Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Violet
Waking up with intense nausea should not be a new feeling, but today it feels different. I roll over and try to stand but my legs cannot hold me, maybe not eating for four days and constant nausea and throwing up will do that to you…
As I slowly crawl my way to the bathing chamber, I contemplate to lower my shields to Tairn and Andarna, just to feel like I have someone in my corner for once but Tairn is away with Xaden and Sgaeyl on the other side of the country and Andarna is in the vale in her dreamless sleep so neither will respond.
I finally reach the toilet och spit out the stomach acid and what is left of the water I was able to drink last night; the pain is endless as I feel the two more ribs subluxe next two the two I could not set last night.But I don’t have the energy to try and get them in again as the room spins even worse when I lift my head, I know I must try and get back to bed, or the door to see if someone might be around and can get help. But the people who are still at Riorson house would rather see me die then help so I rather take my chances with the bed.
Halfway to the bed, my energy must have completely evaporated in the bathing chamber as I feel my heartbeat slow down and the darkness settle in behind my eyes, maybe I underestimated how bad I really am. The last thought that goes through my mind as I lose consciousness is the wordless “help” I send down the bond to Xaden, that has been closed on both sides ever since the last battle with the Venin five months ago.
Xaden
Sitting in this blasted throne room for another pointless meeting with the Assembly, Bodhi, Imogen, and Garrick I wonder once more where Violet is. I haven’t really seen her for three months and Tarin is not been forth coming as to where his rider is currently at, and I start to wonder if it was a good decision to listen to her brother when he made the decision for her that she should not come with me on the tour of the cities and towns around Tyrrendor. Looking around once more I can’t help but lower my shields slightly to try and get a feeling on Brennan as he has been acting oddly the last two times that I have been home. Suddenly my heart starts to slow down, and I rub a hand over my heart, Bodhi who is sitting to my left looks at me with a weird look on his face clearly trying to ask silently if I am okay. I nod my head to him once, but the feeling does not go away that something is wrong.
Suddenly, I feel Violet’s presence in my head and a soft thought of “help” and a loud roar from Tairn fills my head. Fear shoots through me and I rush out of the room with voices shouting after me and I hear three sets of footsteps behind me.
Taking the two flights of stairs up to the family quarters, I burst through the door to the Queens chamber but find no Violet or anything that might belong to her. Turing around I can see Bodhi, Brennan, and Garrick coming down the hallway. “Where is she?!” I shout at Brennan, “I thought you said that you had shown Violet to this room after the wedding!”. Brennan looks away and a redness starts to creep up his neck, “I was going to, but then another matter came up, and Cat said that she would do it...” he trails off. “And you did not think it was weird that Cat, Cat of all people, said that she could help or maybe double check that she had done it? And what made you even think that she was going to be helpful?” I look at him baffled as well as over Bodhi and Garrick. “Don’t answer that now, I need to find your sister and make sure that she is alright” I say and my legs start to shake. “Xaden, what is happening?” Bodhi askes me as he tries to support me and leans me against the wall. “I don’t know, I suddenly started to feel weird and Tairn roared down the link I have with him. So, something is clearly wrong with Violet” I say as I gather up the little energy I have left and start making my way to the guest rooms one floor below.
Reaching the guest quarters, I try to feel through the bond which door is Violet’s, and I finally locate her door as the furthest on the right. I take of running again with Bodhi quick on me heels, reaching the door I can’t help and think that she has no wards on her door, how is that even possible? she is the queen of this country, and no one has even thought to help her with wards even thought I asked.
Opening the door and my wife finally comes into view, laying on the floor passed out with blood seeping out of her head – I rush forward and gets the biggest shock of my life. This is not the Violet that I left behind three months ago, this is a shell of a person, who used to be so vibrant and quick to talk back, is reduced to nothing more than skin and bones. What has been going, has Brennan not looked after his sister even though he promised me? Has no one else tried to check in on her? More and more questions run through my head as I carefully lift her in my arms and look up as Brennan finally gets to the room. As I stand up with Violet in my arms, I look over the room and note that even this room has no personal belongings or besides the bed looks like it is not being used. I swiftly show those thoughts away and carry my wife up passed Brennan and Garrick, down the corridor and up the stairs to my room. “Get me a fucking healer and bring them to me!” I shout to one of the guards, I know I could just ask Brennan but based on how he has acted and is currently acting, I don’t trust him to answer my questions or even help his sister who clearly needs help.
