Kassandra's POV
I was planning to face Axel, but my husband made me face him. He also held my palm. I didn't look at him. I have to hide my flustered face.
"It was deep. I'm glad the sword isn't poisoned. That woman had surely sneaked the swords from us or the imperial knights," Axel says.
Arida placed the two bowls of water next to him. He put powder on the other one and placed some medical equipment on it.
"This will be painful as always, in general. Or maybe I should use anesthesia to lessen the pain. Just tell me."
"She will use it," he replied.
"No. It's okay. I have to remember the pain," Kassandra says.
My husband looks at me. "What the hell! You should use it! "He roars. I pressed his palm, which was touching mine.
"It's okay. Don't worry about me. I've gone through a lot of pain. This is nothing."
His soldier starts to check her wound. I just watched when he cut her body in order to check if there was an organ that was being hit by the sword.
Arida, on the other hand, was assisting him with his operation. The door opens. My dad and mom get inside, as do their personal confidants.
"Is she okay? How's her wound?" mother asks. She covered her lips and was terrified when they saw her wound.
"Don't worry, your majesty. There's no internal organ that is damaged. No poison is involved as well. She will be fine," Axel replied.
They start to stitch her wound. I look at Kassandra. She might be in pain, but her expression is relaxed. She doesn't feel any pain at all.
Arida grabbed the bowl of water and went to the bathroom. Axel, on the other hand, cleans up the mess from the gauze and other things he used during the operation.
"How come you can operate in a room like this?" Father asks.
My wife fixes her bed posture and groans a bit. She needs to change her clothes. It was cut and stained by her own blood. I tried to find my hanky in my clothes, but I didn't have any with me.
"Here, use it," Axel says.
He's holding a towel. Where did he get this? "Don't worry, your majesty. I never use that. I always have towels in my medical bag. I will be brewing her medicine myself," he says. He bows his head to us.
"As for your question, Your Majesty, the king, this place is even more comfortable than the places where I operate her. It's the grassland, dusty or muddy ground, or worst in the middle of the war," Axel replied.
"I'll excuse myself. I have to make our general's medicine," he added.
He leaves after bowing once again. I heard my wife's soft moans. Did she pass out or... My eyes dilated. I checked her temperature.
"She's sweating! Let me take care of her," Mom insists. I know she feels guilty because it's Kassandra who saved her.
"That's a normal reaction after being injured or after an operation. Her antibodies will fight any infection that will slow down her recovery process. I'll excuse myself, your majesties. I have a bastard to torture," Arida says.
I know what she means by that. Her eyes were telling us how dangerous she was. My wife and her vice general are deadly.
My mother sits on the other side and looks at my wife. "I didn't expect her to protect me like that. The way she called me mother, it's like I'm here, birth mother."
Her eyes were softer. It's the eyes she's using when they look at us, their children. "Did you know your mother and father? She gave a new and absolute law to the Escalante army. She says that no matter what happens, they will protect our family more than her life," I whispered.
My father and mother were stunned and turned pale. They must have remembered how loyal the Escalante family was, no matter what happened in the past.
"They've always been that loyal. They always prioritize the safety of the citizens, this family, and the kingdom itself. That's why I've protected them from our selfish leaders, who see them as possible traitors," Father whispered.
That caught my attention. They both sighed and looked at her. "After that incident where all her family was killed along with their soldiers, the court keeps on pressuring me and your mother to seize their army and make it ours."
Mom speaks second. "They even suggest letting the only Escalante get beheaded because of treason. Your father and I were indebted to her grandparents. They protected our parents for years until both of your grandparents died," Mom added.
I never thought they had such closeness with the Escalante's. I thought they only feared that their soldiers would turn their backs on us and that things would go bad for the kingdom. Father and mother look at me intently. I know what they will say next.
"You must look after her from now on. Please, son, listen to me and your mother," the father stated.
I didn't say a word because I didn't know what would happen next. My heart still wants Lady Leticia. They walked away and sat on the couch.
I grab a chair and sit next to her. I held her wrist and checked her pulse. She's getting stable. After a few minutes, Axel came back. He was holding a tray.
He placed it on the table next to me. "Your majesty, give this to the general when it colds. It will help her fever and a possible infection," he says. I nodded and didn't answer.
He bows his head to me and my parents. He exits on his own. I looked at the medicine; it was smoking. I grab the tray and start stirring it while blowing the tonic.
I have to feed this in order to prevent any serious situation because of her wound. I start feeding her the medicine by slowly putting the tonic on her lips.
I wipe her lips every time some of the tonic is spilled. "Mom, Dad, I have something to ask about these o…fficers?" I paused.
They're already sleeping while sitting on the sofa. My dad was holding mom's hand while mom was leaning her head on my dad's shoulder. They really love each other.
"I guess I'll just ask some other time," I whispered.
I place the bowl on the tray and put the cover on. I checked her temperature once again. She's getting better, actually.
"I'm glad…" I whimpered.
I lay down my head on the side and finally recognized my tiredness. I guess the alcohol adds to the heaviness of my eyes. I yawned and closed my eyes.