'Lady Mo' turns out to be the old woman. After both my over and under robes are removed and all the blood's been wiped clean with a wet cloth, I'm redressed and sat on the edge of the bed. The old woman has me drink some sort of bitter broth that numbs my tongue. Then, she rolls up the hem of my robe to mid-thigh.

Settling me to sit with my legs flat on the bed with a pillow propped behind my back, Lady Mo spends the rest of the hour rotating and massaging my legs with a weird smelling oil, murmuring words I don't understand under her breath. I wonder if this means I'm supposed to be able to walk again.

Yu Yin holds the tray, quiet and still, expression still flat. Fei Yi, on the other hand, is tense. Because the old woman and Yu Yin are almost quiet the entire process in my treatment, I'm the only one who pays attention to how Fei Yi's blown pupils glance all around the room, his head twitching left and right. He keeps looking at me, and then at my bed, but he doesn't seem inclined to speak, as if he'd be willing to strike as soon as he can. One body is still as a rock. The other fidgets, hands and arms, as if fighting against his own will.

When Lady Mo finishes, she tucks my legs under the blankets against the chill and leaves with her tray and bowls. Yu Yin excuses herself with a courtesy too, politely tells me that she and Fei Yi will be outside while I rest. It's a relief when Fei Yi does.

Not long after I'm alone, I hear a familiar croak from under my bed. "Is he gone?"

I'm surprised by how fast I'm pushing myself with one hand to get to the edge, and then peering right over it. "Ching?"

Another croak, but quieter. "Is the snake gone?"

I glance up. That's right. Ching is a frog and Fei Yi is a snake. Snakes eat frogs. "He's already outside with Yu Yin."

"Then they're gone?" Ching hops out cautiously from under the wooden frame. Its eyes flicker wildly this way and that. Then, Ching takes a quick leap to land on the bed beside me, "Are you okay?"

If it were anyone else, I wouldn't be really sure how to answer. I don't think it's a good idea to mention the truth. Some part of me wonders if Mei had ever been hurt by the Beast like I had--but Ching hadn't mentioned it. "I'm okay," I echo, not surprised I don't know if that's true.

"What happened?" Ching asks me. "I came back to the room, but you weren't here! So I got tired and took a nap."

I snort, unable to hold back a small smile at the image of Ching slipping under the radar and curling up into a little ball, impatient and then just falling asleep. "Under the bed?"

"Yu Yin can be scary." Ching peers up at my face, and then hops closer, onto my thigh. "Why'd the Old Lady come? Did you need healing?"

"Just a bit. Something's wrong with my legs."

"Oh." Ching hops off my legs and then to the side, where it begins to wriggle itself under my blankets. The sight itself causes me to laugh, and I hold the blankets up for it. "Can you let the light in? I can't see."

I toss the blankets away.

Ching blinks once, then twice at my bare knees, and up and down my legs. It surprises me when it glares fiercely at them. "This servant says, anything wrong with you two goes away!"

At first, I don't think it's something that'll work. But then I think about how it got me walking. All at once, the compelling feeling of Ching's words overtakes me. I hold my breath, moving to twitch my toes cautiously; they move. Oh. Oh. "Thanks, Ching. I...I didn't know you could do that." I feel overwhelmed.

"My magic is linked to hope and belief. If you trust me even a little, it works." I watch as Ching hops sit properly on the top of my bedframe. "Do you want to go outside?"

I settle back slowly on the bed. "Aren't you scared of Fei Yi outside?"

Ching blinks once, then shies down to crouch its head low. "I forgot." Somewhat cowed, Ching hops on my kneecap. I shouldn't be so happy to feel the weight or the sensation of Ching's little webbed feet, but I am. "But there's nothing to do here."

"But I'm here."

"I know," Ching says. "But I don't know anything about you! You're so boring."

It's probably right. "Well...what do you want to know?"

"Anything! Where did you come from? Mei said she was very well loved. She used to be a princess! Did you know that?"

Mei lied. There's been no royalty ever sent to this place. Maybe there was, a long time ago, when they were scared of a monstrous unknown Beast. Some ancient tradition, waylaid now. But even as far back as then, they probably could've adopted a farmer's daughter, given her a title, and dressed her up. I force a smile. "I didn't."

I don't really think I want Ching to cry again, so I quickly tell it about my village. Ching seems enthralled by what the realm of Men is like, and even more so about the ways we'd entertain ourselves after a day's work in the fields, telling stories and making them up about everything in between. I keep out details about losing my friends year after year, family's faces growing darker and darker. He doesn't need to know that; it isn't...

I don't think anyone would understand.

In the middle of a story, Ching freezes on my shoulder, and quickly dives under the collar of my robes. I stop. "Ching?"

It doesn't move, except to shiver and shake, making not a peep.

When I look up, I see Fei Yi at the silk screen, head bowed, hands clasped in a salute. "Apologies for interrupting, Guest Chao," he says, straightening. His eyes are zeroing in on exactly where is Ching hiding, before he drags them reluctantly to look at me. "The Master wishes to see you."

In some way, the yellow of his eyes reminds me too much of the Beast's the first time I saw him, all hunger and bite. My hands tremble. "Where's Yu Yin? I want her to help me." Anyone but him.

Fei Yi smiles. On a face as young and beautiful as his, it looks eerie. I'm reminded that when he carried me to this room, his skin was cold to the touch. "I will call for her."