Behind Veils

Biiig question: what happened?

Well, first my mailaccount was hacked, then my life any my new job and new friends and flatmates kind of filled up all my time....and then I decided to rewrite the rest of this story! May I present....the new chapter nine!

Those who haven't read the previous chapter nine will just have to start guessing...and those who did...well, don't assume that the scene I'm not writing about is still the same it was before.

 

 

Chaper 9

 

Around midday, after a lengthy and, frankly, annoying session among a group of thirteen merchants, a minor noble, an architect and a few city guards all arguing about how the city wall should be rebuilt, Laheen finally found the time for the letters that had arrived in the morning. His magicians were doing an excellent job getting it to him in less than a week, but there was still the problem of his own limited time. He needed help, soon.

Like there was any way of finding someone trustworthy enough. 

After a longing look towards the kitchens he turned back to his office and started opening letters. He couldn't eat when it was probable something would happen and sauce or food might end up on the expensive paper. Besides, he would have to lift his veils and what if he got something on those? They were worth a fortune. Ruining them would be far too costly for his taste. And he couldn't exactly wear anything less impressive when he had to show his power and wealth. 

His stomach was not impressed. He had started growing recently - normal for his age and race - and his body demanded more food, but he lacked the time.

After he had answered his fourth letter a knock on the door forced him to look up. The Sound was not too loud, the rhythm quick. That meant rather bad news, but urgent. He was sighing a lot recently.

Laheen hit the little bell on his desk with his pen. The clear sound made him smile, as usual. Even though he still didn't dare try and speak he still loved sounds as much as he always had.

The door opened quietly, but the maid who entered was fussing with her cap. Excited, sad, slightly worried, dreading his reactions - since it was a maid it had to be a local desaster. And why on earth did they send someone who couldn't read? Besides, the maid was obviously the one who had lost in some kind of game about who would get to inform him. 

Laheen started drumming on his desk. The maid looked up, then back down at her feet.

Finally, she took a deep breath and spurted out her message: "Young lord Copper didn't appear for the planting and we went looking for him and he was in bed and he was unconscious and he wouldn't wake up and we just called for the physician!"

Well, at least it was possible to understand what had happened. Even if a lot of parts concerning the why and how seemed to be missing. Still, the thought of Copper hurt made him uncomfortable. Strange as it was, he had come to like this so called son of his.

Laheen looked down at his letters, then up at the maid. The question was, how bad was he? Was Copper just drunk? Maybe he’d been up too long these last few nights because he was excited, or it might be possible he had simply taken some of those horrible drugs he bought from his friends in the city, and by pawning his jewelry and selling his out of fashion clothes. One last look at the letter in his hand and he got up. Just a few minutes would help him stop wondering and worrying. And if he truly was hurt…

His feet carried him towards the boy’s chambers quickly. Just a few months ago he wouldn’t have been able to walk this way, with his bones aching and his skin pulled taut over his body. Despite everything else, in moments like this a smile always sneaked into his eyes – not that anyone could see it.

The door to Copper’s room was open and he lay there, pale and still, in a new nightdress. The one person he would have expected to be here wasn’t. Jenny and Jean were absent. Strange…he had been under the impression that the two of them got along…

No matter. Laheen moved forward and kneeled down next to the boy to feel his pulse. The worried servants hovering around moved out of the way quietly to let him through.

With a thoughtful look at his gloves Laheen decided that they were useless when he wanted to touch someone and feel the warmth of their skin. Without any further hesitation he pulled off his glove for the second time that day and felt the boy’s cool wrist. The pulse was there, but slow. Or was that his imagination? It had been so long since he last felt another’s skin against his own.

He wanted to call Copper’s name, but…he couldn’t. His voice had deserted him. Despite everything, Laheen found that something stopped him from saying something, something other than the fear that had held him back all this time. This time…something heavy in his throat took away his breath. His eyes were burning.

With a start he realized that he was crying. Copper…he hadn’t been a servant, hadn’t been one of his own people who had deserted him, he had been a reluctant student and occasionally annoying person who simply lived in this place. They hadn’t really been close. So…why was he this sad all of a sudden?

Laheen caressed Copper’s forehead, his moist and sweaty hair and the delicate eyelids. Even if he was a bit younger, Copper just seemed so young. He never thought things through and he was far too focused on his own pleasure. Certainly not an admirable person. And they only saw each other occasionally, so why? Why was he so sad? Laheen couldn’t explain it.

Soon after the doctor finally arrived and started listening to the boy’s heartbeat, felt the temperature and did all those inexplicable things doctors did. Laheen was a little angry with himself. His magic was good enough he could have turned the boy’s skin blue, but he didn’t know enough of how human bodies worked to heal anyone. He hadn’t even thought about it.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the old gentleman righted his clothes and turned towards Laheen.

“Mylord, I regret to say it, but your son seems to suffer from simple exhaustion. His body has been overtaxed. I usually only see cases like this in the height of summer among seasonal workers. This young man needs a lot of rest, several warm meals a day and no stress. To be safe he should stay abed for the next two weeks.” The doctor bowed before he continued: “I will send strengthening teas and calming pills as well as some sleep medication. Has he…”

Laheen pulled out his board and wrote in answer before the man finished his sentence. ‘Yes. He has.’

With a disapproving look the doctor nodded. “In that case the dose will need to be….adjusted.” The man said carefully. “I will send it over later.”

‘Please talk to the accountants about your fee.’ The suggestion that the man should leave and not bother to give any medicine to anyone was implied, but Laheen was far too polite to say it outright. He didn’t like the way the Doctor had said what he did and the diagnose seemed faulty. Just the day before Copper had been healthy. No way could he break down from exhaustion this quickly. No, there was more behind this. And he fully intended to find out what.