The Queens of Remnant - Chapter 2 (Patreon)
Content
To someone who had spent their entire life calling Vale “home,” the quaint, quiet villages far beyond the walled metropolis offered one last glimpse of civilization before reaching expanses of desert as far as the eye could see. Forgoing the city meant forgoing many small comforts, but the self-reliant residents living here didn’t appear bothered. In fact, if Ruby were to guess, they preferred the community-based atmosphere over Vale’s constant hustle and bustle.
Everything and everyone moved a little slower here. People walked at a meandering pace, hardly ever in a hurry. Vendors hawked their wares in softer voices, feeling no need to shout when there wasn’t much of a crowd.
Ruby struggled with the adjustment. Under ordinary circumstances, she talked fast and moved even faster. But this wasn’t her home, and she wouldn’t force anyone to deal with her speed for her personal comfort. Instead, she ambled through the small marketplace at the slowest pace she could tolerate, studying the people just as much as the items for sale.
The commotion of Vale was nowhere to be found, and with it went the mirage of wealth and prosperity. In contrast to Vale’s stamped-sandstone streets, the dirt pathways stained clothing in dark, dusty brown. The vendor’s stalls were made of creaking wood that looked ready to fold at the first stiff breeze, and the items on display had collected a layer of dust after sitting for so long. Wild sand foxes, with their small, round bodies and long, bushy tails, nosed along gutters for insects or scraps of food to eat while several children watched from the stoops of nearby homes.
If prosperity had ever reached this place, on the farthest reaches of Vale’s domain, its impact was fleeting. Even so, the atmosphere was...content. Or as content as could be after the past few years.
Should more-fortunate days ever return, villages like these were at the top of Ruby’s list to receive help. Maybe they weren’t within the city limits - they were far from it, actually - but the residents here deserved more from the palace. With a little support, the health and vigor of this small town would return in no time.
“We should head home soon.”
Hearing a subtle request in the deep tone, Ruby smiled up at the tall, lean man walking beside her. With light-brown eyes, sandy-blonde hair, and a slightly intimidating posture, James drew nearly as much attention as he paid to every person in their path.
Depending on who asked, and which one of them received the question, James was her bodyguard or traveling companion. She preferred to call him her friend, even if he was a little formal for a friend. Should he refuse the title of friend, she would be forced to call him her family.
“Yang will expect us back soon, huh,” she mused while passing a stall covered in different vegetables. When James’ response was nothing more than a soft grunt, she grinned and nudged his elbow. “You’re ready to go home, too,” she teased as they neared the end of the market.
“My home is wherever you are.”
“But your bed here is about a foot too short.”
Finally, he cracked a smile. A teeny, tiny, itty, bitty one, but it was still a smile.
“I look forward to returning to my bed, yes,” he confessed.
“Bet you didn’t realize you were so tall.”
“I’m always aware of exactly how tall I am,” he replied in an overly serious tone, but Ruby chuckled and shook her head.
As usual, his company made all the difference in the world. She would have traveled here on her own if necessary, but he kept her company. A good thing considering loneliness would make this trip even more...emotionally taxing.
“Excuse me!”
Turning toward the voice, Ruby spotted a young man with sandy blonde hair waving at her as he raced over. Though likely several years her senior, he still carried himself like a child lacking in both coordination and grace. Very much like her from a few years ago…
“Sorry to interrupt!” he added, careering to a stop in front of her and sticking out his hand. The motion was so sudden that James stepped in front of Ruby to block the ‘attack.’ The young man, however, looked baffled by the response. The expression only lasted a second, however, before his light green eyes widened.
“Please forgive me!” After taking a quick step backward, he clasped his hands behind his back and bowed. “I, uh, humbly beg your pardon,” he spoke toward the ground. “But you’re Queen Rose, aren’t you?”
Amused by the unorthodox greeting, Ruby tapped James’ elbow so that he moved out of the way.
“I might be,” she replied, smiling when the young man glanced up at her. “Can I help you?”
“No, I - I just heard you were visiting today,” he said, still bent over in a bow. “And I wanted to meet you.”
“Please stand up.” When he snuck another glance at her, looking wholly uncertain, she motioned him up with her hands. “Unless you’d like me to bow, too.”
When she started bending over, he shot up so fast that his head would have knocked into hers had she not flashed out of the way. As soon as he realized he had forced her to use her spark, his eyes widened in horror, but she laughed at the accidental klutziness.
“What’s your name?” she asked before he apologized again.
“It’s Levi, Your Majesty.”
