...40...
ROSE
The Little Prince stood up and dropped his half finished tea on the table.
He sighed as the sound of the horses came to a halt.
He arranged his clothes subconsciously and went to the door to receive his brother with anxiety clouding him.
The Emperor dismounted swiftly at the entrance of the manor, the courtyard.
He ran his fingers through his hair as he stopped for a moment.
It was to try to keep his cool with very deep breaths before going into the manor.
Cora followed just behind him.
He met the Little Prince at the entrance waiting for him.
They shared a knowing look as their paths happened to cross.
'Where is she?' he demanded with a crazed look in his eyes.
'She is in your bedroom,' he simply told him.
'How is she? What state is she in? Where were you?!' he asked his brother, his voice riding a notch along with his anger that he was trying to keep in check.
'Calm down My Lord,' Cora said from behind him.
'Do as she says First,' the Little Prince urged him. 'She is right. You can scold me all you want later."
He sighed.
"But now, you must go and see the lady. I am sure that you are dying to do so this instant. Have been dying to do so since the moment you got my letter."
The emperor held back a hiss while knowing he was right.
His brother wasn't his priority at this point in time.
His woman was.
"Am I right?' the little prince asked his brother who didn't answer him.
He simply walked past him and towards the stairs.
He stromed up the stairs minus his usual calm to his quarters.
His hands were clenched into fists at his side as he moved.
Cora hurriedly followed behind him, keeping her distance.
'My Lord,' Octavia greeted her master with a bow the moment the emperor left.
He smiled tiredly at her.
'You have done well Via,' he said to her affectionately.
But, his smile did not reach his eyes—and she noticed it.
'You are welcome back,' he told her.
'I thank you My Lord,' she said with another bow.
The sound of people coming in caused both to turn.
They listened to the footsteps approaching until the owners came into view.
It was only the royal physician and his rather peculiar assistant.
The little prince sighed lightly in relief to see them.
'My Lord,' the royal physician said as both bowed slightly.
'Welcome master Kong,' he said to the man with gleaming eyes.
'I saw the Emperor's horse outside,' the royal physician's assistant said.
The Little Prince nodded.
'Yes, the Emperor is back,' he informed them.
'Let's all go up,' Master Kong, the Royal Physician said. They all nodded except Octavia.
'Let's go Via.'
Then, she followed him as he turned and went up the stairs, after his brother.
The rest followed just behind them with the Royal Physician's assistant bringing up the rear as they went.
Meanwhile, the emperor was standing outside the bedroom door, composing himself.
There had only been one thing on his mind on the entire journey to the Linamine Empire.
It was truly the only thing on his mind as he had run through the entirety of theRoyal manor.
It was that thing that he saw oj when he suddenly opened the door to the bedroom.
It was the lady in the bed.
His heart rate skyrocketed as his eyes dropped to her form.
He hurried to her.
She was lying belly down on the bed, sound asleep for she wasn't moving at all.
'Mine,' he whispered staring down at her.
He didn't know, but he sighed in relief to see her peacefully.
The thick lump of dread in his stomach unknotted then.
He felt better as relief rushed through him and clouded his head.
'Welcome back My Lord!' all three rushed into the bedroom.
He turned to them, the lady's aides who had woken up.
They had gotten to their feet at his abrupt intrusion andgreeted him in mild but audible voices.
He guessed that they all didn't want to disturb their mistress who was fast asleep.
'Thank you,' he murmured looking away from the lady.
He stared at Hyeera.
'You all have a lot to answer for this, especially you... Hyeera."
The air tensed.
"Vandodara the Healer,' he added, calling her name in full.
Hyeera bowed, deep.
'My Lord I...'
She was crudely interrupted by a sharp knock on the open door of the bedroom.
They all turned to it.
"Come in," Hyeera called out.
The door was pushed open and he watched as everyone flocked in.
The Little Prince and his aide, then the Royal Physician, Master Kong and his assistant.
'My Lord, you are welcome,' Master Kong said to him, going to stand by him. He looked at the man with worry written all over his face.
'Is she okay?'
