Chapter 42: Departure
Surprise reflected in Shinra's expression as he looked back and forth between Izaya and Shizuo. "Wait, you are moving him now?"
Not a second of negotiation seemed to be on Shizuo's mind as he glanced towards Shinra.
"He said he won't get better as long as he stays here."
As usual the king was good for unexpected surprises, but this was a little too unpredictable even for Shinra. Mouth opening for a soft protest he was about to ask for more time, to call for reason- but what Shizuo had said was actually nothing but the truth. He was right. No matter what Shinra did, no matter how hard he wanted to help, he was at his wits end.
Closing the mouth he had opened to speak he turned towards the shelf to the left of the room. A few crucibles and mixtures he had already prepared in advance were pulled down and he quickly spoke.
"Give me just a second." He didn't see the nod Shizuo gave nor did he even waste a glance to look into this direction as he scurried around in his chamber.
"Be ready when I return," was the last order Shinra heard when Shizuo left and he cursed with a soft smile on his lips.
"Seriously this guy-" he was unpredictable.
Always had been.
And yet right now, it was exactly this type of quick level headed actions that sparked hope in Shinra.
He wanted Izaya to get better. To survive. And now it was up to Shizuo's protection and Shinra's medicine to achieve that goal by moving him into an environment that would contribute to his recovery.
Tools cluttered, fabrics tied together and the pot violently stirred as he tried to rush through the usually meticulous process of crafting medicine. There was not much he could provide in the first place, but that didn't mean he wasn't going to offer anything he had available.
Before long the sounds of noise reached even Izaya and his eyes blinked back open from drowsiness.
It was an odd sensation to wake in the middle of the night with nothing but shadows dancing on the ceiling and quiet mumbles that might as well have been chants cast by a demon on the side.
Taking a moment to regain his consciousness Izaya quickly figured it was Shinra that was causing such havoc and slowly turned his head to the side.
Busy like an ant trying to carry out the work of a thousand comrades the doctor was weaseling around inside his chamber.
A crate made of wood stood next to Izaya's bed and Shinra moved crucible after crucible joint by fabrics and weeds of all kinds into its confines. Bundling everything together he cursed for a second as one of the dried twigs drew blood from his thumb in a stupidly hurried attempt to tie it together.
"... what are you doing?" Startled by the unexpected question, Shinra's face lifted with the thumb stuck between his lips as he sucked at the minor injury.
A smile grazed his expression, more vibrant and hyper than Izaya would expect in the middle of the night.
"Ah, you are up!" he exclaimed with joy and the confusion Izaya felt only tripled.
"I am, what …?"
Quickly raising to his feet Shinra didn't really spare him much more attention before hurrying to whatever it was that was starting to burn inside the pot above the flame.
"You will be joining the knights," Shinra announced with a rigid matter of factness and Izaya was no wiser than before he had asked the question.
That's it. Shinra had probably gone mad.
He had already had a hunch that this guy was nuts in one way or another, but this right now seemed like more than a lucid dream
Either that or he was still asleep.
"Are we going to slay some monsters?" Izaya joked quietly and his elbows pushed against the pillow.
A bad idea. Dizziness in the form of a wave crashed into his head and the by now familiar sound of drowsiness deafened his ears.
He felt warm. Too warm to be good.
An upcoming wave of panic threatened to surface when the door to the small chamber rushed open.
Gaze trailing upwards, Izaya was met with the familiar figure of Shizuo and his conscience relaxed. He was here.
Izaya still had no idea what Shinra was doing, nor was he able to discern his body's state, but if the king was here, then he might not have spouted bullshit after all.
Eyes flickering towards the patient, Shizuo spoke, "Good, you are up," he announced with a soft smile on his lips. But the smile did close to nothing to divert the obvious tension in Shizuo's body and Izaya stiffened.
The king seemed on edge.
Why?
"Shizuo, what's going on?" Izaya failed to hide his own fear as he asked that question and Shizuo's expression fell for a second.
A scolding glance was cast into his direction by Shinra and he remembered that he was supposed to put Izaya at ease, not scare him.
Shinra took it upon himself to answer as he obviously didn't quite trust Shizuo with his words. "Don't worry, we are just bringing you to the next town for better medication," he announced quickly and put a lid on top of the crate. Rough force of a curled fist was brought down onto the edges until the doctor nodded with satisfaction.
Flames cast aside for a second the soothing warmth was blocked when the doctor approached his bed. "Can you get up?"
A daunting question.
Izaya understood that he had to leave this chamber- but did he have the means to do so?
Pushing the covers aside with the speed of what must have looked like the fastest snail in the universe, his legs slipped sideways to the ground.
He hadn't quite noticed earlier, or rather, he didn't really care to notice, but right now he saw he was actually wearing a woman's nightgown. White and delicate it wrapped around his frame like a silky blanket.
Of course.
He had to maintain his cover.
