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suzubelle-chan · 1 year

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Breaking Chains Chapter 1

(Just a quick note, you may be spoiled if you haven’t finished the manga up to say Volume 12 since I mention characters and events that happen later on. Just in case you haven’t gotten that far or want to watch the anime first)

Thank you so much Ipham2525 for beta reading this fic! Now onto the story!

In which an unusual doctor makes a house call to the Sacrificial Princess

The King of Beasts roared at the menagerie of doctors cowering before him. Two weeks ago, he demanded that all available doctors gather at his castle. They crammed in, eager to earn the king’s favor. However, the roars of his majesty only grew louder, stronger, and more frequent in frustration.

For not one of the doctors could cure the human princess.

“Incompetent fools!” The king glared at the men, Beasts of all kinds faltering at his feet.

“Forgive us, your majesty,” said a bull from the Black Bovine-folk, either braver or forced to the front of the group to speak for all of them.

“Each and every one of you swore that you were the finest in your lands, if not the whole realm. Yet, none of you have done a single thing to help our queen.”

“Well,” a Rooster-folk raised his head slightly. “There was no mention that your bride was human….”

“Sounds like excuses,” the king growled out.

Another beast, more ears than head, sputtered, “S…she’s just too different! None of us here can treat a human.”

A woman’s voice called out, “Maybe you’re just a bunch of cowards who didn’t try enough.”

Everyone in the hall turned to see a lone crow standing there amongst the kneeling doctors. She was short, with a hood almost covering her eyes. A cloak covered her body, but still, they could make her out to be plump. A few feathers in her right wing held a large bag with a handle.

“And who are you supposed to be?” Anubis asked.

“I am known as Leona Carrin.” The birdfolk bowed, her beak moving slightly with each word. “I heard that there was someone sick in the King of Beasts’ castle so I came here.”

“But you’re a woman,” the lord speaker protested, all four of his eyes glaring.

The bird person tipped her head. “Huh, what was your first clue?” She glanced down at her chest and then covered it with her wings. “Excuse me sir, I’m a married woman, thank you very much.”

Gasps from doctors and fellow chancellors boomed throughout the hall. Some snickers escaped from the younger soldiers standing guard. A quick glare from Anubis silenced them.

“We don’t require a midwife. I don’t know how you got in here, but be off with you.” Another council member with large pointed ears dismissed her with the wave of a skinny hand.

Leona leaned in, pointing a feather. “Hey! Don’t go insulting midwifery, it’s a grand profession. One most people owe their lives to. I can act as a midwife and doctor, whatever my patients need more. And I got in through the front door, like the other doctors. Though if being a woman disqualifies me…” The woman flopped over, tugging at her head. A black piece of fabric came off, along with her beak. Men gasped as black hair spilled out of her costume. When she arose, the men saw a human face with brown eyes, the hair flowing down past her waist, covering half her face. A white streak in her hair acted as a dividing line between hair and skin. She tugged at her wings until they came off along with a pair of black gloves. Her lips smirked as she crossed her arms revealing her rough hands. “Then I guess being human isn’t going to help my chances.”

No beast stirred.

The human blinked; head tilted. “What is it, my breath?” She raised up her right hand, exhaled, and then sniffed. She then shrugged and turned back to the men.

“What are you doing here?” The King of Beasts asked, scowling.

“I heard there was a sick person, probably human. Some rumors disagreed on species, but human kept coming up so here I am.” She then started making small circles with her hands. “Although, no one could tell me if this was the ‘hacking-up-a lung, fever, throwing up’ kind of sick or the ‘mood swings, mad ravings, trying to eat socks’ kind of sick. Which is it?”

There was a slight pause as all the men looked at each other, asking if they were all seeing and hearing the same thing.

“What’s a sock?” one lizard soldier leaned in, whispering.

A fox soldier leaned in towards his comrade. “I think it’s a thing humans put on their feet.”

“Uh…the first one?” the king stated uncertainly.

“Thank you. I like to knowing what to expect in a patient’s room.” Leona picked up her bag and took several steps. “She’s in this room, right? Unless you like group around and argue outside of totally innocent broom closets.”

Anubis launched and stationed himself right in front of the human. “Now stop right there, human. You have no right to be here.”

The human doctor sighed, looking the minister right in the eye. “I know you don’t like me. I’m human so it’s a given. You have no reason to like me. But you don’t have to like me to let me do my job. You’ve let all kinds of people treat this princess of your majesty, maybe you need one more kind. I’ve never turned down a patient, regardless of wealth, status, or how many fingers they’ve got. ‘If you can, help.’ That’s been my family’s motto and I intend to live by it.”

Leonhart watched this small woman almost glare at his minister. Her brown eyes shone, determination brightening them. Just like how Sariphi’s eyes shone whenever she declared her intentions, steadfast and strong. He sighed the smallest of sighs.

“That is the room you seek, human. Anubis, let her pass.”

The chancellor turned towards his lord. “Sire!”

The king held his paw out. “She speaks the truth. We’ve asked other doctors to cure our queen consort. So, we shall ask one more.”

“Thank you.” Leona gave a bow, hand extended behind her. She then took several steps towards the menagerie of doctors and then rummaged through her bag, pulling out a ring made out of blue stone, placing it on her left hand. She then pulled out a pen and some paper. She licked the pen and posed, ready to write. “Alright, patient name?”

“Why ask us that?”

“I want to be sure we are all working on the same person. You’d be surprised how often I find patients with some kind of amnesia or dealing with some shady people, trying to pass off one person as another. So patient name?”

“Sariphi.”

As pen broke through paper, Leona flinched. “I’m sorry?”

