"His highness is waiting inside," the head butler explained as he ushered Aldrec forward with a lack of urgency that did not match the intense letter sent to the church. The slow saunter more focused on preserving the clean tile of the floor than the prince's 'failing health' had given Aldrec suspicions. He kept these to himself, however, as he followed behind the butler. He was not about to get imprisoned for defamation of a royal. Instead his gaze focused on the palace unfolding before him down the hallway. Columns climbed up the walls as the ceiling opened up higher to welcome Aldrec deeper inside. Tall ceilings always made Aldrec feel at home. They made him feel small, insignificant and about to be swallowed whole. The archways snaked off into identical halls on either side of him every tenth or so step that only the most seasoned workers could tell the miniscule differences of. Aldrec mused that he could never work in such a place internally before being slapped with the reality that people often got lost in his own highly confusing church. Beauty was symmetry and symmetry erased distinguishing features that pricked easy remembrance in the brain.
The butler's pace never altered even as they climbed the stairs towards the landing, the palace designer must have put care into the perfect slope to make the steps comfortable to walk up. It was something that bothered Aldrec before, but now he wished the steep church steps back home were not so jarring. Royalty truly made luxury out of the smallest things, things that did not even seem like they needed to be improved upon. As they continued the glamorously barren halls sprung to life with servants decorating each archway. Finally the butler stopped in front of a dark wooden door that looked the same as all the rest. Upon further inspection small flowers were carved into the corners of the wood and traveled down the sides to form a rectangle. A slight sense of excitement bubbled up inside Aldrec. He had never seen royalty in person before so he had no idea what to expect. Only portraits or ideal versions of the royal family had ever made its way into his hands so the irritation and exhaustion caused from his long travel subsided in favor of curiosity. The butler turned the porcelain looking knob and stepped aside to let Aldrec enter. Inside were long wooden tables that laid across under the windows and a single bed with comfortable looking pillows. Books with thousands of papers sticking out of it were stacked haphazardly along the tables alongside rows of medical devices that were foreign to Aldrec. An older gentleman with a kind face and tired eyes was sitting on a cushioned chair holding a book. He looked up after hearing the door open, a bit startled due to the sudden entry, but eased upon seeing the man in church robes.
"Ah, the blessed one?" The man stood and wiped his hands briefly on his sides before holding his hand out for Aldrec to shake.
"I'm called that, yes. Are you the crown prince?" Aldrec replied bluntly, wanting to get the healing over as soon as possible. Aldrec felt that this man looked nothing like the royalty he had seen before in images, but he was the only one in the room so he had to ask. Their hands met in a brief shake as the man laughed a bit.
"I wish!" The older man responded, about to introduce himself, but the butler beat him to it.
"This is his highness' physician, Dr. Henry. He's an accomplished doctor from one of the best medical schools in the country" The butler said as he fluffed up Dr. Henry's ego.
The pride was clear in Dr. Henry's straightened spine and expanded chest. Aldrec wondered why he needed to be dragged there if the doctor was so acclaimed, but he had already figured it must not be a normal illness. He was used to treating a wide range of severity that usually leaned towards the more life threatening. Although his power seemed unlimited, he felt better not wasting his time with colds when he could be curing blindness. It would stand to reason that the prince, who had access to the best doctors in the country including him, would only call upon the blessed one from the church if he was on his deathbed. However there was no sign of any dying man in the room unless you counted Dr. Henry.
Did he already turn to dust? Aldrec mused to himself, glancing around for signs of an urn. The butler didn't bother as he already had a suspicion of where the prince had gone.
He held in the urge to sigh, "and his highness is…"
"Out. He saw something outside and well…" Dr. Henry continued, not bothering to hide his sigh as he turned to look at the window.
"I'm sorry? Out?" Aldrec was beyond confused and approached the window the doctor was gazing somberly at. He opened it with one swift motion and peered down to see a young man. However this man was at least ten feet off the ground, almost level with the height of the window, and hanging off a large branch of a tree. Upon looking back at the doctor and butler, both nodded with solemn acceptance.
"You know I tried to stop him! He's just so quick and he hardly listens to my recommendations of staying in bed," The doctor cried, attempting to redirect the butler's disapproving stare off of him.
The butler found Dr. Henry was useless and approached the window himself to call out, "Your highness! The blessed priest from the church is here!"
