“Sir Ladien,” Yadin exclaimed, “Thank the Creator, you’re here. My wife and child are in grave danger! Their lives may be at stake.”
Merik rubbed his unshaven chin, thinking silently to himself. His stocky arms crossed his white leather jacket as he spoke in a serious voice. “Not more than fifteen minutes ago, you told me to come back in a week. I assumed you were just being polite. I supposed that you must already have a physician – or a midwife at the very least, considering the Queen’s delicate condition.”
Yadin stared at the man as though he were mad. His beautiful wife, his precious Dove, lie here in bed – possibly dying – and the man babbled about nonsense with no relevancy to the situation at hand. “Merik, what are you trying to say?”
“Your current physician would be better acquainted with the royal family’s health. It isn’t right for me to interfere with another man’s job. Your Highness, I’m not apathetic concerning your wife’s condition. However, I haven’t been officially appointed to your staff.”
Yadin couldn’t believe what he was hearing. The man stood calmly discussing this issue as though it were an afternoon chat. For a healer, his compassion left much to be desired.
He hurriedly explained the situation. “Merik, the Royal Physician is with the caravan escorting my father’s body home. He won’t be back until this evening. Please do something! Libeth is…”
As if to accentuate the point, Libeth cried out again in pain. Her face contorted in torment and anguish. Yadin’s heart nearly stopped when he noticed a crimson stain spreading across the groin area of her light pink dress.
“Your Majesty, are you offering me a position as your new physician? If so, we must make it official and bind our agreement in blood.”
The new King sat nervously beside the imperiled Queen. The blood stain couldn’t be a good sign. Here, his wife lie on what might be her deathbed, and this man stood idly by with concerns of job offers instead of saving lives. Desperation and fury clawed at Yadin’s mind. He’d give anything to save his wife and child – no price was too high to pay.
“Yes, Merik,” he said with urgency, “I’m asking you to be our new Royal Physician. I’ll give you anything you want – up to half my kingdom! Please, just save them. My wife and child are more important to me than my own life! Now, please hurry!”
Merik moved toward the bed. He pulled a dagger from his belt. He grasped the ivory-handled knife and began giving instructions. “My Lord, remove her clothing. Caroline, run and fetch a bowl of hot water – and some clean towels.”
Yadin stared in wide-eyed terror at the dagger in Merik’s hand. “What are you doing? What’s this knife for?”
Merik looked at Yadin with a hawk-eyed gaze. He spoke sternly and calmly. “King Yadin, I can either stand here explaining my methodology or I can save two lives. There’s no time to do both simultaneously. Now then, which of these tasks would you like me to perform first?”
Without hesitation, the King commanded, “Do whatever it takes! Just don’t let my family perish this day. I need no other deaths added to my father’s.”
Merik nodded. “I expected you might feel that way. Before I begin, she’ll need a pinch of sleeping herb. Your assistance will be required in what I’m about to do. I hope you have a strong stomach.”
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