Chapter Twenty-Four #5
Like a cat grown bored of its toy, the king looked away from her and gracefully waved a hand at his subjects.
“I do wish to hear more, but it would be cruel of me to hold you here when you’ve just returned from an arduous war.
You can give your reports later. I will order a lavish banquet tonight in your honor. ”
The official jotted down the king’s command and handed the parchment to a waiting servant, who rushed out of the audience chamber. The return party bowed to the king in unison and quietly left the room. Maxi waited until the doors shut behind them to start breathing again.
Seeing Maxi’s ashen face, Agnes gave her a wry smile. “His Majesty has a nasty habit of making others feel ill at ease. He was only trying to put you on edge, so don’t worry too much about it, Maximilian.”
Her reassurance did not help Maxi feel any better. After all, King Reuben was the very man who had wanted Riftan to divorce her and marry the princess. It was only natural that the king would consider her a thorn in his side. Maxi anxiously bit her lip.
Ursuline, who had been silently observing her, spoke up. “You need not worry. The king is a benevolent man; he would never harm you out of spite.”
Maxi gave him a cryptic smile. Nothing about the king had seemed benevolent to her.
As if reading her mind, Agnes chuckled. “He might be ill-tempered, but he is fair in his own way. He will certainly commend you when he learns of your contribution. Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to tell him.”
Outside the main palace, they once again climbed into the carriage. Drachium Palace was vast enough to fit a small village. They passed by a chapel, a large military training ground that could easily accommodate more than ten thousand men, and a dense forest of elm trees.
By the time Maxi finally got to her room at the princess’s residence, she was thoroughly spent. Her accommodation was a spacious and comfortably furnished bedchamber overlooking an orchard and a reservoir.
“Why don’t you lie down and rest while I get the healers for you?” Agnes suggested.
Maxi hesitated. “Th-There is no rush, Your Highness. You must be t-tired from the journey as well….”
“I promised Riftan that I would provide you with the utmost care. I’m doing this for my own honor, so never you mind.”
The princess quickly returned with two female healers.
Maxi lay stiffly on the bed, blinking up at the ceiling, while the women studied her complexion and pressed different spots on her abdomen.
One of the healers asked her questions before brewing a decoction of more than a dozen herbs in a ceramic kettle.
Maxi dubiously eyed the foul-smelling black tonic. “What kind of…remedy is this? I-I’ve never seen any of these herbs before….”
“It aids recovery,” the princess quickly answered for the healer. “Rest assured that all of the herbs that go in it are of great benefit to the body.”
Maxi wanted to inquire further but held back.
The princess must be just as exhausted as she was.
Closing her eyes, she gulped down the bitter tonic.
The healers continued the strange treatment regimen, placing a pouch of heated stones under her blanket and applying a strangely scented oil to her hands and feet.
They were almost finished when an unfamiliar voice sounded outside the door.
“Please pardon my intrusion, but I come to answer the princess’s summons….”
Agnes turned and called for the person to come in. The door opened to reveal a scrawny man in his mid-forties. He wore a dark gray robe, and his unkempt beard bristled as he strode into the room.
“I heard some imbecile managed to squeeze out every bit of mana in their body,” he grumbled. “So who is it? Let me see this fool. I’ve come prepared with a good sermon.”
“Simon, I will not tolerate any rudeness.” The princess gave him a stern look.
Unperturbed, the man named Simon snorted and turned to regard Maxi with critical eyes. “Clearly not a pupil of the Mage Tower. Might I ask what kind of dimwit taught you magic to make you think it was all right to do something so foolhardy?”
“I-I…”
“Simon.” Agnes’s eyes narrowed into a dangerous glare.
The mage pursed his lips at the warning in the princess’s tone and pulled a chair next to the bed. “Yes, yes, I understand. She is an esteemed guest, so I will stop my nagging and assess her condition. Please give me your hand.”
When Maxi hesitantly reached out, the man took her hand with bony fingers. She felt him infuse her with a bit of his own mana. Maxi shuddered as the cold energy seeped into her body. He continued to infuse her for about ten minutes before releasing her with a sigh.
“You’re not as gravely depleted as I first suspected,” he said. “Even so, I’m going to prescribe at least a month of bed rest.”
