50 Fooled Once. Never Twice (1/2)

WEI LI LIAN

PRINCESS LE-ANNE

THE DUNGEON

When Le-anne woke up early in the morning, she found the cell empty from another. The woman who held her so highly had disappeared and of course she couldn't help wondering where they had taken her.

What now? Was she next?

Hopefully Grand Consort Shu turned out to be the prowess like she claimed to be so that she could be released sooner than later. Surely General Feng could not shield her forever and she knew that the more one stayed imprisoned, the more dangerous it was as any day the emperor could wake up on the wrong side of the bed and order that all prisoners be slaughtered dead.

During the day she decided to hone her gongfu by gathering her energy, and attacking and defending herself against the air.

What disturbed her practise was a dungeon maid who was let in to thoroughly clean her cell. She wiped the gate bars clean, mopped the floor and dusted the roof corners for spiders. It grew all the more peculiar when she brought a censer to fragrance the dungeon cell.

Did General Feng or Grand Consort Shu order this for her? Now Le-anne felt like the Dungeon Empress because definitely no one had ever been treated this handsomely in a dungeon.

Dinner was nothing knew but sour porridge that was burnt. Instead of having her cell cleaned Le-anne would rather have her lovely guardians instruct that she be fed edible food. Soon she was to dance for Grand Consort Shu's birthday banquet. Did they forget that? This kind of food would not do her any justice.

But she ate anyway. What else could she do?

Le-anne was about to dose to sleep when she heard some footsteps approach the cell. It was a guard doing his normal rounds but weirdly this time he was more attentive and cautious. He searched the passage for any intruders, looked into her cell then vanished.

Something was not right, her gut instinct warned. Le-anne wanted to find out more concerning this matter but she blanked out, everything darkening.

When she woke up, she was not sure what time it was. Her head was raming like she was experiencing the pains of one who fell asleep after drinking too much.

”Agh…” she groaned as she straightened.

”My Lady has awakened,” a gruff voice came from the other side of the room.

She bolted up in shock and looked up.

There sat a man covered by a huge black coat, concealing his face and the lighting of the room did not help in identifying him either. The only lighting they got in their cell was from a lamp in the passageway.

”A man cannot be with a woman in a cell.” How could they allow this? Until proven guilty she was still a palace maid and therefore belonged to the emperor.

”Our master made plans to allow me in for a little bit,” he responded in a professional like manner. By master she assumed that he meant General Feng.

”Which master?” she still went on to seek confirmation.

”I do not have time. My Lady should let me know what I should convey to our superior, for we seek answers on why you have delayed our plan by ending up in prison.”