The next morning Nanako opened her eyes with her father's kiss on her forehead.
"Come on, sleepy head. Time to rise and shine. Did you rest well? " Her father inquired.
She nodded her head smiling happily.
"Good.Get dressed and eat something. We will be leaving soon? " He said as he got up from bed and started to go.
Nana grabbed his robe and tugged and said " Go? Where? Right now? "
" Yes darling. We will go to the northern borders. It is still not too late for us to catch some snow.
It seems like it's been ages since we went out together. " He patted her head and went away.
Nana stood up and hurriedly called for her maids. As they ran inside, she shouted instructions her food, dress, hair and so on. The room got busy decking her up for the day. The too was alive with clutter as the chefs hurried to get Nana 's favorite dish ready in the possible time.
Jin on the other hand was dreaming happily on his humble bed when suddenly the rooster crowing at his full volume. It so startled poor Jin that he fell on his face on the ground.
He pulled himself up. Dirt and mud all over his body.
" Friend, are you alright? " Jin's host asked, worried. He dusted himself and nodded sheepishly.
" Good, good. Since you are up already, go get yourself washed . I will prepare something good us for breakfast. Alright? " Jin's friend smiled a warm smile and got himself busy.
After washing and having a fulfilling morning meal, Jin was asked to join his friend to go to the to collect timber. Jin had other plans obviously. He needed to find ways to get inside the Palace to seek a peek of Nanako. But his host had been too nice to him. He felt really to turn him down. And after all it was just a two day trip to the woods. If he could help him a sufficient amount of wood, he would be able to pay off a portion of his kindness. Soon were ready and riding away on a humble cart.
At the palace, the doors closed as the caravan carrying the king and the princess left. Soon they their destination. Nana's father was right, they were indeed on time to catch the last of the season. The guards accompanying them got busy unloading and setting up the . Nanako walked around, trying to take in the beauty of the snow. It really felt like a long since she and her father had a good play fight with the snow.
" I will take a walk around father. You guys get the place ready. " She told him and rode off with horse.
" Don't forget your... " Her father tossed her sword to her .
" Honour" She finished his sentence as she caught the weapon mid-air. Her father smiled and busy with the work at hand again.
But the mere remembrance of their favorite phrase disturbed Nana when she pondered over its as she rode at full speed. Soon she was far away from the camp. The place she had two mountains criss-crossing and hence the horse could not pass. She got down walked around a little. She had forgotten to bring her water pouch. So she started looking a spring or any water source. After looking here and there, she thought she heard the sound a waterfall. She followed the sound. It led her to a cave.
" There must be an underground waterfall here" She thought as she went inside. True enough was a fountain. But it was unlike any fountain she had ever seen. It had a glow to itself. In darkness of the cave, the water dropped with a spark from above before mixing with the . Nana hurried in and drank to her fill. But her thirst won't quench. The more she drank, more she felt the need to drink more. Her stomach was already feeling uneasy but she 't stop herself.
"Stop missy, what are you doing? " A voice ran towards her from the back as a pair of rough pulled her away from the stream.
" How dare you touch me? Do you know who I am? " Nana roared back.
"Missy, I am sorry but you can't drink from this. You will be scarred for life missy. You cannot from this poison fountain. " He kept pulling her desperately as she fought him to the water.
" Missy no one who has drank from this has ever been able to stop until they were dead. " He pleading with her in vain. But their struggle was short lived as a fierce howling tore through cave. Both turned around to find a huge wolf, with manes touching the ground, and a tail as as a forest standing between Nana and the fountain.
The man immediately left Nana and backed off. Nana too was startled. The beast looked her in the eye. Her heart trembled with fear. But the thirst got the better of her. She sprang the stream on the other side of the beast. She was immediately caught at her robe with sharp fangs. She could actually feel it's hot breath on her legs. It pulled her towards itself.
Sure that death was imminent, Nana closed her eyes.
When suddenly a similar voice called out her name and even the beast turned to pay attention.
It was Jin. He ran towards her. The beast strangely bowed and retracted silently.
As Nana's eyes became hazy, she saw Jin pulling her on his lap and desperately trying to make wake up. With her eyelids getting heavier and heavier, she saw him worriedly bent over her, her frantically, shouting out loud "Nanako, Nana, wake up, you need to wake up, don't your eyes. Noooo. Don't close your eyes. Nana. " But slumber seemed like a lustful that Nanako could not resist and finally dozed off in his arms.
*********
Mesmerised listener
"What happened after that? Did she survive? " Mia was mesmerized. But when the lady stopped a moment she could not hold back her excitement. "Tell me what happened next. " She with eager eyes, wide with excitement. The lady smiled at her enthusiasm and patted her hair softly.
