Chapter 31

There wasn’t a living person of the patrol that would be well enough to go patrolling for at least a few weeks except for Arthur. If that wasn’t enough, Mamie’s newborn made it nearly impossible for Mamie to resume any of her usual duties to the pack, so Daphne took over organizing food and needs for the pack as well as organizing the support for the infirmary.

Daphne sat in the infirmary, cutting strips of cloth to be used for bandages while the antidote for wolfsbane brewed nearby under a doctor’s watchful eye.

Anthony had been placed in the very last cot in the building with a dedicated doctor watching over him for the past few days. While he wasn’t dealing with the hazards of the poison, he was in critical condition and every day that he stayed unconscious was another day the doctors couldn’t be sure if he would survive.

Blade walked into the infirmary for his daily check as Daphne stood to gather the used bandages for washing.

“How are you, Daphne?” He asked looking at her with concern.

She gave him a weak smile, “… as well as can be expected. How about you and Mamie? Has Joseph started to settle down?”

He gave her a wry smile, “He’s just as lively as his mother. I don’t think he’ll settle down for at least another few weeks.”

She chuckled as she rounded the infirmary to where Anthony’s bed was. He groaned softly and turned his head. Blade froze beside her as she held her breath staring at him and praying that he would open his eyes.

His eyes fluttered. She saw his eyes moving beneath his eyelids as the doctor returned and stood stock still beside the bed. It seemed they were all holding their breaths, resting their hopes that this would be the worst of it on Anthony’s recovery.

Slowly, his eyes opened, hazy and drifting around as if they couldn’t focus. The doctor stepped closer as they opened more.

“A-Anthony?” He asked, softly. “Can you hear me?”

Anthony grunted, “… hurt.”

Daphne’s eyes burned and her breath caught with relief as the doctor called for an assistant to start checking him over. Daphne stepped back with the dirty bandages and let them work before joining Blade at a distance. She sniffled and wiped her tears.

The doctors murmured between one another in bafflement and joy.

“He’s alive…”

“It’s a miracle you’re alive, you know?”

She couldn’t hear what Anthony said in reply, but Daphne breathed easy. Her blood had worked. If it had helped Arthur survive, maybe she should consider using it to heal the others who had been injured in the attack. She didn’t know how she’d manage to do that without getting caught, but given that the rogues were likely to attack them all again, she’d have to figure it out. Maybe Arthur could help.

Blade let out a little sigh, “Praise be to the goddess for at least this reprieve.”

She nodded. She carried the used bandages to the large bin that would be washed by some other villagers and headed home to tell Arthur the good news.

Arthur’s eyes brightened as she entered, beaming at her as he held up a few skinned rabbits that seemed to have been rinsed off.

“Anthony woke up.”

He let out a laugh and his smile grew even wider, “That’s fantastic!”

She nodded and took the rabbits with a murmur of thanks before starting to cook dinner and talk with him about Anthony.

“The doctors didn’t say much more than it was a miracle…” Daphne swallowed and mustered up her courage to broach the topic. “Do you think there’s a way I could use my blood to help the others?”

Slowly, she turned to look at him. His face was scrunched with effort. He looked almost in pain and his fists were clenched tight.

“No,” he finally grit out. His eyes flashed with emotion.

“But if it could help Anthony survive then—”

He shook his head stiffly, “No. The power of your blood is too miraculous. They’re already calling it a miracle and they don’t know how it happened. They will treat you like a monster.”

He growled, turning his head sharply as his jaw clenched, “Or worse.”

“Worse?”

He looked at her, “They’ll use you. Use every last drop until you die.”

“Arthur,” she said softly. “I don’t think that will happen. The people of Sharp Armor aren’t like that.”

“I’m not going to give them a chance to become like that either!” He shook, looking down at the table. She was rather impressed that he wasn’t growling at her in fury. “You’ve done enough and risked enough to help Anthony. The rest of them were much better off.”

