After being unconscious for the last fifteen hours since her ungracious fall, Benedicta moaned softly as she slowly regained consciousness, "Mother?" She called out in a dry voice.
"Milady?" The maid, who was seated beside her, cried in relief immediately she heard her voice, and her mother, who was standing by the window, rushed to her side to confirm that she was awake.
"How do you feel?" She asked with a concerned frown as Benedicta tried to sit up.
"W-Water... I need... water..." Benedicta croaked out as she tried to adjust her eyes to the bright light.
The maid quickly went to drop the curtains and exchanged an alarmed look with Benedicta's mother.
Where were they going to get water from?
They had all been worried about her because, despite the fact that Prince Harold had been responsible for her fall, they had been unable to get the royal physician to prepare any medicine for her. He had insisted that it was against Prince Harold's order to treat anyone regardless of the family they belonged to.
So there was no medicine, no drinking or bathing water, and no food for them either. So all they had been able to do since the previous night was massage her body with their regular soothing balm since they couldn't even get a drop of water to keep down her fever.
"Where is... it?" Benedicta asked as she looked at the maid in annoyance.
"Milady..."
"There is no water to drink." Her mother explained with sympathy, causing Benedicta to frown in confusion.
"Why? My body... aches," she groaned before falling back on the bed.
"What happened to me? Where is the water? I need water." Benedicta said desperately with her eyes closed. It was a struggle to speak because her throat was dry and sore.
Her mother sighed in frustration before looking at the maid. "Go and inform her father that she is awake," she ordered the maid, who bowed and quickly left before she turned her attention back to Benedicta.
"What were you thinking? Why did you do something as foolish as trying to get in Prince Harold's way?" Her mother asked in a scolding tone, despite her relief that she was awake and alive now.
"Prince Harold?" Benedicta asked in confusion, and her heart skipped a beat when it all returned to her and she remembered what had happened.
She had thought she was going to die at that moment when he flung her out of his way. How could Prince Harold do that to her? She hoped he was going to be disciplined for doing something like that...
She paused when she remembered that he had been about to hurt the Queen.
"What about the Queen and Prince Ivan? Did he hurt them?" She asked, and her mother shook her head.
"They are safe. You didn't have to step in. Your father is very furious," she said, and before Benedicta could respond, there was a knock on the door, and the door opened to reveal Harvey, who walked in.
"How is she doing?" Harvey asked immediately he walked in.
"She wants water," their mother complained helplessly as she looked at him.
"There is no water. There is nothing that we can do," he said to Benedicta dismissively before facing his mother. "Where is Father?"
"He is in the bedchamber. I left him there to think. They need to find a way to sort this out."
"It would be better if they didn't do anything. Prince Harold is very angry." He said as he went to sit down.
"Where have you been all morning?" His mother asked, but Harvey said nothing. There was no need to tell her that he had been with Prince Harold. He knew how she was going to react to that after what he had done to Benedicta.
Harvey sighed, and without answering her question, he turned to Benedicta, "Why did you do that?"
"No one was going to stop him. I had to try to stop him," Benedicta said, and Harvey scoffed.
"Do you think that was bravery? You were being foolish and it almost cost you your life," he said, and their mother glared at him.
"Don't be harsh on your sister! She just woke up and she is weak," she scolded, and just then the door opened and their father walked in.
"Is there any hope of getting food or water?" Their mother asked as she rose from Benedicta's side to meet her husband, but he shook his head as his gaze shifted from Benedicta to his wife.
"Prince Harold has refused to see or speak with anyone," he said as he walked over to the bedside to look down at Benedicta, who was now crying softly.
"Then he should let us return to our homes!" Their mother cried out in frustration. She had never felt more uncomfortable than she did right now.
They needed to bathe, eat, and have water to quench their thirst. Why did they have to be caught up in the middle of the royal family's drama?
"No one is allowed to leave either. Don't worry. We are still trying to see what we can do," their father promised before looking at Harvey.
"Come with me," he said, and walked out of the chamber, expecting Harvey to follow him.
"Yes, father."
"You didn't believe that his wife was guilty, did you?" He asked, remembering how Harvey had reacted when his sister was speaking ill of Princess Amber and Prince Harold.
Harvey said nothing as he looked at his father, and his father sighed, "I'm not going to ask you what your relationship with them is or why you are on their side, but..."
"As one of the youngest members of the court, who has been with Prince Harold privately before, the elders want you to speak with him and see how we can end this."
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