Rin took a sip of his drink and promptly choked. "Are you, ah, saying you want me to…dress him?" He said slowly, eyes flashing to Arquis and then back to Quirisa, hoping that that was not what she was saying. He didn't exactly want to see Arquis unclothed unless it was in, well, different circumstances than this. Very different circumstances. He took another sip, his own shivering already beginning to subside.
Quirisa rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself. “No, I’m asking you to turn around. I can do it.” She snapped over at the other pair of clothes, which consisted of a large sweater and cozy cotton sweatpants. “You go ahead and change while I’m doing it. I promise I won’t stare.”
Arquis writhed when she got near but stopped when she put her hand on his shoulder. She went about dressing him quickly and methodically, almost as if she was a nurse. When she was done, he was in a massive cardigan and soft pajama pants that were a few sizes too big.
She stepped back, her brow furrowed. Her eyes still on her brother—she wasn’t sure if Rinlos was done, and she hadn’t been joking about not looking—she said to the musician, “Thank you. For helping him.”
Rin turned his back to her to change, doing his own changing relatively quickly. "You're welcome." He replied. "I mean, what was I supposed to do, leave him to freeze?" It had been the right thing to do. Lucky for both of them that Rin was strong enough to carry him, or they didn't know what they would have done. "I'm done changing, may I turn around again?"
“Yeah, go for it.”
Voices approached from the hallway. An older woman with a braided bun opened the door and stepped into the room. She had a confident air about her that showed in her stride and the slight upwards tilt of her chin. In one of her hands was a large carpet bag, and in the other was a reddish suitcase.
Marsiquia shut the door behind them. Her eyes were darting about nervously, and she looked like she was about to cry. Quirisa went to her and gave her a quick, tight hug. They left the room together to give the doctor space, leaving her, Arquis, and Rinlos alone.
The woman wasted no time. She introduced herself as Syeda Benvalia. As she was giving the introduction, she examined her patient, observing his sorry state. She reached a hand out onto the spot over his heart and closed her eyes. When she opened them, she determinedly began to sort through her belongings, taking out a steam driven nebulizer and a collection of handmade medications.
As she began to help him use the nebulizer, she started to address the musician. “The younger Miss de Vey told me that you have been with him over the past few days. How has his condition been? Has he had any notable symptoms? Shortness of breath, increased stress, lack of energy, decreased appetite? Anything like that?”
Rin introduced himself in return, otherwise quiet so she could focus. "I don't know. I don't know what he's normally like. I know he did not eat breakfast this morning, and he almost passed out at the party yesterday." They explained, moving to stand closer to the fire so he could warm up faster.
Syeda nodded, deep in thought. “He almost passed out… well, I don’t have a medical history, so I can only make assumptions based on what my senses are telling me.” She knelt beside Arquis and touched his arm gently. “What I do know is that you have just had a severe asthma attack. I imagine you have been having acute attacks for a while. This one was probably triggered by a mix of stress and the dry air outside. Were you diagnosed with it as a child?”
Arquis, who was taking in the vapor from the nebulizer in great gasps, nodded weakly. She sighed.
“You should have known to take precautions, then. But you aren’t fully at fault. My ability allows me to evaluate the health of others with just a simple touch, and I discovered symptoms that cannot be explained by asthma. Asthma does not, for example, cause a moderate fever. It also wouldn’t fully explain your loss of appetite.”
She suddenly frowned, her grip on his arm growing tighter. “This is odd. I can detect something wrong, but it isn’t an infection I’m familiar with. It almost seems as if…” she trailed off, suddenly looking a bit uneasy. “Whatever it is, it seems almost tailored to take advantage of your physical state. Your body is in a vulnerable condition, and it appears to have been for some time. But let’s not worry about that right this instant. Continue to focus on your breathing.”
She looked over to Rinlos and stretched out her arm. “Your turn. I should run a check for hypothermia.”
Rin sighed, giving her his hand. "I'm fine. I'm strong as an ox and I was only without a jacket for…ten minutes?" Somewhere around that, maybe, in the time he had been carrying Arquis. "I'm just a bit chilled, is all, and that should go away soon enough." He shifted a little, still sticking close to the fire to leech off the heat. He was starting to relax, as the heat soaked into their skin and began to soothe the chill away.
She tested him anyways, running her fingers lightly across his palm. Her features softened.
“Your temperature is a little low, but it should return to normal if you stay by the fire. Put a blanket on,” she jutted her chin at the stack of blankets, “and keep monitoring yourself. Let me know if anything develops or changes. Just because you’re strong doesn’t mean you’re invincible.”
