14

Mabel

I woke with a gasp, rubbing my hand over my chest. I blinked out at the dark room and felt the bed next to me, only one of them was there.

Right, Ian was in his territory handling matters. Andre was staying with us publicly as Ian's friend to protect me and watch the household. It had been weeks since we had all gotten our rings, and even if we knew things would never be simple and there would always be hoops we had to jump through… It would be worth it to be together.

"Darling, are you okay?" Andre asked in his sleep-heavy voice.

"No, it's starting," I rasped, my head hurting and feeling disoriented. "I have to get to the palace."

He was up in a flash, knowing what I meant without elaborating. He gave me a soft kiss and helped me to sit on the edge of the bed. "You prepared for this. Everything will be fine."

I did not think it would be, and I did not even have time to reply before he was out the door to let people know what was going on. Knights had to be told to get the carriage ready and a detail to come with us. A rider had to be sent to the palace.

And apparently, I needed to vomit.

I bolted for the bathroom and was sick. Violetta was very concerned. Things had turned out differently than she had first thought or might still happen that way, but the plague was also starting in a new location.

In a country that bordered Areca. That was more dangerous for us, but… It was complicated. The country—we did not have much of a border with them. It was a mine basically.

Areca had been fighting over the mine with a country for years, maybe even before the current king became ruler. It was a mine of mana stones, and the value was beyond understanding.

While that was going on and on for years, a nation on the other side of the country we were fighting with invaded… To get at that mine. They won that war and took over some of their land, and the fight over the mine then became between Areca and Helvet. And it had been getting extremely contentious the past few years.

It was the country most were worried we would go to war with, and no one would even consider the king giving up the rights to the mine. People liked their magical items and luxuries too much to risk those mana stones.

In other words, the situation was not going to be pretty.

Andre found me in the bathroom trying to pull myself together and immediately jumped into action. "The goddess is that worried?"

"Yes, but part of it was me," I admitted, meeting his eyes. "It's Helvet, Andre." I simply nodded when he cursed in several combinations.

Still, we managed to get dressed and in the carriage. I felt better with him holding my hand in support, staring at the gorgeous ring on my finger from him and Ian. It was a three-carat light-green diamond that they somehow found that matched my eyes. It had two black diamonds on either side of it, and I knew that was for each of them.

I loved it. I loved it because it was pretty, but more than that, I knew exactly what it stood for and how they saw me as the gem between them.

But I was only a gem to shine because I had their support and love.

The king and queen were waiting with some aides when we arrived and were shown in. They knew what this was as well because a map was waiting.

"It's Helvet," I said, not beating around the bush. I nodded and moved to the map when the upset in the room rose. I pointed to their second-biggest city. "Here. It's already started. A different ship with the same… Mix that the goddess was concerned about docked last week.

"I doubt she did not know—I have no idea how it works for a goddess. I will not try and speak to that. The first clear symptoms started. It's already spread and very contagious. It will spread all over the city by the end of the month with people dying in two months unless we move fast. And the goddess is still worried."

"Then good thing we have massive stores of the medicine and we are not the only ones," the queen muttered. "She told you nothing more?"

I sighed, scrubbing my weary head. "That she is still worried. That is all I know. She seemed surprised and upset."

"Maybe a dark force interceded or—who knows. It happened," Andre cut in.

Fair enough. A problem for later.

"I will send notice immediately that you wish to speak with the king," Gerald said, studying the map. "You will have to go in person, Mabel. I am sorry, but you do. I will go with you, and you have my word I will protect you as if I am Ian. You will not be in danger, but they will have to hear this from your lips."

"Yes, Your Majesty," I agreed.

"And as such and for our goodwill, we will demand a peace treaty from this," he said, his aides immediately agreeing.

"No," I argued. I felt steam come out of my ears when he gave me a look to be quiet. "I will not allow you to play politics with the lives of children and—"

"I protect the lives of everyone here!" he bellowed. "I worry about the lives of the children in Areca, Mabel! I am not the bastard you and everyone else think me. I did not say to use this get the mine. I said peace. No more threats of war, and they have to promise to make a deal without death. If we help them save lives—"

"I apologize," I whispered, bowing to him. "I am sorry, My King. You are completely right."

He let out a long breath. "I do not always do my job right, but I will not apologize for sometimes being a bastard to save my people. My job is hard on me too, Mabel. I have understood that about your role—or learned to. Please understand it for me sometimes too."

"You are right," I accepted. "But I ask you still do not do it." I shook my head when he growled. "Trust the goddess, Your Majesty. She made it clear to go offer help. She was not worried about it being Helvet the way I was and knew it would work out well as long as we moved fast. Her concern is it's a more populated area than she thought."

"If you bring up the treaty, they might think it's a ploy, and more trouble could come later, Gerald," Louisa said quietly. "I understand, I do, but… I am pregnant. We have not lost the baby, and that alone is a miracle. Please? Trust the goddess will help us this time too."

