After making sure the twins attended their classes, Natalie went with Arion to a place that was quite familiar to her.
When she opened the door to the room, she could see Chris and Nova inside. They looked at her in surprise, not expecting her.
But seeing her strange expression, they remained silent and looked at each other with worry.
Doctor Chris could be seen whispering something to Nova, who nodded and left the room after patting Natalie gently on the head. Only this time she would be lenient with her queen.
"What's going on, Natalie?" Doctor Chris asked worriedly as he led Natalie to the nearest chair and told her to make herself comfortable.
Natalie hesitated for a moment, "Uncle, is it normal for a baby to never cry or laugh?"
Arion grimaced inwardly, 'So she's finally going to examine me seriously this time.'
He sincerely hoped that the doctor would not find anything strange about him. He didn't want to get caught and get into trouble.
Chris frowned, finally understanding the reason why Natalie had come with such a strange look on her face. Of course, he knew about this matter. After all, Natalie had always expressed her concerns to him.
But in the end, she always said, "Maybe it's because Arion is a good baby" and asked him not to think about it anymore. So out of respect for her queen, he didn't investigate further. But he always asked Nova to secretly check on Arion directly.
It seemed that Natalie's worries had reached the limit and she couldn't hide them anymore.
Doctor Chris asked her to put Arion on the bed so he could examine him more freely. He examined everything thoroughly, even his throat.
"How is it?" Natalie asked anxiously as she stood uneasily next to her uncle. Arion began to panic a bit as he waited for the results.
Doctor Chris hummed. Nova had always told him there was nothing wrong with the little prince. After examining him personally, he could understand that. Because there was indeed nothing wrong with Arion.
"I didn't find anything wrong with the prince. Even his throat is fine."
Natalie bit her lip worriedly, "But Uncle, Arion never really cries. Do you think that is normal?"
Doctor Chris gently held her arm, "Calm down, Natalie."
Natalie ignored him as she continued to mumble in panic, "Maybe it's normal that he doesn't smile or laugh because he's still too small. But crying? Babies are supposed to cry a lot."
Arion looked guiltily at his mother, 'She looks like she's about to have a panic attack. It's my fault.'
He should have found another way to cry. Even if he had to hurt himself, he didn't mind. As long as all this trouble never happened.
Natalie's eyes began to feel wet, but she kept them from slipping from her eyes, "The only crying I ever heard was when Arion was a newborn. I heard that healthy babies cry a lot. So I thought..." Natalie's speech stopped as she hesitated to say it.
"Something wrong with the prince?" Chris's guess was right when he saw her nod slightly.
"He doesn't even cry when he's hungry or pooping. It's only when Arion moves uncomfortably that I know he wants something." She continued sadly. This also made her afraid that she would forget her baby's drinking schedule and starve him.
Doctor Chris sighed sadly before finally saying, "I admit this is not normal, dear. As you said, babies are supposed to cry a lot, especially when they are hungry."
Arion held his breath in fear, 'Please don't let them know the truth!'
Natalie looked down even more sadly at that, but his next words made her look up at her uncle, "But I can assure you that Prince Arion is perfectly healthy without any shortcomings." He said reassuringly. Arion breathed a sigh of relief.
Natalie sobbed as she rubbed her eyes, "I'm sorry. I was so worried and didn't know what to do. Arion is so different from his brother as a baby."
Doctor Chris smiled softly. He handed Arion back to Natalie before leading her to the nearest couch.
"Have a seat, Natalie."
It was quiet after that. Doctor Chris let her calm down first, so he didn't say anything. Arion remained silent as usual and stared at his mother who was busy wiping away her tears.
"Honestly, I think this is because Prince Arion's development is slower than his sibling's. It might also be related to the fact that the little prince was born much earlier than predicted."
"I see," Natalie whispered, feeling guilty for not taking good care of her womb.
Arion blinked in surprise, 'I was born prematurely?'
