Chapter 20 - Magician Malediction

Julia felt something scratching her feet. She pounded her feet on the ground to shake it off. She realized immediately it could be what she was expecting.

She bent down quickly and looked around. She saw her messenger mouse. It was very tired. She caressed it and rose up.

The mouse kept shrieking. She held it right not to fall from her grip.

"I have once heard that name before, Quentin" she smiled at it and listened to its squawking once again.

"I have nothing to do with all that. Just tell me the main reason" she patted the mouse.

"No, a talisman to make him sick. That is brutal" she shook her head. "And what war?" she asked eagerly.

"Thank you" she put it down but the mouse was still squeaking. She picked it up again.

"That's funny" she said after listening to it.

The door opened suddenly and James rushed in. Julia hid the mouse behind her. She was short of words.

He saw Julia where she was but he stared around like he was looking for another person.

"I heard you talking to someone" he put a finger in his ear. "I am very sure of that" he turned behind to check again.

"I am the only one here all this while" she made an innocent face.

"Then what are you hiding at your back?" he asked as he walked closer to her.

"My back? Hiding what?" she feigned ignorance and quietly dropped the mouse.

James hurried to her and looked behind her. Julia brought her hands forward and opened them for him to see.

"I have nothing to hide" she said softly.

James definitely didn't believe her and he was utterly confused. He kept staring at her as she walked away from her.

"You just came back from a journey and you wanted to rest. You look stressed" Julia showed care.

"I know what I heard. You were talking to someone" he repeated.

"You are my master and you can never be wrong" she bowed her head lightly as a sign of respect. "I am going to the quarters to let you rest" she moved outwards slowly.

"You will not be living in the quarters anymore very soon. Maybe you should start moving whatever should be moved down here" James mentioned as he lied down.

"Here?" she asked in amazement. "I can't sleep here" she said awkwardly.

"It is no rumor, we are getting married soon. The earlier you start spending all your time here the better" he replied quickly.

"I think we should let that be after our marriage" she said slowly.

"And you won't need to be addressing me this way anymore" he retorted. "There will be no need" he got up from his bed.

"You should rest" she said. "There is every need for you to rest and for me to respect you" she urged him.

"Then I should start addressing you as Queen Julia already" he laughed.

"You are not yet the king, so that will be... inappropriate" she bowed to avoid an eye contact with him.

"I will be in little time to come, you will be surprised" he laughed confidently. He seemed sure he would win this war.

"I look forward to it" Julia smiled subtly. She had known everything behind his morale.

"I expect you to be happier. This is what we are fighting for. We are getting closer" James had really become overjoyed. He was spilling what he had been keeping from her.

"You seem very sure about this. You are encouraging me to work hard toward this couple of days back and now you say we are getting close" Julia wanted him to continue. That would buttress what she had already learned.

"I'm just trying to be optimistic" he replied curtly and went back to bed. It seemed he had realized he would say more than he wanted her to know.

"Anyway, I believe in you. We will get there gradually" she exhorted him.

"Thanks" he moaned softly. He was obviously feeling remorse for what he had just done.

"I am going now" Julia walked out of the chamber.

This needed urgent attention. She wondered how Michael would feel when he learnt James was now going after their father's life. That was horrendous. She wouldn't presume that. Michael, too, would not.

And she was sure the mouse couldn't lie. It said exactly what it heard. Julia looked around fugitively before venturing on the way to Michael's chamber.

She felt concerned more than she used to feel. It now seemed she was more than just a messenger, but one of the royal bloodline.

*****************

Michael held his mother close to his body. She was obviously scared. She had rushed down into his chamber and she still couldn't say anything since her arrival.

"It's okay, Mother" he put her head on his chest holding it there. His heartbeat would definitely be banging in her eardrum for the closeness.

Queen Teresa gasped. She raised her head to look into his face. She chewed her mouth like she had something stuck in it.

"The King is sick. He is very sick" she sobbed.

"He will be well,the physician will take care of him" Michael managed to say, though he was surprised that was why her mother was so disturbed.

"The physician is clueless. He neither knew what was wrong with him not what he should do. He just kept feeling his skin" she shook visibly.

"He is doing his job" he didn't feel there is anything to worry with his father being indisposed. His mother was just worried because he didn't use to fall ill easily.

"I have never seen him sick like this. I'm afraid he is going to die" she broke into tears.

"Father is a strong man, he wouldn't be fallen by a common illness" he hugged her again patting her to console her.

Michael knew how bad his father's death could be right now.

Devastating!

Even to his ambition. He must not die. He wouldn't die now. He tried to console himself.

"Please don't let him die" she begged like Michael had some power he could use to stop him from dying.

"He won't die. I promise" he was clueless. He just had to make her feel better.

"It is not what you are thinking. This is... magical. Someone had cursed the king" she hyped.

"Whatever it is, Mother. It comes and will surely go" Michael kept assuring her.

"The physician can not do anything to alter this" she continued crying.

"Then we will look for who can. Even if it is to travel beyond the seas. We will find whoever could heal the king" he professed.

"Henry must not die now, please" she couldn't stop crying despite how Michael had been trying to make her feel better.

"I will get some sorcerers to check him" he said as final resort to relieve her.

"No. No one know who is bad or good among them. There must be another way to save him, Michael" she refused.

"He will not die, Mother" Michael affirmed again.

"I have to go back to him" she moved away from him and walked outwards.

"Stop" Michael groaned. Queen Teresa turned back at him. He walked close to her and wipe the tears on her face.

"He is sick right now. Seeing you like this will make him more sick. Try and show strength when you are with him and he will be relieved" he smiled at her.

"Thank you" Queen Teresa said forcefully trying to fight back more tears. She cleaned the rest of the tears on her face. "Thank you. I should be with him" she moaned softly and went out.

"Father is sick?" Michael put on a jacket, he would see for himself before he would believe his mother.

Women could be worried unnecessarily. As far as he knew, there wasn't anyone that could want the Alpha King dead and would go to the extent of cursing him with magic.

The Alpha King must only be slightly sick. He had to speak with the physician before he would know what else to do.

It had been long since he heard anything about magic in the kingdom of Darnley. Most of those who practiced sorcery had left. The business of sorcery was not thriving well around here.

If it was really true that the king was suffering from magical curse. Then the source must have come from a very far away. He scoured his mind if there was any foreigner in the palace that he knew of.

There was none. There was no way the Alpha King was inflicted with magic. There was nothing to worry about.

He walked towards the door but the door yanked open before he could reach it. He waited for whoever had opened the door to come in.

He moved forward when he had waited out his patience and no one showed. He saw Julia standing at the door as he proceeded.

"You have to hear this, Michael. It is very urgent" she walked beside him into the chamber.

"This is more urgent, the king is sick" he disclosed. He felt there was nothing that could be more urgent.