Chapter 19 Alfrie
Chapter nineteen
Alfrie
The wound on Emlyn’s frail body is deep and laced with a poison I’ve only seen once before.
But that was a long time ago, before I knew anything about medicine or healing.
Not to mention, it was during the attack on my village…
I was certainly not in a mental state to where I would’ve known what to do with it anyhow.
I manage to clean the gash once I get it to stop bleeding, while the Court’s healer creates an antidote cream. She spreads the medicine over the wound, then I wrap a bandage around Emlyn’s waist and wind it over her shoulder before gently turning her onto her back to rest.
She’ll most likely survive, but it’ll be a long road to recovery for her. Thank the gods that Zara wasn’t injured in the attack. My shoulders tense at the new and unexpected concern for the princess that's just invaded my mind. I rub my eyes with my palms, hoping to rid myself of the feeling.
I take a damp cloth and wipe the dried blood speckled on Emlyn’s arm and neck. “I think all we can do now is wait.” I wring out the red tinged water into a basin on the small table by the bed.
Leer rolls his shirt sleeves back down and collapses onto a chair. He actually didn’t do a terrible job of helping to clean the injury. If I didn’t know any better, I would have guessed that he's assisted with a wound of this nature before.
I stand up from the edge of my patient’s bed and roll my own sleeves back down, buttoning the cuffs at my wrists. “You should probably go and let your betrothed know her friend is resting. For now.”
Leer says nothing and I try to read his expression, but it’s a mask of stoicism that I’ve learned to expect from him during any crisis. He’s a master of hiding his emotions from anyone and everyone.
Something is off with him today, though.
No doubt he has much on his mind with this attack, but I sense there’s something else he hasn’t told me about today.
“Leer? What happened out there? Did you see the attack or who did this? Or what? I’ve only seen that kind of poison once before when… when…” I don’t finish my statement.
I can’t.
I clench my hands into fists at my sides and inhale slowly, counting to ten in my head.
Sounds of distant screaming make my ears ache, and my arms tingle with phantom heat from monstrous flames as they lick my skin.
I squeeze my eyes shut and open them, refocusing on the present, and exhale.
I glance at Leer and my throat bobs as I swallow down the painful memory.
The mask of stoicism is gone. His eyes are bright, and he’s looking in my direction, but I’m not sure he’s actually seeing me.
He wears an inquisitive expression, wheels turning, and it’s a little unsettling.
“Hmm. That’s strange, isn’t it?” He stands, his height, though almost equal to mine, is somehow menacing in this small room.
What? “I guess? Did you see anything?” I ask again, but he just stalks past me to the door as if I said nothing. “Leer?”
He pauses and looks back over his shoulder. “I must speak to King Jeffery and my father.” He opens the door then stops again. “Coming?”
I assess my patient who appears to be resting comfortably. I refill the glass of water near the bed and pull the blankets up over her shoulders, then follow Leer out into the hall.
It’s evident that no one except those involved in the incident have any clue there was an attack on the princess in the Woodlands today.
The courtiers of Masseda are dressed in their finest, drinking wine and laughing loudly as we pass.
They lounge over loveseats and armchairs awaiting the evening’s entertainment.
A handful of them bow when they see the prince, but many still don’t know who we are.
They may have seen us at the party the other night, but most of them were too intoxicated on drinks and merriment to remember.
There’s little pomp and circumstance as I follow Leer into the throne room.
There’s no announcement of our presence—there isn’t a crowd to receive us anyway.
The King and Queen consort of Masseda perch on their thrones on the dais in the center of the room, and King Hardin stands to their right, hovering close to the Commander of Masseda’s army.
They appear to be engrossed in a serious conversation, and I wonder how much they’ve already heard about the attack in the Woodlands.
I trail behind Leer a couple of paces, not entirely sure if I should be privy to this royal conversation or not. Then I see Alix has joined Zara, so I move to the far side of the dais where he stands and await further instruction. Or to be kicked out. Whichever comes first.
Alix leans close to me. “How’s Emlyn?” he whispers, his voice wavering slightly.
“She’s resting. I think she’ll be okay.” I try and give him a small smile of confidence and he heaves a large sigh of relief.
