blood stain

"You're awake." Hector walked into the room carrying a clay pot, and saw that the person on the bed had opened his eyes.

"I should have slept for a long time." Orestes lay peacefully on the bed, always looking calm.

Hector took out a cup, poured some water from the clay pot into it, put it on the stool next to the bed, and said, "It's not too long, just one night and one morning."

"This time is enough, why don't you take this time to send me back to the palace?" Orestes looked at the water in the glass and said hoarsely, "In this way, you can get a bounty and meritorious service, which is enough for you to be promoted to noble level one."

"Helen won't agree." Hector said flatly.

"Oh—" Orestes said thoughtfully, "You listen to her very much."

"We all lost our parents because of the war." Hector was silent for a while, then said, "She and I depend on each other for life."

"There must be a touching story between you." Orestes smiled slightly, "but I can't listen to it. I'm dying of thirst, can you help me drink some water?"

Hector just wanted to say, "Do you have no hands yourself?", but seeing Orestes' sallow and emaciated face, he realized that this pampered prince might not have eaten for several days, and it might be very difficult for him to speak.So for the first time, he didn't feel troubled, carefully lifted Orestes, and brought the water glass to his lips.

Orestes lowered his eyes and gulped down the water in the glass.

Hector looked at Orestes's black hair, a little amused: "Are you a camel?"

"Huh?" Orestes raised his face, looking up at Hector in bewilderment.

Clear water slipped from the corner of his mouth, flowed down the jaw line to the neck, and then flowed into the invisible chest.

Orestes' dry lips are moisturized, and the remaining water stains appear bright.

The water is so delicious? Hector's Adam's apple rolled twice, and he put down his glass: "Let me tell you first, we don't have anything to eat here, it's not as good as the rich food in your palace."

Orestes smiled wryly, "Do you think I can expect anything more now?"

"Then you..." Then what was your reason for it in the first place?

Hector didn't say much, turned and left: "I'll get you something to eat."

"Thank you, Hector." Orestes thanked behind him.

"Don't say thank you, I will send you back to the palace after you recover from your injuries." Hector said without turning his head, "I should thank you for bringing me prosperity and wealth."

Hector left.

Orestes looked at the door and laughed, if he was really going to be exchanged for money, why did he have to wait until he recovered from his injury?

This man is really interesting.

Orestes' wounds are gradually healed, thanks to the good food Helen sent every day.

The food made by Hector was really hard to swallow, and he had no problem eating it by himself, but Orestes had been pampered and raised in the palace since he was a child, after he barely ate it, his stomach couldn't digest it, and he felt uncomfortable for two days.

"If you don't like it, don't eat it." Hector blamed while feeding Orestes the medicine.

"I don't dislike it." Orestes said aggrievedly.

Hector doesn't like this: "Don't think that you are pitiful, I will be soft-hearted." After getting along with this little prince for a few days, Hector has basically figured out Orestes' character - he will be good when he gets a bargain, and he will be wronged if he says more.

At first, I thought that he was very rich and tricked a girl like Helen who was easy to soften his heart. Later, I realized that this prince is just a simple child. Like a sunflower.

Hector was also gradually "tuned/taught" by Orestes so that there was nothing he could do about him, except to be obedient.

"The weather is fine today, let's go fishing in the river!" Helen suggested after bringing lunch at noon that day.

When Orestes heard it, he also became interested: "Exactly, I haven't taken a bath for a long time."

"No, it's almost winter, and the water in the river is very cold." Hector plucked a piece of meat from the bone and put it on Orestes' plate, refusing.

Helen sneered and said, "You, Hector, can roll shirtless in the snow in winter. It's just a river. Why are you afraid of cold water?"

Hector put down the knife, blushing a little: "What rolling... I'm worried about Orestes, he has a stomachache when he catches cold."

"It's boring." Helen said helplessly, "Why do you become like Orestes' old father."

Hector's elbow nudged Helen.

Isn't his dad already dead?

Helen suddenly realized that she had said something wrong, and hurriedly apologized: "I'm sorry, Orestes, what I just said was completely unintentional."

Orestes smiled and shook his head: "It's okay." He looked at Hector and begged, "I want to take a bath in the river."

"If you want to take a bath, I'll pick a few buckets of clear spring from the oasis for you, so you don't need to go down the river."

"Why bother?" Orestes was puzzled.

Hector said impatiently, "It's even more troublesome when you're sick."

Orestes pouted, not even eating the meat on the plate.

Seeing this, Helen quickly persuaded: "If you don't wash it, you don't wash it. Why is the noise so loud? It's a pity not to go fishing because the weather is so good today. Let Orestes stand on the shore and look at the head office?"

Orestes raised his eyelids to glance at Hector.

Hector was silent for a moment, and finally gave in, the serious expression on his face relaxed, and said, "Eat the meat first, so thin."

Orestes and Helen looked at each other and finally smiled.

"Hector, you go out first, I have something to talk to Orestes." After eating, Helen said while pushing Hector out the door.

"What can't you say in front of me?" Hector asked in a daze.

"What do you have to say in front of your face?" Helen slammed the door shut.

Orestes smiled and asked Helen after hearing the sound of footsteps outside the door, "What's the matter, Helen?"

"When we get to the river, go straight down for a swim, Hector won't be able to stop us." Helen whispered.

"I knew it." Orestes smiled, "But you didn't mean to tell me about it, did you?"

