With both her hands on the tray containing the lady's meal, Rudis carefully treaded the stairs to Max's room with glee painted on her face. She knocked to the door three times, like she always does, and waited for an approval.
There was only silence from the other side.
"My lady, it's me Rudis, I brought your meal..." She called out three times more. Rudis' anxiousness grew knowing she just left her for a few minutes to get her meal. Did she fall asleep again? That can't be. She thought. Left with no choice, the troubled servant excused herself to enter and pushed the wooden door with her shoulder.
"My lady? I brought you-" Rudis shrieked that the walls of the corridors echoed her cries, reaching the servants nearby. She hastily placed the tray on the table and ran to her master. Max was lying unconscious on the floor. She kneeled beside her as she calls out to Maximillian. She picked up her wrist and checked for a pulse but couldn't find any as her hand trembled in fear and could barely concentrate. She checked her pulse and felt slow beating sounds, giving her a bit sense of relief. She immediately stood up and stormed out the room to call for help. She wanted to carry the lady to the bed but given her small body similar to the unconscious madam, there's no way she could do it on her own without hurting the precious lady.
As she was on her way to get help, loud thumping steps echoed along the halls of the corridors. Rudis felt a bit of relief to see her fellow servants rushed to see what happened. Even some knights who were having their meals in the kitchen heard it and went to see the unusual commotion.
"Hurry!" Rudis exclaimed as others followed her inside the bedroom. They kneeled down to the fallen woman on the floor and carefully lifted her up. One was supporting her head, while the rest were trying to keep the rest of her body steady as to not drop her. They quickly but trying their best to be gentle while walking towards the bed to lay her down.
"Thank you goodness..." is all what Rudis could utter. She fixed Max's chemise pulling the cloth to hide her skin and then pulling the blanket up to her chest.
"My lady... Please be well... I will have someone to tell the lord." She mumbled with an obvious worried tone and went to talk to the knights who were just outside the room to have them deliver a message to Riftan.
Moments later, the door opened as a frantic Riftan emerged from behind the door with Ruth following him. The distance between the bed and the door seemed shorter seeing how he reached the bed with only three long steps and kneeled before his slumbering beloved while removing his gauntlets and tossing them on the side.
"Maxi... Maxi... " he cried to himself as he held her cold hand to his, holding it to his lips as he lovingly planted kisses at the back of her palms. "Ruth, call a physician now." He commanded.
Ruth remained standing by the door, "We have already done so, my lord. Please rest assured. We'll leave you two and return with the physician," Ruth said to him who was dreadfully hovering over his wife. He tapped Rudis, who was tearful beside him and signaled that they leave them in the meantime which the servant nodded in response.
Riftan stood up and started removing the rest of his armor, changed his clothes and laid beside Max, while covering himself under sheets. He gently scooped her head and inserted his long muscular arms to serve as her pillow. He pulled her body closer and wrapped his arm around the petite frame before him.
He was at the construction site when a squire in a horse was heard nearing their location. The young man was covered in sweat and while the horse was almost out of breathe.
Riftan's chest tightened as the news of her wife collapsing reverberated in his ears. He ran to Talon and was instantly sat on the warhorse's back as soon as he held its reigns. Ruth and Hebaron followed him, not falling behind from his pace. The typical twenty-minute horse ride drastically went down to a five as Riftan didn't spare no second to even slow the war horse's speed.
