Chapter Ten:
Infirmity
The events that took place the next morning were quite chaotic. Every able bodied slave that could be spared work for an hour or so was busily at work in the Tarkaan's large kitchen, preparing breakfast for the many members of the Narnian party, including the High King himself.
"I need another cruse of oil, please!" Crystalline cried, running into the kitchen like a madwoman. She had never before been this busy serving breakfast (or any meal, for that matter).
"Here, Crystal!" Edmund replied, passing a glass cruse to Crystalline, who for once didn't tell him to not call her Crystal. For the first time since she met him, Crystalline began to feel happy to be around Edmund. There was something about him that made her feel happier in his company than in anyone else's.
"Thanks, Edmund," Crystalline replied, flashing him a large smile, her crystal eyes gleaming like diamonds in his direction as she took a firm hold on the cruse and raced out of the kitchen.
Edmund was quite surprised at Crystalline's strange behavior. Crystalline had never smiled at him before, let alone smiled at him sincerely. James, who was preparing some grapes next to Edmund, smiled and laughed.
"I guess she likes you now, brother," he said as he stopped working long enough to good-naturedly elbow Edmund in the ribs.
"I guess," Edmund replied, rubbing the spot James had elbowed him.
"A flask of spiced wine, please," Crystalline seemed to appear out of nowhere.
"Coming right up, milady," Edmund replied with a quick, good natured bow. Crystalline giggled. Edmund always seemed to have time to make a busy person feel happy… or maybe it was just her.
"Why are you so giddy this morning?" Edmund asked as he walked across the room to where the etched glass pitcher of spiced wine that was waiting for him. Goodness, I haven't tasted spiced wine in such a long time…
"I can't believe the High King's here! He is such a good natured man!" Crystalline replied, doing a little twirl as Edmund came back with the pitcher.
"Be careful! You might be wed soon," Edmund joked, casting Crystalline a naughty grin as he placed the pitcher on the counter in front of Crystalline.
"Oh, Edmund, don't be cheeky!" Crystalline replied, lightly hitting him on the shoulder.
"Yes, milady," Edmund replied with a grin before he rushed off to another part of the kitchen to grab some oranges to peel.
Crystalline rolled her eyes and trotted out of the kitchen once more. Once out of the kayos of the kitchen, she paused for a moment to adjust her grip on the heavy pitcher before gracefully walking across the marble floor of the dining room to the long table where King Peter was conversing with the Tarkaan and his family. As Crystalline set the heavy pitcher down in the center of the table,
"Hello! Do you like my dress?" Asked Lasaraleen, who was sitting in the seat next to where Crystalline stood. Crystalline smiled and made a little curtsy to Lasaraleen while replying softly,
"Very much, miss. Quite a becoming dress, I must say, miss." Lasaraleen seemed to be very happy at this answer, because went back to eating without speaking another word (which was a rather hard thing for her to do).
Crystalline, wiping her sweaty hands on her apron (because the Tarkaan had company, she was wearing a clean white apron and a clean beige dress), walked over to a corner of the room and stood there, waiting to be of any assistance. She was very intent on watching King Peter. He was wearing a golden tunic that split at the front, showing a white satin tunic underneath. He was also wearing white tights and brown leather boots, and his golden hair was tied in a neat ponytail behind his head. He was smiling and nodding politely as the Tarkaan's wife was talking about the citrus orchards, which Peter had complimented on a few minutes ago.
"How long may we have the pleasure of serving your royal highness?" The Tarkaan's wife changed the subject. King Peter paused to think for a moment, his face turning grave as he replied,
"I am sorry to say that my company and I must stay for a fortnight or so, milady. I must make sure that there are no traces of my brother on your plantation."
Crystalline furrowed her brow when she heard this. How could there be any traces of King Edmund on the plantation? Or was King Peter referring to someone else?
The Tarkaan's wife seemed to be wondering the same, for she asked, "What brings you to our plantation out of all the others, your majesty?"
Peter paused again, this time to swallow what he had in his mouth. "I am searching for my royal brother, King Edmund the Just. He has been missing for some time. Your plantation is the closest to the border of Zalindreh. Yours is the first of many plantations that my party will search in the coming months, I assure you. "
Crystalline's heart stopped beating. King Edmund was missing?
"Oh how awful!" the Tarkaan's wife said with fake sympathy, though it was plainly seen that she was quite interested in this little tidbit. Crystalline couldn't help but inwardly groan. The Tarkaan's wife was a very gossipy woman, and no doubt all of Zalindreh would know this news before a fortnight was out.
"How long has King Edmund been missing for, King Peter?" The Tarkaan's wife continued.
"He has not been seen or heard from for about eight months, milady. It will be nine months in a fortnight."
