Chapter 26
Loong Nu-Ah woke up the next day, determined to be well. Her eyes were scratchy, her throat raw, her face itchy from dried tears, but she told herself that these were only minor inconveniences.
She made her own way to the bathing chamber in the early morning, not wanting to bother Grandmother. The hot water felt wonderful on her sore muscles. She had stressed them terribly, especially with the sobbing from yesterday.
Nu-Ah let her tail roll out into the water, and sighed in appreciation. A hot bath could work wonders. It felt miraculous. She scrubbed the remnants of tears off of her face, and washed them out of her hair. Large clumps of hair came out in her hands as she worked. It had been awhile since she had given it a thorough washing.
She used a scratchy sponge to exfoliate the skin that was not covered by her jade green scales, taking care to moisturize afterwards. All of these little tasks in caring for her personal hygiene had been adding up. It took her awhile in the bath to complete them all, but she felt better for having done it.
In the kitchen, she surprised her Grandmother who had just started to boil a kettle of water to make tea.
"Nua, why are you up so early?" Grandmother asked.
"I feel better today, Grandmother" she told her resolutely. "Can you me make me quail eggs for breakfast?" she requested.
"Absolutely!" Grandmother replied in astonishment, a smile at the corners of her mouth.
"And plums! Do we have any pickled plums?" Nu-Ah asked.
"I'll put some on your congee" Grandmother promised.
"What can I eat now, while I'm waiting?" Nu-Ah asked, looking around.
Grandmother's mouth fell open in amazement. "I guess you really are feeling better" she said, handing Nu-Ah a bowl of raisins.
"These are so good" Nu-Ah said through a mouthful. "Do we have any milk?"
Nu-Ah ate her way through a hardy breakfast, sighing with contentment. It had been so long since she had enjoyed the taste of food.
Father had appeared about halfway through, his eyes lighting up when he saw her. He hugged her shoulders tightly.
"My little Princess must be feeling better" he had said happily. He planted a kiss on top of her head.
"I am feeling better, Father" she told him.
"That's wonderful!" he had exclaimed with a relieved smile.
He ate a light breakfast with them, and then headed off to work with a spring in his step.
"I want to go for a walk" Nu-Ah told Grandmother, after they had finished washing the dishes.
Grandmother looked at her with a worried expression.
"How about I take you to Xuanji Palace to visit Fucan?" she proposed.
Nu-Ah nodded in agreement. She could understand her Grandmother's reasoning. If she fell ill again, Fucan could fly her back home.
They strolled leisurely through the streets of the Heavenly Realm, Grandmother keeping a sharp eye fixed on her. They arrived at Xuanji Palace to find Fucan sipping his breakfast tea alone. His Mother, the Night Immortal Kuanglu, had just gone to bed after finishing her duties, and Ch'ing-Wa Sheng was still in bed.
"I'll get that layabout out of bed!" Grandmother exclaimed, heading into Ch'ing-Wa Sheng's bedroom.
The sounds of Ch'ing-Wa's complaints drifted out to them on the patio, causing Nu-Ah to laugh. Fucan smiled at her.
"It's good to hear you laugh again" Fucan told her. "Did they ever figure out what had made you ill?" he asked.
Nu-Ah shook her head.
"Well, you look much better now!" Fucan exclaimed. "Your skin is practically glowing."
Nu-Ah frowned, and looked down at the skin of her arms. They didn't seem to be glowing to her. What was he talking about? She looked up at him in confusion.
Just then Ch'ing-Wa Sheng emerged from his room, followed by Grandmother. He shuffled towards them with his blanket draped around his half naked body, his hair tousled over his face. His skin was covered in bruises in varying stages of healing.
"WHAT happened to you?" Nu-Ah asked in consternation.
"Princess!" Ch'ing-Wa's head snapped up. He grabbed his blanket to his chest modestly and retreated back to his room.
Fucan laughed loudly.
"You could have told me she was here!" Ch'ing-Wa's voice floated to them through the door.
