Perpetrator
When she opened her eyes, another pair was staring down at her. Startled, she bolted upright, clutching the blanket to her chest. Ivy's lips stretched into a smile.
"You were very sneaky last night," she commented mildly. "I didn't hear you come in. You'd better hurry. I daresay someone will be here in a few minutes to check on Edmund."
"Have you examined him yet?" Ivy shook her head. "Then I want to help."
Her eyebrows pulled together briefly. "But His Majesty specifically said-"
"I promise I'll leave straight afterwards. Please."
Ivy relented and Zia scrambled up, dusting down her dress. She stood ready as Ivy carried out her examination, crushing up a bowl of herbs when Ivy handed it to her. She kept a close eye on the older Dryad's face, watching for any giveaway about Edmund's condition in her expression. Ivy's face was very animated and Zia had learned to interpret the slightest change in her features. What she saw now caused her stomach to twist into a cold knot; Ivy's mouth was visibly turned down and her eyes were full of worry.
"What's wrong?" Zia blurted, holding back the urge to throw herself onto the bed beside Edmund. "Ivy, what's happened?"
Gravely, Ivy took the bowl from her and examined the contents. "I'm afraid this will no longer be enough to help him."
"What do you -?"
Her question was cut short by a sturdy knock at the door. Ivy's eyes widened with panic. She gestured at the large wardrobe whilst hurrying to the door to stall whoever was knocking. With no time to protest, Zia clambered inside the wardrobe, crouching beneath the neatly pressed tunics and breeches hanging above. Dust swirled and got up her nose. She fought back a sneeze and peered through the small gap between the doors. Ivy stepped aside to reveal the High King.
"How is he?" the question was out of Peter's mouth before he had even crossed the threshold.
Ivy hesitated, shooting a furtive glance towards the wardrobe. "I'm afraid his condition has worsened since yesterday evening, Sire."
Muffling a gasp with her hand, Zia rocked back and almost lost her balance. As he moved to his brother's bed, Peter's stride was far less self-assured than when he entered the throne room or paced the corridors of Cair Paravel. Anxiety altered his entire stature; his shoulders drooped and his head hung low as he reached out to brush the dark hair back off Edmund's forehead.
"The cause of the illness remains a mystery," Ivy added, breaking the strained silence.
"Did anything happen during the night?" Peter asked. He straightened and turned to the Dryad, fixing her with all the intensity of his bright blue gaze.
Ivy's eyes flickered downwards as she nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Not that I know of, Sire, but the storm…"
Peter held up his hand. "It doesn't matter now. From now on you are to stay in this room and watch over him. If there is the slightest change, tell me immediately. I'm sure Zia is quite capable of managing the hospital wing on her own - at least, she will be once she extracts her mind from the clouds and focuses on actually doing her job."
The bite in his voice was so harsh that Ivy could barely mask her shock. Inside the wardrobe, Zia's hands curled into fists. For a moment she didn't care that Peter was High King; he had no right to insult her like that. There was nothing wrong with the way she felt for Edmund, was there? She didn't need Ivy's confirmation to know that they would both be happier if Zia were to take care of Edmund whilst Ivy tended to their other patients. Peter wasn't being fair. Why was he so determined to keep her away from his younger brother?
It was only the thought that Peter could throw her right out of the castle's front door within seconds that kept her from bursting from the wardrobe and telling the High King exactly what she thought of him. Once he had left, her undignified exit from the confined space preceded a seething rant as she paced the stone floor in front of the window. Ivy calmly arranged vials and bowls on her tray whilst Zia released all the anger that had gathered inside her and eventually stopped her pacing to gaze sorrowfully down at the pale form beneath the scarlet sheets.
"I hate him, Ivy," Zia whispered fiercely.
Ivy shushed her gently. "We both know you don't mean that. He's frightened of what might happen to Edmund but he can't let it show. He needs to appear strong for all our sakes."
"Do I really have to stay in the hospital wing?"
"I'll try to work something out, but for now I think it's best if you pay more attention to the other people who need our help. You'll know if Edmund's current condition changes, I promise."
Her eyes moved of their own accord to the bed, taking in the unnatural stillness of Edmund's body. They both watched the tiny movements of his chest, neither of them speaking. The thought to tell Ivy what she had seen beneath Edmund's skin played itself over in Zia's mind, but she kept her lips pressed together even as she pulled the door shut behind her. She had to be the one to save Edmund. It was the only way to gain Peter's respect and show him that she was more than just a lovesick fool permanently attached to Edmund's side.
