Marked by the Moon

Chapter 2 : Please Help Me

Asher's POV

[Nightmare]

"It's on fire!"

"Run!"

The pack castle had descended into chaos. Everywhere I looked was consumed by orange and red destruction, walls and furniture charred and crumbling.

Someone was screaming. Someone was running. I was standing in the castle's hallway. What was going on? Why was the castle on fire?

"Asher! Why are you standing here?"

Someone called my name. I looked up but couldn't see the speaker's face clearly.

I was then picked up by the waist. Countless pack members were running behind him. Wait! Why was I was carried forward? Where would I be taken?

I was taken to a strange room and hid behind a curtain. I was hiding. Why was I hiding?

"Magnus!"

I heard a woman shouting the Alpha king's name.

"Magnus!" A wretched cry broke through the Luna queen. "Oh, gosh! What's wrong with you?"

I could feel it take hold of my whole body. I wanted to lurch forward to provide aid to the Luna queen, but someone covered my mouth and stopped me from moving on.

"Run, Krisha!" Another voice, just as strained—the voice of King Magnus, whose lips had turned black—called out to his wife.

Smoke and gloom affected my vision. I could not see who else was standing in front of the king's bed beside Queen Krisha.

Smoke... No, had the fire spread to this room?

'Run! Please run!' I wanted to scream at the king and queen to run, but I couldn't make the sound. The king was lying in his bed as if he couldn't move.

"I'm not leaving, Magnus! You promised me you would be with me forever!" A wailing moan, something akin to grief—grief he had never heard before—echoed in the air.

More and more smoke drifted into the room when I saw the king raise one hand with difficulty to touch the queen's hair.

I was suddenly released as I desperately struggled to break free from the grasp of the one I didn't know.

"King! Queen!" I screamed and rushed out of the curtain, trying to find the king and queen and escape with them.

But I found nothing. Gray-black smoke wrapped around me. Ash fluttered down from above me. Where were the king and queen?

I ran around the room and fell to the floor. And there, on the opposite side of my body, a pair of wide and opened eyes stared at me.

It was Queen Krisha.

The tears that remained on her beautiful face left streaks through the blood and soot and ashes from the flames.

"Queen!" I shook her shoulder. Her lips were trembling. She seemed to try to tell me something.

"Hold on! I'll call for help!" My heart was almost jumping out of my chest. I wanted to get out and find someone to save her.

But I was caught again. Who was stopping me?

"Go away! Let me go!" I shouted and shook my fist without gaining any response or beating anyone.

'What's wrong with you, Asher?' I looked at my little hand, realizing I had become a child. I was too weak to get rid of the grasp.

"Ahhh!" The king's scream captured my attention.

"King Magnus! Where are you?" I shouted to the king, though the smoke was so heavy that I couldn't see anything around me.

I was released again. I stood helplessly in the same spot, not finding the queen's body.

Someone was crying. It was a baby.

Every single nerve in my body was shouting, "Get out!"

I followed the crying and touched the door in the heavy smoke.

After opening the door, the fire on the other side cleared the smoke that wrapped me and allowed me to see the whole scene outside the room.

'I must be in hell!'

Rogues were killing servants. Soldiers were yelling at rogues. The maid's screams and the baby's cries seemed to be engulfed in flames.

My legs moved forward automatically because I had to find someone to save the king and queen, whoever it was.

"King Magnus and Queen Krisha need help!" I shouted to those running members.

It was strange.

The pack members and rogues in the hallway seemed to treat me like air. They totally ignored me.

"Help! Someone please!" I didn't know how long I kept walking and asking for help in the long hallway. All I could feel was that my throat burned, and my body ached for water.

Vika's POV

The tray with Prince Asher's breakfast and a large glass pitcher of water was heavier than the one I had recently carried to the princess.

I managed, but just barely because of my burning back and pain from my arms.

Eventually, I made my way to his door, happy with myself for having found the right room. I had never been to the prince's chamber before. I hadn't even laid eyes on Prince Regent Asher since I started working here as a maid one month ago.

I wiggled the tray up to my arms and managed to knock on the prince's bedroom door. "Breakfast, Your Majesty!" I called in a clear, chipper voice, hoping to sound pleasant.

I wanted to make a nice first impression on the prince. Other maids once described how handsome and nice he was. If the rumors were to be believed, he would definitely be the exact opposite of Princess Devi. I saw no reason to present anything less than my best to him.

No response.

I knocked on the door again. "Your Majesty?" I called. "It's breakfast. May I come in?"

I felt slightly alarmed. I hoped that the prince was well. Thinking about what Helen had said about Mary, his regular maid being ill, perhaps the prince had also become sick. I certainly didn't want him in his room suffering alone.

Hearing nothing, I slowly pushed the door open, careful not to drop the tray.

The room was quiet. Entering the bedroom, I saw his form on the bed and realized he wasn't awake yet.

I didn't want to be nosy and seem to be spying on him, but I needed to make sure he was well. I kicked the bedroom door closed behind me and carried the tray over to a table near his bed.

The prince was sleeping, but he wasn't calm. He was thrashing around a bit. His dark hair was slightly askew from sleeping, the curls and waves tangling on top of his head, but I didn't mind. His handsome face was marred by the look of consternation that drew his brows together and had his lips puckered.

Even in his bothered state, I had never seen a man so gorgeous in all of my life.

I continued to stand there and stare at his perfectly sculpted face, my eyes wandering down his chest. My hand reached out as if I would straighten that crop of black hair.

Oh boy, what was I doing? 'Stop it, stop it!'

Handsome men were trouble makers, and a prince, no less.

I pulled my arm back right in time. 'Phew!' It simply wouldn't do for a lowly servant like me to touch the prince while he was sleeping.

"Help! Someone please!" he shouted suddenly, moving the blankets down from his bare chest with his arms.

What's going on? I was caught off-guard. My first reaction was to look up, checking for danger. Everything was still nice and peaceful.

"Help!" he called out again, more desperately this time.

Alright, he was having a nightmare.

"Your Majesty?" I softened my voice, worried that I might startle him.

His tongue flicked out to wet his lips. "W-water, please!"

'Oh, I got it. Thanks for the clear direction, Prince!'

I turned to the large glass pitcher I'd just carried up, filled the glass with fresh water, and brought it to him.

"Your Majesty, water," I said, bending close to him.

I looked at the prince on the bed. His eyes were still closed. How was I supposed to serve a sleeping prince water?

"Prince Asher?" I called gently, hoping he would wake up from whatever dream that was bothering him. "Prince?"

He didn't seem to hear it.

"Water… Water..." he moaned repeatedly.

"Yes, I've got your water..."

He was tossing and turning, seemingly searching for something. Well, I was pretty sure what that might be.

I stared at his closed eyes with his cup in my hands.

'I get it, you want to drink, but I can't help if you aren't awake!'

"Water… Please..."

'Just wake up and drink already!'

I took a deep breath and controlled my urge to raise my voice, but of course, that was not acceptable.

I needed to do something.

I put the glass down on his nightstand and was about to give him a push to wake him up.

Then, his strong arms were reaching out, but not for the glass. He was reaching for me. He yanked me into the bed with him. Shocked, my mouth dropped open as my eyes bulged. What was he doing?