The Lazy Life Of Raine

I Love You (9)

When the room was quiet again, Lui Wei still stood where he stopped.  He didn’t want to go back to see if Bai Yu was alright and he was unable to take a step forward.  The look on Queen Ame’s face made his heart feel stuffy. She looked sad and lonely. Tears threaten to fall, but with one breath, she hid her sadness and loneliness.  She swallowed back her tears and replaced it with a Queenly demeanor.

“Leave us.”  Lui Wei ordered.  

Once they were alone, Lui Wei didn’t know what to say to her.  He didn’t know how to begin to apologise to her and thank her for being lenient on Bai Yu. Her act of attacking Ame was a death sentence in itself.  Once again, his Queen was being considerate to him, giving him face again. He didn’t know what to say to her.

“Ame…” Lui Wei spoke softly but was cut off by her.

“King Husband.  This Queen understands that Concubine Bai Yu is someone you hold dear inside of your heart.  This Queen knows that you have grown up with Concubine Bai Yu and there experiences with her that no one, but the two of you know about.  This Queen has accepted Concubine Bai Yu’s place beside King Husband’s side. This Queen has considered all of this and accepts this as this Queen’s fate.  This Queen has also worked hard to help King Husband. This Queen has paid more attention to the Concubines in the back palace and taken care of King Husband so King Husband does not have to worry about the back palace.”  

“I know.”  Lui Wei said softly as he spoke informally towards her.  Looking at a woman, who he truly cared about, who was sad and trying to hide it was heartbreaking to him.

“But this Queen will no longer tolerate the disrespect that Concubine Bai Yu shows towards this Queen.  If she keeps doing this, it will give others a reason to act the same way and disorder will ensue. This Queen is trying to make this work for all of us.”  

“I know.”   Lui Wei took several steps towards her wanting to comfort her.  Wanting to apologise to her and thank her. “Ame --”

“You should go check on Concubine Bai Yu.  Talk to her. Let her know you still love her and care about her.  Let her know that her learning manners and palace laws are for her own good.  Make her understand.”

“Ame --”  

“Go.  We all know who you love, who you cherish and who you favor without Concubine Bai Yu reminding us.  The rest of us women, living in the back palace, do not hold a candle to her. She is your childhood love, your first love, she is someone who you can never forget.  You should go comfort her and talk to her so she can understand.”

“Ame…”  

“Go.  I want to be alone.”

Lei Wei closed his hands into fists and walked away.  The words ‘I’m sorry’, ‘thank you’, 'I care for you' and ‘I like you’ could not come out of his mouth.  It was stuck inside of his heart and it was unwilling to be unleashed. With each step further and further away from Ame, he felt their distance widen.  

His steps became heavy and he felt he was being squished by a mountain.  Lui Wei looked up and saw the two man made mountains where they had their first spontaneous public display of affection and all he could remember was the smile on her face and the warmth in her eyes.  

Lui Wei turned around and ran back to his Queen Wife.  He couldn’t leave like this. All their time spent together, understanding on another, listening to one another, would become meaningless if he didn’t fix this.

When he entered the receiving room it was empty.  All of her servants were nowhere to be found. He quickly walked to her bedroom and stopped.  Ame was sitting on her bed with her hands covering her face as she quietly cried.