Chapter 9: Problematic

“Denied. Did you not hear what the physician just said?!” Akechi urges. 

Akechi places both hands on my shoulders and pushes me back onto the bed.

“Isn’t it required for all royal progeny to take a Health and Aid course?” I asked, remembering he explained as much to me when we were kids. 

Lessons were his go-to excuse when I wanted to do something dangerously fun.

“Yeah, when they’re fifteen! I’m no doctor, JJ!” he pleads.

“Better than nothing, I'm counting on you, let’s go.” I finish tying my boots and begin to brush off the residual debris left from the day.

“Fine, I’ll agree to it. If! If and only if you stay in the infirmary for a couple of days. You’ll need to at least somewhat heal before we hop on the road to the North. I’ll also need the time to arrange some supplies for us. Money, transportation, weapons, the like. We’ll be traveling through the WarLands so we need to be prepared for anything,” he grumbles, his hand still resting on my shoulder.

“How long?” I ask, considering his suggestion.

“Three days at the very minimum, I’m a forgotten prince so I’ll have to call in a couple of favors.”

“I can help out. My followers will get me anything I ask,” Mika interjects.

“You’re coming too?” Akechi snaps.

“I thought that much was obvious, Your Highness. You two could use my resources. I will order my guards to stay behind if you are worried about being outnumbered. All pietists of the Republic must learn first aid, so I can administer it should you require it, Miss JJ,” he clarifies.

“She won’t need it,” Akechi counters immediately.

I clap my hands together to commend us on coming to a conclusion.

“Great! So two days? And I’ll be staying in my quarters, Akechi. The nurses remind me of nobility with all their questions,” I counter-propose, brushing his hand off as Phoenix squirms.

“Two days is plenty of time. Pack a bag tonight or early tomorrow, though. The efficiency of my cohorts scares even me. They may have what we need ready by the end of tomorrow,” Mika-El conveys.

“Sounds good. Good night, then,” I bid a swift farewell to the celebrities.

I smile before standing again, stumbling my way out of the sick ward to my room. Phoenix wriggles out of my grasp and soars on ahead, startling castle staff with his sudden flight. It’s been a long day, feels like a year. Northerner soldiers and monster priests in twenty-four hours? I’m beat. Akechi’s lagging behind me, no doubt to make sure I don’t pass out on the way.

The same knight from before is slumped at my room’s entrance. I should let her sleep. I swing open the door and Akechi passes through before it can shut all the way.

“Let me tie up your hair for bed,” he extends.

I nod, too tired to object as I sit on the floor. He grabs the comb and paddle brush resting on my desk before sitting behind me. Having my hair raked is more soothing than it should be, I feel my eyes getting droopy. He circle-wraps my mane and slips on my bonnet.

I think he’s telling me that he’s done or that he’s leaving, but I’m not listening at this point. I ease into bed, falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

The next morning, I’m amazed to find that I’ve slept until noon. One would think that twelve hours of sleep would leave one feeling refreshed. It does not, my usual eye bags seem to have grown darker and my hair is barely salvageable with a high ponytail. To top it all off, there’s a stress zit that has decided to colonize my left cheek; it’s gonna annoy me all day. I don’t care that much about my appearance but it can hinder my fighting capabilities if left unchecked. I pop a few pain pills in my mouth, using my dresser as a crutch as I get up.

Phoenix spent the night outside because I didn’t bother to open the window for him before I fell into my mini-coma. I believe he’s giving me the silent treatment at the moment because I haven’t heard him squawk once this last half-hour. 

Maybe it's the fact that we’re going to see Boss after this. In the short time that I’ve known Phoe, I’ve concluded that he absolutely loathes Boss. I’m not surprised because Boss despises Phoenix as well. Having his gem altered to suit my optical enhancement isn’t harmful to him but her constant prodding must be exhausting. On the other hand, Boss sees him as a forever-failing experiment; recently, every time I come to her, it’s about Phoenix, and working on us as a project prevents her from moving on to new designs. 

I don’t mind, though. All things considered, I think ‘Familiar’ is one of her better inventions; he doesn’t hurt me or slow me down to the point where I can’t kill. And he makes for good company.

I spot the knight when I exit my room. She’s fully awake, eyes baring hard into the wall in front of her until she sees me. I start before she can speak.

“Sorry about yesterday. His Highness took another route into my room. There’s no way you could’ve noticed him,” I bow, the guilt prickling my mind. 

I couldn’t care less about her spreading rumors about a thirteenth prince and me with this information. It’ll just be one more spike in the bushel of never-ending thorns in my side.

“No! You needn’t apologize, m’lady. I should have been more on my guard. Then, I would have noticed His Highness’ clamor before you had to,” she returns the bow. 

If you say that, it’ll only make me feel worse, you know. 

I pat her shoulder twice with the arm not holding Phoenix, praising her good work before moving on. That’s one thing checked off today’s To-Do list.

I doubt Boss will be in her room at this time of day so I head straight for her lab a couple of doors away. 

I jerk open the door to Boss’s workspace and see a hand. 

Just a hand. 

No arm or wires are connected to it as lays palm down on Boss’ lab table. I am believing it’s a scarily good-looking prosthetic when the hand moves. I gasp, almost digging my nails into Phoenix from the shock. 

Oh, hell no. I bolt deeper into the laboratory hopping over centrifuges and knocking over test tubes. I discover Boss at the back of her workshop, glued to a microscope with what I presume to be Topaz underneath. I know her official olive cloak of the Royal Crafter hasn’t been washed in a couple of days due to the amount of lent and dead skin that has caked up on its edges. 

Disgusting. 

I also know that she knows that I’m panting beside her but she doesn’t even look up from her material.

“Ever heard of dry cleaners?” I scorn, irked by her intentional disregard.

“You’re one to talk. Your clothes are so full of feathers, I thought it was one of your rebellious fashion statements,” she refutes without batting an eye.

“What’s with the hand?” I ask, wanting to move on from such trivial topics now that I don’t have a comeback.

“A new invention, I call it ‘HelpingLend’. Should be more useful to you than that damned bird.” she waves a hand bitterly at Phoenix. 

He tries to bite at that hand in return.

“Hey!” I rush to my bird’s defense, no one can hate on Phoenix but me. “He’s doing his best, Boss. And there’s no way in hell I’m letting a detached limb watch my back.”

“It’s not really another supposed to serve as additional surveillance. You would be able to use it as an extra limb through your hand enhancement. Say you’re being held hostage, ‘HelpingLend’ could untie your restraints,” she pitches to me like I’m the king.

“It’s a no from me. As if I’d ever be dumb enough to get captured as a hostage. And that name is god awful. Can you fix Phoenix or not?” I say, growing impatient.

“Lay down here,” she gestures to a familiar examining table with paper lining, “After all these attempts on that bird, I’ve deduced that the problem is with you.”