Page 11

A few days later, I jerked awake to the sound of a fist pounding against my door. Groaning, I heaved myself out of bed, my feet heavy against the sun-warmed floors of my bedchamber.

Just like yesterday and the day before that, Lukas wasn’t here to wish me good morning. But that hardly surprised me. Between the constant appointments and meetings, we’d barely found the time to eat meals together. Even when we had, they’d been full of scheming and him checking into my progress with the other royals – most of whom now liked me enough to at least approve of the rebuilding of my kingdom. Most apart from the Hallshires.

As I approached the door, the frantic knocking started up again.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” I complained, reaching for the sculpted handle. Today was supposed to be a rest day. A desperately needed day where I could finally explore the palace and perhaps visit the markets with Raena and Ivy.

Although, any thoughts of resting vanished the moment the door swung open to reveal a familiar yet panicked girl in another borrowed gown.

“You need to come downstairs immediately,” Ivy blurted.

My face twisted. “What? Why? What’s going on?”

“No time to explain.” She charged into my room, slamming the door behind her. “Just get dressed and come with me.”

When confusion tugged at my brow she just clapped her hands, hurrying me along. “Quickly!” she hissed.

After throwing on a loose strawberry-coloured gown and raking a comb through my curls, I took Ivy’s hand as she dragged me through the palace. Her long blue skirts fanned out behind her, looking like waves against the sandstone floor.

“Here,” she said as we neared the entrance to the ballroom. “I told the guards to just funnel them all into here. At least that way they won’t be blocking the drawbridge anymore.”

“Will you just tell me what’s going on?” I demanded. But then the doors to the ballroom swung open and my jaw hit the floor.

At least a hundred people were being held in a huge mob near the back wall of the circular ballroom. Guards formed a line surrounding them, desperately trying to calm the crowd. They were all from the villages beyond the palace, judging by their simple cotton tunics and straw hats. The moment they spotted me, they erupted with grateful cheers.

“It’s her! Our princess saviour is here!” One man waved his fishing pole into the air.

“The Corlixins have come to save us all!” another woman dressed in merchant’s clothes yelped.

Voice shaking, I turned to Ivy. “What is this?”

My friend beamed. “Word spread of our work helping the servants in the palace. Those we healed must’ve returned home and told their families.” Eyes glittering, she turned back to the cheering crowd. “I suppose all these people need our help too.”

I almost needed to grip the doorframe to stay standing. There were so many, I couldn’t begin to count them all. It would take hours to even treat half of the crowd, and that’s not to mention the steady stream of people trickling in behind them.

“Ivy?” I muttered. “Will you fetch Marius and Terr? We’re going to need all the help we can get, and some tables and chairs too.”

She nodded eagerly just as determination sparked flames in my chest. These people needed our help. And helping people was what Corlixir stood for. This was what I was made for.

“Attention, everyone!” I stepped forward, my voice echoing over the grand ballroom. “I’m going to need you all to form an orderly queue. More serious cases at the front, those who can wait at the back.” The crowd buzzed, already starting to shuffle around each other.

“Let’s hope the Ancients are with us today,” I chuckled to myself.

Evening had c ome and gone, yet crowds still poured in through the ballroom doors. Even as stars began to twinkle through the tall glass windows and with the four of us working solidly, the queue stretched out to the palace grounds.

Guards had helped to set up tables and chairs for us, laying out additional chairs for those suffering with more serious ailments to rest in while they queued. Theo and Raena had arrived around lunchtime to help, too. Theo scouted through the queue, bringing more urgent cases forward, while Raena assisted Ivy with medicine making.

Somehow, in less than a day, we’d started an unofficial palace clinic. And despite having been working for more than ten hours straight, I’d never felt more at peace.

“What brought you in here today?” I asked the young girl seated in a chair across from me. My station consisted of a small desk and two chairs, surrounded by a thin bamboo privacy screen. Guards had fetched the screens after we began seeing far too many patients with more ‘private’ concerns. I’d never have guessed the amount of toenail fungus present within the villages of Ryntook.

“It’s my skin,” the girl explained, lifting her tunic to expose her bare midriff. “It itches in patches and the rashes won’t go away.”

Narrowing my eyes, I scooted closer in my seat. It didn’t look like any diseases from my books. Red, itchy splotches covered her stomach, surrounded by dry, scaly skin.

“Have you had this your whole life?” I studied the rashes.

“Ever since I was a babe.”

My mouth twitched. This time there would be no need to confer with any others, I knew exactly what this was. Drawing back, I scribbled notes on a small scrap of parchment. “That’s dragon skin,” I told her confidently.

“Dragon what?” Her mouth popped open.

“Nothing to do with the magical beast, don’t worry.” I looked up from my notes with a chuckle. “It’s just the name of the condition, because the dry patches resemble dragon scales.”

“Oh…” she breathed. “And it’s not contagious?”

I shook my head while her shoulders sagged in relief.

“Have you seen any other healers about this?” I asked gently.

“No,” she replied, but then she winced. “Actually, my mother visited one when I was very small. He told her to pour whisky on it –” I almost choked – “and she did that until I was old enough to smash all the bottles outside. It used to sting… really badly.”

“I can imagine it would.” My own skin burned with the pain she must’ve endured. Shuddering, I tried to focus back on the patient instead of the misinformed ‘healer’ this girl’s mother must’ve paid a fortune for.

