***
After collecting Orion in his arms, he takes her over to the rock and he dresses her in his shirt and jacket. He throws her dress and belt over his shoulder and brings her to where the griffin was sleeping. Apparently slept through the whole thing. He didn't know griffins could sleep that deep. Leaving everything else he puts Orion in front of him leaning on Valie's neck.
"Okay Valie, give us a steady safe slow ride back, I'm not familiar with flying" he said "so please work with me."
Valie sensing Orion's in trouble she understands in her own way, and they take off for the palace. The flight back wasn't as long as the flight there. Valie was extremely worried about her mistress. She understood the urgency. She flew steady but slow wasn't in her vocabulary at the moment.
Landing in the courtyard he calls for help. Theo slides off Valie, holding Orion bridal style in his arms. She laid limp and unconscious.
"I need to call a meeting with the royal family it's an emergency" Theo said.
Still holding Orion he says to a staff member "I need her maid Marcy, someone tell Marcy to go to Orions room immediately."
Rushing through the front doors and then heading up the grand stairwell he heads to the west wing.
Arriving at her room, he opens her door and brings her to the bed. Soaking wet the both of them. Marcy comes through the door almost stumbling just after they did.
"Tell me child, what happened" panic filling her voice, rushing over to assess the damage on her beloved princess. Who laid shivering and pale on her bed.
"I'll discuss that later" he said "right now I need to bring her body temperature up, she's freezing."
"What is wrong with her?" Marcy asks while digging through the linen closet finding a thick white bear winter fur blanket she wraps Orion up in it.
"I need some pants please, these are wet Marcy"
Marcy obeys leaving to go and fetch more clothing. Theo puts wood in the fireplace and lights a fire to warm the room. It wasn't cold but he needed to make it warmer.
Marcy comes back with pants and a long sleeve tunic "I will go and make some hot chocolate for you and my princess."
Giving the clothes to Theo,
"The king and queen will be here momentarily" Marcy says as she leaves closing the door behind her.
Theo enter's Orion's bathroom and rinses off the beasts blood, he changes clothes, exits and waits for the king and queen to arrive in her sitting area.
Minutes later Queen Andromeda busts through the bedroom door.
"My daughter!" She cries "oh my precious baby".
Running over to her only daughter, Andromeda sits next to her on the bed, touching her daughter's forehead with the back of her hand.
"She's freezing!" Andromeda yells "what happened? Why is she so cold? I thought it was just a lunch date!"
The king walks through the open doorway, "why is my daughter unconscious?" His voice deep and aggressive. Harsh enough to make grown men shake in their boots. Completely different man than yesterday.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. But we were attacked, she's the reason we made it out alive."
"What do you mean 'attacked'?" The king and queen asked simultaneously.
"What I mean is" Theo said "the Rot is at your doorstep now."
"How do you know it's the Rot?" Asked Oleander as he walked in, after hearing the buzz from what people witnessed in the courtyard.
"Let's go to a different room I don't want too disturb Princess Orion, she needs the rest." Theo said quietly.
The four of them leave the room and walk down the hall a different room. This was Orion's study, it had a piano and a cello in one corner and books a desk and reading chair in another. There was a short table in the middle of the room, surrounded by chairs and a couch. Everyone took a seat.
"Earlier this afternoon the princess and I ran into Trench Stalkers. That's what we've been calling them." Theo explained " We've been seeing them climb out from the mountains, but can't pinpoint were. We've been seeing them more and more. Killing them is what spreads it."
"Then how do you kill them safely?" The queen asked.
"Well up until now we try to gather the bodies as quick as possible, magic tarps have been what we've been wrapping their bodies in until they disintegrate, but that takes time so the solution isn't a great one, but it's all we've had until now"
"What do you mean?" asked Oleander
Then Alderic and Arragon walked in.
"Perfect timing!" Oleander interrupted Theo before he could answer.
"What happened? Alderic asked, he was very concerned, glaring at Theo, he was supposed to protect his baby sister so why was she unconscious when he brought her home.
"He was just about to explain everything." Queen Andromeda sounded irritated and inpatient.
"What I was saying when you walked in joining us." Theo started again "We faced three Trench Stalkers I was able to kill one, it's body is currently decomposing in the lake in the misty mountains north of here."
"Princess Orion called the shadows again, and they came from all different directions and they started to drag the beasts, and when they tried to pull away they were clawing at their own skin instead."
"I'd run out of arrows. And she saved my ass in the end. But after, she seemed a bit lost, I don't know what happened, but it seemed like it took her a second to recognize where she was."
"Do you know what happened to those last two beasts? She sucked them into the shadows. So only one body will be spreading the Rot instead of three.." Theo finished and everyone looked at him like he was insane.
Their little princess took down not just one beast but two? And she used necromancy to do it, not her ranged abilities.
A knock interrupted their conversation. It was Marcy at the door.
Oleander answered it, "She's waking now" Marcy said to the room.
Theo jumps up off the couch and rushed to her room.
"We will continue this conversation later after Orion has had some time rest" the king said.
"Good idea, if we leave her out of this conversation, she's sure to skin us all alive" Oleander said with a laugh.
I open my eyes confused at first, then recognizing my starry ceiling I was in my room. What the hell happened?
"What am I doing here?"
"Oh thank the gods you're finally awake." Marcy said rushing to me.
I was tucked neatly into a fur cocoon.
Confused I look at Marcy "finally? What do you mean finally? How long have I been asleep?"
"You've been asleep for a few hours, it's now dark outside." She replied.
Why am I so exhausted? I try to lean up and crawl out of my blanket cave.
"Oh no, take it easy, you've been through a lot" Marcy said helping pull back my blankets and repositioning my pillows to support my back. Leaning me back she takes a seat on the bed next to me taking my hand into hers.
"Do you remember what happened?" Marcy asked.
I close my eyes and think for a second, then a searing throbbing pain hit my head.
"I don't, I'm sorry, I can't really think right now, my head hurts and I feel like I fell off a cliff" I answered.
Gently putting her hand to my face tracing it, "I am so glad you came back to us, I will let the others know you're awake now" Marcy was saying "gave us quite the fright, ya know?"
"Sorry Marcy."
Pulling her hand away she stands and walks out the door.
My hands on my face I drag them down stretching my skin "ughhhhh" my head ached something fierce.
Thankful, it's dark I scoot over and climb out of the bed. A little lightheaded I wobbled some. I needed fresh air it was stifling in the room. Regaining my balance, I moved slowly towards the window, the room moved a little making my head pound. As I reach for the window and lean to open it, Theo rushes through the doorway.