Castel POV
The oak doors groaned on their hinges as I violently kicked them open. On the bed, Arastella lay entirely motionless. Surrounding her, two of my personal guards and three maids were already kneeling on the stone floor, their bodies trembling.
Kiono stood at the foot of the bed, his head bowed, while Mell hovered directly over her. Mell's hands were moving in frantic, tight circles, a glowing golden-yellow seal hovering above her chest, flickering erratically like a dying flame.
"Someone better start talking," I snarled, the sound a low rumble that rattled the glass in the windows.
"Why the fuck is the Queen unconscious?"
No one answered fast enough. I could feel the absolute last of my control slipping away.
"Speak," I commanded.
My eyes glowed. The very foundations of the room began to vibrate and shake, loose jewelry and goblets rattling. I watched with grim satisfaction as beads of sweat instantly broke out on the foreheads of the maids, the guards, and even Mell.
"We—we heard her screaming, My King," one of the maids stammered, her face pressed flat against the floor. "When we rushed in, she was speaking about the void... she was talking to herself, completely manic, before she just passed out."
Mell pulled his hands back, the golden seal dissolving into harmless sparks. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his face grim. "I have tried everything, and nothing is working. This might be a mind and not a body thing, my King."
"Fuck off, all of you, before I rip your throats out."
They didn't need to be told twice. The maids and guards practically scrambled over one another, scurrying out of the room in a pathetic, panicked rush. Mell cast one last wary glance at Arastella before slipping out behind them.
Just as the room was clearing, the little maid toy that Kiono had been dragging around the palace pushed her way inside. She was pale, her breathing shallow, but her jaw was set with a desperate kind of defiance.
I ignored her for a moment, walking over to the mattress. I sat on the edge, taking my queen's cold hand into mine. With my other hand, I carefully, gently stroked her hair, my fingers lingering on her soft skin. The contrast between my rage and her stillness was maddening.
Without looking back, I let my voice drop to a lethal whisper. "Kiono, I told you last time what would happen to this toy of yours if you don't control her."
The little maid instantly dropped to her knees, her voice desperate but clear. "My King, I was right about the void. Please, spare me so I can help the queen."
I turned my head slowly to look at her. As I did, I caught the split-second silence between her and Kiono. They flashed a heavy, loaded glance at one another—something was entirely off between them. The air between the two of them felt strange, icy tension.
But I didn't care about their petty drama. I wanted my queen saved first.
"Stand up," I ordered. She stood, her legs slightly stiff, and walked over to the side of the bed.
"I need some time to pull her out."
"You have five minutes," I replied, leaning back, my hand still resting on Arastella's.
"Or then I will kill you right here in front of your lover boy."
I could hear her breathing quicken instantly, her heart pounding a frantic rhythm. She reached out, her fingers trembling slightly as she touched Arastella's hand. The moment their skin connected, the maid's head snapped back and her eyes rolled into the back of her head, leaving nothing but blank white.
A dark, amused smirk pulled at my lips. "Well, shit. Would you look at that, Kiono? You found a bitch that's actually useful."
Silence met my jibe. No snarky comeback, no defensive posture, no word from him at all. That was weird.
I turned my head fully to look his way, finally noticing that his head was completely down, his shoulders rigid, his eyes fixed entirely on the floorboards.
"What is wrong with you?" I asked, tilting my head. "Do you have a stick up your ass?"
Kiono took a slow, heavy breath, his voice devoid of any its usual lighthearted warmth.
"We are no longer together, Cas. So if you could refrain from making jabs."
"Oh." A sharp, genuine laugh barked out of my chest. I looked from his miserable face down to the unconscious maid currently drowning in my queen's mind. "Does that mean I can kill her now, then?"