The King Is Dying

"The King is dying", the horrifying words whispered down the hallway within ear shot of Finnian, the youngest son of the Kings secret alchemist. He has sat outside his majesty's room everyday for almost 6 weeks, fetching medical supplies and ingredients for his Father who is desperately trying to remedy the mystery illness.

Finnian and his father Osmund have made the daily travel to the Kings Residence at the Tower of London for over a month, but for the last week Osmund has not left the Kings room or his small laboratory where he conjures up precious elixirs in order to cure any disease. But so far Osmund's efforts have proven to only worsen King Rupert's symptoms, only adding fear and doubt in the eyes of the Kings closest advisors and his wife 'Queen Agnes'. Although the King himself is viewed as a man of mercy, Agnes is quite the opposite, seeing that anyone or anything that will harm or jeopardise the reputation of the Wardel Monarchy will be swiftly punished, usually by death. Considering she hasn't given the King a male heir to the throne, Osmund is caught in the crossfire between life and death if he doesn't save the King.

"Fetch me some hot water and cloth from the storeroom Finnian" requests Osmund. As Finnian runs out the room Queen Agnes desperately charges past him in a fit of emotion and despair. She climbs over her husband praying that the darkness inside him will vanquish through her calls to God to spare him, forgive them for the sins and relinquish the life they had once lived. She turns to Osmund "can you heal him... please can you save him" Osmund stares at his grief stricken Queen, knowing that any wrong word could land him on tower hill facing the axe. "I am mixing up a new elixir my queen, I do believe your husband is suffering from the sweating sickness and he will start to recover over night". Agnes slowly walks with her head down, towards the window over looking the river Thames. The long silence is insufferable to Osmund. Agnes turns towards the shrivelled alchemist "I never trusted my husbands dealings with the dark arts, though I kept my tongue tied thanks to all the illnesses you have remedied before, but it seems your good fortune has come to an end dear Osmund, and your beloved King won't be here to save your soul when I send you to the Axeman if he doesn't begin to heal after tonight".

Finnian bows his head as the Queen briskly leaves her husbands room, Osmund is frantically pacing about "Father.... Father what do we do!' shouts Finnian. Osmund writes ingredients on a list and turns to his son, "Finnian bring to me some aniseed, cinnamon, gentian and a few other ailments written on this list, quick hurry". Finnian runs down the great hall, having heard the Queens threat to his Father he runs faster then he has ever before.

Finnian begins to search for the ingredients, he can not stop thinking about his Father meeting the axeman on tower hill where he has seen many executions take place before, he finds the cinnamon and gentian but drops the aniseed in the process. It smashes to pieces at his feet, all seems lost and in a fit of rage Finnian throws a crate through the air and falls to the floor in failed hope. How can he tell his father there is no aniseed for the only elixir that will fix the King. But through his sobbing eyes he notices the bricks have collapsed where the crate smashed against the wall, inside he finds small bottles and ailments of names he has never heard of before, along with a little black book with strange inscriptions and dates ahead of his time. Inside are symptoms and ailments to a number of illnesses and diseases, many that Finnian does not understand.

"Father you must see what I have found, I think it can help!" Osmund stares at the strange names on the bottles and opens the little black book, he notices remedies and symptoms for St. Vitus's dance, croup and ague. But one sickness stands out to him and matches all the symptoms the King is displaying. He reads Malaria - Symptoms - vomiting, diarrhoea, shaking chills and yellowing of the skin and eyes - Remedy - ground Peruvian bark of the cinchona tree mixed with catswort and wine. Osmund can not believe his eyes, what is this Malaria he wonders, could it be the mystery sickness that has stricken the King. "Its a miracle" Osmund screams as he begins to prepare the peculiar elixir.

Osmund wakes the next morning, he fell asleep for the first time in days after administering the potion. To his surprise he finds the King standing with his wife, hugging and kissing through the morning sunrays shining through the window. It must be a dream he thinks. "You saved me from the darkest demons Osmund, I owe you my life" exclaims the King. Osmund is speechless, overcome by disbelief that the simple ingredients had done. "It is my duty to serve you King Rupert, I would have died trying to save you if it was necessary" says Osmund. Queen Agnes places her arm on Osmund, "your service is no longer needed for now, go home to your family and rest, there is a carriage waiting for you downstairs". Osmund and Finnian gather their belongings and are escorted to the guards tower where their carriage awaits, before they embark on the journey a squire taps on Osmund's shoulder and hands him a chest "a parting gift from the King sir" says the man. Osmund opens the chest and finds a letter, "I cannot praise sufficiently in the art and delicacy of your mastery of Alchemy, to this end I gift you 20,000 pounds for it nor express my gratitude in your service to King and Crown" King Rupert III.

The End