“Sariphi. Her name is Sariphi.”

Leona tilted her head, shaking a bit. “That’s a name? Are you sure it isn’t short for Seraphina or Saphira or some other Saphy-ish name?”

“No.”

“Okay…” She then wrote it down with beasts catching her mutter, “Parents and their crazy baby names.” She then spoke out loud. “Last name?”

The beasts blinked. The chancellor said, “What?”

“Her last name, family name…” The woman stared at the beasts in confusion. “It’s something all humans have. You heard mine, Carrin, I got it from my parents.” She then turned to the King of Beasts, “You never told her doctors your future wife’s last name.”

Silence filled the room.

“Oh Mothers, you don’t even know her last name?” Leona deadpanned.

“She never told us, it’s not important at the moment,” the king dismissing it with a turn of his head.

“I’d argue it is, since it means she might be some kind of feral kid who’s never had a guardian. Even orphans get last names from the places that raise them.” The doctor sighed. “Alright, moving on…age?”

“Fifteen.”

Leona winced, again punching another hole through the paper. She shot the king a glare and sighed to herself as she got some more paper. “Where did the Mothers go wrong with men?”

“What was that?” Anubis glared.

“Nothing, just a thought. Birthday?”

Once again, the doctors blinked and glanced at the king. The king didn’t face anyone, although his ears pressed against his head.

“Alright, where’s the royal doctor?” Leona called out, dropping her paper and pen. “I think the king’s mind needs examination as soon as possible.”

“That’s enough!” Anubis almost roared himself.

Leona placed her hands on her hips. “Come on, not knowing the birthday of the person you intended to share your life with is kind of low.”

“WE. DON’T. KNOW!” The king roared.

Like the rest of the beasts, Leona closed her eyes at the blast of air, hand on the hair covering her face. Now she tightened her face into a painful smile. “Alright my turn. Pardon me your majesty, I’m just gonna need one moment.” She placed her things next to her bag. The beasts watched as the human stomped towards the nearest window, flung it open, took in a deep breath and yelled, “FUCK YOU!”, while holding both her hands in the air, middle fingers sticking out. She then sighed and shut the window. Leona faced her audience. “Sometimes you just got to curse at a god, society, the world, you know?”

The king huffed, a little bit of smoke coming out of his mouth. “Cease this behavior at once.”

“I’m just following simple doctor procedure. Is it my fault no one knows anything about this girl?” She sighed. “Let’s focus on the medical for now. Hopefully, I’ll get some real answers there.” She picked up her paper and pen. “Okay so what symptoms does the patient show?”

“Nausea, coughing, chills, fever, severe weakness due to the last one…” one doctor listed off.

Leona frowned, “That covers a lot of ground, disease-wise. What have you been giving her? Any kind of spell treatments?”

The priest stepped forward. “Forgive me, madam, but using magic on a human is dangerous. We have no way of knowing how a human body would react to such forces.”

“So, you haven’t tried anything at all…not even some kind cough-be-gone spell?”

The furry creature shook his head. “Again, too risky.”

Leona pinched her fingers an inch apart. “Not even a teeny-tiny spell?”

“Of course not.” He let out a huff.

“Alright.” She turned to the group of doctors. “So, no magic treatment. How about physical? What medication has she been given? Plants or animal?”

“You wouldn’t be able to understand. It would be so hard for your…particular mind to comprehend,” a tall emu doctor said.

Leona crossed her arms. “Try me, sir.”

“Well,” a lizard folk, a skin-like frilled collar around his neck, stepped up. “It’s just due to the miasma, different plants grow in the two realms. Thus, you might not be familiar with what grows here similar to how we don’t know what grows in the human realm. Nor do we know what effect beasts’ plants may have on a human.”

“You’ve got a point there. But you have been giving her medicine, right?”

“We have, of course.” A little figure waved a paw.

“Yet she hasn’t shown signs of improvement?” Leona rubbed her head. “Let me think…first thing, is this Sariphi taller or shorter than me?”

“You two seem around the same height, but I think you’re just a bit taller than her,” a sparrow-looking beast decided.

“Alright, do you think she weighs less than I do or more?”

Another awkwardness enveloped the room.

“Please answer the question. And please next time only bring in your professionalism, leave any shame out the door.” Leona sighed.

“She’s thinner than you,” a ferret declared.

“What’s the point of these questions?” The bull doctor asked.

“Because how much medication you need to give them depends on how big the patient is.” She stuck out her thumb, pointing to the king and his advisor. “You certainly wouldn’t give his royal furriness the same amount as mister tall, dark, and snapping dog over there. One of them got muscle for days and the other is practically just fur and bones. Even if they had the same illness, I certainly wouldn’t give them the same amount. Would you?”

There was a mixed reaction, some men actually nodded with hums of affirmation. Others seem to shuffle and find parts of the ceiling very interesting.

“Now that I’ve got a reference, how much medicine have you given her and how often?” Leona asked.

“What does that have to do with anything?” the rooster said.

“Hey, sometimes it’s not what you give them but how much and how often you do it. Even the weakest poisons can kill with enough doses.”

Everyone blinked again.

“What?” Leona blinked and smiled. “So, none of you ever get pulled into examining dead bodies when you’re on the road or vacation? Must be nice.” She sighed and then straightened up. “So can each of you tell me how much you’ve given her?”

Each doctor produced something in his paws or wings. Leona looked over everything.

Leona then clapped her hands and pointed into the crowd. “Alright, can you, then you and you, please come forward.”

The frilled lizard, the sparrow, and the ferret came forward.

“Now can you tell me, what made you come up with these measurements?”

“Uh well, you see, we are friends, you see,” the lizard spoke.

