One Year

Spring Hunt Day 2 (3)

By the time she woke up and came back to camp, the sun was setting and her walking back to came with her large group of guards drew more attention. Prince Ryu had come back hours ago and haven't seen Princess Siri come out from the tent. Thinking that they must be up to their loving again, no one thought twice to bother them. But seeing Princess Siri come back without Prince Ryu, must meant that they got into a fight.

Siri's face was calm as she nodded in greeting to those who came out to see her. She walked steadily as if she was unbothered by the stares and when the flap was opened to her tent, she had to pause for a second before entering.

Inside, Ryu was sitting by the table, alone, with no guards or servants. Not even Steward Mo was inside. Siri dismissed her maids and servants by the door and let the flap fall down, covering the suffocating feeling she felt inside with him. The feeling use to be comfortable with him, but now, now things have changed for her.

They stand a few feet apart from each other, but it felt like miles. Her liquid silver, calm, cold and emotionless eyes met his hard, dark onyx eyes that was lit with a quiet rage. His silence fought with her silence. Their prides wouldn't let them be the first one to talk.

Ryu slowly took off his dark robe he was wearing, Siri held his stare as he pulled off the black robe and another black shirt off, showing his chest. And on his chest, was a gash. The dried blood that had crusted on his shirt immediately opened and blood flowed out of his wound.

Her heart skipped as she looked at the wound. It started from his right chest, down his abs and ended below his pants. Siri walked to the cabinet and pulled out her medical bag. She walked towards Ryu and pushed his wheelchair into their bedroom where they had shared a wonderful evening and night. Where it felt like last night was all a dream. Where there was a large space between them, an ocean that divided them.

Ryu immediately laid down on the bed and Siri went to work. She pulled down his pants until the end of the wound hit his hip. From his chest to his hip, she examined the wound, then cleaned it. After sewing it and putting an ointment on it, she wrapping it up and laid him back down on the bed.

The whole time no one spoke. Ryu's eyes followed her hands, her face, her eyes. Trying to figure out what she was thinking, what she was feeling. But she worked on him as if he was just a patient and she a doctor.

He opened his mouth to finally break the silence, break the divide between them, swim the ocean that separated them. But instead, Siri used the opportunity to pop three pills inside his mouth and the pill melted with contact of his tongue. The medicine worked instantly as he could feel the effects taking over him. He felt drowsy and his eyes started feeling heavy. His body felt heavy as well. He wanted to grab hold of her hand so she would look back at him. Just one look to let them know what she was thinking, but all she did was clean up the mess she made.

"Siri." Ryu whispered as his eyes started closing.

Siri froze in her movements when he called out her name softly. So softly that it broke her heart at how vulnerable he was at the moment. How he could make her name sound as if he needed her. Her gut twisted before a tear quickly fell on the bandage on his chest.

"Don't cry." Ryu was able to say before sleep took over him.

"Bastard." Siri whispered at his sleeping form.

Siri quickly covered Ryu then watched over him to ensure that he didn't catch a fever. She fed him several elixirs to ensure his health. Then waited. Steward Mo quietly entered the dark tent.

Ever since Prince Ryu came back with an injury, he refused everyone's plea to clean the wound and bandage it up before it got worse. He insisted that his Wife was the only one who would heal him. So he waited and waited. Six hours he waited for her to come back and heal him. Six hours his wound was untreated, six hours of slowly bleeding into his clothes that he refused to change out of. Six hours of waiting and stewing in the tent without a servant to help him. In pain, in anger, in anxiousness, in nervousness. He waited for her to come back to him and when she finally did, no words were said. Everyone pressed up against the tent listening if they would fix whatever was broken between them. But no words at all were said until the very end. Then more silence.

It has been four hours since Siri came back and the night was cold and silent. There will be no celebration tonight, no winner to The Spring Hunt, only a quick thanks and blessing in the morning to the Gods and the Spring, then everyone would leave back to the royal city. While an army hunts for the Five Horn Wild Boar.

"Princess, sorry for the intrusion." Steward Mo said as he bowed at her.

"No need to be sorry. I'm sure you're all wondering how he is." Siri said as she sat in his wheelchair facing the sleeping Prince. Her back was to Steward Mo so he couldn't tell what she was feeling. Her voice was cold and void of emotions. "Due to his stubbornness, his wound caught an infection."

"Infection?" Steward Mo asked not understanding completely to her words.

"It happens when a wound doesn't get cleaned and treated right away and the dirty wound infects the other areas of his skin and organs." Siri told him.

"Yes, Princess. He waited for you for six hours." Steward Mo said as he hesitantly stepped closer to her.

"Good. That's what he deserves. Serves him right to make me angry." Siri said as she looked down at Ryu. "Serves him right to be so stupid."

"Princess..." Steward Mo said as he didn't know how to continue.

Silence came over them once more as Steward Mo stared down at his Prince. His skin was pale and his breathing was scratchy.

"Don't worry. He'll live. I gave him medicine and elixirs that will help him get through his illness. Wish there was medicine to make him smarter, but until I can make that elixir, he'll have to settle for the brains he has now."

Steward Mo stood by and listened to Princess Siri insult Prince Ryu. Petra told him about what happened early that afternoon and he couldn't fault her for feeling that way or cursing at him.

"You should eat something, you haven't eaten since this morning." Steward Mo said.

"I'm not hungry." Siri said.

"But you must at least try. Prince Ryu would worry if---"

"Enough." Siri said softly cutting him off. "I don't have the appetite to eat. Even if I tried, I'll throw up. My stomach is in knots right now, any food would make it feel worst."

Steward Mo opened his mouth to say something, but closed it instead.

"At least get some sleep." He told her before bowing then leaving them alone again.