Chapter 27: Tortures and Despairs
It was a dark midnight. Everyone slept with their warm blankets covering their bodies from the very cold winter weather. The only ones up were the royal night guards. They were patrolling the castle from any intruders, as it is their duty to protect the castle, the castle laborers, the nobles and most importantly, the royal family.
On the East wing slept the white-haired prince and his gracious wife, the red-haired princess. The comfort of the bed and the extra thick blanket warming their pale skins.
Oddly, they were sleeping separately. Very unlike. Each body was facing the other way.
Shirayuki's body itself changed her sleeping body's posting as it had gotten tired. Inside the dark room, Shirayuki's breath was quickening, she was panting. She once more changed her sleeping position back as it was before. But something was tickling her. Something was tickling her chest and throat.
Felt by the familiar sensation, Shirayuki suddenly woke up from her sleep and placed her hand onto her heavyweight chest and started rubbing it.
Due to Shirayuki's rapidness, Zen also woke up and switched on the nearest lamp. Seeing his wife rubbing her chest he murmured concerned, "Shirayuki?"
Shirayuki quickly uprose from their bed and fastly walked to the washroom.
Zen let his hands run through his white hair. Hearing the sounds of an unhealthy wife vomiting made him even more worried. He pulled his torso back, now leaning on the bed's headboard.
The sounds coming from the washroom reduced. Zen had become a light-sleeper due to this. So he can help Shirayuki incase she yelps for something or anything befalls.
The white-haired kept staring at the door, hoping it would open soon. But nothing happened. He was becoming more worried. It's been close to half an hour since Shirayuki entered the washroom. Usually, it would take quarter minutes.
Zen got up from the large bed and made his way to the lavatory. He knocked three times. Waiting for an approval, he got the opposite. As no approval or disapproval was heard, he slowly entered inside. He saw Shirayuki kneeling down with her arms surrounding a bucket and face dipped inside it.
Zen fastly approached Shirayuki and started rubbing her back. With only short centimeters between Zen and the sea blue bucket, he could already see blood and the food Shirayuki had eaten before sleeping. Seeing the blood was enough for him to close his eyes as he himself couldn't take more of it.
Zen stood up, fetched water with a cup and took a small-sized, light red towel from the towel shelf. He placed these items on her right side.
Without the feeling of heavyweight chest anymore, Shirayuki took the filled cup and used it to cleanse her mouth so it wouldn't feel stained. She wiped her mouth with the light-shaded of red and thanked Zen with a pale smile.
"You can go inside and warm up. I will empty the bucket", Zen proposed.
"I don't know, but I really feel cold. Maybe a hot shower would be nice?" Shirayuki asked weakly as she tried to get up from the kneeling position to a standing position but miserably failed. Only to find herself sitting tiredly on the floor.
"Here, use my towel. It's the thickest to warm you up till I'm done preparing the bathtub." Handling a white, thick and long body towel, Shirayuki thanked. She wrapped herself into the world of Zen's towel as his scent almost took her breath away. Though with any strong-scented smell, she would feel dizzy and faint, she didn't feel like that towards Zen, she even urged for more. No matter how many times this white-colored body towel is washed, his body scent never vanishes from it.
She turned her head, only to see how her partner was focusing on his work, she felt sad. Very, very sad. She was pushing him away from her, so, he wouldn't be sighted in this awful situation where he basically does everything for her and witness most awful things; such as her daily hurls.
She was also pushing him away because she thought she looked like the palest skeleton with a swollen belly and breasts. Just by that fact, whenever Zen starred at her, she would feel uncomfortable. She smiled at Zen and turned her head back.
Shirayuki's 20th week of pregnancy had passed away silently. She had slight of hope that the Hyperemesis Gravidarum disorder would faint, but instead disappointed was all over her face.
"Would you want any bathing oil to be added to the water?" Shirayuki once more turned her head to face Zen as he held an olive bathing oil captured inside a long, deep green moisturizing bottle. She nodded her head as an approval. The honey and milk are her most favorite, but it has a strong scent, hence, she uses the olive oil.
