Chapter 23 - Extensive Examination

"I won't give up yet" Michael muttered and went on his all fours to search the bed once again. He dipped his hands into all possible spaces where something could be stacked. There was still nothing.

"I don't know where you were told but it is obvious that what you are doing is just a waste of time. Time that should be invented in planning something better" Queen Teresa kept complaining. She just wanted him to stop.

But Michael liked the way she kept talking against him. His nature was to always prove people wrong.

He already pictured it in his mind when he would rise up with a talisman in his hand and his mother would stop on her speech abruptly.

"Where the hell are you?" Michael gasped. He started running his hand on the lower part. He would feel it if anything was stacked inside.

After some fruitless minutes of searching. He felt his mother was right. This was just a waste of time.

"As long as he sleeps on this bed, he will remain sick" he remembered that was how Julia had said it.

If he couldn't find the talisman, he would change the bed. The King should be healed instantly once he was out of this one.

But he didn't want James to know about any of this. It had to be fast.

"Guards!" he yelled suddenly.

"Why do you need guard right now? Don't tell me you want them to turn your father over for you to search" Queen Teresa asked in amazement.

"They will turn him over. Not just right now" he waved at two guards that paused at the door after they had come in.

"Look at these bed very well" he pointed at the bed on which his father was sleeping.

The two guards bent forward to see more clearly.

"Get me one exactly like this from the alcove. Right away" he dismissed them.

The guards left immediately.

"Do you want to change his bed or my ears are playing tricks on me" Queen Teresa wasn't a fan of all what he was doing.

"Yes, mother" he replied quickly.

"This is Henry's favorite bedding. You can't just change that just because of your assumption" she queried him.

"Mother. I promised you to make sure he is healed. I got this from a very reliable source that this bed is the cause of his illness" he sought her acceptance.

The guards were back in the chamber with bed components. They quickly arranged it and it was looking exactly like the one the king was sleeping on.

"Even if you are changing the bed. There are some you should leave" Queen Teresa said slowly.

"I'm only concerned about the bed mother" Michael voiced and turned to the guards. "Get him on this bed" he ordered.

The guards did as they were directed. They put the king on the new bed. Queen Teresa took the pillow he was using and placed it beneath his head on the new bed.

"Disassemble this and take them away" Michael felt an air of accomplishment. He believed that the King would be up in the next few minutes.

After about half an hour. He checked him again. He was the same, no improvement. That obviously didn't work.

"You won't give up yet?" Queen Teresa asked with a sleepy voice. It seemed the whole thing was making her tired.

"Something is not right" Michael shook his head slowly.

"The only thing that is not right is what you were told" she asserted.

"We need to bring back the king because you won't like what James is planning" Michael paused and looked around fugitively. "He want to start a war" he revealed.

"A war? Is that what he was talking about?" she couldn't believe it.

"Yes. His plan is moving forward and the only thing that can hinder that, Is the king's health" Michael groaned.

"You know that and you are wasting your time making beds" she whimpered. "How do we break this spell on him without a sorcerer?" she obviously wanted an answer in the negative.

"If we find the talisman he used, we could..." he couldn't finish his words.

"Do you still believe in that? Wake up, Michael. There is no amulet in any bed. This is definitely a spell" she corrected him.

"Then we look for a sorcerer to break the spell" he rescinded.

Michael felt disappointed. He had believed in Julia and his hope was dashed. She had to know how painful that was.

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

Harold locked the door. He walked back to James to sit beside him.

"It has been long since I lock my chambers from inside" James smiled. He was very happy right now.

"No one could enter this way, we can discuss in peace" Harold confirmed.

"Believe me, I made sure she would spent nothing less than an hour on the errand" James affirmed. Harold was always being wary of Julia.

It seemed he was afraid of her apart from seeing her as a mole.

"You said it is good news?" Harold stated eagerly.

"Yes. Father is now bedridden" James said happily.

"We need to let Quentin know about this to make this fast" Harold had shared in his happiness. He was obviously gladdened by what he heard.

"I am imagining how I will be elevated above everyone in his eyes. Then I won't have to be afraid of anything" James boasted.

"Actually, I don't think it that way. I just didn't want to stop you from doing what you have in mind. I don't think your father will be nice no matter what you do" Harold said slowly. He must have known that James would not receive that well.

"I don't believe that. Everything we say, do and our beliefs. They are all stirred by a cause. He believes I won't be a good king because of prophecy. The belief can change because of occurrence, not just one but a remarkable and outstanding one" James declared confidently.

"Let the game begins, then" Harold didn't argue.

There was a gentle knock on the door. It stopped for a while then it came again.

"Nothing less than an hour?" Harold flashed his eyebrows.

"I'm not sure it is her" James replied calmly.

The knocking started again, it was so violent that Harold had to rush and get the door open. Michael dashed in. He stopped abruptly. He was obviously surprised.

It seemed he had not seen what he expected.

"I'm sorry for knocking like that. But Father's condition had worsen" he said while looking round the chamber.

"No problem. I thought you promised to see to that" James smiled.

"This is serious. We have to do something right away" Michael had not found what he was expecting to see. He kept checking all over the chambers with his eyes.

If he had the opportunity. He would move into the inner chambers just to find what he wass looking for.

"Father's sickness is nothing to worry about, brother" he walked towards Michael and placed a hand on his shoulder. He turned him back to face the door.

"I will do what needs to be done. I was in the middle of something with my friend before you came in" he slowly walked him back to the door and put him on his way.

James locked the door again after he went out.

"You are becoming very careless. He even has the guts to come into your chambers to look for her" Harold said immediately.

"He is not looking for her. He was disturbed" James said to avoid supporting his words.

"There is a difference between been disturbed and ransacking a chamber with prying eyes" Harold went further.

"Anyway, that is what I want. I want them to be in contact" James chuckled.

"But coming in here to look for her means he has a lot of nerves and he isn't afraid of you. That is not supposed to be James" Harold grumbled.

"I do not need him to be afraid. I want him to be careless, relaxed and loose until he will lose" James chuckled again.

"I'm very sure this isn't the first time he would come in here like this" Harold sought to confirm.

"Yes, he came and met her once but they didn't share a word" James sat down.

"They have been communicating in your presence and you are waiting for them to share a word. I'm very sure they spoke to each other without you knowing" Harold giggled.

"How is that possible?" James thought he was only trying to tell him he had been careless. There was no way they would have talked to each other without him knowing.

"Can you remember his exact words?" Harold questioned. He looked like he knew what he was doing.

"He said 'I now believe everything you say' and then....." James trying recollectiong the words he used.

".......He wasn't even talking to you. He was talking to her directly" Harold interrupted him. "Our secret is in his hands" he moaned.

"You don't know that" James asserted.

"What else is unbelievable until it happens?" he paused to stare at James in the eyes. "The Alpha King sickness" he concluded.