He came out again in a few minutes, properly dressed.
"What's for breakfast?" he asked, sitting down heavily at the table with Fucan, Nu-Ah and Grandmother.
A servant came running out of the kitchen carrying a laden tray of food for him and a pot of tea.
"Good Heavens!" Grandmother exclaimed. "Are you really going to eat all that?"
Ch'ing-Wa looked up in confusion. "This?" he asked. "This is just a snack."
Grandmother shook her head at him. "I know you're a growing boy, son, but STOP. You are big enough. You don't need to grow anymore."
Fucan laughed loudly again, pointing a finger at Ch'ing-Wa's confused expression. Nu-Ah started to laugh too. Ch'ing-Wa looked at her in amazement.
"You're feeling better" he said.
She nodded, swallowing the little bit of hurt that had threatened to escape.
"I'm so glad" he said, smiling.
Nu-Ah was glad that he was glad. She was making her family happy today. She felt like she was doing the right thing. It was hard, pretending, but she felt like she could master it with enough practice.
While the boys were eating, Grandmother looked at her appraisingly.
"Do you think you could manage without me for a few hours?" she asked Nu-Ah.
"Sure" she said, shrugging.
"That's good. I know I have some work piled up on my desk at the House of Marriage" Grandmother told her. "I'd like to take a look through it and see if there is anything urgent."
"Grandmother...?" Nu-Ah started to ask hesitantly.
"What is it, Dear?" Grandmother responded.
"Have there been any marriage requests for me?" she blurted out, blushing.
Grandmother laughed. "Oh no, Dear. We aren't taking any marriage requests for you!"
The boys both turned to stare at Grandmother in the same way that Nu-Ah was.
"Why not?" asked Fucan in consternation.
"Yeah, she is of age!" Ch'ing-Wa chimed in.
"She's only just become of age!" Grandmother replied indignantly. She grabbed Nu-Ah's hand.
"Nua, Darling, there is no rush for you to get married" she said earnestly. "Your Father is a powerful man. He can protect you indefinitely. You don't have to give up your young years, and start an adult's life full of responsibilities!"
Grandmother started to sniffle. "I had to marry your Mother off before she even came of age. I didn't have the power to protect her from that. Luckily your Father was a gentle husband to her, but many girls aren't so fortunate. Your parents want only the best for you. Time will tell who the right man is to be your husband" she reassured her.
Nu-Ah frowned thoughtfully. Grandmother had given her a clue that might explain Tangyue's behavior. Perhaps Tangyue had tried and failed to submit a marriage proposal, and now he was ashamed to face her.
Grandmother's words also brought up a point that she had not thought of. Once she was married, her life would change drastically. She would have many more expectations of her, and much less freedom.
Maybe she didn't need to rush into marriage. If Tangyue did decide to ever talk to her again, she should bring that up. It might take the pressure off of him, if he was feeling pressured. She wished she knew what was wrong with him.
She sighed sadly. Then she caught a glimpse of her family's worried expressions.
"Stop it!" Nu-Ah berated herself mentally. She was going to be well today, if it killed her. She breathed in deeply, and then out, forcing a smile.
Ch'ing-Wa was looking at her suspiciously, his food forgotten. She pointed at his food, indicating that he should eat. Grandmother got up from the table.
"You boys keep an eye on Nua for me" she commanded them sternly. "I'll be at the House of Marriage if you need me."
Grandmother left them alone. At first there was an awkward silence. Nu-Ah thought for a moment, and then inspiration struck.
"We should take Ch'ing-Wa to Lord Lao" she proposed.
"What? Why!" Ch'ing-Wa protested.
"You have bruises all over your chest and arms" Nu-Ah replied matter-of-factly.
Ch'ing-Wa held his arms over his chest, like he was trying to cover himself. "Why are you looking at my chest?" he complained.
"You walked out here naked! How could I miss it?" she replied severely.
Ch'ing-Wa blushed and looked away. Fucan laughed again.
