PART SIX: (Cont'd)
Uneasy lies the crowned head:
King Nerlak paced the floor length of his throne's cyclical platform, as every appointed authority in his kingdom looked on. From the magistrates to the housekeeper, everyone waited for what would be the order of the kingdom from then on. Without a doubt, everything as they knew it had changed for the disconcerting. There was a dangerous person loose in their midst, as reports of the attack on the queen's personal maid disseminated rapidly. As he marched back and forth from one end of his throne to the other, he noticed for the first time how limited the diameter was. For once he wished he was not flanked by so many, eagerly waiting on him to think for himself and for them. So many expecting answers when he had no idea what the question had been or should be.
This situation he knew would have no quick answers. To think that there was a murderer in his kingdom. Had he been the intended target? A hit on his wife the queen's personal maid, was a hit one step away from her. A hit a step away from the queen was just as close to him. Was this how they intended to take the kingdom from him? By carefully and steadily eroding his inner circle? Who wanted Debeh dead and why? She was their most trusted servant, even though she was not a native of their province. Her sincerity, hardwork, honesty and devotion had walked her right into their hearts. She had been there when Amil the prince was born and he saw her as a second mother. Debeh's death would rip at their hearts. Besides, providing the queen with an excitement of this magnitude again would endanger her life and that of their unborn child.
Finally, he walked over to his oval delibration table and sat down. Immediately, twelve men followed suit and took their repective seats. They were the ruling body under the king, and they consisted of eight magistrates and four counsels. "Well gentlemen," King Nerlak began. "It appears we have trouble on our hands and a lot of investigative work to do....." All twelve men nodded their consent in unison and looked around at each other. At least almost all, as one of them almost choked on the lump in his throat.
Who 'donnit'?
The room's swarming activity was nearly at a frequency fit for the queen, considering it was just a servant laying there comatose. This was not just any servant though, this was Debeh the queen's beloved personal maid. The king knew what the devasting news of Debeh's death (should it come to that), would do to his wife at this vulnerable time in her health. So he summoned and demanded every hand on deck to see what could be done for the dear servant. The woman had sustained a fractured skull due to the blunt force trauma that she was dealt. The impact of an uncensored fall, seemed to have compounded the original hit.
An unspoken hunt was now dispersed in the whole province to find out who was responsible for the vicious and hateful attack on Debeh and why. Speculations were running rampant as to the who, what, why and where. Every servant in the palace suddenly felt the need and pressure to report the slightest anomaly whatsoever. Everything from a slightly bent broomstick to a miss-placed wash basin, was suspect. Only one person in the province was in a perfectly blissful state of ignorance as to what had befallen Debeh. The queen had been told when she wondered why she had not seen her maid for about twenty hours, that Debeh had to make a quick trip to her hometown to visit a dying relative. She was just glad that her personal maid could take that trip and only hoped that whatever the outcome, Debeh could be strong for herself and her family.
Prince Amil was very sad and worried for Reinah and his mother. He longed to spend some time with Reinah, but found it was near impossible with his father's tightened security measure. He was now inseperable from his father as the older royal had ordered. The king's logic was that whomever was capable of such a brutish attack on a kind, harmless and conscientious worker, was really after the throne. And they would have to take it over his dead body, which would then leave his son without his rightful inheritance. Therefore his dead body was not an option. The magnitude of this invasion was beginning to make his blood boil. Further more, it irked and disturbed him that the culprit/s was/were getting closer to his personal space.
Musings of a Medic:
The senior healer felt perplexed at the recent unprecedented wave of excitable events taking place in the palace. He had visited a couple of times when the late king was reigning and he the healer was a medical apprentice. Other than the late king's abrupt and near mysterious illness, nothing had really shaken the kingdom for a while. He secretly wondered if it might have any thing to do with the current king's eccentric and engaging nature. Odd as it seemed, his people loved him and his queen. Even with the dramatical spectacles they frequently churned out. As he looked down at the woman laying comatose, his heart sank. The possibilities of her coming through looked bleak. Even if she were fighting for her life, he did not think her chances of making it were significant. But for some uncanny reason, he felt she was not fighting. She looked rested, despite the savage-like and atrocious trauma she suffered. She looked like she was waiting for something or someone maybe...... Before she eventually slipped away.
