Ming Yue almost turned her head to look at him in surprise, but stopped herself when she realised that would put their faces only millimetres apart.  Instead, not trusting herself to speak, she drew her legs obediently back into the bed and under the covers.

Satisfied, Weisheng leant back, allowing himself a small smile when he noticed a light flush creeping across the back of the woman's neck.  Moving to one side, he helped Ming Yue to lie down, and absent-mindedly brushed her hair back from her face, only realising the intimacy of the gesture when her gaze widened.  Slightly flustered, he pulled his hand away quickly.

"Rest now," he said.  "You're safe in this room, and one of us will be here at all times."

Ming Yue nodded and closed her eyes.  It wasn't long before her slow, measured breathing told the prince that she was asleep, and he and Luo Jian moved further away from the bed, so as not to wake her as they talked.

"What do you think?" said Weisheng.

"I think she's telling us the truth," replied Luo Jian.  The prince nodded.

"Me too.  It's too crazy not to be true and, if she was going to lie, why tell a lie like that?"

Weisheng glanced out of an open window and noticed that, by now, the moon was high in the sky.

"It's late," he said.  "You should go and get some rest."

"What about you?" Luo Jian asked.

"I will be fine."

Feeling reassured that the prince really did not need his presence any longer that night, Luo Jian left the chamber, and gave the guards outside strict instructions that on no account was His Highness to be disturbed until he returned in the morning.  Then, he stepped out into the night.

Weisheng moved back towards the bed and lay down on top of the covers, facing the back of the sleeping woman.  He should probably stay close to her, he reasoned, in case she woke in the night and was scared.  And it wasn't as if they would be sleeping together anyway, as he intended to stay wide awake all night, just in case she needed him.  Besides, hadn't they already shared a bed together once in any event, back when they were in the northern provinces?  On that basis, it was perfectly acceptable.

Having justified himself completely, Weisheng settled down comfortably for what remained of the night.

***

When Ming Yue woke, she was surprised to find that she had gained an extra arm.  At least, that's what it looked like.  On closer inspection, she noticed that the arm was much bigger than hers, and altogether more manly.  She turned her head to look over her left shoulder, wincing at the pain in her neck, and saw a fast asleep Zhao Weisheng's face not far from her own.

Employing her own famous brand of stoicism, Ming Yue went to turn her head back and lie down again, resolving that he must have been exhausted, and it was best not to wake him by shuffling around too much.  However, as her eyes moved away from the prince's face, she caught sight of the dressing, just above her left collarbone.

Ming Yue had been wounded before, but never in such a disgusting and degrading way.  The eldest prince had left his own personal mark on her body and, from the thickness of the bandage, she realised there was a good chance that the scar where his mouth had been would never fade.  A wave of horror and revulsion crashed over her and, before she knew it, she had started to cry uncontrollably, drawing her knees towards her body and lowering her head to her chest.

Zhao Weisheng was woken by the sensation of something moving beneath his left arm.  He opened his eyes.   Ming Yue's back was towards him, as it had been when he fell asleep last night.  But this time, she was shaking.  He tightened his arm around her, and carefully rolled her over to face him.

To his surprise, tears were streaming down her face.  He tried to pull her towards him, but she put one hand on his chest, as if to push him away.

"Don't touch me," she snapped.  Then her tone quietened to almost a whisper.  "I feel so dirty."

Zhao Weisheng saw her hand unconsciously make its way towards the dressing near her neck as she spoke, and he immediately understood.  Clenching his jaw, he strengthened his grip on her waist, and pulled her firmly into his embrace, letting her cry noisily into his broad chest as he gently stroked her hair.

Eventually, the sound of sobbing quietened, and he looked down to see that, having cried herself to exhaustion, Ming Yue was, again, fast asleep.  He dried her face with his sleeve, and slowly moved his arms from around the young woman, being careful not to wake her.  Then, he got up and walked to the window, deeply breathing in the fresh air to calm his mind.

