At the infirmary, the prince's body still lay limp. He was laid on a soft, comfortable bed that was much smaller than his own. He seemed strangely peaceful, but his breathing was laboured. Vesper hadn't even had the time to change the prince into his pyjamas. He felt horrible and guilty, and upset. It was all his fault. Merely looking at the prince's state made his eyes water. There was still dried-up blood on his precious lips, and Vesper knew that when the prince was better, he would probably get his ass beat. It was okay; he deserved it. Before any of that, though, Vesper was more afraid of the prince's husbands. They would kill him first. He clenched his chest, already feeling the pain.
"Hmm, hmm mmm."
That was the sound of Dr. Howard humming as he entered the room. He was a short, pink-haired cow hybrid. His skin had splotchy patches of darker tones, with a light base. He also wore glasses, and his face was covered in freckles. He wore a white coat, and his expression was strict.
"Vesper, why are you here?" He asked sternly.
Vesper, too embarrassed to speak, pointed to the prince lying on the bed. With a sigh, Dr. Howard walked over to the prince. He adjusted his glasses with his index finger and grabbed the prince's wrist, checking his pulse. He checked his neck too. Then, he knocked on Kieran's abdomen to hear if his organs were in good condition. The knock was dull and felt like hitting stone; it made a quiet, muffled sound, indicating that his organs were swollen and full of fluid. With a swift wave of his glowy magic, he examined and double-checked the overall state of the prince's body. He tsked.
"His condition is critical. Do you know how this occurred??" He asked, his face angry. He leaned in to smell the prince's breath; there was no sign of poison.
"N-no… His medicine bottle was suddenly found empty, and shortly after, he began coughing vigorously until he f-fainted," Vesper muttered, still on the brink of crying.
"I see, fix your face," he said dismissively, checking Kieran's temperature. He grabbed a cloth, wet it and wiped the blood on Kieran. Then, he threw it in a basket labelled with the words "dirty and needs to be washed." He then gave Vesper a cloth from the clean basket so he could 'fix his face'.
Vesper wiped his tears and blew his nose. He didn't know why he was being so emotional. He was feeling too many things at once and was afraid that his weak little heart wouldn't be able to keep up. Maybe if he dropped dead, it would make it easier for the prince to forgive him.
"He is low on blood. Has he been bleeding lately, before this incident?" Dr. Howard asked Vesper.
"No…" he replied, worried. He needed to collect himself and answer the physician clearly.
"Make sure his diet consists of meat and iron-rich foods. His lungs are swollen and full of fluid. I will give him a temporary breathing enhancer. Once it wears off, in 3 days, feed him this blue pill. I will also give you a herbal remedy. It has been fermented for several months, and it consists of red rose petals and sugar. Give him the herbal remedy twice every day for 2 weeks." Howard handed him the herbal remedy inside a glass jar, sealed the pill in a small bag and handed it to Vesper. "Don't lose them," he said sternly. Vesper gulped and stored them in his bag. He was going to keep them safe as if they were parts of his heart.
"Oh, and if by then he isn't able to swallow solids, grind the pill and put it in 25 ml of water." He mentioned.
"Th-thank you, mister Howard. You're a lifesaver!" Vesper thanked him.
"I'm not doing much, and this is my job," he answered plainly.
Vesper nodded, still feeling thankful.
"I will give you a bottle of magically enhanced iron supplements. I don't have a liquid version, so you will have to wait for his personal physician to prescribe something. I can't give him a blood transfusion because his blood type is complicated, and it's not every day you see a half-dark fairy, half-elf. For now, I can give him this temporary potion that's going to help keep his body alive and suppress hunger. For hydration, you or someone else should regularly give him water." Dr. Howard explained, taking off his disposable gloves.
"Okay, I will. I'll send Kol a message to tell him where we are… since he's bringing the water."
Howard nodded, washing his hands in the sink. He thought he needed to inform Vesper that the prince should most likely remain in the room.
"I would like you to keep him here until his personal physician arrives, in case anything changes, or if he wakes up. You can stay, or leave, I don't care." Mr. Howard told Vesper.
"A-alright, I think I'll stay. I'm worried, Mr. Howard." He said sadly.
"Don't fret. He will live, at least. He will not have enough strength to move around like before until his physician arrives, though," Dr. Howard made a thoughtful attempt at reassuring Vesper.
Though it didn't really help, Vesper still appreciated the attempt. After all, it's the thought that counts.
"If you notice anything unusual, contact me via magical messaging. I'll return right away. If not, I'm off for my lunch break," he informed Vesper.
