D' Arc || The King

Chapter X

Isabel waited.

And waited.

And waited until she had almost lost hope that the English King wouldn't wake up. The sun was bringing to rise, signaling the end of the three-day coma that Henry Lancaster had been in. During those three long and tenuous days, Isabel d' Arc had not left his side, not sure if it was worry, guilt, or something else that kept her there by his side.

The tent flap rustled and Humphery's face appeared. The woman sitting next to his brother's side looked up and he blinked in surprise before smiling. "Isabel, when did you last sleep?" He questioned and she shrugged. "I don't know...maybe a few hours ago," she said.

"Well it looks like someone dug up a corpse and replaced you with it," said Humphery as he let himself in. Isabel lifted a hand and ran her fingers over her lips. They were chapped and skin under her eyes were dark purple from lack of sleep. "Ah well, I hope I don't look that bad," she said, forcing a tone of merriness into her voice.

"Come on, I'll watch over my brother. You'll make a seasoned warrior drop dead with those eyes," Humphery said and she pursed her lips. "Are you sure? I-"

Hupmphery crossed his arms and gave her a stern look, despite being younger than her. "If you won't take my suggestion, then I'll command you to sleep," he said and Isabel met his own gaze with her own stubborn one.

"You can't command me," said Isabel and he smirked. "Technically, I outrank you," he shot back. "I think I have more life experience than some pampered duke," she said with a scoff, making Humphery chuckle.

"If we're talking about experience, I think I know more. I can read, write, govern, debate-" he started and Isabel waved her hands in the air as she cut him off. "Alright, alright. I get it!" She cried with a laugh.

"I'll get some sleep, but promise to tell me if anything changes alright?" Isabel said and he nodded as she got up from her stool. "You don't need to worry," Humphery said as he caught her arm gently. "You've done all you could."

Isabel sighed and nodded, but she was getting tired of people telling her that. Yes, it was true that she had done all she could, but constantly reminding her got on her nerves and made her more anxious beyond reason. Humphery let go of her arm and she pushed herself out of the tent and held up a hand, the sudden white light hurting her eyes.

"The witch rises!" A voice called and Isabel rolled her eyes. "Hello, Thomas," she said as she walked over to him. "Please don't call me a witch, people will whisper and well...there could be repercussions," Isabel murmured quietly and Thomas chuckled, obviously not taking her seriously.

She couldn't blame him though. In the poorer side of any country, there was always a deeply rooted superstition and fear of magic and sorcery. Of course a highborn like him wouldn't or couldn't comprehend what the mere mention of witches could do to a man or woman, since they had their books and knowledge. At best, the accused would be shunned with their reputation either ruined or in question. At the worst, they could be executed by burning on the stake or strangulation at a crossroad. Isabel shivered at the thought.

One time, when Jacques was fifteen and Isabel was seven, there had been a massive increase in fear of witches and other kinds of forbidden magic. Their neighbor, a dainty pretty girl that Jacques had liked since he was a boy was arrested, accused of witchcraft. She had been strangled to death, her swan-like neck swallowed by a giant unforgiving hand. Isabel knew that the girl was a herbalist, but surely she couldn't have been evil because she planted rosemary and thyme, right?

Seeing the look on Isabel's face, Thomas sighed. "I didn't mean to scare you, Isabel," he said, apologizing and Isabel looked up and smiled with a shrug. "It's alright," she said and Thomas nodded, but he still had a concerned look on his face.