102 The Queen’s Orders
IN THE QUEEN'S CHAMBERS
"The Queen received a great stabbing on her left arm, right shoulder and on her right leg. Regardless, she's fine now and just resting after taking doses of pain medications", the imperial physician who was wearing a small set of specs explained to Lord Nero. The lord of the swords represented the King to inspect and take the immediate matters in his hands after the attempted assasination of the Imperial Rose of the Kingdom of Nether.
With the sudden death of the High Priestess, no one could look after the royal's health apart from the imperial doctor. Lord Nero watched how the physician stitch the last wound of the Queen. The blood didn't mind him. "Will she recuperate quickly from all of those savage wounds?", Lord Nero asked as he stare at the Queen's clean cuts with stitches that's now being covered by bandages.
"It will take time. Fortunately, her Majesty's wounds weren't that too deep, my lord", the physician said as he finish dressing the queen's wounds.
"The scars will remind her about this terrible nightmare. Make sure that you will not leave a mark, not even a damndest scar", Lord Nero made it clear to take care of the Queen's delicate skin fervently.
"I will do my best Lord Nero. As you know, I am the best doctor there is", the physician said as he clean after attending to the surgical needs of the Queen. "I will come back tomorrow to check on her Majesty", he said as he stood up and leave the room to the resting queen and her lady-in-waiting, with the Lord of the swords and a pair of palace knights on guard. Lord Nero remained standing by the foot of the bed as he watch the wounded queen sleep on the canopy bed made of the best timber carved with roses, and vines with thorns.
Nothing is much different in the queen's chambers as far as he could remember. The grand canopy bed, mantled with red and gold brocade lined with heavy black fringes, is still surrounded with silk curtains that looked like liquid gold when the wind blows. Her bed is covered with the highest quality of soft cashmere that is truly fit for a queen. In fact, the queen's bedchambers is one of the grandest rooms in the palace he have ever seen. It is partitioned in five parts - the bedroom, a personal privy, a budoir, a receiving room and a sunroom. Every piece has touch of gold, everything is handcarved with a rose. Everyday, the servants deliver the freshest roses that bloom in the Queen's garden to her chambers making her room entirely smell floral, all the time.
However, there's one thing that Lord Nero found new in the queen's chambers. Knowing the queen for several years, she has a particular sensitivity for fumes. She abhor smokes from burning candles and hearths just as much as she hate the King's cigar. Noticing the lighted red candle at the side table, he draw nearer to get rid of the thing that is an eyesore to the queen. He was about to put out the candle when the queen suddenly spoke.
"Wh-where is Sil..vius?", the queen asked with her heavy eyes.
"Queen Isavelle?", Lord Nero called. "The King is in his chancellery. You know how things are if there's an attack in the palace", he said softly. Usually, when there's danger, the King is kept in the safest room in the castle until the palace is cleared of threats.
"Of.. course", she answered weakly. Then, she tried to get up as she struggle to lift her body with m one hand.
"Please don't get up. Your wounds might bleed again", Lord Nero said as he glare at the lady-in-waiting to aid the queen. He stood by unmoved, refusing to touch Her Majesty even at her fingertips.
"Aether", the queen uttered as the lady-in-waiting placed her back to bed.
"Hmm?", Lord Nero tilted his head to the side as the queen mention a familiar name of a man.
"Aether saved my life", she said. The queen's lady-in-waiting tucked her back under the cashmere blanket.
"We shall talk about this when you get better", Lord Nero said.
"No, it has to be.. now", the Queen insisted. "Make Aether the general. He saved my life, Nero. We should… repay him", she said breathlessly. "You'd tell the king, hmm?", she asked knowing that Lord Nero is the closest friend to the King whom the supreme monarch trust to a great extent. If there's anyone whom the King consults in embracing justice, reinventing virtues for godly rule to avoid over tyranny, increasing the monetary funds of the kingdom and expanding the territory of Nether, that's always been Lord Nero.
"I will let the King know that we owe Aether the life of the queen", Lord Nero assured.
"Where.. where is Celeste?", she asked weakly as she breathe heavily.
Lord Nero looked at the lady-in-waiting as the queen search for a woman. "Anyone? No?", he shook his head.
"She sh-should be the high priestess… for protecting me with her life too.", the queen uttered. With her freshly stitched wounds aching, she flinched at every word that escaped her pale dry lips.
"Rest now, your Majesty", Lord Nero said. "Unfill you thoughts with unecessary things. We'll take over from here", he said as the queen shut her eyes slowly.
