A Brother's Love - Book 3 - The Frencolian Chronicles (complete)

Chapter Twenty-Four

A thumping headache increasing in its intensity woke Jobyna. Her father used every persuasion he could muster to console his distraught daughter. He was unable to convince her that if she took the bandage off, she would be able to see.

"It smells sickly, Papa. What's on it?" Jobyna's voice became a whine, "I didn't miss dinner with the king, did I? Oh, my head, it aches fearsomely."

She struggled to feel for the place where the bandage was tucked together fixing it tightly to the side of her head.

"Please, I don't like it all dark. Oh, my eye feels like it will fall out. It probably did!"

Chatelain carefully unwound the bandage and gingerly peeled the pad from her eye. Swelling had caused the eye to close completely.

Jobyna could see nothing from that eye. Light was beginning to permeate from the golden dawn, but with her 'good eye', Jobyna could see only a shadowy blur of light. Holding her hand out to her father, she cried, "It's all out of focus!" She allowed him to cuddle her cheek to his chest and he rocked her gently as she wept.

"My brave daughter. You who had an arrow right through your shoulder... yet you were so brave..." Her sobs grew louder and he was silent for a while.

"I did that for you Papa. But what is this for? Why did I hit myself on that silly post? Am I that bad?" Jobyna felt the bed sink a little and realized that another body had joined them. It was the baroness.

"Mother?—My head hurts worse now with the bandage off. And I'm hungry. I haven't had dinner and Papa says that breakfast will be here soon. My head aches."

"I know." Elissa hugged her gently, afraid of causing more pain.

Jobyna cried louder, "You don't know how I ache!"

Holding her hand, Elissa spoke kindly, "Our little Job. All the trials you've gone through to make you a beautiful jewel. I hit my head once. I do know how you feel. I had dreadful concussion."

Jobyna asked, "You had an injury to your shoulder, didn't you? Father said you had fourteen stitches. When I was at the Border Castle after the arrow, Papa told me about your shoulder. He didn't say how it happened. Will you tell me?" Jobyna ignored her thumping head for the moment.

"One day, Jobyna, one day." Elissa was thankful to see a maid enter, bearing a breakfast tray for Jobyna. The mother was not in a mood to recount her accident at Kings Castle, although it was many years ago.

Sabin arrived, announcing, "Breakfast is served in the small hall. Mortimer ordered me to announce that the Chatelain family will eat their meals there from now on."

Chatelain and Elissa obediently left the bedchamber, promising Jobyna to return for the morning reading as soon as breakfast was over.

Mortimer and his band had taken over the great hall and the bombastic keeper seated himself in the place of honor.

Chatelain was thankful that their family would be together for their meals as they could continue with their readings and prayers. Hopefully, they would achieve some kind of normality once Jobyna had recovered and the household settled.

Ivan arrived after breakfast and ordered Jobyna to remain in bed, resting. The family now had little to do. Luke's tutor had yet to arrive and he had no idea what he would be learning. They sat with Jobyna and took turns reading to her when she requested, or they talked, or sat quiet while she rested. Her main theme of discussion with her parents was: "Why?—Why do I have to get a black eye? Why do we have pain that we don't deserve?" When an answer was not forthcoming, she asked, "Why did Ellie and Marcus have to die? And Louis? And John and Jane... Hedy and Norman... and... Boone and Narda and..." Jobyna listed names of villagers and servants Luke's memory would not have been able to recall.