When I get back, I tell Ri-na to take the pain killers to Keon-hi after I've had my bath. I go to my room and strip my clothes and put my robe on. I walk to the room with the big tub and walk up the steps and take the first step down into the tub and then scream in pain because the water is so hot. I don't see Un run into the room as I'm in so much pain from my burnt foot. It isn't until I feel my robe being placed over my shoulders that I become aware he's there. "I'm sorry Un, I didn't hear you. I cried out because the water is boiling hot" as I speak, I put my arms through my robe then go to stand up. I'm so flustered that I forget about my foot and stand on it. The pain makes me stumble as I hope up off my burnt foot. I start to fall towards the water. Thankfully Un catches my hand and pulls me back towards him. I can't put my foot down properly and over compensate sending the two of us flying. I land on Un as he hits the floor hard with his back, my forehead hits the floor. I cry out again "sorry Un, are you alright?" I ask "I will be your majesty when you get off of me" he says not meeting my eyes. I then realise I'm naked laying on top of him, "holly molly, sorry please close your eyes and I will try and get up" I cringe a little. I push myself up a little with my arms and Un goes to help. "No don't help my robe isn't tied" I yelp. It is then that the Prince runs into the room. "Oh, thank goodness you're here, can you help me up please I burnt my foot going into the tub, then took a tumble. Well I'll tell you the rest when you help me up" the Prince's lips twitch. As he wraps my robe around the front of me and lifts me. The movement makes me feel very sick and dizzy. I hear the Prince asking Un if he's alright but I don't hear his reply before everything goes black. "Mummy wake up you can't sleep with a concussion" I hear through the thick fog that is my brain at the moment. "MUMMY WAKE UP" I jolt a wake with the screamed shout. "I'm awake, I'm awake" I groan my head is killing me it feels as though it's being ripped in two. "Your awake, thank goodness. The doctors were all worried as it is bad to sleep through the first day of concussion" the Prince says grabbing my hand and kissing it. "How's my foot?" I ask the Prince shifts his gaze before he says "it will be fine! It's just going to take some time to heal" he assures me. "If you can crush young bamboo leaves and add some crushed clove. Then wrap my foot in it, before wrapping the bandage around it. I will heal a lot quicker, you can also add some soaked oatmeal" I explain with my eyes closed as the light hurts my eyes and head. I lift my hand and see a bandage on it. I try and move it and gasp at the pain, I open my eyes enough to really look and see that my wrist is at an unnatural angle. "I dislocated my wrist too?" The Prince looks at me "they say it's broken and are not sure what to do with it" he explains. "Call Un" I say "Un come in" the Prince says. Un walks around the corner of the connecting room door. "How are you? I'm so sorry for falling on you" I apologise. "I'm fine your Majesty" he assures me. "If your sure, I need one of you to hold my arm firmly. Then the other one to take a hold of my hand and pull it. It will pop back into it's socket and won't be as painful" I explain to them. The Prince takes off the bandage "Un you take a hold of her arm hold it steady against my pull" the Prince says. I take the edge of the blanket between my teeth and close my eye's. Un wraps an arm around my shoulders forcing me to lean into him and takes hold of my upper and lower arm. I start reciting the periodic table in my head. The Prince takes my hand and I increase my mental volume biting down hard on the blanket. I can't help the cry that escapes as my wrists pops back in place. Then the pain subsides a little replaced by a deep throbbing. "I'll need something stiff to be placed along the underside of my wrist" I inform them. The Prince looks around for inspiration, he snaps his fingers and walks over to my closet he pulls out one of my shoes. Takes a knife and cuts the top parts off, he then brings the sole part over and holds it to the underside of my wrist. It fits rather well. So, he wraps a bandage around the sole and then bandages it to my wrist. "Thank you" I rest my wrist of the bed. I bring my other hand to my head. "I must look hideous at the moment the size of this bump is no joke." I feel the cut on it "honey will work on this and take most of the scar away as well" I look at the Prince "sorry for scaring you again. Why was the water so hot?" I ask. The Prince stands up and starts to pace. I look at Un and he glances away. "Ri-na took delivery of a parcel by an unknown servant. She didn't see the servant leave as she carried the parcel in and so, didn't watch her leave. The guards said she was the only unknown person to come through the gates and that it took her sometime for her to leave after she arrived. Ri-na has given us a description and