The King's Mistress

Chapter 43: Blessed

Standing before her were the King and Queen. Together with them was one of the priestesses of Patron Hall. Behind them, were two huge statues that almost reached the ceiling. The carvings were intricate and full of details.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, you called for me?"

"Yes," Queen Roxine said with a smile as she held out her hand to Sierra, beckoning her to come forward.

Sierra walked up to them, standing between the King and Queen. The messenger who accompanied them had already retreated away. Sierra glanced over to the two statues. She was in awe of how each of them looked so life-like.

If either of them blinked, she would have thought they were real.

"Do you know who these are, Sierra?" the Queen asked.

"If my eyes do not fail me, they are the Celestial Pair. Dravin the Dragon and Fyra the Phoenix," she replied while keeping her eyes on the statues.

They were haunting to look at.

"Do you know why we’ve brought you here?" Alistair asked with a cheeky grin.

He looked on at Sierra with anticipation, waiting to see her reaction. But to what? She did not know. Not yet. Sierra turned to look at the expression on their faces. Both the King and Queen were looking at her with smiles on their faces.

It cannot be something bad. It was as if something clicked in Sierra’s mind. Her mouth was agape.

"No... but didn’t they say it was... what..." she was in complete disbelief.

Sierra’s expression turned dark as she furrowed her eyebrows. What if she could not control the powers? What if she goes mad or hurts someone?

Roxine placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

"Do not worry, Sierra. We are here to guide you," she said with a smile.

Queen Roxine went on to explain what truly happened. When Sierra dripped her blood into the fire and the first carvings began to light up, the six Patrons in the main hall did not react. But one of the Celestial Pair did.

Sierra was asked to hold out her palm. The wound from the ceremonial dagger was still there. Roxine and Alistair beckoned her to hold out her hand before the two statues. She walked up to them and did as she was told.

A gust of wind blew past her. Sierra was stunned. She looked up at both statues, wondering which of the two had favored her.

It was Dravin.

The gemstone eyes of the dragon were glowing brightly, contrasting the dim lighting around them. A spirit form of a dragon burst forth from the statue, circling all of them before entering Sierra’s heart. She instantly felt a new form of energy coursing through her veins.

A low rumble could be felt all around them. Sierra was stunned. Alistair’s prediction was accurate, she gained the favor of Dravin the Dragon. She looked up at the King and Queen in shock.

"It’s a rare gift to be favored by Dravin, Sierra. You truly are special. No wonder the King has taken an interest in you," Roxine chuckled as she hid half of her face behind a folding lace fan.

Alistair chuckled along too, "Now now, Roxine, don’t go spreading around these baseless rumors. Sierra is... interesting."

He glanced over to her with a smile, "With or without the favor of Dravin."

"My, it’s my bad then. Please humbly accept my apologies," Roxine played along.

All of them laughed together, Sierra joined in awkwardly as he did not know what else to do.

"But this still does not explain what happened earlier though. Perhaps Sierra has gained the favors of two Patrons? It is not unheard of but... very rare," Alistair commented.

"I... might have an explanation for that," Sierra said as she bit her lip.

She lifted her hand and folded up her sleeves to reveal Opal before their eyes. Roxine gasped in surprise while Alistair raised an eyebrow. He was intrigued by this little snake that was coiled on Sierra’s arm.

Opal lifted her head to look at the King and Queen. Sierra looked at her too. She did not notice anything different about Opal, wondering what the blessing of Nysa the Sea Serpent might do to her pet snake.

"Fascinating, a white snake with color-changing scales. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it." Alistair gasped in amazement as he leaned in to take a closer look.

He held out his finger to Opal. While the snake usually shied away from other humans apart from Sierra, she was friendly with Alistair.

"She likes you,," Sierra explained with a smile as Opal leaned her head on Alistair’s finger.

Roxine was still in shock. She turned to the priestess and asked, "Has there ever been any records of animals receiving the favors of the Patrons?"

The priestess paused in thought for a moment before replying. Animals were thought to have closer connections to the Patrons as compared to humans.

However, there were hardly any records of animals blessed or favored by the Patrons. That being said, spirit animals do exist in untouched lands across the Drakin Kingdom. Sightings and records of these animals prove that they are different from their regular animal counterparts.

They were usually larger in size, hard to kill, and possess unique abilities. Sierra smiled as she looked down at Opal.

"I guess we will just have to wait and see what Opal is capable of."

Later that evening, Queen Roxine was lounging in her room when Marrionne entered.

"My Queen, the informant has arrived," she informed the Queen. frёewebηovel.cѳm

Roxine got up from her day bed seat and proceeded to the Drawing Room. The informant she had sent to the Kingdom of Cair had returned.

Upon seeing the Queen, he immediately got down onto his knees to greet her.

"Give me the details," Roxine ordered as she took a seat on the sofa. Marionne brought her a cup of hot tea as they listened to what the informant had to say. ƒreewebɳovel.com

When the informant finished their report, neither of them could keep their mouths shut. Both were agape, surprised by the discovery. After the informant left, Marionne turned to Roxine who had largely remained quiet.

"Your Highness, should we tell the King..."

Roxine shook her head, "No, not yet."

She got up from her seat and pondered for a moment. Looking out at the dark moonlight sky, Roxine let out a sigh. She turned her head slightly towards her maid who immediately came forward, awaiting orders.

"Bring Princess Sierra here at once. If she resists, use force."

"As you wish, My Queen."