The Crown's Game

Chapter 1

Addison

"Where is he?" I asked bursting through the doors of the hospital wing. Thea our main Doctor rushed towards me, surprised and concerned to find me this panicked. I never panicked.

"bay 13, your Majesty" she began to explain what had happened, but I was already gone. I needed to see him. Wood lay there, hooked up to machines and drips. The monotonous beep of the machines sent shiver down my spine bringing back too many memories. "he was in bad shape" Thea said catching up to me "if he makes it through the night, we're in the clear. If not-."

"Thank you, Doctor" I said quickly. I knew what 'if not' meant. I just didn't need her to confirm it for me. She left me pacing up and down the room. I shed my ice blue, velvet jacket and leaned on the back of the chair. I know it's his job to put himself in the line of fire, but this just drove me mad. If he didn't make it. No. He had to make it. The room was silent except for the machines and the light and ragged sound of Wood's breathing. Someone had been looking for me and had found him instead. Red found him early this morning. Spilt from his shoulder down. My skin crawled at the thought of him fighting, fighting for me and now fighting for his life. He had done so much, too much for me. He had been such a good friend and I couldn't bear this. After twenty minutes of pacing, fist clenching and not much else, I sent for Julian and as many files and documents he could carry. I needed a distraction and work was as good a distraction as any.

Wood

My eye's flickered open. The bright lights forcing them closed almost straight away. Hospital Wing. Damnit. I let the darkness pull me back in for just a moment. Black figures, knifes, poison, alley, black out. But there she sat. The Queen of Ildova, her feet were propped up on the edge of my bed. Her converse and blue trousers a stark contrast to the stiff white sheet. Those green eyes barely visible over the round black glasses she wore to read. Her tongue comically poking out of her mouth as she focused on the file in her hand. I noticed the two stacks sat on the locker beside her. One larger than the other. She had been here a while. "hey stranger"

"welcome back to the land of the living" she scrunched up her nose to push her glasses back up her face. She smiled sadly at me, "how you feeling?"

"like I've been cut open" I looked around, it was dark outside.

"maybe that's because you were" she chuckled, leaning up to press the call button above the bed.

"you shouldn't be here"

"my favourite idiot is in hospital. Why shouldn't I be here?"

"you have a country to run" I wheezed trying to sit up.

"woah there" she eased me back down "the country can wait"

"that isn't how it works"

"well I'm in charge, so it is" she chuckled. Thea entered. Her grey hair pulled tightly above her head.

"Ah Wood" she sighed, looking at me with her usual exasperated eyes "we need to stop meeting like this"

"Doctor, I'd salute but" I whined.

"don't try you'll rip a stitch"

"I'll leave you to it" Addison winked at me "Good luck Thea"

"I'll need it" she laughed. Addison left the room, a clear look of worry and contorted relief plastered on that beautiful face.

Addison

Thea poked and prodded for about twenty minutes before deciding that Wood wasn't going to die today and would certainly be around inventing new ways for Thea to save his life for at least another fifty to sixty years. "at least two weeks bed rest" she ordered "and a month of no training, then we can talk"

"good luck with that one" I laughed leaning in the threshold of his room. Wood pouted like a child as Thea left "oh, grow up" I said dropping back into the chair.

"two weeks" he groaned.

"your intestines were basically sticking out of your body when Red brought you back" I lectured "two weeks will do you just fine"

"one week" he really thought bargaining was going to get him out of this one. I began a search for my glasses which were as per usual missing. "sit down" he said patting the side of the bed. I sat as he reached up and pulled my glasses from the top of my head, my hair fell across my face. "when did you last sleep?" his eyes narrowed, waiting for me to lie.

"does it matter?" I asked. He began to trace figure eights on top of hand. I moved away from him slightly, the touch not making me uncomfortable, just overwhelming in a way I couldn't describe. "I will in a bit"

"Red found me then?" he asked

"indeed, he did, it was all I could do to stop Ciara from going after whoever it was left out there" I said clearing my throat.

"I don't know who it was" he said resting his head back into the pillow.

"let's talk about it later" I stood, checking the time on the clock above his bed. Ten o'clock.

"it's tomorrow isn't it?" his grey eyes could almost look through me "the first snow fell. It's November 20th tomorrow, which means he's coming" he was worried "I forgot completely"

I nodded. My husband to be would arrive tomorrow and stay till Christmas Eve. "Sleep" I said tucking him further under the sheets.

"I will if you will" he smirked

"you first" I replied.