The Untamed Princess

Chapter Forty-Six: The Ordeal Ends

Weisheng forced himself to ignore the panic rising inside of him, and instead focussed on the problem at hand.  They couldn't speed up preparation of the antidote.  That left them with one option.  They had to do more to slow the effect of the toxin.  He looked down at Ming Yue, then out at the trees, just visible in the fading moonlight.

"We need to be closer," he said.  He looked at Luo Jian, who gave him a reassuring nod.  Then he shot a glance towards Xiao Yu.

"Trust me."

The physician raised an eyebrow.

"At this point, do I have any other choice?"

Weisheng did not bother with a response, and Xiao Yu did not expect one.  Instead, the prince reached down and gathered Ming Yue into his arms.  As he walked out from under the canopy, Lin Yang went to stop him, but her brother put a restraining hand on her arm when he caught Xiao Yu's eye.

"Don't worry, Sister," he said.  "Let them do what they must."

Lin Yang's trust in her brother was absolute.  Immediately, her objections died, and she turned around and went back to watching the antidote as it simmered gently over the flames.

Weisheng walked until he found the thickest part of the forest.  Weaving between the trees and dense foliage, he found a small space just large enough for a few people to gather.  Laying Ming Yue down on the grass, he looked back at Xiao Yu, who was watching him steadily. The prince took a deep breath and took hold of the unconscious woman's arm.  Raising it, he pressed her palm against the nearest tree, and covered her hand with his own.  Then, he closed his eyes, and willed with all his might.

At first, nothing happened.  Then, he heard the rustling of leaves.  In the beginning it had been faint, just a slight murmur in the background as numerous branches moved gently with the breeze.   Now, the sound was growing louder and louder, until it reached the level of a dull roar.  The two men resisted the urge to cover their ears, and instead kept their attention focussed on the young woman lying on the ground.

The air suddenly felt thick, and Weisheng felt the bark of the tree underneath his and Ming Yue's palms vibrate.  Instinctively, he pressed his other hand to the ground and felt the same deep hum coming from the earth below.  At any other time, he would have been fearful.  But now, he only felt an overwhelming sense of relief that something so powerful and all-encompassing was responding to their need.  He wondered if this was how Ming Yue felt every time she used her powers.

He looked behind him.  To the man's credit, Xiao Yu was still there.  He motioned him forward.

"Xiao Yu.  Please check on her again."

The physician advanced without hesitation, but as he reached out to place his fingers on Ming Yue's wrist, a vine snaked up from the ground and curled around his arm.  He glanced up at Weisheng in alarm.

"Don't worry.  It's just being protective.  Try to relax.  It will sense your intention and let go in a second."

Doctor Xiao gulped, and let his arm go limp.  As Weisheng had predicted, the plant withdrew in short order, and the physician reached again for Ming Yue's wrist, this time a little more hesitantly.

After a few moments, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Whatever is happening, it's working.  She isn't showing any improvement, but her condition isn't worsening either.  If things carry on like this, she may just be able to hang on."

Weisheng tightened his grip on Ming Yue's cold hand.  There was no 'may' about it.  She had to survive.

By now, the darkness had given way to the pale dawn light, and the surfaces of the forest were growing damp with dew.  Weisheng took off his cloak and arranged it underneath the unconscious woman.  He had just finished his ministrations when he heard Eunuch Wang's voice behind him.