Love In The Palace

Poisonous Love

"Lis, bring it in." The doors that were kept shut slowly creak open, revealing the Empress' lady-in-waiting who is holding a tray, with a bowl on it. She carefully places the bowl onto the table that separates Jade and Empress, before retreating back outside and closing the doors again for their privacy.

"This is tonic soup," the Empress pauses for a mere moment before she continues again, with completely no expression on her face, "that contains very little amount of poison." She may have not been able to understand the politics. She may not be very educated, she may not be intelligent at all. However, she surely understands that one word, poison.

"Because of you, many ministers are unwilling to support Crown Prince as they perceive him as someone easily swayed, especially by women like you, who have no status and power." And especially women who are power-hungry, Empress finishes her sentence in her heart, perhaps because she too still has that little bit of conscience left and knows not to mention some things.

"I give you two choices. Leave the palace, or take this everyday. No one will suspect your death, for they will just think that you are sick after miscarriage."

Surprised is an understatement. Needless to say, if she refuses both, she may not even be able to see the sun anymore tomorrow, and Rowena may even be dragged in the troubles she has gotten into.

I want to live. Those words keep repeating in her head. She is hiding her trembling fingers behind her sleeves, hoping that the Empress will not notice, though she must have noticed Jade's eyes that have reddened and turned glassy. She is biting back her inner cheeks, trying her best not to cry.

She wants to live, but she too does not want to leave Crown Prince. She cannot stop asking, what is wrong with our love? Why is it so hard? Why is it so painful?

Because if anyone wants to live in the palace, one of the many things that he has to sacrifice is his feelings, for that will surely be the reason of his downfall.

"I...I will take...the poison..." It takes her so much courage to force the words she is unwilling to say out. She is willing to try, for she thinks that there is no reason to live if she leaves the palace with so much regrets and sadness swelling up in her heart. It definitely will be so much better to die happily beside Crown Prince, she thinks, naively.

"Very well. I will ask Lis to send it to you everyday. And she will make sure that you drink it all. This bowl...you may choose not to drink it, for this is the first." Empress hastily rises from her seat, flipping her hands to collect back her long sleeves and put them back in place while she adjusts the her posture. Then she leaves, without batting an eyelash at Jade, leaving that girl in the cold and silent room.

---

From behind the wood partitions, Consort Lana emerges without uttering a single word. She cannot hide the anger showing on her face, her heavy breathing, her glaring and her reddening face. She is holding back her urge to slap her, the woman who is sitting on her position like a stone, not moving, not batting an eyelash.

"Why?!" She can only scream her question out. She feels that every single word coming out of her throat will only be screams. She is too dumbfounded, too speechless and angered by the fact that Jade chooses to drink the poison that will slowly kill her.

"Why are you so foolish?!" Jade's only response is that single drop of tear that escapes her eyelid. It slides down her cheeks, dripping onto her sleeves. She makes no effort to wipe it off. Perhaps she is too tired to resist anymore. She has given in to life, to the cruel grasp of destiny.

"Just leave! Why did you not leave?! I will prepare a small house for you in the East Mountains, just like your promise to Empress Dowager! You can consider your promise to the Empress Dowager done! Just leave!" There is a silence breaking the tensed atmosphere in the room, before Jade replies, with words that hit Consort Lana right at her weakest spot.