Seclusion | 孤独 | Obi

| eleven |

Obi carried the girl again, relieved to find that they, he, could finally help her. Shirayuki was walking fast in front of him with Zen by her side as he often glanced back at Obi and himself. He couldn't help looking at the way Obi looked at you face. Your face looked so peaceful and he couldn't imagine how that deathly low voice that wanted them to leave her alone, could come from your pink, sweet-looking lips. Zen admired the soft gaze Obi held towards the girl in his arms and he couldn't help wonder if that was how he looked at Shirayuki.

The Royal Guards had seen them but they only nodded to their Prince in welcome, the two from the front gates recognised the girl who had been insentient, whispering among themselves before speaking, "Pr-Prince Zen! Is she alright?"

They stopped but Shirayuki was a little surprised to find that Obi kept walking, his eyes set on the pharmacy where there were beds for the injured or sick, "Do you know her?"

"She looks like the girl who came to the front gates a few days ago, she snuck in when her horse lost control. She said someone was chasing after her."

The brunette glared at the blonde guard and then slowly moved his gaze to the Prince, his blue eyes that were hard as his brows furrowed, "And you didn't tell me?!"

Shirayuki stared at Zen, how he looked annoyed but she had to go, she followed the path that Obi walked, finding Ryuu still inside as he sat at his desk. He didn't really notice Obi until he was laying the girl on the bed and he looked at the girl, "Who is that?"

Obi couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips, his fingers gently wiping away the long hair from her face, "A troublesome girl, that's who."

Shirayuki hurried in and Zen walked in a few minutes after. The door was closed after them and the basket in her hands after Obi had given it to her to carry the girl, was put on the small table besides the bed. They all looked at you, it was deathly quiet and Ryuu looked over you as well now.

"You need to awaken her, before her body shuts down." The red-haired girl was already nodding, grabbing herbs and making tea as the medicine from the basket was grabbed to spread along the table. The silence was deafening and Zen broke it, "She snuck in here a few days ago, in the castle. She said someone was chasing her - that's what the guards from the front gate said."

Obi nodded and Shirayuki only gave him a second of a glance, "I know, I followed her when she came in. It was actually when I may have shot that arrow at Lady Shirayuki." Both of them glared at Obi to which he chuckled dryly, "Uh, anyway - she said not to hurt Shirayuki and then left with that horse."

"It looks like she got beaten really badly, cuts inflicted by sharp but jagged knives and she has bruises the size of fists along her limbs, her wrists had horrible wounds that indicate she was restrained by a really tight, thin rope. She must've been rubbing it against something sharp for a long while to have them dig into her skin so badly."

Shirayuki continued when she began rubbing a cream-coloured herbal mix on your wrists, looking to your face to find that you weren't disturbed at all, "The wounds on her wrists are different than her other wounds though, they look older. I believe she got the injuries on her wrists before she got the other scratches and bruises."

"Jeez.." Obi sat on the bed beside you now, rubbing his head in dissatisfaction as he felt so useless and in disbelief as he couldn't believe how it happened so quickly, he was worried and it made him feel odd in his stomach, he felt restless and nervous too, he just kept looking at your face, you appeared so peaceful but they didn't know you could feel the pain of the medicine mixing in with your blood.

"You're lucky she fell into the river as she fainted." Obi gave her a crazed look, Zen stood by Ryuu at the end of the bed, "If she fainted to the floor then she could've gained bad head injuries and because she fell in the river, it helped to clean out her wounds. If only it was a few seconds. She already looks a little better than when I first saw her."

Shirayuki was right, it made Obi's nerves feel a bit at ease and he couldn't help it when his fingers began moving towards your hair. His fingers became interlocked in your long, dark tresses and he didn't even realise how much he wanted to hear your voice again until he saw the sight cringe coming to your face, "Is she waking up?"

Shirayuki looked up at you from where she was putting more liquid herbs on the scratches that littered your calves, knees and thighs. "She may be feeling the herbs reacting with the germs and bacteria in her wounds. If it hurts then that means it's working, it's killing the bacteria. I don't know when she'll wake up but let's hope she won't be as grumpy or angry as I expect her to be."

Zen looked at the red-haired girl with a curious look, a single eyebrow raised, "Angry? You're saving her life! If she's angry at you then she'll have to go through m-"

"Zen." He stopped at her light chuckle, despite the concentrated look on her face, "She didn't ask to be saved," Her smile fell again but it only stayed as a looked of pity came over her face, "She wanted to be left alone. We don't know what she went through or what she thinks of strangers like us." She took that opportunity to look at Obi but he was too busy as he seemed to be cupping your face, his fingers tracing the line of your jaw with a serene look, his eyes seeming to adore what was before him and Shirayuki couldn't help a short simper on her face, seemingly envious that he looked at you like that when she thought about Zen.

"I need to disinfect all the wounds one by one and then bandage her wrists, she'll need to have a bath when she wakes up, that's if she is alright with cooperating." Obi felt relieved as he saw the lack of red in your hair, seeing how your face had more colour than earlier and he sighed, not realising when he spoke out loud, "Thanks Miss.."

The look of shock mirrored on both Zen and Shirayuki's faces but she broke out into a smile, grabbing another clean piece of cloth to help your wounds when she felt utterly happy with herself as she finally got to save you like you saved her.