The next morning, Cain walked into the Prince's room to wake him up. It would be the same ordeal as always. Cain prepared himself for the anger and annoyance. If it had been up to the Prince, he would have slept until 2pm, at which point he would get up and go to a tavern until sundown before going to enjoy the red-light district.
While those days certainly did happen, they were exceptionally rare. The Prince had duties to attend to, and Cain wasn't too fond gallivanting around carelessly.
Cain stood next to the Prince's bedside. "My Prince, it is time to wake up."
Prince Arthur didn't budge in the slightest. He didn't even seem to be aware of his butler's existence.
Cain tried again. "My Prince, breakfast will be ready soon."
Still no reaction. Cain was getting worried. Had there been an incident?
Cain steeled his nerves and gently touched the Prince's shouldering, pushing him. The Prince didn't even stir.
"Garrick!" Cain called out in worry. "Get a Doctor!"
Garrick, who had just started his shift, poked his head into the room and saw the Prince's unmoving body. He quickly rushed away, hoping to get the Prince medical attention as quickly as possible.
Cain didn't need to check for a pulse as he knew the Prince was alive. If he had been dead, Cain would have also died as a result of the Butler's Vow. But that didn't mean the Prince couldn't die soon.
He waited anxiously in the room until a Royal Doctor entered. The Doctor didn't say anything as he moved to check on the Prince's health. He cast a few diagnostic spells on the Prince, his Essence of Life being incredibly useful.
After a few minutes of inspection, he turned to Cain. "His Highness is unconscious. It's strange, he does not show any signs of poisoning or foul play. There doesn't appear to be anything wrong with him. He's completely healthy."
"But then why isn't His Highness waking up?" Garrick interjected, worried about the Prince's health but also relieved. He knew that if there had been any evidence of foul play, he and the other Royal Guard who had been watching over the Prince's chambers would likely have been executed.
"I'm not sure." The Royal Doctor responded. "By all accounts he should be awake."
Cain walked over to close the door, looking each of them in the eyes one at a time. "We can't let anyone know of His Highnesses current weakness. If I ever learn that the other Prince's or even other Nobles caught wind of this, I will report to the King and have you both executed for treason. Understand?"
Garrick shuddered in fear, his sense of survival causing him to shake his head vigorously. The doctor, on the other hand, just scoffed.
"My family has been the Royal Doctors for centuries now. Our Vow is absolute. If any word comes out, it will have been the Guard's doing."
Cain relaxed slightly at the confirmation. He said that more for Garrick's sake, as he knew the Royal Doctor's was as reliable as himself. Both of their families had tied themselves to the Royal Family countless generations ago.
"Much appreciated, Doctor." Cain bowed in gratitude. "I shall watch over him diligently and inform you when he awakens. I'll be sure to procure a new book upon your next visit."
The Royal Doctor smiled gently before exiting the room. In his old age, he had become wary of politics and tended to avoid others. He only left the library when a Royal needed medical attention.
"So what do we do now?" Garrick asked nervously once the Doctor left. Despite his martial prowess, he was unexperienced in the less physical issues that plagues nobility.
"You will guard the room and ensure no one enters without orders from the King." Cain told him.
As he said this, the door opened. Garrick quickly took his sword out of its scabbard, pointing it at the newcomer.
"Woah! Someone's feeling feisty today!" the newcomer joked, unphased at the sword pointing at her chest.
"Lysara," Cain greeted the chambermaid. He felt a headache begin to form. "If you could please step outside. I'll bring the clothes to you in a moment."
"Lighten up, why don't you? It's not like the Prince will hear you." Lysara said.
Garrick's eyes widened. He really wasn't great outside of straightforward battles. "How did you know that?!"
Lysara smirked and pointed at Cain. "Only time this idiot would let the Prince miss his breakfast would be if he was either dead or unconscious."
It was true. Cain wanted to instill good habits within the Prince, even if it was a losing battle. One of those habits were eating breakfast. He'd had to compromise with Prince Arthur, having a private room for the Prince to eat without anyone bothering him on the days he had a hangover.
"I would recommend you be less open about your spying." Cain advised Lysara, rubbing his temples. "Even if you work for the Prince."
Despite Lysara's attitude, she was one of the few trusted members of the Prince's servants. It wasn't because she was loyal to the Prince. If anything, she hated his guts. But she liked to collect gossip and the only person who would let her be so outspoken was Cain. Any other Royal Butler would have had her executed immediately, but Cain was more of a forward thinker. While Lysara had enough dirt on the Prince to ruin him, Cain likewise had enough evidence to not only have her, but her whole family, executed. They had made a deal a few months ago that Lysara would report any gossip she'd collected to Cain and no one else.
At the start of their working relationship, she had been far more reserved. But now she'd realized Cain had no intention of having her executed and decided to be more open. If she wasn't so useful, Cain would never have spoken to her. Even now, he was regretting their deal.
"So, what's up with him?" she asked Cain. "Is he dead or something?"
"Unconscious," Cain replied. "Keep an eye out for anyone talking about the Prince's health these next few days and report back to me."
"Got it, boss!" she saluted cheerfully. Cain sighed. This day was starting off horrible. He couldn't even stay the entire day, as he had a meeting to go to.
By noon, there had been no sign of movement from the Prince. Even by dinnertime, the only sign the Prince was alive was his rhythmic breathing.
"Garrick!" he called for the guard. "Make sure Nathaniel is the one stationed here tonight."
Garrick nodded at Cain's request. He was sure that Nathaniel wouldn't mind. Nathaniel had always had a soft spot for the Fourth Prince.
Cain waited for Nathaniel to arrive, giving him strict instructions. He then walked to his quarters, which were only a few doors down. He locked the door behind him and changed, removing his stuffy suit and replacing it with a dark blue coat, black pants, and a black shirt. He then completed the outfit with some sturdy boots.
He snuck out the window, now experienced with navigating out the estate grounds unseen. Though his light Essence was far weaker than Prince Arthur's, he didn't need flashy. All he had to do was refract the light around him slightly, allowing him to blend into the background.
If anyone did catch him, he could always use his Essence to blur his face. He'd had to do that once, narrowly escaping capture from Garrick. That was actually the reason he'd decided to trust the guard to look after the Prince, as he wasn't even slightly tempted by the sizeable bribe.
Once he slunk out of the estate grounds, he walked over to the poorer part of town. The streets were mostly empty, with most people already asleep. Any other day of the month he would have been asleep as well. Unfortunately, duty called and he must answer.
He found the Silvery Moon Tavern and entered. It was a grimy place, popular amongst low lives. Tonight, like every full moon, the tavern was closed. The first floor was empty except for the bartender. The bartender looked up and asked a question. His right hand was under the counter, likely holding a weapon for if Cain answered the question wrong.
"What must one give to best serve?" the bartender queried.
"Everything," Cain responded.