Juliana was slumped over the edge of Marian's bed when Rhamiah came back, sneaking quietly into the room. She had not been able to bring Djaq back to the castle with her, but the other woman did give her some medicines to help bring Marian's fever down. It had taken her nearly thirty minutes just to make her way back to the room, having to dodge and hide from the sheriff's men along the way. Not to mention the detestable little physician who served no purpose that Rhamiah had been able to see.
"Juliana." she whispered as she gently shook her sister-in-law's shoulder. "I return."
"What?" Juliana asked as she looked up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. "Did you bring her with you?" she asked when she saw who stood beside her.
"No." the woman replied. "We did not think we could get her in, or that it would be very safe. But, she made some medicine she says will help." she handed the Englishwoman a vile of some salve and told her to apply it.
"I hope it works better than it smells." Juliana gagged as she smeared the concoction onto Marian's wound.
"That is usually the case." Rhamiah assured her. "They cannot keep bleeding her. It will only do her more harm."
"I'll have a word with her father." Juliana agreed as she placed the stopper back in the bottle. "The physician is more likely to listen to him than me."
"True." Rhamiah nodded. "He must obey her father's wishes."
"Exactly." Juliana stood back and looked down at her friend. "I truly hope this works."
"So do I." the Saracen sighed. "I must be getting back to my room."
"Yes, of course." Juliana smiled to the other woman. "Thank you for all your help, Rhamiah." she added before crushing the woman in a hug.
"She will be fine." the foreigner assured her, stepping back, fearing another crushing. "As will our plan."
"I hope you're right." Juliana smiled weakly. "Go on then. Be careful."
Juliana sat next to the bed and held her friend's hand, feeling nauseous with worry and guilt. Marian was strong, she was sure to recover so long as they kept that imbecile of a physician from her.
"I'm still thinking of a way to bring him to you." she said softly to the sleeping woman. "It's hard, so many guards, and now with Guy watching my every move, I don't know how I'll do it." she released her friend's hand, stood up and began to pace around the room. "The sheriff is watching, too." she went on. "But I will try to think of something."
"What will you try to think of?" Edward's voice came from the door. He looked so haggard. It was obvious he had not slept much at all since Marian's accident.
"Some way to help her." she answered with a nervous smile. "Actually, I there is one way I believe."
"What might that be?" he asked as he sat in the chair that Juliana pulled over to the bed for him.
"Do not let that physician anywhere near her." Juliana replied, leaning against the tall post at the end of the bed, feeling sleepiness come over her. "All he's doing is bleeding her, and she lost so much blood when she was wounded, it's not doing her any good."
"I think you're right." he nodded. "What is this?" he asked, moving the bit of cloth from his daughter's wound, looking at the salve.
"It's some salve a friend gave me. They assured me that it would help bring the fever down." she replied. "I'm sorry, I should have told you first."
"Do you trust the person who told you this?" he asked, looking over his shoulder at her.
"Yes, very much." she nodded.
"Then I do not mind." he smiled as he turned back to look at Marian. "I trust you completely."
"Thank you." Juliana said, fighting back tears as she spoke.
"You look like death warmed over." he said. "You should go get some rest. I'll stay with her and make sure the physician doesn't bleed her anymore."
"Is there anything you need?" she asked wanting badly to crawl into her bed.
"When should the salve be applied again?"
"In a few hours time." she answered.
"Very well." he nodded. "I will see to it."
"I'll be back soon." Juliana said as she stepped forward and gave the old man a quick kiss on the head. "If there's anything you need before then..."
"Yes." he muttered.
Juliana dragged herself down the hall towards her own chamber, tired and rather numb. The last few days everything seemed to have gone horribly wrong. Marian was hurt, Robin was furious with her for letting her go out, the sheriff kept letting her know that if anything went wrong, it was her who swing for it, her father was about to marry her off to that disgusting Austrian man, Count Wagner she came to find out was his name, and Guy would only look at her in contempt and mistrust. She was beginning to wish she had never come back to Nottingham. Or perhaps this plan was foolish and could only end badly.
She started to wonder is she should just gather her brothers and sister-in-law and leave and never come back. Was seeing her father suffer worth all of this? Or was it too late? Was there now no turning back?