“I’m going to give you some parchment,” I went on, finishing off my notes. “Take this to Ivy at the medicine counter and she’ll give you the powder you need. There’s also some notes on how to apply it and what the herb looks like, so if you run out, you’ll be able to find it yourself.”

“Oh, thank you, Your Highness.” She took the parchment, dipping her head low as if I’d just gifted her solid gold.

I passed her a smile. “Before you visit Ivy could you please let the guard outside know I’m ready for my next patient?”

“Of course.” She stood quickly, bowing one last time. “I’ll never forget your kindness. We’re all so grateful to you and your people.” Then the young woman hurried out, still clutching the parchment tightly.

Smiling, I busied myself with preparing the next parchment slip. While I worked, a strange warmth crept up from my toes. It took root in my chest, wrapping around my heart enough to make me giggle. I really was so happy here . I basked in that feeling until bootsteps sounded around the screen.

“Just take a seat and I’ll be with you in a minute,” I said with a grin. But then the quill slipped out of my hand when I heard his voice vibrate across the desk.

“What a nice little setup you’ve arranged for yourself, human.”

I jolted back. Prince Arenn was sitting in the chair across from me, one elbow propped against the desk while his amber eyes pierced into mine. His faery ears were hidden behind a glamour, and it appeared he’d stolen one of Lukas’s shirts, but it was still undeniably him. Cruel. Wicked. Murderer. I hated the way my heart fluttered anyway.

“It’s so good to see you, Naria,” he mused, his silver earrings glinting as he tilted his head. “Our bond is so strong now, I didn’t even have to search for you. I just followed the feeling until I could sense where you were. And here you are.” He leaned back, studying me. “Hidden away and playing doctor with your friends.” A smirk pulled at his sharp faery lips. “You know, if you dislike royal life here that much, I can take you back to Faelenna right now. You wouldn’t even need to explain yourself to anyone. I could whisk you away just like that.” He clicked his fingers, and the sound made me flinch.

“If you touch me I’ll scream,” I warned, but my cutting tone only seemed to humour him.

“Scream and it’ll only make me want to whisk you away faster,” he taunted. When my face paled, he laughed cruelly before tracing his fingertips along the desk. “But fear not, sweet princess.” His laughter slowed. “I won’t take you away from here just yet, not if you’d like to stay a while.”

I tried to steady my breath while he glanced up at the tall window nearby. Stars peeked through the glass as if winking at us.

“It’s so strange being above ground,” he continued casually. “But I’ll happily stay here with you until you’re ready to leave, if that’s what you want.”

“I don’t,” I chewed out. “And neither does my fiancé, so I suggest – if you’re feeling better – that you leave before he finds out you wandered in here.”

Arenn’s eyes turned molten. “ I am your fiancé, human. Do not forget that.”

I swallowed thickly.

A few heavy beats passed before Arenn exhaled and rolled out his shoulders. “Actually… Now that you mention it, I am still feeling quite unwell.”

“Really?” My lips thinned.

“Of course,” he said quickly. “I don’t like liars, remember?”

I tried to breathe away the dark rose colour staining my cheeks while he chuckled, leaning forward in his seat.

“I’ve had all manner of symptoms,” he murmured. “My heart races. My skin feels hot.” He drew closer again until our faces were inches apart. “My thoughts are consumed by one certain human.”

I twisted my face away, but then I gasped as his fingers caught my chin and he dragged my ear towards his lips.

“Occasionally my thoughts are so intense that I feel a tightening.” His hot breath tickled my ear. “A rather urgent tightening down in my—”

“Stop!” I smacked a hand over my mouth – not wanting to picture, at all, the ‘symptom’ he was describing.

Chuckling darkly, he drew back to his seat. “So what medicine can you recommend for me, little healer?”

Anger boiled in my throat. “Come with me,” I ordered, shoving my chair away as I stood.

“As my lady commands,” Arenn laughed. “Although might I request you treat me somewhere other than your human king’s bedchamber? As much as I’d love to soil his sheets, it is awfully far and I fear if I don’t kiss you within the next—”

His words cut off as I hauled him out of my station. Marching towards Terrence’s booth, I ignored the flirtatious ramblings of my ‘patient’, before dumping him just outside the entrance.

“Terrence?” I called out, scowling at the way my hand already burned from the loss of contact. “Will you please see my patient next? He’s having troubles with his male part.” I shouted that last part a little louder than I should’ve – loud enough for sheepish laughter to ripple through the guards nearby.

Arenn glared with an intensity I hadn’t seen before. For a moment, I feared he might go back on his words and ‘whisk me away’ to Faelenna after all. But then, his gaze shifted. It hardened on someone else entirely. Someone across the ballroom.

“Who is that?” he snarled in an almost protective tone. “And why does she look as if she wants to hurt you?”

Confused, I followed his sightline. Queen Marigold stood by the doorway to the ballroom flanked by two guards – one of them much more familiar than the other. I bristled as the guard from our first day shot me a filthy wink.

Arenn lurched forward, but I stopped him with a hand over his chest.

“Please don’t cause a scene,” I said, quickly withdrawing my palm. “I’m supposed to be winning her favour.”

Arenn scowled. “Why doesn’t she like you?”

“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “It would be very helpful if she could tell me instead of just causing trouble for the sake of it.”

“She’s approaching,” Arenn warned.

A nervous sound escaped my throat. Before I could brace myself, a grating voice called over my shoulder.

“Princess Naria,” she purred. “What in our divine realm is going on in here?”