3 Chapter 3: The Broken Bull

With all her strength, Jennie carried Lee across the white forest, back to the city. The first thing she did was steal a blanket to cover the prince with. His identity needed to remain a secret since she wasn't sure how many other people would be looking for him.

She knew all the back alleys and managed to remain unseen until they reached the outer wall of the castle.

And as expected, all the entrances had guards. She wouldn't be able to go back in, not without leaving the prince behind.

"Tsk... What have you gotten yourself into, Jennie?", she whispered to herself.

She took one look at the prince's face, hovering just above her shoulder, and she couldn't help but notice how feminine he looked from up close.

"They've warned me not to trust pretty boys like you.", Jennie thought as she stared at the prince.

Jennie walked away from the castle area and went to a bar named The Broken Bull. She sat the prince on one of the boxes outside the back door and knocked continuously.

"WHAT!!!", shouted the woman who opened the door. She was tall, wearing at least two earrings on each ear, very beautiful with half of her golden hair braided to give her a cool and fierce look. "Ohh... Jennie, what do you want? It's almost dusk, and I'm about to open my doors."

"Roseanne, I need help. I'll pay you, I promise.", said Jennie, standing in front of the boxes and making sure to hide the prince from view.

"Pay me? Ha!! With what money? And what are you hiding behind you?", asked Rose as she easily pushed Jennie to the side. The prince had a blanket over him, and he looked like a drunk beggar sitting on the box.

"HEY!! GO SLEEP SOMEWHERE ELSE!" Rose kicked the prince's leg, and he completely fell over, and crashed on the ground, revealing his face and the blood over his chest.

Lisa groaned but she was still unconscious.

Jennie immediately rushed to him and lifted him up. Thankfully, he wasn't that heavy.

"WHAT THE F--", Rose started shouting before suddenly looking to her sides and whispering very softly, "--why is the prince here and why does he look dead?! What did you do, Jennie?"

"Can we go inside, please? I need one of your rooms so I could treat him properly."

"Tsk... Fine... Get in here. Quickly!!"

They went inside The Broken Bull, and Jennie covered the prince with the blanket once more. As they walked through the kitchen in the back and towards the open bar area, the courtesans, musicians, and barmaids saw Jennie and the covered prince as the two approached the stairs and walked up.

"What? Is this your first time seeing a drunk man before sunset? Get back to work!!", said Rose as she helped Jennie carry the prince up. Everyone just shrugged it off and went back to their tasks.

"Some hot water, bandages, and whatever medicinal herb you have, please.", said Jennie as she began removing the cloth around Lee's wound. Rose saw that there was a broken arrow shaft buried in the prince's shoulder, and she immediately shook her head in worry.

"This is bad, Jennie. I can not have the prince dying in my bar."

"He's not dying. Not while I'm here. Just get what I need, please."

"Do you even know how to save him? That's a fucking arrow sticking out of his chest, right?"

"Would you please just get me the things I need?!", said Jennie, raising her voice a little. She threw a heavy pouch containing a lot of silver to Rose. "And don't tell anyone."

The minute Rose left the room, Jennie began unwrapping Lee's clothes. He was sweating profusely and the color has faded from his cheeks and lips. Just as Jennie was about to cut Lee's shirt open, Lee's hand grabbed hers.

"Don't... ... Yoona... ... Call Yoona... ...", said the prince weakly in between deep breaths. He opened his eyes slightly. They looked tired and keeping them open was a struggle in itself.

"I don't know who that is. Let me help you, your highness. I can't get you into the castle without losing my head."

"No... ... You... ... can't... ..." Breathing was hard for the prince, and talking was much worse. Jennie could see that every time his chest would move, his face winced in pain. And he wouldn't let go of Jennie's arm.

"Stop talking, Prince Lee. You saved me. It's my turn to save you.", said Jennie, looking into the prince's eyes.

"You... ... will... ... die... ... if... ... you... ... find out... Jennie... ... I... ...don't... want you... ... to... die... ..."

"I don't care, Lee. Please stop talking, you're making your wound bleed. Save your strength. Scold me after I save you.", replied Jennie before removing the prince's hand on her arm.

She cut open Lee's shirt and saw the tight bandages wrapped around his chest... no... HER chest... Covering and hiding her breast.

"What?", thought Jennie.

Lee was silent now, his...no... her breathing was slowing down, and Jennie watched as her chest... her breast moved with each of her breaths.

"Prince Lee... Why do you--. Hey, Lee. "

"Lisa... ... My name... ... is Lisa..."

Jennie couldn't process what was happening. Was she a body double? A person meant to serve as a form of protection for the actual Prince Lee?

She shook her head and pushed out all of the useless thoughts for now. After one of the barmaids knocked and left everything she needed in front of the door, Jennie began fixing the prince.

Rose didn't disturb Jennie as per request. She told her staff to forget what they saw and gave them all a piece of silver from the pouch that Jennie gave her.

No one else disturbed the room, and as the shouts of the drunk laborers began filling the first floor, Jennie finished removing the arrow and sewing up her friend.

The prince...uhmm... princess was still unconscious but he... she was already out of danger. Jennie left the room, locked it and double-checked, before making her way downstairs to get a drink.

And the first group of people that caught her attention where the royal guards asking Rose if they saw the prince.

"Why would our handsome Prince Lee be here, gentlemen? Are you sure that he left the castle walls?", said Rose with a look of defiance on her face.

"I am really sorry about this, Madame Roseanne. But General Shindong insisted that we check all establishments within 200 meters around the castle."

"In that case, go ahead.", said Rose. Her face was serious and breathtakingly beautiful that both guards couldn't help but smile.

Jennie's face, however, was filled with worry and nervousness.

"Thank you, Madame.", replied the guards before walking towards the steps where Jennie was currently going down.

"You are not allowed in the first room on the left.", said Rose while looking at Jennie who seemed to have frozen in place.

"Madame... We have orders to search--"

"That room is my personal chambers, and unless you want to be banned from this establishment, you will obey my rules. Is that clear, gentlemen?", asked Rose while standing directly in front of the two, and looking straight into the eyes of the royal guards.

The two guards started sweating when Rose stared at them. This was the closest they've ever been with the famous Madame Roseanne. And it was impossible to say no to her.

"Yes, madame... We understand." said the guards as they walked upstairs, avoiding the room that the prince was in completely.

Jennie sat on an empty table and waited. After shouts of "CLEAR!" from upstairs, the guards went back down and stood in front of Rose.

"Thank you, Madame. We'll be on our way now."

"I would insists that your next visit be more of pleasure, and not business, my dear gentlemen. If I could help you in any other way, feel free to ask.", replied Rose while gently running her fingers along one guard's stomach, ending with the tip of his sword handle.

"Ohhh!! OF COURSE!!", answered the guard when she felt Rose's touch.

"We shall return for sure, Madame. Thank you for your cooperation!", said the guard who was unable to receive Rose's touch while pulling on his companion.

Once they were gone, Rose sat at the table with Jennie and drank the ale that Jennie was about to drink. She took the knife and fork that Jennie was using to cut the grilled boar and ate some for herself.

"Now, my dear friend... Explain... Or I call them back, and hand your head on a silver platter.", said Rose while chewing, making sure to use the knife to point at Jennie, right at her throat.

"Okay... But I'll have to start from the very beginning. It's a long story...", answered Jennie.

"Great... You can start now.", said Rose while downing a tankard of ale. She gestured towards one of her employees to keep refilling their drinks.

As the shouts and the music began getting louder inside The Broken Bull, Jennie told Rose everything.