Lord Nero watched the queen return to slumber. Somehow, the queen seemed a little indifferent today. Addressing the King as Silvius, and making conditions while still in recovery, he thought that it might be the medications talking or the trauma brought about by the attack. A knight approached him just when he was about to leave.
"Lord Nero", he called. "The bodies of General Rowan and the high priestess were already sent to the mortuary.", he reported.
"Have Lord Axis returned?", Lord Nero said as he continued to step out of the grand room.
"Yes, my Lord", the knight said as he followed the lord out.
"Add more palace knights here. Lady Vesta and her crusaders will take charge of the palace's security starting tomorrow", Lord Nero said.
"Understood, my Lord", the knight answered.
"Let him know that I shall meet him in the palace chancery", Lord Nero said as he walk his way to the crime scene. He couldn't believe that the great general of all warriors died in the hands of a dark healer.
Once again, he took a good look at every angle of the palace chancery with all of its windows widely opened.There were blood everywhere. He was amazed at how the Queen survived the attack with only clean cuts and merely escaping the wrath of a dark healer.
"Nero", Lord Axis uttered that immediately called the attention of Lord Nero who's lost in his thoughts. "Bloody hell", he said as tooo a good view of the chancery.
"One servant lived to tell the story of the failed assasination of the queen. She's shaken up but she already gave a statement..", Lord Nero told Lord Axis who's already standing right behind him.
"Let me guess", Lord Axis uttered. "A dark healer came in and General Rowan protected her Majesty costing his dear life.", he made a wild guess looking at the bloody room.
"The Wiccan passed by and happened to be a casualty. All the knights on guard nearby are dead too", Lord Nero continued as if Lord Axis was right. He has been always known for making smart guesses just by being a keen observant. "The servant and the queen were spared because a farmer who delivers vegetables was wandering around the palace.. and he come across the dark healer who attacked the queen", he said.
"A farmer?", Lord Axis knitted his brows at this surprising revelation." What now? He spook away dark healers with tomatoes?", he said.
"It was the former palace paladin, Aether", Lord Nero said he face Lord Axis.
"Aether? Aether..", Lord Axis repeatedly uttered his name as he tried to recall the former palace paladin… until he remembered. "I thought he's dead", he said softly.
"Ghosts don't kill the living. He's currently in the infirmary", Lord Nero answered. "According to the servant, a dark healer got in whilst the Queen and Rowan were having a conversation. The Wiccan arrived just in time, tried to save the queen but ended up dead. And when the Queen with her dear servant were about to escape, they found the farmer by the door. He took Rowan's claymore and in her actual words… 'the large man scared the dark cloud monster away'", Lord Nero said in detail.
"And you believed that? Does that even make sense to you?", Lord Axis asked with creased forehead.
"I only delivered her statement. Nothing surprises me anymore", Lord Nero said blandly at the suspiscious Lord of the Bows.
"Also, the queen asked for a few arrangements", Lord Nero continued as he walk towards the coffee table nearby. He grazed the table top with melted red candle.
"Now that's new", Lord Axis said. Queen Isavelle, despite known for being lavishly prodigal, only make amends and certain requests through the King. "How's my sister?", he asked.
"She'll live a long life. Maybe later, you can interrogate your sister of a queen about what took place here. Her story should probably be less twisted", Lord Nero said as he picked the broken piece of teacup on the table. He sniffed the broken teacup and cringed at the stingy smell.
"And her request?", Lord Axis asked.
"She wanted Aether to be hailed as the new General, and some Wiccan named Celeste to become the next high priestess", Lord Nero said with a straight face. The then put down the broken teacup on the table.
"There's another Wiccan in the castle? Aren't Wiccans that highly equitable anymore?", Lord Axis asked.
"Actually, no one knew a Wiccan works directly for the queen. I never heard of that Celeste before.. neither the King", Lord Nero said.
"If it were so, let Alesso dig holes around. I'm sure there are so many skeletons hidden in the closet", Lord Axis said.
"I do not understand why does it seem that it should be at my dispense?", Lord Nero asked.
"Something is coming, and you know it. We have to make a move before it's too late. My sister almost died today. The great warrior of a general that we have is brutally killed in this very castle which should be protected with our apotropaic spells", Lord Axis said. "Nero, I know my brother-in-law listens to you. Ever since we were children, you two were the two peas in a pod.",he added. "So please, for the sake of the kingdom, let's take a few leaps forward", Lord Axis insisted as he harden his jaw.