Upon their arrival back in Nerea, the injured soldiers were swiftly carted to the infirmary wing that was situated on Emerys grounds. It was located next to the manor, offering a bit of privacy despite its close proximity to Verde’s manor.
Most of the soldiers suffered a few scratches and bite wounds, easily patched up with a bit of alcohol and bandages.
Yannis, the soldier that Verde helped, was easily the worst of the bunch. His leg had deep puncture wounds where the wolf sank its teeth into, along with long scratches that were embedded into his flesh. As Verde had suspected, his doctors had informed them that he required more medical attention than the rest, along with a lengthy stay in the infirmary.
The information was reyed to Verde and the guests by Berenice, the chief medic of the infirmary. An elderly woman, Berenice was a constant presence since Verde’s childhood, along with Pascal and Benoit. He respected her for her knowledge and expertise, and feared her for her ck of bedside manner.
“The bite will likely become infected if we don’t tend to it - he’s going to need bed rest once we clean his wounds.” Berenice stated in a ft tone.
“Will he recover in time for our departure tomorrow?” Theron asked.
“I don’t think that’s a possibility, your Highness.” Berenice shook her head. “Wounds like this will take at least a week to heal if we’re lucky.”
“That’s going to complicate things, since I have matters to tend to back at home.”
Theron normally wore a smile that reflected his easy-going personality, however this time his eyebrows were knitted together in worry as he began pacing around the entrance of the infirmary.
“They were injured under my watch,” Wulfe stated, pcing a fist over his chest. “I can stay back with the ones that need time to recover, while the rest escort you back to the capital.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Wulfe. What are the troops without their leader? We’re not considering that, but neither am I willing to leave my men behind.”
“We don’t have many options, since we didn’t bring our own doctor. I’m not putting us in a situation where I have to risk either my soldier’s leg or a problem arising at home due to your absence.”
“If I may,” Verde coughed lightly to get their attention. “Is it possible for your group to instead stay back a few days to allow the injured to recover their strength? If he’s on the mend, we can send your men off with supplies to tide him over during the journey home, instead of having to wait until he’s completely recovered.”
Theron and Wulfe turned to look at him and consider his proposal.
“That’s not ideal,” Theron hummed, scratching his chin. “But it’s the best compromise I can think of. You’ve already extended us much of your generosity, though - I wouldn’t want to overstay our welcome. Sir Alvar, what do you think?”
“If that’s what you want.” Wulfe sighed, evidently unhappy at the prospect of having to stay even a day longer.
“It’s nothing, really,” Verde reassured Theron with a smile before turning to his doctor. “Do we have enough supplies to share with them, Berenice?”
“Of course, it’s not often we get serious injuries in Nerea,” she said, before bowing to Theron. “Please excuse me, your Highness. I should return to the injured.”
“Thank you, Berenice.” Theron smiled and nodded to the doctor, before looking back at Verde. “You’ve been very kind to us, Lord Emerys. We will depart as soon as we’re able to, you have my word.”
“It’s not a problem,” Verde shook his head. “Take as long as you need.”
“Verd- Lord Emerys!” They were cut off by Berenice shouting from the infirmary. “Please come in as soon as you can, your wounds also need dressing!”
Verde sighed, though he couldn’t help but smile. He’d already assured her that his injuries were minor, but Berenice was one of the few in the manor that still treated him like a child. She was always tending to him and his sister’s scrapes and bruises when they were children, scolding Verde for pying swords with Hugues and Adeise for climbing trees. Even though he was well into his adulthood, it seemed she never shook that habit.
“My apologies, Prince Theron. It seems my doctor is calling for me.”
Theron chuckled.
“I see, I won’t keep you any longer. Sir Alvar and I need to discuss our pns for our return, we both hope you make a swift recovery.”
Wulfe grunted at the mention of his name.
Ignoring him, Verde instead smiled at Theron and bowed before turning to enter the infirmary.
There were a handful of soldiers inside, most already patched up with bandages and on their way out. Yannis, the injured soldier, was the only one who remained in critical condition, as he currently rested on one of the few wooden cots the room had to spare.
Berenice stood by the cot, her focus on the stone bowl she was using to mash together a healing salve. Beside her were stems of Weissalle flowers, freshly plucked.
