Chapter 38: Fatigue
1644 Words
"What did he say, Influenza?" Ranz asked with a puzzled frown, crossing his arms over his chest.
They could do nothing but leave the room, and the only ones left inside with the sick princess were Shiloh and Louie.
"Influenza. There are different types of that illness depending on the virus that affected the princess, but how did he immediately know it was an influenza virus?" Cyrus asked, his curiosity piqued.
Dravis turned to Cyrus upon hearing the question. Due to Cyrus's extensive reading, when he decided to go back to school to become a teacher, Dravis thought he might have some knowledge about it.
"That's just how smart my big bro is!" Erica cheerfully said.
"Oh, come on, don't be too impressed with Louie! You know he sometimes fails in his analysis," Enrico, Erica's twin brother, sneered.
"Hey! That only happens once in a blue moon!" the twin sister retorted.
"Whether it's sometimes or often, my point is, it still happens!" Enrico reiterated.
"What happened? Why did she get sick?" Ranz inquired, looking at Martina for answers.
The old cook lowered her head, a tinge of sadness on her face as she recounted what happened. "I don't know. They were happily playing with the others in the kitchen when suddenly she collapsed. She lost consciousness, and that was it."
Dravis recalled that he had already noticed the princess before they left the paleness on Amara's face. He just assumed that it was because she hadn't had proper sleep for the past few nights. He had noticed it before they left, but due to the events, he didn't pay much attention to it.
"What could have happened to her?" Cyrus worriedly pondered. "Could it be a certain type of influenza? Hopefully, it's not severe, since we don't have the facilities here to help her recover."
Dravis glanced at their cabin, his eyes narrowing. He clenched his fists, praying in his mind that the young lady would be alright.
Meanwhile, deep into the night, inside the room were Louie and Shiloh. Shiloh was wiping Amara's forehead to help lower her fever.
"Big Brother, is the princess seriously ill? Won't we get infected?" Shiloh asked.
Sitting on a chair next to Amara's bed, Louie was just staring at the princess's face. Unlike earlier when he seemed frantic, he now appeared undisturbed.
"Keep your voice down," Louie said softly. "Her illness isn't serious. I think it's just a bad cold brought on by fatigue."
"Huh? But you said earlier—"
"I only said that to be alone with the princess," Louie admitted truthfully to his sibling, "even just for a moment."
Shiloh's eyes widened as he stared at Louie. She could see in her brother's eyes how much he admired the beautiful princess.
"Big bro, s-so... you lied to them?" Shiloh asked in disbelief.
"Didn't you all want me to court her?" Louie looked at Shiloh and smiled, "The truth is, I want that too."
"Don't tell me that you are— oh dear!" Shiloh covered his mouth in astonishment as Louie confessed his feelings for the princess. He had fallen for her and desired to be the right man for her.
Louie nodded and held Amara's hand, who was peacefully sleeping at that moment. He kissed her hand and gently touched it to his face.
"There's no reason for my feelings not to fall for her," Louie said.
"Big... brother," Shiloh replied tearfully.
Shiloh thought that her brother deserved to be happy because he had always been the one taking care of them. Since their parents were always absent, Louie took on the responsibility for them.
Shiloh wiped the tears forming in her eyes and nodded her head, saying, "Don't worry, I support you!"
She turned away and picked up a small basin.
"Where are you going?" Louie asked when he saw his sister heading towards the door.
"I'm just going to change the water! Don't worry, I'll be back in a little while, so you two can have some time together," Shiloh winked before completely leaving the room.
"Sh-Shiloh!!!" Louie called out, about to go after her, but she had already left.
Louie let out a sigh before turning his gaze back to Amara. He once again looked at the beautiful face of the princess, and it seemed like he was mesmerized by her all over again.
"Lady Amara," Louie uttered softly.
The princess was still lying on the bed, completely unaware of her condition. Her breath remained deep, and her forehead was covered in sweat. Louie moved to sit beside Amara's bed and gently wiped her forehead. As he delicately touched the beautiful princess's face with a towel, he couldn't help but feel more drawn to her. He paused for a moment, noticing the rosy hue of her lips. A dryness in his throat overwhelmed him as if only Amara's lips could quench his thirst.
