Capes and Crowns. (TomTord Royalty AU)

Chapter 5; Cursed.

For most of the day, Eliza and Timothy stayed in the living room while Egil and Calian talked in his bedroom down the hall. Calian was put on bed rest since his illness prevented him from getting up and doing basic tasks. Well, that and his illness was extremely contagious.

The people of Rocksonia coined this mysterious illness as 'Rock's edge'; it's common to catch overseas in the stretch of water around Rocksonia. It's theorized that a certain toxins' created in the water from the disturbance of unknown sea predators releasing some sort of poison; a type that would float to the surface and evaporate, finding its way into the lungs of passengers on boats traveling through the channel. Worst part is- it worked almost instantaneously; the crew-members typically getting sick twelve to twenty-four hours later.

'Rock's Edge' begins by staining the lungs of its inhibitors, turning the flesh thin and flaky. Then, it spreads to the stomach and throat, damaging the integrity of vital organs. The longer this illness spread, the areas would further thin out, creating holes and dozens of infections. It was a slow, painful process.

Luckily there were already cures, antidotes, and vaccines to prevent 'Rock's Edge.' This disease hasn't been a problem for decades; so purposefully, Calian caught it. It's difficult to overcome without the help of medicine, and it would be worse for someone who grew up on warm land instead of a tundra. However, Calian was used to harsh conditions on his body, having passed illnesses like this before. Egil however, had never been through something like this in his life.

But overall their conversation was pleasant, even if Eliza and Timothy could only hear glimpses of their speech. When evening struck, Egil left the room with a polite and courteous bow, leaving their stay to head back to the castle.

"Is it done?" Timothy asked eagerly, standing up from his chair. "Do you think he caught it?"

"There's no way he couldn't have," Eliza said softly, standing up after him. She walked to one of their cabinets, opening a drawer. "He was in there for hours, breathing freely."

Timothy made an excited giggle while his mother pulled out a vile of liquid and a thin razor. "Timothy, dear, prepare me a mask."

"Oh! Yes mother," he quickly walked to one of their bags, pulling out a thick piece of fabric with a ribbon attached to it. He walked back over to his mother, handing it to her.

She slipped the fabric over her mouth, tying the ribbon behind her head. She re-possessed the vial and blade, turning to the hall. "Wait out here, Timothy."

"Yes mother."

Eliza walked down the hall, approaching the room where her husband stayed. Calian was laying down on the bed, breathing weakly through his mouth.

Calian was 40 years old, and resembled Tom much more than he did Timothy. His skin was dark and his hair was even more spiky and split than Tom's, his sharp bearded face aged with war and anger. His eyes were dark, not just in hue but in meaning.

Eliza had tried her best to fall in love with Calian, even after being married to him for 20 years. Their marriage was arranged after all, she was simply chosen out of a line up of other young women to be the next queen and mother of the future king. She'd never get her 20's and 30's back, and there was no use holding a grudge over it. She was a queen, she got to eat good food and feel the power of superiority. Who cares if she never loved her husband?

It was obvious he never loved her back.

"Did it really have to take you that long, wench?" He ridiculed her the moment she walked through the door, the queen knowing better than to respond. She placed the vial and blade down on the bedside table, reaching for the blanket and pulling it back.