Chapter 161
CAMILLA’S P.O.V
The physician was instructed to keep us in the loop and from what I heard, the man was doing better. He was still weak and couldn’t walk on his own but he was healing. Ryker was still pis sed about my little stunt and wouldn’t let me see the man. I could have pushed but I knew better than to do that. His worry was not baseless or unfounded neither was he being overbearing. He wasn’t preventing me from going anywhere, he just ensured that I stayed under the heavy and watchful gazes of Steven and Kevin. The only other person who knew what had happened was Loris and it was only so that he could help me train my powers, so far though, we were coming up empty.
“I think I want to stop,” I said after another failed attempt and he frowned.
He had gotten a single ear of corn from the affected farmland and that was what we used to train. Whatever was in those plants was a lot stronger than me and I hated the constant reminder. I crossed my arms over my chest when I saw Loris’ disappointed gaze. I should have been bothered by it but I couldn’t bring myself to care.
“If you give up all the time, how do you expect to gain control over it?” he asked and I rolled my eyes.
“I haven’t gotten full control of my elemental powers. The last thing I need is to have something else to master.”
“Quite the contrary I believe, I think it is exactly what you need. Have you even used your powers in recent times?” he asked and I shook my head. He gestured forward and it took me a minute to realize that he wanted me to try. I immediately shook my head.
“No, I think I’m done for the day.”
“We still have five minutes until your training comes to an end. Unfortunately your majesty, until those five minutes are up, I am in charge.”
I raised a brow. “That is a bold statement to make.”
“It is the truth, go ahead, do something.”
I flicked my wrist and the lake rose up into a large wall. I glanced over at Loris who had the audacity to look unimpressed. I twirled it into the shape of a large horse and he yawned. I let it drop and crossed my arms over my chest before turning to look at him.
“Water out of the ground,” he instructed and I scoffed. “I would like to believe that I am doing something right in my teachings.”
“I could argue that you aren’t,” I dusted the dirt off my pants. “Your five minutes are up, Loris. I will see you tomorrow, or not.”
I started to walk away and he said nothing until I had gotten towards the entrance of the palace. “Fearing your powers will do nothing for you, Camilla. You need to try. Failing doesn’t mean you are weak, it is the only way you will grow.”
I didn’t turn back or say a word. I just walked away.
Steven and Kevin were instantly flanking my sides but I ignored them. The only thoughts in my mind were of Loris’ words. Was he right? I wasn’t quite sure but I just needed some space. I wasn’t scared of my powers or of failing, I just had a lot to worry about right now and mastering water was not one of them.
“Your majesty,” a voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked up to see an unfamiliar man walking up to me. Steven and Kevin made their way closer but I held out a hand to stop them.
“Who are you?”
“I suppose you wouldn’t remember me,” he chuckled lightly. “The last time you saw me, I was one foot away from door’s death. You saved my life, thank you.”
As I looked at him longer, I noticed the similarities between him and the almost dead man who stumbled into the palace. He looked a lot better now that his skin had some color and he was standing on both feet without a hitch. He also wasn’t struggling for breath anymore.
“How are you?” I was still so stunned by the developments. I had no idea what I was expecting once he was better but this was not it. “Also, I shouldn’t be the one you thank. The physician did most of the work. We were able to find some herbs that worked-”
“Please don’t lie to me,” he cut me off and I went silent.
I cleared my throat and turned to the guards behind me. “Excuse me please.”
“Your majesty, we were told that you should never be let out of our sights.”
“It wasn’t a request,” I cut them off and they hesitated for a second before nodding and walking off. Once they were gone, I turned to the man in front of me. “I’m not lying to you, the physician, is responsible for your health.”
“You have powers,” he said simply. “There was something inside of me, it was like a virus, it was eating at me, it was almost in control. I was there, I could feel, I could think but I couldn’t act. It told me that you could heal me and if I got better then it would be because of you. I know you are the only one who could have done it.”
