The Commoner (hiatus)

Chapter 3

Mieko is gone when Suho wakes up the next morning, much to his disappointment. He didn’t get to hear the rest of her story. He sighs while stretching. He would have to wait until that night to hear the rest of the story.
  Sehun comes after Suho has bathed to pick out Suho’s clothing and take the letters to send out. Suho grabs his arm before he can leave though.
    “On my orders, Mieko is permitted to use the greenhouse to start an herb garden,” Suho informs. “Any supply needs she may require are to be provided.”
    “What excuse should I give your father if he asks?” Sehun questions. Suho thinks for a moment.
  “She is an herbalist and an excellent healer. She will serve as a medic to those in the harem since no man, not even a doctor, can enter there,” he finally replies. Sehun nods in understanding.
  “Is Princess Yerim permitted to join her?” Sehun asks quietly.
  “Yerim is permitted to do as she pleases so long as she doesn’t leave the harem. The greenhouse is right on the border, yes, but is still within the boundaries.”
    “I apologize.” Sehun bows then takes his leave. When Suho is alone, he falls on his bed again. He didn’t have any duties to fulfill that day, so even though he was dressed, he stays in his room until Xiumin comes to visit him.
  “Did Father visit you last night as well?” he questions. Xiumin sits on one of Suho’s chairs and nods.
    “I truly hope at least one says yes,” Xiumin comments. “I can’t stand back and watch Yerim marry that awful man.”
  “What if none of them say yes?” Suho asks his older brother. “What if we have no choice but to allow him to marry her?”
    “Then she’s doomed to a life of loneliness and heartbreak,” Xiumin sighs. “We’re doing all we are capable of, but we do have to accept that it might not be enough to save her.”
  Suho hangs his head in despair. Xiumin was right. Even if they tried their very hardest, it may well not be enough. Yerim was too good, too pure, to belong to the large harem of such a cruel, heartless man. She deserved more than the Prince of Andival.
    Xiumin places a strong hand on his younger brother’s shoulder. Suho looks up again, gazing at Xiumin. The heir looked tired, and Suho couldn’t blame him. He felt quite tired himself.
    “Should I order that food be brought?” Suho questions just as his stomach growls. Xiumin nods. 
      “Maybe after we eat, I’ll call for Mieko. She started telling me a story last night, and you could join me to hear her finish it.”
    “I’d like that,” Xiumin replies with a slight smile. Suho sends for both food and Mieko. They arrive at the same time; Mieko was holding the tray of food. Her head was lowered in respect.
    “Mieko,” Suho greets, allowing her in.
    “My prince,” she bows to him, then bows to Xiumin. “Sir.”
    “This is my older brother and the crown prince, Xiumin,” Suho introduces.
    “Hello, your highness.” Mieko’s head is lowered in respect.
    “How is our sister?” Xiumin asks. Mieko glances behind her to make sure the door was closed, then pulls four pieces of paper out from her dress. She offers them to Suho, and he takes them. Each piece of paper had a name on the front of them. Suho takes his own, then hands the rest to Xiumin.
    “Princess Yerim asked me to give these to you. She wrote a letter to all of you; her brothers,” Mieko explains.
    “Are you hungry, Mieko?” Suho asks.
    “I ate with Yerim and Lucas, my prince,” Mieko replies, her head still bowed. Xiumin raises a thick eyebrow.
    “Lucas? Lucas isn’t allowed in the harem.”
    “Princess Yerim allows him in her chambers when he’s injured,” Mieko answers slowly as if she wasn’t sure if she should be telling him.
    “He is injured often, I’m sure,” Xiumin sighs, running a hand through his hair. Mieko nods a bit.
    “Can you tell us a story?” Suho questions. Mieko nods.
    “May I sit, my prince?” she questions. He nods, and she does.
