NaNoWriMo 4

Kirn felt like making a fuss when he discovered that Nia was being left out of what was going on. She had been the one to heal the Prince- she was obviously the best for the job! Pride welled in his chest. He knew that the Prince deserved the best. The stories and tales of him were almost legendary, and that showed that there had to be some truth to them. Right? Whether or not, it did mean that he wanted Nia to go with him. Just in case something went wrong, or an incompetent healer happened to get close enough to ruin the healing that had happened.
Thankfully, Elven resiliency won the day. The Prince was awake by almost mid-morning. Kirn had been up a while, waiting as the crew had gotten the wagon and small group of soldiers together to escort the Prince back to the capital. Orders had finally come in from the King to take him there immediately to finish his recovery. They had wanted to make sure that everything was as comfortable and safe for him, so both Sisters and guards were going over every inch of it, ensuring that it would not jostle too much and that there was enough padding where he would be laying.
It was unsurprising that the tail end of the activities would awaken him, when all was said and done. He was far more conscious and aware than before, his eyes roving around the room like a seasoned scout searching for troops. Finally, Kirn was addressed. “So, I am not dead. Was the ghost a hallucination brought on by the medicines, or fear? I must apologize if I alarmed you.” A kind smile played at the edges of his lips.
“No, Sire, you did not. The ghost was no ghost, it was the healer that attended you from the moment you arrived. She saved your life, Sire, more surely than I’m an elf, and no one else could have done it. She’s a Sylph, you see.”
He felt that he was rambling by the end of it. It felt like he couldn’t stop the explanation from tumbling from his lips, though, in the presence of someone he had heard so much about. It was an honor to even be addressed, let alone be able to hold a conversation.
“Then please, let me meet her before we leave for home. I’m assuming that’s where Father wants me to be, is it not?”
Kirn nodded, unable to say anything at this point. He stuck his head out and motioned for one of the young soldiers-in-training to get Nia. He wasn’t about to disobey an order from his Prince, but could not help fearing what would be said or thought when the half-breed met him. Kirn couldn’t imagine anything but the worst from the son of the king who had made laws regarding half-bloods even stricter than his predecessors had.
There was a bit of a commotion outside. Apparently, Nia had been stopped by the Superior, as their shadows on the wall indicated, and was being harshly scolded. He could hear the older woman’s voice sharply reprimanding Nia, though he could not hear what was being said. Superior entered, flushed with embarrassment and apology. She kneeled at the foot of the Prince’s bed. “Sire, forgive me for interrupting, but your healer is not fit to be seen at the moment or to travel with you- she is desperately needed here, for the soldiers, you see, and-“
A quietly raised hand stilled her tongue. “I would like to thank the Sister myself.” It was both order and a slight plea. She could very much deny him in his condition, and claim that it was best for his health. The Order was above petty reprimands by the royal family. There was too much respect for them from the countrymen, and they held that much power in the kingdom.
That did not occur, though. Superior apparently thought it in her best interests to let the Prince have his way. The onus would be on him if he did not care for what he saw.
Nia’s hooded figure slipped inside on some unseen command. She kneeled at Superior’s left side, where the woman had not moved from. All Sisters looked the same in their robes, aside from some being thinner or taller than the others. If he hadn’t known who had treated the Prince, Kirn would not have known if they had exchanged Nia for some other, more appropriate, healer. As it was it made little difference. Not a bit of her showed under the lowered hood and lowered face. Her hand were hidden in the sleeves, and the robes were of course long enough to hide the shade of her feet.
It was a still figure that was no more than a silent spirit, moreso than when she had her hood down. The Prince thought this to be unacceptable. “Rise, and come to my side.” A motion of his hand indicated where she should stand. It was uncanny how quickly she moved there. “Let me see the face of the woman who saved my life.”
There was a moment of hesitation, a stiffness of her shoulders that showed how scared she was to obey the order. Obey the order she did, though, and the rise of a pale hand proved decent foreshadowing to the look on his face when the hood slipped down. It revealed the funny crown of white hair that fell over a second, mud-brown layer, and the albino coloring that meant she could hide among no race in the nation. Her eyes had fixated on her toes, giving her an appearance of a marble statue.
The Prince’s eyes had widened, until they almost bugged out of his face. There was a tremble in his fingers as the hesitantly raised towards her. Kirn couldn’t believe the movement. Was he really going to…? Indeed he was! The Prince slipped his fingers over hers for a brief squeeze. They might have dropped to the bed immediately after, but there was no mistaking what had happened. “Thank you. I’m very fond of being alive, so this has given me a precious gift. I am in your debt.” The last words were customary, but the sharp intake of breath from Superior made it seem that it was a horrendous breach in the laws of nature.