Reunion of a second chance

Chapter 1

The Blind Concubine was sitting on his soft chair. His unseeing and dim eyes were not focused on anything in particular. He was just sitting there, existing. Nothing more, nothing less.

When he had asked the Emperor to release him form the palace and let him live free, he was not expecting this. In the beginning, he had been overjoyed that he no longer had to fear for his life. There were no palace intrigues in this remote region and also no Emperor's mother who would want to poison him for what he had once seen as a small child and did not at all understand the meaning of.

And most importantly, no overbearing Emperor who had once burned his eyes so they could not see ever again and then came back to beg for forgiveness that the Blind Concubine could not give. Not after seven years of suffering and fearing for his, his servant's and his cat's lives.

But now, everything was set. The Blind Concubine had been granted freedom, living in this faraway place where the Emperor did no longer come to bother him. He could once again live his quiet and simple life.

However, something was still missing. It had been many seasons since the Blind Concubine had ever talked with anyone. His cat was dead and he had personally send away his one and only servant so he would not be caught in the crossfire of the palace intrigues. At first, he had been happy about this new situation and his health had improved as well. But lately, he could not stand the loneliness anymore.

When he had been living in the Cold Palace within the Emperor's residence, he had also been lonely. But not like this. Back then, he had his cat and he had his servant – more like a friend really. Without them, he felt so completely alone that he would often only lay down on his soft chair for the whole day and the whole night until he would have to get up because of being hungry. And sometimes not even for that.

He felt empty inside. He had no one to talk to and no one to share any news or happy and sad stories with him. No one who would tell him how the outside world looked throughout the seasons. No one to keep him company in his endlessly dark world.

There must have been someone bringing food to the bridge connecting the small house he lived in with the rest of the world. For the house he now occupied was built on a small island in the middle of a lotus lake and that was the only way to get to it.

Not that the Blind Concubine actually knew any of this because he saw it. His eyes were now blind for more than nine years and he could only rely on the information the servants had told him when they had moved him here and his own observations. The Blind Concubine never left his island aside for picking up the food left for him; and no matter how long he waited, there was no one who would come talk to him.

Even if there were definitely people around, the Blind Concubine was all by himself. He should not be complaining; it had been him who had asked the Emperor to let him live like this. It had been him who had send his one and only servant and friend away to protect him from the harsh life in the Emperor's palace. Nevertheless, he felt lonely.

He should have probably gotten used to the feeling seeing how he had spent seven years living with only his cat and his servant and never having anyone beside them to talk to him. However, it was just this that was now making him even lonelier. They were both gone and he was truly the only one left in this house.

Sometimes, especially when he felt like this and remembered those few and far between happy moments in the Emperor's palace, he did not feel like doing anything. He only laid in his soft chair and waited for the days to pass. He longed for someone to be there with him, for someone to talk to. Anyone. Anyone beside the Emperor, that was.

***

The Emperor stood on the shore of the lotus lake, watching the Blind Concubine laying lifelessly on the divan. It was like this day in and day out and he could not watch his beloved concubine wasting away like this any longer. His heart was breaking.

The Blind Concubine was so close, yet so far. The Emperor's palace only stood a short distance away from here so he could come here whenever he had a moment and was not taking care of his duties or ruling the court.

However, he could not go to the Blind Concubine's side and keep him company. He could not sooth his beloved's worries and fears and make him eat at last.

He knew he was the last person that the Blind Concubine wanted anywhere near him. For he was the one who had caused his eyes to never see the light of the day again. He was the one who had formerly imprisoned him in the Cold palace for long seven years. He was the one whom the Blind Concubine resented and hated the most.

Even when he had seen that the Blind Concubine was slowly dying while he kept him imprisoned in the palace, he could still not let him go entirely. That was why when he could not bear to witness him withering away any longer, he had promised the Blind Concubine that he would release him from the palace.

It had not taken too much effort to trick the Blind Concubine into believing that after an hour of horse carriage ride, he was far away from the palace. In fact, he had only moved to a solitary residence on the small island in the middle of the lotus lake just outside the Emperor's residence's gates. This way, the Emperor could keep an eye on him while staying hidden in the distance.

He came here every single day and watched how the Blind Concubine was finally thriving. His cheeks became red and were not ghostly pale anymore. His body seemed to have healed nicely and he was now running around without a care in the world, or as much running as a blind person could once they got used to their surroundings. He had a healthy appetite and overall, he looked much better and much happier compared to the time the Emperor had kept him forcefully by his side.

That was, for a while after his move. Lately, it seemed more like the Blind Concubine's health was once again reclining and the Emperor could do nothing but watch it happen. He had ordered the servants who were leaving food on the bridge every day to also leave medicine. However, there was no way for anyone to go talk to the Blind Concubine and examine him for any serious illnesses. Not if the plot about him never leaving the palace's gates should not be revealed.

The Emperor grew more and more concerned every day. It was truly heart-breaking always seeing the Blind Concubine only laying lifelessly on his divan, barely eating and never doing anything else. He could really not stand it anymore. If things continued like this, the Blind Concubine would wither away right in front of his eyes.

He had to do something, even if it would earn him even more contempt and hatred from his beloved Blind Concubine.