Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Was this the way that god was going to punish him for not being there for his son? 

Radzig thought while putting cloth back into the bucket with the cold water, squeezed some of the water from it and then put it on Henry’s hot forehead. 

God should never punish him through Henry.

It was this afternoon when the physician told them that now they could just wait and try to bring down the fever. The worst moment was when servants assisting the physician had to tie him down to bed because in his feverish mind he was in danger and he was trying to fight off anyone who wanted to help him and making things worse by scratching an already infected wound. 

So here he was, sitting next to his barely conscious son and there was nothing in his power that he could do to make the situation better. He could only pray and hope that Henry was as his mother was and wouldn’t allow himself to be defeated by infection. It was the middle of the night, he sent the servants to rest in the servant chamber close by, so he could call them in if needed, but he wanted to be alone with Henry. There was nothing more than changing the wet clothes from his body anyway. Servants protested in the beginning, that his fever must be kept in check, thinking that such a prosaic thing was below a nobleman like him, but he dismissed them, saying that he was going to do it. 

They left in shock. 

Was it really so weird that he wanted to be with his son? 

Everyone seemed to know by now that Henry was his boy, even if not legitimized one. He wanted to give Henry that, but with King in captivity, that was impossible, so he did only what he could – just announced to everyone who listened that Henry was his son, like that would somehow compensate for years of hiding truth and watching over from away. 

People saw mostly his masks that he was wearing constantly. Calm, put together, charismatic nobleman who was putting everyone in the safe distance. Not being too close with anyone. 

But now his masks were cracking. 

Because his son may not survive tonight. 

He thought about Anna, wondering if she was worried like this every time that Henry got sick. Well, that Henry from the past was not picking fights with whole camps of enemies and didn’t come back barely alive and running high fever. Anna would probably pull out hair off her head seeing what their boy was doing, but he knew better than to try to stop him. 

Radzig saw people who were running on desire to vengeance, taking their own grief on the world. Trying to stop Henry would just make him act on his own. Having him among his own soldiers was the only form of protection he could give him… but it was still not enough. Henry was just a good man, even if hurt one. He was taking the most ridiculous task, just to help. It had to be something that he inherited from his mother or was taught by Martin, because he knew it was not something he got from him. 

“Shh…” he tried to calm down Henry, who became agitated again. Murmuring and trying to move his hands. 

Radzig moved closer to wipe sweat from Henry’s forehead, feeling him flinch under the touch of the cold cloth. His heart was breaking at the sight. He saw many wounded soldiers. Many died from infection they got, but this was different. So much different. Something he thought he would never feel. Henry was going to become a blacksmith, stay safe. 

But war was nasty business. 

It took some time before Henry calmed down. But that was almost worse, because now he was just lying down and Radzig had to watch closely, to check if he was even breathing at all. 

He barely noticed when the morning came and the servant came asking if he wanted to have breakfast here. He sighed and told her that he was not hungry and asked for the physician to visit, to check on Henry’s as soon as he was able. There was probably not much to tell, but Radzig wanted his son to be checked after the night. 

“Why am I tied down to the bed?” Henry asked, his voice weak and hoarse. 

“You gave us quite a scare last night” he answered and sighed with relief. 

Morning came and he could finally take a breath.

Chapter Text

The battle was won, it was over. At least for now. They had to regroup and then march on Kuttenberg, but Suchodol was reclaimed, forces of the Prague Lords were shattered and Sigismund was back in Hungary. It was good day. Not the best – seeing that they lost stolen silver, but he couldn’t get angry about that. Henry did impossible by getting out of the castle and getting help and Radzig was so proud of him.

He was getting back from taking down remains of the enemy soldiers back to the castle to get some rest, already calculating how much time more or less they had before marching forward. Radzig took the helmet off as he passed the gate, observing the ridiculous scene of Żiżka and Devil. Before Dry Devil managed to shoot, Radzig was noticed by Hans, who was already happily drunk. 

“Where did you lose Henry? Don’t tell me he went off to do something before we had a drink or ten!” Hans yelled as a form of greeting, getting up from his seat, totally ignoring Devil and Żiżka who started yelling at each other and the commotion that was made by their stupidity. 

“Henry? I haven’t seen him” Radzig was actually going to ask if Hans knew where Henry went. He wanted to talk to him about everything that happened between him and Hans leaving Rattay and now. 

Hans’ goofy drunken smile disappeared quickly, he looked at Radzig worried. The young Lord's good mood disappeared quickly. 

“He went to look for you” Hans said seriously, trying to think how much time passed since his talk to Henry. It had to be over an hour or so. Even if he somehow couldn’t find Radzig, which was doubtful, he would be already back anyway, waiting for him in the castle. He didn’t say anything and just started walking towards the place where he saw Henry last. 

And Radzig rushed after him. He didn’t spend much with his son, but he knew if Henry said he was going to look for him, he would find him by this point. They both went to the place where Hans last saw Henry and then they both went the direction that he saw him walk away in his search for Radzig. 

They didn’t have to walk that far away, before they saw something shining through the tall grass in the light of the setting sun. Hans went to check it and quickly realized it was Henry, lying face down on the ground. 

“Hal!” He screamed and rushed towards Henry and knelt next to him, turning him up slowly. Radzig moved towards them quickly, trying to stop the panic that was settling in his heart. He couldn’t panic, he couldn’t let emotions take over – Henry would have no use of that, Hans was already panicking for both of them, shaking Henry to wake up. 

Henry was breathing, that was a good sign. The fact that we were not waking and reacting to anything else, not so good. 

