II. The Impact of Her

~ Thirty-Two ~

"How are you feeling, Mother?" I asked as I helped her sit up.

I gently laid Mother's back against that headboard of her bed. I then put a few pillows to support her back.

"I feel weaker as more days pass by," Mother sighed, her eyes closed as she winced.

"Mother," I sat beside her, holding her hand, "I implore you to give me permission to find the cure," I begged as I looked straight into her eyes.

"Robert, your Aunt Bethilda is already giving me her herbal treatments. She puts it in her tea so I won't have to taste the bitterness of it," she replied, taking a pause every now and then to catch her breath. She was so weak, she couldn't say a single sentence without panting right after.

"Mother, I don't care if she has her own methods to get rid of your illness. It is clear that it's not of any help with your case," I hissed. "Please, place your trust in me. Allow me to find the cure that the Medicine King prescribed. I'll start looking for it today."

"Bethilda said that her herbal medicine did wonders for her diseases. She's been administering it to me from the day of her arrival. We just have to give it time to take effect," Mother explained.

"Mother, as of this moment, we don't need more time. We don't have any more time to waste," I moved closer to her. "You are growing weaker by the day. If her treatments are truly effective, you should've been cured in no time."

"But, Robert–"

"Mother, please," I closed my eyes as I tried to contain my frustration towards her stubbornness. "Let me help you. Let me look for the cure."

"Are you certain, dear one?" she asked, cupping my face with her hand. "I don't want you to get into any trouble, all because I am ill."

"Mother, I am more than prepared to face any trial, any challenge, just to see you recover," I replied as I cupped her hands within mine, bringing it closer to my heart. "And I will see to it that you will get better."

She giggled softly. Seeing a smile on her face eased my worries for a moment. "Oh, my dear boy. You are so much like your father," she remarked with a smirk. She continued, "You simply cannot take 'no' for an answer. You're willing to do everything to see things through, and to put everything in its rightful place."

"If I inherited that trait from James then I'm very thankful to have that in my veins," I replied as I kissed her hands.

With a gentle smile, she put a hand on top of my head. "I give you my permission, then."

My head shot up in shock. I was lost for words.

Did she mean it?

This was a surprise for me because she never wanted me to do anything whenever she was sick. If there was a thing such as a miracle, this was certainly one.

She teased, "I can see that there is no way for you to end this argument."

I kissed her forehead. "Thank you, Mother. I shall return victorious."

After another giggle, she said, "Take all the time that you need, dear one."

"Rest more whilst I'm gone. I will have some of my guards watch over you," I smiled as I stood up. After I helped her lie back down, she slowly closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Not wanting to waste more time, I walked out of the room and rushed to the stables.

I needed to find that cure. And I would find that cure.

~*~*~*~

I rode to the Mortal Realm to get to the Mountain of Heavenly Falls, where the ledoras plant was said to be found. Before I left the castle, I visited the library in the hopes of finding some books that talked about the herb. But, to my dismay, I didn't find anything.