He began tossing and turning on the bed as a frown formed between his brows, disturbing the peaceful and innocent expression that he had on his face before. “Prince Leonard…” I called his name softly. He didn’t respond to me, and his eyes remained closed. However, his peaceful sleep was already disturbed, and he seemed extremely uncomfortable. I reached out my hand towards his face before placing it against his forehead. At the touch of his heated skin, I pulled my hand back immediately. His skin was hot and burning with fever. Why didn’t I realize this before? How long had he been running a fever like this? Now isn’t the time to worry about him waking up and all that. The prince needed help and urgently. He has a high fever, and I can’t help him much because I wasn’t a doctor. The prince needs a doctor right away. I cursed Prince Darius silently in my head when I thought of how he told me that I could heal Prince Leonard’s illness. How am I supposed to help heal him or anyone? “Help! The prince has a fever! Someone…please get a doctor! Please!” I screamed as I banged my fist against his bedroom door. After a couple of tries, I was already convinced that I was all alone and that there was indeed no one else on the other side of the door in the hallway. Prince Leonard groaned as if he was in pain again. This time it must be the fever that was bothering him. I quickly headed back to his side. Staring down at him from where I stood next to his bed, my mind was filled my worry. I wasn’t a doctor but that didn’t mean that I didn’t know the basics of how to help someone deal with a fever. I quickly made my way to the closet to find some towels and then I quickly made my way to the bathroom. Without wasting any more time, I soaked the towel in cool water. If I wipe his body down, it should help improve his condition and lower his body temperature. This was the least that I could do for him. I sat down on the side of the bed as my eyes traveled along his muscular back. The prince was lying on his front side with his full naked back exposed to me. At least he was not wearing a shirt and that meant that I didn’t need to strip him. Gently, I began wiping his back with the wet towel. Immediately, the prince let out a soft moan, but his eyes still remained closed. I continued wiping his back before pressing the palm of my hand against his muscles. I could feel his warm muscles flexing and relaxing as it moved under my hand. His skin was no longer burning hot, and his warmth reminded me that he was so real and so alive. He really is beautiful… I couldn’t stop my thoughts and my eyes from wandering as I admired his body. My hands paused for a moment before I remembered that I had to do my work too and not just stare at him. With much effort, I managed to flip him onto his back. Honestly, I didn’t manage it alone but somewhere between me trying to flip him, the prince decided to aid me by flipping himself onto his back. “Thank you…” I whispered to him although I knew that he couldn’t hear me. Now that he was lying on his back, I had a hard time deciding whether the front side or the back side of his torso looked more attractive. I shook my head from side to side to shake away that thought. What am I doing? He’s sick and here I’m thinking strange thoughts. I should focus on helping him get better. Time ticked by as I spent time sitting next to the sleeping Prince Leonard on his bed. … **The morning after** I woke up to the sensation of someone shaking my arm. At first, I thought that it must have been part of my dream because there shouldn’t be anyone in my room and I had made sure to lock the door the night before. It was when I suddenly remembered the events that transpired last night that my eyes shot open. The sight of Prince Leonard’s grim face staring down at me confirmed my realization that the events of last night must have been real and that I was no longer in my bedroom but in his bedroom instead. The softness under me told me that I was lying on his bed of all places. I must have fallen asleep next to him while wiping his body down with the wet cloth and the evidence of that was the towel that I still had in my right hand. My eyes shifted to the prince’s face again to see his piercing blue eyes still staring right down into my face as he sat up on his bed. “Good morning, Prince Leonard…” I managed to whisper in a small voice. “What are you doing here?” he asked suspiciously. I could tell that he wasn’t at all pleased to wake up to find me in his bed and I didn’t blame him at all. “I was told…” I began saying but then he cut me off before I could finish. “Is trying to seduce a prince part of a maid’s job now?” the prince asked as his blue eyes stared intimidatingly into mine. I could sense his anger, but I didn’t understand why he was so mad? “No…I…” I mumbled as I tried to think of the words to make him understand. “No? Then why are you here? Your lack of clothing is a disgrace…” he muttered as his brows knitted together before he diverted his eyes from me as if in disgust. My hands immediately flew to cover my chest as I turned away to shield my body from his sight. I felt heat rise to my cheeks as embarrassment consumed me along with a sense of hurt at his words and unexpected actions. It seemed like he didn’t quite remember what happened last night at all. --To be continued…