Shinra must have changed him at some point.
Feeling the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his corners, Izaya couldn't help but admit that he was glad for his attire. Women's clothing was horrible for the most part, but the nightgown? He had yet to find anything to wear in the male section that would come even close to the comfort it provided.
Feet meeting the ice cold ground Izaya felt the momentarily race of goosebumps travel up his spine.
In all honesty he wanted to do nothing but just lay back down. The ground was already laughing, his head was rotating by itself and his limbs felt weaker than a broken branch at the riverside.
Shinra was there, right in front, offering his arm as if that were going to ensure Izaya's balance. How in hell was he supposed to stand up when just sitting already took everything he had?
Izaya's face scrunched into one of frustration as he thought of words to convey that he was not able to stand up. It was humiliating. Annoying. Scary.
A rough shove to the side caused the doctor to yelp for a second and suddenly a strong pair of arms picked Izaya off the spot with little to no effort.
The blanket slipped off the bed and was pulled upwards in the same effortless fashion while Izaya closed his eyes for a second to get rid of the dizziness that the movement had caused.
"Carry the crate," he heard Shizuo order and Shinra immediately did.
Consciousness threatening to dissipate Izaya took a deep breath. He was moving.
Or rather Shizuo was.
With confident strides he exited the doctor's chambers. Hallways passed, stairs led upwards from the basement of the castle and Izaya felt relieved.
He wasn't quite sure whether Shizuo had just determined Izaya's speed as too slow to wait or actually realized that he couldn't move.
Either way he was grateful.
With everything that was happening that chopped away at his pride he spared him at least the humiliation of having to ask to be carried.
Izaya wanted to talk to Shizuo, wanted to thank him, wanted to ask why they were leaving- dozens of questions actually, but his mind brimmed too much for Izaya to take as he let it rest against the blond's chest.
His head hurt.
His chest hurt.
Breathing seemed like a chore and wasting air to talk like an even worse decision. Feeling his grip on the king's beige linen shirt tighten, Izaya couldn't quite avoid the daunting feeling of imminent threat.
Cold air crawled into the castle as soon as the large leaves of the front opened. The dark sky presented itself in all its glory as there was no cloud to be spotted and the moon served more light than the morning sun.
Grunts and chatter were assembling in front with a handful of horses as the couple approached.
"Now? Seriously? First we delay our departure for ages and now we rush?"
Izaya could hear them, albeit faintly. He wasn't quite sure whether they were whispering or his ears just deafened out the sound.
Feeling the hold on his body tighten and the blanket moving in a way to cover more of his body, Shizuo tugged his wife even closer and suddenly it was quiet.
Dead silent.
Only horses were to be heard and the harsh sound of clattering armor coming to a standstill.
"Since when are you traveling in a carriage? Getting old?" a familiar voice called from behind Shizuo's back and the king turned. Craigh was steering towards the gathering point from the direction of the stalls.
He hadn't seen Shizuo carry his wife. But now he did and his expression fell as Shizuo's curled into a sad smile.
"I wished."
Shizuo had known his knights for a long time. He had spent most of his life in their rows- they were like friends, brothers and even closer bonds. He was their commander, the number one strongest in their midst and the one they looked up to.
Seeing him now with a kind of sadness they had never seen on his face caused the whole lot to choke up on the spot.
The knights had of course heard that the new queen had fallen ill, but they had not known how bad it was.
Even whilst covered by a silky blanket they could see her face, her skin and how pale it was. Her eyes were closed and brows knit into discomfort. But most importantly they could see the change in demeanor of their commander and the way he seemed ready to battle a nearing demon.
"Do you need a hand?" Craigh asked quickly as Shizuo steered towards the carriage.
"Get the knights in line, I have rarely seen such a messy departure," Shizuo replied with a small smile and Craigh gave nothing but a quick nod of obedience.
It was a joke. Somewhat. Shizuo had never cared what they looked like. Not in their kingdom nor in any other. The message was as clear as fresh water from a spring and Craigh moved towards the group. "Leave it to me."
He wanted a moment to himself and his wife.
Stepping into the carriage the vehicle shifted with a protesting squeak. The maids had done their very best to restyle the inside as comfortable as possible.
The opposing benches had been bridged by a crate positioned in the middle, right at the small window. Dozens of fabrics, blankets and cushions had been arranged in a way to create an even ground serving as a bed.
Putting Izaya down on top of it Shizuo quickly reached for the small curtains and closed them to block all outside view.
Izaya didn't really perceive a lot.
Drifting in and out of consciousness he felt his attention shift at one moment only to wake up the next properly tucked into his new bed with Shizuo's gaze directed at his feverish one.
"Do you need anything? Water?" the king whispered softly, and for a moment, maybe because he was finally laying down again Izaya found some clarity in his haze.
"... what's going on?" he asked, and Shizuo's expression only grew darker.