Again, he bowed. And again, she motioned for him to stand up. She had never gotten used to people bowing to her, and she couldn’t say she ever wanted to.
“It’s nice to meet you, Levi. I’m Ruby.”
After gawking for several seconds, shocked by her use of her first name, he shook himself out of that daze and grinned.
“I can’t believe you’re actually here,” he said, his infectious energy growing by the second. “We’ve heard all the stories - how much you do for the kingdom - and I always wanted to meet you, but I can’t believe you’re here. Right here in front of me!”
His excitement was flattering, especially when Ruby didn’t consider herself all that special. Regardless of how she felt about herself, however, she understood that people throughout the kingdom loved talking about her.
“I decided to save you the trip to Vale,” she replied with a smile. “Besides, it was about time I made it out here.”
“It’s true then? You came all this way to check on us?”
The conversation was drawing attention from the nearby shoppers and stall attendees, many of whom stared at Ruby while whispering amongst themselves. Foolishly, she had thought a cape and hood would mask her identity, but apparently news of her visit had already spread through the town. No use hiding from them now...
Lowering her hood, she glanced across the onlookers and threw on a bright smile - her regal smile, as Yang called it.
“That’s true,” she answered, addressing the crowd as a whole rather than just Levi. “Just because you’re on the outskirts of Vale doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about you. Obviously, the war has made it harder to travel this far, but we want you to know that your safety and happiness are our priorities.”
“Will it end soon?” a middle-aged woman asked, and Ruby needed no clarification to sigh and shake her head.
“I wish I had an answer to that. We know the fighting has dragged on for too long, but please believe that we wouldn’t do this if we didn’t think it was absolutely necessary.”
She wished she had better news to deliver, but she also refused to pull the wool over their eyes with misplaced bravado. The war had long overstayed its welcome, but they were too far into it to surrender. An exhausting, drawn-out battle with their closest neighbors was the last thing anyone wanted, but the consequences of losing would be far worse than the pains they lived with now. Unfortunately, that reality was difficult to swallow for people who had already suffered enough.
“Listen,” she continued softly, feeling James move closer to her side in a silent show of support. “I know what you’re thinking...why do we keep fighting? Why don’t we just...give up? Give Atlas whatever they want and move on with our lives?”
From the weariness in the eyes staring back at her, those were exactly the thoughts they were having now and for who knows how long before Ruby arrived.
“My sister and I have considered it many times and very seriously,” she admitted. “Even if it meant we had to step down, we would willingly do that if it assured Vale’s safety. But, so far, Atlas refuses to offer that guarantee, and we’ll never leave any of you at Altas’ mercy.”
It was a horrible situation with no good solution. Fortunately, the men and women mumbled amongst themselves before reaching a consensus.
“We don’t want you or Queen Xiao Long to step down,” Levi said while others nodded.
“And we trust that you’re doing your best, Your Majesty,” someone else added, an unnecessary but appreciated endorsement of a weighty decision.
“Thank you.” Looking around the group, whose reassured expressions lifted her heart, she smiled and put that subject behind them. “Now, besides ending a war, is there anything else I can do for you? Resources are hard to come by these days, but if there are policies we can change...we’re more than willing to consider doing so.”
She had posed this question to every settlement so far and received some great suggestions in return. Without the money or supplies to create quick, meaningful changes, this was the next best thing - ease restrictions to offer some form of relief.
“The Phage, Your Majesty?” someone eventually spoke up.
The word sent a spike of pain through her heart, but she masked the emotion behind a muted expression. The last thing she wanted was for these people, who depended on her for strength and direction, to know how much the disease hurt her to even think about.
“We’re doing everything we can to fight the Phage,” she replied, offering a fleeting smile to the asker. “Once the war ends, we’ll devote as much as necessary to find a cure, and we will find the cure. It’s only a matter of time.”
That solution felt too far away to her, but they accepted with small nods and mumbles of assent. Ultimately, what more could they do? If they took away from the battle with Atlas now, they would lose the war. If they let the Phage continue ravaging the kingdom...they would still lose. Everyone understood the impossible situation, but the Phage still remained top of mind. How could it not when nearly everyone knew someone who had succumbed to the disease by now?
“That reminds me,” Ruby added, though she’d never truly forgotten. “My friend and I are looking for someone. Can anyone point us toward Doctor Samuel?”
“He lives near the chapel,” Levi was quick to answer while several others nodded. “Just down that road on the left.”
“He’s got a red door you can’t miss,” one of the shopkeepers offered.
