The Lady Is Mine-Chapter 179: Only Human...

{Music Recommendation: So cold ~ Ben Crocks & Nikisha Reyes-Pile}

Two bodies were found as Hart had said... one alive and the other dead. Two bodies were returned from the mountain with a decaying cut-off arm.

The tournament for Jenna’s groom spread like wildfire throughout the entire kingdom. Even those who hadn’t attended got the news from their abode. The events that had taken place during the fight of love didn’t settle even after the rain did.

Dry and hot season arrived; it had been three weeks since the tournament. The mountain, the drinking pub, and everywhere a contest was held now appeared empty. Only what was left were memories of what no longer stood.

Loud cheers and smiles, dresses and wine. Jealousy and obsession. Love and supplication in its purest form now looked like a myth. One only an eye that was present could really tell.

According to the letter written by the council leader, never in the history of tournaments had sacrifices like this one been made. The lessons learned were no longer superficial, as endurance played its card and loyalty came to settle. And not only the right virtues but the atrocious acts and evil deeds of men saw the light of day and the silence of the night.

The heavy downpour and rain that followed after did little to wash away this grand event.

"Lois..."

The woman who was in love. Some say she was married to Rhane in her past life; others say she might have birthed him. Meanwhile, wiser ones believe that the young woman grew attached to what was never hers, as she wanted company in her misery.

Could it be that the one Lois really wanted was Jenna’s attention? There was never a letter for that... and the sad part— there would never be.

Lois jumped from the cliff and touched the cloud for a brief moment. It took twenty fit mountain climbers to find and retrieve her body. And even when they did... it was difficult to attach her body parts in place.

Pride and prejudice? Some may say. In reality, it is the shame that comes with accepting sin and the fear of facing its penance. She decided to pay her dues and took the wages of the sin she didn’t want to face.

Though her pride played more part, Lois knew how people would look at her. Again she would be thrown into the dark, never to have a man look at her or have Jenna forgive her. And for that... this woman— a beautiful scholar with the best smile and hair color that radiated amongst all maidens, ended her own story.

Lois died.

In contrast, Gerald decided that there was more to life than shame. He waited for rescue and made sure to take his ripped-off arm along with him. Though he didn’t ask, a good man had thought it wise to bring it.

The despair of losing everything and everyone only led Gerald to sit all day moping. The sun and moon passed him by, and so did the season. He wasn’t having a moment of reconciliation, neither was there introspection to give him a life turnaround.

With just one arm, he needed help from people. It was his first time anyway.

Nikolai had lost half hectares of his land, and many acquaintances no longer wanted to do business with him. All in all, Master Brown showed he could be vicious when it came to avenging his daughter.

With his father’s wealth lost, Gerald knew reproach was coming. He’d brought sorrow and pain to more lives than his missing arm could count. And so when it came, he sat by the corner of the house and let it sink in.

Drinking all day, soliloquizing midway, and falling asleep in the same spot became his new order. He rotted away inside his home. It was better than to run and hide in the market when people threw rotten tomatoes and stones at him. He didn’t have anywhere to hide either. Apparently, even rats in the sewers had vendetta against him.

The council... they received their judgment. When the kings heard of their corruption—from the leaders down to the least person—a new office and members were assigned. And in rewarding a young man who risked it all for his woman, a family name was granted.

The Hendericks... it only got better.

A royal verdict was sent, and a position in the royal court awarded to the first Henderick as the Earl.

And all of these happened in the space of a heavy rain and a very scorching season. Above it all, the one who benefited most from it slept.

Rhane slept for days and more during the nights.

Twice, a physician pronounced him dead, but Kali held a knife to the man’s throat and threatened,

"If you do not bring back my brother from the land of the dead you speak of... I’ll send you there first as a gift. And I won’t stop there... I will take your family along with me."

That was the last time any human being alive ever referred to a sleeping Rhane as dead. Slowly, the wounds on his stomach started healing, though fevers came to steal him away. But Jenna showed more grit.

"He sleeps so peacefully... did he forget he has a wife waiting?" Kali had asked one night.

Jenna wiped Rhane’s face with a warm towel. "He did not..." she had replied. "My Rhane needs to catch up on the sleep he didn’t... almost like a lifetime sleep..."