'Do not worry My Lord. She is fine. I only sedated her,' he told him.
'Will she awaken?' he asked. It was a stupid question to ask, but the physician understood what he was worried about.
'Certainly My Lord, certainly. Be rest assured I tell you. Now let me see to her wounds,' he said dropping his medical box and looking at Hyeera who scooted the room. Then, she proceeded to pull down the covers to her Lady's waist. She then lowered the zipper of her green dress to her tail bone, revealing her back which was covered in whip lines, slashes -small and big, bruises and welts. The horrid sight had the Emperor gasping out loud in shock.
'Who did this to her?!' he thundered in the voice he normally reserved for high treason criminals.
'It was Princess Hera-Mera,' the Little Prince answered him.
'How dare she?! Where is she?' he asked turning to the Little Prince to properly look at him.
'I had her thrown in the dungeons,' he supplied while holding his brother's brutal gaze, unyielding. He turned away from the Little Prince to the lady. He stared at her for quite a while before reaching out to lightly caress her wounded back.
'She is alright?' he asked the Royal Physician once more. The man nodded before he answered -as if that wasn't answer enough.
'She is alright now My Lord. I have treated her of the poison from the wound.'
'Poison?' he looked puzzled at the mention of poison. He had a no one told me that part expression on his handsome face.
'Yes My Lord. The whip used on her had been laced with Xhanai poison. Yet, she was denied medication and food, even water through it all. It must have been torturous for her to bear it all till the end. She was unconscious when I arrived,' he explained to him.
'Too much,' he murmured, 'too much. I will not take such insolence sitting down,' he promised.
'Don't worry My Lord. She will heal very well. We shall do all we can. I shall make sure that no mark mar her beautiful skin after treatment,' he promised the Emperor who nodded at his assurance.
'Thank you very much Master Kong. I shall leave her in your capable hands,' he said to him.
'No worries My Lord. Be rest assured that she is in good hands.'
'Rose,' he whispered softly caressing her oxblood hair. 'Rose.'
'Now, let me tend to her wounds while you go and see to whoever did this to her. Make sure that they taste the whip of Xhanai poison. Someone who hasn't experienced it will not know how it feels,' he told the Emperor with angry eyes as he opened his medical box and rummaged through it, gathering the supplies that he was going to use for her wounds.
'Yes Master Kong. I shall make sure that they all taste the whip of Xhanai poison, ruthlessly.' His voice was very cold, brutal and merciless. 'Call a judgment court Little,' he said going to his brother to allow the royal physician to work. 'I shall hear the recount there.'
'I shall do so instantly First.' Then, he turned and left with Octavia.
'Everyone,' the Emperor suddenly announced, 'Out! Allow the healers to work,' he ordered. Xiera and Vura bowed and went out of the room. He was right behind them. He closed the bedroom door the moment he was out. Then, 'Stop there both of you. You have a lot to answer for.'
'My Lord, we are at your service,' Xiera said as both bowed to him deeply, in guilt.
'I left her in both your care. How could this happen?!' he snapped angrily at both of them.
'It was my fault. I couldn't protect the Lady!' Vura said to him.
'It was Princess Hera-Mera's manipulation My Lord. She influenced the entire household. She turned the guards on us. I even tried to stop her with your seal, but she went against it.'
'That I have heard and I plan to treat it as treason,' the Emperor revealed to the both of them who barely held back their wicked smiles.
'Yes My Lord,' both chorused.
'Collins was aware of this all?' he demanded to know.
'He was an accomplice, an unwilling one, but still one to save his own skin from the Princess' wrath,' Xiera said with a sneer.
'The Princess bullied him with her status, bullied them all. She keeps saying that she received your approval to run the entire household as she sees fit. It's just...' she couldn't continue, ending there with a sigh of disappointment.
'She said that she talked to you and you affirmed her status. The kind of affirmation she didn't reveal to us and the rest just speculated what they actually felt like.'
'What actually led to all of this?' he demanded to know.
