Save One, Lose One

Yasvie felt relieved as Danyel finally agreed to leave Gianna and save their lives. But she was wrong. Danyel had had other plans.

After running a few yards up on the hill, Danyel found a nearly-perfect hiding spot filled with bushes. He stopped.

“Yasvie, hide near the bushes. I’ll get Gianna.” He already had the idea of going back.

“Sire no! Please don’t…” Yasvie did not get the chance to complete her line.

“Here, keep this dagger with you.” Danyel gave her a dagger and ran instantly.

He opened the temple door with much effort only to see Gianna falling on her knees in front of his eyes after an enemy’s sword went across her chest and belly; giving her a HUGE cut. She was not wearing a metal chest shield. Gianna went unconscious instantly. But she had managed to kill five men of Remington’s army.

Seeing this horrific incident increased Danyel’s energy. He swore to himself that he would kill each of them.

Showing off the combat skills he learnt at Elville Mountains and all, Danyel killed four men without getting a single wound. The last one was disarmed but he escaped.

Instead of following him, Danyel immediately ran to Gianna who was bleeding endlessly.

“Gianna! Look at me! Hey, open your eyes! Gianna, please! You can’t die!” Danyel screamed in shock.

He did not want another woman to die in front of him. He feared that the history would repeat itself. He had a quick flashback to his childhood, when his mother- Empress Lalina was executed. He recalled how she vomited blood after the soldiers forcibly made her drink a poisoned tea. He re-experienced the helplessness he felt that day.

But he could not just let it go. He had to act. He had to make sure that the history would not repeat.

“Gianna, open your eyes! Please!!!” Danyel shouted again. He checked her pulse to confirm that Gianna was alive. And yes, she was.

Upon hearing Danyel’s voice, Gianna slowly opened her eyes. She felt an intolerable pain spreading through her body, which made her unable to realize which parts were injured.

“Sire…” Gianna’s voice was more like a whisper.

Danyel let out a big sigh.

“Gianna, look at me. We’re all safe, okay? Now I’m going to heal your wounds. Just keep your eyes open. Keep looking at me.” Danyel said in a hurry.

Gianna’s eyes were filling with tears; not because of the pain, but because she felt that she was going to die without getting a sight of her mother.

“Hey, don’t cry. Now you’re with me, you’re safe.” Danyel tried to comfort her while trying to remove her clothes; a long-sleeved top made with cotton and some metal parts. They were wet from Gianna’s blood.

“Sire, tell my mother that I…”

“Don’t speak. It only worsens the situation. Speak when you’re healed. I’ll listen to anything.” Danyel said. He was wiping the blood on Gianna’s belly. Luckily, the cut was not too deep. But it was big.

“But in case I didn’t make it…” Gianna was speaking with all her energy.

“No, you’ll make it. I won’t let you die.” Danyel shouted.

“But, sire…”

“SHUT UP! Just look at me!” He wanted Gianna to focus on healing.

Though Danyel realized that Gianna needed a professional healer’s care, he tried to give the best first aid. Luckily, the forest was full of herbs. Danyel picked up some suitable herbs and made a pulp to put on Gianna’s wounds. But then he saw that her chest was injured too. To heal that…he should remove her inner chest cover.

“Uh…Gianna, there’s a cut on your chest. Um…I have to remove this…” Danyel said nervously.

Gianna panicked.

“No, sire. Take me to a healer if you can. A female healer I mean.” She spoke with difficulty. She did not want any man to touch her…those parts.

“But we know nothing about here. How can we find a healer in the woods? Your wounds need instant care. Listen, Gianna. You know that I don’t have feelings for you. Let me do it. I won’t harm you.” Danyel said while rubbing Gianna’s head.

“It’s not about you, sire. I just don’t want to remove my clothes in front of any man. If we can’t find a healer, I’ll die with my purity.”

“No way! If you’re not letting me do it, I’ll do it with force.” Danyel insisted. Gianna did not have the energy to fight with him. She felt her eyes closing slowly.

Hearing no response from Gianna, Danyel realized that she had gone unconscious again. Danyel had to act faster, but he was nervous.

Right at the moment which Danyel put his hand on Gianna’s chest cover, he heard a yell from behind. It was a Lisdonian girl. Danyel did not understand what she said. He did not reply.

The girl stared suspiciously at Danyel and seemingly studied the crime scene.

“Hesmian?” She narrowed her eyes.

It was easy to identify a Hesmian from a Lisdonian because Lisdonians’ skin was much fairer. But the Hesmians might be confused with Nemphitish; people of Nemphitre who also had tan skin and blackish dark brown hair.

Danyel did not answer for his own safety.

“Wait, You are that prince right?”

Danyel was still silent. The Lisdonian girl came closer and observed.

“This girl should be taken to a healer. She can be saved.” She said attentively.

Though Danyel felt suspicious and insecure, he had no other choice. No matter how risky it was, he simply could not let Gianna die.

“Can you take us to a healer?” He asked.

“Yes, let’s hurry. She’s in danger.” The Lisdonian girl helped Danyel to lift Gianna.

“By the way, I’m Kvahiya.”

