Xiu Juan woke up to the pain on her left shoulder. She turned her head and saw Luli, Fan, Guang, Ting, Yue, and Liu sitting by her table with tea. She rose from the bed and they turned at once to her.

“Xiu Juan!” Luli cried.

“Empress!” The girls shot up.

“Good morning, ladies,” Xiu Juan smiled weakly.

“You’ve been out for three days!” Ting wept.

Xiu Juan’s eyes widened, “What? Three days?”

They all nodded.

Xiu Juan exhaled. “What happened to the terrorists?” She asked Luli.

“They were all captured and imprisoned,” Luli informed. “The palace has been on lock down for the past three days. There might not be a gala this year.”

“What?” Xiu Juan gasped and winced for moving too quick.

“Ah! Empress be careful!” They all stood up.

Xiu Juan remembered about Jinhai. “Where’s emperor Jinhai?” She questioned while keeping her right hand on her left shoulder.

“He’s been so busy lately,” Fan said. “Nobody has seen him.”

“He’s launched an attack against Yan after what happened. He’s not holding back either,” Guang admired.

“That’s what happens when you disturb the well-being of his people,” Yue gushed.

“I heard he caught most of the terrorists singlehandedly while helping the civilians get to safety!” Liu blurted.

“Heroic,” Ting nodded while smiling.

“Yet, you were the one who protected him from the greatest threat,” Ting sighed at Xiu Juan.

Xiu Juan lifted her eyes to them and found them staring at her in awe. “What is it?”

“Envious of you. We wish we could have had the chance to shield him from danger!” Ting teased as she dramatically acted out shielding someone.

“Oh, quit dreaming about that ungrateful person,” Xiu Juan brushed the comment off. “He didn’t even once come to see the person who saved him.”

“Oh, speaking of which, Nianzu stopped by quite frequently. He told me to notify him as soon as you wake,” Fan mentioned.

“Oh,” Xiu Juan’s eyes brightened a little knowing that someone from the other side of the palace cared for her even if it was just a little bit. “Actually, I’ll go see him myself.”

“Are you sure?” Luli and the girls asked.

“Yes. Also, I want to see what this lock down is all about. I don’t think it’s quite right to take away the holiday that’s so celebrated by the people of Zhao.”

The girls beamed.

“It would be a shame to miss something like that,” Luli agreed, smiling.

They all helped Xiu Juan bathe and dressed her in her white and ivory robe. Xiu Juan dabbed her lips with red paint so she wouldn’t look so pale while the girls combed her long hair and wrapped it with her usual jeweled hair ornament.

“Ah, you look like yourself again,” Luli smiled warmly.

“One cannot even tell you were hurt and poisoned!” Ting chimed.

“Shh, don’t say that so loud,” Guang nudged her.

Xiu Juan chuckled at the comment as she proceeded to the door while the girls followed closely. Walking through the corridors, Luli held Xiu Juan’s hand to help her walk steadily since the poison was still in her system. When they reached Jinhai’s side of the palace, Ngo Kwang was spotted with her group of concubines.

“Go ahead, Empress,” Fan motioned for Xiu Juan and Luli to go ahead.

“We’ll distract her while you go on your way. We know you don’t want to deal with her now with your condition,” Liu waved her hand.

“Thank you,” Xiu Juan smiled and nodded, parting from them.

Nianzu was roaming by the veranda when Xiu Juan found him.

“Sir Nianzu,” she called out.

He spun around at the voice and his eyes lit up brightly. “Empress Xiu Juan!” He smiled widely as he hurried toward her with his arms open. He gently placed his hands on her cheeks and took a good look at her, “It’s wonderful to see you fluttering through the corridors of this palace again.”

Xiu Juan smiled warmly at his remark, “I heard you wanted to know of my state as soon as I wake.”

“Ah, yes,” Nianzu nodded, “I did, that’s true.” He paused. “Have you gone to see Jinhai yet?”

Xiu Juan furrowed her brows lightly, confused, and shook her head, “I have not.”

“Mm, perhaps you should go see him,” Nianzu proposed.

“See him? I’ll wait till he’s not busy,” Xiu Juan held back.

“I think the sooner you go see him, the better things will be,” he encouraged her.

Xiu Juan had a questionable expression on her face. “Where is he now?”

“In the Chamber of Contemplations,” Nianzu said in a low voice.

“How will we get in there?” Luli asked, knowing what it was. Xiu Juan looked at her, surprised Luli had knowledge of such a place.

Nianzu looked at Luli, “You will not be able to get in. But Empress, you might have a chance of getting through the doors.”

“What is the Chamber of Contemplations?” Xiu Juan asked.

“It’s the place where Jinhai and his officials meet to make their next pronouncements on the war and where secret informations are held,” Nianzu shared.

