The Last Concubine

alluring and fascinating about her that it went beyond mere beauty. He wanted to gaze into her eyes and see his passion reflected back at him. Hüi became startled when he realized he wanted her love, and he didn’t know her yet or even love her himself.
    There was something special about this girl, and Hüi wondered if perhaps she was a witch who had put a spell on him during the brief moments they were in the same room. He feared the powerful attraction he felt to her, but he reveled in it.
    It made him feel like a man. A man of conquest.
    She was his now, and he would possess her, claim her, and master her so that she would bend to his will.
    In this mood, it was all he could do to wait until after dark. It was unseemly for the master and lord to display any eagerness for the company of a mere woman, and a concubine at that. He knew all eyes would be upon him when he went to her house, and he had to force himself to saunter when he longed to race there, knock down the door, and sweep her into his arms.
    He rapped upon the door three times and waited until it was opened to him by a young maid who bowed deeply, backing away to allow him entry.
    “Thank you,” Hüi said courteously. It did not do to neglect these simple acts of courtesy, and it won him the loyalty of most of his dependents.
    The woman bowed again but remained silent.
    Hüi’s attention was drawn by the eunuch who came down the stairs before bowing deeply. In his light voice, the eunuch said, “General Qiang, my mistress awaits you in the bedchamber.”
    “Thank you,” Hüi said. “You may go.”
    The maid hurried to the back of the house without comment, but the eunuch looked miserable as he withdrew more slowly. If this had been any other situation, Hüi might have wondered about that, but all his attention was fixed on the girl awaiting him upstairs.
    With each step his tension grew. Every step closer to her made him more nervous than facing a horde of barbarians sweeping in from the north, although why, he could not tell. He was in the position of power here. If she did not like him, it would make no difference. He would possess her against her will as often as he pleased. He owned her.
    The upper hall was darkened, and only one door stood open. A warm glow emanated from within, and Hüi went toward it.
    He gasped soundlessly when he caught sight of the girl. She stood with her eyes downcast, her hands hidden within the sleeves of her hanfu, fear etched in every line of her body. However, there was something courageous about the way she waited for him when clearly she was terrified, and that roused a little feeling of tenderness within that surprised him. He’d expected passion, and she did indeed arouse within him an almost frighteningly violent wish to rend her clothing and throw her upon the bed and ravish her, but there was something more complex than mere sexual attraction in his reaction to her.
    It was as if his heart were soaring with happiness that he had finally found the mate to his soul and would ever be as one with her. Nothing like the calm content he felt with Mei Ju. This emotion was new and powerful and unsettling. But his happiness struck a stark contrast to the girl’s misery, and it compelled him to try to comfort her. He closed the door behind him.
    “Princess Zhen Lan’xiu,” he said.
    “My Lord Qiang Hüi Wei,” she responded properly, although her voice trembled.
    He could see her entire body shaking, but the sound of her voice was like music to his ears. Unlike the shrill tones of most of his wives, Lan’xiu’s voice was low and melodic, and she spoke his name softly.
    Her lashes swept her cheeks like the wings of a butterfly, and he wished to look into her hidden eyes. “Look at me,” he commanded.
    Startled, she looked up, and he felt his soul fly out of his body to meet hers when their eyes met. She seemed to feel it as well, because a small wrinkle appeared between her brows, as if she was perplexed by some new emotion that she did not expect. “My Lord?”
    “You belong to me. Do you admit that you belong to me?” he demanded.
    “I belong to you,” she agreed softly. The corners of her mouth turned down, and her eyes filled with a curious mixture of sadness and longing although a fire burned deep within them.
    Hüi could have sworn she wanted nothing more than what he did, to join their bodies together and experience the rapture of their melding. Doubt and fear showed in her eyes while her