260 SHE IS AN ALLY

"Please don't move much, Father." Princess Ara furrowed her eyebrows as she saw King Artair wincing in pain. 

"Why is he feeling the pain? Don't you have numbing herbs?" 

Her glaring eyes darted to Zoe, who was assisting King Artair so he can be comfortable while talking to her daughters that he hasn't met for a long time. 

"Ara, don't be harsh to her. She is an ally." King Artair halted Princess Ara from making any more demeaning comments.

"Forgive me, your Majesty." Princess Ara stepped backward and bowed to the King. But her jaws were still clenched.

"It's all right, your Majesty. I know she is just concerned about your welfare." Zoe replied with an understanding smile, making Princess Ara's face soften somehow.

"Don't worry, your Highnesses. He was slowly being weaned off from numbing medications so he would  be conscious enough to exercise his lungs for proper ventilation. It will be a bigger problem if he would acquire pneumonia or - "

She was about to continue on explaining when Princess Taia interfered with wide eyes. "Pneu-mo-nia? What's that?"

Raigon put his arms around Princess Taia as he smiled. "Let the doctor do her job, Princesses. Forgive my sisters, Lady Asha. It's the first time for our family to acquire a disease."

He then stopped as his eyes quickly darted to the King. Fortunately, the King didn't take it to heart at all.

Zoe chuckled lightly as she bowed down to them. "It's all right, your Highness. Your sisters are very adorable."

"Do you also have a sister? She must be as pretty as you too." Princess Taia put both her dainty hands on her face as she inquired. 

Zoe's lips curled up into a bittersweet smile. "No, your Highness. I am the only daughter of my parents."

"Oh, that's still great!" Princess Taia let out an awkward smile while both her eyebrows shot up as she thought of a way to make her happy. 

"It means you have all your parents' attention on you. Sometimes, it's hard when you have to compete with your brothers and sisters for their love." 

She told her as a matter of factly as she nodded her head. She even waved her forefinger as if teaching her new information about family affairs.

Zoe bit her upper lip and looked down as she recalled her parents and how they met their unfortunate death because of her.

Sensing her shift of emotions, King Artair spoke up and deviated the topic instead. "You don't have to compete with your siblings, Taia. You know I love you all."

Princess Taia grinned from ear to ear and lay her head on the King's shoulder.

"I know. Why don't you all go out on a picnic somewhere? You don't always get the chance to be with each other in the past few months. You can take Lady Asha with you."

In a flash of lightning, Zoe raised her hands and waved them as if telling them to exclude her from them.

"I apologize, your Majesty. But I refuse. I am here to take care of you."

Princess Ara raised an eyebrow at what she thinks is a fake concern. "She's right. And how could we have fun knowing that you are in this condition, Father?"

Princess Taia clamped her lips and looked down. She was really eager to go outdoors with her family.

As if luck was on her side, the King insisted the idea to them. 

"It will only be half a day. You can bring me some games that you could cook so I could quickly regain my vigor."

"I know a new recipe for game birds using Polenta! You're going to love it, Father. I made it once and my mentor loves it." 

Princess Aia rubbed her palms as she was excited to do it and make her father proud of her.

"Lady Asha and I could hunt the game birds. If you don't know, Lady Asha is also very good with arrows. I saw her split another arrow in two."

"Whoa! Is that true, Lady Asha? I would love to see that!" Princess Taia's round eyes widened as big as the early morning sun.

"I can also do that. Even twice." Princess Ara crossed her arms and tilted her chin.

"Let's have a contest then!" Princess Taia clapped her hands in glee.

Zoe's cheeks were stretched but her smile didn't reach her eyes.

"Forgive me, your Highnesses. But I think I need to stay. I will probably join you next time."

She bowed with an apologetic smile. Then she glanced over the King before standing up to monitor his pulse and airway breathing. 

Princess Taia's shoulders dropped while Princess Ara shrugged. 

Raigon gazed at Zoe and nodded as he understood why she was feeling that way. He has seen her sacrifice her own health for someone else's a lot of times. 

After she was done checking his health, King Artair gaze at Zoe with his kind fatherly eyes.

"If my health concerns you, Physician Sheng Tun could accompany me for the few hours that you would be absent. This is my order as the King."

Zoe was taken aback as the King used his authority already to convince her to come. She quickly bowed to her feet and answered in a definite voice which she hoped covered her shaking resolve.

Up until that point, she still wasn't accustomed to serving the King of this fantasy land.

"Yes, your Majesty. I am at your command."

She secretly wished that Physician Sheng Tun would do his job properly. But then, she was also secretly glad to spend some fun time with the other members of Raigon's family. Even though Princess Ara doesn't seem to like her. 

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"There is no such thing as a "broken family." Family is family, and is not determined by marriage certificates, divorce papers, and adoption documents. Families are made in the heart. The only time family becomes null is when those ties in the heart are cut. If you cut those ties, those people are not your family. If you make those ties, those people are your family. And if you hate those ties, those people will still be your family because whatever you hate will always be with you."

― C. JoyBell C.