When I came to, I was in my room on my bed with Vanelope at my bed's side, my forehead felt warm from the hot towel that was placed on it and I was drenched in sweat.
"You gave us quite a scare there, master Brian".
I tried getting up but the pain in my ribs kept me at bay.
"You shouldn't do that master, your injuries are quite fatal, I'll let the doctor know you're awake"
Shortly after Vanelope left, a young man in a lab robe entered my room along with my father, he used his stethoscope and some other devices to run a few checks on me.
"Looks like you're out of immediate danger and your fever is starting to die down too, but you still have three broken ribs, a fractured right humerus, a deep cut at the back of your head and some internal injuries to heal, the maids have been given instructions on your treatment and medications so you'll only see me here if anything comes up".
With that the doctor took his leave, leaving behind a tensed room between my father and I. He was probably mad and about to yell at me for disgracing the strider family again...
"I tried my best,but I guess it wasn't good enough, it's no use denying it anymore, I'm just a failure"
"You're right...you did do your best and that's how you've ended up injured like this but you far exceeded my expectations. I just watched a video of your matches and nobody would say you're a failure when you fought like that, then what do you expect the girl who lost to you to say. I'm glad you persevered to the end, because those who are truly strong are not the brutes, but those who keep getting up after they fall, because it is harder to rise up than to stay down, and I had to throw so many obstacles at you to make you learn that, although you didn't realize. You are more than ready to take over the family and I know you'd go far with the help and support from everyone else."
As father was speaking, Vanelope walked in with some food.
"Guess we'll talk about this later son"
"Wait father, does this mean this whole time..."
"We'll talk about it later so eat something and rest well".
With that he left the room to Vanelope and I. She set the meal before me but I wasn't sure I could even eat by myself in my current condition, as my face twisted in confusion I could see Vanelope with a smile on hers, and shortly after she burst into laughter...
"What's funny Vanelope?"
"It seems you can't eat by yourself "
"And how's that funny!?"
"Nothing, just that the face you were making, you could've just ask me to feed it to you".
"Na, that would be too embarrassing for a guy to ask to a girl"
"I'm your maid and it's my job, now c'mon let me do it"
"I see you as my friend, but it's kinda still your job to take care of me as my maid. Fine, just this once because I'm crippled and starving"
" No problemo,this should be just like one of our secrets"
"You say that but you're just going to blab it all to dad later".
"You knew about that?"
"I'm not stupid, it's obvious since I'm the only one with a personal maid in the house"
"I'm sorry I was secretly reporting your movements to your father"
"It's fine, it's not like you can defy his orders, I understand your position".
"Really, I thought you'd be mad at me"
"At first, but when I thought about it, it just seemed stupid"
"That's unlike you, did bashing your head change you a little, you're normally very difficult, I mean you're even letting me feed you"
"You're my closest friend, so it's only natural to let you help me, a friend in need is a friend indeed, right".
After my meal and chat with Vanelope, I found out that I'd been asleep for two days and five hours, and it's now 4pm Wednesday, since I was bored I decided to watch the recording of the rest of the matches, though injured Ashraf ended up winning the tournament after facing off against Lacey in the finals, with my curiosity satisfied, I just drifted off to sleep.
Lemuel Strider retreated to his room after he'd left Brian's room, there were so many things he wanted to talk about with Brian and show Brian, but he was gonna have to wait till Brian makes a recovery, Lemuel decide to head to his home office to look through some files the royal family had recently sent in, they were probably just a bunch of missions and requests. As he started to organize the files, he sensed nine powerful pulze waves approaching the mansion from the nearby city, khamin.
The Strider mansion is located on a hill between the city of khamin and the 'high forest', it's location was top secret and only few people who were in a way connected to the Strider family and it's work knew its location, which made the approaching guests all the more suspicious. After a while, there was a knock on Lemuel's door, and with his go ahead Beatrice entered with a bow looking to make a report to her master.
"So they have arrived?"
"Yes, master Lemuel"
"Then shall we go greet them", Lemuel said as he rose from his seat and put on a robe.