The Royal Concubine (please read edited version)

Cold Hands

        I sealed my eyes shut in panic. The mayhem around me was suffocating. It seemed I could no longer take the easy way out. The already opened door clawed at its hinges, making the King's presence known, if it wasn't before. The air tasted different in my dry mouth. My sweaty hands gripped at the white bed sheets, unable to do more. I was frightened, horrified beyond belief. I had become conscious of my biggest fear: Min Yoongi watching his beloved, in such a revolting state, die in front of him.

        "Stop," I tried to push out the words as tears fled my eyes.

        "Your Majesty, please don't act so recklessly," A maid spoke up. He didn't answer back. I could feel his heated eyes taking in my almost lifeless body. Loud footsteps echoed into the room. I quickly opened my eyes to see the man beside me. His face was stern, but it was not the Emperor, nor was he looking at me.

         "Your majesty, if you say any longer, the lady's heart might give out. You don't want to have her go through such shock, am I correct?" Jimin stood taller beside my bed than his king, who had lost his regal pose some time ago. For a brief moment, I could see raging words playing on his lips, but none escaped.

          "I am sorry to cause a disturbance. I would be foolish to think such a thorned rose as her would die so easily." A smile somehow formed on his lips and he receded behind the door. His words made me remember the first night at the palace. I was so strong back than. I wonder when that chanced.

          My mouth peeled open to make a tight grin, " He's right, I'm not going to die under these conditions."

          I managed to keep my eyes open to examine the maids' rushed but careful actions. One of the women had a tan hanbok on with a small red ribbon tied around her braided hair. Her skin was tanner than most, and though young, her actions spoke experience. Instructions flew from her mouth.

         "Joon, keep her hydrated. Yuna, make sure her heartbeat is steady." The head maid called to the others. 

          And then everything stopped. The pain subsided, my blurry vision begain to clear, my muscles weren't tense. The symptoms subsided. My sickness masked it the whole time. I never relized it's presence. But after its sudden disappearance, the emptiness was overwhelming.

          "She's stable? " A nervous maid questions. Everyone looked over my sweaty body, puzzled. 

          "It's not over yet, get some herb water from the supplies," the head maid looked towards the women by the door, "oh, and get the needles as well." 

         "Needles?" I weakly ask. 

          She looks down at me, " for chim, my lady." (acupuncture) 

          Her eyes were glued to my body for some time before meeting my gaze again, " There has been a miscalculation in your health, my lady."

          "It can't be saved?" 

          "Sadly no, the heir is no loner alive." 

       Any vision darkened and I understood. For a foolish second I envisioned an alternate reality where I grinned at a swaddled baby in my hands.

   "I see..." I let out a shaky breath. Quick movements lead my eyes to the open door. The Emperor hide his body close to the doorway, his red and gold covered arm gave him away.

          "We surely believed your body wouldn't make it through the tough conditions we presumed the yellow fever had brought, miss. It seems you were carrying a child as well, though he could not survive the wrath of the gods on us." She spoke tenderly to me.

A maid rushed back through the door with an assortment of shiny glass jars. She brought them over to a small wooden table beside me and moved towards a small bucket with rosemary water in it and begins to soak a white cloth in it. One of the younger maids in the room starts towards the door.

         "No male must enter the room, the lady will be taking her bath at this time." She told the people who waited outside. 

          As the head maid prepared the needled, the others disrobe me and wash my dirty skin. When I just moved into my Ajumni's household, I refused to take a bath. After I snuck outside to play, I would swim in the backyard pond and try to catch the fish that swam around me. I would tell Ajumni that was my bath. She got so furious; she wouldn't let me inside until I took a proper bath. The hunger I felt made me learn my lesson very quickly. Now I didn't even have the strength to protest. 

          Once my skin was infused with the herbal water, the head maid stood over me with the needles in a small container, "I promise it won't hurt," she eyed my face distorted with worry. Prick after prick, each needle was placed within my body. The placement seemed scattered, but word precisely where they should be. I held in a breath as the needles' effects began to envelop my body. Spritz of pleasure numbed my suffering muscles. I could feel my painful memories slowly start to fade away. New life roared within me. But my restored energy began to falter. My brain started to shut down and my eyes became droopy. Sleep called to me from my deepest desires and I soon met with them. 

          A chill flared through my soft hand. It gripped tight at the warmth of my skin and slowly consumed it. My eyes squinted at the ceiling, light flooded through the room. Darkness and the pain from the night before crawled into the deepest cracks of the room. I swiveled my head to see the man beside me, who almost looked like an angel meeting me at heaven's gates. 

          "Good morning," the emperor hummed, his voice a sweet melody. His cold hands clasped mine, tighter than I would like. His smile sent a trail of butterflies through me. Tears lined his vision and his strong hold on me quivered. 

          "I'm home," I spoke softly. I've felt so distant from him the past few days. I was scared to see him falter, I didn't want to acknowledge the fact that my life meant so much to him. If I did, it would have killed me before I even died. I never wanted to die for him, I wanted to live for him. 

          "Welcome home"

AN- I am truly sorry for all of the emotions we put you guys through 😂! This story is a roller-coaster and I hope you enjoy the ride! - Paige

love your comments btw