The Pearls - RUYI

Chapter 22 - Deadly Promises

"He won't let anyone else in," the messenger said, just outside the small tent, reserved for the highest-ranking officials.

Ruyi nodded, before stepping inside. The tent smelled strongly of blood, but Ruyi didn't notice. Everything smelled of blood, even outside where the air was supposed to be fresh, she could not escape it.

The assassin was breathing heavily, laying flat on the stretcher, eyes barely staying open. The lower half of his face was still covered in a mask, and a dark red stain was smeared over his temple and cheek.

"Ruyi, is that you?" His voice was weak, barely a whisper.

"Yes, it's me," she said, kneeling down to hold his hand. An arrow was stuck in his lower abdomen, not deep, thankfully. She would need to pull it back out.

"This is going to hurt," Ruyi said, looking worriedly into the assassin's face. He nodded slightly, face pale, before Ruyi eased the arrow out. Immediately, blood started gushing out of the wound.

"Can you hold this on the wound for me?" Ruyi asked, pressing clean cloths against it, and then lifting his arm to cover it.

"I need to get your armour off, so I can stitch it up."

"No."

Ruyi looked at the assassin in shock.

"I have to. I can't stitch you up if you don't remove your clothing."

There was a visible strain in his face, from the pain or from something else, she couldn't tell.

"I'm the only one here. Let me help you."

Finally, the assassin nodded.

Carefully but quickly, Ruyi began to strip off his armour, layer by layer, knowing time was of the essence. Finally, she reached his robe and pulled it apart.

She dropped the robes as if they were on fire.

"You're a -"

"Shut up! Don't let anyone hear," the assassin whispered harshly, teeth clenched in pain.

Ruyi breathed out heavily, staring disbelievingly at the binding material wrapped around the assassin's torso. Wrapped around the assassin's breasts.

"Are you going to keep staring? Or are you going to save my life?" The assassin said dryly, still holding the cloths against her wound tightly. Her lips were white and sweat dripped from her temple, and yet she managed a someone wry smile towards her doctor.

Ruyi shook her head. She would ask questions later. This was her patient. She needed to save her first.

Ruyi was able to quickly stitch the assassin up and clean the wound, before wrapping her abdomen in fresh cloths. She also gave her some pain relief medicine before standing up to clean her hands.

The assassin was alert now, looking slightly better after taking the pain medicine.

"Now talk," Ruyi said.

But the mystery woman was silent for a moment, staring up at the tent's ceiling.

"My name is Jia," she finally said, peeling off her mask. Without the muffled tone and lowered voice, it now seemed crazy that Ruyi had never noticed before.

"As you know, I'm the Emperor's right hand," she said. "People think I'm his assassin. But I do more than that."

Ruyi stared at the pretty slant of the woman's eyes, her thick lashes, her delicate lips. How could she have held this secret for so long?

"Does he know? The Emperor?"

Jia shook her head. "No one can know. My life depends on it."

Slowly, Jia pulled her robes back on, wincing in pain at the movement.

"How did you end up as the Emperor's right hand?" Ruyi asked, still reeling.

A distant look softened the expression on Jia's face. Her eyes held secrets and darkness deep within them.

"I arrived at the palace when I was very young," she replied, as if that was an answer. Ruyi had never seen someone look so haunted. But she supposed now, after this day, she could understand a bit of what Jia felt.

The closed expression slipped back over Jia's face like a mask.

"Can you keep my secret?" She asked.

Ruyi shut her eyes, feeling exhausted.

"As long as you keep mine."

"What secrets do you have?"

"I'm a medic, but I couldn't save my brother."