Past midnight, Matthias, having scouted the area earlier, slipped through Odelliana’s window like a phantom. Though she initially suspected him – a spy perhaps? – her tense muscles relaxed at the sight of his moonlit face.
“You startled me,” she gasped. “Why did you come in through the window instead of using the perfectly good door?”
“More dramatic, wouldn’t you say?” he winked. “Besides, it’s quicker leaving this way.”
With practiced efficiency, Matthias pulled an outer garment over Odelliana and bundled her in a thick blanket before carefully scooping her up.
“Are you trying to turn me into a cocoon?” she teased, despite the warmth spreading through her.
“The night air bites,” he countered. “Better safe than sorry.”
“Safe, yes, but completely immobile.”
“Precisely,” he chuckled, already leaping out the window. They headed towards the secluded pond adjoining the annex. A towering wall, easily ten meters high, bordered the pond. A rope dangled invitingly, no doubt Matthias’ afternoon handiwork.
He could have scaled the wall with ease, Odelliana thought, impressed. But using the rope was a clever way to maintain his disguise.
Despite her slight frame (over 40 kg wasn’t nothing), Odelliana worried Matthias might struggle carrying her up the rope with one hand. Yet, he ascended the wall with effortless skill, his thin physique betraying surprising strength honed by a lack of proper nourishment.
Sliding down the rope on the other side, they were met with a waiting horse. With practiced ease, Matthias bundled Odelliana, still cocooned in the blanket, onto the horse before joining her. One arm encircled her securely, the other grasped the reins.
“Relax,” he murmured. “I’ve got you.”
The sensation of riding after so long was unnerving. Though a past life filled her with memories of chafed thighs and a sore backside, the unfamiliar height and feel of the horse sent shivers down her spine. Her unbalanced posture, a consequence of weakened muscles, made clinging to the saddle a struggle. Without Matthias’ firm hold on her waist, a tumble was inevitable.
The irony wasn’t lost on her – a once-feared knight now fearing a simple fall.
Uncertain how long they rode under the cloak of night, Matthias finally pulled the horse to a stop before a dark marketplace. The deserted streets, devoid of even a single soul or a lit shop, were eerily quiet. As they passed through this spectral landscape, a small, dilapidated wooden building on the verge of collapse came into view.
“This is the abandoned warehouse you requested,” Matthias announced, guiding the horse to a stop. “The doctors are waiting inside.”
A faint glow emanated from the dilapidated warehouse. Matthias dismounted first, then carefully lifted Odelliana down and carried her towards the entrance.
Inside, four figures rose to greet them: an elderly man, a middle-aged man, and two young women in their mid-twenties.
“Is this the patient you mentioned?” the elder inquired.
“Yes,” Matthias confirmed.
“Very well,” the man said, gesturing for them to come forward. “Let’s have a look.”
The doctors took turns examining Odelliana, meticulously employing various diagnostic tools. They used artifacts that reacted to heart conditions, along with stones that changed color when exposed to unhealthy blood.
After a thorough examination using a variety of methods typically associated with diagnosing heart disease, the doctors reached a unanimous conclusion.
“Her heart appears perfectly healthy,” the elder doctor announced. “Both her pulse and blood chemistry show no signs of any heart ailment.”
Relief washed over Odelliana – for a moment, at least. If it wasn’t heart disease, then why on earth would the Duke of Grüsewald prescribe heart medication?
