Guild of Thieves (Book 1) ✓

𝓒𝓱.14 ~ 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓠𝓾𝓮𝓮𝓷'𝓼 𝓢𝓾𝓼𝓹𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓸𝓷𝓼

Arianna woke to find Venus May hovering over her, the woman had a look of urgency on her face. Before she could speak, Venus whispered quickly.

"I forgot to tell you the Guards at the tower usually take five minutes before changing watches."

Arianna knew Venus shouldn't be helping her, but was grateful for this new information. Five minutes was all she needed to steal the jewels and quickly return to the chambers to escape.

"Thank you old friend." She hugged the woman for her help.

They were interrupted when a healer raced into the room. "Ari! The King's brother's wound is infected!"

Without a word, Arianna followed the healer to the Royal Chambers, Venus May right behind them. Jonathan groaned in pain as he glistened in sweat, his bandages covered in blood as the wound oozed. It was not a good sign and Arianna knew the infirmary didn't have the medicine needed to stop the infection.

"What do we do Ari?" Venus looked towards her for guidance.

"We need Calamine leaves and Red Myrtle..." Arianna answered, the others looking at her in confusion.

"Those are rare to find here in Arondale. We have none in stock either." Venus May informed. "So now what do we do?"

"There is some at the Apothecary in town!" She said with sudden realisation. "Under the counter in a small wooden box, there are spare vials and leaves incase of emergency and I would class this as an emergency!"

Venus nodded, running out of the room in a hurry. The longer they took, the quicker the infection will worsen. Jonathan needed the medicine if he didn't want to have his leg amputated.

While she waited, Arianna grabbed a bowl of water and wiped Jonathan's face, placing another cloth on his forehead, trying to stop the fever. He was burning up and becoming delusional in his state, muttering nonsense while he tossed and turned around in pain. Afterward he quietened down, she helped the healer clean the wound. Now knowing her name was Millie.

******

An hour later Venus May ran into the room with the vials, handing the small box to Arianna, the woman was out of breath. Arianna didn't waste any time, getting straight to work grinding the leaves into a paste and putting it over the entire wound. Next she made Jonathan swallow four drops of the Red Myrtle.

The man stopped muttering, instantly getting relief from the medicine. He would not need his leg amputated after all. Saving the man's life a second time. The King entered followed by the Queen, the woman didn't look happy to see Ari in the room.

"What happened? Is he alright?" King Vincent asked racing to the bedside.

"He will be now, thanks to Ari's quick thinking and resourcefulness!" Venus exclaimed and Millie agreed.

"Is there anything I can do to repay you for your help again Ari?" The King offered and Arianna knew exactly what to ask for.

"We need more medicinal plants in storage in case of emergencies like this one." Arianna suggested, holding up the Calamine Leaves and Red Myrtle for the Royals to see for themselves. "Rare plants are hard to come by and cost a fortune to buy in the market. We need to gather these plants in the forest surrounding Arondale."

"How do you know these plants are outside the Kingdom?" The Queen asked with a raised brow.

Everyone knew gathering in the forest was illegal and punishable by death, but they didn't have to know the truth. Arianna came up with a fake story to tell them to gain their trust.

"I knew a merchant who sold supplies to my Apothecary. He traveled the realms seeking new kinds of medicine and told me that Red Myrtle and Calamine Leaves only grow in the forest surrounding Arondale."

She half told the truth, Teigen was a traveller but he sought out trinkets and valuable objects, not medicine. The King, Venus May and Millie were sold by her story, the only one who remained suspicious was the Queen. The woman remained quiet beside the King, watching Arianna's every move as she wrapped a clean bandage around Jonathan's leg and tidied up the room before leaving.

"When did you become a Royal Healer?" The Queen asked, waiting for Arianna to answer.

She didn't know what to say or how to respond without giving herself a way as a fraud. Luckily Venus May was quick to answer.

"She is still new to the job, but Ari has more knowledge and experience than any of us, your Highness. Venus said. "She was sent to serve your court as a Royal Healer."

"Is that so?" The Queen eyed them both with suspicion, but didn't question them any further.

Arianna owed Venus May her life after she saved her buttocks just now. If the Royals ever looked into Arianna further, they would find out that she was just a woman who owned the Apothecary in the kingdom and she would never see her daughter again once they locked her away in the dungeons.

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When the King and Queen were alone in Jonathan's chambers, Queen Margary voiced her concerns to her husband.

"Something is off about that healer Ari..."

Vincent turned to look at her, laughing at her worries. "What do you find off about her, my love?"

"There is just something about her that spells trouble. I wouldn't be so trusting towards her."

King Vincent chuckled, reaching for his wife's hands, clasping them in his own.

"You are a distrusting person Margery, which is what makes you a good Queen and I love you for it. But I do believe Ari can be trusted." He said, planting a kiss on her forehead. "She did save Jonathan's life. Without her we would be standing at his grave side not at his bedside."

The Queen couldn't deny that, keeping her concerns to herself as she looked at Jonathan sleeping. They could have lost a family member today...

She left the King and his brother, returning to her own chambers to check on baby Alexander, the next heir to the throne of Arondale. Margery was happy to be a mother and even more happier her son was a strong, healthy baby. Arondale needed a strong ruler for the future.

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When no Guards stormed into the Healer's Chambers later that evening, Arianna let out a sigh of relief, laying in her bed more soundly knowing her identity had not been compromised.

The Queen was too suspicious, and Arianna needed to be careful around the woman. She couldn't afford to get caught and be thrown into the dungeons. Arianna wanted to go back to the mill factory to see her daughter once more.

Arianna wondered if Jezamine missed her as much she missed the child. Knowing two days have already passed and she needed to make a move for the Royal Jewels soon. The pressure of failing, being caught or never seeing Jez again all weighed heavily on her. Falling asleep to the mental image of baby Jezamine giggling and cooing as she smiled up at Arianna with such joy in her baby eyes.