Chapter 8:
"Has she woken up?" the Prince asked, pacing the floor.
"No," said Duke Baird. "She's running a high fever and keeps tossing in her sleep. I'm not sure what to do for her. It's almost as draining as the sweating sickness you had." He stared pointedly at Jon who collapsed into an armchair. He had not had much sleep the night before, he had been thinking about the afternoon before.
"Your Highness, I must ask you what happened."
"What happened?" Jon murmured distractedly. "I'm not sure... we were riding..."
"Alone?" Baird persisted, rasing his eyebrows.
If the Prince hadn't been so well mannered he would have rolled his eyes. "For a time. George and Alanna had to run into the little village. They weren't gone very long."
Baird continued. "Did anything happen?"
"WHAT?"
"Did anything happen?" he repeated, exasperated.
Jon looked taken aback. "No! Of course not!"
"Was anything going to happen?"
At this, Jonathon hesitated, uncertain of what to say or how to say it.
The Chief Healer nodded and held up his hand, stopping the Prince from any unnecessary explanation. "That gives me my answer. Then what?"
"I'm not sure. The ground opened up and she fell, then I fell. Then the clearing filled with light..." he squinted as though trying to see something very far away.
"What kind of light?" Baird began when one of his assistants raced into the room, knocking only once.
He bowed shortly to Jon, then gasped, "There's something you need to see! It only just happened now and I don't know what to do!"
The three of them hurried down the halls to Lady Alethia's room.
Bursting in, Jon gasped. There she was, tossing around, throwing her covers away from her, as though someone were attacking her. But the thing that really caused Jon to help was the fact that she was letting off a red-orange heat.
He touched her forehead and pulled away, burned. "She's hot!" he cried.
Baird took her wrist. His eyes widened and he pulled up his sleeves. "Get me towels and cold cloths. Quickly!" he barked at the servants and they scurried from the room.
"What? What's wrong?" the future king asked, panicking.
Duke Baird turned and escorted him to the door, rather forcefully. "Your Highness, you need to leave, now."
"But..."
"You can't do anything for her now and you'll only get in my way. Go now and pray to Mithros for her," and he shut the door behind the Prince.
Hopelessly lost, Jonathon turned and made his slow way down to the stables where he would find some peace away from prying females and friends with too many questions, including Gary. Unfortunately, his best friend seemed to know his mind very well. He was waiting at the stables with two horses ready.
"We're not going far, mind you," he remarked dryly when he saw Jon's look. "No, after yesterday you should remain on castle grounds, but I thought you could do with a bit of fresh air. After Lady Alethia's sudden... ahem... illness."
"You know about that?"
Gary smiled grimly. "I was in the room when she began to get hot. It was horrible. She was screaming... and..." he suddenly looked at his companion, who was listening intently, and fell silent. "But we're not going to talk about that. We're going to talk about why you decided to disobey my orders."
Jonathon groaned. "Are you my mother, now?"
"Do I have to be?"
"In Mithros' name, NOTHING happened! Do I have to spell it out to everyone?"
Gary cocked his head. "You will, if you don't stop doing stupid things." Jon growled and wheeled his horse away from Gary's. Gary caught up quickly, looking at his cousin differently. "Jon, I'm sorry. I'm just looking out for you. Look at it from your peoples' point of view. How would you feel if you found out that your future king was off conniving with some other woman, not too long after he's proposed to Princess Thayet?"
"Gary, I understand. I just hate it. The people think that I'm cursed. But she's real, Gary. This time feels really different. It's not passion, like with Alanna. It's not rules and regulations like it was with Thayet. I feel like I would do anything for her to keep her safe. I would move a million miles away if my presence was hurting her. I think I... I..."
"Love her?" Gary finished.
Jon stared at Gary. "I do. I do, Gary, I love her."
"Then ask her to marry you."
"As simple as that?"
"As simple as that."
"How?"
Gary stared at Jon like he was crazy. "Hey, you're the one who's proposed twice already. You're the expert. Don't ask me. Just do it," and, as though an afterthought. "Let your heart dictate the words you say. Then, maybe, she'll feel it too."
They grasped arms. "Thank you, friend."
"Any time. Just not all the time. We can't have you proposing right and left," Gary grinned wickedly, his eyes dancing.
Jon punched him, then they galloped back towards the castle to see if Lady Alethia's situation had improved at all.
Roger twiddled his thumbs, bored. As difficult as it was, fighting with "Lady" Alethia, he was ready to do something more. If she could only see reason, he thought. She was beautiful, smart, talented, loyal, and so much more. Her only flaws were that she was righteous and very stubborn. She was also highly resourceful.
He'd given a shout of frustration when she'd started using his own magic against him. "That little..." he restrained himself, and instead thought of what a wonderful queen she would make if she would only come round. "She just needs to get over this fling she has with dear Cousin Jonathon," he told himself. "She's intelligent. It won't take her long to realize that Jon can't give her anything. He can't marry her, she's not noble or royal. He may play around with her, but in the end he'll pick a good, proper wife and Alethia will come running to me." He was satisfied with this conclusion, but felt that it would be better to be fully prepared just in case the unexpected occurred.
He returned his attention to the battle with Alethia's conscience, with a sigh. He decided to give her a break and let her rest. She'd be more weak at the next bout. Smiling, he relinquished his mind grip on hers. Sweet dreams, my darling, he touched her mind momentarily, the pulled away. Let her have her peace. He'd be back soon enough.
