Page 1 of Raul
Chapter 1
Raul Dragón, Crown Prince of Caleva, stood still as his assistant adjusted the loops of gold braid that hung from the shoulder of his deep green dress uniform jacket. He had been forced by an overlong meeting to dress in a rush and dash here to the Coliseo de Honor, but he refused to be less than perfectly turned out. He owed that to the recipients of the Medallo de los Lirios, the second-highest honor given to Calevan military personnel.
Only Raul, as the prince, was allowed to bestow the medal, a ceremonial obligation he took very seriously. Today’s honorees had gone above and beyond their duty to his beloved country, and that earned his sincere gratitude. He mentally ran through his short speech and the three names that he had memorized to make sure he could congratulate them personally.
His assistant stepped back with a nod of approval. Raul smiled his thanks before walking over to meet the officers who would escort him onto the stage, shaking hands and thanking them for their service. He stood at attention offstage until the ceremony’s emcee Capitán General Perez announced in stentorian tones, “Su Alteza Real, Raul, Principe de los Lirios, capitán general de la milicia de Caleva.”
When Raul strode onto the stage, a wave of applause thundered through the vaulted assembly hall as the audience rose to their feet. He turned and lifted his hand to acknowledge them before returning the general’s salute and sitting in the chair closest to the podium, his escorting officers standing behind him.
Perez stepped up to the podium and spoke about the history of the Medallo de los Lirios. Raul kept his gaze forward to scan the vast space decorated with military banners and plaques honoring those who served their country. More importantly,he savored the beaming pride on the faces of those assembled—family, friends, and military colleagues—to celebrate the medalists’ achievements.
Ending his speech, Perez called the prince to the podium. As Raul stood, his vision seemed to waver. He blinked a few times, and the odd sensation passed. Stepping up, he spoke in the voice he’d learned to project to the back of the hall without need of a microphone. He had written the speech himself, as he did every year, because he felt that these soldiers deserved no less from him.
When he made way for the general to return to the podium, a wave of dizziness swept over Raul, and he nearly stumbled. He saved himself by briefly gripping the podium’s corner to find his balance.
He managed to stand on his own as Perez began reading the accomplishments of the first recipient of the Medallo de los Lirios.
Focus on the name.He owed the honoree that, but it was hard to do when his stomach lurched, and he had to fight down a wave of nausea.
What the hell is wrong with me? Do I have the flu? But I never get sick.
The general reached the end of the commendation to conclude with, “TenienteEmiliano Velasco, who has proven himself worthy of this honor.”
Raul picked up the gold disk from the open velvet box held by the general’s aide and stepped forward, managing to slip the medal’s teal-and-red ribbon over the man’s head. He forced out congratulatory words as he shook hands with the lieutenant.
Somehow Raul made it through his presentation of the second award without incident. But when Perez began to read the third commendation, the high collar of Raul’s jacket felt asthough it were cutting off his ability to breathe while a strange darkness crept along the edges of his vision.
Hehadto hold himself together for this ceremony. It was hisdutyto do so.
He gritted his teeth and stayed upright through sheer force of will, but the general’s resonant voice faded to a mere buzz in Raul’s ears.
Raul accepted the third and final medal when the aide offered it to him. Before he could unfold the ribbon, though, he felt it slip through his suddenly numb fingers as his field of vision narrowed to a pinpoint. The honoree caught the medal with one hand and offered it back to Raul. He took a deep breath. “It is my privilege to award you the Medallo de los Lirios.”
The shadows were expanding across his vision, but Raul fought them off long enough to get the ribbon over the woman’s lowered head and shake her hand with a murmured, “Felicidades.”
Then the encroaching shadows blocked out the woman’s face, and Raul’s knees folded underneath him. He felt himself begin to fall before the world went black.
Raul opened his eyes to see shock on the faces of his bodyguard Dario and Capitán General Perez, both of whom were bending over him. The hard surface he lay on must be the wooden floor of the stage. He winced, not at the discomfort of the floor, but at the realization that he had fainted in public. He had to get up.Now.
As he started to lever himself onto his elbows, Dario pressed his hand against Raul’s shoulder to keep him down. “The doctor is almost here,Señor,” he said.
“I don’t need a—” Raul broke off as someone shoved something soft under his head to serve as a pillow, and another face appeared above him.
“I’m the doctor,Monseigneur,” a fortyish man with sandy hair and glasses said. He pointed to the Maltese cross insignia on his uniform collar, indicating his position as a military doctor.
Dario narrowed his eyes at the newcomer.
“Don’t worry, I’ll vouch for him and his discretion,” Perez said to the bodyguard.
Dario stepped back and gestured for the doctor to continue.
“How are you feeling right now?” the medical officer asked Raul.
Humiliated. Mortified.
“Fine, thank you,Docteur,” Raul said, even though his head still seemed determined to float away from his body.
“With your permission, I would like to do a quick examination.” The doctor set down a medical bag and knelt beside Raul.