He nodded, grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around his shoulders,staying near the fire. "Is Arquis going to be alright?" he asked, blinking at her uncertainly. They hoped they had gotten the nobleman back in time, that the young man wouldn't be harmed by what had happened.
“Well, let’s see.” Syeda leaned over and checked the nebulizer. It was out of medicine, so she carefully removed it and put it aside. “How are you feeling?”
He blinked sluggishly at her, suddenly groggy, and slowly brought a hand to his face. His breathing was still a painful rasp, but was nowhere near as rapid as it had been outside.
“Alright,” he said, though it came out slurred and soft. “I’m alright.”
“I imagine that you’re exhausted. Rest will help combat the infection, no matter what it is, but first you should take some medicine.” She turned, popped open the suitcase, and began to pull out small vials.
He shook his head. “Don’t need to rest. I’m… I’m alright, really.”
Rin let out an incredulous snort. "You aren't alright, Arquis." he commented. "You really should rest." he watched Rin, frowning just a little bit.
(did you mean watched Arquis lol)
“Well,” Arquis said, humiliation bleeding into his voice, “I should be alright. This was my fault. I nearly… nearly hurt you with my stubbornness.” He looked upwards and blinked for a few seconds before continuing. “I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry, Rin. I really messed up.”
Syeda put the pills in his tea and swished them around until they dissolved. She handed the cup to him, looked back through her bag, and pulled out a vapor rub. It was in a small, round metal tin with flowers on the border.
“Rubbing this on your chest might soothe some of the ache. You should also drink lots of fluids and continue to monitor your fever. If it increases significantly—or if there are any other symptoms—then you should seek me out immediately. As for right now, however, you really do need to rest. Another episode like this could do serious damage.”
(lmao yes im just stupid, whoops)
Rin shrugged a shoulder. "It's fine, Arquis, just…get some rest and get better, alright?" he replied, giving Arquis a soft little smile. "Listen to the doctor, and don't be stubborn." they didn't want to lecture him, but they also wanted him to listen and get better.
“I will try,” Arquis murmured just as softly, swallowed hard, and let his head fall onto the couch pillow. His head felt like it was made of lead; he couldn’t seem to lift it back up. The doctor had to prop it up to help him drink the tea. When she was done, he slumped back again instantly. His eyelids started to close before he knew it, and his breathing finally slowed as a restless slumber overwhelmed him.
Syeda stood quietly and walked over to Rinlos. She sat by the fireplace with him for a moment, clearly thinking hard, before turning to look at them.
“Do not mistake what I am about to say as an accusation.” Her tone was grim, her expression solemn. “I believe that he was purposefully infected with some kind of virus. I am not sure how, nor why, but this all is too coincidental to be anything else. That is why I must demand that you stay in this room while I alert Muria de Vey of the situation. I personally do not believe that you are involved, but… this is serious. Had he not received medical care, he would have been dead by the end of the day.”
Rin's eyes widened at her words. "Shit." was the first thing out of his mouth, and then he cleared his throat. "Uh, pardon that. But uh, I had nothing to do with this." he sat down on the other couch. "But, I do understand the necessity for remaining here." they frowned just a little bit, running a hand through his hair.
Syeda reached out to squeeze his shoulder comfortingly before getting up and heading for the door. She was gone for about ten minutes before she returned. Marsiquia and Quirisa were still standing outside. Neither of them came in, but someone else did.
Muria de Vey was a very glamorous figure. Her black hair floated like a curtain behind her as she stepped inside. The velvet dress she was wearing was went down to her ankles, and it was paired with a dainty shawl, pearl necklace, and burgundy lipstick.
She looked at Arquis. Her gaze was reserved. Not a single emotion flickered across her face, not even grief at seeing her son so ill. Then, she aimed that same distant look at Rinlos.
“I wasn’t aware that my son had any, ah, friends,” she emphasized the word ‘friends,’ as if that were the end of the sentence, “visiting. Which, of course, would make you a stranger.”
A beat passed. She held her hand up to examine her nails, apparently uninterested in the musician. “I am sure that you did not poison him, but it does look that way, doesn’t it? How unfortunate for you. I suppose I will have to insist that you stay by his side throughout his recovery.” That seemed to please her. A lightning quick smirk flashed across her painted lips. “If he perishes under your watch, then I will know who killed him. In the meantime, I will have investigations conducted into the other visitors.”