The flowers were a miracle to Frimasvale, given their status as a luxury consumable and their healing properties. Outside of the territory, the flowers were mainly used in teas, however the people of Frimasvale tended to use them more for medicines, due to their ability to disinfect and cleanse. Unfortunately, like any good medicine, they stung like ice, and Verde grimaced when he saw the heaps of Weissalle salve already on Yannis.
The young soldier was holding up as well as he could have. Verde could see that his fists were clenched and his jaw was tense, as he was undoubtedly trying to endure the sting from the salve on top of his wound.
“Come now, it’s your turn, milord,” Berenice said as she turned to Verde, bowl in hand.
“I told you that this isn’t necessary,” Verde protested, but his words fell on deaf ears. Berenice was already lifting his chin and tilting his jaw around, inspecting him for any signs of injuries.
Though his clothes were the main casualty, Verde had a few scrapes and scratches on his neck and arms during his tumble. Berenice was quick to spot them, as she frowned at him before nudging him to sit down. Verde obediently followed, settling down on a nearby chair as he leaned to one side to expose the cuts on his neck.
“Hugues told me about what you did, it was reckless of you to dive in like that.” Berenice muttered in an admonishing tone to him while she hunched down to his level. Verde resisted the urge to roll his eyes - what a tattletale Hugues was.
“It was in the spur of the moment, I had to do something,” he protested, wincing as he felt the cold, slimy sensation of the salve being smeared onto him. The ointment stung as it seeped into any strip of exposed skin, while Berenice quickly went to work applying on every scratch she could see.
“‘Doing something’ does not mean throwing yourself into a fight,” she lectured him as she continued. “And to deny medical attention when you actually need it - you used to ask for rexants when your hand was simply too sore from signing off approvals and contracts before. What were you thinking?”
“That was different. We’ve got more pressing problems this time,” Verde grumbled, embarrassed.
There used to be a time when he whined to Berenice when he had the smallest cut, insisting that a noble like himself had appearances to keep up. Before, he was obsessed with fwlessness - everything from his posture to his skin had to be perfect. The habit quickly stopped, however, when he saw how much the war had affected Berenice and his doctors. Their eyes grew dull after months of tending to the severely wounded, while also having to shoulder the mind-numbing task of recovering the dead from the battlefields.
It was something that Berenice couldn’t handle in her old age, not so much at once. She passed away soon after the war broke out, her doctors suspecting due to the fatigue and emotional exhaustion that she endured. It was only then did Verde realise how much he relied on her, as the remaining medical aid floundered under the pressure of the wartorn soldiers and the encroaching famine that swept through Frimasvale.
“Are you short-handed here, Berenice?” Verde blurted suddenly.
“Short-handed?” Berenice gnced towards Verde, taken aback by his sudden question. “Hmm, it’s hard to say. We usually treat the odd townsperson here and there, but since it’s so quiet here there isn’t much for us. With this recent bunch of visits, however, I’m afraid my aids will feel overwhelmed.”
It was just like before in his previous life, Verde didn’t realise how understaffed his doctors were. Frimasvale was too x, having taken its peace for granted. The reliance on Weissalle to treat almost all injuries was also partially to bme, as most doctors used the flower often and knew little outside of the basic cuts and bruises. Was it worth him trying to recruit more now, in anticipation of tougher times? Or were his current efforts enough to curb the hardships for his people?
“Don’t worry about it, my Lord,” Berenice’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts, as she gently tapped her finger against his forehead. “It’s not like I’ve submitted any requests for more help, it’s fine as it is. No need to frown so much, unless you want to end up with wrinkles on your forehead!”
“I’m trying to exercise caution,” Verde mumbled, rubbing his forehead. “Also, frowning isn’t enough to get wrinkles.”
“You can tell me about that once you’ve reached my age,” Berenice smiled as she stepped away from him. “You may go now. I’ve covered what I could, if there are any that I’ve missed come back and let me know.”
“Thank you, Berenice.” Verde nodded at his doctor, before turning to the soldier that y in the cot on the other side of the room. “Before I go, I should check with the patient. How is he?”
“We’ve taken care of what we could. His injuries have been bandaged up and the medicine will do the rest of the work. Whether or not the worst is over is now up to luck.”
Verde quietly made his way over to the cot, wondering if the patient had fallen asleep already. He could see the young soldier was drenched in sweat, his grey eyes half-closed as he drew steady breaths. His leg was cleaned up and bandaged in clean white cloth, the bitter smell of the salve seeping into the air. He stirred when Verde approached, lifting up his head to look at the noble.
