ACT 7 - THE ILLNESS

1017:

Sara was 796 years old, but... even at an age that young, she was a real contender for the throne.., in that day, drake and Sara were doing their daily intense training routine...

Drake kept walking with his daughter and said with a serious smile "remember Sara, 2 hours of running, full speed (Sara looks at him with a disgusted face)..., don't look at me like that... you'll need it one day and I know better..., and stop doing that face everytime I tell you that... jeez...., okay, after that we have 2 hours of dumbbell training, yes we'll do it..., 2 hours of gymnastics, then we take a rest..., then we do a fighting session..., and that my dear is the recipe for a successful king, any questions?", Sara answers "yes, yes... but wait.... how about studying and reading books?".

Drake: hmmmm, I don't know..., I used to read, but It doesn't have any effect on my physical form, nor on my stamina, nor my strength... I wonder why?

Sara: (with a smug face) hehe, oh... oh I know..., you know.... mama told me that it doesn't work if you're stupid.... I wonder why books doesn't work on you-.... Ummm papa.... Why are you looking at me like that....?

Drake: you're so smart because you read books, right....? but... will books help you from me?

Sara looked at his face with a sweaty terrified expression..., because even though drake was smiling, but through that smile, she could feel his heat and anger, so she just looked at him and started running away.

Drake started chasing his daughter around, she was fast and agile, and through his anger, he smiled. He was happy to see her in a good health, running around and hiding, Sara started leading him to a place that had a hanging bridge and a huge deep pit with small platforms wide enough for one foot to sit on.

It's a place to train balance and agility, and to make it even harder, the bottom of the pit was filled with spikes...., drake smiled and said "hmmm, the hanging bridge is a good choice for loosing opponents..., I see you've been studying a lot?!!", Sara started jumping around the small platforms in a glorious show of agility, while drake... just couldn't match her speed...

He kept watching his daughter's majestic movements in complete enjoyment, Sara looked at him while smiling mid-air "come on old man!! we're just getting started!", drake smiled and said "well this old man is not as fast as he used to be...", as he accepted defeat and sat on one of the platforms watching his daughter in complete amazement...

He put a wide proud smile while saying "you've really grown up so fast..., Sara-... umm... Sara-...?", Drake put a sceptic face while watching his daughter and suddenly he got shocked with Sara losing her balance and tripping over...

Drake stood up angrily up and yelled "oi! Sara stop playing around!!", but he kept watching her falling and not moving at all, she was like a dead log falling from a high cliff...

He knew that there was something bad happening... so he jumps after her...., while in air drake used the impact from his fists to drive him down faster, the shockwaves form his powerful punches helped him to reach Sara just before hitting the bottom..., he hugged her and protected her from the impact with his body...

An impact so strong it was felt inside the palace , drake has fallen on his back and on the spikes, but the spike were the ones destroyed, he stayed on the ground for a bit...., but suddenly he got up and started checking on Sara...

He smiled and say "come on, Sara..., get up...", but the smile started fading away when he saw blood leaking from here mouth, he started yelling her name but she didn't answer so, he takes her back to the palace....

Emma tries her best to treat Sara, but... suddenly, she stopped and took couple steps back, she kept looking at Sara with a sweaty; concerned face, Sophia noticed and asked her "Emma, did you find What's wrong with Sara?".

Emma kept looking at Sara then looks at her hands and said "I... can't find anything wrong with her..., she's fine.... But why? I don't know..., everything seems good... but why did it happened to her now of all time?".

Drake stood up and smiled "maybe it's one of those times you know... Sara used to get sick a lot, so maybe we should give her some rest...", Emma looked at him with a sweaty face and said "I've treated Sara her whole life, and losing consciousness.....has never happened to her... not when she's training with you".

Drake continued walking toward the door and said with a cheered voice "ohh come on!! we are talking about Sara after all!! just give her some rest, she's a strong girl!!" and just exited the room, leaving Sophia and Emma with concerned faces...

Couple of hours after, and thankfully Sara woke up, Sophia kept hugging her daughter and asked "how do you feel, baby?", Sara looked at her and smiled "I'm good, mama...", Sophia turned toward at Emma and both girls let a deep sigh of relief...

Sebastian looked at Sara for a bit and just left the room, while drake said "I told you..., Sara is a strong girl..., now take your time dear, and when you get better, we shall continue our training!!" Sara smiles and yells "yes!! Papa!!" as they all smiled...

They smiled because they thought Sara was going to be fine in 3 or 4 days maximally , knowing her history with illnesses and how she usually get sick, but ends getting up running soon after... but this time, something else happened...

She stayed in bed for a whole weak, before extending her staying to two weeks, then three, until she had stayed in bed for 4 months straight, in constant pain, shortness of breath, and a heart that weakened day by day...

Drake and Sophia couldn't do nothing but watch their daughter suffer, Sophia would spend all day and all night long by her daughter's side, while her grandmother Elizabeth spent time with her assistant Maria researching this unknown illness, and trying to find a cure for it.

One night, Sophia woke up and started looking around the bed, but... she couldn't find drake beside her, she sat down with a tired face and thought "where... can he be at this hour...?", she left her room and started looking for him around the palace and after a while, she stopped and looked through a window...

Sophia was surprised when she noticed him sitting on top of the tower of symbols, the highest point in the whole kingdom, she went there just to find him sitting alone... looking at the starry sky while deep in his thoughts, she joined him, and the two didn't say a single word for a whole hour...

It was until drake shifted his tired eyes toward his wife and said with n unusual calm voice "how is she doing?", Sophia put a sad frustrated face while staying silent for a second, suddenly she let a sigh and said "her seizures... didn't stop so... Elizabeth had to give her some... painkillers and drugs to force her to sleep".

Drake continued looking at the sky with an empty look and said "so, did she say anything?", Sophia looked down with a frustrated face and said "Elizabeth did some scanning with her medical magic tools, and... (clenches her hands) she discovered that... Sara's heart is weaker than the normal heart... by a lot".

Drake didn't say anything and kept looking at the sky with a dead look on his eyes, suddenly he hugged his legs and buried his face in his arms, he let a long sigh and said with a sad voice "hey Sophia...., do you think that... I ruined her future?".

Leaving his wife... in complete surprise...