~ White-horn Clan, Chief Ludwin's Chambers ~
Lady Mira sat by her son's pale and lean body, with concern written all over her face. She gently dipped a white towel in a bowl of water and squeezed out the excess water before placing the damp towel on her son's head. She kept on repeating the same thing over and over again, only stopping once in a while to check Orion's temperature.
"You know I have people for that task, right?" Chief Oracle Ludwin's voice interrupted her process. "Lady Mira, you have been here for over a week now. The Clan is falling into unrest with the entire Clan Master family absent," the old man said with a calm tone.
"Lord Brian has been handling matters on my behalf," Lady Mira replied succinctly, without looking at the old man, not even for a moment.
Chief Ludwin wanted to push the matter, he wanted to convince her to leave, but he knew she wasn't called "The Wild Dragon" for nothing. She was one of the most powerful Adepts in the Clan, and she had a very short temper. The wrong moves could result in him losing his hands.
He exhaled loudly and drew a chair to sit on the other side of Orion's bed.
"My Lady, I understand that you are worried about him, but like I told you when you brought the young Lord to me, you wouldn't be doing him any favors if you get ill yourself," Chief Ludwin said. "Even if you won't meet with the people, at the very least, return to your chambers and rest. You are starting to look no different from the young Lord here."
Lady Mira glared at the old man, but he didn't flinch.
"I will leave here when my son is better," she replied with an uninterested tone.
"With all due respect, My Lady, that is not a wise decision to make," Chief Ludwin replied, shaking his head. "Not only is it unwise, but it is not something I can permit."
"What?" Lady Mira turned her attention to him. She was already irritated by his presence, and now here he was, calling her unwise. She was already boiling on the inside and it would only be a matter of time before she lets all he'll lose on the Chief Oracle.
"I mean no disrespect, Lady Mira, however, your presence here has put my patients in a state of unrest, prolonging their healing period," Chief Ludwin quickly said, noticing that she was fuming with anger already.
"You have been here for over a week, and I think it is lovely that you want to be by your boy's side when he awakens, but nobody knows when that will be," the old man said with a slight shrug of his shoulders.
"The young Lord has been unconscious for over six months now…"
"Seven months," Lady Mira interrupted the Chief Oracle.
"It'll be seven months in four days time," she explained, seeing the look of confusion on the man's face.
"Right, seven months," Chief Ludwin nodded. "In the past seven months, he has shown no signs of waking up. There is no telling just how much longer he will remain unconscious for, and if you decide to remain here, I am afraid you will lose yourself, either physically or… or mentally," the old man had to pause before saying 'mentally', careful to not sound provocative.
"…" Lady Mira opened her mouth to deliver a rebuttal, but then she went silent as she recalled something. At one point during the first two months of Orion's comatose state, she had decided to stay with him, without food or water, she had stayed with him and had almost destroyed the entire building out of frustration, almost killing her son, if not for Chief Ludwin's interference.
She slowly stood up and took a deep breath.
"I will go and see if Lord Brian needs any assistance," Lady Mira said with a calm tone, even though she knew she wanted to tear the old man apart, but she maintained her composure and left the Chief Oracle's chambers.
As she left, she could hear sighs of relief from the maids, and assisting Oracles and even the patients.
'Am I really that feared by everyone?' she thought to herself as she made her way to her chambers.
Her thoughts churned as she walked to her room, struggling with the urge to go right back to be with her son, but she knew that the old man was right.
If Lord Brian was left in charge of the Clan in her stead or in the place of her son, it would only be a little while before the people began to revolt and show their dissatisfaction.
Lady Mira sighed as she arrived at her chambers. She was shocked when she saw her maidens laying around in her room, enjoying the food she was supposed to have eaten for lunch, having a romantic chat with the guards that were meant to be stationed at her door.
"I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later," she muttered to herself as she walked in on the oblivious maids and guards.
"You lot seem to be having a good time," Lady Mira spoke up, startling the maids and guards, as they all jumped to their feet.
"My Lady! Gods save us," one of the maids couldn't keep her thoughts to herself.
"It was her idea, My Lady, I apologize deeply," one of the guards quickly pushed the blame away from himself.
"My Lady, it is not what you think, I promise," her personal maiden said.
"So you lot haven't been having sex in my room then?" Lady Mira raised a brow and pointed at the maiden's exposed breasts.
The maid was so caught up in fear that she hadn't noticed that she was half naked. She quickly wrapped her arms around her chest as tears streamed down her eyes.
"Show mercy. Show mercy on us, My Lady," she quickly went on her knees and pleaded.
Lady Mira looked at all of them and shook her head. Normally, she would have lost her top and killed them on impulse, but that impulsive act was what made her put her son in Coma, so she was getting more careful in the ways she reacted to situations.
