Raising Beast Cubs to Find a Husband

Chapter 228: The Archduke, The Patient, and the Hovering Panther

There are doctors, there are master mages, and then there is Archduke Cassian.

To say Cassian’s medical ward was state-of-the-art was a severe understatement. Located in the east wing of the manor, the infirmary looked less like a clinic and more like an aggressively sterilized palace. The floors were carved from imported white marble that physically repelled dirt, the air was filtered through centuries-old elemental wind-runes, and every single instrument on the silver trays cost more than a small provincial village.

Juni sat awkwardly on the edge of a levitating, velvet-cushioned examination table. She was wearing a soft linen gown, her golden hair tied back, and her magnificent silver-tipped wings pulled tight against her back. She looked terrified, though not of the medical equipment.

She was terrified of the bill.

"Cassian," Juni whispered, her golden eyes darting to a massive, glowing ruby suspended in a gold frame next to her head. "Is that an Imperial Blood-Crystal? I heard they only use those in the Capital to resurrect dying royalty. Why is it pointing at me?"

"It is measuring your resting pulse," Cassian replied smoothly, not even looking up from his silver clipboard. He was dressed in a pristine white coat over his tailored vest, pushing his round glasses up his nose. "And yes, it is an Imperial Blood-Crystal. I purchased the entire mine last decade because standard ones are unhygienic and aesthetically displeasing."

Juni swallowed hard. "I cannot afford this check-up."

"Do not insult my treasury," Cassian sighed, picking up a glowing blue wand. "You are currently under the protection of the Warlord pack. Ergo, your structural integrity is my responsibility. Open your mouth, please."

"It really isn’t necessary," Juni tried to argue, shifting uncomfortably. "My knee feels fine. My wings don’t ache anymore. I just want to know if I’m cleared to fly."

"Patient self-assessment is notoriously flawed," a small, highly serious voice announced from the corner.

Juni looked over to see Jasper. The little snake-beast cub was wearing a miniature version of Cassian’s white coat, holding his own tiny leather notebook. He pushed his small round glasses up his nose in the exact same motion as his older brother.

"Statistically," Jasper lectured, flipping a page, "avian beast-kins hide physical weakness to avoid appearing vulnerable to predators. You require a full archducal diagnostic to rule out internal mana-fractures."

Cassian gave Jasper a brief, proud nod. "Excellent application of physiological data, Jasper. Though your posture is slacking by two degrees. Straighten your spine."

Jasper immediately snapped up to perfect military attention.

Juni let out a defeated sigh and opened her mouth. Cassian gently waved the glowing blue wand over her face, checking her magical pathways.

The entire process would have been incredibly peaceful, if not for the massive, terrifying shadow currently looming in the darkest corner of the infirmary.

Lucien had absolutely refused to wait in the hallway. The Panther Assassin was leaning against the sterile white wall, his arms crossed over his chest, his violet eyes tracking Cassian’s every single movement with lethal, unblinking intensity.

Cassian picked up a small, blunt silver reflex hammer.

"Do not strike her with that blunt-force weapon," Lucien’s low, dangerous voice instantly echoed from the shadows.

Cassian paused, slowly turning his head to glare at the assassin. "Lucien, it is a reflex hammer. It weighs three ounces. I am going to tap her patella to ensure her nerve endings have properly reattached after the poacher attack."

"You will bruise her," Lucien warned, his shadow-magic actually starting to pool around his boots.

"I am an Archduke and a master healer!" Cassian hissed, his serpentine slitted eyes narrowing in deep annoyance. "I have reattached severed limbs on active battlefields! I am not going to bruise a woman’s knee with a rubber-tipped wand!"

"Statistically, patient stress levels increase when surrounded by heavily armed assassins," Jasper chimed in helpfully from his stool, writing furiously in his notebook. "Lucien’s hovering is elevating Juni’s heart rate. The Blood-Crystal is glowing twenty percent brighter."

Lucien immediately stiffened, his eyes darting to Juni’s face. "Am I causing you distress?"

Juni let out a bright, exasperated laugh, completely shattering the tense, clinical atmosphere. She looked at the terrifying Lord of Shadows, who looked ready to throw himself out a window if he was actually stressing her out.

"You aren’t stressing me out, Lucien," Juni smiled warmly, her golden eyes completely fond. "The floating million-gold-piece ruby is stressing me out. And Cassian is right. He needs to check my knee."

