328: Irreparable Damage

Irreparable Damage

The sigh that followed Drayce's response was caught by Arlan. Now that they were on the subject, he recalled his friend's mate was still unmarked despite being married for several months.0

"Have you tried to mark Seren as well?" Arlan asked. 

"Hmm, and I scared the hell out of her that she could not even bear to look at me back then. My mere presence brought her distress," Drayce replied, his brows creasing at the unsavory memory of the early days of their marriage. 

"I guess I was fortunate Oriana was asleep and didn't realize what I did." Arlan let out a sigh of relief, but there was something else that troubled him. "But it's strange. There was something different about her tonight which provoked the beast in me to mark her. Something about her…"

"Scent?" Drayce remarked upon  seeing Arlan's confusion.

Arlan thought for a bit before nodding. "Her scent was the same but different, more… tempting? I'm not sure how to put it into words. Back when she was bleeding, her scent was strong enough to the point that being near her drove me crazy, but it was somewhat manageable since I understand that it was the instinct to mate trying to swallow my rationality. But earlier, there was no strong distinction. It's like, I don't know, I was enchanted without realizing it."

"It must be her fertile days," Drayce commented, only to get a questioning look from Arlan. "It means she's ovulating."

"Hmm?"

Drayce sighed helplessly at his friend. "Do I have to keep track of your mate's monthly cycle or what? Were you not paying attention to biology lessons back in the academy? Can't you keep track of when she bled and when she would be in her fertile days?"

Arlan scoffed. "Why would I remember that stuff? I'm not a woman. Besides, it's my first time having a woman and we just started to know each other. How would I know her being in fertile days can affect me like this?"

"You speak as if I have experience with women before marrying Seren."

The two men could only scowl at each other in silence. In fact, neither of them were very knowledgeable in this department. Before meeting their mates, both Drayce and Arlan spent their days either working in the palace or leading armies through the battlefield. Drayce kept away from people in general, much less women, while Arlan briefly interacted with noble ladies only during social gatherings and nothing beyond.

Drayce took great efforts to understand his naive wife after their marriage, educating himself in the process, making him somewhat more informed than his friend.

The young king spoke up first. "Like I said, these must be her most fertile days. With her like this, obviously the beast inside you wants to mate with her."

"What the hell is this?" Arlan spat out in annoyance. "This beast thing is getting more and more annoying. It was not easy for me to control myself when she was bleeding, just as I thought I have several weeks of normalcy,  I have to keep her away again?."

"You don't have to keep her away. You can just control yourself. Trust me you are already doing good. If you say you are a human, then it's best to act like one and not to let that beast have his way with your woman."

"Do I have any other option? he presence of that inner beast has already inflicted irreparable damage upon my life, and now additional complications are emerging."

"Irreparable damage?" Drayce interjected abruptly.

Arlan fell silent, his gaze shifting to his friend who had caught onto his words uttered in frustration.

"I simply mean that coexisting with him within me is no easy task."

Drayce arched an eyebrow, his tone firm. "I await your honesty."

"That's the truth, but you just can't resist prying," Arlan responded, rising to his feet. "I must take my leave now. It's getting late; you should return to your wife."

Just as Arlan was about to vanish, Drayce called out, "Wait."

"What are your intentions upon your return to Griven?" Worry about his friend was evident in Drayce's eyes. He was worried that Arlan could be reckless and might end up regretting something he did.

"I will be heading to Wimark. I need to get those Verners as swiftly as possible."

"And afterward? You have a mate, so what's your plan regarding your betrothed? Please don't tell me you intend to end her life; you know it's an unattainable goal as long as your father remains in power."

"Her fate is sealed. Even my father cannot alter it. Moreover, now that I have a mate, there's even more reason for that Verner girl to meet her demise. No one can stand by my side except my mate."

Drayce maintained a thoughtful silence as he observed Arlan's resolute countenance. "

Just remember, if you get even a little bit of a sense that you are doing something wrong, then you should listen to your heart."

As obstinate as Arlan was, he always heeded Drayce's advice He nodded in acknowledgment.

"Good night," Arlan bid his final words before vanishing from the scene.

----

The next morning, a bleary-eyed Oriana was greeted by the view of a familiar ceiling. She let out a leisurely yawn and stretched. Given how many times she had spent her nights in the guest mansion of Megaris, she had long gotten used to this room. 

Her brows furrowed the next moment at the last thing she remembered before falling asleep. 

'I was with His Highness, right? Sleeping in his arms? Did he personally bring me back last night? Looks like it.' 

She sat up in bed and discovered her clothing was changed into a comfortable night dress. 

'They managed to change my clothes without waking me up?' Oriana imagined several maids serving her. In their minds, they must have laughed at how Oriana slept like a log. 'This is so embarrassing. I was not even drunk. Why do I sleep so deeply these days? Is my body being weird or what?'

It did not take long for her to hear a knock, snapping her out of her daze. An unexpected albeit familiar voice called out from outside, "Are you awake, Miss Oriana? May I come in?"

"Ah, yes! I'm awake!" she blurted out.

"Good morning, Miss." Marie, one of Seren's personal maidservants, entered the room with a pleasant smile on her face. 

It was always Eva who came to serve Oriana, but to her surprise, it was Marie who took over her duty today. Oriana hardly got the chance to talk to the older of the two maids. 

"Good morning, Marie."

"You remember my name." The woman smiled. Draped in her arms was a clean set of brown attendant uniform symbolizing Arlan's Palace of Thistle. "I am here to help you, Miss Oriana. I have prepared your uniform and…" 

While Marie spoke, continued to talk, Oriana's distracted expression implied she wanted to say something. 

Marie could see that and thoughtfully asked, "Do you need something else, Miss Oriana?"

Oriana shook her head. "But I want to ask something."

"Please feel free to ask."

"You are a witch as well, right?"

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