Ira Emerson Elysian

I stared at the girl in front of me and eyed her from head to toe. There was no mistaking in saying that the blood of Ezèrian ran through her veins.

Her long white hair was in a messy side ponytail with puff and wavy bangs. Her face was admirable but I didn't spend much time on observing it. She wore a beige linen cottagecore dress that fitted her slim body perfectly. Her clear gray eyes suddenly bored into mine, making me instantly break the eye contact by looking away.

She smiled amusingly.

I didn't like that.

"Is this the Ezèrian?" I asked the maids as they nodded immediately, their heads bent down. "I wasn't expecting a female, but. . ." I pondered for a while. "As long as she can heal me, that's all matters to me." I said firmly, straightening my posture.

We were in the backyard where anyone hardly came and with everyone being occupied with the preparation of Ember's amalgamation, someone coming here was out of question - so I was relaxed for once.

It was early, the sun had just risen, the beginning of dawn and I noticed how the soft rays of sunshine was falling upon the Ezèrian's face, brightening her face. She was standing where the sun rays could directly land on her while I was in the shadow, hiding from the illumination.

I dismissed the maids by saying, "Fine. You may leave. I won't reveal your treachery."

Both of them smiled brightly, as if they just found their will to live again and was about to say something pretentious when I raised my hand. They nodded and left quietly, leaving only me and the Ezèrian who was pretty much finding everything amusing.

Once the maids left, the Ezèrian curtsied and began, "Your Royal Highness, the sun of Elysia, Prince Ira Emerson Elysian, it's an honour to heal someone as great and honourable as you and I can assure you my pow-"

"Oh, please, cut it out," I waved my hand at her, gesturing her to stop and she did.

While still bending, she raised her head, cocking one of her white eyebrow at me, sunlight descending on her cheek, her crystal clear eyes forming another hue due to the brightness and for a mere second, letting my guards down, I was gravitated.

"If you say so, Your Highness." she stood straight and said, "Please allow me to introduce myself -- my name is Ilayna Lilith Echethier-I'm a Water elementalist. As a Gifted Ezèrian, my gift is being a Healer. I'm from-"

I cut her off again, this time with a sigh. "We will be spending less than ten minutes with each other. I do not wish to know about your life, Miss Echethier. All I want to know is that can you heal my wounds?"

She looked irritated by me and tried her best to not let it show. "Yes, Your Highness. I can heal every types of wounds-as long as it is not a disease," she told me sincerely as I bobbed my head.

"Very well, then," I clasped my hands together. "Let's begin the procedure." I was about to take off my clothes when she suddenly spoke, her voice missing the sweet attitude and replaced with the opposite of it.

"Your Highness, if you are assuming that I will spend my energy on you cost-free, I am afraid to tell you that you are wrong," she said, her demeanour suddenly snarky.

I stopped midway of taking off my clothes and pulled my silk chiffon shirt down. "Ah, yes yes," I remembered. "Of course. Everything comes with a cost." I looked for the satchel where I had put something that'd instantly make her say yes to my offer.

I pointed towards the satchel that lay on the ground-- a few feet away from her. "There," her gaze landed on the satchel as she raised her eyebrow. "There are hundred gold coins there. Will that be enough?"

She scoffed, making me confused. Wasn't hundred gold coins enough? It was more than enough! "Do you need more?" I asked, frowning.

She glared at me with her clear eyes, her eyes suddenly darkened along with her facial expressions, making me wary. Was she going to create a flood or something? Because I didn't pay her enough?

I also don't have any weapon to defend myself.

Just when I was about to speak, she cut me off by walking towards the satchel and instead of picking it up like any other sane person would do, she kicked it lightly, making my raise my eyebrow. What was up with her?

"Your Highness, do you really think you can buy me with this?" she kicked the satchel again, this time with more force than before.

I sighed. Who knew this was going to be this much time consuming and tiring? My back was stinging from all the feathers being plucked out by me and me riding the horse to look for Elliot last night made the condition more worse. I had to get it healed as soon as possible- before my father starts doubting.

After Elliot had left father's chamber last night, father had sighed and turned to me, saying there was something wrong with my behaviour lately. I'd been scared and my fear soon came to reality when he had asked me to release my renèi Possession. I had changed the subject continuously until we were no longer in that subject and soon, when he was needed in the court room, he'd left but I knew he'd ask me about my wings again and this time I'd have to release it.

He can't know that I'm turning into what I am - a Naught.

He can't know my feathers are falling.

"I don't have anything else to repay you," I said honestly.

"I don't want any of the things you are going to offer. I will say what I want," she said sternly as she took a step towards me.

She was no longer being bathed by the sunlight, her and I were in the same spot, both in the shadow, our faces having mere inches of distance and she wasn't fearing me. Her eyes that had turned darker than the shadow that we were in only showed one thing: determination.

"And what is it that you want in exchange for healing me, miss Echethier?"

Her answer was immediate and clear. "Make me your knight."

I stared at her, cocking my head to a side while blinking as she stared back at me, her electric eyes enchanting, almost entrancing me to the point that I just wanted to stay.

I'd never gotten so close to someone, not to an Ezèrian at that, mostly because I was told to stay away from them - they were potent, godly, invincible and always seeking to rule but why did I feel like this one was safe?

"It must be because of my lack of sleep that I'm hallucinating and hearing unnecessary and irrational utterances - could you repeat your statement again, miss Echethier?" I finally spoke, breaking the eye contact, taking a step backward, going more into the darkness, and she came along with me.

She exhaled and inhaled before speaking again. "I said," she began, taking another step towards me, closing the little distance between us as her jasmine fragrance greeted my nostrils, as if pulling me towards her.

