The Regal Descendants

Chapter 48: Wake Up

Dela

The healers found Draven passed out in the hallway, the arrow taken out and blood covering the walls and floor and Celeste's robe. Cassius took Celeste back to his chambers to clean up. I told him I'd let him know if anything changes. It was hard to let the healers heal and not completely take over. If it was me I would've already made progress but without me I fear their skills aren't as advanced. There's so much that can go wrong.

My parents and Romina meet me in the lobby of the healing ward. I'm hysterically crying. I let my father hold me as I tell him about the archer. "Draven said it was the archer. He was outside our chambers. He infiltrated the castle!"

"We'll get to the bottom of this." My father pets my head and holds me to his chest. "Just try to calm down, take some deep breaths with me." He starts a slow countdown for inhaling and exhaling. "Draven wouldn't want you all worked up and I certainly will hunt down the man responsible." He turns to my mother, "Byrd, do you have any leads?"

"I have a few," my mother says softly. "The reasoning behind the color is as we suspected. There was an attack just like this the Steele Kingdom not too long ago. It is the same group as the ones that killed Elianna. Well, those who remain after the war."

I sob into my father's chest. "If Draven was never our general they would have never sought him out."

"They don't seek out Draven because he's General. They came to your chambers. That attack was for you." My father holds me closer to his body.

I grab my stomach suddenly feeling nauseous. "Then why didn't they attack me after stabbing Draven?" I say baffled.

"Laced arrows aren't hard to come by. They probably pounced on him and dashed after, at least that's how you described it to us. So they probably realized they had the wrong person and will be coming back or they realized Draven is close to you having heard about the wedding so they figured hurting him is as if hurting one of us. Either way this attack is aimed at the family." Dad explains continuing to comfort me by rubbing my back.

"Gods above," I shake my head. "I think I'm going to be sick. This is all my fault, he could die."

"I'm going to find him. Byrd, stay with Dela." My father pushes me away from his chest.

I rush into my mother's arms. "He can't die. I just got him back. He can't die."

"Draven won't die. He's always been a fighter." Romina flips back a strand of her hair.

"Wasn't Jax too?" I look at her frantically.

"What right do you have to take away my hope?" She narrows her eyes at me. "That is my son, my baby. He's not going to die."

I swallow hard before moving to sit down and calm myself. I stare up at the ceiling and pray to any of the gods listening. Don't take him away. Please let Draven live long enough to see this child be born. Long enough for him to spend time with it. Long enough to where we both are old and gray.

The hours pass by, healers frantically running in and out of Draven's room. By the time one of them comes to give us an update, it's around four in the morning. I am exhausted and finding it hard to stay awake but everyone I doze off I am woken up by the thought of Draven not making it. "We did everything we could," she frowns. "It's a waiting game to see if he'll regain consciousness."

I rush into the room, Draven is pale lying on the bed with his shirt off. His wound is going to scar. I am by his side in an instant brushing back his hair and caressing his face. "Wake up," I say to him desperately. "You never give up so you better wake up, damnit." I crawl into his bed and wrap my arms around him.