The scattered papers were slowly gathered by Will until Beverly and Margot discovered what he was doing and forced him back to bed while promising to gather everything they could find.
Margot's grip on him was solid, but not harsh. Just enough to help get the idea into his head that he shouldn't have been out of his room. He found it difficult to walk upright when every time he coughed sent him doubling over, but Margot was patient with the slow pace.
Her hand was gentle as it rubbed his back.
"What were you doing out there in your condition?" Margot asked just loud enough to be heard over his fit.
"The... papers were important." Will gasped, tears in his eyes. He did his best not to lean against Margot, but his knees grew weaker the longer he stood on them.
"I can't believe your guards let you out. I thought they were-"
"Chocolate."
Her little "Oh," told Will she understood. Will did his best to straighten up and continue back to his room. Margot kept in time with his slow steps, something soothing in her touches. "They'll be alright. I'll make sure that they're taken care of."
"What does he do with it?"
They finally came to the hallway with his chamber in it and Will could see where James and Brian were still lying on the floor. Will had done his best to adjust them so they were leaning up against the walls instead of slumping over, but their chainmail had added significant weight to his task.
"Rumors. They're only rumors."
"What rumors?"
Margot didn't reply. She simply helped Will back into his room and got him in bed before making sure he had drunk a full cup of water. Once she was satisfied and the pitcher and cup were set aside, she sat in the chair beside Will's bed.
"They say he gives the chocolate to his favorite stable boy or chamberlain. We go through them enough that I don't doubt the stories that my father keeps hidden."
"And what does he do with them?" Was it an answer he wanted? Something deep inside of his gut was telling him no.
"Something far worse than pushing you into a fountain or chaining me up in the tower," Margot said. The use of her simplified explanations left only more questions as to what Mason did to his sister and Will took her hand as a faraway look captured her eyes. "My father pays good money to make the accusations go away. Sometimes I'm curious how much of our treasury goes to keeping parents in silence."
"They are young then," Will reasoned hesitantly.
"Yes." The word was sad. Will's hand received a squeeze before Margot rose back to her feet. "I will make sure that your friends are cared for, new guards are placed outside your room with explicit instructions about my brother and then I will help Beverly retrieve the rest of those papers from the courtyard."
"Thank you, Margot."
She nodded. "And in return, I would like to know what about these papers was so important that my brother felt the need to torture you with them."
Will waited in silence after she had left, his mind racing. It ran through the new information to file under Mason Verger and then what exactly he was meant to inform Margot of. How much did he let her in? How much could he let her know? How badly would Margot suffer if she had a full understanding?
Will didn't have a full understanding. Not yet. Maybe by reading all the manuscripts that were currently being rounded up he could gain a glimmer of what was happening. Hannibal had obviously found something within them and had been trying to tell Will.
Will plucked at the ribbon around his wrist. He hadn't been able to remove it since tying it there the first day. It felt like the only thing that reminded him that everything was real. That he had in fact found that little boy out in the snow. That the little girl who liked to haunt his nights and days had existed. That his life was his own and not some distant dream he was living.
He jumped with a sharp breath when a hand touched his shoulder. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep, clutching tightly to the red silk. He did his best to sit up as a stack of messily collected papers was placed in his lap.
"What are all of these?" Beverly asked as she stepped around the bed to go and close the windows to the balcony. The sky had grown darker, threatening rain, the wind tossing the curtains this way and that. "You should count your blessings that we were able to find all of those before the storm came in."
Margot pulled another chair over to the bed and both women sat down. Will licked his lips, fingers beginning to flip through familiar pages, though none of them had been thoroughly read.
"I'm not sure yet," Will said, straightening pages as he went. "How are James and Brian?"
"They're resting for now," Margot answered. "I moved them into one of the empty chambers so they wouldn't be disturbed, and we could keep things between us for the time being. King Sanford doesn't need to know what is happening."
"I doubt he would believe it anyway." Beverly gave a sigh and reached out, snatching Hannibal's letter from Will's grip. She turned it over so she could read it and her eyes darted back to Will. Margot took the letter and read it next. "This is all of the things you brought back from the Lecter estate, isn't it?"
"Yes. He was the one who kept hold of it. I think someone was cleaning his room and they found it. Mason said he took it from one of the members of staff. He wouldn't have just left it out in the open or given it to someone who Mason could have manipulated easily."
"The commander," Margot clarified, holding the letter back to Will who took it with an answering nod. "What were you both doing at the Lecter estate? I thought that it burned down in the forest fire. Your lumber trades went significantly down after that."