“Really?” Leona said with a smile and a tilt of the head.

“Ah yes, well, our clans have gotten along now since we were small. So we’ve often taken turns, caring for the sick and injured,” the ferret said.

“We based our estimations off of treating some of the smaller members of our clans,” the sparrow piped up.

“I see…that’s why your dosages are similar to what I’d give her,” Leona pondered out loud.

“What?” every doctor exclaimed.

“Yeah, given what you’ve told me, I’d give her similar amounts; it might be a bit different if I knew her exact height and weight.” She turned to the rest of the group. “The rest of you were giving her what? Beast-child’s portions? I’ve seen your kids, they barely come up to my knee. You really think that amount could help an almost grown human woman? Even if she’s small, she still needs more.”

“But we still didn’t cure the queen.” The sparrow sighed.

“Well, that part is up in the air.” Leona shrugged. “It could be whatever you gave her might not work on humans. Or perhaps she needs a slightly different dosage. It’s hard to say without more time to treat her.”

The king sneered, “So this is what our land produces as doctors.”

Many doctors flinched. The three bowed lower.

“Hey you can’t blame the doctors for all of this…” Leona glanced at the larger group. “Completely.” Her attention then focused on the king, “If you want to keep a different species in your house, you’ve got know what to expect. Reminds me of when kids will bring home animals as pets with no clue how to take care of them at all. Leads to all kinds of trouble. That might be the reason you don’t know much about her at all.”

The king growled.

“Hey, just something to think on.” Leona rummaged through her bag and pulled out several large tomes and placed them into the priest’s paws. The moment he held the books, the white beast slammed into the ground. “Here you go, some human medical books. Translated for your convenience, of course. There’s plenty of stuff about various plants used, there’s got to be something similar growing around here.” She then picked up her bag. “I think it’s about time to meet my patient now.”

Leona took several steps towards the room.

“Wait.” The king held out a paw.

She paused, looking rather disapprovingly over her shoulder.

The King of Beasts sighed, “What you say has merit. We do need a human’s help to save our bride. But know this.” He glared at the woman, a stare that sent many beasts shivering. “Do any harm to her and you will pay dearly for it. You’ll wish you’d never taken one step into our land. Understand that much.”

Leona stood firm. “Trust me, sire. I may be just a human and maybe one with a death wish, my husband would agree with you on that. Begged me not to come here, but he also knows I can’t turn my back on someone who needs my help. I’ll do everything I can to cure this bride you…care about.”

“We shall hold you to your word, human. Do no fail her or us.”

“Thank you.” Leona gave a bow. Just as she opened the door, she twisted her head over the shoulder. “Despite all I’ve said, it’s..nice to mee you, your majesty.”

Once the door shut behind her, Anubis glared daggers at it, trying to mentally will that chaotic, insolent woman out. It was already bad enough the king was losing his mind over one human, two humans in the King of Beasts’ castle ensured chaos. The public already held an inkling about that little girl, things finally settling down after that uprising with Fenrir. If people thought the king would be siding with humans…

Starting with at least three different scenarios in his mind, Anubis calculated how he could minimize the people’s knowledge of this second human. In the middle of his thoughts, Anubis’s eyes caught the king leaning towards the door. The chancellor let himself groan out loud as he stretched out his paw, blocking the royal.

“Sire, we’ve been over this. We can’t risk you being exposed to this disease. While it may be a human disease, there’s no telling how harsh it would be on you should you catch it. It’s best to trust servants with caring for her, in this case.”

“We know…we know…”

Anubis flinched ever so slightly. Although he’d seen that look for the last two weeks, it never failed to surprise him to see so much…longing and…sorrow…in the face of the king he’d trusted for so long.

Meanwhile, Leonhart paid no mind to his companion. Indeed, he paid no mind to anyone else in hall. Instead, he just gazed at the door. With each doctor, he’d hoped that this time, finally this time, Sariphi would be alright. That he could hold her in his arms and thank God for giving her back. So he could just be by her side again. But he never thought God ever listened to his prayers; this situation was more proof. So he had to pin his hopes on another stranger, what little he had left after all this time.

Inside the infirmary, Amit wiped Sariphi’s bright red forehead with a sigh. After all this time, the princess felt as though she was pouring out a bucket on a city-wide fire.

For almost two weeks, Sariphi lied in bed, fever scorching her mind, yet her body often shivered from chills. She barely ate or drank, nausea dictating the bucket at her bedside. She didn’t even have the strength to keep her eyes open. Amit spared one glance to Bennu by Sariphi’s head, little wings clutched like fists, before stepping away.

The princess sighed as she turned around, lifting the curtains around the bed to see her friends where they’ve been for the last two weeks: Cy and Clops on one bed, trembling with worry. Lanteveldt on another, crossing his legs back and forth, paw tapping on his knee.

The hyena rested his hand on his paw, looking at the black creatures. “I know I’ve said this before, but are you sure we can’t leave her in the human realm for a bit? Didn’t the king leave her there when she got sick before?”

Clops lamented, letting out a sigh as big as he was. “The last time his majesty left Sariphi in the care of humans, he just needed a few days to come up with a way for her to live without worrying about miasma poisoning. She’s only gotten worse as the weeks go by, it’s hard to say how long this illness lasts. Plus, the humans kicked her out because she was a sacrifice. Now any human town might just kick her out on the spot without giving any help since they fear his majesty so much. And we can’t stay by her side in the human realm without them trying to kill us too…”

“No way,” Cy lamented.

They heard some shouting in the hall, but at this point they were used to it. The king yelling at the doctors, the doctors protesting, the council adding their own comments. Weeks-long song they knew the lyrics by now, so they tuned it out. They did hear one odd note, something akin to a woman’s yell, but they supposed it was just a maid in the wrong place at the wrong time.

