Few minutes past and a chopper came whirling around the bridge. It landed near the edge where Darryl and his accompany were waiting patiently. Darryl who was in hurry tried to carry Baruk Tam in his arms yet Suma stopped him. His big bare hands dug into Darryl's arms as if warning him not to touch the boy. Maru who saw what Suma did, talked to him in their native language asking him to let loose.

Suma knew what a chopper was for. Since he was a Gunta he usually sees choppers hovering above their island and during one voyage to the mainland, Aki Owens once told them what choppers were for. It was some sort of transportation and so Suma was a little doubtful about the idea of leaving the bridge since he doesn't know where they were heading.

​​

"He needs to see a physician or else he will die" Darryl told Maru who understood what a physician meant. Maru then pleaded with Suma and when the servant understood, he carried Baruk Tam himself and followed Darryl into the chopper. Soon, the three of them loaded the chopper and the flew to the nearest hospital. Suma and Maru was not used to flying by air and so both of them puke. Suma had the worst nausea but he held on desperately to Baruk Tam while Maru just closed her eyes praying that Darryl will save her beloved and not send them to their death instead. Despite the fact that Darryl helped them, she still had reservations because he was a roux blood.

The chopper landed in a tall building of Hampshire hospital and emergency nurses came to welcome them. Since Suma was not feeling well, he had no choice but to let go of Baruk Tam and have the nurses take him. Even Maru was not able to protest not even asked a single question because her head was turning.

***

Xhemin and Handmaid Si was walking on a hallway carrying small baskets with them. They were heading to the palace garden to check on Xhemin's newly planted strawberries. Amongst all the princess, only Xhemin do tedious task like farming, the rest were busy either with their embroideries or playing music. Mother Chieftana was of course against her strawberry farming as princesses were not meant for task like those yet because she was close to the Chieftain, the latter cannot do anything about it.

Truth was that particular morning, Xhemin's head was not really ready for any farming. For a couple of days, she had been planning on how to go to the Devil's lure to check whether Acamilla Apparaus was really there but being a princess made it hard for her to roam around the island freely. Since she entered the royal household, she did nothing but learned their islands rule as well as princesses' lessons, she barely had time to do her farming. Aside from that, the palace was heavily guarded and each princess had Guntas following them around so it was really hard for Xhemin to go outside without being noticed.

While they were walking, Xhemin didn't notice that Princess Wang and her handmaid where going into their direction. Since Xhemin thoughts were roaming around, she did not notice the latter and bump into her unintentionally.

"Oh! I'm so sorry Highest Princess," Xhemin apologize right away. "Were you hurt?"

Princess Wang's eyes held a menace when hit landed onto Xhemin. "I'm fine. How are you first princess?"

"Highest Princess, I'm not—"

"Oh I'm sorry I tend to forget all the time that you are not the first princess but just her dummy" She mocked at the little Miss. Everyone was aware that one of the reasons why the Chieftain adopted Xhemin was because she reminded her of his first born and so Princess Wang used that thing against Xhemin, making her feel that she did not belong in the palace all the time. She looked at Xhemin right then from head to foot with disgust but before she can withdraw her eyes back, it landed on a Xhemin's wrist where a beautiful silver bracelet hung.

"What is this?" The highest Princess pulled Xhemin's arms so she could see the bracelet carefully.

"A gift," Xhemin simply said. She wanted to talk back yet she thought it was rather too early to argue with anyone. Besides, Princess Wang do not annoy her no matter how much she tries.

"From a lover?" Princess Wang explained. Her voice was stern and loud when she asked that both Xhemin and handmaid Si was astounded on her reaction.

"No it isn't," Xhemin told her as she pulled her arms back. She covered the bracelet by cupping it with her other hand. It was important to her as it was Senior Han's gift to her on her seventeenth birthday. She still remembered that night when they surprised them exactly two years ago.

Princess Wang's reaction turned sour. "Liar. Who gave that to you?"

Annoyed by Princess Wang's unreasonable reproached, Xhemin answered mimicking the princess hard tone "None of your business. Besides why would you care?"

"I am the Highest Princess!" Princess Wang hollered loudly "And what you are doing is a straight insult to my face!"

"I don't remember doing anything wrong," Xhemin defended. "Why are you suddenly angry?"

"Acting innocent will do you any good," The Highest Princess replied. Her voice was cracking as if she was trying hard not to cry "Was it not enough that you shamed my sister Princess Tang and now you want to shame me?"

"Huh? But Princess Wang I did not do—"Xhemin was not able to finish her words because Princess Wang turned her back and left immediately. Her handmaid's ran and followed her, feeling sorry for what happened. However, Xhemin do not understand why Princess Wang suddenly went mad and ran away pitiful.

Confused, she turned her head to Handmaid Si who was trying to hold her laughter. "Did I do something wrong?"

The handmaid chuckled more, "You don't have any idea don't you?"

"Enlighten me please," She begged.

"She thought you have a lover already," The handmaid began "It's a great insult to the highest princess if the other princesses below her rank have lovers already. It only meant she had been skipped at"

"What?" Xhemin's exclaimed. "But I don't have a lover,"

"Clearly she didn't believe you," Handmaid Si explained further "Status and ranks are very important in the household. Since Princess Wang is the highest princess it only meant she was the most desirable woman to marry in the whole island. Men should propose to her first as she bear the ultimate title. However, princess Wang do not have suitors until now and if one of her sisters who is below her rank marries first, then it's a direct insult to her as it only meant that somebody was more desirable than her"

"I see. I get it now why she turned so upset" Xhemin said. "But I wonder why would she think that I would marry anytime soon when I'm not in the marrying age,"

"Princess what are you taking about!" Handmaid Si could not believe Xhemin's conclusion "You are nineteen already, that's past the marrying age!"

Handmaid Si let go of a loud guffaw after that with Xhemin's innocence, but Xhemin's reaction to her servant's words was the complete opposite.

If she's past the marrying age.

Does it mean she'll get to have marriage proposal's soon?

"Oh Shit!" Xhemin cursed at the thought.