“Oh, um, Lord Emerys,” he stammered nervously.
The young soldier didn’t act too different from Verde’s own men, as most people tended to stay far away from him. His terrible temperament aside, Verde was known to avoid mixing with the common folk. It made it all the more difficult for him to lead his own troops after Hugues’ passing, though it was only then did he realise how out of touch he was with his people.
Verde forced a smile onto himself.
“Your name is Yannis?”
“Yessir- I mean- Yes, Lord Emerys,” Yannis nodded vigorously in spite of his injuries. “Th-Thank you for helping me earlier.”
“Don’t worry about that, I don’t think I did much to help after all,” Verde’s smile soured at the memory of Wulfe’s shouting.
“No, sir- I mean, m’lord!” Yannis protested, waving his hands animatedly. “If you’re thinking about what Sir Alvar said, you shouldn’t let his words get to you!”
He then caught himself as Verde regarded him due to the outburst, giving Verde a sheepish smile. “Err, what I meant was- Sir Alvar always tries to bring the best out of us. His mindset is we can always do better, you know? Ack- I don’t know if I’m making sense, maybe the medicine is getting to my head-”
Yannis began muttering to himself. Injuries aside, he seemed to be faring quite well. Verde felt a little reassured by that, as he tried to hide his amusement.
“I will keep that in mind, thank you for the advice.”
“Of course! Thank you again for helping me, and I’m sorry for Sir Alvar’s words. He’s not so bad, really!”
Verde raised an eyebrow. What kind of leader was Wulfe, if he needed his own subordinates to apologise on his behalf?
“My goodness, Lady Adeise, what’re you doing here?”
Berenice’s voice rang through the infirmary, making Verde snap his attention to the entrance. Hiding behind the door was his sister, her silver hair done up in a neat bow and her green eyes peering into the room. She looked embarrassed at being called out, as she ducked her head and shyly stepped into the room.
“Hugues told me that Verde got into a fight with wolves, so I wanted to check on him,” Adeise expined as she looked around the room. “Is he okay?”
Upon seeing her brother, Adeise lit up and rushed over to him, grabbing his hands.
“Brother, what happened?” She asked, as her eyes darted all over Verde. Her tone seemed genuine, as her lips quivered with worry and her hands ghosted over the salve that Berenice had applied.
Seeing her in distress set a little bit of Verde’s heart at ease, feeling relief at the confirmation that Adeise still cared for him. He patted her head comfortingly.
“It’s okay, Adeise. I’m fine now,” he reassured her.
“Hugues said otherwise, he told me that you were fending off a wolf! Isn’t that dangerous?”
“I understand your concern, but there was no other way around it.”
“You told me to stay clear of the forests all the time, shouldn’t you be looking after yourself also?” Adeise huffed, crossing her arms.
Now it was Verde’s turn to be embarrassed, as he looked away petuntly. Ordinarily, he’d be telling his sister off and lecturing her about how she didn’t understand what was required of a lord, however this time he knew better.
“Adeise, there are people in this room trying to rest,” he muttered, gesturing to Yannis who had grown strangely quiet during the exchange.
He was openly staring at Adeise, eyes sparkling. It was a look that Verde was familiar with, as he was well aware of how popur his sister was with, well, just about anyone who met her. Her looks certainly drew the attention of everyone around her, and her kind-hearted nature made her all the more endearing. To Verde, however, he still saw his sister as that crying child that he comforted as their home burned around them, his only retive that he vowed to never let the world harm. Exactly when did his principles become so twisted that it caused Adeise to think that she could live a better life without her brother?
“Oh! My apologies,” Adeise gasped, completely oblivious to Yannis’ star-struck expression and Verde’s inner turmoil. She instead turned her attention to Yannis, looking over his leg and wincing. “Your wound… Were you the one my brother saved?”
“Yes!” Yannis cheerfully spoke up. “I was told the wolf might’ve taken more out of me if Lord Emerys didn’t jump in!”
“That’s horrible!” Adeise twisted her face, not sharing Yannis’ upbeat attitude. “Your injuries look very serious, I do apologise for interrupting your rest.”
“S’not a problem at all, miss! The doctor told me that the leg was saved in the nick of time. Oh- I’m Yannis, by the way.”
“I’m- Oh, um…” Adeise looked over reproachfully at her brother.
