Sick

King Gaius p.o.v

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy!" Isla screeched as she ran down the hallway toward me.

I turned around just in time to catch her in my arms.

"What's the matter, sweetie?" I asked as I grasped my six-year-old in my arms.

Her emerald dress wrapped around her awkwardly, but she didn't seem to mind.

I reached up to push the flyaway strands of her fiery red hair away from her face.

No matter how tightly Greta braided her hair, there were always wisps that escaped.

"My back hurts again," she said, tucking her face into my shoulder.

This worried me.

She'd been getting back pains, right along her spine, for the past few months and the countless doctors we had called couldn't figure out what was wrong.

Everything else about her was perfect; she was completely healthy. And she could run quite quickly and play enthusiastically despite the pain, so the doctors were even more perplexed by this.

"I'm sorry, Isla" I kissed her head.

"Have you been taking your medicine from Greta?"

Greta was once a healer back in her village, before she was hired to take care of the baby princess.

She used herbal remedies on the princess, which had always worked.

Isla nodded her head, but cuddled closer to me.

She radiated heat, as she always had, but she felt warmer somehow.

"Honey, do you feel hot?" I inquired.

"A little," she admitted, pressing the back of her hand against her forehead as she had seen Hilda and Greta do when she was sick.

This worried me.

She had never felt sick before when her back was hurting.

I would have to get Greta to up the dosage of her medicines.

"Come with me; I'm already running late ." I continued to carry her as I headed toward the throne room.

It was time for the monthly open house where my subjects could come to the castle and voice their complaints, suggestions, ask questions, or ask me to settle disputes.

It was tiring and not often helpful, but it kept my relationship with my people a sound one.

I should be taking my time figuring out what was wrong with my daughter.

She'd been perfectly fine until she turned six years old.

That was when she began getting the pains and growing warmer each day.

The guards bowed their heads to me when I approached the throne room doors.

I set Isla back on her feet and smoothed her dress as she rubbed her eyes.

"Remember that you're the princess, darling, you have to walk yourself into the throne room."

"Yes, Daddy," she nodded, but grabbed my hand.

Her grip was shocking, and I squeezed her hand right back.

Hilda would already be in her throne, awaiting my arrival.

Hopefully Greta would be there as well.

It wasn't often that she let Isla out of her sight, which caused me to believe that Isla had escaped her caretaker's attention.

The guards pushed open the mighty doors to the throne room and everyone turned toward them expectantly.

It was a full house, as usual this time of the month, and I nodded my head to my people, who had risen in respect when I entered.

Hilda narrowed her eyes at me for being late, but smiled at Isla.

"Hello, darling," she whispered to Isla as our daughter walked by her to stand between us.

Greta stood to Hilda right, glaring at Isla.

My suspicion that Isla had slipped away was confirmed by that one look.

I smiled at my subjects as I sat, which caused them to sit as well. And then hell began.

Isla had a difficult time standing still, so it only took about fifteen minutes before Greta escorted her quietly out of the room.

I sighed in longing.

I was bored out of my mind.

I had always thought of my subjects as intelligent, rational beings. At least before I started these monthly meetings.

It was then that I realized there was no limit to the idiocy of people.

I had far more important things to be worrying about, but here I was deciding whether or not a sheep that wandered into another farmer's field automatically became the property of the second farmer.

It was tedious and unrewarding.

I love my subjects and my kingdom, but they were a piece of work.

Finally, when a person who had something to complain about didn't immediately rise, I rose and clapped my hands together.

"I do believe everyone has had their turn in speaking with me," I didn't wait for anyone to object to this statement,

"so this is where I bid you farewell. There will be food and drink brought out for you and those who have traveled will be escorted to the inn down in the village to sleep for the night, free of charge. I am grateful for all of the input. Thank you." I bowed to them and offered my hand to my wife, who took it and curtsied to their subjects.

She followed me from the room and as soon as the doors were closed she collapsed against me.

"I love of our people, but they do not understand the workings of a kingdom," she sighed into my chest.

I chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"I know, darling. I'm glad that you agree."

"Why was Isla with you? Is she why you were late?" Hilda's brow creased in the adorable way that it did when she was upset or worried about something.

I reached up with my thumb to gently smooth it out.

"Her back was hurting again, and she felt hot," I explained.

"I don't know how she got away from Greta, but I want to go talk to her about upping the dosage of whatever she's been giving her to keep the pain away."

"Greta is worried about her," Hilda revealed, hooking her arm through me and we began to walk slowly down the hall.

"She says that the pain has been coming more frequently between doses of the tea with the medicine. And Isla has been complaining about it more assertively, not ignoring it like she did before."

"We'll find another doctor to come take a look. There has to be something that the others have missed," I sighed, rubbing my face.

I knocked my crown off kilter and Hilda reached up to straighten it gently.

"She'll be okay, Gaius . She has to be. I don't know what we would do if she wasn't. And there is no way that fate would take another child from us. We've done nothing to deserve such a cruel punishment."

I tucked Hilda's auburn hair behind her ear and looked deep into her hazel eyes.

I have always been able to find comfort in their gentle midst. Even when we were young, having just met, I immediately found something there that drew me in.

"No, we haven't, especially not you."

She blushed sweetly and looked away from me shyly.

"Anyway, let's go find Greta and Isla. We can talk to Greta about what to do. Maybe her grandmother could help us. She's the best healer in her village."

"But she's not a doctor."

"Sometimes the old fashioned ways are best."

Tbc