Chapter 353

Chapter 353

The first day of Spring of the thirty-fifth year of His Imperial Majestys reign would forever be remembered as the most miserable day in Luo-Luos twenty-three years of life.

Sitting up in her too-hard bed, she wrapped herself in her coarse blanket and rubbed her arms for warmth, shivering from the cold morning air wafting in from the raised hole in her roof. Presumably, the hole vented smoke from a brazier she didnt know how to light, though the brazier wouldnt be needed if not for the damned hole, a dilemma she was certain shed find humour in many years down the road, assuming she didnt freeze to death before then. Gazing around the dim, desolate interior of her yurt, she fought back the urge to lay back down and weep until someone came to fetch her. Which could conceivably be never considering her Lord Husbands attitude. It wouldnt come as a surprise if he left Luo-Luo here to waste away in lonely insignificance, forgotten by all until the stench of her decaying corpse reminded them of her one-time existence.

Had there ever been a more tragic story than hers? Born into royalty but relinquished into service, she never gave in to despair and threw herself into her studies. Dedication and hard work let her stand out from her peers, but her astounding talent cast her back into the depths of obscurity to waste away her youth and innocence. Then, after six long, lonely years of enduring hardship and uncertainty, she finally saw a glimmer of hope on the horizon, only to have it dashed upon the reefs of reality and rejection, spurned on her wedding night in favour a pair of ferocious, over-sized, bipedal weasels and their brood of pups.

Oh, Mother in Heaven, have mercy on your child. Why must You torment Luo-Luo so?

Her Lord Husband was a callous, uncaring man to rebuff her on what should have been her happiest of nights, but to leave her without even a single handmaiden or manservant was cruel beyond measure. No one stood by the bed to greet her or bring her a robe, without even a basin of water or chamber pot to be seen. The only outfit she had left to her was the beautiful new dress shed worn last night, which was draped over the foot of her bed, the singular piece of furniture left to her. The rest of her meagre possessions were still packed away in the palanquin, a predicament she only realized last night after shed taken her dress off. Eyes filled with tears and chest wracked with sobs, she deemed it impossible to put her dress back on without aid as taking it off had been difficult enough, so she crawled into bed naked and cried herself to sleep.

While there was always the chance her wedding night would have ended in tears regardless of who she married, Luo-Luo couldnt even console herself with the possibility of bearing her Lord Husbands child. And after shed been so bold too, storming into his yurt despite his voiced objections. Or at least she tried to storm in, cheeks blazing hot as she remembered how she, a woman of considerable intelligence and extensive education, had been defeated by a simple hidden latch.

A knock sounded at the door and immediately after, it creaked open just enough for Lin-Lin to slip in. Closing the door behind her, the adorable, girlish woman skipped over with a cheerful smile. Morning Luo-Luo, she said, hopping into bed and wrapping Luo-Luo in a tender embrace.

Good morning. The words came out as a croak and Luo-Luo flushed with embarrassment as Lin-Lin pressed her cheek against Luo-Luos barely covered bosom. Clearing her throat and looking away, she fell silent and shifted uncomfortably beneath the covers, unwilling to push the hare-girl away and uncertain if she should air her grievances. As charming and sweet as she was, Lin-Lin loved her hubby fiercely and Luo-Luo was reluctant to lose one of the few allies she had, even if conflict was inevitable between two women competing for one mans affection. Further complicating things, Luo-Luo had no one else to rely on as Mila, Li-Li, and Sister Alsantset were too unreadable, their actions unpredictable and their aid unreliable. Mother seemed charmed by Luo-Luo, but not only was she not present, like all mothers Sarnai was blind to the faults of her son, evidenced by her belief that her precious Falling Rain would treat his wife well regardless of circumstances.

