After escorting his last patient out, Benjamin spotted the prince's carriage waiting further down the unpaved road. The patient's granddaughter handed him a wrapped candy through the carriage window before they took off. 

From a distance, Charles observed Benjamin talking and laughing with his patients. It was clear they liked him and had likely been under his care for some time because even the child was fond of him. However, as the carriage drove off, Charles watched Benjamin's smiling face crumble. He stared at the candy the little girl had given him with a glum expression.

Just then, as Benjamin turned to walk towards the prince, he caught Charles staring at him. Charles quickly looked away and stepped out of his carriage.

"Hi there, Doctor. I hope I'm not bothering you. I hope you're well."

"Thank you for coming out here. I'm doing well, Your Highness. How are you?" Even though Benjamin was smiling, Charles could sense that it was just a facade.

"I brought the vials in this box here."

"Oh, would you like to come on in, Your Highness?" Benjamin asked, taking the box from the Prince.

"Yes, thank you, Doctor."

Benjamin led the way into the clinic. The entrance led directly into a waiting room that was bright and spacious, with a tall ceiling. Several large windows were set into the walls, flooding the space with natural light. From the waiting room, one could look up and see the second floor.

"This is the waiting room."

"It's spacious," Charles said, observing the room. 

In the waiting room, there were long benches, chairs, and cushioned folding beds with low tables spread between them. The tables held magazines, booklets, loose paper, and pencils.

"I want to make my patients feel comfortable while they wait. Since I'm the only one here, sometimes they have to wait quite a while." 

After Charles had looked around the waiting room and turned back to him, Benjamin continued, "Would you like to head into the consultation room, Your Highness?"

To the back left-side of the waiting room was a doorway marked "Consultation Room." Benjamin opened the door and walked behind a large brown desk positioned perpendicular to the entrance. The wall behind him was lined with wooden shelves full of medical and clinical books, encyclopedias and manuals. 

"You can sit in any of these chairs while I prepare your files, Your Highness," Benjamin said, pointing to three chairs in front of his desk.

Charles took the seat on the outer edge.

"The view here is really nice," Charles said as he turned to look around the room and gazed out the window to the back of the room. He soon heard the scratching of a pen as Benjamin began writing on a notepad.

From the window, the back of the house was visible. There was a greenhouse that clearly hadn't been maintained for years. A rusty chain and lock secured the double doors, and the glass had become opaque from years of moss and dirt. Next to it was the remains of a worn-down vegetable garden. The only part of the grounds that seemed maintained was a gated area in the far back, where a white picket fence looked brand new.

"Thank you for waiting, Your Highness," Benjamin said. "May I please see the vials you've brought me?"

"Ah, of course." Charles passed the box over.

"Thank you, Your Highness. As I told you yesterday, I'll be testing your blood for pheromonal toxins. My lab is actually upstairs," he pointed out. "And then, based on the results, I'll determine the best medication for you, including herbal remedies. I'll provide the test results and my recommendations so you can show your doctors, Your Highness."

"That would be appreciated," Charles replied. He let out a deep sigh before continuing. "It's not that I don't trust you, as I can see you're a very competent doctor, but... may I see your medical license?" Charles didn't know why he felt nervous asking a standard question asked to medical practitioners. He hadn't felt this much pressure even in front of kings and queens of other kingdoms. 

"Of course, where are my manners? I recall you asking yesterday as well, Your Highness." Benjamin opened a lower drawer and pulled out a card, gritting his teeth behind a polite smile as he passed it over.

Charles looked at the card. It read:

Medical License No.: AA-XX-XXXX-XXXX
Pharmaceutical License No.: AA-XX-XXX-XXX
Issued: 01.06.XX
Expires: 30.06.XX
Full Name: Benjamin Nystrom
Date of Birth: 22.09.XX
Place of Birth: Obsidia, Zephyr
Sex: Male
Secondary Gender: [Covered]

[Author note: Numerical data marked with X's have been simplified for relevance, not redacted.]

"Thank you, Doctor. This is quite impressive. I didn't know you held a dual license as both a doctor and a pharmacist."

"I don't remember half the time either," Benjamin feigned innocence, chuckling as he took the card back and tucked it away.

I doubt he forgot, Charles thought, smiling back while feigning innocence himself. He has an AA license that was issued this year. It must have been renewed. That means his initial AA license was issued when he was just twenty-one, an age when most doctors are just beginning to specialize. Whoever he is, he is incredibly talented. But, I wonder why he covered his secondary gender. Once again, how interesting…

"Not to be so blunt, but I think you're an interesting person, Doctor. I'd like to get to know you better," Charles said, meeting Benjamin's eyes.

Benjamin's heart began to race. It was a combination of nerves and a fluttering sensation in his stomach. 

Exactly what are his intentions? Benjamin wondered.

"There's nothing interesting about a boring doctor like me. There are much more fascinating people in the Empire, Your Highness," Benjamin replied nervously. Please let the message I sent last night help me get out of this situation.

"Well, I've traveled a lot and met many people, and I can say that you certainly are an interesting person," Charles said seriously. And quite handsome too, he said to himself.

"Well, you're still young, Your Highness. I don't think I need to tell you, but the world is a vast place with more to see and more people to meet, Your Highness," Benjamin said with a feigned laugh.

