The Lady Knight

Chapter XLIV: Homes and Hollows

Prince Richard

It was awful watching.

I wished, as I had countless times since we had arrived at Bordeux Castle, that James could have knocked me out as well, only so that I did not have to watch these good-for-nothing Physicians work on Nick as if he were a mere corpse.

However, he might as well have been a corpse for all his face seemed to portray. Ever since he had regained consciousness, all he had done was to stare straight ahead with those hollowed eyes, stoically answering all the questions hurled at him by Mama, Papa and the Army, and listening to the news that streamed in every hour with indifference.

Indeed, too much had happened within a span of a fortnight.

The three Captains – Captain Wellington, Captain Evans and Captain Percival - who had been murdered during the kidnap had been given honourable funerals, and deemed martyrs.

The fleeing traitors from the burning Red Fort had all been rounded up and imprisoned. Jackie had readily confessed all her crimes, giving in to the vigorous, torturous interrogations by a special team of Captains, led by the fierce Lieutenant Raleigh.

On her word, several affluent Monriquan and Vantaugian merchants and noblemen who had been involved in this scheme had also been arrested on suspected treason.

The Bordeux Dungeons were almost bursting at its perimeters with prisoners at the moment. Lord Henri had to offer his empty Manor to house those who had no cells, to await their trials and executions that were to be held after the New Year.

Amidst all of this, the castle was still celebrating my return, and was heavily involved in the preparations for Nick's Potential Quest Ball. In spite of one fractured arm, a few burns, and several bruises and cuts, he was still relatively fortunate.

The Physicians had assured us that he would be well enough to attend the Ball, but clearly, none of them had the slightest notion of how emotionally unwell he was at the moment.

Indeed, too much had happened within a span of a fortnight.

Yet, there was no grief, no tantrums, and no tears from Nick. He barely spoke anymore, almost like a living corpse. Papa, Mama, Charlie and I were beyond worried for him.

Considering all that they had to hear about Jamie, the boy whom we had all thought dead, it would suffice to say that we were all going through a very difficult time at the present.

And so was Nick. The fool was so silently, clearly and baselessly beating himself up over Jamie's death, as if it were his fault that our brother had chosen his psychotic wife over his family. I should think only Jules could drum some sense into that thick skull of his.

However, even she was unconscious.

If there was one person we were more worried about than Nick, it was Jules. The last time we had seen her conscious was when Lord Henri had carried her out of the burning Castle. She had fainted then, and had not opened her eyes since, drifting in and out of delirium with a high fever raging through her body for the past fortnight.

"Richard? Nick?" Mama's tremulous voice broke through my reverie, "it is time for your luncheon."

I blinked, startled to see her in the chamber, holding two trays full of food in front of us. The Physicians were no longer present.

By the Lord, for how long had I been lost in my thoughts?

I accepted a tray from her with shaking hands. "Thank you, Mama," I tried to smile at her, but it came out as a grimace.