Daphne knew he had a point. She was abnormal by any standard. She had hoped she could keep her secret forever. She knew that Arthur would never expose her secret, but her heart clenched with guilt. What about when they had to face the rogues again?

She wouldn’t be able to watch innocent people die in front of her.

Her hesitance and guilt must have shown on her face, or maybe Arthur was considering it as well.

“Don’t worry, Daphne,” Arthur said, his voice soft and assuring. “Rex is going to ask the other packs for help tomorrow. Once the patrol can get support from other packs, everything will be fine.”

Daphne sighed, “I hope so.”

Arthur was more prepared to see the castle this time, but he hadn’t expected the sight of the castle to bring back everything he’d learned the last time he’d been there.

Prince.

Lineage.

Birthright.

He huffed and turned away from those thoughts as they entered the castle. He already said he didn’t care about any of that. He just wanted to live his simple happy life with Daphne.

“Welcome,” a servant’s voice greeted them, nodding at them. There were three other servants with her. One carried a towel, the other held a jug of water, and the first held a large goblet.

The four looked at Arthur with awe and devotion in their eyes and Arthur tried to ignore it.

One of them offered the towel and he took it to run across his neck and face.

“Thirsty?” Arthur asked Blade.

He looked between Arthur and the servants, wide-eyed, “Arthur, I don’t think…”

Arthur lifted a shoulder and tossed the other towel the servant held to Blade before walking past them.

“Drink it. I’m not thirsty.”

Blade met the gaze of the man bearing the goblet of water who looked just as stunned as he did. With a tense smile, he took the goblet, drained it, and returned it before following Arthur further into the castle. Rex walked alongside him with a frustrated expression.

Arthur pushed the door open and looked across the room as they all turned to look at him with wide eyes.

“Your Highness—”

Arthur growled at Tom who shut his mouth quickly and jumped back. The rest of the assembly turned away from him stiffly as Blade and Rex entered behind him.

Rex rounded the table, eyeing the throne that had been freshly polished. He supposed it was meant to be Arthur’s seat, but Arthur didn’t even glance at it, rounding the table to stand beside Blade behind the seat Rex usually occupied.

Arthur clenched his jaw as everyone started to glance at him, their gazes darting between him and the two gleaming thrones. Why didn’t anyone seem to listen to him? He didn’t want a throne or a crown.

He wasn’t here as a prince but as a member of the Silver Armor’s Patrol.

Arthur leaned towards Blade and spoke softly, “I should not have come here.”

“But you're of royal blood...” Blade said with a frown. “People will want to hear you talk.”

“I'm not a royal,” Arthur said gruffly. “I'm just like you.”

Blade held his expression even as his heart tremble, touched by Arthur’s declaration. Arthur was different from the royal family Blade imagined. Arthur was young and prone to bad moods, but there was a boldness and a hard-to-perceive kindness in him. He hadn’t been able to see much more than anger and distrust in Arthur when he first arrived in the village, but Blade had begun to feel a sense of duty towards him.

He would almost call it loyalty, twined with respect and care. He’d meant it when he said that Arthur was a part of the pack, but this felt different.

Rex called the meeting to order when the rest of the pack’s alphas arrived. He was clear about the losses they’d sustained and everyone seemed horrified.

“My pack was already overburdened before this. Now we need help from other packs.”

“You’ll have support by the end of the day from Milk River,” Diane promised.

“From my pack too,” Tom said.

Silence filled the hall before the others began to speak.

“Well, we’re quite burdened too.”

“Well, we’re not affected so…”

Arthur watched Blade and Rex grow tenser, but Arthur wasn't surprised. He never trusted them anyway, but he was glad for Tom and Diane’s pledge of help.

“Don't you have the royal family?” One of them asked with his nose in the air. “What enemy is there that the royal family cannot defeat?”

A moment passed before they all looked at Arthur.