Reunion of a second chance

Chapter 14

The seasons changed and the Blind Concubine was so busy having fun with his new cat and Chime that he barely noticed another two years passing by. It had now been seven years since he had come to live on the small island in the middle of the lotus lake.

However, to the Blind Concubine, the time was passing in a flash. Chime would come to talk to him every day and keep him company. He would spend long hours with the Blind Concubine and his cat. Those were the most beautiful and happy parts of the day for the Blind Concubine.

He now felt like he knew Chime perhaps even better than he had known the companion before him. Despite the fact that Chime could not really talk with him, they understood each other perfectly. It was almost as if they had been born for each other.

Sometimes, especially when the Blind Concubine would not feel well of would simply be sad, Chime would stay on the island with him even during nights. Sometimes for several days in the row, nursing him back to health. The Blind Concubine had become dependent on him in the years they knew each other.

Chime also took the Blind Concubine to do a lot of activities he had never done before. Such as going on a little picnic on the shore or taking a walk in the surrounding area.

The Blind Concubine had never tried those before, and he would also never go out without Chime. Because of his blindness, he had always thought he could not do anything like normal people. But Chime had shown him that he in reality could almost anything, only differently.

At times, Chime would also take him back to his village and they spent the day going around a market. After that first experience years ago, the Blind Concubine tried not to take any money Chime offered him. He had no way to ever repay it, he did not actually own anything.

Everything he had now, even the food he was eating, all of that had been given by the Emperor. The Blind Concubine could still not forgive the Emperor for blinding him, imprisoning him and then fooling him for such a long time. He would never offer Chime anything the Emperor gave him.

However, Chime would insist each and every time. So the Blind Concubine at least prepared gifts for him as means of thanking him. One time it was a nicely shaped piece of wood he had found near the lake, other times something more subtle, like sharing a meal. They were small things, but the Blind Concubine did not really have anything else to repay Chime's kindness.

He was no longer worried that Chime would leave him though. If those five years they had been together had anything to say, it was that Chime would stay at his side in both good and bad times. The Blind Concubine was not surprised when he realized that he had started developing feelings for his friend.

It had been so long since he had felt like this that it had been hard to notice in the beginning. The last time the Blind Concubine had fallen in love with someone, that person turned out to be the Emperor who had blinded him. The Blind Concubine had had his heart broken at that time.

He had actually never thought he would be able to love anyone ever again. And yet, here he was, developing feelings for Chime. He did not exactly know what to do with himself. He was so confused that he did not even tell his confidant, Chime, anything about it just yet.

The Blind Concubine had only ever confided in his cat. He did not want to be betrayed and hurt again. The Blind Concubine was not sure he would survive it this time.

***

The Emperor was doing his very best. It had been already five years from the moment he had first stepped onto the Blind Concubine's island. By this time, it had become some kind of a legend in the palace. It was being said that a secret concubine was living there and that was why the Emperor was spending all his free and not so free time there.

Every time the Emperor heard those rumours, he had to hide a smile. They were so close to the truth that they were not even rumours anymore. There were several problems with this arrangement of things however.

First was that he had to keep a close eye on curious palace officials. They wanted to sneak onto the island and meet the secret concubine. That would just not do. The Emperor knew that a single word could lead the Blind Concubine to the truth. He was still hiding the fact that he was keeping the Blind Concubine inside the palace walls from him.

The second problem was that the Emperor's mother had started asking him about this secret concubine of his. Apparently it was time for the Emperor to take an official wife despite his numerous refusals. She had previously tried to kill the Blind Concubine with poison and the Emperor was afraid she would attempt it again. He had to protect his Blind Concubine.

And the third problem was that the court officials were dissatisfied with him disappearing away so often and leaving all the state matters in their hands. Secretly, they must have been thrilled with the opportunity to rule the kingdom. However, since the Emperor had to agree to their every decision, it was just slowing the process of everything.

This all, combined with having to always make sure to keep all curious eyes, not only the palace officials but also all the servants and guards as well, away from the Blind Concubine, was exhausting.

The only bright moments in his everyday life were now his meetings with the Blind Concubine. The Emperor loved to see his Blind Concubine smile and be happy. Luckily, it seemed like lately, he was achieving just that.

All the efforts he was putting into assuring himself that the Blind Concubine had a good time and stayed healthy were finally paying off.

The Emperor could see it in the way the Blind Concubine was energetic and how he liked to discover new things. The Emperor thought that it must have been for the first time after he had lost his sight that the Blind Concubine let himself feel like this.

In comparison, all the Emperor's small problems and setbacks felt like nothing at all. By now, he would even abandon the throne only to be able to spend all the time in the world with the Blind Concubine.

The only inconvenience was that he did still not dare to actually speak in front of the Blind Concubine. During the years, the amount of things the Emperors wanted to tell him had increased. And yet, he could not utter a single word.

He was suffering like this. Every day he would visit the Blind Concubine, he would have to bite his lips in order to keep himself from speaking. It was truly maddening being so close and yet so far at the same time.