Love In The Palace

Imperial Edict

"You better off behave. Your family's bloodline is all depending on how well you listen to me, and how well you keep that mouth shut." Empress growls lowly, her voice almost swallowed by the silence of the room, and the stillness of the air. When her eyes are diverted down, she feels immeasurable amount of satisfaction, seeing how the pregnant witch is lying on the floor helplessly, crying and begging her in vain.

"Guards, take down the servants in this palace! All of you, take care of Concubine Leanne, properly. There must be no mistake done." Empress presses great weight on her words, eyeing on every single servant she has just brought from her palace, while they all keep their eyes down, afraid of meeting her eyes. Then, she lowers her body, until her face is level to Concubine Leanne, her eyes staring into that poor girl's, sharp and piercing.

"If you want to blame, blame yourself for being too eager to jump out of the water." She whispers, before breaking into a laugh, a laugh that is filled with wickedness and evil, a laugh that stirs up goosebumps on all servants present. Before the Empress leaves, she eyes her physician and the midwife, squinting at her, signalling for them to do their work well.

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Author's POV:

Her hands are holding onto a red tray filled with books, as her feet pace tiny little steps in a hurriedly manner towards Crown Prince's palace, past one of the many palace gardens. The leaves have browned, many are falling, like a rain of brown, yellow and golden colours. It is a beautiful and breathtaking sight while the chilly wind blows, ridding any negative thoughts ever existing in one's mind. The view is just that refreshing.

When Jade is about to turn around, a man whose face she is familiar with appears from around the corner, alone, without any servant or lackey following. She stops in her tracks, her eyes caught in his. She unconsciously blinks her eyes away, away from his eyes. Her eyes are locked onto the grounds before her, and when a pair of feet comes into her view, she curtsies.

"Greetings, Third Prince."

"Rise." Is his only word to her. She heeds his word and raises from her curtsying position. They both fall into silence, a silence with only the sound rustling of leaves heard.

"Seventh Sister has written a letter." His voice is monotonous. It sounds dead. It sounds lifeless.

"Father Emperor showed me the letter." He pauses, his voice carries so much bitterness, so much sadness.

"She said she is leading a good life." Again he pauses, before continuing, "But she never said that she is having a happy life."

"Why Your Highness Third Prince is telling me all these?" Her question does surprise him. And he asks himself the same question she asks him. Why her? After some moments of pondering, he could not even find an answer.

"I do not know. You just seem trustworthy." He replies, without looking at the woman before him. "Even more than myself." He adds, as he silently chuckles in his heart. He could not even trust himself any further. He could not trust himself to stand up again as his soul has crumbled ever since Seventh Princess left. But being Third Prince, being Yan Leon makes him having to force himself to. Or at least...puts on a facade that he has.

"Third Prince is a strong person."

"How so?"

"If Third Prince is not, Your Highness would not be walking out anymore." Jade's lips move on their own, without herself realising. But her words strike deeply in Third Prince's heart, for her words carry so much weight, for her words are true.

Seventh Princess will never return anymore. Even if she does, that would have meant that disasters have happened to her at the North, such that she has to return. He does want her to return.