She woke in a dark room. It was her nose rather than her eyes that identified it as the infirmary; from Earth hospitals to Khediva's infirmary to the one at Palace Royal, they all seemed to share a similar astringent scent.
For a moment she was confused, thinking there had been another attack on Khediva, and that in a minute Scotty and Haaron would come, if not Mara and Tirqwin; then she remembered. Tears began to stream down her cheeks as a sense of desolation and abandonment engulfed her, and she let out a convulsive sob.
"There, now, you mustn't do that," Sehaèri's soft voice said. A smooth, soft cloth wiped her tears away. "Everything will be fine. You're better now. It wasn't a very big dose."
"What..." Sabrina managed to croak.
From her other side, Rayland's voice said, "A paralytic agent. We had the counteragent on hand; Homeworld has used it in the past. They used a small dose on you, probably because they lacked enough information on your biochemistry to be sure of the right dose."
"They tried to kill me?" she asked.
"No. This was a kidnapping attempt," Rayland told her. "If they had wanted to kill you they would have given you an overdose. It would have acted almost instantly, certainly before any aid could have gotten to you."
There was something familiar about the method, she thought. Of course! They had used a similar agent on Tirqwin, but then Mara had been there to counter it. "Mara! Tirqwin and Khediva! Are they safe? They didn't come?"
"They did not come," Rayland assured her. "They are safe. I am not even sure they are aware of it. Part of the reason they used the paralytic agent is that it induces a sort of trance in the victim. You did not feel distressed; therefore your distress could not be communicated to the Crystal."
"Is that why I couldn't understand anybody?"
"Partly. Your brain was widely affected; your language skills may have been part of that. But you seem to speak well enough now." He smiled down at her. "Rest assured, you are safe. We have the two attackers in custody, and we have arrested the three agents who helped arrange the attempt. We had suspected them before, but could not act without evidence."
"Who?" Sabrina demanded.
"One of the janitorial staff; a junior technician in Defense Control; and a groundskeeper. I think they were Homeworld's primary agents within the palace walls." He sounded satisfied.
"Glad to be of service," Sabrina said dryly. "Oh! Darice! Is she okay? And Tassan?"
"Major Darice was treated for a slight stab wound and released; she is resting. Citizen Nikolar is in the next ward, but his injuries are not serious." Rayland patted her hand. "You never seem to lack for protectors, my dear."
"Hah. He'll probably never want to be in the same room with me again," Sabrina sighed. She yawned. "I'm so tired."
"Your body needs rest to recover. You struggled mightily against the paralytic agent; it took a great deal of strength," Rayland said. "Princess Sehaèri will sit with you half the night; Lady Selémahs has volunteered to take the second watch. In the morning, Princess Reauwina will attend you. So you may rest and leave everything to us."
"Any word on Scotty?"
"No, not yet, my dear."
"He...was their excuse...for this," she yawned.
"I am afraid so. But we survived, and we are safer now that their agents have been forced into the open. Rest well, my daughter." He bent and kissed her forehead.
_____________
When she woke again, the ward was in the dim daylight of an overcast day. Reauwina smiled and called for something to be brought for breakfast. "And you have so many people who would like to see you and wish you well," she said brightly.
"I claim first privilege, as the other casualty," Tassan said, walking slowly into the room.
"Yes, please. I am so sorry," Sabrina said, eyeing the bandage on his arm and the angry, swollen bruise on one side of his face. She frowned as she saw a series of small scratches on his other cheek.
He noticed. "One of your rosebushes also fought valiantly in your defense. Unfortunately, no one told it I was an ally."
"The yellow rosebush," Sabrina sighed. She looked away, her eyes becoming distant. "I threw a yellow rose on my mother's coffin."
"She is tired," Reauwina said softly to Tassan. "Another time, perhaps."
"No," Sabrina said. "I'm all right. Do we know how they got into the conservatory?"
Tassan frowned. "The groundskeeper and janitor seem to have had the most to do with it; the technician evidently kept the intrusion from being noticed in Control. It's all taken care of now, or so Commander Rayland says. Hardly anybody even knows about it; the Commander ordered us not to talk about it."
Sabrina gave a faint grin. "Then should you be talking to me about it?"
"You outrank him, and you asked me," Tassan replied. "I do find it hard luck not to be able to brag about my exploits in defense of the Regent."
"I'm sorry," Sabrina sighed, then realized he was joking. "I suppose you don't want to paint my roses anymore."
"On the contrary, I am more interested than ever. However, before my security clearance is expanded to that level, Control will have to finish analyzing the mind probe they insisted I endure."
"Mind probe?" Sabrina exclaimed, frowning. "Why on earth?"
"Obviously, because I led you into that ambush," Tassan replied. "They wanted to make sure it was an accident, not a conspiracy."
"Oh, for heaven's sake! I would have gone up there last night anyway, I think. Oh, dear, I hope Rayland's not going to forbid me to go there anymore."
"No," Reauwina soothed, "the conservatory is safe now. You aren't to worry about anything, only get better." She shot a dubious glance at Tassan.
He noticed, and gave a wry grin. "I won't trouble you any longer, my lady," he said. "I just wanted to make sure you were all right."
"I'm glad to see that you are. I apologize for leading you into trouble," she said.
He shook his head. "I refuse the apology, since it is unnecessary. I am the one who ought to apologize to you, and I do, most profoundly."
"I suppose we'll have to call this guilt-bearing contest a draw," Sabrina said, smiling a little. "We'll share, how's that?"
"Not to my taste at all."
"Well, I outrank you, so there."
"Unfair abuse of privilege!" he retorted, but his eyes glinted with amusement.
"I'm convalescing. You are supposed to humor me," Sabrina pointed out.
"Very well then, but only to aid your recovery," Tassan replied. He bowed and departed, leaving Reauwina to shake her head.
"That man is insufferable," the princess said. "I hope you will put him in his place when you are feeling better."
"Why Reauwina, what has he done to you?" Sabrina asked in surprise.
"He's been in here every hour or so, badgering the doctors and hanging over me as if he didn't trust me to take care of you!" Reauwina said indignantly. "I asked Commander Rayland to order him away, but he said that was for you to do when you woke."
"That would be dreadfully ungrateful of me," Sabrina yawned.
"Go back to sleep, my lady," Reauwina said, instantly contrite. "You are still not yourself."