“And Sariphi doesn’t really have anyone we can ask,” Amit continued, sitting down on another nearby bed, all the companions no more than a few steps from Sariphi. “Her family won’t come for her and the only person I can think of who would dare come is her childhood friend. Yet he’s been banished after kidnapping her. Plus, we don’t have a way of reaching out and contacting him anyway.”

A small click sent the beasts facing towards the opening door. Despite all the doctors who left their Sariphi behind, they held their breaths, scraping up just a little bit of hope for their friend.

The group watched as a human woman wearing a black cloak opened the door, her face half covered by mostly black hair. She twisted her neck and said, “Despite all I’ve said, it’s…nice to meet you, your majesty.” When the woman shut the door behind her, she slumped against the wood, head tilted upwards. “All of the Family help me, that was hard.” She then looked and saw the group of beasts gaping at her. “Uh…hi. Are you here for the human too or did I make a wrong turn somewhere?”

“A human doctor…here.” Amit said in awe, hand in mouth. She leapt to her feet and then crashed into the human, hugging her tightly to her chest. “Oh thank God! Thank God!”

“Hey there, we humans are squishy things that need air,” Leona murmured, face squished tightly against Amit’s chest. She gently pushed the maiden away, looking up at her. Leona watched tears stream down the crocodile’s face. Leona asked, almost in awe, “Do you…care about the human? Really care and not just because the king told you to?”

“Of course, Lady Sariphi is a dear friend to all of us,” the reptile maiden said.

“Sariphi…” The human doctor let out a sad sigh. “That’s really her name…”

“Pardon?” Amit asked.

“Don’t worry about it, let’s just focus on her health for now,” she muttered a bit. “If not for her own, then for my sanity.” She pulled up her sleeve, using it to wipe Amit’s face. “I’m going to do everything to help your friend. I promise.” She then tugged at her cloak with her hand. “Let me just get a bit more comfortable, alright?”

“Of course, ma’am.”

“Thanks,” the woman sighed. She tugged the cloak off her, revealing a dress made out of feathers, which soon joined its companion on the floor, a few feathers scattering. The woman, now in a white top with something brown around her waist and small white shorts and brown boots, plopped her bag on the bed. Several scars scattered over her arms and legs. One could just see a pink shape at the bottom of her right wrist. She pulled out a white long-sleeved shirt and black pants. After taking off her boots and socks, she put on the shirt, pants, and put back on the boots. She then pulled out a black ribbon, tying her hair back.

Everyone gasped.

On her face, four red scars slashed across her eyebrow, almost touching her lip.

“What?” Then she touched the side of her face. “Ah right, my scars. I got these a long time ago, long before your Sariphi was born. I didn’t want anyone to think I had a grudge against beasts with these so I covered them up.”

Cy pointed with his tiny hand. “They hurt?”

“Nah, they stopped hurting a long, long time ago.” The doctor stepped towards the bed. “Now let’s see this princess…”

Bennu leapt up into the air and in a burst of light transformed into his large form, white flames flowing at the edges of his wings. “NOW JUST WAIT A MOMENT HUMAN! I’VE HAD IT WITH DOCTORS COMING IN AND FAILING MY MISTRESS! IF YOU FAIL HER, YOU’LL WISH A BEAST WOULD CHOMP YOU DOWN!”

However, all Leona heard were several screeches right to her face. She quickly held her hands up. “Easy…easy…I’m here to help, Mr. Big Beast Bird.” She twisted her head. “Is this some kind of guardian the king set up or something?”

“That’s Lord Bennu, Sariphi’s holy beast. He’s been doing that with all the doctors lately…I apologize.” Amit admitted with a bowed head.

“Bennu….the Bennu? The bird that heals troops of men with a single beat of his wings? I’ve heard legends about this guy.” Leona bowed to the holy beast, hands still up in the air. “It’s a great honor to meet you, my lord.” Then she stood up, a finger pointed at him. “Wait, if he’s the great healer I’ve heard about, why didn’t he just magic Sariphi better?”

Amit clasped her hands, her head still down. “It would seem Lord Bennu’s domain is injuries, not illnesses.”

“Yeah.” Lanteveldt shrugged, pointing to the large bird. “Can’t help with motion sickness, can’t help with whatever Sariphi’s got, but handy to have around if you get stabbed.”

The holy beast squawked loudly in the hyena’s face, “SHUT UP, CUR!”

Leona gently took the bird’s beak in her hands, a serene, yet serious look on her face. “I bet it’s hard for you as well, seeing this girl ill. Feels like I’m making promises until my face turns blue, but I’ll say it again. I’ll do all I can do to help your lady.” She slowly scratched his head. “So may I please see her?”

The holy beast glowered at her and with a huff, he returned to his small form, wings crossed.

“I’m keeping an eye on you, lady. No funny business!” he chirped out.

“Of course, whatever you say, my lord,” she added, scratching his head with a single finger. He let out a small blush as he crossed his wings.

Leona reached for the curtain, yet paused as she took in a deep breath, a serious look now on her face. “Now time to meet this rumored princess of the King of Beasts.” She pulled back the curtain and looked down at Sariphi with her red face. The doctor leaned towards the maiden’s face, gently caressing her forehead and then her cheek.

At the contact, Sariphi’s eyes fluttered. “Who?” she croaked; voice rusty from weeks of no use. She tried to open her eyes wider, but the lids refused to move. Instead, she tried lifting her head. “Leo?”