Rin cleared his throat, knowing far better than to interrupt her. If things got really bad, he would have to tell her about his parentage, show her the proof, which would grant him diplomatic immunity, but would open a whole new can of worms. "I understand." he replied, inclining his head to her. "I will keep an eye on him until he gets better, and, furthermore, I will comply with any investigations conducted on myself. I have nothing to hide." they gave her a quick, but still respectful, smile.
That last sentence sent a flicker of rage across her face, but her features smoothed back into their mask almost immediately. She strolled out of the room without another word. Syeda gave Rinlos an apologetic, yet still gentle, smile before following her out.
Marsiquia slipped back into the study, though Quirisa was nowhere to be seen. The young girl wrapped her arms about herself. A tear rolled down her cheek, and she wiped it away.
“He looks so… I… I haven’t seen him like this before. He is usually so formal and put together and… and someone poisoned him?” She took a step closer to her brother, sniffled softly, and then changed directions to sit beside Rinlos instead. “I am sorry to be so emotional, I know it’s been a long day for you. I am just so grateful that you were there. Would you perhaps accept a hug?”
He looked away at the rage, looking back up when Marsiquia came in. "I'm sorry this happened." he replied softly. At the request for a hug, he hesitated. "I am not sure it is…appropriate." he replied slowly. "I am a grown, ah…man, and you are a teenage girl." sometimes the label of "man" did not fit them well, but it would do. "Furthermore, I am a near complete stranger."
“Oh!” Marsiquia squeaked, her face flooding with color. “Oh, no! I did not mean to imply- it was not- I just thought that it- like a sister, that is all I meant. I wished to hug you like if- as if I was your sister. Not in, um, an inappropriate way, I promise.”
Another tear rolled down her cheek. She didn’t clear it away. Her shoulders rose to beside her ears as she hunched in embarrassment. “Arquis sometimes hugs me when I come to him after a nightmare. It always makes me feel better to know that he is there. This feels like a nightmare, but he cannot help.” She sobbed suddenly and covered her face with her wrist. “I don’t want him to die!”
"No, no, I know that, I just…" he trailed off, moving forward to gently wrap her in a loose hug. "I'm sorry. I was just worried someone would see and think I was…doing something inappropriate to you. I knew what you meant." they closed their eyes for a moment, wishing they had explained himself better to Marsiquia, especially since she was so obviously upset.
Marsiquia hugged them back. It was a light, gentle hug, and after a few seconds she broke away to dry her eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I… I don’t know if anyone has told you already, but thank you. You really are so kind. I am sorry that you had to get tangled up in all of this, and I,” she looked around, almost afraid, “wish Muria had not done what she did. To punish you after you saved his life is… I do not think it was a good choice.”
She knitted her hands together on her lap and looked at her brother. He was tossing and turning fitfully, his brow creased even in his sleep.
“If you ever need anything,” she was addressing Rinlos, though her gaze was still on Arquis, “please let me know. I will fetch whatever it is for you since you cannot leave his side. Your instrument, sweets, books, a coat; whatever you might want, just give the word.”
He blinked at her after releasing her from the hug. "Wait, I literally can't leave him? I thought she meant I could not leave the palace, not that I have to remain in the same room at all times. What does she expect me to do when I need to use the bathroom? Or bathe?" they looked confused and a bit concerned. "But, ah, thank you. And it's…to be expected, i suppose. He's the eldest and there is enough circumstantial evidence that…" he trailed off.
“She ordered for me to switch with you if you needed to use the washroom, but otherwise I believe you must remain nearby. I could possibly ask Quirisa to chaperone you if it is an emergency.” Her tone was apologetic. “Once again, I am terribly sorry that you got caught up in this disaster. I know that you were not the one that hurt him.”
As if she’d heard her name, Quirisa slammed through the door and came to a stop before Rinlos and Marsiquia. She was tailed by Carsui, who took one look at his girlfriend and came rushing over. He embraced her before guiding her out of the room, whispering promises of hot cocoa to calm her nerves.
Quirisa pulled a face. She walked to Arquis and, as if it was no effort, lifted him. His eyelids fluttered, but he didn’t wake.
“C’mon,” she said to Rinlos, “let’s get going. I’m taking him to his room. Less noisy up there.”
He cleared his throat faintly, nodding and following Quirisa out of the room and up to Arquis's bedroom. "So I am to be…sleeping with…ah, in here?" he asked, blinking. He had almost said "sleep with him" and then realized that that had the wrong sort of meaning attached to.