Bow to the King

Chapter Seventeen

Attached is the awesome cover made by PenguinWizard03! It made my day that someone spent time to make a gift for me! I really love it, thank you so much x
~

It was not until three days later that Rose was given an extended period of time off from her duties with Suzanna. Rose immediately raced out of the castle and headed towards Brianne's home. Keira had told Rose that her father had arrived at the healers safely. Brianne had apparently taken one look at James and agreed that he should stay with her so she could attend to him. Keira had been ushered out of the room after that, but she had managed to visit her father once since then.

Rose walked along the cobblestone ground of the castle courtyard, the wind creating small bumps on her arms. She walked up to the wooden door of Brianne's home and knocked lightly. Within a minute, the door was swung open to reveal the healer. Brianne gave a surprised smile and nodded her head in response to Rose's curtsey.

"Rose, what are you doing here?" She asked in a friendly tone. "You have not injured yourself, have you?" She said, suddenly frowning. Rose laughed quietly and shook her head.

"Nay, I am well. I have some time off and was hoping to visit James," Rose explained. Brianne raised her eyebrows in response.

"You know of my new patient?"

"I do not just know of him, I know him," Rose said with a smile. "He is the father of my friend." Brianne blinked and then stepped aside and gestured for Rose to enter.

"Of course, come in."

Rose entered the room and her gaze drifted to James. He looked much the same, his skin was still a sickly white and his breathing sounded laboured. Rose looked at him sorrowfully as he released a chocked-up cough. His eyes were closed and he breathed deeply in sleep. Rose had the offhand thought that this was how she must have appeared to others when she was attacked by the wolf. Brianne closed the door behind Rose and joined her in watching the man.

"He is not better and no worse," Brianne told her as she moved to stoke the fire.

"Do you know what ails him?" Rose asked hopefully. Brianne was well known as one of the best healers - surely she, of all people, would be able to help him. Brianne stood up from the fire with a regretful expression and tense posture.

"No. I do not," she replied simply. Rose inhaled sharply, surprised. "At first I thought it was a virus, but it confuses me that he has been unwell for so long. Usually people are not so ill after a few weeks. It cannot be a plague, for no one who has been in contact with him seems to fall ill. If it were an infection of some sort he would be much deteriorated by now, close to death even," Brianne explained as she tapped her nails repetitively on the table nearby. Rose sighed quietly, at least Brianne did not seem to think he was near death.

"So you have not treated others who have been similarly sick before?" Rose asked the healer, dismayed. Brianne shook her head, her curls bobbing around her face.

"No, that is not it. I have treated people like him before, but usually they have been exposed to venom or poison of some sort. He is certain that he was never bitten by anything venomous and I have examined him myself for wounds and scars. That only leaves poison, but it does not make sense. My only confusion is that if he were poisoned by something, he should not have survived for so long. The poison should have consumed him... It is as if his body has defeated half the toxin and is unable to fight the rest." Brianne pouted and scrunched up her face as she tried to solve the mystery. Rose felt her heart thump forcefully as she thought of James being poisoned. The thought terrified her.

"Did you tell him all of this?"

"No, not yet. I did not want to worry him - half the time the fear seems to make people grow worse than the actual sickness does."