The Reckoning - Book Two

Chapter Five - Demwyn

Quirin bows before me as I stand behind my desk. I needed to get to the bottom of the whispers circling through the palace walls.

"Quirin, please sit." I say, gesturing to the guest chair as I take my seat.

"Thank you your Majesty." He smiles as he takes a seat.

"I asked you here today to speak about a concerning rumour." I begin.

"A rumour your Majesty? Forgive me but I'm not usually called to speak with the King about rumours." He smiles.

"No I suppose not, but this one does give me reason to ask you here as I suspect you are the one who has been attending to this so called rumour." I reply.

"I serve the people Your Majesty, please ask whatever it is you are concerned about."

"I have heard numerous rumours about a screaming woman in the middle of the night, and not just once but every night, in the chosen's wing. Do you know anything about this?" I ask, watching the recognition as it reaches his eyes.

"I do Your Majesty." He answers with a nod.

"And? Do you care to elaborate?"

A heavy sigh. "Of course." He pauses, expression troubled and full of concern. "One of the chosen has been suffering from nightmares. I have been seeing to her care personally but the case is very unique and despite my best efforts and medical attention I am struggling to find a cure for the nightmares."

"Is she alright?" I ask, now worried the rumours were even more serious then I had thought.

"Yes, in a manner of speaking." He answers uneasily.

"What does that mean?"

"Well she is suffering greatly from the damage the nightmares are causing her psyche, not to mention the physical damage from sleep deprivation. We believed we had found a cure for the nightmares, but that is no longer available, and so now I am trying my best to help her deal with her situation, but I'm afraid there is little I can do."

I study Quirin before speaking.

"Quirin, which chosen is it?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

"Miss Daella Your Majesty." He answers in confirmation.

Leaning back in my chair I let out a heavy sigh. Of course it is.

"It is a side effect from the attack she received from Prince Arden your Majesty. Miss Daella suffered from them after she woke up from the nightmare sleep she was attacked by and a cure was discovered by chance." He continues quickly.

"What was the cure?" I ask, wondering why it was no longer working.

He hesitates. "She discovered that if she slept beside Prince Alvaryn or Prince Aeris the nightmares stayed away. We are unsure of why, my theory is their own magical shields kept the nightmares at bay, but as I am unfamiliar with Prince Arden's magic it is hard to say." He answers, looking at the desk like he is afraid of my reaction.

"And now they are gone the nightmares have returned." I state flatly.

"Yes your Majesty." Another nod of confirmation.

Another heavy sigh from me.

"And is there nothing to be done?"

"One thought I had was getting her outside of her current state or routine. Her days are very monotonous and I am afraid she is allowing herself to be surrounded by the same things, the same thoughts, not to mention being without the Princes it has left her in a dark place. If she were able to do something different, have a distraction, this may help change her thought pattern and perhaps lessen the strength of the nightmares that plague her. It is only a theory of course, I cannot say if it will work but I am trying desperately to find something that will help. Sitting with her every night until the sun rises and seeing the broken expression in her eyes is difficult to watch when I know she has done nothing to deserve such a life." He answers, a defeated expression crossing his face.