Chapter Text
"How could I not?" Warmth flooded Noah's heart at his fiancee's words. She was smiling with wide gorgeous eyes that reflected the light of the stars. It made him smile too.
DING DING
Suddenly, Raeliana's face fell and her eyes unfocused. His mouth opened in panic as she started to sway. "Raeliana!"
DING
He caught her in his arms as she fell backwards, facing him but unable to maintain eye contact. "N-n-ooa..."
"Raeliana?!" He said forcefully. Not too loud, he hoped, to hurt her in any way but enough to get through to her.
With a sigh her eyes closed and her hands hit the roof with a soft thud. "Wake up! Raeliana??"
He leaned her against his torso, scratching her head a little to gently jolt her awake. Nothing. Quickly, he ran his hand across her forehead. No fever, no injuries, no options. He scooped her up and ran.
In his haste, he earned himself a few more scratches on his forearm and scuffed the knees of his dress pants. Of course, that was a small sacrifice to get Raeliana home safely. As often as he could, he rested her head against his shoulder so that he could touch her forehead with his cheek as he ran. Still warm.
While some had gone home, most attendees were still in the ballroom dancing to one of his brother's favorite songs. There were few people in the corridors to get in the way. He jogged swiftly around them. Ansley appeared at his side, matching his step.
"Carriage, now!" Noah ordered.
"Yes sir!" She took off at top-speed.
A minute later, he stopped in the entrance hall breathing heavily.
"Your Grace, how may I assist you?" A butler scurried up to him.
"Please tell His Majesty that I must be taking my fiancee home now." He said steadily. All the butler could do was bow meekly and open the door for him. The horses neighed as Ansley stopped the carriage as close to the door as possible. She jumped down to open the carriage.
"Home quickly," Noah instructed. "But do not jostle the carriage."
"Yes sir." Ansley's worried gaze followed the face of her mistress as Noah carried her into the carriage. She bit her lip to refrain from voicing her questions, knowing it would only slow them down.
The door clicked, and they were off. Noah had laid Raeliana across the cushioned bench, with her head resting in his lap. She looked peaceful, not ill or in pain. What in the world had happened? Something in the palace? He shook his head. No matter how annoying his brother was, he would not have let her come to harm. Everything he knew about medicine flashed through his mind. Not eating well? No sleep? Severe vertigo and low blood pressure? A heart attack?
No, no. Her pulse was strong, and she had seemed fine and happy in every way on the roof. Ever since loosing so much weight at the Temple, she had been eating with gusto, and the palace served very similar food to home. What else...? Oh, the Temple! Was this another attempt on her life? Poison? Dark magic? She was breathing steadily and without a fever, so there was no immediate danger. But what if--?
Noah became aware of how hard he was clenching the edge of the bench. He took a deep breath. No need to catastrophize. There were some common antidotes in the cupboard (a consequence of his brother's experience) that they could try while the doctor and nearest priests were sent for. They could fix this, right?
The carriage stopped. He took another deep breath and took Raeliana into his arms.
"Master, what may we do?" Ansley asked, escorting them into the entrance hall of his mansion.
"Lady Raeliana fainted at the ball and has been unconscious for the past half-hour. I do not know the cause. Gideon, retrieve all the antidotes we have and come to the lady's room. Ansley, send for the doctor and some priests at once."
They split. Noah went straight to Raeliana's room to lay her down on her own bed. He wouldn't make that mistake again. This time, though, she wasn't asleep. He looked down at her peaceful face. Save for the occasional swallow and the steady rise and fall of her chest, there was no movement. No cute twitch of her arm or shiver from the cold night air. No quiet hum as she dreamed or rumble from her stomach. He brushed her bangs away from her eyes.
Gideon arrived momentarily with ten bottles in hand and two maids in tow. The maids came with extra pillows and blankets. Noah held Raeliana up as they positioned a few at the head of the bed to keep her upright.
Gideon handed him the first dropper. Gently, Noah tugged at his fiancee's chin to open her mouth and placed five drops of liquid on her tongue. Gravity drew the liquid backwards. Swallow. Nothing.
They waited about three minutes before trying the next. Nothing. They waited again and again, each time a little less than before as Noah's anxiety grew. Nothing worked.
The maids brought hot bricks to warm the bed and warm towels for to warm Raeliana's face and hands. They took off her shoes and loosened her collar. They brought Noah a chair and hot tea.
The doctor arrived first. It didn't take him more than ten minutes to declare that there was nothing physically wrong with his patient. "Enough poison to render the lady unconscious would also have left her in pain," he said. "It's not paralysis, since she can swallow, and there is no sleeping drought that I know of with these symptoms. I am sorry, but this is a matter for the priests."
Noah gulped but nodded in understanding. He listened as the doctor gave advice on how to care for her. Although Gideon was listening too, Noah intended to provide as much of the care as possible.
As the doctor took his leave, Gideon also made for the door. "Master, may I send in two maids to put the lady in more comfortable attire?"
Noah stared at him for a moment. "Unless you intended to do it yourself, sir?"
"No, no," Noah said quickly. Raeliana would not want him to see her naked, let alone touch her. "Please, send them in. I will take this moment to change myself."
In his room, he splashed his face with cold water. How could this be happening?
The priests arrived soon. He sat off to the side as they worked, writing up blessing to hang above the bed and setting out holy texts to read from. Five of them circled the bed. Holding hands, they began to pray.
White light emanated from their hands and washed over Raeliana like moonbeams. Noah let out a sigh of relief. Divine power had miraculous capability to purify and heal. The amount they were using was more than what had saved his brother's life from the poison, or so it seemed to Noah. It must be enough, right?
Ten minutes passed, and Noah began to get a nagging feeling in his heart. Another five passed, and then another. Suddenly, the priest at the foot of the bed broke the connection. Only the orange flicker of a candle could be seen.
"Your Grace," the priest said hesitantly.
Noah closed the distance between him and his fiancee quickly. She looked the same. "What happened?"
"I don't know," he replied. Noah faced him with such ferocity that the priest dropped to his knees in apology. "We have poured all our divine energy into the lady's healing, but nothing has changed. Please, allow us to try again in the afternoon when our divine power had recuperated."
Noah was ashamed that he had scared the priest so badly. "Thank you for trying. You may stay here tonight." He strode over to the door and opened it. "Gideon, will you please see that our guests rest for the night?"
"Yes, Master." Gideon led them off down the hall.
Noah popped his head out the door. "Ansley?" The knight had taken up her post guarding the door.
"Yes, sir? May I ask after Lady McMillan?"
He deflated a little. "She is the same. See to it that we are not disturbed for the rest of the night."
"Yes, sir," she responded. "Don't forget to rest."
He bowed his head assent and shut the door.