Why does he talk like that when he's only two years older than me? Charles thought, feeling a twinge of annoyance.

"Anyway, thank you for coming out today, Your Highness. I'll call the Royal Medical Institute when the results are ready. Is there anything else I can help you with?" Benjamin asked, trying to end the encounter.

"Please just think about it, Doctor. I think we could be good friends." I want to know exactly what it is that you're hiding, but I think… I also want to be... more than just a friend.

"Well, thank you for seeing me today, Doctor. I look forward to seeing what you come up with," Charles said, rising to leave.

"I'll escort you out, Your Highness."

Benjamin walked the prince to his carriage and watched as it drove away before letting out a long, heavy sigh.

** ** ** ** ** **

"Doctor! Dr. Atlas! Help me! Please! The bad men are coming! They're coming for me!"

A young boy, his face smeared with tears and snot, ran toward Benjamin. Upon reaching him, the child dove behind Benjamin's legs, barely reaching his hips. He clutched Benjamin's trousers, trembling, and his muffled sobs vibrating against Benjamin's skin.

Benjamin stood paralyzed. Before he could find his voice or his courage, the boy was snatched away.

"No! No! Doctor! Help me! Help me!" the child wailed, thrashing his arms and legs in the air, as he was hauled into the darkness.

Benjamin lunged forward, his hand outstretched. "Waaaait!" he screamed. He felt a sharp throbbing pain in his left leg, each step sending a jolt of pain through his body.

Then, the world around him turned so blindingly white he had to shut his eyes.

When he finally pried them open, he was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling, the world around him quiet. Soon, he recognized his room.

This is my room. I'm home. I'm safe.

He lay there for a moment, his heart racing. He was drenched in a cold sweat. Outside the window, the world was still draped in the velvet ink of night.

Over the next few days, the nightmares became relentless. While he had lived with these nightmares for years, they had become infrequent, occurring only once or twice a week. But now, for the first time in years, they occurred back-to-back, leaving him exhausted.

As a doctor, Benjamin tried to determine the cause.

Have I exercised regularly? Yes.
Do I clear my mind of worries before going to bed? Yes.
Do I stop eating several hours before sleep? Yes.
Have I restricted caffeine in the afternoon? Yes.
Have there been any significant changes in my daily routine? No.

He paused. For the past week, Charles had become a constant presence in his life.

Benjamin stared at himself in the mirror, observing the dark circles under his eyes. He didn't want to admit it, but Charles was the only new variable in his carefully controlled environment. Since that first consultation, the Prince had become a regular at his clinic, arriving under the context of needing medical consultation.

"Doctor," Charles began one afternoon, "Lyra and Hana, two of my guards, asked me to inquire about herbal remedies for their monthly cycles." In truth, the women had said no such thing. Charles had simply overheard their conversation while passing by.

Another day, it was a different guard. "Kai is suffering from terrible indigestion." Kai was, in fact, suffering, but only because he had been the test subject for Charles's failed attempts at making desserts for Benjamin. After realizing that he lacked the skills, the Prince gave up and commissioned the palace chef to prepare an elaborate assortment of desserts, fruits, and breads for Benjamin.

"I'm having a headache, Doctor," he complained during another visit. He didn't have a headache.

"Doctor, I have an injury. I'm worried it's infected. Clearly, Calix didn't do a good job," he spoke solemnly, presenting a finger wrapped in an absurd amount of gauze. Worried, Benjamin carefully unspooled the layers, only to find a small paper cut.

After each consultation, Charles would linger, chatting casually about his day and prying into Benjamin's.

"Doctor, I discovered something interesting today," Charles said with a glint in his eyes.

"Mmm?"

"My sister. She has a secret admirer. I found letters addressed to 'My dearest Sofia' and 'My one and only Sofia.' They were torn off after that. She must have shredded the rest."

"Are you supposed to tell me these things, Your Highness?" Benjamin asked, glancing up from his notes. "What if a rumor spreads? Wouldn't that be a scandal for Her Highness?"

"Doctor-patient confidentiality?" Charles flashed a guilt-ridden smile. 

The following day, Charles ranted about a businessman caught paying workers under the table to avoid hiring anyone but betas. Under Imperial law, all businesses with over twenty employees had to meet a 20% employee quota of each secondary gender. The man had pleaded his innocence even when workers testified against him. Charles said he had fined the man and suspended his business license until the man could prove he had met the required employee quotas.

In contrast to his demeanor when they first met, Charles had started speaking to him with such warmth and casual honesty that Benjamin found himself on the verge of slipping into the same informal tone. The Prince wore his heart on his sleeve so openly that the boundary between doctor and patient was becoming dangerously blurred.

My nightmares are only getting worse since I met him, Benjamin thought grimly. His presence is a threat to my cover. That stress is what's triggering the dreams. It has to be.

For the sake of his mental and physical well-being, Benjamin knew he had to cut ties.

Those purple eyes, that chiseled jawline, and that wavy, dark golden hair, will not sway me. Benjamin repeated this to himself like a mantra.

Once the results are in, I will tell him I can no longer be his doctor. It's the only way. He hoped that his flesh was as strong as his will, a desperate reversal of the old proverb: The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.