Bruised Body

Yavanna winced then winced again at the pain in her throat. Someone was dabbing her neck with a cloth, causing a cool stinging sensation on the bruised body part. She felt too battered to open her eyes so she only felt as the person continued to help her.

She swallowed and was tempted to cry at how utterly painful it was. She was wheezing annoyingly and knew that she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep with the racket she was causing.

She had a feeling that the person helping her was not the man who had attempted to kill her. Her body wasn't imbued with that unsettling chill that always seemed to pervade her when something was amiss.

After a few minutes the cool cloth stopped in its movements. She had begun to find the gentle touch comforting and even reassuring. But now she felt alone. She felt something being tied around her head and her face creased in sadness as she realized that it was a veil.

She groaned lightly and discovered that her throat immediately objected and restricted her voice. Inhaling didn't help anything, it only aggravated it. She finally relented and opened her heavy eyelids.

Before her sat a vaguely familiar silhouette cast in candlelight. She was resting snugly in her bed and her cat was guarding her steadfastly at the foot of the bed. Her weary eyes flitted up when she caught movement and saw that the tender of her wounds was leaving.

She could only watch as he vacated the room. The door clicked and she was left alone with her thoughts. Her throat refused to utter a sound, she tried many times to call her cat but all that came out was either a cough or a weak wheeze. 'First day as queen, Yavanna and you've lost your ability to speak.' She thought morosely.

She closed her eyes again and cut off her view through the dark veil. She was so tired of it, so tired. The idea of being able to walk freely without was even more appealing than ever. To be unhindered, for people not to nervously meet her eyes behind the fabric and not see her as some holy, devout woman.

She sighed, which caused another coughing fit to emerge. Once she had calmed the painful, body-wracking coughs, she focused on her wheezing breaths.

The person who had saved her surfaced in her mind. How had they even known to save her? The place where her captor had taken her had felt old and untouched. Her voice couldn't have reached someone's attention. So how?

She magically fell asleep. Her mind, not giving her a rest, even as she slept. She was met by the man who claimed to be the king's brother in her dreams, his haunting voice now matching the one who had attacked her that night, and morphing into a nightmarish beast in her dreams.

She could not scream or vent her fears in any way because of her bruised throat. Everything came out as frantic, agonizing wheezes.

By morning her entire body ached, her neck and face being the worst. When her maids arrived leisurely to start the day, she was awake and could only wait until they noticed she was. Her breath was short and painful as she tried to control the wheezing. Wolfgang was still dutifully curled up at her feet, his poofy tail flicking back and forth as he watched the maids open the curtains and prepare for the day.

"Oh, your majesty! You're awake." Lorraine exclaimed as she came nearer to her bed. Yavanna nodded but didn't dare attempt to speak. "I will go fetch Lady Vivian and Lady Chista, if you'd like, your majesty." She said politely.

Yavanna nodded and began to realize how difficult it would be to communicate to others what she needed. She desperately needed to use the facilities. Sighing internally she painstakingly pulled the heavier-than-usual blankets off of herself and headed to the water closet.

She inhaled sharply when she became aware of the fact her knee was injured and broke into a fit of hoarse coughing that had Edith rushing over. "Are you alright, your majesty?" Yavanna shook her head frantically which made her neck spasm in pain and a strangled whimper burst from her mouth. "Oh, dear. I-I'll fetch the physician right away, majesty."

Yavanna nodded and watched as she disappeared out the door. She then tried to hobble to the water closet, with Wolfgang purring around her ankles. She wanted to bend over and move him out of the way, but she was afraid of doing some sort of irreparable harm to her body. So, it appeared as though Wolfgang would be joining her.

After completing her business she returned to her room and discovered the young physician there, along with Vivian and Christa. Edith and Lorraine stood behind them at a pace.

"Good morning, your majesty." Christa and Vivian said simultaneously. The physician said something in Noth that tiredly reminded Yavanna that she was yet to learn it.

"What do you need help with, your majesty?" Vivian asked and Yavanna understood that she was translating for the physician. She swallowed slowly from the pain resounding through her throat and placed a hand to the point of her anguish.

He said more and Vivian asked, "Would you like to take a seat, your majesty? and he can see what may be the matter." Yavanna nodded and sat on one of her couches. As soon as she was seated the physician pulled her veil away—the portion that hid her throat—and gasped before saying something to other women in the room. They all proceeded to gasp and mutter phrases under their breath.

Her shoulders sagged as she realized that she must be bruised terribly. He met her eyes for a moment before he began to turn her neck gently to see if her mobility had been damaged. She winced when he turned it slowly to the left. Asking a question, Christa hurried to answer it. Vivian was standing next to her, her expression paled and her eyes wide. "H-he wants to know how you came by these bruises, your majesty."

Yavanna didn't answer. She first wanted to speak to the king about his supposed brother. This was becoming serious. She made a sign in the air that she wanted to write and Edith rushed to the desk to grab a pen and some parchment. Hurrying it back to her Yavanna quickly wrote; "Do what you can for the soreness. I would like to speak with the king as soon as it's done."

Christa translated it to the physician and he nodded with a fearful face as he looked back at her neck. He said something and she began to recognize the word, throat or neck, or it was her best guess as to what he might be saying.

"How much does it hurt?" Christa asked quietly as she stared at her with worried eyes. Yavanna felt touched at the care she was showing and her eyes softened as she wrote her answer. Christa received it and her expression grew more hurt before she relayed it to the physician. He nodded gravely and pulled something from his satchel.

Handing two small bottles to Christa—who appeared to be the most stable at the moment—he told her what Yavanna could only assume were instructions. He bowed and left and Yavanna hoped he understood that she was grateful for his help.

Christa then told the other women of the uses of the green and blue bottles. They nodded, Vivian still appeared to be in shock as she stared at Yavanna with such horror behind her eyes. It caused a pause within her; did she know the truth behind what had truly occurred?

She had never fully placed her trust in the woman, not after the poisoning or her strange attitude before the library incident. But she'd never thought that much deeper into it. She had simply believed that the woman was not fond of her. But with the fear in Vivian's eyes, Yavanna saw an understanding that the other women did not share.

Their eyes met and she saw the lady gulp apprehensively.

She knew.