Iona closed her eyes and soon drifted off to sleep. She awoke with heavy noise on the other side of her door. It was as if someone was yelling at the maids. The Diumbe she had let outside her door to guard could be heard hissing and gibbering as well. 

"Open the door!" She heard Etaya shouting. 

Iona's gaze went to the book and she immediately threw it under her pillow. She ordered the Diumbe to leave the door from inside. When she heard the crawling away from it, she opened it and found a furious Etaya staring at her.

"Why did you go to my chamber yesterday?" she asked in an angry voice, which she controlled as best as she could to sound calmer. 

"I wanted to meet you," Iona said very coldly, allowing her to enter the room. A Diumbe climbed her hand and she patted it. The effect was interesting because she could sense Etaya's fear, and given the situation, she wanted Etaya to feel scared of her. She wanted to look at the books she was hiding under her blanket, but willed herself to keep staring at Etaya. 

"About what?" Etaya sat on an armchair and scanned her bed. There was a pile of clothes at the edge and a damp towel on the other side. She found a Diumbe lurking around the bed, the same whom she had patted. 

"I was wounded," she replied, showing her thigh that was wrapped in the bandage. 

"And how did you get that," asked Etaya, narrowing her eyes. As far as she knew, she hadn't sent her for any assignments that dealt with blood shedding. 

Iona sat on her bed with her feet on the rug. The Diumbe slithered over her and settled right over her thigh—a mass of black slime that had a head and set of limbs that would jut out of the slime every now and then. It was no more than a foot long but looked at Iona with pure dedication. It slid till it was on her thigh and wrapped itself around the bandage with a hissing sound. "This one was hungry. I fed him." 

Etaya felt so disgusted at the thought that she felt like puking. The girl was truly… damaged. She swallowed her saliva and then soothed her emotions. After a few seconds, she said, "How is your wound now? Do you want to go to the healers?" She knew that the healers were so afraid of her that they stayed away from her. 

"Yes," Iona replied, as she caressed the Diumbe. Then she looked at Etaya who was still cringing. "Why am I here? Master informed me that I have to stay here for a while. But how long?" she asked a question she knew the answer to. But the question was enough to throw Etaya on the back foot. 

"Didn't he tell you to wait because we are planning to attack Draoidh?" Etaya replied with a wild look in her eyes. 

"Yes, I know about that. But my question is what am I doing here when we have to attack Draoidh? Why aren't we simply… attacking?" She sounded as if Etaya was so dumb. 

Etaya's eyes flickered with a momentary glare. "We will… soon. My messenger has gone to give Adrianna yet another chance to concede to our demands." 

"I see," said Iona and got up. The Diumbe dislodged itself from her and slid down to laze on the floor. "Is there anything else you want to talk about?" she asked.

A shudder ran through Etaya seeing the Diumbe crawling towards her. "No." She got up and carefully walked past the Diumbe. "I will ask one of the healers to attend to you." 

Iona nodded and Etaya was gone the next second. She closed the door after chucking the Diumbe out and sagged against the warm wood of the door in relief. Her eyes went back to the books. Etayalar Aramaer. She needed to find more about her, and now her best option was the record keeper. 

--- 

"Anastasia!" Ileus roared her name when he came inside her. Ever since he was discharged from the infirmary, he was asked by the healers to refrain from sexual activity very clearly, but the man blamed it all on his wife. He was clearly very innocent. But his wife… she was a siren. It wasn't also because he was spending relaxed days with her and reading those books that illustrated various positions, but it was because his wife needed to be taught. She was in a learning phase and he had to be a good teacher. 

He slumped beside her and buried his face in the crook of her neck, mindlessly still thrusting in her. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer as if he wanted to merge with her. 

It had been a week and his body had healed nicely. The healers had done a great job. They would wrap him with fresh linen with green potion every day and make him drink bitter medicines. Under Anastasia's care, he was feeling better. 

That morning, a messenger came to inform her that the king and queen were demanding their presence at once. 

After taking a bath and dressing up, they came out of the bedchamber to find Darla, Aidan and Kaizan waiting for them in the antechamber. 

"Can't you keep your voice low, Ileus?" said Kaizan dryly. "The whole palace comes to know that you have are having sex." 

"So what?" Ileus replied nonchalantly. 

Anastasia blushed like a thousand suns. Suddenly she retched again and ran inside the room. Her morning sickness was only becoming worse. She hated almost every food that being set in front of her. When she came back, Kaizan raised his eyebrow and asked, "What happened?" 

Anastasia pursed her lips. She shrugged. "I don't know what it is, but I feel like I got a stomach infection. I need to see the healer urgently."

"Are you also vomiting a lot?" asked Darla with a frown. 

Anastasia nodded. "You too?" 

Darla shook her head in frustration. "Yes!" 

"Could it be due to the food we had at the market square that day in Level three?" 

"It could be Anastasia," said Darla, as she held her hand and the two started descending the stairs. 

Kaizan glared at Ileus and Aidan, and both the men looked... pale. They ignored Kaizan and followed the girls. But Kaizan being Kaizan, he said, "Aidan, when are you two planning on getting married? Have you popped the question or are you waiting for another kind of popping?" 

Darla stopped and whipped her head towards Kaizan. "What do you mean?" she asked. 

Aidan was so pale that he was almost shaking. "It's nothing Darla," he said feebly. "I think he is talking about balloons." 

"Yes, I am talking about tummy balloons. They pop in—" Kaizan was cut off. 

"Why has mother called?" asked Ileus. 

Kaizan glared at him. "A messenger from Vilinski is here," he replied in a serious voice. "And the queen wants both of you to hear him and send the appropriate message back to Etaya." 

Anastasia's eyes flared wide open as surprise ran like cold air over her body. "A messenger from Vilinski?" she said. "What for?" the words rumbled from her as if in a growl. 

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