The young man looked up once he heard the butler's voice and a clearer view of his face was presented. He had a chiseled face with skin that clung to his cheekbones. The fluffy brown hair that framed his face swooped in a multitude of directions without looking messy somehow. Perhaps his face allowed any hairstyle to look purposefully handsome by default. His soft eyes met with the butler's and crinkled lightly as a smile spread like butter across his face. He was not similar to his depictions that made him out to be a strong chinned and domineering. Instead he seemed soft and pure, joyful and possibly a bit naive. Aldrec was slightly surprised and taken aback with a bit of awe.
The prince's gently commanding tone rose up to the window as the wind carried it, "I'll be there in a moment, keep him entertained for me."
The butler was in no position to argue and keeping a twenty-four man entertained did not seem all that different than babysitting the twenty-six year old prince. He had expected that being the right hand to young royals would lead to this kind of behavior, but who knew that it would only get worse after twenty years of working in the palace? Disappointment and even confusion towards the prince's antics had long been replaced with reluctant acceptance. It was the same fate of anyone who worked in the palace and the process was already walking Aldrec through the steps.
Starting with annoyance. Aldrec was now fuming underneath his indifferent gaze. Of course it would be like this, why did he expect that the crown prince would have any concern for his schedule? Not to mention this 'deadly ill' prince who needed 'urgent care and attention', as the frantically written letter to the church stated, appeared to be the spitting image of health. Was there not a perfectly good doctor hired from one of the best medical schools standing in that very room? Aldrec wasn't certain he could hold his tongue if the prince's illness turned out to be a paper cut or the like.
Perhaps he has a condition that affects his common sense.
Despite these bubbles of anger that popped in Aldrec's mind, his annoyance was not as deep as he felt it should have been. Perhaps it was because of the charming manner in which the prince smiled. Either that or he was saving space to be even more irritated when the prince finally scaled down from the tree. Royalty was only a title, sure it was one bestowed to them through God, but they were not the only ones blessed. Aldrec had been touched by God's hands as well. That was the reason he had arrived at the palace in the first place, but it seemed unnecessary after seeing the state the prince was in. However it was far too late to refuse the summons, as if someone like him could even do so. He might be God's envoy, but maintaining the crown and church's air of peace was important. Not to mention he was hardly a high ranking member of the church and used more like a tool by those with ideas of grandeur. How was healing a prince who probably got a runny nose and overexaggerated any different?
While Aldrec was waiting for the reason he came here to climb down a tree, the doctor and butler did their best to keep him occupied and "entertained" with anecdotes about the weather or the odd medical fact. Their best efforts were overshadowed by the far more interesting event happening outside the window. Watching the prince slide across one branch like a sloth to reach something that was hidden in the leaves stole Aldrec's eye every few seconds. The prince's hand slipped and gravity took it. His chest banged against the branch and stopped the rest of him from falling, the sound causing whatever was in the leaves to rustle deeper into them. Thankfully he did not splatter onto the grass, but it only appeared to be a matter of time.
If he didn't need a healer before, Heaven knows he'll need one soon. What is he trying to do exactly? If he lost something in the tree, couldn't he just order someone to get it for him? Aldrec thought as he now moved to lean on the edge of the window, watching in slight amusement. He had moved through the process quickly and jumped over confusion straight into intrigue. Deep down he could feel himself rooting for the prince to get whatever it was and return quickly, he wanted to meet this odd man. The butler and doctor were left to chat awkwardly among themselves about napkins.
"Yeah I prefer the cloth ones…" The doctor said as he glanced at Aldrec who was now completely tuned out.
"Truly cloth is superior, ahem…" The butler did the same, not realizing how difficult it would be to connect with a man he had never met before. It did not help that said man was currently having a rush of emotions debating with each other to get a firm foothold in Aldrec's heart. When the prince was some sick enigma that Aldrec had never met before it was easy to boil his emotions to sympathy and irritation after being jammed in a carriage for so long. Now that he had actually seen the prince, up and active, the sympathy morphed into more irritation but an odd sense of amusement began to stir. How often does one see a prince stuck in a tree?
Finally the adventurous prince reached the edge of the branch and he leaned forward quickly to grab something with both hands. He straddled the branch with his legs in order to not take a ten foot dive and dug through the bunches of leaves on the end. Aldrec could faintly hear him cooing to whatever was nestled in the brush with a soft voice.
"Come here…it's alright," The prince said gently before lifting up a small animal from the leaves. Aldrec inched over the edge of the window and squinted to make out what appeared to be a brown kitten. Aldrec's eyes softened a bit.
