Read The Sword and The Seven Stones: Diamond Page 20

  Chapter 18

  This was the second day she was spending with the king. As she opened the door, the room smelled fresh and clean. William was wiping down everything in the room. The windows were open to let in fresh air and it would also help with the blisters drying up. Nicholis was finally in a nightshirt and sitting up in bed. He watched while Madeline went over to the wash basin and washed her hands and arms. William handed her a cloth and she dried herself off. “William, can you please go fetch me a hot mug of water for the king please?” Nicholis watched as his young page did as he was told. Madeline took out the satchel from her pocket and started to mix a few different herbs together, lungwort and plantain leaf. William got back just as she finished crushing the herbs. Nicholis watched everything she was doing. He had heard that she was the healer in the village. Another reason to have her close. “Where is my own doctor?” Madeline turned. Walking towards him as she stirred the concoction she made for him, she told him. “Your doctor is a coward and at the first sight of you, he got on his horse and left.” She handed him the drink which he drank. “What is this? And what is all over my body?” Madeline didn’t know what it was or why but she was happy that the poultice she had been applying and reapplying had done the trick. She brought back the covers and as soon as he was done drinking the herbs, she took the mug from him and told him to lay back. “I don’t know what happened to you, sire but I have been bathing you in Chamomile and the poultice is Mallow. You have responded well.” Nicholis looked down and couldn’t believe that all the marks where the blisters were, were already drying up. William told him what happened the day before. How he had found him. She had William start another Chamomile bath for the king. It would make a vast improvement to his health. William headed out to get the guards to bring the tub and hot water. “What was it that you gave me to drink?” Madeline looked into this man’s eyes. “William told me about the blood. He saw you coughing and then the red spots on your cloth. I am giving you two herbs that will slow down the process. It will not save you but make it easier in the end. You will have more time but I cannot reverse the damage to your lungs.” She got up as the guards brought in the tub and started to fill it. As soon as they were done, they started to leave and the chancellor walked in. “So is this the reason why you have been holed up in your room?” He looked Madeline up and down. “I thought you were saving her for Alman.” He took a seat beside the bed. Nicholis looked down at the man who would take care of everything in case he or Alman were not around. “Madeline dear, how long have I been in this room?” Madeline knew where he was going with this. “Sire, you have been in here over twenty-four hours.” Nicholis looked over at his chancellor, “and how many times has this man come to see how I am?” Madeline could see the bald, skinny man sit up a bit more, a worried look coming over his face. “None, sire.” Nicholis motioned for the guards to come forward and then stopped them. “Take him down to the cage. Rein, you were supposed to always have my back. You are always supposed to make sure that my health remains at its best, but I was told that the doctor had taken flight.” He looked at the guards. “You can take him now and when you’re done, go find the doctor that left me for dead.” They nodded and grabbed the chancellor. He didn’t go quietly. He screamed the whole way. Madeline shut the door and then helped him out of bed and stripped him of his nightshirt. She helped him in the tub and he felt the instant relief as soon as his body was submerged. She sprinkled some Chamomile in to the water. “William, could you be a good lad and get me some food? I’m famished,” Nicholis asked him. William nodded and went to do his bidding. Madeline picked up the cloth and motioned for him to sit up. She took a small piece of soap from her bag and lathered the cloth. She washed his back, arms, and chest. She had him submerge and then when he came back up, she had her hands lathered with soap. She washed his hair and Nicholis was actually starting to feel better. He went under once more to get rid of the soap and then leaned back against the tub. He watched as Madeline stripped the bed. The blood and pus on the bedding was a large amount. “What happened to me? I remember going to bed early because I couldn’t keep my eyes open and then I woke up this morning feeling better than I have in years. What have you done?” Madeline threw the dirty bedding into the corner. She would have the maid take them away. “I couldn’t tell you what came over you. I had not seen the likes of that before. Blisters covered you and when the doctor had the maid wash you down because he didn’t want to touch you, she fell to her death.” Nicholis couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “So why didn’t you fall to your death? Apparently you touched me. “She finished with the bed and then turned to face him. “I don’t know why I was spared. Maybe I have come across this before and that was why I wasn’t affected. I couldn’t tell you. My brother came to get me when he noticed the doctor riding away. I came because of him and also for the mercy you showed a couple days ago.” She grabbed the huge drying cloth and as he stood up, she dried him off. He got