Chapter 8
As the queen mother swept through the palace corridors, the soft rustle of her silk gown echoed off the stone walls, her dignified stride devouring the distance. She traversed a particularly bustling section of the palace, where servants scurried about, their footsteps light on the flagstones as they hurried to attend to their various duties. The air was alive with the soft murmur of their conversations.
One of the servants, a young woman with a look of quiet diligence, caught sight of the queen mother's approach and hastily curtsied, her head bowed in respect. "Speak!" the queen mother commanded, her voice like a lash, cutting through the gentle hum of activity in the corridor.
The servant woman's voice trembled slightly as she delivered her news. "Your Majesty, the royal concubine... she was experiencing severe bleeding. The royal physicians are attending to her now." Her words tumbled out in a rush, as if she feared being cut off mid-sentence.
The queen mother's face, a mask of serene composure just moments before, contorted in shock and rage. "What?! How?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising to a sharp crescendo. She quickened her pace, her long gown billowing behind her like a dark cloud as she hurried towards the royal concubine's chambers. The servant woman and others scurried to keep up with her, their footsteps light and rapid as they struggled to match her long strides.
----- The queen mother burst into the concubine's chambers, her presence commanding attention and radiating an aura of authority. The royal physician, a woman of middle age with a countenance bespeaking quiet competence and a hint of concern etched on her face, stood up from her stooped position, her eyes meeting the queen mother's with a mixture of respect and trepidation. Concubine Odessa lay on the floor, a thick blanket spread beneath her to absorb the sanguine flow of blood that had issued from her body. Her gown was stained a deep crimson, and she groaned weakly, her visage pale and clammy.
The queen mother's panic was obvious, She rushed over to Odessa, gently raising the concubine's head to her lap. "what calamity has befallen her? Has she suffered a miscarriage?" she asked, her voice trembling with anxiety and concern. The physician's expression was somber, her tone measured. "I am uncertain, Your Majesty. Not until I conduct a thorough examination in my clinic can I provide a more definitive assessment."
The queen mother's response was sharp, her voice rising in urgency. "Then what are you waiting for?" she exclaimed, her tone brooking no delay. She gently laid Odessa's head back on the blanket and stood up, her eyes scanning the room for the guards. "Guards!" she called out, her voice echoing through the chamber with authority.
The guards entered, their faces shocked by the sight of the bleeding concubine. They moved swiftly to obey the queen mother's unspoken command, carefully lifting Odessa onto their shoulders. As they took her out of the room, blood dripped from her body, leaving a trail on the floor. Servants scurried to follow, armed with cloths and water, attempting to clean up the trail of blood as they went.
The queen mother followed closely behind, her eyes fixed on Odessa's pale face. Her heart was racing with worry, and her mind was consumed by the thought of the potential consequences of this crisis. She could hardly bear the thought of losing the child, not now, when it was so crucial to the future of the kingdom. Her anxiety was palpable, and her usually composed demeanor was beginning to fray at the edges.
The king, consumed by fatigue and in dire need of rest, was navigating the palace corridors, to his chambers when he chanced upon the commotion. His eyes widened in alarm as he took in the scene before him. "What happened?" he exclaimed, his voice rising in concern.
The queen mother's response was swift and authoritative, her tone brooking no dissent. "Your Majesty, this is neither the time nor the place for interrogation," she retorted, her voice firm and commanding. The king's gaze lingered on Odessa's pallid form, but he held his tongue, his anxiety and concern evident in the tense lines of his face.
As the procession moved forward, the king fell into step behind them, his eyes fixed intently on the concubine's limp form. The palace, with its labyrinthine corridors and grandiose architecture, seemed to stretch on interminably, the distance to the royal physician's clinic a seemingly endless gauntlet.
Fortunately, the clinic was situated within the palace walls, thereby sparing Odessa the ordeal of being transported through the castle grounds in her fragile and precarious state.
The king's anxiety grew with each step, his mind racing with dire possibilities and worst-case scenarios. He longed to demand answers, to know what had transpired, but the queen mother's stern and authoritative expression warned him to bide his time and exercise restraint. For now, he could only follow, his heart heavy with worry and concern for the concubine and the child she carried.
As the clinic's doors closed behind Odessa, the physician's firm yet gentle voice instructed them to step outside, allowing her to tend to the concubine's needs without distraction. The king and queen mother acquiesced, their faces etched with worry and concern, as they retreated from the clinic's threshold.
After what felt like an eternity, the physician emerged from the clinic, her expression somber and professional. "Your Majesties, I must request that you leave now," she said, her voice measured and calm. "The examination and treatment will take some time. I will report back to you as soon as I have a clearer understanding of the concubine's condition."
The king and queen mother exchanged a weighted glance, their eyes locking in a moment of shared anxiety and uncertainty. Without a word, they nodded in unison, their dignified bearing unwavering despite the turmoil that churned beneath the surface. They began to move away from the clinic, their footsteps echoing through the palace corridors, as they awaited the physician's report with bated breath.