“You should know better than to listen to your own inward ramblings while sick. There was ni talking virus, it sounds like the thoughts of a man close to the doors of death.”
He let out an exasperated sound. “It wasn’t my thoughts, I know what I am saying.”
I feigned ignorance. “You should return to your family, you said you have a wife and a son. I am sure they are eagerly waiting for your arrival. I have things to attend to.”
I walked away without another word and I briefly got a glimpse of his frown before I walked away. Steven and Kevin were waiting a distance away from me and once they sighted me, they started following me again but I wasn’t focused on them, I needed to see Ryker. I made my way over to his office and walked in.
He was talking to a guard when he saw me. He took one look at my expression and dismissed the younger boy. I waited until the door was shut before I started speaking. I told him everything that man had said and once I was done, he fell silent. He ran his hands down his jaw in deliberation.
“What do you think?” I asked finally and he shrugged.
“You shouldn’t have healed him, I will stand and die on that hill,” he said simply and I frowned.
“What did you expect me to do? Did you want him to die?”
“If what he is saying is true, then that wasn’t normal, it could have been the witch lurking and controlling him. What do you think will happen once the witch realizes that you can truly undo what he or she has done?” I stayed silent but it was a rhetorical question because he answered. “They will come for you, they will try to take you. I would prefer to let one man die than to have you on some witch’s radar.”
“You don’t know if that will happen.”
“I do,” his voice was soft. “Look, there is no need talking about this. We just have to wait and see. He just went home, right?” I nodded. “All we can do is wait. Things are only going to get worse from here, Camilla, I can promise you that.”
Ryker’s pessimism could be annoying a few times but the truth was that he was almost always right. I hoped that this wasn’t one of those times because I wasn’t sure how many people I could heal before burning myself out. Healing that man had taken so much of me, if there were more then it was a sure way to drain myself to an early grave.
After my discussion with Ryker, I busied myself with work. Audrey had returned to school and I had Aurora playing in the center of my room while I worked. Christine wanted to watch her for me but Juan had organized a date for them. It was a secret and I didn’t want to put a stopper in their plans. Aurora fell asleep sometime around noon and I left her in a small bed by the foot of my table while I finished up my work.
A knock on my door snapped me out of my work and I looked up only to see that it had gotten a little dark. I didn’t realize I had been working for so long. My door opened and Caius made his way in. He looked concerned and that was enough to have my spine straightening.
“Is everything okay?” I asked but he didn’t respond. “If it is bad news, you might as well just take it away right now. I don’t want to hear it.”.
He smiled softly. “It isn’t bad news, don’t worry. It is about the man who was sick.”
“What did he do?”
“He goes around telling everyone that he owes his life to you. Of course, I have sent men to put a stop to it and tag his ramblings as those of a sick man. I just assumed this was something that you would like to know. Is there a reason he says this?”
I thought about it. I could have told him everything regarding my powers but Caius already knew too much. He knew about Audrey’s powers and I didn’t want to risk anything by telling him more. I simply shrugged.
“He had been saying that since he was here. Like you said, it is probably just the ramblings of a sick man. There is no need to pay heed to it.”
It was obvious that Caius didn’t trust me because he frowned. “You know that you can trust me, right, your majesty?”
“Of course,” I responded almost immediately. “But the truth is that there is nothing to be said. If you would excuse me, I have some work to attend to and I have to take my daughter back.”
He pursed his lips but said, nothing and nodded. I picked Aurora up rousing her a little before walking out of the room behind him. I was making my way towards the stairs when I heard some commotion a few feet away. I started making my way over there but Steven was quick to jump in front of me.
“I don’t think you should go there, your majesty,” he said simply and I raised a brow.
“Is there any particular reason as to why?”
“It’s just,” he began but trailed off. “You’re with your daughter and it might be a bit loud.”
Kevin scoffed before speaking up. “There is a long line of people standing there asking to meet with you so that you can heal them. Apparently, they believe the ranting of the sick man. They want your magical healing touch.”
