Royal Quest

Chapter 1

“The unexpected has befallen us.”

“The people on the northern axis of the kingdom are on the run, your majesty.” One of the elders spoke.

“Their daily routines have been tampered with, intruders have made their way in, and the guards on ground, slain.”

“What? How can this happen in my territory? Who dares my supreme reign?” The king addressed his cabinet in rage.

“How come no alarm was raised, who permitted them through the northern gates? Guards! Get me the perpetrators.”

The king was still trying to express his anger when his vision suddenly got blurry and he felt a piercing headache. The voices of the people suddenly grew faint and soon enough, he slumped.

“My king!”

“Your Highness!”

“My Lord!” Everyone in the room echoed.

“Guards!!! Get the royal physician at once,” Queen Asha said, hurriedly following those taking the king to his chambers.

“Lay him gently on his bed, he needs a lot of air, open the windows, the room is quite hot,” the queen said, addressing the serving maids.

The royal physician arrived.

“What's wrong with his majesty? Would he be alright?” the queen said, pacing around the room.

The room was quiet for a while until the royal physician broke the silence, “The king is in critical condition, I need to examine thoroughly to give my diagnosis. Can I have some time alone with his majesty?”

The queen turned to the attending maids and said, “Wait outside-”

Before she could finish her intended words, Gozlin, the king’s first son, rushed into the king's chambers.

“Your majesty, what's going on? And how's the state of my father the king?” Gozlin asked.

“We are still awaiting the diagnosis of the physician, we would know afterwards,” the queen replied.

At this point, the queen and Gozlin just stare at the physician, eager to know what's become of the king.

“From my diagnosis, the king's ailment is rare and has only been heard of for a long time in the past, the cause still yet to be determined,” the physician said.

“I don't understand what you mean, what can be done to save the king? There's a solution, right?” Gozlin asked.

“From my knowledge and a few scrolls I have read regarding these symptoms, I am afraid the cure is a mythical one, rumour says it lies deep in the dark forest, which is known to be dreadful, and the chances of returning is very slim.”

“ We need the Hart’s pennyroyal plant, one bearing a flower already,” the physician said.

“I would assemble our knights right away, we would bring the said plant to you, be rest assured,” Gozlin said, turning to head out of the room.

“Gozlin, no, we can't involve the knights, we can't let everyone know that the king is in a near death condition.”

“It would attract more rebellion and make our territory prone to attack, bringing more incidents like what we are trying to control in the north axis,” the queen said.

“The only threat I know of is you and your illegitimate son, after killing my mum to take her rightful place, how sure am I that you are not also responsible for the king's illness?” Gozlin said.

“You will not speak to me in that manner, I bear your father's interest at heart, and I am the queen of the land, you must respect me,” the queen replied angrily.

“With all due respect, I am stating facts, so why must we keep all this hidden? The noble family can facilitate getting the cure quickly, how then are we supposed to get the cure for the king's condition?”

“You are aware the king has to pronounce me the heir apparent in the forthcoming coronation to make it official as custom demands, or are you trying to ruin that for me too?” Gozlin said unapologetically.

“I won't let you speak to my mom that way, she's the queen, and you must accord her respect. How long would you keep holding this grudge?” Jason, the king's second son and Gozlin step brother, walked in, interrupting.

“We have a life and death situation at hand, and all you can think of is the coronation ceremony? Even as you can see the king lying on the bed helpless, in the presence of the physician too?” Jason said, trying to defend his mum.

Gozlin, facing him with a frown, said, “You shouldn't interfere when adults are speaking on crucial matters, don't you dare interrupt me ever again. What do you know?” He said, the environment getting heated.

“Your majesty, please calm down, the king won't be pleased to find you arguing amongst yourself in this crucial time. He has but a short time to get the plant administered to him, if not done he might not last up to a month,” the physician said, trying to draw their attention to the event of the moment.

“I would administer some herbs to help boost his immune and hopefully prolong the time he has, that's all I can do for now.”

“I will take my leave now and bring the herbs by dawn. Also, I would make more research on the needed plant, so we would just have to worry on how to get it,” the physician said, taking his leave.

“So what are we to do now? How do we provide this plant? Since in your context my solution means spreading words of the king's ailment,” Gozlin asked the queen.

The room was quiet, and the three were just observing themselves, as at the moment an alternative plan is needed.

“It's best for someone within the royal household to embark on this mission, hence keeping it confidential,” the queen replied.

“To my best understanding it's just me and Jason left in the royal household capable of embarking on this journey,” Gozlin said.

“Let's get to the main point. So who do you have in mind? Your precious son Jason? Or ME?”