The Red String Of Faith

Chapter Four:

"How is he?" Sebastian demanded as he entered Jamie’s bedchamber.

The doctor shook his head forlornly. "I can’t tell what kind of poison was used on the boy. All I can do now is stop it from spreading to his heart," he explained.

Sebastian went to Jamie’s side, reaching down and touching the pale cheek. Jamie’s lips had lost a lot of its color. Sebastian sighed, anger starting to bubble up inside him as he turned to Eli, his second consort. "How did this happen?"

"I don’t know, your highness. One moment he was drinking the water, the next minute he was convulsing on to the floor, he coughed out blood before losing consciousness."

"Did you fetch him the water yourself?" He asked, speculating.

Eli shook his head. "No, your highness. I asked the maid to, for I was busy getting the boy ready for dinner."

"Where is the maid?"

Eli pointed to the maid standing by the door, watching the scene with wide eyes.

Sebastian called the maid over.

"I didn’t do anything, your highness. Please believe me," she cried.

"I’m not going to place the blame on you until I hear all the details. Now, tell me, what did you do when you fetched Jamie his water?"

The maid wiped her tear-stained cheeks with her handkerchief. "I was asked by consort Eli to fetch consort Jamie a glass of water. When I got to the kitchen I was the only one there, so I grabbed a glass and poured the water in myself, your highness. I swear that there was nothing in the water, for I had taken a drink out of the same water pitcher your highness."

"Go on," Sebastian commanded.

"As I was about to leave, I heard a knock and I went to open it and tell whoever it was that the kitchen was open, but I saw no one. So I went out to check around, to see if I could catch whoever it was and let them know," she quickly explained, adding, "I swear, your highness, that’s all that occurred when I went to fetch the water. I didn’t do anything."

"Nicholas, I want you to ask everyone in the castle for their whereabouts at the time. I want to find the culprit tonight, and have him or her punished," he said severely.

"Yes your highness." He then turned, and left.

Sebastian went over toward Jamie and held his hand. "I will find whoever did this to you, and get the antidote for you. I promise."
--
Nicholas did not return until midnight.

"What did you find out Nicholas?"

"Everybody has an alibi, my lord. None of them were anywhere near the kitchen," Nicholas told him.

"One of them is lying," Sebastian spat. He needed to find out whoever the culprit was, and soon.

"I will question them again."

"Nicholas," Sebastian started, pausing for a moment in thought before he proceeded.

"Where was Karsten around that time?"

"Your cousin, Karsten, was with your brother Theron. According to Theron, Karsten was with him way before that time, complaining about how I didn’t pick him to be your consort."

"I’m relieved that he had nothing to do with this. I’d hate to have to punish him."

"Karsten only knows how to threaten and lay a slap or two when he is angry, but there is no way he would poison the boy, no matter how much he hates him," Nicholas finalized, determined that it was the truth.

Sebastian nodded his head in agreement.

Nicholas bowed, and turned to leave the room. At the same time, though, his brother came in with a nervous Caelane holding a small blue and white bottle. "You two should not be here," Nicholas stated gruffly.

Caelane looked up at Nicholas."Is my guardian angel all right?"

"I’m afraid not boy. It looks like he’s not going to make it."

Devin hugged his new-found friend. "Tell them, Caelane, it’s the right thing to do."

Caelane walked over toward the King, nervously pulling the small bottle out onto his hand.

"What’s this boy?" Sebastian asked, eyeing the bottle before his eyes.

"It’s the antidote that I stole from my dad when he wasn’t looking," Caelane answered in a whisper.

Sebastian and Nicholas’s eyes widened. "Tell me boy, do you know who poisoned Jamie?"
Caelane bobbed his head hurriedly. "It was my dad. I caught him in the kitchen pouring some white substance into the glass of water."

"How do you know it was poison boy?"

"Uh.. ah, I didn’t know that it was poison that dad had poured into that glass of water. He told me that it will only make my guardian angel sick."

"Then how do you know that this small bottle is an antidote?’

"Because dad told me that this bottle will make my guardian angel feel better once you listen to his request," he explained. "He said not to worry."

Sebastian smiled at the boy and patted him on the head. "Thank you for coming forward, because of you, Jamie will live." Sebastian then turned toward Nicholas. "Arrest the Siren King’s consort and have him brought to the throne room where I will question him later."

Nicholas nodded his head and left. On his way out, he patted his little brother on the head.

Soon after, the doctor was called. He confirmed that what Caelane had brought was the antidote, after testing it. Sebastian put the antidote in his mouth and gave it to Jamie. He pulled his mouth away and smiled when he saw Jamie starting to stir.

"Watch him carefully this time, alright Eli?"

"Yes your highness."
--
Arian stood before the King of Zhanthia with his husband beside him, giving him a look of disappointment.

"Tell me Arian, why did you do it? What did you hope to gain from it?" Sebastian demanded, his voice as cold as ice. His face was unreadable, devoid of any emotion.

"I did it because you took my position away from me and gave it to your brother Theron," Arian explained, looking down as tears slowly slid down his cheek. "I wasn’t going to let him die. After all he did agree to try and help me. I was going to give you the antidote after you agreed to give me back my position as a consort."

Sebastian reached down to pet his wolf. "I took your position from you, Arian, because you are unsuitable. Nicholas did some digging into your past, which I shall not bring up in front of your husband."

Leon turned to his husband, shocked. "What did you do in the past Arian?"
"It’s nothing for you to be concerned about."

Sebastian smiled coldly and stood up, going over toward Arian. "Tell me, Arian, why can’t you be with the man you claim to ‘love’ in the position of a mistress? If you really love him, it should not matter what position you are given as long as you are with the man you love — is that not right Arian?"

