Chapter 68


    Chapter 68 Who’s the healer


    CA SSANDRA


    My heart sk ipped a beat.


    Was Kaleb being serious?


    I searched my mind for the right thing to say, but nothing wasing to me. Meanwhile, I could feel


    heat spreading through my cheeks.


    Before I could suffer for too long, the king of Yurene began tough.


    “I’m joking, Ca ssandra,” he said with a brilliant smile. “I simply wanted to lighten the air a little bit. But


    in all seriousness… are you alright?”


    I nodded as I rubbed my wrist. The guards had been really rough with me, and I could feel the kind of


    tenderness on my arm that usually meant a bruise was forming.


    Kaleb suddenly noticed the bandage on my wrist and his deep blue eyes widened in surprise.


    “What happened to you?” he asked as his eyebrows knitted together in


    concern.


    I quickly tucked my arm behind my back to keep from rming him further.


    “It was an ident in theb,” I exined off-handedly, but Kaleb didn’t seem convinced by my words.


    “I heard there was an ident yesterday and Lady Adalyn was severely burnt,” he mentioned. For a


    moment, I considered fessing up, but I didn’t want to get into it with him. The subject was still a little


    sore and I didn’t want to rehash the drama that had led to my confinement and almost kidnapping by


    Margaret.


    So, I just nodded to my savior and kept it simple. “I heard that as well.”


    The king of Yurene studied me for a moment. If he knew the entire story, he hid it well. He ran a hand


    through his long golden brown hair, and shifted the subject again. “You know, I brought some supplies


    with me from my country. I have a salve that should be useful and help cure that burn.”


    I nced at him in surprise.


    “Oh,” I remarked. “That’s very kind of you, but-”


    “No buts,” he interrupted me, and then he crossed over to the doorway, stuck his head out, and called


    to his guards. “Please go to my chambers and retrieve the medical supplies from the case. And make


    haste.”


    “Yes, Your Majesty,” I heard the guards reply in unison, and then their heavy footsteps rang out. Once


    they were gone, Kaleb closed the door again.


    “It will be just a moment,” he addressed me and then he pointed to the table. “Please, take a seat while


    we wait. You look exhausted, Ca ssandra.”


    I nodded and then walked over and sat down at the dining table.


    Beyond us, Erika and Finnick were in the corner. Erika stared at me with concern in her kind eyes, but I


    shook my head just enough to indicate they should remain where they were. The maid nodded back at


    me and continued distracting my son with a toy.


    I wanted to run to them and assure them…


    all was fine, but my head was still spinning from the fever, and I didn’t know how to handle everything


    with Kaleb in the room. Though we were on friendly terms, he was still a king and I needed to behave


    respectfully.


    A guard returned a little whileter and handed Kaleb a dark blue ss container.


    “Here you go, Your Majesty,” he said in a gruff, heavily ented voice.


    “Thank you,” Kaleb replied and then he gestured to the door. “Leave us.”


    “Yes, sir,” the guard said obediently, and then he left the room. Once we were alone, Kaleb undid the


    cap on the bottle. A pleasant smell radiated from the container but I couldn’t ce what it was.


    Before I could say anything, Kaleb expertly shifted my bandage and began to apply the salve. I winced


    at the coldness of the balm and slight difort rose within me at the king’s touch, but I didn’t fight it.


    Kaleb applied it to my wound as skillfully as a healer.


    Material ? of N?velDrama.Org.


    “I learned from battle,” he exined as if he had read my mind.


    I remembered what Erika had mentioned about Yurene. Surely Kaleb was no stranger to battle..


    As he finished applying the salve, I smiled at him.


    “Thank you,” I said gratefully. “This feels much better.”


    “Good,” Kaleb replied with a smirk of his own. “I’m d it has helped.”


    “If you don’t mind me asking…” I trailed off for a moment, and then I took a breath and continued my


    thought. “What brought you here? I appreciate you saving me from Margaret’s guards, but why were


    you outside of my chamber?”


    “Truth be told, I wanted to speak with you,” Kaleb exined, and then he nced over at Finnick and


    Erika. “I have some questions, but they require privacy.”


    I nodded and then followed his gaze. As much as I didn’t want them to leave, I owed Kaleb an


    audience.


    “Erika, could you take Finnick for a walk?” I asked gently. The maid nodded with no hesitation and


    helped Finnick to his feet. As they walked toward the door, my son’s gray eyes met mine. They were


    full of concern, not that I could me him. I waved him over and then kissed his cheek.


    “I’ll be okay,” I whispered. “I promise.”


    Finnick didn’t seem convinced, but he nodded.


    “Okay, Mommy,” he said, and then he turned to Kaleb and straightened his posture like a little soldier.


    “Thank you for saving her.”


    The king of Yurene smiled at the boy. “Of course. Thank you, young man. You’re quite the gentleman.


    Your mother raised you well.”


    Finnick smiled and then rejoined Erika. Once they were gone and the door was closed, Kaleb began to


    speak.


    “Ca ssandra, I know I was quite blunt at the banquet,” he began. “My offer was made suddenly, but I


    wanted to exin my reasoning. You see, I’ve been looking for an experienced healer from the South,


    and from what I’ve gathered, you appear to be a great one.”


    “There are many others here in Wega that are much better than me-” I tried to protest, but Kaleb


    raised his hand.


    “Let me continue,” he said. “Ca ssandra, my father was infected with a disease. many years ago. It was


    difficult to cure and no healers in my country knew how to treat it. My father spent far too long in utter


    agony.”


    “I’m so sorry,” I whispered and Kaleb nodded. He leaned forward and took a


    breath.


    “Just when we thought all was lost, a healer from the South came to visit ournds,” he said with a


    strange glimmer in his deep blue eyes. “He didn’t know how to cure the disease, but he knew how to


    control the symptoms and ease the pain it brought him. He gave my father some medicine and told him


    how to slow the progress of the disease. Soon after, the healer said he had to leave but would visit


    Yurene again once he found the cure.”


    He stopped and then stared deeply at me.


    “What happened next?” I asked, and my eyebrows creased together.


    “The healer never visited again,” Kaleb replied in a mncholic tone. “And my


    father’s condition quickly deteriorated. Unfortunately, the medicine the healer left is running out, and I


    fear he won’tst much longer.”


    I shook my head slowly. This was so awful to hear. As a healer, nothing hurts more than losing a


    patient. I knew the feeling all too well.


    Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.


    “Who was the healer?” I wondered. “They were someone from Wega?”


    “That’s just the thing,” Kaleb replied, and his gaze intensified. “The healer said his name was Emmett


    Keller and he was from the Wild Crawler Pack.”