At least his idiocracy was for something beneficial…even though he probably should have asked someone with a ladder. Aldrec moved away from the window, assuming the prince would arrive soon after watching him scoot backwards while cradling the kitten. Aldrec wanted to explain what transpired to the butler and doctor, but their conversation about napkins had now become a passionate feud. Aldrec attempted to interrupt in order to explain the prince's motivations and imminent arrival on multiple occasions. However it seemed that neither of them were willing to abandon the argument.
"The easiest way is to just fold it in half twice and call it a day! Why make it all fancy when it's just going to be undone?" Dr. Henry found himself defending.
The butler chuckled to himself with an incredulous look, "Easiest isn't best. Presentation is key and with all due respect Dr. Henry, if that's your problem, why heal a patient if they're just going to be sick again?"
"That's obviously different! How could you compare human life to a napkin–"
"Excuse me gentlemen, the prince has been standing in the doorway for five minutes now." Aldrec couldn't let them spiral any further into the ethics of napkin folding.
The prince smiled from the doorway as he greeted everyone. The butler rushed to swing the already open door wider and bowed down a bit, "Please come in your highness…and disregard anything you just heard."
The prince entered, the cat he retrieved from the tree still in his arms. Aldrec's eyes trailed down to the thing and he cleared his throat lightly, "Well then, I'm the healer from the church your highness."
The prince gave one of his signature blinding smiles, but this time it was up close and so it left Aldrec a bit stunned. From a distance the impact of such a princely smile was dampened and Aldrec couldn't appreciate the years of craftsmanship it had taken to perfect such an expression. He was so flustered in the moment that he did not notice the prince hand the cat off to the butler in order to extend his hand for a shake, "A pleasure to meet you, I'm Rolonga. Thank you for coming here on such short notice."
Aldrec took his hand, snapping out of it as his mind caught up. His eyes widened at the sudden disappearance of the cat. His eyes jumped around until they landed on the butler blankly holding a very confused kitten. So his hand relaxed in Rolonga's and allowed him to take in its features. He noted the difference between Prince Rolonga's hand and Dr. Henry's. Obviously one would be softer and more dainty, Aldrec just didn't expect that Dr. Henry's would be the delicate one. For some reason Prince Rolonga's hand was calloused thoroughly and suggested some kind of sword training. Aldrec had met countless knights that passed through the church to get blessed before venturing further into the forests. Their hands strengthened at certain spots to carry out their duties and it was evident Rolonga had a similar regiment at some point in his life. However, looking at the prince's thin frame, it was difficult to believe he could even lift a sword. It probably aided in his scaling of the tree at least. Their hands slid apart after a short moment and left a lingering sensation of the hard callouses gently pressing against Aldrec's palm.
"Ahem, please take a seat your highness so I could heal you." Aldrec said softly as he motioned towards the bed in the center of the room. It would be best if the prince rested if he was really injured in any sense, especially after overexerting himself by climbing a tree.
Rolonga didn't argue and sat on the edge of the bed before easing comfortably into it as if he had done so dozens of times. Aldrec pulled the chair next to the bed closer to Rolonga before sitting in it himself and extending his hand once more. The healing was more effective with physical touch and hand holding was always the easiest method. Although if he really needed to, he could heal another person through a prolonged hug or poke. The intensity of the touch did not matter in any regard and those around the healing process would get a faint sense of the power as well. Aldrec had explained this to the butler on the way up to the doctor's office. He did not want to be scorned and possibly imprisoned for attempting unsolicited contact with the prince. Everyone in the palace was hyper aware of any actions towards the heir to the crown for good reason. Assassination attempts towards the royal family were rare but not unheard of, but kidnapping was also a concern. Rolonga had no apprehensions to holding Aldrec's hand despite not hearing the explanation as to why. Just as Aldrec was about to explain, Rolonga took hold of the outstretched hand with amusement. Aldrec was certainly surprised, but he continued with the healing process nonetheless.
"I will start now, your highness, so just relax. It shouldn't hurt," It was Aldrec's usual explanation in order to calm those he healed for the first time or children who needed extra affirmation. He was not wrong though, from what everyone said and what he experienced himself when healing his wounds, it never hurt.
"Ah yes thank you. I have a few scraps from scaling the tree, will you heal those as well?" Rolonga asked playfully as he couldn't help himself from swaying Aldrec's hand slightly back and forth.
Aldrec didn't seem amused, but found himself answering Rolonga's question and asking his own, "If they're deep enough. Pardon me for asking your highness but why did you scale the tree in the first place? If you wanted to help the cat down, wouldn't it have been better to ask the gardener or someone else?"
