(Completed) Seraphina [The Lost Queen Series: Book #1]

Chapter 8

"Words are lethal just like plants..."
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The tea relaxed my body enough for me to sleep a little. As my eyes fluttered open I felt warmth against my back. I turned slightly to see Caspian snoring softly. I felt something move on my stomach but quickly realized it was his hands holding onto me. A sudden light came from the doorway as Sicada entered quietly.

"How are you faring? Does your head hurt?" She entered with a lantern but quickly dimmed it and set it on the table. She held a basket but it was covered in cloth so I couldn't see inside. The sudden smell of food made my mouth water as I slowly sat up.

"I'm alright... Just hungry..." She chuckled before handing me the basket. It was warm but the delicious smells from inside caused my stomach to growl loudly. Caspian stirred slightly as I began to eat some bread and cheese. "So Eras went into hiding after birth? How would she know anything about my mother?"

Sicada looked down as her eyes watered. "I believe she had your mother executed... Your mother would've become a queen but Eras was probably jealous of you and Maria... I believe it when that guard who brought you here yesterday told me that Eras was coming after you!" Wait what?!

"Was it a ginger tall man?" Sicada nodded as she looked at me with a sad face. "Did he say anything else?" She looked confused by my question.

"No? Why, what happened?" So he didn't tell her about the challenge and yet he told her about Eras? If Eras is in hiding then Snape is the only who knows where she is besides Ellis. I do find it a bit odd that a mistress would come after me since I've lived as a commoner all this time. Something isn't adding up with this story... I put the still full basket on the small table near the bed as Caspian stirred again.

"Well I should leave you two be! I'll check on you later!" Sicada abounded far too excited as she quickly left the room. As I laid down my stomach felt a bit odd. It felt like small butterflies were flying around restlessly. I closed my eyes in an attempt to ignore it but it seemed to get worse as my body seemed to warm up.

I've never felt anything like this before. It was as if intense tingles filled my stomach but it kept traveling down my body. I gasped as a shocking sensation appeared in my body but it quickly vanished as my heart pounded in my chest. I glanced over at Caspian to see his eyes fluttering open.

"Seraphina...? Good morning." His deep voice made another sensation flow through my body but it seemed to last longer as I gasped. "What's wrong?! Your face is all red!" He quickly pulled me to him but the feeling grew stronger as he held me. It was as if my body craved him like a savage hunger that refused to end.

"I-I don't know what's happening... My body it's hot and it won't stop and it's getting worse!" I felt like crying as Caspian stroked my side but he quickly stopped. His eyes clouded over for a moment but as they cleared he quickly got out of the bed. "Caspian...?"

He seemed stressed as he paced for a few moments before looking at me. As he ran a hand through his hair my body ached for some reason. "You need to stay here... Did Sicada bring you anything this morning?" He sounded agitated but not at me.

"Yeah... She brought us a basket of food-" As I pointed at the basket but it was gone... "What? Caspian I put it right here but now it's gone!" He held up a hand and quickly left with an angry look on his face. I was at a loss as my body continued to burn up for some reason. The door wasn't fully closed so I slowly made my way over to it just to hear yelling from below me.

I slowly made my way toward the yelling as sunlight beamed through the windows. As I pressed my hand against the wall I followed the voices. On the walls pictures of the forest and flowers lined them. My feet grew cold as I walked down the steps. A gust of cool air came from an open window at the foot of the stairs causing chills to run up my legs.

As I reached the bottom the yelling had stopped. My body was still burning as the air caressed my face. Why won't it stop? My legs felt far warmer than before as my gown tightened against my chest. Pulling against it I got it to loosen as a ripping sound followed but my legs still throbbed with heat. Heavy footsteps echoed in the foyer as Caspian appeared.

He looked stressed and angry until he noticed me. "What are you doing!? Your supposed to be in bed!" Caspian rushed to my side for some reason and immediately stood in front of me. "Seraphina you can't not be around other... People right now... Let me take you back upstairs." He grabbed my arm gently and slowly pulled me back up the steps.

"Wait!" I pulled against him which immediately made him stop. "Tell me what's going on first! What's happening to me?" Caspian looked around for a moment as if he was contemplating something.

"Look... Countess Sicada drugged you with a love potion..."

"A what?! Why would she do such a thing?"

Caspian sighed heavily. "Now isn't the time for explaining... We need to go back upstairs before-"

A door opened behind us. Turning slowly I watched Erron walk inside with a grin. "Seraphina! How are you- Oh my heavens!!!" His face turned bright red as he quickly shielded his eyes with his hands. "Seraphina!!! What has gotten into you!!! Please fix your gown!!! How unlady like!" Huh? My gown? Looking down I noticed my breasts barely covered by a large rip traveling down in between them.

Oh my god! I quickly pulled it together as Caspain made a beastly noise before hoisting me up the stairs hastily. "This is why I told you to go back upstairs! For heaven's sake, how did you manage to rip your tunic like that!" He was angry as I was shoved into the room with him hot on my heels.

"I was hot! Would you rather me burn up alive?! It's not like I exposed myself on purpose!" The burning feeling quickly melted into anger at his words.

"Well you certainly could've fooled me if it wasn't for that display! How oblivious can you be to not notice something like that!" Caspian hadn't yelled at me but he was very frustrated.

"It happened right before I saw you! I didn't have time to even look at myself, you pig headed brute! You could've told me but instead you refused to tell me and tried to force me upstairs! What kind of prince doesn't know how to tell someone something important as a ripped gown!" I hadn't realized that I was yelling until that moment. My anger seemed to vanish as Caspian looked at me with a sad face.

"The kind of prince who doesn't want to embarrass a woman who is clearly suffering from a love potion... It's clear to me now that it was a mistake to stay with you... I'll have someone take you home but don't expect to see me again after the festival tomorrow." Before I could say anymore he had left the room.

Looking around the room I found a cloth shirt and pants hanging on the wash area. Before doing anything else I grabbed my sword at the edge of the bed and hooking it onto the pants. I quickly changed and went downstairs to see Sicada speaking in a hush voice with an unknown man. They hadn't noticed me yet so I quickly made my way over to the door and dashed outside. The light blinded me for a moment as the bustling sounds of the town flooded my ears. I could see the large wall from here but there was another wall blocking the castle...

Where am I? I know this is the higher part of society but how do I get home? "Seraphina?" I looked beside me to see Erron with a stone cold expression. "I'm here to escort you home." Instead of being happy my heart seemed to ache. Caspian must be hurting as well over my words...

"Can you tell him that-" Erron walked past me with a steady pace. Well it's no use trying to apologize it seems... My punishment for being hot headed isn't being ignored but feeling guilty for my hurtful words... I slowly caught up to Erron as he swiftly maneuvered through the crowd though his small body made it hard to see him.

"Erron wait!" The crowd grew impossibly thick as I completely lost sight of him. I was shoved around aimlessly until I managed to get a clear opening. Looking up I noticed the giant wall gleaming over me as the large toll bridge came into view. As I approached the knights standing guard looked at me in surprise. They murmured hushly as I walked past them and onto the dirt path that would lead me home...