The Royal Contract

"Are you sure you are ok?" Lance glanced at her wife, unconvinced when she refused to see Dr. Eldrich.

She insisted that another doctor had already checked her out earlier. And so far, the doctor said it was probably nothing but fatigue.

Still, he wished his wife would allow the palace physician to check on her condition. He would feel more at ease if their family doctor was the one who diagnosed her.

"Yes, I am fine." Camille cheerfully answered, appearing like she was indeed in good health.

"But why did you faint?" He still wanted her to undergo some tests to determine if there was any underlying condition in her health.

After his accident, he had been conscious of how precious life could be. He knew that he could have lost it in that instant.

But he also knew that an ailment could easily take one's life. And he was not prepared to lose his wife any time soon.

"The doctor said that it is probably from all the stress of adjusting to my new surroundings, the responsibilities around the castle, and other things." Camille did not elaborate more as she stood before him, showing him she was all right.

"Are you sure because a test would not take that long?" Lance tried to persuade her to let the doctor check on her, but she would not budge.

"I am sorry, Dr. Eldrich, for the trouble, but you can return to your duties and try to help someone else." Camille dismissed the doctor, who had no other recourse but to leave them alone.

"Anyway, I like the flowers." She tried to change the topic as she picked the bunch from the bed where he had placed them.

He had forgotten his gift to her when he heard about the earlier incident. But somehow, he felt relieved that nothing tragic had happened to her.

"I know, so I bought a bunch of them." He said when he followed her on the bed and sat beside her.

He watched her face, wondering if the warm bath or her health condition had made her face look paler than usual. But he could see a slight difference in the glow of her eyes.

"Oh! There is more." She smiled at him, showing him the two deep crevices on her cheeks. That, at least, made her face light up.

But he still suspected it was not the same. Could the doctor be correct? That it was just fatigue and nothing more.

"By the way, what is the doctor's name? The one who came to see you. Did he conduct any test?" He knew he could only rest once he talked to the doctor himself. Therefore, he needed a name.

The look in his wife's eyes displayed confusion before it registered what he was asking her. Then, she relaxed and looked at him.

"Oh, that! I am sorry, but I forgot his name. But your father would know." She told him, which made him furrow his brows.

Then, she stood from the bed and started rummaging in her closet for something to wear. She was still in her robe, and her hair had a towel wrapped around it.

"My father?" He did not see why his father would have anything to do with her.

"Yeah, he dropped by earlier because he just wanted to check on me. And, of course, he dropped some papers you need to sign." She pointed to the table where some envelopes were lying on top.

She walked into the closet, leaving him temporarily in the room. After picking some clothes, she returned to the room. When she probably saw his confusion, she continued to explain the earlier event.

"Your father arrived and saw the incident." She began applying her daily skin regimen while she continued with her story. "Then, he was the one who called the doctor who checked up on me."

"But I forgot his name. But if you want to know, ask your father." She finally took the towel off her head, letting her slightly wet hair dangle on her back.

He guessed he had no choice but to talk to his father and whoever the doctor was that her father had brought to their home.

With the Royal Family's health concern, the first doctor they usually called was Dr. Eldrich or one of his associates.

Maybe Dr. Eldrich was unavailable earlier, and the other palace physician took over. And he would know more once he had spoken to his father later.

For now, he was just happy to see that she seemed to be doing fine. He guessed that was all that mattered. He could deal with the rest tomorrow.

"By the way, I asked the chef to cook your favorite." She excitedly said to him, as if subtly changing the topic.

But he guessed they could talk about her health some other time. And maybe after he had spoken to the physician who checked on her.

He could also probably ask them to do additional tests on his wife to guarantee she was physically healthy.

"Oh, that is perfect. I am starving." He could feel his stomach churning since he had not eaten for hours.

He had been in a hurry to finish his meetings today that he had forgotten lunch and even eating snacks. He just wanted to go home and be with his wife.

"Why don't I shower quickly while you make yourself beautiful?" Lance glanced at his watch. "Not that you need it." He assured his wife that she was stunning with or without makeup.

He immediately moved to the adjacent bathroom when her wife smiled and nodded to him through the mirror.

"Be quick. I am also starving." She told him, reassuring him again that whatever happened earlier was nothing but an isolated incident.

"I will." Then, he quickly jumped into the bathroom shower, taking his clothes off in record time. Then, as he accidentally dropped his coat on the floor, he heard the clinking of something metallic as it hit the tiles.

Then, he remembered the other gift that he bought for her. He had almost forgotten about it as well. But he quickly grabbed it and placed it underneath his clothes.

He did not want her to find it accidentally until he was ready to show it. He planned to give it to her after dinner. Maybe he could reveal it to her during dessert, watching a movie, or before sleeping.

"I will check if they already prepared the dinner. Why don't you follow me to the dining hall." She shouted over the door. But she did not bother to peek inside.

"Ok." He responded since it would probably take him a few more minutes before getting dressed.

He did not want to make her wait. Besides, he still had to hide his gift or think of some way to surprise her.

He knew she deserved a husband who would lavish her with love. If he could not give her his whole heart, at least he hoped a part of his heart and affection would do.

"I will be right behind you in just a few minutes." He yelled back over the splash of the shower.

"Ok. I will see you then." She replied, sounding like she was also glad. Then, he heard the door clicked as she exited and left him.

He quickly finished his shower before toweling his body dried. Then, his eyes landed again on the ornament on the counter.

He could already imagine the smile on her face. He guessed he was happy with her even if he still felt something was missing in his life.

But he quickly buried the memories behind his head. He had no business digging up their graves. He had already given up on that idea.

Now, he had promised to be loyal and honest to his wife. And he had no plan of breaking them.

"What is this?" He asked when he finally reached the dining hall, seeing the elaborate details of every decoration that surrounded the place.

"I was hoping that you would not ask me that." She sweetly smiled at him, appearing like he had just committed a grave sin. But he had no idea what.

"Wait! Is it your birthday or something?" He asked again, not particularly sure what he had done. But he could tell that he had missed something.

"No, it is not my birthday. But I will give you a free pass since you are new to this." She patted him sympathetically on the hand when he sat down and joined her on the table.

But it could not be just a simple dinner because she seemed to transform the entire dining room into a magical scene in a movie set.

Everything seemed captivating, at least in his untrained eyes. He would admit that he was not a complete romantic, but he tried his best.

But he guessed women were better at such things.

Luckily, he married someone kind and thoughtful. And someone who would go the extra mile to make him smile and feel great at coming home after a long and tiring trip.

"Please don't laugh, but I just thought that..." She slightly hesitated when she paused. "...this is the first time you have left me since our wedding, and I miss you."

"I thought I should give you a warm welcome." And just like that, she had won his heart again.

He felt a part of his heart became alive again upon looking into her eyes. Maybe, after a few more years with her. His heart would fully recover and heal. And he could learn to love her completely.

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