"Margot." Will gave a sigh, finally looking up from the mess in his lap. "This is information that I can't share with you."
"Why?"
"We just want to keep you safe," Beverly said, taking Margot's hand in hers. Beverly smiled softly and Will couldn't stop his own smile. Happiness crept through his body at the idea that his friend had possibly found someone.
"You think that Mason will try to get it from me." Margot nodded in understanding. "I am not a child. I do not need to be kept in the dark. Especially if this concerns my future husband."
Will blinked, brows furrowing as his head tipped to the side. "We are holding the ball tomorrow then?"
"I find that our union's benefits far outweigh the costs as long as we are under a firm understanding that our previous conversations are still in place." Magot's voice still held little emotion to it but her eyes sat saturated with hope.
"You two have an arrangement?" Beverly looked between the two curiously.
"We do." Will shot Beverly a knowing smile and at her sudden blush, he knew more than enough. "And I do not wish to come between the two of you."
"We are not- we-we- William Graham." Will chuckled at Beverly's stuttering and even Margot's face lit up slightly. "I thought we were concealing it rather better than you and your lover."
"You forget that I've known you for the most of my life." Will didn't need to remind her. She rolled her eyes at the information, and it only caused Will to smile brighter. "There is nothing you need to worry about when it comes to our marriage and once I am King."
"Thank you, Will," Margot said. She reached forward and tapped on the papers, calling their attention back to them. "What is it that you're not telling me?"
Will had done his best to stay up that night to organize the papers, but sleep had pulled him under swiftly after Beverly and Margot left him. And when morning came, the rain still thundering away outside, he was being checked over by Chilton.
He hid the papers under his pillow as swiftly as he could when the doctor came in but knew that Chilton had seen them with the curious tip of his head. The moment he was done being looked over and his arm was deemed healed enough to be unwrapped, he collected the papers and shoved them into his bedside table for safe keeping. He would move them later that day if he had the chance at a free moment.
As weak as he still was, he knew what preparing a ball entailed for the castle. It would be bustling and busy all day and Alana would be fretting here and there trying to make sure that he stayed presentable and looked like the crowned prince he was instead of the stable boy.
Will held back his laugh as he thought over what had happened that day Hannibal had returned. He could recall the conversation perfectly and he found it far more amusing in hindsight than he had that day. And the more he thought back he wondered what had kept him from recognizing Hannibal. He supposed Hannibal had known him after seeing Mischa's ribbon. Why had it taken him so long to put the pieces together?
He couldn't let Alana know she had been right, so he allowed her to dress him however she saw fit. Blues were always the preference and Alana had mentioned once that blue had been Theophania's favorite color. It was the color he was complimented on the most by his mother and he supposed that he could use her strength today in whatever form it presented itself as. Blue with red.
"Are you ready for tonight?" Alana asked curiously.
Will looked over himself in the mirror. He felt trapped in these clothes. They were too tight for his liking, and he knew that tonight's outfit was going to be even worse. Not to mention the literal weight of the cloak he was going to have to wear was already causing his shoulders to ache.
"Would anyone be ready for something like tonight?" Wil asked back, doing his best to keep appearances up. "I don't think anyone who has been in one has ever been fond of an arranged marriage. Especially not one where they were not privy to the meeting where its details were discussed."
"Her Highness is of a sweet temperament."
"Yes, she is," Will agreed. He stepped closer to the mirror, looking over his face. He was still pale, the grip of his illness still clinging to him. Purple rested under his eyes like a bruise from lack of rest. His face was thinner as well, his cheeks looked sunken from barely eating.
Maybe that was why his clothing felt just a touch too tight. It was a new suit so maybe it had been possibly tailored for a sicker version of Will. Whatever the reason, he pulled at the collar to try to loosen it and then adjusted the hems of his sleeves.
A knock at the door pulled Will away from the mirror and he waited for Alana to handle whoever had shown up. She turned away from the door with an envelope in hand and Will's mouth went dry.
"A letter for you, Your Highness." She held out the envelope and Will took it, knowing whom it was from without having to even glance at the handwriting.
"Thank you. Might I read this in privacy?"
"Of course, Your Highness." Alana bowed and turned away, but paused, glancing over her shoulder. Will fought the impatience rising in him. "Are you feeling well enough to attend breakfast this morning?"
Will stopped in thought. Despite how badly he wished he could continue to avoid the dining hall while the Vergers were still present, he had to keep up the image of this kingdom. He needed to show them that Mason did not frighten him. That strength resided here. That after King Sanford and King Molson passed on, the weight of the loss would not bend and break him.
"Yes. I will be joining breakfast this morning."