Oblivious to Luo-Luos troubles, Lin-Lin gave a small, sleepy yawn as she nestled in Luo-Luos chest. Wah, so soft and comfy, Lin-Lin said, her eyes barely visible through her smile. So bold too, sleeping naked. This blankets so thin, arent you cold? While Luo-Luo struggled to come up with a suitable answer, Lin-Lin tugged at the blankets and snuck a peek at Luo-Luos breasts. So pretty, pale and pink. Are they heavy? They look heavy. Snatching the blanket away from Lin-Lins prying fingers, Luo-Luo covered her shame but the curious girl paid it no mind, already peeking down her own robes at her small, modest breasts. Did you do anything to make them bigger? Hubby likes them big, but mine stopped growing. Gazing up at Luo-Luos face, Lin-Lins eyes went wide with surprise. Ah! Your eyes are all red and puffy. Were you crying? Her hands shot up and covered her mouth as she gasped, her cheeks going red and eyes darting away. Does it really hurt that much? So scary...

Finally able to get a word in edgewise, Luo-Luo shook her head and reassured the endearing and naive girl. No need to be afraid. Luo-Luos teachers all said the same thing, the first night shouldnt hurt too much so long as one are adequately prepared for it. Giving birth would be far more painful, but Lin-Lin would never have to worry about that. As Luo-Luo realized she might never either, a tear fell down her cheek and clung to her chin. Not that Luo-Luo would know. Lord Husband didnt see fit to consummate our marriage.

Hm? Patting Luo-Luos back, Lin-Lin squeezed her tight. Its okay, dont cry. Rainys the best, but you just met yesterday, ya? Its better if you take your time and get to know each other.

But he treats me so horribly! The words burst out of Luo-Luo like waters from a collapsing dam, unable to hold them back though she knew she should. His cold indifference to her charms, his scathing rejections to her advances, his cruel remarks about her size and more, Luo-Luo aired all her grievances through gasping sobs and pitiful sniffles, praying Lin-Lin would sympathize and not despise her. ... and then, despite all of Luo-Luos best efforts, he left without so much as a backwards glance, rushing in as if afraid his pups would catch cold. Is this to be Luo-Luos lot in life? Cast aside to whittle the hours away in a cold, drafty hut and ranked lower than a beast of burden? He hates me, I know he does. He only keeps me around because he has no way to get rid of me without incurring the ire of his Patron.

And what a Patron, a man poised to become the next Emperor so long as the next dozen years went as planned.

On that terrifying mental note, Luo-Luo ended her rant with a shuddering gasp, worried Lin-Lin would spurn and castigate her for complaining. Resting her head on Luo-Luos shoulder, Lin-Lin sat in silence with arms wrapped around Luo-Luo in a comforting embrace. After long seconds, she giggled and said, Youre so silly Luo-Luo. Rainy doesnt hate you. Tapping Luo-Luos nose, she added, If he hated you, hed get rid of you without caring about the consequences.

That rang true enough. ... So Luo-Luo is not even worth hating?

No, silly. This is just how Rainy is. Lin-Lin giggled and lowered her voice to a whisper. The more you push him to do something, the more stubborn he gets, ya? You hafta make him come up with the idea to do it. Like, if I want a dumpling, I cant hold out my bowl and ask for one. If I do, he sighs and calls me greedy even as he obliges, but if I stare at the dumplings really, really hard, then Rainy smiles while putting a dumpling in my bowl. Get it?

Perhaps only innocent, lovable Lin-Lin would compare dumplings to intercourse. What was Luo-Luo to do, stare at Lord Husbands crotch and lick her lips until he gave in with a grudging smile? Wiping her tears, Luo-Luo nodded in thanks and lied. Luo-Luo understands and will work harder to win Lord Husbands affection.

Barely eating a quarter of the food offered, Luo-Luos actions earned Alsantsets ire once more, but this time the tigress didnt confront her over it, merely grimacing at the leftovers before tossing them to the bears. Luo-Luo complimented the taste and blamed her lack of appetite on her poor fitness, for although she was technically a Martial Warrior, she rarely practised the Forms, unlike the lovable twins giving it their all under Alsantsets strict guidance. Little Tate wore a serious frown as he battled against imagined enemies while darling Tali danced about with a smile, her arms and legs almost fluttering in the wind. Both seemed very impressive for children their age, but Luo-Luo had little experience in this field.

