Squire (Male x Male) (Wattys Shortlist 2021 & 2022)

Chapter 23 - The Motive

Exhaustion was well and truly upon me as I administered the final dose of Sebastian's treatment.

After arranging appropriate quarters for Tristan so that he could stay in the castle and bidding Annabelle good night, I had stayed awake by Sebastian's side for another nine hours. Not that I could have slept if I had been anywhere else.

A knock on the door broke the silence.

"Good morning, Tristan," I said weakly upon opening it and seeing my friend.

"You look like hell," he replied, looking me up and down. "You may need this," he added, handing me a piece of bread, with some cheese and grapes. I realised I was hungry and took it gratefully. "How is Sebastian?"

"Alive," I sighed, letting him in and eating what he had given me.

"He looks better than when I last saw him," Tristan commented after a short inspection. "I think the antidote is working. As for you," he added, "you need to get some sleep."

"I want to stay with him," I insisted, although my body was fighting against me.

"What you want and what you need are clearly at odds," Tristan pointed out. "You will be of no use to him if you continue to drain your energy. Get some sleep. I will stay with Sebastian."

I sighed. He was right and I knew it. My entire night had been spent not only awake but cycling through a range of emotions from sadness to anger and everything in between. I was emotionally drained as well as physically exhausted.

"Thank you, Tristan," I conceded. "He will need water as soon as he can manage it."

"I am capable of fetching water, Richard. Go," he insisted.

I kissed Sebastian on the forehead and disappeared to my quarters where I collapsed on the bed with fatigue.

It was after lunch when I re-emerged. I still felt tired but had recovered enough to feel like I might be useful again. I went straight to Sebastian's room, where Tristan told me he had been able to get Sebastian to sit and drink some water, but the boy had not been anywhere close to lucid. I was relieved he was able to drink a little, as it was likely to mean his condition was no longer critical.

Annabelle was also there, and offered to bring food to us, which we gratefully accepted.

Between the three of us, we planned the best way to let Sebastian's parents know what had happened. Since Tristan already knew how to find the blacksmith, he volunteered for the task, and returned with the older couple in the late afternoon. They stayed for a short while, clearly concerned about their son. I promised them I would look after him and they seemed amenable to the idea, leaving after I insisted that they stay for dinner. It seemed the least I could do after this incident happened under my employ.

Tristan offered to spend another night at the castle, and I accepted the support willingly. With Sebastian no longer in a critical condition, it made sense for me to sleep in my own quarters. Worry prevented me from falling asleep immediately, but when I did, I slept soundly through exhaustion.

It was around two o'clock on Sunday morning when I was woken by the sound of crashing and clattering coming from the hallway.

I stumbled out of my bedroom in the direction of the commotion, perking up significantly when I saw that the door to Sebastian's room was open. I ran to it and swung myself round the doorframe into the room.

Annabelle was pinned to the floor, while a girl with auburn hair sat on her, dagger in hand, bearing down on her. I was at their sides in a flash, and being significantly stronger than either of them, quickly twisted the knife from the aggressor's grasp and yanked her from Annabelle.