The Lion and The Rose

You are here again.

Leo woke up to excruciating pain all over his body. There were four doctors tending to him while Jacob supervised the staff of the East Wing to prepare food and amenities in case the Prince wanted to eat.

"Jacob."

"YES, Your Highness. Where do you feel hurt? Do you need anything? Henri and Victor took Sol and Selena out for feeding time. I can get you food. King Magnus is on his way."

"Where did you find me this time?" He groaned when the doctor cleaned the wound on his back. It was a claw mark across his upper body.

"Under the oak tree in the peach orchard."

"Your Highness, what kind of beast did you encountered?" One of the doctors asked.

"Just a werewolf. I wasn't careful and let it attack me from behind."

"Werewolf?" Jacob asked.

"WEREWOLVES?" King Magnus shouted. "And why were you out in the Dead Forest to let the werewolves attacked you?"

Leo cringed, his body was aching and hurting. His mind only wanted some peace. His royal father came to berate him over something so small.

"There were 300 maidens waiting to see you since yesterday. Yet you were nowhere to be found, and when we found you you were almost dead!"

Leo closed his eyes before lying down with the help of the doctors.

"Don't play pretend!" King Magnus shouted, but he leaned forward to have a closer look at his son's face and body. "There are too many wounds on his body. I thought I gave you guys a whole imperial apothecary with a thousand acres of rare plants to study and use."

"Your Majesty, we are doing our utmost and come up with new studies everyday. But His Highness would come back with a different type of wound and poison everyday. The study can't keep up."

"My body will heal by itself. Leave." Leo ordered.

The doctors were done with their inspections, they left a few notes for Jacob to oversee. King Magnus paced back and forth. He had words to say to his son, but only his footsteps were heard by everyone.

Leo had his eyes closed but he couldn't go to sleep due to the erratic footsteps of the King. He let out a small sigh and King Magnus stopped, giving him all of his attention.

"Father."

"Yes son? What do you need?"

"Can you leave?"

King Magnus's face flared red, the little flame from within rose in anger. He was so worried when he heard that Prince Leo disappeared. He almost passed out when he saw him battered hunched over under the oak tree. The little flame burst.

"Father."

Leo called softly after sensing the King's anger.

"Of the 300 maidens that you allowed into our Kingdom. At least ten of them are werewolves."

King Magnus's little fire was wiped out immediately and then came the panics.

"A small attack won't kill me. And you shouldn't worry about that werewolves situation." Leo reassured.

"How can I not? You just told me that I have beasts in our Kingdom."

"Our Kingdom was built on the blood of the beasts. I'd be shock if they don't want to kill you and annihilate the whole royal family and the people we brought to occupy their land."

King Magnus pulled out a chair to sit. "If you say it like that the ancestors will be sad. It was an event of 500 years ago, and it took hundred of years after to have a stable Kingdom and alliances."