“Thank you.” Armed with a direction, Ruby nodded to her gracious company before moving that way. “And please don’t hesitate to send a message to the palace if you think of anything we can do.”
Leaving the door open for future conversation, she smiled and finally turned away. Conversations sprang up behind her, but she blew a breath through her lips and led James away from the marketplace.
“They appreciated your presence,” he said once they were out of earshot.
“I wish I could offer more than my presence...”
Discouraged that she had little else to give, she shook her head and headed down a narrow street with small, well-worn houses on either side. ‘Speaking queenly’ hadn’t come naturally for her like it had for Yang, but she had gotten the hang of it over time. Usually, she said what she would want to hear if she was in their shoes. If she lived out here in the middle of nowhere instead of in the palace...what would she want to hear from someone tasked with keeping her livelihood secure?
She would want the truth. But she would want to be assured that everything would be ok.
“Think the war will ever end, James?” she asked while stepping around a pile of ash and spent charcoal, trying to avoid trailing her robe through the black soot.
“All wars end eventually, My Queen.”
“Yeah, but like...in my lifetime? Preferably before I get old and wrinkly.”
“I have every confidence that you and your sister will find a way to end the fighting.”
Ruby’s heart clenched thinking about Yang, who she missed more with each passing day. Being away from Vale meant Yang was left making the day-to-day decisions. If being out here wasn’t so important, Ruby would never leave Yang to do that much work alone.
“Hopefully soon…” she whispered. “We’re already running on fumes…”
Spotting a small building with a steeped roof and rare double doors up ahead, which must be the chapel the townsfolk mentioned, she began checking every neighboring home for a red door. Her thoughts, however, lingered on Yang and the two battles they fought at once. As if the Phage wasn’t enough, Atlas piled on at the worst possible time. Taken separately, Vale had more than enough willpower to prevail. Once combined...it was a fight for their lives.
“Maybe you and me should end it.” The thought had crossed her mind many times, but when she looked up, James frowned. “We could help,” she continued regardless. “We could at least turn the tide.”
“A battlefield is no place for you, My Queen. Your sister and I are in agreement on that.”
The answer was to be expected, but she still sighed.
“I think we could do it…”
“Possibly. But the risk is far too great.”
With another sigh, she gave up on that idea for now. Yang and James wanted to protect her, but with her spark...she knew she could make a difference. Of course, ‘making a difference’ meant killing who knew how many Atlesian Knights...
“This must be it.”
Finally coming across a house with a faded-red door, she paused and looked it over. Like every other home on this street, and in this settlement, it had seen better days. Fresh paint would work wonders in cheering up the area, but that was only the beginning of the renovations needed here. The wooden planks in the front porch had warped over time and now posed serious tripping hazards. One of the windows had been boarded shut, likely after being broken and having no likelihood of finding a new sheet of glass anytime soon. The other window was so caked with dirt and dust that it might as well be boarded shut. The only clue that anyone lived here was the trail of fresh boot marks leading to the door.
“Let’s see if he’s home.”
“Allow me, My Queen.”
Ruby hardly made it up the first step before James moved in front of her and led them to the front door. He picked his way carefully across the warped floorboards while his intent gaze cataloged anything that might be out of place. The grime-covered window, in particular, earned several cautious glances.
Satisfied with what he found, or knowing that Ruby would insist regardless, he knocked twice on the front door. The sound reverberated through the room beyond before fading to silence. Not long after, footsteps approached and the door opened to reveal a short, balding man wearing spectacles taped at the bridge of his nose.
“...can I help you?” he asked, giving James a wary look.
“Sorry to interrupt,” James replied cordially. “We’re looking for Doctor Samuel.”
“That’s me. But...who are you?”
When James stepped aside and motioned to Ruby, the man’s eyes widened.
“Is that -? Are you Queen Rose?” In a sudden hurry to bow, Dr. Samuel threw the door open so strongly that it banged against the wall, making him jump in surprise. “I’m - I’m sorry,” he stammered. “Forgive me for not recognizing you, Your Majesty.”
“It’s really fine.” Before he apologized further, Ruby motioned for him to straighten back up. “And please, there’s no need for formalities. I’m here because I need your help.”
“What could I possibly help you with?”
Before answering that question, Ruby gestured at the door and offered a small smile.
“Would it be alright if we step inside for a few minutes?”
“Of course! Please forgive me for my lack of manners.” Dr. Samuel hurried out of the way and waved them into his home. “I wasn’t expecting company,” he added while following them, an unspoken apology for the cluttered living room.
