Chapter Text
One of the other traveling bards came by with a few mugs full of water, setting them down around the table. Coco picked hers up and took a long sip as she listened to Dagda speak.
“I didn’t see too much from where I was sitting, but I’ll tell you everything I know.” He held his own mug in both hands. After taking a sip, he wiped his mouth and began to speak again. “The musicians were set up just off to the side, and my view was somewhat obstructed by the other guests when the party actually started, but before the I saw when they brought the queen in. She wasn’t walking all that well from the start. Kept leaning on one of her guards.”
Coco nodded as she took in the information. So whatever had happened, it didn’t come on suddenly. Dagda set down his mug and continued on.
“The queen is never seen without her knights flanking her, so that wasn’t all that unusual, but they seemed to be keeping an especially close eye on her. The knight with the long black hair, he was watching her like a hawk. Hardly left her side in the entire night. I didn’t pay the whole thing too much mind, as it isn’t particularly my business.”
“Did she look sick?” Richeh piped up as she drank from her own mug. Dagda shrugged.
“She looked unstable, but I wasn’t sitting close enough to say for certain if something was off. Though it became clear pretty abruptly that something was the matter.” He grunted. “We had just finished playing one of the waltz numbers when she bolted up from her throne. Naturally, I looked over, assuming she was making an announcement, but she just…crumpled to the floor.”
Richeh and Coco’s expressions darkened. So that was what happened. The queen had suddenly collapsed in front of the most influential figures in the kingdom.
“They took ‘er off right away, but the sight alone was enough to cause a panic and provide plenty of fuel for rumors.” Dagda crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “It’s never good for a nation when its ruler is publicly in poor health. Tends to cause all sorts of political problems and fosters doubt and fear amongst its civilians. No surprise they’re trying hard to keep the whole thing under wraps…not that it’ll do much good.”
Coco looked down at her feet. She could only imagine how Agott must be feeling, knowing her mother was so sick. Dagda reached over and ruffled Custas’s hair.
‘Which is exactly why I’m glad you weren’t there. It was a practical stampede of nobles.” The man patted his son on the back. Custas groaned and tried to fix his hair while Dagda smirked. He turned back to the girls and exhaled through his nose.
‘You kids are too little to remember when the king became ill, but it caused a real uproar.”
Coco nodded. She was still a baby when the king suddenly became very sick and subsequently passed away. All she knew was that the queen refused to remarry and took on the duty of the crown alone.
A thought crept into the back of Coco’s mind that made her shiver. She didn’t know what kind of sickness the king had contracted that led to his death, and she certainly didn't know if it was anything like what Queen Adina was afflicted by, but if it were anything like the king’s sickness….
“Mister Dagda,” Coco fidgeted with her hands. “If…the queen were to pass away…what happens to the crown?”
Dagda raised his eyebrows. It was a fair question to ask, but he had to give it some thought.
“Well, then Princess Agott would be crowned, I suppose.”
Coco froze. But…Agott was so young. If anything were to happen to Queen Adina, would she really be forced to succeed to the throne?
“Not on ‘er own of course.” Dagda clarified, “There’d be an appointed regent.”
“A regent..?” Coco blinked. Dagda smiled and chuckled.
“Someone trusted by the throne to be appointed as temporary monarch in the case that the next in line to rule is too young, absent, or incapacitated,” he elaborates. Richeh and Coco nod in understanding.
“What kind of person gets appointed to a position like that?” Richeh asked quietly.
Dagda rubbed his chin. “Well, I suppose that's something the royal family is debating right about now, just to be safe.”
~~~
A simple white carriage rolled to a halt just outside the palace gates, and an attendant was quick to retrieve a wheelchair from the trunk and unfold it at the carriage door.
Beldaruit was assisted out of the carriage and settled into his chair, offering the attendant a kind smile.
“Thank you, I can handle it from here.” He waved them off and began to push himself toward the castle entrance. Standing at the gates were a few of the Knights Moralis, accompanied by Qifrey.
“Master Beldaruit, I trust your journey from the academy was comfortable?” Qifrey greeted with a polite bow.
“Oh, stop it, no need for formalities.” He chuckled. Qifrey straightened up and turned to open the palace doors.
“Very well then, I’ll escort you to your chambers.”
~~~
Dagda cleaned up the mugs from the table and set them to the side. Coco lingered nearby, her mind still full of questions she wanted to ask the man. She tugged on one of his pant legs to get his attention.
“Mister Dagda…” She said quietly, “When the king got sick, was it similar to what's wrong with the queen?”
Dagda shook his head. “I’m sorry, kiddo, but I’m not sure. When the king got sick, they were pretty secretive about what was going on. I don’t know what his symptoms were. Only people who would know that are medics and apothecaries.”
“Just the royal ones, I’m guessing.” Coco kicked at a rock on the floor, defeated. How could she find out more about what was going on if the only people with any information were at the palace?
“Not necessarily. The king's illness was a bit of a mystery. They called in professionals from all over our town and the next to try and get him well again.” Dagda hummed and patted her head. “I suppose if you’re really looking to find out more, you should ask one of the apothecaries in town.”
“I know an apothecary!” Custas chimed in. “I can take you to him, too. He’s a good friend of mine.”
“You know an apothecary in training,” Dagda corrected with a smirk. “You’re talking about that young boy who lives in the middle of town, aren't you? Tartah?”
“Well, yeah,” Custas shrugged. “But he's bound to know some of the details about the king since he works with apothecaries.”
“Just don’t bother anyone while they’re working.” Dagda nudged his son with his foot. “And don't let the Knights Moralis overhear you digging into this further. Can’t afford to be causing any trouble.”
“We won’t!” Custas grinned and took Coco’s hand. “C’mon, he should be working at the first aid tent today, observing.”
Coco quickly took hold of Richeh’s hand before she could be pulled off by the energetic boy. Soon, the three of them were hurrying off back through the festival in search of a boy called ‘Tartah.’