Days passed slowly at the Palace of The Pride. Physicians filed in and out at all hours of day and night. Some had come from miles around to look at the Empress.
She had yet to awaken. Her body lost weight from lack of food and though they tried, no one could wake her. Clovis and The Emperor took turns at her side, only leaving when court required them. Her breathing was even but sudden onsets of pain would take her beautiful face. There was nothing they could do but try to sooth her.
The wound had not festered, in fact it healed at a normal rate. There was no redness or infection that they could see and no heat from the wound. Most physicians claimed she had given up, and would never wake again. Clovis did not accept this and would throw the men stupid enough to say as much out of the palace personally while the Emperor had to restrain himself from having them whipped.
In the Emperor's room, the family gathered while the Emperor was at court
Vella and Mordrin had delayed their leave for home and joined clovis and Raina. Sitting at Eve's side, Clovis softly sang to his mother while Raina played it on her practice Zither. It was a lullaby she use to play for him when he was a child.Raina could barely play it, but she was getting better. He used a wet cloth to wipe her forehead and cool her body. The fever was new, but could be caused by the lack of nutrition.
"Is there anyone else we can send for. Brother? Anyone closer by that we missed?" Vella asked, sitting nearby with Mordrin. He refused to let her stand for too long and had pulled her onto his lap. The stress was already hard enough on her and the baby.
"We have exhausted all of the people around here. I have sent letters begging for help in the outskirts and outside our borders but that takes time." Clovis replied, taking a break from the song, but Raina kept playing. The soft soothing sound a backdrop to the sadness in the room.
"Time we don't have. What about folk healers?" Vella asked, her desperation showing slightly from that suggestion alone. Clovis sighed deeply dragging a hand through his own hair in frustration, jerking on the ends to feel the pain. At least it was something other than helplessness.
"Father doesn't want to take a chance and invite the wrong person. Some folk healers still hold grudges for the attacks on the Shifters." Clovis replied shaking his head. He could kill his grandfather and great grandfather for that war. It brought so much division to a once harmonious land.
"Daddy, what about Warrioress?" Raina spoke up and all three looked at her in surprise. The sad little girl hadn't said a word since they got the news. Her soul was dark and her heart stormy until her father asked that she played the Zither for them. It had been a stroke of genius on his part.
"Warrioress?" Vella asked curiously as the two men looked at the child. Clovis considered her words for a moment. There were certain things to be concerned with. For one where was she?
"mmhm, my teacher. She's a healer too and this sickness isn't one our healers know but she's from the forest. She knows different things that make people feel yucky." Raina offered honestly speaking more sense than any of them had heard in a while. Vella looked at Mordrin and then her brother for their thoughts.
"It couldn't hurt to let her look at the Empress. So many others have, a woman's hand wouldn't make a difference." Mordrin offered and Clovis nodded.
"The only issue is… where is she? She took leave a few days ago." Clovis replied and Raina stood up, dusting her dress off and smoothing it over herself.
He raised an eyebrow but before he could say a word she had walked out of the room, little zither in hand.