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...32...
JAELE👧
Meanwhile, back at the Linamine Empire, the Royal Physician was just finished with tending to the Lady's wounds. He was packing up his tools into his box while Hyeera was trying to coerce her Lady who was now awake to drink her medicine. They were the only ones in the bedroom. The Physician's assistant was outside the bedroom, having a chat with the Little Prince and it was undoubtedly about the lady. Vura sat down at the other side with Xiera, also talking about their lady. Xiera was trying to see if she could pry anything, almost anything related to the secret they were keeping away from her out of her colleague. But, though she was subtle, Vura who didn't seem to catch up with what she was trying to do still revealed about nothing that she knew nothing about to her. She was therefore frustrated into stopping her inquisition.
The Royal Physician soon came out of the bedroom just as she was preparing to storm off frustratedly with his box of medical tools and supplies in his hands. They both watched as he went to the Little Prince and his assistant. They stood and went to him, both having the same thing on their minds, their lady.
'My Lord,' the Royal Physician said to the Little Prince who nodded an acknowledgement.
'Is she fine now?' he simply asked the man who nodded. He sighed in relief at the answer. The state that she was in when the emperor returned really meant a lot to him.
'She is quite okay now My Lord. She will get much more better if she drinks the medicine I prescribed along with the vitality tonic. It's sedated but no one should tell her that lest she makes a fuss over it,' he advised him.
'Ah, I see.'
'It will aid her in resting well. I know that the emperor's woman is stubborn. She might not listen to any of you that is why I simply put sedatives into the medicine.'
'How wise of you,' the royal physician's assistant said. Though it was a praise, it didn't sound like it coming from his black and blue long haired assistant.
'Aiya! I do want her properly recovered before the Emperor's return. Her wounds may not be so nice looking even till then. It was indeed infiltrated by Xhanai poison as the lady's aide had diagnosed. She has too many lines on her back. She shall have to be put belly down when she sleeps for she loves to lie otherwise and it would be a hassle.'
'I will make sure that everything is done as you please. I had feared that my brother would return to meet her in such a bad shape and lose control instantly,' he shared his fear.
'Now or later, the emperor would lose his cool nevertheless,' the royal physician's assistant chipped in. 'Even if it were only that a strand of her hair was taken away from her, he would blow his top.' The royal physician nodded at him in silent agreement.
'I totally agree with you. I must find a way to keep him in check lest he reveals the slightest in his anger,' the Little Prince said. The sentence piqued Xiera's long forgotten curiosity. So there really was something that they all knew except her, yes? She was beginning to be too curious for her own good. If they were keeping it away from her, then it was huge and if she found out, it could as well cost her her life.
'Pray do,' the royal physician assistant said to him. 'For that fool will practically put the lady at stake and start to regret his actions later on.' Both of the aides blinked the moment they heard the mere assistant call the emperor a fool.
'Yes,' the Little Prince said to him with an absentminded nod. Wait! He did nothing to correct that? Now both were really stunned.
'And also, I have asked the healer in there with her to make sure that she eats. She has had nothing to eat since the day before,' he said.
'She has not?!' the Little Prince asked turning to Xiera and Vura. 'Is that true?' Both of them instantly felt cold chills begin to swiftly run down their backs. 'Answer me you two!' he snapped at both.
'Yes My Lord,' the both of them chorused simultaneously.
'And why, why on earth is that?' he demanded. 'Is there no food in the Royal manor? Do not dare to give me any silly excuse!'
'It wasn't solely our fault My Lord,' Vura said to him. 'It was Princess Hera-Mera who asked that we should not be entitled to food and water in the dungeons. We have been there since yesterday and My Lady barely had breakfast that morning.'
'She denied you all food and even water?' he asked in shock. When Xiera nodded, his anger made his eyes shift for a moment, transitioning from black to hazel and back again. 'Even water?! How could she actually do such a horrible thing?!' he asked no one in particular.
'Calm down My Lord,' the Royal Physician said to him. 'I bet my piggy bank that retribution is not far from her. So do not get so worked up over her,' he assured him.