The king nodded after a moment, rubbing his forehead and then glancing at me. "You swear to tell me anything else she tells you even if I will not like it?"

"Of course. I will even ask… I have no idea what to ask. I simply vomited when I realized it was Helvet, and the dreams hurt worse when the goddess is emotional."

"It might seem minor, but I would ask the best way to deliver the medicine, Your Grace," one of the aides suggested. "We have too many options, and one would think to our border, but that is a long road for them. We could go further to the ocean, and that would be faster for them by ship. But we would have to make sure the ship was not infected."

"Transferring it out to them at sea would be the safest way not to contaminate anyone else. Keep the people who transferred it quarantined and with medicine just in case," the other aide added.

That was smart and I said as much. I promised to ask the goddess.

Things moved fast, and I felt like I blinked and it was five days later that I was arriving at the border of Areca and Helvet. The camp we would be staying at was already set up. It might be awkward, but the king and I were sharing a rather large tent. Ian would not hear of anything else in the magical letters he sent.

And I honestly did not have a problem with it. I wanted the protection, and this was all horribly terrifying for me. Andre could not come with either and… I was a wreck.

"Be your normal charming, straight-to-business self," Gerald said when the carriage stopped. "From what I know of this king, it will play well with him. I have been told he can spot when someone's fake just as easily as Ian and I can." He gave me a look to read through the lines.

The King of Helvet was not human.

I nodded and we exited the carriage. We settled in, and I doubted that I was the only one who did not sleep. My nerves were too all over the place and fried.

"I asked the goddess to make Louisa's delivery easier," I told the king as we ate breakfast just before the meeting time. "She gave me a medicine—a pain medicine that works for numbing the area some and safe for the child. It would be radical to help with the pain of labor."

"Something to train the doctors with," he muttered, relieved but tense as well. "Thank you, Mabel."

"I just want to help more people than I end up hurting," I whispered.

He set down his fork and wiped his mouth, waiting until I met his gaze. "I say the exact same fucking thing every fucking day. Let's go see if we can pull it off today."

"That would be nice," I agreed, not even bothered by his swearing. This was… Tense did not quite cover it.

We headed to the mouth of the mine which was right on the border of the two countries and the main issue of it. The meeting was set up there, and luckily the weather was nice enough out that there was not too much needed besides tables and chairs.

The man who was clearly the King of Helvet was standing at the front of his group and waiting for us. He studied me like one would someone they definitely looked down on.

"I do not care if you are the saint or the goddess herself," he said in way of greeting. "If this is some ploy to—"

"Do not start with the threats when we have not even met, Your Majesty, and I am not the one prone to violence," I cut in, shocking everyone there. "You invaded a country and killed countless people to take land and try for this mine. I do not have a very high opinion of you either, but here I am because I care about innocent lives.

"They just happen to be in your country. The goddess worries about them, and I am her messenger." I gestured to Gerald. "If he was as bloodthirsty as half of the people accuse him of, he would have stopped me from contacting you. It would have made his life much easier after all."

People shared confused looks, but I simply snorted.

The King of Helvet fully understood though. "You saw something that decimates my country. The message said my people were in danger and you swore to that as the saint." He shot a glance at Gerald. "I have heard about this plague you are preparing for. You want me to believe it's that? Do I look a fool to you?"

"As I said, it would be easier for the king to let your army die of plague and never be a threat to us again, but he cares about lives," I said firmly. "And the goddess did not know where the plague would hit. From the dreams I am receiving, it probably will not be only Helvet." I nodded when people looked scared.

"So says you," he muttered, studying me. "And you do not have credibility with me to believe that, Grand Duchess."

"That's why I am standing in front of you instead of sending a letter. It is in Helvet now. The first cases are showing symptoms. That is what the goddess showed me. I went right to the palace and woke the king. He immediately sent you a message in the middle of the night. Believe it or not, I already have a track record of being right."

"Is that so?" he chuckled darkly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It's already spreading and very contagious. It will spread all over the city in under a month. People will start dying in two unless we move fast, and the goddess is still worried. You were not the region she was warning me of. The combination of circumstances needed happened on a ship that docked at your port city of…"

I took a step back and closer to the king when I noticed someone else in his party. Fear and shock rocked me.

"Mabel!" Gerald yelled, shaking me and making me realize that I hadn't been paying attention long enough to scare him.

"That man," I gasped. "That man cannot be armed around me. He cannot hear this and be armed. I cannot be here until he leaves or—"

"He is the commander of my army and my most loyal and trusted friend," the King of Helvet bellowed. "If you tell me lies that this is his fault or has done something to betray me—"

"Your Majesty, I think you misunderstand her fear," the man whispered as he undid the belt that held his sword and took it off, tossing it several feet away. "You saw me in the vision, did you not?"

The king swore under his breath when I did not respond, shocking everyone there. "Mabel, the father you spoke—"

"It is him, Your Majesty," I whispered.