“That’s a rather intimidating place to approach,” Xiu Juan mentioned.

Nianzu grinned, “Really? For someone like you?”

Xiu Juan thought for a moment and sighed, “If sooner is better, I will go see him.”

He smiled happily, nodded and continued away from her.

“Why must you go see the emperor?” Luli asked nervously. “And why did Sir Nianzu tell you to go now?

“That’s what we are about to figure out.”

Xiu Juan listened closely to the cicadas roaring outside when she approached the doors of the Chamber of Contemplations. The guards stopped her shortly.

“Halt!” They ordered.

Luli stepped back behind Xiu Juan. Xiu Juan proceeded forward, “I’m here to see his majesty.”

The guards shook their heads, “This is a restricted area. No one is allowed in here. I’m afraid I cannot even allow you, your highness.”

“I have no foul intentions for being here. I won’t be long,” Xiu Juan said calmly.

The guards looked at each other.

“I am your empress. Letting me in will be like letting your emperor in. I promise that you will not be punished for allowing my entrance.”

At first they paused and then they moved aside. “We can only allow you, Empress.”

Xiu Juan nodded and entered through the door. As soon as she entered, her muscles stiffened from the sight of all of the Zhao officials in their dark uniform standing before her and looking down at her. They had just been dismissed from their conference. These were the exact officials that fought against Ying-tai. Up so close, she could read their eyes that encapsulated the horror they’ve seen in the world. War was written on their faces and their shoulders told her they’ve carried beyond what she could ever imagine. They did not say a word. They only lowered their heads at her and walked out one by one when she moved aside for them.

When she lifted her head up, she saw Jinhai standing with his back facing the door where she was. When Hui Zhong noticed her, he was caught by surprise that she was standing inside the chamber with them. He turned his eyes to Jinhai once more, then back to Xiu Juan and proceeded toward her. Before leaving the room, he furrowed his brows at Xiu Juan, exhaled heavily, and departed without saying a word.

Standing there alone with the emperor of Zhao, Xiu Juan broke the uneasiness in the room.

“Emperor Jinhai,” she called to him softly.

Jinhai immediately spun to her direction at the sound of her voice. He was surprised to find her standing before him, especially inside the Chamber of Contemplations.

“Xiu Juan of Qin,” he addressed her while trying to stay poised. He relaxed his tense posture, “Who allowed you in here?”

“The guards did. I ordered them to let me in,” Xiu Juan replied.

Jinhai sighed sharply at the incompetence of the two guards at the door who were watching from behind Xiu Juan’s back and immediately lowered their heads at Jinhai’s glare.

“It’s not their fault. They were just obeying me,” Xiu Juan smiled warmly, her head turned to the side to acknowledge the two guards who then turned around and walked away. She returned her eyes to Jinhai, “I was told you wanted to see me as soon as possible?”

“Who uttered such words to you?” Jinhai tilted his head slightly, his eyebrows furrowed a little.

“Oh, Sir Nianzu did,” Xiu Juan revealed.

“Ah,” Jinhai lowered his eyes, nodded, and turned around.

Xiu Juan waited for him to say more but instead was given silence. She watched Jinhai roll the scrolls on the table back into place and stacked the papers into a pile and flipped a paperweight on top of it. Under all of the papers was a map. Her eyes scanned the scattered sketches along the map and followed one line that led to Qin. Her eyes frantically followed the red traces only to find the rest of it covered with stacked papers. She couldn’t make out where it ended.

What’s the meaning of this? What are the intentions here? Are they scheming against us? Xiu Juan’s heart began to beat fast from the imagination of vast possibilities.

“I’m glad to see you’re well,” Jinhai finally spoke.

Surprised by his comment, Xiu Juan jerked from her panicked state and lifted her head up to him.

“Eh?” With her blood rushing so fast and the poison still in her system, she felt herself beginning to fall unbalanced. She held herself up and gripped her hands together tightly to keep herself from trembling while trying to control her breathing that became hardened.

Jinhai turned to her, “Why did you do it?”

“Do what?” Xiu Juan questioned, puzzled.

“If my life ended that day, you could’ve gone home free. Instead, you shielded death from me. Why would you risk your life to save mine, your enemy?” Jinhai asked.

Xiu Juan thought of her words carefully. “When I stepped into your palace, I gave a vow of commitment. To follow you. To sustain you. In light or in darkness, through laughter or through tears.”

Jinhai recalled the memory of their wedding day and his eyes grew softer as he lowered them, “You also said if one shall fall the other shall prevail.”

Xiu Juan grinned and nodded. “But…by law I am your wife. I will protect you. If must by someone, you shall fall by my hands. And I, you.”

Jinhai lifted his eyes back into Xiu Juan’s.

Xiu Juan took in a deep breath and smiled kindly, “It’s the only honorable way, Emperor Jinhai.”

