As Fin approached the king and queen’s bedchamber after bidding good night to their son, Prince Eric, he could hear angry whispers in the dimly lit corridor, and he immediately felt dread burn his stomach.
What was happening now?
Once he was a few feet away, he recognized Physician Durand and the guards who stood in front of the door.
“What’s the problem?” Fin asked, not bothering to lower his voice.
“Ah! Mr. Ashowan, precisely who I was looking for. Where might I find the princess? I need to give her a thorough examination before seeing the queen.” Physician Durand shot a stern glare at the guards before giving Fin his full attention.
“The princess is in her nursery being fed.” Fin gestured over his shoulder in the direction he had just come from.
Physician Durand gave a terse nod before setting off without another word. The guards looked stressed, and Fin could tell that something else was an issue.
“Mr. Ashowan, your mother has asked you to reenter the room, but no one else is permitted to,” the one guard explained, sounding relieved.
Frowning over the strange instruction, the redhead stepped between the guards and opened the door.
The room had grown even darker in his absence as the fire remained unstoked. One of the only light sources was the faint glow of magic over the queen’s body, which was how Fin could see his mother still kneeling beside the monarch with her hands outstretched.
With a flick of his eyes the fire roared back to life and one glance from Kate told Fin how weary she was.
“I will need to rest soon, but I can’t go far from Her Majesty. Whatever Physician Durand does, he cannot perform any surgery or administer any medicine or ointment without my consent. I am trying to keep the queen’s condition balanced, and any changes could endanger her further if I’m not tracking them closely,” Kate explained as sweat beaded along her forehead.
Fin stole a glance at the king who continued holding his wife’s hand, his eyes deadened.
“Can’t His Majesty ban the physician from the room?” Fin turned to the king.
“I can; however, your mother and you will be under a great deal of scrutiny from the advisors and nobility.” Norman’s voice was hollow, but as he shifted his stare to the redhead, his meaning became clear.
“The court needs to become aware that my mother is a witch in order to accept what she’s doing to the queen.” Fin felt a cold sweat break out along his back.
“Yes. I won’t be able to tear myself away to explain myself properly, so Finlay, it will be your responsibility,” Kate explained while gazing down at her patient.
Fin felt every inch of him grow tense, but after one brief look at the queen’s gray complexion and the king’s despair, he knew he’d do whatever he had to if it helped.
“I … I will go speak with Physician Durand and explain to him first. After that, will you permit him in the room?”
“Only if he is calm and accepting of it. I don’t have the stamina to fight with him,” Kate said after receiving an affirming nod from the king.
“Very well. I’ll go see him now.” With a short bow, Fin excused himself from the room and mindlessly turned back toward the nursery.
He forced any fearful thoughts from his mind to the best of his ability, but his heart still pounded, and his stomach boiled. Fin was so consumed in his efforts not to think about what was happening that he didn’t remember to knock on the nursery door, and instead he simply entered.
From the doorway, Fin found himself interrupting Physician Durand examining the princess in her cradle. The newborn flailed her tiny limbs and let out several weak shrieks as the nursemaid finished righting her clothes.
The princess must have already eaten … A small cough from the princess snapped Fin’s attention back to the present.
“Move her back to the hearth. She needs the heat.” The witch found himself already halfway across the room as the physician whipped his head around and stared skeptically at him.
“The hearth is too warm for her in her fragile state.”
“She’s too small to stay warm on her own,” Fin countered quickly, plucking the child up in his arms before he could be stopped. As Physician Durand began to argue, the cook moved back to the hearth, and when the babe’s cries ceased immediately, the physician fell silent.
The princess let out a long yawn, her eyes slowly closing as she found herself back in the comfortable spot by fire.
“I take it that was another nugget of wisdom from your mother?” The dryness in the physician’s voice wasn’t lost on Fin, and while he wasn’t in the mood for such barbs, he needed to remember the man knew nothing about the queen’s condition.
Which brought back to mind the very stressful scenario he was in.
“Physician Durand, there is something you need to know. Might we talk in private?”
The man raised a bushy eyebrow at him, but he nodded to the nursemaid who took her leave. Once alone, the pair then seated themselves in front of the fire. Fin still held the princess safely in his arms, though it seemed he had forgotten all about her.
Physician Durand smiled.
“You’ve a way with children. You’ll make a fine father one day, Mr. Ashowan … though I must confess, you are a man of many peculiarities.”
