Chapter 24 - Harmful Headrests

Michael was very disturbed as he headed back to his own chamber. He had thought he would find Julia and she would hear the messages he delivered for James.

But she wasn't there. She couldn't be hiding from him. There was nothing serious in what he wanted to tell her than she had misled him.

He walked into his chamber mindlessly. He was hugged immediately by someone, a woman. That should be Julia. He pulled away to look at her face.

Without saying a word, he walked on into the chamber.

"You found the hex?" she asked anxiously.

"Which hex?" he asked like he didn't know what she was talking about.

"The one in the king's bed" she explained.

"The one you were lied to about. Because there is nothing in the King's bed" he replied angrily.

"Did you check it thoroughly, by yourself?" she asked.

He wondered what she was thinking. She must be thinking he was so lazy to look for that by himself.

"There is nothing in the bed. I changed the bed, brought in a new one. He is still extremely sick" he said slowly.

"Are you sure you change the bed?" she asked him what would anger him most. "He should be healed immediately if...." she continued.

".....Just keep quiet" he retorted. He would only become more angry if she kept talking. "Don't say anything again" he groaned.

"I am just trying to help in this, nothing more" she winced.

"Keep quiet" Michael yelled at her.

She shut up and was static. Michael also didn't look in her direction. He was very sad right now and worked up. His breaths were heavy and noisy. He tried to control that but he couldn't.

All his thoughts was he had lost and he would watch helplessly as James would carry out his plans until he would clinch and sit on the throne.

"Calm down, you just have to be settled" Julia had walked close to him. She caressed his back.

He felt relaxed a little bit but what he really needed was getting his father up from that bed before James would bring his war.

"I need to do this, Julia" he said tearfully. "The king must be healed to stop James" he asserted.

"I know. And you will do it" she hugged him.

Michael didn't want a hug but he had no choice. He stood there in her arms.

"The hex is somewhere in his bed" Julia started again. She said it calmly to make it sink in to his skull.

"I told you, I already changed the bed. If the problem is in the bed. He should be alright by now" he replied slowly. He was angry but he wasn't the kind of anger that would make him fire back at her.

He felt bad thinking he had failed.

"You changed only the bed, what about the other. The sheets....." Julia couldn't finish her words before Michael cut in.

"Everything was changed. Everything" he cried out.

"Wait!" he recollected suddenly. "The pillow, he was using the same pillow. Can the pillow held something like that?" he asked anxiously.

"You should check first" Julia advised and move back from him.

That was possible, if the talisman was in the pillow. The King would still be sick. He didn't want to be too happy until he would have discovered that.

"I thought you are going to check that?" Julia asked after seeing him hesitating.

"I don't think that is the solution. We should just be realistic here and stop wasting precious time" he didn't want to put his hopes on that.

"Talking about time. I should be out of here right now" she walked towards the door. "But I'm sure that is the solution to this problem" she stopped midway.

"I heard you" Michael moaned.

He remembered he would have discarded the pillow if not for his mother claiming it to be the King's favorite.

Julia was right. He should check it out. He didn't really know what he was looking for but he was sure he would recognize it once he found it. Things like that are easily identified.

He also dashed out of his chamber and headed for the King's chamber. Queen Teresa would be furious with him that he was back to start where he had stopped.

Anyway, she wouldn't be a problem and he had an aim now not like when he had to check the whole bed and move it out.

He continued on his with all his mind wishing it would work and his father would be healed.

He stormed into the King's chamber and startled Queen Teresa.

"Is there any problem, Michael?" his mother asked in fear.

"I'm sorry, Mother. I do not mean to startle you" he moved straight to the Alpha King. He gently raised his head up and removed his pillow. He put his head back down slowly.

The King was as good as dead. He didn't know if anything was happening.

"What is it again? Still looking for your talisman?" Queen Teresa asked.

"It should be in here" he grumbled as he began tearing the pillow apart.

"What is happening?" the Alpha King had just talked. His voice was faint but this was the first time he would talk since his sickness commenced.

Both Michael and his mother were surprised. They were dumbfounded. Michael was frozen, he couldn't continue with his task of tearing the pillow apart.

"Henry?" Queen Teresa managed to say, she quickly stood up and sat by his side on his bed.

"Teresa!" the Alpha King moaned weakly. "Michael" he called softly as he saw him.

With the joy of his father getting well. He violently tore the pillow into pieces and found what he had been looking for all this while.

"Mother!" he said softly. He showed what he had found to his mother.

"What on earth is this?" Queen Teresa was amazed.

"What is that?" the Alpha King tried sitting up. He was very weak. Queen Teresa assisted her.

"This is the cause of your sickness. This was put inside your pillow by....." Michael was interrupted.

".....Some people want you dead and they put that inside your pillow to sleep on. All you should know now is you need to pretend you are still sick and let us play along with them to find out who these people are" Queen Teresa explained.

Michael noticed his mother didn't want to reveal the identity of the perpetrator. That was not necessary.

"Mother, it is....." he couldn't finish his words once again.

"Let leave it as that. We will not let anyone whoever it may be destroy the peace that is reigning in this palace" she interrupted him.

"I will have to agree with the Queen and you could also see I still need a lot of rest. Pretending to be sick will be easy for me" the Alpha King agreed.

"But there will be a......" Michael felt his mother might have forgotten what he told her about James' plan.

"You will not say anything more to this to me or your father. It will remain as we have concluded" Queen Teresa said sternly.

"Let leave it that way son. Your mother is wiser than you think" the Alpha King chuckled and went back to sleep.

Michael saw no reason why they shouldn't tell their father about James and his plans. He kept looking at his mother wonderfully. He couldn't understand her.

Queen Teresa stood up from beside the King. She looked at astounded Michael eye to eye. Michael wanted her to change her decision but he knew she wouldn't listen.

"It remains as we have concluded, Michael" she replied sternly before Michael could say anything.

Michael turned away and left in anger. Not letting his father know who was behind this would just be endangering his life.

But there was nothing he could say to him anymore. He wouldn't listen to him. His mother had only made this harder for everyone. Now they would still have to prepare for the war that he had been trying to avoid.

He stopped in the hallway and leaned in to the wall with his face. He punched the wall very hard. He needed to know more about the war from Julia now that it was evident it would be inevitable.

"He will incite a war and end it" he murmured to himself. He remembered that was exactly what she said. That could be translated into a lot of meanings.

"What happened?" James' voice broke out suddenly. "You should not be as devastated as this in public. You are a son of a King" he walked slowly towards Michael.

"Father's health keeps deteriorating" Michael cried and hugged James. He buried his head into his shoulder.

"Don't be afraid, little brother. He will be fine" James chuckled and patted him on his back lightly.

Michael stopped crying. He wished he could kill him right now.

"Go and rest. I want to see Father" he led Michael to the way to his chamber. He turned back to go to his Father.

Michael stared at him from behind.

"You will fail" he mouthed angrily.