"Ah, that's a good idea." Rolonga looked embarrassed for a moment before laughing at himself, "I just wanted to get the thing down as quickly as possible so I didn't think of that! My younger brother likes cats, you know? There have been a lot getting stuck in our trees lately because the leaves smell good to them in the springtime."
So you're just an idiot. Aldrec found himself sighing as the prince continued chattering about off topic things. It was as if he opened a new door to thirty other subjects with every word. It was impressive frankly at how much the prince could fit into a single sentence. Eventually Aldrec was able to intervene in the middle of the pandora's box he opened that was flowing out of Rolonga's mouth.
"I'll begin the healing now." Before Rolonga could say anything else, Aldrec hurriedly began.
The action of healing others was muscle memory by now for Aldrec as it was his job and hobby. Deep in the center of his chest Aldrec unfurled a thread from a neverending stool. He closed his eyes in order to guide it towards his hand. The one thread divided into five and flowed through each of his fingers towards Rolonga's calloused hands. That was one of the only things his power could not fix, scars and skin layered over itself to thicken up. Although he could heal cuts while they were still bleeding, he couldn't undo the damage they did when healed. Permanent features of the skin were impossible for him since his healing often bypassed it to fix the internal affiliations. Which was exactly what was happening at this moment as the threads extended into Rolonga's hand and branched throughout his body. Since Aldrec was not sure what exactly the problem was he decided to heal every part he could. Rolonga's callouses pressed harder against Aldrec's palm. Aldrec opened his eyes for a moment to check Rolonga's condition. The threads stalled their spread and stilled in Rolonga's torso.
"Is everything alright? Would you like me to stop, your highness?" Aldrec was so frazzled he almost forgot to add the mandatory 'your highness' at the end of his sentence. Rolonga appeared to be in pain which raised a lot of concerns. Why would his healing suddenly hurt someone and would they throw him in prison if he hurt the prince instead of healing him? Rolonga quelled his frantic spiraling by easing his hand's grip and smiling once again. The famous smile that wiped Aldrec's mind of any thoughts for a moment.
"I'm perfectly fine. Apologies, I was merely startled by how your healing felt. Please continue." Rolonga said gently.
The healing finished without any other hiccups and Aldrec withdrew his hand. The threads coming with him and furling back up into his chest to be forgotten until he needed them again. Rolonga relaxed against the bed and let out a soft sigh that carried relief. Silence filled the room as Aldrec waited to be dismissed to begin the journey back home. It would take more than three days to reach the largest church in the country, which was where Aldrec had a permanent residence since he was thirteen years old.
In the past, when the country Lesteria was first forming, the church had control and the leaders guided purely by their faith. That was until conflict formed over a gold mine. The leaders wanted to use it to craft statues and give the gold up to their God. Some of the others wanted to use it to trade with other countries. This rift only grew between the two groups and prompted those who favored trade to move away from the church and create their own town. Trading with other countries boosted their economy rapidly, which allowed an influx of new people. Soon enough the man who led the town's descendants gained power over more and more people. The town ballooned into a kingdom over the course of thousands of years and swallowed the church's growing area into itself in order to keep the peace. Lesteria's national religion was set and the two powerhouses did not need to slit each other's throats. The distance between the largest church and the country's capital was seeped in conflict that still bled into many of the current day decisions made by the king. It was best not to upset the church and it was also best not to upset the king. So formed the precarious balance of power hidden under the gale of friendship. History only seemed to repeat itself as Aldrec found himself sitting awkwardly, not wanting to get the prince angered and have a religious conflict pinned on him.
"So you feel better?" Aldrec pressed lightly, hoping the prince would give him the right of way to leave.
"I've never felt so good in my life. Your hands are magic," Rolonga finally regained himself and sat up lightly.
"It's not magic, but the power of God. If you are all healed I'd best be going. I'm sure you're busy, your highness." Aldrec said with fake politeness. Sure the prince had gained his interest, but he still felt coming here was a waste of time. Rolonga seemed reluctant to let Aldrec leave so quickly but did not want to deny him anything at the moment.
"Of course, thank you for coming out here," Rolonga stood up, nearly stumbling a bit as he did before catching himself on the bedpost. He smiled a bit brighter as he stepped forwards, "I'll escort you to the door at least."
The butler was not surprised by the lack of formality the prince had, but it was within his job description to attempt to dissuade him, "No, your highness, allow me. Please relax some more."
Rolonga seemed ready to ignore the butler's words and do what he wanted anyway until his eyes locked on the doorway. He forgot Aldrec, patting his shoulder gently before greeting those behind him. Aldrec was curious as well as the doctor so both turned to see two elegantly dressed figures filling the doorway. The pair, a mother and son, entered the room with indifference coldly etching itself onto their faces. The mother's face softened as she looked upon Rolonga.