He looked out to see the rays of the early morning sun reaching through the blossom trees in the courtyard.  He closed his eyes and heard the chirping of too many different birds to count.  But none of these assaults on his senses could even come close to what he experienced when he thought about the person sleeping just a few metres away.

He knew it now.  He was completely in love with her.  He supposed he had known it for a while, but he had never dared admit it to himself.  There was nothing about her that he did not, could not, love.  She was so strong and fearless at times, yet so vulnerable and fragile at others.  She had been through so much, but her positivity and good humour always shone through.  She had brought joy into his life, even with times like these, and he wanted nothing more than to protect her.  Knowing how much she was hurting now was almost unbearable to him.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the arrival of Kuai, who had just returned from his nightly adventure.  After nudging against Weisheng's leg in greeting, the large dog padded softly over to the bed where Ming Yue lay.  He looked up at the sleeping woman then, with an agility belying his size, he leapt lightly onto the covers and settled down alongside her, almost as though he recognised her need to be comforted.  To be honest, after what Ming Yue had told them last night, Weisheng realised, the large dog probably did.

As if sensing his presence, Ming Yue reached out her left arm and placed it over the soft fur, stroking it gently.  Kuai stretched out his paws, closed his eyes, and took a nap.  Weisheng smiled at his canine companion.  "It looks as though we are both in trouble, my friend," he thought.  He pulled the thick curtains around the two sleeping forms.  He wanted to take a bath in the room next door, but the thought of Ming Yue waking and coming to look for him only to find him in a state of undress was an awkward one to say the least.  Instead, he went to the door to call for warm water and towels.

Luckily, at that moment, Luo Jian was approaching, so Weisheng beckoned him inside carefully.

"Just in time, my friend," he said.  His companion cast an inquiring glance towards the bed.

"She's still sleeping," Weisheng answered.  "She wasn't doing too well earlier, so she's tired herself out again.  Just leave her be.  Kuai seems to be having a calming effect on her."  

At that remark, Luo Jian's eyes narrowed sharply.  The prince didn't bother to explain.

"I need to freshen up, so I'm going to take a bath next door.  Stay in this room, will you, and don't let anyone other than Xiao in."  Luo Jian nodded.

Weisheng had not long finished his morning routine before the doors to his chamber opened, and Xiao Yu stepped in.

"I've come to check on the patient," he said, not bothering with any formalities.  Luckily Weisheng was used to it, in fact he preferred it that way, and so he greeted his friend with a warm smile.

As the physician made his way towards the bed, the prince suddenly remembered Kuai, and hastily stepped in front of the man.

"You'd better wait a moment, Doctor," he said.

Before the physician could react, Weisheng called out in a low, gentle voice.

"Kuai!  Come out of there please."

To Xiao Yu's great surprise, a large dog emerged from behind the curtains surrounding the bed.  He had seen the prince's pet before of course, but only from a distance, and it had a reputation for being decidedly bad-tempered towards anyone who wasn't his master or Luo Jian.

True to form, Kuai growled in the direction of the physician and sauntered off to stand near Luo Jian.  Weisheng looked across.

"You'd better send him outside, Luo Jian," he said.  "He may not react well to Doctor Xiao touching her."  Luo Jian nodded, and herded Kuai outside, before closing the door firmly.  He heard a loud whine, and then a thud as the dog settled down on the floor to wait.

"How extraordinary," remarked Doctor Xiao of the animal, as he pushed the curtains aside and sat down on the bed to take a closer look at the sleeping woman.

"Has she regained consciousness?" he asked.  Both men nodded.

"Good," he said.  "Like I said, her physical injuries were not serious, but sometimes with attacks like this, the emotional effect can be devastating.  Some patients don't wake up for a long time because their minds keep putting off processing the trauma."

Weisheng unconsciously clenched his fist, and Luo Jian laid a hand on his friend's arm to calm him.