"We are going on a small trip." He was trying to muster a smile that didn't even make it to his cheeks. It was a disturbing sight, one that evoked even more fear than his usual frowns.
"You could just fetch the medication, why bring me personally?" Izaya quickly fired, and he wished he hadn't as Shizuo fell silent.
The king was at a loss for words.
Shizuo didn't think Izaya would be able to grasp much of the situation so he failed to come up with a direct answer and Izaya's expression churned to a bitter smile.
"... hiding my body out of the castle so they don't discover the true nature of your wife once I die?"
"No, that's not it-" Shizuo's gaze was ludicrous, fending the conclusion off like a blade aimed at his head, but the burst gave away more than he had realized.
"That is not," Izaya whispered, "That implies there is something you are not telling me."
"Izaya-"
"I am getting worse aren't I?"
It was a matter of fact. Izaya knew it. And the speechlessness on Shizuo's part was the only confirmation he needed. "You don't have to deny it, even I can tell as much," he added with a bitter smile dousing in heat.
Izaya felt like shit.
Roasted shit on fire.
"I won't let you die."
Feeling his lips tug into a soft smile Izaya sighed. Shizuo's words were brimming with confidence, undeserving of a circumstance that was out of his control.
"You say that as if you had a choice," Izaya argued- and his breath got caught for a second. A harsh set of coughs ripped from his lips and he pushed himself up a bit in order to subside the onslaught on his body- but to no avail.
Palms, Shizuo's, circled to Izaya's back as they tried to provide some sort of support of comfort as soft droplets of blood met Izaya's open hand.
It was a sight he was getting used to seeing and a messenger of death alike.
Izaya was heaving. Hot, dizzy with ice cold racing down his back.
"Are you okay?" The question was so useless it made Izaya want to cry.
"You tell me," he whispered with a soft, sad smile, and Shizuo felt his own throat clench up at the sigh.
Brows dipped into a frown he quickly cleared his throat, "Trust in Shinra's skills, okay?" he whispered, "He assembled everything you could possibly need-"
"Why is he not joining us?" A justified question. Yet another that Shizuo wished he didn't have to answer. "He is the only doctor in our kingdom. I can't-" fading out his expression only grew more sour- that wasn't the real reason.
The real reason was the fact that there was nothing Shinra could do for Izaya. Not anymore. Not at this point.
And Izaya somehow understood. Gathering the last of smiles he had, he aimed one at Shizuo before letting his head rest on the soft surface of the cushion.
"We should depart, shouldn't we?" he whispered quietly, and Shizuo nodded.
"Rest. Sleep," he ordered gently, before slowly retracting from the carriage.
The door was closed and for a moment Shizuo just stood there. In the midst of night, palms resting on the surface of the vehicle as he closed his eyes.
The knights were ready, standing by. Approaching hesitantly one of them cleared his throat before he spoke.
"How is the queen?"
Soft rain had started to trickle from the sky and Shizuo could do nothing but look at his short knight. Chester. Worry was grazing his expression and he obviously only meant well. And yet-
"Are we heading west?" Craigh quickly interrupted shutting down the unreasonably painful question as he moved in front of his fellow knight.
And Shizuo nodded, as he was presented with a question he was able to answer.
"Just as planned."
"On your horses!" Craigh barked louder than the horses neighed and turned, pulling Chester with him on the way.
And so the knights departed.
Within seconds the castle fell to awful silence.
Mika was standing at the entrance.
A few droplets of rain fought for a different route as they reached even into the entrance of the castle. Mika wasn't the only one. Clairence, Sophia- even James was there as they saw their king and queen off.
"Will she be okay?"
She was the first to ask the question aloud as nothing but worry and sadness grazed the staff's faces.
"What a question to ask, of course she will be."
Turning around, the maids faced the castle's doctor. Carrying a crate in his arms he smiled a smile too confident for the dire situation at hand.
"With all respect,-" Clairence started and her expression spoke of objection- which was exactly what Shinra didn't want to hear.
"Belief is something we can hold. It's something that gives knights strength to push forth in battles. So shouldn't it be a given to believe in her queen's recovery?" he quickly announced, and the maid's words drowned before she was able to speak.
Glances were cast downwards and Mika grasped the rim of her skirt.
"Are you saying she will make it?" she asked softly and for a moment the doctor paused.
Disturbed by the silence she lifted her gaze to meet Shinra's expression, and somehow his face made her chest swell.
"The castle needs an upgrade. We can't have our queen get sick again upon her return, right?" Shinra said, and somehow despite having not answered her question the confidence that swayed in his words swayed the maids as well.
There was no use in fretting and worrying over what might happen. Shinra was right. And somehow Mika found herself believing. Believing that her queen would return.
Oddly motivated Mika found herself nodding and the rest of the staff mimicked the action.
"What is it that you suggest?" James asked, and Shinra cracked a sinisterly wide grin. "A hell lot of work."
to be continued~
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