by Zola Tau
"Isn't it wrong that you all allow her to speak to herself to this day as if her twin is still alive and well? What about her mother?" Knight Ayo asked as he followed.
"Princess Ki easily falls into a mindset of rage; we've tried telling her the truth, some days she's fine other days she's weak and very quick to temper. From one of the times it was brought to her attention she also tried to kill herself, it became our best interest to just let her do as she wished.
As for her mother, for awhile princess, Ki was accused of the death of her brother, as you know there is only so much value we women have here in the palace, only the males carry on the name of our father. So soon after, her brother's death her mother left feeling ashamed that she only gave life to a daughter, no longer wanting contact with Princess Ki. Only now they are coming to terms so as you can see, Princess Ki wasn't given a golden plate since the day she opened her eyes to the world." Princess Areum said as they finally reached the palace grounds, then she stopped, turned to Ayo and said " But, all of us have our hardships here in the palace, yet we don't turn to assisting in murder or contribute to corruption towards our people, but I hope you do excuse me, I hear there is news that awaits me from the king." With a hurried bow, Areum quickly ran away leaving the knight in conflict with the new information he was told.
Knight Ayo sighted and to his surprise from afar came to the crown prince walking hand and hand with Princess Ada, they were conversing and laughing among one another, but Ada seemed a bit tired. For as long as Ayo had known Ada, he knew when she grew weary. The faces she made gave her away before she would say so herself. Then suddenly as Ayo watched he came to notice Ada stopped walking, the crown prince with a concerned look on his face went to his fiancé's aid.
The Crown Prince helped her, towards her room. "Are you okay?" He could be heard asking Princess Ada, but she as always put face and nodded yes.
"I'll prepare something for you to eat." The crown prince said once more. Ayo saw as the crown prince quickly returned with fruit and tea for the princess after she agreed to his offer.
On his way back, he seemed to have forgotten something, at least to the observant knight that seemed to be the problem as he watched the Prince, pat himself down like he was searching for something.
In the same realm of time, Ayo watched as Princess Ki hurried by and switched the tray of food. Ayo stared deeply, unsure who to feel, in honesty for a short while Ayo thought nothing of it, till the warning words of Princess Areum replayed in his head. He raced over towards the tray of food, in order to throw it away but was startled with the arrival of the crown prince.
He quickly turned to the crown prince to give him the news of what he saw but upon his sight the crown prince tensed up, without a greeting him the crown prince walked away from Ayo and towards the food.
"May I ask why you're in my way?" The crown prince finally asked as he questioned why the knight kept moving in front of him, as a mockery to each step he took. Ayo thought of what to say unable to put it all into words he said: " It's seems that you lost something I just wanted to help." He said as a way of distraction, he knew if he said anything wrong the idea would come as if he had something to do along with it, because of the lack of trust the crown prince had in him.
"I found it." The crown prince said sternly pointing to the little container of herbs he had in his hand for the tea.
"Is the princess sick?" He asked. The crown prince reluctantly answered and replied "She's fine just a bit hungry, if you'll excuse me." the crown prince said marching towards the food.
Ayo dangerously paced past the prince and out of action without thought he grabbed the bowl of fruit and threw it quickly towards the ground and poured the warm water for tea onto the ground along with it.
In anger, the crown prince grabbed a hold of Ayo's wrist. "What do you think you are doing?!?" He screamed.
As Ayo was about to reply, and give an explanation for his actions, his nose softly started to bleed. At first, it was just a soft trail, then it began to quickly trail down his face. The crown prince lets go of Ayo's wrist because from the sight of his palm it was starting to redden. As quickly as he could the prince ripped off a piece of his hanbok sleeve using it to block the blood from trailing down Ayo's face.
The crown prince called for his eldest brother, hoping for help. To his disadvantage, the rest of his siblings were still dining with the king.
Ayo pointed to the door and made out the words to say "Princess Ada should've come out moments ago." He said referring to the fact that Princess Ki knocked on the door to alert that the food was there.
The crown prince quickly pressed the cloth into Ayo's nose preventing it from bleeding. "Stay as you are." he said as he called out racing to the room to check on Ada.
The moment the crown prince found his way into Ada's room, he raced towards the bathing room; that was located behind Ada's room. With the water, he found he used some to wash his hands in fear that whatever it was that made Ayo's hand react the way it did, trailed onto his hand. He washed his hands with all the pressure that he could, in order to be certain that it had not been shared with him.
He raced back into the room where he found the princess laying in her bed, he raised his hand over her cheek, patted her face softly with the palm of his left hand trying to wake her. In hope that she was simply asleep, the Crown Prince repeated his action. When the princess wouldn't wake he shook her harder. To his misfortune, in the process, all that shook was Ada's body rather than her waking. He picked her up as a groom would a bride and went outside.
As he held on to Ada's body he called out to the emptiness "CALL THE PHYSICIANS!" He called out loud, hoping for one of the servants to hear.
