Chapter Thirteen
Gwaine and I took the girl to Gaius, where he wrapped the nasty cut on her arm, but other than that, there was no other sign of injury. "She's malnourished," Gaius told us women the next morning, "so perhaps her body is simply exhausted and trying to heal itself."
"Could there be magic at play?" Hunith asked, spooning broth into the girl's mouth.
Gaius sighed. "If there is, it's nothing I've ever seen before. I can't sense magic, not like Merlin can, and with him being with the Catha for two more months, I'm afraid there isn't much more we could do. Other than hope she wakes."
It was the morning of the fourth day, and I was taking my turn sitting with the girl. Gaius had told us that she likely could hear us, even while being unconscious, so we ladies each sat with her in turn, keeping her company and chatting to her. I was just finishing telling her about the latest shenanigans Boudicca had dragged Godiva into when her hand in mine twitched. "Gaius! She moved!" I screeched in excitement.
"She'll wake for sure if you keep that noise up," he groused, though I could see the twinkle of amusement in his eye that told me he wasn't serious.
We watched with baited breath, for more than ten minutes, but nothing more happened. No more twitches, no sounds, no suddenly waking up. "Her mind is probably trying to wake her up, my dear," Gaius said, trying to assure me with a pat on the shoulder. "We'll keep taking care of her, and I'm sure she'll wake soon enough."
He got up and started back in on his potions my shout had interrupted, though I did notice his eyes kept flicking back to the girl. I stayed by her side, going so far as to pick up the hairbrush next to her. "Don't worry," I told her, dragging the brush through her long pale blonde hair. "Gaius knows what he's doing, and we won't give up on you. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, Boudicca had just snuck into the kennel…"
I finished that story, then launched into the next, slightly fearing the possibility of silence. But I'd only gotten a few sentences in about how Boudicca had somehow scared the entire flock of geese when the door to Gaius's chamber flew open. "I knew you'd be here, love," Gwaine huffed, eyes lighting up when they landed on me and causing an entire flock of swallows to take flight in my belly. Especially at his use of the word "love". But his next words brought me back down to the ground, before I really had a chance to fly. "We've got another patient for you, Gaius." He pushed the door open more fully, allowing Percival and the girl in his arms to enter the room.
The girl's flame red hair drew my eye instantly, though the way her head all but lolled against Percival's shoulder claimed my attention very quickly after. She breathed out a moan, as if in intense pain, but it turned into a gasp when she caught sight of the other girl lying unconscious in Gaius's chamber. "Blanchefleur!"
Gaius, who'd already been moving to assist her, hurried forward even faster. "You know this girl?"
"Yes," she cried, huge tears rolling down her cheeks. "It's my sister, Blanchefleur. We were coming here to Camelot to escape Lot, but we got separated a week ago. I was so scared she was dead!"
Percival set the girl down on the cot next to her sister across from me, and instantly, she threw herself onto Blanchefleur, sobbing as she clung to her. "I was so scared, Blanche. You can't leave me like this," she murmured.
After a long moment, in which all three men shifted rather uncomfortably at the display of emotion, Gaius moved to the new girl. "It's clear that you've been hurt, my dear, so please allow me take a look at you. Your sister hasn't woken in the four days she's been here, so I doubt she'll wake in the next few minutes."
The girl's shoulders dropped. "She hasn't woken? At all?"
"Her hand twitched in mine this morning," I told her, trying to offer encouragement.
She looked sharply to me, as if she hadn't really seen me before. "Thank you,… my lady," she finally said.
"This is Lady Anna, the Queen's lady in waiting," Gwaine hurried to introduce us. "And this is Laudine of Essetir."
"You two will be safe here in Camelot," I promised, feeling a kinship with these two girls. After all, I knew exactly what it felt to flee from Lot.
She smiled tiredly. "Thank you, Lady Anna. I feel safer already."
"Alright, gentlemen, I have to ask you to leave so I can attend to my patient. Lady Anna, would you mind assisting me?"
Gwaine and Percival nodded, bowing quickly to me before heading out, though I couldn't help but notice Gwaine's eyes seemed to linger on me for as long as possible. It brought back those swallows, though I did try to ignore them while Gauis turned to Laudine. Which was when he noticed the gash on her side. "My dear, how long- When did this happen?" he asked, tearing her dress further to inspect the wound. I jumped up to get water and a rag, having helped Gaius enough to know what he needed.
"A week ago?" Laudine said weakly. "When Blanche and I were separated. I can't- I'm so tired."
"Why don't we move you to this cot?" I suggested, pointing to the other so she would have room to spread out. And Gaius would be able to better see her wound.
"You can't take me from Blanche!" she gasped, clinging to her sister in terror. "You can't!"
"We won't," Gaius hurried to assure her. "We'll move this one right next to Blanche, and you can be together."
She looked at us for a moment, then nodded wearily. "Just don't take me from her."
"We won't, I promise," I said, smiling. "She's lucky to have a sister like you."
Shortly after we got her situated next to her sister, Laudine fell asleep, which was probably best. Gauis had to lance her wound to get rid of the infection. "I'm surprised it isn't worse, if it's been a week," he told me softly. "She's lucky to have made it here at all."
"Both are, if they're running from Lot," I muttered, feeling that familiar curl of fear in my belly.
"Spring will come soon enough, my dear, and with it, Lot's defeat," he assured me, patting my hand in that grandfatherly way he had. "And then he will not be able to harm any more women."
AN: I'm so sorry this has taken forever. I introduced a character and posted the chapter, and then the character refused to work for me. It was supposed to be Laudine, but it just didn't work, even though I tried so many times to make her fit. And then, after I had the stroke of genius that Laudine had a sister, everything worked from there. It's perfect, and Blanchefleur is the added element that I've been needing to go forward. I've also been having some personal issues, which contributed to my lack of writing, so I apologize that it's taken so long for this chapter. I'll try to do better, but I can't promise anything. I do appreciate any of you who have stuck with me through this, and a big thanks to SwedishMerlinFan and KayJane16 for your reviews for the last chapter. They make me so happy!