'Thank you Master Kong,' he said in gratitude, mentioning the royal physician's name for the very first time since he had arrived.
'There is no need for that My Lord. I shall be back in an hour when she is very much asleep to stitch up any deep wounds and check on her. I might have to sedate her again.'
'Do anything to make her better. I have no strength to deal with the woman when she is sassy.' The physician's assistant roared with laughter then.
'Ah, and here I actually thought that it was just me. Do not feel guilty, the feeling is very much mutual,' he said to the Little Prince who only rolled his eyes at him nonchalantly.
'Get lost!' he said to the man jocosely before turning to the aides who were standing about a few feet away, respectfully giving them distance to freely talk. 'Both of you, go and get something to eat. Now!' he snapped 'And when you are both done, come and look for me so that we can all go and see that annoying wench. I shall be in your master's study.'
'Yes My Lord.'
'Thank you My Lord,' Xiera said to him just after Vura.
'No one is allowed to go in and see the lady. Let her have her rest. When she is up, you can all go and disturb her all you want. Hyeera will take care of her for the time being and I am very sure that she would do a very good job. So, stay clear!' he warned both who nodded with downcast faces at him. They had really wanted to see their lady and check up on her. But, they had no other choice but to turn away and go to the royal kitchen for food just as the Little Prince had ordered them to.
'We shall leave now,' the royal physician announced, indicating him and his assistant.
'No problem.' All three turned and began to walk down the long corridor only to split further down to go to their destinations. The Little Prince went to the study and the other two left the manor.
In the royal bedroom, Hyeera was there arranging her lady in the huge round bed after a warm bath. She had finally eaten and fallen asleep just as the royal physician had whispered to her earlier when she had told her how to mix the medicine for her. She turned her over on her belly because the stubborn woman had insisted on lying back down despite her wounds. She gathered the dishes and left with them, not intending to disturb the lady with a chatter of cleaning maids at the least.
About forty minutes later, Xiera and Vura arrived at the study room to meet the little prince who was busy reading one of the many books in the emperor's study and sipping on some sort of sweet smelling tea that Hyeera must have brought to him while they were away eating.
'My Lord,' Vura began. 'We have returned from having our meal,' she said to him as both bowed.
'I see,' he said looking up from the book. He studied both. 'You have also cleaned up too,' he pointed out before going back to the book.
'Yes My Lord,' Vura answered his statement. They were both in new dresses. It was evident that their hair had also been groomed.
'Let us go then,' he told them getting to his feet. He closed the book and went to place it on its original place in one of the shelves.
'Yes My Lord,' both found themselves unintentionally chorusing. The little prince smirked at the occurrence as he walked out, leaving them to follow behind him.
They walked down the long corridors and out of the left wing, the emperor's quarters to the stairs. They descended the stairs and came to the receiving area. Hera-Mera was still kneeling there alongside the head of house and acting butler, Mainkeina and Collins. There was a female warrior there with them.
'My Munificent Royalty,' the female warrior greeted at their entrance. He stared at the very young lady.
'You are seen,' he said to the excited warrior before proceeding to divert his attention to the offending parties who were kneeling there.
'Have mercy on me My Munificent Royalty!' Collins begged.
'Buttercup,' Xiera said going to the female warrior.
'Senior Xiera, I made sure that they did not move an inch,' she said to Xiera with excited eyes.
'Aiya, you have really done well Buttercup,' Xiera praised her. 'I shall reward you later. For now, I think it would be better that you leave.'
'Yes Senior. Bye Senior. Bye Senior's friend. Bye My Munificent Royalty!' she said almost all at once. Then, she turned and left happily, skipping excitedly about being asked to do a task by her senior.
'What a character!' the Little Prince said the moment she was out of sight with a smile.
'She is an upcoming warrior under my care My Lord,' Xiera told him with a smile of her own.
'Ah, I see. She is vivacious.' Xiera wished that Buttercup had been here to receive the compliment. She would have been over the moon at it.
'She indeed is My Lord, maybe a little too vivacious for the army.'
