THE DRAGON HEALER [COMPLETED]

CHAPTER 12: BREWING ANGER

He had worked since he was a teenager in the service of the royal family. His father was a member of the previous king's council of advisors. He had been allowed to sit in their meetings since he was 18, as an observer. He had spent all his waking hours learning various knowledge branches: astronomy, mathematics, astrology, diplomacy, battle strategies ... all. He had given his life to the service of Alahyrians' kings. He did not have wife or children. They would just be distractions, that was what he firmly believed in. His life was for Alathyr. Only Alathyr.

He, Carrus Akoras. He was the one, as a young advisor, who had pushed for the late queen, the mother of King Tristan, to request baby Alanna to be removed, to be whisked away-far away. The late queen, almost losing her mind in grief after the death of her husband, did precisely that. House of Evara was shocked to realize their daughter's secret scandal was known by the queen, and pushed their daughter to throw away her baby whom they believed in all their heart and mind to be bad luck, a curse of Pan, their beloved god and divine master.

He did it all. He had to protect the kings' family, his obligation was to the goodness of Alathyr. A baby, born on a winter night, out of a proper grace by Pan, could not be good news to this land.

Now that wretched baby was back as a young woman who seemed to have won the heart of his master, King Tristan. That could not be.

"I will make sure King Tristan is safe. This land is so dark now. I have to do something to destroy that wretched girl!" Carrus grabbed his dagger and stabbed it to the wood table in front of him, the only furniture he had in his tiny cubicle a few doors down from the king's library. The table cracked by the force of his stab. His eyes were red from anger, and his forehead was wet from his sweat. A shadow crept within his heart, and owns it more and more.

<<<>>>

The night had grown late when Alanna finally went back to her parents Garlan and Hanna. The main hall was still alive with crying families and some wounded villagers and soldiers were tended there too. Mom was busy helping the wounded, and she did not see Dad anywhere.

She decided to help Mom and Lady Eilin who was busy preparing medicinal herbs to help with the wounds.

Her heart sank everytime she heard loud wailing of families when their loved ones lost their fight against the wound and passed away.

Lady Eilin patted her shoulder, and nodded her encouragement at her. "You do not have to stay in this hall, Alanna," she whispered.

Alanna thought for a bit, she saw Mom busy with calming a crying child who had bandaged of her arm, and Tristan was holding an old man who cried like a baby. He had lost too many family members tonight.

But before Alanna could say anything, from the corner of her eyes she saw a woman shouting and charging at her. She turned to see her, and the woman, a middle-aged burly woman, arrived at her spot, slapped her, and grabbed her shoulders.

"Go away you monster! You are the bad luck! Bad omen! Evil! You cause the death of my son tonight!" she screamed and cried at the same time. Her strong hands threw Alanna on the ground and started choking her.

Alanna tried to scream but she could not breathe. Her legs and arms flailed wildly, she managed to grab the shoulders of the woman who was choking her and tried to pry her away from her.

Then she saw Lady Eilin jumped behind the woman and grabbed her. The dragon healer yelled and threw the woman to the side. Anger burned in her eyes. "Don't you dare touching my daughter or calling her bad omen anymore! Nothing that is happening now in Alathyr is her fault! Nothing! Don't you dare!" she screamed on top of her lungs. For a someone whose health was weakened, she showed much strength. Her breath was fast, her eyes burned with anger, her fists clenched like she was ready to fight. She would take no bullshit about her daughter.

"She is my beloved daughter. I have given my life, my dream, my love ... all ... for the dragons, for Alathyr," Lady Eilin fell to her knees and spoke with tears on her cheek. "All I ask is to be with my daughter, please let her stay here in peace. Please. All of you. As a mother, I beg you."

The sight of Lady Eilin kneeled in front of hundreds of eyes in the cavernous hall, begging the people to let her stay in peace here touched Alanna to the core of her heart. She brought herself up to a sitting position and struggled to breathe normally. Suddenly loud roar of the dragons filled the hall. The floor shook. The dragons and their healer had telepathy link, they had felt Lady Eilin's sadness and anger and were affected too.

Alanna crawled and hugged Lady Eilin. Her tears fell and Mom rushed to be with them too. My two moms, she repeated to herself. Maybe it was never about choosing which life she wanted, which Mom she'd rather be with. It was never about having to choose. It was about having them both in her life; two women, strong in their own ways, who loved her. What else could she do besides being brave too?

She saw Tristan in the far side of the hall, stared straight at her. She nodded at Tristan to tell him she was alright.

She felt something else though. From the corner of her eyes, she felt someone was stabbing her with such hatred, cold, look. She turned her head slowly, and she saw Carrus standing with glaring eyes right at her.

<<<>>>

Lady Eilin held her tight for some time after the raging woman was pulled away by some soldiers and the situation had calmed down. She cried in soft heave, and Alanna hugged her back. Mom and Dad sat around her in silence. It was obvious that Mom was trying to give Lady Eilin the time and space to be with her. Though deep worry creases appeared in her adoptive parents' forehead, they kept quiet and it was only their deep gaze at her that showed her how much they cared and worried and sad about what had just happened.

"I will be okay, dear mothers and dad," she let out a loud sigh and tried to smile. It pained her to see so much worry on those people she cared so much about.

Lady Eilin let go of her embrace, Mom and Dad nodded in unison. They all looked at her and Alanna nodded. "I am fine, now all of you. Please. Go rest. I demand you all to go rest." She was trying to break the heaviness with a light joke, but the three did not seem to get it. They thought she was serious and they looked at one another. "We are going to sleep. Don't worry. Are you coming too?" Mom asked.

Alanna was not sure she wanted to go to bed now. Her heartbeat still raced way too fast to be able to sleep. "In a bit," she smiled. Lady Eilin smiled finally and patted her shoulder. "I will be off then, would you come see me and the dragons in the morning?"

Alanna nodded. Lady Eilin bid her goodnight and went away to check some of the people she had treated for wounds. Mom and Dad hugged Alanna one more time and they too left.

Alanna just sat there in the middle of the cavernous main hall. The wounded had been treated and they were resting on makeshift cots and blankets, their family stayed close to them.

She did not see Tristan anymore that night. After all the tragedies that had happened tonight, he must have been busy trying to contain the damages.

When she went back to her cubicle, her parents had fallen asleep. She laid awake the whole night. She could not sleep. Not with so many strange things that had happened to her.