The door opened a second time at the minimum distance of an hour.
Juniper was beginning to fall asleep and so when the dark and woody door of the infirmary opened again he found himself in a complete half-sleep.
His eyes, narrowed by light and surprise tried to understand who had actually entered the large but abandoned room.
He pushed his body further up into the bed, until he stood up on his side and slowly peeked at who it was.
Surprised, he discovered that the people now present in her room were two.
-We came to visit- said one of the people behind the oil lamp, and as that voice spoke Juniper immediately recognised who they were.
The figure who had just spoken was male, a tall figure with a pleasant appearance that the young Baron recognised immediately: it was Henry, his cousin.
While the other figure, shorter but still beautiful in appearance and with a delicate scent, could only be his beloved Abigail.
The young woman in her small hand clutched the handle of a ferrous but precious lamp.
It seemed in her attitudes that the young woman seemed immensely happy to see that he had awakened.
She caressed him gently and kissed him on the lips, while Henry, almost embarrassed, continued his speech.
-We have come secretly to visit you, Isabelle does not want anyone to come here, nor that nobody knows where you are and how you are doing-.
At those words Juniper's heart took a strong fear, he wondered why this should remain secret and why no one should know what had happened to him.
-Why all this? How come my own cousin could want to keep me hidden from the world? - the baron asked, observing the prince in the eyes and in his concern, making his body tremble.
-She's simply afraid...- Abigail admitted softly caressing the face and pale cheeks of her beloved with her fingers.
A strange, anxious silence invariably took over the scene, forcibly bringing someone to speak.
-We know what my sister is capable of and that is why we have come this far to warn you- prince Henry commented placing the oil lamp on a precious wooden piece of furniture in the room.
-She will threaten you, she will ask you to lie, she will do everything to protect Gilbert and take power, but please, I beg you, resist...- begged the young duchess, taking with both her delicate hands the face of her beloved.
The young baron's head continued to ache invariably, as if someone had planted a dagger there.
His lungs hurt, itched internally, as they had never done before, so much so that he coughed and threw little fresh blood out of his body on his lips.
-I don't think I'm fine- Juniper said collapsing again under the white blankets of his bed -I'm afraid that the bullet has damaged one of my lungs- he said, trying in vain to stay calm.
- Hold on...- Abigail urged him placing one of her hands in the blond and curly hair of the young baron -...and once all this is over, I will take you with me to Ireland, there we can finally live in peace-.
But this proposal was immediately rejected by Juniper who promptly shook his head and slowly continued talking.
-This thing is not possible- he said quickly passing his gaze from the prince to the duchess -a great war is about to break out, and I will have to stay here and to fight it-.
At those words, Prince Henry's face paled more, almost leaving his long golden hair to be the only thing that most colored the man's face.
Juniper understood, Henry was terrified that a second war would start against France.
-How do you know, cousin? -.
-It was my mother who told me all this- Juniper replied promptly expecting the general panic -it was my mother, in the period in which I was lying in coma- he ended up admitting.
-I sometimes dream of my mother trying to communicate with me in French- Henry admitted frightened -but my mother is dead, like yours, and this does not manifest any importance in our future-
-It wasn't just a dream Henry! - Juniper scolded him severely, trying this time to get up on his back -my mother was here with me and she told me everything, she warned me, a bit like a premonitory dream ...- the one admitted looking away, into the void with his tired and sick gaze.
-And even if that were the case- Abigail started talking again -what should we do? Stay here and wait to be killed? -.
The baron shook his head again, this time with more force, angry and impatient by the disbelief of the other companions and this time he decided to clarify everything, hoping for their understanding.
-In case the war seriously arrive, then it will be time for us to separate and take our own paths- he admitted returning to observe the two -Abigail you will immediately have to save yourself, go back to Ireland if you have the opportunity, but you, Henry...- the cousin began to talk again -... you don't have too much time left, you will have to escape, go back to France as soon as possible!-.
At those words all the prince's disbelief and disagreement broke out together, like a strong and powerful shot.
-You can't be right! - protested the incredulous one -you cannot know what will happen in the future, you are not a seer, you can thus dissolve the pact between us stipulated long ago ...-.
Juniper no longer knew what to say, nor how to make his cousin believe the whole truth.
-I understand that you do not trust something you cannot be sure of and I do not expect you to immediately understand ...-.
-How could we escape if all this really happened? - Abigail wondered, placing her long and graceful fingers over her fleshy and pink lips -Isabelle keeps everyone prisoner, under her gaze, in the territories of the crown, there is no way that neither Henry nor I can find a way to get away-.
Juniper shook his head again, closing his eyes slightly, looking away from everything and everyone.
His beloved was right, they were there blocked, there was no other way out.
Nobody could get out, nobody could escape, if the situation had really been created there would have been no other way than to resist and fight.