Hearts' Remedy

Chapter 22

Darien slowly sat up from his sleeping position. The earth was cruel and uncomfortable to his back. He licked his parched lips and mumbled to him self dazedly, "water."

"Darien, here." Someone's skirts rustled as she shifted beside his sitting form. She handed him a flask of sparkling, cool water.

If she had not said anything, he would have never noticed her or the hand offering him the refreshment from the side.

After chugging down the whole flask he threw it over his shoulder. She caught it before it fell to the ground.

"Where's Serena?" He finally asked.

"She's washing up a bit," Naru answered. At the startled look on the prince's face she added, "Don't worry. She's not bathing. She knows better than that out in a place like this."

"I'm all set! Naru thanks for keeping an eye out on him. It's your turn t—" Serena was running out of the clearing as she spoke. So fast was she going she missed the rock depressed in the dirt and accidentally tripped and fell, uprooting the rock from its nestled place.

Serena sat up and laughed heartily while Naru just shook her head as she passed by. It was amazing how the girl was always able to survive such falls. "Be glad you caught yourself with those arms to the floor or you would have lost that front set of teeth you have there."

"I did before. When I was little. Actually a couple of loose teeth came out, some of them whole and some of them pretty cut up."

"So I guess, you've practiced falling everyday ever since then," Naru spoke lightly, with one of her rare smiles taking over her face, "In case that ever happened again."

"Of course, but never intentionally," Serena said merrily, hand held up in a fist. "Darien's seen me fall countless times. Haven't you Darien?"

Darien nodded in place.

Naru seemed contented and lent them peace.

When Naru was completely out of sight, Serena walked up to him solemnly with most of her cheerfulness drained away.

"How is my prince doing? Fairly well I hope?" Serena bent forward and looked him directly in the face. Her hair was loose and falling away from her shoulders elegantly. Darien wanted to reach out and touch the veil of gold falls with their incredible sheen. The only thing holding him back was not fear, but exhaustion. Serena gave him a gentle pat on the head, her summer gaze gleaming with relief.

"You called me 'Darien.'"

"I did."

"Call me again."

"Darien." Then before Darien could support him self Serena jumped on him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "I'm so happy," she sighed as she crushed him with her small body.

"I am, too," he murmured.

"Am I intruding?" Naru interrupted suddenly, picking the wrong time to show up.

"Naru! That was quick!" Serena shouted, jumping back up on her feet.

"Not even half as fast as you Serena. Darien, you should know that Serena was so worried about you she could not let you leave her sight for just one second. I almost had to drag her away for a quick wash," Naru said in exasperation, while rolling her eyes around.

"Naru," Serena sung, pulling away from the momentarily awkward start of the conversation, "Please braid my hair for me."

Darien watched as the two girls sat down and prepared to fix Serena's hair. Darien believed that it was a crime to let that glorious hair get tight and hidden in a rope. Another part of him was pleased that no other man would ever be able to touch that hair the way he did when it was loose as long as he was around her. A smug look crossed Darien's visage as he acknowledged that fact.

"Darien! Are you listening?" A sharp voice interrupted his fantasies.

Darien looked over at Serena, who had her eyes closed as Naru did her hair.

"Are you listening?" Serena repeated.

"Now I am," he replied quickly.

"If you weren't always daydreaming I wouldn't have to repeat myself. I was telling you that we don't have enough food because I was only able to recover my horse, which didn't hold much for convenience if you hadn't noticed. Naru said that we only have a few more hours left before we get there. I think you should ride the horse, just in case."

"No." Darien spoke sternly. Serena stood up hurriedly just as Naru finished.

"Then, we take turns. You first, Highness." With that said they came to a consensus, so Serena walked off toward the spring again to refill flasks.

Once Serena disappeared, Naru giggled lightly. "What were you thinking about back there?"

Darien turned to her, and slowly, but shakily tried to stand. Naru rushed over to help him. At the same time, Darien asked her, "When?"

"When she was asking you if you were up for traveling hours with a small ration of food."

"Oh…" He grounded through clenched teeth. "I didn't hear."

"Of course not. You were so busy watching her," Naru laughed.

Darien's eyes widened. "You saw me?"

"She wasn't looking in your direction, but I was. And yes, it was very obvious."

Darien groaned and slumped heavily over Naru's frail form. "Darien! Darien! Darien, I know you're not feeling well, but you have to at least cooperate long enough for me to get you onto the back of that horse."

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

One of the most dismal panoramas of all civilizations lay bare and dry even under the care of enslaved workers. Serena's eyes rose from their downcast position and she slowly, but steadily scanned the area of all the slanted, molded, and deteriorating hovels which deterred the true meaning of "homes." It seemed they were waiting for maybe a ghost to pop out through one of the hovels' doors, while acknowledging the dilapidated homes of who knew whose.

