Fresh Embers of Love

Chapter 43

Fuzangloong dashed to his room, hurriedly pulling off his sleeping robes, looking for his daytime clothing. He was about to put it on, when he stopped short. He should get a bath first.

He hurried to the bathroom that connected to his room, and jumped into the pool of hot-spring fed water with a splash. He scrubbed his mortal body quickly, then phased into dragon form, rolling in the water to rinse his scales, and then back to man form again.

He dried himself off magically, with a blast of air, a little trick the Ferret twins had taught him after one of their spats had knocked him into a koi pond.

Then he got dressed in his clean clothes, tied up his hair, and went back to the courtyard where Stepmother waited. She looked quite sad out there by herself, he noticed, until she saw him, and then her demeanor brightened. What could the Empress have to be sad about? Had he imagined it?

"Why are you out of breath?" she asked him as she approached. "You smell nice though" she commented.

He sniffed a strand of his hair. It smelled like Osmanthus. He groaned in dismay. One of the servants must have stocked his bathroom with his mother's shampoo.

"What's wrong? You smell lovely!" Guihua responded to his groan. "You smell just like me!"

Fuzang slapped his forehead into the palm of his hand. There was no way to wash off this scent, it was in his hair now.

Uncle Yanyou greeted them at the gate of LuoXiang Palace.

"Guihua! My Beauty!" Uncle Yanyou said, giving her a big hug. "Fuzangloong! My nephew!" He followed up with another hug, just as enthusiastically. "Fuzang, you smell different today" Uncle Yanyou commented.

Fuzang's eyes widened, and he shook his head, trying to silence his Uncle.

"What does he smell like?" Itachi called out, running over to them.

Fuzang cringed, knowing what was coming.

"You smell like your Moms!" Itachi cackled with glee.

Kama looked up from his book, interested in people for once. He too came over to them, sniffing at the air, as he caused a breeze to waft the smell over to him.

"Mmmmm, Osmanthus. I think you smell nice!" Kama told him.

"Thank you!" The Empress replied, with a caustic look at Itachi.

Itachi shrank back from her, realizing that he had just insulted the Empress of Heaven.

Kun Ji came out of her room, rubbing her eyes sleepily, wearing her sleeping robes, her hair loose and mussed. "What is all this noise?" she complained loudly.

"Good morning, Kun Ji" the Empress said with an amused voice.

Kun Ji stopped rubbing her eyes, and looked up at the Empress, her eyes growing round in surprise. Then she saw Fuzang, and gave a small chirp.

"Hello, Kun Ji" Fuzang greeted her.

She smoothed her hair anxiously, and bowed to the Empress and then to him.

"Good morning, Your Majesty. Good morning, Your Highness" she said. She was trying to so hard to be polite, even though she was embarrassed. Fuzang's heart went out to her.

"If you'll please excuse me, I need to go and change" Kun Ji backed away.

"Oh no, Dear, you don't need to change! I think you look adorable!" the Empress told her.

Even though Fuzang agreed with his Stepmother, Kun Ji did indeed look adorable, he intervened for her sake.

"Stepmother, please don't give her a hard time. Let her go change if she wants to" he said to the Empress. "Maybe after she's done, she will show us her new room" he hinted loudly.