18. WITHER

Hearing a familiar call, Kai rushed around the bushes. He first found a figure, presumably one of the attackers, lying flat with a hairpin pierced on the side of his neck.

Then, he found Lady Son. But he didn’t have time to take in more of her until he found his best friend, with sealed eyes, pale and sunken cheeks, his shirt was less dishevelled as Lady Son’s, but scarlet soaked the fabric, coated the tree behind him and trailed across the forest floor.

He cursed inwardly as he yelled for his men, while he took off his coat and tied around his best friend’s body, hoping it would stop the bleeding. With the assistance of Lady Son, he hauled his best friend up, with one arm behind his knees and another around his shoulder. He grunted at his weight but took no time to hesitate as he climbed up his own horse, with his body draped on his back.

Faster, faster. He told his horse.

He had to save his best friend.

His best friend.

His King.

To Kai’s relief, they weren’t too far off from the palace, and once they arrived, the medical team rushed out to the gates. He held his body carefully, and with haste, he placed him on the stretcher.

Meanwhile, Naeun’s eyes traced his body, who is now in the hands of the medical team as they carried him to the infirmary. She leaped off the horse of one of the soldier’s, almost tripping her way down as her knees collapsed. The soldier widened his eyes and was about to hold her up, but clenching her teeth, she brought herself to her feet and bolted inside the infirmary.

The new King was placed inside a spacious room of gold, behind the heavy gilded doors. Despite knowing that the team needed space and time for treatment, Kai paced outside the doors, praying silently that his friend would be okay. His did suffer from injuries on the battlefield before, with cuts and bruises all over him, but it has never been as severe as this time.

He heard a series of hurried footsteps, as he turned to find Lady Son, who panted and choked over her breath as she arrived outside the doors. Only then, can he place a closer look at her. Her eyes were bloodshot, with tears and burgundy blood streaked over her face. Her hair was dishevelled, the hems of her dress ripped open, revealing the scars and cuts and bruises all over her knees and her arms.

He thought of the figure that collapsed with a hair-pin on his neck. If he guessed right, Lady Son was the one who kept them safe.

She protected his best friend.

Suddenly, he remembered hearing parts of her past through his best friend. Glancing at her lifeless eyes, he came to a realisation that the lady overcame her trauma.

She overcame her trauma to save his best friend.

At that moment, he knew, that his friend’s love was not one-sided. Rather, her love for him was greater than what Kai imagined.

Her gaze held so much pain that Kai wasn’t sure if he should feel relief or pity or pride.

Before he could come up to her, he was interrupted by two ladies who crashed into Lady Son, wrapping their arms around hers.

“Naeun!” “My lady!” Krystal and Hayoung cried, weeping tears of joy at their companion’s safety.

“I’m so glad you’re safe.” Krystal took off her coat, wrapping it around her shoulder, while Hayoung pried off her dishevelled hair.

But Naeun shared none of their joy. Her eyes were hollow. She couldn’t even force a smile at her two friends.

It was then when they noticed how dishevelled and damaged she was.

“Naeun?”

“My lady?”

Naeun croaked. “H-He… oppa… he’s in there… he’s injured…” Her voice cracked as tears surged up to the brims of her eyes again. “Because of me…”

Her voice trailed, as Krystal and Hayoung buried her head on their shoulders, sharing a look of disbelief and worry.

Soon, the Queen mother arrived in a couture coat, yet even the thick powder on her face could not cover her pallid complexions.

They all courtised at the Queen, as Naeun regained her senses and followed suit.

But the Queen was in no state of sanity. Her legs collapsed at the shut doors, and Madame Rino and Kai caught her simultaneously.

“Your royal highness, his majesty is inside under the care and treatment of the doctors.” One of the white-gowned professionals bowed to the Queen mother, before slipping back inside the room again.

Hearing the change of Taemin’s title, Krystal and Hayoung widened their eyes and shared a look, while all voices drained out of Naeun’s head. The words felt like a blur to her, as she sank in emptiness. She was the reason why the Queen is losing her son.

The Queen grasped onto Kai’s arm. “H-How bad is it?” She gulped. “H-How bad is the injury?”

Kai’s gaze was as painful as hers. “He has a slash on his back.”

The Queen’s knees weakened again, as Madame Rino and Kai hoisted her up. She closed her eyes briefly, and took a deep, long breath.

“Please wait a little longer, his majesty will be safe under the cares of the doctors.” Kai spoke but his gaze was unsure.

The Queen clenched her fists. Her son… her son was still in there.

She forced open her eyes and stared at the closed door.

“How long do we have to wait?”

Kai shook his head. “I don’t know, your royal highness. They didn’t specify.”

The Queen nodded. She swatted off the hold from Madame Rino as she stood tall, as firm as stucco columns. She hardened her gaze. She couldn’t collapse yet. She already lost her husband, and now she must stay strong for her son and her country.

After an eternal period of silence, hustles and calls emerged from the end of the corridor.

