Rong Yuan released Princess Moyin's wrist, stepping back slightly, giving her a small, reassuring nod. "Shall we continue?" he asked, his eyes soft.
Moyin nodded, smoothing her damp robes, though her heart still raced from their close encounter. "Yes… we shall."
He moved forward, brushing against the cave wall to steady himself, when a sharp, sudden pain shot through his right hand. He froze, a strangled hiss escaping his lips.
Princess Moyin's eyes widened in alarm. " Rong Yuan! What, what is it?"
Without thinking, she grabbed the nearest rock, her hands trembling, as she striking the snake continuously until the creature fell limp to the ground, crushed beneath her fury.
Her chest rose and fell in panic as she tossed the rock aside and turned to him, eyes wide with fear. "What should I do? Tell me what to do!" she cried, voice breaking.
"Stay calm," he said through gritted teeth, though the pain made his jaw tighten. "I...I will manage."
Moyin rushed forward, her hands hovering helplessly. "Manage? You're bleeding! We need to help"
"I need your help," he admitted, his voice steady despite the pain. "Use your scarf… tie above the bite, quickly. It will slow the venom."
Her fingers trembled as she wrapped his forearm with the long silk scarf she always carried. "You, why didn't you warn me? Why didn't you move away from the snake, or even insisted that we must continue?" she demanded, voice thick with fear and frustration, making he to smile even in pains.
Rong Yuan's body temperature felt alarming, hot and trembling, his skin flushed with the poison's spread. He swayed, then sank to his knees, pressing his back against the cave wall. Slowly, he slumped to the ground, his head tilting back and his eyes closing, as if surrendering to the venom.
"No… no, don't do this!" Moyin cried, panic breaking free. She sank beside him, grabbing his shoulders, her tears falling freely onto his chest. "Don't you dare leave me!"
He groaned, a weak, strained sound, his lips barely moving. "Moyin… I… I'm not leaving… I swear…"
Her sobs shook her body as she slapped his arm and chest lightly, desperately trying to wake him. "Stay with me! Please… please don't die!" Her hands trembled as she held him, leaning over him, pressing her forehead to his. "I can't… I can't lose you… not like this!"
The sight of him lying there, pale and trembling, eyes closed as if teetering on the edge of death, tore through her heart. Her cries grew louder, raw and desperate, as she searched her satchel with shaking hands for any herbs that might suppress the poison.
"Hold on… please hold on, Rong Yuan!" she whispered through her tears. "I won't let you die. I won't… I can't…"
He twitched slightly under her touch, a faint groan escaping him, but his eyes remained closed, body slack against the cave wall. Yet even in his weakened state, the faint rise and fall of his chest reassured her that he was still alive… barely.
Moyin's tears fell freely as she applied the herbs, muttering prayers under her breath, slapping his hand and chest again whenever he flinched in pain, her fear and love for him intertwining in a storm of emotion she could no longer control.
"Stay with me…" she whispered once more, clutching his hand tightly, refusing to let go. "Please… please don't leave me…"
Some minutes or hour after the snake bite, Prince Rong Yuan slipped into unconsciousness, his body growing limp in Princess Moyin's arms. Panic flooded her heart like cold water again.
"Rong Yuan! No… no, please…" she cried, shaking him gently, but his eyes remained shut, his breathing shallow and uneven. Without another thought, she dashed into the woods barefoot, thorns scratching her feet, her silk dress snagging on branches. She didn't care. Fear no longer ruled her, only the thought of saving him did.
She scoured the forest for herbs she remembered from the palace healers, bitter leaves for drawing poison, roots that cooled the blood. She didn't even notice when her hands began to tremble, dirt covering her fingers.
Hours turned into days. Princess Moyin never gave up. She stayed by his side, tending to him with everything she had, feeding him fluids, wiping the sweat from his brow, cooling his burning body with damp cloths. Every sunrise found her more tired, her eyes red from crying, but she refused to rest.
By the fourth day, exhaustion finally claimed her strength. After carefully wiping his forehead again, she sat beside him, staring at his face. Even in weakness, he looked regal, calm, strong, beautiful.
"I wonder what Father would think," she whispered softly, her voice trembling with emotion, "if he knew I've fallen for a commoner…"
Her gaze lingered on his face before she leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his lips. The touch was feather-light, a confession she could never speak aloud. Then, sighing, she rested her head on his arm, curling beside him. Within minutes, sleep stole her away, her breathing soft and even.
What she didn't know was that the prince had already stirred hours earlier. Though weak, he had felt every brush of her hands, every touch of care. Her trembling fingers on his skin sent shivers down his spine, emotions he couldn't explain, but couldn't deny.
When her breathing grew steady in sleep, he opened his eyes slightly, watching her pale face resting so trustingly beside him. A faint smile curved his lips.
He remembered how she'd killed the snake that bit him, how she struck it again and again in fury, until its body was nothing but pulp. A small chuckle escaped him at the memory. "Fierce… beautiful… and stubborn," he murmured quietly.
He looked at her once more, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek with his weak fingers. "You're a mystery I can't walk away from, Princess," he whispered faintly. Then, closing his eyes again, he let his body rest, the faint sound of her breathing lulling him into peace.