11-15-2019, 04:30 AM
9:30 pm. Jade Garden duck pond, Heavenly Palace, Celestial Palace Complex, Sharanfo, Shen Empire
'How long has it been since I took tea while watching the sky' Wu Zhou, God Empress of the Shen Empire, Lord of the South Dragon, Heavens chosen Arbiter of balance on Earth thought to herself.
She honestly couldn't remember. It was once her favorite family activity. Her long-deceased father making time to spend time with his only child. A luxury so rarely found in the Royal Family.
She still has vivid memories of those nights. Resting her head on her mother's lap as her father made her look skyward, pointing out the constellations and explaining their meanings. It all seems so mysterious to her then.
Not like now. It was all so much less magical. The moon wasn't a mysterious orb. Some ethereal object, Illuminating Earth in the glow of heavenly glory. Now it was just a ball of dust. In her lifetime she has seen men walk on its surface. Like so many Grand Illusions, the curtain had been pulled back and the secret revealed to all.
She remembered trying to pass on that sense of magic that's the world used to carry for her, on to her children with less than successful results.
She had seven children, not just one, and while her father's rain had been far from simple, the complexities and difficulties of ruling took up far more of her time then it had his.
In the end, it had left the old woman with 7 children, that she had never truly bonded with.
And left her where she was tonight. Drinking tea alone on the shores of her small private pond. Only the ducks to keep her company.
Feeling her weak skeletal fingers tightly wrapped around the warm porcelain cup as she lifted it up to her lips to take one final sip, she turned her head skyward. Focusing on the moon. Letting that heavenly glory fill her eyes one last time before turning in for the night.
Trying to forget what it really was, just so she could relive the mystery and Magic she had experience in this Garden as a young girl.
And for a moment she could. For a single moment, the old Empress was back there in the warm embrace of her mother. And her mind filled with fantasies of playing with the Jade Rabbit on the surface of the Moon. Looking down towards the pale blue dot where she lived.
Turning her head down to the pond, she watched the family of ducks slowly float as they slept through the evening
"... I think that's plenty for tonight don't you?"
The old woman reached towards a small plate, with a half-eaten sweet Roll On It. Breaking off a piece she placed it on the ground, to serve breakfast for the ducks, before finally rising to her feet.
the elder Wu quickly retrieved her crown that had been sitting next to her. Carefully putting it back on her head and replacing the large hairpin, that kept it securely fashioned, she adjusted the silk Veil, once again obscuring her face from those not holy enough to look at it, in its entirety.
The clicking of her heels as she stepped off the soft ground and onto the hard oak flooring of the hallway, in between her private garden and her personal bedchamber, alerted the man who had been patiently standing at attendance for when she returned.
" my empress." Won said as he offered a bow towards the origin of the noise he had just heard. The empress smiled at the old man. Her favorite servant. Standing just 1.6 meters tall (( the same height as the empress herself)), without a single piece of hair on his head, his milky eyes look forward. The obscured Moonlight still finding their way into the white spheres that had never seen the glory that was now reflecting off of them.
" I'm turning in for the night Won," she responded as she began to walk towards her Chambers. The blind man nodded. He reached over to the side of the wall and found the railing, running his hand across it to guide him as he walked behind her.
" of course. I trust that you enjoyed your tea?"
She was about to reply when a wave of fatigue washed over. Tiredness sweeping through every muscle of her being. She had been more or less awake a moment ago, but just now felt like she was about to fall over. And what's worse there was a strange pain in her jaw.
The sudden silence alerted the ancient servant " Are you alright my empress?"
Reaching up to massage her jaw the old woman nodded before realizing she was trying to send a visual cue to a blind man
" I'm fine, I'm just tired that's all. And the tea was delicious as always. It really made watching the Moon that much more enjoyable. It's so beautiful tonight"
A small check eliminated from the man as they stopped for a minute outside the doors to her private bedchamber " I'll just have to take your word for it”
The woman slowly began to pull open the door turning her head back to the old man "... you know we need to go back to the Moon. The last time we went, we didn't find the Jade Rabbit. Obviously, we didn't explore it thoroughly enough"
“Perhaps we should. Now Good night my empress…"
" good night Won… oh before I forget, it's supposed to get chilly tonight. If the temperature drops I'd like you to bring me some warmer blankets"
Won gave his Empress a confirming nod " as you wish. I'll see you in the morning"
The old man heard the door closed behind him. He waited a moment before finally making his way down the hallway to continue with his nightly routine
'How long has it been since I took tea while watching the sky' Wu Zhou, God Empress of the Shen Empire, Lord of the South Dragon, Heavens chosen Arbiter of balance on Earth thought to herself.