Candles burned to their last, fire torches went off when the wind was strong. The goats fainted when the earth dried up, and the season changed so fast, taking the green leaves. Yet Rhane still slept.

The young man really had a lot of sleep to catch up on. And he didn’t give up either.

"A normal man should have died when the first stab was infected," the physician whispered only to the hearing of his aides. He couldn’t afford to have Rhane’s crazed sister hear him.

In hope, everyone in the Henderick estate waited patiently for the Earl of Boudvor to wake up. They had a lot to celebrate, but it was a thin thread between mourning and jubilation. Regardless, they waited.

Everyone, with hope.

On this particular hot night, Jenna carefully changed Rhane’s shirt, wiping his face clean and applying oil.

"You’re sweating," she muttered when she felt the dampness around his neck.

Jenna pushed the curtains to the side and opened the windows. Even the air that came in was warm, but it was better.

Walking over to the candles, Jenna blew out three, leaving just one. She returned to Rhane’s side and sat down. Taking his hand from under the sheet, she wiped it slowly.

A ritual she had grown accustomed to.

"Do you know, Rhane... this reminds me of the first time we met," Jenna said, smiling between each word. "You were wounded... fatally, like a hunted beast. It struck me then—why would a man so strong be on the ground? I had asked myself every day after meeting you."

Jenna moved the cleaned hand back under the sheet, then took the other. She continued,

"Now I understand... it’s because you’re only human... a human with a beautiful soul." She paused, staring at his face.

"If you hear my voice, can you please smile?" Jenna waited; when nothing happened, a painful smile curled her lips. She turned away, wiping her eyes.

"What kind of servant are you? As your master, you lay there and watch me clean you... I’d have you punished. Do you know what it means?" Jenna looked down, a drop of tear falling onto her skirt. She sniffled immediately.

"Quickly wake up! I’m not getting young... if we are going to make children... shouldn’t it be now?" Jenna bit her lips. "We haven’t even done..." her voice trailed, her palms squeezing Rhane’s own.

"You’re cold, Rhane... you need to be warm... please wake up."

The door opened, and Percy peeked inside. When he entered, Kali followed.

"Okay, time up, sister-in-law. I’ll take it from here." Kali clapped her hands.

Jenna wiped her eyes quickly, but Kali had seen it.

"Please... let me stay—"

Kali shook her head. "This is the fourth day... and I heard you’ve only been surviving on water."

"You heard— Percy!" Jenna gritted her teeth at her servant, whose loyalty she could no longer attest to.

Percy turned his face away. It had been difficult obeying two masters at the same time. Rhane needed to wake up quickly to handle these two women, only he could control.

"What about you?" Jenna pointed at Kali. "You have been training to keep the fort secure... you also need rest yourself."

Kali walked over to Jenna, took the towel and the bowl, dropped them on the table, then helped her stand.

"This is no room for argument... look at you... you need to wash up and dress good for him. What do you think will happen if your husband wakes up and sees you like this?"

Kali snapped her fingers. "I’d tell you... he’d pass out again. And..." she pushed Jenna toward the door. "Since we can’t afford to watch him slip to death again, you’ll go and look human. Yes."

Jenna chuckled as she got pushed. She turned at the door. "Can I come see him after bathing? Just this time..."

Kali hummed. "Hm... let’s see... if you eat half of the meal in the dining. Go!"

Jenna dashed out of the room without thinking. If she could get everything done in a blink of an eye just to return to Rhane, she knew she had to listen to Kali. The girl had been keeping things in order ever since they returned, and though she did ask Jenna’s advice when it got difficult, Jenna was grateful that Rhane had someone like Kali.

Jenna had gone halfway to her room when she heard a loud scream. She turned— it came from the room she just left. Rhane’s room. Her heart skipped. So many thoughts—the worst, actually.

The door opened, and Kali burst out breathing heavily.

"W-hat..." Jenna’s lips quivered; she had never seen Kali this way, not even when she returned with Rhane like this. Jenna’s eyes shimmered with tears.

Fear. Fear of the unkn—no, fear of the known.

"Don’t tell me!" Jenna closed her ears; her whole body quaked.

Kali ran toward her, spreading her arms before pulling Jenna into a hug. "He said your name...."

"Rhane no longer sleeps...."