said she managed to touch the back of her hand with Woad. I have the guards checking their hands. The heater had been turned all the way up on the bath tub and extra coal had been added to make sure it stayed hot. When I catch them, I will have them boiled a live" he states still pacing. "Your making me feel dizzy" I tell him. He stops pacing and sits on the side of the bed "sorry, would you like a drink or anything?" he asks. "I want to sleep. I know I will need to stay awake for a little while then I can sleep, but will need waking up between each gong" I close my eyes for a second as my head is throbbing. "Can you get a cold cloth and put it across my forehead please" I ask. Un goes to get the cool water and cloth. "Do you think this is connected to the ministers?" I ask him. "I do" he brushes a lose strand of hair from my face. "Your Majesty" Hun calls, the Prince stands "I'll be back in a minute" he smiles down at me and then walks from the room. "Ri-na brings the bowl of cool water and cloth. She bows and glances at me with red brimmed eyes "I'm so sorry your Majesty, I deserve death" she kneels and bows again. "Silly girl, I was the one that put my foot in without testing the water first. If you could put a cool cloth over my forehead all will be forgiven" I give her a weak smile. She soaks and then wrings out the cloth before placing it in my throbbing head. "Lovely" I moan, "WHAT?" the Prince yells. I open my eyes again, "Un, round them all up and drag that bitch here" he shouts. "I see I won't be getting much sleep now" I mutter. "Hun, I want you to have a big pot heating in the front courtyard here" the Prince orders. "Yes, your majesty" I hear Hun reply. "Ri-na help me up" I order. She looks at the connecting door and then back at me. "Who do you serve?" I say simply. She helps me sit up and it takes everything for me not to cry out with the pain in my head. I move my legs over the side of the bed, I spot the crutch left for me to use. Ri-na grabs it and hands it to me, I have to use my left hand as my right was dislocated. I manage to get to my feet and fight the waves of nausea and dizziness. I hobble out to the courtyard, "what are you planning on doing? The servant might have been forced to do it, please calm down. If you go charging in and make mistakes then all our good work has gone to waste. Bring me a chair and something to wrap around me" I state. He looks as though he will argue but then waves his hand and Hun appears with a chair. I sit down and he lifts my foot onto a footstool "thank you Hun. Please bring some honey water for the Prince and I" he nods and bows before standing off to the side. Ri-na brings me a heavy top coat and wraps it around me. It, cover's everything except my foot on the stool and my head. Un walks in with a young girl in a palace maid's uniform. She sees the wood fire and the big pot over it. "Un" I call he brings her to kneel in front of me. I glance at her hands and see the stain from Ri-na. "Who ordered you to do it?" I ask calmly she looks from me to the pot. "I don't.." I slam my hand down onto the arm of the chair and ignore the pain that shoots through my head. Her head snaps up to look at me. "Don't be stupid this is your one and only chance, if you don't take it, I'll let the Royal Prince boil you to death" I stir into her eyes so she can see the truth in my words. I watch her closely and see her shoulders drop and her bottom lip tremble. "Lord Gum, has my mother she isn't well. He found out about her being ill and while I was here working had someone take her from our home. He and his side kicks have already killed my father and brother. Forcing them to work in a flooding silver mine, they had to work in the freezing cold water sometimes for a whole day. They became very sick and died, I only have my mother" she sobs. I look at the Prince and then Un. "Go and have the whole household arrested and bring that snivelling little snot here" the Prince orders. I look at the sobbing girl "which department do you work for?" I ask. "The sewing department, your Majesty" she answers. "Why did you turn the water so high?" I ask next. "He wanted me to put this white powder into your flour" she says taking a small folded paper sash from her sleeve. "I couldn't do it, I thought you would test the water, before getting in?" she adds. I take the sash from her and open it and smell the powder. "He wanted us all to die" I say looking at the Prince. I look back at the maid "thank you for not putting this in our flour. You won't be able to get out of the paddle beating but you will still be able to leave the palace" I tell her. The tears roll down her cheeks as she nods "I'm so sorry, I really can't lose my mother as well." I take her hand "I will write a reference for you and your mother but you must promise me that you will live your life the right way. I have a friend who has farmland if you work hard, she will treat you right and you even get a percentage of the produced