'Probably,' was his reply as he took a seat and leaned back majestically to look at the offending parties. They all had their heads lowered except Hera-Mera who stared straight back at him, completely unafraid. He had not a comment on that, he instead looked away, to the head of house. He had not come for either of them, but to settle scores with just that one, Mainkeina, the one who had starved the lady in the dungeons. 'Mainkeina,' he called out. 'Look at me!'
'Yes My Munificent Royalty,' the head of house managed to answer him as she raised her head to meet his eyes in trepidation.
'Were you aware that the power of the manor had shifted into the hands of the Dracon Lady?' he asked her leaning forward.
'I knew not of such My Munificent Royalty,' she admitted quite too quickly. 'I thought that Collins was perfectly in control as always.'
'Well, turns out he wasn't,' the Little Prince jibed at her expense.
'I fear so My Munificent Royalty,' she said in a trembling voice.
'Hmmh, I see.' He relaxed during the short pause. 'The emperor's lady was whipped and imprisoned,' he stated looking straight at the woman. 'Where were you Mainkeina when all the things transpired?' She swallowed and made to speak then hesitated, still afraid. 'Speak will you!' he snapped at her with impatience.
'I was in the kitchen My Munificent Royalty,' she answered in a small unsure voice.
'You knew not of this matter?' he asked her in a calm yet restrained voice that had her shaking.
'No My Munificent Royalty.' He narrowed his eyes at her and she looked away, quavering.
'The Lady, she was whipped and imprisoned Mainkeina. Yet, you are here telling me that all these had happened under this roof and you heard nothing of it! Absolutely nothing of it?!' He asked again getting to his feet.
'I heard from the maids My Munificent Royalty,' she blurted out, bowing to him, her hands on the ground in fear.
'Well well, and did you confront anyone on this matter as the head of house?' he continued.
'I didn't My Munificent Royalty,' she confessed.
'And why did you not?' he asked circling her.
'I did not because I was left in charge of only household duties. Things such as that was for Collins to oversee.'
'So you turned a blind eye to it all right?' he asked but continued before she could reply to that. 'When they were in the dungeons, were you aware that they had no food?'
'Yes I was.'
'Why didn't you feed them? Doesn't the emperor feed his prisoner when he has them?' he asked.
'The Lady said not to give them food or water. I was only obeying her orders My Munificent Royalty.'
'I recall that you earlier said to me that you had no idea that the power of the house had shifted into this lady's hands right?' he said to her. She nodded. 'Then you contradict yourself Mainkeina.'
'Have mercy on me My Munificent Royalty!' she pleaded with desperation in her voice, almost clogging her throat.
'Collins?'
'Yes My Munificent Royalty,' the man answer almost instantly.
'You were present during the mutilation of the Emperor's lady right?' he asked. The man nodded in answer to his question. 'The lady was left in your care wasn't she?'
'Yes.'
'And you let her be whipped?!' he thundered angrily.
'Forgive me My Munificent Royalty, but The Princess would have had guards on me had I protested,' he pleaded his case.
'So you did not speak up to save your own skin? What a worthless man you are! You are undeserving of the position and power that the emperor has offered you on a silver platter! From this day onward, I hereby dismiss you from that position on his behalf. And, your descendants as well are excluded from holding such position and power in the Linamine Empire again.'
'Ah My Munificent Royalty!' Collins cried out. 'I have made a terrible mistake! Please spare me! Please spare me!' he went on and on.
'Doing that will not save you,' he snapped at him. 'The emperor shall punish all of you in accordance with his wrath. Now, both of you, Mainkeina and Collins write me a detailed report on what transpired yesterday. Do not omit even an aliquot!' he instructed.
'Yes My Munificent Royalty,' both chorused simultaneously.
'Vura, Xiera, have the Dracon Princess thrown into the dungeons. She is to not have food or water until the emperor comes back and decides what to do with her for touching that which is his,' he ordered them. Hera-Mera raised her head in that moment, alarmed by that.
