The Fox Princess And Her White Dog

10: The Memory of Your Kiss

"All done," Chow Chow said, after cleaning the last of Snow's wounds on her back.

"Ah, I thought it would never end! Look away, please. Were the wounds bad?" Snow said over her shoulder as she put on his outer robe.

Chow Chow was silent for a moment as he thought about the deep gashes and bruises across her once unmarred skin. "It's not too bad," he said hollowly. "Especially after what you've been through."

"I still don't know exactly what happened to me." As she turned to face him, she spied the medicine bottle on the floor. "Don't forget this." She picked it up and held it out to him.

His gaze flitted to the bottle, then at her. "Keep it. It's yours now." The expression on his face was unreadable.

"Oh, thank you," she said, glancing down at the fine bottle in her hand.  It obviously means a lot to him, she thought, as she watched him fold and slip the bloodied handkerchief into the front of his inner robes. Behind him were her drying clothes on the floor.

"Why don't you keep it for me first? I have no place to put it now," she said, taking his hand to press the bottle into his palm. She closed his fingers over it.

"I can do that," he said, tucking the bottle away in his robes. He picked up her injured leg and rested it on his folded leg again. "From what you've described, I can deduce what had happened. The question is whether you can accept the answer or not," he said as he gave her a meaningful look.

She glanced down at her foot on his lap, then back at his face. I think I know the answer myself. But half of me does not want to believe it. Do I have to know now?

"I. . ."

She was interrupted by the sound of her grumbling stomach.

"Oh, forgive me, Princess! Where are my manners!" he cried, looking so flustered she was spared her blushes. He put a hand up his voluminous sleeve. "Here," he said, fishing out a water gourd. "And – ah! I know you like this," he said, pulling out a cylindrical package wrapped in pastel pink paper and handing it to her.

"Wow, thanks. Are those magic sleeves or something? I'm amazed you can carry all that with you," she said, eagerly unwrapping the package.

"I always carry something. Can't let a lady go hungry, not least my princess," he said, smiling coyly.

He makes it sound like he goes around feeding ladies like feeding stray cats, she thought, trying to not let her displeasure show. She peeled back the remaining part of the pink paper.

Is this what I think it is? she wondered, staring at the round, golden baked flaky pastries in her lap. The fragrance of white sesame seeds rose to her nose as she bit into one.

Oh, I miss this so much, she thought as she savored the soft filling of candied winter melon and almond paste. She'd never thought she'd taste a sweetheart cake again after moving to the steppes with Erden. It reminded her of her childhood, and of all the things familiar to her – like dainty rabbit shaped steamed buns, the sweet aftertaste of Tie Guan Yin tea. . . And her attendants, Lotus and Peony.

"Do you not like the cakes?" he asked, his brows knitted with worry when he noticed that she had stopped chewing.

"I do! This is really delicious," she said with her mouth full of the pastry, pretending to push away a stray strand of hair while quickly flicking moisture from her eye. He knows me so well.

"I have more if you'd like."

"Mmm," she said, feeling her spirits lifted. "Oh, where are my manners now. Have some with me," she offered, holding the opened package out to him.