Page 19 of A Touch of Royalty
“A bond,” Asan said shortly. “A closure of the loop between them will ensure that Healer Emryn remains able to keep the illness in stasis until such a time as I can divine how to remove it permanently.”
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COUNCIL
“I’m sorry,” Emryn whispered, not sure who she was apologizing to. The Mother? Prince Cas? The queen? She didn’t know, maybe it was all three of them. They all deserved an apology, but for different reasons.
Prince Cas turned to her, taking her by the shoulders and smiling at her. “You needn’t apologize for keeping me alive, Emryn.”
“Truth,” the Queen added with a nod. “And had the head healer allowed it, I would have elevated you long since.” The Queen closed her eyes, looking up at the ceiling briefly. “If Asan says that this is the way, I trust that. However, it will be a fight with the council.”
“Well if they want me dead, they can say so.” Prince Cas said, with a tiny smile.
Emryn wavered in her feet, pitching hard to one side as something felt like it tore through her spine.
But there was nothing there, and all it did was make Prince Cas lunge to catch her before she hit the floor.
“Mother, she needs to sit.” Prince Cas said. “She’s easily weakened.”
“She is your princess, my son.” The Queen pointed to a chair at the side of the room. “She is permitted to sit in my presence.”
Prince Cas swept her off her feet and carried her to the side of the room, settling her in the chair and laying hands on her shoulders when she would have stood again.
“None of that, Emryn.” He smiled down at her. “Rest for a bit, and then we will go and speak to the Council.”
“Yes Highness,” Emryn dropped her eyes.
“I have a name, you know?”
Emryn nodded, “I am aware of that, Highness.”
“We’ll work on it.” He laid a soft hand on her shoulder and turned back to his mother. “Have you had breakfast, Mother?”
“Yes, though I believe that it is nearing luncheon, if you would join me.” The Queen looked at Asan and Emryn. “We will plan how to take this to the council. I will overrule them as I must, but I would prefer to give them the illusion of choice.”
“Sound,” Asan broke in. “I will be present to explain the magical aspects, if you require me.”
“It would be helpful, Asan.” The Queen nodded in the First Wizard’s direction. “Now, come with me and we will dine and plan.”
Emryn wasn’tcertain how she’d managed to offend fate in the order of magnitude that meant that she was seated with the Crown prince of Rodilla in front of a council of gaping nobility as the queen of the same nation announced that her son would be married by the end of the day.
To her.
A city healer.
Not even one of the palace healers, which would have been a little bit less bitter to swallow.
No, to Emryn, a common healer, and Asan’s recitation had simply made it worse.
The council was now yelling. Shouting questions on top of questions that had Emryn’s head spinning as fast as it was possible to go. If she’d had fins on her head, she would have left the floor by now.
It was more than slightly ridiculous.
But Emryn had no idea what to do about the questions and the accusations that were being flung at her. The idea that she’d somehow made the Prince sick in the first place in order to bind herself into the royal house was laughable at best.
She didn’t even know what she was doing here.
But the evidence presented by the First Wizard meant that she couldn’t simply walk away. Her vow precluded her walking away from the sick if she could do something.