"My dear, how are you feeling?" She asked sweetly, lowering the inky black fan that covered her mouth. If it was clear by not only her posture and excessively bejeweled garments, then her signature accessory would have given away that this was the queen. The fan had accompanied her to every event since she was first brought into the palace and its delicate golden detailing inscribed on the sides spoke to its authenticity. Black fans had become a new trend once she had been seen with one countless times and it was hard to find a lady of any standing without at least three fans of the familiar black hue.
"Just fine, mother. The blessed one from the church has just finished his healing," Rolonga beamed with a smile.
"Ah, the famous Aldrec…and do you feel as if it has worked?" She asked, tilting her head downwards lightly to examine Rolonga's condition better.
"I do indeed feel that it has worked marvelously." Rolonga's speech, which was already quite dignified before, only grew in layers of extravagance as he spoke to his proper mother. She had high standards that she inflicted upon him once she arrived into the palace. However no one could deny that she did it out of love.
The man, who stood beside the queen and entered alongside her, gazed down at Rolonga sharply. He was such a mirror image of the queen that Aldrec had almost guessed they were siblings. The dark hair that flowed down the queen's back in a simple style due to her being free of many duties that evening matched the man's hue. Their eyes shared a similar shape as both were slightly upturned at the end. It was completely different to Rolonga's gently shaped eyes that rounded at the ends. Although both Rolonga and the man had brown eyes, Rolonga's were a light chestnut that almost glowed in the light, while the man's were so dark they bordered on black. The only obvious difference, aside from the genders of the two, was the beauty mark resting under the man's right eye. Of course their ages were different as well. It was clear though that the queen was far older. Despite her latest gowns and the new products from foreign lands doing their best to keep her old beauty alive, the queen was clearly middle aged. The man on the other hand looked only a bit older than Rolonga and Aldrec. Not to mention the queen only had sisters. Aldrec had finally deduced who this striking man could be after a few moments of deliberation. This man was the prince's younger brother, the second prince Talan.
He certainly doesn't look like a man who appreciates a cute feline. Aldrec found himself commenting internally as he stared at the hulking man. A tiger or lion seemed to make more sense, not the small kitten that Rolonga pulled from the tree. Alas the kitten was handed off into the silent, and frankly ginormous, man's hands. They dwarfed the kitten and Aldrec feared for its safety. Talan looked like he was about to crush it rather than care for it. Hopefully he would give it off to a servant to look after it or something along those lines.
"I was just about to escort Aldrec out," Rolonga said after motioning the butler to hand the kitten to Talan. His mother shook her head.
"Hardly! Come now, that's Edwick's job. You need to rest more, let us help you to your room," The queen lightly took Rolonga's hand. He faltered and nodded, not wanting to upset her and allowed the butler to take Aldrec away.
So that's the butler's name. Aldrec noted. No one had introduced him and he found it odd to ask after all that time so it was good someone else had said it. Edwick motioned for him to follow back the way they came.
As Aldrec passed the three royals, internally grateful to be returning home with the intention of not returning for a good while, Talan glanced at him and glared with his deep set eyes. A shadow slid over Talan's face as he tilted his head away from the light to look closer at Aldrec.The ominous gaze prompted Aldrec to avert his own towards the ground. He hurried out only faster behind Edwick with slight confusion and fear coursing through him. As he finally made it outside, where he wanted to escape ever since he stepped inside the palace, Aldrec glanced at the castle one last time. Inside housed the fleeting memories he had with royalty. Such a grand lifestyle was above him and Aldrec wanted nothing more than to return to his quaint room back in the church. Finally settled in the carriage, he watched as the castle disappeared further away until the sky was a deep blue and sprinkled with stars. The moon lit up the carriage's slow crawl through the paths. One coachman was in a deep slumber beside another who was fighting back the urge to close his own eyes. This lone rider was only comforted by the fact that in four hours their positions would be switched. Aldrec wasn't very strong and despite wanting to look at the stars from his window, sleep began to take hold of his tired body. He had been traveling for three days, only to heal an odd prince for twenty minutes at most and return on the road once again. For some reason as his mind drifted, Aldrec was reminded of the days he would have never dared dream of seeing a castle or living in a room all to himself. When he was riddled with illness alongside his many siblings and parents while praying to deaf ears. At least they were deaf until Aldrec somehow pried them open one winter's night and ripped a piece of God's glory for himself.