Fresh Embers of Love

Chapter 38

Nuwa woke gradually, feeling very stiff, like she hadn't moved in a long time. She tried to move her arms, her eyes still half-closed, and then sucked in her breath at the pain that followed. She opened her eyes, and realized that she had no idea of where she was, or how she had gotten there.

She looked around, trying not to panic, trying not to move her head too much. The bed she was laying in was fairly comfortable. It also smelled vaguely familiar, but she couldn't think why. The decor of this room was sparse, nothing to really indicate the identity of its owner. There was a window by the bed, but she couldn't see the sky through it, only greenish light. Stained glass, perhaps?

She forced herself to move, so that she could see what was behind her, emitting a pain-filled groan. She was startled to find that a man was there. He had been sitting in a chair in the corner this whole time.

"Princess, you're awake" the man said, getting up stiffly from his chair.

He stretched his arms with a grimace, and then walked slowly over to her, sitting down on the bed next to her. He took hold of her wrist between his fingers, holding them there and staring off into space for a long moment. Finally, he set her wrist back down on the bed, and gave her a warm smile.

"The baby is doing fine, it doesn't seem to have been affected by your injuries" he told her in reassuring tones.

Nuwa looked at him blankly. "Who IS this man?" she wondered. What was he talking about? Was she dreaming right now? The pain seemed very real...

"What baby?" she finally managed to reply. Her throat was very dry and sore, causing her voice to sound quite rough.

"Your baby" the man told her. "Didn't you know that you are pregnant?"

She looked down at her waist, staring at it in confusion.

"Haven't you been experiencing fatigue? Nausea? Especially in the mornings. Have you been craving certain foods?" The man asked her kindly.

"Eggs" she whispered "and plums". Her stomach gave an audible growl.

The man chuckled. "I'll have some food sent up" he promised.

"Wait!" she stopped him. "Where AM I?" she asked desperately.

"At the bottom of Dongting Lake" he told her.

"Dong...ting... How did I get here?" she asked next.

"The Lord's son brought you in last night" he replied. "You were covered in burns. You must have had a terrible accident, but I can't... quite... remember... what they said happened to you." He frowned, his expression puzzled. He scratched his head distractedly, looking at the ground.

Nuwa's stomach growled again.

"Right, Princess, let's get you some food!" The man said. He disappeared through the door, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

She looked down at her waist again, this time with trepidation. So this was the cause of her mysterious illness. She had believed it to be anxiety over Tangyue.

She had felt so desolate without him. Strangely, she didn't miss him now. Perhaps she was still angry with him for hurting her. He had said he would come check on her this morning, but she doubted he would come to Dongting Lake. Let him worry! He deserved it!

QingWa Sheng had brought her here last night? That was odd. How did he even know that she was hurt? Why would he go to the trouble of taking her here, instead of just bringing her home? This didn't make any sense!

She held her aching head in her hands, hoping the pressure would relieve some of her pain. Her arms protested the use, her entire upper body was so stiff and sore. This was a new experience for her. She had never been injured this badly.