The Tiger Within 412 Sleeping Tiger, Hidden Princess

"Kyera will still need rest. She is stable now, but I can not completely heal her. One of the curses of my duty is a need to maintain the weave of time and s.p.a.ce. For every action I make, and every wound I heal there is a balancing consequence. Kyera chose to have her family take her life to protect her people, and her blood healed the flower. If I took that wound away, your people would pay the price. As little as I care about that, I know she would never forgive herself." The Reaper G.o.ddess sat down on the bed beside her niece and ran her hand soothingly through her hair. Kyera's face was drenched in sweat as her body began the long road to healing.

"Is there anything that can be done?" Sansor asked, honestly not happy with the answer given. Despite being at odds with his cousin, he wanted to help her now if he could. Seeing the pain in her eyes was enough to make his distaste for her marriage completely dissipate.

While the family tried to work things out with the Reaper, The Shadow King stood back paying little to no attention to the room. His mind was focused on his realm, his eyes and ears within his lands. It didn't take him long to find Clovis at his son's side, near the Portal between lands. Thankfully, it seemed the human boy had gained the support of his sons… or at least most of them. A soft frown curved the Shadow Master's lips as he realized one particular son didn't seem to be acting as shadow guard. No matter, Three Princes were more than enough to ensure Clovis's safe return.

With that handled, he adjusted himself on the bed leaning down to Kyera's ear. "He will be home soon, your brothers will see him home." he rea.s.sured her, laying a light kiss to her cheek. The room was quiet and frozen seeing him kiss her cheek like that.

The Matriarch walked toward the bed a bit hesitantly, her eyes filled with conflict as she stared at the bloodied dress, her mind flashing back to so long ago. Pain corsed through her heart as she remembered the last time she stood before a member of her family coated in their own blood.

How ironic that the last person to lay on that bed, bleeding to death was the man who claimed this child as his granddaughter. She felt no pity for her son long pa.s.sed, he had deserved his fate and yet here Kyera lay years later, though she did nothing to deserve it besides be born with the honor he should have shown. How his actions had shaped his family's lives… he didn't live to see. His memory and spirit had so much to be proud of… Crystalsa couldn't help but be glad he was gone. His pride could not taint his grandchild's life as it had the royal family. SO many skeletons now hung in their closet that he had placed there.

"Lady, your dark thoughts are tainting her air. Please calm yourself or shall I move Kyera to another room or perhaps another country altogether?" The Reaper asked, raising a brow, she didn't care who this woman was to her niece. In her mind she had failed Kyera as a elder, and had no right to interfere with her healing.

"No, it would not be stable. I… I simply wish there was more I could do now…" Crystalsa admitted, banishing the past back to where it belonged. There were more important things to focus on now, afterall she lay so weakly on the bed. Her skin pale as death.

"Good, then be a Grandmother and go console your Granddaughter." The Shadow King ordered shaking his head as he watched the woman. He knew what was going through her mind. Afterall, he knew the truth of Akira's heritage better than most. Though Crystalsa belived she knew the truth, only he knew for sure who Akira's father had been. The blood that ran through both Kyera's veins and her brothers was a lie, and no one knew that better than he himself.

Crystalsa walked to the bed and settled herself hesitant at the edge, Reaper moved back, giving the old woman a place to sit at Kyera's side. She reached out, taking Kyera's hand a bit tentatively. The three stayed close while the rest of the family stood quietly, unsure of what they should do. Reever and his family slipped out, giving them their s.p.a.ce. Bryson sent Ramsey and Myra off to get Myra something to eat and perhaps some rest. He and Sansor stayed quietly in the room, near the fire, where they could be of most use. They waited anxiously for those golden eyes to open and see them there.

Kyera, asleep on the bed as her body addressed the damage that had been done, barely aware of the love and concern that poured over her in that bed. For once, despite her being so far away from the forest she called home away from her mother and her siblings final resting place she was cared for more than she had ever been before. Though her heart felt a little empty, the one scent her mind searched for left a emptiness in her heart, a mournful feeling like a pale black aura seemed to form around her as her family stood watch.