Chapter 254 - Gavrael (Part XI)
"Good god, son! What in the underlands had happened to you?!" the queen exclaimed in shock as soon as she saw her son with a white cloth bandage wrapped around his head.
The panic and shock on her face made Gavrael realized that he had never allowed his mother to see him in less than a perfect state – ever. Even during those times when he underwent the harshest training, when he had gone through points where his entire body bled and were covered with wounds – he had always made sure to heal himself first before letting her see him. Now that he thought about it, this would be the first time she has ever seen him with a bandage somewhere on his person.
The dark faes are able to heal their wounds using their dark magic and Gavrael had already learned to heal himself long ago. However, there were some types of wounds no dark magic could heal like the wounds inflicted by a certain tiny yet dangerous beast roaming in the Forest of Crystals located in the deepest valley of the Under Land. The only way to heal the wounds inflicted on a person by those tiny beasts was through using a certain plant. However, by gaining that plant, only a few could be saved using that method.
This was why seeing someone wounded was a serious matter in the Under Land. Seeing his mother's pale and panicky face as she approached him, Gavrael was quick to explain, knowing that he was already making the queen worry about him to death. As much as he did not like his mother treating him as though he was still a child and worrying about his wounds, he could not deny her when she gets concerned over him. Though he does not show it, he loves her dearly.
"Calm down, mother. Don't worry, this is not a serious wound. I didn't get this wound here in the Under Land. I got this while journeying on the surface due to being a little careless and it's just a small scratch. It's nothing to worry about." He explained.
"Then why are you not healing yourself?!" The queen's voice was shrill with worry.
"This is just… well, I just didn't want to heal myself." He half-smiled as he touched the bandage on his forehead.
"What?! Why won't you want to heal yourself?" The queen then wondered if her son had lost his powers somehow.
Gavrael cocked his head to one side, knowing what his mother would be thinking. "Don't worry. It is not as you have feared. It is only because I want her to continue treating my wound until it heals naturally." He grinned happily and the queen gaped at him. Then a surprise flicker flashed in her beautiful brown eyes. This was the first time she is seeing her son behaving in such a manner. Though it was never seen on his face, however the queen recognised this look. She then took a closer look at her son, observing his attitude and behaviour carefully.
"Her…" she repeated and then her eyes narrowed at her son. "Gavrael, don't tell me… you have already found a girl you like on the surface?"
"A girl I like? Hmm…" he looked at his mother and then he corrected, "I am not sure if she is who I like… but she is definitely a girl I want."
The queen gasped. Oh goddess, her son is already in love? And only with once or twice having visited to the surface. Her heart swelled with happiness more so as she saw the marked changes in her son's eyes. At long last, she was now seeing some spark in his usually dull and bored eyes. But she cleared her throat and held back from showing her excitement too obviously.
"Alright, I think it's time for me to warn you now, son." She said, lifting her face and putting on a frown, as though to act a little stricter. "Don't even think about abducting the girl or anything of the sort… such a thing is a very bad move. Do you understand?"
Gavrael froze and the queen gaped at the expression she saw in her sons' eyes.
"You… don't tell me you have already…" she trailed off when Gavrael looked away. "Good god…" the queen pressed her temples before sighing heavily. She knows her own son and his looks and body language. And his body language now told her that he had done what she had just said not to do. "Listen, son. You must never do that again. Do you understand?" Her voice was severe.
"But just what I did doesn't seem to be a mistake in the end." Gavrael reasoned, then he pointed at the bandage wrapped around his head. "If I didn't abduct her, this wouldn't have happened. I did scare her and made her angry, but I guess it isn't that bad a move."
While the queen was so speechless that she took quite some time to form a response, a dark and deep voice echoed from behind the mother and son. "I must agree with your mother. Abducting your girl sometimes ends up being the right choice despite it being wrong. However, no matter the result, it didn't change the fact that it's very wrong. So son, next time, you must do it the right way." The king said and Gavrael looked at his father with interest.
"The right way? You're telling me there's a right way of abducting a girl…" Even Gavrael that was the one with intentions of abducting the girl was sceptical. This was the first time he had ever heard there was a 'correct' way to abduct a person! What a hoot!
"Listen son –"
"King Belial…" The queen cut the king off. Her voice sweet as she called his name but there was warning in them that it made the king immediately shut his mouth. "Stop giving your son bad ideas."
"I just said he'll do it the right way, didn't I? My beloved queen?" King Belial moved to his wife to coax her.