"Siblings should love one another because they came from the same womb". The teacher taught Yun before, and then he looked at my face.
I was smiling at him before he coughed and scratched his throat.
"--- well, you should treasure siblings that didn't come from the same womb as yours, as long as both your lives came from the same Father."
Yun knows he was talking about Yun's family. My family has many mothers. My mother, Jin's Mother, and Yo Ran's mother. But we only have one father.
I don't understand why Father needs so many mothers in the palace... but Yun doesn't care. Mothers are beautiful people. To have many is Yun's dream.
But these mothers do not like Yun alone... because Yun has sisters.
So now, Yun only has one mother. Because they took the other two away.
My sister Jin has a wide smile on her face. A lace was tied around her eyes while her whole being screams at me.
She was humming, her face was as bright as the sun, her hair as brown as the sand, and under that lace... her eyes were a light shade of blue.
I like her eyes. I like blue. The blue color is Yun's favorite, and I always use that color to paint flowers.
Jin is like a flower. People around Yun say so.
"Why are you hiding from me?" Jin asked, her voice was as calm as Mother's beating heart.
I was hiding behind a tree, sitting down while the black things surrounded me. The tree leaves were swaying, making that calming sound that makes Yun want to sleep.
There were even ants climbing the tree, making cracking sounds as their limbs touch the tree bark. Yun's heart is at peace.
But Jin found me.
No matter how motherly her voice is, Jin's whole body makes these sounds that make my ears itch. Yun doesn't like her.
The liquid in her body is always moving slowly, as if it is carrying thick and heavy loads. The air is always unruly and lacking, making her breathing louder than that of other people. Even her bones are creaking and breaking slightly with every step.
Her heart was the worst. Yun can hear her heart beating so slow yet so hard... as if it will stop anytime but never does.
Jin's body is so loud...so loud. Yun's head always hurts whenever she's around.
A smile remained on her lips before she gently raised her hand, trying to locate where I was. I tilted my head and then frowned, her arms are making that noise again... as if it will break soon.
" Your Highness? Why are you not answering me? Are you still mad?" Jin breathed in through her mouth and nose.
The air went inside her body, hitting a few of her flesh, before she ended up in a cough.
Yun can hear everything... except movement from her eyes.
"Go away, you're loud!" I mumbled and then turned my back, running away with my small limbs. The black smoke followed me; they do not like Jin as well.
"Your Highness, please do not be disrespectful to the Geika[1]... " Jin's servants called out to me, their mouths let out a sigh as the bones of their shoulders moved down with a creak.
I looked at them and kept my distance.
Right, Yun can't be disrespectful. Pouting, I stood from far away and just crossed my arms above my chest...copying the guards I saw some time ago.
This is how they stand when they talk to someone they don't like. Yun should stand like this.
Jin tilted her head. Her brown hair fell to her shoulders with the sun touching it. But she didn't take a step forward and simply waved her hand against the wind again.
"Did His Highness stop? Where is he?" She mumbled, her dry lips that do not even make the plopping sound when speaking, and tried to whisper.
" Yun is nowhere. He left. " I mumbled, and then I looked around trying to find the old woman.
The old woman's heartbeat was far on Yun's left. I looked and looked and then found her standing on the corner of the garden with her head bowed.
Yun smiled and quickly ran to her, clinging to her clothes. The old woman's body trembled, but then she touched Yun's hands with her ugly hands that had many roots like trees.
I looked down on it and then patted her hand.
"How come you have roots in your hands? Are you a tree?" I asked and then leaned closer to her. I rubbed my face on her clothes before looking at Jin, who started walking towards us with the help of her servants.
Is she planning on taking this mother too? She already has one.
"I am not Your Highness... this is just what happens to the skin when we become old." The old woman explained, making me nod while my eyes still looked at Jin.
No matter how much I glare at her, she won't stop. Yun is angry. Jin never listens to me.
A smile is still on her face. Her hands were still soft like Yun's, unlike the old woman's. Every move of hers made a sound, earning another glare from me.
But then, once again. Her eyes did not move.
"Your Highness, do not be angry at me, okay? I didn't want to ruin your painting last time... " Jin murmured, letting out a sigh, reaching out to nothing.
My lips quivered when she said that.
Not only did Jin take Yun's second mother, but she also ruined Yun's first painting. She threw her ink on it and ruined the beautiful flowers I drew.
Yun cried so much, and my heart hurt so much that day, but Jin didn't even hug me. She just stood there and started throwing things.
Bad. Jin is Bad. How come she is Yun's sister? It can't be.
"Yun doesn't want to talk to you! You threw ink on my painting!" I screamed at her and then hid behind the old woman.
Finally, I heard a sound coming from her pretty eyes. Her eyelids closed tightly and then opened under that lace.
Her heart slowly tightened and went faster than usual. She even raised her hand, touching her chest.
"Yun... I— I did not mean to. You know I cannot see, I simply didn't know." Jin's breathing was heavy.
Her lips quivered too, like Yun's. But no matter. If Jin loved Yun, then she would've made way.
She should've done something to see.
The old woman suddenly touched Yun's hands, and her eyes looked at me as if they would fall out. Her eyes were glinting as if she had dust in them.
"Are you alright? Do you need Yun to blow it for you?" I asked and then tried to climb up to her.
