24 Am I Dying?

Tianshi Xue's body was no longer being able to keep up with what was happening with her sleeping pattern. It was the moment that she was waiting for. She would be too tired to even fight off the sleep. She was almost at peace when her eyes finally closed on their own.

She was just starting to smile when her eyes snapped open again. They stung painfully and saw that the sun was already shining outside. Just how long did she sleep? It felt like it had only been two seconds!!

She felt more tired than when she retired to bed last night.

No, I'm going back to sleep, she whispered in her mind. Go to sleep.

Everything inside her was begging for rest. She didn't know what it was that was preventing her from sleeping. As an actress, there were times that she had been forced to sleep on couches because of a location hazard. It would be uncomfortable but her tiredness would soon catch up with her and she would sleep like a baby for the next few hours.

Tianshi Xue kept the body still and tried her breathing exercises. It usually helped her fall asleep in her old body. But it did not work.

She didn't know what the hell was wrong with the princess' body that it was refusing anything.

She didn't know how much time passed but it got warmer inside the shack while she was still trying to grasp at the sleep that kept slipping off her fingers.

There was a knock on the door. "Princess? Are you awake? It's lunchtime."

Tianshi Xue was too tired to even open her mouth to answer. She ignored it. There was another pouding headache in her skull.

"Princess?"

Tianshi Xue tried to open her eyes but she didn't want it to sting again. She tried licking her lips but her tongue was dry.

Am I dying? she asked herself.

"Princess?" this time the voice was accompanied by a small opening of the door. Then it was loud all of a sudden as Bolin rushed to her bed and knelt down next to her and shook her shoulders.

As kind as he was, she could not help but glare at him. "What are you doing?!"

Bolin didn't seem to notice that she just screamed at him. There was just relief in his eyes. "I thought you were dead, Your Highness."

"I am not dead!"

Bolin grimaced. He wanted to say 'but you look dead' but he was merely a soldier and she was still a princess. "Of course not, Your Highness," he bowed. "You are very much alive."

"What is happening here?" said a voice near the door.

Tianshi Xue turned away from Prince Qui, but it was too late. He already saw her face. He really should get her a mirror. Bolin's panic was warranted.

The princess did look dead. Her skin was so pale he was sure if he looked close enough the blue veins on her skin would be visible. Her lips were cracked and her eyes looked lifeless.

Bolin turned to him. "Forgive me, General, I panicked when I thought she was not moving."

Prince Qui waved him away. "On your feet, Lt. Col. Fix some lunch." Prince Qui shut the door when the soldier passed him. "What's your problem?" he asked the princess.

He heard her sniff. Was she getting a cold? "I can't sleep." Her voice sounded like how one would sound if they hadn't spoken in a lot of years. "I don't know why, but I can't sleep."

He hated wanting to ask but now that he saw the princess' state, he could not really ignore it. The doctor was right, she was going to get sicker if he didn't do anything about this. "What is it that you want?"

She shook her head. Even her hair looked dull and her back was hunched. "I don't know what could help. Maybe a pillow? I feel very dizzy just laying here on a flat surface."

"I'll try to make you a pillow. Anything else?"

"A better mattress?"

"I don't know where I can get that," he said.

"Can I borrow your sleeping bag?" she asked.

"It's thinner than your bed."

"Combine it with the others then."

Something ticked inside the prince. "No," he said, "you are not going to take my soldiers' sleeping bags. They won't be able to protect you if they are not well rested."

The princess let out a weak laugh. "Guess I'll just have to die then."

Prince Qui made a silent irritated nose under his breath. "I'll be back in a while. Do you want some lunch?"

"I don't have the energy to chew."

Prince Qui got out of the shack. This is bad, his thoughts said. He had to fix this or the princess' health will decline. "After lunch, you are going to find some small leaves and flowers. Small fern and flower petals, as many as you can find. We're going to make the princess a pillow."

**

The making of the pillow took a lot more time than Yang Qui thought. He got the cleanest shirt from his bag, tied its ends and stuffed it with leaves and flower petals. He didn't have an idea how much it would take before it would be soft enough. But finally, he squeezed on it and said, "Fluffy."

It was as if he exhaled in exhaustion. It took a lot of trips to get enough for the pillow. Bothersome,  Yang Qui's mind said but he got up anyways and knocked on the door of the shack. "Princess?"

"What?"

He sighed at her irritated voice. Well she was not the only one irritated with what was happening. "Can I come in?" It was almost sundown.

"Okay."

It was already a little dark inside and he found the princess still on the bed. She already had a meal today but it did not improve the color of her skin. She still looked like a ghost. "Here's a pillow."

Yang Qui was more than mortified when he saw that she struggled to catch it, almost falling on the dirty floor. Just think about wasting a whole afternoon just for it to get dirty less than a minute it was finished.

He frowned when the princess' face twisted as she smelled it. "What's inside?" she asked. "It smells sweet."

Pride swelled in his chest. "Leaves and some rose petals." They all crushed and mixed leaves to make the pillow softer.

The princess gave it a few squeezes. Then deciding that it was enough, she put it under her head. Prince Qui could almost swear there was a hidden smile on her lips. "I'll let you know what I think about it tomorrow."

Prince Qui knew that it was the closest he could get to a thank you so he went out of the shack. "Good night, Princess."

One problem down, he thought in his head. He nodded to his soldiers as a sign that it was a success. Aiguo was left on duty for the night and the rest slept thinking that the princess was finally going to be able to sleep.

All they had to do was keep her okay and they would keep their heads.

And she was fine for now.

But they were so wrong because in the middle of the night, a cry tore through the forest. They all bolted awake, ready to spring to action. Then the scream came again and they realized that it came from the shack.

In a speed of lightning. Yang Qui was already off his tent and was inside. He found the princess sitting up in hysteria, scratching at her neck, arms, and face. Red splotches covered her skin.

Yang Qui dropped the sword he kept at his side. It looked like she was just having an allergic reaction.

At least she was not dying.