Tell Me What the Rain Knows 🍆🪼

Four

A few days went by and after much research, determination, and favors that needed to be cashed in, Cessna was able to find someone who could help her find a cure for the poison that Atreyu was suffering with. She was able to alleviate his pain and at least stave the spread of both the poison and the infection with her own medical knowledge, but to purge his system, she needed help. Once she was able to figure things out, she set to work on getting him back to a decent bill of health. There were a lot of people who wanted to speak with Sir Thorn and it wasn't just to welcome him back home.

Diho, on the other hand, seemed to be getting worse as the days went on. His stomach was bigger but it hadn't leaped in size like it did when he got home that first day, but it was definitely noticeable to others even if they weren't trying to look. He had to have someone with him at all times to help him get stuff off the floor, get up out of chairs, his bed, the bath, anything that required him to bend. Doing normal daily tasks were beginning to tire him out easily, so there was someone for that too. Whatever Diho needed, King Xavier sent a servant to accommodate that need, leaving Diho semi-confined to his room. Queen Azelle would come and visit her son every day after lunch to talk with him and Zubrick would stop by to make fun of him every few days before he went to bed.

The king did not go and see his son.

Diho really didn't care about what anyone else said or did, he just wanted to know if Atreyu was alright. All he knew of him was the same information that he had when he left Cessna's laboratory that first day and since then, nothing had been said about his guardian.

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There was a knock on Diho's door but he was too busy coughing to answer it. The door opened a little and then closed, indicating someone came in. Once Diho got finished coughing, he looked at his hand, seeing red blood spatter. He breathed in and wiped his hand, looking up to see who had come in. It was the servant boy from the other day, holding a tray.

"You..." Diho said, his voice a little raspy. "Why are you here?"

"They told me to come and deliver your meal, sir. I'm just... doing my duty..." Finley said, unsure if he was angry with his presence or not.

"I'm not hungry. You can put it over there." Diho said, motioning to a table on the other side of the room. "While you're at it, take that other tray. It's from this morning... You're welcome to whatever is salvageable."

Finley switched trays and looked at the hardened eggs and rubbery bacon. The toast looked okay but he would never do anything like that, especially in front of the Crown Prince himself.

"Thank you, my lord, but I'm alright... My lord?"

"What?"

"Have they been trying to feed you solid foods?"

Diho looked at Finley for a moment as the young boy watched him. "Why?"

"I dunno. My mum always gives me a bit of soup when I'm feeling under the weather. I may not be that hungry but the soup seems to fill you up."

"They keep trying to give me food because of the... child."

"That may be but if you can't keep anything down, then why keep trying?" Finley shrugged, taking the old tray to the door. "I ain't a doctor or a king but... maybe it'll help if they try."

"I doubt the kitchen wants to make a whole pot of soup just for me." Diho said with a roll of his green eyes.

Finley smiled a little. "You're the Crown Prince; everyone is under your command unless the king tells us otherwise." And with that, the young man left Diho to think about what he had just said.