The Last Concubine

favorites.”
    Bai blushed hotly. “You must promise never to divulge this.”
    Lan’xiu nodded and Bai turned to Ning. “And you.”
    “I will not speak of it. I could put my fingers in my ears,” Ning offered.
    “If you were not a eunuch, I should probably ask you to, but I understand your need to protect Lan’xiu lest I suddenly go mad and attack her.”
    “You would not get close enough to her to try,” Ning said fiercely, his hand on his sword.
    “You needn’t tell us if you don’t truly wish to,” Lan said.
    Teasing Ning seemed to have given Bai a chance to compose herself. “All is not as it appears in the household. Hüi Wei has not lain with any of us since you came. In fact, Alute was already with child when she came within these walls. Her son is not his. She cried for days before she mustered the courage to tell Hüi Wei, but he was very kind to her. She was allowed to live and bear her child in peace, although her child is not mentioned in the succession. Hüi Wei is a kind man.”
    Lan’xiu’s head was spinning. “But… when your lanterns are lit… what do you—” She stopped, realizing that her inquisitiveness was rude.
    “After you came, Hüi Wei never went upstairs with me again. We would play checkers,” Bai admitted. “He never did… what I said at the party when we first met. He is a kind man. Sometimes he would read to me. He is… very nice.”
    “You do not love him?” Lan’xiu burst out.
    “I do not. It is not to my credit to admit this when he is such a good man,” Bai said, hanging her head. “He is too old for me.”
    “He is not old!” Lan’xiu exclaimed hotly and then stopped herself.
    “You do love him,” Bai said with a pleased little nod. “I thought you did.” She held up a hand when Lan’xiu started to speak. “You hide it well, do not fear. I doubt that is what spurred Ci’an to her rash acts.”
    “How did you know it then?”
    “Your eyes glow like stars whenever someone speaks his name. One time, you did not lower your eyes quickly enough and I saw.” Bai leaned forward to touch Lan’xiu’s hand in her turn. “I am happy for you.”
    “But you. How can you stay here unloved and… not fulfilling the role you came to—”
    “I loved another before I came here,” Bai said softly. “I dream of being free to go back to him, although I know this cannot be.”
    “Have you told this to Hüi Wei?”
    “I could not! I could not offend him so,” Bai said. “My father is a highly placed official in my province. There are reasons I was chosen to come to here to be a concubine. I could not offend Hüi Wei or my father with my own personal desires.”
    Briefly, Lan’xiu met Ning’s gaze. “Perhaps your dream will yet come true.”
    “Perhaps,” Bai said sadly. “But whether it does or not, I had to come to see that you were still alive and well with my own eyes. Since we met, I felt that we were friends.”
    “We are,” Lan’xiu said, her eyes filling with tears that she did not hide this time. She reached out to grasp Bai’s hand and squeeze it. “We are friends.”
    “I am glad. I liked you the first time I met you,” Bai said and gave her usual infectious laugh. “Friends forever!”
     
     
    L AN ’ XIU needed another nap after Bai left. Everything Bai had said had taken the newly built foundations of his world and wrenched them away.
    When he awoke, it was to feel strong arms holding him safe. He snuggled his cheek against Hüi’s shoulder and gave a soft sigh.
    “My Lan’xiu,” Hüi said in response.
    Something in his voice made him open his eyes. “What is it, Hüi?”
    “It is nothing. When I am away from you, I worry that something—” Hüi bit his lip. “I came to see that you were safe. I thank the gods that I can still hold you in my arms.”
    “I, too,” Lan said, resting his head upon Hüi’s broad shoulder again.

Chapter 17

    W HEN Lan’xiu woke again, Hüi was gone and Ning was in the room. He stretched languorously in the bed and asked Ning, “What are you looking so ferociously pleased about?”
    “When my lord came to see you, I went out and investigated. It is as I thought. Ci’an did not commit suicide.”
    Lan’xiu sat up, holding his arms around his stomach, feeling suddenly nauseated as if the poison had come back. “What really happened?”
    “The soldiers took her up to the tower and offered her the right due her rank to kill herself. She laughed and refused. Then they flung her