out of the tub and she made sure that his feet were dry too. She grabbed the clean night shirt off the chair and put it over his head. He was still weak from being in bed the whole day. William came in with some hot soup and bread. Madeline had just got him settled into bed and brought the pillows up so he would have more ease at sitting up. As William brought the food forward, being extra careful not to spill it, Madeline brought up the bedding and then took the tray from William. “Thank you, love. Why don’t you go get washed and then something to eat?” William left, knowing his sister would be there to take care of him. She placed the tray on the King’s lap and watched has he ripped a chunk of bread off. He dipped it in the soup then popped it into his mouth. As he ate, Madeline straightened up the room then called the guards to take the tub away. By the time she sat down, Nicholis had finished everything on the tray. He took the hot concoction that she had made up for him and drank it. He hadn’t coughed all morning which was a surprise since he usually couldn’t even talk till he coughed for about an hour. “So why did you come when William went to you for help? I know you said it was for the mercy that I showed but you know as well as I that you would have been better off if I were dead. You could have left me to die.” Madeline looked at him and then got up to take the tray off his lap. “My brother believes in you and you saved the life of the man I have loved for all time. I couldn’t leave a snake to die so why would I let you go if I could save you?” Nicholis looked shocked for a moment that someone could be so bold but then laughed out loud. “I knew from the moment that I saw you that you would be perfect for my son.” Madeline closed the door after giving the tray to one of the guards outside the room. “You should be happy to have my brother as your page. If it were not for him, you would have perished. As for myself, I couldn’t leave someone who was sick. My grandmother said that you can hate someone with all your being but if you are a true healer, when the time comes, you don’t see hate but a person in distress. You sire, were in distress. I couldn’t leave you in that shape even if I wanted to.” William chose that time to come back into the room. He was washed up and in clean clothes. “How are you doing, William?” William was happy to see him sitting up. “You look good, sire. Better than yesterday. What do you want me to tell the people that are in the hallway?” He looked at William. “What do you mean, people in the hallway?” William grabbed the chair on the other side of the bed and pulled it closer to the king’s bed. “When the guards took the chancellor out of the room, he begged some of the court gents to help him. One had asked him what he had done. He told them you were sick. They are coming to see how you are.” Nicholis knew that if anyone knew how sick he really was, he could have some that would try to take the kingdom away from him. He looked over at Madeline. Madeline knew the conflict that would be going through his head right now. She was going to make it easy for him and got up and went to the door. Leaving it open so some could see that he was well and sitting up, she called out to those that couldn’t see him. “Our king just has a mild malaise and will be well after a few
days’ rest. He appreciates the inquiries into his health and would appreciate the quiet you have given him to get the rest he needs. He should be back in the great hall within the next few days.” With that, she shut the doors and went back to sit down. Nicholis smiled at her. “You, my dear, are a very cunning woman. By giving a few the ability to see me gives the reassurance that I am indeed doing better. This will spread to the others quickly. Thank you.” Madeline inclined her head. “You’re welcome.” They passed the day playing cards and William seemed to beat them every time. Madeline kept the lungwort and plantain leaf infused tea coming all day. If anyone were to walk by the room, all they would hear would be the laughing that came from within. A hard knock on the door startled them all. Nicholis could not imagine who would be so bold. “Come in,” he called and waited to see who this person was. William got up and stood by Nicholis. His head guard, Noman walked in and then looked at Madeline sitting by the King. He knew she was already spoken for and given to the King’s son. Too bad, she was a beautiful woman. “Sire, the rains have stopped and we want to send some riders out to find your son.” Nicholis had known Noman for years. He knew that he wouldn’t have knocked so harshly if this was all he wanted. “Madeline, would you and William give me a few minutes please.” Once they left the room, Nicholis motioned for him to come closer. “What news of my son do you have?” Noman hated to give him this news. “The rider came back this morning and he had your son’s saddle off his horse. It was ripped to shreds. He didn’t find anything to say that the prince was hurt so I would like to take a team of men and see if we can’t find him.” Nicholis’ heart sank in his chest. He couldn’t lose his son too. “Go, and Noman, don’t come back till you have him with you.”

  The door was open a crack and Madeline heard what they said. After spending the last two days with him, she found him to be a good person. She knew he would kill if he had to but she realized that a King doesn’t get to have feelings if he wanted to remain in power.