Villainess Becomes The Knight

Abigail pov contd

"Why…" I couldn't continue my words. I did not know what to say at all. It was as if his words had taken me off guard. There was so much pain in his voice that it did not seem to be the crown prince I knew from the past two lives but a lover who was betrayed in love and a man who had suffered a lot alone.

He was in a messy state. His dishevelled golden hair was plastered to his dirty, scratched face, his clothes were stained with mud. He was messed up. Yet he was looking his best to me, his eyes had something I couldn't quite understand why it felt like his image was overlapping with a young boy whom I have seen for a long time.

"Every why does not have an answer little bird. Some questions need to be buried with time. Come, we should go now. This place is not safe." he said as he held me in his arms.

"Where is your horse?" I asked as I looked around, there were hundreds of questions in my mind but I was sure he would not reply even if I asked him, so I let go of them and asked him what he was worried about.

"His condition was the same as Hundred, he had lost his sanity. So, I have to leave him. I think it was planned, but now is not the time to think about that too. We have to find a way to go out. The bear, you have seen. They are mostly found here. And we would not be lucky enough to find a single one this time." he replied as he looked around sharply. 

"This place had been off limits for a long time. No one has survived easily who has fallen in this area of the woods. It was used for hunting competitions a long ago.``He was looking two worried as he continued to look around with sharp eyes.

"But we don't have horses, how will we cover such a long distance?" I asked worried as it would take a day or more if we walked and I was not even in the condition to walk properly, he would not be able to hold me for that long.

"They will come looking for us soon. I am sure they would already be on their way. We just have to cross the red line.'' Finally he wrapped his arms around my shoulder and thighs and stood up taking me in his arms.

"Ummm, is your face red because of the heat or you are ghurt somewhere?" I asked , looking at him, even his ears had turned red.

If i did not know him, i would have thought that he was embarrassed to hold a woman for the first time in his life. But then I laughed at this absurd thought. He was the biggest womanizer in the whole empire. It was impossible that he had not taken a woman in his arms ever. 

"I am injured a bit too, and i think that wet and cold weather and now this hot weather have affected my body temperature." he replied as he winced, but why did it feel like something was off in his reply.

"Argh" my thoughts were broken when his hands moved a bit lower and touched my back.

"Are you okay?" he asked worried and i shook my head, 

"It is burning and painful. I think there are more injuries that i have thought.'' I winced once again, with his touch.

"Shall we rest more, let me burn some woods and then we can sit for a while." he offered but i shook my head.

"There is no way that wet woods would burn and didn't you say that this place was not safe, so we should go. But if you spare some time. Can we find some plants? I need a few herbs to use as a temporary ointment for now.`` I asked as I looked sound. There must be all the plant valves that I need.

"Sure, tell me what are we looking for." he asked as he continued to hold me.

"Long, cactus type plant. But it has thick leaves and they are filled with a gel, and neem green tree with average height which has sharp leaves…`` I continued to explain to him as he looked around. It would take some time but if we found them then we both could use them, though he did not say anything he was injured too.

"That one" I pointed at the small plant that has the best healing abilities. 

He moved and gently put me down as he plucked leaves off the plant. We continued and it took us a few hours to find all the trees and necessary leaves.

"You need to grind the leaves through a rock so that it turns into a paste and then mix eucalyptus gel in it." he nodded and took two rocks and started pressing the leaves. After a few minutes the leaves started leaving their sap.

"That is it. We can use this on our injuries' 'I replied with a satisfied smile.

"Abi, are you sure it is safe? I mean, have you ever made this before? Or how do you know about these plants?" He finally asked what I was afraid of. That was why I did not want to tell them about these things.

"I have been reading about it for the past few years as it fascinates me a lot." His eyes continued to be filled with doubt even when I replied.

"If that is the case then there are chances that you have been confused while choosing the plants. It is not safe for you to use them first" he said in a grave tone and I blinked. I thought  that he would not believe my paltry excuse but he had taken it very seriously.

"Then what do you suggest?" I asked awkwardly as his worry made me feel guilty for lying to him.

"I shall be the first to try it, if it did not give any side effect only then you will use it"