Natalie wiped her wet eyes, "It's my fault. I think part of the reason is because of my condition..." She stopped speaking, unable to continue.
Arion looked at his mother in confusion, 'What was your condition?'
Understanding that his queen was blaming herself, Doctor Chris immediately rebuked her gently, "It's not your fault. I'm sure everything is fine."
Natalie could only nod, although she still blamed herself, "I'm sorry I overreacted. I panicked."
Doctor Chris just smiled a little and shook his head disapprovingly, "Don't worry. It's normal because you're a mother."
Natalie hugged Arion tightly and kissed his forehead several times, "Sorry, my baby. Mommy must have scared you."
'I am not afraid. Just uncomfortable.' He thought guiltily. After all, part of the reason she was crying was because of him. So Arion dared to pat his mother's cheek to make her stop crying.
Doctor Chris watched the sweet scene with pleasure, "Little prince must be comforting you from being sad. So cute."
Natalie laughed wetly and hugged Arion tighter, "Of course! He's my baby."
Natalie kissed Arion's cheek for a long time and whispered softly, "Mom will try harder. I'm sorry if Mom disappointed Arion."
Arion, who could hear her whisper, could only remain silent, 'You've tried very hard.'
He remembered how this woman often woke up at night just to give him milk and check his diapers. She always looked sleep-deprived and exhausted, but she never looked frustrated and just smiled at him.
This was the first time he had ever seen her cry. So he was a bit surprised to see the fragile side of the woman who usually looked cheerful and strong.
Doctor Chris quickly changed the subject, "What about the prince's milk-drinking habits?"
Arion grimaced, 'Not again.'
Natalie frowned deeply, "Still the same. Arion will only drink milk from his bottle." She replied a little disappointed but quickly smiled, "But as Uncle said, it doesn't matter as long as Arion drinks the milk well."
Doctor Chris chuckled and patted her head like when she was a child. Just like Nova, he would go easy on his queen just this once.
In his mind, Arion snorted deeply, 'Of course, I would never do that. I may be a baby now, but my soul is already a teenager. That would be inappropriate.'
He looked at his mother, whose eyes were still teary, though no tears were flowing. Although not as bright as usual, her smile was beginning to return, which made Arion feel relieved.
'Besides, she was very kind to me. I should have kept her honor.'
Arion frowned embarrassed, 'I don't sound like a perverted man, do I? That's ridiculous.' He shook his head in shame to dispel his thoughts.
Natalie stood up from her position after making sure there was no trace of tears left on her cheeks, "Then we will leave. Thank you and sorry for bothering you with my silliness, Uncle Chris." She said unpleasantly.
Doctor Chris just frowned disapprovingly, "Please don't worry, Your Majesty. It is an honor to earn so much trust from you."
Natalie giggled, "Don't say that. You are already like family to me."
Without hesitation, she hugged her uncle tightly, being careful not to pinch Arion. Doctor Chris was taken aback by the sudden embrace until he let out a resigned sigh and patted her back gently.
Arion blinked in surprise at the interaction. He didn't care about his position, which was almost squeezed between the two of them, 'Looks like they're closer than I thought.'
"Go on. Visit your husband and make sure he's not overworked. I've asked Nova to prepare some jasmine tea, it will calm you down. I'll ask her to take him to His Majesty Arsen's office." Doctor Chris said after their hug broke.
He patted Natalie's head before patting Arion's head after Natalie looked at him expectantly. He wouldn't lie that he was pleased with her unspoken request.
Her smile was wider than ever, "I'll do it. Thank you, Uncle."
She opened the door and waved to her uncle, "See you later." And she left with a slight weight off her shoulders.
Doctor Chris chuckled after Natalie left his room, "Even after having 3 children, sometimes you still act like a child, Natalie."
Doctor Chris looked at the door where Natalie and Arion had just left. He sighed sadly and looked at the sky from his window.
"I hope the gods will always protect you and your family, Natalie."
He sincerely hoped that the gods would grant his small wish for his beloved niece and her family.