It was the advisors, council members and all others of the court. A flicker of annoyance passed through the Queen’s frail eyes, as she forced her heavy body to turn. She was the only royal left standing. She had to make decisions and announcements to calm the court.

She took another shaky breath then turned, raising her arm on Madame Rino’s hold.

Then, an arm stopped her.

“You royal highness. I’ll manage them. For now, please take a rest and sit until the team finishes their treatment.”

Madame Rino agreed. “Yes, your royal highness. You’ve been exhausted for the past few days.”

Krystal agreed. “Please do, your royal highness.”

It was then when the Queen noticed the other three women. Krystal and Naeun’s lady-in-waiting kept the young lady tightly by her arms. She took a glance at Naeun, who was a broken doll and a withered rose with her eyes glued onto the door. She had no idea what the lady went through, but she knew, that Naeun suffered as well, watching her son collapse in front of her eyes.

“Naeun.”

Hearing her name, Naeun snapped out of her mind, as she curtsied with trembling guilt. “Y-Yes, your royal highness.”

“Come here.” The Queen’s voice was calm.

She scuttled over, her head still dipped and her legs wobbled.

Then, she felt a cold, but gentle touch on her face, wiping off the blood stains and the dirt.

She lifted her empty gaze up to the Queen. It was just a fortnight since she last saw her from the results announcement, but the Queen looked like she had aged 10 years. Her heart torn into pieces again, but the Queen forced out a warm gaze to her. “Go take a rest, my dear. Clean yourself up and get warm.”

Naeun’s heart was shattered into pieces of glass. She shook her head and forced out the words. “N-No, your royal highness, you should rest and take good care. I can manage.”

The Queen stared into her eyes mixed with pain and fondness, until Krystal interrupted them.

“Both of you, your royal highness and Naeun, please, take some rest - or at least - take a shower. We will stay and keep you both informed.”

Kai agreed. “Krystal and I will be here until his majesty wakes up.”

Under their pleading gazes, the Queen let out a sigh of defeat, as she tried to hold her steps firm.

She nodded reluctantly. “Fine. Thank you, Jongin and Soojung. I’ll be back in a sec.”

She took a glance at Naeun, then turned away with a heavy weight on her shoulders.

Meanwhile, Hayoung dragged Naeun away from the doors, as she followed her in defeat.

“My lady, his…” She wasn’t used to the Prince’s new title. “His majesty wouldn’t want to see you like this. Rest up and I’ll get you a new change of clothes.”

Still in a daze, Naeun didn’t notice the change of titles. Deep down, she knew, she needed a rest. She was just unwilling to, not when she knew he’s drawn into a swirl of darkness because of her. But she was too tired to fight from Hayoung’s grasp, so she let her drag her through the marbled corridors.

Her own room in the South Wing was a mess, so they got her another room. This time, in the East wing, the Prince’s area, after all, she was the confirmed winner of the contest.

It was until she looked in the mirror, when she realised why the Queen told her to take a rest.

She looked absolutely destroyed. Broken. Torn into pieces.

It took Hayoung a couple of baths to wash away her lady’s tear stains, blood stains, dirt, cuts and scraps. But every time Naeun closed her eyes, she would see the lingerings of her nightmare that came true.

The clangs of the swords.

His last words.

His blood-soaked blouse.

Her first kill, with a hairpin stuck on his neck.

The canopied forest and its looming shadows.

She shivered in the rising steam as Hayoung knelt beside her and caressed her face, knowing that her lady’s mind is damaged, both from the previous trauma and the one now.

“My lady.”

“You are fine, safe and sound. Everything will be alright.” She smiled.

“I’m still waiting for my lady to become the most beautiful bride. The most beautiful Queen.” Hayoung said.

Naeun opened her eyes, as she took another deep breath.

Yes. Yes, everything will be alright. She protected him. He will be alright. He will wake up soon, and she will be his bride, his princess consort and his future Queen.

She will be okay.

…..

When Kai finished addressing things to the annoying advisors and court members, they scattered away, knowing that the royal family needed time for recovery and rest.

Krystal leaned against the walls as he came back from the end of the corridors.

“Will opp—I mean, his highnes— I mean, his majesty…be okay?”

Kai sighed. “I hope so.” He lifted his head and stared at the slender stylised racemes, plaques and medallions of birds and divinities sculpted on the ceiling. “Even I’m not used to the change of titles.”

There was a solemn silence as Krystal mourned for the deceased King. was coated with sand. “What happened?”

“The King died on the battlefield. It was an ambush. Taemin barely got himself together until Lady Son got captured.”

Krystal remained silent. If only she was stronger, if only she could get rid of the assassins quicker, and if only she could do her job and protect their future-Queen and her friend, it wouldn’t end up like this.

She was the one to blame.

A voice broke through the dark mist in her head.

“You are already strong enough.” He turned to her.

“You protected Lady Son through the attack, killed off two shrewd assassins and warned us of Lady Son’s disappearance.”

His smile was a beam of sunlight that shot through her heart.

