ENERGY CRYSTAL

Red's mind wandered into other possibilities: that her father had another family. She wanted to ask Mr. Barry but was too scared for the answer.

'I have to know before I go there.'

She took a deep breath first before she shot the question, "Does my father live with his own family? Is he married? Does he have kids… my… siblings?"

"Hmmm… His Majesty has lived harmoniously with the Queen Consort and the Royal Consort. As for your siblings… I am afraid I am not privy to the specifics, Lady Red, but what I know is that the Crown Prince is your brother. That's for sure. No royal kids were raised inside the Palace Walls so I am not sure if you have other siblings, Lady Red."

"Just like you, the Crown Prince was summoned to return around the time of his Coming-of-Age Ceremony. He arrived maybe two to three years earlier to prepare him for it since he's the Crown Prince. That happened five years ago."

"Oh, I have an older brother. It's still weird that I am a child of an emperor. Now, I learn that I have a Crown Prince as an older brother." She muttered under her breath. What's surprising was that his father had kept two women around him. But then, he's the emperor. It's his duty to ensure to have heirs to the throne. In her world, having two spouses was a big no-no.

"Does that mean I am also heir to the throne?" She gasped, totally horrified. "This is so far-fetched. What is this a reality show?"

In a more audible voice, she asked, full of curiosity, "The Crown Prince… how is he?"

"I don't have plenty of chances to be fortunate enough to know how he is, Lady Red. He's tall and looks strong, but I have not seen him speak nor interact with subordinates like me. My deepest apologies."

"No worries. I'm just trying my luck to know more about them… How about the Queen Consort and the Royal Consort? Is one of them… my mother?" But she eliminated the possibility inside her head as soon as she asked it. 'Nope, she didn't want me. She left me to Nana so that she can live an unburdened life. A person like that will not stay beside someone who's leading a restricted life.'

"Both ladies have beauty and grace beyond comparison. I am not sure which one is your mother, Lady Red. Again, my deepest apologies. I am not very helpful. Meanwhile, we have arrived, Lady Red." Mr. Barry announced their arrival.

"Nana!"

Red rushed out of the carriage when she saw the familiar figure of her Nana sprawled on the cold rooftop floor. "Nana!"

Her vision blurred as tears brimmed over to her cheeks. She hurriedly turned her grandmother's body to face up, and gently tapped her cheeks, and shook her arms. "Nana, please wake up!"

A basket of clothes lied down sideways near her Nana. Its contents spilled on the dirty cement floor. Nana must have been retrieving the clean, dry laundry from the rooftop.

Mr. Barry had not taken his leave yet. Upon seeing the criticality and urgency of the situation, he hastily disembarked from his seat in front of the carriage and ran frantically to Red's side by her Nana. "May I, Lady Red?" He volunteered.

Red bobbed her head in affirmation. Her limbs started shaking so she sat on her ankles, and eventually knelt beside her Nana, hoping and praying for her to wake up. Her hands hovered, not knowing where to touch.

She let Mr. Barry take over.

Mr. Barry checked her pulse, first on the wrist, then on the neck below her jawline. "She's still alive. But, her pulse is weak."

He dug his hand inside his coat's pockets then hesitatingly pulled out a yellow crystal half the size of a human palm. He stared at it for a few seconds in all seriousness before he explained, "My wife always requests that I carry this with me all the time for an emergency, out of worry since I always travel. It is my honor to give you this energy crystal, Lady Red. It is a powerful gem. It will provide your grandmother the sufficient energy to survive. May I?"

"Yes! Please! Please do whatever you can to help my Nana regain consciousness. Save her, please! She's all I've got."

She cupped both hands on her mouth, once in a while wiping the tears on her cheeks. "Nana, Nana!"

"Please wake up, Nana…"

Mr. Barry fixed Nana's lying position on her back, folded her arms around her belly button then tucked the energy crystal between her palms. After that, he distanced himself and waited.

Light escaped from between Nana's loosely curled fingers around the crystal. The light crept from her fingers up her arms, to her heart and face and head. Likewise, from the other direction, the light also crawled to her thighs and legs and to the tip of her shoed feet.

Color returned to Nana's face.

When the light dispersed, Mr. Barry gently grabbed Nana's wrist and checked her pulse again. "Her pulse is much stronger now."

Nana's mouth twitched.

"She's waking up." Mr. Barry commented, then he added, "Although the energy crystal helped her out, she's still weak."

Nana didn't open her eyes but her slight movement was already a good sign.

"You mean to say that she's not fully healed yet, right?" Red had recovered from the shock earlier now that Nana's condition seemed more stable. She regained control over the situation, "I need your help, Mr. Barry."

"Anything, Lady Red."

Her eyes caught sight of the carriage just behind them, "Let's go to the hospital, Mr. Barry!"

"As you wish, Lady Red." He scooped Nana from the floor into his arms, and into the cushioned seat of the carriage. Red sat at the space that was left across her Nana.

With much haste, Mr. Barry pressed the four mighty white horses into a gallop.

Not even five minutes passed, they reached the hospital, and Nana was administered with the necessary medical attention she needed.

Exhaustion from the whole fiasco racked Red too much. Her limbs remained slightly trembling, but as soon as Nana was put in a private room to rest, she turned to thank Mr. Barry who never left her side and constantly comforted her, albeit quietly.

"Mr. Barry, I am forever indebted to you. You saved my Nana."

"It's my duty to lend you any type of assistance, Lady Red. I am your loyal servant."

"No, not servant, but a friend."

"I am honored, Her Ladyship -- Lady Red." He knelt as he paid respects.

"Oh, please stand up, Mr. Barry."

Red inspected the crystal that she retrieved from her Nana's hands when the doctor came to inspect her. The crystal had lost its sparkle and shine. "I am sorry if I will return your treasure in this condition. Is there a way I can get it back to its original glory?"

"There is, unfortunately, not right now. Not in this world." Mr. Barry received the crystal that Red handed over. "Do not worry, Lady Red. It's just one crystal compared to your Nana's life. Also, when you get back to our realm, more energy crystals will be accessible to you."

"Then, I promise to give you back the kindness you showed me today multiple times over when we reach the realm. It's a promise."