Physician to the Dragon Prince

CHAPTER 2 – Let’s begin with the name

CHAPTER 2 – Let’s begin with the name

Radur’s POV

General Kubota came to meet me after we arrived at the castle. I needed to have a bath and when I approaching my chambers, the maids prepared it for me. I submerged myself in the water and held my breath. I could still hear the excruciating screams of the people. They were innocent and many of them lost their lives just to fulfill the power greed of the nobles.

I came up after holding my breath for nearly 5 minutes. I have practiced such breath-holding exercises since my childhood, making me a master of it now.

“Your Grace! May I have a word with you?” General asked while I was in my wooden bathtub.

“I’ll be there, General. Give me a minute.” I stood up to wear my bathrobe.

“Your Grace! Forgive me if I interrupted your free time. All the prisoners that we captured today were put into the same dungeon cage as the last ones, seems like the room is not enough for them. We kept men separately. Your Grace, I need you to come to the dungeons and see them. Do let us know what we shall do with them,” General Kubota explained and I thought about it for a moment.

“I’ll be there soon. Give me some time to get prepared. Get soldiers and dwarfs ready to visit the dungeons.” My authoritative voice echoed in the bed chambers.

“I will do it, Your Grace! Pardon me, I should go now.” He bowed before me and left the room. I sighed as I thought about his request.

“What about the girl we captured from the battlefield? She was almost unconscious when I saw her.” My dragon went insane when we saw her.

Usually, my dragon, Zammorai, never went crazy for any woman after the shock we had years ago. But today, he acted strangely and I could feel a strong bond towards her. I never wanted to tell this to anybody, but some part of my body wanted to see her. The urge to see her in my castle quickened my dressing time than the amount of time I usually took.

I got ready and came out from the chambers to see the squad ready to escort me to the dungeons. My heart was filled with a strange feeling with every step I walked forward.

Dungeons were located on the ground floor and with my every step the torches of the walls lit up and when I pass them the torches went out.

“Your Grace! We are here. Shall I open the door?” a dwarf asked and I nodded my head. His keys dangled loudly while he unlocked the door.

As soon as the door opened, everyone in the room looked down, but only one woman looked at me with her head up. I was sure that if she was not tied to the chains she would have stood up straight. Her eyes were full of hate and anger. My dragon grew insane again and he was moving inside of me. I could feel that he wanted to come out to see her, but I controlled him.

She was beautiful even though her whole body was covered with dust, mud, and dry blood. She must have fought hard in the war. She spoke to me with her aggressive loud tone and accused me of her father’s murder, but I knew that I didn’t kill anyone. She screamed and yelled at me. No one had ever talked to me like that with their high voice before. How dare she talk to me like that? I will show her who I am.

Suddenly a dwarf gave her a slap that echoed in the dungeons. My dragon and I both fumed in rage. I feel Zammorai come to the surface and the next moment the dwarf's head was on the floor and the hand he touched her with was lying separate from his filthy body. It was all done by Zammorai. I saw her whole body covered with the dwarf’s blood, but she didn’t get scared.

She was a feisty one with a spirit. I like her. My tigress! Zammorai went to the bottom again and I regained control.

She kept accusing me and I threatened her not to shout with a raised voice in this castle. Suddenly a woman from the dungeon screamed. It was a scream of pain and I looked for the source of the scream.

It came from a pregnant woman who looked like she was going to give birth to her child. My tigress quickly turned to the woman. Another woman, who I assumed was her mother, informed me that the tigress was a nurse in their royal medical squad. I commanded a soldier to bring her the necessary things for the baby delivery.

I closely supervised the ways she assisted the woman to deliver her baby. I had never seen or heard a baby delivery. I knew that waiting in dungeons and inspecting a baby delivery wasn’t suitable for a prince, but I wanted to see her talent.

She was busy with the delivery but from time to time she looked at me and I stared intently into her eyes. She quickly escaped from my gaze and concentrated on her work.

After struggling for about an hour, I heard the cry of a baby. She declared that it was a baby girl.

“She is as cute as you,” I heard my tigress compliment the woman.

“Where’s your husband?” she asked the woman. My ears were sharp enough to hear their whispers. I was a dragon and our senses were more heightened than humans.

“He is lying dead on the battlefield!” Her answer was clear was enough to clench my heart in pain.

Immediately, I exited the dungeons.

“Bring that girl who spoke to me bravely when she is done here. Ask the maids to clean her and give her a comfortable clean dress to wear. The other women should be also fed and given clean clothes,” I commanded in an authoritative voice and left the dungeons.