The most obvious solution was to head to the library. As she stood despairingly in the centre of the fire lit room, it was the second time in as many days that Zia wished Alex was still around. There were several things Zia could do that the human girl couldn't, but the main skill that Alex possessed was her ability to make sense of the black squiggles on the musty parchment glued inside the thousands of leather covers. There was bound to be a book on one of the shelves that would give her the answers she needed, but until the lines and loops arranged themselves into words, she would get absolutely nowhere.
Lucy found her an hour later. A book was in her lap, her chin rested on one hand whilst the other aimlessly flicked through the yellowed pages. The click as the door opened made her start and the book almost slipped from her grasp. The relief when she saw Lucy was shamelessly obvious; if Peter had been the one to walk in on her… She didn't want to think about the consequences.
"Any luck?" Lucy asked, lowering herself into the armchair across from Zia.
"I could have the solution right now – if I could read," Zia answered miserably.
Lucy put a hand to her mouth. "Did no one ever teach you?"
"Dryads have no use for books." She slammed the cover shut and dropped the offending object onto the growing pile at her feet. All the knowledge they needed was contained within the Dryads of Western Wood, but Peter wouldn't let Ivy leave Edmund's side and Zia could never show her face in the Grove again.
"I'd be glad to teach you," Lucy offered.
Zia shook her head. "Thanks, but we're running out of time. Ivy says Edmund's getting worse. There's no telling how long…" Her sentence trailed off. The word death hung in the air, growing stronger and stronger until they would have no choice but to acknowledge it.
"Edmund's my brother. I'd do anything that might help save him." Lucy looked at her steadily. "Just tell me what to do."
Zia's body reacted before her mind did. She was across the room and flinging her arms around Lucy's neck - despite the fact that Lucy was sitting down - before either of them could take a breath. She relinquished her hold just as quickly, heat creeping into her cheeks. Lucy's face broke into a grin.
"I guess we should start in the medicine section," Lucy suggested, jumping up from the chair. "It's rather large, though. Do you have any idea what we're looking for?"
Zia followed her into the maze of shelves. "All Dryads have this special ability to sense what's going on inside a patient's body," she explained, watching Lucy lean a ladder against the shelves and start to climb up it. "I did it when I was in Edmund's room yesterday. There's definitely something inside him that shouldn't be there."
"Mm-hm," Lucy murmured, selecting a volume and passing it down. "I wonder why Ivy didn't think of doing that."
Zia shrugged, adjusting the book's heavy weight so it sat more comfortably in her arms. "Maybe she never got taught how to do it properly. Whatever's inside Edmund is doing a lot of damage fairly quickly. I haven't had a chance to check him over thoroughly since, but his condition is definitely worsening. Do you know what he was doing the day before he fell ill?"
"As far as I know it was just a normal day. He trained with you in the morning, attended a few council meetings, ate with us in the dining hall... Then he sparred with Peter in the afternoon before rushing off to meet you again."
Zia huffed in frustration. "There has to be something!"
"You say there's something inside him that shouldn't be there?" Lucy said thoughtfully, trailing her finger over the leather spines lining the self.
"His body's trying to fight it off, but it seems to be slowly breaking down everything vital. If it carries on at the rate it's going, it will eventually…" Kill him.
Lucy gave a mirthless chuckle. "Sounds to me like we've already found the culprit." She pulled another book off the shelf and showed Zia the cover. The title was engraved in a fancy gold script.
"What does it say?" Zia demanded, squirming with her armful of books.
"Poisons."
Alexandra's voice suddenly broke into Zia's thoughts. The words were from weeks ago, when they'd been standing in almost the exact same places as she and Lucy were stood now.
There's this book about Bezoars and other antidotes to poisons.
The books tumbled to the floor. She barely registered Lucy's wide-eyed stare before grabbing the book from her and taking off, heading for the door with her name echoing in her ears. Ivy's eyes grew wider as Zia rushed to explain, pushing the book at her and gasping between words. Lucy arrived a few moments later, puffing with the exertion of running up so many stairs.
Ivy looked to the young Queen for confirmation and, in some places, a translation of what Zia was saying. Lucy nodded fervently. "It's the only explanation. Alex must have somehow known this was going to happen."
A faint groan sounded from the direction of the bed and all three turned at once. Edmund's eyes seemed to have sunk into his face and the pastiness of his skin made them look like two black holes. His gaze flitted between them, dimmer but with some of the same alertness he showed when he was healthy. The question in his eyes was clear, although it took quite a bit of effort for the muscles in his face to form the right expression.
Zia was at his side in seconds. She laid her hand across his forehead and tried not to make a show of snatching it back. The temperature of his skin was scorching. "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"
"A drink would be nice," he barely managed to croak.