sold that you helped to grow." She starts sobbing again she kisses my hand and bows. We hear shouting "go and stand around the corner over there and don't let them see you" I order she scrambles up and runs to the corner. Guards drag in a steaming mad minster Gum. They push him down to the ground in front of the Prince. Minister Gum tries to get to his feet, but a guard stops him. "What is the meaning of this?" he blusters. The Prince takes the folded sash from me and walks back to minister Gum he crouches in front of him and holds the folded paper in front of the minister. I see him swallow "what?" he managers to say just as the Prince backhands him across his face. The Minister falls to the ground wide eyed in shock. He makes the mistake of trying to stand up and gets a boot up his butt. "Is it sinking in that you are in for a world of pain?" the Prince asks. He lets the minister see him look towards the pot as he doesn't seem to have noticed it yet. He glances at the fire beneath it and swallows again. "Did you know that the white powder within that sash can only be gotten from the Royal medical department?" I ask. He glances at me and then sniffs and turns his head away, not seeing the fist the Prince hits him with. He lands on his back and glares at me. My head is throbbing, so is my foot and wrist. "I don't have the same accuracy with my left hand, but I'm sick of all of you. Thinking you can do what you want and then getting all, pissie when your found out. Give me a knife" I demand one of the guards gives me one. I bow my head in thanks slowly as it feels it might fall from my shoulders. I unsheathe it and feel the weight of it. "Little heavier than my knives" I give a little shrug before turning to the minister. I toss the knife up in the air and catch it, he starts to scramble backwards on his hands and feet. "You, might want to stand back" I warn the Prince and he grins at me. I toss the knife in the air again, catch it and throw it. It strikes his right wrist with enough force that I might have broken a bone or two. He cries out and holds his hand with his other as he see's the knife stuck throw his wrist. "You bitch" he snarls. I smile "why? I just paid you back?" He goes to say something else but gets a kick in the head this time from the Prince. He grunts then howls in pain as his hand hits the floor. A large number of people are led into our courtyard, all tied with rope lead in by guards. I see Un look around the courtyard and catch his eye and then look at the corner that the maid is hidden behind. Just then she walks out bows to the Prince and then walks over to the minister and kicks him where is hurts hard. "You deserve everything that is coming to you and when you get to hell. The devil himself will make you his playmate this is just the beginning of your pain" she says. "I'll go and report to the investigation bureau and get my paddles now. Thank you" she adds bows to us again and then walks through the gate. Un whispers something to her and she smiles and bows again. The minister is howling on the ground, I look at the prisoner's and can spot his wife. She looks as though she sucks on lemons daily, she's looking around wildly. "Do you know who I am?" she demands "Ri-na as I'm a little unwell, can you think like me and put that sour woman in her place?" I ask. "Really, can I hit her as hard as I want?" she surprises me by asking. I nod slightly and she walks over to the wife. "Quiet" Ri-na tells her. "You..I.. wha." She stammers. Ri-na pulls back her fist and lets it go. I'm a little stunned as I see the wife stagger back at the force of the punch and see the blood spurt from her nose. "Why, you lit" she gets punched again "please carry on with your mindless rantings. I can do this all night" Ri-na tells her. The woman falls to her knees and sobs. "How dare a little wench like you strike my mother" the sour faced son steps forward. Ri-na kicks him in his chest and he goes down. "Anyone else not realise the trouble you're in?" she demands. She turns around and looks at me and I give her a thumbs up. "Wife, son, head servant and those three guards" I point. "The daughter and the rest of the servants are innocent" I stand up and hobble to the pot and feel the heat of the water. "You can interrogate him some more. The water is no were near hot enough" Ri-na comes to my side and help's me back inside. As soon as the door is closed. I grab a pot and throw up in it. "Your Majesty" Ri-na gasps shocked I grip her hand "I'm alright I promise, don't tell the Prince yet. He needs to deal with that first. Please get me some more cool water for my head and some honey water please with a little lemon juice" I hobble to the bed and sit back against the headboard and close my eyes. Ri-na comes in and prepares a cool cloth for me, "can I have another one, I'm going to put it over my eyes as the light is making my head throb more?" She gives me another one, I place it over my eyes and lean back and try and relax.
