Chapter 416

Chapter 416

Taking slow, deep breaths to calm her racing heart, Luo-Luo thanked the Mother above as reason prevailed and dinner resumed without a hitch. No one seemed to pay any mind to the disturbance and they picked up right where they left off before Milas outburst of scathing criticisms. The Medical Saints vegetables were left uneaten and he went back to arguing with the Divine Blacksmith about their latest chess match. Tali continued narrating her most recent adventure at the docks for Yans listening pleasure. Beside them, Ser Charok explained the intricacies of the soups subtle flavours to an inattentive Kyung while an aggrieved Tate choked down his vegetables under his fathers watchful eye. With cheeks matching her hair, Mila threw back a cup of wine and scowled at the empty vessel, angered by its tiny size and inability to slake her prodigious thirst.

And throughout this all, the devious mastermind behind tonights events sat with a pleased smile stretched across her fair face, patting Milas arm and filling her cup once again in hopes of more excitement.

Then again, perhaps Luo-Luo gave Lin-Lin too much credit and blamed her unjustly. Though impulsive and mischievous to the extreme, the troublesome half-hare wasnt some harbinger of chaos manipulating events with her underhanded schemes, and even if she were, she couldnt possibly have foreseen this outcome when plying Mila with drink. Who could have expected the fiery redhead to erupt amidst their celebratory meal? Truth be told, Luo-Luo wouldnt have minded too much if someone ruined their meal with a brawl, but the sentiment was merely her being petty and mean-spirited. Yans safe return should be a cause for celebration, for it was a triumphant return from carrying out her sacred duty and defending the borders of the Empire from the hateful Enemy, a task which deserved, nay demanded the respect and admiration of nobles and citizens alike.

Respect and admiration which she freely gave, but Luo-Luo would be perfectly content if Yan returned to the front lines forthwith. Alas, the half-deer beauty let slip she would stay in SuiHua for an indeterminate amount of time, and now Luo-Luos plans to seduce Lord Husband when he returned were no longer viable, not with that horned hussy so eager to jump in his bed...Updated from novelbIn.(c)om

Though still yet to eat her fill, Luo-Luo fiddled with her chopsticks and sat in self-conscious insecurity, unsure how to proceed without drawing Milas drunken ire. In the end, she couldnt bring herself to slurp her soup or eat with her hands and went to bed hungry, where she tossed and turned for hours while worrying shed have to eat all her future meals in private, or at least out of Milas vision. How was Luo-Luo even supposed to eat less formally? Was having decent manners really so terrible? Its not as if she insisted everyone else follow suit and she was careful never to chastise or show disapproval with anyone elses manners. Luo-Luo merely ate her meals the way shed been taught to, with small, measured mouthfuls and slow, graceful movements in a neat and orderly fashion.

A gluttonous woman was shameful at best and revolting at worst, both cardinal sins for a concubine reliant on her Lord Husbands affection and good graces.

It felt like Luo-Luo had just closed her eyes when Sorya shook her awake. Lady Luo-Luo. Lady Luo-Luo. You must wake up.

Leave me alone...

I would, but Lady Sumila is at the door.

I dont care, let me What? Bolting upright in alarm, Luo-Luo scrambled to her feet and made sure her hair and nightgown were presentable before going to receive Mila herself. Opening the door wide, Luo-Luo curtsied and said, Please, enter and be welcome. Luo-Luo hopes she didnt keep Sister Mila waiting too long.

Not at all. As Luo-Luo moved to close the door behind her, she jumped away and choked back a scream at the sight of Milas unexpected entourage. With his paws digging into her shoulders and hips, one bear clung tightly to Milas back while another ambled along behind her, their mouths half-opened as they sniffed and stared at the fragrant trays of food in her hands. Papa told me to take the day off, so I thought we could have breakfast together, the bear-toting beauty announced. Sorya, Anrhi, why dont you take the morning off and leave Luo-Luo and I to chat.

Though posed as a question, Milas delivery made it anything but. Luo-Luos (usually) loyal handmaidens scurried away without so much as a by your leave, leaving her alone and helpless before Mila and two ferocious black bears. Well... ferocious might be overstating the facts, but regardless of how graceless or inept they seemed, the bears and wildcats were still feral creatures, ones who needed to be restrained before they hurt someone. Every time Tali or Tate ran towards the animals, Luo-Luos heart seized in her chest and she had to stop herself from diving in front of the children, wholly expecting things to go terribly, terribly wrong.

Frozen in a combination of fear, shock, and drowsiness, Luo-Luo stayed by the door until Mila called for her again. Luo-Luo, come eat, she said, patting the seat directly beside her.

One half of Luo-Luos mind was appalled shed let Mila set the table by herself and the other half was afraid because shed have to pass by both bears to get to her seat. Sister Mila, if you could... the bears...

Hmph. The cold snort sent shivers down Luo-Luos spine and she pulled her nightgown closed, though it proved lacklustre defence against Milas fearsome glare. You call me sister, she said, her tone clipped and hostile, Yet you dont trust me to protect you? Sit. On my life, the bears will cause you no harm. I could even swear an Oath, if youd like.

