"Drink."
The voice pulled her back to the surface of consciousness.
Josselyn opened her eyes slowly. The tall figure in front of the cell looked blurred through her unfocused vision.
"If you die of dehydration, I'll be the one blamed," Darius continued, now crouching in front of the cell.
Josselyn looked at him without expression. Her lips still stung. No, her whole body did. She remembered fainting, her tongue injured badly enough to leave her burning and shivering.
"Take it or not?" Darius asked again, his tone still cold.
Josselyn slowly pushed herself upright with difficulty. The chains around her wrists clinked softly as she reached out and took the wooden cup.
She winced when she opened her mouth. The dried blood at the corners of her lips made it sting. But her throat felt unbearably dry. She had no choice but to drink carefully.
She braced herself for pain as the cool water touched her tongue. But what she felt was different.
Josselyn froze. Her brows drew together slightly.
"…It doesn't hurt?" she murmured, barely audible.
"What?" Darius asked.
Josselyn shook her head quickly. "Nothing."
Darius seemed surprised. He studied her for a few seconds longer than necessary.
"You couldn't even speak clearly earlier," he said quietly.
Josselyn stayed silent. She ran her tongue lightly along the inside of her mouth. The metallic taste lingered, but there was no sharp pain like there should have been from a torn wound.
"You noticed it?" Josselyn asked carefully.
Darius scoffed. "You're speaking more comfortably with me now."
Josselyn tightened her grip on the wooden cup. "What's the point of being polite? You saw how he treated me. I'm going to die anyway."
"So you've given up?" Darius shoved a wooden basin filled with clean water closer to her, a cloth draped over its edge. "Clean the blood off your mouth."
Josselyn lowered her gaze, pulled the basin closer, and began wiping her mouth with the damp cloth.
"Why are you still being kind to me? Do you pity me? Or do you enjoy seeing me like this?" she muttered, rinsing the cloth stained with blood before using it to wipe her dirty face.
"Were we ever friends?"
The unexpected words from Darius pierced something inside her.
'Josselyn, you idiot. Darius was never truly your friend. Don't say foolish things like that. It's embarrassing.'
"I didn't say that," Josselyn replied quickly. She was relieved the dim light in the cell hid the heat rising to her cheeks.
"How long have I been here?" she asked, changing the subject.
"Since last night. You've been unconscious since then," Darius answered calmly. "The Crown Prince sent me to deliver a message once you woke up."
'He knew I fainted and still left me like this?'
Josselyn pressed the tip of her tongue against the roof of her mouth. No pain. Only a strange sensation.
'Then why has my tongue already healed?'
Darius cleared his throat, forcing her attention back to him.
"This afternoon, the council of ministers will convene. The Crown Prince has decided to accept the offer from the two nobles of Edevan," Darius explained.
Josselyn turned her head away, covering her ears with both hands. "Do I really need to hear this? I don't want to hear any more secrets if you're just going to kill me afterward."
Darius raised an eyebrow, looking at her oddly. Then he reached out, took one of her hands, and lowered it.
"You need to hear it. It will determine how long you get to keep breathing, or whether you'll be spared."
Josselyn rolled her eyes. "That's not comforting."
"I'm not trying to comfort you," Darius replied firmly as he stood. "I was going to call Yorick here to give you a healing remedy. But it seems you're doing just fine."
At the mention of Yorick's name, Josselyn quickly pulled her knees forward and grabbed Darius's ankle tightly.
"I, I'm still in pain. I mean, my wound. If it's not treated soon, I won't be able to eat properly." Her eyes darted as she searched for an excuse.
"You said earlier that if I die, you'll be blamed, right? So I can't die before the council meeting is over. That means I need to eat well. And for that, my tongue has to heal."
Josselyn looked at Darius with hopeful eyes.
But he simply shook his leg free from her grip. "At least pretend to stutter if you're in pain. You're quite the liar, Josselyn."
Darius turned away. Before he left, he glanced back.
"I won't promise to bring Yorick here."
Then he walked off, disappearing into the darkness.
"Darius!" Josselyn called after him.
"Keep it down! Have you no manners? Calling the Head Knight like he's your friend," a guard snapped.
Josselyn flinched as the guard struck the bars of her cell with metal, the sharp clang echoing loudly.
She gave up and slowly backed away from the cell door.
Josselyn exhaled softly. Then she touched her lips again. And her tongue.
Slowly.
The strange sensation remained. But no pain. Not the kind that should have been there.
"…This shouldn't be happening," she whispered.
She remembered the bite. The pain that had shot up to her head. The blood.
She closed her eyes briefly.
"…I shouldn't even be able to speak," she murmured.
But she could. And that frightened her.
"Why…?" She swallowed. "Yorick would know."
"Please, God. Send Yorick to me."
~
Footsteps echoed again. Lighter. Faster.
Josselyn opened her eyes.
The cell door opened once more.
"Good thing you're still alive."
That voice was familiar.
"Yorick," Josselyn said softly.
He stepped inside, carrying a small bag.
"Can you stop making me worry?" he muttered. "How does a royal physician's assistant end up locked in the dungeon like this without poisoning the Queen?"
Josselyn gave a weak shrug. "I meddled too much, didn't I?"
Yorick glanced at her, then smirked faintly.
"At least you're self-aware." He raised his lantern higher, the light falling directly on her face. "Open your mouth."
Josselyn hesitated, but Yorick's hand was already on her chin. With a firm motion, he forced her jaw open slightly.
"Don't resist."
His fingers, wrapped in cloth, touched the corner of her lips, pressing gently to see inside more clearly.
After a moment, his gaze narrowed.
"…This is impossible," he murmured.
Josselyn immediately shut her mouth. "What?"
Yorick didn't answer right away. Instead, he stared at her for a long moment.
"Darius said your tongue was badly injured," he said quietly. "Deep enough to bleed."
Josselyn remained silent.
"And now there's only a faint line, no blood at all." Yorick leaned closer again, pressing her jaw lightly once more to make her open her mouth. He examined it more carefully.
"Is this a joke?" Yorick asked, releasing her.
"…That's what I want to know," Josselyn finally said. "If the wound was deep enough to bleed that much, how long should it take to heal?"
Yorick let out a small laugh, then looked at her with a mix of irritation and disbelief. "It depends."
"On what?"
"On how it happened."
Josselyn frowned. "Doesn't the tongue heal quickly?"
"Quickly, yes. But not within hours." He looked at her. "This isn't normal."
Silence fell. Josselyn swallowed.
"…How abnormal?" she asked quietly.
Yorick straightened.
"If this were an ordinary patient?" He exhaled. "Even after two days, a wound like that would still hurt when speaking."
Josselyn said nothing. She touched her lips again, while Yorick watched her closely.
"Josselyn," Yorick called. "Are you serious?"
"About what? The wound? Yes," Josselyn replied. Slowly, she pulled the basin of water she had used earlier.
"Look at this."
Then she held it out toward Yorick. He examined the water, now tinged red, and the cloth stained with blood.
"I used this to clean the blood earlier. Do you think that makes any sense?"