One of the guards picked Sancia up and carried her to the bed, mindful to not step in the blood. He laid the crying girl down carefully. Sancia immediately turned onto her side and curled herself up into a ball, arms wrapping protectively around herself.
"Fetch two of my maids! Tell them to bring cloths and ewers of clean water." Violet snapped at the man. To the second guard she said, "Bring Tession, the king's old healer at once. Tell him to hurry, that there's a woman with child bleeding."
Both guards bobbed their heads and ran out of the room.
"It'll be alright, it'll be alright." Sancia was whimpering to herself as sweat had started to bead along her hairline. "It has to be."
"We need to take your gown off." Violet said to her. "Can you try to sit up so we can unlace you?"
