The cloaked girl in white ● After The Dance

Chapter fourty-six

CHAPTER FOURTYSIX

When Vis is safely inside of Aegons chambers, she can now truly focus on him. What meets her, though, is not a pretty sight. He is clearly in much agony, hunched into a fetal position, shaking like a mad man. And his nose had been bleeding. His skin is ghostly white and glistening in sweat.

"Good gods." Vis let's out in a yelp as she rushes over to the side of the bed where there are no people beside. She climbs onto the structure, reaching her hand down to adjust his hair away from his face.

"Vis?" His voice is weak, and the tremor he usually has only when drinking is back. He is clearly in the next stage of detoxification, and now is usually the time when the body is fighting off the poison as well as screaming for more.

"Yes, Aegon, I'm here." She tries to keep herself calm as the queen panicking is the last thing that is needed. She touches his forehead.

"He is burning up. Have you not given him something for his fever?" She looks up to Maester Duron.

"He got a big gulp of the potion that has white willow bark, your grace. We also gave him as much milk from the poppy as he wanted." Maester Duron answers.

"Get me a wet cloth for his forehead, please." She snaps her fingers out in the air before she lets her hand feel the skin of his neck. It is indeed damp from the sweat and cold and hot to the touch at the same time.

She lifts his sheet slightly and checks his torso as he has developed red and burning rashes previously at this stage. Luckily, there is no sign of that this time.

Aegon is just laying there, groaning slightly from the pain he must be in.

"Are you certain he can not have some more milk? It can't be that he has to be in such agony?" She looks over at the Maester Duron, who nods and walks over to the study table where they have stationed their tools and their bottles.

One of the other Maesters hands her a wet cold cloth, which she places on his forehead. She can hear him responding to the cold feeling of the cloth. She presses it slightly against his skin.

"Does that feel better?" He barely answers in a slight nod.

Maester Duron steps over and helps him to some more of the milk. He is barely able to swallow, and Vis helps him hold his head up, making sure to brush away the hair from his face again once he has laid back down.

"I don't think there is much more we can do for the Prince. You are familiar with how it goes, your grace. He should try and rest for the remaining of the night."

"Is there anything I should look out for, Maester? Signs of him getting worse, I mean?"

"If he develops that rash he has had earlier, it can bring up his fever, but other than that, this just has to run its course, I'm afraid. I'm sorry we can not be of more assistance, your grace." He signals to the other two with him that they should leave, and they start packing up their things.

"It's alright, Maester. He has put himself in this condition, and he knows very well what he will go through each time he decides to go back. Thank you for your help." Vis nods towards the Maesters who are now all bending their neck and on their way out.

"Can you send in Ser Rhaena, or whoever is outside, please?" She calls after them.

"At once, your grace." They are barely out of the room when Ser Criston is the one who enters the chambers.

"Where is Rhae, Ser Criston?" Vis looks at him, clearly confused as it is still night, and Rhae and Lana are usually the ones on watch with the queen during the night as Ser Criston is her knight during the day.