If there was a moment of shock, a slight pause in Leona’s stroking, she resumed before anyone could notice. “Hey there, kiddo. I’m a doctor, the last one you’ll need if we’re lucky.” She placed her bag, opened it up, and then pulled out a metal cone attached to a white wire with a small metal tip at the end. She pressed the cone to Sariphi’s chest, putting the tip in her ear. “Okay, Sariphi. I’m gonna need you to take in a deep breath, the deepest you can, okay?”

The maiden nodded and inhaled audibly, but her chest didn’t move much.

“Uh-huh…” the woman muttered, slightly adjusting the cone. She rose, putting away her device. “Her lungs are really congested; she’s got a fever.” She then turned towards the group. “Has she had trouble eating?”

“Indeed, she barely eats anything. Sometimes it seems like she has trouble keeping water down too,” Amit commented, starting to sniffle.

At that moment, Sariphi’s cheek puffed up, hand flying to her mouth. She bobbed with gags.

“Ah, the bucket!”

“Bucket!”

Leona glanced around and saw the bucket, right by her boot. She quickly lifted it towards the maiden. Sariphi managed to push herself to lean over the bucket, gagging and releasing the contents of her mouth. The beasts flinched at the familiar watery and brown ooze. Some slipped over the side and ended up sloshing right on the woman’s boots.

Sariphi slowly pushed herself away, eyes open just a crack. Their unfocused, almost blurry gaze only added to her haggard appearance. “Sorry,” she croaked, wiping some of the brown slime off her lips.

Leona set the bucket at her bedside, then rubbed the maiden’s back. “No need to apologize. You’re sick. What kind of doctor would I be if I flinched at patients being sick in front of me?” Leona slowly lowered the woman back down on the pillows. “A lousy one with a very short career, that’s what.”

A puff of laughter escaped Sariphi’s lips. She clenched the woman’s hand, smiling softly. “Thank you.”

“Save your words until you’re better.” Leona ruffled the snow-white hair just a bit. Now she turned again to the group. “Did she have long hacking coughs before she ended up like this? It’s often the first sign of illness.”

The hyena’s ears perked up. “Yeah, about two weeks ago, they started up. Thought she was hacking up a hairball. But she insisted she was fine, didn’t want to see the priest. Of course, seems like the priest is useless just like the rest of the docs.”

“Perhaps if we had pushed her back then…the priest could have done something,” Amit lamented, tears slipping out.

The two black balls, trembling so hard now, looked down. Clops sobbed, “It’s our fault.”

“Fault,” Cy agreed.

Leona held her hands up. “Hey, it’s no one’s fault when someone gets sick.” Then she paused, rubbing her chin. “Well, unless those fancy-looking, old fleabags locked her up in a dark, dingy cell while the king was away, then we can blame them. But I doubt we’ll get that lucky. And I’m not going to lie, when people get illnesses like this, without the right attention, they tend to fade fast. The fact you’ve managed to keep her alive this long shows how much you care.”

“Of course, we care about Sariphi,” Amit declared, hands against her heart. “We love her!”

“Yeah, we love her!”

“Love!”

Lanteveldt scratched his nose, his face a little pink. “Well, she is my lady. I wouldn’t be a knight without her. But sounds like you’ve seen this disease before, that means you can cure it, right?”

Leona smiled. “You’re a smart one.” She opened up her bag. “Now I’ve talked to the doctors outside, so it’ll be safe for her to try some new medicine.” She pulled out two vials. “I recommend two spoonfuls of this one every three hours.” She held out the white bottle. “And then two spoonfuls of this one every four hours.” She offered up the brown bottle. “In case I’m not here when it’s time to give her medicine.” She then set the bottles on the bedside table.

“That is quite a bit,” Amit commented.

Leona twisted her head towards the princess. “Say what?”

“Pardon me, it’s just that most of the doctors never gave my lady that much.”

Clops included, “Well, they were giving beast medicine to a human. So they gave her smaller doses.”

“A lot smaller,” Cy agreed.

“Yeah, I’ve heard,” Leona commented. “Sounds like a good portion even didn’t show up in the first place, made more complaints about the patient not responding to their medication rather than actually helping her.” She then turned towards Sariphi. “Although, it would be better if she had something to eat.” She then turned towards Amit. “Pardon me miss, could you fetch something for Sariphi to eat. Something light and maybe a bit salty?”

Yet Amit didn’t move, staring wide-eyed with a slight shiver in her stance. Leona glanced around the room and saw all of the beasts looking startled as they stared at something. She followed their gazes to her bag, now wiggling on its own. Out of its open mouth, a red box appeared, balanced on a brown kitten's head. It let out a small meow.

“Aw! Sekhmet, good idea!” The woman reached up and picked up the kitten, revealing the dark trails all over her body which made a wing-like pattern on her back. “What would I do without you?” she asked as she snuggled the kitten, who mewed in response. The woman set the cat down on the bed. The moment her little paws hit the sheets; she dashed over to Sariphi’s head. Yet Bennu stopped her, squawking at her. The cat stopped abruptly, back arched as she hissed at the little bird.

Leona smiled, grabbing the kitten by the neck. She used her other hand to wave a finger at the kitten. Her smile continued as she chided, “Now, now, Sekhmet. Lord Bennu was here first. He’s more in charge here than I am. Be nice.”

Once set down, the cat’s ears lowered in an almost bow at the bird. She then set upon the important task of licking Sariphi’s hand.

“What is that?” Lanteveldt asked, pointing at the cat.

“That is a cat. The not-beastly type that doesn’t talk or eat humans. Her name is Sekhmet. She’s my dear companion and often acts as an assistant on these house calls.”

“Are you sure you can keep her here? If his majesty finds out…” Amit said.

