-Author's note: Thanks for joining me for chapter two! I loved where the first one was going, and if you have anything you liked, disliked, were hoping for, or just want to give a critique, please leave me a review or send me a message! Thank you for sticking with me!-

Sainte-Coquille Manor – Arthur's Study

Arthur sat at his desk and attempted to work, but his eyes kept drifting to the door, waiting for Nancy to give him the all-clear to go see Frey. His body was stiff with worry, and he sighed. It was two in the morning, and even if he went upstairs to go to bed, there would be no way he could ever get to sleep. Not when he knew she was in danger. He finally put the pen down, and relaxed his hand. He stretched out his fingers, and watched as the bones and tendons moved under his skin. He remembered how Frey's hands were splotched, and flecks of blood had dried on them.

Arthur stood shakily, and was tempted to walk down to the clinic himself, but all he would be is a nuisance to the healing process. He had been through this before, the constant worrying for Frey's safety, but she had never been this bad. She had a few cuts and scrapes from fighting Ambrosia, at the most a bruise to her shin. Marionette was a little rougher and Frey broke a few fingers and suffered some shallow, but long, gashes. Thunderbolt was the worst, well, until this new Guardian's monster..

He still had the painful memory of Frey's hoarse voice calling out, as she limped into town with Dylas slung over her back. She had put so much strain on herself, and she fell forward and almost smashed into the cobblestone before Doug caught her. Arthur's heart was in his throat as he watched Frey's face contort in immeasurable amounts of pain as she cast her own healing magic on herself. Arthur could actually see all the bones on her right side, move beneath her skin to re-align and heal. He could not have imagined a more painful way to fix oneself. And then, she stood up and carried an unconscious Dylas to the infirmary, with Doug trailing after her begging her to let him help. Arthur had watched from the Dragon's room, and Ventuswill looked strained as they watched the scene play out. Frey wouldn't tell anyone, but Arthur saw that she had to water her crops differently now, and that riding her pet wolf now pained her. She was too independent and humble to ask for further healing or help, but he wished she would just think of herself for a few moments.

He sat back down and leaned over his desk, laying his head on his thick workbook. His eyes wandered to the sitting area by the door, and he remembered when Frey found his most coveted possession, those stupid old glasses. And just a week ago, she scolded him for working too hard. Arthur smiled, she was too cute, telling him to stop working so hard. When she comes home in the early hours of the morning after spending all night in the outer lands, fighting monsters and collecting items to craft with. Too many times, he saw her on the verge of collapsing from too much work, and yet she made time to greet him every day and bring him his favorite foods.

Arthur listened to the minutes tick by, and watched the sky slowly turn from the royal blue, to a softer teal. He closed his eyes for a moment, and thought about her. He had never officially declared any kinds of romantic feelings towards her, but he had let several comments about her cuteness slip. Did she know? Did she feel anything towards him..? She had left that message with Leon, but was that to apologize for not coming back for him or for leaving him with the princess duties? Knowing Frey, it was most likely the princess part. She was so open and caring with everyone, and took on more than any mere human should be able to handle, she was probably the only reason the town has been able to prosper so much. She has helped everyone so much, and like Dylas said, we all love her in our own way.

Wait.

…. Wait.

Arthur's eyes flew open and he shot to an upright position in his chair, with a paper fresh with ink attached to his cheek. Did Dylas have feelings for Frey?

Arthur's eyes widened. How has he been so blind? Of course he did. Dylas is always turning red the second she enters the room, and he always glances at the door eagerly in the mornings waiting for arrival.. Just like Arthur. Come to think of it, she brings Dylas sashimi every day. Does she do that for everyone? Doug too? Vishnal? Kiel? Arthur put his fingertips on his temples and slowly rubbed.

Of course she did. That's the kind of person she is. She is overly kind, so why had he thought he was special? Its obvious that she's very physically attractive, and with her heart of gold, she could probably catch the attention of any suitor that happened to hear her sweet voice. He laughed bitterly, heck, he had fallen for her the second he saw her face. Arthur felt like a fool for thinking he was the only one who felt something for her, in fact, he wouldn't be surprised if all the bachelors in town had fallen for her! The paper fluttered slightly, and then slowly fell to the floor. Rubbing his face, Arthur's hand came away with ink marks, and he sighed.

Slowly standing, Arthur silently made his way out of his office and towards Frey's farm. She had a well he could use to scrub the water off, he didn't want to wake Porcoline or Dylas with the noisy faucets.

His footsteps echoed through the night, or morning, it looked to be almost 4am. The horizon was beginning to brighten with a soft shade of pink. He crunched his way through the gravel and dirt, and heard her pets begin to growl. Smudge, her wolf, peeked his head out of the barn with his teeth bared.

"Shh, It is fine. You are fine. It's me." His whispers fell on Smudge's ears instantly, and the once terrifying monster turned into a goofy lapwolf. Smudge's tongue rolled out of his mouth and his ears laid back. He made a soft ruff noise, and turned back into the barn. Arthur sat on the edge of the well and began to scrub at his face. When his reflection showed nothing but clean skin, he softly walked through the Dragon's room, and made his way towards the clinic.

