The Princess Who Went to War

Chapter 8 - Ayu the Healer

[Calysta]

We arrive at the gates with a crowd waiting. Ser Rem quickly runs to the waiting medical staff. 

"The Princess took a pretty bad fall." He tells them. 

"Follow us into the infirmary." The head healer says as they rush towards the infirmary with the healers leading and Ser Rem following closely behind. 

I wince in pain as they place me down a bed, and the healers tend to me immediately. Other soldiers with injuries are tended to as well. 

"What happened? It was a small camp of goblins." Ser Remnand says as he comes in and takes a look at all the injured. 

"It wasn't the goblins. We cleared them with no problem. On the way back, a Giorem attacked." Ser Rem informs Ser Remnand. 

"A Giorem? Why would a Giorem be so close to the Kingdom?" He asks, confused. 

Giorems are known to inhibit lands at the foot of mountains and hills. The Kingdom of Raziem is situated on a plane. The nearest mountain is hundreds of miles away. 

This Giorem was hundreds of miles away from home. 

"We have no idea. It just kept attacking us. It attacked the Princess twice." Ser Rem tells Ser Remnand. Ser Remnand looks at me, worried. 

"Your Highness, are you alright?" He asks. I wince in pain as the head healer, a short, old lady touches my hip. 

"I will recover in no time. It is normal to get injured during missions. There is no need to make a fuss." I reply. 

I've only been here for a few days, and I get injured like this already. If word of this injury gets to the Palace, they might force me back. 

"My injury will not be included in your report, Ser Remnand." I tell him. All the other people in the infirmary turn to look at him. 

"My reports to the King must include everything that's happeni—"

"You cannot risk me going back. You need me here." I cut him off. He knows this fact very well. 

My presence in the border is a help they've been needing for weeks. If even Giorems start attacking, they'll need me more than ever.

"Tell the King that soldiers were injured. If he is to ask about me, tell him I am fine." I command Ser Remnand. 

I sighs and nods, "Please tend to the Princess as best as you can, Ayu." He tells the head healer. 

"There is no bone I cannot fix, Frederick. Now, all of those who do not need healing, get out." The head healer says, calling Ser Remnand by his first name. Everyone starts to leave. 

I've met Ayu when I was here last year, and she was the only person to ever call me by my name. Being the oldest here, no matter the rank, she calls us all by our first names.  

She reminds me greatly of my grandmother, who I have not seen in years. 

"Do you have to get injured before you ever come visit?" She asks me, seemingly disappointed that I did not see her the moment I got here. 

"I'm sorry, Ayu. I was rather..., preoccupied." I reply. She is unamused by this reply and simply sighs. 

"Gwendolyn, was it?" She says, looking up at Gwen who is on my bedside.

"Yes, Ayu." Gwen replies. 

"You need to get that wound cleaned, dear. Please follow Helena." She says, gesturing at a younger healer. Gwen looks down at me, hesitating.

"Gwen, I'm fine. Just go." I assure her. She reluctantly follows the healer Helena as she leaves me with Ayu and two more healers. 

The healers draw the curtains to cover the bed as they help me out of my gear and help me change into much more comfortable clothing that was fetched from my belongings in my quarters.

They take my tight hair off of the tight braid that it was in as they tend to a cut I have on the back of my head.

"You were attacked by the Giorem twice?" Ayu asks me as she tends to another cut which I have on my forehead. 

"Yes, unfortunate for me." I reply. She looks like she's about to say something, but hesitates.

"What is it?" I ask her. 

"Giorems do not see who they are attacking. All they usually do is blindly rise from the ground, do they not?" She says. I nod.

"Well, is it not incredibly precise that the Giorem attacked the most important person out there today?" She tells me. This confuses me.

She must have noticed the confusion on my face when she adds, "There were three teams out today. The Giorem found yours. The Giorem found you." 

"Could someone be controlling the Giorem?" The healer tending to a cut on my shoulder gasps. 

"Is that even possible?" I ask. 

"Sweetheart, I have been around here long enough to know that anything is possible." She replies.

I quickly think back to the rumors of a sorcerer. Could he have sent to Giorem to find me? With the fog, he must have already known I am here. 

Is he trying to get rid of me? If that was the case, he would definitely have to try harder. 

"Ah!" I wince as pressure was suddenly applied to my hip. I look to see Ayu pushing it in. 

"You would have to stay the night, Calysta." She tells me. I groan at this news. 

"Don't worry, Your Highness. We'll take great care of you here." A younger healer assures me.

"We would have to ensure that you are fully healed before you can use your body again. With all the physical activities you go through, and with using all that magic, you cannot just leave." Ayu tells me. 

