Chapter 10

Yona's stomach lurched when hearing that Lord Kage had arrived. Her hands unconsciously tightened into fists.

I don't want to see him… I don't want this!

A strong hand clasps her shoulder which breaks her free of her thoughts. She looks up at the masked healer who softly squeezes her shoulder in a silent 'it-will-be-okay'.

That's right… I'm not alone… Healer is with me.. Returning her focus to the ground below her, Yona takes a deep breath and prepares herself.

"I see the door is already open. You must have been expecting my presence." His voice sent shivers down Yona's spine as she continued facing the ground. "I also see that my beautiful wife-to-be's demeanor is more docile today. Have you had enough of Miren's games?" Kage asks while sauntering up to the princess and lifting her chin. The quick movement was painful and made Yona wince. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the healer shift uncomfortably.

He noticed…

"Well, my dear? Have you come to terms with your fate?"

It will be okay… It will be okay… Healer is here… Healer won't leave me….

"….I….am tired of this pain…." Yona said before trailing off.

"…And? Is that all you have to say? Do you want a gallant knight to save you?" The lord inquired with a sadistic smile on his face. Yona squeezed her eyes shut in order to keep herself from glaring at him. He must have taken it as fear, as this only made him chuckle. "Well, Princess?"

Don't you dare call me that….

"…..Yes, I do…I agree…. to become your wife…. " The words felt like swords slicing through her body as she said them. She wanted to look over at the masked man for support, but decided against it in case Kage noticed. However, she could have sworn that he shifted slightly when hearing the word 'wife' come from her mouth.

"How wonderful! I knew that you would come around eventually." He replied while dropping his hold on the princess' jaw. "Get her ready. We will depart for my castle soon."

"Lord Kage." The deep voice of her mysterious ally captured his attention. Yona watched as Kage turned to face him.

"… I was intending to ignore you, but it seems that you will not let me do so… You must be the healer that I have heard so much about….. Miren has been in my ear about you. Apparently, you have been interrupting his torture sessions." Kage eyes the masked man suspiciously.

"Yes, I did. If I remember correctly, your exact orders were to 'not have a scar on her body'. If I had left Miren to do what he wanted, your future wife would have been covered in them, my lord." Yona watches as her companion bows in respect to the horrible man.

Healer…..

"….. Miren does have a tendency to get out of hand at times…. He is very… thorough… with his job. I do admit that she looks better after being seen by you…. I can tell the days in which you do not come to mend her wounds." Kage notes while glancing over at Yona who returns her gaze to the floor.

"We are trained in the most efficient means to heal the injured body…. This being the case, we also are trained in how to mend injuries to where there is no permanent damage… If left alone in the condition that the lady is in, she will have scars all along her back and body…. I can guarantee that." Yona looked up at him as he spoke. He sounded so knowledgeable in his area of practice. It was as if he were a completely different person when he spoke to the Lord.

"… That would be troubling. I do not want her to have many scars on her body… Her skin is so beautiful. I would like to enjoy it to the fullest…" Kage responded with a sickening smile. Yona couldn't stop herself from shuddering when hearing the comment. "..What do you recommend my maids do to treat her injuries?"

"I doubt that your maids or men have enough competence to truly care for the lady. If it would please your Lordship, I will accompany you and the lady until she is completely recovered." The healer bowed his head once more.

"Why would you be willing to go all the way through this trouble to heal her?" Kage inquires, his voice cold and stern.

"This is my living.. What better way for me to make money than to assist a future king and his injured wife?" The evil man was silent a moment before nodding, seeming pleased with the answer.

"Very well. Come with me to my palace. I will compensate you well… however, I expect you to heal her up as quickly as you possibly can." With that, Lord Kage left the room. The guards which were standing watch, nodded to the healer with a look of satisfaction before they too left. Once alone, the masked man knelt down beside Yona.

"Are you okay?" His voice was now gentle and kind as he leaned towards the princess.

"Yeah… Thanks to you being here with me.. It made it bearable….. Hey…. Healer…. You won't heal me.. as fast as you can right?" Yona couldn't help but ask this question. Her injuries were bad, but they should be healed up in a few weeks at most.. At least enough for Lord Kage to be pleased enough to take her to bed with him. The thought caused her entire body to freeze. "I-If you do then he will-"

"Princess… I promise you, I will not allow him to lay his hands on you…... This treatment will take as long as I need it to in order to get you out and to safety." The young red headed girl looked up to see a pair of gentle eyes leaning in closer to her. His gloved hand found its way to the matted tangles of her hair. "Trust me, okay?"