As he walked, Arthur listened to the silence of the dawn and took his time putting one foot in front of the other, hoping to prolong the trip to make it appear as if he didn't stay up all night. Eventually, he was in front of the clinic door, and he was right on time. It was about 5:30, and Arthur gave a soft knock on the door.

He heard footsteps padding down the stairs, and a hushed, "No keep working, I'll get it." Dolce's voice was firm, and Arthur winced. They were still working? Frey must be in really bad shape for Nancy and Jones to still be at it. He composed himself just in time, as the door opened.

"Hey. They are still working on her, but, she is almost done." Dolce and Pico looked exhausted, and Pico gave a tiny smile. "Don't worry Prince, Nancy, Jones, and Dolly have spent alllllll night making medications and potions and salves for Frey. The only thing is.."- Dolce snaked her hand around Pico's mouth and clamped it shut.

"We are not to give the news. That is for the actual professionals to do." Dolce looked irritated, but glanced at Arthur, who's one eye brow was raised.

"Ahh. I see, well. When can I speak to Nancy and Jones?" Arthur's voice came out clipped, and he struggled to only show and expression of calm.

"Now." Nancy's voice came from the back of the clinic, and she emerged from the curtained-off area where Frey was. "Dolce, Pico, go ahead and go to bed. I'm sure Arthur will be spending all day here, so you can sleep the day away and rest. Thank you for all you did." The ladies trudged, well Pico floated, up the stairs.

"So, all is not going as well as expected I gather?" Arthur scanned Nancy's face, but she stared him down.

"We have healed most of the cuts, and she had been patted down and wrapped with various salves and herbs to solve the massive bruising and the twisted ankle. The gash in her arm is, troublesome. Jones and I made a special blend of a protein and a paragone to hopefully encourage the muscles to rebuild so she won't lose any mobility, but it is unsure whether it will work or not. The gash has been officially stitched and closed up, and the skin is healing quicker than we thought it would.." Nancy paused.

"It's the fever isn't it?" Arthur clenched his fist inside his sleeve, so Nancy wouldn't see.

"Yes. And it's not a typical fever either. Standard ones are around one hundred and one to one hundred and four. The worst I've seen is when Kiel's was one hundred and eight. Frey is at one hundred and fifteen." Nancy's voice was frustrated, and she looked to the back of the clinic.

Arthur blanched. "That's, that's what is going to severely harm her isn't it."

Nancy nodded, "Hallucinations, convulsions, and difficulty breathing.. We can't afford to have her convulse or have a seizure in her already critical state. We have tried all the salves we have, and we have even used every piece of white grass that we had!" She sounded exasperated. "But nothing is breaking it. We can't take her to the lake to dip her in the cool water, because of risk of infection, the hot springs will only make it worse.. Jones has already written and sent out several letters to his colleagues asking for any ideas on what to do."

"Understood. I will write the capital as well. Is it possible that I could see her..?" Arthur's voice was composed. "As the acting prince again, I need to be able to give an accurate report of everything happening, and be responsible for the care and the wellbeing of all our people." He pulled that lame excuse out again, and Nancy gave a small smile.

"You can just see her as Arthur too, and you can stay at her side as just Arthur. We all care about Frey, and it seems like you more than some of the others due to your.. Animated display." She walked back and placed a chair at the edge of the curtain, and began to pull the curtain open.

Arthur ground his teeth together as he saw Frey's body. Her clothes were in tatters, and everywhere there was skin, it seemed to be covered in bandages and herbs. Any inch of skin he did she, was splotched and an angry red due to the fever. The right side of her face was slightly puffy, but it wasn't as bad as earlier that night. Her eyebrows were scrunched together, and even though she was unconscious, her mouth was twisted into a scowl due to the pain.

"I'm going to stay here all day, to stay on watch. I have enough medical expertise to know how to change the gauze and what to use, go ahead and sleep for a few hours. I'll get you if something happens." Arthur sat in the chair and took his favorite book out of his pocket, gingerly placing it on his lap to read.

"Alright. If you feel up to it, try to read out loud to her. That is one of the oldest tricks in the books to help a patient relax. Even just reading a list of numbers, it's the chance for the patient to focus on your voice to avoid the thought of the pain. Good night."

Tiny Bandage Clinic – 2F Nancy and Jones' Room

"Well? How did he take it?" Jones' voice was soft so that Arthur couldn't hear anything.

"He was calm. Too calm in my personal opinion. I'm sure it was a front, I could see his jaw clenching as I moved the curtain and he saw her. Its obvious the boy loves her, and Frey did mutter his name more than once in her unconscious state.." Nancy's voice trailed, just as soft as Jones'.

"You didn't tell him that did you?" Jones looked at Nancy suspiciously, and sighed in relief when she shook her head no. "That's for the best. For now, lets sleep. Honestly, just having him in the same room as her might help with her condition."

