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moira-shears · 11 months

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Cold Hands

“Ceodore!” Cecil cried as he ran.

The king was guilt-stricken to realise he went too far when he yelled at his four-year-old son for something he realised wasn’t the prince’s fault. After the treatment, the prince ran off, crying like he were cutting his father out of the picture. Cecil almost felt as though the dark knight within him reawakened, and started to wonder if some of it still lingered. Before he could turn around, the king was approached by two guards: Biggs and Wedge.

“Your majesty,” Biggs said, “It’s the queen, she needs you right away!”

“But what about Ceodore?” Cecil asked seriously.

“The Prince is fine,” Wedge replied, “He’s back at the castle. We took him home. He said he wanted his mummy.”

“You have my thanks,” Cecil said. As Biggs and Wedge went back on patrol, Cecil raced back to the castle. There when he made his way inside, he was stopped immediately by Ceodore who came running up to him, crying, as he tugged his leg.

“Daddy!” Ceodore cried, “Daddy, Mummy’s sick, she’s coughing up blood! Please, Daddy, help her.”

At his son’s words, Cecil was left with an array of emotions and was caught in a dilemma. He tried to think of what to do first out of apologising to Ceodore for his misparenting, comforting him, and seeing Rosa, but there was only one option that was acceptable to him.

Having escaped his trance, Cecil kneeled down to pick his son up and made his way to his chambers where he expected Rosa to be. To Cecil, the sight he was greeted by was disheartening. Rosa he found was breathing loudly as she coughed in her handkerchief. Cecil put his son down as he quickly made his way to his wife, though when he saw her handkerchief, he saw that the phlegm was in fact more of a rusty brown than what Ceodore has described. Perhaps he mistook it for blood, he thought, the prince was only four years old after all.

“Rosa,” Cecil knelt to his wife, stroking her cheek as he gently spoke to her “Rosa, darling, what’s the matter?”

“Cecil, I’m sick,” Rosa said, “Yesterday, I thought it was just a cold but I feel worse! I’m sorry I hid this from you.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Cecil said, “Let me take a look,”

As soon as his hand made contact with her forehead, Cecil shuddered. She was on fire, and her lips were starting to resemble his own - a shade of bluish-purple. A doctor was sent for, and after an examination, a diagnosis confirmed that Rosa was suffering from pneumonia. Cecil was shocked, whilst Ceodore was confused.

“I’ll stay home for a while,” Cecil said, “My Queen needs me. I’ll look after her and the crown prince. Are there any treatment options available?”

“Make sure she’s well hydrated,” the doctor said, “If her symptoms worsen, bring her to a healer. If she’s struggling to breathe, that’s a sign that she needs immediate medical attention. Other than that, make sure she’s eating alright and gets plenty of rest. Be careful not to catch it yourself, your majesty,”

“I’m a Lunarian,” Cecil said, “the prince and I are immune to many human diseases.”

“I see,” the doctor said, “Well if her majesty gets any worse, remember to take her to a healer.”

“Will do,” Cecil said with a nod. The doctor then left whilst Cecil and Ceodore sat beside Rosa who looked distressed.

“Cecil, you don’t have to stay with me,” Rosa said, “Are you sure you’re immune?”

Cecil nodded, “FuSoYa told me and explained why I never got sick as a child. Ceodore will be fine too.”

Rosa coughed loudly, as Ceodore was carried up to sit next to her and began to cry again. This time, it was Rosa’s turn to comfort him, whilst Cecil sat down beside her. That day, he never left her side, and neither did Ceodore who continued to cry whilst he asked his father if his Mummy would be alright, many times that day.

“Cecil, Ceodore, could one of you bring something up for me?” Rosa eventually asked.

“Of course, darling,” Cecil said, “What would you like?”

“Something warm to drink,” Rosa said, “A cup of tea, perhaps. Oh, and could you please tell my mother not to worry about me?

“Of course,” Cecil said, “I’ll be back up as quickly as I can, Rosa,”

After kissing her lips, Cecil left his wife and son together, whilst he wandered through the corridors of the castle. When he made his way outside the castle, he travelled to Mrs Farrell’s house in the town of Baron. When she heard the news of her daughter, Mrs Farrell was, understandably, very upset and asked that she visit her daughter.

“You may,” Cecil said, “but remember to maintain a safe distance from her. She’s told me not to let you get too close.”

“I understand,” Rosa’s mother said, “After all, Rosa’s always been a very kindhearted young girl, be sure to look after her, Cecil. Oh, and how is Ceodore doing?”

“Ceodore’s with Rosa,” Cecil said, “I don’t know if he’s still upset with me…”

“Why would your son be so upset with you?” Mrs Farrell asked.