"Is this what you call an economic growth, Prince Darien?" Serena's whisper held no power to even punch out her usual mock tone behind her words. "How could anyone live in these conditions?" Serena said quietly in anguish. At the same time, the material of her shirt was getting wrinkled as she twisted it with her fists.

"We should replenish our food supply first."

Serena swiftly turned to glance at Naru worriedly. It was the first time Naru spoke since they had arrived at the town and to hear the dull pain in her friend's voice flustered her eardrums. The blank look on Naru's face almost killed Serena on the spot if it weren't for the girl's sudden reassuring smile. "I'm alright, don't worry about me. I just want a moment before I see Master Sai," Naru spoke softly.

"Sai… Naru, he's only Sai now."

"I beg you're pardon, Highness?" Naru slowly turned to look at the prince on the horse.

"Darien," he corrected her. "I'm sure you remember my name just as you remember who's Master."

They looked like they were preparing to reequip themselves with materials and food, but in reality they were waiting. Waiting for that conciliatory moment to gain confidence and spirit. It was like the day before battle, three grim faces finding no place amongst any of their comrades because they knew they were going to face Death the following day. It opened their eyes to the extent of seeing the worst of life and dimming the best of life.

"Sai's place," Naru muttered under her breath, daring herself to breathe.

Serena and Darien stood side by side in front of her. They were staring at the blue house with expressionless faces.

Serena was the first to react. "The Devil behind a slave's adversity... I'll show him!"

Almost on cue, the master of the house opened the front door and stepped onto his porch. Master Sai was a big man and everyone in town knew he was more redoubtable than an earthquake right under one's feet. However, for his size he was still quick on his feet. Maybe it was his round belly that made him seem unbelievably strident when he spoke, too.

"What do you want?" Sai bellowed, making an awful noise getting off his porch.

"We've come for Naru's mother," Serena shouted back.

"Boy, get out here!" Sai hollered into the house.

A youngster around the age of twelve shuffled out of the front door and stumbled down the porch. "Yes, Master," he panted.

"Who's Naru's mother."

"The runaway, Master."

"The runaway!" He echoed in a scream, leaving the boy trembling in fear.

Sai turned from the boy and walked up to Serena, eyes squinting. All the while the boy hovered at his side awaiting a command at any point.

"What do you want with my slave?" he growled, lowering his eyes on Serena.

Serena opened her mouth to speak, but Darien stepped in front of her and answered boldly, "We are buying her from you." Darien held a hand to his chest, obviously gripping something under his clothes.

"What do you have to offer in exchange for the little wench's freedom?"

Outraged at his use of crude language, Serena opened her mouth to yell at him, but Naru stopped her. Naru clamped her mouth shut with her hand, shaking her head feverishly. "This is important. Don't say anything to ruin it," Naru whispered into Serena's ear.

"Gold." Darien's hand along his chest tightened and his eyes closed reflexively.

"Gold?"

"Yes! Gold!" It was Serena who shouted. Somehow her fingers had reached inside the pouch under her cloak. She thrust seven gold coins into the air and caught them before they fell. "Seven gold pieces. That's all I'm offering."

Sai gave a nod to the boy. The boy walked over to Serena and showed her his dirty outstretched hands. Serena looked into the boy's hazel eyes for a moment. Touching his shoulder with a free hand she placed the cold coins gently into his palms. To see his hazel eyes suddenly widen at her gesture stirred her vehemently. She snuck a wink at him before she turned her attention on the stingy Sai again.

Sai made a violent motion with his hands to make the boy hurry. When he finally felt the weight of the gold in his hands, his eyes glowed with childishness. "Very well, very well." His tone switched and with a sadistic smack to the boy's face he shouted, "Go get Naru's mother!"

Serena turned her face away as if she felt the pain of the abuse. Naru took Serena's arm in comfort and laid her head on Serena's shoulder. A mutual understanding cleaved between them and covered them in a shield.

Meanwhile, the boy rushed into the house again. Running so fast, he slammed into a door and started jiggling the doorknob anxiously. As he waited, he shook his arm. He could feel something cold run down the top part of his arm under his sleeve. And not to his surprise, out fell a gold coin landing into the palm of his hand befittingly. The girl with the gold hair was astute having somehow stealthily place the gold piece under his shirt and onto his shoulder without the master catching her. He gripped the valued gift in his palm and cheered. Then, the door opened and the sold slave came out, beaten and hungry. Finally the boy could be the bearer of better news for her.

"You're free! Free forever!"

That is the end of Chapter 22 part 1. Chapter 23 part 2 will only be the continuation of the same situation because I intend to shape Sai into an even more greedy and an even more evil character. Hahahahahaha...

On a happier note, I would like to express my gratitude for the reviewers of Ch 21, because to let you all in on a little secret, it was that chapter that recieved the most reviews than any other chapter in HR's history! I got a total of 16 reviews in the last chapter, so thanks again!

SMILEY FACE WOULD BE RIGHT HERE IF FANFICTION DOT NET WOULD JUST LET ME PUT ONE HERE.>