Teach Me How To Live -~Zen Wistaria x Reader~-

Rue.

I was woken up by the bright sun burning my tired eyes. My body was sore and it hurt to sit up so I stayed down and rested more.
"I need to go back to Clarines.. Its closer than tanbarun still.." i muttered as i looked up at the ceiling. I wonder if that man did good stitches. He mustve been a doctor.. I got really lucky there was someone like that here. He was so kind and honest just like the nice folks in town too.. i miss my people sometimes.. But i think.. I need Zen. I want Zen, I want to be with him now. I want him to hold and him tell me im alright. I want him to be alright as well. I want him to be with me all hours of the day just for comfort. I want to lay next to him again for hours without having a care about what others think. I want to be selfish and follow my own rules now.
"Father.." i muttered as i looked at dad. Hes passed out in a chair on the side of this bed. Its stained in blood.. My clothes.. It looks like someone changed me.. Thats a relief but I really want to take a bath.. There should be a public bath for women here..
I slowly got up and tried not to hurt myself too much. I picked up mother's sheathed sword and used it as a cane for me to walk with. I dont have any shoes.. I walked out very slowly. I dont have much energy and I really need to relax.. i walked out the door then shut it quietly. People were already awake even though it seemed to be fairly early in the morning. Good thing because I need to go to clarines after this bath. I walked down the halls with a smile on my face. I didnt know where anything was so I stopped at the front desk to ask. The ladies were shocked, no, terrified that I was standing on my own and quickly came to aid me.
"Princess! You mustn't be standing after having such injuries! The doctor said you wouldn't have made it through the hour without getting medical help!" One of the woman shouted to me. I held mothers sword in my hand as the ladies put my arms over their shoulders and helped me along.
"Oh, im alright. I was scared for a minute but im okay," i smiled, "please help me find the bath through, I really need to relax and im sure the warm water would help" i asked as they walked with me.
"Yes, highness.. Last night, there was a man taken away but he looked hurt too" the other woman told me worriedly as we walked.
"Hes being taken to jail for attempted murder. Im sorry you had to witness such a sight yesterday, I hope you're not too frightened. Things like this won't happen again" i apologized to them as we turned the corner than past a door.
"The only scary thing was waiting for the doctor to tell us you were okay!" The woman shouted.
"I hope you dont mind, but we helped change you and clean off the blood last night so you didn't get sick" the other said.
"That was very kind, thank you very much" i smiled to them as they let me go.
"Do you mind if we stayed a while to make sure you're alright?.." the woman asked and looked like she really wanted to.
"I dont want to take you away from your work though, i promise I won't be trouble" i said with an apologetic smile.
"Th-Thats not what i was saying at all! It would just be nice to talk. Youre so kind and gentle but you're weak right now so we want to take care of you" she explained quickly. Hearing that almost made me cry. Thats so sweet of them..
"Exactly! And its not like everyday you get to spend time with royals, especially ones that are as kind as you" the other woman said so kindly.
"As long as im not taking you away from your work then please feel free to stay with me" i nodded my head instead if bowing. I cant move my back much right now.
"Thank you! Ill go find some bath salts to help sooth your pain!" She shouted before running off. She was so sweet.
"What are your names?" I asked as i slowly began to undress myself.
"My name is Umi and that was Lilian who just ran off" she said as she undressed as well.
"Its nice to meet the two of you. I know I caused lots of trouble last night, i apologize" i said as i slowly picked up my sword and used it to walk to the bath first.
"Please dont worry! We're just glad your well! You're even walking too!" She shouted and sounded surprised still.
"Its not my first time getting a cut like this" i laughed a little as she helped me sit down on the edge of the bath then helped me in the water.
"Yes, I see.. Im so sorry for everything you've gone through. It mustve been really hard all those years." She said before slowly sinking into the water next to me.
"A bit.. Ive gotten over it for the most part. I think this time I was just worried about not making it back to my loved ones... oh no!" I shouted as i remembered Zen's watch. Where is it? Where's my ring?
"Princess, whats wrong?" Umi asked quickly and looked frightened.
"Wheres my watch and ring? Where are they?" I asked with worry filling my stomach.
"Theyre with that man who brought you in here. He said they were very important to you and if you had went looking this morning that we should tell you if you asked." She explained and still looked a bit frightened.
"Oh good.." i sighed and sank into the water a bit. "Im so glad.." i said and felt a bit happier. Theres probably blood on both of them so ill have to clean them. I hope the watch didn't break in the snow last night..
"Princess.. Are you by chance engaged or does your ring belong to someone else?" She asked and looked a little excited.
