The Palace Maid { Slow Updates}

The return

"She is coming out of the fever, she will be better soon your highness." The physician said before exiting the chamber. For seven days prince Darius was beside Joanna, he refused to leave her side. Night and day he watched and listened to her continuously calling out for her mother and sometimes crying in her sleep. Darius hated himself for commanding she went with him on his journey. The poor girl was almost on the verge of dying because he couldn't keep his feelings under control. Sometimes he wondered if it was guilt that was driving him insane or the fact that he had developed a liking for Joanna and he yearned to know her better and even make her his.

Darius had postponed his journey when Joanna went missing. The prince and his men searched all over the forest for her until Darius finally found her lying under a tree with a swollen arm and an injured leg. He carried her delicate body in his arms and quickly rode to the palace without uttering a single word. It was soon said that Joanna was bitten by a scorpion, the physician did all that he could to stop the poison from spreading further and when he had finally succeded, Joanna cought a fever that threatened to take her life. Joanna would sometimes sweat and shake uncontrollably and sometimes have episodes of hallucination. No one knew the cause of the fever but people knew it was a disease with no mercy.

As always, Darius was besides Joanna, watching her and praying that the gods would let her live. Joanna's skin had lost it's usual glow and she had grown skinnier but as Darius observed her, he realised she was the most beautiful humanbeing he had had the priviledge to see. He was lost in his thoughts when the queen strolled inside his chambers. She elegantly walked and stood besides his son and observed him.
"You love her,"the queen finally spoke. It was more of a statement than a question. Coming out of his thoughts, Darius recognized his mother's presence."Mother, I didn't hear you come in, am sorry,what were you saying?
"You love her," she said as she walked towards the window.
"I dont even know her name, how can I love her?" He replied.
The queen looked at her son and slightly smiled, "sometimes you don't have to know a person's name to know whether you like or hate them,sometimes you just have to see their face and know your feelings towards them." The queen stated.

"You should get some rest, the kingdom still needs a king." The queen said as she walked towards the door.
"How is father?"Darius asked.
"We should spend his remaining days with us wisely,"the queen replied and exited the room.

Darius was not out looking for a healer for the king but he had sent his trusted men to continue with the search but despite their efforts,the result was always the same.They had searched in every existing kingdom for a healer but no one knew who possessed magic and if they did,they were afraid to say. The queen had given up hope on finding a healer and Darius was also tempted to do so.