'The dungeons?' she asked him in surprise. The two seized her to do as they had been ordered. 'Wait! Wait! You can't imprison me. I am royalty. You can't do this! You can not do this to me!' she screamed as they took her away to the dungeons.
'Both of you, leave!' he said to the remaining two. 'Ready your report by the time the emperor is back!'
'Yes My Munificent Royalty,' both said to him. He waved them away. They stood and skedaddled away. He resumed his seat with a frustrated sigh. He sat there for a very long time, thinking and pondering over everything possible until the royal physician returned as promised with his assistant. They all went up to take a look at the lady. She roused a few hours after the Physician had left. Then, Hyeera fed her another batch of the sedated medicine and she fell asleep moments later. He stood and left the royal bedroom to his brother's study to continue with the book he had been reading, leaving Vura and Xiera with their Lady and Hyeera to watch over them all.
In the sunset hour, he checked in in them and found them all asleep, the lady in her bed. Hyeera by her bedside, Vura at the foot of the bed and Xiera just at the left side of the bedroom door, just inside the room. He went out noiselessly to avoid disturbing them and went to the receiving area where he had a late lunch that Mainkeina prepared him He closed his eyes and decided to relax in the receiving area for a while, anticipating his brother's return. He should have been home by now. Was something delaying him? But, he was happy for the delay. He wasn't yet ready to face his definitely angry brother at the moment.
The sound of someone trying very hard to walk noiselessly made him open his eyes and turn in the direction of the sound. It was a maid. She stopped short the moment he laid eyes on her, stunned, looking straight into his eyes. He felt his eyes transition for a brief moment, quickly going from black to hazel and then back again
'What are you doing?' he asked her, studying her keenly.
'I... I,' she stuttered and finally kept quiet. She looked away from his eyes and fidgeted with her fingers, unable to speak or move.
'I asked, what are you doing?' he said to her. 'Look at me!' he instructed her in a surprisingly calm voice. It must have been the tone of his voice that convinced her to look at him.
'Yes My Lord?' she all but mumbled to herself. But, he heard her, maybe too clearly because he transitioned again, his demon in hunter mode. It had been ages since he felt like that. What was it about this little frail maid that made his demon struggle to surface? He smiled to himself. At least, there was something fun happening after all the hectic events of the day.
'Quick, go and bring me a cup of tea,' he instructed, 'Ginseng tea,' he specified for her.
'Ah yes!' she said with a small nod and almost ran away from his presence in a fashion that nearly made him laugh. She soon returned with the tea on a tray. She dropped the tray on the table and lifted the cup to him.
'Thank you,' he said receiving the cup of warm tea, his hands brushing over hers in the process. He wondered how she knew that he liked his tea warm. Well, it wasn't like almost all the maids in his brother's manor didn't know that he liked warm tea. She withdrew her hands instantly with wide eyes, blushing a very lively heart warming deep pink.
'Shall... Shall you need anything else My Lord?' she stammered with her eyes glued to the floor. He studied her as he took a sip of tea. Her blush had lessened into a facial pink colour. He also noticed that she was addressing him wrongly, addressing him as if he were her master and not the Prince. But, he did not correct her, somehow liking the fact that she was.
'No, that will be all.'
'Yes My Lord,' she said with a small clumsy bow and turned to quickly leave with the tray.
'Wait!' she stopped and whirled around unsteadily.
'My Lord?'
'What is your name?' he asked her holding her gaze in such a way that she couldn't dare look away even if she tried to.
'My name? My name is Jaele,' she answered him in a soft voice that made him feel content.
'Jaele,' he repeated. 'It means burgeoned,' he mused with a smile that held a bit of satisfaction and mischief. 'Go,' he said to her, 'You can now leave.'
'Yes, yes My Lord, thank you,' she said and hurried away. He drank his tea, slowly savouring it. But, he did not get to do so to the end. The sound of horses approaching made him still for a moment. It was undoubtedly who he was thinking. The emperor was definitely back. He had safely returned to the Linamine Empire.
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...OmaPhinaPhire🔥
GLOSSARY
* The sunset hour: The hours between four and five in the evening.