"Finish it, Calliope, accept my oath or drive your sword through my throat. Either way, my life is yours, as it always was."
For the first time in her life Queen Calliope's hands trembled around the pommel of her sword...
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CW: Spicy stuff
"Come now, lay her down on that cot James and we'll see what we're working with," Wanda gentled as she swept over to a large work table covered with jars and bottles of all sorts.
Calliope grunted in pain when James lowered her carefully to the bed and she saw him wince in sympathy. He hovered next to her, almost reaching out to help her unlace her jerkin but thought better of it, letting her unlace it herself and slide her arm from its sleeve. She worked her chemise free of her britches and tucked it out of the way so that the bandage that Steven had applied was easily accessible. Her fingers began to work on the frayed knot that held the bandage in place but a tut from Wanda stopped her.
"I'll do that, I don't want you making things worse," she admonished, although her tone was kind. "And you," she pointed to James, "move."
James let out a growl of complaint but Wanda would brook no arguments.
"Don't you growl at me, big scary White Wolf. You're blocking my light. If you must hover then go do it on the other side of the bed."
James grumbled but complied, moving out of Calliope's sight for a moment before reappearing on her right, not too close so as to crowd her but close enough that she was hyper-aware of his presence. Rather than untying the make-shift bandage Wanda sliced through the dressing with her belt knife and then carefully peeled back the layers to reveal the poultice-packed wound. Calliope could sense James twitching at every move Wanda made and she rolled her eyes in frustration.
"James," Wanda snapped, "make yourself useful and go fetch me some water? It needs to be from near that rocky outcrop just a little upstream from the mill, it's best from there. Please?"
James nodded his silent acknowledgment and left the building, casting a last glance of concern over at Calliope as he passed through the doorway. Feeling a damp cloth against the angry skin of her wound, Calliope looked down in surprise to see Wanda cleaning it with a bowl of cool water.
"But I thought you needed..."
"We needed to get that grumpy oaf out of here for a while. The water will still be useful, I just don't need it right now," Wanda grinned and her nose crinkled, making Calliope smile in return.
"It's appreciated," she sighed, as the last of the poultice was removed and Wanda could take a look at the wound proper.
"Looks clean," the woman hummed, dabbing away some residual blood. "I'm going to have to put a stitch or two in it though I'm afraid. It needs some help staying closed due to its location."
Calliope nodded and steeled herself for the inevitable sting of the needle but was surprised when Wanda first rubbed an unguent around the wound.
"It contains willow bark," she explained to Calliope's raised eyebrow. "It takes a second to work but should help with the pain. I'll give you something later to help you sleep."
