Chapter 4: King's Request
Delfina could swear she choked on her own tongue when her mind processed what he had said. He simply stared at her expectantly as she stares back with wide eyes and bewilderment. She was slowly trying to think of a way to just flee from the room. His sons however gained even darker scowls as they glare at him.
"Father, context please!" Bohumil icily gets out from gritted teeth. She was glad they were at a place of medicine because she was sure they were going to need some help with how his sons looked at him.
Alvar blinks, then realization lights his face. "Oh, right…" He draws out before meeting her gaze again with a grin. "My apologies, I'll try to inform you of what I mean. You see, these two are in a contest, and it's a very serious one to be sure. The deciding factor will be between their own individual research and finished products at the end of all of this. But, you are a very key part for us at the moment in this research into prosthetics." He pauses to allow this to sink in, then continues. "You see, the deciding process will be hinged on your performance and personal reviews on both of their products. Due to a few key elements, you're the only person that we can currently use for both of their products, placing you in a very unique position."
He stares at her again, then pouts when all she does is gape at him in utter confusion. "To perhaps entice you further, we'll pay for all of your expanses and ensure that you'll have medical staff available to aid you every step of the way. You'll also be housed with proper care and management to help you as much as possible." He grins at her with a wink. "I promise that you'll have the experience of the lifetime while helping many by simply trying their devices and giving them feedback. Not to mention, a substantial amount of compensation for your time."
Delfina finds her brows scrunch on their own accord, completely confused by her life now. A freaking King and his angry Princes want her to join their research? And they'll pay for everything so long as she participates? She suddenly felt lightheaded. "Uhh… Ummm, can I think about it for a day?" She asks, looking at them from lowered lashes as she barely dares to meet their gazes again. Once was more than enough thank you!
Alvar laughs at this though and waves his hand. "Of course, of course!" He then leans back in his chair and motions for Mohala to take her back to her room, which he quickly obliges to do. "We look forward to hearing from you again, Ms. Delfina Le Carvennec." He lazily says as the door shuts behind her. She herself only has one thought though.
Why does his sons look so upset though?
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Delfina finds herself awakening once again, confused for a moment until she realizes that she must have dosed off after returning to her flower filled room. She recalls actually having her nurses help her gather all the cards from the flowers and reading them. They mostly came from department heads from different branches, but she suppose that her company was now a kingdom named Hookgold. She knew from her chat with Dr. Melchora that her brain seemed to be in a state of ignoring her current state of being, barely acknowledging the missing limb as a thing. It was odd to her that this place was such a blend of modern and older times, technology comparable to her world through the use of crystals.
However, she dared not to speak of this… She may like and trust some of these people, but she couldn't fully believe they would be alright with her spouting such things. If she were to discuss it, she wasn't confident on how any of it would be handled. Besides that, she had doppelgangers to deal with too! It truly was a baffling and jolting realization that this world had their own version of people from hers. And as far as she could tell, her own wasn't here but both had been in a crash on the same evening. Did that mean they simply switched places? Was there something else going on? Should she consider looking into this more once she's stronger and more mobile.
"Hi Delfina, your friends are here to visit if you're up for it." Nurse Akako announces after knocking and sticking her head into the room.
Defina returns the friendly nurse's smile and nods her head, welcoming a distraction. "Yes, that sounds good to me! Can I also have a drink?"
"I'll bring you some tea when I bring them back then." Akako states with a grin as she leaves the room. Soon, she's back with a wooden cylinder that has a cork at the top and a cup of water. She places them on the table before leaving the four friends alone. Each one gave her a hug and a greeting.
"How long are they keeping you for?" Ena asks as she takes a seat at the end of her bed. She places a candy bouquet on a table.
"Umm, I'm not sure about that…" She mumbles and picks at her blanket a bit.
The trio of friends share a concerned look over her bowed head. Jeremias comes closer, sliding a book beside her on her bed much to her delight. "Dels, tell us what's bothering you." He asks wearily, his voice lacking some of the jovialness she's used to.
She slowly raises her head and looks at her three friends, or rather their doppelgangers. They are all wearing variations of period clothing, fine clothing at that though making her think of middle class. Looking pass their appearances though, she can feel their exhaustion and fearful uncertainty. She smiles at them reassuringly, knowing they must have been so worried about her. "I have received an offer from his majesty, Alvar Keskkula, has offered a rather interesting proposal to help them research prosthetics. I'm not sure if I should accept." They all blink at her in surprise, then seem to think about it.
"I mean, Hookgold is one of the leading medical developers, so it's probably not a bad choice.' Ena mutters as she taps her chin.
"What does the agreement say? Make sure to go through it thoroughly before agreeing to anything!" Jeremias adds, his brow furrowing as he thought about it.
