The Royal Secret

~Never Again~

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"Tobias, Caitlyn said her first word just this morning, isn't that wonderful?" The Queen asked her husband. Perhaps if she spoke of their daughter's progress, he would pay her more attention.

"Congratulations," The King said with little care in his voice.

Breakfast had become a silent nightmare between the two. Even when the Queen made attempts to speak about things the King would potentially like to hear, she was shut down immediately. It was a sad sight to see. Even the Talis workers questioned it.

They arrived from coronation happy and in love. Now, once the Queen has a miscarriage, the King suddenly hates her. Or perhaps his honeymoon phase was over and the Queen fell for a fraud.

~~~~~~~~~

Vi stepped into the dead castle. The sun no longer shined. It was the brightness of all of the clouds blocking the warm rays of sun. It was natural light, but at what cost? The palace was dead. "Caitlyn?" The Noble called out.

Viktor coughed as he closed the palace doors, "She is in her bed chambers. You do know where that is, correct?"

The Noble ran up the staircase. Past the library, past the grand balcony, past everything until she found Caitlyn's room. Out of breath she was, bursting into the Princess's bed chambers. The poor woman was barely coherent, "Violet..." she muttered, seeing the reddish-pink blur.

"She hasn't been coherent for a while," Viktor said. "She won't allow me to call in a doctor."

Vi took Caitlyn's hand into her own, "I'm so sorry," she told her.

The Princess's eyes began to close as the Noble used her thumb to make gentle circles on the back of her hand. "It's almost as if she had been trying to let herself die," Viktor said.

"Because of me," Vi said.

"Perhaps."

"You must call in a doctor. Now. No matter what she says."

"As you wish." The man used his cane and limped out of the room. Caitlyn dozed in and out of sleep as Vi stayed down on her knees, next to the bed.

For hours it remained that way. Vi remained on her knees, her hand remained holding onto Caitlyn's. That was when a doctor was able to reach them.

"How long as she been like this?" The doctor asked.

"A week or two," Viktor said.

Vi couldn't speak for her now. She had left her for that week or two. Alone. Heartbroken. And for what? Her own pride?

The doctor cleared his throat, "If she's still alive, then she doesn't have an illness," he said. "If she had anything, she would've already been dead. All I can say is..."

"Pregnancy," Vi told him.

"Yes. If you wish for her to be coherent again, I suggest herbal teas and remedies. Lavender, possibly eucalyptus. Do not allow her to inhale it, she must drink or eat it. That is all I am able to do though."

"Thank you, good sir," Viktor said. The doctor bowed his head before leaving the room.

"I cannot leave her," Vi said after the clicking of the door.

"Then you do not have to. I will get the herbs for her."

"But aren't you injured?"

Viktor lightly chuckled, "No, no, no. I've been this way all my life. I'm just slower than others. That is all."