of him and took off the makeshift bandage he had made by tearing a piece of his tunic. Lana grimaced. The blade of a sword had pierced his calf from side to side. Even without Aster complaining, she suspected the pain must be difficult to bear. He gritted his teeth as she ran the cloth over his skin to wipe away the dried blood and dust.

“You'll stay here as long as it takes,” she informed him.

Aster just nodded. The pain was too much for him to answer out loud. The minutes passed in a silence filled with concentration, until the moment when Pontius sat up. The soft white light surrounding his hands disappeared.

“I can't do more tonight. I'm going to look at Aster's wound.”

He switched places with Lana and tilted his head to observe the wound. Aster took the opportunity to take a quick look at him. His brown hair was cut short and showed the roundness of his face. His hazel eyes shone with benevolence and didn't settle on Aster with the contempt often characteristic of patricians. He passed his hands over the injured leg.

“The wound is clean, I should not have too much trouble healing it, but I can not completely heal you tonight.”

A white light materialized under his palms, and the pain seemed to flow out of his body.

“Thank you,” Aster whispered.

He hadn’t expected to be treated. He was just a slave after all. However, he had the impression that in this house, he would be treated as well as Raviel. After a while, Pontius got up and informed him that someone would bring him a bunk for the night. Exhausted, Aster barely heard him. He only had the strength to let his gaze drift to Raviel, stretched out on the sofa.

***

Raviel slowly opened his eyes, troubled by the surrounding light. He tried to move, but a sharp pain paralyzed him and he let out a low groan. His hazy memories flashed through his mind in disorganized snatches, but the fear he'd felt the night before came back to him in full force. He sat up abruptly, ignoring the pain that took his breath away.

“Aster!”

"It's ok," Lana whispered.

She gently pressed her brother's shoulders to force him to lie down.

“Aster is with Pontius,” she added to soothe him.

Raviel nodded, now perfectly awake despite the shadow that haunted his gaze. Lana settled on the edge of the seat, looking worried.

“We need to talk.”

“I know,” Raviel replied hoarsely.

You can find story with these keywords: The King’s Gift, Read The King’s Gift, The King’s Gift novel, The King’s Gift book, The King’s Gift story, The King’s Gift full, The King’s Gift Latest Chapter