Illepra, the royal healer. Illepra looked down, her soft hazel eyes filled with concern, giving her water, running a warm cloth over her forehead, wiping the hair out of her face. She lay a palm on her forehead, and Gwen felt a healing energy pass through her. She felt her eyes getting heavy, and soon she found them closing against her will.
*
Gwendolyn did not know how much time had passed when she opened her eyes again. She still felt exhausted, disoriented. In her dreams she had heard a voice, and now she heard it again.
“Gwendolyn,” came the voice. She heard it echo in her mind, and wondered how many times he had called her name.
She looked up and recognized Kendrick, looking down at her. Standing beside him was her brother Godfrey, along with Srog, Brom, Kolk and several others. On her other side stood Steffen. She hated the expressions in their faces. They looked at her as if she were a thing to pity, as if she had returned from the dead.
“My sister,” Kendrick said, smiling. She could hear the concern in his voice. “Tell us what happened.”
Gwen shook her head, too tired to recount everything.
“Andronicus,” she said, her voice hoarse, coming out more like a whisper. She cleared her throat. “I tried…to surrender myself…in return for the city…I trusted him. Stupid….”
Gwen menjilat bibirnya yang pecah-pecah, dan sesaat kemudian kepalanya terasa ditopang dari belakang, diletakkan di bawah bantal, dan sebotol air diletakkan di bibirnya. Dia minum dan minum, dan menyadari betapa hausnya dia. Dia mendongak dan melihat seorang wanita yang dikenalinya.
Illepra, tabib kerajaan. Illepra melihat ke bawah, mata hazelnya yang lembut penuh dengan kekhawatiran, memberikan air, menyiram kain hangat di dahinya, menyeka rambut dari wajahnya. Dia meletakkan telapak tangan di dahinya, dan Gwen merasakan energi penyembuhan melewatinya. Dia merasakan matanya semakin berat, dan segera dia menemukan mereka menutup di luar kehendaknya.
*
Gwendolyn tidak tahu berapa banyak waktu telah berlalu ketika dia membuka matanya lagi. Dia masih merasa lelah, bingung. Dalam mimpinya dia telah mendengar suara, dan sekarang dia mendengarnya lagi.
"Gwendolyn," terdengar suara itu. Dia mendengar itu bergema di benaknya, dan bertanya-tanya berapa kali dia memanggil namanya.
Dia mendongak dan mengenali Kendrick, menatapnya. Berdiri di sampingnya adalah kakaknya Godfrey, bersama dengan Srog, Brom, Kolk dan beberapa lainnya. Di sisinya yang lain berdiri Steffen. Dia membenci ekspresi di wajah mereka. Mereka memandangnya seolah-olah dia mengasihani, seolah-olah dia telah kembali dari kematian.
"Adikku," kata Kendrick, tersenyum. Dia bisa mendengar kekhawatiran dalam suaranya. "Ceritakan apa yang terjadi."
Gwen menggelengkan kepalanya, terlalu lelah untuk menceritakan semuanya.
"Andronicus," katanya, suaranya serak, keluar lebih seperti bisikan. Dia berdeham. "Aku mencoba ... untuk menyerahkan diriku ... sebagai imbalan untuk kota ... aku mempercayainya. Bodoh…."