Tiny Bandage Clinic – 1F

"Frey, you let your guard down too much this fight." Arthur shakily placed his hand over her forehead, and she seemed to wince. He pulled back immediately. Her skin was so hot. Arthur pulled the chair closer to her bedside, and began to softly read to her. Over time, her brows seemed to relax more and more, until her face looked actually relaxed. Arthur got to chapter four, when there was a soft knock on the clinic door. It slowly creaked open, and Leon peeked his head in.

"Hey!-" Arthur made a cut-off motion with his hands, and put a finger to his lips. Slowly and quietly, Arthur got up and made his way to Leon.

"She needs copious amounts of rest, which unfortunately means no visitors. I am on watch right now, as the clinic folk worked until about 6am to get her to a stable condition, and even now it is shaky on whether she will.. be able to win this battle. The biggest issue at hand is trying to bring her fever down." Arthur looked Leon up and down.

"Can I trust you to relay my message to the townspeople, and to Ventuswill? If possible, ask Kiel to research any new or extremely old ways to break a fever that we haven't been able to try yet." Arthur's eyes darted back to Frey.

"Sure Prince." Leon looked back to Frey's gauzed up body, and sighed. Then his fox ears perked up. "Wait, the fever is the most important part right now right? I know a spell for that."

Arthur's eyes widened. "Do you remember it? Can you be certain it will not bring any more harm than she is already in? It is safe?" The questions poured from his mouth.

"I cannot guarantee anything, but it is what we used to do in my village ages ago. May I come in?" Leon's voice sounded, overly confident, and Arthur opened the door wider and swept his arm to welcome the man in.

They made their way over to her, and Arthur trailed a fingertip across her forehead again. "Whatever you have to do to make her well, do it."

"There's a catch to this magic, and honestly you might not want to pay the price." Leon's voice wavered slightly. "Sometimes, the magic not only takes the fever, but pieces of memory as well. Thankfully, she has that diary on the side of her bed, so she can grasp a lot of what's happened, but emotions, the sensations of friendship and any feelings of love would be lost. Are you willing to risk that if she did have feelings of love for you?"

"Her memory..? Again..? I can't even begin to imagine how painful it would be to lose your memory again.. I'm not worried about any feelings of love for me, if she wakes up and hates me.. That's fine as long as she wakes up. Let us wait until Jones and Nancy are awake, and we can discuss it with them. In the meantime-"

"Arthur.." Frey's garbled voice, thick with sleep, spoke hi name so softly it seemed to ride on the wind, and for a moment, it seemed as though the whole world stood still.

"F-Frey?" Arthur placed his hand gingerly on her chin and turned her face towards him. Her eyelids fluttered. "Frey, are you there..? Can you hear me?" He laced her other hand with his. "If you can hear me, can you squeeze my hand?" His lips trembled as he felt her hand press into his.

"Stairs, to the left of the door, run up them. Call for Jones. Now." Leon nodded at the orders Arthur just spit at him and leapt into action. "Frey, you are at the clinic. Ventuswill is safe, and you saved Leon too. You did it. But you are still recovering. I'm here, and I wont leave your side okay? Squeeze again if you understand." Her hand pressed into his again, and he heard the padding of several footsteps down the stairs.

"When did she open her eyes?" Jones immediately came over in full on professional mode.

"She has not opened them yet. They fluttered. She softly said my name, and is squeezing my hand to respond to questions." Arthur reported and answered every question Jones had in a methodic rhythm, and then remembered what Leon had said.

"Leon says he can break the fever with a magic spell." Arthur blurted out, and Nancy and Jones turned to Leon.

"Alright Leon, explain your spell." Jones picked up a wet cloth and laid it gently over Frey's head.

"It is an old spell that we used back in my village when someone's fever got too high. We only did it with infants and toddlers though; the spell has the ability and the tendency to take hunks of memory when it takes the fever away." Leon looked over at Frey.

"If you are okay with some of her memory disappearing again, I can break the fever. But I warn you, since she is not a child, I'm worried it might take everything. We never practiced this on adults. Many said they would rather pass on to the other side than forget the memories they had accumulated.. I am not so sure that this is a decision you can make for her." Leon looked at Arthur as he said this, and Arthur tore himself away from Leon's piercing gaze. Frey's face was pained again, and beads of sweat were forming all over her face.

Would she believe him if he told her of all the times they spent together? Did she ever write them down? Would he just be a kind prince to her if she lost her memory? Not that it mattered.. As long as Frey was healthy and smiling, Arthur would be able to move on with his life. Even if she saw him as nothing more than a stranger.

"Frey, the only way to help you," Arthur's voice was soft as he filled the silence in the room. "The only way that we can help you, might involve you losing all your memory again. Are you okay with that? Squeeze once for no, and twice for yes." He waited patiently as he waited for the first squeeze hoping she was still semi-conscious, and sighed in relief when she pressed into his hand once. Almost directly after though, she gave another press, but instead of letting off, she gripped his hand with almost all the strength she had.

"That's two squeezes Leon. She has made her decision."