The Debt Of Fate-Chapter 324: How Funny

King Study

"You are saying her mood has not been great and it’s might affect the child?" King Edward could not believe his ears. If not for the fact that he was the one that appointed this physician he would have thought that he had been bought over by Elizabeth.

"Yes, your majesty... If I may suggest she should be allowed room for more movement," the physician said.

King Edward frown, he was worried that letting her move around might cause trouble giving her vicious heart.

"No, if the child cannot be born it is his fate," king Edward refused remembering his first son who still could not be treated after so long. She hurt another woman’s child to the king this was her Karma.

"Yes, your majesty," the Physician turned to go but Edward suddenly stopped him.

"Since her condition is so bad, I will grant her some privileges, the child is mine too," he said.

"Your majesty is wise and gracious," the Physician bowed

Moment later, the news spread that Elizabeth conferment has been lifted she could move around the palace and receive visitors. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

When Dorothy heard that it was because of her pregnancy she was furious. Elizabeth’s Pregnancy was already a tore in her side, now she was giving freedom even if her title was not restored, Dorothy was not foolish enough to think she did not have a chance, after all she was still the daughter of a Duke, on the other hand she had no other support apart from the king’s affection.

She touched her stomach and wondered why she was not yet pregnant. The king had been back for so long. "Summon Physician Nathan," she said. Now that she was the one in charge of the palace she believed he would not dare cross her.

Physician Nathan arrives shortly, "lady Dorothy," he bowed.

"I have been feeling unwell lately, I do not know what is wrong," Dorothy said she was secretly pleased with how humble Nathan was, what she did not know was that Nathan only acts this way because he felt a little guilty about accusing her forcely in the past.

Physician Nathan stepped forward and began his examination.

Dorothy sat upright, calm on the outside, but her fingers gripped the edge of her sleeve.

Nathan checked her pulse first. It was weak and uneven.

He frowned slightly.

"Have you felt tired often?" he asked.

"Yes," Dorothy replied. "And my body feels warm at times. I cannot sleep well."

Nathan asked a few more questions. Her answers made his heart grow heavier.

Her monthly cycle had become irregular. The first month she was over joyed and tried to diagnose herself for pregnancy but she was not pregnant. She thought it was just her and sent for a physician but he told her that she had been stressed lately and should put her heart at rest.

She was in conflement at that time and his diagnosis made perfect sense.

She felt sudden heat in her body. Her mood changed quickly. There was dryness, weakness, and pain in her lower back.

Physician Nathan listen to her describe what she has been feeling, if one was not experienced they might mistake it for pregnancy but...

These were not signs of pregnancy.

These were signs of a woman entering her weak age.

But Dorothy was still young.

Far too young.

Nathan’s hands turned cold.

"There must be a mistake," he thought.

He checked her pulse again. Slower this time. More carefully.

The pattern did not change.

A bitter taste rose in his mouth.

The dying herb.

It was a rare poison. Slow. Silent. It did not kill quickly. Instead, it damaged a woman’s womb little by little until she could no longer bear children. To others, it would look natural. Not many physicians could detect the poison, even himself if he examine her weeks later would have thought it natural.

Nathan stepped back.

"My lady," he said slowly, "have you taken any special medicine recently?"

Dorothy frowned. "No. Only the usual tonics sent by the palace."

Nathan lowered his eyes.

Someone had poisoned her.

And the person who used the dying herb knew exactly what they were doing.

Dorothy noticed his silence. Her heart began to beat faster.

"What is it?" she asked. "Am I not well?" As a physician herself she could already guess things did not look good.

Nathan hesitated.

If he spoke the truth, it would shake the palace again. If he stayed silent, the problem would only grow worse.

"My lady," he said carefully, "your body is weak. You must rest more. Avoid stress. I will prepare medicine for you."

Dorothy’s face darkened. "That is not what I asked." She refused to be brushed aside, the last physician had said same thing. Now that she was out of conflement and living the best days of her life how could it be same.

Nathan finally looked up at her.

"There are signs," he said quietly, "that your womb has been harmed."

The room fell silent.

Dorothy stared at him.

"Harmed?" she repeated.

Nathan swallowed. "It will be difficult... for you to conceive."

For a moment, Dorothy did not understand.

Then the meaning struck her.

Her face lost all color.

"That is impossible," she whispered. "I am still young. I am always careful with what I eat."

Nathan bowed his head.

"I suspect poison," he said at last. "one difficult to detect. The dying herb."

Dorothy’s hands began to tremble.

In an instant, one name appeared in her mind.

Elizabeth.

At that same moment Edward also entered into the chamber. "Who is poisoned?" He asked. He knew that Dorothy would not be pleased with his decree to give Elizabeth freedom, do he had wanted to come and explain things to her himself. He did not expect to hear talks about being poisoned.

"Your majesty, you must seek justice for me," Dorothy rused into him arms and began to cry. Not been able to bear children it would have been better if she was killed.

King Edward heart hurt seeing her cry but he was more furious about who hurt her.

"Physician Nathan what is going on?" He asked.

Nathan repeated his statement.

"Then you have to treat her, you managed to treat Anastasia’ and now she even has twins," king Edward said.

"Your majesty, it is not the same poison, the dying herb can not be treated once it had started to work," Physician Nathan answered.

"What do you mean? You don’t want to treat me? Once the cause is known their is always a solution," Dorothy said. She was worried that the king would value Elizabeth’s child more if her situation was hopeless.

"The dying herb can be in a person system for a long time without being activated. Sometimes what a person eat can activate it or...."

"Or..." The king snapped feel impatient.

"Or if the one gets pregnant, I am not sure which case this is but from my observation it has been activated for a few weeks. Perhaps if I had noticed earlier we would have stopped it from spreading but now... Even if treated getting pregnant would need miracle," physician Nathan explained.

"Your majesty, it must be Elizabeth, she must have found a way to poison me," Dorothy cried.

Edward also suspects Elizabeth but he could not accuse her without evidence. No one knew how long she had the poison.

"You can’t accuse others without evidence, I will investigate carefully," Edward said. The reason he chose this was because Elizabeth was pregnant, now that Dorothy could not bear children nothing must happen to the child in Elizabeth womb. Moreover one more disaster news from the palace and wild gossip would spread around.

"Physician Nathan, do your best. I do not want this news to spread," king Edward instructed.

"I will do my best, your majesty," physician Nathan bowed and left the room.

"Your majesty, this is really Elizabeth, no other would harm me like this," Dorothy cried. She could not believe the king was protecting her.

"Even if you are right there is no evidence, she has never interfere with anything concerning your courtyard, unless you have a traitor. All her loyalty are already dead, there is no way to prove it," Edward said.

Dorothy felt bitter when she heard this, "But don’t worry, once everything is stable I will name you queen. If her child is a boy he would be adopted by you and you can raise him as your son,’’ king Edward said. He had decided he would not bring in another woman to distribute the peace of the royal palace.

"Your majesty..." Dorothy was shocked she wanted to argue that she could not but she suddenly realizes how funny her situation was.

Back then when she was the mistress and was frame of poisoning the queen, the king had come up with the same solution, have her hear the child and had it over to Anastasia to raise as her son

Back then Anastasia had refused and the king had once told her that Anastasia was petty and did not think of the entire kingdom. She had told the king that she was different and would do anything to give him peace.

The conversation played in her head and she sobb more.

She was not as bold as Anastasia to refuse but she did not want to. She understood that if she refused then the position of queen might not be hers. The king would need children and now that she could not hear any, he would have to marry a wife.

So even if she hated the idea, it was something she had to accept.

"I will listen to your majesty."