The infirmary was small, a single room with two narrow beds standing side by side, and a cabinet of standard medical supplies on the wall behind them. Damask wallpaper stretched around the room, similar in style to what was in the corridor, except darker, which made the tight space feel even cozier.
Alori and Taelan stepped around Tomso, who was perched at the foot of Yuka's bed, a worried expression scrunching up his pudgy face. The doctor, or perhaps he was a nurse– he wasn't a mendmage, in any case– stood off to the side, his thin arms crossed against his chest. He wore a stethoscope around his neck and a mirror strapped to his bald head, but his severe frown said he hadn't come to any promising conclusions.
Reeve was on the edge of the mattress, beside Yuka. The unconscious bard's dressing gown was soaked in sweat. His head tossed back and forth, scattering blue hair over his pillow. He murmured something under his breath, groaning in pain.
"It's your name." Reeve looked up at Alori with bloodshot eyes. "He keeps asking for you."
"He must be delirious." Tomso's arm rested horizontally over his round belly, supporting his other arm which he was using to rub his lips.
"No, he's still unconscious." The physician slid the stethoscope from his neck and set it down on the medicine cabinet. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I'm afraid his condition is beyond my capability to treat. I can tell you that he has a high fever, a rapid heart rate, and all attempts to rouse him have failed. He doesn't seem to have an infection or clear signs of injury. Do you suppose there's anything you might be able to do for him?"
Alori sank to her knees beside the bed, laying her hand on Yuka's clammy wrist. He was cold to the touch, yet still sweating profusely.
"Yuka," she whispered, closing her eyes, although she doubted he could hear her. She pitched her voice higher, addressing the other men in the room. "I'm going to mind-meld with him. If it works, maybe he'll be able to explain what's going on."
It was the only idea she had. As the Shieldmaker, Alori was capable of achieving the highest level of proficiency in all fields of magic, but she hadn't studied medicine beyond basic wound dressing. Healing took years of study and patience, and required extensive knowledge in both natural and magical applications of medicine. It required a level of dedication that went beyond what a crown princess'– or a queen's– responsibilities allowed.
"Be careful." Taelans' voice was soft with worry. She smiled at him over her shoulder.
"I will," she whispered, then closed her eyes again and turned her focus inward.
Establishing a mind-meld was a quick process, like sinking underwater but without the breathlessness. It took a moment to gain her bearings and draw her magic into a funnel that she could extend to Yuka across a shared cognitive pathway, much the same as she had done with Hira. All magic worked the same way, a give and a take, except instead of taking from the elements to create a spell, this time she was channeling her magic through another person, and he wasn't a mage.
Luckily, Yuka did not need to be conscious, or even willing, for the connection to take hold.
"Yuka, can you hear me?"
She formed the question in her mind and sent it along the pathway. The sensation of her own words slipping away from her consciousness caused a nagging tickle in the back of her head.
"Alori..?"
Even if Yuka had been a mage, that was a fast connection. Had he really been waiting for her, like Reeve said?
"I can't see anything. Where are you? Am I dreaming?" His voice was strong and surprisingly lucid.
"Not quite," Alori said. "Hold on, I want to try something."
YOU ARE READING
The Princess and the Bard (Royals of the Realms #1)
Romance*Beta version -- still editing* Crown Princess Alori must choose her consort before her coronation. As the Ville-Realms' most powerful mage, she alone possesses the ability to protect her people from the looming threat of demonkind... with the help...
