[He's at her bedside, has been since his physicians said they've done all they could. That she has to fight it off and she's strong, he knows she is, and she's young and she's got a good chance of it. Raleigh has been sitting there, watching her sleep fitfully for hours, replaying what happened and making a (rather short) list of suspects.
It would make the most sense, wouldn't it? That whoever poisoned her was also trying to poison him since wherever he goes, she goes but it's fairly obvious that when five, ten, fifteen minutes later, Raleigh was okay and it's fairly obvious that it wasn't an accident. She's not a casualty, she's the target.
And there's really only one person in the whole court that dislikes Mako enough to actually want to kill her. He can't prove it, could and probably would start a war by trying to, but he's sure he knows who was responsible. Perhaps it's paranoid but his queen has been different ever since she walked in on him and Mako and he told her the next morning that she was only to come to his chambers if he invited her. A little colder, a little more quiet and he regrets that edict now if it's led to this.
Not because he's offended his queen but because Mako got caught in the crossfire and maybe he will have to revisit his priorities but not right now. Now he's reaching for her hand, holding it tight, and has no intention of letting go.]
[ It hurts to think, and it's frightening to know that she's so weak, that even now her body is putting priority to combating the poison, purging it out of her system that she's left with little for anything else. It takes awhile for her to focus on him, the way his worry is etched into his features. Raleigh's hand is warm in hers, as if he's bleeding his own life into her out of sheer willpower alone.
He's squeezing, but she is barely able to squeeze back; it takes up too much energy that she doesn't yet have, and the way the candle flickers over Raleigh's face worries her. He is fine, she notes, but who is guarding him in her absence, and what happened? Was it the apple she had eaten earlier that morning?
She resists the urge to go back to sleep, fears that she would never wake up if she does, and swallows, manages: ] What... happened?
[It worries him, how weak she is because if there's anything that Mako has never been, it's tired. And it plants seed of hatred towards his queen for doing it to her. Raleigh can't prove it, that it was Naomi but really, there's no one else.]
You were poisoned, started coughing up blood in the middle of the joust.
[Right on the tip of his tongue is a joke about how she was getting revenge on him for not letting her compete in this one, but he lets it die on his tongue, because it's too soon.]
[ Mako has little to no impression of that happening, and it takes too much effort to jog her memory. But she exhales and turns to the side; it shames her that she's not as in control of her body as she'd thought, but she knows the worry that Raleigh's putting himself through.
She'll be fine, she will -- and she rubs her cheek against his hand in gentle assurance. If he doesn't say it, she will. ]
That would teach you to keep me out of the... jousts.
[That's not funny, it's not funny but he's choking out a laugh anyway. Oh Mako. He runs his thumb along her cheek, reassuring himself and her that it'll be alright. She's going to survive this.]
[ It's worth it, though, his features are easing, relaxing, and she's leaning into his touch with a smile, parched but look, she'll be fine. Who knows, she might be up and running about by tomorrow; after all, she's got her king to keep watch over. ]
[She is definitely not going to be up and running about tomorrow, even if she feels ready for it. He won't let her, he's worried and it shakes him to his core that he could have lost her today, with no warning and a terrible death, really. If it were in battle, it'd be different.
Poisoned is not the way Mako is going to go, if she's going to go at all. He won't accept it.]
You need rest. [He emphasizes, trying not to smile because he knows her and that's the last thing on her mind.]
You're still fighting it. But you're young and strong. You should recover just fine.
[ Raleigh talks like he's old, or something. She squeezes his hand, even if her grip is weak and she hates that her body isn't quite cooperating the way it usually would.
But then he emphasizes that word and she frowns, because she can't accept not being by his side for long. Mustering up the energy for prolonged conversation, she fights the urge to curl up and sleep. ] Who is seeing to your protection...?
[He does have a few years on her, but that's not what he meant. But that isn't important, what's important is that she stays in this bed until the poison has left her body and that she doesn't push herself any further than is strictly necessary.
Necessary by his standards, not hers, he knows how she works.]
I have other knights, you know. They're capable of protecting me too.
[ Mako frowns, because she's not happy with that, not at all. Raleigh has a point, that she has to rest and get better (because she's going to be no use to the king dead), and yet.
She's the best out of all his knights and she knows this, and she presses a dry, fluttering kiss to Raleigh's knuckles. ]
[She is the best and his favorite and his mistress and look where she is now. She's the target of an assassination and it's nearly impossible for him to not take that blame upon himself. If he'd paid more attention to his queen, or if he hadn't been so blatant with his affection for Mako, maybe she wouldn't be here.]
What matters is that you rest, and recover. Then your post is all yours again.
[ Hindsight is always 20/20, darling. But Mako is selfish, herself; Raleigh belongs to her, and even if Mako never makes that overture in public, in private, he is always hers and the queen -- with her elevated station and Mako's lowly birth -- knows it.
