From the Ashes of Love

Chapter 80

The Heavenly Emperor Runyu was sitting at his desk, going over his notes for the hundredth time, when he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"What is it?" he called out.

The door opened and his Mother-in-law stood there. "Li-er wants to see you" she informed him. Her face looked very serious.

"What's wrong? Is she in pain again?" he asked as he jumped up from his seat. He raced through the palace, stopping at her door, and then took a deep calming breath. He opened the door and let out a surprised exclamation.

"Kuanglu!" he said. "What are you doing here?"

Kuanglu looked down at the floor nervously. "She sent for me" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Come sit down" Lia said to Runyu from the bed, motioning to him.

Warily, Runyu took a seat on a stool next to Kuanglu.

"Tell him" Lia said to Kuanglu.

Kuanglu looked down at the floor again. She didn't seem to know how to start.

"Remember what we talked about" Lia urged her.

Kuanglu cleared her throat. "Your Majesty" Kuanglu began, her voice low, "I've been talking with Lia. She has helped me to see how selfish I've been."

Runyu looked at Kuanglu in shock. 'Selfish' is not a word he would have used to describe her.

Kuanglu's voice grew stronger. "I was selfish" she said, correctly interpreting his facial expression. "Lia told me that love is meant to be shared. I kept my love for you to myself. My love nourished my heart, but you were left alone, in the cold, thinking that no one loved you. Thinking that you were not worthy of love. I could have saved you from that, and I didn't, because I was afraid that you would reject me. I selfishly wished to protect my own heart from rejection, and so I never told you what I should have told you the moment that I knew for sure."

Kuanglu looked up to his face. "I love you, Your Majesty. I always have... and I always will."

Runyu opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He looked at Lia helplessly. She was smiling at him with tears in her eyes.

"Oh no..." Runyu thought to himself. "She thinks she is dying!" His heart twisted with grief.

"I do not expect you to love me back" Kuanglu said. "I just want you to know that you are loved, and you are not alone. I will be here for you, always." She got up to leave.

Just then, Lia cried out loudly in pain, a look of intense surprise on her face.

Runyu and Kuanglu both turned to look at her. Her face was turning purple. Runyu jumped on the bed next to her, quickly directing a stream of blue light at her abdomen.

"Kuanglu! Help me!" He cried out desperately.

Kuanglu stood on the other side of the bed, and began directing her own stream of healing magic at Lia. The two of them strained with the effort.

Mother burst in to the room, having heard the yelling.

"Oh, Li-er!" she exclaimed. "The baby is coming early! Breathe for me, darling, BREATHE!" she yelled.

She circled around Kuanglu, and grabbed Lia's hand, petting it.

"Take a deep breath in, and then let it out slowly" she coached her, pushing her hair back from her forehead, which was covered in sweat.

Lia managed a breath, and then fell back weakly against the pillows. Runyu and Kuanglu discontinued the healing magic.

Runyu looked at his mother-in-law. "Is she okay now?" he asked worriedly.

Mother looked up at him. "That was only one contraction" she told him. "This will take hours."

Runyu sat back on the bed, at a loss. How could Lia last through that for hours?"

Eighteen hours later, Lia was still hanging on. Runyu had lost count of the contractions. Kuanglu slumped weakly against the wall, sitting on the floor. She had tried her best to help heal Lia. Her magical energy was almost depleted.

Mother was busy at the foot of the bed. She had hiked Lia's dress up around her hips, and arranged her legs so that her knees were up, and splayed apart. She peered between Lia's legs.

"Almost there, Li-er! You are doing so well!" she said encouragingly.

Lia could barely look in her mother's direction, she was so tired. Her hair was drenched with sweat, it rolled off of her face in droplets, soaking the pillow underneath her head. Her eyes were sunken in and the bones of her face stood out starkly. Runyu brought her hand up to his lips, and kissed it gently. He was out of his mind with worry, but hanging on for her sake.

Her face scrunched up in pain again, turning blue, as a raw scream emerged from her throat. Runyu quickly began a new stream of healing magic, directing the blue light at her torso.

"I can see the head!" Mother yelled excitedly. "Bear down for me! Push through the pain, Li-er!"

Lia slumped, breathing heavily. After a few moments, the process repeated again.

"PUSH!" yelled Mother. She made a noise of excitement as the baby finally emerged. "It's here! It's here Li-er! You did it!" She wiped the baby clean with a cloth. The smell of blood was overpowering.

Lia tried to look at the baby, but was too weak to move her head. She gasped and looked at Runyu pleadingly. He stopped the stream of healing magic to take hold of the baby and bring it to where Lia could see it.

The little baby Dragon was covered in tiny green scales that looked like jade. It moved in his hand, causing him to catch his breath.

"Lia, she's beautiful!" Runyu exclaimed.

Lia gasped, like she was trying to say something. Runyu leaned down, placing his ear against her face. Even then he could barely hear her.

"Loong... Nu... Wa..." she whispered faintly.

"Loong Nu Wa?" Runyu asked her. Lia nodded imperceptibly.

"That's a pretty name" he told her.

Lia's eyes rolled back in her head.

"NO!" Runyu yelled, upsetting the baby. It started crying. "Help me!" he cried out, holding the baby up to anyone who could take it.

Mother took the baby out of his hands, and left the room with it. He could see tears streaming down her face. Runyu directed yet another stream of blue light into Lia's body, holding her from behind her shoulders. Kuanglu began another stream from her position on the floor, but it petered out. She was spent. She passed out on the floor.

Runyu desperately pumped as much force as he could muster behind the healing magic, heedless of the tears that streamed down his own face. He was determined to save Lia.