The Taming of a Beast

Chapter 3

The whole palace was frozen, covered with a thin layer of frost. Servants were frozen in place like icy statues. Others had ice spears struck through them. Not a single one was spared as their expressions were forever frozen in expressions of horror.

"See what you have done, my boy?"

The man clasped Adrian's shoulder and gestured to the icy environment.

"This is what happens when you don't listen. You are a monster, you hear me? A monster!"

Adrian brushed the man's hand away but his ungloved hand made contact with the man's bare hand, causing ice to immediately cover the defenseless skin. With a roar of pain, the man struck out and Adrian felt his face sting.

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Adrian seemed to drift in and out of consciousness. When his eyes opened, a woman was placing a damp cool cloth over his forehead. He felt something like feathers brush his face.

No, he wanted to warn the woman. She couldn't touch him or else...his mind grew fuzzy again as he slipped back into a tense world of slumber.

The second time he woke up, the same woman was feeding him some sort of warm liquid. It tasted bitter, but he was powerless against the woman who was both gentle and firm in having him swallow every drop. When the bitter fluid went down his throat, Adrian fell asleep once more.

When Adrian woke up again for the third time, he found himself lying in a soft bed with a rustic wooden ceiling above him.

What had happened? The last thing he remembered fully was falling into the river and letting the waters carry him away.

Adrian cautiously wiggled his toes and then his fingers. All limbs were attached, though there was a dull pain in his right shoulder. His whole body felt like he had been dropped onto the plain ground from a hundred feet up. But fortunately, his mana seemed to have been a little replenished, though it was far from being its normal state.

He lifted his head up from the pillow, and a white cloth fell off from his forehead. Pushing himself up with some effort, Adrian inspected the rest of the environment. He appeared to be resting in a small bedroom. A small wooden nightstand holding a vase of wildflowers was beside the bed, while another table held an assortment of jars, basins, cloths, and bandages. His sword, to his relief, was carefully laid on top of the mahogany dresser. A window was to the right of the bed, open and letting in the fresh smell of morning air.

Then Adrian's blue eyes met piercing amber eyes near the window. The amber feline eyes blinked. Adrian blinked back. The sleek cat yawned and broke its stare to lick at its paw, apparently bored of Adrian's staring contest.

The door to the bedroom opened, and Adrian's senses went on high alert. Though he was grateful that he was still alive and seemed to have been cared for judging by the bandages neatly wrapped around his chest, he still had to be careful. After all, hadn't he just been betrayed by his very own family?

A young woman entered the room with a tray in her hands. She appeared to be the same woman he had seen as he was slipping in and out of sleep. Automatically, Adrian sized her up now that he could stay awake properly, an instinct he had gained through years of battle. With black hair, a tall figure, and a clean aura, the woman didn't seem to be hostile or carrying any weapons, but he was still wary.

"Oh, you're finally awake. That's good. I thought you'd sleep forever."

The witch set the tray down on the nightstand and peered at him. He immediately noticed her eyes. They were pink, closer to that of roses grown in the Galvador royal castle gardens.