While Prince Kelton was struggling with interactions forced on him by Queen Leona, time in Lady Iredys room was not very peaceful either. Queen Leona visited their first morning there with Diligens in tow. Iredys screamed and cried until Diligens finally caught what Ponderosa was trying to motion to him and stepped out. Iredys crying calmed, but it only led to her next seizure. Queen Leona called Diligens back in which caused Iredys to wail until she was almost hoarse, resisting any and all help that Diligens was trying to provide.

Ponderosa was at her wits end by the time she got Diligens to leave the room again. Her face was filled with deep aggrievement at the Queen’s insistence that he help. She even stopped the Queen from bringing Diligens back in with a loud clap, once Iredys had calmed down again. Queen Leona glared at her.

“What is the meaning of this? Diligens is the royal physician. It is only right that he be allowed to check on Lady Iredys to make sure her condition is stable,” Queen Leona huffed.

Ponderosa pulled her lips in as she shook her head. Then she motioned to where her writing kit lay ready on the table.

Queen Leona waved her hand to give her permission.

Ponderosa curtsied then sat at the table to write. ‘I understand your concerns, Queen Leona. However, Lady Iredys will recover much faster if left in my hands alone. Diligens carries an earthy smell about him which is similar to that held by her captors. She has only been away from them for a short amount of time. It will take her some time to recognize the difference between the earthy smell Diligens has and the earthy smell her captors had.’

“The Lady Iredys has eyes and ears, Ponderosa. She can see and hear that it is Diligens.”

‘Lady Iredys is blind, My Queen, and her nose picks up the earthy scent sooner than her ears pick up Dilligen’s voice. The horror of her experience is triggered before there is anything to help her recognize otherwise.’

“Then I shall have him come when she is asleep.”

Ponderosa shook her head. ‘She was asleep when you arrived and the smell he carries still woke her. I beg Your Majesty to let me care for Lady Iredys. I am a very skilled healer. If it would put you more at ease, I will send my treatment plan to Diligens for him to review before I put it to use.’

Queen Leona huffed irritably. “Very well, but if a single thing does not sit well with him, he will be taking over Lady Iredys’ care and you will be dismissed.”

Ponderosa nodded.

“I will tell him to expect your plan within the hour.”

Ponderosa nodded then stood to bow to Queen Leona.

Queen Leona hardly acknowledged the bow as she turned on her heel and left the room.

Ponderosa couldn’t help the glare that came to the surface once the door was shut. ‘Your overbearing attitude and authority don’t make you right, Queen Leona.’

Iredys chuckled softly. ‘No, indeed they do not, they only give her a false sense of security to try and smother the fear she lives in on a daily basis.’

‘Iredys?’ Ponderosa asked as she hurried over to check on her.

Iredys started to push herself into a semi-reclined position, but Ponderosa stopped her.

‘Let me make sure there is nothing wrong with you or the Prince first.’

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Iredys nodded and allowed Ponderosa to check as much as she could without using her transformation magic.

When Ponderosa was satisfied that nothing had gone awry, she supported Iredys into a semi-reclined position before she sat on the edge of the bed. ‘Is her fear the reason she wants to keep Prince Kelton away from you?’

‘In part,’ Iredys replied. ‘Now that she has seen my condition, she will do what she can to push him toward Princess Analisa. She will do so in the hope that Prince Kelton will see that a Crown Princess of ill health and questionable morals does not bode well for the continuation of Greywolf Kingdom.’

‘But you aren’t weak, and your morals are….!’

A soft smile lifted Iredys lips as she laughed. ‘Even though it takes a strong body, and healthy pregnancy, to endure the convulsions that I do, these conditions are considered weaknesses in Queen Leona’s eyes.’

Ponderosa nodded. ‘...How soon before Prince Kelton comes running?’

‘Queen Leona will keep him busy with the others for the rest of the week. His mind will be so full of doubts and questions that he won’t have a chance to come until the night of the masked ball.’

‘Will you be attending?’

Iredys looked down at her hands for a moment. ‘We will need to wait and see what happens.’

‘Is Dagaz going to change you soon?’ Ponderosa asked, a little worried.

‘Not that soon,’ she replied, ‘but it is pushing hard enough for me to doubt that I will remain human after our son is born.’

‘Alright. Let me get you something to eat then I will draw a bath for you.’

‘Write your plan to Dilligens before drawing me a bath. We don’t need him coming to find you because you are 30 seconds past the promised hour.’

Ponderosa nodded. ‘I don’t know if I should feel honored to share my work with another healer or insulted because I know it is being scrutinized.’

‘Dilligens, with all his skill, is still lacking. He will learn from your technique and, given the opportunity, you may learn from him as well.’

‘That helps to hear.’

‘I felt it might.’

Ponderosa mixed up a glass of meal for Lady Iredys before she sat down and wrote out all she had been doing, and would continue to do, in as much detail as possible for Diligens. She wasn’t worried about being dismissed, but she didn’t like the fact that her freedom to work as needed was restricted. Once the several page plan had been written, and the pages sanded to dry the ink faster, Ponderosa folded the pages together then sent them off to Diligens.

The rest of the week was only a little less chaotic. Diligens still tried to be helpful by sending back suggestions and tonics that had earthy tones in them. The moment Ponderosa smelled them she sent them back with a note about what to change in the formulation. Only when Diligens didn’t use earthy toned herbs did she accept his proffered help. Iredys would spend the days walking ponderously around the room. It helped her process the visions and gave her time to focus on the baby in her womb.

Only when the visions started to increase in number, did she make sure to lie on the bed and let the energy flow out her limbs. For the first several days of this, Ponderosa wondered why she didn’t mess with the furniture as she had at her cottage or while they were at a couple of the inns, but Iredys’ answer gave her pause.

‘Many of the servants here are magic sensitive. They will feel a change if I move the furniture.’

Ponderosa nodded. ‘Surrounded by potential trouble on all sides.’

‘For now,’ Iredys replied. ‘It is why I requested you not change to check on my son and I when the harsher convulsions have stopped.’

‘I understand.’

‘Thankfully, the amount of potential trouble around us will decrease or leave depending on Prince Kelton’s final choice.’

‘Alright.’

After that, Ponderosa did her best to further support Iredys with the calming herbs. The number of visits from Diligens’ messenger boy increased as Dilligens started to ask questions. Ponderosa did her best to explain her process as clearly as possible, but Diligens was struggling to understand what she had written. Finally, after several visits for the same thing, Ponderosa sent him a memory boosting formula.

That of course brought him to visit in person, which set Iredys off. Diligens apologized profusely while still trying to ask Ponderosa his questions. He backed away when Ponderosa stomped toward him. He continued to back away, hoping for some kind of answer, but the moment he was in the hall Ponderosa slammed the door shut. She locked the door then returned to Iredys side to help calm her. The trigger reached deep enough that Iredys was still asleep when it was time for the masked ball to start.