From first appearances, Dr. Samuel liked to keep notes - lots and lots of notes. Journals and loose sheets of paper covered the desk, kitchen table, and any free space on the small bookcase near the front window. Scrawled upon the pages within Ruby’s sight were graphs, charts, and sequences of numbers she wouldn’t understand without explanation. The scattered papers proved the rumors true and prompted a pinprick of hope to blossom in her chest.
“I’ve heard you’re studying the Phage,” she began, seeing no need to beat around the bush. “I wanted to know if you’ve found anything of interest.”
Like always, her heartbeat rose in anticipation of an answer. And, like always, her hope was dashed by a sigh and shake of the head.
“I’m trying,” he admitted, grabbing a notebook from his desk and giving it a solemn glance. “I’ve recorded as much data as I can,” he added while offering the notebook to Ruby, who looked through it while he continued. “Symptoms, temperatures, duration...but there’s no correlation. At least, not that I’ve found.”
At first glance, his notes were the most comprehensive Ruby had seen so far. But if he still hadn’t found any level of meaning behind the disease...
“What about a timeline?” she ventured. “Once someone shows symptoms, is there any way of knowing how long they have?”
Watching his eyes for an answer, she felt a grim smile appear when all she found was defeat.
“Some people have days,” he replied regardless, his shoulders slouching at the thought. “Some have weeks. A few have made it a month, but their existence is...”
“Miserable,” Ruby concluded once he trailed off. Even though she had prepared herself for another dead end, the news felt like a knife slicing through her heart. The Phage was crippling them - Vale, the settlements, everywhere. Its wrath spared no one. And if they couldn’t find a cure…
“I’ve heard Atlas has a cure,” he offered but, having heard the rumor so many times by now, Ruby could only shake her head at the refrain.
“Unfortunately, we won’t be asking Atlas for help anytime soon. We’ll have to figure this out on our own.”
The last statement was meant more for herself, but Dr. Samuel glanced at James before meeting Ruby’s gaze.
“I’ve heard of a physician - Doctor...Raslin, I believe - in another settlement, who’s doing similar research. I believe her work revolves around slowing the disease’s progression, but...maybe she’s made a breakthrough where I haven’t?”
That new piece of information restored Ruby’s determination. There was still hope. There were more clues to follow, more stones left unturned. Her mission wasn’t over yet, and she planned to follow this through to the very end. She had to. She had no other choice.
“Thank you,” she said, offering another smile and a dip of her chin. “We’ll seek her out on our way home.”
“You will?” As soon as Ruby nodded, Dr. Samuel began gathering the notes spread out across his desk. His spark made it a haphazard affair - small gusts of wind sweeping some sheets right onto the floor - but soon he had a thick stack in front of him. “Let me copy my notes,” he explained, already looking around for more work to collect. “If you find her, you can give them to her. Maybe she’ll see something I don’t.”
“How long will that take?”
The sheer amount of notes looked like too much to copy quickly, but he shook his head at Ruby’s concern.
“I’ll find help, and we’ll have it done by the morning.”
It looked like a large amount of work to carry out in one evening, but Ruby appreciated the timeliness. With no answers here, returning to Vale became even more pressing.
“Then we’ll pick them up tomorrow before leaving,” she acquiesced, glancing at James for his approval before nodding. As soon as she turned to leave, however, another thought popped into her head.
“Doctor…where are you gathering your information?”
He knew exactly what she was asking, but he hesitated.
“Your Majesty -” When Ruby raised her brow at the attempt to dissuade her, he stopped and slumped his shoulders. “There’s an alley to the left of here...follow it until you find what you’re looking for.”
“Thank you.” Satisfied, she gave him a slight bow before backing toward the door. “And thank you for your hospitality. We’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Once James opened the door, Ruby stepped out onto the porch and waited for the door to close behind her. As soon as it did, she looked up at the clear blue sky, took a deep breath, and released it in a sigh that rushed across the weathered boards, stirring a plume of loose dust and dirt into the air. “Sorry,” she muttered to James, blowing the cloud of debris away before making her way to the sidewalk.
“It appears we’re chasing another rumor before returning to Vale,” James mused while following her.
“Just one more. Sorry you have to sleep in the tiny bed again.”
“It’s not me I’m worried about, My Queen.”
When a frown pulled down the corners of his mouth, she sighed again. Over the past few months, she had dragged him everywhere, searching every settlement and beyond for a cure. She was exhausted, but she couldn’t rest yet. This cause was too important, both to her and to Vale. She had to find a cure.
