World 4.4

"What happened to him?!"

Riri exclaimed after following Cain into the Prince's room. The knight put Elric on the bed and ordered the maids to call the Royal Physician. But instead of panicking and getting flustered by the Royal Prince's condition, everyone did their task so calmly. It left a big wonder to Riri that the tension of his nervousness brought him to ask Cain. "Why is everyone acting so calm when His Highness is in a state like this?" 

Cain ignored his question and untucked the Prince's white tunic. He pulled it gently, exposing half of his chest. Riri's lips parted upon seeing a black line like veins slowly corrupting Elric's chest. It was circling around the Prince's chest. From black to dark blue. The knight looked at Riri with his pitiful eyes and uttered. "It's because the Prince was under the curse of the blue moon" His voice was hopeless.

It made Riri stupefied for a second. His mouth half opened. "I-Is h-he alright?" the words almost cracked while escaping his lips. He looked at Cain with his worried eyes, still can't believe what he was witnessing right now. He covered his lips and watched Elric groan in pain. "W-Why is he l-like that?" he asked.

Before the knight could answer, the Royal Physician entered the room with 3 servants following him. The man wearing a black cloak sat next to the bed and tapped the Prince's chest. Then a purple light emerged from his palm. Elric gasped and coughed, but remained unconscious. The purple veins corrupting his body started to fade. 

Cain stayed by the Royal Physician with his sullen expression. They waited until the healing was done. The servants washed Prince Elric and changed his clothes, then they left Riri and Cain in the room.

When everyone wasn't around anymore, the knight took this opportunity to tell the Rabbien a story. "Prince Elric was very sensitive under the moonlight. When he was in the Queen's womb, the Moon God barged in the palace and put a curse on him. When he's exposed to the moonlight for such a long time, the curse would corrupt his entire being like choking him to death," Cain once again looked at his master with such pitiful eyes.

"W-Why d-did he have the curse?" Riri couldn't stop, but asked. 

Cain shot him a quick glance as he stood up from the side of the bed. "That...I don't have the right to tell you such confidential information," he fixed the Prince's blanket. "But I believe that Artemians whose blessed under the power of the Moon God can help the Prince," 

That last line delivers something to Riri's system. His eyes widened, and he brought his feet closer to Cain. "What do you mean?" he asked.

The knight passed by him and tapped his shoulders. "Please consider your encounter a reason to help His Highness" then he walked and exited the room.

[Diccu, did you hear that?]

DICCU: It's the part of your mission

[Is it possible that I am under the blessing of the blue moon because I am a Rabbien?]

DICCU: Who knows?

***

The next morning, Elric woke up with a heavy feeling on his chest. He used his other hand to rub his eyes. Then he tilted his head up to peek at his body. A fluffy ball with long ears and two tails was sleeping on top of him. It was a medium size Rabbien. 'Did he watch me overnight?' he thought.

He was about to move when Riri blinked his eyes. The Rabbien woke up and then it bounced from his chest. The tip of its ears turned red from embarrassment. Even if it couldn't speak in its Artemian form, Riri can still express himself very well. The Prince poked his nose and said, "Good morning"

Riri's ears lifted with his eyes fixated on Elric's handsome morning face with messy hair. The Prince is indeed handsome. He tilted his head on the right, then he soon realized that Elric couldn't understand him in this form, so he nodded his head two times as greetings.

Elric pinched Riri's cheeks and giggled, "Are you greeting me too? Well, I appreciate it" then he carried the fluffy ball from his chest onto the side of the bed. 

The Prince made a big yawn and brushed his hair up, but he quickly took it back and clenched his chest. Riri saw him groaning and winced in pain, so he jumped onto Elric's lap and pressed his palm on the Prince's chest. 

Elric was about to stop the fluffy ball creature to tell him it's alright when a white light glowed from his chest. Riri's palm lightened up and small magic particles circled around them. The Prince felt something heavy on his chest like pushing something inside him. It took a minute before it completely disappeared. "W-What did you d-do?" he asked, surprised. 

Riri backed away and shook his head. 'I don't even know, my hands just glowed the moment I touched you,' he answered, hoping the Prince would understand him. 

Elric was taken aback. "I feel so light and relieved." He wrapped his arms around Riri and lifted him up, "Did you cast magic on me?" he asked again, looking at the Rabbien's blue eyes.

Riri's small, thin lips curved into a smile. 'Well, if it's because of me, then it means that I healed you,' he said again even if the Prince can't understand him. He's still new in this world and there is still a lot of information he didn't know, but if it's really because of him, then he's still thankful because he at least helped the Prince to lessen the curse. 

The door opened up, and it spat Cain. Wearing his black and red attire with a cloak half on his shoulders. He looked worried and disappointed at the same time. He pressed his palm on his forehead. "Geez, Your Highness, I've been knocking on the door," he said, upset.

Elric put down Riri on the bed and scratched the back of his head while smiling nervously, "..Hehehe...I didn't hear you," he replied.

Cain wanted to scold him more, but he restrained himself because he was just worried. "The maids already served the breakfast for both of you. And also, how's His Highness feeling?" he bowed.

"When I woke up I felt something in my chest, but when Riri to---" He jolted when he felt some teeth chomping his fingers. It was Riri, trying to stop him from spilling what happened.

Cain looked at them suspiciously, "Your Highness? What about Riri?" he asked.

Elric flinched, showing his smile. "What I was trying to say is, please contact the seamstress immediately. We need to do something about Riri's clothing like more adjustable for him when he shifted back to his human form"

The knight bowed his head, "If it's Your Highness' wish, then I will immediately call the seamstress." he replied.