Chapter 37
Proxima, who had been sleeping, as was her custom, on the bench outside the throne room, snapped into full wakefulness at the sound of footsteps approaching. She yawned and got to her feet; it was time to be awake anyway.
"Who goes there?" she called out.
"It's only old Ansaksie," the herbalist said as she slowly nudged the door open. "No need to be frightened of me."
Proxima tutted. "It's not that I'm frightened," she said, "but I'm under strict orders that the Queen is not to be disturbed until noon today. Not even by you."
"Whose orders?" Ansaksie said sharply. "The Queen's, or Princess Vateilika's?"
"What's that to you?"
"Just answer the question."
"Well, if you really want to know, it was Princess Vateilika who instructed me," said Proxima.
"I thought as much," said Ansaksie. "I won't say anything against the Princess, but I know she doesn't like me. Accuses me of hanging round her mother… typical of the young. No respect for healers until they reach the age when they need our services, and then she'll be coming over all fawning and servile, you'll see."
Proxima shook her head. "You shouldn't say things like that about Princess Vateilika," she said. "She's devoted to her mother. You know she gave up her bedroom so she could be on hand if the Queen needed anything in the night."
"All the same," said Ansaksie, "the Queen needs to be given this medicine regularly, at the same time every day, or it won't do her any good."
"Then you'll have to leave it out here, and when the Princess comes out I'll let her know that you brought it."
Ansaksie bristled. "I will not be treated like this!" she said. "Don't you realise that without my skill, the Queen would have died long ago? Our organisms aren't suited to the air of this planet."
"I'm sorry, Ansaksie," said Proxima. "I hope you can see that I'm just doing my job, the same as you're doing yours…."
"And will you use that as your excuse if the Queen dies?" said Ansaksie. "I must be allowed to administer the medicine to her personally."
Proxima sighed. "I'll call for the Princess," she said. "You'll have to wait here." She frowned at Ansaksie, noticing the angry glare in the other's eyes. "Look, I'm sorry, but there's really nothing more I can do," she said before she hobbled off.