Chapter 10– The moon cresent

Arabella's POV

Chapter Soundtrack: Bad Blood by Taylor Swift.

That night, I headed for the dungeon where Bloyd was locked in and by the time I got there, I met her lying, curled up on the ground and shivering. My heart skipped at the sight and fear gripped me.

I ran towards her and fell my knees to the ground beside her.

"Bloyd. Hey." I reached for her neck and felt her temperature with the back of my hand. Her body was burning hot like flames of fire and her eyes were half closed. I panicked.

"The gods! You're burning up." I shook her lightly. "Bloyd. Can you hear me?"

"What do you want?" She asked me in a voice, weakened and barely audible. I felt a little relieved that she could at least answer me. I wondered what would have happened to her if I hadn't come in on time.

"My brother asked me to release you. Come with me. You need urgent medical attention. I think you're sick." I raised her hand and draped it over my shoulder before gently helping her up.

"What are you doing?" She whispered again.

"Saving your ass. Duh." I replied to her rhetorical question and attempted to move a few feet with her but tired out almost immediately as I tried to.

"Why are you so heavy?"

She managed a chuckle in her half conscious state. "You're weak."

I rolled my eyes at her remark and called on to the guards.

"Hey! I need help here! Quick!"

Two guards hurried into the dungeon to meet with us.

"She's sick. Help me get her into the guest chamber. Hurry." I ordered and they immediately carried out my instructions. I led the way out of the dark, stale dungeon, all the way through the vast hallway and through the plight of stairs that led to the guest chamber.

We crossed paths with Sterling when we were just a few doors from the guest chamber. He had a frown on his face and he looked confused with the scene in front of him.

"Sorry, can't talk much." I cut in as soon as he opened his mouth to speak. "You used to be a physician, Sterling. We need your help."

"Why? What's wrong? What happened to her?" He hurled me with questions as he followed us to the guest chamber. The guards helped Bloyd lie on the bed before leaving the room again. She was breathing heavily now and her forehead had beads of sweat. Her eyes were barely open.

"I think she's sick." I informed Sterling and he walked over to her, placing his palms over her forehead to feel her temperature. He gave me a concerned look.

"She has a high fever. When did it start?"

"I have no idea. Got to her this evening, only to see her in this state. Is she going to be okay?"

"Perhaps." He answered. "If we attend to her on time. Thank the gods you found her before the fever escalated."

He turned his head to me again.

"Get me a washcloth soaked in a small basin of cool water, mixed with lavender oil. And tell the servants to have a pot of chicken bone broth waiting on standby."

"Noted." I replied and hurried out of the room to carry out his instructions. A couple of minutes, I was back with a washcloth soaked in a small basin of lavender water.

"I'm back. Did I take much time?"

"No, you're just on time." He received the basin from me and placed it on the table close to the bed. He proceeded to unbutton a few buttons of Bloyd's shirt but stopped halfway as if frozen by something he had seen. He looked in a daze.

"Sterling, is everything okay?" I asked him, lost.

My voice seemed to pull him back into reality and he nodded his head at me, a small smile pasted on his lips.

"Uh, sure. Sure. Everything is fine." He squeezed the washcloth semi dry and placed it gently on Bloyd's forehead. He did so for a few minutes and dropped the washcloth again.

"We have to change her dress into something cleaner." He informed me and I nodded.

"Sure. I'll do it."

"No. I'll do it." His reply surprised me and I looked at him as if I had not heard his words correctly. He was going to undress and dress up Bloyd by himself?

"What? Why?"

"Arabella." He raised his eyes to look at me, a small reassuring smile on his face. "I was a physician for almost ten years before I was appointed as Alcot's beta. This is not my first, nor hundredth time, undressing a patient. You have to trust me, Arabella."

"Alright." I sighed and gave Bloyd one last look before leaving the room.

.....

Bloyd's POV

I was awakened by the rudeness of the bright morning sunlight that hit against my eyes. I squinted my eyes for a few seconds to adjust with the brightness before reopening my eyes again. Beside the bed where I was lying, Arabella was seated on a chair, her attention completely absorbed in the classical novel she was reading.

I frowned and glanced around the room. It looked more like one of the rooms in the castle rather than the dungeon where I was locked up for days. What was I doing here?

Arabella finally raised her head to look at my direction and gasped in relief. "Bloyd. You're awake."

She returned the novel to the table beside her and hurried to me. She reached for my forehead to feel my temperature and I pushed her hand away as she touched me. What the hell was her problem?

"Your fever has reduced tremendously. Thank goodness."

I frowned at her. "Fever?"

"Yes. I was ordered by my brother to release you and keep an eye on you but by the time I arrived, you were down with a terrible fever and almost passed out. Sterling helped treat you."

My frown only deepened by her explanation.

"Who is Sterling?"

"Sterling is Alcot's beta. He used to be a physician too. He assisted in reducing your fever and changed you into newer clothes.

My eyes widened as she spoke and I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me. They had a guy dress me up? Were they insane?

"Are you kidding me? Why didn't you try to stop him?"

"No, I'm not." Arabella said with a shrug. "He insisted. So, I had to let him."

I kept my eyes widened as I stared at her, completely frozen by her explanation. This had to be some sort of joke.

My thoughts flew into something else and on instinct, my hand gently felt for the spot close to my underarm. My moon crescent birthmark.

The mark of the chosen one who would end the Tariums reign.

Did the beta see it? Did Arabella or anyone else see him? If they did, then I would have to kill them sooner than I thought.

I gulped, trying my best to keep my spiraling emotions in place. I would not be hasty to jump into conclusions. I would make my confirmation first. And that would be now.

My hand cautiously reached for a small knife close to the table beside me and I discreetly snuck it under my sheets, gripping the handle tightly for when I would need to dive it into her thoughts.

"Can I ask you a question, Arabella?" I gulped dry lumps down my throat and asked.

"Sure." She answered, waiting expectantly for my question.

"Did you manage to see anything out of the blues? Anything…on my body?"

She paused for a few seconds before a sly grin broke over her lips. Her eyes stared at me hungrily.

"You bet, I did. I know of your secret now, Bloyd. You don't have to hide it anymore."

I gulped again and held onto the handle of the knife even tighter.

So, she knew of my secret now. Well, too bad. I was going to end and bury her with that secret.

Goodbye, my sweet lovely princess.