My footsteps were quicker than my usual walk and my whole body was shaking with a strange painful feeling. I swiftly entered my chambers and sat on the empty chair near my writing table. I have seen thousands of people dying on the battlefield, and I have killed many of them with my own hands and my sword. Even Zammorai has burned the cruel kings alive many times, but I had never felt such humiliation and remorse before. The newborn baby didn’t have a father to call; she would hate the dragon race forever when she learns that we killed her father.

The bloodshed had to be stopped. The greediness of my father to expand his kingdom and my brother’s insatiable hunger for power was a terrible combination for a war. They slaughtered people without any mercy. I decided to call for an immediate meeting with the general and my knights.

Suddenly the giant doors of my bed chambers opened and I heard the voice of my mistress, Hildry, “Your Grace, I heard that you came back from the war.”

I never wanted a mistress, but my father forcefully appointed a mistress for me after the unfortunate incident I faced years ago.

“Who asked you to come here, Hildry? I never sent anyone to bring you here. I am going to have a meeting with my general and my knights now, so you need to leave from here.” I didn’t show her an ounce of care.

“Forgive me, Your Grace. I just thought after days of traveling, you are tired and you must be under a lot of stress. I decided to provide you some relief,” she whispered, touching my shoulders.

I felt Zammorai getting annoyed. He huffed within me and I battled him to keep him calm. What is wrong with him? His behavior is strange after seeing the girl from the battlefield.

“Your Grace, come to the bed. I will be a relief to your stress.” She sat on the bed and lied down seductively.

“Who gave you the permission to sit on my bed? Get out from here right now before I decapitate your neck from your body!” I threatened her.

“Apologies, My Lord,” she said, feigning obedience before running out from my chambers. If she stayed there even for a minute more, I knew that her fate would be as the dwarf in the dungeons. I heard the sound of her shoes tapping, leaving my room and towards the corridor before fading away completely.

I knew that she wanted to sleep with me anyhow, but I didn’t want to give her a chance. I didn’t trust a woman after the unfortunate incident I faced.

Soon I heard someone knock on the door. I could sense her. It was her, she was behind the doors and I could hear her heartbeat.

“Come in,” I permitted and adjusted myself to see her.

The oldest maid of my servants entered the chambers with her. I realized that her hands were tied with chains.

“I told you not to put any chains on her,” I pointed out to my maid, Agatha.

“Pardon me, My Lord. I will release her chains.” Agatha quickly took out the keys from her pocket and released her hands. She wasn’t looking anywhere except directly at me.

“You can leave us, Agatha. After my discussion with her, I will send her to you. Give her enough food and treat her well until I inform you more about her job here,” I instructed Agatha and she bowed to me before leaving the room.

Looking back at her, I saw a mocking smile fading from her face.

“Why are you smiling, Tigress?” I stood up from my chair and looked at her.

“Everyone is bowing to a murderer. That is the biggest joke here, so, I smiled in disbelief because of that,” she explained, rubbing her wrists. I noticed her wrists had turned red due to the chains.

“You should keep in mind whom you are talking to and show some respect to your future king. I am your new ruler and you should obey me,” I replied sternly as I walking towards her with my heavy strides.

“There is no way I am bowing my head to a murderer who slaughters people for his power greed. I would rather die before my head hangs down in front of you,” she responded with a feisty tone. I clenched my teeth and my palms clenched tightly into fists.

“You saw what happened to the dwarf, you will also have to face the same consequences if you keep speaking to me like this. You are being disrespectful and I will not tolerate it,” I warned, squeezing her jaws lightly.

Zammorai was quiet and calm. Amazing! Usually, he would come to the surface and control the situation when someone speaks disrespectfully.

“Go ahead, kill me. I am not afraid of you! I will just be another dead body to you,” she cried out, directly looking into my eyes.

“I won’t kill you! I won’t harm what belongs to me. You are mine! Understood?” I said in her ear, my hot breath fanning against her ear.

I wanted to touch her more; I wanted to caress those pink lips. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, but she was not afraid of me. I wanted to control her and make her listen to my orders.

“If you keep disrespecting me, I will kill your mother!” I threatened her.

“No, don’t do that, please.” Her aggressive eyes suddenly turned into pleading pools.

“Very well. Let’s begin with your name,” I said with a mocking smile. My prince's pride overcame me when I felt that she was under my control.

“Your Grace, my name is Emma Carroll Trinder.” When she said addressed me as ‘Your Grace’, I clearly noticed her jaw clenching and my lips curved into a small smile.