Irah of the Seven Dominions

Chapter.8: Gratitude

The world around him shifted and swirled, colors and voices mixing and disappearing as he attempted to figure out what was going on. When he was finally able to open his eyes, Haynes found himself lying in a hospital bed in a small, gloomy room, lit only by a lamp on the far side, near which a man sat on a sofa reading a newspaper.

"Hello." Haynes croaked, suddenly feeling a searing pain spread from his shoulder to his chest and to his back, his head aching for who-knows-what reason.

The man looked up from the paper, his features breaking into a grin as he put down the paper and stood, walking towards Haynes, still smiling stupidly as he seated himself on the chair next to the bed, passing Haynes his glasses from the bedside table as he did so.

"How are you feeling brother?", Rodrick spoke, watching as Haynes rapidly blinked his eyes, trying to adjust to the surroundings.

"Like someone shot me.", Haynes replied with a chuckle. "Where am I?"

"The hospital wing in the Queen's palace.", Rodrick said as he leaned back in his chair and looked around as if seeing the room for the first time. "After you got shot, she had you brought here where her team of doctors operated on you. They got the bullet out and told us that you would soon recover. I've been waiting here for you to gain consciousness since then."

"She has a hospital wing in the palace and her own team of doctors?", Haynes asked incredulously. "Now I know what happens to our taxes."

At his statement, Rodrick began to chuckle, "This was built out of the royal family's own bank account and is managed by it too. As for her team of doctors, there's always one on standby for her. As we have seen tonight, she can be attacked at any time."

"They catch the shooter?"

"Yeah, he was shot in the ensuing confusion and did not survive. They're still investigating this."

Haynes nodded and then asked Rodrick what the time was, to which his friend shrugged and said that it was almost 1 A.M.

"What! My mother must be very worried.", Haynes exclaimed trying to sit up but unleashing a whole new wave of pain upon himself and proceeding to lie back down.

"Relax.", Rodrick patted him on his good arm. "Her Majesty spoke to her on the phone and told her that you will return home as soon as you recover. That probably means tonight."

'Wow. The Queen can't stand me in her palace at all. She really hates me, even after I saved her. She's not only rude, manner-less and arrogant, she's also ungrateful', Haynes thought as Rodrick prattled on in the background about how Erica wanted to stay but had to go home because of their three-year old son, Harold.

"...Anyways, before Erica had left for home, Her Majesty called us both to her office and she told us the strangest thing. Apparently, a truck bound for Occidentum was stopped at the border of the central dominion, and its cargo was searched and seized. The boxes that were recovered contained weapons, the boxes themselves, boasted the logo of Panther enterprises."

"What?", Haynes couldn't believe what he was hearing. "We don't even manufacture weapons!"

"Exactly what I told her." Rodrick agreed, "Now here's where it gets really interesting. The truck belonged to Greene Incorporated."

It took a moment for that to sink in, but Haynes recovered when he realized that it made sense. Alfred Greene, who had a strong dislike for both Haynes and Rodrick would try and frame them, that man could sink this low in his hatred.

"So, what did the Queen say?", Haynes said after a moment's silence.

"That she believes you.", Irah answered, as she walked through the door, her sea-green ball gown now replaced by a plain navy-blue dress, her imperial robe and crown still in place and her hair half-tied in a pony tail. Haynes immediately tried to sit up and managed to do so despite the pain searing through his shoulder.