She eyed me darkly before spitting the next words. "Make - me - your - knight!"

I raised my eyebrows, surprised I didn't hear anything wrong and I was right. "As in my personal knight? Is that what you're talking about?"

"Yes, whatever the hell it is,"

I bobbed my head, not surprised by her choice of words. "And what makes your feeble mind think that I'll choose an Ezèrian as my guard? The very Ezèrian I despise,"

I wouldn't have raised my eyebrows in surprise if it wasn't for her smiling, dimples appearing in her right cheek, making me feel something that I was oblivious to and wanted to discard as soon as possible.

"Because," she began, both of us having a few inches of distance, her voice a mere whisper but because of the closeness, it was as clear as her eyes. "I'm your last option now." with that being said, she took a step back and I finally released the breath that I was holding, my chest suddenly thumping.

"There are rarely any Ezèrian out there, let alone Giften ones- most of them got executed by the King's men and anti-Ezèrian organisations. By the time you find a Healer who's perfect for this job, it'll be too late for any magic to heal you," she reasoned while tucking a strand of hair behind her pierced ears that was covering her eyes.

"How are you so sure it'll be too late for healing? As much as I'm aware, Healers can pretty much heal everything," I pointed out.

"We have limitations and restrictions too. It takes our whole energy just to heal a small wound. Who do you think is ready risk their own life just for some gold coins?" she gestured towards the satchel while cringing.

"Besides, most of the Gifted Ezèrian who are Healers don't even practice healing that much- they're too afraid to even manipulate natural forces," she scoffed as she locked her eyes with me, again gravitating me.

"But Your Highness, I am an experienced Water Elementalist and Healer," she smirked, reaching towards me again. "I'm ready to risk myself for you,"

"Miss Echethier, you're an Ezèrian, a manipulator of natural force," I said calmly as the hope in her eyes died.

"So, what if I'm an Ezèrian? So what if I'm potent? Doesn't that just makes it more reasonable for you to choose me as your bodyguard?" she said, her voice desperate.

"My father will kill you."

"With what? His renèi Possession? I'm damn stronger than some possessions! I'm the strongest Power Holder!" she said angrily, gritting her teeth, clenching her jaw.

"He took down five armies of Ezèrian by those possessions, you're nothing in front of him,"

She let out a frustrated sigh while slumping her shoulders.

"Why're you so desperate to become a dame?" I finally asked, sighing and almost feeling sad for her.

"Because I want a position!" she glared at me, anger burning in her crystal eyes.

"My parents were killed by the King's men. My whole family was. My cousin and I were the only survivors. And now, the Ezèrian are being taken forcefully. . . I don't know where but I think they're being sold," she looked at me hopefully.

The contract between the empress and my father.

One gets the princess and the other gets the Ezèrian.

"I'd have fought, I'd have fought for myself if it wasn't for them using Mind Possessors to forcefully take us," she explained. "I know the moment I try to attack, a Mind Manipulator is most likely to possess my mind and manipulate it,"

It was my idea.

It was my idea to use Mind Possessors to traffic the Ezèrian as there was no way renèi Possessors can stand a chance against Elementalists, but, if we were to use our brains and think, we could, actually - by using the Mind Possessors. Therefore, I had hurriedly told father to use Mind Manipulators of Mind Possessors to manipulate the Ezèrian and traffic them.

Guilt filled my heart that was already burdened by enough guilt.

"Just a few days ago, I was taken to the Eirlys Empire - forcefully - and was told to heal the emperor against my will - they didn't care about my health, the restrictions, my limitations, nothing," her cracked voice brought me back to reality as she continued.

"I had to escape!" she glared at me as I immediately broke the eye contact, too ashamed.

"And I'm damn sure they're going to look for me again so I need a position before that!" She finished.

"A position that will guarantee my safety and what could be more better than being a bodyguard of a Prince?" just like before, her demeanour changed and she smiled at me and for some reason, my eyes were not leaving the sight of her smile.

Snap out of it! She's a witch! An Ezèrian!

I glanced at her with a side look. "So, basically what you want is protection from me while also granting me protection,"

"Yes, Your Highness,"

I pressed my forehead, curls of my hair falling on my fingers as I thought about her offer.

An Ezèrian offering me to heal me in return of making her my royal bodyguard, meaning she'd be my tail, following me everywhere, protecting me from any dangers. The only problem? She was an Ezèrian.

My father's words rang in my ears.

I'll execute every last one of them.

I shook my head when I imagined her being executed.

Now, there were two things I could think of doing right now- one, I could reject her offer and end up suffering with the excruciating pain, keep losing my feathers until there's no wings, while also waiting for another Gifted Ezèrian who might or might not be the perfect Healer for my condition and by that time, father is mostly likely to realise that his son is turning into what he is, a Naught and losing his Possession.

Two, I could put her into a disguise, make her my bodyguard only until I'm completely healed and I could get rid of her and by that time, we'd be done with Elliot's amalgamation and the contract, making her be safe from being trafficked.

Although the latter option was the easiest one, it was still too risky.

It could cost her life.

Right. It could cost her life - not mine. It'd be her loss - not mine.

I sighed again, but this time, not in frustration but in confirmation.

"Alright," I began. "Let's get you disguised first."

***

and another ira pov! how was it?
and we also got a new character! how do you like ilayna?

i hope ira and ilayna's screen time won't distract y'll from what's actually happening in the story and i'll try my best to not make it too distracting or anything like that .

BUT if you think this was deflecting, don't hesitate to tell me <3
it's just that i feel like i have given too much attention to ember and ira deserves some screen time too cause he's also one of the main character here? and since he's having some character development i thought this would be better ?? i hope that makes sense xD

anyways, thank you so much for reading <3