I rubbed my eyes and stared at the canopy over the bed. This isn't my bed. Without looking, my hand searched for my phone, which I would usually put under my pillow or next to it. But I couldn't find it. Frowning, I turned my body so my stomach would lie against the bed instead then looked for my phone.
This isn't my pillow.
Where's my phone, though… Where did I put it last night?
The bedroom door opened and a lady dressed in a maid uniform came in smiling. 'Good morning, Miss Luna,' she beamed.
Ah.
Right.
I smiled back, 'Good morning Helena.'
It all came back to me in an instant like a fast-flowing stream. I fell asleep while reading books and woke up because of a nightmare. Then while Elias was talking I dozed off again but didn't dream of anything. It was a peaceful slumber. That was probably why I thought I was still in my world.
I rubbed my eyes and looked around while Helena was preparing my bath. It seemed that the books were put away and I had changed into a night dress last night while I was sleeping.
***
I climbed out of the bed and was about to head to the bathroom when a knock came on the door. Without waiting for my reply, the door was opened. I stared.
In came a tall, armored man with silver hair that would glisten in the sun and a pair of ocean blue eyes that would probably shine in the dark. I recognized him almost immediately. There was only one character in the book that had such blue eyes.
Archer von Eins, the strongest knight in Sirius and Lucilius' most trusted man.
He bowed when he saw me standing in the middle of the room, then with large strides, approached me. 'Miss Healer, His Majesty needs you urgently,' he said.
***
'His Majesty was poisoned just earlier,' Archer briefed me while we rushed to Orion. 'I entered his room to report but found him on the floor.'
'How's he doing now?' I asked.
'Not so well,' he replied. We quickened our steps and finally arrived in His Majesty's (very large) room.
On the bed, Lucilius was sitting up, shoulders hunched forward. There were beads of sweat on the side of his temple, probably from trying to fight the pain away. Several maids and butlers were lined up near his bed, unsure of what they should do. Sweats ran down his face and body and his face had turned pale. I noticed he also had difficulty breathing as he turned to look at me nearing him.
'Lucilius!' I called out, then examined him from top to toe. There were no signs of physical injury and his veins were surfacing against his pale skin.
'A Healer should be able to heal with just one touch,' said Archer. 'You should help him.'
It was the first time I tried to heal purposely–I didn't know where to touch to heal. When Lucilius stabbed me, I held my wound, and it healed.
So it must be the entry point that I must touch.
But poison? How am I supposed to figure out a poison's entry point? His mouth?
Slowly and hesitantly, I reached out for his face and touched his mouth. Lucilius looked at me, his eyes questioning but probably too exhausted to respond.
Nothing happened.
The poor man, Lucilius, who seemed drained of energy, can only make a poor attempt to glare at me, clearly not understanding what I was trying to do. I tilted my head.
Then, the mouth is not considered as an entry point for the poison…
My hand moved to his neck, shoulders, arms, fingers… still nothing. Uhh, shit. I began to panic. Where the hell should I touch to heal this guy?
Lucilius was on the verge of passing out; he was struggling to breathe.
'Your Majesty!' Archer was getting worried as the emperor dropped his back to the bed, writhing in pain. Out of panic, I touched his shoulder again but it was futile. Archer grabbed my arm away from Lucilius, so strongly I winced when he did so.
He merely stared and didn't say anything but he was clearly anxious and frustrated, and more importantly, angry. His knuckle white from clenching his fist, having to witness Lucilius in pain.
I tried to reason it out. 'I-I'm sorry I–'
Then, the door opened abruptly. We all turned to look.
'Sir Herald!' Archer released my wrist and bowed his head. A man in a white robe lined with golden seams quickly entered with a briefcase in his hand. He seemed to be in his 30s.
He bowed at Archer when he passed him, then pushed me away from Lucilius' bed. I staggered to the side and watched him as he knelt and examined the emperor.
'This looks like Strychnine,' said Herald grimly, then reached for his bag that he placed on the floor and brought out a syringe. When he was about to turn back to the emperor, he saw me. His eyes squinted disapprovingly, unpleased.
'Is this the Healer?' he muttered and shook his head disapprovingly.
Then, without further remarks, he injected Lucilius with whatever substance that was in the syringe, and waited.
Within a minute or two, Lucilius was able to breathe normally and the colour returned to his face.
'Thank goodness!' Herald smiled in relief, then bowed deeply. 'My apologies for the delay, Your Majesty.'
Archer knelt on one knee and bowed as well.
I stood there silently, feeling dumbfounded and… silly. All sorts of thoughts ran across my mind.
What was I even doing in his chamber?
I was appointed as his Healer, but all I did was stand and stare.
Then as if he could read my mind, Lucilius spoke grudgingly, 'What a joke.' His voice was tired and raspy.
I knew it was directed to me.
I didn't dare to look up from my feet. My hands were behind my back, fists clenched nervously. I repeated his words in my head.
What a joke...
Yes, what a joke.
I am the Healer, yet I only managed to watch as someone battled their life with poison. And a normal human being, bestowed with no power whatsoever, was able to cure him in seconds.
What a fucking joke.
'Get out,' Lucilius said, not looking at me.
Ashamed and baffled, I bowed my head. 'I'm sorry,' I said quietly and exited his room immediately.
***
[Luna]
It has been several days since the emperor was poisoned. The Healer kept dreaming about him being sick and dying. The scene replayed in her dreams like a broken record. She hasn't been eating much and has not stepped out of her room since that day. Lucilius also did not bother to look for Luna.
It was early in the morning and Luna hadn't slept the night before when Helena entered her room with a tray of food for breakfast.
'Good morning, Miss Luna,' she spoke carefully, knowing Luna wasn't in a good mood.
'Morning,' Luna replied, barely moving her lips.
She placed the tray on her master's bed. 'You haven't been eating lately, so I thought I'd get something that's easy for you to chew and digest,' she said.
Luna glanced at the food and slowly sat up.
'Would you like to bathe first?' Helena asked.
She shook her head.
'Then, I'll leave you to your meal,' she said, then bowed before heading to the door.
'Helena.'
'Yes?' She stopped and turned to face Luna.
'If… somebody gave you a magic wand and said that your wish would come true with it, aside from using it for yourself, would you do it for someone else?' Luna asked.
Helena thought for a moment. 'I would, if it makes them happy,' she replied.
'What if you're obliged to do it?'
'Then, all the more the reason I should do so,' she said.
'But what if the responsibility was placed on you without your willingness?'
'Then…' she trailed off and hummed. 'I would still do it. Like how we were born when we didn't even ask for it, I have to bear the responsibility. Maybe they have faith in us— that's why we are tasked to do it. Just like how you trusted me with your meals and baths.'
The Healer went silent. Her empty gaze unmoving from the nothingness she was staring into. Her maid couldn't try to get into her head and wonder what was going on in her mind.
'I see…'
Some time passed, Helena left, and Luna finally touched her food.