Leona tore open the box with her finger, sitting down next to Sariphi. “If he has a problem with my pet, then he’ll have to take it up with Sekhmet herself. Hope he knows how to deal with claws.”

The doctor wheezed laughter at her joke as she pulled out a small, round, grain-colored disc. The rest of the room just watched and blinked. After a few deep breaths, her laughter ceased and she turned towards Sariphi, offering the circle near her lips. “This should help settle your stomach enough for you to take some medicine. Try to eat some, okay?”

The patient shifted away from the kitten, giving a small nod. Her mouth opened just a crack to let in the cracker. Slowly she chewed and swallowed. Then she opened her mouth again and continued to eat one small disc after another until the box was half empty.

“Bet that tastes good after so long, right?” Leona asked, stroking the girl’s head.

Sariphi gave a small nod and a small smile, eyes still firmly closed.

Leona smiled, tapping the brown bottle, powder now tipping into a small cup. “Alright, now I’ve got some medicine for you. It won’t taste as good, but it will help you feel better, okay?”

Once again, Sariphi nodded and opened her mouth. Leona tipped the medicine into the girl’s mouth, watching her face twist, lips puckered. Then Sariphi stuck out her tongue and groaned.

“Yeah, it seems like it’s medicine’s lot in life to be bad tasting,” Leona commented as she washed the cup and filled it with the brown powder. “My ma told me it just drives whatever ails you out because they can’t stand it either.” She then pressed the cup to Sariphi’s lips. “Once again please.”

Again, Sariphi obeyed. Leona smiled, grabbing a cup of water from the nearby table, tipping that into Sariphi’s mouth. “Alright, that’s enough meds for now. Get some rest.”

Sariphi nodded again, cheek against pillow now, a small smile on her face. Sekhmet snuggled against the maiden’s forehead. Leona hummed, a warm low sound, as she rubbed the maiden’s cheek. The doctor then slowly rose and pulled the curtains down. Just as she turned around, Amit clutched Leona to her, letting out small sobs.

“Oh, thank you, Miss Leona!” she declared. “I haven’t seen Sariphi eat so much in so long!”

The two black blobs clung onto her legs. “Thank you so much! Sariphi’s going to get better, right?” Clops asked, voice wobbling.

“Better?” Cy’s voice trembled like his brother’s.

“Yeah, I’d say so. It might be a bit, maybe a week or so, given how long she’s been sick. It’ll be a few days before we see any change in her though. I’d better tell the king my findings.” She tugged at the ribbon, releasing her hair and sliding it over the scarred half of her face. She looked down to see Cy and Clops, still shaking but one mouth and one eye set in determination.

“We’ll go with you. We’ll testify you’re a good doctor in front of the king.”

“We will!”

Leona smiled, patting the two small beasts at the top of their heads. “Thanks, little spooks.” She took in a deep breath and stepped out into the hallway. Not a single man had left.

“Well, human? How is the patient?” The bull doctor asked.

Leona commented, “It’s Doctor Human, please and thank you. And she’s in a pretty bad way.”

Somewhere in the menagerie, another voice spoke, “See, your majesty, not even human medicine can help the acting queen consort!”

“You didn’t let me finish.” She turned towards the king, “Good news your majesty,” Leona declared. “I know what’s wrong with your future queen, I’ve got medications to help, so, barring an act of the Family or your God, I’d say she will recover.”

“Is that so?” Anubis asked.

“Yes!” Clops declared, floating right around Leona’s arm. “She got Sariphi to eat food and take some medicine! That’s got to be worth something!”

“Something!” Cy shouted.

“Aw shucks, you little spooks,” Leona said, rubbing the back of her head. “Just doing what doctors are supposed to do.” She then gave the king a hard look. “But it does appear you need some human help around here. The decision is well… in your court, your majesty.”

Just then, one of the fox guards ran down the hall with two other beasts behind him. One was a dog folk, golden silky fur trailing from his simple shirt and pants, his ears long and covered in long fur, a blue stone earring on his left ear. The other was a reptilian woman wearing a light-yellow dress and veil, black spots on her brown scales. A necklace of blue beads on a black cord hung around her neck. As they came before the king, the two men bowed while the woman curtsied, all panting.

“Will, Juno, you made it!” Leona smiled, waving.

The two beasts gave one horrified look at the woman before groaning. The dog pulled at his ears, grumbling. The lizard clasped her eyes, shaking her head. She looked up, agony on her face. “Your majesty, if you are going to execute us, please make it swift.”

“Let me tell my family I loved them,” the dog asked, one finger pointed up, his other paw still clutching his ear. “That’s all I ask.”

Anubis’s eyes glanced between the newcomers. “Do you…know each other?”

Leona brightened. “Yeah, we go way back. I’ve known them for decades. We have an arrangement about helping each other.” She pointed to the dog. “That’s Will. Resident historian and nerd. Taught my kids how to read and write.” The finger then moved towards the lizard. “She’s Juno. Makes the best snacks any side of the Gate. Thanks to them, I was able to get this far into Ozmargo. Would it be alright if they stayed here with me while I look after your princess?”

The two beasts quickly bowed and curtsied respectfully.

Will took a step out. “Pardon our boldness, your majesty. I’ve known Leona for many years. She may be a peculiar…person. I’m sure you’ve already noticed. But she’s one of the best doctors in the land. I’ve seen her tend to beasts and humans alike and help them all with the same smile and care.” He lowered his head before continuing. “When my daughter was dying, Leona was the one who saved her. I’ll always be grateful to her for that.”

“Indeed,” the King of Beasts shifted a brow, then bore holes into the group.

He then turned to the doctors. “You are dismissed. We are certain you don’t need to be escorted on the way out.”