Taking a deep breath, Fin readied himself.
“Physician Durand … my mother is … she’s a …”
The elder waited patiently for the redhead to finish his sentence, a gleam of curiosity in his eyes.
“My mother is a witch.”
The physician’s eyebrows shot upward. He then wordlessly readjusted his position on his seat and folded his hands in front of his belly. His eyes were alight with interest as he continued staring at Fin in silent encouragement.
“Specifically, she is a healer. The king and queen knew this and summoned her with that knowledge,” he hurried on to say. “The queen and the princess would have more than likely died were she not here, but Her Majesty is …” Fin cleared his throat and looked away.
There was a moment of quiet that suddenly made the room feel darker.
“Mr. Ashowan, is the queen dead?” Physician Durand leaned forward, his face taut with worry.
“No. Though she might pass soon. My mother is sustaining her using her magic, but it isn’t easy. She can’t leave the queen’s side, and while there is a chance she will recover, it isn’t guaranteed. The issue is …”
“The king’s advisors and other courtiers may have an issue with Mrs. Ashowan treating Her Majesty. Or worse yet, they may suspect something ridiculous such as her bewitching our king’s mind. I don’t know much about witches, but I do know that that is beyond their magical scope.”
Fin nodded and studied the man a little closer. He was reacting calmly and rationally …
“I can see that my response is not what you were expecting?” Physician Durand smiled while lifting his elbows to rest on the chair’s armrest.
“Er … not really, no …”
“I may not be the wisest man in the kingdom, Mr. Ashowan, but I am no fool. I’ve been treating the courtiers and knights of this castle for more than ten years. I know every sickness, pregnancy, broken bone, and death. Your mother appeared and started seeing some of the staff members, and eventually the knights. Oddly enough they would be miraculously healed. Broken ribs were mended like new, fevers and colds relieved after a gentle touch. I began to suspect something was a little strange …”
Fin noticed the kind glimmer in Durand’s eyes and felt himself relax. The princess continued to snort in her sleep peacefully, and he instinctively began rhythmically patting her back.
“I can help speak on your mother’s behalf to the courtiers and advisors; however, I do believe you will be the best person to answer any questions in place of your mother pertaining to her being a witch.”
Swallowing with great difficulty, Fin nodded.
“Now, I am going to go see to the queen and determine from your mother how else I might be of some help.”
“My mother might already be asleep, which is why she sent me to speak with you … she doesn’t want you doing anything to the queen without confirming with her. Not because she thinks you aren’t skilled or—” Fin added quickly, feeling the tops of his ears going red. “She … She is doing something that is hard to maintain.”
For a moment the physician looked stunned, then seemed to reach some kind of conclusion in his mind and let out a long sigh.
“Very well. I will go to speak with the king then at the very least. Would you like me to move the princess’s cradle for you?”
Fin blinked down in surprise at the sleeping baby. He had completely forgotten he was holding her.
“Physician Durand … do you know if the king or queen had a name chosen in advance for the princess?”
The man’s amused expression grew somber.
“Our rulers stopped choosing names for their children after their third babe died.”
Fin nodded after a moment of absorbing yet another piece of tragic news and turned his gaze to the flames.
“You need to rest, Mr. Ashowan. I can see the toll this day has taken on you.”
Fin didn’t answer as he continued to fight off the overwhelming sadness that waited to crash down on him on the princess’s behalf.
She was a child who hadn’t been held by her mother or named by her father …
“The princess will be just fine, Mr. Ashowan. Regardless of the queen’s fate, this babe is spending her first night in this world warm and cared for. That is in no small part due to you. However, tomorrow there will be new matters to address, and so it is time for sleep.”
Fin looked down quietly, unable to lift his gaze from the princess.
Physician Durand moved the cradle in front of the hearth, and Fin carefully laid the baby down. The elder clapped the witch on his shoulder and gently ushered him out of the room.
The nursemaid who had stood outside waiting, quietly reentered the nursery and closed the door behind herself.
Fin felt the coldness of the corridor in more ways than one, and he was only vaguely aware of Physician Durand bidding him a good night.
In a haze, the witch walked through the darkened castle and made his way to his cottage.
Not bothering to light the fireplace when he arrived, he instead entered his bedroom and was about to fall atop his mattress when, out of the corner of his eye at the last moment, he noticed a dark figure shift.
