Chapter 21 - Inexplicable Illness

"This is also about the King" Julia voice shook. She was shocked to hear that the King was already sick.

James plan had already begun. He wasn't wasting anytime.

"You are not going to believe this. James has poisoned the king" Julia narrated, she was breathing heavily.

"You are right" Michael asserted. He walked closer to her.

Julia was surprised he believed it right away. Maybe he had already seen something related to that.

"You know this before?" Julia asked in surprise.

"No. I mean you are right. I can't believe what you just said. James can not attempt to kill father. He can't kill him" Michael giggled. That obviously was not reasonable to him.

"He is not going to kill him. He wants to use his sickness to advance his plans" Julia shook her head as she explained. She wished Michael would understand easily because she couldn't explain more than that.

"Advance his plans? So poisoning Father isn't the main plan. It is an avenue to reach the plan. And if I may ask, what is the real plan?" he chuckled again.

"A war, a fake war. He wants to start and end a war" Julia tried to buttress her words but she couldn't, beyond that.

"You didn't go with them on their journey. I must say wherever you are obtaining your information from is no longer trustworthy and credible. It seems they are trying to mislead me using you" Michael had been thinking deeply.

"No. My source can not be compromised. It is not just capable of lying to me" she assured. She stared at Michael who seemed to had no interest in her story.

"This your source, what makes you so sure he or she was not also caught unaware by the journey and if that happened then what you are telling me now makes no sense. It was definitely concocted in the meantime" Michael explained with confidence. He seemed very sure of what he was saying.

"I don't think so" she argued. She couldn't tell him her source wasn't human. She didn't want to tell him. That might lead to a need of lot of explanations.

"So what is the meaning of poisoning the Alpha King to start a war and end it? Is it only sounding stale in my ears? Don't let us get fooled by our desperation. Ignore this odd story and let's dig for the real plan. Do you understand" he inquired. He shook his head as he stared at Julia in the eyes. He must have seen in her eyes that she disagreed with him.

"I am not blaming you or calling you incompetent. We just need to be careful to know what lead to follow and the one to drop" he said calmly trying to console her.

"I understand" Julia winced. She was feeling bad with the way Michael had received this.

"I have to check on the king and see the real cause of this sickness. The Queen called it sorcery and you call it poisoning. Let me deliberate on which side to take" he smiled.

"The Queen is right. It is sorcery. They got the poison from a sorcerer. Quentin" Julia paused
after mentioning the name. She looked out for his reaction.

"Quentin? The banished sorcerer?" Michael asked in amazement. He was definitely familiar with the name.

"Yes, exactly. Do you believe my source right now" Julia was happy in a bit.

"I can't think clearly right now. We need to talk about this after I come back from the Alpha King. We need to talk at length, to know the lead to follow and the ones to ignore" he asserted again. There was confusion all over him. He moved back and forth mindlessly.

It seemed he didn't know the decision to make. The last thing said by Julia had made his earlier decision faulty.

"Then go and come back. Speak about it to the Queen" Julia advised. She was sure the Queen would shed more light and would agree with her opinion.

"The Queen already has enough worries. She is not in any position to rub minds right now" he elucidated.

"The king sickness will be used to incite a war, a fake war and this war would be end by James. That is the plan" Julia said to him once again for him to rethink on his way to the king's chambers.

"I still don't see how that will make someone a king" Michael condemned. He walked out of the chambers leaving Julia behind.

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

Michael kept looking all over the King Alpha. He couldn't understand what was wrong with him. He took his hand and pressed his fingers. It seemed he couldn't feel anything.

His body temperature kept changing. It was swaying. He would be very hot sometimes and after some minutes, he would be very cold. His whole body kept changing colour.

He looked pale when Michael came in but now it seemed he had received some healing. His body looked normal.

Michael gasped happily. The Alpha King opened his eyes, he looked at Michael. He opened his mouth. He wanted to say something but he couldn't.

"That was how he kept changing. Tell me this isn't sorcery" Queen Teresa was almost in tears.

Michael was sure this wasn't just an ordinary illness. It was more than that.

"Mother, I promise you he will be healed" Michael managed to utter. He couldn't understand any of what he was seeing.

He really needed to speak with Julia once again. Her words seemed to hold meaning now. The part where she said the king was poisoned not the starting and ending a war which was completely unreasonable.

"What are we going to do?" Queen Teresa sobbed. "Are we going to watch him like this while he withers away?" she held the king's hand.

"He is not going to die" Michael turned around on hearing some footsteps. He saw the physician coming in.

Queen Teresa quickly wiped her tears. She stared at the physician like he was the cause of the King's illness.

"So what is wrong with him?" Michael challenged him.

"I'm afraid. My Lord. I have not been able to discover anything wrong with him. His pulse is okay. The blood flow is not having any problems" he said fearfully.

"Are you trying to tell me there is nothing wrong with him? You see someone like this and you are talking about a normal blood flow" Michael said angrily.

"He obviously looks sick, my Lord. I assure you we will find this sickness and he will be healed. I promise" the physician put his hand in his pocket. He brought out some vials.

"What are these?" Michael grabbed one of the vials.

"For his temperature" the physician replied quickly.

"To reduce it or what?" Michael examined the vial.

"The King temperature is boiling, my Lord" he answered.

"This is going to keep it down, right?" he put down the vial. "Have you checked his temperature?" he asked again.

"Yes, a number of times" he nodded confidently.

"I will want you to check it again" Michael ordered.

"Oh no. He was boiling hot before I went out" he said in confusion. He obviously couldn't understand what was going on.

"You are not going to give him any of that" Michael pointed a finger to his face. "Take them out of here" he thundered.

The physician walked out of the chamber quickly.

"There is nothing we can do, that is it. We just have to watch" Queen Teresa bemoaned in regret.

"There is something we will do. I will make sure he gets well soon. You just have to trust me" Michael stood up. He looked very sad.

James had taken this too far. He wished he had a way of punishing him for this. He marched towards the entrance of the chambers.

"You had someone in mind?" Queen Teresa asked.

He turned back and met her already on her feet. It seemed Michael thought had been revealed to her through his face.

"Do not worry. Everything is going to be over soon" he forced out a smile.

"Michael, whatever you are going to do. Do not do what you will not be proud of. You should consider your future" she warned.

That was about the throne. She didn't want him to do anything that would rule him out of becoming a king. He did not need to be told that.

He would have told his mother what Julia said about the King's sickness but he was not fully convinced within himself.

If Julia's source could know about the poison. The cure should also be known. He needed to see Julia right now.

He had to wait after sending her a message.

"I told you not to worry, Mother" Michael smiled. "This has nothing to do with my future and I will make sure it remains as that" he persuaded his mother.

Queen Teresa nodded weakly. He believed him.

He had to find a way to protect the King's life as much as he would fight for the throne. The king's death right now might jeopardize everything.