Of Winds And Quakes

46. The Vial

6. The Vial

Year of the Roses
Floral Season
Lysia's bedroom
Altsas

Lysia

ALYSIA BUSTLES INTO MY ROOM with a frantic look on her face. Her sandals slapping noisily on the floor and the skirt of the dress flouncing.

"Lysia! Lysia!"

She runs to my bed. "Lysia you have to come now, Rosa asked me to call you. It's your father and Lud-"

"Lud?!" I jolt upright and push back the blankets. "What's going on, Alysia?"

"I can't tell you, you have to come and see. Rosa has made a shocking discovery!" And she grabs me by the wrist and takes me out of my room. I don't mind that I'm running barefooted down the corridors of the house in nothing but a silk nightgown, if the guards notice it then they don't show it. They stand as still as statues as usual.

Alysia stops in front of the hallway to the Royal bedroom. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other with a worried expression.

"What is wrong?" Why would she pull me out of my room just to stand in the hallway.

"I-I can't go to your parents room," her voice quavers a bit, "but you go. Rosa said it was important."

I roll my eyes, a bit impatient. "Seriously? You must come with me." She opens her mouth to protest but I shush her, "you are part of this family, Alysia. My parents won't mind."
Our feet slap the floor announcing our arrival as I drag her into my Dad's bedroom.

We burst into the room pushing the velvet curtains aside. The fragrance of myrrh hits my nostrils hard.

My eyes rests on the form lying limply on the bed. I don't mind the people gathering the bed, all that is on my mind is my father.

"Father!" The piercing cry is mine. I push the maids aside and sink to my knees at his bedside. My mother sits next to him with dried streaks of tears on her cheeks, her eyes are redden and swollen from crying.

He grunts and turns his lifeless eyes to me. His lips quaver and his shaky hands find him.

"Father! What's wrong? Who did this to you?" I sob burying my face in his chest. He manages a grunt again. His body is burning with a fever and his skin is pale and clammy with sweat. I sensed something was wrong but not like this.

"Lysia." It's my mother's voice. I don't raise my head or answer her. I grab on to my father even tighter than before.

"Lysia."  It's Rosa's voice. She lays a comforting hand on my shoulder, "your father will be fine."

"How can you say that when he can't even utter a word?" I shrug her hand off my shoulder, turning to face her I see how hurt she is. But right now, I don't care. The only thing that is on my mind is my father.

Heavy thuds of boots march in and I'm forced to see how is coming. Kyan and Rakar looking like messengers of death, walk in with grim expressions. They roughly drag someone in-between them. Lud. My eyes narrow in a glare as the whole situation dawns on me.

I cross to them in no time and I lose control of myself. My hand flies from the side of my body and connects with his jaw. The impact makes him stunned, he stares at me like he is seeing me for the first time.

"Lysia." Kyan shakes his head disapprovingly, "you shouldn't have."

"Don't tell me what I can or cannot do, Kyan!" I spit out. Alysia rushes to my side with big tears welling up her eyes but I shrug her off.

"This man tried to hurt my father and I shouldn't slap him? Slapping him is the least thing I have in store for him!"

Rakar smirks, "she is right, Kyan."