Travel Through Time

Travel Through Time Chapter 22

   "You have to let me up today it's been nearly a week and I even though I've enjoyed you washing me.  I want a bath" I pout "fine but I'm getting in with you and you have to keep your wound dry" the Prince replies.  "Thank you, Hun" Hun comes in "heat the water for a bath please" he bows and exists the room.  "Keon-hi has visited me but I haven't seen Chang-wo?"  I ask "he is having lessons to help him read and write, then Un puts him through his paces as he teaches archery and fighting" the Prince explains.  I go to get out of bed "what are you doing, you'll eat breakfast while you're still in bed" as I got my way with the bath, I hold my tongue and settle back in the bed.  While the Prince lifts the tray onto the bed.  He tells me what he has to do today once we finish our bath, "what is going to happen to the illegitimate son and his friend?" I ask "the friend died, and he was beheaded" I choke on the water I've just drank.  "He was beheaded?"  I question "yes, he tried to kill me and you did nearly die" I rub his arm "sorry" I pick up his hand and kiss the back of it.  "The water is heated your Majesty" Hun says.  "I can't wait to have a proper wash.  Will you help me wash my hair?" I ask he smiles and helps me up, "I will if you do mine?"  I put my robe on and we walk hand in hand to the bathing room.   As we enter, I smell the air and then stop and pull on the Prince so he stops also.   "What flowers have you used in the bath?" I demand and out of the corner of me eye, I see one of the servants bow the head. "You" I nod at the bowed head and Hun grabs her and lifts up her head.   "What are you doing here? Ok-hee" I demand remembering her name from the other day.  She looks around as though to find a place to escape.  "I sent her away when I was interviewing for my lady in waiting's, as she has connections with Hoon Joon-hyuk.  I can smell wild foxglove, which is fine as long as it doesn't get put in heated water or thrown in a fire.  The fumes become toxic and can cause you to pass out, if used in greater quantities can cause death" I inform them.  I check the bath but can see none of the wild flowers so look around I walk behind the screen and see a small heater with a kettle on it.  I hold my breath while I take the kettle off and then walk quickly to the outer door and place it on the deck.  As I walk back I hear the maid say "I was told it was for your sake, you shouldn't keep that woman at your side" I hear a slap and walk in just as she lifts her heads after Hun hit her.  "The people the Prince doesn't need around him are people like you trying to manipulate and scheme behind his back" Hun says between his teeth.  The woman looks around wildly, and then looks at the Prince.  "My mistress should have been the one!" she yells "take her way, give her 20 paddles, and fetch her mistress and give her 20 as well" the Prince orders.  "I believe her mistress has been stripped of her title and has been made a slave" Hun informs him.   I stand next to the Prince and lean on him as I breathed a little more of the toxic fumes than I thought. "Get away from him.." the woman doesn't get to finish as Hun has slapped her face again.  "Take her away, have the servants wash all the bowls and utensils again. Have the Royal Princess's maids bring her more clothes and wash the ones laid out" I can tell he is really angry and holding it in with difficulty.   I rub his back, as the servant is dragged away she passes me, and she kicks out.  The Prince spins me round and kicks his foot at hers, she cries out and I hear a crack.  The woman passes out and gets dragged from the room.  The Prince with his hands still gripping my shoulders pulls me away from him. "Are you all .." That's all I hear as the world goes black, as I feel myself crumple, I hear the Prince shout "get the doctor."

