Chapter 427: The Forgotten Past - XXI

[Music recommendation: Stream · Adrián Berenguer]

At the smell of the food, Hera’s empty stomach let out an audible rumble, bringing a blush to her cheeks.

Vorra chuckled, while Hera cleared her throat. "Well... I suppose I could have that."

Vorra maintained her pleasant smile, stepping forward to place the tray onto the nightstand beside the bed.

Before she could pick up the bowl to hand it over, Bellarios moved with blinding speed, darting right up to the tray.

Vorra stumbled back in fright.

The small dragon leaned over to sniff the steam rising from the bowl before turning his head toward Hera. "It doesn’t smell strange."

"I-It speaks!" Vorra’s eyes widened in sheer shock. She stammered quickly, "I... I just brought it from the servant assigned to your kitchen!"

Hera, on the other hand, could only sigh inwardly at Bellarios for speaking in front of her.

"Rio is rather intelligent, you see, and... I apologise. He’s a little protective of me. He didn’t mean to suggest that there was anything wrong with the food."

Vorra stood speechlessly for a moment before offering a tight nod. "Y-yes, of course. No problem."

"I’ll take my leave then and bring in your medicine once you have finished eating," Vorra said with a quick bow.

"Thank you," Hera nodded. Vorra turned and hastily exited the chamber.

Once outside, Vorra leaned against the wall beside the door and nervously bit her fingernail.

’It seems His Highness has left another intelligent beast to guard her,’ she fretted internally. *’Even if he looks like a baby dragon right now, I wonder how powerful he truly is. Time is running out, and this is the only window I have. I must find a way to lure those beasts away from her, or this opportunity will be lost forever.’

Her heart filled with venom at the thought of Hera carrying Gavriel’s child. Rage and jealousy coiled within her, so intense that she could hardly suppress the urge to tear the unborn child from Hera’s womb.

But she couldn’t afford to be careless. She needed everything to fall perfectly into place before he arrived.

While Vorra racked her brain for another plan, Hera finished her meal.

When the moment arrived to deliver the tonic, Vorra’s hands trembled at the thought of taking it inside for the dragon to inspect.

However, before she could enter, tremors shook the entire palace, instantly alerting everyone.

Vorra’s head snapped towards one of the guards. She immediately placed the tray down as he hurried towards her.

"Lady Vorra, something terrible has happened. I need to see Her Highness at once!"

Vorra frowned. "What happened?"

"A messenger has arrived from Las Noches! W-we need to contact His Highness immediately!" the guard stammered.

Inside the bedchamber, Hera, who had just finished eating, felt a wave of cold unease wash over her. The sudden shockwaves had startled both her and the two beasts at her side.

"What is happening?!" Hera sat up straight, panic mounting as Bellarios closed his eyes in concentration.

"This power..." Bellarios murmured, his voice deepening. "It belongs to the King."

"What?" Hera breathed in utter disbelief.

Just then, a knock interrupted them.

Vorra entered, and Hera immediately rose to her feet.

"What is it?" she asked, her heart beginning to pound as dread settled over her.

"A messenger has arrived from Las Noches," Vorra reported, her voice laced with panic. "The King... he seemed to have lost control of his powers! The Grand Oracle requests His Highness’s presence immediately, as only he can breach the King’s barrier. But they cannot reach his unit!"

Hera’s chest tightened as her breathing turned uneven. "Why can’t they contact Gavriel?!"

"Something powerful is jamming all communication magic," Vorra explained. "They are hoping you can reach him through your mate bond!"

Hera looked towards Bellarios before parting her lips to answer. "I-I don’t think that’s possible right now."

Vorra’s brow furrowed. "Why not? Is it because of the vast distance?"

Hera swallowed hard, struggling to find an answer. "Because-"

Before Hera could explain, Bellarios spoke up firmly. "I’ll go."

Both women turned to him in shock.

"But..." Hera began, her mind suddenly racing with a dozen questions.

But Bellarios met her gaze with absolute resolve. "I can stop him even without Gavriel being here. It is my duty to protect you, and if the current Devil’s powers spiral further out of control, you could be caught in the aftermath as well."

Hera hurried towards him and gathered his little form into her arms.

"Alright. Please be careful. If you cannot stop him, just find Gavriel and bring him back here."

"I will," Bellarios promised, closing his eyes to inhale her comforting scent one last time. "Don’t leave your room."

Hera nodded fervently, while Vorra stared in utter shock, her mind reeling as she tried to comprehend the true identity of the creature.

She didn’t have to wonder for long.

Dark, suffocating energy began emanating from Bellarios as his tiny body expanded rapidly. Seconds later, he spread his wings and lunged toward the open window, his form swelling into a massive, ancient dragon right before their eyes.

Vorra’s blood ran cold as she stared at the colossal creature, the shocking realization dawning on her that this had been Gavriel’s soul beast all along.

Hera hurried towards the large window and watched him with worried eyes. "Be safe," she whispered.

Bellarios turned his enormous red eyes towards her and let out a low growl before taking flight towards Las Noches.

Hera continued watching until his enormous form disappeared into the distance, unaware of the sinister smile slowly spreading across Vorra’s face.

With the beast gone, she finally had the opportunity she had been waiting for.

Her gaze shifted towards Hera’s defenceless back.

Just then, Hera suddenly felt dizzy. She clutched the front of her chest as she doubled over slightly.

Watching this, Vorra rushed toward her immediately. "Your Highness!"

She caught Hera just as her knees threatened to give way.

"I-I’m alright..." Hera managed to reply, although her breathing had grown noticeably laboured.

Vorra glanced towards the window, where the full moon was beginning to rise. "It must be the effect of the full moon. With His Highness away, you must be feeling its influence more strongly. Why don’t I help you back to bed? You can take your tonic and get some rest."

Hera gave her a weak nod, allowing Vorra to lead her back to the bed. Once she had settled her against the pillows, Vorra brought the tonic over and placed it on the bedside table.

"Please drink this, Your Highness."

Consumed with frantic worry not only for her husband, but also for Bellarios, the King, and the Queen, Hera took a sharp, trembling breath. She looked up at her friend with wide, anxious eyes. "Vorra... I’m so worried."

"Don’t worry, Your Highness. Just take the medicine and rest. Stress is not good for the child."

At the mention of her child, Hera instinctively placed a hand over her stomach. After a moment’s hesitation, she reached for the tonic and drank it in one go.

Vorra smiled before gently stroking Hera’s head. "Sleep now, Your Highness. By the time you wake up... you’ll find His Highness here."

Hera lay her head back against the pillows, her eyelids fluttering weakly. "He’ll come back safely, right?"

"Of course he will. I’m sure he will feel the intense pull toward his mate. He will surely come back to mark you again." Vorra’s soothing words drifted softly into Hera’s subconscious as her vision blurred and her eyes grew impossibly heavy.

Hera silently prayed for her husband to return safely to her before finally surrendering to sleep.

"I’ll bring your mate to you, Your Highness..." Vorra whispered, a vicious smile curling across her lips as she watched Hera slip into unconsciousness. Then, leaning closer, she murmured, "Your true mate..."