"O-okay, have a good lunch, Mr. Howard," Vesper replied, trying to sound cheerful.
Soon after, Dr. Howard went for his lunch break, leaving Vesper alone with Kieran. Vesper had always thought doctors only stayed in their offices for anything and everything, unless something urgent occurred outside. But, for Howard, that was not the case. He went to local, unpopular restaurants where he could be completely alone. It was strange that he would choose to become a doctor if he weren't fond of being around others.
Vesper was seated next to the prince. He stared at him, his guilt swallowing him throughout every second. The prince looked so precious, despite his erratic personality.
"I'm so sorry-"
Bang!
The sudden slamming of the door almost made Vesper's soul flee to the afterlife. He clutched his chest, the startling sensation still present. His eyes widened in shock. There was not one, not two, not three, but four towering men outside. Most of them were glaring daggers at Vesper, and at the very front stood Cahir. Vesper feared for his life; Cahir looked like he was about to rip him apart piece by piece. Rys[1], Cahir's siren-mage, stood behind him, his expression neutral.
The other two men were Kieran's other spouses, arranged by their fathers for their marriages. The tallest and oldest one was Prince Zaleth[2] Zorvian. He had silky, long, jet black hair and matching black lashes. His eyes were blazing and were a striking contrast of colours, one a vivid orange and the other a deep green, showcasing their heterochromatic nature. His irises were not round but elongated, resembling sharp, diamond-shaped slits that hinted at his dragon origins, emphasizing that he was far from human. Zaleth's features all matched each other and gave him a fiery aura. He towered over the others, his powerful physique sculpted through relentless years of training and discipline, a testament to his formidable strength and prowess.
Beside him, Prince Ichor[3] Valegrave emerged, hailing from the enigmatic Kingdom of Snakes. His hair was a rich, deep green, expertly styled into sleek, flowing strands that framed his face elegantly. His face was overall cute, but his eyes gave it away. They were big, sharp, and yellow. His lips were round and soft, like marshmallows, but the corners were sharp. His cheeks were smooth, too, and he had a cute little nose. He almost seemed… innocent.
"Kieran, my dear!" Cahir yelled dramatically, as if he cared. He was behaving like a helpless princess who had lost her puppy.
"Do not break the poor valet's eardrums," Zaleth said, his voice deep but soothing, with a soft undertone.
Cahir ignored him and turned to Vesper. Cahir looked furious, mad, angry, whatever you call it, that's what he was. Vesper wanted to scream for help, but who would help him right now? Kieran was in a bad state, and he was unconscious.
"You despicable wretch! You must be the one responsible for this!" Cahir shouted, his voice laced with fury as he seized Vesper by the collar, his grip tightening with each word, for the second time that very day.
"I-I, I d-dont know, I'm sorry! Please don't kill me…" Vesper begged; he was scared to his bones, he could almost hear them rattling inside his body. Cahir must've found that amusing because he began laughing at Vesper.
Rys was watching the situation unfold from beside the door after he had closed it.
"Cahir, release him. There is a time and place for your stupid acts," Zaleth spoke again. If not for him, Vesper was sure Cahir was going to punch him, or something. It was not very difficult to break Vesper; he was merely a weak valet.
"Be quiet, Zaleth. You're such a buzzkill, congratulations," Cahir muttered loud enough for Zaleth to hear. It did not offend him.
During all the chaos, Ichor sat in a nearby chair, holding Kieran's hand and transferring body heat through physical contact. When he first touched Kieran, his body was stone-cold and void of any heat, which was unhealthy, and he wasn't Cahir. So, he decided to fix that. He could sense that Kieran was still there, with them. He wouldn't let anything happen to him. His thumbs grazed his lips, and he tucked his hair behind his ear.
"Stop trying to be lovebirds with him; he doesn't even like you, loser," Cahir teased.
The truth was, Kieran didn't like any of them.
"I don't understand ugly-language," Ichor shot back. He was not going to let Cahir get under his skin.
Cahir gasped, Ugly? Him? He wanted to strangle Ichor and squeeze out every ounce of blood in him. He was the handsome Cahir Solana, the most attractive, irresistible prince of all time.
"You both are foolish, and you, Rys, weren't you supposed to provide hydration for the prince?" Zaleth asked, wondering why Rys was dragging it.
"Excuse me, Prince Zaleth, I was waiting for the tension to clear," Rys said innocently. Then he approached, summoned a water orb, and spilled it into a pouch. "You can give him this!" He spoke cheerfully.