'My lady stopped her from trying to whip a kitchen maid amicably. Then, She started shouting at her and insulting her as if she and my Lady had some outstanding grudge. Then, Princess Zoë suggested my Lady replace the maid because she dismissed her,' Vura recounted for him. He listened attentively to their long story.
'No, that is not how it went. She dismissed the maid first. It was the maid's dismissal that provoked the Princess. Then, after it all, she bought Princess Zoë's idea and asked that my Lady be stripped to be whipped. We tried to stop it all, and we may have succeeded, but it was our Lady,' Xiera said her voice fading.
'What happened to your lady?' he asked as he watched the two exchange unsure glances. 'Will you quickly tell me?!' he snapped at the both of them when they were silent for about half a day.
'She... She succumbed without a fight,' Xiera continued. 'She stopped both of us from fighting off the guards and allowed herself to be stripped without putting up a fight.'
'She allowed herself to be whipped without any resistance. We tried to stop her My Lord, I swear to the heavens,' Vura assured him. 'But, she would not listen. She was very adamant about it.'
'Then, after it all, we were thrown into the dungeons and ordered to not be fed and medication was denied for my Lady.'
'Well, she didn't quite seem bothered by it all even until she fell into unconsciousness early today. It was the Little Prince who saved us. He arrived in time. If he had been a little later, she might have suffered a worse fate,' she expatiated.
'But still, it was all Princess Hera-Mera's fault that all of this happened. Please My Lord, avenge My Lady,' she pleaded.
'Please quickly avenge My Lady,' Vura joined her in the plea.
'Don't worry, I shall avenge her. I shall handle it all in the judgement court,' he said to them. 'Now, I want the both of you to write me a witness testimony exactly as you have just recounted. Then, I shall make sure to punish the mastermind and carrier of all this. They shall be accused and judged pectorally by me.'
'We shall do that My Lord,' Vura said enthusiastically.
'Yes My Lord. Thank you My Lord,' Xiera said with a smile. 'We shall get ink and paper and start immediately. It will be ready before the court proceedings. I shall also get the testimony of the maid whom my mistress saved, anything to be used against them in court.'
'I appreciate that. Now, be off to do as you have said,' he instructed.
'Yes My Lord ' they chorused simultaneously with a small bow and huge smiles. They turned and left to do as promised. He turned and went back into the bedroom.
The royal physician was done when he came in. He was busy with packing his tools and other things into his medical box. Hyeera was busy with cleaning her Lady's face and neck with a wet towel. Her wounded back was nowhere in sight, the covers pulled up to cover it.
'Ah My Lord, you can come in,' Master Kong said as the Emperor came into the bedroom. 'We are done here.'
'Yes, I see,' he said. The royal physician assistant stared at him as he came into the bedroom.
'Do not sedate her again,' Master Kong instructed Hyeera. 'Keep giving her the tonic and the medicine. Also, double the pain relieving tonic dosage by two. She will need it now because she shall not be asleep.'
'Yes I will,' was Hyeera's answer to him as he finished packing, turned and made to leave.
'Good bye My Lord. I shall be back in the morning to check on her. Stay with her all night and check for signs of a fever. She might develop those. And also, it will be best if she sleeps belly down, naked, but warm,' he simply advised without any hidden meaning in it.
'I shall make sure of it Master Kong,' he told the physician. The man nodded and turned to his assistant who was still staring openly at the Emperor.
'Come with me now. We are leaving already,' he told him. The black and blue haired man nodded and followed him out still eyeing the Emperor with obvious eyes. They closed the door behind them.
'I am done with her My Lord,' Hyeera said to him. 'Do you want to hold her?' she asked him. He nodded and went to the bed as Hyeera made to leave.
'Hyeera?' he called.
'Yes, My Lord?' she answered turning to him with the bowl of water still in her hands. The towel she had been using was also immersed in it.
'Please have them prepare me a bath in the other wing,' he instructed her staring at the lady.
'Consider it done My Lord.' And then she was gone, without a sound. The moment she left, he sat at her side and caressed her hair tenderly.
'Rose, I have missed you. I have missed you so much my love,' he murmured softly.
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...OmaPhinaPhire