He pulled several layers of gauze away from Relam’s nose and removed two hard plugs. “I think it is safe for you to move around a bit now, stretch out some cramps if you need to,” he said finally.
The healer loosened the restraints and they fell away. Relam lifted the bands over his head and stretched his arms out to the side, wincing as his joints popped and cracked in protest. Then, he moved his legs a little, making sure they were in good working order before he tried to stand.
When he finally did get to his feet, the effort was almost too great. Relam stumbled, steadying himself against his bed, and walked around the bed twice, one hand resting on the mattress in case he needed to catch himself. The healer watched him critically, then nodded.
“You’ll be fine,” he announced. “Thank the gods for the healing powers of the young. I’ll stay in the main room in case you need anything, your highness, but I think you should try and get some sleep now.”
Relam nodded wearily and collapsed onto the bed. He was asleep again before the healer had even left the room.
Chapter 30
Relam did not wake again until late that evening, just after the sun had set in the west. He heard movement from the direction of the door and frowned, turning his head slightly, stealthily reaching for the dagger on the bedside table-
And realized that his guest was Aven.
Relam relaxed immediately. Aven turned around, some sixth sense telling him he was being watched, and grinned with relief when he saw the prince was awake. “He lives!” the boy crowed, waving a bucket and brush triumphantly and sloshing water over the floor.
“Yeah. What-?”
“Oh, you made a mess when they dragged you in here, blood everywhere,” Aven explained, shrugging. “Someone needed to clean it up and the king’s chatelain didn’t seem too keen on taking care of it so I stepped in.” Aven frowned. “I think that’s still technically in my job description as part-time servant.”
Relam chuckled, air wheezing through the ruin of his nose and creating little pains. “You never cease to amaze, Aven. Even in the roughest places you always have a smile. Where did all this positivity come from?”
“It’s the only way to live,” Aven replied, scrubbing more bloodstains off the floor. “Better than being sad all the time. A good attitude may not change your sad situation, but it makes it more bearable. And if you’re looking up and around instead of down you might find some opportunities you would have missed out on otherwise.”
“Like training with Tar Agath?”
“Yes,” Aven said brightly. “He moved me into a different class, starting on the first day of the next week. Said I was making really good progress.”
“That’s great,” Relam said. “By the way, I’m sorry I decked you a couple weeks ago. When . . . you know.”
Aven nodded sadly. “That night was rough on all of us. Overhearing those two men outside the banquet hall, then running up here to find . . . well . . .”
“I know,” Relam agreed. “I hope we catch them eventually. Maybe they’ll make a mistake and we’ll be able to blow this thing wide open.”
“That would be nice,” Aven muttered. “But I’m not sure it will happen. They haven’t slipped up so far, and the prisoners-”
“The prisoners!” Relam broke in, mentally kicking himself. “Of course. We said we were going to interrogate them and then-”
The prince broke off, realizing that Aven had no idea Narin was alive and well, and that he may not even know that most people within the palace thought Narin to be dead.
“We’ll get them,” Aven said confidently, dunking the brush in the bucket. “You’ll see. How’s training with Oreius?”
“Tough,” Relam said truthfully. “But fulfilling. I think that once I’ve finished with him, whenever that is, I’ll be better prepared than I ever imagined.”
“That must be a good feeling,” Aven observed, standing and surveying the floor. “That should take care of the mess for now,” he said to no one in particular, rubbing his back.
“You should be heading home,” Relam said. “It’s getting dark out, and we know better than anyone that the city isn’t safe right now.”
“Yes,” Aven agreed. “We do know that better than anyone.” He collected his brush and bucket and moved to the door. “Anything you need?”
“No,” Relam said, shaking his head.
“Well, good night, then. Get some rest. You’ll need it for when you go back to training day after tomorrow.”
Relam nodded in acknowledgment and Aven let himself out, the bucket clunking awkwardly against his leg as he walked. The door swung shut and Relam glared up at the ceiling, wincing as his nose throbbed.
“So much for that restful weekend,” he muttered to the dark room. Then, he rolled onto his side and promptly fell asleep.
The next day Relam felt a little better. The pain was starting to decrease. Either that, or he was getting used to it, one of the two. A servant brought him breakfast so that he didn’t have to get out of bed and the healer checked in on him, announcing that barring another foolish training accident he would be right as rain in a few days.
“Can I still train tomorrow?” Relam had asked.
“Certainly,” the healer replied. “Just don’t overdo it. You did lose a bit of blood, but not enough to cause undue concern. I would avoid blocking any more drill swords with your face though, your highness.”
Relam sighed. “Advice noted,” he said drily.
The healer patted Relam’s shoulder, smiled thinly, and departed.
The rest of the day was spent resting, but even with a full day of nothing, Relam was sore when he woke on the morning of the first day of the week. His nose was the
