My Liege And I

Nevertheless

Compliments for the New Year.

Chapter 81

Queen Elora

Furiah

Drowsily, Elora was stirred awake to the gentle presence of Yuwen Hong standing above her, holding a delicate porcelain bowl. The soft light in the room highlighted his concerned expression as he carefully offered her a wooden spoon laden with bitter-tasting medicine.

"Your temperature is worrying me that I may have to call in the physicians," he said. He coaxed her to take more till she was swallowed by sleep.

The next time she rolled over and opened her eyes, she watched Yuwen Hong eating a snack and reading one of her scrolls to entertain himself. Before she could comment on it, the clutches of sleep took her over.

In the quiet of the afternoon, Elora shifted in her bed, the rustling of sheets drawing her attention to the sight of Yuwen Hong engrossed in a solitary game of xiangqi (chess). Initially amused by his focus on the game, she found herself watching him, observing the strategic moves and the intent concentration etched on his features.

The soft clinks of the chess pieces echoed in the room, punctuating the tranquil atmosphere. He made hard moves, and sometimes easy moves against himself, that she wondered what was going through his mind. Did he realise this or his mind was somewhere else? Lost in her reverie, she didn't realise she had been watching him like a lovesick girl until he finally glanced in her direction, catching her gaze.

She cleared her throat and threw herself into the sheets to sleep again.

Now, half an hour later, she watched Yuwen Hong organise her food for her. He skilfully prepared her tea with the art she did not see her own people use. Pouring into the small cup, he pushed it toward her to drink.

"I brought your favourite tea from Nevoria. I am aware that they do not have it here."

She nodded in agreement. Furian food was bland compared to the variety Nevoria possessed.

"Drink. It will cheer you up."

She slowly took the cup and attempted a sip, but found it too hot. Noticing the frown on her face, he was quick to take the cup from her.

"I already tried to cool it down by adding a little of the cold water, though."

So he remembered how she could not handle hot tea. That made her heart soften, by very little of course.

She watched his long eyelashes kiss his eye contour when he closed his eyes to softly blow on her tea. He made a couple of blows before he tasted it himself and gave it to her. "This shall be to your liking."

She took the tea from him and sought a topic that would build the barrier between them.

"Who let you into my chambers?"

"Oren," he replied easily. "Even he felt sorry for me that you would not see me."

"Like there is no reason for it. Yuwen Hong, I meant it that between us, roads were destroyed. We cannot find the way to each other."

"When the rain destroys a bridge, a new one is built. Roads are even easier because without one you can still find your way home. A road is made by anywhere you choose to walk. Roads are made everyday. I will always find my way back to you, Li Lian. There is no other place for me."

"You killed my child's uncle, the husband of my sister, and my nephew's father," she snapped.

His eyes glared and she knew he wanted to retaliate with his own accusation, but thought better of it. He knew he had no ground to stand on, so he went on to say, "It was not my intention. It was either me or him. War is like that."