Madeline was having trouble concentrating and keeping her eyes open as Lady Harcourt smiled and sipped her tea. Lady Harcourt spoke again, "Prince Andre specifically asked that we take care of you before we deal with Guy the Molester, do you know why? He said it was because you are his woman, even when he doesn't want you anymore." Lady Harcourt laughed softly, "How droll."
The sound of footsteps coming down the long dorm hallway could be heard. Lady Harcourt's face became serious, "Norris, exit."
"Yes, young miss." Norris the butler, started to pour a liquid all over the room as Lady Harcourt sipped her tea and ate a snack cake. Norris then grabbed Madeline and rolled her up in a blanket and tossed her on one of the beds before dousing her with the liquid. He then took a lamp and smashed it against the wall, a fire raged almost immediately. Lady Harcourt got to her feet and took her parasol as Norris kicked out the window, "This way, young miss."
Lady Harcourt held out her hand and Norris helped her out the window. She jumped from the second story window and just before hitting the ground opened the parasol floating the last three feet before landing without much effort. Norris followed behind, using the face of the building to spring down like a monkey. When he finally landed he straightened himself out and then calmly followed behind his young miss. The two of them walked as if they had no care in the world.
*****
Guy saw smoke roll out from under Madeline's doorway, his heart was beating like a drum, when he got to the door, he kicked out viciously causing the door to smash open. Inside the room was a wall of flame. Guy ran in without even thinking, he saw a cocoon-like bundle slowly undulate on the bed and grabbed it throwing it over his shoulder, flames had already started to catch on the bedding wrapping the body. The heat was so intense that Guy felt as if he was being cooked alive flame from the fire even caught his hair on fire. Guy looked back at the door and realized they couldn't make it back that way and instead charged over to the window and jumped out. He grabbed the window sill hoping to break his fall just enough, his hand was cut by the rough shards of glass still left in the broken window. Guy used each handhold and foothold he could find to help break the fall, but with the rolled up body over his shoulder he lost his balance and ended up dropping, Guy rolled himself as they fell so that he would take the worst of the fall.
Once they hit the ground it knocked the wind out of him and he passed out. Olivier, Claude, and Sir Évreux found them a short time later and quickly ran them to the clinic.
*****
Guy woke up in terrible pain, it felt as if a team of blacksmiths were pounding on his body. On top of that, he felt as if whole sections of his body were on fire or freezing cold. He gasped and tried to sit up only to have Claude and Sir Évreux hold him back down. Claude said, "Sit still, you were badly burned and might have some broken bones."
The Doctor walked over and said, "I can't do anything about his hair, but he can drink this, and recover. It's a greater heal potion, so he'll be like new in just a short while. You should have told me last time you were his royal highness, I could have saved him a month of laying in that bed. I wouldn't waste a good potion like this on just a Duke's son, but a friend of his royal highness? That's another matter."
They all looked visibly relieved. As Guy drank the potion he felt a wave of energy flow through his body, it quickly became euphoric and then he passed out once again. Before he lost consciousness he could only think, 'what about Madeline?'
*****
Guy woke up three days later. He felt better than he had before, he sat up quickly looking around, not sure where he was, he recognized his own room and saw the sleeping form of the Doctor by his bedside so he called out, "Doctor!" The Doctor's bushy eyebrows wiggled, so Guy called out louder, "Doctor!"
The Doctor almost tipped over in the chair and then said, "I'm up, I'm up, oh, it's just you, brat. What do you want?"
Guy frowned and then asked, "Madeline, Lady d'Aumont, how is she?"
"It's terrible, so terrible... A girl that pretty..." The Doctor looked as if he were about to cry.
Guy felt his stomach drop, all color left his face. He felt as if his whole world was ending. He said in a soft voice as his eyes began to tear up, "W-what.. Was it the fall?"
The Doctor shook his head, "No, she's fine, I mean for a girl that pretty to have breasts that small. It's a crime against nature!" The Doctor thundered.
Guy searched for his sword.
*****
Olivier, Madeline, Claude, Alicia, Lady Leon, and Sir Évreux came as a group to see Guy. He looked tragic with one eyebrow missing, and half a head of hair. Madeline ran over and hugged Guy tightly without saying a word. It was the first time she had done so, so Guy wasn't sure at first what to do in return, so he awkwardly returned her affection with what might have been the worst hug ever.
Olivier spoke out, "The fake Lady Harcourt and her butler escaped. They killed two of the Royal Guardsmen and walked out to their own carriage and rode off like they were taking a stroll to the market."
Claude spoke next, "If we had been just two steps slower, you may not have saved Madeline. The fire ended up bringing down the entire women's dorm building."
Alicia pouted and said, "A lot of us girls lost all of our clothing and precious items too. Those who have family estates here in the capital have had to move off campus, the rest of us are in tents now."
Lady Leon said, "Alicia and I saw you and Madeline fall down to the ground out her window. We thought you were dead. It was a miracle that you survived the fall."
Sir Évreux cleared his throat and said, "Yes, and the Doctor will be fine by the way, he only had a small scratch on his backside from your sword attack."