Ileus: The Dark Prince

Anastasia walked to the nearest woman and found that her skin was burnt on her hands. Green orbs of lights were floating around her to heal her. She looked at Anastasia with pain and hate in her eyes. 

"I am sorry that you are in this condition," Anastasia murmured to her. 

"It's all because of you!" she snapped in a low voice. 

Anastasia sat on the trestle stool beside her bed and pressed her hand through the barrier. After initial reluctance, the barrier gave way. Her hand went to the woman's hands. The woman flinched and tried to move her hand away, but she was in too much pain. 

"Ana!" Ileus went and stood behind her, chiding her on the inside for being so reckless. 

Anastasia held them and as if she knew what she was doing, a spell came to her mind. "Izleci jeh." She closed her eyes and let the energy that was thrumming in her heart flow to her hands. When she opened her eyes, the woman's hand was healed completely. 

The woman gasped and got up from the bed. "H— how did you do that?" she asked, turning her hand up and down. "What kind of magic is that?" The woman was a witch and this kind of magic was new for her. 

Feeling a little weak, Anastasia sagged behind on Ileus' legs. A faint smile curved her lip. "Give your other hand to me," she said. 

Ileus grabbed her shoulders from behind to not do this, but Anastasia held the other hand of the witch, which she had thrust in her hands greedily. Anastasia closed her eyes and the same thing repeated. The other hand too got healed. 

"Oh my god!" said the witch. 

Anastasia was much weaker now. She could feel as if a large amount of energy drained from her. She felt dizzy. Ileus immediately picked her up in his arms. "Enough for today," he grumbled and took her out of the room as the witch continued to watch her new princess. 

She looked at her healed hands again and her expressions softened. "Our prince has married a deity. Oh my god!" she pressed her mouth with her hands. "What have I done?" Hate that was flowing through her veins against Anastasia only till a few minutes back turned into a feeling of devotion. She got up from the bed and sank to her knees as tears rolled out of her eyes. "My princess, my goddess" she said with reverence and tears in her eyes.

Ileus took Anastasia to the Shaman's room. As he walked through the corridors, surprise flickered through him when he saw royal guards standing at regular intervals with spears crossed. Not a single common man was allowed to enter. However, when the guards saw Ileus walking with Anastasia in his arms flanked by Darla, Kaizan and Aidan, they straightened the spikes and let the group pass, and then again built the barricade of spears. 

"Your mom is here?" said Kaizan with a furrow on his forehead. 

Ileus didn't answer. He continued to walk with his wife in his arms. He pressed her head harder in his chest and murmured, "Are you fine?"

She nodded and inhaled his scent to calm down the anxiety that surged through her at the mention of the queen in the temple. 

When they reached the Shaman's room, Kaizan's suspicions were confirmed. Adrianna and Dmitri, both were sitting at the table, in a deep conversation with the Shaman. The High Priestess, Tamara, was also there. They stopped talking as the group entered. 

Ileus set Anastasia to her feet on the ground and Darla immediately fetched a chair for her at the right of the table. 

Anastasia bowed to her in-laws and sat down. Ileus pulled another chair and sat beside her. The Shaman gave a knowing look to the rest of the group, who walked out of his office and the door closed on its own. 

"Mother, Father," Ileus acknowledged them, trying to push his surprise out of his body. 

Tamara looked sweet at Anastasia and walked to one of the shelves in the Shaman's office that contained a large number of jars with liquid potions in them. She brought a green colored potion for Anastasia to drink, however as soon as she placed it in front of her, Adrianna flicked her fingers. A crystal with pink potion appeared in front of Anastasia. Tamara stifled a gasp. 

"This potion is going to be better than that one, Anastasia," said Adrianna. 

Now there were two potions in front of Anastasia. She chose the pink one without hesitation and drank it. Then she looked at the High Priestess and said, "Thanks, but I am already feeling better." A warmth rushed in her chest and she felt as if the energy that had weakened in her chest, returned with full force. It was… awesome. 

Tamara bowed to her and said, "That was the intent, princess." She took the potion and placed it back on the shelf. 

The Shaman looked at Anastasia and said, "What you did out there was impressive, Anastasia. And I am so sorry that this thing happened in the temple premise. But we are investigating and hope to find the culprit soon." It was apparent that fear cruised through his blood like ice. Fear of seeing the queen in the temple, fear of her wrath, fear of seeing his Alpha and fear that horrible things happened in the temple under his nose. 

"Yes, I want to find the culprit and would personally take care of him or her," said Adrianna in a cold, ruthless voice. 

"Adri, I think you should allow Anastasia and Ileus to decide the punishment of the culprit," Dmitri added to her ruthlessness. 

"Hmm, they can also do that. I trust both of them." Then she looked at the Shaman and said, "But right now we are here for something more important." 

The Shaman leaned forward with more focus. 

Adrianna's face lit up when she said, "We are planning on an official wedding for Ileus and Anastasia in the kingdom of Draoidh followed by yet another one in Silver Vales." By the time she finished her sentence, there was a glow on her face. 

Anastasia's eyes became wide as both surprise and joy seeped till her bones. Surprise because she had never seen her mother-in-law practically glowing like a moon and happiness wiggled its way in her heart. She gasped as she looked at Adrianna, Dmitri and their son. She wanted to squeal like a child, but she didn't know what was expected of her. So, her face flushed a red as a wide smile wormed on her lips. She couldn't believe that they wanted to officially hold the wedding. She blinked several times. She found that her reaction caused all of them to chuckle or laugh. And Ileus, he held her hand and squeezed it tightly as once again he sat with his chin held high and firm, bow-shaped lips set into a wide grin. 

"My husband and I took this decision a few days back," said Adrianna, as she looked fondly at her son. "We both think that Anastasia is the best thing that could happen to his wayward ways because we are going to happily make sure that she knows the ways of the palace and the kingdom, even if he doesn't want to learn."