In the dead of night, when everything was quiet, a horse came thundering down the streets, breaking the silence. Princess Sa Mi was in charge, guiding the horse swiftly through the narrow streets.
I quietly sat in front, leaning my head forward to clear her vision. We didn't exchange a word the whole way just so she could reach the royal doctors as soon as possible.
The size of the royal palace hit me then. We were galloping for what felt like forever, and it seemed like we were getting nowhere.
After twenty minutes, we reached the medical section where the doctors were. Without even waiting for the dozed-off guards, I followed the princess bursting through doors and sprinting to wake every available doctor.
Princess Sa Mi didn't waste any time. She ordered the doctors, "A friend of mind is having a strange illness that couldn't be diagnosed. Bring all of your necessary tools. I give you fifteen minutes to get ready." That got them moving. Being given a time limit, the doctors couldn't even think of complaining about the two of us disrupting their night. Most of them were in their middle-ages and mid-forties. There were some youngsters too in their twenties, but very few. Hearing the order from the Crown Princess, they hurriedly and fumbly ready their tools and stood in line by the fifteen-minute mark. They assembled with their back straight and chest high, no different than soldiers getting into formation.
When we left the medical section, it was under half an hour since we got there, yet Princess Sa Mi was able to swiftly come in and dispatch a group of fifty doctors in no time. Truly a feat only a general can do.
Unlike us, the doctors couldn't ride horses. They traveled in carts, so Princess Sa Mi gave cart riders directions to our home, and we went ahead without them.
When we got to our new rented house, I got down the horse first. "Si haven't suffered from the symptom ever since we were in the capital. So I hope the illness is weakened."
"We don't know for sure. You go check on him. I'll go see how far the doctors are from here," she said and turned the horse around.
I ran inside and saw the front rooms were all empty. Quickly running to Si's room, I anticipated the worst.
"Why are you sweating?" Si asked, sitting on his desk with his feet dangling. The dim yellow light on his desk was the only light source in the room.
I went in, checking his body everywhere. "Are you okay? Were you in pain these past few days?"
"Hey hey!" Si felt weird because I suddenly approached him. He pushed me away. "I'm fine," he said. "It's the cold right? Wasn't I cured before getting to the capital?"
"So you haven't had anything since we got here? No strange feeling or something wrong with your body?" I pressed to make sure he wasn't hiding his pain from us. I never want something like his sacrifice back then again.
"No," he replied. "Is there something wrong with me?" he was curious.
I shook my head and stood up, looking around. "I'm not sure, but I asked the princess and she is bringing the royal doctors here," I said.
"The princess is coming," he jumped from the chair, couldn't hide his excitement. He hopped onto the bed and rolled around. "Yay!"
I was happy to see him like that. But then I realized something. "By the way, where's Ly Giai?"
"Ly Giai?" Si sat up from the bed. "She went looking for you since you suddenly ran away. I wanted to go with her but she told me to wait here."
I was completely shocked, speechless, "Reckless!" I raised my voice. "Doesn't she know how dangerous it is at night? Especially a gorgeous person like her!" I shouted and sprinted out of the house, leaving Si stunned in place. But before I could get out the door, Ly Giai came back.
Our eyes opened wide looking at each other. Ly Giai's was watery. She was worried about me.
"Do?" she called, almost in disbelief. She hugged me with all her strength as if she was scared if her hands weren't tight, I would be lost. "I was so worried," she teared up, finally being able to bottle out her emotion.
"I'm sorry for going without a word," I apologized, holding her tight. "When I came back just now and heard Si say that you went out searching for me this late, I was afraid anything happened to you."
We enjoyed embracing each other not for long until the princess and her doctors showed up. Her sudden stop made the giant battle horse reared. Its cries echoed through multiple streets, shocking the both of us. "Sorry to interrupt the lovebirds, but I'm here to deliver medical service," she announced her presence, half-jokingly.
"Y… Your Highness!?" Ly Giai couldn't keep her voice low, but she quickly reserved herself. "May I ask why we are bothering you this late?" she asked cautiously and had her head low.
Princess Sa Mi got off the horse and came to us. Even though she was wearing a long dress, her movement getting off the horse was not clumsy at all. "No need to be on guard," she reassured Ly Giai. I am only here because I heard from Do that little Si is having an unknown illness. I brought the doctors to see if they can diagnose what he is having."
Ly Giai carefully raised her head, not daring to be casual with the Crown Princess. "Did you go bother Her Highness? Was that why you left so suddenly?"
Seeing that she just gave me a golden reason to justify my action, I took it immediately. "Yes. Yep, that's right. I suddenly remember that Si's illness is still there. So I went to Her Highness to see if we could treat it before it got worse."
Ly Giai sighed, she was somewhat relieved. "You could have told me about it before running off without a word. I was so worried about what happened to you."
As I apologized to Ly Giai, Princess Sa Mi quietly smiled, knowing full well I was hiding something from Ly Giai. "That's enough small talk," she nicely intervenes to us. "Doctors," she turned to the carts behind her and gave orders. "There should be a young boy inside the house. That is the person I need you all for. Go ahead and try to diagnose what illness he is having."
The doctors left the carts quickly. All fifty of them rushed into our little modest home. "I think Si is going to be shocked when suddenly a bunch of middle-aged men storm into his room to check on his body unannounced," I commented.
As expected, within seconds from when the doctor showed up, Si couldn't keep his voice down. "HEY! WHO ARE YOU!!!" The kid yelled so loudly that we could hear them standing outside.
"See?" I smiled.
"I don't know if this place could take all of them," Ly Giai wondered out loud.
I looked at the princess and saw her odd smile. That made my hair stand on end. The last five doctors that couldn't get in the house because it was overcrowded, she called them over. "Since you can't go inside. Why don't you check up on this man? Just to make sure he is healthy."
I was about to refuse the offer, but she quickly gave me the look that if I didn't listen to her, the princess would tell Ly Giai that I fainted in front of her palace.
So I shut up and let the doctors sit me down for a check-up.
"Ly Giai, since I am the only other woman here. I have some knowledge of medicine from my days in the army. Let me examine you," the princess said. Then they both went in the cart to avoid being seen since the check-up can be a bit touchy.
"No need to be on guard, young man," an old doctor reassured me. His hair, eyebrows, and mustache were all white even though his face didn't look that old. He was just in his mid-forties. His voice was gentle and deep, and his hands' movements were coordinated with no unnecessary step.
"These four are my pupils," he introduced them to me. "Only I will check your health. They will only observe and study my techniques. So you can put that murderous intent down now."
"Murderous intent!?" I was completely shocked.