"I have missed you so much, Nua!" Fucan said through his laughter.
"How did you do on your paper?" Nu-Ah turned to him.
"What paper?" Ch'ing-Wa asked nervously.
"Mortal Habits and Customs..." Fucan reminded him.
Ch'ing-Wa slapped his forehead in dismay.
"Your parents live in the Mortal Realm!" Nu-Ah scolded him. "You should be able to write that paper in your sleep!"
Ch'ing-Wa got up from the table and ran to his room, coming back out with a blank scroll and writing materials. The servants scurried to clear the table of food and dirty dishes before he plopped his stuff down on it. Hurriedly he wrote his name down, and the title of the paper, then he frowned in thought.
"I'll give Old Lao some Mortal Customs he probably doesn't know about!" Ch'ing-Wa declared gleefully.
Nu-Ah walked over to stand behind him and read what he was writing. She gasped.
"You can't put that down! How do you even know about that?" she asked incredulously.
"The soldiers told me all about it" Ch'ing-Wa laughed.
"Wow!" Nu-Ah replied. "I'm beginning to understand why you came back covered in bruises."
Ch'ing-Wa frowned at her.
"No?" Nu-Ah asked. "It was for something else? You did something worse than this?" she pointed at his paper.
He looked down at the paper. Whatever he did, he wasn't going to tell her about it.
"Okay, don't tell me. I won't pry" she told him, going back to her seat. She had her own secrets, after all.
Fucan finished his breakfast and then went to get dressed, while Ch'ing-Wa scribbled out his paper at lightning speed. After Ch'ing-Wa had finished, they all set out together for Doushuai Palace.
Lord Lao was ecstatic to see her.
"Nu-Ah! My Darling Student! I miss teaching you!" Old Lao exclaimed.
"It's good to see you again, Grand Supreme Lord Lao" she had replied with a smile.
"How did your Mortal Trial go?" Lao asked. "I heard you were an Emperor of China?"
"Ah, yes, I was" Nu-Ah responded.
"That's quite different than what we thought you would be" Lao pointed out. "I'm impressed that you handled it so well."
Fucan and Ch'ing-Wa both looked at her with worried expressions. She decided to change the subject.
"What grade did my brother get on his paper?" she asked. "The one on Mortal Habits and Customs?"
"He did quite well actually, quite well..." Lao told her. "Although I can see now it was because he had your help!" He frowned at Fucan, who held his hands up defensively.
"I only helped a little" she told Lao to reassure him.
"Hmmph!" Lao responded indignantly. "You can't ride your sister's coattails forever!" he pointed his finger at Fucan's chest.
"And YOU!" Lao turned his attention to Ch'ing-Wa. "You didn't even turn in a paper!" he complained.
Ch'ing-Wa produced the scroll from his sleeve and handed it to Lao in supplication.
"The ink is still wet!" Lao fussed at him. Ch'ing-Wa winced.
"Nu-Ah, please come back!" Lao pleaded with her. "Help these boys get through their schooling. I'll give you advanced materials to learn" he offered her a bribe.
Nu-Ah pursed her lips thoughtfully. "How advanced?" she asked, interested.
"Magic Sleet Arrow?" Lao dangled.
Nu-Ah'a eyes grew wide. "Really! Do you really think I'm ready?" she asked excitedly.
"We won't know until you try" Lao said. "Your Father was really gifted at this. You might be as well."
Nu-Ah smiled hugely, and naturally. She was really looking forward to this. She had always enjoyed her time at Doushuai Palace. She had no idea why Fucan and Ch'ing-Wa were so put off by schooling.
"I'll do it!" she agreed.
Fucan and Ch'ing-Wa groaned behind her.
"What?" Nu-Ah asked.
"It's like having an extra teacher watching us!" Ch'ing-Wa complained.
"Maybe that is just what you need!" Nu-Ah declared.
Lao nodded his head. "Yes, perfect. This is going to work out well." He walked off with a happy smile on his face.