Zara glances in our direction from her place in front of the thrones and locks me in her sights.
Her startling hazel eyes are laced with worry and questions.
My breath catches under the weight of her stare.
I swallow hard and simply nod to her, hoping to convey the message that her friend is going to live.
That everything is going to be okay.
Her chest rapidly rises and falls beneath the neckline of her green dress, now painted red with dried blood, and a tear rolls down her cheek. But she smiles back at me and mouths a ‘thank you’.
I stiffen and turn my attention back to the king. I force all of my weight into my black boots to hold me in place. To eliminate the overwhelming urge to rush over and pull her into my arms. To make sure she stays safe. Feels safe.
I cast another glance at Zara and catch Leer’s eye instead.
He must've seen the exchange between us and narrows his eyes. He takes Zara’s hand and bows low in front of King Jeffery and Queen Elara.
He offers his own father a slight dip of his chin.
“Father. King Jeffery,” he starts. “I wanted to offer my sincerest apologies for the events of today. I’m not sure what the princess or the Commander have already told you, but I am completely at fault for what happened.
It was my idea to go out to the Woodlands without our guard.
Of course, I had no idea there would be any dangers other than a wild animal or two.
” Leer’s face contorts with pure anguish, and he clutches his chest as if the guilt over what had happened is causing him physical pain.
Leer turns to Zara. “I hope you can forgive my stupidity. If anything had happened to you—” He lifts her hand to his lips and softly kisses it. “I’m so sorry.”
“What happened today is not your fault, Prince Leer. There was an attack on our Zara, and if it hadn’t been in the Woodlands, it may have been here at the palace, placing myself or King Jeffery in danger.
” Elara’s voice is soft, yet somehow still cutting, and she looks down on the prince over her pointed nose.
“Thank the gods, it was only a ladies maid who was injured.”
My head whips to Zara and she visibly tenses, pure hatred filling her golden eyes. She steps forward and her lips part as if she’s going to respond, but King Hardin doesn’t allow her the opportunity.
His voice is not so gentle. He turns on me and I instinctively cower, stepping backward.
“How could you let this happen? You’re here to watch over him.
This is the second time you've failed to perform your duty as his squire since we arrived in Masseda.” He points a finger in my face, his expression cold and distant.
“There will be ramifications for your inaction, Alfrie.”
I bow my head, “Your Majesty. I didn’t know—”
“You should always know. It is your job to know!”
I glance at Leer with a silent plea for help. He’s already taken blame for why they were out there, surely, he’ll stand up for me just this once. But he isn’t looking at me or paying any attention to what transpires around him in the throne room.
He comforts Zara, stroking her hair and they’re completely lost in themselves, which isn’t surprising.
Great. But what can I do? I bow low again to King Hardin, “Of course, Your Majesty.” I fall back in line next to Alix and feel his eyes on me, but I refuse to look at him. I feel like a child who has just been punished and humiliated, and I avoid the stares of all the onlookers in the room.
Leer and Zara finally rejoin the conversation, and Leer clears his throat. “We have a serious problem. Alfrie tells me the poison used in the attack is unique. Isn’t that right, Alfrie?” He comes over to me and leads me by the arm to stand next to him in front of the royal family. “Tell them.”
Now he pretends I exist.
I hesitate. I really don’t want to add on any more punishment than what’s likely coming to me later.
“Umm…indeed, I’ve only seen it once before.
It was when my village was.” I pause to avoid stammering.
“When my village was attacked. I believe it to be from a plant only found in the southern regions.”
King Hardin shakes his head. “Don’t make assumptions like those if you have any room for doubt, boy.”
Fantastic. I’ve managed to anger him even more.
Alix steps forward, coming to my aid. “I’ve also seen this kind of poison in battle.
It was used by the Unseelie army when they slaughtered many of the Solitary Fey.
” He glances at me, his lips pressed together, and I sense his discomfort while making the comment in front of me.
“Alfrie is correct in his assumptions, and that means the attack on the princess was from an Unseelie soldier. Possibly an assassin.”
King Jeffery rests his elbows on the arms of the golden throne and buries his face in his hands. “It can’t be. It’s been years since…” He lifts his head and reaches for Elara’s hand.