Grimes

*You are right here in your story. Don't skip ahead.*
Massie Burnson, *The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner*, p. 32
**WARNING: SPOILERS FOR *PRINCE LANDER & THE DRAGON WAR* ARE AHEAD; CAUTION IS ADVISED.**

**Doctor Grimes (bowing)**: It is my great honor to serve your family, Your Highness.

—Prince Lander and the Dragon War

## Book information

### Appears

*The Black Star of Kingston*
*Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

**G****rimes** was a doe doctor among Whitson Mariner's Trekkers.

## Biography

### *The Black Star of Kingston*

Doctor Grimes treated Fleck Blackstar for an arrow wound he sustained during his first expedition to the future site of Kingston. She and King Whitson Mariner decided to make sure that no information regarding his command, Black Star Company, reached him during his recovery. Fleck later joked that they would have to send Doctor Grimes to check up on supply barrels after Jimmi Docker reported having heard one sneeze.

Following the Battle of Ayman Lake, Doctor Grimes tended to both Captain Blackstar and Gavin.

### *Prince Lander & the Dragon War*

Doctor Grimes diagnosed King Whitson in his old age, saying he was afflicted with something that would make him lose his power to think clearly over time. She prescribed him the memory tonic to help him.

After Prince Lander returns from his mission to rescue the oathbreakers' children, Doctor Grimes stitches up the wound in his leg. She offers him a salve for the pain, but he denies, knowing that there is a shortage and there are worse wounds to come. Prince Lander, King Whitson, and Queen Lillie begin discussing gravely Whitson's affliction. Doctor Grimes eventually coughs, as she is in the middle of a deep family conversation which she is not a part of. She gathers up her tools and tells Lander that he must stay off his wounded leg for a week. Lander thanks her, but makes no promises, and Doctor Grimes, knowing that what she asks is unlikely, sighs. She bows to Whitson and says that she will bring his memory tonic by the next day, as she sees that he is out. Frowning, she tells him that taking more than the dose she prescribed him will not help, and will only require more of the other medicine. Whitson, not looking at either Doctor Grimes or Queen Lillie, says that he understands and thanks her. The royal family continues to talk, Whitson expressing that he does not know what to do. Lander realizes that Whitson will die soon, as Doctor Grimes predicted; he had never known Doctor Grimes to be wrong about such things.

When Prince Grant is badly injured, Prince Lander orders the soldiers to send for Doctor Grimes. Doctor Grimes meets them at the doorway, makes a quick assessment of Grant's health, and tells them to hurry. Lander kneels by Grant's bed and takes his hand, but realizes that Doctor Grimes needs room to work and so leaves. Lander tells Queen Lillie that Doctor Grimes will save Prince Grant, if he can be saved. When King Whitson and Prince Lemual arrive and ask for news of Grant, Lander says that they do not know, as they have been letting Doctor Grimes work. They do not know if it is a good thing or not that she has not given them an update.

Prince Lander asks Doctor Grimes if she thinks Grant will live. Lowering her voice, she told him that, she was sorry to say, but she did not think so. She added that Prince Grant is stubborn, and she wouldn't be too surprised if he lived, as it wouldn't be the first time he went against expectations. As Doctor Grimes is about to leave, Prince Lander inquires if Whitson's memory tonic would help Grant. Doctor Grimes assured him that it never would, as it was mostly poison, and anyone who took it would die, unless they took the antidote like King Whitson. Prince Lander said that they must not let this become known, and Doctor Grimes assures him that she agrees, and that the only ones she's told are Queen Lillie, Prince Lemual (who was listening), and Lander himself.

Later, when Lander steps too quickly, winces, and clutches at his wounded leg, Doctor Grimes, pretending to be surprised, asked if he was staying off the leg as she directed. He shrugged apologetically. Doctor Grimes patted Whitson's hand, looked at Grant's face, and then turned to leave. Queen Lillie reached out and squeezed Doctor Grimes's hand, before she left.

When King Whitson got news that the Grimble faction was attacking, Doctor Grimes conversed with him quietly. He nodded, and then he told Prince Lander to lead the defense. Lander went to go, but Doctor Grimes directed Whitson's attention to the wound on Lander's leg, which was bleeding freely again. As Lander ran to join the soldiers running toward the northern boundary, Whitson told him to hold. Doctor Grimes took a long bandage out of her bag, telling him to relax, as she'd let him go lose his leg in the fight, she just wanted to bandage it so that he could actually get to the front.

After King Whitson is shot by Grimble, Lander tells him that they will get him to Doctor Grimes and save him. He shook his head, however, knowing that was not possible.

After King Lander leaves the war council, he looks at the soldiers moving oddly, as if undisciplined. Doctor Grimes arrives (shaking her head at the wound on his leg and beginning to tend to it), and tells him that many soldiers are deserting, and packing up to leave. He asks after Grant, and she says he fares the same. She finishes cleaning and dressing Lander's wound, and he says that is probably the last time she'll have to do that. She frowned up at him, wrapped the bandage tight, and said that was all she could do for now. Lander, smiling, assured her that he felt as good as new. He then requested that she bring him Whitson's memory tonic. She frowned and seemed skeptical. Lander told her to bring it quickly, and she bowed and left, looking worried. Lander uses the memory tonic to make it safe to use Flint's sword against the dragons, and does not end up dying of it.

After the Battle of Dragon Mountain and the defeat of the dragons, Massie Burnson tells King Lander and Prince Lemual that Prince Grant is awake and talking. Both are surprised, and Massie assures them that it is true, as Doctor Grimes wrote the note herself.

## Personality and traits

Doctor Grimes is honest and sensible. While very polite, she always gets her point across.