"P-Princess... Is it okay if I... taste your lips a little?" Louie asked, slowly leaning down to reach for her lips until--
"Of course, that's not acceptable to us!!!" the three young men peeking through each cabin window, Ranz, Cyrus, and Dravis, exclaimed simultaneously. They swiftly grabbed whatever they could find to pull Louie away from the princess.
"Ouch!!! Stop it, will you!!!?" Louie protested, his arms crossed over his face. "The princess will wake up! Stop it! What are you doing here!?"
One by one, the boys leaped inside through the windows and approached Amara's bed.
"We're here because we don't trust you," Ranz said.
"And it looks like we were right! You're even more of a p*****t than this bandit mor0n!" Cyrus yelled, irritated with Louie.
"W-Wait! What are you all talking about!?" Louie asked in a bewildered tone before suddenly screaming when Dravis smashed his head, "Ouch!!! What the heck, Dravis— eh?"
Louie couldn't continue what he was about to say as he turned to look at Dravis, seeing the fiery rage burning in his eyes. That fire seemed enough to scorch him with the shame of his lies.
"We heard everything you and Shiloh were talking about! You can't deny it anymore! You stupid doctor!" Ranz said.
Louie dropped his shoulders and forced a smile to cover up his embarrassment. He didn't know that the guys had been listening to their conversation with his sister all along.
"W-Why... are you fighting again?" Amara weakly asked, trying to get up, and that caught the four young men's attention. She attempted to sit up, but due to dizziness, she couldn't help herself to do that.
"Princess," they all said worriedly in unison.
Cyrus and Louie immediately supported Amara. They adjusted her pillow to make her sit more comfortably.
"How are you feeling?" Louie asked quickly.
"Um, I'm okay," Amara replied, followed by a series of coughs, "M-My head hurts a bit, and my body feels weak. What happened?"
"You're not okay!" Louie said firmly. "You're sick, and you need to rest."
Amara closed her eyes briefly, feeling the intense warmth in her eyes. She let out a sigh and seemed to grow weaker.
"Maybe that's why my head feels cracking," Amara forced a smile, but in truth, she felt sad. "I'm sorry; it seems like I made you all worried again."
"You don't need to apologize; it's not your fault that you got sick," Ranz said.
"Exactly, it's not your fault, my princess," Cyrus agreed.
"I think your blood pressure dropped significantly earlier, you turned pale. You might have anemia or your body might be lacking some nutrients. You could also be stressed or tired, so please rest! Eat enough and consume foods rich in vitamins, okay?" Louie advised.
Amara nodded at him and smiled sweetly. "Thank you. Thank you all."
Shortly after, there was a knock on the door, and it opened. Shiloh arrived and hurriedly approached them.
"Huh!? W-Why are you all here!? Leave this place!!! Only big bro and Lady Amara should be here so they can—" Louie immediately covered his sibling's mouth while Ranz, Cyrus, and Dravis gave Shiloh cold and sharp glares.
"Wh-What's going on, Shiloh?" Amara asked. Only then did Shiloh notice that the princess was awake.
"L-Lady Amara!" Shiloh exclaimed in surprise when she removed Louie's hand from her mouth. Her tears welled up, and she cried, "Princess!!!"
"Hey! Hey!!! Why are you crying!? Stop that," Amara comforted the young lady. "I'm fine! I'm okay! There's nothing to worry about, okay? Thanks to all of you."
****
The queen of Emmett's Kingdom, Yelena, was applying makeup to her face. She was in her chamber again, feeling inexplicably emotional. There was a tinge of pain in her heart, but she didn't understand the reason.
"Beloved queen, is there a problem?" asked her handmaid as she brushed the queen's hair.
The queen furrowed her brow, staring at her reflection in the mirror. The sadness in her eyes was evident, causing her handmaid not to take her eyes off her.
"I don't know, Sonya, but I find myself tearing up," said the queen, looking back at her servant. "I don't know why. It's like there's somewhere I must go, but I don't know where! It feels like there's someone I want to see, or I must see, but I don't know who! Every night when I go to bed, I have a recurring vision. A voice... there's a voice of a woman inside my head, but I can't figure out who she is! I can't even see her face! And when I wake up... I'm in tears! Why? Why do I feel this way!?"
The handmaid's heart filled with compassion for her beloved queen, yet her tongue remained tied, unable to answer her questions. She couldn't speak or reveal anything about the queen's true past, as it would endanger her life and her entire family's.
"I'm sorry... my queen."
- Writer