Mako reluctantly moves back to rest, and she's moving around restlessly by the end of the third day; locked inside the king's chambers for compulsory rest, her mind turns to the reason why she'd been poisoned, to the enemies she's inadvertently made in the court. She waits for Raleigh, drawing a bath for him in the meantime, and making sure his meals are on the way up to him. ]
[Raleigh knows that she's frustrated with her forced period of rest, that she doesn't trust his other knights to protect him like she does, that she would push herself before she's ready. And that's why he puts his foot down, one of the rare times that he actually does with her.
She will rest because she needs to and he needs her to get better. It's that simple.
It is less interesting without her by his side constantly. He's reminded of how much he actually... tunes people out when he doesn't feel like listening to them and perhaps that's bad, worse that he only realizes it when he doesn't have Mako to watch instead of listening to people prattle on. He comes back to his room that night, a little more tense for the day, more on edge than he usually is and maybe that's why he's not immediately grateful that Mako already has dinner and a bath ready for him, because--]
[ Raleigh's in a very bad mood today, and Mako knows it. The downside, she supposes, of being the lover of a king is that you don't know when you'll fall out of favour, or if it's only a passing storm. Mako doesn't jump the gun; aware that this has always been a point of contention between them -- she's too proud to want to be an invalid for long, and even if it kills her, she must move around, do something, at the very least.
She knows he cares for her, and she inclines her head, a hand on the back of the chair -- if she's gripping it a little tighter than usual for support (she still tires easily, and it frustrates her to no end), she fights not to let on. ]
I'll rest when I'm dead, Raleigh. Would you like to take a bath first?
[She very nearly was dead and that's why he's giving her the look that he is right now-- entirely not amused or indulgent and no, he's not very good at sitting still either but she was poisoned, intentionally and he's still not over the fear of losing her.]
Will you at least sit down. Please. [Though his tone is not very questioning and more commanding.]
[ Mako has half a mind to brush it off as always -- the thing with being the King's favoured is that sometimes Mako gets to do whatever the hell she wants and out-stubborn him. But there's something in his tone of voice this evening that makes her re-think that decision.
He might be her lover, but he's her sovereign, her king, and tonight it seems like he has no qualms reminding her of it.
Mako takes a seat beside Raleigh's designated chair, askance. ]
[Raleigh's in one of those moods where he doesn't mind reminding anyone that comes within five feet of him that he's their king and he could have them killed if he wanted to, simply because he wanted to and unfortunately, that doesn't exclude Mako from it just because she is his favorite.
He won't order her death but he will snap and part of him is sorry and the rest of him knows that she can take it. She's not going to wilt because he's crabby. She's tougher than that.]
It's been a very long day. [He rubs at his head while moving to sit in his chair near her.] Please don't make me struggle with you too.
[ Of course she can take it -- she wouldn't be much of a consort if she cowered in the face of his anger, which is all the more potent when one discovers that kings have killed for less. There is no man in this kingdom that doesn't fear Raleigh when he's angry, and Mako is aware of that, too.
She starts to rise to her feet again despite his command, intending to help him disrobe, to loosen the various constraints in the obscenely rich garb that he has to wear to court everyday. ]
[Raleigh brushes her help aside, irritated with her for helping because he doesn't need her help right now. He needs her to sit down and rest instead of pushing every chance she gets.]
[ Mako narrows her eyes, because from time to time she can be prideful, and she doesn't like it when Raleigh treats her like an invalid. Actually, it's mostly the prideful thing, but she sits down away, her jaw set at the curt rebuff. ]
[He's not treating her like an invalid. She looks pale and like she's about to pass out and yes, fine, okay she's doing much better than she was a couple of days ago.
But he's going to be even more pissed off if she faints.]
[ Mako is silent for a long, long moment. A part of her had always suspected it to be so, but she knew better than to level such an insinuation at her -- their kingdom's peace and continued abundance relies on it.
Mako doesn't forgive easily, but she knows, too, the price of rash action -- her king's life is above hers, as is their kingdom's continued peace. ]
[The way he laughs, it's not happy. It's exasperated and tired and frustrated and angry.]
It wasn't me who accused her.
[But he hadn't done anything to silence Hercules' accusation either. Raleigh knows that the man is fond of Mako, that he knew her father for many years and that he watched her grow. If it came down to it, the man would be loyal to her and not at all to his Queen.
And that really raises the question of who else in the nobility would do the same.]
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[He's at her bedside, has been since his physicians said they've done all they could. That she has to fight it off and she's strong, he knows she is, and she's young and she's got a good chance of it. Raleigh has been sitting there, watching her sleep fitfully for hours, replaying what happened and making a (rather short) list of suspects.
It would make the most sense, wouldn't it? That whoever poisoned her was also trying to poison him since wherever he goes, she goes but it's fairly obvious that when five, ten, fifteen minutes later, Raleigh was okay and it's fairly obvious that it wasn't an accident. She's not a casualty, she's the target.