As Ichor was about to grab it, Vesper screamed.
"W-wait! I have to make sure it's safe!" He snatched the pouch. Rys stiffened.
Ichor's eyes widened at his boldness. He was a prince, and a mere valet had just disrespected him greatly. Who permitted him to take the pouch? He surely hadn't given it to him.
"Return it at once," Ichor commanded, his voice dropping to a dangerous tone.
"He said he needed to make sure it was safe," Zaleth reminded him, then stopped Ichor from taking it.
"But, he clearly disrespected me just now!" He protested, pointing his finger, visibly upset.
"You're right, he did." Cahir agreed, resting his hand on Ichor's shoulder and adding flame to the fire. Ichor pushed him away, and Zaleth shot him a sharp glare.
What had Vesper ever done to anyone to end up in such a situation? He had prayed every day and done good deeds; had he unknowingly sinned and was now facing the consequences?
"Just let him drink the damn water so we can hydrate Kieran!" Zaleth said impatiently, his voice was getting louder.
"I will not let it slide next time, and I'm only doing it for Kieran." He made sure to clarify the reason; he couldn't let them assume it was because he believed he was wrong. He didn't.
Vesper gulped, then taste-tested the water. He didn't feel drowsy, and nothing changed, meaning it wasn't poisoned. He sighed in relief and handed the pouch over to Ichor. When he looked over, Rys looked quite offended. He had "Why would I poison my Prince's husband?" written all over his face.
"Tsk." Ichor grabbed it rudely but carefully opened Kieran's mouth and fed him the water slowly and carefully. His lips had turned into an ashy, bluish shade. He gave him small sips of water periodically.
Rys was still sulking. Vesper shot him an apologetic look.
"Move, I want to try!" Cahir said, pushing Ichor to the side and took the pouch away from him. Zaleth sighed and pinched his nose-bridge.
"Y-you!"
"Shut up, loser!" Cahir cut him off and even stole the chair he was sitting on. Ichor was glaring daggers at Cahir; he was going to teach him a lesson later. Cahir began feeding Kieran the water, surprisingly carefully. He was not known for being careful.
Zaleth stood at the side, completely ignoring both Ichor and Cahir. However, it was satisfying to feel moisture re-entering Kieran's body. In fact, he found it strangely cute.
Vesper and Rys were standing a few paces back, not wanting to get involved in whatever was going on. That, and Vesper was scared of Cahir and Ichor.
Rys pretended to check the quality of furniture; he did not want to take Vesper's place.
When the pouch was empty, Kieran looked a bit better. Vesper was disappointed in himself, and his overall mood was horrible; the way the princes were treating him didn't help. He just wanted Kieran to wake up and feel better so they could leave.
"So, why is Kieran in Dr. Howard's office instead of with his own physician?" Zaleth asked curiously.
"Maybe because travelling takes time, you dumbass," Cahir replied with a sheepish smile on his face.
"I wasn't asking you, fool." Zaleth fired back, not having Cahir's attitude. He glanced over to Vesper, waiting for an answer.
"O-oh, well, everything happened so s-suddenly, I couldn't rearrange my thoughts a-and I did send a message over to the physician, but as you know, she's all the way at the kingdom of Starkland, and I-I gave her such short n-notice!" He stammered, feeling embarrassed, shy, and scared all at once.
Zaleth gave him a look of understanding, grasping the situation. Ichor and Cahir were looking at him as if he were an incompetent idiot, though.
"Don't mind those rude people behind me, I am not like them." He reassured Vesper. "So, the physician must be on her way, then?" he asked.
"Y-yes, she's coming as fast as she can. She'll be here tomorrow at dawn." Vesper informed him, trying to look confident.
"At least you did one thing right." Ichor conceded, rolling his eyes.
"There is one thing you haven't explained, though. How did he end up fainting? All I know is that Kol came searching for Rys, for water." Cahir asked, staring daggers at Vesper.
"B-because…" Vesper swallowed; he couldn't get the words out. He was terrified, and Cahir was staring into his soul.
"Take your time, you don't need to rush. Ignore his face," Zaleth reassured, trying to hear what Vesper had to say.
"I th-think, if you please, my prince, could give you a better explanation." He was trying to buy time. That, and he didn't want to face Cahir's wrath.
"You're just trying to-"
"Fine, then so be it. We will wait for Kieran's awakening when his physician arrives. Where is Dr. Howard?"
That was a great question. Why wasn't Dr. Howard back yet?
[1] It's pronounced like the word Rice.
[2] Zay-Leth
[3] Ee-Kor