As the priest let himself out of the room, he left a very shocked Knight Commander behind him.
OOO
"Here Dom, drink this." Neal handed his cousin a small vial, "It will help you regain your former strength."
Taking the bottle, Dom regarded Neal with a suspicious look. After momentarily studying the dirty yellow liquid swirling around in the clear flask, he downed its contents without a word.
"Ack!" Flinging it away from him, Dom tossed the medicine vial to the end of the bed next to him before asking, "Meathead, what in bloody blue blazes was that?"
"A blend of nettles, seaweed, and squalid wheat, mainly." The healer smiled, "I boil it in salt water, then drain all the liquids into a vial and add a few more herbs. It's one of my best mixes." Neal gave Dom another sardonic grin, and then he laughed. "Why?"
Dom knew his cousin's brews always worked, no matter how indecent they tasted. That wasn't going to stop him from picking on Neal though, who always got just the slightest bit touchy when his remedies came under any type of examination.
"That's one foul concoction." Shaking slightly, as though the medicine was having adverse affects on his system, Dom let loose a small moan, "I think it's killing me…" His voice gurgled off with the precision of a trained Player.
"Domitian!" Neal roared at the solider, "Nothing I've made has ever killed anyone, and nothing I make ever will!"
"I don't know Neal." Dom paused to fake a cough, "I don't feel right."
The green-eyed knight had started to make a threatening move in Dom's direction when a knock on the door followed by a light, feminine voice saying, "Raoul, come," effectively stopped him.
Neal went to answer the door, and Dom began to stand so he could accompany him. As Neal saw this, he gently pushed Dom back onto the bed and said, "Stay."
Indignant, Dom waved a loose fist at Neal, "Stay? What am I, some kind of dog?" When he tried to stand again, Dom caught the look Neal shot him and reclaimed his seat. "Alright, I guess the Meathead healer knows best."
Dom just smiled and laughed as Neal shot him a dirty look.
The healer was spared any further jibes at his pride from Dom when he finally opened the door to the ward and two people walked in.
"Queen Thayet! Lord Raoul!" Neal made a quick bow, and as Dom tried to rise to do the same, he once again pushed him back into a sitting position.
"I'm sorry, your Majesty, my lord, but with the medicine he just took, Dom is still too unstable to rise," Neal said, gesturing to the man sitting on the bed.
"Sir Nealan, Domitian of Masbolle." Thayet graced them with a smile and a nod in greeting, "That's fine."
"Is there anything I can offer your Majesty?" Neal asked as he pulled out a chair for the queen, "Tea, perhaps?"
"No, but thank you." A quiet laugh escaped Thayet's lips, "I think Raoul could do with a brandy though, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, your Majesty. If you will excuse me..."
Once again, Thayet's regal nod was all Neal needed for an answer.
Coming back with a bottle, Neal sat it on the table by Raoul and poured the liquid into a glass he pulled from the counter next to him. After corking the bottle, Neal handed the glass to Raoul.
"There is one more thing I would ask of you." Thayet had raised one hand part way, in a sort of placating gesture before saying, "I would ask that you leave us alone with Domitian."
Aside from saying, "Of course, your Majesty," a quick bow to his sovereign was all Neal did before letting himself out of the room.
OOO
Kel was still seated in the mess hall, but this time there was no food in front of her. Dinner was long since finished, but Kel was still in the same spot she had been.
Right before the end of the meal, Kel had seen Neal come in. She watched as her former page-sponsor found his cousin and got Dom to follow him out of the building.
For the second time in twice as many minutes, Kel caught herself wallowing in self-pity. She mentally scolded herself; there was no need to do that, it was a waste of energy. She'd get her chance to walk with Dom soon enough.
Hearing the door open, Kel looked up. Yuki walked into the room, escorted by her husband.
"Kel!" Yuki walked over and wrapped her arms around the girl in a swift hug, "I told Neal he would find you here."
Neal placed a hand on Kel's shoulder as he walked around her to sit in an empty chair. After Yuki sat down across from him, on Kel's other side, he began to talk.
"Kel, after dinner I had to come get Dom because I had some more healing to do to him."
"I know. I saw you."
"Oh..." Neal paused momentarily, "Anyway, after I gave him the medicine, Queen Thayet and Raoul showed up."
Interrupting him again, Kel asked, "Thayet and Raoul? Why?"
Neal looked down. "That's just it, I don't know why." He shook his head, "They asked me to leave."
"Why though?" Kel tried to hide the emotion in her voice, tried to be stone, but it wasn't working.
"I don't know for sure," Neal looked genuinely sorry for Kel. "But I have a hunch."
Almost silently, Kel whispered, "Raoul was there… Did he tell her about what happened?"
Everyone was so formal when they met in the infirmary because Thayet and Raoul were there on business; it wasn't a social call.
Hehe, I managed to write this short little chapter in a day and a half. I write slow… Anyway, at least now that I'm home, I can write more!
Well, I'm going to go start the next chapter, and ask you guys to RR this one, like always! Thanks!
Sull89