I wake a little later, with the Prince hoovering over a small man who is applying acupuncture to me.  "Sorry I scared you again" I say in a far weaker voice than usual.  "Your robe had been treated with the toxic flowers and as your skin heated it was absorbed into your body" he explains he touches my foot as that's the only thing he can reach with the doctor in the way and the needles sticking out in other places.  "I have a high tolerance to poisons" I try and reassure him "your Majesty" Hun calls from the connecting door, the Prince rubs my foot then moves to the doorway and speaks with Hun quietly.  He comes back and his face is dark with anger but he smiles at me when he see's the worry in my face.  The doctor finishes "I'll leave a prescription it's best if the Royal Princess takes it easy over the next few days.  Medicine should be taken morning and evening" he bows and leaves the room.  I pout at the Prince "I didn't get to have a bath."  "I have had them set up the small one in the other room" he tells me, sitting down beside on the bed.  "I love you" I smile, the Prince bends down and puts his forehead against mine.  "I'm sorry it seems that you've been hurt because of me again" he whispers.  "None of this is your fault, it is the power-hungry little nobodies that believe they should have what isn't theirs.  We will show them what we do to anyone, that tries to take what isn't theirs" I tell him.   He kisses me and nods, before sitting up straight and taking my hand.  "Can you help me sit up I'm feeling a little weak" I give him a lopsided smile.  He helps and sits beside me and pulls me in so I'm leaning on him.  He wraps his arms around me "I have to go and speak with the King, wait for me and I will help you bathe" he kisses me head.  He gently leans me back against to top of the bed and passes me my book before kissing me again and stroking my cheek.  "I'm fine" I reassure him.  Once he leave's I put my hand to my head, and close my eyes. They must have really soaked the gown in the poison as I feel so weak.  I take my pulse it is a little fast but strong. "Hun" I call he comes in and bows" please boil some water and put a spoonful of honey in it please, for me to drink" I tell him "yes Royal Princess" he bows and leaves.  "Un" I call next, he appears at the side door I look towards the connecting door then wave him closer.  "Can you have someone see if my father's wife has had a hand in this too, I saw her name in the book also and it was in connection with Minister Hoon?"  He nods and then gives me a folded piece of paper "from Keon-hi" I take it and smile "thank you."  He leaves as silently as he came, I unfold the paper and smile at the picture of a butterfly.  Hun enters with a tray and a kettle of hot water and honey, "thank you, Hun" he bows as he lowers the tray to a table beside the bed.  "It's hot" he warns I nod and he bows and leaves.  I pour some into a cup and blow on it, before taking a sip, it tastes and feels wonderful going down my throat.  I sip the tea while I read my book, an image of the servant who tried to harm me pops into my head and I suddenly know what's been bothering me.  "Un" I call, he appears at the side door and then walks in and stands near the bed.  "I think she's her daughter?  She has never had children with my father, but they look a like.   Ok-hee and the one that's married to my father.  He is going to be hurt and upset by this" Un nods "leave it with me, will you tell the Prince?" I nod and he bows and leaves.   I nibble and bite my bottom lip while I think through the connection I have just found.  "What is her connection with Hoon though?" I mutter to myself "who's connection" I jump at the sound of the Prince nearly beside me.  I hold my hand to my heart "I didn't hear you come in" "I know I was watching you terrorise your bottom lip" he states.  I run my tongue over my bottom lip and realise I've chewed it a lot.  The Prince groans and I look up and see him looking at me, "I've have not been able to hold you the way I would like and that doesn't help?"  At my blank look he licks his lower lip, I try and hide my smile before saying "sorry, I've found it hard watching you dress when all I wanted to do is jump on you and have my wicked way with you and your very gorgeous body" he laughs out loud at that then sits beside me. "Glad I'm not the only one having a hard time" he says and kisses me.  "The bath is ready" I smile and then remember what I had been thinking about.   I take the Princes hand "I was thinking of the connection of the woman that is married to my father and the servant from earlier.  I think she is her daughter, and some of the things from the past would make sense to.   I'm not sure of her connection to Hoon though?"  I explain "so that is why you abused your lip, if that is the case though she is going to be arrested and questioned" he retorts. "Oh, I agree you should tell them to look under the floor beneath her table, she has a secret hiding place there.  I found it when I went under the house to rescue a kitten.  My father is going to be hurt by this but I won't let her get away with it.  I've already asked Un to look into it."  The Prince nods and then squeezes my hand "the King and I have been going through the books we found and investigating, we have found out that some people where sold.  While their families thought they where attending school."  