Fresh Embers of Love

Chapter 42

The Heavenly Empress Guihua, Flower Immortal, moved through the front garden of Zifangyun Palace. With a wave of her hand, she was able to distribute the exact amount of water that each plant needed, bringing it up from the well and sprinkling it over the planting beds. The early morning light was dazzling through the fresh drops of water that pooled on the green fronds.

She gently caressed the leaves of the plants as she walked by. She could hear them whispering to her, thanking her for the water, telling her that they loved her. She smiled at them, her dear friends, the Unawoken.

Inside the palace it was drearily quiet. Runyu had moved his things out, and gone to the Empyrean Cloud Palace. She had never kept servants, in compliance with his wishes, and Mother didn't know about it yet. Runyu hadn't given her permission to tell anyone. He had promised that he would let her know when the time was right, but that time was not now. Not yet.

He had begun his part of the plan to search out the conspirators in the Heavenly Realm. Guihua would play her part too, but she must wait awhile longer. She envied Kuanglu for the first time. Kuanglu would be able to work by his side in this goal. Guihua must now stand aside.

She hadn't felt like this since she was in her Mortal Trial, knowing that her body was dying, and her baby and Runyu would go on without her. She had tried to throw Runyu and Kuanglu together then. It had almost worked, sort of. Fuzangloong was born out of it. She had always viewed him as being partially her child, because she had been instrumental in his conception.

Here she was throwing Runyu and Kuanglu together again, once more for the sake of her child, their children. Nuwa and Fuzang were her highest priorities. The Flower Realm was second, even though all life in the other Realms depended upon her work there. Her marriage would have to be third, she realized sadly.

She drifted into the kitchen, preparing tea with another wave of her hands, sitting at the kitchen table to drink it. She remembered the very first time that she had served tea to Runyu, right here at this table. She caressed it lovingly, smiling at the memories. So many happy memories with Runyu.

No matter what happened in the future, she would always be grateful for the love she had received. She felt blessed to have known this Dragon Spirit, who was willing to sacrifice so much of himself for the good of others.

She had never known love at all, until her Mortal Trial. Her mortal Mother, Zhou Loa-Nu, had taught her how to love. She had taken that knowledge, and taught it to Runyu, and Nuwa, and to her plants. She liked to think that it had enriched all of their lives.

She missed her daughter terribly. It was hard to know that Nu-er was so far away, and suffering, and she couldn't go to her. At least her baby was being protected by an army. Fuzang was still here, in this dangerous place. Kuanglu was not home much, and would be even less right now. QingWa was gone too. Fuzang must be feeling very alone. He needed someone.

"I'll go to visit Fuzangloong" she decided.

She drifted back to her room, getting dressed for the day. She was making her bed, when something fell out of the sheets as she fluffed them. She looked down at the floor. It was a broken red string.

"I slept with that in my bed?" She thought with horror, cringing.

She kicked the string away from her in disgust, and then sat on the bed, staring at it, like a spider that she was afraid to kill.

"Little girl, why are you crying?" The voice from memory reverberated around in her head.

"The other Sprites won't play with me" a child's voice sniffled. "They say my eyes look funny!"