Sense of Responsibility

They decided to lay Katherine down on a makeshift bed as close to the King as possible, in the hopes that her magic power would spread over to him. Katherine herself was still pale, but her injuries had healed completely. It was a miracle. If only she could wake up, she could bless one more with this. But she remained deep in sleep, even when a maid washed the blood off her body and dressed her with new clothes.

Though cleaned regularly, the wound on the King's chest had inflamed and he was running a high fever. The maid had called Lady Orchid back because the King was coughing up blood. Now and then, his breathing would just stop, and they had to shake him and hit his chest so he would start again. However, every such encounter inevitably worsened his injury. With normal methods, the King was long over the point where he could be saved. If not for the slim hope that Katherine might wake up and help, even the caregivers would have advised to just let him pass over the river and end his pain.

However, the hope still prevailed.

Gently, Lady Orchid swiped the King's forehead with wet towels while his breath rattled in his chest. Her whisper was barely louder than the dripping of her tears. "My love, why is life always so hard on you?"

With one hand, she brushed the white and gold mane of the King aside to place a kiss on his forehead, as light as a butterfly. "Twenty-six years and your decision back then still haunts you now. I know marrying that viper was the only possibility to save the kingdom from a civil war and protect your nephew, however, sometimes I wish you could have just let fate take its course. It was your sense for responsibility for the kingdom that forbid you from shying away. So, please, if it's just for this responsibility or everything else that is dear to you: you have stay alive. You hear me, Will? Stay with me."

As if listening to his lover's plea, the King's breathing eased. But seconds later, another coughing seizure caught hold of him, and while his body jerked and trembled, blood spluttered over the blankets.

"Oh my goddess."

The comment came from the entrance of the cave, but nobody heard it over the coughs and rattling breath. In the entrance stood a dirty youth with blonde hair. His clothes were covered in mud and blood alike, but even under the thick dirt layer on his face, his paleness was visible. He gazed at the King like he had never seen something so horrible in his life. Slowly, tears mixed with the dirt, leaving traces on his cheeks. He turned and ran out of the cave with his head lowered.

Nathaniel gave a sigh as he looked after him, but only for a short second. Then he limped over to the makeshift beds and helped the maids to hold the King down while they tried to feed him some water to ease his throat.

Despite this, his eyes rested on Katherine all the time and as soon as the King settled down a bit again, he let go and went over to check Katherine's pulse.

"Do you think I will let your wife die?", Lady Orchid asked with the smallest of smiles. All happiness in her had vanished by the time her beloved was injured, but she was still glad her almost-son had found someone he cared about so much. "She is alright as far as I can tell. She just won't wake up. Poor little girl."

"I know. My men told me everything", Nathaniel responded absentmindedly. His gloved fingers lightly brushed Katherine's hair away, circling her ear. His red eyes rested on hers even though her lids were closed. She looked so pale. He would rather repeat everything that happened today and worse than have her bear even the slightest of pain.

"What an ordeal you had to go through, my dear", he mumbled. "I am sorry. It's all because of me."

The rags that were her pillow didn't seem to be very comfortable, so he moved around a bit to let her head rest on his healthy thigh. Like this, she might sleep better, he thought, remembering the time she wanted to rest on his lap at night in the palace. Maybe he should have let her.

But wasn't that the beginning of all her troubles? If he didn't involve her, if he wasn't so selfish to marry her, maybe she wouldn't lay here unconsciousness now. He knew, yet he gave in to her hopeful eyes and tears.

In the end, I am just like every other man, he thought, and clenched his fist in her hair. I couldn't resist.

"Her magic power retracted a few minutes ago", Lady Orchid spoke up after a while. "I don't know if you want to ...?"

Lady Orchid stopped when she noticed Nathaniel's sharp gaze on her. "You think she can heal the King if I wake her up now? Let her rest. Her magic won't be restored this fast."

Nathaniel was also afraid that maybe her magic oversaw some injuries on the inside, only restoring the front. Unlike his, this power didn't have a mind of its own. Her breathing was normal though, and her brows relaxed.

"You always call him 'the King'", Lady Orchid sighed. "Even now. He could die any second, you know."

Looking at the older man sweating in on the cave's ground, Nathaniel remained unmoved. "He is only that to me. He breached his word to not reveal my identity to the public until the medal ceremony is over, not to talk about the marriage. But even then, I can't let the King die, can I?"

Lady Orchid lightly shook her head. "The Icefall men ... the sense for responsibility is in your bones."

Her hands were working all the time, wiping the King's body to cool the fever. Nathaniel watched her for a few seconds, then his eyes wandered back to his wife. There was no change in her condition. Though it didn't have to be a bad sign, her stillness irked him. Normally, she was always in movement. Even if she stood still, her personality was so strong, so lively that it filled the room. Now she looked like she lost her soul.

"Could you check her?", Nathaniel suddenly asked. "I'm worried there might be inner bleedings."

Lady Orchid hesitated for a second to leave the side of her beloved, but she soon caught herself and waved a maid over to take her place. "Alright. Let's see."

Kneeling beside Katherine, her hands wandered over the latter's side up to her belly, softly pushing the flesh beneath the thin fabric. Her forehead displayed a frown of concentration. To not disturb her, Nathaniel remained quiet. That was until Lady Orchid said: "Her skirt is in the way. I will need to remove it if I want to check her lower belly."

When she didn't get a response, Lady Orchid looked up, and her eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Nathaniel?"

He sat stiff like a stone. His glare on her hands felt like he wanted to amputate them. Instinctively, she pulled them back, but her voice was calm and still like a lake as she called again: "Nathan? Are you alright?"

As if awoken from a trance, Nathaniel blinked and looked away. He gave his best to focus on the stone wall opposite him when he said: "Do what you need to."

His voice was a bit rough. Lady Orchid gestured for every surplus personnel to leave the cave, before she scrutinized Nathaniel again. She saw his hand clenching and unclenching half hidden behind his body. As it was a first to see him showing such possessiveness, she was half amused, and half filled with worry.

Instead of mentioning his obvious plight, she decided to distract him while she did her work. "Did you know Aston is interested in a girl? Not the playful kind of interest, but a real, genuine one?"