"Leave my room please, I need to be alone," Lady Mira said and walked up to her bed. By the time she was on her bed, everyone else had vanished, save for her personal maiden.
"Prepare the tub, and call Lord Brian to the council hall," Lady Mira said with a disconnected tone and dismissed the young girl.
She exhaled and laid face down on her bed.
In about an hour, Lady Mira had taken her bath, ate a light lunch and was in the council room awaiting Lord Brian.
"Pardon my lateness, Lady Mira," Lord Brian apologized as he ran into the hall. "The nobles of the South have been having territory squabbles for a while now, I had to stop another fight from erupting," he explained and she nodded in understanding.
The White-horn Clan had three classes of citizens. The Lord class; which was the pinnacle of status in the Clan, with the royal family being the only ones above them. The Noble class, which covered a good number of citizens, from merchants to sailors to families of old war generals and more. And the last was the Commoner class.
The commoner class were usually those with no gifts or not so versatile or useful gifts. They ran the manual labors of the Clan, the Nobles oversaw their activities and the Lords controlled Nobles while the royal family Lorded over everyone. They were a pretty straightforward forward clan.
Lady Mira understood that a fight between a few Noble class families would be devastating to the clan and especially the commoners, so she didn't feel insulted that Lord Brian chose to prioritize settling the issue over meeting her on time.
The duo sat at the council table for another three hours, as Lord Brian brought her up to speed on the issues the Clan had been facing in her absence.
"And the Awakening Ceremony? When is it scheduled for?" Lady Mira asked with a hint of concern.
"The Young Lord hasn't shown any signs of waking up, has he?" Lord Brian asked, instantly knowing why she was concerned.
The Awakening Ceremony was held once a year. It was on that day that the citizens of the clan received gifts from the gods and were made Adepts, but only those who were sixteen years of age would participate. Once you are older, you lose your chances to receive a gift from the gods.
The problem here was that her son, Orion, was going to turn sixteen in two days time, and if he was to miss this Awakening Ceremony, he would never get another chance.
"The Seers have confirmed it my Lady, the Awakening Ceremony for this year will be held by the next full Moon, which is about four days from today, if I am not mistaken," Lord Brian said.
Lady Mira went silent for a while, contemplating what to do to keep her son from missing his chance to seal his place as the next Clan Master of the White-horn Clan.
"Do… Do you think it'll be possible for Orion to partake in the ceremony while he is still unconscious?" Lady Mira asked.
Lord Brian thought silently for a moment before shaking his head slowly.
"I… I don't think that will be possible, My Lady. Every person that participates in this ceremony has to say a prayer to gods so that they might be granted passage to the heavens. An unconscious body will not…"
"But the Seers, the Seers can say the prayers on his behalf right?" Lady Mira interrupted him.
"I mean, the Seers are constantly in talks with the gods. Surely they will know of a means or two that will let his Orion gain access to the heavens."
Lord Brian exhaled heavily at Mira's statement.
"I think it is possible. I have heard of such rituals, but that would require sacrifices, sacrifices that may be…"
"No sacrifice is too expensive for me Lord Brian," Lady Mira cut him off again.
"Even if it is the sacrifice of a human life?" Lord Brian furrowed his brows.
"…" Lady Mira opened her mouth to say yes, but then she properly heard what he said and she froze.
"A human life?"
"Yes, My Lady. The prices to pay are tasking," Lord Brian said, and Lady Mira shook her head.
"We… We will have to find another way. As heartless and as cold as I might be, I can't have the blood of others on my hands just to ensure my son's future. That… That will be a curse upon his soul and mine," she said, shaking her head.
Lord Brian sighed, a little relieved that Mira was still morally sound.
"There might be another option, My Lady," Lord Brian said after a couple seconds. "But you might not like it."
Mira looked up at Lord Brian, curious as to what it might be.
"What option?"
"The option of giving the…" Lord Brian began to speak, but just then, a guard barged into the council room, panting heavily.
"My Lady, My Lord, forgive my intrusion," the guard apologized as soon as he caught his breath.
"It is the Young Lord, My Lady," the guard turned his attention to Mira.
Mira immediately stood up, her mind buzzing with thoughts of what might be going on with her child.
"Is… Is he… dead?" she couldn't help but stammer.
"The gods forbid," the guard quickly shook his head. "The Young Lord has regained consciousness," he announced, and Lady Mira's eyes lit up with surprise and life.
"Where is he? Where is my son?" she cried out with joy, already running out of the hall, and the guard followed after her to lead her to the Chief Oracle's chambers.
Lord Brian remained in the room, and slowly the look of surprise at the news faded, and he sat back down.
"Orion Thorne… You have returned to us," he shook his head slowly, as a frown replaced his shock.
"You should have stayed unconscious, Young Lord. But nevertheless, I will have the throne. I will be the Clan Master, even if I have to kill you for that."