    “There was a—”
    “Can you tell Xiumin last night’s tale?” Suho interrupts. Mieko glances up, then nods. She starts telling the story from the night before. Xiumin’s head nods when she’s half-way done, then excuses himself when she gets to the final part.
    “I’ll give these to Chen and Kai,” he says to her before exiting. “If I have any letters to Yerim, can you deliver them?” Mieko nods stiffly, then relaxes a bit when he leaves.
    “How was your day, my prince?” she asks.
    “Short,” he answers simply, then continues, “I need to bathe, do you mind waiting?”
    “No, my prince.” The uneasiness on her face tells him otherwise, and he sits down beside her.
    “What troubles you?”
    “Nothing, my prince,” she tells him quickly, shaking her head. He stares at her, one eyebrow raised.
    “Mieko, you can tell me if something is bothering you.” Suho tilts her head towards him, and he notices a green mark on her cheekbone. “Did something happen?”
    “Somebody could come in while you bathe,” Mieko ignores his question. “That is the time you are most vulnerable, aside from when you sleep.”
    “Mieko, I’m perfectly safe,” Suho laughs, then becomes somber when he sees her face. “Mieko, there are guards stationed right outside my room, and while I bathe one waits right outside. There are hidden weapons in the washroom, and I’ve been trained as a warrior since I could walk. I’m perfectly safe.”
    “Anything could happen, my prince” Mieko whispers so softly that he almost misses it. He can see the tears filling her eyes, but she turns her head away. So he doesn’t question it.
    “Would you prefer to wait in the washroom while I bathe?” Suho offers. She looks up hesitantly.
    “I don’t want to interrupt your private time,” she answers slowly. He chuckles.
    “My bathing time is hardly private, Mieko,” he informs through his laughter. “I have attendants to wash me. Unless you’d like to do that instead?” She stares at him for a few seconds. “I am being serious, Mieko. Do you want to?”
    Mieko stares for a few seconds more, then nods a little bit. He chuckles a bit, then calls for his tub to be filled. Eunuchs come in and out of his chambers, filling his bathtub. A guard comes in a few moments later, and the eunuchs wait for Suho. He dismisses all of them except the guard, then enters the washroom with Mieko by his side.
    “Are you sure you want to do this?” Suho questions. When she nods, he starts to take off his clothes. Normally, he would have help doing this, but he didn’t want to make her uncomfortable. She turns her head away when he undoes his undergarments and doesn’t look at him until he is submerged in the water.
    “What would you like me to do first?” she questions, looking at all the bottles and jars that were lined up on the wall.
    “Wash my hair,” he orders. “There’s something labeled ‘hair scrub’. That’s what you want to use. Not ‘hair lotion’.”
    She takes it, then wets his hair. He sighs in contentment when she begins to scrub his scalp. She did it much better than any of his actual attendants. Maybe it was because her fingers were skinnier and more nimble than a man’s hands. Or maybe it was because she knew the right pressure points to press.
    “Do I rinse it?” she questions after a while. He nods and points out an empty jar so she can scoop up the water and pour it over his head. He tells her to use the hair lotion next and to leave it in while she does the other steps.
    “Next, you use the body scrub. I only like being scrubbed on my back, feet, and arms.” She follows his instructions, and he moans softly when she starts to scrubs off his dead skin. She stops.
    “Are you okay?” she asks, her voice soft.
    “Yes, I’m fine. Please, continue,” he answers.
    She starts scrubbing again, then uses the jar to rinse his back and arms. She moves on to his feet, and he groans again. This time, she continues without hesitancy. She rinses his feet, then asks for the next step. He tells her to wash his body. He washes his private areas, assuring him that he always does (which happened to be true), and she rinses his hair. He then tells her to get a towel for him, and he gets up. He wraps the first towel around her waist, then instructs her to take another towel and pat his skin dry. Once he’s dry, he tells her to rub oils into his skin. That is the best part of the night. He is so relaxed by the time he finishes, he finds himself stumbling to his bed with her help. He sits slouched over while she towel dries his hair.