And there's really only one person in the whole court that dislikes Mako enough to actually want to kill her. He can't prove it, could and probably would start a war by trying to, but he's sure he knows who was responsible. Perhaps it's paranoid but his queen has been different ever since she walked in on him and Mako and he told her the next morning that she was only to come to his chambers if he invited her. A little colder, a little more quiet and he regrets that edict now if it's led to this.
Not because he's offended his queen but because Mako got caught in the crossfire and maybe he will have to revisit his priorities but not right now. Now he's reaching for her hand, holding it tight, and has no intention of letting go.]
You need to rest. I'm alright.
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He's squeezing, but she is barely able to squeeze back; it takes up too much energy that she doesn't yet have, and the way the candle flickers over Raleigh's face worries her. He is fine, she notes, but who is guarding him in her absence, and what happened? Was it the apple she had eaten earlier that morning?
She resists the urge to go back to sleep, fears that she would never wake up if she does, and swallows, manages: ] What... happened?
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You were poisoned, started coughing up blood in the middle of the joust.
[Right on the tip of his tongue is a joke about how she was getting revenge on him for not letting her compete in this one, but he lets it die on his tongue, because it's too soon.]
We almost lost you.
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She'll be fine, she will -- and she rubs her cheek against his hand in gentle assurance. If he doesn't say it, she will. ]
That would teach you to keep me out of the... jousts.
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If only it were that simple.
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What -- did the physician say...?
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Poisoned is not the way Mako is going to go, if she's going to go at all. He won't accept it.]
You need rest. [He emphasizes, trying not to smile because he knows her and that's the last thing on her mind.]
You're still fighting it. But you're young and strong. You should recover just fine.
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But then he emphasizes that word and she frowns, because she can't accept not being by his side for long. Mustering up the energy for prolonged conversation, she fights the urge to curl up and sleep. ] Who is seeing to your protection...?
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Necessary by his standards, not hers, he knows how she works.]
I have other knights, you know. They're capable of protecting me too.
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She's the best out of all his knights and she knows this, and she presses a dry, fluttering kiss to Raleigh's knuckles. ]
Not in the way that I do.
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What matters is that you rest, and recover. Then your post is all yours again.
timeskipping!
Mako reluctantly moves back to rest, and she's moving around restlessly by the end of the third day; locked inside the king's chambers for compulsory rest, her mind turns to the reason why she'd been poisoned, to the enemies she's inadvertently made in the court. She waits for Raleigh, drawing a bath for him in the meantime, and making sure his meals are on the way up to him. ]
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She will rest because she needs to and he needs her to get better. It's that simple.
It is less interesting without her by his side constantly. He's reminded of how much he actually... tunes people out when he doesn't feel like listening to them and perhaps that's bad, worse that he only realizes it when he doesn't have Mako to watch instead of listening to people prattle on. He comes back to his room that night, a little more tense for the day, more on edge than he usually is and maybe that's why he's not immediately grateful that Mako already has dinner and a bath ready for him, because--]
I thought you were supposed to be resting.
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She knows he cares for her, and she inclines her head, a hand on the back of the chair -- if she's gripping it a little tighter than usual for support (she still tires easily, and it frustrates her to no end), she fights not to let on. ]
I'll rest when I'm dead, Raleigh. Would you like to take a bath first?
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Will you at least sit down. Please. [Though his tone is not very questioning and more commanding.]
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He might be her lover, but he's her sovereign, her king, and tonight it seems like he has no qualms reminding her of it.
Mako takes a seat beside Raleigh's designated chair, askance. ]
What's wrong?
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He won't order her death but he will snap and part of him is sorry and the rest of him knows that she can take it. She's not going to wilt because he's crabby. She's tougher than that.]
It's been a very long day. [He rubs at his head while moving to sit in his chair near her.] Please don't make me struggle with you too.
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She starts to rise to her feet again despite his command, intending to help him disrobe, to loosen the various constraints in the obscenely rich garb that he has to wear to court everyday. ]
Was it the advisors?
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[Raleigh brushes her help aside, irritated with her for helping because he doesn't need her help right now. He needs her to sit down and rest instead of pushing every chance she gets.]
Sit down.
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What is it?
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But he's going to be even more pissed off if she faints.]
We might be going back to war.
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Mako stiffens at that, staring at him for a long, long moment -- what just happened while she hadn't been lurking around him at court? ]
Why are we going to war?
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It may have been insinuated that it was the Queen who poisoned you.
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Mako doesn't forgive easily, but she knows, too, the price of rash action -- her king's life is above hers, as is their kingdom's continued peace. ]
...Raleigh. You shouldn't have done that.
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It wasn't me who accused her.
[But he hadn't done anything to silence Hercules' accusation either. Raleigh knows that the man is fond of Mako, that he knew her father for many years and that he watched her grow. If it came down to it, the man would be loyal to her and not at all to his Queen.
And that really raises the question of who else in the nobility would do the same.]
The court's dividing already.
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