Hail

Fifteen

The darkness starts to recede. My entire body is filled with a dull ache that seeps into my bones and my head still feels as if it is filled with bricks. I open my eyes and cannot stop the squint that happens as the sunlight fills my vision. Everything is so bright and slightly fuzzy. I rapidly blink, trying to adjust and focus my eyes. I am no longer outside among the trees. I am in the castle. I am in my room, lying on my bed. I do not know how I got here. There is a fear that descends as I recognize the holes in my memory and I want them filled in. My mind drifts to Broderick. I need to know what happened to him, he was fighting those men; he was trying to save us. I am filled with fear at the possibility of his death.

Another face fills my mind. Jakob. He was there. It doesn't make sense when I think of it. Why was he there? I do not think I imagined him. I remember his voice, it sounded so different than I had ever heard it before. It sounded strained and worried and sad.

"Good. You are awake." I turn my head slowly to the voice and find the castle physician, Horace, standing at my bedside. His black cloak is a welcome break from the brightness. There must be someone else in the room as he tells them to alert my father that I have woken. I can hear the retreating footsteps and the sound of the door as it closes. He turns his serious and lined face back to me. He starts to speak and I work to make my mind focus and understand what he is saying. The lure of sleep is still quite strong. "I have cleaned the wound on your forehead, head wounds bleed easily so it was not a dire as it initially appeared. I wrapped your ankle as I could see it was quite swollen, but it does not appear to be broken so some rest and it will heal. The ladies informed me that it appeared to pain you when they removed your corset. I have given you medicine to help with some of the pain. There is no obvious injury and your breathing is fine so at worst I believe you have a deep bruise on your side. One of the men said that you were tossed into a tree, but thankfully none of your ribs are broken. Are there any other injuries, ones that perhaps I could not see?" He turns his expectant face toward me.

I listen to his words and try to make sense of them. I want to tell him to slow down, that he is speaking too fast and a bit too loud. I hear the door open and father appears by my side. There is something strange in his look. His appearance is impeccable, as always, but he appears pale and his eyes show concern rather than determination and power. "How are you feeling?"

I want to ease his worry, but I do not want to lie. "I am covered in a dull ache, but the physician seems confident that I will recover."

Father looks to the man in black that still stands by the bed waiting to be dismissed for verification of my words. Horace speaks. "She will be fine, your majesty. Some rest and all will be well."

I can see some of the tension leave his shoulders at the doctor's word. Silence follows and I wait for the doctor to leave the room. He has worked within the castle walls long enough to know the signs that one is being dismissed without having to hear the words. "I will come to check on you in the morning. Send for me if the pain intensifies."

"I will."

The man bows and leaves and I wait. Father still stands at the foot of my bed and I know that there is more to be said. I wish to tell him to return later as I wish to sleep, but I do not. "Tell me what happened."

I move to sit up a bit and take a breath determined not to wince at the slight pain that flares through my side as I do so. I know many girls that would cry when asked about such an event, but I do not. My eyes are dry and my voice is calm. Princesses do not give violent men the dignity of their tears. "I invited Broderick to go for a ride with me after breakfast. We stayed along the king's road and then stopped at the meadow near the apple trees." I decide to leave out our race, knowing how father feels about my fast riding habits as well as he detail of our kiss, neither are facts that are necessary to repeat. "We were in the meadow when we heard the scream." I have to resist the shiver that runs down my back as I can still hear the echo of that scream. "It was coming from the trees to the west of us. We both hesitated, but the scream continued and it was obvious that someone was in dire need of help. We could not leave whoever it was without trying to help. Broderick went first, and asked me to stay behind for fear of my safety." I can see an appreciation in his eyes at the mention of Broderick's worry for my safety. "There were three men in the woods. All dirty and appearing haggard. One of them was holding a woman captive with a knife to her throat. She was the one that was screaming. I think they must have believed no one would be around to hear so they did not worry about the noise she was making. The woman was well dressed, though they had obviously been rough with her. The other two men were crowded around a man who was already on the ground and I think dead when we arrived. He was surrounded by blood and badly wounded. His clothing was torn and I did not see his face, so I was unable to try to recognize him. We were still in the shadows when they noticed us. They were surprised to see us and the woman had a chance to run away. Broderick fought two of them. The third had seemed to vanish until he came up behind me."