It was a small gesture, and nobody else in the room seemed to notice, however it stung Verde, as they both knew what it meant. She was seeking permission to share her name.
His heart twisted, though he pushed away the feelings and gave his sister an encouraging smile and nod. At that, he could see her instantly brightening as she turned back to the soldier with a beam.
“My name is Adeise Emerys, thank you for looking out for my brother.”
“It’s not a problem at all, miss- um, Lady Emerys,” Yannis stammered. “Milord over here was the one who troubled himself saving me. He even went toe to toe with a big old wolf, that thing was over twice our size! I didn’t think they grew that big, maybe the ones here are just different.”
Adeise’s face grew more and more worried with each word that came out of Yannis’ mouth as the young man began rambling. Growing up under Verde’s protection, she never took violence well. As a child, she often cried over bedtime stories that the maids read to her as a child about dragons sying soldiers and witches kidnapping children.
“Alright, that’s enough,” Verde cleared his throat, cutting Yannis off before he could upset Adeise even more. “We should give the patients some peace and quiet. Should we get going, Adeise?”
“Yes, brother,” Adeise replied obediently. At his words, she stepped over to her brother’s side, as Verde caught the look of disappointment in Yannis’ eyes.
“You should rest and focus on your recovery, Yannis, before your long journey home.”
“Thank you, m’lord.”
At Verde’s beckoning, Adeise followed her brother as the two headed out of the infirmary after bidding Yannis goodbye. When at the door, Verde paused when he felt a small tug at the hem of his sleeve, as he looked over and saw Adeise looking over at the infirmary hesitantly while she gripped onto her brother.
“Something on your mind, sister?”
“Berenice seems so busy these days, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the infirmary this full before.” Adeise’s eyebrows were knitted together in worry, her delicate features always reflecting her emotions.
“I know, this is quite unprecedented. I asked Berenice if she needed extra help, but she refused,” Verde murmured in reply.
“Do you think she will be alright with all these patients?”
“She reassured me that the apprentices offer her plenty of support, and their most serious patient is Yannis anyway.”
“Still, I cannot help but worry for her. The weather tely has been worsening, Berenice always compined about her aches and pains when it got too cold.”
“I understand,” Verde murmured, as the two of them observed the chief medic.
Though Berenice always insisted she was spritely and ‘full of vim’, Verde could see the signs of her age catching up to her now. She winced every time she stooped too low to check her patients, and she often fumbled in the medical drawers for too long, muttering to herself as she searched for her ointments.
As he watched Berenice and Adeise, Verde was struck by a brilliant idea. He normally would never think of letting Adeise help out in the infirmary, as he fretted over her health and the possibility of his sister catching a disease. In this present timeline, however, he wondered if he could solve the issues of Adeise’s isotion and Berenice’s struggles at the same time.
“Would you like to help?” He suddenly asked.
“Can I?” She was unsurprisingly taken aback, though she quickly tched onto the opportunity as her eyes began to sparkle with eagerness. “I mean, y-yes! If you’re alright with it, that is.”
“Of course,” Verde smiled at his sister. “If Berenice’s health worries you, helping her out will ease the both of you. I’m sure she would appreciate the assistance, also.”
“I’d be happy to!” Adeise beamed back at him. “Thank you for the wonderful suggestion, brother.”
Verde let out a huff of ughter.
“No need to be so formal with me,” he chided her lightly. “I’m just grateful for having such a thoughtful sister.”
Adeise hummed in agreement, before rushing back to the infirmary, sing-songing to Berenice about how she was here to help. Thinking that his business here was done, Verde quietly slipped out from the infirmary. Despite his misgivings, he trusted that Adeise was safe under Berenice’s watch. The chief medic had a soft spot for the Emerys siblings, after all, and she would never turn down anything Adeise asked of her.
He winced as he left the room, a scratch on his arm still stinging, reminding him of the fight earlier. Verde grimaced as he observed the medical cloth that was wrapped around his limbs. He remembered Wulfe’s harsh yellow eyes burning into him. As the knight loomed over him, Verde could sense the unspoken question in Wulfe’s gaze.
‘What are you doing here, if you can’t even fend off a mere animal?’
Verde clenched his fist at the thought. In the past, he was confident in his swordsmanship, but the war showed that he was an amateur compared to seasoned veterans. Today was a harsh reminder of the gap in skill between him and Wulfe.
