Claiming The Remnant

Chapter 19

[ Taiya ]

A week had passed. One boring, tiresome week of bedrest and peasant food. At first I had relished in it but once the initial exhaustion had been seen to the days had become long and drawn out, the nights restless; flashes of unknown places and faces filled my dreams. Exhausted I was no more but tiredness followed me like a second shadow.

Healer Poflorin had come by every day as he had said he would. Not only did he make me feel physically better but I felt safer in his presence. More like a Lady and less like a frightened bird. The young man was kind and sweet and listened to everything that I had to say. It wasn’t much. Nothing exciting (thank Ye Gods) had happened since that insane day where I had woken in the dungeon.

My strength had grown but my stomach was being stubborn as was my head. There was still a tenderness that would not be alleviated but it had, most thankfully, become manageable without the necklace. The headaches were the same. My Healer insisted that I continued to wear it; there was no need to martyr myself to the discomfort, it served no purpose, he said.

I had seen only Han and the Healer over the course of the week. Such a short span of time but I did not know how I would bear to part with Han when I could finally go home. She was a pillar of strength and so intuitive that one would think she could read minds - not that I had ever heard of such a magic. She might not be able to speak but there was such a way about her that I felt I understood. Despite my attachment to the mute Chambermaid I was entirely ashamed by my aversion to her scared neck.

There was something haunting about it. Something that unsettled me in a way I didn’t understand. It wasn’t ugly, nothing about Han was ugly. One smooth white scar. If it conjured feelings of sorrow or some other feeling that was pure in its prevalence then I would not doubt myself but the fact stood that rather than elicit feelings of sympathy it created a deep rooted discountenance at the heart of my very self.

Having much time to myself these past days I had pondered the rationale for such an inappropriate mentality. Were these feelings an echo of my unremembered self? Was I a loathsome character with a deplorable vanity? There were scars across my own body, albeit easily hidden under clothing. I did not remember how they occured of course but looking upon them did not bring the same quiver as that one line on Han’s neck.

This morning had begun much like the other mornings. I had bathed, I had consumed the small breakfast of eggs and bread that had been brought to my suite (although the bread now came with a small smear of butter making it much more palatable) and now I was sipping a marvelous cup of green tea with lemon as I waited for Healer Poflorin.

Other than that first day I had not bothered to dress. Mightily uncivilised as it was I could not bring myself to don anything other than nightclothes and my robe. Predominantly it was for comfort. Isha or was it Izla? Had left me three day dresses, of which only one had long sleeves but there was an abundance of comfortable pyjamas and dressing gowns, all of which had long sleeves. Not only was this imperative as I seemed to feel the cold quite strongly (even the slightest draft had me leaning closer to the fire), it also served to cover the lingering bruise that adorned my arm.

Truly it had not caused me any pain since the King had demanded Healer Asperonin apply his magic, both to me directly and then indirectly with the necklace, but the staining beneath the skin from the dead blood cells which my body would naturally clear over time were a stark reminder of the pain that could so easily be inflicted upon me. I was, afterall, a guest only at the insistence of His Majesty - it was not difficult to recognise that I could just as readily face imprisonment and torture at his bequest.

On what grounds though I still did not know.

My thoughts were considerably dark by the time Poflorin arrived. I worried for my safety in King Leoré’s castle and I was concerned as to how I had come to reside here in the first place. Additionally a strange and irrational fear also plagued me. I feared none other than my own reflection. The sight of my own face brought about an inexplicable bout of self loathing and more than once I had caught a flash of something that wasn’t there. Just like when I had fallen from the pedestal.

I avoided my reflection at all costs but at least one of those costs did not have to be the state of my hair. For a start Han would happily brush it for me and mercifully Izla or had it been Isha? Ye Gods I needed to find a system of remembering which was which! Either way they had infused their magic with the style giving me permanently perfect hair. Eventually the magic would dissipate but for now it was a small blessing. Even if it were only for vanity.

"Lady Esther." Poflorin greeted with a little bow. "May I join you for tea?" His smile was warm and eyes kind. Today his hair was up in a high ponytail.

"Please, Healer Poflorin! That would be most delightful." I smiled at the young man before moving forward to organise a cup for him but as if appearing from thin air Han was already setting about the task. "Thank you." I told her.

"There are a few things I should like to discuss with you today, Lady Esther." Poflorin said, wrapping his hands around the gently steaming cup Han offered him.

"Oh." I had thought we might have some casual conversation or even a cheeky gossip.

"Nothing alarming." He reassured. "The improvement in your health over the course of the week has been considerable. I'm sure you would agree that some time outside of these chambers is in order."

"That sounds wonderful, lovely as these chambers are and as magnificent of a companion Han has been, I am craving an opportunity to stretch my legs as it were." I beamed at the Healer sitting across from me. It was an exciting prospect; to see the castle, walk the grounds, breathe fresh air - be alleviated of the tedium.

"Glad to see you are so enthused, My Lady." He sipped his tea. "Are you up for a busy day? There are a few people for you to meet with."

"Most certainly, Healer." I grinned in satisfaction before bringing the teacup to my lips.

"Good! Now, first order of business - a final assessment." Poflorin looked at me with kind eyes. "Do you trust me, My lady?"

"Implicitly." I answered immediately. Seeing his hesitation I continued, "Please, whatever it may be, I shall take no offence."

"Lady Esther, while I have not been deceitful I have, in fact, been omitting information that may put you at some disinclination toward me." His muddy green eyes were filled with nothing but earnest. "As I'm sure you have noted, I am very young, not quite 16. Whilst this is, as you know, not unusual, magic being what it is, normally for such a …."

"Poflorin!" I giggled, interrupting him. "Please, I beg you to speak plainly! I am lost."

"Despite being extremely skilled in my magic I have not yet been given the accolade of Healer. His Majesty made the unusual choice to make you my charge after the unfortunate incident with Head Healer Asperonin because of both my skill and my dissonance with my Father. Asperonin is my Father. His Majesty felt that any other Healer placed by my Father might make you feel uncomfortable." He said in a rush. From his face I could see that his heart was in a flap. Clearly Poflorin cared about me and was worried I would be upset.

"Healer Poflorin, I have lost my memories - not my mind." I told him with a soft voice. “As I did not expect the King to appoint a new Head Healer it seemed certain that any Healer that saw to me would be from under Healer Asperonin. You have been most attentive and I couldn’t have asked for a better fit, I’m not upset at all.” I did my best to reassure him. “I am sorry to hear of discord between your Father and yourself.”

Poflorin cringed, eyes flitting across the room towards the entrance doors. He fidgeted in his seat, crinkling his white robes. Something was making him rather uncomfortable, making me suspect that there was something more to come; something that was making Poflorin appear his age.

“Is there something more?” His worry was starting to rub on me, I could hear it in my voice. He coughed and avoided my eyes for a brief moment while he composed himself.

“Healer Asperonin is waiting outside the quarters, he is the first meeting - other than myself, scheduled for today.” Poflorin’s face took on a younger light. My heart felt all fluttery.

“Well,” I said with a false smile, “let’s invite him in.”