Ripples in Royalty

Chapter Five

Aldric woke in the physician's chambers. His whole body ached and his head felt like it had simultaneously exploded and collapsed in on it's self.

His sister was sitting next to him, her arm wrapped tightly with fabric. She was whispering something to the court physician.

When she turned around, seeing Aldric awake, her face lit.

"Aldric," she exclaimed. "Thank Cygnus you are alright."

"What... happened?" Aldric asked, his tongue feeling like a block of lead.

Eris' eyebrows raised in concern.

"What happened to your arm?" Aldric said.

"Do you not remember?" Eris asked as the court physician came up behind her.

"My brain... is in a fog."

"What do you last remember?" The physician asked.

"I remember Titan getting me," Aldric thought out loud. "The throne room was trashed, Eris was behind..." A look of sheer horror spread across Aldric's face as the memory slammed itself down on him, making his awful headache all the worse.

Eris was openly crying now. "I am sorry Aldric," she sobbed. "I did not want you to... I promise. I tried... I tried to stop her... but... but."

"Eris," Aldric said. "I chose to."

"But it is my fault," Eris said. "You are my little brother. I am the one who should be protecting you, not the other way around."

Aldric tried to smile, it was nice to hear, every once in a while, that his sister did care.

"How is mother," Aldric asked.

"I do not know," Eris said, her face turning from red with tears, to red with rage. "I do not care either. I cannot care less about how our mother is doing."

"Yes you do," Aldric said.

"I might care a little about how Hemlock is fairing," she said. "But I do not care about how the monarch is feeling."

"Well, then how is Hemlock?"

Eris sighed. "He was given a salve for the pain, and the injury was wrapped. He is doing well.... Much better than you are."

Aldric laughed and looked at the old physician. "What is my sentence?"

"One week of bed rest sire."

"One week," Aldric moaned.

"At least," The physician said. "If you are not healed enough by the end of it, then I will have to extend it. Understood?"

"Yes," Aldric groaned, dreading the thought of being stuck in his room for a week.

One week where he would have to face the Monarch.

One week without seeing Leif's family.

One week without a pastry from Eoforwine.

One week without checking up on Randolf.

In other words one week of mental torture.