Most of the men scurried away. The lizard, sparrow, and ferret gave low bows to Leona before leaving.

The King of Beasts turned towards the woman. “Human woman.”

Leona stiffened before huffing, holding up a finger. “I’d rather be called Doctor human woman, if it’s all the same to you.

He gave a small inhale, the council and soldiers braced themselves.

She then held up both hands. “Okay, okay, you call me whatever you want. You’re the boss, king.”

“How long will it take for you to cure our bride?”

“Well, I’m estimating a week or so, given her dosage size. I’d like to stick around a bit longer, just to make sure she’s made a full recovery.”

“Fair.” The King of Beasts held up his paw. “We shall offer you the same promise to those wretches. Tend to the queen consort-to-be. A boon if you cure her. Pray to God you don’t fail.”

He then turned away and left, his council following behind him.

“Leona…” Will started to growl. Yet the human focused on the king, watching him stalk away, her hand clenching right over her heart.

The dog sighed and placed a paw on her shoulder. She flinched, snapped out of her thoughts, twisting quickly to the man. Her expression melted into a warm smile, returning the one on his face.

He said, “Just let me know next time, okay? If you’d told me, I’d saved money on the inn and save you from going out the window.”

“Yeah.” She placed a hand on his paw, stretching her back. “I’m not as young as I used to be.”

Cy and Clops bounced over, hovering right by Leona’s face.

“Ms. Leona, are you alright?”

“Right?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

“But why do you look so sad?”

Leona found her eyes clouding up with some tears. She quickly wiped them away with her sleeve. “Ah sorry to worry you little guys. I guess I’m tired. Plus, did you smell that roar? Phew.” She waved a hand in front of her face.

The two beasts continued to face her, Cy with his one eye and Clops with his large mouth.

“Ah right,” Leona noted. Then her brows rose in surprise. She then stepped away from the group, kneeling down where the king once stood, picking up a small pile of brown fur. “Hey spooks, does the king always shed like this?”

The blobs bounced over.

“We’ve never seen the king shed like this before.”

“Never.”

Leona hummed, “Looks like I’ve got a lot of work to do. Thanks, kids, for helping, but my friends and I will take it from here. Go get some rest.”

The two blobs cried out, “WHAT?!?

“Sorry doc,” Lanteveldt said, leaning on the door frame. “We’re happy to have you here. But we’re not leaving Sariphi when she needs us.”

Amit stood in the doorway; hands clasped in front of her. “Please ma’am. Let us stay.”

The whole group stared, blinking at one another.

“Ah right.” Leona held a hand out. “Will, Juno, these are…” then blinked. “I’m sorry, I never learned your names.”

“Oh, do forgive me please.” Amit gave a proper curtsy. “I’m Amit, sixth princess of Murga, it is an honor to meet you. Thank you two for escorting Miss Leona here.”

Juno stepped forward. “Think nothing of it, your highness. And it is a great honor to meet you as well. I’m Juno.”

Amit watched the older woman, her mouth trying to speak but no words came out. The hyena stepped up. “I’m Lanteveldt, Queen consort’s knight. You can call me Lan.”

“I’m Clops and this is my brother Cy, we’re Sariphi’s faithful servants.”

“Cy, hello!”

“Will, humble scholar, at your service.” He offered a small bow.

“Hello there,” Juno gracefully curtseyed.

Will held out his paw towards the human. “And of course, you’ve met Leona.”

“’Lo,” she said with a small wave.

Cy tugged at her pant leg. “Please, Miss Leona? Us stay, please?”

Leona turned away, hands out defensively. “Ack! Stop being so cute, you little spook! You’re messing with my heartstrings!” She then looked down at his earnest look and smiled. “Well, I’d be no better than those hypocrites if I didn’t listen to people who cared about my patients. But I’d like for you kids to take a small break, wash up, relax a bit. Let me and my friends get settled in and come back in, say, an hour? Sound fair?”

“Sounds alright by me.”

“Indeed.”

“Okay.”

“’Kay.”

The young folk left the adults. The princess twisted her head behind her, but then scurried away. The three adults watched them turn a corner. They glanced at each other. With a nod, they walked into the infirmary, shutting the door behind them. Juno all but collapsed on the bed while Will leaned on the wall. Leona stood between them.

“So…what’s the king like?” Will asked.

“Well, at first glance, he’s just like the old king, commanding and domineering. Threatening everyone…and maybe it’s me being crazy or hopeful, but for a few moments there…he sounded like his Pa…”

“Leona, I’ve known you for at least, what, a century now? And I know that you try to look for the good in others, Ghenna, that’s how you ended up married in the first place. And you’ve got a good sense of finding it in people where they least expect it. So I don’t think you’re crazy, well, at least this time. I bet deep down he’s got good in him.”

“Probably keeps in the liver. It’s a family trait,” Leona said, wiping her face again, a few tears leaking out. “Mothers, I’m so tired…” She then noticed her other companion, staring at the wall. “Juno, are you okay?”

Juno continued, still as a statue.

“Juno? Juuuno? HERA!” Leona snapped her fingers in front of the reptile’s face.

The woman jumped up. “Yes. What? Sorry?”

The human blinked and let out a long “Ooooh! That princess…she’s your Amit. The one you’ve talked about.”

The lizard woman flinched, sighing and clutching her skirt. “I should have known they would send her here. I heard the stories, but I couldn’t have believed it. She must have been terrified coming here. I’ve wanted to see her so badly after all these years.” Now the fabric of the skirt bunched in her claws. “Yet if she finds out what happened…what I’ve done…”

Leona sat down, leaning against her friend. “I mean, I’ve only known her for a few moments but she doesn’t seem to have changed much from that hatchling you loved and cared for. Still is really sweet. Still cries for others. Shame we didn’t know she was here; you could have warned me about how strong her hugs were.”

