A Bird Among Serpants

1.13

I wake up, not even realizing that I had fallen asleep. I glance around to see Pearl infront of me and look away. She should know what it looks like when a person has reached their limit if she really has worked here for a long time. Hopefully she'll tell the emperor and I can be ended quickly. I don't want this anymore. I don't care how I die, I just want it to end.

"My lord, say something." She tilts my head up at her as I try to search for the energy to care enough to say something, being unable to. She seems a bit scared for some reason. I'm not sure why, it shouldn't matter to her what becomes of me. If anything, she'll be relieving a lot less stress now. I don't think I will affect much in the long run accept maybe sending this country into another war.

The door slams open causing me to flinch and curl into a ball instinctively, a younger boy which I assume to be Percy running in, "MY LORD, WHAT HAS HAPPENED? WHY HAVE YOU BEEN GONE FOR THE PAST 2 DAYS? I'VE LOOKED AND ASKED AROUND EVERYWHERE! I SWEAR, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HE'D DO! HE BRANDED YOU?-"

"Percy, please.." Pearl quietly shushes him and begins trying her best to make me come out of my ball, failing as I don't want to come out. I don't want to try and fail anymore. I don't want to be locked in that machine again. I don't want it.

I hear footsteps as Percy steps closer, "M-my lord..?"

"He's just tired." Pearl says in practically a whisper as if reassuring herself, "Can you get Tyria? I believe she knows some low-level counseling magic."

The door opens and closes faster than I could believe possible as I feel tears start to shed down my cheeks. I don't want to be healed. Why can't they just let me die? I don't want to be here anymore.

"Verett." I hear her whisper in my ear while attempting to take my body out of a ball, "Verett, don't you remember Tel..? You love him, don't you?"

I curl up into my ball further, trying my best to keep not caring about my life. It's not like we were the perfect couple, he was controlling as hell and everyone wanted me to leave him. I just took comfort in him because it felt familiar. I can't survive, I don't want to survive. Why can't she just stop. I can't take another day of being here, so why is she trying to force me into it.

She gently rubs my back with her hand as I shiver and hiccup from my crying, kissing the top of my head, "You can get through this, Verett. Kit did this because he was scared of getting attached to you, it means you're getting close. Don't give up now, okay? I'll tell them you're sick and you won't have to see him for the next few days, that should give you enough time to recover. I can help if you let me."

I bite my lip for a moment before popping my eye out of my ball and glancing at her, the servant smiling as she rubs a hand through my hair once again, "I can't.. speak well..."

"That's fine, you don't need to entertain me. Just lie down and try to focus on your own wellbeing, okay?"

The door opens as Tyria and Percy come running in, both of them looking rather panicked. I couldn't even begin to comprehend why they're panicking at my suffering. I've done nothing but criticize Percy's life choices and call Tyria's magic weak since I got here. Sure, I gave them advice and some food once, but that shouldn't be enough to make them care.

I attempt to shove my head back in my ball, but Pearl stops me with some careful hand movements and motions for Tyria to come over, "It would be easier on her if you removed your natural resistance barrier against magic. She may not be able to force her way through if you don't."

I bit my lip and sink down further, the thought of removing the one barrier preventing the emperor from using external magical torcher sounding like even more terrible then in did before, "I'm fine.."

"My lord, you-"

"I said I'm fine."

Pearl bites her lip, "If you don't let us do it, the emperor will have someone else do it. And he will most likely use stronger magic than us. You can't deny that he does want to keep you sane for as long as your mind can physically take it."

I rub my hands through my hair out of stress before taking down the barrier, Tyria starting to perform a spell quickly before I change my mind and put it back up. She's gentle, extremely gentle. It's as if I can feel her care in every movement, making sure that I don't feel any pain or discomfort. She whispers in elvish playfully, myself smiling to try and keep her smile, "I've missed you, my lord."

"I've missed you too Tyria.."

I flinch as she finishes the spell, her fluffy magic feeling amazing as it overtakes me. Fuck, why does that feel so good? Is this the equivalent of being drugged? I feel so happy.

I grip the blanket as to stop from falling asleep and glance at them all, Pearl ignoring that wish and laying my body down gently, "Sleep, Verett. It will get better soon."