Jinhai smirked, “You never cease to astonish me, Xiu Juan of Qin.” He walked toward the door to leave but before proceeding forward, he stood by Xiu Juan and lowered his head to her, “Thank you. For saving me, I thank you.”

“You saved me once. I always repay my debts owed,” Xiu Juan turned after him and bowed.

Jinhai paused in his steps and turned his head to the side. He smiled, “By law I am your husband. It was never a debt you had to repay.”

Xiu Juan, with her head still bowed, raised her brows and then quickly lifted her head up but Jinhai was no longer in sight. She heard the doors to the Chamber of Contemplations close behind her and the locks twist shut. She turned toward the noise and the two guards that let her in bowed to her.

“Thank you for saving us from punishment.”

She smiled lightly at them and nodded. Xiu Juan then raised her eyes to the locked doorway thinking about the traces on the map she saw.

“There’s something about him that’s different,” a deep voice intoned.

Xiu Juan turned her head to her right and saw Hui Zhong staring at her. He approached her.

“I’m afraid I don’t understand what you’re trying to get to,” Xiu Juan poised herself.

“The emperor,” Hui Zhong continued, “He seems to be easily moved these days.”

“Is it wrong to be a little sentimental?” Xiu Juan turned her eyes away and back to the locked doors.

“Of course not,” Hui Zhong relaxed his shoulders, his left hand resting on the pommel of his sword. “I suppose you do not know what happened to the man who attacked you?”

Xiu Juan held her breath. She slowly returned her eyes to Hui Zhong who was standing next to her and looking unto the direction where Jinhai walked off to.

“I’m afraid I do not,” Xiu Juan responded.

Hui Zhong took in a breath and then exhaled. “After you were taken away for treatment, Emperor Jinhai had us take him in for questioning. He personally interrogated the prisoner. Everything was going well until towards the end. He started to mention your name to the emperor saying how you will ultimately crumble his empire to dust. He laughed at how foolish the emperor was to invite your kind into our empire. I have to say I couldn’t agree more,” Hui Zhong paused. “The prisoner cursed him. Then he cursed you. That’s when the emperor unsheathed his own sword against him and cut his words short. He killed him,” he turned to look at Xiu Juan whose chest began to heave. “For the sake of your name, Xiu Juan of Qin, he killed a man.”

Xiu Juan lifted her widened eyes to look at Hui Zhong.

“I’ve practically raised that kid. It’s shameful to consider that he has become weak for someone such as you,” Hui Zhong said bitterly. “I will never understand how he came to his actions then,” he turned around to leave.

“Why not?” Xiu Juan stopped him in his steps. “Is it so wrong to let bygones be bygones? What kind of life is it for one to keep count of their grudges until it’s compensated for?” Xiu Juan straightened her shoulders and turned around to face him. With stern eyes she continued, “Emperor Jinhai is not weak. To hate is easy. But to be willing to stand up for someone you’re supposed to oppose takes great strength.” She remembered about Delun and Brother He’s encounter with Ying-tai and his fond face flashed in her mind, “I will forever relentlessly honor a man like that.”

Hui Zhong turned back to face her, “How can you be so sure that enemy won’t turn against you once more? Are you not afraid of Emperor Jinhai turning his back to you one of these days? Let me remind you that you are still of Qin descent and that is forever etched into his mind.”

Xiu Juan furrowed her brows as she watched him walk away slightly grinning at his own comment. She raised her head up at the sound of crows cawing and made her way to return to her chamber.

When she returned to her side of the palace, Luli, Fan, Guang, Ting, Yue, and Liu ran to her when she was caught in their sight.

“Empress!” They called to her. “Exciting news!”

“What is it?” Xiu Juan smiled but was confused as they tugged on her long sleeves.

“The gala will still be held on its promised date! The emperor had a change of heart and reopened the doors to the palace!” Fan jumped.

“The preparations will begin in the morning!” Ting’s eyes were beaming.

Xiu Juan smiled wider, “That is good of the emperor!” She turned her eyes to Luli. Luli could tell there was something that was concerning Xiu Juan.

“Ah, could you guys go and get Empress’s medicine? It’s time for that now,” Luli told the five girls.

After they left, Luli helped Xiu Juan into her chamber as she was beginning to get light headed from the remaining poison in her system.

“What is it?” Luli asked when they got inside Xiu Juan’s chamber.

Xiu Juan furrowed her brows and her expression became stern, “I need you to get Bo to investigate something for me.”

Luli listened carefully while Xiu Juan explained what she saw in the Chamber of Contemplations.

“I’m not so sure what it really is, but I have an uneasy feeling about it. I want Bo to get to the bottom of it.”

Luli nodded her head and left to give the message to Bo.

“Tell him to be careful,” Xiu Juan advised before Luli exited the room and the five girls returned with her medicine.