Mei Ruan May 20th,20xx

The pressure the figure emitted was so heavy that it made me sick.

I wanted to run toward the figure,

I wanted to run away.

I was stuck in place.

The magic in the air was so saturated that it was hard to breathe. I struggled to inhale and struggled even harder to exhale as the golden figure approached me.

The sensation of this magic running through me was…. Wonderful.

It was addictive, it was-

I tried to keep my senses about me as the figure came even closer to me, stopping right in front if me. A delicate hand grabbed me by the chin and tilted my face up to hers.

It was a movement that would have been impossible to resist, even if I had wanted to. Her golden eyes bore into mine and her wings gently fluttered even as she flew in a single spot. She hadn’t touched the floor once since she had emerged from her ‘rest’ and hovered above everyone else with leisure.

This was a royal.

Her bright golden wings and hair shone aggressively and made it hard to look straight at her, but her beauty and languid way of moving made it even harder to look away. Her strong palm kept my face still as she looked me over, jerking my head this way and that.

“So you’re the one my grand son chose? Can’t say I’m too impressed.”

I had stopped breathing and could only focus on the feeling of her palm against my skin. The direct contact nearly overwhelmed me, and I struggled to keep control on my self. If I dared open myself and let the magic invade me, I would end up breaking myself and would either die or would never be able to use magic again. The overwhelming feelings of obsession washed over me in waves but unlike with Cai I didn’t dare do anything and had to fight with the now familiar feelings.

Still, she was too close.

“Your majesty.”

I should have requested her to let me go before what little strands of reasoning left my body and I sought my death but the feeling of being near her was too sweet. It was stifling and intrusive but gentle and addictive.

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“Well, I suppose I can commend you for resisting for so long. It must be difficult for you to be as close to me as you are.”

The queen, Heloise, spoke in a soft tone. It never fluctuated or wavered and never rose or dipped. It was steady as a note played on an instrument and was just as, or even more pleasing to hear.

“Your highness, you’ve awakened early."

Cambridge cautiously stepped forward with a stony expression and quickly resumed her kneel, looking at the shadow the queen cast as she flew.

“Yes, unfortunately. Looks like my failsafe was activated.”

“Your failsafe? Your highness.”

Cambridge tacked on the honorific like she had forgotten, and that was a testament to how flustered she most likely was. If my memory served me correctly Cambridge had only entered the palace after Heloise had gone to rest. She wasn’t any more used to the queen than I was.

Well, at least she’d had her perception sealed by Belpheobe before the former queen had passed. I hoped she was having an easier time than I was.

“Yes, yes, its something all of us do if we can, to protect the last awake member of the royal line and save them if we can. Since this one is the reason, I wasn’t awaked to rescue my daughter, I should try my best to save him. Right?”

She tossed the question out like she expected an answer, but no one dared respond. She suddenly looked down to her hand which still held my face and let out a small chuckle.

“Look at what that child did to you. You’ve suffered General.”

At first, I was confused about what she was talking about but it cleared up when she finally removed her hand from my chin and moved it up to my forehead. In quick succession, she tapped me on the forehead three times, twice on the crown of my scalp and four times at the back of my head.

I felt the pressure on me suddenly lighten and felt my body falling backward, out of my kneel and onto the floor. I quickly caught myself, unwilling to humiliate myself like that in front of the queen and could only struggle to keep my balance as she looked at me with an amused smile.

I suddenly realized what she had done and could only repeat my thinks as many times as I could.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you your majesty!”

She let out a soft chuckle in response and waved off my thanks with a delicate flick of her wrist.

“Speak less child. It wasn’t too much of a hassle.”

I wasn’t sure of the exact details but if felt like she had erased my sensitivity to royal magic. I wasn’t sure of the mechanics of the spell, as casual as she had made it look but I did know that it wasn’t something I would ever be able to do, or even understand. I could still sense magic as well as ever, better even, but couldn’t feel the intense obsession that usually came with being near a royal. IT wasn’t a seal, that I knew. What I didn’t know was what t actually was.

“Don’t bother analyzing it too deeply dear. I'll explain it to you once I’ve saved my grandson.”

She finished her sentence and waited for me to get up and lead the way.

“Your highness! If you’ll wait Ill assemble a regime to follow you!”

She cut Cambridge off with a wave and even went as far as to sneer at her suggestions.

“And what exactly could a regime do? Protect me?”

She let out a good-hearted chuckle at her own joke and then floated off, leaving me to chase after her and lead the way back to where I had left Cai.

She had said she was awoken because he was in danger, so I could only pray that he would hold out long enough for me to get there.