"The poison would spread to his vital organ and weaken him in just a few days," Elena stated as the rest stood silent. "He won't make it to Vremoor," Cassandra whispered.
"But there is something that could prevent the poison to spread..."
"Well, what is it?" Leon asked.
"Calamulus should do it," she hesitantly replied. She was not sure whether it would work or not, it could work in any other toxic plant but the Arbatus flower is an exception. Looking at Leon's expression she concluded that he didn't know what she was talking about. "Matthias would lead you to it," she said, earning a nod from the platinum blonde hair.
They both set off barefoot as it was the easiest way to access the forest. While Cassandra helped Elena to take care of Edmund.
Hours had passed yet there's no sign of the two men. Edmund's condition didn't get any better, he was still unconscious and his fever had gotten worse. When Elena covered him with her cape, he said that it was too hot but when she pulled them away, he felt cold. She would constantly check his wound, although it had stopped bleeding the wound had turned blue because of the poison.
Out of the blue, Edmund had a severe cough. Elena instantly helped him sit up so he was now sitting against the wall. Cassandra rushed towards them with a bottle of water that Leon had prepared earlier. Edmund took the bottle and slowly drank it. But his body somehow refuse it and before he could even swallow it, he coughed again.
The door burst opened and Leon quickly approached them as he gave the queen a hand full of Calamulus. It looked like an ordinary wild plant, green and nothing special about it. But since Matthias had also studied medicinal herbs, he knew where to find them.
Elena took them and took her dagger out. She used the flat side of the dagger and crushed it. Then, she gathered the powder on a piece of cloth and put a small amount of water, and fold it together. She waited a few minutes before applying it to his wound. And it did work, Edmund's breathing became balanced before he slowly drifted to sleep.
Elena let out a relieved sigh before she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. She silently thanked her father for the knowledge he had passed it down on her. A small smile appeared on her face as she thought of her father.
──────
Birds were flying above the air as the sun was beaming high in the air. A little girl happily jumped on the path as she headed to the garden house. Her hair was divided into two braids which were tied with gold ribbons. She opened the door towards the garden house as her footsteps echoed inside the room.
"Father?" she hesitantly asked as she found nobody was there. "Here," a voice answered. She quickly ran towards the source of the sound. There stood the King of Vremoor, his hands were covered with gloves as he was cutting the dried leaves. A smile appeared on his face.
They shared the same interests. Both of them love nature, especially learning about different varieties of flora.
"Need some help?" she asked with excitement.
"Water the plants."
She quickly ran towards where the gardening tools were placed and grabbed the nearest bucket. "Be careful, El," her father shouted from across the room. She replied with a quick "alright" and headed out to fill the bucket with water.
After some time, she went back to her father and watered the plants. Carefully not to spill any water. She looked at her father and saw him plant something new, but she had never seen anything like that before. And so she approached him.
"Do you know what this is?" he gently asked and she shook her head in disappointment. Her father chuckled at the sight of her cluelessness. "This is one of the most poisonous plants and could only be found in Vremoor," he explained as he carefully covered the roots with dirt. Elena took a step back as she widened her eyes.
"Then why are you planting it here?"
"Because it could save someone's life. People often mistake that poisonous plants could only harm people. Little did they know that with the right amount, it could be a cure. Like this one here, Arbatus flower. So learn everything and remember when you grow up, use your knowledge to help people."
"Yes, father," Elena replied with a smile. With her knowledge of medicinal herbs and toxic plants, she had saved countless lives and now she saved another. She had even discovered new ones.
──────
She felt someone touch her shoulder and through lidded eyes, she saw someone standing in front of her. It took her a few seconds more to adjust to her surroundings and she remembered what had happened. The sun was peeking through the horizon and realization came to her. "I've fallen asleep," she thought to herself. The last time she looked out the window, the moon was shining but now it was gone and would soon be replaced by the sun.
"It's time to go now," she heard Cassandra gently speak with a small smile. Elena nodded her head and with the help of her friend, she managed to stand properly. It was hard to keep balance, she haven't eaten for a whole night and she didn't even get enough rest. Not to mention that she had been taking care of the king.
"How is he?" she asked when she noticed his absence. "He could barely walk but he's in much better condition than last night," Cassandra replied. "As long as he can make it to Vremoor."
Cassandra offered her a drink which she gladly accepted. Then the two of them went outside.
"Thank you," Edmund said to hear, his gaze was focused on the ground. "Don't thank me yet, you're not fully cured. I simply length the time for the poison to spread all over your body," Elena replied as she mounted her horse.
"But you did save him," Leon barged in, earning a small smile from her.
"Let's go, shall we. The sooner we get there the better it is for him," she spoke and set off, soon followed by her fellow companions.
- ☽.
