Chapter 70: Safe Forest
Once Princess Ez departed the tent, Tarah imdiately noted the exhaustion etched onto Queen Dana’s face. "I’ll be staying here, Your Majesty. Why don’t you rest for a while?" she suggested.
The older woman nodded appreciatively. "Alright, I’ll excuse myself first then," she gratefully nodded. "Please send word as soon as my son is back."
"I will," Tarah replied politely, offering a reassuring smile.
Taking her place in her usual seat, Tarah simply watched while waiting for Ezekiel to contact her again. While she waited, she seized the opportunity to engage Wizard Lurio in conversation, seeking further advice on refining her teleportation spell.
"You’ve made remarkable progress. Perfecting the spell in such a short ti is a testant to your skill, and I have every confidence you’ll refine it even further with practice," Wizard Lurio advised, his tone encouraging.
Tarah nodded enthusiastically in agreent, her smile widening at the prospect. She eagerly anticipated the opportunity to hone her abilities, determined to perfect the spell through diligent practice.
As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Tarah sensed Ezekiel’s call through their bond.
[I’m ready to return, Tarah,] he inford her. [Please tell Wizard Lurio to create the portal to where he sent
before.]
[I’ll relay the ssage, your Highness,] Tarah responded.
Without delay, she inford Queen Dana and Wizard Lurio of Ezekiel’s request. The wizard swiftly complied, wasting no ti in creating a portal for the Prince’s return.
Tarah’s cheeks flushed with embarrassnt as she swiftly turned away upon seeing the prince erge from the portal completely naked. She didn’t think that was what would happen at all.
’This is awkward,’ she thought, debating on whether or not to make a quick exit while Wizard Lurio was still with them.
As if sensing her distress, the wizard stated, "I should leave first for now, your Majesty," he inford, almost acting as if he was itching to leave the tent. "I shall inform the Queen that you have returned."
As the wizard left, Tarah felt a surge of protest rise from within her. Shouldn’t she be the one to inform the Queen instead and leave them since they were the sa gender? Then again, she was the Prince’s personal assistant, so she should be the one assisting him right now. Resigned, she inwardly cursed as she hurriedly grabbed so clothes for the Prince, determined to rectify the situation.
Thankfully, it wasn’t the first ti Tarah had encountered a naked man. However, Ezekiel’s presence had an inexplicable effect on her, igniting a rush of excitent and adoration in her that made her heart race. It was a strange sensation, one she couldn’t quite understand yet. Perhaps it was because she had harbored feelings for him long before eting him in person?
"It’s fine, Tarah. You don’t need to assist
with dressing myself," the prince said in his masculine voice, breaking the awkward silence that had settled between them. It had been a while since they had spoken face to face like this.
Tarah managed a smile, consciously keeping her gaze fixed on his face as she handed him his clothes. "Your clothes, your Highness," she said quickly, turning away from him to give him privacy.
"Thank you," Ezekiel’s voice broke the silence. Moving quietly, he got dressed before turning to her once more. "You can turn around now."
Tarah obeyed, feeling a wave of relief wash over her the mont she saw him dressed in his regal attire. "Welco back, your Highness," she greeted him warmly, offering him her sweetest smile. Looking at him now, she couldn’t help but notice the blush that colored his cheeks, causing her own smile to widen.
"Thank you," he replied simply, his expression a half-smile that caught Tarah off-guard. She blinked rapidly, montarily taken aback by the unexpected sight of him smiling.
"The dragon soul is no longer troubling . I believe I am fully in control now," Ezekiel remarked. "Before returning here, I also experinted with shifting between my human and dragon forms at will, and I did it with ease. It’s truly fascinating to possess this kind of power."
Tarah nodded in agreent. Inwardly, however, she couldn’t shake off the nagging concern building within.
’It would be much safer if Vulcan’s corrupted soul was permanently removed from your body,’ she thought, acutely aware of the ongoing threat lurking within Ezekiel.
"Your Highness, may I go out for a while?" Tarah suddenly requested, her mind already racing with the urgency of her mission. She couldn’t afford to waste any ti as it was. "I need to practice so spells that require space."
There was a tense silence before Ezekiel spoke up. "Have Cora accompany you. I will et with my n," he instructed. "And do not venture beyond the protection barrier."
"I understand, Your Highness," Tarah replied, offering him a brief bow before swiftly exiting the tent, her determination unwavering as she set out to fulfill her task.
With her mind made up, Tarah left the tent. Before she could go too far, Cora quickly approached her."Your Grace, are you going sowhere?"
Tarah nodded in affirmation. "I would like to practice my magic sowhere where I won’t be disturbed."
"Co with
then. I’ll take you to a clearing in a safe forest not far from our encampnt," Cora suggested with evident enthusiasm. "It’s just a short walk from here!"
Tarah simply nodded in agreent, walking beside Cora as they made their way through the forest. The mont they arrived, she imdiately took note of their surroundings.
"This area is truly ideal," Tarah remarked, appreciating the serene surroundings.
"Indeed, Milady," Cora eagerly nodded. "There’s even a hot spring nearby if you’re interested. It’s quite relaxing!"
Tarah chuckled at the suggestion. "As tempting as that sounds, I need to focus on my practice for now," she smiled. "You can leave
here for now, Cora. I’ll require so ti alone. There are spells I need to perfect that require concentration."
"But Prince Ezekiel might not approve of
leaving you alone," Cora protested.
Tarah shook her head. "No, he won’t mind. I need solitude to ditate and hone my skills," she insisted. "I’m certain he’ll understand my need for privacy."
Hesitantly, Cora nodded before leaving. Grateful for her friend’s understanding, Tarah seized the mont to act swiftly. With determination in her heart, she retrieved the draconite stone and activated its power, rendering herself invisible. Moving in silence, she then walked towards a direction beyond the protective barrier surrounding the encampnt.
Ensuring she was hidden from view and alone, Tarah wasted no ti in contacting Devon. "My Lord, I have urgent news," she spoke quietly into the communication bond.
In an instant, a black portal materialized before her. Without hesitation, Tarah entered, knowing that this was her chance to make significant moves. She had many plans to set into motion and now seed to be the perfect opportunity. While she appeared to have news for Devon, her true intentions lay elsewhere - she needed to relay a crucial ssage to Asura.
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