"Oh! Wait! Master Lao?" Nu-Ah called out, bringing him back.
"What is it?" he asked in alarm.
"Ch'ing-Wa Sheng is hurt" she informed him. "Can you heal him?"
"This might be a good exercise for you, Dear" Lao responded to Nu-Ah. He walked over to the wall, and pulled out a scroll from among a pile of other scrolls. "Study this, and then apply the knowledge. He doesn't look hurt enough to require immediate attention, so he can wait for you to learn it." Lao pushed them out of his workshop hurriedly. "Go on now, I have work to do!"
They drifted towards the park, which was close by. Nu-Ah was eager to study the scroll that Lao had given her, so she plunked herself under a tree and started reading. The boys sat a bit apart from her, talking in low voices. She had the feeling they might be talking about her, and that was why they didn't want her to hear. She decided she didn't care.
The scroll had presented a tricky problem for her. This was healing magic at its most basic. It required her to touch the part that she was healing. She looked up at Ch'ing-Wa in alarm. He would probably fuss about that.
"Uh, Ch'ing-Wa...?" she called out to him.
"What is it, Princess?" he asked.
"I can heal you now, but we need to go back to Xuanji Palace first" she informed him.
He looked at Fucan and shrugged. They both got up, helping her up too, and headed back to their home.
"What do you need here?" Ch'ing-Wa asked as they came through the gate.
"I need you to take off your shirt" Nu-Ah replied matter-of-fact.
"What? No!" He balked at her.
"You will feel a lot better if you let me do this" Nu-Ah wheedled.
Fucan came up behind her. "I think you should just let her do it" he said.
Ch'ing-Wa glared at him.
"You never know when you might need to use those muscles, like if there is some kind of emergency" Fucan pointed out with a meaningful look.
Nu-Ah raised her eyebrow at Fucan. What was he talking about?
"Fine!" Ch'ing-Wa spit out the word. He opened his robes angrily and dropped them down his shoulders with a grimace.
"Sit down" Nu-Ah directed him to a stool in front of her. He grudgingly obliged.
She studied the skin of his back that she could see. His long hair was partially covering it though. She moved his hair aside, draping it over his shoulder. The muscles in his back rippled as he tensed up.
"Relax!" she told him. "I'm not going to hurt you!"
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Fucan holding in his laughter. She went back to studying Ch'ing-Wa's bruises. They were all long and straight, but at different angles. She ran a finger over one experimentally, feeling Ch'ing-Wa shudder underneath her touch. She rolled her eyes, and continued on.
She selected a deep purple bruise in the middle of his back, and pressed her palm against it firmly. Her other hand she held up, pointing two fingers underneath her chin and gathering her Qi. She directed the flow of the magic into his skin and muscle, stimulating the cells to regrow themselves.
Ch'ing-Wa sighed with relief. Evidently that bruise had been hurting him a lot. Nu-Ah selected another bruise on his back and repeated the process, working her way down his back. She did his upper arms without any complaint from him, but when she circled around him to heal his chest, he stopped her.
"I'm fine now, you've helped a lot. Thank you!" he said nervously.
"But I can see a huge bruise right there!" Nu-Ah protested. "It must hurt a lot!"
Ch'ing-Wa grit his teeth. "Fine!" he said grumpily.
Nu-Ah pressed her hand against his pectoral muscle, feeling the hardness of it bunching underneath the skin. She repeated the healing process again, listening to Ch'ing-Wa's accompanying sigh with a sense of gratification. She worked her way down to his waist, when suddenly he stood up.
"Where are you going?" she asked, dumbfounded.
"I don't need anymore healing" he told her. "I've got to go now, I have somewhere I need to be!" he left the palace, practically running.
Fucan was doubled over with laughter.
"What's so funny?" she asked her brother.
He couldn't speak, he was laughing so hard. He just shook his head at her. When he had calmed down, he spoke again.
"Let's get you back to Zifangyun Palace" he said. "It's getting late."