@idiotkingofswanlake || Cont.
"..." When he found her, there was no one around to tell him who she was. Where she was from. But the woman looked foreign, that much was true enough. Beautiful, though, even in illness. Though that didn't currently matter to him as much as getting her to a place where she could be treated.
Looking around for a moment or two, a bid to make absolutely sure that she was the only one lost in these woods, he moved to carefully pick the woman up in his arms - one supporting under her back, the hand of his other arm tucked carefully behind her knees in a bridal carry. This made it a bit hard to maneuver up onto his horse - a large white stallion that trusted Derek with his life - but he managed with just a slight struggle before holding her tight against his chest and riding hard for the palace. It was there that he found his mother and Lord Rogers, sending Rogers off to find a physician who could come to the palace on such short notice... and then carrying the blonde woman off to a private chamber where she could rest more easily until the physician arrived to help her.
"Anna." The name slips from her lips in a fevered delirium, repeated more than once, each utterance accompanied by a deep, worried crease upon her brow. A sheen of cool sweat glistens on her forehead, and her body trembles, the unmistakable signs of illness, yet, despite these clear symptoms, the physician is left confounded, unable to discern the cause, for no fever manifests to explain her condition.
“Your Highness," the physician began, his voice laced with uncertainty. "I’ve examined her thoroughly, but I cannot explain it. The signs of illness are unmistakable ---sweating, trembling, the pallor of her skin--- but there is no fever. Not a single degree above normal."
The queen's face tightened with worry. "But how can that be? She is clearly gravely ill."
"I know," the doctor replied, frustration creeping into his tone. "It defies all logic. Fever is the usual indicator, the body’s way of fighting off infection. Yet, in this case, there is none. Her pulse is weak, irregular, but there is no sign of the fever that would typically accompany such symptoms. Whatever afflicts her... it does not follow the patterns we know."
The queen, her brow furrowing as she glanced from her son to the woman in the bed, spoke with quiet urgency. "Doctor, this young woman ---she is clearly of noble birth. I need not remind you of the consequences if she succumbs. Her illness is not only a tragedy for her family but for our kingdom." Her voice, though calm, carried the weight of her concerns. "This is urgent. We cannot afford to let this mystery go unsolved."
The doctor hesitated, casting a troubled glance at his patient before meeting the queen’s gaze again. "I understand, Your Majesty. But I can only offer what little I know. I will try every remedy at my disposal, but without the fever to guide me, I am at a loss. It may be something... deeper, something not yet understood." He sighed, his shoulders heavy with defeat. "I can only pray that we find the cause before it is too late."
The queen turned to Derek, her voice sharp with a new determination. "Derek," she said, her tone urgent but calm, "check the royal registrars. Look for any noble families in neighboring kingdoms who may have someone named Anna in them. There may be a connection we're missing. If she's of noble descent, it is imperative we understand who she is and why this is happening now."
