"Calia!" he cried, gathering her up in his arms. Her body was an icy lump and he pulled her close as he stormed up the stairs.
"Marchello, Abelina!" he shouted into the main hall. "Fetch Iago at once!"
He heard the scurrying of their feet as he rushed to the nearest fireplace.
The king laid his servant down as close to the flames as he dared. He left her side to pull a tapestry from the wall before returning to drop to his knees and wrap her in it. She did not stir and he gathered her back up, chafing her arms and legs to try to spark some heat.
Iago ran into the room with Abelina and Marchello on his heels. Their faces fell when they saw the limp servant girl. "Your Majesty, what happened?" Iago breathed.
"I locked her in the dungeon and she caught ill," he said, not bothering with an attempt to hide his guilt.
"The dungeon?" Abelina shrieked. "What could she have possibly done? How could you?"
Marchello gave her a warning look and tried to place an arm around her shoulder. She shrugged him off and crossed the room in a flash. "We thought you had her attending that poor pregnant queen!"
To everyone's surprise the king hung his head in shame. "She defied me," he said weakly. "She refused to lock Sola in the dungeon so I made her take her place."
The housekeeper's face grew to an alarming shade of red. "You-"
Iago cut her off. "Abelina, get me hot water and blankets. Marchello, go and fetch the towns physician at once."
Marchello nodded and pulled Abelina out of the room. Her crying and cursing echoed back down the hall.
Iago knelt in front of the king and put a hand to Calia's cheeks. He winced at the iciness.
"Will she be all right?" the king whispered helplessly.
The healer glanced up, surprised to see the fear and pain in his masters voice echoed in his eyes. "I do not know," he admitted.
The king shifted to cradle the girl against his body and Iago pulled the tapestry away to lay his hands against her neck and then chest. The king growled. "What are you doing?"
Iago eyed him suspiciously. "I fear that her core is as cold as her extremities and that is very dangerous. We must warm her."
Abelina returned with an armful of blankets and Cato came right behind her with two steaming buckets of water.
Iago worked quickly to soak the cloth and laid the steaming towels over her brow and chest. He wrapped her hands and feet. He took a blanket he had laid dangerously close to the fire and laid the warm article over her abdomen. Finally he covered her with the last of the blankets and sat back.
The king held her tighter and studied her face. Her eyes and mouth were closed but her lips remained an inky blue. Iago's face was creased with worry as he watched over the girl.
"Why isn't she waking up?" the king asked and his voice was tinged with panic.
Iago shook head. "She is quite ill; I think it has settled into her lungs. Listen to how wet her breaths sound."
The king hung his head and gripped the girl tighter. "I am sorry," he whispered into her hair.
They sat like that for a long time, the king clutching his servant and the healer watching over them both. Finally the doors banged open to admit Marchello and the physician.
Dr. Reed strode in with his small leather bag and a frown on his face. "Your Majesty," he said, not looking away from the girl. "What has caused this?"
The king swallowed hard before answering. "I did. I locked her in the dungeon and she caught ill. It's my fault."
The doctor glanced at him in surprise. "She's your servant; you can do with her whatever you wish."
"I did not wish to harm her," the king ground out. "Can you help her or not?"
"Perhaps," he said. He knelt down and pulled several instruments from his bag. He frowned at the color of her mouth and grimaced when he felt how cold she was. He pulled a long stethoscope out of his bag and pulled the top of her gown down.
The king grabbed his hand and crushed it in his grip. "What are you doing?"
"Listening to her lungs," the exasperated physician said. "Now if you please, you asked me here to do my job."
The king relented and released his hand. The doctor listened for a long while before pulling the instrument away. "She's quite ill. I'll need to take her town if she is to recover."
"What's wrong with her?"
"Water in the lungs. She might be all right but she needs medicine and more care than you can provide for her here. I'll need to bring her to my clinic."
The king nodded slowly. "My butler will take you both there at once."
Iago offered to take the girl so the king could rise but he refused. He stood smoothly and adjusted Calia in his arms before taking her out to the carriage. Marchello slid in first and reached out to take the limp girl into his arms.
The Cold King pressed a kiss to her brow before gently handing her over. His heart broke when the door shut and he stood at the gates watching long after the carriage drove away.
"My king?" Marchello said hesitantly.
Valanka turned from the fireplace and eagerly searched his butlers face. "Is there any news?" he asked.
Marchello shook his head. "She's very weak and her breathing is labored. The physician said it will be several days before he knows if she will recover."
His heart slowed at the butler's words. If. "Has she said anything?"
"She hasn't woken up yet," Marchello said quietly.
The king nodded. "I want you to go to town every day to speak with the physician and report back to me."
"Of course. Anything else, sir?"
The king nodded slowly. "Yes. When she released, tell her she may come back here or … she may not. The choice is hers."
"Your Majesty?" Marchello breathed. "You have never done such a thing."
"No, I haven't," the king agreed sadly.
For eight mornings Marchello rode down to town and back and reported to the king. He could see the tension ease out of him and the color return to his face as each day he brought better news than the last. But on the ninth day he feared to report to his king.
Marchello smoothed his suit out and took a long, shaky breath before entering the king's chambers.
Valanka snapped his head up and demanded, "How is she today?"
"She is well," Marchello said quietly. "She was released."
The king froze. "And where is she?"
Marchello's heart thumped furiously in his chest. "I do not know, Your Majesty. She was gone before I arrived."
The king sat frozen for a long moment. Finally he gave a small sigh. "I see."
"Is there anything else, my lord?"
The king shook his head and waved the man away.
Abelina brought up his lunch and dinner tray and he left them both untouched. He stayed slumped in his desk chair, watching the diminishing sunlight create shadows in his room. It was almost full dark before a tiny knock came at his door.
"Come," the king said despairingly.
Calia stepped through the door and his breath caught in his chest.
She was thin and pale and he could see lines of weariness around her eyes. There were deep brackets around her mouth he knew were due to pain. She said nothing, just stood at the doorway.
"You came back," he finally said, slowly standing from his chair.
"I did," she said and even her voice was weak.
His chest was painfully tight and he struggled against all the emotions surging through him. "But I sent Marchello for you every day. Why did you not return with him this morning? Where have you been? Why did you come back?"
Calia raised a shaky hand to stop his onslaught of questions. He was at her side in a second, ushering her into the room. "I'm sorry. Sit, sit, I will get you tea."
She fell into her chair and closed her eyes. He fumbled over the tea tray and finally pressed a warm mug into her hands. Her eyes fluttered open and he despaired to see the pain there.
"Calia … " he did not know how to say what he meant.
She waited while he struggled with his emotions. Finally he said, "I am so very sorry. You were right to stand up for the queen. My cruelty to you is inexcusable." He could not make his eyes meet hers. "Why did you come back?"
The corners of her mouth turned up in an imitation of a smile, deepening the lines around her mouth. "I didn't really have anywhere else to go." Her honest words pierced his heart but she wasn't finished. "I begged my mother to take me in but she refused. She said it would look bad." Calia gave a tiny, painful laugh. "So here I am."