The king looked at Ryder again, but this time, his gaze narrowed as if studying him closer. “Do you know what I think, Ryder Grey?”
“No, Your Majesty.”
“I thinkyoushould talk to her. I believe she would listen to you because you were childhood friends.”
Although the king’s suggestion shot excitement through Ryder, he worried if he would be able to achieve the king’s wish. Would she tell Ryder her feelings for this prince? Was it possible she had only toyed with him...and his heart? He didn’t think he would be able to take the blow if she admitted to him that she had never wanted him in the first place. Despite the potential heartache, he had to know what was really going on.
With any luck, the morning would pass quickly, because he desperately needed to talk to Clarissa...alone.
###
AFEW MORE HOURS PASSED, and Ryder had no patience left. Waiting for the king to be done with his meetings was wearing on his last nerve. Urgency ran rampant inside of him, and he could hardly wait to talk to Clarissa. Unfortunately, because he’d been assigned to follow the king around today, he had no other choice but to work on his patience.
“I’m going to walk around the hospital,” he told the other guards, who were huddled by the front steps.
Adam lifted an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Just to check out the perimeter to make certain everything is safe.” Ryder adjusted his belt and sword.
The other guards exchanged glances before Adam nodded. “That’s not a bad idea.” He pointed to the other two. “Why don’t you two head around the south side, and Ryder can take the north side.”
Ryder really didn’t care what the others did. He needed to keep himself from going insane with worry, and walking would do him good right now.
He turned and began his walk, which soon became a sprint. Several times, he had to tell himself to slow down because the sooner his walk was over, the sooner he’d be back in front of the hospital waiting for the king, and stewing about what Clarissa was doing with Prince Ormond.
Occasionally, he glanced into the hospital windows as he passed, but none of the faces looked familiar...until one did. He slowed his steps and peeked in the window again. Mrs. Cook sat beside the bed, holding a man’s hand. The sadness etched in her expression tugged on Ryder’s heartstrings. Apparently, her husband’s condition had gotten worse. Fred Cook had been one of the king’s guards at one time. Ryder had heard the man took ill, but he didn’t think Fred wasthissick.
Without another thought, Ryder found the next entrance and walked down the hallway to find Fred’s room. Putting aside his worries about the princess, he decided to ask some questions in hopes of figuring out what was happening to some of the king’s guards, and what had killed his father.
When he spied Mrs. Cook again—this time, from the back of the room—he turned and entered. She snapped her head around. At first her eyes were wide with alarm, but once she recognized him, she smiled.
“Ryder Grey. What are you doing here?”
He motioned toward her husband in the bed. “I came to see how Fred was faring.”
Tears filled her eyes and she shook her head. “Not well, I’m afraid.”
He walked in closer and stopped beside her chair. Placing his hand on her shoulder, he gave her a reassuring squeeze. The worried lines on her face made her look older than her years. And more gray highlighted her dark head of hair.
When he switched his gaze to the man in the bed, he sucked in a quick breath. Fred was hardly recognizable. Whatever ailment this man shared with Ryder’s father made them age quickly. The last week of his father’s life, he’d aged so rapidly, it was hard to watch. Even his mother couldn’t handle being in the same room with her husband for very long without breaking down and crying.
“Mrs. Cook? Do you know what happened to him?” Ryder whispered as emotion clogged his throat. “This looks to be exactly what happened to my father.”
“The doctors are stumped.” She shook her head. “Nobody knows what it is, and they definitely don’t know how to cure it.”
“Do you recall what he was doing the first time he started feeling ill?”
Sighing heavily, she shook her head. “He was with the king most of the day, so I don’t know what he did during that time, but when he returned home, he didn’t do anything out of the ordinary. Then, all of a sudden, he started vomiting and feeling dizzy. Each day since then, he’s grown slightly worse.” She wiped away a tear falling down her cheek.
On the bed, a low groan escaped Fred’s throat and he blinked open his eyes. When he noticed Ryder, he smiled. “What are...you doing...here?”
It broke Ryder’s heart to hear the man’s labored breathing, just as his father’s had been in his final days. “The king is here meeting with the administrators of the hospital. I was checking the building, when I saw you.” He shrugged. “I thought I’d come in to see you and your wife for a moment.”
“It’s good...to see you.” Fred’s smile weakened. “I’m sorry about...your father.”
“Thank you.” Ryder nodded. “Tell me, Fred, can you remember what you were doing right before you started feeling ill? Did anything out of the ordinary happen the day before while you were with the king?”
The older man frowned. “You don’t know...how many times...I’ve thought about this.” He took a ragged breath. “The only thing...I can recall...that was different,” he inhaled deeply, “was assisting an old lady...home.”
