5. Weird...

Meng Huo opened his eyes slowly and came to know that he was lying on a soft mattress. Although he felt drained, at least the pain in his stomach subsided significantly. Feeling thirsty, he straightened up slightly to check the small table next to the mattress, but found something else.

Han Xin.

The prince was sleeping with his back resting against the wall and there was a wet towel on his hand.

Not believing his eyes, Meng Huo blinked a few times, but the image didn't disappear. Could it be possible that the prince attended him while he was unconscious? It was impossible, right? Meng Huo was fully aware that the prince hated him, so he wouldn't bother.

Still, he was in the room and there was a towel in his hand.

Even if there was another explanation of the sight, Meng Huo refused to think about it. It was the first time he had someone beside him when he was sick and it made a warm feeling spread inside his neglected heart. Wanting to keep the feeling for a little more, the slave lay back and his hand grabbed the hem of the prince's blue robe unwittingly. In a daze, he also realised how handsome Han Xin was. His slightly toned smooth skin, sharp cheekbones, slanted eyes, prominent nose and shiny long black hair were shouting royalty, and his tall and muscular figure was only reinforcing his aura.

He looks like a god, Meng Huo thought before his eyes closed again.

***

"WAKE UP! HOW DARE YOU SLEEP?!"

Hearing the shout, Meng Huo opened his eyes with horror and darted off from the mattress to take a kneeling position, his head hung low.

"I-I am so sorry," he employed his mantra.

"Ge, I think he is really sick, look what he is doing!" the voice said with astonishment and a small hand raised the slave's head up. "Are you okay, the prince of the East? or does my ge scare you?" the little boy of six asked with a pouty expression.

"It is because of your shouting, you little devil, nothing related to me!" Han Xin exclaimed, saving Meng Huo from answering.

"Is that so?" the little boy asked with narrowed eyes, looking at Han Xin with suspicion, "if not, I will tell the queen."

"I EVEN ATTENDED TO HIM!"

Han Xin's shout silenced the room. The little prince shifted his gaze between Meng Huo and his half-brother and a smirk took place on his small lips. "Ge loves his wife!" he exclaimed and ran out of the room before Han Xin caught him.

"Don't listen to Wu Xin, he loves to mess around," Han Xin announced as he rose to his feet in an attempt to escape the room before Meng Huo could ask him questions.

"D-Did the prince really t-take care of... me?" Meng Huo's small and hesitant voice made the proud prince's plan come to nought.

Letting an annoyed sigh, "I had to because of the North's hospitality, which is very different from the East's killing one," he mocked Meng Huo.

"T-Thank you," Meng Huo replied with sincerity as he was genuinely touched by the prince's kind act. He didn't mind the reason or the mocking part.

Han Xin looked at the weird prince with shock and saw a resemblance of a smile on his thin lips. Isn't he embarrassed to be taken care of but rather happy? What a weird man!

Indeed, for Han Xin, Meng Huo was highly eccentric as there was no way he could know what Meng Huo had to endure all his life. How come he could know that whenever the slave was sick, he was left unattended on a cold corner, his life completely dependent on fate itself? How could he even imagine the pain and the fear the miserable slave had during those times, waiting for death?

"Mother is here, hehe," Wu Xin's sudden appearance dragged Han Xin out of his reverie.

"The queen, don't call her mother when the enemy is present," the prince declared, emphasizing the word 'enemy' and hearing the hostility in his tone, Meng Huo lowered his head even more, almost kissing his knees.

"He is your wife, not enemy," the little prince said with a naughty manner before crouching in front of Meng Huo. Lowering his head to look at the odd prince's face, he said "don't worry, Ge is really nice, look, he doesn't beat me though he is not my real Ge. The queen is my mother but she also loves Ge. I-"

"Ahem!" Han Xin had to interrupt before Wu Xin spilt out all family secrets, "he doesn't need to know that much."

"Aww," the little prince looked at Meng Huo sheepishly, "did you get bored? I am sorry, my prince."

Seeing his small pouty face, Meng Huo felt bad. Shaking his head severely to deny the allegation, he said "t-the young prince is so lively, it is an honor to listen to you."

"Really?" Wu Xin caught Meng Huo's hand, shaking it up and down with excitement, "then I will tell you more when Ge is not around."

"That's enough," Han Xin pulled the little prince from his robe, "the queen is waiting."

"True!" Wu Xin saved his robe from Han Xin's grip and caught Meng Huo's hand one more time, "let's go, second Ge," he said and pulled the appalled slave on his feet before dragging him out of the room.

In the face of the indecent behavior, Han Xin could only sigh. His little step-brother was too friendly and care-free for his own good as if he wasn't receiving any royal education. It was good that the king was aware of the situation and used to keep him inside his wing whenever there was a quest. Well, most of the time, let's say.

"I brought the prince of the East, mot- queen," Wu Xin declared proudly as he pulled Meng Huo into the hall.

"Oh dear, aren't you sick, why do you let Wu Xin drag you around?" the queen said concernedly as she pointed at the cushion at the other side of the oval table.

"I-I am okay, thank you for your attention... my queen," Meng Huo muttered with a low tone and sat on the cushion carefully while Han Xin also entered.

"What happened to you though? Yesterday you seemed well," she inquired softly but her piercing gaze was on Han Xin.

Feeling her eagle eyes on himself, Han Xin got tense as he was the reason for the odd prince's sickness. Although the queen was not his own mother, he regarded her all the same and inwardly he was scared of her more than his father. Therefore, he shifted his weight from one foot to the other nervously, waiting for the unavoidable answer.

"I-I am just not used to the food here yet," Meng Huo replied softly, shocking Han Xin.

Why do you protect me? the prince asked inwardly,but his mind was unable to come up with a good reason for Meng Huo's behaviour. He was obviously afraid of him, so why didn't he use the opportunity to run to the main palace with the queen?

Weird...

So damn weird...