Kouta followed dutifully behind Aruki, looking around the room and feeling helpless. There was nothing he could do. He didn't know a single thing about medicine or diseases, or how to care for people who were sick. Perhaps if I had, Maya wouldn't have died all those years ago. Shaking the thought from mind, Kouta found himself observing the ill townspeople, the sounds of coughing and etching themselves into his memory. There was a thought tugging at the edge of his subconscious, something familiar but not fully there that Kouta couldn't place. The thought instantly disappeared, replaced by Aruki's voice. XX
"Are you okay, Kou-san? You don't really need to be in here if you felt uncomfortable. Why don't you join Isolde to find somewhere for us to stay for the night?" "Thank you, Oujisama." Kou said, bowing slightly to Aruki before hurrying to Isolde's side, grateful for an excuse to leave the death-infested room. He didn't want to dishonor those who were ill, but he couldn't stand being in their presence, as if staying would bring him down as well. How truly selfish. He thought, glancing over to Isolde, who was wearing the same blank expression he'd only ever seen broken the day Aruki had found him, when her anger had shown through in Kouta's failed attempt at enlightening the Prince to the terrible truths that lurked behind King Zestiria's reign. Kou still found it odd and almost cruel that the Prince was unaware that the King was the main issue in the kingdom, and wondered if the other Princes were as oblivious. XX
After asking one of the guards outside the main hall, Isolde and Kouta were directed to the town's inn, which was near enough to the main hall that the ill townspeople would be easy to get too if anything went wrong. Not that it can really get any worse. Unless our own men fall ill as well, I suppose. Although the last thing our kingdom needs right now is Prince Aruki falling victim to a disease we can't cure. If he dies, I doubt anyone would care about slavery anymore. The thought itself was maddening. Prince Aruki was the only reason Kouta was still alive, and even if he still didn't truly trust him, Kou knew the consequences that would come from losing Aruki. "Perhaps we should request that Prince Aruki stay away from the danger of being infected as well..." XX
"Are you okay, Kou-san? You don't really need to be in here if you felt uncomfortable. Why don't you join Isolde to find somewhere for us to stay for the night?" "Thank you, Oujisama." Kou said, bowing slightly to Aruki before hurrying to Isolde's side, grateful for an excuse to leave the death-infested room. He didn't want to dishonor those who were ill, but he couldn't stand being in their presence, as if staying would bring him down as well. How truly selfish. He thought, glancing over to Isolde, who was wearing the same blank expression he'd only ever seen broken the day Aruki had found him, when her anger had shown through in Kouta's failed attempt at enlightening the Prince to the terrible truths that lurked behind King Zestiria's reign. Kou still found it odd and almost cruel that the Prince was unaware that the King was the main issue in the kingdom, and wondered if the other Princes were as oblivious. XX
After asking one of the guards outside the main hall, Isolde and Kouta were directed to the town's inn, which was near enough to the main hall that the ill townspeople would be easy to get too if anything went wrong. Not that it can really get any worse. Unless our own men fall ill as well, I suppose. Although the last thing our kingdom needs right now is Prince Aruki falling victim to a disease we can't cure. If he dies, I doubt anyone would care about slavery anymore. The thought itself was maddening. Prince Aruki was the only reason Kouta was still alive, and even if he still didn't truly trust him, Kou knew the consequences that would come from losing Aruki. "Perhaps we should request that Prince Aruki stay away from the danger of being infected as well..." XX