Helen walked slowly in front of Orestes, hesitated for a while, and finally made up her mind, looked at the ground and said, "Actually, I like you, Orestes."

Orestes had already guessed in his heart that Helen had a crush on him. For so many days, he was neither blind nor foolish, but he was not as dull as Hector.

"Helen, I won't be with you." Orestes directly refused.

"Why?" Although she also expected this result, she still had a glimmer of hope.She wants to know the reason, a reason that can make her give up.

And Orestes just gave it out: "I already have someone I like."

"Who is it?" Helen asked immediately.

Orestes fell silent.

"You're lying to me." Helen showed a suspicious expression.

"Why should I lie to you?"

"You have no one you like."

"I have."

"Then why didn't you say it?"

Orestes turned his back a little irritably: "Anyway, I don't like you."

Strange, aren't you Hector's woman?

"Okay, okay..." Helen said "Okay" several times desolately, wiped away the tears on her face, and forced a smile, "Then are we still friends?"

"Of course." Orestes turned around, looked at Helen, and said seriously, "You are the kindest girl I have ever met since I was born."

Helen sniffled: "Let's go swimming."

The river was not too deep, but it wasn't shallow either. Hector stood in the middle of the river, holding a harpoon, staring intently at the bottom of the water.

However, he has not yet discovered that the two people who should have been standing on the shore at this time have disappeared.

Suddenly, he felt something slippery wrapped around his calf. He didn't pay attention, the sole of his foot slipped, and he fell back into the water with a "plop", causing a big white splash.

"Helen!" Hector stood up from the water, grabbed a white ankle out of the water, and scratched the soles of his feet teasingly, while the people in the water fluttered but couldn't break free.

"See if you dare to make trouble next time." Hector smiled maliciously, and finally let go of his hand.

The person in the water slowly floated up, but when Hector saw a head of black hair like algae, he immediately realized that something was wrong, and pulled the person out of the water.

"Orestes, why is it you?" Hector patted the unconscious man in his arms and called out nervously.

He thought it was Helen playing a prank again, and Helen's water skills were good, so he dared to punish her like that, but he didn't know Orestes' water skills, so he must be submerged.

Hector quickly swam back to the shore, carefully placed Orestes on the ground, and after making sure there was no foreign object in his mouth, he bent down and prepared to breath Orestes.

His lips were soft and cold against Orestes's.

This wonderful feeling made him a little reluctant to leave, he opened his eyes slightly, and met emerald green pupils.

There was no surprise in Orestes' eyes, but calmness.

Hector was a little flustered, he had been sucked out of his soul by these eyes.

After a while, he got up from Orestes in a daze, and said awkwardly, "You lied to me?"

"You found out." Orestes replied.

"Didn't I tell you not to go into the water?"

"Aren't I fine?" Orestes lay on the weeds, looking at the clouds in the sky, and sighed, "I haven't been this happy for a long time."

"Swimming in the river is fun?" Hector laughed, he was tired of swimming in this river.

"I think it's very interesting and very happy." Orestes covered his face with his hands, and the sunlight passed through the gaps between his five fingers, casting a shadow.

"It turns out that the sun is the fairest. It shines on the prince as well as on the hunter." Orestes narrowed his eyes and murmured.

Hector sat beside Orestes for a while, looked at the sky: "It's windy, let's go back."

"it is good."

"By the way, where's Helen?" Hector looked around and asked.

Orestes stood up and put on the outer robe: "She said she went upstream to take a bath, and may have gone back first."

"Well, then let's go too, you put on your hat to prevent catching cold." Hector said while putting Orestes' hood on his head by himself.

Orestes smiled.

When Hector and Orestes returned home, they opened the door and found a group of soldiers with long swords standing inside.

"What are you doing at my house?" Hector subconsciously held Orestes behind him.

"Your Highness." One of the leaders stepped forward and said expressionlessly, "Please follow us back."

Hector was about to speak, but Orestes gently pushed him away.

"You guys came at the right time. Let's go." Orestes nodded slightly without any surprise.

So a group of people followed Orestes and prepared to leave.

"Wait!" Hector stopped the army leader.

The leader frowned slightly, and then said clearly: "Warrior, you helped us find the second prince, and the eldest princess will definitely reward you heavily, and someone will send you the medal and bonus tomorrow."

Hector opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

"Hector," Orestes took a step, then turned back to Hector who was stunned and smiled lightly, "If you and Helen get married in the future, the gold will be my congratulatory gift to you."

"Orestes..."

Orestes had already walked out of the house, his face hidden under the hood, but he could clearly hear the abuse being directed at him by the people around him.

"Patricide demon!"

"Shame on the country of Argos!"

"..."

He didn't care about these, he walked calmly, his back still straight.

"Orestes!"

Orestes' heart trembled, and he turned his head sharply.

Hector held something in his hand and chased him from behind.

"Why are you..." When Orestes was puzzled, Hector had already covered him with a large robe.

"It's windy, don't catch a cold." Hector touched Orestes' wet hair with concern, and whispered to him, "If there is any misunderstanding, you must explain it to the princess. I believe you."

The person covered by the brim of the hat froze for a few seconds, then nodded.

"Let's go."

Orestes turned back and walked on.

His face in the dark was stained with tears.

—I would have endured darkness if I had never seen the light.

The author has something to say:

"I would have endured darkness if I had never seen the light." From American poet Emily Dickinson's poem "Had Inotseen the Sun".