Wild Tide [Soo-ho]

chapter 10

"She's waking!" Lana heard a voice, distant and muffled, as if she was listening from underwater. Her body was sluggish and unresponsive, but she forced herself to open her eyes. Bright light blinded her almost immediately and she blinked, trying to lift her arm and shield herself.

"Lana!" A shriek pierced the air, and a silhouette blocked out the sun.

"Loire?" Lana murmured, her throat drier than she anticipated. The silhouette moved, and two arms snaked under her back, embracing her. 

"I thought you were dead!" Loire wailed, burrowing her face in Lana's neck. "You were so pale when they brought you in!" Sobs wracked Loire's body, and Lana cringed at the high pitched noises she was making. She was happy to see her sister, yes, but she wished Loire would make less of a spectacle. 

"Tell your sister that I need to tend to you." A biting voice joined the conversation, and over Loire's shoulder Lana spotted Ah-ro, who looked immensely displeased. 

"Loire..." Lana begun weakly, then cleared her throat. "Loire, I require the physician's attention. Please, sister, I'm in a lot of pain." That wasn't a lie. Now that she was fully conscious, she could feel the full extent of her injuries. Her ribs hurt where she had fallen and hit the ground, and her ankle was still throbbing mercilessly, despite being wrapped and elevated. Ah-ro bustled around her, adjusting her pillows and replacing bandages on cuts Lana didn't even realise she'd sustained. 

"Is it bad?" She asked, then laughed lightly as she remembered that those were her first ever words to Ah-ro. 

"Your ankle is sprained. I can't tell exactly how badly, but with the amount of swelling it will take some time to heal. You will be on bed rest for at least a week." She pursed her lips at Lana's groan of protest. "You've bruised your ribs too, but since nothing's broken it should feel better soon. Other than that you have a few scrapes I've already taken care of." Ah-ro sat on a stool next to Lana's bed, wiping her hands on a cloth. 

"Where did Loire go?" Lana asked, suddenly noticing the absence of her sister. Ah-ro frowned.

"She left when you dismissed her." She said. "Your sister is certainly a strange person. I have never seen someone cry with so little tears." The words were careful, but the underlying meaning was clear - I don't trust your sister. Lana turned her gaze to the door, chewing on her bottom lip. Her mind jumped back to the odd things Loire was saying a couple weeks back, about Ah-ro and the Queen.

"I don't always understand her," she finally admitted with a sigh, "but she's just a child. She needs someone to guide her way." 

"She needs someone to smack her on the head." Ah-ro muttered under her breath, and Lana laughed. 

"Father wouldn't have it. The rest of us were punished like that, but never Loire... she's precious." Lana tried to explain, but it seemed that that riled Ah-ro up even more. 

"Precious? She is spoilt and selfish. Be wary of her, Lana, because she appears to be an excellent actress." Ah-ro spoke frankly, locking eyes with Lana. "I've spent many years telling stories and embodying my characters. I know an act when I see one." Lana shifted uncomfortably. She felt the need to defend her sister, but at the same time she could understand Ah-ro's suspicion. Instead of dragging on the conversation, she decided to change the topic.

"Where are my brothers and my father? And Soo-ho..." Lana sat up suddenly, Loire completely slipping her mind. "He isn't in trouble, is he? He didn't mean for any of this to happen, he saved my life!" She rambled, wringing her hands. She knew her father wouldn't demand a punishment for him, but she worried about the Queen. 

"He was summoned this morning, and hasn't returned yet. He was by your side the whole night." Ah-ro said reassuringly, and Lana frowned.

"All night? How long have I been unconscious?" She lay back down on her pillows, feeling her bruised side start to strain. 

"From last night until this afternoon. I gave you some herbs to help you rest while I tended to you." Ah-ro explained. "Your father and brothers were all here, but I sent them away. You needed peace." Lana nodded, feeling weary from the onslaught of information. 

"I hope Soo-ho is alright." She murmured, closing her eyes. She'd get some rest, just a little nap, and hopefully when she woke up the situation would be resolved.

°~~°

Lana's eyes fluttered open to moonlight streaming in softly through the window. She tried to roll to her side, her body stiff from lying on her back for such a long time, but instantly hissed in pain as her sprained ankle made its presence known yet again. With the aid of her hands, she lifted her leg and twisted it, before depositing it back on the pillows as gently as she could. She followed with the rest of her body, moaning softly in relief as pressure was finally taken off her sore muscles.

"Oh!" She gasped in surprise as her movement allowed the moonlight to illuminate a figure by her bedside. Soo-ho was sitting on the stool next to her, his head leaning against a nearby shelf. His eyes were closed and he was snoring softly, but he looked incredibly uncomfortable, and Lana felt awfully sorry for him. She was the one who caused this whole mess, and now Soo-ho was paying the price.

As quietly as she could, Lana took out one of the pillows from beneath her head and tried to slide it between the shelf and Soo-ho. He stirred and she held her breath, hand suspended in the air until he was still again. Slowly, with trembling hands, she pushed the pillow until it was firmly wedged in place. Satisfied with her handiwork, Lana dropped her head back on the bed with a sigh.

"Thank you." She heard a murmur, and glanced upwards. Soo-ho's eyes were wide open, and he was looking right at her.

"I'm sorry you have to be here." She whispered in reply, propping herself up on the pillows to see him better.

"I don't have to be." He countered, and his gaze softened. "In truth, I don't know why I am." Lana's heart fluttered, but she wasn't sure whether his admission was good or bad.

"You can leave," she permitted quietly, "but I would be sad if you did." He was looking at her with an indiscernible emotion in his eyes. "I'm glad it's you by my side and not anyone else. I care for you." She added, suddenly emboldened by the cover of darkness. Soo-ho turned away, gazing through the window at seemingly nothing in particular. Lana chewed her lip nervously. Had she said too much? Perhaps it was entirely improper of her to confess like this, perhaps she misread him and he didn't return her feelings. Stupid, stupid Lana...

"Princess-" Soo-ho began, but she cut him off.

"Please, call me Lana. I am not your princess." She murmured, half burying her face in her pillow to hide the tears she knew were coming. He was going to turn her down, gently and carefully in a way only he knew how, and she would be left devastated.

"You are." He breathed, so quietly that she almost didn't hear him. She raised her head, hope filling her heart, but he still wasn't looking at her. 

"Soo-ho..." She whispered, reaching out and placing her hand softly on his forearm. As if burned, he ripped his hand away. His whole demeanour changed in that moment, as if her touch had broken some kind of spell, and he stood up sharply. The stool he'd been sitting on toppled over with a loud thump.

"Please, refrain from being so inappropriate in the future." Soo-ho said icily, and gave Lana a stiff bow. "Excuse me, princess, but I have urgent matters to attend." In the middle of the night? Lana wanted to argue, but she knew better. Holding back tears, she mustered whatever remained of her dignity, and nodded.

"I apologise. Do what you must." As soon as the door shut behind him, she threw herself into her pillows and sobbed.