"Finnie, I don't think it's all around a bad idea though. Definitely look at the details, but to have the access to the best possible medical care can't be taken lightly." Sofia tells her.
"I'll probably take it so long as the conditions seem fair." Delfina replies with a half smile, causing them to relax and smile too. They continue to chat for a while into the evening, even having dinner together. That was her first time to eat anything solid, which kept the staff closely watching her.
"The other introductions will be held off for a day or two. We hope you don't mind." Mohala tells her as he assists her in getting settled back into bed.
"Not at all, I couldn't imagine meeting anyone else anytime soon. Why do they want to see me anyways?" Delfina asks curiously as she snuggles into her pillows.
Mohala shrugs a bit as he heads to the door. "Kenwyn Teague is your security detail, he's usually outside of your room keeping watch. Kaphiri Seif and Vahid Nazeri both seem remorseful about the accident." He tells her over his shoulder. "The knights won't be speaking with you for another day at least. We certainly don't want to stress you out too much."
Delfina gives him a small smile of gratitude. "Thanks, I would rather not be blindsided by things right now." She yawns suddenly, her medication kicking in as she waves to him. "Night!" She says, to which he replies in kind.
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"For a doctor, you're evil!" Delfina huffs, causing Doctor Zophar to chuckle in reply.
"Not all of my patience get to rest in a coma like you, sleeping beauty." Zophar quips with a wink before he starts to stretch her arms again. "We just need to give your body a workout so it releases it's tension." He adds, then slowly manipulates her body again, causing dull aches that start to drain her energy again.
Delfina blushes a bit thinking there's just something about the way he says that… But, she then finds herself being pushed closer to her limits again. He had explained she was a bit behind given that she had been in a coma, but she could swear he was actually secretly a sadist. "Don't punish me when it wasn't my choice!" She complains when he relents and allows for them to take another break.
Zophar laughs at this and hands her a drink. "Well, lucky for you, that's all for today!" He grins as she lights up with excitement. He knew how tough working your muscles in ways they've never had before was, especially when they had trauma dealt to them. All things considered, she was a trooper and this was necessary for her recovery. It was always satisfying to watch his patience grow and become able to handle everything themselves. Being able to witness the will of the human race in work was something he could never let go of. That being said, he still can't help himself teasing some of them. Like the grin he wears as he tells her, "We just need to do some wind down exercises."
Delfina didn't appreciate him laughing at her pout, she really didn't.
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Again, after lunch she found herself in front of King Alvar, minus his two sons this time. The older man looked just as magnificent as before, though he tried to appear friendly he still carried an intimidating presence to him. That being said, he gives her a toothy grin. "Hello again Ms. Delfina Le Carvennec! How are you today?" He asks with all of the jovial tones of santa.
"I'm good, a bit tired and sore but good." She replies almost on autopilot, just barely suppressing the urge to facepalm at blurting out such an answer.
Alvar gives her a sympathetic look as he nods. "It's the start of your physical therapy, right?" He states rather than asks, but she tiredly nods anyways. "I hope Zophar isn't being too hard on you. His drive to help his patience can sometimes get the better of him." He continues with a wry smile and chuckle.
"No, he's not too bad I suppose." Delfina says as she thinks back to their meeting. Yes, she was sore but if she complained he'd ease up and try something else. She actually found him rather sympathetic and responsive to her issues.
"Good, good…" King Alvar says, then intertwined his fingers to get to business. "So, about the offer. Have you decided on it?"
Delfina takes in a deep breath to settle her nerves before answering. "I think it sounds good, but I really would have to see the contract first before I agree."
Alvar nods, unfussed by this as he waves someone over. She hadn't noticed a man standing to the side until now as he moves to the King's desk. "Please hand these to Ms. Le Carvennec." He tells the man, then turns to her as said man does as he asks. "Please look it over and tell me if you have any problems with it." He states with the air of expecting her to agree.
Delfina purses her lips a bit, but looks over the documents that appear as if they were upon scrolls. She reads it over three times, almost choking each time she came to the amount of funds she'd receive. Even the amount gifted if she only helps a bit was substantial! But, the amount went up per how long she withered it out time wise depending on how long the research took. That and the hefty amount of secrecy made her equal parts intrigued and concerned. All of that was, in a way, to be expected though. If they were researching into making the next high tier prosthetics, why would they want any information to get out? And even if she decides to opt out quickly, the smallest amount received would be more than enough to get her by! With another deep breath, she looks at him and asks, "Where do I sign?"
Alvar felt as if hosting a celebration! He couldn't stop his smile at this news, hope blooming in his chest at this. "I'm glad to have you with you, Ms. Le Carvennec!"
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone