My Liege And I

Smoke

Chapter 40

Wei Li Lian
Princess Elora
Her Highness Wei
The Dragon Palace

"His Majesty arrives!"

All the servants ran from all parts of the Phoenix palace to the entrance of the palace to welcome Yuwen Hong. Ai also stood to join the others, but Li Lian was quick to reach for her hand.

"Your Highness?"

Li Lian shook her head. "Don't go." She tilted her head towards the hallway. "Go sit in one of the chambers. I do not know what tonight holds and I would like you away from his sight so you will not risk bearing the consequences of my sins."

"Are you not going to greet him?" Ai frowned.

Not going to the front and receiving the visitor meant they were unwelcome.

"Just go, Ai." Li Lian shoved her forward, till she stumbled on her feet, leaving.

"Greetings to His Majesty! Our Liege is welcome to the Phoenix palace!" She heard her servants welcome him, to which he did not respond.

It did not take a while for Yuwen Hong to enter, Court Lady Nam tailing him and stationing herself at the corner of the room. Li Lian quickly rose and gave up her elevated zabuton cushion for him, then took a lower one across him.

"When did I become unwelcome in my own palace?" Yu'er assessed her, not happy. "You are becoming disrespectful, Li Lian."

She squinted her eyes towards him, admonishing, and rolled her eyes as she looked past him. Anger was an understatement to what she was feeling. He lied to her face, complete betrayal, and now she was mourning over her brother.

Worse, she could not cry publicly. She had to hide her emotions and act as if all was well.

Yuwen Hong motioned his hand that had Court Lady Nam leave the room, shortly, before coming back inside. In her hand was a lit wooden smoking pipe. Smoke emitted from its buttock, the scent of burnt plants.

He took it and thanked her, instructing that she leave them alone.

Li Lian watched him take his first pull and slowly, he puffed it to her face. It was outright passive anger they were expressing against each other. Why he would be angry, she had no idea. She was the victim.

"Yuwen Hong, you promised," she could not hold back any longer.

He shrugged. "You defended another man in front of me, what did you expect? Surely it's not my mercy you were bound to get."

"That is not the case," she held her ground. "What hurts the most is that you lied to me."

"Like you always lie to me?"

That shut her up. They both knew it was the truth. No use refusing.

He went on casually. "You were not looking all right. Your health was concerning. I had to stop you from continuing your tirade, what use kneeling when I was fully certain you could not sway my mind. Avenging my father is a filial duty. There are no options, Huticah has to pay."

"You are so ignorantly single minded, Yuwen Hong. What if I was from Huticah too?" The words were out before she stopped them.

Yuwen Hong did not jump in to respond as fast. His eyes held hers, unmoving. There was no trace of emotion in them. "I would kill you too."

Her heart jolted.

"You promised you would never... kill me." Clearly, promises meant nothing to him.

His lips thinned, his head slowly nodding. "Then I would spare you?"