"Close the doors, do not let anyone in. Prevent the news from getting out."
He immediately ordered at the moment he entered the chamber, seeing the emperor lying on the bed.
"Y-yes, Your Highness."
How could the emperor collapse like this, was he hiding the pain? Was that why he always stays inside the study room?
He didn't notice that he was already biting the nail of his thumb, he always had that habit whenever he was anxious.
It would cause an uproar if the people of the empire heard about the emperor being bedridden. The news cannot get out until he gets better.
The Imperial head butler entered the chamber, he was the one attending to the emperor when he collapsed. Seeing that he had just arrived, he must have already reported it to the empress.
Lucian just let it be, it was impossible for what happened to not reach her ears anyway.
He sighed, "Henry, get the imperial family's physician."
"He is on his way, Your Highness."
Lucian walked towards the bed and stood beside the bedridden emperor. He held his hand, "Father..."
The maid who was older than most maids, almost teared up at the sight of the two people she has been serving for so long. She saw how much the Emperor loved his son. For her to witness sorrow in the prince's eyes as he watch his weak father lying on the bed, made her heart ache.
She was getting old, but so was the emperor. There was no denying the fact that the emperor has aged. Now that he is ill, it would only be faster for him to soon—No, she did not want to think of it.
Pity was all she could feel for the prince who has no one but His Majesty.
"The Imperial Physician will enter the room!" the guards announced.
The man bowed his head to Lucian, "Greetings to the Third Prince of Perisia Empire."
"Sir Vanders, please take a look at His Majesty."
"I will do my best, Your Highness."
Lucian's glances switched between Vanders and the emperor from time to time as the physician did the examination. The room was silent as they waited for his words.
How long is it going to take? Lucian bit his nail while waiting, he had become too impatient.
He became even more nervous when he noticed the change in the physician's expression. 'What's wrong? What did he find out?' he thought, worried about his father.
"Your Highness, His Majesty is indeed ill but..."
"But what?" Lucian asked all anxious.
The imperial physician looked at him and the other people surrounding them and hesitated. Lucian understood and immediately gestured to the servants, "All of you, please leave."
"Yes, Your Highness."
When it was only the two of them left, he took another step closer to Vanders, "Tell me, what is wrong?"
"His Majesty, he is...dying."
"...what?"
"It is safe to assume that he still has a few months, but I am not sure whether he will spend it awake. There are still no signs of him waking up."
Impossible. Although he had really aged, he should at least have a few more years. Lucian did not want to believe it, how could it happen so suddenly?
"What is the cause?"
"There were signs that His Majesty recently took a medicine. It did not seem to be taken only once, His Majesty must be taking the medication regularly."
"Grelda!" Lucian yelled, the doors soon opened and the old maid entered.
"Your Highness, you called for me?"
"What was the medicine that His Majesty takes regularly?"
"I do not know the name, Your Highness. But whenever he takes it, I always hear him say that it gets rid of the pain in his body." Grelda answered.
"It gets rid of the pain?"
"There was another pill, he takes it every night. His Majesty has a hard time sleeping, so he requested a pill to help him sleep."
"Who prescribes His Majesty's medication?"
The old maid glanced at the man that the prince was with, "It was Sir Vanders." she answered, which surprised Lucian and Vanders himself.
"...Thank you, you may go."
Grelda bowed and left the room, while Lucian stayed silent. After a while, he turned to Vanders, "You prescribed it?"
"I wish Your Highness would believe me if I said I did not."
Then all this time, the emperor was taking medications that were not from the Imperial Physician. Lucian clenched his fist, there was only one person who would do this.
To think that she would do something like this even to her husband. Did she finally give up her feelings to the point that she even wanted him gone?
"Medication for pain and the other for sleeping, what do you think?"
"Perhaps it indeed gets rid of the pain and helps him sleep, but that could just be a side effect of it. The medication could be intended for a different purpose."
"And the purpose?"
"It helps for a short while, making the person think that it was effective so he would want to take it even more. I suppose that in truth, it could actually make the condition worse."
Lucian stared at the emperor, "Father thought it gets rid of the pain, but it's just making his body numb and weak." he muttered under his breath upon realization.
The imperial physician nodded in silence.
"If I…bring the medication to you, will you be able to identify it?"
"I will, Your Highness."
"Then you can state the harm of taking it?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Good."
Good. He said in his mind again. If the emperor finds out about the effects of the medicine, he would never let it pass. It was evidence of harming him, he must punish whoever did it.
But it would be impossible in his state, the emperor won't wake up yet, and he only has a few months left.
The emperor has not yet crowned an heir to the throne. Sooner or later, when the emperor is gone, the empress would make her son the crown prince, and would not hesitate to get Lucian's head.
If only there was something that the emperor could take to wake up and prolong his life. Lucian's eyes slightly widened, there was!
"I must acquire the elixir of life. Even just a drop of it, even just a drop…" he whispered.
Vanders, the imperial physician, heard him despite the low voice. "That would be dangerous, Your Highness. The High Wizard has it, no one was able to take it from him! No one could even go near him without getting hurt!"
"But still, it would be worth a try!"
"Saving His Majesty's life, but giving your life in return? How is that worth it, it would all be in vain! Worse, it could cost both your lives if you fail!"
Lucian was surprised when Vanders raised his voice. Even the physician did not notice his own voice. He was not supposed to meddle with an imperial member's decision, but he could not help it since it was dangerous. After all, he was still in charge of the imperial family's health.
The prince sighed, even if he does not get the elixir, he will still lose his life if the emperor dies. So either way was dangerous. Lucian did not remove his gaze away from his father, he stared at him, thinking of what he should do.
All of the sudden, the image of his mother, Lady Beliane, lying on the bed came to his mind. She was there on the bed, unable to move. Lucian couldn't do anything but stare at her lifeless body.
"I…still want to give it a try." Lucian said to the physician.
Vanders let out a sigh, "If you say so, Your Highness. Please be safe."
The image of the concubine disappeared and the sight of the emperor unconscious returned. Back then, there was nothing he could do for his mother, but this time…there was a chance.
The emperor was only unconscious, he is not dead yet.
'I must have it.'
The Elixir of Life that is in the possession of Fang, the High Wizard of Perisia.
