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."
"The war you started."
"I know, I know. You are right." He took her hand in his and softly massaged it. "I should have known better."
Yuwen Hong was on a mission to appease her. Even if she told him to go on his fours and bark like a dog, he would. It made her even angrier. He was not regretful, and neither did he care about General Feng's death. The sooner she had him leave the better.
"My son has been unwell, recently."
"I heard from Oren."
It surprised her to see concern emitting from him and not even a fraction of disappointment and jealousy. The Yuwen Hong she knew was immature and refused to see reason when it came to her.
"He will not stop crying since the passing of Mother. I need to go check on him."
"I hope the matter will be quickly resolved." He helped her up but went on to sit again, resuming his xiangqi game.
She could leave him there and focus on casting him out from her palace. Because Yuwen Hong finding out about Yun Xiang would be entangling herself with him further. That was the right thing to do. Make him leave and never see each other again.
Elora turned to him nevertheless. "Are you not coming along?"
Yuwen Hong looked up at her. Shock dressed his eyes. "You want me to come?"
"Yes," she shrugged. "You do not want to meet my son?"
"I... Of... Of course." He was too overjoyed to enunciate himself properly.
"Follow me," she instructed.
When they arrived at the nest Yun Xiang resided in, the servants helped them purge their bodies from what they could take inside to infect Yun Xiang who was not yet fully strong. The priestess assistant gave them murky water to wash their hands in and helped them put on clean outer robes.
Elora could see from the corner of her eye the surprise in Yuwen Hong. Probably did not understand why they had to do this.
After being sorted into a state worthy to be in Yun Xiang's presence and not affect his health, Elora led Yuwen Hong toward the room Yun Xiang lay in.
As they entered the room, their attention was immediately seized by the piercing cries of Yun Xiang, his distress echoing through the air. The sound was both sharp and desperate, cutting through Elora's heart.
Held tightly in the arms of his wet nurse, Yun Xiang was a picture of inconsolable anguish, his tiny face contorted in misery. His cries were accompanied by vigorous thrashing, as if seeking release from an unseen torment.
The wet nurse struggled to pacify him, attempting to soothe his distress with gentle rocking motions, but his resistance made her no match for him.
"Your Majesty," the wet nurse bowed her head a little in greeting.
Elora took Yun Xiang and started to coo softly. "What did they do?" She wiped his wet cheeks. "Did they anger you?" She swayed with him in the hopes that he would calm, but he only lowered his cry as he looked up to her, before blasting his lungs out again.
Elora stiffened, seeing that no change had taken place since she last saw him. "How long has he cried since I visited?"
"Your Majesty," the wet nurse responded. "He cries every minute he is awake and not feeding."
Elora sighed as she kissed his forehead. What was truly the matter, she did not know.
"Can I hold him?" Yuwen Hong came to her side.
Elora instantly froze as her heart raced. Just him holding her felt like he was about to take her away and she would never be able to see Yun Xiang again. It was not as if she was doing well as his mother. What right would she have to get him back?
She tried to reason with herself and finally handed Yun Xiang over to his father.
What she did not expect to feel were the butterflies of warmth and bliss from watching her son in the arms of his father. Yuwen Hong patted Yun Xiang's buttock and shushed him softly. He was so good with children as always.
In bewilderment, she watched Yun Xiang calm and become still like untouched waters. His little body hiccuped on his tears as he tiredly leaned on his father's chest.
Elora's eyes popped. If it only took his father to keep him quiet, should she not have let them meet sooner?
"H-How?" she stuttered.
Yuwen Hong smiled looking down on Yun Xinag in adoration. "I do not have magical powers. It is something I just realised from observation."
"Really?"
"When I spoke to Oren, he mentioned his grandmother used to tend to him the most. Thus, as a Furian baby he missed her energy that he got used to. He explained how your children use energy to recognise between a stranger and family."
That was true.
"So I thought that if he can sense such spiritual things, what else can he sense?" Yuwen Hong continued. "I watched how when you carried him and held steady, he seemed to calm down. However, when you became unstable he cried more.
"The little one is experiencing anxiety from the separation from his grandmother. Right now he is afraid and weary. You must be strong and give him calmness and security. He needs to feel assured, and it seems everyone holding him does not have that as they are afraid of him and how he will not stop crying, which exacerbates him."
Yun Xiang wearily yawned and took his fist into his mouth.
"Greetings there," Yuwen Hong chuckled. "What is your name?"
Yun Xiang cooed and gave a little smile.
Elora walked closer and laughed a little. "I have never seen him do that."
Yuwen Hong laughed back and they both turned their attention to Yun Xiang, adoring and entertaining him.
Elora kissed her baby on the forehead excitedly. She could not contain how relieved she felt. He was not dying and was going to be alright. That was all she wanted for him.
"Yun Xiang," she suddenly said.
Yuwen Hong stiffened as his eyebrows knit up to hearing a Nevorian name. "Huh?"
"His name." She took his eyes. "His name is Bai Yun Xiang. Your son."
S.V