IV. The Impact of Her

~ Seventeen ~

Grandpa Ben had a cloth on his forehead.

Two maids diligently wiped his arms and legs. The other two helped the Medicine King with his tools.

I dragged my feet as I slowly approached the busy physician. My gaze never left Grandpa Ben, who breathed heavily. His clothes were removed and only a blanket covered him.

"Your Highness," the Medicine King bowed along with the maids.

"What is going on, sir?" my voice shook as I asked.

The Medicine King sighed whilst he mashed a few herbs together. "He had a bad reaction to the medicine. The dosage was too much for his body," he explained. He bowed once again and added, "Forgive me for my incompetence, Your Highness."

"Please get up, Medicine King. There is no time for such things," I replied. "What happened to Grandpa Ben?" I asked as he stood up.

"The medicine caused his wounds to swell. His soiled clothes caused infection. He now has a high fever because of that horrible combination?" the Medicine King explained.

I closed my eyes as I held my breath. This was gut-wrenching to hear. The reason why Grandpa Ben was brought here was to ensure his safety.

Couldn't this day get any worse?

"What is the best thing that we can do?" I asked.

"I have given him medicine to relieve some of the pain. I am now creating a herbal medicine for the wounds," Grandpa Ben explained as he focused on mashing the herbs. He added, "In order for the fever to go away, the infection must be cured first."

I stared at Grandpa Ben and answered, "Do everything to heal him. If you need anything, do not hesitate to call me."

"Yes, Your Highness," said the Medicine King.

The gloomy atmosphere was disrupted when James and Mother entered the room. Everybody in the room gave their greetings and quickly returned to their duties.

"What happened here?" Mother asked as they walked over to us.

"An infection, Your Majesty. And a miscalculation on dosage," the Medicine King said.

As they discussed Grandpa Ben's situation, I walked up to the side of the bed and knelt. I clenched my jaw as I stopped myself from crying. Grandpa Ben's ragged breathing didn't help to keep my composure.

The wounds in Grandpa Ben's arms and chest were swollen. A few even exploded. His sweat was like a continuous supply of water. Thankfully, the maids were diligent with what they were doing.

If Laura could see this, she would never forgive me.

Grandpa Ben meant the world to her. And I promised that I would protect, not only her but her family as well. I made promises after promises. However, each promise ended in failure.

"Ensure his fast recovery. And take all necessary precautions. One misstep can lead to a lot of problems," James instructed.

"Rest assured, I will work continuously to ensure stability," the Medicine King replied. He continued, "This situation cannot be abandoned for even the slightest second."

Mother suddenly squeezed my shoulders. "Everything will be fine, son," she whispered to me as she rubbed my arms. "Grandpa Ben will make it," she reassured me.

I sighed as I reached for Mother's hand. "I hope so, Mother."

Mother then rested her chin on my arm. She never stopped rubbing my arms to comfort me.

James stood beside us and entered our conversation, "Keep yourself composed, Robert. The Medicine King will do everything in his power to save your friend."

I shut my eyes after I heard his voice. I still couldn't bear to see, even hear James.

I slowly stood up and headed out of the room. I then proceeded to the direction of the altar. The only thing that I could do right now was to beg for the gods' mercy.

~*~*~*~

The choir sang softly as my page and I prayed continuously.

I rarely visit the family altar. And to return here in prayer, even our personal priest was surprised.

My page and I had been here for an hour. And I could tell that my page has lost concentration. But I needed to pray harder than I had ever done before.

This situation has grown even bigger than what I imagined. Physical force wasn't enough anymore. In order to succeed, we would need a miracle.

The choir has finished their prayer hymn. The priest offered his prayers. All that was left inside our small altar was me and my sleepy page.

We continued to pray. But I couldn't ignore the fact that my page's head hit his folded hands once again.

"My apologies. Your Highness," my page said as he pulled himself together.

I cleared my throat. With my eyes closed, I replied, "You may take your rest."

"But what about you, Your Highness?" my page asked.

"Just send the guards here," I said as I was still in prayer. "You may take your rest."

My page slowly stood up and bid his goodbye, leaving me in peace.

The silence remained for a brief moment, however. Someone entered the family altar and knelt beside me. "I have never seen you here in years," Elizabeth gently whispered into my ear.

A smile crept up on my face. "How did you know I was here?" I asked.

"I was looking for you. And, just my luck, I came across your page and he told me where you are," Elizabeth explained.

I did one final bow to finish my prayer.

"What did you pray for?" Elizabeth asked as we kept our eyes on the altar.

"A miracle," I said after a sigh. "I desperately need one."

Elizabeth also sighed as her shoulders fell. "I understand. Just by looking at the situation right now, I cannot imagine how you managed to keep your composure," she said.

I chuckled. "With all honesty, Elizabeth, I don't know what I'm supposed to feel anymore," I expressed. "I am too overwhelmed by everything. I don't know where to put my head anymore."

Gently, Elizabeth wrapped an arm behind me. She gave my arm a light squeeze and said, "I assume that your thoughts aren't just about rescuing your beloved, am I correct?"

I looked at Elizabeth and she smiled. It seemed that she already knew what bothered me. "He told you, didn't he?" I asked.

Elizabeth nodded. "That and the maids," she giggled.

"I hate it when the maids eavesdrop. But then again, we are aware of everything because of them," I replied.

"We have them to thank for all the rumours that surround our home. It keeps the castle alive," Elizabeth remarked.

I chuckled again. "Everybody loves good gossip, am I right?" I remarked.

Elizabeth nodded with a smile. It was dead silent after. Our smiles quickly faded as we returned to the stressed reality that we were in. Our shared laughter was brief, enough to lighten the load.

All of a sudden, the severity of the situation hit me. I slowly laid my head on Elizabeth's shoulder... and cried softly.

Elizabeth wrapped her arms around me as my tears landed on her satin dress. "Let it out, dear brother," she whispered.

And so, I did just as Elizabeth told me.

A once-strong prince was sobbing before the altar, in front of the gods.