The Royal Secret - IWAOI Fanfic

TRS - Part Forty Two

Everything felt hollow and black as Akira said these words.

'He's collapsed!'

'Where? Where is he?'

I ran from the room and made a beeline to my father's quarter's.

By the time I get there, he was barely conscious.

'Father!'

I rushed to the edge of his bed as he weakly turned his pale, face to me.

'What happened?'

I demanded to know from anyone present.

The royal family doctor appeared.

'It seems he collapsed, I am trying to find out what has happened so I can treat him but.....I can't find anything.... no physical injury, no poison....nothing....'

The doctor looked troubled.

'Father....'

'Prince Hajime, if I may.'

Tooru arrived in the room as I noticed  the unwanted guest the other side of the bed.

'The king, before this happened, expressed that if anything were to happen to him, you were to take the crown.'

Tooru's fathers servant.

'Now is not the time for this!'

'I understand your concern my Prince however your father is in no state to be ruling and this country needs a king.'

I glared at him, suspiciously.

We all knew he had something to do with this.

I felt something touch my hand.

'Hajime...'

'Father! Don't speak, save your strength.'

'Hajime, you are ready.'

'F-father....'

I couldn't help the tears that had formed.

'I am proud of you....'

He closed his eyes.

'Father!'

The doctor rushed over, checking the king's pulse.

'He's alive. Barely. I will do everything I can, Prince Hajime.'

The doctor promised.

'Prince Hajime, I will begin the preparations.'

The servant vacated the room with these words, not waiting for an answer.

Tooru stood behind me in silence.

I stayed by my fathers side until morning.

The doctor had been trying to diagnose him all night with no luck.

He just couldn't find out what was wrong.

He somehow managed to stabilise his condition however, he was still critical.

'Prince Hajime, I'm so very sorry. I've never seen anything like this before....I don't know what to say.'

Silence.

'It seems.......unlikely........that your father will wake up.'

The doctor chose his words carefully.

I already knew this.

I already know that my father has been poisoned.

But I can't say a thing.

We have no evidence.

Our plan backfired.

Tooru had stayed with me the entire night.

'Hajime.....come on......'

He tried to coax me into moving.

'We need to......'

Tooru didn't know how to finish the sentence.

How can you that we still have work to do to someone whose father is on their death bed.

But that is the way of the world for royalty.

I let Tooru pull me up and drag me off to wherever I needed to be.

I robotically made it through the rest of day. Frequent updates on my father brought no change to his condition.

We sat for food and I just moved the items around my plate.

'Hajime, can you try eating just a little for me?'

Tooru pleaded.

I couldn't taste a thing as I chewed.

After the meals, as I sat listlessly in one of our lounges, the servant approached Tooru and I.

'Now is not the time.'

Tooru warned his father's servant.

'With greatest respect, princess, time is of the essence, we must have the new king crowned as soon as possible.'

The servant smiled.

I felt nothing.

He spoke at me telling me the arrangements, I wasnt really listening.

After he left, Tooru spoke.

'Are you sure this is okay, Hajime? They want the ceremony to go ahead in tomorrow!'

I just nodded.

There's nothing more to be done at this point. I must take the crown and rule in place of my father.

Tooru could tell he was wasting his time as he called Takihiro.

'Takahiro, I need Issei back. We need to make sure the ceremony is successful and then we must protect Hajime at all costs.'

I was only vaguely listening. Not really processing the information.

The rest of the evening was quiet.

Tooru left me alone and asked Akira to keep quiet watch over me as I headed, once again, to my fathers quarters and spent the night there.

After another sleepless night, it was the day of the ceremony.

Tooru returned to be by my side and watched over me.

The castle, the whole kingdom was in celebration mode.

Why?

The ceremony went ahead as planned and I was crowned king.

Many people offered their congratulations.

Does nobody think it is unusual to be having a celebration of my coronation under these circumstances?

It was a sad day.

I never wanted to become king like this.

Tooru supported me the whole day.

I knew he was worried but I didn't have the strength to care.

Once the castle had been emptied of guests, we were approached by one final person.

'Congratulations, King Hajime, Queen Tooru. Shall we go over your new schedules?'