The soft touch of fingers in his hair pulled Jaehwan from a fitful sleep, and he blinked his eyes open to see Krystal. The Princess was looking down at him, her eyes soft in the dim light, her beautiful lips curved into a gentle smile. That was when he realized he was seeing her from a strange angle, and it dawned on him that his head was in her lap.

"Oh hells, I'm sorry," he blurted, moving to get up. His leg burned in pain, though, and he gave a short yelp as he remembered about the wound.

Then Krystal's hands grabbed his shoulders. "Easy, it's okay. You were bouncing around so I figured this would be the easiest position for you to rest in." Her tone said it was totally unpersonal: her eyes said otherwise. Unsure what to say in return, Jaehwan only nodded and she helped him to sit up slowly and carefully.

They were back in the city, it seemed: he could see rooftops out of the high windows on the carriage. It was much quieter than Jaehwan had expected, but when Krystal stepped out then turned to help him out as well, he realized it was because they were in a courtyard of sorts. She wrapped an arm around his back to grasp his side, becoming a makeshift crutch for him, and then they turned.

And Jaehwan's breath caught in his throat. They weren't in just a courtyard: they were in the King's palace! He turned to gape at Krystal, but she shook her head ever so slightly, her smile seemingly pasted on her face. "Don't stare, they'll treat you better if you act like you're used to this." Her words were a mere whisper for his ears only, and it was then that he noticed the two men in pale clothing coming toward them.

"Your Majesty," one greeted, bowing to Krystal before he turned to Jaehwan. "And sir. We're here to take you to the hospital." His face stayed perfectly impassive, but his eyes did jump between Jaehwan and the Princess as if looking for something deeper.

Krystal didn't let him have anything from her demeanor, though. The cool, collected Princess mask was back, and she gave the orderly a gracious nod as she helped Jaehwan to hobble toward him. "Thank you," she said. "Take good care of him, he served me well."

Though he knew it was what she was expected to say, and that she had to be the Princess of Remasan and all that entailed, the words did send a reminder to his heart. He was below her status, and there was no way that it could work. Jaehwan avoided meeting her eyes as the orderly ducked under his opposite arm, taking his weight off of Krystal. As soon as the woman let go of him, the other orderly took her place, and they were off, practically carrying Jaehwan away.

Even though they were in the palace courtyard, they did not enter the massive stone building. Instead they took him to a small, one-storey building that was painted pure white. As soon as he stepped in the doors the scents of herbs hit him, threatening to make him sneeze with the intensity. One of the orderlies, the one who had yet to speak, wrinkled his nose and shook his head.

"I know, it takes getting used to," he told Jaehwan. "I've been here a month and I have yet to be able to enter with making that same face!"

"Kyungsoo," the other warned, as if in a reminder that they were not supposed to speak to Jaehwan. The first one clamped his lips shut and didn't say another word, but he didn't look very happy about it.

The two orderlies helped Jaehwan to a bed, just wide enough for him to fit comfortably and decked out with white sheets and a blanket to ward against the winter chill. As they helped him settle in, Jaehwan realized that yes, it was winter now: he wasn't sure on the exact date, but he did know that the Solstice was near when he was taken and that it had passed probably a week earlier. Sadness ran through him as he thought of his family, but he shook his head to stay clear of that path, focusing instead on the room he was in.

A long, rectangular chamber, it was all in white with many beds lining the walls. He was the only occupant though, and for a brief moment he wondered why until he realized that Kelsar likely had its own magician. Said mage would be able to heal anyone who came, and he perked up with the thought that he would be healed and well soon.

And yet he ended up waiting nearly an hour before a woman came in, followed by three more orderlies all dressed identically to the first two, who had left when he was caught up in his thoughts. She had a few grey hairs streaking through her black braid, and lines at the corners of her eyes that crinkled when she smiled at him. "Welcome to Kelsar, Sir Jaehwan." He could hear the implied title, but he didn't think he ought to correct her after the warning Krystal had given. "I am Doctor Sunghee, and I am here to see about that arrow in your leg." Before he could ask, she continued, "Usually we have our Magician care for the injured, but she is otherwise indisposed, and I am trained well in battle healing. You're in good hands," she added with a kind smile.

Jaehwan nodded, slightly scared, but he had to trust her. Two of her three orderlies stepped forward then, and they helped Jaehwan off of the bed and to another room with a long metal table. It gleamed from the light that reflected off of it, magical globes similar to the ones on the Lion Heart hanging off the ceiling in strategic places to cast the entire room in bright light. The table was cold when he was eased onto it, but he wasn't going to complain. One orderly, a young woman with a sweet face, removed the makeshift bandage with deft fingers, not even flinching when she saw the mess beneath. As she carried the rags away, the young man cut the leg of Jaehwan's trousers above his wound, clearing away the fabric so that the doctor could work.

The third orderly stepped forward then, a woman about his sister's age that gave a warm smile that made him miss home. "Drink this," she said softly, holding up a sma