The last thing that I saw was the transparent water under the tub, with my legs limped down unable to move.
Next, I heard the cries of the old woman as she pushed my floating body down. Soon, my heart stopped beating.
I did not close my eyes. Yun can't sleep in the tub.
Glop.Glop.Glop.
"Give way! Give way!" Father's loud screams woke me up. My body was bouncing every glop, making me cover my ears.
The horse suddenly screeched to stop.
A cold strong hands quickly covered my ears overlapping with my hands. I looked up and found Father looking at me with sweat on his face. He was frowning, and his eyes were moving so loudly, watching my face.
I touched my face trying to see what was he looking at, with my ears pulsing from various noises overlapping with one another.
"Halt! The Prince is awake!"
"Awake? H-How—GOOD! GOOD!"
"Is the Prince okay!? What happened?"
"Yun? Yun? Are you awake?" Father's voice echoed as he tightened his hold on my ears making me frown then pout.
Did Yun fell asleep during bathe?
The heartbeats of so many soldiers echoed, and the slight neighs of the horses added. Even the sound of clacking metals and these people's flesh that sounds so thick and bulging as if it will explode went in my ears.
But the whispers were the ones that made Yun frown deeply.
"No way... isn't he dead—" A loud slap echoed.
"Hush! Do you want to die!?" Another one whispered followed by another slap.
I immediately looked at their side to glare at them. How dare they wish something bad about Yun!?
Yun is not dead. Dead people go to Heaven... This is not Heaven.
I looked down at Father who still tightly covers my ears while gasping loudly, almost sucking Yun in. I chuckled but immediately stopped...
I opened my mouth again to say something but just like earlier, no sound came out making me touch my lips. I patted my mouth and then tried to grip my lips to try to speak again but nothing came out.
Yun... can't speak.
A hand fell on my head, caressing my hair. I looked up to Father who was tightening his hold onto me, his breathing fast and his heart were loud.
His body relaxed, like as if all the air that he refused to breath out suddenly found their way out. A new fresh air went inside his body, his eyes flickering, and his flesh untightened letting the warm liquid inside flow more freely.
Father swallowed then his eyes trembled as his heart tightened again.
"You... Yun— My child, you're okay? Why?" Father's whispers echoed cracking with each word. The horse had fully stopped while my eyes looked around and found so many soldiers crying and saying thank yous.
Yun don't know why, Father. Yun also don't have voice. Why are you asking me? Help Yun instead. I opened my mouth and tried to speak but only air went out, not sounds.
My eyes trembled before I touched my throat and looked around.
We were in a dark forest. There was no moon and only the cokd wind were greeting us. I looked around yet couldn't see the black things that usually surrounded me, and for a while I ended up coughing.
But no sound came from my lips again, making my mouth purse tightly. I looked up at my Father who was just showering me with tears as I try to pat his chest.
Yun... Yun can't speak. I... Voice is gone.
I patted and patted but Father just rubbed his head on my hair putting so many kisses there. My eyes slowly trembled as tears started dripping from my eyes again.
I opened my mouth to cry but Yun no longer have voice. Yun can't cry.
"Your Highness, I know how wonderful it is that the Prince woke up, but we must still make haste! Having a Priest look at his condition is best." A soldier went close to us making me look at him.
My eyes widened and immediately nodded at Father.
Bevenolent God Ares will bring Yun's voice back. He will. He loves Yun.
I gripped on Father's chest and pulled on it nodding at him. Father understood Yun but quickly swallowed before looking back. He motioned the horse to return which made Yun slap his chest.
"N-No need... we—we should nurse him back," I slapped his cheek and shook my head.
I pointed to my voice, then touched my throat, and opened my mouth. Yun even showed my tongue.
Yun can't talk, Father. Father, let's go heal Yun.
I tugged on his clothes again and then climbed onto his chest, then hold his neck. My Father flinched when Yun's hands touch his neck making me tilt my head to him.
I looked at my hands and then patted my cheeks.
Ah?
Why is Yun's body so cold?
I quickly patted my cheeks, stronger and faster than normal until my cheeks finally warmed up. A smile immediately formed on my lips.
Yun thought that even my warmth was gone. Whew.
I suddenly stopped when I saw so many eyes looking at me wide eyed. They were all holding their breaths, because for a while now, no air left nor went in on their bodies.
Who are these people?
I hugged Father's neck and then smiled at them slightly, a huge collective shiver of their bodies quickly reached my ears, making me tremble too.
My lips quivered.
"H-He was dead long ago...."
"No way."
"I—I...I...W-We.."
Their whispers echoed making me pout, my tears falling on my cheeks. No, why would they say that? Why are they so mean?
I tightly closed my eyes and then buried my face on Father's neck.
I don't like these people.
Father felt my body shivering, he raised his hands to caressed my back before I felt the horse moving.
"Let's head to Tzuwe tomorrow." Father's voice echoed. I slightly raised my head and found that we're returning to wherever we were from.
I tightened my hold to Father's neck and then kissed his cheeks.
Okay, Yun don't need my voice. Only Father.
The wind blew as the coldness of the air were warmer than my body. The horses and the other soldiers rode quickly behind us in total silence.
Their hearts were so loud and fast. Some were even shaking their heads so much, and most are always taking glances at Yun. Their bones and faces makes this slow creaking sound everytime they look at me and Father.
