My Beloved

Chapter Sixteen

~KAIRA~

"WHATT?" I was dumbfounded. "How am I supposed to do that, then?" I asked, looking at their now-winged selves.

Kalil's wings were a tad larger than the rest, with the same shades of midnight blue and white sprinkled on them. Kabeer's wings were a mixture of red and orange, whereas Azlan had shades of yellow in his wings.

"Kalil is going to carry you, Kaira." Kabeer explained it to me patiently.

Kalil came near me and lifted me up in bridal style. "Shall we, love?" he asked, and before I could reply, he took the flight. I saw Azlan and Kabeer following us soon after. Once we were out of the tunnel and out of the mountaintop, I closed my eyes tightly. This was the second time on the same day that the wind started howling in my ears, and I was scared for my dear life.

"Darling, open your eyes and enjoy the view!" Kalil said, amusement dripping in his voice. "No, thank you. I don't want to watch myself die with my own eyes." I replied, to which Kalil's laughter echoed in my ear.

That little adventure got over as soon as it started. I looked at Kalil, opening just one eye. "Is it over?"

"Yeah, baby, you can get down if you want," he replied gently. I was going to do that, but then I tightened my grip on his neck as soon as I saw on which surface he was standing. "Oh hell no, I'm not getting down on a freaking cloud!" I exclaimed and heard snickering from behind Kalil. When I looked to see who it was, Kabeer and Azlan were both pressing their lips tightly to hold back their laughter.

"Does this seem funny to you?" I asked, getting annoyed, to which they actually broke out into a fit of laughter, earning a stern look from Kalil.

"Kaira, love, these clouds are our realm's common ground. Just like soil on earth. See, our landscapes are even built on this very ground." He explained, motioning towards something behind me.

As soon as I looked back, my breath got caught in my throat at the sight before me. In front of me stretched a vast expanse of fluffy white clouds, upon which the entire city seemed to float. The scenery was like a dream, with buildings and landscapes floating gently on the clouds, looking as if they were effortlessly defying gravity in a graceful and magical way. For a moment, I couldn't believe my eyes. It was like walking into a fairy tale.

I was more than amazed as I watched these winged beings go about their daily lives, performing incredible tricks and feats in the air. It was all so surreal and beautiful, like nothing I had ever seen before. In that moment, I felt like I had stepped into a world of pure magic and wonder, and I couldn't wait to explore every corner of it.

And exploring is what I did. Right now, I was going back to my room, or chamber, as they call it, along with my personal maid, Salma. It had been weeks since I entered Oasis. I met Aisha, Kabeer's fiancee, the very next day of our arrival, and she had been the only companion of mine for these past few weeks. I see Azlan from time to time, as he is the head guard of the palace. Yeah, I am currently staying in a palace. Can you imagine that? Anyway, Kabeer is the King's advisor, so he is busy. I have seen him very few times, and that too just in passing. Kalil is the new king, and hence he has been thrown into this tornado of responsibilities, which lets him meet me only one time of the day—that's at night, when most of the time I'm already fast asleep from all the wandering.

Aisha has been so welcoming and great to me. Some days after I entered Oasis, Aisha took me to some of the neighbouring villages and other places, such as the river bank. I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by the diversity surrounding me. I marvelled at the sight of apes soaring gracefully through the sky while others danced among the trees with effortless elegance. It was a world unlike any I had ever imagined, and I found myself captivated by its beauty.

As I walked down the streets of the neighbouring village, I observed something. Although all the Aireths looked the same, there was some distinction among them too, from their way of living to the air with which they carried themselves. When I asked Aisha about the same, she explained the reason for this distinction, with the societal structure of the Oasis as well as its geographical parting. She told me that Oasis is divided into three states: Astraea, Oberon, and Noctifer, where we are currently. Astraea has two clans in it: the Pallas, famous for their skills in battles and warcraft, and the Hebe, famous for their evergreen healing flowers and unique as well as multipurpose herbs. Oberon also has two clans, Vesta and Chiron, famous for their skills at handling fire and their horse-like body structure as well as their abilities, respectively. Noctifer, unlike others, has one clan named Juno, and the Aireths of the Juno clan are said to be of a loving and kind nature.

Today, she gave me a tour of the palace grounds, corridors, and even some hidden passages. She offered to give me a tour of the entire Oasis, but that was promised to me by Kalil, and I don't know when that time comes.

Seriously, it's been weeks, and that dumbass has not yet given me at least a full day of his.

(That dumbass is also THE KING.)

So what if he's the king? To me, he is just Kalil, my Kalil.

(oh, possessive!)

Yes, I am. After coming to Oasis, I also met Mahira and noticed how he was trying to get hitched with Kalil, implying that it was the late King's last wish. According to everyone else, that's not the case. I don't know why I thought of Mahira now. Maybe because I just saw her going in the opposite direction of my room. Salma, my personal maid, opened the door for me. Apparently, as a royal guest, I shouldn't be doing any chores here, not even opening the door for myself. I wouldn't be able to anyway; these doors are huge and way too heavy for me.

"My lady, I'll go and prepare the bath for you." Salma said.

As soon as Salma disappeared in the bathroom, the lights went off. Before my eyes could adjust to the sudden darkness, a hand came from behind and forced some kind of herb into my mouth.

Before I could spit it out, the world went black.