She honestly couldn't remember. It was once her favorite family activity. Her long-deceased father making time to spend time with his only child. A luxury so rarely found in the Royal Family.
She still has vivid memories of those nights. Resting her head on her mother's lap as her father made her look skyward, pointing out the constellations and explaining their meanings. It all seems so mysterious to her then.
Not like now. It was all so much less magical. The moon wasn't a mysterious orb. Some ethereal object, Illuminating Earth in the glow of heavenly glory. Now it was just a ball of dust. In her lifetime she has seen men walk on its surface. Like so many Grand Illusions, the curtain had been pulled back and the secret revealed to all.
She remembered trying to pass on that sense of magic that's the world used to carry for her, on to her children with less than successful results.
She had seven children, not just one, and while her father's rain had been far from simple, the complexities and difficulties of ruling took up far more of her time then it had his.
In the end, it had left the old woman with 7 children, that she had never truly bonded with.
And left her where she was tonight. Drinking tea alone on the shores of her small private pond. Only the ducks to keep her company.
Feeling her weak skeletal fingers tightly wrapped around the warm porcelain cup as she lifted it up to her lips to take one final sip, she turned her head skyward. Focusing on the moon. Letting that heavenly glory fill her eyes one last time before turning in for the night.
Trying to forget what it really was, just so she could relive the mystery and Magic she had experience in this Garden as a young girl.
And for a moment she could. For a single moment, the old Empress was back there in the warm embrace of her mother. And her mind filled with fantasies of playing with the Jade Rabbit on the surface of the Moon. Looking down towards the pale blue dot where she lived.
Turning her head down to the pond, she watched the family of ducks slowly float as they slept through the evening
"... I think that's plenty for tonight don't you?"
The old woman reached towards a small plate, with a half-eaten sweet Roll On It. Breaking off a piece she placed it on the ground, to serve breakfast for the ducks, before finally rising to her feet.
the elder Wu quickly retrieved her crown that had been sitting next to her. Carefully putting it back on her head and replacing the large hairpin, that kept it securely fashioned, she adjusted the silk Veil, once again obscuring her face from those not holy enough to look at it, in its entirety.
The clicking of her heels as she stepped off the soft ground and onto the hard oak flooring of the hallway, in between her private garden and her personal bedchamber, alerted the man who had been patiently standing at attendance for when she returned.
" my empress." Won said as he offered a bow towards the origin of the noise he had just heard. The empress smiled at the old man. Her favorite servant. Standing just 1.6 meters tall (( the same height as the empress herself)), without a single piece of hair on his head, his milky eyes look forward. The obscured Moonlight still finding their way into the white spheres that had never seen the glory that was now reflecting off of them.
" I'm turning in for the night Won," she responded as she began to walk towards her Chambers. The blind man nodded. He reached over to the side of the wall and found the railing, running his hand across it to guide him as he walked behind her.
" of course. I trust that you enjoyed your tea?"
She was about to reply when a wave of fatigue washed over. Tiredness sweeping through every muscle of her being. She had been more or less awake a moment ago, but just now felt like she was about to fall over. And what's worse there was a strange pain in her jaw.
The sudden silence alerted the ancient servant " Are you alright my empress?"
Reaching up to massage her jaw the old woman nodded before realizing she was trying to send a visual cue to a blind man
" I'm fine, I'm just tired that's all. And the tea was delicious as always. It really made watching the Moon that much more enjoyable. It's so beautiful tonight"
A small check eliminated from the man as they stopped for a minute outside the doors to her private bedchamber " I'll just have to take your word for it”
The woman slowly began to pull open the door turning her head back to the old man "... you know we need to go back to the Moon. The last time we went, we didn't find the Jade Rabbit. Obviously, we didn't explore it thoroughly enough"
“Perhaps we should. Now Good night my empress…"
" good night Won… oh before I forget, it's supposed to get chilly tonight. If the temperature drops I'd like you to bring me some warmer blankets"
Won gave his Empress a confirming nod " as you wish. I'll see you in the morning"
The old man heard the door closed behind him. He waited a moment before finally making his way down the hallway to continue with his nightly routine
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