My Lady Inej (six of crows fanfic)

Jesper

Jesper had started feeling worse the last few weeks. He had been feeling sicker and sicker for months now, but recently is when he really started to fear for the worst. His legs had become so weak he could hardly stand for longer than ten minutes at a time and he now required a wheelchair in order to move around the castle. In the last few days he had also begun to cough up blood. The doctor had come in to see Jesper and informed him that he had the Affliction. Jesper knew that meant he was going to die, but he didn't like it. He felt he had barely lived. As Jesper sat in the garden during the only time of his day where he was able to go outside for fresh air, a messenger approached him.

"Messages for you, Your Majesty," he said with a bow.

Jesper took the papers from him and noticed one that had Inej's seal on it. He set aside the other letters on his lap and opened it immediately. Reading it, guilt started to crawl its way through Jesper's body. He had indeed given his permission to the Lord Rietveld for his son to wed Inej, but Jesper had assumed Inej would be ecstatic. Or at least open to the idea. Sure, Inej had mentioned a few times that she didn't particularly want to be married, but it was her duty to her family. Surely she saw that? It had also been the only way for Jesper to give the crown to Inej after he died, even if she didn't know about that part yet. If he was to give the throne to either of his sisters, it would only be right to give it to Dunyasha—she was the oldest, after all. But Jesper didn't quite trust Dunyasha to be Queen of England. He loved her because she was his sister, but he also loved his people. Jesper knew how deep her hatred for Ethians ran, and while he didn't particularly like Ethians, he didn't think they deserved to die unless they committed a crime. Dunyasha would eradicate all the Ethians the first chance she got. That left his beloved cousin, Inej. WIth a husband and the promise of another heir after her, thanks to Lord Rietveld, Inej could rule with very little resistance. He also knew she was kind and held more curiosity towards Ethians rather than resentment.

But Jesper also hadn't yet told Inej that he was dying. He knew he should, he just couldn't bring himself to whenever he was in her presence. Those who did know—the doctor and a few of his closest advisors, Lord Rietveld and Lord Rollins among them—had already started to act differently around him. It also hadn't slipped his notice how they were asking less and less what Jesper wanted to do about something and were instead just handing him decrees to sign. The last thing Jesper wanted was for Inej to also treat him differently. Jesper comforted himself by reaching down to the golden retriever laying at his feet and running his hands through Pet's fur. At least Pet never treated Jesper differently, regardless of how sick he got.

Sighing, Jesper took his hand back and opened the rest of his letters. They were almost all about some event or another that a noble was hosting, none of which Jesper was interested in attending. The last letter was from Lord Rietveld, asking to have another meeting. Jesper motioned for two of his guards.

"I would like to go back to my room, please," he told one before turning to the other. "And let Lord Rietveld know he may have his meeting with me there." Both guards bowed and as one walked away the other started to wheel Jesper to his room, Pet following behind.

Once they reached Jesper's room, the guard closed the door and Pet went to lay down on the bed, eyes turned toward Jesper. Jesper stood up and carefully walked over to his desk, where he sat in a chair much more comfortable than the one he had to endure when he was out and about in the castle. He waited a few minutes until eventually he heard footsteps outside his door. The guard outside opened the door and Lord Rietveld walked in, bowing as he approached Jesper.

"What did you wish to discuss, Lord Rietveld?" Jesper asked with a wave of his hand, hoping to get whatever conversation the lord wanted to have over and done with.