“I yelled at him,” Cecil said, “I soon realised it wasn’t his fault and apologised to him. I thought that he had taken some of the documents, but Biggs and Wedge told me that they’d just been put away.”

“Oh, I’m glad you apologised to him,” Mrs Farrell said.

Cecil nodded and asked his mother-in-law to make up some tea for Rosa, which the old woman did willingly. From the smell alone, it was a brew Cecil knew was Rosa’s favourite, a brew that they shared all the time as children. The King’s sight confirmed that it was as he suspected, some red tea with a romantic aroma. The nostalgia for this tea, Cecil knew would bring Rosa solace.

Up in the bedroom, when Rosa drank the tea, she sighed happily. The king and prince were not left out of the party, with Ceodore expressing his delight with the tea, whilst they sat at a small table beside the bed. On the table was the teapot as well as some low-sugar biscuits shared among the family.

“Cecil, I don’t know why but, this makes me feel much happier,” Rosa said, “Do you think you could bring me this every day until I recover?”

“I’ll try, Rosa,” Cecil said. Ceodore looked away and covered his ears as his parents kissed before Cecil carried his wife back onto the bed. There he held her hands, cold as ice, and saw in her eyes that she was holding back tears which shed once Cecil got up.

“I know, Rosa,” Cecil said, “I saw how much pain you were in when you had the desert fever. I’m just taking Ceodore out so you can rest.”

Cecil pulled the blanket over her before he let her rest, kissing her forehead. When he turned around, Ceodore wore a sad face, begging, desperate. He then hugged his father’s leg tight and started to cry himself.

“Daddy, is Mummy going to be alright?” Ceodore asked.

Cecil picked Ceodore up as he left the room, taking him downstairs to where the Prince’s chambers were.

“Ceodore, Mummy needs some rest,” Cecil said, “We hope she’ll be alright. For now, the best we can do is do everything we can to take care of her.”

“How do we do that?” Ceodore asked.

“We’ll give her medicine and rest,” Cecil said.

“Can we bring her gifts?” The prince asked, “I want to give her some flowers.”

“I suppose we can,” Cecil said, “We could do that right now. Let’s go to the garden.”

Cecil offered his hand to his son, and willingly, the prince took it and walked with his father to the gardens of Baron. There, the beauty of the palace shone upon them, and even the aroma of every flower. When they arrived, they found a florist who immediately recognised them and bowed before the two.

“Your Majesty, and Your Highness!” The woman said, bowing, “To what do I own your pleasure of doing today?”

“Madam, the Queen has fallen ill,” Cecil said, “And the crown prince wanted to bring her some flowers to speed her recovery. Do you suppose you could arrange a bouquet for her?”

“But of course!” The woman said, “I would be more than happy to make her majesty a bouquet that will speed up her recovery. I hope she likes them,”

“Yes, I hope so too,” Cecil said, “When can I expect it to be delivered?”

“In about half an hour,” The woman answered, “Is that too long?”

“No, that’s just about the right amount of time,” Cecil said, “Thank you very much.”

“You’re always welcome, your majesty,” The woman said. With this, the King and Crown Prince returned to Rosa’s side where her pale form lay, resting. Cecil sat beside her, holding her cold hands whilst he listened to her shallow breathing.

“Dearest, I’ve ordered something for you,” Cecil said, “It shouldn’t be too long now. Perhaps it would help to speed your recovery.”

Before Rosa could reply, there was a knock on the door for which Cecil gave the person behind it permission to enter. It was the gardener, and in her hands was a beautiful bouquet of pink roses, dandelions, and lavender. Cecil got up to take these before he dismissed the gardener who closed the door behind her, and the king approached his wife.

“Rosa, these are for you,” Cecil told her, “It was Ceodore’s idea. He wanted to give you some flowers.”

“Thank you so much, Cecil,” Rosa said, “I’ll cherish them. How kind our son is for doing this.”

Cecil tilted Rosa’s pillow up ever so slightly, helping Rosa to sit up and take the bouquet into her hands. Rosa smelled these with a smile and closed her eyes, letting the smell take her away from her sickly state. After this, Rosa voiced her approval of these to her husband who caressed her cheek before they both leaned in to kiss one another’s lips.

“I love you, Cecil,” Rosa said.

“I love you too, Rosa,” Cecil replied, “And I promise you’ll never have to be alone when you are ill. No harm will come to you. Remember, if there’s anything you need, just let me know.”

“You would forsake your royal duties to save me?” Rosa asked.

