"What do you think I should do?" Sun Quan asked his most trusted bodyguard, Zhou Tai.
"Nothing," he simply replied. Also standing there was Huang Gai, who seemed to agree with Zhou Tai. They watched as she seemed to stare aimlessly out the window.
"Are you sure?" he asked for clarification.
"My lord, a lady must have her space," Huang Gai added. "You can't rush these things."
"I agree," Zhou Tai added.
"But…she's been mourning for days now," Sun Quan replied. He was really starting to become frustrated with the female who had become his favorite.
"It's a tough loss for everyone in Wu, my lord. Lian Shi was very close to her. She deserves all the time she needs," Huang Gai advised. "Come, my lord, let's have a drink. Care to join, Zhou Tai?"
"Of course," Zhou Tai answered.
Lian Shi stared out the window of her room as she admired the waters of Jiangdong. She never thought she would see this day. She always figured she would be the one to die first. After all, she was older. She knew she should have went to Shu, but Lian Shi stupidly convinced herself she wasn't needed anymore, knowing she vowed to give her life for her lady. Now, her lady was gone. This time, she just wasn't going to another kingdom. She was going to another lifetime.
"Lady Bu, would you like something to eat?" a soldier who stood in the door of her room asked.
"No thank you, I'm not hungry," she respectfully declined. The soldier bowed his head in respect and exited the room. Lian Shi went back to looking out the window, continuing her reflection.
"I knew I should've gone to Shu. I just knew it," Lian Shi kept saying to herself. "You would still be here if I did."
"They divorced a long time ago," Sun Quan answered from the door, with a meat bun in his hand. He went over to the side of his favorite concubine and placed the meat bun at her side. "I know you told the soldier you weren't hungry, but I just wanted you to have something for later."
"Thank you, my lord," Lian Shi replied. "I know they divorced, but she still loved him. She only returned to Wu for a short amount of time before she left on her own. I should have followed her. But I didn't."
"Lian Shi, you shouldn't beat yourself up for that," Sun Quan said as he picked up her meat bun. He pressed it to her lips, "Here, have a meat bun. It's made fresh."
She took the meat bun from him and bit into it. She nodded her head in delight of the taste. "It's very good, my lord. Thank you. You always look out for me."
"I should be thanking you. Despite your mourning, you still find the time to take care of us all."
"It is my duty my lord. Would you mind if I take a walk?" Lian Shi asked.
"Do you need someone to come with you?"
"No, I'm fine. I just need some more time to think and then I'll be fine." Lian Shi left the room and went on a walk. She looked around at the surroundings and found herself at peace. For the first time in days, she wasn't in mourning. She was in bliss. In complete happiness. She paused at the Jiangdong River. She knelt down and began to speak to the river.
"My Lady Shang Xiang, I have protected you for the longest time. When you were still learning to be a warrior, I was right there beside you. When your marriage was arranged to Liu Bei, I was right there beside you. When you came back to Wu, I was the first person to welcome you back. I protected you the best way I could. But the one thing I couldn't protect was your heart. I couldn't protect it from being broken by this war-torn land. I couldn't protect it from your still lingering feelings for Liu Bei. I couldn't protect your heart breaking when you heard of his loss at Yiling and eventual death. Now, you're with him in the heavens. Now, forever my lady, you are with your love."
Lian Shi got up and proceeded to walk back to the castle. She turned back to the river one last time and made one last promise to her late lady Shang Xiang.
"My lady, I promise you, I will protect your brother and Wu with my life."