Dr. Samuel said - just like everyone she had spoken to before him - that some people lingered only days with the Phage tearing apart their spark. Some lasted weeks. For very few, a month might be possible. If that was the case...her search was already on borrowed time.
Spotting the alleyway to the left of Dr. Samuel’s home, which looked like nothing more than a narrow gap running between the backs of two lines of houses, Ruby paused and peered into the dark, cramped space.
“This seems ill-advised.”
“You always say that,” Ruby pointed out before glancing around to make sure they were still alone. She then pulled up the hood of her cloak and ducked into the alley.
If she was claustrophobic, this would be a nightmare. The buildings blocked much of the sun, and what little light remained was often cut away by the laundry hung between rooftops. This was exactly the type of place James hated, which explained why he stuck so close to her side as they left the main path behind. According to him, ambushes were more common in areas like this where limited space made it harder to defend themselves.
He was probably right - he tended to be right about matters like that - but Ruby felt no fear while carefully picking her way around piles of trash and discarded boxes. She understood that her position put a constant target on her back. At the same time, the people here seemed far more interested in survival than in removing a queen.
Dr. Samuel hadn’t specified a destination, but Ruby knew they were in the right place when the alley ended in front of a large, dilapidated building that would look abandoned were it not for the fresh flowers sitting just outside the rusted metal doors. As she moved closer, a muffled cry of pain reached her ears.
The anguish was so visceral and real that her pace quickened. She crossed the street, carefully avoided the flowers, and pulled open the door as quietly as possible. Her eyes took several seconds to adjust to the low light inside, but her heart plunged the moment they did.
The previous use of the building was unclear - a warehouse, perhaps, or a workshop - but the large, open area now served as an infirmary. Contrary to the quiet, uncrowded streets of the settlement, over a dozen people crammed into the space. Men and women, young and old…all claiming any available sliver of concrete floor. Some slept on cots, some twisted up in piles of blankets, some had nothing more than the clothes on their backs.
What all of them shared was suffering and agony. It was evident on their faces and in the way they curled in on themselves wherever they lay. It could be heard in their groans of pain and ragged breaths of despair. Even the ones who weren’t in physical pain - the ones crouched by their loved ones, holding hands and whispering prayers - added tears and sorrow as separation neared.
“We shouldn’t be here, My Queen…” James whispered, his concerned gaze sweeping the room. “They’re infected.”
“They’re suffering...” Ruby replied before lowering her hood and stepping away from the door. She understood his concern, but her heart swelled with sympathy for the people in front of her - people she couldn’t save no matter how hard she tried.
Walking between the first row, glancing side-to-side as she went, she raised one hand to her heart and fought the sadness welling up in her chest. Some of the people she passed were too still, barely clinging to life. Some scrunched their eyes closed and curled their hands into fists, trying to fight the pain. Coming upon an older gentleman who appeared relatively coherent, she paused and knelt by his side.
“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked, watching his gaze slowly focus on her face, then on the royal crest embroidered on her cloak, before widening.
“Queen...Queen Rose?” he stammered before rolling to his side and trying to get to his feet.
“Please,” she said, motioning for him to stop. “Don’t get up for me.”
“But…Your Majesty -”
“No.” Placing one hand on his shoulder, she gently prevented him from moving any further. “As your queen, I’m asking you not to get up.”
The request worked, and he laid back down right as a shudder took over his body. He began quivering uncontrollably, every inch of him experiencing rigorous trembles while his breaths rattled through his lungs. He clenched his fists as if that might keep him from drifting away, but they shook like leaves in a winter storm until the episode finally passed.
“I’m s-sorry, Your Majesty…”
“There’s no need for apology,” she assured him, glancing around the room when more groans reached her ears. “What are you all doing here?”
“We’re here to die,” he answered simply, though the effort of speaking left him fighting for breath. “Somewhere...no one has to watch...”
Seeing the all-too-familiar pain masked behind his light green eyes, Ruby attempted a consoling smile. She had to be strong, even though she really wanted to weep for them, with them, and pray for a miracle that would never come.
“Do you have family nearby?” she asked instead, keeping her voice soft and calm despite her aching heart. “Anyone I can bring here to stay with you?”
His eyes said everything she needed to know, but he still shook his head - unleashing another violent round of shivers by doing so.
“They...followed the same path...months ago.”
“I’m sorry...”
Even though it caused him pain, he shook his head again.