Soft tears welled inside of her eyes at the overwhelming emotions. Yona didn't say anything; instead, she nodded her head in understanding.

"Good girl." He complimented, softly, while petting her head. Before Yona could comment on his action, loud footsteps entered into the room.

"Hello Miss… Healer.." The big, burly Rine stood at the entrance along with a few of the other soldiers. "I'm sorry to interrupt…. I just wanted to tell you that I'm really happy to hear the news. I've heard that you accepted Lord Kage's proposal."

"Yes, I accepted.." The huge man let out a gentle smile as he walked closer to them. Yona leaned in closer to the healer causing Rine to stop in his tracks. As if sensing her fear, he let out an even sweeter smile.

"…Don't worry yourself, little miss. Healer and I will do everything we can to help you. So don't lose hope, okay?"

"You're… You're on my side?" Yona couldn't conceal her astonishment when looking up at this man, whom she thought was an incompetent friend of Miren's.

"Yes, Miss. There are many of us who are. We just haven't had the strength to stand up to him yet…. At least not until we met you… You have given us that extra push." Rine kneels down in front of the Princess and reaches into his pocket. He takes out a neatly folded letter and places it in her small hand. "When you meet a young dark haired girl named, Sia Yu, please give this to her… She will know what to do….. Stay strong and take care of yourself, Miss."

With those final words, Rine turned and left the room, a few of the guards following after him. The red headed girl looked down at the paper in her hands as tears swell in her eyes.

I really haven't been alone…

"Um…. I'm sorry. I know you are still weak, but I really do think you should hurry. Lord Kage is not a patient man… Not even to an injured fiancé.." One of the soldiers commented causing both the healer and Yona to nod in understanding. Without a word, the masked man picks up Yona bridal-style causing her to gasp in surprise.

"It's not good for you to walk right now. You are too weak." His compassionate voice causes her heart to skip a beat. Leaning into his chest, she softly nods her head in agreement.

Joo-doh looks down at her fragile little body in his arms.

I know I'm making the right decision, but I just hate having to let her go through this…

He unconsciously tightens his grasp on her as they walk down the hallways and out of the prison.

Kage is sitting atop one of the horses along with two other soldiers, one's whom he doesn't recognize.

"It took you a while. I was growing impatient."

"I apologize." The Sky Tribe general managed to say while trying not to hold her closer to him. "She's weaker than she appears. It's best to take things slow."

"…. Try to fix that soon. My patience has its limits…. I'm assuming you have a horse, go fetch it and carry her with you. I don't want her leaning on me while I am trying to ride." Kage orders while his horse paws at the ground impatiently.

"Yes, my Lord." He fights to keep the growl out of his voice and carries Yona over to his horse which is tied to the tree.

"Can you sit up here for just a moment?" He asks while going to place her in the saddle.

"Yes, I think I can." The princess responds with a slight smile. This makes Joo-doh smile back.

I'm glad that you can still smile… This shows that you are not fully broken… You truly are so strong.

He quickly unties the reigns and jumps up on the saddle.

"Are you okay?" He reaffirms while pulling her against his chest.

"Y-Yes." Yona said while looking away from him. Joo-Doh couldn't help but notice the slightest tint of pink on her cheeks.

I guess a Princess wouldn't be used to being so close up against a man…. No..No… Don't think of anything unnecessary….

Joo-Doh shakes the thoughts from his head and steers the horse in Lord Kage's direction.

"We are ready to go." He informs the Master and his men.

"It's about time…" Kage growls before kicking his horse and racing off into a gallop.

"….Please bear with this for a little while, Princess." Joo-Doh whispers as he clicks his heels into his own horse. With a neigh, the horse begins galloping alongside the others. Yona leans up against her healer, trying to focus on the warmth of his skin versus the pain which shoots through her body from the racing horse. She couldn't help but notice how he pulls her tighter to him in order to ease the pain. It made her heart beat quicken every time.

Healer… You are making my heart beat so loud…

….

Hey everyone! I finally have been able to finish this chapter. Sorry it was more of a filler than anything. I'm hoping that if I just get this chapter out of the way, my writer's block will crumble and I can get on with the rest of the story. I apologize for the months of no updates, I had major family issues. They still are not resolved, but I am getting better finally. Beating the depression l_(._.)_l Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter…. Now it's off to the adventures in the caste. Fufufufufufufu! I'm hoping you guys enjoy romance and steamy scenes, fights, and action… maybe some angst thrown in too.. Fufufufufufufufu! ^.^

~Until next time, my wonderful readers!~