Xin's view

I hurriedly stabled the horse and ordered the meal. I did not expect Xinye to fall sick in the instant I was gone, but she had. I could not get solid food into her, but I went back downstairs to the kitchen and ordered chicken broth which I knew she would drink if I sat her up.

As I waited, Sari arrived, so I went out to greet her.

"Sari, can you stay with Xinye up in room 3 while I wait on the broth? There is food there you can eat. I bought it for Xinye and I, but she is too sick to eat it." I explain to her.

"Sure," she said, taking her bundle of goods off the back of the horse, leaving me to look after it as she headed up to where Xinye was sleeping.

I handed the horse off to the stablehand, headed back inside, and had a shot of Sojo while I waited. I could not help but reflect on the terror and shame in her eyes while we were in that room. I found I just wanted to get away from that whole palace as soon as possible. Perhaps it would have been better for Xinye to have stayed until we organised a palanquin; who knows, I did not think. All I could think was, 'Get Xinye out of here.' at that moment.

I was curious to know the story of Ruth, but I also knew that I would most likely not hear it until we were home.

When the broth was cooked, I took the tray with the broth on it up to our room. I found Sari there, wiping Xinyi down with a cold, wet cloth as she tossed and turned.

"No, no, no, stop. Please stop," Xinye sobbed in her fevered state.

"What do you think she is saying no to?" I asked Sari, afraid that seeing my crazed state had sent my wife into a mental breakdown.

"Dudo, he was always tormenting her," Sari said, standing up so I could sit.

I placed the tray on the table next to the bed and sat next to her in preparation to sit her up and feed her the broth.

"NOOO!" she suddenly screamed and pushed me off the bed. If I had been expecting it, she would not have succeeded, but I wasn't, so down I toppled and knocked over the freshly cooked broth onto myself.

"Shit," I swore and took off my outer clothing that was burning me straight away. I did not think of the maid Sari. I was too busy trying to stop the burn. After I removed my clothes, I took the cloth that had been soaking in the cool water for Xinye and wiped up the remaining soup from my skin.

It was then I noted the goggle-eyed Sari with her hands to her mouth. She blushed as my gaze met hers and looked away, "Sorry, I did not mean to look."

I laughed, "And I did not mean to strip. Give me a second, and I will get dressed again. Sorry for putting you in such an awkward situation."

"Ah, no worries," she blushed and turned away, giving me some privacy, "Tell me when you are done, and I will clean up this mess. Just give me some money to get more broth. I think that one has had its day."

I laughed again, "yes, sure," and I hurried up to change. "I am done now," I said to her, and she turned back, looked at me, nodded, and went to work cleaning up the room.

"I'll take this down for them to wash and get back to you," she said, scooping up the tray and clothes and marching out the door, "Stay with her. She needs you. It may not seem it the way she pushed you, but she was pushing Dudo, not you. Just sit with her a bit, and she will be calm, I am sure."

"Thanks," I said, and I did just that. I sat next to my wife and held her hand, sometimes wiping the sweat off her brow with the damp rag left by Sari. I could not re-wet it as Sari had also taken it to refill.

"Xin," Xinye said then, her voice full of longing, "Where are you, Xin? I need you...Please come rescue me."

"Shhh, my love," I crooned to her, "I am here. You are free."

"Xin," she said a final time before settling into a dreamless sleep.

Sometime later, Sari arrived with the clean water in a jug with a new washbowl and washers. She put them on the sideboard where it had been placed before and turned and left again, shutting the screen behind her. The next time she returned, she had the broth.

"Thanks, Sari," I spoke quietly to her, "Please leave it and get some rest in the room next door. Room 4. I will give it to her when she stirs again."

Sari looked at Xinye and, seeing her asleep, nodded, "As you wish, my Lord." and turned and left again, leaving us to our privacy.

"Sari seems like a good help," I commented to the sleeping Xinye. "I am glad you said she could come."

Having learned my lesson the first time, I turned around, sat with my back against the timber bed frame, and braced myself from any further action from Xinye. I closed my eyes and listened for her to stir, taking this time to rest a little. I got the impression that we would not be moving for the next few days, at least.

About an hour passed before Xinye stirred again, and my eyes flew open. "Xinye!" I said, "It's me, Xin. I need to feed you. Alright?"

"Alright, Xin," she said drowsily and looked up at me, "You're gorgeous, you know that! I am glad I met you when we got thrown back." her actions were like she was drunk, but she wasn't. She sat up and leaned against me, "So where is my food?" she demanded, "Feed me, my gorgeous husband."

"Alright!" I said with a smile, reaching over and getting the now lukewarm soup, "Here, be careful, though."

She took it off me and drank it all down in one hit. "Ah, that was good!" she complimented the chef, wiped her mouth with her sleeve, and rolled over, "I love you, Xin," she said and fell right back to sleep.

"I love you too, Xinye," I said, running my hand down her back and earning myself a groan.

"Ow! That hurts you, meanie," she said in her sleep.

It was then I wondered what exactly her clothes were covering. I would not find that out until the next day, though; when I did, I was livid. If prince Dudo were not already dead, he would have been for the damage he did to my wife in the short time he had her. Her skin was mottled with bruises in lines along her back and legs, and hickeys were left everywhere else. The only place he had not left marks were those in public view.

"Did you know, Sari?" I demanded when the maid came in.

She lowered her head in shame, "I knew there was nothing I could do, though." and handed me an ointment that helped heal bruises quickly, "I am sorry, master."

Seeing she was about to burst into tears and knowing how it was with the royal family in general, I said, "It is ok, I understand. But next time, if there is a next time, I expect you to give your life to defend her. She cannot go through this again. She is too precious to me."

"I understand, master," she said, "But if you want me to do that, can you train me in martial arts?"

"No," I refused, "But you can ask Bao. His style would suit you more than mine."

"Bao?" she questioned.

"Yes, Bao, he was one of the men back there," I stated, washing my wife as gently as possible. When she was cleaned, we removed her from the tub, dried and dressed her before returning her to the inn's bed.

I left her in Sari's care before going down and booking the inn's rooms we were in for the next three weeks. I figured I better do at least that long in case she took a while to heal. It was just as well we did as it took her two weeks to recover, and by then, I was told what had happened in excruciating detail by Sari. I was amazed at my wife, then amazed that she was trying to forgive the man who insulted and abused her, as I often heard her pray to ask for strength to forgive him and for me to hurry and be by her side.

It was easy to act on the second prayer, reminding her I was there and I loved her, but I could do nothing about the first except pray I would forgive him, too, as her earnestness affected me.

As quickly as her fever came, it went, and my wife sat up whole on the last day of the second week, "Xin, it is so good to see you." she said with a smile.

I cried then.

A/N If you enjoyed this chapter, please take the time to vote by pressing the star. Please let me know if you see any errors, as this is unedited.