Alpha’s Virgin Wife by Baby Charlene
Chapter 43
Dakota took in a deep breath.
He could feel his lungs getting weak already.
“What do we do, then?” He asked.
Tho, he was worried, but you’d never see it on his face.
“I think there’s a healer around here – one I know of. We can go to her” Raksha suggested.
“Do you trust her?”
“Yes. Yes. She’s good”. Raksha nodded and stepped out of the carriage afterwards.
He got outside and met the rest of the guards around.
“One of the enemies are alive” One of the guards pointed out, and Raksha rushed over to see the rogue breathing weakly on the floor, wounded and unconscious.
“Tie him up and bring him along” Raksha said to the guard who nodded.
“We head that way! The King needs a healer”” He pointed out, and they all got onto their horses.
Shilah, after receiving the signal, returned to the carriage and was shocked to find the King in that state.
Oh, no….
“My King” she wanted to call out, but restricted herself as she realized she wasn’t that close to the King yet.
The side of his belly was bleeding and she noticed his breath was getting shorter. It was obviously from the fight. Was he going to be fine?
King Dakota didn’t look at her as he leaned closer to the window and tried taking in the pains. He was never the type to show weakness and he wasn’t ready to change that theory.
But Shilah was so worried as she didn’t need anyone to tell her the King was really in pains. She wanted to touch him, comfort him, but didn’t have the guts to.
“M…. My King” she stuttered.
“Is… Is there anything I can do to help?”
But Dakota gave no reply. So, she just sat still as the carriage started moving.
***************
They didn’t ride for too long before the carriage actually stopped moving and Shilah felt hopeful they’d arrived at the healer’s place.
The door opened almost immediately with Raksha showing up.
“We’re here now, King. Come on” he helped Dakota out of the carriage, and with his hand over his shoulder, he led him into the old looking house in front of them.
Shilah’ also stepped out and looked around, realizing the healer’s house was actually the only house around the vicinity. An elderly woman came rushing out of it.
“What’s happening….” She wore a perturbed look.
“We need your help, healer” Raksha answered as he walked with Dakota towards the door.
“The King!” The woman gasped.
“It’s the King!”
She ran and made the door wide enough for them to p@ssthrough. While the rest of the guards remained outside, Shilah went in with Raksha and the King.
“What happened to him?’ the woman asked as she trailed behind them, into the sitting room which only contained some wooden chairs.
There was a staircase and Shilah could tell the house contained so many rooms.
“We were attacked. Where do I drop him?” Raksha asked, not finding any bed around.
“Oh! Please, bring him here” the woman led them to a corner where they got to a door and opening it, they found a bed.
She helped Raksha lay the King on the bed since he was already unconscious. Well, King Dakota was quite a hefty man. It wouldn’t be easy carrying him all by yourself.
A younger lady showed up at the door way instantly, a lady who was of the same height with Shilah.
Her eyes were dimming as she looked around to know who was being brought in. Her mother never brings anyone into that room unless it was someone very important. And she’s never had such *important* person in months.
Well, her curiousity was fed when she discovered it was the King. And after having a glimpse of him at the bed, the next sight her eyes caught was that of a lady who got her frozen.
“Zoe” the woman called, sounding relived.
“Thank the spirits you’re here. Please, get me some water in a bowl”
But the Zoe didn’t make a move as she just kept her gaze fixed on Shilah who had also turned to look at her. Shilah was confused. Was it just her, or the lady was particularly staring incongruously at her?
“Zoe?” The woman called with ached brows, wondering why her daughter was not making a move yet.
“Didn’t you hear what I said? I said I need some water. Now”.
And slowly, the lady turned around and left.
Shilah was fixed for a few seconds, wondering what had been wrong with the lady.
“The claws that did this to him were poisoned” the woman’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she turned to look at her.
“I know. Will he be fine?” Raksha asked.
“Of course; of course. It’s a good thing you brought him in time. I’ll just wait for the water before going to get the right herbs”. The healer replied and that was all Shilah needed to hear.
