Chapter Twenty Seven
"Right now, we pause our discussions until tomorrow." Justin wasn't sure what he expected Cora to say, but that was not it. "But why? We have made real progress, and the king needs the problem solved. Let's move forward while we have the momentum." Looking at the other mages for help, Justin noticed that while Oaklie looked eager to continue, both Art and Philip looked worn out.
"I do understand your sentiment, Master Justin, but I am afraid we have been at this for many hours, and if I am not mistaken, it is drawing close to dinner. You and the princess will need time to bathe and dress to be presented to the king. He will not want you to be late, and I know he will be eager to learn about our progress. It will be best to pick this back up first thing in the morning." Justin still wanted to protest, but Art continued. "Besides, we have other things that we are working on that do not require your attention, that we need to look at before it gets too late. Don't worry, we will be here at first light, ready to start working on the new homes for the unicorns."
Looking at each of the mages, he could see that their minds were made up. "Very well. If there is nothing else we can do, we will excuse ourselves and get ready for dinner." Looking at Maggie, she pushed back her chair and came to stand next to him. "Thank you for all of your hard work. I know my father thanks you..." She paused for an extra moment. "And my mother and sister thank you as well."
Art stood and bowed to the princess. "You are most welcome, your highness. We will continue to do everything we can to set the situation right." Justin watched Maggie trying to understand from her features the significance of whatever situation Art was talking about. Maggie did not give anything away. She only inclined her head to Art and then to the other mages and turned towards the door. After saying his goodbyes to them, Justin joined her and let the guards close the library doors behind them.
Maggie walked over to one of the windows in the long hall and put her hand on the glass. He had a thought that she might be considering resting her forehead on it as well, but if so, she was able to resist the urge and just stood there in silence for some time.
"Are you alright?" His voice came out in barely a whisper, but in the empty hallway, she had no problem hearing him. "No, but I will be. I just need a minute." For the sadness etched around her eyes, her words came out strong and assured. If he had been a betting person, he would have bet she had been here before, dealing with whatever emotions and thoughts were swirling in her mind at this time.
They stood in companionable silence as they watched the sun slowly begin to lower towards the horizon. Finally, Maggie took a shuddering breath and pulled herself away from the window. "Thank you." Justin looked at her questioningly. "For what?" Maggie grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "Thank you for staying with me and letting me think. Thank you for not demanding I tell you what is going on. Thank you for being my friend. I don't have many of them, well, none really."
Justin was stunned at her words. He had never considered doing anything but waiting with her. He could tell she was struggling, and he would have been a cad if he had just left her there alone. Besides, even if he was such a guy, he had no idea how to get back to his room, so he would have left her and ended up lost.
What was harder for him to understand was the idea that she had no friends. He had only known her a little over a day, and he could see that she was one of the most friendly and considerate people he had ever met. How was it possible that she had no friends?
Maggie must have seen the disbelief on his face, because she reached for his hand and began to talk as they slowly walked back towards their rooms.
"Because you have been so kind to me, I think it is time that I tell you why my father is so determined to help save the unicorns." Justin stopped and looked at her, still holding her hand. "You don't have to, Maggie. I want to know the truth, but knowing will not change the fact that I will do everything in my power to help you."
Tears filled her eyes at his words, and Justin almost blanched at the sight of them. He had never wanted to make her cry. "Don't worry, these are happy tears. I have prayed for so long for an answer to our problem, and I truly do believe that answer is you. Thank you for being willing to help us without knowing the truth, but you deserve to know it. Will you let me tell you?"
That simple request for consent almost did Justin in. He nodded once and pulled Maggie closer to him as they walked hand in hand down the hall.
"I know that you have heard my father and the mages mention my mother and sister. I guess you are wondering why you have not seen them at our meals or walking around the palace." Maggie looked up at him, waiting for a response. "I admit I have wondered about that." Justin kept his response quiet and kept his eyes to the front so as not to distract Maggie or make the telling any harder.
"When the number of unicorns was so low that they were almost extinct, my mother and sister got sick. They got really sick. Doctors came from all over the kingdom and said it was a rare sickness that couldn't be cured with medicine. If left untreated, it would kill them. The only hope of curing the disease was the healing powers given to us by the unicorns. Their numbers had to be increased, and then somehow a concentrated amount of their magic needed to be directly given to my sister and mother."
A range of emotions raged through Justin as he did his best to take in her words. "Is that even possible? Giving a concentrated amount directly to two people, I mean?" Maggie leaned her shoulder against his as she spoke. "The mages seem to think it is, although they haven't figured out the best way to do it yet."
"If only the healing power of the unicorns could cure them, then what is keeping them alive?" Maggie looked out towards another open window for a moment as though formulating how best to tell the next part. "In one of the books in the library, Oaklie discovered that the breast milk of a Jackalope has some healing properties as well. While those properties are minor compared to the unicorns, giving my mother and sister the milk three times a day has kept them in a suspended state of health. They are neither asleep nor awake, but they aren't getting any worse."