Amelia Merlin and the Game for Okamila

Part 88: Plan A

Al walked the corridors of Castle Ortus, pacing outside of Jeremy's door and waiting for the healers to come out.  Days ago, Jeremy had collapsed on the ground. He'd been looking awful for years and everyone knew how sick he was but this was the first time he hadn't been able to keep going. Al's hands picked at minuscule pieces of dust on his robes and smoothed already perfect hair. His green eyes darted around constantly, counting every stone on the walls and memorizing paintings. Finally the healers walked out with their heads bowed. One of them approached Al and began to speak to him. 

"My lord-"

"I'm not a lord." Al snapped at him. His arms folded across his chest and his eyes had stopped darting, they focused entirely on the woman in front of him.

"Alakai," she began again. "Your friend is very sick."

"I know. But he's been sick for years now. I don't understand what's different."

"His body cannot handle it anymore. The damage this illness has caused him, it's too much. He won't survive for much longer." Her white headdress was wrapped tightly around her ebony face. The woman's black eyes were soft and warm but Al didn't want to look at them. Her gentle presence twisted his stomach into knots.

"Magic can save him." he said fervently.

"I'm afraid it cannot."

"What the fuck would you know about magic? You're a healer, not a witch." She pursed her lips but didn't respond to his taunt. Al wished she would, gods did he want to have a go at her. To just be able to really scream at someone would be so fucking nice.

"I'm sorry. But magic has never been his friend and there is nothing that can save him now. He has only weeks left to live." She touched his arm in a gesture of comfort but Al flinched away. He dismissed her with a wave of his hand and didn't watch her as she walked down the corridor. He looked out the window at the lake surrounding the castle and suddenly hated everything about this place. Usually Re'na was always such a beautiful city, where the gods were strongest and the people were kindest, but in the moment Al hated it. He silently cursed everything around him, then he rolled his shoulders back and walked into the room.

Jeremy Merlin was lying down on a bed covered in white furs, his hair was brushed out of his gaunt and greying face. His eyes were a dustier blue than before and purple bags of exhaustion hung under his eyes. His arms were bones with yellow leather stretched thinly across them, like a skeleton disguising itself as a person. Al's friend sort of smiled at him as he walked in the room.

"Hey," he managed.

"You don't have to talk," Al said stonily. "Your throat must be killing you after all the shit the healers tried to feed you. I'd keep silent if I were you."

He sat down on the bed and stood up again. He walked to the window and turned again abruptly on his heel, opened his mouth and closed it again. Al could see Jeremy smirking at him slightly. Even on his death bed the boy was still cool and cheeky as ever.

"I'd offer you a cigarette but I'd be surprised if your lungs thanked you for that. I know you say they're good for you but I don't believe you anymore. I think you're full of shit. They probably just make you high all the time and that's why you like them." Jeremy raised his eyebrows and Al resisted the urge to hit him. "Fine, maybe they are good for you but if you want on you have to get it yourself and since you can't get out of bed- Jesus Jeremy, lie down. What the hell are you doing? Are you trying to kill yourself? Fucking hell, that's better. Now don't move!" Al glared and slouched back in an armchair across from the bed. Jeremy looked annoyingly smug as he kept his mouth shut.

"They say you're going to die Jeremy." He said bluntly. "And I'm sorry but I think they're so full of shit. There's no way you're going to die - no listen. With a sister like yours, and me, well between the two of us I don't believe there's anything we can't bloody achieve. She saved your life once, didn't she?" Jeremy nodded but the smugness had vanished.

"Al-"

"No, you're not supposed to say anything. Shut your damn mouth."

"Al!" Jeremy growled, his voice ragged and raw. "Let me talk." He looked sullenly at his sick friend and kept quiet. "I came to terms with dying a really long time ago. I also did a lot of things I regret to save my life. Don't do anything-anything that goes too far."

"And what exactly counts as too far?" Al replied sarcastically.

"You know what I mean."

"Fine."

"Promise?" Jeremy's voice croaked.

"Yes, yes I promise, okay?" he sighed heavily and adjusted his immaculate hair. Jeremy nodded in satisfaction and leaned back in his bed, resting his head gently on his pile of pillows. Al started smoothing out his plain black robes while he thought. "But with Kenrick out of the picture, Amelia is going to be back in Kalishterya for the summer indefinitely. I think the time to take the city is getting close. We have all the families now, except the Lattantio's but we don't need them anyways. If she's back, she won't have a problem with saving you-" he stopped talking after the look on Jeremy's face. "Can I get you anything?" Al asked after a pause. Jeremy shook his head with a small smile on his face.

So they sat in the room in silence. Every couple of minutes, Al would ask again if he could get anything for Jeremy, then he would fluff the pillows or smooth the blankets out. At one point he started fixing Jeremy's hair but after several curse words, he refrained. When the young Merlin man finally fell asleep, Al went to his desk and pulled out a quill and ink pot.

Your grace,

Jeremy's sick and he needs your help even though he's refusing to ask. He's going to die and we didn't want to tell you because we needed you to focus on the war but it's gone too far and we need you, he needs you. Come home soon, please.

-Alakai

The note was tied to the leg of a small brown owl which flew out the window and over the lake surrounding Castle Ortus. Al watched it leave and then moved on to Plan B.

A/N Don't forget to comment and vote! I really appreciate all the support from you guys! Much love to anyone still reading!