Someone snatched my hand back then, as if from a burning stove. I sagged forward, put my head down between my knees while the world spun around me. Next to me, I could hear King Shrewd panting for his breath as if he had run a race. The Fool pushed a glass of wine into my hand, then went back to urging small sips of wine into the King. And over all, suddenly, Wallace’s voice, demanding, “What have you done to the King?”
“It is both of them!” There was a sharp edge of fear to the Fool’s voice. “They were talking together, quite calmly, then suddenly this! Take the damned Smoke censers away! I fear you have killed them both!”
“Silence, Fool! Do not accuse my healing of this!” But I heard the hurry in Wallace’s step as he made the rounds of the room, pinching out the burning twists in each censer or capping them with brass cups. In a moment the windows were thrown wide to the icy winter night. The cool air steadied me. I managed to sit up and take a sip of the wine. Gradually my senses came back to me. Even so, I was still sitting there when Regal came bustling into the room, demanding to know what had happened. He addressed the question to me, as the Fool was helping Wallace put the King to bed.
I shook my head at him dumbly, and the giddiness was not all pretended.
“How is the King? Will he recover?” he called to Wallace.
Wallace immediately came hurrying to Regal’s side. “He seems to be steadying, Prince Regal. I do not know what overcame him. There was no sign of a struggle, but he is as wearied as if he had run a race. His health will not stand this sort of excitement, my prince.”