"You finally wake up" a warm smile greeted him as he slowly opened his eyes seeing a young lady dressed in dull clothes.
He groans in pain, forcing himself to move slowly, and tries to get up.
"You were nearly dead when I found you," she said as she came near him, aiding.
"You might be one of the civilians who escaped the ambush on the East Coast incident," she said with such unexplainable concern on her face.
"You needed more rest; for now, lie down," she insisted while making him lay down.
"By the way, I'm Hidelga and you are in the place called the Land of the Forgotten," she added, introducing herself.
"Why did you save me?" he asked, leaving her wonderful introduction to cease.
"Perhaps you needed money," he continued and chuckled mockingly.
He is showing an offensive attitude while looking so unsettled and slowly groping his trembling hands onto something to support his weight.
She answered plainly, "Because we are all the same beings under the sun, and you are someone who needs help at that time. Lastly, I believe that everyone deserves to live, so that's why I helped you."
"What hypocrisy is that? I prefer the sincere one," insisting on something else more practical and plain while trying to stand up with weakened knees.
Hidelga tries to assist him, but he spurns her help. Because of his attitude, all she can do is sit down and watch him.
"What's your name?" she asked with a concerned tone. Seeing how many times he falls on the floor and struggles to stand up.
"Why?" he asked in return, suspecting an ulterior motive from her.
"Well, at least I can call you by your name," she said.
It has been months since Hidelga found him in the great river of Blood, which is the longest river in the whole empire, running from the north to the southeastern part. It takes many days to travel from the East Coast to the land of the forgotten. So, he had traveled this far using a boat instead of being led by the waters.
Even though such pure intentions were the reason for it. She is still having a hard time dealing with his stubbornness, grumpy attitude, and irrational mistrust. His body condition, his temper, and his resentment are beyond compare. Especially every time he heard the news that his subordinates had taken another revolt to retrieve the throne.
'His wounds are all fatal. It is a miracle that he managed to survive. The recovery that he needs is no joke,' Hidelga thought.
He cannot contain the resentment; he loses his appetite and goes into another hysteria.
When the Emperor finally fell asleep. Hidelga fixes the room and cures the wounds that worsen every time he loses his temper.
'Look at you? You're almost like your half-brother now (talking about the first prince's insanity),' said the whispering paradox inside his mind.
'Is it still vain to see, my emperor?' said the multiple voices inside his head. 'Your people are risking their lives for you, fighting, bearing your name until death, holding the oath they once gave you. Are you touched? when you were the one who always pushed them away?'' said the voices.
Evan never wanted the throne in the first place yet he needs to get it back, not for himself but for the sake of his people. Indeed, a heroic act from a past murderer.
Unfortunately, there is no reserved healer for a place like the forgotten city. All the healers and doctors were distributed to war. Frankly speaking, Hidelga was the only one who would take all the hardship to take care of a wounded stranger. He would have been dead than complaining.
However, it's unfortunate that he took all his resentment out on her.
When he woke up. He roams and looks around the room from the ceiling to his side.
Hidelga enters the room carrying a meal and finds his previous food untouched.
She sighed in great depth, releasing her exhaustion, and uttered, "You didn't touch your food again nor even take your medicine. Why are you so picky and stubborn? If you want to go back to the battlefield, then you must recover first," she scolded.
She put it down and sat on the chair next to his bed. "How was it? Are you feeling well now?" she asked.
"Very much unwell than yesterday," he stated with sarcasm. Somehow, unlike before, this time he is only teasing her.
'What a stupid woman,' he thought as he took his painful sigh. 'Why should you care for a stranger?' However, these vain thoughts are just the beginning of him getting used to her. Unknowingly, allowing and accepting her existence beside him.
She placed a basin with warm water and then a small towel and she reached for his arm and began to wipe him. He wipes him from his hands up to his face and his whole body.
He seemed to hit a nerve; however, instead of arguing, she pulled out her store patience and said, "You're going back to the battlefield, aren't you?" she muttered, scolding.
"Indeed," he uttered briefly.
"Then, recover," she insisted as immediately as her response. He is silent, probably because he knows that she's right.
"By the way, what's your name?" Hidelga asked again the man who was currently lost in his thoughts.
She started to change his bandage. "You seem to be a high-ranking soldier based on the uniform you were wearing when I found you, or... perhaps a pure noble," she said, preventing his rude comment. She followed the statement. "I am not after your money," she said.
Seeing her consistency and stubbornness, he is slightly convinced; he answers, "Leon," he said, concealing his true identity. 'It is better if she will know less; it will preserve her life,' he thought.
She gave him a sweet smile and stood up, transferring the gauze on the table from the bed. He has a mood that changes that fast but nothing about his behavior before was really a big deal to her.
She set the basin with the towel aside.
"You're not cautious that you might be keeping a snake by your side? I can bite you after," he said, threatening her, implying that he could kill her anytime.
Hidelga suddenly touches his forehead with her hand. "My life doesn't have value to you, nor does my death. So, why not choose where you can benefit the most?" She said as she stood up. "Your fever is gone; that's great," she muttered next, expressing her ease.
"Please recover quickly," she uttered, convincing him. She is at ease to see that he is not that cold and difficult to deal with. Little by little as the days go by.
"Hidelga! Hidelga!" Someone is urgently calling out the door.
The door opened and a young girl came rushing inside. "Hidelga!" she exclaimed.
That little girl was also surprised to see her with a man.
Hidelga asks her to sit down and then talk to her about the matter. It is not safe if this information went out to the people. It may reach the 1st prince's military forces. In Leon's current condition, it will be perilous since the dominant faction took over.
"Peach, I told you not to enter other houses without the owner's consent," she reminded her.
"You are not a stranger; you're my friend. I'm your sister," Peach reasoned.
"Uhmm.. there will be some changes from now on," Hidelga said.
However, the little girl understood it wrong. "So he is your boyfriend?" she stated.
Hidelga's eyes widened while contradicting. "No!!"
"He is a..." She was abrupt when Leon said, "Soon to be husband," he added.
"What?" She was shocked and confused.
"Still under denial?" he uttered.
Hidelga gave him a 'what's going on' stare.
She waited for Peach to leave before letting Leon speak. "She's gone; explain," she said.
"It ain't the reason?" He teased seriously and sarcastically.
"What?! NO!" she said.
Leon did not allow her to finish. "That is easier to grasp than telling her the truth. It is quite risky. If you want her to be safe, then let her know less," he said, implementing the same principle.
And Hidelga was all silent, thinking. 'He is right; that makes sense,' she thought. "So I have to pretend?" She said rather.
"What else there is?" he said.