His Majesty And I ✔️

Lettered Cure

Chapter 8

Li Lian
Princess Le-anne
Dragon Palace Wellness Chamber

"A week ago they criticized him for the popular art book. They said, 'How can an emperor sleep with a courtesan when his concubines were unattended?' Some even said he was a drunkard emperor." Grand Consort Shu emptily gazed at her porridge. "If my son dies let's see how they will survive without the 'drunkard emperor."

Li Lian wiped a blotch of porridge that fell on the small table they sat by. "No one will die, Your Highness."

Her mistress was in a depressive state and it was difficult to serve her. At many times Li Lian wanted to cry unabashedly with her. She was sorry, guilty and regretful about her mistake. She didn't want to stand in palace maid decorum anymore, but recklessly cry her eyes out for Yuwen Hong.

The tension in the palace was unnerving. Grand Consort Shu was planning her own funeral. She was dead set on dying when Yuwen Hong did. Her sleep was a forced hour, and leaving Yuwen Hong's bed side was when the physicians insisted on privacy. Her mistress didn't trust anyone, in her mind everyone wanted to finish the dragon. She wouldn't leave the Wellness chamber to freshen up at Hougong, so Court Lady Park and Li Lian would come with necessities to wipe her clean.

Yang Liu took Li Lian to Grand Consort Shu, two days ago. Li Lian thought her return would cheer her mistress up. But she was wrong. No one was important enough to Grand Consort Shu like her son.

Yang Liu lied saying, someone from her retinue found Li Lian lost in the forest when they were picking herbs.

Few words her mistress had said. "That's good. We thought you were dead, Li'er." There was no hug, no questioning about how she got to that forest and was alive. She was in a sore state to care.

The palace was being normalized by the Grand Dowager Empress who had taken over. Everyone was to continue like nothing was wrong. Li Lian still danced, practicing with Yang Liu for Grand Consort's banquet. While Yang Liu rarely talked to Li Lian, except anything pertaining to their dance.

It was understandable.

People were edgy. Any loud noise, hearts hammered thinking it was the bell. Concubines were afraid that if the emperor died they were done for, they would be unwanted discarded women to the person who took over the throne. All of them would be banished to the Frost palace. It was tradition that they couldn't belong to anyone else or leave the palace. Their future was in the palace whatever may happen.

Li Lian stared at her mistress who was eating her plate clean. Behind her were the closed curtains, secluding the struggling emperor. All they could hear was grunts of pain and coughing. Li Lian wished to see him but Grand Consort Shu did not let anyone see or touch him except those who treated him and the royal family. She took it upon herself to help monitor his health alongside the physicians.

Li Lian or Court Lady Park were only allowed into the chamber to deliver meals or freshen her up. Most of the day they stood at the entrance with the rest of the attendants, anticipating to serve her if need be.

The royal members mostly visited in the morning and evening. No chit-chat among them, they entered into the chamber, observed the dragon for a few minutes and left. Concubines were not allowed in. Consort Wang visited on behalf of them, and later gave them feedback. A concubine wasn't family in the books of Nevoria. She was an object owned, the other woman. It ended there.

Grand Consort Shu wiped her tears. By the rate she cried, Li Lian was sure the woman had cried a thousand tears since finding out Yuwen Hong was stabbed. "The royal physicians are traitors. They dare say to me this morning, they think he won't survive till sunrise." She let out a shaky breath, "This may be my last night with my son. How fateful."

Li Lian shook her head. It was not going to be his last. His death would sentence her to be a murderer.

"I... I am..." With that Grand Consort Shu fell down, collapsing.

A few minutes is what Lian had. She speedily helped her mistress lie her head on a zabuton. The sleeping herbs were only potent for the first hour. Li Lian took the knife she brought as part of the cutlery. Her hand was trembling. She was anxious whether her efforts would be fruitful.

It was a wild card but this was her only hope. What more could she do? She remembered the letter that caused her loss of sleep for the past night. She was not sure whether the sender was who they claimed to be. It could be a lie, a foul game but for Yuwen Hong she would do anything as repentance for her sins.

The letter had been in her nightwear. She thought it was her father, and almost discarded it before thinking again. The cloth was different, not material that Huticah had. That had her curious to open.

Elora, it is I, your Mistress.

Yes, I'm alive and not dead. King Tobba faked my death so he would replace me with Mistress Ki. My intentions had been to stay with you forever, my love. I would do anything to have you by my side.

I do not intend to explain everything on here for it is a lot that I must tell you.

Emperor Huizhong is sick and you must heal him. You may not know this, but you are special, especially your blood. Don't have him die, save him by feeding him a spoonful of your blood.

I will explain when I see you. For now do as I say. I miss you.

Nameless was cunning. She let Li Lian believe that she was dead and alone in this horrible world yet she never died in the first place. Even though she was forced to leave, Nameless could have secretly let her know that she was alive.

Li Lian tossed and turned on this all night. She was glad that Nameless was alive, but so many things were not adding up. Why was she special? The old woman in the dungeon called her Princess, though she was from Furia. She was not from Huticah to address her so.

Nameless was also from Furia. Why was everything in Furia?

The Huticah palace had rumors that her mother was from Furia. This was the reason why she asked Hu-go to go to Furia to search for her mother. She was named Elora at birth, and Elora was also the name of their queen. Therefore, her mother could be from there.

Nameless said she would explain things, did that mean she knew who her mother was? Furians had special healing blood. It was general knowledge. But that special blood was possessed by the royal family.

Could it mean her mother was someone part of the royal family and that is why she was consort to her father? In Huticah records, she once came across an agreement between Huticah and Furia to have a peace treaty marriage. While there was also gossip that her mother was a courtesan, a lowly woman who caught the King's attention with her beauty.

So many questions she had mauled over the whole night. Nameless never gave Li Lian her name. She asked Li Lian to recognize her by the name Mistress only. She was a mystery from the beginning.

Li Lian opened the golden curtain.

Author's Note

At this point I too can't wait to see what will happen to the emperor.

S.V