Page 9 of To Fight and To Fold

"My hand—it’s not supposed to hurt like this," she begged, and held it out to them as if they could fix it.

“Miss, we don’t have time for this. Please, continue with us.”

She pressed at her palm, which looked entirely normal—maybe a little reddened from where she was rubbing at it compulsively. It throbbed, as if something was trapped beneath, and she whined as it seemed to swell.

"Tethered," she heard one of them whisper.

A sigh.

"Fine, fine! Infirmary—let's go!"

2

DRAGON-NAPPING

Aaryn did not end up in the dungeon like she’d feared. Quite the opposite. The soft glow of oil lanterns gently painted the walls of the infirmary.

A simple white sheet covered her, even though it was entirely unnecessary.

"You have a visitor," the doctor told her, and over his shoulder, the person he spoke of came into view.

She swallowed a gasp. “Your majesty,” she greeted, and bowed her head.

Why would the prince be at her bedside?

“At ease, Aaryn,” he said, and held a hand out to her.

He knows my name?

As she lifted her head, she regarded a few other faces in the room—not only the doctor, but a set of guards, as well as the prince himself.

This doesn’t seem very at ease.

“What—may I ask, what happened?”

“It’s a bit of a long tale. How are you feeling?” he asked.

Prince Jarrick was known for his kind eyes, square jaw, and sure swordsmanship. Aaryn was not immune to the full attention of the future monarch. As she studied him, she noted his blond hair was pushed back, and his smile was soft, understanding. And yet dust and sweat were visible on his neck, around his ears. For the prince to be in such a condition, matters must be worse than they were letting on.

“I…” Under the prince’s gaze, she felt obligated to tell the truth, and dropped her attention to her hand. “My scar was what hurt so badly. I've never felt it ache so much. So vividly."

The quietness of the room seemed to swell for a moment. When she dared to bear its weight in order to glance up, the prince seemed sympathetic as ever.

The doctor interrupted the heavy silence. "I've concluded there is nothing wrong with your hand, Tethered. It's just a scar. All is well."

“Do you feel alright now?” Prince Jarrick asked.

She nodded, the pain gone from her hand, mind clear… for the most part. The clouds, however, remained, though she kept them to herself, because she didn’t quite know how to explain such a thing.

"What happened to the castle? There was an explosion?"

The memory of the fires from the top of the hill made her stomach turn.

“There were no casualties. But I do have some news.”

Aaryn swung her legs over the side of the bed, and the prince kindly made room for her. “Is Starspark alright?”

He paused, and Aaryn’s hands began to shake.