With a heavy heart, Dr Sheffield pulled the curtains around Eric's bed, giving him as much privacy as he could. It hadn't been easy, but Grimsby had somehow managed to get the words out of his mouth, shortly before Eric broke down in tears. The other patients in the ward turned their heads towards the four year old, with looks of curiosity, sympathy and some with annoyance on their faces. The curtain was all that lay between them and Eric's wavering cries, the material not thick enough to do anything but hide the young Prince from their view. Carlotta and Grimsby were sat with him, not saying anything. Eric was sat on Carlotta's lap, his face buried in her bosom, muffling his sorrow slightly. The maid held him close, rubbing circles on his back with one hand and running her fingers through his hair with the other. Grimsby was sat opposite, his head bowed in silent respect, trying to block out Eric's mourning which threatened to tear a hole in his heart.
The fire had burnt until the early hours of the morning, and the palace lay in nothing but ruins and embers. There had been several casualties, and even more fatalities. Other than the Queen; Gemma, Jacob, Chef Michael and around a dozen maids and servants had been lost. In the grand scheme of things, many would consider Eric lucky. But the Prince didn't feel lucky. He felt as though everything in the world was against him, throwing at him one bad thing after another. He had barely said a word in the eleven days since the fire, and not even shown the slightest glimpse of a smile. Nobody had seen the King, he was staying with a Duke of the neighbouring Kingdom until the palace had been rebuilt, and goodness knows how long that would take. Grimsby had managed to get himself, Eric and Carlotta three rooms in the manor house in Glowerhaven as a temporary residence. The Earl who lived there had been easily persuaded with enough payment, although Grimsby knew that it would be coming out of his pockets rather than the King's.
Both he and Carlotta knew that it would take a long time for Eric to get over his mother's death, but both intended to be there for him whenever he needed it.