A Promise In Blood

I kneel down beside the woman, my heart pounding as I take in her pale, trembling form.

"Are you okay??" I ask, my voice shaking.

She gasps for breath, tears streaming down her face. "I... I don't have much time..." she sobs weakly.

"No, please don't say that!" I plead, panic rising in my chest. I turn to Uncle Marcus, desperation in my eyes. "Uncle, do something!"

Uncle Marcus quickly tears a strip from his cloak and kneels beside me. His expression is grim as he examines the wound. "The sword went in too deep... we need to act fast," he mutters, pressing the cloth against the bleeding wound.

I nod frantically, my hands shaking as I hold onto the woman.

She suddenly grips my hands tightly, her eyes filled with urgency. "Please... listen to me..." she whispers, struggling to breathe.

"M-my son... h-he c-can't t-talk..." her voice quivers as she fights through the pain. "You have to stay with him, please... I was the only one he had, but—" she lets out a violent cough, her body shuddering in pain. "Please... I don't want him to be alone... You're the only one I can trust..."

Tears blur my vision. I don't know what to say, how to comfort her, how to promise her that everything will be okay when I don't even know if I can protect him.

"I-I—" I stammer, my voice barely above a whisper.

She squeezes my hands even tighter. "Promise me," she pleads, her voice growing weaker. "Promise me you'll be there for him..."

I swallow the lump in my throat and nod firmly, forcing the words past the pain in my chest. "I-I promise."

A faint smile touches her lips. "Tell him... I love him..."

I bite my lip to keep from sobbing. She reminds me so much of my mother, and the thought of losing her like this shatters something deep inside me. I lean forward, wrapping my arms around her fragile frame.

"Don't worry... he's my brother now," I whisper, holding her close.

She takes a long, shuddering breath—and then... nothing.

Her body goes still.

My heart stops.

"H-Hey... get up!" I shake her gently, my voice cracking. "Please... wake up..."

Uncle Marcus lowers his head, his eyes filled with sorrow. "Y/N... she's gone."

"No...!" I choke out, pulling her lifeless body into my arms. "Please, no!"

I hug her tightly, but suddenly, my vision blurs. My body feels heavy, my head spinning, and then—darkness.

---

When I open my eyes, I'm in my room. The ceiling above me is unfamiliar, and as I try to sit up, a sharp pain shoots through my body.

I groan, my throat dry, my head pounding.

The door bursts open, and a familiar figure rushes inside.

"Y/N… oh my! You're awake!"

Princess Diana.

She dashes towards me, tears in her eyes, and before I can react, she throws her arms around me.

"Aah—" I wince at the sudden pain.

"Oh! Sorry, sorry!" She pulls back quickly, looking guilty.

I try to speak, but my throat is parched.

"Ah, wait! Here, drink this," she says, quickly pouring water into a cup and helping me drink. The cool liquid soothes my dry throat, and I let out a relieved sigh.

"You have no idea how scared I was when I saw you covered in blood," she says, wiping her eyes. "I thought I lost you..."

She sniffles, and before I can stop myself, I reach out and hug her.

"D-Don't cry, Princess," I whisper.

She pulls away, smiling through her tears. "I'm just... I'm just so happy you're okay! Wait, I have to tell Uncle Marcus and Aunt Miya!" She gently lowers me back onto the bed and rushes out of the room.

A few minutes later, the door opens again.

"Hey, kid!" Uncle Marcus says with a grin, but before he can say more, Aunt Miya rushes past him and gently hugs me.

"Are you okay, dear?" she asks, her warm hands cupping my face.

I nod slowly, still feeling weak.

"You were out for two days, Y/N," Uncle Marcus says.

I blink in shock. "Two days?!"

He nods. "Yeah. The cut was deep."

A cold shiver runs through me as memories of the battle flood back. "Uncle... I saw King Charles. He was badly injured too."

Princess Diana gasps. "WHAT?!"

I nod solemnly. "The sword went straight through his chest… he was unconscious when I saw him."

Uncle Marcus frowns. "We haven't heard anything about that yet, but I'll speak with the King."

Aunt Miya pats my hand gently. "Enough talk for now. You need to eat. I'll make something for you."

I smile weakly and nod. "Thank you, Aunt Miya."

As she leaves, a thought suddenly strikes me. "Where's the boy? The woman's son?"

Uncle Marcus sighs. "He's here. Do you want to meet him?"

I nod eagerly.

Princess Diana stays behind as the others leave. She sits beside me, watching me carefully.

"So… you really saw King Charles? Do you think he'll survive?"

I hesitate, then sigh. "I don't know, Princess… but he was bleeding badly. The sword went right through his chest. He wasn't moving."

She bites her lip, looking worried. "I hope he'll be okay..."

A heavy silence falls between us as I struggle to process everything.

"Hey! Are you listening?" she suddenly says, waving a hand in front of my face.

I blink and look at her. "What?"

She sighs dramatically. "I was saying that you need to rest for at least four more days. And guess what? It's my duty to take care of you now!"

I smile faintly. "You don't h—"

"Nope! I love doing it, so don't argue!" she interrupts with a grin.

Before I can protest, the door creaks open again.

A small figure steps inside, hesitating near the doorway.

Princess Diana beams. "Come here, kiddo!"

She gestures for him to come closer.

"You know, Y/N, he's so naughty! He runs around everywhere, and when I ask him what he wants, he never answ—" She pauses as she realizes something.

I sigh. "Princess… he can't talk."

She bites her lip in embarrassment. "Oh… right..."

The boy suddenly runs toward me and grabs my hand, looking up at me with wide, teary eyes.

"Aay… aay… mmm… aay," he mumbles, his grip tightening.

I hug him tightly. "Baby, I'm here with you. And you know what? Your mother told me she's going to see your father… and until she returns, you need to stay here with me, okay?"

He looks at me in confusion, but after a moment, he nods. Then, he points at my bandaged arm, his little face filled with worry.

"Aah," he signals, asking if it hurts.

I ruffle his hair. "Just a little, but I'm fine."

Princess Diana watches us with teary eyes.

I smile at the boy. "From now on, I'm your sister, and you're my little brother."

He blinks, then giggles as I pinch his nose playfully and kiss his cheek.

Princess Diana pouts. "Well, I want to join this family too!"

I laugh at her reaction and nod. She quickly throws her arms around us, pulling us into a tight hug.

"Aah—!" I wince.

She and the boy immediately pull back.

"Sorry! Sorry!!!. Aah aah!!!!" they say in unison.

I chuckle.

I saw Aunt Miya walk in with a tray of delicious food and a bowl of warm soup.

"Here you go, kids," she said with a gentle smile.

Princess Diana quickly helped me sit up while the little boy climbed onto the bed beside me. The three of us sat together and began eating.

As we ate, Princess Diana suddenly paused and looked at the boy. "Wait… what's his name?"

I shrugged, realizing I didn't know either.

The boy suddenly got up and started looking around, as if searching for something.

"Hey, baby, come here," I called to him softly.

He turned to me and signaled with his hands.

"Do you want to write?" I asked.

His eyes lit up, and he nodded quickly.

Princess Diana clapped her hands. "Ah! Let me get something for you!" She jumped up, rummaged through the room, and finally found a brush and a piece of paper.

She handed them to him, and he carefully took the brush, dipping it in ink before slowly writing something with his small hands.

(Jacob.)

Princess Diana read the name aloud. "So your name is Jacob?"

The boy nodded eagerly.

A big smile spread across my face. "Jacob… that's a beautiful name."

Jacob quickly sat back down beside me and happily continued eating his food.

We all laughed, the warmth of the moment filling the room like a comforting embrace.