Solenne had made a different choice by going with the delegation of the North earlier than she ever did, but this fever was definitely not one of her choices. It was the first time she had suffered such a high fever to the point of delirium.
But somehow, the next day, Solenne opened her eyes, and her fever was… gone.
The faint ray of the morning sun made her squint her partially opened eyes. A hum escaped her closed lips as she turned her head, looking around the place she had woken up in.
"Hmm?" Solenne carefully sat up on the bed.
Deep lines appeared on her forehead as she traced the sheet over her and then the tiny room. Tiny and old as it was, it was neat, albeit not as luxurious as the one she had back home.
"Where…" she touched her neck, a bit confused as she couldn't recall anything.
Amid her thoughts, she heard the door casually creak open. Solenne intuitively turned to the door, catching Callista entering.
Callista paused as she lifted her eyes, only for relief to well in them the moment she saw Solenne.
"Your Highness!" she intoned as she quickly rushed to the bed, placing the bucket of water she was carrying inside.
When Callista stood near the bed, her eyes studied Solenne before tears slightly welled in the corners of her eyes.
"Your Highness, how are you feeling?"
Solenne pressed her lips, feeling a little guilty for worrying Callista. Knowing the latter, she knew she must have stayed up late taking care of her and trying to cool down the fever.
"I'm alright now, Callista," she reassured her with a meek smile.
"Are you certain, Your Highness?" Out of habit, Callista reached out and touched the princess's forehead. Another wave of relief surged in her chest upon contact.
The princess's fever had gone down.
"Good gracious," Callista breathed out, placing a hand on her knee as she felt them wobble a bit. "I'm glad you're alright now, Your Highness. I was really worried."
I know you were.
Solenne looked around the room before her eyes settled back on Callista. "Callista, where are we?"
"We have stopped by a nearby town just outside the kingdom's border, Your Highness," Callista explained. "When the delegation heard of your condition, they took us here to rest instead of setting up a camp for the night."
"I see." Solenne rocked her head, touching her throat out of habit. Since the fever was gone, the pressure she had been enduring in her throat since waking up for the fourth time also subsided.
Pleased that the effects of her fourth awakening were stabilizing, she straightened her back.
"Let the delegation know that I am fine now, and that we can continue our journey."
"But Your Highness—"
"Idling here for another day is not going to change the discomfort of the journey to the North, Callista," Solenne arched her brows. "If anything, it'll only prolong this journey even more."
Hesitation flickered in Callista's eyes as she said, "The members themselves insisted that Your Highness should take a rest."
"And let them know I truly appreciate the gesture," Solenne nodded. "But leaving today is what I desire."
Callista was tempted to argue and persuade the princess. However, she knew it was futile. She had grown up serving the princess, and thus, she knew the unbending grace Solenne was showing her.
Nothing would change Solenne's mind at this point.
"As you wish, Your Highness," Callista lowered her head. "I'll deliver the word to them at once."
But just as Callista turned around to leave, Solenne's eyes shifted to the herbals placed on the bedside table.
"Callista," she called just as Callista opened the door.
"Yes, Your Highness?"
Solenne's eyes idled on the bedside table before she lifted them to where Callista was. "How did you feed me the medicine?"
"I tried, Your Highness. However, you wouldn't wake up last night," said Callista. "Hence, I tried to cool your fever down by wiping your body the whole night."
Solenne licked her lips slightly, tasting something bitter. However, she said nothing as she nodded at Callista.
"Come back as soon as you can," she said. "I need help."
"Yes, Your Highness."
As Callista walked out and closed the door, Solenne gazed down at the small wooden side table. She reached for them, noticing that the small teacup had some lingering cold medicine in it. She lifted the cup and sniffed it—it smelled just as bitter as the lingering taste on her lips.
"She probably tried and failed," she whispered as she placed the cup down, not wanting to think much about it.
But just as she leaned back against the headboard of the bed, her brow arched. She narrowed her eyes, reaching out on the empty side of this small bed.
Slowly, she picked up what looked like fur and lifted it in front of her.
"A wolf's fur?" she whispered as she knitted her brows. "How did it get in here?"
****
Meanwhile, under a tree just meters away from the small inn, the delegation had spent the night, was Damien. His back leaned against the trunk, eyes up at the canopy, letting the morning sun shine on him with every sway of the leaves.
"Your Grace." Ronin's voice snapped him out of his deep thoughts. He stood a few paces away from Damien, wearing a slight smile on his face. "The princess has woken up."
Damien simply cast him a cold glance without saying anything.
"And she said that she wants to resume the journey," Ronin shrugged, his hands raised on either side of him. "I told her lady-in-waiting that Her Highness should rest for the rest of the day. However, the princess is keen on resuming the journey."
"Let them know we can't unless we're certain she's fit to travel."
Ronin blinked almost innocently. "How?" His query earned him an icy glare that even his own wolf warned him to shut up. "Your Grace, in this delegation — whether or not we like it — the princess's words weigh heavier than ours. She's your bride and the Duchess of the North."
And since no one knew Damien was in this delegation, his words didn't matter. Unless Damien let himself be known.
For a while, silence was all that came from Damien until he asked, "How is her condition?"
"She's alright," Ronin nodded. "It seemed the medicine we brought helped."
Damien nodded in understanding before he pushed himself to stand up. Once he was on his feet, he faced Ronin.
"Then, we go," he said coldly. "Tell everyone to prepare. We'll leave once she's ready."
Ronin smiled as he approved of moving as soon as they could instead of the Grand Duke's idea of staying. With that, Ronin turned around and walked in the opposite direction. However, as he did, a soft gust of wind blew past behind him.
Ronin paused and sniffed the air.
"Huh?" His thick brows furrowed as he looked back, eyes falling on Damien. "Did I just smell a faint scent of the princess from him?"