Inside the hospital, three hospital personnel clad in white coats approached them.
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty, Your Imperial Highnesses."
The older of the two, who introduced himself as Doctor Mikhail Petrovich, bowed in front of Alexander and the princesses.
"I am the chief doctor, Doctor Mikhail Petrovich. This is Olga Ivanovna, our nurse, and Doctor Andrei, our chief radiologist."
Alexander shook the hands of each of them. "It's an honor to meet you as well."
A short silence fell upon them as every individual found themselves in a unique situation.
They gasped inwardly as they looked at their hands. A royal prince's hand just touched theirs - a memory that will remain with them for the rest of their lives.
"Are you here to see the people who marched last to the winter palace?"
Doctor Mikhail Petrovic asked.
"That's correct," Alexander confirmed as he nodded. "I would like to thank them personally for making me realize the current state of my country.
"I'm honored by your compassionate words, Your Majesty." Mikhail bowed once again, showing his heartfelt gratitude. "If you would be so kind as to follow me, I'll show you to their wards."
"That's great."
The trio followed the doctors to the wards where the patients were resting.
A harsh stench of disinfectant filled the air inside the ward. The walls, floor, and ceiling are painted in a dull white color to give off a clean impression. Sunlight seeped through the translucent glass window which filled the room with a warm glow. There were beds arranged in rows and columns, with each of them filled with patients lying on the bed, resting on their own.
The moment they stepped inside, all heads turned and faced them.
The trio was greeted with worried and curious gazes from patients. The first thing that caught their eyes was their expensive-looking outfits.
Then realization struck them.
The royal family is here in person!
Some gaped in awe while others kept their eyes glued to them in disbelief.
They soon walked to the innermost part of the room while the head of the patients followed their elegant walk with awestruck eyes.
"So these are all the patients from the march doctor?" Alexander glanced over his shoulder as he asked a question.
"Yes Your Majesty," Mikhail responded, bowing his head. "The others were already discharged as soon as their condition stabilized."
"I see."
He looked down at the patients who were shooting them with a dumbfounded stare. Their stares are giving him an awkward vibe.
However, not all of them were staring at the emperor. Most of the men inside have their eyes fixed on the princesses behind the supreme ruler.
Christina and Tiffania bashfully wandered their eyes around the ward, avoiding eye contact as if they were shied away from the attention, causing the male patients inside to have their hearts skip a beat.
Noticing that this is becoming awkward, Alexander broke the silence.
"How are you guys? Are you all doing okay?"
Immediately, the patients were taken aback by his question.
The first one who recovered was a young man in his early twenties who was wearing a bandage over his forearm. "We're fine." He answered, looking at his bed as if he was trying to avoid eye contact.
Alexander approached the young man and knelt down until his face was level with the man's and looked into his eyes.
However, the man refused to make eye contact with the young imperial prince, believing it would be preposterous, for him to have a face-to-face talk with the sovereign himself.
"You participated in the Winter Palace March am I right?"
The young man nodded as he stuttered his response. "Y-Yes...Your Majesty..."
He breathed shakily and still refuse to look at him.
Alexander sighed and glance at his two sisters. He tilts his head, beckoning them to talk to others.
The Grand Duchess bowed and turned to their heels as they approached the patients and chatted with them.
Seeing that, Alexander shifted his attention back to the man.
"You know, you can look at me."
"Can I...really?" the man inquired apprehensively.
"Of course, I don't really mind the formality. In fact, I hated it..." Alexander jested.
"Then..." Slowly, the man's head turn towards him, and his shaky eyes met the unwavering look of the imperial prince.
"May I know your name, sir?"
"My name is Sebastian..."
"Nice to meet you, Sebastian. May I know the reasons why you participated in the march?"
"Because...because..." Sebastian's throat became dry and his voice became husky.
Alexander could already know his answer judging from the man's eyes. They were tired of the emperor's tyrannical rule and they wanted a change.
"You have nothing to fear, I won't censure you for anything you will say. In fact, I will welcome it with an open heart."
