Chapter Twenty-Five

I took one of the towels brought to me and dunked it in the warm water. My downcast eyes searched for soap to scrub off the dried blood. The water turned red after the second dunk. I sighed heavily and continued scrubbing. A physician entered the room with a bag in his sleeping gown. He looked at my bloody gown and the seeping wound I had exposed, trying to stop the bleeding.

"Majesty? What happened?"

"Attend the lady, please."

"Are you injured, sire?"

"I'm fine! I said tend to the lady."

"Of course," he said, approaching me.

He took the towel from my hand and pressed it hard to the wound. I grimaced and bit my lip to refrain from shouting out. After a few moments, he pulled away the towel and examined the hole in my shoulder. He dug through his bag and pulled out a vial of liquid, pouring it on the wound I watched as it bubbled and burned into me. He threaded a needle and handed me a bottle of amber liquid.

"Drink this."

"Why?" I asked.

"I have to sew that wound. Drink that, it will help numb the pain."

I nodded and took a long swig of the drink. It burned going all the way down. "Oh, what is that?"

"Whiskey." While I wasn't paying much attention, he jabbed the tip of the needle into my flesh.

Startled, I yelped and stared down as he pierced me repeatedly, stringing thread through each hole, pulling the skin back together.

"Guard!" Cassius hollered to anyone standing outside the door.

"Sire?"

"Remove this body. Be sure nobody sees it."

"What shall I do with it?"

"I don't care. I just want it out of my castle. Then arrest the princess."

"The princess, sir?" the guard asked, furrowing his brow.

"That's what I said. I want her arrested immediately."

"Of course, sir. Shall I await an arrest warrant?"

"Dispose of the body and I'll have it ready when you return." Cassius crossed the room and began scrawling on a piece of parchment paper.

"I'm sorry, Cassius."

"For what?" he asked, spinning on his heels to look at me. "You didn't make my sister a treacherous snake."

I pursed my lips for a long moment. I couldn't even imagine what was going through his mind. "No, but I'm still sorry. You shouldn't have had to worry about your own sister trying to kill you."

"It's something I was prepared to deal with. Most monarchs are murdered by family. I never really imagined my sister would..." his voice trailed off as he turned back to his writing

"Ma'am? Are you all right?" Angeline asked, bursting through the door and seeing me covered in blood.

"I'm fine. There was just an accident," I murmured

"An accident?" She arched an eyebrow at me.

"An assassination attempt."

"I presume you took care of the assailant?" She strode toward me, cupping my chin in her hands, turning it to the right and left checking my skin.

"I did."

"Any injuries to you or the king?"

I motioned to the physician, who was still working, and nodded. "Just a scape. We're both fine."

"If he's sewing that's more than a scrape." She positioned herself at the physicians hand and watched, tusking. "Such sloppy work. Give me."

She pushed the elderly man out of the way and cut out the threading.

"What are you doing?" Cassius asked.

"That sloppy work will leave a scar. You really should have more careful physicians in your household."

"I bed pardon, madame. My work is most certainly not sloppy."

She side-eyed the man and pulled out a needle of her own. She threaded it with a very thing thread and restuck my arm.

"Ouch."

"Shush now. It doesn't hurt," Angeline mumbled. "Did you know the assailant?"

"No, but I saw him meeting with Princess Mary earlier this evening."

"The princess?" she gasped.

"Yes, my sister," Cassius grumbled, signing his name and melting red wax to apply his seal to the warrant.

"What shall be done about her?" Angeline asked, glancing at the man across the room who never looked up. "I understand. I'll fetch fresh water and towels to properly finish cleaning this wound. Do you need clothing?"

"Um, yeah. I could use one of my own sleeping gowns." I stood near a window, blood still on my arms and face. I must have hit an artery when killing the man.

"I shall remove the threading in a few days' time. Do be careful not to rip them or reinjure yourself. If you are hiding the wound, long sleeved gowns would be best for a few weeks."

"Yes. Thank you," I mumbled.

"You may go," Cassius ordered.

"I'll be right back," Angeline called, ducking from the room.

I turned to look at the bed, tears welling in my eyes, blood had pooled on Cassius's side, and the white sheets splattered with my own. I turned with a start when a hand rested on my shoulder.

"I'm fine. You're alive. She'll be taken care of."

"I suppose. This is just a rather unfortunate wound to have received." I motioned to the sticky wet spot that had spread all over the back of my gown.

He pulled the gown off my shoulders, allowing it to fall to my waist. He ran his soft hands over the seeping wounds. It still hurt more than I thought possible.

"Sit near the fire and drink." He instructed.

I gladly accepted the bottle, throwing all decorum out the window. Tipping back the crystal bottle, I took a long swig, allowing the amber liquid to fill my belly with fire. Angeline would return shortly with soaps and ointments to finish cleaning the wound and help wash the blood off. Cassius took one of his towels and rung it in a basin of water, soaping it up. I sat in the opulent chair and drank a bit more. Cassius returned to my side slowly wiping blood from my shoulder. Angeline returned with the supplies and placed them near me.

