Chapter 10 – Cage of Holiness

【Elizabeth PoV】

He stirred beneath the silk sheets.

I was at his side before his eyes even opened, my hand already moving to his forehead. Warm now, warmer than before. Good. The color was returning to his skin, that golden healthy glow that made him look like a painting of divinity come to life.

His eyelids fluttered.

Those electric blue eyes focused on me, confused and disoriented.

“Elizabeth? What—”

I pressed my palm firmly against his chest, pushing him back into the pillows before he could even think about sitting up.

“Hush, my love.”

My voice was soft, soothing, the tone I used when blessing frightened children.

“You are ill. The mana overload nearly tore you apart. Moving now could trigger another episode.”

“I feel fine—”

“You don’t know what you feel.”

I kept my hand on his chest, applying just enough pressure to remind him of his position. Flat on his back, beneath me, exactly where he belonged.

“Your body is lying to you, telling you that you’re recovered when you’re not. The bad mana is still circulating through your system, waiting to hurt you the moment you exert yourself.”

His eyes searched mine, looking for something.

Truth, maybe. Reassurance. An escape route.

He wouldn’t find one.

“How long have I been—”

“Three days.”

I stroked his hair with my free hand, fingers threading through those perfect golden strands.

“Three days of deep meditation, communing with the Goddess to stabilize your vessel. You’ve been unconscious the entire time, your soul protecting itself from the overflow.”

That part was technically true.

High Priest Aldrich’s diagnosis had been mana overload, even if the cause was different than what I was implying. But my Hero didn’t need to know the details. He needed to rest, to stay here, to let me take care of him.

“I need to—”

“You need to eat.”

I reached for the bowl I’d prepared earlier, still warm from the heating enchantment I’d placed on it. Holy soup, blessed by my own magic, infused with healing herbs and just a touch of something to help him sleep more peacefully.

“Open.”

I brought the spoon to his lips.

He hesitated, his eyes narrowing slightly.

“I can feed myself—”

“Open.”

I pressed the spoon against his mouth, not quite forcing it but leaving no room for argument.

He opened.

The soup slid past his lips, warm and savory. I watched him swallow, satisfaction blooming in my chest like flowers after rain. He was eating. Taking sustenance from my hand. Accepting my care.

“Good boy.”

The words slipped out before I could stop them.

His face flushed, a beautiful pink spreading across his cheeks.

I fed him another spoonful, then another, establishing a rhythm. He stopped resisting after the fourth bite, his body relaxing into the pillows as he accepted the inevitable. This was easier. Simpler. Just let me take care of everything.

“The war council—”

“Is handled.”

I brought another spoonful to his lips.

“You don’t need to worry about politics or strategy. I’ve taken care of everything.”

“Elizabeth, I’m the Hero, I need to—”

“You need to recover.”

My tone sharpened, just a fraction.

“The Goddess didn’t bless you with infinite power just so you could burn yourself out before the final battle. Trust me. Trust that I know what’s best for you.”

He swallowed the soup, but his expression remained troubled.

I fed him the rest in silence, watching as his eyelids grew heavier with each spoonful. The sleeping herbs were working faster than expected. Good. He needed rest more than he needed answers.

“Sleep now.”

I set the empty bowl aside, adjusting his blankets.

“I’ll handle the council meeting. When you wake up, everything will be perfect.”

His eyes closed, his breathing evening out.

I kissed his forehead, lingering longer than necessary.

“Just you and me, my love. That’s all we need.”

The council chamber felt like a tomb.

Heavy stone walls, vaulted ceiling, and a massive table carved from a single piece of obsidian. Twelve generals sat around it, their armor polished to a mirror shine, their expressions ranging from impatient to openly hostile. At the head of the table sat King Alderon, old and weathered, his crown looking too heavy for his graying head.

I entered through the side door, my white robes flowing behind me like water.

The room went quiet.

“Saintess Elizabeth.”

General Kraus stood, his scarred face twisted into something between respect and annoyance.

“We were told the Hero would be joining us.”

“The Hero is currently indisposed.”

I took my seat at the table, the chair reserved for the church’s representative. Several generals exchanged glances, their discomfort obvious.

“Indisposed?”

Kraus’s voice rose slightly.

“We’re planning the final assault on the Demon King’s castle and our greatest weapon is indisposed?”

“He is communing with the Goddess.”

I folded my hands on the table, my expression serene.

“A sacred ritual to ensure our victory. It requires absolute isolation and concentration. Interrupting it now would be catastrophic.”

“Catastrophic.”

General Mira repeated the word like she was tasting poison.

“More catastrophic than marching into battle without our Hero?”

“Yes.”

I met her gaze without flinching.

“The ritual he’s performing will grant him power beyond anything you’ve witnessed. Divine strength, holy protection, the ability to cut through the Demon King’s defenses like they’re paper. But it takes time. Rushing him now would doom us all.”

King Alderon leaned forward, his aged eyes studying me carefully.

“How long will this ritual take?”

“As long as necessary.”

I kept my voice calm, measured, the picture of holy wisdom.

