The Second Son

Chapter 19

One year later

I sat in my favorite spot in the woods enjoying the solitude. It was the only place I had left where I didn't feel like I had to hide a secret. The sky was overcast and it matched the mood I was in. It occurred to me when I woke this morning that a whole year had passed since I fell in love with a prince and broke his heart to save my family. It hurt just as much as it did the day I pushed him away. Would my heart ever heal? Would I ever stop dreaming about him in my sleep? Surely I wasn't doomed to be heartbroken the rest of my life?

The day I lied and told Henry I didn't love him was the day everything for me changed. I escaped to the Arbor village where I hid for 2 weeks. Both Alva and Catori spent the entire time trying to convince me to return and mend what I had broken. I finally snapped and told them I didn't care about a ridiculous prophecy when the people I loved were in danger. Catori stopped speaking to me after that and Alva let me know she was disappointed in me. I felt wretched.

When I returned to the manor, my aunt and uncle were furious at me for running off while the Royal family was visiting. My aunt felt the need to remind me of how fortunate I was that they took me in when they didn't have to and I was being ungrateful. My uncle, like Alva, told me he was disappointed in me. I fell into a deep depression. At the time, Eddie was the only person still speaking to me and even he was bothered by my behavior. I had never felt more alone in my life. I had to remind myself everyday why I did what I did. To save my family. That is all that mattered.

Even now, a year later, my relationship with my aunt and uncle is strained. They don't speak to me very often and they find ways to keep me out of sight when we have visitors now. The worst part is that Eddie is leaving soon to travel the realm in search of a suitable wife. He'll be gone for months, maybe even a year. And when he returns, he'll belong to someone else.

The only way I've found to cope with everything is to throw myself into my work. I spend all my time seeing patients, collecting plants for my medicines, or reading as much about healing as I can get my hands on. I don't go to the Arbor village anymore. It's too much to see the look of disappointment in Alva's eyes. So I've had to continue my education on my own.

But there is something else that has kept me up at night when there is nothing to distract my mind. Henry. I hurt him. I can never take back what I did. Being with him was my only chance at happiness. Now, when I think of my future, it haunts me that I'll be alone till the day I die. News of Henry has managed to reach us all the way in the South. His father has sent him across the sea on a diplomatic mission. I'll probably never see him again.

The sun was starting to dip below the horizon so I knew it was time to head back to the manor for dinner. I took my time making my way through the forest. It was hard sharing a meal with people who were ignoring me. I just sit there and eat in silence. This arrangement works for everyone.

By the time I reached my surgery, I felt too exhausted for the evening that lay before me. I had doubled my gathering efforts today. The illness that had almost killed the king last year has been slowly getting worse. It seemed I was treating someone afflicted with it everyday. The old rarely survived. I didn't have a cure and I didn't dare use what I had left of the midnight bloom. The villagers would not hesitate to persecute me as a witch and I had a feeling my family wouldn't do much to stop them.

I mustered all my energy to clean myself up, put on a clean frock, and raced to the dining hall. I didn't want to be late and give my aunt any more reason to be annoyed with me. When I arrived, the only one to acknowledge my presence was Eddie. He gave me a little wave as I took my usual seat next to my aunt. She was deep in conversation with my uncle about some party they were throwing in a few weeks. Eddie was discussing the guards training schedule with his brothers. I tuned it all out and dug into dinner.

About halfway through the meal, my uncle's voice interrupted my daydreaming.

"Emily, you received a letter today. It had the royal seal on it so as the head of the household, I took the liberty of opening it. To my shock, it was from the king himself. He has requested your presence at court. It seems the capital is having an outbreak of the same illness that is infected our lands. I guess you left quite an impression on him when he visited last year. You leave in 2 days."