Enslaved

Chapter 53

She slowly stood and turned around, looking up to meet Ryuu's gaze as she tried to ignore the human blood on her hands. He had saved her, just as he said he would. She felt the tears in her eyes as Ryuu lunged forward and wrapped his arms around her, engulfing her in his embrace. She sniffed and laid her head on his shoulder, wrapping her own arms carefully around his waist and letting the crown fall from her head and clang onto the floor. Just as fast though, Ryuu pulled back and walked around her, looking at her back.

"Kaida, what happened? Your wings...."

She winced and looked at the ground, refusing to let the memories surface.

"We need to get you to a medic. Right now."

Kaida turned around just as Ryuu grabbed her hand and drew her into his body before picking her up and opening his wings, taking off and aiming for the balcony where windows showed the cloudless sky.

***

Kaida winced as she felt the needle of the healer pierce her wing yet again, going through the tiny space between her scales with deadly accuracy. She looked up and met Ryuu's gaze, causing him to lurch toward her and grab her hand, squeezing it.

"What's wrong?"

She let out a breath, forcing her attention off of the where the healer was sewing her wings back together.

"I didn't know that getting stitched up hurt so much." She admitted. "I feel foolish."

Ryuu rolled his eyes and crouched down in front of her, slowly letting go of her hand. They sat in silence for a little while before Ryuu frowned and Kaida tilted her head at him, her eyebrows creasing. Ryuu opened his mouth before closing it and seeming to think about what he was trying to say, his brows furrowing and unfurrowing multiple times before he took a deep breath and locked his eyes on hers.

"Kaida, I have a question for you."

Kaida let out another pained breath, feeling as the healer tied the medical string at the end and was right about to answer when the healer walked around them to stand in front of Kaida. Her gaze moved from Ryuu to them and winced at the green blood that was on their hands. They were looking at her with appraising eyes and she felt her heart stutter. Would they heal? Would she be able to fly again?

"That is a nasty injury." The healer said, wiping their hands on their pants slowly. "But you are extremely lucky. Thanks to your wing size and your quick thinking with the bandaging, I believe you will make a full recovery."

Her heart swelled to the point of aching and she felt the tears well up in her eyes and almost immediately spill over.

"However! You are forbidden from so much as opening them until the next appointment with a healer. Any movement puts a risk on the healing, do you understand that?"

She nodded, standing up shakily and reaching out her hand. They took hers and she shook their hand with shaking fingers.

"Thank you." She whispered, not being able to make her voice any louder. "Thank you."

They gave her a smile before turning to Ryuu.

"If it is okay with you, I am going to go attend the rest of the hybrids that were injured during the raid on the barracks."

Ryuu nodded and, to Kaida's surprise, reached out his hand as well.

"Thank you for helping her."

The healer took his hand and nodded before opening their own wings and taking off, aiming for the barracks that were right outside the castle. Ryuu had flown Kaida out of the blood-soaked throne room and landed them on the roof of the castle before streaking off to find the nearest healer, returning moments later with one. Kaida still did not know how he had found them so quickly but she would forever be grateful. For this and more. She turned to him and found him watching her, his expression slightly guarded. She frowned at him, the wind blowing her hair off her shoulders as her tears dried on her cheeks.

"Kaida, why did you put on the crown?"

Kaida's eyes widened before she took a deep breath, sitting back down and motioning for him to join her. She watched as the sun climbed in the sky, smoke from the barracks lazily following it as she rallied her thoughts.

"Do you remember Vaerali before the humans came?" She asked, her voice quiet but not subdued. "Do you remember the King and Queen?"

She turned to Ryuu and watched him nod carefully, frowning at her.

"The Emperor told me something while he was holding me here." She said, watching his expression carefully. "He told me where they went."

Ryuu's eyes widened.

"Where are they?" He stood up, running a hand through his hair. "We have to find them! We have to save them."

She shook her head, leaning forward and grabbing his hand, making him look back at her.

"We can't. They're dead." His eyes crumpled and he sat back down, staring at her. "I would know. They were my parents."

Ryuu blinked in surprise before his mouth fell open. Kaida took one look at his gaping mouth and broke out in laughter, wrapping her left arm around her ribs as the movement caused them to sting.

"Are you serious?" Ryuu whispered, causing her to stop laughing and look back at him. "You are the heir to Vaerali?"

She smiled very softly and nodded.

"The Emperor told me." She sighed, leaning back on her hands and being very careful of her wings. "I wasn't sure if I believed him at first but then I remembered how my mother acted and it made sense. I remembered what she told me about my father, too. And the Emperor also told me one distinguishing factor of all the royalty that is always passed along to any heirs."

Ryuu stared into her eyes as she took a deep breath.

"My eyes, Ryuu. The different colors."

Ryuu took a sharp breath, studying her for a while. She just stared back, wondering what he was thinking. She opened her mouth to ask just that when he stood and, much to her surprise, bowed low.

"I am honored to have trained you."

Kaida laughed and reached up, tugging at his hand again.

"Please, no bowing. You are my...friend, Ryuu."

Ryuu stood straight and smiled, his eyes swirling with something else before he wrapped his hand around hers tighter and hauled her to her feet. He then carefully wrapped his arms around her, being cautious of her wings just like she was. They stood like that for a while, just enjoying each other's embrace on the roof of the palace and listening to each others heart beats. Kaida pulled back after a little while, looking up at Ryuu's face as she did so.

"Everybody is going to follow you, Ryuu." She told him, smiling slightly. "So please don't even bother telling anybody about my parents. You would be and are a much better leader than I ever would be."

Ryuu smiled then and knelt down on one knee, his eyes flashing in the sun as he looked up at her.

"Then I guess you are lucky to be my soulmate, your highness."

Her eyes widened and she gasped, staring at him. Soulmate? He was her soulmate?

He smiled, standing up and locking their eyes.

"Of course, only if you accept it."

She blinked, her thoughts moving quicker than she could fly. She shook her head then, clearing her thoughts and looking back up at him.

"You saved me, Ryuu. In more ways than one." She whispered, feeling her heart swell with a feeling she hadn't felt in a very long time. "Of course I accept you."

A smile erupted on his face and his eyes lined with silver as he engulfed her in another hug, this time picking her up and twirling her around, making her hair fly out around her. She laughed as he put her down and took a step back, the smile still on his face.

"Thank you." His voice was choked up with emotion. "Thank you. I will never stop protecting you and I will never, ever not save you. Should you need saving, that is."

He winked at her and that's when she recognized the emotion in her chest as she reached out to hug him again.

She felt at home.