Disclaimer: I write, Mr. Anderson owns, I adapt. 'Nuff said.
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Chapter 3 - "Killing Me Softly"
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Time seemed to drag on forever for Empress Reina. The meeting with a few local leaders to settle a land dispute should have taken mere minutes, but without her advisor present things moved slowly. She had settled the matter to everyone's satisfaction, but as she herself was not versed in law, Reina decided common sense would be her guide. The idea worked, everyone was pleased, and she was left to her throne, alone.
Her mind wandered to the singer, and the caravan of people sent out to retrieve her. "They should be back by now," she sighed. "I hope they have not gotten lost...or tricked by her. What if this is all a ruse? What if I am to be made a fool?" The Empress dismissed those thoughts with a laugh. "It is just my own impatience! She will not betray me...I can tell."
As if commanded by her thought, a guard had announced the return of Mistress Ng. The Empress beamed a great smile, and straightened herself on her throne. "Allow them entrance!"
Soon Mistress Ng and her fleet entered the court. The Empress looked over the group and saw two newcomers. They all bowed in unison as Mistress Ng spoke. "Your Highness, I have returned with the singer. It is the cook who led us--the singer is her own sister!"
"Is that so?" The Empress gave them all permission to rise, and beckoned the group to approach her. She looked at the two girls on either side of Mistress Ng. "Come closer, please!"
"Do you think that wise, Your Highness?" Mistress Ng warned.
"Of course! They will not harm me!" As if to punctuate her sentence, the two girls reached the throne platform and bowed deeply to their Empress.. "Please, stand so that I could better regard you."
When the girls did as they were ordered, the Empress looked them over with some confusion. She first looked at the beautiful girl to her right, who had become quite pale and was visibly shaking. "Do not fear me, child.. I will not harm you." It was then that the Empress saw the same look in the girl's eyes that she had seen earlier. "Wait! You are the cook? Is this true? You are so beautiful! How could I have had something so beautiful in my palace and not have known?" The girl blushed and floundered for a reply, but none came. "If this girl is indeed the cook, then that must mean..." The Empress took a look to her left, and started to smirk.
"Is something wrong, Your Highness?" Mistress Ng started to approach the throne, but was halted by the raising of the Empress' hand.
The Empress' smirk had grown to a grin, then matured into a full-blown laugh. "Ah! I see! This is a joke! You could not find the singer, so you found this waif to stand in for her!" The plain girl stood silently as the Empress laughed at her. "I would have chosen a more beautiful girl--I would have even had her sister impersonate her, but this is rich!"
Mistress Ng came up and stood beside the girl. "I assure you, Your Highness. This is no joke. The girl standing here is indeed the singer you seek. She has proven herself to us all, and we can all say without a doubt that we were as surprised as you must be right now."
The Empress gazed into Mistress Ng's cold, dark eyes, and knew she spoke the truth. In fact, the Royal Advisor had never lied to her before. This made her take pause. "Well then, I must have proof of my own! What is your name?"
The girl bowed again as she introduced herself. "I am Song Mei, keeper of the forest. I am deeply honored to be in your presence, Your Royal Highness."
"Nevermind all that," the Empress said with a smile. "Sing for me! Prove to me that you are the one I seek!"
"If I may, Your Royal Highness, I would ask that everyone leave the room, save for Mistress Ng and myself. Even my own sister should not be present for this."
"And why should I grant this request?"
"What I am about to do is of a...personal nature of Your Highness' concern. I would not want to have the results of my actions seen by any but those whom you trust completely." The singer turned to her sister. "Please, Sister. You know what I am about to do, do you not?"
"I...I understand, Sister" Zhen Mei said with a smile. "Please, Your Highness, grant her request! You will no longer doubt her veracity."
Mistress Ng gave the girl a wary look. "What is it that you are about to do? If you harm the Empress in any way, I will have you killed on the spot! I may even do it myself!"
"There will be no killing in my court!", the Empress chided. "I will allow this. If she is who you all claim, then I am in no danger. In fact, this should be quite an experience!" The Empress rose from her throne and ordered everyone to leave the court. "You are all dismissed. Mistress Ng, Song Mei, come with me." She then turned to Zhen Mei, giving her a smile. "Wait here in my court. If your sister is truly the one I seek, then you will be greatly rewarded." With that, the Empress, Mistress Ng, and Song Mei disappeared into a room behind the throne.
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The Empress undid her official robe and splayed herself out on her large bed, preparing herself for the onslaught of passion she thought was to come. She was still dressed, but in a less formal pant and top set.
"Your Highness!", Mistress Ng gasped. "This girl should not see you like this!"