"Looks like you are quite enjoying yourself. " She teased her.
"Did she forgive him? What happened to the wolf?Don't tell me she died. I want to know their full . '' Mia looked like a child eagerly waiting for her candy. The lady smiled again.
"Well Mia I can tell you that she did survive. How else would there have been a story for you to right now darling. " The lady stroked Mia's hair and adjusted it lovingly. " Let's continue ... "
When Nana opened her eyes, she found herself comfortably lying on a pile of hay. She looked and found herself in a cave. There was a fire at the side of her feet that kept it lit. Jin sitting there, feeding the fire. She looked at him, sitting bare body , his eyes reflecting the fire. No matter how much she wanted to hate him, she found herself, staring at him as it her with a heavenly satisfaction.
"Nana.You are awake. " He looked up at her and said with a tone of relief. He came up to her adjusted his cloak which Nana noticed was covering her as a blanket. Her feets and hands freezing. Like literally they were frozen. She didn't notice till then that she could not move . They were solid ice. As soon as she started to panic at the realization, Jin bent down over and hugged her tight.
" Shhhh! Shhhh! Calm down. Calm down. Take a deep breath with me. Come on. Take a deep " He urged.
" But... But... My hands... My... My leg... What happened? " Nana's voice was very shaky.
"It will be Ok. It will be ok. Your entire body had frozen. But it's thawing, thanks heaven. It will be . Don't worry Nana. I will be ok. " He reassured me.
"But what happened? How did this happen? " She was trembling as Jin hugged her tighter.
Just then the man who had tried saving her earlier entered the cave with loads of firewood. He to be the benevolent person who had eventually become Jin's friend and had offered food and shelter for the night. As he unloaded, he glanced at the sight of them hugged.
" Well, this is a miracle that I am witnessing right now. I can hardly believe you survived after from the forbidden fountain. I had even given you up for dead when our bodies froze in ice. But this one " He pointed at Jin `` was adamant. I am not sure how he was so sure that would survive. Anyway, since you did come back from the dead, you must be really hungry.
Let me make something hot for us to eat. Alright? " He smiled as he started preparing a meal for with wild ingredients he had gathered from the woods.
The warmth that radiated from Jin's arms helped calm Nanako down. She was breathing heavily his chest. Gradually it rhymed with the normal heart beat. She could feel her hands and unfreezing after the storm settled inside her. As her mind pondered over the proceedings of day, she looked up at Jin with questions filled in her eyes. Realizing that she was staring at , he finally loosened his grip around her a little and let her face him directly. He knew he was to be bombarded with the question canons in her mind. But he was really for it.
"Why are you here Jin? How? I mean how are you even here? How did you know I was here?
What's going on? " She erupted.
Before Jin could answer, his new found friend interrupted.
"Ummm, I need to go find some more herbs. " He excused himself out, sensing something was to erupt.
" Nanako, I will answer all your questions, but you have to promise me something. " He said.
"What is it? " She sounded a bit annoyed.
"You need to ask all your questions and you will have to let me clear all my explanations. You 't stop me in between, nor choose not to listen to my full answers. You can decide if it's believing or not after I get to finish my clarification" He proposed.
" Fair enough. First tell me why and how you are here. Go ahead. " She asked.
" Nanako, I will be very straightforward with you. I like you. I have in fact liked you for a while. I , maybe I was wrong, that you liked me too. But I don't know what happened to you after day. You started treating me so indifferently. I could even feel hate spewing from your . But it wasn't always so. I swear I felt your affection before. But why, what changed that to Nanako. I tried talking to you but you didn't give me a chance. " He paused for a moment, up at her and then continued. " If you hated me because of that stupid bet, it's justified.
But trust me, my feelings for you were real. I am willing to do anything to earn your forgiveness.
I am guilty of making that disgracing gamble, but I would, rather, never be able to bring myself do anything to hurt you. I didn't even know when I had so fallen madly in love with you.
Nanako, you have to believe me. " He looked at her with teary eyes.
" Are you telling me you had nothing to do with that night? Don't you remember anything? "
Nanako asked finally, unable to bring herself to not give him another chance to explain himself.
" Which night? What happened? " He looked at her, as realization slowly kicked in, but he had recollection of the events, so he needed reassurance from her. He gazed at her eyes for his .
"You really don't remember? Didn't you know about the drugs your friends have? " Nanako now the confusion clearly in his eyes.
" Drugs? Friends? Nanako, tell me what you know. I don't know. I really don't know what you are about. Tell me what happened " He was shaking her shoulders as he demanded her .