Princess in Trouble (complete)

15 - The King, the Queen and the Prince

The sun had set when soldiers and guards returned from the Western Wall, leaving guards with torches on the wall to watch in the case any attempt was made by enemies throwing a metal hooks with a ropes attached, to climb the ropes still hanging from pitons. Even yet, warriors might try to enter the kingdom over that Western Wall.

The king of Tutela arrived back at his palace feeling rejuvenated and excited, wanting to see Vondra and his queenly wife as soon as he had changed and washed. But as he dismounted his horse, he was met by Anton who told him what had happened.

The grandfather sent Anton to fetch his doctor for a face to face chat. He began with, "Anton has explained the situation but I need to hear it from yourself, Amos."

"Princess Vondra is sleeping, Sire. She collapsed soon after arriving here and I tended her. My diagnosis is that she has extreme exhaustion, malnutrition and dehydration. With a small injury to the back of her head she needs rest, sustenance and time to recuperate," he said.

"Nothing serious, Amos. That's good. I shall wash and change and visit with her."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but unless she requests it, my advice is that when she is ready for visitors, that will be the time for you and your queen to visit."

"Has my queen spoken with her yet?"

"No one has visited her since she arrived and collapsed, and again, Sire, my advice is that when she is ready, the queen and you should be the first to visit her. My experience tells me that it might be a week before she is ready for you."

Shaking his head, Altores conceded, "Therefore, I shall wash and change and speak with my queen."

To the king's surprise, Prince Sharzor was with his queen, now in a chamber next to the one where Vondra lay.

Two years ago, the prince and his young wife, Marcina, had come to Tutela for their honeymoon and together had visited twice more before Marcina had been bed-ridden in her first pregnancy, carrying Marcina, having been bleeding. 

Later, the news had come that the little princess had been born and was well, but sadly, Marcina had died from loss of blood. 

Tutela's king and queen were not permitted, under their oath, to leave Tutela, so sent messages of condolence and apologies for not attending the funeral.

"Was it only a week ago that you lost your Marcina?" The queen asked.

"Perhaps a day or two more than a week," Sharzor answered, adding, "It seems a lifetime now and I feel so thankful to have my daughter here, alive and safe."

"Tell us how you met our granddaughter?" The king queried, adding, "Tell it all."

The prince obliged, not showing himself to be a hero but admitting he had been adversely affected by their granddaughter. "Sire, and Marm, but she was a bunch of contradictions, bossy..."

"We know that," the king said with a faint smile. "But often, she is right, is she not?"

"Yes, she is," Sharzor said. "I, as well as those encountered by her along our way, knew she was different, special. She was trying so hard to fit in with those around her that they, we, we could only wonder who she really was. Certainly not a servant girl, but none of them, including me, ever dreamed she was a princess, an heiress." Closing his eyes, he slumped forward in his armchair, silent for over a minute before he spoke again.

"I... I have to admit that I became enamored of her and was angry with myself. How could I even think of another when my Marcina, my true love was so recently dead in a grave. Before I met your granddaughter, I swore I would never love again..." He bowed his head, blinking tears away.