Daughter of the Healing Witch

Kingly Greetings

"I am Léonie Brodeur. It is...a pleasure to meet you," I retorted. I gave Nikol a questioning look. He had a humorous glimmer in his eye that appeared to say, "You shouldn't have snuck away."

The lord took my arm in his and did not stop talking until we reached the palace. He would ask me a question and then he wouldn't pause to let me answer. When ever I looked to Nikol for help he would just shake his head and continue walking. It felt like an eternity before we had finally reached the palace. Lord Aldith was silent when we were let in the gates. We were met by a flurry of people whose names I did not even recall after the moment it took to meet them. I was acquainted with a bevy of female courtiers. I tried to be as polite as I could without getting beheaded

We were at last permitted to the King's audience chamber. The room was grand. It's size rivaled that of the cottage that I shared with my mother. It was hewn from granite and on the wall farthest from the door sat a raised dais that was made of some sort of ebony stone. A throne was sat in the center with two smaller thrones on it's right and left. The center throne was made of blood crystal. The energy upon them made my knees weak,but as I scanned the room no one else seemed to be affected. I felt Lord Aldith kneel and I followed suit.

"Rise and approach Daughter of the Healing Witch. Aldith, you are dismissed." the King commanded. His voice was hoarse. When I looked up to him, he was also colored like dusk, but it appeared that he was quickly approaching night fall. I rose to my feet and stopped before the dais. The King began to speak, but was cut off when a messenger burst through the door.

"Your Majesty! I apologize for interrupting, but soldiers have returned to the palace! Many lay dying, your presence is requested by Councillor Wilkin!", his already nasally voice was turned shrill when he shouted at the King. The King dismissed him.

"All of you come with me, even the witch," he commanded stepping down from his throne and walking down the stairs of the dais. All in the room followed behind him. I was the last to leave.

When we stepped into the castle's infirmary and the room was already suffocating with the smell of blood. A man was wheeled past me on a cot. He was bleeding out, but the nurse just put him in line and ran to help another man that wasn't as dire. I couldn't just stand there.

I reached into my coin purse and pulled out my apron. I cleansed my hands and approached the man. He was hyperventilating and at this rate he would bleed out in a matter of moments. I took his hand and placed it on my chest. His eyes fluttered open.

"You need to listen to me. I am going to help you. Can you do something for me? Blink once for yes. Twice for no," I murmured soothingly. He blinked once. I nodded. "Breathe with me feel my chest rise and fall breathe when I do." He blinked again. I held his hand to my chest and looked for a nurse that wasn't currently helping anyone. A young man dressed in healer's attire was standing with his head swiveling like a chicken's after its neck had been broken.

"You," I called to him with word and magic and he looked to me. "Stop standing there like a ninny and get me a bowl of clean water and some linen rags." He just stood there. "Now!", I commanded in the most authoritative voice I could manage.

"Yes ma'am," he squealed. He popped out of existence and then popped right next to me in half a heart beat with a bowl of clean water and linen rags. I told him to hold them as I set to work. I temporarily stopped the bleeding to clean the wound. The man on the bed started writhing.

"Set the bowl down and hold him still," I told the nurse as I still looked to the man. The nurse levitated the bowl and linen in the air as he held the injured man prone. "Remember your breathing," I said as I pressed his hand more firmly to my breast. The injured man nodded weakly. My hopes brightened. At least he could nod. I cleaned and sutured the leg (or lack thereof) as quickly and efficiently as I could. I disposed of the dirty water and told the nurse to get me some more that was clean. I stood and examined the room.

"She has completely ruined her dress," I heard a woman murmur to the King. Never in my life had I felt more disgusted with something that someone had said. There were men dying and she was worried about the state of my dress. Blood had soaked in to its edge and a bloody handprint lay above my heart where the man's hand had lain. I looked around the room. I saw a young healer standing over the mutilated body of a young man. Her tools were held aloft in her hand as she stared at him in horror.

I rushed to her and said, "Go help that man by the window, I will take care of him."

"But Madame Royse-", she began.

"Can talk to me if she has a problem. Go. Heal others," I instructed. The nurse reappeared with the bowl as she hurried off. I put a pain killing tonic in the water and cleaned the man's wounds. I was just getting started when a woman took me by the arm and almost made me pierce the man that I was healing. She pulled me to my feet.

"What do you think you are doing?" she spat in my face. This must be the Madame Royse. She looked as if she might kill me.

I turned to the nurse, "Apply pressure here. Otherwise, he'll bleed to death." I addressed Madame Royse, "I am healing this man. Do you have any objections to him not dying?"

She was fuming and had yet to release my arm. "Why did you send Lucille away when she was perfectly capable of healing her brother? I put her there purposefully!"

"You could have breathed in her direction and she would have fallen over. It is no fault on her behalf," I paused and gave her a weighted look that made her blood boil. "Most people balk when they see someone that they love in pain. Her brother was severely wounded and almost mutilated beyond recognition. He was dying as she stared, someone had to step in. If you'll excuse me this man is bleeding out. I would rather he not die by my foolishness," I returned coolly. I did not give her a chance to respond before turning away and sewing him shut and moving on to another patient. It went on like that until dusk. Of the forty men that were brought in only two died.

The King returned when I was cleaning my hands in a washbasin. A man that was graying and gruff was standing beside him. He was the color of tourmaline and was covered in scars as badly as that man that thought I was my mother when I arrived here. He had long horns like a bull, but instead of them sticking out from the sides they pointed back. He had a jade earring and shocking navy hair.

I curtsied and looked in a mirror by the washbasin. My hair was falling out of its simple plait and blood covered my apron. A smear of dried blood was on my cheek just under my left eye. I looked like the witch that mortals conceived us to be.

"If Your Majesty will excuse my appearance, I have been rather busy," I murmured to my feet. The gentleman beside the King stifled a laugh and I looked up to him. I raised my brow.