The physician

Luciana and Raziel rode in a comfortable silence back to the castle. Luciana rest her head in the backrest of the carriage seat, and her eyes looked drowsy with sleep, but she tried to fight it.

"You can sleep if you want." Raziel said to her.

"When we get back to the castle."

He only nodded at her stubbornness.

"Don't be bothered by what the sooth sayer said. They are mainly guesses." Luciana told him.

"I don't believe in them." He then looked out the window. "But my mother did."

"Did they say anything that once came to pass?"

"Not really. But my father..." He turned to her, only to meet her sleeping already. He shook his head, before adjusting hers in a more comfortable position.

When they got to the castle, he took off his cloak, and woke her up, and they came down together. She was still feeling sleepy, so he decided to escort her to her room.

When she entered, and he was able to go, she pulled on his sleeves, and he turned back to her.

"What is it again Luciana."

"Thank you for today." She whispered to him before going to bed.

Raziel gently closed the door, before walking away. Now the smile on his face had disappeared, as he walked to meet his father.

It was already twilight as he and Luciana had spent the whole day outside.

When he got to the throne room, he met the king there, talking with some of his men.

"I want to have a word with my son." He said to them when he sighted Raziel. They bowed and left.

Raziel offered a slight bow. "Your majesty."

"I called you hours ago son, and you decided to answer me now. How dare you?"

"I am sorry father." He apologized, but the look on his face didn't show that he was sorry at all.

"Where were you?"

"I went out for an important business."

"Too important for your father to know?"

"It's my personal business your majesty." Raziel insisted.

"Did you ask Lorenzo to keep it a secret?"

"Lorenzo knows nothing of my whereabouts." Raziel lied. He knew that Lorenzo might get in trouble if he wasn't in one already.

"Or did you ask him to lie to me?"

"He knows nothing father!" Raziel insisted firmly. He stared hard at the king, and the king frowned at it.

"He will be punished for your deeds. I believe you will learn faster that way."

"I am the one who went against you. Punish me instead."

"Punishments no longer work on you Raziel. So that is the better option."

Raziel knowing that he could not convince his father took a seat. He wanted this to be over with so he can go see Lorenzo.

"Why did you call me here father?"

The king cleared his throat and began.

"I have made up with the king of Baellington. The only condition was to marry their princess, and I agreed."

"What else?" Raziel asked, seemingly unfazed by the news. He hoped to annoy the king.

"Aren't you surprised that I am marrying the person who was supposed to be your bride?"

"I never planned on marrying her. That I made sure you know."

The king frowned. "The wedding will hold in three days."

Raziel nodded nonchalantly.

"Now what's the important news?"

King Mikael got angry. "So me getting married is not important?"

"Not to me." Raziel said with a shrug.

"After the wedding, the king of Baellington and I will invade Kazeera." Mikael said, but to his surprise, Raziel remained unfazed. "Did you not hear me?"

"You will invade Kazeera. I heard."

"And you will join me."

"You will have to find a way to control my mind and body then."

The king wondered if his son had a plan. He knew that the prince could be cunning at times.

"But you can stop it." The king proposed, but Raziel just looked on with a disinterested expression. "Marry the daughter of someone powerful and influential. That way we would be gaining not one, but two allies."

The prince now hand his jaw resting on his palm, giving off a look of someone who was bored.

"Do you have anyone in mind?"

"I have a list."

"You can invite them all. I can take one or two."

The king wondered if his son was drunk that day. It was not too strange if he had more than one wife, especially for a person of his status. But for Raziel to want more than one? Something was definitely wrong.

"They would be here in two days."

"I hope they are beautiful." When his father didn't answer, he stood up. "I would dismiss myself now your majesty." He then left to find Lorenzo.

Raziel entered the training fields to find Lorenzo surrounded by soldiers. Both of his hands were chained to pillars which stood on either side of him, while his back was constantly being whipped with a whip embedded with thorns.

"Stop now!" Raziel ordered sternly, and the soldiers stopped and turned to him.

"But your highness..."

"King's order." Raziel lied, and they stopped immediately and began to unchain the general.

Lorenzo coughed up some blood when he was released, then he stood up.

"Follow me." Raziel said, and he followed.

"Let me guess. You are taking me to see the physician."

"No."

"Oh..."

"I'm bringing the physician to see you. He's waiting in your room already."

"You know you didn't have to lie for me your highness." Lorenzo said.

"You were punished because of me. It is the least I can do."

So without arguing anymore, Lorenzo followed the prince. When they got to his room, they didn't find the physician there, instead they found his medicine bag. A maid standing there spoke.

"He said he forgot something your highness."

Raziel wondered if Luciana had knowledge about this things like this, so he decided to call her. Luckily she was awake and she quickly came.

She was startled at first to see Lorenzo's back.

"What did they hit him with?"

"The baton."

"What is that?"

"A tough whip with thorns in it." Raziel explained. He remembered how that was used on him when he was much younger. "I also believe that they used ash. That is why he is still bleeding."

Luciana couldn't believe her eyes. The cuts were so deep and looked very painful.

"Get me a bowl of water and a wash cloth." She said, and the maid there quickly left.

Luciana then searched through the man's bag, and brought out some substances she believed would help.

When the maid came back, she took the bowl from her, and began to wash Lorenzo's back, and the general groaned in pain.

"Just endure a little. You'd be okay." Luciana said to him. "This should help reduce the ash."

She then brought out a liquid, and a powdery substance from the medicine bag and applied a little amount on Lorenzo's back, and the general bit his lips to stop himself from screaming.

"You know I'm a vampire. I can heal without these." Lorenzo complained when the pain became too much.

"Wounds like this will take days to heal. And remember the ash. I thought you were a general." Raziel teased him.

"Generals still feel pain." He groaned.

"These will stop the bleeding and reduce the pain a bit. I just need something to help pull out the thorns."

"No, no, no." Lorenzo complained.

"You will feel better after it I promise."

She then mentioned some of the things she would need again, and the maid went to get them. And one by one, Luciana pulled out the thorns.

"All done. Now..."

Just then the physician entered and Luciana stepped aside. He saw that most of the work was already done.

"I apologize my prince."

"No need for that."

He then applied medicine to treat the wound before bandaging it. After he was done, he turned to Luciana.

"You are good at this. You should consider becoming a physician yourself."

"Thank you." Luciana said.

Soon after, the man left.

"Are you feeling better?" Luciana asked Lorenzo.

"I am. Thanks to you." He then asked Raziel. "How did your meeting with the king go?"

"You should get well first before concerning yourself with the affairs of the kingdom."

"You had a meeting?" Luciana asked.

"Yes, and I am expected to take a wife. Again."

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