THE PEOPLE who got infected of the virus would usually experience tremors. Their entire bodies became yellow, their eyes, and tongues became yellowish, too. And their bodies smell like they were decaying. If an Armethian has a strong body constitution like the royals, he would not be easily affected by the virus.
Damn it. Of all days, why does this have to happen now just when I was so determined to leave? If I let this day pass by, I may never be able to obtain such short freedom ever again.
The problem was that even if Arameth was called the land of magic, not everybody can do anything they wish to do. Our place was magical in a way that people did not have to do physical labors when it comes to constructing things. That was the power of the most people here. It was to accomplish any task in a faster and more effective way in just a snap of their fingers. Their bodies may be stronger than humans but they were not immune to viruses especially if they were as extreme as this.
The rest of the abilities were given to the king and the council which they inherited from their families. That was to make sure that the citizens would still comply with the laws which our ancestors created and that people will still be united. They believed that if everyone would be given the same amount of power, we would end up competing against each other which could result in destroying the kingdom they created.
But the unity that we preserved for so many decades was on the verge of breaking now. Right after my coronation ceremony, there had been a flu outbreak in most of the provinces. My family and I believed that the people who was against me as their King were the ones behind it.
After a while, Ali poked my arm and with a worried expression, she asked, “How can we help those people, Mister Sormont?”
“I thought you were in a hurry to find someone very important?”
“I am. But right now, those people should be our top priority. They need help more than I do. I could wait, but those people couldn’t.”
For a while, I was amused. Ali was a breath of fresh air. She did not ask what the problem was. Instead, the first thing she asked was how to help others. She was willing to push back her plans for the sake of people she did not even know. She was not as bratty as kids her age. She was compassionate. She knew how to be patient and how to prioritize things. And those were among the qualities of being a good ruler.
This kid could go places one day.
“I will see what I can do. Stay here for the meantime. I will come back to you soon,” I told Ali.
She released my hand. “I will be waiting for you, Mister Sormont. Take your time and don’t mind me.”
I just nodded before I head out the carriage. The people immediately rushed to me and bowed to me.
“Good day, everyone. Why did you come here and not at the hospital?”
“Greetings, my King. My name is Aguilar. Please forgive us if we decided to come here without setting an appointment. All the hospitals are crowded. They no longer accept patients and we don’t know what to do anymore,” the old man said with tears in his eyes while carrying both of his children on his shoulders.
I took a deep breath as I glanced at the people who were about a hundred who were either assisting their loved ones or carrying them. The parents looked like they had been infected as well because their skin was starting to look yellowish. No one from my staff informed me about the patients at the gate because they knew what I would do once I found out about it.
No matter how much Theron or my employees must have wanted to help, the Castle was still a forbidden place for most citizens. It may be huge, but it cannot accommodate people, especially the sick ones, in order to prevent the risk of exposing the royal family from the disease. We may be strong, but the Castle was a sacred place and it could still be contaminated. And I’m sure they already sent Knights to announce that to the citizens here.
They did not leave and that was understandable because they had no place to go.
If I remember it right, there were royal physicians inside the Castle. And there were three of them. My parents and I could help the doctors in healing the rest of the patients. I glanced at the Knights and did not hesitate to think twice anymore. To heck with the rules and regulations. People’s lives should come first before those things. If we would not give these people an initial treatment, so many people would surely die before the sun sets today.
“Open the gates. We will bring all the patients to the south quarters of the Castle, and their families to the West to be examined.”
The Knights looked apprehensive.
“But Your Majesty, your wedding is a few weeks from now. Doing this will be very dangerous for you,” the Commander of the Knights said. “We are now arranging a place for these people. It will take a day. If they just wait until then-“
“This can’t wait anymore, Commander. Can’t you see? The people are dying. They need immediate attention. No buts. Just do it now,” I said in a low but authoritative voice. People began to look hopeful when the guards were forced to open the gates.
“Thank you so much for your benevolence, Your Majesty! We owe you our lives!”
“This is my responsibility so don’t mention it.” I sneak a quick look at the carriage. “Don’t go anywhere, kid. Just stay where you are so I can easily find you after this.”
Ali sweetly smiled. She jumped down the carriage. “Don’t worry about me, Mister Sormont. I will quietly do my fangirling here.”