As Doctor Xiao examined the wound on Ming Yue's shoulder, Weisheng was suddenly reminded of her words to him earlier that morning.  "I feel so dirty."

"Will it leave a scar?" he asked abruptly.

The remark was so out of character that both Doctor Xiao and Luo Jian looked at him sharply.  Weisheng immediately raised his hands.

"I'm not asking for me!" he exclaimed.  "You know I don't care about such things.  It's just, I don't want her to be constantly reminded..." he tailed off, and Doctor Xiao's face softened.

"I'm sure we have a cream in the palace medical supplies that will help," he said.  "I will send someone over with it later today.  She should apply it to the area every day, but only once it has healed over.  It should not be used near open wounds."  Weisheng nodded gratefully.

Just as he was finishing his examination, Ming Yue's eyes opened, and she looked up at the momentarily startled physician.  Still a little groggy, she did not immediately recognise him, and scrambled backwards.

Weisheng instantly moved to the other side of the bed and took her face between his hands.

"It's okay, Ming Yue. It's just Doctor Xiao.  You remember him?  He looked after you last night.  He is just here to check on you."  He clutched her trembling form against his chest, and she visibly sagged in relief, gripping on to him tightly.

Doctor Xiao gulped to see the two younger people so closely entwined, and turned his back to them to face Luo Jian.  Suddenly, he felt a light touch on his shoulder.  Turning around, he saw Ming Yue giving him a small, grateful smile.

"Thank you," she said, in a hoarse whisper that was no louder than a faint breeze.  Then, she winced in pain and put her hand to her throat.  Weisheng reached for a cup of water beside the bed, and poured small sips into her mouth, gently rubbing her back when she coughed.

Thoroughly flustered after witnessing two back-to-back scenes of obvious affection, Xiao Yu decided it was definitely time to leave.  He rose from the bed and walked over to where Luo Jian was standing.

"I didn't expect her throat to be that bad," he muttered.

"It didn't sound like that last night," Luo Jian replied, then stopped, instantly realising his mistake.  Doctor Xiao frowned at him in disappointment.

"You two are the worst physician's assistants ever," he said.  "I deliberately told you that she should talk as little as possible.  What did you possibly have to discuss that could not have waited a few more days, or that she could not have written down for you?!"  Luo Jian had the good grace to look sheepish at the scolding.

"I will send a tonic with the cream" he said.   "It will help restore her voice and soothe her throat.  And remember," he continued loudly so that all three of them could hear.  "No talking!"  Then he remembered something else.

"Oh yes, and no solid food for a few days either.  In addition to it being too painful for her to manage, the area is still swollen."  He looked at Luo Jian again.  "I will be on my way then.  See me out, Luo Jian."

As they reached the door, Xiao Yu whispered to the younger man.

"I don't know what relationship that young lady has with Zhao Weisheng but, rest assured, I will say nothing of this to anyone.  Still, you three had better be very, very careful."  With that, he left the room without a backwards glance, almost tripping over Kuai, who aimed a half-hearted snap at his ankles.

Luo Jian walked back towards the centre of the room and gestured towards a bundle of material he had brought with him that morning.

"I brought you a new dress," he said gruffly to Ming Yue, as if trying to hide the sweetness of the gesture.

Touched by his actions, Ming Yue gave him a tight-lipped smile, and mouthed a thank you in his direction.

Weisheng took the opportunity to stand up, and walked around the bed to join Luo Jian.

"The room over there," he gestured to his left, "is for bathing, if you feel up to it.  Please, take as long as you want.  Luo Jian and I will go for a walk outside."  Ming Yue went to speak, but he stopped her.  "Don't worry.  You will be perfectly safe.  Kuai will be here to protect you."

Ming Yue nodded, and Weisheng tugged on his friend's arm to signal that they should leave.

"Kuai, stay!" he called over his shoulder as the two men closed the chamber doors behind them.