An Audience with the Queen

We arrive at the palace in the middle of the night. There’s mere hours left before the arranged meeting time with Dai Xuan. Looks like I’m going to have to go there without sleep, if the queen will even let me go again after the stunt I pulled. But I need to go… the monsters south of the city are an important flag I need to raise. If I don’t take care of them… I shake my head. Focus on the task at hand first.

We walk through the main gate, no one stopping the third princess of the royal family. I wonder how many people in the palace know of my identity. My family, of course. The immediate royal guards like the ones accompanying us… then probably the maids who were assigned to Murong Zhiyu when she was younger. Still, she left to join Huoyun Sect as a child, so they might no longer recognise her.

After we cross a series of similar looking courtyards, progressing ever upward along the mountainside, we finally reach the main building. In it is a large hall with enough capacity to hold hundreds of people, though most of it is covered in a shallow pool with a white floor, round like the full moon and shining like one too. There is a raised path in the middle, wide enough for several people. The edges of the hall lie in darkness, the light of the pool not enough to light up the whole place in the dead of night.

Zhun Chun and I approach the queen via the walkway while the others stay behind. There are several lanterns lit next to the throne, casting it in a warm glow as opposed to the rest of the room. I dare look at the queen as we walk—I am supposed to be her daughter after all. She looks not like what I expected, but then again she probably had to get out of bed for this. Her robes are black and gold, though much less flowy and elaborate than Zhu Chun’s. She is wearing her hair in a loose updo, the golden decorations way simpler than anything I’ve ever seen in the drama. With her head in one hand, leaning on it with closed eyes, she seems asleep, but when we are close enough, she opens her eyes and I’m locked in place.

Her eyes are shining like molten gold, and her expression is murderous. Zhu Chun has also stopped and we both lower our gaze to the ground. I copy her bow and greeting. The queen doesn’t respond. If I remember anything from all the dramas I watched, I’m not supposed to move or say anything else until she allows it, so I don’t.

“Chun’er,” the queen says after leaving us to stand in silence for a while.

I glance at Zhu Chun, and her head is still turned down, which confirms my suspicion. If even Zhu Chun doesn’t look up, I sure won’t either.

“Chun’er, you did well in responding to the potential threat. If there really had been a serious issue, you would’ve been able to take care of it in time. I will reward you when I have had more sleep. You may step back.”

“Thank you, mother.”

Zhu Chun bows and takes a few steps back. Yet before she can turn, the queen clears her throat and she freezes. There’s a loaded pause. The queen sure knows how to use silence for effect…

“Next time you go out, take that useless younger brother of yours. He’s been begging me to let him put his training into action. You should be capable enough to keep him in line, despite his issues.”

“Yes, mother, I will.”

And with that she’s gone and I’m alone in front of the queen, who has not only been called out of bed in the middle of the night, but is also very likely about to execute the two people who can save this world. I don’t want to know what Gui will do to me if my mission fails so quickly and so stupidly. He’s been amiable so far, but with his power? I don’t know who I’m afraid of more. The queen makes a disappointed noise and, okay, it’s the queen. I’m definitely more afraid of her. She won’t harm her daughter, right? Right?

“Qiu’er, ah, Qiu’er. Why is it I only ever see you when you’ve done something bad?”

The way she says it makes me think this is a common occurrence. It doesn’t even sound particularly mad, just disappointed, which somehow makes it worse. I bow lower, the weight of the disappointing second princess Zhu Qiu on my back, who is Murong Zhiyu’s real identity. Though it’s one she doesn’t use all that much since joining Huoyun Sect

The first princess, Zhu Dong, became the crown princess. The second princess, Zhu Qiu, became the guardian of the artefact. The third princess, Zhu Chun, became the royal guard’s commander. And then there’s a younger brother somewhere, whose name I’ve already forgotten, who only appeared in one minor arc in the drama as scapegoat. Men aren’t important here, after all. This bodes oh so well for saving the two idiots.

“You may rise,” the queen says and I look up cautiously. I can’t place her expression. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I had reasons to be concerned for the safety of the artefact,” I say, which isn’t even a complete lie. “I was informed by Sect Leader Dai that there are monster sightings in a certain, worrying pattern south of the city and I had to assure the integrity of the barriers before I take action.”

“Mhm… Reasons?”

I swallow. What did they say in the drama?

“The monsters were sighted around streams and pools. It stands to reason they were attracted through an abnormal high concentration of energy in the water, which only happens when the barrier leaks. I know I should’ve reported it, but I didn’t want to raise false alarms, which it was.”

The queen crosses her arms. “I did give you the authority to act on your own, but that you would forget to bring the talisman, which makes you able to pass through the barrier without raising the alarm is beyond me. And then you let those two see you! The first part I can excuse, but the second will have consequences.”

I clasp my hands and bow again.

“Please don’t punish them for my mistake.”

“Oh?”

“They followed me without ill intent, and—”

“They followed you?”

“Yes.”

“Without your knowledge?”

“Yes.”

“Then it was ill intent. They shouldn’t have followed you and so, everything they witnessed is on them.”

She straightens in her seat and waves at the attendants.

“Bring them here!” she says and her voice magically echoes through the hall.

Great. I wanted them to be reminded that stalking me is not something they should be doing, but I didn’t want them to be killed for it. Feng Yu and Liu Renqing come to stand slightly behind me and I’m directed to step to the side to let them take the full force of the queen’s anger. Feng Yu looks really nervous, but Liu Renqing is just wearing his all-present scowl, so it’s impossible to say what he’s feeling. They both bow their heads in silence.

“The penalty for witnessing Zhu Qiu’s identity is death.”

I see them flinch, both looking up unbidden. The queen doesn’t reprimand them, just stares curiously.

“But I can’t deprive the two foremost families of Xiyang of their only sons, no matter how fittingly worthless you behaved. So I’m going to give you a choice. Either you agree to become concubines in the palace, where you can tell no one about Zhu Qiu’s secret, or you choose death.”

You could hear a needle drop in the ensuing silence. I can feel the blood drain from my face and see the same happening to the two men. The queen’s expression is icy and Feng Yu starts shaking ever so slightly. Even Liu Renqing’s balled fists are quivering. Both options are a death sentence for them. Either way their life will be over. I bite my lip so hard it almost draws blood. I’m here not even for a day and already got the two male leads of the drama killed. I—

The queen bursts out laughing. It comes so fast and explosive, I actually jump a little. She doubles over, her face completely transformed, crying from laughter.

“Your faces! Oh, heavens! You should see your faces!” the queen manages between bouts of laughter, bubbling over.

Feng Yu sinks to his knees, evidently completely confused, and even Liu Renqing seems shocked, frozen. I stare ahead, mouth open. She’s not… she’s not for real, is she? But apparently she is. I glance behind me, but both Zhu Chun and all attendants are dutifully looking at the ground, not reacting at all.

“So, you’re not going to kill them…?” I ask, voice still shaking.

“Oh, if they tell anyone about you, not only will they die, but everyone they told will too. I’m not joking about that.”

“…”

“I mean, if they want to become concubines, I wouldn’t be opposed. That was a joke, but it doesn’t have to be.”

“Your concubines?” I ask.

The queen smirks. “I have enough of those. No, my dear, yours.”