147 A SPREADING DISEASE

Raigon was about to go to the Royal Infirmary as he bolted out of his Royal Chamber when Queen Rose surprised him as she stood at the door and was about to go inside.

"Your Majesty," he bowed down to her to address her presence.

Queen Rose's hand immediately flew to his forehead and then to his neck.

"Is everything fine, your Highness? I heard you went home late last night. It's just your first time to get out of the Castle. And now you're leaving again? Did you take your medicines?"

Queen Rose ranted on as the mother that she is.

Raigon held her hand gently and smiled at her. "There's no need to get worked up, your Majesty. Your son is a very strong man. He can take care of himself."

Queen Rose went to his table and looked for his medicines. She then placed it in a bag and gave it to him.

"Make sure that you drink this on time. Where is Azra? I told him to never leave your side."

Azra cleared his throat. "I am here, your Majesty."

Azra has been waiting outside the royal chamber since early morning. The Queen just didn't notice him as she dashed to her son's room as soon as she knew that he had awoken from his deep slumber.

"By the way, I have a favor to ask, your Majesty." Raigon exclaimed as Queen Rose looked for his water pouch and asked the chambermaid to fill it in.

"Yes, your Highness?" 

"Please boil all our drinking water and command the kitchen servants to wash their hands properly when peeling and preparing our food."

Queen Rose folded her arms and muttered. "Why, is there a problem with our sanitation?"

"I am still working them out. But you don't need to stress yourself, your Majesty. I can handle it."

Queen Rose beamed at her son who was now being accountable to their City. 

"Just don't work too much or your sickness might relapse again."

Raigon bowed and left with Azra.

"Did you finish your errand last night?" Raigon asked Azra as they walked toward the Royal Infirmary.

Azra gulped before answering. "Yes, your Highness."

He had spent the night at the old cabin with Erin and Gao Zemin. Fortunately, Erin's knee went back to normal and she was able to serve them dinner. 

But she didn't let him leave since she said that there might be royal guard looking over for her. Gao Zemin also stayed for the night, guarding him, thinking that he had malicious intentions against her. 

With the two protective men, guarding her, he doubted it if anyone would try to come and harm her.

He has a good report for Lady Zoe.

"If I may ask, where is Lady Zo - Asha, your Highness?"

Raigon didn't notice the mix up as he answered nonchalantly. "In the dungeons."

Azra almost stopped in his tracks as he heard his response. 

'Should I just accompany them last night?'

"Don't brood. She's on the top floor." 

Raigon calmed him as he finally stopped in the Royal Infirmary area.

"Greetings, your Highness."

The physicians greeted him as he walked inside. As they passed by, he noticed that there were more physicians unlike his last visit.

He went straight to the room of his attending physician who welcomed him and checked him up.

"You are recovering nicely, your Highness. Are you still having headache episodes?"

"Yes. It happens whenever I try to bring back my memories. Can I stop taking the medicines that make me fail to remember?"

"I'm afraid not, your Highness. They are the only reason now why you can walk and talk right here. But if you will stop taking them your body might go into a vegetative state again."

Raigon drew in a deep breath. It seemed like he had to endure this amnesiac stage for longer than he expected.

"How long must I take it then?" 

His physician paused for a moment before answering. 

"A good indicator would be when your past memories came flashing through your mind but you don't get headaches with it. Your body must have been in a good state to adapt to stress."

"That is reasonable enough. Thank you, my lord. By the way, I have noticed that there are a lot more physicians here than the last time."

At the speed of light, his attending physician knelt down and bowed to Raigon with his head to the ground.

"Punish me, your Highness. I do not deserve to live."

"What is the meaning of this?!"

Raigon immediately stood up.

"I should have come to you as soon as those physicians from the provinces came here."

"From the provinces? Why are they here? Since when?"

His attending physician tried to explain the situation to him.

"They just came here yesterday, sire. They said that they were called by Duke Andras as there weren't enough physicians to treat the affluent families here in the Capital. "

Raigon peeked at the new physicians from the window.

It seemed like they were not really busy and were just loitering around and enjoying the view of the Royal Infirmary.

"What would they need a lot of physicians for?"

"There has been rumors that a disease is spreading in the provinces, your Highness."

In a fraction of a second, Raigon swiveled back to the physician. 

"That cannot be. What kind of sickness is that?"

"The physicians from the provinces said that the people suddenly vomited profusely without warning and they were also having diarrhea."

Raigon's eyes widened in disbelief. 'This was the same case in the dungeon!"

"It is the sick who needs a doctor, not the well!"

Raigon stormed out of the room followed by Azra.

"Get back to the provinces!" His voice bellowed throughout the gardens.

The provincial physicians pivoted to look at him but didn't move from their position. 

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The excellence of a doctor is not measured by the size of his expertise

But by the size of his heart.