Disorientation and confusion finally vanished. Sun realized that she was in her rooms at Yu's palace. On the floor next to her bed sat her servant Li waiting for her to awake. Sun tried to sit up but her muscles did not respond properly. Li was immediately by her side to help her. "Careful", she whispered. Sun lay her hand on Li's shoulder and nodded slowly. The servant sat down on the floor again.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not very well."

"How else should it be. We all were so anxious about your condition. You did not seem to make it. But you proved your strength once again."

"Strength? No, it was fate."

"If you want so."

Li began to open the thick plaits she must have made Sun while she had been sleeping. Then she began to comb Sun's hair carefully.

"Do you remember anything of the last days?"

"Almost nothing."

"What do you remember?"

"You sang for me."

"Yes I did. Do you want to try getting up?"

Sun nodded. So Li helped her to get out of bed then she took Sun's arm and supported her so that she could walk over to a cushion on the floor, where she finally helped her to sit down slowly. Then Li fetched a bowl of hot water and began to clean Sun's face and arms.

"Jasmine?"

"Yes of course. No other flower makes a lady so sweet-scented."

"I'll remember that."

"You already know it."

Sun smiled a bit about that.

Li was finished and stood up. She walked over to the big old chest in which she kept Sun's dresses and took out Sun's favorite silvery silk robe with the pink flower design on it. Then she came back with it and helped her misstress to stand up and to dress herself. Having finished that she finally fixed Sun's hair in a knot.

"Now you are beautiful again."

"Come on , I couldn't have looked so awful."

Li bowed her head a bit sideways, half-closed her eyes and looked at Sun from up to down. "Hm.If you mean so."

That moment Jarren entered the room. Sun was a bit astounded of that, normally Yu's lo'ta never entered her rooms and stayed miles away from the complex all the ladies in waiting and their servants lived in. More astounding was the fact that he brought her tea. Usually this was a task one of her servants fulfilled.

"Jarren. What are you doing here?"

"I'm bringing you tea."

"It's unusual to see you doing that. "

"An order of Lord Yu."

Jarren set the cup down in front of Sun and filled it with tea.

"There must be somebody really concerned. Anything else he wants you to do or tell me?"

"Nothing else but he wanted to see you when you're better."

"I see.Tell him I'm ready for audience whenever he wants me to."

"Yes."

Jarren bowed, then turned around.

"Ah and Jarren, remember what I told you about bowing when the boss doesn't look."

He turned back around.

"Scrubbing the floor is not my task?"

"Good. So please think of it next time."

The lo'ta nodded lightly and left.

Li looked at Sun shaking her head. "This is not wise of you."

"Maybe it is not. But somehow..." Sun smiled thinly at her servant.

"Would you like to go out to the courtyard?"

"Fine transition. But if you help me up I will do you the favour."