One Year

Connection

"Ryu."  Siri said again when he didn't answer her.  "Were you the one who took my paintings?" 

Ryu's eyes closed as if he fell asleep.  Siri stared at her paintings then back at him.  When he didn't answer her a second time, she laughed loudly. 

"If you refuse to answer then, forget it.  I'll gift those paintings to you.  Forget I ask you that last question."  Siri smiled as she saw Ryu's eye twitch.  "If you want another one, just ask and I'll give it to you. I can cover your whole ceiling with my paintings, it would be my honor." 

"Sleep, wife."  Ryu ordered her. 

"I just woke up and you want me to sleep again.  What if I don't wake up a second time?"  She teased him. 

In one quick movement, he had pushed her down to her back and he hovered over her, with a serious look on his face. 

"Don't."  Ryu warned her.  "Don't joke about your death."

"Because my 8 months isn't up yet?"  Siri joked to defuse the thick tension between them. 

Ryu stared at Siri for a long time not answering her.  As swiftly as he had pinned her down, he pulled away and laid down on his side with his back to her. 

"Sleep.  You need to get healthier so you can make my antidote.  You are not allowed to die, do you hear me?" 

"Em."  Siri agreed with him quickly seeing how serious he was.  She wouldn't joke with him if he was this serious about her health and life. 

"I won't die." Siri agreed with him. 

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"Siri!"  Ryu yelled the next morning. 

Early the next morning when Siri woke up, it was still dark outside and she couldn't go back to sleep.  So instead she slowly crept out from the bed they shared and quietly put on Ryu's robe before sneaking out of his room. 

The moment she opened the door, standing outside was Steward Mo, ready for work already. 

"Prin--" Steward Mo almost shouted in surprise. 

"Shhhhhhh."  Siri said as she placed her forefinger over her lips.  "Prince Ryu is still sleeping.  He must be really tired.  Let us talk downstairs." 

Siri lead the way down the hall and stopped.  She didn't know where she was going.  She's never been anywhere near his quarters before. 

Seeing her predicament Steward Mo's left hand showed her the correct way to go downstairs.  Once they reached his living quarter she sat on his couch and looked towards the direction of the opened window, enjoying the breeze. 

"I'm hungry."  Siri said as she turned to look at Steward Mo.  "I must trouble Steward Mo and the rest of the staff to prepare something for me." 

"Of course.  A healthy and light meal would be prepared right away.  Is there anything else you would like?"  Steward Mo said.  With one look to his staff, they already knew what he wanted from them.  Two maids left the room.  One to go order food for Siri and the other would send word to Siri's maids that she was up. 

"Tea please."  Siri said.  "Green tea.  Any kind is fine." 

"Of course."  Steward said again as he signaled another maid to do the bidding. 

"Thank you Steward Mo."  Siri said.  "I shall take my tea and meal outside.  In the pavilion."

Steward Mo nodded his head in understanding and lead the way out of the house and through Ryu's flower maze to the pavilion that was built in the middle of a koi pond. 

Siri was sipping on her tea and waiting for her food when Ryu shouted out her name.  It was so loud that when she heard him yell out her name, her head whipped towards the direction of his house. 

"Siri!"  Ryu yelled again. 

Hearing him call out her name again, her heart quickened.  Was something wrong?  Siri placed the tea cup in her hand down and stood up the third time he shouted out her name. 

"Siri!" 

Suddenly her feet started moving on it's own.  Her steps quicken it's pace, running on the bridge that connected the pavilion and his flower  garden maze.  Once she reached the flower maze, she wanted to kick herself for not memorizing the way through the maze.  But remembering the desperate way Ryu called out her name, she ran towards the entrance of the maze without a second thought. 

Something must have happened.  Something bad, for him to shout her name like so.  She must get to him.  In the twists and turns that she ran through the maze, she had to go back several times before finding the right way.  Her worry became frantic when her imagination started running wild. 

Siri turned around the corner and stopped dead in her tracks.  There at the other end of the middle of the maze was Ryu being wheeled by Liam and beside him was Steward Mo and behind them were a team of servants carrying food trays. 

Siri's liquid silver eyes met dark onyx eyes and began to drown in them.  She stood still and breathed deeply to catch her breath. 

"Running away?"  Ryu asked coldly. 

Siri shook her head no.  "Running towards you."

Siri walked towards Ryu with steady steps until she stood in front of him and knelt down.  With her hand she reached out and touched his wrist to check his pulse and health. 

"I thought something bad must have happened to you, when you called my name.  I got worried and ran to find you, but got lost on the way.  I had to retrace my steps over and over before finding my way to the center of this maze, where we are now."  Siri said as she took her hand off of his wrist and sighed in relief.  "You are fine.  Just a bit tired, but your health is fine.  Thank the Gods."

"Shouldn't we be worried about your health and not mine?" 

Siri shook her head no.  "In the wide ocean we live in.  You're the captain that we all rely on to ensure our lives and safety.  Should anything happen to you, we all drown.  When I married you, I tied my life boat to your ship.  There is nowhere I can go, but follow you."