Betrayal

Kirigan's POV 

After a week of spending time with my father, he then told me that he had to go on a journey to the neighboring kingdom.

"Apparently I'm not done with business yet," he said as he sat in the carriage while his bags were being packed. "I'll be back before you know it."

"I know father, but we kind of really, really need you here. It's urgent."

"There isn't anything you need me for. I've seen how you handle cases. This shouldn't be a problem for you."

He waved to me just as the carriage started to move and before I knew it, he was gone.

"Well that sucks," I sighed before looking at the skies in anger.

This wasn't how I wanted to spend my day. 

I wanted to spend it with the king, talking about his adventurers and what animals he had seen in his journey.

With a tired sigh, I knew I was back to my old life and I headed for my study to get back to reading the books I had there.

There were a few books I found that the king had brought from his journey. One of them looked like a let's guide to medicine and I decided to go through it.

My eyes scanned the pages, searching for answers for my illness. At least if I could find something it would help me get through this illness.

The weight of this illness had burdened me for far too long, and I longed for a cure, for a way to alleviate the torment that plagued my mind.

But as I delved deeper into the texts, I stumbled upon a revelation that shook me to my very core. 

There, hidden within the pages, was the so called cure Jane had been telling me to do.

The so-called remedy, the treatment that could alleviate my illness, was a cure for mental illness. 

I had never been this mortified before. How could this be possible? I was shocked beyond words.

A mixture of anger and disappointment washed over my body as I realized the truth. 

The maid I had trusted, the one who had claimed to be a healer, had deceived me. 

Jane had led me astray, offering false hope and empty promises. Instead of providing me with the proper treatment, she had merely suggested activities that a mental illness patient should engage in.

Did she think me stupid?! Was this all a game to her?!

My heart pounded in my chest as I grappled with the magnitude of the betrayal. 

How could I have been so blind, so foolish? The anger within me grew, fueled by the sense of betrayal and the realization that I had placed my trust in someone who was unworthy of it.

Without hesitation, I stormed out of my study and made my way to the maid's quarters. Every step fueled my anger, every breath filled with disappointment. As I reached her room, I forcefully swung open the door, my eyes blazing with fury.

Jane, unaware of the storm brewing inside the prince, looked up in surprise. "Prince Kirigan, what brings you here?" she asked, confusion etched on her face. "I thought we said that during the day should be a time to read and gather knowledge."

"And how long were you willing to lie to me?!" I roared, my voice filled with rage. 

"I… I don't understand what you mean," she said as I entered the room and banged the door shut behind me.

"Don't think me a fool, Jane? After all I've done for you. After I've protected you. After giving you everything you want. This is how you repay me."

"Prince Kirigan…"

"You have deceived me, lied to me about being a healer. I trusted you, and you led me astray!"

Her eyes widened in fear, her voice trembling as she stammered, "I... I didn't mean to deceive you, Your Highness. I... I only wanted to help."

My anger flared, my frustration boiling over. "So you do admit to deceiving me. I can't believe this."

"I only wanted to help…"

"Help? You call this help? Suggesting activities that any mental illness patient should do? That is not help! That is manipulation! You had no knowledge of healing, yet you posed as a healer and played with my emotions! I trusted you. I gave you the benefit of the doubt. You lied to me and told me that you had your fathers knowledge. It would have taken you nothing to tell me that you had no idea about your fathers work."

Tears welled up in her eyes as she pleaded, "Please, prince Kirigan, I only wanted to bring you some comfort. I thought that if I could provide some guidance, it would release your suffering."

My voice grew cold, my disappointment palpable. "Comfort? Is that what you call it? Playing with my vulnerabilities, giving me false hope? That is not comfort; that is cruelty."

Fear and regret washed over her face as she fell to the bed, her voice barely a whisper. "Please, I beg for your forgiveness. I never meant to cause harm. I only wanted to help in the way I knew how."

"By lying to me?"

"By searching for the cure," she said with a sigh. 

"So you don't have the cure? After telling me that you actually had the cure and had a few finishing touches to make. How many lies have you even told me? Were you even blind before?"

She sighed, taking her sweet time to tell me what I wanted to know.

"Look, finding a cure for you isn't easy. I tried and couldn't get anything. I even went on a search to the healers around the kingdom and couldn't find anything. But I didn't give up. But I didn't give up. I kept on searching. I can't say I'm almost there to finding out the cure but I'm still trying to find out something that could help you."

"I don't need your help anymore."