White Empress, Ashes of Love Sequel

Chapter 12

"Psst."

She continued to brush the rug beneath her, sweeping in small arches into a bin. She was almost halfway finished and only a few small pieces of debris resided within.

She continued on hands and knees, her request of an actual broom declined after she was given the small hand brush earlier by the lead servant.

"This is Qiwu Palace. We don't use brooms here. Not on this," he said sternly, indicating the huge, expansive carpet that spanned from the front steps to the elevated dais at the other end of the building.

Her eyes were about ready to cross permanently from staring at the pattern for hours.

"Psst."

Her lips lifted in a smile at the sound.

The same sound she had been hearing for days.

"I have to work," she stated clearly, her eyes still focused on the bright swirling colors beneath her.

"And I'm supposed to be studying but I want to play. Let's play," Li said as he poked his head around one of the ornate columns lining the either side of the building.

His hopeful expression caused her to sit back on her bent legs and regard him.

"What are you studying?"

"History. Always History," he said as he trudged over to sit next to her.

"There's nothing wrong with History. It's interesting," she commented.

"Did you have to study History?"

"No. We don't even have a library where I am from. There is no written history, only stories that are passed down. We never had much time for anything but work," she admitted with a small shrug. "I would have loved to study History." Or have a History, she thought sadly.

"So you worked there and you work here. You lead a boring life. You should play more. With me," he added.

"Maybe if I get this finished," she started before sighing. "That's not true, they'll find something else for me to do," she said with a quirk of her lips.

Sun up to sun down, all day, every day, just like home. This work was so much easier and while she was very thorough and efficient, there always seemed to be another task waiting. Sometimes legitimate, sometimes ridiculous - like hand sweeping a huge carpet with very little actually swept up.

"Well," he started before snatching the brush from her hand, standing up and backing away.

"Give that back," she ordered, reaching out.

His response was a quick shake of his head before he turned and ran toward the front of the palace. She pushed up to chase after him.

*****

"You have to fight me to get it back," the child said, holding the brush in one hand and a small tree branch in the other. Grab a sword," he indicated a few branches and twigs near a surprisingly real tree situated next to a sparkling pond.

"Whose Palace is this?" she asked, looking around, almost expecting someone to come out and scold them for trespassing.

"Xufeng, Runyu's brother. He's the God of War. He's never here. I like this place," Li said as he pointed his branch at her.

Annchi looked at him, then the tree and finally to the fallen branches below.

"This tree is dying," she commented. She would have to come back and talk to it. Trees liked that.