The Blood Knight

3 - Convalescence

Madam Helen returned to Sapphire's room with the morning's breakfast. This time, Sapphire gobbled up everything in sight, despite the horrible taste. Madam Helen could only watch in amusement as the girl tore up the bread with her teeth and chewed it, despite the obvious displeasure on her face.

"What did you tell her to convince her to eat, Doctor Gregory?"

"Doctor's secrets," Cedric said, a small smile on his face as he watched the girl eat. She looked looked as if she was going to vomit sooner or later.

"I hope you won't mind cooking something palatable for children, Madam Helen. She needs to eat. The food tastes bland because of her sickness, and it will surely receed when her body gets the energy it needs."

"You needn't mention it, my dear. I am aware how important a good meal is for the sick. I have children of my own, you know. You don't need to worry, doctor. But I am quite concerned about... What happened to that soldier."

Cedric took the tray from Sapphire's lap while handing her a cup of water, "A disease behaves different for each person. We can only wait."

"I hope so," Madam Helen replied.

"Also... Is there a way for you to obtain chicken blood?"

"Chicken.... Blood?"

Sapphire received some porridge as a mid day meal, with some biscuits along the way. Dinner was a good spread of seasoned stake and potatoes and an apple tart. By evening, Sapphire realized that the food she was eating didn't seem as unpalatable as before, and that there was a constant thirst lingering in the root of her throat. It was a thirst that no amount of water could quench and accompanied by a strange craving Sapphire didn't know how to explain.

When Cedric learnt of the thirst, he presented her with a cup full of a thick and warm red liquid.

"Is this_"

"Blood. Yes. Drink. The thirst would go away."

Sapphire held the cup, her mind telling her that it's disgusting. Yet her senses swam with a strange iron like aroma that for some reason made her feel hungry. Closing her eyes, she put the cup to her lips and drank. The liquid was warm, bitter with a taste of iron.

It was the most satisfying meal Sapphire had for the day. She didn't even realize that she had emptied the cup. The thirst was no hwere to be found, and she fell sleepy right afterwards.

At midnight, Sapphire caught a fever. She found herself shivering, her joints and jaws bursting with pain. The fever lasted for four days. Some of her teeth fall off while sunlight from the window made her skin itch so hard it bled. They mad to move her bed away from the window. Sapphire couldn't remember what she ate as food was forcefully fed to her whenever she was strong enough to sit on the bed. The taste was bland, but she still chewed and swallowed. Warm liquid was sometimes poured down her throat, easing the pain of her thirst.

The child couldn't tell how long it lasted, only that the doctor and madam Helen was there whenever she was awake.

She awoke one morning to the smell of fresh bread and vegetable soup, her stomach grumbling from hunger.

And the moment she placed the spoon of soup on her mouth, she felt her taste buds explode as an array of flavours invaded her mouth. She was soon gobbling up the soup and bread.

"I think she would need an extra helping," Cedric said. The eldest daughter of the village chief who was behind him, nodded as she rushed downstairs.

Sir Leonard Cohen, the knight from the capital watched as the girl ate. There was no sign of madness, and yet the sharp pointed fangs was clearly visible as she tore into the warm loaf of bread.