I reach my room and carefully lay Violet down on the bed, once I am sure that she is somewhat comfortable, I turn around and block Brennan’s approach, “Let me help her!” he says and I meet his eyes, “No, as I clearly cannot trust you to take care of her when I am not here. What makes you think I will let you near her now?”. “I am a mender, and I have looked out for her” he replies, well clearly not good enough or we would not be in this situation…
But before I can reply, Tarin’s voice go through my brain, “Don’t let the mender come close to the silver one”, I put more pressure and push him away and out the door. I look to Bodhi and say “Knock on the door when the healer gets here and then send a notice to Lewellen to ask for their mender”. I close the door to the shocked surprised looks from all three and amend the wards so I can hear when someone knocks but they cannot enter without having to touch either me or Violet. Opening the bond to both Sgaeyl and Tairn, “Why should I not let her brother see her or let help mend her?” I ask. “He has done nothing but make her feel bad that she mourns her mother and sister, as well as been of no help to try and get settled here and going as far as shutting her out” Tarin says. A knock on the door startles me from the conversation and I open to find two healers as well as Garrick. I quickly lower the wards to let them through. As soon as all three has passed, I look out again and see no one else. Closing the door and raising the wards, I turn around and see that the healers have made their way to Violet and started to look her over. A quick glance to Garrick, I raise my eyebrow “Brennan?”, “Stormed away in a huff once you closed the door and Bodhi made his way to his study to send out the missive” he scoffs. I nod and turn towards the healers and Violet; she looks so small as she lays in my bed. Not the that she has ever been big, but this makes my heart shatter. I know she does not think much of our marriage, but I want to make an effort to get to know her and to make Tyrrendor her home.
Stepping closer to the bed, I look to one of the menders and before I even get the chance to ask, I am hit with one of the most unbearable pains coming from the bond. Staggering to a chair I feel Garrick’s hands on my back trying to support me, it is not the first time that I felt pain from Violet through the bond, but this is the first time that she does not try and block me out. I look panicked over to her, “What is wrong with her and where does this pain come from?” I ask one of the healers that have rushed towards me. “We do not know, and we need to examinate her more to be able to know what is going on. Do you know when the last time she ate or what has made four of her ribs and left hip subluxe, as well as the head wound?” he asks. I stare at Violet and don’t know how to answer that, the bond between the dragons is also completely quiet. “I don’t know” I stutter, “I found her laying on her stomach in a pool of blood about ten minutes ago but have not seen her since before I left for Sumerton”. I look to Garrick to see if he might know, but as he was with me, I don’t think he might know anything more than I do.
He shakes his head at both me and the healer and move towards the door, as we hear a knock. I lower the wards once more and Garrick opens the door to reveal Bodhi. Right as he enters, I hear a small moan from the bed and Violet’s head moves back and forth on the pillow, I move towards her, but the healer by the bed is quicker as she puts one hand behind her head and lift it up slightly. Violet’s pail hazel eyes are filled with pain, and she meets mine for the first time, and a look of confusion is quickly replaced with agony, and she tries to cough. The other healer tries to ask her the same questions but does not get a reply before Violet loses consciousness again.
They both work quickly to stich up the head wound as well as setting her hip, and slowly and carefully raise her up to try and set her ribs. Once all the visible injuries are set, they lower her back down and look over to me. “We have done everything we can to mend her in her current state, but I would like to set up an IV as well as give her a light dose of pain medication to see if that can help her in any way. But that is also up to you, your majesty, if you are okay with this” the male healer says. I look between him and Violet, “Please, do what you think will be best for her and I will inform you once the IV is done or if she wakes before that”. Both healers nod their heads and whilst one packs up, the other starts the IV and pain medication, and then swiftly exits my room. Right before the door shuts completely, the female healer turns and asks, “Should I ask if Lieutenant Colonel Aisereigh to come in and mend the head wound?”. I shake my head, “No need, I have asked for a mender from Lewellen to come instead as the Queen’s dragons does not want him any where close to her at the moment” I say. The healer looks a bit startled but just nods her head and closes the door.
I drag my chair towards the bed so I can sit beside Violet but have my back to the door, Bodhi looks to me and opens his mouth, “Why don’t you want Brennan to mend her, and why does Tarin and Andarna not want him close to her?”, I look at him and give a shake my held slowly, “According to Tairn, they do not have as close of a relationship as I thought and he has been nothing but unhelpful since before the wedding”. Garrick’s head snaps to me and a pure look of confusion takes over his face, “What do you mean, according to Brennan when I spoke to him before our trip, they had been getting closer than ever and bonding over both being here in Aretia?”.
“I don’t know what is going on in this house, but I need you both more than ever now to try and get some information from the staff and other people that might have an idea what has happened in the last three to four months, or hell even as far back as the wedding” I say. Garrick nods his head and moves towards the door, “I will place a guard outside your door and one at the entrance to the family quarters so no one besides the three of us, the healers, and the mender can enter with out any questions” he says and leaves the room.
Bodhi puts a hand on my shoulder and looks over Violet, “I will come up with dinner, and let the guard know if you need anything. I will give a quick debrief to the Assembly and the kitchen staff”.
I nod my head and pick up Violet’s hand in mine as I hear the door close behind Bodhi and the quite murmur of voices that lets me know the guard has taking up station outside the door. The bond with Sgaeyl has been so quite since this morning that I wonder what might have happened, but as I try and reach her there is what feels like an iron curtain between us, same with the connection to Tarin – so I am left with my own thoughts.