Shuriki x Esteban Requests

Second Chances

Guards found her floating face down in the water. At first, Esteban thought Shuriki was dead until one man shouted to the others that she was still breathing. Sure enough, Esteban felt a pulse whenever he pressed his fingertips to her throat.

"Get her out of the water," he ordered. "We'll take her back to Avalor palace where Elena will decide what to do about the woman once they have tended her wounds to."

The men hesitated. None of them wanted to go near the woman let alone touch her. Some of them spoke openly about wanting to finish her. Others preferred to just leave her and allow nature to take its course.

Esteban scowled and rolled his eyes berating the guards for their cowardice and lack of compassion as he trudged down into the tepid water to retrieve Shuriki himself. Her injuries were a combination of her high fall off the palace bridge, the rocks she'd likely hit while on her way down, and being dragged under by the rough rapids which had eventually spat her out into the river. There were many scratches, bruises, and open wounds bleeding all over her body. Several were already getting infected. She needed a physician to drain the foul smelling puss from them, elsewise she wouldn't survive.

Once Esteban had gotten her out of the water, he wrapped Shuriki in his coat and gently hoisted her onto the back of his courser while he climbed up into the saddle. He had to reposition Shuriki so she was sitting upright and in front of him with her legs dangling to one side of the horse and her head resting on his shoulder which made it look almost as if she was riding sidesaddle.

The long ride back to the palace wasn't smooth. Esteban feared she would fall from his horse. Holding her in place and trying to maintain a firm grip on his horse's reigns while traversing uneven terrain was difficult and dangerous. One misstep could spell disaster.

Fortunately, Esteban knew what he was doing, where exactly they were headed, and was familiar with the surrounding area. He kept his eyes on the road ahead, but his chin was pressed to Shuriki's temple, making it impossible for him to ignore the fact that she had a fever.

Her skin was so warm it felt like his chin was stuck to an oven brick. High fevers were never a good sign. It usually meant there was some kind of infection in the blood or brain that could either lead to permanent mind damage or death if the fevers didn't break on their own or they couldn't be broken in time.

If Esteban didn't pick up the pace, Shuriki wouldn't make it. He informed his men that he intended on riding ahead and demanded they all meet back at the palace before he nudged Valienté into a swift run. One man on horseback moved quicker than a group of riders and Shuriki needed immediate medical attention or she was going to die.

Esteban rode as hastily as he dared into the courtyard. His own grandfather was among the first to see his arrival. He was also the only person who hurried over to help with the unconscious sorceress.

They got her off the horse and into the palace infirmary where her clothes were cut off and thrown out so the royal physician could clean, dress, and stitch up all her wounds. Her entire body was lathered with ointments and salves after the worst of the wounds had been lanced. They even called on Mateo to use healing spells on some injuries that had refused to quit bleeding despite their efforts to staunch the flow.

As soon as Shuriki's wounds were dressed, Elena had her placed in a tower cell they'd converted into a spare room for visiting royals and other foreign dignitaries. Multiple guards were put outside the doors to watch her. Only the physician was allowed entry into her rooms and that was how things would stay until she was fit to stand trial for her crimes.

At least that's what Princess Elena thought. Esteban was still highly respected by the palace staff as he'd been the one paying them throughout Shuriki's reign. He only had to appear and they'd permit him access to the sorceress.

Her prison cell was a bright room with a vaulted ceiling and tall, wide windows that were covered with intricate wrought iron grilles. While the metalwork couldn't be removed, the windows did open to let in fresh air. He also noticed a dresser and chamberpot, both of which were empty.

Shuriki was still unconscious, laying on a bed with a simple wood frame covered up with a thin white sheet and a rose colored blanket. They'd only given her a single pillow and someone had tucked it under her head.

Esteban placed a bowl filled with water and ice on top of the dresser before touching her temple. Her fever hadn't broken yet, but it was going down. The royal physician had been busier than usual that morning, and since the chancellor had little to do, he'd offered to check in on Shuriki to make sure she was being looked after properly and to see if she'd regained consciousness. He didn't know if or when she would.

It had been touch and go for the first several days, but all her wounds were beginning to heal-albeit slowly. She'd suffered rather severe head injuries, however, and the physician had admitted there was still a chance she might never recover.

"Some patients never wake," the physician had told them. "They continue to sleep until they pass away."

Esteban wasn't sure why, but the thought of Shuriki sleeping herself to death just didn't sit well with him. He dipped a clean cloth into the bowl, squeezed most of the water out, folded it up then draped it over Shuriki's forehead hoping the coolness of the damp fabric might help rid her of the lingering fever.

The bandages around her head were all waterproof and tightly wrapped so he didn't have to worry about getting them wet. Shuriki's dressings had already been changed as well, so Esteban wasn't too concerned about that either. He continued to dip the cloth into the water when necessary. He'd even dab her temples now and then if he felt she was too warm.

Shuriki showed no sort of response to this, of course. She just laid there breathing softly. Sleeping. Esteban wasn't sure what exactly had caused him to volunteer to look after the sorceress.

Perhaps he felt responsible for her. She would've never successfully invaded Avalor if he hadn't helped smuggle her onto the palace grounds and she definitely wouldn't have fallen from the palace bridge if he hadn't snatched the wand from her hand as she was just about to strike down his cousin. It was his own actions that had led to her being injured. Perhaps that is why he felt the need to take part in her care.

Shuriki was many things-not all of them good, but she was still a person. She'd also been the one constant in Esteban's life for the past four decades. The two of them had lived and worked in tandem for so long. Was it any surprise he'd gotten attached?

Seeing Shuriki like this was hard for him. He brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face, then held up the book he'd brought.

"Look what I came across in the library. It's your favorite novella. Our royal physician tells me talking and reading to patients in your condition sometimes helps them heal. I thought I'd try it. How does that sound?"

Esteban sat down on the side of the bed and read.

The physician had assured him that patients suffering injury induced sleeps could still hear and listen and that speaking or reading was perhaps the best way for others to calm and comfort those patients while they tried to recover. The chancellor prayed this was true. Regardless of her past actions, and unlike the rest of Avalor, Esteban had no desire to watch Shuriki suffer.

He hoped Shuriki would wake up and prayed that Elena would be merciful. Killing Shuriki would not help bring back their lost loved ones or reverse the past forty-one years.

Esteban had seen enough violence and death for one lifetime. He didn't want or need anymore blood on his hands. Not even Shuriki's. There were other ways of getting revenge.