Severe Directive

                                    

                                          
Imperial Physician Severus Snape was enjoying a morning with his husband, Grand Vizer Xenophillus Lovegood. Their eldest daughter, Pandora, had found a good match and their youngest, Luna, had left with her to visit the temple with their grandmother. Severus was eternally grateful that his darling daughters took after their father more than him. Granted being pregnant and a physician with rounds in the sprawling complex that is the Imperial Palace was a hardship he would not wish on enemies of the state, his ankles would agree.
Anyway, Severus was in the process of being thoroughly bullied by his husband when a maid called from outside their room.
"This one asks for forgiveness for interrupting! Eunuch Crouch has been sent from His Highness the Crown Prince to speak with mistress urgently!"
Xenophillus sighed and receded from his previous task, feeling far less inclined to finish.
"Woe is this husband." Xenophillus muttered. "His Highness likes this one's wife too much."
Severus felt the moment his husband's attitude shifted after he had reached his wardrobe.
"His Highness can wait a moment." The tone used was the very one his husband used before he fell pregnant before.
"Now wait just a minute." Severus turned, now facing his beast of a husband. "Absolutely none of that. This has to do with His Highness' princess. Otherwise why would the prince use his Imperial Uncle's personal eunuch?"
"The dragon's gem is safe, protected by a surly wolf and his very well trained pack. You are mine. I refuse to leave what's mine wanting." The lecherous astrologer hummed as he crowded the physician's space.
"You can bully me later. If it wasn't bad His Majesty wouldn't allow for me to be sent away, not when I'm needed to make a show of his examination as his personal physician so soon." Severus pressed himself back against the wardrobe, eying his husband like he was a poisonous snake.
The blond deflated. Grumbling with a pout he backed away, looking far too much like a kicked puppy for comfort.
"If you endure I may feel inclined to-" the dour man was cut off by his previously leering husband.
"We'll have twins. Boys, my eyes your hair." The blond sounded especially dreamy. "It'll take quite a bit of time after you return, but it will be a fair time."
"Wonderful." Severus sighed exasperatedly not knowing if he should laugh or cry, his two singletons were a handful inside his belly he didn't want to think about how troublesome twins would be.
Once he had finally escaped the affections of his husband, the physician, finally dressed, was on his way to the receiving room where the eunuch was.
"This servant greets Imperial Physician Snape." The youngish eunuch held out a scroll to the black clothed Physician.
He took it and read through it, stilling once he read just why he would be going with the prince and the mutt. Now he really wished to curse the nine generations of Weasleys. He was asked to go to put the son of his sister in all but blood at ease. His Majesty's yearly exam for the court was too soon to send him away on an assignment like this.
"His Majesty has a message for you." Barty spoke then, likely noticing how tense he became.
"Which is?" He quirked one brow watching as the eunuch stood imperiusly.
"His Majesty would like to impress upon his physician that he wishes his inlaw to be well cared for. As his personal physician you are the best choice to provide the best care for the Crown Princess without forcing his comfort too much, as you are the only physician in the Imperial Pharmacy that best understands how precious this Princess is, His Majesty chose you. Between the two of us Physician Snape, he also chose you because you know how to fight."
"Surely it isn't so dire."
"His Highness the Crown Princess was kept in a woodshed, he is not used to eating, he nearly scratched his lips until they were gone-"
"Why would he do that?"
"The eldest son of the Weasley family was assigned to his guard and as said son had to carry the princess to his room as the princess wasn't strong enough at that time. He was fleeing for his virtue's sake and had gotten far when he ran into the general. The princess panicked. That matter is written on the scroll."
"I can see that. Would a thorough examination be needed?"
"The servant questioned did not indicate the necessity of it, she tended to him most and would have been able notice such a change in him. She impressed upon her interrogator that he had resigned himself to never be worthy of his husband's kiss after the first unfortunate visit and took a habit of cleansing his mouth at every opportunity." That wasn't on the scroll.
"Would this one be allowed an intern?"
"His Majesty suggested that Intern Zabini be allowed to go with."
With a nod and a polite bow, he excused himself from the eunuch to gather some of the needed things that would be far easier to bring with than hunt down, like calming herbs for a tonic to ease further episodes, those are a must as is the herb that tricks the consumer's body into eating a bite more than they were originally likely to without adverse effects. It would help with the malnourishment the boy was likely suffering the effects of. Absently, he cursed his dismissal of the feeling deep within him to keep an eye on Lily's loathsome sister for questionable actions, if he had he would've found his nephew sooner.
Self-chastisement aside, Severus was swift in his preparations and had managed to drag his intern away from his duties in the Imperial Pharmacy and to the gates just in time to ride the carriage as opposed to a horse. He was not built for horseback, something that given his history in His Majesty's guard before he was finally accepted into the Imperial Pharmacy was the main reason for the drastic shift in careers. Severus breathed a relieved sigh when he noticed that Lord Black wasn't to be riding with him during what was to be a full day's journey to the mid-point in the Wolf General's route.