    “You have magical hands, Mieko,” he yawns, lying down. “You should bathe me every day.”
    “My father taught me how to press pressure points to relax the body,” she explains. “You don’t need to bathe in order for me to do that.”
    “I don’t?”
    “No,” she smiles at him and sits on the floor. He blinks at her, before processing that she needed her sleeping gear. But he didn’t really want to move.
    “Call Sehun and tell him to bring in a cot for you,” he yawns. “I'm already too comfortable to move.”
    “I can sleep on the floor, it’s warm tonight,” she leans back on her hands. “I wouldn’t want to wake him up at this hour.”
    “It’s not that late,” Suho protests, then tilts his head. “Is it?”
    “It’s almost one in the morning.”
    “Oh, gods,” he whispers, then lays down. “If you get too cold, just climb up on the other side of the bed. It’s a big bed, so you can just stay on one side.”
    “Of course, my prince,” she says. He yawns and lays down. He’s out in seconds.
    He wakes up to the sound of her teeth chattering. He sits up with a yawn and looks down at her. Mieko was curled up and shivering. Suho shakes his head sleepily, and swings his legs out of the bed and bends down next to her. He was going to wake her up, but he changes his mind and scoops her up in his arms. He frowns. She felt lighter than he remembered, causing him to frown. He could feel her ribs through her thin sleep dress. Along with that, her skin was cold to the touch. It was a bit chilly in the room, but not chilly enough to make her skin that cold. He sighs, then takes her to the other side of his bed and sets her down. He then pulls the covers over her and goes to his side of the bed. He would ask her about it in the morning.
    Suho wakes up next to Sehun shaking Mieko awake. He pretends to still be asleep though; he was curious.
    “Do you need help walking?” Sehun asks her quietly.
    “No, thank you,” Mieko answers. “Do you know how I ended up in his bed last night? I feel asleep on the floor.”
    “He probably put you on the bed,” Sehun answers quietly. “Why were you sleeping on the floor? I could’ve brought you a cot.”
    “I didn’t want to wake you.”
    “Don't worry about that, Mieko. Service is—” Sehun opens the door to the room, and their voices fade into silence.
    Suho sighs and sits up. He could really go for another one of Mieko’s massages. Her strong hands pressing all the knots out of his back, her skinny fingers scrubbing his scalp…
    He shakes the thought from his head, a sick feeling growing in his stomach. Suho could not be selfish. He had a woman's father coming to visit him; someone who wanted to entrust Suho with his daughter. He can’t pull Mieko into that.
    Sehun comes back a few minutes after Suho relieves himself. If he’s surprised to see Suho awake, he doesn’t show it. Rather, he simply picks out clothes for Suho to wear and helps Suho style his hair.
    “The king of Foeteli will be arriving by the end of the day.” Sehun brushes out a particularly large tangle and Suho yelps in surprise when he yanks at it. “My apologies, my prince.”
    Suho shrugs then grimaces when Sehun yanks on another tangle. He couldn’t understand why his hair was so matted today. Maybe he needed to get it cut.
    Sehun finishes up helping him and leaves to get his breakfast. When he gets back, Suho inquiries about Mieko’s weight loss.
    “She’s only been here for a few days, your highness,” Sehun explains. “If she has lost weight, it’s probably due to the stress of a new environment.”
    “Yes.” Suho shakes his head and starts to eat. “You’re probably right.”
    “Would you like me to make sure she is eating properly?”
    “She’s an adult, she can care for herself,” Suho sighs. “Just, keep an eye on her. If she needs to be fitted for smaller clothes, let me know.”
    “Of course, your highness.” Sehun bows deeply. “Is there anything more I can aid you with?”
    “Go around and ask my brothers if they have anything they’d like to give to Yerim.”
    “Do I deliver them if so?” Sehun questions. Suho shakes his head.
