The Second Son

Chapter 32

I sat in bed trying to return to reality. The dream was so real that my throat felt sore from coughing up water. And the man who saved me. His voice. I know I've heard it before. There was a memory in my head trying to break through. It felt urgent. It felt like the missing piece of a puzzle. I was giving myself a headache trying to remember.

And then I remembered last night. My fingers went to my lips where I could still feel the ghost of Henry's kiss. It was as if the past year hadn't changed anything between us. I thought Henry forgetting what we meant to each other would be the worst thing to happen but knowing he still had feelings for me was.

I shook the dream and last night's events off and jumped out of bed. I didn't have time for drama. More and more people were dying everyday and I didn't know how to stop it. I still didn't even know what disease I was dealing with. The pressure to help as many people as I could was bearing down on my shoulders.

I started to ready myself for the day and Betsy brought me my morning meal. I asked her if she had heard any gossip from the party last night but she said it was just the usual. I felt a little bit of relief that Henry following me out to the garden didn't seem to be common knowledge. But James had said we were being watched. So the queen could still know about it. Damn Henry for being so reckless!

The day went on just like any normal day. I kept waiting for a summons from the queen but it never came. Maybe we were in the clear. At some point in the afternoon there was a lull in patients so I took the opportunity to get some fresh air. My surgery was in the back of the castle near the kitchens and I could easily sneak out to the pasture that was used for the horses. There was a stream that ran through the back of the castle's lands and I was hopeful that I could harvest some medicinal plants from there. I was going through my supplies so quickly.

As I made my way down to the stream, I had to pass by one of the stables. I could hear angry voices coming from that direction. I planned on just moving along and minding my own business. That was until I recognized one of the voices. It was the queen and just hearing her voice paralyzed me with fear. I stopped in my tracks and quickly moved into the shadows where I hoped to remain unseen.

"I thought you would have taken care of this by now. It's been weeks and the witch is still spreading evil in my court." I couldn't help the gasp I made at the queen's words. I quickly covered my mouth with my hands. The queen continued speaking so they must not have heard me.

"I don't care how you do it but you need to make her disappear. She's going to ruin our plans. My idiot son is still under her spell. And the King thinks she walks on water. Fools! All of them!" I could feel myself trembling. I was in so much more danger than I thought. I needed to know who the Queen's co-conspirator was. I was not prepared for the voice I heard next.

"I'm so sorry Your Grace. She's proving to be harder to pin down than I expected. I have a new plan and she should be gone within a week." It was Samuel who was planning my demise with the Queen. I considered him one of my only friends here and thought maybe he could have been more.

"She better be. We can't move onto the next phase of our plan while she's here. You and I can't be together until we've eliminated everyone in our way. You still want that, don't you?" I had to bite down on my lip to keep quiet. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This was treason!

"Of course Your Grace! You are all I think about day and night. I'll do whatever it takes so we can be together at last!" I heard a rustling noise that made me think they were embracing. I had to get out of there before I was discovered and the queen ordered me killed right there on the spot.

I crept around the back of the stable and inched along until I reached the far side. The tree line was 10 feet away so I made a dash for it and just kept going until I felt I was safely hidden in the forest. My safe place.

I finally stopped at the stream and collapsed on the ground. The adrenaline was starting to wear off and all of sudden I felt exhaustion overtake me. I laid down on the moss along the bank of the stream and closed my eyes to listen to the surrounding sounds. I felt instantly calmer as if the forest had the power to soothe me. I had always felt a connection to nature and right now I was grateful for it. I let what I just learned settle in my brain.

The queen wanted me dead. She commissioned Samuel, who I considered to be my one of my only friends, to carry out the dead. Because they were together and from what it sounded like, they had some sort of evil plan. I had a feeling that so much of what occurred last year at my uncle's estate was the doing of the queen. And Samuel losing me in the woods didn't seem so accidental anymore. I was surrounded by snakes. I didn't know who to trust.

I couldn't run away. I was here at the king's own personal request which was as good as a Royal order. Plus where would I go? So I had to stay and carry out my duties. Samuel probably would try to kill me again sometime in the next week and I bet he would try to make it look like an accident. I couldn't do this alone. I had no protection other than the King's favor. There was only one person who would believe me. And I just had to hope he was willing to help me.