I feel a cold dread wash over me as he continues "seems your brother was one of the ones sold, we have people out searching for them and I'm hopeful that we will hear some news soon" I stir at our joined hands as I fight with the tears falling down my cheeks.  The Prince hugs me to him and rocks me while I cry, my brother is the sweetest person you could ever meet.  As I think of his sweet face an anger so strong surges through me as I think of the woman that sent him away. "I'm going to kill her slowly, and each time she is about to die I'll revive her and start all over again" I say through my clenched teeth.  My wound aches as I ball my right hand into a fist.  The Prince hugs me a little tighter, "we will find your brother and deal with all the people involved" he promises.  I lean a little away and look into his eyes, "please let me deal with her when the time comes? I always look like a blow fish whenever I cry." The Prince catches his lower lip between his teeth to hide his smile. "Yes, you can deal with her and you do look a little like a fish" he says making me chuckle.  "Thank you, and thank you forgiving me something to smile about too" I tell him.  "Let's get you bathed and then I'll take you out in the garden for a little sun, it will help dry up the fish look" he moves quickly so my hand misses him and laughs.  He helps me wash my hair and I enjoy the soak and feel more human once I've finished.   The Prince combs and helps dry my hair before he allows me to go out into the garden.  We sit on lounges and listen to the birds call, as the sun warms us.  We decide to eat out here too.  Once I've eaten, I feel my eyelids getting heavy, "sleep, I'll wake you in a little while" the Prince says.  I close my eyes and fall asleep almost immediately.  I dream of my mother and brother.  The afternoons we spent in the garden, my brother looking at the butterflies he caught and me practising archery or martial arts.  Sometimes I'd sit and draw my mother at her flower beds or my brother with his butterflies.  I'm woken by the Prince shaking me gently "it's just a dream" he says I open my eyes and can't see clearly and realise I'm crying.   "I was dreaming of the past when I'd spend sunny afternoons in the garden with my mother and brother" I explain.  The Prince picks me up then sits down with me in his lap.   I hug him tight and just enjoy the moment, "your Majesty" Un says I stand and wipe my eyes "I'm fine go and see Un" I tell the Prince he strokes my cheek and then walks to where Un is waiting.  I see Chang-wo is with him and they talk to the Prince and then the Prince says something and they both bow and leave.  The Prince comes back pulls me into him and sits with me on his lap again, "I don't want to get your hopes up but Chang-wo has just told me he was with your brother in the woods before coming here.  He had been sold to a family there and they threw him out when they came on hard times.  He had been living in a cave for a while before he met and helped Chang-wo and Keon-hi.  They stayed together in the cave, I've sent Chang-wo and some guards to go and find him."  My feelings flip flop from joy, happiness to anger and worry.   "I hope he's there and alright, I know he can look after himself our mother and then my teacher taught us how to survive on our own." I try and calm my emotions as I smile through my tears.  "I'm going to concentrate on how best to deal with the wicked witch of the west for now or I might go a little mad.  I wish I was stronger so I could run, throw my knives and shoot my arrows."  The Prince laughs "if she was anyone else, I'd feel a little sorry for them.  I can tell you that the servant girl won't be able to sit for a while after her paddling.  She has confessed she's the daughter, and guards have been sent to arrest her mother and her mistress. She was the one that pushed you from the cliff" he tells me.   "There's no way you would have picked her, she looks like a smacked fish" I declare.  The Prince laughs "yes your right, but she was the one my mother favoured."   I look at him and mouth 'O' he laughs "but she loves you now, you saved her precious son" he adds.  "I forgot to tell you I have the Kings permission to have an arch built in the wall connecting your palace and mine and only you and I can use it" he says pleased with himself.  "The arch will be over there" he points to the wall that divides our gardens.  "That will make it easier to come and go, without having to vault over the wall."  The Prince starts to laugh hard when I mention vaulting over the wall.  He squeezes my leg and hugs me to him, "that was my argument for having the arch put in.  I told him that the thought of you pregnant and vaulting the wall was giving me nightmares" he starts to laugh again and I join in. "I wouldn't vault the wall I'd use that big tree over there with that big branch hanging over into my garden" the Prince stops laughing, "you must promise me that when you're pregnant you won't do anything that will put you in danger or climb any trees or walls or climb anything for that matter" he says seriously.  "I promise, I want to have lots of little children running around here, little mini Princes and Princess'.   I think four or five would be great" I say the Prince looks at me "you'd have that many really?" he asks "why not?  I think having a big family would be great, plus if one day you where to become King it would keep the nosy minister happy."  He hugs me to him "yes it would, I love you" he tells me.  Hun comes and bows "your Majesty, the Royal Princess'father is here and would like a word" the Prince nods and Hun goes back inside.