The Hidden King's Stolen Wife
Chapter 92: Royal Infirmary

Chapter 92: Royal Infirmary

"Duke Elsher!" The meek-looking servant stiffened, his voice quivering as he tried to stand in Orion’s path. He was a frail-looking thing, stick-thin at best, and still he tried to use his body to block the corridor. "Please, Your Grace! His Majesty has given clear instructions that the Princess is not to leave her chambers―"

Orion’s jaw ticked in impatience.

"Don’t make me ask you again," he said, his voice low with warning. "Where is the royal physician? How do I find the infirmary?"

The servant closed his eyes shut, his lips trembling as he said, "My apologies, Your Grace, but I cannot―"

Orion did not have the patience to listen to the rest of the servant’s speech, not when Soleia was quite literally dying in his arms. He easily side-stepped the man, his long strides quickly leaving the man behind.

While he had no clue where he was going, anywhere else had to be better than staying in that stuffy bedchamber of hers. The ventilation was poor and there was a weird musty smell in there that reminded Orion of mold.

With every palace staff he passed by, Orion stopped to pester them about the location of the infirmary. However, most if not all of them gave the same response― to bring Princess Soleia back to her bedchambers before the King found out. A small percentage of them simply turned on their heels and ran before Orion even had the chance to question them, and this was quickly causing Orion’s patience to dwindle.

Where was Ralph when Orion needed him? That man at least had a little bit of medical knowledge. Perhaps he would know what to do in such a situation.

"Orion!"

Speak of the devil. Orion turned back at the sound of his name, just to see Ralph Byrone headed his way. When the latter’s eyes landed on Soleia, his footsteps hastened, all but sprinting over before squeaking to a stop.

"Sol― Princess Soleia... What happened?" Ralph asked, concern coloring his eyes in a way that caused Orion’s jaw to tick. He stamped it down, knowing this wasn’t the time to bring up his petty jealousy and suspicions.

"King Godwin has refused to bring a royal physician to Soleia," Orion said. "That’s all I know."

Ralph’s eyes snapped up from Soleia’s unconscious form to Orion’s, his eyebrows furrowed just the slightest.

"What?" Orion asked.

Ralph merely shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "Come, I know the way to the infirmary."

Orion nodded, and the two men traveled in silence. They reached the infirmary in the matter of minutes, but when they finally arrived at the door, it was locked shut.

Ralph knocked, raising his voice as he said, "Is anyone there? Princess Soleia requires urgent medical attention."

There was no response.

Rafael pressed his ear against the door. He could faintly hear the sound of furniture knocking into walls, or the sound of hushed murmurs which he couldn’t detect the exact words of. However, those were clear enough signs to prove that there was indeed someone in there.

Likewise, Orion had the same guess. He frowned, stepping forward. However, instead of patiently knocking, he kicked one foot forward without warning, easily blowing the wooden door off its hinges.

The people inside screamed the moment the door was blown down, revealing the two men who stood at its doorway, a woman in one of their arms. They wore matching glares, their expressions murderous as they glanced at all the physicians who were crowded in here.

"Duke Elsher, Sir Ralph―"

One of the physicians stepped forward, but he was entirely ignored by Orion, who strode in as though he owned the place. He crossed the room and placed Soleia on one of the beds.

Rafael, on the other hand, wore a patient smile. However, his tone was anything but patient.

"Princess Soleia requires medical attention," he repeated, his voice coated with a thick layer of venom. "Please see to it that she is alright."

"With all due respect, Sir Ralph, we have been given strict instructions that we must obey," another physician said, standing up so abruptly that the legs of the chair scraped against the floor. "If we don’t, our heads will roll, and frankly, that is too much a cost to bear!"

"Then allow me to put it this way," Rafael said.

His eyes landed on the vial of blood on the table. The physicians seemed to have been studying it before he and Orion so rudely intruded, but that vial served as the perfect weapon.

With a wave of his hand, the blood was quickly summoned over to where Rafael stood, solidifying itself until it formed a rapier in his hands. He raised it, pointing it straight at the throat of the first man who came forward to speak with them when they entered.

"Either you heal the Princess, or I will relieve your heads before the King even finds out that the Princess is lying here in the infirmary." Rafael smiled. "I am very open to showcasing how sharp blood can be."

"See to the Princess," the man who Ralph pointed at said, causing the other physician’s eyes to widen.

"Sven!"

"Do it, Neville, or we both die," Sven said, grimacing impatiently when Ralph moved the blade a little closer to his skin. A whimper left his lips.

Seeing his colleague pinned down in such dire straits, Neville had no choice. He quickly approached the bed and grabbed his medical equipment, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.

Neville looked at the Duke, whose face had turned as dark as charcoal as he stared at his wife. What happened to all the rumors about the cold Duke loathing his wife so much that he couldn’t wait to marry another? This didn’t seem like a man who was filled with hatred for the Princess!

"Y-Your Grace," Neville said, his voice shaking due to his nervousness. "Can you briefly describe what symptoms Her Highness has? Or anything out of the ordinary that has happened before she lost her consciousness?"

"She was already barely awake when I saw her earlier," Orion snapped. "I was only told that she was ill."

"Did she come into contact with anything out of the ordinary?" Neville continued to ask as he fished for his equipment. "Any plants? Or crystals?"

Orion furrowed his eyebrows. "She was... oddly interested in my blood."

At his words, Rafael turned his attention to Orion, his head swiveling so quickly that it could’ve snapped his neck. His eyes widened even further when he heard his next words.

"Her earrings," Orion said as he thought back hard. He hesitated, as though not believing the words that were leaving his lips. "They... They were glowing."