Isaac Gulsvig was the third son of the late Anton Gulsvig III, Baron Coblanza, who was most notable for his research in the integration of technology with biology. In other words, his lifework brought into the world the first ever successful mechanical substitution of an organ, exchanging flesh with silicones and the occasional metals. Theirs was a family of physicians and scientists, dedicated in advancing the medical field to allow the citizens of the kingdom to live more.

Unlike his father, Isaac pursued the study of human genetics and how the source code of human life held the key to further advances in the field of medicine. Both his namesake and his stellar academic records had made him eligible for the position of the attending physician of the royal family. He had been taking on the role as long as Luce Viscomi had. His position made him privy to the personal concerns of the royal family. If there was anybody in the kingdom who knew exactly what the weaknesses of the queen and her bloodline was, it was this doctor.

“Give us twenty minutes at most, Madam,” the doctor reassured the visibly rattled Ms. Viscomi as he obeyed his prince’s request. 

Rhiane’s appeals fell on deaf ears. Luke shook his head and kept his hand at the small of her back, gently pushing her forward as he himself followed the doctor into the bedroom. “This is not about revenge,” he whispered back. “We will talk about this irrational fear of men in white suits later on, but right now I need to make sure that you are well enough to go through the interview.”

The prince recalled her shivering body against him, her chattering teeth, and the almost incoherent speech of the princess elect. He would have to disclose, without giving away too many details, what happened on that island. Without a medical degree, his best guess was that a case of mild hypothermia afflicted the woman earlier that evening. It was generally not a life-threatening condition, but he was no doctor to say for sure how the drop in her core temperature could have affected her body, especially her brain. 

“Please make yourself comfortable, Ms. Black. By the way, so as to not be rude, let me formally introduce myself. I am Doctor Isaac Gulsvig, your fiance’s personal physician, and from now on, also yours.” 

The doctor had placed the gray case he was carrying on a desk resting against the wall of the bedroom while the prince guided the princess elect to her bed. “This will not be a thorough consultation as we are pressed for time, but I need you to tell me what exactly happened.” He retrieved a tablet from the case as he was speaking, flicking the screen left and right as he browsed through the centralized medical files where Rhiane’s was kept, because she was a commoner. It was a different case for the royal family though, because access to their personal files were highly classified information that can only be released with express consent from the member of the royal family who owned the record. For instance, if the doctor needed to check Luke’s file, he would have to ask the crown prince himself to key in his code. 

Isaac found the princess elect’s file quite easily especially because she had been to the infirmary the night before. The doctor took note of the medications that were prescribed to her to ease the inflammation and the pain. Instinctively, his eyes moved to her ankle with the silicone brace, appraising from afar if it was swollen, then it moved to the towering presence of Luke who was standing with his arms crossed at the foot of the bed. 
“Lucius, you don’t have to be—Oh wait, I think I understand why.” A slow smile lit up the doctor’s face. “She did it, didn’t she? And here I was wondering why all of a sudden the queen had found interest in military-grade torture devices.”

Luke shrugged. “I wouldn’t be here otherwise.”

The doctor’s eyes lit up, his curiosity getting the best of him yet again. Although nanotechnology in medicine was not his field of study, the natural interest in contributing to science got his heart racing. “Does it have a noticeable effect on your mental faculties, your hand-eye coordination, or your motor skills? Does it trigger your migraine?”

“I will answer your questions in due time, doctor. Right now, please focus your attention to Ms. Black.” He gestured to the woman sitting on the bed. “This afternoon, I think she was exposed to too much of the cold weather resulting to mild hypothermia. Rhiane can continue in detail how she felt.”