“Don’t be, Your Majesty. I was there for them...in the end. If it had to be...I’m glad it was this way.”
The response broke Ruby’s heart, but she nodded and swallowed against the growing lump in her throat.
“And I’ll be here for you,” she replied.
“Your M-majesty -”
“No arguments.”
Thankfully, he didn’t have the energy to argue. When he sank into his makeshift bed, however, Ruby felt more attention land upon her. It only took a glance to confirm that her presence had been noted, and now she had many other greetings to give.
“I’ll be right back,” she assured him as she stood. Before leaving, she slipped her arms out of her cloak and draped it over him for warmth. “Hold onto that for me,” she said, offering a small smile before moving further into the room.
This was what they had become. The great kingdom of Vale...torn apart by war on one front, suffering from a fatal, incurable disease on the other. The constant drain left many without the resources they needed and forced them to make unconscionable decisions such as this: hiding away to leave this world while out of sight but not out of mind.
The next person they crossed, a woman hardly old enough to be Ruby’s mother, didn’t even open her eyes to look at them. In her sleep, or whatever restless state she was in, she mumbled something over and over again while her fingers curled into fists. Leaning closer, suffering a wave of heat in the process, Ruby tried to decipher the message but couldn’t pick out any individual words. When another burst of heat radiated from the woman, James gently pulled Ruby away.
“It’s ok, James,” she said, giving the woman one last look before moving away. “We can’t catch it from them.”
“Do not tempt fate, My Queen.”
“We tempt fate every day, James.” Finding the next person already gone, Ruby knelt and gently covered their stiffened form with the tattered blanket. “Just by living...we tempt everything that means to destroy us.”
A cry of anguish drew Ruby’s attention to a young woman nearby, deep in the throes of misery. A young man, helpless as the Phage took control of the element within her, could only hold her hand while she curled into a ball and openly wept in pain.
“Please don’t go...” he whispered over and over. “Please don’t go...”
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he watched her suffer the unimaginable. Even though he clutched her hand tightly, as if that might keep her in this place, it wasn’t long before her cries turned to silence, and her motions turned to stillness. Then, like a gust of wind, her body drifted away, leaving his hand grasping nothing but air - the last remnant he’d ever have of her.
His sobs broke the silence as he pressed his forehead to the ground where there was nothing but the memories of who she once was. Ruby made her way over to him, knelt by his side, and set her hand on his back but didn’t try to say that the pain was gone or that peace had been found. None of that would ease his heartbreak or erase the sorrow of a life lost too soon.
Ruby didn’t know their story, but she didn’t need to. A heavy weight still settled upon her heart, and she closed her eyes as the first tear slipped out.
The Phage showed no mercy - it infected young or old, rich or poor. The lucky ones passed away in their sleep - gone in the dead of night. The unlucky ones lived to be consumed by their sparks. Their inner power…turned against them.
As the young man continued weeping, Ruby eventually stood and met James’ gaze before walking away. James knew how these moments impacted her, and she knew he wished she would stop putting herself through them. But how could she lead without understanding the trials faced by the citizens she was responsible for? How could she make their lives better if she didn’t understand their suffering?
Making her way back to the entrance to the building, she searched for the man she had spoken to earlier only for her heart to fall when she found her cloak resting over the makeshift bed as if she’d laid it out to dry. She knelt and touched the soft fabric while another wave of sorrow crested in her chest. She didn’t even know his name, and now she never would.
Pushing that sense of hopelessness away, she stood and looked around the room, at the others marked for death and the ones destined to carry on without them.
She had to find a cure. So many lives depended on it…
“James...when we return to the palace, please find anything that might help - extra blankets, beds - and send it here.”
“My Queen…those will be your personal belongings.”
“I have more than enough,” she whispered, casting one last glance across the room before turning away. “They deserve to die with dignity. It’s the least we can do.”
James didn’t respond while following her outside, but he would carry out those orders exactly as she hoped. If she couldn't offer a cure or remedy for the Phage, she could at least offer as much comfort as they could find during these lean times. Everyone, no matter where they were from or how they contributed, deserved that much.
“What will we do now, My Queen?” he asked as the door shut behind them, leaving those unfortunate souls to rest in peace.
Rubbing her palms against her cheeks, Ruby tilted her head back and sighed. Her heart ached as if the sorrow of that building had imprinted itself upon her. It joined her anguish from other buildings in other settlements, all serving the same purpose during this time of great need.
“We keep searching, James,” she whispered, meeting his worried gaze before leading them away. “We keep searching…”