Gods Of Blood And Fire (Book 1) (16 page)

The Bishop lightly knocked on the door to the Princess’s room, hoping no one would answer. “Come in,” he heard someone say, the voice sounded strange. The Bishop slowly opened the door and walked in. He saw the Princess propped up in her bed. He tried to keep the look of revulsion off his face, the girl’s looks were ruined. He had never really liked the young girl, she only had one redeeming attribute and that was her beauty. Now that it was gone, there wasn’t much to like. She had not deserved the beating she had gotten from the new King. He had nearly killed her that night. The way she looked now, the Bishop felt like it might have been a blessing if Talorn had let Cain had finish the job.

“Princess, may I speak with you?”

“No, you may not.”

Raygan turned her face away, refusing to look at the holy man. It was hard for the Bishop to understand what the Princess was saying. She had to speak with her teeth clenched and the swelling in her jaw didn’t help the situation.

The Bishop walked closer to the bed, this was going to be like dealing with a child, Lyfair thought. “I must speak with you, Highness, it’s the King’s own order.

She turned to face him. Now that he was closer Lyfair could see her poor face more clearly, it was truly a mess, if Blackthorn hadn’t killed King Aaron one look at his precious daughter’s face would have. “I care very little about what my brother has to say, Bishop Lyfair.”

Her jaw moved like a wagon with a broken wheel when she tried to speak and she winced in pain with every word. “Highness, please let me speak the King’s word and I will leave you in peace.”

Raygan glared at him with fury in her eyes.

“Very well, speak quickly and be gone.” The Bishop cleared his throat. “Princess Raygan Albana you are to be wed to General Talorn Blackthorn Lord of Southern Bandara heir to the Duchy of Braxton Bluff in the fall. The King expects you to do your duty and accept the Lord General as your husband.”

Her lip had begun to quiver and tears ran down her face dripping on the satin pillow she clutched to her breast. “I’m truly sorry, Highness, I…”

“Get out now!” Raygan grasped her face in pain the shout had cost her.

“As you wish, good day, Highness.”

She didn’t have to say it twice. He did not want to be there in the first place. Lyfair turned and quickly left the room. He could hear the Princess weeping as he walked back down the shadowy hall, it sounded more like a wounded cat than a young girl. He was too old for this. Cain should have attended to this task himself. Maybe the new King didn’t have as much backbone as William thought. The King and his general were both too craven to talk with the Princess themselves. And why did Talorn want to marry the Princess now anyway? He could not understand, the girl was disfigured and she was not known for her sweet disposition. It didn’t matter, he would tell the King the Princess had been informed of her impending nuptials and the subject would be closed. He needed to return to the church, he needed a nap and maybe Selmac could give him something for his aching head.

She would never marry Talon Blackthorn. Not in the fall or any other season. So that is what Cain had in store for her. Marry her off to one of his cronies. If she were a man she would challenge him for the throne, her claim was just as strong as his now. All the nobles of Bandara had heard what her father said. She had no chance though, Cain would simply imprison her or have her killed. She had no army and few of the powerful nobles would support her. Fulfilling the promise she made her father was hopeless.

She might not be able to fight Cain for the throne, but she would not cooperate with this marriage. Raygan decided right then she would run and leave Bandara behind before she married Talorn. The very thought terrified her, but she would not allow herself to become the wife of Cain’s arrogant friend. First she needed to get better, then she would bury her father. Raygan hoped Isabella was having some luck finding someone to help her.

Isabella had asked everyone in the Great Market of Turill who the best healer in the city was. Everyone had a different answer. The healers she had checked on seemed little better than Selmac. She knew Raygan would not stand for any of them to treat her injuries.

She had left the market district; there was one more name she had acquired from an old man with no legs. Rhys Morgan. The old man said he didn’t have a place in the market. The healer worked out of a small two-story house by the northern gate. That area was the poorest district in the city. Why he had his practice there and not in the market district was a mystery to Isabella.

By the time Isabella approached the street where she had been told the healer lived, her feet were aching and she was tired of walking. It was late in the afternoon and well past lunchtime. She thought about turning back. She would just tell the Princess that she couldn’t find a healer better than Selmac. Isabella thought about how disappointed the Princess would be, and she wasn’t a very good liar anyway. So she decided to push on, feet throbbing and belly growling.

The house was not hard to find, there was a line of perhaps twenty people coming out of a two-story shack on the corner.

She asked a young boy with a bandaged hand at the back of the line, “Is this where the healer Rhys Morgan lives?”

“Oh yes, Mother said he could fix my hand.”

“What happened to it?”

The boy frowned. “A dog bit one of my fingers off.” The handmaiden shook her head and looked at the length of the line. It was going to take a while if she stood in line. So Isabella tried to make her way up onto the porch where the line started. She thought if she told this healer Morgan that the Princess was inquiring about him she could skip the wait.

As the girl made her way up, several men in the line stopped her. The handmaiden tried telling them she was there on the Princess’s order. They didn’t believe her. They laughed and told her to get to the back of the line. There was little choice but to wait.

She caught a glimpse of the healer as he came out to greet his next patient. He was much younger than she thought, around Cain’s age she guessed. He was handsome. Isabella liked the way he wore his brown hair pulled back to show his kind face. The healer had a lean build, but what stood out the most were his pale blue eyes. The Princess would like him. Even if his skills were not the best her lady would like his looks. She decided this was the one.

Isabella noticed while she waited that this surgeon seemed to take anything as payment chickens, cheese, a goat. One man even brought him a stack of firewood. He would walk them out onto his porch take whatever they gave pat them on their back and wished them well. Isabella wondered if it was some kind of trick, no one was that kind at least no one she had ever met.

