"Victor, fetch the doctor and bring him to the house," Daniel barked as he picked up his wife. "We are going first." He rushed to the carriage with Clara closely behind.
'What in the world happened?'
Countless thoughts scrambled in his head, most of them involved the princess hurting Magnolia in some way.
"Jeremy, get to the house as fast as these horses can go."
"Yes, Your Grace." The pale coachman rushed to his seat and got ready to race for his life.
Once inside the carriage, Daniel held his wife on his lap, stroking her face gently. She was burning.
"Magnolia, can you hear me?"
Her eyes flew open.
"You have to protect Geoffrey from that evil bitch," she uttered. "Promise me."
Daniel was confused. "Who? The princess?"
"No." Magnolia groaned from pain. "Lasen…Lasen." She clenched her fingers around his arm. "She almost killed me many times, do you understand?" She twisted in his arms in agony. "Do not let her anywhere near my son."
Daniel's heart broke at the sight of the woman who, only a few weeks ago went against two of his recruits with a dull knife as her only weapon.
"I promise I will."
Magnolia closed her eyes again.
As soon as the carriage pulled in front of the house, Daniel carried her in and rushed her to the bedroom. Thankfully, the doctor arrived at the same time.
"What happened?" the doctor asked.
"The maid said that she was sitting with other ladies having tea, and she suddenly felt ill. Could it be that someone put something in the tea?"
"I will check right away, Your Grace." After he used magic to check Magnolia's body, the doctor frowned.
"What is it?" The duke took a step closer.
"This is very strange, I cannot detect anything, Your Grace."
"How is that possible? She is burning." Daniel's roar sent shivers down the doctor's body.
"I know, Your Grace. Let me try again." He scanned her body again, but nothing. He swallowed hard. "It appears that I cannot even lower her fever."
"Do you have a death wish, Doctor?" Daniel's voice came low and menacing.
"Your Grace, I am at a loss. I have never seen anything like this, my magic is not working on her. Please spare my life, Your Grace." He fell on his knees, begging.
Daniel took a deep breath. In his anger, he thought of killing him.
'If he is this incompetent, there is no reason to keep him around.'
Then, he looked at Magnolia. He was still a doctor, he could still be helpful. 'Maybe until the royal doctor gets here'
"Is there another way to lower her fever, without using magic?"
"A lukewarm bath…yes." The doctor smiled as he remembered. "I have seen it before, Your Grace. People who cannot afford doctors do that." Daniel glared at him.
"Victor." The commander rushed in right away.
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Escort the doctor to the sitting room. I am not done with him. And fetch the royal doctor. Tell her it is an emergency."
"Yes, my lord." He dragged the doctor out.
"Clara," Daniel turned to the maid. "I need you to prepare a bath, use lukewarm water, not hot but not too cold either."
"Right away, Your Grace."
He sat on the bed near Magnolia and caressed her hair. "Please hang in there." He kissed her forehead.
After Clara prepared the bath, she walked to the bed so she could help the duchess to the tub.
"I will do it, you can leave." The maid was puzzled for a second, but she obeyed.
Daniel slowly took off Magnolia's dress and carried her to lay her in the water. She groaned at the contact. Then, he took a towel and dipped it in cold water. He placed it on her forehead.
He knelt by the tub, refreshing the towel and checking Magnolia's temperature every few minutes. After what seemed like an eternity, her fever seemed to have gone down a bit. Daniel smiled and put his forehead on hers. He sighed in relief.
About half an hour later, Clara was back. "Your Grace, the royal doctor is here." He rushed to the door.
"Aunt Paula," he called. "Please, come in." He pulled her into the room.
"What happened? Your knight said it was an emergency."
"It is an emergency…my wife…she is ill, and the other incompetent doctor could not do anything."
"Where is she?" Paula asked.
"He could not bring her fever down with magic, so he said to put her in a lukewarm bath."
"Alright, did the fever go down?"
"Yes, a bit, but not completely."
"May I see her?" Daniel froze.
"Let me take her out of the tub."
He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment. Then, he came out carrying Magnolia carefully, enveloped in a robe. He gently laid her on the bed.
Paula smiled to herself as she observed her nephew treat his wife like a fragile piece of irreplaceable treasure.
She took a few steps to the bed and started scanning the duchess' body. Like the other doctor, she found nothing wrong with her body.
"Does she have any magical powers?" Paula tried to figure out what the issue was.
"No, she has no noble blood."
"Hmm, my magic is not going through."
"How is that even possible?" Daniel was getting more agitated. He felt so helpless.
"Calm down, Daniel. Magic is not the only way to heal people." Paula touched Magnolia's forehead to check her fever. "Keep using a cold towel on her forehead, I am going to send someone to fetch some herbs for me. They will help," she reassured him.
"You have to fight this, dear." He squeezed his wife's hand. "You have to."
Paula did not take long. As soon as she received the ingredients, she concocted the little medicine and rushed back to her nephew and his wife.
She entered, holding a bowl of a purple paste. Paula checked Magnolia's head first. She was relieved that the fever had gone down even more.
"Help me sit her up, Daniel." He did as asked. Paula took a spoon full of the herbal paste and fed it to Magnolia.
She did not respond at first, but as the taste sank in, she grimaced.
"What is this?" Magnolia mumbled with her eyes still closed. "It is disgusting." Daniel chuckled.
"You have to eat it, dear. It will make you feel better." He said as he stroked her back.
Magnolia complied, then they lowered her back on the pillow.
"The worst has passed. Make sure you still refresh that cold towel until the fever is completely gone," Paula instructed. "I will come back in the morning to check on her."
"Thank you so much for your help."
Paula smiled at him. "Try to sleep too, we do not want you to frighten her when she wakes up."
"I will try." He gave her a weak smile.
When the door closed, he looked up. 'At least you answered my prayers this time.'