Death and Her Consort

What even are those pt2

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After collecting Orion in his arms, he takes her over to the rock and he dresses her in his shirt and jacket. He throws her dress and belt over his shoulder and brings her to where the griffin was sleeping. Apparently slept through the whole thing. He didn't know griffins could sleep that deep. Leaving everything else he puts Orion in front of him leaning on Valie's neck.

"Okay Valie, give us a steady safe slow ride back, I'm not familiar with flying" he said "so please work with me."

Valie sensing Orion's in trouble she understands in her own way, and they take off for the palace. The flight back wasn't as long as the flight there. Valie was extremely worried about her mistress. She understood the urgency. She flew steady but slow wasn't in her vocabulary at the moment.

Landing in the courtyard he calls for help. Theo slides off  Valie, holding Orion bridal style in his arms. She laid limp and unconscious.

"I need to call a meeting with the royal family it's an emergency" Theo said.

Still holding Orion he says to a staff member "I need her maid Marcy, someone tell Marcy to go to Orions room immediately."

Rushing through the front doors and then heading up the grand stairwell he heads to the west wing.

Arriving at her room, he opens her door and brings her to the bed. Soaking wet the both of them. Marcy comes through the door almost stumbling just after they did.

"Tell me child, what happened" panic filling her voice, rushing over to assess the damage on her beloved princess. Who laid shivering and pale on her bed.

"I'll discuss that later" he said "right now I need to bring her body temperature up, she's freezing."

"What is wrong with her?" Marcy asks while digging through the linen closet finding a thick white bear winter fur blanket she wraps Orion up in it.

"I need some pants please, these are wet Marcy"

Marcy obeys leaving to go and fetch more clothing. Theo puts wood in the fireplace and lights a fire to warm the room. It wasn't cold but he needed to make it warmer.

Marcy comes back with pants and a long sleeve tunic "I will go and make some hot chocolate for you and my princess."

Giving the clothes to Theo,

"The king and queen will be here momentarily" Marcy says as she leaves closing the door behind her.

Theo enter's Orion's bathroom and rinses off the beasts blood, he changes clothes, exits and waits for the king and queen to arrive in her sitting area.

Minutes later Queen Andromeda busts through the bedroom door.

"My daughter!" She cries "oh my precious baby".

Running over to her only daughter, Andromeda sits next to her on the bed, touching her daughter's forehead with the back of her hand.

"She's freezing!" Andromeda yells "what happened? Why is she so cold? I thought it was just a lunch date!"

The king walks through the open doorway, "why is my daughter unconscious?" His voice deep and aggressive. Harsh enough to make grown men shake in their boots. Completely different man than yesterday.

"Yeah, that's what I thought. But we were attacked, she's the reason we made it out alive."

"What do you mean 'attacked'?" The king and queen asked simultaneously.

"What I mean is" Theo said "the Rot is at your doorstep now."

"How do you know it's the Rot?" Asked Oleander as he walked in, after hearing the buzz from what people witnessed in the courtyard.