She had been so worried and hoping the King would really be fine.
Her hands were fiddling with the sides of her dress as she took a minute to scrutinize the room. Well, it appeared to be just a patient’s room as all it had was the bed, a chair beside it, and a table containing some bottles, books, herbs….
The door burst open with the lady showing up again with the bowl of water. Just like before, her eyes were pinned on Shilah as she walked towards her mother with the bowl.
The healer was a little muddled at her daughter’s reactions and was beginning to wonder if everything was fine with her. Or if she knew Shilah from somewhere.
Shilah was the most disturbed as that was the first time a person was staring at her that way. The lady didn’t even look familiar. She had a ruffled hair which fell over her shoulders, some dark lining below her big white eyes and this cold, mean look. But she was beautiful.
She handed the bowl to her mother and took her gaze away from Shilah – finally.
“Thank you, Zoe” the healer said.
“Now, I need you to get me some chamomile, gingko, and echinacea. Please, be fast with it”.
And the lady just needed and left the room.
Well, the healer was used to her daughter being that cold because she was the type that never talked much. You could say she was rude as well. But, what she couldn’t understand was why she was staring at the King’s wife that way.
Shilah was also disturbed but decided not to rack her head over it as her main target was the King. Was he really going to be fine?
She watched restlessly as the woman used the water on the King’s wounded spot, washing off the bloodstain. Was she doing a good job and could be trusted?
Hopefully, she was. Healers weren’t witches, but just people with a wide knowledge of herbs and how to use them. Shilah was also a lover of herbs and had wanted to become a healer herself, but unfortunately, she didn’t come from a family that could sponsor her. Anyways, she still read the little she could about them and with the herbs the healer had asked that lady to get, she could tell she was doing a good job.
They stayed in the room for a long time as the woman continued cleaning off the bloodstain.
“I need to get something” she suddenly said.
“I’ll be needing your help, please”.
She was referring to Raksha.
“If my daughter returns before I do, please let her know I’ll be back soon” she told Shilah who nodded.
And as she left the room, Raksha followed.
*
Shilah took in a deep breath, realizing she was the only one in the room with the King. She moved closer to him, noting how hard he was breathing. Oh! Whatever the healer had to do, she needed to be fast about it.
She sighed deeply and lowered herself to the side of the bed. If only she could say a prayer…
“I hope you get better” she placed her hand on his and cooed and instantly, she noticed a change in the rise and fall of his chest.
He breathed deeply and afterwards, stopped the heavy breaths. He was breathing normal!
Tho, his eyes were not open.
Suddenly, she heard the door open and turned to see the same lady walking in with a bow of several roots and leaves. No doubt, they were the herbs the healer had asked her to get.
Zoe – her name – walked into the room with slackened steps, holding the bowl to her tummy with her cold gaze on Shilah, we usual.
Shilah swallowed hard as the lady got close. Who was this lady? And what has she done to deserve such uncanny stares?
Zoe got to the bed and placed the bowl on the floor.
“Um… your mother said to tell you she’ll be back soon” Shilah decided to deliver the message as the lady stood upright after dropping the bowl.
She said nothing, only spared Shilah a stare before turning away and walking towards the door.
But just as she got close, she stopped and turned around to face Shilah.
“Why do you look so innocent, when you’re not?” She asked.
Shilah stood up from where she had been sitting immediately. She whirled around to look at the lady, her brows arching in confusion.
Zoe went on, her eyes having a mixture of ice and flames in them:
“Why do you look so calm, when you’re a storm? So weak, when you’re the strongest of them all?
“I see you, slitting the throats of many; Bringing the mighty to their knees; Making men shiver at the mention of your name. The innocence you wear on your face, would only last for a short time. Who are you?”
Shilah could feel her heart in her throat and couldn’t even gulp anything down.
Cold shivers sizzled through her body as she listened to what seemed like a dream to her. What’s she…. What’s she talking about?
Saying nothing else, Zoe turned around and left the room.