“The Goddess works on her own timeline, Your Majesty. We cannot rush divinity.”

“We also cannot delay indefinitely.”

Kraus slammed his fist on the table.

“The men are ready, the supply lines are established, the siege weapons are in position. Every day we wait gives the demons time to rebuild, to reinforce, to plan their counter-attack.”

“And every day the Hero spends in communion makes him stronger.”

I turned my attention to the general, letting frost creep into my tone.

“Unless you believe your siege weapons are more powerful than the Goddess’s chosen champion?”

He went quiet.

No one wanted to argue with the church, especially not when the Saintess was sitting right there reminding them who held the moral authority.

“What if we proceed without him?”

General Davos spoke up from the far end of the table, his voice tentative.

“We have thirty thousand soldiers, experienced commanders, enough firepower to level a mountain. Perhaps we don’t need—”

“You will die.”

The words came out flat, certain.

The room temperature dropped ten degrees as my mana flared instinctively.

“You will march into that castle, fight through the demon hordes, and reach the throne room. And then the Demon King will personally slaughter every single one of you while laughing at your hubris.”

Silence.

“The Hero is the only one capable of facing the Demon King in single combat. Without him, this isn’t a war. It’s a massacre. So unless you’re volunteering for a suicide mission, I suggest we wait for the ritual to complete.”

King Alderon raised a hand, forestalling any further arguments.

“When will the Hero be ready to fight?”

“The final battle.”

I met his gaze steadily.

“He will emerge from his communion at the moment of greatest need, fully empowered, ready to end this war once and for all. Until then, he must remain isolated. No visitors, no interruptions, no distractions.”

“And you will vouch for this?”

“On my honor as Saintess, on my devotion to the Goddess herself. The Hero will be ready when we need him most.”

The King studied me for a long moment.

Then he nodded.

“Very well. We delay the assault until the Hero completes his ritual. General Kraus, continue fortifying our positions. General Mira, maintain supply routes. Davos, keep the men sharp with daily training. We wait, but we stay ready.”

The generals nodded, some more reluctantly than others.

Meeting adjourned.

They filed out slowly, muttering among themselves. I caught fragments of conversation, doubts and concerns and complaints about holy secrecy. None of it mattered. They’d agreed. The Hero would stay exactly where he was, safe in his room, away from danger and other women and anything that might take him from me.

I waited until the chamber emptied completely.

Then I stood, smoothing my robes, and made my way back through the castle corridors.

He was awake when I returned.

Sitting up in bed, looking healthier than he had any right to after being unconscious for days. His hair was messy from sleep, his eyes clearer, and for a moment my heart clenched at how absolutely perfect he looked.

“Elizabeth.”

His voice was stronger too.

“I need to talk to you about—”

“I handled everything.”

I closed the door behind me, locking it with a soft click.

“The war council agreed to wait. You don’t have to leave this room until the final battle. No early deployments, no reconnaissance missions, no putting yourself in unnecessary danger.”

I walked to the bed, sitting on the edge beside him.

“Just you and me, exactly as it should be.”

His expression shifted, confusion giving way to something that looked like horror.

“Elizabeth, I can’t just stay locked in here—”

“You’re not locked in.”

I smiled, taking his hand in mine.

“You’re recovering. Healing. Preparing yourself for the most important fight of your life. This is for your own good.”

“This is house arrest.”

“This is protection.”

I squeezed his hand, maybe a little too hard.

“Do you know what happens if you go out there right now? If you push yourself before you’re ready? Your mana circuits will rupture, your soul will tear itself apart, and I’ll lose you forever. I can’t allow that.”

“I feel fine—”

“You felt fine three days ago too, right before you collapsed.”

I leaned closer, my face inches from his.

“I watched you stop breathing. I watched the color drain from your skin. I thought I’d lost you, and I swore to the Goddess that if she brought you back, I would never let anyone hurt you again. That includes you hurting yourself.”

His throat worked, swallowing hard.

“How long?”

“Until you’re ready.”

“And when will that be?”

“When I say so.”

The words hung between us like a blade.

He stared at me, and I saw it finally click behind those beautiful blue eyes. The realization that he wasn’t in control anymore, that every decision was mine to make, that struggling would only make things harder for both of us.

“Elizabeth—”

“I love you.”

I said it simply, truthfully.

“Everything I do is because I love you more than anything in this world or the next. You’ll understand eventually. You’ll see that this is what’s best.”

I stood, moving to the door.

“I’ll bring dinner in a few hours. Try to rest. Read if you’d like. I had some books brought up from the library.”

I gestured to the stack on the nightstand.

“Just… stay here. Stay safe. For me.”

I unlocked the door, stepped through, and locked it again from the outside.

His voice followed me through the wood, desperate and rising.

“Elizabeth! Elizabeth, you can’t just—”

I walked away, humming softly to myself.

He’d calm down eventually, accept his new reality, maybe even thank me for protecting him so thoroughly. And if he didn’t, well. The lock would hold. The sleeping herbs would keep working. And I had all the time in the world to convince him that a cage built from devotion was still better than freedom.