One Day More - a Sartorias-deles fanfic

Chapter 15

Raec paced, raking his hands through his unruly hair as he did so.  Iris had been in the royal residence for three days, and no one would allow him to see her.  The rational segment of his mind could understand, but his emotions were not included in that.  He had hardly slept, analyzing the situation in the marketplace repeatedly.  Iris had been sweating—he had noticed the sheen on her skin—but he thought little of it.  If he had, would things have been different?  If speed were vital, and his lack of proper observance resulted in permanent harm to Iris, Alaraec would never forgive himself.

He wanted into her room.  He wanted to see her face for himself to assure his frantic mind that Iris would be fine.  She had to be.  Raec was not ready to lose her yet...if he were ever ready for that.  The more time he spent with her, the less likely he knew that to be.  Iris had a peace and life about her he had never encountered.

The door to her quarters opened, and Raec practically ran into the physician as he exited.  The gray-bearded man was a full head shorter than the prince, his body narrow.  Despite the evident age in the man's face with his wrinkles and gray beard, his eyes were sharp.  Raec clasped the physician's arm with a vicelike grip.

"Well?"

"Her fever has finally broken." Riddin's voice crackled.

When he had held Iris close in the carriage, he could feel the heat of her body even through both of their clothes.  After she had gone unconscious, her body would randomly twitch until even that ceased.  If not for the weak pulse he felt in her neck, he would have thought her dead.  Even though he doubted she could hear him, Raec whispered platitudes into her ear and pressed his lips against her temple, forehead, and the top of her head.  She had smelled of flowers, mixed with the salty musk of sweat.  The carriage arrived at the gates, and Raec carried Iris in his arms, yelling at the top of his lungs for the physician.  Since that hour, Riddin had exited Iris's room sparingly; he might not have even eaten.

Raec released the man's hand and melted into a chair against the corridor wall, all his strength gone.  Relief seeped into his bones.  Iris was going to be well. She had to be.  He clenched his jaw and nodded in the physician's general direction.

"I believe we caught it early enough before it could spread." Riddin popped his knuckles then arched his back in such a manner that Raec heard something crack painfully.  The physician, though, seemed unbothered.

"It?" Raec finally looked up at him.

"The poison."

"What do you mean, poison?" Raec felt the blood rush from his face as he paled. "Who would want to poison her, Riddin?"

"It was a very sophisticated substance," Riddin said, shaking his head. "It took all my experience to identify it.  I have only seen its potency one or two times in my career.  We will need to replace some of our own stores of cures, but she should be fine in a few more days.  Weak, but fine."

"Any long-term side effects?"

"Thankfully not.  If we caught it any later, though, my answer might have been different." Riddin placed a gnarled hand on Raec's shoulder. "Your friend will recover, Your Highness."

He did not have the strength to respond vocally, so Raec only nodded.  They remained in that position for a time—Riddin with his hand on the prince's shoulder, Raec staring at the floor, before Alaraec finally found his words. "Who would have done this?  Why?"

"I fear I cannot answer those questions."

"You said the poison was sophisticated.  Is there a way to identify its origins?" Raec forced himself to blink.