I turn to stare at the ceiling, thinking of all the days I would be wasting here, and all those monster camps that are yet to be cleared. 

Ayu must have seen the dismay on my face as she says, "Like you said, Caly, we need you here. Get well so that you can go back to showing whoever it is out there that this Kingdom has a Princess that can fight." 

I nod, determined. Ayu smiles and leaves to check on the other soldiers and their injuries. She lets those with minor cuts and scratches go after their wounds are cleaned and bandaged. 

Two soldiers with broken bones were asked to stay the night as well. 

"I'll take my leave for the night, Your Highness." Gwen tells me. Ayu does not allow anyone that does not need to be admitted in the infirmary at night.

"I'll be here in the morning." She adds. I shake my head.

"Ayu and her healers will be with me. Go on the day as usual and train. See if you could be of any help to any mission." I tell her. 

"You know I can't do that. Protocol dictates I stay by your side. I am only on missions when you are." She reminds me. I sigh, thinking of this huge waste of time that I am in the infirmary instead of helping out with the monsters. 

Gwen bows and turns to leave. Ayu and the other healers watch her go. As soon as she exits the door, Helena, the healer that tended to her, locked the entrance to the infirmary to keep people out. 

"Drink this, Caly." Ayu tells me as she holds a small bottle containing purple liquid up. 

I receive it and start drinking, confronted by a very bitter taste. 

"It will help with the fast recovery of your bones." She tells me as she takes the now empty bottle away from me. 

"Thank you, Ayu." I say, truly grateful for her care. 

"Call out should you need anything. A few healers will be staying here tonight to watch all of you." She informs me as she gestures to the other soldiers also currently receiving their medications.

"I'll head in for the night." Ayu announces to everyone in the room. The younger healers bow as she leaves the infirmary through the back door. 

I close my eyes as I try to make myself comfortable, the bitter taste of the medicine still lingering in the back of my throat. 

The next morning, the healers tend to the my wounds as they change the dressing and apply fresh ointment. 

After we were served breakfast straight from the kitchen, we were given new medication with the same bitter taste.

I twist my hip a little, just to test a how I feel, to find that it does not hurt as much as it did yesterday. This makes me feel relieved, excited to finally be able to get out of here. 

A few more days pass and and I stay in the infirmary as my hips heal. The soldiers who were confined with me are allowed to leave one by one. 

Ayu told me that the hipbone is a particularly hard bone to heal, causing the delay of my release from the infirmary. 

Everyday, Gwen comes to visit me. Ser Remnand checks in too, making sure that I am healing well, still keeping the fact that I have been injured from my father. 

Randall and Ulysses have visited two times as well, with Ulysses being sweet enough to bring me wild flowers they had come across during a clearing mission. 

I keep my mother's necklace close, especially on days that I feel lonely. 

Finally, on the sixth day, I was allowed to leave, given that I keep from doing any strenuous physical activities and continue with medication. 

As I still struggle on walking, Gwen assists me on our way back to our quarters. I feel peoples' eyes on me as we slowly but surely make our way. 

"Your Highness!" I look towards where the voice was coming from only to see Ulysses running towards us. Behind him are Randal, Ulwid, Ser Elwood and the rest of their team, just walking. 

It is only Uly who is running hurriedly towards us. They look like they are on their way back to the quarters fresh from the training grounds. They are all sweaty. 

"Do you need help?" He asks as he stops just in front of us.

"It's alright, we can manage." I reply.

"I thought you were going to start referring to me by my name?" I add, as I remember our agreement.

He looks around, seemingly embarrassed and whispers in a low voice, "Only when we're in private. If Ser Remnand were to find out, I'd be polishing armors for a week." 

I laugh at his reply as I nod. Ser Remnand is known to be quite a strict commander and is feared by a lot of soldiers, and even knights. 

"Are you finally well, Your Highness?" Ser Elwood asks as the rest of them finally catch up to Ulysses. 

"Still in a bit of pain. I will be able to get back to clearing missions soon." I reply. 

"That's great news, Your Highness." Randall tells me. I smile at him. 

"Well, we shall take our leave now." I tell them. They all bow to me as Gwen and I start walking towards the quarters once again. 

However, we are stopped once again when a group of people start running towards the gates. Soldiers, squires and a group of healers are all in a hurry.

"What happened?" I ask. Ser Elwood and his team looks confused as well. 

Randall stops one of the squires hurriedly running. 

"What's happening?" He asks. 

"Ser Molsov's team was attacked by a Giorem. Ser Rys' team came to help, but they struggled to fight the thing. Four soldiers were killed and over ten soldiers are badly injured." The squire replies. 

Ser Elwood and I look at each other at this news, unsure of what to do.