"Stop. That's not doing a think," she ordered Cassius.

He placed the dirty towel in his basin and watched her work her wonders. Angeline took a clean, white towel to the warm water, lathered it with soap. She picked up a small white vile and added a few drops to the soap. She grabbed another green bottle and uncorked it. A strong aroma of turmeric and honey.

"Hold on," I stuttered, reaching for the bottle of whiskey.

"Are you okay, Joselyn?" Angeline asked, pressing the warm towel to my shoulder.

"Yes. I can just feel everything. I need another drink. I don't want to feel anything."

"You're going to feel it," Cassius said, running his finger along the stitched wounds.

Angeline smacked his hands. "Don't touch. Do you want her to develop an infection?"

"What?"

Angeline shook her head. "That's the problem with your physicians. They don't understand a lot of things. Such as keeping wounds clean. Don't touch."

I took a few long swigs, letting the liquor burn all the way down to my belly. A few moments later and my body warmed, and my face was tingling again.

"Okay I-I'm good," I slurred to the two trying to patch me up.

I laid on my stomach as Angeline poured the ointment onto the wounds. There was minimal stinging, it felt very cold. The stinging subsided and was replaced with a soothing feeling.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"It's a concoction that the Guild came up with long ago. It eases pain and soothes the itch from the thread in your skin."

"Yes. I feel nothing."

She tore long strips from a towel and wrapped my shoulder in them. The concoction turned warm, heating my entire arm. As she finished someone pounded on the door.

"Come back!" Cassius shouted.

"I'm here for the warrant, your majesty."

He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Shite."

"Where is it, sire?"

He motioned to the desk where the sealed warrant for his sister lay. Angeline stood and retrieved it quickly, handing it out the small crack in the door when she opened it.

"Thank you, ma'am," the man said.

"Make haste, sir."

"I shall," he replied, running down the hall.

Angeline returned to wrapping my shoulder. She layered the towel strips with the ointment. "I'm finished," she mumbled, standing up straight.

"All right. Let's finish cleaning her up and get her to her bed."

"No, I want her here with me, so I can be sure she doesn't get a fever."

"I's be okays." I tried to stand, swaying slightly.

Perhaps I had a few too many swigs.

"I don't think so, Joselyn. Sit there while we finish cleaning away the blood."

"Tha-thank you, Angeline. You're my favorite ever." I closed my eyes resting my head on the arm of the chair as she changed the bloody water once again.

"I know, sweet girl," she said softly.

"I'm sorry for this, Cassius. I didn't mean to get stabbed or for that bitch to be the one who tried to kill you."

"Joselyn, you saved my life. This is the least I can do for you, and don't you dare worry or be sorry about Mary. She made her choices, as poor as they were."

"Sisters are supposed to love their brothers. I loved mine so much. I miss him."

"I know you do. He gave the ultimate sacrifice for king and country. He was a very brave man," Cassius whispered.

"Do you think he would be proud of me?"

"He would be extremely proud."

"He's why I didn't fight becoming an assassin. I was so young, but I knew I wanted to protect the king like he did."

"I know. Now shush and rest while we get you dressed." Cassius put his hands under my arms and lifted me off the chair.

My gown fell to the floor leaving me standing there in the nude.

"Divert your eyes, your majesty. Joselyn is supposed to be a modest and pious woman."

"I'm sorry, Angeline, but there is no time for modesty. We must get her dressed and into bed."

Angeline pursed her lips and retrieved the soft, linen sleeping gown.

"I'm so cold now," I said sleepily.

"I know, my sweet," Cassius whispered, one of his hands resting firmly on my bare stomach.

"You'll never forsake me, will you?"

"Never." He nuzzled my neck, kissing lightly before Angeline returned.

The soft cloth dropped over my head, and I struggled to get my arms in.

"Why is this so bloody difficult?" I grunted.

"You're drunk and in pain. Let us help," Angeline said, guiding my hand into the armholes.

"Let's get her to bed," Cassius said, sweeping me off my feet. Literally.

My body sunk into the warm bed and many layers of blankets pulled up around me.

"I'll stay with her," Cassius said, crawling in beside me.

"Yes, sire," Angeline replied before leaving the room.

"Cassius!" someone shouted from beyond his door.

"Mary? What are you doing here?"

"You had a warrant for my arrest drawn up?" she screamed still on the other side.

"Yes. Where are the guards?"

"We're here, your majesty."

"Remove the usurper from this castle immediately!"

"I will not go! I will not!" she screamed. She sounded like a banshee.

"I should take care of that," I mumbled, struggling to remove myself from the bed.

"You stay. You're in no shape to do much of anything."

"I..." my voice trailed off as blackness crept over me. This was the wrong time for the liquor to take me away to sleep.