Danyel nodded but did not reveal his name. Kvahiya guided him through the woods and reached a waterfall in no time. Much to Danyel’s wonder, Kvahiya stepped into the water.

“Come, it is not deep.”

Danyel was clueless, but he followed her wondering where she was leading them.

Then Kvahiya climbed on some slippery rocks and approached the waterfall. After that, she carefully went inside it. How unpredictable! A huge cave behind the waterfall that had a well-built healing house on its other end!

There were at least ten boys and girls wearing the same uniform as Kvahiya. They all smelled like fresh lemons and lotus. Inside the wooden healing house which had a mixture of various fragrances itself, Danyel met a grey-haired man who also had a long beard. Kvahiya spoke to him in Lisdonian. Danyel silently regretted not learning Lisdonian.

“Let me see her.” Danyel felt relieved when the healer spoke Hesmian. He put Gianna on the bed with much care.

Then Lokhas- the healer studied Gianna’s wound.

“The first aid…good.” He praised Danyel. Danyel was rather worried that Lokhas was slow.

“Please do something quickly. Save her, please!” He cried. Lokhas did not react.

But suddenly, he signaled Kvahiya to bring the medicines and the acupuncture kit. Then he rang a bell to inform students to come. Five girls entered the room, one by one with something in their hands. Then on, Lokhas was working very fast like a young man, as if he was suddenly awakened by a hypnotization. Danyel was asked to stay outside.

Within an hour, the healer and the students came out.

“She will be fine. Wound not deep. She will wake up. You want tea?”

“Thank you! Thank you for everything.” Danyel’s eyes were blurring with tears. He ran inside and rubbed Gianna’s head. Kvahiya served him a nice cup of cinnamon tea. Danyel enjoyed it to the last drop, as he was both starving and thirsty.

“Sorry I didn’t trust you at first.” Danyel apologized to Kvahiya. She smiled.

“No, you did. You wouldn’t have followed me if you didn’t, right?”

“I followed you only because I had no other choice. I couldn’t let her die.”

“Is she your wife?” Kvahiya was curious.

“N..no. She’s a friend. A very special friend.” Danyel glanced at Gianna dearly. Instantly, he remembered that Yasvie was still out there. How could he totally forget his very own lover?

“Damn! I have to go. Please take care of her until I return.” He hurried to run.

“You’re not leaving her here, right?”

“No, I have another person to rescue. I’ll come back with her.” Danyel left.

But when he reached the place where Yasvie was supposed to be…

…she was not there.

Though Danyel observed the entire area, he could not find a sight of her. He shouted her name loudly several times but had no response.

“What if she was captured by them? No way! Damn, this is my fault!! I shouldn’t have left her alone.” His inner voice whispered. But he wanted to be optimistic. A part of him said that Yasvie was safe.

“Maybe she found a safer place. She must have left a clue.” He looked for some clue left by Yasvie.

After a couple of minutes, Danyel found the dagger he gave Yasvie on the ground. It…had blood on it. He picked up the dagger and saw a piece of parchment attached to it. He unfolded it in a hurry.

“Dear crown prince,

We have your girl. Do not be afraid, she is safe. But we cannot promise she will always be. Just do not mind her. Keep hiding like a coward. We will make sure that she enjoys every night with us.”     

Danyel was devastated. He screamed in fury. He cursed himself for leaving Yasvie alone. He imagined what Yasvie would be facing at the moment. He badly wanted to return to Hesmia and save her but did not have enough energy. After all the extreme battles, he was tired. Even if he returned, he would not be able to fight and save Yasvie.

“I need someone’s support. Otherwise, both of us will die in vain.” He was wise.

Danyel decided to get Gianna’s help.

************************************

Meanwhile, Gianna woke up to see someone familiar staring at her.

“Emse Kvahiya?”

“Long time no see, Ginger.” Kvahiya smiled.

Kvahiya was a Strian. When she found Danyel and Gianna at the temple, she immediately recognized Gianna. Just like all the other skilled Strian spies, she was fluent in Hesmian though she was a native Lisdonian like Minnah. No one could ever imagine how strong the Strian spy system was. They were everywhere.

Lokhas entered after knocking on the door. Gianna and Kvahiya pretended not to know each other. Though Gianna felt embarrassed that a man had seen her body, she replaced it with gratitude for being alive.

“Don’t get up or walk. Rest. You not dead because first aid good.”

Lokhas was not that fluent in Hesmian. Gianna realized that it was better if she spoke Lisdonian as she had good conversational skills in it.

Danyel returned to the healing house with a sad face. Although he felt relieved to see Gianna safe and sound, he knew that Yasvie was having a very hard time.

“What’s wrong, sire? Where’s Yasvie?” Gianna had sensed that something was wrong.

“They have caught her. This is my fault. What am I? I can’t even save my lover but still call myself a warrior. Damn!” Danyel spoke his mind. Gianna felt guilty.

“I’m sorry, sire. If I didn’t get this wound, you wouldn’t have left her. This happened because I’m a loser.”

Danyel did not hear what Gianna said. His focus was on Yasvie.

Will he be able to save her?

But how?