Leon turned to his husband."Tell me, Arian, that you love me, for me, and not only due to the position being with me gave you?"

Arian turned away from his husband with guilt. "I love you Leon, but I also love being a consort." And it was the ultimate truth. He did love Leon. But he loved his position as a consort more.

"Tell me then, Arian, would you still love me if I was not a King, but a poor guy who try’s to make ends meet?" He asked, voice raising with his blooming anger.

Arian turned away from his husband again, deciding to be honest, for if he lied, they’d know. "I would never have married you if you were not King — "

Leon angrily stormed out of the room, not waiting for his husband to finish what he wanted to say.

Sebastian’s smile turned even more cold toward Arian. "Everything is as I predicted. I wonder how you are going to face your husband now, after he knows what kind of a person you are."

"This is your way of punishing me for what I did to Jamie, isn’t it?" He bitterly asked, glaring at the King.

Sebastian shook his head slowly, his cold smile still in place, looking so very venomous. "That is no where near the punishment I have in mind for you."
============
"Nicholas," Karsten called out when he saw the man.

"What is it Karsten?"

"Is that boy all right?"

"Yes he is, and why do you want to know Karsten?" Nicholas asked, surprised that the other would even want to know.

"It’s because I don’t want him to die yet. At least not until I can prove to you and Sebastian that I am a better choice then he is for a consort."

Nicholas chuckled. That sounded like Karsten. "I thought that you wanted the boy dead."

Karsten shook his head. "I’m not stupid Nicholas. What would I gain from killing him, but Sebastian’s anger. I don’t want that, now do I?"

"Suppose not. But really?"

"Well, I was going to do him some harm. Like trip him down the stairs, or worse, get my servant to beat him up. But I will never wish him dead."

"Why didn’t you?" Nicholas asked, wondering why he hadn’t already.

"Theron convinced me not to do it. Now, if you will excuse me, I will take my leave."

"Of course." Nicholas bowed and watched Karsten make his way down the hall.
--
Leon kicked the dirt beneath his feet with the heel of his boot, slamming his fist against the tree several times. He howled and cursed, and hit until his hand bled. He thought that Arian was with him because he loved him. But that was not the case. What Arian loved was his position as a consort. Leon slammed his bleeding fist against the tree again and again, ignoring the pain and damage it caused. Leon closed his eyes. What was he going to tell Caelane? There was no way he could be with someone that only saw him for his position.

With these thoughts in his head, a hand suddenly came up and touched Leon’s shoulder, startling him. He turned around, his eyes red and swollen from crying. The person standing before him had long dark hair and hazel eyes and was someone he didn’t recognize.

"That must hurt," the man said with concern. He then reached out and took his hand in his, surveying the damage.

Leon watched as the man pulled out his white handkerchief and wrapped it around his wounded hand. The man looked up and smiled.

"There all done. If you don’t mind me asking, why did you hurt yourself?"
Leon took his hand away from the man before him."Thank you for what you did, but I prefer not to tell you why. I’m sorry," Leon said, hoping that the man didn’t feel offended in some way. Leon just felt that it was his problem, and there was no need to trouble others — especially someone who was nice enough to bandage him up.

The man smiled, nodding in understanding. "I understand. But remember this, no matter what kind of situation you run into, you should never hurt yourself. It’s better for you to talk it out with someone."

Leon nodded his head, showing that he understood. The man then excused himself and walked away.
======
The first thing Jamie wanted to know when he awoke, was who had poisoned him. That was the first thing he asked Eli when he felt well enough to talk.

"I don’t know boy," he told him honestly. "You will have to ask the King or Nicholas."
"How can you not know, Eli?"

"I don’t know, boy, because I wasn’t with them. Now finish up your soup and go back to sleep. The King ordered for you to stay in bed until the doctor deems you well enough to be out an about again."

Jamie sighed, leaning back against his pillow. He wondered how long it would be before he was allowed out of bed and out of the room. "Eli, why can’t I get up and walk around my room?"

Eli came over. "You could get up and walk about when the doctor gives our King the ‘ok’. Now, if you’re finished with this, I will take it away and return later in the evening with your dinner."

Jamie nodded his head, pulling the cover over his body. He closed his eyes, forcing himself to go to sleep.

When Eli was sure that the boy was asleep, he went over to the door, opened it and told Nicholas that it was okay to bring it in now.

"Remember to be quiet; we don’t want to wake the boy and spoil the surprise," Nicholas whispered to the guards. The guards nodded their heads and quietly brought in Jamie’s fathers’ weaving machine.

"When he wakes up to see his father’s weaving machine, he will surely forget about being poisoned," Eli commented in a whisper.

Nicholas nodded, agreeing. "That is exactly why our King did it".

"I don’t recall the King doing anything like this since the first consort passed away," Eli thoughtfully pointed out.

Nicholas smiled knowingly. He knew the reason why, but for now, he’d keep it to himself.
--
That afternoon when Jamie woke up, he got the surprise of his life. Dashing out of bed, he hugged the weaving machine to his chest, overwhelmed with joy. Having his father’s weaving machine here was like having his father by his side. He had to thank the King; if it wasn’t for him, his treasured weaving machine would not be here. Jamie got dressed in a hurry and went to find the king to say his thanks.

Sebastian was in the parlor, having a discussion with the King of Aislin when Jamie found him.

Jamie took a deep breath and slowly opened the door. Sebastian smiled and waved Jamie over.

"Sorry I didn’t know that you had a guest," Jamie apologized when he noticed that someone else was in the room, sitting with his back facing him.

"It’s fine Jamie, we were just having a discussion about you. Come here, I’ll introduce you to him."

Jamie went over and stood next to the King with his head down. "Jamie, I would like you to meet the King of Aislin."

Jamie lifted his head up, his eyes widening. Standing right before his eyes was his father.