Juno sighed, “She did always cling so strongly to my skirts…”

“See? I bet the moment you tell her who you are, she’ll squish you in one of her hugs, the two of you will start bawling and it’ll be like you never left.”

The lizard woman smiled warmly. “That would be nice…” She then took the human’s hand. “And I’m really wishing you can reach your cub in some way.”

Leona squeezed her hand in return, leaning into the woman. “Thanks, I’ll need it. Hopefully, I’ll learn what to call him soon.”

Will sighed dramatically, slightly shoving the women away so he could sit between them, then hugged the women close to his sides. “Well, looks like it’s reunions all around here. Alas, I have no child to reunite with here, so I guess I’ll just be the emotional support and shoulder to cry on here.”

“Aris, you sure?” Leona wiggled herself free from his grip, standing up. She pointed to the door behind her. “You sure you didn’t leave any little pups or cubs like that hyena when you stuck it to that bastard and ran off with your wife?”

“Please,” the dog started, waving a paw. “The previous kings did everything they could to stamp out the hyena clan. I doubt our most beloved bastard would have offered me a hyena woman on a silver platter like other women. Though I wonder how one managed to get into the palace. Along with those Cyclopeans too, hard to find members of the Magic clan around here…”

“There’s a lot of stories to be told…” Leona looked up at the veiled bed. “Can’t wait to hear hers especially.”

The two beasts twisted, following their friend’s gaze. They both rose, stepping towards the bed eagerly. “I wonder if she looks like her wanted posters,” Juno pondered. “She looked very lovely in those.”

Still looking back on his friend, Will lifted the curtain. “Those things are terribly inaccurate. They always get the noses wrong.” As he twisted his head, he continued, “You’d think that with camera thingies, humans could—” However, once he saw the human girl, he froze.

“Will? Aristophanes?” Leona asked once she caught up to her friend. She followed his gaze, eyes just moving between the maiden’s white hair and the small bird lying against Sekhmet’s stomach.

“Leona…is that a holy beast I’m seeing near Sekhmet…” he pointed to the sleeping beauty. “Her holy beast?”

Leona looked at the two beasts curled up against each other. “Yeah, the kids said he was hers.”

“But…then her hair…” He now looked agasht at the white streak gracing Leona’s face.

“Hey, I was not in the best mindset when I started, you know that.” Leona wove the strands around her finger. “She probably had far better reasons than I did. Besides, if her hair is the result of summoning, she’d probably look more like a little old granny. You know about the Choseh people, she might be one of them. We’ll ask her when she’s better.” A yawn escaped her lips.

The dog sighed, relief in his tone. He rubbed his eye. “You’re right. You humans are often right. But be careful about using our real names, you never know who might be listening. The council will never forgive me for the character assassination I’ve done to them.”

“Well, you did often kill them in your plays or demote them into toilet cleaners,” Juno commented. “But yes, the longer no one knows who we really are, the longer we can stay here.”

“Good point,” Leona said. “Make sure you let me know when that potion wears off on your eye. Looks like that bunch of relics doesn’t recognize you while it works.” She yawned, “Let’s get ready for bed, the kids will be back soon.”

Once Leona changed out of her clothes and into a T-shirt she could almost swim in, she sat down on the bed near the two holy beasts. “I hope you’ve explained to Lord Bennu everything, that I’d be really grateful if he kept this to himself for a while.”

The kitten meowed to almost everyone in the room, but Bennu and Leona heard, “Rest assured, my lady, Lord Bennu has allowed us to stay and for you to treat his lady. But he does request that should something go wrong; I use my powers to save her.”

Leona shrugged, “Sure, that was the plan all along. But I’m pretty sure he’s more of a swearing bird.”

The bird pointed a wing. “See, you young folks keep fixing the words of your elders for nothin’. You shouldn’t try so hard.”

“I didn’t want to you to hear such words, milady. You’re an excellent doctor and it pains me when people dismiss you.” The kitten lowered her ears.

“Come on Sek, you know I’ve heard it all before.” Leona leaned, scratching her beast on the head. “But thanks for looking out for me.” Then she scratched the bird’s head. “Thank you Lord Bennu as well.”

The bird huffed, “Just cure my lady and keep her safe. Like you promised. Though some human booze wouldn’t hurt.”

“What did he say?” Leona asked.

Sekhmet replied, “He’s fine with it. He does want some human liquor though.”

“I’ve got some, I’ll start my payment tomorrow.” A yawn again broke her thoughts. “Okay?”

“Alright.” The bird quickly shifted, turning to his side. The kitten let out a small yawn and then curled around the bird as she fell asleep.

Leona then turned her attention to the maiden sleeping, wheezing with each breath. “I know I’m a terrible mother-in-law for letting you suffer like this. I’m selfish, using you to see my son after all these years.” She leaned down to pull out a small round bottle filled with a glowing, bright purple liquid. “But I promise that I’m here to take care of and love you like I should. Just have a little faith in me, okay?” She pulled out the cork, aiming the bottle at Sariphi. Vapor flowed out, quickly transforming into a large purple moth, landing right on the girl’s head and scattering into tiny purple specks. As the creature scattered, Sariphi’s wheezes almost ceased, her chest rising and falling more.

Leona smiled, kissing her fingers and pressing them onto Sariphi’s cheek. “Sweet dreams, dear.”

#niehime to kemono no ou #niehime #sacrificial princess and the king of beasts #fanfiction #tw: language #tw: nausea

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