His Royal Majesty

Desperation

"Feli, get in here!" came the anguished scream of Prince Romeo as the king came bolting down the hall. He burst in Lovino's door to see his little brother, tears streaming down his red face. "He's fallen into a coma," he sobbed. Feliciano's heart plummeted, thoughts instantly spinning out of control. "What'll we do?"

A gloved servant laid a wet towel on Lovino's forehead nervously. "I don't know!" he replied, bursting into tears. None of the three brothers had ever been very strong, so it was only natural that Lovino would fare worse and crumple faster under the weight of the plague than Crown Prince Gilbert.

"C-can you go get the palace doctor?" croaked Romeo to the servant, "He'll know a way to get him food and water." He said this firmly, as if he were trying to convince himself that it was true.

Feliciano collapsed on the floor, trying with all his might not to succumb to his urge to touch his brother, squeeze his cold hands and kiss his cheeks. He pushed away the lurking dread that this could be the end of him. Faint, shallow breaths seemed to dominate the room after the servant shut the door, somehow standing out as both Romeo and Feliciano shook with sobs. Time dragged on, and tears trickled down the two men's faces. With every passing second Lovino seemed closer to death, despite the obvious irrationality of that repulsive notion. The fact that the prince was slipping away through their fingertips seemed more real than ever, now that he was unconscious and would not be woken for an indeterminate amount of time.

The door slammed open, interrupting their grieving. Blinking away tears, Feliciano saw a black-cloaked figure rush through the door and run up to Lovino's bed. The sound of the mysterious intruder's clothing was not the swishing one would expect of long robes, but that of cloth covered in wax. Romeo gasped. The scientist grabbed the comatose prince's wrist and jammed a syringe into his skin. The servant and the palace doctor came bustling through the door.

"Results," said the scientist, lowering their mask, "are not instant. This may be, after all, only a treatment and not a cure, as long-term effects have not yet been measured."

Silence. The prince gave a small groan as the plunger was pushed down. There was a collective gasp from all in the room. "Lovino..." whispered Romeo.

"Go," Feliciano ordered the servant, "get a carriage ready with medicine for everyone inside the Germanian royal palace. Save a special shot for Prince Gilbert... And for the tutor, Roderich Edelstein. Have an invitation sent to Prince Ludwig as well, we can have a feast in a few days!"

Outside, a single snowflake fell.