“She will make a full recovery, then?” said the princess.
The mage blinked his owl-like eyes and heaved another sigh. “Yes. In her current condition, her body will naturally recuperate on its own. However, she must not use magic until she has fully regained her energy, or it may lead to permanent damage.”
“Wh-What do you mean…by permanent damage?” Maxi inquired.
“It could decrease your lifespan,” said the mage, his voice low.
Maxi flinched. The mage crossed his arms, his expression growing grave as if to convey that this was not an exaggeration.
“All beings are born with mana inside them, but mages are able to gather the mana present in nature at will and make it their own. It is our bodies’ inherent mana that serves as a magnet to store this additional mana,” he explained.
“Not only did you drain yourself of your surplus, you have also used a portion of the energy every human must retain at all times. It is an act that cuts short one’s own life. ”
Maxi swallowed hard. “I-It was not intentional. It was a dire situation…a-and I only did what I could….”
The mage sighed at her mumbled excuse.
“Well, you certainly aren’t the first mage to act recklessly in battle, my lady.
” He bitterly shook his head and rose to his feet.
“At present, your body is as feeble as an infant’s.
That is the reason you’re constantly drowsy.
Let your body have as much sleep as it demands so you can regain your energy.
You must not exert yourself until you are completely well. ”
Maxi nodded meekly. After dispensing more instructions, the mage left the room. Finally, when the princess and the healers left as well, Maxi was able to rest.
Even after arriving in Drachium Palace, all Maxi did was eat and sleep.
From time to time, she would drink the tonic brewed for her by the healers, or allow a cleric to infuse her with restorative magic.
Although it appeared that the main palace hosted banquets to honor the return party every night, Maxi never stepped outside the princess’s residence.
Not only was she always tired, but she was not in the mood for noisy gatherings.
Even though she was now free from the arduous life in a war camp, she still felt utterly dispirited. Riftan’s pained expression tormented her, and she was sometimes gripped by the fear that he might have lost all affection for her.
Whenever such thoughts hounded her, Maxi sought solace in sleep. Her body was simply too drained for her to torture herself with self-deprecating thoughts. She watched the hours go by like a goldfish floating in a fishbowl.
Approximately two weeks later, news of victory arrived from Livadon.
The coalition army had advanced to the Pamela Plateau and completely annihilated the monster army’s main camp.
Loud celebrations erupted in Drachium Palace and across the capital.
Maxi had been idly occupied with embroidery when the deafening cheers outside startled her.
A long trumpet blast announced the victory. The sound seemed to infuse her with new vigor, and she felt like a bear rising from its winter hibernation. The great forces of evil that had plagued her life with pain and adversity from late spring until now had finally raised a white flag.
Maxi cracked open the window. She gazed out over the forest of elm trees, which now wore the brilliant colors of autumn, and put on her slippers. A healer entered her room bearing a tray just as she was wrapping a shawl around her shoulders.
The healer looked surprised. “Do you require anything, my lady? I will bring it to you at once if you let me know what it is.”
“I-I wish…to go to the main castle,” Maxi said. “I want to hear news about the campaign party….”
The healer paused. “I will order a maidservant to bring back the news for you. You must not leave your room yet.”
“But I feel fine. I’m no longer so drowsy,” Maxi insisted. “I will only…t-talk to the knights. I’m sure they’ve received detailed reports f-from Livadon.”
“But I’ve just brought you your meal and tonic….” The healer looked troubled as she set the tray on the table.
Maxi had been drinking the bitter tonic every day, morning and night. She wrinkled her nose. “That tonic…m-makes me feel sluggish. I’ll have it when I get back.”
The healer looked unsure for a moment but resignedly called for maidservants to accompany her.
Maxi made her way down the quiet corridor with two maidservants trailing behind her.
Since the princess’s residence was located in the most isolated place within Drachium Palace, it was peaceful during the day.
The sunlit corridor led onto a marble staircase.
Afraid that Maxi might tumble down, the maidservants supported her by the elbows as she slowly descended.
It made her feel like a ninety-year-old crone, but she kept her complaints to herself.
In truth, her legs felt weak from the long bed rest, and even just walking was enough to make her feel dizzy.
Considering my current state, I can hardly complain about the healers making a fuss.