RUYI

23 - Sick

I haven't seen the Prince for days. When I asked one of the maids where the Prince was, she answered that he was busy in court. She couldn't look at me in the eyes while she answered me.

I felt unhappy but didn't dare voice my feeling. I felt pained but didn't dare to show it.

It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt.

Just before the maid stepped forward to ask if something was wrong, I was already coughing blood. The screams startled me. Some maids rushed out of the room - some rushed to my side. I was shocked to see blood in my palm. This never happened before. In the past, there had been only pain. I never coughed blood. Trying to suppress the bloody coughs, I rushed to the bedroom but manage to trip and fall instead.

"Ruyi!"

The Prince angry shouts startled everyone. When he grabbed me, the open collar of his robe revealed the red marking on his neck. The faint perfume smell made me cough more. Overwhelmed, I pushed him away, needing to breath.

"Ruyi!" He grabbed my cheeks and forced me to look at him.

The Prince ignored my weak attempts to push him away and carried me into the bedroom.

"Where is my Wang Fei medicine?"

Moments later, the Prince wrapped me tight with the silk covers. I was shivering while he kept tight hold of me with one arm while holding the bowl of medicine with his other hand. I did my best to drink the medicine even though it was painful to swallow.

"Leave us!" The Prince ordered while he was pulling off his robe.

I was shaking in his arms when I saw the beautiful woman standing at the doorway. The look she gave me was frighteningly calm. My mother had the same look when the Marquess was with his wife. The same look that she hides so that no one noticed.

"Ruyi is well" I pushed as his naked chest. "P_ please don't worry. Ruyi doesn't need_"

The Prince ignored me again and pulled the covers off of my body. While I did my best to push him away, he had already removed my dress. As soon as felt his hot smooth skin against me, I realized how freezing cold I was.

"Why are you so stupid?" He said angrily. "If you were in pain, why didn't you ask for your medicine?"

I didn't know why I hadn't either.

"Do you enjoy making me worry?"

The guilt hit me so hard that I was unable to contain the tears.

"Sorry" I could only apologize. "Sorry"

I felt ashamed for crying and guilty when he held me tighter.

"I'm sorry"