“Anything, Rosa,” Cecil said, “I love you more than dear life itself. My beautiful Rosa. Is there anything you want?”

“Stay…” Rosa said, “I wish to feel your arms around me.”

Cecil only nodded before he laid down next to Rosa under the blanket and pulled her into his arms. There, she felt his hard chest that hadn’t been covered by armour but by a simple white tunic from which the queen could feel her husband’s muscles protect her. The bouquet was left to rest on the table before a servant let themselves in and bathed it in a vase before leaving the couple alone again.

Over the next couple of days, Rosa’s condition, although she received supportive care, there were no noticeable changes. Cecil would occasionally put aside his royal duties for her, and beside her bed, he held her hand whilst Ceodore watched from the other room in curiosity, but quickly left after witnessing his parents kissing. He too would spend time with his mother, who delighted in his company, and told him he was ‘the best medicine a parent could have’.

At night, Cecil held onto his wife and rubbed her back as though to soothe her. She slept surprisingly soundly, and therefore so could Cecil, and Ceodore hadn’t come in at all that night, something that came as a surprise to the couple.

Just when Cecil thought he could relax, Rosa’s condition worsened. One early morning, Cecil woke to hear Rosa’s loud breathing and wheezing quickening, indicating to him something awful was happening to her. Her face was pale, her lips blue like his own and her coughing was violent. Cecil felt a wave of panic overcome him as he lifted her weak body and ran swiftly to the doctor.

“Your majesty!” the doctor said, “So she’s gotten worse, has she?”

Cecil nodded.

“Quickly then,” the doctor said, “bring her over to that bed; I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you, doctor,” Cecil said. With this, Cecil placed Rosa on the bed where the doctor examined her lungs which had been clogged up with fluid, he told her, and there needed to be a way to clear it. Rosa turned to Cecil who clasped her cold hand, as a tear fell from her eye. Cecil remained silent but warmed Rosa’s hands with his. It could have been the last time he ever got to do this, he thought. Therefore, he cherished every moment it lasted before he was asked to leave. That morning as he told Ceodore of his mother’s condition, the little boy started to cry. It was hard, Cecil knew, but even so, the boy was upset.

“Is Mummy going to be alright?” Ceodore asked through his tears.

“We don’t know,” Cecil said, shaking his head. At his response, Ceodore cried even more tears and Cecil sighed pessimistically. Not even his royal duties could take his mind off of the harsh possibility that soon he could be widowed if Rosa made no sign of recovery and Ceodore constantly muttered words of sadness. ‘I don’t want to be lonely’, ‘Please don’t die, Mummy’, ‘I want to see Mummy’. From hearing these words, Cecil himself started to feel his sadness.

“Like father, like son…” Cecil said in his mind.

In the evening, Cecil returned to where Rosa was being treated. In her ward, she slept, her lungs wheezing with each breath whilst her husband held her cold hands which now felt almost like ice. Even her mother came in once or twice but couldn’t stay, she couldn’t bare to take in the sight of her daughter in such a severe state and told Cecil that she wouldn’t want to see her mother so upset.

“I understand,” Cecil said, patting her shoulder, “I’ll keep her company.”

“Thank you, Cecil,” Mrs Farrell said, “You are such a good man for taking care of my daughter, I’m sure she’ll appreciate such kindness coming from you.”

With this, Mrs Farrell stroked her daughter’s cheek before she left her and her husband alone. Even into the night, Cecil never left her side, hoping she would wake up, but before she could, he fell asleep. Even in this state, Cecil’s hands still warmed his wife’s and he remained ever so still. Soon when morning came, Cecil woke to discover he’d spent the rest of the night by her side. Quietly he watched Rosa’s unawoken form lying, breathing painfully with a hint of both wheezing and cackling.

Minutes passed, and she wouldn’t wake, and when asked, the doctor told Cecil that it was currently unknown whether or not Rosa would awake, all they could do was treat her and wait. When the doctor left, Cecil watched his wife with her blue-lipped mouth open, breathing in and out. Cecil stroked her cheek before he suddenly heard a cough. Cecil stopped and for a moment, he thought he could see her eyes gaping open a little before they closed again.

Cecil leaned into his wife’s ear, “I’m here for you, Rosa,” he said, “No harm will come to you, I promise. I’ll protect you.”

Just then, Cecil could see Rosa’s eyes open just a little wider this time, before letting out a soft moan from her lips.

“There now, I’m not going anywhere,” Cecil said, “I’m staying with you.”