Gerald shot the man a look of pity, surprising both the man and the king. "You have a son. Early twenties." He waited until the commander nodded. "He's studying there. He was near the port when the first people were infected. Mabel told the queen and me about a father she saw crying over his son and a woman with child both dead. Seemed to be his wife."

The man swallowed loudly. "My son just wrote me that I am to be a grandfather in five months. His new bride is with child and yes, he is there. It was why I demanded to escort the king." He focused on me. "You swear that you saw me and—"

"His hair is lighter than yours," I rasped. "With a slight curl around his ears. I saw a scar that ran across his jawline as if he fell and clipped himself on a rock as a boy. A big scar, so he had to have been hurt badly. I did not hear a name. You were at their hospital, and too many others were crying and… Death was all around you. His wife has dark hair like—"

"I have no idea," he muttered. "We have not met the lass. The fools eloped a month after meeting, passion and following their hearts."

"Yes, I remember the scar," the king muttered. "He got it playing at my palace after all." He looked to Gerald. "And what does Areca ask for this information and help? Assuming you are offering help or—"

"Medicine to cure the plague," Gerald confirmed. "I am a careful man, and how quickly Mabel spoke of the plague killing was frightening. What I ask for? What it costs to replace the medicine. I want that ready for my people if this should happen to us."

The king blinked at him. "And?"

Gerald let out a slow breath. "Only that. This is bigger than you or me or even this mine. Two months and you lose the city. Your second-biggest city and all who live there. It spreads to Areca if you do not contain it. Close your borders. Close the city. Quarantine so we can help you get it all." He nodded to a few of our guards.

They approached the king and commander, handing over two different books.

"They are graphic," I warned. "They are not your people though." I waited until they opened the books… And almost dropped them a few pages in. "I worked with a sketch artist to describe what I saw in the dreams. It was horrible for both of us, but the symptoms—they are not like any sickness known. I am not a doctor. It was all I could do."

The king swallowed loudly. "This is how the sick die? This horribly?"

"My son will die like this?" He raised his head to look at me, blinking back tears. "Whyever did you have me disarm to tell me?"

I gave a slight shrug and rubbed my arm. "People do not act rationally when their loved ones are involved. Some think the vision dies if the saint does." I was relieved when they both seemed surprised at that. "The good priests that stayed in Areca warned me of that. A few of the saints were sacrificed thinking the catastrophic future could be averted."

"For the record, it was not, but the goddess would not allow holy power to help after her saint was killed," Gerald muttered. "Please, if nothing else, quarantine the city. Do not let this spread. Even if you do not take the medicine and think this is a ploy to poison your city. I understand that prudence, but I have never offered any aggression, only defense of my people."

The king took the chastising in stride, flipping through the book even more. He closed his eyes when he saw one drawing in particular and then shut the book. He handed it back to our guard.

"Keep it. We have had copies drawn and given to allies who have been working with us for stores of the medicine as well," I told him. "It's… Clearly, this will be the plague of this generation or age. I do not know. I am not a scientist, and as wise as our goddess is, she is not human. I am not adept enough yet to understand it all and—"

"It hurts you," Gerald said quietly, reaching over and patting my shoulder. "I have seen it. Louisa cries over it. I think Ian will curse the goddess one day for the way you wake in pain. We all know you suffer to help."

"Do it," the king muttered. "Give the order to close the city. Quarantine it. No ships going in or out."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the commander accepted and turned to handle that but stopped. "Have any left the city, Saint Mabel? Is there another location that it spreads to first?"

"I do not know," I admitted, sighing and nodding when he frowned. "The goddess tells me when she senses the symptoms, not who has it inside of them without showing it. Right now, the ones who show the sickness are in the poor neighborhood near the port. The families of the dockworkers. That is who was infected."

"That's the furthest edge from the city gate and wall. That is helpful. Thank you." He dipped his head us and hurried off to send the magical order.

The King of Helvet let out a slow breath and focused on me. "Alright, now that I have shown that I will believe you that much, time to tell me exactly what you know, Saint."

I was surprised when Gerald moved his arm in front of me.

"I want to save innocent lives, and I have gone through a lot to do that. So has Mabel. But I am not a doormat, and I will not allow you to behave with sarcasm when we even skipped the normal greetings and niceties because of the situation being dire. She's also a member of my family being married to my cousin. Remember that."

The king ran his tongue over his teeth and gave a sharp nod. He focused on me. "I apologize, Your Grace. Truly. While I believe there is a higher power, I never really believed she was named Violetta or had a name. The saints always sounded like a ploy of the Holy Empire and—"

"I thought so too, which is why I never called myself one and dragged my heels on letting others refer to me that way," I admitted. "I thought I had to be crazy to have these dreams or my horrible family did something to me. But I made up medicines I had no way of figuring out on my own since I was a child. That is what I know. So let's start there with manners."

"Please tell me how I can save my people even if I am still hesitant, Grand Duchess," he said after a moment, gesturing to the seats.

So, I did. We sat down and went over the map and the ideas we had on transporting the medicine.