"Pooh!" the Empress laughed, disregarding her advisor's need for formality. "If this girl is the singer, then I wish to be most comfortable when I hear her sing!" She gave the girl a look. "Go ahead, singer. Sing for your Empress!"
"As you wish, Your Highness." Song Mei gave Mistress Ng a look that made the advisor retreat a few steps, then began her song.
Song Mei took a few steps toward the Empress, then began to moan softly to herself, as if to find the right key in which to begin. The Empress fluffed up a pillow, put it behind her, then closed her eyes and waited.
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It began with a whimper. A soft cry had reached the Empress' ear, and it reminded her of a sound she herself made long ago, a sound she had almost forgotten. It was the sound of a child mourning the loss of her parents. The cry soon had gained depth and reverberation, as if a hundred, no, a thousand children were crying at once. This was indeed a terrible memory--one that the Empress had buried deep within her heart, promising never to bring up ever again. Whoever or whatever had taken her parents from her was long forgotten, but the pain of losing them was still there.
Soon the wailing hymn was replaced by soothing tones, the notes themselves caressing and nourishing the Empress as she felt herself growing up in the arms of someone barely old enough to care for their own self. The warm sound turned playful, almost jovial, and the Empress smiled as she remembered the carefree life of her younger days. Behind the playfulness, though, was a steady, heavy backbeat.
This beat grew steadily louder as time passed before the Empress' ears. Fun gave way to study and training, and the music itself turned more to an etude. Notes to be memorized and rehearsed, until they finally came together and formed an arrangement to her liking. Now she was ready to take her place on the stage, but she still lacked something. She was a melody and a beat, but with no harmony.
And that is what bothered her most. The song had no harmony. It was beautiful, hauntingly so, but it lacked harmony.
Now the song took on a darker, more urgent feel. She saw herself, with the help of her lifelong friend and surrogate mother Lady Ng, amass a large group of fighters to reclaim her father's empty throne from those who would try to seize its power. The song increased in volume and pace as time marched forward, and with a loud, victorious cry, it has reached its peak. An anthem to her ascension followed, and the smile on the Empress' face was as bright as the sun itself.
And still, there was no harmony. For all that she had been through, and the lives that crossed paths with her, there was no one she could truly be in complete harmony with. Even Lady Ng--now Mistress Ng, who had become her Royal Advisor and confidant, kept a respectful distance. Was there no one who dared to love an Empress?
It was then that the Empress surprised herself. A sound came from within her, a plea for the singer to stop. She did not want to be reminded of her constant loneliness, of her wanting, of her sleeping alone. She was no longer the Empress of a large and powerful country; she was Reina, a girl that wanted to be loved, and one that no longer wanted to be tortured by loneliness.
Despite the pleas--or maybe because of them--the song continued, weaving here and there to match the sound of the protest. To the Empress' surprise, the sound was quite pleasing...no, it was very pleasurable! She stopped protesting and started humming along with the song, filling in the parts where she felt most comfortable. The more she did, the better she felt, and the more joyous the song became. It was complete now; it was rich and heartfelt, warm and passionate. She even felt herself being physically touched by the song in places she herself had not dared touch. Again, the pace had slowly increased until it was a loud, driving movement. It was an stirring experience, indeed--one she wanted to go on forever.
Unfortunately, all songs have an end, and this one did as well. After it had reached its climax, the song slowed to a gentle lull. It left the Empress tired, but full of hope. She was not alone anymore.
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When the room was quiet, the Empress opened her eyes and sat up in her bed. She noticed the shocked look on Mistress Ng's face, as well as the satisfied one on that of Song Mei. She didn't have to ask what the weird looks were about--she was completely disheveled, panting from the experience. She quickly straightened herself up and rose from her bed, approaching Song Mei.
"Are you...are you alright, Your Highness?" Mistress Ng asked.
"Oh, Mistress Ng! I have never felt better!" The Empress took Song Mei in her arms and gave her a crushing hug. "This is indeed the singer I seek, for no one, not even you, could have touched me the way she has! No one would dare to do so! She is all that I want and need!"
"Your Highness!" Mistress felt a pain shoot through her heart. She wanted nothing more than to wrestle the singer out of her Empress' grip and banish her from the land. 'Why?', she thought to herself, 'why her...and not me?'
"Leave us, Mistress Ng! And give the singer's beautiful sister the position promised to her! You have my permission!" The Empress gazed into the deep brown eyes of the singer. "And see to it that I am not bothered for the rest of the day!"
It was all she could do to keep herself in check, but Mistress Ng managed to steel herself. "As you wish, Your Highness," she muttered, before tearing herself away from the scene and out of the royal chamber.
The moment her advisor closed the door behind her, the Empress' royal tongue had found its way into the singer's mouth, as if it was searching for any notes left unsung.
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End of Chapter 3
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