One Year

Useful

"You surely seem like you enjoyed yourself at my expense."  Ryu said angrily at Siri, once they were in the carriage. 

"Whatever do you mean, beloved husband?"  Siri said playing dumb.  "This Princess Wife is only trying to help you find your next wife.  We have agreed to only be married for a year and it is this wife's duty to ensure my place beside you is filled with someone who cares for you before I go.  It only makes sense doesn't it? Besides, others will start to say that I am selfish for not letting you marry a concubine. You, as a Prince, is obligated to marry more than one woman." 

Siri pulled out her fan and started fanning herself.  She had to keep her mind off of what happened at the banquet or else she would laugh in his face without holding back.

"Don't you dare try to find someone to replace you!"  Ryu scolded her.  "Did I ask you to find someone?  If I see you trying this again, I'll kill you right way!"

"As my beloved husband wishes."  Siri said. 

"Your family is never allowed to visit you.  I will tell Steward Mo that they are not to step one step inside my courtyards!"  Ryu told her.  "If you miss them, you would have to see them at their home, you understand?" 

"AS if I have any desire to go back to that hell hole."  Siri muttered to herself.  "I rather just stay in my shabby court and deal with assassins any day."

But with Ryu being a Noble Phoenix Martial Stage, he heard every word she said.  Inside he was sightly happy to hear her not wanting to go back to her family, but there was a part of that statement that she said that didn't sit right with him. 

"Do you like your courtyard?  If you don't I can move you to a different courtyard.  One that is bigger and better."  Ryu told her.

Siri stopped fanning herself for a second being unable to believe he offered to move her into a bigger and better courtyard.  She was tempted, but she knew it didn't make a difference where she stayed.  She would be gone in a year and moving into a bigger courtyard wouldn't make a difference to her.  A courtyard is a courtyard where ever she goes. 

"This wife thanks beloved husband for husband's offer, however this wife knows this wife's value in husband's eye.  This wife will stay in the courtyard this wife was given on our wedding day.  It suites this wife's taste and has now become a comfortable home to this wife."  Siri told him.  "Besides, a year in a small courtyard or a big courtyard does not make a difference to wife, when wife will be leaving in a year."

"As wife wishes."  Ryu said to her before turning his head to look outside the carriage.  He didn't like her reminding him at every turn that she would be gone in a year.  He also didn't like her reminding him how he had poorly prepared to receive her on their wedding day.  How he gave her the smallest and furthest courtyard and how his servant slighted her.

When they arrived back to their home, Ryu went one way while Siri went another way towards her courtyard.

Ryu's Courtyard and Siri's Courtyard was so far apart that it was a 40 minute walk. While Siri walked with her maids following behind and guards to her side, she fanned herself slowly thinking about her options.

If she could cure Prince Ryu, she could live out her remaining time in his courtyard in peace. She would make herself useful to him, so he wouldn't have any ideas of killing her. A year in his courtyard, she would save enough money so she could buy herself a plot of land and open up a clinic to help those in need of a doctor. She would spend the rest of her life the way she wanted to and not have to have to answer to someone else.

When they reached her bedroom, she quickly took off all the fancy clothes, hair pins and jewelry.

"Princess." Meda said as she picked up after Siri. "Are you not happy? Is that why you throw your belongings away so quickly?"

Siri stripped the last of her dress off and slipped into a comfortable white dress.

"This Princess does not care for materialistic things, such as pretty dresses, jewelry, or makeup. This Princess only dressed up so your Prince wouldn't lose any face. The Princess prefers to be plain and simple." Siri said as she quickly pulled her hair back and tied it up with a ribbon.

"Do you not wish to rest?" Gilldy asked as she poured Siri a cup of tea.

"No." Siri said. "There is much that I need to prepare for your Prince."

Siri walked out after drinking the tea. She went straight to her study and went back to concocting different elixirs to help Ryu's soldiers become stronger and faster.

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Siri had stayed in her study all day and all night only coming out to eat breakfast and dinner. She had asked for several medicinal ingredients and qi cores that Steward Mo started to become curious about what she was working on. So instead of finding someone to send her the medicinal plants, he brought them to her instead. He had decided to watch their new Mistress as she worked and found her concentrated state charming.

A week passed by quickly and her study was filled with elixirs that were stored in big jugs. Each labeled in strange letters that none of her servants knew what it said or what was inside of them. All she would tell them was that it was to help their Prince.

Steward Mo reported to Ryu everyday of Siri's actions and kept on emphasizing on how much she already spent on medicinal plants and qi cores to make these elixirs. He kept encouraging Ryu to go check up on Siri should these elixirs be harmful towards them instead of helping them. Finally tired of Steward Mo's nagging Ryu made Steward Mo push him to her courtyard and they watch Siri work on the elixirs for several hours.

Ryu studied his wife as she worked and found her simple yet hardworking appearance charming. Sweat could be seen on her forehead as she concentrated on her work. From one station to the next, she worked diligently and quickly. She also put her maids to work as she they made gauzes and catgut for emergency purposes.

"How long have you said Princess Siri has been like this?" He asked Steward Mo.

"A week. Since she came back from the banquet." He told Prince Ryu.

"Good." Ryu said. "Very good. She has made herself useful to this Prince instead to being dead weight that drags this Prince down."

Ryu signals for Steward Mo to take him inside and see for himself the fruits of her labor.