To Bewitch a Devil

271 A duck the size of a mare

“I am sorry I didn’t answer your knocks,” Neera said. When Penelope caught her eyes, Neera looked worn and thin, and her skin had taken a sickly pale color. “I just couldn’t bring myself to speak to anyone.”

“Neera,” Penelope held her arm, and she was shocked at the loss of weight. She moved with her to sit at the edge of the bed, and she stroked the back of her hand as if it were a cat’s fur. “I am really worried about you. What happened?”

“Everything, Pen,” Neera said. “Everything.”

“Okay,” Penelope patted her back. “I will personally go down to the kitchen and get you some soup, and I will spoon-feed you every drop myself…”

“Pen, I can’t…”

“Don’t Neera,” Penelope cut her off. “I cannot bear to see you like this. I cannot bear to see you torture yourself like this. So help me, I don’t care if you are a demon and I am human, I will tackle you down with the strength of ten men and force everything down your throat. So this isn’t up for arguments, Neera.”

Neera sighed, her body slumping in the process. “It didn’t look like you had the strength of ten men outside these doors minutes ago.”

Penelope took the joke and laughed, even though it was said in a tone drier than the desert.

“Well, my dear Queen, I don’t care and love the guards as I do you, do I now?”

.....

Penelope rose, and she opened one part of the duvet. She guided Neera onto the bed and reclined her back against the pillow before tucking the duvet around her. Penelope stroked her hair, and Neera’s eyes drooped.

“You don’t have to tell me anything yet, but you have to eat, okay?” Neera nodded. “Don’t sleep yet. Your body will get more tired the more you do.” Penelope rose and kissed her temple. “I will be back very soon, okay?”

She left the Queen and hurried to the kitchen, not before both guards threw her dirty looks but didn’t say anything.

Penelope made tomato soup with loads of chicken, which she had made sure was cut into bite-sized pieces so Neera would not have any excuse not to finish them. On her way back up to the chambers with the tray of soup and bread, she saw the Doctor hurrying off the wide corridor leading down to Freya’s chambers, his purple hair tousled wildly on his head.

“The King is so relieved,” she heard one of the maids whisper as she stared at the doctor.

“How long has she been unconscious? A month? Two?” the other maid asked, head bowed conspiratorially to the first.

“I don’t know, we all lost count of days,” the first maid said. “Her wounds were gory. No one knew she would come out of it alive.”

“She is fully awake now, and I heard that in itself was a miracle.”

The bowls clattered as Penelope almost missed a step. Freya was awake? After how many…even she too had lost count of the weeks! But the joy that news would bring to Neera!

She hurried up the stairs and skidded down the passage to the chamber. When she was inside, a huge smile on her face, she saw that Neera had already fallen asleep.

Penelope set the tray down and assessed her friend. She looked tired, and like the Neera she had seen beaten up during the Princess contest. She thought of Freya, and her attempts to have her killed. As much as Freya being awake would gladden Neera, Penelope couldn’t just forgive her misdeeds that easily.

“Neera,” she shook her awake. Neera opened her eyes and turned away from the smell of the food with a groan.

“Don’t eat, and I will find the King to tell him,” Penelope threatened.

Neera turned back, and her eyes became watery as she sat up, and she pressed the back of her hand against her eyes to keep her tears in control.

“You are particularly mean today, Pen,” Neera said.

“If that gets you to put back some meat on your body, I am sorry, but I have to be,” Penelope took a spoon of the soup and used her hand to fan the steam away. “Here,” she held it against Neera’s mouth. “Eat it while it’s hot.”

Neera obeyed, taking in the soup and Penelope was beyond happy.

“I thought I heard some commotion downstairs,” Neera said. “From my window. Is something going on in the castle?”

Penelope pushed the meat around the soup, and she raised another spoon to Neera’s mouth. She didn’t tell Neera she had slipped in something to make her sleep as well.

“Nothing… just… uhm…,” She stalled, and Neera waited. Penelope cleared her throat. “Someone killed a duck the size of a mare.”

“Ah,” Neera nodded, but stopped midway, her face etched with confusion. She didn’t question Penelope any further, and Penelope hoped the drugs would kick in fast before Neera wondered where on earth would such a huge bird be found.

….

“I need to take a walk.”

“No, you cannot leave the bed, and you need all the rest you can get. You heard what the Doctor said.”

“What does he know?”

“Everything about health. And he has been closely monitoring you when you were unconscious.”

Freya frowned. “I am completely fine taking care of myself now.”

“No, you aren’t.”

Freya swung a leg out of the bed, and the pain sliced her from everywhere, and she gritted her teeth.

Zavian sat back and folded his arms. “Go ahead then. Let’s see you walk out of here.”

“You have proved your point, and I hate you for it,” Freya said.

“I feel the exact opposite for you,” Zavian cracked a smile.

He helped her put her leg back on the bed, and held her back as she lowered herself back onto the pillows. Freya puffed out a relaxed breath as if the act of deeply exhaling even hurt her lungs.