“If it weren’t for you, Lady Son would have been killed already.”

Warmth rose in her eyes, but she fought hard to hold it in. Instead, she tugged his sleeve and placed her head on his shoulders. It was one of the only times were she was willing to show her weakness in front of others.

Feeling her weight on his shoulders, he forced down the pain in his eyes and raised his arm to her back. They were all broken into tatters — Taemin with his father and now physically shattered inside that room, Lady Son with her trauma and her lover, Krystal with her guilt and himself as well — that he could’ve done better, he could’ve stopped his friend right on the stop, he could’ve caught up to his friend quicker, he could’ve —

“It’s not your fault too.” She croaked on his shoulder.

He froze. He thought he hid his feelings well, but she noticed it right away. There was a surge of warmth in his chest, yet he quickly slammed it down with a huge rock. Of course she would notice it, they’ve been friends for so long. He told himself. Only friends.

Unknown of his feelings, she closed her eyes to keep in the flooding tears, until her nose caught a whiff of metallic scent.

His heart sank as she stirred in his embrace. He didn’t want to loosen his arms around her just yet — somehow he just wanted to be her shield for just a little longer, yet she wouldn’t even spend more than a millisecond in his embrace.

Her eyes were still glossy, but she peeled off his coat and gasped.

There were blots of scarlet that dotted his military blouse, and upon closer examination, she found blood gushing out of an oblique incision that stretched from the edges of his right shoulder to the backs of his axilla.

She barely caught her breath as warmth pooled in rims of her eyes again. “Y-You were wounded and you didn’t say anything?” She gulped and almost choked over her own incoming tears. “You .”

She tried to push him off from his seat, urging him to the infirmary, but he merely stretched out a smile that sent shivers down her chest. “I’m fine. Let’s wait for his majesty first.”

The tears that she was desperately trying to hold in were losing control, and before she could insist further, the door swung open behind them.

They turned simultaneously, with an equal look of wound and cloudiness in their eyes. “Lord Kim, Lady Jung,” The nurse fired the words quickly. “Doctor Yoon has requested more patience from the royal family. We will require more time to secure the bleeding. My lord and my lady, please take a rest and come back later.”

“How much longer?” Ignoring the pain on his shoulder, he asked quickly.

“At least an hour or two, I’m afraid.” The nurse pursed her lips. “As soon as the bleeding is secured, we will inform her royal highness, your lordship and ladyship right away.”

Krystal and Kai nodded with reluctance. They thanked the nurse as she disappeared behind the thick doors.

With pointed eyes, Krystal turned sharply towards him. “You’re coming to the infirmary with me. The nurse said an hour or two, surely we can make it back in time.”

He shook his head. “It’s really nothing, I can manage.”

“No!” She snapped as the flood in her eyes finally busted the dam. He stared at her, wide-eyed in disbelief. In his eyes, she was always a strong-willed, resolute woman. She was always unwilling to show her vulnerability - especially when it comes to her tears. He felt his heart shattered into pieces, yet when he raised his injured arm, he didn’t flinch. He wiped off the fountain on her cheeks, but she slapped his hand down as more tears emerged from the rims of her eyes. His hand was already injured, and it pains her to see him raise it so easily. She was angry that he cared for her, that he was so sweet to her, that he was willing to worsen his injury just to wipe her tears — when he didn’t even love her.

Yet when her slap reached him, it became a gesture that broke his heart. She must’ve shed her tears for Taemin. He thought. He was sure that she sank in guilt — because she was unable to protecting her friend and the man she loves. He tried his best to suppress the throbbing pain in his chest and forced a smile. “You know I’ve suffered from worst than this. I will be fine - we can deal with me later.” He wondered how to fix her broken dam. “Taemin will be fine,” He forced our the best curl on his lips. “Don’t worry - I’m sure he’ll get through this. I knew him from—”

“I’m worried about you, !” She blurted.

He froze. It took him a few seconds to force out any words from his lips. “… why?”

“Shut up and now come to the infirmary with me!”

“I’m really fine soojung, I—”

“You’re not!” Her shout echoed across the empty marbled corridors.

He stood frozen in his steps, eyes widened once again.

“Please, jongin. Come with me.” Her voice turned into a desperate whisper.

The thin ice between them cracked as a shuffle of footsteps echoed. Krystal wiped off the tear stains on her cheek before turning to the source of sound. A surge of relief rushed through her as she found her friend placed in a clean and new dress. The lady’s gaze was still broken as she held agony in her eyes, but at least she looked less dishevelled.

“How did it go? Did the doctor say anything?” Naeun clenched her arms.

“The nurse came by and said they needed another hour or two to secure the bleeding. Do you want to go back to your room? Or we could find somewhere for you to rest—”

Naeun felt her heart shatter once again into a thousand petals.  “No, it’s fine. I’m staying. I’ve already took enough rest.”

The Queen’s footsteps interrupted them. Just like Naeun, the Queen couldn’t rest for long. She came ba