Crystalline stopped breathing. Eight months? That's how long Edmund and I have been here…
Crystalline's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the sound of someone letting out a violent wheezing cough. Looking up from the marble floor at which she had been gazing, Crystalline saw James, leaning on the lintel of the kitchen doorway, trying to quiet down his coughing.
"What is the meaning of this?" The Tarkaan sternly asked James, who was now bent over so low that he looked like he was bowing.
"I'm… sorry… sir…" James squeaked, letting out a cough between every word. He sounded like a dog toy with a broken squeaker.
"Here; let me," King Peter said kindly, rising from his chair and walking over to James, who looked was looking up fearfully, as if he half expected the High King to hit him. James had no cause for being alarmed, however; because King Peter merely wrapped his arm around James and led him to a stool close to where Crystalline stood.
"What's the matter?" Crystalline whispered to James, who had gotten his coughing under control and was now trying to catch his breath.
"Calormene air. Doesn't agree with me," James replied, smiling up at Crystalline. Both of them looked back at the dining table when they heard the High King begin to speak,
"I think that the lad might have allergies, sir," Peter said to the Tarkaan gravely, "He might even have a bad case of asthma."
"Phsaw," snorted the ignorant Tarkaan, "it's only because he's a weakling. He'll be fitter once I have him work more."
Crystalline worriedly glanced back down at James, who had an apprehensive expression painted on his pale face. He was already doing back breaking work in the fields on a daily basis. How could he do more?
"I don't think you understand the seriousness of the situation, sir," Peter replied quietly.
"What is there to understand?" The Tarkaan returned as he sat back in his chair with an expression of fake interest plastered on his face.
"Asthma isn't something that will go away with more work. The coughing and wheezing will only increase if he is outside more than he is already," Peter replied, choosing every word he spoke with great care so as not to anger the Tarkaan. "Asthma is, more or less, a restriction of air to the lungs. In this young man's case right here—" Peter gestured to James before continuing, "—it might be fatal."
The Tarkaan raised an eyebrow. "Where did you learn so much about medicine?"
Peter sighed. "My royal brother has asthma as well, thought not as badly as this young man. I know very much about it because I have had to treat my brother's allergies while traveling on more than one occasion."
The Tarkaan nodded in reply. For the first time that morning, the room was completely silent.
"And then King Peter said that King Edmund had asthma!" Crystalline was relaying the events of the morning to Edmund as they walked back from the fields together. Crystalline had gone to the fields to give the field workers water at the end of their work day, and Edmund had been the last field worker to receive a drink, so both thought they had a good excuse to be seen walking back the slave's quarters together.
"Oh, really?" Edmund replied absent-mindedly, rubbing his kinked neck. Work in the fields today had been brutal, and he was steadily losing his patience with Crystalline. Could she be blathering on any louder? Edmund thought to himself as he tried to un-kink his aching neck.
"Yes! And…" Crystalline's voice trailed off as she saw Edmund wasn't paying attention.
"What's the matter, Edmund?" Crystalline asked.
"James," Edmund replied with a sigh, turning around to see James limping behind him. "He's been assigned more work than he can possibly undertake on his own. If the Tarkaan's not careful, he'll work James to death."
Crystalline turned to look at James as well. "Poor James," she sighed.
"And there's another thing," Edmund added, his patience suddenly disintegrating, "Why on earth are you so empathetic today? Yesterday you hated me, and today you seem to enjoy my company! For goodness sakes girl, make up your mind!"
Crystalline raised an eyebrow as Edmund picked up his pace a little, walking a leg ahead.
"And why are you suddenly so cold?" Crystalline replied coolly, trotting to keep up with Edmund's long strides.
"When you've been working in the fields, overturning hard, compacted earth all day, then talk to me about having a cold demeanor," Edmund replied curtly. His conscience instantly smote him, reminding him that Aslan had wanted him to be kind to Crystalline.
Though Edmund didn't notice, Crystalline's face suddenly held a look that was a mix between sadness and sympathy. As she slowed her walk for a second, letting Edmund walk ahead of her, she spotted the long, straight scars on Edmund's bare back. She remembered how he had taken care of her when she had those wounds, but yet he never allowed anyone to take care of him after a beating. Almost like, dare she say it, a King of Narnia. Edmund was always the first one to rise in the morning and last to lie down at night. He always helped a comrade in need, but never thought of himself…
"Edmund?" Crystalline asked. Edmund stopped short and turned around to face Crystalline.
"What, Crystalline?" Edmund replied. His exhaustion could be plainly heard in his voice, as well as seen in his eyes, which were dull and had no sparkle in them.
"I just wanted to say—" Crystalline began, but she was interrupted by a fit of coughing behind her. Edmund, who was looking over Crystalline's shoulder, paled and bolted past Crystalline to where James had collapsed, unconscious, on the dusty ground.