That night, while sleep didn't come easy, worried that postponing making him the remedy until the next day would somehow result in his condition worsening, she did sleep. Dreams filled with images of him and what their lives could've been like had their relationship not been forged in an arrangement. Various scenarios playing out in her head, overcome with such an emotion that she cried in her sleep.<br/><br/>It was beautiful. She saw them as simple people, living on the offskirts of a quiet village, tending to the land and hunting as their main source of protein and income. They traded in pelts, meats, and crops, and their life was perfect, living in a house mirrored after the one he'd built there in Sirmia. Then, in another instance, she saw them as both matched in standing and status. Him a king and her a queen, ruling over their land as fair and just leaders, their people never wanting for anything. In each scenario she saw, their children grew up happy and healthy, taking over when they died, old and warm tucked in their beds.<br/><br/>None of that could ever be. She was already married and the one chance she'd had to be rid of him for good...was lost the moment Brad made the decision to push him out of the way. Maria couldn't help the twinge of disappointment and despair that gripped her at the thought of how close she'd been--how close<span style="font-style: italic">they</span>been--to freedom. But, if he'd not saved him, he wouldn't have been the man she fell in love with who saved those even if he despised them, so she couldn't fault him for it.<br/><br/>Now, they just had to try and figure things out day by day.<br/><br/>And that started with him getting better.<br/><br/>After she'd gotten up and eaten as he'd have wanted, she started back in on her mission. Periodically, her actions were halted by varying commitments, but she always made it back to her room. Slowly but surely, she was making her way through grinding each herb with painstaking care to make sure it was fine enough to be added to the wine she'd gotten Simprina to bring her. His recovery kept her motivated, no matter how many times she had to stop and speak to someone when she'd rather have holed up in her room and ignored the day.<br/><br/>What she hadn't accounted for was the sudden knock on her door mid-afternoon, followed by the sudden intrusion of her least-favorite person. Immediately, she was on her feet, defensive, taken aback, only to be accosted by an anger she couldn't have combatted. Even if she'd wanted to be nice about it, there was no avoiding the inevitable.<br/><br/>That didn't mean she didn't try to downplay the obvious.<br/><br/>"I'm not sure I know what you mean..." Maria started cautiously, standing by the door and hoping her uninvited guest would get the hint. "But I'm exhausted. Could we speak further later? We could have tea together and discuss what's on your mind..."