Fresh Embers of Love

Chapter 39

Imperial Consort Kuanglu walked slowly and carefully down the wide paved path in front of the manor where Yuanji, the Goddess of Fate, had lived for as long as she could remember. Her eyes took in every detail, noting how high the wall in front of the manor was, how strong the gate, how close were the neighboring houses, and did any of their windows have a clear view over the fence.

Her behavior might have seemed suspicious, if anyone had been able to see her. She was using an invisibility spell. Not that anyone was around to see her anyway, but it was better to be cautious.

Staying invisible, she levitated herself upward, hoping to see over the stone wall. She was wary of crossing over top of it, however. It was possible that Yuanji would have some sort of alarm there. She hovered just outside the edge of the wall, and floated around it, looking down onto the grounds below.

Kuanglu took note of the back gate with interest. That was a possible entry point for her, or a possible escape route for Yuanji. That shed behind the house, a possible hiding spot. There was a pond in the backyard, but it didn't look deep enough for a person to disguise themself with.

Kuanglu was struck by how quiet it was. There were no servants bustling to and fro on the property. Surely someone of Yuanji's stature would have servants. Did Yuanji actually live here? Had she left?

Kuanglu resisted the urge to break into the house. If Yuanji did have an alarm set, it would be a dead giveaway. Yuanji would know to flee, and who knows how many others she could alert on her way out. Kuanglu would have to be patient.

She decided to put forth a simple test to see if any of these gates were being used. She flew down to the back gate, and pulled a strand of hair from her head. She placed the hair across the crack between the gate and the wall, making it stick with magic. She then repeated the process on the front gate. She would come back tomorrow and see if those hairs had been moved.

In the meantime, she decided to head over to where Yuanji worked, at the Wheel of Karma and Fate.

A servant led her in to Yuanji's office, and brought a pot of tea for them to sip. She sat down at a table that was close by the desk, across from Yuanji.

"What brings Your Highness here today, Consort Kuanglu?" Yuanji asked with a an expression of forced politeness, adding extra emphasis to the word 'Consort'.

Kuanglu studied her for a long moment, not responding. Then she smiled in her own version of forced politeness.

"I'm here to ask about my son" she invented. "He will soon be ready for his Mortal Trial. Have you read the Celestial Signs for him yet?" she asked.

Yuanji shook her head. "I didn't see a need to do that" she admitted.

"Really?" Kuanglu asked. "You didn't see a need to read the signs for the future Emperor of Heaven?"

A look of contempt briefly crossed Yuanji's face, before she re-composed her polite expression.

"Considering your recent mistakes, I would have thought you would make an extra effort to redeem yourself" Kuanglu continued on, noting Yuanji's microexpression, but not letting on.

Yuanji's expression changed again, to one of dislike.

"I don't see how I can be blamed for the Princess jumping early" she responded bitterly.

"Do you think the Emperor holds a favorable view of Immortals who make a mistake, and then refuse to admit it?" Kuanglu asked innocently, picking up her teacup and pretending to drink from it. "I imagine he would ask the question, 'How can one learn from a mistake, if one refuses to acknowledge it?'" she placed the teacup down delicately on the table.

That last question was a serious dig at Yuanji, for the Emperor had asked her that very same question about Jinmi's Mortal Trial. Shortly thereafter he had punished Yuanji with her own Mortal Trial that was exceptionally degrading.

Yuanji blanched, her face turning paler than normal. She had received Kuanglu's implied threat.

"Shall I read the Signs for the Prince now?" Yuanji asked, forcing a smile.

"In your own time" Kuanglu replied. "I wouldn't want to be accused of ordering around the Goddess of Fate" she said with an insincere laugh.

Yuanji stood up. "I live to serve the Emperor" she said with a slight bow. "If his son needs to have the Celestial Signs read, then I shall do it as quickly as possible."

She left the room with angry strides. As soon as the door closed behind her, Kuanglu was out of her chair. She scanned the room with Magic first, looking for evidence of strong spells. There was a drawer in the desk that had a strong locking spell on it.

Kuanglu was strong enough to break it, but she wouldn't be able to recreate the spell. It was Fire based magic. She thought for a minute, before placing her hands on the desktop, her fingers splayed out. She cast a Water based magic spell that the Emperor had taught her, briefly giving the object she touched the properties of Water.

As the desktop turned clear, she peered through it, into the drawer underneath it. There seemed to be a collection of letters, covered by a small lock of fuzzy red fur. How interesting! Kuanglu would dearly love to know the content of those letters.

Carefully and delicately, she stuck one hand into the bubble of water that the desktop had turned into, her fingers straight like a spear, trying not to disturb the surface tension of the bubble, coming out the bottom of it into the drawer. As her hand touched the letters, she cast a spell that would make them very small, and fly up into her sleeve. Then she cast an illusion spell, so that if the drawer was opened it would look like the letters were still there. Lastly, she very carefully pulled her hand back out of the bubble, and then released the Water spell, turning it back into the marble of the desktop.

She sat back in the chair at the table, arranging herself to look like she hadn't moved, and vanishing the tea in the cup to make it look like it had been drunk. She smiled to herself, feeling the letters scratching against her arm under her sleeve. The Emperor would be very pleased with her.