The Rainlands: Grand Delusion

Chapter 50: Hyeorang

What will the Temptress do once Yujeon's use is done?

It was signed simply, Hyeorang. Levi was quiet, his heart beating rapidly. Carefully, he folded the paper up into a square and stuffed it into a pocket. A warning? Why would anyone send me a warning? Who is Hyeorang? Maybe Jasmine will know? Levi's head was full of questions and he knew that he had no answers. No matter how he wracked his head he couldn't think of anyone he knew with that name. After a full ten minutes of deliberation, he decided to try to visit Jasmine. Rising from the floor, he walked to the door and pulled on the handle. To his surprise, it opened readily and Levi felt a bit silly. Did I really think Sis was going to lock me in? The guards outside turned to him.

"Need something, sir?" One of them asked. Levi shook his head, pointing down the hallway.

"I was just going to visit my friend, is that alright?" He said. The guard nodded.

"We'll stay with you for your safety, sir. The madam gave us strict orders to keep you from getting into trouble. I'm Ryu, and that's Will by the way." Ryu gestured for Levi to lead the way and feeling a bit ridiculous, he walked down the hallway. It really wasn't that far from Jasmine's room but the two guards fell in behind him and marched him down the entire way. When Levi arrived at Jasmine's room, he found her door guarded by the two guards from earlier. They saluted him as well.

"Uhm...mind if I go in?" He asked. The guards spread apart and opened the door for him. "My sister doesn't mind?" Levi said, then realized he probably shouldn't be saying that.

"It's fine. The madam did say that if you visited your friend to uhh think about it. I'm not sure what that means but that's what she told me to say." Ryu replied from behind him. Levi shook his head wryly. That's Eleana for you. Once she gets an idea in her head she doesn't quit. He stepped inside and the guards shut the door. On the bed, Jasmine looked up. Her expression was rather bland, like she had just eaten something she didn't particularly care for.

"Hey." She greeted him softly. Levi scratched his head a bit perplexed by her attitude.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" He motioned to the bed. "Mind if I sit down? There's something I wanted to talk to you about." She shied away a bit, clearing a space which he took as permission. As he walked to the bed, he glanced out the window. Like his room, there was a guard outside, but unlike his, this one was much closer, maybe fifty feet away. It was a stark difference in treatment, and Levi remembered that there definitely hadn't been a guard that close to her window last time. He sat down awkwardly on the edge of her bed.

"So..." Levi had trouble finding the words he was looking for. Jasmine was studiously doing her best to avoid looking at his face and it was awkward just looking at the side of her fox mask.

"I'm fine. Going to ask if I can help your sister take over the empire?" She suddenly said casually. Despite her feigned nonchalance, Levi could hear the hostility and anger hidden under her calm overtones. "Or maybe going to ask if I'll marry you?"

"What!" Levi grimaced and felt a blush coming on. "No! Definitely not! Is that why you're mad? I'm sorry, it's been years and clearly my sister...has changed!" Suddenly the room was too hot. Jasmine's eyes glared at him as she pointedly looked out the window.

"Oh really? So, you're not interested in the throne? Your sister wasn't wrong you know. With my older siblings out of the picture, you could use my claim as your own. Rule the empire. Warn everyone about the Deathless City. Like you said, you wouldn't even need to warn anyone. Just raise an army under the banner of the Rainlands." Jasmine's voice was dejected. "That's all anyone wants. To use me for this or that."

"That's not true! Listen, my sister told me that she's not just keeping you here for the Northerners. There's a succession war going on right now between your siblings and it looks like the Deathless City might be involved. If you went to the Capital, they'd probably kidnap you again. Heck, that's probably why Peirce wanted you in the first place." Levi wondered why he was defending his sister's decision to essentially imprison Jasmine. Ugh, if only that guy could have kept his mouth shut. But at least now we know the truth about the Capital. Jasmine grew angry.

"Yes, the people in the Capital probably would kidnap me. But at least I knew they would do that. I didn't expect it to happen from...from you...from your family!" Jasmine burst out and Levi quickly raised a hand trying to get her to keep it down. He looked furtively at the door.

"Hold on! Hold on! I'm sorry about my sister alright. And for the record, I think what she's doing is wrong...but I can't do anything about it right now. That's not why I'm here." Levi said. Jasmine looked him in the face finally. Her eyes seemed puffy behind the mask. Has she been crying?

"Then WHY are you here? I notice you're allowed to leave."

Levi checked that the man outside the window was facing the other way and reached into his pocket.

"Listen, just look at this. Do you know anyone by the name of Hyeorang?" He stealthily handed the little folded square of paper to Jasmine, making sure to keep his hands under the windowsill. She silently took it, giving him a long look before unfolding and reading the message inside. Immediately, her whole posture changed, her back going ramrod straight and her hands shook slightly.

"Where did you get this!" She hissed, her eyes glued to the door. Her voice was as quiet as possible. Levi nodded to the window.

"Someone sent it through my window after the storm. Got it past the guard without him noticing. What does it mean?" He watched as Jasmine refolded the little square and then gave it back to him.

"Hyeorang...was...is...was my older sister. Which doesn't really make much sense because your sister said she was dead." Jasmine's voice was grave, her brain working overtime. "Someone's lying because dead people don't write notes. Or maybe your sister isn't being as forthcoming as she'd have us believe. I'm not sure."

"What?!" Levi was aghast. Eleana lied to me? To us? "Maybe her information was wrong. Or maybe whoever wrote this note just wants us to think it's your sister. Think Jasmine, does that look like your sister's handwriting? Is there any way you could tell for sure it's her?" He thought it over and decided it was definitely possible that his sister was lying to him, she'd changed so much. But he didn't want to believe it.

"I...I...can't remember!" Jasmine struggled to recall. "I mean...I mean it could be her. But I...I just don't know..." She seemed to be extremely upset, balling her fists in the sheets. For some reason right now, Jasmine looked like the girl from Levi's dream. He could almost see her red hair, the upset expression on her face. But then he blinked the exhaustion from his eyes and she was back, her long silver tresses and mask shaking as she tried to remember.

"It's okay! Relax, if you don't remember don't push yourself!" Levi said. He was confused why she was so upset. She must be thinking about the palace again. I'm glad I didn't have to grow up there. Jasmine slowly released her grip on the sheets, her white knuckles letting go of the tension. She muttered to herself and then faced Levi once more.

"I'm fine. I can't tell if this note came from Hyeorang or not, but one thing's for sure." She stabbed a finger at the little square of paper in his hand. "The message."

"What?" Levi was confused.

"The message, dummy. Can't you figure it out? It's a warning." She sighed. "It makes sense too. I can't believe I didn't think of it. What do you think happens when my 'usefulness' is over?" She let Levi take it in for a second before snapping her fingers in his face. "Yea, that's right. I'd be a threat at that point. Whatever your sister does, once she's used my name to establish legitimacy, she won't need me anymore. And I'd be the only one who could reverse the decision. I wonder if she'd leave me out in the rain..."