Friend or Fiend

Quarantined

Last chapter🥺

The day after being returned to his home at the lord Hiragi's fortress, Yuichiro awoke to the long missed sun, shining through the glass windows of his bedroom. He was sore from the previous nights incident, but he was at last free. No longer would he spend his days in a dark cell of a room.

Yuichiro soon recalled his escort home the previous night, and that they'd taken Mikaela along with him.

Yuichiro heaved himself upright and sat himself on the edge of his bed. His ribs hurt him greatly, but he felt it necessary to locate Mikaela and make sure that he was alright.

When Yuichiro had hobbled to the door and attempted to open it, he was disconcerted to find it locked. Knocking hard on the sturdy wooden door, Yuichiro received no reply.

"Hello?!" He yelled at the door before him.

"Thou art not to leave thy chamber, but I have sent for the physician. He should be here shortly." A young manservant finally replied.

"Why shall I not leave?!"

"Thou hast been quarantined to thy chamber."

"Why?" Yuichiro received no answer.

"Why?!" He barked angrily.

"I.. know not..." The boy replied.

Alas, circumstance is fickle. And Yuichiro now found himself not free, but in a new prison.

Only ten minutes after his awakening, Yuichiro was paid a visit by the court physician, Gaius.

After getting his injuries examined thoroughly, Yuichiro sat on his bad; glad that the prodding was over with. Gaius sat on a stool, and the questioning began.

"I am told thou wert lost in the forest." Gaius stated.

"Yes." Yuichiro clipped in annoyed embarrassment.

"Thou didest meet someone whilst thou were away, be this true?"

"Yes...?" Yuichiro was perplexed as to why he was being questioned about such things.

"Who was this person?"

"He is an old friend of mine."

"Dost thou know where he is?"

"He... he was taken prisoner by the soldiers who brought me home. Dost thou know what became of him?"

"I am sorry, I do not."

"This friend of thine, wert thou in his company long?" Gaius continued his interrogation after a moment.

"I suppose."

"How long?"

"Most of my absence." Yuichiro raised an eyebrow at Gaius's seemingly baseless inquiries.

"How didest thou keep his company?" This Yuichiro did not wish to speak of with the physician. Furthermore, such a question was not Gaius's place to ask; Yuichiro thought rightly. It was quite strange for him to be prying about such matters.

"I spoke to him of my predicament, being lost in the woods as I was. And of our reunion, we had not seen one another in years." Yuichiro went into detail on other things, planning never to speak to anyone of his and Mikaela's intimate moment just a night ago.

"Dost thou wish to meet him again?"

"Yes... Speaking of which, when might I see him again?"

"I know not."

"Why have I been confined to my chambers? Will I be able to leave any time soon?"

"I know not how long, but I suspect it might be some time; a month perhaps."

"Why?!" Yuichiro asked hastily before Gaius could explain further.

"Surely, thou wert in contact with evil creatures during thy time in the woods; it is very likely that thou hast been affected by them."

"What dost thou mean?"

"I'm afraid thou mightest not be in thy right mind."

"But... I am perfectly reasonable, surely I must be able to leave my room at the very least!"

"Well, I'll see what can be done; but for now it will be best for thee to stay thyself where thou art."

"But..."

"Enough, I must be going now. I will be back to check on thee tomorrow." With that Gaius left.

Yuichiro was angry, he was being kept hostage in his own bedchamber. And for what?! He was not sure. It seemed Gaius was concerned about his being in contact with malicious creatures from the woods. But surely, merely coming in contact with them would not render him a threat to himself or anyone else.

For days Yuichiro's only visitors were the physician and the servants that cared for him.

(Note) this is the last part of this story I wrote, so I'm sorry to say it ends here.