“Annika?” Fin recognized her spiced scent immediately. Magically, a candle floated in from the main room already lit.
The viscountess stood in her cloak and britches, her face stained with tears as she stared at him anxiously.
“Wh-What’s happened? Clara says she heard that you went in while the queen was in labor and helped?” Annika was pale and shaking ever so slightly, the pain and stress sharp on her face, as she waited to find out her best friend’s fate.
Without saying a word, Fin slowly reached out and embraced her. His body felt heavy and drained.
“F-Fin? Please, please tell me, did she … Is she …?”
“She’s alive, but …” He had to clear his throat. “She might not make it. The princess, while small, is … alive, and seems well.”
Annika stilled in his arms, and then the trembling worsened as sobs wracked her body.
“Oh Gods. Oh Gods, Ainsley …”
The couple continued embracing, allowing their grief to rest between them, each hoping that the next day would bring better times.
Fin stood in front of the council room doors, his heart racing wildly as he heard the commotion of voices from within. He had never been in the room when it was filled with nobility. Only when it was the king, or the men who knew of his abilities …
“I will speak first, Mr. Ashowan. Would you prefer to say anything after the fact or simply answer their questions?” Physician Durand regarded Finlay carefully; it was obvious the redhead had not slept a wink. Dark bags were carved under his normally bright eyes, and there was a lifelessness to his face that spoke of his inner turmoil.
“I’ll just answer their questions then go check on my mother.”
With a nod, Physician Durand turned to the guards who stood waiting and signaled that they were ready.
The room was filled with immaculately dressed nobility all fighting amongst themselves. Some were standing and passionately arguing, others sat at the long table sharing heated discussions. The sun poured in from the windows behind them, casting a warm glow that felt out of place given the mood of the day.
Captain Antonio and Mage Lee were the only two men who weren’t adding to the din of the room’s occupants, but Fin found seeing their faces somehow helped his nerves.
Once the lords noticed Fin’s and Physician Durand’s presence, they began to quiet. Each of them stared perplexed at the new arrivals to their meeting.
“Durand! Who is this commoner with you? What is this about?” one of the lords demanded. He looked to be in his early fifties with a ruddy complexion and a bright green coat buttoned up to his throat despite the summer heat.
“Lord Laurent, please seat yourself, all will be clear in a moment.” Physician Durand’s quiet authority succeeded in settling down the men, though it was obvious that it wouldn’t take much for them to once again become combative.
Fin clasped his hands behind his back and widened his stance.
It was going to be a disaster.
He could tell that much already.
“You all must have heard about Her Majesty the queen going into labor yesterday morning,” Physician Durand began while stepping forward.
“Yes, and no one is saying a Godsdamn thing about what’s happened!” another lord snipped from the opposite end of the table.
“I am aware, Baron Gauva. There has been a great deal to handle in light of yesterday’s events. You see, the queen has given birth early to the Princess of Daxaria.”
There was a stunned silence before the entire table broke out in polite but puzzled applause.
“However, Her Majesty faced several complications and is in a precarious state. It is unclear whether or not she will recover, and our king is understandably beside himself with worry and grief.”
Every man in the room respectfully bowed their heads while some appeared openly shocked.
“The physician from Rollom is helping me tend to Her Majesty as she requires constant supervision in her weakened state, but the princess is quite delicate herself. Both of them must be treated with a great deal of care, and I am unable to do so on my own.”
No one said anything for a moment.
“Why are we letting a charlatan healer care for Her Majesty? We have several certified and talented physicians here in Austice! We know nothing of this Mrs. Ashowan woman.” It was Lord Laurent once again.
Physician Durand held up his hand, immediately silencing him. Despite his lack of title, the man could control the room with great ease.
“Mrs. Katelyn Ashowan is not a charlatan. She was trained as a professional physician in the city of Rollom and has all the credentials required to treat Her Majesty. She does not go by Physician Ashowan only because she prefers to be more informal with her patients. As for the reason she is preferred by our king and queen …” Physician Durand cast a single glance at Fin who kept his eyes glued to the back wall.
The time had come, and Fin braced himself for the chaos he knew was about to unfold.
“Katelyn Ashowan is a witch. A healer witch to be precise. As she is currently with our queen, her son is here to answer any questions or concerns you may have. My lords, this is Mr. Finlay Ashowan, the Royal Cook here in the castle.”