No Sister, this one doesnt dare accept. Unable to delay any longer, Luo-Luo stepped around the patrolling bears and took her seat, whimpering audibly as they shuffled over to sniff her. Emboldened by her lack of resistance, one even stood on its hind legs and licked her cheek, likely checking if she suited his tastes.

Luo-Luo wanted to do exactly the opposite, to run away screaming and hide in her room, but her legs failed her once more. Sister Mila, she whispered, her throat too tight to speak loudly, This is too precious a gift. This one dares not

Hmph. The kind, considerate Mila was nowhere to be found and the fearsome, no-nonsense Mila stood in her place. I wont force you, but if you dont dare accept it, then it must mean you dont see me as family.

And there it was. Earlier, Mila said, The Bekhai have no useless Martial Warriors. Though she left the rest unsaid, Luo-Luo understood the implication and knew a decision was upon her. To her new family, black was black and white was white, with no grey areas in between. Take up the weapon or be cast out from the Bekhai, those were the only two choices. A choice between life and death because Luo-Luo had nowhere else to go, so what sort of choice was it, really?

Cold and decisive, Mila was far more fearsome than Lin-Lin.

Tears spilling down her cheeks, Luo-Luo took the sceptre in hand and nearly dropped it on her foot, the weapon far heavier than she expected. Expecting this outcome, Mila chuckled and said, Heavy right? Thats good, it means itll do plenty of damage when it connects. I finished crafting it yesterday and Papa says it might be my best work. I didnt make it with you in mind, but while considering possible candidates, you stood out among the rest. See, your height and build are perfect...

As Mila expounded on the finer details of the weapon, Luo-Luo blinked away the tears and tried to keep up. Though only a little longer than her arm and less than two thumbs thick, the sceptre was almost too heavy for Luo-Luo to carry, much less swing. Still, it was truly a beautiful piece, with the predominantly black metal sporting thin veins of silver throughout the shaft, spiralling ever upwards as if streaking towards the top, where an obsidian orb half the size of her fist rested neatly atop an octagonal setting. So dark it seemed to drink in the light, she saw only herself reflected in the orbs flawless, inky surface, but nothing else, as if the weapon had chosen her to wield it.

A silly flight of fancy is all it was, for a quick test showed it merely needed to be held at the right angle to reflect Mafus curious expression.

This was to be Luo-Luos weapon, a sceptre to wield in battle against the Enemy. The thought left her utterly terrified, especially once Mila showed her how to turn the sceptre into what was essentially a three-meter long whip, the cord so thin one might mistake it for twine. How did she expect Luo-Luo to control such a beast?

In response to the question, Mila smiled and answered, When Rain comes back with Tursinai, Ill ask her to teach you, but in the meantime you can learn the basics of rope weapons with Lin and the wildcats. Beaming in sadistic glee, Lin-Lin hopped and squealed in delight, but Mila wasnt done delivering bad news. Dont worry, Jorani picked it up in less than a year without any help, so Im sure youll figure it out soon enough. Youll require a lot more muscle to wield your weapon effectively though, so youll have to put more time and effort into practising your Forms. I was going to oversee your workouts, but since Yan will be around with nothing to do, I... she volunteered to help. Youll also have less time to run Rains business, so she can help with that too. Isnt this great? Mila asked, proud as a popinjay as she took in Luo-Luos reaction. Neither of you knows the other very well, but now that youll be practically spending every minute of every day together, youll be thick as thieves in no time.

What fun, Yan said, her tone sickly sweet while her eyes implied otherwise. Luo-Luo felt the same way, but lacked the courage to retort. Instead, she nodded mutely and clutched the sceptre to her chest, wondering if itd be better to use it to hang herself. A quick and painless death now would be far more merciful than suffering through the days ahead, to say nothing of what would happen if the Defiled captured her alive on the battlefield.

...

No.

Had Luo-Luo wanted to end her life, she would have done so long ago. She had thought about almost every day after her fateful zither performance where she, an Imperial Servant, received a standing ovation from the Emperor himself. To most, she lived a cursed life, a first generation daughter of nobility sacrificed to Service due to a cruel twist of fate, then left to rot because she was so dazzling no one dared accept her.

An Imperial Servant too talented to employ, and as much as this haunted Luo-Luo, she also took pride in her excellence, for it was only fitting.

Though not everything came easily, thanks to her hard work and dedication, she excelled in every subject she ever tried her hand at, so why should combat be any different? She was already a Martial Warrior, so how difficult could it to become an Expert? Others might struggle their entire lives and never succeed, but for her? Not difficult at all. She couldnt even remember forming her Core, for shed been young and shed succeeded as easily as breathing, but more importantly, once she put her mind to a task, past experience showed that success was not a question of if, but when.

For she was Zheng Luo, a daughter of Heaven with the blood of Emperors flowing through her veins. Excellence was merely what was expected of her, and she would achieve no less.

Chapter Meme