The Dying

9

The knocking, almost pounding on the door is what wakes Marcus up the next morning. Having just gotten to sleep a  short time earlier he isn't in a good mood about it at all. Stirring at his side wakes him even further.

"I'll get it, if you want me to, love." Aurora settles down. Marcus smiles, "Go back to sleep love, I'll deal with it then."

More stirring on his other side has him turning over. "Shh, go back to sleep, princess." Margaret takes him at his word and goes back to sleep. None of them had had much in the way of rest the night before and they were all exhausted.

Marcus eases his way out of the two females and slips on some pants. Storming over to the door he nearly throws it open. "There better be a damn good reason for waking us this early." Marcus growls out angrily.

He steps into the hall not wanting to wake the others and shuts the door far more gently than he'd opened it.

"Sorry, Sire, but we thought you might like to have some clean clothes and breakfast before your day begins." The guard says straight faced.

With those words Marcus deflates. "Dallas, you don't need to call me Sire."

"You are the king, failure to give you respect would be wrong of me." Dallas says but there is a twinkle in his eyes when he says it, although he manages to keep all expression off his face.

"Brat. It's just us." And it was just them Marcus realizes.

"Where the hell is Korban?"

Dallas swallows hard and Marcus swings his gaze back to the guard. He just looks and waits.

"We didn't want to interrupt you until we knew and then there wasn't a reason to interrupt you."

Just then the door opens behind him, but he doesn't take his attention from the uncomfortable guard. Dallas swallows once more. Marcus pulls Aurora to him as he waits for Dallas to answer.

"He was poisoned last night. We didn't want to bother you until we knew if he would make it or not." Dallas said and quickly continues, "He's fine, Emmett said that he'll be released soon."

Just then another guard joins them. Marcus looks him over. "You look like death, Korban. What the hell are you doing here? You should be resting right now and finish recovering."

Another man joins them, "I told him he could go and strongly urged him to return to his room and send a replacement but he was adamant that he needed to return to work."

Marcus sighs, "Why are all my brothers so stubborn?"

He turns his attention away from Korban and to Aurora. "It's time you meet some of males and those of your station. Dallas here," he motions to the first one he was talking to, "Is your personal guard. He is one of my most loyal brothers, I trust him not only with my life, but with yours as well. He taught me when I joined the guards and then when I managed to talk father around to starting an elite guard he came with me."

"He's one of your brothers?" Aurora asks unsure if that would be correct.

This time it's Dallas that answers her. "Yes, my queen. I am his older brother, but from a different mother." Dallas makes a face, "The same mother that had Garrett, I'm afraid. He always did strive above his station. Unfortunately since he was the oldest he had far more time to consolidate his power. Not all of us could see past his façade to the truth of what he was like."

Aurora steps back into Marcus when Dallas admits to being full brother of Garrett.

Marcus whispers to her, "He has always supported me and was most happy when I was born since it meant that Garrett wouldn't be king or not for long any way. He helped me to get the support I needed to get Garrett permanently off the throne."

Aurora relaxes a bit with that and turns her eyes to the pale and sickly looking man that joined them. "This is my baby brother, Korban." Aurora hears a great deal of love in his voice at that introduction. Not that she missed the love and pride he had in Dallas, but there was more in Korban's introduction.

Korban bows to her, "Marcus raised me when mother died. It is an honor to protect Princess Margaret personally."

Aurora didn't miss the wave of dizziness that came over Korban when he rose from his bow. "You seem to be a bit under the weather right now, Korban?" She looks to Marcus as she said the name.

Marcus smiles at her. "That's right." Then he takes his attention from her and places it on the sickly guard. "Korban was poisoned last night and should be in bed right now recovering." His voice shows his displeasure at Korban being up and about instead.

"I have a duty to protect the princess. Marcus, I think I was poisoned when I tasted the princess's food. It was off and so I threw it on the floor so no one else would eat it. But either my food was also poisoned or it was strong, my food also tasted off. The flavor was wrong, the same as before. Shortly after that I became ill."

The last person decides to speak. "Ill," he rolls his eyes. "He spent the next several hours vomiting and having sweats and chills. At one point he even went into convulsions. It was only a short time ago I was finally able to find no more poison in his body. When I released him I told him he should report in sick and have some one else take over his duty for the day so he could rest, but instead he came here."

"Aurora, you've met the good doctor before, but I'm not sure that you were ever formally introduced. This is Doctor Emmett. He's also my brother and full supporter to me. He's the one that saved your life after father got through with you that day. He also attended to you when Margaret was born."

"It is a pleasure to meet you finally, my Queen." Emmett takes her hand and kisses the back of it. "What father did to you was disgusting. I'm sorry that he did that to you and that there was nothing any of us could do about it."

"Thank you, doctor." Aurora says more than a little confused.

"Call me, Emmett." Emmett says beaming at Aurora.

Aurora smiles back. "Emmett."

Then she turns her attention back to Margaret's guard. "Thank you, Korban, for saving my daughter last night. I owe you a great deal for that."

Korban smiles shyly and colors up a bit. "I was just doing my job, my queen. I couldn't let some coward harm my lovely sister."

Aurora smiles warmly back. "Thank you. I would like to know that your actions to protect my daughter at this time don't seriously affect you or at least that you take no further harm. Please, won't you consider switching shifts with another? That way you would be able to take the rest that Emmett thinks you need and still not fault in doing your duty?"

Marcus hides his smile and just raises his eyebrow at his little brother. He could indeed do that and it would solve their problems and keep Korban's pride in tact.

"Yes, my queen, I could do that." Korban says starting to sway.

"Then off to bed, little brother. I'll make sure that your replacement is here shortly." Emmett tells him and helps him off to the direction of his quarters.

Marcus and Aurora watch until they are out of sight. "Thank you, love." Marcus says and kisses her. Turning his attention to Dallas, "Have breakfast sent in, in an hour or so. Then I'll need Emmett back here in two hours to examine both Aurora and Margaret."

Dallas's face lights up. "Congratulations, Marcus, Lady Margaret."

Margaret looks down blushing briefly before facing Dallas once more. "Thank you."

"Have my appointments pushed back. I don't want to miss the exams."

"Of course, Marcus. Who have you chosen as queen?" Dallas asks eyes flicking to Aurora. He's never seen his brother so protective of a female, not even his mother.

Marcus smiles and looks at Aurora. "Lady Aurora has consented to being my queen and princess Margaret has agreed to being my princess."

"Then congratulations again, my queen, my king."

They thank him once more and then enter Aurora's room once more.