Ivy, who was stood closest to the jug of water on the bedside table, obliged. Edmund accepted the brimming cup gratefully. He took a large gulp, winced slightly, and then drained the rest in one. Zia carefully dabbed away the drips rolling towards his chin as he handed the cup back to Ivy. As he did, a series of racking coughs overcame him. He bent over so that his forehead was almost on his knees, shaking with the force of each cough. Zia looked up at Ivy in alarm, but she was already there with another glass of the water and was stirring some kind of sticky green mixture with a spoon. Zia retreated to Lucy's side. The Queen's eyes moved from Ivy and her brother down to the book lying on the bed and back up again. Zia could almost hear the gears in her brain clicking.
When Edmund's coughs had subsided and he had sunk back against the pillows, Ivy and Lucy left the room. Lucy took the book with her, already leafing through the pages with her eyebrows knitted together. Zia pressed herself as close as she dared to Edmund's side, ignoring the uncomfortable heat of his skin. He automatically nestled his head in the crook of her neck and lightly played with a few strands of her hair. It wasn't long before they both drifted into sleep.
It was dark outside when Zia woke up. She was still clutching Edmund tightly to her, and she could feel his breaths tickling her neck. The roots of her hair were damp with sweat – Edmund's temperature still hadn't eased up. With her stiff muscles protesting, she extracted herself from the tangle of blankets and limbs and let out a quiet sigh as her feet touched the chill stone floor. Ivy was asleep in the armchair. Zia crossed the room to the open window and stuck her head out into the night. She took several big gulps of the blissfully cool air, feeling considerably better almost right away.
As she turned back to the dark room, the hairs on the back of her neck prickled. A scuffling noise came from the far side of the bed, as though a small animal was scrabbling around underneath it. A quick glance at the lump under the covers told her Edmund was still sound asleep. Only the sound of deep and even breathing came from the armchair beside her. The snuffling sounded almost hog-like and once or twice she could have sworn she heard it curse. None of the servants would ever dare utter profanities, especially not in the presence of a royal, asleep or not. Whatever it was, Zia was almost certain it didn't know she was listening. It must have been too preoccupied with its current frenzy to hear her get up.
The sounds didn't cease as she tiptoed around the edge of the bed, craning her neck and squinting into the shadows. As she neared the corner bedpost, the sheets rustled as the bed's occupant rolled over. Both Zia and the intruder stopped still until Edmund's quiet snores resumed. She took a few more steps forward, but the darkness was so absolute that she still couldn't make out a figure.
Until it flew at her.
Claws scraped at her skin, teeth dug into her scalp and leathery wings flapped at her face as she reeled backwards in shock. Her leg knocked against something solid and her balance failed. She landed on her back on the bed as the creature continued to screech and howl. It writhed away from her hands as she blindly grabbed at it. Its nails tore the sensitive skin around her eyes, but she dared not cry out in case its next target was her mouth. Suddenly, a force like the swipe of a sword swished past her face and the creature's yowling was silenced.
She slowly eased her eyes open. The room was now illuminated by the light of a single candle. It was enough for her to see Ivy's shocked face and the burnt out match in her hand. Edmund was poised on the end of the bed in a defensive stance, the hilt of his sword firmly gripped in both hands. He was panting heavily, the colour steadily draining from his face. He dropped the sword just before he collapsed. Zia started towards him and her foot came into contact with something warm and wet. Although she knew she shouldn't, she glanced down. The severed body of whatever had attacked her lay in a pool of its own blood, killed by a single stroke of Edmund's sword. The blade glistened in the candlelight.
"What is that?"
Ivy came cautiously round to join her. She nudged the body with her foot. "It's a harpy." She sounded as shocked as Zia felt. "It's only a baby, nowhere near full-grown. If it was it could have easily torn all the skin off your face." Ivy peered at her in the feeble light, assessing her injuries. "Does it hurt?"
Zia shook her head, although the stinging around her eyes had strengthened to a burn. She skirted around the dead harpy and gingerly picked up the sword, trying not to think about the sticky black goo splattered down one edge. She moved the weapon to Edmund's desk before helping Ivy tuck the exhausted King back underneath the sheets. There was a tinkling sound as Ivy's foot caught something and sent it skittering across the floor. Zia bent to retrieve it and held it up for Ivy to see. The object was a small glass vial, about half the size of her little finger. It contained a dark purple liquid and was sealed with a tiny cork.
"I bet that's what it was looking for," Zia murmured, dropping the vial into Ivy's outstretched hand. "Do you know what it is?"
Ivy carefully removed the cork and held the container to her nose. She jerked her head back, blinking hard.
"Ivy?"
"It's poison," she said. They both gazed down at the harpy, killed during its mission. The flickering light threw disconcerting shadows across the void between the two halves of its body. "I think we've found our perpetrator."