I quickly glanced back at some of them, huffing.
See? Yun is not dead. Yun is here with Father not with the Gods.
I even raised my hand and waved at them to prove it, making them tremble and look away. Maybe guilty.
I pouted and then moved closer to Father. I tightened my hug on his neck, leaving red marks. The air on his throat and warm liquid slightly slowed down as I hug him more.
No way Yun will leave Father. If Yun dies, Father should come too.
My tears stained his neck as I closed my eyes. Father's voice echoed as he gave Yun's kisses on my head, "Yun...My dear Yun. I don't know what to do."
The sound of the swaying forest was like Mother's singing. When Yun was young, Mother sings every night and comb my hair. That is one of Yun's favorite things.
Then, once Mother leaves, Father would suddenly jump down from the window. He will pull out something that goes swish then sit down on Yun's bed.
He will comb my hair too, then cry, and then put the shiny blade on Yun's neck. Father will cry and cry, before he puts it down, crack it with his hands.
Warm liquid will fall on the ground plop, plop,plop, along with his tears and then he will wipe off his hands on his clothes. Then leaned on Yun then kiss me goodnight.
That's how Yun always sleeps...
So Yun can't fall asleep tonight. I looked up after I stopped crying then watch the soldiers silently riding their horses.
The mud beneath us makes the same plop,plop, sounds as birds and many animals sing for Yun. Somewhere inside the deep forest, cries and pantings were echoing reaching me.
Maybe... Maybe the animals were playing chase?
I leaned and rested my cheeks on Father's shoulders. Swoosh echoed as many small feets ran around in the forest. Teeth grinding, and growls echoed following that small footsteps.
Soon, a shriek was heard and a sound of eating followed.
I touched my stomach and then felt myself drooling. The animals were having dinner unlike Yun.
I listened to the animals eat like, they were chewing it so much as if it's too hard to eat making me laugh without sound.
The chewing noises slowly made me close my eyes. Hm, hm, the whimpers behind the chewing sounds are so similar to my Father's sobs when he kiss me goodnight.
...
"Hurry! Hurry! Do not dally and load everything carefully in the carriage."
I watched as many tall big servants carry so many boxes inside the carriages. I stood silently as I hold my Mother's hand.
Sob.Sob.Sob.
I looked up at Mother who was still crying. She has become ugly, I just smiled before I looked back at the courtyard's gates where so many carriages are waiting to be loaded.
Yun have many things. So many to bring to Tzuwe.
"My child... My child... How is Mother supposed to let you go alone?" Mother was still crying as I try to pull my hands away from her.
She tightened her hold then look at me before quickly kneeling, holding both my shoulders. Her face had so many tears, her eyes were red and puffy like a fish.
I patted her eyes and opened my mouth but no sound came out, making my mother's eyes tremble and cry again.
"My poor Yun... I shouldn't have— I shouldn't have trusted that bitch!" She cried so gracefully and gentle.
I nodded to her to agree without knowing what bitch is and what she shouldn't have done.
Yes, yes, bitch shouldn't be trusted.
I patted her head and then leaned closely to her, dropping a kiss. I wiped her tears then looked around to look for the old woman.
She's gone. Mother must've made her swim as well.
Father and Yun went back last night, with my Mother, and other mothers, and Yo Ran and Jin crying while waiting.
They were all ugly last night. Then they all fell into their knees and cried so loud while chanting Bevenolent God Ares' name and thanking him.
I don't understand. Bevenolent God Ares didn't heal Yun's vouce yet but they are already saying thank you. Is it so Bevenolent God Ares can no longer reject Yun's prayers?
As I was watching them, Father dismissed them all and carried me back to his own courtyard. Many physicians looked after Yun with bulging eyes.
They were all saying Miracle. I am not Miracle, I am Yun. But Yun can't complain because I can't speak, so I just glared at them.
They held my wrist, touched my forehead, opened my mouth, and looked at my eyes. They were sweating and crying while sniffing so loud.
And still called and whispered about Miracle.
"The Prince drowned... he was truly dead when his body was found." The Physician muttered talking to my Father which made me frown and glare at him.
Liar.
"... Your Highness, I'd be really honest with you. When he was found, it has already been half a day. It was impossible that he was not dead by that time." He added making me glare more.
Yun rarely gets angry. But that night I was.
So I grabbed the lamp beside me and threw it to the liar.
Father moved so fast and caught it midair, and simply looked at me before pulling the Physician outside.
"I don't know what happened, but for the Prince to come back alive and only lose his voice... it is truly only Heavens' will. "
I spent the whole night glaring at the physicians who didn't go to sleep and stayed to play with me. And they spent the whole night crying to me calling me miracle.
"Seize your crying. And your words! How could a Queen speak such foul language."
I quickly blinked and looked behind when I heard Father's voice. His voice was high and cold, and his eyes quickly fell on me.
He walked towards me and held Mother's hand tightly, making me hear a cracking sound as he took her hand away from me.
Father looked at me for a long time as I smile at him, and then at the end, he simply looked away and carried me.
I looked at him and then rubbed my cheeks on his cheeks, remembering Father's trembling voice last night as he went back to his courtyard.
"Please... Please, God Ares... I will do anything. My son, my son, heal him."
______