Nevertheless, he had work to do, to try to heal her. And he would stick to his profession by all means. He had come this time with his recently returned son Bronid. The severity of the incident and the king's emergency summons required every help possible. Bronid however had been quite aloof and evasive since his return. And their usual father/son banter was as good as gone. The senior healer was not one to stir up trouble or fuss over less serious issues, but he longed for his real son back. Moreover, it was unbecoming for a physician to be physically present but mentally and emotionally detached. Maybe he needed more time to get over whatever might have happened to him (which they knew nothing about), maybe nothing had happened that he needed to get over. Either way, it was good to have him safe and somewhat sound.
Do you see what I see:
Reinah gently brushed back the hair on her mother's forehead with shaky fingers. She then watched as her mother's fingers twitched slightly. That must have been comfortable, thought the girl who was glad to be of any use. "Do you want me to tell them mother? It might help protect the king and Amil if they are in danger." No reaction. "Is it time for me to leave the palace? The girl's brow was now furrowed in deep concentration." A twitch. "Okay then mother, I will set out right at the break of dawn. Do you think I should....."
The door to the room creaked open in Reinah's mid-sentence, as the distraught girl looked up. No one was expected at this time. The healer had already paid his visit for the day and so had the king and prince Amil. "Oh there you are announced the healer cheerily, I have not seen you for a while. How are you doing dear one?" The very concerned tone on the healers voice was unmistakable. Reinah had stayed away, while there were people visiting with her comatose mother. Since most were not really certain of their relationship, she did not want to detract from any care or attention her mother might receive by people sympathizing with her instead.
"I had forgotten to hand over these herbs to the overnight nurse." Continued the chief healer as he stepped forward and attempted to hand over a wrapped piece of cloth to Reinah with a kind smile. Reinah was not looking at him, neither did she hear a word he had said. And she was definitely not reaching to receive the wrapped cloth fom his hands. She was staring at the hideous beast standing right behind the older man. The half snake, half man caused the hair on her arm to stand up as chills crawled up her tender spine and a scream got caught in her throat. And just as well, the bed where her mother lay began to rock slightly. When the senior healer saw that the girl was distracted by something behind him, he turned back and then with a very broad and proud smile, announced to Reinah; "Oh please allow me to introduce my son Bronid...."
Comatose Debeh grabbed her daughter's hand howbeit weakly and began to convulse voilently.
Treasure in a haystack:
The two hunters looked at each other with victorious grins on both faces, then ran ahead towards their fallen prey. One of their shots had surely felled the game for the day and they were happy. After hours of vigilance in a scantily populated woodland, their patience paid off. Approaching about two feet away, they could see the animal they had just hunted down laying still as expected. With added vigour, they cut through blades of grasses, shrubs and sharp falling branches to claim their prize. Suddenly, the one ahead tripped and fell over a low dried grass heap. As his partner reached to pull him up, he noticed something protruding out of the heap. As they both tentatively poked at it, they realized it was a man's hand.
With great trepidation and thumping hearts, they began to dig and clear the dead leaves from the pile. As their efforts revealed the form of a man, they hastened their clearing pace. A man lay under the rubble, covered with a magnificent but rusty robe. A closer look revealed that he was breathing! He appeared to have been sleeping..... For a very long time. As the two hunters tried to lift his head, they noticed a brilliantly shinning object on his right hand. They lifted the hand up as the the object simultaneously kissed the rays of the sun and emited a powerful radiance that glowed in their faces.
The two hunters stared at each other in shock, momentarily or permanently forgetting their original target. The object they were staring at on the sleeping man's hand was a royal signet.
Let sleeping lions lie:
The monitor looked closely at the beam flashing at the corner of the mirror and beckoned to Xitus who was sharpening his sword over at the corner. "Come and see this, will you?" He almost yelled as he tried to shield his face. Xitus dropped what he was doing and hurried to the mirror. As he got closer, the beam cast colorful rays across the room. Then he stopped and gasped, as he recognized what was happening. "Go get Heinus right away!" He shouted as he dismissed the first monitor.
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