Unlike Luo-Luo, Lin-Lin, Mila, and Li-Li finished everything on their trays, a formidable feat considering their slim, petite figures and taut, flat stomachs. Suddenly self-conscious of her soft belly and plump hips, Luo-Luo resolved to put a little more effort into her fitness routine. Perhaps she could even ask for help incorporating the Forms, so she would have something to discuss with the stern and militant Mila. One could never have too many allies, though from the looks of things, Mila shared Lord Husbands misgivings and was far from pleased by Luo-Luos existence.

Their breakfast finished, Mila gathered up the bears and wildcats while Luo-Luo lent a hand in collecting the bicorn rabbits, but was more hindrance than help. The tiny, fluffy creatures were only too happy to leap into Lin-Lins or Li-Lis arms to be placed in a pouch, but whenever Luo-Luo approached they screamed for dear life and scurried away. Turning to the largest rabbit, who was aptly named Mama Bun, Luo-Luo slowly approached with arms outstretched so as not to scare her. Thumping the ground in a spray of dirt, the large rabbit faced Luo-Luo but didnt scream or flee, which seemed like an improvement, so Luo-Luo sidled closer at a slow and steady pace. She remembered seeing Mama Bun laid out across Lord Husbands and Lin-Lins lap, a warm, friendly creature who -

In the blink of an eye, Mama Bun shot up from the ground with her chin tucked in, her two nubby horns aimed at Luo-Luos face. Only Li-Lis timely interception saved her from a bloodied or broken nose, catching Mama Bun out of the air with one hand and uttering a stern No before handing her off to Lin-Lin. Stricken with flashbacks of her encounter with the ferocious Zabu, Luo-Luo thanked Li-Li for her help and scurried out of the rabbit enclosure, standing off to one side and swearing never to approach any of Lord Husband's pets without someone to guard her nearby.

Even the rabbits were trained to defend themselves. What sort of monsters was her Lord Husband raising?

With this terrible start to her day, Luo-Luo followed her sister-wives to the beach, worried shed never learn to fit in with these aggressive and war-like Bekhai. To make matters worse, breakfast sat poorly in Luo-Luos stomach and she had yet to use the facilities since waking. After minutes of silent struggle, she risked Mama Buns ire to approach Lin-Lin with a whisper. Where might one find the facilities?

Struggling to hold Mama Bun in place, Lin-Lin answered much too loudly. Oh, you hafta go pee? The latrines are over that way.

Blanching at the thought of relieving herself in public next to battle-hardened soldiers, Luo-Luo shook her head and whispered, Is... Is there anywhere more private?

Nodding sagely, Lin-Lin replied, Oh, you hafta poop. Okay, mm... You can use hubbys tent, thats by the latrines too. Hehe... youre like hubby, so shy. Come on, we can stop there on the way.

Unsure if Lin-Lin was purposely teasing her, Luo-Luo soon couldn't spare the effort to wonder as the long trek to the latrines tested her intestinal fortitude and perseverance. When Lin-Lin pointed at the tent in question, Luo-Luo left the group behind and ran ahead, her dilemma made worse once she realized she had a wildcat bounding at her heels. Panic gripping her heart, she ran faster than ever before and burst into the tent, leaving the wildcat behind while she fumbled at the elegant knot in her sash in a desperate attempt not to soil herself in fear or urgency.

Umm...Occupied? Head snapping up at the sound of his voice, Luo-Luo was horrified to find Lord Husband squatting before her with a confused, timid look on his face and his pants around his ankles. Time froze as Luo-Luo gazed into his amber eyes, her mind screaming to leave but her bowels blackmailing her to stay. In the end, her bowels won out and with a frantic cry, she hiked her skirt as high as she could and ran behind Lord Husband to give in to her bodily needs.

The next thirty seconds were nothing short of mortifying, with blissful relief giving way to existential dread as she re-evaluated her choices.

All of a sudden, invoking her Privilege didnt seem so bad after all.

Breaking the utter silence with a chortle, Lord Husbands chuckles quickly devolved into hysterical laughter. Between pained gasps and raucous cackles, Lord Husband said, You know... Ive been told nobles have deviant tastes... but tandem shitting really isnt my thing.

The second day of Spring in the thirty-fifth year of His Imperial Majestys reign would forever be remembered as the most miserable day in Luo-Luos twenty-three years of life.

And it wasnt even noon.

Chapter Meme