The man was silent upon hearing that. He breathed heavily as if garnering confidence within him and spoke.
"Because I wanted to change the fate of my siblings."
"Your siblings?" Alexander asked, his eyebrow rising slightly.
"Y-yes...my little sister and my brother," he responded his tone a little bit firmer.
"I want to give them a better life...and a brighter future," his voice slightly trembled as he spoke. However, it became firmer as time passes. "In this country, when you were born a peasant, you will live as a peasant, and die as a peasant. It's like our fate is preordained...like we're destined to serve those who were privileged because they were born into it."
Alexander was speechless after Sebastian's dry delivery of his tirade.
Sebastian continued. "I want to change that. The thought that my siblings will end up like me in the future is something that I am scared of. I don't want that to happen. They deserve a better future."
Alexander listened attentively with rapt attention, his expression was passive as he absorbs his words. He was about to say something when Sebastian continued.
"This country has taken our rights to dream, our rights to pursue happiness, and our rights to something better...this continuous cycle of abuse has to end," he concluded.
Alexander received those words with firm resolve. His eyes turned towards his two sisters who were deep in conversation with the patients.
Each of the patients here desires something and the most common of which is to make their life better.
Alexander made a quick glance at his appearance and noticed that there was a missing finger on his right hand.
"What happened to your finger?" Alexander asked directly.
"Ah...this?" He looked at his right hand. "It happened when I was working at the factory. I was operating a lathe and my fingers accidentally slipped..." He laughed glumly as he described his accident. "Even though I was clearly injured, the factory owner didn't even give me any compensation. He said that I should be the one paying for it."
He recalled his painful memories as he narrated his story. "At that moment, I feared that I might lose my job and won't be able to provide for the needs of my siblings."
Alexander nodded, understanding what the man was going through. An empathetic expression grew on his face. "I see..."
The more he listened to the stories of the people, the more it became depressing. Is this the current state of the Ruthenia Empire? It has to change.
"I see...thank you for sharing your story with me. I really appreciate it. I want you to know that I'm listening to my people. I will do my best to fulfill everyone's wish."
Sebastian felt at ease when he heard the prince's words. Tears welled up in his eyes. At last, someone from the higher authority who cared to listen to their stories. He bowed deeply in respect. "Thank you...your Majesty."
Alexander stood up and watched his two sisters happily conversing with the patients. It was heartwarming. The mood in the ward was pleasantly buoyant, the patients felt relaxed and they felt like they could really talk to the royal family.
Alexander beckoned the doctor to come with his finger.
Mikhail walked forward.
"Their medical bills hadn't been paid yet, am I right?" he whispered softly so that only Mikhail could hear him.
"Not yet..."
"How about those who were discharged?"
Mikhail shook his head. "They don't have the money to pay for the medical bills but we were told by Father Georgy that you will pay for their treatment."
"That's quite right. Sorry for the delay, I will take care of this immediately. I will pay for their medical fees as I've promised to Father and a compensation."
"Your Highness...I'm deeply grateful for your generosity."
Mikhail bowed deeply. He felt a little bit of burden being lifted off his shoulders.
Afterward, the royal family continued talking to the patients individually, listening to their stories. Each has a common wish, a chance for a better life. As the sun's hue streaming through the windows turned orange, they left the hospital, carrying hundreds of stories with them.
Outside of the hospital, Alexander and his two sisters entered the car. Inside, they shared their experiences with one another as they headed towards another location, which is a mechanical engineering manufacturing plant.
"I never felt so sad after hearing their stories," Christina remarked.
"Me too," added Tiffania. "Talking to them made me realize how lucky we are. I still can't believe it, that the people in the Empire are suffering to that extent."
"It aches my heart," Christina stated as she shakes her head.
Alexander remained silent as he listened to their conversation. Not wanting to interfere with their lovely chat. He looked outside the window, trying to see the bigger picture of what this country needs.
'Looks like I will have to work thrice as hard.' He thought to himself.
His mind races with ideas and solutions to fix the mess he inherited from his predecessors. Good thing that he was able to quell the people by giving them hope he now has to meet.
