Saved By The Mad Duke
Chapter 120: Utter Fools!

Chapter 120: Utter Fools!

"What?!"

Both Tillian and Yuraon exclaimed simultaneously, their shouting cutting through the room like a thunderbolt.

At last, Ahspid, who had been quiet all this time, attending to Bjarna’s lifeless state, raised his head to the standing men and tried to explain,

"It all makes sense now. Writing over His Majesty’s tattoos will cancel out the witch’s writings. The princess’s blood is the vessel for her inherent powers... Both dragon and mage. That is why she will have to use her blood to write. Or rather... erase the existing ones."

The word "dragon" escaping the mage’s lips made Bjarna curl her lips into a subtle grin, a light orange glow enveloping her neck for a brief moment as if reacting to her inner thoughts.

’Dragon’s blood... So this is why you made me sign the contract. Ahspid, you old liar, whatever are you scheming here?’

Ylva nodded, agreeing with Ahspid’s words.

"The old mage is right. If your powers are enough, your blood will extinguish the burning fire in his body thus releasing the young King from my curse. So, my lady, will you risk it?"

Now, it was Tillian’s turn to step in.

"No!" He shouted, his voice ringing with frustration, "This is beyond madness! Do you see how many writings and symbols he has on his body? We will have to bleed her dry to cover all of them! I cannot allow it, not even over my dead body!"

"Your Grace!"

Aideen wanted to retort but King Yuraon joined forces with her husband, adding to his urgent words,

"I agree with His Grace, this is too dangerous, My Lady! My life is not worth this trouble, I cannot let you risk yours!"

Somehow, the young man’s answer made the princess unbelievably angry. Clenching her fists, she stood in front of the men, her eyes glowing with both fury and resolve.

"How can you say that?! Both of you, you are utter fools!" She looked at Tillian and continued, "There is a real chance to lift His Majesty’s curse, to finally rid him of this unnecessary suffering and you say no so easily? How can you call yourself his friend?!"

Then, Aideen turned to Yuraon and added, "And you! How dare you say your life is not worth it?! Your life is the only thing you have that is your own! It is precious and there will not be another one where you will be who you are now! And this is not only your life that can be saved, but the lives of your descendants too, the life of your future spouse! Sure, your life may bear no value to you, but unfortunately, Your Majesty, you are not alone in this! As long as there are people who care about you, your life is no longer only yours!"

Still fuming with overwhelming frustration, she turned back to the fire witch and declared,

"I will do it. I have to try!"

"Aideen!"

The Duke grabbed her by the hand, preventing her from getting closer to Ylva. The princess gently freed her hand from the man’s grip, stood closer to him, their bodies almost touching, then placed her palms on his cheeks, and smiled,

"It will be alright, Tillian. You are here with me, so it has to be."

Tillian closed his eyes, the warmth of his wife’s touch had a surprisingly calming effect on his aching nerves. With a long, defeated sigh, he said,

"You have no idea how powerful you are, Aideen."

Opening his eyes once more, he covered the woman’s hands with his and added,

"All alright, do as you wish. However... As soon as your life is in danger, you will have to stop. Promise me, Aideen."

Rising on tiptoe, the princess planted a light kiss on the Duke’s forehead and nodded,

"I promise."

***

The decision was made to not leave Ahspid’s room and conclude the ritual there.

Yuraon sat solemnly on the floor, his expression a mixture of hope and trepidation, while Aideen remained steadfast by his side, her determination unwavering despite the daunting task ahead.

Holding Bjarna’s blade in her hand, the princess took a deep breath and steadied her nerves. With a trembling hand, she cut her index finger, allowing droplets of her blood to mingle with the ancient runes already etched upon Yuraon’s body.

Under Ylva’s careful guidance, Aideen channeled the power of her dragon eyes, their icy blue glow illuminating the room as she meticulously traced the intricate symbols, layering her own magic atop the existing scorching witchcraft.

But the task proved more daunting than Aideen had anticipated. As the descendant of the snow dragon, her powers ran deep, yet even she struggled to maintain the delicate balance required for the ritual. With each cut of her finger, she infused her blood with her inherent powers, the process draining her strength with each passing moment.

And even though the fire witch helped her by holding her hand and guiding it over every single symbol, the intricacy of the curse was too strong to fight alone.

Hours stretched into eternity as the young woman labored tirelessly, her fingers smeared with crimson blood. Beside her, Tillian watched with growing concern, his heart heavy with worry for his beloved companion. He could see the toll the ritual was taking on Aideen, her pallor growing increasingly wan as she fought to push through the pain.

At last, the princess reached her limit. Gasping for breath, she turned to the witch, her voice strained with exhaustion.

"I... I can’t do this anymore," she confessed, her words barely a whisper amidst the silence of the room.

"You heard her, witch! Stop it at once!"

Tillian’s pleas to halt the ritual echoed his wife’s own desperation, yet Ylva remained resolute.

"To stop now would be a waste," she declared, her voice unwavering. "We are close. It’s working."

Summoning every ounce of her willpower, Aideen mustered her remaining strength, her vision swimming as she forced her trembling fingers to continue their work. With each stroke of the blade, she willed herself to endure, her determination driving her forward despite the overwhelming fatigue that threatened to consume her.

And then, in a moment of sheer triumph, her fingers trembled as she completed the final symbol. She etched the last rune upon Yuraon’s skin, shifted her fading gaze on the King’s face, and smiled, before succumbing to the darkness that beckoned, her body collapsing in exhaustion as unconsciousness claimed her.

"Aideen!"

Catching the princess midfall, Tillian wrapped his arms around her lifeless body, offering the witch a raging glare. Ylva, on the other hand, fixed her fiery eyes on Yuraon’s body, her lips trembling as she announced,

"She’s truly done it... She lifted the curse."