to eternity | n. riki

26. her scars

Esther was brewing some sort of concoction in the kitchen of her house. The smell was strong and was very much a medicinal scent.

"Now, girly, this young man had been stressing for days," she chuckled, stirring the pot, "He refused to leave your side. Lucky for him, he seems like a somewhat responsible person so I let him tend to you."

Hayoung was silent as she observed and listened to the woman. She had a tiny stature, her pearly white hair tied into a neat bun. Her wrinkles were soft, her eyes friendly yet hidden by the folds of age in her face.

"You were poisoned badly, hun," Esther continued, "If any moment later, you would've been in a vegetative state or probably dead. You're lucky your man saved you."

Hayoung and Ni-ki's faces flushed red with embarrassment. "He's not my man, miss," she exclaimed rather quickly.

Esther ignored Hayoung and hummed softly as she took a ladle and filled a bowl with the hot liquid. The old woman walked over to the bed and delivered the bowl to her.

"Drink," she said.

"What is this?" Hayoung questioned as she looked down at the bowl. The color of the boiling, hot liquid was a dark green with small leaves and seeds floating on the top. The smell was so pungent and strong, Hayoung felt repulsed.

"Don't be a baby and drink it. It's your cure. You were poisoned by the toxins of venthymn sap. That's one of the most dangerous plants in this forest. I made you a tonic that has starby berries, cinnamon, cytrium root, darwin leaves, and aster serum. Trust me, it may taste awful but I am excellent in my craft," Esther said with great confidence.

Hayoung held the bowl and held her breath as she consumed all of the liquid. It was bitter and spicy. Her throat felt like it was on fire as she began coughing then feeling her side ache. She grabbed an item closest to her, not realizing it was the prince's wrist. Ni-ki clenched his teeth in pain as he hadn't realized how strong of a grip the naval captain had.

"Careful, you don't want to pop your stitches open," the old lady smiled.

**

The day had gone by, Hayoung spending her day in bed. It had been a long time since Hayoung had rested for this long. She would spend countless days sleeping at her desk doing paperwork and strategizing, never having time to herself. Maybe being set on a voyage was good for her despite her detrimental injury. Ni-ki had been in and out of the house since Hayoung woke up. The prince would tend to the horses and fetch some supplies for their remaining days of travel before reaching Eloria. He was at ease knowing that she was getting better.

"Hun, come over here," Esther motioned, "I know you're in pain but you got to practice walking to get better. I'll undo your wrapping and put more ointment on."

Hayoung nodded her head as Esther aided her. Every slight movement Hayoung made with her lower body felt like shocks of pain. She closed her eyes and clenched her teeth as her body shifted out of the bed, her bare feet touching the wooden floor. Hayoung's movements were slow, she felt as if she was behind in her recovery. If she was resting for so long, why was she so weak?

"If you don't mind, can you hold up your shirt? I sent the boy out to get us some things for supper so he won't be back for a while," Esther said.

Hayoung listened to her words, her long bony arms, lifting her shirt. She seemed to have lost even more weight while being asleep for four days, her rib cage even more visible. As Esther undressed the wrap, Hayoung looked down on her waist to see a large gash on her side, seven stitches going across.

"My, my, have you got a backstory," Esther said softly as she gently rubbed an herbal ointment onto Hayoung's waist, "You look like you've been through a lot."

All sorts of scars covered Hayoung's body. From the burns from the fire when she was a child, the scars she got on the battlefield, the scrapes when she fell onto the ground as a kid, and again, a new scar from protecting the prince.

Hayoung was quiet as Esther treated her.

"You know that boy seems to care about you a lot. I'm sure you're not oblivious to it either. I mean it when he didn't leave your side once. I caught him crying at your bedside til he fell asleep. His eyes have been swollen red. That boy has a lot of regret he holds in his heart," Esther sighed, "He must not want to let you go no matter what relationship you two have."

Hayoung looked at Esther with a sort of pity and sorrow in her eyes. "Don't you have a way with words, Lady Esther."