“We need to take him back to the castle,” he said, trying to remain stoic. Henry had no visible wounds, there was no sign of fighting with some lost enemy soldier. It seemed like he just fell – he needed to see a physician, there was nothing they could do about it. Were there tears in Hans' eyes? Radzig pushed it as being a drunken thing, because he didn't have time to think about it right now. 

Hans only nodded and slowly got up and they both picked up Henry under arms to drag him towards the castle. 

“It’s easier to do it in two,” Hans murmured, but Radzig was able to hear it. 

Last time that Hans dragged Henry, he was at least somewhat able to stand for the most of the part, even clumsy walking. Now he was totally out, that made this more difficult, but with Radzig on the other side it was much easier to find balance, even if Henry’s body was like fluid that was slipping through the fingers. 

Radzig couldn’t help but think about the fact that it happened once. He missed a lot of events during the last two months between Rattay and now, but it was not the time to ask about it now. 

“Musa!!” Hans yelled when they passed the gates, even if it was not truly needed, because there was already commotion when the guards saw them walking with unconscious Henry. There was a small crowd around them that Musa had to get through to get to Henry. Everybody was curious what happened, but Katherine pushed them all away and told them to get away, while Hans, Radzig and Musa decided to take Henry to his room, to have some safe space to examine him. 

Standing in front of closed doors waiting for the news was the worst. It reminded him how he waited back in Rattay and then the physician said that Henry may not survive the night. Radzig felt guilty, he should have watched Henry closely during the time they were marching towards Suchodol. There had to be some signs. Of course Henry was hungry and was lacking sleep, but both of those needs were fulfilled while they were getting ready.

They were standing there in the corridor. Him and Hans. The rest were waiting outside, they were all too drunk to even stand there. Young Capon was walking nervously, clutching his hair like he wanted to tear them off his head. Radzig always seemed to be calm, even if all the emotions were buzzing inside him, he was not showing them outside. He just stood there, leaning against the wall. Waiting. 

“How can you be so calm?!” Hans called him out, clearly frustrated, obviously not with him really, but he was the closest one to put it out on. 

He wanted to answer when Musa left the room and stepped out, closing the door behind him. 

“He’s going to be fine” medic started with, to calm the nervous men down before going into the details. “Him falling down is not that surprising, considering the circumstances” he added. 

“What circumstances? He was fed and slept off before joining the army to march back here” Radzig interrupted. What were the circumstances that would explain fainting in the middle of the field? 

“Yes, but his body is not a crossbow that needs to be reloaded to work again. His body went through a lot, considering all the wounds he has on his body, he was object of torture lately, wounds are barely healed. I saw him, he lives fast - no time to rest, always something to do. The siege didn’t help. I’m almost sure that he was not eating earlier than the rest of us, by sneaking portions of his food into plates of the others” Musa shared his observations. 

Torture was shock to Radzig, not to Hans. Even if he and Henry didn’t talk about it, he thought it happened back at Trosky. But the food was a surprise to him too. How did Henry survive that long without food? There was no way, right… oh. Of course, his bloody alchemy concoctions. He was probably drinking them, trying to keep himself full, even if they had no real value. 

“Bloody idiot” Hans hissed. Radzig couldn’t help but agree with him in his mind, even if he didn’t like it. 

“He pushed his body to the limits, even after taking some rest and food, it was not enough. He reached his breaking point. He needs much more rest, as do we all.” he said and looked pointedly at Hans. They all were starved and restless, it could happen to all of them now. One night of good sleep and filling their bellies once was not enough, they all had to take care of themselves if they didn’t want to end up like Henry. 

“I’m going to keep an eye on Henry and Hans, thank you.” Radzig said and watched Musa leave to return to the other patients who were laying outside. Hans looked weirdly at Radzig, but he did not comment, they both entered the room where Katherine was putting away armor and dirty clothes that she and Musa took off from Henry. She bowed towards Radzig, making Hans wonder what she was up to now, bowing was not her style. She just exchanged looks with Hans before wordlessly leaving the room. He was not sure what it was all about, but he could guess that she still was angry at them, for their recklessness. 

Radzig looked at his son’s chest that was marred with many fresh scars and barely healed wounds. He recognised the curves of the torture wounds that the physican talked about and all other wounds that were combat wounds. There were so many of them, it was like his boy was through hell and back, he knew much older soldiers with much more experience that were less scarred than Henry. 

“Stupid idiot, too good for his own good.” Hans murmured, he was blaming himself for the fact that he didn’t notice Henry skipping his food during the siege, something that even Musa noticed and he didn’t know Henry for long. 

“That’s something that he had to get from Martin” Radzig agreed and took a chair and moved it closer to the bedside. This time Henry was not sweaty, fevering and moving around, he was just laying down calmly, like he was sleeping. Radzig was not sure which one was worse. 

Anna was kind, but not in this way. Radzig was almost sure that it was something that he got from Martin. Hans didn’t comment on that either. Henry’s family situation was a weird situation to talk about, he just took the other chair and moved to the other side of the bed. 

“It may take a while before he wakes up” Radzig said. He preferred to be alone in his worries about his son, but he couldn’t kick Hans out, he had a feeling that his son and young lord became closer in the last two months. 

“I’m going to be here when he wakes up to tell him he is an idiot, stupid idiot worrying me again.” Hans said, trying to mask his worry, but it was for nothing. His voice was shaking a bit, remembering the last time he had to drag Henry to safety. How much he was worried then that Henry was not going to make it. 

They both sat there in vigil over the most important person of their lives. Sometimes Radzig asked about the stories from their journey, even if he was dreading to hear them, he needed to know them. Even if they were going to make him go completely grey. 

He needed to take better care of Henry and make sure that Henry takes better care of himself. 

He owed him that.