Tamara paled as a sheet. “Imperial City?”

“Yes, I know, he is a high shot.” Lia thought her mother freaked out because the man under her fingers was one of the highest-ranking officials in the whole country. “Should I go inform the mayor now?”

Tamara considered for a moment. “No, let’s not tell anyone yet. We will have to wait for his decision once he wakes up.”

“Will he?”

“Well have to do our best. We can’t just let him die.”

“But wouldn’t we have to, I don’t know, tell someone? Maybe someone from his men?”

Tamara shook her head. “We are not sure who to trust with this. We have no idea who did this to him. Could be a friend or foe.”

It took a few seconds for the words to register to Lia. She widened her eyes in response. “You’re telling me someone might have betrayed him?”

“There are traitors everywhere, Lia.” Tamara had a faraway look on her face, the same look she had when she told the story about her family. Somehow, Lia was not sure they were still talking about Eldric.

“Alright. So. We help him while keeping his presence here a secret. Is that it?” As much as Lia wanted to have nothing to do with the man, she could not let him die or feed him to his enemies. Not like this. She was not sure she could sleep peacefully at night if she ignored him. “Right. What else can I do?”

Tamara looked out the window. She had already finished dressing Eldric’s wound and started cleaning the bedside table.

“Go to the town. And buy clothes for him and also some meat products. We need to feed him nutritious food so he would recover easily.”

Lia listed down what she would buy and donned her male disguise. It was a pain to dress like one but it was even more troublesome if she was discovered. And she had enough trouble for one day.

It was mid-afternoon when they finally settled Eldric. But Tamara needed more medicine for him so she set out to prepare. Before Lia set out for the town, she went back to the clearing despite her mother’s protest. She needed to get her basket of materials. If they were going to cure Eldric, they needed to have a full arsenal of medicine.

And she hoped that the people who fought against Eldric would not come back there twice today. But going back to the clearing cost her some time and now she had to rush to the town so she could come back before it was dark.

As she strode around the town, she kept her ears open for any gossips and whispers amongst the townsfolk. The people’s intelligence network was nothing to scoff at. There might be news about the recent happenings. But there was nothing. She thought of going to Yolly’s shop to eavesdrop to the other patrons. But going there out of schedule and without any of Tamara’s product would be suspicious so she did not push through and just went home.

She came back with Tamara wiping Eldric’s face with a damp cloth. For the first time today, she saw what had become of his handsome face. A huge bump of blue and black color rested on his left eye and a split on his upper lip. Lia helped her mother dressed the sleeping Eldric.

“He’s fine now. I just don’t know when he would wake up.” Tamara said.