Medicine | King Baldwin

37

"I'm stuffed, I've had so many honey cakes." Isabel said, clutching her stomach as she walked alongside her maid along the corridor overlooking the inner garden. The sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the meticulously tended flowers and shrubs below. Birds chirped softly, their songs mingling with the distant laughter and chatter from the courtyard.

"I did warn you not to overindulge, my lady." she teased gently. "But it was worth it to see you enjoy yourself." Jeanette chuckled softly, glancing at her as she laughed, feeling a lightness in her heart.

"Isabel!" came a familiar female voice from the garden, prompting her to turn her head. Sibylla and Octavia were seated around a small garden table, enjoying each other's company and chatting animatedly. When the princess noticed her, she immediately waved her over. "Come join us." She called out with a warm smile.

Isabel glanced at Jeanette, who gave her an encouraging nod. With a deep breath, she walked towards the table. As she approached, she noticed the elegant arrangement of the table, adorned with fresh flowers and delicate porcelain cups. The golden light of the setting sun bathed the scene in a warm, inviting glow.

"It's good to see you." Sibylla said as she stood to greet her, pulling her into a gentle embrace.

"It's been a time since we last spoke, princess." Isabel replied, returning the embrace with a small smile.

"Indeed, it has been too long." Sibylla said, stepping back with warmth in her eyes. "If my memory serves me correctly, you two haven't met yet." She said, looking between them.

"I haven't had the pleasure yet." Octavia said, rising gracefully from her seat and approaching Isabel with a warm smile. "Octavia of Byzantium." Her presence exuded a refined elegance, and as she extended her hand, Isabel noticed the delicate grace of her movements.

"Isabel." she introduced herself with a polite smile, though she kept her introduction brief and concise. They returned to their seats around the small garden table, the air thick with the fragrance of blooming flowers. As they settled, Sibylla, ever the gracious hostess, poured fresh cups of herbal tea for everyone.

"I beg your pardon for my curiosity, but could you enlighten me about the role you play within the palace?" Octavia turned to the newcomer with a polite inquiry.

"I am a physician. Fortunately, I have been here for a few months." She responded.

"But not just any physician." Sibylla smiled. "Thanks to her, Baldwin is slowly recovering." she said, as Octavia looked at them with curiosity.

"Are you the king's physician?" she asked in surprise, her expression a mix of discomfort as she shifted uneasily in her chair, trying to process the revelation.

"Yes." she replied with a hint of a smile, her expression softening as Baldwin's name entered the conversation.

"Then.. you must have had a close relationship with him." Octavia said, narrowing her eyes at Isabel, who was momentarily taken aback by the question.

If only you knew half of it. She thought to herself.

"Well.." She coughed uncomfortably, her fingers nervously playing with the hem of her green dress. "As close as one can be with a king as his physician. But beyond that, yes, we have a good rapport." she confessed, her voice tinged with a hint of hesitation.

Octavia clicked her tongue thoughtfully and nodded, feeling a small ember of jealousy flicker within her as she considered the nature of her relationship with the king whom she herself held in high regard.

Sibylla broke the uncomfortable silence with a discreet cough, her eyes briefly flickering between Isabel and Octavia as she sensed the tension in the air. Clearing her throat, she deftly shifted the conversation to a different topic, her words chosen carefully to steer away from the previous subject.