The old woman sighed and carried me before she looked at Jin, who was silent. Yun just looked at her and then started opening the old woman's eyes and blowing on them.
Yun ignored Jin. After a while, Jin said she would leave, but I simply did not look at her.
Why would I? Jin didn't look at Yun's painting either.
After she was gone, I sighed and then smiled widely before trying to go back down. The old woman's heart was starting to get loud and ugly, but I did not pay it any mind.
I was let down on the ground before I walked back towards my courtyard, to my chamber.
The old woman was following me with heavy steps. The movement of her whole body was heavier than usual, as if something was put on top of her.
Yun secretly looked all around her, surrounding and running her in circles to check before looking at her head.
Nothing. I tilted my head.
Yun turned around and walked away. There is nothing. She is not carrying anything, so why has she become heavier?
I looked down at my feet and then leaned to touch them. They were small and soft, making me giggle.
Yun's feet are never heavy and loud. They're perfect feet.
"Y-Your Highness..."
I stopped walking when the old woman's breathing went heavier. Looking back, Yun frowned and then faced her.
"What is it mother—" Yun quickly covered my mouth and then giggled.
No, no. Yun has Mother. Not her.
The servant didn't seem to notice Yun's mistake, making me nod my head continuously. She simply opened her mouth again.
"You must've hurt the Geika's feelings earlier..." She mittered slowly and weakly. It was good that Yun had good hearing, or else it would not have been heard.
I stared at her face for a while before I tilted my head to the side, a small smile on my face.
"Ahh, okay."
The old servant looked at me. Her eyes were calm, as well as her heart and breathing. In fact, Yun almost thought that she stopped all at once.
Her eyes twitched, making me shiver at the sudden noise before her lips pursed into a straight line. She smiled at me, but her eyes were dull.
"That's all, Your Highness. Would you like to take a bath?"
I immediately beamed and jumped, clapping my hands. "Yes! Yes! Yun likes baths!"
My dirtied hands with mud under my nails patted my cheeks, making them red, before I ran to the bath.
Yun waited patiently as the old woman called out other servants to bring warm water. The white smoke appeared, making me smile as I tried to catch it.
The white smoke and the black smoke played together. But only the black smoke made loud giggles.
I ignored them as the old woman carried me to the tub, my skin touching the warm water.
My feet were warm now as I splashed the water at the servant, who just kept quiet. I looked at her silently, and her heart no longer sounds as good as Mother's.
There was silence, but Yun is alright. Yun would've been sad if she were Mother... but she's not.
A mother shouldn't act like this. Yun's Mother wouldn't.
I smiled at her before I looked down at the water. Waving my arms and hands under the warm water made me want to sleep.
Yun then bent my body more, the water reaching my neck and then face.
"Do you think Yun can stay for long here? Mother do not allow Yun to play, but I want to swim more in the tub." I mumbled, bubbles forming on the water as I spoke, making me giggle.
The servant was still silent, but her heart was even quieter. Yun hears everything... and if Yun doesn't hear anything from someone...
Screams echoed in my ears as the black smoke started crying and wailing. A force pushed Yun down to the water.
The hand was strong, gripping my hair as she put me under. Bubbles left my mouth as I was forcefully made to drink.
I reached out and tried to hold onto her arm, but she didn't move. My nails dug into her skin, letting the red liquid fall on the water and mix with it.
Yun was under the water... so Yun clearly saw the red liquid slowly staining it.
"Demon! You demon! How dare you pretend to be a mortal!" She was whispering, her teeth gritting, making all these annoying sounds.
The water made Yun's ears weaker, but it still hurt to hear this. The air inside my body slowly became bubbles as I tried to mumble a few words.
But no matter how much Yun tried... this mother is strong.
"YOU KILLED MY CHILD! SHE WAS JUST DOING HER BEST! SHE WAS TAKING CARE OF YOU!" She screamed and then added another hand on my head as she slammed Yun's face on the tub.
Yun don't know her child. Yun don't know the demon.
Yun don't understand.
My chest feels heavy and tight. No air is flowing inside my body, so I tried copying Jin and opened my mouth to get air... but water went in instead, making Yun cough in pain.
My eyes blurred and burned. My eyes were so hot under the water. But my tears only mixed in. Yun wanted to cry, so she knew that Yun didn't like this... but how is she supposed to see Yun's tears?
The water washed it away.
"Hmppjmpp!" I cried and cried, but my voice was not heard. Is she deaf? She don't hear Yun?
My body slowly lost its strength. I can't move my arms, and can't cry. Yun just swayed and stayed under the water... but my eyes kept awake.
I see nothing but the tub, and Yun's legs and pretty feet. My perfect feet stopped wiggling. No air was inside my body, Yun knows, because he can't hear any air left. My heart also beat slower...
Yun's heart might stop beating soon. But I stopped wiggling and let her make me stay under the water.
Maybe... she is deaf. Maybe she can't see like Jin. Maybe she just wants Yun to bathe better.
My mind slowly agreed, then smiled weakly.
Mothers like making people swim in the tub till their heart stops beating. At first, Yun thought it was only my mother who did that... but this mother also does it.
And today, it seems Yun would be the one to swim.
____
[1] Crown Princess