The Prince of Ilios

Ninety-Three

Alyn walked up the stairs, his heart as heavy as his feet. Nicola had fallen asleep grasping her hand. Nadia approached him when he entered, "He just fell asleep."

Alyn grimaced, "When can we leave?"

"Prince Alyn, was it?"

"Just Alyn." He shrugged.

Nadia lifted her head in understanding, "Nadia. Sorry for yelling at you earlier. She cannot possibly move until she is better, preferable conscious, taking medicines and eating."

"Look Nadia, I have seen my sister get slowly worse. The curse has been draining the life from her for a long time. The stress has caused an increase ten-fold. So when exactly do you think that she will be awake?"

Nadia looked down and back up at him. She fidgeted by rubbing her fingers together, and swallowed, "I didn't know that. I don't know when she will wake."

"Is there anything you can do to wake her?"

"No. She only seems to stir when Nicola is gone, but she is still unconscious, just in great pain."

Alyn thought for a moment, "My mother had once told me a tale of a woman, the Witch of Zima, she is known for being a miraculous healer. Do you know anything about her?"

Nadia shook her head solemnly, "Never heard of such a thing."

"I have." Nicola rubbed the sleep from his eyes, lifting his head, "I was researching it before Cyrus took over." Ellora had caught him in the Library that day, and he had tried to hide his intentions from her so as not to get her hopes up. Instead the exchange still left him with a bitter taste in his mouth.

Alyn approached him hopefully, "And?"

"It's all children's tales, nothing concrete. Ironically, even Zima cannot verify if the tales are true. They seem to just be the things that dreams are made of." Nicola brushed Ellora's hair away from her face, "It is better for her to stay. She will be well taken care of here."

"Better for who?" Alyn's fist clenched, "If there is any hope of lifting this, I am going to take the chance. But you want to hide her away, asleep in a corner somewhere."

Nicola stood in his defense, "She could die on the journey!"

Ellora stirred slowly behind him.

"Or she could be cured." Alyn's jaw set. He had already made up his mind, he did not even really know why he was asking, "I'm taking her in three days if she does not wake. I will begin the preparations tomorrow morning."

Nicola's eyes flared, "You can't be serious."

"She needs her family."

"She needs time." He replied nervously. He knew his frail attempts to keep the illusion that things would be find would crumble soon, but he could not help but grasp at it. Perhaps if he spent more time with her their miraculous bond could cure her. Nicola knew that was more of a fairytale than the witch. Then, Alyn spoke his fears aloud.

"If there is nothing that can be done here, it is better that her family see her at least one last time. They haven't seen us since the beginning of the competition, and haven't heard from us since three days before Cyrus became king. All because of you and your father, mind you." Alyn wanted to punch him, but he could just see Ellora's worried face, he kept himself at bay for now.

"Nicola, she's crying." Nadia said softly, beckoning him back to the bed.

Nicola bit the inside of his cheek, "I'm sorry. But I can't let her leave." He touched her cold hand, enveloping it in his warm one, hoping to transfer some sort of life to her.

Alyn coughed, uncomfortably, "Then, come with us." It wasn't the last thing that he wanted, but he was not sure how to explain that his sister could not physically live without the Prince of Ilios now, but they were not even engaged.

"I have a government to organize. I can't just pick up and leave."

Nadia stood with her hands on hips, "Nicola! That is enough. We did not ride day and night for you to watch the one you love die. If his mother has a solution that River and I do not have, all the better. You have already given everyone the necessary instructions and signed all of the documents. If you keep her here, you are just being a coward. What will you do, take her to the cabinet meetings?"

Alyn chuffed, "You have three days to get whatever you need in order. By then, I will have secured a boat and we will be going home. It would make the journey easier with you, but we will make it without you."

Nicola looked from his sister to Alyn. He did not even really understand why he was being so stubborn about it. He had met many dignitaries before without batting an eye. He had stood on bloody battlefields and cut down more enemies than he could count. But somehow facing the people whom his father blackmailed made his blood cold, "I will go wherever she goes."

Alyn nodded, placing his heavy hand on Nicola's shoulder, "You'll be fine, I think." His lips broke into a half-grin.

Nicola swatted him away, "Don't make fun of me."

Nadia nodded, "I will send for a pageboy. I am sure you have many letters to write and instructions to send." She left the room.

Alyn turned to leave. Stopping at the door, he gave the ultimatum, "You had better ask her to marry you after all of this. And, you had better love her more than life itself. She deserves the world with everything that she went through."

The closing door echoed flatly in the room. Nicola brushed the back of his hand against her cheek, "She deserved it even before then. I don't think a lifetime would be enough to repay her. Not that she would think I owe her a thing. I don't want her to struggle alone. I want to celebrate every victory and be there for every nightmare, and everything in between."

Ellora smiled in her sleep, as though she had heard him. He smiled tiredly in return, and bent to kiss her forehead.