Lucien didn’t look convinced, but he gave a tight nod and forcibly commanded his shadows to recede. He stayed exactly where he was, though, keeping his eyes firmly fixed on Cassian’s hands.

Cassian let out a long-suffering sigh, muttering something under his breath about the absolute lack of respect for medical professionals in this household. He gently tapped Juni’s knee. Her leg kicked forward perfectly.

"Nerve response is optimal," Cassian noted, making a mark on his clipboard. "Jasper, record the data."

"Recorded, brother," Jasper replied efficiently.

"Now, the final assessment," Cassian said, stepping back and setting the clipboard down. He looked at Juni’s back. "Please extend your primary flight feathers to their maximum wingspan."

Juni took a deep breath. She hadn’t fully extended her wings since the fight in the cavern. Slowly, she pushed her shoulders back, letting the magnificent, snow-white and silver-tipped wings unfold entirely. They stretched wide, nearly brushing the edges of the sterile room, catching the bright magical lights of the infirmary.

Lucien completely stopped breathing. The sheer, fierce beauty of her wings fully extended was entirely mesmerizing.

Cassian, however, was purely analytical. He walked slowly behind her, his slitted eyes scanning the alignment of every single feather, checking the tension in her muscles and the subtle glow of her wind-magic.

He paused near the center of her right wing—the exact spot where the iron net had crushed her quill, and where Lucien had gently snapped it back into place two days ago.

Cassian adjusted his glasses, leaning in close. "Fascinating."

"What?" Lucien demanded instantly, pushing off the wall and taking a heavy step forward. "Is it damaged? Did it not heal?"

"On the contrary," Cassian murmured, tracing his gloved finger in the air just an inch above her feathers. "The cartilage alignment is absolutely flawless. I could not have set this bone with more precision using a high-tier levitation spell. Someone with highly trained, entirely steady hands performed a manual realignment."

Cassian turned his head, his sharp eyes locking onto the Panther Warlord. A slow, incredibly smug smile spread across the Archduke’s face.

"It seems our resident assassin possesses hidden talents in avian physical therapy," Cassian noted dryly.

Lucien’s jaw tightened, the tips of his ears burning a violent shade of red. "It was a tactical necessity to restore her mobility."

"Of course it was," Cassian agreed smoothly, practically dripping with sarcasm. He turned back to Juni. "You are completely healed, Juni. Your mana reserves are stabilized, your ligaments are fortified, and you are officially cleared for flight. Though I recommend avoiding any violent aerial combat for at least another week."

Juni’s face lit up like the sun. She pulled her wings in, a massive wave of relief washing over her. "Thank you, Cassian. Truly. For everything."

"You are welcome," Cassian replied, moving to a pristine glass cabinet. He pulled out three incredibly ornate, crystal vials filled with glowing, gold-flecked liquid and set them on the tray next to her. "However, your dietary history in the caves was highly deficient. You will take one vial of this concentrated Sun-Drop elixir every morning for the next thirty days to rebuild your bone density. It tastes faintly of elderflower."

Juni looked at the vials. They looked like they cost more than her entire life. "I don’t think I can remember to take all of these..."

"Do not worry," Lucien interrupted, stepping out of the shadows entirely and walking right up to the examination table. He carefully picked up the three crystal vials, slipping them securely into the inner pocket of his suit jacket.

Lucien looked down at her, his violet eyes entirely serious and completely devoted. "I will manage your supplement schedule. You will not miss a single dose."

Juni looked up at the deadly assassin, who had just officially appointed himself as her personal vitamin reminder. She couldn’t stop the soft, watery smile from breaking across her face.

"Thank you, Lucien," she whispered.

"Alright, the medical consultation is concluded," Cassian announced, picking up a cloth to sanitize his clipboard. "Jasper, please ensure the sterilization wards are reactivated. Lucien, remove your completely un-sanitized boots from my infirmary immediately."

Lucien didn’t even glare at Cassian this time. He just offered Juni his hand, helping her gently off the levitating table.

As they walked out of the infirmary into the warm, chaotic hallways of the Warlord manor, Juni felt a sudden, fierce urge to test her wings. She looked at Lucien, who was walking steadfastly by her side, carrying her absurdly expensive vitamins.

"Lucien?" Juni asked softly.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to come outside and watch me fly?"

Lucien stopped walking. He looked at her, his violet eyes widening slightly at the invitation, before a soft, incredibly rare smile broke across his face.

"I would follow you anywhere, Juni," he promised.