A groaning Ayo leaned onto the home, unable to move. "She's always been a sickly child like her father has said countless times; when we were young…her body doesn't handle change so easily. Is something the matter?" He made effort to shift but only resulted in a groan because of the pinching pain in his arm.
"You said she's not eating as she should, she most likely just passed out from being so exhausted, which happened often when we were growing up. She'd be so busy playing she forgot to eat and would soon pass out in the midst of our adventures, why didn't she eat while you were all in the midst of celebration?" He asked holding onto his arm suppressing the pain it gave, mentally.
"She doesn't eat anything, when she doesn't know the source of who prepare it, when Nari or I prepare her food, we make sure to freshly prepare..." The crown stopped himself, looked to Ayo before he proceeded to speak being careful of his words. "She's had to eat for more than one and she hasn't even been eating enough for herself." The Crown Prince thought.
"Take her to the physician." Ayo cried out, all in an effort of trying to further fight the pain, his words danced with each shock of pain.
"As much as I opposed your friendship, she still spoke highly of you, she knows no evil, and her biggest flaw is that she is stubborn to her own well being. She'd be angered if I left you here, bare a little longer the others should be coming in from their feast."
As if the words he spoke were gold, themselves just as he spoke them from afar the eldest prince and Ji-Hye could seem. " BROTHER, CALL FOR THE PHYSICIAN!" The Crown Prince yelled not wasting time.
Ji-Hye and the eldest prince rushed over to see Ada in the arm of her fiancé unmoved. Without question, he and Ji-Hye tried helping Ayo up.
"Avoid the touch of his hand just so you may not be dealt with the same fate." the crown prince warned.
As he held onto Ada, the eldest prince called out to the rest that came yelling for them to call for help. Areum and Nari turned around to go get the physician as the eldest princess held onto her husband, but he soon let go of her, so that he could race to go help the eldest prince and Ji-Hye attend to Ayo, the eldest sister stood there confused to everything.
As Areum raced back to the palace to go get the physician with Nari, she stopped and called out to the eldest sister and
shouted "For the first time in your life, do something worth your time rather than promote this ideology of a woman staying in her place like a statue. " Areum called out to her eldest sister.
In distraught at first, the eldest princess took a choice of her own and trailed behind her sisters, Nari and Areum.
Unlike her youngest sister, Areum; who idolized adventure, even despite their father's constant hiring of women to teach Areum how to be lady-like the eldest princess was blinded and limited in her definition of woman and stayed in her position as such.
As they raced to get a hold of the help needed, Nari thought to herself, Ada was warned that people were to come threatened the unborn child yet here was Ayo struggling to survive.
Therefore the question was done that take him out of the equation? The whole incident rotted of Princess Ki.
Still deep in thought, Nari was surprised to see that when they got to the palace, two physicians stood, waiting.
A young servant bowed before the sisters that got therefore the rest. The young servant girl apologized for her lack of hurry, informing the sisters that she didn't hear the cries for a help until she was returning from cleaning.
The sisters nodded their heads, thankful to her help. Areum walked over to young servant as Nari and the eldest sister rushed the others that followed behind.
As Areum she placed her hand on the servant's shoulder and whispered "You've helped us more than you know, go rest you've done well, I'll be sure to let it be known to the king of your well doing."
In glee the young servant bowed and awaits being excused, with a nod of her head Areum approved the dismissal of the young servant. The young servant girl gave a smile that displayed the feeling of accomplishment and contempt she felt and raced away feeling as such.
When everyone else caught up they also sighed thankfully at the sight of the physicians;
one with a youthful face, long hair that was held back professionally, what revealed his old age was the whiting tips of his hair compared to the dark roots. The elder man was accompanied by another physician whose appearance was a bit easier to read. His face revealed age and experience, just as the whitened strands of hair all about on his head, thought it too was held back it was easy to see it was shorter than the other physician's.
The one of youthful face rushed to the aid of Ada, but the crown prince refused to allow anyone else to carry her but himself.
So the physician simple followed them into a room that was being prepared for her.
As for the other physician, he simply called for two guards to take place of the eldest sister's husband, Ji-hye and the eldest prince who were helping Ayo.
Once Ayo was laid down to be helped he seemed to have been wilted and his movement grew short.
[제 17장]
“ To care for one
To love for one
Is to be loved
by yourself first ”
In the room across, the physician tending to Ada called for hot water to be brought out for the princess as she lay unmoved in the crown prince's arms.
"I'm going to have to ask you to lay her onto this." the physician said bowing to the crown prince.
" I can hold her, I don't mind. " the crown prince replied as if what was said was an option to be debated.
" you're greatness..." the physician said with a sigh, reading into his action the crown prince reluctantly laid her down, sitting beside her. As the boiling water was brought in by Nari, the crown prince sat it besides Ada allowing for the steam to hover onto her.
