Rise of a Legend

by C.L. Mozena

Chapter 47

  Orion awoke in a white room that he was way too familiar with. He had a pounding headache. He was sore all over, and his stomach wouldn’t stop rumbling. He rolled over on the bed and threw up on the floor. He rolled again onto his back and moaned, covering his eyes with his arm. He couldn’t remember feeling so ill before. He couldn’t remember much of anything, except that he wasn’t supposed to be in bed. He coughed, which made his head pound even more. Tears streamed from his eyes, normal saltwater from his good, left eye, and blood from his right eye socket, soaking the clean white sheets in bright red. He thought it odd that the room was white, when he knew his bedroom had tan walls with golden brown wood edging near the floor and ceiling. He also thought it was way too bright, even with sunlight coming in from the window. He leaned over and threw up again, his stomach juices eating his throat raw. He tried flexing his fingers, but they were too sore to move. He coughed and sniffed, willing the pain away. He heard footsteps coming near his room and stopping in the doorway.

  “Nurse,” a familiar voice called, “We got a mess in here. Would you come clean it up?” Orion slowly turned his head to see where the voice was coming from. “It’s okay, bro,” the voice said, “You’re gonna be alright.”

  “Josh?” Orion asked weakly. His throat was sore from throwing up, and it hurt to talk, but he wasn’t going to risk ninmisn with his head hurting so badly.

  “Yep, it’s me,” Joshua said, stepping closer to Orion. “You gave us a real scare, there, bro. You and Tanya, both.”

  “Tanya?” Orion asked, confused. He didn’t remember trying to scare anyone, or partnering up with Tanya to do it, either.

  “Are you alright, Orion?” King Frederic asked, walking up to Orion and sidestepping the mess.

  “Uh, I think so,” Orion said. He wasn’t sure if he was alright or not. He just wanted the pain and nausea to go away.

  “It’s a good thing this didn’t happen before you transformed,” King Frederic stated, “Or you might not have survived.” Orion vaguely remembered something about a transformation, and that it strengthened his immune system, along with other changes. He figured that was what his father was talking about.

  “What happened? I don’t remember anything,” Orion whispered, trying not to make his throat hurt worse.

  “We’re not sure, Orion,” his father said, “All we know is that you and Tanya were poisoned with majacka juice. We found both of you unconscious on the floor in front of the couch in your main room. We had thought the worst...” he let his voice trail off. Orion closed his eyes and listened to the sounds in the room, not wanting to talk anymore. He heard someone cleaning something off the floor, and someone else crying softly. He opened his eyes and saw his mother standing there beside his father. He wondered why he didn’t see her before. He didn’t really care. His head hurt too much to think. He remembered how good he felt when he drank the tea Rick had made for him.

  “Can I have some tea?” Orion asked.

  “Tea? You don’t like tea, Orion,” King Frederic said.

  “Yes I do. Rick made some really good tea for me the other day. I think it was some kind of bee stuff tea,” Orion tried to think through the pain in his head. “He made some for me and Tanya. It was really good. He said it would make us happy, and it did.”

  “You mean beestripe tea?” Empress Anita asked.

  “Yea!” Orion perked up at the name, “Beestripe tea. It was good.” Orion relaxed and half closed his eyes, remembering the taste of the hot tea. Empress Anita shot King Frederic a worried glance.

  “Are you sure, honey?” she asked Orion, “Are you sure it was beestripe tea?”

  “Uh-huh. It was good.”

  “What’s wrong, Anita?” King Frederic asked, sensing the worry in her voice. “What’s wrong with beestripe tea?”

  “Nothing, really,” she stammered. “It can lead to drunkenness if you take too much, but otherwise it’s harmless. It’s just that,” she looked down at Orion, who had fallen asleep.

  “Just what?” King Frederic demanded, forcing her to look at him.

  “It’s just that I-,” she paused, “I found some beestripe tea in a cool teacup on the floor in Orion’s room. There wasn’t much left - just the dregs - so I was about to throw it out. Then I noticed an odd, green leaf in the bottom. Beestripe leaves are black and yellow, just like a bee. I had no idea what the green leaf was, but it had tiny spikes along the edge,” she met his eyes, “Do you think that was a majacka leaf?”

  “Most likely,” King Frederic said, thinking, Which means-,” he paused as the truth dawned on him, “Rick tried to poison Orion! I knew it! Rick’s been after Orion ever since you told him he wasn’t going to inherit Lunspae!”

  “No, I don’t believe it, Frederic,” Empress Anita said, shaking her head, “Rick loves Orion. Why would he try to poison him? Maybe someone else slipped the majacka into the tea?”

  “Or maybe,” Joshua said, thinking, “since majacka only grows here on Olhoe and not on Lunspae, Rick didn’t know what it was. I’ve seen some plants in the garden. Majacka does smell good, maybe Rick thought it would taste as good as it smelled?”

  “Perhaps, but I doubt it. Rick’s too smart for his own good. Where is he, anyway?” King Frederic said, looking around and growing angry. “If he loves Orion so much, how come he hasn’t come to see Orion in the hospital wing all week? I want guards to keep an eye on him,” King Frederic said angrily. “Rick isn’t to go anywhere or do anything without my guards knowing. Find him,” he barked at the guards outside of Orion’s door. “And keep an eye on him at all times. Let me know if he does anything suspicious.”

  “Yes, Majesty,” three guards said and rushed down the hall.

  “Frederic,” Empress Anita said sympathetically, “I know you’re worried about Orion - I am too - but don’t you think you’re jumping to conclusions? I know you don’t like Rick, but he is Orion’s older brother!”

  “Anita,” King Frederic approached her, “stop defending him! Yes, he’s your son. Yes, he’s Orion’s brother. But you’ve got to see what’s going on here! Rick is trying to do away with Orion so the throne will be clear for him.”

  “Will you listen to yourself, Frederic?” Emperess Anita grabbed his shoulders. “If Rick is trying to kill Orion to clear up the throne, that means that he’d want to kill Josh, too. You said he was smart. He knows that if Orion dies, then Josh will become king. Rick would have to kill them both to have a chance to become king. Lee, on the other hand-,”

  “That means that Josh is in danger, too,” King Frederic turned away from her, completely ignoring her arguement. “He has to be warned. Now.” He hurried out of the room before Empress Anita had a chance to reply. She bit her nails and sobbed as she watched him go.