Hade's Rose

Chapter 27: Hope

"For the seventh... no, eighth time, I feel absolutely fine Leon!" I huffed loudly, making my way out of the bedchamber and heading towards the library. Beta Leon hovered next to me, reminding me of my delicate health, hands clasped behind his back and following me in concern.

"My Lady, I just think it best if you were resting. What if you were to trip and fall out here?"

"On what?" I snorted, "this is frankly ridiculous. Yes – I was poisoned. Barely! The Doctor told you himself that hardly anything got digested." I carried on moving, confident that the Beta wouldn't be brave enough to put his hands on me and carry me back to my room of isolation. All I wanted was to read my book on the sofa next door; I was desperately in need of a change of scenery, otherwise I knew I'd go mad and start throwing things.

"But..."

I felt something in me snap. The timidity I'd lived my life by seemed to have disappeared recently, probably driven away by the mad antics of these infuriating Wolfmen. I stopped and waved my finger in fury at the giant before me.

"But? But, what? Beta Leon, frankly you need to get hold of yourself. This is your Wolf speaking, not your logic or sense. There is no good reason why I can't sit in a different room from the one I sat in this morning. That is all I am asking for and I am sure it is not too much to ask." I didn't shout, but I might as well have. Leon looked absurdly crushed by my admonishment and looked away with what seemed to be shame.

"Of course, Luna." Leon spoke, eyes downcast.

I suppressed the urge to apologise and carried on walking into the library, yet just as I made it across the room, my lame leg lightly tripped on the edge of the rug by the coffee table. I stumbled and fell gracelessly onto the settee with an embarrassed squeak.

"Not one word Leon." I muttered darkly, righting myself quickly.

"I didn't say anything Luna." Leon spoke, eyes gazing pointedly upwards, but I could see the tiny crease in his cheek as he fought not to smile. I just huffed in annoyance at my own clumsiness and pulled out the book from under my arm, ignoring my companion completely.

A minute passed, yet Leon still had not left. I peered over the pages and raised an eyebrow, "Is there something you need to tell me Leon?" The Wolfman looked nervous again, but not by me. His face was furrowed with worry, but he was looking out of one of the tall, frosted glass windows that was letting in light from the midday sun.

Clearing his throat, he turned to me and spoke solemnly: "The King has been informed of the recent attempt on your life."

I didn't say anything. The morning had been a bizarre one, with Leon, Daniel and a Doctor hovering over me when I awoke. My dreams had been strange and vivid, of me as a Wolf running through forests and towns as if frenzied. My heart pumping too fast, I awoke sweaty and alarmed with three large faces peering down at me with equal looks of alarm. I had of course screamed and clutched the bed clothes to me in fright. It took some time before I calmed down, especially as they went on to explain I'd been mildly exposed to a poison called Curyn. A drug that when taken in a large enough dose caused almost immediate organ failure.

Turns out that when Leon had arrived the evening before to check in with me, he'd seen the tray of chocolates on the table but thought little of it. Until he heard me snoring next door, that apparently was the first red flag as I supposedly never snore. It was disturbing to know that he could hear me sleep from another room and knew what I 'should' sound like, but I let that slide at the time.

This then triggered him to look closer at the chocolates, which smelled faintly toxic to his enhanced senses. Medics had been called and the guards alerted. Rapidly, it was discovered that the note which came with the gift was not Cleo's handwriting at all, nor did she know anything about it when questioned late last night. Poor Cleo... I must check she' s alright, as I doubt they would have asked her about it gently.