After Zen had prepared the bath for his beloved, Shirayuki started unclothing herself from Zen's towel and from her toe-length maternity nightgown.
While Shirayuki was feeling the warmness and stress-relieving of the oiled-water, Zen emptied the bucket and renewed it.
It all started when she had encountered with them; the Royal Castle's most professional gossipers and rumor spreaders. It was just when she was happy even though she suffered HG symptoms then.
Shirayuki furthered her body more into the water, letting bright red hair into the oiled-water as well.
"I'm leaving. If you need anything, don't hesitate to shout for me." With that, Zen kissed Shirayuki's forehead and left. She slowly closed her eyes. She wrapped her arms around her five and half month swollen belly.
The way the gossipers coarse about her body; the way she was looking, the way she even talked and walked. They pouted everything vulgarly as if it disgusted them - in front of Shirayuki. Broken, pregnant Shirayuki couldn't do anything, even with her royal status, she didn't do anything to them. She just left and never turned back to face them.
No matter the countless times she tried to avoid their deleterious words, it was just too injurious to be unrecognized. That day, she couldn't eat, sleep or even able to talk, she looked into the mirror the whole day, and that's when she realized how she really looked like. Ever since then, she has despised the mirror more than anything. Also, the very reason why she feels uncomfortable when Zen looks at her.
Her depression and anxieties started when she started avoiding everyone, especially, Zen. She had tried to cure it differently. But deep down, she knows only Zen could be her cure, and this particular Zen is the one she's trying her hardest to avoid. She does look like a skeleton - in her mind; her eyes all protruding from their sockets, her cheeks hollow and bones, desperately jutting out from its muscles and skin.
Forcefully getting up from the semi-warm water, she slipped into her bathroom slippers and dried her body and wet hair with her light green, floral towel. She skin creamed her body, switched off the light, and left.
Shirayuki paused for a moment, not knowing what to do; Zen was sitting on the bed - her side of the bed. Normally, after she's done with her midnight wake-ups, she would go back to her sleeping period. And for Zen, he would be lying either his hand on his chest or his arm across his head. She slowly took her seat on the bed.
With few minutes of no word spoken, Zen asked, "Are you in any way hungry?" Shirayuki kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with while Zen stared at her.
"No. Not really. Besides, I had taken the blood tonic last night." Shirayuki still held her head down. She was always like this around Zen. Always.
Zen cussed under his breath for forgetting she had taken blood tonic last night. "So then, goodnight.
Shirayuki nodded her head and replied, "Goodnight to you, too."
Zen stood and paused. Shirayuki lifted her head to see what was wrong and immediately received a pleasant kiss on the cheek. He swept her now-dry hair to the back of her ear. Shirayuki released a small sigh and bit her lower lip as Zen walked to his side of the bed.
Carefully lying on the bed, Shirayuki placed her hand on her big tummy. She saw Zen sleeping, his back facing her. Usually, they would cuddle and be kissing each other all night till they fall asleep.
With a frustrated and guilty feeling, she tried to forget the bad things she had done to Zen for him to be acting this way and forcefully kept her eyes shut till she fell asleep.
With the hearings of little heavy breathing, Zen smiled brightly. She had finally slept. He stood up carefully trying not to wake her and made his way to his private office in his quarters. Very soon, he will be finished.
A/N:
Hello!
I'm quite sorry for not updating in a while, but I've been busy, that's why.
In this chapter, we found out who is the cause of Shirayuki's despair and emotional torture. Then again, Zen is planning something.
Having to drink blood tonic is no fun at all, at least for me. It's always been a horrible yet exciting experience. And whenever taken a sip of blood tonic, can't eat. And till now, I still take it.
Since Shirayuki lacks blood, I just thought maybe she could use some blood tonic, too.
To be honest, I'm quite excited to see what Zen has in mind.
Hope you enjoyed;)