It was well after dark when she got her turn. The young healer came out on to the porch drying his hands with a rag. “What do you need, young lady?” Isabella nervously pulled her blonde hair behind her ears. “I need you to come with me to the palace, please.”

The physician looked amused. “Why is there someone sick?”

Isabella could tell he didn’t believe her and was just going along. “My lady bid me to find her a healer and bring them to her.”

“Really well, who is your lady ah...?”

“My name is Isabella and I serve Princess Raygan Albana.”

The young man tried not to smile. “I’m quite sure the Princess has a royal healer to tend to her needs.”

“She doesn’t like him,” the handmaiden said, yawning.

“That’s quite the story, Isabella, but all you had to do was say you need my help, and I would have come there’s no need for the big story.”

Isabella was too tired and hungry to argue with him. “Will you come with me then?”

“Yes, let me get my things.” Rhys put on a clean shirt and his short jacket and grabbed his bag of instruments and the small leather case that contained the herbs and ingredients he used in his medications. Isabella was waiting on the porch when he came out. With all the bags he looked like he was going on a trip.

“I am ready, lead on, Isabella. Is it your house we are going to then? Is one of your family members sick?”

Isabella sighed. “I told you where we were going.”

“Oh right, the palace.” Rhys chuckled.

A while later as they walked through the gates of the palace the guards nodded to Isabella and let her and the healer pass without question. Isabella looked out of the corner of her eye at her companion. “This is the palace healer.”

Rhys looked down at the girl astonished. “Oh bloody hell.”

Isabella watched the healer examine the Princess. He was gentle and seemed to know what he was about. He had introduced himself to the Princess, told her to lie still, and went right to work.

When he finished Rhys had pulled the chair from Raygan’s dressing table over near her bed and sat down. “Your injuries are severe, Highness, how did you get them if I may ask?”

“It was a riding accident a few days ago.”

“Begging your pardon, Highness, but those injuries aren’t from any riding accident.”

Raygan looked into his eyes almost pleading. “It was a riding accident.”

“Of course, Highness.” Rhys asked no more questions. The healer was not about to argue with royalty. “I can mix some herbs that will help with the healing and the pain.”

“What about my face when the swelling goes down, will it be like it was?”

“The bones were broken in your nose and there was damage to your jaw. I don’t know that I can help your appearance Highness.”

Raygan kept herself from crying in front of the young healer, but the disappointment was all over her face.

“Thank you, healer Morgan, I was hoping there was something that could be done.”

The healer just shook his head. Rhys could see the look of anguish on the young Princess’s face, he had crushed her last hope.

“I would like to retain you as my physician anyway, if you are willing.”

“Of course, Highness, whatever you wish. I will plan to check on you tomorrow and bring the medication I talked about.”

“You’re not from Bandara are you, healer Morgan?”

“No, Highness, I’m from Tara.”

“The Tyroian colony south of Greyland?” the Princess said.

The healer’s eyebrows rose in surprised. “You’ve heard of it, Highness?”

“Oh yes, Bishop Lyfair has mentioned it in his sermons on many occasions saying how the great faith of the Taran’s have sustained them all these years against the dreaded black slayers of Larcasia, the savage Viborg, and the rest of the nasty’s of the Harsh Coast.”

He nodded. “The Riders of the White help some too, Highness.”

“Yes, the knight order in Tara. The Bishop has mentioned them as well. I think I will rest now, thank you again healer Morgan.”

“I prefer Rhys, Highness.”

“Very well then, thank you Rhys.”

He patted Isabella as he passed her then stopped at the door. He wasn’t sure if what he was going to say next was a mistake, but he was going to take the chance. “I might be able to help you, Highness with your face, that is.”

Raygan painfully pushed herself back up in bed. “I thought there was nothing that could be done.” She could barely contain the excitement in her voice.

“You have to understand I was trained by the Church like all healers are and by their knowledge and traditions there is nothing I can do. However there are things I have learned that are not taught by the Church, things that are not even condoned by the Church. I didn’t know if you would even entertain the idea.”

“I will try anything. I don’t care if the Church likes it or not.”

“Then you will have to trust me, and we will have to keep it just between you, me, and Isabella of course,” he said glancing at the girl.

“You have my word, Rhys. I will do whatever it takes.”

Isabella pulled at the healer’s sleeve, “You have my word too, Rhys.”

He smiled at the girl and the Princess. “Then I shall return tomorrow and see what I can do. I will make no promises, Highness, but I will do my best.”

“It’s all I can ask I will leave word at the gate so the guards will let you pass.” He nodded to them both and left.

“Isabella, come here,” Raygan commanded.

The girl walked over to her mistress’s bed. “Yes, my lady?”

Even though the pain was great Raygan put her arms around the girl and pulled her close. Isabella could feel the Princess’s tears on her neck. “Thank you so much, Bella.”

Isabella returned the hug as gentle as she could. “Why are you thanking me, Highness?”

The Princess pushed the girl back and looked into her eyes. “For bringing me hope.”

Rhys couldn’t sleep, he was taking a big risk using what he had learned from the old woman to help the Princess. She said she didn’t care what the Church might say, but he did. It would be his neck on the block if anyone found out.

The few times he had used his gift people hadn’t understood its function and he had been forced to flee the town. He was most likely being a fool trying to use it on a noble, a Princess at that, but there was just something about the young woman. He wanted to please her and he didn’t know why. The Princess’s injuries were severe enough for him to tell if his skills had improved. It would be a good test. He had been practicing on animals when he could but it was not like healing a human. Rhys tossed and turned for another hour. When sleep finally found him he dreamed of the old woman and the cave.