The child winced in discomfort as she gently placed the leaf on his injured knee, squeezing its water on the injury.
"You should be careful", Jewel softly said and the child giggled.
"My lady", a feminine voice suddenly called and she looked around to see one of the king's maids.
She hurriedly gave the boy the leaf. Why would a king official be In her healing ground?
"Keep squeezing it and once you feel relieved you can stop and go on with your day", She hurriedly but softly said to the boy who nodded positively.
"What brings you here?", She asked turning to the maid.
"The king is in your cottage and would want to see you", the maid softly said and it shook her wondering why would the king want to see her. He didn't send for her, instead, he came to her.
"Shall we?", The maid asked and she looked around the healing ground real quick, there were a lot of sick people around that needed to be attended to.
"Excuse me", she softly said to the maid and hurried to her assistant who was attending a teenage girl with a swollen leg
"Morgana the king asks for me I'll be right back", she said to the girl quickly who nodded positively in understanding before going to the king with the maid.
**********
She calmly walked into her cottage and her eyes came in contact with the kings. She bowed her head in reverence with a sigh. She could almost choke with the idea of the king being in the same room with her. Alone. She always had this tiny crush on him. He's a really beautiful man, He was fair, authoritative, and had this beautiful smile he rarely shows but she's seen it, maybe once, twice, or thrice. Not more than three times. He's bald, has a wife with four children, thirty-seven but she still finds him amazing. Just her.
"Come Sit Jewel", he said taking his seat on her wooden bed covered with few clothes. She took her head up, She was nervous, she wasn't sure if it was alright to sit beside the king. She had nothing in the room, but books and books and books and books and books on herbs she had written or read, her bed, few items of clothing, and few kitchen utensils.
"My king I'd rather stand this way", she softly said.
"If you say so", he said with a shrug and she nodded positively.
"The immortality concoction you had created no one knows the ingredients or how you made it, I was curious as to when we'd start using it", The king stated and she smiled.
"My king I am already working on making more for the people, I just haven't had the time yet to gather enough ingredients", She softly explained and he nodded positively.
"I have a deal for you", He said and she focused her attention totally on him this time.
"You should come seat", He said. "This is serious", he hurriedly added looking straight at her eyes.
She hesitated but gently walked to him and took her seat beside him making sure there was still a decent distance.
"The emperor", He softly said and she had to look at him. The emperor?? The head of the seven sects?
"Wants the concoction for the royal family", he said.
"I'll simply make extra", She said.
"No that's not it", the king sighed.
"How will I put this?", he asked nervously. She has never seen him nervous before.
"He wants to buy it", he said.
"He wants the royal family to have it and no one else, not even our sect", The king explained.
"That's not possible my king", she firmly said.
"Everything is possible Jewel", he softly said.
"What do you mean?", She asked slightly confused.
"What I mean is I want it to be possible", He said and her eyes went wide looking right at him
"My king I made it for our sect alone, what's the point of doing this?", She asked.
"He has promised us a lot of things like he's going to expand our land, make sure we are the giant of all, he promised us technological advancement and...", The king explained.
"What's the point of being called Herbalor then? I'm sorry my king but I can't give the recipe to you", she said getting up with her head slightly bowed.
She had worked hard to make the immortality concoction for her sect and not just for anyone.
"Jewel you'll be greatly rewarded, you'll have...", The king persisted.
"I'm sorry your highness, I still can't", she hurriedly interrupted.
The king cleared his throat and got off the bed.
"I give you just this day to think about it Jewel or you wouldn't like what's going to happen next", The king softly muttered. She could tell it was a threat. She hurriedly raised her head and watched the king stomp out of her cottage.
She sighed.
There is no way she's giving her hard work that could earn her people everything out for some cheap reward.
***********
"Will you not sell the idea?", One of the people of the sect asked her as she treated her injury. Jewel peeked at her old wrinkled face and she smiled at her
"It would be great if you'd do that, our sect would be the best among all", the old woman softly persisted and she looked back to her arm injury. She would be the twenty-first person that would say that to her this very day and she was tired of explaining why she can't give it out so, she smiled and simply dressed her wound.
"There you go now", She said and the old woman smiled and muttered a thank you before leaving.
She sighed and looked around the healing ground, it was empty. Not many people were sick and she had treated everyone that was.
Her mind went back to the discussion she had with the king the previous day. She nodded her head negatively in a hurry to kick out stupid thoughts.
"I definitely can't give it out", she muttered to herself and looked around once more just for her eyes to catch the king guards running by.
"What's going on?", She softly questioned, her eyes watching them run, and just right then did she realize her assistant Morgana didn't come around.
She decided she would go to her cottage first before going to Morgana's to check up on her.
She gently walked out of the healing ground and headed towards her cottage. She hated the stares she was getting from people. Once they see her, they turned their usual salutations to stares and whispers, and for the first time in her entire life, she didn't feel safe in the land. She hastened her footstep and only stopped at the front of her cottage when she realized its door was slightly opened.
Something was wrong.
She hurried in and was surprised to see Morgana who hurriedly hid something behind her. She looked around her cottage, it was scattered, her books were everywhere and Morgana looked frightened.
"What are you doing here Jewel?", Morgana softly asked. She looked up at her and could tell that something bad was about to happen.
"What's behind you Morgana?", She asked. She hurried to her little cupboard and found that the recipe for the immortality concoction was no longer there. She turned to Morgana
"Give that back Morgana", she ordered.
"Why? I found it first?", She said with a small smile appearing on her face. She suddenly got her courage back.
"Morgana do not let what they tell you get right into your head, just give it back", She softly pleaded.
"The reward for getting this..", she happily said bringing out the paper that contained the written recipe she had hidden behind her and showed it to her.
"It's reward is greater than anything I could ever ask for", She concluded.
"Morgana please don't do this", She pleaded.
"I want to do this and I'm already doing it", Morgana said walking ahead.
"Morgana...", She softly called looking to her as Morgana attempted to pass her by. She hurriedly pulled her by the hair and gripped the paper from her. She wasn't going to let her have it. She ran out of the cottage only to meet the king's guards surrounding her front yard.
Fear gripped her
"What does the king want?", She shakily asked.
"We've been ordered to bring you to the palace to serve your punishment", one of the guards spoke up
"Wha... what punishment?", She stammered.
"Exphoris died", The guard said and she tightened.
Exphoris died!!
"How did that happen? How is it even possible? I know nothing about it, I don't understand...", She tried explaining confused
"I'll take that", She suddenly heard Morgana say, and before she knew it the recipe was gone out of her hand.
"Morgana please no", She softly pleaded watching her walk ahead majestically.
"What's the use? The recipe didn't work anyways", Morgana said not turning to look at her. She watched her say something to one of the guards and walk ahead with the recipe.
She was so confused.