"Ri-na tell me about yourself and your family. I need to stay awake till the next gong" I explain. "I am the third child of six and the only girl, the eldest and the fourth brother run the small family farm deep in the mountains to the west. Second and Fifth are guards, Second is here in the capital. Six teachers and is never happier than when his head is in a book. We lost our mother a year after six was born. My father never recovered from her death, he never even tried and I resent him a little for that, I was only 8 my eldest brother 14. He drank himself to death 18 months after my mother died, for me it was a relief as I knew I wouldn't have to deal with his drunken ravings. I became a palace maid because it got me away from my eldest brother. He is mean and spiteful only Fourth puts up with him. I've been in the Palace longer than I was out of it" she tells me. "How old where you when you came to the palace?" I ask "nine and half, I left the day my father died. My eldest brother got drunk and passed out and Fifth gave me money and a written reference from one of the local noble ladies. To enter the palace. I was able to tag along with a neighbour who was travelling here. I turn twenty next month" she smiles I open my eyes and find the cloth helps filter the bright light. "Have you ever heard from your eldest brother since?" "No, I heard he's married now but I don't need to know any more. I see Second, Fifth and Sixth on holidays. They all left the farm the same day I did. Even though I didn't know at first, they didn't want me to worry if they didn't make something of themselves" she answers. "So, you'll be eligible to leave the palace in five more years" I ponder. "I want to stay with you, this is the happiest I've ever been. Just now I imagined the woman I hit was my brother and the son my father. It felt kind of good giving them a taste of the years they have probably done far worse. I wonder sometimes how they even imagine that their humans never mind noble" she chuckles "I've been practising my knife throwing and getting better, I watch when you have trained with Un or when you practise your archery. I have then tried to copy the moves and do the exercises you do before and after. I have muscle forming and I like the idea I can help protect you. Even if I didn't today, I asked his Majesty to punish me but he shock his head" she informs me. "I'm glad you're practising and getting stronger, that way you can protect yourself as well. You say that your brothers are guards, do you think they would come and work for me? The Prince keeps leaving Un to guard me and I worry then that he isn't by the Prince's side. I also want some-one to watch over Keon-hi?" She claps her hands "really, it would be wonderful to have them here. The chief within Seconds bureau is a mean spiteful man. He doesn't like it that my brother is handsome, tall and very good at his job." I smile at her enthusiasm and sisterly love for her brothers, "is Chang-wo around?" I ask she points upwards to the roof. "Chang-wo" I call I hear his foot steps run down the tile roof and then see his shadow jump down into the back courtyard. "Yes, your majesty?" "Come in" I call "Ri-na bring me my writing set and paper, please" I ask. "Chang-wo I'm going to write two letters that I need you to deliver." Ri-na brings my writing set "where is Fifth stationed?" I ask "he's home at the moment, he is home recovering from an injury, but I have copied your remedies and he is nearly fully healed now" she answers. I write the two letters and seal them with my royal seal. "Ri-na way don't you go and hand this to Fifth brother and then bring him to the palace tomorrow if he's fit enough. Chang-wo I need you to deliver this to the capital investigations bureau" I order. "Your Majesty, they will both be home now" Ri-na says. I take the letter from Chang-wo and give it to Ri-na and see Chang-wo's shoulder slump. "Chang-wo you should go with Ri-na and make sure she gets home safe. Leave by the main gate but enter by the side gate. Take my token just in case anyone tries to stop you. Do you know the security word?" I ask him. He nods "alright go around the back to avoid the scene out front" I suggest. I hear the gong ring and sigh in relief. They bow and leave. I write a note to the Prince telling him to wake me after the second gong. I remove the heavy outer coat and just leave it crumpled on the floor. I lay down and turn on my left side hugging a pillow so my right wrist is resting on it. I close my eyes and sleep, I briefly come to when I hear screaming. Not for long though, I don't dream I just sleep deeply while my body tries to heal its self. "Beautiful time to wake up" I open my eyes "I'm good, can I have some honey water please?" I turn my head a little and he feeds me the honey water. "Thank you" and I fall asleep again. The Prince continues to wake me every two gongs and give me honey water, before I fall asleep again. I don't know how many times he does it. Some times it is Ri-na and she pours the honey water into my mouth, before I fall asleep again.
ŞİMDİ OKUDUĞUN
Travel Through Time
Tarihi Kurgu1st Book A Woman form the 21st Century travels back to Joseon dynasty 1726 Korea. There she meets the Royal Prince. Together they try and end the corruption within the royal court. They make some good friends along the way and fall in love.
