03| Medicines and Princes

He ran up to me and bowed. "Young mistress Xu, I didn't know that you were coming." He smiled, "What brings you here?"

"Mandong," Jin called to him. "The mistress has been forgetting things lately, we would like for you to check if she's alright."

He nodded and led me to a bed at the far end of the room. He motioned for me to lay on it and I did. The bed was quite strong, and it creaked beneath me.

Mandong looked at my eye, turned the side of my face, and even pressed the tips of his fingers against the sides of my head.

"She's fine" Mandong concluded. "I'll give you some herbs, drink it. It'll help refresh you, and aid in your forgetfulness."

"Thank you, Mandong" I said.

He shook his head and bowed before walking into the back of the store. I sat up straight on the bed as I adjusted my clothes.

Jin stood beside me as we both waited for Mandong to return. He came out and when he got to me, he handed me a glass bowl which had some green liquid in it.

"Have it" Mandong said as he gave me the bowl.

Peering at it, I asked, "Is it bitter?"

Mandong laughed, "Everything is bitter. Even sweet things leave a bitter taste on the tongue. So drink up."

I pinched my nose with my fingers and gulped down the contents. I scrunched my face in disgust as I handed him the bowl back.

"Thank you, Mandong. We shall take our leave" Jin said and we made our way out the door.

"It was my pleasure!" Mandong screamed after us.

We made our way back to the mansion, as we trailed through the streets of the market which was more crowded than before.

People constantly turned to analyze me or to whisper, and Jin and I had to constantly be on the lookout.

As we moved, I became lightheaded. And it became worse as we moved even faster. Just then, the sound of horses running met our ears. Some horses with guards on it, marched into the market. They all wore red, the country's colour.

But there was a man wearing something different. He looked regal and had a crown of sorts on his head. He must be the prince.

"The crown prince has arrived!" A guard announced in a loud voice which caused everyone, including Jin to bow.

When Jin noticed that I wasn't bowing, she tugged at the hem of my dress and motioned for me to do what others were doing. I bowed down and waited.

"Rise!" He ordered and everyone went back to what they were doing.

Jin turned to me, "Let's go. We don't want the crown prince seeing you here."

I paused, "He's the one I'm going to marry?"

Jin looked at me with a confused expression, "Are you okay mistress? You've met the crown prince countless times."

"Uh, what I meant is, if I'm marrying him, then why didn't he come see me when I was sick?" I said. "How can I marry someone who doesn't even care about me."

Jin seemed to buy it cause she sighed then smiled a little. "He did come to see you. But you were unconscious. He said he'd return when you were alright. And now, you are."

I nodded as I tried to shake off the feeling in my head which was quite disturbing. The prince came down from his horse and the crowd still spared glances at him even as they dispersed.

"Come on, let's go see" I said as I ran a little bit closer to where the men were.

I moved closed to a stall and Jin acted as if she wanted to buy something from the man, while I tried to stare at Xue Qianxun. His hair was packed high up and held by a pin, while the rest dropped behind his back.

He had his lips pursed as he came down as he walked closer to some group of men who carried construction tools. He seemed to be supervising their work.

It didn't seem too interesting, so I was about to turn around and leave when I noticed a pig running towards me.

"Ahhh!" I screamed as I ran away while the pic pursued even faster.

"Mistress!" Jin called out.

I ran as my legs could carry while I looked at the distance between I and the pig. People were murmuring, while the owner was trying to catch the pig.

"Watch out!" Someone said, but it was too late.

My abrupt halt caused me to launch forward into a pile of sand. But before I could land and totally embarrass myself, someone caught me by my hand and pulled me up. My face smacked against someone's hard chest as their hands wrapped around my waist.

I gasped as I looked up to see who had caught me. His face was shining just like the sun, and I squinted up at him as my head pounded.

"Your Highnesss" I breathed out as Jin caught up to me with a fearful expression on her face.

"Is it okay for the first daughter of the Xu family to be running around in the market?" He asked coldly. "I'm sure if you wanted something, you would have gotten it," he said as he let go of me.

"I'm sorry, your Highness" I bowed.

He squinted at I and Jin before motioning for one of his guards to come. "Take the young mistress and her maid back to the Xu residence now" he ordered.

"Yes, your highness" the man bowed and led I and Jin to some horses.

Just as Jin got on one, I was to ride on another, and the guard on his horse. But as I climbed mine, it seemed as if, the world became a mixture of different colours swirling around me.

I clutched onto the rope secured around the horse, as I tried to steady myself.

"Young mistress?" Jin called out and I managed to hear her through the persistent ringing of my ears. "Are you okay?"

Before I could reply, I felt myself falling of the horse as the world became black around me. The last thing I felt was a pair of hands wrapped around my body.