Soon enough, Marken found himself in front of the door that led straight to his parents bedchamber. It was a large ornate door, made from quality oak and forged iron. It looked like it could withstand a small siege, and likely could under the right circumstances. Afterall, in the event that the palace was assaulted, their bedroom was one of the places the king and his family would usually be sent, though it wasn't the most secure. There were areas specifically designed for such occasions, however that wasn't what Marken was after this time.
His knuckles rapped heavily against the door, three times, before waiting silently. It only took ten seconds for the door to open. Normally, a maid or someone similar would have opened the door, but given the state of affairs, it was a large man, wearing a suit of painted red armor. All of the soldiers within the palace were above the paygrade, and skill, of the average warrior in their military, however there were a specific order. Twenty would always serve, no more, no less. They held many names, The Elite, the Bodyguard, but officially, they were known as the paladins. Every one held the highest order of respect among the military, and held loyalty to the royal family only, not to the generals in the military. They were above the law, if they broke it, the king himself, or the next highest rank, would judge whether or not it was justified.
The man looked Marken over, as if forgetting who he was for a moment, before nodding his head respectfully and opening the door fully, stepping aside to allow the prince inside. Glenn must be paranoid then, if he had ordered a Paladin to directly guard their bedchamber. Granted, it was rightfully so, given the condition his mother was in. However... Hopefully, Ella would prove to be capable of countering the effects of whatever poison they had thrown at her was. Marken walked inside, glancing around the room, forcing himself to remember which of the rooms would be his mothers. While their parents shared a bed, as any married couple in Rhal would, however they still had their own rooms, for occasions such as this. Her door was directly guarded by another two Paladins, gleaming swords at their side. "I wish to see my mother, open the door."
His words carried the authority of a true prince, despite how rarely he actually used such a tone. However, the guards responded immediately, opening the door for Marken without so much as a second glance. He walked inside, glancing around the room carefully. His father was nowhere to be seen. Perhaps he was speaking with his generals about the war, or some other event. Perfect. His face immediately took on a worried look as he noticed the condition his mother was in. She was bedridden, her eyes closed. His expression wasn't faked in the least, true overwhelming worry overcoming him.
He knelt down next to her side, looking straight at her face, about to speak before he noticed her breathing. It wasn't even, but it had a very repetitive rhythm, and Marken realized she was sleeping. Her breathing was very weak, however. She sounded like it could stop altogether at any moment. A sudden coughing fit startled him, his mother hacking out her lungs for what felt like hours, before calming back down. He imagined she would be feeling a great deal of pain right now, if she was awake to feel it. Her breathing was erratic, as erratic as it could be while she was sleeping, and there were likely other symptoms too, though none he could see openly. Gently, Marken placed a hand on her forehead, noticing the fever immediately. Coughing fits, a fever, erratic breathing... He sighed. Hopefully, Ella would recognize the symptoms.
Standing up, Marken made his way out of the room, a very solemn look on his face. He would find out who was responsible for this, and he would make them pay in equal. Their life depended on his mothers, only this time... They wouldn't simply die peacefully in their sleep. He set off to find Ella.