Across 300 Years, I Love You

Such, is a place that your humble servant has never seen.

[Fuk’anggan’s POV] 

Eunuch Li was stunned. Eunuch Li is considered a highly respected veteran servant that has served since the beginning of the reign of the previous Emperor. In all his years of working for the Imperial household, he is familiar with every inch, nook and cranny of the palace grounds. 

“Such, is a place that your humble servant has never seen.” eunuch Li mumbled to himself. 

It was soft enough to plant a seed of doubt in the 5th Prince’s mind that what he had experienced, could have been nothing more than a mere hallucination. Afterall, any possibility of a slight reference to ghost-lore or the supernatural is taboo and considered highly cursed.  

Knowing the severity of the situation, I quickly suggested that the Prince must be dehydrated from all the running and might have been in a state of confusion. 

“We must summon the Imperial physician to take a look at the 5th Prince.” I added. 

Taking the cue from me, Eunuch Li made a low bow to the Prince. “Allow your humble servant to escort you back to your royal chambers, Your Highness.” 

The 5th Prince remained quiet all the way back to his royal chamber.

Eunuch Li then asked to be dismissed to inform Noble Consort Yu and to instruct a junior eunuch to summon for Physician Barin. 

Noticing the Prince furrowing his eyebrows, I looked around to ensure that no one else was around. 

“I believed that what Your Highness has seen is true. Personally, I would not believe that version of the truth until I see it for myself. Perhaps, one day, the real truth will be revealed. It is a matter of time, sooner or later.” 

The 5th Prince moved his gaze up to meet my eyes. 

“Yes. Mother Consort and Father Emperor should not need to worry over things that cannot be proven true yet.”

“I should get going, Your Highness. It would have been expected of me to present myself to Noble Consort Yu and ask for her forgiveness for the lapses in my responsibility as a companion.” I clasped my hands into a formal courtesy and left the chambers with the consent of the Prince.    

9 July 1994

[Elizabeth’s POV] 

I stared at my blank drawing paper while other kids around me began coloring their sketches with crayons. Today’s art lesson is about drawing our family in a portrait.

But the word “family” seared a raw pain inside me. Touching a raised bright red cane mark across my arms, I felt the stinging swell of the surrounding tissues burning with each slight caress. 

“3 marks across the left arm and 2 across the right.” I counted. 

Back in my head, voices started flooding my head. 

“What did I warn you about playing with boys?” dad hollered. “They play rough with you and get you hurt. One time! One time is all it takes to get you injured.”

“You deserve your injuries don’t you?” mom added with a cold voice.

“Oh! That ungrateful child. Look at her eyes popping out in defiance. Mommy, pass me the cane or I’m gorging those eyes out. Also, go phone the school to take her out of playtime.”

“Nooo!!!!” I felt myself crouching into a ball with my hands over my head.  

“Serves you right!” mom flapped her arms like a duck, gloating.  

“Elizabeth!” the art teacher tapped my table, instantly snapping me out of those voices. “The other children are almost finished with their artwork. You won’t want to present a blank piece of paper to your mommy and daddy, don’t you?” 

“No Miss, I promise I’ll come up with something soon.” I grabbed a nearby crayon, not caring what color it was and started rubbing some random stick figures into the drawing paper. I took another color to rub in 2 more stick figures that looked larger than the rest, prepared to justify the 2 larger ones as my mom and dad.

“I am sorry that I am so bad with drawing. I did my best. My mommy and daddy are the most beautiful people. The one with long hair is mommy, the one with short hair is daddy.” I rehearsed over and over again until it was time for us to submit our art work.