    “Father may stop you and order you to give them to him. He wouldn’t suspect Mieko was the one carrying them.”
    “Clever plan,” Sehun mutters. Suho dismisses him, pretending not to hear the disrespectful statement. Sehun comes back a few moments later with three folded pieces of paper. He holds them out for Suho to take.
    “All of my brothers wrote a note?” Suho questions, accepting them and hiding them beneath his writing tools. Sehun nods.
    “Yes, sir,” Sehun replies. Suho hands him the other letters and orders the eunuch to send them out. “What time is the King of Foeteli expected to arrive?”
    “Late,” Sehun sighs. “I think your father wishes you to still greet him when he arrives, but the dinner has been pushed until tomorrow.”
    “I see. I'm hungry, could you fetch breakfast for me?”
    “Of course, your highness.” Sehun bows then leaves. Suho rubs his neck, then sighs. The tension that Mieko had massaged out of his shoulders and back the night before reappears.
    He sits down at his desk and slouches back in his chair. He didn't have much to do other than to prepare for the king’s visit. He briefly wonders whether his father would be present to greet the king and decides that, yes, he would be. He didn't trust Suho. Then, the emperor didn't trust anyone. He was convinced that everyone wanted his throne. Oddly enough though, neither Suho, Chen nor Kai were interested in the throne. Xiumin was the only one who aspired to be the next emperor and that was because he was raised to be so.
    He decides to do a bit of research on the Princess of Foeteli and goes to the archives. There are only a few things to be known about Princess Calinda. She is the only child of and king and queen of Foeteli, her birth was a surprise to the nation, and she has never unveiled her face in public. Nobody has ever even heard her voice outside the royal family and the castle staff. She is rumored to be cold with a jealous heart and will do anything to get her way.
            Suho shuts the book loudly. The sound echoes through the archives. A familiar pang of loneliness runs through him, but he shakes it off. Upon gazing out the window, he desires that with his last few hours of sunlight, he was going to go for a ride. The stable hands are shocked when they see him enter their domain, but he informs them that he didn't expect them to have his horse ready. He didn't send word, after all.
            His horse nuzzles him as the stable hands put on his saddle. Suho smiles and rubs the horse's nose.
“I'll get you treats while we're out, Milan,” he assures quietly. Milan snorts just as the stable hands finally finish. Suho mounts with ease and kicks Milan lightly. They take off.
    Suho arrives back at the palace just as the last of the sun’s rays fade away. He feels refreshed and happy. He hurries to his room though, since he wasn't sure what Sehun meant by late. He washes his face and arms, puts on fresh clothing, and brushes out his hair so it was free of any visible dirt. He finishes tying it back just as Sehun comes into his room to let him know that the king had arrived.
    Suho's father was already waiting by the time he arrived.
    “You're late,” the man remarks, standing straight at attention.
    Suho doesn't say anything in return. He knows that he isn't. The gates open after a few minutes, causing Suho to straighten himself. He keeps his face stoic and cold as his reputation makes him out to be.
          Fortunately for him, the King of Foeteli was absolutely exhausted and retired right after he was welcomed. Suho trudges back to his own room only to be surprised when he finds Mieko sitting on the floor, her legs folded underneath her. She looks to be asleep. Suho can't help but notice the sight hollowness of her cheeks and the thinness of her wrists. Had her cheekbones always been so prominent? Had her wrists always been so frail?
            Suho gently bends down and nudges her shoulder while calling her name softly. She wakes up immediately and blinks at him blearily.
            “Sorry,” she says as soon as she processes his presence. “I must've fallen asleep while waiting for you to return.”
            “If you don't mind me asking, why are you here?” Suho wonders. “I haven't sent for you yet.”
            “Sehun said that you wanted me.” Mieko frowns. “Should I leave, then?” She takes a hesitant step towards the door.
