Anything For You
Chapter 90

After the king departed from that place, the dead snake queen's body disappeared from that site. The king went to the other direction from which he came here, leaving the terrified little deer as such without harming or hunting it, who was hiding in the bushes to save his little life. The animal bleated in fear, yet he was acting as if he had got some more days to live, which he surely did. Afterwards, it went on its way, disappearing into the woods.

Egon gave a last look to all those places, before averting his gaze to Evanora, who was watching all these silently. He was looking at her as if trying to tell her to read his mind, which was urging to go to his late father, to know what exactly happened after that. Evanora snapped her fingers again, casting a spell, "movere deinceps". Within a swift moment, everything around them started to move as if the things have been fast forwarded. The situations, surroundings, and scenarios kept on changing with many days and night passing by in split seconds.

Egon and Evanora both stood besides the king's bed, who was on his dead bed and was only accompanied by Akhim and some soldiers. His wife was dead already because of a stab, that was done by an enemy while she was on her way back to the kingdom from her mother's home.

The king was having raspy breathings too. He was turning old with each passing moment. He had distanced himself from his only beloved son, Egon, saying that he was going on a battle. He did join the battle, and was wounded in that. But that wound never healed and went on being malignant and spreader into his whole body.

Tears were constantly rolling down from Egon's eyes looking at his father having his last breaths. But he just wanted to hug him on e before getting departed from him again, and this time for forever. When he was crying with muffled cries, by his bed side, the king suddenly turned his head towards his direction.

He wasn't able to see Egon and Evanora, according to Evanora's magical spells, but the moment his eyes landed on that empty bed side, tears rolled down, not stopping at all. Akhim, who was sitting besides him, was surprised with this gesture, and enquired the reason, to which the king gestured him to leave him alone for some moments, as be wanted to sleep for some time.

Not asking any questions further, Akhim thought that he might be missing his family, which caused tears in his eyes, and thought of giving him some alone time. Soon, everyone left the room. Now, the king was left alone, with magical Egon and Evanora by his bed side.

He slowly hauled up from his bed resorting to the wall, his eyes not leaving the side of his bed, where the duo were standing observing his each and every moment. He passed by both of them, and collected the artifact. He took out a sheet of paper, used some ink and write a letter to his dear son Egon, the same letter that Egon had got before leaving his kingdom.

After painfully writing the letter, he planted a soft kiss over it, and folded it into many layers, placing it inside the same artifact. Coming back to his bed side, he once again looked at Egon, who was invisible to him according to Evanora, and whispered, "I am sorry my son. I failed as a father. I should have listened to Akhim that day. Now, that curse is taking me away from you. But before leaving, I want you to know that.... That I... I loved you always. More than anything and anyone. After my death, take care of these people, and of yourself."

Egon turned horrified listening to all this, because the king was standing by his side and whispering all these words to his ears. It only meant that he had seen him. He looked at Evanora, who shrugged her shoulders, confirming his assumptions. The next moment, the king lost his balance and was about to fall, when Egon stepped ahead to help him, but Evanora warned him, not to do so silently. Egon complied with a heavy heart, and the king fell down over his bed with a loud thud sound. The loud sound grabbed the attention of Akhim, who had been outside for a while guarding the room, and came running immediately. Watching the king lie down lifelessly, his face turned pale and he came to help him in the speed of light. But he felt relieved, after checking the raspy breathing of his friend, the king.

He was just about to scold him, saying that he would have called him in, if he needed anything, but the king chuckled lightly, gesturing him to come close, which Akhim obliged immediately. He whispered,

"Akhim, you had helped me a lot. It's time for me to leave now. I ... I want to burden you, my friend. After .... My death... please take care of my child. He ... he is a bit more sensitive, but he listens to you. Be... be his mentor, friend, and.... A father too. I ... I can only trust him to you... promise me. Promise me, Akhim....!!"

Listening to the king's words, Akhim knew that there wasn't any time left for him to negotiate with him, and he was collecting all his senses to frame a sentence, but his grief of losing his friend was so deep that no words came out from his mouth. He just nodded.... Nodded in a yes.

"Send Gariya inside." The king requested Akhim, which he fulfilled by summoning Gariya and leaving them both to talk.

"Your majesty..!" Gariya made his presence to be noted by greeting his king. He was a soldier, who was renowned for his bravery, and he was very close to king and queen. In his free time, he used to play with Egon too.

"Gariya, I want you to obey my last orders. Will you...!?" The king questioned Gariya. After that Curse incident, he had become politer, more than he used to back then. It was a new thing, but now everybody was used to. Gariya just nodded with a slight bow in respect.

"There is an artifact kept on that table. I want you to safeguard that artifact, till the day Egon decides to go for hunting. When he would go, you have to leave it in his room, at a place, where it will be visible to him quickly. No matter what happens, don't ever let go or lose this artifact. It's my last belonging which I want to pass to my dear son, after my death."

Gariya immediately secured the artifact in his hands, and looked at the king for other orders, but the king just dismissed saying,

"Thank you Gariya. You are doing a great help to me. You can leave now. I want to rest."

Gariya bowed again in respect and left saying, "Get well soon, Your Majesty."

After certain lapse of time, the king again looked at the direction of magical Egon, smiled with lots and lots of emotions in his eyes, tears glistening with joy, and mumbled talking his last breaths,

"At least, I was able to see you grown up....into a fine man. Continue.... Continue to live and be happy, son. Your .... Your father loves you, Egon."

Egon burst out into painful whimpers first which soon turned into loud crying voices. Although nobody could hear him, but Evanora didn't want to take any risks. It was a magical world, where the touching, feeling all were prohibited. So, not to create anymore disturbances here in, she snapped her fingers again chanting the spell,

"Ad rem"

And they both returned back to the same room, sitting closed eyed, and hands still glued to the crystal ball, which now turned pale blue, indicating calmness.

Evanora was happy, as she helped Egon find out the real reasons behind his father's death, while Egon sat over his sit glued and tears rolling down his tightly shut eyes. She opened her eyes, her aged face now glooming again, giving her a rejuvenated look, and observed Egon.

Slowly, she averted her hands back and the crystal ball bounced back to its original place. Egon turned gloomy and opened his watery eyes, looking at Evanora with disdain, as if she was the one who became the reason for his father's departure.

He stared at her, with his pupils dilating, showing rage, anger, and agony. But the other moment, when she just touched his shoulder to console him, he burst out quavering....

"He.. he knew that I was there. He... he saw me. That's.... That's why... he... he wrote that letter for me... He wanted me to.... Know the truth, to know... what happened to him. It happened.... Because of me..."

He was looking like a pathetic boy, who had lost his parents just now. His eyes turned red and nose was oozing. He was blaming himself. Evanora patted his head and kept a hand on his forehead casting a spell, which made him feel better.

Although, she didn't want to do it. He had the rights to grieve, to cry and blame himself too. She didn't mean to take that away from him. But she couldn't help it, when she saw him crying all along.

After some time, Akhim was let out of that mental trap. He didn't know what had happened, but judging by the look over Egon's face, he was sure that Egon found the truth. Approaching him, he hugged him tightly like a fatherly figure, because that was the only thing Egon needed now. Poor lad, lost his mother in his younger years and father, now again for the second time, without even a proper goodbye.

They were about to leave, when Egon made a request to Evanora,

"My friend Estella and Valor also wants to meet you. I am sure that you can help them too. And since you have helped me, I am here to return your favour."

She hummed in a yes, and said before closing the doors,

"I will surely get what I desire, King Egonalle Heraoult."