Her eyes were now open halfway before Cecil loosened the clasp on her hands in response to her hand moving and reached for his face. At her struggle, Cecil assisted Rosa’s hand and brought it to his face. Cold was her touch on Cecil’s cheek, but the king saw his wife’s eyes flutter open as she watched him. Cecil held his warm hand over Rosa as he reached his free hand around her back and leaned her up slightly.

“Cecil,” Rosa said with a slight cough, “Good morning.”

“Good morning, Rosa,” Cecil said, “Is there anything you’d like?”

Instead of speaking, Rosa puckered her lips. At the implementation, Cecil leaned in to kiss his queen, gently before he got closer to her.

“Cecil, thank you,” Rosa said, “Could you take me over to the fire now?”

Cecil nodded before he picked Rosa up. He stopped for a few brief moments, allowing Rosa to relax in her husband’s arms, where she laced her own around her neck before he carried her towards the fire. There, he carefully sat down where the heat was ideal, and with her, watched the flames dance around the wood.

“Cecil, how long was I asleep for?” Rosa asked.

“A long time,” Cecil said, “I’d say around a day almost.”

“Almost a day!?” Rosa said in surprise, “Oh, I must have been really tired then. How’s Ceodore?”

“I don’t know,” Cecil said, “I haven’t seen him since-”

Cecil was interrupted by a knock on the door. In response, the doctor came out from his study and opened it. It was Ceodore and Mrs Farrell walking in having greeted the doctor over to the royal couple. There, the monarchs smiled at the two as Ceodore went to hug his mother, and Mrs Farrell leaned down. Ceodore cried in his mother’s chest as Rosa comforted him with a kind gesture.

“There, there, Ceodore,” Rosa said, “You’ve nothing to worry about now, I’m here to stay.”

“Mummy, I missed you,” Ceodore said.

“I missed you too, Ceodore,” Rosa said, as she patted the boy’s back.

“Good morning, Rosa,” Mrs Farrell said, “And good morning to you two, Cecil. How have you been since last night?”

“Mother,” Rosa said with a small cough, “I’m still a little sick; I don’t know how long it’ll take for me to recover at this point, but… I feel better than I did before.”

“Oh Rosa, if only you knew,” Mrs Farrell said, “Cecil stayed by your side all night last night, he would never leave. He must love you very much.”

Rosa looked up at her husband.

“It’s true,” he said, “I didn’t want you to wake up alone. I wanted to stay, make sure you were alright.”

“Oh… Thank you, Cecil,” Rosa replied.

“Mummy, are you going to be alright?” Ceodore asked as he looked up at her.

In response, Rosa pat her son’s head, “Just a few more days, I promise.”

“Cecil, thank you for taking care of my daughter, it means the world to me,” Mrs Farrell said.

“It was the least I could do,” Cecil said.

Mrs Farrell smiled. That day, Rosa was moved to her own bed where she had both rest and medications to drain out the last of the pneumonia that raided her lungs. Though Cecil’s visits were less frequent, Ceodore kept his mother company, though was at times asked to leave when Rosa insisted she needed time to herself. Despite being pouty, the prince accepted and revisited whenever she was up for guests. One time that day, she was visited by him and the king himself who held the queen’s hand gently whilst both he and the prince talked to her about their plans after the queen recovered.

The next morning when Cecil came to visit Rosa, he was met with the most pleasant surprise. She was full of life as she walked over to her husband, and he hugged her when she stopped at his side. Rosa rested on the king’s shoulder as he cuddled her, and kissed her head.

“Rosa, my darling, you’re all better…” Cecil said, “Thank heavens.”

“It was because of you, Cecil,” Rosa said, “Thank you for staying by my side, even at my worst, I love you.”

“I love you too, Rosa,” Cecil said, “I promise to stay with you, always.”

The couple looked long and lovingly into one another’s eyes. Even in her emerald green eyes, Rosa’s life had returned and Cecil smiled. Before long, they kissed one another, with the entirety of the world around them disappearing; only they were left behind. Ceodore had been ordered not to go into their bedroom that day: the king was busy with his wife they told him, though the prince was too young to understand what was really happening.

Cecil panted as he held Rosa in bed. The two kissed once again as they turned to the door, then to each other.

“I haven’t felt like this in a long time, Cecil,” Rosa said, kissing her husband again.

“Neither have I,” Cecil said, “we’d best get some rest and hope that Ceodore doesn’t come in. It would be a shame if he did.”

Rosa chuckled as she nodded in agreement. Sometime later, the couple had fallen asleep from exhaustion of what was a stressful few days, dreaming dreams of one another. They would let everyone else know eventually, they knew, but for now, they only wanted to be alone together.

#fanfic #cecil harvey #rosa joanna farrell #ceodore harvey #sickfic #final fantasy iv

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