            “No,” Suho grabs her wrist and guides her further into his room. “I was going to send for you anyway. Sehun probably predicted that. He's been attending to me for years.”
            “Very well,” Mieko looks a bit uncomfortable but proceeds to ask if he wants her to massage him again. He nods, then sends for servants to fill his tub with water. To keep their facade up, he asks if she would be willing to sit on his lap while the servants scurried in and out of his room. When he sees her hesitance, he asks if she would rather brush out his hair before he went to bathe. She agrees. He nearly moans when her slender fingers run along his scalp but he manages to keep his composure.
            “How was your day?” he asks. “What did you do?”
            “I started clearing out the greenhouse. I left many of the flowers and trees alone, but some spots were too overrun with weeds to salvage what had once been there. I plan to use those spots to grow my herbs. There were some pots as well. I'll use them for herbs that I want to be able to have on hand quickly.” Mieko’s voice was soothing, despite the obvious excitement slipping into it and making it shaky. “After it became too dark to continue, I went back to my chambers to wash. Yerim came to visit for a few minutes before she had her lessons.”
            “Did you see Lucas today?” Suho yawns as the servants finish preparing the bath.
            “No, Yerim said that he was sleeping.” Suho strips down and climbs into the tub. As soon as he's submerged, Mieko starts to wash him. He stops her before she can do his hair, telling her that it had already been washed.
            “How was your day, my prince?” Mieko asks as she lathers her hands in soap. He shrugs.
            “It was uneventful. I met the father of the woman I am supposed to marry, the King of Foeteli.”
            “Is that not good?” Mieko wonders. Suho shrugs again, then melts as her hands go to work cleaning most of his body.
            “In a sense, I suppose it is,” Suho assures slowly. “I've been waiting to become betrothed ever since I was a child. But with everything that's happened over the past few days, it almost feels painfully surreal.” Suho pauses to compose himself. “I always thought that my mother would be at my wedding. Even though she was sick, she always wanted to plan my brothers and my weddings with our betrothed. I was the last one.” His voice cracks and he takes a deep breath to compose himself. When he pushes the tears away, he notices that Mieko has stopped moving. “Is something wrong, Meiko?”
            “I'm sorry about your mother.” Mieko’s voice is barely above a whisper. She goes back to rinsing the soap from his body. “I should have told Father not to use the needles. I'm sorry.”
            Suho whirls around suddenly, startling her.
            “Mieko, it wasn't your fault. Everything was going well until my father ordered the guard to stop yours. You tried to help as best you could, but they had already done too much damage.”
            “But--” Mieko tries to protest but Suho cuts her off.
            “Meiko, don't blame yourself because it's not your fault. It's not your father's fault. If it's anyone's fault, it's my father's. His maltreatment of my mother through the years probably had more to do with her death than the acupuncture needle.”
            “But you were so angry when my father said there was nothing he could do but let her rest,” Mieko whispers, hanging her head. Suho smiles a bit and rubs her cheek with his thumb. It was a gesture his mother always used with him when he was upset. Meiko seems to relax a bit.
            “Mieko, I wasn't angry. I was scared. I did not want to lose my mother any more than you wanted to lose your brother.”
            Mieko is silent for a few moments before smiling a bit and nodding.
            “I understand, my prince.”
            Meiko finishes washing the prince and dries him off before massaging oils into his skin. When she finishes, he climbs into the bed while she starts to get settled on the floor.
            “Mieko, just come up here,” Suho orders. “The floor is going to be too cold and I don't want you to become ill.”
            “It's your bed though, I'll take up too much room.”
            Suho stares at her, then at his bed, then back at her.
            “Mieko, the bed is at least seven times your size. Even if you were a large woman, which you are absolutely not, I would still have room.”
            Mieko opens her mouth to protest but then snaps it shut and climbs onto the opposite side of the bed. Suho noticed that she is careful to take up as little space as possible. He shakes his head with a smile and lays his head down on a pillow. He's out within seconds.