"Well.. If i told you the truth would you go spreading rumors?" I asked with a little smile and raised eyebrow.
"N-No! Never!" She shouted and truely meant it.
"Not even to Lilian?" I asked again and kept up my grin.
"I swear Princess, i will never tell another living soul!" She promised me and was very serious.
"Okay, okay" i giggled softly and relaxed a bit more.
"That ring was given to me just recently by the one i love the most. We've been waiting to become engaged for months and months but we were days apart from each other.." i began explaining. She looks like shes about to burst with excitement. She must already think its Zen because of all the rumors. "I wouldn't have announced my title so quickly if it werent for him. My father told me that i needed to announce it soon if I'd like to marry this man and be with him quicker so I went to tanbarun a month later and announced it" i told her. She sunk so far into the water that just her nose was sticking out. She so excited like a little girl and its adorable, truely. "I wrote him letters everyday and at the end of the month we'd both send our letters to each other. In October, the day of my birthday, he came and visited me. We traveled with our friends and went to town too where a painting was being painted of me and the towns folk and I even got to sign it" i smiled happily.
"So you really did sign it! Oh, I saw it once and couldn't believe my eyes!" She shouted and finally burst.
"Yes, I did" i giggled, "in December I went to clarines for King Izona's wedding and lucky me.." i began with a happy grin as i looked over to Umi.
"Oh my gosh, please tell me you and the king are secretly in love.." she muttered and looked so excited that it frightened me.
"What?! No! I was talking about prince Zen!" I laughed and hurt myself while doing so.
"So the rumors were true!" She shouted before covering her mouth and looking around to make sure no one heard. Good thing we're the only ones here.
"Yes, they were. He was the second person I met after leaving Alfin. I became his Sentinel for a while before leaving. It was inappropriate of us, be we were with each other quite often... Then i realized i liked him and it was a mess" i sighed while she squeeled. "Now we're finally engaged but secretly. We haven't even got the chance to have an offical marriage meeting yet and we won't for a while because I got myself kicked out of the kingdom" i sighed while she gasped.
"No! Why?!" She shouted.
"Well, queen isabelle slapped my aid for the second time so I slapped her back" i grinned a little and felt all proud of myself.
"No.." she muttered in shock.
"Isabelle is a nasty lady, let me tell you" i sighed and rolled my eyes, "anyway, i need to go back now though. Zen won't be happy when he hears about what happned" i told her with a little smile.
"Oh, I completely understand but how will you? You were kicked out right?" Umi asked softly.
"Ill just jump the wall" i shrugged.
"Thats it?.." she asked in confusion.
"Yeah well, the gaurds like me more than the queen so im sure ill be fine" i giggled.
"Youll have to travel all night just to get there tomorrow though" she told me.
"Which is exactly why I'm relaxing now.." i smiled and looked at the water. "I have to say.. I was a little scared last night that I might not make it back to Zen. I thought for sure I'd bleed to death till the doctor came and saved me. I even asked that man with me to send my ring back to Zen if something happened" I told her as i looked down at the water.
"Youre doing better than anyone could imagine though. I suppsoe its because you've gotten used to pain like this over the years though, right?" She shrugged and smiled at me.
"Yeah, I suppose i have.." i said softly.
"There was a while where I was svared youd die as well. You looked far too gone when that man was carrying you, everyone was so worried but they'll be glad to hear you're alright now" she told me happily.
We talked casually for a while after the other woman came back. They were both so nice and it was fun talking to them. They're my age so they didnt talk all proper and stuff, they seemed.. Normal! That was a nice change.
I had to get out eventually though. Dad had already brought me my normal outfit from the carriage too so I changed into that and my old black cloak. Im so glad I still have it. We road the carraige back to clarines. Dad had a lot to tell me. He said izona had sent for him as back up for this war.. I didnt think backup was just my dad though.. dad was happy about it anyway. He was pumped especially now that the family murderer is long gone and already confirmed dead. That gave me a lot to think about. Rue was kind but.. He wasn't. Everything he did was planned out from the start.. not to mention to horrible past I had with him..
We didnt end up making it back to the castle that day. The wheather got bad again. It seems like it always gets bad around this point, ugh.. so we stopped for the night and I rebandaged myself. I have bandages wrapped around my entire upper body, its not pretty.. Then the next day we traveled again. We had to leave the carriage somewhere safe so no one would spot us then took the horses and traveled to the castle. We got there by night and.. It seemed like we had just stumbled into the fight already.. i didn't think it'd begin immediately following my leave..