The Abandoned Bride

Chapter 20

I fall asleep and wake up to someone touching my head.

"How do you feel?" Prince Sun Ying asks me.

"Prince Sun Ying, you should not be around me, I could give you the illness" I say, pushing his cool hand off of my head.

"It isn't dangerous for me, it is dangerous for the General" He says laughing.

"I don't want to be responsible for making you sick, I couldn't live with those consequences" I say shivering.

"Are you cold?" He asks, looking concerned.

"Yes, I feel so cold" I say and wrap the blankets around me.

"I will bring you some more blankets, for now have some tea" He says, pouring me a cup and offering it to me and I take it with my shaky hands.

"How is the General?" I ask.

"Not sure, I doubt there has been any changes" He answers while watching me drink the tea.

"Do you want anything to eat?" He asks as it looks like it is lunchtime.

"No, I have no appetite" I say and then I set the cup down and lie down again.

"Alright, I will let you rest" He says and starts to leave.

"Could you" I start to say and he stops.

"Yes," he says and turns around.

"Never mind" I say, changing my mind.

"What is it? Please just say" He says and walks back to me.

"I don't want to be alone, could you read to me? If you stay far away?" I say and then immediately regretting saying what was on my mind.

"Of course that would be nice," He says, smiling at me.

"I just feel so awful, I'm scared, but at least try and keep a distance" I say, almost tearing up.

"It's okay it's just the fever messing with you" He answers with care and goes and gets a book to read to me. He sits in the corner of the room and reads to me for quite a while and I don't remember a word he read, but it just felt soothing to have someone nearby. I think I have become spoiled as I don't want to be alone when I am sick anymore. The amount of time I spent alone has caught up to me in this moment.

A few days go by and I am still struggling with a fever and it leaves me feeling agitated and uncomfortable. I wake up with a start and start pulling on the sleeves of my dress, feeling like there is a snake that has crawled into my dress.

"Get it out, Get it out" I start yelling and pulling on my dress and Prince Sun Ying comes running into my room.

"Danni, what's wrong?" He asks, looking concerned.

"The snake, the snake" I say pulling my sleeves up all the way to my shoulders and Prince Sun Ying grabs my arm and tells me to calm down and that it is only a dream and I start to snap out of it.

"Sorry Prince Sun Ying, I think I was having a nightmare" I say and he lets go of my arms and I start to pull my sleeves down.

"Why do you have scars like that?" He asks in a serious voice and I quickly pull my sleeves down not wanting him to see them.

"They are old, it's okay" I say, completely embarrassed by my actions and revealing myself in this way.

"Did General Song do this to you?" He says and I can see flashes of anger behind his eyes.

"It's not what you think, the General hasn't been around for the last ten years. How could he even have done this"I say quickly.

"Who did this? and how could the General leave you in a situation where this could happen?" He says searching my eyes.