Truth

Sitting down with the Empress Dowager in her side private parlor we were served more tea and some sweets. I noticed this tea was a finer quality. I smiled to myself. "My child you look well rested and I hope you are ready to have your child back in your arms." She said to me. In reply "I owe you many thanks for keeping her in your care and also for granting me the time you knew I needed. Thank

you Queen Mother." I got up and bowed in gratitude.

Helping me up she said "Oh how I have missed your kindness and loyalty. You have always been the peaceful one and I need you to bring that back to the harem. These girls have become more against each other by the week. Every gathering I have had to stop senseless bickering. It's tiring. I know you can't work miracles but I'm hoping your calm presence with help." Patting my hand. Then summoned my little princess Liena to come join us. Sitting in my lap I see she has grown so much already. I'm trying to hold back tears of joy, I just realized how much I missed her. I'm so relieved to have her back with me.

"There is something else I must share with you but you cannot act on my child. That time will come but right now learn and know the truth." She was quiet for a long second. Looking at her tea she said to me "The way you lost the child seemed not quite right. So I had someone look into things very quietly. To find that you were taking something else that wasn't given by the doctor. It was given to you by Noble Lady Daiyu?" I nodded...slowly understanding where this was going. She continued "The special tea was examined by the imperial doctor. It contained rare abortive ingredients...I'm so sorry my child. Sometimes we cannot trust those we thought to be some of our closest allies." I was surprised but in my gut I wasn't surprised at all. Some how I knew something was off with what she gave me. But wanted so badly to trust a friend. Foolish I was.

Wiping away the few stay tears I said "Thank you Queen Mother for finding the truth for me. It is a shame to lose a friend but I have learned from this mistake. I will not act because I was at fault for taking something so blindly. This terrible misstep however has revealed the truth that lies within certain people. That...I will remember"

The Empress Dowager patted my hand in reply kindly. Then all a sudden the Emperor arrived, which caught me entirely off guard. But she seemed to expect him though. Hmm.

After greeting him, he immediately helped me up and gave me a very warm smile I had also not expected. He took the princess from my arms playfully and handed her off to the nurse maid. Then returned to look at me. Fully taking me in actually and making me blush. "I must say you are the most pleasing to behold. Simple and elegant. I have mis.." Then the Empress Dowager interjects "Mhmm I am still here My Son. You can visit her tonight, I asked you here to discuss your uncle" she smiled in a secretive way. And the princess and I were dismissed back to my palace.

On our way back I began to replay what happened. I had not expected him to miss me so. But she was not surprised at all...had she planned this? To keep me away completely from him so that he would learn to miss me? Hmm. I was allowed to receive letters from all the other ladies of the harem but she forbid him to write to me. Only allowing me one letter which I made great use of I believe. Ha. She played us perfectly into exactly what she wanted. But I cannot say I'm upset, this was clever and I honestly sort of appreciate it. I owe her more than I knew...hopefully not more than I would like too.