Justinian the servant is not at the castle when Chalyela arrives. She and her baby are much too hungry to wait for him. Instead, she grabs a large hunk of bear meat and begins roasting on the banquet hall spit.
After the meat has cooked, Chalyela cuts off a large serving.
She sits and enjoys the warm meat; so hungry that she barely manages to chew the first piece before she bites off more.
Chalyela is in the hall on her way to her sleeping chambers when she hears a loud voice coming from the library. “I do not believe it I say! This is no plague. I know not what is going on, but we are being deceived!”
“Excuse me,” Chalyela says getting this disbeliever’s attention. “Why do you not believe that we are in fact being threatened by the plague?”
“Because it is simply not true M’Lady. The symptoms that these so called sick have are too mild to be plague…and the death toll is too low…”
“I was not aware that you were also a physician. Where did you do your training?” Chalyela asks innocently.
“Well…my queen. I am no physician,” Disbeliever Tom admits with his voice smeared in embarrassment.
Well if you are no physician, how do you know what the plague should look like?”
“Well I humbly beg your pardon my queen, but you do not have to be a physician if you have experienced the plague for yourself. These so called victims are not even that ill.”
Chalyela turns as if to leave the room. “Well since you are the expert, maybe I shall go and be rid of the Surgeon Gavin and have you in his place.”
“On no my queen!” Tom says alarmed. “I could not take the place of the good surgeon!” Chalyela turns back around.
“No? Well if you do not stop spreading lies, making people believe that there is no plague…I shall have you exiled. Is that what you want?”
“Oh no my queen, my family is here. I humbly apologize,” Tom says; his voice quivering in fear.
“I do not need an apology! I need for you to stop telling people that there is no plague! If they are not treated by the Surgeon, they will die! Is that what you want?”
“No…no my queen. I am so, so sorry. Please M’lady…” Tom says begging for the queen’s forgiveness.
“I shall go and see the constable now and we can arrange to have you banned from the kingdom,” Chalyela says continuing to play on Tom’s fear.
“No M’Lady! That will not be necessary. I have seen the error of my ways!”
“I will just go home at once!’ Tom says in a hurry.
Chalyela smiles at her acting skills. She is sure that Disbeliever Tom will keep his trap shut from now on.
All of the work that Chalyela has done in making sure that news of the fake plague has spread has exhausted her. She lies down on her bed for a well needed nap.
Meanwhile, Gavin keeps up his end of the plan.
“You have been cured!’ Gavin announces to another one of the fake plague victims.
A few hours later, a painful contraction rips through Chalyela’s womb. She is startled awake as her baby announces its pending arrival.