"She merely passed out for lack of food and liquid. When she does wake, which she will, feed her a good amount of food." the physician looked about and seeing that no one else was present he mouthed "It's what's best for her and the child ".
"How did you know?" The crown prince asked honestly.
With a smile and a chuckle the physician replied "I am a physician, you're highness." He found amusement to the crown prince's mistake.
The crown prince laughed at his own obliviousness. "You have to excuse me the day has been prolonged and I can't say I have been able to think clearly."
"All is forgiven, I've become aware of the situation. " the physician replied, as he was about to speak more on the matter; a guard walked in and whispered something to him, the physician nodded his head and excused himself. The crown prince nodded approving his dismissal and sat closer beside Ada.
As the physician was leaving, Nari and the others came in. "May we sit in?" Nari asked after sitting down. The crown prince shook his head in amusement "As if you weren't already going to do so." He teased.
Ignoring her brother's taunt she stretched her hand over Ada's head and felt it. "Should we change out the water so she can get more steam?" She asked.
The crown prince nodded his head and did just that.
"You truly care for her, don't you?" Nari asked as she observed the crown prince staring at princess Ada.
A smile came over his face as he continued looking down at Ada.
Ji-hye, the eldest prince, along with the eldest sister, her husband and Areum all in just the same light looked to the crown prince awaiting his response.
"If I ever need words to confirm my love for her allow me to know so I can fix it." He said after he looked back up.
"What do you mean?" Nari asked, in confusion, he proceeded to caress Ada's face and smiled consistently as he had before "Because in preaching and bathing her in love I should always love her regardless, only when needed, I should use words. If words need to be said to confirm my love for her then I'm not showing it correctly." he sighed.
Nari thought on her brother's words and nodded accordingly "No words necessary." she replied. They sat in the silence and just took in the calmness that was being built around them, even in the midst of a detour there was no stress in the air.
The eldest prince came over and patted his brother in the back "My dear brother is a poet." he said implying the overly romantic wave of the crown prince's words.
The crown prince turned to his brother and responded: "Joke all you want, but you just ask Ji-Hye and the others if they do not agree with what I said.' In unison the women all nodded their heads agreeing with what the Crown Prince preached. Areum stepped out and said "I'm not one for romance but just have to agree with the crown prince on this one, eldest brother."
Before the eldest prince could take back his words, because of the overbearing turn of embarrassment that he now received, the physician walked back into the room as he closed the door behind him.
He bowed towards the crown prince and everyone else in the room, Nari, feeling awkward at the treatment she stood and bowed back; to show the physician he deserved her acknowledgment.
The crown prince looked to his sister and just shook his head and amusement. After a shy chuckle the physician began to speak. "The physician that is looking to the better health of the knight just informed me with some reports; I think I should tell you all about."
Everyone came about and made effort to listen to the doctors news, even though he was bearing heavy knew he couldn't help but almost smile at the unity he saw in them all, as much as the family argued it seemed they've started to establish a sense of overcoming the harsh past. He sighed, then he began to speak.
"It's came to our attention that after many moons of searching, the poison we've found on the knight is the same one that was used to poison the foreign king, a year in time to the past... well at least a very similar like of it. Many merchants carry it to keep around themselves in order for when they may rest the night in the forest they spread it about in a circle to avoid the chance of being hurt by an animal of the wild. If by chance they consume it they become sick, but they will live, trouble is on the skin, of a being it's a bit more difficult. The knight's luck resides in the method of it just being his hand therefore he hasn't consumed it, in time he too can soon become better, but the use of his hand will take further to return, much slower than his mental state. I would like to prop
ose that the awareness of this poison might also correspond with the one for the prior death of the foreign king, therefore it should be traced. If you find out who did this, you will find out who is guilty for the foreign king's death. Both versions of the substance are so distinct I worry if it may be two different people rather than one. "
Areum who was once sure that her sister; princess Ki was the one guilty for the foreign king's death was now in distraught.
As the day slowly passed the crown prince refused to leave his fiancé's side understandably none of his siblings pestered him on the matter either, understanding their love for one another, knowing princess Ada would do the same. Later into their stay they left, then brought in a basket of food, which stayed close beside the crown prince so that when he may get hungry he could have something to eat.
Ayo was moved into the room where princess Ada was so that he may also be watched over; blankets of sorts were brought in as the night grew darker. The eldest prince stayed behind, leading Ji-hye and the rest to leave, as well as leaving Ji-hye to pretend as if she didn't mind. The others claimed to be going to bed and would visit in the morning.
Ji-hye waltzed over and sat down on the ground as her back pressed the wall, she watched the eldest prince's gaze as he looked to the candle in the center of the room dance, stubborn to leave.
The crown prince, laid next to Ada staring at her, awaiting for when she'd open her eyes. He was smiling and caressing her cheek, but he too soon fell asleep, with his hand resting on her cheek.