"Very good. I will make sure your place setting is ready for you."
The door shut and Will immediately tore at the envelope, not bothering to break the seal. He ripped the paper free and unfolded it. His heart leapt at the familiar handwriting and his fingers brushed over the ink.
My dearest Will,
I hope that this letter finds you in good health. I have been worried about you since I departed and I have been unable to hear of any improvement in your condition. If I had a choice, I would not have left your bedside until you were well again.
I am writing to you from the coast. In the morning I am to board a ship headed for Spain, but for tonight I will listen to the way the sea crashes against the shore with an almost violent fervor. Have you ever seen the sea? It holds a dangerous beauty to it and makes one feel so incredibly small when standing next to it.
I must confess that my heart clings stubbornly to the memory of our last parting. The words said between us, and the words not uttered. I left things in a way I wish I could undo. I wish I could have kissed you one last time.
I cannot help but feel a sense of foreboding as the clouds of an impending storm gather in the sky. An uncertainty looms like a shadow over this port and the raging sea mirrors the turmoil of the heavens. I pray that by morning the storm will have passed, and the waves will be kinder as we set sail.
The ship I will be boarding is the Mary Rose if you wish to send your own correspondence. I will send word once the Mary Rose docks in Spain, but do not feel as if you are obligated to respond to any of my letters. Please know that I will cherish every letter you send as each word will be a lifeline back home.
I cannot promise frequent correspondence. The nature of the situation may hinder my ability to send letters as swiftly as I would wish. I promise to send word as often as I can spare time for, and I hope that I will return to you soon.
Forever yours,
Hannibal
Will looked out the window at a crack of lightning, hoping that this was the storm that Hannibal had mentioned. That it had found its way inland and that Hannibal had been able to depart safely.
He folded the letter up and added it to the growing stack of papers in his bedside table. As much as he wanted to write back, he was needed elsewhere, and he doubted that his letter would reach Hannibal any time soon. It was better to wait until he had reached Spain. It would be far easier to find him that way.
For now, breakfast called and for the first time in a few long days, hunger clawed at Will. Perhaps Winter's Fever's grip was finally beginning to slip. He hoped that was the case or that Pestilence were being kind enough to allow him to get through the day before another fight was to be had.
Will found two of his father's men stationed at his door and they followed behind him as they had been instructed. Margot had let him know that both James and Brian had returned to the barracks to recover from the dwale laced chocolate.
When Will stepped into the dining hall, he was looked upon with slight surprise from his father, as if the king had been betting against his son making a presence. King Molson was missing from Theophania's seat which only satisfied Will. His mother's seat should have always been left empty.
Will took his spot at the table, bidding good morning to Margot only. He paid no acknowledgement to Mason who stared him down. His plate was filled for him and he picked at a piece of fruit before placing it in his mouth. He waited for his stomach to lurch, but when it stayed settled, he continued eating.
"How are the preparations for tonight?" Will asked, looking up at his father who had yet to say a word to him.
"Are you well enough to attend tonight?" Sanford countered, making himself busy with finding his cup. The words were not slurred, and Will wondered how his father was handling the world while being sober for so long. The week must have been a record.
"You actually sound concerned." Will's taunt brought a pause to his father's movements and eyes flashed at him.
"Why would I not be concerned over my only son's health? Doctor Chilton informed me that you had a rough few nights."
"And yet, they were not enough for you to come to inquire about me yourself." Will met Mason's gaze and let the right corner of his lip tip up in a smirk at the question in those eyes. It was decided, from then on out, Mason would be put in his place and the first step to that came in proving that Will was not beneath his father. "Your guests were the ones kind enough to offer me their companionship."
"I would expect nothing less from-"
"Do not praise them for their basic human nature," Will interrupted, waving his hand to dismiss his father's words. "It says far more about you than about them."
Will picked up his cup, taking a drink of the wine inside it and stole a quick glance towards his father whose jaw was clenched. The want to lay a hand on Will was only held at bay by the fact that there were guests present and Will revealed that fact. For at least today, he was untouchable.
There was the barest hint of a smile on Bedelia's face, approving. She did not speak, but her words were loud. Will's conclusion was that she must have spent enough time in King Sanford's presence to know that the man needed to be knocked down a couple of ladder rungs.
"Are you ready for tonight?" Will's tone softened when he turned his attention to Margot who was looking over him curiously.
The weight of the question loomed overhead. This was their moment to back out, their moment to change everything. Their chance to save their lives and be selfish. The immediate world would crash and burn around them based on their answer.
"If you are by my side," Margot said, with a nod. "Until death do us part."