Healer: Spiritual Gifts #1

TWENTY-FOUR

As anxious as he was to deliver Ariane to his brother, Kellan could not deny her request to make herself presentable following the long journey. After making arrangements for his companion to have heated water to wash, clean clothing and food for a proper meal, he gave her the privacy she required.

At Ariane's insistence, he stole through the hidden passages to his own chamber to clean up. Fresh clothing and a quick wash made him feel less like a creature from the swamp land by the river, but did little to alter the fatigue that had plagued him since his injury. Ariane assured him that rest was all his body required. He hoped she was correct as he had never experienced such difficulty staying upright in the saddle or been so grateful to be home. Kellan hated to consider what his condition would be without her skilled healing.

With his problems forced to the back of his mind as he slipped quietly through the hidden portal into his brother's quarters. Expecting to see Derrik waiting by the window, he was shocked to see the pale, thin form lying on the bed.

"Dear Lord, no!" Fearing he was too late, he rushed to the bedside to see if Derrik was breathing.

"She is very beautiful."

Kellan nearly dropped to the floor in relief. It was one of Derrik's rare pranks. He wanted to strangle his brother in retaliation, but a quick inspection told the tale; Derrik was truly ill. The form he had initially considered thin, was in fact a wasted skeleton. The skin he had thought pale, bore an unhealthy gray tinge.

He swallowed hard to keep his worry contained. "Do not think to steal her."

Derrik chuckled, but shortness of breath triggered a fit of coughing. Kellan jumped to assist, but was waved away. Helpless, the younger man could do no more than watch his brother struggle for air.

As the fit subsided, Derrik drew a shallow breath. "No. She is meant for you. I could see that much."

"Is it obvious?" Kellan was relieved to have his brother's understanding, but much was at risk if his feelings were on public display.

Derrik waved a gaunt hand. "Only to me, Kell."

Kellan pulled a chair forward to sit as instructed. Leaning his elbows onto his knees, he broached one of the many subjects that bothered him. "When you first laid eyes on Eleanor...?"

A distant smile lit Derrik's pallid features in memory of the candlelight shining in her expressive dark eyes. "I knew there would be no other. Not for me."

The look of longing on his brother's face gave Kellan the assurance that nothing else could have. Derrik had met Eleanor during holiday festivities. Kellan's first meeting with Ariane had been completely different, yet the feeling could be described as the same. God intended no other woman for him. "Father will not approve."

Not daring to laugh again, Derrik settled for a smirk. "When has he ever approved? Remember the cook's daughter?"

Kellan had vague memories of the event, but the staff retold the tragic, but scandalous affair for years. "True. I can always hope." He struggled to put his anxiety into words. "A few may see me as a prince, but I never truly have held that position. Ariane only knows me as Kellan. I do not know how to tell Father...or her...." He took a deep breath to steady himself. "If he denies her...."

"Will you leave?"

As the eldest and the one accustomed to solving problems, Derrik easily cut to the heart of the dilemma. No matter how harsh their father might be, Kellan could not abandon his duty to the throne. Not now.

As usual, his older brother knew his mind better than he did. Could he consider leaving his home and responsibility for the woman he loved? That was a decision Kellan knew would take much prayer and soul-searching.

Derrik acknowledged Kellan's indecision. "So, it is up to me to give you a blessing."

Kellan tensed. His brother's approval mattered more than anything else. "Will you?"

In light of the seriousness of the subject, his uncertainty brought a smile to Derrik's wan face. "Of course, Brother. You will always have my blessing."

With his throat constricted with emotion, Kellan could not answer. He was grateful as he grasped the weak hand raised to him.

In his usual, efficient manner, Derrik set his mind to solving the problem at hand. A plan slowly evolved. "You must present your young lady to Father and the court. I will announce your return and summon a gathering. That will take some time to assemble. During that time, you must seek counsel from Father Johannes."

His words were halted by breathlessness. Kellan watched helplessly as his brother struggled to breathe. Finally, the rasping voice continued, "Kell...she will not be able to heal me."

Derrik's blunt statement cut directly into Kellan's unspoken fear. It was a difficult to find his voice. "Do not speak of that! I have seen her do astounding things...."

Squeezing the hand that gripped his, Derrik interrupted, "I can see the evidence of her skills." In spite of the weakness Kellan had displayed on horseback, Derrik was relieved to find his brother whole. Whatever injury he sustained was blessedly temporary. "However, she will try and when she fails, I will die. I am prepared for the inevitable. The question is...are you prepared for the consequences?"

Kellan understood what Derrik referred to. The king had been exceedingly harsh to healers who failed in their task. No matter what happened, he could not permit Ariane to suffer as her unfortunate predecessors had. His jaw clenched at the thought.

Straightening with resolve, he admitted, "I have not allowed myself to plan that far."

"You recall the old groom's hovel to the east? His wife recently passed, but you will find refuge there."

"For how long?"

A sense of purpose gave him some strength for the first time in several months. Derrik gave his best estimate, "Not long enough, but maybe enough time to make a plan. Now then, you must go. If you would, after you speak with him, please send Father Johannes to tend me."

"Father Johannes? Derrik, you...."

Looking into the depths of the green eyes that matched hers, Derrik remembered his mother's final words to him. With quiet confidence, he said, "Kellan, my brother, you have my blessing, but you have other troubles ahead. Know that, if the Lord permits, I will watch over and assist you always. Now, I have business with Father Johannes which may benefit you. Please send for him before you present the healer to Father."

To forestall further protests, Derrik reached for the bell pull which would summon an attendant. He estimated Kellan had less than an hour before the court would be assembled and waiting to meet the healer.

Kellan hesitated. He had the uncomfortable feeling this would be the last conversation he might have with his brother. He forced his thoughts to the task before him, rising to grasp Derrik's hand a final time. He said solemnly, "I will, Brother. May God give you peace."

The nurse responded quickly to the signal as Kellan disappeared into the hidden passageway. An uncontrived fit of wheezing coughs hid the scraping sound of the stone door as it sealed its secrets from sight.