Chapter 288 - A Witch
The Daughter, or Princess, of Ice and Fire, sat in the garden with no indication of her identity. Arthur had expected she would be wearing a gown that like the medieval princesses in his world, jewelry that blinded one's eyes, and gems that cost cities.
The person in question, however, wore a simple one-piece white and blue dress with a scarf thrown over her shoulders. The dress had no markings or extravagant details, but a simple silk cloth.
One each temple, the princess had a long ice shard that looked like glass surrounding her ears. The shards were triangular and started from the base of her ears and ended a little above her head. Her skin was pale but there were fine scars on it.
As the two of them got closer, Arthur realized her eyes were covered in a thin layer of ice. They were looking blankly ahead, unfocused, and their irises were fully white.
"Young Miss," Neray bowed his body and the princess turned to him. However, she didn't look his way, but toward Arthur's direction. "I've come again with a present. The herb, Greatest Harmony, that would cure your eyes and awaken your powers."
"Oh," The princess's face was expressionless. "You make it sound as if the herb wasn't already on its way here." The Princess gave a thin smile.
"That is the reason I'm here." Neray said humbly. "I chanced upon the gardener during my arrival, made sure he gets into the city after the guards wanted to throw him out."
"For that you have my gratitude." The princess turned back toward Arthur. "Is he the One-Armed Seika that marchioness Larza sent word of?"
"Show her the leaf, slave." Neray gestured but before Arthur could move, the garden froze instantly. The princess floated in the air while glaring at Neray.
"This man, if the herb is indeed genuine, will be my savior." The princess mouthed out slowly. "Treat him with respect," Arthur could see his breath leaving a white trail. "No, as an equal."
Arthur's body didn't feel cold even though he saw the garden being frozen rapidly. Neray's body was covered in a layer of frost while he kept bowing. He breathed out and nodded.
"I understand, Princess Dia." Neray kept his head down. However, he didn't apologize to Arthur. Princess Dia seemed to understand that it would be impossible for him to do so and nodded.
The cold energy receded but the garden was still frozen. The frosting on Neray's body rapidly melted as white energy resembling flames appeared on his body.
"I would have to ask my father to defrost the garden again." Princess Dia sighed after she landed in her chair. Suddenly, the temperature started rising as Arthur heard footsteps from behind him.
"You can freeze anything you want; I will be there to melt the ice." A flaming man appeared from behind Arthur and Neray. He had two large wings of flame that flickered gently. His forehead had two red horns and his face was covered by a giant beard.
"Greetings, Duke Zenos!" Neray turned to the newcomer hurriedly and bowed. "Apologies for not visiting you sooner, I wanted to check on Princess Dia first."
"If it would have been anyone else, I would have had them beheaded." The Duke said nonchalantly. "Young Master Neray is an exception."
"Show me the herb, Seika." Princess Dia interrupted and all eyes turned to Arthur. He took out the leather bag and unbuttoned it. Light seeped out as the leaf followed Arthur's hand and appeared to the world.
The world buzzed as harmonious energy spread around. The cracks on the princess's face began to heal rapidly as an effect of the herb merging her powers.
"A miracle..." The princess looked at her hands with amazement. "They're disappearing." She reached out toward the leaf to touch it. Her body floated from the chair toward Arthur. However, the barrier around the herb prevented her as well.
"The herb only answers to this human?" The Duke looked on with a frown. "Open the barrier, gardener." He commanded but Arthur shook his head.
"I'm not the one who created it. The only difference is that it listens to me." Arthur answered. "The barrier is its way of protecting itself as it grows."
"Grows?" Duke Zenos frowned. "Are you saying it had yet to mature?"
"It has only been a week since I planted the seed, your grace." Arthur said. "The herb can be used, but it had yet to reach its full potential."
"How can it be used if the barrier is around it?" The Duke stroked his chin. Arthur turned to look at the princess.
"I can decrease the power I feed it so that the princess can connect to the herb herself. However, that would take a week at least and two at most."
"You want to spend time with the princess?" Neray scowled. "Impudent!" Threatening mana left his body but was shot down by the duke's low shout.
"Do you want to hurt the herb and ruin my daughter's future?" The Duke's tone held Neray back. Arthur noticed that he made sure to establish that the herb was the duke's priority, not Arthur himself.
'Does this mean I would be killed once the process if over?' Arthur wondered to himself. He returned the herb to the leather bag and the harmonious power disappeared.
"Since that's the case, you should rest now." Princess Dia said to Arthur. "Father, make sure the Seika is well rested before we start the process he mentioned."
***
After that, Arthur was given a suite. With a bath and a king-sized bed, he had to admit this was the first time he was well-rested. He took a bath and got a look at the giant scar on his shoulder, the only proof that he had a left arm to begin with.
The wound has closed thanks to a magic that Larza used, it was probably the same magic that kept his arm from rotting away. He touched it lightly and his heart started aching.
He sighed and picked up the towel with his right arm. He dried his body before wearing one of the outfits that he bought in preparation to meet the princess.
'Is she blind?' Arthur wondered as he remembered the way she behaved. 'Neray also mentioned curing her eyes. Is it a result of her powers conflicting?'
He didn't want to think along those lines, but curing her eyes might be a good start to lure her away from the mansion. All he needed to do was take her out so that Traitor and the young man would help him kidnap her.
He wore his clothes and tried to tidy up his hair before a knock arrived on his door. A voice called out for him to go to the main hall to meet the duke along with the herb.
Arthur sighed and took the bag with him and left his room. The mansions corridors were lined with windows that overlooked the scenery of the city. He arrived at the hall and someone announced his arrival.
"Gardener of Lady Larza has arrived." This was his identity, no one cared to ask him what his real name was. Arthur entered the hall that had a crowd of people inside.
All of them wore neatly-tailored clothes and had different traits. However, all of them were Demis except for one person who stood by the duke's side.
Arthur walked in and bowed toward the duke and the rest. The duke gestured for him to stand and Arthur proceeded to show the herb without being asked.
Whispers and murmurs spread in the hall as the light descended on them. The princess wasn't here and Arthur wasn't so sure of what to do next. Thankfully, the duke stood up and gave a speech.
"My Vessels, as you have seen, this is the start of a new age House of Phoenix." His fire wings spread wide that they almost reached the ceiling. "The herb sent by marchioness Larza will pave the way toward the rise of our kingdom. The Freda kingdom will only be a stepping stone until we conquer the continent."
The rest of the nobles began clapping as ambition appeared on their faces. The Duke of Fire raised his hand and the hall went quiet. He beckoned for Arthur to step up and introduced the only human-looking person in the hall.
The woman looked to be in her early thirties with a long robe and a giant hat that covered her head. Her eyes were violet and shone brightly in the already lit hall.
"This is our alchemist, Gala." The Duke said. "She's a witch, thus she's the perfect person to brew the potion that would cure my daughter."
Arthur's eyes shook when he heard the Duke's words. He looked at the woman who was smiling at him and tried to look for anything that would distinguish her from a human.
'This is one of the people who gave Rae that curse.' Arthur squinted his eyes as the witch licked her lips. 'I might be able to free both of us on this trip.'